Night's Dark Terror
The heroes had reached Sukiskyn - homestead to Steven's family. They were ushered inside by a servant, and the sturdy wooden gates were barred and bolted behind them. After a hasty introduction to the rest of Steven's clan including his brother Piotr, the head of the family, it was reported that no less than two goblin tribes were camped in the fields outside. It would fall to the five companions to join with the family in protecting Sukiskyn. Battle raged for well over an hour - the clerics and mages exhausted their magical ability and fell back to fighting hand-to-hand with goblins and giant bats, as doorways were hacked through and ladders were set against the homestead's stone walls. Drewen did battle with the chieftain of the Red Blade tribe and when the hardy dwarf emerged victorious, what few goblins remained fled into the woods.
One of Steven's daughters caught a glimpse of yellow in the fields beyond the homestead walls, and thought it to be an acquaintance of hers. Could the goblins have taken her friend captive? It would later become apparent that this was not so.
At long last the homestead was made safe, as the goblins retreated into the surrounding forest. It was discovered however that the goblins of the Viper clan had broken into stables situated outside the main complex, and had stolen many of the family's white horses. Enraged at this discovery, Taras asked for volunteers to pursue the thieves and recover the horses. Karnus and Lana could not go since they were exhausted and without spells, and could do little to assist in further combat. Threy stated that he felt likewise. Therefore Taras, Drewen and Vasily rode out across the moors to hunt the horsethieves. After several miles they located a clearing where a recent battle had been waged; half a dozen goblins were lying bleeding and unconscious in the undergrowth. By the look of the massive bitemarks on their sides, their attackers appeared to have been some sort of animal. Pressing onward the next day, the came across a ranch where an elfmaiden came out to greet them. The stolen horses were found to be feeding in a nearby stable yet the elf refused to give them up, claiming they were her property. While the heroes attempted to negotiate the horses' release, the elf's henchmen attempted to sneak up on Drewen. The dwarf's keen senses gave him warning and his hammer swung for the assassins, who dropped to the dirt moments later. Only the elfwoman remained. She caused Taras and Vasily to succumb to magical sleep, then engaged Drewen in combat. Although she proved capable with a weapon she could not withstand the dwarf's relentless attacks, and hurriedly levitated out of the Drewen's reach. She agreed to release the horses, whereupon Drewen ceased his attacks. The three companions led the recovered horses back the Sukiskyn the next day.
Victory turns sour ... the search begins
The heroes had thought to celebrate their success, but found that in the midst of the fighting two nights ago their employer Steven had been kidnapped by the goblins. The party unanimously agreed to mount a rescue mission and set out into the dense woodland of the Dymrak Forest, where many goblin tribes were known to have their homes. The party went from lair to lair, demanding information from each goblin chieftain they located but to no avail. Knowledge of Steven's whereabouts eluded them. After days of fruitless seaching the companions resolved to find the Viper goblins who were renowned as the most well-informed of the local tribes. The party theorised that Steven had been kidnapped by Vlack, a hobgoblin warlord known to operate in the area; they hoped the Vipers would be able to confirm their suspicions.
The heroes' search continued throughout the surrounding moors and woods, from a cluster of cursed burial mounds in the north to a dwarven gold mine in the midst of the mountains, even as far as the mythical Lake of Lost Dreams. Here they performed a service for a group of elves, acquiring a stolen statue from a band of the Illya pixies on the Island of Lost Dreams. In return the elves directed the party toward a valley far to the southeast, where Vlack's associates were known to dwell. The valley had long ago succumbed to some sort of magical curse, which had caused all of its vegetation to wither and assume a stone-like quality.
While the party sought out the petrified valley Karnus took a strange turn for the worse. He had been exposed to the poison of an ancient trap in a crypt below the Island of Lost Dreams, which had a curious effect - it compelled the already-edgy mage to become uncontrollably neurotic, suspecting that the other party members were conspiring against him. One afternoon Karnus was overtaken by paranoia, turned himself invisible and galloped away at great speed. Later that night he returned with a twelve foot tall elemental, which he had summoned through the enchanted stone, marching beside him. He seemed ready to order the earthen giant to attack his companions, however Vasily spoke a few heartfelt words, which were echoed by the others, and Karnus finally calmed down. He did however halfheartedly aim a sapphire magic missile at Threy's backside for good measure. Whether this was a result of the drug remains unclear.
The five rested that night and the next morning entered the strange valley where what the elves had said appeared true - much plant and animal life had been turned to stone, supposedly centuries ago. The party battled a group of goblins before entering their lair through the hollow trunk of an immense oak tree, now made of solid grey stone. Inside, they found a hall filled by the goblins of the tribe, their leader and his bodyguards. The goblin reacted angrily to the outsiders' intrusion. The five companions were forced to defend themselves however the goblins fought to the death. The party's reward for overcoming such violent foes lay within a the stuffed carcass of a mountain lion. The outlines of many coins could be seen through the lion's fur. Lana attempted to carefully slice through the animal's outside with her dagger. To her disappointment, the sharpness of the blade sliced through two treasures - a clerical spell scroll, and a single boot which exuded a faint aura when exposed to a casting of Detect Magic. The party figured, however, that the only other means of accessing these items would have been to place one's hand between the lion's razor sharp teeth, which would have required the skills of a thief.
There was a second section to the halls which was found to belong to the hobgoblins though they were evidently elsewhere at that moment, no doubt carrying out Vlack's orders. A group of thouls (magical creatures which were part ghoul, part troll and part hobgoblin) were encountered in what the party presumed to be Vlack's bedchamber. There was also a chamber filled with giant ferrets. Treasure was located in the hollow of a branch of wood, but which had been intricately rigged to collapse the ceiling of the room if anyone tried to open the compartment. The party rescued an old woman named Babouska whom the hobgoblins had been keeping prisoner. The old dear claimed to have seen Steven being led out of the lair around a week ago. But she had no idea where he had been taken.
To the ends of the earth
Angry and frustrated at how long the rescue attempt was taking, the five heroes felt they had no choice but to return to Sukiskyn and report their failure. They had pursued every possible loose end, and had spent over a month in the wilderness, yet still they were no closer to finding Steven. For all they knew he might even be dead. The Sukisyn homesteaders welcomed the party back but were griefstricken to see them return without their kin. The elderly cleric Irena suggested one last option - the fabled horseman of the moors, Loshrad the Centaur, who was aware of all that happened in his domain. However, the centaur was a guardian of the wild horses of the moors and had been hostile to the family's business in the past, so it was expected that he might not be willing to assist in their time of need. Still, he was the only hope of recovering Steven. Few of the party members were keen to partake in the bizarre ritual which would be required to attract Loshrad's attention, therefore the honour fell to Vasily. So for three nights Vasily stood on one leg atop a local hill, bathed in moonlight whilst whistling into the wind. On the third performance of this ceremony, Loshrad appeared to the young cleric. He appeared as a magnificent black stallion at first. Lana swore she had glimpsed that very horse several times before in the past month. Before the companions' eyes the horse's upper body transformed to become the head and torso of a human male.
Loshrad made no attempt to conceal his lack of concern for Steven, but agreed to trade knowledge of his whereabouts in return for a favour - that the party would eliminate two local werewolves who had been preying upon Loshrad's horses. Weary though they were, the party agreed and complied. Returning once their task was complete, Loshrad instructed them to travel to a far-off plateau in the north, upon which they would find the remains of a centuries old city. Loshrad said he felt certain Vlack operated from within those ruins.
It took time finding the plateau, which was on the opposite side of the river to the north. As the party entered the lower level of the plateau they were showered in missile attacks from a group of men on horseback, who were riding out to meet them. The nine or so men were armed and armoured, and clearly hostile. Lana and Karnus took out a handful of their number with magic missiles, Drewen fired a crossbow bolt and the clerics hurled slingstones, then closed to do melee with the men. It was noted that the men's wrists bore signs of chafing, as if caused by manacles. Also Drewen noted a strange glaze across the men's eyes, as if they were in some kind of trance.
The Forgotten City ... Vlack confronted
The enemies were defeated and the party ascended to the upper level of the plateau where the ruins of Xitaqa came into sight. What startled Karnus most was the centremost building - a crumbling tower, identical to the image on the medallion he had taken from the river bandit. The party keenly entered the ruins, eager to reach the central tower, making their way through narrow gulleys and alleyways, passing many dozens of small huts and buildings along the way which had been carved from the very rockface. Several groups of goblins were encountered along the way, leading groups of rock baboons - fearsome apes who attached rapidly despite the heavy bone clubs they bore.
Arriving at the base of the tower, the bronze double doors which served as the main entrance were barricaded by hobgoblins who fired bows as the party advanced up the steps. Once inside, they sought the innermost chamber where finally they confronted the warlord Vlakk. He was accompanied by his "pet" - a snow white wolf, capable of projecting an icy blast from its mouth. Threy and Drewen both took such blasts but fought on and soon the beast lay dead. Vasily meanwhile engaged the hobgoblin in one-on-one combat for the glory of Halav. The young cleric's valour was rewarded for with a few heavy swings of his hammer, the cruel hobgoblin chieftain fell dead at Vasily's feet.
Having finally located Vlakk, Steven could not be far away! The party pressed into the ruined city, eager to rescue their comrade and depart. They ended up exploring the basement of the tower - a long library filled with dusty scrolls and books, the wisdon of a lost civilisation. However, the documents bore strange, spidery script which neither Karnus nor Lana could understand. As both mages pocketed what treasures they could, a set of beady eyes emerged from the shadows behind the stairs - a huge spider. The party recognised the thing as a black widow whose fangs bore deadly venom. Lana being an arachnophobe responded at once, blasting the creature with amber missiles and killing it before its venom could inflict harm on her or her companions. Still, however, a second spider remained. Lurking in the depths of the stairwell, it refused to emerge into the torchlight, apparently guarding its web. Lana sent a second magical assault into the shadowy corner, then lunging with her dagger to slay the second creature before it too could cause harm.
A second basement hall was uncovered, with many small alcoves carved into its walls. The companions theorised that these were meant for burials or perhaps storage. The hall was completely empty however, devoid even of dust. Was some strange force perhaps keeping this place perfectly clean?
The answer became apparent when, heading along a tunnel which led from the hall, the companions turned around to find an enormous gelatinous cube only feet behind them. Acting on instinct Lana fired a lightning bolt through the ten foot mass, but to no effect; the cube's surface rippled slightly while it continued its advance.
All five party members were forced to use hand-to-hand weapons to combat the cubes, and managed to escape with their lives intact. It was obvious however that they were too fatigued to face any more of the tower's inhabitants, so they retreated to a small building to camp within the ruins overnight. The mages and clerics would recover their spells and would be better able to defend themselves the next day.
Rising the next morning the companions made their way toward the upper levels of the ruined tower, and entered a room which appeared empty but from which a low bellowing could be heard. Upon entering the room, Drewen and Vasily were set upon by some unseen assailant. A heartbeat later, Lana thought she saw a flash of yellow escaping through a door on the far side of the room - she remembered a similar sighting back at Sukiskyn. Could this yellow-garbed stranger be the one who had kidnapped Steven, and had Vlack been just a subordinate?
Drewen and Vasily fought valiantly against the savage foe who they could not even see, and eventually a loud thump was heard as the monster hit the floor, dead. Dragging the body out of the room and onto the stairs, it came into sight - a minotaur. A heavy set of keys was hanging on the beast's belt. Now that there was silence in the room, the heroes heard a low moaning...
The moaning was coming from Steven, chained and manacled to the floor in one corner of the room! Finally the party had managed to locate their former employer. Steven spoke of how he had been tortured by his minotaur jailer at the bidding of the jailer's master - a yellow-robed wizard called Golthar. Golthar was an operative of the Iron Ring slaving organisation, and had been trying to force Steven to reveal the whereabouts of a mysterious tapestry. Why exactly this tapestry was required nobody present knew.
The party vowed to make Golthar pay for the harm he had inflicted upon Steven. Advancing up the stairs and through a room guarded by two living statues of pink jade, Drewen lifted a portrait off the wall to reveal a passage leading to a further set of steps. These led to a locked door, which Lana opened using her magic and flung open. Golthar was beyond! The yellow robed mage blasted through the wall of his garishly decorated bedchamber, and flew into the skies beyond.
Lana cast a Fly spell of her own and gave chase. The two mages flew for miles, passing out of the ruins of Xitaqa and soaring over treetops and marshland below. Lana called repeatedly for Golthar to turn and face her and finally he did, stopping to hover a few hundred feet ahead. Words of magic came to both mages' lips as they each called Mirror Images into being. Golthar's enchantment worked better, as four yellow robes turned to face only two Lanas. Lana called for Golthar's surrender, that he should turn himself over to the party and be brought to justice. He had much to answer for, since his goblin minions had caused the deaths of dozens of country homesteaders through recent months.
Golthar makes his escape
The yellow-robed magic-user was by no means prepared to surrender. He hurled a blade through Lana's single image, leaving her dangerously exposed. Lana grabbed her dagger and closed to stab her rival, but her attack missed. Her disorientation gave Golthar enough time to summon three glowing missiles, each aimed directly at Lana. Any one of those missiles would have obliterated Lana, and she knew it. Lana stopped dead in her tracks in anticipation of being blasted out of the skies, but... Golthar decided not to fire. Instead he gloated at her, revelling in the knowledge that he could have killed his adversary but chose not to. After a stinging slap to Lana's face he flew away, safe in the knowledge that the weakened Lana would not dare follow. She had no option but to return to her companions in the tower. She flew the half dozen miles back to Xitaqa in agonising shame.
In the haste of his escape however Golthar had left behind an important asset - a silver needle inside an ebony box. Steven's eyes lit upon seeing this and urged the party to return to Sukiskyn at once. When touched to a special golden tapestry in the homestead's treasure chamber, the needle traced a magical pattern along the lines of the weaving, drawing a treasure map in shimmering thread! This was the tapestry Golthar had been seeking for months, which Steven believed showed the way to the Lost Valley of the Hutaakans - an ancient nation of jackal-headed men, forgotten by modern civilisation. Very old legends spoke of the Hutaakans' treasure being hidden somewhere within their valley.
The family was overjoyed to see the party return with Steven in tow, and a great feast was held to celebrate the homecoming. Still, though, Steven was eager that the party and he continue in search of the Lost Valley. Only a few days later, the party of six departed Sukiskyn and headed to Rifflian to complete the task for which the party had originally been hired - to sell the white horses to the elf clans there. After a week of travel, the deal was done and a tidy sum of money changed hands for the sale of twenty magnificent steeds. The party were given half the proceeds as their reward for rescuing Steven. While resting in Rifflian, Steven discovered from a gnomish acquaintance of his that a yellow-robed man had been asking questions about a party containing two mages, a dwarf and two others. Golthar had returned with his associates, and was on the travellers' trail! Once the sale of the horses was concluded, the party departed Rifflian promptly.
Back on the road, Threy and Lana both had the feeling that they were being watched. Not long after, they were visited by Loshrad the centaur. Far from his home on the moor, he told the six that a group of his beloved horses were being held in inhumane conditions by a group of brigands a short way up the road. The horseman asked the party to set his horses free, and hinted that there might be some treasure as a reward for their efforts. So the party made a small detour off their trail and discovered the camp, not set up by brigands as they had thought, but by members of the Iron Ring! The party launched a two-pronged attack to liberate two dozen or so innocent countryfolk being held captive by the slavers. At the end of the fight, Vasily took a staff of smooth wood from a cleric who had been fighting alongside the evil slavers, and found that the item posessed seemingly endless powers of restoration. Thus the party acquired its Staff of Healing which Vasiliy used to tend the injuries of the homesteaders, then sent them home on horseback - the horses Loshrad had mentioned, now freed from the slavers. Once the former prisoners had been carried home, the horses would be released onto the moors to roam freely.
Returning to the road, the party was ambushed one night by bandits bearing black-fledged arrows, but the party took few wounds from the petty robbers, and arrived in Threshold a few days later, ready for rest. Lana thought she might visit the tower and ask to use her master's resources to create a spell - a somewhat more potent variant on Continual Light, with an improved blinding ability. The component for this spell had come from the glands of a ferocious beetle the adventurers had encountered on the road a few weeks earlier - Lana feared that the explosive oil might spoil if she did not use it within a week or so more. Therefore the other members of the party agreed to wait a short while more while Lana endeavoured to put her new spell together.
A glimpse of destiny...?
While resting in Threshold Vasily was given a portent of the future by an old traladaran woman whom he saved from being hit by a runaway cart. The woman produced a crystal ball from under her ragged cloak, and told the young cleric that she could see a man in yellow by the riverside, under a sign depicting two crossed swords. Vasily realised this could be no other individual than Golthar. He reported to his companions who decided to investigate. Vasily, Threy, Drewen, Karnus and Steven headed to Fogor Isle where the Thieves' Guild was reportedly located. Upon being asked, the thieves responded that they had no idea where Golthar was. Instead the five scoured the edge of the shore, where many fishing boats were moored, and found a derelict dwelling outside which a sign displaying two swords was swaying in the breeze. The party headed home to arm themselves properly, and returned that night to break in. Karnus turned invisible, and after the others broke through the front window of the house, the mage crept in. Apart from broken furniture and a lot of dust, there was nothing inside. Karnus remained at the entrance to keep a look-out while the others scouted around inside. Had the old woman been wrong, was there really nothing here?
Their questions were answered when the floorboards of the kitchen suddenly tore apart. A huge, rubbery skinned creature burst through the floor and began attacking the party with its spindly arms and claws. The thing lashed out viciously and the smell which arose from around it was overpowering. Karnus fired a sapphire missile from the doorway while his companions hit out with mace, hammer and sword. At last the thing fell over, seemingly dead. Yet as the companions took a moment to steady their nerves, the creature lurched back to life! Its wounds could be seen closing over, the torn flesh mending before their eyes. Karnus identified the monster as a troll. The only way to stop the thing from regenerating, he knew, would be to inflict fire damage upon it, for burn wounds would not be able to heal. Karnus poured as many vials of oil as he carried over the beast, while the others pressed home the attack, keeping the beast subdued. After touching a spark to the oil, flames shot up to consume the troll's body and quickly spread to the surrounding walls and timbers. The troll was dead, but the building was set to collapse as the flames spread to the upstairs level.
The five emerged coughing the burning building and to their surprise were confronted by a number of beings, waiting patiently. These were wererats, led by Golthar and a dark-skinned woman. Weakened from their encounter with the troll, this was a dangerous turn of events. Golthar and his minions had litle patience and were not prepared to parlay at length; when the party refused to disclose the location of the lost valley, the wererats sprang forward to attack. Karnus and Steven were badly bitten in the fight, while Threy took on the female cleric, Jolenta and defeated her, taking her mace which he knew to be magical. Golthar managed to escape. However, Karnus managed to charm Golthar's bodyguard Sligh, who was to prove a valuable source of information as he accompanied his new friend Karnus and his party on the road ahead.
Resting to heal their wounds, this gave Lana a few days more to complete her spell research. Emerging exhausted after a week cooped up in the Tower, the new spell was christened "Discontinuable Radiance", and Lana was eager to join the others in setting off in pursuit of Golthar. It was not known whether the yellow-robed mage knew how to find the valley, or whether he would need to spy on the party to ascertain the whereabouts. Fresh horses were purchased and the seven members of the party set off from Threshold heading due west, in what they expected would be the direction of the Valley.
After several hours heading west, the party reached to the bank of the Foamfire River and decided to follow north for a while, remembering the instructions on the golden tapestry map. The remains of an ancient road were located; could this have led to the Valley at one time? The cobblestones continued for a few miles before stopping, leaving the party to pursue the course of the river. Soon a thin column of smoke was noticed, rising from a short way into the forest on one side of the river. They decided to investigate. A small clearing was located, containing a smouldering fire, its floor strewn with bones. They found a set of footprints, larger than human, leading away from the clearing and into the mountains, which they decided to follow. Overhead, a group of ravens was circling and seemed ready to attack, until Threy used a clerical spell to speak with the birds. They communicated gruffly but said they had seen death, larger than human, a short distance away, and then flew off, speaking of their hunger... The heroes continued into the mountains, remembering which way they had come, and soon a thick mist rolled down upon them. They uncovered a path where three human heads were embedded on spikes in the centre of the road. Riding on with suitable concern, the party came across a series of rings, each made up of similar horrendous spikes, a large ring surrounding a smaller ring, with one more at the middle, but the mist made it hard to identify anything more. A low wailing filled the air. Suddenly two figures burst from the ground to attack Drewen and Lana. Lana barely had time to cast Mirror Image - no sooner than she had done so, one monster swiped straight through the image she had summoned. Threy shouted words of turning and the two figures fell over, smouldering. In the thick mist, it had been impossible to identify what they were... ghouls. Two more creatures burst forth, catching Threy unaware. Vasily invoked a turning of his own but not before Threy became paralysed by the chilling undead touch. Then all became still. Only the wailing continued. The heroes were at a loss as to what to do.
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