[Gaming] D&D Jay's Game - She's Dead Jim

[Jay]

Campaign Synopsis & Area Details​

​

​

Icewind Dale is located in the north-western part of Faerûn. The dale is a small area between the Reghed Glacier (a gigantic polar ice mass) and the Sea of Moving Ice (a large sea of floating icebergs) due north of the Spine of the World (the world’s tallest mountain range).

This area is probably the most hostile area of the realms with the dreadful northern winds, wild and unpredictable weather and lots of really nasty creatures such as white dragons, frost giants and crag cats. Not to even mention the barbarian tribes who don’t even like the settled folk of this area and have been known to raid the most northern settlements. This region is frequently affected by severe blizzard-like weather, usually lashed by howling storms that can flatten buildings. To many, there is no sane reason for civilized folk to come here.

Visitors will find life harsh here, with the total of 10,000 or so folk of Icewind Dale suspicious of all outsiders. Most can still remember the bloody battle against the barbarians and against the tyrant of Icewind Dale, Akar Kessell. Locals automatically think of visitors as trouble as many are fugitives of justice from the warmer lands. During winter, troublemakers are usually slugged on the head, tossed outside and drenched with the contents of the nearest chamber pot. They’ll be dead of the cold before they regain their senses. Indeed, greed has brought the roughest rogues to this frozen land and with the temperate climate, nasty creatures and shifty attitude; it is simply not a safe place for the idle traveler.

​

The most central feature of the area is a 1000 foot high mountain called Kelvin's Cairn, northeast of which most settlements can be found. According to barbarian legends, the mountain is named for the frost giant hero Kelvin Duarol, who was slain here by the god Tempus. Tempus pulled rocks from the plain in a long ditch and piled them atop his fallen foe to mark his victory and to warn others of the fate of those who court the war god’s wrath.

The area has three lakes, which is truly the only reason why anyone would ever want to even try to build any towns here. The lakes are Maer Dualdon to the west, Lac Dinneshere to the east and Redwaters to the south. They are somewhat frozen for most of the year except for a few weeks in the summer but even at that, the lakes are known to be deceptively dangerous and have claimed many a life. Even in summer, the lake waters are icy enough to kill anyone in the space of a few breaths. These lakes provide knucklehead trout, a rare kind of fish that is not found anywhere else that provides fine ivory-like bone and is the area’s main source of export and good material for carvers. Scrimshanders, the skilled carvers of knucklehead scrimshaw, are important and respected craftsmen here but everyone else is tolerated only as long they give no trouble and do honest business.

There are ten towns around the area that are clustered around these lakes. The biggest is Bryn Shander, a famous trade town, which unlike other towns, is not on the shore of any of the lakes. Along with the town of Targos, they are the only ones to have walls. On the shore of Maer Dualdon lie Bremen, Targos, Termalaine (the most beautiful of all settlements) and Lonelywood (behind a forest sharing the same name). By Lac Dinneshere lays Caer-Konig, Caer-Dineval and one of the newest, Easthaven. By Redwaters lie Good Mead and Dougan's Hole. These two cities don't cooperate much, only get together to discuss of pressing matters, and are usually only cooperating under great threat. As always, there are treaties regarding “who gets to fish where” but the fishermen can never quite agree.

Most important of the Ten Towns is the central, walled, trading town of Bryn Shander. It is here that most travelers will end up, unless they really want to join the fishing trade. From Bryn Shander, a gravel trail known as the Eastway leads east to Lac Dinneshere, and to the community of Easthaven at its end. Another caravan route head’s south towards the Spine of the World and the dwarven town of Hundelstone.

The speaker (the title of the nominal leader of the town) for Bryn Shander dwells in the largest building of the Ten Towns. Despite its pillared porch, it’s no larger than a small inn of the rest of the North. Every town has a speaker, usually coming from a family that commands great respect amongst their peers. Most towns have some militia and fortifications with varying strengths and numbers.

For adventurers, there are always opportunities to find ice, more ice and then some H2O in solid form. Rumors persist of white dragon lairs in the glaciers nearby that are crowded with treasure. Some, the whispers go, even feature abandoned heaps of frozen gems as tall as a house. The treasure descriptions grow even wilder when people speak of the dwarven delves under Kelvin’s Cairn and the Spine of the World. It is true that some adventurers come back from Icewind Dale rich beyond their wildest dreams but most of them have never come back.

Players and Characters​

​

1. Gusto - Helga Stormfist, Dwarven Battlerager
2. Escusion - Tyrdin Non, Tiefling Ardent|Psion
3. Doomdragon - Falagar, Human Wizard
4. rathkor - Rathkor, Dragonborn Sorcerer
5. FalineofLight - Sylvaria, Human Chuckie


Helga Stormfist

Early Life
- Born to Thurzin and Darla Stormfist, the ruling family of the Stormfist Clan.
- The Stormfist Clan is a family of lesser nobles in Ironmaster, the last trading hub between Icewind Dale and the world at large.
- The Stormfist Clan is a proud, resilient and strong household, known for their fortitude and upstanding reputation. They are a clan of warriors of virtue.
- Stormfist men generally work as guards in Ironmaster, while women raise the children in the proud dwarven tradition.
- Warriors of the Stormfist Clan identify themselves by emblazoning the family crest, two isosceles triangles in blue, on their faces. It is a mark of great pride for them.

Adult Life
- Helga was raised to uphold all the cornerstones of dwarven culture and Stormfist family values.
- She fell in love with a visiting dwarven adventurer, Magar Stonesmirk.
- Her father, Thurzin, protested to their union, because Magar was a scoundrel and acted more like a chaotic halfling than a proud dwarf.
- Thurzin was concerned that Magar would join the family, dwindle their coffers, sully their hard-earned reputation, and ultimately break Helga's heart.
- Reluctantly, he allowed Magar to marry into the Stormfist clan, on the agreement with Helga that she would not let him ruin everything the family had built.
- Several years passed, and Helga had two children - a boy named Kurzon, and a girl named Jalee a few years later.
- Eventually Magar became sick of being cooped up and the wanderlust crept back in. He resumed his life of adventuring.
- Helga remained at home to raise the children, left only to wonder what her husband was up to out in the Dale, both missing him and suspicious of him.

Recently
- Helga continued to raise her children for a couple more years, until a family messenger arrived with grim news.
- The bloody belongings of Magar were returned to Helga's home, including his craghammer and shield, and a few bloodstained documents.
- Magar was presumed dead.
- The documents seemed to be IOUs for gambling debts in a small port town called Dougan's Hole. Magar had been squandering money from the Stormfist coffers all this time.
- Helga was devastated at the loss of her husband, and Thurzin was infuriated at his behaviour.
- As per their agreement from years earlier, Helga would now have to go out into Icewind Dale and correct any damage Magar had caused in his final years.
- Without giving herself the time to properly grieve, Helga left Kurzon and Jalee with her mother, painted the crest upon her face, took up her late husbands hammer and shield, and left Ironmaster.
- Going on the only lead she had at the time, she headed for Dougan's Hole to pay off his one known debt.

Motivation
- Helga's mission is to right any wrongs she's heard of being committed by Magar Stormfist, in order to restore her family's reputation.
- Her personal mission is to use the stories she hears of him to investigate what her husband was up to the last few years on his own. What kind of man he truly was, what company he kept, if he's even really dead.
- She does this all because of her devotion to her family, her culture, and a strong urge to see her children again.

Personality
- Stubborn, grim, untrusting.
- Showing strong dwarven upbringing - steadfast, resolute, proud.
- Still dealing with the grief of her dead husband.
- Very maternal - she may be slow to trust, but she takes care of her allies.




Rathkor:

Rathkor (last name withheld) grew up in a prosperous city that relied heavily on trade and commerce. He grew up surrounded by just about every race in the lands. Adventurers passed through daily, and spending time in the local pubs and taverns promised an exciting tale from many strange adventurers. Rathkor eagerly listened to these tales, imagining one day to live out adventures like these. His father, Balthazar, wasa former adventurer himself, and prided himself on his strength. He trained Rathkor daily, building up his strength. Rathkor didn't mind this training, but he never felt like he was very cut out for fighting. Besides his desire to be an adventurer, Rathkor also desired knowledge. He loved studying and learning. Late at night, he would read tomes he found at the local library. The books that facinated him the most were the ones pertaining to magic. One night, he decided he wanted to be a sorcerer. He knew, however, that his father would much prefer him to be a strong warrior. He knew he'd have to find a way to train in magic in secrecy.

The very next day, he was approached by a cloaked figure. The figure said nothing, but handed him a slip of paper. All the paper said was "Center of town. Midnight. Come alone." Bewildered, Rathkor decided to see what the note was about, but knew he shouldnt be too foolish. He decided to go, but he would bring his father's daggers as protection.

That night, he went to the center of town. He arrived around twenty minutes early. It was an old habit he picked up from his father. "If youre fifteen minutes early for an appointment, youre late," his father would always say.he was alyaws expected to be early for everything. The cloaked figure from earlier appeared in front of him. Rathkor held tha blades in front of him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Salvitor," The figure said. He pulled his hood back, revealing a male elf. "I understand you've decided to study the magical arts. I can help you."

From that night forward, Salvitor trained Rathkor, teaching him many fantastic abilities. Rathkor excelled at magic, quickly mastering the abilities he was taught. By day, he was trained in fighting up close with daggers, and by night he learned to figt with magic.

One day, Salvitor told Rathkor their training would be put on hold. Salvitor had to do some work in the northern mountains. He was to be gone for a few weeks. Rathkor eagerly studied and practiced in his absence. After a couple months, Rathkor begain to worry about his master. Eventually he gave up on seeing his master ever agian. He slowly began to give up practicing his magic.

One day, a little over a year after the disapearance of Salvitor, Rathkor was at a bar. There he heard a group of adventurers from the north mentioning several brutal murders that occured in a town in the mountains. Rathkor didn't know how, but for some reason he knew this might be connected to Salvitor's absence. It was then that he knew he had to investigate. That night, he packed up some supplies, including his father's daggers, and took off, leaving a note for his family: "I have to go. I shall return some day, with tales even greater than Father's. I wish you the best. -Rathkor."

And so his adventures, and his investigation, began in the North.





Falagar:

Falagar (real name: Willian Nebyl, known only to his mother, and possibly his father) is a boisterous, loud-mouthed wizard whose legendary incompetence is matched only by his nigh-encyclopedic knowledge of beasts.

Sometime around while he was the age of 21, Falagar’s mother took illness, forcing her to be bedridden most of the time. This prompted Falagar’s father, a seasoned hunter of small game and a true beast of a man, to take his trade up a few notches. He set out on the road to become a monster hunter for hire. No longer bringing the family a meager living of whatever he’d caught, Falagar’s father sent instead his son and sick wife a letter or two every month, filled with fantastic tales along with his earnings to support them. At first the earnings were slim, just enough to cover what they had already been used to, if just barely. But as the months dragged on, his father would send greater and great amounts of money, and more impressive trophies to boot. Where his first letters had included a wolf’s tooth, his later packages contained things like the feather of a cockatrice or the scale of a drake.

Things went on like this for about 13 years, the two getting at least a letter per month. Then, one month, nothing came. And another month. And another, and another. Falagar and his mother finally assumed the worst. With what little money they had left dwindling, Falagar took an oath to his mother – that he would set out in the world to become a monster hunter just like his father and make enough money to support her and maybe even find a cure. He also vowed to find what had happened to his father, or if he was even still alive. [The last clue of his father is a large blue Behir scale, received in his father’s very last package four months before Falagar set out on his own.] She begged and pleaded him not to go, but he would have none of it. He adopted the name Falagar and set out to become a monster hunter.

He had little success.

Most of his excursions ended at best in failure, at worst in a village being burned down. In such latter cases, he reasoned that the beast he’d been charged with finding had burned too, and chalked it up as a success.

As he traveled tavern to tavern, he built himself up to its patrons and invented elaborate stories of his victories against tougher and tougher monsters. He used his father’s trophies to bolster his own stories and won the favor of everyone around him, eventually earning him his next job, almost always doomed to expose him for what he was. These tavern trawls were not huge wastes of time, of course, as he used them to drink in the tales of the world around him. He collected stories of creatures, places, people, and even incorporated the details into his own stories.

He maintained a steady income, however, taking care of small nuisances like Giant Rats or other infestations. The occasional happy accident would occur, now and then, when things would go his way. A missed magical bolt would break the branch that crushed the Krenshar; A leaking oil barrel would cause the explosion that killed the spider queen, and so on. This only bolstered his image and provided him real trophies for his “modified” tales.

During a period of successive failures, he would even create his own trophies. A pilfered scale off of a shop’s scale armor became the scale of a large metal beast. The long-decomposed skeleton of a bull provided the sharp horn of a Horned Drake. He began to build himself up so much that he even began to forget what was true and what wasn’t.

His infamy towards destruction caught up to him, however, and he was apprehended by the (kingdom? Insert large government body here). He explained his story, which was enough to save him from a kingdom prison. Instead, they banished him to an icy land devoid of warmth or happiness, and a place where it was unlikely he’d catch much of anything on fire. They told him he could still send his packages to his mother, but to never set foot inside the land again.

Now he treks across the land of Icewind Dale in hunt of new monsters and new contracts, his only “companions” being a Dretch he managed to catch inside a magic crystal, that’s just as likely to attack him as his enemies, and a little baby Gelatinous Ooze named Bloby that he found after clearing a tavern of an Ooze in its basement.

He now sets out to hunt even bigger and better game, to make a name for himself, win back the favor of his kingdom, raise enough money to finally cure his mother, and find what happened to his father.

Tyrnin Non:

"Almost there," the midwife cried.
"If it has horns, I will bash its head in," Lord Non said, pacing furiously behind her. "My compassion will only go so far... It couldn't have horns. It can't."
"Maybe you should sit down, lord, and be optimistic," Argen said.

A small cry leapt from between Lady Milla's legs as a heavy cry of relief swept from her mouth. "Thank the gods, it's done."
"Almost," the midwife said. "Yes. There's the head. No horns, my lord."
"Good," Lord Non said sternly.
"And the body." The midwife took the baby close to her. "Yes, a perfectly healthy, normal--"
"Wonderful."
"--baby girl."

Lord Non stormed forward, glaring over the midwife's shoulder. "A girl..." He strafed along the bed, glaring down on his wife's sweaty, worn body, and his fist railed down on her cheek to the startled cries of the midwife and handmaiden. "You stupid bitch! You do nothing but fail me!"

At the far end of the room, peeking around a doorway, 11-month-old Tyrdin sat on the floor, sniffling and tearing as nubs of bone slowly worked through his head at the same time as teeth broke through his gums. He scratched his head, sniffled again, and watched Argen rush to restrain Lord Non.


---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 AM ----------


Snow covered the balcony outside the playroom where the children made shapes in the falling white. Argen watched them dutifully.
"You're letting them play again," the handmaiden noted from behind the adviser. "Lord Non has said--"
"Lord Non barely sees either child," Argen said. "I don't care, because he'll barely be aware, and if he is, I'll take the blame, not you, nor Lady Milla, nor his son."
"He isn't--"

The little girl Samia giggled, running from the balcony, skidding on the floor, and then she slammed the glass doors together, locking red-skinned Tyrdin outside.
"Now, Samia, don't do that to your brother," the handmaiden called.
Samia went on giggling, holding the door shut.

Tyrdin smirked for a moment, shoving the doors, and then his smile died. He glared a moment at his sister, banged the door again, and then the snow ceased to touch his skin. He banged the door once more and Samia skidded back two feet on her wet boots, dragged a wet streak across the floor. The lock unhinged and Tyrdin swung the doors open, smirking again.

"And now look what a mess you've made, Samia!" the handmaiden cried, rushing to the girl. "Honestly, you children..."
Argen stared wide-eyed. "You didn't notice what he did?"
"What, banging on the door?" the handmaiden asked. "You're lucky you didn't break the glass, young man!" She dragged Samia away by the arm, scolding her down the hall.

Argen went on staring at Tyrdin. Tyrdin went on smirking.

"I'm concerned about him," Argen whispered to the handmaiden. She hadn't aged well, running after the children for years. "He gets along fine with his sister, but the lying, the running around with street urchins--"
"He's only trying to get away from our poor lord," the handmaiden said.
"Poor in wisdom," Argen groaned. "I can't get anything through his head. I'm lucky he hasn't cut mine off."
"FIFTEEN YEARS!" a roar shook through the halls.
"...Yet." Argen swallowed. "He's squandered his goodwill, his happiness, his family. The only thing he's kept properly is his wealth."
"Lucky us for that," the handmaiden muttered.

"Why?" Lord Non bellowed, back-handing his wife. "What's the problem? You can't hold my seed anymore?"
"I don't choose when to have a child!" Lady Milla shouted.
"No, it's your body." Another blow. "So I've punished your body, and it still won't give me a son."
"You have a son!"
"I have a demon." Lord Non looked past his wife, at a dark passage of hallway. "I know you're listening, goat-head. Cowering with your sister?"
"You have a daughter," Lady Milla whined.
"And no heir!" Lord Non raised his fist again and slammed his wife to the floor.

Tyrdin rushed from the dark passage. Samia raised her hand behind him. "Don't!"
Lord Non turned just as Tyrdin plowed his fist into the older man's gut, sending him doubling over. Red ether seeped across his skin, toward his mother, and Lady Milla found her breath. He offered a hand to help her up, but his mother shook her head. "You're only making it worse, Tyrdin."

"Argen!" Lord Non shouted. "Lock that thing in the dark again!"
Argen appeared and nodded. "Yes, lord." He took the teenaged Tyrdin by the arm and led him away.
"You hit me again, demon, and I'll bring a cleric!" Lord Non bellowed. "You'll burn, boy!"

Argen shoved Tyrdin into his room. The boy was strong, and Argen had to stand tall, firm, unshaken by his own emotions. "I've watched you, boy," Argen said. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Let me have a light this time," Tyrdin said in his low, strange voice. "Please."
Argen slammed the door shut. He wouldn't risk his head for the boy. The boy had Lord Non's compassion not to be drowned, and the lord no longer listened to advice.

Tyrdin's breath hissed in the dark. "Nothing here," he whispered, touching the corners of his bed. "Nothing here but my room." His hands felt the doorknob and wrenched, but it was locked from outside, in a system of screws and cog-work, as if the engineers knew he could feel the locks with his mind. Someone had told him, he was sure, but he didn't know who understood his secret.

"We understand it."

Tyrdin shook in the dark. "Who's here?"
"We are. We are here with you." Many voices spoke at once, in unison. Some spoke common, others spoke Giant, which he knew from the dock-workers, some spoken Elven, but he wasn't sure how he knew it, and some spoke other languages, mysterious, beautiful, and terrible.
"Can you make light?"
"Yes, but we will not," the voices said. "This visit will be brief, for we have only come to let you know we exist, we are here in this darkness, and when you are put here again, we will return. We are not your enemies, Tyrdin."
"Then what are you?" Tyrdin asked. "Hello? Are you still there?" He considered for a moment that they might always have been here, in the dark with him, and had only chosen to speak now.


He grew to be seventeen, and eighteen. The voices spoke to him.
"We understand your power. We have seen you, in the dark corners of this manor, moving objects without a touch, weakening Lord Non's will so that Argen can speak with him, aiding your sister and mother when injured, and shielding yourself with the ether formed of your mind and bloodline. We understand you. We're the only ones who do."
He asked questions at times, of their origins, their purpose, but the answers never satisfied him, and there were no faces from which to glean understanding.
"We are creatures of the darkness, of the Fey, of the things this world does not understand. And we are here to aid your loneliness, for now. In time, we will help you."

At nineteen, locked in the dark again, though Argen could plainly see he was too strong to be man-handled and took his punishments willingly like a good son, the voices spoke with purpose.

"Do you tire of imprisonment?" they asked in their many pitches, growls, and languages.
"I come here to listen to you," Tyrdin told them. Their presence had also made him increasingly afraid of the dark. He never told them this, but he had a feeling they knew, somehow. Still, he was drawn back, again and again, with a desire to understand them as much as they seemed to understand him.
"There is a life beyond this. You're old enough, strong enough. You're ready to kill."

Tyrdin's heart froze. "Kill? I shouldn't--"
"Ah, the wording. Shouldn't. You should not kill, and perhaps you're right. But you did not choose want. You want to kill. There is killer's blood in you."
Tyrdin felt his hands in the dark. "From father?"
"Indeed," the voices said. "And to kill him, you will become a king."
"I live in a merchant housing. I'm supposed to learn trade routes, shipping--"
"When you bring your father's heart to us, ripped still beating from his chest, you will become a king," the voices said. "However it must be done, bring us his heart. You will be a king."

The voices faded, like always, and Tyrdin sat silently in the dark. "Kill father?" he whispered. He visualized his mother's face. He had healed her spirit time and again, but to stop the damage entirely... and to be a king... "I don't know if I can, but I will do it. Somehow, they'll have his heart."

"I heard you're good," Tyrdin said.
The assassin simply nodded, handing him a document.
Tyrdin scanned it disinterestedly--he could tell more from the assassin's face, with any luck. "I've never done this before. I'll need assistance, but you won't be doing the real kill. I have to remove the heart. Can you help me get to that point?"
The assassin nodded again, without hesitation.
Tyrdin unrolled a map of the main floor plan to Lord Non's manor. "Father sleeps here. My room is here. I can get a window open on this side, but there are guards. I can slip past them easily." He watched the assassin's face. "Okay, you can too, I get it."


Tyrdin slipped past the guards easily, some letting him through, others fearing him, and some avoided entirely, believing they heard a noise elsewhere in the manor's halls. Finding the assassin had been simple through various contacts in the Windrise Ports, but he couldn't open up the chambers of Lord Non, nor deliver the killing blow, without some assistance... and a knife.

The assassin had unlocked the complex doors somehow, a feat Tyrdin couldn't manage with his mind--the palace had proofs for it all over. Now the door opened easily. Lady Milla slept in the tower, as she had since Samia was born, and Samia had her own room as well. A family apart, Tyrdin thought. Wedged by you. Maybe now we can find love again, like families are supposed to. No matter what I look like. His father rested fitfully on the bed, and Tyrdin at last saw the black shape of the assassin draw apart from the darkness, like the voices in his room ripped from the silence. He sent words across the room through his mind: I'm ready.

Lord Non was awake only seconds before blades plunged through his back and a hand fiercely shoved his jaws together. His hand stretched desperately for the greatsword by his bedside and the assassin pinned the arm to the mattress.

Tyrdin's breath caught in his throat and doubt rained over him, whether he could do this, should do this--but like the voices said, he wanted to do this. He'd wanted it since the day his sister was born. Red ether slid from his skin and the skin split down Lord Non's chest. Blood and bone spread apart. More pressure, quickly, before he dies.

Dropping the knife, Tyrdin opened his hand toward Lord Non's sword, and it flew through the air, landing its hilt in Tyrdin's palm. He pressed it under the ribcage, careful not to pierce the heart, and like a prying bar to a crate, the sword cracked the ribcage open. Tyrdin's hand flew down immediately, grasping the bloody heart between his fingers. "It's done." He glanced at the assassin, who seemed to be drifting into the shadows already. "You'll find the other half of your payment on the balcony outside the playr--outside the den, where sheets drape the furniture. Thank you."
The assassin nodded one last time and vanished.

Tyrdin ran through the halls, greatsword in one hand, bloody heart in the other, leaving a spotted red trail over the mansion floor. The voices had never said he had to be anonymous about it. They never gave any prerequisites. Kill father, become a king. He wanted people to know, for everyone to know. Especially Samia, and his mother.

He slammed the door of his room behind him and held the heart forward to the darkness. "It's done!" he shouted proudly. "My father's heart!"

"Tyrdin, you are wonderful," the voices said, and finally, a pale green light flooded over the room. "We did not expect you so swiftly." Twisting, shapeless faces writhed in the dark, and they may have been Fey, they may have been otherwise, but they were unknown to the young man who held a bloody heart. "What is this?"
Tyrdin frowned. "My father's heart."

"This is the heart of Lord Non," the voices said. "We need your father's heart. Go and find your father, and bring us his heart."
"This is my father's heart!" Tyrdin cried. "Lord Non--"
"Was a human. Your mother is a human. You are a Tiefling, Tyrdin. Your father is a Tiefling."

Tyrdin staggered back. "So... what I've done..."
"You may have done well for your family, but it is worthless to us. Find your father."
The voices faded, as they often did, and Tyrdin worried he'd be hearing them in a dungeon somewhere, or in some other plane of the world, if he didn't do something fast. He whirled around, dropping the heart on the floor with a soft, wet splat, and grasped the doorknob--someone had locked it. "No!" he shouted. "You can't do this!"

Argen's voice greeted him coldly. "Over many years, you've been locked in here, in the darkness, both deservedly and unfairly," the adviser said. "But I think everyone can agree, it's too good for you this time. What possessed you, boy?"
"Justice!" Tyrdin shouted. "After mother, and Samia, and me!"
"I hope your soul feels it's worth your life," Argen said.

Time passed slowly. They would kill him, Tyrdin was certain. His trembling fist held fast to Lord Non's greatsword. He'd kill whoever came for him, however many came. And if they locked him in here to starve to death, fearing his power, then he'd off himself, and not give them the satisfaction.

The locks behind the door clicked together in their cog-work and Tyrdin poised himself, readying to pull the next person into his blade. The door cracked open and his mother's face appeared around the darkness. "Quickly, Tyrdin, come!"
Tyrdin obediently ran forward, and Lady Milla led him through the halls, down to the first floor, through a narrow hallway he didn't remember, and out the back of the mansion. A carriage and horses awaited, and a bag slung over the top. Lady Milla pushed her son inside and the carriage sped along the road before the door had even closed behind her.

"Why didn't you tell me he wasn't my father?" Tyrdin growled. "I would've done it years ago if--"
"Why?" Lady Milla asked, wiping tears from her eyes. "Why would you?"
"For you and Samia," Tyrdin said, laying the sword onto the carriage floor and staring into his mother's gloomy eyes. "For me. We could be a family and--"
"Samia wants you dead."
Tyrdin's heart skipped a beat. "But we're siblings. She's been my only friend--"
"And she was her father's little girl, always," Lady Milla said. "Shouting and all, she loved him. I loved him, once." She shook her head. "Like I've said, Tyrdin, you only make things worse."

Tyrdin looked away from her. "Then why help me?"
His mother's pale hand touched his red cheek, stroking one curving horn, and then the small ridges under his chin. She bent forward and kissed his forehead, like she had when he was small. "Because I love you more. We're going far away now, Tyrdin. We won't be coming back."
Tyrdin nodded, closing his eyes. He could live with that.

They'd come through many towns and crossed waters to come to this little icy shit hole of a town, and Tyrdin hated the place. "But I suppose no one will find us here."
"I hope not," Lady Milla said. "And I have friends across borders. If anyone's getting close, we'll move on, maybe into the mountains, or that dwarf settlement we passed through, or perhaps go backward. They wouldn't expect that."
Tyrdin reassuringly patting his mother's shoulder. "We're here. It'll be okay for a while."
"Yes. I have a job lined up for you, helping them load fish, cut it--I know it's not what you're used to or trained for, but maybe you'll help them in their trade in your own way. You're smart. You're good with people, when you want to be. We can make a life here."

Tyrdin nodded begrudgingly. He hated it. And he assured himself he'd hate it more, and then grow to accept it. He had to accept it, after all. It was his fault. But you're wrong on one count, he thought. We may go all the way back someday. If Samia can be reasoned with, or if you can forget me. He stared across the snowy hovel of a town, sighing. Or if I ever find my true father--if you'd ever say a word when I ask--and I become a king.

Tyrdin and his mother own a shack on the edge of Dougan's Hole. Tyrdin works at the fishing with an unfortunate fisherman's widow, who was desperate enough for help to hire a young, strong Tiefling, and if she ever notices that sometimes objects move without being touched, or that she feels a little younger some days when he's around, she hasn't mentioned it to him yet.
Lady Milla works her fingers to the bone in knitting and sewing, and while she probably misses a wealthy life, she too doesn't mention her thoughts to Tyrdin.

But he feels them anyway, sometimes, from everyone. And at night he keeps an Everburning Torch by his bedside, to assure there will be no true darkness to his room, even as a dark stain rests on his soul.


Day 2

'I shouldn't have gotten involved,' Tyrdin thought as he wandered the catacombs.
Helga pressed the lead with Falagar up ahead, the lamp shining in mid-air, and the wizard's finger glowing like he'd shoved it down a mage bear's throat.
'And if I'm involved, I should be pressing ahead, not covering the back.' Tyrdin waved his everburning torch, scrutinizing the shadows. It wasn't the time to be fearful--or maybe it was, but not of the usual fears. Fearing the dark was a child's game, a luxury to be terrified of darkness manifested. He had adult fears to stress over, like being alone and losing loved ones. 'If I'd been home, it wouldn't have happened. What was I thinking, trying to scrape up some extra money? Mother has plenty.' He wished that were true. 'Mother had it all sorted it out.' He wished that were true too.

Truthfully, every coin he earned at the docks and every little scrap saved from his mother's tailoring helped keep them afloat because she had little left of what she'd taken from Lord Non's home--unless she was lying. Tyrdin couldn't discern anymore, or at least not at the moment. They'd had a nice, simple period of peace up here until the murderers came through, and they wouldn't pass with the worsening season. 'We were lucky to avoid it all until now. But what's it got to do with her and me? We're not townies here. We're no one.' Eying the others, he realized it wasn't that simple. Aside from Sylvaria, who could've been some unknown daughter of anyone in Dougan's Hole, Tyrdin was the most residential of them all. Each of the others had come in within the last few days. 'For all I know, they're in on it, more than they say.' He didn't really believe that. Helga appeared decent enough, and seemed genuinely pissed about her husband's involvement in the situation. Rathkor had been groomed to some extent, either by a disciplinary mentor or a sheltered life. While Tyrdin could relate to both, he'd come through tougher than a lord's son should--the Dragonborn was soft, or at least unprepared. To consider Falagar among them would give him more credit than reasonably possible, unless he was a genius at acting stupid, or perhaps sharing his body with another soul. The shadowy one might've been an issue.

'So what's his motive?' Tyrdin thought. 'Mother's body parts? She's not any more special than any other human here. There's something more going on and he seemed to be in it for the simple gold, like most of us. So what the hell's going on?'

Falagar and Helga seemed to be fumbling with the door and Tyrdin guessed they'd have it open soon. Falagar might have turned out half-dead afterward, but the door would be open.

'So who then? Who'd see us as important enough to target? The killers might have caught onto who I was. Someone local would have to be in on it then. Dammit, I should've been home last night.' Tyrdin shook his head. Now wasn't the time to blame himself--blame had to dress whoever took her. And she'd best be alive. 'So they might know me and have taken her. But then it would've been smart to leave a note, telling me to knock it off if I wanted her back. Taking her mutely only means I'll come looking. So maybe they want me.'

'Or it could be worse. What if Samia had finally tracked us here? They could be offshore and on their way home by now. We got careless, hanging around so long, month after month. We should've gone farther north, up the white hell. Samia wants her mom.' Other thoughts broached his mind. 'Maybe she wanted to go, maybe they only needed to break the door, maybe this was her chance to leave me here--' 'No, stop it, that's stupid.' Tyrdin waved his torch again. The door handle melted ahead. 'Or maybe my real father found me. I don't know how I came to be, but odds are he wanted her at some point and maybe that's the case again.' He stared into the darkness, creeping in the hall behind, and the darkness stared back. 'Or is it you, whatever you are, who makes promises? Do you have something for me? Am I distracted? I'm not looking for him. There are Tieflings scattered all over the world.'

The rage over his dream pulsed through his blood again, his nails hungering for someone's flesh. He had no desire to seek out others of his kind. He could barely stand the one Tiefling he could never escape.

Falagar said something loud and stupid. The door was open, as predicted. Much as Tyrdin wanted to find his mother, he hoped she wasn't down here. This way promised death--that's all he knew.

Campaign Storyline

(will be updated as the storyline goes on)​

​

​

​

​

Prologue​

​

​

​

​

​

The dawn of another chilling morning woke the weary people of Dougan’s Hole. The weather was cold… much colder than usual, even for Icewind Dale's standards. The local folk were advised not to travel until the snowstorm let up though some have fled this town to escape the local horrors. The town has been affected for some time now by gruesome murders and the mysterious disappearance of the local folk during the night.


The streets of Dougan's Hole are barren of all life except for the occasional militia patrol as a town curfew has been implemented and the people have reinforced their doors and nailed closed their shutters, yet despite their best efforts to defend the town, to defend themselves.... every few days a new mutilated body would show up, or someone reported missing by their loved ones... the town militia once again unable to find any further clues to the problem and have to deal with a trapped general populace growing.

Scene 1: The Party Meets in a Tavern​

​

The game begins with Falagar regaling a bar of weary travelers with the story of how he came across his ooze companion Bloby. While the serving wenches are distracted from their duties with this tale of magic and heroism, the noble Helga Stormfist is fending off the sloppy and often racist advances of a crude dwarf man, young Rakthor is asking all other patrons about the whereabouts of his master, and Tyrdin is trying to keep to himself and enjoy a quiet meal.

Soon after Falagar ends his tale and Helga receives a mysterious letter from the rude dwarf, Harold, the owner and proprietor of the Hairy Lemon, suggests that the mighty Falagar and any other heroes looking to save some lives and earn some gold should investigate a strange rash of disappearances and smugglings that are happening in the small port town of Dougan's Hole. He directs them to the Speaker's domicile, where they meet Malren, the city's de facto leader.

Helga and Falagar announce their intentions to work for the Speaker, and bear witness to an argument between the Speaker and his captain of the militia, a young woman named Theldara. She argued that every other adventurer who thought they could get to the bottom of these disappearances had ALSO disappeared, and that the militia should be left to investigate it without interlopers. Tyrdin muttered that the militia hadn't done a great job so far either, and this caused her to make some racist remarks and storm off. Malren resigned to hire the party and said that they should look down around the docks, an area that Tyrdin knew very well.

Scene 2 : The Docks​

​

​

​

​

After gathering some necessary supplies, the party ventured to the docks and arrived shortly after the day's work had ended, at dusk. The area was completely vacated and the party was free to investigate crates and warehouses in search of clues. Breaking into one warehouse netted them nothing of value or any information, but the next warehouse had been partially emptied recently, so they decided to look closer. Breaking into the warehouses administrative offices, Helga set off an alarm that was quickly silenced by the business end of her hammer. Looking around the office, Helga was able to find a mysterious shipping invoice from another warehouse, stating that a order was due to be shipped from their in a couple weeks, but not what the items were. Remembering the mysterious letter she had read, it seemed likely to her that that "shipment" was going to go missing before those weeks were up, possibly even tonight. While she was puzzling this out, Falagar and Tyrdin were able to find a magical gem that had been hidden in the arm of the deskchair, unlocked by the enchanted drawers of the desk if opened in the proper order. Given Helga's new suspicions, the group headed towards the suspicious warehouse.

Upon arriving at the warehouse and beginning to investigate, the group was ambushed by a gang of thugs. After managing to defeat these attackers using a combination of attacks, magic, and broken glass, the group has decided to search the warehouse and the tower from which their attackers came.

fter taking a minute to investigate the tower which housed some of their assailants, the party ventured into the basement after finding a hidden ladder concealed in a locked chest. Once in the caves under the docks of Dougan's hole, Tyrdin pulled out his everburning torch and discovered a teenage boy tied up on the floor. Upon rescuing him, e introduced himself as Vahlden, an aristocrat's son. Clearly lost, scared, and targeted by these thugs, the boy decides to stick with his saviours for protection.

The party decided to investigate the labyrinthine catacombs, and quickly discovered that the caves we're not carved from the most stable of rock. There were parts where cave-ins had filled the paths with rubble, or the party had to squeeze tight areas to pass through, or deep chasms had broken in the middle of there paths. At one point, Helga even broke through the floor, and if not of Tyrdin and Rathkor's help, would have fallen to her doom.

The party also discovered several other murdered thugs and guard in the halls of the catacombs. Helga made a note to take all of their identification papers in order to report their deaths to the Speaker. There were also a few other rope ladders leading up the surface, providing alternative entrances to the smugglers and potential exits for the party. Rathkor took a minute at each exit to peek above the surface, but found only empty warehouses, and in one case, snowy outdoors.

Eventually the party came to a large cave filled wit the sound of fluttering wings, separated by deep canyons, and linked together with a rickety rope bridge. Knowing only one way to proceed through the cave, they attempted to cross the bridge, but fell on it a couple times, broke a few planks, and ultimately attracted a swarm of stirges they had to contend with wile on the bridge.

Due to their unstable footing and the suddenness of the attack, the party had a hard time defending themselves; their attacks would occasionally hit allies, or miss altogether, and several stirges got their fill of delicious adventurer blood. At one time, Helga was being feasted upon by three stirges, wile trying to crawl across the rickety bridge, and falling victim time after time to Rathkor's misfired Blazing Starfall. Fortunately, due to Helga's perseverance, Tyrdin's healing, and Vahlden's heretofore unknown shadow powers, they were able to fend off their attackers and get out of the room.

Falagar's Journal​

​

​

​

Day 1​

​

​

Met a bunch of rubes down at the pub. Bar wench was totally into me. Hilarious dwarf told some awesome jokes. "Why do elves have pointy ears? ... There's gotta be some sharpness to elves, right?" Hahaha! Or, something like that anyway.​

​

Bartender told me to talk to the speaker, and convinced me to take some protege`s. When we got there I saw that the Speaker was a skilled Mage Bear slayer. Had one's skin lying right in the room. The sheer audacity of the man! He earned my respect immediately. Anyway, he said some blather about assassins and warehouses and disappearances. It seemed like the perfect time to save the day, so I readily volunteered my help.​

​

Getting to the docks, I admired the perfect curvature of my nose in the water, then went about investigating. My hirelings looked up to me to do all the dirty work, so I abliged. The first warehouse was empty, save for the stuffed carcass of a dire bear. How it got there, I don't know. It intrigued me, but more imortant things were at hand. A second warehouse had a peculiar little chair guarded by a magical desk. My moderately dense cohorts couldn't figure it out, so after a heavy sigh I went over and showed them how it was done. Out of the chair popped a Polyglot gem. The dragon man in my group deigned it his right to pick the thing up, even though he didn't have a clue what it was. Even after I graciously told him what it was and that it contained the Gobin language, he decided to keep it. The ingrate.​

​

While invesigating some more, we were ambushed by a pack of assassins! There were at least 20 of them, I took them out handily, of course. Fools didn't even lay a hand on me!​

​

After the fight, we came upon a tower that was only two stories high. My sharp intellect immediately realized it had to be an earth tower-- a tower that's only tall (and thus, a tower) by going into the earth. My nooblet adventure team shunned me. I had the last laugh, however, when we found a secret passage underground in the basement.​

​

Don't question the mighty Falagar!​

​

​

DAY 2​

​

​

​

After a long fought battle that almost claimed the lives of the heroes, the adventurer’s decided to investigate the basement where the battle took place. The basement was broken up into two parts: The large open area where the fighting took place, and a smaller room used as a dungeon. One prisoner, a Dwarf, appeared to still be barely alive. The party tried their best to heal the Dwarf, but were unable to do much. Tyrdin, using his mental abilities, managed to determine that the Dwarf was being controlled by some unseen being, something dark, violent, and evil. The being was easily able to detect Tyrdin’s meddling with his puppet.​

​

The party decided that they should rest, as almost all of them were exhausted from the battle. They claimed their rooms and slept, Helga sleeping in the dungeon in case anyone attempted to attack the prisoner. In the night, Tyrdin had a nightmare that shook him to his core. When he awoke, He found himself angry, holding back some violent force.​

​

When the party awoke, they decided to head to the Speaker to report their findings. As they were leaving the building, they heard the prisoner screaming. They ran down to the basement to find out what caused the Drawf to scream. When the got down to the basement, they discovered a previously undiscovered secret door, large enough to fit a large cart. In the cart was a small girl. When the party tried to free the girl, an invisible force struck Rathkor, who was attempting to undo the ropes that bound her.​

​

After much fear and confusion, Helga’s maternal instincts kicked in, and she decided to bring the girl along. The party left and decided to head straight to the Speaker. On the way there, they were stopped by the city guard. They informed Tyrdin that there was a break in at his house, and his mother had gone missing. Tyrdin ran straight towards his home. The party followed him.​

​

When the party arrived, the began looking around, looking for clues. Tyrdin noticed some large footprints on the ground. He cursed under his breath and took of running for the nearest large creature he knew: Bubbles the half-Ogre. Rathkor inspected the footprints and noticed they belonged to a Dragonborn, not a half-Ogre. Realizing the mistake Tyrdin was about to make, He took off after him. The others decided to speak with the Speaker.​

​

Rathkor caught up with Tyrdin and explained to him the true nature of the footprints. He also presented him with a note that was written in Draconic the party found in the basement of the building where they battled Kalad. The note corroborated his claim that a Dragonborn was involved. The two decided to join the others at the Speaker’s place.​

​

The party relayed the events leading up to their arrival, and were advised to speak with the town’s gravekeeper, who had been reporting strange activity in the graveyard late at night the past several nights. The party was told he could be found at the bar.​

​

The party arrived at the bar, and say the gravekeeper. After interrogating him, they received a key to the gaveyard. They then headed to the graveyard.​

​

Once there, the party discovered several freshly dug holes, with trails leading towards a large mausoleum. They decided to head inside. Helga and the little girl discoved a secret passage in one of the rooms, and the party began to investigate. The passage led to some cataclysms. Heading down the tunnels, the party reached a fork in the path. They decided to head down the southern tunnel, which led to a ladder. The headed down and discoved a large room that was haunted by three wraiths. The wraiths addressed Tyrdin, and told him they would help him in his plans, but only if he passed their test.​

​

After solving the wraiths’ riddles, they were allowed access to a room full of a ton of gold, and a chest. Tyrdin opened the Chest and discovered a bag full of medical powder. Falagar began filling his pockets with gold. Everyone headed back into the large room. The last to leave the treasure room was Falagar. As soon as he entered the room, the party was told they had failed.​

What horrors await the party of Louts? We shall find out next time.​

​

​

​

​

Rathkor's Journal​

​

Day 1 ​

It had been several weeks since I departed to find Salvitor, my teacher. The only clue I had to my teacher's whereabouts was that he was headed north. After hearing about several murders and people disappearing from a region in the north, I felt as if I was being called northward by some mysterious force. My search had so far proven fruitless. Only occasionally would someone remember someone matching my teacher's description passing through heading north. Eventually, my search led me to a mountainous region. I was looking for a trade town known as Bryn Shandor. I was told the area is very populous, and someone there was bound to have met my teacher. Unfortunately, a blinding snowstorm cut my visibility down to nothing, and I ended up lost. As the storm died down, I found a small town called Dougan's Hole. It was late, and fighting the storm had exhausted all of my energy, so I decided to rest in the local inn. I noticed several guards patrolling the area, more than I would have expected from such a small town. On my way to the inn, I passed a bar. I decided to head inside, hoping one of the patrons or servers had some information on my teacher's whereabouts.

As I stepped into the bar, I heard someone regaling about an adventure from his past. I barely listened to the adventurer's story, but I did notice his grammar was a bit off at times. I began asking about my teacher around the bar. Almost everyone I asked said they didn't know about too many elves in the area. As I investigated, I was approached by a Teifling who asked me what I'm doing in Dougan's Hole. Not wanting to reveal I only stumbled into the town after getting lost, I decided to simply tell him of teacher, and that I was searching for him. He pessimistically implied that he may not be alive. This though had crossed my mind a few times, but I refused to believe it was possible. I overheard the bartender and the storytelling adventurer haggling over the price of a drink. I heard the barkeep mention something about Dougan's Hole being a very poor town. I then remembered the patrolling guards, and became curious. I asked what the need for such a large military presence in such a poor area could be. He told me of some brutal murders and kidnappings that had occurred in the area. The story sounded very similar to the stories I heard back home. The bartender suggested I should work with the adventurer in seeking out the cause of the murders and kidnappings. The adventurer seems excited at the mention of a gold reward, and some extra gold would also be very helpful in my journey. A female Dwarf and a male Teifling volunteered to join us. The bartender pointed us in the direction of the Speaker, the town's leader. We briefly introduced each other. The adventurer's name was Falagar. The Teifling's was Tyrdin. The Dwarf's was Helga.

We arrived at the Speakers house, and were met by two guards. Falagar demanded entrance, which seemed to annoy the guards. The guards demanded to know why we wished to see the Speaker. Falagar explained that we intended to help with finding out what is causing the murders and kidnappings. After speaking briefly with the Speaker, the guards let us in. Once inside, we were greeted by the Speaker and the captain of the guard. The Speaker informs us of not only several kidnappings and murders, but also stolen goods, which he suspects may be related. He then hires us to investigate, much to the chagrin of the captain.

As we were leaving the Speaker's house, I decided to stop into a local shop, hoping to find some warmer clothes. Inside, I found a very nice Yeti fur jacket. The store clerk told me it was ten gold pieces. That sounded a bit high to me, and Tyrdin confirmed to me the price was indeed high. After some haggling, we managed to get a fair price for the jacket. As we walked to the door, Tyrdin warned me to be wary when dealing with shop owners in town, because they might not have any qualms about ripping off out of towners. I put on the jacket and we rejoined the others outside.

Once we regrouped, we decided to begin our investigation at the docks, where the cargo had been stolen. Once at the docks, we began searching some nearby warehouses. Falagar entered one of the warehouses through the window. The rest of us waited outside. After several minute, we decided to leave Falagar to search the warehouse alone, and investigated elsewhere. After several more minutes, Falagar steped out of the warehouse, shouting something about a bear. We approached another building, and we decided to investigate it as well. Tyrdin informed us that this building was the dock's administrative office. We had Falagar enter the office first. After searching for several minutes, we entered the building to help searching. Helga opened a door and entered into another room. As she did, there was a loud ringing noise. I decided to retreat to keep an eye out to for anyone who might have come to investigate the alarm. No one seemed to notice the alarm, but I decided to stay where I was to make sure no one showed up to catch us After several minutes of silence, I decided to rejoin the others. I walked in just in time to see Helga trying to smash a desk with her craghammer. As the hammer connected, a feint blue aura appeared around the desk, bouncing the attack back to Helga. I recognized the spell as one Salvitor once showed me. It was meant as a spell to protect important items. I was sure there was something important in that desk. Falagar begins trying out the drawers of the desk one at a time. Once he opened, a secret compartment in the desk's chair opened, revealing a small pouch. Falagar seemed preoccupied inspecting the contents of the desk to notice the chair's compartment, so I decided to grab the small bag and see what it held. Inside was a small gem. I examined it, but could not figure out exactly what it was. Falagar tried to snatch the gem away from me, but I was too quick and he ended up grabbing the air. He asked if he could see the gem. I decide to hold up the gem for him to inspect. He informs me that the gem is a Polyglot Gem, that contains the knowledge of the Goblin language. We decided to leave to continue investigating the docks.

Once again outside, we moved to another warehouse. This warehouse showed signs of having been broken into. I suddenly heard the crunch of snow, as if we were being followed. I warned the others and we turned to see who or what was following us. Suddenly, an arrow shot from an alley, hitting Helga pretty hard. After that, there was a loud whistling sound. More arrows hit Helga. More assailants arrived. After an intense battle with several bowmen and mace wielders, we managed to defeat them. The foes were strong, but with the help of Helga's hammer, Tyrdin's longspear and strange abilities, Falagar's magic, as well as my own magic and Dragonborn abilities, we survived their cowardly ambush and dispatched them with relative ease. With the exeption of Falagar, who took some major damage in the fight, everyone else only suffered minor injuries.

We decided to take a short break to heal our wounds. Tyrdin tended to Falagar's more severe wounds. After several minutes of resting, Helga decided to inspect a nearby warehouse. We decided to join him, but after several minutes of investigating, we concluded that the only significance this warehouse held was that it was the latest target of the thieves. We then decided to head over to the tower where several of the thugs had come from. We headed down into the tower's basement. There we found a treasure chest. Helga tried opening it, but it was locked. I pulled out my crowbar and attempted to pry it open, but the chest was just too well made. Helga tried smashing it with the hammer, but the chest withstood the attack. Falagar pulled out his gelatinous friend Bloby. He had Bloby crawl into the chest's keyhole, and much to everyone's surprise, the lid popped open. Opening the chest, we found a hidden ladder. After climbing down the ladder, we found ourselves in a very dark area. I had to pull out a lantern and some oil in order to see anything. We discovered a young boy of about sixteen or so tied up in the corner of a dungeon looking area. We released the boy, who seemed frightened. He told us he was the son of an aristocrat, that his name was Vhaldin, and that he had been kidnapped by the thugs. We found his bag lying in the opposite corner and gave it to him. He then agreed to follow us, afraid to leave alone. ​

​

We headed down a cave hallway. We preceded slowly, trying not to alert any thugs that might have been hiding down in the caves. We eventually came to an area with a ladder leading to a trap door. I decided to climb up and try to peek through the door, but the door didn't budge. We decided to continue down the hallway. We soon found a body lying on the ground. Helga inspects him. He was dressed like the thugs we defeated earlier. He seemed to have been stabbed in the stomach by a sword. We again decided to continue down the hallway until we reach an area where the cave divides. I decided to see how far each cave goes by throwing pebbles in each direction and listening to how far they went. We determine that the right path was about seventy or eighty feet or so, and that the left path was significantly shorter. We decided to head down the left path, until we came to a tiled room with a large wooden rope bridge. Every sound seemed to echo much more than the rest of the cave. The noise seemed to upset some unseen creatures in the room, so we decided to turn back and head down the right path. Helga noted that the cave seemed to be in worse condition than the rest of the cave, and mentioned that we should be careful of floor collapses or cave ins. We continued cautiously, Helga leading the way. We soon approached an area that seemed to have already caved in. We squeezed past the rubble to the other side. We found another ladder. This time the trap door was not locked. I didn't notice anything in the immediate area, so I decided to fully open door and look around. It was snowing pretty hard, so it was difficult to see anything. I used my Expanded Dragon Breath to clear the snow long enough for me to get a quick glimpse of the area. I noticed a building somewhat nearby, but didn't think it was of any particular importance. I climbed back down and we continued down the cave. As we were walking down the hallway, Helga stepped on a portion of floor that suddenly collapsed underneath her. Helga managed to catch herself on the edge of the hole. I rushed over to try and pull her up, but I struggle just to hold onto her. Tyrdin tried to help me pull her up, but he stumbled and bumped into me, almost causing me and Helga to fall, but I managed to maintain enough balance to keep from falling in. Helga tried climbing out of the hole. As she did, my balance slipped, but I managed to avoid falling into the hole with Helga. Finally, Helga managed to climb out of the hole. We continued down the hallway as cautiously as possible, hoping to avoid another pitfall. We reached a clearing, which seemed to be another entrance into the tiled area from before. I began to cross the wooden bridge, testing to see if it will hold our weight. It seemed to hold well enough, but we decided to proceed as slowly and quietly as possible. I continued down the bridge. The bridge swayed as I was in the middle of it, and I fell to the ground. Tyrdin and Helga decided to crawl across the bridge, and Vhaldin stayed on the platform. One of the planks below Helga cracked, but she managed to avoid falling into the abyss. One cracked below me, and I managed to move off the bridge before it broke and I climbed to my feet. I tossed Helga a rope, in case the bridge collapsed under her. Suddenly, a swarm of bats attacked from the shadows of the ceiling.​

​

During the battle, the “ordianry kid” Vhaldin, teleported across the room and appeared next to me. We were overrun by bloodsucking bats. At on point, Helga had the bats attached to her, draining her blood rapidly. I had no choice but to use a spell I was only vaguely familiar with: Blazing Starfall. Most of my practice sessions had only been one-on-one with Salvitor, so I was not as familiar with attacks that target multiple enemies. The bats all managed to avoid the attack, but the allies in range took damage. After two more failed Blazing Starfall attacks, the strange powers and abnormally good fighting skills of the so-called normal aristocrat's son, and a lot of luck, we managed to survive the attack, if only just barely. I grabbed the body of a soldier that was in nearby and quickly dragged it into the cave with us before we could anger more bats. Helga searched the body, finding some gold and identification. I confronted Vhaldin about his powers, and he vehemently denied doing anything but hiding, saying I must have been seeing things in the confusion of the battle. No one else seemed to have noticed this, so I thought to myself in that moment that I should keep a close eye on him in the future. We then decided to rest and tend to our wounds before moving on.​

​

I spotted a bloodstain on the ground a few feet in front of us. As we approached it, Falagar spotted more blood. Helga inspected the blood, and concluded that whatever was bleeding was being dragged through the cave. It had come from the left tunnel and was being dragged down the right tunnel. She also pointed out that the blood is still wet, therefor fresh. We decided to head left, where the blood was coming from, to see if there was anyone we could rescue from a similar fate to whatever was being dragged through the caves. Turning a corner, I spotted a body. It appeared to be another dead thug. I could tell he hadn't been dead long, as blood was still pouring from the body. Tyrdin noticed cuts to his midsection that looked like he was cut up by a sharp instrument. He mentioned that the cuts weren't haphazard, but looked to have been implemented with extreme precision. There was another ladder nearby, and I decided to peek through the door. I climbed down and told the others that this one didn't lead outside. As I was talking to them, we hear some noises coming from the trap door, as if someone was locking the door. I shot an Acid Orb at the door. There was some panicked noises followed by something heavy being dragged over the door, followed by a hammering noise, as if they were nailing the door shut. I pushed against the door as hard as I could, but the door only budged. I noticed oil dripping through the cracks of the door.. I jumped off the ladder and the others ran down the tunnel. Falagar mentioned turning the tables on them and igniting the oil before they could. I liked the idea, so I turned and used my Dragon Breath to ignite the oil. Then Falagar and I ran to rejoin the others, but as we ran I could hear major panicking noise coming from the door.​

We made it back to the bloodstain, and we decided to follow it to the right. Falagar got bored and began running recklessly down the hallway, shouting loudly. The rest of us decided to stay back and wait to see if he drew any attention. He disappeared around a corner. When we rejoined him, he was reading a message pinned to a wall between two levers. I decided to hang on the opposite wall from the levers, fearing what would happen if the wrong lever is pulled. Helga pulls the right lever, but nothing happens. Falagar pulls the left lever, and the floor beneath him disappeared. Falagar fell into the pit. We called out to him to see if he's okay, but he didn't respond. I ran towards the hole, and saw Falagar lying on the ground. He appeared to be unconscious. I pulled out a length of rope. Several small spider-like creatures appeared in the pit. I threw a portion of the rope down to the bottom. I asked Helga to climb down, and she obliged, When Helga touched the bottom, several of the Spiders ran in fear. Helga managed to resuscitate Falagar. Falagar and Helga climbed the rope. Falagar seemed confused and a little dazed. Vhaldin decides to inspect the levers, and Tyrdin, Falagar, and I immediately stepped back into the tunnel to avoid another trap. Tyrdin tended to Falagars wounds. Vhaldin reset the right lever, and we heard a scraping noise coming from the tunnel behind us. We headed in the direction of the noise, and discovered a new tunnel. The tunnel had more bloodstains heading down it, so I figured we must be heading in the right direction. The tunnel lead to a large opening. There were large boulders littered throughout the area. I saw a shadowy looking figure in the middle of the room. A voice in my head warned us not to come any closer. The figure teleported across the room. There is a strange sounding voice coming from one corner of the room. The voice belonged to a very disgusting looking man. The man revealed his name to be Selmik.​

​

I fired an Acid Orb at the shadow figure, but he teleported out of the path of the attack. There was a growling noise to my left. A strange dog like being appeared from behind a boulder. Falagar recognized the beast, and told us to avoid its bite at all costs, because it was capable of ripping men to pieces, and it is very difficult to get released from its grasp.. Vhaldin ran and hides behind a boulder. The shadow figure ran down a tunnel, and pulled a lever. Gates dropped in both tunnels, sealing us in the area. Selmik threw sand on the ground, and two large rats appeared from the sand. During the fight, another shadow figure appeared, but this one seemed to actually be attacking the same targets we were attacking, using some familiar attacks. Selmik eventually summoned some more rats, but these rats were different from the first set. They attacked Helga and Falagar, and then turned into copies of them. At one point, Selmik made the biggest mistake he could make. He charged in close and attacked me head on. He bit down on my arm. I pushed him back, and hit him with my Dragon Breath. He howled out in pain. I followed up by hitting him with the strongest spell in my arsenal: Dazzling Ray. The attack hit Selmik hard. But I wasn't about to let up yet. I hit him with an Acid Orb. The creature grew fearful of me after such a display of power. He tried running away, and tried climbing a wall. He got a few feet up, but then fell to his back. Unfortunately, after the attacks, I began to feel very ill. I realized that Selmik's bite must have infected me with something. Eventually, we defeated the rats, the dog, and Selmik.​

We began searching the room. We each found some expensive silverware that we were sure would fetch a nice price in stores. We also tended to our wounds. Even though I managed to take care of my wounds, Selmik's sickness was still making me feel weak. I knew I would need to see a doctor. I asked Tyrdin if he knew of any doctors in the area. He told me he knew of one, and that he would lead me there as soon as we were out of the caves. Selmik suddenly sprang to life and attacked Tyrdin. We swiftly knocked him to the ground and Helga slammed her hammer down on his head, crushing it. Vhaldin reappeared in a human form, but by now even the others were suspecting he was not what he appeared to be. Falagar conjured a magical hand to raise the lever, which raised the gates. We followed the tunnel to an exit, which led to an area of the town. Tyrdin led me to a doctor, who managed to heal me and remove Selmik's disease from me. Tyrdin once again helped me avoid paying more than I should. We rejoined the others and decided to report to the speaker. I informed he of everything we encountered, including the underground caves, the dead bodies, and Selmik and the mysterious shadow man. She rewarded us in gold, and a free night at the local inn. I asked her for one more favor. I asked her if she knew anything of my teacher Salvitor. She replied that she in fact, had heard of him and that he was most likely in Dougan's Hole's rival town: Good Mead. I was ecstatic. I felt as if I were finally getting close to finding my teacher.​

Tyrdin decided it was time for him to head home, and the rest of us decided it was as good a time as any to get some sleep, so we headed to the inn. Tomorrow, I shall head to Good Mead to find my teacher.​

​

​

Day 2​

​

​

​

​

When I awoke, I found myself three hundred gold short. It was as if the Speaker's reward had been stolen, but nothing else. I left my room and discovered the same had happened to the others who stayed at the inn, except for the mysterious Vhaldin, who had disappeared in the night. Even Helga's teapot was missing. I was upset at the loss of the gold, and the fact that the murders hadn't stopped, but the fact that I now knew I was on the right track to finding my mentor after such a long journey without even the slightest hint of his location distracted me from that. I went downstairs and ask the innkeeper for the fastest route to Good Mead, but I was told travel outside the city would be almost impossible due to the weather. This news frustrated me greatly. I returned upstairs to rejoin the others. Helga informed me that she and Falagar were searching for clues to try and find anything they could regarding the theft of their gold. Falagar began searching Vhaldin's room, and I decided to join him. We soon discovered a note that made it seem as if Vhaldin had stolen the gold and ran. We rejoined the others, and the others decided to interrogate the innkeeper. I decided to leave them to it so I could talk to the speaker. I knocked on her door, but got no response. ​

​

I returned to the inn, and as I approached, the others were being led out by a militiaman. Apparently another murder had taken place in the night. The body was sprawled out in front of a stable. It was a woman. As we approached the body, we saw Tyrdin walking down the street. We decided to investigate the body. Helga and Falagar noticed she had been stabbed by a large sword, and that her hands have been removed. I asked the militiaman if this murder is connected to the murders we investigated. He said that the number of murders in the town was very low, and the missing body parts make it seem as if it was connected. While the others were checking around the body, I decided to look at the nearby stable. Inside was a large sleeping figure and a black horse. Falagar stepped up next to me and mentioned that he felt a magical energy coming from that stable. I noticed a faint glowing chest near the large sleeping figure. I pointed this out to he others. ​

​

Falagar decided to try and sneak in and get a closer look at the chest. He managed to get close to the chest without waking up the giant creature. He conjured up a magical hand to open the chest and pull out its contents. He pulled out a very nice looking dagger out of the chest. He brought the dagger to him and grabbed it from the magical hand. As soon as he touched the dagger, he appeared to be frozen in place. Shortly afterwards, he began lo laugh very loudly, waking up the giant creature. The creature saw Falagar stealing the dagger, and stepped forward, ready to attack. Falagar. Falagar, still laughing, manages to utter an incantation. The giant man began to slow down somewhat, and Falagar turned an ran for the exit, still laughing. The giant creature, which now that it was closer began looking like an ogre, but not quite, shambled slowly forward, and suddenly passed out in mid stride. Without wasting any time, we decided to run away before the ogre-like creature could wake up. Once we got far enough away from the creature, Falagar stuffed the dagger into his bag and quit laughing. Using his Mage Hands, Falagar lifted the dagger back out of his bag, careful not to touch it, and began to inspect it. We determined that the object appeared differently to each of us. Whereas it looked like a dagger to me, Falagar saw a tome, and Tyrdin saw a heart. It seemed to have some other strange properties, but it also seemed cursed, making the user laugh uncontrollably, so out of fear of it affecting us, we decided to stop inspecting it. Falagar held onto the strange object, but was very careful not to touch it again.​

​

I was conflicted. I still wanted to help the town, but I had to act fast before Salvitor's trail grew cold. But it seemed the weather was not going to allow me to travel. So I decided to stick with the group, but I was still annoyed at not being able to continue on my search. We decided to head back to the Speaker to see if they were in today. The Speaker told us that the murders were indeed still continuing, and that we should continue investigating. He said we would be rewarded again if we continued to assist. Helga asked about a man named Flint. He was apparently the drunken Dwarf from the bar. I suggested he might still be at the bar, seeing as he seemed like the time to spend a lot of his time in bars. We decided to swing by there, but he was not there. Helga asked the bartender about him. The bartender told us he was part of a group of adventurers who were passing through the time. Helga seemed excited to hear this news. Helga stated that she wanted to return to the bar later tonight. She pulled out a piece of paper and sat at a nearby table.​

​

She told us the note was given to her by the drunken Flint. It was apparently written in her supposed late husband's handwriting, and seemed to implicate him with some very bad men. It also seemed to connect him with the stolen goods and murders. It would seem Flint gave us this information to try and bring down this organization. It stood to reason talking to him would be worthwhile, as he probably knows more than he let on. I carefully searched the room, making sure no one was listening to our conversation. I couldn't notice anything, but Helga noticed me looking and decided to scan the room herself. She noticed that a woman was listening in on us. Helga stared her down until she was sure the woman stopped listening in.​

​

We decided to search the town, keeping an eye out for Flint or any evidence of the murders we can find. We leave the bar, but watch the door for several minutes after to make sure we aren't being followed. After several minutes of no activity, we decided it was safe to leave. We headed out to the slums and began searching. Everyone seemed to be keeping an eye out for anyone who might have been following us. After a long time of searching and finding nothing, we decided to head back to the bar to see if Flint had arrived. As we headed back to the bar, we hear some loud, drunken laughing coming from behind us. Something didn't feel right about that. We looked back to see what was going on, but we couldn't see anything. Falagar conjured up some light, and we could see a small man, possibly a Halfling. I called out to it, but the man didn't respond. We decided to ignore the man and head to the bar. ​

​

As we passed by the man, I bumped into him. In retaliation, the man insulted me, and in a fit of anger, I grabbed the man's shirt. He insulted me again, so I tried throwing him to the ground. I was done humoring this fool and was going to leave him to his drunken state. But when I threw my arms forward to toss him, he appeared to be stuck to the scales of my hands. I tried slamming him into the ground, but the crafty little bugger slithered out of my grip and appeared behind me, holding on to me. I noticed his grubby little hands were digging into my pockets. I threatened the man, and Helga pulled out her hammer in a threatening manner. I tried to break his grip, but the man stuck on to me. He was much trickier than I would have made him out to be. I told the others to stand back. As soon as they were out of my way, I cast Blazing Starfall in the area around me. I managed to avoid hitting myself, but the attack did hit the man. However, the man seemed unfazed. He then called me a lout, a word I haven't heard too often, but it did appear in the note the shape-changer left behind. This made me wonder if this man was the same guy, of if the note was planted in an attempt to turn us against each other. Either way, I would have to be more cautious around the man if we ever run into him again. Helga stepped forward to strike the Halfling with her hammer. The hammer crashed into the man, but he seemed unaffected by the attack, though he did release his grip on me.​

​

The man pulled out a dagger. Looking closer, I noticed the dagger looked familiar. It was one of my Daggers. I growled at the man and snatched my dagger from his hand. He then threw a strange powder on the ground. Helga tried smashing the Halfling with her hammer once again, and the man reacted by shining faintly. A second figure, looking exactly like the first, appeared behind Helga. One of the figures spun its head completely around and looked at Tyrdin, and mumbled something I couldn't quite hear. Tyrdin seemed freaked out by this bizarre act. More mirror image appeared behind Tyrdin and Falagar. I cast Frostbind on one of the figures, which caused another figure to appeared behind me. Then I spun around and hit the newest one with my Dragon Breath. Two more appeared behind me again. All the figures began laughing at once. Then one of the figures threw down some more power and took off running. The remaining figures tried to grab onto us in an attempt to keep us from following what was presumably the original. Helga has grabbed, but almost immediately shook free of his grab. She then hit one of the figures who had slipped and was lying on the ground at her feet. He shattered and disappeared. Helga stepped aside and swung at one of the figures, killing it and making it disappear as well. Tyrdin chased after the one that took off running, but as he looked around the corner, he froze in place. He was terrified by something that was out of sight. Falagar unleashed a loud, radiating attack, and the two figures that were grabbing him were destroyed. I ran after the man, avoiding the grab of another mirrored figure. I didn't see what was causing Tyrdin to freak out, so I continued running down the alley after the Halfling. I attacked the fleeing Halfling with my most powerful Dazzling Ray, hitting him right in the back, who began bleeding. The Halfling disappeared from my sight by running around a corner. I called back to the others, telling them to try and cut him off around the corner. Tyrdin fell backwards, still being scared by some unseen threat.​

​

I ran around the corner where I saw the Halfling run, and waiting for me was a giant cyclops. Startled, I attacked it with my Acid Orb, but seeing as the attack was out of reflex and not properly aimed, I missed it completely. Helga rushed forward to attack the cyclops, but the hammer bounced off of it as if it were nothing. The cyclops stared at Helga angrily and began to grow taller. Tyrdin and Falagar appeared from around the corner. Tyrdin seemed unafraid of this creature for some reason. The cyclops howled out, and looked towards Tyrdin and grew a little bit more. It spoke a strange language I've never heard before. Falagar began speaking in the same strange language as the cyclops. After what seemed life a brief conversation, the being vanished. It would seem as if Falagar managed to banish the cyclops away.​

​

We heard laughing coming from behind the cyclops, and it sounded like the tricky Halfling. I suggested we split up to try and trap him so he cannot slip away. We circled a building, only to bump into each other on the other side, no one having seen the Halfling. We heard a scuffle coming from inside the house we circled. Helga smashed the door down with her hammer. We entered the house, preparing to find the Halfling. Instead, we found a man and a woman in bed. Tyrdin explained that we were chasing a criminal that we thought might be hiding in the area. The couple agree to let us look around. All we find are some books, a bear skin rug, and a teapot on a stove. After realizing that the house was not housing the Halfling, we decided to check out a well we passed to make sure the Halfling didn't hide down it. I picked up a small rock and dropped it down to judge how far the well went. After realizing we were being led down another dead end, we decided to go to the bar to see if Flint was there.​

​

On our way back to the bar, notice a cloaked Halfling hiding in the corner. I called out to him and he took off running. Tyrdin pointed out that it could either be a trap or that someone is distracting us from getting to that bar, to keep us from asking too many questions. We decided to ignore the Halfling and continue to the bar. A voice called out, and we ignored it. Suddenly, sever people appeared, stepping out from the shadows. There was no way around it, we would have to fight to get past them.​

​

The first enemy hit me with a strange contraption on his wrist, which launched a net at me, knocking me to the ground. Falagar ended up getting hit pretty hard a couple of times, and began bleeding profusely. An old man appeared from down the street and joined our fight. He attacked the enemies with a familiar looking attack. It was an attack we saw the shadow man use in the caves earlier. A few more attacked with nets and bolas, as if they were trying to capture us alive instead of killing us. I was still trapped under the net, but I managed to crawl towards one of the enemies. I tried to attack him with my Frostbind, but the net hindered my ability to move, causing me to miss my attack. Tyrdin managed to patch up Falagar, at least stopping his bleeding. A few of them attacked with arrows, but the arrows were not strong enough to get past Helga's shield. I managed to break free of the net, but before I could get to my feet, I was attacked by one of them. Unable to defend myself, I was hit pretty hard. The old man was stabbed in the shoulder by an assailant's dagger. And the would began to bleed heavily. Falagar Attacked an enemy with a loud thunderous attack, which threw one of the enemies backwards. Then he did the smartest thing I think I've ever seen him do, he pointed to the sky and fired up an explosion of lights that crackled loudly. He seemed to be trying to signal the town militia. Tyrdin stepped forward and threw his hands out, and one of the enemies was lifted slightly off the ground. I've never seen anything quite like that in my entire life. Tyrdin waved his hand, and the man was thrown in the direction of one of his allies. The ally managed to avoid his flying teammate, but the man Tyrdin tossed crashed into the ground. I climb to my feet and try to attack one of the assailants, but having my ribcage smashed in earlier made it extremely painful to move my arms, causing my Acid Orb to go flying several feet over one of their heads. One of the enemies slashed Falagar's arm very badly, causing a lot of blood to come pouring out of the room. Tyrdin waved his hand again, and the guy he threw earlier went flying towards another of his allies. The ally dodged the attack, but the man Tyrdin threw still crashed into the a statue. He moved aside and attacked one of the enemies with his spear. Falagar managed to patch himself up again. After several more minutes of fighting, militiamen showed up to provide us with some much needed backup. On of the enemies decided to try and run away. Falagar managed to charm one of the enemies into turning on one of his companions and attacked them. I sensed more than words were at work. Tyrdin waved his hand, and once again is flying puppet was launched at the enemy that was running away. The guy was too focused on running away, so he was unable to avoid getting hit. The collision was enough to knock the guy down. When he hit the ground, there was a cracking sound, and he fell limp. Helga smashed one of the remaining enemies so hard that he coughed and sputtered up blood, but managed to remain standing. One enemy struck Falagar, and Falagar went limp. He appeared to still be alive, but only barely. I fired off a Blazing Starfall, and hit one of the last of the enemies, nearly killing him. The militiamen charged forward, and one the enemies was killed with relative ease. One of the enemies took off running and managed to disappear into the darkness. Tyrdin threw his puppet back towards us, making him crash into a statue. Tyrdin then managed to help Falagar recover, at least helping him regain consciousness. One of the last enemies launched an attack on the man Tyrdin has been throwing around. He managed to kill him and loot the body before running away as fast as he could manage. Helga manages to catch up to him and knocked him into a nearby tree. I ran after the fleeing man, trying to close the distance between us. I throw out an Acid Orb, but because of my chest, which was still hurting me quite a bit, I barely missed the enemy. The old man killed the last remaining fighting assailant, save for the one who was running away. Falagar climbed to his feet and ran after the fleeing man. He then conjured some flames around the last enemy. Hitting not only she enemy, but the tree next to him. The tree exploded, hurling the enemy several feet away, rendering him unconscious.​

​

The old man began waving a sword around, looking for more enemies. Falagar limped over to the enemy who Tyrdin was throwing around and began looking over the body. Helga and I moved to the last enemy to go down. Helga kicked away his weapon and I started tying him up with a ten foot length of rope. The body Falagar was searching sprang to life and attacked him with the net launching contraption, knocking Falagar backwards and trapping him. He climbed to his feet and started running away. I saw him pull out a small potion. At this point, I was growing very tired of all of these enemies running away, forcing us to chase them down.​

​

Tyrdin and Helga go running after the man, heading in two separate directions around different sides of the building. Helga shouted to me that he was headed towards her. Falagar managed to escape from the net and then used a strange ability to cause a ruckus to appear from a nearby alley which sounded like a ton of militiamen running towards them. The old man ran swiftly towards the man, catching up to him rather quickly. I followed Helga and when I spotted the man running towards me, I roared as loudly as I could. The walls around me seemed to reverberate with the sound of my roar echoing though the streets. The man must have felt trapped, because he began nervously looking for an exit. He ran towards a wall and ran up it, trying to reach the rooftop. Tyrdin tried talking him into just giving up, but he wouldn't hear any of that. Helga ran forward, tried jumping over a small fence, and tried grabbing him, but she fell short, crashing to the ground. The militia ran to join up with the rest of us. Falagar summoned an illusion of a cat on the roof above him, which growled and hissed right in his face. The man slipped and fell to the ground hard. I ran over to the man and tied him up with rope before he could come to and try and run off again. Helga dragged the other guy we tied up and dropped him next to the other guy.​

​

As soon as the two came to, and after we'd procured some of their supplies, we decided to interrogate them. One of the two began to shake violently, then started coughing. He somehow managed to swallow some poison. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mouth began to foam. We quickly searched the other man to prevent him from poisoning himself. We found no poison on the second man. Luckily he appeared to be the one in charge, so he would be the one with more information. I grabbed the man and pulled him away from the dead man, to prevent him from trying anything. I told the man to tell me everything he knew, and he was unsurprisingly uncooperative. It was then that I saw him for what he was: he was acting tough by acting unafraid of death, because he saw death as an escape. But in reality he was a coward. He was weak. He was afraid of pain without the release that only death offers. That fear would be the only thing that got him to speak. I had to show him there was worse things in the world than death. I pulled out my dagger and placed it on his right thumb, getting ready to slice it off. Suddenly, the man spoke up. He told us to investigate the home of a man named Donogan. The old man shoved me out of the way. After seeing that the others weren't going to let me harm him, the man decided to stop talking. I whispered in the man's ear that the others would only protect him as long as he kept talking, but if he stopped being useful, they would surely lose interest in protecting him. Helga asked him a question, but he refused to answer. I asked him who he was working for, but he didn't say anything. The man looked at Falagar a smiled. He began threatening him with some vague threats of giants and weapons. Falagar used a Mage Hand to pull out the strange object from the stable. Only now it looked like a rod. The man stared at the rod with fear and awe. I suggested Falagar give the rod to the man, hopefully cursing him with whatever curse affected Falagar when he first touched it. The man was terrified of the though. Falagar hit the man in the head with the rod, and then it turned into a very powerful magical dagger. Falagar tried to find out what the man saw when he looked at the rod. I must admit, the sight of Falagar poking the man over and over again with a dagger and asking “What do you see!?” in such an angry voice was a bit amusing. The man threw his head forward and impaled himself on the staff. The staff was jammed through his eye.​

​

Falagar used his Mage Hand to retrieve the staff and put back into his bag. I untied the corpses and repacked my rope. I approached the militiamen to ask them a few questions. I asked them where we could find Donogan's house, so that we could continue our search. They instructed us on how to get there. It was on the other side of the town, and the bar has on the way there, so we decided to check in and see if Flint had arrived yet. ​

​

When we arrived at the bar, Flint had not arrived. Since he had not arrived, we decided to investigate more of the town, agreeing to check back later to see if he arrived. We decided to investigate the home of a Dwarf who was supposed to somehow be connected to the murders, whose body we discovered in the caves a day before.. When we got there, we had a little bit of trouble finding the exact building. We decided to investigate the largest building in the area. We decided to peer into one of its windows. I noticed a small movement inside. Tyrdin cracked the window, and a strange, thick, green liquid covered his hands. The liquid appeared to be causing him much pain, but luckily Tyrdin was able to stay calm enough to shove his hands into the snow. When he pulled his hands out, they seemed scarred and burned, but no longer were the covered in that painful slime.​

​

We decided that the fact that the house was booby-trapped probably meant there was something worth protecting inside. We found the door and knocked on the door. There was no response, despite both Tyrdin and me. I saw a sturdy tree near the building, and I decided to break a branch of of it. One never knows when a good sturdy stick will come in handy, especially when dealing with booby-traps. Helga opened the door and we walked cautiously inside, followed by the others, except for Tyrdin and the old man. Tyrdin wanted to remain outside to keep an eye out. The old man was at the window Tyrdin hurt himself on, carefully inspecting the slime trap. Inside appeared to be a shop. There was a counter on the far wall, and goods scattered throughout the room. Helga opened another door, and when the door opened, she was attacked by a large beast of a man.​

​

After Helga recovered from the surprise attack, she swung her hammer at her attacker, but the man jumped back, avoiding the blow. Helga uses this moment to slip into the room. Judging from the noise, Helga must have ended up fighting a a decent sized group of enemies. Falagar ran forward and leaped over the counter. There was a sound of wood scraping against metal. I ran to join the others. I could see a small group of enemies standing together, so I cast Blazing Starfall on them. Most of them managed to avoid the attack, but one of them was hit so hard he began coughing up blood. Helga got hit pretty hard by an arrow. But she quickly managed to shake it off and return to combat. She swung her hammer towards an enemy, who only barely managed to avoid getting crushed. Tyrdin attempted to charge through the window, but he helplessly bounced off the glass and fell to a heap on the ground. A shadowy figure snuck into the room from the other side of the room. The figure darted behind the bar. Falagar saw Helga about to be attacked by the large man, ant thinking quickly, he spoke to one of the large man's min ions, and the minion blindly attacked the large man. The large man retaliated with the blade of his ax. Blood sprayed out of the wound. I hit two of the lesser enemies with my Blazing Starfall, killing one and severely wounding another. I then rushed forward, placing me between a wounded Helga and the large man, and I hit the large man with my Dragon Breath. The man glared angrily at me. An arrow from one of the archers flew inches from my head. I tossed Helga the tree branch so she could attack the man from a safer distance. Tyrdin moved from the window he was at to the one looking into the room where we were all fighting. The shadow figure unleashed a large flurry of shadow bolts on one of the archers, killing him. Now more than ever, I was sure that this figure was the same from the caves, as well as the old man and the young aristocrat. I still didn't know if he could be trusted, but for now, he seems to be fighting on our side. The large man shambled backwards. Blood trickled down his angry face. He charged past me and swung for Helga. Helga cried out in pain as the large ax crashed down on her. I feared she wouldn't make it much longer without some help. Desperately, Helga swung out with her hammer, but the man blocked the attack with his ax. She swiftly swung her hammer in the opposite direction., The man tried blocking again, but was not fast enough. The hammer crashed into his ribcage. There was a sickening set of cracking sounds, and the large man slumped to the ground. Blood pooled around him, and it became obvious he was dead. Tyrdin appeared to be fighting another Teifling outside. Falagar fired of a magic bolt which crashed through the window, causing it to explode. The magic energy struck the opposing Teifling, killing him.​

​

Tyrdin walked around and joined us inside the building. We decided to investigate the surrounding area. Some gargoyle statues in the room seemed odd and out of place, so we decided to inspect them. The shadow man closely inspected a shield on one of the statues. Falagar seemed more intent on inspecting the bar's alcohol collection. The shadow man removed the helmet from one of the statues. There was a faint scraping noise from the next room. He handed the helmet to Helga and asked her to return it once he was in the next room. When he left, she placed the helmet back on the head of the statue. When she did, flames shot out of the gargoyle's mouth. Helga tried to jump back, but was unable to act in time to avoid getting hit. After putting out the flames, Helga began inspecting the statue once again. We find a flight of stairs that leads to an alcove. There is a chest stored there, but it was locked. Helga decides to try the key we got earlier that day. Inside the chest were a couple vials of poison, a parchment with a ritual inscribed on it, and a magical protective amulet. We head back down and continue investigating. We find several bedrooms, and I found a closet filled with expensive looking clothes and rugs. I figured these items might be the stolen goods we were hired to track down. I called out to the others, and Tyrdin walked in holding a teapot he had found in a kitchen. Suddenly, a hidden trap door opened in the closet. Opening the door revealed a stairway leading into a basement looking area. I called out to the others, telling them I found a trap door. We climbed down the stairs.​

​

The basement smelled of death and blood. Limbs and other various body parts were littered throughout the room. The area looked to be a rest area got the men here, complete with a bar, card table, and a stove with a teapot on it. At the far end of the basement was a small army, led by a knight in full plate armor. He seemed to be the leader of the entire operation. With him out of the way, the murders, kidnappings, and thefts would drop significantly. The only problem was this man seemed much stronger than the others we faced so far, he had more followers, and today had been a long day with many tough battles, and the signs of fatigue were showing on the entire group. This would not be an easy battle.​

​

I slipped out a small bottle from my belt pouch. I spotted a card table in the back of the room with several piles of gold scattered on it. While most of the room was focused on us, on opportunistic man used the distraction as a chance to begin swiping gold from the table. Helga looked at the armored knight with an intense anger I've never seen her show before. Usually she seems pretty level headed. Falagar once again talked an archer into firing on the knight, but the arrow bounces off of the steel plate armor. The knight only laughed at Falagar's attempt. He stepped towards Helga and swung his mace He began radiating some sort of energy that seemed to strengthen all of his men. I knew this man was going to be trouble, and I had to somehow do as much damage as I could. If I could only get behind him I could catch him off guard, but there was no way I would be able to move fast enough for him not to prepare for me. It was then that I remembered a skill my master had begun to teach me just before he left. I had never mastered it, but it seemed I would at least have to try. I closed my eyes tightly, focused all of my energy in an area just behind the night, and spun around. When I opened my eyes, I had appeared behind him. It was amazing, my Spatial Trip technique worked! Acting quickly, I poured out the contents of my vial, a pint of oil, on the ground at the knight's feet. I then unleashed my Dragon Breath, which ignited the oil. Somehow, the knight only seemed to take a minimal amount of damage, and was able to stand in the flames without much problem. The next thing I knew, a large cart began floating off of the ground, hovered over Helga and the knight, and dropped, but before it could crush Helga, she seemed to get pulled back by an unseen force. The cart came crashing down on the knight, but the knight managed to crash through the bottom of the cart and remain standing. The wooden cart then caught fire from the oil fueled fire I created. The man who was stealing gold from the card tables apparently filled his pockets as full as he could, because he ran away into another room, leaving a few piles of gold still on the table. After a much heated battle, we finally managed to finish of the knight, but it took just about everything we all had. And after he fell, there were still a few minions left. Tyrdin and Falagar both went down, and I wasn't to far behind. I fully expected to be killed. But If I was going down, I was going to make hell for whoever was going to bring me down. Helga had finished off most of the remaining minions, but there was still an archer behind the bar. I had been hiding behind some crates to avoid the archer, who seemed to be focused on me for much of the fight. I jumped up from my hiding spot and finished off the last minion with my Frostbind attack.​

​

I wanted to black out, but I couldn't let myself go just yet. Falagar managed to climb to his feet, but Tyrdin wasn't doing as well. I would be damned if I was going to let him down after all he'd done for me. We all circled around him and tried our hardest to keep him alive. I have to admit, Tyrdin was one tough guy, because he held in their much longer than he should have. It wasn't looking good though, and just when it looked like we'd lost hi, Helga began slamming her fists on his chest, which seemed to restart his heart. Tyrdin coughed up blood and regained consciousness. He slowly crawled to his feet.​

​

Tyrdin, Helga, and I decided to find a spot to rest up and mend our wounds. Falagar and the shadow man investigated the area we saw one man run to. After the three of us were done resting, we joined them in investigating the area. We picked up the remaining gold from the table, inspected the knights corpse, and found a chest. In the chest was a bunch of useless supplies. Tyrdin investigated the bar, and found a secret switch, the switch opened a secret compartment in the bottom of the chest. We found some useful items, as well as a medallion with a symbol on it. I recognized the symbol as that of a dark and evil god. It seems this group worshiped them, and may have been collecting these body parts for some sort or religious ritual or ceremony. Helga noticed that the teapot had gone missing. We also found a not in Draconic speaking of a dark god and ordering subordinates to collect body parts and create chaos. This troubled me. Perhaps there is a Dragonborn in the ranks of the enemies.​

​

We joined Falagar and the shadow man, who had discovered a dungeon with several dead prisoners chained to the wall. There was also a large pit in the middle of the floor and a secret lever which opened a door to the next room, near the stairs we came down. Upon further investigation, we discovered one of the prisoners was still alive, but just barely. We tried resuscitating him. We were unable to help the poor man, as his mind seemed to be possessed by someone else. While we were dealing with the Dwarf, the shadow man managed to disappear once again. We decided it would be best if we rested, as we were all exhausted fro the last fight.​

​

​

​

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

I'm in, and calling dibs on Defender for the time being.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Helga Stormfist, Dwarven Battlerager:

(Her face and hair are different but this picture shows the proper armor, shield, weapon, AND hints at her character background.)

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

That looks pretty damn solid. Looking forward to the background story. Will she be from the area or be from a distant land? Exciting.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Your description doesn't really tell me, but if there's a settlement around with a strong and respectable dwarven population, then she'll be from there. Otherwise I might make adjust the story a bit to fit.

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

As far as I know, near Icewind Dale there are two Dwarven settlements. One lies a few miles north of Bryn Shandler called Bremen's Run, with its leader being the well known Bruenor Battlehammer (BattleHammer Clan) with about 200 dwarves or so. Then there's another settlement to the south, along the west side of the Spine of the World along The Cold Run trade route called Ironmaster. IronMaster is the only trading town between Icewind Dale and the rest of civilization. There are about 400 or so dwarves here. Though you may perhaps pursue other options.

 

[Shawn]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

I'm in. Changeling Assasin most likely.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

I'm in. Changeling Assasin most likely.

They're so great! I bet you can do a lot of good stuff with it, Shawn, you're great with the RP and the voices and all that.

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 AM ----------

As far as I know, near Icewind Dale there are two Dwarven settlements. One lies a few miles north of Bryn Shandler called Bremen's Run, with its leader being the well known Bruenor Battlehammer (BattleHammer Clan) with about 200 dwarves or so. Then there's another settlement to the south, along the west side of the Spine of the World along The Cold Run trade route called Ironmaster. IronMaster is the only trading town between Icewind Dale and the rest of civilization. There are about 400 or so dwarves here. Though you may perhaps pursue other options.

Ironmaster will be perfect for my purposes, thanks.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Sorry if it seems like I'm getting ahead of myself here, but...

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

"Helga Doesn't Approve"

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Dwarves that cling fastidiously to their traditional upbringing despite personal feelings rarely approve of your bullshit.

 

[doomdragon6]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

I'd like to join with your permission, Jay. I can promise that my schedule will absolutely be solid when school starts. No one in their right mind is going to want to hang out on Thursdays. I honestly don't know what the hell was up with all those Thursdays in a row. Plus, I keep wanting to see what the hell happens in your game, and now it might actually last. =P

If so, I believe I'd like to go ahead and call Human Wizard.

Edit: I knew I had something else to say! What you can do for the music is this-- and if you don't have a spare computer I can help you--

Take the music you want, and play it on your spare computer. Use a cable to hook your audio-out to your audio-in. Get on vent, and use something heavy to keep your shift key held down. I use a stapler. Anyway, this will allow your music to come in perfectly crisp. You can loop it, change it, and change the volume very quickly without having to link anyone anything and be like, "Okay, hold up, music's changing."

I've done it before and it works awesome.

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

When is school starting? As far as the music goes, I think Gusto was excited to be DJ Kevin for the game though you guys could alternate as you'd like. Whoever's got the better microphone.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Doom, you're on music. I want as little extra responsibility as possible.

I'll take the summaries, since I'm usually pretty good at summing stuff like that up anyway.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

You can't keep the music going through vent the whole time; it's going to make communication difficult. I think Jay's Youtube idea made more sense, especially since it wouldn't be constant music playing, just music for when we're getting ready to do something, rolling initiative, transitioning, etc. If we did it the way Doom is saying, I'd just mute that channel. It'd get really annoying.

Also, we have Gusto as Defender, Shawn as Striker, Doom as Controller, HC as Controller, and me as Striker, meaning we have no Leader (meaning no heals) unless Julie changes her mind in the next three weeks. I've played two Leaders for Julie's game and one for Jay's first Icewind Dale attempt, so I'm excusing myself of it (I have some classes running through my head, 3 Strikers, 1 Controller) and of Defender since I have Grendmir.

I'm intending to play a Tiefling. I know that will have consequences--that's partly why I'm doing it. I have the backstory pretty much set in stone, accept for the class.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

I seem to remember HC saying he might roll a Leader...?

Also, it's possible that I will have to keep track of several sources of temporary hit points which, due to my class features, will stack in a very specific way.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

HC said he wanted to do Controller.

It's okay if we have no Leader; I just wanted people to be aware of that.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Hmmm.

No Leader makes Defender sad.

BUT I WILL SURVIVE

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

About the music. It's mostly for when I'm working out the initiative order in combat (though as you can see from the first post, it's also used to enhance the reading of the story!). The songs play for about 2 minutes or so and are for purely atmospheric effect. Most of the time when I'm done with initiative, I'll speak up and ask it to end. I mean, who doesn't want to hear an epic tune when you're about to die? A lot of time, it's dead time unless it's something cool. I wanted to avoid that.

No leader? Ouch. This may be a short journey.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

With a dwarf, it must be. Maybe it will make the game more harrowing? I can peruse the Leader classes, but I don't think any of them are going to fit my character. I have his personality and background, with room to tweak towards a class, but I'm really going for class to fit him that I like, not molding him to fit a class, so I'd only consider being the Leader if I had something appropriate. I liked being a Warlord, but I don't feel it would fit right.

I understood what you meant with the music; I think Doom had the idea of recreating someone putting a CD on the stereo when you're playing D&D at a physical table, physically.

 

[doomdragon6]

D&D Jay's Game - INSERT WITTY LINE HERE

Ohhh, I see what you mean. I thought you wanted a very low-volume thing to play throughout the game. But aight. If no one else wants it I can try to DJ.

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

As the new game takes place in 2 weeks, if we could all settle on our characters by this upcoming week with a starter background it would be great as it will me with a couple of weeks to work on the campaign.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

Lord Non paced proudly back and forth behind the midwife. "Any moment now," the middle-aged woman gasped, wiping sweat across her sleeve. Lady Milla Non sweated worse on the bed in front of her.

"Any moment," Lord Non repeated to Argen, his good friend and adviser. "Did you hear? Any moment now, I'll have a son."
Argen smirked. "You're so sure it'll be a boy."
"It's my first," Lord Non said. "Of course. My son is being born. He must be."
"Just be happy there's no complications," the midwife hissed. "Come on, dearie, a little more."

Lord Non tried to ignore his wife's squeals and groans as he paced. He wanted this to be a proud, happy moment, where they could all sit and bask in the glory of the newborn, not sit wiping sweat from her forehead, telling her how well she'd done. It was his son--she only birthed the good boy. "My son..." he mused.

"It's coming," the midwife.
Lord Non's fists tightened and he restrained himself from peaking over the midwife's shoulder. A small cry lifted to his ears and he glanced at Argen. "You hear that?"
"Of... course," Argen muttered, staring.
"There's the head," the midwife said. "Oh my."
"Hurry up," Lord Non hissed. "You're almost done, Milla. You've almost brought him in. Keep going."
"Yes..." Lady Milla whispered. "It's hurting..."
"And there's the body," the midwife said.
Lord Non grinned at Argen. "And my son is--"
"And... the... tail..." the midwife muttered.
"It's an umbilical cord, you stupid woman," Lord Non growled, whirling around. His eyes fell on the red-skinned bundle dripping bodily fluid over the midwife's arms. There was indeed an umbilical cord, and also a thin numb slashing back and forth from behind the child's legs. Two tiny nubs bulged from the baby's forehead. "What the hell is THAT?"
"This," the midwife said softly, cradling the baby, "is your son."

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

The handmaiden wrung her hands, sitting beside the locked, metal door. "How long will he keep her up there? It's been two months."
Argent shrugged. "Until she's pregnant again."
"That could be years."
"Then we won't be seeing Lady Milla for some time," Argen said despondently. After the... child was born, Lord Non had Lady Milla locked in a tower, where he and he alone entered. "How is the boy?"
The handmaiden glanced at a crib to her left. "Healthy. Strong. Besides how he looks, he's growing like a perfectly normal baby." She smiled softly. "He actually seems sweet."

A door slammed behind the metal door, signaling the closing of the one within the tower stairwell.
Argen glowered. "Don't let Lord Non hear you say anything like that."

The metal door flashed open and Lord Non tightened his pants, nodding to Argen. "It'll happen."
Argen smirked. "Yes, you're quite the seer."
"Shut up." Lord Non glanced at the crib. "When she's with child again, I want you to take that thing and drown it."
"But it's your son!" the handmaiden cried. "I mean, he. He's your son."
"Shut up, you stupid woman," Lord Non growled. "You don't know anything about how all this works."
"Might I please see the lady?" the handmaiden asked. "She must need... someone. I don't see why I can't be there with her."
"Because I don't trust anyone." Lord Non examined the handmaiden's frail body. "All right." He turned and opened the metal door. "I suppose you won't get her pregnant, after all."
The handmaiden bowed deeply and gratefully, and rushed through the open door, up the stone stairs of the tower.

"I don't think people would think well on killing the baby," Argen said, struggling to find a good angle to settle the lord's nerves. "You've always been viewed as stern, but fair. A man to be feared, but also trusted. You are thought of as strong and compassionate. If one aspect of this view by the people were to falter, the rest might fall with it. Think about it, my lord."
Lord Non nodded. "Yes, I am strong and compassionate. All right. He can live. But I don't want to deal with him. He's not mine."
"Anything you say."

Footsteps clattered down the stairs and Lord Non tensed against the door, ready to slam it if Lady Milla tried to escape. The handmaiden emerged from the damp darkness, her frail face now beaming. "Sir! My Lord! She's with child again!"

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

I liked that origin story very much. Nicely done. Lord Non Non Non

What would be cool is if all characters be created this week and you'll spend the rest of the time role-playing and coming up with ways on how you know eachother.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

I haven't posted the whole thing yet; I just can't proceed until I know what class I'm going to be.

Because people choose their occupations in childhood!!!!

Along with this written out version, I will post a one paragraph synopsis version when I do a full stats/powers/picture post for the people who don't wanna read the dialogue and such .

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

I'm not so much with the creative writing but I'll see what I can come up with...

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

Eh, one doesn't need to write a long narrative--my other characters just had short paragraphs describing where they've come from and what they did. I just felt inspired with this one in particular as his story came to life in my head.

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

Well I hve a decent idea of what I wanna write to introduce the character, but don't have time to do it just now. Here's the opening line, as a teaser:

She hadn't arrived, but then, I was ready early. I was always ready early.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

"Almost there," the midwife cried.
"If it has horns, I will bash its head in," Lord Non said, pacing furiously behind her. "My compassion will only go so far... It couldn't have horns. It can't."
"Maybe you should sit down, lord, and be optimistic," Argen said.

A small cry leapt from between Lady Milla's legs as a heavy cry of relief swept from her mouth. "Thank the gods, it's done."
"Almost," the midwife said. "Yes. There's the head. No horns, my lord."
"Good," Lord Non said sternly.
"And the body." The midwife took the baby close to her. "Yes, a perfectly healthy, normal--"
"Wonderful."
"--baby girl."

Lord Non stormed forward, glaring over the midwife's shoulder. "A girl..." He strafed along the bed, glaring down on his wife's sweaty, worn body, and his fist railed down on her cheek to the startled cries of the midwife and handmaiden. "You stupid bitch! You do nothing but fail me!"

At the far end of the room, peeking around a doorway, 11-month-old Tyrdin sat on the floor, sniffling and tearing as nubs of bone slowly worked through his head at the same time as teeth broke through his gums. He scratched his head, sniffled again, and watched Argen rush to restrain Lord Non.

---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 AM ----------

Snow covered the balcony outside the playroom where the children made shapes in the falling white. Argen watched them dutifully.
"You're letting them play again," the handmaiden noted from behind the adviser. "Lord Non has said--"
"Lord Non barely sees either child," Argen said. "I don't care, because he'll barely be aware, and if he is, I'll take the blame, not you, nor Lady Milla, nor his son."
"He isn't--"

The little girl Samia giggled, running from the balcony, skidding on the floor, and then she slammed the glass doors together, locking red-skinned Tyrdin outside.
"Now, Samia, don't do that to your brother," the handmaiden called.
Samia went on giggling, holding the door shut.

Tyrdin smirked for a moment, shoving the doors, and then his smile died. He glared a moment at his sister, banged the door again, and then the snow ceased to touch his skin. He banged the door once more and Samia skidded back two feet on her wet boots, dragged a wet streak across the floor. The lock unhinged and Tyrdin swung the doors open, smirking again.

"And now look what a mess you've made, Samia!" the handmaiden cried, rushing to the girl. "Honestly, you children..."
Argen stared wide-eyed. "You didn't notice what he did?"
"What, banging on the door?" the handmaiden asked. "You're lucky you didn't break the glass, young man!" She dragged Samia away by the arm, scolding her down the hall.

Argen went on staring at Tyrdin. Tyrdin went on smirking.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

"I'm concerned about him," Argen whispered to the handmaiden. She hadn't aged well, running after the children for years. "He gets along fine with his sister, but the lying, the running around with street urchins--"
"He's only trying to get away from our poor lord," the handmaiden said.
"Poor in wisdom," Argen groaned. "I can't get anything through his head. I'm lucky he hasn't cut mine off."
"FIFTEEN YEARS!" a roar shook through the halls.
"...Yet." Argen swallowed. "He's squandered his goodwill, his happiness, his family. The only thing he's kept properly is his wealth."
"Lucky us for that," the handmaiden muttered.

"Why?" Lord Non bellowed, back-handing his wife. "What's the problem? You can't hold my seed anymore?"
"I don't choose when to have a child!" Lady Milla shouted.
"No, it's your body." Another blow. "So I've punished your body, and it still won't give me a son."
"You have a son!"
"I have a demon." Lord Non looked past his wife, at a dark passage of hallway. "I know you're listening, goat-head. Cowering with your sister?"
"You have a daughter," Lady Milla whined.
"And no heir!" Lord Non raised his fist again and slammed his wife to the floor.

Tyrdin rushed from the dark passage. Samia raised her hand behind him. "Don't!"
Lord Non turned just as Tyrdin plowed his fist into the older man's gut, sending him doubling over. Red ether seeped across his skin, toward his mother, and Lady Milla found her breath. He offered a hand to help her up, but his mother shook her head. "You're only making it worse, Tyrdin."

"Argen!" Lord Non shouted. "Lock that thing in the dark again!"
Argen appeared and nodded. "Yes, lord." He took the teenaged Tyrdin by the arm and led him away.
"You hit me again, demon, and I'll bring a cleric!" Lord Non bellowed. "You'll burn, boy!"

Argen shoved Tyrdin into his room. The boy was strong, and Argen had to stand tall, firm, unshaken by his own emotions. "I've watched you, boy," Argen said. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Let me have a light this time," Tyrdin said in his low, strange voice. "Please."
Argen slammed the door shut. He wouldn't risk his head for the boy. The boy had Lord Non's compassion not to be drowned, and the lord no longer listened to advice.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

Tyrdin's breath hissed in the dark. "Nothing here," he whispered, touching the corners of his bed. "Nothing here but my room." His hands felt the doorknob and wrenched, but it was locked from outside, in a system of screws and cog-work, as if the engineers knew he could feel the locks with his mind. Someone had told him, he was sure, but he didn't know who understood his secret.

"We understand it."

Tyrdin shook in the dark. "Who's here?"
"We are. We are here with you." Many voices spoke at once, in unison. Some spoke common, others spoke Giant, which he knew from the dock-workers, some spoken Elven, but he wasn't sure how he knew it, and some spoke other languages, mysterious, beautiful, and terrible.
"Can you make light?"
"Yes, but we will not," the voices said. "This visit will be brief, for we have only come to let you know we exist, we are here in this darkness, and when you are put here again, we will return. We are not your enemies, Tyrdin."
"Then what are you?" Tyrdin asked. "Hello? Are you still there?" He considered for a moment that they might always have been here, in the dark with him, and had only chosen to speak now.


He grew to be seventeen, and eighteen. The voices spoke to him.
"We understand your power. We have seen you, in the dark corners of this manor, moving objects without a touch, weakening Lord Non's will so that Argen can speak with him, aiding your sister and mother when injured, and shielding yourself with the ether formed of your mind and bloodline. We understand you. We're the only ones who do."
He asked questions at times, of their origins, their purpose, but the answers never satisfied him, and there were no faces from which to glean understanding.
"We are creatures of the darkness, of the Fey, of the things this world does not understand. And we are here to aid your loneliness, for now. In time, we will help you."

At nineteen, locked in the dark again, though Argen could plainly see he was too strong to be man-handled and took his punishments willingly like a good son, the voices spoke with purpose.

"Do you tire of imprisonment?" they asked in their many pitches, growls, and languages.
"I come here to listen to you," Tyrdin told them. Their presence had also made him increasingly afraid of the dark. He never told them this, but he had a feeling they knew, somehow. Still, he was drawn back, again and again, with a desire to understand them as much as they seemed to understand him.
"There is a life beyond this. You're old enough, strong enough. You're ready to kill."

Tyrdin's heart froze. "Kill? I shouldn't--"
"Ah, the wording. Shouldn't. You should not kill, and perhaps you're right. But you did not choose want. You want to kill. There is killer's blood in you."
Tyrdin felt his hands in the dark. "From father?"
"Indeed," the voices said. "And to kill him, you will become a king."
"I live in a merchant housing. I'm supposed to learn trade routes, shipping--"
"When you bring your father's heart to us, ripped still beating from his chest, you will become a king," the voices said. "However it must be done, bring us his heart. You will be a king."

The voices faded, like always, and Tyrdin sat silently in the dark. "Kill father?" he whispered. He visualized his mother's face. He had healed her spirit time and again, but to stop the damage entirely... and to be a king... "I don't know if I can, but I will do it. Somehow, they'll have his heart."

 

[Gusto]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

Darryl you are intimidating me.

I can't write for shit.

 

[Hailey Knight]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

"I heard you're good," Tyrdin said.
The assassin simply nodded, handing him a document.
Tyrdin scanned it disinterestedly--he could tell more from the assassin's face, with any luck. "I've never done this before. I'll need assistance, but you won't be doing the real kill. I have to remove the heart. Can you help me get to that point?"
The assassin nodded again, without hesitation.
Tyrdin unrolled a map of the main floor plan to Lord Non's manor. "Father sleeps here. My room is here. I can get a window open on this side, but there are guards. I can slip past them easily." He watched the assassin's face. "Okay, you can too, I get it."


Tyrdin slipped past the guards easily, some letting him through, others fearing him, and some avoided entirely, believing they heard a noise elsewhere in the manor's halls. Finding the assassin had been simple through various contacts in the Windrise Ports, but he couldn't open up the chambers of Lord Non, nor deliver the killing blow, without some assistance... and a knife.

The assassin had unlocked the complex doors somehow, a feat Tyrdin couldn't manage with his mind--the palace had proofs for it all over. Now the door opened easily. Lady Milla slept in the tower, as she had since Samia was born, and Samia had her own room as well. A family apart, Tyrdin thought. Wedged by you. Maybe now we can find love again, like families are supposed to. No matter what I look like. His father rested fitfully on the bed, and Tyrdin at last saw the black shape of the assassin draw apart from the darkness, like the voices in his room ripped from the silence. He sent words across the room through his mind: I'm ready.

Lord Non was awake only seconds before blades plunged through his back and a hand fiercely shoved his jaws together. His hand stretched desperately for the greatsword by his bedside and the assassin pinned the arm to the mattress.

Tyrdin's breath caught in his throat and doubt rained over him, whether he could do this, should do this--but like the voices said, he wanted to do this. He'd wanted it since the day his sister was born. Red ether slid from his skin and the skin split down Lord Non's chest. Blood and bone spread apart. More pressure, quickly, before he dies.

Dropping the knife, Tyrdin opened his hand toward Lord Non's sword, and it flew through the air, landing its hilt in Tyrdin's palm. He pressed it under the ribcage, careful not to pierce the heart, and like a prying bar to a crate, the sword cracked the ribcage open. Tyrdin's hand flew down immediately, grasping the bloody heart between his fingers. "It's done." He glanced at the assassin, who seemed to be drifting into the shadows already. "You'll find the other half of your payment on the balcony outside the playr--outside the den, where sheets drape the furniture. Thank you."
The assassin nodded one last time and vanished.

Tyrdin ran through the halls, greatsword in one hand, bloody heart in the other, leaving a spotted red trail over the mansion floor. The voices had never said he had to be anonymous about it. They never gave any prerequisites. Kill father, become a king. He wanted people to know, for everyone to know. Especially Samia, and his mother.

He slammed the door of his room behind him and held the heart forward to the darkness. "It's done!" he shouted proudly. "My father's heart!"

"Tyrdin, you are wonderful," the voices said, and finally, a pale green light flooded over the room. "We did not expect you so swiftly." Twisting, shapeless faces writhed in the dark, and they may have been Fey, they may have been otherwise, but they were unknown to the young man who held a bloody heart. "What is this?"
Tyrdin frowned. "My father's heart."

"This is the heart of Lord Non," the voices said. "We need your father's heart. Go and find your father, and bring us his heart."
"This is my father's heart!" Tyrdin cried. "Lord Non--"
"Was a human. Your mother is a human. You are a Tiefling, Tyrdin. Your father is a Tiefling."

Tyrdin staggered back. "So... what I've done..."
"You may have done well for your family, but it is worthless to us. Find your father."
The voices faded, as they often did, and Tyrdin worried he'd be hearing them in a dungeon somewhere, or in some other plane of the world, if he didn't do something fast. He whirled around, dropping the heart on the floor with a soft, wet splat, and grasped the doorknob--someone had locked it. "No!" he shouted. "You can't do this!"

Argen's voice greeted him coldly. "Over many years, you've been locked in here, in the darkness, both deservedly and unfairly," the adviser said. "But I think everyone can agree, it's too good for you this time. What possessed you, boy?"
"Justice!" Tyrdin shouted. "After mother, and Samia, and me!"
"I hope your soul feels it's worth your life," Argen said.

---------- Post added at 03:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:53 PM ----------

Time passed slowly. They would kill him, Tyrdin was certain. His trembling fist held fast to Lord Non's greatsword. He'd kill whoever came for him, however many came. And if they locked him in here to starve to death, fearing his power, then he'd off himself, and not give them the satisfaction.

The locks behind the door clicked together in their cog-work and Tyrdin poised himself, readying to pull the next person into his blade. The door cracked open and his mother's face appeared around the darkness. "Quickly, Tyrdin, come!"
Tyrdin obediently ran forward, and Lady Milla led him through the halls, down to the first floor, through a narrow hallway he didn't remember, and out the back of the mansion. A carriage and horses awaited, and a bag slung over the top. Lady Milla pushed her son inside and the carriage sped along the road before the door had even closed behind her.

"Why didn't you tell me he wasn't my father?" Tyrdin growled. "I would've done it years ago if--"
"Why?" Lady Milla asked, wiping tears from her eyes. "Why would you?"
"For you and Samia," Tyrdin said, laying the sword onto the carriage floor and staring into his mother's gloomy eyes. "For me. We could be a family and--"
"Samia wants you dead."
Tyrdin's heart skipped a beat. "But we're siblings. She's been my only friend--"
"And she was her father's little girl, always," Lady Milla said. "Shouting and all, she loved him. I loved him, once." She shook her head. "Like I've said, Tyrdin, you only make things worse."

Tyrdin looked away from her. "Then why help me?"
His mother's pale hand touched his red cheek, stroking one curving horn, and then the small ridges under his chin. She bent forward and kissed his forehead, like she had when he was small. "Because I love you more. We're going far away now, Tyrdin. We won't be coming back."
Tyrdin nodded, closing his eyes. He could live with that.

---------- Post added at 03:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------

They'd come through many towns and crossed waters to come to this little icy shit hole of a town, and Tyrdin hated the place. "But I suppose no one will find us here."
"I hope not," Lady Milla said. "And I have friends across borders. If anyone's getting close, we'll move on, maybe into the mountains, or that dwarf settlement we passed through, or perhaps go backward. They wouldn't expect that."
Tyrdin reassuringly patting his mother's shoulder. "We're here. It'll be okay for a while."
"Yes. I have a job lined up for you, helping them load fish, cut it--I know it's not what you're used to or trained for, but maybe you'll help them in their trade in your own way. You're smart. You're good with people, when you want to be. We can make a life here."

Tyrdin nodded begrudgingly. He hated it. And he assured himself he'd hate it more, and then grow to accept it. He had to accept it, after all. It was his fault. But you're wrong on one count, he thought. We may go all the way back someday. If Samia can be reasoned with, or if you can forget me. He stared across the snowy hovel of a town, sighing. Or if I ever find my true father--if you'd ever say a word when I ask--and I become a king.


Tyrdin and his mother own a shack on the edge of Dougan's Hole. Tyrdin works at the fishing with an unfortunate fisherman's widow, who was desperate enough for help to hire a young, strong Tiefling, and if she ever notices that sometimes objects move without being touched, or that she feels a little younger some days when he's around, she hasn't mentioned it to him yet.
Lady Milla works her fingers to the bone in knitting and sewing, and while she probably misses a wealthy life, she too doesn't mention her thoughts to Tyrdin.

But he feels them anyway, sometimes, from everyone. And at night he keeps an Everburning Torch by his bedside, to assure there will be no true darkness to his room, even as a dark stain rests on his soul.

 

[Jay]

D&D Jay's Game - Helga Doesn't Approve

Faaaaantastic stuff Darryl. Eating lunch and reading this = Good Times!

I got ideas flowing in my head.