Adventure TWO : Shadows of the Last War

Adventure TWO : Shadows of the Last War

Another rainy day in Sharn, another opportunity for danger and adventure. The adventurers make their way to Barmin Tower to visit the House Sivis message station. Before they get there the sudden urge to spend some of their new found wealth presents itself.

Kullthu the Shifter Ranger decided to spend his money on two magical +1 long swords and paid the resident enchanter to make his Heavy Crossbow into the flaming variety all for a very reasonable price.

Gord'n Tyuillion the ever prudent Sorcerer decided to save his money for the time being, however he did invest in a magical slingshot of flaming.

Mozz the Brave, Fighter and Cleric of Dol Dorn spent his gold on an Everbright lantern, a Heward's handy haversack and purchased a +1 spiked shield.

These seemed to be a reasonable prices and both Mozz and Kullthu were surprised at the speed with which they had their new magic items created.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the friends crossed the rain slick sky bridge that leads to Barmin Tower. The rain falls at a steady pace, causing waterfalls to spill over the sides of the slanted rooftops and balcony railings. Ahead, the door to the House Sivis message station hangs open at a strange angle, one of its hinges separated from the doorframe. Lightning flashes, and the trio think they hear a groan from somewhere inside the otherwise quiet shop.

Peering inside cautiously the friends saw that the place had been ransacked. The tables and stools within the message station were in disarray; some had been overturned or smashed, others forcefully scattered from their usual places. Behind the counter, lying atop a spilled shelf of scrolls and parchment sheets, was the gnome clerk who ran the stations. She moaned, unconscious but still alive. When the friends tended to the gnome clerk she sat up, blinked her eyes and attempted to stand. “The messages! I have to check on the messages!” Looking around the room, it was obvious that a sling had been used in part of the destruction as sling stones littered the floor. An alert member of the trio noticed that small clawed footprints in the spilled ink near one of the overturned tables belonged to at least two different individuals of the same humanoid species. Possibly Kobolds. Further searching revealed a single, larger, split toed footprint on a sheet of parchment. This had to have been made by a Warforged being. When the clerks senses returned she recognized the trio from their frequent visits to the message station since they completed their first mission for Lady Elaydren. She explains that a band of Kobolds charged in and attacked her. There were at least four of the vile creatures. After they subdued her and made sure the place was otherwise empty, a human sized individual wrapped in a dark cloak entered the shop. “The stranger had a deep rumbling voice that was strong and threatening, and the kobolds followed his direction without question. He asked if there were any messages for you, it was an amazing coincidence because I had just transcribed a message for you from the speaking stone. I must have glanced at the scroll I was holding, and the next instance the man in the cloak had snatched the scroll with one hand and hit me with the other. That’s the last thing I remember.” When asked what the message said the clerk replied that they are trained to immediately forget the contents of messages once they have transcribed them. All that she could remember was that the message was from Lady Elaydren d’Cannith.

The rain seems to slack off as you walk away from the message station. Around a tower bend, at least a dozen people mill about on a partially covered terrace. A gang of children splashes in the puddles near the curving wall, laughing merrily. A merchant pushes an empty cart, presumably returning from the market exchange. A guard of the Sharn watch looks the crowd over from his place beneath a shop awning. A blur of feathers suddenly rockets toward you out of the cloud filled sky. It’s a giant owl, and it circles once before tipping the satchel it carries in its talons to drop a scroll case at your feet.

The scroll reads as follows...

Adventurers,

The normal means of communication seems to have been compromised, so I have sent this special messenger to personally find you and deliver this letter. You served me once before, and now I need your help again. Time is short. I feel that our enemies have discovered me and are closing in. Meet me at the Broken Anvil tavern where we first discussed heirlooms and job opportunities and quickly for I believe that we are all in terrible danger.

Your Patron Lady E.

The Broken Anvil is located in the Mason’s Tower carved into a bend in the tower wall. Inside, Everbright lanterns at either end of the room provide flickering illumination. A round table is set to either side of the entrance, and three longer tables are scattered throughout the room. Today the Broken Anvil only has one customer, a woman in a worn brown cloak. She sits at a table at the far end of the room. As you enter, she raises her hand as if to cast a spell, then stops and pulls back her hood. Despite her disheveled hair and the dirt that coves her face, you recognize her. She is Elaydren d’Cannith, the woman who hired you to explore the depths of Sharn. “Quickly, quickly! Thank Olladra that you’re here. There is no time to waste.” Elaydren lifts her leather backpack off the floor and places it on the table. The leather is worn, but its brass fittings are still bright. It appears light, almost empty. “There is no time to explain!” Elaydren says, her fear-filled eyes darting from you to the door and back again. “Instructions, gold, and supplies are in this pack. Take it and go. The letter in the left-hand pocket explains everything, but you must go now! Trust me. If you can accomplish this task, the reward will be vast.” She hands the backpack to the trio.

Suddenly the door to the street bursts open. Four small figures leap through the doorway – kobolds! They move in pairs to each side of the chamber, clearing the space in front of the entrance. A fifth figure steps into the doorway, a broad humanoid in a dark, hooded cloak carrying a light crossbow. He raises the crossbow and launches a bolt at Elaydren. The kobolds seem to concentrate their attacks on the friends while the robed figure, a Warforged attacks Lady Elaydren. During the battle, Cutlass the Warforged hurls insults such as “weak fleshed errand boys” at the friends, as if they weren’t riled enough by his trying to kill them and their employer. Elaydren ducked behind the table and the first bolts from Cutlass’s crossbow thud into the wall behind her. Finally the friends put down their attackers. “More of these assassins may show up at any moment. All the information you need is in the left pocket of the backpack. Take it and go! Get out of the city as quickly as you can!” Elaydren does not wait for the adventurers to come to a decision. She grabs a weapon from one of the fallen attackers and darts into the street, disappearing into the nearest alleyway.

Not afraid of further attacks the foolhardy trio examine the bags contents after Elaydren leaves. The booty consisted of arrows, rope, rations and bedrolls, lantern, other adventuring and survival gear. Gold and platinum pieces, holy water and curative potions, a strange blue metal rod, a letter of credit for House Orien and House Lyrandar to cover passage to Rhukaan Draal. The backpack turned out to be a Heward’s Handy Haversack which Mozz took without any comments from his fellow adventurers. The most important object in the haversack is the letter from Lady Elaydren.

My Friends

The object you recovered for me from the ruins beneath Sharn is a Schema, a piece of a pattern used to create items both mundane and magical. I have learned that another schema connected to this pattern was being studied in a secret Cannith workshop in Cyre called Whitehearth. I wonder if this research is tied to the Day of Mourning? Parts of my own house seek this pattern for evil purposes and I do not know whom to trust. So I turn to you. I need you to travel to Cyre, find the workshop, and recover the second schema. The location of the workshop was a closely guarded secret lost when the patriarch of House Cannith died in the destruction of Cyre. You must travel to the House Cannith outpost in the town of Rose Quarry, in Darguun, to recover a record of all of Cannith’s hidden workshops. In Rhukaan Draal, find a man named Failin in the Bloody Market. He an provide you with transport to Rose Quarry. From there travel into the Mournland to find Whitehearth and the second schema. It is an adamantine plate in the shape of a diamond about the size of a human’s palm. Once you have retrieved it return to Rhukaan Draal where I will meet you. Succeed, and I will see to it that you are well rewarded for your courage.

Lady E

The Trip to Darguun takes some time. The friends opted to travel by House Lyrandar Elemental Galleon which was the fastest voyage, a little more than 4 days. The House Lyrandar Galleon leaves from the ports at the base of the Sharn Cliffs. It travels from the Hilt into the Straits of Shargon, staying close to the Southern Coast as it moves from Brelish to Zilargo waters and eventually turns north into Kraken Bay. From there, the elemental-powered vessel enters the Ghaal River for the final leg of the journey to Rhukaan Draal. The Half-Elf crew operates the ship and tends to the passengers on board. In addition to the trio, a dozen traders, travelers and diplomats are board for the trip. Many disembark when the ship reaches Korranberg, but a handful are scheduled to go all the way to the Goblinoid nations capital. Cargo and trade goods, however, occupy the bulk of space aboard the vessel.

On the third evening when everyone is settling into the trip the peace and quiet is brought to an abrupt halt. The night is warm and quiet, and the trio of moons in the sky reflects ghostly light onto the water. Most of the crew and passengers were sleeping. One of the friends noticed a strange scratching sound and began to investigate. The evening fog was beginning to grow eerily thicker. Then a vigilant member of the friends noticed a skeletal hand reach over the grip rail, then another hand followed by six more. Eight skeletons of human size raged towards the startled crew members manning the vessel. Once the remaining two members of the trio were woken from their slumber the battle took a turn for the worse for the attacking undead. Not entirely unscathed but nevertheless victorious, the friends earnt the thanks and respect of the Captain and his crew. Captain Karavel offered a reward of 50 gold each and a written commendation was awarded to the friends also. This may afford them some boon from House Lyrandar one day.

The Forgotten Forge: Adventure ONE

In the darkness and rain the trio spotted a figure in a dark cloak. It seemed to be avoiding the dim pools of light cast by the Everbright lanterns. A flash of lightning revealed a body lying on the bridge near the figure. The figure then jumped over the side of the bridge seemingly to his death. The trio examined the body and found some identification papers proving that the body was that of a Provost of the Morgrave University. From behind the cloaked figure that had jumped over the bridge attacked. After a short skirmish the cloaked figure lay dead at the feat of the trio. A strange fluttery ball flew away and out of grasp of the friends from the body of the cloaked figure. Pulling back the cloak revealed that this was a Warforged creature. By this time several townsfolk had summoned the city watch.

“Olladra’s bloody nose!!” the Dwarf captain cursed, “By order of the Watch, drop your weapons and explain yourselves!” Sergent Dolom finally believed the trio after a long conversation. He then ordered them to go about their business.

Following a lead the trio end up in the Masons tower in a small tavern called ‘The Broken Anvil’. A human female with delicate features, dark blue eyes and sleek black hair bound with a silver and turquoise ornament wearing a dark blue cloak approached the friends. “Thank you for coming. We have important business to discuss that relates to the unfortunate death of Bonal Geldem. Please sit down.” She then introduces herself as Lady Elaydren d’Vown of House Cannith. The lady explained that she had been working with the Provost to recover a family heirloom. They were to meet earlier that night but he never made it. The lady then learnt from the city watch what had transpired and so she sent one of her men to track the trio down. She explained that the heirloom according to family legends, was locked away in a foundry that dates back to pre-galifar Sharn. Poor Bonal believed he had discovered the location of the foundry in an ancient House Cannith journal. “I was going to fund an expedition to go to the site, but without Bonal…Perhaps you would be willing to recover the heirloom for me. For a generous reward of coarse.” The clincher being the offer of a generous reward. The friends accept the offer. The ancient journal that they collected from the body of Bonal is the journal in question. When the friends had examined the book its pages were blank. Now Lady Elaydren holds her House Cannith signet ring to the front cover of the book. The book begins to glow faintly. When she opens the tome the pages immediately begin to fill with delicate script and line drawings. She turns to a specific page, studies it for a moment then produces a map from the folds of her gown. “The location of the lost foundry is deep within the Dorasharn Tower, fifty seven levels below the towers present day sewer system. I offer you one thousand gold pieces and the good will of my house if you recover the heirloom and return it to me.” She provides the characters with 100Gp upfront to outfit their expedition. The map she provides shows a schematic of the sewer system and the path into the depths of Dorasharn tower.

No problem was encountered following the map to the sewer level of the tower. A complex sewer system separated the inhabited levels from the lower levels that have been closed and sealed for more than a thousand years. The difficult part was locating E-213 valve cluster.

The tunnels and corridors at this level of the tower are narrow and dark. An occasional window slit looks out upon the crowded walls and foundations of the other towers, and infrequently placed torches sputter here and there, giving off pallid pools of light and clouds of smoke. Even so, rough and dirty people crowd the narrow corridors, and the smell of sweat and sewage permeates the stale air. One tunnel opens onto a large chamber where a mix of goblins, humans, and shifters gather around a small pile of garbage spread across three rotting blankets. One of the goblins shouts, “No pushing! No pushing! There’s always enough for everyone at the Rat’s market!” After searching through the ‘treasures’ in this pile of smelly refuse the friends decide to ask this local for directions. Skakan the goblin proves to not be the most helpful sort, especially without the appropriate amount of persuasion that he believes this information may have been worth to the trio. Perhaps they seemed too needy for the facts. After a long conversation that went no-where Kullthu, the Ranger decided to scare the information out of the little green salesman. Skakan quickly folded up his ‘treasures’ and lead the friends to the entrance of E-213 valve cluster, no pay nor thanks for his troubles. One of the friends noticed that a shifter in the crowd was paying particular attention to them. Upon further investigation the curious fellow could not be found.

Skakan points out a narrow passage that leads to a staircase that descends deeper into the tower. With each step down, the odor of mold and sewage becomes stronger, and the friends hear liquid sounds increasing in volume as they descend. Suddenly a Warforged strikes from the shadows, his rapier piercing the air with deadly efficiency. “You have the provost’s journal” the Warforged says. Its not a question. “Give the book to me, and you can live to see another day. Refuse, and we will make your deaths slow and painful.” Naturally giving items away is not in the trio’s vocabulary and a battle ensues. Two shifters emerge from the darkened corners of the tunnel and a battle ensues right in the middle of the valve cluster. After much fighting and dodging of random gushes of sewerage from the opening of the twelve sewer valves the battle is won by the friends. Once again a small metallic fluttery object flies from the fallen Warforged and is gone before anyone can act. This time one of the Shifter rogues was not dead and the friends decided to take him with them as a prisoner.

A circular metal hatch, set into the tunnel wall and engraved with arcane runes, must be the sealed door that Elaydren told you about. In the middle of the hatch, a glowing circle of mithral depicts the same icon as on Bonal’s journal – the ancient symbol of House Cannith that predates the founding of the Kingdom of Galifar itself, a stylized anvil and hammer. The friends decide to touch the symbol on the journal to the symbol of the door. The correct decision made the circular hatch then opens onto a vertical shaft 5’ wide and cloaked in pitch blackness.

The vertical shaft is a mix of crumbling earth and ancient stone, and centipedes and other insects cover the walls like living decorations. The long descent takes you deeper into the bowels of Dorasharn tower. Soon, the shaft begins to angle, and by bracing yourself you can actually walk along one of the surfaces. Farther still, and the shaft becomes a tunnel, and the footing is no longer difficult to maintain or treacherous. The tunnel eventually opens onto a vast chamber, though it emerges about six feet above the floor. You cant see the distant walls in the darkness and the ruins of nearby walls and building appear as deep shadows in the eternal tower night, but you can feel the change in air currents and pressure that indicate a large open space ahead of you.

Once in the vast open area the friends are first attacked by a large swarm of beetles. Luckily everyone had remembered the oil. A ruined temple provided some relief as it housed a font which still was filled with curative waters. Everyone filled up their bottles with the liquid life. Further into the blackness the friends were attacked by Horrid Rats, huge evil creatures that wanted nothing more than to feast on the bodies of the trio. The encounter was made all the more difficult as they had decided to split up and reconnoiter the area to save time.

The only intact building proved to be the House Cannith foundry. The adamantine door would not budge however luckily the roof had a hole in it from debris and entry was gained via here. Before anyone set foot inside Kullthu noticed that the room was not devoid of enemies. An Iron Defender (large clockwork dog) could be seen just out of the corner of his keen eyes. This creature was taken down. All appeared clear and the friends dropped down into the building. It was then that the second Iron Defender attacked. After a battle the creature lay inert like its comrade. In the debris the body of yet another metal dog was found. When each Iron Defender was defeated a rod pops out of their foreheads. One provided a rectangular rod, the other a triangular one. Upon searching the body of the dog that had been crushed by the debris a pentagonal rod was found. This last piece was recovered after a combined effort to remove a large piece of roof that was on top of the dog. The shelves provided some useful booty. Three depressions were discovered on the forge, depressions of a rectangle, triangle and pentagon. The friends correctly assumed that the items of the smallest number of sides be placed first and the Vault sprang open without triggering the trap they all suspected was there. The vault proved to have a small amount of treasure, some potions, an old map and a Schema (the device that the friends were sent to collect). The doors can be opened from the inside.

Upon exiting the building the friends are attacked by the Warforged, Saber. He had waited for them to do the hard work for him. He attacked from a covered area firing flaming crossbow bolts. “Weak flesh! Now you face Saber, greatest of the devoted followers of the Lord of Blades. Throw down the Schema and walk away. This day does not have to end with your blood on my hands.” The battle then commenced proper and he did indeed prove to be more powerful than his brethren. A hard battle fought, he finally met the same end as his kin. Yet again a mysterious fluttering object flies from his body and is too fast for anyone to catch.

Lady Elaydren met the friends back at the Broken Anvil upon their return. This time dressed in a blue glamerweave gown and with a powerful bodyguard at her side. This seemed to make the friends somewhat suspicious of her true intentions but they played out their part regardless. “You have my thanks and the thanks of my house. Periodically check in with House Sivis message station at the Barmin Tower. I may leave a message for you if more work becomes available” The friends then presented Lady Elaydren with the prisoner, she seemed less interested than they expected and flatly stated “He will say nothing” and motioned for her bodyguard to take him. In no time flat the bodyguard had silently hoisted the frightened shifter into the air and had thrown him over the ledge of the tower to his death. Shocked and now even more suspicions the friends left with their reward.

Eberron Introduces several new races into the Standard D&D mix. What follows is a brief run down of each race however no stats will be given as this can all be found in the Eberron Campaign Setting or Races of Eberron Manuals published by Wizards of The Coast and available from all good book and hobby stores...plug plug.

Changelings :

Changelings are subtle shapeshifters capable of disguising their appearance. They evolved through the union of dopplegangers and humans, eventually becoming a separate race distinct from either ancestral tree. They do not possess the full shapechanging ability of a doppelganger, but they can create effective disguises at will. This ability makes them consummate spies and criminals and many changelings live up to that potential.

Kalashtar :

The Kalashtar are a compound race : incorporeal entities from the alien plane of Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams, merged with human bodies and spirits to form a distinct species. They were once a minority among the quori, the native race of Dal Quor, hunted and persecuted for their religious beliefs. Thousands of years after the quori invaded Eberron and the connection between their plane and the material plane was severed, the kalashtar were the first of the quori to discover a means to reach the Material Plane once more. Fleeing persecution, they transformed their physical forms into psychic projections that allowed them to enter the Material plane and possess willing humans. Today, new kalastar are born, not possessed; neither spirit nor human, they are a new race that breeds true.

It took three hundred years for the other quori to discover a similar means to psychically project their spirits out of Dal Quor and possess human bodies, forming the Inspired, while leaving their own bodies behind - much as mortals project their minds to Dal Quor when they dream. For fifteen hundred years now, the Inspired in their vast kingdom of Riedra have continued to persecute and oppress the Kalastar.

Shifters:

Shifters, sometimes called "the weretouched", are descended from humans and natural lycanthropes, now nearly extinct on Khorvaire. Shifters cannot fully change shape but can take on animalistic features - a state they call shifting. Shifters have evolved into unique race that breeds true. They have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity.

Warforged:

Built as mindless machines to fight in the Last War, the warforged developed sentience as a side effect of the arcane experiments that sought to make them the ultimate weapons of destruction. With each successive model that emerged from the creation forges of House Cannith, the warforged evolved until they became a new kind of creature - living constructs.

Warforged are renowned for their combat prowess, their size, and their single-minded focus. They make steadfast allies and fearsome enemies. Earlier warforged models are true constructs; some of these remnants of the Last War appear in monstrous varieties, such as the Warforged Titan.

Current Campaign Introduction

Introduction...

Fierce Bugbear warriors stood defiantly against the horde of foes that rolled towards them. Most of their comrades had fallen in previous battles and these were the last of their regiment from Droaam. They had been fighting on the boarders of Cyre for weeks now and had made a sizeable dent in the Brelish forces assigned to the area.

Knowing that death was soon at hand, Muzzgrub the 4th Gladiator of Droaam and Captain of this last rag tag regiment ordered his stoic brethren to heft their great halberds and set them to receive a charge from the soldiers approaching on mounts. Blood would be spilt today, and not just from his side.

None of the Brelish forces took their foes for granted, they had seen these forces in action before.

A Shifter Rogue fired an arrow while mounted on a glistening stallion. A smile crossed his face as he watched his bolt impale the shoulder of the lead creature causing it to wince in agony. His smile soon faded as the creature simply ripped the bothersome toothpick from his body and throw it on the ground in anger.

A Half-Elven Sorcerer began weaving arcane words forming a spell that he hoped would at least slow the hulking brute down. The plan being to take out the leader and hopefully scatter the enemy.

The remaining Brelish forces charged.

Suddenly a catastrophic explosion ripped through the air. Super heated sand and debris struck all who fought on the battlefield and burnt into their skin. Blood trickled from their ears, ringing like mighty bells assaulted their ears. Then all fell silent and dark.

Four years passed in the blink of an eye. Three of the combatants from the battle at Cyre still lived. Each had little or no memory of that fateful day. Regardless of their backgrounds and sides taken in war, a friendship had been formed. The war was over, at least open war anyway. Battles were now only fought in hidden dealings and politics. A treaty had been signed.

The land where they had been battling had been blasted beyond recognition. None had survived, great cities destroyed, thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands had died. An ominous grey wall of mist now rises up around the boarders of this once powerful nation. Cyre is now no more, its name has now been replaced with a more appropriate one. The Mournland.

Lucky to be alive the trio were of some interest to the inhabitants of New Cyre, a small town established by survivors of Cyre who had been battling outside of that land at the time of the Cataclysm. Probably the closest survivors to the devastation, none of their comrades from either side fared so well.
The three friends worked a time in New Cyre as soon as their many wounds healed. Once they had saved enough money they bought passage to Sharn on a Skyship. The City of Towers is the hub of all Breland. It is now time to start life anew, a life outside of war. Exploration and adventure await.

The friends noticed that as they travelled further south that the weather was getting warmer. Clouds from overhead pattered warm rain on their heads while they flew towards Sharn : City of Towers. The captain shouted to someone that its always like that in this region.

In the distance Muzz and his friends noticed that great pillars of earth and stone with even greater towers and spires atop them could be seen even in the distance. They were almost at their destination.

As they approached they could see that a maze of Catwalks joined most towers to each other. Rain teamed from these catwalks forming beautiful silvery waterfalls. The city was huge.

The Skyship pulled up beside a platform and he shouted, “Lyrandra Tower, all for Sharn please disembark here!”