(G398 09/11/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA61


DAY 460 (6th Kythorn)(June) cont ...

Fenrir and Veddic spent some time fiddling with the AC/DC device and between the two of them managed to figure out a lot of what it could do.

They also talked to Avadeti some more, who dredged up old memories from when he had lived back in his world.

'I remember the wizards that survived with us saying something about how the magical weave of our world had been made back to front.'
When asked about these "wizards" he said;
'Oh, they have all either moved on to other planes or were hunted and killed. A lot of people were very angry with them back in the early days and blamed them for the loss of our world.'

When asked if it had been the device now in their possession that had done it he replied, 'Oh no, not this one. This is just a small device, they were not so uncommon. The one that destroyed the world was much bigger, or so I was told, and when it went wrong it left nothing but a huge crater.'

That evening the spend the night with Avadeti and share food from the supply  crate with him and the other refugees.

DAY 461 (7th Kythorn)(June)

Today the tried using the AC/DC device. They put a shard on the devices plate, one with a picture of a paladin on it. A spell was cast that made them feel much stronger, which was considered a good thing, but after that they could not get any other shard to work.

It appeared that all that was needed to make it work was the casting of any kind of summoning spell on the coil on top of the device, but there seemed to be  quite a lot of fail safes built into it though and after a day of further experimenting they gave up.

They suspected that it was not working due to the hostile nature of the FAMP, but they did come up with some ideas for the next day.

DAY 462 (8th Kythorn)(June)

Today the put the shard in the device that seemed to offer a choice of five colours (Red, Green, Blue, Black and White), but they could not get it to work in the Plane of Shadows.
A message was shown on the obsidian plate that stated such shards could only be used on the 'home plane'.

They carried it through to the FAMP and tried it there.

The wind suddenly stopped and an area of pastural plains popped into being. They could even see small creatures suddenly surprised to be back in business. Insects and birds  flew about, other creatures could be seen. The land they had created seemed to be about a square  mile in size. They could see the howling dust winds at the boundaries, but some magical barrier was holding them back. The air was rich and clean.

Delighted with this, Fenrir popped back to the Plane of Shadows and proudly showed off their handy work. Avadeti seemed very happy that at least a small part of his world had been reclaimed.

The rest of the refugees (eight men, six women and two children) also came through, blinking into the light after a lifetime quite literally in the shadows.

It was much nicer, but not necessarily safer, as an hour or so later two zombies came through the barrier. Fenrir blasted them to bits.
'Well anyway,' mused Fenrir. 'You might not live here, but you could use it as a farm.'

The grateful refugees handed over some shards they had been hoarding, ten in total. They had various pictures on them. One of the women thought a shard had her husband in it.
Fenrir were not so sure she had very good eyesight though - not unless her husband had been a fifteen foot tall ogre.

Instead of risking the ogre, the next shard they tried was of some druid type people around a tree and that was exactly what popped into existence when they used the device.

Nine initially confused, but then very happy druids appeared, along with an oddly shaped tree that they could apparently use to cast skrye spells with.

Next Veddic summoned another square mile of plains, and then a square mile of swampy mire. They formed their new kingdom, if that was what it was, into an L-shaped.

Finally they summoned a woman called 'The Lady of the Mountain'.

She did not speak, but she would write in her own language and Fenrir could understand her letters with one of his magical items.

With their new domain now three square miles in size and numbering 27 souls they set up camp for the night and cooked their evening meal around a warming fire.

(G397 02/11/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA60

(G397 02/11/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA60

DAY 457 (3rd Kythorn)(June) cont ...

Fenrir, Veddic and Milo did not know what to make of the girl. There was no sign, magical or otherwise, of anything untoward, and yet they felt there was something very unnatural about her.

Milo went in and hailed her.
She replied:

''
Late, late yestreen I saw the new Moon'
With the old Moon in her arms
And I fear, I fear, my Master dear!
We shall have a deadly storm.
''

Any other question returned similar cryptic answers.

Fenrir asked, who are you?
'The friend I've mourned with, and the maid', she replied.

There was a chest in the room and when Fenrir went to it, she said,
''
One bee comes over!
And attacks me!
And stings me!
And does mortal damage!
''

Very disturbed and distrusting of this strange soothsayer Fenrir decided to try and drag the chest out of the room by a length of rope - but when they pulled all that came out was the frayed end of the rope!

They decided to move on.

In the next room they were attacked by four more cinderghosts and something that sounded like a liche to me, but that was maybe not so powerful. Sadly thought it was strong enough that, in the confusion and melee Milo was hit twice and the life  was drained from him.

Once the 'ghosts were dispatched Veddic cut off Milo's finger (presumably to be used as part of a Resurrection spell later) - which was a good thing - but then used his Raised Dead spell to animate Milo's poor body!

I don't know how you feel about these things, dear reader, but to my thinking it was not a very nice thing to do to a comrade in arms.

In any event it was close to midnight now, or so the reckoned, so with Milo standing guard, the got some rest.

DAY 458 (4rd Kythorn)(June)

In the large chamber that they were in was a strange device and they spent most  of the day trying to figure out what it was and what it did.

From what I understand it was about the size and weight of a sewing machine, shaped like a  giant microscope, made from brass. It had a plate under the lens about the size of a saucer  and a dial around it that could be turned.
The dial had a brass pointer. On top of the main tube of the device was something that looked like a Tesla coil sticking out of the top of it.
On the side was a hopper, about the size of a soup bowl. There was something like a sooty  residue in it. On the other side, set into the brass casing was a shiny plate of what may  have been obsidian, 12 inches by 4.

They spend the day and night here, resting and recovering. Doing what we adventurous types always do in downtime like this, mending armour, sharpening weapons and talking over old times.

DAY 459 (5th Kythorn)(June)

They left in the morning, taking the strange device with them, stuffed into a bag of holding.

They spent all day wandering around in the dust storm and getting thoroughly lost. Eventually Veddic realised that there was a spell that he could use called 'Find the Path'. He had not memorised it that morning, but as they were in an area of Wild Magic, by luck he was able to cast it anyway.

They arrived at the portal after three in the afternoon, dirty, wet and fed up. Next they returned directly to Spectre Island and were sat having a nice cup of tea with Random by ten.

They talked well into the night, relaying all that they had encountered in the FAMP. Random said he would arrange for Milo's return to the land of the living, but that he doubted he would want to join them again after the way he had been treated. Grudgingly Fenrir also handed over Milo's share of the treasure (up to the point he died of course!) and that was that.

Fenrir, not knowing what the strange device was that they had also recovered offered it to Random, but changed his mind when the cunning tiefling seemed to be rather too happy about it.
'Probably best you keep it for now anyway,' he grumbled.

DAY 460 (6th Kythorn)(June)

The next day they went all the way back to the FAMP portal. Their luck holding, they were not attacked or otherwise molested on the way.

Fenrir talked to Avadeti who told them:

''
It's an "Accumulator Contraption/Discombobulator Contraption". It was a common device once, for drawing magic from the weave and creating shards. Much as a scroll is created with pen  and ink, our wizards would use these to encode our magic. I am not a wizard, so I don't  know how it works.
''

Was this the device that broke your world? asked Fenrir
No, replied Avadeti. That was much bigger, he had never seen it, but he had been told the device that had destroyed his realm had been the size of a temple.

(G396 05/10/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA59

(G396 05/10/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA59

DAY 457 (3rd Kythorn)(June) cont ...

It was hard to keep track of time in the Plane of Shadow, let alone the FAMP, but Fenrir judged it to be late in the afternoon when they entered the portal again. With cloth masks and goggles to keep the dust out of their faces they began to explore a little around the portal.

It was a broken landscape, very hard to traverse. Cliffs and crevasses were everywhere. There way was constantly blocked either by a sheer rock wall, piles of scree, or drop offs into darkness.

They followed a cliff around for a few hundred metres until they saw the jagged outline of some ruins on the horizon in the distance. They could just make out the flickering light of the portal behind them.

Veddice used Stone Shape to create a 10ft stone pillar to act as a marker and they continued through the storm. In the distance they could hear rock falls, as stones and boulders fell from higher places and tumbled down the scree slopes.

Eventually they cautiously entered the ruins, that offered some small shelter from the wind. Here they were attacked by undead, creatures that I will here name as 'hexrot zombies' and 'ash ghosts'.

Veddic made short work of them though, turning or destroying most of them. What he didn't get, Fenrir destroyed with his eldritch blasts. There was work for Milo too as there were chests in some of the rooms, containing treasure and 'shards' which were the equivalent of scrolls on this plane.

The found a set of steps that lead down into a dungeon area and here they fought an 'ash morgh', but again the undead creature was no match for Veddic.

They had more trouble with two 'black horrors'. As best I can make out these were like black puddings but a bit more tentacly.

As they continued exploring they found a room that seemed to have a little girl weeping in the corner. What in all that was good and natural, they wondered, was such a one as her doing in a place like this?

(G395 28/09/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

(G395 28/09/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

[Alas dear reader - we will have to wait a while longer to find out what the hairy belly of fate had in store for me! In the mean time here is some more of Fenrir's adventure in the FAMP (Failed Alternative Material Plane).]

Just a quick re-cap. Fenrir was now the leader of the Magical Arm of the City Watch of Westgate. A role that suited him well.

He was told by Random (the mildly-naughty mastermind the mainly lived on a rocky island five miles north of the port) that the next part of the plan was to get him in charge of the entire Watch. Behind Random was Cavu, the somewhat naive but likeable bard, who in turn was working for Gertrude the White, a very powerful and only occasionally seen Oracle of Illmater.
They wanted Fenrir in a position of power for when they made a move against the vampires that were infesting and trying to take over the city.

Oh - a couple of other things happened since we last checked in on him:

Fenrir was given a seal by the Croamarkh in a swearing in ceremony wore he swore many oaths to protect the city et al.

-

Fenrir chose a new secretary, from a shortlist of three. He selected Mia the Magical who was a goodly soul who was much loved by the watch. He was so impressed with the reputation of Portia Cadger (a halfling rogue) that he also took her on as a 'Special Advisor' - whatever that meant!

-

Just before we had left him Fenrir (DAY 426) was to fight a duel against 'The Bastard of Cormaeril'. However, Random had instructed him to lose it (as Random said they were not in a position to make some very powerful enemies over the matter) and Fenrir grudgingly did so.

-

On day 444 Lady Dreggleblot came to his office, demanding the 'files' on one Arlert Whammyth. For some reason she had been wearing armour and carrying a sword. Her leg had also grown back.

The info (two months old) Fenrir had on Whammyth was that he was a jewel thief, currently hiding out in Teziir. He told her, out of mischief I suppose, that the thief was headed to the Sword Coast.

-

So that's us all caught up!

Anyway - so while I was flapping about the Sword Coast, Fenrir was about to have a change of plan.

DAY 457 (3rd Kythorn)(June)

It all began when Random realised that Fenrir was just too unpredictable to carry out the next part of the scheme - namely to get rid of Hammersong (the current leader of the City Watch) and set Fenrir in his place.

Randim already had a complicated plan to get rid of Hammersong and to knobble all the other likely candidates to replace him, he was just sure that Fenrir would mess it all up somehow.
The warlock was immensely powerful, cunning and charming - but he lacked subtlety. He was stealthy up to a point, but his plans always lacked the days (weeks? months?) of preparation that came easily to Random.

And so, he decided to send Fenrir off on a quest. Far from being a wild goose chase it was actually something that needed done. Not so long ago Fenrir had been sent into the Plane of Shadows to find a portal to a 'FAMP' or rather a 'Failed Alternative Material Plane'. He had done so, but had not yet gone through it.

It was located south of the city of Bonespur, along the Bonebreaker Pass and not far from the "Dark Spire of Ghastly Evil".

When they had talked to Lord Soslow (a mindflayer that lived in Bonespur) he had said:

''
Oh yes, a failed alternative material plane. I don't know the specifics of that particular FAMP, but it will have been destroyed in some horrific and horrible way I should imagine.
There may not even be any land, or air, or anything, so take care. It could have completely evaporated, but from my experience they are usually nothing more (or less) than barren wastelands.
These sorts of places are not so uncommon in the Plane of Shadow. This plane acts as a conduit between the material plane and all sorts of other interesting places. It's one of the reasons I'm based here.
''

In a refugee camp outside the portal they had met an old man called Avadeti who was a former native of the FAMP.

He had, among other things, told them:

''
It is an infinite sorrow that I carry with me, the destruction of my world. We were a world of great power and magic. My people walked the planes, they crafted many wondrous items, they researched a thousand spells. But the arch mages grew too powerful, too bold and too proud. They attempted to build a device that would turn anything into a spell. Put a rabbit in and you got a shard (we used shards to store our spells, they functioned in the same way as scrolls) and you got a spell that summoned a rabbit. Point the device at an ocean and you get a spell that created water. You understand?
Well, the first time the device was used, it didn't turn something into a spell, it turned EVERYTHING into a spell. It stripped the entire top layer of our world off and converted it into shards. Only a few of us survived, I've no idea how. I can never return, I would be turned into a shard, so here I wait.
''

He went on:

''
Don't spend too much time in the Voidlands. Undead lurk in the mists and even just breathing the fetid air will kill you after a while. No one can survive long there, but sometimes, rarely, people come through the gate. Little flecks of habitable land still remain of our world. How to find them I have no idea. Also, it is a world of what the scholars call Wild Magic. Spells will have strange effect unless you are a real master.
''

So, with all that in mind Random dispatched Fenrir and Veddic back to the portal. He also provided them with a cunning rogue called Milo, a young halfling. In the meantime Random would pose as
Fenrir (using his Hat of Disguise), going to his office each day and working his schemes and plots towards his goal of getting a seat at the table in the Merchant Tower.

Fenrir, Veddic and Milo went through the portal on Spectre Island (where Random was based) and arrived in the Plane of Shadows. It took them most of the day to travel to the FAMP portal, but they arrived without incident.

Avadeti was still there and greeted them. Fenrir asked him if he had a chicken.

The warlock then put it in a small cage, tied it to the end of a stick and poked it through the portal. Stick, cage and chicken were wrenched from his gasp and vanished through the portal never to be seen again.

Avadeti informed them very firmly that he had no more chickens so Veddic (being a bit stronger than Fenrir) tried it with a long stick with nothing on it.

I do wonder, you know, such powerful magic users, both of them, and they could come up with no better plan than poking it with a stick!

Well, anyway, after a while they got bored of that and finally decided just to go in.

They stepped through and were nearly swept of their feet by a strong howling wind. As they regained their footing they realised they were choking on dust and thin air. There was hardly anything to breath and they could hardly see either through the dust storm. The wind screamed through their ears and fills your eyes, nose and mouth with dust. Walking without being blown over required great effort and even breathing was virtually impossible.

Choking and coughing they returned to the Plane of Shadows.

(G394 07/09/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR9

(G394 07/09/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR9

DAY 455 (1st Kythorn)(June) cont ...

It was good to see my brother again, and we swapped our stories. He told me that his girlfriend (I don't like to say, but is Gharlie even a girl? How would be know if she wasn't? I mean, 'she' is a doppleganger after all!) had gone missing when she had gone off to find this Midpoint Island.

In addition to that, things were odd in Waterdeep. Well 'odder' maybe, with people disappearing - frequently and inexplicably. But since they were usually homeless or outsiders it was not being investigated as well as it might.
He'd also heard rumours of a 'Blue Contagion' and that the Clerics of Mystra were somehow involved. I shuddered and clutched my right hand - Mystra was no friend of mine.

While we were talking, two tramps came into the tavern, shoved a women in the face and stole her bag. We went after them.

They were pretty light on their feet for old fellows and I had to turn into a cheetah to catch the shorter one. As I did so though I saw a man slumped in a nearby doorway glowing blue. This startled me, as you may well imagine, and I went to check him over.

He was dead, he looked as if he'd been infected with something nasty. He had burns on his body and blood around his mouth. His hair was patchy and there was a hole in his chest. He was dressed in an average fashion, like a workman or labourer.

When Corum caught up with me he told me that he recognised the corpse as one of his dungsweepers. He went to touch the body, but I slapped his hand away, warning about how the blue glow was infectious by touch.

Corum called for more watchman and it was not long before Corum's boss's boss turned up - a chap called Captain Rulathon. In an hour or so we ended up at Piergeiron’s Palace in some sort of fancy meeting chamber.

We had to wait a further hour, they had laid on food and drink for us, but I was already getting rather annoyed when the Captain turned up with that well known villain Meleghost Starseer.

Now, you may remember that Starseer is the high priest of Mystra and one of the main men of the Waterdavian Inquisition. Among other things he had had Fenrir's uncle burned at the stake.
He was also one of the people behind the 'Sweeping of the Sick' that caused the unnecessary suffering of thousands - suffering that me and my friends at Hova Farm had to deal with for months.
I shivered to remember the death that I saw there, the weak and dying of the Spittal Huts and the mass graves dug into the cold winter soil.

I was in no mood for this be-buggered fellow, but I told my story none-the-less when it was asked for.
Starsteer asked if I had seen any blue crystals. I had not, but made a mental note to keep my eyes open for them from now on.
He went on to tell us about how awful this new Magical Plague was - what a threat it was to Faerune etc etc.
It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut - although he must have surely have seen how angry I was - after all - Where was he when thousands of Sword Coast folks were dying at Hova Farm? Where was he when citizens of Waterdeep were dying of the Blue Death in the streets?
Now that there is a disease that strikes at him though - magic, that is - he is all about meeting the malady with all the resources he can lay his hands on.
As far as I can see - whatever disease kills you - when you are dead you are dead. And this new disease is at least only transmitted by touch! With the Blue Death at first no one had any idea of how it was getting about.
Most people thought initially it was 'bad air'. It was that Snow fellow that worked
out it was spread by dirty water.
Now tell me - which is easier 'Don't touch glowing blue things?' or 'Elevate your city out of the midden enough that people are not forced to drink contaminated water?'
Uh!! I'm ranting now, sorry. There is nothing more annoying to me than one of those rarified, preening Priests of Mystra!

Well, the Captain told us to keep all the goings-on to ourselves and off we went, back to the pub.

I scryed Molly again and saw her getting ready to sleep in her little cupboard. I could see the sea through the small port-hole above her.

Corum and I talked for a while and we thought that it might be worth contacting the Unseen since Gharlie was one of them. Corum perhaps had misjudged then though as the 'whatever-it-was' shapeshifter we met at the Dripping Dagger was of no use at all. We decided not to waste any further time with them.

I'll go to New Olamn in the morning, those bards are usually pretty 'in-the-know.'

DAY 456 (2nd Kythorn)(June)

I went to New Olamn in the morning in the persona of 'Randy Condor' a young man who was looking for his lost sister. I used my Hat of Disguise.

The only extra information I learned was that Waterdeep and Neverwinter both now had fleets of navy ships watching Midpoint Island - and watching each other.

They were also able to put an X on a map for me. On my return to meet the others at the OJB I told them that I could probably get there in about 5 to 7 hours depending on the wind direction.

I decided to fly out their straight away, by myself, to take a look.

(G393 20/07/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR8

(G393 20/07/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR8

DAY 454 (30th Mirtul)(May) cont...

Steven the Friendly Wizard teleported us to the Market Square in Waterdeep and we walked over to the Old Jock's Brewery. Corum was not there. We then went over to the Singing Sword and had a few beers and asked around.

There were rumours of a 'new island', north of the Whalebones, roughly in line with the Mere of the Deadman. There were lots of 'natural resources' apparently and heaps of magical items just lying around. (I find that hard to believe.)

Every idiot with a boat was trying to get there.

We got chatting to four young dwarves, freshly out for adventure and full of bravado, but nice enough chaps.
They asked about my adventures, well maybe I just started talking, but anyway, I told them about my recent escapades in the Plane of Shadow and the slaying of Despayr.

By the time I'd sadly reminisced about the deaths of Mirabella, Gurudor, and all the others that died in the Planes, well, I think I'd maybe hit them with a hard dose of reality.

DAY 455 (1st Kythorn)(June)

It was about six in the morning when Corum turned up. I was asleep by the fire when he came in.

(G392 13/07/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR7

(G392 13/07/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR7


DAY 450 (26th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Starting to use my brain at last I gazed into a puddle in the forest close to the road and used it to cast Scrye on Molly.

As I watched, I saw her bundled into the hold of a ship by a man wearing armour and a helmet with a full face mask. The mask was of some sort of animal or demon.
The ship appeared to be getting ready for a voyage. Molly was taken down into the hold and secured in a cupboard by herself.

I tore my gaze away from the puddle and rubbed my eyes. At least she was in no urgent danger. I quickly sketched all I had seen in one of my notebooks. The armour had been of no style I was familiar with - just a mix of items probably attained by the wearer in various ports all over Faerune. Even so, it was of the same overall style and looked expensive. There had been a Neverwinter symbol on the breastplate, but something about it had looked off.

In the background, on the boat, I had seem spellcasters and rogues, all wearing masks of demons and other fearful things.

I felt utterly awful. My wife was pregnant with our son or daughter. Our own child on the way. How could I look after it, when I couldn't even look after Molly? What sort of world would the baby be born into? Where gangs of thugs could turn up at your home, burn it to the ground and take away all that you cared for and loved?

There was no use dwelling on all of that though. Things had to be done. I turned into a giant owl and flew to Battlerise, with my wife and Irritator on my back.

Battlerise harbour was bigger than I expected. I think the map I have is wrong, but no matter. There were nine berths at the entrance of the Darkflow river, which was foul and stinking from the effluent of the town.

I landed some way off from the settlement though and walked in through the main gate. I talked to, and eventually bribed, the harbour master to get information from him.
He told me;
'They paid me not to see anything, my lord, but since you have paid me double, my vision has suddenly cleared! Aye, well anyway, I saw those men, with masks they were, some humans, some half-orcs, some elves even. They sailed in on a ship called the "Anubis". Not a big vessel, but fast. She had extra sails for catching the wind. Her hull was not a standard shape.'
He then went on to describe a type of ship that sounded like an Xebec.
'They arrived seven days ago,' he continued. 'But they left yesterday.'

They had the wind, but I thought I still might catch them at the entrance to the Sea of Fallen Stars so off we flew again. I spoke to an albatross, but he had seen nothing useful. I landed and spoke to some fisherman in their boats but they had seen nothing.
I spoke, in short, to anyone that would speak to me, but I began to suspect that this infernal ship was invisible. Eventually we returned to Battlerise and found an inn to stay the night in.

DAY 451 (27th Mirtul)(May)

I left Lavinia and Irritator to sleep while I went to find the best bard I could. In the Winking Rat I talked to one, but he was very drunk and I arranged to meet him again in the morning.

Before I went to bed I scryed Molly again. She seemed safe still, but as tears sprung to my cheeks thinking of her all alone I could not watch for long.

At eleven o'clock I met my bard, a human man called Rarder Rydye. I asked him what he knew of the masked people that had come through town.

He told me that he had heard of a conflict between Waterdeep and Neverwinter. Word amongst the bards was that a third party was the one instigating it. This third party was stirring trouble by pretending to be one side, then the other. They also used some sort of magical disease.

After that I tried to find some of the villains gold at the bank (so I could use it to fix a Scrye) but that plan did not work out.

Next I went to the Temple of Illmater and paid for a Sending spell to Molly. It said:

'Rollo here! we are searching for you. I will attempt to scrye you every day at noon. Any clues to your location would be great. Love'

The reply came shortly:

'I'm on a boat. Don't know where we are, but can hear them talking common. They said they were heading "back to the midpoint Island"'

I scryed her again and concentrated on detecting magical auras. There were so many that the information was not much use to me.

The Scrye spell is tricky magic to master, but I do know that if you are lucky you can see people that you have never met - and indeed know nothing about at all. Not knowing the captain of the ship, but reasoning that there must be one, I tried to scrye the person that I knew as 'Captain Shitbag'. I got nothing though. Not even a contest of wills, which meant that the spell went nowhere.

Well, we are spending another night in Battlerise. I can't sleep though, for worrying about Molly. I think I'll pay for a Discern Location spell tomorrow. Six hundred gold that will cost, but what is gold when you are searching for a lost child?


DAY 452 (28th Mirtul)(May)

Cast the Skrye spell three times today, but just saw water. Talking to Irritator about it, we think that the ship must indeed be invisible.

Anyway, today we set off and flew to Westgate. I talked to Fenrir and then went to a local temple and had Discern Location cast on Molly. It appears the Anubis is many miles east of Westgate in the Sea of the Fallen Stars.

We spent the night in Fenrir's mansion house.

DAY 462 (29th Mirtul)(May)

So tired from all this flying! Before I put my exhausted head down for the night I will quickly write what we did today.

We flew to Starmantle, this took 10 hours. Once we'd got a room at an inn I went to the nearest temple and had Discern Location cast again.

It looks like they are heading south, aiming for the canal that Lavinia brought the Sea Wyvern through. It is the quickest route to the Sword Coast, so it really does look like they are part of this Waterdeep/Neverwinter nonsense.


DAY 453 (29th Mirtul)(May)

Spent the day in Starmantle. More scrying, but just saw water again.

Paid for a Sending spell to Molly, but her situation had no changed.

Out of nowhere had a sending message from Corum:

'Corum here. Need help. Friend of mine been kidnapped. Come soonest. Was on a boat investigating rumoured new island where she was being kept.'

I replied:

'I'm currently tracking my own kidnapped friend ("third swordcoast faction"). She's being taken to Midpoint island. Same place?'

Talked it over with Lavinia and Irritator. It looked like the Anubis was heading to the Sword Coast, so the best thing to do would be to pay for a teleport to Waterdeep.

Late now though, we'll do it tomorrow.

DAY 454 (30th Mirtul)(May)

Arranged for a teleport, the friendly (but expensive!) wizard could not take us until later in the evening though.

Spent the day talking to bards and suchlike, seeing what additional information we could find out.

Had a Sending Message from Corum:

'Haven't heard of midpoint island, but the rumoured new is north of the whalebones. Possibly same place? Only have 1 sending a day.'

I replied:

'I'm guessing they are headed to Sword Coast. Will come to OJB ASAP'

(G391 29/06/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR6

(G391 29/06/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR6

DAY 447 (23th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Back home I started thinking and reading about how to take on this massive spider. Peppermint was known to drive off spiders and insects. I knew that peppermint grew in abundance further north in the Dalelands, but it does not grown in the harsher soil of the Vast Swamp. It could do though, with a bit of careful land management I think.

I took, then, my wife to Weyloon, and talked to Hans of Hans Herbs and Medicine where I purchased as much as I could get my hands on. 3 ampoules of Peppermint Oil and 7 jars of a sort of paste that certainly had a strong minty odour. Hans, I rather thought, was a quack.

As it was not afternoon we decided to find a nice inn and stay the night in Weyloon.

Anyway, going to bed now. I must say, it really does feel like things are turning out well now. My wife is happily pregnant, we are engaged in a project we are both enjoying and the Lost Refuge is well on the way to becoming a beacon of peace and happiness in a region that has precious little of it.


DAY 448 (24th Mirtul)(May)

Oh woe and thrice woe! How can one day change so much? It as if some mighty, petulant god has ripped away everything I was working towards!
I have little time for the gods, generally I leave them alone and they leave me alone. I will occasionally make offerings to Silvanus or Chanteau, but other than that the whole lot of them are only of academic interest to me.

But - sometimes - I wonder - is there a greater force beyond the gods of Ferune? A greater force that need only say 'THIS WILL BE' and then the thing is? There is no proof of course, but in my head I imagine this entity staring down at me, with a gleeful expression on its face, looking down at me from over its vast, naked, hairy belly and saying 'All those plans you are making are as nothing before my capricious will!'

We small beings, are but playthings in the hands of deities (or whatever they be) like this. I think I once had a conversation with Fenrir in regards to this and he felt the same way. Although the being that toyed with him, in his mind anyway, seemed a bit more reasonable on the whole and in most cases Fenrir's woes could be traced back to his own actions - but I digress...

... anyway, to related the tragedy here in my journal before I go to bed in our camp up in the mountains north east of the Vast Swamp:

We arrived at two in the afternoon to find the place smoking from several fires and everybody dead. We saw nothing but dead lizardfolk everywhere, magical damage on the walls and doors, bloody drag marks. Everywhere the signs of battle.
Irritator's poor head was displayed on a spike on the south wall. Molly was nowhere to be found, but her poor wee pet monkey was dead in her room, pulled savagely to pieces.

Judging by the amount of damage done, the Refuge had been attacked by powerful magic users and mighty warriors. The dead lizardfolk were all terrible mutilated - pulled to pieces in many cases.
Somehow K was still alive and it was Lavinia that found him. She told me his last words were:

'They took Molly, and the attackers had the Neverwinter Sigils on their armour.'

I went over to K, but he was already dead. There was a strange blue sort of glow or aura on patches of him. As I approached I felt a sort of pull from my magical items. Or something like that. Something I have never felt before anyway.

I cast Detect Magic and the blue 'stuff' flared up and started spreading faster across K's body. I stopped the spell and stepped back. This was like nothing I had ever seen before.
We checked the other bodies, those that had magic items also had the blue 'stuff'.

I picked up a magical amulet and looked at it. I gave it to Lavinia. Foolishly we just then had infected ourselves with whatever this was and we not had it on our hands. When I eventually worked out that this was more a disease than a magical effect (or both?) I turned into a Giant Owl and flapped back to Weyloon as fast as I could.

We landed at the Temple of Mystra (who I judged owed us a pretty big favour) and I explained what had happened to an acolyte.

This is when the Mystran clerics really started to annoy me, and it only got worse as the day went on. Firstly they had the audacity to lock me and the wife in a small room while they dealt with us - as if we were commoners just arrived with leprosy or something.

I woodshaped the door open, but there stood the High Priest and some of the other clerics wearing leather armour and sort of bee-keeper outfits. The High Priest was the most annoying out of all of them and explained that we were infected with some new unknown lurgy - a sort of organism that was not magical and not a curse, but that fed of magic.

'The only cure is to incinerate the whole infected area,' he said. I handed over my magical gloves and they were burned in a temple brazier.
Then he went on to say 'we only know one way to cure it in people - to remove the affected area. Either burn or chop off - in this case, your right hands.'
I sighed. This is modern medicine, I tell you. All this magic and knowledge, but when something new comes along, it's back to the caveman menthods.
'Very well,' I said nervously.
Then as if taking orders for the tavern bar he said, 'Well, would you like your hand burned off or chopped off?'
'Wha - what?'
'Your choice.'
'Chop and be damned then!' I growled, thinking that his bedside manner left much to be desired. Myself and the wife clasped our left hands out together and put the right on the chopping block. Together we cried out as the axes descended.
The look of fear and horror on my wife's face is something that will live with me for the rest of my life. And her pregnant too.

What sort of monstrous being of fate, thought I, would visit such cruelty on her in such a way?
We are, apparently, the play things of Fate, and sometimes Fate is beyond human understanding. Angered, as I closed my eyes in pain and the cleric's worked their regeneration magic an image of Fate, laughing at me as he looked once more down over his huge hairy belly, came into my mind unbidden and ridiculous as I know it sounds I swore that one day, if our positions were ever reversed I would take great delight in exacting my revenge.

Well anyway, Fate had much more misery in store for us yet. Much more.

As we recovered from our ordeal I related the events that had recently occurred to the High Priest and with a couple of hours, our arms restored by magic we set off back again to the Lost Refuge.
The High Chopper and four of his clerics came with us.

Now, there was obviously some sort of misunderstanding when we got there as the High Buffoon evidently thought he was in charge. I should have made him aware that this was my property and that he had no authority over me, the location or the situation what-so-ever.

So I suppose I did surprise him when I flew over and plucked Irritator's head down off the spike on the wall. I had checked it over, but the High Blowhard got really angry when I landed.
He wasn't listening to anything I said and him and his lads levelled their crossbows at me.
Well, I wasn't having any of that and flew off to the north. I easily dodged the crossbow bolts as they came after me - but the effrontery of it! I've a good mind to compose a sternly worded letter to Tunaster Dranik.

We were not followed and I flew north until dawn and landed in a nice glade in the foothills of the Thunder Peak mountains.

A pox on all priests of Mystra, I'm going to bed now.


DAY 449 (25th Mirtul)(May)

Woke up at noon. Lavinia had made some lunch.

I checked over our bodies and poor Irritator's severed head. No blue 'stuff'.

I can't think straight right now, too much going on. I need to find Molly as a priority. First I must re-arrange my spells and get some rest.


DAY 450 (26th Mirtul)(May)

This morning I reincarnated Irritator. He came back as a halfling. Although I wouldn't say it to his face it's an improvement on kobold. His odour is greatly improved for a start.

He apparently had none of the blue stuff on him.

I asked him what he knew of the attack - but once again the hairy belly of Fate loomed over me. Somehow someone managed to sneak up and stab a fairly powerful wizard in the back before he could see or hear anything of any use.

I flew everyone back to the Lost Refuge. Every last bit of it had been burnt to a crisp, only the stonework remained, scorched and blanketed. No doubt it had been fired by those Mystran zealots. There was none of them around so we took a look about. The portal to the Plane of Shadows was still there - so that's something.

I followed the trail the attackers had taken. It lead to the main road to the south eventually.
There was a campsite on the edge of the swamp. They had used three fires, with that and the number of footprints I suspected there were between 20 and 30 of them.
Strangely there were no bones, or other rubbish, which would have been expected. Did they tidy up after themselves? Or were they the sort of beings that don't leave litter?
(Or it occurs to me that perhaps they did not want to leave behind anything that could be the target of a Scrye spell.)

It was clear that they had both arrived and left along the same route - away from all habitation.

We reached the main road. I pondered what to do next.

(G390 22/06/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR5

(G390 22/06/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR5

DAY 447 (23th Mirtul)(May)

Well, I left the cave until this morning in the end. So much to do at the Lost Refuge (I've given up calling the place Wisphaven as the Sharptooth Clan don't use that name.)

Me and Lavinia are in Weyloon at the moment, in a nice inn. Before I blow out the candle I'll relay the events of the day.

I must say first though, how much I like the Sharptooth Clan. Getting to know a tribe of lizardfolk has been really fascinating. K and his family are all wonderful - well, people - understanding, wise and noble. I really think, between me and K we will be able to build something really wonderful in the Vast Swamp. A lovely haven of peaceful wooded glades and breezy meadows next to clean babbling streams. Well, it's a nice dream anyway, I admit it is some way off. I should really do something about that stagnant pond in the north quadrant for a start, it's full of nasty stingy insects.

Very well, dear reader, to begin at the beginning of the day.

After breakfast we headed back to 'Giant Insect and Black Pudding Cave' ("Kuparuzztre-baknak-ooofffaz" in the local tongue), I turned into a giant bat and went in alone to scout.

I got to where we had found the stag beetles and I supposed up an army of crocodiles, all the while hanging from the ceiling. My 'wave of crocs' easily killed them and swarmed into the next cave.
Here we encountered giant bombardier beetles and the crocodiles killed them all off too. So far - the plan was working.

Keeping it going, summoning up more of my scaling friends as they were either slain or unsummoned we next encountered another black pudding. They can apparently get up cave walls quite quickly and have an alarmingly long reach - as I discovered. I fell from the ceiling as it grabbed me, but luckily managed to flap out of its goo and make my way back out. I then sent in another swarm of crocodiles to tail slap the thing into froth.

Just as I was getting my breath back a gargantuan spider approached from the northern cave entrance! A fascinating creature, truly, but it only wanted to eat me. My druid influence have no effect on insects, no matter how massive - and this thing was huge!

It webbed me to the wall (as a bat), but I stone shaped a small tunnel and turned into a viper. I then slithered back to the main entrance and met the others again. A few more critters cleared out of the Kupa Cave then, but still more to do.

(G389 04/05/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR4

(G389 04/05/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR4

DAY 444 (20th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Well, the rest of those caves didn't go that well. Not a total disaster, but not great. I think I need to come up with better strategies.

Anyway, after pottering about looking at the pillars and taking notes in them we moved east through the caves and found a stone dais and throne. Who had built it I had little idea of, but it was designed for a human sized backside.

We moved further into the caves and encountered another black pudding. These are difficult things to fight and we piled crocodiles, magic missiles and lightning bolts into it.
It split and one of them engulfed Irritator.
Now, before that, Henny had been grappled several times, but always broke free. Irritator had not chance though and Teleported out. Very wise of him.

I managed to kill it, and we headed back to the Refuge after that.

Good news! Later this evening Lavinia told me she might be pregnant! I checked her over - I am a good healer these days - and she sure seemed to be, but we'll get a second opinion in the morning.


DAY 445 (21th Mirtul)(May)

In the morning we went over to Weyloon and Lavinia went to see a local priest who was apparently the best person to ask about this sort of thing. It seems that it is true anyway - we are to be parents!

With the good lady wife at home then, I thought me and Irritator would have another pop at that network of vermin filled caves.

It did not go well, we were set upon by a group of giant stag beetles and poor Henny was killed!
I was very annoyed at myself because of that. I should have used crocodiles.

Well, I am going to start the ritual to summon another one now. No rest for the stupid.


DAY 446 (22th Mirtul)(May)

Finished the ritual and summoned another megaraptor. Is it even worth giving the poor thing a name?
I should be more careful from now on.

Had a short nap then some lunch and went over to Weyloon to get some books. Got about a third of what I wanted to start building up a decent library.

I should really sort out that cave today, or I'll start looking like an idiot in front of all the lizardfolk. Can't have that, I'll be drummed out of the Druid Club or something.
Just kidding, there isn't a Druid Club! Unless you count those old fools in the Ardeep Forest.

(G388 13/04/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR3

(G388 13/04/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR3

DAY 441 (17th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Oh dear! I forgot to mention. During the last few days I also flew back down to Westgate and picked up my serving girl Molly and her pet monkey.
She's really been growing lately. It must be all that greasy Westgate food. She certainly felt a lot heavier by the time I'd flown the ten hours back!

It was nice to catch up with the Sea Wyvern crew again. I think that Nobby and Urol are now a bit of an item! Good luck to them I say. Nobby also told me she was thinking of buying out my and Veddic's share of the ship.
I don't know about Veddic, but I like being a part owner of the Sea Wyvern. Veddic hardly counts as Shifty just gave it to him before he disappeared forever down in Chult.

They were not long back from Sasserine and were planning to go back again. I told them to let me know when they got halfway, as I wanted to Teleport to the deck of the ship and start building up some good locations for Irritator.

The top floor of the tower is lovely now. Lavinia and Molly keep it clean and airy and the Hallow spell makes it very calm and peaceful. It extends to the floor below. I let the lizardmen use that area when they need to relax for a while.

Anyway, tired from all that work ordering lizardmen around today. Turning in now.


DAY 442 (18th Mirtul)(May)

Re-hired the lizardmen servants I had last time I was here. That's Nakal, Nanti, Jatol and Cupcay. They can help me out with scouting and Molly with the housework. It also gets a few coins into the Sharptooth economy.

K came to talk to me today. It is always tricky to work out what is going on in his mind. They think the same as men in some things, but their faces are hard to read.

I think he doesn't like the idea of losing face in front of the others. It is assumed by everyone that I am more 'powerful' than him. I've honestly no idea if this is true, but it could be that my presence here is a threat to his position as chief.
Anyway, he proposed a sort of partnership and we smoked the pipe of peace together. I think that means I'm an honorary member of the tribe. I'm still not sure - there was definitely something in that pipe and it all got a bit weird and confusing towards the end.


DAY 443 (19th Mirtul)(May)

Took Irritator for a test run today and we Teleported to Westgate and I introduced him to the crew of the Sea Wyvern.

This is now his list of 'Studied Carefully' locations:
- His House
- Lost Refuge
- Weyloon
- Westgate
- Sea Wyvern

Flew to Spectre Island and talked to Random. Me and Lavinia have half and idea of getting traders interested in coming to the Lost Refuge, or better yet, a shop keeper.
Random said he'd keep his ears open for people that might be interested, but not to hold out much hope.

Flew home after that.


DAY 444 (20th Mirtul)(May)

From recent scouting and talking to the lizardfolk I've determined that there are three places in a five mile radius of the Refuge that are considered dangerous.

Myself, Lavinia and Irritator decided to go take a look at the nearest one. I took Henny with me.

It appeared to have once been inhabited by humanoid folk, but now was home to monstrous vermin.

Initially we were attacked by two giant wasps, then giant beetles and ants. As we moved in a black pudding went for us. This was the hardest and most manic battle so far. Henny's attacks made it split into two. But a combination of my crocodiles and Irritator's magic missiles eventually killed it off.

These caves are an interesting network of natural rock and worked stone. We found a kiln and an area of pillars. Some of the floor is paved in black and white tiles. Once the place is cleared out I will give it more study.

Anyway, break time over, back to work!

(G387 30/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR2

(G387 30/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR2

DAY 428 (4th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Before dinner, myself and the good lady wife took a stroll along the wall and chatted about the future.

I don't have any sense of urgency for returning to Westgate. Fenrir will be settling in to his new role as the head of the Magical Watch or whatever he's up to and I suppose if he or Random need me, they will send word.

I'm currently really fascinated by the new species of red feather herons I saw around the place today and their hunting methods. I asked Lavinia if it was ok to stay for a while longer. She wasn't happy at first, but after we talked about setting this place up as a sort of base, then possibly turning it into a sort of 'mini-Farshore' she was more onboard. She was at Farshore recently and it sounds like it is doing fine. I'd like to go back again, but for now, here we are.

Lavinia seems to be the sort of girl that likes the idea of laying down roots. Inherited from her parents I think, so we discussed the idea of setting up a base somewhere. The
Lost Refuge is far from ideal, but it does have a few good points - it's remote, and it has an access point to the Plane of Shadows.
I think I would prefer, over all, to be setting up in Kryptgarden, but if it keeps her busy while I get to study my beetles and herons then it is all to the good.

K and the lizardmen seemed to have been under the impression that we would never be back and that this place was theirs now. It's understandable. I tried to make clear to them that it was, after all, us that cleared this place out and that we invited them in.
I don't mind really, and I don't think it will be a problem. The chances are we'll be gone in a few weeks or months anyway and having a druid around is surely a good thing?

So, I think we'll see how it goes. I like the idea of building up the place a bit anyway.

Anyway, first things first. As I left Fluffy back in the forests around Boravia, I need a new animal companion. This takes 24 hours, so I started the ritual later in the afternoon.


DAY 429 (5th Mirtul)(May)

After the ritual, my animal companion arrived - a megaraptor that I called Henny. She's pretty big, with a long tail and ferocious teeth and claws. The lizardfolk seemed quite impressed.

While I was doing that, Lavinia had cleaned out the top room in the central tower of the refuge. She'd done the best she could, but it needs some soap.

That afternoon, a little tired from no sleep last night, as we ate a late lunch K told me that Irritator the kobold wizard was known to be back in the area after spending a lot of his recent loot gold back in Weyloon.

I flew over to his house, if was just a few miles away. It was a tree house in a small wooded area. I knocked as a bird, then as a man, but there was no answer.
I sent Rolanda down the chimney, but she just started raiding the pantry so I turned into a snake and went in after her.

I looked about, and saw that he'd recently packed for a trip. I took myself and the rat back up the chimney, then popped a note under his door.

Turned back into an eagle and flew back with that useless rat clinging onto my back.


DAY 430 (6th Mirtul)(May)

Flew over to Weyloon today.
Purchased a 100 gold's worth of tools, tradable items and cleaning stuff. Shoved it all into my Bag of Holding and flew back.
Also managed to find the herbs, oils and incense for performing a Hallow spell. It wasn't cheap.

Noted that the bookshop is still there, but I'll go back later when I'm more set up.

I need to catch up on my sleep, but I decided to start the Hallow spell, centred on the tower, as soon as I returned. Here goes!


DAY 431 (7th Mirtul)(May)

Finished the Hallow spell today. Seemed to go well. Had some food and a nap afterwards.


DAY 441 (17th Mirtul)(May)

Has it really been ten days since I last updated my journal? Many apologies dear reader!
In truth I have not been on my usual adventures or feats of daring-do so perhaps it is not such a great lost to prosperity.

Since the 7th these have been the projects:
- drain the areas of water that come in under the main wall
- drain the areas of stagnant water nearby that look diseased
- drain the areas that are plagued with nasty insects

I used a combination of my knowledge of nature, the lizardmen and magic.

I've also spent more time than is healthy studying all the local beetles! Utterly fascinating but I will not go on about them in this journal.

Today was different anyway, because good-old Irritator turned up. Part of the plan I've been developing after that last wee while involves having a teleporter on the strength so I popped over to Weyloon and got him a Teleport Spell (not cheap either!). He was delighted about that, but I'll probably take it out of his next share of the loot.

(G386 23/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR1

(G386 23/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR1

DAY 427 (3rd Mirtul)(May)

Something that had been on my mind for a while was to go back to the Vast Swamp and check in at the Last Refuge or the Lost Refuge or Wisphaven or whatever people were calling it.

It's only 120 miles north of Westgate so reachable in a day by air. Today I decided to give it a go and in the shape of a Giant Owl and with Lavinia on my back I flew over there. It took about ten hours, it would have been quicker with a more favourable wind, and we arrived in the evening.

The Sharptooth Clan and K their leader were still there. Spending the night in the guard house tonight. I'll take a look at the rest of the place in the morning.


DAY 428 (4th Mirtul)(May)

Spent today looking about the Lost Refuge, checking out the structures and the immediate surroundings. The Vast Swamp is home to lizardmen, orcs, trolls, hydras and all other manner of nasty beasties.

There are some forested areas, but its mainly marshland. It's a wild and unexplored region and I am gently floating the idea with Lavinia of staying here a while so that I can study it further. I've seen twenty new species of beetle today alone!

Much of the region is more akin to flooded forest, and in the southern part, closest to the sea, mists roll in constantly, shrouding the area in gloomy fog. At this time of year though it is not too bad.

After lunch I flew around the local region, out to about ten miles and saw small villages of lizardmen, orcs and troglodytes. I saw the freshly dead body of an eight-headed hydra.
I wonder what killed it?
I also used my Lay of the Land spell as well, which more or less covered the entire Swamp.

In the evening I talked to K. He tells me that the shadowed lizardmen, what's left of them are to the south west. The clans of Blunt-tooth and Darkfang are to the north and north-west.
Further north are where the hydra are most common and other wild monsters.

K only really knows the five miles or so around the Lost Refuge with any level of accuracy as his tribe rarely venture further out than that.

It's hard to say whether he is that happy that we are back or not, but it's difficult to know when dealing with lizardmen, they are a savage lot.

Karma Kingdom

I've been working on a wee Internet browser game for a while now.

I used to do a lot of charity clicker websites and always thought it would be cool to interconnect them in a central game or something.

I also have an unhealthy addition to idle clicker games like Cookie Clicker, Clicker Heroes et al. So teach myself javascript, php, mysql etc I have now made a start on a game that sort of combines the two :)

So the idea is this: There are links to 71 different good causes. When you click on one, you go off and do the thing on that website and you get a reward in the game. Where possible I have made the thing that you do represent the thing you get in the game.

For example saving 10 square feet of rainforest in real life gives you 10 square feet of forest in the game. Thus your Kingdom grows, while at the same time serving as a sort of virtual representation of all the good you are doing :)

It's in 'Alpha' at the moment, but I'm going to keep plugging away at it, to see how far it goes. The dream would be that it becomes some sort of Candy Crush idle thumb game - but that does good all over the world.

It could also conceivable be good for kids, for them to learn about the environment, global warming, animal welfare, poverty around the world etc.

The link is:

http://www.roztov.epizy.com/stw/generate.html

(G385 16/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

(G385 16/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

Well, dear reader, after all the excitement of the dungeon under Shaymer's house I went off and did my own thing (see main journal entries) but I will here relate what I know of Fenrir's activities over the next wee while.

DAY 420 (27th Tarsakh)(April)

Fenrir arranged the delivery of Brundesh to the doors of court house. Brundesh had a letter tied around is neck explaining who he was, that he had been rescued by some kind adventurer and that Shaymer was to blame for everything.

From that moment on, things started moving pretty quickly, the strings all being pulled by Random somewhere in the background I have no doubt. I was told later that an hour passed before Hammersong was appraised of the situation and the wheels of Fenrir's promotion were put in motion.

After that Fenrir spent the day as the leader of the DAW. All the Air Watch were present: Relleme, Nors, Marrock, Oloe and Surkan.

Today they were surprised to see a giant skull float above the city and make its way to the west wall.
As they got closer they saw that there was a lady gnome peaking out at them from the left eye-socket.

She was called Ruby Planeswalker and although a bit nasty she was prepared to pay 50 gold for a 'license to fly a giant skull over the city; valid for the next three months' and be on her way.

The evening Fenrir continued his quest to find a 'good lady'. Or one good enough to hang on his arm as he became the darling of the Westgate ball circuit.

He called on Lady Gwendeth Thalavar and she showed him some portraits, but none of the ladies presented tickled his fancy. She told him that the next debutante's ball would be in six days.

When he got back home he organised a tailor with Jasper and had Veddic check him over for any 'complications' that may have arisen in the Underdark.


DAY 421 (28th Tarsakh)(April)

Today, prompted by the fact that she suddenly came into a very large inheritance (something that I am sure Random arranged, but I have no proof of) Trepplemar handed in her notice as the head of the magical arm of the Westgate watch.

Later on Fenrir was summoned to meet Hammersong. The dwarf paladin may not have had Fenrir as his first choice, but in reality Fenrir was his ONLY choice.

Golad Darkbane was suddenly embroiled in the 'Flying helmet, celery and egg-whisk' scandal, while Lorak Shaymer was highly compromised by the sudden appearance of a man that he had sworn was dead.

They talked for a while and Fenrir laid on the charm. Finally Hammersong said;

''
I'm not sure about you. If I could persuade Eyesmile to take charge I would have him, but he will never do it. Says he's not a leader, which might be right. I'll be watching you, laddie. I know who you are.
I don't know why you want to do this job, I suppose you have your reasons, I've got enough problems without trying to figure out whatever madness is driving you. I think you'll get bored anyway. Its a prestigious appointment in the watch, but the job is mainly paperwork and meetings. I suppose we'll see.
''

He went on to say;
''
Shaymer says it's you behind the whole Brundesh thing. I've no idea at the moment, but I'm
sure we'll get to the bottom of it one way or the other.
''

After that Fenrir went to see Trepplemar at the south wall Watch Tower. She started giving him the run down on her job.

For the benefit of future readers of this journal here is a run down of the organisation he was now to head:

    The Day Air Watch, - 5 members (Relleme et al)

    The Night Air Watch, - 3 members

    The Tome Frogs (Day Watch Wizard Axillaries) - 15 members

    The Night Frogs (Night Watch Wizard Axillaries) - 8 members

    The Crying Eye (Magical Scrying) - 2 members

    The Fingers (Magical Stealth) - ? members

    The Riders (Village Marshall Support) - 4 members

    The Underwatch - 4 members, under city patrol


DAY 422 (29th Tarsakh)(April)

Fenrir spent the day in Trepplemar's office going over his new job. She had a secretary called Lia Dale who would stay on for a while, long enough for Fenrir to get to grips with the role anyway.

Today I happened to be at Fenrir's house, it is a nice place to stop for lunch during a shopping trip and I stumbled in on Veddic while he was engrossed in a Sending session. I can't say exactly he was up to, but from the mumbled words I heard, and with some guess work I should imagine he was filling his boss in on current events. His boss being Jamella Dotrok, the Eternal Flame of Kossuth of Waterdeep.

I don't know all that much about Kossuth, but I do know that Veddic was happy after the conversation because he had been elevated to 'Burning Serpent Terrace'. Now, a suspicious mind might think that if this was the case then he had told her a lot that she liked the sound of. I can only speculate, but I would not be surprised if she knows everything that
Veddic knows. I wonder if Fenrir is aware of this? Do I actually care? Does Fenrir? I mean, if Veddic tells Jamella Dotrok everything, then devious bastards like Random will have worked that out and probably told Cavu. Cavu in turn will have told Gertrude. Now that I think of it then, Gertrude and Jamella must be in cahoots then. I bet you they are as thick as thieves and have got it all worked out.
Nobody tells me bloody anything though, that's for sure, I have to work it all out for myself!

Anyway, before I blow out the candle, one last thing. Fenrir came in late tonight having spent the evening going around all the posh taverns and such asking about eligible young ladies.
'Old Gwendeth was holding out on me!' he reported. 'She's a grand-niece or something or other called Thistle Thalavar. Only 22 and a real beauty apparently. Some ship's captain called Tystran Dauntinghorn is courting her, but that won't stop me. Hopefully I won't need to keep borrowing your wife much longer old boy! Ha-ha-ha!'

Bloody Warlocks.

DAY 423 (30th Tarsakh)(April)

I gather that Fenrir spent the whole day with Trepplemar today.


DAY 424 (Greengrass)(April)

Fenrir's first day on the job.
He initially went to talk to Hammersong about more funding for the 'Watch Wizards' but was told that the watch as a whole barely broke even so there was no more money to be had.

In the evening, over a game of cards with me, Lavinia and Veddic he floated the idea of a "policeman's ball" to raise funds.
He admitted though that when he had talked to Lady Gwendeth Thalavar about it she told him that fund raiser charity events were just not a thing in Westgate. All alms giving was handled through the temples and they'd probably not be all that happy about it going anywhere else.


DAY 425 (1st Mirtul)(May)

On his second day on the job Fenrir thought about introducing a 'Magic User License' for the city, something along the lines of 5 gold a month.
Or, he suggested, 10 gold to bypass being part of a 'Detect Magic Squad.'

Now, this idea would not make him any friends, but it is not so outlandish. As I pointed out to him, most city watches started with rich men with expensive arms and weapons volunteering to patrol the walls and gates. After that they would then pay for 'deputies' to stand in for them.
Most cities have an already existing statute somewhere along the lines of 'every citizen must spend a portion of their time standing in defence of the city' or some such.

When he took the idea to Hammersong the paladin said it was a possibility, but that it would take at least a month to make it into the court for consideration.

Another item on Fenrir's agenda was who would replace him as head of the DAW. Relleme was his only really choice, but he wisely instructed Veddic to help them out when he could.

Fenrir was summoned to Spectre Island tonight. He was gone a good while and I think him and Random are cooking up some plan whereby Random takes Fenrir's place for a while (under an illusion) and Fenrir goes off to investigate the FAMP.

FAMP = Failed Alternative Material Plane by the way, the portal to which he found a while ago, south of the city of Bonespur in the Plane of Shadows. Fenrir seemed to like this idea as it would involve Random doing all the complicated thinking work of how to get rid of Hammersong and Fenrir could do what he did best, namely, 'blasting monsters to pieces and taking their treasure'.


DAY 426 (2nd Mirtul)(May)

After his third day on the job Fenrir took my wife out to a debutante's ball. (Bloody Warlocks!). I don't think he is turning Lavinia's head, but he has a lot of charm magic about him, so who knows?

Anyway, at the ball Fenrir bumped into 'the bastard of Cormaeril' - the young chap who was responsible for shooting up Fenrir's cottage with ballista bolts a few months ago.
Apparently they had a heated exchange and a duel was arranged for the following day. Noon at the park west of the Spitting Cockatrice.

He also met Thistle Thalavar. She was very pretty and very clever. She was astute too and had heard of Fenrir. His charm has less power when the target is forewarned so after some polite chat he moved on.

He settled on a courtier in the house of Malavhan called Werren. She was an elf, over a hundred (young for an elf though) and reasonably pretty. She jumped at the chance to be seen on Fenrir's arm, a step up for her and Fenrir reasoned that she would do for the time being.

Perhaps now I'll get my wife back?

(G384 09/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA57

(G384 09/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA57

DAY 419 (26th Tarsakh)(April) cont ...

Down in this sub-sub-basement of Shaymer's pretty decent dungeon we next came across a room with a plinth in the middle of it. On the plinth was a skull with glowing eyes.

It spoke: 'Why are you here? You are wrecking the place! You've been messing up all my experiments!'
'We are here to fetch Brundesh,' said Fenrir, meaning the prisoner we were here to rescue.
'Hum?' replied the skull. 'Well you can't have him. Shaymer said I could have him!'
'Well, er, he lied! The guys upstairs said we were to take him, its fine.'
'Wait a minute...'

A man came to a door in the western wall. If Fenrir had not maybe worked it out, I had, it was him that had been talking through the skull.
He was a man in his mid-fifties, dressed like a wizard. He said his name was Debman.

After some more chit-chat, Fenrir with his powers of persuasion working overtime negotiated Brundesh's release. Debman called through the door along the corridor and a hulking flesh golem called Fudstix arrived dragging a ragged old man with him.

The next problem was, though, that this old man was evidently crazy and would not identify himself. It was at this point we realised none of us knew what Brundesh looked like.
Veddic used a Sending Spell to talk to Random and reported back;
'Brundesh is a tall thin man, white curly hair, but balding. In his sixties.
Wore reading glasses on occasion.'
The old man that we had been presented with met the description apart from the glasses.

None-the-less, Fenrir was suspicious and decided to fight it out after all.
Debman ran off down the corridor and went through another door. Fudstix rampaged towards us, killing Brundesh as he came, with a single swipe to the head.

Fudstix was a tough opponent. I sent in more crocodiles to hold him back a bit while Veddic took swipes with his chain. Fenrir's eldritch blasts had no effect on the monster so he tried bluffing it to go away, and while it did confuse it, it kept attacking.

Debman threw a stone down the corridor that had a Symbol of Weakness etched on it that only really effected me, so I moved back a bit. In return we hit Fudstix with fire based spells, that didn't harm him, but did slow him down. Enough that eventually my crocodiles got the better of him. As he went down he exploded!
It was a big enough blast to destroy all my crocs, but we were far enough back to be left unscathed.

Fenrir shot at the Symbol until it was destroyed and we advanced up the corridor a bit. Debman asked for a parley and we accepted. He sent another man, who looked very similar to the first one we were given, down the corridor.
We went back to the skull room and tried to talk to this new old man, but he was just as crazy as the other one and shoved the food we gave him up his nose.
We discussed the situation for a while and eventually it was agreed that we most likely had some kind of clone of Brundesh on our hands.

Fenrir went back to talk to Debman. He pretended to 'accidentally' fire off a Sleep incantation at Debman. If failed to land and Debman 'accidentally' shot off a Baleful Polymorph at Fenrir. It too also failed to land.

After eyeing each other up for a while, Fenrir said, 'you gave us a clone.'
'Maybe,' replied Debman and closed the door again.

Well after that Veddic cast Wind Walk on all of us and we just wafted out of there and away into the night, all the way back to Spectre Island.

Fenrir admitted to Random that we probably had a clone and not the real Brundesh, but Random accepted this saying, 'well, even a clone will suit our purposes.'

After all that hijinx it was good to get to my bed. I've got a really big bruise on my shoulder where that Minotaur hit me.

(G383 02/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA56

(G383 02/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA56

While me and Veddic waited in the pub, Fenrir explored Lorak Shaymer's wine cellar. Besides containing a lot of wine there was a locked and magical door. Fenrir stood well back and used his ring of Knock.
A sheet of flame shot out beside the door harmlessly and Fenrir entered, finding more steps leading down.

He came into a series of dungeon rooms and using his very useful new Sleep invocation sent to sleep a 'chainy thing' (it was a Chain Devil I think), a Black Pudding and four 'tentacly things.' (They were Otyughs)

Things were getting a bit much for him though so he (magically) told me and Veddic to come and join him. Veddic hit upon an idea and purchased some sheets from the landlord. We then cut out the eyes and with the aid of his Wind Walk spell turned into misty 'ghosts.'

We startled a maid on the way in through a window, who went off screaming 'My lord! My Lord!, but other than that we made our way to join Fenrir unmolested.

Well, Fenrir was a bit mean to me I think as he sent me down this corridor where there were four Minotaur Constructs. It was a bit of a running battle and I got battered by one of their axes which left a nasty bruise. I summoned crocodiles though and let them do my fighting for me. They were immune to Sleep so they had to be defeated properly.

After them, in a big room at the end of the corridor we battled another big tentacle thing. Now this is just a guess, but I think it may have been an Aboleth that had by some means become capable of moving around on land.

Well, it tried to dominate us, but our stern wills were too powerful for it and it ended up in a smoking ruined heap the same as everything else.

The chamber we were in was a dead end so we retraced our steps and found some more stairs that led further down into the dungeon. There was a door and water trap, but once again Fenrir's ring of Knock saved the day.

(G382 16/02/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA55

(G382 16/02/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA55

DAY 417 (24th Tarsakh)(April) cont ...

So Random sent Fenrir and Lavinia straight to a debutante ball at Lady Gwendeth Thalavar's mansion. All part of the plan apparently, he even had a dress for her. Hmmm...

When she returned Lavinia told me that it was an opulent affair, several dozens of the finest and richest of the city being in attendance. She also told me that Fenrir repeated the lie that Trant was not to blame for the trog attack. Double hmmm... !

Well, I'm turning in now, but none of this sits well with me. The trogs are nasty and horrible, but the facts are the facts. Trant stirred up a hornets nest. People died and not only that, but I have the blood on my hands (trog blood admittedly) from the whole fiasco.
Those trogs, evil as they are, were five miles underground and in terms of Westgate, minding their own business. Should I say something? Triple hmmm!


DAY 418 (25th Tarsakh)(April)

Today Fenrir was provided with a chest of 10,000 gold by Random (it arrived by coach) and he took it to the Temple of Tyr as a donation.

He took six guards with him and turned it into quite a spectacle. All part of Random's plan apparently.

When he got home Jasper reported that he and a guard had caught a spy and locked him in the shed under guard.
Fenrir talked to the lad then bribed him.
'I was hired by Big Bill Kadercan of Diggler Dive!' grassed the lad before legging it.

Fenrir talked to Gilly to see if she had heard of Big Bill. She had, and said she would
go ask around.

I myself spend the day shopping with my wife.

DAY 419 (26th Tarsakh)(April)

Fenrir reported for work today.
The Day Air Watch currently consists of:
Relleme - A gnome mounted on a giant bee. I've met her, she's very nice.
Nors - A human fighter mounted on a broomstick. A happy-go-lucky sort of fellow.
Marrock - A half orc fighter on a magic carpet.
Oloe - A 'savage' young lady with wings.
Surkan - A young nobleman also on a magic carpet.

Today they say a giant gasbag float over the city and all were concerned it might be another giant gretch. It wasn't though, it was four daft gnomes in a hot air balloon.
Fenrir and his squad took a rope each and dragged it out of the city.

He took them all for a chimichanga and a pint after work.

When he got home Gilly reported to him that the person behind the hiring of one of Big Bill's spies was the wizard Tamba Wazerio from Grappa Valley. Fenrir shrugged, just another powerful magic-user that wanted him dead.

Fenrir, keenly aware that he couldn't just keep stealing my wife for all his posh do's first asked Jasper if he knew of anyone, then tried to convince Gilly to take elocution lessons and even offered to buy her a dress.
She was defensive though, 'Ere! Wot ya sayin I don't talk proper or wot?'

Anyway, tonight Random himself turned up at the house to report that the next part of his master plan 'was on'!

When Trepplemar retired there were only really three candidates to replace her.
Golad Darkbane - a cleric of Tyr, apparently a decent chap but not that bright.
Lorak Shaymer - a powerful sorcerer, but rumoured to have some sinister secrets to do with
the Night Masks.

The third candidate was Fenrir.

'Now,' said Random said 'I'll nobble Darkbane, shouldn't be too hard. You go after Shaymer. I happen to know something useful about him. His connection to the Night Masks came to light when it was revealed he was part of a child slavery operation. He and his business partner ran an orphanage which was basically a front to sell children to whoever wanted them for whatever purpose. Now, when the whole thing was blown open, Shaymer's business partner (a man called Brundesh) vanished, this was seen as a sign of guilt and Shaymer was able to blame the whole thing on him, saying that he had no idea the venture was anything more than an orphanage, and that he, Shaymer had only been trying to do some good for the city and he had been fooled by Brundesh. This, as you might expect, is rubbish. Shaymer keeps Brundesh in a dungeon under his house, I have this on good authority. Break in, rescue Brundesh and present him to Hammersong. Easy, no?'

It had to be tonight as well, so Fenrir pressed me and Veddic into service.

So, while me and Veddic waited in a nearby tavern Fenrir cased the joint. He managed to fly in through an upstairs window and while avoiding maids and house guests made his way down to the ground floor.

He stumbled into Shaymer's study and found him with two Westgate tarts. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but Fenrir used his powerful new Sleep invocation and the wizard dropped back into his sofa. Fenrir then paid the tarts 20 gold each and sent them packing.

Well, there was a whole load of commotion after that, with other people coming in and out of doors and wondering what was going on, but Fenrir was invisible and flying around at ceiling level. He made his way to the kitchen and found a set of stairs that lead down to a wine cellar.
Now, where could that dungeon be? he wondered...

(G381 02/02/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA54

(G381 02/02/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA54

DAY 416 (23rd Tarsakh)(April) cont ...

The fact that the City of the Pools was built on ancient foundations was very apparent to me as we delved down into the dungeons underneath the temple of Laogzed. The stairs went down easily three hundred feet until opening out into a cave.

Here we met a slyth father and son who operated a lift that went down even further.
They were not threatening and when Fenrir gave them 1000 gold (!) they very helpfully took us down to the lower levels - another six hundred feet if I am any judge.

The slyth took us along some caverns, about half a mile of them. to an ancient dark-elf mansion that was now used as the temple prison. There were no guards here as there was no means of escape, or so the slyth said, so they were just left to get on with it until required again.

As we walked around, Fenrir asked about the sacred beasts and the priests. The only useful bit of information we got was that;
'...there are factions within the priests of Laogzed. The main two were the priests of the temple, who were a bit more civilised and political, and the priests of the Beasts, who lived outside of the city and were more wild. They were the ones that would have raised the crusading army against Westgate...'

The last thing the slyth told us was; 'I don't feed them, there is enough scraps of food down here for them to live off, just about anyway. Oh, seek out the old priest Hudkah if you are in need of more information. He is very wise.'

We entered the mansion. There were prisoners at the entrance, of all sorts of race, who begged us for food. We found Hudkah, a dark-elf, and chatted to him for a bit. He hinted that he knew another way out of the prison using the 'long dark ways' which was suicide for anyone other than the bravest and strongest, but still represented a way out. This seemed a much better option that fighting our way out.

Next we found Lord Trant, barricaded in an upstairs room with the three others of his hunting party. Trant was truly an arrogant turd and it took us a while to winkle him out, using a combination of force and offered food.
He, Codswapper and the two dwarves were dirty and wretchedly thin.
Fenrir opened his magical provisions box and fed them, then gave the rest to the beggars downstairs.

Hudkah showed is the secret door and off we went. With the help of the dwarves, who were from
Boatmurdered and new the area we found the Long Dark Ways, ancient dark elf highways that sat deep in the lower parts of the Middledark. It took the helpful dwarves just five hours to find somewhere they recognised and in ten hours we were at their fortress - the dwarven stronghold of Boatmurdered itself.

Oh, we met four greater earth elementals on the way, but Veddic had cast Wind Walk on us and we just whisked right past them.

About a hundred dwarves lived in Boatmurdered and we were well looked after, fed and given good rooms. It looked like we had made it after all!

Well, I'm turning in now, my love, hopefully I will see you soon and I can just hand this letter to you in person,

Your Rol.


DAY 417 (24th Tarsakh)(April)

Well, this is me back in Westgate now. Once we left Boatmurdered, Veddic cast a 'Wind Walk' spell or somesuch. It's a good spell - much like Gaseous Form and great for moving a group of people quickly over or past any obstacle.

Travelling in this way we got back in not much more than an hour. Firstly Fenrir wanted to go see the Croamarkh, but Trant Junior decided to go straight to his own house instead. Codswapper stayed with us an we found the Croamarkh in the Market Tower, after first going to his house.

The city council were in session though so Fenrir sent up a note. An hour later we were admitted and Fenrir charmed his way into the Croamarkh's heart - although the old geezer thought that Fenrir's name was Fodoren!
'Now, I heard some people saying that my son was in some way responsible for the attack on the city. That he killed their sacred beasts or whatever and that it was retaliation for that. So tell me, Fodoren, did you find any evidence of this?'
'No...' lied Fenrir, knowing full well that was exactly what had happened.
'Of course not!' agreed the old man. 'It's because all trogs are evil and must die!'
'Yes...' nodded Fenrir.

When we went to see Trepplemar though, Fenrir told the true story.
'It doesn't surprise me,' she said, 'as that whole family are a bunch of turds.'
She paid some expenses and we all went back to Fenrir's house.

After that Codswapper went his own way and we went back to the island, where my wife was, and filled Random in on the situation.

We sold all our loot and made a fair bit of gold out of the whole thing.

I was hoping that I'd get the evening with Lavinia, but it sounds like Fenrir is taking her to another ball. He really needs to find his own bird!