January 11, 2003 – IV, Tim, Lisa, Rick, & Fred

Returning to Malwander from their adventures in the Hestmark Highlands, the group meets a young half-elven paladin named Dricas Zyr’vynth Aym. He’s come to Malwander looking for information regarding a man Carstos apparently trained with in his early days. While Carstos is unsure where to find Athalas now, he does tell the newcomer that his family lives in a village in the Adri Forest. The village is located at the headwaters of either the Harp or Tesser Torrent rivers, but he is unsure which. Cartos however does have need to Dricas’ assistance training Malwander’s militia forces. After the battle with the werewolf in the Hollow Highlands it became apparent the militia forces needed to be better trained and disciplined. As Dricas begins whipping the men into shape, the rest of the group decides to take care of a few things while waiting for the next full moon. Xifias travels to New Keep to sell a few items, pick up Lirrim’s bracers, and to talk with his uncle. Lirrim and Isach talk of magic in the meantime, while Sione decides to prepare for their upcoming travels by preparing some healing herbs for the group.

Things are quiet for a few days as the group recovers from it’s recent trials and awaits the full moon to find out if the druid council’s cure worked or not. The appointed day comes and Lirrim once again volunteers to be locked in one of Cartos’ jail cells just in case the wolfsbane mixture didn’t work. Luckily the night passes without incident and it appears as if Lirrim has been cured of the curse of the werewolf. Now the group prepares to travel to New Keep because Bel has an important delivery for Xif and the others to make. The night before they are to leave, everyone is gathered at the temple for dinner with Marlos, Carstos, and Nori.

The conversation revolves around their past and current trials as the group gets to know Dricas. Their quest seems like a noble endeavor and Dricas gladly joins forces with our heroes. Nori also tells the party that he was finally able to translate the passage in the journal that took him to Pontylver. Apparently it confirms something he suspected all along. If Kasera is ever able to unite the three amulets the ritual to release Tharizdun will have to be performed at the City of the Black Caverns on Serpent Isle. The portal the group found there is the only known entry point to the demi-plane Tharizdun is trapped on, so this is the only place the ritual to free him can be done. This is good news for if Kasera is able to recover all three amulets, at least the group would be know where to head in order to stop her mad plan. Nori has one last piece of news for the group as well. He thinks he has a guess as to what the symbols on the cubic gate stand for. This doesn’t help the group activate it just yet for these are just guesses, and he doesn’t know the actual words for them in the language of the People of the Black Caverns.

Next, Carstos tells the group some unwelcome news. He’s received news from Elarion in Pitchfield and the King has hired a group of bounty hunters to track down the group and bring them in to face justice for the slaying of Quarion. He does not know any details about the bounty hunters, but warns the group to be careful as they travel the countryside. He also mentions a few other items, including reports from the southern villages near the Vast Swamp that grave robbers have been pillaging their graveyards in recent days. Dinner otherwise passes enjoyably with Dricas getting to know everyone a little better.

The next day, the group heads off to New Keep to pick up the package Xif’s uncle has for them to deliver. He hands them a small wooden box and informs them that it is to be delivered to a sage named Laris in Rel Mord, which is about two weeks away. Once again, he informs Xif not to open the box and sends them off on their way. The group decides to finish the delivery in Rel Mord, and then travel to the Bonewood in search of the City of the Black Caverns there on their way back to Malwander. The trip is relatively quiet for the most part, however, about two days ride from Rel Mord, the group hears someone flanking them off to their left.  Strangely enough, it sounds like someone on foot, but who could keep up with their horses on foot? A few moments later the mysterious monk who attacked them previously, looking for Isach’s book, breaks through the brush and advances towards the party.

“It seems my information was correct,” the monk states as he sizes up the group. Suddenly, the party hears a small group of horses approaching them from the South. Turning they see four mercenaries riding towards them. As the battle begins Sione attempts to hinder the mercs with her Briar Web spell, which instantly entangles the horses they are riding. However, just a few moments later one of the mercenaries casts a spell and most of the briar that sprung from the ground as a result of her spell disappears, freeing the fighters from their clutches and the battle is fully joined.

Expecting the monk to immediately go after his spellbook again, Isach rides over to Sione and tells her to hold it while he fights. If need be, she can turn into an eagle and fly away with it before the monk can get his hands on it. Strangely enough, the monk instead heads straight for Xif and the box his uncle wants delivered to Rel Mord. Not sure why the Scarlet Brotherhood would want the box, Xif rides over and gives it to Sione as well. Her shapeshifting abilities may be the only thing that keeps the Brotherhood from getting what they want.

The mercenary cleric now casts darkness, engulfing most of the group, and the monk in total darkness. Meanwhile, Isach uses Mirror Image to engage two of the mercenaries. Sione hangs back and uses her healing abilities to help the group as the battle rages on. Dricas charges headlong into battle, taking out the cleric and them attempting to stop the monk, who has knocked Sione from her horse. He grabs her pack as Stacia guards his fallen companion by biting him solidly on the arm. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to stop him from grabbing the pack and only Lirrim grabbing it as well prevents him from being able to rip it off and flee. Sione regains her senses and attempts to roll over to rip the pack from the monk’s grasp. Failing this, she transforms into a giant eagle and breaks free of his hold, flying straight up and preventing him from getting either Isach’s book, or the box the group is delivering for Bel.

Obviously frustrated, the monk takes out his anger on the rest of the group. The party fights valiantly and almost overcomes their foe, but he proves too powerful them and subdues them efficiently. Xif takes the brunt of his frustration and takes a quick series of blows that should have killed him. However, as he crumbles to the ground, he feels a warmth flood his body. He recognizes the sensation as the same one Isach described feeling in the Menowood and realizes that Corellon has spared him. Indeed their quest must be important to have Corellon himself take such a vested interest in their well-being. But the return of Tharizdun must be avoided at all costs. The monk flees the battlefield after Lirrim disappears using his invisibility spell and although Sione attempts to follow him, he is simply too fast for her to keep up with for long. Taking note that he fled north, she flies back to the battle site and helps Lirrim revive the others. Using spells and herbs to recover the group wastes no time in continuing on to Rel Mord to finish the job they are tasked with.

Laris is glad to see the group, and takes the box from Xif as he sits down. “Gentle,” he says in Draconic as he waves a hand over the top of the box. He then proceeds to open it, and as he does so, a group of small spiders swarm around the box. Each spider is a different color, but the all appear to have been carved out of a gem or crystal of the appropriate color (red, black, white, clear, blue, green, purple, orange, brown, and yellow). Laris pulls a necklace from the box and then reaches over, grasping a small pouch and hands it to Xif, telling him that it is payment for the delivery to be given to his uncle.

The group mentions the monk’s interest in the box and it’s contents. Laris cannot think of any reason why the Brotherhood would want the necklace. It does not contain any magical properties and is only a family heirloom. His mother had given it to his sister when they were young, and now that his sister had passed away, the necklace was being passed on to him. Neither he, nor his sister, has ever had any dealings with the Brotherhood, so their interest in the box is strange. Perhaps they wanted the spiders instead, but the only ones who knew about the spiders were he and Bel, so he doubts that is the case. It occurs to Xif that his uncle suspected a spy within his associates and probably leaked that the box contained something far more valuable than it actually did to test the theory. Only his most valuable deliveries have been hijacked recently, so the monk’s attack would seem to confirm that Bel has a spy, but who could it be? And why would they work with the Brotherhood?

These and other questions will have to wait as the group decides not to linger in Rel Mord long. Tomorrow morning they will travel on to the Bonewood in search of the City of the Black Caverns to be found there. From the tales regarding the Bonewood, they may be in for more than just that as well. The Bonewood changed nature only a short five years ago, with the trees suddenly changing into a bone-like material (thus facilitating the name of the wood to be changed from the Thelly Forest). All manner of foul magic is suspected to be at work within the wood, and most of its inhabitants have fled for nearby villages and towns. Only a brave few wood elf villages remain, and rumors swirl around about strange disappearances among their number as well. The group will find out soon enough.

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Chapters - Find out what's happened so far.

Chapter One – Shapeshifters in Our Midst

Chapter Two – A Prophecy Fulfilled?

Chapter Three – The City of Black Crystal

Chapter Four – Poachers? No, Murderers!

Chapter Five – The Vast Swamp

Chapter Six – Delivery for Quarion

Chapter Seven – Evil Afoot in the Menowood

Chapter Eight – An Item in Naerie

Chapter Nine – Back in Malwander…

Chapter Ten – A Journey Into Madness

Chapter Eleven - Serpent Isle

Chapter Twelve – The Return of Maj

Chapter Thirteen – The Hestmark Highlands

Chapter Fourteen – A Spy Among Us?

Chapter Fifteen – The Bonewood

Chapter Sixteen – Return to Rook's Roost