4, Blood for Blood

Session 31, Inquiries and Exploration, Neth 4721 - Abadius 4722

Neth 4721 The heroes decide to gather more information on the dryad who was Marcus's patron. Fraxinus travels to the open portal to the First World on the borders of their land, planning to hide the entrance with layered illusions (an illusionary rockwall, hiding an illusory shrine of Sivanah, which hides the real entrance). He speaks with the blodeuwedd who helps to guard the portal about the dryad. While the portal guardian isn't entirely forthcoming, he does confirm her power - and hints that she once challenged the Eldest of the First World.

They next pay a visit on Tyg-Tigger-Tut and Perlivash. After a brief snowball fight (which Tamlane wins by turning into a white dragon and using his breath weapon), they catch up with their old friends. The pair are dimly aware of the dryad, and Tyg mentions that a satyr named Cyollus told her about the dryad's strange collection of objects. Tyg isn't able to give much more detail third-hand, but it seems that she and Perlivash are ignorant rather than deceptive. Marcus also invites them to his wedding, which they are over-joyed to hear about, though Perlivash does admit that he always cries at weddings. They're also incredibly impressed with his Endless Stein, and talk of embarking on a holy pilgrimage for Cayden Cailean - i.e. a pub crawl through each of the barony's inns and taverns. Mourgrym makes a mental note to warn the dwarves at Forgeheart to prepare.

Their next call is upon Garuum the boggard. They speak with him about the boggards of the Hooktongue, and he reveals that he was exiled following the rise of the priest-king Sepoko. Garuum clearly hates Sepoko, and tells the heroes all he can of his enemy and his people. He mentions that the boggards often war with the bog striders of the Hooktongue as well as human traders. Finally, he tells them that the march is home to a large black dragon, and warns the heroes to be careful.

The heroes then continue their exploration on the uncharted wilds of the Narlmarches, deciding that the Hooktongue is best left for spring. They find an abandoned dwarven graveyard in the hills that rise on the east of the forest - which is home to a slumbering cairn linnorm! The heroes decide that discretion is the better part of valour, and leave the beast to be.

When they return home, Marcus is greeted by his cousin Lander Lebeda. Lander has been sent here by Duchess Helena Lebeda on behalf of his house. Despite their success in the war, House Lebeda faces a grim winter, without enough food to make it through. Lander is here to see if Greenhaven will 'gift' their northern neighbour some supplies. After discussion, the council agrees to loan the money to buy the food, and Dolgrin Wildhammer draws up a formal (and public) agreement.

Kuthona 4721 In the final month of the year, the heroes finally complete their exploration of the northern Narlmarches, despite the fierce cold and deep snows. They find a ruined dwarven watchtower than commands a great view over the forest. The damage on the building suggests that something capable of breathing acid was involved - either the cairn linnorm or black dragon perhaps?

That month, the council is approached by the Bellflower Network. They wish to found a town within the barony's borders, and present a town charter to the council. The network would have jurisdiction over the town in most matters, and would offer a fixed amount of taxes per year. The council agrees, and Voldea personally approaches the leader of the network, a halfling named Antal. She reveals that she was once involved in the slave trade, and that she wishes to help them in foundation of their town. Antal and his fellows are initially somewhat disturbed by the revelation, but agree that she can help them, trusting in her new position as champion of Sarenrae.

Abadius 4722 The start of the new year is also bitterly cold, but the bold heroes decide against staying at home. They decide to explore the portal that Fraxinus recently hid - and find it connects to a cave-like tunnel through the First World. The tunnel is guarded by strange frog-like fey that attempt to beguile and trick the heroes, but they are driven off without too much trouble. The end of the tunnel connects back to the Material World - to the stone archway on the other side of the Tors of Levines, near the Nome lands. The heroes decide to return home by re-tracing Willas Gunderson's old route past Vordakai's tomb.

When they return home, they receive a message from Varnhold - a pack of frost worms have descended from the Tors, and are hunting the shepherds and miners of the eastern frontier. They set forth via the Shadow Plane, and are able to defeat the terrible beasts, though the battle isn't an easy one.

Session 32, A Second Necklace, Calistril 4722

The heroes decided to head into the Hooktongue Slough and see if they could make contact with the boggards who are threatening the trade route on the East Sellen River. They journeyed via the Shadow Plane, but had a rougher time than normal - a group of velstracs attacked, and were barely defeated. The velstracs had already killed a shadow giant, and the heroes retrieved the giant's necklace to return to his kindred.

The swamps of the Hooktongue Slough were cold and damp, though at least largely free of biting insects in late winter. The heroes managed to locate a small boggard settlement, and approached, asking to speak with the settlement's leader. After some discussion, they were admitted to meet with Guntah. The heroes explained that the humans of Fort Drelev were likely to march to war if the boggards didn't stop raiding. Guntah wasn't overly concerned, pointing out that armies and swamps don't go well together, and that the boggard priest-kings could ward off the human wizards. The conversation turned onto Priest-King Sepoko, and Guntah made it clear (though without every stating it directly) that Sepoko only held his loyalty through fear and domination, including holding the young of Guntah's tribe hostage.

He agreed to dispatch a guide named Rosk to lead them to Sepoko (Fraxinus overheard Guntah convincing Rosk that Sepoko would take the heroes as sacrifices), with an unspoken agreement that a terrible fate might accidentally befell Sepoko. Rosk led them through the swamps, clearly not entirely convinced of his mission, but trusting enough in Sepoko's powers to lead them to the largest boggard settlement of M'boto

Once Augustus had spied M'boto, Mourgrym killed Rosk and the party sprung into action. Armed with water walking and various other spells, they crossed the channel separating M'boto from the mainland just before dawn. The settlement was poorly guarded, betting more on its inaccessible location than anything else, and they were able to sneak towards the temple palace to Gogunta (the boggard's demonic goddess).

Once inside, things didn't stay quiet for long. Over the course of a bloody and violent minute the heroes struct through Sepoko's sworn guard and managed to slay the priest-king himself as he attempted to flee. They marched forth to confront the boggards with their leader's fate, and then swiftly departed (Fraxinus and Tamlane both turning into dragons to provide a very dramatic aerial exit). They hoped that without Sepoko's domination, the boggards would back into a series of separate squabbling tribes, who spent more time of fighting each other than on attacking river trade.

Given their location, they decided to tell Baron Drelev the good news in person. Fort Drelev was a large and bustling town, richer than any in their barony, and dominated by a large and lavishly decorated castle. In contrast to their previous meeting in Restov, Drelev was a warm and generous host, and thanked them profusely for their help against the boggards.

Drelev through a feast for the heroes that evening, and during the feast, Tamlane noticed that Baron Drelev wore a necklace of leaves and flowers, very similar to Marcus's gift from the dryad. With a sinking feeling of dread, Fraxinus told Drelev's wizard brother-in-law Imeckus the next day. Imeckus was sufficiently concerned by their story to ask Drelev to hand him the necklace so it could be compared to Marcus's. The two were clearly made from the same plant.

The heroes explained the situation to the somewhat confused Drelev, who told them that the dryad had approached him when they first settled in the area, and offered much help and advice - including the necklace. Everyone was concerned about the implications of this discovery - the dryad's power clearly stretched all the way from the Tors of Levines through the Narlmarches and across the Hooktongue Slough. While her goal was unknown, her treatment of Marcus when attempting to retrieve the Oculus of Abaddon was not a good sign.

Session 33, One Wedding and a Consequence, Pharast & Gozran 4722

Pharast This month marked celebrations across the barony of Greenhaven, as Baron Marcus wed Julia Varn! Voldea officiated the ceremony at the shrine of Sarenrae in the town of Thornmouth. Many guests attended (though fewer than might have been expected from Brevoy due to the ongoing war), including Olga, Svetlana, Tyg-Titter-Tut, Perlivash, and many, many others. The happy couple were presented with gifts, including a strange gift from the d'ziriak - they had made the shadow blade found in the Shadow Plane's Old Sycamore into a weapon for Marcus, set into a hilt ornament with glowing runes and strange patterns.

This month was also marked by many negotiations with Baron Drelev, who reported that the Tiger Lords were once again on the march towards his barony. It was agreed that'd he'd fund a small force of Greenhaven troops to help bolster his own army, and Mourgrym agreed to lead them forth to the following month.

Gozran This month began less well, as Dolgrin reported that the main altar in the temple of Pharasma in Thornmouth was found covered in cobwebs that morning. Similar reports came in from the other temples and shrines across the heartland of the barony, and also the Temple of the Elk. Voldea prayed to Sarenrae, and was shown a vision of a small army of grey and black spiders spinning the webs, and forming an intricate pattern with 4-way symmetry as they did so. This was a sign of Norgorber, but to what end, no-one was sure. Lady Vellara began checking for Pitaxi agents at work - maybe the cunning king of Pitax was a follower of Norgorber? To help calm their people's worries, the barony outlawed the worship of Norgorber (previously, only the worship of Lamashtu was illegal).

A week or so later, Mourgrym and Tamlane set off for Fort Drelev with a few hundred soldiers. They marched overland to Bridgton, and then boats ferried their forces to Fort Drelev. The Followers of the Elk also sent forces, and they waited behind in Bridgton for the boats to return.

A day or so later, Mourgrym watched as the Erastil worshippers made their way across the lake. When they were about half a mile from shore, a vast black dragon emerged from the clouds and attacked the convoy, sinking many ships with its powerful breath. Tamlane set forth to see if he could help the people on the boats (armed with flying and invisibility spells), but was unable to do anything - the dragon easily cast off the one spell he cast, and he was forced to flee away underwater. The dragon bore a rider, a boggard who commanded primal magics, though Tamlane was able to see that the dragon was clearly the one in charge.

After destroying the boats (and giving enough time for the horrified people of Fort Drelev to gather), the dragon introduced herself as Ithuliak, Tyrant of the Hooktongue. She declared that the lake was hers, and that she would destroy any boat she found upon the lake water.

Over the next few days, her words were proved to be true- and the situation truly dire for Drelev. His strategy had been to withstand the Tiger's Lord likely siege using the lake's resources to keep his people fed. The heroes discussed many plans to try and help Drelev, and while a last stand might have been possible, it was clear that Drelev didn't have the stomach to withstand this, or the heart to inspire others to follow him. Mourgrym and Tamlane made plans to march their troops home at full speed, while Drelev would surrender to the Tiger Lords, seeing no other route out.

Session 34, The Gudrin River Fort, Desnus 4722

Tamlane and the troops return home, leaving Mourgrym to attend the negotiations with the Tiger Lords and Baron Drelev.

Shortly after their return, a message arrives in Thornmouth from the garrison at the Gudrin River Fort. The fort is under attack, from monsters that have managed to get inside the walled compound, and is urgently requesting backup. The heroes dispatch messages to the nearby settlements, and head off at once via the Shadow Plane, leaving Kesten to lead their troops overland.

Their journey through the strange plane of Shadow is uneventful, and they return safely to the material plane. There's a pillar of smoke rising to the south, and the heroes head off at once, presuming that it's coming from the fort. They're correct - the wooden buildings of the fort have been burned, leaving just stone structures and parts of the palisade wall intact. Oddly, they notice that the gates to the fort have been knocked outwards - did something strong pull them down from outside?

Venturing inside, the heroes are attacked by a series of strange monsters. There's some 8-legged furred beasts trail fire, two giant deadly mantises, and an aquatic moose-like beast that's wreathed in a foul-smelling aura. They are able to overcome the various beasts and monsters, though after the fight is over, they are disturbed to see the monstrous corpses turn into the corpses of their guards. There are many other bodies strewn through the fort, showing wounds from animals and weapons alike.

The heroes scour the fort, and consult with the spirits of the gods and of the primal forces of nature. They determine that some followers of Lamashtu entered into the fort, and dropped a sack of strange petals into the well - which then caused everyone who drank the water to metamorphose into a monster. The petals were from a plant that was growing in the Material and First World at the same time, somewhere in a cave in the mountains.

After waiting a day for their soldiers to arrive, the heroes then went off to investigate various other sites nearby. The shrine of Lamashtu showed signs of being used recently. More depressingly, Silverstep Village was ruined and abandoned, and showed similar signs of conflict to the Gudrin River Fort. The temple to Lamashtu on the south of the lake was still in the state they'd left it in - presumably abandoned by the cult.

They next headed up the Gudrin River to its source, tracing it back from Lake Silverstep. They found a settlement deep in the mountains - the entrance to a large cave was fortified with a wall built in a distinctly dwarven style. Not wanting to go inside without Mourgrym at their side, the heroes returned home and decided to return at a later date.

Back home, all was well for about a week. The heroes oversaw the completion of a grand castle in Thornmouth. But then a gruesome murder occurred within Thornmouth. Loy Rezbin, a reasonably prosperous merchant, was found dead. his corpse had been mutilated, and the signs suggested a follower of the Skinsaw Man, Norgorber's most gruesome aspect. Loy had been at the Temple of Abadar to get a new contract approved, and had headed back home late in the day. The weather was terrible that evening, with heavy rains. Loy never made it home, and his corpse was found shortly after his husband Koren reported him missing.

The heroes decide to see if Loy could be returned to life, and shed some information about his murderer (his corpse had been too mutilated for Speak with Dead to work). His husband readily contributed the diamonds required, and Tamlane beseeched Pharasma to allow Loy's interrupted life to resume. His request was granted, and Loy Rezbin was returned to life...

Session 35, The Tiger Lords and Other Monsters, Desnus - Sarenith 4722

Desnus Mourgrym headed to the negotiations between Baron Drelev and Armag Twice-born, leader of the Tiger Lords. Mourgrym was accompanied by a few representatives from Greenhaven, Hawthorn Kerrin a catfolk ranger in the army, Jonah a cleric of Abadar, ??? a merchant from Greenhaven, and Rilk a champion of Milani (and member of the Bellflower Network).

Armag is an intense but strangely charismatic leader, who holds the various Tiger Lord tribes together through force of personality and personal inspiration. His three chief advisors are Laslunn Deathdealer, Ledoriza Banyan, and Zashathal Head-Taker, who command the loyalty of many other warriors themselves. The representiatves spend some time sounding the Tiger Lords out, trying to get a feel for their numbers, intentions and interactions.

They manage to find out that Armag is interested in Drelev's lands not just for the rich trade route that formerly ran through it, but also because legend says the original Armag is interred here with his sword (quite how the original Armag's soul is both in his entombed sword, and also in Armag Twice-born is a question everyone is wise enough to avoid asking).

Both Hawthorn and Rilk spend some time talking with the slaves of the Tiger Lords. Some are descendants of the slaves the Tiger Lords brought with them from Numeria a few decades ago, but others are River Kingdom natives, who sold themselves into slavery to help their families avoid destitution (often destitution resulting from the Tiger Lords).

The negotiations proper were swift - Hannis Drelev agreed to become a vassal to Armag, and rule over Fort Drelev on his behalf, offering up taxes and tribute. In return, Armag would send a troop of warriors to help enforce the peace and maintain order. Drelev also offered up a series of hostages, the spouses and children of the ruling council, to guarantee his behaviour. His wife Andrea was left with the Tiger Lords, though neither she nor Hannis seemed too bothered about this.

Sarenith Back home once more, the heroes were reunited. Before they could mount an expedition to investigate the strange fortification upriver of Lake Silverstep, word arrived that several farmsteads near the road to the Varn lands had been attacked and burned. The heroes rushed off, and found tracks of a vast and huge centipede! As they tracked it, it was clear the vast insect had some elemental magic, as there was evidence of fire, acid and electricity damage on the surrounding countryside.

Eventually they tracked the beast down, and saw a gargantuan three-headed centipede attacking one of their farms! The beast ripped a cow in half, and was about to do the same to the farmers - but the heroes leapt into action! The centipede proved a formidable foe, but was eventually overcome (not before claiming the honour of being the first opponent to manage to break Voldea's shield!).

Returning back home, Marcus was visited by his cousin Lander Lebeda. Once more, House Lebeda were in need of funds to carry on the war against House Surtova, and Lander had come to request Greenhaven's aid. He also offered Marcus a duchy in the newly restored kingdom of Rostland, if he wished.

The council debated the matter, and decided to agree to loan House Lebeda the necessary funds - with a public ceremony to confirm this, and the repayment terms. No-one was particularly interested in giving up their independence, even to join with Rostland.

Jump

Session 36, The Mountain Lair, Erastus 4722

Over the course of the previous month, Tamlane was kept informed via semi-regular Dream Messages from Istandra Arel, the apprentice wizard in Fort Drelev. Life is not going too well for the people of Fort Drelev, largely due to the loss of their primary food source, as Ithuliak continues to destroy any boats she finds upon Lake Hooktongue. Some of the richer resisdents have started to leave - after paying the administrative fees that the Tiger Lords charge for people wishing to travel beyond the town's borders. While this is another example of their lack of respect for the traditional River Freedoms, there's little the folk of Fort Drelev can do.

The heroes decide to deal with the strange mountain hideout they found about 6 weeks ago. They head into the mountains, and launch an all-out-attack on the stronghold, fighting toe to toe with the devoted followers of Lamashtu who guard it. Though the battle rages for less than a minute, it's a close fought affair. The heroes manage to capture two of the senior followers of Lamashtu, a gnoll cleric named Dark Eyes, and a tiefling druid who they do not learn the name of. Neither woman will abandon her faith, and both are executed. Dark Eyes does reveal that the plant she's using to spread the blessing of Lamashtu (i.e. turn everyone into monsters) was given to her by a powerful dryad. Marcus swears rather a lot at this point.

Pressing deeper within the cave complex, Tamlane scries upon the strange plants that have brought them here. They are clearly plants of the First World, strange and alien looking within the otherwise mundane cave. The plants are tended by various gardeners - two shark-shaped water spirits fly through the air, and a large treant-esque figure tends to the blooms. There's also a many-headed hydra slumbering in a large pool within the cave. Tamlane suspects that the plants are growing in both the Material Plane and First World simultaneously, and that they only way to kill them will be to uproot them in both places. The plants themselves act to bridge the two planes, and so may also provide access through to the First World.

The heroes beat a temporary retreat to sleep and rest before dealing with the cave, the plant and its strange guardians.

Session 37, Into the First World, Erastus 4722

The heroes returned to the cave system the next day. they could hear the hydra roaring in hunger ahead, and so decided to make use of the Wand of Create Food they'd acquired (plus a Mage Hand-ed Bag of Holding) to sate the beast's hunger. While the hydra was eating, the spoke with the tree-like fey who was tending to the plant. He asked to be called Orofarne, and didn't take too much convincing to abandon his post and return the First World (he didn't get along with the plant). He told them to ask the plant if they had any questions - seeming quite confused by the idea that they wouldn't know how to do that. After Orofarne and the water spirits were both sent back to the First World, the heroes decided to deal with the hydra, not wanting a 10-headed monster roaming their lands.

The cave secured, Tamlane then tried to speak with the plant. It responded to his words, and gently wrapped a tendril around his hand. He saw vague images in his mind, and was able to work out that the plant didn't particularly like this cave or Orofarne. As a plant of the First World it was also less bothered than many inhabitants of the Material Plane would have been about the suggestion that they uproot it from the cave, and travel to the First World to prevent it growing back. He suggested to the plant that they could grow a new cutting, in Jatembe's Gift. The plant offered him a small petal to eat, somehow making it clear that it would find it easier to tell him how to propagate it if he ate the leaf.

When he ate the leaf, he felt the powerful transmutation magic within it work upon him, bringing part of him in line with the First World and its strange inhabitants. He also saw the dryad (Marcus's dryad; this was not a name that Marcus approved of) giving instructions to another nymph to plant the flower in this cave, where the 'puppets' would arrive soon (presumably the cult of Lamashtu were the puppets in question?). The dryad was condescending and somewhat cruel to her follower, and then departed. Tamlane saw the nymph kneel to start her gardening - and then she turned to face him within the vision. She told Tamlane that the dryad hadn't always been this way, and that if he'd known her previously, he'd follow the dryad too. She also told Tamlane she looked forward to meeting him soon.

Realising that the next step of their plan would take them into the First World, they encamped again, so that Fraxinus could have Plane Shift ready. The next day, they returned to the cave for a third time. They uprooted and destroyed the plants in this cave, and in their deaths, a natural rift to the First World opened (the growth of the plants had drawn the two planes very close together already). Mourgrym was the first to step through.

He found himself standing on an island - a flying island, that hovered in the air several hunded metres above the ocean below them. There were several other small islands nearby, and more of the plant - including a large beanstalk version, that was presumably the 'mother' plant from which the cave cuttings had been taken. More alarmingly, there was also a crag linnorm there! The beast leapt forwards, and a fierce battle was fought. Tamlane enlarged Mourgrym to a vast size, allowing him to reach the gargantuan linnorm more easily. The beast was finally slain by a terrible bolt of lightning summoned forth by Fraxinus, who was thankfully not affected by its death curse. [GM note: I forget the thing had regeneration, so let's have a tiny retcon that after felling it, Fraxinus's cold iron dagger delivered the real final blow].

While Marcus sat down to let the linnorm's venom burn its way through his veins, Tamlane and Fraxinus investigated the various plants, and Mourgrym took a cutting from the main mother beanstalk. Tamlane and Fraxinus were able to find the plant that connected to the cave they'd been in, and Fraxinus and Mourgrym set to work uprooting and destroying it. Meanwhile, Tamlane went to speak with the mother plant, which communicated in a similar way to the plant in the cave - though this plant was clearly much older than the one in the Material Plane. Marcus then examined his Shadow Blade - the shadow of the strange item stolen from the Old Sycamore over two years ago. In the First World, he could almost see the 'real' blade - a wooden blade, like a rose or briar thorn. He showed it to the plant, which offered him and Tamlane another petal. Once again, they accepted - and now Marcus found himself similarly changed, becoming more at home and familiar with this strange place.

The pair saw the dryad once again, but as a supplicant led before one of the Eldest - the Lantern King. He pronounced judgement upon her, and she spoke asking for it to fall upon her, and not her lands or her people. The nature of the punishment wasn't made clear in the vision, but the Lantern King's magnanimous offer for forgiveness did. He presented the dryad with a chalice, and told her to return it to him when it was full. It could only be filled by grains of sand gathered from the ruins of fallen kingdoms. The dryad looked horrified - and then the vision ended, as the plant was overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish at the memory.

Finally, they left the First World. Fraxinus's plane shift returned them somewhat to the north, within Brevoy and they rapidly headed home (after establishing via sending that no more time had passed at home than for them!).

Session 38, Honour and Duty, Erastus 4722

Lady Vellara invited the council of Greenhaven and various other dignitaries to a small gathering at her vineyard, to celebrate the completion of the first bottling of her new wine. Marcus noticed during the gathering that Vellara seemed a little bit off, and not quite her usual self. He asked her if all was well, and she revealed it was the centennial of her departure from Kyonin, the elven nation of her birth.

Lady Vellara also updated the council about development in Pitax. King Irovetti had opened a new school - one for alchemical sciences and clockwork engineering. He was sending word across the River Kingdoms and beyond, looking to hire the finest alchemists and artificers to work for him (for some reason, Fraxinus was missed from this list...). Lady Vellara was instructed to investigate the school more deeply, and find out if there were ties to the Technic League of Numeria, and their strange technology.

The Bellflower Network also relayed word from the slaves of the Tiger Lords - Armag and his forces were scouring the valley of the Siltstrand River, searching for the long-lost tomb of the first Armag. The heroes discussed the possibility of finding the tomb before the Tiger Lords, and denying them a powerful blessing from Gorum.

The heroes then travelled to the Old Scyamore with the druid Aenora, to try talking with the great tree itself. The tree revealed that the object stolen from beneath it several years ago was it's heart, and that there was some link between the tree, the stolen object and the dryad. The heroes speculated on exactly what this might mean, and how it linked up with the visions the plants had granted them just a few days previously.

Next, they headed to Restov to formally sign their agreement with House Lebeda to provide funds and monetary support to maintain their armies in the field against the forces of House Surtova and Issia. They were hosted by Jamandi Aldori, and spent part of the visit negotiating trade deals with the Restovians via their newly constructed canal route. Marcus also spent some time with his family, including telling his father that he'd decided to change his name from Lebeda to Greenhaven.

Shortly before the formal treaty signing, Helena Lebeda (leader of her house, and would-be Queen of Rostland) approached Greenhaven with a counter offer. Instead of House Lebeda repaying their loan in kind, she'd offer her military to help defend Greenhaven if the Tiger Lord's attacked. The leadership of Greenhaven debated briefly, before agreeing - though they did widen the scope to being defended against any attacking force, not just the Tiger Lords, for a period of 5 years.

Back home, Kesten brought bad news to the council once again. A poor alchemist (Algrist Mollarch) had been murdered last week, and their investigations suggested it was the same culprit as Loy Rezbin. Algrist's body had been mutilated and so his spirit couldn't be reached - and unlike Loy, there was no rich husband to offer up several hundred gold pieces worth of diamonds to fund a resurrection ritual. Wondering if Pitax were involved, the heroes spoke with Angrada Fireblood, leader of the small guild of alchemists in their barony. She told them that more-or-less every alchemist had recieved an invitation from Pitax, but that Algrist wasn't the only one to refuse the offer - and she'd heard nothing about Pitax taking action against those people.

Some more musings led the heroes to wonder if there was a pattern to the victims. Loy was a politician as well as merchant, and acted as liason between most of the mercantile guilds within Greenhaven, while Algrist was an alchemist. Were they intended as twisted reflections of two of Norgorber's aspects (Blackfingers the poisoning alchemist, and the Reaper of Reputations who's inspires politicians and spy-masters alike)? Worried that their soldiers could be targetted next, as twisted mirrors of the murderous Skinsaw Man, Mourgrym ordered an increase in the watchfulness and that all troops were only to patrol in groups.

A day or so later, Fraxinus received a message in his dreams. Istandra Arel, apprentice wizard at Fort Drelev, sent him a dream to explain that Baron Drelev and his brother-in-law and chief wizard Imeckus Stroon had vanished with half the treasury. The panicked Istandra was trying to pretend they were still around using illusion spells, and asked Fraxinus for advice in how to do this.

After much swearing at Drelev (and a Sending to his wife Andrea, which confirmed that she was also part of the escape plan), the heroes set off for Fort Drelev via the Shadow Plane. They arrived safely (after a brief fracas with some shadow giants), and entered the town claiming to have an appointment with Istandra. Istranda was overjoyed to see them, and she and Akiros Ismort explained the isutation to them.

Yesterday morning, Drelev hadn't appeared for breakfast as usual. Around 11am, Akiros had entered his rooms - and found the baron gone. A further investigation revealed that Imeckus was also missing, and found the remains of a scroll of Teleport in his rooms. A large amount of cash and valuable gems had been taken from the treasury. Istandra had managed to fool the Tiger Lords by using her illusion spells, but was certain she couldn't maintain the ruse for long. The main worry of the pair (and other remaining leaders in Fort Drelev) was the safety of the hostages - whose lives would surely be forfeit if Drelev's behaviour were uncovered.

Akiros shared the maps of the Silstrand that they had, and the group discussed their next options - probably to find the Tiger Lord forces, and see if Armag could be dealt with once and for all.

Session 39, Turned Upside Down and Smashed into the Ground, Arodus 4722

Tamlane Sent to one of the hostages, Akiros's younger brother Gilrond. Gildron confirmed that Andrea had vanished, and that the Tiger Lords were furious. They'd dispatched a messengar to Fort Drelev for an explanation. He also mentioned that Armag hadn't been seen for a few days, and rumour in the camp was that he'd entered the tomb.

The heroes concocted a plan, in conjunction with the remaining leaders of Fort Drelev. Fraxinus spent the next day concocting a non-lethal poison for the rank and file Tiger Lord warriors, while Marcus met with the commander of the Tiger Lord garrison, Laslunn Deathdealer. They spoke about plans for attacking the dragon of the Hooktongue, as Marcus succesfully distracted her from their real mission. Voldea made contact with the slaves of the Tiger Lords, and an old woman named Nab passed on useful information about dissent between Laslunn and one of her followers, Duluth Nightspeaker. She also told Voldea about the barbarian's guard patrols and schedules. Tamlane and Mourgrym headed out of town to intercept the Tiger Lord's messenger by posing as bandits (the Stag Lord's helm was finally used!), and left him loosely tied by the side of the road, without horses or his boots.

Marcus and Fraxinus met with Satinder, the landlady of the Cosy Corner, the lushly decorated inn that the Tiger Lords spent most of their evenings in. A follower of Calistria, she was easily convinced to go along with spiking the drinks. The heroes delivered Laslunn an ultimatum that evening - work with them against Armag, or be thrown in jail. She angrily refused to betray her leader; while she wasn't the most devout of Armag's followers, outright betrayal was beyond her (especially to a group of 'pacifist tricksters'). Outnumbered, Laslunn surrendered, handing her bow over.

The heroes moved quickly to take out the remaining two commanders. Duluth was ambushed in his room at the barracks, and Oloth the Mighty and his street patrol were taken down quickly in a hail of fireballs. Having secured Fort Drelev, Tamlane took action against the statue of Hannis Drelev - using magic to haul it upside down and smash it into the ground repeatedly.

Not wanting to waste any time, the group then teleported up the Siltstrand River, using a description from one of Drelev's commanders. They found tracks of the Tiger Lord army, and determined they were about a day's travel away.

The next day, the group headed upriver and found the Tiger Lord's camp, where a small stream fed into the Siltstrand. The massed army of the Tiger Lords was camped out. The entrance to Armag's Tomb was up a steep stream valley leading into the camp, and there was a smaller group of tents there (looking more like a welcoming party than a guard).

The heroes started planning on how they'd rescue the hostages before venturing into Armag's Tomb.

Session 40, Within the Tomb (Part 1), Arodus 4722

Fraxinus and Marcus headed off on a mission to rescue the hostages. Invisible and odourless, they passed through the Tiger Lord camp like a summer breeze, barely leaving a trace of their passage. They rendezvoused with the hostages inside the large tent the Tiger Lords had provided to them, and then Fraxinus led the group into the Shadow Plane, hoping to take advantage of the differential travel rates between the two planes to get them out of the camp. Marcus and Fraxinus led the hostages to the south-east, though they did end up leaving the Shadow Plane a little earlier than intended when a shadowy dragon was seen flying overhead! The hostages were left with the Decanter of Endless Water, the wand of Create Food, and another wand of Wanderer's Guide, while the duo went back to the rest of the party.

Re-united, the group headed towards the entrance to the tomb. They scrambled stealthily over the hills, and made their way unobserved to nearby. The entrance to the tomb was at the end of a narrow ravine - and sat within the ravine was a black-clad woman. Tamlane recognised her from the vision shown by the plant in the cave of Lamashtu - and Mourgrym also recognised her, as one of a pair of shadowy figures in Armag's camp during the negotiations with Drelev. The heroes discussed their options, and wondered if the dryad was making use of Armag as a sure-fire way of destroying more kingdoms. They resolved to try and talk with her first, rather than attacking.

Marcus led the way into the ravine, and spoke with the dark-robed woman. She explained that she was here to return him to the dryad's service, saying that the dryad only intended the best for him. She dropped the facade when Fraxinus revealed that they knew about the dryad's curse - and were hoping to help free her. The woman couldn't reveal much information (she kept on repeating "I cannot speak of that", in a way that implied some form of curse or geas upon her), but agreed to let them enter the tomb without hindering them. She made references to stray pets wandering free, and seemed relieved that at least the heroes weren't going to bite at their mistress's hand.

Venturing within the tomb at last, they found themselves within a large complex stretching deep into the hills. The entire complex was wreathed in magic, presumably to keep it intact (and the rush torches burning after all these centuries). The spirit of a servant of Gorum, Zorek, greeted them within. He explained that the tomb would test their worthiness - and only those who passed the tests would be allowed to proceed.

Zorek explained that the two doorways in front of them led to the Test of Strength and Fortitude, and the Test of Agility and Speed respectively. He quoted some deeds of Armag, which Fraxinus remembered some details about - the first Test of Strength would relate to Armag helping to move a series of vast beer barrels for a celebration, while the first Test of Agility would relate to the time Armag crossed a field of icebergs to reach his foe. After some debate, the heroes decided to proceed down the pathway of Agility and Speed.

The first test was a hemispherical room, with a floor of ice. The heroes quickly realised that the door to the south was locked, and that they needed to balance on the icy plate to depress it enough to access the key in the centre column. Aided by their trusty rope, some Sovereign Glue and a fair application of luck (hero points!), they made it through unscathed.

The next chamber featured several platforms at the same level as the entrance, while the rest of the floor was sunken by about 20 feet, and crawled with poisonous creatures of all kinds. Mourgrym and Marcus led the way, leaping across the platforms. When Voldea joined them, and proceeded towards the door, a fierce wind began to blow, making things a little more challenging for Tamlane and Fraxinus. Once again, they were able to overcome the challenge fairly easily. Once all five had crosed the chamber, the door unlocked.

It led to a spiral staircase, which took them up to a room laid out with food and drink. Zorek greeted them again, and congratulated them for passing the first of their tests. After declining the food, they headed through the door from the dining room. The next chamber was an arena - again with a locked and sealed door.

Surrendering to the inevitable, Fraxinus was the first to step upon the sand. As soon as he entered the arena, a shadowy version of himself appeared on the far side. The rest of the party joined him, and four more shadowy figures appeared. Once the last hero was stood upon the sand, the benches around the arena filled with ghostly spectators, ready to cheer them on.

Session 41, Within the Tomb (Part 2), Arodus 4722

The heroes faced off against their shadowy doubles. The shadowy double of Fraxinus was the first to fall, with Mourgrym, Tamlane, Marcus and finally Voldea following in turn. The ghostly crowd cheered as the heroes felled each of their foes, and Zorek congratulated them upon their victory. They were awarded a prize chest for their prowess. The chest contained a set of heavy plate, made of some form of strange steel, complete with a helm and boots. It was paired with a greatsword made of the same material, and a strange pistol which fired a beam of light.

Pressing onwards, the corridor beyond the arena transported the heroes into an a small open valley. A tomb was on the far side of the small valley, across a stream. The valley ground was covered in piles of bones and skeletons, each pile commemorating one of Armag's Nine Triumphant Victories (and the skeletal remains of the dragon Scatha, slain by Armag).

When they stepped upon the field, the heroes were assaulted by visions from those past battles, and found themselves swept up in the hurly burley of battle. Though no physical damage was done to them, the ghostly wounds hurt deeply. Tamlane was able to see the ghosts upon the battlefield, and elected to fly across with Marcus, carefully avoiding Scatha's ghost. The other three heroes walked forwards together, sheltering next to Voldea as she called upon the power of Sarenrae and Pharasma to drive back the ghosts.

Once they reached the door of the tomb, Zorek appeared again and led them within. Two vast doors blocked their passage, with a bas relief of Gorum set upon them. After a few moments to heal the worst of the damage inflicted by the ghostly battles, they opened the door and headed within.

A 30-foot tall statue of Gorum stood before the doors, the Lord in Iron standing watch over his fallen warrior. Armag's tomb was upon a small dais, bathed in light and flanked by four guardians. A magnificent stained glass window was at the far end of the large room. Armag (i.e. the Tiger Lord chieftain Mourgrym had met) was standing next to the tomb, holding a massive greatsword. He turned to greet them, speaking in an archaic dialect of Hallit and appearing to not recognise Mourgrym (the heroes suspected that the soul of the original Armag was present, rather than the man Mourgrym had met). Armag demanded that they bow down before him - and when Marcus refused, battle was entered!

Session 42, Within the Tomb (Part 3), Arodus 4722

Armag was the first to act, and recited a fearsome Hallit battle chant at Marcus, promising to bring ruin and destruction down upon him. So terrifying were his words that Marcus's heart stopped, and he collapsed, dead! Pharasma was slow to call his soul towards the Boneyard, and he managed to remain near his allies for a few vital minutes. Now that he was dead, Marcus could see there was another spirit present here - the spirit of Armag? The second Armag spoke in a more modern style of speech, and begged Marcus's aid to recover his body from the soul of the original Armag - a soul that was housed within the greatsword he'd claimed. Marcus called upon all his performative powers to rely a message to Voldea - and she was able to disarm Armag, sending his sword skittering across the room.

The battle was hard fought, though in the end the heroes were victorious. Tamlane struck the final blow, blasting a beam of spiritual energy at Armag. That drove the possessing soul out of the man before them, and the Armag they'd met reclaimed his body. He didn't stop the fight, but was rapidly subdued and rendered unconscious.

Zorek re-appeared and congratulated the heroes for their well-fought victory. They made it clear that they intended to take the sword housing the soul of the first Armag with them, and find a way to destroy it and send that Armag's soul on to Pharasma for judgement. Zorek warned them that this action would earn Gorum's displeasure, but they were undeterred. Zorek faded from sight, and Marcus's last sight before he was taken to the Boneyard was Zorek rushing forth before him.

The heroes recovered the fine treasures of the tomb, and then awoke 'their' Armag. He was a broken wretch of a man, his sanity almost destroyed by the revelation that he wasn't Armag Reborn, and was just a tool who'd been used in the games of the powerful. Despite their best efforts to persuade him otherwise, all Armag wanted was to reveal the truth to the Tiger Lords, never mind the consequences to himself or the tribes. The heroes escorted him from the tomb, and met with one of his lieutenants, Ledoriza. They hoped that she'd help them persuade from his self-destructive course, but her personal loyalty to him didn't extend to stopping him doing dangerous things. Having finally lost their patience, the heroes departed, and soon afterwards saw the signs of conflict break out as Armag spread the truth. They managed to help several of the Tiger Lord's slaves to escape in the confusion, and met up with the rescued hostages to make their way to Fort Drelev...

Session 43, Hunting the Hunter, Arodus 4722

The heroes made their way to Fort Drelev, whose remaining leaders were overjoyed to have their children and loved ones returned. The slightly confusing fate of Armag took a little longer to explain, but the Drelevians focused on the fact that the Tiger Lord threat was largely dealt with now.

After a great feast, the surviving heroes began the process of negotiations with the Akiros Ismort and the other leaders of the Fort. Not seeing much future for their town while Ithuliak reigned over the Hooktongue, they seemed open to the idea of being taken over by Greenhaven - if the heroes could slay the dragon.

Next, they teleported to Nivatka's Crossing. They presented Abbot Bresmus with their second artifact bound for destruction. He and Fraxinus spent some time researching in the temple's libraries, and determined the sword could only be broken by being smashed against the wielder's gravestone in the Boneyard. Plane Shift would allow them access to the Boneyard, and Bresmus said he'd work to acquire a tuning fork for them.

Finally, Marcus was called back from the lands of the dead. Since dying, he'd slowely made his way to the Boneyard. A valkyrie sworn to Gorum had offered him a place in the Lord in Iron's afterlife, as a reward for falling in battle against Gorum's chosen. Marcus politely declined, and started slowly wandering towards Cayden's Cailean's afterlife. Before he could get too close, he heard Tamlane's voice calling him back - and awoke in the temple, suffering from the worst hangover he could remember.

A few hours later, a while after sunset, word arrived from Greenhaven - there'd been another gruesome murder. Rousing Marcus from his sleep, they teleported home straight away.

The third body was of a local petty thief, Arenda. Her mutilated corpse had been deposited on the stairs of the town hall just after sunset. Their initial investigations determined the person who'd laid down the corpse was invisible, and the busy streets left no trace of their passage.

Further investigation led the heroes to be fairly certain that no-one local was behind the murders - Marcus spent time reassuring the rich and wealthy, Tamlane with the typical merchant and worker, and Mourgrym and Voldea in Thornmouth's small criminal underworld.

They next looked at the records of visitors, checking to see who had been in town for all three murders. Three names were identified - Jorell Carondil, a wine merchant working for Lady Vellara; Brynne Taith, a builder's merchant working with Kib; and Oleg Mindal, a nobleman from Brevoy.

Investigating Oleg revealed he had links with Kesten Garess, as House Mindal is a vassal of House Garess. Kesten was very reluctant to reveal the exact nature of his meetings with Oleg, but reassured Marcus that Oleg was trustworthy, and that his retainers were too.

Mourgrym spoke with Kib about Brynne. The kobold was keen on making it clear that he'd done nothing wrong by answering Mourgrym's questions as he felt Mourgrym wanted them to be answered, which proved slightly frustrating to the fairly straightforward dwarf, who was looking for factual answers. Nonetheless, he felt fairly sure that the young woman wasn't involved. Fraxinus later searched her room at the inn, and found nothing untoward.

Marcus spoke with Vellara about Jorrel, and she vouched for him too, explaining his role in her growing mercantile wine network. She offered to host a dinner party the next night, so the heroes could meet with Jorrel and his secretary Kisandra.

Vellara laid on a fine meal for them the next night - though Fraxinus was a little late, as he thoroughly investigated the upper floor of her house. He did find evidence that Jorrel was one of Vellara's agents, but nothing more sinister. The meal itself went well, though Marcus picked up on some odd undercurrents between Jorrel and Vellara. They'd clearly known each other for a very long time, and though she was ostensibly the superior, there was one tiny moment when she appeared afraid of the merchant. Kisandra was a quiet young woman, somewhat overawed by the company she was keeping, but not apparently dangerous.

As they left, Tamlane looked back into the past of the street outside Vellara's house - and saw the shadowy figure who matched the vision of murderer outside in the street a few days ago.

Session 44, A Traitor Revealed, Arodus - Rova 4722

Arodus

Conferring after the meal, the heroes realise there's a gap in Jorell's story - he claims to have been inside all day during the most recent murder, but his assistant accidentally contradicted that story. Jorell leaves Greenhaven early that morning, and Ash is charged with following him discretely. After he's left town, they speak with Vellara again. She initially vouches for Jorell, but when Fraxinus finds an illusory spell hiding a hidden door in her wine cellar, she breaks down. She confesses that Jorell is the murderer and he's been blackmailing her into helping him. She doesn't know what's behind the door.

The heroes decide to wait for Jorell to return, and also warn Ash to keep his distance. They Shadow Walk to Fort Drelev for more negotiations, and take Lady Vellara with them. They agree that Greenhaven will absorb the Drelev lands and holdings - if they can deal with Ithuliak, the black dragon who rules over Lake Hooktongue. Laslunn Deathdealer's ransom is also agreed - a relatively low sum, in return for her ordering her garrison at Bridgton to surrender without a fight.

Rova

The heroes return home once more, and lay in wait for Jorell. They do some invstigation, and Tamlane sees another person entering the secret cellar door with Jorell. Vellara mentions that she was the helper - and Voldea picks up on the discrepency with her earlier story. Vellara tries to cover up the gap in her tale, but her lie isn't convincing. Fraxinus casts Dominate upon her, and she is forced to reveal the truth. Vellara is a worshipper of Norgorber, and has actively aided Jorell's murderous holy crusade, identifying suitable victims and helping him to offer up sacrifices to Norgorber.

The rest of the council is summoned to hear her story, and a trial is hastily convened. As she shows no real remorse, and her only regret is being caught, she's executed for aiding in the murder of three citizens of Greenhaven. The matter is kept quiet for now, so as to avoid spooking Jorell.

Bound by his divine mission, Jorell returns to Thornmouth and risks a trip to the cellar. The heroes are lying in wait, and easily overcome him, killing him during the ensuring fight. They finally explore behind the illusory door, and find a shrine to Norgorber, with remains of the three victims laid out - and an empty fourth altar.

Session 45, Curse Removal, Gorum-Style, Rova 4722

The heroes received a message from Abbot Bresmus, informing them that the cathedral of Pharasma in distant Korvosa had a tuning fork for the Boneyard. Fraxinus teleported the group to the nearby the western city, and they made their way through the busy streets of Korvosa to the Great Cathedral of Pharasma, and to an audience with Bishop Keppira. He presented them with the tuning fork, and the next day, they made their way to the Boneyard.

Upon their arrival, they were greeted by a pair of psycopomps, servants of Pharasma, who lead the group towards Marcus's family tomb. As they arrive, they saw four valkyries circling in the air around the tomb. They strode forwards to speak with the leader of the valkyries, who offered them a chance to surrender Armag's sword.

Unsurprisingly, the heroes refused, and battle was joined. Gorum's interest in the sword was clear, as the valkyries were accompanied by the First Blade, the herald of the Lord in Iron. The heroes were victorious, defeating the First Blade and his valkyrie servants. As the adrenaline of battle left them, they realised the curse of Gorum was gone!

They entered the Ledeba tomb, and Marcus made ready to draw forth Armag's sword, steeling his mind against the onslaught of Armag's possessive soul. He was easily able to maintain his defences, and struck the massive greatsword against the small stone plaque with his name on it. The sword shattered into dust, and Armag's soul was released - and rapidly claimed by the servants of Pharasma, to be ushered on into Gorum's afterlife (Fraxnius swept up the remains of the sword, just in case the dust of an artifact would prove useful in the future).

The heroes returned home, having destroyed their second artifact.

Next, they made plans to deal with Ithuliak, the black dragon tyrant of the Hooktongue. They met with the local lizardfolk tribe on Lake Candlemere, and one of their hunters was able to tell them roughly where in the swamp Ithuliak laired (his grandfather had gone hunting there long ago, and seen Ithuliak emerge from his subterranean lair entrance). Plans were laid to locate the lair precisely, and also on how to assault it...