(G305 28/01/2017 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, MJ) RL3

(G305 28/01/2017 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, MJ) RL3

 And so we entered the town of Barovia, myself, Mr B, Sylvia, Yli and Tie-Pie.

The first thing we saw, looming out of the fog between the buildings was what looked like three zombies. Sylvia used her spiritual powers to turn them away from us though and they ran off back into the murky streets.

Tie-pie then cast a Fireball spell that exploded above them, lighting up the mist in a most spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, off down a side alley Mr B had found an undead witch sort of thing and started worrying at it. Sylvia turned it as well, making it cower away from us in the dead end of the alley.

From the other direction came some strange large rat creatures, but they were no threat really as by this time I'd summoned up a squad of bears (giving the crocodiles a rest!) and they went and killed the witch and protected us from the rats. With the bears and the flaming sphere that Tie-Pie had summoned and the deadly arrows of Yli they were all soon dealt with.

Once things had settled down and all the undead were now properly dead, it seemed that Tie-Pie was in the mood for some mischief. A chaotic sort of fellow I think, and since I had been instructed to be more like him by my elders and betters I joined in the fun.

It started with him edging his sphere ever closer to me, enough to singe the corner of my cloak. I stepped back, but he kept the sphere on me, so in return I ordered my bears to do a 'Bear Pile On'. All five grappled him to the ground and jumped on him until he was under a massive pile of fur.

Well, after less than a minute the sphere and the bears dispelled and that was the end of that.

We carried on up the street and tried a door to our left. It contained two zombies which Tie-Pie and Yli quickly killed off with magical rays and arrows. I cast Hypothermia on one to finish it off. These were more powerful undead than your average zombie it appeared to me.

I decided it was best just to leave the doors alone and bid us all continue into the centre of town. Through the mist we saw a body lying on the road. As we got closer two large maggot type things rushed at us from the body and attacked.

As battle was joined, more undead nasties joined in, zombies from left and right and flying skulls (Vargouilles I think, like the ones we'd met in the Plane of Shadow). It was a full on assault as we shot back with arrows, magic, clerical magic and bears. There was so much going on  that there was hardly any room to add yet more bears into the carnage so I simply struck out at the  nearest enemies with my scimitar.

Tie-Pie shot the skulls out of the sky with his scorching rays and we rest took on the maggots and zombies. Once he'd dealt with the skulls Tie-Pie cast a Confusion spell in the direction of the remaining undead but the only thing he succeeded in confusing was poor Mr Badger.

He charged up and down the street at top speed, not knowing what to do, snapping at Tie-Pie whenever he rushed past him. In the end though, one of my bears killed the last dire maggot and Mr B recovered. The battle over, we continued on our way.

Good and Evil do not come with labels

Good and Evil do not come with labels

I started to write this at the weekend when the ban came in. It's now the first of February and thankfully the things that I wanted to be said have already been said by the likes of Amber Judd etc. I'll add my voice anyway.

I don't speak for any other Muslim than myself. I converted in 2005, I was completely indifferent to religion prior to that point and I'm still pretty chilled out about it, but after 12 years I identify with and understand Islam pretty well I think. I feel I am a Muslim, let's put it that way.

Us Muslims you know, vary from country to country. Moderate Muslims (like me) from countries such as Indonesia differ from Muslims in Saudi Arabia about the same as a Catholic differs from a Mormon. You can't lump us all into one group. Got that?
You get good and bad Muslims of course, but you get good and bad Christians. The Muslims I know, they want the same thing Christians want, the same thing everyone wants, to life a good happy life.
They chat to people on facebook.
They meet their friends and hang out.
They have all the same hopes and dreams as everyone else.
They know the difference between right and wrong.
They have modern, progressive ways of thinking.
They are not defined by their religion any more than your standard man off the Western street may or may not define himself as a Christian.

I would also like to point out what a red herring Sharia Law is. The far right like to point at it and say that all Muslims want to push Sharia Law onto the world. That's bollocks. I don't for sure. The majority of Muslims don't care, they follow local national laws like everyone else. And where Sharia Law is used, as often as not is does good, helping women divorce abusive husbands for instance.

Another red herring is headscarves. Now, I don't know about all Muslim nations and all Muslim women, so I can only base this observation on the Muslim women that I know. They do not choose to wear a head scarf because they care what men think. Like most women of any religion they choose how they dress based on what other women might think! The head scarf is a choice taken by the women by themselves. Trends in headscarf use come and go. Also, I know women that are so used to wearing headscarves they feel uncomfortable going outside without one on. Rather like going out without trousers on I imagine, and no one wants that.

Forget the extremists, I don't know any, but from your average sampling of Muslims you may find the occasional  one that will argue for a certain way of behaving or a certain way of doing things, but is that any different from a Christian expressing the opinion that people should live life by the Bible?

So, moving on, I like America, I like it's history, I like how it mostly tries to be a good moral nation. I like your literature and your culture. You are honestly a good bunch.

This Muslim Ban though, it doesn't make you look good. People are now aware, as it has been said  already by politicans and pundits, that by putting into place this hasty and ill-conceived ban you have  played straight into the hands of ISIS and other extremists. They must be delighted!

Are you bunch of fannies in the White House right now really that dumb? Or are you trying to spark off a religious war? In a situation like that even moderate peaceful Muslims would become your enemy. What then? Round them up into camps like the Japanese Americans in World War II? Think it through. Unless you already have and this is what you want of course in which case these words are obviously wasted.

To end then, if you really wanted to make America safe, you would not marginalise the 3.3 million Muslims in your country. Whether you like it or not, Islam is a world religion and is here to stay.
We are not your enemy.

In case you are not aware of this fact, 15,000 Americans were killed in shootings last year. Don't you think that's rather a large number? Wouldn't that make any rational person think that something should be done? I'm sure the 2nd Amendment is important to Americans, but maybe some sort of check on people just to be sure they are not mentally ill? What's the measure here? Americans are ok about being killed by other Americans but not by foreigners?

Well, we know there is no political currency in that direction eh? There are no votes in tackling gun control. There are lots of votes in victimising the strange and the foreign though. Truth and logic are just not a factor.

This is the politics of anger, fear and ingorance. At the risk of invoking Godwin's Law here, who else do we know that rose to power on the back of that?

...

Uhh one last thing...

Some Fox News chap (Hannity was it?) said something along the lines of home owners have a right to have a lock on their front door, it is a crime to fit a burglar alarm etc etc. OK, then, to follow that analogy through; what if the person at your front door is a cold and hungry child? You leave them outside to die on your doorstep? Think about it, honestly, imagine going on national TV and saying something like that.

(G304 21/01/2017 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, MJ) RL2

(G304 21/01/2017 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, MJ) RL2


DAY 341 (8th Alturaik)(February) cont ...

We spent the evening eating and chatting in the Weary Horse Inn. Yli and Tie-Pie got to swapping old tales between themselves and Sylvia was deep in thought, so out of boredom as much as anything else I went over and talked to another lady in the common room.

She appeared to be a dark elf of stunning beauty. I'd not really talked to one before and she seemed happy enough to converse. She was dressed in black and red velvet and wore expensive looking jewelry. She had white hair and red eyes. At the table she was reading a book and drinking wine.
I introduced myself and she told me she was Sinrik of House Ilvaadrida. She was from the Underdark and I was greatly interested to hear as much about the place as I could. She told me her family had fallen on bad times and she was looking for her long lost sister. She was reading a book called 'The Fall of the Reaper' and she told me a little of it, it was an epic tale involving ancient heroes of her House apparently.

Well, we got on like a house on fire and when she offered me a drink in her room I found it impossible to refuse. I checked that Sylvia wasn't watching (she was talking to a dwarf warrior at the bar) and snuck upstairs with Sinrik.

It was a very pleasant tryst indeed. I do wonder though, do all dark elves laugh so much during the act? Well, anyway, later I did feel some guilt about what I had done, considering I am a married man,  but then again my wife was by now probably at the other end of Faerune and would never find out.

DAY 342 (9th Alturaik)(February)

In the morning Syvlia tore into me, having found out about Sinrik. Indeed, she found out from a letter Sinrik had left her before leaving. I wonder if all dark elf women behave this way?

Well, I told a bunch of lies and I think Sylvia believed me.

We left the Inn at eight in the morning. I asked a few questions of the innkeeper before we left and told me that it would take about half a day to get to Barovia and he recommened a tavern ther for us.

I was somewhat disturbed by something that happened on the trip. Tie-pie stopped for no reason and acted very suspiciously. We carried on, but I turned into a raven and went back to watch him. He had seen a treasure chest half buried in the snow and bushes by the side of the road, behind the trees and proceeded to stuff his pockets with platinum and small valueable art works.

I flew back and reported to the others on my return. Now, it customery to share treasure that is found in such away, indeed I have done so myself several times, but for whatever reason Tie-pie decided not to. I resolved to say nothing for the moment.

We arrived at the outskirts of Barovia, but something was very wrong here indeed. The fog was thicker than at the Weary Horse Inn so I could not scout as an eagle, but we could all smell carrion and I heard the distant sounds of swords.
We left Gevyen in charge of the cart and cautiously entered by the main road. We saw no one, but I did see large claw marks on the doors of the houses. There were burnt buildings here and there and an overturned hay cart blocking the street. Dense fog was everywhere.
What had happened here?

(G303 14/01/2017 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, MJ) RL1

(G303 14/01/2017 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, MJ) RL1



[Apologies dear reader. I must skip ahead now, at some point I will complete my chronicling of Fenrir and Co's adventures in the Underdark, but for now I will here record my latest adventures]
[GM note - don't blame me! The days of the game changed and now we are running two campaigns again]


I've left my main journal back at home and now have this 'travel' one. Here is a a quick run down of what has happened so far:

On my return to Waterdeep I approached the Font of Knowledge (via Nestoone) to give them a copy of my notes on my observations of the Plane of Shadows.

They gratefully received my essays and put me in touch with the powerful druids of the Circle of the Land. I should explain that this is a society of druids that work more closely with non-druid society (unlike the Circle of the Moon who are very secretive).

I had a meeting with the Circle of the Land druids in a grove deep in Ardeep Forest and I must say I found them a bit naggy and annoying.

They were very impressed with the part I played in defeating Despayr and saving the Vast Swamp and all that sort of thing but warned that since I had been so 'law abiding' during it all I was in danger of skewing my alignment and losing my druidic powers. This came as a shock to me and I pointed out that without at least one of the people involved in the whole thing being sensible it would have descended into chaos and disaster. You may remember I had to contend with the erratic behaviour of Gurudor, Drashnag, Basil, Mirabella etc etc.

The chief of them, an ancient old fellow named Sildair Tanpo accepted this but warned me none the less. Another Elder known as Chimal Luje warned me that when using 'Summon Natures Ally' spells I should give consideration to the surroundings and the 'natural fit' of the creatures. For example, he said, crocodiles are fine in the jungle's of Chult, but jarringly out of place in city streets. I remained silent at this and merely nodded. I did not want to offend the old fellow, but simply put, there are not many foes that can stand up to a wave of angry crocodiles.

So anyway, I returned to the Kryptgarden Estate resolving to be less law abiding, perhaps do a few more chaotic things.

With this in mind, when I heard that Sylvia, back in Waterdeep told me that Yli was organising another adventure I leapt at the chance. I'll show you, Tanpo you old fart, I thought to myself. Let's bring the chaos!

So I flapped down and met them all in the tavern, Yli and an old friend of his called Tie-Pie had met a scholar called Gevyen Tallmer who was looking for someone to take him to Damara.
Of course, he had met the perfect people because I knew through Corum and Cavu of a route through a yuan-ti snake gate which would cut the journey by more than half. We arranged it all that very night and although I had drunk quite a lot I didn't expect my wife to be quite so angry with me when I returned.

'But darling!' I cried. 'Another adventure. Think of it, we had so much... well not fun... but you know.
In Cormyr and the Plane of Shadow.'
'Don't you dare! You tell Sylvia to count you out! You promised we would go back to Sasserine this year!'
'But sugar-pie, I'm a druid, these are the things I have to do, we would be back in a few months.'
'You made a promise! I'm certainly not going with you. I'll charter the Sea Wyvern and go back myself.'

Well, it went on like that for a couple of days and got no better. In the end she stormed off to Waterdeep to charter the Wyvern as she threatened and with a heavy heart I joined the others to begin our quest.
I was going to my wife terribly, but what could I do? Being a druid was my calling and travelling was in  my essence. I hoped it wouldn't take too long, so I could join her in Sasserine and make amends somehow though.

The expedition was going to be led by Tallmer, who would be paying for most of the passage, with me, Sylvia, Yli and Tie-Pie.

Like Billitoppe, Durz and Arahel we made it pretty quickly to Hommlet, then the Moat House and the
Devil's Brew tavern. As the dungeon under the tavern had been cleared reasonably recently we had no great  problem with it. Also, since Karhad and Erin Ja were not around we had no issues in the tavern itself  either.
Unlike Billitoppe, Durz and Arahel we had no difficulty navigating the Thar. Having a druid in the group was handy for us. Well, Arahel is a druid of course so then let's just say, having a druid in the  group that can read a map and cast 'Lay of the Land' was handy for us.

We reached Melvaunt, then took a ship along the north coast of the Moonsea and the various large rivers east of Iron Fang. It was a lovely journey, it being the later part of winter many parts of the river were frozen over. The vessel we were on was an ice breaker and chewed its way up through  the snow and ice.
We saw little more than snow covered mountains and the occasional fortified dwelling.
Spectacular but uneventful.

We arrived at Heliogabalus, Tallmer hired a cart, a driver and some horses and we made our way north on the road to Ironspur.

Finally we arrived at the Weary Horse Inn. Here I now sit updating my notes and sorting out my journal.
Just to explain, my last 'adventure' ended on the 22nd of Uktar (DAY 256) and the last notes I have written down for Fenrir and his gang at the Necromancer's Spike was on the 13th of Nightal (DAY 278).
It is now 8th Alturaik (DAY 341) of the year 1374 DR.

Just for information here is my journal entry from 20th Hammer 1375 DR.

DAY 312 (20th Hammer 1375 DR)(January)

This was the fateful night I met Sylvia, Yli and Tie-pie in a tavern near Sylvia's house in Waterdeep.
Now, I had been splitting my time recently between my family estate in Kryptgarden and the refugee  camp at Hova Farm, but after my recent meeting with the 'Circle of the Land' I was in search of  adventure again and it had lead me to this night.

Sylvia, you know, is my second cousin and occasional arch rival. Yli was a fellow companion when we had killed the dragon Despayr in the Plane of Shadow. He was with his fried Tie-Pie, a half-elf sorcerer from Silvery Moon.

They had been hired by the scholar Gevyen Tallmer to help get him to Damara. They wished me to join them. Tallmer was a tall, gaunt and thin man with glasses. He explained that he had learned from ancient texts of some relics of the Morning Lord (the god Lythander) that were in a remote region of the land of Damara. They were guarded by two sects, the  Ecaterine monks and the Knights of the Raven.
He wished, more than all things, to set his eyes on them. These relics were, apparently, a Holy Symbol that shined like the sun and a weapon known as the Sunblade.

He had found that these items were in the remote town of Barovia, in the Galena Mountains in the north of Damara, a few days journey from the Iron Spur.


[Now dear reader we are all up to date! Here now presented below are my journal entries pertaining to my adventures in Damara]

DAY 341 (8th Alturaik)(February)

Arrived in the tavern called the Weary Horse Inn this evening. The snow is thick on the ground outside but it is not too cold in here.

It took seven days to get here from Heliogabalus, but the journey was uneventful and the roads very quite. This far north, not many people are abroad in winter unless their need is most urgent, or they are foolhardy adventurers on a quest.

Gevyen hired a cart, horses and a driver to get us here. We were now only half a day away from our goal, the town of Barovia.

As we arrived at the inn, it was dark, still being winter, and thick fog was creeping across the land. The Weary Horse was a warm and welcoming place compared to the bitter cold outside. The inn was subdued and there were not many folk about.

While we were ordering food and drink for our evening meal a messenger entered the inn, cast his eyes about the place then came and said to us,
'Barovia needs heroes! You four will do.'

And with that he dropped a letter on the table and left. I picked up the letter and read it. It was a most singular tale...


""
I am The Ancient, I am The Land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I was the warrior, I was good and just. I thundered across the land like the wrath of a just god, but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand.

…

All goodness slipped from my life; I found my youth and strength gone and all I had left was death. My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people in the name of a just god, but with none of a god’s grace or justice. I called for my family, long unseated from their ancient thrones, and brought them here to settle in the castle Ravenloft. They came with a younger brother of mine, Sergei. He was handsome and youthful. I hated him for both.

…

From the families of the valley, one spirit shone above all others. A rare beauty, who was called “perfection,” “joy,” and “treasure.” Her name was Tatyana and I longed for her to be mine. I loved her with all my heart. I loved her for her youth. I loved her for her joy. But she spurned me! “Old One” was my name to her – “elder” and “brother” also. Her heart went to Sergei. They were betrothed. The date was set.

…

With words she called me “brother,” but when I looked into her eyes they reflected another name – “death.” It was the death of the aged that she saw in me. She loved her youth and enjoyed it. But I had squandered mine. The death she saw in me turned her from me. And so I came to hate death, my death. My hate is very strong: I would not be called “death” so soon. I made a pact with Vol, a pact of Blood. On the day of the wedding, I killed Sergei, my brother. My pact was sealed with his blood, his…divinity.

I found Tatyana weeping in the garden east of the Chapel. She fled from me. She would not let me explain, and a great anger swelled within me. She had to understand the pact I made for her! I pursued her. Finally, in despair, she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft and I watched everything I ever wanted fall from my grasp forever.

It was a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found. Not even I know her final fate.

Arrows from the castle guards pierced me to my soul, but I did not die. Nor did I live. I became undead, forever.

…

I have studied much since then. “Vampyr” is my new name. I still lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the sun is against me. it is the sun and light I fear the most. But little else can harm me now. Even a stake through my heart does not kill me, though it holds me from movement. But the sword, that cursed sword that Sergei brought! I must dispose of that awful tool! I fear and hate it as much as the sun.

…

I have learned much, too, about this land of Barovia. Ancient are its ways, ancient beyond the knowledge  of the simple folk of the valley. A ancient saints dwelt in this valley long before my coming, and three  hidden fanes still give tribute to their memories. I visited the Swamp Fane, the Forest Fane, and the  Mountain Fane, and claimed their power for my own. Their servants now serve me, and thus I have become the Land.

…

I have often hunted for Tatyana. I have even felt her within my grasp, but she escapes me! She taunts me! She taunts me! What will it take to bend her love to me? I now reside far below Ravenloft. I live among  the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this hollow castle of despair. I shall seal shut the walls of the stairs that none may disturb me.


"

Well, the messenger had long gone by the time I'd read the letter of course. Vampires! Well, well, well. My brother and Fenrir had had dealings with a vampire when they were in Darknessdeep (or maybe a demon  pretending to be a vampire, not sure on that one) and from what I knew of folklore (and Sylvia's suspect tales about Random the Robber who stole a treasure horde right from under the noses of a castle full of them) and such they were fascinating beings. I looked forward to meeting a fellow journal writer!

(G301 17/12/16 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK, NG) SS15

(G301 17/12/16 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK, NG) SS15

DAY 277 (12th Nightal)(December) cont...

[Merlock Tomes continues his report]

And so I, Merlock Tomes, acting on behalf of my masters in House Dusklorn continued to follow the trail of destruction left by the group of adventurers known locally as the 'Buffalo Bunch'.

The evidence in the kitchen was that at this point they were joined by Billitoppe. This  resourceful gnome must have been the source of the small tunnel I had discovered in the 'Advisor's Room'. I should imagine he purchased a Potion of Burrowing from Es Sarch back at the Dripstone Inn.

Together with the others (Fenrir the Warlock, Durz the Barbarian, Dwerry the Sorceress and Arahel the Druidess) they entered into combat with the denizens of the kitchen. These were two large Ghoul Mimics that were disguised as shelves and five Tomb Motes, smaller undead beings made from bones and ash. It was a chaotic and desperate struggle, items of kitchen equipment were strewn everywhere. The Ghoul Mimics fight by sticking to people so I can only imagine the confusion.

Still, the undead creatures were all slain in the end and from what I see from following the trails of blood, the 'Bunch' then returned to the Guard Room to rest.

Now, as I also discovered myself, the tower of Maroe is full of apparitions and spectral phenomena. As they rested, every hour or so they were disturbed by spirits entering the room and screaming, or some similar disruption.

Despite all the interruptions from this sort of thing they spent the rest of the day in this room.

DAY 278 (13th Nightal)(December)

From my hiding place in the Shrine I heard them leave the Guard Room and enter the secret room they had found behind the kitchen. This led up some stairs to the Charnel Pits area of the Spike.

This consists of a long walkway across two deep pits full of corpses. Here they were attacked by a Flesh Golem as well as swarms of Bone Rats and Corpse Rats.

Fenrir picked up Dwerry and carried her while she shot at their enemies with Magic Missiles. Arahel turned into a giant beetle and was soon covered in the swarming rats, tossing them hither and thither with her armour plated horns, stamping and squashing. Slowly she broke up the swarms with her bulk.

Billitoppe and Durz took on the golem and while Durz held it off the gnome shot it with two deadly arrows that were enough to finish it off. I was impressed as I once saw a Golem take on a horde of Inheritors. The Inheritors fired scores of arrows and the thing was a pin cushion but still standing. Even with twenty or more arrows in its hide it still killed all of the fish and frog people. This gnome, with his mental powers focused into his missiles, killed the golem with two arrows. Remarkable!

(G300 29/11/16 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK, NG) SS14

(G300 29/11/16 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK, NG) SS14

DAY 276 (11th Nightal)(December) cont ...

[Hail, dear reader! The next part of the story is amply covered by a report that happened to make its way into my possession not so long ago. The writer is a drow detective aligned to House Dusklorn. His name is Merlock Tomes and he takes up the story here ...]

Of course, the death of Elessarwa Nledoor the matron of House Dusklorn was sudden and brutal but perhaps not unexpected. She had a habit of abducting and torturing to death anyone she liked off the streets of Pedestal and that is not a hobby that one can pursue indefinitely without meeting with censure.

I was first told of the murder by my master Lord Gragrax who sent me immediately to the scene of the crime. It appeared that Elessarwa had been shot through the belly with an arrow so forcefully that at first I assumed it was magical. The assassins had been clever and taken all their missiles away, however I later tended to believe that the arrow in question was psionically focused.

Muvaysil, Elessarwa's consort had been struck a mighty blow by a great axe. With a  strength that lead me to think a half-orc had possibly landed the blow.

Of the other's in the room I surmised there was a female magic user firing magic missiles, a male warlock firing eldritch blasts and their pet rhinoceros. The rhinoceros was clearly evident from the smell of rhinoceros that still lingered in the air. On my last trip to the surface I made it my mission to seek out and sniff as many creatures as I could and that endeavour was now bearing fruit.

Surface dwellers then, and since there was only one place I would certainly find them I went immediately to the Dripstone Inn where I located them immediately. I enquired of the locals discreetly and soon found the names of them and their likely professions.
The rhinoceros turned out to be a kiloren druid, which, of course, would have been my second guess.

To put their descriptions briefly here then we have:
Billitoppe - a sex starved gnome scout who appears to be good in nature
Durz - his boon companion, a simple but powerful brute barbarian that knows little else but violence and lust
Dwerry - a quiet, bookish aasimar that is not all that she appears
Arahel - a juvenile kiloren with much more power than sense
Fenrir - a renegade warlock murderer of whom a famous song was written in his home town of Waterdeep
    (also noted that he has vampire bite marks on his neck, which was interesting)

I watched them with keen interest, and observed their various bizarre mating rituals. This was, evidently, not an adventure band that cared much for keeping a low profile.

I initially sent a messenger to Lord Gragrax to tell him the killers had been discovered, but advised him not to move just yet, as after a spot of eavesdropping I discovered that their next target was the Necromancer's Spike. If this was the case then either a) they would die in the attempt to take the spire or b) they would kill the denizens within, who were all enemies of House Dusklorn.

So, on the morrow of the next day I followed them at a careful distance as they did indeed make for the Spike. Well, all but Billitoppe, who escorted his gnomish sex-pets out of the city.
I left Doctor Wazzon to tail after him and followed the others.

On the way, as they swaggered through the streets of Pedestal like they owned them, they were  attacked by a large gang of plaguelost. There were ten of the plaguelost, powerful ones too, drow, goblins and grimlocks, that came seeping out of the cracks of buildings in green mists that formed and then attacked.

Fenrir took to the air, but some of the plaguelost followed him. Dwerry fired magic missiles and the others used their magical weapons. One by one the plaguelost were dispatched but not without the Buffalo Bunch being injured and one of them being infected with ashdoom.

They returned to the Dripstone Inn for healing, but I was impressed by how efficiently they dealt with the undead attack. I would estimate it would take ten of our finest warriors mounted on driders to defeat them and probably a powerful wizard thrown in for good measure.

I sent another message to Lord Gragrax to prepare such a force should it be required.

They did not waste much time though and soon made their way to the Spire of Maroe the  Necromancer. I had instructed the guards at the Spike to let them pass (House Dusklorn lays  claim to the spike although we dare not enter it) and in they went.

I followed at a careful distance and guaged their progress by the destruction they left  behind them.

The first chamber, the one that had killed off so many with its deadly trap, they managed to traverse using an enchanted ring that nullified the magic within.

Taking the left hand door they then explored the trophy rooms and after that made their way into Dining Room. From here they made their way into the guards quarters, looked into the chamber of frozen corpses (I assume Maroe used them as undead advisors) and thence into the Shrine of Lolth.

Here they triggered a trap that made the large statue in the shrine come to life. It was a Bone Spider Golem and a dangerous foe. Swarms of spiders spewed from its abdomen and it attacked with powerful jaws. The Buffalo Bunch did not take long to defeat it though, with powerful blows and magic. The spider exploded as it died, injuring the Bunch, but not in any mortal way.

Once they had got their breath back the headed for the kitchens.

It was noon now. It seemed they were making short work of the Spike so far, but I knew what they did not, namely the evil that lurked further up in the tower.

(G299 22/11/2016 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK, NG) SS13

(G299 22/11/2016  via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK, NG) SS13

DAY 275 (10th Nightal)(December)  cont ...

Durz, after some nagging, got up, put his breeches on and went to talk to Billi.

Billi then decided to have a group meeting and went and woke up Fenrir. Durz went and tried to wake Arahel. When she wouldn't arise after the door was given a hefty pounding he kicked it down. This still didn't wake her, but it did wake the rest of the inn.

In the end though, they all made their way down to the common room where Dwerry was eating. Billi lead the questioning and talked to Dwerry and Berum separately.
Dwerry seemed confused and concerned saying that she could only think that Berum must have been mistaken or deceived.

Fenrir also used his Detect Magic ability and noticed many magical aura's on  Dwerry and none on Berum.

Billi decided one way to settle things was to go to the house Berum had trailed Dwerry to. The house in question was near the Bazaar and did not take long to find. Berum pointed at the door and Billi knocked on it. There was no answer.

Fenrir decided to fly around the two storey building but saw that all the windows were securely boarded up. Durz, impatient, used his 'key' and chopped down the  front door in less than a minute. Fenrir landed and did his best to scare away the people that were watching from the street including a drow beggar who tried to convince them that this was his house.

Once they were in, they found a small front room and a kitchen downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. As the poked about, nine dire rats came scampering in, but they were only interested in raiding the kitchen cupboards for food.

Billi, while upstairs, could smell the strong perfume he knew to be Erin Ja's in and around one of the beds and then came downstairs to question Dwerry further.

Dwerry could not explain what was going on, just that perhaps Berum had seen  someone that looked like her, after all Erin could change her appearance to be anyone she liked.

Billi asked Fenrir to detect magic on Dwerry and he noticed, among other things, an illusion aura on her. She said, 'Oh, that must be my ring, it helps protect me from evil yuan-ti... magic.'
Billi was unconvinced and asked her to take it off, but she refused.

Fenrir tipped Dwerry a wink, he could perhaps see that her story was not stacking up very well, and came in on her side.
'Oh yes, this ring is giving off the aura. It is as she says.'

Billi accepted this, but was deep in thought as they walked back to the Dripstone Inn, tugging on his beard and pondering the evidence.

Dwerry talked to Arahel on the way back, 'You think I'm alright don't you?'
Arahel wasn't so sure, but then, she was just nine years old.

They all went to bed and woke in the morning, going downstairs to have an  Underdark style breakfast of fungus and creepy crawlies.

The next task on the list given to them by Es Sarch was to kill Elessarwa Nledoor.
As the mysterious undead fellow had explained to them earlier:

"The disruption following Pedestal's fall lasts even unto this hour, though I must admit  the vacuum provided by the fleeing drow has been to my advantage. Consider, though, that  the reason this City did and does not completely collapse into chaos is due to my efforts. Nearly everyone here appreciates my influence. Bur gratitude doesn't last, and others seek  to displace me."
Es Sarch's voice fell to a whisper. "The Assassins' Guild has decided to seek an alliance with  House Dusklorn. If my agents were to disrupt this burgeoning accord, I fear I'd do more to cement the relationship than diffuse it. I ask you to eliminate or drive off Elessarwa  Nledoor, matron of the house and a psychotic to boot. I have knowledge of a hidden route into  her secret torture chamber, where she slinks away from her duties to the Dusklorn to apply  her savage arts to hapless victims she takes from Pedestal's alleys. I have arranged matters  so the Dusklorn will believe her death to be the work of the duplicitous Assassins' Guild.
That will be the end of that."

He gave them directions to a secret tunnel under the nearby tannery. The only person they found in the tannery was a crazy old beggar and once he'd shuffled off they located the secret tunnel and followed it to the lair of Elessarwa.

The tunnel lead to yet another secret door which when opened revealed the lair and torture chamber of the wicked drow matron. She was there, with her companion Muvaysil, a drow wizard.
They appeared to be about to sacrifice some poor wee svirfneblin female who was shackled to an altar before them.

Muvaysil cast a web spell at the door to try and hold them back, but with little success. Arahel changed into a rhino and charged in and Billi floated past it. Durz too, charged in and with a huge swoop of his axe killed the wizard. Elessarwa tried to flee as Fenrir's bolts found their target but she was finished off by a deadly psionically focused arrow from Billi's bow.

Billi cut of Elessarwa's ear to try and make it look like an assassination. They also discovered two more svirfneblin, a male and a female in a cell at the back of the chamber. (There names were Lorimila and Yoshik for the females and the male was called Qifyx)

Now, I am not a huge expert on the inter-gnome relationships of the various gnome species but I will say that Billi, when the got back to the Dripstone Inn, took them up to his room and indulged in what can only be described as an orgy. I assume gnomes have a similair view on these things as the bonobos I met in Chult.

The Buffalo Bunch had become famous in the Inn by now so this only added to their reputation
as bizarre surface dwellers and not to put a fine point on it - freaks.
More entertainment for the patrons was provided when Arahel, still in the shape of a rhino, tried to get up the stairs to see what the gnomes were doing and only succeeded in totally destroying the stairs.

This event very nearly made Es Sarch get up out of his chair, something I am lead to believe had last happened three years ago when the tavern had been attacked by an army of driders.
Arahel rolled out of the way and back into the common room as undead servers came to tidy up  the mess and propped a ladder up as a temporary means of escalation.

Billi only came down to the common room again that night to take up as much booze as he could carry. He then shut the door on his room once more and treated the rest of the Dripstone to the sounds of a drunken gnomish sex party.

Meanwhile Durz retired to his room with Berum, to make his own racket and Fenrir, in a more genteel fashion, turned his charm of Dwerry.

They spent the rest of the day and night at the inn, in this fashion.

DAY 276 (11th Nightal)(December)

Fenrir succeeded in bedding Dwerry that night, although once the effects of the alcohol and his charm had worn off her she skuttled through to her own room so he awoke to find his bed empty again.

By mid morning, Durz was up and about and went to the shop near the bazaar to pick up his adjusted armour. Hrodyn had it ready for him and had also added a little extra magic to it. She seemed to have taken a shine to Durz, something that Berum picked up on and was  not overly pleased about. Fenrir had gone with them and spent most of the day selling off the loot they had gathered so far in and around Pedestal.

Billi spend half the day still upstairs doing the god's only knew what and Arahel was in her normal form helping fix the stairs.

No one noticed then, that Dwerry had gone missing, despite all of them agreeing to watch her the day before. Fenrir and Durz were undone by avarice, Billi by lust and Arahel by naivety.

When they gathered that evening for dinner and compared notes they realised that Dwerry had been unaccounted for all day.

Fenrir went upstairs and checked her room and found her reading a book. He invited her down for dinner and to receive her split of the gold made from the selling of the loot.
This she did.