The three companions trudged onward out of the forest, exhausted from their most recent exploit together. The ex-gladiator Conor, having been set free from the Arena of Thyatis City had been passed a gift of sorts from an old fighting comrade of his. A treasure map, marking the location of a magical treasure far away across the Empire, in the northwesternmost reaches of the Vyallia Forest. After a lengthy journey and having uncovered the whereabouts of the makeshift complex, Conor alongside his two trusted companions Antonius and Lucius had set about laying his hands upon the treasure which awaited him within - several sacks filled to the brim with sheening gold lucins! The treasure had not been without its guardians however, and the barbarian's enchanted battle axe, a parting gift from his old dwarven trainer Dona, had served him well. For now Conor swung the magical blade playfully from side to side as he walked, marvelling how the rays of the sun playing across the curving blade…
The first adventure of our Thyatian party
A Change Would Do You Good
The sun was beginning to sink in the western sky, and the three would be hard pressed to reach town before nightfall. Onward they trekked and sure enough as the sun set into the lofty treetops of the Forest, walled defenses came into view… they had reached the town of Bumbleton! Nestled at the foot of dark mountain peaks which served as a home to the many persecuted humanoid tribes of the Empire, the companions thought it strange that the fortified town's gates should stand wide open, as if to welcome the newcomers with open arms! Two half-drunken guards atop the wall waved the travellers merrily on their way, seemingly unconcerned whether these newcomers posed a threat or not. The town was in obviously high spirits and celebrating some recent event. Defences tonight would be at an all-time low.
Walking through the streets of town, there was open singing and dancing in the streets, the magic-users of the town set tiny multi-coloured lights around the place, and it was not long before the three companions found their way to the Tipsy Beaver Inn in the centre of town. The halfling innkeeper Bruce extended a hearty welcome to the three guests, found them seats at a small table by the pie, and his plump floury-armed wife Frillda was only too keen for the guests to sample her best fresh-baked meaty pies. Celebrations continued all around, as Bruce explained more fully the recent events. A tribe of orcs had descended from the mountains to the north, set on raiding the small town of Bumbleton for all its worth. Local rumours in the area spoke of the mines to the east not being quite so exhausted as the townsfolk made out, perhaps it was this which had spurred the orcs into such an open assault. But the orcs had not been prepared for the townsfolk's competence in defending their homesteads! The tide of battle had soon turned against the humanoids, who were routed before they even reached town, and retreated in shame.
Later into the evening's proceedings, the door of the bar room opened and a cloaked figure was seen to emerge from the cold outside into the bright light of the Inn. The newcomer spoke briefly with Bruce, and was invited to find a seat in the crowded room. The only free seat was at the table alongside Conor, Antonius and Lucius, and the stranger took her place. Easing back her green hood, there came murmurs of mixed emotions from the Inn's patrons, as the sight of a beautiful young elfmaiden was revealed. Many folk wondered had the town committed some wrongdoing to have brought about the presence of a Vyallia elf in their town, but no ill feeling was directed toward the maiden. Within a few moments conversation picked up once more and the merry-making continued.
Lassandra explained that she had been sent from the Forest by her father, an elflord of the Diamerak clan, to deliver some rare forest herbs to a herbalist in the town of Bumbleton, in exchange for a pouch of rose quartz pieces. These gems were to serve as funds for Lassandra's travels, as she had now outgrown her sylvan homeland and had been urged to explore the greater Empire. She would spend perhaps a few nights in town, and then be met by her companion Dallus, a human fighter also from the Forest. The four soon fell into conversation together and the night began to pass in pleasant and easy company.
The four were approached a short time later by a venerable old man, resplendent in white robes and sporting a long flowing beard, braided to either side. Setting down his tankard on the companions' table, the cleric introduced himself as Lord Trepicius, local cleric and overseer of Bumbleton. Despite the town having dispersed an orc horde only the day before, the patriarch feared the surviving humanoids might have regrouped in the depths of their homeland, the northern mountains. He was therefore seeking a small company of adventuring types to trek into the mountains and scout around for any signs of activity. A pouch of gold was up for gain should the heroes return with a map of any orc lairs, and further reward would be bestowed should the heroes actually confront any orcs on their travels. Suitably tempted, the heroes were left to consider the offer.
Early the next morning Lassandra and Lucius paid a visit to the Patriarch in his temple, and over cheese and biscuits (magically summoned) stated that they would take the cleric up on his offer. The four would venture out into the mountains and investigate the fate of the orcs for 50gp. Delighted, the merry old cleric was donning his ceremonial plate to accompany the young whippersnappers on their quest when a personal aide reminded his Lordship of his clerical duties for the day (they were having problems getting the town's famous cheese to set properly), and so Lord Trepicius was obliged to remain in town. As a gesture however the four companions would be decked out in whatever equipment or supplies they might need from Master Wensleydale at the local store, all to be paid for out of the town kitty.
Heading north then the path led from lush pastureland to forest, then into hilly terrain, and finally into the rocky slopes of the Peaks ahead. A chill wind blew down from the icy summits, freezing each character to the bone, and on they pressed.
Brownbeard
Following the course of a ravine, Lassandra's keen hearing picked up the sounds of shouting coming from further up the trail - rounding a corner the companions came upon the sight of a lone dwarf battling a half-starved mountain lion! As one both Lucius and Lassandra sent arrows whizzing toward the great cat, while Conor and Antonius closed with blades drawn to do battle. The dwarf barely acknowledged the presence of this aid, but as the cat was finally crushed beneath the blade of Conor's axe a dwarven curse resounded along the ravine's walls. Why had these interlopers ruined the dwarf's good fun! What other entertainment was there to keep a dwarf occupied in these frozen peaks, for crying our loud… Lassandra bit back a smile as the old dwarf rolled his eyes and tried to hide bleeding fangmarks on one forearm. As the elfmaiden tended the dwarf's wounds, the four newcomers introduced themselves, and stated the reason for their mission into the frozen wastes. Upon hearing mention of orcs, Brownbeard (for t'was his name) was moved to drop his sullen façade, as he too was seeking a horde of orcs who had only recently driven his kin from their ancestral home, deep within a nearby mountain. The tribe had slain all the males of the clan save Brownbeard, and sent the women and children to hiding in the hills to the west, leaving Brownbeard for dead in the snow. The dwarf had awoken with a ringing in his head and only hazy memories of what had happened to him. It was most likely that this was one and the same group of orcs, and so the party became five, in pursuit of a common goal! Brownbeard agreed to lead the companions to his home in return for help in ridding the place of the blasted humanoids.
Trekking onward the dwarven home came in sight - a distinctive mountain whose peak had millenia ago been split in two by some colossal force of nature. Venturing up the steep slope, the five found themselves on a ledge in front of a cave which extended fifty feet into the mountain, but then stopped. Brownbeard scratched his nose in dismay, having been sure this way the cave. Lassandra stepped forward cautiously to inspect the rock face, her hand passed straight through the wall! Thinking at first that her forearm had been disintegrated, the elfmaiden was glad to discover that this wall was only an illusion, and drew back to marvel at the magic involved. The illusionary wall, having been touched, was still in full sight!
Antonius took the lead now and led his companions through the wall, feeling a slight tingle over his muscles as he passed through but no other ill effect. Inside was dark, but a light spell from Lassandra soon revealed a broad passageway, leading down into the mountain. After a short distance the five had to clamber over a pile of fallen rubble, and faced a sheer drop on the other side! All made their way safely down however, save for Antonius who stumbled halfway, but with a clever show of acrobatics was able to avoid taking much damage from his tumble.
Onward into the caves, the passageway opened out into a vast cavern but then dropped away beneath the heroes' feet! Bats fluttered in the ceiling above as the companions lowered themselves down the twenty foot drop, to the cavern floor. Moving forward the magical light illuminated the form of a huge white mushroom directly ahead, from which the party moved to keep a safe distance, edging cautiously along the left-hand wall of the cave. They came to a small alcove, which Antonius stepped into to investigate, and in the dim light made out the forms of two leather sacks hanging from the ceiling. Could these hold treasure, the rogue thought immediately? Creeping forward he squinted to inspect how the bags were attached to the ceiling, and revealed two sets of… claws. These were no normal bags! Backing off the thief made every effort to move silently, but trod on a loose pebble at the very last moment. The bats detached themselves from the alcove and were upon the party! All members avoided harm however, and rewarded with a much-encrusted copper bracelet for their troubles.
Pressing onward along the cavern wall, a second mushroom could be made out, and the lead members froze. Conor and Lucius had had enough of skulking however and marched out boldly in the direction of the fungus. The resulting screech split the skulls of all present, but then left way for an eerie silence, as even the bats a hundred feet up stopped their motion. Antonius threw a cloak over the light of Lassandra's glowing shield lest any local creatures might spot the party, and the five stood immobile for a long while. Just as all seemed safe however, the elfmaiden's infravision picked up a red outline heading toward their location. The hulking mass was allowed to draw larger and closer to the party, until at last Antonius ripped back his cloak at the last moment. The giant bear howled and reared in anger at the sudden blaze, and reared, covering its face with two immense paws. When the beast regained its senses however the paws moved to reveal long, curving beak - an owlbear!! The party members rushed into combat, but both Lucius and Conor were caught by those immense paws for maximum damage! Brownbeard was savagely bitten by the thing's horned beak, but at last the five were victorious, and pressed onward. The owlbear's lair was uncovered, a small cave which contained only scraps of fur and bone and no treasures.
Making their way up a small cliff this time, the companions found themselves before a wide passageway and pressed on. At a T-junction their chosen path led to a dead-end, and so backtracking they came to a small square cave, with a wide pit in the centre of the floor. In one corner had been hammered an iron spike, to which was attached a thin rope, leading down into the dark depths of the pit. To another side stood a wooden sign bearing some simple words in the orc tongue, which Lassandra translated for the group - "no more than three". Dubious as to what the sign meant, Conor decided to lower himself into the pit, and tugged on the rope to test its strength. Immediately below, a small tinkling sound was heard, and a moment later a clanking began… Conor backed away from the pit, as a wooden platform ascended into view, held on each side by a rope and pulley attached to the pit walls. Conor, Lassandra and Lucius stepped onto the platform, waited a moment, and then rang the bell. The clanking sound resumed as all three descended into the darkness. Reaching the bottom after a descent of more than forty feet, a bulky humanoid turned from the huge wheel he had just finished heaving round, and scratched his bald head in confusion upon seeing three non-orcs. The ogre grabbed his club and closed to battle the intruders…
Two swings of Conor's axe later (!!!) the platform descended once more, powered by the hinterlander's immense muscles, and Brownbeard and Antonius rejoined the group. Relieving the dead ogre of a small sack attached to his belt, the party uncovered 150gp and a yellow potion of ESP. Stepping over the body, they made their way along a narrow winding passage, and emerged into a large smoky cavern, where a large fire was burning. Conor was disturbed to count two piles of rags by the fire, and suspected the presence of a second ogre somewhere nearby. Investigating a pile of old sacks produced nothing, as did the first exit, which turned out to be the ogre latrine. The second exit from the cave led to a heavy cast iron portcullis, bolted firmly to the cave floor by a sturdy metal padlock. Antonius' attempts to pick the lock proved fruitless, and so a key was to be sought elsewhere.
Returning to the main cave, the party followed the third and final exit, heading north a short way before reaching a junction. Turning left they entered a store room and were able to help themselves to a sackful of torches just as the enchantment on Lassandra's shield failed and dimmed. (Perfect timing!) Several vials of oil and other supplies were also raided. Returning to the junction next, the path north widened out into a large square room - in the centre of this room was a sturdy oak table, littered with cards, dice, animal bones and broken bottles, alongside one dozing ogre, boots up on the table and snoring loudly! Saying nothing, Antonius unsheathed a dagger and tip-toed across the room to inspect the ogre's body. Drawing close, the thief was just reaching for what he thought was a ring of keys, when… BAM! The thief's attempt to remain silent had failed, and the crafty ogre lunged out with a fist toward the thief. Antonius dodged at the last moment and avoided a bloody nose! His companions closed, and after heavy combat the ogre was defeated. A sack under the dead ogre's chair revealed again 150gp and five pieces of quartz, plus the ring of iron keys from the ogre's belt.
The companions now noticed that the eastern wall of the room was composed of iron bars, with a small hatch at one side, held in place by a rusted iron padlock. Conor's axe shattered the ancient lock, and the bulky barbarian stepped through into what he thought might have been a passage onward, but instead revealed a small prison section! The floor was littered in filthy rags, and in one corner a female figure rose to her feet, dusting down her chainmail and once-white robes. "I appreciate the rescue," the woman smiled, "but the noise of that axe was enough to rouse the dead."
Natalya
The accent was thick, slavonic and strange to these lands. Shaking cobwebs from her shoulder-length dark hair, the lady introduced herself as Natalya Fyodorovna Simonova, cleric of the Church of Traladara in the city of Specularum. Conor bowed cordially, offered the lady his arm as she stepped out of the prison cell and introduced his companions. Natalya smiled once more and she remarked how such well-developed muscle might work wonders in the service of her patron Halav. However, a stern look possessed the woman's face as she addressed each companion in turn, speaking of how she came to be trapped in this place. Her party had ventured from afar to this area of Thyatis, having heard tell of how the fringes of the Empire were beset by humanoid annoyances. The party had however been captured by the orcs and put to a cruel death. Natalya was spared for the use of her clerical powers, the orcs having stolen her holy hammer, which she was desperate to recover, at all costs. The party invited the cleric to join them in their quest against the orcs, and so the party became six!
Before leaving, Natalya asked leave to heal her new companions, who had been badly hurt in the fights against the owlbear and the second ogre. Both Conor and Lucius received great benefit, but the cleric had no more healing for the dwarf, whose wounds were equally severe. Seeing this, Lassandra took Brownbeard to one side, and laid the flat of her magical sword, Ilsundel's Kiss against the dwarf's wounds. Returning to the others, Natalya caught sight of the dwarf's improved condition and cast a nod of knowing appreciation toward the elfmaiden. Lassandra gave a warm smile in return, and the six got back on their way.
The iron portcullis was unlocked with ease, but then required the combined might of Conor and Lucius to lift. Lassandra and Natalya stepped swiftly through, followed by Antonius and then Brownbeard, then finally as Conor's muscles strained, Lucius, and then the barbarian threw himself forward, narrowly avoiding beheading himself as the portcullis dropped with a clang behind. Lassandra and Natalya winced at the loud sound, and then the party moved onward.
A set of natural steps led far down, deeper into the mountain, as finally the party emerged at the top of a gaping chasm!! Far below their feet the chasm descended, not into darkness, but into a strange ever-changing glow, pink one minute, then touched with blue, then greenish, and so on. Marvelling at this unknown phenomenon, at last the companions approached the rope bridge constructed to span the thirty-foot gap between themselves and the far side of the drop. Lucius used his smithing know-how to inspect the iron poles holding the ropes in place, and pronounced the bridge safe to cross. Indeed despite missing the odd plank here and there, the hand-rail-less bridge barely gave an inch under the party's weight as they crossed one by one.
On the other side, the passage led on and came to a T-junction. Heading north, a second junction offered choices of heading north or turning off east. Natalya gave a visible shudder upon suggestion of the part heading north, and informed the party that the northernmost section of the complex had been infested by foul undead ghouls. The fiends had uncovered a small opening on the mountainside and penetrated inside - occasionally they broke into the orcs' quarters and so Natalya was kept to hand to repel the invaders with her clerical powers. Indeed, investigating north led to a makeshift barricade of rubble and broken furniture, adorned by a huge red "X" motif. The companions decided to leave the north well alone, and so headed east.
The passage broadened into a long cave dotted with campfires here and there, and around these fires sat groups of male orcs! The party silently drew out missile weapons and launched an attack. Ten of the orc warriors fell at last, but searching the cavern produced no treasure. Strange… A passageway to the north again resulted in a barricade, evidently cordoning off the ghoul area, but this time to the party's shock, noises could be heard coming from the other side. Ghouls ordinarily would make no sound, Natalya informed her comrades, but in this case they must be dismantling the barricade!
Returning to the cave there was a choice of heading to the south or to the east. East was chosen, and the six entered into a round cave whose walls had been polished to a smooth shine. In the centre of the cave stood an immense metal pedestal, at whose twenty-foot-tall top was a small platform of sorts. Most remarkably, something atop this platform was giving off a golden glow, and underneath the platform, a golden banner held a motto in orcish, which Natalya and Lassandra between them deciphered for the group. The banner read: "A Change Would Do You Good. The Punishment You Can Never Hope To Undo. B." Startled and baffled by these strange words, Lassandra urged her companions to leave the chamber, since no-one had means to climb to the top. To the east was a solid, golden and locked door which Antonius' attempt to pick resulted in a broken wire and little more, so the companions turned south…
The party emerged now into a second fire-lit cavern, and here were a half dozen female orcs bearing young whelps! The party had not the heart to slay such pitiful creatures, and instead called out a stern greeting. Lucius and Lassandra stepped forward as party spokesmen and conversed with the females in the Common Tongue, ordering the females to leave the complex. The orcs protested, claiming that this was their home. Lucius disagreed, pointing out that the dwarves who had once dwelt here and who had been unfairly chased, were set to return. The orc women fell dumb at talk of dwarves, and confusedly agreed to leave. One ill-tempered sort spat at Lucius as she left, muttering of how the Great One would deal properly with these intruders…
Heading east the party came to a junction and discovered a second golden door, equally locked! Unable to open this, the party pressed on, descending a set of natural steps once more and found a sandy shore beneath their feet! The six stood looking out over a vast expanse of water, from whose still surface radiated a chill like no other. To one side of the shore was moored a wooden craft just large enough to bear six people, and Conor stepped forward to take up the oars and cross this underground lake. As the party boarded the boat however, Brownbeard eyed the freezing waters with some suspicion. Swallowing painfully, the dwarf gave a small cough and announced that he would stay upon the shore to keep watch while the others were gone. Natalya decided to keep company with the dwarf, and settled down on the shore also. The two waved as Conor and Lucius pushed off, rowing slowly into the darkness of the lake beyond. Natalya's voice was heard at the very last moment, her thick Traladaran accent floating across this chill of the lake. "Please bring back my hammer…"
Across the underground lake
The lake was vast and the two strong rowers' muscles soon began to ache, not knowing for how long they had been drifting across the vast watery expanse. Huge sheets of ice floated past from time to time, and the occasional splash of water from the oars froze whoever they touched to the bone. Lucius took the opportunity to speak of his paranoia about the place, sensing that perhaps Brownbeard or Natalya had led them into this complex for some reason as yet unknown to the main party. Conor nodded his head in agreement. There had as yet been no sign of any dwarven stonework in the place, but perhaps this would be found deeper inside the complex. Both cleric and dwarf seemed pleasant and honest sorts, but parts of the dwarf's story in particular did not seem to fit. At long last however Lassandra announced that the far shore was in sight! Picking up pace, Conor and Lucius pulled hard on the oars, but suddenly, the boat rocked violently! All save Conor were able to keep their seat, and the bulky barbarian was hurled overboard into the freezing waters. A second impact was felt, and as Conor edged around the side of the boat, a white mass was made out to one side, its massive paws shaking the boat with all its strength… a polar bear!!
Lucius and Lassandra grabbed for the oars and made haste for the shore, leaving Conor to swim as best he could. The bear gave chase, but Conor had a headstart and was almost on the shore. A last-minute dodge allowed the fighter to avoid a close swipe of the bear's paw, and then all the characters were on dry land, at last! As the bear emerged from the waters and shook itself briefly, Lassandra noticed an almost glazed look in its eyes. But seconds later the bear was upon them, as elf and thief launched missiles and the two fighters closed for combat.
Having felled the beast a while later, the companions surveyed their surroundings. They were standing on a shore similar to the far side of the lake, but here there was a choice of two passageways, one whose walls were rough and natural, the other smooth and straight. Inbetween the two entrances was a wooden sign, bearing script in orcish, which the elfmaiden translated as "Leave All Here. Come No Further. Turn Back Now." A small hollow in the earth had been scooped out in front of the sign, but as Conor and Lucius began to debate the meaning of the sign, Lassandra caught sight of movement out on the lake. With a tingle of shock, she covered her eyes from the glare of her companions' torches, and in the far darkness the elf saw a solitary red outline, float effortlessly atop the surface of the water. Within a heartbeat the glow was gone. Lassandra was left wondering whether she had imagined the sighting but confided in her companions all the same. Conor feared for the safety of Natalya and Brownbeard on the far shore, but knew that the stranger had a headstart on the four and could be anywhere by now. In any case, Lucius joked, who in their right mind would dare take on a cleric of Halav!
The wording of the warning sign still held the party in thrall, but they pressed on nonetheless. Choosing the right-hand, more roughcut passageway, the companions followed the narrow, winding trail until at last they entered into a round, small chamber whose walls were covered in chiselled and painted runes. A fire was burning merrily in the centre of this cave, whose flames gave off a heavy, almost choking smog of incense. Conor backed away from the room at once, sensing the dark magic present in the place, but was held in check by Lassandra's logic. The townsfolk had indeed spoken of a magic-user among the orc horde - could these be the quarters of an orcish spellcaster… a wokan? What if this wizard was close to hand and about to srping some trap? Lassandra explained that the figure she had seen had been retreating from the party after all. They should explore the quarters for some kind of clue as to where to go next.
Three exits led from this round central chamber. The first led into a similar round room, whose floor was painted with an eight-pointed star, with a crude ceramic pot standing at the end tip of each starpoint. Lucius was keen to investigate the pots, and lifted up the lid of the closest pot. Inside was a the sheening surface of a liquid! The fighter dabbed some of the liquid on his lips and felt himself grow lighter for a second… a potion of Levitation! Eagerly now the others also uncovered pots. Antonius uncovered a larger pot containing enough liquid to make four draughts of healing potion! Both he and Conor took drinks from this pot, and then flasks of oil taken from the orc strongroom were emptied to transport the remaining two draughts. The next pot was empty, despite Lucius rummaging with his hand inside. The next empty also, the next bore a potion of Speed, and from the next a Cobra reared up, ready to strike through Conor's leather thigh guard, but the barbarian's reactions were fast and the snake found itself skewered neatly on the man's cestus.
A final pot uncovered by Lassandra seemed to contain only a few pebbles, but when a torch was shone more closely on the stones they were in fact gemstones - ambers, citrines, garnets and a topaz were pocketed by the overjoyed elfmaiden!