Summoned to Specularum
Journey to Alfheim
Lana was settling into village life in Glaston when word arrived from Specularum. Word from the Court, from Justin Karameikos, that she and her companions were required for an important quest. Lana lost no time departing for Specularum, leaving instructions that the remnants of her mercenary band should continue patrolling the lands around Glaston. The last thing she wanted was for monsters to move back into the territory she had painstakingly cleared throughout the past fortnight.
After four days' ride she joined Drewen, Threy, Karnus and Vasily on the steps of the Duke's Stronghold in Specularum. Ascending through the main gates they were led to one of the palace buildings where they were asked to wait in a long hall, where a fellow dressed in black was pacing up and down impatiently. No doubt this could only be an agent of the Black Eagle Baron. When the stranger was admitted to his audience with the Duke, Karnus drew forth his crystal ball to eavesdrop on what was being said behind closed doors. He reported to his companions that Ludwig von Hendrikks, the infamous Black Eagle, was offering to merge his own mercenary forces with those of the Duke, as an attempt to increase security within the Grand Duchy. In particular the Black Eagle expressed displeasure at how Mistress Sascia of Luln shunned contact with Fort Doom, and rarely assisted in punishing those who committed crimes against the Baron and his lands. Lana remembered what her friend Hadrian had told her - how Hattian members of the Thyatian Senate were grumbling that Karameikos' loyalty to the Empire was waning, and that a new Grand Duke should be sought. No doubt those treacherous Hattians had the maniacal Black Eagle in mind as Stefan's replacement.
Karnus' focus was disrupted as the party was invited to enter Lord Justin's study. Justin explained how his younger brother (their mother's favoured child) had gone missing. Months before Valen Karameikos had departed his homeland bound for the woodland nation of Alfheim, to visit a trader friend with whom he had become acquainted during his Shearing phase. Valen had vowed to be back in Karameikos by no later than Beasts Day, which was now long past. According to Justin's account Duchess Olivia was becoming frantic, overwhelmed by concern for her son. By contrast, her husband was of the view that young men should be left to their own devices. As a show of support to the Duke's family, the party undertook to make enquiries and go after young Valen. Attending on Justin was a strapping and handsome elf by the name of Shalandar - the elven ambassador to Karameikos. Shalandar informed the group that Valen had sought the Chossum clan who distinguished themselves as the most mercantile of the elven clans, equally appreciative of gold and gems as humans are. Their clanseat lay at Desnae, a settlement deep within the great Canolbarth Forest. According to Shalandar the clanseat wouldn't be hard to locate, so long as the party asked directions along the way.
Off to Alfheim
The group left Specularum that same day, but not before Lana called to the home of an animal trainer by the name of Dmitros. This traladaran individual, resplendent in gaudily coloured sashes and much jewellery, agreed to accompany the party on its trip north for double his normal rate of pay. In return he would attempt to train the black bear cub Grunt before he became too large and unruly to be tamed. Hoping to facilitate the training process, Lana made sure to stock up on jars of honey and fishes before the group departed.
The Duke's Road led the companions north past the town of Kelvin, where Drewen was obliged to stop and settle various matters relating to his clan's stay in the camps outside the main walls. During this stopover the party met with Baron Desmond Kelvin, Patriarch of the Church of Karameikos, who in his usual clipped tones updated them on an uprising which he had told them about before. He explained how two months ago he had ridden out to the village of Ulkov where rumours circlated of strangers coming to town shortly before some of the villagers began disappearing. It transpired that the newcomers had in fact been lycanthropic devil swine such as the party had fought during their investigations on behalf of Lady Arteris Penhaligon. Desmond had overheard these three congratulating one another on the mayhem and murders which they alongside others of their kind had helped to proliferate. Hearing this, the Baron had been quick to move in and single-handedly slay all three.
The party departed Kelvin and rode on into the Altan Tepes, passing by the many valleys and peaks among which Drewen had chosen an area to found his clanseat. The Duke's Road led ever north into the village of Reedle. By this point the companions had left Karameikos and were into the southernmost reaches of the Republic of Darokin. They journeyed onward to the eastern capital of Selenica, then along the main road which would eventually lead to Darokin City, hundreds of miles to the west. The party was not planning to head that far, however, as they instead sought the area of twisted magic known as Dragontree, which bordered on the elven forest. Drewen and Lana's hearts sank as they considered this course of action, as it involved an inevitable stopover in the town of Nemiston, the most inhospitable settlement the party had ever visited. Karnus scoffed at the fact that his supposedly mighty comrades could be so easily intimidated by a bunch of surly townsfolk.
Nemiston made merry
Reaching Nemiston as the sun set later that week, the companions were delighted to find the town being terrorised by a troupe of mischevious elves, who had fixed gaudy banners across every street in the small town. Signs such as 'Free Silver Dagger - Enquire Within' or 'Six Chickens with every Purchase' brought smiles to the faces of Lana and Drewen in particular. Drewen's ferret Denkris picked up a scent and led the party to one of the elves involved in setting up the numerous pranks - Gildus of the Feadil clan, who provided vague directions on how to reach Desnae. It appeared that a trip to Dragontree would not be required after all.
Having been seen in the company of an elf, the companions bid a hasty retreat from Nemiston and continued along the main road to the east, reaching the town of Halfway a few days later whereupon they left the road behind and headed north-east into the great Canolbarth Forest, otherwise known as the elven nation of Alfheim.
Into Alfheim
The trees grew taller as the party progressed, until they found themselves surrounded by enormous oaks some of which towered hundreds of feet into the sky. Had the companions stopped to hold hands and form a circle, they could not have hoped to surround even half of one those mighty trunks. At the base of one such tree a maiden was spied, watching the first leaves of autumn drift down from the upper boughs. This woman was clad in next-to-nothing, but most intriguing of all was her hair, long and rich auburn in colour but which turned to gold where it passed her shoulders. Betula informed her fellow party members that this was a full-blooded dryad, whose change of hair colour reflected the changing of the season, for today was the first day of Autumn. The dryad looked up as the party approached, and set her sights upon Vasily's strapping form. The cleric's eyes glazed over he met the gaze of the beautiful maiden. Lana and Betula stepped in to dissuade the dryad from drawing their friend into the depths of her tree. Eventually, after a mixture of threats and beseeching, Vasily was released. The party pressed on and found a trail which they followed north-east.
A chestnut stallion with a mane of white came charging along the path, reared and stomped its hooves, then turned and retreated. Curious, Threy used a spell to converse with the party's horses and uncover what this newcomer had sought. They replied that he had been checking whether the horses were being treated with respect. Perhaps this was a sign that the party was reaching civilisation. Later that evening it began to rain, the rainwater forming clear pools along the path from which Threy stopped to drink. His companions watched in amazement as the cleric's skin turned black as onyx! Karnus too drank deeply, and his skin turned to shimmering sapphire. The magic of the Forest was all around.
The party next met with a band of dwarves who dubbed themselves 'The Thorns (in the side of those bloody Elves)', dedicated to causing disruption whenever possible and in whatever manner possible to the elven nation. Among their number was Throick, son of Oick, who seemed concerned that the Karameikans might have been spies sent by King Everast of Rockhome. Seeming satisfied that this was not the case, both parties went their separate ways.
Threy is rejuvenated
Inspired by the vibrant vitality of his surroundings, Threy drew forth the vial which contained his priceless potion of longevity, and downed its contents. At once his skin smoothed as ten years of his life drained away. Threy now resembled a twenty-one year-old, with few traces remaining of the horrific injuries which his face in particular had suffered.
Grunt the bearcub began sniffing excitedly, straining on his leash as an ominous buzzing sound became audible. Further along the path a clearing was found, inside which a hive the size of a house was fixed to one of the immense oaks. A horde of foot-long bees swarmed protectively around their lair. Killer bees. There was no option but to cross through this clearing. Lana used magic to erect a thick wall of vegetation to shield the party from the bees as they passed by. Some of the insects were smart enough to fly around the wall however, and a skirmish ensued. Dmitros the animal trainer was stung badly. While the bee in question dropped dead to the forest floor, its stinger worked its way through the man’s body, exiting from a gaping wound on the man's rear shoulder, its poison bringing him close to death's door. Making haste lest more bees should emerge the party found themselves inside a second clearing, where a centaur was pulling arrow shafts from his flank. To the companions' amazement the open wounds were seen to salve over as soon as the offending missiles were pulled free. This brown and white furred centaur introduced himself as Khlorad. He was a guardian of a local herd of fabulous elven steeds which was being preyed ipon by human bandits. The companions professed their lack of connection to any bandits and continued on their way, soon arriving at a fast-flowing but relatively shallow stream. An owlbear was spotted emerging from a bush on the far side of the stream, and the companions decided to allow the beast some space in hopes of avoiding a nasty confrontation.
Fishing for trouble ... the owlbears
Lana decided to put her newly-purchased fishing equipment to use, and was delighted when after a short while she felt a tug on her line... a catch! The thing was heavy and strong, and required the effort of both her and Vasily to draw from the water of the stream. Finally the strain was too much, and just as the twine was about to snap both mage and cleric were pulled into the river with a splash. Lana stiffened as something slimy latched onto the small of her back; she could feel her lifeblood being drained at an alarming rate. A giant leech. While Vasily clambered free from the water which might well have contained further leeches, Threy applied what healing he could to counteract the constant drain which the leech provided. Drewen fired numerous crossbow bolts, and Vasily attempted to lever the thing off Lana through use of his trusty wooden pole. (Karnus meanwhile was seen admiring the sylvan surroundings, seemingly distracted). As Lana stabbed in a desperate attempt to kill the leech before it killed her, Vasily gave a heave on his pole and the leech detached. Lana stabbed hard and the creature burst, the ichor and gore of its innards being washed downstream. All was not well however, as the owlbear which the party had hoped to avoid was now crossing a fallen log and had reached their side of the river. Being a territorial beast the owlbear roared and charged. Drewen, Threy and Vasily readied weapons ready for a fight, but Lana wished to see no more bloodshed. A ray of magic shot from her palm, striking the owlbear between the eyes. Moments later a fluffy rabbit appeared in its stead, and hopped away merrily into the bushes.
Crossing the log to the far side of the stream three more owlbears emerged from the undergrowth. Lana let loose a lightning bolt which caught all three in its midst, after which it took only a few blows from her companions' hammers and mace to finish the fearsome creatures.
Alliance with the Centaurs
Once again the centaur Khlorad was encountered, this time accompanied by three more of his kind - Thunderhoof, Merito and Equalarian of a neighbouring tribe. These four had come together in an attempt to track down Khlorad's herd which was still missing. All present considered it odd that the wily elven steeds had been unable to shake off their captors's control and return home. The centaurs requested the party's assistance in return for clear directions to Desnae, and a deal was struck. Thunderhoof's sister, a filly named Diella, had seen half a dozen humans leading horses the previous day, and was able to lead the party to the bandits' camp atop a small grassy hill. There the horses could be seen grazing peacefully and, strangely, were neither confined nor tethered. They appeared free to roam as they pleased. How then could they be captives? Karnus and Lana theorised that some sort of magical control was involved. Khlorad transformed and went to speak with the horses, who reported that they had been led to their current location by a centaur. Khlorad considered this proposterous but before anything more could be said a group of men came running down the hill with their weapons readied. One man in particular, replendent in Darokinian foppery, ran with the speed of the wind and closed do battle with Threy but not before the cleric managed to magically restrain four of the man's armoured associates. This left a sole male clad in leather armour, who drew forth a scroll and summoned phantasmal images. Lana made short work of these through use of amber shards, then as three blazing bolts of sapphire magic impacted into the man's chest he fell dead, the parchment scroll falling from his hand as he did so.
Threy became vexed as his every blow was effortlessly parried by his foe's rapier. The flimsy weapon could not penetrate Threy’s magical plate armour however, therefore matters were at a stalemate. At last with an irate cry Threy's mace fractured the man's shoulder and he dropped to the ground, begging for a truce. The man introduced himself as Thibault Falconbridge, associate of the Master Thief Arturo Alcomb, who had fallen to Karnus' magic. While Vasily stripped him of his magical boots, Thibault regarded Threy strangely, as if he recognised the man. He professed that Threy was the image of the bandits' resident cleric. Intrigued, the party made their way up the hill to meet with the remainder of the bandits – a large hulking man named Adam, the party's fighter (besides Thibault) and the cleric who was indeed the image of Threy (except ten years older, seeing how Threy had recently imbibed his potion of longevity).
Threy's brother
It transpired that this was Threy’s twin brother, himself a cleric, who knew much of the pair's past, in stark contrast to Threy's own ignorance. This man had remained faithful to the path of Chaos which Threy had deserted a year after beginning to travel alongside his present companions. The brother gave no name, stating his belief that such labels were the marks of Order and ought not to be tolerated. 'Nameless' recounted the tale of his and Threy's birth, speaking of their mother, a traladaran maiden who thirty years before had been ravaged by a priest of the Church of Karameikos. Shunned and alone the girl had taken refuge in the Black Peak mountains above Threshold, where she gave birth to the twins amid a raging thunderstorm, vowing that one of her offspring would bring about the ruin of her erstwhile lover's Order. So it was that Threy had been left on the doorstep of Threshold's church, destined to one day bring the faith to its knees. Threy’s brother on the other hand was simply abandoned. Since then he had strived to become a cleric, though not possessing any great talent, and upon choosing to walk the path of Chaos he finally developed the ability to cast spells.
Threy listened, aghast, to much of his brother's tale, ultimately stating that he wished little to do with this advocate of anarchy. In truth the man reminded Threy of what he once had been, and of what he might have risen to become had he not turned some way toward the light and toward the friendship of his companions. Threy would have been very alone indeed, as this Nameless One seemed to be. And who knew what might have happened to the Church of Karameikos had Threy followed through on his mother's bidding...
The disgraced hero ... wyverns attack
Meanwhile a cry went up from the centaurs outside as a lone centaur was spied approaching the camp. This was Bardoc, once a great leader and protector of the centaur race who had not been heard of for around a decade. Now, evidently a drunkard and fallen on hard times, he had allied himself with the human bandits who sought to steal the herd of elven horses. Bardoc had even sold the magical armour of his ancestors to fund years of drinking and indulgence. Outraged, Thunderhoof turned upon Bardoc and a skirmish broke out, Bardoc's brawn and experience matching Thunderhoof's youthful vigour.
An immense shadow passed over the heads of the onlookers however, as a great red-scaled beast soared across the clearing, an elk's carcass clenched between its powerful jaws. Upon catching sight of the horses the elk was dropped, and the wyvern closed in. The centaurs' arrows and an Ice Storm soon felled the beast. Three other wyverns appeared though as if drawn by the sounds of fighting; two dropped to the ground whilst the third circled in the skies overhead. Karnus released a Fireball while Drewen, Threy and Vasily set about battling the wyverns which had landed. Lana conjured a whirling air elemental to tear the third wyvern apart before it was able to join the melee on the ground.
Once the battle had ended it transpired that Thibault and Adam had used the distraction to make their escape into the Forest. However, the problem of Bardoc remained.
Read on to the next instalment HERE