20th of the Month of HexDec in the Imperial Year of 1023
The Cloud Island of Sazor, Somewhere Above Hermetus
To His Lordship, the Viscount Wilfrick of Verbobonc,
The lone cloud giant girl we encountered in the "wilderness" of the cloud island seemed looked dirty and tired, once she gave us a good once over, seemed interested in a little parley, so we felt it best to oblige.
She was Avesta, the daughter of King Jorgis, the previous owner of the island before Talanth Blackash's crew brutally attacked them and The Wizard Sazor took power. Her story was quite different than the wizard's
"We were always a peaceful group.... Of course we raided, this world is so vast that we normally sent a party down for supplies and they'd come back up with reindeer, bison, elk, sometimes we had cows and sheep."
"The great plains of what you call Galmar were so vast we rarely raided the edges of the dwarves, the elves, and especially not the humans on horseback."
"The elf and his cronies seemed nice, but they were convinced by Sazor to attack my family. They didn't seem smart enough to pull it off entirely on their own."
"They were ruthless. I was lucky enough to escape the palace in the first few moments and wandered into this part of the island."
"I don't fault the elf. It's what they do to giants and kobolds alike. I've seen it with my own eyes for two hundred years."
"When I realized Sazor taking over the palace and the island, I thought about groveling back to him, not for my own salvation, but for his. I was to be married two weeks after the elf and his company arrived. If the groom's party arrived to find everyone missing, they would slay Sazor, take over our palace, and since my family was dishonored, enslave me. I figured if I could somehow call off the wedding before they set foot on the island, the family would be dishonored, but they wouldn't immediately seize everything."
"I thought I cowardly sneaked away before meeting Sazor, but it was out of self-preservation. When the other clan arrived, Sazor and the bugbears ambushed them using incredible magics. Not a single one survived."
We disbelieved her story until she offered proof. A bit of a hike away, she showed us a pile of rotting cloud giant carcasses.
"He butchered the bodies for spell components, and he's been casting them off the island every few days."
This seemed to confirm her story, and completely changed our mission.
We needed to avenge Avesta's family, and this other cloud giant clan that was not stealing livestock or dropping large bodies onto the countryside.
I wish I could provide His Lordship with a valiant tale of how we bravely, yet narrowly defeated the Wizard Sazor, but to be honest we simply gave him a taste of his own medicine. He was so engrossed in his study of the cloud giant manuals and tomes, that he never expected his won-over friends to turn on him. We rushed through the palace, caught him unawares, and despite a well-placed lightning bolt or two from a nearby wand, he was slain with no casualties on our side.
Avesta was quite grateful, and even more indebted to us when we escorted her to the island and accosted the bugbears, gnolls, and hobgoblins. A number of the hobgoblins hired by Sazor needed to be escorted off the island, by being pushed off thousands of feet in the air, but the other humanoids seemed non-plussed by the continual change in command. So long as they received food, shelter, and some baubles to call their own, they would work for anyone.
To avoid further issues with Ras-Prythax, or incite the ire of another wizard of Hermetus, Avesta would drop us off on another part of the continent, hopefully at a high altitude.
Upon reviewing the maps, she made the decision to leave us in the Peragonia range of mountains in Argivia. It was a taller mountain range that protected the proud Argivians from the monster hordes of Milosic, If we could succesfully descend the mountains and headed south, it was nothing but beautiful weather and a life of luxury... or so Avesta had heard.
We decided to let the "youngster" decide her own fate and accepted the conditions. I only felt bad that we had abandoned our steeds somewhere in Hermetus, especially since the spoils of Sazor included some sort of enchanted horseshoes!
Two days later, we were flown by the longships down to a high mountain lake, just outside of the town of Pelister in Argivia.
Yours in Service,
The Cloud Island of Sazor, Somewhere Above Hermetus
To His Lordship, the Viscount Wilfrick of Verbobonc,
The lone cloud giant girl we encountered in the "wilderness" of the cloud island seemed looked dirty and tired, once she gave us a good once over, seemed interested in a little parley, so we felt it best to oblige.
She was Avesta, the daughter of King Jorgis, the previous owner of the island before Talanth Blackash's crew brutally attacked them and The Wizard Sazor took power. Her story was quite different than the wizard's
"We were always a peaceful group.... Of course we raided, this world is so vast that we normally sent a party down for supplies and they'd come back up with reindeer, bison, elk, sometimes we had cows and sheep."
"The great plains of what you call Galmar were so vast we rarely raided the edges of the dwarves, the elves, and especially not the humans on horseback."
"The elf and his cronies seemed nice, but they were convinced by Sazor to attack my family. They didn't seem smart enough to pull it off entirely on their own."
"They were ruthless. I was lucky enough to escape the palace in the first few moments and wandered into this part of the island."
"I don't fault the elf. It's what they do to giants and kobolds alike. I've seen it with my own eyes for two hundred years."
"When I realized Sazor taking over the palace and the island, I thought about groveling back to him, not for my own salvation, but for his. I was to be married two weeks after the elf and his company arrived. If the groom's party arrived to find everyone missing, they would slay Sazor, take over our palace, and since my family was dishonored, enslave me. I figured if I could somehow call off the wedding before they set foot on the island, the family would be dishonored, but they wouldn't immediately seize everything."
"I thought I cowardly sneaked away before meeting Sazor, but it was out of self-preservation. When the other clan arrived, Sazor and the bugbears ambushed them using incredible magics. Not a single one survived."
 |
| Sazor Stratos, 15th Level Magic-User |
"He butchered the bodies for spell components, and he's been casting them off the island every few days."
This seemed to confirm her story, and completely changed our mission.
We needed to avenge Avesta's family, and this other cloud giant clan that was not stealing livestock or dropping large bodies onto the countryside.
I wish I could provide His Lordship with a valiant tale of how we bravely, yet narrowly defeated the Wizard Sazor, but to be honest we simply gave him a taste of his own medicine. He was so engrossed in his study of the cloud giant manuals and tomes, that he never expected his won-over friends to turn on him. We rushed through the palace, caught him unawares, and despite a well-placed lightning bolt or two from a nearby wand, he was slain with no casualties on our side.
Avesta was quite grateful, and even more indebted to us when we escorted her to the island and accosted the bugbears, gnolls, and hobgoblins. A number of the hobgoblins hired by Sazor needed to be escorted off the island, by being pushed off thousands of feet in the air, but the other humanoids seemed non-plussed by the continual change in command. So long as they received food, shelter, and some baubles to call their own, they would work for anyone.
To avoid further issues with Ras-Prythax, or incite the ire of another wizard of Hermetus, Avesta would drop us off on another part of the continent, hopefully at a high altitude.
Upon reviewing the maps, she made the decision to leave us in the Peragonia range of mountains in Argivia. It was a taller mountain range that protected the proud Argivians from the monster hordes of Milosic, If we could succesfully descend the mountains and headed south, it was nothing but beautiful weather and a life of luxury... or so Avesta had heard.
We decided to let the "youngster" decide her own fate and accepted the conditions. I only felt bad that we had abandoned our steeds somewhere in Hermetus, especially since the spoils of Sazor included some sort of enchanted horseshoes!
Two days later, we were flown by the longships down to a high mountain lake, just outside of the town of Pelister in Argivia.
Yours in Service,
Sir Elsderth Greyhawk, Lord of Greyhawk
Sage of the The Order of Merit,
Sellsword - Extraordinaire
Wielder of the Legendary Betrayer.
Defiler of the Temple of Tiamat.
Freigraff of the Totenlinden of Amberstoll.
DM Notes: Here ends the story "Palace in the Sky" from Dungeon Magazine #16. The story told by Avesta is completely true. My group in high school got up the cloud island, tried to parlay with the cloud giants, but guess who was bad at parlay?
Sage of the The Order of Merit,
Sellsword - Extraordinaire
Wielder of the Legendary Betrayer.
Defiler of the Temple of Tiamat.
Freigraff of the Totenlinden of Amberstoll.
DM Notes: Here ends the story "Palace in the Sky" from Dungeon Magazine #16. The story told by Avesta is completely true. My group in high school got up the cloud island, tried to parlay with the cloud giants, but guess who was bad at parlay?
High school boys.
Ultimately they took out the cloud giants, made an unsteady alliance with Sazor, and departed on a flying longship with their booty. No one has any recollection of what anyone did with this extra longship, so let's assume they were dropped off somewhere.
The rest is just me tying up the loose ends nearly 30 years later. Sir Elsderth and the New Order of Merit get to be the heroes, I realize I need to establish the floating cloud islands in my current canon, and we can move the story to one of the last remaining adventures in the orginal lore: Thunder Under Needlespire in what I now call the Republic of Argivia.
Ultimately they took out the cloud giants, made an unsteady alliance with Sazor, and departed on a flying longship with their booty. No one has any recollection of what anyone did with this extra longship, so let's assume they were dropped off somewhere.
The rest is just me tying up the loose ends nearly 30 years later. Sir Elsderth and the New Order of Merit get to be the heroes, I realize I need to establish the floating cloud islands in my current canon, and we can move the story to one of the last remaining adventures in the orginal lore: Thunder Under Needlespire in what I now call the Republic of Argivia.
One last little note, Derlenth, the cleric with questionable morals isn't listed in this adventure, because the player, Daryl, went through Basic Training over the Summer of our Junior year. I don't remember him in the final forthcoming adventures. He was more keen on GURPS, Recon, and other games when he could show up.
Next: #45 - Thunder Under Needlespire
Next: #45 - Thunder Under Needlespire
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