27 DuoDec 1071 - Chateau d'Echelon, Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
As our heroes were finally together again at the Chateau, and with Lady Iris the Royal Overseer back in Hydincall, which was essentially a nod of approval by the King, it was time to break out the smoked meats, preserves, and cheap liquor. Some real heroes dashed out to town to snag a few extra bottles of wine from the Blue Wizard Inn, so the mood was appropriately festive.
With Talis and Ariel leading the dancing with their musical selections, Dag's children backed them up adequately on percussion. There was dancing, there was singing, and attempted canoodling between everyone in the Chateau.
And definite canoodling between Dew Xyclone, voluptuous middle-aged housekeeper, and Norm Dingleberry, everyone's favorite dwarf.
Then the fairies showed up.
Not the fairies of legend, not the cute near-pixie like beings. These were mischievous imps, with a sparkling gold glow around their bodies. They caused a general ruckus throughout the Chateau, emptying serving bowls, smashing plates, throwing goblets, and terrorizing one and all.
Without weapons at the ready, chairs, banisters, and frying pans were the weapons to combat the fae creatures and alleviate the damage. Soon, the remaining fairies focused all their attention on the giant painting Ashe had purchased at Hydincall auction the Summer before.
By this time, some people were able to grab formal implements of death and the surviving fairies were driven off, but not before they phased through the walls, found the cart that our heroes had liberated from brigands outside of town, and magically levitated it off the ground and took it with them on their escape.
28 DuoDec 1071 - Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The group was in no condition to follow them in the foot deep snow into the woods and the gods only knew where. The following morning, those not suffering from a hangover prepared to track the creatures in daylight.
Baron Echelon - Baron of Eding, Cleric of Tshang Hai Ching, owner of the fairy-attacked Chateau
Ashe - White haired Elven Ranger
Rolf Wolfsblood - bald-head, facially-tattooed barbarian from the steppes of Galmar.
Kane - Monk studying Eastern elemental mysticism of water.
Velandro - Devout Priest of Akana
Dag di Velandro - NPC - Kobold acolyte of Akana
"Baron" Felix - NPC - Farm foreman on the Chateau.
There were no tracks or dust from the fairies themselves, but stealing the cart proved their downfall. Under normal conditions, the levitated cart would have hovered ten inches or so above the actual ground, but the magicks did not take into consideration the foot of snow laying on top of it. The fairies escape had created two obvious wheel ruts into the first few inches of snow, providing an easy trail to follow.
The trail led them off the estate, and into the sparse woods, finally ending at a long abandoned house, an empty cart sitting outside.
The fairies did not appear like they wanted to parlay and the party showed them no mercy. Upon searching the house they found the paintings... and a gruesome sight.
Many men, some still with weapons in hand, had been killed and partially devoured. They recognized some as the few of the brigand Leonid's band that they had fought off the day before (and obtained the paintings.) With a little reconnoitering, they found the old path the former inhabitants used to reach the main road, and they dragged cart with the paintings back to the Chateau, reaching home just before nightfall.
After dinner everyone examined the oil paintings sought by fairy, brigand, and adventurer alike. All of them appeared to have been painted by the same artist, or at least the same style.
Then little Timmy, all ten years of him, looked up at the huge painting hanging over the mantle in the Chateau and gasped. What everyone remembered as three generic adventurers pointing at a mountain spewing a cloud of steam appeared to have transformed into something a bit more... realistic.
The mountain was still spewing steam, but the surrounding mountains were quite distinguishable. The generic adventurers were quite detailed. Ashe, Norm, and a trident-holding Echelon were staring at the mountain, and what every though were trees near them now were other adventurers, including a man with an outrageously big hat (Talis actually blushed upon his realization).
This new discovery left many unsettled. Rolf tried to find a quiet spot amongst the bedrooms to make sense of everything, when a closet door poked open and a brown-skinned man's head emerged.
It was Mohammad, Echelon's mentor, who was magically scarred by channeling divine energy from his god, Tshang Hai Ching. He spent most of his time mumbling prayers inside cramped, safe spaces, like the few closets in the main Chateau.
"Rolf, what is of the matter?"
"Hey Mo, just more of the usual craziness. The chateau got invaded by fairies and now all the old paintings have us painted in them."
"Hmmm... take me to the stairs so may peek at them."
The barbarian lifted the legless priest into his arms and allowed him to peer around the corner of the stairs at the painting over the fireplace.
"Oooooooooh, I see. Take me back to my prayer room." Rolf obliged.
"Rolf, the fae only show you what you are not willing to see normally. You must figure out what this all means for you."
As our heroes were finally together again at the Chateau, and with Lady Iris the Royal Overseer back in Hydincall, which was essentially a nod of approval by the King, it was time to break out the smoked meats, preserves, and cheap liquor. Some real heroes dashed out to town to snag a few extra bottles of wine from the Blue Wizard Inn, so the mood was appropriately festive.
With Talis and Ariel leading the dancing with their musical selections, Dag's children backed them up adequately on percussion. There was dancing, there was singing, and attempted canoodling between everyone in the Chateau.
And definite canoodling between Dew Xyclone, voluptuous middle-aged housekeeper, and Norm Dingleberry, everyone's favorite dwarf.
Then the fairies showed up.
Not the fairies of legend, not the cute near-pixie like beings. These were mischievous imps, with a sparkling gold glow around their bodies. They caused a general ruckus throughout the Chateau, emptying serving bowls, smashing plates, throwing goblets, and terrorizing one and all.
Without weapons at the ready, chairs, banisters, and frying pans were the weapons to combat the fae creatures and alleviate the damage. Soon, the remaining fairies focused all their attention on the giant painting Ashe had purchased at Hydincall auction the Summer before.
By this time, some people were able to grab formal implements of death and the surviving fairies were driven off, but not before they phased through the walls, found the cart that our heroes had liberated from brigands outside of town, and magically levitated it off the ground and took it with them on their escape.
28 DuoDec 1071 - Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The group was in no condition to follow them in the foot deep snow into the woods and the gods only knew where. The following morning, those not suffering from a hangover prepared to track the creatures in daylight.
Baron Echelon - Baron of Eding, Cleric of Tshang Hai Ching, owner of the fairy-attacked Chateau
Ashe - White haired Elven Ranger
Rolf Wolfsblood - bald-head, facially-tattooed barbarian from the steppes of Galmar.
Kane - Monk studying Eastern elemental mysticism of water.
Velandro - Devout Priest of Akana
Dag di Velandro - NPC - Kobold acolyte of Akana
"Baron" Felix - NPC - Farm foreman on the Chateau.
There were no tracks or dust from the fairies themselves, but stealing the cart proved their downfall. Under normal conditions, the levitated cart would have hovered ten inches or so above the actual ground, but the magicks did not take into consideration the foot of snow laying on top of it. The fairies escape had created two obvious wheel ruts into the first few inches of snow, providing an easy trail to follow.
The trail led them off the estate, and into the sparse woods, finally ending at a long abandoned house, an empty cart sitting outside.
The fairies did not appear like they wanted to parlay and the party showed them no mercy. Upon searching the house they found the paintings... and a gruesome sight.
Many men, some still with weapons in hand, had been killed and partially devoured. They recognized some as the few of the brigand Leonid's band that they had fought off the day before (and obtained the paintings.) With a little reconnoitering, they found the old path the former inhabitants used to reach the main road, and they dragged cart with the paintings back to the Chateau, reaching home just before nightfall.
After dinner everyone examined the oil paintings sought by fairy, brigand, and adventurer alike. All of them appeared to have been painted by the same artist, or at least the same style.
- Founding of Crosdes with King Cesmir Gran Duke Cesmir Repitllius of Ferrand accepts the Crown of Draloite from the Archbiship of Hydincall in the Year 846. Cesmir's skin is painted with a odd scaly technique.
- The Fall of Haven - A bald headed barbarian in a chaotic overgrown castle stabs a giant ruby with a magical knife. The red ruby light and shadows makes elaborate patterns over the barbarian's face.
- Taking the Higher Ground - A lone warrior in a tattered green cloak trudges up a steep embankment with a stream gurgling below him in the valley. His eyes burn.
Then little Timmy, all ten years of him, looked up at the huge painting hanging over the mantle in the Chateau and gasped. What everyone remembered as three generic adventurers pointing at a mountain spewing a cloud of steam appeared to have transformed into something a bit more... realistic.
This new discovery left many unsettled. Rolf tried to find a quiet spot amongst the bedrooms to make sense of everything, when a closet door poked open and a brown-skinned man's head emerged.
It was Mohammad, Echelon's mentor, who was magically scarred by channeling divine energy from his god, Tshang Hai Ching. He spent most of his time mumbling prayers inside cramped, safe spaces, like the few closets in the main Chateau.
"Rolf, what is of the matter?"
"Hey Mo, just more of the usual craziness. The chateau got invaded by fairies and now all the old paintings have us painted in them."
"Hmmm... take me to the stairs so may peek at them."
The barbarian lifted the legless priest into his arms and allowed him to peer around the corner of the stairs at the painting over the fireplace.
"Oooooooooh, I see. Take me back to my prayer room." Rolf obliged.
"Rolf, the fae only show you what you are not willing to see normally. You must figure out what this all means for you."
DM Notes: This week's adventure was Gladestrom from Underworld Publishing. The details are lost to memory, but it did involve fairies, paintings, and the big reveal as to the importance of the painting Ashe bought in Hydincall and gifted to Echelon. Like the other Underworld product I used previously, Harbinger of Darkness, no legal pdfs are available and copies on eBay are way too expensive for such a mediocre module for me to plot a more exact recollection.
While the conversation between Mohammad and Rolf may not have happened exactly at this place and time, the wise words of the legless, agoraphobic prophet of the eastern god of the sea and sky will become more important as time goes on...
While the conversation between Mohammad and Rolf may not have happened exactly at this place and time, the wise words of the legless, agoraphobic prophet of the eastern god of the sea and sky will become more important as time goes on...
No comments:
Post a Comment