Category:The Duumvirate

THE CAMPAIGN UNFOLDS...

Before the full onset of winter in early 874, Avish Shandar permanently took residency at his tower in the wilds outside of Hathbell, thereby quietly assuming his office of Captain of Scouts for Lord Marnaus, and training his band of followers as the new spies of Hathbell and the Kanosian League. With suspicions of the growing power of the Blackstone Triumvirate thus allayed by the voluntary removal of the ninja elf, Lars St. Morning Glory and Demetrius Hammerhand could rule the Valley of Mazaros and all its dependencies unimpeded by the jealousies of the lords of the Furnorkanasos, and therefore the great wizard and dwarf lord became known as the Duumvirate, the two masters of Castle Blackstone.

Player Characters

Demetrius Hammerhand, 11th level neutral dwarven fighter, Lord of Blackstone, Thane of Bagras Dragonfriend, Knight of Five Pillars

Lars St. Morning Glory, 15th level neutral good human mage, the Wizard of Blackstone

Oruvyn Torgidal, ?th level neutral good gnomish cleric of Flandal Steelskin/?th level thief

Current Party Non-Player Characters

Sayeen (Pr/♀he/D11/Os/N) 11th level neutral half-elf druid-initiate of the ninth circle

Kandalantas (Pl/♂b/F6/P6/FO/LG)

Campaign Journal

Duumvirate Campaign Journal

The Quest to Mount Celestia to Recover the Enchanted Red Dragon Mail

ACT I: Lunia

ACT II: Mercuria

The Adventures of Larweiaen, and the Celestial Princess

On the kalends of May, 874, Larweiaen returned to the Palace of the Brave Lord after a month of adventuring in search for the rune of eternal youth of Forseti, as had been agreed. He did not return with the dargoness Maevix nor with the valkyrie Brysilber, with whom he had gone forth, but he did return with a beautiful child princess of seemingly divine stature, who floated above the ground, seemingly in a permanent and inviolable state of nirvana. Larweiaen reported his adventures thusly to his wondering companions:

Larweiaen Report 1: The valkyrie "Brynsilber" (Bright Silver) led Larweiaen and the dragoness Maevix far and wide, questing for mystics, diviners and rumormongers for intelligence on the location of the Whispering Bard and the gnome Mayben. During this time, Larweiaen met militant montheists who worshiped Athian, and Larweiaen quickly assessed them as a variant of Mandadorians, with whom he nearly came to blows. At length, the valkyrie insisted upon approaching the Golden Spire, the seat of Domiel, the ruling Archon of Mercuria. They however never reached Golden Spire, for by chanced they halted near a celestial mountain of a strange goddess and unmoving goddess, whose petitioners and pilgrims were devastated and outraged that an invisible thief had stolen the Eternal Youth of their goddess: a literal young girl perpetually seated by the goddess' side. Inquiring after the matter, the party learned that the high priest of the violated goddess had hosted a traveling gnome the very night of the abduction, but he disappeared in the aftermath, not to be found.

Larweiaen Report 2: Expected to return to the halls of the Brave Lord at the end of thirty days and running out of time, Larweiaen reluctantly split ways with Brynsilber, as she wished to continue to the Golden Spire, and appeal to Domiel for aid. Larweiaen however wished to pursue the possibility of tracking down the gnomish abductor, and so they parted for a time. Riding upon Maevix, they rested at the castle of King Kariant, a dead monarch, but there Maevix became enraptured by Kariant's golden dragon Semantcor, who spoke of the Platinum Dragon, and who offered to introduce Maevix to the Platinum Dragon. So enticed, Maevix departed with the gold dragon, wishing to see this greatest of dragons, idly commenting that the Platinum Dragon might proffer useful advice to their situation. Thus abandoned, Larweiaen turned to drink at a tavern outside King Kariant's castle called the Wishing Swordsman. There, feeling abandoned, he became inebriated, but hazarded upon a saddened halfling woman. Speaking at length with her, he saw contrition and admission in her eyes and heard it in her words, and seizing upon his intuition and on her vulnerability in drink, he at last realized she was a great thief, as she spoke of stealing Demetrius' armor up from off the sacred tree on the 4th layer of Mt. Celestia. Knowing he had hazarded upon a companion of Zaalbuk, he knived at having her tell her story, and she admitted to the theft of a great many things besides Demetrius' red dragon armor, such as Forseti's immortality, the little girl of the goddess Kumari, and other great things besides. She said she was once the servant of Zaalbuk, but was becoming disillusioned with his quest for godhood. The Whispering Bard, she said, had gone onto a realm on Mercuria called Goldfire where the companions of Zaalbuk were all to meet when their assigned quests were complete, but she and the gnome had one last divine theft to execute on the Third Layer. But she feared Mayben and Zaalbuk, and was steeling herself with drink for her last great theft, the details of which she would not disclose to Larweiaen.

Larweiaen Report 3: That very night, Larweiaen demanded the halfling thief reveal the resting place of the gnome. The halfling showed Larweiaen a deserted field which she assured was covered with illusionary magic, but that somewhere in the field the gnome slept, for he slept beneath the earth. Larweiaen thus broke an aqueduct and flooded the plain, and he began digging where the water fell. Discovering a tiny tunnel, Larweiaen crawled with the halfling until he found a macabre chamber with the little girl (still serene and untainted looking) bound to a pole, and an unnatural looking astral-projected gnome seeming to sleep in a pile in front of her. Attempting to release her, he was suddenly challenged by a hideous and impossibly large grin from the gnome, which immediately transformed into a giant white mole with vile eyes and blood in its mouth. Larweiaen battled the monster, wounding its dark muddy flesh, and stole the little girl back. Clawing his way from the earth, Larweiaen was met by a wall of terrors and evils conjured from the darkness of night, and so he fled. Running with the girl in his arms for many miles, Larweiaen at length came upon magical horses, seized one, then mastered it and rode it back to the domain of the Brave Lord in all haste, fearing the spells of the evil gnome. The magic of the gnome followed Larweiaen, even amidst the plains of paradise, for the following night a great wall of black demonic shadows threatened to overwhelm him, but the celestial girl in his custody, unmoved and unblemished from all occurrences, radiated a great ruby aura, and burned the evil shadows away, all while remaining perfectly serene and unperturbed.

Campaign Chronicle

All days of the week follow the Kanosian, as opposed to the Encyclonian or Abbadonian, reckoning. Annamane corresponds to Hebdomon (Sunday), or the day of worship to the Deity, in the Abbadonian Rite. To avoid unnecessary confusion, roman months are retained, although the Encyclonian monthly system has largely replaced the constellation months of the ancient Kanosians."

August, 873: The Nikoloi depart Blackstone for Elvenspire to craft and enchant red dragon scales as armor for Demetrius

12 March, 874: The Nikoloi return to Blackstone empty-handed

28 March, 874 (Annamane): Bishop Nikolos casts the astral spell on the party. Upon entering the Astral Plane, the spirits of the heroes are set upon by a great astral storm, and party is violently separated.

03 April, 874: Having saved the bishop from captivity or worse in an astral city, Demetrius defeats a githyanki scouting party and at last discovers a color pool to Mt. Celestia. The entire party is reunited and reconstituted on the starlit shores of Lunia, the First Heaven. Leaving the holy shores, the party is given transport on a longship, and taken to a town upon the Courtlands, the realm of the god Tyr. A dispute between the Bishop and Demetrius ensues, and the party separates for a time.

04 April, 874: The party reunites, discovering that the inhabitants of the Courtlands war with one another, and they begin to ascend Mt. Celestia.

07 April, 874: The party encounters a sleeping immortal frost giant, who seeks his daughter at the abode of a local demi-god. Meeting the gnome Oruvyn in the same encounter, the gnome tricks the frost giant, and they escape him for a time. Arriving at the demi-god's abode, Oruvyn summons the frost giant, and the party does battle with him. Demetrius and Oruvyn release the giant's magical bracelets, and the archpriest Nikolos banishes the evil frost giant. The demi-god is physically destroyed, but his wife provides the party sanctuary while they recover. The party discovers the giant's treasure, of a singing silver harp, who may turn all who listen to silver. They leave the wife of the demi-god the harp, but cause the harp to return to life many silver statues. The rest they return to Castle Blackstone, using the astral magic of the bishop.

10 April, 874: At the outer bounds of the Courtlands, the party is set upon by a valkyrie named Brynsilber. With much struggle, the party subdues her, with Larweiaen restraining her combat fury. Brynsilber declares that she is a proxy of Forseti, a lesser god of Tyr's realm, who's secret rune of immortality has been stolen, ostensibly by an astral projecting gnome called Mayben and a similarly traveling bard, perhaps with accomplices. Brynsilber has been sent to find these thieves, punish them, and return Forseti's immortality. She agrees to join the party, discovering that the gnome Oruvyn but holds the false enigma of immortality.

13 April, 874: The party passes the 2nd Gate of Mt. Celestia, entering Mercuria, taking with them Kandalantas, the last of their followers who were transformed from silver, for unlike the others, Kandalantas, a bariaur warrior and priest, possessed a living soul. They are invited to sojourn at the palace of the enigmatic Brave Lord. Thereat, the heroes elect to stay within the realm of the Brave Lord for a month. The Nikoloi and Oruvyn spend a full month of prayer with the Brave Lord during his holy month, gaining much inner wisdom, whereas Lars and Sayeen make love in the gardens of paradise belonging to the Brave Lord, thereby conceiving a child in Sayeen's astral body of fine sand. Larweiaen and Brysilber fly to appeal to the ruling archon of Mercuria for succor, although become separated, with Brynsilber continuing on the Tome Archon's court at Golden Spire, while Larweiaen became diverted to another quest. Demetrius spent the month at first in leisurely hunts in the gardens of paradise, but at length pursued the sanctum of the Son of the Brave Lord, who forged for Demetrius the Sword of Accounts, a blade made of black shadow and Demetrius' own blood and sense of justice.

15 May, 874: Lars teleports without error back to Lunia, to the magical Forest of Eternal Autumn where he first encountered the owl-like sage Talmas, the noctral. Not finding the planar creature, Lars instead met the seer Torlandan, a priest of Tyr, who presented a vision granted by Tyr to Lars, along with the prophetic words of Tyr through his priest, which were thereafter imprinted permanently in Lars' mind.

16 May, 874 (Ammane): The holy month of prayers of the Brave Lord comes to an end, and along with his month of rigorous prayer, Oruvyn concludes a month of nocturnal labors upon the forge of the Brave Lord, learning much lore. Outside of the Brave Lord's palace, Lars and Sayeen are accosted by holy spirits and then an archon for fornication, and to avoid further sins before the Brave Lord, are married at his palace by the archpriest Nikolos. As agreed, Larweiaen returns from his adventures beyond the Brave Lord's realm, bringing with him the enigmatic Celestial Princess, whom he has saved from the gnome Mayben. After considerable deliberation, the party agrees to split ways, seeking to outmaneuver and entrap their enemies. Demetrius and Larweiaen travel to the Third Gate to head-off Mayben, should he attempt to pass there. The Nikoloi and Demetrius' minior Agerik travel to the Crystal Tarn to use the divination powers there to learn more of their enemies. Lars, Oruvyn, Sayeen, and Kandalantas take custody of the Celestial Princess and proceed to attempt to take her back to her holy mountain.

21 May, 874: Lars and his party arrive at the castle of Sir Relbenor, making secret camp outside. Seeking to understand her, Lars experiments with the Celestial Princess, and touching her is granted a vision and spiritual journey to her holy mountain. Spiritually entering the holy mountain, there Lars encounters a monstrous mole, and enters into combat with him, followed also by Sayeen. Observing Lars' spiritual struggle, Oruvyn touches the Celestial Princess and joins Lars in spiritual combat. Greatly wounded, but inflicting their own wounds, the heroes flee, leaving the combat at a draw, but not before Oruvyn speaks to the evil mole. Receiving an evil vision from the being, in which he is threatened to deliver the Celestial Princess to the mole's servant, the evil gnome Mayben, at a lake of holy fire, on the second layer of Mt. Celestia.

22-24 May, 874: Oruvyn resides at Sir Relbenor's castle, feasting and telling the tale of his adventures to Sir Relbenor and his knights. At length, Oruvyn and then Lars convinced Sir Relbenor to send one his knights, Sir Nathandar, to accompany them on their quest to return the Celestial Princess to her holy mountain.

29 May, 874: Lars and Oruvyn's party meets with a "school" of tiefling merchants, in the realm of the Fallen Titans.

02 June, 874: Lars and Oruvyn's part arrives at the Lake of Holy Fire, in the realm of azer Lord Eudaeus, a high pries of the fire god Girru. Considering crossing the Bridge of Eudaeus to cross the lake, the party eventually meets the azer high-up Krazuth Chaldamene, a living azer spirit, who pledges to escort the party across the lake. At length, the party crossed the bridge to the island upon which lies the great Temple of Unconquerable Flame, where they are hosted by the great among the azer.

03 June, 874: Lars utilizes the power of the Celestial Princess, attempting to scry her home and eventually attempts to scry the evil "Mole" Lars fought in-between dimensions. Propelling his soul through spiritual realms of evil, he is detected by the Mole, and clawed in the face, leaving an ugly scar. Krazuth Chaldamene recommends that the party travel across the lake on a ship, for the Bridge of Eudaeus on the far side of the island remains incomplete.

04 June, 874: Lars attempts to teleport without error to the throne room of the Celestial Princess, using her power by touching her enchanted clothing. Having never actual seen the physical place, Lars instead teleports himself to the artificial dimension underneath Mt. Celestia. Being a physical being in a dimension without physicality, Lars encounters the dimension bracing and flexing in reaction to his presence, and he is eventually violently expelled out at random location on Mercuria, the Celestial Princess being pulled unharmed with him. Recovering himself, Lars teleports back to the Temple of Unconquerable Flame. Upon returning, the party learns that a construction barge on the Lake of Holy Fire is sunk by an unknown force, leading to the death of the azer crew.

05 June, 874: The party descends from the Citadel of Unconquerable Flame to the city below, the Vermilion Port. Lars brings the Celestial Princess, whose awe and glory becomes observed by the multitudes in the city. For a time, the party follows the azer Krazuth Chaldamene to discuss preparations for raising the mysteriously sunk azer barge. Oruvyn meets the sailor Hamza ibn Lahyan while cleansing himself in the Lake of Holy Fire.

06 June, 874:

? July, 874: Demetrius and Larweiaen, long at wait before the Third Gate for Mt. Celestia, encounter the halfling Belmona, the man Adolphus, and the seemingly halfling named "Mr. Wayfair." Larweiaen detects an issue, sensing a lie and seeing that Mr. Wayfair cast a shadow in the light of pearly light of the Third Gate. He grabs Mr. Wayfair, suspecting him of evil. Mr. Wayfair enspells Larweiaen to paralysis, but not before Demetrius is brought to the ready, coming forth to fight. Determining the halfling woman is Belmona, Demetrius attacks her mercilessly, accusing her to be a thief, and quickly slays her. Demetrius then faced Adolphus, who was angered at Belmona's death. Adolphus was quickly defeated himself, but allowed to escape, fleeing up through the Third Gate. Demetrius then faced Mr. Wayfair, who was quickly destroyed himself, but not before cutting Demetrius' left arm off with a spell. Upon his destruction, Mr. Wayfair's illusions evaporated in black smoke, his body collapsing into a pile of withered blue ice. In the aftermath, Larweiaen recovers his senses, and discussing the matter with Demetrius, decides to chase after Adolphus, to learn what he can from him.