Wondering how to get started? Here are a few tips:

1. Invite your players

Invite them with either their email address or their Obsidian Portal username.

2. Edit your home page

Make a few changes to the home page and give people an idea of what your campaign is about. That will let people know you’re serious and not just playing with the system.

3. Choose a theme

If you want to set a specific mood for your campaign, we have several backgrounds to choose from. Accentuate it by creating a top banner image.

4. Create some NPCs

Characters form the core of every campaign, so take a few minutes to list out the major NPCs in your campaign.

A quick tip: The “+” icon in the top right of every section is how to add a new item, whether it’s a new character or adventure log post, or anything else.

5. Write your first Adventure Log post

The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light “story so far” post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night’s adventures.

One final tip: Don’t stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you’re using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn’t always up to date or your characters don’t all have portrait pictures.

That’s it! The rest is up to your and your players.

29th of Uktar, 1398 D.R.

Suzail thrums with anticipation. As the winter cold blows in over the bay, preparations are fully underway in the city, like many others across the land, for the Feast of the Moon. A festival marked by solemn remembrance of ancestors long departed, and family recently passed, followed by three days of feasting, song and a heartfelt celebration of life.

To Cormyrians, this festival is seen as one of the highlights of the year, and everywhere the people are hanging up their decorative lanterns and bunting. Soon the city will be brought to life by a sea of flickering lights and colour.

The air is filled with the inviting aromas and scents of hundreds of cooking fires. The streets are bustling with hawkers and merchants enticing the people with their various bits of festival merchandise. The unofficial week of drinking before the festival is already in full swing, with many establishments allowing their patrons to spill out into the streets, despite the cold.
The city has truly come to life.

Just after sunset, the festival will begin in earnest, with the Royal procession through the streets, to the royal tomb, where the Queen will lay a wreath of remembrance and ignite the great brazier of Selune. Temples will hold services, and the people will visit their family graves and decorate them with flowers and candles. This all culminates, at midnight, with the release of thousands of paper lanterns across the city.

It is assumed that, as with every year since their disappearance, the people of Suzail will show their respects at Nexus House, to pray for their safe return and give thanks for their sacrifice.

The PCs gather at their favourite tavern near the docks, the “Laughing Lass”, to partake of the free-flowing ale, general festival mood, and good food. The place is like a second home. A tavern that has a long history not only in the city, but also with Nexus. It is a drunken den filled with misfits, labourers, sailors and adventurers. It doesn’t change much, and neither do the prices, and the clientele likes it that way.
A band of about fifteen minstrels calling themselves “The Dog’s Bollocks” is playing lively Festival songs adding to the festive, if somewhat raucous atmosphere.

The PC’s drink and catch up, discussing all manner of subjects, until the time comes to head out into the street, to join the rest of the city and watch the royal procession.

The last fading rays of the winter sun retreat over the city, leaving a purple twilight sky behind. The crowds gather along the procession route, in eager anticipation of the spectacle to come. People press together to catch a glimpse of their Queen as she passes.

Along the entire route, Purple Dragons stand to attention, keeping the crowds at bay. The atmosphere is electric.
In the distance it starts. A solemn drum beat. Soon it is joined by other instruments. The music is soon accompanied by the sound of marching feet, the clatter of hooves, and the grinding of carriage wheels on the cobbled streets.

The people respond with cheers and jubilation, waving small pennants as the front of the procession comes into view.
The procession is led by roughly one hundred Purple Dragons, marching in tight formation led by their commander on horseback. They are followed by royal musicians, drummers and trumpeters. Then the standard bearer of the Queen’s colours.

Then they see it, the gilded carriage of the Queen, with its royal escort, followed by several carriages of other dignitaries, knights on horseback, and ranks of Purple Dragons.
The carriages are all closed, and they can see Queen Tanalasta waving serenely from within as she passes by your position.

Suddenly a cry of panic goes up in the crowd. Several armed figures burst forth from the crowd and charge toward the royal carriage, screaming a battle cry. Purple Dragons move to intercept, cutting down four of them with quick efficient strokes. A fifth engages another in a tight melee, but a sixth manages to weave his way around their defenses and reach the carriage itself.
The stout figure produces a small item which he slams against the carriage. There is a bright flash of magical energies, and to those of you who understand such things, you see a brief force field outlined and then die. You recognize a dispel when you see it.

Screams and cries of alarm ripple through the crowd, and the Purple Dragons immediately move to finish off the sixth figure. The fifth attacker in a melee is impaled from behind by another soldier that joins the fray.

Valeria leaps into action, and rushes to defend the Queen’s carriage from the attackers. She helps usher the injured to safety, and returns to the street.

At that moment, the PCs spot a figure on a rooftop across the street, a shadow flattened on the slate tiles. He fires a crossbow. The bolt pierces the carriage window. Two other bolts find their mark from different rooftops. Valeria watches helplessly as the Queen is impaled through the neck, and black malignant energies spread from the wound.

One of the carriage drivers stands up, revealing the robes of a War Wizard. She barks an arcane word, takes to the sky and begins casting at an unseen rooftop attacker.

Kyuubi spots a lone shadowy figure perched on a nearby spire observing the proceedings, who ducks out of view the moment the deed is done. Kyuubi rushes down the street in the direction of the mysterious figure, changing her disguise as she goes. Within moments, she has taken on the guise of a local street waif, and blends into the crowd. Rhiannon, Valeria and Peter follow suit. The figure emerges from the tall building at street level and attempts to blend into the crowd.

The PCs follow her down several streets, and eventually into an alley way that dead ends. They spot a manhole cover in the street, noting it has recently been moved, and continue down into the sewer below.

They see the figure attempting to flee down the long tunnel they drop into, and chase after her. The PCs fire several arrows at the fleeing figure, and two of the find their mark. The figure is felled, and falls face down in the muck, dead.

They retrieve everything of note they find, and bring it to the Purple Dragons busing themselves with managing the chaos that ensued after the assassination. The Purple Dragon commander thanks them for the their efforts.
Looking around, they note the crowd is in disarray. The Queen’s carriage on it’s way back to the palace, and slowly the panic of the crowd turns to mourning. The realization of the evening’s events only now sinking in.
Clearly there will be no celebration this year.

The following evening, the PCs are handed a message by an anonymous urchin. The note is an invitation to meet with none other than Baskor Tranth, the late Queen’s most trusted adviser.

The PCs decide to attend the meeting, albeit with some skepticism.

The meeting with the Royal Magician takes place in an Inn called the “Roving Dragon”, one week from the night of the assassination.
Baskor meets the PCs in a room he rented for this purpose. His apprentice guides the PC’s upstairs to meet him.

“Welcome, my friends. Your arrival is timely indeed and I thank you for your haste. By now, you have doubtless heard of the death of the Queen.
For over twenty years, I have served her as her chief adviser on the Royal Council. Through war and peace and feast and famine. I stood by her side until she was taken from us.
Now, I have my own investigations to perform, but given the sensitive nature of the information I am about to divulge, I will need you to decide now whether you wish to lend me, and this nation, your aid.
I have need of a group of discreet, independent agents such as yourselves, whom I can trust. I can think of no one I would rather trust than the children of the great heroes of Nexus, who have already shown courage in this matter.
Will you help me?”

Baskor hesitates to move forward, until the PCs agree to help, but relents eventually when he notes their doubts.

“I am deeply troubled by the manner of the Queen’s death. Not only was she assassinated by a group of very skilled and organized men, they used magic that was clearly beyond their ability to produce themselves.
Of the three bolts that pierced the carriage’s defenses, one found its mark. She was killed instantly. What saddens and baffles us even more, is that it was a potent magical item know as an Arrow of Slaying, which defies any attempts on our part to resurrect our beloved Queen.
The nation will have to mourn her passing. I cannot imagine her assassins picked that particular day by accident.

There’s more:
There is one in the realm who has shed no tears at the fall of Tanalasta. Prince Foril, the Queen’s older brother, has coveted the crown of Cormyr since his return but two years ago. It was originally believed he had died as a child, until he miraculously came back home after more than 60 years.
He was of course subjected to all manner of scrutiny, and there was no denying he was who he claimed to be, so he was given his estates, and position at court, and welcomed back by the royal family, although they kept him out of the public eye, and kept his duties to a minimum. He was, after all, an old man.
Then, a few months ago, he began to become more interested in the affairs of state, he asked to be invited to council meetings, and recruited a private bodyguard to man the walls of his estates. The queen reluctantly agreed.

Upon hearing of the queen’s death, he strode into the Royal Court with his retinue of guards to claim the throne. Only the sorrow or the people and the meager opposition offered by the council has halted his efforts thus far. Already he is claiming the title of regent of Cormyr.
And thus we come to the purpose of our being here. The only one who can challenge his claim to the throne, and save us, is the rightful heir, the crown prince Azoun. I seek now to ensure that he is spared the fate which I suspect his uncle is plotting for him.
For you see, Azoun is currently away on a pilgrimage. He set off roughly a tenday before the Festival of the Moon, toward the Dawn Font in the Sunset Foothills. For generations the heirs apparent of Cormyr have made this pilgrimage to the waters of Lathander’s spring. The sages say that drinking from the well bestows great wisdom and strength. I know not of this, but such devotion goes a great way to winning the hearts of the people.

We pray for his safe return, but we have reason to believe that he is not safe in the Duchy of Aris. Duke Vorik Aris , is a self seeking man who might turn a blind eye to the Prince’s welfare if it served his purpose. Worse still, we have reason to suspect that Duke Aris may be in league with Prince Foril. If this is true, then the Prince is in mortal danger. The Duke has sworn to protect the Prince, but to trust his word is to be less than a fool. Assassins may already be abroad in the duchy with the Duke’s blessing.
We do not know where Prince Azoun is at this time. Such is the nature of his pilgrimage. He travels inconspicuously on foot with only a few retainers in simple garb. By now he may have reached the Dawn Font. He may not have heard of his mother’s death. In any event, the prince must be returned safely to Suzail. If he dies, the realm may face dark times indeed.
On behalf of the Royal Council, and in the utmost secrecy, I am asking you to enter the Duchy of Aris and find Prince Azoun before it is too late. Anything you can learn of the Duke’s motives will also be of value to us, and we will pay well for such knowledge.
I suggest you begin your search at the Dawn Font, but you may hazard to venture into Castle Aris.
Whatever you do, remember this:
At no time should you reveal the nature of your quest. If you are taken and your mission discovered, your life may be forfeit, and the Royal Council’s position will become extremely difficult. I recommend concealing your identities. During this mission, the Purple Dragons are not to be informed of your true purpose. They are duty bound to honour Prince Foril’s claim regardless of their true affiliations, at least until Prince Azoun is crowned King or the issue of the succession has been resolved publicly.
Also mark well one other thing. In the whole Duchy of Aris, you can trust only two men: Dawnlord Velen, patriarch of the House of the Golden Dawn, and Gurenna, the Innkeeper of the Drake & Castle Inn. If you are in need, you may seek refuge in either place.
If you succeed in your mission, you have the undying gratitude of this Kingdom and the certain knowledge you have saved it. You will also be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.
I beg you accept this mission."

Baskor hands the PCs a small chest with 200gp, Royal Charters and a map. He also provides small portraits of Prince Azoun, and Gurenna, and a ribbon of golden silk to show Dawnlord Velen.
He also provides the group with fresh horses, complete with tack and harness.

1st of Nightal, 1398 D.R.

Following Baskor Tranth’s impassioned request to the PC’s, they deliberate on what to do with all this information. They eventually agree to help him to find Prince Azoun and escort him safely home.
They set out the following morning, after gathering their supplies and gear, their Royal Charters and relevant clues in hand.

The road takes them through the King’s Forest, a well patrolled and safe stretch of the kingdom, and out into the Stormhorn foothills. This leads to the pass of High Horn, where they rest for the night in High Horn Keep, the main stronghold of the Purple Dragons.

From there they make their way to the Duchy of Aris, and Castle Aris. They manage to gain entrance into the castle and start their investigations. It becomes clear that the Duke is away from Aris, and has taken a force of his men with him. Having left behind a skeleton crew to man the castle, it makes the PC’s job to track down clues without scrutiny a little easier. They hear from locals that a local poacher named Matlock may have had contact with the Prince and his retinue. They find him in his disheveled hut nursing a hangover. He tells them he’s seen men matching the Prince’s description leaving for the Dawn Font. He also informs them that he thinks some of the Duke’s men set out of the castle rather soon after he left, which he thought was odd.

The PCs follow the trail, trudging through the rain, stopping at the Drake and Castle Inn to rest and make contact with Gurenna on Baskor Tranth’s advice. She offers them warm beds, good food and cozy fire.

The following morning, they make for the Dawn Font. They head ever higher into the Sunset Foothills, noting that the weather improves with every step. By the time they arrive at the font, the sun is shinning on their faces, and they winter chill has evaporated from their bones. The Font is an oasis of beauty and calm in the rugged hills.
In the circle of standing stones, they encounter a Priestess of Lathander called Salla who tells them they missed the Prince by three days. She says they left for the House of the Golden Dawn to seek the blessing of Dawnlord Velen. Salla then invites them to drink from the waters of the Font, saying Lathander blesses all who make the pilgrimage. Those that do feel the waters suffuse them with warmth and light. The touch of the Morninglord offering enlightenment and serenity.

They bid farewell to Salla, and make haste to Eagle Peak, where the House of the Golden Dawn sits perched on a cliff, overlooking the Eastern sky. The road is dry at least, but no less treacherous. They PCs are ambushed on the way by a party of seven armed men. They ensuing skirmish is fierce but the PCs defeat them soundly. Their assailants are dressed in non-descript garb, but it becomes clear that these are the Duke’s men, sent to waylay them.

Delayed by weather and the ambush, they arrive at the House of the Golden Dawn only to find the place ransacked within. Dawnlord Velen is unconscious on the floor by the altar, but alive. There are other priests lying in pools of their own blood who are not so lucky. Velen tells them the royal regalia, an orb and scepter set, has been stolen. Without them, no one can be crowned the monarch of Cormyr. It is vital that these priceless heirlooms be retrieved, so that the rightful heir may be crowned.

Velen heals his own wounds with powerful prayers and offers our heroes the same. He deliberates with them about where they could have taken the Prince, and concludes that given his own power, and that of Baskor Tranth, the only logical place they could have taken him is the Onyx Tower, as it’s an ancient Netherese structure that defies scrying and nullifies other magics in it’s vicinity. With the head start the kidnappers have, and the fact that the Tower is in the middle of a dense swamp, he offers to transport them to a nearby hamlet called Nyka’s Rest by magical means. They leave the horses in the care of the High Priest, as his spell won’t carry them too.

The hamlet of Nyka’s Rest squats on a patch of firm ground in the middle of the vast Farsea Swamp. The fetid, dank air hangs thickly around them as they try and find anybody to help them. They are greeted by an older, stringy woman, dressed in many layers of simple clothes and a big hooded cloak, trinkets dangling from her waist. She calls herself Lizelle or ‘Liz’ – “whichever you prefer”. After some haggling, and ominous warnings about the swamp, she climbs into her barge, and takes them to the Tower.

On the way, they see and avoid a large group of voracious looking giant toads, croaking in unison. Mosquitoes and other insects buzz around their party but are more of a nuisance than a threat.

The Tower looms into view. Surrounded by a dense and foreboding tangle of oppressive trees, the Onyx Tower is comprised of three obelisks made of an unknown type of stone, each roughly 100 feet tall. They hang suspended by powerful enchantments, which seem to be failing on two of them. Only one remains fully upright, rotating slowly on its vertical axis. The fine tracery of magic glows and pulsates softly across its surface.
There are no visible doors, windows or points of access, other than a narrow band or darker material across its equator.
The waters around the towers seem to glow with soft, pale, blue light.

Once at the tower, they spend some time figuring out how to get inside the structure. They discover Netherese runes which simply read “open”. Peter manages to decipher them with relative ease. The runes wisk them inside the structure into a square chamber with smooth walls. They are immediately attacked by two guards, left behind to slow them down. They manage to defeat them too, and discover a small stash of treasure.

They find a teleportation pad that has several destinations listed. Only one of the destinations still appears to function. After they all regroup, they decide to activate the Netherese rune the simply reads: Wyvern Hold. The teleportation magic swirls around them, and deposits them on a rocky ledge overlooking a snowy mountain pass. Ahead they see the a bleak looking tower made of dark stone. As they look, they see a huge winged beast take off from a perch made for it’s size, and swoop off into the night.

The tower of The Wyvernwatch awaits, and hopefully, with Lathander’s blessing, the Prince will be found within….

14th of Nightal, 1398 D.R.

The PCs stand upon the windswept edifice, the smoking arcane traceries of the teleport spell fading rapidly on the floor beneath them.

Beyond, in the moon-lit mountain pass, they see the dim lights and silhouette of the Wyvernwatch. A foreboding, weathered monolith being whipped by snow. Dark clouds roll in from the west, swollen with sleet and lightning. They will likely be upon them within the hour. The wind howls through the pass with a mournful moan, making it hard to make out any other sounds.
It is bitterly cold here. They huddle together and bundle up their winter clothes, taking shelter against the rock wall behind them, and take stock of their surroundings.

The ledge They’re on dead-ends at the teleportation platform, with a narrow, winding rocky path leading north-west and down. It curves around the rock face away from sight and emerges again below. It’s a series of harrowing hair-pin stairs descending a hundred feet or more. The land all around is rock, cliff and snow. There is no vegetation as far as they can tell. Black ice covers the path down in patches, promising a precarious descent.

At the foot of the stairs below, they see it joins another trail that leads from the south-east to the north-west, following the direction of the mountain pass. They are fairly certain this is the main road. About 500 meters from their position, perpendicular to the pass, a second path splits off that leads directly to the tower. There it meets a small guard tower, which connects to a long straight bridge that connects to the tower’s rocky base. It was built with defense in mind.

To enter the tower, an attacking force would have to cross that bridge, probably under constant fire.

The landscape around the base of the tower is rugged and treacherous, but not impassable. There seems to be a disused guard tower on the back side of the tower as well.

P’Tar is nowhere to be seen…..there is no indication what happened to him, but they suspect something went wrong with the aged teleportation device.

The party decides they have little choice but to press on, and finish the mission. With some hesitation, they descend the slippery path and stairs, but manage to avoid any falls. Once on the main road below, the ground is far less treacherous. They are faced with a choice. To approach the tower directly from the front, somehow bypassing the guard tower, bridge and front gate (all of which look well guarded).
They opt instead to approach the tower’s far side, by crossing the rocky gorge below, which seems to have a disused guard tower. The ravine itself is rugged, but not impassable, but it is slow going due to the massive boulders, sharp rocks and deep snow drifts.

Half an hour later, they make it to the ruined guard tower behind the tower. A rock slide has demolished the outward facing wall and roof of the tower, and blocked the narrow path on the far side of the pass. Taking refuge in the small tower, they spy a small dark cave mouth just below the base of the Wyvernwatch, with animal tracks leading to and from it. They also spot several guards patrolling the roof, who would have a good view of their attempts to cross. Timing their move so the guard cant see them, the PCs make it to the small cave entrance, and immediately see the carcass of a dead deer, frozen solid. They surmise it was some kind of big cat that killed it, but that it had abandoned its feast a few days ago.

The cave continues further in, but narrows to a split in the rock just big enough to let a man through. The passage rises steeply, and curves gently, with a frozen stream of water following it all the way up. The passage eventually opens into a cave roughly 15 feet wide at its widest point. It runs roughly east to west. Kyuubi spots a cluster of small heat signatures scurrying around in the passage to the east, and the distinct footprints of large rats all over the cave floor. She also notes this cave has seen some foot traffic over the years. To the west she hears the rhythmical clanging sound of hammering. Metal on metal.

As they emerge into the cave, the rats rush forward, sensing a warm meal. Like a carpet of fur and teeth, they swarm towards them. Valeria acts quickly, and casts an Anti-Vermin Barrier, which stops the creatures in their tracks. They crash like a furry wave into the barrier. Rhiannon follows it up with a Sleep spell, which causes them all to fall limp in a deep slumber. With some confidence, they choose the western passageway, avoiding the rat carpet for now.

The passageway dead ends in a man-made wall. A quick investigation reveals this to be a secret door, which opens inward. Behind the wall, they can hear the distinct sounds of a smithy. Someone is hammering something on an anvil. The roar of the forge can also be heard. The PCs decide to open the door quietly and see if they can determine the next course of action.

Frak has been manacled to a chair for hours, when he spots the secret door open on the wall behind the prison smith. He had long since picked the lock of his bonds, and was trying to formulate a plan when one presented itself in the form of three women emerging from the wall. Valeria, trying to be as stealthy as her armour will allow her, smashes the flat of her leaf blade on the back of the smith’s head and knocks him out.
Following introductions, Frak tells them about the dungeon, cells and guards. He asks if they are also here to kill Captain Berkus. The others claim to have no knowledge of him, but explain their mission to him.
They decide to cooperate as their missions complement each other. Frak ties up the smith, and gags him.

They slowly begin to make their way out of the smithy, and investigate the cells, to see if there might be an ally they can recruit. After some unsuitable candidates, they hear the approaching footfalls of a group of guards. They take up ambush positions and attack. The three guards are dispatched quickly, with shuriken, leafblade, and bow. They clean up the bodies and the blood (with a cantrip). Frak takes the guard’s keys.

After inspecting a few cells, they meet a huge brutish man covered in scars called Fergus, who tells them he was a caravan guard arrested for killing his boss in a labour dispute. After some negotiating, the PCs free him, and continue to search for the Prince with their new ally .
They find two small guard rooms, one with Frak’s clothes and belongings, which he gratefully puts on. There is also a small pouch of jewels, which they pocket.

They head further east and find a central chamber, with a set of stairs leading up, presumably into the main body of the tower. There is a small cistern in the corner and two passages – one leading north and one south.
They decide to head south. The portcullis is closed here, and the cells and halls beyond are dark. They try lifting the portcullis, using Fergus’ strength, but the gate proves too strong. They try the lever, and that works.

Once inside the cell block, they look for signs of life, and see only a few rats, and their lair in two of the cells. They they hear it, a low moaning sound coming from one of the cells behind them. Valeria peers inside, and sees what appears to be a naked, pale figure face down, seemingly in pain.

She turns her back on the figure for an instant, and it suddenly unfurls it’s many legs, and reveals itself to be a ginat pale spider. It leaps onto Valeria’s back and bites her neck. The venom enters her bloodstream, but she manages to shrug off its effects somehow.
The party unleashes its full fury upon the spider, landing multiple devastating blows, and magical attacks. It manages to attack Valeira one more time, but is unable to penetrate her armour. Valeria skewers it with her leaf blade in the end, and it dies, twitching.

Frak attempts to collect the spider’s venom glands, but ruins them in the attempt. Rhiannon decides to inspect the rest of the cell block but stops just in time when she realizes the whole cell block south of their position is covered in webs strung in individual strands from floor to ceiling. She collects some of the webbing.

The party exits the southern cell block in time to hear more guards emerging from the northern cell block. Another fight is joined. Fergus charges the first and kills him with one blow from his ax. The other dies at the hands of the PCs. They move the bodies out of sight.

The Northern cell block is well lit, and only one cell appears occupied. The open the portcullis to the block, and Valeria strides in. She peers in the cell and immediately recognizes Prince Azoun. She calls to him, and he spins around, looking relieved. She explains they are here to rescue him, but he counters with a warning to look behind them. She turns to see a nine foot tall construct of stone animate and begin moving toward her with lethal purpose.

Battle is joined with the Stone Guardian, and it is brutal. Their attacks seem to do very little to damage it, and it pounds at them with its huge stone fists, at times punching holes through walls. Valeria attacks it with all her might, taunting it to attack her, so the others can free the Prince. For her troubles, it crushes her chest. Frak attempts to Daze it, but it has no effect. Fergus attacks it but misses, when he does land a blow, it bounces right off. Rhiannon focuses on freeing the Prince from his cell and casting Sanctuary on him after Frak opens the cell door. Kyuubi saves Valeria with a healing song, and retreats.

Once the Prince is free, the PCs flee the room. Fergus is the last left in the room, and tries to push it against a wall to allow the others a chance to flee. He sees an opportunity to run out and takes it. Kyuubi drops the portcullis, trapping the golem inside the cell block, allowing them precious time to escape with the Prince. Frak casts a Hold Portal on the portcullis. As they reach the smithy, they hear the golem
break free of his trap, its heavy footfalls pounding down the halls after them.

They rush through the secret door and out into the cold night air. They realize that once they emerge, they will be fired upon by the guards above. Azoun remembers his necklace. A device that was taken from him by the guards that allows him to send out a call for aid to the War Wizards. They look through the pilfered bag of jewels, and sure enough, the necklace is among the treasure. He activates it and a voice rings in their ears. “You must come out into the open for this to work!”
They exit the cave and hear shouts from above. Crossbow fire above them. Valeria and Azoun are hit by bolts, and are badly wounded. Two War wizards teleport to their side, and one immediately returns fire to the crossbow men above. Kyuubi also fires arrows up and fells two of them.
A few moments later, the two War Wizards teleport them all to safety. The cold and snow is replaced by the opulent warmth of the royal palace in Suzail.

The Prince’s attendants see to all their needs, healing all their injuries, and offering food and drink. Azoun thanks the PCs profusely, promising great rewards.
In the mean time, they are welcome to enjoy the hospitality of the palace.
Frak reminds the Prince of the crimes committed by Captain Berkus and his men. Azoun assures them all that justice will be done.

28th of Nightal 1398 D.R.

Snow falls over the city. The streets are blanketed in white, muffling the usual bustle and activity. A cold snap has deposited a thick layer of snow on every exposed surface.
Two weeks have passed since the PCs returned from the Wyvernwatch, and eight days since the winter solstice. The days are officially getting longer, and there is a feeling of hope returning to the realm. Cormyr’s crown prince has been safely returned home.
In the days following Azoun’s return, Prince Foril, who was implicated in the abduction of the prince, was caught trying to flee the city under the cover of darkness, in disguise. He has been charged with high treason and awaits trial for his crimes. Those of his men who aided in his crime were also apprehended, the rest have been ordered to return to their lands.
Duke Aris, it’s been reported, has fled the country, and is currently at large. Having had no heirs, his duchy and Castle Aris have been returned to the crown, and the Purple Dragons have been garrisoned there to keep them safe until the Prince is able to decide its fate. His men have all been arrested and questioned.
It seems that for now a semblance of order has been restored following the tumultuous events of the past month.
A coronation has not been scheduled, but it is assumed one will be soon. Azoun is to be King once again.

A few days after their return to Suzail, In a small private ceremony, Prince Azoun V inducted the PCs into The Order of the Dragon, the highest order awarded to civilians for services to the crown, and rewarded them handsomely with other gifts.
A few days after the ceremony, they are invited to Baskor Tranth’s office, where he explains that he was impressed by the way the PCs handled their mission. He hopes to enlist their help for future missions.
He tells the PCs that thanks to the various other pressing concerns facing the kingdom, such as the pursuit of Duke Aris and others, his resources are stretched thin. He hopes to enlist their help for a mission in the north east of Cormyr.

He tells them that a great portion of Cormyr’s logging happens on the northern edge of Hullack forest. There is a logging town called Holborn up there that normally sends regular supplies of lumber to Marsember and Suzail, usually once a week. A few weeks before, the lumber shipments stopped without warning.
Baskor tells them that he had already sent a troupe of scouts to find some answers, but they had not reported in. After a few days he sent a squad of Purple Dragons, but they too did not report back. Finally he sent a War Wizard. He tells them he hasn’t been heard from either.
He wants to send the PCs to investigate the situation, and find him some answers, before he resorts to more drastic means. He provides them with a map of the area.

The PCs agree to help, and spend a final night in Suzail, drinking in their favourite Tavern, the Laughing Lass, and booking passage on a ship to travel to the Wyvernwater. The following day, they board their shallow river vessel and head north, their new horses on board. They leave Rhiannon behind, as she is taking care of a loved one, but Baskor provides them with a means to send her to them when she is ready – a necklace that allows two way telepathic contact

After several days on board, they make landfall in the town of Sunset Hill, a trading outpost on the northern shore of the Wyvernwater. From there they manage to take on jobs as caravan guards with a man called Steve. He and his small retinue are heading to Sembia through the Thunder Pass, but are happy for the extra protection. On the way, the PCs ask Steve about Hullack forest and the logging industry up here. He says the forest is home to elves and other creatures (he jokingly mentions hordes of yetis), but that he knows little beyond that. He does ask his companion Roger to explain more about it, and he turns out to be a font of knowledge on the local politics. He talks about how many of elves were alive before humans settled here, or the kingdom of Cormyr was even founded. Hullack forest was once part of the greater forest kingdom of Cormanthor, but that after the fall of Myth Drannor, that kingdom had fallen too. The humans settled and laid claim to much of the southern forests. Today the elves of Hullack are at odds with the human loggers, but not hostile. An agreement allows the Cormyrians to log the northern edge of Hullack, but the southern bulk of the forest is considered Elven territory. The Elfmound, an elven burial ground near the northern edge also remains off limits.

The PCs part ways with the caravan just south of Holborn. It is bitterly cold, but not covered with snow. There is a low unnatural fog hanging low over the lands to the north, even though there is a strong wind blowing. They carefully make their way north, travelling along the road to the village. It’s only about a mile or two away from the main road.
What they find chills them to the core. They see the village’s outer buildings, completely silent. There are no signs of life. Several corpses of Purple Dragon soldiers hang from nooses suspended from hastily erected scaffolds. Their flesh looks desiccated and drawn, with barely any wounds. There are some corpses sprawled on the ground, with arrows protruding from their bodies. A quick investigation reveals that these arrows are both elven and orcish in origin.

Valeria prays to the Red Knight and casts a Detect Evil. Her spell reveals that the fog is a lingering evil. The whole village is radiating this malice, but whatever caused it is no longer here. She does however detect one source of evil on the northern edge of the village, unmoving, and out of sight.

They investigate the outer buildings, before entering the main body of the village. The discover a family dead at their dinner table, similarly desiccated. The frozen food in the bowls before them looks fresh. Frak uses magic to detect poison but finds none. They hear the distant sounds of a horse harness clinking. By now the PCs are starting to get nervous.

The second house reveals a similar scene. A dead man, once fat and bulky, lies face down on his floor, a gaping slash on his back and desiccated beyond recognition.

Everywhere they look, they see death. They decide to press on into the village itself. They discover a central square, where dogs squabble over chunks of desiccated flesh. The bodies of the scouting party can be seen hanging from a large tree on the far bank of the river. Next to the tree they see what appears to be an elf on horseback, a silent sentinel in the dying light of the day. As darkness begins to fall, Kyuubi fires two arrows at this figure (one coated in poison by Frak). Her aim is true, and both arrows strike home, but the elf seems unperturbed by the damage or the poison, and makes a small bow before turning his horse north and riding out of sight.

Suddenly, as they are walking down the street, there is a rumbling sound from the building next to them and the door explodes in splinters outward. A massive nine foot long, bloated arthropod ambushes the PCs. The creature lashes out with multiple tentacles and attempts to overpower Valeria. Its attacks don’t have the desired effect, however and combat is joined. The carrion crawler coils around and prepares to attack again. Kyuubi buries two arrows in its flank, injuring it severely. Frak tries to touch it with a spell, but fails. Valeria also casts a spell to find a weakness, but it has no effect. The crawler lashes out at Kyuubi with all its tentacles and paralyses her. Frak tries again to touch it with a spell, but misses again. Valeria forgoes magic and opts for a frontal assault, which succeeds. Her blade slices the crawler’s head open like an overripe melon, spilling rotten meat and innards. The stench causes all of them to retch instantly. After the brief fight, Frak uses a potion to neutralize the crawler’s venom coursing through Kyuubi’s body. She recovers from the paralysis and composes herself.

They decide to find shelter in the village chapel, and discover that it is barred from the inside. Valeria uses her sword and brute strength to lift the bar off its supports. Inside they discover the village’s last stand. The bulk of the population has huddled here in prayer seeking shelter, but to no avail. Easily a hundred men, women and children lie dead clustered around the altar to Torm, desiccated.

As hey exit the building, they are suddenly face to face with the elf Kyuubi shot earlier. It stands before them, impassive, eyes glowing with yellow malice. They see the elf’s horse behind him, eyes similarly aglow. They also notice a strange insectoid creature clamped onto the back of the horse’s neck, half buried under its skin.
Kyuubi shoots two arrows at the creature. The first arrow misses, but the second one hits. The creature dies, and as it does so, the horse collapses like a bag of meat – dead. The elf attacks Valeria after she interposes herself to defend Kyuubi, almost gutting her in the process. Frak attacks the parasite he assumes is on the elf’s neck too, and finds his mark. His Kukri cuts the creature, but doesn’t kill it. Kyuubi circles around, and shoots an arrow at the parasite, and skewers it and the elf’s neck, killing both. They bag the corpse of the parasite for later investigation.

At this point the PCs have had enough. They decide it is time to leave and report back to Tranth. They run back to where their horses are tethered only to find that they too have perished from the mysterious energies that permeate this place.

They decide to make their escape over water, and try to salvage a small boat from one of the jetis. They reach the western edge of the village, when they see a small flock of ravens in the trees beyond the small frozen river. One of them flies across the water and lands next to them. The raven transforms into a man before their eyes. An old man with weathered skin, wearing layers of leathers, cloth and fur, supporting himself on a gnarled staff. He invites them to follow him, that he can offer them shelter, saying the village won’t be safe.

The PCs follow the druid to his home in a sheltered dell where the temperature rises considerably to more comfortable levels. His home is a hollowed out cave under the roots of old growth trees. Once inside he offers them wine, tea and a warm fire. He tells them his name is Gregor.
They discuss the horrors they have just witnessed, especially the parasite. He tells them the village was attacked by a mix of elves and orcs, all infested, and that they carried a strange stone with them. He thinks the stone killed the villagers, desiccating them, and leaving behind the lingering fog.
Upon examining the parasite with his own magics, he confirms the suspicions he had. The creature is abyssal.

The PCs use the necklace provided to them to contact Tranth. They reach Theldryn Wyvernspur, a subordinate of Baskor Tranth’s, and relay all that has happened.

10th of Hammer, 1399 D.R.

The wind howls through the trees, carrying with it thick drifts of snow. The frigid air has coated the land in frost and ice.
If not for the ruin of Holborn nearby, the scene would be quite beautiful. All of the trees are white, and aside from the wind, not a sound stirs through the forest.

In Gregor’s sheltered dell, however, there is no sign of winter’s icy grip. The cave is even warm, dry and quite comfortable. It is only by virtue of Gregor’s magics that the dell remains hidden and protected. The land around the cave is yet green, and soft autumn leaves fill every corner, where the wind has collected them. It is an odd contrast, one that distracts from the horrors beyond.
Holborn, but half a mile from the dell, hangs heavy with the shadow of death. Its putrid stench held at bay by the cold.
Using the War Wizard’s necklace, the PCs sent out a distress call that was received by Theldryn Wyvernspur. He has promised to send further aid, although it remains unclear what form that help will take.

Gregor provides the PCs with a warm breakfast of oat porridge sweetened with local honey, and a salty vegetable broth to warm the bones.
As he stokes the fire with a poker, he regales them with tales of the old days, when this forest was untouched. They begin to wonder just how old he is.
The PC’s chat amongst themselves about the best course of action given what they have just witnessed. Knowing that help is on the way bolsters their resolve somewhat, though.

Meanwhile in Suzail, Rhiannon is approached by a War Wizard and her Purple Dragon retinue. She introduces herself as Lurrena Ashwood, and informs Rhiannon of the distress call sent out by her friends in the field. She briefs Rhiannon on the basics of the mission, explaining that she has the means to teleport Rhiannon, herself and her squad to their location. Rhiannon grabs a few choice belongings and rejoins the waiting group. Lurrena produces a magical amulet, whispers a silent command word and the world swirls around them, folds in upon itself, and with a rush of air, deposits them on the edge of a forested dell, where the snow does not linger.

The others hear the teleport spell and rush outside, some ready to fight if need be. They are relieved to see Rhiannon and familiar uniforms standing there, trying to find their bearings in cold, but sunny winter morning.
Rhiannon introduces Lurenna and her friends to each other. The squad of soldiers do the same.
The PCs and Lurenna decide to talk inside Gregor’s home, leaving the soldiers to wait outside. The PCs describe the horrors they have witnessed in Holborn, and the discoveries they have made – the infested elf and the abyssal parasite fill much of the conversation.

Rhiannon also briefs the others on what happened to her while they were in Holborn. Following their return to Suzail with the Prince, and the various ceremonies that followed, she had taken the time to do what she had been tasked to do by her church – to open a shrine to Mystra in Suzail. She had originally found the intended location locked. A priest of Mystra named Pylea had gone ahead to prepare the building, but was not there. Instead she had found it sealed. Upon returning to Suzail, it was still locked, with a spell no less.
Rhiannon decided to magically open it. Once inside, she discovered the interior looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry. Much was in disarray, although not ransacked. She discovered a secret compartment behind the altar beneath a loose flagstone. As she was about to investigate, there was a knock at the door. The visitors did not look friendly. An odd looking tall man with pale features, black eyes, white hair, and dark armour stood before her, accompanied by two brutish looking men in dark leather. On his armour was carved the holy symbol of Cyric.
The man claimed rudely that the building was in fact his, and produced deeds to back up his claim, but Rhiannon saw through the lie. She wisely decided to avoid a confrontation.
Later that evening, the men returned, and broke in to the chapel, and stole something. Rhiannon hired an urchin who spied on them on her behalf. The urchin revealed that he had an artistic streak, and offered her a sketch of what they had stolen. It appeared to be some kind of idol. Rhiannon, being very knowledgeable on the subject of magical history and arcanology, knew instantly what it was. It looked a lot like a demonic idol from the fallen empire of Narfell.

Following Rhiannon’s briefing, the party decides to head south to the elven settlement of Ard’Marie, as that seems to be the logical place to investigate further.
They bid their farewells to Gregor, who declines their invitation to join them, and begin their journey on foot. It’s not that far south, only about a day and a half march.
The first day sees them crossing the icy Immerflow river, heading into Hullack forest, and camp for the night on a slight rise among the trees to have a good view of the surrounding land. The Purple Dragons take over the guard duties, and set up the camp. To their surprise, they wake up the following morning rested and without incident.

On the second day, they continue their journey south, picking their way through the forest cautiously. The land begins to rise ahead of them. becoming ever steeper and boulder strewn. The trees also grow denser here. It isn’t long before they are facing a choice. The land ahead rises steeply up, but is also split by a natural fissure a few tens of feet across at the base. The fissure has a level floor, and seems to wind out of sight after a while. The group decide to avoid the lower path, and instead climb up and over the hill.
It doesn’t take long for them to realize they made the correct choice. In the darkness of the chasm below they spy webbing criss-crossing the walls, and dark shapes moving about.

As the group crests the hill, they all see the tell tale signs of civilization ahead. About a mile from their position, they see archways and the beginnings of a path. Beyond that, elven structures and tree dwellings. The trees also thin slightly here, causing the forest floor to be dusted with snow.
With their destination in sight the group proceeds with renewed vigor in their step. Then it happens. The leaves in front of the group explode upward and a spike trap whips up, impaling one of the soldiers. He dies on the spot. Alarms are raised, when just a moment later, a horrid humanoid chitinous creature bursts out of the hole and savages another soldier. He too is felled.
The PCs, Lurrena, and the remaining soldier rally, and fight back. A second creature ambushes the flank, and a savage melee ensues.
Frak is poisoned, but manages to resist the worst of the effects. Together, the group makes short work of the creatures, with no more casualties.
They leave the bodies of their fallen soldiers behind, and Valeria leads the group in a short prayer to honour them. Lurrena leaves a wizard mark on a tree to help her locate the bodies at a later time, so they can receive a proper burial.

WIth only a mile to go to the outskirts of Ard’Marie, the group wastes no more time. They arrive at the first archways leading into the city, noting an inscription on one of them in elven saying “Here we reside in peace”.
They notice a lone figure standing in the clearing of the path ahead, a solitary sentinel, quiet and unmoving. They see from his stance and silhouette that he is an elf, and suspect he is infested. Rhiannon casts a spell and confirms this. Kyuubi draws her bow and fires an arrow directly at him. It strikes him in the shoulder, but does not fell him. The elf does not move or react in any way. She fires a second arrow, and this time pierces his throat. He drops like a sack of flesh, dead.
The elf’s behavior has them puzzled, and wary of what lies ahead within the settlement.

They decide to proceed. The path leads up and over a rise, and they hear the distinct sound of waterfalls. When they crest it, they see the darkened splendor of Ard’Marie, it’s many tree dwellings, and interlocking bridges, platforms and walkways. They see several forest streams coming together and falling into a chasm that flows away from them, filling the air with a fine mist. Beyond this, they see no signs of life. Yes, there are lights dimly illuminating the dwellings, but they seem to be magical in nature, almost natural. They also notice that winter’s grip has not touched the town. There is no snow, and much like Gregor’s dell, the temperature seems to rise considerably as they proceed further in.

Inspecting the first hollowed tree they find a withered husk of an elven man, seated at a table, a glass of wine in his hand, stiff with rigor. His mouth hangs open as if in a final scream. The PCs conclude that this place has been affected by the same fate that befell Holborn
They continue their investigation out the far side of the chamber, exiting onto a wooden platform leading onto another bridge that crosses one of the streams.
Suddenly they are ambushed. Arrows rain down upon their party from above. in the opening volley, each of them are hit by multiple shafts. Five of the soldiers fall to the floor, seemingly dead. The others are badly hurt. Lurenna responds by casting a Wall of Fog, obscuring the party from their attackers. The fight that follows is brutal. They PCs use healing magics to patch the worst of their injuries, and rush up the stairs of the first chamber to ascend to the level of their assailants. Battle is joined a the top of the stairs. Valeria fights valiantly, killing several opponents, but is cut down, only to be saved by Lurrena. Kyuubi kills several with well placed arrows. Frak uses his stealth to great effect and stabs one in the back. Rhiannon uses her healing magics to aid her companions. The remaining soldiers manage to return fire with using their fallen companion’s loaded crossbows.

After several elves are slain, the remaining ones flee from the battle. Six elves lie dead, each with a parasite on their necks. To their relief, Lurrena and the remaining men discover that 4 of the soldiers aren’t dead, but unconscious. Healing magic restores them to fighting form.

Now to see where the path ahead leads……

11th of Hammer, 1399 D.R.

The settlement of Ard’Marie trembles with the rush of its many waterfalls. Fine mist fills the air of the gorge below the bridge the PCs are standing on. As they recover from the rush of battle, they get their bearings once again. The infested elves have fled, leaving the PCs to wonder if more ambushes await them.
Rhiannon uses a Detect Evil spell to divine the direction from which the highest concentration of malice seems to be coming from. Her spell reveals that it lies to the west of their position.

The last light of the day filters through the tree canopy above, and the group realizes they are running low on spells. The PCs debate the next course of action, discussing the options that lay before them. The suggestion is raised that it might be wise to rest and renew their efforts the following day.
Lurrena, who has just helped the wounded with potions, suggests they to make a strategic retreat from the town. Although some of the dwellings are defensible, they wouldn’t get much rest if they were attacked.

The decision to retreat is made. Heading north and east, they make their way out of Ard’Marie, and into the woods beyond, taking care to hide their tracks. After a few miles walking, they discover a sheltered, but abandoned bear den. The group bed down for the night and relearn their spells.

The following morning, they wake to find fresh snow has fallen, obscuring their tracks, but making it harder to disguise fresh ones. They discuss their options, and decide to head due south to skirt around the town, and then to head west to find the source of the evil they had divined before. After a hot cup of tea and some dried rations, they begin their march, keeping weapons ready, and their senses peeled to the sounds of the forest. It is eerily quiet. Not a sound of wildlife can be heard, but for the soft creaking and rustling of branches in the wind and the distant sounds of waterfalls.

As they pass the town on their right, the elves in the party detect the distinct sound of an animal running, and panting. They quickly conclude it’s a wolf or large canine of some kind. Then they spot it. Sprinting through the trees ahead from right to left. It moves so fast only Kyuubi has a chance to loose an arrow before it is upon them, barreling into their left flank. Kyuubi’s arrow hits its mark. Then battle is joined as it bites Kyuubi with a horrendous maw, dealing her a viscous wound on her leg. A second beast rushes them from the right attacking the Sergeant, wounding him too. The creatures are truly horrible to behold. They appear to be large wolves, infested with engorged abyssal parasites. These parasites appear to be larger that the others they had encountered.

The battle is fierce, but short. The PCs and Purple Dragons unleash their loaded weapons and spells upon them. It becomes clear that their bites are also venomous, and more magics are used to heal wounds and slow the toxins.
Frak attempts to harvest the venom glands of the parasite, but fails to do so.

The party presses on, determined to reach their goal. The source of this malice. Valeria urges Frak to scout ahead to avoid ambushes in future, and he does so,

South of the town the turn right and head west, along the rising landscape. They reach the river that flows into town, and cross it. Moving up the hill towards an elevated plateau where more waterfalls can be heard. They spy a series of older buildings that lead up the hill. Ancient stairs, archways and a vaulted tunnel passing through a wall of natural rock. A lone elf is spotted heading towards the town, away from their position. They wait for him to pass.
Frak scouts the tunnel and determines it’s clear. They pass through, and emerge the other side looking out over a pair of majestic waterfalls, spanned by crumbling stone bridges.
Valeria recognizes the architecture as ancient elven. Clearly these structures date back to ancient Cormanthor.

As they cross the span, they once again hear the footfalls of the infested wolves. They are attacked from either side. Two from the front, two from the rear, the wolves somehow managed to slink around behind the party without being noticed. The battle is joined. The two in the rear face off against Frak, Valeria, Rhiannon and Kyuubi, The front two face the Purple Dragons and Lurrena.
The battle is fierce and brutal. The beasts seem driven by a ferocity that can only be explained by the demonic parasite, fighting to the death. Thankfully, the group all survive the encounter. After healing a few injuries, they move forward.

As they progress through the darkening forest, they spy the entrance into a small sheltered vale, where the elves would have congregated to commune with their gods. The lush foliage and beautiful landscape is veiled in low hanging mists, and the sounds are muffled by the proximity to the waterfalls.
The trees in the vale form a dense canopy that allows only a little light to illuminate the ground below but shafts of sunlight do filter in illuminating patches of ground. Large boulders the size of small houses lie strewn about the place, blocking the line of site to the middle of the vale.
The party asks Frak to scout out the vale to get a clearer picture of what they are walking into. The malicious emanations all seem to center here, so Frak proceeds with extreme caution.
As Frak climbs the nearest boulder to get a clear view, he sees it.

In the middle of the vale lies a small lake, more of a large pond, with an even smaller island in its center. Upon this patch of ground he sees a creature easily thirty feet long, with the grotesque body of a giant centipede, and the muscular torso of a humanoid demon. Its head is insectile and bestial, with mandibles, carapace and many beady eyes. It’s torso sprouts a multitude of limbs all ending with viscous looking barbs. It moves fluidly and with purpose as it hangs a webbed humanoid from a low hanging tree branch, where it joins a macabre larder of cocooned bodies. Upon the ground, skeletal remains lie strewn and discarded. The smell of rot and sulfur rises from the lake, where other dark shapes can be seen slithering beneath the still surface.
In the surrounding landscape, he spies several large holes, presumably made by burrowing creatures.

Frak returns stealthily to the group, and reports what he has discovered with some trepidation. After some silent discussion, they decide to set up an ambush.
Setting up the Purple Dragons on the boulder, and the PCs flanking it, they manage to catch the demon off guard with a brutal surprise assault of missile fire and spells.
This attack injures the demon quite badly, but their sense of achievement it short lived as the demon surges into action.

The creature moves with remarkable speed and fluidity. It turns to face them and webs the entire group with a powerful spell. The PCs manage to avoid the worst of it, but the webs cover the entire boulder, immobilizing the Purple Dragons completely. As this happens it cries out in its demonic tongue summoning forth its allies from the burrows around it. Five horrid looking giant ants and two giant centipedes crawl out and surge towards the party with lethal intent.

Valeria attacks the demon head on, taunting it to focus on her.
With the demon’s attention on Valeria, the others attack it with spells, arrows and blades.
The ants pass Rhiannon and Lurrena, but Rhiannon protects herself and Lurrena from evil. The ants charge past them, and attack the soldiers trapped on the boulder instead.
Kyuubi fires arrows from cover, but is also attacked by the ants.

Frak tries to use a touch spell, and Lurrena attempts to cast a ray at it, but the demon’s abyssal nature protects it from their magics.
Rhiannon rushes in to cast a Protection from Evil on Kyuubi. Saving her from the ants. As a result, the soldiers become their only targets, and their fate is sealed.
Valeria, trading blows with the demon, is hit by flurry of brutal attacks from the demon and almost dies, but is saved by a well timed healing potion.
She dives under the water to cut the demon where she hopes it is most vulnerable, the belly. She sinks her blade into its flesh, and it almost crushes her in its agonized throes.
Frak having been distracted fighting centipedes. sees an opening, and backstabs the demon. This is the blow that finally kills it, destroying its earthly form.
Valeria manages to roll out from under it, as it crashes to the ground, oozing black ichor into the fetid waters.

The remaining ants and centipedes, having witnessed the destruction of their master, and having whatever hold on them it had dissolve, flee into the surrounding burrows. Vanishing from sight.

The PCs survey the damage of the battle, and take stock of the fallen. All the Purple Dragons are dead. Their corpses are almost mutilated beyond recognition. The ants acidic attacks having dissolved whole pieces of armour and flesh alike. Valeria and Kyuubi are still injured, though still standing.

There is much to still explore, not least of which is the demon’s lair.

12th of Hammer 1399 D.R.

The demon is dead. Its gargantuan form lies still in the waters of the sheltered glade, black ichor spilling from its many wounds.
The party finally has a moment to breathe and take stock of the surrounding landscape.
As they stand there glancing about, Frak catches something glinting in the corner of his eye. He spots a reflection on metal in the fetid waters where the innards of the demon have spilled forth. He reaches down and retrieves a half digested hand with a beautiful ring on it. It shines silver and blue, and is clearly of Elven design. Frak pockets the ring.
They wade to the demon’s small island at the center of the pool, where they discover a grim scene. Several cocooned Elven corpses lie piled on top of each other, propped against the many boulders. Some hang upside down, suspended from the dead trees above. The bones of the fallen litter the ground, the last remnants of the demon’s feasting. Searching among the dead, Frak discovers a rich cache of stolen Elven treasures the demon had collected. Coins, objects of art, weapons, scrolls, and other items of great value. The PCs collect it all for future appraisal.

While the PCs busy themselves with collecting these treasures, they notice the demon’s form start to evaporate. Fragments of its form flake off and drift down like snow, eventually leaving nothing but the dark waters and the ichor it had already spilled. Rhiannon realizes this is probably the result of a demon dying on the Prime Material Plane. Its earthly form evaporates, returning its essence to the Abyss to reform.

Following some discussion, the party decides to get a lay of the land. They see the many holes in the surrounding hillsides into which the monstrous insects fled. There is also a larger cave along the northern edge of the glade with clear tracks of the vast demon moving in and out of it. Frak takes it upon himself to scout the tunnel to see where it leads. He stays in communication with the others using the War Wizard amulet. He then hides the amulet among the rocks inside, roughly thirty feet in, so they can teleport back to that location when they are ready.

Wounded from battle, weary, and depleted of magics, the party decide a break is in order. With Lurrena’s help, they use the amulet to teleport everybody to the Sanctum of the War Wizards in Suzail.
Lurrena provides the party with accommodations to regain their strength. They rest, bathe, eat a warm meal, heal their wounds and relearn their spells.

13th of Hammer 1399 D.R.

The following morning, with breakfast behind them, Lurrena returns with permission from her superiors to offer the arcane casters of the party the option of bolstering their spells with three spell levels worth of scrolls. She also supplies the entire party with additional healing potions to bolster their supply.
Thus fortified and restocked, the group return to the cave in Ard’Marie using the teleportation amulet.
The spell deposits them in the cold, dank tunnel. No immediate danger presents itself, so they press on north and down.
The tunnel leads steeply down several hundred yards, and emerges into a broader, well lit cavern with a cave mouth on the northern wall. It reveals a vista of the forest beyond, snow blanketing the land. A chill wind blows in, and the distant sound of waterfalls can be heard echoing through the trees. The tunnel turns east and further down. They follow the tunnel a few dozen yards until it opens up into a small cavern. A soft blue green glow illuminates the room from below. A phosphorescent pool dominates the chamber guarded by a lone infested hound.
Rhiannon casts a Detect Evil spell and notices two invisible Abyss Ants, which surge forward to attack.
In the fight, Kyuubi kills the hound with a well aimed shot to the parasite. It perishes instantly as the parasite dies. Frak and Valeria close to melee and make short work of the remaining ants, but not before Frak is hit by an acid attack.

With the path clear, they cast several divinations to determine the nature of the pool. It is pretty clear it is a portal, just which kind has the PCs concerned.
Eventually, they brave the portal’s waters, and emerge, one by one, on the other side. They wade out of the waters, and take stock of their surroundings. Behind them a cliff rises steeply into the cloud cover above, forming the western wall of the canyon they now find themselves in. To the north, they see a large cavern entrance, with clear tracks of the demon leading in. The canyon itself splits into three paths, one leading north, one east, and one south. Due east they also spy a narrow trail leading up to the top of the eastern canyon ledge. They ignore the cavern, and proceed up the narrow trail to get a better vantage point. Kyuubi uses her local knowledge, and determines that they have not traveled far. In fact she recognizes the mountains around her as the Thunder Peaks, which lie due east of Ard’Marie. Only some fifty miles away. They see a stronghold some two miles away. Kyuubi concludes it must be Gromgar, a known Orcish fortress.

From this high vantage point, they can see what awaits them.
Chill sets into their bones as they gaze across the broken wintry landscape to the orc stronghold.
A frigid wind wails through the canyons around them, whipping up the powdered snow.
Beyond the maze of canyons and jagged rocks, they spy a twisted dead forest, parts of which have been logged bare, leaving a broad tangle of pines and gnarled tree limbs pleading to the heavens.
In the distance, they hear the hoarse croaking of crows in their hundreds, and they catch a glimpse of them here and there as they fly in and out of the fog which hangs over the fortress.
Smoke from fires and torches mingle with the mist to obscure the view further.

Of the fortress’ inhabitants there is no sign. They spot no sentries marching along the walls, nor guards in the towers. They hear no sounds of their gruff voices carrying over the forest.
Once again, they feel that unsettling sensation of quiet dread pass over them, as if the land itself were crying out, now bloated with fetid evil.

Somewhere in that stronghold, lies their quarry, and somehow, they must find a way inside….

The PCs decide to press on, and travel almost a mile through the winding narrow canyons, with Frak scouting ahead. They encounter no resistance in the snowy canyon, but do spot a few innocuous rodents and small mammals, and continue to see and hear crows circling overhead.
Eventually, the canyons widen to rough hills, and boulder fields even out to flatter terrain. Here the dense copses of the dead forest begin.

As they move forward into the forest, it once again becomes evident just how silent the world around them is. The snow muffles their footfalls, the crows seem distant once again. Apart from the wind which rattles the dead branches, the only sound they hear is their own breathing and footfalls. That is, until they hear something else. The heavy muffled footfalls of something heavy. It moves with purpose through the canopy, its own form almost blending in with the trees themselves. The tree-like creature is roughly nine feet tall, towering over them, with a baleful visage. At first it does not notice their group. Then, as the PCs think it might ignore them, it turns and charges toward them with surprising alacrity.

Rhiannon immediately casts a Web spell on the corrupted treant, trapping it in a stand of trees. Kyuubi follows this up with two fire arrows, igniting the webs in a vast conflagration, injuring the creature. It lets out an unearthly shriek, but does not perish. Far from it, its rotten bark seems to protect it from the worst of the flames.
With the webbing now burnt away, the treant surges forward once again, this time with renewed rage. It swings wildly at Valeria with its great clawed limbs, but she ducks under its attacks.
Rhiannon throws a pair of shuriken at the creature’s belt to try and sever the rope holding up what appear to be witch trinkets and charms but is not so successful in the attempt.
Valeria takes a moment to analyze her opponent, looking for any weaknesses she could exploit. Frak attempts to backstab it, but it has no vital organs, so his attack injures it, but isn’t as effective as he had hoped.
Valeria identifies its head as its weakest point, and focuses her attacks there. With a devastating pair of sword blows, she decapitates the creature. It drops, crashing loudly to the ground.
The party watches as in seconds, the corrupted treant’s form rots to pulp in moments except for its head. Frak notices a strange knotted black object in its head. He decides to take it with him (carefully).

Valeria kneels down in the snow, and prays to her god to offer her guidance. She uses her Clairvoyance ability to scout out the best path to take to the fortress. Her spell grants her a glimpse of heavy defenses in and around the front gate of Gromgar. Sentries, siege weaponry and thick walls, all make a frontal assault pure folly.
They decide to avoid approaching the fortress from the front, opting instead to skirt around through the forest to a spot along the fortress wall that is not so well guarded.
They find a small clearing with odd charms and trinkets hanging from branches. There are several crows. The PCs discern that the crows are watching them. Rhiannon casts a Scatterspray on the clearing, killing one and injuring the others. They avoid the effect and keep moving.

Pressing on, the party skirts through the dense forest, keeping their movements as stealthy as their equipment will allow.
After a few hundred yards, they find yet another disturbing scene laid out before them. Ahead in a small clearing, several bodies hang impaled on tall spikes. It is clear they were executed. A trail of seemingly fresh blood leads roughly from their position to the clearing. Although it is hard to determine how long they have been dead, as the winter cold could have preserved them. A glyph is painted in blood on a nearby rock. They determine it’s a witch’s glyph of offering to a dark god or demon lord.
Several PCs cast Detect magic. It highlights the tell-tale glimmer of magic on one of the bodies, the glyph and the crow’s heads. They conclude that the crows have divination magics about them, and are thus probably spies for the witch. They cannot make out any details about the bodies or what type of magic is on them.
After a brief discussion, they agree to let Frak investigate the clearing and the bodies. He approaches with utmost caution, and soon discovers the bodies are elves, wearing the garb of Ard’Marian elves.

He discovers the source of the magical emanation. Hanging from the belt of one of the bodies, is a ornately crafted Elven magical mace. He attempts to retrieve the weapon, but accidentally triggers one of the witch’s traps. He hears a cork unstopper, releasing a swarm of small bloated ticks with unearthly appetites. They bite Frak repeatedly, dealing little actual damage, but covering his hand in hundreds of tiny welts.
Lurrena springs into action, darting across the clearing to Frak’s side. She offers him a Potion of Neutralize Poison, which soothes his rapidly swelling hand.

The PCs take the mace, the least they can do for their trouble, and move on. They skirt along the forest a little further, and they press toward Gromgar, making it to the edge of the forest. Here, trees have long since been logged by the orcs, leaving a wide swathe of open ground around the base of the stronghold, giving the defenders a clear field of fire.
They make ready to cross the open ground to the base of the fortress wall, but realize that they must cross a frozen river to do so.
They use an ingenious solution to cross the open space undetected. They cloak their approach in illusions, making sure to keep as quiet as possible, using Frak to guide them.
To their own surprise, they make it across unseen, and breathe a quick sigh of relief. Frak hypothesizes that there may be caves or secret entrances in the base of the mesa, perhaps allowing them ingress into the fortress, but even with the help of the keen-eyed elves in the party, they are unable to find any.

Moving north and east, they hug the base of the cliffs to the back of the fortress. They find a suitable location to attempt an ascent. Once again using their resources cleverly, they use a combination of Spider Climb and Levitate spells to make their way up the steep cliff face to the palisade above. The plan goes off without a hitch.
Once at the top of the first cliff, they flatten themselves against the palisade wall. Frak clambers up to spy over the top of the wall, and sees a sprawl of Orcish tents in dense fog. Visibility is fairly limited so he doesn’t see much in the way of orcs.
They decide to keep ascending. With the spider climb spell running out soon , the capitalize on their magic while they still have it.
They reach the highest point they can go on the mesa and press up against an ancient stone wall there. Frak once again peers over and sees the remnants of a ruined temple blanketed in heaving fog. A tiled pool with detailed inlaid mosaic and beyond it, an ancient, but ornate looking building with fluted architecture. He notices the pool is full of dark water, littered with rotting vegetation and other debris.
Looking for a way to enter unseen, the party moves to the eastern side of the pool behind the shrine. The outer wall of the ornate building before them, they
Frak touches the shrine wall, trying to steady himself, and feels a horrid pain wrench into his arm. He is injured by the corruption that permeates the temple, leaving a blackened burn on the palm of his hand. Attempts to heal the wound fail, and it becomes apparent that his wound is something much more sinister. Rhiannon suspects it may a curse or corruption.
As they carefully make their way around the building into the temple proper, they hear a crone’s broken voice in their minds.

“Ah, welcome, my soft little pretties!
You have done so well to come this far….
So many pretty lights and swift little blades you have, yes?
So many pointy flying needles, yes?
Perhaps I underestimated your abilities. We shall see, yes?”

They see two orc sentries, their backs to them, guarding what appears to be a stone bridge to another part of the fortress, then they hear the voice again.

“I have been watching you, watching and waiting. Indeed I have, yes.
You have toiled to so very hard. You must be tired…..
Unfortunately, I cannot let you finish your pathetic little quest
Great things are coming, yes? Yes, they are!”

Huddled by the side of the ancient building, the party try to get a sense of what, and how many, they are facing. The sound of the crone still echoing in their minds, they see nothing but the two sentries ahead of them.
They also take a moment to get a sense of the origins of this ancient place. It appears to the more knowledgeable amongst them, that the temple itself is Netherese in origin. Possibly an old site of worship. The colonnade, pool, and walls look to be of a later period. They estimate several hundred years separate the two architectural styles. Both, however, now lie in ruins. The only thing fully intact is the shrine itself.

Frak gestures to the others to wait, and he moves forward to scout out the terrain. Poor visibility isn’t helping matters for our heroes.
As he moves further forward, he feels a sudden tug in his gut, and suddenly his surroundings have completely changed. He is caught in the severely desecrated area of the temple. The ground itself seems to bring out his deepest fears. He starts to hallucinate that he is back in the mines of his childhood. Furthermore, he sees himself as a child, naked but for a loincloth, manacled and afraid. He tries to flee his predicament and look for an overseer, running up an incline as he does so. The hallucination causes him to run off the side of the cliff, and he starts to fall to his death. Just then the effect washes off him. He has just enough time and presence of mind to rip out a scroll of Feather Fall, and bark out the incantation. It saves his life in the nick of time.
Lurrena runs to the side of the cliff to try and save Frak, and is relieved to see she only needs to Levitate him.

Meanwhile, Kyuubi has her bow drawn, and her sights on the two orc sentries. As she watches, one of them disappears into the fog.
Grishka cackles through the fog now from a different direction, taunting her uninvited guests telepathically.

“You think you’re so strong, but you’re not!
You are weak, yes? Weak and afraid.
Your fear will be your undoing, yes?”

Hearing Frak’s run over the rubble, and subsequent fall, the orc sentries turn and charge the PCs, but their heavy armour prevents them from reaching our heroes before they level their attacks against them.
Kyuubi looses two arrows and hits the first orc, injuring it. Valeria looses her arrows and also hits.
Rhiannon fires out a spray of Magic Missiles, but the orcs keep coming, seemingly undeterred by all the damage.

The crone emerges suddenly out of the fog points a bony digit at Valeria. A thin black ray strikes her, but Valeria resists the magic’s effects. She immediately tries to meld back into the fog for cover.

The orcs reach the group in a violent rage, but Valeria is ready for them. With well placed blades she parries their wicked hatchets.
Kyuubi once again looses a volley of arrows at the retreating crone, missing one but fairly sure she hit with the other, unsure of its effect.
The crone emerges out of the fog again, and repeats her dark incantation with the black ray. It hits Valeria again, this time having the desired effect. It saps Valeria’s strength to the point where she can barely lift her weapons. The crone vanishes into the fog again.
Frak finally makes it back to the top of the cliff. Shaken, but in one piece. He thanks Lurrena and starts to skulk back to the group.
Valeria, still in melee with the two orcs, presses her attack in her weakened state. Only one of her attacks lands with any effect unfortunately.
Rhiannon steps forward and casts a Web on the orcs. Their armour prevents them from avoiding the brunt of the spell, and are thus pinned down by the thick strands.
Before Frak can rejoin the group, the crone emerges once again, and unleashes a bright bead of fire from her hand. It engulfs the entire party, except for Frak and Lurrena, in flames. They throw themselves flat and try to avoid the worst of the inferno, but despite this are still badly burned, their clothes and equipment catching fire. Rhiannon’s Web spell also goes up in flames, killing the trapped orcs instantly.
As if to make matters worse, the crone closes her eyes briefly to telepathically call for aid.
When the fireball clears, Kyuubi and Valeria find themselves caught in hallucinations, having their worst fears laid bare.

Kyuubi finds herself in a wide open space, surrounded by blinding white fog. Silhouettes of familiar people from her past emerge from the mists and point at her face. Her masks are gone. Her clothes are gone. She is laid bare for all to see, to scrutinize, to mock. Defenseless, she curls up into a fetal position and weeps.
Valeria is similarly trapped in a waking nightmare. The same white mists envelop her, but she appears as a child. Alone, afraid, lost. The image of her father, Kerem, comes into view, but he is walking away from her. He abandons her, ignoring her tearful pleas for him to turn and look at her, to come back. He vanishes into a dense crowd and is lost from view. She too collapses, weeping.

The crone’s voice reaches into their minds to taunt them once again:

“I can see you.
I hear your heartbeats.
They pound like war drums in your chest, yes?
I shall feast on them before this day ENDS!”

The others see the two warriors paralyzed with fear, but it is thankfully short lived.
Valeria emerges from fear and casts Withdraw, using the God given time to cast divinations, and discover the crone’s weaknesses.
Lurrena steps forth and casts a Dispel Magic on the enfeeblement effect weakening Valeria.
Rhiannon heals Valeria, and produces the Holy Elven mace, handing it to Valeria. A holy aura immediately surrounds the party, negating the corrupting effects of the shrine.
They advance on the crone together, who emerges from the fog to cast again. This time her form is Blurred. Before she has time to finish her incantation, Kyuubi casts an Elemental Burst on the broken stairs beneath her feet. She is thrown violently into the pool by the explosive force of the spell, her own spell disrupted.

Frak uses the momentary distraction to position himself behind the ruined columns for a back stab.
Lurrena casts an Enlarge spell on Valeria. The spell reaches out and swells her stature to almost 8 feet in height. Her weapons grow accordingly.
Valeria capitalizes on her new-found size, and swings hard against the temple doors with the mace, smashing them into the building with a thunderous clatter of metal and a flash of bright white holy light.

A sound like a clatter of falling boulder alerts the party to the massive form of a rock-skinned humanoid, likely a troll of some kind, clambering to the top of the cliff, growling its defiance at the intruders. A strange glowing green gem embedded in its forehead. It seems about to attack, when Rhiannon casts a Web spell at it and the bridge supports. The creature is trapped despite its brute strength. It howls impotently at its prison, tearing at it with huge fists.

The waters of the pool bubble and froth with increasing intensity. Then they see her, her bloated form mutated and corrupted into something akin to the demon they fought in the glade. Her jaw hangs wide and roars at the party, reveling in her glorious new form. She claws her way out on her slithering, scaly hide, stuffed with all the abyssal parasites that once filled the pool. Then, with ferocious speed, she throws herself at Valeria. She rakes with her claws and bites hard, but only one claw hits Valeria. It is however, enough to almost gut her. Valeria staggers back, bleeding heavily.

Frak emerges from the shadows behind the demonic crone, leaps forward, leading with his kukri, and plunges it up to the hilt in her back. It injures her but isn’t the devastating blow he had hoped for. He rolls off of her and prepares for another attempt.
Kyuubi heals herself using her song.
The bloated hag throws her jaws unnaturally wide, and belches forth baleful hell fire on the party. They all try and avoid the worst of the flames, ducking behind whatever cover they can find. Most are fortunate, Lurrena, however, is not. She is caught in the full force of the fire, and ignites like a pillar of flame. She collapses from her severe burns, seemingly dead.

Rhiannon runs forward and pour holy curing magics into Lurrena’s crisped body. Thankfully, her life is spared. Rhiannon is able to revive her from the brink.
Frak stabs Grishka a second time, once again dealing damage, but not enough to slay her.
Valeria takes aim for the crone’s head and swings the holy mace with all her might. It connects with a satisfying crunch, virtually crushing her skull. Only the crone’s bony horned forehead saves her from the force of the blow.
The crone attempts to cast one final spell – a Stone Skin to save herself – but Kyuubi’s arrow is faster. Her aim is true, and the missile buries itself to the fletchings in her eye socket..
Grishka the Hag dies. As she does, the troll’s forehead gem shatters, and the bellowing ogres and orcs charging up the bridge to save their master, die as her hold over the parasites ends. The parasites perish as well, their connection to the Abyss severed.
The troll wrenches itself free of the webs, roars at the party once, and jumps down the cliff. It flees the fortress, a living rock slide rumbling away from battle.

Winter winds blow snow over the temple grounds, as the party take stock of the damage. Most of the group have sustained injuries, so those with healing magic set about mending wounds, and helping each other recover. Gromgar is eerily quiet now.
Our heroes gather around the body of the hag, and the shattered entrance of the shrine. Inside, they see a grim ossuary lining the entire floor of the structure. It radiates purest corruption.

They cast divinations to determine the best way to enter the shrine, convinced the Demon Binding idol of Narfell lies within. Despite the doors being destroyed, some kind of magical force barrier prevents them from entering, and they know touching the structure is extremely dangerous as well.
Detect magic reveals the shrine is magically trapped. The witch’s demonic glyphs daubed on the walls in blood, radiating Abjuration and Evocation magic.
Kyuubi, searching for any clues, notices an amulet around Grishka’s neck, and removes it. She hands the charm necklace to Frak, who gingerly presses it against the force barrier. The barrier allows him to pass through.
Frak suggests he goes in to scout, hoping the idol is in easy reach within.
Unfortunately, his hopes are dashed when he peers down the shaft in the center of the chamber. It drops down several feet, and into darkness. He casts a Light spell with the amulet and climbs down the bone-lined shaft.
Descending carefully, he discovers a trap set into the bones below him, and artfully disarms it. He drops down to a short hallway with the same architecture as the shrine above. The hallway opens out onto a ledge overlooking an ancient inner sanctum of some kind. The far wall opens to the outside air, letting daylight in. In the large chamber below, he sees a tall, carved, stone edifice, with several hollowed out sconces into which are set crude wooden statuettes. At the top of this edifice, in a small hollow, he spies the Nar idol.
All the walls are covered in murals, depicting all manner of crude infernal pictograms, including what appears to be a depiction of the events surrounding Eltab’s banishment. The shrine simply radiates palpable evil and corruption. There is even a strange black vapour that seems to drip from the idols, talismans and glyphs on the walls.

Frak communicates his findings to the party using the necklace. They come up with a plan to get everyone past the barrier above. They teleport everyone into chamber below using the amulet, allowing the others to take in the scene.
Frak continues to investigate the path to the idol. He discovers a scything blade trap on the stairs, leading up to the idol, and disarms it.
Reaching the top of the edifice, he lays eyes on the idol for the first time. It is truly grotesque to behold. Carved from dark grey stone, it drips with the same black vapours, a manifestation of the corruption it radiates. This is the source. This is what it was all about.

Having learnt his lesson many times over, Frak takes no chances. He carefully inspects the plinth upon which the idol rests. He spots the edges of a magical glyph, just visible. His Detect Magic reveals Evocation and Conjuration magic feed the trap. He also realizes there is nothing he can do to disarm it.
The party debate what to do next. Frak suddenly suggests using the teleportation amulet to get everyone and the idol out in one fell swoop. What ever magical trap is triggered will do so in empty air.
Before they escape, however, they leave behind the War Wizard’s necklace, to allow them to monitor the aftermath of the trap.
They execute their plan. Making sure they are all together, they teleport away from Gromgar.

The world folds in upon itself and disgorges them into the safety of the Sanctum of War Wizards. A sense of relief washes over the group, when they realize the idol is with them, and they succeeded in avoiding the trap’s effects. The plan worked. Several wizards in the sanctum look up from their studies and give them quizzical looks. One looks at them with irritation, motioning for silence. Another group, pauses their conversation briefly to look up, and then resume their conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Discussions quickly turn to what to do with the idol. It sits upon the table radiating malice and corruption. The party is joined by a figure who introduces himself as Theldryn Wyvernspur, a senior mage at the College. He recommends that they quickly take steps to shield the idol. Leaving it exposed like this, would allow it to corrupt whatever space it occupied within short order.
They conclude that the best course of action would be to bring it to a temple of Torm, and there to immerse it in a vat of holy water. The priests would likely have a better idea what further steps could be taken to protect the outside world from the idol’s corruptive influence.

Following their return to civilization, our heroes try to take stock of all they have discovered during their time in Holborn, Ard’Marie, and Gromgar.
With the aid of the College of War Wizards, the clearly dangerous Nar idol is contained in as safe a barrier as they can devise. In addition to this, they submerge it in a vat of holy water, donated from the church of Torm, and inform them of their new acquisition. Together they begin trying to find a way to neutralize, if not destroy, it.

Three months of downtime pass – The PC’s each embark on their own personal journeys:

In a meeting held at the College soon after their return, with Baskor Tranth, Theldryn Wyvernspur, Lurrena Ashwood, and our heroes, the immediate problems surrounding the idol are discussed. Baskor explains what they have been able to uncover.
As soon as the idol was contained within the barriers and holy water, it activated in some manner, awakening some form of sentience within. This sentience is actively countering any attempts to teleport it. All such magics have failed. The holy water in which it is submerged is slowly boiling away, and a constant supply is needed to top it up. Exposing any part of it to the air would expose the college to dangerous evil forces. The corrupting influence of the idol is currently contained, but time is a factor.
Furthermore, all magics that have thus far been aimed at the idol to destroy it, have failed. Even a disintegrate spell has had no effect. Baskor fears Wish magic may be required, but no one at the college is powerful enough to wield such magics.
The consensus is that all who know of the idol will do everything within their power to find out all they can on the subject. In the hope of neutralizing the threat.

Valeria, Frak and Rhiannon travel together to Elventree in the Moonsea Region using the teleportation amulets of the War Wizards, to seek out the priests of Corellon Larethian. They are greeted by a junior priest – a Feywarden by the name of Feldaryl. He listens to Rhiannon’s tale, and arranges a meeting with High Feywarden Anthalar Veranar – the high priest. She returns their holy mace to him, much to his surprise and gratitude. He vows to offer whatever aid he can to Rhiannon for her gesture.

They spend some time reflecting on their journey, and Rhiannon shows her friends some of her favourite locations in the town. By a waterfall, they share a personal moment.

Valeria is rocked by a sudden vision of a spectral maiden that reaches out to her, pleading for help. She stands in darkness, on what appears to be a polished wooden floor. At the edge of the darkness, Valeria can just make out the walls of a ballroom. Clearly shaken by her experience, they decide to investigate further when the proper resources are available.

Leaving Rhiannon to meet with her church elders in Elventree, Valeria and Frak continue their journey to the lands outside of Baldur’s Gate. There, they find the cathedral of the Red Knight, the seat of her church on Faerun: Citadel of Strategic Militancy.
Frak accompanies Valeria inside, but when the conversation turns to religious matters, he excuses himself to visit Baldur’s Gate itself.

Valeria is granted an audience with High Lady Kaitlin Tindall Bloodhawk, the highest emissary of the Red Knight on Toril. It is said she personally became the vessel for her deity’s avatar during the Time of Troubles. Valeria does her best to keep her composure as she addresses her superior.

They discuss issues surrounding the Nar idols, and the disappearance of Nexus.

Lady Bloodhawk informs Valeria that she sent an emissary to the church of Tempus and is awaiting a reply concerning the questions she had about her father.
She suggests focusing on the weaknesses the search for Nexus has thus far not explored. Perhaps a way can be found to locate them. After all, the Gods may not see where they are, but that does not mean all are blind.
She recalls the tales told of them traveling via the Infinite Staircase, an inter-planar realm that grounds anywhere creativity can be found. Creativity can take many forms. It is said to be guarded by the Minions of the Goddess Selune. Perhaps her church would be a good place to start the search.

She also tells Valeria, that her communion with the Red Knight has revealed one of the idols the PC’s seek – The Nar artifact known as the Idol of War has been discovered in Damara. It is spreading its corruption. It is believed that the idol is fueled by fallen souls dying in a war that has plagued that region. A war she believes it caused by its very presence.
The Red Knight revealed that the souls of her believers are not returning to her fold. She urges Valeria to hurry in her efforts, as she believes they are late in discovering the truth of this scheme. The pieces on the board have been moving for a longer time than she has anticipated. It remains to be seen what the endgame is. They must focus their efforts on discovering the state of the other idols, where they are, and whether they are already on the board. Lady Bloodhawk explains that she too, will be focusing her efforts in this matter.

While at the Citadel, Valeria is haunted by the spectral figure several more times. Each visit is the same. She pleads for Valeria’s help. Valeria manages to discern other figures in the shadows around her, but cannot see them in enough detail to deduce who they are. The experience leaves her shaken.

Meanwhile, Frak arrives in Baldur’s Gate, and immediately takes steps to make contact with the right people in the wrong part of town to commission a special weapon. He meets a disreputable dwarf in a tavern called the “Blushing Mermaid” by the name of “Larry-One-Ear” who puts him contact with a young and extremely talented weapon smith called Hartman. Hartman agrees to make Frak his masterwork collapsible blowgun for a hefty sum, and Larry receives his finder’s commission. Hartman tells Frak it will take him two months to complete the project.

Upon returning to Cormyr, Frak also visits an old acquaintance in the Duchy of Aris. From him he learns some interesting rumours concerning the Duke’s fate and whereabouts. It appears he was spotted in Selgaunt in the company of a baleful looking priest. All of the Duke’s holdings were seized by the crown, and his men arrested. He was forced to flee in a hurry.
Once back in Suzail, Frak extends his investigation to find out what he can from more illicit sources. He learns that the priest accompanying the Duke has been spotted in Selgaunt. He is also able to uncover his name: Strifeleader Caladin – a priest of the Cyric. They apparently carry precious cargo with them which they are guarding with extreme caution. They are accompanied by an entourage of men. Rumour has it they are seeking passage upon a ship sailing under a Damaran flag called the “Deathless”, leaving Selgaunt in a few days. It is apparently bound for the port of Ilmwatch in Impiltur.
He also investigates the fate of Prince Foril Obarskyr, who was poisoned in his cell. He learns some interesting details surrounding his death.

Kyuubi spends her time following different pursuits. She spends her time doing spell research at the College of War Wizards, and at Nexus House with her sister. Following the trail of specific spells, she returns home to Wa, using the teleportation amulet. During her visit, her mother brings up rumours she has been hearing from traders traveling from Wa to the Sea of Fallen Stars by way of Thesk on the Golden Way. It is an ancient trade route, and a common source of news from the West. The tale she heard was of dark forces brewing around the Great Dale. Specifically from the Fortress of Val-Murthag. It used to be the center of the demonic cult that ruled the dark Empire of Narfell in it’s final days. The fortress is nothing but a ruin now, or so she thought. If these rumours are true, they could point to something related to an idol.

She follows that up with a visit to Selgaunt in Sembia. There she tracks down more spells, and gains some insights into Sembian culture.
During her time there, however, she cannot shake the feeling she is being watched. On her last night in Selgaunt, she is ambushed by a group of six assailants dressed in black. They bear no identifying markings, but use magic against her. It is clear they are trying to subdue her, not kill her. It was only through her considerable abilities that she managed to evade their pursuit. Her few injuries were easily healed. She teleports out of there, but not before hearing a few choice bits of information. She hears them speaking to each other in infernal, and refer to her as “Their spy whore”. They remark “How did she find us, how could she know?”. She also catches the phrase “Caladin wants her alive” Before she gets out.

Rhiannon spends her time in the College of War Wizards after her return to Cormyr. In return for religious services for the wizards there, she is granted unprecedented access to their library of spells, and ancient historical tomes. She is able to learn new magics, and uncover a great deal of knowledge on The Kor’Nar Relics, the Demon Lord Eltab, and the ancient Empire of Narfell. She shares this information with the party when they meet again.

14th of Tarsakh 1399 DR

Spring has arrived.

The PCs have regrouped back in Suzail. After three months apart, they have a lot of information to share. In the “Laughing Lass”, their favourite hangout, they share a few drinks and all the details of their findings.
They debate at length about the merits of pursuing the idols, and their concerns about this being above their heads. For now, it is decided instead to focus on the more straightforward task of finding the Duke of Aris. Both Frak and Kyuubi have heard rumours that point to the Duke being in Selgaunt.

They discuss the option of intercepting the Duke’s group in Selgaunt itself, but Frak raises objections. He suggests instead to wait until the Deathless is underway and to either intercept the group in the Port of Ilmwatch, or to ambush them at sea.

After more debate, the PCs agree to this plan, and present it the College of War Wizards. Baskor Tranth agrees it might be possible if they get help from the Cormyrian Royal Navy.
They conclude that to catch up to the Deathless, it would be easier to teleport the PCs to a ship that is already in the vicinity. Using magic, the wizards divine the location of several navy vessels. They conclude that the “Azure Crown” is closest to their quarry. They contact the ship’s captain, a tall man named Captain Tarath and explain the plan to him. He agrees to divert his ship to apprehend the traitor to the crown and his allies.

The PCs prepare themselves for the assault. Rhiannon is unable to join them due to church matters, but Lurenna offers to join them in her place, having fought along side them before.

Baskor and Theldryn activate a teleportation device on the floor of the College library, and the PCs are transported in an instant to the Azure Crown.
Captain Tarath greets them heartily, and shows them below decks, as the spring winds buffet the deck. Valeria chooses to remain top side. Captain Tarath explains it will take about 12 hours to catch up to the Deathless, which at that point is not even visible on the horizon.
The PCs busy themselves with preparations, and steel themselves for the eventual naval battle. Captain Tarath shows off the ship’s armaments and complement of marines. The Azure Crown is truly a majestic vessel.

Soon the Deathless’ sails are spotted on the horizon. The captain barks orders to the crew and the ‘Crown picks up speed, catching favourable winds. The order is given to attack. Loosing giant bolts from the ballista on the prow of the ship, the assault begins in earnest. The Deathless returns the favour with it’s own calapults, but its attacks land short. The Azure Crown’s range advantage helps to boost crew morale, as they ‘soften’ the Deathless before boarding.

The ships trade heavy siege engine attacks, both suffering damage and casualties as they draw closer and closer. Once within missile fire range, the sky between the ships is filled with arrows, bolts and grenades.
Kyuubi scales the main mast to get a good vantage point in one of the crow’s nests. Casting protective spells on herself, and taking out snipers on the enemy ship. Valeria joins in with her bow as well. Frak sneaks along the shadows of the sides to the stern of the ship, and readies himself to leap across to the other vessel.
Lurenna unleashes her spells at the enemy.

Soon, a trio of figures can be seen standing on the aftcastle of the Deathless. Duke Aris, Caladin and an unknown cowled figure in wizardly robes. The wizard fires an Acid Arrow at Captain Tarath, injuring him.
The moment the two ships are running parallel, the boarding hooks are loosed, and the crews of the two vessels are locked in a tight and claustrophobic melee. The marines scream a war cry and board the Deathless, swinging across, running along gang planks and some just leaping.

Valeria joins them at the bow of the ship, hacking her way into the enemy’s flank. Kyuubi takes out more snipers.
Frak leaps across trying to gain the advantage of surprise on Caladin. Now partially trapped, he is vulnerable, Frak casts a Sand Slumber on him, and renders Caladin unconscious!
The Duke lunges towards Frak like a dervish, brandishing his rapier. He runs him through, almost killing him. It’s all Frak can do to maintain his footing.
Lurenna casts a web on the aftcastle deck, trapping the three men in its sticky strands. The Duke is only partially trapped, the others are not so fortunate.

Valeria fights her way through the masses, carving a way towards Frak, in an attempt to save her friend. Lurenna blasts the Duke with a lighting bolt, making him stagger back.
Kyuubi hits the duke with more arrows, weakening him further, but the man keeps on his feet. Meanwhile, Frak downs a healing potion, saving himself from a grim fate.
Valeria notices that the enemy captain has been slain in the melee, keeps charging forward, and finally arrives at the aftcasle. Lurenna hits the Duke with a second Lightning Bolt.
Valeria attacks Caladin. Her attack deals him some damage, but not as much as she had hoped. Frak attempts to finish off Caladin with a stab to the throat, but his strike is foiled by Caladin’s own skin. He appears to have some form of demonic hide. Kyuubi kills the wizard with well aimed arrows, all the while enduring withering return fire from the enemy. Her spells keep her out of harm’s way, however.

Caladin wakes after the attack ends the slumber spell. He rolls onto his feet, quickly surveys the scene before him, seems to make a decision, and casts a rapid spell from behind his shield. A smoking black portal opens up behind him, and he throws himself backwards through it, and vanishes from sight.
Finally, Lurenna’s last Magic Missile spell ends the Duke’s life. He coughs up a gout of blood, and expires on the aftcastle deck.

Taking stock of the battle, it becomes clear that the Cormyrian naval forces are in control. The battle is won.
The PCs meet with Captain Tarath, who is busy coordinating the surrender of the enemy forces, and the confiscation of their vessel and its contents. He shows them to the hold where several precious items are stowed, and to the private chambers of the Duke, Caladin and the wizard, where several personal items are added to the haul. The ship itself and its contents are confiscated by the Royal Navy.
The precious cargo, Lurenna and the PCs teleport back to the College of War Wizards, and take a moment to recover.

The PCs gather with Baskor Tranth, Theldryn and Lurenna to open the precious items recovered from the Deathless. The wards are carefully removed by the wizards, and carefully checked to ensure they pose no danger.
The first chest they open is covered in demonic script, glyphs and charms. Within they find the Idol of Dominance, the one recovered from the shrine of Mystra in Suzail.
The second they open causes those gathered to gasp in shock. Within they find the mummified and desiccated remains of Princess Filfaeril Obarskyr. Although her features are withered, her clothes, and other telltale markers are unmistakable. It dawns on them that she must have been dead for several years to be mummified to this extent. All this time, the Princess has been alive and well, attending royal functions, having close access to the royal family, the court, and Cormyr’s most senior officials.
Valeria realizes with a start that she is the maiden from her visions. She is the one who pleaded for her aid.
A sudden chill fills the room……

18th of Tarsakh 1399 D.R.

Princess Filfaeril Obarskyr is dead.
The implications of this discovery weigh heavily on the PCs and the leadership of the War Wizards.
How long exactly had she been dead exactly? Estimates range from two to three years at least.

It becomes clear to the PCs that the impostor had unchecked access to the court, it’s resources, and the ear of the rest of the royal family.
How many Royal decisions has she managed to influence? Someone in that position with an intent to do harm surely must have done a lot of damage beyond the obvious.

With a direct connection to the The Kor’Nar Relics, Caladin of Cyric, and Duke Aris, it stands to reason that she was instrumental in the death of Queen Tanalasta (which would explain why the assassins knew so much about her protections, and had access to such dark magics), the abduction of Prince Azoun, and the coup of the long lost Prince Foril (and presumably the prince’s untimely end when his usefulness had run out).
Additionally, with all that being true, what is her motivation? It is clear she is seeking to assemble the Nar atifacts, but to what end? One possible option that is voiced, is that she intends to liberate the Demon Lord Eltab from the void of Nil Space. With the information uncovered by Rhiannon, there is a strong case to be made for that hypothesis. Eltab is, after all, still tethered to Toril by the strong binding ritual that summoned him all those millennia ago. Rumours of Demon Cysts in the Cold Lands of Faerun still abound, and talk of demon cults in the Great Dale, and war in Damara only strengthen these.

The group have an emergency meeting with the only three others to bear witness to this revelation – Baskor Tranth, Theldryn Wyvernspur, and Lurrena Ashwood.
They agree to keep this fact a secret until they decide what course of action to take to unmask the impostor.
Many possible options are discussed, what type of creature it might be, or what kind of sorcery might be involved. It is agreed that whomever or whatever the living Princess is, she needs to be stopped. They also debate seeking out the remaining Kor’Nar Relics, but it is ultimately agreed the Princess is the priority.

With so much as stake the PCs and the War Wizards hatch a plan.

They decide to set a trap for the impostor. They wait for the Princess to go out for a ride with her escort, and prepare to ambush her upon her return the palace, in a lavish sitting room adjacent to the stables and mudroom.
They scour the library of the College to find a spell called “Proof from Teleportation” that will allow them to prevent the impostor from making a rapid magical exit. They thus prepare the room with the spell and themselves with all manner of enchanments and abjurations. Baskor Tranth joins them.
Valeria casts a Divination spell to give her insight before the trap is sprung. The answer she receives is “Where is Theldryn Wyvernspur now”. This revelation prompts Baskor to cast a quick divination spell of his own, and he quickly realizes that Theldryn is about to warn the impostor of their plans. He bids the party good luck and God’s speed, and vanishes in a burst of apportative magic, presumably to intercept Theldryn.
Hiding in the corners of the room in various ways, some magical, some not, the PCs wait in tense silence for the Impostor to return.

Soon they hear the telltale hoof beats of their quarry and her entourage returning from the forest.
The Princess’ escort of Purple Dragons veers away and ride to assume they duties elsewhere, as she and her handmaiden make their way into the mudroom to rid themselves of their riding boots, cloaks, hats and gloves. The concealed PCs hear her giggling with her handmaid, making small talk and sounding otherwise unremarkable. Where it not for the fact that they had seen the corpse of the Princess mere hours before, the thought of attacking her would have seemed anathema. The PCs steel themselves, checking in with each other one last time.

The impostor and her handmaiden waltz into the sitting room with a relaxed confidence as befits a princess, making her way to the table with refreshments. She asks her maid to prepare a drink for her as she heads toward the couch.
The PCs spring the trap, using the element of surprise.
Using a summoned unseen servant, Kyuubi slams an outside shutter shut, blocking one of the windows and darkening the room. She then intones the words to a Lock spell to secure the door and seal the princess in the room.
Frak lunges forward and attempts to stab the impostor with his new rapier. It hits home, skewering her in the back, much to his satisfaction. First blood is spilled. The impostor howls in pain and anger, only to be attacked by Valeria with her two blades. Only Valeria’s magical Elven blade slashes her flesh, forcing her back. Rhiannon, invisible, uses her unseen servant to close the remaining shutter outside, plunging the room into darkness but for the light from the fireplace, and casts a Detect Magic spell. With it she realizes there is a haze of enchantment hanging like a cloud over the handmaid’s head, leading her to conclude the servant is charmed.

The trap sprung, the impostor spins around in desperation in the center of the room. It is clear she is being assaulted from all sides. Kyuubi fires her arrows at the impostor, hits, but they fail to injure her. They simply phase through her as if she was not there. It dawns on Kyuubi that she is impervious to her arrows. The impostor lunges for Valeria and grabs her head with both hands. She plants a firm kiss on her lips. Valeria begins to feel the draining power of the kiss almost immediately, and focuses her will to wrench free from the embrace. She breaks the bond just in time, and is unhurt by the attack, but knows she faces a dangerous foe indeed.
Valeria tries a different approach, and uses her first attack to trip the impostor. She may have many defenses, but she’s more vulnerable when off her feet. The tactic works, and the princess falls to the ground, taken off guard. Valeria follows up her attack with a powerful thrust which pins her to the wooden floor. The impostor hisses at her in pain and anger.
Frak uses the opportunity to his advantage and stabs her with his blades. His attacks do damage, but are not devastating enough to kill her.
The impostor cries out to her handmaid to help her, who produces a small glowing crimson gem from her pocket, intones a quick command word, and a titanic ball of flame engulfs the entire chamber. The shutters are blown open as the windows shatter outward, once again flooding the room with daylight.
The servant is obliterated in the explosion, and everyone in the room ducks for cover, attempting to avoid the flames. Frak’s nimble reflexes save his life as he manages to throw himself out of harm’s way. The others are not so lucky however. Both Kyuubi and Valeria are badly hurt, but Rhiannon is blasted against the wall, unable to react in time. Her body outlined in bright flames, blackens and crisps in the conflagration, and falls to the ground seemingly lifeless, though still invisible. The furniture and drapes are set ablaze by the blast, complicating matters further.

The PCs are reeling from the blast trying to get their bearings. The impostor, who is immune to the flames, focuses her will and attempts to cast a Teleportation spell. Much to her horror, the spell fails to activate in the specially prepared chamber. Her features betray her growing desperation.
Valeria urges Frak to hold on to the blade pinning the impostor to the ground, as she goes to find Rhiannon to help her. Frak does so, causing her more injury. He follows it up with another stab of his rapier for good measure. Kyuubi attempts to avoid the flames that rage all around her, to also help her injured friends. The heat and smoke continue to damage the PCs.

The Impostor tries one last ditch attempt to escape, once again focusing her will. She becomes Ethereal and vanishes from sight. Frak, still holding Valeria’s blade, realizes first that she is gone.
As Valeria reaches Rhiannon’s limp, smoldering body, she falls to her knees at her side. Rhiannon’s body becomes visible, and for a drawn out moment Valeria assumes the worst, but then she senses a glimmer of life. She pours healing magic into her body, and Rhiannon coughs and opens her eyes.

The PCs hear the screams and commotion coming from the courtyard outside. Purple dragons, servants and others all working together to pour water into the room through the windows to douse the flames. The soldiers burst into the chamber and help the PCs to safety.

The group is given water and blankets, and escorted clear of the activity in the expansive courtyard. It is then that Baskor Tranth returns with a rather embarrassed looking Theldryn Wyvernspur. He greets the PCs, and explains that he intercepted Theldryn before he was able to warn the Impostor. He also mentions removing the enchantment she had cast upon him. He was clearly charmed into doing ill.
Rhiannon realizes, with her knowledge of Cosmology, that they have just fought a Succubus. A Tanar’ri of considerable power, known for their ability to beguile and manipulate mortals, and their ability to assume the appearance and identity of anyone they wish.