[Deryk]

Subtitle: Roast dwarf is so tasty.

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[Deryk]

It has been a few weeks since the defense of Overlook and the defeat of Zithruun. Repairs are still underway in many locations throughout the city, but for the most part things have returned to something close to normal. The Council of Elders has arranged for you to utilize one of the recently repaired structures as your permenant base of operations in the city. The building has two stories above ground and a modest basement/cellar. It appears that at one time it was used as a small Inn or B&B because there are six small rooms upstairs, three on either side of a central hallway leading to a washroom. The downstairs is comprised mainly of a great room with a separate kitchen. The cellar is accessible through a stairway in the kitchen, or a set of cellar doors in the alley to facilitate deliveries. The cellar is approximately 7 x 7 (squares, yo) You’ve had plenty of time to establish yourselves/shop/etc. You can place the building in whatever location you want and if you want to hire any staff that’s fine too, just let me know who or what you want to hire.

At some point, when you are ready to proceed, a messenger arrives with a summons from the Council of Elders. I’ll assume that you eventually decide to go there.

The summons from the Council of Elders was sudden and unannounced. Standing once again in the High Hall, you are told that the Freeriders, led by Megan Swiftblade, have uncovered the identity of a powerful ally to General Zithiruun—an ally who helped prepare the recent attack on Overlook. Megan has since fled to the village of Talar in the face of repeated assassination attempts. In return for the name of the general’s mysterious benefactor, she has requested the council’s aid. The council, concerned that this mysterious figure might still have designs on the city, has dispatched you to rescue Megan, eliminate any immediate threat to her safety, and return her to Overlook.

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[Deryk]

Skill Challenge: Walls Come Tumbling Down

AKA “Shortcut to the cellar”

While hanging out a bit in the Green Dragon Inn you learned some of the history of Megan Swiftblade and the Sage in the Tower, and you also bought a bunch of cloth from a failing merchant. Suddenly, a giant fan was hit by a similarly large piece of excrement. You managed to drag, cajole, and otherwise motivate the patrons to vacate the establishment.

3,000 XP (600 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: FLOWING DEATH

AKA: “A pregnant chick? REALLY?”

You learn that the old plot devices are the best plot devices and risk life, limb, and general intestinal fortitude to rescue a screaming lady and her ponies. The ever expanding BLOOD CHAOS FLOW along with the Scion of Chaos, Chaos Maulers, and Skulking Terrors made this a PITA, but not an overly difficult task. Fortunately, it seemed like the Scion of Chaos may have misinterpreted one of his abilities resulting in less harassment than otherwise may have been experienced. Stupid n00b DM.

3,000 XP (600 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: UNBOUND

AKA: “The Crass Menagerie”

I’ve got an idea, let’s trap a couple Mezzodemons, some Grimlock Ambushers and a Foulspawn Seer in some flimsy cages and then store all their weapons in a nearby cabinet. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing like close quarters combat to give the party that not-so-fresh feeling.

3,000 XP (600 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: BLOOD CHAOS CAVERNS

AKA: “The Troglodyte aura can suck it.”

Giant mysterious magical pipes full of Blood Chaos… Seems like a nice place for a friendly conversation with a Shadar-kai Witch, 2 Githyanki Warriors, and 8 Troglodyte minions. It doesn’t take much for you to notice that these guys were fixin’ to teleport some’eres wit’ they fancy circle dealie. It also doesn’t take much for you to notice that Kigyar is a rock magnet. Killing the bad things and turning the big wheels seems to have sovled the immediate problem, but this has the potential to be more than just an isolated incident.

5,150 XP (1030 Each)

[Deryk]

Skill Challenge: THE CHASE IS ON

AKA: “There’s a WHAT under my tower?”

With some help from a recently discovered ritual and some advice from Falrinth, you finish activating the teleportation ring and jump though in hopes of finding Sarshan and putting something pointy inside of him.

1,200 XP (240 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: DRACONIC WRATH

AKA: “Save Ends Both”

You find yourselves on an island (a muddy one) surrounded by a swamp full of Blood Chaos. After a few minutes of slogging through the muck you are set upon by a Dragon. Then, another one. TWO DRAGONS?!?!! Good thing they were a couple levels below you. Fortunately their attention was more frustrating than deadly and they also had neat stuff in a cave. Yay! Dragon Treasure! Oh, you also find their names written in their underwear – Antharosk and Calaunxin. If that matters… which it doesn’t.

4,500 XP (900 Each)

[Aaron]

TOTAL XP: 30,914 (1,086 to Level 12)

[Deryk]

There is a great little recap in the DM materials for this campaign. At this time I think it is essentially spoiler-free because you have determined the link to Sarshan and the reason Megan was being threatened. So I’ll post it here for your enjoyment and illumination:

The shadar-kai arms dealer Sarshan has grown wealthy and powerful through his shadowy dealings. Over many years, Sarshan built up a vast, invisible mercantile empire supplying weapons, intelligence, and mercenaries to anyone with sufficient coin. Sarshan’s success (and continued survival) hinged in equal part on his clients’ discretion, his duplicitous nature, and his ruthless cunning.

Sarshan is cautious, and his desire for anonymity is such that he has walked away from numerous deals that presented an unacceptably high risk of exposing his operation. However, one of Sarshan’s trusted lieutenants, the dark creeper Modra, betrayed his master when he supplied the orc war chief Tusk with arms and equipment for his attack on the folk of the Stonehome Mountains. Tusk’s subsequent defeat brought the PCs into direct contact with Sarshan’s operation for the first time.

Subsequently, in “The Shadow Rift of Umbraforge,” the treacherous Modra attempted to slay the PCs. Pursuing their assailant to the Shadowfell, the party discovered the shadar-kai’s fortress—the isolated citadel of Umbraforge. Its resultant destruction earned the PCs Sarshan’s relentless ire.

In the aftermath, another of Sarshan’s schemes was stymied in “The Temple Between.” The githyanki war leader General Zithiruun, a valued client and ally of the shadar-kai, was slain attempting to capture Overlook. Sarshan had worked with the disgraced githyanki for some time, funneling troops through the network of portals scattered across Elsir Vale and coordinating the assassination of troublemakers. The relationship was a profitable one for Sarshan, and its loss irked the shadar-kai greatly.

These setbacks have badly damaged Sarshan and his carefully built operation. In an effort to salvage what he can of his power in the world, the shadar-kai has decided to destroy all evidence of his association with the githyanki.

Sarshan has recently become aware that Megan Swiftblade, leader of the Freeriders, has discovered his association with General Zithiruun. Assassins sent by the shadar-kai have attempted to silence the Freeriders, but have succeeded only in forcing Megan to flee to her home village of Talar, near the town of Brindol. There, she has thrown herself on the mercy of an old family friend, the sage Falrinth. As the adventure begins, Sarshan’s servants have caught up with Megan and are about to unleash an indiscriminate assault on the village.

[Deryk]

Encounter: THE CHASE IS ON PART 2

AKA: “Root Curtains”

You make your way through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the ever tree.

1,800 XP (360 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: IN FETID DARKNESS

AKA: “Where is the door again?”

The party enters the room from an impossible direction, resulting in a rift in the space time continuum. After that is sorted, you discover that a Skull Lord and some Battle Wights, along with other various undead, are covering Sarshan’s escape through yet another teleportation ciricle. Now you’re thinking with Portals! Once the monsters are dispatched, you shut down the tube ‘o blood chaos that was fouling the swamp around the ever tree. Sarshan apparently fiddled with the teleporty thing so you take a nap while it recharges.

5,100 XP (1020 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: SEA OF FIRE

AKA: “SEEEEEA OF FIIIRREEEEEE”

Yesterday if someone had said, “Jump onto this earthberg!” you probably would have said, “What the hell is an earthberg, jackass?” Now you know… and knowing doesn’t keep you from floating away on an earthberg. GI Joooooe. Playing a deadly game of “the floor is lava” you jump between the couch cushions of destiny as they float about on the carpet of doom. While doing this you have to fight a Flame Shard and a Duergar Hellcaller, along with a Redspawn Firebelcher and the inevitable Githyanki Warriors. Fortunately, somebody is praying to the right deity because the last earthberg carrying the less hoppy party members gently docks with the stairs. (DM RAGE)

3,500 XP (700 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: GALLERIES

AKA: “Lava and Blood Chaos Slurry”

Not long after ascending the stairs to this tower of doom, you feel the earth move under your feet and a slurry of lava and blood chaos begins to fill the tower, destroying the stairs as it rises. Two Storm Abishai Snipers (I don’t know either) an Arctide Spiralith (yeah, seriously, I have no idea) defend the TELEPORTATION CIRCLE along with a Centaur Ravager and the ever-present Githyanki Warriors. You learn that wallwalkers are awesome and it pays to carry as much rope as you can. You don’t know if the lava will eventually flood the entire tower but you understandably decide to not stick around to find out. Five to beam out, Scotty!

3,500 XP (700 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: CRUSHER ROOMS

AKA: “Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level!”

You decide to take a short rest… NOPE TRAIN! Woooo Woooo! A banshee, a specter, and a flesh golem defend this chamber. Also crushing walls and ceilings defend this chamber. While you notice that the entire floor is covered with trap doors that cover small niches, you manage to avoid death without availing yourselves of their relative safety. Kigyar does an admirable job of keeping the walls at bay, and the monsters do an admirable job of recharging their BS immobilization powers. You discover that crushing a golem is so hilarious that it makes it hard to aim. Suddenly some Githyanki Warriors… uh wait… nope, I guess not this time. That’s weird.

3,500 XP (700 Each)

[Deryk]

Encounter: FINAL BATTLE

AKA: “Meh”

You arrive at the top of the tower and proceed to beat your nemesis soundly about the head and shoulders until he ceases to function. Fortunately Kigyar remembers his sending stone so that he can call home and get the coordinates for a teleportation circle. Gloin happily performs the ritual that takes you all back to the world. You return in triumphant fashion to Overlook where you are greeted by a relieved council.

Browsing through Sarshan’s personal effects you find little of much direct use other than a journal of his current plot to send blood chaos into your realm. You can also see that he has continued to be very active in his role of moving large numbers of troops, arms and armor to various undisclosed locations. Reading between the lines makes it disquietingly clear that the threat of war is still a reality in the Elsir Vale

7,800 XP (1560 Each)
MINOR QUEST – Save Talar 600 XP (120 Each)
MAJOR QUEST – Defeat Sarshan 3,000 XP (600 Each)

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