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kaiju-z · 4 years

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Seon Adventures Episode 22: Reunions In The Big City

So it’s been a couple of months. We went on a bit of a hiatus, we did o w o;;;

But we had our 22nd session this Wednesday, so we good~!

The night of the inter-party drama goes a bit smoother than the day. With Malak taking to his room, Luctan sitting against the door to keep company, Amelia travels the town to gather flowers from a kindly gnomish lady named Daffine. She takes a suspicious amount of them, all in good nature as the transaction occurs.

“Quite the bunch, you’re running me out of stock here!”

As the Narahs travel ever the closer to Crystalgate, singing along the way and attracting a crowd, much like in a musical and much to FIcus’ dismay, Mournimar watches from a window, with his dear companion Morgan as Nelatha sneaks her way home.

Luctan, unaware whether Malak is awake or not, talks still, in a Frozen fashion, about the events that transpired that day. He apologizes for the party’s dynamic and makes it clear that he holds no ill will towards the cleric for placing him in a Hold Person spell. He even shares the woes of this happening to him in the past.

The disguised tiefling, who surprisingly would get joined by Archie, who somehow, some way, found Luctan at the Temple, would continue talking about the complications of the lives they live from his youthful perspective. Already soured by his own experiences in the material plane, but keeping that knowledge to himself. As he only knows Malak for aproximately 3 days.

As he tries to express his perspective on morality, given the situation with the old woman from earlier, Mournimar meets up with Nel, downstairs.

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Going back to my home if that’s allowed?” Nel answers to the taller figure and the two have a bit of a sass off.

As Nel keeps her cards to herself, expressing mainly the point of her mother’s transportation being hush-hush, Mourni elaborates on the shenanigans of the day. Nel does love a personal story, assuming that something got the other men in the party hot and bothered for each other.

Regardless, with Amelia eventually returning to the Shadowspire Mannor, everyone finds their sleep.

The day after, Amelia is woken up early by the half-elven woman, who takes her to watch the tri-spires of the city in the morning light.

It is a lovely and romantic experience for the two, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Luctan and Malak also wake, the first much to the dismay of the second. Before initiating any conversations, Luctan feels a familiar pain across his back. An old pain. An ever rebounding one. A Phantom Pain.

That established, Luctan checks with the Cleric to see how he was doing. Malak has to even point out that the Temple of Kemis had accomodations for guests, he didn’t have to sleep on the ground. But Luctan merely would answer that he wanted to make sure Malak was doing ok. If he still wanted to go with the party.

Malak seems to agree to carry on and the two men make their way back to the SM. On the way, Luctan sings a merry little song, which may require attunement, as Malak points out with the offer that Belli could give him singing lessons.

Luctan’s eyes catch something on the path to the Mannor. Flyers and posters for the Spring Welcoming Festival. Upon it, Luctan sees the names of other groups, who will participate.

“Crystalgate’s Finest”, “The Darksbane Elite”, and of course... “The Traveling Gentlefolk”.

Luctan has a hard time composing himself, in profile during this, to Malak’s confusion and unawares.

To Malak’s knowledge, TDBE are the token five of TDBA.Crystalgate’s Finest are the local guard. Usually lead by the same Vigilance of the Guard. Leyla Dustone and Terrorwind the Half Orc from TDBA will be part of the 1st team.

From what Malak knows, TTG travel as a group, typical heroic adventure types. Arrogant, but you know, pretty strong guys. They had recently been asking around the temples for a new magic practioner. But stopped asking 2 months ago. Presumably having found one.

As they carry on their path, Mournimar and Morgan exit the mannor, to search for the other guys, with his trusty dire wolf at his side, after a good vibing session.

The girls come home at this time, laughing and having a gay old time, passing by the tiefling on the way to breakfast.

As it were, the three fellows meet up. With the tieflings almost missing each other again, if not for Malak’s perceptiveness and Dexterous know how.

After a few jokes involving Mournimar’s hair and squirrels, for some reason, they return to the mannor, for breakfast.

As Amelia picks up her furbal, from Luctan, the lads also have breakfast. Much sweeter than what they’re used to, as Belli’s gourmet usually has a variety to it.

(And we get hungri irl)

Post-breakfast, the party convene on the day’s activities. Missing an innuendo from Nel, Luctan brings out a list on possible jobs they could take:

“ Knight Kelvin Mountainsteel wants a job to be done, qualifications uncertain, ‘till we get there.”

“Ziaz, Teller of Tales, slain in the Silver District. Anyone with clues to report back and can get a reward.”

“ Lord Arwen of Elevir, Member of the Circles, wants help with an issue of possible high powered mage. Needs qualified people, who can handle magic users, rather than the guards.”

“String of Murders in the Bronze District, details inside.”

From Nelatha, the party learn that Knight Kelvin’s demeanor has given her the understandable opinion that the man is, As the word is. A “cock”. A creeper of sorts.

From Nel, the party also learn that Zias was a performer at the Voluptani Mistique, whcih strikes the party as odd as they were still fully operating, in spite of the recent murder. Guards seem to be keeping watch over the body in an alley, still.

As this gets discussed, Luctan would occasionally scratch his beard. The noise of hair being scratched would tip off Nel that something was up. Which signals to Luctan to remember that he hasn’t shared with either of them his true form.

In spite of Mournimar’s poor attempt at a lie, Nelatha suggest it fine for Luctan to keep his secret, if he isn’t comfortable sharing.

Regarding the Lord Arwen job, Nel points out that the Lord, a High Mage, isn’t a complete dick, as long as they know how to handle him during negotiations.

The party offer her a position on the Cultbusters for this job, but Nel has to refrain. As she has work to do in town, involving the training of other bards. Less experienced bards. Barldings, if you will.

Safe to say that Luctan and Amelia admire Nel in their own respective way. Biggest fans.

Either way, it’s safely agreed upon that the party will wait for Belli’s big return, before they take on a mission.

Nel messages Belli. “It’s Nelatha. We were wondering how close to home you were and how your personal goings on’re working out for you. Will you be back soon? Goodbye.”

Holy shit, Nel?! You can reply to me? Holy god?! Ok, Ficus, me and my dad’ll be coming soon.” The Narahs were hours away. And Belli had elaborated that the family will be partying it up in Crystalgate soon enough.

Nel goes sheet white.

One way or another, something leads Luctan to remember referring to someone in his past as having “eyes like dandelions”.

As conversations go on, something triggers a response from Luctan. Or lack there of as Luctan gets a 1000 yard stare. Noticing the bout of PTSD coming to Luctan, Mournimar takes his tiefling brother in arms out for fresh air, where the two men have a heart to heart about what had transpired. Luctan, in a sour mood, confides in Mournimar about his phantom pains flaring up.

Mournimar offers to cast Cure wounds on Luctan, however Luctan catches his wrist, before he can even cast it. “It won’t work. They’re scars.”

art by @unholyleaf

While the drama occurs outside, Malak and Amelia have a moment between themselves. Discussing Belli and apologizing for the previous day's outcome, Amelia hands the Cleric one of the sets of flowers she had bought the previous night: The Hyacinth.

A couple of hours pass and the Narah Bus comes back to town, music blaring and people in the streets, familiar with the Narah family, cheering, whooping and hollering like in one big musical. Nel, conveniently making a quick exit, the big reunion and meeting happens as Belli gives everyone hugs!

Mournimar gets a hug! Amelia gets a hug! Luctan gets a hug! Malak gets a hug! Even a random kid gets a hug out of this situation!

Belli gets like 3 gold and 20 silver from her performance.

And so the party meet Bob. Mournimar and Amelia get easily intimidated by the large Orc Man, hiding behind Luctan, comedic as it is with Mournimar having a few inches over Luck without counting the horns.

Words are traded, double pistols and winks are had, dad stares were involved at some point as well! The old bard takes a big moment to thank everyone for being there for Belli, when her family couldn’t. Belli counts the others as her family as well.

Before Bob leaves for the Tabernax inn, it is made known that a big party will be happening, with the Narahs helming it to make their grand return.

Luctan offers Ficus a position on the team, given his mood and the half-orc rogue accepts, joining them for the quest that Belli picks, in honor of her return: The job for Lord Arwen.

Notably, Ficus knows of the Lord, better than the rest, thanks to his underground contacts. His wife had been, at some point, a mark for a crime?

That said, he would lead everyone to the Dunspire, casting Disguise Self to make himself appear as a more elveny half-elf than he already was.

The Dunspire. Mostly silver with a spiral pattern. Windows repeating on every floor. There’s a magical aura to the place. The specific shape and position of the windows change, whenever the winds do.

The only ground entrance seems to come in the form of a single door, guarded by an interesting pair. A Golliath woman with a shaven head and a halfling man. One with a greataxe, the other with a pair of scimitars.

With Luck and Ficus doing the talking and showing the flier the Fighter would have taken at some point, Luctan assures them an audience inside, even though the two guards give each other an “Get a load of these guys” look.

Instructions are given, as well:

The party are to hand over their weapons at the entrance. Follow the path up to the 4th floor, where the Lord sits and do not enter any other parts of the tower.

Entering, the six put away their weapons on the designated spot, one person at a time under the watchful eyes of what appear to be mostly elven and half-elven soldiers.

"Do I leave this?” Belli asks, showing off her kazoo.

“That will not be necessary.”

“How about this?” she asks again, showing her ukelele.

“That will not be necessary.”

“How about this, do I leave this?” she shows off the flute.

“That will not be necessary.”

Offering a cupcake to a half-elven man, Belli is told, yet again, by what a Gwendoline Cristie looking elven woman the words, as a punchline: “Providing food will not be necessary.”

And so. We go up.

Walking past the 2nd floor… Amelia and Mournimar notice and spot Nel, for some reason. There is a blood splatter up her arm. She notices the party. As Amelia gets a one arm hug. “I wasn’t expecting you to be up here in the Dunspire.” and talk shop, Luctan makes a bigger revelation... The blood is not hers.

Thinking fast, he writes a message on her palm, using Prestidigitation, while Nel confides in the group to carry on to the Lord.

While Mournimar and Belli have a conversation over what could have happened with Nel, Amelia and the titular hold a private conversation.

The group soon part with the bard, Belli sharing that the family is coming soon enough.

They eventually get to the Lord’s office. Knocking, the door opens on it’s own.

A Dark haired, elven man sits behind his desk. Lord Arwen himself.

After giving their credentials with the most notable of activities, the party enter.

Lord Arwen explains the problem:

He pulls out two scrolls from the table, unravels them and they are maps of crystalgate from different perspectives. On each there is a seemingly perfect circle in red and blue crosses. Each of these little marks is a spot where a lightning strike has hit, loud thunder clatter.

A magic user conducting a ritual. It’s uncertain whom. Could be one of their mages? Could be dangerous or a curious mind. Not a muscle by a wizard gets lifted in Crystalgate, without the Circle knowing about it. So this mystery understandably has them spooked.

Somewhere, in the South East, outside the walls of town, someone was dropping lightning bolts and they didn’t know who, why or how.

People, who stop there are less well off. There are orphanages and one of them is in the area. Also lots of ex-military. Religion wise, these are Bellinas worshipers. Possibly people, who talk a lot of shit about Qorin. If there would be an area, worshipping Dahktot, it’d be that kinda area.

That said. They hadn’t found any ivine energies in the area, so arcane user. Adventurers are perfect for this, ‘cause people don’t trust the Circle.

A list of people living in the area is provided to the group, to aid them in questioning people in the outskirts.

Something interesting gets noted. 5 previous parties had stepped on this floor before the Cultbusters, regarding this job.

One half of the group never bothered with the quest. The other half thought it too dangerous and the 5th, the info coerced by Malak, failed.

Through the haggling of Luctan and Belli, the party are offered 90GP each for finishing this job. Collecting all physical information the group need, they take to the streets, determined to get the job done.

Walking through the South Eastern part of outer Crystalgate, Luctan bumps into someone.

Standing at 5′6, with red hair and a pair of blue eyes that surprisingly match Amelia’s, he comes face to face with a lovely young woman in blue robes.

She looks from the “human” fighter to the air genasi monk with a look of familiarity.

The two recognize each other as Amelia sees, for the first time in a long time, her sister.

Her sister, who refers to her as “Dee-Dee”.

End of session/episode.

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lendmyboyfriendahand · 5 years

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Amrodnor

Amrod was on the ships, but when he saw Feanor approaching with a torch, he jumped.

He swam to shore. He figured is his family was going to kill him, he might as well leave - the plan had been to go back to his mother, but that was no longer possible.

He ran into a group of Nandor, and joined their community.

His old names didn't fit – he’s no longer the smallest Finwe, having rejected his house. He keeps half his name, and instead of Doomed or Upwards-Exalted, he becomes Exalted-by-Fire; the burning of the ships was what gave him the strength to turn from an evil path.

It takes him a bit to decide on this, dramatic Finwean he is, and in the meantime the Nandor called him Bright Eyes, for the Treelight reflected in his gaze. He says this is a more appropriate name for a horse than a person, and they compromise on calling him Star Bright

So Amrod hangs out is southwest Beleriand, avoiding Sindar and Orcs and Noldor and Men alike for over four hundred years.

The Bragollach, the Nirnaeth; Beleriand isn't safe.

The Nandor decide to go east across the mountains. Amrod decides to see how the Noldor are doing - despite himself, he hopes his brothers are okay. He finds Nargothrond.

He says he is Rodnor Gil-Galad, called in his youth after his hair.

Orodreth doesn't recognize him - Orodreth is young, born after the division between their families was already stark. Orodreth rarely saw Amrod in Tirion, and everyone saying he looks just like Amras means the brown hair throws him.

Celebrimbor does recognize him.

"What are you doing here?" "I'm trying to avoid our family!" "I thought you were dead!" "Don't you dare tell anyone you met me!" - excerpts from the whispered confrontation in Celebrimbor's workroom

Eventually they agree that yes, Feanorians are terrible and blindly loyal, and they're both glad to be out of it.

They spend time together, a bit, more as escapees from the same cult than out of a desire to reminisce about Tirion.

Celebrimbor accidentally mentions Fingon as if they both know him in public. People ask how Gil-Galad knew him. He fumbles and says they're related. Later he slips and says Celegorm “turned out to be the family disappointment after all.” That makes him pretty obviously Finwean, though he still doesn’t admit who.

Someone tries to draw him out, and spends a whole conversation deliberately referring to Maglor Feanorian, Fingon Fingolfinion, and Finrod Finarfinion.

Rodnor eventually says, “By that manner I suppose I’m Gil-Galad Erenion.” This shuts up the first guy for a moment, but people start speculating how he can be the descendant of multiple kings – did Thingol have any other kids?

Turin arrives; Rodnor has no opinion of him or of men in general, and no official seat on Orodreth’s council. When the dragon kills Orodreth and kidnaps Findulias, Rodnor leads the survivors away to the south. He feels bad about abandoning them, but the number of soldiers they ‘d lose rescuing her is too high, and just because a life is royal (or family) doesn’t mean it’s more valuable. (Feanor burned a prince, his son, as easily as he killed fishermen.)

His opinion on royalty isn’t widely held though. The people of Nargothrond have decided he is Orodreth’s heir and started calling him Lord Erenion. He declares that Cirdan is lord of the Falas, which gets people to at least decide bring some of their issues elsewhere, and tries not to stress about the details.

So Rodnor is in charge of the Noldor in Sirion. Galadriel is in Doriath. They do meet when it falls, but only for a few hours as the Iathrim refugees settle in, and she speaks more with Cirdan than with him. He tells her of the Nandor tribe he was with and their plans for the journey, and off she goes to the East.

After the council is over and every newcomer has a bed, Rodnor goes to Celebrimbor. They mourn privately those who neither of them dare speak of publically. Rodnor is back in his own rooms long before morning. He spends the next few weeks solemn, but everyone is gloomy after news of another kinslaying.

Gondolin falls. There are suddenly a lot more Noldor in Sirion. Pretty soon they're calling him King. He considers telling them it's not true, that the succession hasn't come to him yet.

On the other hand, having a leader be whoever happens to be the son of the previous leader is kind of silly. The Sindar tribe he was with acknowledged Elwe, but not Dior. Your leader was whoever you trusted to do right by the community. When Denethor died, his son took interim authority, and then they all met and discussed it and decided that actually Enellas knew how to manage people better, and so Denethor’s son stepped down.

If Rodnor squints, this is the same. At the very least, if the Nargothrondrim hated him one of them would have proposed crowning the ten-year-old Eärendil instead. So King Gil-Galad takes up the throne.

He was on Balar when the attack came. He told himself later he couldn't have stopped it, couldn't have helped. He could guess by how much more enchantingly beautiful the Silmaril around Elwing's neck seemed, that his brothers would attack soon, but not the month or day. And she was a queen, he could not order her to hand over the jewel. So all he did was warn her, not tell her his birth name, or leap across the council table and pull it off her throat. He could not have known there was no time to wait for Eärendil’s return. He had not set a watch on the island towards the city, but he had no reason to.

He did not want to kill his brothers, but he was a king and he could not let that make his decisions.

He can't stop himself from crying when he sees Amras's body. The Feanorians had tried to make a pyre, but must have left with it still burning and the wet sea wind had extinguished it, and the wood had barely caught.

"Relight the pyres."

"Your Majesty?"

"For the dead Feanorians, relight them."

"But they're murderers! They showed no such respect to us." Indeed, the city is still littered with the corpses of Noldor, Men, and Sindar alike.

"And we are better than they are. We will bury our dead, with a week of singing and lamenting, and tales of their deeds told by friends and kin. We will mark our people’s graves, and the Men will leave grave goods on theirs. And we will not leave the enemy dead to rot where they lie or be eaten by beasts, though they showed us not that respect." He sighed. "We have not fallen as they have, and we must hold onto that."

"Yes, your majesty"

"Have someone take a census of those who are left. And lists of the dead – ours and theirs." He needs to know how strong the rogue army was. If it is now leaderless, he would... he isn't sure. He wouldn’t have to declare a feast for victory over the Kinslayers, they'd lost enough of their own. But some kind of amnesty, with reparations, if any Feanorian soldiers wanted to rejoin... He thinks of the abstract plans now, while he is unsure, because he knows he'll barely be able to keep together if Maedhros and Maglor are dead and he is alone. (Three died last time.)

His eldest brothers are not among the dead invaders.

Lady Elwing and her sons are not found, either dead or living. Gil-Galad knows that his brothers would have no interest in taking her prisoner, for if she was under their power they could rip their glorious, wonderful jewel from her neck and cast her aside like so much wrapping. So he assumes that instead Elwing got away somehow, taking her sons with her. Whether the Feanorians have the jewel or she does is unimportant, he reminds himself, at least unless she returns. He decides then that Balar will never house the Silmaril – he'll bury it beneath the mountains with his own two hands if that's what it takes. His people deserve one place, just one, that isn't destroyed around them. Please Valar, grant them this, for Cirdan's sake if for none of the Noldor.

Ships come one day out of the West. King Finarfin leads them, and Eärendil is with them. Eärendil says that his wife Elwing escaped, but not the boys. (Eärendil is politely told he must either take off the necklace, stay on his ship, or go to the mainland.)

Gil-Galad realizes where they must be. It's hardly fair, but he knows at least they're being treated as well as can be. Maedhros and Maglor did alright by the five of them, and have never been cruel to children.

No one else seems so optimistic, though they are willing to believe that the boys are alive, even after seven years, simply to avoid believing the alternative. Gil-Galad and Finarfin cooperate to get a letter and a messenger (a newly arrived Noldo) that will be demanding but – hopefully – not provoke violence.

It takes two years more, with messengers from both parties expressing grave concern for the boys’ safety on a journey and reluctant to meet the other too close, but Elros and Elrond are returned. They meet Eärendil again, but he is on the front lines and so they spend most of their time in the camp. Gil-Galad has them sit in on strategy meetings to keep them occupied.

The war is over, Morgoth is defeated, and the Noldor are allowed to return.

Gil-Galad finds he doesn’t want to.

Returning had been as much about getting out of Feanor’s shadow as finding safety, and he realizes he has done the first and the second is near at hand. If he goes back to Tirion, he will be again Pityafinwe, one of Feanor’s youngest sons, half of the twins with a missing twin. The child so redundant his own mother had known so, and asked Feanor to leave her one of the youngest without care for which. Pityafinwe had led no armies, fought no battles, earned no praise. Pityafinwe killed Teleri and was murdered by his father, and did nothing else.

Sure, he could try to be both, admit he was Pityafinwe to start with, but no one will understand. The will see him as the usurper of the crown that should have gone to – Eärendil perhaps? and then Elros? or Galadriel? Maybe they’ll weigh his victories in battle against his theft of the crown, and say they make up for it, but maybe they’ll say anyone could have done them, or he should have done them as a general in the real King’s army. So he’d be Pityafinwe, who pretended to be a king for a bit but understands now that it’s not his place, and that his place is to be the sixth-born son of the (dead, disgraced) Crown Prince.

Besides, they’re making the ‘leaders’ apologize for leaving, and Gil-Galad spent enough years wandering Beleriand safe behind Noldorin fortresses he can’t really be sorry they came.

Gil-Galad does write a letter though, to the Lady Nerdanel, his mother. He tells people that it’s commendations for her grandson’s valor, and assurance that Celebrimbor will be regarded on his own merits in the Age to come. The letter does contain those, but it also contains “You were half right about my mother-name; I was fated to die but leapt out of Fate’s way.” It’s rather blasphemous, but Gil-Galad isn’t going to be setting foot near the Valar again.

ao3

#silmarillion #amrod #Gil Galad #The Silmarillion #silm #My fic #gil galad son of plot hole #amrodnor

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xt1erminator-blog · 7 years

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My History With D&D: How I Got Started

This should have been my introductory post on this blog, but, lazy.

It was a dark and stormy night.

No really, it was a dark and stormy night. I'm not just pretending to be Snoopy writing a novel. Anyhow, I recall being over at an elementary school friend's house for a sleep over I believe. Must have been 10 or 11 years old. There were three or four of us, and my friend, we'll call him Willy, was Dungeon Master. I had no actual playing experience before this night (the only time I had run into this strange game was several years earlier when I was over at the neighbour's house and their much older teenage kids were sitting around the kitchen table with their friends, the table cluttered with big books and weird shaped pieces of plastic and small metal figurines, and bottles and cans of pop and chips and all sorts of delicious looking junk food... it was similar to that scene in E.T. where the kids are playing D&D [not the photo above! - that’s from Freaks & Geeks] except it was daytime). And here I was now, sitting in a camper trailer in the middle of a big thunder/rain storm being shown how to make something called a "character". I have no recollection what race or class this character was, or his name. I do remember though that he used a mace as his weapon and wore chainmail, and had iron rations. Maybe he was a cleric. I think it was red box Basic D&D we were playing.

I think I might have played a total of two or three games at Willy's place. Mostly with the same other friends playing it each time. The last game we played was using the 1st Edition AD&D rule books, and it was way over my head at the time. I remember stealing money from my paper route collections (which were probably due at the end of the week) and buying my own red box Basic D&D set and some dice, and I played the solo adventure for awhile (damn rust monster!) and then just hid out in the basement with a stack of graph paper, and drew out dungeon after dungeon after dungeon. They all sucked, I’m sure. I think the next major book purchase was the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook. And then the Monstrous Manual binder. Man, I hated that binder. What an awful format. I mean, great for organizing, being able to take out monster sheets and add in new ones, etc. but functionality-wise, it was a disaster. The binder didn't sit well with the other books on a shelf and whatever lamination they used for the exterior of the cover got very scuffed up if you put it in a backpack and it looked like ass in no time flat. The good old days. I would borrow other books and modules from anyone who was willing to let me take them away from them for any length of time, and sit there and read parts of them, mostly paying attention to the cool maps and the artwork. I remember photocopying many a module at the public library too.

So for several years after, I would mostly just read the books, and Dragon and Dungeon magazines, and attempt to create my own maps and even once or twice spent some money on miniatures and tried to paint them. Massive fail. If I would have know that the Ral Partha Forgotten Realms Heroes miniatures set I bought for $15 back in the late 80's/early 90's (whenever it was) would be worth hundreds of dollars almost 30 years later, I would have taken greater care with how much primer I carelessly sprayed on to those poor little figures, getting the shit all over my dad’s workshop tool bench (sorry Wulfgar, Drizzt, Dragonbait, Alias, etc.!) and how much paint I recklessly slapped on to them thinking I was doing things right. Ouch.

I tend to ramble so I'll try to summarize everything else up until now with a bit less detail. After elementary school came high school and there wasn't a lot of action when it came to playing Dungeons & Dragons, well with cool people I mean. There was a small group at the first high school I attended, that would play a game in the art room in the lower level of the school. I sat in once, maybe twice, to check it out. Wasn't my bag. These were the stereotypical super geeky, taped-up-eyeglasses nerds that were more interested in dissecting the rules and not playing with any real imagination it seemed. They were kind of like robots. Plus, not very fun when you have 45 minutes for a lunch break to try and make any progress in an adventure. I heard about others in this school who played, but I was never invited to go play in anyone's campaign. I stopped in a few times to see what was going on with another friend's home game, but didn't end up playing because they were a little too into roleplaying. Most of the playing I did happened later in my teenage years when I ended up playing in late night sessions with some older seniors at another school I went to, and then some games here and there with a bunch of fellows who have since turned out to be what you might call "life long friends". The good guys. Then, in my early 20's, I was the first of anyone I knew to do something incredibly stupid: meet a girl on the internet (1997), marry her and move to another country.

From that point on, I guess I lost interest in the hobby. I had always wanted to run my own game, but no opportunities ever arose, or I didn't have anywhere to play or I was just too on edge to be able to compose myself if a game were to actually take formation. I spent a lot of my time learning how to play musical instruments and often partied. Often. I don't regret it, those were some of the best times I've had. Years passed and I really didn't think about D&D or playing any sort of table top game at all. I grew more fond of digital entertainment, PC games, console games, etc. I ended up attempting to become somewhat of a "photographer", and after many years I think I'm happy with where I am at with that particular hobby. It was one of those things you never thought to pursue and then one day, you end up spending several hundred dollars on a friend's used DSLR body and a strange, big zoom lens you have no clue how to use properly.

After almost six years and a "should have seen that one coming" style divorce, I returned back home and was again surrounded by my long time friends. It took a little bit of adjustment to get back into the circle with everyone - just picking up and leaving the country when you're 22 years old and supposed to be starting to explore your options for a career and everything, can kind of make a mess of your social connections. I ended up getting back on my feet pretty quickly though, and found work a month and a half after coming home. I'm still there actually, almost 15 years later.

So, how did I reconnect with my beloved hobby? It was almost two years ago or so (summer of 2015, I don't know if Tumblr dates these blog posts, I don't think so). My wife's step brothers had asked if she knew anyone who had ever played Dungeons & Dragons. She mentioned to them that I did. She asked on their behalf if I would run a game for them, they were curious and hadn't played before. I declined, no way no how. Been out of touch with it for years. Didn't play anymore. Made up some excuses. Left it at that. I had never run my own games before and had no confidence that I could be very effective when trying to introduce newcomers in to the game.

Then, at the end of that summer, another opportunity arose. Some mutual friends/family expressed interest in trying out the new 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. They had been watching Critical Role online and somehow it came up in discussion. I had spent the last few months recalling my love for the game from my past, and ended up being much more receptive to the idea. I was much older, had been through a lot of situations in my life where things like social interaction was easier for me to become comfortable with, and I was developing a passion for it again, it seemed. After downloading the free basic 5e rules, and researching some things on YouTube, I was all for it. Our first session was on my 39th birthday at the beginning of October, 2015. It has snowballed into an addiction since then. I have invested a lot of my time (and money) into a small collection of books and miniatures, and some writing to fuel a small Forgotten Realms campaign. We don't play often, maybe every month and a half to two months, as it depends heavily on my wife's work schedule and when she can book a weekend off. I don't like playing on weekday evenings, as I'm usually pretty burned out from work or there just isn't much time to get into a good game before having to cut it short because people have to work the next day.

My Forgotten Realms campaign, currently one of two games I run, started out with three characters: a dwarven sorcerer, a half-orc druid and a gnome rogue. For the first session or two, I attempted to incorporate a PC that I was playing, a cleric of Bane. His appearance was very brief, as I decided it was not going to work well, playing a character while trying to hold down the fort being Dungeon Master and running the show. I'm not at that stage yet. So, I sent the cleric off in the night to go tend to an important mission while the rest of the party carried on. I used the majority of the 5e Starter Set module, Lost Mine of Phandelver. It did the job. I twisted it up a bit and definitely didn't follow it as per the booklet, and I still do that to this day. My style when using pre-written adventures, it seems, is to grab bits and pieces that are essential, and do the rest on the fly and change as necessary based on what the players may do to throw things off. And that's a good thing. It's helping me build skills to become a better Dungeon Master that can adapt to different scenarios, because it almost always doesn't go the way you plan it will go. I learned that early on. After a few months of playing and completing the Wave Echo Cave area, a situation arose that brought the party through a portal leading to the entrance to the Undermountain dungeon, located underneath The Yawning Portal in the great city of Waterdeep. This was an opportune moment to introduce a new player to the group, which happened thanks to a spur of the moment idea I had, to invite an old friend who I knew was a fan of what we were doing. I wasn't sure if he was up for joining the group, but you don't know until you ask, right? The next session, without saying too much of anything, the door bell rang and moments later the group now had a paladin amongst their ranks. It's been a way better game since.

The second campaign I'm going to start running over the next few weeks will be based upon the Eberron setting, which up until last week I had personally shrugged off any time it came up in my travels, and had no interest in even reading what it was about. I'm not sure why that is, I think the brief encounters I had with it previously were based on flipping through some 3rd Edition books, and I just wasn't picking up on what it was all about. I have never been much into anything 3e, the look and design of the books are unappealing to me. This past week though, one of my players and I got ahold of the 4th Edition Eberron Campaign and Player's guides, and I started reading them. I am really liking the setting and am looking forward to trying to use it in a new game. Lightning Rails, Airships, Warforged, Shifters, Dragonmarks - very cool stuff! Also of help here was a video on Nerdarchy’s YouTube channel where the guys discuss 10 Reasons Why 5th Edition Needs Eberron

This leads to my next post: What Might Eberron For 5e Be Like?

Coming soon!

-runDMsteve

#eberron #d&d #d&d 5e #nerdarchy #forgotten realms #Dungeons and Dragons #waterdeep #undermountain #tales from the yawning portal #lost mine of phandelver

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greyhawk5e · 6 years

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5e Greyhawk 2nd Level Adventure

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Housecleaning

A Second Level World of Greyhawk Adventure for D&D Fifth Edition

New NPCS

Sir Kedwyn Waters, Kensa's brother, young, confident, impatient

Wynna the Squire, Serious, ambitious, anxious to prove herself

Segrius, Newly Free Wizard, cocky, happy to be free of his former master

Hedec, No-nonsense provisioner, proud of his work, won't budge on price

Faedra, Sad, ashamed young wizard, can't believe what a fool she was

Amon, Suspicious, small minded townie, full of fear

Sister Gwenna, Impatient, Brash, Cleric of Tritherion, quick to act

Brod, Even keeled businessman, family first, wants to avoid violence

Mavis, Strong mother and wife, supports Brod but has equal say

Lillen, Young dutiful daughter, funny in a dry way

Belus, Wide eyed kid who can't wait to see the world, sick of Moonglade

Mahone, Murderous gleeful Redcap, hell bent on killing humans as revenge

Brigid, Duty-minded Sprite, appalled by inustice, ready to fight

Read to the players:

“It is Godsday, the 5th of Harvester, the year 597. It's been three days since Cardyn's Cove was held hostage by the evil Father Zoreg and retreating forces of the Empire of Iuz.

Father Goren is getting the Church of St. Cuthbert ready for the funeral of your former employer Cidan of Hardby.

Young Kensa Waters has told that you a wizard of her late father's aquaintance will attend the funeral. He can examine the magic box that Father Zoreg guarded with his life, and perhaps find a buyer for its contents. In the meantime, she has invited all of you to her father's wake at Lakeside Manor, her family estate. It is tonight.”

Lakeside Manor is modest, for the mansion of a wealthy trader. Still, it is the most impressive home in Cardyn's Cove.

Cidan lies in a closed casket in the living room and the town's leading lights have come to pay their respects. Ygraine and her partner play a tasteful medly of songs. Father Goren blesses the body, his wife and son in their Godsday best. Lionas the Reeve greets everyone at the door. Kensa tries not to cry in the receiving line. The Waters' butler Ollant serves drinks and crab cocktail.

Father Goren's wife Jedona thanks the players for saving her son Sesin. She tells them they have found a home for the girl Ivaine and her two brothers, who the players saved from Iuz's soldiers. At that moment, Kensa's brother Sir Kedwyn Waters, 26, arrives. He is a newly annointed Knight of the Hart. He took his vows with a large new class, replacing fifty knights who died in the Greyhawk Wars. He is joined by his female squire Wynna and two soldiers.

Kedwyn was given leave by the Knights to attend the funeral and set his family's affairs in order. The third Waters sibling, Edryc, is deployed deep in Iuz's territory, and could not return.

Interaction One

Kedwyn thanks the PC's for saving his sister and his family home. He then asks Kensa if he could have a moment alone with the PC's. They retire to his father's study. He tells Lovecraft he has fought the Drow and they are worthy adversaries. It makes his heart full to see a Half Orc turn to the Light. He tells them about the Knights. “The Knights of the Hart are an Order of humans and elves that spans three nations. We have one purpose. We fight Old Wicked and we won't rest until he's dead.”

He heard news of what they found on Zoreg's body. He wonders if there are any demon globes left. In return for one, he would defy his orders and tell them a story he learned from Furyondy's spies in Axeport.

If the PC's do not give him the globe, he tells them he expected better of a Paladin of St. Cuthbert. He returns to his sister, and shuns the PCs.

If they give him a demon globe, he tells them how the warlock Waqounis was Iuz' governor in Axeport. How he gave Father Zoreg a sacred mission before he died, entrusting the box to him with great care.

How Zoreg and his men left the castle the night before the siege. How the Devoted would not have fled if they weren't given direct orders. “Scarheads fight to the end.” How Waquonis died smiling, content the box was safe.

He tells them that the boxes are built by Iuz' priests. Only they can open them. But the boxes give off a pulse they can track. Old Wicked has a spy network in Furyondy called the Shadowclaw. They will hunt the PCs for sure.

The next day is the Funeral of Cinan Waters. The entire town is there. The Church looks beautiful. Father Goren asks Malachius to assist in the ceremony. He enjoys the shock on the attendants' faces when the Bread of St. Cuthbert is blessed by a Half Orc in a holy vestment. Kensa vows to continue her father's work, making Cardyn's Cove the fishing capital of Furyondy.

After the ceremony, the Wizard Segrius approaches. He is short, round, and ambitious. He wears a cloak of billowing. He has just completed his apprenticeship with the Wizard Janziper. Janziper is a ruthless Johrase refugee who serves the King of Furyondy on the Eastern Front. Kensa's father stocked Janziper's castle, and Segrius was the master of provisions.

Interaction Two

Segrius:

“I was the apprentice of the Wizard Janziper, a ruthless and powerful man. He serves the Viscount of the March at Castle Eyeberon.”

Segrius examines the box. The only way to open it now that it's original owner is dead is to cast Anti-Magic Shell on it, a spell far beyond his capacity.

“Once a year, the Wizards of Furyondy and their allies will gather to buy and sell magic in a secret location, the Wizard's Bazaar. You must have a special pass, The Wizard's Writ, to enter. This keeps the non-magical rabble out, along with any enemies of the Crown. I can help you get in, if you'll help me.

My master was a refugee from the Bandit Kingdoms. Iuz conquered his home city and he was tortured by hobgoblins for months. He escaped with only his life and his desire for revenge.

It is customary to give an apprentice money when he begins his career, but Janziper had none to give. But he did kill many hobgoblins for Furyondy. He got the Baron of Willip to grant me the deed to Moonglade Spire, a small tower three days march from here. It was built by a woman named Faedra 350 years ago, when Furyondy was just a minor province of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy. She grew it out of wood, with a technique long forgotten. She disappeared soon after. The tower has been empty since.

The local farmers won't go near it. I know enough about the ancient wizards of the Great Kingdom to know it could be deadly. Magic was common-place back then. The tower is likely to be drenched in it. Kensa tells me you killed demons and fifteen of Old Wicked's soldiers. If you inspect Moonglade Spire, and pronounce it free and clear of all dangers, I will give you a Wizard's Writ and tell you the location of the Bazaar.”

Hedec the Provisioner will provide the PCs with any equipment they need at Player's Handbook prices. They can buy horses and a pack mule from Lionas' stables. Segrius gives them a map. He has a contract to help Lionas rebuild the town. He will stay at the Narwhal until their return.

MOONGLADE

If the PC's ride, the journey takes a day and a half. If they walk, it takes three. They make their way north, through grasslands, to Moonglade, an area of unincorporated farmland. A DC 15 Perception check will reveal they are being tailed by Amon, a young man of 19.

He protests he was just curious about such a strange party of travellers. A DC 20 Perception check will notice a symbol of Tritherion around his neck. He has nothing of value. He knows a boarding house near Moonglade Spire. He says the land around the tower is cursed.

The PCs pass two corn Farms on the way. Goats graze. Farmers eye the PCs warily. Some make signs of Tritherion as they pass. Finally, there is a sign in Common that says “Travellers Welcome.” This is Brod's Boarding Barn.

There is a large Barn, with cots laid out. There is a backhouse that's used as a dining hall. A farmer couple, Brod and Mavis run the boarding house with their children Belus and Lillen. Brod is a big guy and can handle himself in a fight. They warn the PCs that the locals have been unfriendly since the war, and that they shouldn't tell anyone they are heading to Moonglade Spire. The locals don't want anyone to disturb the tower and bring the curse on their land.

If asked, the farmers will tell the PCs that vines, weeds, and giant inedible pumpkins grow uncontrollably for three acres around the tower. No farming is possible, and each year the cursed area grows larger. No one has gone inside for years. The last ones to do so were a teenage couple, Mack Pratt and Myllis Green. On a dare when Brod was a boy. They never came out.

That night, the PCs are awakened by a local mob.

Sister Gwenna, Cleric of Tritherion, leads six Villagers, carrying torches and picks. She has a trained Falcon. This is the Moonglade Militia, who run off anyone attempting to disturb the Spire.

Gwenna demands that the PCs leave, calls them “foul sevants of Old Wicked. You must be the ones who fled Axeport!” She sensed demonic magic with a detect evil spell, and they are “thieving barge folk, Drow and Pigbloods.”

Brod comes outside to warn the milita off his land. It gets tense fast. The villagers are willing to burn down Brod's farm if things go haywire. The PC's must use magic, Persuasion, or very judicious violence to defuse the situation.

Encounter One

Gwenna, Cleric of Tritherion

AC 13 HP 27 AT + 2 To Hit, 1d6 Mace DMG XP 450, Trade Spell Slot for 3d6 per level extra damage, Spells – Cantrip – Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy, 4 slots Lvl 1 - Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Sanctuary, 3 slots Level 2 - Spiritual Weapon, lesser restoration, 2 slots Level 3, Spirit Guardians, Dispel Magic.

6 Peasant Militia in Rusty Chain Mail

AC 16 HP 4 AT +3 Spear 20/60 range 1d6+ 1 DMG XP 25

Falcon

AC 13 HP 1 AT +5 DMG 1 XP 10

Brod (Ally)

AC 13 HP 16 2 AT +4 To hit Shortsword DMG 1d6 + 2, Longbow 1d8 + 2

MoonGlade Spire - Level One

Encounter Two

The PCs are a half day's march from Moonglade Spire. When they reach the tower, the ground is indeed covered in oversized, tangled vines and weeds, and massive warped pumpkins. Arrayed in the fields are three Scarecrows, which come to life and attack the PC's. At this moment, the PCs discover that young Belus has snuck away from his father's farm to watch them. One Scarecrow attacks the boy. If they save Belus, they will get a reward from his father. If not, Brod and all the locals attack on their return.

3 Scarecrows

AC 11 HP 36 2 AT + 3 To Hit, Claws 2d4 + 1 DMG XP 200 Glare DC 11 Wisdom Save or paralyzed with fear til Scarecrow's next turn.

Belus

AC 11 HP 3

After defeating the Scarecrows, the PCs may enter the Spire. It was seemingly grown out of solid oak, with organic openings where glass is set for windows. It is five storeys tall, and narrow around the middle. Carved into the double doors is the heraldry of the Great Kingdom.

MOONGLADE SPIRE - LEVEL ONE

Foyer

The grand entrance-way smells of 350 years of musty air and dust and rot. Cobwebs grow thick in the corners. It is dark. A magical moving painting of a brunette female in a wizard robe graduating from some kind of school sits on the left wall. The heraldry of the Great Kingdom hangs in the Graduation Hall. She recieves a scroll and a small box from a smiling professor. Her family cheers.

Doors lead on to the:

Living Room

There is a massive fireplace and the ruins of comfortable furniture. Two suits of ornate plate mail decorated in the heraldry of the Great Kingdom stand beside the fireplace. A bookcase contains a book in Old Oeridian called “The Hidden Grove : Journeys Through the Feywild by Hirodus the Sage.” It describes another plane of existence populated by fickle and powerful woodland beings. There are several bound books of “The History of Magic in the Flanaess.” There is also a license to practice Wizardry in the Viceroyality of Ferrond by His Majesty, Ivid II, Overking of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy. There is a map of Ferrond which looks like what is now Furyondy.

Encounter Three

If the PCs touch anything, they will be attacked by the suits of Armor.

2 Suits of Animated Armor

AC 18 HP 33 2 AT +4 to hit DMG d6 + 2 XP 200 Immune to Mental AT

At the end of the encounter, the PC's will find one Hat of Wizardry on the a hat rack on the ground.

Kitchen

The kitchen is old and ruined. Mice scurry across the floor. A strange Giant Butterfly flies through the kitchen as the players search it. It is beautiful and otherworldly. On the counter is one Heward's Handy Spice Pouch, and one Bead of Nourishment.

Stairs going up lead to Level Two.

Moonglade Spire – Level Two

Study

Here is another magical painting. It shows the redheaded woman having a dream of another land. A whole flock of butterflies like the one that flew through the kitchen fly through a grove of giant blue mushrooms. We pull out to see that the land lies through a shimmering portal in the sky. The gateway seems to be 50 feet above the spot where Moonglade Spire now stands.

There is also a music stand with a copy of a piece of music called “A Night With The Fey King” and a Wand of Conducting.

Each magic painting is worth 200 gp if the PCs can cart it out of the tower. At some point, a Baklunish rug and two mounted swords will attack the players.

Encounter Four

Animated Rug

AC 12 HP 33 AT + 5, target grappled, DC 13 escape, takes 2d6 +3 DMG each turn until escape. Attacks do 1/2 DMG to victim, 1/2 to rug XP 450

2 Animated Swords

AC 17 HP 17 AT +3 DMG 1d8 + 1 XP 50

Both go dormant for one minute from dispel magic

Balcony

Stairs up from the Study lead to a Balcony overlooking Moonglade. Two more Giant Butterflies flit about.

Stairs going up lead to Level Three

MOONGLADE SPIRE - LEVEL THREE

Mezzanine

There is an ancient bar with 2 old bottles of wine, worth 50 GP each. There is also a Tankard of Sobriety here. 8 Boggles hide behind the door of the Master Bedroom. As the PCs walk from the Mezzanine to the Master Bedroom, Boggles appear from a Dimensional Rift. They cover the ground near the players in Sticky Oil. They then jump through the rift thirty feet across to the Master Bedroom, and fire paintballs made of sheepskin at the PC's. In Sylvan they say, “Now you're dressed for the party! Too bad Mahone's gonna kill you before it starts! Hahahaha!”

Encounter Five

8 Boggles

AC 14 HP 18 AT + 1, 1d6 -1 DMG XP 25 Oil Puddle – Sticky 11 DC Dex check or restrained, Slippery 11 DC Dex check or fall prone. Rift transports them 30 feet away, they can attack through it. Climb 30 feet. XP 25

Master Bedroom

The Boggles flee to the Master Bedroom and then out to the Library. In the Master Bedroom is an old king size Canopy Bed, with a walk-in closet featuring Clothes of Mending and a Cloak of Many Fashions.

There is another Magical Painting on the Wall. This once again shows the redhead in her bed, dreaming of a beautiful elven man in a red cap kissing her in a field of blue mushrooms surrounded by Giant Butterflies.

Stairs going up lead to Level Four

MOONGLADE SPIRE - LEVEL FOUR

Library

A Great Library is here. Most of the books have decayed or been eaten by bookworms, but 6 volumes of stories about people travelling to the Feywild are salvageable and worth 10 gp each from a book dealer. The common themes of the stories are time working differently in the Feywild and magical effects seeping out of any portal to our world. The decayed skeletons of two teenagers lay dead in the corner of the room. This is the sad final fate of Mack and Myllis. When the PCs examine the books, the large oak table in the center of the room will attack them.

Encounter 6

Animated Table

AC 15 HP 39 AT + 6 2d8 + 4 DMG, with 20 feet head start + 2d8 and prone if a DC 15 Dex check is failed. Dispel Magic will render helpless for 1 min. XP 450

Return of 3 Boggles

During the fight, 3 Boggles will reappear and fuck with the players with their oils. In Sylvan they will taunt the players, “How can you fight Mahone if you can't even fight a table!” They will paintball them too.

There is a Chest in the corner, with the heraldry of the Great Kingdom in an elaborate bronze plate on the top. On the chest is a Glyph of Warding. Magic Missile, cast at third level, will fire into the character for 3d4+3 DMG.

Inside is a small box, the same one in the painting of the graduation ceremony. And inside that is a Pearl of Power. It will give an attuned spellcaster back one spell slot per day of up to 3rd level. It is also Sentient, explaining to the PCs in Old Oeridian that it is one of 13 Pearls of Power, given to the graduating class of the University of Rauxes in the year 248. It's mission is to further the glory of the Great Kingdom. It asks how things are, and is horribly depressed to learn that the kingdom has fallen. He asks where Faedra is, and is even more depressed to learn that she has disappeared.

Laboratory

Among various discarded censers and beakers is a half obscured scroll of a spell that grows wood into a building. The scroll is damaged and unusable, but would fetch 35 gp from a Wizard.

There is another Magical Painting. Once again, Faedra dreams of kissing the Elf in the Red hat. He beckons from the gate above Moonglade. We then see her growing Moonglade Spire from wood to reach the portal. There is a spiral staircase going up from the room. Giant Butterflies fly around the stairs.

MOONGLADE SPIRE - LEVEL FIVE

The PCs climb the stairs and as they do so, the stairs seem to go on and on and on, stretching out for at least five minutes as they spiral up and up through the tower. Vines like those outside the tower appear on the walls. Soon the whole wall is covered in strange vines, and tiny blue mushrooms start to grow out of them. The Giant Butterflies are thick in the air now. Soon the stairs stop and the PCs find themselves in a vine covered Tunnel. They have crossed into the Feywild now.

Tunnel

The vine-covered Tunnel is round and big enough for human sized characters to walk in if they stoop. There is a giant Mushroom in their way. If they touch it, it Shrieks.

Shrieker

AC 5 HP 13 XP 10 Makes a soud shrieking noise.

INTO THE FEYWILD

Clearing

When the PCs emerge from the Tunnel, they find themselves in a clearing surrounded by giant Blue Mushrooms as big as trees. Vines cover the ground. Misshapen Pumpkins grow everywhere. There is a narrow path through the clearing 100 feet ahead of them, that appears to be paved with purple stones.

They will soon be attacked by 2 Quicklings and however many Boggles are left. When there only two Boggles left, they will flee. “Not fair! I'm telling Mahone!” they will yell in Sylvan. The Quicklings simply attack the PCs and steal their things, giggling all the way. Unless they are stopped, they take everything of value from the party and hide it in the forest forever.

Encounter Seven

2 Quicklings

AC 16 HP 10 3 AT +8 To Hit DMG 1d4 + 6 XP 200 Spells Disadvantage on all Attack rolls unless incapacitated. Slight of Hand + 8, Acrobatics + 8. Speed 120!

Return of 3 Boggles

Gazebo One

The purple stones lead to a tiny Gazebo, where a Sprite lives. The Sprite's name is Brigid. She greets the players in Sylvan and asks if they are friends of Faedra. To the denizens of the Feywild, she only showed up one year ago.

Her story is sad, and just one more example of the evil of Mahone. Mahone is a Redcap, who was born when an elf was murdered by a human settler of Moonglade. And now he lures humans to their deaths through the portal, and spreads the curse to kill their lands.

Faedra was just the latest victim of his dream magic and now she is asleep, her blood drained to keep Mahone alive. The Curse comes from a magic pumpkin Mahone grew. It must be destroyed to cure the land of Moonglade and close the gate. Brigid vows to lead the PCs to Mahone's layer and to where he is keeping Faedra.

Brigid

AC 15 HP 4 AT Shortbow + 6 To hit, DMG 1, DC 10 Save or fall Asleep. Invisible at will.

Gazebo Two

If the PCs follow Brigid through the woods, they will reach another, large Gazebo, with a fireplace, where three Satyrs pull on a jug of wine and smoke pungent herb. Faedra's body lies in the Gazebo, unconscious, with her blood being drained by series of tubes into a carved wooden jug.

One Satyr has pipes and will use them to put the PCs to Sleep. If that doesn't work, he will try to frighten them. The other two will attack. If any die, the third runs off to warn Mahone.

3 Satyrs

AC 14 HP 31 AT + 5 to hit, 1d6 + 3 Shortsword/Shortbow DMG XP 100 Spells – Pipes – Charm/Fear/Lullably DC 13 Wisdom Check.

Faedra comes to, but she is in a weakened and vulnerable state. She can't believe what she's done, and cries. She was so sure the Feywild would be wonderful and Mahone played on her just-out-of college naivete. She needs to rest and Brigid vows to get her to safety. Faedra is a level 6 Wizard and appears to be 25 years old. She is a short, pretty redhead. If necessary, Brigid can hide the PCs long enough to take a Long Rest.

Mahone's Gazebo

Mahone is a horrible Redcap who sits in a hammock, eating Wild Boar from plates that are brought to him by the last 2 Boggles if the players have not killed them all by now. He has a large gazebo with a firepit, a bar, and a chest of his belongings. The vines that have saturated Moonglade emanate from a nasty misshapen pumpkin that sits in his gazebo. If the PCs destroy it, the portal to the Feywild will close and they will be sucked back to Oerth.

Mahone tells the players that he needs blood to soak his magical hat every three days, so if they have taken his blood supply, theirs will have to do. With that, he and the Boggles attack!

Encounter Eight

Mahone, Redcap of the Feywild

AC 13 HP 45 AT 3 To hit + 6 Sickle 2d4 + 4 DMG OR 1attack in which he runs up to a PC and attacks with his iron boots, DC 14 Dex check or take 3d10 + 4. XP 700

Last 2 Boggles

The Redcap has a treasure horde which includes a bagpipe of elven design worth 35 GP, 6 10 GP gems, 85 sp, and a Dark Shard Amulet, which allows warlocks to cast a cantrip they don't know once per day on a DC 10 Int check.

Total XP for the Adventure is 4320, or 1080 per PC in party of four.

When the players destroy the pumpkin, they blink back into the empty third floor of Moonglade Spire. Upon exiting the Tower, they find that the countryside has gone back to normal. When they leave the tower they find a crowd of Furyondy's peasants, including Brod and his family and any of the Moonglade Militia that are still alive cheering as they exit the tower. They have lifted the curse and now the villagers can farm on the land that was once blighted. Faedra is in a daze, and will accompany the PC's to the Boarding Barn. She wishes to never see Moonglade Spire again, and will load a wagon with her remaining posessions and set out for the Great Kingdom to see what may be done about her former home. She is not high enough level to cast anti-magic shell. She is grateful to the PCs for saving her life, and only asks for items with sentimental value to be returned (if the Quicklings didn't get them.)

Upon return to Cardyn's Cove, Segrius will listen in amazement to the tale of the PCs. He will offer to purchase the Hat of Wizardry if the PCs don't give it back to Faedra. He will also purchase any other items they don't want. He will then give them a Wizard's Writ, and tell them that the Bazaar for the first time will be open to wizards from allied nations like Veluna, Greyhawk, Dyvers, Verbobonc, Celene, and Highfolk. He gives them the location, a Fairgrounds created by magic.

New Magic Items

Moving Painting (minor, common)

This magical painting records an animated scene that plays on a ten second to two minute loop like an Instagram video. The scene plays in perpetuity unless the painting is somehow destroyed.

#greyhawk dungeons and dragons 5e fifth edition critical role dnd dndbeyond rpg fantasy forgotten realms ebberron dragonlance

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