Age of Worms 2008

Ian's campaign started in March 2008 and puts characters in the Age of Worms.

Adventure 0: 

Kylar felt the Kaos spewing him forth, his mind hurt as his flesh and bones twisted together to form a human.  His form is weak, but Kylar knows that his strength lies in his wit and song.  Kylar vaguely recalled seeing his allies eaten by an immense bug with mechanical augementations.   He shudders at the memory and wonders how his comrades faired.

Memories flood towards Kylar as he recalls nothing of the world he has now entered. He is now simply a single puzzle piece of......  Perhaps a Champion of CHAOS needs her story chronicled.  He casually opens his mind to embrace hundreds of years of Bardic lore that travels on the edge of the wind in they hymns of old. 

So, making for a tavern like any good bard would, Kylar searches for the nearest pint of ale.

Adventure 1:  The Cairn

Kylar met a few adventurers at the tavern and they decided to follow a bold bouncer from the tavern into some cairns.

The group searched around, killed some wolves but little else.  The barbarian met a wall that blew him through a hole and he fell and almost died if it hadn't been to the fast reflexes of the turtle.

Adventure 2:  The Elevators

The group adventures down the yellow elevator and finds some nasty brown mold.  The group is hurt by the mold and only Pik can walk past it with his protection from cold.  Fire just makes it grow wildly.  The group returns to the cabin hideout the Khorne found and the group meets

The group finds a dwarf fighter Anias who offers to adventure with them.  Pik and the group return to the brown mold and Pik activates two earth elementals.  The group fights them and finally defeats them.

The group explores further and encounters some beetle swarms and some large spider like creatures.  The group defeats the vermin but not without massive injuries.  The group ventures forward to find an overflowing area of beetle dung and dead bodies.  The group then finds another few beetles and fights them in some sort of sleeping chamber.  The group finds another dead body and another statue.

Adventure 3:  The Farm house

The group headed back to rest then returned to fight a water elemental and a ghast.  Anias and Gus found a violet lantern.  The group returned the lantern to the place where they found the lanterns.  They put together a plan to approach the wind door again. 

This time they sent Edvard up and the door opened.  The group joined Edvard and were fought by 2 Gricks.  After defeating the Gricks a ghost appeared and talked the group into burying his remains at a nearby farm.  In return the ghost boy would unbolt a barred metal door.

The group agreed, arrived to find some graves that were recently exhumed.  The group buried the bones and approached the farmhouse.  The group found an owlbear and fought it.  It snagged Wren, but Kylar scared it away with a song.  The group beat it down and Anias shot it in the back and killed it as it fled.  Wren found a baby owlbear and the group decided to snag it and return it to the city to be sold.

The group returned to the cairns and the ghost boy was upset that his family bones were not where the group buried his remains so he refused to honor his bargain and open a far metal door.  The group was a bit frustrated, but returned to town to investigate who would steal bones from a gravesite. 

The group decided to sell some goods found and to work on an investigation plan.  Wren didn't want to sell the Owlbear cub for stew.

Adventure 4:  The Observatory

The group returned to town to find a place to sell the owlbear pelt and the owlbear.  Eventually Wren talked most of the group into raising the owlbear herself.  The group then sought out the guys with the tattoos.  They found an albino half-orc who sold the group info about the whereabouts of the remains.  The group took shelter for the night in a nice hotel and went to find Filch at the observatory.

At the observatory the group encountered a bunch of skeletons and some unanimated zombies.  Eventually the group made their way to the top floor and found Filch who ordered some zombie lizards and zombie bugbears to attack.  Wren put Filch to sleep while the group spent a long time dispatching the zombies.  Eventually Wren worked her way to the sleeping Filch and coup de graced him. 

The group took a beating but only the monk-wizard Edvard fell.  Gus kept the party on their toes and healed Edvard after the battle.  The group fought well, but none better than Anais who killed multiple zombies.

Adventure 5:  Air Elemental Tomb

The group left the observatory, went back to town to rest for the night.  The next morning most of the group went to bury the remains of the ghost boys family.  After that the group lounged around town.  Edvard brought the eye to the albino half-orc.  Wren fed her owlbear.  The group sold some loot they took from the observatory and cairns.

The next day, the group went back to the whispering cairns to find the door open.  The group saw some air scenes and a column of air.  The group approached the column and was attacked by 3 armored air elementals.  The group was beaten back, but Kylar's inspirational singing and timely crossbow bolt helped the group come together to defeat the elementals. 

Kylar explored the true tomb of the lead air elemental and found some nifty treasure which he then shared with the group.   The group returned to the town to figure out what they would do next.

Adventure 6:  Exploring a mine

The group tried to gather as much information that they could about the evil going on in some nearby mines.  Warned of the evil Temple in Dourstone's mine. Played with Owly, watched Edvard and Gus scribe scrolls. Kylar tried to talk to Tilgast but was rejected. 

Finally a mine manager, Smenk approached the group and hired them to explore another mine manager's mine.  Smenk offered 200gp each to raid the Temple in Dourstone's mine.

Wren hypnotized one guard and everyone else offered a combined 240gp in bribes.

In the mine the group found a shaft leading down.  Finding a shaft leading to the Ebon Triad's Temple, the party (we really need a name) infiltrates and slays a pair of Tiefling guards.  The elevator barely allowed 3 party members to use it. The three, Kylar, Edvard, and Gus were attacked by 2 Tieflings.  Kylar scared one away that smacked him in the chest with a battle axe.  Edvard and Gus defeated the other.  Kylar then killed the one who fled with some crossbow bolts.  Pik and Wren joined them shortly after.   The group explored the area and droppe the bodies in a dark pool.

Wren picks the lock on the Western door (which has a blank face). The group explored a passage that lead to another rough cavern and eventually stumbled upon a few groups of Grimlocks.  The group killed them.  Wren actually put Edvard to sleep while he was fighting 2 Krensha pets of the Grimlocks.  Gus kept the party healthy and the group defeated the grimlocks and krensha.

Adventure 7:  Hextor's temple

The group peered over a cliff and spotted a few Grimlocks below.  The Grimlocks shot arrows and hit Kylar.  Kylar and Pik returned fire, but the group decided to flee.  Low on spells and tired, the party retreats. Finding an alcove, the party rests for the night. 

The next day the party meets up with Anais. Entering the Temple again the group decides to explore the Easter door, knowing the eyeless creatures still lurk beyond the Western door. 

The group found a few skeletons but Gus disrupted them.

Anais lead a charge into some guard quarters and the group killed three Tiefling. 

Kylar killed the priest by shooting him in the head with a crossbow bolt.  Anais and Edvard tore through the remaining commoners.  Wren put many to sleep.  The group interrogated the survivors. to find out more about the 3 temples. 

The group also learned a bit about an over-god.

Adventure 8:  Followers of Hextor

The group found that a chained room.  Moving back to the chained door, Pik destroys the chain holding it shut.  Inside the room is a monstrous boar; luckily for the party, it is chained to the wall. Kylar and Anais attacked it but Pik and Wren wanted to feed it dead tiefling bodies.  Killing it is discussed, but Pik decides to keep it instead. They dragged some bodies into its chamber and it broke free from its chain to attack them.  Two gores later and Pik and Wren hit the floor.  Jumping to his defense, the party slays the boar before it can finish Pik off.  Ed bravely drug them out of harms way and Anais took the next charge, but the Boar missed.

A few more attacks later and the beast was dead.

Adventure 9:  Blind Followers

Moving back to the living quarters, the group rests.  Exiting the Eastern section of the underground Temple, the party debates where to go next. Quickly the group determines to once again venture through the Western door. In the first room the party is again ambushed by the eyeless opponents. This time, however, the party is ready for them and they are quickly dispatched. 

The group returned fire with crossbow bolts but failed to hit repeatedly.  Anais and Edvard headed down quickly and Edvard decided to make his way around the Grimlocks, but encountered 3 chokers.  Kylar shot cover fire for the group, but he rarely hit anything from the top ledge.

Pik crawled around the walls to spit acid at the Grimlocks.  Wren kept putting the Grimlocks to sleep, but they quickly woke each other up.  Gus climbed down to aid Edvard who was rescued by Anais from the chokers. 

Adventure 10:  Defeating Grallak

Anais was just coming out of the paralysis when the battle was won.

Adventure 11:  The Murder of Kenkus

The group sets up camp and rests.

Returning to the main chamber, Pik sticks his finger into the black pool while the party discusses what to do. Feeling a supernatural chill run up his arm, he quickly jumps back.

As Pik plays with the pool Wren picks the lock on the door leading to the final wing of the evil Temple, this one bearing a symbol of dedication to Vecna.

Entering the Vecnite wing, the party quickly finds themselves seemingly within a maze. Arriving at a dead end, Wren locates a secret door and the party enters a small nondescript room. Not trusting the only obvious exit, the group begins searching for another door when Kylar hears the sound of several creatures (which
he identifies as Dire Weasels) approaching from behind.

The weasels quickly felled, the group exists through the only door and re-enters the maze.

Wandering down a hallways Anais hears a call for help from around the corner. Rushing forward, the party turns the corner and finds themselves confronted by a laughing Kenku. The birdman is quickly slain by a bolt from Kylar, but several more burst from concealed doors hidden along the maze's path, quickly surrounding the party.

Despite their favorable numbers and tactics, the Kenkus skill cannot match that of the party and in seconds their numbers are cut down.

Realizing the maze is likely filled with concealed doors, Wren uses her magic to begin drawing her towards hidden entryways, finding their locations easily. Opening one secret door, Anais finds himself face to face with another Kenku. With a squawk, Kenkus again begin pouring out of concealed doors, attacking the group furiously.

Retreating back from the battle, Wren attempts to find a safe haven through another secret door but instead finds herself surrounded by another murder of Kenkus.

Running to Wren's rescue, Pik races down the twisting passages followed by Gus's ponderous form. Anais, Kylar, and Edvard stay behind, engaged with the remains of the first ambush. Wren throws out two Color Sprays, disabling six of the Kenkus surrounding her.

A strong Keku approaches from the first ambush, firing Rays of Enfeeblement into Anais and Kylar, before pelting them both with Magic Missiles, the other Kenkus holding the party back from their spellcasting brethren. Breaking away from the melee, Edvard engages and brings down the Wizard as numerous Kenku fall to the other party member's blows.

Pik finds himself engaging a particularly large and dextrous Kenku, viciously spitting and only barely dodging its brutal attacks. This last Kenku bravely holds off the entire party, dodging their blows with his masterful skill until a final bolt from Kylar fells this
Kenku leader, leaving only one unconscious Kenku to fall to Wren's questing rapier.

Pik stuffs a bit of Kenku corpse into the group's Haversack, thinking of Owly's hungry stomach back at the Observatory.

Adventure 12:  One more group of cultists

The Kenkus taken care of, Wren again uses her magic to locate the remaining concealed doors.

Exploring the expanse of the maze, several living quarters for the now dead Kenkus are found, and any valuables left behind are quickly looted.
 
Moving through a secret door to the North, a storage room stacked with food and water is found. Strangely enough, a number of musical instruments are stacked about the room as well, suggesting some latent Kenku musical talent. Gathering them up, the Band is floated as a possible name for the assorted group of heroes, and is generally found agreeable.

Past the storage chamber another sleeping quarter is found, although this one obviously for a lone individual. Not much time is spent within this quarter, however, as in an adjoining chamber the Band finds a disturbing sight with a number of pulsating pillars, seemingly beating with some unholy living force. Three poorly dressed figures stand in the back of the room with a moaning, floating spectral creature that is identified as an Allip.

Quickly one of the Humans dispatches a Message to some unknown recipient while the others bring up wards of Mage Armor. Four more Humans run out of a Northern doorway as the Allip floats forward and engages Anais and the rest of the Band.

A Web bursts around the Band anchoring everyone (and everything) down as the large group of Vecnite cultists continue to throw spells towards the party.

Pik rushes out of the webs, suffering a slash from the Allip's claws, filling his head with whispers and screams. Waves of fire rush from the hands of the Vecnites as Anais hacks away at the Allip with his magical axe, non-magical weapons seemingly unable to touch the incorporeal beast. The webs surrounding Pik and Ed combust and burn away.

The Allip swipes at Pik again, pulling away even more of his wits.  Gus throws a Silence into the group of cultists, muting several of them. With a blast of magic from a dead Kenku's wand, Kylar disperses the Allip, just as its bubbling laughter began to affect those trapped in the room with it.

Another Web erupts around the Band, instantly catching fire from the still burning fragments of the original spell. Two summoned pigs appear, engaging Anais and Kylar. Anais and Gus quickly turn on the boar closest to them, sending it back to whence it came.

Ed beings to grapple with one of the cultists as webs burn about everyone. The summoned boar gores Kylar dropping him to the ground, just as Anais slays it with a crossbow bolt from across the room.

Gus runs over towards Kylar's prone form as a masked cultist in an especially nice robe steps forward and unleashes a Lightning Bolt knocking out Edvard and Anais. Wren pours a healing potion down Kylar's throat, rousing him from unconsciousness.

Pik unleashed a gob of acid at the seeming leader of the cultists, searing him badly as Gus turns about and rushes towards Anais's now prone form. Healing him, Anais jumps to his feat, cutting down a cultist caught unaware.

Another Lighting Bolt tears through the Band, again forcing Anais to his knees. Gus quickly applies healing as Pik moves forward and fells the cultist with a well placed shot of acid. Gus begins healing Edvard as Pik attacks the lone remaining cultist, who in an attempt to flee, trips and impales himself on his own dagger.

Adventure 13:  The Ebon Aspect

Pik laughs, the strange voices filling his head filling him with mirth. He mumbles a disjoined request for healing to Gus, and has his wounds sealed in return. Unfortunately, Gus seems unable to restore Pik's mental faculties to full capacity.

Moving from the room piled high with dead Vecnites, the Band finds themselves in another room with strange, veined pillars holding up the ceiling. Touching one, Pik feels yet another whispering voice begin to pipe up in the back of his head before Wren bats his hand away.

Going into the room that the strange faceless Vecnite emerged from, the Band finds an alchemists chamber, with various vials and distilleries brewing and bubbling away. A sickening smell fills the room and a skeleton, with organs intact, strangely breathes in the corner. While the rest of the Band blanche and try to determine what
was going on in here, Pik sets about with the glee of a child, both puncturing the still beating heart of the skeleton (it seems to have only been pumping air) as well as unsealing a large bubbling cauldron, revealing the few organs the skeleton was missing, as well as the source of the room's terrible odor. Edvard takes one of the
still breathing lungs and the skeleton (pulsating organs and all) is dumped into the cauldron, which is then tipped over as per Kylar's request.

Evacuating from the semi-flooded and all-nasty room, the Band retreats to the bedchamber located earlier and sets in to sleep for the night. The notes found in the Hextorite wing of the Temple suggested some Ebon Aspect would arise to protect the Temples if they fell, and many in the Band suspect any ebon creatures will be coming
out of the pool of black liquid.

During the night, on Anais's watch, a loud pounding comes from the door. Shouldering his axe, Anais rushes forward as the door bashes inward, revealing a large misshapen creature, half-formed but all ugly. Its oversized frame is wedged tightly into the tunnel beyond, restricting its movement as the party rushes to battle. Anais holds
it off as Gus's remaining magic patches up the wounds the beast's claws and fangs open in his flesh. Wren causes an intense sense of dizziness to descend on the beast, which staggers about as Edvard runs out through a different door and races through the maze to come up behind the beast.

Finally, it falls with a roar and begins to lose what form it held. Disgusted to be covered in goo, the Band settles down to finish what sleep they can get.

March 31: Expecting the worse, the Band exits the Vecnite wing of the Temple but luckily finds no creature waiting for them outside the wing. It seems the beast that attacked overnight was the Ebon Aspect after all.

Leaving the mines, the Band makes their way back to Diamond Lake, where they first visit with Balabar Smenk. His associations with the Temple is discussed, and he thanks the Band for their services (as well as paying them all, as previously agreed.)

Returning to Alustan, the Band is told that, while distrustful of Smenk, he thought sending the Band to him was the best chance to deal with the Temple within the mine. If the Band would be willing, he now plans on visiting a good friend, Marzeena. She is currently within a Fort in a Marsh (didn't catch the names ... help someone?)

Since some of the notes found within the Temple had already inclined the Band in heading in that direction, they readily agree, assuming Alustan will give them a few days to rest and resupply. Alustan agrees and the Band sets about on their own business.

Pik and Wren visit Valkus Dun, a local Cleric of Heironious. For a reasonable price, he restores Pik's wits, which Pik uses to arrange for the care of his pet Owlbear when out of town.
Anais announces that he has had enough with adventuring (at least with the Band) and leaves, setting out on his own way. Edvard, Gus, and Kylar sell and trade the various loot found within the Temple, and three days later, the Band sets out again.

After an uneventful day's hike, the Band settles down in a small house of Alustan's choosing. What distrust there is is soon soothed by Alustan's easygoing manner, and he even offers to take a place on the night's watch, despite paying the Band for the escort.

Adventure 14:  The Fort in the Marsh

April 4th: Waking the next day, the Band prepares for a short walk,
knowing Blackwell Keep lies only half a days walk away. Four hours
later, however, when the smell of smoke reaches them, Edvard begins
to speculate that things may be going badly at the Keep.

Arriving at the outskirts of the Keep, the Band is dismayed to see a
large mass of scaly Lizardmen swarming about its walls. They batter
against the Keep's large door as several others move about in the
swamp surrounding it.

Falling back, the Band quickly begins debating a course of action.
Alustan informs the Band that he plans to return to Diamond Lake in
order to alert the militia. He will use a valuable scroll of
Teleportation to travel there instantaneously, but if the Band
intends to try and protect the Keep, he offers what magic he has to
help protect them from the Lizardmen. Distributing out a number of
magical spells, he wishes the Band luck and vanishes with a pop.

Several plans are considered and rejected. Finally settling on two
options, the Band decides to not assume Gaseous Form and float into
the Keep and instead begins moving towards a nearby group of Lizards
containing a magic using Lizardman spotted by Gus.

Sneaking up behind them, the Band manages to get relatively close
before the sounds of their approach draws the Lizardmen's attention.
Turning, a Lizard spellslinger blasts Pik with fire as he charges in
with his Lightning Gauntlets. Kylar begins to snipe from above,
flying thanks to Alustan's magic, as Wren gives the illusion of foul
swamp water bubbling within the enemy spellcaster's mouth. Under the
combined weight of the Band, the Lizardmen are quickly cut down and
collapse back.

With a shout Edvard calls attention back to the Keep, where the
Lizardmen gathered there are rapidly breaking down the Keep door.
Seeing it about to fall, the Band rushes toward the Lizardmen massed
outside.

Just as the door drops down Pik runs into the group just as a
Fireball from Kylar explodes about him. Dodging past the blast,
Pik is soon joined as Edvard and Wren run forward, fists and spells
flying. Gus plods forward, slowed by his heavy shell.

Crashing into the mass of Lizardmen, the Band quickly begins to
disperse the crowd. A group of Lizardmen burst from the walls of the
Keep, dragging some of the defenders out with them. Pik runs towards
them slaying one Lizardman as Edvard, Wren, and Gus continue slaying
those trying to force their way into the Keep.

Under the combined assault of the Band, the Lizardmen release their
hostages and flee for the swamp, unable to stand against the Band's
combined might. Entering the Keep, the Band is greeted by Eliza, who
introduces herself as Marzeena's apprentice.

Marzeena was captured by another group of marauding Lizardfolk, and
pulled into the swamp along with two guards who were with her. After
providing assurance they the Keep can hold up until help from Diamond
Lake arrives, the Band promises to rescue Marzeena and begins to
follow the Lizardmen's trail back into the swamp. After six hours of
slogging through stinking mud, however, the Band realizes Marzeena
will have to withstand at least one more day under the Lizardmen's
control as they prepare to spend the night.

Kylar uses his Rope of Climbing to scale a nearby tree and escape the
muck below, and is not involved in a fight that night when two gators
from the swamp come to the camp to see what this new presence is. Not
counting on Pik or Edvard though, the gators quickly find themselves
slain for their curiosity.

April 5th: Waking the next day, Kylar explains how his Rope of
Climbing works to the rest of the Band as they again set off
following the Lizardmen's tracks.

Soon the Band stumbles upon a pair of Lizardmen. Before hostilities
commence, however, one calls out in Draconic, indicating a desire to
talk. The Lizardmen reveal they are not from the same tribe as the
Lizardfolk who have been raiding nearby Blackwell Keep. The Twisted
Branch tribe to the South is to blame for the violence, and has been
acting especially brutal lately. Their tribe has no complaint against
the Keep or Humans in general, and wouldn't mind seeing the Twisted
Branch defeated before they bring doom down upon all Lizardkind's
head. A mention of strange Zombies wandering the swamp is made as the
Band thanks the Lizardmen and heads south, to find the lair of the
Twisted Branch.

Adventure 15: Lizardfolk Lair

The band ventured forward, fought 2 squads of lizardfolk.  Eventually they found a mound which they believed to be the Lizardfolk den. 

The band killed some guards then ventured inside and proceeded to slaughter many lizardmen and some harpies.  The band had not yet found Marzeena.

A short ways from the friendly Lizardfolk, a familiar shiny beard
appears in the distance behind the Band. Huffing and puffing, Anais
trundles up, offering his help is rescuing his friends from the
rampaging Lizardfolk. Hearing the trouble at Blackwell Keep he had
been rushing to aid them. After a few jokes at his expense, the Band
(complete once again) continues towards the Twisted Branch's lair, as
Anais is appraised of the goings on within the swamp.

While walking, Wren barely perceives a group of Lizardmen through the
thick brush of the swamp. Recognizing the patterns on their flesh,
however, as the same ones chased from Blackwell Keep, battle is
joined with a rousing shout.

Rushing forward, Pik is alarmed to find that the large Lizardman's
club can bypass the defenses offered by his Astral Vambraces. Reeling
from the blow, Pik is caught unprepared when Kylar detonates a
Fireball around him, taking the full brunt of the spell.

Moving around to the Band's flank, several Lizardmen charge into the
back row as Pik, Anais, and Edvard try to make up a frontline against
the scaly fiends. Drinking a potion of healing, Gus charges up to
help Pik as well as Kylar and Wren begin moving away from the
Lizardfolk engaging them from behind.

Under the combined assault of Pik and Anais, the Lizardmen begin to
fall, leaving only those who had rushed behind to threaten Wren
standing. With the Band's full attention turned to them, however,
both quickly fall.

Afterwards the Band interrogates one Lizardman who had been slept
during the battle by Wren. He reveals the location of his tribe's Den
while under Wren's magic, but is otherwise uncommunicative. Wren,
Kylar, and Edvard advocate for the slaying of the captive but Pik,
Anais, and Gus convince the others to bring him along as a possible
bargaining chip.

Walking through the swamp, the captured Lizardman drug behind them,
the Band, following the captive's instructions, soon comes upon a
large hill. Small bands of Lizardmen patrol around the hill, giving
away its use as the Twisted Branch's den.

After a short discussion the unconscious captive is dispatched by
Anais while Wren enchants a coin to exude an area of Silence. Tossing
the coin out next to the den's entrance, the Band lies in wait for a
patrol to move into the coin's area.

Without a cry for help the first patrol is quickly slain and their
bodies disposed of as the Band again moves back into position to
await the second patrol making its way about the hill. They are taken
out just as swiftly, and like that, the Band infiltrates the Twisted
Branch's den with them unaware.

Moving through the den, the Band cautiously travels throughout the
winding tunnels. Coming upon a crowded sleeping chamber, the Band
realizes their noise has accidently awakened some of the sleepers.
Evard enlarges as Wren Silences the room, preventing any outcry from
the unprepared Lizardmen. Pik shapes his Crystal Helm into a Mantle
of Flames and runs into the group of Lizardmen, burning everyone
about him.

Fumbling for his crossbow, Gus plants two bolts into Anais's back,
barely missing the Lizardman standing in front of him.

The Lizardmen slain, the Band notices the tunnel beyond seems to head
downwards. Wanting to make sure no one is left to move behind them,
they move back to explore the topmost level fully.

Entering a room stinking of offal and filth, Anais quickly spots a
trio of Harpies in the rafters. Kylar bursts into a rousing
Countersong, as Edvard and Anis stumble forward, briefly lured by the
Harpies song. Protected by Kylar's music, however, the Band quickly
overcomes the Harpies and their foul smell.

Seeing that all unexplored tunnels head downward, the Band steels
themselves and delves further into the lizard's den. Entering a small
room on the Western side, the Band rapidly dispatches a small group
of Lizardmen caught unaware of the Band's invasion.

Adventure 16:  Treaty of Eggs

Moving forward again, the Band comes upon another small group of
Lizardmen, this one kneeling about an apparently sick comrade.
Violence is averted, however, when the Lizardmen simply turn away
from the approaching Band, more concerned with their friend than with
the invaders of their home. Wren and Edvard step forward and in
Draconic establish a promise of help for what medical aid Gus can
provide. Shuffling forward, Gus tends to the sickened Lizardman, and
finds that he is surprisingly infested with the same strange green
worms that the Band had earlier found.

Unsure he can even help the sick Lizardman, Gus informs everyone he
will at least need a day to prepare more appropriate curing spells.
Accepting this, the other Lizardmen follow through on their bargain
and bring the Band before the Twisted Branch's shaman, Ishka, who
currently holds Marzeena captive. Ishka greets the Band, and quickly
informs them of a split within the Twisted Branch tribe. Many,
including him, do not see any benefit to the purposeful
antagonization of Blackwell Keep and the Humans, and would prefer to
return to their more traditional ways. However, the tribe's King
Shoko and his Lieutenant Cotesaban insist on continuing their
aggressive ways.

Seeing in the Band a chance to tip the scales in his favor, Ishka
offers to aid the Band, if they would help his faction take control
of the tribe. Reluctantly, the Band agree, and Ishka releases
Marzeena into their care. As Gus heals Marzeena Ishka tells the Band
that this is not the first time the green worms have troubled his
tribe. Some time ago, the same green worms had managed to infest the
entire tribe's stock of eggs, completely killing off an entire
generation.

Since then, a Black Dragon named Ilthane had watched the eggs, to
protect them from another occurrence. As a sign of trust, Ilthane had
even left behind one of her eggs with the Lizardmen's, in addition to
providing a number of guardians who were constantly vigilant.
Strangely, the sickened Lizardmen had only fallen ill when he had
drank a potion supplied by the Dragon from its horde. Healing
Marzeena, the Band rests for the night within Ishka's chamber, hidden
by his allies.

April 6th: The next day, Gus applies a Remove Disease to the ill
Lizardman and is gladdened to see his rapid recovery. Grimly, the
Band then sets out for Cotesaban's chambers, assured safe passage by
Ishka's faction.

Bursting into the Lieutenant's chambers, the Band catches Cotesaban
and his mate by surprise, as his guards simply stand by and watch.
Cotesaban's mate barely has time to toss a javelin at the invaders
before Pik rushes forward and dispatches her.

Cotesaban begins to scream and froth at the mouth at the sight of his
slain mate as the rest of the Band rush into the room and surround
him. Under the combined assault of the Band, Cotesaban quickly falls
and the two other Human captives are freed from his room. Marzeena
identifies them both as guard from the Keep as the Band tends to
their wounds.

Leaving Cotesaban's chambers, the Band is then led to Shoko's, the
tribe's King, audience room. Entering, the King is surprised to see
Humans so readily admitted to his presence, but as he raises his
blackscaled form to address them, Anais tosses a javelin at him,
signaling the start of hostilities. Rushing forward with a quick
witted quip, Kylar reduces the King to a laughing heap on the floor,
unable to fall as gales of intensely creepy Lizard laughter bubbles
from his throat. The Band sets about the grisly task of dispatching
him, freeing the tribe from under his faction's control.

Returning to Ishka, the tribe's new ruler, the Band delivers the news
of his ascent. Requesting access to the egg chamber in order to
inspect the Dragon's egg, Ishka reveals to the Band that the egg
chamber's Kobold guardians do not always obey the Lizardmen's
commands. Condoning the Band's request to see the Ilthane's egg,
however, he warns that the guardians will likely attempt to bar passage.

Heading downwards toward the egg chamber, the Band realizes that part
of the tunnel leading there is fully underwater. Edvard and Gus
enchant themselves with light and swim into the tunnel with Anais,
prepared to scout ahead for the rest of the Band. Halfway through the
tunnel a net drops onto them but they manage to cut their way out and
continue swimming on. Emerging from the other side, Anais begins to
signal Pik, Kylar, and Wren that the passage is clear when a large
pack of blackscaled Kobolds leap onto the three emerging from the water.

Pik blindly stumbles through the underwater passage, getting turned
about in the unfamiliar water as Edvard and Anais slaughter the egg's
guardians, ill prepared for such invasion. Arriving in the chamber,
the Band discovers several chests holding several potions, but are
immediately wary considering the sick Lizardman's condition after
consuming a potion from the Dragon's stash. Sure enough, the potions
detect as Evil, confirming their taint somehow, as does the Dragon's
large black egg, and a number of the smaller Lizardmen eggs filling
the large chamber.

A contingent of Lizardmen arrive, interested in seeing the egg
chamber now that the guardians had been dispatched and free access
was again possible. Moving the Dragon's egg to dry land, the Band
argues over destroying it when Anais and Kylar decide to take matters
into their own hands and fire a pair of crossbow bolts into the egg's
center. With an odious squelch the egg bursts open disgorging a large
stinking pile of green worms, much to the Band's disgust. Destroying
the worms, the Lizardmen mutter about their eggs, saved only by the
Band's actions. No one was eager to lose an entire clutch again.

Looking at each other, the Band realizes it will soon be time to go
dragon hunting.

Adventure 17:  Pik's Demise

After a brief chat with the surprised new King of the Twisted Branch regarding the timing between the first infestation with the green worms and the coming of the Dragon, the Band sets out to return Marzeena and her two companions to the Keep.

While walking through the swamp back to Blackwell Keep, the Band stumbles upon a huge stone spider. Pausing to examine it, the Band ends up leaving it, a strange curiosity in the muck.

After an uneventful night's rest in the swamp, the Band again sets out again, trudging through the Mistmarsh. At one point, Wren's sharp eyes spot a small nest of unusually large spiders perched within a set of trees. Wisely, the Band chooses to
circumnavigate around the copse of trees and any danger posed by the
spiders is avoided.

Reaching Blackwell Keep, the Band is surprised to find everyone even more on edge than when the Band had previously left, right after the Lizardfolk's raid. As Marzeena begins attempting to find out what has happened in her absence, one of the older guardsmen explains to the Band a bit of the Keep's recent history.

It seems the Twisted Branch wasn't the only location in this region that had suffered from an outbreak of the foul green worms a few years ago. Blackwell Keep's previous Wizard, before Marzeena was stationed here, had become infested with the very same worms, and had gone insane.

Unable to kill him, the Guardsmen of the Keep had locked him within the basement of the Keep and left him there to rot, quietly forgetting about his fate. In fact, Marzeena had never even been informed of her predecessor's unseemly end.

During the Lizardfolk's raid, however, it seems one of the raiders had unwittingly broken into the mage's prison, and even worse, despite the lack of food and water, the insane Wizard had survived all those years! While the Band was rescuing Marzeena and the two guardsmen, the mage had burst from his prison and taken three hostages before retreating back into the Keep's bowels. Only the inherent dangers of the outside swamp had kept the Keep's inhabitants within, but everyday the chance of the Keep's abandonment seemingly grew.

Disturbed by this news, but confident they could rescue the hostages, and handle the insane magi, the Band agree to head into the Keep and take care of him. Approaching the hastily boarded up door into the Keep's basement, Anais begins removing the planks when from behind the door a skeletal hand and skull burst forth, green worms writhing on top and just underneath the desiccated skin.

Pushing forward, Anais and Edvard rush down into the basement where they see a number of strange undead creatures approach. At the sight of the worm infested corpses, Anais and Gus panic and flee, Anais rushing into a nearby closet within the basement with Gus running (as fast as his Tortle legs can carry him) out into the foul swamp. Seeing members of the Band routed so easily and catching a glimpse of
the fate that awaits those captured by the creature, other inhabitants of the Keep begin to also stream out into the waiting swamp.

The strange green worms begin leaping from the former hostages, several landing on both Pik and Anais, where to their horror they begin burrowing under their flesh. Pik backs up and assumes his Mantle of Flames, in hopes of burning them off but the worms have already burrowed to form and are only barely singed. Edvard tumbles
into the small closet after the fleeing Anais, desperately trying to avoid the flying worms. Reaching into his scroll case, he quickly retrieves a spell perfect for this situation and following a brief incantation, finds himself covered in a sticky slime, all worms touching him sizzling and dissolving before they can burrow in.

The creatures continue to shamble towards the Band, worms flying from their outstretched hands, burning up against Pik's Mantle of Flames just as they dissolve against Edvard's acid. Edvard fells the former mage using his Shocking Grasp as Pik, feeling the worms within him burrowing in his head, begins attacking the former hostage's recklessly.
As the last creature is cut down, Wren orders Pik to find Gus, who in his panicked state fled into the swamp. His intellect already fading, Pik nods dumbly and begins Blinking away, following Gus's path into the swamp.

Reaching Gus's slowly returning form (Gus having caught ahold of himself), Pik dumbly tries to ask for help, having lost his use of language. As Gus begins the incantations for a spell of healing, Pik falls to the ground dead. Anais arrives shortly afterward, having retained his wits longer than Pik, and is able to explain his need for curing to Gus.

As the rest of the Band catch up to Pik's fallen form Wren and Edvard argue over the disposition of Pik's remains, the other creatures infested with worms having continuously risen until their heads were smashed in. Refusing to let Edvard smash her younger brother's head, however, Wren agrees to accept any responsibility if he rises again.
As Gus beings to heal the others of their injuries, Pik's former body suddenly sits up, newly born worms issuing forth from his mouth and ears. Anais panics and again flees out into the swamp as the rest of the Band rapidly turns against what had recently been their friend, this time dispatching him as the other creatures required.

April 10th: Having returned to Diamond Lake, everyone is saddened at Pik's loss, although none more than his sister, Wren. Taking his body and his pet, Owly, she vows to see them both back to her and Pik's parents, having failed in her promise to keep her younger brother safe.
Exhausted from their ordeals, the Band spends the next week recuperating and training, each in their own way. Edvard spends much of the time crafting, producing a number of scrolls and wands.

April 18th: Alustan offers the Band his sincere condolences to their loss, and an even greater sense of threat at the strange green worms plaguing the peoples of the Mistmarsh. There is a growing threat close by in Greyhawk that may be related; hopefully the Band will be able to handle it.

Adventure 18:  Journey to Greyhawk

The band encountered bandits and owlbears on the journey.  Once in Greyhawk the group met up with Sven and Ms. Starshine who helped them defeat a Chimera.  After that they found Elegos and spoke with him.

Considering the Band's various clues pointing towards trouble brewing in the region, Alustan suggests the Band travel to Greyhawk to consult with his friend Eligos. Not having other plans at the moment, and still short two members since the loss of Pik and the leaving of Wren, the Band rents a carriage to take them to Greyhawk.

Halfway through the first day on the road to Greyhawk, the Band's carriage is stopped on the road by a trio of highwaymen. Apparently unaware of who they waylay, the bandits demand all of the Band's possessions for right of passage. Kylar makes the lead bandit fall over in laughter and moments later his partner falls over.  Two of them are rapidly slain in response, and the last left to beg for his life. The Band leaves the last alive, albeit a few gold poorer. Perhaps he will consider again before attempting to rob travelers along the road.

Stopping at an inn along the road that night, Kylar regales the crowd within with song and story, with some accompaniment from Gus and Anais. Edvard, in contrast, simply stares on dourly.

April 21st: After two more days of travel, the carriage driver, Jonas, stops in a small bend in the road to answer the call of nature. While out a small way in the trees along the road, Jonas surprisingly stumbles upon a group of owlbears who charge and devour him.

The owlbears continue into the road, hoping to get a bit of the juicy flesh within the carriage, but, much like the bandits two days previous, underestimate the Band's capabilities. After a short but intense battle, the owlbears are slain and the Band is left with a driverless carriage.

Continuing on to Greyhawk proper, steering the carriage with what little know how they can muster, the Band arrives at the carriage company's drop off point. There they face criticism of their luck, seeing how twice they were attacked along what is normally a rather safe road. Either the Band draws danger to itself, or the region is
becoming not as safe as it once was ...

While waiting in line at the gate into Greyhawk, the Band meets Skelgvar Kelos and Harmony Starshine, agents of Pelor who are likewise waiting for entry into the great city. Recognizing the Band from stories he had heard on the road, Skelgvar strikes up a conversation with them and soon realizes the Band is investigating the same strange worms that he and Harmony had been hunting in Pelor's name. Agreeing to share some of their mutual knowledge, Skelgvar and Harmony agree to accompany the Band to consult with Eligos.

The guard at Greyhawk's gate is reluctant and surly, mostly unwilling to let the Band or Skelgvar and Harmony through. While Skelgvar attempts to appeal to the authority of Pelor's church, Kylar begins an impromptu performance, distracting the guard completely from his duty. The Band including Skelgvar and Harmony, for now take the opportunity to move into Greyhawk unopposed.

Agreeing to travel to the Cathedral of Pelor first so Skelgvar and Harmony can report their recent findings, the Band stumbles upon a parade running through the street, jugglers and performers drawing a large crowd as they show off a large and dangerous looking chimera. A pair of pickpockets sneak up and lift money from Edvard and Anais, but the chimera suddenly breaks free before they can be apprehended.

The Greyhawkers flee as Anais and Skelgvar charge forward and slay the beast before any nearby innocents are injured. The handler thanks them deeply, apologizing at the poor restraints that had let the beast free itself.

Reaching the Cathedral of Pelor, Harmony and Skelgvar report the findings to their Mother Superior. Informed that the same strange green worms they had found out in the field seemed to be tied to the investigations currently being undertaken by the Band, she suggests Harmony and Skelgvar accompany them for now, to make sure Pelor's will be done in this matter. A short prayer and blessing later, and Harmony and Skelgvar lead the Band to Eligos's home, being familiar with the city of Greyhawk.

Along the way, the Band stops by a crazed, self-proclaimed prophet, ranting about the supposedly coming "Age of Worms". Skelgvar shrugs his words off as the ravings of a madman and the Band shortly continues on to Eligos's home.

Arriving at the well appointed home, the Band is let inside by Eligos's standoffish servant. Eligos presents himself shortly afterwards and seems quite interested in the Band's findings. He listens intently as the various events of the past month are
described to him, and in particular finds the preserved green worm that Skelgvar and Harmony possess interesting.

Off the top of his head, Eligos cannot offer much information, unfortunately. He does not consider the Ebon Triad much of a threat, but Kyuss, he knows, is not one to take likely. An elder demigod often associated with the creation of undead, he is a powerful individual who is to be feared. A vague legend describes one of his
generals as an undead draconic creature.

Promising to look into the matter some more, and assuring the Band that once he is studied in the matter he'll be able to present better answers, Eligos suggests they find lodging within the Crooked House Inn.

Adventure 19:  Inn Trouble

Walking through the streets of Greyhawk, the Band soon finds the
Crooked House Inn. The gnome innkeep, Tarquin, offers the Band free
drinks when they reveal Eligos sent them. Taking the chance to
perform, Kylar, Anais, and Gus put on a rather stunning musical
performance, and Edvard, struck by their skill, finds himself dancing
out on stage.

April 22nd: Gus, troubled by the lost of his friend Pik, decides to
visit the nearby temples of Greyhawk. Skelgvar, Harmony, and Edvard
accompany him, Skelg and Harmony proselytizing the greatness of Pelor
the entire way, while Edvard complains about the falseness of the
Gods. Meanwhile, Kylar and Anais continue to drunkenly perform at the
Crooked Timber, drawing larger and larger crowds as words of their
performances spread.

Seeing his inn swelled with newcomers, Tarquin signals for a drinking
competition, and soon several thirsty tavern goers (as well as Gus,
Anais, and Edvard) are setup to drink everyone else under the table.
Gus's tortle metabolism seems particularly vulnerable to liquor,
however, and he soon falls out, too drunk to go on. Anais falters as
well (although he insists he's fine, whilst laying on the floor).
Edvard, however, utilizes his arcane training and manages to out
drink the other rowdy patrons, earning victory in the contest.

April 24th: Two days of completely packed performances and all night
drinking binges later, the Band again finds themselves in the now
almost always crowded inn listening to another of Kylar's songs.
Edvard, grumpy at this recent turn of events, elects to turn into bed
early and walks up the stairs.

Shortly afterward, however, he comes down and moves close to Tarquin,
who has come to deeply love the Band, and all the customers they
happily provide him. Unexpectedly, Ed stabs Tarquin in the chest,
bringing the music within the tavern to a sudden and crashing halt.
As Tarquin falls over, the rest of the Band spring into action.

Anais rushes forward demanding to know in the Nine Hells Edvard is
doing as Skelgvar swings with his heavy maul, hoping to subdue his
new companion, who seems to have snapped. Edvard quickly runs back up
the stairs, fleeing from his irate Bandmates.

As Gus and Harmony manage to stabilize and heal little Tarquin,
Edvard again comes barreling down the stairs, trying to find the
source of all the disturbance. Anais and Skelgvar both quickly stop
him in his tracks, but Anais is soon swayed to his innocence by his
friend's protests.

A stranger comes down the stairs and Ed quickly identifies him as
hurrying about upstairs when he exited his room. Kylar uses a magical
joke to force the stranger in paroxysms of laughter as Harmony orders
Skelgvar to stand down. Taking position by the door while the rest of
the Band assemble in the center of the room, Gus prepares a Zone of
Truth so that the actual events of the night can be determined.

Within the zone Ed continues to press his innocence while the
stranger quickly becomes evasive regarding his recent activities. As
the town guard arrives, Skelgvar, gives them a thorough recounting of
the events so far.

Kylar and Harmony argue with the guards in Edvard's favor, and when
the innkeep Tarquin (having witnessed the Band's interrogation of
both Edvard and the strange individual) agrees with both of them, the
guard end up taking the stranger away, leaving Edvard free.

With the suspected assailant taken away, most of the remaining
patrons quickly file out, their desire for revelry ended, at least
for tonight. Everyone takes a deep breathe and attempts to wind down
from the sudden and unexpected crisis, when Edvard notices a small
key where the stranger had been rolling on the floor in gales of
laughter. Examining, Kylar identifies the markings on the handle as
iconic of Greyhawk's mostly abandoned river-front district.

April 25th: The next day the Band rises early and sets out for the
river-front district to investigate possible sources of the key. The
Sodden Hold being one of the few prominent structures still standing
in this area of the city, it is the Band's first point of suspicion.

Approaching the large double doors, Edvard tries the stranger's key
and, somewhat to the Band's surprise, they unlock. Entering, the Band
finds themselves within a large warehouse, boxes and crates scattered
about with several doors in the walls. As Anais examiens one door
leading from the main chamber, a section of the floor opens beneath
him, plunging him down into a spiked pit below. Luckily, his ring of
Feather Falling instantly takes affect, slowing his descent and
allowing him to glide gently between the nasty looking spikes.

At the other side of the room, Skelgvar approaches another door,
cautious of any traps like the one that had opened underneath Anais.
Unfortunately, he does not keep his eye out for anything else, and is
caught unaware as a nearby chest and barrel suddenly begin to move on
their own, their forms rippling to reveal grasping arms and a large,
gaping mouth.

Having climbed up from his pit, Anais runs and slashes at the strange
barrel creature as Kylar looks on in total bewilderment. Another
barrel reveals itself as one of the strange creatures and begins to
assault Anais, grabbing at him with two fleshy pseudopods.

Trying to move to Anais's rescue, Skelgvar finds himself in just as
much trouble as the creatures pull him in to their large mouths.
Calling to Mother Ocean, Gus summons a pair of celestial bisons who
begin butting their hard skulls into the sides of the strange barrel
monsters.

Distracted by their attempted digestion of Skelgvar and Anais, the
creatures do not provide much resistance to the rest of the Band, and
are soon brought down, although not before Skelgvar and Anais are
both heavily wounded. Luckily, Harmony and Gus's magics soon return
them to proper health.

Adventure 20:  Under the Warehouse

Newly cautious of the dangers within this warehouse, the Band
continues to search about. Two rooms attached to the main room
contain nothing but more barrels and crates (of the non-moving, non-
carnivorous variety). Seeing a walkway up top, however, Kylar ascends
using his rope of climbing, and then lets the rest of the Band pull
themselves up as well.

Coming to a locked door, the Band cannot find a way through it until
Anais begins to demolish it using his axe. Skelgvar expresses some
distaste at the destruction and vandalism of the warehouse, but
decides it likely best to allow it to proceed for now. Coming to a
dead end on the walkway, Anais again begins to beat on the wall,
rapidly revealing a concealed doorway that had been hidden from the
Band's view.

Finding a stairway leading down, the Band stops for a moment as they
see a pair of chests in a small alcove. Opening the chests reveal a
large pile of gold, as well as a few magical items. Edvard and Anais
begin pocketing the goods as the rest of the Band complains at their
rampant thievery.

Overhearing the Band's arguments, several calls for help sound from
further down the stairs and the Band moves on to investigate, the
discovered goods taken for now. At the base of the stairs lie a set
of impromptu cells, with several individuals locked up within. One
cell seems to hold a dead body, while another has a young well
appointed lady. A third contains a set of guards. Instantly
suspicious of the situation, the Band quickly remembers the
individual who looked like Ed but most certainly wasn't as they
appraise the prisoners within the room. Anais busts open the cell
holding the dead body and Skelgvar goes to investigate while Kylar
and Harmony approach the imprisoned female.

Skelgvar quickly realizes the supposedly dead body is in fact still
alive, just in a deeply unconscious state. Calling for Harmony, she
revives the man who begins to rant and rave, gibberish and spittle
flying from his lips. Backing away, the Band watches him rock his
corner, unsure of what to do for the poor individual.

Slowly, the captured female reveals herself as a noble of Greyhawk,
captured and imprisoned by a strange group of individuals. Convinced
the members of the Band are not her captors, she is released. Out of
her cell, she reveals that the loot Anais and Edvard had found was
hers, and although she offered to let them keep it, Gus insisted she
take everything that was her right.

As she left, the cell of guards began clamoring to get out as well,
however Harmony warned that they seemed suspicious. Skelgvar wasn't
sure about leaving them locked up, but was willing to let them stay a
little longer while the rest of the warehouse was investigated.

Opening the one door in the room, the Band was suddenly beset by
creatures made of air, buffeted back and forth by their semisolid
fists of wind. Skelgvar and Anais formed a strong line through which
the air creatures could not break, however, and they soon lost
cohesion. Beyond was a large room with several thin beams suspended
over a murky pool of water, in which several rusty weapons could be
seen floating.

Not willing to risk walking across those beams, especially with the
heavy armor several members wore, Anais again began doing his job as
a dwarven wrecking crew and created another opening in the wall,
revealing a small room with a small hole in the floor. Looking in
uncovered a rope ladder leading down to a small barrel floating
within the pool of water.

While the only obvious area yet unexplored, no one had much taste for
going down into the water without magical aid, not even the tortle
Gus. Knowing Pelor would keep him safe, Skelgvar shrugged and began
climbing down the rope, intent to see what was hidden in the watery
depths.

Swimming down, Skelgvar sees that the water filled shaft opens out
into a larger chamber 40 feet down. Venturing into the chamber,
Skelgvar is brought to a sudden halt when a large octopus crawls out
from behind a concealing structure and rushes towards the underwater
crusader. Realizing he is in some level of danger, Skelgvar quickly
swims back to the Band and scales the rope before the octopus has a
chance to catch him.

The rest of the Band is now even less enthused about entering the
water below, knowing aggressive creatures lurk within the waters.
Skelgvar is not persuaded, however, and begins to meditate on the
practice of fighting with a spear in preparation of going back down.
Anais, Edvard, and Gus agree to accompany him, while Harmony layers
protective magics on top of him.

Jumping in, the three Band members swim back down and quickly
confront the eight armed creature. Vicious jabs from Anais and
Skelgvar quickly slay the beast and as Edvard begins to swim back to
the remaining Band members, Anais, Skelgvar, and Gus climb another
rope ladder onto a large platform with a single lever situated in the
center. Seeing the lever, Anais flips it to the opposite position
only to hear the opening of a large drain as water begins to rush out
of the room in which they stand!

As the water level lowers the platform sinks, revealing a door
concealed behind it. The barrel also rides down, but Kylar, climbing
down the rope ladder, uses his rope of climbing to cross the now
empty distance to the bottom of the chamber.

Opening the revealed door, the Band is confronted by a tiny room with
another door situated on the other end. Finding it locked, Anais
begins to hammer it down, sending loud crashes throughout the complex.

As the door crumbles under Anais's assault, a large room full of
strange creatures is revealed. Humanoid in form, their faces lack
almost all distinguishing features. They charge towards the party as
Anais and Skelgvar shout out battle cries, but clearly they are not
prepared for the two mighty warriors and rapidly find themselves
being pushed further and further back.

Kylar recognizes the beasts as dopplegangers, strange creatures with
the ability to assume the form of another as the group of
dopplegangers quickly break and begin to flee. Chasing after one
errant doppleganger, Skelgvar and Anais come upon a strange room,
where duplicates of the Band seemingly sit, tied and captured.

Seeing the real Band appear, the fake Band members jump up and
attack, putting everyone in the strange position of fighting not just
close friends, but even themselves! However, despite their
appearance, the fake Band members prove no better at fighting than
their non-disguised brethren and quickly fall to the Band's skill.

Adventure 21:  Maze of Mirrors

Exiting the faux chamber, the Band is confronted by the now seemingly deserted hallway, doorways littered up and down its length. Approaching the far eastern door, Anais promptly falls into an undiscovered pit, slowly floating down thanks to his Ring of Feather Falling.

After clambering out, most of the other doors are revealed to open on small insignificant bedrooms. The double doors on the western end, however, lead into a large room of chairs and tables, with piles of notes strewn throughout the room. A quick appraisal of the writing by Edvard reveals them to be a somewhat detailed log of the doppleganger cell's criminal activities throughout Greyhawk.

Faced with no other passages besides the doors beyond the large pit discovered by Anais, Ed sits down and begins going through the notes in detail while Skelgvar, Harmony, and Kylar search throughout the small doppleganger compound. Anais and Gus meanwhile try to figure out how to cross the pit to reach the far eastern doors.

Anais and Gus don't manage to figure out a solution though, before a concealed door is discovered within the room that had only recently held the twin of the Band's members. Passing through the newly found exit, the Band finds themselves in a small hallway capped by yet another door. Through this second door the Band finds themselves confronted by a dizzyingly complex looking hallway, the walls covered floor to ceiling with mirrors.

A step into the hallway reveals it as only the entrance to a maze like complex of mirrored walls, prompting Anais to smash several of the mirrors in the area. "So we can find out way back", he explains.  Several dead ends (and many more smashed mirrors) later, Anais is surprised when one of his reflections suddenly moves independently of him and reveals itself as yet another doppleganger duplicate! As the
mirror Anais strikes out, a fake Harmony suddenly approaches the Band from behind while a nondescript guardsmen hesitantly advances on Gus. Skelgvar finds himself momentarily confused by which Anais is the real one, but forgets his own confusion as he rushes off to engage Harmony's mimic.

The guardsmen moves into Edvard, Kylar, and Gus but is quickly overcome by their combined attacks. False Harmony is then struck down by a stream of Magic Missiles after facing the total weight of Kylar, Gus, and Skelgvar's attacks. Anais slays his own duplicate while Harmony sets about healing the wounded afterwards.

After picking through the duplicates (now in their natural featureless forms) cooling corpses, the Band again begins wandering through the large mirrored maze. Finally arriving at the exit, a large trail of broken mirrors tracing out their meandering within the maze, the Band finds a large chamber filled with strange alchemical apparatuses. On a dais at the western edge of the room sits none other than Alustan, perched on a large throne.

Calling out a greeting, Alustan offers the Band a chance to learn the truth behind several of the recent events. If only the Band would serve him, Alustan explains, he would happily reveal his secrets to them. Knowing shapeshifters populate this lair, however, the Band remains suspicious.

Indicating he is the leader of the doppleganger cell the Band had just so recently slaughtered, Alustan finds himself somewhat stumped when Kylar asks him why he left them at Blackwell Keep. Edvard suddenly demands to know why he was framed for the attempted murder of their innkeep, while Kylar demands proof the Alustan is who he appears to be, and not yet another doppleganger. Gus shows Alustan
his collection of holy symbols and asks Alustan to identify the symbol of Gus's true god. Alustan, unable to answer any of the Band's many questions, begs for understanding of his forgetfulness, but as more answers are demanded from him, he suddenly begins casting a spell. Anais feels much of his strength sap away as Alustan launches a black ray at his chest as Harmony fires back with a brilliant ray
of Searing Light.

Anais rushes forward and swings ineffectively, his axe heavy in his arms, his armor heavy on his shoulders, as Kylar shouts a magical joke eliciting a small chuckle from the suspected fake Alustan.

Edvard begins to layer himself with protective and enhancive magics while Skelgvar likewise charges forward, not quite sure who this wizard is, but understanding the threat he presents well enough. Gus calls to Mother Ocean for aid, chanting a complex prayer to her tidal ways.

A Fireball erupts in the back row of the Band as Kylar begins to sing an inspirational ode. Gus stumbles in his incantation as fire washes over him and begins trudging towards the form of his friend.

Suddenly Alustan's face and body ripple, darkening, distorting, and enlarging, as he suddenly adopts the form of a large thick bodied half-orc, screaming and frothing at the mouth. Flailing about wildly with his axe, he manages to open a nasty gash in his own leg, demonstrating that whatever his form, he is still a wizard at heart.

Skelgvar and Edvard surround the creature and press the attack, with a Shocking Grasp from Edvard finally felling him. As he dies his body, like the other dopplegangers, shimmers and reverts to its default featureless form. Searching through the notes for some mention of a leader, the Band comes to the conclusion that this could have been none other than Telahin, the doppleganger leader.

A search is conducted for any other concealed doors, but concluding the den has been sufficiently swept clear, the Band makes their way out. Using a spell he had picked up, Kylar attempts to open the door across the pit trap before the Band leaves the small lair behind completely, only to reveal a blank wall behind it.

Entering into the room with the large pillar where the octopus had previously lurked, the Band is surprised to see an entryway they had missed when they first came in.

Adventure 22:  Underdark Spelunking

Walking through the newly found entryway, the Band finds themselves strolling down a large open hallway. Suddenly, Edvard's Everburning Torch is extinguished, cloying darkness crowding out all light within the tunnel. Edvard shouts out that someone has cloaked everyone in magical darkness just as a wave of magical force washes over the Band, sending most of them reeling, unable to focus on much more than
keeping their feet. Two unseen foes approach from the darkness, their swords clanging off of Skelgvar and Anais's armor. Skelgvar takes an ineffective swipe at his hidden opponent, but takes the worse of it from his exchange back and forth with the darkness.

Coming to his senses, Edvard manages to dispel the far edge of the darkness, revealing a pair of drow rapidly attempting to cut down Skelgvar and Anais as the benefit of surprise is stripped from them. Arrows begin to stream out from the darkness further up the tunnel as Skelgvar quickly drops the drow in front of him, no longer hindered by lack of sight.

Several more drow rush forward from the darkness, holding solid their line. But now exposed by the light, they fall to the Band's blades. As the entirety of the darkness fades from the hallway, one last drow is revealed, standing alone in the hallway. Proving the most skilled of the violent dark elves, the lone drow dodges and parries from all sides but his luck cannot hold out and eventually falls to a strike from Gus. Looking past the fallen drow the Band sees that the hallway they occupy comes to a T at the end.
Looking through the drow's possessions, Kylar recognizes some of the mold stuck to their boots as a kind often cultivated in drow enclaves. Fearing more drow may be lurking in the area (and knowing they are too tired to fight many more foes) the Band retreats for now, returning to the warehouse up on the street. Moving to the last
impromptu cell still holding prisoners, the Bands opens the door but warns the prisoners that they are untrusted. The prisoners protest their innocence as they subtlety reach for hidden longswords, but their actions are seen and the Band attacks.
Anais and Skelgvar rush into the cell as a Fireball from Edvard explodes in their midst. Gus, Kylar, and Harmony provide Anais and Skelgvar with healing and some backup, deafening one doppleganger and reducing another to rolling on the floor, unable to control its laughter. Anais whirls through them, his axe cutting left and right.
Soon they are all dispatched, their planned deception failed.
Returning to the Crooked Timber the Band discusses what actions to take now, with evidence of doppleganger activity within the town and perhaps a drow enclave located not far away.

April 26th: Looking through their collected loot, Edvard magical begins to analyze several of the items found within the doppleganger stronghold. Meanwhile, Skelgvar and Harmony look through the notes discovered within the lair. With Kylar's help, they quickly realize the dopplegangers have been trying to take over key positions within
the government of Greyhawk for some time. How deep does their corruption flow? How many were not present when the Band cleansed their den?

April 27th: The Band ventures to the Cathedral of Pelor with news of the dopplegangers. No mention of the church is made within the plans, and with Skelgvar and Harmony's assurance the church remains uninfiltrated, evidence of the dopplegangers is provided to the Mother Superior. A reward of gold is offered for the information, which most of the Band happily accepts. Skelgvar declines at first,
but accepts when offered a choice of potions instead.

Afterwards, aided by Edvard's analysis, the Band sells many of the discovered items to the seemingly numberless merchants that make Greyhawk the great city it is.

Adventure 23:  Sewer Spelunking

Not expecting any response from Eligos yet, the Band decides to venture back down into Greyhawk's sewers to try and track down the drow they suspect are currently there. Assuming they could use the fungus Kylar originally noticed to track them to their home of operations, the Band spends a short while searching for a tracker
while selling. It doesn't take them long to find Merris, a tracker willing to venture into the sewers and face danger, if the price is right (and the price, indeed, is quite right).

Searching through the sewers for most of the day, many in the Band are hopelessly lost following Merris's endless twists and turns. Despite his constant overconfidence, some muttering about wasted money and fool's errand start up among the Band when suddenly Merris calls the Band to a halt. Pointing out a caved in portion of the
tunnel wall up ahead, he indicates this is the location the drow are gaining access through, if they are gaining access anywhere at all. At least the same kind of fungus seems to be growing in the cavern beyond. Showing the Band a nearby sewer grate leading up to the street, he explains they are currently at the cross of Tool and
Jones. The Band tries to elicit Merris's aid in the upcoming expected battle but he demurs, taking his money for tracking and exiting through the just demonstrated sewer grate.

Anais scouts forward through the roughly cut hole in the wall, finding himself within a large fungus covered cavern. Taking advantage of his sharp dwarven vision in darkness, he moves further in, past the range of the other Band mate's torches when suddenly he finds himself surrounded by a group of shriekers each one emitting
their eponymous cry. Recognizing the alarm for what it is, both Anais and Skelgvar rush forward to quickly silence the shriekers when they find themselves running through a large patch of yellow mold. Crushing the screaming shriekers as they inhale the yellow mold spores, they quickly move away from the area, warning the rest of the Band to be careful. Applying fire slowly and judiciously the mold is
burned away, although not before the powerful toxins have Anais breathing heavily, even his dwarvish constitution overcome by their poison.

Recovered via Gus's magic, Anais and Skelgvar begin cautiously scouting forward, careful to examine the fungus filling these caverns as they go forward. They remain so focused on the fungus, they fail to realize the importance of a puddle of oily black liquid until they see the flask of amber liquid tumble out from the darkness, crashing
open and igniting the pool of oil on fire.

As their armor begins to heat from the flames, the light reveals a group of drow hidden on a ledge on the side of the cavern. Skelgvar begins trying to pull himself up while Anais moves back to retrieve Kylar's Rope of Climbing. Edvard, however, simply tosses a Fireball into the drow's midst, burning many away instantly, and causing the
remaining ones to tumble from the ledge.
Having been caught by surprise twice now, the Band very cautiously moves forward, expecting even more trickery ahead. As the narrow fungus filled cavern begins to give way to a much larger cave, the Band spies a large green glowing pool. Approaching slowly, Skelgvar is unsurprised to see a large creature stir within in.

When an attractive female head appears, only to followed by several more feet
of her long serpentine body, however, he finds himself taken aback.
Demanding payment for passage through her cavern, and for disturbing her beauty sleep, the naga is offered a potion by Skelgvar as Kylar works his silver tongue upon her, telling her that she surely needs no beauty sleep. Performing a quick song dedicated to her, Kylar learns the Band her tolerance, and is offered the answer to a question in return. Queried about the drow living down their, she dismisses them, indicating that she tolerates them only because of Zyrxog, her friend. With a somewhat disturbing smile, she lets the Band know he will likely look forward to their presence as she slinks back into the radiant pool.

Moving through the naga's chambers into the next room, the Band is somewhat surprised when the discover a wooden pen holding a pair of sheep and a somewhat malnourished cow. They are less surprised when several drow suddenly appear at the far end of the cavern, and battle erupts.

Edvard charges forward into the midst of the drow, magical waves of fire rolling from his body to ignite many of the dark elves, as Anais and Edvard begin working their way through several of the front line fighters. Kylar launches crossbow bolts into the fray as Gus and Harmony provide healing as it is needed.

One of the drow calls for Lolth's blessing and surrounds her hand with a deadly looking putrescent aura. Just as she goes to touch Edvard with it, however, he utters a defense spell and splits into several different Mirror Images. Confounded, the drow priestess soon finds herself grappled by Edvard, unable to make contact with his darting form. Distracted by Edvard, the priestess can put up little defense against the other members of the Band as is soon afterwards slain, leaving the field again clear of the lurking dark elves.

Adventure 24:  The Tentacle creatures

Moving to the small door next to the animal pens, Anais tries a key found upon the drow's bodies, unlocking the door. The Band is shocked to find four rotting bodies standing behind the door, starting blanking out of the now open door. Bravely approaching them Skelgvar discovers they have all had the back of their skulls opened and the contents removed. More over, further within the room huddle a mass of scared townsfolk. Obviously frightened, the Band explains that the drow that had been holding them captive are dead now.

The townsfolk reveal it wasn't the drow who held them, however; instead it was Zyrxog, a squid-faced man who had been feasting on them for the past few days. The zombies were the result of his work and they wouldn't let anyone who entered the room leave, unless they were with him. Perplexed by their fear of the motionless zombies, Skelgvar moves to exit the room and demonstrate their fears are unfounded when suddenly the zombies turn, taking an interest in him. Before they can more than twitch their necrotic muscles, however, Harmony calls down Pelor's light and burns them to a crisp on the spot.
The zombies removed, the Band decides to escort the townsfolk back up to Greyhawk, but tell them they cannot lead them further; it is imperative they return to the drow caverns and remove Zyrxog before he manages to flee.

Moving past the drow's animal pens, the Band comes to a chamber with two large marble doors embedded in the northern wall. As they enter the chamber proper a strange group of tentacled creatures slither out from the surrounding stalagmites surrounding Anais. Rapidly, the strange creatures begin gnawing on him with their pincer tipped tentacles, inflicting grievous wounds on him. Gus forces his way
forward to provide needed healing but is quickly forced to draw back as the creatures prove particularly adept at getting past his thick tortle shell. Harmony heals him in the back row as Anais whirls about, slashing at the aberrations of nature.

Despite their ability to dish out large amounts of punishment, the creatures prove less able to take it and quickly dissolve into even more disgusting lumped forms as they are skewered and bashed by the Band. Moving to the large marble doors, the party pushes them open to reveal a stranger chamber: in the center sits an obscenely large pulsating marble brain, with four benches located about the room. As
Anais enters the brain pulses for a moment and he feels it push against his mind, sapping his will. Charging in, Skelgvar follows behind, likewise losing a bit of his will as he passes through the archway.

Striking at the brain, Anais suddenly feels his mind taken hold of and begins trying to stop Skelgvar's actions against the brain. Distracted by Anais, Skelgvar suddenly comes to the same realization as Anais ... Pelor's Brain must be protected!

Gus tries to break the brain's control on Skelgvar after Kylar retreats from a punishing blow from the controlled Skelgvar but fails. Kylar responds by using a Hold Person to keep Skelgvar in place. Anais meanwhile busies himself attacking the summoned
celestial bison from Mother Ocean, brutally headbutting the brain with its thick skull.

Gus and Harmony launch Searing Light at the brain, scorching holes through it as Edvard and Kylar beat Skelgvar's held form, unsuccessfully trying to knock him unconscious. Harmony comes to Skelgvar's aid, suspecting the control ended with the brain's but is knocked away by Kylar. As Anais staggers into the room however,
everyone settles down and many apologies are passed about, particularly between Skelgvar and Gus, who worried the possessed Skelgvar blasphemed against gentle Mother Ocean.

Cautiously passing through the former brain's chamber, the Band exits and climbs a small set of stairs to a small room with a wooden desk and a large tank full of a iridescent green liquid. Several of the Band move to the desk, consulting the papers as a strange bubbling begins to emerge from the steel tank. Just as Kylar realizes the
papers pertain to aberration creation, an even larger tentacled horror erupts from within, two smaller ones spilling out of the sides. Gus retreats backwards with Edvard, out of reach of the creature's tentacles, knowing how much damage they can inflict. Kylar is badly rended and tumbles away to safety.  Indeed, as he moves away the creatures set into both Anais and Skelgvar, caught unfortunately close to the tank, the tentacles rending and ripping at their surprised forms. Anais retreats, heavily injured, as Skelgvar attacks despite Harmony's order to withdraw. Gus suddenly blasts the creature with a roiling cloud of energy, surprising Skelgvar with Mother Ocean's fury.

Heartened by Gus's offensive attack, Gus charges back in, slaying one of the smaller creatures, while Edvard launches a stream of Magic Missiles slaying the other small one. Gus follows his previous spell with a bolt of sunshine to match Kylar's crossbow bolt. Anais and Skelgvar continue to barely hold off the large creature's tentacles
when a final Sound Burst from Gus finishes the monster.
Weakened and their resources depleted, the Band reluctantly begins to retreat back through the drow cavern, knowing another fight might be their last.

Adventure 25:  The Tentacle man Zyzog

The band encountered the stone brain again and eliminated it.  Then found a stone Vrock and it came to life and the band killed it quickly.

Next the band encountered Zyzog.  Skelvarg flew up to meet him and Zyzog sucked his brain out while the rest of the group tried to get to Zyzog and failed.

While Zyzog blasted the group, Kylar decided to flee.  Starshine and Edvard followed.  Kylar kept running, but Starshine and Edvard heard the calls from Gus and Anias.  Starshine returned to aid them, they were both stunned.  Edvard webbed Zyzog. After Anias became unstunned he attacked Zyzog.  Starshine and Gus ran in to support Anias and Edvard.

Zyzog had 1 trick left or rather a necklace full.  He dropped a necklace of fireballs and in 2 bursts had killed Gus and Lady Starshine.  Anais only survived because Gus had used his healing powers.  Edvard and Anias eventually killed Zyzog.

Edvard and Anias returned to the tavern to find Kylar singing their lament.  The group decided to return for the bodies later.

Retreating to the Crooked Timber Inn, the Band spends an uneventful
night wondering who (or what?) could be creating such strange
monstrosities below the city.

April 28th: Waking the next day, the Band again ventures down to the
sewers beneath the city, rapidly locating the drow's lair and passing
by the now friendly naga. Moving back into the laboratory area more
of the tentacled creatures are encountered, slithering out of the
shadows and off of the walls. Having become familiar with the
creatures capabilities though, they are swiftly dispatched through
Skelgvar and Anais's skill. Likewise, when the stone brain is found
to have been prepared, Anais easily smashes it to bits after
receiving a blessing from Gus protecting him from its mental domination.

Leaving the room formerly containing the large tentacle horror, the
Band finds another research room dominated by an extremely realistic
statue of what Harmony assures the Band is a vrock. As Anais moves
forward to smash it, however, it suddenly springs to life and
attacks! Despite the beast's protective magics, however, it stands
little chance once Skelgvar and Anais surround it, hacking and
bashing at it in unison. As rapidly as it came to life it falls back
again, leaving the Band victorious (and someone infested with rapidly
growing vines, a parting gift from the Vrock's filth). Harmony cures
Anais and Skelgvar of their ills before exploring the room with the
rest of the Band. Several items and arcane tomes are found, including
one listing the names of several demons, and another possessed of a
mind of its own (Edvard rapidly subdues the possessed book with a
punch to its spine, rendering it paralyzed).

Still, despite the hints at demonic intervention, the room presents
few hints as to the identity of the being responsible for these
atrocities, and the Band pushes on.

Following the passageway from the second laboratory down a short
hallway, the Band is brought up short as they round a corner and find
themselves facing another room. A large pulsating column of marble
adorns the far wall, a large pool of some strange liquid surrounding
its base. Above the pool floats a tall, gaunt, squid faced humanoid,
presumably Zyrxog, the creature responsible for the many terrors
found under the city. Laughing maniacally, Zyrxog taunts the Band
with death, trying to lure them further into his chamber.

Skelgvar, realizing Zyrxog would be difficult to challenge while in
the air, quickly drinks a potion of Fly obtained from the Church and
bursts into the air towards the cephalopodian adversary. As he clears
the entrance of the room, he notices a number of the tentacled
horrors clinging to the walls about the entranceway, but has no time
to give warning as a rippling wave of mental energy causes him to
halt his motion in mid-air, floating slightly below Zyrxog, reeling
in pain and confusion.

The rest of the Band rushes into the room, but finds themselves
rapidly swarmed by the onrushing tentacle horrors as Zyrxog slowly
floats down and begins tenderly wrapping his tentacles around
Skelgvar's incapacitated skull. Kylar tosses Anais his Rope of
Climbing, and Anais manages to tie it to Skelgvar's shoe, hoping to
climb up and disengage the squid faced creature from the back of
Skelgvar's skull. A number of spells fly from the back ranks of the
Band as well, but Zyrxog, proving particularly resistant to magic
and buffeted by the power of several spells in addition, remains
unharmed.

Meanwhile, Edvard, Gus, Harmony, and Kylar engage in a desperate
battle with the tentacled horrors. As Edvard's Magic Missiles and
Kylar's crossbow bolts overcome one of them, an opening is formed,
allowing the Band to regroup and begin pushing the horrors back.
Anais's desperate plan to save Skelgvar proves for naught when a
sickening crunch emerges from the back of Skelgvar's tentacle encased
head and Zyrxog rears back, allowing the remains of Skelgvar's brain
to slide down its aberrant throat. Skelgvar's body suddenly stops
floating, collapsing into the pool below.

The last of the horrors dead, but Skelgvar having been lost as well,
Kylar calls for a retreat, and quickly pulls out, racing down the
hallway at a magically enhanced pace. Edvard and Harmony follow, but
before Anais or Gus can escape another roiling wave of mental energy
pours from Zyrxog, stunning Gus and Anais in their spot and
preventing their escape. Slowly Zyrxog drifts down to the ground,
happily looking forward to two more meals (never having dined on
tortle brain before).

Realizing that Anais and Gus are not following, Harmony stops in her
tracks and races back, quickly calling on Pelor's aid to get Anais
and Gus back to their senses. Edvard races back as well as Kylar
continues on.

Edvard catches Zyrxog in a magically produced web as the restored
Anais charges forward. Zyrxog lashes out, grasping at Anais with its
tentacles but is unable to get enough of them to stick to gain the
upper hand in his struggle with Anais. Edvard, Harmony, and Gus (also
having been restored by Harmony) quickly rush forward, trying to
drive Zyrxog from its next grey matter meal. Sensing the tide of the
battle turning against it, Zyrxog tosses a bead from its necklace to
the ground, engulfing all five combatants in a large ball of fire.
Zyrxog remains unharmed thanks to its magically resistant nature, but
Edvard is the only Band member to avoid being badly burned. Gus
barely has time to heal Anais before Zyrxog tosses yet another bead
to the ground, this ball of fire causing both Gus and Harmony to fall
to the ground, charred bodies smoking.

Pushed back from the explosion, Anais finally finds enough room
between him and Zyrxog to utilize his axe, and quickly cuts into the
evil creature, finding its skin much less resistant to hard steel
than to magic. In short order it lays dead at his and Edvard's feet.
Assessing the carnage around him, Edvard assures Anais that only the
strong still stood after that fight.

Adventure 26:  Champion Games

Anais and Edvard leave the room to fetch Kylar, finding him almost
all the way back at the Crooked Timber, having not stopped since he
first fled the room. Leading him back into the chamber, Anais and
Kylar collect Zyrxog and their dead companion's belongings while
Edvard boils the water within the pool, killing all of the strangely
formed tadpoles (long and slender, with a small obviously tentacled
head) that infested it. Still, the water proves deeper than first
expected and Kylar is forced to summon an Unseen Servant to plumb its
depths, bringing back not just Skelgvar's corpse, but a number of
other items tossed down below.

Faced with another door leading from this chamber, the three decide
it is too dangerous to push on, especially with half of their
companions dead. Retreating, Kylar begins to look for additional aid
at the Crooked Timber that night.

April 29th: Kylar and Anais deliver Harmony and Skelgvar's bodies to
the local church of Pelor while making arrangements to have Gus's
body given over to Mother Ocean. The belongings of their dead
companions are kept, however; they are of more use to the living than
the dead.

The three return to Zyrxog's chamber, glad to see its body has not
moved in their absence. Passing through the final door, the Band
discovers what seems to be Zyrxog's personal quarters, including a
large stash of gold coins and gems, and a ledger written in a script
that none of the remaining Band members could read.

Knowing Eligos the Sage would be expecting them soon, and hoping he
could read the ledger, the Band sets out for his house. Along the
way, much of Greyhawk seems abuzz about the impending Champion's
Games taking place in a little over a week. Many seem to think this
may be the best one yet.

Arriving at Eligos, the remaining Band members give him the ledger,
asking him if he can translate the strange language. To perhaps no
ones surprise, he can, and quickly identifies the unknown language as
Undercommon. Reading through the ledger Eligos reveals a number of
startling pieces of information. Chief among them, Zyrxog had written
down the recent sale of the Apostolic Scrolls. Sensing the Band's
confusion over his alarm, Eligos explains that the use of the scrolls
feature prominently in prophecies pertaining to the coming of the Age
of Worms. Inscribed on their unholy pages are instructions for
creating a great undead beast known as an ulgarstasta, something akin
to an undead creation engine. The buyer of the scrolls is listed as a
Loris Rankian. Another purchase of Loris's appears to have been the
life of all four original members of the Band, each one having been
targeted for assassination by Zyrxog's agents. Sensing that Loris's
name is unfamiliar to the Band, Eligos informs them that Lorris is a
well respected individual in the city and director of the Arena where
the soon to be held Champion's Games take place. Why he would be
trying to have the Band murdered, or be purchasing such evil relics
as the Apostolic Scrolls, Eligos cannot fathom. However, if the party
would like to get close to him, Eligos offers to arrange to enter
them into the Champion's Games. Loris is a high placed individual and
generally keeps himself well protected. It is unlikely the Band will
have a better chance to observe him closely any other time of the
year. Consenting to his suggestion, the Band returns to the Crooked
Timber where Eligos tells them he will send an agent to meet them.

April 30th: The next day, Edvard informs Anais and Kylar he does not
plan on competing within the Champion's Games. An idea having
occurred to him overnight, he plans on returning to the Observatory
at Diamond Lake to perform a bit of research. Wishing the two luck,
he departs early in the morning before any others are awake.

Later that day, a small group of strangers enter the Crooked Timber
Inn, asking for the remaining Band members. The beautiful woman in
charge of the group introduces herself to Kylar and Anais as Celeste,
a go between Eligos and the manger of the team Kylar and Anais will
be joining, Akkam. Briefly, she introduces Kylar and Anais to Akkam
as well as the gladiatorial team they are joining, Akkam's Razors:
Whisper, a beautiful but extremely young looking woman, Tiaothi, a
strange mannered elf, and Bert, a taciturn human. Introductions
complete, Celeste departs, leaving Akkam to handle any needed
negotiations. Akkam attempts to suggest a fair split would be a 50/50
split of the winnings between him and the five competitors but Kylar
quickly convinces him that an equal split for everyone would be the
fairest proposition.

Akkam explains that the Champion's Games are a series of gladiatorial
battles that are sometimes lethal. Anyone yielding much be given
deference, however, or else face disqualification. Also, nothing can
be done to endanger the crowd, nor can any participants fly over
forty feet from the arena floor. The games begin in a week, with a
giant free for all with four other teams as the first event, followed
by three rounds of one on one battles. Indicating he'd be happy to
place a few bets on them, Akkam is happy to accept money from Kylar
and Anais.

Over the next week, as Whisper, Tiaothi, and Bert relax awaiting for
the upcoming games, Kylar and Anais sell off much of the former
belongings of their now dead companions, as well as several magical
relics found within Zyrxog's chamber. Edvard's third of the loot is
sent to him at the Observatory while Kylar and Anais rapidly spend
theirs buying magical assistance for the games.

June 6th: The newly formed Akkam's Razors assemble at a lavish dinner
banquet celebrating the beginning of the Champion's Games the next
day. Kylar and Anais are particularly attentive when Loris arrives
and introduces the reigning champions from last year's games, Orik
and Kerric, two individuals both Kylar and Anais recognize from
Diamond Lake.

Kylar regales the attending competitors with terrible stories of the
Razor's buffoonery, while singing terribly off-key (attempting to
lower expectations of the Razor's capabilities, and possibly enhance
their odds at the betting booths). Bert scans his opponents and notes
both the Drunken Devilry and the Crazy Eights drinking heavily at the
banquet. Whisper approaches the Sapphire Squad, a team lead by a
flamboyant janni named Korush. Kylar quickly intercedes as the janni
begins making motions on the innocent and unaware Whisper. Tiaothi,
and shortly afterwards Kylar, both attempt to approach the Arcane
Ariga, a team of all female elves. Both are quickly rebuffed however,
though young Whisper again finds a happy welcome among them. Deciding
to approach his true target, Kylar approaches Loris who has little to
say. He does seem very perturbed at Kylar and Anais's presence at the
games however, and continues to stare at them for the rest of the
evening.

As the dinner banquet winds down Kylar is approached by Tira, Orik
and Kerric's third companion from their time in Diamond Lake. She
hastily informs him that the Thieves' Guild within Greyhawk thinks
the Razors are going to win the games and are running a black market
bet on them. She offers to help facilitate making the Razors some
money if Kylar would like to bet on the Guild's market and he quickly
accepts. As a request for her help, however, Tira asks that the
Razors go easy on her friends Orik and Kerric.

Shortly afterwards, Loris announces the official beginning of the
Champion's Games and the contestants are escorted down below the
arena where they will be housed for the duration of the competition.

June 7th: Early the next day, the first match-ups are posted in the
dining hall. As Anais and Tiaothi collect their respective breakfast
meals, Kylar and Bert examine the schedule of the day. The Razors are
scheduled for the second match of the day, a four way contest between
them, the Arcane Ariga, Badland's Revenge, and the Sapphire Squad.
Kylar proposes trying to strike an alliance with one of the other
teams to enhance the Razor's odds. Whisper talks it over with Korush
and both agree that they won't attack each other until they are the
only team standing. Kylar meanwhile attempts to convince the Arcane
Ariga that they should focus on the Badland's Revenge, and vice
versa, but is seemingly brushed off by both groups.

The Draconic Brood (a pair of half-dragons) comes down from the first
match victorious, indicating that the second match will be starting
soon.

A flurry of enhancive magic suffuses the Razors as the beginning of
the second match draws near. As they enter out onto the arena they
are greeted by an enormous roaring crowd, ready to see the fight
commence. As the horns heralding the match's start sound, Kylar
quickly Hastes his companions as he shoots into the air, borne aloft
by his recently purchased Winged Boots. Whisper fires a bevy of Magic
Missiles into the gnolls of Badland's Revenge as Anais charges
headlong into their filthy hairy mass. Tiaothi unleashes a chaotic
burst of light among the elves of Arcane Ariga distracting Kylar as
he accidently shoots Anais in the back.

The elves of Arcane Ariga opens fire from their bows on the gnolls of
Badland's Revenge as Korush the janni and the Sapphire Squad twirls
about on their horses, riling the crowd and eliciting their cheers
and howls.

Whisper bowls over one of the gnolls with an Orb of Electricity as
Anais moves forward, swinging low at the Badland's human druid,
Joren. Dodging back, Joren is caught completely by surprise by Bert's
rapid close and is cut down in spectacular fashion, his head twirling
away from his still stunned corpse. The crowd goes wild. Another
gnoll falls as the elves pepper their hides with arrows. The Sapphire
Squad comes from behind, riding through the elves lines, swinging
left and right as they pass. In response the elves turn and fill one
of the squad's riders with arrows, tumbling him from his mount. A
quick word from Whisper urges Bert and Anais to strike, and in
combination they cut down one of the last gnolls, Badland's Revenge
badly decimated with only one remaining member.

The Sapphire Squad continues to harass the elves as their arrows
slays the last of the gnolls, allowing them to turn their attention
to the riders moving about their flanks. Korush's own arrow takes one
of the elves in the side, dropping her to the ground as Tiaothi and
Kylar advance on the elves' position, firing Eldritch Blasts and
crossbow bolts, respectively, into their midst.

As Bert runs forward, one of the elves surrenders, not wanting to
suffer the fate of Joren. Morale crumbling around them as their
position continues to worsen, it is no surprise when the rest of the
elves surrender as their leader falls to the ground after a Sapphire
Squad rider cracks her head open from his saddle.

Whisper asks Korush to surrender but he declines, eliciting a blast
of electricity from the diminutive sorcerer. Bert cuts down one of
the riders, pulling him from the saddle with the edge of his blade.
Anais rushes forward and quickly does the same to Korush, knocking
the janni from the saddle and sending him to the ground unconscious
and bleeding. As Tiaothi tends to him, sealing his wounds, the crowd
goes wild and Akkam's Razors are declared the victors!

Adventure 27:  Beneath the Coliseum