The party's next mission is to recover the
Lyre of Clestus, one of the legendary
artefacts of
Athena which was believed to lie in the ruins of the ancient
city of Rhamsandron.
The Seer confirms what the sages suspect that
Quitak was built on the site of Rhamsandron and that
unfortunately the Temple of Athena lay where the Warlord's Palace was afterwards built.
The Seer further tells them that their best bet is to offer their services to the Warlord
in exchange for permission to rummage round underneath his palace.
In order to get to see the Warlord the party get a recommendation from the influential
Temple of Odin. After removing all their weapons
and magical items (a procedure which takes nearly half an hour) the party meet the
Warlord in a room containing an anti-magic field. He tells them that he wants them to hunt
down a group of anti-paladins who serve the toad god Tsathoggus and who every year tend to
terrorise the area to the northwest
of the city. He warns them that many have tried to fight them in the past including paladins
from all the major temples in Quitak. He asks them what they want in exchange and the
party's eyes light up when he mentions that a possible reward is a castle. Midge manages to
negotiate to get the
fort in Deepvale thrown in as well and just in time before
everyone
shakes hands on the deal Eluriel remembers that they also wanted access to the area
under the palace.
Menwhile the Temple of Odin has been told by their god that the servants of Tsathoggus intend
to attack the village of
sea Rune within the next 24 hours. As Foddlewick is engaged in
important magical research the party is augmented by some warlock that Midge met in a pub.
The party windwalk to
Sea Rune although Sir Isfahan chooses to set them down on the road out of the village where
a group of Amazons have set up an ambush. The Amazons duly
capture Sir Isfahan but he returns shortly afterwards with the Amazons in tow. Apparently the
Amazons have sworn to defend the village from the forthcoming attack as well as swearing
to defend any progeny that may result from Sir Isfahan's traumatic experience at the
hands of the Amazons.
The party are then introduced to the village by a priest of Odin that the Temple in Quitak
sent with them. It is at this point that the party realise that they are about to defend
a remote village of peasants from a large group of bandits and that they are only seven strong.
Many of the villagers are
cheered by this as in their legends a group of seven heroes successfully defended a
village in similar circumstances. The party, however, are not cheered as in that legend not
all the heroes survived.
They therefore make it clear to the priest of Odin that he is not to enter combat. Further
they take the precaution of telling small urchins who wish to befriend them to clear off
and they ban 'trading in lead' as a subject of conversation although the local merchants are
much puzzled by this.
The servants of Tsathoggus obligingly arrive in two easy instalments. The party take up individual
positions at the entrances to the village and are backed up by the local militia. The vanguard
of Tsathoggus is duly slaughtered. For phase two the party actually discuss some tactics which
involve Midge and the warlock trying to assasinate the opposing armies general. They capture
the army's wizard and imitate his voice thus luring him into a fatal trap. Meanwhile the rest
of the party ensure a comprehensive victory. There is a huge amount of loot!
It transpired that the wizard Midge captured and spared was not evil but forced to serve the
army because his family had been kidnapped and held in the Temple Of Tsathoggus.
The party rescue the wizard's family and kill the avatar of Tsathoggus, forcing the god to abandon
his temple. Back in
Quitak the Warlord is well pleased with the party's efforts and gives
them access to the tunnels beneath the palace together with emblems which protect the party from
the many traps that are scattered throughout the area. After some minor skirmishes the party
find the ruins of the Temple of Athena and the dragon that now inhabits them. Disposing of the
dragon they return with the Lyre of Clestus.
Rok has heard rumours that the castle at Atwain which he now owns
might be inhabited by a dragon. Midge
is sorting out his trading empire so
again the warlock agrees to augment the party for 5000gp. Eluriel agrees to scout the castle
at Atwain with the
warlock. The warlock casts invisibilty and gaseous form and is surprised to see Eluriel
land in the main courtyard fully visible to the very tough looking garrison.
Eluriel, however, is just having fun and after a bit the party decide she is having too much
fun and join in and soon have the
300 strong garrison on the defensive. The warlock wanders off to do some scouting scratching
her head.
After a while a dragon emerges from the main keep and the party decide to occupy the keep
with the dragon in (literally) hot pursuit. Foddlewick puts a wall of force over the entrance
to keep in out. Sadly another dragon emerges from the keep dungeons and as it is at first
invisible it manages to breath fire before coming to a swift end as the party retaliate.
An even larger invisible dragon the then appears in the great hall shortly followed
by the warlock who has finished her scouting mission and is able to tell the party there
is not one dragon but three. Protected by her spells she mocks the dragon and takes the
brunt of its attacks in the rather longer fight to bring it down. The garrison hears its death
cries and comes to the conclusion that it is time to leave. Those that the party intercept are
forced to do so without their arms and armour.
The remaining dragon flies off back to its lair but is followed by several members of the party
who relieve it of its life and treasure. Rok announces plans to offer the
Aerie of the Stonemasters a new site for a
monastery in his castle.
Having secured one castle the party, now rejoined by Midge, decide to help Foddelwick claim his fort, the
Tirthon deep in the Dearthwood. This seems to be an easier job as
it is unoccupied when they arrived and although the fittings have been trashed the basic
structure is intact and very sturdy. However, there is a brooding silence in the wood which
is disturbing and seems unnatural. The party make their way to a hidden vale beating off
an attack by what seemed to be winged demons on the way.
In the vale they find a tomb and a sealed door upon which is a strange writing that Midge
reckons is that of the legendary race of Markrabs, the ancient foe of all life on Oerth. Inside
is a huge hall containing a colossal suit of armour lying horizontally. In the head of the
armour is a large seat and a strange panel. The party conjecture that it is some kind of golem
which another creature might control using this panel. Funnily enough there is a tomb of an
appropriately sized creature in the hall. The presence of the party appears to wake the
creature from its aeons long slumber and a brief fight ensues during which it becomes the
latest in a long line of powerful beings to underestimate the party. Midge chooses to sit out
the combat but claims to have been several steps ahead of the party (and indeed the Markrab if
that was what it was) by sitting in the control seat of the armour. The life force of the
creature appears to have been tied to the structure of the hall which proceeds to collapse
around the party who make a hurried retreat.