September 3rd dawns sunny and warm.
Humphrey says, "McTavish. With all that is happening back home, I believe we should finish this trip as soon as we can so we can get back home to help.
"But it seems strange things are happening everywhere."
"Aye," says McTavish. "We're entering some turbulent times. The gods must be restless."
Nodding Pillar agrees with these words "Indeed many things are begginning to occur, and time I think is growing short, something is going to happen, I can feel it. Something very big, some might say even a God can die". Pillar looks around morosely "But harken...don't the birds still sing? Cheer up, we're not dead yet".
Pillar begins to whistle a tune and pick up his step.
Aldarin: "Let's move out then, I could stand a good drink."
The morning passes quietly again.
As midafternoon approaches, though, you come to the small town that McTavish mentioned earlier. However, things have changed since he last passed through this area. Once a small and prosperous place surrounded by fertile fields and pastures, Tav'm - as it was known - is now abandoned and falling into ruins. Built around a crossroads, many of the buildings have collapsed into mounds of rubble already...while others are well on the way.
McTavish stops and looks disappointed.
"When we came through here in 1340 the place was sort of run down," he says. "All that was keepin' it going was the trade along the road. There was trouble along the Amlad Road to the south...with Golgar...so a lot of the caravans used this route instead. Sometime in the '50s, I think, Amlad and Nlad went to war with Golgar and won...so that road was restored as the trade route. I guess that put Tav'm out of business for good."
He lights his pipe.
"Do you want to stop and poke around for the rest of the afternoon? Or do ye want to press on?"
"By the planes of hell man where are your senses, maybe there is some ale in the cellar of the tavern!"
Pillar races over to the tavern and begins a frantic search for ale.
McTavish watches him race into town.
"No wonder he's a holy man!" he exclaims, "Such wisdom!"
McTavish lashes his mules and they go galloping after Pillar.
The rest of you follow.
The old inn sits at the main crossroads in the derelict town. In the centre of the intersection is a signpost -
The Great Western Road: East: To Black Gate, Vile Orchold and Brach Prol. West: To Derextar East, Derextar and Derextar West. North: To Signal Hills Fort.
The inn is easily the largest structure remaining in Tav'm, and the most intact. It almost looks to be completely sound...but for a large hole in the roof at one corner of the building.
You dismount and hurry after Pillar...up the steps...through the door and into the common room.
There, you find yourself confronting the current occupant of the inn: a large, reptillian creature...like a dragon...but with a long, stinger-equipped tail...
"Shit," mutters McTavish. "A wyvern!"
"A dead wyvern!" as Farad points to the thing and mutters the quick syllables that release a bolt of lightning toward it.
Aldarin mumbles strange words while gesturing toward the creature.
"Let me know when you are done casting all of your spell and then I will go in." says Britan.
Raz immediately unloads a lightning spell upon the creature and then ducks behind the edge of the door for cover.
Humphrey, waits for the first volleys of of the spell casters to zap the Wyvern.
The monstrous monster lashes out at McTavish with its teeth...
"AAAAARGH!" howls the dwarf, as he is bitten slightly. "Letskill!" he says, drawing his sword and lashing out.
As he does so, three lightning bolts cut loose...blasting into the 35' long wyvern.
There is an enormous explosion as the wyvern is blown to smithereens...spraying the interior - and the party - with blood and half-cooked reptile meat.
"Yuck, how gross! We're going to smell like dead reptile for days.." Illyana sighs. "Its been too long since I've had a bath as well."
"Geez," says McTavish, picking himself up, wiping the wyvern blood out of his eyes and sheathing his longsword. "This party's gettin' to have quite a bit of firepower, ain't it?"
He picks up a chunk of meat.
"Wanna try cooking it, Illyana?" he asks with a grin.
Illyana sniffs. "Its been cooked far more than I could ever manage to do."
You search the place...and turn up 1000ep, 8000gp and four small silver bangles that appear to be worth about 300gp each.
However, you find no beer, and so the dwarf and Pillar are pissed.
"What now?" asks McTavish. "Continue on...or explore some more?"
"If we're going to do that to a critter again, we might as well keep looking."
Peeking out from the doorway with obvious excitement, Raz says, "Let's explore some more...that was..hmmm...inspirational. You know after we finish up here I bet we could go back and deal with that house of horrors in Sandas now."
You head back outside. The town seems to be deserted.
You decide to go back to the west end of town...leave your mounts and the wagon, and conduct a proper recconissance of the town.
After a moment Raz pauses as if in thought and says, "You know it might be good to establish a protocol for when we met a foe...I would suggest that if the foe looks to be dangerous that the fighters stay back for a moment and let the spell casters cast...this way we could cast fireballs and such without fear of hurting some of our own part members."
Aldarin nods, "Some type of battle protocol would be helpful but as for surprise situations I believe you just have to react."
Upon returning, you start poking about the westernmost ruins first.
As the party continues to explore Raz pauses and says, "Hang on a second." You see him wave his hands and mutter some magic words. "Okay, I'm ready now", he says catching back up to the others.
The first few ruins you look at - little more than collapsed piles of rubble - contain nothing of interest.
The next one, though - located south of the road - is a little more interesting.
You see a solitary man dressed in leathers with a shortsword belted to his waist. A wall has partially fallen down on him...pinning is legs.
"Help!" he cries out, when he sees you. "Free me! Please!"
Raz looks about the area of the man..."Keep an eye out..this could be an ambush", says Raz thoughtfully to his friends. Raz then cautiously approaches the man. Stopping about 6 feet in front of him, Raz asks, "Who are you and how did this happen?"
"My name is Tormcraft," he replies, a little breathlessly, "I was looking around the ruins...I leaned against this wall...and it collapsed on me!"
Raz tries to look to see how badly the man is injured.
The part of him that is not buried by rubble looks to be in good shape...just a few scratches.
Raz, remembering the last fatal ambush, gets ready to cast a fireball and asks, "Why were you exploring the ruins? Where do you come from?"
"I just thought I'd take a look around...see if there was anything interestin' about. I'm from Black Gate."
"I could try and kill him. That would reveal the trap if there is one." says Farad.
The man looks terrified.
"What??!! No! I haven't done nothin'!"
Raz frowns at Farad, "I don't think that will be needed..but you can watch my back for me. If this guy shows the slightest offensive movement then you have my blessing on his extermination."
Raz shakes his head, "I'm sorry Tormcraft, but I'm not convinced that you are who you say you are. Frankly, you must understand that your life is currently in grave danger. My friend Farad over there is ready to kill you regardless. I want to help you..I really do...but I need you to convince me that you are what you seem to be and that you are not a threat to this group. Do that and I can save you...if you don't..well...."
"How can I prove anything to you when I'm trapped like this?" Tormcraft asks in an agitated voice.
Without looking back at the group , Raz asks, "Do any of you have a detect evil or know aligment spell handy?"
Farad grins. "I never bother. Evil is pretty apparent. And if this man isn't evil, then he is stupid, and we would be doing you humans a favor by killing."
"I'm not evil!" the man says, regarding Farad warily. "Nor am I stupid! Accidents happen to everyone!"
Sticking his tongue out at Farad, Pillar goes "Nyaaaaaa."
Looking around he says in a quiet voice "Hey do you know where some ale is? Quick man this is important, don't blather, where is some ALE!".
Turning and searching about, Pillar starts to sweat.
"Nearest ale is in Black Gate...that's a few days distant," Tormcraft replies.
Humphrey steps up.
"Well I'll help you out, with all these people watching it'll be safe."
Raz nods and steps to one side as Humphrey moves to help the injured man. Raz maintains his distance from the man though, and keeps a watchful eye out for trouble.
Humphrey starts moving rubble away, trying to dig him out, without any causing the wall to cave in any more, than it already has.
It only takes a moment to free the man, as there was not much rubble covering him.
He rolls free and smiles.
"Well met, Tormcraft. Are there friends of your about. It's not safe to go venturing around by one's self."
"Now I know!" he replies, standing up and brushing himself off. "I was travelling alone. Thanks for helping me! Where are you bound?"
Raz says nothing and keeps his distance from the newcomer. Walking over to Farad, he whispers something in his ear.
Humphrey says, "It was my pleasure to help you out. I forgot where we are off to. 4 weeks of studying fighting skills."
"East," replies McTavish. "To Black Gate and beyond. Can you tell us anything?"
"Woooowooo! Into Nolthen? With dwarves and elves?" asks Tormcraft. "They don't like elves very much...and...well...they've been warring with the dwarves off and on for decades. Still, you might make it. I've heard travellers say that Nolthen is all stirred up these days...armies gathering...marching around...they might not pay much attention to you."
"Why are the armies gathering? Where are they marching to?" asks the dwarf, looking concerned.
"Why do armies ever gather?" replies Tormcraft with a shrug. "To go to war I guess. As to where...people say they are moving south. Perhaps to invade the Empire? Maybe to annex one of the little kingdoms along the southern border."
He shrugs again.
"Well," he continues, nervously eyeing Raz and Farad. "I really should be going...see ya later!"
He starts to edge away...
Waving Pillar says "Goodbye, and fare thee well on your journeys, may you escape the falling of walls"
Grinning, Pillar sits back on some rubble.
Britan watches the stranger and says, "Excuse me friend but what is your profession and it would benefit you not to move anymore."
"I'm a merchant...that's it," Tormcraft replies.
As he puts his hand on his hilt, Britan then says to Humphrey, "You might want to make sure you have all of your belongings before this man leaves. If I am wrong Friend then I will apologize when I am satisfied that you are legit."
Humphrey checks his equipment...nothing is missing.
"Satisfied?" asks Tormcraft, as he starts retreating again...
Humphrey says, "I am sorry my friends are so suspicious, but these days, one has to be careful. If you wish to leave, then you better get going and good luck."
"Thanks and 'bye!"
Tormcraft runs away into the forest that encircles the ruins. Soon he is lost to your sight.
Humphrey turns back to the rest of you.
"Well, shall we continue checking out the area?"
"Aye," says McTavish, and you do so.
It is late afternoon.
Across a side street from the pile of rubble where you rescued Tormcraft is another pile of rubble. Once a building, it is slightly more intact...in that there are two walls still standing.
As you start to poke about in the rubble, though, it starts to swarm...with large centipedes!
Farad mindblasts the lot of them.
They drop dead in their tracks.
You continue searching through the rubble and turn up 1900ep.
You continue on...
You head south down the side street, search a few more ruins...and finally find yourselves looking at a graveyard. There is even an open grave towards the back...near the trees...
As you stand there dubiously pondering this scene, a creature climbs out of the grave.
It stands - being somewhat larger than man-sized - spreads its dark wings, and flies at you! As it swoops at you, you see that it has the body of a man, the head of a vulture and the wings of a bat...
"GRAK!" it cries.
Aldarin mutters a quick Color Spray in it's direction, then pulls his sword to help out in melee.
The spray engulfs the monster...but has no other effects on it.
Britan moves to attack the creature when it flys to close to the group.
"What an ugly looking thing, killing it would do it mercy with mismatched parts like that."
As he does, though, suddenly his head is engulfed in darkness! effectively blinding him. He swings anyway...missing as the monster swoops by him.
"BUCKARK!" Pillar screams as he wanders into combat!
The mad cleric charges in...but before he can come within striking range he is suddenly lifted off of his feet and sent flying hard into Illyana! Both of them are knocked sprawling...and both suffer 3 hit points of damage from the collision.
Seeing that the fighters most likely have things well in hand...Raz steps back, lauches one magic missle spell at the creature and looks about for other threats.
Four missiles sear into the rancid flesh of the monster.
Farad sends magic missiles toward the creature also and charges with his sword.
His missiles bounce right off of the hide of the monster.
Angry now, the monster swerves in mid-air and drops on Raz...clawing, scratching and biting. Raz takes 11 hit points of damage.
Aldarin rushes over, flame tongue swinging. He connects easily...and when he pulls out his blade it is covered in smoking ichor.
Farad also closes with the thing...bringing down his glowing blade hard on the monster and decapitating it easily.
The monster falls to the ground...dead.
"Geez," mutters McTavish, going over and poking the corpse with the toe of his boot. "Who ever would've thought there'd be demons around here?"
Looking down at his now bloody and tattored robe, Raz says, "Oh my...when am I gonna learn."
Raz then sits down heavily upon the ground and starts to try and stop the bleeding from the more serious wounds.
"A demon!" Farad says with glee. "Ah how I have longed to meet one of their kind. A shame it did not gate in more of its brethren."
Aldarin mutters, "I for one am glad that we did not give this creature time to show us it's full power."
"One was plenty for now, thankyou," replies the dwarf, glancing at Britan, still blinded, Raz as he patches himself up, and Pillar and Illyana as they pick themselves up off of the ground.
"What type of demon would this be?"
"A vrock...one of the weakest types of demons."
"Ouch!" says Illyana as she picks herself up and dusts herself off. "Demon? That thing? Things are getting really dangerous around here? What place did we run into?"
Farad heals those who are injured.
While the darkness recedes and Britan's sight returns, you enter the graveyard and search the grave that the demon came out of. There, on a bed of bones you find 1000cp and 1000gp.
You continue your exploration...continuing east.
After a time you smell woodsmoke...coming from a partially intact building in the next block. You also hear distant voices coming from the same place...the sounds of arguing...in goblin...
Farad is ready to release a sleep spell, and proceeds quietly toward the sounds.
Grinning happily Pillar says "Ahh the sounds of discontent, it is wonderful, that it is not in this party hey?"
Pillar dusts himself off.
"Hey Illyana was it as good for you as for me" leering lewdly Pillar guffaws.
Britan readies his sword for any goblins that may escape Farads spell of Slumber, and proceeds behind Farad toward the voices.
Aldarin follows Farad, also readying a sleep spell.
You move forward towards the sounds of the arguing.
Suddenly a goblin face appears around the corner of the collapsed building, spying you.
"Breeyark!" he yells.
You rush forward...as the arguing stops and nine goblins come running around the corner.
Farad releases his sleep spell.
They all fall asleep in their tracks, snoring loudly enough to wake the undead...which is what they do...
...as out of an adjoining pile of rubble stumbles a zombie...making for you...
Farad shrugs and goes over towards the zombie and takes a swing to end its miserable unlife.
While Farad goes off to dispatch the Zombie, Raz keeps an eye out for other trouble.
The elf easily chops the zombie down before it can lay a hand on him.
Meanwhile, McTavish has been sticking the sleeping goblins.
Searching the corpses, you find nothing.
You check out the goblin lair.
It is but a small encampment built in the corner of the two standing walls of a collapsed building. A small fire burns here. The carcass of a deer lies nearby.
Searching, you find nothing of interest.
You go and check out the rubble pile that the zombie came out of.
You fare a little better here, finding a pile of interesting things: a scroll, a sheathed shortsword, a dozen arrows and a tattered leather cloak.
Moving on, you continue your exploration.
You work your way back up to the Great Western Road along another sidestreet. You are a block east of the inn where you killed the wyvern. At this corner stands a small (20' square) building. It is of stone and is quite intact.
You open the door and peer inside. It is but a single room inside...lit by a strange magical glow...emanating from a bastard sword whose shining blade is imbedded in an oak table in the middle of the room.
There appears to be nothing else in here.
Smiling, Aldarin huffs, "Well now, doesn't this look enticing?...Anyone care to wield such a weapon?"
Illyana scratches her head. "Bastard sword? Not of much use to me, I'm afraid."
Britan say " if it is not evil and it is compatible with me I am trained in using that type of sword."
"Can anyone here detect alignments? I got bad impressions if I tried to draw the blade. My guess is that it is possibly intelligent, or cursed." says Farad.
Britan Looks at the glowing sword and says "What do you make of it being stuck in the table and do you think it is safe to touch? If no one has a problem with it I will reach out and touch it."
Raz pauses at the sight of the weapon and says, "Hmmm...if you care to wait until tomorrow, I believe I will be able to cast a know alignment or detect evil spell on it."
Britan pauses before touching the sword and says, " Sounds like a good idea then I guess I will wait until tomorrow no need being a guinea pig."
Britan backs away form the sword.
"Yes, it almost certainly is intelligent. And probably not of a true lawful nature. I don't think it will let me touch it."
Britan says " well we will just let Raz do that Voodoo that you do so well and see what the Mystical Mage can tell us."
You leave the sword be for now. It is early evening and the light is starting to go...but you decide to explore a little longer before returning to your camp.
Heading east, you spy two more piles of rubble that look vaguely promising.
As you approach the first, though, a swarm of giant rats come charging out of it towards you!
Farad looks at the creatures and releases a blast of mental energy.
"Ugly little buggers, aren't they?" Illyana waits for Farad's zot.
Raz - never one for half measures - steps up and casts a fireball at the on-comming rats as well, shouting, "Stand back all of you!"
The rats collapse...and an instant later are consumed in flames.
An enormous mushroom cloud rises silently into the heavens over Tav'm.
This corner of the town is reduced to an inferno...but fortunately the surrounding forest does not catch...and eventually the flames die down.
It is evening twilight as you search through the ashes and rubble from whence the now incinerated rats came...and find a glowing dagger.
In the last light you check out one last pile of debris across the road to the north. Searching, you find another little horde: 4000gp, 9 small gems and three vials.
Satisfied that you have made the world a little safer, you return to your camp.
Farad laughs.
"Somebody really doesn't like rats I can see."
Raz shrugs.
"Was there a point to that? Seemed like a waste of a spell to me." says Illyana as she prepares dinner.
Raz frowns slightly at the comment, but says nothing.
Farad laughs. "Just a miscommunication. From now on though, if I haven't already done so a few times, if its just a common animal or something you don't think is very intelligent let me try blasting it. Non intelligent creatures are practically defenseless against that power."
"But remember, I can only use that power a few times at best each day, and only if I've not used my powers in other ways either. In other words, only when I have my full mental strength."
Britan looks at Raz and says
" You know Raz you can cure a fighter of charging into battle real quick by doing that,"
Raz smiles at Britan's comment and says, "Yeah...I know."
Kelar bumps into a wall "Ouchh"
"Damn something came over me there for a while."
"Okay anyone for rat flambe?"
After a hearty dinner of something you post watches and retire for the night.