Lawcon Updates

Silnäre Update

The tower was located in Sembia and was called the Tower of Riddick. Eladamri Riddick was Eralion's associate. He has not been seen in some hundred years or so. Silnäre is keen to investigate this tower. Either to question Eladamri about Eralion's illness or to seek treasure in a ruined tower. Either would be agreeable to him.

This was the last recorded info on Silnäre.  Since this time, he did travel south to the Tower of Riddick.  Thaimor attempted to stop him or steal what was in the tower before it could be claimed by Silnäre.  Unfortunately for  Thaimor, Silnäre found the tower first, killed him and claimed some information about Eladmari Riddick.  Notably, that Eladamri moved from the Tower of Riddick north to Tasseldale.  His new home was called Quirion Tower.  Eladamri might yet live even though Riddick Tower was over run with orcs and other scum.

Miranda Update

After joining this team, Miranda had found some folk that told her, her aunt was no longer a Zhent prisoner. The slaves were freed by Rhuobhe elves that attacked the slave caravan. This gave Miranda a hope to locate her aunt before the Zhentarim recaptured her.

Well, part of this was true.  The Zhents managed to recapture a good amount of the slaves and held them in a hidden camp in Archendale, east  of the Archwood.  This area is well known to be home to a clan of frost giants.

Exploring the area, the team found the camp but they were forced to retreat without Miranda!  She had been enspelled and taken captive.  The party struggled to figure out a way to save Miranda.  Eventually they defeated the Zhent camp and rescued, not only Miranda, but a gaggle of slaves.  Was one of the slaves Miranda’s missing aunt?  I can’t remember…

Amara Update

Amara was building a small shrine to Corellon in Larathian Village when she received word that the Temple of Corellon, north of Highmoon was in grave danger.  A miscreant archmage threatened the cleric of the temple and proclaimed he would return in 24 hours to annihilate the holy site.  The mighty oak centerpiece/altar of the temple was a dryad’s tree and this would mean her death. 

Amara knew there was nothing the Order would be able to do to stop such a powerful wizard, but the cleric of Corellon assured her they could save the heart of the temple (the oak) and thereby rescue the dryad as well, but they had to secure the aid of a treant known to live in the Archwood.  The treant, Adon, would be able to animate the great oak and move it.  It was decided that the oak would be relocated to Larathian Village, to the Corellon Shrine kept by Amara.  This elevated the shrine to a full temple. 

Shortly thereafter Amara had a vision of an evil temple where a suit of holy elven chain mail rested.  This armor was a holy relic to the faithful of Corellon.  The armor was worn by a bladesinger of Corellon some 725 years ago.  After she fell in battle, she was canonized by the church and became a saint of the faith.  Her armor was lost over 200 years ago.  If Amara finds the armor and places it in her new temple, the place would be sanctified and elves from all over Faerun would make pilgrimages to the temple to view it.

Silverbow Update

After befriending the Council of Truth, Silverbow fell in battle trying to help them in their endeavors.  However, Corellon was not done with her, so he caught her soul and sent it to a special demiplane where she could earn a return to the Prime.  In Corellon’s Refuge, SIlverbow met the Order of the Argent Dusk and joined them in trying to foil a plot of Lolth’s to despoil the demiplane.  Although the demiplane collapsed, the Order did manage to save Silverbow and she has decided to remain with them in Larathian Village.

Lita and Dart Update

It would appear Dart will not be rejoining the group on this foray.

Lita has very little to do and is superfluous as she is a ranger also (Silverbow is a ranger).

Players

This is all I could remember.  The blog does not account for the last visit in 2013 where Nakia joined the group.  In that Lawcon, Miranda was rescued from the Zhents, Silverbow joined the team, Dart joined the team, Amareth left the team, and a new wizard (a captured mage, played by Nakia) joined the team.  The party was beaten and robbed by the Maestro in the Sembian plains and the temple Corellon’s Grove in Highmoon was destroyed by Argust the Red.

Please use the comments below to let me know if you remember anything different or can add any information that’s missing.  

Previously

The band from Mistledale was down Zaven and Dusty, but one of the rescued commoners volunteered that he had some skill and would be willing to help the party out.  The elf is named Ele’mir and his skills range from spell casting to opening door and finding traps. 

          The band decided to head out of the area and find any treasure while Thovan meditates.  Katie, Ele’mir, Valorous and Styve head to the ruined room with the small elementals.  Travelling to the room the party encounter some ochre jellies.  In the elemental room, they find a wand and defeat all but one of the elementals, that flees. 

          Leaving that room, they decide to look into the room where ants were suspected of being in.  The room had no ant creatures but was some sort of torture chamber with a shrine to Shar.  This room trapped the party and they were sometime later transported to another location where they met a creature named Modulok.  In this eternally dark place, Styve was killed and the others captured.

          Modulok told them that she would speak with them later and left the room.  The band went back to the room where they first appeared.  There they found a rune on the ground exactly where they appeared. Also in this room, the group found another prisoner chained to the wall.  It appeared to be a demon, tortured and beaten.  Ele’mir warned Katie not to talk to her but Katie freed the demon and learned that it was actually an angel named Taleron.  Gratefully, Taleron brought the group from Modulok’s domain back to the room where the shrine to Shar was.

          Once the group was back in the dungeon, they headed to the their lair to recover and return Styve’s body to safety.  This was problematic as Styve and his gear made everyone more encumbered then they would have liked.  It also meant the trip back would take longer.  As they made their way back, they encountered Aura the medusa again. 

          Meanwhile, Thovan came out of his reverie and decided the other had been gone too long.  He decided he and Seoni should go and look for the rest of the group.  They left and traveled down the right passage.  When they went down the long corridor, they triggered a rune that caused them some distress but that was nothing compared to the assault the crossbowmen gave them.  With their poisoned bolts, they managed to get Thovan who recognized the effect as drow sleep poison.  He realized that he would soon be passed out for hours, leaving Seoni alone to guard him.  They fled back to the lair but triggered the rune again, only this time it actually grant them instead of a bane.

          After a long sleep, Seoni and Thovan ventured out again and this time decided to take the left turn instead.  Nearing the corridor, they heard a commotion, Katie and the others were in a battle.  Thovan and Seoni sprang into action just as Katie ran past them toward the lair.  She told them that Aura was after them and that Styve was dead.  Valeros and Ele’mir were stuck in the rubble with Aura advancing.  After a pitched battle, Thovan killed Aura with a spell but was then petrified.

While the party recovered from the medusa battle, Taleron, the angel came to the party to thank them for their aid.  She gave Ele’mir, Valeros and Katie a feather from her wing.  The feathers could be used to summon Taleron and ask her for a boon.  Katie promptly used her feather and asked Taleron to bring back something to raise Zaven.  Taleron departed, vowing to return with something Katie could use to help Zaven.

Katie, Seoni and Ele’mir, then set about identifying the magic items the party recovered.  They learned one item found was a jar of Raise Dead Balm.  Taleron returned soon after and brought Katie a scroll of Raise Dead.  Styve was raised using the Balm, he then used the scroll on Zaven.  Ele’mir used his feather to ask Taleron to help Thovan.  Taleron brought back a potion of Restoration.  This potion was poured over the Thovan statue and thus Thovan was restored.  Later, the group found out that one of the potions found in the gelatinous cube was also a potion of Restoration.

Katie decided the second potion should be used to aid Capt. Dusty.  Zaven agreed and off the group went, leaving Valerous and Seoni with the resting Styve.

Posts from the Grove of the Unicorns

Zaven finds himself in a meadow surrounded by lush deep forests. He feels the warmth of the sun. He feels exhilarated due to the healing heat of the sun after so many dark, cold days in the mysterious dungeons. His last memory in the dungeon was of a giant queen ant. Her enormous jaws and stinger sent shivers of pain and fear deep into his soul. Finding himself suddenly in the tranquility of the meadow brought immediate relief, but then he remembered Katie.

Katie, the most beautiful woman that Zaven had ever seen. Her voice could only compare to those of angels. Her presence brought him joy beyond anything he had experienced with any other. He knew that she was beyond his station, for he could never consider himself anything more than her humble servant. He saw himself as her protector. Although he could never hope to mean more to her, it was enough to know that she was safe.

As Zaven soaked in the warm rays of the sun, a shiver entered his being. Katie was alone. She didn't have her commander to protect her, and Styve and Thoven could barely manage on their own. Then he remembered; Styve did this to him. Styve came between him and his self-proclaimed position of guardian of Katie. His actions ripped Zavan away from the land of mortals and delivered him into the hands of his god, Mielikki. 

Zaven, lost in his anguish, didn't notice the approach of Mielikki. Once aware, Zaven quickly went to one knee. He bowed down and awaited forgiveness for his inattention. Mielikki reached out to him and told him to rise. 

Mielikki senses within Zaven an innocence and a fundamentally kind soul. His previous life has introduced a trace of chaos, in what is otherwise a pure intentioned heart. Mielikki reclines on the lawn, joining Zaven. Mielikki sees such promise in having a follower with such a pure heart, but she grieves for him knowing that he came to such a tragic end. 

Zaven, experiencing her divine light, realized that he had allowed his love for Katie to overshadow his love for his god. Zaven asks once again for Mielikki's forgiveness, "Most beautiful Mielikki, I have failed you. In my blind love for a mortal woman, I lost sight of my true purpose—a warrior and servant of Mielikki. If the gracious Mielikki can forgive me and allow me a chance to go back to her service, I will never stray again. My focus will always remain on your will."

Mielikki smiled. As she spoke, Zaven realized that Mielikki, not Katie, had the most beautiful voice in all of creation, "Zaven, there is always a plan for all of those in Creation. It appears that your destiny is here, with me. I have tried to claim you once before, but you escaped my grasp." 

Zaven, succumbing to her seduction, forgot momentarily about Katie and his friends back in the dungeon.  Then the memory of the mortal, but beautiful Katie, filled his mind with dread. "Mielikki, you and the other gods sent us to this dungeon for a purpose. It is beyond me to know the purpose, but I know we have not fulfilled your plan. If you grant me the opportunity to return, I swear my allegiance. I will do your will, protect your forests, and become an evangelist of Mielikki's."

Mielikki smiled, "Zaven, I know you love Katie. It is allowed for you to love your goddess and the lovely Katie. If I grant your return, you must continue to protect your friends. I also expect that from this moment forward, that you will use your sword to defend the forests and those in my service, especially the Shadoweirs. Given the opportunity, I expect you to join the Shadoweirs, or in the least to swear your skill and aid. Katie is in possession of my hymnal. I expect to hear her voice swell in song, as she fills the air and hearts of all those around her with praise for me."

Mielikki pulled Zaven close. He lay his head in her lap, as she stroked his cheek, "But now you must rest. I will have my answer for you the next time you awaken." Zaven drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep. 

Death but not dead

Whew, that was a rough session.  After all the anguish that occurred to restore Zaven, he goes out and gets killed right after he’s all fixed up.  Not only that but Zaven takes his “replacement fighter” with him to the land of the dead.  But did they really die?  

LORD RETCON HAS ENTERED THE STORY!!

   Well, it turns out they didn't die.  Being bitten by the snakes placed them in a catatonic state that lasts for a few (1d4) days.  The characters appear dead but are not.  Styve's examination reveals that they are alive.  

*************

   Why did Lord Retcon appear, you ask?  Is Law soft hearted?  No, not at all, but I am a rules type of guy and I am fallible.  Bearing those both in mind, I realized last night that the first round of that fight I used meta-game knowledge that resulted in that outcome.  The medusa should have wasted her first round of actions trying to petrify the party.  She was not aware of the scroll used to protect the party.  Therefore the outcome would have been different.  She may have been slain or the group may have been killed.  Dice rolls are fickle so who can say.  

Between Flayer and Flail

Following the commoners, the party find them attacked by two flail snails.

After a brief battle the snails are defeated but their death cries carry throughout the corridors and draw a gelatinous cube.  Then something strange occurs.  Behind Zaven appears a door and stairs that lead to down to a landing and a bare stone wall.  The party pile into the "new" corridor and close the door behind them.
     After resting 4 hours, the group is discovered by the small humanoids that shot up Zaven and Dusty before.

The creature's bite and club attacks almost overwhelmed the group but they were finally defeated. The party managed to get another 5 hours of rest and rememorize spells as well.
Which way will they explore next time?

So far (last of 2014)

The party has explored a bit more so here is a new map.

Sorry, small edit on the map.  Remember, this is a player knowledge map in a living dungeon, therefore there may be some changes if the PC's revisit certain areas.  Also, the area with the Capt. Dusty statue and the high burial niches is there but the niches are too small and high to include on this map. Here are some details I remembered.
Reminder of situation: the party just faced off against a mind flayer

 that fled back into his room leaving his two brain pets to fight the party.  This was just after the party beat into unconsciousness two other mind flayers and freed some peasants (3)

 and two other adventurers, Seoni (a mage) and Valerous (a fighter).

 When the brain beasts

 attacked the group, Seoni and all the peasants fled up the corridor.  When Katie (the Great One) managed to finish off the brainies, the rest of the group followed after them.  All assumed the mind flayer would return with more helpers.

*********
If you guys wanted to print this out, it may not be a bad idea.  Also, this is a reminder to CJ about the Gaming Paper, if you can.  See you folks next week.