New Frontiers #12

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #12


The battle outside the Twin Forks Inn is beginning to wind down. After breaking his Blackflaming Sword, Artur attempts to flee. This action causes Validar to give chase on his warhorse. Overhead Sherwood targets Artur for another Magic Missile barrage. Artur is wounded, but keeps on moving. An arrow from Laucian seems to settle the issue. The armored warrior falls in the street face first.

Validar and Po ride up and surround Artur. Laucian rushes to join them. Sherra darts across the street behind them and scampers up a tree.

Using his sword, Validar taps Artur and forces him over on his side. Cautiously, Po steps in and pulls off the warrior's helmet. Artur's face can be seen in the faint light. Blood is trailing out of the side of his mouth. His eyes seemed slightly glazed over. With effort he focuses upon Validar.

"Thank you," Artur struggles to say. "I'm free at last… You must stop them before it is too late…"

Laucian is beside Artur with the intent of healing the man's injuries. He never gets the chance. Black Flames suddenly explode around Artur engulfing his entire body with their unnatural embrace. Artur's flesh is burned away in a matter of seconds leaving behind only his skeleton and ebony ashes! Even more remarkable, all of his equipment was unaffected by the fire. The Blackflames burn themselves out.


Back near the Web, the translucent Arkane emerges from the sticky mass. The mage had passed through the Web like a ghost. He is spotted by Chareos who immediately chucks a Magic Missile at him. The attack is spread and targets both the mage and his magical image. The image winks out and the mage takes damage from the magic.

Corley rushes around the southern house in an attempt to chase after the enemy mage. Kylie takes a more direct path and climbs up the side of the house. She makes it to the rooftop.

Overhead, Sherwood turns his attention to the enemy mage and targets him with a Dispel Magic. The spell is cast and the effect immediate. Arkane immediately turns back into flesh and blood and Kylie's Web winks out of existence.

Further down the road, Sherra fails to locate the bandits who ran. The darkness and the buildings in the area conceal them. Instead she focuses her attention back on Arkane. Sherra takes aim and fires with devastating results.

With Arkane's Stoneskin Dispelled, he is a sitting duck. The first arrow slams into the mage's chest with a sickening thud. The second comes in high and hits Arkane in the head. The mage falls over backwards.

Seeing that Arkane is down, Kylie puts her bow away and climbs back down. Corley arrives a moment later.

Before everyone's startled eyes, Arkane's body bursts into Blackflames. The ebony fire hungrily consumes Arkane's flesh leaving behind his untouched gear and his bone-white skeleton.


Near the river, Ivy finally has Lothar secured. Lilia continues to stand guard. As the elf maiden watches, she notes several magic items that belong to Lothar. In the pile of weapons and rings Laucian removed there is a longsword, a dagger and two rings. On the bandit himself, his leather armor, his boots, and a sack all detect as magical.


A bit further to the north, Grondar cautiously moves towards the covered wagon using the boxes and crates for cover. Suddenly he hears a loud thump coming from the back of the wagon followed by the sound of running feet. Rushing around, Grondar can see the back of a man running through the semi-lit warehouse. The man is running towards the northwest corner of the building.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Well that was gruesome!

Hit Points:

Validar - 46 of 63

Additional:

With Kylie's Web was Dispeled, the bandits inside were released. Given what they saw, with Arkane going up in flames, they won't put up much of a fight and will surrender if threatened.

Now what?

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Finding a stack of firewood next to the wall of the house, Kylie scambles up onto the pile, then reaches up and pulls herself onto the roof. She moves over to the far corner where she has a good view, just in time to see Sherwood's spell cause all of the previous spells in the area to expire - including her Web. Kylie nocks an arrow in anticipation of trying to put Arkane down, but is beaten to it by Sherra, whose arrows put the mage down permanently. Kylie can't help but stare in fascination as the wizard is engulfed in black flames, quickly leaving nothing but his bones, some ash and his gear.

Kylie pivots and points her bow in the direction of the bandits who have just been released from her Web. They seem to be staring in dismay at the sight of the wizard's demise.

"Drop your weapons," she yells from her position on the roof, "NOW!" Her bow is pointed in the direction of the bandits, and she can easily cover them all from here. Nevertheless, she doesn't feel half as confident as she tries to sound. If any of them make threatening moves or try to run, she'll gladly send a couple arrows in their direction as a warning to the others. "Lie down, on the ground!" Hopefully, they're sufficiently cowed so as to do as she says.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

Hearing a noise, Grondar moves quickly in an effort to see what caused it. Not too surprisingly, he sees a man moving rapidly away from the wagon.

Grondar casts a quick Command, including a shouted order to "STOP!" Once the spell is cast, the dwarven priest follows after the man, switching back to his crossbow as he goes. Hopefully, by time the spell wears off, he can have a good shot lined up. At that point, it's up to the bandit whether he fires or not.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Now that Artur has fallen, Validar and Po guard their opponent. After Validar turns the foe to his back, Po unfastens the man's helmet and it's obvious that Artur is about to breathe his last.

Fighting the embrace of death, Artur focuses on the noble warrior Validar. "Thank you," Artur struggles to say. "I'm free at last… You must stop them before it is too late…"

The unexpected statement keeps Validar from managing to ask a question before his foe's body suddenly erupts in Blackflame. Validar turns to Laucian who arrives quickly on the scene, but is unable to do anything for the fallen Cult member. "The Blackflame only consumes living flesh," Validar says in response to Laucian and Po's unspoken question.

Looking around Validar sees the end effects of the battle with Arkane as well. The magic missiles from Chareos light up the night and then after Sherra puts an arrow through the mage's eye, the Blackflame lights up the night with an eerie flash.

"Don't touch the equipment, Po, but stay here and watch over it. It appears that the combat is concluded and we need to bring everyone together." Validar will head over to the docks where he last saw Ivy and Lilia.

[Corley]

Corley:

Lord Corley sprints around the house and back towards the battle site on the other side of the Web. He arrives too late once more! Not only has the mage been defeated, but now his body is engulfed by unnatural ebony fire! What a gruesome fate!

Looking around, Corley realizes that the Web holding the other men has mysteriously vanished and that the men are free to act once more. Determined to make himself useful Corley will rush the men, but will only attack if they seem ready to defend themselves.

Since he can't hear what is going on, Corley is unaware of Kylie's threats to these men at this juncture.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

A small smile of satisfaction creeps onto the Elf Maiden's face as she discovers several enchanted items in Lothar's possession. The bandit's longsword and dagger are not Lilia's weapons of choice and so have little interest to her. Neither does the armor, although one of the others could undoubtedly benefit from its enchantments once they have been identified.

Lilia has heard of enchanted sacks that can carry far more goods than would otherwise seem possible, so perhaps that is what Lothar has. Maybe there are even more items inside the sack. Lilia will remove the sack from Lothar and dump the contents out on the ground far enough away so that the bandit can't reach anything. His boots and rings are of particular interest to the elfin sorceress.

Off in the distance, Lilia can hear Lord Validar wondering where Ivy is. However, the priestess doesn't seem to be aware of this.

"I can hear Validar calling for the assistance of a priest, Ivy of Azrella. You should go see what is the matter. One of our comrades may need your Goddess' touch. I will remain here with Lothar."

While extremely interested in finding out what these magic items are, Lilia will not shirk her duty and will continue to stand guard over Lothar.

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

The Ranger-Mage is pleased when his Dispel brings down Arkane's protections. He hadn't given any thought to Kylie's Web being within the area of effect. He was too concerned about Arkane's enchantments to worry about releasing the hired thugs. Besides, Kylie and Corley should be able to deal with that lot easy enough.

After Arkane is fatally wounded, Sherwood will land and assume the form of an elf once more. No need to let his Polymorph spell needlessly expire just yet. To Sherwood's astonishment, Arkane is consumed by Black Fire before everyone's very eyes!

"NO!", Sherwood cries out in anger. Now he will be unable to question the enemy mage about his involvement in this affair. In scant heartbeats Arkane is reduced to a lifeless skeleton.

"No one touch the remains!", Sherwood angrily cries out. "The Black Fire only burns living things and it can be transferred just like normal fire! Only a Dispel Magic can put it out and I don't have another in memory, so to touch it is to invite death!"

Sherwood spins and beings to sprint to where Artur went down. The story there is much the same. Artur has been burned to death leaving behind his bones and his equipment. It's not much of a consolation in Sherwood's eyes, but perhaps they will have gear usable to the party.

That very thought makes Sherwood pause. This is rapidly turning out to not be the adventure he had originally envisioned it to be. It is quite possible that some of them are not ready for this type of challenge. A point he will have to address in the immediate future.

Looking around, Sherwood will attempt to locate Lothar. Thankfully, his elfin form comes complete with their enhanced vision. He quickly sees Ivy and Validar apparently conversing. Sherwood will run up to them.

"Lothar? Did we at least get Lothar?"

Assuming that Ivy will indicate that they did capture Lothar, Sherwood will continue on towards the bandit. Upon reaching him and judging by his rigid state, Sherwood will conclude that Ivy Held him. At least he is alive to be questioned. Sherwood will remove the bandit's leash and carry him towards the open back door to his house.

"Tell everyone to meet me inside Lothar's house after they've wrapped up their affairs," Sherwood will tell Lilia. "He's got many questions to answer. Wait a few minutes before gathering Artur and Arkane's gear. Try to avoid direct contact with the equipment for safety's sake, if possible."

Sherwood will then carry Lothar back into his house and take a quick look around for any surprises.

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Ivy looks up as Lilia mentions that the others are looking for a priest. She then looks off in the distance and can make out faint figures in the darkness.

"Yes, you are right. I will go immediately."

Trusting the elf to be able to guard a bound and held man, Ivy will dash across the terrain towards in the direction that Lilia indicated. Along the way she can see Validar walking towards her. The priestess will approach him.

"Has someone been injured? How can I help?"

When Sherwood joins them and asks about Lothar, Ivy will respond with, "He's tied up over there. He's wounded, but will live. Laucian relieved him of his weapons and obvious magic items."

Then the priestess will turn her full attention back to Validar. She'll try to keep from dripping on his armor, the water still falling from her shivering body.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

Glancing away from Lothar, the Elf Maiden sees Sherwood approaching. He is in Elf form once more. He does make an impressive looking elf. Sherwood picks up Lothar and starts to carry him away.

"Tell everyone to meet me inside Lothar's house after they've wrapped up their affairs," Sherwood will tell Lilia. "He's got many questions to answer. Wait a few minutes before gathering Artur and Arkane's gear. Try to avoid direct contact with the equipment for safety's sake, if possible."

"As you wish, Sherwood Elf-Friend. So shall it be."

Lilia will replace her arrow back in her quiver and store her bow. She'll quickly gather up Lothar's gear, placing the contents of the sack back inside if she got that far, and pick up the rings and weapons.

Then she will briskly walk back to where Validar and Ivy are and repeat Sherwood's message. From there Lilia will attempt to find the other members of the party and repeat the message and Sherwood's warning about Artur and Arkane's equipment.

Along the way, Lilia's wings fade back into the nothingness from which they came.

As for gathering up the two men's gear, Lilia wait as Sherwood prescribed and attempt to use the hilt of her dagger to move small items into Lothar's sack. How to move bigger items, such as Artur's armor, currently eludes Lilia.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Grondar:

Grondar gets his Command spell off and the man stops running. Grondar comes up behind him with his crossbow ready to fire. Grondar can close to within a distance of twenty feet. (Or further away should he so desire.)

At this distance, Grondar can see that the man is indeed Saladin and that he is carrying a sack in his right hand.


Kylie & Corley:

Kylie cries out for the freed bandits to surrender. Her words shock them back into reality and they look up at the half-elf. A few look back at Arkane's remains. All the men seem astounded by what they saw happen taking the fight out of them.

They comply with Kylie's wishes and will lie down on the ground. The sight of Corley approaching just speeds the process along.


Sherwood:

Lothar's house is a bit of a mess, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. No traps magical or otherwise are noted.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

As Validar heads to the docks, he sees a quite damp Ivy coming to meet him. "It is good to see you well, Ivy of Azrealla," Validar will say.

"Has someone been injured? How can I help?" Ivy will ask.

"We have vanquished the fighter, but he has been consumed by the evil Blackflame he worshipped." Validar pauses to look back to the fallen remains. "I had hoped that you may be able to keep his life continuing in order to interrogate the man. His allegiance to the Cult of the Black Flame comsumed him in the end."

At that moment, Sherwood, in the form of an elf, appears. Seeing Ivy and Validar apparently conversing. Sherwood will run up to them.

"Lothar? Did we at least get Lothar?", Sherwood asks.

Ivy responds, "He's tied up over there. He's wounded, but will live. Laucian relieved him of his weapons and obvious magic items." Sherwood doesn't hesitate and heads immediately for the location Ivy indicated.

Then the priestess will turn her full attention back to Validar. She'll try to keep from dripping on his armor, the water still falling from her shivering body.

"It is a cold night to be going for a swim, my lady," Validar will say. He takes a few steps to pick up a cloak that one of the guards discarded when the battle erupted and return to wrap it around the shivering woman, in an attempt to warm her up. Validar wraps his arms around her until she stops her shakes or at least until they subside a bit. "You should get to Lothar's house and sit by the fire a bit to warm yourself."

At that moment, Lilia walks up and passes on Sherwood's message to meet at Lothar's house. By now, some of the town's inhabitants are starting to peer out into the darkness and candles light the closed windows here and there. Validar will walk Ivy the short distance to Lothar's house and sees Lothar rigid and bound upon the floor.

Validar will head to the bed chamber and try to locate the most clean blanket that is here and return to Ivy. "You should dry your clothes as well to avoid catching ill, Ivy of Azrella." Validar will remove the wet cloak and offer the blanket to her. Then he will head out of the house and back to the remains of Artur.

Once there, he sees that Lilia has collected the small items from the fallen foes. He will order Po to Lothar's house and notices that Lilia seems unsure of how to move the larger personal items.

Validar stoops down alongside the body of Artur and drapes out the cloak he is still carrying. Retriebing another he uses that wrapped around a dropped sword of the bandits to lift each piece, allowing the bones to slip out and stacks the armor pieces on the cloak. Then wraps it up once finished and carries the awkward bundle to Lothar's home.

[Laucian]

Laucian

Laucian runs as fast as his feet can carry him towards the others. He gets there in time to see Po remove Artur's helm. Seeing blood drip from the man's mouth down his cheek the young priest knows his time may be short and get down to his knees. As he begins looking the man's torso over he hears the man say "Thank you I'm free at last, You must stop them before its too late."

He looks up at Validar with a questioning look. He soon turns and goes back to the man's wounds. As he reaches his hand to the man's armor his body erupts into a black flame. He curses loudly in Elvish as he jerks his hand away from the flame, in doing so falling a few feet backward. "What magic is this?!"

He begins looking between Validar and Po, Validar soon speaks seeing our dumbfounded faces.

"The Blackflame only consumes living flesh,"

As the ebony flames die and go where ever which whence they came. He will take hold of his Holy symbol in his hand and begin to pray for those who lost their lives, and beg forgiveness for taking two of those lives.
He gets to his feet and looks where the others last were. Beams of energy momentarily light up the night, soon after someone's downed formed soon erupts into flame with a flash! Several figures can be seen looking from the burning body to the others and soon lay down.

"Don't touch the equipment, Po, but stay here and watch over it. It appears that the combat is concluded and we need to bring everyone together." Validar will head over to the docks where he last saw Ivy and Lilia.

Seeing that Po is as lost for words as much as he is, Laucian makes to his side and pats the young man on the shoulder. "You did well friend, It seems our trust was not misplaced."

As Laucian hoisters his bow within his quiver he looks around and takes a deep breath. He is relieved the battle is over and begins to relax as the familiar sounds of the night ring in his ears.

Lilia soon comes to gather Artur's positions and states that we are all to meet in Lothar's house. " I will be there momentarily."
Laucian will retrieve his horse and place it within the horse pen. Seeing that the others have left their horses to graze he will gather them up and place them within the pen as well.

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Lord Corley comes charging toward the men below her, sword at the ready. Between that, the unpleasant expiration of their leaders, and the imminent threat of the woman with the bow, the bandits do as instructed.

Kylie calls out to Corley, asking him to bind the men, but quickly realizes that the handsome warrior cannot hear her. Oh well. She continues to cover the men with her bow.

Noting that Chareos appears to be the next-nearest of their band, Kylie calls out to him. "Chareos! Can you help Corley bind these men?"

[Grondar]

Grondar:

The bandit comes to a sudden halt as the blessing of his goddess takes effect. Moving closer, Grondar is able to identify the man: Saladin! "Saladin..." he growls, his voice a dangerous rumbling in his chest. "I had hoped you would make a better choice than this. However, it seems you have chosen to throw away the opportunity we gave you."

A couple steps more, Grondar's crossbow aimed at the center of Saladin's back. "In a few moments, the spell which now binds you will expire. I have my trusty crossbow aimed at the center of your back. If you wish to live, you will lie down on the ground, arms spread wide. If you make any attempt to flee or resist, I hope your gods will have mercy on your soul, because I will not."

In truth, Grondar will use a Hold Person rather than fire, should it be necessary. He will only shoot if the spell fails for some reason, though he has no intention of telling Saladin that. Let him sweat.
__________________________________________________
Command. Gotta love those spells with no saving throw!

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"We have vanquished the fighter, but he has been consumed by the evil Blackflame he worshipped." Validar pauses to look back to the fallen remains. "I had hoped that you may be able to keep his life continuing in order to interrogate the man. His allegiance to the Cult of the Black Flame consumed him in the end."

Ivy will appear a bit confused by Validar's words. "Blackflame? Consumed? I don't understand what you mean? Some sort of cult is involved in this?"

"It is a cold night to be going for a swim, my lady," Validar will say. He takes a few steps to pick up a cloak that one of the guards discarded when the battle erupted and return to wrap it around the shivering woman, in an attempt to warm her up. Validar wraps his arms around her until she stops her shakes or at least until they subside a bit. "You should get to Lothar's house and sit by the fire a bit to warm yourself."

Ivy will chuckle slightly to herself. "My own foolishness", Ivy will explain. "I was distracted and out of position when the signal to attack came. Lothar crashed into me on the dock and I was sent into the river. Thankfully, we appear to have succeeded in spite of my clumsiness."

Ivy is mildly surprised, and genuinely touched, by Validar's efforts to comfort her. She eagerly accepts the cloak and does not mind his tight embrace. "Thank you", Ivy will say between chattering teeth. "This is most kind of you. I have no idea how Sherra found this to be refreshing!"

Ivy will allow herself to be led to Lothar's house. The surprises continue as Validar returns with a blanket to help me recover from this drowning.

Validar will head to the bedchamber and try to locate the cleanest blanket that is here and return to Ivy. "You should dry your clothes as well to avoid catching ill, Ivy of Azrella." Validar will remove the wet cloak and offer the blanket to her.

"Thank you very much", Ivy will respond, gratitude clear on her face. "I am in your debt. I shall do that. Thankfully, the Blue Lady protects me from becoming ill, but the experience has chilled me to the bone!"

"Hold a moment, Validar. You've been wounded! Let me tend to that. I promise to use only my skill as a healer and not invoke any magic. It's the least I can do. Please?"

Ivy will accept the blanket and step into the bedchamber, closing the door behind her. Once in private, Ivy will remove her wet clothing and wrap the blanket around. Then she'll make her way to the fireplace and lay her clothes near the fire to help dry them off. Grabbing a nearby chair, Ivy will sit by the fire and try to get the feeling back in her limbs. For the moment the priestess is content to watch what happens next. She will offer her services to anyone who appears to have been injured.

[Corley]

Corley:

Lord Corley isn't surprised when the men surrender. Typical bullies and cowards. Eager to battle when the odds are stacked against their foes, but when not at an advantage they fold. Besides, the way this battle has gone, Corley didn't expect them to give him any satisfaction for his lackluster performance.

Instead, Corley will hold his blade out before him and wait for the others to come along. Hopefully this unnatural Silence will soon be ending. It is most disconcerting to say the least!

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

When Sherwood joins them and asks about Lothar, Ivy will respond, "He's tied up over there. He's wounded, but will live. Laucian relieved him of his weapons and obvious magic items."

"Good", Sherwood will say. "At least something went right this night."

Sherwood carries Lothar back into his own house. Spying a couch, he'll drop the bandit off there and do a quick reconnoiter. Satisfied that the house is safe to be in, Sherwood will return to Lothar. On the way he passes Validar and a dripping wet Ivy. Sherwood will pause long enough to ensure that there is a fire going in the fireplace. She'll need to dry out soon and we all could stand the warmth.

After Ivy's Hold wears off, Sherwood will attempt to Charm Lothar in order to gather information. He will question the bandit leader as to why he personally delivered the poisoned wine to Castle Pyris and what he was hoping to gain by such an act. Future questions will depend on Lothar's answers.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

The Elf Maiden carries out the task Sherwood assigned to her. She spots her clansman near the body of the fallen warrior. Sherra is perched up a nearby tree.

Lilia soon comes to gather Artur's positions and states that we are all to meet in Lothar's house. " I will be there momentarily." Laucian will retrieve his horse and place it within the horse pen. Seeing that the others have left their horses to graze he will gather them up and place them within the pen as well.

Lilia will nod her understanding to Laucian's words. "Someone should ride back outside of town and have the other men and the rest of our mounts brought to Lothar's house as well. Now if you will excuse me, I have other tasks to perform."

Before leaving the area where Laucian, Sherra, and Po are at, the Elf Maid will add, "Sherwood Elf-Friend also advised not touching any of the items on these men if possible. I will attempt to gather what I can after I have spoken to the others."

Continuing onwards, Lilia can see several more party members down by the Inn. Chareos is on horseback and Corley is menacing several more thugs with his giant sword. Kylie is not immediately noticed, but then Lilia spots her on a nearby rooftop.

"Sherwood had instructed me to inform you all to gather at Lothar's house once you have taken care of your tasks. Furthermore, no one is to directly touch the gear belonging to the downed men. I will attempt to gather it and will meet you at the house."

Looking around, Lilia will realize that one member of the group is missing. "Has anyone seen the dwarf?"


While near the mages remains, Lilia will use her weapons to remove his gear and place it in Lothar's sack. The she will return to the fallen warrior and repeat her actions. While contemplating how to deal with the man's armor, Lord Validar returns. He seems to have some idea on how to handle the man's expensive looking armor, so the Elf Maiden does not interfere.

With that task complete, Lilia will join the others at Lothar's house. Locating a large table, she will lay out the items that have been retrieved from the three men. She will also empty out any sacks and uncover any other concealed items. Once that is accomplished, she will attempt to Detect Magic once more and quickly remove those things that bear no enchantments. Then we shall see what remains.

If she has time, Lilia will attempt to use her innate ability to determine what these magic items are.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Po:

"Don't touch the equipment, Po, but stay here and watch over it."

"No, I won’t touch it." Fear can clearly be heard in the young man's words.

Seeing that Po is as lost for words as much as he is, Laucian makes to his side and pats the young man on the shoulder. "You did well friend, it seems our trust was not misplaced."

"I'm amazed I'm still alive", Po will respond.

Later, he will go to Lothar's house as instructed by Validar.


Grondar:

"I had hoped you would make a better choice than this. However, it seems you have chosen to throw away the opportunity we gave you."

"What choice?", Saladin will counter. "Once my usefulness was over to your precious nobles, my fate was sealed. Lord Validar would have killed me anyway as that's what men like him do to people like me. So go ahead and shoot. I'd rather die trying to be free than helping the likes of you."

When the spell expires, Saladin will begin to run once more. Grondar can see a rear exit door off in the distance.


Lothar:

Lothar will fall under the influence of Sherwood's Charm. He will laugh to himself as Sherwood asks his initial questions.

"I didn't do anything to the wine," Lothar will admit. "Lord Cavius hired me to deliver his wine. He wanted to make sure that it would reach Pyris unhindered. He offered so much gold that I agreed to personally deliver it. The easiest money I ever made!"


Magic Items:

Lilia and Validar gather up Artur and Arkane's equipment. Lilia lays the items out and checks for magic. From there she attempts to divine what their functions are. The process will take several hours, but here are the future results.

Lothar:

Dagger of Venom
Longsword made of a silvery-blue metal (Validar will realize that it the same metal as his magical sword and is called Mithral. Grondar will call it Truemetal.)
Sack
Boots of Levitation
Leather Armor
Ring
Ring of Water Walking

Coins: 823 GP, 627 SP, & 313 CP.

All the coins were in the sack, along with other non-magical gear. (Candles, extra clothing, fishing gear, flint & steel, food, thieves picks, torches, and a waterskin.

Arkane:

Girdle
2 potions
Talisman
Wand
Dart
Bracers AC: 4
Ring
5 Spell Books (One for each level of 1-5)

Mundane gear: Candles, food, flint & steel, paper, writing ink & quill, torches, wineskin and clothing. Much of this, including the spell books, were concealed in numerous pockets in the girdle.

Artur:

Bag of Holding 1500 lbs.
Horseman's Mace
3 Potions
Boots of Speed
Full Plate Armor
Girdle
Helmet
Ring

Coins: 1,427 GP, 426 SP, 717 CP

Mundane Gear: Candles, Fishing Gear, Flint & Steel, Food, Torches, Wineskin, Clothing. Most of Artur's stuff was in the sack.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

Almost unaware of what is going on around her, Lilia will check out the treasure we've gained from this adventure. Nice. Very nice indeed! The Elf seems almost beaming with anticipation in acquiring a few of these items. While she was unable to figure out what everything did, she uncovered enough.

Boots of Levitation - A very useful item for a thief.
Ring of Water Walking - Also useful to one around the water.
Bag of Holding - Excellent item for carrying around lots of gear!
Boots of Speed - An extremely useful combat item.

Of greatest interest is the items belonging to the wizard, naturally! While she can't divine the nature of the girdle, it does appear to be an item much like the magic sack. It can hold far more things than would be possible otherwise.

Bracers AC: 4 - Provides superior protection than the pair Lilia current wears. She'd very much like that item.

The mage's other items could be equally useful to the elfin sorceress, but for now their function remains a mystery. Instead Lilia, almost gleefully, digs into the mage's spell books. She'll attempt locate his 3rd level spell book in hopes of acquiring new magicks.

At an appropriate time, Lilia will speak up. "We seem to have uncovered a great deal of magical equipment. How shall we divide it up?" The Elf Maiden will be eager to dole out the items. Otherwise, she'll study the spell books looking to gain new magicks.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

"We have vanquished the fighter, but he has been consumed by the evil Blackflame he worshipped." Validar pauses to look back to the fallen remains. "I had hoped that you may be able to keep his life continuing in order to interrogate the man. His allegiance to the Cult of the Black Flame consumed him in the end."

Ivy will appear a bit confused by Validar's words. "Blackflame? Consumed? I don't understand what you mean? Some sort of cult is involved in this?"

Seeing Ivy's obvious confusion, Validar will explain briefly. "I am certain that Sherwood will be filling in many blanks once we all convene to review the battle and interrogate our captive. However, the fighter, Artur, carried a weapon tainted by Blackflame. It is deadly and insidious and it burns only living flesh. The Cult of the Blackflame was thought destroyed some generations ago. It appears they have returned. Both Artur and the mage were consumed by Blackflame when they died in this combat. There are many questions which remain and we may have more to answer than when we arrived here in Twin Forks."

"It is a cold night to be going for a swim, my lady," Validar will say. He takes a few steps to pick up a cloak that one of the guards discarded when the battle erupted and return to wrap it around the shivering woman, in an attempt to warm her up. Validar wraps his arms around her until she stops her shakes or at least until they subside a bit. "You should get to Lothar's house and sit by the fire a bit to warm yourself."


Ivy will chuckle slightly to herself. "My own foolishness", Ivy will explain. "I was distracted and out of position when the signal to attack came. Lothar crashed into me on the dock and I was sent into the river. Thankfully, we appear to have succeeded in spite of my clumsiness."

Ivy is mildly surprised, and genuinely touched, by Validar's efforts to comfort her. She eagerly accepts the cloak and does not mind his tight embrace. "Thank you", Ivy will say between chattering teeth. "This is most kind of you. I have no idea how Sherra found this to be refreshing!"

"It is the least I can do. Think nothing of it, my lady."

Ivy will allow herself to be led to Lothar's house. The surprises continue as Validar returns with a blanket to help me recover from this drowning.

Validar will head to the bedchamber and try to locate the cleanest blanket that is here and return to Ivy. "You should dry your clothes as well to avoid catching ill, Ivy of Azrella." Validar will remove the wet cloak and offer the blanket to her.

"Thank you very much", Ivy will respond, gratitude clear on her face. "I am in your debt. I shall do that. Thankfully, the Blue Lady protects me from becoming ill, but the experience has chilled me to the bone!"

Validar smiles at Ivy briefly. "It is very good that you have your protection granted to you. Otherwise, you may be feeling the effects of this ill-advised swim for some days. The fire will warm you. and the others should be here shortly. I will return momentarily, Ivy of Azrella."

"Hold a moment, Validar. You've been wounded! Let me tend to that. I promise to use only my skill as a healer and not invoke any magic. It's the least I can do. Please?"

Validar pauses in the doorway a moment, as though contemplating. "My wound is minor at best, my lady. Thankfully, the Blackflame did not have a chance to do its evil task. I will be fully healed by daybreak, however. You do not need to trouble yourself." He starts to head out and then returns a step once more. "It would be rude to not accept your offer. If you feel suitably warmed and the others have all been tended to, then I will accept your healing." Validar then steps back into the night.

Together, Validar and Lilia manage to collect the fallen pair's equipment and transport it back to Lothar's house. Validar sees that Po has taken his warhorse Havoc along with his own to Lothar's house already. The young man may prove to be worthy of our trust afterall. The amount of magic items retrieved is impressive.

Seeing the townsfolk start to gather or more peering out from cracked open windows, Validar will try to identify the town's head. "All of the people of Twin Forks should return to their homes. I am Lord Validar, son of Baron Relon of Pyris. We have identified a bandit leader and his troops who have continually raided the High Road between Pyris and Elcadan. Lothar is our prisoner. Sherwood the Arch-Mage and myself will meet with you tomorrow to inform you of the actions we are taking. And I am certain we will have a very pleasant surprise for this town as well. Good day."

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

When Lothar explains that Lord Cavius himself paid Lothar to transport the wine to Pyris, Validar is somewhat surprised.

"So Lord Cavius simply hired a bandit leader to transport the wine and avoid having to worry about it being taken on the road. A novel approach." Validar will consider his next words carefully.

"Lord Cavius is known as a good friend of Pyris. Either something has changed that we do not know about, Cavius is under someone else's influence, or there is someone at the source in Rennydale, who is to blame. Sherwood, didn't you say that you had agents investigating that avenue?"


"Lothar, how did you come to be aware to be ready for adventurers possibly coming for you? Who else are you in league with?"

"How did you come to be in association with Artur and Arkane and what do you know of the Blackflame?"

"We should have someone guard the warehouse to avoid anyone trying to make off with any of the 'supplies'."

Seeing that Lord Corley seems a bit beside himself after the battle, Validar will approach his friend at some point. "Do not look so glum, my friend. The battle was won and we suffered no casualties. Think on it as a learning experience."

"We have acquired a number of magickal treasures, my friends. And we have no formal structure or dispersement procedure for the goods or money."

Seeing that Lilia is anxious to split the treasure, "We should identify all the items at some point. I have found in the past with the Seekers that using items that have not been properly checked has consequences. One day I will tell you all about my good friend Blod."

At some point in the night, Validar will thank Po for his service and offer him a choice. "You have proven yourself brave and honorable. You can turn in your weapons and armor and leave us now, or you may continue to ride with us and share in our spoils and our glory. Think on it, young Po and tell me your answer tomorrow."

[Grondar]

Grondar:

Saladin's excuses for petty greed sound hollow and empty. Can he truly believe such garbage?

"Nobles are no more precious to me than anyone else. As for Validar killing you, such would only have been done over my dead body, and I don't think he has the stomach for that.

"You had the choice to chart a different path for you life. No matter what excuses you invent, greed and violence will never gain you anything but an untimely end, nor will it ever feed the hunger in your soul."

As soon as Saladin begins to run, Grondar casts his Hold Person. If the spell fails, then he will attempt to bring Saladin down with a single bolt.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Seeing no other targets, Sherra turned her attention to the only real threat left which is Arkane. Just as the first arrow flies from her bow, Sherwood's Dispel Magic is efficient in removing every magically-cast protection Arkane had erected. The second arrow is already in flight before Sherra's eyes tell her brain that Arkane is defenseless. With uncanny accuracy the second arrow also slams home, delivering the mortal blow.

Curse my aim Sherra swears mentally, and then the body of Arkane is engulfed in black flame. What in the hells?

Sherra sees Kylie and Corley round up the bandits suddenly freed from the magical webbing and sees Sherwood and Validar hurrying off. Faintly she picks up a few words, driving home the point she already knew - that we wanted Arkane alive.

Sherra sighs, knowing she really can't do anything about it at this point. She drops down from her perch and stays outside to make sure Laucian is not ambushed by any of the handful of bandits that fled the battle. She is fairly positive they have lost the stomach for fighting, but better to be vigilant then to slip into a lazy state of believed security. Once Laucian is finished rounding up the horses, she will head to Lothar's house where everyone else is gathering

[Chareos]

Chareos

Two ghostly forms float through the web near the inn. Not waiting to find out if it is friend or foe Chareos begins to chant the words to another Magic Missile spell. Two beams of energy and light issue forth from his hands, spread and hit their targets. One winks out of existence, the other seemingly "floats" in place.

Soon after the ghost reverts back to human form from an unknown caster as does the web that it just walked through. Two arrows find their mark in the man's chest and head with a thud. The fighter mage cant help but grimace as the second shaft juts out from the man's eye socket. His body falls backwards and a small dust cloud ensues.

Chareos begins to walk forward to check the man's gear as the corpse is consumed by an ebony flame. He stops mid stride with his eyes and mouth wide in disbelief.

"No one touch the remains!", Sherwood angrily cries out. "The Black Fire only burns living things and it can be transferred just like normal fire! Only a Dispel Magic can put it out and I don't have another in memory, so to touch it is to invite death!"

After seeing what the flame has just done and wanting his flesh to remain where it is he will abide by Sherwood's warning.

Seeing several bandits in the dim torch light he will move to them with quarter staff drawn. As he approaches he hears the familiar voice of Kylie. As she speaks he looks around trying to find her location on the roof

"Chareos! Can you help Corley bind these men?"

He nods in agreement. "If only I had some rope" he mumbles to himself. He will move to Lothar's house and look for any rope that may be there. After obtaining a rope to bind the men he will start to bind each man starting with the man farthest from Kylie's position, giving her an open shot if one of the others try to grab him. Afterward he will gather the men's weapons and pile them near Lothar's house.

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Once Chareos and Corley have the remaining bandits well in hand, Kylie returns her arrow to its quiver and climbs back down to the ground. Approaching the two men, Kylie smiles. "Thanks to you both for your assistance. I could not have restrained them by myself."

Kylie pauses to look around, then turns her attention back to Chareos and Corley. "Do either of you know where Sherwood went? I'm sure I saw him nearby..."

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Grondar:

Saladin makes a break for it and Grondar casts his spell. The plan succeeds and Saladin stiffens up in mid-stride. The bandit falls to the floor from being off balance.


Chareos, Corley, & Kylie:

The men surrender, toss their weapons, and drop to the ground. Chareos hunts down some rope while Kylie and Corley stand guard. While Chareos searches, Corley's Silence lifts and sound comes whooshing back to him. Lilia comes up and delivers Sherwood's message to them.

Chareos returns and begins to bind them men while a small crowd of townsfolk begins to gather. Before the situation gets too out of hand, Validar returns to the scene.

"All of the people of Twin Forks should return to their homes. I am Lord Validar, son of Baron Relon of Pyris. We have identified a bandit leader and his troops who have continually raided the High Road between Pyris and Elcadan. Lothar is our prisoner. Sherwood the Arch-Mage and myself will meet with you tomorrow to inform you of the actions we are taking. And I am certain we will have a very pleasant surprise for this town as well. Good day."

One of the men steps forward, "Hail Lord Validar!", he calls out. "I am Geris, Captain of the Twin Forks militia. You say that you're working with Sherwood? That's good enough for me. My men and I will take these thugs the garrison until you and Sherwood arrive. Come on men, lets round up this scum!"

Under Geris' direction, the captured men are rounded up and taken away. The town garrison is to the west across the forking rivers. The prisoners are transported by rowboat to the far shore and them marched deeper into town. Those who received Lilia's message will be able to gather at Lothar's house.


Po:

At some point in the night, Validar will thank Po for his service and offer him a choice. "You have proven yourself brave and honorable. You can turn in your weapons and armor and leave us now, or you may continue to ride with us and share in our spoils and our glory. Think on it, young Po and tell me your answer tomorrow."

The young will be visible shocked by Lord Validar's statement. "I-- I don't know what to say, Lord Validar. I will consider your words. Thank you."


Questioning Lothar:

"Lothar, how did you come to be aware to be ready for adventurers possibly coming for you? Who else are you in league with? How did you come to be in association with Artur and Arkane and what do you know of the Blackflame?" "

"Those two men-- Artur and Arkane-- came into town and warned me that I was being blamed for attempting to kill the Baron of Pyris. Cavius set me up and I wasn't about to take the fall for his actions! The bandits were alerted to attack any adventuring parties while I loaded up to head down river. You got here faster than I suspected you would. I never met those two men before a few days back."


Now what?

[Corley]

Corley:

Finally, sound does return to Lord Corley's ears! He is most grateful to be able hear once more. What a horrible experience!

"My friends, my hearing has returned! Quick, lets us secure these dogs before they scamper off!"

However, Chareos and Lady Kylie already have the situation well in hand. Chareos steps in and starts to bind the prisoners. While we work, Lady Lilia arrives and passes along Sherwood's message about meeting back at Lothar's house.

"We shall arrive as soon as we have secured this prisoners, Lady Lilia."

Corley begins to feel a bit nervous when the villagers start to show up to see what is going on. Most are probably curious about what is going on, but several of them are armed and could be among the enemy.

Unsure how to proceed in this tricky situation, Corley is most grateful when Lord Validar arrives and deals with the men. Members of the local guard are identified and they take the prisoners away. A nice and clean solution to the situation. Better to let the locals deal with these dogs. We have bigger prizes to cast our eyes upon!

With that all over with, Lord Corley will remove his helm address his comrades in arms. "Thanks for your assistance, Chareos."

Turning to Lady Kylie, Corley will add, "And a special thanks to you, fair lady, for your assistance against the vile mage. His magic was most perplexing! I am thankful not to do battle against such foes often!"

Arriving at Lothar's house, Corley finds Sherwood and Validar questioning Lothar about his involvement in the plot against Baron Relon. Coming in late, Corley is unsure what he missed and what he does hear doesn't make sense. Lord Cavius is really behind all of this?"

Seeing that Lord Corley seems a bit beside himself after the battle, Validar will approach his friend at some point. "Do not look so glum, my friend. The battle was won and we suffered no casualties. Think on it as a learning experience."

"Aye, Lord Validar, each battle is a learning experience. If only that mage wasn't so vexing in his tactics! Even worse the lone solid strike I had upon him was turned aside. It was as if I struck a stone wall!"

"We should have someone guard the warehouse to avoid anyone trying to make off with any of the 'supplies'."

"I can make myself useful and handle that, Lord Validar. Looking around the cramped house, Corley can see Lady Lilia deeply involved in examining the magic items. Lady Ivy is seated near the fire wrapped up in a blanket. Lord Corley is unsure just what that is all about! The mere sight of her bare shoulder is most distracting!

Speaking up, Lord Corley will say, "My friends, we have other tasks that need to be performed before we rest this night. The bandits' warehouse and armory need to be secured. Who will accompany me on this duty?"

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Seeing Ivy's obvious confusion, Validar will explain briefly. "I am certain that Sherwood will be filling in many blanks once we all convene to review the battle and interrogate our captive. However, the fighter, Artur, carried a weapon tainted by Blackflame. It is deadly and insidious and it burns only living flesh. The Cult of the Blackflame was thought destroyed some generations ago. It appears they have returned. Both Artur and the mage were consumed by Blackflame when they died in this combat. There are many questions which remain and we may have more to answer than when we arrived here in Twin Forks."

"A fire that burns only living flesh!? How horrid! As a Priestess of Life, it is my duty to see this cult defeated and their vile flame extinguished forever!"

Validar smiles at Ivy briefly. "It is very good that you have your protection granted to you. Otherwise, you may be feeling the effects of this ill-advised swim for some days. The fire will warm you and the others should be here shortly. I will return momentarily, Ivy of Azrella."

"Azrella, in her infinite wisdom, makes her flock immune to the affects of those we violently oppose: Orcus and his legions of undead and Incalabus the dread god of sickness and disease. I shall wait here until your return."

Validar pauses in the doorway a moment, as though contemplating. "My wound is minor at best, my lady. Thankfully, the Blackflame did not have a chance to do its evil task. I will be fully healed by daybreak, however. You do not need to trouble yourself." He starts to head out and then returns a step once more. "It would be rude to not accept your offer. If you feel suitably warmed and the others have all been tended to, then I will accept your healing." Validar then steps back into the night.

Ivy will smile as Validar decides to accept her gifts and token of appreciation. "I shall be here by the fire waiting for you once you have completed the evenings tasks."

Ivy will warm herself by the fire and keep her eyes peeled for more members of the party to return. She will offer to heal those who have wounded in the battle.

Noting Lord Corley's gaze, Ivy will blush slightly and look away.

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

For the third time this evening, Sherwood is taken off guard by the way this situation has twisted and turned. What at once had seemed a simply enough plot has taken on unexpected complications. The first event was the site of Artur's Blackflaming sword. The second was when both Artur and Arkane were consumed by Blackfire! This cult is most efficient in making sure that their members do not talk! It is very frustrating to deal with, but a wise precaution on the part of the enemy.

Now Lothar's answers have taken Sherwood aback. Lord Cavius actually hired Lothar to deliver the tainted wine? The possibility that Cavius was involved in this plot had already been considered and was being looked into. However, Sherwood didn't expect to be riding to Rennydale this soon! The inclusion of the Cult of the Blackflame just further complicates the issue.

It appears the Sherwood was correct in at least once aspect. Lothar was not the directing intelligence behind the assault on Baron Relon. He was just a lackey and, in hindsight, played the part of the fool. Had Lothar been slain in the battle, then the true culprit may have never come to light.

While Sherwood considers his next line of questioning, Lord Validar steps in with his own questions. Given the personal nature of this affair, Sherwood will not interfere. Lothar's words just further prove Sherwood's latest theory. Lothar was just the messenger. The true origin of this threat came from Rennydale and that shall be our next destination.

After Validar is done with his questions, Sherwood will pump Lothar for more information about his bandit activities. The location of other bandit cells and those men in charge. The mage will diligently record this information. It will see use in the future as other adventurers will be sent to deal with the bandits while we investigate the attack on the baron.

Stepping away from Lothar, Sherwood will pace back and forth in front of the fireplace, his mind awhirl with thoughts and possibilities. He notes Lilia examining the magic items that have been recovered. Her talents with things arcane have allowed her to divine the operation of many of the items, but others remain a mystery. When she makes a move towards the spell books, Sherwood will speak up.

"Lilia! Never attempt to open another mages spellbook before having it examined for protections, but magical and mundane. Have Sherra or Kylie check it out first. You wouldn't want to have it blow up in your face. In the meantime, just store the magic items in the Bag of Holding. We'll sort them out at a later date. Make sure that you don't place another Bag of Holding, or an item that functions similar to one inside the other. The results can be most unpleasant."

Spotting Ivy sitting before the fire, Sherwood will ask her a question. "Ivy, does Azrella grant you the Speak with Dead spell?"

"Aye, Lord Validar, each battle is a learning experience. If only that mage wasn't so vexing in his tactics! Even worse the lone solid strike I had upon him was turned aside. It was as if I struck a stone wall!"

"The mage was protected by a Stoneskin spell," Sherwood will explain to Corley. "I placed the very same protection among those unarmored members of the group. The magic will stop several attacks, but it will give out eventually. The more powerful the mage, the higher the number of blocked attacks."

"We should have someone guard the warehouse to avoid anyone trying to make off with any of the 'supplies'."

Sherwood starts to agree with that point when Lord Corley speaks up and takes the assignment. Good, a little self-motivation never hurts.

"Lord Cavius is known as a good friend of Pyris. Either something has changed that we do not know about, Cavius is under someone else's influence, or there is someone at the source in Rennydale, who is to blame. Sherwood, didn't you say that you had agents investigating that avenue?"

"Yes, we do Validar. Another former apprentice of Jallarzi was adventuring in that area and was asked to visit Rennydale. Come the morning I will have to return to Pyris and inform Jallarzi of our findings. It appears that our next step is to travel to Rennydale to get to the bottom of this mystery. But first I wish to journey to my tower. It's just a day's ride to the west of Twin Forks. My Great-Grandfather James the Red did battle with the Cult of the Blackflame decades ago. While I am somewhat familiar with his account of the situation, I wish to research the matter fully. He may have left us some clue as to how to deal with this cult and their deadly blackfire."

Sherwood will continue to pace as his mind plays out the possibilities of this plot. There is much yet to do. He will greet the other members of the group as they return. Once they are all gather, Sherwood plans to speak to them. They deserve to know just what they are getting themselves into, as this mission was grown more and more complex in nature.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

However, Chareos and Lady Kylie already have the situation well in hand. Chareos steps in and starts to bind the prisoners. While we work, Lady Lilia arrives and passes along Sherwood's message about meeting back at Lothar's house.

"We shall arrive as soon as we have secured this prisoners, Lady Lilia."

"Very good." With that Lilia will begin to gather the downed mages gear as outlined before. Then she will head back to the warrior.

Seeing that Lilia is anxious to split the treasure, "We should identify all the items at some point. I have found in the past with the Seekers that using items that have not been properly checked has consequences. One day I will tell you all about my good friend Blod."

"Indeed, Lord Validar", Lilia will agree. "I have been able to ascertain the function of some of these items, but not all. Logically the items should be given out to those among us who will gain the most benefit from them."

"Lilia! Never attempt to open another mages spellbook before having it examined for protections, but magical and mundane. Have Sherra or Kylie check it out first. You wouldn't want to have it blow up in your face. In the meantime, just store the magic items in the Bag of Holding. We'll sort them out at a later date. Make sure that you don't place another Bag of Holding, or an item that functions similar to one inside the other. The results can be most unpleasant."

Sherwood Elf-Friends works shock the Elf Maiden out of her rapture at having gained new items and spells. Even worse, he is correct in his warning. Most mages do safeguard their spellbooks against theft. In her own excitement, Lilia has forgotten this basic lesson.

"You speak wisely, Sherwood Elf-Friend. I forgot myself in the heat of the moment."

A shamed look on her face, Lilia will begin to place the enchanted items in the Bag of Holding. She does ponder Sherwood's last warning and does wonder about it. What does happen when a Bag of Holding is placed inside another one?

[Grondar]

Grondar:

The dwarf breathes a sigh of relief as Saladin tumbles to the floor. At least now he won't have to shoot the man in the back. Walking over to the downed man, he puts his crossbow away. Then, Grondar picks Saladin up by the belt with one hand and the bag Saladin was carrying in the other. Turning, he strides back to the door through which he entered the warehouse, then begins the long trek toward the inn and Lothar's house. Grondar figures he'll meet others of their band somewhere in that vicinity, assuming they survived. If not, well, he'll deal with that as best he can.

[Kylie]

Kylie:

From her position on the roof covering the bandits, Kylie listens to Lilia's news. "I'll be there as soon as these men have been taken care of," she replies.

As she maintains her guard of the prisoners, Kylie can't help but notice the gathering townsfolk. She hears one introduce himself to Validar as the captain of the local guard. It occurs to her to wonder why they didn't do something about Lothar and his goons, but perhaps they were outmanned. At the very least they should have requested reinforcements. She watches as they gather up the bandits and take them away.

Later, having descended from the roof, Kylie looks up at Corley. "I agree. Arkane's magic was beyond my experience as well. That spell which seemed to turn him into a ghost surprised me greatly, and almost allowed his escape. Fortunately, the others were able to stop him."

Corley speaks with Validar for a moment, then returns, requesting volunteers to join him in securing the warehouse and armory. "I'll be happy to join you, Corley. It will give me something to do for the time being." She doesn't mention that it also allows her to spend more time with him.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

One of the men steps forward, "Hail Lord Validar!", he calls out. "I am Geris, Captain of the Twin Forks militia. You say that you're working with Sherwood? That's good enough for me. My men and I will take these thugs the garrison until you and Sherwood arrive. Come on men, lets round up this scum!"

Under Geris' direction, the captured men are rounded up and taken away. The town garrison is to the west across the forking rivers. The prisoners are transported by rowboat to the far shore and them marched deeper into town.

Validar is pleased that the town militia is on their side. Sherwood had indicated to him that many of the town may have not known of Lothar's illegal activities and he never practiced them there. "I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow, Captain Geris. Thank you for your timely assistance."


At some point in the night, Validar will thank Po for his service and offer him a choice. "You have proven yourself brave and honorable. You can turn in your weapons and armor and leave us now, or you may continue to ride with us and share in our spoils and our glory. Think on it, young Po and tell me your answer tomorrow."

The youth will be visibly shocked by Lord Validar's statement. "I-- I don't know what to say, Lord Validar. I will consider your words. Thank you."

Validar will place his hand briefly on the lad's shoulder. "There are many options available to you now. Your integrity, bravery and honor have afforded you that."


Lothar - "Those two men-- Artur and Arkane-- came into town and warned me that I was being blamed for attempting to kill the Baron of Pyris. Cavius set me up and I wasn't about to take the fall for his actions! The bandits were alerted to attack any adventuring parties while I loaded up to head down river. You got here faster than I suspected you would. I never met those two men before a few days back."

"You have enough transgressions as leader of your bandits to warrant our coming here anyway, whether you attempted to kill the Baron or not." Unfortunately, Lothar has little else to tell regarding the Cult.


Arriving at Lothar's house, Corley finds Sherwood and Validar questioning Lothar about his involvement in the plot against Baron Relon. Coming in late, Corley is unsure what he missed and what he does hear doesn't make sense. Lord Cavius is really behind all of this?"

"Lord Cavius is not necessarily behind the poisoning. There are many other options which exist, not the least of which include that he has been replaced, that he is a pawn, witting or unwitting, or that the wine was sabotaged without Cavius' knowledge. We will have to travel there to find out for ourselves."


"We should have someone guard the warehouse to avoid anyone trying to make off with any of the 'supplies'."

"I can make myself useful and handle that, Lord Validar. Looking around the cramped house, Corley can see Lady Lilia deeply involved in examining the magic items. Lady Ivy is seated near the fire wrapped up in a blanket. Lord Corley is unsure just what that is all about! The mere sight of her bare shoulder is most distracting!

Speaking up, Lord Corley will say, "My friends, we have other tasks that need to be performed before we rest this night. The bandits' warehouse and armory need to be secured. Who will accompany me on this duty?"

"In addition, we should not forget the barge and all it's supplies and other contents. Those items also need to be inspected." When Corley offers to secure the warehouse and armory, Po also volunteers to join the young lord. Validar gives him a knowing smile.


Seeing Ivy's obvious confusion, Validar will explain briefly. "I am certain that Sherwood will be filling in many blanks once we all convene to review the battle and interrogate our captive. However, the fighter, Artur, carried a weapon tainted by Blackflame. It is deadly and insidious and it burns only living flesh. The Cult of the Blackflame was thought destroyed some generations ago. It appears they have returned. Both Artur and the mage were consumed by Blackflame when they died in this combat. There are many questions which remain and we may have more to answer than when we arrived here in Twin Forks."

"A fire that burns only living flesh!? How horrid! As a Priestess of Life, it is my duty to see this cult defeated and their vile flame extinguished forever!"

"As I said, it is a most insidious and evil Cult. My ancestor thought it destroyed once, but it appears to have resurfaced. It will not be a small task I should think, Ivy of Azrella. But I would welcome your presence in this endeavor."


Validar pauses in the doorway a moment, as though contemplating. "My wound is minor at best, my lady. Thankfully, the Blackflame did not have a chance to do its evil task. I will be fully healed by daybreak, however. You do not need to trouble yourself." He starts to head out and then returns a step once more. "It would be rude to not accept your offer. If you feel suitably warmed and the others have all been tended to, then I will accept your healing." Validar then steps back into the night.

Ivy will smile as Validar decides to accept her gifts and token of appreciation. "I shall be here by the fire waiting for you once you have completed the evenings tasks."

"There is much to do. But we will all require a suitable rest tomorrow." Once eveything has been completed, Validar will look to Ivy to see if she is still awake. Dawn is soon approaching and we all need some rest. If she is still willing, then Validar will allow her to offer ehr healing touch to his wounds.


Corley -"Aye, Lord Validar, each battle is a learning experience. If only that mage wasn't so vexing in his tactics! Even worse the lone solid strike I had upon him was turned aside. It was as if I struck a stone wall!"

"The mage was protected by a Stoneskin spell," Sherwood will explain to Corley. "I placed the very same protection among those unarmored members of the group. The magic will stop several attacks, but it will give out eventually. The more powerful the mage, the higher the number of blocked attacks."

"All this just goes to show how important the Silence Spell can be as a tactic against enemy mages. This Stoneskin could possibly allow a mage to get off spells and cause incredible trouble without sustaining any damage. I firmly stand by it's success and use. And even though it seemed frustrating to you, Lord Corley, you played your part quite well."


"Lord Cavius is known as a good friend of Pyris. Either something has changed that we do not know about, Cavius is under someone else's influence, or there is someone at the source in Rennydale, who is to blame. Sherwood, didn't you say that you had agents investigating that avenue?"

"Yes, we do Validar. Another former apprentice of Jallarzi was adventuring in that area and was asked to visit Rennydale. Come the morning I will have to return to Pyris and inform Jallarzi of our findings. It appears that our next step is to travel to Rennydale to get to the bottom of this mystery. But first I wish to journey to my tower. It's just a day's ride to the west of Twin Forks. My Great-Grandfather James the Red did battle with the Cult of the Blackflame decades ago. While I am somewhat familiar with his account of the situation, I wish to research the matter fully. He may have left us some clue as to how to deal with this cult and their deadly blackfire."

"I would be interested in accompanying you to Pyris if that is acceptable to you, Sherwood. Also I informed the Captain of the Militia that we have an offer for the town as we spoke about."

"An ancestor of mine also did battle with the Cult of the Blackflame. I have read the accounts numerous times myself as a youth."


Seeing that Lilia is anxious to split the treasure, "We should identify all the items at some point. I have found in the past with the Seekers that using items that have not been properly checked has consequences. One day I will tell you all about my good friend Blod."

"Indeed, Lord Validar", Lilia will agree. "I have been able to ascertain the function of some of these items, but not all. Logically the items should be given out to those among us who will gain the most benefit from them."

"That is correct, Lilia of Grunalf. It is also important that we are fair in our dispersement as well. More items may benefit some members more than others and as we are not assured of continued cooperation with all members of this group, it would be difficult to hold community treasure unless we all decide soon to commit to combat this evil together."

"I, for one, will not rest until the Cult of the Black Flame has once more been extinguished and this time for certain. What say the rest of you?"

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Grondar:

With Saladin in tow, Grondar will make his way towards the south. Along the way he'll see other armed men out on the roads and a small crowd near the inn. One of the armed men will call out to Grondar.

"You're one of Sherwood's associates? If so, then we'll take your prisoner into custody. I am Geris, Captain of the Twin Forks Militia."


Po:

Validar will place his hand briefly on the lad's shoulder. "There are many options available to you now. Your integrity, bravery and honor have afforded you that."

"Truth be told, I was none of those things, Lord Validar. I was consumed by fear for my life while you bravely fought Artur. I lack your courage and inner strength."

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"As I said, it is a most insidious and evil Cult. My ancestor thought it destroyed once, but it appears to have resurfaced. It will not be a small task I should think, Ivy of Azrella. But I would welcome your presence in this endeavor."

"We may not see the world around us in the same manner, Lord Validar, but on matters such as this we are in agreement. I will see this task through to the very end. This I do promise you."

"There is much to do. But we will all require a suitable rest tomorrow." Once everything has been completed, Validar will look to Ivy to see if she is still awake. Dawn is soon approaching and we all need some rest. If she is still willing, then Validar will allow her to offer her healing touch to his wounds.

Ivy will be waiting patiently for Lord Validar to return. She made a promise and does tend to carry through with her pledges. In the time he was gone, Laucian was kind enough to bring the rest of the horses to Lothar's house from our camp on the edge of town. Ivy has changed into a simple blue gown with flared sleeves. The neckline is tastefully cut and the Priestess' Holy Symbol, the infinity symbol, dangles from her neck. The bottom of the gown sweeps the floor and slippers have replaced her flooded boots.

"Come, Lord Validar. Let me tend to your wound." Ivy will gesture to one of the side rooms so that the warrior can remove his armor in private. Ivy will let the noble warrior handle that task as she is unfamiliar with wearing armor and is unsure of the proper way to remove it.

Once the breastplate is removed, Ivy will take a closer look at the wound. There are bloodstains on Validar's clothing, but it is now dry. Uncovering the wound, Ivy is amazed to find that the wound has already closed and is healing rapidly!

"How is this possible?" Ivy will wonder aloud. "The wound has already begun to heal on its own accord! Is this why you normally refuse a healer's touch?"

Spotting Ivy sitting before the fire, Sherwood will ask her a question. "Ivy, does Azrella grant you the Speak with Dead spell?"

Looking back from her position near the fireplace, Ivy will answer, "No, Sherwood. I do not have access to that spell yet."

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

"You speak wisely, Sherwood Elf-Friend. I forgot myself in the heat of the moment."

"Many mages have fallen into that same trap. The excitement of learning new magicks sometimes overwhelms one's common sense. I plan on journeying to my tower before we depart for Rennydale to the north. I have several tomes which you'll find interesting. I also have a magic item that will reveal the enchantments on those items that have eluded you. Once we have all the treasure identified, then we can disperse them all."

Looking back from her position near the fireplace, Ivy will answer, "No, Sherwood. I do not have access to that spell yet."

Sherwood will nod his understanding and make a point to repeat his request to Grondar when he returns.

"You have enough transgressions as leader of your bandits to warrant our coming here anyway, whether you attempted to kill the Baron or not." Unfortunately, Lothar has little else to tell regarding the Cult.

"Agreed", Sherwood will add. "Let's untie him and remove his remaining magical gear. I'll take him back with me to Pyris where he can receive justice. But first I will question him at length about his bandit organization. There are many other adventurers known to me and they can deal with the rest of this organization while we continue on to Rennydale."

"I would be interested in accompanying you to Pyris if that is acceptable to you, Sherwood. Also I informed the Captain of the Militia that we have an offer for the town as we spoke about."

"Geris? He's a good man and can be trusted. I plan on teleporting to Pyris in back. The spell is limited by the amount of weight I can travel with, but I should be able to take both you and Lothar. We'll leave after speaking to Geris. Oh, we should turn over the two men I Charmed earlier to Geris. No reason to have them continue traveling with us now.

"An ancestor of mine also did battle with the Cult of the Blackflame. I have read the accounts numerous times myself as a youth."

"Yes, your great-grandfather and namesake Validar and his brother Valerian. As I recall it was that mission where he was awarded the Barony of Pyris for completing. The incident with the Cult and the young Victor the 7th also triggered the War with Keln. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the war, my ancestors' notes are not as in depth as normal. Still there maybe something there that can help us today.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

"Many mages have fallen into that same trap. The excitement of learning new magicks sometimes overwhelms ones common sense. I plan on journeying to my tower before we depart for Rennydale to the north. I have several tomes of which you'll find interesting. I also have a magic item that will reveal the enchantments on those items that have eluded you. Once we have all the treasure identified, then we can disperse them all."

"I can see how such a thing can occur. We mages may be very intelligent, but sometimes lacking in common sense. I thank you for stopping me from doing something foolish. I look forward to seeing your tower. I am very intrigued by these books you speak of and the magic item that reveals enchantments. A very useful item!"

Lilia will pack up the items in the Bag of Holding as indicated earlier. She'll set the spell books aside until she can ask Kylie or Sherra to examine them for potential traps.

"That is correct, Lilia of Grunalf. It is also important that we are fair in our disbursement as well. More items may benefit some members more than others and as we are not assured of continued cooperation with all members of this group, it would be difficult to hold community treasure unless we all decide soon to commit to combat this evil together."

"It is an issue that will need to be ironed out," Lilia will admit stoically.

"I, for one, will not rest until the Cult of the Black Flame has once more been extinguished and this time for certain. What say the rest of you?"

"I would like to hear more of this cult before making any such decision. Who are they and why are they so feared?"

[Corley]

Corley:

Corley speaks with Validar for a moment, then returns, requesting volunteers to join him in securing the warehouse and armory. "I'll be happy to join you, Corley. It will give me something to do for the time being." She doesn't mention that it also allows her to spend more time with him.

Corley will grin widely at the half-elf upon hearing her words.

"Very good, Lady Kylie. Your presence will brighten what otherwise could have been a dreary task."

Exiting Lothar's house, Corley will mount up on Charger. He'll offer Lady Kylie a ride if her own mount is not in the area.

"Lord Cavius is not necessarily behind the poisoning. There are many other options which exist, not the least of which include that he has been replaced, that he is a pawn, witting or unwitting, or that the wine was sabotaged without Cavius' knowledge. We will have to travel there to find out for ourselves."

"I had not considered that, Lord Validar. Regardless, I assume that our next destination is Rennydale far to the north?"

"In addition, we should not forget the barge and all it's supplies and other contents. Those items also need to be inspected." When Corley offers to secure the warehouse and armory, Po also volunteers to join the young lord. Validar gives him a knowing smile.

"I had forgotten about the barge. Perhaps Lady Sherra would prefer to handle that task"

Corley is mildly surprised when Po joins up with his group and perhaps a bit disappointed too. Nonetheless, he will welcome his addition to this venture.

"All this just goes to show how important the Silence Spell can be as a tactic against enemy mages. This Stoneskin could possibly allow a mage to get off spells and cause incredible trouble without sustaining any damage. I firmly stand by its success and use. And even though it seemed frustrating to you, Lord Corley, you played your part quite well."

"You are too kind, Lord Validar. In spite of your accolades, I can't help but feel that I could have done more in the battle."

"I, for one, will not rest until the Cult of the Black Flame has once more been extinguished and this time for certain. What say the rest of you?"

"As I vowed, Lord Validar, I will ride with you until those responsible for the cowardly attack on your father has been dealt with. This do I swear!"

[Grondar]

Grondar:

As the armed stranger approaches, Grondar eyes him suspiciously. The man claims to be the captain of the local militia, though he had seen no sign of a militia in evidence.

Grondar pauses, some paces well away from the man and his armed comrades. "Captain Geris, you say? Yes, I am working with Sherwood. You have a militia here? Why were Lothar and his bandits allowed to flourish here as they did?" The dwarf makes no move to hand over Saladin as he waits for a reply.

Some time later, Grondar makes his way to Lothar's house. Entering, he finds many of his friends still alive and well. "Greetings, my friends. Berronar's blessings upon you all."

Wandering about the house, he notes that Lothar is being questioned, but sees no sign of Artur or Arkane. "What of the mage and the warrior? Were they slain, or did they escape?"

When Sherwood asks him about Speak With Dead, Grondar gets a strange look on his face. "Aye, the Revered Mother does grant us that particular blessing. What have you in mind, Sherwood?"

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Entering Lothar's house behind Corley, Kylie almost immediately notices a damp Ivy sitting wrapped in a blanket. She moves over to the human woman and kneels next her her. "Are you alright, Ivy? I saw you get knocked into the water. Anything you need?"

While Corley and Validar are talking, Kylie wanders around a bit, finding Lilia poring over a sizable collection of loot. "What do you have there, Lilia? Is that the stuff Arkane and Artur were wearing? Is any of it magical?" If asked, Kylie will inspect the spellbooks carefully for any sign of locks or traps. She also uses her innate abilities to try to see if there are any magical traps. Having arrived there after Sherwood passed by, she doesn't hear the lecture concerning opening spellbooks - though she knows the dangers from her training with Jallarzi - or nesting Bags of Holding - about which she knows nothing.

A bit later, Sherwood comes out and speaks to them during a break in the interrogation of Lothar. "Rennydale? Where's that? And who is this Lord Cavius?"

Once Corley and Validar have had their chat, Kylie returns and volunteers for the guard detail. "Gladly, Lord Corley," she replies, and accepts a hand up onto his horse behind him. "I'm afraid I left my mount on the edge of town earlier. Hopefully she's still there and alright." Once Corley is ready, she will accompany him to survey the warehouse and armory. Having visited them in the night, she will have a good idea of what may have changed or been removed.
_______________________________________________________
I got a bit lost with all the different activities and conversations, but I think I'm getting a handle on it. I'm assuming here that Kylie followed Corley back to Lothar's house at the appropriate time.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Po - Validar will place his hand briefly on the lad's shoulder. "There are many options available to you now. Your integrity, bravery and honor have afforded you that."

"Truth be told, I was none of those things, Lord Validar. I was consumed by fear for my life while you bravely fought Artur. I lack your courage and inner strength."

"Ah, young Po, you belittle yourself needlessly. Bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather the conquering of the fear that is inevitable. Only a fool or a madman knows no fear in combat. Anyone who does battle feels that tug at their heart, some more often, some less, but it is there nonetheless."

"You do not lack inner strength. You rode with me and kept to my flank when you could have strayed behind. You were ready to attack Artur in hand to hand combat, until I directed you otherwise. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Confidence will come with time."


"Ivy - As I said, it is a most insidious and evil Cult. My ancestor thought it destroyed once, but it appears to have resurfaced. It will not be a small task I should think, Ivy of Azrella. But I would welcome your presence in this endeavor."

"We may not see the world around us in the same manner, Lord Validar, but on matters such as this we are in agreement. I will see this task through to the very end. This I do promise you."

"I am honored to take up this quest beside you. I am certain that your skills will be quite useful in combatting this re-emerging evil."


A bit later, upon returning to the house - Ivy will be waiting patiently for Lord Validar to return. She made a promise and does tend to carry through with her pledges. In the time he was gone, Laucian was kind enough to bring the rest of the horses to Lothar's house from our camp on the edge of town. Ivy has changed into a simple blue gown with flared sleeves. The neckline is tastefully cut and the Priestess' Holy Symbol, the infinity symbol, dangles from her neck. The bottom of the gown sweeps the floor and slippers have replaced her flooded boots.

"Come, Lord Validar. Let me tend to your wound." Ivy will gesture to one of the side rooms so that the warrior can remove his armor in private. Ivy will let the noble warrior handle that task as she is unfamiliar with wearing armor and is unsure of the proper way to remove it.

Validar will accompany Ivy to the room she indicates and begins to remove part of his armor. He has already unfastened his helmet and sets it aside. He then begins the task of removing the shoulder pieces and his breastplate and tabard. That should be enough for Ivy to reach the wound. "You seem to have recovered nicely from your eveing dip in the river, my lady."

Once the breastplate is removed, Ivy will take a closer look at the wound. There are bloodstains on Validar's clothing, but it is now dry. Uncovering the wound, Ivy is amazed to find that the wound has already closed and is healing rapidly!

"How is this possible?" Ivy will wonder aloud. "The wound has already begun to heal on its own accord! Is this why you normally refuse a healer's touch?"

"As I said before, fair Ivy, the wound will be healed by mid-day. It is very useful for someone of my profession. But to answer your question, no, that is not the reason that I normally refuse a healer's touch. I consider it more of a by-product. And I do not refuse those methods which utilize natural healing methods, only those which have been granted or considered to be a direct magickal spell."


During the interogation of Lothar -"You have enough transgressions as leader of your bandits to warrant our coming here anyway, whether you attempted to kill the Baron or not." Unfortunately, Lothar has little else to tell regarding the Cult.

"Agreed", Sherwood will add. "Let's untie him and remove his remaining magical gear. I'll take him back with me to Pyris where he can receive justice. But first I will question him at length about his bandit organization. There are many other adventurers known to me and they can deal with the rest of this organization while we continue on to Rennydale."

"Pyris will welcome the opportunity to punish this base criminal. And the reduction of his other bandit groups will only serve to safeguard the travel of our traders and merchants."

"I would be interested in accompanying you to Pyris if that is acceptable to you, Sherwood. Also I informed the Captain of the Militia that we have an offer for the town as we spoke about."

"Geris? He's a good man and can be trusted. I plan on teleporting to Pyris in back. The spell is limited by the amount of weight I can travel with, but I should be able to take both you and Lothar. We'll leave after speaking to Geris. Oh, we should turn over the two men I Charmed earlier to Geris. No reason to have them continue traveling with us now.

"I am pleased to hear that Geris can be trusted. That wil make our plan all the easier to implement," Validar will say. "When everyone is here, then we can present our plan to the assembled group."

"I agree that we should turn the lieutenants over to Geris as well. We cannot be certain to trust them as we discussed in the plan of attack."


"An ancestor of mine also did battle with the Cult of the Blackflame. I have read the accounts numerous times myself as a youth."

"Yes, your great-grandfather and namesake Validar and his brother Valerian. As I recall it was that mission where he was awarded the Barony of Pyris for completing. The incident with the Cult and the young Victor the 7th also triggered the War with Keln. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the war, my ancestors' notes are not as in depth as normal. Still there may be something there that can help us today.

"You recall correctly, Sherwood. The Barony is young compared to many, but we still trace a line back to King Victor the First. Hopefully there will be information which we can use to our advantage. The Cult was involved deep in the workings of government and politics before and it was a challenge to root out all of the instances of it. Apparently, in the urge to attack Keln, there were some vestiges that remained."


Lilia - "I, for one, will not rest until the Cult of the Black Flame has once more been extinguished and this time for certain. What say the rest of you?"

"I would like to hear more of this cult before making any such decision. Who are they and why are they so feared?"

"The Cult of the Blackflame was created by a lich. The Lord of the Blackflame he was known. The Cult attempted to gain power in this part of the world and used all means available, including corrupting and influencing nobles. The used fear and murder and intimidation to further their evil ends."

(GM Notes: The true creator of the Cult was revealed after the fact. At the time when this all happened that was unknown. Evidence at the time pointed towards Keln.)

"The Cult grew in power and at one point had kidnapped some very important people, including our current King Victor the 7th and his older sister, Theandra. While the King, crown prince at the time, was recovered, his sister never was. It was believed that the Cult was also backed by Keln and that was one of the reasons that the Great War was begun."


"Now, there are great questions. Does the resurfacing of the Cult indicate that Keln is growing in power once more. If so, then the attack on the Keln seat of power in the Spring is vital and also exceedingly more dangerous. Or is the Cult operating independent of Keln now? In truth, I wonder if the Cult was a vehicle of Keln or merely in league with those vile scum. It is imperative to the safety of the realm to learn the answers to these questions."

(GM Note: Sherwood will go into much greater detail about this in the main body of the next post. That'll be in a day or two. I want to give everyone time to respond to this post before closing it.)


Talking to Corley - "Lord Cavius is not necessarily behind the poisoning. There are many other options which exist, not the least of which include that he has been replaced, that he is a pawn, witting or unwitting, or that the wine was sabotaged without Cavius' knowledge. We will have to travel there to find out for ourselves."

"I had not considered that, Lord Validar. Regardless, I assume that our next destination is Rennydale far to the north?"

"That is true. Sherwood wants to do some research and we have a few loose ends to complete and then we shall be visting Lord Cavius very soon."

"As I vowed, Lord Validar, I will ride with you until those responsible for the cowardly attack on your father has been dealt with. This do I swear!"

"Your presence will be most appreciated, Lord Corley. I fear we have just seen the very tip of this insidious plot."


Kylie - A bit later, Sherwood comes out and speaks to them during a break in the interrogation of Lothar. "Rennydale? Where's that? And who is this Lord Cavius?"

Lord Cavius is the Baron of Rennydale. The Barony is part of the Duchy of Corunglain and one of the northern neighbors of Elcadan. Rennydale is to the west of the Streel River. It is also on the borderlands to the humanoid invasion to the North, due to the fall of Stone Ridge and Ardelphia. Lord Cavius has always been a good friend and ally of Pyris."

[Sherra]

Sherra:

While waiting for Laucian to finish gathering the horses, Sherra notices that the town has seemingly come alive. She hears a few words here and there and notices the man a few call Geris who seems to be the one in charge of this town's militia. Better late than never Sherra thinks.

Sherra also catches a glimpse of Grondar. She is glad he seems alright since at the end of the battle she heard some questions about where he might have been. It seems like he has someone in tow, and although she can't be certain, it looks like it could be Saladin. Sherra is certain the dwarf would not make Saladin his prisoner unless it was warranted. That's probably what kept him away from the battle. I didn't figure Saladin could be trusted Sherra thinks as she starts to head back to Lothar's house with Laucian.

Sherra will catch the tail end of the conversation about securing the additional supplies and resources, most notably Corley's reply.

"I had forgotten about the barge. Perhaps Lady Sherra would prefer to handle that task"

"I do not mind. I found rope there to bind Lothar, who knows what other treasures might await us," Sherra will reply, smiling way too big in an effort to let Corley know her jest. Sherra will go and check out the barge completely however, and handle the task diligently for Lothar could have laid some surprises there for the unwary.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Grondar:

Grondar pauses, some paces well away from the man and his armed comrades. "Captain Geris, you say? Yes, I am working with Sherwood. You have a militia here? Why were Lothar and his bandits allowed to flourish here as they did?" The dwarf makes no move to hand over Saladin as he waits for a reply.

"We were unaware that Lothar was dealing in banditry", Geris will simply state. "As far as we knew he was a merchant who transported goods in this area."

(I could have sworn that it was stated that Lothar's goons didn't commit robberies here in Twin Forks, but elsewhere. Thus the locals were unaware of his activities. Most of the banditry was done along the High Road between Elcadan and Pyris. Captured goods were taken to Twin Forks and placed in the warehouse. They were then shipped out, and repacked as necessary, and sent down river to be sold for profit. Validar suggested that it was something mentioned outside of the post in one of our conversations. I guess I must have missed it.)


Po:

"Ah, young Po, you belittle yourself needlessly. Bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather the conquering of the fear that is inevitable. Only a fool or a madman knows no fear in combat. Anyone who does battle feels that tug at their heart, some more often, some less, but it is there nonetheless."

"You do not lack inner strength. You rode with me and kept to my flank when you could have strayed behind. You were ready to attack Artur in hand to hand combat, until I directed you otherwise. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Confidence will come with time."

Po noticeable brightens as Validar speaks to him. "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Validar." He will then go with Corley and Kylie to secure the warehouse and supply depot.


Side Issues:

I got a bit lost with all the different activities and conversations, but I think I'm getting a handle on it. I'm assuming here that Kylie followed Corley back to Lothar's house at the appropriate time.

This is a point that I really hadn't considered before. I'm so used to this particular style of gaming that I just assumed everyone else was. The logistics of this type of gaming preclude going in a perfectly linear manner outside of combat. After all, one part of the group could be doing something while everyone else is just waiting. It's just not fair to the other players to make them wait when they can be doing their own thing. To further compound the problems some players have less free time than others and can only post once or twice a week, while others could post everyday.

So, what I do allow is characters to handle multiple actions within a certain time frame. For instance we are currently between the end of the fight and before retiring for the evening. All the characters are free to engage in various conversations (or choose not to) and carry out those reasonable actions during this time frame.

An example of this was while you guys were making plans for the raid on Twin Forks. I put a note up saying that your plans should be finalized by the end of that particular post, meaning that window of opportunity on that conversation was closing and we were moving on.

Having said that, Kylie could have been there when Sherwood spoke about spellbook protections if she had wanted to be since it is a subject of interest to her. Since it is less interesting to someone like Grondar, he is less like to chime in on the subject. I'm flexible in this regard.

Also, I've uploaded a People file into the New Frontiers Pages sections. It’s a list of the various people important people in the game. It's broken down into four sections, adventurers, villains, Cynalon nobility, and the catchall of others. I plan to add more background files in the future.

XP's will be given out in the next post.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

While Corley and Validar are talking, Kylie wanders around a bit, finding Lilia poring over a sizable collection of loot. "What do you have there, Lilia? Is that the stuff Arkane and Artur were wearing? Is any of it magical?" If asked, Kylie will inspect the spellbooks carefully for any sign of locks or traps. She also uses her innate abilities to try to see if there are any magical traps. Having arrived there after Sherwood passed by, she doesn't hear the lecture concerning opening spellbooks - though she knows the dangers from her training with Jallarzi - or nesting Bags of Holding - about which she knows nothing.

Lilia looks up from her work when Kylie comes over. "Welcome, Kylie Lanthorn. I am pleased that you emerged unscathed from the conflict. "

"As for the items assembled here on the table, they are all enchanted and were taken from Lothar, Artur, and Arkane. A few I have been able to ascertain their function, the others currently elude me." Lilia will point out each of the items she has identified for Kylie's benefit.

"We have uncovered Arkane's spellbooks as well. New magic for us to poor over! However, many mages will protect their books from unauthorized use. Would you be so kind as to examine the books for any potential traps?"

Lilia will listen to Lord Validar speak about the Cult of the Blackflame with great interest. Turning to Sherwood she will ask, "Do you have more details about this cult?"

[Corley]

Corley:

Once Corley and Validar have had their chat, Kylie returns and volunteers for the guard detail. "Gladly, Lord Corley," she replies, and accepts a hand up onto his horse behind him. "I'm afraid I left my mount on the edge of town earlier. Hopefully she's still there and alright." Once Corley is ready, she will accompany him to survey the warehouse and armory. Having visited them in the night, she will have a good idea of what may have changed or been removed.

Reaching down, Corley will offer his hand to Lady Kylie and with ease help her up with him on Charger. He places Kylie in front of him so as to not block her view of what is ahead. Reaching around the half-elf, Corley will take the reins and send Charger into motion.

While Corley enjoys being this close to Kylie, he remains the perfect gentleman. "Pray tell, Lady Kylie. Other than your instruction in the arts magical at the hands of the Lady Sallavarian, I know little about yourself. I would be interested in knowing more."

"Come friend, Po", Lord Corley will call out. "Let us secure the structures in question."

"Your presence will be most appreciated, Lord Corley. I fear we have just seen the very tip of this insidious plot."

"As we stated earlier, the bards will sing of our deeds for generations to come! Great men come from troubled times and these seem to be very troubled times indeed."

"I do not mind. I found rope there to bind Lothar, who knows what other treasures might await us," Sherra will reply, smiling way too big in an effort to let Corley know her jest. Sherra will go and check out the barge completely however, and handle the task diligently for Lothar could have laid some surprises there for the unwary.

"Forgive me, Lady Sherra. I did not mean to speak for you. I was only voicing a suggestion."

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

Seeing Grondar return, Sherwood will step up to him.

Wandering about the house, he notes that Lothar is being questioned, but sees no sign of Artur or Arkane. "What of the mage and the warrior? Were they slain, or did they escape?"

"Both were slain, but not by our hand. They appeared to be in league with an ancient Cult of the Blackflame and when defeated burst into Blackfire. The Black Flames consumes only living things. All that remains of the two men are their bones.

When Sherwood asks him about Speak With Dead, Grondar gets a strange look on his face. "Aye, the Revered Mother does grant us that particular blessing. What have you in mind, Sherwood?"

"I am told that Artur's dying words spoke of remorse and relief. While his spirit has departed this plane, it can be called back and spoken to. With you assistance, I wish to question Artur. Please pray for that particular spell after you rest. Perhaps Artur is willing to answer a few questions."

"Pyris will welcome the opportunity to punish this base criminal. And the reduction of his other bandit groups will only serve to safeguard the travel of our traders and merchants."

"Many will benefit from this act", Sherwood will agree.

"I am pleased to hear that Geris can be trusted. That will make our plan all the easier to implement," Validar will say. "When everyone is here, then we can present our plan to the assembled group."

"I agree that we should turn the lieutenants over to Geris as well. We cannot be certain to trust them as we discussed in the plan of attack."

"I have a great deal to say once the full group has assembled here, Lord Validar. The situation has going beyond what I expected and they deserve to know what they are dealing with."

"You recall correctly, Sherwood. The Barony is young compared to many, but we still trace a line back to King Victor the First. Hopefully there will be information which we can use to our advantage. The Cult was involved deep in the workings of government and politics before and it was a challenge to root out all of the instances of it. Apparently, in the urge to attack Keln, there were some vestiges that remained."

Sherwood will chuckle slight at the part about Victor the First. "Actually, I would be surprise if your line didn't trace back to our first King. Most of the nobles in Cynalon can make that claim as well. My own bloodline goes back to Victor the First and his Archmage James Sculley. Our forefathers were prolific in the number of children they sired. Especially Victor the Second and Queen Ariel."

[Chareos]

Chareos
Chareos finds some rope and begins to bind each man as Corley and Kylie look on. Kylie comes down from her perch and asks if either of us have seen Sherwood. "I believe I saw him run in the direction of Lothar's house." he will explain to the half elf.
Lilia soon comes to relieve the skeleton of Arkane of his unharmed gear and instructs us to go to Lothar's house after the prisoners are taken care of. "As soon as these men are secured I will."
The sound of shuffling feet catches his ears and he turns with his quarter staff at the ready. It appears that several of the towns people have come to help, and one of the men steps forward and introduces himself as Geris, captain of the guard.
How could these men have been so blind not to notice the activity around them. Maybe they were out man and out gunned. Or possibly they turned a blind eye to it.



Later, having descended from the roof, Kylie looks up at Corley. "I agree. Arkane's magic was beyond my experience as well. That spell which seemed to turn him into a ghost surprised me greatly, and almost allowed his escape. Fortunately, the others were able to stop him."




"Arkane's ability to change into a ghost startled me as well. Though it was a clever tactic. One of which we will be better prepared for in the future."

Entering the house shortly after Kylie and Corley he notes the others looking through weapons and items apparently trying to figure out their worth and enchantments. He will move to Lilia "Would you care for some help with these?" And help her place them with the sacks/bags as he is placing several daggers into the bags and sacks he notices the spell books. "Is it safe to read these as of yet?' he will look around at the other mages for a reply.
When Validar and Sherwood begin to recount what transpired with in the interrogation Chareos will listen and try to take in as much information as he can. And ask for our assistance with the matter.
"I accepted Sherwood's invitation to this party to help out with the task at hand. Though it is completed and you have your man, several new avenues have been open that need to be explored. I am most curious about what lies ahead and the apparent role this Black Flame cult has to play. I will ride with you,when do we leave for Rennydale?"

[Laucian]

Laucian

Taking the reins of the horses outside of town he begins leading them towards Lothar's pen. Several Lights can be seen within the town like fireflies on a summer night. He rides watching the faces against the window panes and the occasional person peering from their door way.
Once he returns to Lothar's house he will place all the horses with in the pen and give them hay and food for the night.
He makes his way into Lothar's former residence where several of the others currently are. Walking quietly through the doorway he notices Ivy's dripping form near the fireplace, Validar and Sherwood conversing with a very talkative Lothar and the elf maiden looking over several items and books, on the table.
He will make his way to the fireplace and warm his hands. " It is to cold to sleep under the stars but not for midnight swim?" Having warmed his hands he moves to a chair and seats himself. Several liberated items are lain among the table, Laucian begins to look over each one noting their detail and decorations. One of the items catches his eye, a silvery blue tainted sword. He will pick it up and look curiously at the blade. "What metal is this?" as he checks the edge on the blade. Placing it it with in it scabbard he will return it where he found it.
As the others begin to tell of the information that was found, he listens intently to the details.
The young elf cant help but wonder what lies in store for the group. Several questions begin to form in his mind. If this Lord Carvius is the one to blame what does he seek to gain from this. Is he doing it for greed or jealousy or does some unknown force play at his strings. And mainly what does this Rennydale have to gain at Pyris's down fall.
Validar asks with we will ride with him and put an end to this cult as his ancestor thought he has had done. "Sadly I do not know enough of this Black flame cult to make a decision my friend."



"The Cult of the Blackflame was created by a lich. The Lord of the Blackflame he was known. The Cult attempted to gain power in this part of the world and used all means available, including corrupting and influencing nobles. The used fear and murder and intimidation to further their evil ends."

"The Cult grew in power and at one point had kidnapped some very important people, including our current King Victor the 7th and his older sister, Leandra. While the King, crown prince at the time, was recovered, his sister never was. It was believed that the Cult was also backed by Keln and that was one of the reasons that the Great War was begun."

"Now, there are great questions. Does the resurfacing of the Cult indicate that Keln is growing in power once more. If so, then the attack on the Keln seat of power in the Spring is vital and also exceedingly more dangerous. Or is the Cult operating independent of Keln now? In truth, I wonder if the Cult was a vehicle of Keln or merely in league with those vile scum. It is imperative to the safety of the realm to learn the answers to these questions."




"If this cult can regain the power of which you speak then neither of our homes or the people we know and love will be safe. It appears my decision has been made for me. My skills are at your disposal."