Five go to Duhlmora, via the lake to the west, Halda, and the Cursed Creller Pass!

[Rico]

Early in the evening of 5th day of Pelor's Blessing, before the light fades into twilight proper, five figures trudge with surprising vigour for so late in the day, and to say their stated aim was to reach Duhlmora before they returned. By the time they reach the Riverside Inn, a small crowd of patrons is already gathering, runners having excitedly set off for the Inn to spread word upon first sighting of the returned adventurers.

'It's been almost a month, where have they been?'

'Duhlmora, silly, but what did they get up to, what did they see there?'

'I thought sure they must be dead, this should be good!'

For it is Effi, Brys, Xyrxina, Krithra and Zardan, returned from their longer expedition, intended to take in the settlement by the lake to the west, south through Creller Pass, investigating further the cursed ruins therein, and then further south still, hoping to reach Duhlmora, about which we have heard much, but seen npthing for ourselves.  They appear hale and in good spirits, though Xyrxina seems less than her effulgent (OOC:to use a word I'm sure she would!) self this evening.

Zardan, the impossing (sure, he's 'only' 5'10", but those horns take him well into 'six foot-odd' Guardian of the Church of Leng Kadath, strides over to the bar and places a well worn but well made, if disappointingly empty looking, travellers pack onto the bar. He reaches in with both hands, and rather labouriously extracts a four gallon ale cask, almost too wide for the mouth of the pack, and certainly more fulsome than the bag appeared to be!  He sets it down on the bar, and has a brief conversation with the barkeep - Zardan hands over a handful of coins, and comes away with a half-pint mug of its contents. Moving to the centre of the room he grabs a chair to lean on, and greets those assembled.

'Good evening to you all, we have finally returned from our expedition, and we have much news to share with you.  Bear with me, I have not Dramble's 'talent' for hyperbole, but I hope still you will hear something of interest tonight.  In the interests of helping cover for my poor storytelling, I direct you to the bar, where you will find a cask of fine local ale from Vakarune, the Dwarven village to our west, on the shores of lake Vakarune.  A half pint mug is available free of charge for each of you - I hope there are no more than seventy drinkers here-present!'

Zardan waits patiently for the clamouring for free beer to die down, covering the by now mundane traversing of The Falls of Ardun and the relativelly short trek to Aldalorna. There we exchanged the usual pleasantries, and that Marla Cloudsong had moved on for parts unknown, and that the local leader, Somoren, is scornfull of Zardan observing the setlements utter lack of defensive structures, not even a ditch or pallisade.

'If anyone knows of Marla's whereabouts, or if she has relatives present, we would be keen to talk to her, for reasons soon to become apparent'.

After a comfortable nights rest at Aldalorna, we borrowed horses and set out west, having an uneventful days travel, until we happened upon a hilltop ruin as evening approached - the still hallowed remains of Celethak, temple and supporting hamlet, of Pelor, long since ruined and overgrown.  Located north of what I'm told is known as 'Overlook Hill'. Still, it gave us comfortable enough shelter for the night.  next morning we continued west, our first destination in sight.  As we travelled we stumbled upon a series of strange holes and divots over a long, narrow stretch of ground - in many we found small lead balls, ancient by the looks of them, and scraps of hessian like material.  We collected some, and mused about what it could mean.

We arrived in Vakarune a little after midday, to find a settlement (larger than nearby Halda) of dwarven buildings, many bearing the Mark of Moradin, and a scattering of elven yurts.  There is also an associated mine in the mountains to the north, which we did not visit.

Here we ran into a surly elven fellow named Ranolf, known to brys, Effi and Xyxina, and he sulkily deigned to make our introduction to Kessen, the Dwarven Chieftain of Vakarune.  He seemed affable enough, once I countered his dismissive 'Church Leng Kaddath? Never heard of it!' with 'Kessen, never heard of him until our intruduction moments ago, yet here you are, sure as Moradins Beard'.  (OOC:Never send a Vengeance paladin to do a diplomats job!).

We asked him about the metal balls we found, and he declared them to be 'sky weights' from Arabella Goldensong/Bella Skysailor, fleet of builder derrived sky-ships.  It seems our own Marla Cloudsong has some illustrious heritage. Kessen went on to explain the sky fleet was '...built at Cirimina, south of the mountains, through the Creller Pass, Heskerons people of old'.  More talk of (Ara)Bella's adventures follows, places like Desadess and Harmenor across the Southern Sea. Shortly thereafter, according to Kessen, Bella disappeared in 'our' mountains.

I do wonder what all this could mean for our own past, here in the valley. And for our own Bella's Landing.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at large in Vakarune, where I purchased a battleaxe from Stannik, the local armourer.  Also a javelin, to bring to the Dwarven Forges as an example of Vakarune craftsmanship. Whilst Brys and the others made revelry at the beer tent, I went to the Refectory/Distillery at the Temple of Moradin, where I kept company of Brokkin, Acolyte of teh Temple, where I learned about the fine brew I hope you are all enjoying now, as well as learning a little about the local cult of Moradin.

Later in the evening, I join forces with Krithra and we talk to the miners who have come down from the mountains for the night - Krithra learns that there are 'stories' that the goblin raiders in the mountains have teamed up with a mountain giant! This seems like something we perhaps should try to help with, but also rather beyond our abilities to handle!

Next day see's us travelling to Halda, where we learn the locals (here and at Vakarune) know 'Overlook Hill' as 'The Meeting Trees'.  Halda seems unchanged from previous visits (according to those who have passed this way before), save that the more nomadic members of the society are preparing to follow the migrating deer as they come up from the south. We do not linger long, making for Creller Pass, to be in Creller for nightfall.  We arrive without incident.

We stable our borrowed horses, and spend the night in the local Inn.  Here we are subjected to 'Hathariel, Personal Trader to the House of Tharin, Earl of Duhlmora'.  Fortunately Xyrxina is in the market for some silk dresses, and the rest of us are spared the drunken windbag. Next morning we return to Creller Pass on foot, preparing to leave the warded road and follow the old cursed path...

'But first I'll pause a moment to spare my voice and let you all refresh your drinks'.  Zardan has been sipping his Vakarune ale sparingly, and declines offers of further drinks, save maybe a cup of water.

Once the crowd have settled again, Zardan continues.

We made our way up the cursed path, higher into the mountains, further and further from the safety of the warded road.  We saw a few roaming skeletons and shambling corpses, but at a distance, keeping to the shadows under trees - they either did not notice us, or where keeping out of direct sunlight.

By mid-morning we had reached the remains of a watchtower by a low cliffside, which connected with another structure on the cliff-top.  Presumably there would be stairs inside...

And also Skeleton archers!  We are able to clear them from the interior and battlements of the lower tower quite swiftly, but those in the upper tower prove more subborn, not least because they are backing up and evil wraith!

Though the battle was hardfought we prevailed in the end, with thanks to Effi who's Healing Word brought me back to the fight after I absorbed a withering barrage of arrows! In the end it is Brys who slew the wraith, leaping across the crumbling ruins of the bridge between the towers without regard for the dangers of gravity, to strike it down as it tried to flee.

We find many weapons stashed in the tower armoury, most of which we sold in Creller for a modest sum, though I do have an example of one of each type in this incredible haversack we found later on.

In fact Zardan will pause and pull a halberd, sword and longbow from the bag, and pass them around for folk to examine, they later go back into the backpack - I'm intending to take them up to the Dwarven Forges tomorrow, if anyone wants to see them again.

From the bundle of tattered rags and mouldered bones that fell from the dispated cloud of necrotic energy that was the wraith, we extract an elven helmet, marked 'Samarath' in Asteri runes/writing, and a breastplate bearing the six handled ships wheel of Sesseran.

We rest briefly to regain our strength, and take stock of our new findings.  After some discussion we press on - the cursed path continues from the upper tower, and we can see it is flanked by a pair of staues in the near distance, and further up a defensive wall, and perhaps some ruins in front of it.

This means we will have to either risk spending the night on the warded road, or travel back to Creller in the dark...

The statues, we soon find, are of High Elves, slightly more than life-size - King Heskeron on the left, Moranna of Harmenor' on the right.  The resemblance to Merielle of Klipika is quite striking.

Zardan turns to look for Xyrxina, to explain she had provided the translations, but it seems she has slunk away at some point in the proceedings. Nonplussed, he continues with his next thought.

Perhaps we would do well to be circumspect in our dealings with the people of Klippika, rooting around in their ancient history and, grudges and blood feuds as we appear to be.  I have not met with the people of Klippika, but I am informed they have nothing but enmity for the Asteri, and this discovery may begin to explain why.

In the shadow of an impossing defensive wall, we find three ruined buildings.  Away to our left a cave is visible in the mountainside.  Krithra moves forward stealthily o scout the buildings.  Their doors and windows are mostly gone, and the rooves too.  Engraved above the door of the nearside righthand building, the largest of the three, is the legend 'The Fat Duck' (in elven?).  Clearly a former tavern. We are all drawn to inatentiveness by a spectral figure playing some wailing ancient stringed instrument with a crank handle (I say 'playing'...) by the remains ofthe crumbled bar.

We are brought back to our surroundings as one of the nearby heaps of tangled metal (which I failed to mention - we where all distracted by the spectral bard...) stood up on its eigth legs, an enourmous spidery construct - several black 'Builder Bolts' visible on its frame. 

Brys and I close rapidly and engage the mostrosity in melee combat (it is as big as a horse, at least!), weathering several necrotic energy blasts it 'spits' at us, whilst Xyrxina, Effi and Krithra pepper it with missiles magical and mundane. As the battle rages a group of skeletons comes out of the barracks opposite, led by a rotting corpse figure in ancient leather armour - a wight!- clutching a thruming green builder blade similar to the one I have here.

Zardan will obligingly pull out the 'green Builder blade' sword he took with him, and activate it and wave it around, at a safe distance from any bystanders - he is a professional (I imagine he is one of those tasked with training the Valley Militia, as one of the relative few valley Folk with martial training).

Despite these interlopers we press our attacks on the 'Blood Guardian' (such as we later learn it to be) - we have the upper hand, causing it to emit a thunderous shockwave, I am buffeted to the ground, but Brys keeps his feet and remains locked in combat with it.  By the time I have regained my feet and quaffed a healing potion, it has been dispatched, and we turn our attention to the undead. Keen to pull my weight, I charge for the wight, pressing the attack.  Driving it back a little, I hold it at bay whilst Brys takes his turn to be healed.  After I smite it with the burning green fires of Leng Kaddath the wight grabs my green Builder Blade and flees for the tavern doorway - I had pulled out my new dwarven axe to test it in batlle by this point.

Xyrxina, Krithra and Effi had made short work of the skeltal archers by this time, and there was only the wight remainging now.

Not wanting the foul thing to achieve whatever aim it had within the tavern, I barged past it, blocking its path 'In the name of Leng Kaddath, none shall pass' I informed it.  It let out what I think was a laugh, dropped the stolen sword and tried to draw out my life force with its boney fingers.  I am here to tell this tale, the Power of Leng Kaddath prevailed on that day! In the face such stoicism the thing tried to flee, and I marked it well, for Brys, in a foaming rage, to slay it with his halberd.

Though we all remaind standing, the days battle has left us expended and weary, we have no more fight in us this day.

We search the buildings, finding a few old weapons, the wights green blade, 6 black and 6 blue Builder bolts from the Blood Guardian and the wreckage of several more (Blood Guardians, that is) scattered about, two more functioning green builder blades in a storeroom, and a few old Klippika type coins.  More links to our neighbours past...  Along with the inscription on their frames, dedicating them to their Queen, Moranna

I drop a coin in the ghostly bards hat, and it vanishes, the hideous 'music' fading away, thankfully.

Krithra also finds a secret message indicating there is substantial loot in the cave.  He climbs the wall (the ancient gate is intact, and barred from the other side), seeing an ancient city sprawl before him, dozens, even hundreds, of buildings, stretching all the way to Heskerons Tower. 

The four Blood guardians on the otherside of the gate become agitated when they spot him atop the wall, and he climbs back down before they can spit foul necrotic magics at him.  Fortunatelly they do not climb over the wall or throw open the gate...

We quickly scout the cave entrance, and seeing a shambling corpse not 100 feet within, opt to withdraw back to te warded road to rest - it is mid afternoon, and will be dark by the time we get back to the road, and hopefully safety!

As a Paladin Protector of Leng Kaddath able to sense the relative power of the ward-totems along the road for a limited time, and we soon found a stronger one to settle by.  In the end, for all the talk of danger and curses, our night was uneventful, if uncomfortable.  Nothing more than the distant purple glimmerings of a spectre in some far off trees.

Next day we pushed quickly back up to the cave - we observed the spectral bard had returned, his tune no better than the day before, so no more coin from us!  the Blood guardians remained beyond the wall and sealed gate (Krithra did climb up and check!).

So we plunged into the cave, a short tunnel, and a large roughly circular chamber, with a ramp spiralling up from the east side around the northern wall.  We quickly set about the three shuffling zombies in the lower chamber.  Though stubborn, the possed no real obstacle beyond their refusal to fall when they should, even under the purging blade-flames of Leng Kaddath!  No, it was the wight marksmen on the upper tier, along the northern wall, showering us with arrows that where the true concern.  leaving the last shambling corpse for Xyrxina and Effi to finish, we remaining three dashed up the ramp to engage the wights in melee, Brys and Krithra brandishing green builder-blades as much ofr their eerie green torch-light as for their extra combat efficacy!

Once we had them in melee, battle swung swiftly in our favour and the wights bolted for a tunnel at the western end of their shooting gallery - the farthest wight (OOC:such fun we had, referenceing 'the far wight' all afternoon!) made it out of sight, the second not so much as Brys and I hacked it down as it turned to flee.

We took a few moments to regroup, consume a few Goodberries (distributed by Effi as we set up camp the night before) and for the laying on of hands before we gave chase.

At longer range now we failed to hit the wight, and it ran down a slope into a larger cavern, seeming to to try and hide amid a cluster of rocks.  We found the wretched thing easily, and Brys, Krithra and I set about it, with Xyrxina and Effi flinging magical fire and ice at it in an unrelenting torrent.  We dispatched it easily.  And then a hideous pallid white crayfish-crab-earwig-thing the size of a person scuttled across the ceiling above us, dangling a sticky web-like strand, which Brys and Effi immediately conspired to set on fire!

I moved out into the open cave (my javelins proving ineffective against it) pounding on my shield and yelling loudly - it didn't seem to have any eyes... Brys followed suit, and the others flung arrows and spells at the vile thing.  My ruse worked and it followed, dangling its sticky rope onto me, it stuck fast.  I prepared my axe, expecting it to pull me up to into its reach, ready to strike first... Brys grapped on to me, hoping to hitch a lift.  Or perhaps to prevent it hoisting me up, I'm not sure!

The others, however, had other ideas - their continued onslaught felled the thing.  Of course, it fell on me.  It is easily as as heavy as I am, and from forty feet or so, it made quite an impact, but I emerged battered but unbowed, from beneath its bulk.

The cave was quiet.  We are once more vitorious!

We found three fairly recent corpses at the back of the cave - weeks or months old, probably the leavers of the mesaage that told Krithra to explore the cave.

They had some adventuring gear, the armour of one bearing a wolf symbol we did not recognise.  At the very back of the cave, in a small niche above floor level, we found a mummified goblin corpse of antiguity, a symbol of Sehanine about its neck, which I passed to Xyrxina when she expressed an interest, a short, a magical javelin (at this point Zardan gestures towards Brys, who I'm sure is happy to model it for the crowd!), a lantern and the marvellous haversack I demonstrated earlier.

If anyone knows any ancient tales of a goblin legendary hero in the mold of Arabella Skysong, I would like to hear them - stop by the Church of Leng Kaddath sometime and let me know.

We gather the spoils from teh cave, head back down the cursed path to the ruined tower, put the pile of weapons I showed you earlier into the haversack, and made our way back to Creller by nightfall.

We rested a few days, sold the bulk of the weapons, and talked with Manfred van Creller, Lord of Creller Manor, and it turns out Samarath (the wraith from the tower!) was one of the six council members betrayed by King Heskeron - The Six Martyrs - he was suitably impressed when we told him the tail of our vanquishing the wraith and showed its helm and breastplate, but also made it clear such 'cursed' artefacts where not too welcome in his household.

Specifically, Samarath was Councillor of Gramel, located to the west of Duhnmora.

We make the leisurely trek south to Duhlmora (OOC: I missed how long it took!).

Duhlmora is a large walled town on the northern shore of lake Sakera (the lake is vast, some 30-40 miles long and half as wide), sevral phases of walls encicling all manner of dwellings and businesses, an acretion of Inns, Taverns and similar ventures as well as homes along the road to its main gate.

Rising from the lake, looming over the town from a rock-spire of an island near the edge of the lake is the Earls Palace (OOC: Earls Court, really? ;p), an impressive enough structure, if rather elven confection, festooned as it is with glowing blue magical lanterns.

Just within the city gate, we happen upon 'Martyrs Square', statues of 6 armour clad nobles, Samarth is clearly identifiable, arranged around a fountain.

They are: (in Elvish):

Samarath of Gramel
Theressi of Ciramina
Farirocca of Sinyataras
Latharas of Taurhopa
Laicalass of Mahtila
Tharin of Duhlmora

"Latharas of Taurhopa" appears to be a relative/ancestor of Xyrxina's, and bears a similar dragon crest.  Now I think on it, thats when her mood took an introspective bent.

Brys and I roamed through the temple District, where we found temples to Sehanine, Erathis, Ioun, Pelor.  Its seems to be festival season for the Pelorites, lots of singing, extra lights, bunting and so forth.  I think Brys got into the spirit of things - I rather left them to their, as they are city-folk, I can only call it frivolity.

Krithra struck out on his own to explore the town, and others went off to sell their share of the Cave Fishers remains (it turns out to be a 'living distillery', its flesh permeated with digestible and intoxicating alcohol compounds...

We stay several days to take our ease, before preparing to make the journey back teh way we came - we did not make contact with any notaries or representatives - I have done quite enough 'diplomacy' at Vakarune, and Xyrxina too seemed pre-occupied for her usual hob-nobbing with the local leadership.  We have opened the way for others though, and it seems a thriving and intersting place, and combined with other info gleaned on thos and earlier expeditions, a possible jumping off point to further destinations - Gramel, for example...

Our return leg was calm and uneventful, even in the Cursed Creller Pass, and we made leisurly time back to Vakarune.

There I dropped in on Stannik to get my axe buffed and impress upon him how pleased I am with my new weapon.  I also picked up the ale we've been drinking tonight.

And now, my friends, my telling is done, and I must away to the Church of Leng Kaddath, to swear the Protectors Oathes of Vengeance, in pledge to defend The Valley from evil, within and without.

I'm sure my companions Brys, Effi and Krithra can keep you further entertained, for the night is yet young - goodnight!

Zardan raises a toast to the assembled denizens, finishing off his half pint of Vakarune ale, collecting up the weapons he passed out and putting them back in the magic bag, before making his final excuses an leaving.

As he makes his way out, he can be seen to have a quiet exchange with Kazkan, the old goblin farmer, and then he is off into the night, to the Church of Leng Kaddath.

[Beard Goblin]

There has been an editing pass, the version displayed on the Valley mailing list should be a little less painful to read...