Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for August 5, 2008; present characters included Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

After a respite within the sound walls of Kelemvor’s temple, the Mercenaries moved back out into the streets of Mintarn to fight the minions of Kyuss. In short order, the group encountered a pack of Kyuss’ spawn. A Kyuss high-knight, Kyuss archer, lich archmage of Kyuss, and vampire Kyuss monk engaged the team in fierce combat. The vampire, all but floating across the ground, sprang through the front lines and beleaguered Lyrin immediately. The archer began a barrage upon Ranulph that he would maintain throughout most of the fight. The archmage quickly rendered himself invisible, and the high-knight moved to block any Mercenary advances. Fierce but short-lived chaos ensued, as Saedd drove the vampire back on her heels, Ranulph engaged the high-knight, Lyrin blasted with spells, and Morak’s prayers kept the party in strong condition. Soon, the four minions of the Wormgod were defeated. Another eighteen citizens of Mintarn were safely escorted to the Kelemvor temple.

The group returned to the hunt and found another pack of Kyuss minions: a vampire Kyuss monk, a lich archmage of Kyuss, a lich cardinal of Kyuss, a warlock lich of Kyuss, and a monstrous broodfiend! This battle went poorly for the Mercenaries, with the archmage getting in some early area of effect blasts that hit both Lyrin and Morak. The lich also slaughtered Saedd in a hail of arrow storm magic. Taravin bravely advanced upon the cardinal while the broodfiend dealt nearly lethal injuries upon Morak and Lyrin. Lyrin drove the warlock lich away with his deadly sun magic, but Morak found himself mortally injured. With two companions dead on the ground, the team fell back into a full retreat, using their skeleton keys.

After licking their wounds, the team decided they needed the sphere of annihilation sooner rather than later and recovered it via magic from the Tomb of Horrors. Now, armed with the sphere, the team must decide its next course of action against the wicked Kyuss.

Game summary for July 29, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer).

The team found an exit from the Unlife Vortex chamber leading to the surface. It was trapped, but the group was able to disarm the magic and emerge from a mausoleum in the Mintarn boneyard. They quickly headed back into the town where they encountered a house full of people under attack from Kyuss minions. The Mercenaries wasted no time engaging.

They found themselves up against another colossal overworm, a pair of Kyuss high-knights, and two strange new enemies. These lightly armored Kyuss spawn carried bows made of human bones with an open skull that the arrow passed through. Instead of arrows, the Kyuss archers plucked worms from their form, which elongated and fired through the bows like projectiles. The worm-arrows attempted to burrow into the team members as they hit, reverting back into Kyuss worms.

Ranulph and Saedd brought the fight to the Kyuss minions, but they seemed more interested in sweeping past the frontline and going after the casters in the rear. Eolas began ray spells such as disintegrate and scorching ray to bring down his foes. Syvarius found himself in a brutal exchange of arrows between himself and the archers. Morak held the middle with healing magic and flame strikes. Lyrin unleashed area blasts and plucked worms off his allies with magic missile. The team brought the Kyuss minions down fairly quickly. The worst injuries were sustained when Saedd took a crippling bite from an overworm and then bravely positioned himself between two Kyuss high-knights and Morak. Beardfist was able to restore him to health as he withstood the assault.

Afterward, the group escorted eighteen Mintarn citizens to the temple of Kelemvor. As the survivors entered, the team could see the fainted glimmer of hope in the eyes of the people. Depleted of mana and resources, the Mercenaries decide to rest within the temple.

Game summary for July 22, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

Wasting no time, the Mercenaries moved forward and found the awesome Unlife Vortex contraption. It was a mechanical monstrosity of steel girders, whirling gears, and complex controls. The room housing the vortex was illuminated by dozens of green flames emitting light but no heat. As the team approached, four ghostly avolakias materialized and launched attacks. Curses and divine fire flowed over the party, but the team remained resolute.

Quickly, the main brawlers of the team charged forward to find themselves swinging right through the ghostly forms. Some blows rang true, but the majority swished through empty air. Syvarius, and his bow, encountered a similar problem, but his ability to launch such a volley of attacks allowed him to drive some of the spirits back. The ghosts moved into positions where negative energy flowed into and healed them. One went into the vortex itself, and two others floated within a circle inscribed on the floor. These used some fell power to shove Taravin into the circle where he became trapped and blasted with negative energy.

Soon, the ghostpriests found themselves over matched, and the Mercenaries began splattering their ectoplasmic forms into puddles of goo. The avolakia in the vortex bought himself some time with a wall of stone, forcing Morak to step into the ethereal plane to pass. Ranulph, on the ghost’s side of the wall, floated up and attacked with his blade. The spirit mystically shoved him directly into the vortex, which ripped asunder his soul, sending pieces of it hurtling into oblivion. The brave warrior barely escaped using his skeleton key.

Taravin went in next, warded by the strength of Kelemvor. Meanwhile, Eolas flitted past the wall with but a thought and a dimension door. Taravin channeled positive energy into the ghost, weakening it greatly. From the ethereal plane, Morak blasted the ghost with scathing divine fire, destroying it.

With the guardians defeated, Saedd was able to discover the secret of the vortex controls and shut it down. The island shook with Kyuss’ screams of rage. When he emerges from his prison, he will no doubt seek to carve out satisfaction to his frustrations from the Mercenaries’ hides.

Game summary for July 8, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The team returned to the defiled shrine and opened the remaining doors to find a hallway of mosaic green tiles rippling with energy. A stylized green worm was inlaid in the floor and crossed to the far door. Taravin walked onto the worm and out into the room, only to find himself blasted by numerous orbs that bestowed negative levels. Saedd quickly moved to rescue him, and Ranulph borrowed Mael’s negative immunity ring to traverse the room. Soon, Saedd had the doors open, revealing a statuary room fill with pillars, tables, marble, and partially-carved figures. Beyond the room was a raised platform and another massive room filled with some kind of swirling black energy. Standing within the statuary room was no fewer than eight liches, which the group found as they dimension doored into the room!

Battle was joined immediately, with spells and invocations flying. Some of the liches rendered themselves invisible, and others cursed the party with various afflictions. The priestly lich Cardinals hit the bunched-up team with blistering flame strikes. The archmages favored weakening effects and magical holds. The warlocks were less elaborate, blasting away with eldritch spears.

The party wasted no time engaging but hit some rough patches early on. Lyrin greatly wounded most of the lichs with his sun magic early, and even blinded some. This singled him out as a “must kill” target instantly, and the group focused fire on him until he went down in a heap. The two party clerics were also targets as soon as their casting abilities were revealed; however, the liches never could get their fire concentrated enough to bring them down. Saedd and Taravin found themselves under effects such as ray of enfeeblement and waves of exhaustion. This mainly bought the liches time to try other tactics, but they ran into several immunities granted by Mael–acid and cold seemed a big mistake for the liches, rendering several volleys utterly ineffective. Their blistering flame strikes continued to inflict painful wounds, however.

Things began to turn around as Mael blasted out a blade barrier to divide the enemies, and Syvarius shook off his compulsed holding and could launch arrows. The two clerics nullified the worst of the damage dealt to the party, and Taravin, Ranulph, and Saedd kept pressure on several liches. Eolas found his scorching rays of particularly good use, burning several liches to cinders! Soon, the power of Kelemvor brought Lyrin back to life, and he made of up for lost time with the nasty attacks he launched.

Finally, the lich corpses lay in smoking ruins around the room. But what lurks on the other side of the platform? Is the energy the Unlife Vortex? The liches appeared to be workers; if that is the case, what could possibly be the vortex guardian?

Game summary for July 1, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The Mercenaries attempted to use Saedd’s instant fortress to rest within the complex. It worked for a while until they were attacked by a horned devil that slipped inside. The fiend killed Morak in his sleep, terrified Syvarius, and injured Mael and scared him so badly he could only roll down the stairs and babble, “It killed Mael! It killed Mael!”, much to the confusion of his allies. When he recovered his wits, he then told them the devil had killed Morak.

The team rushed up to that floor and viciously embattled the devil. It fought valiantly, but it was unable to withstand the onslaught. It was soon beaten unconscious, though regenerating. The team quickly dragged it into a prismatic sphere, which killed it. The team then locked themselves back in the fortress and continued their rest.

When the Mercenaries emerged, they immediately proceeded to the mirror wall and used wind walk to go through the crack. Once through, Morak dismissed the spell. Within, they found a treasure trove of items and a pair of devils, another horned and a pit fiend! Battle was joined immediately, with the devils dropping fireballs and swinging massive chains. Although extraordinarily dangerous, the Mercenaries were able to swarm the devils and beat them unconscious quickly. The horned devil was blasted into oblivion with a destruction, and the pit fiend was trapped within a magic circle against evil.

After ransacking the room, they found an item Lyrin recognized from lore, the dreaded Baalphegor’s Grace. He realized this was what controlled the Blessed Angels in the city of Mintarn. He also remembered it was extremely dangerous to use. They made a deal with the pit fiend to exchange its freedom from the circle for the answer to three questions. Both parties agreed not to attack each other as well. True to its word, the devil answered their questions. The first, who does it work for, it indicated it was bound by Lashonna. Second, what is the source of the negative energy, it replied the Unlife Vortex. And finally, in answer on how to use Baalphegor’s Grace, it told them to drink it. The devil then teleported to parts unknown.

Armed with new knowledge, the party now seeks the Unlife Vortex in their quest to destroy Kyuss.

Game summary for June 24, 2008; present characters included Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The Mercenaries decided to proceed through the doors directly opposite the ones they entered. Behind them, they found a short hallway and another set of doors. Behind these was a very large room with a vaulted dome ceiling and two platforms with pits in the middle. Way across the room, up on the other platform, stood another pair of doors. A strange rasping sound seemed to come from the pits.

The team cautiously moved forward, and Taravin looked down into the pit to see thousands of teeming Kyuss worms. The group fanned out and went down the stairs of the platform into the main portion of the room. A rumble shook the area, and the worms from both pits exploded upward like a geyser! Quickly, the worms combined to form two massive overworms!

The team fought against the creatures viciously, eventually killing one of them. Once they did, thousands of more worms sprayed out and formed another overworm. Lyrin covered the openings of the pits with blade barrier while the rest of the group battered away with blade, hammer, and spell. Soon, Ranulph was snatched up into the maw of one of the worms. Mael hit him with a reach freedom of movement, which dropped him out of the worm’s mouth, through the blade barrier, and into the pit. He quickly scrambled up the side and forces himself back through the spinning blades in a shower of blood.

The team fell back across the room and regrouped on the second platform. They killed the overworms and went through the next set of doors. On the other side, they discovered some kind of magical silver wall. Lyrin determined it was very reflective, and Mael discovered it does not go all the way to the floor.

Now the Mercenaries stand before the mirror wall and debate what to do next. Some want to assume a mist form and go under the wall. Others with to try and camp. Does some horrible monster wait on the other side? Will camping allow all the forces of Kyuss to come to bear on the party?

Game summary for June 17, 2008; present characters included Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

After nursing their wounds, the Mercenaries discussed ways to dispose of the nasty demon in the sewers. They decided to give Taravin a talisman of reluctant wishes and use a wish to banish the demon. With this plan in place, they made haste back to the sewers. Within the dank, stinking hole, the party found winding corridors but no demon. After traveling aimlessly for a while, they finally found the telltale cloud surrounding the monster. It attacked viciously, killing Ranulph (again) almost instantly. Saedd charged forward to engage but was crippled by the noxious cloud. Morak restored his senses, but Saedd soon succumbed yet again. The demon stripped several protections away from Taravin, but the stalwart paladin still strode into the mist and used his wish. The effect worked, driving the broodfiend away from the Prime plane.

The team then circled around Morak while he performed a raise dead on slain Ranulph. Then, the team descended deep into the sewers where they were ambushed by half a dozen crimson deaths. The creatures quickly began feeding on Taravin and Ranulph but were unable to affect Morak and Saedd. Using freedom of movement, Morak protected Taravin, and the team killed or drove off the creatures.

Saedd ascended a ladder and found himself in a strange room. The team joined him shortly, and they went through the doors into a hallway. Proceeding cautiously, they emerged in a shrine to Kyuss containing a statue of the Wormgod and two additional exits. Using detect magic, they found some faint necromancy beneath the statue. Saedd tipped it over. The breaking statue crashed to the ground, and Taravin and Saedd jumped up and down on the marble dais it was on. Finally, Saedd whipped out an adamantine axe and hacked the top out of the marble, which triggered a spring that opened an unlocked hatch on the side of the dais. Within lay several gems, some incense, some hair, and a hand of glory.

Now, the Mercenaries face a choice of two doorways. Where do they lead? Are they in the vicinity of the source of the negative energy?

Game summary for June 10, 2008; present characters included Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

After safely escorting fourteen citizens of Mintarn into the safety of Tempus’ temple, the Mercenaries set back out onto the streets to find more people to save. Shortly, they encounter half a dozen Kyuss high-knights and numerous spawn of Kyuss killing people. The team launched into an attack and discovered the high-knights were much more dangerous than they appeared. Their unholy executioner’s maces slashed an unholy swath through the team. Mael and Morak unleashed volumes of healing energy while Ranulph and Taravin went toe-to-toe with the undead menaces. Eventually, several were cut down, and Mael destroyed two by channeling the divine might of Torm. In the end, fourteen more people were rescued and taken to the Tempus temple.

The team decided to seek out the source of the negative energy fueling the ziggurat, so they found themselves down in the Mintarn sewers. Not far within, they encountered a patch of greenish-brown fog. Within lurked a massive demonic creature with a gaping hole and writhing worms where a head should be. Its arms were snapping, fanged worms, and massive wings spread out from its back. It’s bulk filled most of the tunnels.

The creature spewed poisonous acid across the Mercenaries and attacked Ranulph and Taravin as they approached it through the fog. Taravin watched Ranulph’s blood spray across the stone wall beside him as the monstrosity tore Ranulph open and killed him. Taravin snatched up Ranulph and fled while the priests tried to hamper the monster’s approach. It moved without effort through their defenses, but they were able to stay ahead of it long enough for Taravin to whisk them safely away with the greater skeleton key.

Is the creature in the sewers there by chance, or is it guarding something? Are there more than one? What other horrors lurk in the dank, fetid darkness of Mintarn’s cess pits?

Game summary for June 3, 2008; present characters included Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The Mercenaries returned to Longsaddle to acquire magical gear and unload the magical equipment stolen from Dragotha’s lair. During this time, Morak Beardfist used discern location and commune to find out more about their adversaries. Shortly thereafter, they met with Malchor Harpell who told them the Age of Worms had begun. The prison of Kyuss has been placed upon the pinnacle of a new ziggurat in Mintarn, and the cult is trying to free the Wormgod. They are so blatant, it is obvious they have no fear of failure. Malchor believes the cult is weakening Kyuss’ prison through the power of people converting to worship the Wormgod and an unknown energy source channeling negative energy into the monolith. He feels the prison is sufficiently weakened that Kyuss’ emergence is now inevitable; however, if the Mercenaries can strike out at his worshipers and also destroy the energy source, they may be able to weaken him significantly. If weakened enough, they might can kill him as he emerges! Deicide is obviously a monumental task, but he has offered several ways of helping them. Malchor discovered the location of a sphere of annihilation for them to use in the fight with Kyuss. Also, he and his allies, Celeste, Cymria, and Agath will enact a ritual to effectively put a “cage” around the island of Mintarn and keep the Wormgod and his minions within, giving the team a shot at assassinating the evil god of worms. He also provided them with a trio of wish scrolls.

The Mercenaries wasted no time transporting to Mintarn. There, they discovered the city in ruins, with buildings in flames and the streets buckling due to massive, 100-ft.-long overworms burrowing about. Spawn of Kyuss stalk the streets, and the citizens, trapped on the island and unable to hide in the ruined buildings run about finding death at the hands of Kyuss’ minions. Towering nearly a thousand feet over the city soars the newly rebuild Spire of Long Shadows, topped with Kyuss’ prison monolith. Within, the flowing worm-form of Kyuss can be seen trying to bust free. His howls of rage, madness, and excitement all but shake the city. Dark clouds hang overhead while lightning flashes throughout. Clouds of smoke choke the streets, and the orange glow of a burning city reflects from the cloud cover.

Not long after arriving, the team attempted to rescue a group of citizens from marauding spawn. Soon thereafter, a pair of colossal overworms burst up from the ground and attacked. The creatures proved incredibly hardy and dealt terrible wounds to the team, but they were eventually brought down. The Mercenaries escorted the people to the temple of Kelemvor and found it still standing. They also discovered the temple of Tempus still stands, guarded by the warpriests within.

Can the Mercenaries save people to keep them from becoming worshipers of Kyuss in their despair or followers due to conversion into spawn? Can enough be saved to fight off the rising power of Kyuss? What about the unknown source of negative energy? Where is it? What is it? Are the Mercenaries up to the task to saving the world from the rampaging beast of destruction known as the Wormgod?