D&D Dynasty: 3rd Path of King Alzar the Mighty - FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Tellistto

Nice stuff, Abe. Looking forward to the new modules, as I've never played D&D since some dabbling back in the college days, many long years ago.

Tell

Sure thing!

[Abe Sargent]

Month 5, Year 8:

Growth hits strong this month, double growth for one month, due to the popularity of the tournament.

Because Alzar’s realm has such great Confidence, several things are happening right now:

Prosperous:

All income is 10% more

If a random check shows a disaster, reroll (this is why last year was quiet, by the by. I rolled an tornado that was rerolled into nothing)

Agents spying will be found on a monthly basis 35% of the time


The spying is one of the reasons that a lot of intrigue just hasn’t really been here. A few spies were found early on, and with Alzar’s understand of intrigue, and his internal spy network (the lycanthropes) and the people’s natural loyalty and desire to turn folks in, it’s pretty hostile against spies.

And that’s why it’s so on that on the 4th day of Month 5, Alzar’s counter-intelligence network finds and unearths a spy. Why bother? Why try? Why implicate yourself?

Alzar finds the spy and captures him and brings him in. He’s a low level magic user, 6th level, in service to the Barony of Qeodhar which is just odd. The Barony is a large island to the northeast of Norwold, and the northwest of the Alphatian Empire, and it’s in the Empire, and not anywhere near here. As members of the same nation-state, but not near each other, it’s odd that Qeodhar would be involved in this. Alzar does some magical investigations, casting spells like ESP, Detect Lie, and such, but they all come back the same. This man, who grew up in Qoedhar, was recruited to spy on enemies of the state, and came to Alzar’s March around 3 months ago, on his third assignment for the Barony.

Alzar gets ready for his punishment after finding him guilty. He explains it to the mage, and the Mage agrees to be geased. Alzar has the spy/mage cast Enhance from a scroll, and Alzar gains one Wisdom and the mage loses….2 CON. This is permanent. Alzar can now cast an extra 4th level cleric spell and can cast 7th level priest spells, in case it ever matters. And then Alzar casts Forget on him, and he forgets everything. The geas will keep him from working against Alzar’s realm or revealing anything, and the Forget spell removes his memory of being captured, interrogated or his punishment.

End of Week 2 Alzar’ Apprentice Summon is done. He teleports up to Serraine to cast it, and begins to work on the Bookread spell. His goal is to gain any locals as Apprentices. The next day, two ask to join:

Yeel, Gnome, LN Level 1 Path Mage
Xerrliax, Gnome, LN, Level 1 Path Mage


Alzar now has 5 Apprentices of the 10 needed.

[Abe Sargent]

End of Week 4 - Bookread is done. Next up is the Item Delve spell.

Alzar spends this month casting his Effects spell (he can cast one/day) all over the various towns. Central fountains get a new color, and various buildings are colored and the odor of a privy is turned something nice like lilacs or another flower. And again, the goal of this is to give his realm a unique character.

Meanwhile, he now has 4 Dactyl Magnons, and he’ll make probably 6 more. He can make 4/month. He introduces them to his realm as a new race that he has found, and that are going to move in. He doesn’t want them feared or anything, but accepted.

Timeline of spells -

Item Delve finishes end of Week 2, Month 7.
Relearn begins. Finishes Week 3, Month 8
Shadowshift begins. Finishes Week 4, Month 8
Divinatory Summons begins. Finishes Week 3, Month 10
Ingenious Understanding begins. Finishes Week 3, Month 11



Alzar needs to hunt down some stuff…

Now he has finished researching how to have a fire of sadness. He just needs to put it into play

Meanwhile, the Sand was gathered from earth sometime ago, and then all magical elements were removed with the various enchantments he has to remove any magical taint.

Gathering the bronze ore was very easy. He just used his Temporal Cube to move to the future, and then mine them and bring them back. A local smelter turned them into ingots, and then Serraine gnomes turned it into various bronze decorations., And once those were done, he again magicked them to prep them.

He’s heard of Quicklings, they are evil fairy creatures. Chaotic as all get go as well. When he has a chance, he’s been tracking them down with scrying between other projects. Meanwhile, he used a magical dagger to carve eh wood, and is waiting until the sand is set and made into glass.

[Abe Sargent]

Begin UK7 Dark Clouds Gather




This will be the final in the line of UK modules. It slides into our ongoing chronology quite nicely, and it’s a solid adventure. But I’ll obviously jack up some of the difficulty in order to make this a feasible adventure for good ol’ Alzar



“Over two millennia ago, a tribe of horrible, winged snow demons known as the Ba'atun, fought a savage war against the ancestors of the aarakocra. Allied with the Snow Queen, a terrible frost mage, they had been empowered considerably and had many allies. Rapidly losing their struggle, the birdfolk begged succor from the archmage Devral and her allies, a family of cloud giants that lived in a floating castle. The wizardress, utilizing a fantastic magical vehicle of her own invention--the Skyfish--sought out and won a decisive victory against the evil Ba'atun. In the midst of this battle, she successfully cast a special Trap the Soul spell at the demon leader, a female shaman known as Yesorkh Pahyeh, known for her own prowess at possessing other creatures' minds. In the aftermath, knowing her mortal days were drawing to an end, Devral entrusted the great black gem that housed the vicious demoness to the care of the giants. Centuries passed and the gem's significance was eventually forgotten by the giants' descendants. Thirty years ago, however, a young giant named Lachlan was playing with some of his father's treasures and accidentally dropped the gem from their cloudy home, whereupon it smashed in the mountains below, releasing the long-imprisoned Yesorkh Pahyeh--who promptly fled to a magically preserved cache of eggs she had hidden away in ages past. Gathering her forces secretly over several decades, the snow demons recently launched a surprise attack on the giants (now headed by the adult Lachlan) and overwhelmed them, with Yesorkh possessing the cloud giant and thereby seizing control of the magical fortress. From this new abode, the revived Ba'atun have begun a campaign of slaughter (aided by the castle's unfettered mobility and capacity to control the weather around it), and have attempted to lay blame for the attacks at the feet of their ancient foes, the aarakocra.”

[Abe Sargent]

http://www.zayix.com/Media/monster/baatun.pdf

[Abe Sargent]

In the last week, some raids have occurred in the passes in and around the two trade routes through the Ljallenvals. They have all targeted merchants in the passes, and the last raid had two bodies of dead aarakocra among the merchants.

That’s odd of course. There have been aarakocra living in the mountains for millennia some time, but they are relatively xenophobic and keep quietly to themselves. In his time as ruler here, they have never sent an emissary to him or met with him about anything. It’s odd that they would be raiding.

It’s also noted that it’s become unseasonably cold in and around the mountains.

In the morning while he is working, the Sherriff of Saffir uses her Teleport Spellcache Ring to teleport to the castle and let Alzar know of something urgent. An aarakocra has flown down to Saffir and is looking for the Lord of Wood and Fire to assist with something major that he won’t speak of. The locals are being fired up by a local cleric, Bernhardt.

Alzar gets a Spellcache Ring to replace the one used, and teleports them over.

[Abe Sargent]

Here in the city square of Saffir is an Aarakocra, a bird person, with the feathers on him being pulled off:





Bernhardt is ordering the locals to attack and destroy this bird-man, as he is responsible for the raids, and his prophesied to destroy everything. Alzar orders the attack on the creature to immediately cease. Bernhardt, with foul smelling breath and a manic personality, protests, but Alzar silences everyone. Any punishment to be meted out must be done by a Magistrate, a Sheriff, or himself. That’s it, none others.

Bernhardt says that he has proof that the Aarackocra is involved. Alzar has him to go get it and he brings it back a few minutes later. It’s part of n old book his church has going back a long time. It has a picture in it of a winged creature with the following written below it, “The winged ones will return when the sky darkens and the sun is blotted out.”

Alzar asks Bernhardt how many winged humanoid species he knows of. Bernhardt narrows his eyes and does not answer. Ten? Fifteen? How many Bernhardt? He relents, and Alzar takes the image.

This isn’t even a humanoid. This is a ba’atun, a winged demon from The Abyss. See how it’s images are totally different? It doesn’t even look the same at this creature. Alzar orders the cleric to heal the creature’s damage, although the feather’s will be forced to grow back naturally and the creature will be unable to fly for now.

Alzar begins to talk to the creature and apologizes for it’s treatment. He has been sent from Tikka-ti-jarra, an aarakocra village in the area. All has been going well with his people until recently, about three months ago. Suddenly a great giant rode a skycastle on the clouds and spat great lightning and more. There are 7 aarakocra nests in the area, and three have been destroyed by the giant and his minions. The cloud sky has prevented his people from doing too much scouting

The leader of his village went and consulted their ancient divining techniques, eating hallucinogenic seeds to find out what to do next. The answer was simple – only the Lord of Wood and Fire could help. Knowing that such a person was nearby, they sent Tcho’eh here to scout and find the Lord.

As punishment for inciting a riot against this creature, and violating Alzar’s laws, Alzar decrees that Bernhardt must be punished and hands it out and then they move on. Bernhardt will have all of the hair torn from his body.

[Abe Sargent]

His treatment at the hands of Bernhardt has forced him to behave very nervously, constantly looking around for danger. Tcho’eh and Alzar head out shortly after to find the nest and village that he spoke of. But Alzar also checks and research the potential foe as well:





The ba’atun

This demonic winged creatures are able to nest in various prime material planes and expand their sizes, and then can be used either to secure power there, or to send the spawn back to the Abyss for the Blood War. There are a few ranks of these creatures, from normal, wing sergeants, flight leaders, and swarm leaders. They are known to have priests and wizards among their midst as well.

Good flyers, they have some ice-based capabilities. Some higher ranks can fire a ball of ice shards from their body, web stones, ice javelins, and cold rays. They get three attacks each (claw, claw, bite) and are well suited for aerial combat, with very fast movement. They require a magical weapon to be hit. They can screech and all creatures in range must save vs spells or be stunned for one round. Immune to cold, water and ice magic, and take ½ damage from electricity. 15% Magic Resistance

They look like monkey-esque creatures with great batwings, but icy blue in coloration, with sharp fangs, and vile red eyes.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar and Tcho’eh move up the trade pass, sometimes called the Scarrabere, in the north that heads from Saffir through the Ljallenvals to make sure they are clear, after being stuck up with the raids over the last tendays.

About four hours after they have begin to head out, they come across the ruins of a destroyed caravan, a few days old, with various merchants, guards, and more strewn about. Alzar checks the area, and there are 11 dire wolves moving about and eating the remains. They move forward to keep their claim on the area, and Alzar orders Tcho’;’eh to hold back and he does.

Alzar flies over ot the wolves, and they move in to attack. A few minutes later, his Wail of the Banshee and axe and bow slew them all.

4400XP

Afterwards, Alzar heads down and grabs one of the bodies and casts the Cleric spell, Speak with Dead.

The caravan was attacked three days prior by a flying group of creatures that match the description of the ba’atun. There are two aarakockra bodies here as well, and they are from a destroyed nest. The aarakocra bodies were brought here, dead a few days longer than the rest, and placed here to prevent suspicion. Alzar casts the same spell on one of them and they were killed by white demons, the ba’atun, flying forth from a great castle in the clouds that softened them at range with lightning bolts, and great giants on the battlements firing long range weapons or throwing boulders.

Alzar heads on and moves up the pass. He saw movement on the ground a few miles along the pass.

After an hour or so, they find a man riding away from the caravan at great speed with a few mules, and about 8 dogs or so. Alzar lands and casts Charm Person on him.

His new friend, Kode Burwell, tells Alzar that he was fleeing an attack by dire wolves about three hours ago. They slew one of his hunting dogs. He hunts up here for furs and such, and then trades and sells them. Laying across one set of mules are some pelts. He has a cabin about 5 more miles away, and off the main road, and he was taking his collection from the day back. There are also some items he scavenged from the caravan. (Alzar’s quick use of the Star of Mo’Pilar shows nothing of value like magical items). Alzar quickly checks the stuff, but the things that were taken were of a practical nature - tools, weapons, clothes, and such. He left behind all of the personal items or money/gems for others family.

He gives Alzar a lowdown of recent events, including raids. He hasn’t seen any major events or incidents up close, but he did see some flying forms attack the first merchant who was attacked a little more than a week ago up the pass, the Scarrabere.

Alzar heads on and wishes his new “Friend” well.

[Abe Sargent]

They find a small inn on the road a few hours later, the Fanjy Way-Station, a small community of around 120 people up in the pass, that are about 1 day’s travel from Saffir, and outside of the borders of his March. Alzar arrives and meets folks. They were attacked two days ago after clouds blocked the sky, and a group of howling “monkey-bats” attacked them. After slaying a few, a traveling adventuring party drove them off, and two were actually slain. Their bodies were hacked, and Alzar checks out one that was damaged as much, but taken to their trash pit and left there. The party left.

These are ba’atun as well. There is no question. Speak with Dead cannot work on other-planar creatures. Because these creatures were born here on Pandius, they are not anchored to the Abyss, and therefore, when they died, they are dead for good, but there is still a lingering aspect of that taint which prevents the magic from working.

Night falls, and Tcho’eh is very tired. Alzar casts a spell to strengthen him and it is like he rested a full eight hours. They have a version of infravision that is essentially ultravision – fully able to see at night under the stars, moon, or even in an eclipse. This does not extend to underground. They wouldn’t even need it.

As they travel on, there is a sudden swooping of wings and screeches, as three ba’atun fly down from the darkness to attack the village, and Alzar and Tcho’eh with it!



Alzar casts Power Word Stun on one and it’s held and falls to the ground. The others turn to Alzar and one shouts a cry in her language. (Alzar’s axe interprets it, “He has come too soon, flee!”) The two fly out and flee, and Alzar grabs his Rope of Entanglement and ties up the stunned one and teleports them away.

After it de-stuns, it is surprised to find itself inside of Alzar’s binding circle. Alzar shows it the various tortures he can cast on it, and forces it to relent. This is a child of the ba’atun leader Yesorkh Pahyeh. She has created a new brood of their kind, building their strength, finding new allies, and more. And she has begun to raid and destroy their ancient enemy, who lost their protectors including that nasty Devral and her powerful sky-magic and vessel. That’s all it knows.

Alzar orders it banished to the Abyss, and it won’t be able to return to Pandius unless summoned, which would require knowing it’s truename: doubtful.

They rest for a few hours to regain spells after he teleports back to the waypoint, and then head out at light.

[Abe Sargent]

The rest of the pass is mostly quiet, with only a few creatures left. Only signs of attacked and dead creatures are left, and then Tcho’eh points out his home nest, Tikka-ti-jarra.

Alzar can fly, and a few aarakocka fly over to him to introduce themselves to him. And then Alzar, with his carpet, and Tcho-eh on, fly up with his escort to the nest!



There is also an Air Elemental escorting them up to their roost as well.

They are about 18 miles from Fanjyr Way-Station. Welcome to tikka-ti-jarra, which means Place of the High Wind in their speech. Alzar can interpret their language with his Axe, Selinyr.


As they arrive, there is an electrical storm in the area that begins to meet them, pushing from the other flank of the nest. Great black clouds are emerging and rolling forth, and blocking the day. Visibility is being quickly reduced to just 60 yards or so. After lands in the nest, and there are around 50 or so Aarakocra, a few Air elementals they’ve summoned, and a leader, Kirraka and a shaman, Ikarrika are here and they greet Alzar. A few moments ago, an attack was forthcoming. They are as prepared as they can be. They have around 15 extra soldiers that survived or were away from the other nests that were destroyed,

Three are continual light spells up here that keep everything lit, and steep rocks on the cliff face. The sky temple of the nest is where Alzar and his escorts landed, and it’s where the red feathered Kirraka is now. Alzar is the one that Kirraka saw in a vision and he confirms that this is the Lord of Wood and Fire with them. Alzar tells him to trust him, and then bends down and conjures 2 Air Elementals as a priest, a Griffon from his Mount, Zadaxx and Zadran the figurines., Dust Devils, Wind Servant, Invisible Stalker, and more. He finally casts Air Walk and places the Carpet back for now.

Alzar heads out with his flying force in tow. After casting all of those spells, a giant cloud castle is about three or four minutes away. Some forms are flying down, and these are ba’atun and some others.

Strike Force:

1 Swarm leader
2 Flight Leaders
10 Wing Sergeants
50 ba-atun

(Yes, I amped it up).

They are flying in 10 wings, each with 5 ba’atun, and a sergeant, and in two major flights of 60 lead my leaders, with the swarm leader overall. Alzar’s in front and away from the nest, and he’s going to hit this air raid right now in mid-air just about 250 yards from the aarakocra.

Alzar’s goal is simple – tie them up, and slow them down. And kill a few as well. Expecting some ice or water magic, he swapped rings to have the Ring of Warmth in lieu of the normal Ring of Spell Turning.

They head out and flank the foe, Alzar’s Imp ordering them to places as he begins to cast a spell


3 vs 5

Alzar casts Wail of the Banshee. Only 7 are in range and effected and die. 1 Wing and 6 Ba’atun.


They fly and and attack him from a few angles as his other creatures are hit as well.


I’ma use random.org for this…


After five rounds, he’s slain 18 normal demons, 3 Sergeants, and 1 Flight Leader but the rest have flown and flanked him, and they are hitting the city now. He pulls back with just a badly wounded Air Elemental left.

The Aarakocra have some magically enhanced weapons that have been blessed temporarily by their two magic users and are using them against the demons. Then as the 6th round occurs and Alzar comes in from the middle, and readies himself, the cloud castle descends from the skies and suddenly a great lightning bolt rends the sky and crashes into the Sky Temple of the aarakocra and deals considerable structural damage to it.

Alzar needs to push now. He has used Time Stop, Power Word Stun, Death Spell, Skulltrap, and some others. Now he flies into the entrance into the sky temple and then casts Protection from Demons, which will protect around 10’ radius – 20 feet diameter and protects th e whole thing. He orders a phalanx of aaracockra to land and fight here. Yes, it’s away from the places where they are better, but here they are immune to the ba’atun’s attacks. Its the heart of the fighting currently.

Soon enough he lunches a Maze and sends one elsewhere for 11 rounds, turns another to stone and it falls and smashes to the ground, and more. Another lightning bolt cascades into the Sky Temple, but the aerial battle is losing, and after another round, a retreat is sounded, and all of the enemies that can fly do so. The Castle moves off.

Alzar has won the day.


Alzar gets 60000XP from the day’s fights

[Abe Sargent]

21 aarakocra lay dead. Alzar leans down and uses his two Raise Dead spells to bring two back. He can only do it within one minute per level after they die, and they can’t do anything for a week. But two are back from the dead.

Several places around the city, and the Sky Temple was structurally damaged in several places. Alzar uses Stone Shape and Soften Earth and Stone to help repair the damage quickly. He also uses various Cure Light Spells to heal damaged aarakockra quickly.

The shaman of the tribe, Ikarrika takes the Charrikar nuts and heads into a hallucinogenic trance for a few hours, on a powerful and potent vision quest. When she emerges, she looks at Alzar and the others with great sadness.


“Deep have I quested within the spirit world; I have travelled further than ever before. The way is dark and unsteady. Black clouds obscured the light and howling winds brought ice and snow to my wings. As they grew heavier, I strayed often from my flight, and others were also buffeted by the foul winds, including the giant eagles. Soaring above me was a great creature of darkness, and it filled the sky. Suddenly, I was caught with strong talons grasping and piercing me. Then a light pierced the darkness just before I fell, a shining tower of ice that shone forth and thrusted through an old lake. I started to arrest my flight and my capture, and saw our saviors. Then the lake cracked open, and out from the hollow came a giant silver fish, flat, and with a purpose. It flew out and high and banished the darkness and the creatures. Then the vision faded”

She tells Alzar that the giant eagles have been historical allies of the aarakocra, and there is an aerie of them here in the Ljallenvals. The flying silver fish is also something that should prove able to ally and assist in their struggle, and she feels that both the eagles and the fish of the sky are vital to winning their struggle.

For the few hours she was having her vision, dire news arrived. One of the remaining nests has gone quiet, and 8 survivors from another have arrived, and just two are left standing. They struck very quickly, taking out three nests in one day, and Alzar suspects its because they saw him and knew him, and thus sped up their timetable.

They tell Alzar of the other nest. Unlike the other 6, its less of a home and a village, and more of a fortress. Tchitchi-kwaaka, the Last Refuge. They built defenses here that they never believed that they would need. They decide to being all of the aarakocra from here over to support that final defense, and hope to hold. Alzar will head out to the giant eagles, and thence to figure out where and what the fish of the sky might be found, summoned, dominated, or communicated with.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar mediated and studied new spells while the shaman was with her quest, and he is ready to head out now, Tcho’eh staying behind to help bring things to fruition. But he has an idea. He teleports to the flying city of Serraine after scouting it out with his crystal ball. He arrives and finds Rolane and tells him what is happening, and then meets with the mayor. After they inform the aarakocra of the city what is happening, Alzar gets a strike force of 25 pegataurs and 80 aarakocra to support him, but the city is currently near the southern waters, and nowhere near here, so they’ll need magic to get to Alzar and the defenses quickly. Alzar Mass Teleports whom he can, and the rest will join soon enough.

A few hours later, a para elemental from the plane of lightning arrives and begins to attack Alzar. He uses Abjure and sends it back home.

5000 XP

That’s the only major force he runs into on the flight to the Eagles Aerie.

A giant eagle lands at Alzar’s carpet and begins to communicate with him telepathically, and he tells them what he needs. He explains the need, the dream of Ikarrika and more. Everything is poured out.

After conversing with it telepathically, it gives him permission to approach. Three giant eagles meet Alzar at the bottom of their aerie, away from the rest. They ESP him and let him know that they great tower of ice and the old lake are known to them. They fly over it semi-regularly. He receives a visual picture of it from above, as they have seen. They aren’t sure what is going on with the castle, which used to be held by a kind, friendly, and protective family of cloud giants. But things change, and perhaps others have taken it.


They will meet in council for a while after summoning their kind and then take the aarakocra situation under advisement, and decide from there how to respond.




Alzar scrys the area where the ice tower and lake are. Despite the time of year, the unusual cold has left the lake frozen. This is nothing like normal for the time of year.

It’s about 29 miles away, and Alzar folds up his carpet and everything and moves into a shadow of the nest he’s at and then Transport via Shadow to a shadow covered place in the area.

[Abe Sargent]

There are considerable cold and powerful winds knifing through the area, again unseasonably cold. Alzar arrived in the mouth of an old silver mine in the area, and there are some dwarves here camping, and he introduces himself to them arms open. They aren’t from his demesne in Stormhaven. They are an adventuring group from another dwarf hold. They heard of the ice tower down there, as well as the old and abandoned silver and copper mines here, and wanted to see if they could be opened or if they could enter the tower and raids it’s riches. There are e6 mountain dwarves here, led by Barruk, a dwarven cleric. They tell Alzar about a raiding party of 10 frost giants and 10 winter wolves, that roam about the frozen lake and hunt in and about the are, all as one group. Alzar smiles. Is that all? He has the dwarves wait here.


One hour later, they are all dead. For someone who normally slays dozens of frost giants at a time, this was easy.

He used no magic spells, preferring to keep them free, and instead used his summon items to summon a horde of elementals (other than Airs, he suspected he might need those later) from his artifact the Face fo Xenous, stones and more. He also used up the Horn of Valhalla, and his figurines for now.

Alzar gains 22000 XP

8530 gp of gold and other pieces in their camp

The dwarves can take the wolves and make pelts from them, and take the various items from the camp that aren’t the coins he is procuring.

As Alzar moves closer to the Ice Tower, a handful of flying polar owlbears swoop down to attack him!

Alzar casts Death Spell and drops them. Then as he is cleaning up, two remorhaz burst from the surrounding ground and move to attack!!!


7900 xp

Random.org

Alzar’s axe carves and slays them both, the first attacks fine, and the second fled, but he ran it down and dropped it.

Alzar finds a few items of value in their lair:

Carved Ivory Scroll Tube – 300 gp
Dented Platinum Pot – 800 gp (worth 10x that if fixed)
Gems worth 8750 gp total



Permanent Flint and Steel – Magical item, always works, never wears out, and lights tinder on first try.

2 Remorhaz Eggs – No idea what to do with them yet so stores them for now in stasis.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar arrives at the island around the ice tower, from the ice lake. Alzar passes by some minor elementals that flee from him, and a small group of spriggans that decide to blink away and leave, rather than mess with him.

The ice tower is a great pinnacle of ice, like a giant icicle that breaks from the ground up, with two prongs off it sort of like a trident that towers hundreds of feet above him. And despite any attempts to find a way in, the Star and his scrying see no ways into the Tower.

Alzar grabs the Scroll of Portals to create a Passwall effect. He opens a hole in a wall and its dead ice, but inside is a tower.

This is the tower and home of the ancient mage Devral, why passed away long ago. She always flew or levitate here, and there is a central column that runs the length of the spire of ice, and then no other stairs or ramps or anything else.

The bottom room features a strange, silent chamber. It;’s pleasantly warm – a nice change from the bitter cold outside. Deep within the translucent icy walls, a few patterns pulsate and swirl. Floating down is a sparking silver ball with with a single golden eye about a foot and a half in diameter.

The ball states: “Welcome to the Citadel of Devral. Please hand your weapon and cloaks to the servants there and take a seat. I will inform the mistress of your arrival.” The ball vanishes and three unseen servants begin to tug at Alzar’s weapons and cloak. He takes them and tucks them into various extradimensional spaces and then hands some minor weapons to them just in case, and they point to some ice-based stools, and Alzar sits.

He decides to just wait. After ten minutes, when it is clear nothing is happening, he rises and heads up. (Because he complied, he unknowingly avoided some nasty ,magical traps and protections. Devral felt that anyone who wanted to invade her domain wouldn’t stop and turn over weapons or pause to wait for her)

[Abe Sargent]

He flies up to the next room.

Glowing lights run around the curved contours of this level. They pulsate in various patterns and there are smaller subchambers in here made of screens and such, and used to divide the space. It’s one large laboratory, workroom, and summoning chamber.

The Star reveals hidden compartments in here as well, and Alzar finds and disarms two mechanical traps as well. He finds:

3 Potions of Cold Resistance
1 Potion of Flying
1 Potion of Human Control
Amulet of the Sphere
Crucible of Melting
4 Jars of Preserving


The equipment in here is long since destroyed or rusted other than the magical stuff. There were no wards and protections here. Alzar heads up.


The 3rd floor is dominated by the statue of a great griffon, made of glass. Alzar inspects it, and the Star reveals it is a magical item. It appears to be of a similar construction to his figurines of wondrous power. There are command words written in an old cant.

Glass Griffon:

AC 3, HD7, HP40, 3 attacks – 1d4x2, 2d6, THACo 13, N;

Command words to shrink, grow, give rider infra/ultra vision, turn to griffon, and return. Can be used 1/day to make a Griffon, with max hp, 4 hours/day, until slain, and then turns back to glass for a week, can be used to ride.

[Abe Sargent]

The next room revealed by the vertical tunnel is…

A room that used to have a lot of magical wards on it, but they have faded. There are tons of books, bookshelves, and more. Podiums, tables, lots of stuff. However, Alzar can hear the sound of a small group of bookworms in here munching on the books, and they appear very damaged. He doesn’t want to kill the worms and leave the pages untouched with the magic he has available. He’ll return tomorrow with a Bookworm Bane spell to force them out, and then begin to restore them. One book is clearly magical, and he secures that. It wasn’t damaged.

But one large book on a podium discusses the battles that Devral fought against the ba’atun. She constructed a great flying ship that resembled a silver manta ray, and there are various passwords included as well, and Alzar memorizes them for later.

Room 5 is the center of a floor stands on a case of ice, with golden lines of a decorative circle. Suddenly the tower has gotten cold in this room again. There is an ice-paraelemental in her, and Alzar casts Banishment and sends it back home and it leaves the plane.

3750 XP

[Abe Sargent]

After it leaves, a icy column in the room “melts” and disappears, and the above chamber can now be entered.

This is the final room in the center spire (the other two spires will turn out to have bedrooms for various folks, kitchen, stuff like that – all minor. Nothing magical in them.

Embedding in the ceiling of this chamber is the skyfish spoken of in the book and from the aarakocra’s seed-induced vision. Alzar checks the room for traps, and searches for anything else but there’s nothing left. So he intones the first command word, “Dom” the ceiling cracks and the ship begins to flex and move.

Icy, murky water underneath the lake is opening up as the ice cracks, and there are some enemies that are revealed and exploring – particularly four scrags – marine trolls.

Alzar moves in and slices with on with his axe and kills it in one round. (it has 30 hp). Another dies, and the third, and the fourth heads into the water. Alzar uses some fire to light and kill the trolls permanently with fuel from a flask of oil from his Bag of Holding and they die.

4200 xp

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar heads to the ship and then intones more words and the skyskip begins to left off from the ice lake, and the tower is already reforming icy magically around it to fix the hole where the ship broke off.

The Skyfish flies smoothly, and is a great creation of magic and artifice. It’s a magical vehicle shaped like a huge, silvery manta ray which can fly above and below water, and in the sky. It has a magical shield that uses Airy Water, Water Breathing, Resist Cold, and Resist Electricity. Its 50 feet long, and 60 wide. It can fit up to 15 people on the oak paneled cockpit on the back. There is a bench in the cockpit and it features two magical gem eyes that can fire lightning bolts from them. A wizard can also spend a round mentally attacking with the great, 20 foot tail for THACo 12 and 2d6 damage with a save os Para or be stunned for 1d4 rounds if struck. It’s immune to magical fire, cold, water, electricity, but takes normal damage from acid. There is a magical Lightning Rod on it that absorbed any electrical attack that is directed at the way of a user.

As Alzar flies back to the final bastion of the aarakocra, he hits a wing of ba’atun searching for him that move ot attack. His Wail of the Banshee and Skulltrap clear them all – 9 ba’atun dead, 4 fled.

As they flee, a squad of giant eagles swoop in from multiple angles. They slay the fleeing fiends.

The ba’atun made the error of attacking the eagle aerie. Although the eagles lost around 15% of their numbers, they held their own and sent reinforcements to Tchitchi-Kwaaka to meet up with the defenders there.

Alzar’s great Skyship is escorted back to the fort, and they meet with the others. Unlike the other nests, this is not up on a peak, but in the base of a valley in the peaks where the only main way to attack from the sky is above, and only front and back are on the ground. While easier to defend, it also provides two potential retreat options from whatever flank is forced back. Aarakocra wounded, younglings, and elders that cannot fight were sent elsewhere and only fighting-condition people are left. Alzar’s reinforcements, around 30 giant eagles, and the various aarakocra hear are ready to go.



The Last Refuge has numerous magical ballista with an odd shape to them, ready to be used by local artillerists. Alzar is greeted by various leaders and magic users among their kind. Unfortunately, harassing attacks have slain the normal leader, and now Kirraka is fully in command of the remaining aarakocra. The skyfish is landed, and they celebrate it’s arrival, and the eagles are also greeted warmly as “allies of the feather” by the bird folk. The pegataur and aarakocra from Serraine, the flying city have all arrived, and are learning the battlefield.

[Abe Sargent]

The eagles did some flying and scouting past the castle, and this is the same castle as before that was used by cloud giants and they saw cloud giants running it from the same family they knew. One giant in particular, Lachlan, rules the castle, and was bellowing orders of a dark nature. But Lachlan was never a dark sort of giant.

Alzar’s used to lots of ways to make folks do his bidding – possession, domination, charm, and more. It’s one of his specialties. So maybe that’s what’s going on. But after a war council, it seems like the best way to deal with this is to assault the cloud giant castle itself. They begin to plan it, and Alzar learns and mediates, with a new aerial special slate of spells, such as Conjure Air Elemental instead of his normal earth one.

After about 9 hours of preparations, and sleep, magical divinations and scrying detects the castle approaching quickly, and it’s about a half mile off, and closing – and should be here in about ten-ish minutes.

Alzar uses the Face of Xenous, and conjures four Air Elementals – wizard, priest, and Face. He adds the air force from before, minus the figurines. He also has his Android Bodyguard on the Skyship now as well, and with a +2 Trombash of Returning it will use to toss, and then get back, as a way to crack demon-skin. Mount spell summoned a griffin, and the glass griffon is out as well. This time he doesn’t need the Warmth Ring and swaps over that Spell Turning one again – with protections from the Skyfish already on.


It’s time to assault the Cloud Castle.

[Abe Sargent]

Attackers:

25 Pegataurs
Rolane
120 Aarakocra
25 Air Elementals
25 giant eagles
Skyship
Alzar

Alzar-s Dust Devils, Wind Servants, Invisible Stalker, Bodyguard, 4 Elementals, 2 Griffons,


Defenders –

100 ba’atun
20 wing sergeants
10 flight leaders
2 swarm leaders

132 total flying foes

On the battlements, 24 giants of different types are throwing boulders

Numbers are on our side. Clerics cast a bunch of Bless and similar magic to make the Aarakocra weapons work, and the eagles always can work, and the Pegataurs have magic. Everyone one of them can cast one Magic Missile spell – it’s pretty common as a way to open up battle.


The cloud castle is an odd construction. It seems ot be made of stone, and a thunder cloud as its base – but neither are true. It can act as both cloud vapor and as rock – lightless, hard to penetrate, and can be controlled to shift mentally by Lachlan, the owner of the castle. He makes lanes in the cloud or castle for a sortie to strike through. Then they head back.

We actually could resolve this battle with War Machine- both sides are really small armies. (I had to make them bigger to really push the epic scale, but you can see it here).

Alzar is going to lead with his four elementals, skyship, and folks, in the center of the attack, He wants his troops to do well initially, and he wants to push everyone into seeing where and how he is. Then he’ll do something a little unexpected. He’ll pretend that he’s out of magic, wounded, whatever, and begin to retreat to the back lines, and then cast a spell (Transport into Shadow) to slip inside a shadowed corridor that has to be somewhere in the castle while his Bodyguard keeps the ship in the rear and seen.

That’s his goal.

First, he wants to slay some bad guys.,

As he is in the lead, with no others around to face him, he casts Wail and drops 6 (they have spread out a lot to prevent area spells), and then Skulltrap and another 5. But the folks are moving away from him, after, as he expected, slaying his Elementals. But his front flank slew 2 more.

He heads back and uses the skyship to cast Lighting Bolt twice to slay two demons from range on two consecutive turns, and then he has retreated. Lightning also stabs out at his ship twice, but he is protected, and he takes…..13 damage from some cold attacks.

He casts Cure Light Wounds, the Transport….


And now he’s on board the castle…

[Abe Sargent]

While the battle rages on outside.


(obviously, Alzar is taking a different tactic here, but you can see why I’m sure). Alzar uses a bit of Dust of Disappearance. He uses his ability to move silently to slip around.



As he does, the battle begins to turn a bit. A group of 8 Manticores hidden, invisibly as a reserve force fly into battle!


Alzar is now in a giant flying castle, and then rooms and accoutrements are of typical giant size. This is not his first time invading a giant’s home, that’s for sure!!

Alzar finds a great library, with a hill giant at the edge wheeling in more boulders to through for the troops at the battlements. A Finger of Death spell….slays it dead.



Alzar passes a music room, a nursery with some ogres in here guarding and watching over giant children, making sure nothing happens during the battle to hurt them, and then a great hall that has the camps of around 10 Verbeeg, a type of dirty giant. Alzar passes a giant’s laboratory and then an herb garden. Alzar comes across the kitchen, where a group of zombies are being armed by a Ba’atun priest and taken to fight. Alzar controls the zombies and then they begin to move against their animator. He reaches out surprised and wrestles them back, and as he does, Alzar slips over and unfurls his axe and two hits later and the demon has died.

Alzar’s dust is wearing off (with combat, spell casting and more)

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar finds a cellar here and penetrates down. He passes a few work areas, and some traps. He finds and opens a secret door, and then he finds the end of a tunnel, with 4 ba’atun here guarding something, rather than out fighting. There are three giant lizards here as well, and a massively locked door. Alzar needs quiet. Time Stop. Death Spell. Death follows. No extra spells though.

Alzar moves to the door and uses his Ear Ring to check it out but nothing. He suspects he knows what is on the other side….

He uses the Chime of Opening to open the Wizard Lock and pass the traps on the door.

This is a medium sized resting chambers in the dungeon of the castle, once used for prisoners. This is now where a body rests – a large, ba’atun leader, female, ages old. This is Yesorkh the leader of the ba’atun here. She is in a state of suspended animation. Alzar needs to reload the invisibility spell, it’s off, but she is not in this body. Nevertheless, his form can be made out by magical and normal detections, and the opening of the door triggers a defensive function…


And in a second, a heartflash, she opens her eyes and rises…

She was possessing and controlling the cloud giant. But Alzar has forced her to return to her body. Surely, Lachlan will call of the battle immediately, and his giants will help the remaining attackers in slaying and driving off her Ba’atun children, and allies. Alzar has given her a solid defeat, and she means to take it out on him. There is no one else here, just Alzar and Yesorkh….


She is a lot more powerful than a normal member of her designation, and a major wizard. She has 55% Magic Resistance. Alzar has time for one spell, and casts Strip Resistance. If it breaks her MR, then she’ll lose 28 points. If not, every turn it attacks and tries ot to do until it works. 44 – it hits and no dropping this turn…


6 vs 4

Magic Missiles fly into Alzar and 2 penetrate his own MR of 50% and he uses the Gem to reflect them back to her and…both hit her shield – nothing happens. Lower Resist? 84 – it drops her MR to 27%. Alzar casts Greater Malison -= se gets -2 penalty to her saves

8 vs 4

She casts Lightning Bolt at him and…40% is sent back while 34 – hits his Mr and is absorbed. She takes 9 – save to half, and half for her race – 3 damage total. Alzar grabs a gem from his belt that he prepared and he casts….Trap the Soul….56 – breaks her MR and…..She throws a 6 and….


Wait what?

[Abe Sargent]

Just a moment before the spell hits her, she brings a Anti-Magic Shell into being around her with a Spellcache Ring, which then dissolves. Alzar is close to her. He recognizes it. The Ring that Tairdo created, and whom Alzar slew years ago for Morena is in use with her. She casts teleport and disappears.

That’s odd. Alzar knows that Tairdo is dead, he used the Death Mask of Ptah on him. After someone dies, if you place the Mask on their corpse for 10 minutes, their spirit is taken to its final resting place and cannot return with raising of the dead or via undead. Alzar uses it on all of the dead major foes he slays, to prevent them from hitting him later.

He searches around and finds a skeleton of a great silver dragon in here. They slew it and raided it’s lair, and there is treasure in here from the caravans and other places.

The cloud giants have ended the battle and driven away and slain their foes. Local evil giants were also killed, like Verbeeg and ogres. Numerous members of the cloud giants were slain by the ba’atun who was controlled Lachlan’s body, including his lover.

By taking the castle from the inside, and by diverting the defenses with an assault on the castle, Alzar has won a lot of praise from everyone. The forces from Serraine only lost 12 people total, and the defenders lost a handful of giant eagles and about 20 aarakocra on the battle. They used summoned forces that were disposable as the first and then moved in behind, and thus few were actually killed. Alzar casts Raise Dead to bring back a Pegataur and an eagle.

[Abe Sargent]

He grabs this stuff from the ba’atun treasury:


12000 gp
2500 ep
2250 pp
Platinum Casket – 3000 gp
Mahogany inlaid with Verite Jewelry Box – 850 gp
Diamond Tiara – 15000 gp
Diamond Necklace – 7500 gp
Pair of Ruby Earrings – 4500 gp
Emerald and Mithril Bracelet – 10000 gp
30 assorted piece sof jewelry worth 700 gp each
Assorted gems, worth total of 6650 gp

40 Flasks of Rare Wine – 150 gp each

50 crates of silks, furs, and fine clothing – 500 gp value/crate

10 sacks of rare spices – 300 gp each

2 Sacks of rare leather goods – 750 gp each

1 chest of rare monster parts turned into fancy cloths – 1200 gp



Blue Green Spindle Ioun Stone (Airy Water)
Trident of Fish Command, +3
Prism of Light Splitting
Scroll of Mapping
Needle of Repair
2x +2 Shields
3 Javelins of Lightning
+4 Leather Armor, Halfling/Gnome sized



Cleric Scroll – Commune with Nature, Pass Plant, Hold Animal, Hold Plant, Plant Door


The Prism works by being used for a full day. Cast Enchant an Item spell on it to get it to work, and then turn it so either red, blue, or yellow is shining on a magical potion or powder being made. Red = -2 to saves; Blue = Duration is doubled; Yellow = amount doubled (makes 2x)

That’s a potent item. Imagine a bunch of 2x duration potions, like Control or Fire Breath.

Trident controls nonmagical fish around him with a basic emotion (fear, adoration, anger, hunger, apathy, etc). This works constantly. Once/day can control any intelligent and fishlike monster with a save, for one turn, like a Domination spell.


When commanded, the Scroll will make a Map of the level of dungeon, castle, keep, or whatever currently on, including secret doors and such. It keeps it for one week, and then the map disappears, and can be used again

The needle is used to automatically repair non-magical items as long as it has the required string, gum, wax, sinew, leather, studs, etc.

Lachlan meets with him and thanks him. In an pledge of his loyalty, he dedicates his castle and the giants left to aid Alzar if needed. He gives Alzar:

Cloud Gem – Large Spherical gem with swirling mists inside, worth 30000 gp, Alzar just needs to concentrate on it to communicate with Lachlan, who will bring his castle to aid.


Alzar will return the wine to his castle for use there. Then he grabs the magical items and gold/gems/jewels and such for himself. Finally, he’ll use the goods to restock some venders in Saffir that were sending their stuff across the pass and elsewhere, and to some towns to the north, as well as the waypoint.

[Abe Sargent]

He finds this book:

From the Long Dark - History of the Ba’atun, as penned in their language by Yesorkh.

The book he secured earlier is…


Book of Vile Darkness


He’ll read it and gain a level in priest. He also gained a wizard level.

Meanwhile, Alzar will be sending a number of folks to copy some books from Lachlan’s library that he likes. Most are novels and stories.

149 Tomes of Stories and Myths of the Cloud Giants

He also returns to the Ice Tower and spends some time restoring these books in the library. He also brings over the lab equipment as well. Here’s what he secures:

Book - How to Make Winged and Frozen Owlbears
4 books on the Skyfish – repair, creation, control, and such
655 books on arcane lore, spellcraft, creation of items, and such from Ice Tower
254 books on Ice Lore specifically – ice creatures, the Para Elemental Plane of Ice, magic items of ice, and more.

He also secured a pair of spellbooks, and then Dispels, and removes curses from it later, from Yesorkh

Yesorkhs 2 spellbooks:


1st – Read/Detect Magic, Identify, Mount, Protection from Evil, Armor, Sleep, Ventriloquism, Conjure Spell Component, Chromatic Orb,
2nd – ESP, Web, Wizard Lock, Knock, Tasha’s Hideous Un…Laughter, Protection from Paralysis, Scare, Invisibility
3rd – Dispel Magic, Gust of Wind, Lightning Bolt, Strength
4th – Ice Storm, Wall of Ice, Dimension Door, Wizard Eye, Polymorph Self, Rary’s Mnemonic Enhancer, Improved Invisibility, Illusionary Wall
5th Domination, Animate Dead, Hold Monster, Monster Summoning III, Magic Jar, Teleport, Cone of Cold


And while she left behind no specific spellbook, in the ice pages, Alzar finds some specific spells among the books.

Level 6 –

Conjure Ice Elemental

This summons an Ice paraelemental from the plane of Ice. It requires snow, or ice, nearby to summon.

The elemental is a 12 HD elemental always, and is a friend of the caster and will happily fight for him.

The aarakocra thank him. They are not going to pledge fidelity to him, that’s not really their way, but they are extremely thankful nonetheless. And having some friends up here can’t hurt either, right?

End of UK7. Dark Clouds Gather

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s take a look at Alzar now:





New priest spells:

1 7th and 1 4th.

New Wizard:

1 8th and 9th



Alzar the Polymath; Alzar the Mighty, Lord of Wood and Fire, Marquis of March of the Mighty

Alzar, Level 13 Cleric, Scholar Priest, (Level 13 Thief, (Investigator); 12th level Fighter (Myrmidon), 28th level Path Mage (Fivefold Mage))

Lawful Evil
Human

Str: 18/23
Dex: 13
Con: 11
Wis: 18
Int: 21
Cha: 17

Hit Points: 82
THACO: 10
AC: -5 (Cloak of Shadows; Bracers AC2, Helm. If using Barrier, -10. Ioun Stone, Boots, could drop -2)
Age 63, Body - 34

Cleric XP – 1.2mill, (1.35 mil to level 14); Thief XP - 685000 (880k to 14th); Fighter XP -1 mill XP (1.25 mill to level 13); Mage XP – 6,800,000 (Level 29 at 6,750,000);

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

Myrmidon:

Tactical History 15
Fire-Building 18

Riding 14
Swimming 12
Reading/Writing 16
Survival 16
Blind Fighting
Etiquette 17
Endurance
Heraldry 13
Hunting 12
Fishing 15
Weather Knowledge 12
Orienteering 18

As a Necromancer/Fivefold Mage

Necrology 16
Netherworld Knowledge 16
Herbalism 17
Alchemy 15
Poison Use 13
Ancient Languages 11
Spellcraft 13
Ancient History – 17
Bookbinding – 16
Papermaking - 16
Sage Knowledge: Outer Planes, Inner Planes, Potions – 13
Divining: 15
Genie Lore: 17
Riding, Specialization: 10
Research: 13
First Lore – Aleph I: 20
Riding, Air: 13

As a Thief:

Information Gathering: 15
Trailing: 16
Set Snares: 13
Tracking: 13
Locksmithing: 11
Fine Balance - 11
Camouflage - 12
Steady Hand - 13

As a Cleric:

Scribe - 12
Religion - 10

Investigation - 11
Healing - 14
Hypnotism - 9
Administration - 16
Diplomacy - 14
Court Intrigue - 13

As a Polymath:

Dragon Lore - 13
Spy Intrigue - 14
Anatomy - 15
Glassblowing - 11

Languages – Thorasian - Typic, Sis’sharr, UnderTypic, Kuo-Toa; Hamedhi – Arjuni, Sand Mire Common – Pandius - Pandius Prime,

Traits:

Empathy
Fast Healer
Precise Memory
Obscure Knowledge


Weapon Proficiencies:

Bonus Kit Specialization:

Battle Axe

Battle Axe
One Handed Weapon Style x2 (-2 AC when using one weapon in combat)
Crossbow
Battle Axe Weapon Mastery
Spear
Dagger

Total with normal battle axe - +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -2 to AC. An additional +1 with the axe and +1 damage for strength

Mage - Staff

Thief Weapons:

Short Bow, Short Sword
Short Bow Expertise - Fires at rate of Specialization
Specialization in One Handed With Shield - -1 AC and can Shield Bash


Cleric:

Mace

Polymath:

Double Specialization in Missile Fire --2 AC at range vs ranged weapons, can move 100% movement and fire everything


Class Abilities

Fighter Class Abilities:

Specialization
Leadership (Alzar can command the tactics, strategy, logistics and more that a large force requires)
3 attacks every 2 rounds

Mage Class Ability:

1). Alzar can control undead as an evil Priest of the same level, and this ability extends to extra planar beings which are considered undead with the same hit dice for this purpose.
2). One Extra Spell/Level is Gained, must be Path.
3). Fivefold Mages reduce the spell level by one when researching spells in The Path.
4). Chance to Learn spell in The Path increased by +15%
5). Saving Throw of Targets when targeted by spells from The Path at -1.
6). No more than one spell per level can be from the group: Abjuration, Alteration, Alchemy and Geometry barring a highly unusual and temporary circumstance.
7). Fivefold Mage must invest a focus item as the method through which magic is cast. (Signet Ring from Hamedh, kept on necklace.)
8). Must have a lab and library and workbench with 1,000 gp value per level, and an upkeep of 50 gp/level/month
9). They can store spells like an Artificer, but cannot begin to do so until level 6
10). Fivefold Mages have a chance to identify a magical item by spending a turn peering at it closely and examining it - chance is their level times 5.
11). Fivefold Mages never suffer from a negative reaction penalty due to controlling or animating undead.



Thief Class Ability:

Cannot use Armor
Without a Trace
Defensive Bonus- -3 AC when unarmored
Backstab - x4 damage from level 9-12: +4 to attack

Open Locks: 70
Find/Remove Traps: 95
Move Silently: 95
Hide in Shadows: 95
Climb Walls: 95
Read Languages: 55
Evasion: 60


Cleric Class Ability:

Cannot use Armor
Fire Immunity - Alzar is immune to fire. Any non-magical fire, flame, lava, or heat won’t affect him. He always makes his saves against fire spells and effects. And if a fire spell doesn’t have a save, he gets one.
Protection from Energy Drain - +2 on saves vs energy drain effects, and grants a save when there is none
Cold Resistance - +2 on all saves vs ice-based and cold attacks. Effects without a saving throw are not given one

Major Access to these Spheres: All, Healing, Astral, Law, War, Combat, Charm, Divination, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Wards, Elemental

Immune to starvation

Can cast ESP once/week

A Wish Resulted in - An interdimensional Pocket which only he can access by reaching out his hand, or concentrating to send himself there. It’s sort of like a giant Bag of Holding. It can hold up to 500,000 coins of items, and it’s the size of a large room. Due to the size and volume, it cannot be accessed as readily as his items in a Bag of Holding can be, and therefore, he cannot find items during combat from it. He also can’t step into it during combat, it takes a minute of meditation to translocate his form there.

Alzar may move and survive in the following planes at will: Tarterus, Acheron, The Abyss, Elysium, Arcadia, and the Astral Plane and Positive Energy.

+2 to all saves against fear/awe effects

Cleric Spells - 8/7/6/5/2/2/1

Wizard Spells - 7/7/7/7/6/6/6/6/5


Special Books Already Used – Tome of Clear Thought; Tome of Leadership and Influence; Libram of Ineffable Damnation; Tome of Understanding; Tome of Quickness of Action; Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms; Manual of Bodily Health; Manual of Gainful Exercise; Manual of Steady Pilfering;

Longevity Potions Drank – 2; Wishes used for stats - INT, WIS

Younger - 1


Spells:


Alzar’s Prayer Book, 8/7/6/5/2/2/1

Major Access to these Spheres: All, Healing, Astral, Law, War, Combat, Charm, Divination, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Wards, Elemental

Bonus Spells - 2 1sts, 2 2nds, 1 3rd, 1 4th

These are the spells he can cast:


1st Level - Bless, Combine, Detect Magic, Orison, Astral Celerity, Speak with Astral Traveler, Command, Remove or Cause Fear, Sanctuary, Magical Stone, Light, Detect Evil, Detect Poison, Wind Column, Strength of Stone, Firelight, Log of Everburning, Create Water, Blessed Watchfulness, Sacred Guardian, Cure Light Wounds (Cause), Protection from Chaos, Protection from Evil, Dispel Fatigue, Invisibility to Undead, Endure Heat/Clod, Ring of hands, Call Upon Faith, Courage, Morale, Antivermin Barrier, Weighty Chest, Aranen’s Divinational Armor, Read Languages, Rainshield,

2nd Level - Chant, Mystic Transfer, Sanctify, Astral Awareness, Ethereal Barrier, Enthrall, Charm Person/Mammal, Hold Person, Snake Charm, Music of the Spheres, Aid, Spiritual Hammer, Augury, Detect Charm, Find Traps, Dust Devil, Soften Earth and Stone, Fire Trap, Flame Blade, Heat Metal, Produce Flame, Watery Fist, Cure Moderate Wounds, Slow Poison, Calm Chaos, Restore Strength, Resist Acid, Resist Fire/Cold, Withdraw, Draw Upon Holy Might, Messenger, Emotion Perception, Rally, Frisky Chest, Zone of Truth, Silence, 15’ Radius, Wyvern Watch, Protection from Charm, Enhance Turning, Purify Water, Spring, Iron Vigil, Resist Turning, Death Prayer,

Level 3 - Continual Light, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, Astral Window, Etherealness, Dictate, Emotion Control, Prayer, Unearthly Choir, Detect Spirits, Locate Object, Extradimensional Detection, Speak with Dead, Wind Servant, Zone of Sweet Air, Thunderclap, Meld into Stone, Stone Shape, Flame Walk, Protection from Fire, Pyrotechnics, Water Breathing, Water Walk, Water Window, Glyph of Warding, Cure Blindness/Deafness, Cure Disease, Hold Poison, Repair Injury, Rigid Thinking, Strength of One, Feign Death, Negative Plane Protection, Remove Paralysis, Line of Protection, Magical Vestment, Protection from Evil 10’s Radius, Summon Animal Spirit, Caltrops, Fortify, Efficacious Monster Ward, Invisibility Purge, Squeaking Floor, Thief’s Lament, Heroism, Death’s Door, Remove Paralysis, Animate Dead

4th Level - Tongues, Focus, Uplift, Join with Astral Traveler, Cloak of Bravery, Free Action, Heroism, Imbue with Spell Ability, Gloomcloud, Recitation, Smiting, Detect Lie, Divination, Lair Divination, Omniscient Eye, Windborne, Protection from Elementals, 10’ Radius, Adamantite Mace, Earthmaw, Magnetism, Warp Stone or Metal, Produce Fire, Lower Water, Reflecting Pool, Abjure, Dimensional Anchor, Animate Statue, Lesser Guardian Seal, Psionic Barrier, Neutralize Poison, Cure Serious Wounds, Fortify Healing, Compulsive Order, Defensive Harmony, Exorcize, Suspended Animation, Unfailing Endurance, Spell Immunity, Protections from Electricity, Undead, Traps, Gas, and Lycanthropes; Elemental Control, Fire Purge, Weather Stasis, Surelock, Entrench, Leadership, Tanglefoot


5th Level - Atonement, Commune, Quest, True Seeing, Meld, Prepare Enchantment, Plane Shift, Flame Strike, Magic Font, Consequence, Air Walk, Cloud of Purification, Control Winds, Nature’s Charm, Shatter Stone and Metal, Sink into Earth, Spike Stones, Strengthen Stone, Transmute Rock to Mud, Animate Flame, Wall of Fire, Cloud of Purification, Produce Ice, Calm Water, Geyser, Dispel Evil, Unceasing Vigilance of the Holy Sentinel, Golem, Page Guardian, Cure Critical Wounds, Champion’s Strength, Impeding Permission, Raise Dead, Cure Insanity, Anti-Plant Shell, Impregnable Mind, Protection from Fiends, Petrification; Adaptation, Dimensional Translocation, Barrier of Retention, Elemental Forbiddance, Grounding, Shrieking Walls, Undead Ward, Disguise, Illusory Artillery, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful

6th Level - Speak with Monsters, Bestow/Remove Major Curse, Otherworld, Command Monster, Feeblemind, Metal Skin, Spiritual Wrath, Superheroism, Word of Recall, Word of Vengeance, Find the Path, Stone Tell, Alter Luck, Divine Event, Seal of Destiny, Seek, Whirlwind, Anti-Animal Shell, Conjure Fire Elemental, Call Phoenix, Fire Seeds, Part Water, Transmute Water to Dust, Conjure Water Elemental, Conjure Air Elemental, Blade Barrier, Forbiddance, Greater Guardian Seal, Heal, Legal Thoughts, Aerial Servant, Animate Object, Conjure Animals, Crushing Walls, Dragonbane, Land of Stability, Gravity Variation

7th level – Gate, Astral Spell, Confusion, Exaction, Holy Word, Divine Inspiration, Conjure Greater Elemental, Wind Walk, Animate Rock, Conjure Earth Elemental, Earthquake, Transmute Metal to Wood, Anti-Mineral Shell, Symbol, Regenerate, Mindkiller, Restoration, Resurrection, Sphere of Adaptation, Succor, Spirit of Power, Call Avatar, Tentacle Walls, Inner Sanctum, Illusory Fortification, Shadow Engine,


Alzar’s Combined Spellbook, 7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7:

First Level:

Alarm
Alzar’s Undead Porter
Armor
Animate Dead Animals *
Cantrip
Charm Person *
Chill Touch *
Chromatic Orb *
Comprehend Languages
Conjure Spell Component
Create Divining Rod (D229)
Dance Macabre
Detect Magic
Detect Undead
Emrikol’s Question
Enlarge
Friends *
Identify
Innocent Bearing (D271) *
Hypnotism *
Light *
Locate Remains
Mount *
Organize Spellbook (D262)
Preserve Dead
Protection from Bookworms (D262)
Protection from Chaos *
Protection from Good
Protective Amulet
Read Magic
Sleep *
Spoil Holy Water
Talon’s Waterproof
Unseen Servant *
Wandbane *
Warning Trumpet
Wizard Mark

Second Level:

Alzar’s Axethrow
Alzar’s Bookcopy
Alzar’s Bookmend
Alzar’s Familiar
Attract Ghoul
Baltar’s Lightening
Blastbones *
Bone Block (D271) *
Choke
Continual Light *
Continual Wind
Death Armor
Embalm
Empathic Control *
ESP *
Forget
Ghoul Touch *
Hold Person (Hamedhi) *
Ink Transfer (D262)
Knock *
Leomund’s Trap
Locate Object
Melf’s Acid Arrow *
Ray of Enfeeblement *
Ray of Ondovir *
Scare *
Skeletal Hands
Spectral Hand
Speak with Dead
Summon Swarm *
Tasha’s Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter *
Tenser’s Hunting Hawk
Undead Mount
Unpickable Lock
Vocalize
Wall of Gloom
Wild Swing (D271)
Wizard Lock
Zala’s Lifeforce Guardian

Third Level:

Alamir’s Fundamental Breakdown
Bands of Sirellyn
Bewilder
Bone Knit
Control Bats
Curse Tablet
Dire Charm *
Dispel Magic *
ESP Barricade (College)
Explosive Runes
Fly
Genie Contract
Haste
Hold Undead
Ink Luminance (D262)
Leomund’s Tiny Hut
Lesser Rhabdomancy (D229)
Lightning Rod (Volo)
Mummy Touch *
Proof Against Teleportation
Protection from Chaos, 10’ Radius
Protection from Good 10’ Radius
Searing Serpent *
Sepia Snake Sigil
Slumber *
Skulltrap *
Suggestion
Teleport Object (Volo)
Tongues
Undead Summoning I
Vampiric Touch *
Watery Double


Fourth Level:

Alzar’s Quest
Alzar’s Scrollmend
Alzar’s Undead Expertise
Backlash
Bestow Curse
Charm Monster *
Confusion *
Contagion
Control Death Tyrant
Detect Ensorcellment (D229)
Detect Scrying
Dig
Dimension Door
Disfigure
Dweomerflow (Volo)
Enchanted Weapon
Evard’s Black Tentacles *
Fire Trap
Gloom Ravens (D July 99)
Greater Malison *
Guardian Shadow (D July 99)
Instruct Spectator
Itemmeld
Magic Mirror
Merald’s Meld (Volo)
Merald’s Murderous Mist *
Minor Globe of Invulnerability
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Phantom Shield-Maidens *
Obar’s Lesser Purification (Volo)
Otto’s Tin Soldiers
Polymorph Other *
Putrefaction
Rain of Terror
Ray of Oblivion
Rary’s Mnemonic Enhancer
Remove Curse
Ritual of Renewal
Special Effects
Summon Lycanthrope
Swordshun
Unburn
Vorthala’s Undead Turning Immunity
Wall of Evil


Fifth Level:


Alzar’s Far Summons
Andrui’s Baneful Backfire
Animate Dead *
Chaos
Conjure Earth, Air, Fire or Water Elemental *
Contact Other Plane
Control Gargoyles (CM8)
Damage Link (D262)
Deathmaster’s Vial
Dismissal
Dolor
Domination *
Eternal Flame (Volo)
Fiendform
Feeblemind
Focal Stone (Volo)
Greater Rhabdomancy (D229)
Hold Monster *
Magic Jar
Mnemonic Negation
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound
Nulathoe’s Ninemen
Passwall
Presper’s Moonbow
Prying Eyes
Spell Trigger (Magister)
Stealweb
Summon Shadow *
Teleport
Teleport Dead
Temporary Youth (D260)
Transmute Rock to Mud *
Transport via Shadow (D July 99) *
Veladar’s Vambrace (Volo)
Vile Venom
Xult’s Magical Doom


Sixth Level:

Alzar’s Backtrace Teleport
Alzar’s Golem Heal
Alzar’s Spellbookmend
Animate Dead Monsters *
Anti-Magic Shell
Bind Tabi
Conjure Ice Elemental
Crown Meld (Volo)
Curse of Lycanthropy
Death Spell *
Dimensional Blade
Døkkálfar Teleport
Dwoemer Divest (D229)
Enchant an Item
Ensnarement
Flameproof
Geas *
Globe of Invulnerability
Invisible Stalker *
Legend Lore
Lich Touch
Recharge
Seizure *
Special Effects
Spell Mirror
Spiritwrack
Stone to Flesh *
Shadowtheft (D July 99)
Summon Slow Shadow (MC Annual 4)
Summon Soul Eater
Summon Least Yugoloth
Teleport Other *
Transmute Bone to Steel
True Seeing
Wizard Seal
Wondrous Web (Volo)

Seventh Level:

Amorphous Blob
Awakening (Volo)
Azundel’s Purification (Volo)
Banishment *
Blood Link (Volo)
Bloodstone’s Frightful Joining
Cacofiend
Conjure Greater Earth Elemental *
Consume Knowledge
Create Crypt Thing
Death Shade (D July 99)
Descry (College)
Finger of Death *
Hold Golem
Mass Teleport (Volo) *
Negative Plane Protection
Planar Door
Power Word, Stun *
Prismatic Spray *
Return to Alzar
Semi-Permanency
Simulacrum
Spectral Guard
Steal Enchantment (Volo)
Teleport without Error *
Torment
Vanish
Wardmist (Volo)
Younger


Eighth Level:

Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting
Analyze Dweomer
Binding *
Clone
Create Death Tyrant
Create Spectral Wizard
Demand *
Enhance
Hornung’s Random Dispatcher
Life Force Transfer
Major Globe of Invulnerability *
Mass Charm *
Maze *
Monster Summoning VI
Otto’s Irresistible Dance
Permanency
Power Word, Blind *
Summon Fiend
Symbols Normally and Spell Loss, Entrap as well
Trap the Soul *


Ninth Level:

Astral Spell
Blade in the Soul
Disruption
Energy Drain
Estate Transference
Gate
Immunity to Undeath
Imprisonment
Lauthdryn’s Cleaving (Magister) *
Life Force Exchange
Mass Domination *
Mordenkainen’s Disjunction*
Power Word, Banishment
Power Word, Kill *
Programmed Amnesia
Strip Resistance (College)
Terminate Scrying (College)
Time Stop *
Virus Charm *
Wail of the Banshee *
Worldwalk


Key to Spell Locations:

Volo – Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical
Magister – Secrets of the Magister
College – College of Wizardry
D followed by number - Dragon Magazine. So, for example, D229 is Dragon 299 and D262 is Dragon 262.
CM8 – Spell from module CM8



A few days later, Alzar purchases 30 griffon eggs from Serraine for 2k each – 60k total from the treasury to build up his aerial corps, seeing what he can do.

He also gains a new apprentice:


Jashorn, 1st level LN, Path Mage, half-elf


6/10 done with those.



A week later, Alzar finishes working on a ,major skill

Sage Knowledge: Potions


He has an immense wealth of knowledge on potions and making. He knows at least one receipt for every standard potion, one for every uncommon potion, and can make a check for rares. Potions tend to have multiple ways to make them.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar is pretty meticulous and prepared. Don’t believe me? He has created two hidden caches of things here in Pandius in case his castle and home are overthrown. Each has a full extra set of spellbooks, some of his most important books, some supplies, potions, wands, scrolls, and a few redundant items. They are used in an emergency Each one is magically carved from the rock, inside a seismically stable rock. They are reinforced both magically and mundane, with some traps and such set. It’s just one room – no ways in or out. Alzar knows where one is, and can teleport there any time. He also has a non-magical rock from the 2nd room, and it’s used in his study as a paperweight, in a normal, conventional setting. There is nothing special, valuable, or magical about it – it’s just a heavy rock. After setting up the 2nd emergency room, Alzar grabbed this rock, teleported back, and then cast the Forget spell on himself and voluntarily failed the save. He had forgotten it’s location, and he has not jotted down some code or something. Nope. Nothing that can be tracked. But he can use the spell of his own creation, Alzar’s Backtrace Teleport, to teleport back to where he found the item. The location can’t be pulled from his mind. That’s how meticulous he is.

He prepares

[Abe Sargent]

Begin FA2. Nightmare Keep




While I spent some serious time making Dark Clouds playable, by amping up the ba’atun seriously (Can you believe that they have just 2 hd each? I increased their power considerably.) But this module is designed specifically for high level characters. So let’s see what we can see, right?

[Abe Sargent]

Here’s what local historians know right now about all of the things going on.


Almost 1770 years ago, the primary apprentice of the Ice Queen, who styled herself Icelia, set up shop here in the Wyrm’s Teeth Range. In order to get away from the Ice Queen’s control of the Ljallenvals. She created a defensive structure of some considerable power, and then brought in allies and weapons and created creatures of various sorts. Icelia longed for nothing less than control of the entire Norwold region. After almost 250 years of increasing her power and dungeon, her life force was running down. She decided to make the transition to lich and became a powerful lich. She knew that other liches had tried and failed before to create a lasting nation of the world, and were always pushed back, so she spent some considerable amount of time studying and gaining allies and such, and preparing.

Around 1005 years ago, Icelia made a major play for power of the area…but she was put down by another evil force, her Mistress, the Ice Queen. After a great battle with both forces, they exhaust many of their resources, but Icelia falls. She Icelia leaves history. None know what happened to her. Did she die in that battle? Was her Phylactery found? Has she passed away since? Is she still undead and working for her designs? Did she head to another plane? Was she captured magically? No incident of her is recorded, and her area was lost in the dark folds of the mountains.

Meanwhile the Ice Queen also would leave history around 20 years later, and many believe that Icelia exhausted her too much, or perhaps had one final say against the Ice Queen.

Around 780 years ago, a kindly young male wizard named Amthor built a tower in the northern part of the Wyrmsteeth Range. He was dedicated to studying farming and agriculture, and he was sort of a Farming Mage, who relished bringing good weather to the local farmers in three different towns in the nearby plains, and was serving the local community by magically creating hybrid crops that were better.

He created a vegetable hybrid that could be grown from the soil of the nearby foothills, and a small farming village arose near his tower. He opened it up to nearby folks, and had a magical manger that seeds could be used in to strengthen. Meanwhile his veggies were resistant to the cold, and had shorter growing seasons while increasing more and more food was made, and many feasts were held in his tower to celebrate their good fortune

However, all of that turned decades later. The mage didn’t believe in ,magically extending his life, so he was reaching his natural age of death, around 70 or so, and it’s almost 725 years ago. A magical attack from some unknown forces attacked his tower and the local village was killed off, and the wizard Amthor was also never heard from again either.

Powerful and nasty green plants, vile and magical insects, giant magical vipers and more moved into the area began to haunt it with their lethal embrace. The area suffered considerably from choking and such. Despite the local weather, everything is still fine.

Much much later, the old tower of Amthor, battered and bruised, began to attract local myths and legends. Amthor’s magical manger was never found, and the tower supposedly held treasures that still laid there, ready for the first adventurer to come and collect them. Never mind that Amthor threw the doors open to his tower regularly, and spent much of his money on the construction of it and the various goods that were used to enhance the locals. Never mind that the tower was pretty small and had very few places to explore. All that matters is that local custom became to have local explorers swing by to check out the tower. And as nobody ever returned, its aura of mystery increased as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar receives a visitor from King Ericall. He is Balko, and he has been sent to secure Alzar’s aid with a national matter of some importance.

He has Alzar take him outside the court and they fly out to a nearby park and then set down. Balko has a box form Ericall, and Alzar, as always, casts some magic to verify Balko;s conversation. He suggest Alzar open the box to see for himself and he does…




Inside is a odd dried remains of a bizarre creature, about six inches long, with the body of a cockroach, and then skinny human arms and legs, and ragged gauzy wings, and a grinning human skull for its head. It has antennae and more.

Balko tells Alzar that it was found along the corpse of a dead horse and ranger in the foothills of the Wyrmsteeth range nearby. Both corpses were badly mutilated, and it appears that this thing slew them. The courts mages and sages have unanimously agreed that if this nasty thing spreads at the speed that insects do, that it could get really bad really quickly.

Balko takes the creature, and then grabs a few insects from the nearby plants, and then takes a pouch from his waist, and then takes out a small lizard, and then moves the insects to the lizard. As the lizard gulps down the living flies, the beetle creature twitches. The creature is still, and then begins to rock violently. The sages at the court think that this creature feeds on fear, much like others feed on flesh or water. This is an evil, unholy, foul thing.

The insect was found semi-near an old Tower that used to be run by Amthor, a mage who specialized in farming techniques, but now is overrun with many nasty plants, insects, and more. Suspecting that that tower and this creature could be related, they sent multiple groups in to check it out. A mighty knight of the realm went in, a dwarven fighter headed in, a few rangers, and then finally a full on squad of soldiers and a big army. More than 100 people entered the tower in the last 6 weeks. None have been heard from again, and no scrying magic can penetrate the tower at all. Divinatory magic like Commune and Contract other Plane have been all unsuccessful. They have no way of knowing what is there.

There are a few things Balko wants to find out:

1). What happened to the people who went in. He is offering a personal reward for that, he has a troop that he used to command sent in, and they are totally gone.
2). Find out what happened to the Knight specifically, his family has posted a reward for bringing him back.
3). Find and stop the creatures, and whatever is behind them, and end whatever else is going on. If Alzar can do all of that, then King Ericall will give him either the entire Ljallenvals range, or two land hexes of his choice to expand his holding. If he does less, than less is rewarded.


Alzar asks why he wasn’t brought in first. As he knows while the relationship between him and Ericall isn’t frosty, it’s not exactly warm and fresh either. Plus, this isn’t in the range that Alzar has been cleaning up, the Ljallenvals, but in another range to the south.

After scanning the area and such with a Crystal Ball, he heads out.

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s make a quick map to show you stuff


The black circle shows the March. You can see the Ice Tomb on the map to the west of the Ljallenvals, the former home of the Ice Queen. I placed a yellow dot where Saffir is instead out area of control and then the yellow dot to its northwest is where the Waypoint is, as well as the aarakocra and the northern pass, and the inn ,and such. The Ice Tower and Lake are to its immediate south.

The Wyrmsteeth Range in the brown mountain chain to the south past the bay. I have pointed out, in black the three hexes where the Barony of Moonland is. That’s the closest neighbor. where the Tower is. Finally a great red dot is where the Tower is. It’s in the mountains near us. It’s in the mountains, near the green space between us. The capital city of Alpha is to the west

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar heads over to a nearby town that was once bustling. They have erected a giant monument outside of the temple to honor the dead, and they list the name of everyone who had entered the tower or the nearby area over the decades, and Alzar looks at it, trying to see if he identifies anyone.

He sees his own name at the bottom of the list, carved into the stone. That’s odd. The Star reveals that it was just an illusion, it must have been a really high level to have affected him though.

Alzar checks in with the locals, and then moves towards the tower.

As he does, he is struck asleep for a while, and his Imp wakes him up, While asleep, he has a vision of a huge amount of riches inside the tower. Then as he moves closer, there is an illusion of glittering gold by some rocks, near some dark plants. Clearly, the area has some sort of hold and wants to entice folks in, so he slows down, scrying the outside of the tower.

There are empty acres of fields that were once tilled. There are numerous antagonistic looking dangerous plants, some of which Alzar is now familiar with. He flies past them rather than deal with them, and arrives at the entrance to the building.

There is an old stone tower before, empty, dark, and grim looking. Windows were long since shattered, and a copper door tarnished and ajar. Steps are here, and numerous people have been this way, so the danger up to here has to have been minimal, but there are no signs of the beetlish fear creature that Alzar saw elsewhere.

After scanning, Alzar heads in.

[Abe Sargent]

The inside of the tower is dull, rotten, and long past its sell by date. Clearly the structure was originally built well, and there were some magical supports here and there but that has ebbed with the ages. Amthor’s Tower is dead. There is a musty, fungal odor that permeates the floor, and it lost its war with existence. Molds, plants, mushrooms, insects, and more have all made the place their own. There are old destroyed doors, and only the rock and foundation continue its futile attempt existence.

The place is down. Luckily Alzar’s Necklace of Adapation is here. Numerous footprints from –passage recently comes through the foyer and heads into places deeper in the structure.

Alzar heads and finds an old entry way, with a pair of once-golems that have faded, magically, over the centuries. Ancient mechanical traps have long since been sprung, and an acid jet trap is depleted.

Empty iron hooks on the next closest suggest an old cloak room, with the tatters of garments long since gone on the floor. Alzar is using the Star, and finds nothing here. Nothing magical or hidden. Alzar does find an old iron black key on the floor and secures it.

They pass a room used to hold old wood, firewood, and plants. A furnace is next with rusted iron rods, and such. It has a chimney that heads up throughout the tower and kept the entire place warm in winter. But Alzar passes an old threshold and enters an old study.

Looters and the passage of time has had their way with this room. Against the south wall are what originally were chairs, tables and bookshelves. Now they are piles of sawdust and rotten planks. Entropy took this room long ago, and all that is the bones. A large oaken desk has been pulled out and broken, with contents on top of a heap, only a few disused buttons and such remain recognizable. Parchments were destroyed, and books have been mixed, and aren’t even recoverable with his spells.

There are a pair of megalocentpiedes in here that are nesting and protest his presence


Two rounds later, both are dead from axestabs.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar has others (his Imp Azzil) search the debris pile, and find four books that were magically protected from age and damage:

Amthor’s Diary
Notes on the Accelerated Growth of Local Herbs
Tome of the Tubers
On Insects and Their control

The final book has Notes on a project to develop predator insects that would feed on insects that were dangerous to crops, but otherwise harmless to living life. Amthor had created a Rod of Immobile Insects that would assist in keeping them from hurting things. The insect that Amthor was developing was from a cockroach, and it’s feasible that the animal they found, and the creature he had been working on were connected

The next place is an ancient library. Alzar finds a handful of tomes that are feasibly reparable later:

The Gentleman Farmer
Modern Alchemical Fertilizer Techniques
Husbandry Basics
Advanced Chicken Keeping
Guide to All Things Green


On the far side of the library is an old dilapidated quarters, and then a closet, kitchen, pantry, and lavatory, all with nothing in them of any concern

What’s upstairs?

[Abe Sargent]

The stairwell is holed and questionable, so Alzar uses magic to fly up them.

Up here is a recently slain man, with yellow hair, blood stains around him, normal armor, and a damaged shield with the crest of Norwold on it. This is one of those who must have penetrated the tower recently. And died here.

To the left is a large room where Amthor performed many of his experiments. It’s disuse had led to the destruction of a lot of stuff. There are a pair of giant angry grey squirrels on the far wall, and they move in. Alzar’s axe slays them both very quickly.

They appear to have been eating some seeds on the ground. (Tracking proficiency for the win) Small normal sized squirrel tracks led in here, and then it appears that they ate these seeds. Alzar grabs some and takes them with him for later analysis.

They hit a dissection room next, used for dissecting animals and checking on experiments that failed. There are bones and remains of numerous animals here. The next room is for plant experiments, and a storage room beyond it. Experiential fertilizers and insecticides are there. There is a metal barrel that is knocked over, and a violet residue is coming out. Alzar’s Necklace keeps him from being affected by a potential magical gas in here. There are glass fragments on the floor of broken bottles.

What’s upstairs?

[Abe Sargent]

Yet another laboratory opens up. Artificial sunlight here is still made by a magically enhanced disk on the ceiling, and there are a variety of plants, long since gone wild, that dominate the entire level. They are moving, and there’s no wind, and two bodies are dead on the ground, recent kills. Alzar has no desire to penetrate them.

There are a great pair of Wasp hives, on the far side of the wild greenery, and insects are buzzing around, but a metal of on the wall between hem is keeping the insects from crossing over. The rod is magical, and Alzar grabs a Ring of TK from his Bag, puts it on, and grabs the Rod with the Ring’s Telekinesis power, rather than risk moving into or through the plants

Rod of Immobile Insects

The Rod keeps any form of insect, normal, large, or magical, from getting within 30 feet of it.

There is an old floor-based trapdoor on the right, and the black key works in the lock and it’s opened. The trapdoor is unlocked, and there are several powerful, magical wards and traps that r still active. Alzar casts Dispel Magic (as a priest) at the stairwell, and then he decends. And Descends. And Decends.


And now he is below the first floor of the tower, and there is a secret area down here….

[Abe Sargent]

There is an immense cavern of jagged black granite, with deep lake, misty depths, and more. Patches of phosphorescent fungi break the darkness. There are some ghostly white bats flitting around, moving away from Alzar and his descent. Numerous bodies line the bottom of the cave, and several soldiers were slain here.

There is a granite bridge at the base of the ladder that crosses a few gulfs, but Alzar is leery of potential traps, so he floats and sails over it with his Flying Carpet out. By doing so, he keeps the bridge from spinning or falling. There is a golden door on the far side, and has fake door handles of pyrite. The whole thing is one giant death trap, and Alzar simply skips it, and flies over to a concealed door about 10 feet to the left and past the granite bride. He gets past, and moves through the wall.

The construction down here is totally different and extremely ancient, much, much older than the tower above. It’s immensely older. There is a great sigil on the wall marking it, and it’s the one made famous by Icelia long ago. Is this her old stomping ground?

Alzar makes sure to know the local history of all of the ancient powers, mages, priests, and more, in case he stumbles into something. He looks like he stumbled into Icelia’s ancient keep. He puts himself on extra careful guard. This place has the look of something much more dangerous.

He takes out the Scroll of Mapping and orders it to diagram this floor




This floor has a large laid out number of rooms and chambers Alzar can now make out. There are about 40 different rooms or sections.

This section of the old keep feels downright ancient. But it’s also a bit labyrinthine as well, and it’s not designed super well either. Like there is something odd about the way it braches out and then back in. He can’t suss it out though.

The features are of a black granite, and haven’t been carved, but instead crafted, with stone shape or transmute rock to mud or somesuch. Ceilings are wide, and passages tight. The temperature is a constant 60 degrees the entire level, magically consistent. The air is musty, dry, and devoid of any of the fungal, mold, etc. The area exhibit a degree of sensory displacement and phenomenon, but Alzar can see through it with his INT.

There are some small holes around 8” diameter in a few places in the level that the insect/bug/undead fear eater creatures will be using to pop out of and use.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar arrives in a small dimly lit room with some glass tiles that are glowing and dozens of bodies piled here. There are some skeletons here as well as recently ones. Alzar reaches out and detects nothing of a necrotic or undead nature with the bodies or anything else. He casts Animate Dead and raises 28 skeletons from the pile. He’ll have some cannon fodder if needed. There are nine doors here, and there is a water trap that will fill the room if triggered. Alzar doesn’t care. He grabs the door, wrests it open, the trap begins but leaves him and the undead fine, clans out the room ,and leaves behind a way.

He passes a draining and recycling system for the trap and then there are corridors of shadow with an unusual web across the pathway, a Memory Web, like the one he slew in Hamedh once. Alzar slays it from range and then moves through and past it. He disarms and picks a nearby door and cracks it open.

There are some corridors here, and Alzar has rushed through and a bunch of piercers attack and fall and miss. The room has a variety of jagged green glass on the ground, and the remnants of stalactites and stalagmites. As Alzar moves around, suddenly out of the side that creature fires out. Alzar can sense that the creature is undead. He reaches out to control it but it resists and shrugs it off. It’s immune to control/turn/destroy attempts. At least here. It flies and tries to hit Alzar and misses.

Alzar’s axe follows and smashes it twice and slays it.

He continues and breaks into a deeper room and there is a mage that has been trapped underneath tons of fallen glass and such. He’s unconscious. Alzar casts Cure Light wounds to revive him, and he is back. He claims he is Jharold, the leader of the adventuring party that penetrated this Tower recently to hunt down the creature that was found. Alzar casts magic to verify his story. He is not lying. His party was killed on this level, and only he survived. He’s extremely haughty, arrogant, honestly believes the gods have sent him on this plane to solve all such problems and deluded about it and likely a problem. Stupid Neutral Good. Alzar casts Teleport Other and sends him back to Alpha, the capital city to recover and let Ericall know what has happened.

A bit later down the oddly shaped and secret passage, there are a spear trap, glass pit, and more that Alzar detects and disarms with his newly found thief powers. Another of those creatures flies out of a small 8” diameter hole to attack Alzar, and he finishes it.

A needle trap that fires poisoned needles from the wall is disarmed. A few magical traps are next along this area, and Alzar uses another Dispel Magic at the area and drop them.

A collapsed exit off the corridor heads to the left and hits nowhere. Blue glass is broken, and a discharged trap is here. Mist begins to seep into the air and ground, and another of the creature flies out of another hole.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar slays it, and the next one that follows. Is there some central place they are coming from? Are they going to keep popping out? Alzar has Azzil invisibly fly into them and there are winding, twisting, and go on for a while, but they all link up. And it’s not on the Scroll of Mapping, so it’s on another level. Alzar decides to drink a potion of Polymorphing and shift into the form of a bat and then fly out to Azzil.

Almost 15 minutes later, he arrives.


On the next floor (he skipped the rest of this floor, for now at least.)


(Alzar has pushed past a lot of the adventure, not the first time he’s done so either…)


“The blood pounds in your temples as your head clears and you open your eyes. You are sprawled on a beach of bone meal staring upward at a black void. An icy wind stings you with a barrage of icy needles, and the odor of salt. To the east, wisps of gray mist rise from a dark sea, its rolling waves lapping gently against an ivory shore. Chipped cylindrical bones, the size of huge logs, litter the shore with other bones that look like long oversized finger joints, human robs, and teeth. Large black fan shaped objects stick up from the sand , look like he shred winds of dead insects.”

“Sheer cliffs of black rock enclose the cove west of the seashore, extending as high as you can see, shiny curtains of black specks cover every square inch of the cliffs. The curtains ripples and are above. They’re made of thousands among thousands of motionless insects!”

Alzar passes his Anatomy check. This chamber is the shape, and basic construction of one, giant, great head.

“Near the far west wall are the remains of an immense cockroach-like creature, nearly 80’ long and lying on its back in the sand, surrounded, by piles of shattered bones and shredded wings. The corpse is not much more than a black shell with tattered wings, and two tattered wings. Two enormously long human arm bones and a pair of bent and twisted human leg bones extend from the corpse’s shell. The creature has a human skull for a head.”

“An image appears like a mirage on the surface of the mist sea about 30 yards from the shore. A ghostly humanoid stands on the bow of a gleaming ship made of human bones. The ship has tattered sails of black gauze. As the ship nears the shore, pinpoints of light flare in the ghost’s every sockets and it raises a fist to the sky. “Icelia” it cries, “fresh food for your children!” From high above, comes a rumble of thunder. The ghost cries to the insects on the cliffs, “Prepare to feed!”

[Abe Sargent]

There are dozens of the small holes in here, and from there these creatures move out to feed and attack. The cliffs extend for more than a mile and there are at least 10 or 20 thousand of these creatures in here. Perhaps more.


The great corpse is identical in size and shape to the lesser creatures. Alzar’s Star reveals that the boat is actually a polymorphed skull. The skull seems…..familiar…. A wave of emotion of fear begins to hit. Alzar casts Remove Fear, the priest spell. There is nobody else for the creatures to feed off of, so they cannot strengthen or feed off him.

The ghost sees Alzar cancelling their magic, and begins to move in. A great lightning bolt rends from the ceiling of the skull/room, and electrifies thee dead creature, and it begins to rise, all 80’ feet of it.

The Animated Corpse: 150 hp, AC-7. HD20, Thaco 3, 3 attacks for 2d10/2d10/4d6; immune to a ton of stuff.

Ghost – AC0, 60 hp, 10 hd, THACo11; ages, immune to tons of stuff

The ghost and corpse move towards Alzar and engage.


7 vs 1

Alzar heads out. They attack, and he dodges one connection from the corpse, and then is hit for 14, but dodges the ghosts. Alzar’s axe slashes and….hits the ghost with an attack of 11 and 9 for 4 and 6 + 48 damage, and then the Bright Barrier…gets a 17 and….4+2+8 – 14 more damage – 62 damage. Dead ghost. Boom!


68/82

4 vs 3

14, 5, 11 – it hits twice and…Alkzar’s dodge hits again with a 58 and he takes one more for…..3, 1, 3, 3 – 10 damage. Alzar tosses 3, 20, and 2. He hits once for 22.



59/82


The sea beneath the bone ship boils, and the polymorphed vessel cracks. A skull is left, hovering, with withered and rotting flesh. Intense pinpoints of light shine from the black eye sockets. This is the skull and remains of Icelia.

Alzar recognizes it with its full powers revealed…

[Abe Sargent]

This is a demi-lich




Alzar has slain one, long before – Acererak in the Tomb of Horrors. They require a different way to slay them, they are almost impossible to kill.

Icelia screams out a wailing scream that’s a death ray to Alzar….

If he fails to save, then he dies, right now. Now, because it’s not targeted, the Ring of Spell Turning is not applicable. The MR does kick in though. 84 rolled, Alzar has to make a save…


5. That’s it, a 5. Now, to be fair, Alzar is a really high level and just needs a 4. But that was close.

5 vs 3

Icelia casts Trap the Soul on Alzar to suck him into a gem on her teeth. This hits his MR and won’t hit him. The creature hits Alzar once for 9. He has moved to Icelia. A +5 axe should be able to hit her.

He’ll only deal the magic – 5 points of damage/hit. There are a few spells that will hurt the demi-lich, but only a handful. She has an AC of -6. He gets 20, 7, and 4 (Actually, the Shield can’t hit, even as an artifact, never mind). He needs a 5 to hit her. So he deals 10 damage.

51/82


7 vs 4

The creature missies Alzar twice, and he evades the 3rd attack. Alzar is cursed by the Demilich and will get -2 to hit, and saves, and such. It’s an area effect, and his resistances against it are much weaker. 14 and 3 – 5 more damage

4 vs 9

Alzar gets6 and 18 – one miss (due to curse) and one hit for 5 damage. He takes 11 from a slash and casts Power Word Kill on Alzar. 52 rolls, breaks his MR and….80% redirected – its immune so Alzar gets a +8 to his save and saves. Only a 1 fails Alzar this for 10 more damage.

She yells out that if Alzar slays her, her children, her lichlings will destroy him, and then the plane. Beams of violent light stream from the skull’s yes and begin to sweep over the cliffs, and the wings of the dormant lichlings there are rising.



42/82

6 vs 9

Alzar’s axe hews and destroys Icelia’s skull. It crumbles to dust, and its gems burst forth. The death of the creature animates the entire cavern, and the numerous creatures begin to animate. A great giant orange gate opens in the water. Alazr takes 8.

35/82

2 vs 5

Alzar casts Cure Critical Wounds. He dodges one attack.

76/82

3 vs 1

The creature misses. Alzar heads to the gate and grabs the Rod of Insect Immobility and drops it here, to keep back the horde from attacking him or heading through the gate, whether it opens up.

2 vs 6

Alzar carves the giant 2x for 45 damage and bashes once for 16 – 61 damage. He takes 14 and 15 from two hits but dodged the first, creatures have begun to swarm around the diameter of the Rod.

63/82


5 vs 6


Alzar smashes and destroys the creature with 51 damage. Dead giant.

[Abe Sargent]

With their master destroyed, and her life forced converted to help them (rather than flee to a phylactery and keep her alive), Alzar can begin to control them. But there are more than 33000 of these things here, swarming all around for more than a half mile.

They only have an animal intelligence of 1 so Alzar uses a round to grab some stuff from a Bag of Holding, and then uses a pair of Thunderpots to clear out some. A few die. The swarm pulls back for a moment, and then hits the edge of the protection from the Rod again. Alzar casts Time Stop, and then throws three more pots, and then when things return, multiple explosions fire off. They retreat, and he’s slain a few hundred. But that’s it for now.

Alzar casts Protection from Undead, and then grabs his weapons and moves out….


17 hours later he has slain the horde the hard way, using cleric magic to bolster his strength. The horde is destroyed, and 50 were controlled by Alzar and he Mass Teleports them to the city.

He grabs the Rod and begins to explore the rest of the keep:

The next level he I son is shaped like a giant lich – Icelia. She grew her body to tremendous size to use as a base of operations for her lichlings, and then only her core, the Demilich remained.

Carefully, with the skeletons leading, and his Star of Mo’Pilar being used, he scours the area, particularly after summoning various elementals and such to help.


Alzar finds the dead knight who was killed on the 1st level he was exploring, and grabs his body to take back. He slays some glass golems, glass skeletons, purple wurm, giant slug, and such. There was even a unique Ivory Hydra that was created to defend a certain area. It’s now dead too. Alzar also finds:

+3 Dagger, +3 Scimitar
Ring of Jumping
Beaker of Plentiful Potions
Circlet of Underwater Speech

Stonesplitter, +4 Axe – Acts as a Vorpal Battle Axe and a Spade fo Colossal Exavation

Platinum and Ruby Armguard – 5000 gp

45,000 gp of gems

12 juju zombies he controls

The Circlet works as you’d expect and constantly. Not a whole lot in here

XP?

Alzar has to gain a level. The sheer amount of XP from this would stagger a mule, so I’m capping it at just one more level. New spell of levels 1-4.

And slaying the Demilich counts as he has now slain 7/8 of the high level foes he needs to….


After securing the area, returning the dead knight, and ending this problem, Alzar is awarded the rest of the Ljallenvals Range.


But before he can enjoy it….


End of Nightmare Keep

[Abe Sargent]

I swear that the Barony in this next mini-adventure looks like it was lifted whole cloth from the Companion Book series. In fact, as I review the Barony of Caryll, I’m reminded of the Barony of Two-Lakes Vale that Alzar helped out in one of the early CM adventures. For a six page vignette, it’s pretty well detailed.



Begin Adventure Pack I Again


Reign of Triumph


As King Ericall continues to expand the strength of Norwold by awarding small landholdings to people, a recent addition to the landscape in the Barony of Caryll.

Caryll has been formed roughly 18 months ago or so. The Barony is a one-hex holding in the foothills of the Wyrmsteeth Range. The 130 families here work two major trades. The first is wine making, and this agricultural wine is made both from local grapes and black berries, with two wines produced and sold. Meanwhile, there are small amounts of gold in the local streams and rivers, and a few small amounts under ground near the top soil.

A small dwarf village is at the headwaters for the local river that feeds the Barony, and heads by the capital town of Caryll. They held this area and then Ericall just gave it to Baron Lan Jasper. Baron Jasper is a human given this land by the human King, none of whom are recognized by the dwarves, and neither of whom talked with them first, so the dwarves are not happy. That there are a few elves with Caryll is even worse.

They have issued a decree that 50% of the gold mined or panned must be turned over to them, or they will shut off the river. As of right now, Baron Jasper has been giving them some of the processed gold after it has been smelted, but not enough for the dwarves to keep back.

Alzar is summoned by King Ericall to his side, as a thanks for the ending of the issues it the Tower and to report. At that meeting, the King gives Alzar the rest of the chain officially as part of his March, and then also orders Alzar to head to the Barony and give Jasper a hand. Alzar is one of only a handful of human rules of the Kingdom that the dwarves respect, and he understands the land, the people, the dwarves ,and the kingdom – he is a natural choice for diplomat to head over and try to solve the issues in the Barony of Caryll.

[Abe Sargent]

Baron Lan Jaspar has three children:

21 year old Caldara, was unmarried when he was given the Barony. In order to continue the lineage, he married her in a political alliance with another Barony with Shamus, 3rd born prince, 25, of another Barony in Norwold. While Shamus is a nice person, and perfectly adequate, he is not a man of action, nor of experience, nor of adventuring, and he’s just a 0th level human. Caldara is too. She is heavily pregnant

17 year old Zarah, priestess of a local immortal of the sphere of thought, and 4th level in her services. LG in alignment.

16 year old Ariel, 6th level thief, N,

Alzar grabs a quick meeting with a dwarven priest of Morena to get some more information about the dwarves in this area. He says that they are not really considered “true” dwarves, and Alzar will soon see why. They aren’t interested in real dwarvish things. When Alzar tells him about their edict he just sighs, shakes his head, and points that as proofs. No self-respecting dwarf would do that. They’d just mine the gold themselves. But there are a lot of them. Probably about twice as many dwarves as humans and elves together.

Alzar decides to head into the Barony and scouts it a bit and then teleports to the edge, while the Baron remains in Alpha talking with Ericall.


Alzar heads into the barony, and there is a young dwarf eating a recent kill off the main road into the Barony. He gives Alzar a quick rundown of the basic happenings in the Barony. Alzar heads up the road, and past two hills.

[Abe Sargent]

After travelling for a while, Alzar notices a group of four people by a small pond that are exploring and talking.

A young blond haired woman is splashing in the small pool, and splashing water at two elves, one a half-elf actually, who are nearby and playing with her back. There is also a darker haired young woman dressed in red behind a tree spying on those three, and the women appear to be related.

Alzar moves forward and introduces himself. At first, the blond woman and the elves are scared by Alzar’s presence, and then shocked by the other woman, and then the two elven adults hide behind the blond woman. After Alzar re-introduces himself again, as the Marquis Alzar, they visibly relax. The blond is Ariel, and the red-adorned brunette is Zarah, and they are the children of the local Baron.

They agree to escort Alzar to the local town of Caryll, but as they move, a glint of gold in the hair of one of the elven hairpieces moves Zarah to chastise her younger sister for wasting gold. They are wearing fine silks, and golden jewelry, but the elves are simply clothes.

They arrive at the village and show Alzar around, but it’s pretty small. There just one inn here, the Gray Dove, and then a few normal shops, plus a goldsmith, who both smelts and crafts the gold that comes in. A pair of wineries are here as well. A large group of people are here, moving their things to the recently finished castle. They fear a dwarf attack. Alzar swings by the goldsmith, but he’s stopped working, the Baron took all of the gold and secured it for now.

Alzar grabs a room in the Gray Dove, and as he settles down. A small group of villagers come to him and warn him about a potential dwarf attack. After eating dinner, he heads to the castle just as Ariel bursts down the road looking for him. She has heard that the dwarves could be coming to attack tonight.

[Abe Sargent]

He heads to the castle and meets with Zarah, and a bunch of elders. They discuss a potential dwarf attack. Zarah wants to negotiate peace, and Ariel wants to a preemptive attack right now. Shamus, the son-in-law of the Baron, is not really helping, his wife is near labor, and he is too scattered to be of any help.

Some of the villagers look to Alzar for aid. Each of the sisters has persuaded some of the locals to their side. Zarah grabs some gold and head out for a peace mission with the dwarves while Ariel will begin to muster their strength.

Alzar wants to head out with Zarah to meet with the dwarves. It won’t be a long walk. A dwarven force is already assembled, and about twenty minutes walk from the village. They have around 120 dwarves here, ready for battle. Alzar and Zarah are accosted by ten dwarves, and taken to their leader, Rewin.

At first, Alzar thinks the lead 10 that grabbed them may have been arrayed different to blend in or scout around, but as they enter the war camp, these are not normal dwarves. They clearly live above ground, with sun-drenched tans and brighter beads and hair. They have animal skins as armor, stretched leather hides over bone frames as shields, and simple weapons like spears and axes. They have no metal weapons, armor, or anything else. They have gone very primal.

The leader shouts to Alzar in a pidgin, heavily accented Pandius Prime, He is happy to have secured the daughter of the Baron as a hostage! Alzar speaks back to him in perfect dwarven speech. He can’t even understand it.

He addresses Zarah, and she wants peace. She offers more gold, but he wants more. She reaches into her backpack and pulls out some recently found gold ore for him, but he doesn’t want it. They can’t smelt it. So they are here to attack and defeat the humans, and then force them to find, and smelt the pretty ore, and then refine it further and make their metal weapons and objects for them.

Alzar speaks up now, for the first time.

“And you are willing to kill some of these dwarves here to do it?” They all nod, willing to die for the gold-fever that clearly has possessed them. “You have lost your inheritance as dwarves! I’ve never, in all my life, come across such as you. Dwarves that can’t even smelt ore? Dwarves that take petty prisoners? Dwarves that won’t craft? Dwarves that are essentially bandits? You are no dwarves! I can see why your own kin disown you!”

At that the chief of the dwarves snarls and orders the ten dwarves to attack Alzar. His axe, a beautiful dwarver made axe is out, and he swings it around. “This is what you used to be capable of! Are you ready to die at the length of its blade?”

Seeing the dwarven runes, and hearing Alzar’s chastisement of them, they begin to back off, weapons ready, circling the pair of them

[Abe Sargent]

And then a catapult tosses a rock from the castle and hits nearby. The dwarves scatter, and grab weapons. Ariel decides to attack early. Alzar grabs Zarah and teleports back to the castle.

They soldiers of both forces are moving to battle, but the town folk are overwhelmed in numbers. Alzar orders then to form up by him, and casts some spells for the first time. He knows War Magic, priest spells that are good in war, and he summons multiple illusionary artillery and battlements. And these aren’t exactly the sharpest dwarves in the toolshed. Meanwhile, the real artillery is also bearing down on them. Alzar casts spells to make the fighters much much better and to buff the for battle.

Finally he casts spells like Tasha’s…Laughter and Mass Domination to wrest the battle from the dwarves.

In 45 minutes, the humans, with about 15 elves and Alzar, have finished the battle against the dwarves. Alzar and Zarah heal folks that are injured on both sides, and Alzar even raises a few folks that were slain.

After the battle, the dwarves having lost around 50 of their number, have agreed to drop their demands to 20% of the gold, and have agreed to officially become a part of the Barony, increasing their numbers and taxbase considerably. Alzar has significantly increased the Barony’s cachet in the Kingdom, with just a quick defeat over the dwarven forces.

The entire time Alzar stayed in the Barony of Caryll, Ariel continued to essentially make it known that she would willingly seek to become Alzar’s wife and Marquess, she has a serious crush on him. While she is certainly appealing(CHA of 17), and the Baron would of course consent, that not really who Alzar is. He cares about a lot more than having another person to share his bed and crown with.

A few days later, Shamus and Caldara have a baby body, healthy, and looking good. The line continues.


End of Reign of Triumph And Adventure Pack I

[Abe Sargent]

The next bit is going to be pretty major. Get ready.

Since Alzar has now been given the Ljallenvals chain, he has to do some damage dealing and infestation clearing. He already had two hexes in the mountains that included the dwarves of Stormhaven and the people of Saffir, both of whom he sort of absorbed without much worry. Over the next couple of years, Alzar regularly headed out and took out giant posts, humanoid caves, the undead spawning cemetery, and more. Dragons, giants, snow trolls and demons all fell before him. And the area has gotten a lot tamer. Meanwhile he’d added allies in the Aarakocra, some gold and black dragons, and a few others here and there.

There’s really just one major spot left. One place that he sort of skipped over. It’s on the other side of the mountain chain from his own. It’s the former home of the Ice Queen herself, a level 36 Frost Mage who ruled this area completely and totally. Even though she disappeared from history around 1000 years ago, the old Ice Caves, now said to be her crypt, is still the central launching pad and base of operations for multiple powerful ice, cold, humanoid, and nasty creatures of various sorts. All Alzar needs to is head over, clean them out, and then the rest of the mountain chain is pretty quiet.

[Abe Sargent]

Begin the Ice Caves

(Like the Assassination of Alzar, this adventure is not anywhere. I tried to find a suitable module that I could run to take this down, and none worked. It’s the major location and place ot deal with in a chincey little gamebook from the 90s called Rogues to Riches:





Here is the rough plot of the novel, as found on Pandius.com


: The two escape from the Landfall's dungeon (guarded by half-orcs) and seek shelter in a tavern (the Green Door Inn) owned by a friend of them (Wade). Here, the two rob a scroll from a couple of very idealistic Heldannic Knights (Noren and Vald, the latter being the senior knight of the couple). The scroll explains that King Lernal will offer a "treasure" to any knight who will accept a difficult quest in Northern Norwold (without specifying the details of the task).

The thieves, attracted by the treasure, manage to stun the knights with a poisoned drink (two glasses of "Milk Mickeyes" added with some sleeping powder) and rob their armours. After an escape from the knights themselves (who woke up to early) and from a group of "Madkap" women (see below) they hurry to Castle Landfall and introduces themselves as the two Heldannic Knights, hoping to receive at least part of the treasure in advance and hoping to sell it in the city.

King Lernal explains that they have to free his young and beautiful daughter Erise - also called the "Hearth of Norwold" for her kindness - that is kept in the Ice Tomb, the castle of the evil witch Frota. The princess was kidnapped five years ago, and recently a group of adventurers managed to enter the Ice Tomb and slay the evil witch. They saw the body of Erise encapsulated in a block of unbreakable ice (as most of the monsters and minions of Akra in the castle). Some divinations showed that it was not possible to free the body in the ice by using physical strength or magic. The only way to break the block is to touch it with a still alive rose from the garden of Erise (the princess is an exceptional gardener and she loved so much her garden in castle Landfall that the garden itself was named "The heart of the Heart of Norwold").

The king make the two knights swear that they will bring a rose to the Ice Tomb and that they will bring back Erise. Lernal's mage, a man called Faldron, brings them a rose in a glass recipient: the rose is still alive and the glass case is prolonging its life force, even if the flower is still slowly dying. Moreover, the rose is cursed. Together with the swearing, it obliges the two thieves to complete their quest: if they try to turn back or to distract themselves from their task, some events - a road block, a ship sinking, a landslide, etc. - will happen forcing them to proceed to the Ice Cave. Luckily, the curse also helps the thieves to pass through some obstacles, if they are en route to the Ice Cave.

So, the two thieves (pursued by the two Heldannic Knights who explained the truth to King Lernal and now wants revenge) are obliged to accomplish the mission, and they travel to Oceansend, Alpha and to the Ice Tomb. In Oceansend they are reached by Noren and Vald: they lose the armours and the rose and they are imprisoned. Soon the thieves realise that the curse is still in action due to their swearing, and so they have to reach again the rose and finish their task, otherwise they will be struck by bad fortune and possibly they will die. They evade from the dungeon and continue their travel.

They are joined by Mara, the daughter of King Olaf Yarvikkson (and also a skilful ranger) and by Fruz, a young frost giant who was very impressed by Rengie and Tooles when they stumbled into the lair of his clan. Just before entering the Ice Cave, they reach the two Heldannic Knights, who agree to forgive the thieves and join the group.

In the castle the group manage to bring the rose to Erise and free her, but they soon discover that the body locked in the ice was that of the witch Akra, who self-entrapped herself and most of her minions when the spell used to kidnap the princess (and to build for herself a staff of immense power made from "the heart of Norwold") ran amuck. The princess, however, is still entrapped somewhere else in the castle. The minions of Akra are freed as well and the witch is able to complete the staff by using the rose from Erise's garden.

The group barely manage to escape from the Ice Tomb: the two knights bravely stand behind to cover the escape and they are lost in the castle. The rest of the group ran to Alpha to alert King Ericall that an army of humanoids and frost giants is assembling in the castle and will crush the city within days.

Akra's huge army arrives before Ericall manages to organise a strong defence: moreover, the witch tells him that - thanks to her new staff - she controls the minds of the people of Landfall and now an army of Landfall's peasants is marching to siege Oceansend.

Everything seems to be lost, but Rengie manages to trick Akra and her personal white dragon Niveous, pushing one against each other. During the fight he manages to get the staff and to break it, causing the sudden icing of the witch, the dragons and her minions. The people of Landfall are freed as well.

Moreover, the two Heldannic knights reach Alpha with the princess Erise (they hided in the castle and freed her in the ice Cave after the departure of Akra and her minions). Noren and Erise are in love and they plan to marry as soon as they will reach Landfall.

Rengis and Tooles are forgiven by King Ericall and they get a great treasure in reward. Rengis plans to use his part of the treasure to become a merchant, for which he feels to be skilled enough.

Whoa is that bad or what?