Wandered Roads 26

Wandered Roads of Varisia
Session 26
September 28, 2013

Campaign Timeline

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Starday, 22nd of Lamashan

After a brief brush with the law, the band of heroes reconvenes and Vexeron reveals that he has determined that the ravens have flown to a place called the Shadow Clock, a decrepit, abandoned clock tower in the Shadow District, directly under the Irespan.

Enter Scarecrow - The opening fight!

The group traveled there and entered the building on the ground floor to find an animated scarecrow guardian. The creature put up a good fight but was eventually taken down. It’s magical shadow cloak was taken and donned by Daellin while his magical scythe was left in the wagon parked there. Calina eyed the wagon greedily. The inside of the tower was open, revealing a rickety wooden staircase that wound up the interior of the building. Magical light courtesy of Vexeron illuminated the way up the ‘Terrible Stairs’, as it was called locally.

Going Up - The long climb to the top!

It was a dangerous climb, only one person could be on any given span of stairs at a time, and there were many gaps and broken stairs that had to be jumped across. At one point, near the top, one of the four massive bells came crashing down from above, nearly taking Ehlyna and Daellin out as it fell, though it did manage to rip two 10’ sections out of the stairs. Ehlyna and Samad, who ended up  past the break, rushed up and followed the rickety stairs as they moved outside and continued around the tower to an opening into the belfry area while the others down lower used ropes and magic to traverse the 2 wide gaps not in front of them.

Ehlyna and Samad engaged with several Faceless Stalkers who appeared to be the ones

Hells Bells - Fighting in the belfry!

responsible for dropping the heavy bell. Kallin, enchanted to fly by Daellin, joined them up above, as did Vexeron shortly after. Eventually, the Stalkers were dispatched and the rest of the group managed to ascend to that level. Some more rooms were found further up, and eventually, they rounded the last edge of the tower and entered the uppermost chamber.

Waiting for them was their foe, a flying, 15 foot long heavily armed and armored snakewoman bearing an oversized polearm like it was a spear. Without introductions, Ehlyna led the charge into the room and directly into the waiting snake woman’s weapon, nearly sending the stout Dwarven warrior to the ground. A mournful wail filled the room as Ehlyna was struck, causing everyone a moment of fear and sadness. But shaking the feeling off, everyone else rushed in to join the fray and her invisible companion revealed himself, nearly slitting Calina’s throat with his war razor. It was the cult leader who had escaped the sawmill just 2 nights before and now Daellin noticed the tell tale signs of pointy Elvish ears protruding from behind his mask - Justice Ironbriar!

Hotfoot! - Lighting a fire underneath the snake woman

After a protracted battle of steel and magic and arrows and fire, the enemies were slain, though several areas of the room were on fire and the group stood in the uppermost chamber of a 200 foot tower that looked as if it shouldn’t be standing anyway. Calina quickly searched through the snake woman’s lavish bedding before it was burnt to ash while the others drug the bodies to the doorway and pitched them over the edge, letting them fall to the streets below.

Daellin used his magic to avoid the ‘Terrible Stairs’ on the way down to keep an eye on the descending group and to make sure that none of the gathered citizens tried to make off with the bodies or their treasures.

Continuing Story Doc

Continuing Story Summary

The fire in the top chamber of the Shadow Clock was spreading quicker than anticipated, and after unceremoniously dumping the two bodies to the street several hundred feet below, everyone began hurrying down as fast as they safely could manage. Daellin took the magical flying route, both to monitor the groups descent and to keep the gathering crowd below from making off with any valuable loot from their fallen foes.

The path back down from the top of the tower was almost as difficult as the climb up, made more precarious by the fact that the other bells have fallen and destroyed more of the stairs, flaming floorboard falling from the room above and occasional bricks and blocks of stone falling after being dislodged by the other destruction. Eventually, though, everyone makes it back down, tired and covered in soot and blood. The gathered crowd steps back as they emerge from the crumbling and burning tower, eyes wide at seeing such a battle weathered group of folk.

Immediately, the bodies are checked for anything valuable and several magical items are found. The broken mask is taken from off of the snake womans face, revealing a beautiful Human-like face. She is wearing a shimmering tunic of exotic looking scales, and of course wielded the deadly and magical polearm, sized for a larger than normal combatant. She also wears, around her neck, a 7-pointed star medallion, identical to the one Ehlyna bears.

The unmasked cult leader is revealed as Justice Ironbriar himself, little surprise to Daellin, who had already disliked the man enough already. He bore an enchanted war razor, another of the enchanted cultists masks and some magical armor, chain on the torso and arms and layered cloth.

The scythe and wagon that had been left below were both destroyed by falling bells but the magical shadowy cloak was salvaged from the scarecrow monster.

Ehlyna emerges from the tower hot, tired and wounded.  Looking around, she and her companions find that the area is littered with citizens and a few Watchmen.  The tower continues to burn precariously near them.  Pointing at a watchman, Ehlyna says “You! Get these people back!  This tower is coming down around us!”

Scanning the area for a relatively safe spot to rest for a moment, Ehlyna sees a place across the street.  “Follow me, friends.”  She makes a path through the throng as the few watchmen attempt to push the populace into a safer area.  Pushing through the crowd, the group wearily sits and waits for the questions and aftermath.

Calina sits down on the ground near her companions, forlornly thinking about the destruction of the wagon. She rests her chin on her knees thinking to herself, “It was a very good wagon. With the increased number of responsibilities at the estate, we could have put it to use quite nicely.”

She looks up quickly as a whoosh of fire and air explode from the building, “Not to worry, I suppose. We always make do in the end.” With that thought, Calina stands quickly ready to move away from the fiery building if needed.

As they are sitting there, tending to wound and watching the tower be consumed by fire and neglect, one of the Watchman, appearing to be a Sergeant walks toward them.  “Are you responsible for this?!?” he exclaims.

Ehlyna looks at him and says, “I will explain all, but to Justicar Kannas.  He is familiar with a companion and me.  We talked this afternoon.  For now, I would worry about keeping the crowd away from that tower and the bodies of those criminals.”

“Well, we’ll see who the criminals are in this!” Pointing to the other watchmen, the Sergeant orders him to keep an eye on the party.

“Fear not, good peacekeeper, my friends and I will not stray from here unless bidden.  All will be revealed in good time,”  Daellin sighs wearily.

Eventually, the crowd has to be moved back even farther from the Shadow Clock as larger and larger chunks of its upper reaches begin to fall. Eventually, the entire structure falls, crumbling to the ground in a fairly neat pile, with only a few abandoned buildings being destroyed along side it. No one is hurt, though before the dust even settles, the rubble pile is covered with folk looking for a souvenir or other valuable morsel of loot.

Eventually Justice Kannas shows up, having been summoned by the Watchmen after his name had been mentioned. After the confusion is cleared up and the crowd dispersed, Justice Kannas thanks the assembled group for their diligence in pursuing the leaders of the cult. He directs the gathered watchmen to secure the area

… a little later...

Daellin and his companions wearily drag themselves back to Kaijitsu Manor.

As the group of friends gather in the main room around the lit fireplace, Calina remembers something and quickly moves into the kitchen area. The house girl Nesme steps from the larder room and stares at Calina’s ash covered clothing and very smudged face.  

“Nesme, where did you store the cinnamon buns I brought home earlier today? I think we need something sweet in our stomachs after this evening’s extremely sooty and high adventure,” Calina says brightly.

“I shall bring them out, Mistress. Pray go seat yourself and rest with the others. Perhaps some hot tea or coffee as well?” Calina smiles at the young girl, nods then heads back to rejoin the group in the common room.

As everyone settles in their favorite seating place, Calina sits cross-legged on the floor near a large overstuffed arm chair. She leans wearily against the chair and feels a stabbing sensation in her ribs. She pulls at her clothing then remembers the scroll she found at the clock tower. Calina slowly pulls the rolled parchment out of her belt where she had hastily stored it on the frantic trip down the stairs.

Nesme steps quietly into the common room, setting down the buns, tea and coffee on a small table in the middle of the room.

She also carries another parcel tucked under her arm. She sets the tray of cinnamon buns down on the low table and then hands the other package to Calina. “A gentleman dropped this off around suppertime. He said he hopes it works for you and if you have need of anything else of this variety to call on him.”

She curtsies, “If there is nothing else, I will retire for the evening.”

As Nesme leaves the room, Calina asks, “Anyone notice if this thing is magical … or trapped?” She turns the scroll over in her hands and continues, “Should I open it?”

Neither Daellin nor Vexeron notes any enchantments on it. “Though it is not enchanted, that does not necessarily mean that it is not trapped. Let me see it, please.” The mage takes the scroll, lays it on the table and shouts “Tĕtē Jītī” His eyes get big for a moment, then he looks back at Calina. I detect no magic here, though that does not mean there are no mundane traps or dangers within.” He hands the scroll back to her.

“I will open it.”  Ehlyna takes the scroll from Calina, takes a deep breath in, and opens the scroll.

The Dwarf grasps the scroll and begins unrolling it from both ends. As she unrolls it, she sees that it is some sort of list, spattered with blood and written in Varisian. She has a decent grasp of Varisian writing and begins scanning over the names, many of them at the top appear to be crossed off, and then at the bottom, past the list appears to be more substantial writing.

The list is titled “Sihedron Sacrifices,” named after the 7-pointed star everyone has become familiar with. She freezes suddenly when she sees a familiar name, that of her companion, Samad Aldhul, at the bottom of the list, un-crossed off.

Quickly she scans up the list and finds some other familiar names, some of those who had been ritually slain back in Sandpoint. Then a shudder moves through her body as she reads her own name printed on the list!

She quickly sets the scroll down without reading any further.

An ominous list of names...

Calina grabs the list and looks at it. She too sees the names of her two friends on the list, as well as other familiar names from her days in Sandpoint. Daellin peeks over her shoulder at the list and then points to one name in particular.

“There, that one. Haldmeer Grobaras. That is the Lord-Mayor of Magnimar, right below the name of Sandpoints Halfling grocer who was murdered just before we left Sandpoint. Interesting. We need to get this list back to Justicar Kannas as soon as we can! This evil cult we disrupted was planning something diabolical indeed!”

Reading further down the scroll, the text after the list appears to be quite extensive notes on the details of the Lord-Mayor’s life and schedule - when he takes his meals, who he visits, his favorite taverns, and even the hours he sleeps. Apparently this Wanton of Nature’s Pagan Forms had a very deep desire to keep tabs on, and no doubt, assassinate the Lord-Mayor.

Samad, somehow smelling of oranges and rose oil, had a cinnamon roll in his hand before they even reached the table. “Diabolical? You make diabolical sound BAD”, he jibed as he approached the scroll.

Taking a sumptuous bite of the cinnamon roll, he peered half-heartedly at the scroll. He almost rolled his eyes and turned away, simply figuring there were people to be stabbed before the unfortunate names on the list were stabbed. More sweaty lambs for the slaughter. He froze mid-chew when he saw his name on the list. Someone was after him.

When a few of his companions side-eyed him as his eyes widened, awaiting a reaction, he closed his eyes and raised a finger as if requesting a few moments. He chewed his bite carefully and swallowed it down. Samad was NOT raised in a barn, you know.

He then casually cleared his throat, and bawked out a loud “WHAT!? … Someone puts MY name on a hit-list … and LEAVES OUT ‘The Foxtooth’!?”

He pounded the table his his free hand and hissed “This is an outrage and blood will be SPILLED for this”... before he took another small bite of his cinnamon roll. It was hard to remain angry when eating such a delicious treat.

“... and I suppose we SHOULD get this list to-... I don’t know, someone important I guess… and THEN we cut this problem at the root. Quickly, and gracefully.”

Calina giggles, "Samad, I am quite sure that, had that list been fulfilled, we would have made sure your name was correct on your tombstone." She hesitates for a second then looks around the room, "Not that I feel slighted in the least, but why are the rest of our names not on this list?"

Not really expecting an answer, her eyes scan the names once more, "Hmm, I wonder if the name Sabriyya is the same person I met in the market. She appeared to be rather important around the Bazaar. If it is her name on the document, I think she would like to know." Calina muses further, “On the other hand, it was apparent that she used several methods of protection in any case.”

It was at that point, Calina remembered the package that Nesme brought her. The list of names temporarily forgotten, Calina eagerly tears open the paper wrapping. Her eyes widen as she looks at the revealed contents of the package laying on her lap.

Inside the wrapping, Calina sees a small cloth quiver holding 5 finely crafted arrows. The narrow shafts are black with swirling lines of silver. She pulls one from the quiver and its wide silver point seems to gather up all the light in the room and flash it back into her face. The metal from the head appears to have been poured into spiraling grooves on the shaft itself, allowing the metal to run the entire length of the arrow, all the way to the black fletching at the end.

Ehlyna only vaguely hears or sees her companions as they pass around the scroll and discuss the contents.  Will I ever be rid of this constant threat from one source or another?  Is there a time in the future when I will no longer need to look over my shoulder at every corner? Wondering if there is a knife with my name on it?  A rope tied just for me?  Putting her hand into her pocket, Ehlyna feels the wanted poster she has yet to dispose of...her thoughts are distracted by Calina and her new arrows.  “Hounds of Hells! What was that?!?!” she exclaims as she examines the new weapons.

Characters Present:

Kallin Hawkril, Half-Orc shaman and budding Priest of Pharasma - played by +Daniel Ernst
Calina - Varisian Human archer and scout - played by +Carol Coburn
Leela Cardnool, Gnome scout, cartographer and Illusionist - played by +Lisa Smith
Daellin Silvanthalas, Elven Farstrider Ranger - played by +Ben Lipe
Vexeron, Human wizard - played by +Greg Grady
Ehlyna Fuzziface - Dwarven Warrior - played by +Jodi H
Samad Aldhul, Human ex-mercenary - played by +JeCorey Holder
Ellie - Halfling Finder of Things - played by +Megan McCarron

and +Jason Woollard as the DM