What they left behind

5/25/08 Danerys Reporting

pandemonium! Our goal: to get through the portal without getting scorched. Multiple dragons, multiple hell hounds. Everybody attacks, most baddies aim for the short one with the armor. Dragons are attacking the townspeople, ASYLM defenders and players, melting dogs with acid spit.

 

Tombor takes on two dragons, one of whom zaps lightning through Tombor’s armor and scorches a hole in Tombor’s hobgoblin opponent. Only to get attacked by a “not gigantic” green dragon. Danerys tries to step in with a scorching ray, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea when I see the green dragon’s steely glare. The blue dragon attacks Coriell while Rafad takes a parting shot at the black dragon, who swoops in to kidnap Dympnha. Dymphna launches her flaming sphere at the ship’s deck, which sets everyone in a mad panic for the portal. Coriell dives heroically through the portal like a girl, Tombor clicks his boots and bolts, only to stop before the portal entrance to save an unconscious ASYLM member.  Danerys runs and can’t help but take some parting shots at the green dragon. Tombor acts the Schwarzenegger role fighting hellhounds while pulling unconscious dude toward the portal.

 

The remaining dragons tag team on Danerys forcing her to make a tough decision, get bit and run or try and kill. Running seems best. Tombor bull runs Danerys through the portal, as she curses the breed DRAGON!

 

We find ourselves further west than we were, by 1000 miles or so.  There are a few hours of daylight left.

 

On the horizon, we see a plateau.  On top of it, there is a castle, which appears to have a castle upon it.  Upon that castle is a series of towers, with towers upon them.  In the clouds, there are floating towers.  Welcome to Sharn!!!

Coriell takes over reporting:

Riding towards us is a military phalanx.  Theodorus and Malacoda ride out to meet them.  Three hours later, it looks like Theodorus, Malacoda, and Geoffrey the Pale have been speaking with the leaders of Sharn.  Wyvern riders are circling and corralling the hordes.  Some of the members of the Sharn forces seem to be “constructs” of wood, metal, & adamantine.

 

As the night starts to set, there is a strange mood in the camp.  The Haven-Farans are out for justice and want to execute Cap Galen and his cronies.  Harc and Keel have set about building gallows to hang the criminals, but this is problematic.  The king of Sharn may see this as a transgression of his laws, which could spell doom for the Haven-Farans, the ASYLM refugees, and the group.

 

Rafad attempts to talk sense into Harc and Keel, but they’re not having any of it.  They want justice.  They fully intend to execute Galen, consequences be damned.

 

Rafad and Coriell go forth and speak to the members of the guard.  Johann Ironfounderson, a captain in the Sharn Guard, informs Rafad that if Galen and the criminals are turned over to Sharn, they will have their fates decided by the magistrates, and the punishments range from execution to hard labor to prison time.

 

Coriell and Rafad go back to Harc and Keel to make one last attempt at diplomacy.  Harc and Rafad are intent on killing Galen, so they walk into a tent in which the captain is held in a pillory.  Harc draws a knife, at which point Coriell and Rafad enter combat.

 

After much grappling, Rafad attacks the tent with a mighty blow, bringing down the supporting pole.  Tombor then arrived on the scene and proceeded to pimp slap the Haven-Faran punk-asses. 

 

After the pimp slapping, Tombor gave a rousing speech that shamed the riled up Haven-Farans.  At this point, Rafad, Coriell and Tombor round up Galen and the criminals and lead them to Johann Ironfounderson, where they were given into his custody. 

 

Later on in the evening, two Sharn guards approach us.  They inform us that the watch captain wants a word.  We are led past the tent of healing to a new area.  Inside the tent, we find Malacoda.  He tells us that he has learned many things today.  He seems pleased with our actions concerning Harc and Keel. 

 

He waxes philosophical about our place in this strange, yet familiar, new world.  Do we adhere to the laws of this new land, or do we rebel?  We must take on new roles…and what roles shall we play?

 

He admits that he has called us to the tent under false pretenses.  He speaks to us of Galen, and his possible fate.  He leaves a pouch on the table, then leaves.  He pokes his head back in and tells us that it’s very, very interesting that you can’t speak with a dead body if that body has been turned into an undead creature.

 

DM edit on what Malacoda said,

“I have been very busy today, and have learned a great deal.  For example, there are some members of the Sharn watch who do not mind earning some extra coin in exchange for a small favor.  I have called you here under false pretenses, because there may be a need to deny that we met tonight.  Many people saw you being led to this tent by the Sharn watch, and the guards outside will declare that you were called here to answer questions about Galen and his men.

 

We find ourselves in a new world.  Everything is familiar…  but so different in many ways.

 

We need to consider our role in this new world.  We, as the people of ASYLM, have a long tradition of working together to maintain a sense of justice and harmony.  How do we continue to respect that?  Do we just conform to the laws of the land?  What if we find ourselves in the land of a tyrant?  Do we rise up and fight openly?  Sometimes the subtle knife cuts more deeply than the open sword.  We may have to consider taking on new roles in this new world.  What role will you play?

 

There is no question in my mind that Galen and his men deserve to die for their crimes.  But if they are killed, they can still be made to speak against those who administered justice.  Ah, the trouble with magic in this world.  A quick call for a cleric, and speak with dead will have them making claims against the living from the plane of the dead.

 

I have faith in you to make the right decisions.  I know you will find your role in this new world.

 

<With this, Malacoda produces a pouch from within his robes and sets it on the table.  He looks at it meaningfully, then moves to leave.  As he lifts the tent flap, he pokes his head back in the tent to say,>

 

Interesting arcane trivia, you cannot cast speak with dead on a body which has been converted into an undead creature.”

 

Inside the pouch, there are six onyx gems (worth 50 gp each) and a scroll of animate dead.

 

The group decides that it wants no part of Malacoda’s machinations, and they walk out of the tent, leaving the pouch on the table.  Rafad, the last person in the tent, buries the pouch and walks out. 

 

The night wears on, and the group gathers information…

 

Coriell learns that during the Last War, the people of the Eldeen Reaches have split from the nation of Aundair to form their own nation.  This has caused a great deal of tension between the Eldeen Reaches and Aundair.

 

Rafad and Danerys play dice with the soldiers, and learn a good deal about Sharn, the Last War and current events.

 

Suddenly, at 5 in the morning, screams are heard from the direction of the tent where Galen and his men were held.  Rene DeLair, Victor Saint-Demain and Captain Pardesh struck down six undead who had risen and attacked from within the tent.

 

Good times were had by all.