(G430 14/11/2020 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR28

 (G430 14/11/2020 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR28


DAY 506 (22nd Flamerule) (July) cont ...

I will now jot down a few things before I retire for the night. The houses I've built are functional, but not comfortable, so we've usually slept on the boat. We cleared out all the pirate rubbish and gave it a good clean earlier so it is now perfectly habitable.

However, tonight I am back in Waterdeep, and how that came to pass now let me explain:

I have become frustrated, if not quite infuriated with Alfred. Now he tells me (after presumably ruminating about things in that glacier-speed brain of his) that Midpoint Island can be 'hidden' in a pocket dimension (like putting it in a gigantic Bag of Holding I suppose) while still being accessible to me. The process of hiding it would take about a week.

Technically, he informs me, the island would not move, it would be 'out of phase' which sounds like nonsense to me and contradicts his ideas on Pocket Dimensions.

Perhaps he means it moves to a different plane, but that is very close to ours, much like the Plane of Shadows?

He is an imprecise being. There is a difference between planes, dimensions and phases - as has been explained to me by Irritator on many occasion - which would affect how 'safe' the island is once 'hidden'.

For instance, any dingbat with a spellbook can go to another plane. Getting into what would effectively be the inside of a Bag of Holding would be a whole other kettle of interdimensional horrors.

'Which do you prefer?' I asked. Staying on the Material Plane or popping off to Alfred Land?

He told me he preferred the island to be hidden - and thereby threw all my plans into disarray! I let out a very long and loud sigh and told him to get on with it  then and I started making plans to leave.

He gave me an amulet and informed me that once the Island was hidden I could use it to gain access whenever I needed to.

Shortly after that I had my bags packed and myself, Molly and the animals teleported back to Waterdeep.

I met the others in the pub. Lavinia had not long arrived, but had already started buying up supplies.
'Well you may as well sell them again,' I told her sourly as I nursed my pint. 'Alfred  kiboshed the whole thing. The Island looks like a non-starter now.'
'Oh dear,' replied my wife soothingly. 'Well, how about checking back at the Lost Refuge?'
I smiled at her. I knew she was no great fan of the place, but was trying her best to cheer me up.
'Me and Irritator will go take a look in the morning,' I grumped into my drink.


DAY 507 (23rd Flamerule) (July)

Myself and Irritator teleported in to the Lost Refuge this morning. There was another tribe of lizardfolk there. Their leader was K's nephew!

He seemed like a nice chap and appeared to be happy that I had avenged his uncle, but I could see that I would have all the same work to do again to convince him that this was actually my place and he was effectively a trespasser, that in the end I just couldn't be bothered.

So enjoy the 'Hallowed' living chambers, K's nephew, and the re-enforced walls and  drainage ditches I put in before Captain Shit-heel came along and killed everyone.

I'm just not sure what to do now, to be honest. The Island is a lot better than the Swamp if truth be told. So if I'm going to have to do a lot of convincing of annoying co-habitants  to do, then why not do it with Alfred?

Anyway, more on that later, for now myself and Irritator wandered over to his houseto see how it was getting along. Well - there were two dead bodies in it, one male, one female, poorly dressed and nibbled on by critters. We took them out and buried them.

A tree had also fallen on his house (he'd not been gone that long! Very unlucky if you ask me), so we patched things up with Wood Shape.

We spend the night by the fire, talking, smoking and drinking.


DAY 508 (24th Flamerule) (July)

Spent the day helping to clean and sort Irritator's house.

Talked in the evening. I don't know what to do. Set up in the Swamp again? Try in some mad way to set up on the island (build a teleport pad out of the sea??). Try another third place? (There are plenty of ruined castles and things in Kryptgarden) or just give up entirely?


DAY 509 (25th Flamerule) (July)

With Irritator's house all nice and clean, I left him to relax for a while. Our last adventure has left him incredibly wealthy. I wonder what he'll spend it on?

I decided to fly back, a nice long trip to perhaps clear my head.

Tonight I arrived at Corm Orp and spend the night in a local inn.


DAY 510 (26th Flamerule) (July)

Flew west all day. Landed in the Misty Forest and camped out in a nice spot.


DAY 511 (27th Flamerule) (July)

Flew to Waterdeep and walked in through the gate.

Went to the OJB and had a late supper before going to bed. Chatted to Lavinia for a while before sleep. She is now six months pregnant, we should really decide where this baby is going to be born!

Not in a 'Brewery-turned-Dung Sweepers Guild' was something we both agreed on!


DAY 512 (28th Flamerule) (July)

Took it easy today.

Went to a shop and bought a map of Faerune.

Looking it over, we both decided we would like to go back to Sasserine for a while.

DAY 513 (29th Flamerule) (July)

Flew to the Island, with Lavinia, Molly and the critters on my back, then teleported to Sasserine.

My first port of call was Glittermain's Shop, where Raz had sold that magical flute.
I had always regretted that, and it also really belonged to Lavinia as it had come out of the old Vanderboren Vault.

The flute was still there! I purchased it and gave it a try. I cannot play the flute but eventually I did manage to summon Rhemera.
She talks the Common Tongue and she was once a harem girl in Calimshan, but now she was linked to the flute in much the same way a genie is to its bottle. She is bard, not a powerful one, but still useful to have around.

I grew most nostalgic, remember my early days of adventuring, arriving at the docks for the first time, wondering what could happen to me in such a faraway and interesting place. That had been late 1375DR. And now here we were again, halfway through 1377DR. Had it really only been two years?

So much had happened. Chult, all the dramas back at Waterdeep, then the Plane of Shadows, Barovia, then the Underdark and finally my latest dealings with the Unseen. Getting married, a baby on the way. Silvanus protect us.

Sad as I was of such bittersweet memories - I did not know at the time that my old pal Raz was alive and kicking back in Westgate! It would have been nice of him to tell me don't you think? I admit that he was busy though.

The magical shopkeeper pointed out another item to me - a ring this time - that behaved in a similar manner to the flute. This time though, a wizard would be summoned. I managed it on the second attempt and we met a young halfling called Wellby.
I purchased this item also.

Both Rhemera and Wellby could only be around for about an hour each day, but they could eat and drink while they were corporeal so we took them to the nearest pub for a slap up lunch and as many drinks as they could manage before their time was up!

(G429 31/10/2020 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA74

 (G429 31/10/2020 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA74

[To return to Fenrir and his dealings with Katheera of the Night Masks.]

DAY 485  (30th Kythorn)(June)

Katheera "The Succubus" Urdo had been kidnapped! Or so Degasus Tarensun told Fenrir when next he went to see him at the Purple Lady.

They had just that moment received news of her whereabouts - a house in an ancient ruined city some 50 miles southwest of Westgate. Fenrir decided to set off at once.

Meanwhile, Random had enlisted the help of Raz and Veddic. He gave them money for a night on the town and told them to leave some 'calling cards' here and there.
These were stylised pairs of pink ladies underwear - the calling card (apparently) of the 'Knip Tanps Banditos'.

[The very astute of you may trace the 'Banditos' back to the 'Pink Pants Bandit', which was a very elaborate trick that Cavu (back when he was known as Banjax) had once played on a fellow party member. It can be assumed that the 'Banditos' were a mere fiction,  a ruse to fool the Nightmasks into thinking they had new competition in the city.]

DAY 486  (1st Flamerule)(July)

Fenrir arrived at the ruined city just after midnight. It was an ancient place, now lost in the deep forest of the south-western area of the Dragon Coast. I have no idea, from Fenrir's description of what this place might be - I have found no history book that mentions it.

Be that as it may, Fenrir found the place easily enough from the directions he had been given and found the only house that still stood, situated as it was in the deepest and darkest part of the forest. He could see that there were lights on as he approached.

After flying around invisibly, to scout the place, he landed in a walled off area where there had once been a swimming pool of sorts. As he set foot on the ground a zombified beholder rose from the pool and attacked him! He flew up, firing as he went. The beholder did not trouble him overly much though and he soon killed it, its rotting corpse slipping once more into the fetid waters of the pool.

Fenrir landed again and decided to simply use the front door. He tried his Ring of Knock but much to his amazement this did not work. It was not until he finally walked away that the door swung open of its own accord - with a low ominous creak.

In the entrance hall were two gargoyles, which attacked him, but these days Fenrir is so powerful he eats gargoyles for breakfast and with one fell Cone of Eldritch Power he incinerated them and much of the soft furnishings.

The chamber beyond the hall contained a statue of a gryphon and a sofa with a creepy doll on it. The doll watched him with glowing blue eyes.

'Hello, are you an entity that resides in this house permanently?' asked Fenrir in a rather overly polite fashion considering the manner of his entrance.
The doll did not deign to reply.

He entered a tea room, where a chandelier crashed to the floor and nearly hit him. Next he entered a dining room where a ghostly scene of a lord talking to his guests played out before fading away.

Somewhat perplexed Fenrir returned to the room with the gryphon statue and looked it over. He worked out there was a mechanism that opened two secret doors and after a bit of pulling with a rope, he managed to get them both to open for him.

In the next room he was attacked by a cloaker, which he easily killed, then heading upstairs he found a room the contained another doll. He crept past it, heading for the master bedroom.

Here he was presented with the reason the house was the way it was. On the ceiling, covered in roots was the lord of the house, sort of alive - or at least moving slightly anyway.
At the dressing table was an old hag, a witch that had cursed the place countless years ago and still remained, feeding off its dark energy.

She attacked Fenrir as he entered, and summoned waves of ghasts to hold him off. Fenrir was beaten back, but they could not do much damage to him - armoured both physically and magically as he was - and he pushed them back with blasts of Eldritch Power, turning the room into a charnel mess. He chained shots from them onto the hag and soon wore her down. Finally he pushed through the undead and finished her off with one last powerful blast.

The main evil of the house defeated he headed out of the room, only to be attacked by the second knife wielding doll. He incinerated that too, as it leapt about, trying to stab him in the back. He then searched the rest of the house, taking whatever treasure he found,  and killing a couple of phase spiders, before finally finding the cellar, the last place in the house he had not visited.

Here he discovered a Flesh Golem, which attacked him and was blasted to bits in short  order. There were cells down here and in one of them he found Katheera Urdo.
'Finally!' she cried. 'The Night Masks have sent someone. Get me out of here!'

He didn't let her go though. He got a name out of her (Hrarnok Sharkchum) and then blasted her into pieces, Katheera cursing him savagely as she died.

He then set a few fires around the place and left the house to burn as he flew back to  Westgate.

He arrived around noon and went to get some sleep.

In the evening he returned to Degasus Tarensun and said;
'Sorry, but she was already dead when I got there.'
Degasus was convinced but did ask;
'Who are you Barry Shitknees?'
Fenrir did not give an answer, but simply finished his drink and left. He had his next
name and that was all he cared about.

(G428 24/10/2020 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR27

 (G428 24/10/2020 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR27


DAY 500 (16th Flamerule) (July)

I am starting to have my doubts about this sinister island. Molly says that she is feeling increasingly gloomy - the 'Haunted House Effect' I assume is getting to her. Rolanda and Jonathan feel it too, but to a lesser extent as they are mere animals.

It seems stronger within a four mile radius of the cave (situated as it is more or less at the centre of the island) and Molly reports that outside of that radius she doesn't  mind it so much. Out on the boat, it is 'fine'.

I hate talking to Alfred. It's not just that he talks in riddles, he appears to change his mind on things. I think it depends on how you phrase questions to him. He gives one answer on day, and another the next - I get the feeling it take his 'brain' (or whatever he uses for thinking) time to catch up with what I am talking to him about.

Initially he seemed to be fine with the idea of me making a small settlement here and forming diplomatic relationships with the nations of the Sword Coast. Now I get the feeling that while not exactly changing his mind, he is always pouring cold water on my plans.

I built another house today anyway. You never know.

DAY 501 (17th Flamerule) (July)

Built another house.

Scryed the halfling that threw down the caltrops the other day, when those eight fellows arrived on the island.

Saw him in a barracks. I saw a sigil that I did not recognise. I sketched it out for future reference.
I heard him talk to others and someone said;
'As soon as we landed on the island it all went to shit. We'd better be giving our report.'
They had Neverwinter accents.


DAY 502 (18th Flamerule) (July)

Built another house today. Now have seven in total.

Received a 'Sending' from Nissa - Ambassadors will be arriving tomorrow.


DAY 503 (19th Flamerule) (July)

Built another house today. Now have eight in total.

So, two boats did indeed arrive today. One from Neverwinter and another from Waterdeep. I Wood Shaped a shelter, table and chairs, and we talked.

We discussed what was going on, I gave them some carefully guarded information. I mentioned that the Blue Phage was now over with, which made everyone happy.

Still, they both said they would maintain their fleets for now.


DAY 504 (20th Flamerule) (July)

Built another house today. Now have nine in total.

I felt duty bound to inform my elders and betters of the Druid Council of what was going on, although I admit I think of them as a bunch of beardy old humbugs.

I teleported into the Ardeep Forest and went to talk to Sildair Tanpo and Chimal Luje, the heads of the Ardeep Council.

Instead I found Horehound Lungwort, a very grump old lady half-elf. Initially I don't quite think she was following what I was talking about, but when it finally dawned on her the gravity of the situation I was now in she frantically started to take notes.

After we had talked for some time, they arranged a teleport for me, back to Midpoint Island.

Well, I have at least done my (Druidic) duty - we shall see what comes of it, if anything.


DAY 505 (21th Flamerule) (July)

Built another house today. Now have ten in total.

Took a good tour of the island, paying particular attention to the flora of the place. There isn't much - is the short answer! Some trees yes, but apart from some sparse grasses not much else. This island has been 'somewhere' - somewhere apart form the world, where birds fly in to islands, seeds wash up on its shores etc.

Flew down to our closest neighbours - the Whale Bones - and gathered apple tree cuttings, nuts, berries, wheat - anything and everything that I could find, in short, with the hope that I could persuade it all to grow back on Mid Point.


DAY 506 (22nd Flamerule) (July)

Built another house today. Now have eleven in total.

Spent an enjoyable day planting orchards, shrubberies and wheat fields around the island. Some days I really love being a druid!

Molly helped, she seemed to have great fun. I hoped the 'Haunted House Effect' is  not bothering her too much.