Plaese note this is a WIP
After several hours of rest the party wake to find that it is still pitch dark and no sooner are they up then it starts to bucket down.
Alexa tends to the parties wounds and Alane is mobile but still badly battered after her duel with the wizard.
The magical mark is slowly spinning around and around provinding no sense of direction and with the darkness there are no visible landmarks.
The party decides to wait to see if conditions improve. When they dont they decide to pick a direction and see where they end up. Grim Gorgson takes point walking ahead of group. After a couple of hours several of the group become convinced that they recognize some of the trees that they are passing and that they are walking in circles.
They halt and have a discussion during which grimgorson notices that the marker is spinning faster and in a different direction.
After experimenting a bit the party discovers that the marker spins faster or slower depending on the direction they walk.
They decide to walk in a direction that slows the spinning down. An hour later they reach a tipping point where the marker slows down and then starts to speed up but now spinning in the opposite direction. There does not seem to be anything special about the area this happens in.
Taking a right hand turn they head off again. Marking there trail as they go. The marker starts to spin so fast that it becomes almost a blur. The party once againtakes a right hand turn and attempts to find a spot where the marker stops spinning. Once again the marker starts to slow down and after and hour of walking it almost stops but then reverses its spin.
They group decides to backtrack to the point where the marker was spinning its fastest and investigate that area. When they arrive back at that point they begin a search of the area. Using their magic sense both Falandar and Alane detect a faint trace of magic emanating from a small pile of stones. Breaking open the cairn they find a round stone with magic markings drawn on it. Falandar rubs out the markings and the magic emanating from the stone disappers. Falandar identifies the stone as being lodestone.
The marker has stopped its bluring spin but continues to rotate. The party decides to see if they can find other areas where the marker spins at speed. Sure enough they manage to locate two other cairns with magically marked lodestones.
On
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bogged Down
This is still a WIP
After vanquishing the giant, the party frees the captive workers. Grim Gorgson and Falandar collect blood, teeth and a toenail from the giant's corpse.
The party decides that they need to find a large town to re-equip. Several of the captives inform them that the is a large town roughly 5 days south of the camp. When the party makes it known that they intend to head to this town a group of captives (around 30) beg the players to allow them to travel along with the party for protection. The party reluctantly agrees. The party scavenges a cart and food supplies and start their slow trek southwards.
The first day of travel passes uneventfully. However around midday on the second day. Grim Gorgson notices the marker on the enchanted strip of cloth swing wildly around to now point eastwards instead of southward.
The party decides to ignore the marker and continue towards the city. Over the next few hours the strip of cloth starts to first itch and then eventual burn Grim Gorgson. He also feels an building compulsion to head east.
Re-evaluating the situation, the heroes decide to heed the marker and head east. The abandon the wagon, supplies and freed captives alongside the road and make their way into the wood.
After a half day of travel the party encounters the edge of some marshlands. They attempt to skirt them by heading south again, but once again the marker starts to heat up. Reluctantly the group decides to enter the marshlands. The weather is fine and the party easily navigates their way between the firmer patches of ground.
A few hours in Grim Gorgson is surprised to see the marker start spin and turn in random directions. The group also notices a dark storm front closing in from the north. Using the mountains in the distance to get their bearings they continue east.
Eventually the storm overtakes them. The rain is initially light but eventually becomes torrential. The going becomes harder and harder and visibility becomes severely limited. Unable to tell where East is, the exhausted group finds the highest point of land they can and they make camp.
Huddling between the horses and mules the party gets some fitful rest. Urgim creates a a fire but is unable to keep it lit.
Grim Gorgson and Alexa take the first watch and hour in they hear the sounds of something shambling in marsh. They wake the others. Falandar creates marsh lights and sends them towards the closing noises. In the pale light the heroes sees a 10 foot tall figure slowing walking towards then. Alane and Falandar cast light and the group waits for the figure to get closer. The figure starts to lope and when it finally enters the pools of magic light the party can see that it is made up of debris, dead animals and plants. It charges the party and a viscous fight ensues. Eventually Grim Gorgson strikes it down.
Out of the darkness comes several more shrieks and two more beasts shamble out of the night. The heroes are once again able to prevail but several are bloodied and badly hurt. More shrieks emanate from the darkness. Catching her breath Alane realises that the monsters are Fenbeast, magical constructs and that there must be a wizard nearby directing them.
The party hatches a plan. Alane will use her magic to cloak herself and seek out the wizard. The rest of the party will build a bonfire from the remains of the fenbeasts to act as a distraction and a beacon for Alane to find her way back to the group.
Setting off into the darkness, Alane begins her hunt for the wizard. Eventually she catches a brief glimpse of two figures in light of one of Falandars marsh lights. One appears to be another Fenbeast. The other seems to be of normal man height.
Conflicted, Alane looks back to see the parties bonfire in the distance. Worried that she may lose him in the darkness she decides to confront the wizard by herself.
She sneaks towards the wizard and launches a flurry of magic darts. Initially surprised the wizard retaliates with spells of fear. Unfazed by the wizards spells Alane presses her attack. The wizard responds with magic darts of his own.
Staring into the darkness the party sees the blinding flashes of light released by the magics of the duelling wizards. They grab there weapons and start slogging through the bog to lend aid to Alane.
Meanwhile Alane seems to be besting the wizard. Her last magic dart having sheared off the hand of the wizard leaving him collapsed and bleeding out in the marsh.
But her triumph is short lived as she receives a crushing blow from the Fenbeast she had forgotten about. She is flipped through the air is slams into a tree.
After vanquishing the giant, the party frees the captive workers. Grim Gorgson and Falandar collect blood, teeth and a toenail from the giant's corpse.
The party decides that they need to find a large town to re-equip. Several of the captives inform them that the is a large town roughly 5 days south of the camp. When the party makes it known that they intend to head to this town a group of captives (around 30) beg the players to allow them to travel along with the party for protection. The party reluctantly agrees. The party scavenges a cart and food supplies and start their slow trek southwards.
The first day of travel passes uneventfully. However around midday on the second day. Grim Gorgson notices the marker on the enchanted strip of cloth swing wildly around to now point eastwards instead of southward.
The party decides to ignore the marker and continue towards the city. Over the next few hours the strip of cloth starts to first itch and then eventual burn Grim Gorgson. He also feels an building compulsion to head east.
Re-evaluating the situation, the heroes decide to heed the marker and head east. The abandon the wagon, supplies and freed captives alongside the road and make their way into the wood.
After a half day of travel the party encounters the edge of some marshlands. They attempt to skirt them by heading south again, but once again the marker starts to heat up. Reluctantly the group decides to enter the marshlands. The weather is fine and the party easily navigates their way between the firmer patches of ground.
A few hours in Grim Gorgson is surprised to see the marker start spin and turn in random directions. The group also notices a dark storm front closing in from the north. Using the mountains in the distance to get their bearings they continue east.
Eventually the storm overtakes them. The rain is initially light but eventually becomes torrential. The going becomes harder and harder and visibility becomes severely limited. Unable to tell where East is, the exhausted group finds the highest point of land they can and they make camp.
Huddling between the horses and mules the party gets some fitful rest. Urgim creates a a fire but is unable to keep it lit.
Grim Gorgson and Alexa take the first watch and hour in they hear the sounds of something shambling in marsh. They wake the others. Falandar creates marsh lights and sends them towards the closing noises. In the pale light the heroes sees a 10 foot tall figure slowing walking towards then. Alane and Falandar cast light and the group waits for the figure to get closer. The figure starts to lope and when it finally enters the pools of magic light the party can see that it is made up of debris, dead animals and plants. It charges the party and a viscous fight ensues. Eventually Grim Gorgson strikes it down.
Out of the darkness comes several more shrieks and two more beasts shamble out of the night. The heroes are once again able to prevail but several are bloodied and badly hurt. More shrieks emanate from the darkness. Catching her breath Alane realises that the monsters are Fenbeast, magical constructs and that there must be a wizard nearby directing them.
The party hatches a plan. Alane will use her magic to cloak herself and seek out the wizard. The rest of the party will build a bonfire from the remains of the fenbeasts to act as a distraction and a beacon for Alane to find her way back to the group.
Setting off into the darkness, Alane begins her hunt for the wizard. Eventually she catches a brief glimpse of two figures in light of one of Falandars marsh lights. One appears to be another Fenbeast. The other seems to be of normal man height.
Conflicted, Alane looks back to see the parties bonfire in the distance. Worried that she may lose him in the darkness she decides to confront the wizard by herself.
She sneaks towards the wizard and launches a flurry of magic darts. Initially surprised the wizard retaliates with spells of fear. Unfazed by the wizards spells Alane presses her attack. The wizard responds with magic darts of his own.
Staring into the darkness the party sees the blinding flashes of light released by the magics of the duelling wizards. They grab there weapons and start slogging through the bog to lend aid to Alane.
Meanwhile Alane seems to be besting the wizard. Her last magic dart having sheared off the hand of the wizard leaving him collapsed and bleeding out in the marsh.
But her triumph is short lived as she receives a crushing blow from the Fenbeast she had forgotten about. She is flipped through the air is slams into a tree.
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