Azure Bonds Phase

Year of the , 1359 Dalereckoning (One year after the time of Troubles)

Marpenoth (October)

M11 While resting at a tavern, the party is visited by Rastafan the scribe. He drunkenly explains to them that he is terribly in debt and will be beated unless the party helps him deal with his creditors. The party reluctantly agrees to accept his debt. During the next day, Rastafan tells them of the recent disappearance of Princess Alusair and asks them to again lend their aid in investigating her disappearance. He tells them that she was last seen in Tilverton, but no-one else knows of her whereabouts. The party decides to go ahead and travel to Tilverton to investigate the missing princess.

M12 While camping for the evening, the party's campsite is visited by a wandering Bard in need of shelter. He offers to entertain them in exchange for warmth, shelter, and a meal. The party spends the rest of the evening listening to tales of current events from across the Realms.

M13 Late in the evening, while most of the party is sleeping, the campsite is suddenly attacked by mixed group of Drow, Mages, and Rogues. Of the entire party, only Tony’s Character escapes and the rest are subdued.

M20 Tony continues to try to evade capture, but is eventually run down by five thugs and subdued.

Uktar (November)

U3 The Party awakens in Tilverton to learn that over two weeks have passed. Each member discovers that strange "Azure Brands" have been tattooed on their arms between their capture and awakening. After discussion, the party sets out to try to learn more about the brands, but a strange event interrupts their investigation. When the King's entourage passes near the party, the brands blaze to life and compel the party to attack! A fight then ensues with the King’s royal guard, during which the party's efforts set fire to almost 25% of the city. As they are being pursued by Vangerdahast, a man becons to them feom an allyway offering quick sanctuary. The group agrees to this blatant plot device and flees with him down into the sewers.

U4 The Party is intruduced to Artur Grossman, the head of the local Thieves Guild. Grossman tells them that the "Fire Knives", an exlied guild of assasins from Westgate, have started taking over the local sewers and assasinating the local guild members. He further expains that the "Fire Knives" are part of the conspiracy to brand and control the party and that by killing the head of the "Fire Knives" the party may be able to get free of the bonds. He then offers to help the party infitrate the Fire knives headquarters in exchange for the party' help in eliminating the fire Knives. Just as they accept the offer, the guild assaulted by the Fire Knives, during which the party is forced to flee back into the sewers.

U5 As the party follows Grossman's map into the Tilverton Sewer Complex, they are attacked by a pack of trolls. They are further attacked three times by trolls until they finally find and kill Troll Chieftain in his lair.

U6 Further into the sewers, the Party encounters a Gas Spore, suffer many wounds, and are forced to rest.(GAMING MOMENT)

U7 After another day of exploring, the party stumbles upon a seemingly forgotten Temple to Mask, which they desecrate by stealing relics from it. (FIRST TEMPLE DESECRATION) This act awakens the temple's guardian Clay Golems, who chase the party through the sewers. While fleeing the golems, the party finds the Crypt of the Grossman Family, but are trapped in the crypt with no means of escape. The Golems then corner Sam's character and proceed to beat the living tar out of him. Without ant effective weapons against the golems, the party is forced to watch this. Then Tony decides that the best way to attract the golems away from their beleagured comrade is to resort to desecration. The party then proceeds to tear open crypts, dance with copses, and generally abuse the last remains of the grossman family. This does the trick. The golems leave the sorely beaten Sam and chase after the other members of the party, who are able to escape the slow-moving golems with clever maneuvering through a small bolt-hole in the wall.

The party then discovers the secret entrance to the Fire Knive's Hideout indicated on Grossman's Map. They explore the hidden tunnels and find the luckless noble Giogoni Wyvernspur, who was kidnapped by the Fire Knives for his ability to impersonate King Azoun. The party sneaks in to free Giogoni and then Sam dimension folds the group out to rest.

U8 After resting and recuperating, the party returns to the sewers by the use of Sam's Dimension Fold Spell. This use quickly gets on the DMs nerves as it easily (too easily) circumvents a number of difficulties that he was quite fond of. However, the DM is rewarded with the first death of Mark’s character. This time, it was by a pack of fifteen hell hounds (GAMING MOMENT).

Mark’s new character arrives and the party proceeds to clear out the thieves’ guild with ruthless efficiency. They find the princess Alusair as they confront the leader of the Theives Guild, and a battle ensures. During the battle, King Azoun's guards assault the lair through a hole in the ceiling created by one of Vengerdahasts's Disintegrate spells. The good guys eventually win and rescue the princess (yay!)

U9-U16 Party rest and recuperation.

U16 After a number of convenient dreams, the group leaves Tilverton to go to explore Yulash.

U17 Encounter pack of wild horses. Fierce storm drops over 12" of snow.

U18 Storm. Many wolves pursue the party. Encounters with goblins, gnolls, and frost giants (Oh My!) 2” more snow.

U19 After tracking the gnolls, the party assaults a gnoll encampment. They slaughter the gnolls and save an Elf Maid who was being systematically tortured while her companions wer slaughtered before her eyes. Her mind snaps, leaving her only able to say "Drow...Evil...get away"

U20 The party takes the elven maid to Shadowdale to try to heal her sundered mind. They turn her over to the Temple of Chauntea. Sadly, the elven maiden's statements seem to blame Tony's character for her condition because he is Drow.

U21 Trial of Tony’s Character. After a strange proceeding, the jury finally decides that Tony is Not Guilty. Despite the verdict, the Elves present at the trial declare vengeance against the group.

To make themselves seem more official, the party applies for a charter from the lord of Shadowdale and take on the name “The Company of the Hole,” naming themselves after a portable hole that tehy get very creative in using.

U22-U26 After gaining their charter, the party travels on to Yulash, where they are ambushed by the Elven Eldreth Veluthra. After they escape, they continue searching and save Alias and Dragonbait from a fight with numerous plant creatures. The party learns that Alias is branded with similar but different tattoo and she offers some explanations to them about the nature of the marks. Alias explains her and Dragonbait's crusade against Moander and ask to join forces with the party.

U27 The party enters a cess-pit that hides a temple of Moander. As they explore, they are ambushed by numerous minions of Moander. However, because two characters did not sho up for that evening's game, the party is unable to halt the Resurrection of Moander, who explodes out of the temple and proceeds south towards Myth Drannor. (Oops!)

U28 Ghaunadaur takes advantage of Moander’s weakness and absorbs/destroys him. Ghaunadaur then Tyranthraxus and Dracandros. Zentil Keep withdraws hold from the pact.

Due to this unforseen event, the Azure Bonds Phase is over...(the semester was over and the game had to stop)