Ashe C2 Episode 39 - Return to the Eigerlands
Previously on Liters of Tomorrow...
The tale began with two companions who were tasked with apprehending the dwarven criminal known as Revlar Groundtooth. The Ranger Wes and the strange Elven Fighter known as Crashe worked with the fighters guild known as the Red Wulves to take down Groundtooth and his criminal gang. They discovered a stange ornate wooden box amongst the stolen possessions. This box became a focal point for thieves and operatives of the man known as Ionn Castaliogne.
In the mining town of Vela'Rus the pair met the bounty Hunter Finn as they teamed up to find the missing Daughter of Baroness Quail. As they traveled out into the forest they saw a man fall from the sky. A strange man from the Eastern coast of Penthaheim who deals in both magic and steel, The man known as Mausim joined their party after they helped fight off a dangerous tree creature.
As they traveled through the Eigerlands the man known as Castaliogne sent progressively stronger hunters to recover the box and kill the small band of comrades. Eventually he sent his bloodthirsty mutant monsters known as Krullocs. With the help of the Daughters of Light and the Red Wulves the team destroyed a nest of the mutants contained in a mine.
With the box becoming a danger magnet the team delved into it's origins and it's purpose as an arcane focus. They attempted to dismantle it but Castaliogne attacked them once more. In the city of Westinox the team got a tip that Castaliogne had taken over a manor there and was using it as a home base. They chose to take the fight to Castaliogne and brought a small army to end his evil once and for all. The battle was well fought and the team won the day killing the man and taking back the manor house.
What they learned, though, was that Castaliogne is one of the Fallen. An immortal agent of the Dark One, a being of immense evil who was imprisoned three thousand years ago in a Dark Domain. These agents and their foot soldiers, known as Dark Friends, are working to free the Dark One. Indeed his prison is weakening and his presence on the material plane is growing.
All is not doom and gloom for you have found information and keys to defeating the Fallen. By finding their hidden phylacteries and destroying their objects of power you can remove their power and kill them. Waiting in the city of Copenhaus is the man known as Vernabogge. He has made no move to conceal his identity or his power. He openly has taken over the city and asserted his authority. This worries Mausim because it is his home and his family is now in danger.
Quick Rundown of current quests and side quests:
Wes - Hiding from the powerful forces in the Ashen Forest who now want his power to move through portals into the DarkFae Realm. He also was copied by a strange creature known as a Tannelmimic who almost killed Wes and then disappeared into the night.
Mausim - Many of these Fallen seem to confuse him with an ancient hero known as Encealadus Calwyn. His city is in grave danger currently by the Fallen known as Vernabogge. Also why did that Griffon fly him to the Eigerlands and drop him there?
Finn - Sent to this planet to capture and return the renegade warforged known as Cog. His former contact on this planet has now turned on him, accusing him of a double cross. A rival bounty hunter known as Exatron Saul is competing for the same contract on Cog. A loose alliance with the strange son of Cog known as Sava Cogson has muddled his mission.
Crashe / Bon Vee - The strange Elven Warrior known as Crashe Spritzer had been having many strange dreams about a time long past. Now he is paired with the great monkey wrench known as Bonaventure Verseweaver who tried to kill him and assume his identity. His plot backfired though as both the elf and the halfling are now cursed to share the strange extradimensional space that exists in the magic eye they both use. Only one of them can exist in material space at one time.
Archamemnon - A book smart Tiefling with a series of strange powers. The Assembly of the Weave wants to study him for reasons unknown. He has a strange fascination with the cosmos and space and an insatiable curiosity. Recently acquiring strange pods filled with a dark fluid. Now he has a strange webbing on his hand with strange abilities.
Truffle - A Tortle Druid traveling the world collecting spores, mold, and fungus. Is she exploring the world or running from something? What is her fascination with creating spore zombies of her enemies? Happy homes for the fungus among us, or something darker?
Plot points/Scenes
Archos and Trick Redfern -
A cold wind blows around you, the late spring date on the calendar, a light snowfall drifts around you. The iron bars of your cage are icy to the touch and cuts into the light fabric of your clothing. You feel your stomach grumble as you rouse yourself from an uncomfortable sleep. Your head still aches from the iron bar that knocked you out the previous day. Your cage swings slowly as you move reminding you that you have been suspended 15 feet in the air ensconced in a metal prison just large enough to sit in. Your cage hangs from a wooden archway that spans a road bracketed by two steep rocky walls. Looking up you can see snowcapped peaks cloaked in an icy mist.
Across from you is the halfling man known as Trick Redfern. He waves at you sheepishly and says "Hey buddy, I know you are going to think that this is my fault but I assure you I didn't steal from those guards." After spending the last few days with the charming but shady halfling man you know how this goes. "It was another thief named Bodagaard, she has had it out for me for a decade. Once she realized I was in was on the Eastern Road with that caravan she set me up. I swear!" As the two of you bicker about the current predicament Archos give me a Perception check.
[DM Note: DC 12 allows them to see something moving in the ruins. DC 15 allows them to see icy blue eyes on four legged creatures that are slowly approaching from all sides. DC 18 and above allows them to see a winged creature camoflauged on the mountain slope above... watching.]
The heavy shadows and the snowfall obstruct your vision as you try to concentrate on your surroundings. Trick continues to argue his case. "Plus I didn't ask you to watch out for me, Just because we are both friends with Mausim doesn't mean I need you to keep an eye on me. I'm more of his best friend and you are more of a work acquaintance no offense."
[DM Note: Lurking above the two is an adult White Dragon named Bizzelian'Doh Vengar the Bloodchiller. She is currently raising a brood of five Frost Salamanders whom she is trying to feed. She carefully positions them to attack from each side of the mountain pass. She may sense that the party is being tracked magically by a third party. May give her a reason to leave the fight if she is hurt.]
The Party Returns from the DarkFae
As you step through the portal this time the edges seem clearer and less jagged. Whatever Wes and Finn learned from the woman Tabwyn seems to have stabilized them for the time being. A cold wind hits your face and you find yourselves on a rocky path in between two large mountain ranges. Their peaks jagged and snowcapped, a light snow falls down around you. The temperature is just above freezing for the moment. The sun sits low on the horizon and you guess that it is around 8pm. The day and place still elude you however.
[DM Note: Perception checks would allow for a slight smell of smoke on the air coming from the Northeast. Only a couple miles forward on the pass leads to the town of Rollus. They are currently in the Dagger Cat Pass north of Stoneport.]
The town of Rollus is a busy waystation for traders and travelers who traverse the land bridge between The Eigerlands and Penthaheim. The central Eigerlands are dominated by massive mountain ranges. Most traffic either goes West to Helletowne and the Eye or Southwest through the dagger cat Pass and on to Stoneport and Warshaw.
As you walk into town you see several buildings that are half placed into the rocky walls of the pass. They look like they have been here for centuries. Two large inns on either side dominate the little settlement but a large open area has large forges where a few blacksmiths hammer out tools. Dozens of carriages and wagons are parked on the one street that have designs and markings that can be seen throughout the Eigerlands and Penthaheim. A massive wooden building doubles as a stable and a livestock holding area. Clearly a lot of travelers use this town as a waystation on their hard travels.
A posting board can be seen in the center of the street. It's a large cube shaped building made of massive timbers with iron braces at the corners. It has postings of the news and other goings on that interest the thousands of merchants and soldiers that move through the pass. Wes you see a drawing that catches your eye. On a wanted poster that is centrally posted on fine white parchment paper, enchanted to resist the weather, is a fairly accurate sketch of your mask in one box. In the next box is a fairly accurate mug shot like drawing of your face. At the top of the notice, in bolded heavy text, is the word WANTED.
As you read further down you see a list of crimes and a bounty.
The man known as Wes, a Ranger of the Ashen Forest
A cold wind blows around you, the late spring date on the calendar, a light snowfall drifts around you. The iron bars of your cage are icy to the touch and cuts into the light fabric of your clothing. You feel your stomach grumble as you rouse yourself from an uncomfortable sleep. Your head still aches from the iron bar that knocked you out the previous day. Your cage swings slowly as you move reminding you that you have been suspended 15 feet in the air ensconced in a metal prison just large enough to sit in. Your cage hangs from a wooden archway that spans a road bracketed by two steep rocky walls. Looking up you can see snowcapped peaks cloaked in an icy mist.
Across from you is the halfling man known as Trick Redfern. He waves at you sheepishly and says "Hey buddy, I know you are going to think that this is my fault but I assure you I didn't steal from those guards." After spending the last few days with the charming but shady halfling man you know how this goes. "It was another thief named Bodagaard, she has had it out for me for a decade. Once she realized I was in was on the Eastern Road with that caravan she set me up. I swear!" As the two of you bicker about the current predicament Archos give me a Perception check.
[DM Note: DC 12 allows them to see something moving in the ruins. DC 15 allows them to see icy blue eyes on four legged creatures that are slowly approaching from all sides. DC 18 and above allows them to see a winged creature camoflauged on the mountain slope above... watching.]
The heavy shadows and the snowfall obstruct your vision as you try to concentrate on your surroundings. Trick continues to argue his case. "Plus I didn't ask you to watch out for me, Just because we are both friends with Mausim doesn't mean I need you to keep an eye on me. I'm more of his best friend and you are more of a work acquaintance no offense."
[DM Note: Lurking above the two is an adult White Dragon named Bizzelian'Doh Vengar the Bloodchiller. She is currently raising a brood of five Frost Salamanders whom she is trying to feed. She carefully positions them to attack from each side of the mountain pass. She may sense that the party is being tracked magically by a third party. May give her a reason to leave the fight if she is hurt.]
The Party Returns from the DarkFae
As you step through the portal this time the edges seem clearer and less jagged. Whatever Wes and Finn learned from the woman Tabwyn seems to have stabilized them for the time being. A cold wind hits your face and you find yourselves on a rocky path in between two large mountain ranges. Their peaks jagged and snowcapped, a light snow falls down around you. The temperature is just above freezing for the moment. The sun sits low on the horizon and you guess that it is around 8pm. The day and place still elude you however.
[DM Note: Perception checks would allow for a slight smell of smoke on the air coming from the Northeast. Only a couple miles forward on the pass leads to the town of Rollus. They are currently in the Dagger Cat Pass north of Stoneport.]
The town of Rollus is a busy waystation for traders and travelers who traverse the land bridge between The Eigerlands and Penthaheim. The central Eigerlands are dominated by massive mountain ranges. Most traffic either goes West to Helletowne and the Eye or Southwest through the dagger cat Pass and on to Stoneport and Warshaw.
As you walk into town you see several buildings that are half placed into the rocky walls of the pass. They look like they have been here for centuries. Two large inns on either side dominate the little settlement but a large open area has large forges where a few blacksmiths hammer out tools. Dozens of carriages and wagons are parked on the one street that have designs and markings that can be seen throughout the Eigerlands and Penthaheim. A massive wooden building doubles as a stable and a livestock holding area. Clearly a lot of travelers use this town as a waystation on their hard travels.
A posting board can be seen in the center of the street. It's a large cube shaped building made of massive timbers with iron braces at the corners. It has postings of the news and other goings on that interest the thousands of merchants and soldiers that move through the pass. Wes you see a drawing that catches your eye. On a wanted poster that is centrally posted on fine white parchment paper, enchanted to resist the weather, is a fairly accurate sketch of your mask in one box. In the next box is a fairly accurate mug shot like drawing of your face. At the top of the notice, in bolded heavy text, is the word WANTED.
As you read further down you see a list of crimes and a bounty.
The man known as Wes, a Ranger of the Ashen Forest
- Known murderer and larcenous thief.
- Accused of seven brutal slashings in the City of Stoneport.
- Accused of the murder of Baron Harken Quail of Allachi. Hung by the neck at the city square.
- Accused of brutally slaying the lower minister of Hellenox, Reccip Nuxhall and his wife. Run through with a broadsword.
- Accused of theft of several thousand gold worth of jewels and equipment from the city of Stoneport.
- Accused of Grand Larceny in the city of Helletowne, including several trained horses.
Themes
Scrying - It's possible that someone will have to make a wisdom saving throw. They are being watched by someone
Other people in Rollus; friend and foe -
The Merchant Caravan - [DM Note: A large group of carriages made up of four separate merchants delivering their wares to Helletowne and Lamborginus. This is the group Archos and Trick were traveling with, they are in Rollus for a night to feed the horses and make use of the Inn for the night. ]
Merchants and guards:
Remoscale Flavius - Proprietor of Flavius Jewelry
Hesothos Moult - A human man who collects pottery and other ceramics
Madame Veruta Scalk - She deals in high end fabrics out of the Forest Realms
Ilvid Paginus - A dealer in rare books and parchment
Guard 01, a fighter named Corporal Klinger
Guard 02, a barbarian half orc named Brancha Gulf
Guard 03, a fighter female half elf named Feather Tworn San Cisco, Adventuring Team -
From Stoneport
Detective Palonto Houch (Female dwarven fighter) and her partner Corix (A green elf male monk). They are on the trail of the Serial Killer now termed the Stoneport Slasher. They have heard rumors that the culprit was spotted in Helletowne.
Red Wulves Fighters Guild -
Balia Poinsetta, A green elven woman with a dark past. Her new partner is a Tabaxi man with white tiger like features. He is called Fire on the Rock. Reminder that Balia had sold information to Lord Vedemire when he was Ionn Castaliogne. She needed the money to pay off a debt she owed. She was being blackmailed by a wizard affiliated with the Assembly. A man named Rober Devereaux who witnessed her killing a man. He threatened to turn her in.
Her new partner is from the Kingdom of Thunder in the morning springing from seven storm clouds. It is in Western Ventenheim.
Folks from Rollus
The Merchant Caravan - [DM Note: A large group of carriages made up of four separate merchants delivering their wares to Helletowne and Lamborginus. This is the group Archos and Trick were traveling with, they are in Rollus for a night to feed the horses and make use of the Inn for the night. ]
Merchants and guards:
Remoscale Flavius - Proprietor of Flavius Jewelry
Hesothos Moult - A human man who collects pottery and other ceramics
Madame Veruta Scalk - She deals in high end fabrics out of the Forest Realms
Ilvid Paginus - A dealer in rare books and parchment
Guard 01, a fighter named Corporal Klinger
Guard 02, a barbarian half orc named Brancha Gulf
Guard 03, a fighter female half elf named Feather Tworn San Cisco, Adventuring Team -
- Atullah San -Male Fire Genasi fighter
- Cisco Kwellian - Human man, fighter
- Mad Maddeline - A human woman, fighter, who looks like a young susan sarandon
- Flower on Rock - A black and orange tabaxi man who is a rogue
- Ristellius - a goblin sorceror
From Stoneport
Detective Palonto Houch (Female dwarven fighter) and her partner Corix (A green elf male monk). They are on the trail of the Serial Killer now termed the Stoneport Slasher. They have heard rumors that the culprit was spotted in Helletowne.
Red Wulves Fighters Guild -
Balia Poinsetta, A green elven woman with a dark past. Her new partner is a Tabaxi man with white tiger like features. He is called Fire on the Rock. Reminder that Balia had sold information to Lord Vedemire when he was Ionn Castaliogne. She needed the money to pay off a debt she owed. She was being blackmailed by a wizard affiliated with the Assembly. A man named Rober Devereaux who witnessed her killing a man. He threatened to turn her in.
Her new partner is from the Kingdom of Thunder in the morning springing from seven storm clouds. It is in Western Ventenheim.
Folks from Rollus
- Potion master Herchibald Brass, a Gnome man with one eye. He never deals fairly and will try to sell bad potions.
- Local Guardsman - Moochie Vealchop. A heavy set human man with tan skin and a receding hairline.
- Local Guardsman - Nano Dia a female Goliath. She is easily angered.
- Apprentice Blacksmith - Semo Rochester, a Human boy around 16. He tells tales of his master the minotaur.
Structure
Exposition
Scuttlebutt
In town as the players arrive they will overhear several people talking about the sentence handed down to the Tiefling man and the halfling. It's the big news of the inns and taverns and should get the players putting things together. Where to go Next...
As the players decide where to go next we will attack them with San Cisco. The adventuring team has been hired to bring in Wes and his companions due to the murderous actions of the Tannelmimic.
Grantebridge Strahan -
Grantebridge has been scrying on the team and will set up a trap for them. He is using a river crossing as his battle field and has set up archers and cavalry to hem them in. He is quite aware of the array of abilities. He has also brought along quite a bit of Hell hornet poison to use as well.
Also that Charmayne Daedalus has a new team of heavies that she has employed to capture Mausim. She wants to present him as a prize for Electra.
In town as the players arrive they will overhear several people talking about the sentence handed down to the Tiefling man and the halfling. It's the big news of the inns and taverns and should get the players putting things together. Where to go Next...
As the players decide where to go next we will attack them with San Cisco. The adventuring team has been hired to bring in Wes and his companions due to the murderous actions of the Tannelmimic.
Grantebridge Strahan -
Grantebridge has been scrying on the team and will set up a trap for them. He is using a river crossing as his battle field and has set up archers and cavalry to hem them in. He is quite aware of the array of abilities. He has also brought along quite a bit of Hell hornet poison to use as well.
Also that Charmayne Daedalus has a new team of heavies that she has employed to capture Mausim. She wants to present him as a prize for Electra.
Current Date : The Year SF3, 3028 the month of Ventel (June)
What Archos and Trick have been up to-
When the team traveled through the portal Archos was left alone near the Eastern Road on the edge of the Ashen Forest. With nowhere to turn he began a journey to Helletowne to seek a cleric of Hellenox at the temple. He hitched a ride with a traveling caravan of merchants. There he ran into Trick Redfern.
The quick talking halfling is a close friend of Mausim's, the grew up together in Copenhaus, the team recently saved Trick from a prisoner caravan. With no one else around the two traveled together aboard the merchant carriages. That is until some expensive jewelry went missing from the chests of the merchant Remoscale Flavius. Despite the implications by the merchants traveling with you that you and Trick had stolen the hardware, Trick objected saying he was framed. He claimed a female halfling named Bodagaard had stolen it and was setting him up to take the fall. He claimed a shadowy figure had been seen near the campfire the previous night.
One of the guards backed up his story and a tenuous deal was made to keep you both out of chains.
That is until a guards purse of gold coins went missing a day later. Despite Archos' arguments that he and Trick were not companions his Tiefling heritage worked against him. The guards seized both of them and got a little rough. Archos responded in kind and burned a man severely on his arm and side of his face. The last thing he remembers was a sharp pain on the back of his head and then blacking out.
When the team traveled through the portal Archos was left alone near the Eastern Road on the edge of the Ashen Forest. With nowhere to turn he began a journey to Helletowne to seek a cleric of Hellenox at the temple. He hitched a ride with a traveling caravan of merchants. There he ran into Trick Redfern.
The quick talking halfling is a close friend of Mausim's, the grew up together in Copenhaus, the team recently saved Trick from a prisoner caravan. With no one else around the two traveled together aboard the merchant carriages. That is until some expensive jewelry went missing from the chests of the merchant Remoscale Flavius. Despite the implications by the merchants traveling with you that you and Trick had stolen the hardware, Trick objected saying he was framed. He claimed a female halfling named Bodagaard had stolen it and was setting him up to take the fall. He claimed a shadowy figure had been seen near the campfire the previous night.
One of the guards backed up his story and a tenuous deal was made to keep you both out of chains.
That is until a guards purse of gold coins went missing a day later. Despite Archos' arguments that he and Trick were not companions his Tiefling heritage worked against him. The guards seized both of them and got a little rough. Archos responded in kind and burned a man severely on his arm and side of his face. The last thing he remembers was a sharp pain on the back of his head and then blacking out.
Completion Date
6/15/23
6/15/23
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