19 Flamerule, 1368: Doors, Chests, and Traps

5:30pm
The party exits the room with the walking suit of armor with their trophies. Stago unstakes the door. From the large entrance, they go to the door on the rightmost wall. Selina is unable to detect any traps. Tick-a-Tick pushes against the door and finds it unyielding.

Tick-a-Tick and Elessaria together can't open the door. There's a concealed door which covers a lock-hold. Selina sees it is a very complex lock beyond her ability to pick. The party goes to the door on the wall opposite the entrance hole of the tomb. Same kinda door, same kinda lock.

Routunious and Selina think the doors can be broken down. Not wanting to damage their own weapons for such a purpose, Selina pulls out the ogre's mace and gives it to Elessaria. The elf and and Tick-a-Tick start bashing on the door and 15 minutes later, it falls apart, splintered.

5:45pm
The party enter tentatively. In the illumination provided by the priest's enchanted hat, they find that the room is empty save dust and a single, small stone chest in the center of the floor.

The walls of the chest appear to be very thick stone, with a stone lid hinged and locked. The chest walls are carved with an intricate design illustrating a mighty warrior standing alone on a hill and cutting through a horde of bugbears. The same warrior which was depicted in the other room's frescoes. It seems clear that no one has disturbed this chamber for many years.

The stone chest is built into the floor and cannot be removed. This room was created as a place where those who wished to pay tribute to the lost soul entombed in the tor could place items as memorial offerings.

After examining the chest, it is discovered that it is locked, and although Selina examined the chest for a full fifteen minutes, she is unable to detect any traps.

6pm
Elessaria approaches the chest to see if she can pry it open with with her sword. As soon as she touches it, darts fall from the ceiling. Both Selina and Elessaria are hit by 4 darts each. Selina has a draught from her potion of extra healing. Elessaria drinks all of a potion of regular healing, then, confident the trap has been fully sprung, opens the chest.

Inside the chest is a headband that looks as though new, two pearls that Selina estimates are worth 100 gold each, and a brooch which is very similar to the one Merle Hitomi was given by Shandar to comprehend languages. In addition, there is a small back that when rattled seems to be filled with 100 gold coins.

Selina searches the inside of the chest and discovers a secret compartment, and actually detects that it is trapped! She notices a slight sheen that indicates contact poison coats the latch of the secret compartment door. She opens it with a sword, that she then discards. Inside the compartment is an amulet which she quickly grabs and removes from the chest.

The amulet looks like it has an unknown holy symbol on it.

"If it is a holy symbol, allow a holy man to examine it." Said Routunious as he took the amulet from the thief. When he touches it the symbol changes and becomes a holy symbol of Gond.

Stago mutters, "He's a good priest, but a little symbol-minded." Then, while the priest turns the amulet over in his hand, the little gnome starts to slip on the brooch. Selina shouts, "Don't do it!"

"If we don't have an identify magic spell, how are we going to know what this stuff does unless we try it out?" The gnome asked.

Elessaria said evenly, "Fine, go ahead, see what happens."

Wearing the brooch he looks directly at the blade of his newfound dagger and examines the inscription...which his is now able to read as though it were in his native tongue.

"Lifedrinker." The gnome said out loud. "That's what it says. Lifedrinker. Let me see the sword.....God's Bane. Say, this is a handy little piece of jewlery."

Routunious, seeing the gnome's success at trying the item out, decides to put on the amulet.

Stago cautioned, "Don't put anything on that tries to make itself look more attractive to you when you touch it!"

Routunious snorted at the advice and slipped the object over his head. Suddenly, it tightens around his neck, beginning to strangle him.

Stago gloated, "Told you."

The priest merely sputtered and tried to pull at the ever tightening cord. He tries to get his fingers under the cord of the amulet, but his fingers are caught in the tightening noose. His face and fingers start to turn purple.

Selina tries to cut it off, but fails. Stago has a sleep scroll out, but decides against casting it. Still, he keeps it handy incase the amulet causes the priest to go berserk or something.

Elessaria cuts at it, but fails to sever the cord. With a second attempt, she finally cuts it in two. The amulet falls away and turns a dull gray, fully inert. Routunious is mystified by the entire affair, he's never seen an object do anything like it.

19 Flamerule, 1368: A Dark and Stormy Knight

12am
The night sky over the camp is rent by lightning. Loud thunderclaps signify that the storm may finally break. For the rest of the night the wind picks up, howling like banshees.

6am
Finally, the storm breaks. Rain pounds the company for 23 minutes. The torrent does seem to wash away the fleas suffered by Selina and Routnuious, however.

7am
Back on the trail, in spite of the weather, which continues to worsen.

1pm
The mud and slippery footing has slowed travel considerably. All the members of the party are soaked through to the bone, tired, and hungry. As they move forward, lightning dances around, hitting closer and closer until... Shazam! Lightning hits Tick-a-Tick and arcs over to also hit Merle, who was standing beside the automaton. Merle is unconscious. The Company has no choice but to stop their forward progress and set up camp so that Elessaria can use the Stone of Recall to take Merle to Shandar's.

Elessaria returns shortly afterwards, saying that Shandar will care for the strange woman from Kara-Tur and that the party should continue on without her.

4pm
Debris flying, clouds racing, visibility decreasing.

5pm
Even though it is still during daylight hours when the party nears the tor, it is dark as night due to the storm clouds above. The rain prohibits the lighting of torches and the cooling effect of the now constant downpour limits infravision to completely ineffective. The only illumination comes from the frequent and blinding flashes of lightning which are followed by deafening peals of thunder. A cold wind blows from the north. As they near the tower, the storm takes a turn for the worse, and while bolts of lightning slam from cloud to ground, pieces of hail begin to pelt the company and the need for shelter becomes both obvious and urgent. Fortunately the Hightower tor seems to be very near now.

Ahead in the distance, the large hill rises in front of the company and the outline of the ruined tower above it is starkly illuminated in the intermittent flashes of lightning. It seems rocky and solid, and though climbing it in this weather would be folly, it appeared as though it might have some outcropping that would provide safety from the storm. The only alternative is to endure the weather.

From the base of the hill can be seen that the massive tor towers above the surrounding country. A few narrow ledges offer scant protection from the elements, but a closer inspection reveals a massive, arched entryway at least 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, set into the side of the hill.

The ground just outside it slopes away from the doorway, directing the falling water out and away.

Stago, who among the party had the greatest knowledge of stonework and geology, shouted above the storm, "Given the slope and the sturdy nature of the hill, whatever space lies beyond the door should be both dry and safe from lightning and hail. The construction seems quite sturdy, so the likelihood of collapse, even in severe conditions such as these, is remote."

He also noted the broken remains of an immense, round stone scattered across the ground near the entrance. This stone once blocked the doorway, he concluded, but it was blasted apart…apparently by lightning.

The party slowly enters the tomb, neither Selina nor Stago detect any traps.

5:15pm
The entrance room is quite large, though empty it is also quite dry. It measures at least ten paces square. Peeling paint and broken scrollwork suggest that it was once decorated with some care, but now only dust remains.

Three massive stone doors—one each to the left and right, and one directly across from the entrance—lead deeper into the tor.

Routunious casts continual light on his hat. His yellow hat glows and all characters with infravision are now only seeing what is lit by the hat. We look at the frescoes adorning the walls. Typical heroic depictions of feats of valor.

The group moves cautiously to the left door. Thunder echoes in the room. Selina checks for traps, finding none. Routunious sends Tick-a-Tick to open door. It
does and we enter. Stago stakes the door open behind them.

The only objects of interest within this chamber are against the far wall. There stands a suit of armor on a frame and two small racks of weapons to either side. In the rack to the right are a long sword and a jeweled dagger. In the rack to the left hang a bow and quiver full of arrows. The armor and weapons gleam in shining perfection, undamaged by the moisture or passage of time.

Selina feels like the entire room is a trap, but can not determine of what nature or how to disarm it. On the wall, the frescoes picture a knight fighting bugbears and other monsters of the hills.

The party enters the chamber and suddenly the suit of armor becomes animated and grabs the sword from the rack. It advances menacingly.

Elessaria and the rest of the party ready for defense. Stago, however, immediately attacks with his sling, but misses. The armor moves closer to Elessaria, swinging with its sword but misses the elf. Selina cracks her whip, also missing the suit of armor.

Stago moves quickly to the rack of weapons and grabs the jewelled dagger from the the hook on which it hangs. Routunious attempts to turn undead, but to no effect. Elessaria striks again, hitting the suit of armor causing it to stagger under the blow. Selina cracks her whip again, missing the target. The monster brings down its sword, hard, on Elessaria.

Using the dagger he has taken from the rack, Stago attempts to stab the armor in the back, but misses. Elessaria misses her counterblow but is healed by Routunious. The armor misses its next attack, to the momentary relief of all. Selina uses her lasso to attempt to capture the creature, but it slips through the loop.

Routunious commands Tick-a-Tick to attack the suit of armor. Stago misses another backstab attempt. Selina flees the room as the armor strikes Elessaria again with his blade.

Stago, still waving the dagger impotently, backs away. Selina grabs the bow and quiver of arros from the rack--just because there is fighting going on is no reason not to loot!

Elessaria hits the armor wit a battle axe, which almost gets stuck in the plates. She is struck again for her troubles by the creature's sword. Tick-a-Tick hits the armor sqaurely, shattering it. The breastplate, shield, etc. fall onto the floor w/loud clangs and begin immediatly to rust. There is nothing inside the armor.

Curiously, the sword taken by the creature from the rack of weapons stays both shiney and sharp. Before anyone touches the blade, they try to determine whether or not it is Dragonfang Foe Render, but quickly realize it is a longsword, not a claymore. The object of their quest remains to be discovered.

As Elessaria guards the doorway with the automaton, those with the best chance for appraising items examine the weapons they have found.

The jewelled dagger is keen-edged and inscribed in an unknown language. It comes with a jeweled scabbard.

The longsword is of a similar keen edge and expertly balanced. It is a fine weapon, possibly magical. It bears an inscription in Thorass, an ancient language.

The bow and quiver are of excellent quality. They both are inscribed with Elvish runes that Elessaria translates as "Heartseeker".

Many pointed comments are made about how beneficial it would be to the party if Stago had the ability to detect magic or spellcraft as a proficiency instead of, say, cooking or half-assed thieving skills.

18 Flamerule, 1368: Departure

9 am
The lead box, with an inset shaped like a claymore, is attached to Tick-a-Tick, and the party makes ready to leave.

As the day progresses, it becomes cooler. Storm clouds appear on the horizon. After six hours on the trail, they reach the cut-off point. As the adventurers prepare to leave the trail at the spot designated on the map, storm clouds are gathering and spitting lightning in the distance. The electrical storm grows quite severe as the travelers leave the relative safety of the trail and embark upon their journey into the wilds.

4pm
The clouds have not yet broken, but the gathering storm continues to bode ill for the travellers. As they contemplate the dark clouds ahead, they are surprised by a pair of ogres who leap out from behind large rocks.Elessaria prepares for counter attack. Selina flees. Stago casts color spray at the ogres. Routunious tells Tick-a-Tick to attack.

Elessaria lands a mighty blow against the ogre clad in red armor, the pink armored ogre is able to strike Selina as she flees. Stago's spell is successful and renders not only the pink ogre unconscious but one of his dogs and Merle as well!

The red ogre gets its sword tangled in Elessaria's cloak. Spike bites deeply into the unconscious ogre's neck. Stago pulls him back and slits the monster's throat with his dagger. Having difficulty keeping balance as the red ogre tugs at her cloak, she misses her strike against the monster. Tick-a-Tick cleaves the remaining ogre neatly in two.

The Company severs the heads of the ogres, as per their new name. On the bides is found 9 gold pieces in addition to the helmets, broadsword and mace they carried. Selina and Routunious, who conducted the body search, become infested with fleas and because of the itching they are at reduced effectiveness in battle until the bugs can be gotten rid of.

5pm
We pitch camp, praying that the rain will start to fall in hopes that it will wash away the fleas.

10pm
Clouds hide the moon and it becomes very dark.

11pm
Temperature plummets, but still it doesn't rain.

17 Flamerule, 1368: A Farewell Party

After a tenday of training, the Company of the Severed Head were ready to take on their first quest. Shandar sat back at the table after a feast prepared in the honor of the soon to be departing heroes and tugged on his pipe before providing some background to the adventure that would be undertaken tomorrow at first light.

He spoke slowly, with an intensity of gaze that made certain his words were listened to. "The area of the Dagger Hills," the wizard began, "has long been fought over by various groups of humans, ogres, bugbears, and other creatures. The area along the Dagger Trail is particularly dangerous due to the large number of brigands who loot travelers they are able to waylay. Those who died in battle here were often buried in large tors dug into hillsides and honored as patrons of the living."

"What is a tor?" Routunious interrupted.

"A hollowed out tomb thingy. Like a burial mound." Stago provided, between mouthfuls of his warm custard and apple crisp desert.

"Yes, exactly." Shandar re-lit his pipe and continued, "Though most of these tors have long since been robbed and forgotten, a few do remain—often left alone because they are rumored to be trapped, haunted, or worse."

"Worse than haunted?" Elessaria asked, the terrible nightmares she had been experiencing before being cured by Mina still an unsettling memory, even if not one that any longer cost her sleep.

"Oh, there are worse things than restless dead, but I don't think you'll be facing anything like that on this trip." Shandar said, though his reassurance fell a little flat. He continued, "Among these infamous tombs is the large tor known as Hightower. Its location isn’t widely known, in fact, it had been lost for ages, but was recently rediscovered and its location mapped for me by Karryn Starfollower."

"The map she delivered to you in Bug Tussle!" Shouted Selina.

"The very same. When she isn't here at my tower, Karryn spends her days honing her skills by roaming the Dagger Hills, hunting bugbear and orcs. On one of her hunts she tracked some bugbears to the tor. This particular tomb had a ruined tower on top of it and the bugbears were using it for a hideout. She rightly felt that making note of the location would be more highly prized than the bugbear heads she turned in for bounty at Bug Tussle."

"If she mapped the tower for you, why didn't she just bring the map to you here instead of meeting you in Bug Tussle?" Stago asked.

Shandar responded, "An excellent question, good master gnome. Karryn already had a bag full of kobold heads to be taken to Colonel Putnuam for bounty. She sent word for me to meet her there so that I could access the map without interrupting her hunt."

"Oh."

Shandar continued, "Though Hightower is neither the largest nor the most famous of the area’s tombs, it represents a typical example of this kind of structure. Hightower, apart from my own interest in it, is an unimportant monument in a remote location, a full day’s ride off the Dagger Trail, or two day’s walking, from my home here. It is my belief, through scrying and inquiries I've made, that Hightower Tor is the place where the first of my objects rests. That object is a cursed sword of many enchantments."

"So, the first thing we have to get you is a sword. Right. Got it. Sounds simple. Go to this tomb, get in, find the sword, get out, get back. How hard can it be?" Routunious calculated out loud.

Shandar pretended not to hear him, "The name of the blade is Dragonfang Foe Render. It is a very dangerous weapon, cursed with an enchantment which causes a horrible death to any whose flesh is touched by the weapon. At no time must any of you actually touch the sword, or your flesh will turn to acid and dissolve your very bones."

"OK, that's a complication. Why do you want this sword?" Routnious replied.

"I want it because it is mine." He sighed heavily, and produced from under the table a long and heavy metal box. "This box is made of lead. You must place the sword, without touching it, into this box. The box will prevent it from harming you, and prevent any scrying eye from detecting its presence as you travel. Magic...has difficulty penetrating lead. For your efforts, you will be paid according to the terms of their contract and allowed to keep any and all other treasure you find, except for the sword."

"Well, if these tombs have been plundered and so forth as much as you say, how do we know there will be anything there at all--including the sword?" Asked Routunious.

"You don't. That's why there are more farmers than there are adventurers. But I do have parting gifts for you."

Each member of the company was given 3 potions of extra healing and on vial of sweetwater. To Stago he gives three scrolls, Monster Summoning VI, Water Breathing, and Knock.

To Routunious, Shandar gives four scrolls with clerical spells: Cure Critical Wounds, Raise Dead, Cure Disease, and Invisibility to Undead.

Merle is given a translation brooch which allows her to speak and understand common. She seems oddly put out about this, preferring that everyone learn her native tongue rather than have that beautiful ancient language perverted by magical translation to any other language. The rest of the party doesn't seem to care and is glad that the frustration of the language barrier has been removed at last.

"Tomorrow, my friends, we will prepare you with all the necessary supplies and see you on your way. Tonight, rest, relax, and enjoy the comforts of home. The next bed you sleep in is likely to be a grave...let us hope it isn't yours."

(picture borrowed from Tour By Tor for illustrative purposes only. No copyright infringement intended. And if you want to get a feel for what walking through the Dagger Hills might be like in real life, I would recommend taking this tour!)

Terms of Employment

This is a copy of the final contract, agreed upon and signed by all parties on 6 Flamerul, 1368.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
I, Shandar the Ashen (hereafter known as THE EMPLOYER, undertake to employ members of the Company of the Severed Head (hereafter known as THE PARTY) for the purpose of undertaking a series of quests not to exceed ____6_____ in number.

This contract shall be binding and in force until such time as it is either terminated by the employer, the deaths all members of THE PARTY, or the successful completion of all contracted quests.

THE PARTY indemnifies THE EMPLOYER from any claim of responsibility for death, injury, or loss of property during the period of this contract.

During the execution of this contract THE PARTY is free to keep any and all treasure discovered EXCEPT the items which are the object of each quest. THE EMPLOYER reserves first right of refusal on any magical artifacts of great power which THE PARTY obtains while on these quests and wishes to sell.

THE EMPLOYER will also pay a bonus of 1,000 gold pieces to each member of THE PARTY for the first successfully completed quest, 2,000 for the second, 3,000 for the third and so on to the 6th quest which results in a bonus of 6,000.

THE EMPLOYER will provide healing and training to THE PARTY without charge for the duration of this contract, unless THE PARTY undertakes any side adventure lasting longer than a ten-day, before completing all six quests, in which case this provision will be considered void. THE EMPLOYER will, however, provide such services at one half the going rate for such services for the duration of the contract, providing THE PARTY endeavor with due diligence to complete the contracted quests in a timely fashion.

THE PARTY will not hold THE EMPLOYER liable for any action committed by THE PARTY in the execution of this agreement.

THE EMPLOYER will provide THE PARTY LEADER with a STONE OF RECALL, which may be used to return the bearer and all who are physically touching the bearer instantly to this tower. THE EMPLOYER will return all members of THE PARTY to the exact point of the Stone's use after providing healing, trade, or advice as needed for a fee of 50 gold per trip, There will be a surcharge of 50 gold per trip attached per quest. Thus, rapid returns on the first quest will only cost 50 gold, but the same trip on the 6th quest will cost 300 gold per trip. The STONE OF RECALL is the property of THE EMPLOYER, and may not be sold or transferred to any other party. It must be surrendered upon termination of the contract. Loss or destruction of the STONE will result in a fine of 2,000 gold and or 2 years of imprisonment in THE EMPLOYER’s dungeon of THE LEADER.

For the duration of this contract THE EMPLOYER agrees to provide whatever healing is necessary, up to and including resurrection, free of charge, as per the terms listed above. THE EMPLOYER also agrees to provide, at 10% the market rate (as listed in the PH), such equipment and provisions as might reasonably be needed for the successful completion of the quests.

THE PARTY agrees, under pain of death, to keep secret for the duration of the contract all matters pertaining to this contract. Upon release from the terms of the contract with successful completion of the six quests, THE PARTY are released from the non-disclosure provisions of the contract.

The quested items include: A cursed sword, an enchanted mirror, a magical staff, a black triangular plate, a white triangular plate, and a crystal ball.

Each quested object is very specific and the exact object must be returned to the employer as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to the secrecy of the mission, it is imperative that the objects not attract the attention of any outside party. Special lead cases will be provided for the concealment of the quested items on the return journeys. After placing the quest object in the special case, a magical seal must be applied to the case which will render it impervious to all magic. These seals and lead boxes will not allow the STONE OF RECALL to be used to return with the lead cases. The final leg of each quest must be completed without the aid of magical travel.

After the completion of the 6th quest, THE PARTY are released from all provisions of the contract, but may continue to consider the Tower of Shandar a friendly place to buy and sell items, seek healing magics, or sage advice.


THE PARTY:
_Elessaria____

_Routunious_(and Tick a Tick)_

_Stago________

_Selina__________

__X (Merle)_________________


THE EMPLOYER:
_____Shandar________________

WITNESSED BY:

____Mina___________________

____Karryn Starfollower_________

____Carson__________________

____Alusair__________________

6 Flamerule, 1368: Meeting the Wizard...again

Once past the tests and inside the antechamber of his tower, Shandar applauds the party on their success and proclaims loudly that he knew they were just the ones for the job!

"Please, if any of you are in need of healing as a result of your efforts, allow us to see to your wounds and give you any aid you require." Shandar said, gesturing to the others in the room. "Allow me to introduce you to my own band of adventurers, who have helped me greatly in the scouting of this location and the building of my tower."

One by one, he introduces the members of his team.

If any party members need healing or aid, they will be given it immediately and free of charge.

He will introduce you to the members of his party, which include:

"Mina, here, is a cleric of the twentieth level of ability. I am not religious myself, but healing magic is always useful to have ready at hand, and she is quite the engineer so she's done me a great service in helping to plan the construction of this tower. She follows the teachings of Gond, as luck would have it."

Routunious, brightening visibly, exclaimed, "Luck indeed! I am in great need of a trainer who knows my faith who can see to my attaining the next level of ability. Would you, dear lady, be available for such service?"

The beautiful priestess nods, without speaking. Shandar interrupts, "Of course. Each member of my company is available to provide the training needed within your individual disciplines, and the provision of those services will be included in the offer I'm about to make you...But, please, let us continue with the introductions."

"Karryn Starfollower, a ninth level ranger, you have met already. She operates as my agent in Bug Tussle."

"Yes, we saw her the first time we saw you, in the Fighter's Own tavern. She delivered the map to you and later your letter to us." Elessaria said, examinig the ranger closely for the first time. "I too have need of advancement in my field and would seek your training...however I suffer from a malady of the mind which has prevented proper focus. Perhaps something can be done to relieve me of the burden these recurring visions of death which haunt me so?"

"I'm sure we can find a way to ease any difficulty which troubles any of you, my dear. We are not without exprience in these areas." The wizard replied.

"And this young woman, as beautiful as she is strong, is my personal bodyguard. She is a barbarian fighter from Icewindale, and warrior of the tenth level. Her name is Alusair Stormblade, and you can understand why I don't rely on her for secretive missions...she does manage to stand out in a crowd."

"Seven feet tall and worth the climb." Alusair said evenly, eyeing the wizard with more amusement than annoyance.

"Miss Stormblade is an expert at tactics and has been invaluable in giving advice on how best to defend this tower from unwanted intrusions--"

"I'm Carson," The rogue leaning against the wall interrupted, "Pleased to make your acquaintence."

"I was getting to you, Carson. Impatience isn't a valued trait in a thief, is it?" Shandar asked.

"Not impatience, pride. I didn't want to be the last one introduced. There's only Marie left, afterall."

"Carson, here, is the person upon whom I rely not only to procure items which might have dubious ownership, he's a 9th level rogue and an expert in traps. He's guided me in in the construction of my own traps here in the tower." Shandar offered.

"So, we have you to thank for the traps that nearly killed me." Selina snapped.

"The very same, and you're most welcome, by the way. You did a good job of managing not to get killed...so I suppose I'll have to improve that one for future use."

"As Carson pointed out, last but not least is my personal assistant, Marie Zahara. She responsible for keeping the tower functioning and myself on task. She's got potential as a mage, I think, and I've been seeing to her training in return for her services. So far, its been a very rewarding relationship for both of us."

"How do you do?" The pretty servant asked. "Is there anything I can do for you? We have facilities for bathing. Perhaps you'd like to clean up a little before we dine? I've prepared a banquet for us all."

"Yes," Shandar said, "You're our guests for as long as you like. And it would hardly be civilized to discuss my proposal with you before you've had a chance to freshen up, and hot food put in your bellies. Even if you don't accept and sign the contract, you've more than earned our hospitality."

The party accepts and cleans up, then they eat a remarkable feast. Laid out on the massive table in the dining hall was a fabulous meal. There was oyster and wild rice soup, roast wild boar and pork ribs served with a wide variety of steamed vegetables. Hearty black bread, fresh from the oven served with Arabellan chedar cheese and for desert a delicious bread pudding covered in a sweet sauce that tasted slightly of bourbon. Throughout the meal, Marie never let a wineglass sit empty for long.

Shandar asked what the party had learned of him, knowing that they wouldn't undertake such a journey without conducting at least a minimal investigation of their potential patron.

Stago repeated what little was told to them by Alzador and others in Bug Tussle. Shandar is clearly made angry by what he calls "ill informed and malicious gossip." Stago dissembles and asks Shandar for his side of the story.

"Long ago, in the land of Ool and in the city of Epping, the Hopeful 7 formed their charter. We travelled across the great desert to Vilhoon, where we set up residence and journeyed into the Dagger Hills to explore a dungeon we'd discovered a map to...the Dungeon of Doom. We did well, but we didn't take the risks or achieve the goals I wanted. Galen was too timid and wouldn't go deep enough or fast enough.

Another band came and hired me. I set off with them to explore and map deeper into the dungon. I recovered several powerful artifacts from the chamber of a lich."

"What's a lich?" Asked Selina.

"An undead mage. Truly nasty, truly powerful." Answered Stago.

"Correct," Shandar continued, "While the party I was with battled the creature, I...became separated from them. I managed to escape not only with my life, but with three objects from the lich's treasure trove. Objects of immense power."

"What happened to the party you were with?" Asked Routunious.

"I can only imagine that they were destroyed by the lich...because I never saw them again. I thought that the Hopeful Seven would be pleased at the information I had obtained about the deeper levels of the dungeon and the power I could offer them now that I had these artifacts in my possession. Galen and the others demanded that I share these artifacts with them. I was under...a different opoinon and was compelled to leave the adventuring company because I wouldn't part with the items I felt I'd earned on my own."

The wizard paused and motioned for Marie to bring him another glass of Brandybone wine. He took a long drink before continuing. "But, my prizes attracted the attention of an evil wizard named Nesha. I don't know if he was able to scry them or if he heard of them from the Hopeful Seven spreading their bitter accusations about me. Whatever the cause, he came and stole all three artifacts, my spell book, and several other items which I prized greatly. Having no one else to turn to, I went crawling back to the Hopeful Seven and begged their assistance in regaining my lost treasure. They laughed at me. They felt I'd gotten what I deserved, and they'd already replaced me with that inept conjurer, Alzador."

"What happened to Nesha?" Asked Elessaria. "Surely you have tried to track him over the years."

"He is more powerful than I...more powerful than anyone could possibly imagine with those artifacts in his possession. I heard through various sources I have reason to trust that he used the objects to tap into the powers of the Lower Planes. He is rumored to have captured the attention of a demonic entity, just as I had attracted his. The demon used his ambition to ensare him, and pulled Nesha into the Abyss, where is remains today, endlessly tortured. A well deserved fate, though I'd prefer it were at my hands."

"And the artifacts?" Asked Selina.

"Lost, scattered across the realms. My footsoldiers here have helped me search for clues and we believe that all of the objects are now located in various places in the Dalelands.

Selina and Elessaria ask almost simultaneously, "Why don't you guys go find them?
Why do you need us? We're inexperienced."

Shandar replied, "We are well known in the area, as you have discovered, and would attract the wrong kind of attention – say the Demon or the agents of Nesha. I suspect that if the Hopeful Seven knew that I was getting close to regaining those items they might attempt to stop me themselves. I need unknowns, people who no one would expect could possibly succeed. I need you. Here are my terms of employment..."

He hands them a rolled parchment to read, and stands. "I will leave you here to read the contract and discuss it among yourselves. We'll return in an hour to answer questions and haggle over the details." With that, the wizard and his companions left the room. Only Marie remained to clear the table as the PCs read the contract.

While considering the contract, it becomes apparent that they will need to come up with a name for the party, as well as determine who the party leader will be. Various suggestions are offere,d including The Uncanny Five, The Fantastic Five, The Revengers, The Justice League of Stago. The last one is considered a non-starter. Stago suggests The League of Extraordinary Gnomes,
Elves and Humans. Routunious suggests Big Bug Tussle Conspiracy.

In the end, it is resolved that Elissaria is named the leader of the company and that the company will be called The Company of the Severed Head. Deciding to pick a leader and a name proves more difficult than deciding upon the contract terms.

In the end, after some careful negotions with Shandar, everything is agreed and all sign the contract. Thus decided, the company begins their training so that before they begin the first quest, all are in top condition. It will take several weeks, and they are welcome to stay at the tower until ready to travel.

6 Flamerule, 1368: The Tower and its Guards

5pm

Finally, the castle is in view! It's a series of three circular floors, each smaller than the one below. There's a small wooden and thatch building to the side. The tower is surrounded by a fetid, stagnant moat without any visible bridge, only a small wooded dock on either side. From where the PCs stand, a bleak field is between them and the moat, with a broken path leading to the moat's edge.

They walk the path and skeletal hands reach out of the earth and attempt to grab the feet of the party. All, except Stago, manage to jump aside. Skeletal hands firmly hold Stago's ankles.

Four human skeletons erupt from the ground the party stands upon. Merle runs away in horror. Routunious successfully turns the undead and the skeletons sink back into the earth.

The party walks to the 25' moat surrounding the castle. There are neither windows nor arrow slits. There is no bridge across the moat. A pile of leaves are in the middle of the moat between the end of the path and the castle.

Stago tosses a live chicken at the pile of leaves. Two vine-like arms grab it and pull it under water. There's a discussion of what to do next. In addition to the high probability that the water itself might cause disease, at the very least nausea, it appears that at least one shambling mound resides in there.

Selina ties a rope around Elessaria, who goes to the edge of the moat.

"Let's shoot it!" Stago shouts.

"Shoot what? You can't see it." The elf replies without looking at him.

"I wasted my chicken!" The gnome mourns.

Stago and Merle throw rocks into the moat, but nothing happens. Stago starts talking about swimming across in pairs, but the rest of the party decides the water is incredibly filthy, of un-known depth, with at least one monster, if not more.

"How many monsters can there be? They're expensive." Grumbled Stago.

Selina lassos a pier on the opposite side of the moat. She uses her amazing skills of rope-craft to build a small rope bridge very similar to what we crossed earlier. She walks across and discovers a box on a pole. She pulls and turns a valve in the
box and a metal bridge extends across the moat. The party walks across.

Selina knocks on the iron door of the castle. Suddenly a trapdoor in front of the
castle opens, but Selina manages to hang onto the handle until the trap closes
a minute later. She tries the handle again and again the trapdoor opens. There seems to be a long, dark chute leading to the bowels of the castle. Selina tries to pick the lock from several difficult positions because she doesn't want to fall down
the trapdoor.

Failing that, she climbs up to the top of the castle, but has several nasty falls which do a lot of damage. She ends up drinking a draught of the potion of extra healing. At the top, she sees a metal door with a handle. She can't open the door, so she ties a rope to the handle and tosses it to the party below. They give it the old heave-ho, but nothing budges. Selina shimmies down the rope and tries to pick the lock while hanging upside down. Finally, she disables the trapdoor, stands at the door to the tower, and successfully picks the lock.

Behind the outer doors is an iron portcullis (a vertically lowered gate consisting of horizontal and vertical bars, the latter pointed at the bottom) and behind that
is a wooden door.

"We've answered your summons! We've faced your challenges! Let us inside!" The party shouts through the closed door.

Someone on the other side yells back, "Come in."

Elessaria attempts to lift the gate using her incredible strength, but fails. Tick-A-Tick then tries and slowly lifts the portcullis and holds it above his head. The wooden doors are barred from the inside, but Elessaria bursts through, breaking
the bar.

Inside, a group of people are in the antechamber, applauding. "You are the first to pass my tests," Says the one in wizard garb, the man they recognize as Shandar, "You're very welcome in my home."

6 Flamerule, 1368: A Bridge Too Far

Morning
In an effort to get better acquainted with their travelling companion, Merle, Stago casts a comprehend languages spell, giving him and the other Common-speakers five minutes of talk-time with Merle to attempt to build a simple vocabulary list.

Unfortunately, there's abit of confusion. Merle wants to teach the party her language and the party attempts to teach her the Common Tongue. After a frustrating few minutes a dozen words and phrases are set down in an ersatz phrase book.

Merle asks to see the wand and Stago hands it to her with some hesitation. The five and plans are made to resume travel. The realize by consulting the map that not far ahead travel to Shandar's keep means moving off the main trail and onto a rough path which reduces movement by half.

Around midday, the party finds itself on the edge of a cliff. They are at a chasm that is 50 feet deep and 100 feet wide. At the bottom is a small and shallow stream. The chasm extends for miles in either direction, and the only way across is a rickety, worm-eaten, frayed, rope-and-wood bridge. Only two people can pass abreast, but no one thinks that's a good idea because they don't think that the ropes can handle the wait of more than one person crossing at a time.

Selina sends the cats over, and they get across with no incident. Stago does the same with his dogs.

Selina gets ropes and ties them together, fixing one end to a large tree on our side. She walks across with no difficulty. She ties the other end of her rope to a tree on the opposite side. Holding onto the rope, Merle walks across with no problem, as do Stago and Elessaria.

Routunious, however, anxiously crosses the bridge which creaks shudders under his weight. Several wooden planks crack under his step. There is a discussion about what to do about Tick-A-Tick. Routunious is unwilling to leave Tick-A-Tick on the other side.

"If the decision to leave him were made before I crossed, I would never have crossed at all." He told them flatly.

"Then you'd be wanting to scamper back to the other side now?" Stago asked, pointedly.

"As that is no longer an option...the bridge is clearly not trustworthy...we'd best find a means of ensuring that Tick-a-Tick gets to this side safely." Routunious responded.

Selina goes back across and makes a special harness with the hemp rope, now in 20 and 30 foot sections. She attaches it to Tick-A-Tick, then ties a special release knot on the rope on this side of the chasm, crossing back to the side where the rest of the party stands anxiously.

Routunious blesses the endeavor and Tick-A-Tick crosses the bridge without incident. One astonishing fact comes to light...Tick-a-Tick actually weighs less than the priest.

5 Flamerule, 1368: The Highwayman and the Kobolds

The party arises at 4-5 in the morning. Elessaria had another bad night of the heebie jeebies. About an hour after breaking camp, the dogs begin to sense that something is following them. The dogs are looking from side to side nervously. Nothing can be detected, however. After another half hour of being shadowed in this way, the PCs find themselves having to walk down a narrow ravine, perfect for an ambush, in order to continue to follow the trail. It is very difficult to see ahead for any distance due to the winding path, and vision is only possible for about 100’ ahead and behind.

It looks very suspicious and the party decides to go around by climbing up the hill.

Suddenly the air is filled with arrows whizzing past, and about 20 thud into the earth around the PCs. Many of the arrows have come dangerously close, but miraculously none seem to have hit any of the party members. As the PCs take stock of their situation, a leather armor-clad man with an impressive long bow steps onto the edge of the ravine above them. He calls out:

"Throw down your weapons and all your valuables, and I will spare you your lives. Disobey my command and I shall show you that my arrows and those of my men need not have missed you on our first volley."

Elessaria and Selina try to parley. The archer repeats his demand, "I ask you once more, and offer you one final chance to comply or die this fine day."

Stago mouths off and Selina gets on her knees to show the archer that the party doesn't mean any harm. Stago figures that the archer is too far away to cast the web scroll on him. The archer begins counting and Elessaria and Serena flee.

Stago casts a shield spell. Selina, in her flight, gets hit by an arrow. The arrow goes all the way through S, but does no damage. Stago realizes the arrows are illusions. He sics Spike and Fido on the archer, but tells them not to kill.

The dogs chase the fleeing archer over the hill. The party hears a scream. Selina, Elessaria, and Stago race up the hill, leaving Merle and Routunious (along with Tick-a-Tick) below. When the trio crest the hill, they see the dogs snarling and nipping at... nothing. Stago realizes the illusionist is invisible, and demands that the archer reappear or he'll give the dogs the command to kill.

In a moment, a small young man, maybe 18, reappears and looking much less impressive than he did when leading an illusory army of archers. Stago tells the man to lie flat on the ground, face down, with arms out and palms down. When the highwayman complies, the gnome calls off the dogs while Elessaria and Selina search him.

After questioning the young man, they learn that his name is Rolf. Among his possessions are a dagger, 2 coppers, 2 gold and a wand of perfect illusions.

Stago takes the man's boots, explaining, "It's rough and rocky and this will slow him down if he tries to follow us." He sticks the boots into his dogs' panniers and then starts talking about taking the pants, too. Elessaria and Selina ask him where his camp is and the whimpering captive says, "I don't want to tell you. If I tell you, you'll just go there and steal everything else I own."

Selina, in an effort to reassure him, takes the boots from Stago and tosses them down the ravine for Rolf to get.

"That will still slow him down, but won't turn him into a halfling, tromping over these hot stones with bare feet the rest of his life." Selina said to the sour gnome.

"Aren't you a thief?" Stago demanded, "Why are you giving stuff back? Are you a lawful good thief? Is that even possible?"

Following the trail, nothing happens before nightfall. Near dark the PCs come upon a clearing at the top of a hillock with a pile of rocks which might once have been a druidic temple with a fire pit in the center of the circle.

8pm
Stago examines the wand and Elessaria and Selina go foraging for an uneventful night. However, Elessaria still has the heebie-jeebies and continues to pester everyone with tales of her encounter with her own ghost. When she retires, she doesn't get much rest.

11pm
The stillness is shattered by the dogs howling. Elessaria is on full alert. In the darkness surrounding the camp, everyone can hear hissing, clicking, yipping sounds.

Stago smells something bad -- like stagnant water. In the flickering torchlight, they can see about 6-8 small shapes running about behind the rocks around the perimeter of the camp.

Merle throws a stone out into the blackness -- it's thrown back.

Selina lights another torch, and leans out of her tent, on the fire pit end. A small spear or javelin hits her arm for 1 pt of damage. She still manages to throw the torch toward the fire pit, where it reignites the remaining wood and creates a central source of illumination.

Stago runs about with the wand of perfect illusion, shouting "Arrows! Arrows!" It seems to be the appropriate command word, because illusory arrows appear to rain from the sky and the nasty creatures panic, running away. Stago comes into the tent with Ellesaria, Selina, and Merle.

Stago explains, "Kobolds. Stinking, yapping, disgusting and dangerous kobolds. They don't like gnomes - if they saw me, they might come back. I think kobolds hate gnomes as much dwarves hate goblin-kind."

Selina and Elessaria stay on guard, and, sure enough, about an hour later, the kobolds come back and are now ringing the camp. The party is able to count a total of 12 of them.

The company enters into melee...and in a fierce battle kill six of them, and the other six escape. Elessaria cuts the heads off to add to the collection they'll pick up on the return trip.

Stago searches the headless bodies and finds a few coins, and 2 wineskins of a slightly viscous black fluid that smells like lamp oil.

Elessaria, in scouting the perimeter of the circle, notices about 12 pit-traps around the camp area -- she deduces that their plan had been to lure the company out into the darkness, in hopes that they would fall in the pit-traps to be set on fire with the lamp oil.

Wounds are tended to and healing administered, then the party retires again for the evening. The remainder of the night is uneventful.

4 Flamerule, 1368: Wolves at the Door

7am
After breakfast and checking supplies, the party walks north on a trail toward the Dagger Hills, following the map to Shandar's tower site.

Noon
As the sun reaches its zenith, the party stops for a lunch of dry rations eaten along the trail.

Just as people start in, a pack of four wolves--attracted by the smell of food--bound over the stone wall. The party, wary in the wilderness, is not surprised and quickly launch a counter-attack. Stago hits one of the wolves with a bullet from his sling even as two other wolves strike Elessaria. Smarting from the gash torn in her arm, even at point-blank range her arrow thunks into the ground instead of one of the ravening beasts. The fourth wolf manages to sink fangs into Stago's shoulder.

Even the cats and dogs join the defense of the party, though with little success at first. Merle lands a forceful kick into the growling maw of one of the wolves. Soon everyone is involved in the fighting. Tick-a-Tick deals devastating blows on the wolves.

"How flammable is a wolf? Let's find out, shall we?" Stago says, and casts burning hands at the nearest beast. Tick-a-Tick pounds away at a still burning and smoking wolf while another clamps teeth down on Nugget. Selina stabs the wolf with her cat in its mouth with her knife, bringing it down. Stago hits another with his sling even it bites down on Elessaria. Routunious makes it to the elf in time to cast a heal upon her.

"I guess a wolf doesn't burn very long after all!" Stago observed, as he, Miss Kitty, Spike, and Tick-a-Tick all attack the smoldering wolf. It goes down and Stago slits its throat with his dagger.

Merle is bitten hard by another wolf, Fido leaps to her aid. Routnious hits the same wolf with one of his throwing knives. Spike joins the fight with the wolf attacking Merle and it goes down. All the wolves are dispatched and their heads removed, then knives and bullets are collected for future use.

Routunious gives Elessaria a draught of Extra Healing potion. Merle drinks as well. Stago drinks a dose. Routunious appplies healing and herbalism proficiencies for further aid, and the party is little the worse for the attack. Heads are buried under a stone cairn to be recovered on the return trip for the bounty, and Stago prepares a hot lunch of wolfmeat roasted over the campfire for those so inclined.

After lunch, the party gets underway again.

6pm
Before sunset, the party chooses a campsite near a ruined stone wall and begins setting up their tents.

8pm
The watch hears birds and are surprised to find that the birds are in fact stirges. They buzz the dogs and knock Stago off the stone wall. Next, the dogs and Stago are
hit by the winged monsters which then stab their victims with long probiscus-like beaks and begin drinking their blood.

Elessaria fires an arrow and hits the stirge on Stago, knocking it unconscious. Merle kicks stirge on Spike, also dealing a grievous injury.

Stago hits Fido's stirge with a sling-bullet and also knocks it out. Merle and Elessaria remove the bloodsuckers from the dogs and gnome.

The party retired after the stirge attack and Tick-A-Tick held watch through the night. Stago and the dogs were the only ones wounded by the stirges. As a night of sleep recovers 1hp, Stago elects not to drink any healing potions.

Galen's Shandar Story

The coming of Shandar to Bug Tussle upset a lot of people. Most notably, perhaps, it upset Alzador who'd always thought it better not to inquire too deeply about the wizard he replaced. After the questions asked by the newly formed company of adventurers, however, the junior memember of The Hopeful Seven thought it might be prudent to know the answers himself.

After the company departed his tower on that Flamerule morning, he went to The Fighter's Own and sat at the bar. He put the hard questions to Galen, and the following tale is what was overheard. My agent in the tavern transcribed it word for word, and I reprint it here.

I'm not saying what or how much of what Galen told Alzador was true, but I will vouch that every word he told that wizard he believed.

As I said, this is Galen's side of the story, the only side of the story you're likely to hear...because my side is private, and rarely retold even to myself. But, because you should know what there is to be known, here's what you'd hear if Galen trusted you enough to talk to you about me:

"Shandar the Ashen is a mysterious wizard, and keeps to himself. He always has. If he's out and about, then its because it suits him to be. No other reason. What suits him should make anyone nervous. I've heard that he was building a tower recently out in the Dagger Hills. As you know, he was the original wizard in the party known as The Hopeful Seven. My party. Run by my rules. Rules he didn't think applied to him.

You can't really say we were friends, then. He wasn't really friendly to anyone. He was quiet and performed his function--casting spells and collecting magical items to increase the party's chances when we'd head down into the dungeon. Back then, there was only the one dungeon. Out there in the Hills. We called it the Dungeon of Doom. Each week we'd explore a little further. Our band in hot competition with two or three other adventuring companies going down the same hole and trying to beat the others to the best of the loot.

One of the other companies was run by my brother, Morgan. He was a nutty one, a paladin, as dim-witted as he was brave, I thought back then. He and two other knights actually went into that dungeon on warhorses! Oh, he hated me then, and hated Shandar too. He was always trying to get whatever we were looking for, for the sole reason that we were looking for it--not because he wanted it himself. I could tell you some stories. Morgan's got a patch of land and a castle on the other side of the Hills now that he calls a barony. Lost an arm, I heard, but lives with his wife and son....Happy, I hope. Probably happy. He's competing against himself now, and not with me or my company.

There was another company, run by a centaur...I forget his name...Those were crazy times. Had the most beautiful woman who rode his back. A thief...funny, I don't remember her name either.

Today, all companies have a charter, the rules laid down on parchement, agreed to, and signed off on...but in the old days it was more of an implied code of honor. Shandar and the rest of us had a falling out over the terms of the company policy regarding freelancing...working on your own time either by yourself or with some other company.

This was long before the founding of Bug Tussle, we were living in Voonlar in those days, exploring the Dungeon of Doom whenever we got far enough ahead to afford supplies. We all were hurting for funds then, and Shandar really wanted to build his own tower somewhere remote. He needed a fortune. He was approached by another company of adventurers, seeking his skills as a magic user for a one off hire in order to explore and map deeper in the Dungeon than he'd gone with us. They'd found some evidence of a real important set of artifacts down there.

Shandar didn't even discuss it with us, he just agreed and went with that company without telling any of his companions in The Hopeful Seven. No one is exactly sure what happened on the adventure, except that Shandar returned with several artifacts of great power. The original intention of the excursion was merely to map the dungeon for future exploration, however the discovery of the artifacts changed everything. He screwed that new company that hired him, he screwed us, and if you ask me, he screwed himself in the process.

In the chamber of a lich in one of the lower levels of the dungeon, so the story goes, Shandar discovered The Orb of Omniscience, the Triad of Summoning, and the Triad of Sending. Individually, each is one of the most powerful objects ever created--taken together and used in concert--they are powerful enough to make one as a god to the rest of us.

While the adventuring company who had hired him fought the lich, the evil in Shandar took control of him and he teleported out of the dungeon with the three items, leaving the rest of his employers to meet a certain grisly end. How do I know? A secret that terrible...you can't keep to yourself forever. He told me himself, wracked with the guilt of it. But that guilt wasn't enough for him to do anything about it but keep those items entirely for himself.

He couldn't keep power like that a secret, no one could. When we saw him gaining in power so swiftly without going into the dungeon himself anymore, we got suspicious. We quickly learned of the artifacts as Shandar’s powers began to grow exponentially. When we confronted him about the sudden increase in his abilities and possessions, he confessed to having done some free lance work, though at the time he didn't admit to leaving his other employers to their fate and making off with their treasure.

We argued that he had violated the spirit of the unwritten company charter by working with another adventuring company, and should be fined. In addition, we felt that any items, including these powerful artifacts, still fell under the treasure disbursement clause of their company charter and should be shared with all the members of The Hopeful Seven equally. Shandar, you needn't wonder, disagreed, and said that no provision in the charter excluding outside enterprises had ever been discussed, and that he would never share what he had earned alone. He broke with the company and went off to live in the wild. He seemed pretty happy about that, too. He didn't need us anymore. He didn't need to leave home to get rich. He just had to think of something he might like, ask the Orb if it existed, and if it did, where it was. Once he knew what and where, the Triad of Summoning just brought it to him. You don't find power like that except in evil places, and its because power like that turns you evil pretty quickly. He'd say that's jealously talking, but what would you call it? The hard earned wisdom that comes of experience with evil, I'd say.

In the wild, Shandar realized that if it became known that he had these marvelous items but was without the protection of sturdy sword arms he might fall victim to theft, or worse. As his powers grew, so did his paranoia--knowing in addition to having treasure worth any risk to obtain, the having of the treasure might be perceived as a threat that needed eliminating.

Sure enough, we started hearing word of a powerful sword carrying wizard in a black cloak that was hunting him. Nesha was the name whispered when speaking of him. There was a battle. There's always a battle. Shandar was nearly blown apart by that sorcerer's magical swordplay. In the end, the wizard I'd worked beside for so long was nearly killed, his fancy toys stolen from him, and left to die on the ruins of the tower he was building. But he had no friends any longer, and nothing to buy them with. And he'd unleashed a greater threat than can be imagined.

When he'd recovered, he came to us. Who else could he turn to? He told us of his ill fortune, that this evil wizard Nesha had stolen all his newfound wealth and artifacts, even his spell books.

We felt sympathy for him, of course, but to a one we believed that his poor luck had come from knowingly betraying trusted companions. We refused to help him reclaim his ill gotten gains and informed him that we had already replaced him with you, Alzador.

And that is the last any of us had seen of him before he turned up here...like the proverbial bad penny. Maybe he's learned his lesson, maybe he's trying to make amends for the wrongs he's done in the past, it doesn't matter to me...so long as all the trouble he causes is in the past and stays in the past."

3 Flamerule, 1368: Back again

3 Flamerule 1368.
Dawn. Finwocket prepares a gnomish feast for breakfast, and the party readies itself for the trip back to Bug Tussle. The trip back is uneventful in the pleasantly cool morning.

Stago, Selina, and Routunious make their way to a shop called The Halfling's Gems to sell the black opal and then split up the proceeds. Outside the shop, a silent and disciplined guard stands steadfast. He wears splint mail and doesn't respond to Stago. Two snarling wardogs are chained nearby.

The party meets Ola Larkspittle, a female halfling, who appraises the opal. She makes an offer of 500 gp. Selina says the opal is worth 1000 gp.

Ola responds, "Oh, that's right, I think you could get as much as 1000 gp if you found the right customer, but if that's what I buy it from you for, and that's all I can sell it for, then what point is there in the transaction for me? A girl's got to make a living, after all. I've got my overhead, my guard and his mutts...I never pay more than half what I can resell something for or it isn't going to do me any good. I'm a merchant, not a banker."

They haggle. Selina tries to sweeten the deal by offering Ola exclusives for future booty. Ola is willing to go as high as 750 gp, but Selina is stubborn and refuses to part with the gem.

The trio go to the The Fighter's Own and meet w/Elessaria who appears to have suffered from a bad night. Haunted by terrible dreams of her own death, she was unable to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. She awakes feeling fatigued and irritable. She was completely unable to concentrate, and though Thunderstorm agreed to take her on as a pupil, he will not begin lessons until she is able to put these nightmare visions behind her.

Selina and Elessaria discuss logistics and inventory about supplying the party...which isn't easy given that Elessaria spends more time talking about the vision of her own death she exprienced than what the party should be doing to ready themselves for a life of adventure. Exasperated, Selina convinces everyone of the wisdom of selling off all their unneeded items.

"How much is a magnifying glass worth?" Stago asked.

"It doesn't matter. The question is how much will someone pay for it?" Selina answered bitterly.

"Isn't that the question I asked?" Stago returned.

Selina answers, "No."

The party stops at My Father's Blade, a pawnshop that deals with used weapons. They meet Christo Lackey, Proprietor. Selina sells dagger for 50 cp, short sword w/scabbard for 2.5 gp. Routunious sells a battle axe for 1.25 gp. He tries to sell a large shield, but Christo only deals with weapons, and declines.

Stago asks Christo if he has anything special. Christo offers a magical buckle knife -- suitable for those who need to pull a knife from a belt -- for 1000 gp. Stago says that's too rich for his blood.

The party goes to Gonthur's Armory, run by a swarthy, very enterprising dwarf named Gonthur Truesteel. Pit and Brandy, his two human assistants, enjoy the dwarf's tales of adventure as much as the hard physical labor of the smithy. Routunious sells his large shield for 7 gp and a breast plate (made by Gonthur,coincidentally) for 100 gp.

"Now, where'd ye come by this piece of work, I wonder?" He asks.

Routunious explains that it was part of the plunder they brought up from the Undertavern. "Ah, that's why he never finished paying fer it then." The dwarf grumbles, "That'll teach me to harden my heart to tales of need from adventuring folk. Risky business, being soft hearted. Nearly as dangerous as jumping down holes trying to stick pointy things into creatures with long teeth."

Next stop on the tour of Bug Tussle merchants is Isaac's Potent Potions, the apothecary. It costs 100 gp to identify a potion. Stago is further convinced of the value in memorizing an identify spell. He inquires, as per his mother's advice, for a potion of stoneskin. Isaac doesn't have any in stock, however.

Healing potions cost 200 gp. Extra Healing costs 400 gp. Selina trades the opal for 2 potions of extra healing, and one of healing. "With merchants, barter is best." She says, "Everyone thinks they got a good deal when you don't have money as a means of measuring worth."

The party divvies up the potions. Selina and Routunious carry the extra healing potions; Elessaria carries the healing potion.

Considering Selina's advice about bartering, Stago proposes that the party have Isaac identify 2 potions and then let the apothecary keep the one we don't want as a fee. Selina doesn't like the idea, and offers gems valued at 150 gp to identify the two potions. She realizes that this isn't a very good deal for the merchant, but uses her charisma on him and he doesn't seem to mind losing a little money on the deal. Selina purrs as she hands him the jet and carellion stones in exchange for the potions' identity.

Isaac tells her that one potion is another extra healing, which is given to Stago to carry. Routunious has a vial of thick clear liquid that Isaac mulls over for a loooong time before saying he believes it to be holy water.

Routunious is irked that it tooks so long to identify holy water. Isaac explains that part of the trouble was attempting to identify a potion that isn't really a potion. Still charmed by Selina, he offers to identify the next potion for free.

Routunious has some scrolls that he wants identified. Isaac suggests going to Alzador's Magical Emporium. That's where some of the group purchased tickets for the Bug Tour, so they know the way. When they get there, though, it is locked up tight. A sign on the door says to go to the Tower. When they knock, the pleasant (if strange) face of Marty greets them through a security panel in the door.

"You're in luck! The wizard is in!" Marty says as he unbolts the door. The party starts to enter, but Marty blocks their progress. "Nobody allowed inside. He'll be with you in a moment!"

Alzador, an elderly mage with long flowing beard, ornate staff, and jewelled crown steps out of the tower and bows to the company. A fee is negotiated through Marty, and the mage agrees to identify 6 scrolls and a possible magical item for a topaz worth 650 gp.

The items:

A cleverly made "spear" that a mage or some sects of priests would be allowed to use as it is simply a silver knife on a stick. Worth about 30 gp.

Scroll 1: Identify
Scroll 2: Sleep
Scroll 3: Spider Climb
Scroll 4: Detect Invisibility
Scroll 5: Know Alignment
Scroll 6: Web

All are 1st level spells (save Web, which is 2nd), but scrolls can't be written by a wizard that is not of at least 9th level, so all spell scrolls are of at least that level or higher. All six are written at 9th level. The one who reads the scrolls would cast them as a 9th level magic user. Alzador adds, "The Spider Climb spell lasts 12 rounds. Be done climbing by then, you're you're going to want a Feather Fall spell handy."

Selina asks Alzador about Shandar the Ashen. Alzador is a little uncomfortable, but replies that Shandar had his job as company wizard in the Hopeful Seven before him. "Shandar...left before The Hopeful Seven made their fortune. He left, I believe, over an issue regarding the splitting of treasure and now lives out in the Dagger Hills. Personally, I don't trust him, but to be honest, I haven't had many dealings with him. He's a lot more powerful than I am. I heard he's setting up some kind of shop out in the Hills to prey on traffic tween here and Daggerdale. Safe place to stay, re-eqiup, get hirelings...that sort of thing. I doubt he'll make a go of it, but then he probably isn't doing it for the money."

Routunious asks if there are and Gondsmen around. Alzador says, "There's a shrine to Gond near Anathar's Dell. I'm the wrong person to ask...other than nodding to Mystra, I'm not overly religious."

Selina gives the scrolls to Stago after deliberating with the rest of the party on who should carry them.

Noon

The party heads to the general store, The One Armed Bandit, run by Thom. Selina figures out and makes a list of what everyone needs for provisions. All get bedroll or blanket and share two large tents.

Stago gets a second wardog with its own panniers and 1 week's worth of dogfood. He calls it "Spike".

At the big message board in Bug Tussle, the PCs see notices and messages for a variety of odd jobs. The only notice of real interest for them reads:

REWARD FOR MONSTER HEADS
In light of increased incursions by wild denizens and monsters, Colonel Putnam of the Guard of Fort Aumry offers a reward in gold coin for the heads of monstrous beings which threaten the safety and security of our region. The entire head must be brought to the fort, and only monsters killed within one day’s ride of Bug Tussle are eligible for the bounty. The more dangerous the creature, the greater the bounty. In the case of multi-headed creatures (such as ettins), only one head may be presented.

The reward is an amount in gold equal to 10% of the total experience points of the monster killed.

While the PCs debate returning to the Dagger Hills to get the heads of the slain ogres, they are approached by a female ranger. The same ranger who provided Shandar with the map at the Fighter’s Own. She speaks little, and only hands the PCs a letter and a map. The letter reads:

My friends, who helped me so much in regaining the map I'd lost in the Undertavern, I now seek again your aid and ingenuity. I wish to hire you for a series of adventures to our mutual profit and gain. The map which you rescued for me shows the way to a place where a piece of my property is hidden and guarded. Several other items which used to be in my possession have been scattered about the Dales. It is my belief that as each item is recovered, clues to the whereabouts of the next item will be obtained.

My associate has tokens of my good faith, which you may keep even should you decide not to assist me in my quest to regain my possessions. Among the tokens is a map which will guide you to the location of my secret tower.

Be warned, however. Should you decide to accept my offer of employment, you will need to pass certain tests. Between where you stand today and the door to my home you will meet with many trials. If you fail to pass them, you'd never be able to accomplish what I intend to ask of you, and therefore discussion of the terms of your employment would be moot.
I am certain, however, that you are much more than capable of finding your way to my table, where the contracts wait for your signatures!

Shandar the Ashen One

Routunious reads the letter aloud to the group. It's an invitation to hire the group and as a token, includes 1 pp for each person in the party...including Merle, but not Tick, the dogs, or the cats.

After much discussion, the PCs decided to undertake the trip. Not, however, before doing some investigating of their potential employer and provisioning for the journey. They travel around the town making discreet inquiries.

They discover the basics of the Shandar story, that he was the first magic user of The Hopeful Seven, and that there had been a falling out among the company. Shandar had gone off and done some moonlighting with another company and found some artifacts of great power. He refused to share these with the other members of the company, not feeling as though he were obligated to. There is some debate as to whether Shandar left the party in a huff or if he was thrown out, but however they may have parted, part they did. Alzador was the replacement wizard.

Though there is no enmity between them now, there is also little love. The general feeling is that if those things were stolen from Shandar, serves him right for not sharing them in the first place as he should have.

Galen and the others, when asked, all say pretty much the same thing...all they know is that after leaving their company he has apparently followed them like a camp dog and finally set himself up a home in the Dagger Hills. He seems to have found some other adventurers with whom he has been making a comfortable enough living to construct himself a tower out there. Beyond that, little at all is known.

After collecting as much information as they can and buying as much equipment as they can afford, the PCs set out on the trail and into the Dagger Hills.

2 Flamerule, 1368: Fleckstone

5pm.
The party arrives at Fleckstone, the mining town where Stago's mom, Finwocket Wimsicalamity, lives.

Stago brings everyone to the homestead. Routunious finally ends his quest to deliver the gold to Stago's mother. Finwocket gives Stago 1/2 of her new treasure (500 gp) as a grubstake. Stago tips Routunious 150 gp from his own share as a tip.

Routunious asks if there any Gondsmen around, or a Temple of Gond. Finwocket bristles, because she heard that her late husband stayed at a Gond temple or shrine after he left the family. She says she doesn't know the whereabouts.

Stago interjects and encourages Finwocket to help and assess the black opal Selina took from the hill ogre. Finwocket values it at 1000 gp and makes an offer to buy it. Selina declines the offer, saying they'll sell it in Bug Tussle.

Seeing Merle's wounds, Stago's mother gives her a healing potion to administer to the girl. Routunious asks if there's any more, but this was the last of all the household's available healing potions.

Though she hasn't partaken of the adventurer's life herself, she has some valuable advice. Finwocket suggests that instead of setting off and allowing fate to decide their course and fortunes, they ought instead to consider adventuring a vocation.

"She wants me to get a job." Stago said.

"And a steady paycheck with resonable benefits sounds so horrible to you? The people who do this sort of thing the smart way seek out a patron who will equip them and pay for their training in return for a portion of the treasure. Would it hurt to have someone with power and money as invested in your success as you are? No, I don't think so." His mother returned while putting on a vat of mushroom stew.

She continued, "And if it should be that you find such a person in the area...well, then maybe a mother won't lose a son the way she lost a husband. You could kill your monsters and find your treasure during the week and then still come visit your poor gray haired mother on the weekends....who knows how many weekends a gray haired mother has left to share with a son?"
Routunious smelled the stew with consumate interest, and said, "I'm returning to Lantan as soon as I can, but I have to admit your advice sounds as good as your cooking smells."

"How would we get a patron? Especially a local one? You can't just go door to door asking if someone wants to pay you to risk your life." Stago grumbled.

"I've been to Bug Tussle once for every 100 times you have and even I know there's a message board in the Market Square where people advertise for this sort of thing. You could look there for starters. And, speakign of starters, let's have a nice salad, blackbread, yak butter, and Vilhon Blanc cheese."

After dinner, over drinks and pipe weed before the fire, Stago’s mother tells Routunious that there is a shrine to Gond located in the foot hills of the Desertsmouth Mountains, not far from the edge of Spiderhaunt Wood. She doesn’t know if it still exists, but that is where Stago’s father began his adventuring days.

Finwocket convinces the party to spend the night. She tells Stago that if he's set on a life of adventure, he should use his gold to buy lots of healing potions and a stoneskin potion.
Selina offers Finwocket the gold ewer, saying "It's always nice to have a friend in the mining business."

"Our family motto," replies Finwocket.

2 Flamerule, 1368: To Mother's House We Go

Compiled and extrapolated from the travel journal of Stago the Gnome

10:47 am
After the group divided their spoils, Elessaria tells Galen that she is determined to be a ranger. He gives her a letter of reference to a highly advanced ranger who lives in the area who might take her on as a pupil and provide her with the training she needs. The ranger's name is Thunderstorm. She departs in search of her new mentor.

One of the patrons in the bar is a dour, cigar smoking dwarf in broad brimmed leather hat and thick poncho, fingering a medium crossbow on the table. The dwarf never speaks and to all of the locals he is known only as the Dwarf With No Name. As the only dwarf in the room, Selina clandestinely shows him the medallion that she picked up from the dead (undead?) dwarf in the Under-Tavern. He silently takes the artifact, and with a withering look, leaves the tavern. Knowing that the dwarf never speaks, Selina wasn't expecting any real explanation of the item's potential powers, but she likewise wasn't expecting it to simply walk away. Deciding that if the item had some great religious significance to dwarves, she's better off without it...though it might have been nice to have been paid for "liberating" it from the dungeon.

While they eat and discuss the events of the day, Routunious figures out Selina's culpability in the zombie attack earlier in the morning. He suggests that a wedge of suspicion will keep him from trusting her in the future...she responds by implying that he might be wiser than she thought.

12:00 Noon.
Stago arrives back in Bug Tussle, but before going to the Fighter's Own, he stops by the Green Rajah's bookstore and finds... nobody. The shop is closed. Shrugging, he heads to the tavern.

The gnome and the priest of Gond have contentious talk about lowering the encumberance of the gold Tick-a-Tick is carrying. Routunious wants half the gold to be converted into jewels to relieve the weight burden on Tick-a-Tick. Stago insists that ALL the gold gets hauled back to his Mom's house.

He declines jewels, noting that his Mom mines gems out in the Dagger Hills and wouldn't be as impressed by them as she would the gold they represent. Routunious finally relents to make Stago shut up and get things going.

The distance to the gnome village is approximately 10 miles over rocky terrain. 3 hour walk minimum.

2:00 pm.
After walking into the badlands of the Dagger Hills for over an hour, the party is startled when they come upon a a figure lying prone on the ground. The party bickers a bit about what to do next.

"There's obviously nothing we can do, what has been done is already done. We should continue on. Aiding this person is an unnecessary diversion from my mission to deliver the gold to Stago's Mother." Routunious complains.

Selina sends her two cats ahead and creeps closer herself. Selina is able to sees that the figure is a woman in leather armor, much like her own, with a mask and cloak. Selina's knowledge of the East helps her realize tightfitting battle robes of some sort of monastic order--the type usually found in Kara-Tur. The woman is unconscious and looks as if she may have been in a tussle, though there are no obvious wounds. Stago tells Selina to check the woman's belongings, which she does, without revealing what she found in the pouch.

Selina argues with Routunious about reviving the woman. "She can afford it," she tells Routunious. This argument finally persuades him to take the effort to work some healing magic on the masked victim of violence.

Routunious casts a healing spell (2 hp) which revives the woman, just barely. Selina entreats Routunious to make a healing potion and give it to the woman which has some positive effect (1 hp). To drink the potion, the woman had to remove her mask and appears to be of an exotic race unfamiliar to the party. She doesn't understand Common, or any of the Native Languages that Stago knows.

The woman looks warily on the party. Selina pulls a gold piece from the woman's money pouch and gives it to Routunious. He cries, "One gold piece? That potion's worth more than that!"

Through a long and difficult effort to overcome the language barrier (the woman does not seem to comprehend the Common tongue of the western lands), it is revealed that her name is Merle (Mee-yoo) Hitomi.

Through mime, the party tries to find out what happened to Merle that would leave her unconscious on the trail. Stago comments that it had to have happened within the last two hours because this was the route he took to come into town. Merle draws a picture of stick figures in the dirt with a stick. The picture indicated three figures with large heads. Two are larger with bigger circles for heads and circles indicating large bellies. One of the large figures appears to hold an ax (or flag or spatula or...) and a big nose. Routunious indicates Merle should come along. Probably out of sheer desire to get things moving again rather than any motivation which might include caring for the safety of the young woman. Regardless of the priest's motivation, the young woman accepts the offer and joins the party, at least temporarily.

2:42 pm
The party discovers a big green form, fallen on the ground. It's a monstrous looking fellow holding a kind of mace and wearing a chainmail loincloth. Selina and Stago look more closely. Intuitively, Stago guesses that this is an ogre. "This must be the one Merle drew holding the stick," says Stago.

"So, there's another one this size and a smaller one around." Reasons Selina, who starts to rifle the ogre. Closer inspection shows that the ogre was pommelled to death. If there was any treasure, Selina didn't reveal it. The party resumes the walk, anticipating what's ahead.

2:58 pm
The party detects movement over the hill, and they move to take cover. That is, except for Routunious and Tick-a-Tick. Routunious reacts by pulling his knife. The party hears an ogreish sound, but low and belchy. A large head peeps over the hill, a much larger ogreish looking bipedal monster w/a giant axe comes over the hill toward the party. Rocks from behind he hill come flying over the monster's head. Routunious attempts to dodge and only suffers half-damage from a glancing blow of a flying rock.

Tick-a-Tick gets hit full on, but suffers only light damage. The monster makes it to Tick-a-Tick by the end of the round. Another giant ogre crests the hill but doesn't rush, just watches.

At the beginning of this round, Stago casts the spell color spray. Dazzling lights stun the monster. Routunious throws daggers, misses, throws once and hits. Merle gasps a lot from her hiding place some 25 feet away. Selina lassoes the creature, binding it, but is too small to bring it down. Tick-a-Tick hits the creature and does some damage. The round ends and the creature is still stunned.

One of Stago's war dogs attacks, but misses its mark. The cats attack and one manages to claw the monster. Tick-a-Tick strikes and kills the giant ogre with his next blow.

The other giant ogre at the top of the hill runs away, howling in fear.

The downed ogre is carrying 11gp, 60ep, 1 gem (black opal that only Selina knows is worth 1000gp), and a gold ewer which resembles a greek vase with curves handles. All earn 293 experience points.

It's a little after 3:00 pm and the group continues to the gem-mining town of Fleckstone.
(played May 22, 2006)