1301: Assembling the Party
[Real Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2014]
Sources: D&D 5E Starter Set Lost Mines of Phandelver Part 1
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1484 DR, Month 1, Day 1
On Kailibruhn-Toril: Sir Isteval recruited the human paladin Azel and the dragonborn cleric of Bahamut Akra to go to Neverwinter and work for Gundren Rockseeker. Meanwhile the blue tiefling bard Blueblood II and his cousin, the high elf warlock Glora Holimion, used one of Blueblood II’s contacts in Neverwinter to get a job working for Gundren as well. Sildar Hallwinter recruited the human fighter Mulp.
They all met up in a tavern in Neverwinter and Gundren shared his tale of the Phandelver pact 500 years ago and the story of his brothers looking for the lost mines. Sildar Hallwinter, Gundren’s human bodyguard, also spoke of his lost friend Iarno Albrek. Gundren and Sildar went ahead to take care of business while the hired adventuring party stayed until morning to get the wagon, oxen, and supplies they were hired to deliver. Sir Isteval said he would head back to Daggerford and seek out more chances for the group to go on missions once they had proven themselves, possibly delivering more items to Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale.
Azel, Akra, Blueblood II, Glora, and Mulp got to know each other some as they spent a few days traveling with the wagon of supplies. As they traveled down Triboar Trail, they found two dead horses (belonging to Gundren and Sildar) blocking the road. Goblins set this up as an ambush. The four goblins proved themselves powerful adversaries by using their hiding ability in the tall grass and taking down both the paladin and the fighter while almost taking down the cleric.
After the battle, Akra healed everyone. They split the party with Azel and Glora going on ahead while the others took a short rest. Azel and Glora spotted both of the goblin traps along the trail to their hideout – Cragmaw Cave. The two guards outside the cave did enough damage to the paladin to knock him unconscious again before Glora was able to finish them off with her eldritch blasts. They rested and waited for the others to arrive. Mulp stayed at the wagons, but Akra and Blueblood II soon joined them.
Inside Cragmaw Cave the group took on the three wolves at the front, with Glora able to convince two of the animals to stand down and Azel killing the other one. The goblin guard on the bridge noticed the party and signaled his buddies to release their water trap. The group barely managed to duck into the wolf cave before the water slammed into them. They approached the area to the left with the goblins led by Yeemik.
When the group talked with Yeemik, they convinced him and his five minions to join them in fighting the bugbear leader and his men on the other side of the cave. Yeemik left Sildar tied up, but when they left, Glora sneaked up in the darkness and untied Sildar. The rest of the group proceeded to fight the bugbear Klarg and his men. In the battle Yeemik and most of his goblins were killed, though two ran away and two stayed alive by the end of the battle. The group decided to let those two goblins live as long as they agreed not to harm people anymore. They tied up Klarg and healed him so they could question him and get some useful info about the Black Spider. Then they killed him. In the lair they found much loot, including provisions stolen from a Lionshield delivery.
The group took Sildar back to Mulp and the wagon. Together, they ventured into Phandalin and returned both the stolen goods to Lionshield and the goods they were hired to deliver to Barthen’s Provisions. They also sold the scimitars and bows they took from the dead goblins. They found out from several people that there was a group of ruffians in town called the Redbrands. Akra visited with the cleric of Tymora in the town and accepted a quest to go speak with a banshee. When Glora helped everyone divide up their share of the loot, Mulp revealed his desire to spend his money to start rebuilding the ruined nearby village Thundertree.
1302: The Blue Devil Gang
Sources: D&D 5E Starter Set LMoP Part 2
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1484 DR, Month 1, Day 5
Ylara Brokenfist, human barbarian woman, joined the group; Sildar hired her to help them deal with the Redbrand ruffians and to assist with rescuing Gundren Rockseeker. Sildar also told the group of his desire to become mayor and bring order to this small town. Ylara, Azel, Akra, Mulp, Blueblood II, and Glora went down the road to the Sleeping Giant tavern to confront the bullies.
Blueblood II tried to go in first to lure them out, but they ended up calling him a blue devil and just wanted to stay in there drinking; Blueblood II learned the location of their secret hideout beneath the ruins of Tresendar Manor. When the others charged in, the Redbrands called the group of heroes “The Blue Devil Gang.” The heroes easily killed all four ruffians.
The halfling farmer Qelline Alderleaf cheered on their victory and thanked them. Her son Carp knew the path through the side forest to get into the secret tunnel of the Redbrand hideout. The group thanked them for the info after Blueblood II played with the kid, hoisting the tiny halfling boy up on his shoulders.
While traveling through the 100’ long underground tunnel, the group members were spotted by the wizard Glasstaff’s familiar, a rat. They killed the rat, but the bad guys inside had time to start gathering forces at the large room with the crevasse in the middle of their hideout.
The group then engaged in combat [for 15 consecutive rounds] as wave after wave of enemy forces came out from side rooms and secret tunnels. In there, they fought 9 Redbrand ruffians, 1 Nothic monster, 1 goblin, 3 skeletons, 3 bugbears, and 1 evil mage (Iarno Albrek, a.k.a. Glasstaff). During the battle Mulp died and each of the rest of them went unconscious at some point; they ended up using all of their healing potions and barely surviving the battle. They searched and looted the entire base, freeing the captured human slaves. They had allowed the bugbears to surrender, but ended up deciding they needed to kill them after learning that they were slavers. Sildar joined them at the end of it, but then went back to the main village area to continue his campaigning for mayor.
The heroes returned to the inn and rested with Glasstaff tied up as a prisoner. The next morning they learned the town was calling for an election for mayor between Sildar and the lady who had been running the mining exchange (Halia Thornton). Blueblood helped Sildar campaign after making an agreement that Sildar would owe him favors as a personal connection. The others went to the townmaster’s office and secured the deed to Tresendar Manor by paying money, filling out forms, and agreeing to restore the manor to its previous glory as a small keep on top of the hill. During this process, they showed the clerk their Adventuring Writ and he told them they needed to fill in their group name; they decided to write down “The Blue Devil Gang.”
They joined the town gathering for the election. Azel helped speak on Sildar‘s behalf. Sildar won the election and Halia, on her way out of the gathering, whispered to Blueblood II that he had made an enemy of the Zhentarim and that she wouldn’t forget this. She then got her 3 guards to bring her carriage up and take her to her house to pack her things and leave town.
1303: Cragmaw Castle & Thundertree
Sources: D&D 5E Starter Set LMoP Part 3
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1484 DR, Month 1, Day 6
Outside of Phandalin: Blueblood II and Ylara achieved success in ambushing the evil Zhentarim agent Halia Thornton, killing her and 2 of her 3 guards. The one they didn’t kill, Radcliff, revealed that it was his job to take care of the horses so he was recruited as their new stabler to care of the 4 horses and carriage for the group. They rejoined Azel, Akra, Glora, and the dead body of Mulp at Stonehill Inn in Phandalin. There, the town NPCs had been celebrating the success of the heroes.
Sildar put Glasstaff in the village jail so that he could later be brought to Neverwinter to stand trial. Barthen gave them all nice maps of the Swordcoast. Toblen Stonehill offered them free stay in their group room at the inn until their manor was built up. The Smithy said he’d build them gates for their underground tunnel. The half-elf apple farmer Daran Edermath marked their maps for 2 quests: destroying undead at Old Owl Well and fighting orcs at Wyvern Tor. Other townies also introduced themselves and offered to buy them drinks. The group sold the loot from Halia’s carriage, except for a masterwork painting of a naked gnome [Elster] that was worth too much for the local merchants to pay them for it.
The group rested up and then, the next day, headed out on their journey to Cragmaw Castle. In the forest, they came upon some angry high elves who spoke to Glora and Blueblood II about Asmodeus and the Feywild. The group then out all of the monsters at Cragmaw Castle: 16 goblins, 6 hobgoblins, 1 grick, 1 owlbear, 1 wolf, 1 doppleganger, and the bugbear King Grol. In doing so, they rescued Gundren Rockseeker and retrieved his map to Wave Echo Cave.
Gundren agreed with their plan to go to Thundertree to find Reidoth the druid and try to get Mulp reincarnated (since he died in service to Gundren), though Gundren pointed out that the Black Spider probably went to the cave and fought with his 2 brothers there. The group encountered the angry elves again and gave them their stolen loot from Cragmaw Castle.
They found Reidoth outside of Thundertree, who told them about all of the threats there: the twig blights, the giant spiders, the Cult of the Dragon members, Venomfang the green dragon, and the evil dwarf Favria (who had been working for Asmodeus). They paid Reidoth the necessary 1,000 gp to reincarnate Mulp (who came back as a dwarf) and then convinced him to help with attacking the green dragon. When the group went to take on the dragon, Blueblood II tried convincing it to leave but when that failed Azel went on the offensive. Venomfang killed Akra and downed both Gundren and Mulp before the group managed to kill him.
Azel used the revivify scroll they got from Cragmaw Castle to bring Akra back to life. While dead, she claimed she had a conversation with Bahamut, who told her to turn the abandoned tavern in Phandalin into a temple of Bahamut and help defend the town from the Cult of the Dragon. From the dragon’s loot, the group found the dwarven-crafted magic battleaxe Hew (that does max damage to wood/plant creatures/objects), which they decided Ylara should use in combat.
When the cultists showed up at the tower, the group killed all but the leader. Blueblood II broke down the leader and got him to confess to the plan to gather a large hoard worthy of Tiamat and bring her into the world to try to conquer it. He also told them about their secret base hidden beneath Old Owl Well in an old Netherese outpost.
The group took out the small monsters in the village and went through the evil dwarf’s celler base. She was out in the forests but her notes and letters were there, indicating her activities working for Asmodeus against the Feywild connections in the woods.
1304: Wave Echo Cave
Sources: D&D 5E Starter Set LMoP Part 4
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1484 DR, Month 1, Day 10
When the group left Thundertree, Reidoth assured them that he would be happy to reincarnate any of them in the future for the base 1,000 gp price of the spell. In the journey from Thundertree to Helm’s Hold, the Blue Devil Gang (Azel, Blueblood II, Glora, Ylara, Akra, Mulp) and Gundren Rockseeker encountered 5 angry tieflings. They easily killed this threat and took a Ring of Protection +1 from the loot. They soon arrived at Helm’s Hold.
At the keep, the Blue Devil Gang was celebrated as heroes (because the people saw the donkey carrying the scales of the green dragon they killed). The Lord of the Vigilant Eyes, leader of Helm’s Paladins at the keep, explained that they recently had to kill many Ashmadai (followers of Asmodeus) that infiltrated the keep and that a powerful green dragon had been terrorizing the area.
Blueblood II secretly joined the Harpers and gave the lady there the info about the Cult of the Dragon. She told the Lord of the Vigilant Eyes and they gathered together a group to go assault the dragons. Akra and Mulp joined that group. Everyone rested for the night. In the morning they rode horses to Phandelver for the day, where they rested again.
The Lord of the Vigilant Eyes recruited Azel to join the Order of the Gauntlet. Akra secured the rights to the abandoned tavern so that she and Mulp would be able to setup a temple in the future and then she left with the Paladins. The Blue Devil Gang brought the green dragon scales to Smithy in Phandelver (but Smithy needed a wizard to help him properly make armor from the green dragon scales and hide).
The Blue Devil Gang, Gundren, and two of his dwarf guards traveled 15 miles to the mountains. They entered Wave Echo Cave and took on the forces of The Black Spider. They found Thundren (the middle Rockseeker brother) dead. They fought 3 gricks, 10 stirges, 9 skeletons, 8 dwarf zombies, a flameskull, Mormesk the wraith, 3 bugbears, a doppleganger, Nezznar the Black Spider, 4 giant spiders, and 3 dragonborn fighters.
They befriended the spectator guardian of the Brazier of Green Flame in the Forge of Spells. They saved Nundro (the youngest of the Rockseeker brothers) and secured the mines. They found a wand of magic missiles, Lightbringer (a +1 Mace of Lathander that glows with an extra 1d6 radiant damage to undead), and Dragonguard (a +1 set of breastplate armor that gives advantage to savings throws against dragon breath weapons). From Mormesk the Wraith, the group got his magic tomes (mostly historical info) and a map (with the old layout of the mine tunnels before the cave-ins and such – very useful for clearing out and rebuilding the place).
The Blue Devil Gang signed a contract with Gundren, giving each of the 4 members there 5% interest in the mining operation (for forever, with a clause that if they died, their share would go to the group, and another clause that if there ended up being a total party kill their shares would go to whoever ends up living in Tresendar Manor).
1305: Death by Paladin
Sources: D&D 5E Starter Set LMoP Part 5
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1484 DR, Month 1, Day 13
Coming out of Wave Echo Cave, the Blue Devil Gang (Azel, Blueblood II, Glora, Ylara) & Gundren (with his brothers and dead guards) saw Radcliff speaking with Me’Urra Thoron. Me’Urra teleported them all to his home: Avenger’s Palace (which used to be Maure Castle). He teleported Avenger’s Palace to the group’s land on top of the Tresender Manor hill.
While they were frustrated to find out that the building shrinks each time it’s teleported and that Me’Urra had created 7 simulacrums (because it took 8 telepaths to teleport the manor), they ultimately decided to allow Me’Urra to leave it parked there since they needed the help of a wizard. They got the full tour and learned how to use the magic parts of the palace. They also saw the paintings of all of the previous owners. Me’Urra agreed to work with the smith to make them their magic armor from their dragon scales and hide.
Several people from Phandalin gathered to check out the mysterious black mansion on top of the hill. Included in them was LotVE (the Lord of the Vigilant Eyes) who was reincarnated as a dragonborn and very angry. He challenged Azel’s honor and they fought, with Azel killing him. They also talked to Akra and Mulp (who was now a red dragonborn). Hallwinter was also a dragonborn (silver). Akra explained that in their mission everyone died but her and Garnet, Chosen of Bahamut, came down and finished off Chartilifax the powerful green dragon.
Garnet used his druid powers to resurrect Hallwinter, Mulp, and LotVE. LotVE had been angry and clearly wanted to stay dead with Helm in the afterlife. Akra pointed out that not only did they destroy the dragon cult members (with her taking a nice bit of loot) but there was also a Red Wizard of Thay there commanding undead that they killed. Lord Mayor Sildar Hallwinter convinced Azel to join the Lord’s Alliance.
Akra joined the group to complete the banshee quest and kill the orcs at Wyvern Tor. This took several days, but was fairly easy for the group. They then went to Neverwinter for more business.
Blueblood II and Gundren went to pirate Captain Laeren Tesper of The Sea Robber to negotiate trading/selling the magic items they didn’t want (and to auction off the naked gnome painting in Waterdeep). Gundren and Hallwinter also hired more guards and miners for Phandalin and the mining operation. Azel filed all of their paperwork and contracts with the officials in the city. Glora & Ylara traded out the mundane gear from their group loot. Everyone met up at the Hall of Justice with the magistrate for the trial of Iarno a.k.a. Glasstaff.
Some members of the Lord’s Alliance tried to bribe the magistrate, but Blueblood II shot that down by pointing out the gold should go to rebuild the city. Azel presented the case with the rest of the group all testifying. Blueblood and Glora were very convincing on the stand – so much so that the magistrate ordered an immediate execution of Glasstaff. Azel volunteered to do the deed so a herald ran out and told everyone nearby to gather near the steps to the Hall of Justice. Azel easily killed Iarno.
The group went back to Phandalin and spent 19 months clearing the mines. During that time they got more training and learned languages with tutors who stayed with them while they guarded the mines. They made a lot of money, with 50 gp a month coming in for each of them. Glora figured out how to solve her uncle’s problems with the simulacrums taking away part of his soul/essence. She convinced the 7 simulacrums to do a magic ritual to put back all of the parts of her uncle that were in them. Me’Urra thanked her for making him whole, but now he won’t be able to teleport the manor again.
Mulp and Akra got married and had 4 children: 2 girls (both pinkish-silver with fire breath & 2 boys (1 red and 1 pinkish-silver with ice breath). The Blue Devil Gang had a group portrait made by one of the new local artists who moved to town. The group convinced the 1st Bank of Neverwinter to open a branch in Phandalin so they could open accounts there.
People moved from both Helm’s Hold and Neverwinter; Phandalin’s population continued to grow throughout the 19 months, with tales of the heroic deeds of the Blue Devil Gang spreading throughout the coastal towns. Blueblood II pursued an open, casual relationship with Gundren. Azel and Ylara began sleeping together, establishing a romantic relationship.
On the day celebrating the completion of the clearing out of the mines (19 months after the trial of Glasstaff – 1485, Month 8, Day 25) a letter arrived for Ylara from a surviving member of her barbarian tribe, Hengar. He requested her help bringing silver weapons to Bryn Shander to help fight wererats. The group decided to have Me’Urra teleport them to Neverwinter so they could hire a ship to take them up the coast to Luskan. Me’Urra told them he wanted to go try to spend time with his sister.
1306: Exhausted & Rescuing Hengar
Sources: Legacy of the Crystal Shard Part 1
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 8, Day 25
In Neverwinter, The Blue Devil Gang (Azel, Blueblood II, Glora, Ylara, & Radcliff) bought silver weapons and winter gear before buying passage on a ship up to Luskan. They were each told by their faction contacts that they were now agents (Rank 2, promoted up from simply being initiates when they were considered Rank 1). In Glora’s meditations, her patron (Oran the Green Lord) told her about the threat of the rise of the evil Dracotaurs. They spent 4.5 days sailing.
After arriving in Luskan, they secured placement as guards and passengers on a caravan going to Bryn Shander – though they were warned that the winter storms had been hitting much colder and much earlier than normal/natural. During the caravan trip (which took much longer than expected due to the heavy snow falling), they fought off 1 large crag cat and 5 bears.
They arrived at the gates of Bryn Shander in a state of heavy exhaustion. When the guards opened the gates 3 Yetis attacked the caravan, spooking the horses. During the attack a snowstorm also hit and the group spotted a mysterious woman with white hair and antlers on her head. The city guards helped calm down the horses and get the caravan into the gates. A merchant guard named Uster, who worked for Aarun the weapons dealer, proved valiant fighting alongside the Blue Devil Gang. He decided to join up with the group while they were in the area. After killing the Yetis, the group tried to get to the mysterious white-haired woman, but she simply melted away. Blueblood suspected that she might have been a simulacrum.
The team heard three different adventure hooks upon arrival in the town. First, one of the merchants complained about a protection racket being run by a shady guy named Slim. Second, the guards blamed the attack on the presence of Hengar – who had been arrested as a thief and stuck on a pole to die from cold. Third, a dwarf merchant woman wanted to hire them to escort her goods to Kelvin’s Cairn. The dwarf lady was willing to wait up to 5 days before hiring someone else to get her goods there.
Ylara insisted they go to save Hengar first. Despite the presence of 2 guards and Sheriff Markham, Ylara still cut free her childhood friend. Tension mounted in which the Blue Devil Gang almost became outlaws, but managed to talk down (persuade and intimidate) the sheriff. Sheriff Markham agreed to let them go talk to the town leader, Speaker Duvessa Shane. They found little help from Duvessa, who said she relied on Sheriff Markham’s judgement. Blueblood threatened her and then bribed her clerk not to tell the Sheriff about the threat.
Meanwhile, the others decided to go question the lady who claimed Hengar stole from her, the linen/cloth merchant (and follower of Auril) Brinna Alcott. Azel and Glora intimidated Brinna into admitting the truth - that she made up the theft charges in order to sacrifice Hengar to Auril in hopes of fighting back the bitter winter. The paladin broke her nose in front of the guards and convinced the sheriff to let Hengar go free. Sheriff Markham suggested they all leave town. Instead, the group (without Blueblood II) went to rest at an inn. Blueblood II broke into Brinna’s home and the guards arrested him. He convinced them to arrest Brinna as well.
The next morning, the group paid Blueblood II’s fine and got him released from jail. They got upset when they found out Brinna would likely be released once someone paid her fine. Hengar insisted they go after Slim, the leader of the wererats. Sheriff Markham pointed out that Slim usually stayed at the Northlook Inn.
The group power-walked to the Northlook and barged into Slim’s room, waking him up and scaring him. Slim tried paying them off with 100 gp to just go away, but they wouldn’t. They intimidated him into admitting that he was a wererat and the leader of a group extorting people through a protection racket. He also agreed to bring them to his hideout, where his wererat men were waiting.
1307: Restoring Reputation in Bryn Shander
Sources: Legacy of the Crystal Shard Part 2
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 9, Day 26
In Bryn Shander, the Blue Devil Gang (Azel, Blueblood II, Glora, and Ylara with Hengar, Uster, & Radcliff) went into the hideout of Slim’s wererats. They fought 12 wererats (2 of whom were clerics of Auril), 1 hobgoblin named Merek, and the human wizard Vaelish Gant – who awesomely threw his dagger and his stolen Blackstaff staff after being silenced and even tried fistfighting the paladin.
They kept Vaelish alive, which came in handy when 2 town guards came to investigate. Blueblood II hid while the others went to deal with the authorities. Blueblood II used rooftops to sneak his way to Gant’s house and found evidence of Gant’s evil plans to take over Ten Towns (as a member of the Arcane Brotherbrood) and the plans to have the wererat crew kidnap the town speaker Duvessa Shane; he also got the name of an evil elf lady in Neverwinter working for the Arcane Brotherhood.
Azel explained the situation to Sheriff Markham and, eventually with the evidence from Blueblood II, came back and cleared their names. They also went to speak with Duvessa Shane and convinced her to have trials for both Gant and the lying merchant lady from the previous adventure session. They executed them both.
The group stayed the night with Uster and the clerk at Aarun’s merchant shop after finding out that Aarun had been murdered by Slim’s group (during the previous evening). Blueblood II slept with and comforted the merchant Travic. The next day, they bought more healing potions and rations and travelled to Lonelywood.
On the way, they encountered a dwarf merchant selling black ice weapons and armor – evil black ice that corrupted people. They killed him and secured the evil items. In Lonelywood, they bribed some locals to tell them how to find a retired human wizard (Waldern Varenne). The old wizard had them catch fish for him. He agreed to teleport their evidence and the stolen Blackstaff weapon to Waterdeep the next morning (and he delivered notes to the Lord’s Alliance and the Harpers for them). After taking care of that, the wizard asked them to tell other people to leave him alone. He also said the people at Blackstaff Tower thanked them (with a pouch with 50 gp).
They headed back to Bryn Shander only to learn that some of the followers of Auril were very angry about the execution of the merchant lady. They found out the dwarf lady Silverstream went ahead to the dwarf valley without them; she left after they had spoiled their reputation in the previous adventure session, before it was fixed in this one.
At some point, the group decided they wouldn’t mind calling themselves the Blue Tribe since they were talking to Hengar about tribes and such. They finally agreed to go with Hengar back to the Elk Tribe. It took them 3 days to cross the wild arctic area, with Hengar leading them and helping them avoid encounters.
1308: Elk Tribe v. Bear Tribe
Sources: Legacy of the Crystal Shard Part 3
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 9, Day 30
Azel, Blueblood II, Glora, Ylara, Radcliff, & Hengar approached the area of the Elk Tribe encampment and discovered a battle in progress; the Ice Witch’s simulacrum led an army (with remaining forces consisting of 10 orcs, 1 yeti, 6 Bear Tribe warriors, and 5 wolves) against the Elk Tribe’s defenses (with many of them already dead). The simulacrum indicated that they had gone there to wipe out the Elk Tribe’s warriors before their planned assault on Bryn Shander.
In harm’s way at the encampment were 6 children. In a long battle (lasting over 16 rounds of combat), the Blue Tribe won (despite the alpha wolf almost killing the good NPCs); the team rescued 5 of the children and 1 Elk Tribe warrior. During the battle Ylara almost died, but found herself very happy to be alive after her near death moment. The group rested and brought the rest of the Elk Tribe (mostly women and children with some non-warrior men) to the Bear Tribe’s camp at Evermelt.
At Evermelt, the team was met by a group of angry Bear Tribe women who told them about their leader King Grunvald and his alliance with both the orcs who killed the original Bear Tribe and the real Ice Witch. The orc leaders and King Grunvald were at the Ice Witch’s black tower across the Sea of Moving Ice. They negotiated that the Bear Tribe would accept Hengar as the new leader of the combined tribes if he went and killed King Grunvald. They all celebrated Highharvestide.
Blueblood II seduced one of the women, Glora found homes for the orphan children, Ylara continued her romantic tension with Hengar, and Azel went with the guide Kjarr back to Lonelywood to speak to their wizard ally. They also each rested. Azel traded his ring of protection for 3 teleport scrolls and then returned with the guide. Blueblood II had the Bear Tribe women make him a detailed map and he used a scroll to teleport himself, Azel, Glora, Ylara, Radcliff, and Hengar to the area of the Ice Witch’s black tower.
They approached the tower and fought the 6 orcs there – including the 1-eyed orc leader that Ylara had the goal of finding and killing (in order to avenge the murder of her tribe). Hengar killed King Gunvald, securing his claim as the new leader of the combined tribes. The group went up the stairs and confronted both Akar Kessell (the insane, weakened lich) and the Ice Witch herself. Ylara told the Ice Witch (Hedruna) about her discussions with the witch’s father and asked her to give up her evil way to make amends and fix her family’s honor.
Hedruna explained that she had been banished by her people for accidentally killing the shaman’s son and they sentenced her to die out in the cold alone. Auril protected her and that was why she was Auril’s chosen and was so devoted to the cause. Blueblood II, Azel, and Glora tried to talk her down from her evil ways and convinced her that using simulacrums was taking away parts of her soul (using Uncle Me’Urra’s story as an example). During their talks, she became convinced that they would serve her so they agreed to have her teleport them all back to Evermelt.
Back at Evermelt, the Ice Witch told the heroes to kill Akar Kessell, which they wanted to do anyway, so they did (though, if he was really a lich, he’ll come back…). Hengar presented the head of the dead king and announced himself the new King of the combined tribes. Blueblood II tried to lasso the Ice Witch, Glora blasted her with eldritch magic, and Hengar ordered the 100 tribes members nearby to help kill her. Ylara, in an amazing display of power, ran up the paladin’s back and jumped up to finish off the Ice Witch!
Hengar took advantage of the moment to propose to Ylara in front of everyone. Blueblood II saved the moment by changing the subject/distracting the crowd. Afterward, Azel claimed Ylara as his woman. Hengar accepted the situation and made them all official honorary members of the Elk Tribe. They all rested.
1309: Auril’s Last Stand in Ten-Towns
Sources: Legacy of the Crystal Shard Part 4
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 10, Day 3
After traveling for most of the day, the Blue Devil Gang (Azel, Blueblood II, Glora, Ylara, and Radcliff) went toward a dwarf tower at the border of the dwarf valley. They ended up fighting a hill giant, a young Yeti, 5 wolves, “Wild Man” Rycher, 8 dwarf zombies, and 5 corrupted dwarf fighters. Radcliff almost died after showing off his ranger healing spells. The group secured the tower and rested. The next day, they made their way to Caer-Dineval.
Outside Caer-DIneval they spoke to people evacuating Easthaven who told them about the corrupted pirates burning down buildings and extorting people for money. They spoke of the valiant bard Jolian Ual who was there fighting the pirates. The group sold their loot and became deputized by the town leader, who had heard wondrous tales of their adventures when Jolian Ual had been through the town. They used their status as guards to requisition horses and made their way to Easthaven. Blueblood II bought a donkey to carry their extra set of magical armor.
In Easthaven, Jolian had used his Feywild contacts (through the Archfeys Oran the Green Lord and Darrian Blueblood) to have an army of centaurs and pixies fighting the pirates. This allowed the group to enter town and make their way to the Tempus temple that had been defiled by the leader of Auril’s cult, Daverick Fain. In the temple, the group fought Daverick Fain, his 6 goblin guards, a baby remorhaz, and a frost giant.
Jolian Ual told the group he’d be happy to provide clean up to the situation by containing and destroying all of the black ice magic items, but told the group they needed to head to take care of the dracotaur threat; the dracotaurs had allied with the Cult of the Dragon, which had been spotted gathering forces and loot near Baldur’s Gate. Jolian also told Blueblood II that he’d ask his father for permission to tell him about the secret identity of his mother once the dracotaur situation was taken care of. The group rested.
They made their way to Bryn Shander to make sure the people there were fine. The Speaker and Sheriff Markham seemed to be flirting when they arrived and they told the group that Auril’s forces had gone to the pirate town and word was that they were defeated. They thanked the group for their heroics. Azel gave Blueblood II the 2nd teleport scroll and Blueblood II teleported the group to some fields outside the city of Baldur’s Gate.
1310: Greenest in Flames
Sources: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Part 1
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 10, Day 6
The Blue Devil Gang entered the city of Baldur’s Gate after showing their adventuring writ to the city guards. They traded out supplies, got horses, and bought new healing potions. Blueblood II met with his pirate contact to give her the group’s magic items to trade out. Ylara and Glora talked with Emerald Enclave contacts to find out that the dracotaurs were sighted near Berdusk and Greenest. Azel confirmed this with his Lord’s Alliance contacts.
They spent a 10-day traveling through the Chlonthar River region, going to Elturel, Scornubel, and Berdusk. In Berdusk, Lord Burnell gave some cryptic hints that he had seen some sort of murderer but he was too much of a coward to do anything about it – implying that one of them was the murderer he was talking about, someone who had killed his or her own family members.
The group spent a day and a half getting to Greenest, arriving at night. Greenest was under attack by the Cult of the Dragon. The Blue Devil Gang fought 2 dracotaur twins, 6 dragonborn fighters, 18 kobolds, a young adult blue dragon, 5 cultists, Cyanwrath (the blue half-dragon), and Frulam Mondath (the human female cleric cult leader). Radcliff and Blueblood II died fighting the dragon. Malcanthet appeared, revealing herself as Blueblood II’s mother. When she demanded the dead body, Glora refused and convinced her to let him decide where he wanted to go after dying and if he wanted to be resurrected.
After taking out the main enemy forces, the group saw the other kobolds flee the village. During all of this, they rescued several of the townspeople, including the monk Leosin Erlanthar. They also secured the keep, where they met Governer Nighthill, his dwarf friend Castellan Escobert the Red, and the one surviving cleric. The cleric used speak with dead and found out Blueblood II wanted to remain dead where he got to spend his afterlife with Pix and other fey creatures; Radcliff did want to continue living so they brought him back to life. Jolian Ual showed up after they had performed the customary elf cremation rituals to Blueblood II’s body. Glora destroyed the bone pipes Malcanthet had been using to have her minions scry on the group.
The next morning, the group (Azel, Glora, Ylara, Radcliff, Jolian, and Leosin) went to the deserted cult camp. They found a chubby gnome sorcerer prisoner (Holic) and two human prisoners. Jolian introduced the group to the prisoners and explained that he was the uncle of the famous adventurer Kamai Ual who had travelled with The Justice League with Petra Reyal, Torvo Reyal, the famous wizard Darius – the group associated with Merej Nnyl. Holic explained that a black half-dragon named Rezmir had taken their essential supplies, the backup cultists, and the dragon eggs off on wagons about an hour before the group arrived. Radcliff and Ylara began using their tracking skills. The rescued humans went back toward Greenest while Holic joined the group, wanting to help find the cult members because they took his stuff when they captured him.
1311: Justice for the Justice League
Sources: Homebrew Halloween Special
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 10, Day 18
In tracking the Cult of the Dragon’s wagons: Azel, Glora, Ylara, Radcliff, Jolian Ual, Holic, and Elosin entered “The Wood of Sharp Teeth.” They assumed the cult either had a secret base in these woods or they were taking the most direct route to Baldur’s Gate. Jolian pointed out that his contact, the tailor in Baldur’s Gate named Gatrak, believed there was Cult of the Dragon activity in the city itself. They found a damanged, abandoned wagon with two dead cultists’s and Holic’s equipment. They rested in the woods.
A fog/mist surrounded them in the morning and the woods seemed to have transformed. What they didn’t realize was that they had been teleported to the Domains of Dread, to the Domain of the evil Dark Lord Daggin. They fought off 8 wolves and 2 werewolves. Leosin the monk was killed and Radcliff may or may not have been infected with lycanthropy. A male voice telepathically spoke to Ylara and convinced her to go to a cave to fight the evil people there. In the cave, they fought 8 skeletons, 3 gargoyles, 1 zombie beholder, and Daggin (who had turned into a mindflayer)!
After they defeated the evil forces, Merry Nill showed up with 3 vampire minions and cut off Daggin’s head, taking over the domain. He explained that after the Spellplague, after PM and TR raised their 1st generation of children, that he and the 2 of them were taken away by the mists (by Death, the Raven Queen, and their other mysterious allies who made up the forces known as the Dark Powers). Eventually, DL questioned enough people to realize where his friends had been swept away to and found a way to get into the Domains of Dread himself. In the attempt by DL to rescue his friends, they killed Lord Count Strahd. The Dark Powers ended up making it so that both DL and TR were Domain Lords (which was possible due to their past connections to evil) and they took PM as a prisoner – no longer to taunt Strahd, but now to taunt Merry.
Merry told the group he could use his powers to just put them back where they came from, or if they were willing, he could send them to an audience with the Raven Queen herself to bargain for the release of the souls of PM and TR. He offered himself as a sacrifice, saying that he believed they were only keeping him here hoping he’d figure out how to use the reality-manipulating powers that Dark Lord Merry had figured out during the battle against Y.
Azel committed the group to go to the Raven Queen and they appeared before her. Holic and Glora (with Azel’s assistance) convinced her to accept the sacrifice. Jolian had to offer himself up as well since the deal was to release 2 souls. The Raven Queen also mentioned that they were only summoned forth because Malcanthet suggested they could be useful as pawns against Merry, but the group’s persuasion made her realize that Death and Asmodeus may have been manipulating her, or at least using this to distract her attention. She thanked them and then let them go.
The group ended up back in the woods with their horses. They set out to continue toward Baldur’s Gate.
1312: Remember, Remember the 5th of Uktar…
Sources: Murder in Baldur’s Gate
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 11, Day 2
The group (Azel, Glora, Ylara, Radcliff, and Holic) traveled to Baldur’s Gate with 1 random encounter, fighting 7 hobgoblin bandits. They discovered a pixie who called himself Pixieson who was hiding in Glora’s saddlbags. The pixie was convinced that the horses were the adventuring party and that the adventurers were dopplegangers impersonating the characters.
They made their way into Baldur’s Gate to take care of trading out loot/supplies (Holic went to get supplies to work on his Fluberzoo and heard about all of the smokepowder and similar alchemical supplies being bought up in town), arranging to stay at the Oasis Inn, stabling the horses, and finding out that their contact Gatrak the gnome tailor was out to go see the big political speech assembly. They also had an encounter speaking with Coran, the retired elf adventurer.
The group made their way to the assembly, where Azel’s brother was in attendance as one of the newly elected parliament replacements (since some members of parliament had been murdered). Azel’s brother introduced Abdel Adrian, the big town hero, to give his speech. While Abdel was talking, an assassin rushed to the stage and assaulted him. The group responded, with Azel cutting off the assassin’s head before Abdel was killed. Abdel transformed into a hulking mass of blood, a Bhaalspawn monster. They had to kill him as the crowd dispersed in all directions.
After the violence, they were approached by 3 different people who offered to meet them that night: the wizard Imbralym Skoond who worked for Duke Silvershield, Commander Ulder Ravengaurd who was in charge of the Flaming Fist guards, and a mysterious unidentified cloaked adventurer who warned them not to trust the first 2 people who approached them.
After the violence was over, Azel’s brother ordered the guards over to arrest Azel and his gang because there was a warrant out for Azel’s arrest (for murdering his father and sister, faking his death, and evading the law) and the Outlaw Posse Code insists that anyone who rides with an outlaw, must also be punished.
The group didn’t want to submit to being arrested, but the politicians assured them they would be placed in the noble district’s holding cells with soft beds and clean cells. The group cooperated and had their weapons and armor put into lockers at the jail station. They ended up not making any of their nighttime meetings and staying in the jail even though they could have easily escaped.
The next morning Coran visited them and offered to arrange their release if they’d look into the activities of Duke Silvershield for him. They said they’d rather stay in jail. They had representatives from the Lord’s Alliance, the Tinkerer’s Guild, and the Emerald Enclave all visit them. They had their trial delayed so that character witnesses could be contacted and have time to respond. Meanwhile, the guards kept telling them about events in the city; Holic taunted the guards
Gatrak visited and they told him about the smokepowder issue and the suspicions Coran had about Duke Silvershild. He said he’d have Pixieson look into Silvershield. Over the next few days, rumors of rioting began to spread as Sumptuary Laws were put into place, tax collectors were attacked, people were searched at the town’s division gates, the Flaming Fist guards massacred a group of unarmed civilians, arson broke out in several locations, their was a sanitation workers strike, Ravenguard became the replaced Duke on the city’s ruling Council of Four that worked with parliament to rule Baldur’s Gate, the upper city noble area locked out the rest of the people, and then the characters asked to just go ahead and have their trial. Also of note was a representative of Bhaal who showed up offering Azel the chance to be a chosen champion of Bhaal as a reward for killing so many people and earning a reputation of being “The Executioner.” The proposal was rejected.
At the trial several people showed up in their defense (Akra, Captain Plum Corlinn, Lord Mayor Sildar Hallwinter of Phandalin, Sir Isteval the retired Purple Dragon Knight, and their legal representatives). Azel’s brother spoke out against them. Each of the characters also spoke in their defense, with Azel having a paladin cast a truth spell before he went, explaining his actions.
Now it’s public record that his father abused and killed his sister. His brother tried to withdraw the charges when Azel said he wouldn’t seek to retake control of his family’s lands, but the Council of Four presiding over the trial pointed out that murder charges can’t be withdrawn. The Council unanimously decided to find the group not guilty of the charges.
They then went to Gatrak, who was working on making them disguises so that they would be able to continue following the Cult of the Dragon. He found out that the cultists were heading out disguised as merchants to go meet up with more cultists somewhere. The pixie arrived with news that Duke Silvershield had collected all of the explosives and blown up the parliament building with parliament inside!
The group confronted Dukes Silvershield and Ravenguard with 4 guards outside of the blast zone from the parliament building. They fought with the heroes victorious. Lots of citizens watched on and Coran approached them afterward, convincing them to immediately go to the other 2 ruling dukes. They complied, bringing the dead bodies with them. Upon arriving there, they found Gatrak already explaining the situation. Dukes Belynne Stelmane and Dillard Portyr gave each of them a reward of 100 gp except for Azel, who asked for a ring of protection.
Azel got down on 1 knee and officially proposed to Ylara. She said yes and they arranged to have the wedding the next day. The dukes offered Azel the title of duke with appointments to their ruling council and as head of Baldur Gate’s guards. They said that with all of the chaos in the city that they needed a man like him. He told them he’d sleep on it and let them know the next day.
The group officially accepted Holic as a member of their tribe/clan. They also transferred some money in accounts for both the gnome and Radcliff.
1313: The Road from Baldur’s Gate to Waterdeep
Sources: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Part 2
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1485 DR, Month 11, Day 11
Azel and Ylara realized she was pregnant when she got a dream vision featuring the Raven Queen, who promised to protect her child after it was born by sending some vampires to subtly make sure no evil cult members kidnap the baby to attempt to kill it in a ritual (like what happened to Petra when she was born). Azel also accepted the offer to become a duke in Baldur’s Gate and be in charge of establishing a new city guard. They had a magnificent wedding with their friends in attendance. They expect to have their baby around 1486, Month 7, during the 1st 10-day.
Sir Isteval helped bring together the new adventuring group, which couldn’t decide on a name. It included Glora, Radcliff calling himself Bluecloak, Holic, Prince Daen Lenor (half-elf heir to the Darius family throne who needs to prove himself in the world), and a shy elf druid named Aldea Oakstaff.
They all met with Gatrak the gnome tailer to get their disguises and the details of the assignment: they were infiltrating the caravan suspected of carrying the treasure the Cult of the Dragon had been collecting with the goal of finding the Cult’s meet up location and gathering as much intel on them as possible. Glora was disguised as a man named Marco, Holic bleached his hair to be the merchant, Aldea spent time each day as a dog listening to the suspected cultists, Radcliff called himself Daniel (and ended up being traded out with the mage driver of the suspected carriage), and Daen networked with all of the guards.
On the group’s journey, they ended up traveling only about 15 miles per day with the caravan, which made the 750-mile journey take over 50 days. Holic accidentally gave away his identity on Day 1 while giving out free alcohol to network and try to flirt with the other merchants. He paid off the greedy attorney on the trip (Aldor Urnpoleshurst, male human) not to tell anyone.
The group also got to know: Achreny Ulyeltin (Male Human Merchant), Beyd Sechepol (Male Half-Elf Merchant), Enom Tobun (Male Halfling Teamster), Leda Widris (Female Human Guard), Noohar Serelim (Male Moon Elf Merchant) with his mute brother Selvek, Orvustia Esseren (Female Human Guard), Oyn Evenmor (Male Human Merchant), Radecere Perethun (Male Rock Gnome Traveler), Sulesdeg the Pole (Male Human Guard), and Tyjit Skesh (Female Shield Dwarf Guard). They dealt with a rude group of adventurers (who may have conned them) and the Commander who was abusing his horses until they intervened.
Eventually, the caravan was joined by Azbara Jos (an exiled red wizard of Thay) and Jamna Gleamsilver (a female gnome who was an agent of the Zhentarim working with the Harpers to bring down the Cult of the Dragon). Jamna convinced the group to distract the Cultists while she secretly examined their carriage. At this point the group realized the Cult of the Dragon had probably sent its best treasure and officers ahead of the main caravan. Holic and the Commander of the Cult ended up in a major public duel, in which Holic slowly killed the Commander.
Jamna had time to kill the dragonborn guy hiding in the carriage and verify that it was really the ones they were looking for (and possibly steal some loot). The group had also found out from the cultist they called Mage that the bad guys knew about Holic and his dragon brother. Azbara Jos took command of the Cultist’s carriage at that point.
1314: Getting in Bed with the Cult of the Dragon
Sources: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Part 3
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 1, Day 10
The group (with Glora, Holic, Radcliff, Daen, Aldea, and Jamna Gleamsilver) decided to call themselves the Sapphire Circle; they entered Waterdeep with the rest of the caravan group. The carriage with the cultists broke off to the north so Aldea and Daen followed them; they discovered the cultists were at a warehouse making arrangements to travel north 200 miles to the Carnath Roadhouse with Lord Neverember’s company.
Jamna found out Rezmir had traveled through approximately a 10-day ago and should be arriving at the Carnath Roadhouse right at that point. Glora, Holic, and Radcliff dropped off Gatrak’s carriage and goods to the female gnome contact (who also dyed Holic’s hair back for him). Holic spent the night talking with his half-brother’s dragonborn descendants at their taverInn The Gnoll’s Fl-Ale (which served “Shots of Horror”) and then sleeping with a random townie while the others stayed at Ye Ol’ Drag-Inn.
Daen used his noble background to get the group an appointment with Lord Tesper, the gray-haired merchant who suggested they go to (the arrogant) Lord Phosphor IV to get him to teleport them for the next morning. They agreed to pay Lord Phosphor in scrolls, but he wanted 1 scroll per person he was teleporting; they gave him 2 scrolls and promised to owe him the rest. Holic had also arranged for Silverstaff of the Silver Tower to teleport them, but he wanted 400 gp so they just went with Lord Phosphor (who studied a map and left them on the road outside of Carnath Roadhouse).
Once the group was inside the roadhouse, one of the cultists and Holic recognized each other from when he was kidnapped and tortured so Holic killed the man. The group battled and defeated Lady Rezmir the black half-dragon (who had the intelligent greatsword Hazirawn), the half-orc Bog Luck, and the 5 cultists with them. The human construction crew from Lord Neverember had already mysteriously disappeared.
Glora meditated to contact Oran the Green Lord and had him send “Twigs” the green-haired elf to come get the 5 rescued dragon eggs. The group rested as Jamna and Radcliff tortured the captured cultists for information; they found out that the treasure was taken by lizardmen who come at night to sneak the crates through the swamp to Castle Naerytar (a base led by an elf supremacist who commands bullywugs and lizardmen that don’t naturally get along with one another). The swamp supposedly houses a black dragon and some Yuan-Ti that have no allegiance to anyone other than their own kind.
When the lizardfolk arrived, the group convinced them that they were cultists and they got the lizards to escort them through the swamp, even showing them the entrance to the lair of the black dragon (named Voaraghamanthar). They took canoes to Castle Naerytar. Along the way, Holic openly plotted to help the lizardmen to kill the bullywug leader and the elf Lord Dralmorrer Borngray. The lizardfolk agreed to follow the gnome if he took out the bullywugs and Borngray. The group arrived at the castle and brought the crate of treasure they had to Lord Borngray, who had all of the non-elves leave the room. Glora and Aldea successfully convinced him that they would help him rise in power in the Cult of the Dragon.
The group twent up to the astrological observatory and Holic fixed the equipment. They used the farseer of Illusk, a magical device that could see anything within 50 miles around the castle. It was pointed at the dragon cave and the group learned that there were actually 2 black dragons. They mapped out the lair and assessed its forces of 50 kobolds with some giant lizards. The elf ladies went to Borngray and agreed to kill Rezmir and make a new deal with the black dragon to get more treasure for Tiamat.
They took the group back through the swamp and negotiated with the dragon, who insisted on getting to keep Hazirawn but allowed them to take 20% of the treasure. They made it back to Carnath Roadhouse and took out the group of cultists that arrived. After that, they made their way back to Castle Naerytar and reported their success to Borngray who welcomed Glora and Aldea into his bed (which they, surprisingly, accepted).
The group plans to use the portal in the basement of the castle to teleport to the Hunting Lodge near Parnast ruled by the elf Talis the White to assassinate her (while making it look like an accident) so that Borngray will get promoted into the position Talis holds and he will leave them in charge of Castle Naerytar so that they will be able to gather the intel they need to fully take down the Cult of the Dragon.
1315: The Legend of the Mocking Bird
Sources: Mere of Dead Men Series from Dungeon Magazine Issues 69-73
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 1, Day 23
At Castle Naerytar the Sapphire Circle (Glora, Holic, Radcliff, Daen, Aldea, and Jamna Gleamsilver) found themselves accused of being spies when a Red Wizard of Thay showed up. Borngray said he trusted his ladies, especially when they pointed out the Red Wizard was only taking issue with them killing Rezmir’s group as per their secret orders from Borngray. The black dragon Voaraghamanthar (or his identical twin Waervaerendor pretending to be him) showed up with an evil Pirate-Cleric of Myrkul (who had been de-statued thanks to knowledge from the sword Hazirawn).
The Pirate-Cleric explained the ancient prophecy that he read a translation of that said Myrkul could only be truly destroyed by the Mocking Bird known as the Mere-J, which long ago was assumed to refer to the mockingjay living in the area now known as the Mere of Dead Men – before the lich Iniarv turned the area into an evil swamp, also before Myrkul was killed at Blackstaff Tower in Waterdeep, also before the Dracolich Ebondeath (who was an agent of the Cult of the Dragon back when they were obsessed with trying to control the world by turning dragons into Dracolichs) was destroyed and his bones left in the sunken Uthtower Temple to Myrkul.
The group accepted the mission to collect the lost Rings of Myrkul in the swamp at different locations and bring them together to raise Uthtower out of the ground so they could retrieve the loot and bones of Ebondeath. They took along a magic gem that allowed the dragon to watch them; the dragon teleported them to their locations and also sent the lizardfolk army and the bullywug army to other locations to fight off opposing lizardfolk tribes and undead tribes.
The Sapphire Circle with their “allies” the cultist assassins and the Red Wizard fought the lich Iniarv in his lair with his 6 ghoul minions. By finally killing Iniarv and destroying his phylactery, they had gotten rid of the evil magical energies that made the area a swamp; over time it should return to its natural state. They went to Datou’s Evil Grove and fought the evil vampire druid with his 3 vampire spawn ladies and 6 ghouls (Aldea cleverly got a tree to help battle and stake the master vampire!). After that, they rested for the night.
The next morning, they took on the forces of Holk House, a demon cult, with 1 Hezrou Demon, 4 Wraiths, 12 ghouls, and 1 Evil Priest. They avoided combat with the Will-O-Wisps that protected the shard to the plane of Eldath (an ancient goddess of Peace, Springs, and Druid Groves). The black dragon then forced them to go with the Pirate-Cleric of Myrkul to Uthtower and raise it up from the ground.
When they went in, the cleric used the Throne of Myrkul and the Rings of Myrkul to do a ritual and bring Myrkul back into the world! Myrkul offered to make them Chosen/Champions. The cleric and Holic accepted. The group took the dragon’s portable hole and went down to the underground chapels/mausoleums and found the loot and bones of Edondeath along with the Twinned Crown of Uthtower – knowing that the dragon twins already have the Crown of Yarlith that is connected with it. They decided to rest and take their time collecting the loot before going out to confront or at least talk with the dragon(s).
1316: The Shadow League & Bones of Edbondeath
Sources: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Part 4
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril
Multiverse Update
Duke Azel & Dutchess Ylara of Baldur’s Gate:
While Azel has been political (recruiting people for parliament in Baldur’s Gate – including Bryn Shander’s Speaker Duvessa) he also named his new order of guards the Swords of the Sacred Flame and appointed the pregnant Ylara as the Commander of the troops. The sheriff from Bryn Shander became their Lt. Commander. They made sure to encourage the guards to be of the faith of Tempus. It has become common knowledge in the realms that Baldur’s Gate is now protected by Tempus Knights.
Dardren & Darrian Blueblood:
Dardren was bored being dead so when Malcanthet offered him a chance to come back and spy on Asmodeus and his agents for her, he took it. She had him going around the 9 Hells and the City of Brass (where he got to stay in an apt for her) while wearing a magic ring that turned him into an Incubus while he wore it (though he would have to leave the ring behind if he decides to stop working for her). Dardren found out Asmodeus has forces in Neverwinter Wood. The Raven Queen told Darrian about his son’s resurrection and offered to train Darrian to be able to better control the Feywild. He accepted her offer.
Garnet & Akra:
Garnet & Akra worked together to take out the forces of Asmodeus at and around Helm’s Hold, claiming it as Bahamut’s Citadel of the Dragon. The Raven Queen visited them and offered to stop allowing undead to attack Neverwinter. She also told them about the devils in Neverwinter Wood. From this location, they could help secure the entire area around Neverwinter (eventually).
Mya Thoron:
On Oerth, Mya protected the interests of nature and civilization during the Greyhawk Wars, helped keep the forces of Iuz from overrunning the settled regions of the world, helped destroy Vatun when he returned, and had lately been pursuing rumors that Dragotha (male dracolich) had been amassing a great hoard of wealth to send to Kalibruhn-Toril to help bring back his former lover Tiamat. Mya decided to take a team and try to stop him.
PM & DL:
Instead of actually being killed off, the Raven Queen spared PM’s life and offered her a seat on the council of Dark Powers that control the Domains of Dread – but PM would have to do it in secret. She went and spoke with DL, who was kicking butt taking over domains. Together, they realized that the Raven Queen was actually Merry (who somehow took over her body and has her powers) so they agreed to work with her (him) on the plan supposedly coordinated with TR before he died. PM joined the Dark Powers under the alias Dark Phoenix. DL spent a while killing the other Domain Lords and then won his freedom. He decided to join the Dark Powers but to also go help Elminster repair the weave while they all wait for Kelemvor to bring TR back to life. Once TR comes back to life, the old Justice League could become the Shadow League (of Justice) controlling the council of Dark Powers.
Elster/Tyra:
Having found out about the Cult of the Dragon looking for her, Elster/Tyra had her agents send them off to the wrong place to look for her and her hoard. She put her family into safe houses with a minimal crew running their shop and inn in Waterdeep. With the note from Holic, she also found out her father moved to Neverwinter. She sent people out to find her half-brother with orders to teleport him and separate his stuff so he can’t be scryed upon – but they didn’t find him yet.
RPG Date: 1486, Month 1, Day 25
At Uthtower, the Sapphire Circle (Glora, Holic, Daen, Aldea, Radcliff, and Jamna) had rested and were trying to decide what to do with the bones of Ebondeath. The Pirate Cleric of Myrkul (named Merbum) brought in the elf Abadda Moonglamaer and the group discussed killing the black dragon twins living in the swamp. They ultimately decided to give the dragon back its portable hole with the loot from Edondeath’s hoard and get it to attune to the Twinned Crown of Myrmoran from Uthtower (that matched the other Twinned Crown of Myrmoran from Yarlith its twin brother had) because it not only granted them powers but also made it so that when one of them took damage, the other one did as well. They pretended to loot more during that hour while Glora went and discussed the situation with Borngray.
They all ended up fighting the twin black dragons in the courtyard of Castle Naerytar with the help of the Myrkul followers and Borngray (who was a badass in the fight). Radcliff died when the dragon V dropped the loot from the portable hole onto him. The group killed the dragons and Merbum.
Holic summoned Myrkul and got him to resurrect Radcliff, but under the stipulation that they had to finish the fluberzoo and get the Bones of Ebondeath within the next 3 days or he would kill them both. The group didn’t want to give Holic the Bones of Ebondeath so they left him at the castle with Borngray while they went to get the loot from the lair of the twin dragons. That gave Holic a chance to get Borngray to send him through the portal in the basement to the hunting lodge to assassinate Talis the White (and thus free up a position for Borngray to get the promotion he wanted).
Once Holic was there, he discovered 4 teleport circles in total, not just the 1 he came through. When he went to speak with Talis the White and she disrespected him, he summoned Myrkul and the 2 of them worked together to kill her. Myrkul brought Talis back as an undead minion and Holic returned to Borngray – leaving the agents at the hunting lodge thinking the responsibility for the assassination fell completely on Myrkul’s agent (and thus not being associated with Borngray).
Glora, Daen, Aldea, Radcliff, and Jamna convinced all but 1 of the kobolds to leave the lair of the dragons. The last kobold tried to fight Daen and failed miserably. They got the loot and consulted with Oran the Green Lord – who updated Glora about the situation with Asmodeus, the Raven Queen, Darrian, and Dardren. Oran sent Twigs (the Elf) to get Dardren (who agreed to come rejoin his cousin and left his ring of Incubus form behind).
Twigs and Dardren “Blueblood II” joined the Sapphire Circle members. Twigs teleported the Bones of Ebondeath and the remaining Rings of Myrkul to Darrian in the Feywild and he destroyed them. While there, Twigs told Darrian about his suspicions regarding the Raven Queen.
The Sapphire Circle returned to Castle Naerytar, now with Blueblood II using his alter self spell to pretend to be an elf. The group convinced Holic to go seek out clerics of Kelemvor and repent his ways of working for Myrkul. Borngray gave them the code word to activate the portal outside the lodge that went to a secret Thayan base. There, the group paid the secret Thayan rebels to teleport them to a temple of Kelemvor. Holic and Radcliff explained their situation and offered to help fight Myrkul. This alerted Kelemvor so that he would be ready for a defense.
Kelemvor offered his dead champions of the past a chance to return and serve him in defending him. Torvo accepted (as per the plan with Merej/the Raven Queen). Kelemvor’s side won the battle, destroying Myrkul for forever (Merej actually showed up in disguise and delivered the killing blow as per the old prophecy of the Mocking Bard Mere-J)!
Kelemvor’s High Cleric strongly suggested that Holic and Radcliff retire from adventuring so they had someone teleport them to Waterdeep. Meanwhile, the remaining Sapphire Circle members returned to Castle Naerytar where Glora and Aldea have been put in charge of the swamp’s operations while Borngray had gone to take command of the hunting lodge near Parnast; Borngray wanted to also take over the flying castle being used by the Cult of the Dragon, but he would need another promotion.
1317: The Borngray Identity, The Borngray Supremacy, & The Borngray Ultimatum
Sources: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Part 5
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 1, Day 28
At Castle Naerytar: Glora, Blueblood II, Daen, Aldea, and Jamna had to plan their next move. They discussed quite a bit about Borngray and the Cult of the Dragon before deciding to use the portals to pay the Red Wizards to teleport them to Waterdeep.
In Waterdeep, the group took care of a lot of business: selling loot, splitting loot, banking, contacting Lord Thesper and his daughter Laeren to sell more of their magic items (with Daen convincing Laeren to go reconcile with her father), donating books to the library (in exchange for the sages getting them repaired), leaving dragon scales with Gatrak’s contact, and using the government office to claim both the Mere of Dead Men (they paid 10,000 gp for) and Iniarv’s Tower (they paid 5,000 gp for).
Both of those properties were put down as split ownership between Daen, Aldea, Glora, Holic, and Radcliff. Jamna didn’t know that she was cut out of ownership of the group property. Blueblood II contacted the Harpers and let them know that he was alive and working to stop the Cult of the Dragon. Daen left a note for the Moonstars saying he was interested in joining them.
Before coming home, the group also found an adventuring party of elves (with a male cleric named Slithelin and 4 female fighters) who they got to remove curse on Abadda Moonglamaer (the undying curst prince of Illefarn blood). Moonglamaer wasn’t happy that the group had claimed the land he said rightfully belonged to his family as a descendant of the Illefarn elves, but they reached a compromise that he could create New Illefarn City in the southern part of the Mere of Dead Men and he could keep any loot that he got clearing out areas of the swamp. They will call the entire area The Sapphire Coast.
The group brought their new elf allies to Naerytar Castle. The Sapphire Circle went ahead to the hunting lodge on the other side of the portal to meet with Borngray, who insisted that either or both Glora (known as Milana) and Aldea (known as Helena) provide a child for him. When Aldea said no, Borngray felt rejected and – being the insecure jerk he is – insulted her wood elf heritage. He then impregnated Glora while the rest of the group gathered info about Trespin the 4-armed troll, Craggnor the dwarf, and other members of the Cult of the Dragon. Borngray told them about Skyreach castle being controlled by a romantic giant named Blagothkus (which was his reason for planning a romantic union ceremony with “Milana” for the day of the Winter Festival).
The Sapphire Circle hiked the 5 miles to Parnast Village, met with Captain Othelstan, and then got themselves into Skyreach Castle where they accused Azbara Jos the Red Wizard of being a traitor. This led to massive combat with the group defeating Captain Othelstan, 6 ogres (who switched sides during battle), 6 cultists, Azbara Jos, Rath Modar, and Glazhael “The Cloudchaser” the adult white dragon. At the end of the battle all of the enemies were dead except for Rath Modar, who was unconscious and the 1 ogre who helped fight the dragon.
1318: Furina & the Giant Compromise
Sources: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Part 6
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 1, Day 29
The Sapphire Circle (Glora, Blueblood II, Daen, Aldea, and Jamna) picked up where they left off last time at Skyreach Castle, without having a chance to rest. It started snowing and Aldea’s twin sister Furina showed up with 2 young green dragons (Borngray killed her 3rd one) and 2 red wizard wannabes. The group had to fight them, 40 kobolds, and 2 vampirespawn with the master vampire flying off. The group’s ogre friend from the last battle and the 2 stone giants (Wiglof and Hulda) helped the group, but all died during combat.
When she first arrived, Furina made a big deal about finding out about them from hearing about them buying the Mere of Dead Men. Furina also said she then went and confronted Borngray, who – big reveal – killed her and Aldea’s parents back when the Eldreth Veluuthra tried to take over the Wealdath. Furina also revealed that she was a warlock working for an Ancient Elder One from the Far Realm who warns that armies of primordials and devils will come in the future to try to take over the world and that is why she is working to help bring Tiamat and her army to protect the world from outside threats. When Furina explained all of this, Jamna got upset about being left out of the land deal for the Mere of Dead Men (though Daen later apologized and paid her 2,500 gp to try to make up for it; she was still upset).
The giant in charge of the flying castle, Blagothkus, let the group rest up (with his griffon watching them and convincing them to make breakfast for everyone). They took Rath Modar and Furina prisoner and questioned them both before deciding to let Furina join them (once she agreed to stop helping the Cult of the Dragon). They had Furina kill Rath Modar after he revealed all of the intel about the Well of Dragons and the ritual to bring Tiamat back into the world. The group’s success here means the cult should be delayed at least a year or 2, if not completely.
The group allowed Blagothkus to fly them to the giants in the mountains in the north. They learned that the spirit of Escarlotta, the wife of Blagothkus, was trapped in the castle. They convinced the giants to join in the war against the Cult of the Dragon. They then used the Ring of Mind Shielding to release the soul of the black dragon twins (from the Mere of Dead Men) into a stone golem, which allowed their combined essence to have a new body and teleport away, but also cleared out the ring so that Escarlotta could be put into the soul gem in it. They then put Escarlotta’s soul into the other stone golem on the castle. In exchange for the ring and freeing his wife, Blagothkus gave the group a bunch of loot and flew them to Waterdeep. Furina did reveal that her telepathic powers granted by her patron would allow her mind into the castle’s controls as well.
The group ended this quest in Waterdeep collecting their money from Laeren Tesper (who sold their magic items from before); they were happy to hear that she in fact reconciled with her father. The group members split up their loot and found Radcliff at the inn they had stayed at before. They gave him the good news about buying the Mere of Dead Men as a group and his share of the loot. They expect Blagothkus to return to check on them in about a 10-Day with news of the giant’s war council plans.
1319: A Call to Arms Against Tiamat
Sources: Rise of Tiamat Part 1, Ghost of Dragonspear Castle Part 1
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 1, Day 30
The Sapphire Circle (Glora, Daen, Aldea, Blueblood II, Furina, Jamna, and Radcliff) celebrated at the taver-inn they were staying at in Waterdeep. They split up the group loot and made plans for securing Naerytar Castle, including making Radcliff the permanent Captain of the Castle guard (while also training the mated pair of wyverns) and hiring more people to work there.
Furina pointed out that the Cult of the Dragon has an army of dragonborn/half-dragons before she was attacked my a Far Realms winged tentacle monster that sucked out her memories and terrified her. The group killed the monster and spoke about the incident with the guard, including the wizard Rudolfo Greystem II. Daen ended up interviewing the wizard and convincing the group to hire both him and his father to work for them. That night Jamna and Blueblood II slept together (after she got him drunk).
Jamna left the group and went to go start assembling a council of Sword Coast leaders to be prepared to meet with Blogothkus upon his arrival with the army of giants. The group took care of business, including bank runs and trading out gear. Aldea came up with the plan to use the magical twinned crowns with her sister to try to return memories and make her a stable adult again. The plan worked, but the crowns came with a secret curse – they cannot be removed until death (which explains why the black dragons didn’t remove them in battle).
The group went to Naerytar Castle (with their newly hired wizard and his father teleporting them back and forth) to stable the wyverns and show the new staff around. Glora found the letter and 5,000 gp left to her by Borngray (saying that she was probably pregnant with twins or triplets for him and that he would be sending elves and would eventually come back for her and the children). She ended up writing a letter for Radcliff to be able to show people saying that she sold the castle to the Sapphire Circle; she also suggested that they capture Borngray if he showed up there. The owners of the castle went ahead and paid for a year’s worth of upkeep (small keep at half staff = 50 gp a day with 25 skilled and 25 unskilled workers = 1,500 gp a month = 18,000 gp a year, divided by 5: 3,600 gp each from Daen, Aldea, Glora, Radcliff, and Holic – whom they left a message for with his dragonborn family members).
They also met with their contacts. Blueblood II spoke with both the Harpers and a new tiefling criminal contact. Aldea joined the Emerald Enclave. Daen and Glora had a dinner with Renaer Neverember, the son of Lord Dagult Neverember so that he could get to know them and, on a probationary basis, initiate Daen into the Moonstars (explaining for him to publicly wear his secret society ring).
For the Council of Waterdeep meeting, Daen’s eldest sister Jalaine Lenor came to Waterdeep and tried chiding him for his recent actions, blaming him for the war situation exploding in the first place. Daen then donated 3,577 gp back to help the people hurt by the Cult of the Dragon. At the actual council meeting, several elite were there with their guards:
*Representing the Harpers: Remallia Haventree (female moon elf fighter)
*Representing the Order of the Gauntlet: Ontharr Fume (male human paladin of Torm)
*Representing the Emerald Enclave: Delaan Winterhound (male half-elf ranger)
*Representing the Lord’s Alliance:
Of Waterdeep: Lady Laeral Silverhand (female human wizard)
Of Waterdeep/Neverwinter: Lord Dagult Neverember (male human fighter)
Of Mithral Hall: Ambassador Connerad Brawnanvil (male shield dwarf fighter)
Of Baldur’s Gate: Duke Azel Lennor-Tessen & Dutchess Ylara
Of the Misty Forest: Elf King Melandrach (male wild elf fighter/druid)
Of Silverymoon: Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade (male human wizard)
Of Fenwick: Jalaine Lennor (female half-elf diplomat)
*Representing the Zhentarim (at Lord Nevermber’s side):
Rian Nightshade (female tiefling warlock) with Agent Jamna Gleamsilver
*Representing the Giants: Blogothkus
*Representing the Sapphire Circle: Daen, Glora, Aldea, & Blueblood
*Noticeably missing from the meeting was Sir Isteval.
In The Council of Waterdeep’s preliminary session they all agreed they needed Sir Isteval to come lead the actual war effort. For now, they mostly want to focus on building up armies and militias and preparing defense. The dwarves and the giants are going to go ahead and start striking against some Cult of the Dragon targets and the Zhentarim will focus on infiltrating high-level members of the cult.
The Sapphire Circle agreed to go to Daggerford, where Sir Isteval has stayed because a black dragon has been plaguing the area. The group got to speak with Azel and Ylara for a bit. Blueblood went and had a private discussion with Jamna and Rian Nightshade, in which he found out Jamna has taken over the Hunting Lodge near Parnast and posted guards there to defend it.
The group had their wizard teleport then to Daggerford, where they arrived in time to see the hanging of a red wizard. They met up with Sir Isteval and his elf friend Lord Darfin Floshin. Lord Daggerford showed up for the hanging. A rider arrived and announced that the black dragon had attacked Cromm’s Hold. The Sapphire Circle convinced Sir Isteval to stay behind while they took 10 guards and rode out to deal with the problem. When they got to the keep, Lady Cromm told them she gave the dragon an old alter to appease him so he’d leave without killing any more of her men.
The group tracked the dragon through the lizard marsh with a guard/guide and 5 other guards. They confronted a group of half-orc/dwarves that they intimidated into running away. The group had a black dragon egg that hatched into a wyrmling. The group brought the wyrmling back to its parent, a male black dragon who said his girlfriend was off working with the Cult of the Dragon and left him there with the eggs. They made a deal and exchanged the wyrmling for the altar. The group headed back to Cromm’s Hold where Lady Cromm asked them to bring the alter to Sir Isteval.
1320: The Temple of Elemental Evil at Daggerford
Sources: Ghost of Dragonspear Castle Part 2
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 2, Day 10
The Sapphire Circle (Glora, Aldea, Daen, & Blueblood II) stayed at Sir Isteval’s place after learning that the altar they recovered last time was actually to Olhydra, the Prince of Elemental Water. The altar to Yan-C-Bin, the Prince of Elemental Air, was stolen from the Floshin Estate.
While resting, Blueblood II met Jekk Ironfist. They ended up drinking and sleeping together. The next morning, the group questioned the town’s captured dworc and learned that the black dragon from the lizard marsh (from last time) had been manipulated by the Red Wizards and that was why he stole the altar.
Maechen the scout brought a wanted poster for “Boo Boo Doll” the Red Wizard lady and the group realized the Maechen from the day before was an imposter. When they went to check on the altar to Olhydra, it had been stolen. They met with the wizard Delfen Yellowknife, who gave them a book about the history of Thay to read and gave them info about families in the area long ago establishing a Temple of Elemental Evil in the Daggerford area. He suggested they go to the Ambergul family estate ruins to check it out and try to find the next altar.
Jekk joined the group as they took on the Ambergul estate ruins. They had to deal with traps and a riddle. They fought a lich, 4 mummies, a medusa, and a flesh golum. Blueblood II got turned to stone but Aldea flew him back to Daggerford and paid for a cleric to do greater restoration. They then rejoined the others, who had talked down some minotaurs and rescued Thord Ironaxe the dwarf. The dwarf had been working for “Boo Boo Doll” and thus the Red Wizards. He reported that his son Grit and their half-ogre friend got away with the Elemental Earth altar’s node.
The group enjoyed the loot, especially a sphinx statue that would magically answer 1 question per person; according to the sphinx, Furina was attacked by a monster sent by ERK (who is not her patron). They brought the petrified “Boo Boo Doll” red wizard back to Daggerford and had Sir Isteval get the church to use greater restoration on her (and she was taken as a prisoner of Duke Daggerford, who had her executed).
Back at Castle Naerytar, Furina communicated to Aldea about the elves of “New Illefarn” having an army of about 50 “super-humans” who were building a fence/wall around their claimed area. Furina was also trying to romance Radcliff.
The group journeyed back to Daggerford and found out that Laeren Tesper’s ship The Sea Robber had crashed along the shore and people had recovered her diary. Her crew was found dead, but it was assumed her body was lost at sea. Blueblood II took her diary. Daen and Glora questioned Thord, who they had turned over to Duke Daggerford as a prisoner. They got the dwarf to draw the layout of the Ironaxe clan base at Mount Illefarn so that Blueblood II and Aldea could go infiltrate the place and get the Fire Elemental node before Grit gets there (thanks to the sphinx, they knew the item’s exact location). Their plan worked with Blueblood II distracting the insane dwarf king while Aldea made her way back as a bird.
Meanwhile, Daen and Glora had Delfin Yellowknife teleport them so they could get the sphinx statue into their portable hole. They made it out of the Ambergul Estate ruins before the Minotaur army secured the halls. They teleported back to Daggerford and told Duke Daggerford they would relinquish their claim to the land if he would give them back the dwarf prisoner; they also made it clear there was a Minotaur army there, which Kelson Darktreader paid attention to. The duke agreed to the deal. Aldea returned, announcing their success of finally securing 1 of the elemental nodes. Daen put it in the portable hole; he also paid for wizard training and books from Yellowknife.
Blueblood II bought a horse from the dwarves and rode it back, meeting elf Prince Alagarthas and his 18 guards. They were out hunting the green dragon Chuth known as the “Emerald Assassin.” The elves decided to travel back to Daggerford with the bard. Once back, they quickly bonded with the adventuring party. Aldea and Prince Alagarthas flirted. The group (except for Blueblood II and Jekk, who stayed behind romancing each other more) went to dinner with Duke Daggerford, his sister, his ranger guard Kelson Darktreader, and Sir Isteval. After dinner, they went drinking at the inn. Aldea and the prince ended up sleeping together.
1321: Sacrifice at Dragonspear Castle
Sources: Rise of Tiamat Part 2, Ghost of Dragonspear Castle Part 3, Scourge of the Sword Coast
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 2, Day 15
At Daggerford: In the morning, while still dark, Blueblood went to frame the duke and steal the dwarf stone (by leaving a fake one in its place) known as the Delimbyr Bloke. He succeeded on both, but on his way back he saw that dragons were attacking Sir Isteval’s manor (specifically, 2 black dragons and 1 green dragon with the Cult of the Dragon’s Green Wyrmspeaker named Neronvain – the group got the Green Dragonmask!).
The Sapphire Circle killed the enemies, but Prince Alagarthas died in battle (when he jumped onto the green dragon, his brother Neronvain pushed him off the dragon, Aldea killed the dragon, and it fell crushing him). Aldea also did a badass move with her thornwhip, forcing the last black dragon down to the ground, away from the paladin. Sir Isteval was able to use revivify to bring back Alagarthas, who then spoke with his guards who had fought back the kobolds and lizardfolk that had also been attacking Daggerford. The group coordinated sending dragon parts to Gatrak and learned that Lady Daggerford had arrested her brother, taken his sword, and taken command of the city.
While Isteval was praying at the temple of Lathander, Nadir the Rakshasa tricked the group by pretending to be Eldrin Haunn (a lost comrade of Isteval’s that has his soul trapped in a holy symbol being carried around by the paladin) and telling them to go to Dragonspear Castle. When the group found their patron, he said he hadn’t sent for them and they realized it was a trap. But before going into that trap, they spent 5 days going to get dragon loot and bringing it back. They divided up their loot and had Yellowknife teleport them to Dragonspear Castle (they gave him a valuable magic item).
At Dragonspear Castle, the group watched in horror as Nadir killed a cleric at the shrine of Tempus in front of them and opened up a portal to the 9 Hells (where an invisible Baazka and other devils were waiting to come through). They ended up killing Nadir and a barbed devil while convincing the other devils to go back through the portal (by namedropping Malcanthet). Aldea convinced Isteval to use Eldrin Haunn’s holy symbol/soul to seal the portal back up since it required a soul of a paladin and he was too slow to get there himself.
After the battle, the group freed an elf and 4 human bandits. They discovered that Daen‘s trinket scabbard was for the legendary greatsword Illydrael that was blessed by Tempus and used to close this portal in the past (the blade broke off in the pit fiend Baazka – who they believe had now escaped invisibly and failed to get the scabbard from Daen during the battle, but then just left).
Isteval gave the hilt of Illydrael to Daen since he had the scabbard; Hazirawn was not happy about this. They killed the castle’s current residents: a vampire and its vampirespawn. An incubus came and told them about Pencheska (the succubus in Daggerford who betrayed Malcanthet, disguised herself as a whore, was working with the red wizards, and sleeping with the Duke). The next day, Yellowknife came and teleported them back to Daggerford. They surprised Pencheska and killed her.
Daen spent time flirting with Lady Daggerford and discovering that she was open to getting married and producing an heir to the Daggerford line. Meanwhile the rest of the group went to Floshin Manor, where Lord Darfin introduced them to his sister Shalendra. Blueblood II insulted her and tried to trick her so she kicked him and Jekk out of the house. Glora & Aldea asked Darfin to look into the Borngray affair for them. Shalendra didn’t want to talk about the magic portals and excused herself.
Blueblood II & Jekk then went to Firehammer Hold and returned the dwarf stone to the altar that recharges it (it was a magic item that summons dwarf spirits to fight along side the user). They convinced the dwarves to let them use it during the war and then they promised return it. About 8 days later, Lord Floshin met with Glora & Aldea to answer their questions and explain that while Borngray’s parents were in the wrong to attack the Oakstaff family that hopefully the blood vengeance can end at this point. He also revealed that his sister is a friend of Borngray and has been working on some magical portals.
1322: The Calm of 1486-87 & Bloodgate Keep
Sources: Dead in Thay Part 1
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1486 DR, Month 3, Day 1
Down Time Activities
Radcliff led his troops, saving Moonglamaer from the Yuan-Ti; the Yuan-Ti labs were destroyed. Garnet & Akra’s forces cleared out all of the Asmodeus agents that were found in Neverwinter Woods. The logging operations in Thundertree Village resumed, under the supervision of Reidoth. Azel & Ylara continued their work in Baldur’s Gate and had their son, whom they named Thane.
Sir Isteval organized the combined resources of the Sword Coast region to deal with the Cult of the Dragon, mainly focusing on defense. The giants and the dwarves fighting skirmishes against troops from the Cult of the Dragon reported that the black dragon twins Voaraghamanthar-Waervaerendor (VW) were now sharing a new 2-headed dragon body and kicking butt as 1 of the enemy’s great military leaders.
DL, Merry, PM, TL, & Jergal discovered that Shar misled the Raven Queen (in the past); Shar still controls much of the Shadowfell. Merry let their allies know about their abilities as the Dark Powers. Blueblood II expressed his idea that the Justice/Shadow League might be able to trap Tiamat as a Domain Lord the instant the group kills her in the Prime Material Plane so that she doesn’t just go back to the hells to reform; this plan assumed that AO wouldn’t want the group interfering and capturing an active god, but that they could exercise their power to capture a killed powerful evil god as the Dark Powers have done in the past with Vecna and others.
Bahamut sent Garnet to assist Mya’s team against Dragotha and the army of evil dragons of Oerth. Garnet sacrificed himself to destroy the Dracolich. Ehlonna told Mya about Glora being pregnant and gave her time off to be with her family and help raise her grandchildren. Me’Urra found out about Holic being Elster/Tyra’s half-brother and having family in Waterdeep. He returned Maure Castle to Tyra’s family (rather than waiting for Tyra to find out he took it and possibly cause a feud).
The Sapphire Circle members Glora, Aldea, Holic, Daen, and Radcliff established “The Sapphire Coast” region with themselves as Lords/Ladies on a 5-person council leading the area. Their charter included provisions for a majority vote on important items. They sold land at discount prices and offered the incentive of not being taxed for a year (including allowing a mated pair of silver dragons live in the dragon caves, giving them a monthly tithe). For their operation, they hired a lot of people to take care of business, administration, construction, security, etc. They decided to take all of the money from the first year and put it back into developing the region. They also made deals with the Emerald Enclave and The Green Fey to come de-salt the land and make it good for farming and living; in exchange for their services, those groups received land. The group also made a deal with Roy Bluestone who has a tower in Waterdeep with teleport circles so that there is a public room circle there (going to their port town) and a private room circle for them (going to Naerytar Castle, a.k.a. Cobalt Castle – where they have secured their Sphinx statue in a locked room). They also established a new experimental law for their region in which people can buy/sell/trade magic items with approval by an appointed committee (consisting of members of all of the major character classes) and paperwork registering all transactions (including a special tax on magic items).
Blueblood II & Daen worked together to convince the Minotaur army at the Ambergul Estate ruins to go attack the forces of the Cult of the Dragon. Blueblood II gained full ownership of the Tresendar Estate in Phandalin when the others sold or gave him their shares; he spent much of his time there as an advisor to Mayor Sildar Hallwinter. He convinced Jekk (his lover) and Jamna (his friend) to both live there with him in a house created by Yellowknife’s magic. Jamna gave birth to their baby girl.
Holic coordinated the search for the coast’s stones that could each store a 1st-3rd level spell. He also tweaked and improved his fluberzoo gun to work with the stones. He spent much of his time in his lab in his home, living with several of his dragonborn family members. Holic also used his money to get people to ask the Sphinx about the locations of the Dragonmasks of Tiamat and then passed the intel on, to Sir Isteval and the group.
Glora found Borngray and made a deal; she married him and would allow him to help raise their children and he agreed to drop his blood vengeance against the Oakstaff family and to stop trying to eliminate the non-elf races from the world. Thus he moved in with the Holimions in the Feywild and was there to see Glora bond with her mother and for the birth of their children: 2 boys and 1 girl! Mya gave some magic items to Glora & Aldea.
Aldea and Furina removed their crowns after getting the curse removed. Furina’s patron then contacted her and explained that he had not wanted to communicate while Aldea was linked into her mind. They used the Sphinx to find out that the info ERK desperately wanted removed from their memories was about the node keys the Red Wizards were going to use to bring an army of elementals into the world (but, thankfully, the group had already stopped that plot).
Aldea also courted Prince Alagarthas throughout the year, helping the elf prince repair his relationship with his father. Concerned about ERK, they got Mya to use her contacts on Oerth (through Tenser), leading to Mordenkainen showing up and explaining that he was actually born on Kalibruhn and both adventured in El Raja Key (the location) and learned from El Raja Key (the person); as far as he knows, ERK is in the Far Realms and hasn’t been concerned with Kalibruhn since Shar’s forces betrayed Wee Jas and devastated the planet thousands of years ago – but he did agree to look into the matter. Furina ended up going off on her own to serve her patron and Aldea spent some extra time bonding with the Holimion family in the Feywild.
Daen quickly married and impregnated Lady Daggerford, but left her in charge of that area. She gave birth to their twin babies: 1 boy & 1 girl. He asked the Sphinx about restoring Azuth & found out about Szass Tam’s “Extraction Vaults” being used by the Red Wizards to extract divine energy from captured chosen in their attempt to turn their leader into a god. He also had some Tempus clerics make a scroll to restore the greatsword Illydrael. Daen and Darius exchanged Hazirawn and Mr. Wakizashi.
The down time ended (on Year 1487, Month 3, Day 27) when Sir Isteval & Lord Darfin Floshin invited multiple adventuring groups to gather at Floshin Estate and plan an assault on Bloodgate Keep to destroy the Bloodgate Nexus and stop Szass Tam from sending an army of Thayans through the portal to try to conquer the Sword Coast.
They sent in 4 coordinated groups (with each group having 1 person with a Circlet of Limited Telepathy) to shut down the 3 active elemental nodes connected to the portal and then try to kill the lich in charge of the keep. Group 1 was allies of Isteval and family members of Lord Floshin with a rebel red wizard named Mennek. Group 2 was a band of hired mercenaries sent by Akra and her husband. Group 3 was The Blue Devil Gang (with Blueblood, Glora, Azel, Ylara, and Hallwinter). Group 4 was The Sapphire Circle (with Daen, Akra, Holic, Jekk, and friend of the Reyal family Ryali Tahltril the elf ranger).
After separately destroying the 4 elemental nodes (and 10 elementals), the groups converged at Bloodgate Keep and killed the lich, 16 Thayan minons, and Baazka the Pit Fiend. Both Shalendra & Kelson Darktreader ended up being pulled into the portal to Thay. Mennek & 1 of the mercenaries died. Both Jekk and Hallwinter were killed but then brought back with revivify. At the end, the entire area collapsed and the leader of the Red Wizard Insurrection, Syranna, teleported them out to safety (but they had to be magically healed while unconscious for 3 days while the Bloodgate energy was removed from their bodies).
1323: Entering the Doomvault
Sources: Dead in Thay Part 2
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1487 DR, Month 3, Day 30
Glora, Azel, Ylara, Blueblood II, Hallwinter, Ryali, Daen, Aldea, Holic, Lord Darfin Floshin, Hadarr Karakaya, Jekk Ironfist, and the 4 hired mercenaries woke up in the Doomvault Gatehouse with Syranna (the non-evil Thayan rebel leader talking to them). She explained their mission, if they chose to accept it: assault the Doomvault, get access to the “Temples of Extraction,” and find the secret way into the Phylactery Vault so they could destroy the phylacteries of all of the liches loyal to Szass Tam that he locked away for “protection” and control.
Syranna explained how the glyph keys worked, the magical protections of the Doomvault, and that if they died their souls would be trapped in the Doomvault (either forever or until it is destroyed some day). She also mentioned that there could be some creatures inside that could eat their souls. The group took an hour to strategize while Glora contacted Oran, who gave her permission to take on this mission. Blueblood II was the only one to decline the mission, saying he felt he needed to return to raise his child. He explained to Jekk that he would take his daughter and go into hiding, with a coded message left for the dwarf to find after the mission and then the rebel agents escorted him to an area where he could be teleported to “home” (Daggerford).
Everyone decided to break into 4 groups with the plans of: Group 1: Lord Darfin Floshin, Jekk Ironfist, and Hadarr Karakaya going to rescue Kelson at the “Master’s Domain” and then continuing into the “Blood Pens.” Group 2: The Mercenaries going to the “Ooze Grottos” and then the “Far Realm Cysts.” Group 3: Glora, Azel, Ylara, and Hallwinter going to the “Predator Pools” and the “Golem Labs.” Group 4: Ryali, Daen, Aldea, and Holic going to rescue Shalendra in the “Abyssal Prisons” and then going to the “Forests of Slaughter.” The goal would be to then go to the “Temples of Extraction” as a large force, if possible, with everyone advancing to the Phylactery Vault.
Group 4 rescued Shalendra and cleared out most of their sector. In doing so, they took out the lich master of the Doomvault, getting the glyph key needed to enter the “Temples of Extraction.” Unfortunately, they used up most of their resources [it took them 46 rounds].
1324: Ooze Grottos & the Master’s Domain
Sources: Dead in Thay Part 3
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1487 DR, Month 3, Day 30
The Red Wizards had taken Blueblood II back “home” to Daggerford. He told Sir Isteval that the group wasn’t dead – but doing a secret mission for the Thayan Insurrection in the Doomvault. He had to talk Isteval into not going to interfere since that would alert the Red Wizards about the assault. He had Yellowknife teleport him to his actual home in Phandalin, to Jamna and their baby; he convinced Jamna that with the threats from the Red Wizards and the Cult of the Dragon that it isn’t safe out here anymore and they should prioritize protecting their daughter. He left a coded note for Jekk explaining that they were going to head into the Feywild to get Blueblood’s father to help hide them, with instructions for Jekk to find Darrian Blueblood so he can find Dardren again in the future.
In the “Master’s Domain” Lord Floshin, Jekk, and Hadar rescued Kelson Darktreader but almost experienced a total party kill (TPK) with all but the dwarf unconscious (and him with only a few HP remaining). Jekk had to use the dwarf stone to summon dwarf spirits to save them. They were all close to death and had to stop entering new zones. After 25 rounds, total zones cleared: 5, with a contact stone located. They had enough healing potions to all become conscious, but then decided to wait for the others to find some more healing potions.
In the Ooze Grottos, the mercenaries also cleared 5 zones, but the dwarf cleric and human warlock both died. The half-orc barbarian and elf rogue stopped, badly beaten up, but with some information learned from a red wizard “Ooze Master” who explained that the southern-most room had a hidden elder black pudding guarding the magical white tower that heals 1d6 HP a round – but would blind the person once fully healed. They also asked it questions about the other zones, learning about the healing pools in the “Forests of Slaughter” sector. Total rounds: 35.
1325: Destroying the Doomvault
Sources: Dead in Thay Part 4
Setting: Kalibruhn-Toril – Year 1487 DR, Month 3, Day 30
In the Doomvault: the group with Azel, Ylara, Glora, and Sildar pushed through the “Predator Pools” area – clearing 6 rooms and rescuing 2 dragon turtles. They also bribed 11 kuo-toa to leave them alone before they went and met up with the others.
All 15 of the characters assaulting the Doomvault joined together to plan. They chose not to use the “pool of short rest” in the “Forest of Slaughter” and also chose not to use the white pillar of healing in the “Ooze Grottos.” But they did have Holic tinker with the strange chamber for temporal hiding/resting. When they rested for 9 hours inside, 9 months passed outside. Fortunately, that did not foil their plans. Quite the opposite happened; the Thayan Insurrection had more resources and info for them going in.
The downside was that when they assaulted the “Temples of Extraction” the 10 chosen who were imprisoned there had all been drained and turned into wights. The group killed all 10 wights.
The group entered the Phylactery Vault, a tetrahedral space that they were inside of with gravity for each of the 4 surfaces. They had to kill 12 gargoyles. Then they had 12 people concentrate for 3 rounds to disrupt the magical flow of the sepulchers and destroy the phylacteries inside (though some people used dispel magic to disrupt the flow). Amazing group planning really helped – a lot! They also had to fight 4 weakened demiliches. In the end, a few people died because their souls were trapped by the liches: Hadar, Kelson, & the Barbarian Mercenary. Syranna teleported the group out as the vault collapsed around them. Meanwhile, her forces went to attack Szass Tam!
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