From Honor's Journal

We traveled to the diviner’s library and found that the guardians had been corrupted and instead of helping us tried to kill us. We also discovered some of the Siscaria’s insect minions, who had been taken over by the power of the library. I myself was taken over a few times, feeling the intense desire to clean up the messes and protect the books. In the future, I will be careful not to touch the doors if we ever have to travel there again.

After dispatching the insects, including one very large one, we found the books we needed, as well as some spellbooks, some books on battle tactics, and a portable library. We also decided to take a huge tome (as in 6 ft tall) with us. Yberre found a cart and was pushing it along when we came to opening of the library. The red dragon statue/guardian had breathed fire everywhere, so we took that to mean someone unsavory had tried to gain entrance.

When we opened the doors we found Nixus Sly and a small army waiting for us. The men in the army looked haggard and strange, and some of them were foaming at the mouth. Yberre, quick thinking as always, used the huge book to block the many arrows and bolts that came flying towards us. Markus and Cluidhn blasted away at the army with fireballs, while Yberre was like a whirlwind with his blades. I barely had to do anything, for which I am very grateful.

Near the end of the battle, Nixus Sly himself came after us, and singled out Cluidhn. Sly seemed to be moving at a speed far beyond what was natural, as well as being clouded in shadows. I managed to get one or two swipes at him, and then suddenly the shadows around him faded and he cried out that he had been betrayed. He swore he would take Cluidhn down with him, but we struck him down before he could do so.

At the end of the battle we met Sly’s betrayer – a wizard who had been imprisoned by Sly with a magical collar. The collar was controlled by a ring, which Yberre cut from Sly’s body and gave to the wizard, freeing him. In exchange, the wizard gave us ample information about Sly, including a map of his hideouts in Valeria and Hibernia, and a map of his lair, including the location of a communication stone.

Apparently, Sly has been feeding eggs to men which allows him to control them. The eggs hatch into strange purple snakes, some of which we saw slither away from the men we cut down in front of the library. The provider of these eggs can be reached through this communication stone. The wizard also promised us he would not actively work against us in the future if he could help it, and he definitely would not for at least a year. I think better to have made an ally with this man, albeit temporarily, than to have fought him. He was clearly exceptionally powerful and I don’t doubt he could have killed us all right there.

The wizard also told us that Sly has continued to hunt for elves, wanting their blood for some nefarious reason. It might have something to do with a rumor that the elven diviners did not go mad when scrying upon the old empire. Sly was also looking for the old emperor’s crown, which might be in Lumen.

We looted Sly’s corpse, along with some of his other top agents who Yberre and Hralf had slain. From Sly I gladly took a magical rapier that seems specially designed to find all the squishiest parts of your enemy. After this we reported back to Gaius Wind and brought him all the books to look at, including the huge tome of monsters.

Among the items we found in the library was a bone with runes on it. Markus and Cluidhn both rolled the bone like a die and were granted some temporary powers. When we showed the bone to Gaius Wind he told us it was his and was in fact a minor artifact. As a finder’s fee he granted us amazing magical items, but not before Markus rolled the die one more time and was temporarily blinded. Oh, Markus.

After a few days of preparations, which included buying much needed supplies, we headed off by ship to Forge. The poor dwarves were terribly sea sick, and honestly I didn’t feel much better, especially when a storm hit. But this wasn’t just any storm – we were attacked by a huge, massive, immense, gigantic, I could on and on, sea serpent!

This monster seemed to be 200 feet long, maybe 50 feet in diameter. It banged against our ship again and again, finally causing the ship to break in half. Yberre, Cluidhn, Markus, and I were separated from the dwarves as the ship broke in two. My trusty necklace allowed me to breathe underwater which saved me from drowning, as well as allowing me to swim after Markus. The four of us held on to Yberre’s trunk as we watched, helplessly, while the serpent attacked the part of the ship where the dwarves were.

Golden Fire: The Journal of Cluidhn Malta'i'nour

Eastward bound, our heroes stopped to camp along the Vaewater, then rode through a mountain pass to the town of Gold, which used to be a legion camp south of a gold mine. We then took a shortcut to Lead, forded the Alewater and rode through grasslands to the town of Copper, another former legion encampment. We set up camp just off the road, between the Neckbreaker Peaks and the Great Woods. A traveler approached the fire, introduced himself as Maerk, and shared some of his high-octane ale with the dwarves, who tried to sell him a false story of our journey. Maerk said that he was headed south, and as the trio kept drinking, his enormous black panther approached and scared the wits out of everyone. Maerk said that she was his friend and that her name was Tigress, then he and the dwarves passed out in a drunken stupor.

In the morning, Tigress had killed and dragged back a lovely yak for us to feast upon. Our new friend Maerk noticed my lovely new scales, but resisted my sermon about Apsu, leaving with his giant cat. Humans... We followed in his footsteps along an animal trail, passing a waypost tree marked with an "O". Soon after, a giant form burst forth from the shrubbery, a monster with the body of a bear and the head of a giant angry owl. Hagbard smote the beast with a blast of divine sound, stunning it, then Hralf swung his mighty axe, slashing its face. Honor threw her dagger, scoring the side of its head. Hagbard burned it with magical acid as I made a beautiful shot from afar, sinking an arrow down to the fletching. The vicious beast bit Hralf's head, denting his helm, then impaled him on a massive claw and lifted him squirming off of the ground. Yberre took the opportunity to slash the owlbear's stomach open with his legion sword, then I put an arrow through its right arm. The bloodied beast dropped Hralf and ripped into him with claws. Hralf responded by sinking the spike of his shield into the monster's heart, dispatching it in a spray of blood.

We followed the owlbear's tracks back to its cave, only to find the corpses of its mate and baby as well as three goblin skeletons and some orgoshi arrows. I grabbed one of the obsidian-tipped, black-feather fletched arrows as evidence. Rummaging through a sack, I discovered a cache of silver coins, which we divided. Then we continued on our way for ten hours through the forest. We camped at an inviting clearing and slept unmolested. When we awoke, Yberre was flushed and sluggish, suffering from heat exhaustion. We resumed our trek, and as we left the edge of the Great Wood, we caught our first glimpse of Starshine, a mountain several thousand feet tall, the whole sculpted into a spiral. The lifting late afternoon mist revealed the coast and a small town at the foot of the spiral mountain surrounded by hundreds of different-colored tents, flying the banners of various noble houses. We made our way to the Brightstar pavilion and hailed Gaius Wind. He cast a spell of silence and described sightings of dark stalkers and orgoshi at the ruins of an old fortress at the southeastern edge of the base of Starshine. We told him of our triumphs and travails since our last meeting, and my entreaties for lamb went unanswered, offending me deeply.

Our band of heroes sallied forth to the southeastern reach, where Yberre's keen eye discerned a manmade wall fifty feet up, partially uncovered by a rock slide. Honor scaled the cliff and found a hole with a recently installed rope ladder. We climbed to the entrance and then down the rope ladder into a large room with two doors. After opening the door to the north, Honor set off a lightning trap that burned her and myself almost to death. It wasn't my fault this time, as I have begun to understand the dangers of doors. Hagbard healed us and Yberre smashed through the trapped door, revealing a large circular room with a cracked fountain in the center and four burly hobgoblins. The blaggarts fired arrows at us and loosed a giant hyena. Yberre was wounded by the beast and rushed up a flight of stairs to dispatch the archers. Honor dodged claws and sword as Markas and Hagbard launched magical attacks. Hagbard slew the hyena with an acid dart as Markas summoned a hyena to combat their hyena. Hagbard and myself slew a hobgoblin with acid and magic missiles as Hralf dispatched another with his waraxe. Markas was hit with an arrow as, up on the stairs Honor slit a hobgoblin's throat from ear to ear and tossed him down into the fountain. Markas's summoned hyena dispatched the final hobgoblin with horrific crunching and slurping sounds.

We broke into two locked rooms, finding nothing of note. Honor narrowly avoided an acid trap, opening a door to reveal two portcullises and a pair of arrow-pierced skeletons. Deciding to avoid the death trap, we returned to the circular room and addressed the door at the top of the stairs. Honor unbarred it from the outside in a feat of skill, revealing a long hallway with a cave-in at one end and a door at the other. Honer opened it, only to be attacked by three more hobgoblins. They triggered a trap that dumped Honor and Hralf into a spiked pit. In response, Hagbard and I assailed them with acid dart and longbow, knocking one of the craven beasts into the pit, which at this point was on fire due to a combination of alchemist's fire and lamp oil. Honor managed to get into the room with them and killed another. She pulled a lever, popping the floor back into place, which allowed Yberre to rush in and slash the remaining beast to ribbons. We looted the corpses and continued exploring. Honor disabled a second pit trap, and then a third, and then opened a door to reveal a giant tusked humanoid, almost as big as Yberre. As Yberre and Hralf stationed themselves on either side of the door, the monster swung a huge morning star around the doorframe and into Hralf. I smashed the beast with two magic missile spells as Hagbard healed Hralf. Yberre rushed in and and struck the bugbear, followed by Hralf with an axe blow, and as both attacked again, the beast struck my head. Angered, I grew my claws attacked, but my magnificent claws only screeched on its metal armor. The tusked giant swept its massive maul towards my face and my vision went white, then faded to black. I awoke, head ringing, to find that Honor had slit the monster's throat. -Praise Apsu for this victory and my survival-

Soldiers Log: Yberre Hammersmith

Now it seems fate has turned in my favor. A clear and present danger has presented itself and its name is my calling. War it seems, will come to the Empire. After arriving at Starshine, we reported our news of a potentially corrupt noble house working with the dark races and it seems that the presence is more than the simple force of assassins we suspected. Suspecting an army of some kind may be awaiting invasion, we have been sent by Gaius Wind as an advanced skirmish party to an old fort held by goblin warriors. We have met them in battle and these are not the small, savage, and simple goblins one might expect from tales of old. These are a warrior race with cunning, training and the power of steel.

This is the enemy of my fate, I am sure of it. This is the war of our vision, unfolding before us. This is the fate the that Gorum drew out for me so long ago. All he has taken from me and all I have endured shall finally be brought to a climax with this war and perhaps I shall be gifted with peace when it is through. I can feel the hand of Gorum possess me more with each battle. My steel grows lighter, the chain weighs less heavy on my shoulders with each drawing of blood and my blade grows sharper with every cleft of bone. Many will die in the days to come and many more will suffer. The power and the will of Gorum will determine the winner. I believe I am his vessel for reasons I do not know or even pretend to understand, but who am I to question the gods? My calling is war and my day is coming, I only hope that I will find truth and an answer at the end of this fate.

Golden Fire

Our destiny grows ever more convoluted, the workings of Apsu complex and beyond mortal ken. This chapter of my journal begins with that most hackneyed and overused human literary convention: "It was a dark and stormy night"... My band of intrepid adventurers found ourselves assembled on a beach in a storm, investigating a shipwreck, the wreck in question determined by Honor and Markas to be the "One of Seven", a cursed Tirynthian legion ship bearing house Brightstar markings. This ship had drifted from the northeast and had been missing for five years. The crew were all dead, and according to Hagbard, had all died of old age at the same time. The rest of the ship lay partly submerged out in the surf.
Doughty Yberre swam out to the submerged wreckage and dragged out the captain's chest as Hralf attempted to assist, slicing himself on sharp coral. The recovered chest contained a map, a nautical chart, log, shipping manifest and a sum of platinum coins. At this point we decided to enter the wreckage on the beach. Honor checked the door and we entered. My gaze was drawn to a glowing door, so lovely... I am told that I was burned and knocked unconscious at this point by some foul necromantic curse. As I lay charred and unmoving, Hagbard drew upon Torag's power to heal me. My friends investigated the interior, found two sarcophagi, and were attacked by magical poisonous snakes.
When I awoke, the snakes had disappeared. Honor opened the middle door, revealing a corpse on a bed manacled to the floor by chains of silver. The dead man's notebook contained information about a recovered relic and a Mistress Phaedra, and the same symbol branded on the late and unlamented mustachioed half-elf. As we left the wreck and stepped back out onto the beach, we heard a ruckus. The cursed ship's dead crew had risen as undead and attacked the work crew. A fierce battle ensued.
The skeletal warriors attacked. Hralf threw a magic stone, disintegrating one, then I incinerated two more in a blast of Apsu's fire. Hagbard called on Torag's fury to destroy several more undead, and the rest fell in turn to Hralf, Yberre and Hagbard. Hralf found a silvery dragon scale and Yberre dragged the unopened sarcophagus out onto the beach. We opened it and found a perfectly preserved corpse. Hagbard used a divine scroll to ask the corpse, Constance Goodfellow, last surviving heir to the late Emperor Constance Tertius Septimus, some questions. We used the scale to open a magic chest which contained a scroll, a gem-tipped rod, and shattered crystal shards.
We awoke to a red sun and the sight of a south-faring fleet of New Tirythian warships, probably from Tridens. Returning to the church of Torag, we discovered that someone or someones had broken in and slain our captive dark creeper and several acolytes. Rushing to the church of Sarenrae, we found our werewolf to be missing as well. Very troubling. We headed to Brightstar manor, only to find it shrouded in a magical fog. Cautious and concerned, we entered the catacombs through our secret path and entered Brightstar manor's subterranean tunnels from below, feeling our way through the mist-filled halls. A woman's voice echoed through the halls, taunting and cajoling us to continue.
At the top of a flight of stairs, Honor was ambushed by goblins. Yberre kicked in a door, allowing me to kill a goblin with an amazing shot from my longbow. As Hralf killed a goblin dog below, we finished off the stinky little buggers. Wary of the enchanted fog, we went back down the stairs, descending into a room previously undiscovered, a burial chamber partially filled with water. In that room, my spirit swelled with joy, for the lone occupant was a dragon hatchling! An evil black dragon hatchling, spewing and burning us with vitriolic acid, but a dragon nonetheless. Honor dove to the center of the room, striving to clear the room's central drain as the rest of us assailed the beast. I smote the black hatchling with Apsu's claws and shot an arrow into one of its wings, and then, just as it breathed acid mist at Hralf, Honor and myself; Yberre leapt from a high alcove and beheaded the beast with a valiant stroke and a spray of ichor.
As we returned victorious to the manor, we found a wounded and disheveled Brian Brightstar, who had been held captive and tortured by the woman who had introduced herself to us as Alyssa Brightstar. We now know her to be an impostor. Under torture, he had given up the secrets of the house to her. We entrusted him with the sarcophagus containing Constance Goodfellow, and enlisted his help in locating our missing werewolf. And thence to bed, as we must journey to Starshine to meet with Lord Tennyson Brightstar and the esteemed Gaius Wind. I shall sleep well, my faith and devotion to Apsu strengthened by the sight of a dragon and the courage of my companions... -Apsu guide his children, and spread his wings above-

Golden Fire: the journal of Cluidhn Malta'i'nour

Truly, Apsu's blessings are upon me. Another of the Maker of All's gifts has revealed itself. Yberre, the bearded ones and myself awoke at Brightstar manor to find that Honor had vanished on family business. Uncowed by the lack of thief and mage, we descended into the catacombs via a secret door. We were ambushed almost immediately by two dark stalkers, whom we assailed and bested with sword and sorcery. One we slew, and the craven beast's body exploded with blinding light. The other, we subdued and bound with strong rope, to answer many questions. I learned a valuable life lesson: do not, no matter how tasty it appears, lick a glistening oily substance off of a dark stalker's knife. It makes one feel ill.
Hralf and Hagbard discovered an ancient imperial map room and encountered an Empress's ghost, as above Yberre and I were attacked by a skeletal Praetorian Guard; no mere husk, but a skilled and powerful swordsman. It was then that I felt new power flow through me and Apsu's will smashed the foe's grinning skull into powder. We claimed our treasure: an ancient helm for me, a magical breastplate for Hralf, and a lovely sword of the legion. We then ascended to the surface once more, dragging our captive on the stones.
The priestess of Sarenrae was not at the temple, and the lone acolyte was less than helpful, so on Hagbard's notion we strolled to the temple of Torag, there to meet the dwarven high priest. A crusty sort, he examined (and battered) our captive, healed (and battered) myself and proceeded to pay a very lackluster sort of attention to Hralf and Hagbard's pleas to send blah blah to Forge blah. Aside from the sharp pain in my shins, a dreary experience overall. The priest agreed to watch and interrogate our captive, and we took our leave.
Our captive secured, we decided to investigate the Medusa's Eye, the ship whose sigil had been on the werewolf's crate. We met with dockmaster Joseph, a rotund man whose considerable girth exceeded his helpfulness. He did, however, tell us of the fell ship's captain's sour reputation, and recommended a local watering hole as a possible source of information. The rheumy-eyed old barkeep at the run-down bar pointed us toward some drunken dockworkers, whom Yberre charmed with his silver tongue. Armed with more information, we set out on a reconaissance of a certain warehouse connected with the Medusa's Eye.
The building was large, locked and had no clear windows through which to spy a glance of the interior. We decided to wait for Honor to return before attempting to gain entry. We hied to our next destination, a much smaller warehouse. Upon investigation, we dicovered some dead beggars outside. This gave us all the reason we needed to search within. We discovered a reeking charnel house, filled with butchered bodies. The centerpiece of this grim tableau was my nemesis, the mustachioed half-elf, pinned to the wall by large nails. He had been mutilated at length with surgical instruments, whereas the other bodies that littered the room had been murdered by some sort of animal or monster. As the bearded ones ran to fetch the Guard, we discovered a unique left-handed stabbing dagger. Our friendly guard captain informed us that this sort of dagger was the hallmark of Nixus Sly, an underworld leader and the mustachioed half-elf's boss. So the veils are parted, allowing clear sight...
A charred, burned-out ship all thought to be the Medusa's Eye drifted into port, but our keen eyes detected facets of new planking that suggested the wreck to be a sham, designed to convince any interested parties that the Medusa's Eye was no more. A devious and deceitful piece of work, rather in line with what we had heard about the captain's character. So, upon Honor and Markas' return, we stand ready to raid the warehouse, explore the catacombs, and make it to Starshine in time to meet with Garius Wind and prevent an underdark uprising before the full moon. I am confident that Apsu will bless these endeavors and grant me the strength to prevail. -All praise to the Maker of All-

Golden Fire: the journal of Cluidhn Malta'i'nour

I feel stronger, more... vital. After our bloody encounter with the undead in the undercity warrens, we returned to Brightstar manor to rest our battle-weary bones. Upon awakening, we realized that the mercurial Markas had disappeared, off on another errand for the wealthy Brightstars. We met with an eminent diviner, Garius Wind, and agreed to meet in Starshine for the full moon, where we will trade information for gold. My kin will be assembled there, and the thought of seeing my family plants ice in my soul. The bearded ones returned, having been deported via the devious machinations of my personal bane, the mustachioed half-elf, who I have marked with my claws. With Hralf and Hagbard, we set out to give the elven zombies a bloody release from their undeath. With Honor guiding the way, we returned to the sacrificial pit where we had fought the horde of zombies. Constantly dealing with illusions, we entered the burial chamber, only to be surprised by traps. Hagbard, previously wounded by runerock, was felled by a dart, and I managed to feed him a curative draught. Honor, Hralf & Yberre bested a very unfriendly door and we entered another section of the underwarren, traveling beneath the sacrificial pit. At first we were glamered, but stolid Yberre broke the illusion. A hideous altar was revealed, and the righteous fury of Apsu flowed through me. Dragon fire smashed and burned, and a place of evil worship was cleansed from the world. Honor led us again, and a long walk led us to an abondoned warehouse containing a crate stamped with a medusa symbol. Hoping for gems and gold, I naturally jimmied it open. Something with metallic wings blasted out of the crate and flew skyward, occupying the dwarves for a time. But the real cargo was still in the crate. A crazed, feral human wrapped in rags. He tried to eat Honor, and thus I fired an arrow at the cad. At this point, his eyeballs went black and he howled, body contorting and crackling as he shapechanged into a monstrous wolf-thing. My companions reacted like veterans; I burned the beast, Hagbard assailed it with magical darts of acid, and Honor slashed it with a beautiful silver dagger. It tried to run, but brave Yberre and Hralf coralled the creature. The wolf-thing sprinted to the corner and gave us its throat. As it melted back into manform, we were able to talk with him and ascertain that he had been kidnapped, was unaware of his lycanthropic condition, and had been starved and poisoned by the crate's other monstrous occupant. There was only one course of action left to us. We bound the wretch and brought him to the temple of Sarenrae for succor. The priestess was happy to heal us and promised to do her best for our prisoner. We left her with a small fortune and found a hero's bow, suitable for my strength. We then returned once more to Brightstar manor to rest once more. Hmm... mustache, a shadowy cargo ship, evil creatures under the manor, a trip to Starshine; this is getting very intricate. My priority is still to find the fair folk and release them from undeath... -Apsu guide our path and grant us glory-

Golden Fire: the journal of cluidhn malta'i'nour

The reek of the undead clings to my nostrils, a constant reminder that
three of the Folk remain in a twisted mockery of life, in the dank
underbelly of this stinking city. In typical human fashion, the city
government deported the bearded ones who possess not just expertise in
navigating the underdark, but an avowed specialty in the eradication
of the undead. I have seen many things in my long years, but never
such directed, cunning malevolence. What disgusting, unholy beast lies
beneath the blood-soaked grate? And what twisted intellect spawned and
commands it? The valor of my companions in that room of death made my
blood sing, and it is good to stand alongside the mage from Apsu's
dream-sending. A sense of destiny marks our band of heroes, and I am
certain that the Maker of All will give us the strength to burn out
this foul threat to the innocent. The mustachioed half-breed's face
lingers mockingly in my thoughts; it seems that he is but a thread
that shall lead us to a weave that shall lead us to the hand that
guides the weave... -Apsu's golden wings above me, Apsu's golden
blood within me-