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

[Abe Sargent]

Maerie, Aleigha, Snarla, Nix and Kelvan’s descriptions have been added to the NPC section of the page by Alzar. Aleigha is taking over the shapeshifter spy network, and Snarla will help her, and Maerie will joins as one of his administrators.


Alzar teleports back to Lyzandred and pulls out the four weapons. He can’t use any of them well, of course, since they are a long sword, 2-handed sword Trident and hammer, but all four are powerful weapons, and Alzar points out that the reward from Lyzandred would be enough for one, maybe two, but returning all four and taking them off the board in perpetuity? That’s too strong, and Lyzandred agrees. Alzar gets another 10,000 books of general history and knowledge as well. Lyzandred doesn’t have any more quests for now, but he has given Alzar an item to allow him to be contacted and return to the subplane.


The other items Alzar found:



Heart of Dragotha, a draco-lich in the area, that would like to return to normal dragon form. If Alzar eats it, he loses 20 years of life but will permanently annoy the Draco-Lich.


Delaying Glass – This item is an hourglass filled with the bust of bones. Anyone who turns it will cause the dust to fall for an hour, during which time, the user will not age. Can be used 10/day


Gauntlet of Life Theft – These leather gauntlets allow the wearer to steal 2 months of life from any creatures touched, and add it to their natural lifespan. The victim can make save to prevent the life drain, after which they can never be affected by the gauntlet again. This can be used 5/year

Skull of Prophecy – This cursed blue crystal skull speaks to anyone who picks it up about their death. However, it has no actual predictive properties, and exists merely to scare the user.


Vessel of Life Translocation – This 6 foot tall sealed glass tube contains the living body of a male humanoid with mirrorlike skin, suspended in a clear liquid, and on one side is a palmprint on the tube. Any living critter that puts their palm on the palmprint will switch minds with the form inside (it’s currently an insane svartalfar).

These were some of the items used by Keraptis to sustain his life.

[Abe Sargent]

This month, Alzar animates the two silver golem bodies made by his foundry this year. He also has summoned more devils and hordelings and now has 20 Bearded Devils and 20 Hordelings to serve him permanently as a strike force.


After bringing his team back, Alzar teleports back to the Isle of Dread and finds Dragotha’s lair about 35 miles from White Plume Mountain. Alzar casts some anti-undead and anti-dragon magic and heads in. He secures a meeting with Dragotha, and they talk.


She was an ancient blue dragon, but knew her time would eventually come, so she willingly submitted to Dracolich dom about 120 years ago. But in that time, she had been killed four times, because of the weaknesses of her undead state, and most of her treasure is gone. She seeks to be brought back to life, where she can regain her full stature. Sure, she is immune to some things, but she relishes the thought of eating again and lounging over her treasure and napping, fully draconic activities.

Alzar and her agree to a deal. He will give her heart, which she can consume to regain her full form, And then she will move to Alzar’s plane, and serve him for 25 years. She’ll also get some more treasure than her remaining 10000 gp worth of stuff. He’ll give her some magic items, such as the wizard scrolls he just got in this adventure and one of the iuon stones. She agrees, and in three days, she joins his force.





Dragotha, Ancient Blue Dragon

AC -6, hp 155, 20d8 electric breath, 3/day, 3/3/2 Wizard spells, 1d8, 1d8, 3d8 physical attacks


Alzar found Dragotha as a Dracolich who had reluctantly chosen to be a Dracolich for more than 120 years before Alzar restored her, with a pledge of loyalty of 25 years. He has also helped to restore her treasure, and they have determined certain things for he to feed upon that won’t interfere with his Grand Duchy of the Mighty. She is a servant, not magically controlled, and won’t do anything suicidal. But she does work well with the team he is assembling as well, and has a home in the nearby Ljallenvals.



Dragotha is added to Alzar’s allies.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar gains +1 in four stats this year from scrolls that he forced his people to send him.

One of the handful of places in the entire Norwold region with an elf hold is in his Grand Duchy, near the border, in the north around one of his lakes is a single elf-hold. There are elves in the nearby woods by Evenarrow as well, but not an official Elf Hold.

What makes an Elf Hold unique here on Pandius is its’ tether to the Tree of Life. Every single tribe has their own Tree of Life that grants them Elvish powers, and their life, and in return, they keep it alive and help it grow.

One of Alzar’s citizens reported that the Tree of Life out there was growing sickly. But they don’t know why. Alzar heads over to inquire after verifying it’s status. The elves here aren’t as mean to him as they are to the other rules, due to his role as the Lord of Wood and Fire, but they aren’t as affable as the halflings and dwarves are, both of whom love him. They won’t tell him anything that’s happening, but they mentions that this is an Elven problem, and Elves are on the way from Alfheim to help stop it. Alzar leaves behind a few Spellcache rings to let him know if things continue to get worse, and they do.

[Abe Sargent]

Immortality Update –


Ssu-Ma’s Path of the Epic Hero

Win the Demonwars for Law without using the Crook of Infaust. DONE
Create a legendary weapon. DONE
Have the best library in Pandius. (Ssu-Ma currently ranks it 6th best). Ongoing
Open up his library to more knowledge seekers. Ongoing.
Turn over some of the control of his library to Ssu-Ma. Ongoing.
Increase the literacy rate of his nation by at least 50% (Currently 41%)

[Abe Sargent]

I just spent the last week finishing this dynasty. I did not want to post it because I had to backweave various storylines into earlier years to make them more fluid. I just finished it!

I'll slow post like it's happened live, but I wanted you to know that it's done. But it may not finish as you expected......................

[hoopsguy]

Congrats on finishing! Looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks!

Let's finish this thang


Year 11, Month 1

As the first decade ends as a ruler, Alzar’s popularity is high, and his people are working. This cold-wrapped month sees a nastier than normal set of snow storms fall down across the entire region. Everything is locked down.

Alzar’s Bookfind uncovers another 2333 books in Hamedh. He purchases another 1000 books from local folks there for 25000.

There is a successful assassination attempt on an outlying Sherriff, that Alzar tracks down the murderer and imprisons her. Vix frees another couple of smaller caves here and there.

Alzar teleports to Oceansend for a meeting with “King” Jarvik the Just. Oceansend has always been independent, after their freedom from Thyatis until annexed by King Ericall about 6 years ago. Alzar wants to strengthen the ties between the Mighty and Oceansend. Ericall allowed Jarvik to retain the title, but he is a King in name only, and been demoted to a glorified Baron.

Alzar and Jarvik announce greater trade deals, and Alzar will offer them lowered tariffs and Oceansend will lend their advanced shipmaking facilities and experts to help Alzar’s realm improve their naval power.

While meeting with Jarvik, Alzar let’s him know that should the time come to Oceansend to declare independence, they would have the help of Alzar to secure their freedom. After all, you would be surprised at how valuable a flying castle can be in a war of independence.


After meeting with Jarvik for a few days, Alzar heads back to begin to work on filling a new need on Pandius. Mercenaries.

Alzar was a mercenary for decades before he turned to magic. He rose to 2nd in command of one of the more prestigious mercenary units on the world of Thorasia. Home, the view of mercenaries was pretty neutral, and based on the unit, not as a general take of mercenary-dom.

But here on Pandius it’s pretty negative. Why? Hiring a soldier for pay for one campaign is the same as hiring a soldier for pay in perpetuity. But while he hasn’t heard any negative stories of mass desertion or paying for mercenaries to switch sides or anything, they are viewed negatively.

Is that an opportunity? Could Alzar create some sort of central mercenary hiring because that does background scanning for things like Detect Lie, ESP, and Know Alignment to verify authenticity? A central clearinghouse for mercenaries that could be hired by various states or wealthy institutions such as church.

Seems like an opportunity. Given Evenarrow’s location on a major sea shipping route, that would also make sense for those seeking to secure mercenaries. And anything Alzar can do increase the prestige of his capital city, and potentially make money downstream makes a lot of sense.


In two weeks Alzar will announce yet another building to begin in Evenarrow, this time outside of the current walls, but inside of the next one. Alzar pays 82,000 gp from his own kitty.

Alzar will import builders and workers from elsewhere so these projects can happen simultaneously.


Alzar also attends a feast for the local leaders in the Halfling Holds of Leeha who are celebrating the 1000th anniversary of their founding. Much partying is had, and Alzar gives them a magical item he collected in Hamedh, a metal platter (Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Pheasant) for four people once/day as a anniversary gift for them to use. The item won’t do as much for Alzar as it will for his burgeoning relationship with Leeha. He still wants to bring them under the aegis of his domain from King Ericall, whose wife is here in respect, but there is a clear dissonance between them that Alzar doesn’t notice with himself or some other rulers.


Alzar will teleport and stop another Frost Giant raid due to the cold weather, and will take them out about 1 day from his border. You’d think they would learn by now. More than 300 Frost Giants lay dead after dying to Alzar’s full unleashed might (summoned Elementals, Elementals from the Face of Xenous, Rings of Commands, golems from Warp Marble, Alzar’s Far Summons, Summon Ice Mephits, Invisible Stalker, Aerial Servant, some undead he animated for the battle, using mass spells like Wail of the Banshee, his Efreet ally (not Nix, whom he just brought in), Vix, Dragotha the ancient blue dragon, a Nightmare, Dire Bats, and so forth. They retreated quickly.


Vix levels to level 30


Alzar has finished researching the undead to make for Vix.

He wants to create a more powerful variant of the Wraith. In order to study it, he secures 20 Wraiths for study. He wants to create a self-populating undead because then he can see it grow once introduced into the world.

[Abe Sargent]

Year 11, Month 2

Alzar gains 1266 books with Bookfind and purchases another 1000 Hamedhi general books for 25k.

Numbers are already dwindling for Hamedh but, to be fair, due to its harsh nature, there are fewer places where books would have survived and where civilizations last.


In addition to research and such, Alzar spends some of month scouting various places in his demesne as he can look around and such and find cool things. He can teleport all over to scout various places, and laying an actual eye on the area is often a lot better than using his Crystal Balls.


Next he spends some more reviewing some of the various projects he is working on, from building to rehiring and expanding the army that’s ongoing and more, he has a lot of projects to work on.


Nothing else major happens this month though.

Alzar makes a clone of himself at level 35



Year 11, Month 3


Alzar is working to secure more folks of various roles around his nation (Another 2796 total books, including another 1000 purchased).

This month Alzar has completed the various arcane rituals and such needed, and has following the formulae listed, and he can now ignore the level limit of 36 for Pandius. There is now no more limit for him!


Near the end of the month, Alzar gets an update on the “Elvan problem”. A party of the best and most powerful Elves from Alfheim were unable to find the source of the problem of the dying Tree of Life, and were lost and never heard from again.

Alzar teleports to the region to get an update on the various issues, but all he can do is secure a meeting at his home next month.

[Abe Sargent]

Year 11, Month 4

(Bookfind is 750 and purchasing another 750)

Begin CM8. The Tree of Life




At the first week of this month, an emissary arrives at Alzar’s throne room about a hour before noon at the appointed time. The three elves walk majestically into his room and bow, and he quickly motions for them to rise and steps down to meet them.

They address him and beseech his aid.

“Frankly, my lord, we are getting desperate. The wounded Tree of Life only had a few months left. And would prefer to keep this in house, but have been fully stopped from finding the cause and restoring the Tree of Life. Because these elves and this elf-hold is within your domain, and you have demonstrated a willingness to help demihumans with key quests in the past as well as your offer of aid, I have no where else to turn. But I have hesitations that have to be addressed first…”

“You don’t trust me.”

“No. We don’t. We know who you are. An evil person.”


“I’m sure you see anyone human as evil, or at least typically as beneath your attention. But allow me to introduce a potential solution to your unease.”


Alzar reaches to point a local cleric of Morena forward and he does. He reaches and prepares some divinatory magic.

“I will willingly allow a Detect Lie spell to work on me. Will you do the same?” The Elvish leader nods. Alzar takes off his Ring of Spell Turning and Amulet of Power. The two spells are cast by the priest.


Alzar turns to the Elf Leader. “Very well, despite your hesitation, know this. I will never lie. If I pledge something, I will always do everything I can to see it through, and I don’t lie. Lying is stupid.”

The cleric intones, “Truth”

Alzar then asks, “But I doubt that’s true of you, correct? You’d lie, and prevaricate, and mislead, correct?”

“If I thought it served a better cause, like forwarding the Elvish cause, then yes.”

“Truth.”

Alzar continues, “Given that, you are the one less likely to be trusted than I, correct? Therefore I suggest that after we agree to terms that we also both accept a geas spell to accomplish the tasks and rewards.”

The Elf nods.

“As you know, I am willing to commit the resources of my people and nation and will investigate this personally. I am willing to do everything I can to ensure that the Tree of Life is rejuvenated.”

“Truth.”

“And what would you want in return?”

“It’s very simple. Knowledge, and learning are the most important things in life.”

“Truth.”

“I accept your claim, but what would you want? To learn some spells? To be taught woodcraft?

“Nothing so personal or mundane. I would not commit the resources of all of the people here for my own sole benefit. No, what I want is access to the Library Tree in Alfheim. I know it’s the oldest library on the plane, and normally only elves have access to it. You can keep the books to yourselves on Elvish Secrets or anything like that, I just want ongoing access to the Library Tree to copy books for our own growing library. I am trying to grow literacy and improve the reading and research opportunities here, but not trying to learn Elvish secrets, so you could keep those away from me.”

“Truth”

“That’s impossible! There’s no way we could agree to that! That would be at least 150,000 books you could read from our own collected history!”

“Truth.”

“I know. But again, you are asking the people in this room and across the Grand Duchy to help. And we will. We are good neighbors. But we are a brand new nation, and we are building up our own library. I just want you to be neighborly as well.”

“Truth.”

“I cannot give you an answer without consulting my superiors first.”

“Of course.”

Two hours later, they agree, and Alzar and the elves each allow geases. Alzar has to do everything to help, and they have to live up to their side of the bargain. It’s been more than 2000 years since a Tree of Life has died. They can’t let that happen. Alzar has a few tricks he is preparing.


They agree, and he was scying, but unable to scry as normal. So he pulls his monthly wish from his ring and uses the genie so use all of the power of a wish to figure out the full issue that is going on.

[Abe Sargent]

It going to take a while though.

The next day Alzar prepares a more forest and sylvan friendly set of items. He heads out with Vix.




About 15 miles north of the Elf-Hold, they are exploring. Vix left behind her flying chariot, as it seems a little gaudy right now.

They penetrate the local woods here, moving away from the hold northward trying to find anything that could clue them in. After most of a day, Alzar and Vix come across a scene of death and a red dragon that attacked a nearby elven village is killing and destroying the village. Is this an undead vision? The gem shows that it’s a very powerful illusion, more powerful than the levels Alzar normally can see through. Alzar casts some divinatory magic. This is a recently cast spell, it’s only been here for a year or so. What it’s meant to do? Send Elfs off on some quest against a red dragon? Send them off on a quest of revenge against the elves who were killed by point them into the correct direction? Alzar suspects it meant to be misdirection than prove actual value.

[Abe Sargent]

They move on.

They rest the night. The next day, Alzar and Vix run into a group of werewolves fighting some Sprites. Alzar casts a few spells to Dominate and Suggest and soon has the pack leader, and thus the pack, under his control, and he orders them off. He heals the damaged Sprites with clerical magic, and they thank him and after he tells them of their quest, they suggest that Alzar speak with a great old Treant. Alzar points out that elves would already have spoke with a treant, but is there somewhere to go or someone to go to that might not be where an elf would turn to for information?

One of the sprites suggests a nearby bog, with some awfully evil creatures there. Maybe they would know? She can’t tell what they were, she was only there long enough to feel their presence and fled.

They thank her. Alzar and Vix decide to swing by the great Treant, just in case, but as suspected, they are unable to obtain any more information.

Alzar and Vix head to the bog of “uncomfortably evil” creatures that the spite suggested. They see some normal elves come out to great them, nothing evil here. They claim they just killed some evil ghosts and spirits here in the bog, and it’s been freed. It’s dinner time, and they offer to feed Alzar and Vix and suggest they stay together. Alzar agrees, and surreptitiously grabs his Star of Mo’Pilar, and investigates. He sees the true form of the 11 elves – 9 doppelgangers, and 2 greater doppelgangers.

Alzar and Vix sit down, and he shares a look of knowing with her. She nods almost imperceivably and will let Alzar take the lead. Alzar looks over at the doppelganger/Elves and smiles warmly, and then grabs a large wooden spoon with a bowl of warm stew. He compliments the smell, and is about to grab some stew, when he pauses. He asks if it’s too hot to eat yet, and they shake their heads, and two of them eat. Alzar makes a gentle crack about elves, “Well, my stomach may be weaker than yours. Let me get some water first.” He rises and moves over to the water barrel, with his hand slipping to his spell component pouch, and grabs some components. He casts Time Stop, Mass Domination, and Mass Suggestion, and then lets the Time Stop finish. 9 of the foes are his. The last two see the gig is up, and begin to attack, before they realize that they the only two attacking. Alzar order the others to slay them, and 8 doppelgangers are left.

They tell Alzar that they were sent as a scouting patrol to scout the area for their general, Melvorn IV, Elfsbane a great military mind who has gathered a large army and built up a large powerbase about 250 miles from here. Only doppelgangers and other similar unseen spies have been sent, and they know about the programmed illusion. There is an ancient red dragon about 40 miles to the northeast that is identical to the one in the illusion, so the idea is that it would seem like a vision or deathquest and then send folks in the wrong direction. They don’t know if it worked, but the red dragon rejecting any knowledge of torching elves a few centuries ago would play to the evidence that elves would have gathered.

The doppelgangers are ordered to attack each other, and then Alzar finishes any that survive. He wants total silence about Vix and his involvement for as long as possible, but he sends a message back home for one of his armies to be moved up north about 75 miles south of the elf-hold and ready to move in for defending the hold if needed.

[Abe Sargent]

They stay the night, and then the next morning they head out to the northwest towards the general direction the doppelgangers mentioned that Melvorn IV, Elfsbane is. A rain shower hits in the morning.

After a few hours, a little before noon, a great rainbow can be seen as the April shower concludes. The great rainbow seems to be close. They follow and change their direction. The rainbow fades about 30 minutes later, but they arrive in a large clearing and here are some evil fey creatures, Spriggan. They see the two enter their glade, and blink to them, and blink around them, closing more and more and more, and then they prepare to attack. Alzar casts Power Word, Kill on the biggest and it dies instantly. Seeing his power, they back off a bit and continue to move menacingly. Vix jumps out and skewers one dead and Alzar slays another with his short bow, and then they move off more.

Eventually they stop attacking, and concede the battle. Alzar is told about the rainbow when asking a Spriggan. Only in Spring are the rainbows strong enough to travel, and this is their home, and one must travel the rainbow to get to their final destination, for everyone that is different.

Another shower looks to be coming right now, so they grab some lunch. About five hours after noon, the next shower ends, and the rainbow arrives. It’s beautiful coalescing form is clearly physical here.

Alzar and Vix step into the rainbow and disappear.


Unfortunately, Melvorn IV has always suspected that someone might come at him from the rainbow itself, so has seeded it, and is prepared, even though he doesn’t know who is coming or why. If he knew, then Melvorn IV couldn’t have been faulted for abandoning his project and leaving the entire plane for a while. But the Elfsbane doesn’t know, and thus is not as prepared as he suspects.

[Abe Sargent]

They step onto a bridge of light where the sun plays with clouds and mist for hours and created a giant bridge of scintillating light. They pass the bridge for about an hour and are getting higher and higher on the arch when they get the outer service of a great giant sphere of color, with all of the colors split out like a rainbow, but splayed across a great sphere instead of a bow, arch, or line.

Here the image of Pandius below has become ever more distant. The great sphere is on the bridge, and it moves up and down. After checking it, it’s whipping up and down the bridge, and another comes. Are these forms of transport? He tries with an inert object, like a coin, first, and it’s fine, it moves across the bridge. They push themselves into the sphere, and soon they are moving much more quickly down the rainbow bridge.

After much of the bridges rolls away, the sphere reaches the top of the rainbow bridge, and it begins to move back to where they got on, so they get off, a little less than halfway across the rainbow bridge.

Here are some giant statues that intone various prophecies laced in poorly done poetry. For example, one intones ”Through the red, blood will be shed.” There is a curtain of light here at the top of the arch. Beyond it lies an unknown and unseeable thing, and no scrying magic will pierce i.t. They plunge through.


Before them is a large, open ceilinged group of rooms, with six alcoves, and in the center of the area is a triad of pedestals, blue, red, and yellow. There is no way out on the other side. The alcoves are large, and magically dark and that darkness cannot be penetrated. The Star reveals no traps or secret doors or anything…

So what is happening? The pedestals are clearly magical.

Alzar moves up, checks, and then touches the one nearest to him, blue. Blue lights up, but nothing happens. Then he touches red, and it lights up, and then they both turn off, and the alcove to the far right turns on a powerful purple.

Out of the purple alcove come a mated pair of Purple Worms!


Alzar and Vix moves out to confront the worms. (Random.org) they are slain soon, as their poison tails aren’t hurting Alzar and Vix.

[Abe Sargent]

Next is Red+Blue for orange, and out comes a trio of amber golems!


After killing them Alzar is at 44/90 and Vix at 85/141. Alzar collects three Amber golems worth of Amber (50k each, 150k total). Then Green follows, and a giant two-headed troll with a magic ring that prevents any damage other than fire/acid from dealing damage.

It takes a while to learn what is happening, Alzar has to Heal Vix, but they eventually take out the giant-two-headed troll with its 100+ hp once they do.


Alzar pushes the blue pedestal and then blue again for the blue alcove. Out flies a blue dragon, but he’s not making any obvious offensive gestures. He doesn’t have any desire to die for the “Idiot mage” who left them here to guard the way back. Alzar and Vix let him fly off.

Red+Red is red, and here is a Red Dragon who is very happy to die for the cause. A mature red.

(Random.org. After all, A+V Took out one and a half reds a short time ago, and in just a few rounds, and this is a younger and weaker mature red. Alzar leads with temporary youth and drops the red in age to make the battle even simpler).

They kill it, and Alzar collects more red dragon parts.

Finally, Yellow and Yellow make yellow, and out flies a gold dragon, it seems all of the primary colors were dragons, Like the blue, it has no desire to fight, and Alzar/Vix allow it to leave.

After the final alcove lit up, a door opened in the back and they slip out. There is a sphere here to roll back down the other side of the bridge, and after abut 5 hours, Alzar and Vix have left the rainbow….

[Abe Sargent]

They arrive in a darkly cast ancient forest hundreds of miles from where they left. The trees here are ancient and dire, with ruins of older structures barely hinting at a common destruction in time lost. The area has the feel of once-sacred-but-now-despoiled, but long ago.


They spend the night here, scouting. Alzar summons aid, and uses his Warning Trumpet spell to guard as well as conjured shadows, his Griffin from a mount spell and Dire Bats and such to explore and guard. Azzil flies up above to give an aerial view.

The surrounding area seems to be covered with endless ruins, in most of the available space what once must have been oaks, maples, or great conifers or has been destroyed, with the area having a sense of desolation.

Alzar’s flying creatures attract the notice of a trio of manticores, and they fly over, but he flies up and slays them quickly after casting Protection from Normal Missiles.

As Alzar is above the tree line, he can see a lot of flyers up here. Over there is a Griffin nest, and a roc flying back to its aerie in a small cliff can be made out, and some wyverns flitting about to the south. The woods seems full of flying life to a way he was not expecting. He heads back down, and him an d Vix head up to the clouds, on his Wind chariot he got from the Vale of Aaqa as congrats for turning over the Rod of Seven Parts to the Wind Dukes and they head up, Alzar with his bow, and Vix with her spear, Nykthos, and they lance and attack a few aerial creatures.


After about an hour, they killed two rocs, five griffins, more than 20 wyverns, another hunting pack of manticores, and a pair of fire drakes. Alzar finds 4 griffin eggs he’ll send to his aerial cavalry in Saffir, as well as a number of creature parts like wyvern poison sacs.


Alzar finds a Rod of the Wyrm in a nest

[Abe Sargent]

The next day, Alzar spies a group of Pegataurs moving through the area, and he heads up to talk with them. They are migrating south due to difficult hunting that has stopped them from getting enough food to feed them here. They point to an area deeper in the forest as the cause, and then fly off.

Alzar heads over, and he notices a giant bronze statue that the Star tells him is a bronze golem, as well as a recently destroyed house with a number of petrified creatures here, and a group of 6 medusa here making the place home. Alzar and Vix fly down after casting Protection from Petrification, and they easily handle the rest of their attacks, and slay them.

The destroyed house has little here, and Alzar casts Stone to Flesh and brings back the statues. This is the elven party of the strongest elves for Alfheim and were stoned by the medusa, although they slew 20 before finally succumbing. The 3 elves tell Alzar and Vix to head home, they’ll take over from here, but Alzar refuses. He has a geas that forces him to go on, and explains it to them. The elves appear to have gotten here and found out the old-fashioned way, through magic and contacts, and they came here the normal way, across land for a week or so.

They have a few more of these magic medallions that were from the ones in their party that were killed earlier, and Alzar and Vix each take one. These are elven magic and should help in seeing things only elves do. For example, they missed an “Elven only” scene a mile back that gave the history of what happened here long ago. They head back to watch.

Apparently, before the current elf-hold was created and the tribe founded, this small forest was the home of a small elven tribe with a Tree of Life. After some time here, they were attacked by a huge army led by Melvorn (probably Melvorn, I). In order to protect themselves from an attack they were clearly going to lose (the elf tribe numbered in the hundreds, more than 5000 enemy troops were coming) they used ancient and forgotten elven magic to blend into the trees, each elf merging their spirit into the tree itself. They would slumber until awakened after the threat passed.

However, by cowardly hiding rather than protecting sacred ground, the elves were punished and cursed by the elven and sylvan immortals. Around 50 escaped with the Tree of Life and would found a new Elf-Hold elsewhere, with a new tribe, and remove their failed and cursed history from memory. But the stain and curse remained, and cannot be so easily avoided. The elves in the woods here never came out of the trees, and as those trees were cut down or died, so to did the elves inside. Now the curse continues, and is going to kill the tribe and the Tree of Life.

The three elves were two leaders of this tribe, and from Alfheim. No one knew this history. It was lost to time permanently. But the curse remained, and now Melvorn, IV is apparently still a threat. Alzar inquires if the curse could be stopped by freeing the elves or ending Melvorn, IV and his threat. They suggest it could be, and that was their plan after they found this out, right before losing the battle against the medusa.

Alzar, Vix, and the 3 elves head deeper into the forest.

They find and slay a hydra of 12 heads and secure more than 75000 gp in coins, gems, and jewelry

Here is the central area of these woods they find a central tower, with a few sub-towers, clearly of elven make, but has since been dirtied and modified.

As they move towards it, their medallions glow, and a door appears in the right side of the building. They head in.

[Abe Sargent]

After an entry, they arrive at the throne room.


As you enter the hall , a humanoid silhouette materializes, sitting on the throne . It is apparently an old elf, dressed in white, holding a long b ack rod. He raises his hand in a peaceful gesture and says: "Welcome to our ancestral land. We have been expecting you for centuries. Listen to me , for I have little time to speak. "Very seldom am I granted the power to appear in our holy palace . I am the protector of the forest. With the spirit of our race have I been able to keep the evil hordes of the wizard at bay; however, I am bound by a powerful curse to remain in this tower. " Return at once to the holy land and travel south to our beloved city in Alfheim. Seek the ancestral secret , retrieve it from the deep of the forest and bring it to me with no delay. Time is scarce, for our defenses are weakening. The wizard is too powerful and the stakes so incalculable . Go now, my sons, and do not waste you r time." The apparition fades away and the hall becomes oppressively quiet.


The elves began to back out. But why? Alzar’s Star doesn’t show any trick, but he remembers the programming illusion that pointed elves east towards a dragon for vengeance. Isn’t it possible this is also a trick? Alzar tells them of the illusion they saw in the woods near home. Two of the elves seek to leave at once, but the third agrees it’s suspicious enough to investigate the elven tower first, to confirm the story. It won’t take too much time, as Alzar knows teleport magic that will make their return journey instantaneous.

They agree and move out. They pass some battlements and watchtowers that are mostly or completely vacant.

Then they arrive in a long meeting room with a giant table, lit by a continual light spell. On the table is a great Horn of Plenty that Alzar takes. Invisible servants push things around and are cleaning the room.

They pass from the room, and another room passes, and then they hit an inner garden with a colorful arrangement, nothing noxious or bothersome here. The back corridor has a room to the left, an office, and they inspect it. Scrying magic doesn’t penetrate the walls here, but Alzar’s Ear Ring is useful, he detects nothing though.

In here is a office with a large desk and chair, sitting a giant black bear fur. The desk and chair are ancient elven make, but the bear is much more recent, and not really a trapping of elves. Alzar points it out. No elf would allow a token of a deceased animal to be disrespected as a rug. Alzar disarms four traps.

In here:

Quill of Copying


Reports on spying and buildup of army
51 Books on warfare

[Abe Sargent]

A secret door here heads to a library. This is clearly an ancient library with “bookshelves crammed with ancient and dusty tomes of all sorts line the walls from ceiling to floor, even covering the entry door itself.” Due to the heavy piling, Alzar suspects there are at least 2500 books in here. For example, one book with a spine facing him reads, “Basic and Advanced Arithmetics.” There are some gremlins back here and Alzar finds them quickly after scanning, and then casts clerical magic to abjure them back to their home plane.

2500 Books from Tower of Light , with 250000 with rare times in here

Three unknown spellbooks

Manual of Living Statues – Iron Statues (Can animate 10 of them)


There is a normal door here to the hallway, and they backtrack and find an art gallery on the right side, with a number of art works, including many of a more mundane nature, and again, there is just way too much evidence that modern non-elves are living here. There are a number of statues, paintings, and more all here, even pottery and a faded tapestry.

They head back out into the hallway, and as they do, the ancient elf is here waiting for them, having conjured allies on either side, to do battle.

This is Melvorn, IV. He has:

Earth Elemental, Air Elemental, Water Elemental
Invisible Stalker
Marilith demon
15 other minor demons (Rutterkin) she gated in
Multiple defensive enchantments on himself

They have flanked the door, and Melvorn mystically closes the door shut as they emerge. Alzar leaps forward and tells the others to stand back. He is adjacent to the demons

Battle begins

[Abe Sargent]

5 vs 6

Alzar casts Time Stop. He casts Laudryn’s Cleaving Wail of the Banshee and…still has one more spell. He finishes with Banishment on an Earth. The first works, he takes out 9 Rutterkin, and then the Banishment hits the Earth and goes.

Melvorn IV naked
Air Elemental, Water Elemental
Invisible Stalker
Marilith demon
6 Rutterkin


7 vs 4

Melvorn casts Time Stop. He casts Total Immunity, Fireball and Meteor Shower. He will be immune.

Damage – Alzar – 22 (immune to most fire)
Vix – 33
Elves – 44, 21, and 44

The elves are fightersx2 and one druid, so they are still up.

5 vs 4

Melvorn casts delayed blast fireball set to go off now.

Additional damage-



Damage – Alzar – 32 (immune to most fire)
Vix – 49
Elves – 61, 44, and 61
The Stalker has died and the Elementals are badly damaged.

The Rutterkin can’t connect with Alzar, but the Marilith does once for 11. Alzar Heals an Elf, the druid Casts Critical Wounds on another and heals 35. Vix kills a wounded Air.

4 vs 2

A skulltrap flies in next.

Alzar -49
Vix – 69
Elves –

27, 71, 53

Vix takes one elemental smash for 11. Alzar heals the almost-dead fighter. The druid Cure Cirits the other wounded elf for 35. Vix hits and slays the last elemental

5 vs 9

Alzar’s group retakes initiative. Alzar’s axe carves the Marillith deeply, Vix takes out the remaining Rutterkin with elvish assistance, and then the Marilith teleports back home to the Abyss, leaving just the untouched mage behind his total immunity. He casts Cone of Cold and everyone takes another 25.


Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action and uses his last heal on himself, the druid casts Dispel Magic and drops the barrier, and they charge in, with Vix’s spear toss hitting, and dragging the mage to melee range. The mage took 13.

6 vs 3

The mage teleports away.

[Abe Sargent]

Healing occurs. All of the denizens of the white tower have been killed or chased away, so they can explore at their leisure:


Laboratory with dark alchemical equipment.

Melvorn IV, Elfsbane was not the descent of the original, but a clone of the original. They kill two more clones here before they begin. It appears that Melvorn was keeping himself alive with an elixir of immortality made is his lab by the unique ingredient made from the heart of a tree that had blended it’s life with an elf, so he would search the woods for the right tree, kill it, and then harvest the wooden heart to make the elixir of immortality. As a side effect, he appeared as a wizened elf.

He only needs one elixir every decade, and each wooden heart makes 5. He has a heart ready to be distilled and three elixirs here. Alzar will not be using them, but he will secure them for later research to see what he can unearth about the process.

They find a wyvern stables, now empty, a spying chamber, guard room, warehouses and storage, living quarters, barracks, and more.

In Melvorn;s quarters they find:

12 magical keys
400k gp worth of coin and gems/jewels

A Lamp of Long Burning

Wheel of Fortune
Slate of Identification

Melvorn’s traveling spellbook

[Abe Sargent]

They continue and find a jail with nothing in it, observation room on top of the tower, and a crypt at the bottom of the tower under where they entered that was raised by Melvorn long before.

In the crypt are 12 holes in the back wall, and the 12 keys, when inserted and flipped like switches, create a portal to a lost elven sanctuary, somewhere under the rock but nearby.

They enter. This place is ancient and holy. This is the former home of sanctified elves. As they arrive, a triad of banshees arrives (I am ruling that Alzar cannot turn/control them here due to the location, despite the fact that they can be answered that way)


The banshees are focusing on Alzar and Vix, which they see as non-elves invading their area. Alzar and Vix push forward, and take three wails. None of them hit, as Alzar’s Spell Turning reflects it, and Vix is immune to aging as a part-immortal. Battle begins


Alzar’s axe slashes one for 33 damage and Vix adds 22. The elves miss. They hit Alzar twice for 11 damage and he ages a year.

The banshees attack, Alzar takes 2 of 6 claws, ages another year, and takes 12. Then he kills the wounded banshee, and he group injure another

The banshees keep their attack and this time miss. The wounded one is finished.

Alzar takes 4 and 6 months of aging, and they smash and kill.


Alzar casts Restoration and removes the false aging.

They head into the sanctuary, and then the room fades and a vision of ancient times emerges and becomes dominant. Alzar and Vix can see due to their medallions. They see the preparations for war, and then the hiding from their tasks by the elves, but about 60 refused and left, and a few would die on the journey to their new home, stealing the Tree of Life and taking it with the.

The rest open an ancient elven tome with darkly sylvan aspects, and cast the spell of unity and unite their spirits with the local trees.

The scene fades. Then a new scene overtakes it. A heavenly courtroom scene can be seen, with the elves basically on trial for their actions. A curse is laid on them and their descendants. They will die out until they have repaid the losses on their conscience. The army of more than 5000 tears through the forest tearing up their homes.

Alzar, Vix, and elves, see that the tome is still here after the vision fades. They read it, and see that the spell can be reversed, and they do so. They here is nothing more here to do, but there are some magical items Alzar secures, and then they head back to the white tower.


10 Oil of Sunlight
Mirror of Life Trapping

744 Books on Elven Astronomy and Astrology, After reading them and taking them in, user would gain Sage Knowledge: Astrology NWP.

They head back out, with the elves taking the holy elven book to return home with them.

They scry and Alzar finds out where Melvorn, IV teleported to – his army. An army of 3500 orcs is marching towards the Elf-Hold to finish off the remnants of the tribe he originally took out.

They scoured the forest quickly and only around 35 elves were freed, the rest died to Melvorn or time. They’ll head with Alzar back south and east.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar mass teleports to his northern army with Vix and the elves and they will marc up tomorrow to meet Melvorn, IV. The elves in the elf-hold don’t have the numbers needed to deal with this threat. Even fully assembled they could bring around 250 troops to the battlefield.

Melvorn IV is trying to duplicate his previous success, and create more elf-tree hybrids to help ensure he does not die. He has a copy of his traveling spellbook, and retains his ,magic after abandoning his home.


They teleport to the elf-hold and the elves give their story, and those that can, children or those to old, will flee. The rest prepare to make a stand behind Alzar’s army in case Melvorn breaks through or tries to break off smaller units to flank or head around Alzar to hit his army


Three days later, battle begins:


Alzar – 109 BV, 4000 troops,

Melvorn – 3500 troops, 93 BV

Alzar gets these bonuses:

+20 Baton of Victory

+10 defender


They are fighting outside of his home, so no bonuses there.

So a total of +46

Alzar tosses a 29, and his foes a 61. Result?

+14 for him. Tactical victory, no one is tired, they lose 20% Alzar none


Day 2

Alzar – 109 BV, 3500 troops,

Melvorn – 2800, 93 BV


Alzar’s difference is now 56 due to beating them before.

Alzar tosses a 50 even, and they a 21. Alzar wins by a lot. They are routed and lost 50% of their force, Alzar lost 20%. Alzar’s Flying castle drops behind them as the force flees, and he harasses them.

Alzar sees the fleeing form of Melvorn and he teleports to him and casts Time Stop despite his magical defenses.

Alzar casts Laundryn’s Cleaving, Power Word, Kill, and Power Word Stun. All three work, and his foe dies.

From his body:

2nd copy of Melvorn’s traveling spellbook

Dagger, +3 of Elf Slicing
Bracers of Defense AC 4
Used up wand, empty potion bottles
Amulet of Protection vs Scrying
Ring of Protection +3
Elven Boots, Elven Cloak

They gather his things and head back to the Elf-Hold, with news of victory. Alzar lost 600 troops in winning, and while some were raised or healed (Only half of the losses are deaths if you’ll recall, that’s still a big loss of life)

Alzar hands the medallions back from Vix and himself. Elven scrying magic reveals that the curse that had continued onto the new hold has ended, and the Tree of Life will recover.

Alzar gets access to the main library out in Alfheim, and will have permanent access to 155,000 books from a 250,000 + library. The books are everything from general knowledge to an extensive and detailed history of every nation and tribe to some minor elvish trivia, and info on things like general academic works as well as obscure topics that only sages would care about, like elven theology. But any book that deals with anything elven, like elven magic, elven history, elven locations, how to make elven items or homes, or anything like that won’t be allowed. As this is the elven library on the plane, a large part of the books are on that theme, and thus aren’t allowed either, and more than 100,000 are going to be banned from Alzar’s reading or usage.

But he will check out books daily, sending a small stack to Thorasia, where they can be Bookcopied in mass. If he can Bookcopy 20 books a day between himself and his apprentices, then Alzar can copy 155,000 books in just 7,750 days, or 21.23 years. Not that bad!

End of the Tree of Life

[Abe Sargent]

Once again I made some changes to fit the story and to muscle up some of the combat, like increasing the army or adding conjured critters to the fight in the White Tower.

Alzar has finished preparing the four Clone spellbooks of Kerpatis but they are identical, and each has almost the identical lineup of heavy Evocation spells, with the occasional spell here or there. He doesn’t want anything from them.

Four Keraptis Clone Spellbooks:

1 - Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Detect Magic, Read Magic, 2 - Melf’s Acid Arrow, ESP, Detect Iniv, Invisibility, 3 – Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Melf’s Minute Meteors, Flame Arrow, Dispel Magic, Haste, 4 – Ice Storm, Confusion, Enervation, 5 – Cone of Cold, Chaos, Teleport, 6 – Contact other Plane, Disintegrate, 7 – Delaying Blast Fireball, Prismatic Spray, Teleport without Error, 8 - Clone



Alzar needs to find a good way to copy the many books he now has access to. Once those 155k are copied over, he currently has 246,481 books. That’s a lot of books.

In the meantime, Alzar knows he is going to need to find a better printer.

[Abe Sargent]

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ALZAR


I think it would be cool to take a moment to pause talk about what a normal day in the life of Alzar is looking like right now, as he rules a much larger realm than before, and yet is still a mage doing mage-things.

As a reminder, while he is wearing his Greater Ring of Sustenance, he doesn’t have to eat, sleep, or drink.

Therefore each day he has a full 24 hours.

Also, as a reminder, Alzar doesn’t have to rememorize and recast his wizards spells each day. He only needs to do so with Nefti’s Spell Recall. That takes around 3 and a half hours daily, and that’s it for class maintenance, no studying for clerics or other wizard spells with the Spell Recall.

Alzar does the follow each day

On multiple occasions, he’ll scry his realm with crystal balls and see what is happening. Then, as things are hot, he might teleport over to check on them but otherwise will let them lie.

Each day, on a rotating basis, he will teleport to a few different towns and keeps and such and put in a personal appearance, typically around 4 places a day. Every third day he checks on Ith K’hinax, the other two days he teleports around casting Bookfind and shopping for books. While there he will check and inspect to ensure that everything is going well, take some reports, and put in the time needed to make any changes to the infrastructure.

Each day Alzar holds an open court of at least one hour, but often up to three to hear any issues that need to be brought up by anyone.

Each day Alzar hears any major judicial cases that were appareled or are sticky enough to need his help.

Previously he would have all of the secret lycanthrope enforcers and spies report to him, but now they report to Aleigha and he takes her reports. Snarla is 2nd in command of them, due to her massive loyalty to him. He gave her a couple of magical items as well such as a Ring of Pro +2.

He also helps out with the current construction projects in Evenarrow, casting spells to help, or using magical items, as well as loaning things like the Spade of Digging or Flying Carpet, which can be used as a flying base to do detail work. The Ring of Telekinesis is pretty useful too. And Alzar will conjure allies as well that help (his earth elementals and sandlings are the best by far)


Almost every day, Alzar checks on the main industries in Evenarrow, namely the Foundry and book working and alchemist’s shop. Although his magist’s are trusted to do that if needed. Similarly, each day Alzar will often check on their lab and research work.


Every day Alzar spends between 4 and 6 hours working with his apprentices, and directing their tutelage.


The rest of the time Alzar spends casting daily spells like summons (Invisible Stalker, for example), doing research or creating an object, reading books, and more. Remember he has some items to help with that, such as the Lens of Speed Reading. Because of the Lamp of Creation, him, and his magists and others working there, can make 2 things at once, like create magical items and research a spell, or create two golems.

Alzar also has a number of time savers, like Consume Knowledge to immediately gain the knowledge of a book (at the cost of destroying the book) or his research and divining proficiencies.


And’s that’s pretty much a day in the life of Alzar.

[Abe Sargent]

He needs to create a new magical item, and he hits his spell and item research part of his library.

Here’s his goal:


Quill of Bookcopy

Can use Alzar’s Bookcopy to copy one book to another, takes two hours to copy a book over. Does not need to refill ink.


That’s it, it’s a pretty simple object. One of the objects is already know, and Alzar finds receipts in the library he already found. That’s a Neverdrying Quill that just won’t ever need to be refilled, and that’s a cheap and simple magic item that only needs three things, none of which are that tough or difficult. The second is layering in the Bookcopy spell. Now that’s just a level 2 spell that it can physically do over the course of two hours (one hour per level of the spell). Alzar will also need to use permeance magic after loading his object.


So he’ll need this:


Cockatrice feather
Ink from an ancient giant squid
Verite tip created in the longest day of the year

And the original recipe would cost just 2k in gold to make.

And then add to it this:

Wax from a hivebrood den
A spark from the Elemental Plane of Lightning

And then enstar the spell, create the item, meld it, remove all magical taints, and then enchant it.

Alzar is going to make three of them

He scouts for a cockatrice and then finds a family of them at a zoo in Glantri City. He teleports over and buys a trio of cockatrice feathers for 300 gp.

Then he swings by a magical item shop here in Glantri City and purchases the right ink. One of the most common ingredients for making scrolls is giant squid ink, and almost every alchemist or mage keeps at least one jar, but ancient ink is harder to come by, but in one of the centers of magic on the entire plane, you can find it for 1k/bottle. 3k spent

Alzar grabs verite from his dwarves over in Hammerhelm that mine the green-tinged metal. He has three ingots (100 gp each ingot) ready for making in two months. Hivebrood are a Pandius only special of giant bee-like creatures that are nasty. There are some here in Norwold, and he teleports to them, kills some hivebood, and harvests wax to use to seal in the magical ink.

Finally he heads do the Elemental Plane of Lightning. He researched an idea which he thinks will work. It does. He takes a jar of preserving and puts a magical amount in there he can use for the sparks, and it will work.

He has the ingredients ready, and he can make the tips on month 6, day 20 in two months, and then attach them to the quills, and by month 7 he should have three Quills of Bookcopy.

[Abe Sargent]

Now let’s talk about a subject that probably none of you know noticed, even if you played a ton of D&D. Books and their cost and such.

So this next section is going to be a little detailed.

In the core player’s handbook for the game is a chapter on equipment and purchasing it. Among that is a set cost for something very expensive with the core rules. Paper. According to the core rules, a single sheet of paper is 2 gp. There are even later books that use that 2 gp cost. For example, if I recall correctly, the Complete Wizard’s Handbooks talks about the value of a wizard’s starting spellbook being around 1000 gp due to having 500 pages. Which would mean that collection of twenty five books that clocked in at just 5000 pages would have a cost of 10000 gp in raw resources alone, let alone the additional value from what was written and the book itself. Clearly, a single sheet of paper can’t be 2 gp.

Here let me quote another rulesbook:

(Player’s Options, Spells and Magic)


On the section on library acquisition

Naturally, a library worth 10,000 gp is not a heap of treasure waiting to be carted off by the nearest adventurer….generally a library is composed of books ranging in value from 50 to 500 gp, although unusual works may cost more. A library valued at 2000 may have 15-20 in the 50-100 range, a few I m the 10-50 range, etc….

Clearly, you cannot have a piece of paper cost 2 gp each with this economy. I have ruled that books average around 25 gp each, which will include non-academic works like novels and travelogues with little gp value, as well as the academic books Alzar and others use for magic research. (It also says that 2000 gp/value requires 25 square feet of space, so a 1 mill library is 12,500 square feet, but that seems a little light on the space.)

I am thus assuming that 2 gp was a type and really meant 2 gp for a blank book, not a page in it. Because otherwise, selling paper would be how adventurers got their cash. They’d scour desks and bookshelves for blank books and papers and sell them like jewelry. Can you actually imagine a 200 page journal costing 400 gp at a market? That’s clearly silly.


Vix has found an nasty keep over to the west of the area in the Jotunheimr Hills she heard about from locals. After Alzar gets the quills ready next month they’ll check it out. Apparently this keep, called Hellgate Keep, has become the home or demons fleeing battle with Alzar here locally but without either a way home or an unwelcome home they are worry about.

[Abe Sargent]

Year 11, Month 5

Bookfind secures just 344 books from Hamedh, and he only gets another 500 books from stores. This resource is almost ending. Next he’ll head to Thorasia for books, and that’s a normal sized world with a ton of books available.



Construction continues on the various projects Alzar has started in Evenarrow.


The ten Iron Statues are ready, and Alzar uses the Book of Living statues on them to animate ten Iron livening statues.. As a reminder, living statues are sort of like starter versions of golems that doesn’t require magical items to hit. He already had 2. This gives him 10 more.

12 Iron Living Statues, 25 HP, Thaco 17, Deals 2d8 damage from punch, non-magical slash/pierce weapons stick to it after hitting it. AC 2.

Not major constructs, but every little bit helps.

Alzar is now working on his soupped-up wrath after concluding research on it.

Alzar and Vix teleport over to the Keep, and are ready to put it out of it’s misery

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of Hellgate Keep



One of the good things about this adventure is that I just bought it and thought it’d work pretty well if used the backstory to reflect current reality.

In the core module, Hellgate Keep was once a nice Keep east of Silverymoon, and then fell to demons and other lower planer dorks who took it over and used it as a base of operations. Annoyed by the power of the folks at the keep, Harper’s assembled a squad to take out the many demons and powerful critters here at the keep, and then broke many of the foundational infrastructures to prevent another group from coming in with an artifact they had, but they were not disturbed by ruins underneath the Keep, and that’s precisely what wound up happening.

So we’ll be getting the Keep before it fell to the good guys, and I’ll be emphasizing the two demon types that were heavily zonked here in Norwold – SpyderFiends and Ba’atun. They’ll have more than fled here as well, but taking out the antagonists that survived and are rebuilding a new power base feels like a pretty good next step in this ongoing struggle. I also love the core bad guys here, powerful, raised demon infused characters, that if high enough a level will give the party a challenge, and I will give them allies outside of demonic fun times like apprentices, golems, charmed pets, and such. It’ll be fun. I’m also going to follow Alzar’s lead in Thorasia. It’s hard to crack a big fat small nut than a long, narrow, skinny one. The same is true of dungeons, put everything in one basket, don’t have 60 or 100 rooms across a dungeon with all of the bads split up and easier to deal with.

After consideration, I would say that demons have been the major antagonist for Alzar through the entire dynasty.

[Abe Sargent]

They head into the only level of the keep. There is no second story. Save in the towers. But there should be at least one under level.

Alzar scouts with his magic ahead of time and has noticed really two types of demons in Hellgate Keep. The first are a group of Alu-Fiends, tieflings, Cambions, and a handful of other humanoid looking and appearing demons that can hide back here in the Hills away from prying eyes without causing too much of a ruckus. They have ruled this keep for some tim e and have been here a while, tucked away, adding to their strength in a way very similar to how Alzar did in his dungeon creation days in Thorasia when he had his home underground that he kept adding too with local raids and such, and kept off the local map by sending his minions that would cause issues, like undead, elsewhere, and using charm and other magic as the front face of himself. These humanoid leaders have done the same, and appear to have brought in a larger amount of magical items and other things of value.

Meanwhile the other type of demon is the normal, ugly, antagonistic, and prevalent demon, including the ba’atun and Spyder Fiends, and others that have fled Alzar and others, and looked to Hellgate Keep as a place of sanctuary and a base of power.

The goal here is to go stealthy at first and get a feel for the Keep. Alzar uses the Face of Xenous, Censor, and Wizard spell to summon three Air Elementals, has his invisible familiar, cast an Invisible Stalker, and uses Dust of Disappearance on himself and Vix.


Alzar uses his Scroll of Portals to create a Passwall effect in the Keep and they enter from a place other than the front door. They arrive in a large tower, the largest tower in Hellgate Keep. Alzar chose it because it seems to be fairly isolated from the rest of the Keep. They arrive at a central staircase and then they face a trio of ba’atun flying down, and they see through the invisibility and and one of them fails to gate in help and the others shout for aid. Battle is joined.


2 vs 8

Alzar and Vix penetrate the walls, and cleave and piece and each slay one o the two demons in front. The last flies away outside of the Keep. Vix spear nails it, teleports it back to melee range and they kill it. Hmm… why didn’t try to teleport?

Dead demons that fall here go back to The Abyss, and not much happens other than being banned here. Maybe that’s their way home

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar’s aid smashes hard. No one responded to the ba’atun;s cries, and they head up the tower, and find no traps, but on the next floor, about 5 demons, this time various sorts including two Nabassu, one Vrock, and two Spyder-Fiends, the most powerful of those SFs.

Battle begins!


5 vs 3

Alzar and Vix are missed (cloak, high AC). Then Alzar and Vix carve deeply into some demons.

6 vs 7

Alzar and Vix each slay a wounded demon, and another dies to elemental smashes. Then they are hit.

Alzar – 82/90
Vix – 143/151


8 vs 5

They are hit a little more.. They slay the remaining demons. Again, no gating or teleporting away. Odd. Did they want to die?



Alzar – 74/90
Vix – 129/151


Vix and Alzar arrive at the top of the tower, and there’s treasure here that Alzar will add to the treasure pile later. He’ll look at it later.

They head back down the tower, and head to the adjacent corridor.

[Abe Sargent]

This corridor is alarmed and ready!


All of the bad guys Alzar scouted have arrived at large central courtyard that is across the hallway. Like Alzar, they have cast a spell on the walls and temporarily destroyed them to hit Alzar, Vix and his handful of summoned people on the edge of their return from the tower.

None of these demons can gate or teleport, they have lost those abilities. (It’s been stripped of them by higher ups for deserting their posts and such)

It’s a lot of foes. During the handful of rounds Alzar/Vix and others were in the tower and cleaned it, they have assembled all of the minions here in the Keep, the towers, the dungeons, and more. They have also summoned, conjured, freed, and used items to bring out others. Here are each of the foes Alzar is facing:

Countess Sarya Dlardrageth – Level 36 Mage, Cambion, AC -2, HP 88, immune to 1-2 level spells, needs +3 to hit, surrounded by aura of fire, immune to all magic/normal fire, takes normal damage from cold/water attacks, anyone trying to hit her, even if they miss, takes 1d4 heat hp in damage (Alzar is immune), uses +4 Whip of Poison as weapon if force to do so, knows a ton of magic and has multiple weapons and items equipped. She has a Ring of Earth Command on.


3 Apprentices of Countess Sarya here, each is level 5 human wizard

Sarya controls, and has summoned, these (She used a Time Stop and Greater Spell Trigger to cast a lot more than you might normally expect in this small amount of time)

1 Greater Earth Elemental
2 Earth Elemental
1 Fire Elemental
1 Efreet
20 Shadows
1 Invisible Stalker
1 Nightmare

Quasit Familiar

Lord Ryvvik Dlardrageth, - level 36 fighter, Cambion, Ac -9, HP 162, has +5 Long Sword that deals double damage to good people, weapon grandmaster, will deal 1d8+13 for each hit, has a THACO of -12 and three attacks/round, with a powerful magical shield and a ton of items.


Lord Xharl Dlardrageth, - level 36 fighter Cambion, AC-4, HP 158, has +5 bastard sword, +4 short sword, duelwielding, deals 1d8+13 for 2 attacks and 1d6+12 for 2 attacks.

Xharl has a Ivory Elephant figure of wondrous power and summoned the elephant.


Aliisza, Level 35 cleric, Al-Fiend, AC-4, hp 115, +5 warhammer of fighter slaying (double damage x fighters), +4 shield, etc

Aliisa has conjured, or controls, these:

4 vampires
35 Ju-Ju Zombies


Kaanyr Vhok, the Sceptered One – level 36 mage, cambion, AC -1, HP 78, has fear aura that causes any to look on him to save vs fear, or run for one full hours by each +1 on the failed save. Wields the powerful Scepter Malevolus in battle, one of the most powerful weapons ever,

Vhok has charmed and created these allies;


2 Purple Worm
10 Iron Golems
15 Ogre Mages
1 Wyvern

Ice Mephit Familiar

1 level 7 apprentice
3 level 1 apprentices

The Tananukka – Level 35 tiefling thief, AC-9, THACO -3, can become invisible at will, backstab x5, can turn invisible. Won’t work against Alzar, he’s immune.


In addition:

51 Spyder-Fiends
21 Ba’Atun
4 Nabassu
3 Dretch
1 Vrock
1 Marilith
3 Hezrou
9 Nalfesnee

50 skeletons with Transmute Bone to Steel cast, and +1 weapons of many sorts, and shields and armor, to give them an -2 AC and 20 hp.


All of the creatures, save for the 50 skeletons, have haste cast on them. Aliisa has just cast a Demonic Aid spell that gives their entire team +1 to hit, +1 damage, and +1 THAC0.

[Abe Sargent]

So, what’s Alzar’s play here?

He needs immediate help. Big help. In a normal battle, a Greater Earth Elemental or a few earths would win a bunch of battles, but at this high of a level, no way. It’s not here.

Options:

Alzar is facing roughly 90 undead, 100 demons of various types, mostly weaker ones, 10 golems, 20 spellcasters like Ogre magi and high level casters, and powerful melee combatants. He has 3 Air Elementals, 1 Imp, and a Stalker. Now, he has the items to summon more bad guys or the spells, sure. But he needs an instant army to fight on the same level as these.

Alzar Mass Teleports himself, the elementals, and Vix away.

One hour later:

4 Elementals from Face of Xenous
1 Greater Earth Elemental
12 Death Tyrants
1 Invisible Stalker
2 More Air Elementals
2 Earth Elementals
1 Fire Elemental
35 Sandlings
2 Efreet
1 Nightmare
3 Griffins
4 Dire Bats
30 Shadows
1 Onyx Dog, 1 Ebony Fly, 2 Obsidian Steed, 1 Serpentine Owl, 1 Giant Sized Ferret
Aleigha with Iron Skins cast
Snarla, Maerie
Dragotha
20 Hordelings
35 Ice Mephits
5 Bearded Devils
1 Android Bodyguard
6 Berserkers from Horn of Valhalla
20 Lichlings
Imp


Alzar had Vix and others hand out nasty powerful items like Scrolls, potions, Spellcache Rings, Beads of Explosion, Wands, Dust of Appearance, and such. Vix uses the various figurines, others the Horn of Valhalla, while Alzar conjured and teleported around the big guys.

Alzar casts Worldwake and opens up a 33 turn long giant portal into the courtyard of Hellgate Keep. Alzar can see thy used their time wisely and added about 10 minor Earth Elementals and a Dao.

Get ready…


Alzar’s major force here at stopping his foe is the Death Tyrants. 12 undead beholders dropping anti-magic rays and firing their other rays is just hard to deal with by any force, even one as large and well-coordinated as the occupiers of Hellgate Keep.

Now, if you’d like, I could just fast-sim this. I could toss a few random.org chains of dice rolling. Alzar is bringing around 200 folks against about 300. But his force features some powerful minions like the Death Tyrants and the…uh…death tyrants. They are his deus ex machina….

But, this should be a lot of fun, right?

I mean, how often do you get to run a fight this big.

You’ve gotta gofer while you can

[Abe Sargent]

Initiative….

Alzar is not wearing the Ring of Quick Action, Maerie is. He has Ring of Spell Turning and Free Action. He has given a ton of defensive items to those for whom it matters.

7 vs 9

Alzar casts Time Stop. He goal is to drop defenses (Dispel Magic) and then Wail of the Banshee to drop numbers. And then…just two castings. Some magic of there is gone, and Wail kills some fodder – Alzar kilts 16 Spyder Fiends, but that was it.

6 vs 1

They are out of Time Stops, using them before to prepare. So their plan is to move around, casting mass damage spells that can deal damage to everyone, and spread out and get away from Beholder eyes. Many beholder eyes.

Their fighters and thief step forward and take out two fodder elementals, and base Vix/Aleigha, and tankers in the middle like Elementals. Only four Ogre Magi are outside of the AM Area, and cast magic missiles, that smash Vix for 56 total damage. Alzar has the Gem of MM Reflection on himself, and maybe they know that?

Fodder steps forward and smashes or kills 16 of Alzar’s smaller minions on the flanks, like Mephits and such. Another elemental and two Hordelings and 1 Bearded Devil pass in that number as well. Some fodder badly damages some Death Tyrants. More weapons carve Vix for 33 more.

Then Alzar’s team goes, and though they are down 18 troops, including three elementals. But the Death Tyrants beams lance out, and multiple foes die to Disintegrates or Flesh to Stone effects. Alzar ordered them to concentrate on the 5 Ogre magi outside of the AM rays, and then on apprentices and other casters. 17 fall to various rays, even Cause Serious Wounds and such. Then Alzar’s elementals and fodder take out another 9 fodder. Vix hits their fighter, Xharl, for 44, and then Alzar casts Heal on Vix to fully heal her. Aleigha, in werebear form, bites Xharl for 11. No one else of his heavies does too much, and the Efreets had a minor round on all sides as well. Dragotha breathes lightning and slew a vampire.


End of Round –

Xharl – 55 taken


5 vs 4

Their foes keep initiative. With it they have a great turn. They slay three Death Tyrants, take out Alzar’s Nightmare, drop the Stalker, eliminate Sandlings, Mephits, and then they hit Vix for 33, 44 and 29 with weapons and she is badly savaged. They manage a few light spells outside of the remaining AM zones, but only a few survived the first rays. They cast minor magic at Vix for 14 from a Melf’s Acid Arrow and 15 from a Shocking Grasp. Nothing too big. They took out 19 creatures this turn. They heal Xharl. People outside of the Death Tyrants were tossed Potions of Explosions and cleared out more fodder than Alzar expected.

Alzar forces the Death Tyrants to finish the Ogre Mages and apprentices this turn, as their major spellcasters have moved outside of range. They do, save one apprentice makes three saves. Their Efreet falls to the punch of an angered Greater Earth Elemental. Maerie’s bow bites out and pierces and finishes a wounded purple worm. And the rest are fodder. Alzar is forced to Heal Vix again this turn. They take out another 19 foes as well. Dragotha slew another vampire. Alzar shouts at Maerie, giving her a predetermined signal.

They need one turn of momentum to change the tide of this battle


Next Round

Maerie uses her Ring of Quick Action. Her team wins momentum.

Alzar did the quick math. As of right now, his army has lost 37 of roughly 200 troops, including heavy hitters and one-fourth of his Death Tyrants, with another two badly wounded. They have lost 60 of 300, almost exclusively lower level fodder. Only major kills, like Efreet and Purple Worm have happened. None of their big six are wounded. All ten golems? Big demons like Marilith? Of their 60 losses, around 40 are either Spyder-fiends or Skeletons, and another 8 are just Shadows. Alzar needs momentum, and he has to stop losing initiative rolls to get it. Their golems are on some of his Tyrants, and that’s a rough matchup for him. There are led by the Marilith and a smart fighter well, and are very well organized.

This the round they need to start winning in the trenches. His Death Tyrants rays hit 9 more fodder, and 2 decent sized dorks with their Nightmare and Vrock falling. Alzar’s other forces, not that great, but Nix and Tazneem take out a single golem between them. Still not much. Vix and Aleiga do 65 damage on Xharl. What Alzar is focusing on is getting one big kill. Ahead of battle, they saw Xharl as the weakest link, given the two weapons waddled but likely easier to hit as a result. They wanted to focus on him as the target of opportunity. Alzar’s Axe and Shield, if they all hit, would not kill him. Would a Power Word Kill drop him? Possibly, but he’s not fully sure. (It would, actually) but Alzar wants to cast something that would have a bigger effect on his foes, and his Skulltrap is cast among fodder to the right. Alzar loses two Ice Mephits and 1 sandling for 11 Ba’Atan. Good trade. Dragotha breathes her final breath and another vampire dies. They slew 31 total including his spell.

Then they go. Xharl drinks an extra healing potion and is healed, Vix takes 44 from melee weapons from thief and fighter, and then their golems and folks drop two more Death Tyrants. Some of their fodder lasts and smashes more of Alzar’s fodder. Their mages and Cleric are out of AM range and cast Strip Resistance on Alzar dropping his MR to 39 and a Remove Magic tags him and hurts his spell defenses for a 10 set of rounds. They take out another 8 fodder and his team takes more explosion potions. They lost another 19 foes.

Vix – 106/150


5 vs 6

Alzar casts his backup stored Time Stop. Again, he needs momentum. He casts Prismatic Spray, Cleaving on Sarya removing her protections, and then… yes has one more spell, Power Word Kill. They work, and Sarya falls. Spray takes out a few flks with rays.


End of turn

Quick check:

They have left:

5 core Cambions, Alu-Fiends, Tiefling
12 skeletons
1 level 5 apprentice
Both familiars
8 golems
11 Spyder-Fiends
5 Ba’Atun
3 Nabassu
2 Dretch
1 Marilith
3 Hezrou
6 Nalfesnee
1 Purple worm
1 wyvern
1 elephant
13 shadows
1 Fire Elemental
1 Vampire
29 Juju Zombies
1 Greater Earth Elemental
2 Earth Elemental


8 vs 4

They again get initiative. Annoying. They melee Vix for another 67 this round, kill another Death Tyrants, wound Maerie for 33, heal some damage, and Banish Alzar’s remaining elemental. Another 11of his fodder, including, Lichlings and such, pass.

Maerie uses a Spellcache ring for Stoneskin, Aleigha hits for 18, and Vix gets Alzar’s last Heal and then spears for another 44. More of them die, with rays from the Death Tyrants hurting. Alzar has ordered his forces to fully smash the golems, where his flank is fading. Snarla tosses Bead for 25 damage and clears out some more of their undead fodder. His efreets savage more foes, and Dragotha kills the last vampire in melee.


Xharl – 62 damage taken

Maerie – 33 damage taken

2 vs 3

Alzar just wins init. Can they take advantage? Xharl is hit by Vix two of three times this round for 39. Aleigha cannot connect on her first try, and but adds 8 on the other. Alzar is right behind them, and he slashes with Selnyr and carves twice for 38 and Bright Barrier smashes for 14. Still alive…?

Yes, Xharl falls! Two of their main down, but they have so many fodder left it’ll be rough.

Death Tyrant rays smash and they fail some more saves with only three spellcasters remaining, one of which is an apprentice, they are good, but Alzar ordered them to fall behind fodder, and in so doing, the major mage left is exposed and can cast a spell. Dragotha takes out a purple worm. Maerie misses, and Snarla tosses another bead for more fodder. Just another golem falls.

They return. Their mage casts Dispel and removes all of Alzar’s teams protections, like Stoneskins and such. They hit Vix for 40 with Ryvok and another 20 with their tiefling thief. They smash a bunch of fodder, and base again the Death Tyrants for next round. They hit Tazneem for 15 ranged damage


Vix – 90/150


6 vs 1

They retake init, a rough swing. Vix takes another 67 in melee, but makes a save from a spell from a mage. They drop more Death Tyrant, and Alzar is at 5. Tazneem takes another 17. They hit Aleigha for 22 and miss Maerie.

Alzar is out of full-heals for Vix. She has a Spellcache Ring with teleport but it’s early for that. Instead he’ll burn a Heal spell on a scroll he had. Vix move to Ryvok but hits just once for 19. Aleigha misses, as does Maerie. Snarla uses her final bead and kills more fodder. The bodyguar’d missil weapons find Ryvok for another 9. Again, more Death Tyrants are pulling back, and again, it exposes a mage. They kill the apprentice, and Dragotha misses. Nix kills an earth elemental, and Tazneem another major threat.


Damage taken

Ryvok – 28
Maerie – 33
Tazneem 27

Current Battle Roster:

4 core Cambions, Alu-Fiends, Tiefling
8 skeletons
Both familiars
7 golems
10 Spyder-Fiends
5 Ba’Atun
3 Nabassu
1 Marilith
3 Hezrou
6 Nalfesnee
1 elephant
11 shadows
1 Fire Elemental
21 Juju Zombies
1 Greater Earth Elemental
1 Earth Elemental


Alzar’s team:

1 Greater Earth Elemental
5 Death Tyrants
1 Earth Elementals
22 Sandlings
2 Efreet
1 Dire Bats
8 shadows
1 Obsidian Steed, 1 Serpentine Owl, 1 Giant Sized Ferret
Aleigha, Snarla
Maerie
Dragotha
8 Hordelings
16 Ice Mephits
3 Bearded Devils
1 Android Bodyguard
11 Lichlings
Imp

Still a lot of fodder left on both sides like Sandlings and Skeletons and shadows and such

Alright, this thing has barely started, right? Alzar has used both Time Stops, Cleaving, Power Word Kill, all of his Heals and a Heal scroll, what’s left….?


Next round….


4 to 5

They lose freakin init. That might have been a really touch time to have lost it again. Alzar’s team hits Ryvok for 55 total damage across four characters, and then he wants to force their cleric to play defense instead of protecting Ryvok, so he casts Remove Magic on their cleric to slow them down and give some screwed up spells and magic and such, like him. His 5 Death Tyrants take out more fodder, and his concentrated attacks by Dragotha and the Efreets drop two golems. As per Alzar’s command, Snarla grabs a Wand of Magic Missile and pumps their cleric with three missiles for 12 damage.


Their cleric casts the final Heal spell she has on Ryvok. Ryvok hits Vix all three swings for 48. Their thif crit misses once, and makes the other attack for 15. 8 more of Alzar’s team fall.

Vix – 82/150
Maerie – 33 damage taken
Their cleric, 12 taken

Next round

9 vs 4

They win back init. Alzar’s team loses another 11, and Vix takes….41 from Ryvok and 25 from their thief, no misses. 65 total. Their mage steps out of AM range, they cannot break the cordon keep the Death Tyrants back, but they do kill some of the protects acts that 11. Their cleric casts a heal spell to heal herself.


Vix – 17/150
Maerie – 33 damage taken

Alzar needs Vix to remain in the game, as long as their heavies focus on her, he is winning the flanks. If she falls or leaves, then they will need help.

But if they lose initiative this round, she will fall. He is out of Quick Action tricks. 50/50 chance, here we go….


5 for Alzar’s team….

2 for theirs….

They smile. They know how big a momentum gain that was. Ryvok slays her, and Aleigha is missed by their thief. They hit and badly wound a Death Tyrant but cannot finish it. More fodder falls, and Tazneem is hit for another 16 long range. Their mage slips out of AM range and casts Disintegrate at their last elemental and…it makes its save.


Snarla is pointed by Alzar at the cleric, and missiles stab for 14. Maerie adds 9 to Ryvok at range, Aleigha 17. Two more golems fall, and much of their fodder is down. Alzar uses his Boots of Striding and Springing to base their cleric. With Vix out, he has to be the tank. No one else on their team can do as much damage and spike players hard. Alzar’s axe bites her twice for 38, but his Barrier misses.


Tazneem -
Vix - Dead

Ryvok - 26
Cleric – 52

4 vs 7

Well at least they won initiative back this round! Alzar’s axe attacks three times this turn with his proficiency. He just needs a 3. 16. 14. 5. He hits three times for….51 damage and the Barrier needs a 8. He tosses an 8 exactly and hits for another 12.. 63 damage. Magic Missiles from Snarla for 14 finish her. Dead cleric. That was a big turn. Death Tyrants with a lot more fodder, the last of the golems fall, Maerie and Aleigha cannot connect save for a paltry 4 damage. They hit back and badly damage Tazneem. Maerie takes another 10, and Aleigha 44.







Tazneem – 65
Aleigha - 44
Maerie - 43

Ryvok 30


5 vs 7

They keep init. Tazeem teleports away. The last of their golems fall to Nix and Dragotha, and they have nothing basing the Death Tyrants now. They kill a ton more fodder, demons, and such. At least 40 foes have been petrified in this fight already. Maerie and Aleigha each quaffs an Extra healing pot and heals 25. Snarla hits Ryvok for 12 more with her wand. Alzar jumps and melees their their mage, but she has some shield that dodges his attacks, did she get off a Total Immunity? She is hit just once for 11 by the shield for 11. Maybe it’s the artifact nature of that item?

Ryvok and their thief add another 50 damage, even, to Aleigha. Their mage casts a nasty spell at Alzar (Power word Kill) but hits his MR of 39. They smash another 10 of Alzar’s swindling fodder, but none of his remaining bigs were hurt. They missed Dragotha after Tazneem left.



Mage – 11
Ryvok – 42

Aleigha - 69
Maerie - 17


6 vs 3

They retake init. Aleigha takes another 61. Maerie another 11. Their mage casts Power Word Stun at Alzar, and with his MR, or Spell Turning, or immunity to the spell with Free Action, we’ll just rule that doesn’t work. In the last two turns, almost every Sandling Alzar has is gone – only 2 remain.


Alzar orders Snarla to switch targets, and the mage takes 14. He leaps into melee range and blocks Aleigha and melees Ryvok, replacing Vix here. He hits twice (out of three) for 39 and his shield misses too. Death Tyrants have pushed, and their mage is covered by AM and their disintegrate rays hit more demons as their petrification ones undead. Dragotha, again missed, melees and wounds their Marilith, and Nix hits it again and badly wounds her. Aleigha retreats, covered by Alzar. Maerie uses another Extra H Pot. Alzar’s last flyers, and their ain’t much, base their name, like his final Dire Bat.

Mage – 25
Ryvok – 81

Aleigha - 130
Maerie - 3

7 vs 9

Alzar retakes initiative. His Death Tyrants again smash and do mad damage. He hits Ryvok twice again in melee and again misses with his shield, for another 40 even. Snarla’s missiles smash their mage for 15. Maerie hits Ryvok once with her bow for 6. Their mage takes 12 in melee damage. Aleigha quaffs another EH pot. Dragotha and Nix finish their Marilith.

They hit Nix for 22 on a crit. Ryvok grabs a Gaseous Form pot, drinks it, and moves to flee. Their Thief does so as well. Their mage cannot cast spells this round as the two death Tyrants, free of any markers, have it in a vice. Instead he melees with a scepter, and one of those on melee disappears in a puff of acrid smoke. They hit more fo Alzar’s fodder, and Maerie is hit for 21.


Ryvok – 127 – G Formed
Thief – G Formed
Mage – 37

Aleigha, 105
Maerie – 24
Nix – 22


4 vs 6

They keep initiative. They finish the mage who can’t use magic, while Alzar chases off after the two gaseous forms. He casts Control Winds and blows back Ryvok, who is now trapped in a sphere about 20 feet above the ground. He can’t get the thief as the Tiefling went in a different direction. More fodder falls

Ryvok turns back into a person, falls, breaks his fall, and attacks Alzar for 41.

Ryvok – 127
Dead – Magex2,cleric, fighter. Escaped Thief

Alzar 49/90
Maerie – 26
Aleigha – 70
Nix 22
Snarla – 5
Dragotha – 22


5 vs 3

Ryvok is trying to kill Alzar out of spite, but misses once for 35. Very little else is done. Alzars crew, led by the fodder, has forced their remaining force into a corner, and with AM eyes, Death Tyrant rays, etc it’s done deal.

Alzar hits just once on Ryvok with Selnyr for 15. But the Barrier smash for 10 and slays him. his other forces are bowing defenders behind shadows, etc



Alzar - 14/90

They finish three rounds later.

[Abe Sargent]

Hellgate Keep is retaken, and the tiefling won’t ever be heard from again.

Alzar uses the 7th level cleric spell he didn’t cast to Resurrect Vix. He grabs the other corpses and will use various divinatory magic on them. Meanwhile a day later they have scoured the rest of Hellgate Keep and removed all traps and found a ton of stuff. Get ready….


Laboratory for making Iron Golems

1 Iron Golem body ready for enchantment

They find 666 books on Demonic Lore
350 books on Crafting and Making Golems
350 Books on Charming and its use and benefits

Ring of Earth Command
2x Ring of Warmth
Belt of Stone Giant Strength
Necklace of Adaptation
Periapt of Wisdom

+4 Whip of Poison
+5 Long Sword, 2x damage vs good
+4 Plate Mail
+5 Shield
+5 bastard sword
+4 short sword
Ivory Elephant figurine of wondrous power
+5 warhammer, 2x damage vs fighters
+4 shield
+4 chain mail
+5 plate mail

Potions: of Gaseous Form; 2 of Extra Healing; Infravision; Spider Climb


188,000 gp worth of coins, gems, jewelry.


Scepter Malevolus – Chaotic Evil Scepter. When Alzar grabs It he takes 10 damage. He then uses telekinesis magic to secure it until he can review it later. It will be a +5 mace, CE, can be used 5xday to Detect Law/Chaos , when it hits a lawful creature, acts as Mace of Disruption,(save vs spell or be destroyed), can be used 1/day to cast Chaos Sphere that creates a sphere around the user that prevents any non-chaos magic from passing through, much like Anti-Magic Shell but for chaos. Lasts for 10 minutes.


Aoxar’s Helm – If “worn” by a dead corpse for a day, the next wearer will see the last hour of the dead person’s life.

Craenmol’s Warpick - +3, shines like the sun, can be hit on the ground to echolocate for the user, must be fend 200 gp a day to work.

Dragonsheart Armor of King Convar III – This is the armor worn by a famous dwarf king made of red dragon scales, gives AC5, +1 saves vs fire and dragon breaths, -1 damage modifier on for fire damage,

Glove of Taarnahm the Vigilant – Chainmail gauntlet gives a melee weapon equipped the flight abilities of a dwarf thrower +3.

Ring of Invisibility Shifting – Can be used by a rogue to shift in and out of invisibility 10/day for backstabbing in combat, but each use lasts just two rounds.


Lashing Sword of Samos the Skullreaver - +1 short sword, like Mace of Disruption (Hit undead saves vs death or dies)

Pegasus Helm of Kloeth Ironstar - +1 AC full helm, summon a spirit Pegasus 2/day, fight only.

Twinblades of Alight – Vorpal battle axe has one half forged of mithril and the other of cold steel. Functions as +3 vorpal battle axe when used b dwarf, +2 battleaxe elsewise.

Tyranny’s Knell - +3 warhammer, dwarf thrower, can be shrunk to nothing.

Chaldaorn Katar – Punching knife variant of Dagger of Venom


Nychyaella’s Healing Spear – Can heal it’s wielder once/day, transfers all damage wielder has taken and transfer as it hits the next strike.


Shattering Swords of Coronal Ynloeth – These two blades are left from a destroyed artifact, they are +2 longswords in battle and are designed to work together in battle. Once/week, they can shatter where they can break into a shard storm that deals 30 damage to all foes in melee range.


Shroudcrown – Circlet allows wearer to control undead as a 10th level cleric, and renders the welder immune to things as an undead


Staff of the Moon - +4 quarterstaff, can be used during a full moon to invoke a Moon-Beam that will strike all desired targets within one mile for2d6 damage if the target is evil and/or undead.


Tasmia’s Heart – Bustier with jewels and gems and chain. Acts as Helm of Underwater action and Ring of Free Action.


Thyrsus of the Arch-Druid – Staff topped with carved pine cone, it commands trees like a treant.


Ynloeth’s Bracers – Bracers of Defense AC2, but it’s use prevents the caster from casting any arcane spells, and thus cannot be used by a mage or bard.


And then finally, after these items are collected and the Keep cleaned out, this is a very goof place for a garrison and surrounding village in the tough area of the Jotunheimr Hills. It can hold a garrison of around 400 soldiers, as well as support personnel and storage, materiel, and more. And there could easily be nearby villagers as well to sprout up. It’s in a good location, and would likely require around 25,000 gp to restore, so Alzar does.


End of Hellgate Keep

[Abe Sargent]

Whoa, I just found something cool in my old D&D backlogue. So I really loved the idea of making dungeons and maps for my D&D adventures when I was a kid, around 10 and 11, I'd use graph paper to make this fun dungeons. I remember one was a side map of a tunnel system you got into from a Purple Worm tunnel, and such.

Well I had this epic saga I made I called "The Saga of the Tuning Fork" and each apparently disconnected seven dungeons had a great statue of a Tuning Fork at the end, each of them set to one of the notes (A, C, E, F, etc) on the chord. Once the party had found all seven note Tuning Forks and figured out how to align these statues musically, it opened up a secret eighth dungeon that could only be entered by finding and using the seven statues of Tuning Forks.

I just found my notes and maps for it. What a crazy zany idea I had a kid!

[hoopsguy]

That battle was a load. Just how much did you end up buffing the bad guys up for this one?

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

That battle was a load. Just how much did you end up buffing the bad guys up for this one?

Pretty heavily as I changed the story to make it so that the demons were still there and had to be destroyed, rather than you coming back to a place that had been destroyed in the past and wasn't as much of a challenge. The key characters I kept and gave them higher levels, adding things like apprentices, demons that had fled from Alzar's campaigns against them, and more.

[Abe Sargent]

Year 11, Month 6

Alzar heads to the Thorasian Underdeep he explored long ago, and finds 3122 unclaimed books and buys 3500 in the Døkkálfar city for 30gp each and cleans out everything the Døkkálfar are selling here.

Alzar heads to a ceremony for the wedding of one of the nobles of Norwold, Him and Vix send around two days there at the ceremony.

This month, Alzar completes his three Quills. By themselves, working at 12 books/day, total of 36 books/day, is 4305 days, or 11.8 years. And with the extra 20 books from spells, that would be 7.6 years. Not bad. Still need to find ways to accelerate it, but not bad.

Alzar teleports to visit Vala, and gives her the recipe if she agrees to make two more for him first before she makes any for herself, and she agrees.

That should help even more.

Construction continues, save for a week when nasty rain and flooding stopped everything.

[Abe Sargent]

Year 11, Month 7

Alzar will get another 1125 tomes from the Underdark this month, and 1000 other places with Bookfind. He get 1000 books purchased as well.

Alzar has finished researching his new undead, and makes it:


Mighty Wraith

AC-2
THAC0 – 10
HD – 8
2 attacks for 2d10 each + see below
Special Abilities – Energy Drain, Str Drain
Special Def - Requires +3 to hit, is invisible always and cannot be turned visible by Magic.


The Mighty Wraith is a powerful version of the normal Wraith, with better hit points, THAC0, and AC. When the Mighty Wraith attacks, if it hits, then the target is drained of one level and 3 points of strength (or 30 percentage in the case of 18/ str for fighters) and gains 10 HP and +1 to hit and damage for an hour. Any opposing creature slain by the Mighty Wraith will raise as one after one week of death, unless the body is blessed. Any creature reduced to 0 STR or lvls dies. Mighty Wraiths are invisible by creation, not by illusion, and thus cannot be turned visible by dispelling any magic. As such, it requires -2 to hit and -2 to damage against it unless otherwise can be seen or made out by the attacker. It is turned as a vampire, and cannot be destroyed by turning attempts, just turned. Mighty Undead are very intelligent, and cannot be controlled by clergy or necromancers without full concentration, unlike many undead.


Alzar finishes the next month after spending some time building his various projects at Evenarrow, some of which are almost over.

At the end of the month, he has dispelled the three books he took from a previous adventure from the library.


Scribes and Runes:

Read Magic, Wizard Mark, Detect Magic, Copy, Explosive Runes, Symbol, Write, Glyph of Warding


Meritol’s Meritful Magic:

Magic Missile, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Fire Ball, Ice Storm, Cone of Cold, Teleport, Delayed Blast Fireball, Power Word Stun, Meteor Swarm


Arresting Arcanabula

Power Word Stun, Hold Person, Ghoul Touch, Hold Monster, Paralyze, Temporal Stasis, Imprisonment, Hold Undead, Hold Golem, Seizure

[Abe Sargent]

Year 11, Month 8


Another 2333 books found and bought from the Underdark


The Tower of Shadow should be finished next month.


One of Alzar’s highest Sheriffs passes of natural causes, and is replaced.

Vix has announced she is pregnant once again, and has been for at least a month. They expect delivery next year around Month 2-3.


Alzar’s other Quills of Bookcopy are brought to him by his own apprentice Vala and they will be added to be added to his Copy fun times.


Alzar begins work on the Nyx project to increase darkness. How? Where?


How about this:


Alzar’s Eclipse, Alteration

Level 8
Components : VS
Range: 1 mile/level
Duration: 1 hour
Casting Time: 8

This spell may only be cast outside during the day. For the next hour, within range, the Sun will appear to be eclipsed, and the level of light will drop accordingly. This spell will change the local light level for light based effects, such as shadow magic.


It will take Alzar 4 weeks to research, 24k to create, and then 9 weeks total to finalize, so 13 weeks total. Afterwards he will make massive copies and give it away for free.


Vix spends 8 days this month heading out on one of her immortality missions. She returns badly bloodied and damaged. But she comes back with an artifact dedicated and created by Thanatos. This is The Unmaker. It’s purpose it to unmake things or people. It itself was unmade by Thanatos, and Alzar and Vix will spend some time and try to destroy it, so that she can finish her fourth quest on the Path to Entropy.

Alzar begins working on another statue here for Vix

[Abe Sargent]

Begin M3. Twilight Calling




To my mind, this is weakest of the five modules in the M series, but it’s still been set up, and plays to one of Alzar’s current Immortality Quests, so we’ll run it. It feels weird, and not truly M. It doesn’t feel like an epic high level adventure.


While this module isn’t a bad module per se, the core conceit of the plot and how it works could be done at the CM or X level just as much, and frankly, is a better X than M in theory. This module is also poorly fleshed out, and it’s not worth a whole lot to me, other than a quick distraction from the main story. Only at the end will Alzar be an M level character with an M level choice, and it’s a big one, but the set up doesn’t feel like it works for me.

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s module on!

Near the end of the last month of the year, a man enters Alzar’s court and burst through the final guards, with the strength of the dying. He rambles about the courtroom about a doom that is coming and the “Carnifex” is coming and that Pandius has to watch out. They killed him in a horrible way, and now he dies, and in a moment his body has disintegrated. Alzar casts Speak with Dead and speaks with him. He won’t answer Alzar’s question about how he died, as the “trauma was too recently” but he does tell Alzar that he died on the Guardian Mesa about 625 miles from the border of his nation, in the western reaches of the Broken Lands.

Alzar is very suspicious of this person and info. According to the spell, a spell commonly used by him, they cannot refuse to answer a question, and no one he has used it against ever has. There is no saving throw or anything. Meanwhile, why would a man come from 625 miles away? Alzar suspects he is being lied to.

Later that day, he casts Contact Other Plane to verify the story. He finds out the man did not exist, he was an avatar of an immortal, Alphaks. But the information given was true, there is a race of evil creatures named the Carnifex who could be readying themselves for an invasion of Pandius.

Alzar teleports to Serraine and consults their Great Library. After a day of investigating, Alzar learns more about the Carnifex and the Guardian Mesa

[Abe Sargent]

There is a large seven sided structure on top of the Mesa, and a Immortally placed sphere keeps off elements. In order to enter, you have to head into a cave at the base and then head up, or you can teleport in directly if you wish, the sphere doesn’t prevent magical travel, just normal travel and also keeps away the elements and those not ready for the challenge.

Squirreled away in a far away dimension is an evil race of Carnifex.




They are a nasty race of creatures that were deemed too much of a threat, so a coalition of immortals from every sphere agreed to lock them away from Pandius and there are seven sub realms and dimensions that were created and used by the immortals to lock down access to the Carnifex, although it is possible the Carnifex could escape eventually, they are magically locked down. At the top of Guardian Mesa is the entrance to the seven realms, and by collecting seven keys, and placing them into the altar in the Guardian Mesa structure, they can move to the realm occupied by the Carnifex.


Riding his Nightmare, Alzar uses Unifex and teleports there, and then glides down to the Mesa and steps off of his Nightmare and looks around.

There seven large rocks here, one in the front has a rainbow pattern, and the other six behind it has just one color.

[Abe Sargent]

(In the module, each of the realms is just two pages. This is a 32 page module, where around 6-8 pages are maps, stats, and player handouts, and then set up for four pages or so and a table of contents. Each of the seven realms and subplanes is just two pages big)





Alzar gets on his Nightmare, and then places his hand on the rainbow rocks and disappears.

Each of these realms is meant to test one of the aspects of success of Alzar, to ensure he is well rounded and capable enough to get to the Carnifex.

[Abe Sargent]

Rainbow Realm


Alzar arrives in a great grey mist on the other side of the rainbow henge. Far off, in the direction away from the henge, Alzar makes out the faint reflection of a rainbow that shines in the mist. When he turns behind, the henge can still be made out, and it is clearly the way out.

As Alzar leaves the grey mist and moves to the rainbow, a flying drolem, a golem made of dragon parts, arrives and attacks! Luckily, Alzar is immune to its breath as it is a gas attack. He is just susceptible to the physical attack

This drolem has 90 hp and an AC of 3, so it’s likely to die quickly to Alzar’s axe……it loses init and Alzar this for 47, and then he is missed (cloak). It wins init and then misses once and hits once for 11. Alzar finishes it.

80/91

Alzar moves off and finds a giant rainbow arch at the end of the mists, and here is a large sphinx that intones some riddles to him. He can answer them, and that allows him to cross a rainbow bridge into the main part of the Rainbow Realm

Alzar explores, and finds a great Quicksilver Lake at the end of one rainbow bridge. It thrives and pulses as if alive. Alzar flies above it on his Nightmare, but he can’t fly here and cannot lift off. He can just gallop on the horse instead.


This great quicksilver lake is belching poisonous gas, but Alzar is immune. It pulses with life, and he stabs it with his axe but it reacts as alive, but cannot be wounded with the weapon. He needs something more anti-lake. He uses Skulltrap, and then he heads into OtherSpace and grabs some beads to explode, and churns through 10 beads. Each time he flings one, about half of the damage dealt comes back in poisonous gas, but he is immune to both twice (Necklace of Adaptation and Unicorn Horn).


Inside the lake is a Master Wand with 50 charges that can duplicate any known Wand. A Ring of Protection +5 and Dagger +5 are there as well.


Another rainbow bridge heads from the other side of the now dead quicksilver make and arrives at a small village with a handful of Rainbow Knights guarding the exit. They greet Alzar, and he arrives and speaks with the leader of the Rainbow Realm, a man named Nabumetis. They play a game of cards and Alzar wins, and at the end, he is given the token of this realm, and Alzar heads back out after eating.

[Abe Sargent]

Green Realm

The green henge leads to a wide branch of a giant redwood tree, and behind is the henge heading back, but in front is a large tree. Alzar heads across the branch and deeper into the tree. There is a room honeycombed with rooms like an elven fortress here in the tree. There are a number of finely crafted wooden statues here, almost 100, of elves.

As Alzar heads into the room, the statues transform into elves, and then they shout, “Die Carnifex” and attack, clearly thinking Alzar is a Carnifex.

Alzar has no compunction about killing 100 elves, but during the round of his cloak’s protection, he visibly sets his axe down and then asks of the elves, “Would a Carnifex lay down his weapon and talk to you?”

Unsure, they pull off, and one of their leaders moves forward. They nod towards him, and Alzar grabs his axe and they move forward, the elves accompanying him to ensure he is not a carnifex in disguise. They arrive at the court of a elven queen who asks, harshly, of Alzar, and he offers to submit to divinatory magic, and they show he is telling the truth when he tells her that he has come to take out the Carnifex.

The elf queen has the token to give him, but before she does, Alzar must free her realm from a nasty foe. He agrees, and she takes him deeper into the tree, past a gargantuan Treeant and its 12 controlled trees, and then to a dark section of the tree to a succubus here with a small entourage. Alzar steps to the area and finds Belotra, and Alzar is immune to her charms, and he moves out to attack her.


4 vs 2

Belotra and her entourage hit Alzar for 14. He casts Magic Defiance Undone and then points a Power Word Kill at her, and she dies.

66/91

5 vs 2

They hit him for 10, and then he slays two of the lesser demons here.

56/91


7 vs 9

Alzar slays the last of the demons, and then casts Cure Serious for 25.

81/91


Alzar finds here four items:

Tunic of Glory – Cleric only, Can be used to activate Anti-Magic Shel 3/day, and improved haste 5/day

Shaman’s Mantle – Mage only, Can be used to cast invulnerability once/day and spell turning as the spell 2/day, and drops AC by 2 when worn (but counts as armor)

Deceptor’s Boots - Thief only, Can turn ethereal 2/day, can cast invisibility on self 5/day

Gauntlets of Might – Warrior only. Double melee damage

Well that’s not too shabby, right?

Alzar is given the token and heads out.

[Abe Sargent]

Red Realm

The red henge leads to an oppressive heat that assails the senses, save that Alzar is immune to normal fire and heat effects. Flickering flames eddy and swirl like great rivulets around Alzar in the iron red and hot corridor in which Alzar stands. Behind him is the red henge back home.

He opens a great iron door at the end of the corridor and finds a great tapestry of flaming iron mesh before him with sculptured iron pillars and immense flaming swords piercing up, supporting the roof.

Stepping out of the great fire in an enormous wolf made of fire:


Flame Wolf – AC -6, HP 125, etc.

Alzar’s Axe of Extinguishing and Translating is likely to end this battle swiftly, especially as he is immune to the heat damage that radiates from it or that you take if you wound it. Alzar furthers his immune to magical fire as well by casting Protection from Fire, a clerical spell, and he autokills the Flame Wolf.


Alzar heads out of the large room. A moat of acrid blazing blood laps against flaming iron walls. A tall warrior with a fiery two handed sword and great ceremonial armor rests here and blocks the exit, and this is Malkar the warrior, great servant of the Castle of Burning Iron. As Alzar approaches, he tries to push Alzar into the moat. He misses, Alzar;s cloak protects him. All fo his damage Is fire based, Alzar kills the great warrior, and he explodes in a giant fireball.

Alzar exits the castle


Outside of the castle is an immense battle! There is a battlefield littered with corpses and on other side are knights fighting against a slate of metal war machines, that belch gouts of flame and fury at their assailant. Alzar can detect that the opponents aren’t real, but spectral, this is an old battle he Is watching, and he can join if he wants to, but there’s no reason to, so he heads od, and arrives at a great village here led by Anator the Charioteer. Alzar has to beat him either in a race, or in battle, to win this realm’s token. Alzar tells him of Vix, his wife who would beat him with her chariot. Anator really wants to try, and he uses some magic open the planes and Vix arrives with her chariot. She’s heavily pregnant, but she is still Vix, and she is not backing down from the challenge. She still wins, and Anator hands them the symbol and the gate opens back home. They head back to Pandius and Alzar teleports her back home.

Alzar’s Nightmare is almost dead from heat, so he leaves it here before heading to the next realm.

[Abe Sargent]

Purple Realm

(I am changing the Black and White realms in the module to Purple and Orange ones as its just weird to have four colors, including one secondary color, and not have the other two secondary colors represented).

The purple henge is touched, and Alzar arrives on a hill overlooking a lush, dense, darkly purple jungle. Beyond the jungle Alzar can make out a dark and fetid swamp, and then a large oddly shaped island in the middle with some sort of dark purple building on it. The vegetation on the floor is exceedingly thick, and Alzar measures it around 2-3 feet tall. Great purple plants are here, preventing stuff from hurting everyone. The trees are dozens of feet tall.

As Alzar explores, he hears a great crying sound from up ahead, choked by some weeds. Alzar sees a huge gargantuan Basilisk here, about 50 feet big.

Gargantuan Basilisk – AC 4, 195 hp

Alzar casts Protection from Petrification and wades into battle. He only takes physical damage.

(randomorg)

Alzar takes 29 from damage, slays the beast, and then casts Cure Serious for another 25 healed.


77/91


Alzar finds three gray eggs. Alzar shows two are infertile, but the hthird is not:

Fertile Gargantuan basilisk egg

Could Alzar crack and raise a giant basilisk?

After handling the lizard, he heads out and finds a gigantic python slithering out of the trees with an oversized head, gray film covering its eyes. It looks at Alzar and speaks with him, as five smaller snakes are here accompanying Ombiassa, the Great Serpent

Alzar casts ESP and can read that the Serpent wants to eat him, and is talking to Alzar to get him relaxed. Alzar confronts Ombiassa and tells him he is warned, and knows. Ombiassa agrees to find food elsewhere, and will eat the newly slain basilisk instead.

Alzar heads into the swamp and leaves the jungle behind. Here is a dark stretch of purplish-colored vegetation, and a familiar sleep mist tries to put him to sleep. Alzar sees it!

This is Purple Moss, a rare moss that emits a fragrant, delightful odor that puts the smeller to sleep, and then eats their body. He found it back on Thorasia and secured a sample and fed it. He eventually had enough to coat his home dungeon, as undead, conjured, and created dorks would be immune, as would anyone with a Necklace of Adaption. Alzar hacks and collects the Purple Moss!

While here, out of the swamp emerge a pair of mated black dragons. Because Alzar has a bonus with blacks due to his alliance with them they fly around dangerously, but are not attacking. Alzar heads away to the pyramid.

This is the purple pyramid, on the island in the swamp. Coming out from in front of it is a great old crone named Zagriona. She beckons Alzar inside the pyramid, and a door inside opens. Alzar is stopped at the door by Zagriona sweeping at his back, trying to get at him from behind. His shadow activates, and prevent him from taking damage, and then attacks her! Alzar grabs his axe to join, and surprised by the shadow blocking and then attacking her, she fumbles quickly. She casts teleport as Alzar has already taken 55 hp from her and she is badly beaten.

On the next day Alzar will reload the Guardian Shadow spell.

Alzar heads to the pyramid and here he sees a dark monk mediating on a purple coffin. He looks at Alzar and asks if this realm is real, or if he dreamed it. Alzar answers it was created by an immortal. “So I’m an immortal am I?’ the mad monk asks. “If I am an immortal then I need not fear you!”

The monk attacks


3 vs 2

Alzar is missed (cloak.) He hits once for 19.

5 vs 4

Alzar takes 33 from a savage set of kicks. That’s not a set of damage exchanges he wants to take. Alzar casts Protection from Normal Weapons.





44/91

8 vs 2

Alzar takes 30 again, and then casts Heal. Clearly, this monk’s physical weapons count as magical.


5 vs 8

Alzar casts protection from magical weapons. The monk cannot connect with him. Alzar wins. The monk disappears.


Dead monk.

He lifts the crypt up and finds the corpse of the man he slew, dead long ago here, as well as 30 sets of colored diamonds. Each set has a blue, yellow, green, red, orange, and purple diamond in it, with 5 such sets.

There is a small shrine to Nyx here in the pyramid. Each of the immortals who created the spheres to lock out the Carnifex have a small shrine in their realm. This is the only sphere that entropy made, and Nyx made it.

[Abe Sargent]

Blue Realm

Beyond the blue henge is a giant agricultural field of corn and mangos and pumpkins and carrots and watermelon and other fruits and berries of various types. None of these typically grow at the same time or in the same climate.

Alzar walks down this great path that separates them. After a moment, a giant scarecrow animates and moves to Alzar, and stands in the path, blocking him.

The Corn King tells Alzar, “I need a bit of you blood to water the soil.” He isn’t making any dangerous or combative moves. Alzar asks more and it tells him that it takes live blood to grow these plants. Alzar give up 5% of his max hp (5).

86/91

The blood is used and the plants grow bigger and the fruit larger. Alzar heads up the path, and here is a giant blue dragon flying overhead. Alzar does not attack it. It flies out.

Alzar arrives at a keep and palace, and here Alzar meets with King Valeratos, a wizened king with azure robes. His throne is carved from a single lapis lazuli piece. Alzar is taken to Sorabeth the Lawgiver, who is the judge of this land, and has two archons watching over his back. Because Alzar has not killed anything since arriving, he is given the blue realm’s token.

He also is given an ability:

Gift of the Archons – 1/day, Alzar can create a giant two-handed Flame Sword that he will use with specialization, and get +5 to hit, and it deals 4d8 damage +5, and double damage versus undead. It lasts 30 minutes.

[Abe Sargent]

Orange Realm


The orange henge leads to a sea shore. The shoreline stretches right and left as far as Alzar can see. There is a curious, dream-like quality to the area, and a bright orange light giver still has a misty unreal quality to it. Through foamy mists, Alzar can make out an island across the water.

There are no obvious ways across the water, so Alzar heads to OtherSpace and emerges with a Ring of Water Walking and walks across the channel. He arrives at an island covered with a forest of oak, ash and thorn trees, with a large, orange-tinted path that makes it out from the beach and through the forest. Alzar swaps his normal ring selection back, and then heads to the path, and heads to the center of the island

Here in the center of the island is a great ancient orange dragon that yawns as Alzar arrives and flies up and circles around. It breathes at Alzar and it’s an explosive breath and the dragon glides into melee range.

Alzar – 57/91

5/8

Alzar casts Time Stop. He then casts Strip Resistance and Temporary Youth and then finishes with Vampiric Touch and it takes 22, Alzar heals that much, and then the effect ends, the dragon is a lot weaker as a younger dork.

79/91

4 vs 2

The dragon ignores the cloak, and carves Alzar all three attacks for 42. Alzar carves it twice for 34, but then misses with Bright Barrier


37/91


Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action and casts Heal. The dragon bites for 16 and claws once for 11.

Alzar 66/91


9 vs 8

Alzar loses initiative again. He takes 34 damage. Alzar casts from his stored spells, another Vampiric Touch and hits for 23.

55/91


4 vs 6

Alzar retakes the initiative, and hits twice more for 40 damage. The dragon sails up out of melee range and breathes again

30/91

6 vs 4

It breathes once more (It’s max is 25 due to the lower age, and now it’s used its 3rd and final breath)

5/91

Alzar casts Heal and switches to his bow and arrows.

7 vs 3

It casts Magic Middle and Alzar takes 24. Alzar fires six times and hits 3 for 22, and the dragon falls dead.

67/91

Alzar skins and takes everything. This is his first kill of an orange dragon.

Beyond the dead dragon, Alzar sees a woodland shrine, with orange glistening on the nearby grass and reflected from the light above. Alzar can see a large piece of crystalline quartz that is connected to the altar and on top, with an silver hourglass that is attached to the quartz. As Alzar reaches out to take the symbol, a voice from the woods calls out, and this is a great sylvan creature named Kerrisar the Archer comes out. Kerrisar is willing to give the hourglass symbol to whomever beats her in archery. Alzar grabs his short bow, and three shots later, they are dead even. Another round….he beats her and wins.

He grabs the symbol.

He casts enough Cure Lights to heal himself fully.