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Chapter 2: A Blighted Land

Turn 50: Endgame—Woodstock style

“Luger, who is this miscreant and how doth he know you?” asked Danton. “P'raps more to the point, what is our best means of slaying him ... and his babe? 'Twill be a shame to kill her. I rather like devilish blondes in red leather. But duty calleth I suppose.”

Karzak shook his head. “I definitely dinna know what I be gettin' meself into joinin' with ye laddies! Dwarffather!” He then shouted towards the man and woman in the red cloaks. “Anyway, yoo hoo, lassie! Ye have a fine face fer sure. 'Twill be a shame to split it in two with me axe. But 'twill be twice as much
ta gaze at, me pretty! Clobberin' time!”

Luger’s face was a blank mask. “I don't know what business they think they have with me, but I need more time with this gate! Keep them busy!"

Without another word, the cleric began to cast a spell.

“Very well,” said Danton, “Since there be no talk, 'tis plainly time for action.” He whipped Rat’s Tail out of its sheath and stalked towards the enemies across the room.

“O cloaked ones, prepare to meet thy maker!”

[Initiative: Nanoc: 13, Luger: 18, Danton: 20, Karzak: 13, Aseneth: 11, Syll: 20, Foes base: 17]

The five foes on the other side of the vast chamber sprang into action as soon as Luger began his spellcasting. While the huge dog rushed forward to meet the party, the four other newcomers all began casting spells of their own.

Karzak, shaking his head and laughing, stalked straight into the path of the onrushing dog, calling out to Danton as he went: “Ya know, boy, ye jus' may have a wee bit a' dwarf growing in ya with me company. Are ye sure ya dinna have any philosophical 'peculation or a bunch a' complainin' 'bout how the world is conspirin' 'gainst ya? No digressions 'bout baggin' this lassie an' the guilt ya be feelin'? No time even fer ya ta pen a few words in yer wee book in yer pack?”

By this time, Karzak stood directly in front of the massive dog. He blocked its bite with his shield and then stepped aside from most of its fiery breath when, as he had expected, it disgorged a gout of flame at him (reflex save: 17+2=19; 3 damage taken).

A fraction of a second later, Karzak slammed his axe into the dog, producing a sharp yelp of pain from the beast (attack: 15+10=25; hit; 13 damage).

”I dinna know if I be overjoyed or shocked or a wee bit disappointed!” the dwarf shouted, still aiming his comments at Danton. “But, I be agreein' with ya. Join me in sayin' . . . Clobbering time! Pretty face, meet me axe!”

Luger cast a quick protective spell (Magic Circle Against Evil) that he hoped would give pause to any attackers, and then turned his attention fully back to the portal. At the same time, Syll and Aseneth engaged the two hooded spellcasters in the darker colored cloaks.

While Luger cast his spell and Karzak took on the dog, Danton made straight for the woman in the red cloak, closing with her even as she was still casting her first spell.

“So,” he said as he nicked her arm with Rat’s Tail (attack: 14+8=22; hit; 2 damage), “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?”

The woman stepped back to avoid a more serious cut, but ignored Danton’s banter and continued her spell.

Nanoc had been caught off guard by the sudden arrival of the newcomers, but he reacted quickly, sprinting across the chamber and then leaping through the air to land atop the blond man who seemed to be their leader, slamming his axe into the man and knocking him off his feet in mid-spell (attack: 19+14=33; hit; 18 damage).

Amazingly, the man rolled to his feet almost immediately and when he came up, he held a great black flail, carved with glowing runes all along its length. Moving with incredible speed, he shouted words Nanoc did not understand and then whipped the flail at the barbarian. The end of the flail struck Nanoc, ripping through his armor and sending a bolt of electricity through the barbarian that would have killed most people (hit for 25 points). Even Nanoc was blasted off his feet by the shock and he crashed onto his back even as the man stalked towards him with the flail held high once more.

Nearby, Danton continued to try to distract the blond woman from her spellcasting with a combination of banter and swordplay. “I’d say you ‘fight like a girl,’ sweetheart,” he said loudly, “but, under the circumstances, ‘twould be wholly gratuitous.”

At that point, the woman ceased chanting for a moment, flashed Danton a wicked smile, and then resumed her spellcasting. As she did so, the Velunese felt a wave of demoralization sweep over him. For a brief moment, he knew this fight was pointless—ultimate defeat was certain. But then, remembering the mental assault of the tentacled creature in the baron’s keep, Danton willed himself to shrug off the effects of whatever this woman had done (will save: 16+2=18; success).

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of everyone else in the group, all of whom felt the effects of whatever spell the woman had cast (Karzak will save: 9+3=12; failure; Nanoc will save: 2+3=5; failure; Luger will save: 20+12=32; success). While Luger’s mental resiliency was such that the cleric hardly even noticed the spell assaulting his morale, both Karzak and Nanoc were immediately affected, without even realizing the source of the attack. Shrugging off the attack, Luger resumed his efforts to close the portal, but with no greater success than before (Turn Portal Attempt: 10+0-3=7; failure).

The sudden mental attack briefly stunned Karzak, enabling the dog to slip under his guard and bite him (3 points damage), but this only made him angry and he gripped his axe tighter, slammed it into the dog’s cranium (attack: 19+10-1=28; hit 13 damage), and smiled with satisfaction as the animal crumpled to the floor under the blow.

“Git along, little doggie!” the dwarf exulted.

With spells now flying back and forth across the room as Syll and Aseneth countered the magic being sent against the party, Nanoc managed to get to his knees before the red-cloaked man reached him, and he whipped his axe back and forth with great speed, striking the man in the legs and forcing him to back off (attack: 8+14-1=21, 14+9-1=22; 2 hits; 9, 12 damage). Nanoc used the momentary respite to get to his feet and he and the flail-carrying man stalked one another in a slow circle, each having come to respect the raw fighting power of the other.

As the battle raged around him, Luger made yet another attempt to close the portal, but with the same result as always (Turn Portal Attempt: 5+0-3=2; failure).

“Sweetheart,” said Danton, even as he whipped Rat’s Tail at the blond woman again and she stepped out of the way (attack: 9+8=17; miss), “I fear whatever vile spell that was, hath failed in its purpose. But methinks your disposition would improve if only you kept better company. Why not keep me company instead?”

“Ass,” hissed the woman, even as she finished another spell. Danton felt a second mental assault, but he was able to shrug off this one as he had the first (will save: 12+2=14; success).

“Lady,” he said with a broad smile, “truly, methinks our exertion is spoilt—indeed, I hath a far better way in mind of working up a good sweat. Care to try?”

The woman was already casting another spell, but this time Danton’s incessant banter seemed to distract her just enough for him to slip close enough to stick Rat’s Tail into her side, through the seams of her armor (attack: 20+8=28; potential critical—2^nd roll: 18+8=26; critical hit; 13 damage).

The woman screamed out in pain and stumbled backward, her spell clearly ruined.

“You’ll die for that!” she hissed, whipping a flail out from under her cloak and taking up a defensive position.

“Ah, at last we come to some real fun,” laughed Danton. “As I said before, I rather fancy a hot blonde in red leather, and you qualify in both regards.”

Having slain the dog, Karzak next turned his attention to the two spellcasters in the darker-colored cloaks. While Syll had now drawn his sword and moved into melee with one of them, the other was still only engaged from a distance by Aseneth, so Karzak chose that one as his target. Approaching the figure from the side, he caught the spellcaster unawares and sliced his waraxe deep into his midsection (attack: 17+10-1=26; hit; 10 damage). There was a grunt of pain and the hood fell back to reveal the face of a middle-aged man, who spun to face Karzak.

When the blond man in red came at Nanoc again, the barbarian ducked below the first swing from the lightning flail, but the weapon’s electrical tip caught him on the backswing (hit for 17 points). Although Nanoc felt as though he were being cooked in his armor, he ignored the heat and pain and tried to take the other man down before he could swing his devastating weapon again (attack: 16+14-1=29, 5+9-1=13; one hit; 20 damage).

Nanoc’s axe strike could have felled a tree, but some unholy power must have coursed through the veins of the man in the red cloak, for he took Nanoc’s attack without so much as flinching and countered in the blink of an eye. The lightning flail whipped forward again, striking Nanoc full in the chest, burning through his leather armor, and sending such a jolt through his body that it sent him flying again and plunged him into unconsciousness (hit for 20 points).

Even as Nanoc was taken out of the fight, Luger made his ultimate attempt to shut down the portal to the lower planes. It was a supreme effort (Turn Portal Attempt: 17+0-3=14; failure), but for naught. The roaring flames were stronger than ever, and Luger turned away from them to take in the battle around him and decide where he could be most effective now that there was nothing for him to do but aid his friends.

Although Danton had judged the blond woman to be primarily a spellcaster, like Aseneth, and had assumed that if he could wreck her spellcasting, she might quickly surrender, such assumptions were quickly dashed. The woman whipped her flail about with wild abandon, screaming at Danton all the while. When the tip of the weapon ripped through his leather armor and tore through the scout’s flesh all along the length of his left arm (hit for 11 points), the pain was so sharp that Danton nearly passed out from the shock.

“Perhaps that will silence your vile, unclean tongue!” spat the woman.

Trying to conceal how badly he had been hurt, Danton countered ineffectively with Rat’s Tail (attack: 1+8=9; miss), and said, “Ah, lady, when you strike and parry, verily, you jiggle in the most delightful fashion.”

This comment so enraged the woman that her next swing missed Danton by at least a foot, but unfortunately he was unable to take advantage (attack: 2+8=10; miss).

Trying to keep the woman mentally off balance, the scout followed his missed strike with the comment, “Tell me, lady, is it true that blondes hath more fun?”

The woman shrieked incoherently in response and swung the flail once more. This time the weapon struck its mark—hitting Danton full in the chest (hit for 11 points) and causing him to drop Rat’s Tail in mid-swing (attack: 3+8=11; miss).

Now weaponless and with his breath coming hard, Danton coughed, “Wouldn’t you rather share a glass of wine and a kiss?” The last thing he remembered was the flail hitting him yet again (5 damage). Then there was a sudden impact with the stone floor and blissful oblivion.

After his surprise attack on the man in the dark cloak, Karzak quickly found himself hard pressed. The man conjured a magical glowing flail out of thin air and then used both that weapon and the solid flail that he carried to attack the dwarf from both sides. Combined with the lingering effects of the sudden defeatism that had settled on the dwarf while he was fighting the dog, the combination proved effective and each of the flails struck the dwarf hard blows (hit twice for a total of 19 points).

“Not nice,” grunted Karzak. “Ye’ll die fer that.” However, the pounding from both sides staggered the dwarf enough that the man he faced was able to avoid the blade of his axe (attack: 7+10-1=16; miss). As the two flails came in again, Karzak blocked the magical one with his shield and deflected the mundane one enough that it only grazed his skin (hit for 2 points). Then he strode straight at the man controlling the weapons and took great satisfaction in the sound his axe made when it ripped through the chain armor the man wore under his cloak (attack: 19+10-1=28; hit; 14 damage).

This second blow from Karzak’s axe clearly staggered the man, and Karzak could now see panic in his foe’s eyes as the man backed away and tried to bring his two weapons to bear to hold off the dwarf. It was to no avail, and Karzak’s third hit proved fatal (attack: 17+10-1=26; hit; 15 damage). The man fell to the floor even as Syll dropped the other dark-cloaked figure with a blast of magic missiles from a wand.

When Luger entered the raging battle at last, he saw that while Karzak, Aseneth, and Syll seemed to be doing fine against what he judged were the two lesser spellcasters, Danton was hard pressed by the woman in red and Nanoc was already down. The man who had challenged Luger, and who was obviously in charge of the entire group, stood over Nanoc’s body and seemed to be healing himself—no doubt in anticipation of rejoining the fray thereafter. Unsheathing Geistblatt, Luger rushed across the chamber in hopes of wrecking the healing spell. When he drew close, the man whipped his flail in a defensive arc, forcing Luger to dodge and causing Geistblatt to miss the mark (attack: 7+7=14; miss).

Continuing his healing spell, the man swung his flail back and forth to hold Luger off, but the cleric ducked under the flail head and then threw himself and his blade at the man (attack: 19+7=26; hit; 6 damage). Luger’s armored body and the tip of his sword struck the man in red at the same time, knocking the man off his feet even as Geistblatt pierced his armor. The man fell onto his back, his spell ruined, and his eyes rolled back into their sockets. The cleric would have liked to ensure that the man was unconscious and, ideally, still alive to be questioned, but there was no time. Looking up, he saw that Karzak, Syll, and Aseneth were now surrounding the last foe standing, the blond woman, who seemed more than capable of taking on all three.

When Karzak first moved to take on the blond woman, she knocked his first strike aside with her flail with ease (attack: 9+10-1=18, miss), laughing at him as she did so. When Syll and Aseneth joined him, the woman ignored them and whipped her weapon at Karzak. He blocked it with his shield, even as Luger attacked the woman from the back, taking her by surprise (attack: 19+7+2=28; hit; 8 damage).

Snarling and surrounded, the woman spun about like a dervish, trying to block attacks from all sides while still striking at Karzak. She somehow managed to avoid strikes from Aseneth’s staff, Karzak’s axe (attack: 9+10+2-1=20; miss) and Luger’s blade (attack: 3+7+2=12; miss), but was hammered twice by magic missiles from Syll.

While most foes might have surrendered at this point, the woman was clearly a fanatic. She avoided an attack from Luger (attack: 8+7+2=17; miss) and then threw herself and her flail at Karzak, striking the dwarf (6 damage), but opening herself up to his counterattack at the same time (attack: 16+10+2-1=27; hit; 10 damage). Karzak’s axe did more damage than the woman could take and she, like all her associates, collapsed to the stone floor.

“Quickly!” hissed Luger, once the fight was over. “Check Danton and Nanoc! Then we must find some means of closing the portal, for it is beyond my power!”

***

Although everyone in the party was relieved to discover that both Danton and Nanoc yet lived, all of their foes were dead. Most had been killed by the party during the battle, but Luger was certain that the man who led the group had not been slain by his blade. When the cleric returned to revive the man in the hope of questioning him about how to close the portal…and about other matters as well, he saw a strange white froth covering the man’s mouth and lips and running down the side of his face. Although Luger could not be certain what had happened, it appeared that the members of the Scarlet Brotherhood would not allow themselves to be taken alive.

The two hours after the battle at the portal were as tense as those before it. While Aseneth remained at the portal with the badly injured Nanoc and Danton, the others—Luger, Syll and Karzak—scoured the rest of the Temple of Pelor for any means to close the gate to the lower planes. While they found no additional foes, they also found no answer to the riddle and feared that more infernal creatures might leap out of the flames at any moment. Luger was also dismayed to see that the Brotherhood and its allies had managed to defile almost every room in the temple in the short time that they had occupied it.

It was well into the afternoon when the first militiamen reached the temple, with stories of running battles against bizarre creatures in the streets of Woodstock. But with the leaders of the coup destroyed or driven off at both the baron’s manor and the temple, those lesser creatures that remained in the town gradually found themselves overwhelmed and were destroyed or fled.

With the uprising having succeeded, High Priest Forgrim, who had gone into hiding in the slums of Southspur, returned to his temple and did what Luger could not—close the portal to the lower planes. When the cleric brought his full power against the flames roaring through the roof of the temple and into the sky above, they were finally snuffed out, leaving only thick clouds of black smoke hanging over Woodstock.

By evening, a weak drizzle began to fall from the clouds and dampened the shaken town. As the party finally left the wrecked Temple of Pelor, a few townspeople dogged their footsteps—keeping their distance at first, but getting closer as the crowd grew. Soon people shouted the party member’s names, calling them heroes, and reaching out to touch them in celebration. A minstrel sang, people danced in the street, carts and wagons appeared again, and the smell of cooking food filled the air. Someone asked what happened in the keep and temple, and the request soon became a clamor from the crowd. Although most of the party was too tired to answer, Karzak shouted out comments about the party’s victory the whole way back to the Stony Gaze.

During the days that followed, the party largely remained at the inn, with Luger healing the severe injuries that almost everyone had suffered. As they grew healthier, the party received frequent visitors, including Alein and Torea, who had managed to hole up in and defend their shrine during the mayhem. Aseneth used the down time to identify the items the party had recovered from the many foes it fought at the Temple of Pelor, but most proved either non-magical or unusable by the party, save for a pearl she claimed for herself and potions she distributed to the others. She gave a potion of hiding to Danton, a potion of ghoul touch to Syll, a potion of spider climbing to Nanoc, a potion of levitate to Karzak, and a potion of cure light wounds to Luger.

Although the flails that the man and woman in red had wielded were also magical, both also radiated great evil, and Luger insisted that both be destroyed, which was done at the Temple of Pelor. The loss of these items was somewhat compensated for by the gold brooches set with amethysts that Baron Euphemes gave the party to match the silver ones his sister had presented them after their earlier heroics in Woodstock.

The party continued to rest and recover until the 24th of Srpanj, when the eve of the first night of the full moon finally dawned. That morning, the party left the Stony Gaze after breakfast and made its way to the Temple of Pelor, where restoration efforts were well underway and crews of workers seemed to be everywhere. The party was soon received by High Priest Forgrim and a lean middle-aged woman in platemail that Forgrim introduced as Sun’s Champion Marith, the foremost paladin of Pelor in Woodstock. The two leaders of the temple then accompanied the party to a large reception area in one of the main floor wings of the temple. This room had suffered relatively little damage from the short-lived occupation of the Scarlet Brotherhood and its infernal allies and it offered both plenty of space as well as privacy from the eyes of the workers teeming in other parts of the temple.

As Luger had explained to the others, while the imminent rise of the full moon would trigger the transformation of himself, Nanoc, Karzak and Danton into wererats, the nearness of the change also made it much easier for a cleric to lift the curse. At any other time, it would have taken a much more powerful cleric to cast the necessary spell, but now, both Luger and Forgrim could do it.

“When Forgrim and I cast the spell on each of you,” repeated Luger, “you must concentrate with all your mind and spirit on driving the taint from your body. We will do our part, but great effort will be required from each of you as well.”

To demonstrate, Luger cast the first spell on himself (cast remove curse; will save: 13+12=25; success). Although the cleric knew the process would not be so simple for any of the others, his strong will and his faith in Heironeous made the lifting of the wererats’ curse a relatively easy, painless process in his case. When the taint disappeared, it felt as though he had stepped into warm sunlight after days in the shadows.

Luger followed this successful demonstration by casting the same spell on Nanoc and Danton, but unfortunately, neither man was able to throw off the effects of the wererats’ curse so easily (will saves: Nanoc: 5+3=8; fail; Danton 1+2=3; fail). Thereafter, High Priest Forgrim made similar attempts on all three party members who remained infected (will saves: Karzak 13+3=16; fail; Nanoc 13+3=16; fail; Danton 20+2=22; success).

While Luger and Forgrim could still detect the wererats’ taint on Karzak and Nanoc, it finally lifted from Danton.

When he had finished his spellcasting, Forgrim shook his head sadly and looked at Nanoc and Karzak.

“I’m sorry, but there is nothing else we can do today. I am afraid the two of you will have to endure the transformation tonight. We will keep you both safely locked up below the temple and try again tomorrow.”

That evening, well before darkness, Forgrim and Marith, along with the other members of the party, secured Nanoc and Karzak in separate, empty stone walled rooms underneath the temple. After Nanoc kissed Aseneth and told her he would see her in the morning, each of the two warriors was locked up and isolated.

The night that followed would prove to be the longest that either Nanoc or Karzak had ever experienced. The transformation came at dusk. Soon animal-like screams emanated from both occupied chambers. Although no one could see him, Karzak shifted into a stockier rodent-man than any the party had fought. His eyes darted about and he felt a burning urge to escape his confines, round up any survivors of the party’s purge of the lycanthropes at the bell tower, and join them to bring murder and mayhem back to Woodstock. However, knowing an admission of this would not gain his release, Karzak the rat-dwarf spent the night proclaiming himself hale and hearty and calling on those outside to release him since, he claimed, no transformation had occurred.

Nanoc, by contrast, became a far more formidable wererat than any that had ever been seen in Woodstock—shifting into nearly seven feet of raw lycanthropic fury. His roars echoed through the Temple of Pelor and out into the streets above throughout the night and he threw himself with such force against the walls and metal door of the chamber that confined him, that Forgrim, Marith, and the party spent the whole night wondering whether the walls or door might give way and force them to confront the raging nightmare inside.

When the sun finally rose in the east and Karzak and Nanoc returned to their normal forms—with no memory of what had transpired during the night, they were released from their confinement and Luger and Forgrim case their spells once again. Luger went first, but without success (Remove Curse cast three times: will saves: Nanoc: 8+3=11; fail; Karzak: 9+3=12; fail; Nanoc: 7+3=10; fail). Forgrim then did the same (will saves: Karzak: 20+3=23; success; Nanoc: 14+3=17; fail; Nanoc: 3+3=6; fail).

Although the strain of lycanthropy running through Nanoc’s veins continued to resist all attempts at purging, Forgrim was finally able to lift the curse from Karzak, meaning that only the barbarian would have to undergo the transformation a second time.

Although only one party member was confined on the second night of the full moon, it proved even worse than the first. Somehow Nanoc’s strength and rage were even greater this time and he actually managed to break through the stone at the back of his cell and began digging through the dirt beyond. Fortunately, he was unable to dig his way to the surface before dawn and the party hauled his normal, sleeping body back to the cell when the sun rose, where Luger and Forgrim would make one last series of attempts to cure him.

“If we fail today,” said Forgrim, “we will have to wait for the next full moon before we can try again.”

“There’s no way we can wait that long,” protested Danton. “We hath already allowed the trail of the cult to go far too cold by tarrying as long as we have.”

Forgrim shrugged. “Then you will face a difficult choice: stay and allow the trail to go colder still, or leave on your journey south with a raging terror in your midst—a terror awaiting only the light of the full moon to make itself felt again.”

This impending dilemma grew more acute after Luger cast his spell (Remove Curse) on Nanoc three times—to no effect (Nanoc will saves: 16+3=19, 4+3=17; 11+3=14; all fail).

“Somehow he just can’t shake it,” said Luger. “It’s as if the barbarian in him—or maybe the orc—has taken to the lycanthropy and doesn’t want to give it up.”

“Maybe orc and barbarian are liking,” said Aseneth, “but I know Nanoc self does not. Keep trying—Nanoc will fight and winning.”

Forgrim went to work next. He cast the spell to remove the curse twice, with the same results as always (Nanoc will saves: 13+3=16, 3+3=6, both fail).

“This is it,” said the priest, “my final attempt.” He began the incantation one last time.

“Please, Nanoc,” whispered Aseneth over Nanoc’s sleeping form. “Fight!”

Whether it was the sorceress’s words, Nanoc’s inherent goodness, Forgrim’s power, or pure luck, no one would ever know, but on the very last chance, Nanoc’s curse was finally lifted (will save: 20+3=23; success). Although there was no visible change in the sleeping barbarian, both Luger and Forgrim could sense that the shadow had passed from Nanoc.

“Thank the Dwarffather!” blurted Karzak. “Mebee now we can all finally git some sleep tonight without having ta listen ta all that racket!”

***

And so it was that on the morning of 27 Srpanj, the party finally left Woodstock, with Syll having received his up-front fifty percent payment the day before (1300 gold paid to Syll—260 from each party member). After a brief farewell with Alein and Torea outside the Stony Gaze, the group trekked north up Eastgate Way, past the bell tower, and northeast along Old Ford Road.

Although Danton had adamantly rejected any idea of a second Woodstock celebration for the party and insisted on departing for the Kron Hills at the earliest opportunity, when the group finally rode out of town along Old Ford Road, they received a spontaneous feast and impromptu party nevertheless. As the group headed up the long road, food vendors handed them samples of their wares, wine merchants passed along cups and flagons, and music and dancing sprang up all along the route. As far as anyone could tell, this farewell was entirely spontaneous, the simple outpouring of gratitude for all that the party had done for the people of Woodstock.

Once they passed through the Old Ford Gate and turned south on the once bustling but now unused road that led through the Kron Hills, Woodstock quickly faded from view as the party rode almost immediately into the low hills. The road switched back and forth as it wound around and over the uneven terrain, and the larger hills, where at least twenty thousand hostile gnomes resided, were visible in the distance, with the mighty Lortmil Mountains looming still farther to the south.

The upper reaches of the Kron Hills, where the gnome strongholds were scattered about, were reputed to be blessed with fertile soil and fresh water from many streams. It was this bounty of the land that had led Verbobonc to claim control of the hills in ages past and that now provided the so-called Free Assembly of the Kron Hills an economic basis for its tenuous independence. It was also said that the hills were rich in minerals and that the gnomes had begun mining in earnest, trading with the elves and dwarves of Celene and the Lortmils even as they rejected all economic ties with Verbobonc.

In the middle of summer, the hills were green and lush, but the heat was positively stifling. Despite the danger of a possible attack by the gnomes, no one in the party could stand to wear armor during the ride south. Even Aseneth forswore her usual black traveling cloak for a lightweight white blouse and a pair of riding pants. But still the heat coated everyone with layers of grime and sweat.

After riding for the entire morning, and seeing no one else on the road, the party stopped for a quick lunch. At this point Syll announced that the group was nearing the northernmost gnome guard post and insisted that the others remain where they were while he continued south to the post to ‘negotiate’ with the gnomes. The elf took with him all of the ‘peace offerings’ the party had acquired to give to the gnomes as gifts, and nearly an hour passed before he returned. When he did so, he refused to say anything of what had transpired, save that the road was now open to the party—as long as they did not stray from the road, or its immediate vicinity when they camped at night—at any time. To do so, he said, would invite the immediate wrath of the gnomes.

Although Danton, and others, had wondered aloud whether Syll’s braggadocio would prove to be so much hot air, in the end, the smuggler appeared to be as good as his reputation suggested. For the five days that the party rode slowly through the Kron Hills, no one so much as saw a gnome, or any other potential danger. At many times all of the party members felt the presence, and the watchful gaze, of others around them, but if the gnomes were watching, that was all they did. The weather remained positively sweltering throughout the journey and it was with great relief that the party watched the sun set in the west late each evening. It only rained once during the journey, a great downpour that came just after the party set up camp one evening, but that too was welcomed as an opportunity to wash away the filth of days on the road.

During the trip through the hills, Danton asked Luger repeatedly who the people were the party had fought in the Temple of Pelor in Woodstock, just as he had posed this question again and again before the party had left the town, but Luger remained silent, lost in introspection, and gave no answers.

On the sixth day out of Woodstock, the descent from the upper reaches of the hills, which had begun the previous day, grew steeper and swifter and the party could see the small plains to the south that marked the little bit of open space between the Kron Hills and the Lortmils, which now towered thousands of feet into the air off to the south. It was not long after this that Syll once again insisted the party halt and allow him to go ahead alone for a time. On this occasion, the elf was gone for nearly two hours and when he returned he was in a foul mood. As before, he refused to say what had transpired, but he assured the party that they could safely pass out of the hills.

By nightfall the party had reached the long, narrow plain between the Kron Hills and the Lortmils and Syll announced that Rastor was no more than ten miles away—the party would reach its destination the following afternoon. In the morning, as the group rode across the grasslands that marked a sort of no-man’s-land between Celene and Verbobonc, they finally saw other travelers for the first time since leaving Woodstock. Small groups of riders and merchants that lacked Syll’s apparent connections with the gnomes and who were thus forced to travel north and south through the Welkwood before turning westward to reach Rastor and the other small settlements south of the hills made their way along the crude, narrow roads through the fields of wild grasses.

After a short stop for lunch, the party mounted its horses once more for the final leg of the long journey to Rastor, and everyone sensed instinctively that for the first time in weeks, they might soon be in the presence of the dangerous foes they had fought in Hommlet and under the moathouse. Having spent weeks traveling across Verbobonc, stopping in Oakhurst, dealing with the dangers in Woodstock, and, most recently, passing through the Kron Hills, the party had been spared any contact with the cultists, but all of that was now likely to change.

The town, or ‘hamlet’ as Syll called it (“a place with a hundred people living in it ain’t no town,” he said), of Rastor was built at the literal dead end of a road that led to the very base of the Lortmil Mountains. Syll described it as a “rough little mudhole” low on charm and laden with coarse, dangerous inhabitants. He warned the group that although the population consisted mostly of humans and dwarves, there were also a great many half-orcs—and even orcs—in Rastor. A tribe of orcs had its base camp only three miles to the south and west of the hamlet, slightly higher up in the foothills, and traded regularly with Rastor—hence the presence of orcs in the town. The orcs called the northernmost peak of the Lortmils in this region the ‘Foot of Gruumsh’ and they lived in its very shadow. According to Syll, because the orcs found trade with Rastor to be profitable and provide them things they would not normally have access to, they refrained from molesting the town and traders on the road that led to it. Anyone who strayed from the road or the town, however, was another matter entirely.

“Is there anyone decent in this vile place?” asked Danton. “And, more importantly, might we find a decent place to stay? I could use a fine repast, and frankly, Nanoc is in great need of a bath.”

“Only one tavern—can’t really call it an inn,” replied Syll. “It’s called the Gray Lodge and they have a few buggy cots you can sleep on when the bar closes up at night. But it can be rough, really rough, so if we go there, watch your step. As for the locals, I don’t trust any of ‘em. But the mayor, a dwarf called Hammersong, ain’t too bad and there’s a woman—human—called Tymerian who’s my primary trading contact in town. Those two wouldn’t stab you in the back…probably.”

“Probably?” asked Danton incredulously.

“Hey, what can I say?” asked Syll. “This town exists outside of anyone’s authority but its own—and in proximity and daily interaction with an orc tribe. They’ve ended up civilizing the orcs a little, but the influence has worked the other way too, if ya know what I mean.”

The elf looked at Nanoc and added, “No offense intended with the orc comment, by the way.”

Nanoc shrugged. “None taken. I know better’n most people what yer average orc is like.”

Ahead, the tree-lined road rose slightly and the first wooden structures of Rastor came into view. It appeared that nearly the entire hamlet was built along the single rutted road that ran towards the mountain. There was no sign of even a single stone structure in the place and it appeared that the thirty or so buildings that comprised the totality of the settlement were all made of some combination of wood, mud, and thatch.

Danton sighed. “Tis obvious we will find no ‘Welcome Wench’ or ‘Stony Gaze’ here, and those were but provincial hostels compared with the sumptuous lodgings available in Mitrik or Veluna City. Truly, tis mine lot to delve ever deeper into very bowels of what passes for civilization in this world.”

“That’s the least of our problems,” said Luger. “Look at this place—it’s so small that there is absolutely no way our presence can go undetected by everyone in town.”

Karzak laughed and slapped Danton on the back. “Mebee now ya wish we’d stayed in Woodstock fer that other party the baron wanted ta give us, an’ another go or two at those halfling gals, eh? But, hey, at least there prob’ly ain’t no more women in red here ta kick yer butt again like that one in Woodstock did.”

________________________________________________________________

Notes for turn 51:

Please send postings for Turn 51 by the end of Thursday, April 12th.

Current date/time/location: 5 Kolovoz (August); approximately 1600; on the outskirts of Rastor

Items gained this turn: described in the turn and in the character lists below.

Undivided Loot previously gained: none

Items used/lost/destroyed/sold this turn: peace offerings for the gnomes

FOES DEFEATED:

Active party members listed in green.

This Chapter:

Entire Campaign:

Current Status of the Party:

Note: known magic items listed in bold.

Nanoc

AC: 17

Hit points: 79/79

New XP: 1050

XP total: 24,031

XP needed: 28,000

Equipment: masterwork great axe, great axe +1, masterwork studded leather armor, 69 arrows, 2 quivers, backpack, waterskin, 17 days trail rations, bedroll, 2 sacks, 2 flint & steel, bearskin, tent, 50’ rope, 1 sap, masterwork mighty composite shortbow, masterwork shortsword, 6 iron triangles with inverted ‘Y’, three black cones made of some unknown substance, a black scepter decorated with a half dozen violet gems, a bead of force, metal scroll tube, a black cloak, two inverted ziggurat pendants; potion of bull’s strength, potion of cure light wounds(X2), potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of water breathing, potion of spider climbing, Aseneth’s House Torquann dragon ring, heavy riding horse and riding equipment, spare light riding horse and equipment, pack mule (mule carries: 3 tents, most of party’s rations and water), ring of jumping (+30 to jumping checks), potions of cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, invisibility, silver and gold brooches, potion of spider climb.

Gold: 1700

Silver: 1420

Danton

AC: 16 (17 vs. one opponent)

Hit points: 30/30

New XP: 1050

XP total: 22,081

XP needed: 28,000

Equipment: rapier, 6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 33 bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks, waterskin, 17 days trail rations, hooded lantern, gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from Yusdrayl, Everburning Torch, scrolls with pyrotechnics and melf’s acid arrow, old journal, 8 iron triangles with upside down ‘Y’ inside, 1 protection from fire scroll, 1 scroll of cure light wounds, 2 scrolls of cure moderate wounds, new journal, notebook, pen, ink, parchment in sealed waterproof box, pipe, tobacco, metal box, whetstone, six packets of tinder for lighting fires, gold inlaid dagger, Journal of Geynor Ton, a folded piece of parchment with a note addressed to someone named Festrath, spider pendant, a wand, tattered black cloak with burning eye emblazoned on it, disguise kit, letter to Master Dunrat, ochre-colored robe, potion of cure light wounds (X2), cure moderate wounds (X2), scrolls of animal messenger and stone shape, potion of love, light riding horse and equipment, potion of spider climb, a dozen vials of lantern oil, masterwork thieves’ tools, scroll with summon monster II, potion of cat’s grace, Rat’s Tail (Rapier +1), scroll with change self, enlarge, and two sleep spells, silver and gold brooches, bracers of armor +1, potion of hiding.

Gold: 1407

Silver: 1200

Luger

AC: 20

Hit Points: 53/53

New XP: 1050

XP total: 17,531

XP needed: 21,000

Equipment: longsword, heavy mace, light x-bow, dagger, 20 bolts, chainmail +1, large steel shield, 3 belt pouches, large bag, 50’ rope, 5 torches, hooded lantern, 3 oil flasks, flint & steel, 17 days rations, silver holy symbol of Heironeus, 3 flasks holy water, 3 healer’s kits, backpack, cleric’s vestment, traveler’s clothing, waterskin, bedroll, iron triangle with upside down ‘Y’ inside, eight cockatrice feathers, scrolls of cure light wounds (3), cure disease, neutralize poison, potion of cure moderate wounds; Geistblatt (ghost touch longsword +1), light riding horse and equipment, 5 vials of Furyondian Fire, cloak of resistance +1 (+1 to all saves), potions of enlarge, reduce, nondetection, silver and gold brooches.

Spell Selection:

Level 0(5): Detect MagicX2, Create WaterX2, Light
Level 1(5+1): Comprehend Languages, Detect EvilX2, Remove FearX2, Domain: Protection from Evil

Level 2 (4+1): Sound BurstX2, Hold PersonX2, Domain: Aid

Level 3 (3+1): Dispel MagicX2, Searing Light, Domain: Magic Circle Against Evil

Turn Undead attempts left on current day: 7 of 7

Gold: 37

Silver: 1200

Karzak

AC: 19

Hit Points: 52/52

New XP: 1050

XP total: 7,200

XP needed: 10,000

Equipment: backpack, water skin, 0 days rations, aleskin, flint & steel, heavy crossbow, 4 cases with 40 bolts, 2 daggers, masterwork dwarven waraxe, large steel shield, banded mail, short sword, silver and gold brooches, bedroll, sack, Nanoc’s silver-plated short sword, potion of levitate.

Gold: 360

Silver: 1200