Chapter One - Part 4 - The Tor is Cleansed

[Okay, this part is not very well written at all. I was really rushing to get it finished before our next session. But here it is.]

As they were walking, XIII told Rayne all about the treasure he and Lirael had found and that Lirael had planned not to tell him about it. Lirael was shocked that XIII would say such a thing, but avoided confrontation for now.

The long stone hall ended in a stone chamber furnished only with cracked, moldering tables on which lay rusted implements of iron. Rain fell into the middle of the room from a shaft in the ceiling that must have run all the way to the top of the tor. From the bottom of the shaft dangled a rope, swinging slightly. A drain in the center of the floor allowed the water to escape, but old dark stains suggested that it was used to carry away other fluids long ago.

Suddenly, from a doorway on the far side of the room stepped two burly humanoids. Each stood more than 6 feet tall and had feral eyes and flat facial features. With a roar, the two drew their weapons and charged at Lirael, XIII, and Rayne. XIII intimidated the one on the left with a hellish taunt.

“Perhaps we should use these rusted instruments to torture the motivations for attack out of these hobgoblins…” Lirael suggested, his sadistic side creeping up to the surface.

As the left hobgoblin was cowering in fear of XIII, who used this moment of fear to evoke a dark crackling energy to bolt out of his fingertips and spiral right into the hobgoblin. The creature was no match for such power and he crumpled to the cold, wet dungeon floor. XIII leapt at his fallen prey and tore out his heart with fervor. 

Lirael feystepped to the second hobgoblin and pulled out his bloody sickle, tearing a deep gash in the throat of his foe. Rayne stepped in and with one fell swoop finished the beast off, until it too fell limp and lifeless to the floor. XIII took the liberty of severing its head and tying it to the short chain he carried around with him. He attached it to his arms and stood up, pleased with his work. 

Just then, Lirael spoke up, “XIII, I do not appreciate the way you made me seem to be an unfaithful friend to Rayne for keeping the secret of the treasure after you specifically asked me to keep it a secret.”

XIII merely crossed his arms, carefree.

Suddenly, Lirael’s eyes glowed with bright psionic power and a strange energy swept through the room, “All I ask, XIII, is that you end your foolish attempts to thwart the companionship that exists here. Your trickery is not welcome in this party.”

The power of the request dimmed to a halt and XIII seemed sufficiently impressed. He didn’t say anything but he decided he would honor Lirael’s request for less trickery.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Rayne interjected, “Lirael can you have a look up this shaft to see if it’s safe? I wanna climb this rope to see if there is anything up there.”

Lirael assured him it seemed safe so Rayne attempted to climb the rope. The water from the rain caused the rope to be slippery and he fell. More careful, Rayne tried a second time but unfortunately, for all that effort there was nothing to be found but the abandoned remains of a hobgoblin camp. So the group continued on deeper into the tor.

They encountered a narrow hallway to their right but examining the dark, cobwebbed nature of the hall, they decided to proceed to the end of the hall. A long stone table dominated the center of the chamber they found there, and bright bits of gold winked up from within the dust that covered the floor. Upon the table lied a well preserved corpse of a tall humanoid wearing the tabard and belts of a knight. Suddenly, the corpse sat up, lifting an old rusted Morningstar in one hand and a javelin in the other. As it climbed off the table, its mouth opened to loose an eerie moan.

XIII raised his hand to reveal a gruesome eye which detached itself and multiplied into a pair. Beneath the eyes grew a Cheshire like grin and it flew forward to crunch into the enemy’s rotting flesh and right through his mental barriers. As he reeled under the mental assault, XIII vanished from his sight. Lirael also peered at the abomination and his eyes flare out as he sifted through the clear-cut mind of the undead bugbear and tore out any images of Lirael there might have been and proceeded to feystep until he was safely out of sight, behind his enemy. 

Seeing Rayne to be the only one left in the room, the monster hurled his javelin with a terrible enraged roar right at him. Fortunately, the old spear skidded across his shoulder armor, only grazing his arm slightly, and lodged itself securely in the wall behind Rayne.

Rayne, with trembling concentration, drew energy up from the earth to aid him in crashing his sword into the zombie warrior, shattering the wooden shield he clung to for protection.

Taking this new vulnerability opportunity, XIII moved under cover of shadow until he had a clear view of the foe. All of the sudden a shadow of himself wrenched itself free and glided over to the bugbear, biting into its neck and sapping the vital lifeforce to be found there, stealing it away for XIII. Lirael’s eyes flared again and this time his third eye opened, thrusting menacing psionic energy towards the zombie creature, unleashing a psychic assault on his mental pathways. At once, the beast began to shriek in pain and its eyes and ears began to bleed. It feel screaming, a look of pain encrusted on its hideous decaying face. 

Lirael lunged for the gold around the room, shoveling it into any space he could find in his clothing. He pointed out the wonderful potential for profit that old, abandoned ruins seem to have, gleefully.

XIII grinned, “Yes, I suppose you do look tasty. Perhaps I should stick with you a while longer…”

Back in the hall, XIII rushes into the final hall in the tor, the one they had skipped over before. Not noticing the gigantic spider’s web at the end of the hall, XIII got caught. He struggled madly against his bonds. Seeing the trouble, Rayne rushed forward, sword drawn. But upon striking the web in hopes that he would free XIII, his sword to became entangled in the sticky threads. He did shake the web enough, though, to assist XIII in his escape and so XIII was able to fall free of the restraining spider’s web. 

XIII decided to be chivalrous enough to try and help Rayne free his weapon. As hard as they tugged at it, though, the sword would not budge from the web. In a blood rage, Rayne mustered up his strength and wrenched the sword out just as soon as a huge spider crawled down from a dark corner of the ceiling of the chamber through the doorway the web had blocked off.

As he pulled out his sword, Rayne deflected an attack by the spider. He ran to the center of the room and summoned the strength of the earth. His skin became barky and his body contorted until he was the shape of a willow tree, his branches consuming most of the upper half of the room. Calling on the strength of the ram as well, Rayne used one of his branches to attack the monstrous arachnid fiend. But the spider was too quick. It scurried out of the way just in time. 

Lirael, who had still not even come down the hall yet, quickly got into a decent enough range to assault the beast’s mind but alas, a creature of the dark as hideous as that had devoured enough terrible things to be unaffected by the mind bending images Lirael conjured up for it.

Insulted and disgusted by the very existence of such an abominable creature, XIII muttered a few intangible Abyssal words, placing a curse upon the beast. Finally, he summoned a cascade of molten liquid fire up as if from the very depths of the Hells themselves and they consumed the revolting spider in a gigantic ignition causing an almost instantaneous death. The spider squealed in pain and turned over onto its back, cloaked in flame, to curl its legs in anguish. To finish off the deal, XIII sucked away the very last ounce of life force left in the oversized carcass as he squirmed under the idea that he had even been in the presence of such a thing. Once the last ounce of life had been drained from the monster, XIII ran around along the walls of the room in a frenzy to shake of the heebie jeebies.

The three relaxed themselves and gave a sigh of relief. They decided to return to the main chamber and rest for the night.

When they arrived, they noticed a note on the wall that read:

Tharizdun has been watching the three of you. He is pleased by your strength and animosity and wishes to present you with a generous opportunity. Meet me at the Broken Gaol in Harkenwold. I will be waiting for you. You will receive a hearty reward for hearing my offer.

Algarond

Took me a whole day but I made my first map!
Woo! Behold....Algarond.

The Planes

There are the main planes of existence. These are the Outer Plane (or the Astral Sea), the Center Plane (or the Mortal World), and the Inner Plane (or the Elemental Chaos). Within these three planes there exist parallel universes/ demiplanes/realms. For example, in the Elemental Chaos, you have the Fire Realm, Water Realm, Lightning Realm, etc. The Abyss lies also in the Inner Plane. These are demiplanes within the Plane.

In order to travel from plane to plane, you must use either a rift, a barrier, or a portal. A rift would be a natural opening in one plane that leads to another. For instance, if you found a bottomless pit ravine while traveling in the Mortal World, there is a good chance that this is a rift leading down into the Inner Plane. This is the most natural way to plane travel, however, it is dangerous and unreliable as you have no way of knowing where in the next plane the rift will take you unless you have used that exact rift before.

A barrier can be found in the natural world as a way to shift between parallel universes. So in order to get to a demiplane from within a plane, you would look for the right moment for a barrier to appear and you would seize the moment to transfer yourself over into the other realm. For example, if you knew that a particular waterfall was a barrier into the Feywild, you would wait until the designated time for the barrier to open and then you would walk through the waterfall into a place from the Feywild that would never otherwise appear behind that waterfall unless the barrier were open.

A portal is a way to get through to another plane by the use of magic rituals. This type of magic is very complex and sometimes even dangerous. A portal can be opened almost anywhere and it simply tears a hole in the veil that separate the different planes. This veil has extraordinary regeneration so this is why portal travel can become dangerous. If you do not cut open a portal sufficiently, it can heal itself as you are trying to switch planes. The magic required to do this is very powerful and requires a heavy amount of concentration and effort.

Sigil, City of Doors, exists on a demiplane of the Mortal World and is the only place with semi-permanent portals to all different planes and demiplanes in the cosmos. It has reliable ancient magic continuously holding open the portals, so it is a trustworthy place to travel from plane to plane. Adventurers have used Sigil’s Doors for centuries, maybe even millennia.

Here is a list of the demiplanes, or realms, within the three Planes.

Outer Plane (Astral Sea):

Silver Sea – The Good Gods have made their homes here.

Dreamshae Isles – Unaligned Gods reign here.

Dark Moors – Evil Gods dwell in this realm.

Center Plane (Mortal World):

Terra – This is the mortal world that most species dwell in.

Feywild – This is the realm where Eladrin have established their cities.

Shadowfell – This is the dark realm where many monsters escape from into the mortal world.

Sigil – Sigil is a city whose history is not very clear. It exists in a realm of its own.

Inner Plane (Elemental Chaos):

Water Realm

Fire Realm

Rock Realm

Lightning Realm

The Abyss – Swirling vortex of destruction and chaos planted from a seed of pure evil.

Note: The Elemental Chaos’s realms are, like the plane describes, chaotic. No one element can be contained solely in its own realm. Therefore, you are likely to find bits of all of the elements in each of the realms. But one will be most prominent, of course.

Chapter One - Part 3 - Exploring the Chambers

“Here, Lirael,” Rayne said, feeling slightly guilty, “You can have all of my torches. That’s my apology gift to you, my friend.”

With a sigh, Lirael grabbed the torches from Rayne’s extended hand and threw them down on the floor beside him, and the grudge began to wane slightly. Suddenly, though, as he noticed XIII, who muttered, “Oh, come on, you should be more angry at him…” Lirael decided to give something a try.

XIII, this is Lirael. I want you to know that I can communicate telepathically. See? Right now Rayne can’t even hear this.

XIII was amused. He replied, You know, I think you should be wary of your so called friend, Rayne. Then he chuckled a little under his breath.

“I’ll keep that in mind…” Lirael said out loud, suspiciously. Rayne looked up, a little confused, but he passed it off.

“Although, he is my friend, and I trust him,” Lirael added.

With a devilish grin, XIII remarked, “Is he really? Would he have attacked you if he was truly your friend?”

Lirael decided not to answer. He trusted Rayne, and this XIII was a stranger. However, now he couldn’t help but wonder just how much he could trust a Daemon and a Shifter for company.

“I think for safety purposes and to help to pass the time, we should explore this place a bit further,” He said to ease the tension he may have been imagining.

Rayne hopped up in agreement, “Great idea. The rats came from over there so let’s try the door on the left first.”

So they did just that. What they came to find was a small chamber with a single statue at the far end. It resembled a sarcophagus standing upright, except that the head of the figure carved upon its lid looked distorted and seemed to have tendrils instead of hair. A pair of bat-like wings extended from its temples. As they walked in, prepared to examine it further, its eyes opened, revealing the glow of green flames, and the head flew forward right off the monument to attack the unsuspecting trio.

Before either of the other two could react, Lirael pushed through them with a fierceness they had not yet encountered, his eyes flashing into a mesmerizing glow as he peered almost as if into the depths of the lesser vargouille’s soul. Then it looked as though the thing went mad as it flew backwards, screeching a hideous plea for mercy in its barbaric monster call. When it hit the far wall it slid to the floor, and began writhing as if in terrible pain until suddenly its skull cracked right in half and the grey matter from inside sputtered out violently.

In the same instant XIII scurried out of the room on all fours and out of sight. Lirael’s eyes calmed down to normal and he looked down upon the hideously slain monster with contempt. Rayne gave a simple, “Hmph,” and walked over to the sarcophagus to see if there was anything else of interest inside. Buried in a pile of dust he found a ring in surprisingly good condition.

“Rayne, may I have a word?” Lirael asked innocently.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I only wish to apologize for XIII’s remarks earlier,” He said, “Surely you heard him commenting about you attacking me…Well, I would like to offer you a truce. I do trust you and I don’t want any hard feelings between us…”

Rayne stepped forward to Lirael with his hand outstretched, the brilliant new ring he found in his palm, “Here, take this as well. I really wanna repay you for that stupid move I did earlier. I don’t want any hard feelings either.”

Lirael takes the ring with a smile and pats him on the shoulder as they walk back out into the main chamber.

Meanwhile, XIII had taken the liberty of exploring what lay beyond the door on the opposite side of the room. He discovered a small stone chest in the center of an otherwise empty, albeit dusty, chamber. In his excitement and haste, XIII reached for the chest immediately and pushed it open, setting off a trap that any other, more precautionary adventurer would have noticed right away upon careful inspection. But nevertheless, XIII was skimmed quite badly by a fusillade of darts. He barely even noticed, however, as he lunged for the glistening treasure inside.

Out in the main chamber, Lirael and Rayne had decided to split up in order to look for XIII. Lirael found him, of course, shoveling gold into his arms in the second chamber. Upon seeing gold pieces, Lirael was suddenly overcome with a lust for the riches he saw his questionable comrade hoarding all for himself. So he coerced him into sharing some of the gold.

“Here, I will give you this pearl if you promise not to tell your ‘friend’ Rayne about this treasure,” XIII bribed Lirael with a smile after they had finished divvying up the coins amongst themselves.

 Lirael was hesitant but ultimately his greed over ruled his loyalty, “Sure, sure, it’s our little secret, XIII.”

It was fine, he justified with himself, he would end up sharing the money with Rayne indirectly anyway.

“We should go find him, XIII. We split up to find you so there is the possibility that he may be in danger right now.”

On the contrary, however, they discovered him waiting just inside the third and final doorway of the main chamber.

“Rayne, what are you doing? We were supposed to be looking for XIII!” Lirael questioned.

“I got the feeling like there’s something dangerous up ahead,” Replied Rayne, “Besides, its pitch black in there and I gave away all my torches to you, remember?”

Lirael rolled his eyes at him and led the other two into the long, dark hall, lighting the way.

Deceased Gods

Interesting list of former deities. Not too important, but if you feel like studying up on your d&d lore, here's some good stuff. The fact that a God may be killed is an interesting and all-too-important tidbit of information.

Deceased/Former deities

• Amoth - God of Justice and Mercy. Killed by the demon princes Orcus, Demogorgon and Rimmon.
• Gorellik - God of Hunting, Beasts, and Gnolls. Killed by the demon lord Yeenoghu.
• He Who Was - A god of good and possibly peace, he was killed by his archangel and exarch, Asmodeus. Implied to be the creator of humans, the devils wiped out all knowledge of his name, which they fear is powerful enough to revive him if it is ever spoken aloud again. The Nine Hells were originally his astral domain, now a prison for Asmodeus and his devils. A holy chalice belonging to him is mentioned in Divine Power.
• Khala - Goddess of Winter, wife of Zehir, mother of Kord, Khala sought to trap the natural world in an eternal winter to secure power over it. Her plans convinced the primal spirits to expel gods and primordials from the world. She was killed by the other gods in a conflict called the War of Winter, who afterwards made a compact to balance darkness and light (Zehir and Pelor), and the natural seasons (Corellon, Pelor and Sehanine). Her power over winter was taken by the Raven Queen.
• Lakal- God of Healing and Mercy who was also her own Astral Dominion. She was an impersonal deity who communicated with her chosen people, the Quom, though "ecstatic moments of personal communion." She extolled mercy and urged her followers to dedicate themselves to pursuits that benefitted the whole cosmos. Lakal's death was accidental- when Bahamut battled Nihil, the Primoridial of nothingness, the pair crashed into Lakal. Bahamut was able to use the distraction to slay Nihil, but the primoridal's death throes also caused Lakal to explode. The surviving quom now roam the planes, retrieving any shards of Lakal that they can find, including those unknowingly consumed by living creatures. Such creatures, including humanoids and player characters, are considered collateral damage in the quom's quest to restore Lakal. Ironically, even if the quom succeed in their quest, the restored Lakal would be disgusted with their methods.
• Maglubiyet - God of Goblinoids. Defeated by Bane.
• Nerull - God of Death and the Dead. Killed by The Raven Queen.
• Tuern - God of War. Killed by Bane.

The Gods

For your reference, here is a list of all of the gods that exist in our campaign. In this campaign, the gods are very much like mortals, but through ancient lore have gained immortality and god status. Think Greek mythology only cooler.

The Gods:

Asmodeus – Asmodeus is the evil god of tyranny and domination. He rules the Nine Hells with an iron fist and a silver tongue. Aside from devils, evil creatures such as rakshasas pay him homage, and evil tieflings and warlocks are drawn to his dark cults. His rules are strict and his punishments harsh:

✦ Seek power over others, that you might rule with strength as the Lord of Hell does.

✦ Repay evil with evil. If others are kind to you, exploit their weakness for your own gain.

✦ Show neither pity nor mercy to those who are caught underfoot as you climb your way to power. The weak do not deserve compassion.

Avandra – The good god of change, Avandra delights in freedom, trade, travel, adventure, and the frontier. Her temples are few in civilized lands, but her wayside shrines appear throughout the world. Halflings, merchants, and all types of adventurers are drawn to her worship, and many people raise a glass in her honor, viewing her as the god of luck. Her commandments are few:

✦Luck favors the bold. Take your fate into your own hands, and Avandra smiles upon you.

✦Strike back those who would rob you of your freedom and urge others to fight for their own liberty.

✦Change is inevitable, but it takes the work of the faithful to ensure that change is for the better.

Bahamut – Called the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut is the lawful good god of justice, protection, nobility, and honor. Lawful good paladins often revere him, and metallic dragons worship him as the first of their kind. Monarchsare crowned in his name. He commands his followers thus:

✦Uphold the highest ideals of honor and justice.

✦Be constantly vigilant against evil and oppose it on all fronts.

✦Protect the weak, liberate the oppressed, and defend just order.

Bane - Bane is the evil god of war and conquest. Militaristic nations of humans and goblins serve him and conquer in his name. Evil fighters and paladins serve him. He commands his worshipers to:

✦ Never allow your fear to gain mastery over you, but drive it into the hearts of your foes.

✦ Punish insubordination and disorder.

✦ Hone your combat skills to perfection, whether you are a mighty general or a lone mercenary.

Corellon – The unaligned god of spring, beauty, and the arts, Corellon is the patron of arcane magic and the fey. He seeded the world with arcane magic and planted the most ancient forests. Artists and musicians worship him as do those who view their spellcasting as an art, and his shrines can be found throughout the Feywild. He despises Lolth and her priestesses for leading the drow astray. He urges his followers to:

✦Cultivate beauty in all that you do, whether you’re casting a spell, composing a saga, strumming a lute, or practicing the arts of war.

✦Seek out lost magic items, forgotten rituals, and ancient works of art. Corellon might have inspired them in the world’s first days.

Thwart the followers of Lolth at every opportunity.

Erathis – Erathis is the unaligned god of civilization. She is the muse of great invention, founder of cities, and author of laws. Rulers, judges, pioneers, and devoted citizens revere her, and her temples hold prominent places in most of the world’s major cities. Her laws are many, but their purpose is straightforward:

✦Work with others to achieve your goals. Community and order are always stronger that the disjointed efforts of lone individuals.

✦Tame the wilderness to make it fit for habitation, and defend the light of civilization against the encroaching darkness.

✦Seek out new ideas, new inventions, new lands to inhabit, new wilderness to conquer. Build machines, build cities, build empires.

Gruumsh - Gruumsh is the chaotic evil god of destruction, lord of marauding barbarian hordes. Where Bane commands conquest, Gruumsh exhorts his followers to slaughter and pillage. Orcs are his fervent followers, and they bear a particular hatred for elves and eladrin because Corellon put out one of Gruumsh’s eyes. The One-Eyed God gives simple orders to his followers:

✦ Conquer and destroy.

✦ Let your strength crush the weak.

✦ Do as you will, and let no one stop you.

Ioun – Ioun is the unaligned god of knowledge, skill, and prophecy. Sages, seers, and tacticians revere her, as do all who live by their knowledge and mental power. Corellon is the patron of arcane magic, but Ioun is the patron of its study. Libraries and wizard academies are built in her name. Her commands are also teachings:

✦Seek the perfection of your mind by bringing reason, perception, and emotion into balance with one another.

✦Accumulate, preserve, and distribute knowledge in all forms. Pursue education, build libraries, and seek out lost and ancient lore.

✦Be watchful at all times for the followers of Vecna, who seek to control knowledge and keep secrets. Oppose their schemes, unmask their secrets, and blind them with the light of truth and reason.

Kord – Kord is the unaligned storm god and the lord of battle. He revels in strength, battlefield  prowess, and thunder. Fighters and athletes revere him. He is a mercurial god, unbridled and wild, who summons storms over land and sea; those who hope for better weather appease him with prayers and spirited toasts. He gives few commands:

✦Be strong, but do not use your strength for wanton destruction

✦Be brave and scorn cowardice in any form.

✦Prove your might in battle to win glory and renown.

Lolth - Lolth is the chaotic evil god of shadow, lies, and spiders. Scheming and treachery are her commands, and her priests are a constant force of disruption in the otherwise stable society of the evil drow. Though she is properly a god and not a demon, she is called Demon Queen of Spiders. She demands that her followers:

✦ Do whatever it takes to gain and hold power.

✦ Rely on stealth and slander in preference to outright confrontation.

✦ Seek the death of elves and eladrin at every opportunity.

Melora – Melora is the unaligned god of the wilderness and the sea. She is both the wild beast and the peaceful forest, the raging whirlpool and the quiet desert. Rangers, hunters, and elves revere her, and sailors make offerings to her before beginning their voyages. Her strictures are these:

✦Protect the wild places of the world from destruction and overuse. Oppose the rampant spread of cities and empires.

✦Hunt abberant monsters and other abominations of nature.

✦Do not fear or condemn the savagery of nature. Live in harmony with the wild.

Moradin – Moradin is the lawful good god of creation and patron of artisans, especially miners and smiths. He carved the mountains from primordial earth and is the guardian and protector of the hearth and the family. Dwarves from all walks of life follow him. He demands these behaviors of his followers:

✦Meet adversity with stoicism and tenacity.

✦Demonstrate your loyalty to your family, your clan, your leaders, and your people.

✦Strive to make a mark on the world, a lasting legacy. To make something that lasts is the highest good, whether you are a smith working at a forge or a ruler building a dynasty.

Pelor – The good god of the sun and summer, Pelor is the keeper of time. He supports those in need and opposes all that is evil. As the lord of agriculture and the bountiful harvest, he is the deity most commonly worshipped by ordinary humans, and his priests are well received wherever they go. Paladins and rangers are found among his worshippers. He directs his followers thus:

✦Alleviate suffering wherever you find it.

✦Bring Pelor’s light into places of darkness, showing kindness, mercy, and compassion.

✦Be watchful against evil.

Raven Queen – The name of the unaligned god of death is long forgotten, but she is called the Raven Queen. She is the spinner of fate and the patron of winter. She marks the end of each mortal life, and mourners call upon her during funeral rites, in the hope that she will guard the departed from the curse of undeath. She expects her followers to abide by these commandments:

✦Hold no pity for those who suffer and die, for death is the natural end of life.

✦Bring down the proud who try to cast of chains of fate. Punish hubris wherever you find it.

✦Watch for the cults of Orcus and stamp them out whenever they arise. The Demon Prince of the Undead seeks to claim the Raven Queen’s throne.

Sehanine – The un aligned god of the moon and autumn, Sehanine is the patron of trickery and illusions. She has close ties to Corellon and Melora and is a favorite deity among elves and halflings. She is also the god of love, who sends shadows to cloak lovers’ trysts. Scouts and thieves ask for her blessing on their work. Her teachings are simple:

✦Follow your goals and seek your own destiny.

✦Keep to the shadows, avoiding the blazing light of zealous good and the utter darkness of evil.

✦Seek new horizons and new experiences, and let nothing tie you down.

Tharizdun - Tharizdun is the chaotic evil god who created the Abyss. He is not mentioned in the Player’s Handbook or named in the Monster Manual, because the fact of his existence is not widely known. A few scattered cults of demented followers revere him, calling him the Chained God or the Elder Elemental Eye. Tharizdun doesn’t speak to his followers, so his commands are unknown, but his cults teach their members to:

✦ Channel power to the Chained God, so he can break his chains.

✦ Retrieve lost relics and shrines to the Chained God.

✦ Pursue the obliteration of the world, in anticipation of the Chained God’s liberation.

Tiamat - Tiamat is the evil god of wealth, greed, and envy. She is the patron of chromatic dragons and those whose lust for wealth overrides any other goal or concern. She commands her followers to:

✦ Hoard wealth, acquiring much and spending little. Wealth is its own reward.

✦ Forgive no slight and leave no wrong unpunished.

✦ Take what you desire from others. Those who lack the strength to defend their possessions are not worthy to own them.

Torog - Torog is the evil god of the Underdark, patron of jailers and torturers. Common superstition holds that if his name is spoken, the King that Crawls burrows up from below and drags the hapless speaker underground to an eternity of imprisonment and torture. Jailers and torturers pray to him in deep caves and cellars, and creatures of the Underdark revere him as well. He teaches his worshipers to:

✦ Seek out and revere the deep places beneath the earth.

✦ Delight in the giving of pain, and consider pain you receive as homage to Torog.

✦ Bind tightly what is in your charge, and restrain those who wander free.

Vecna - Vecna is the evil god of undead, necromancy, and secrets. He rules that which is not meant to be known and that which people wish to keep secret. Evil spellcasters and conspirators pay him homage. He commands them to:

✦ Never reveal all you know.

✦ Find the seed of darkness in your heart and nourish it; find it in others and exploit it to your advantage.

✦ Oppose the followers of all other deities so that Vecna alone can rule the world.

Zehir - Zehir is the evil god of darkness, poison, and assassins. Snakes are his favored creation, and the yuan-ti revere him above all other gods, offering sacrifice to him in pits full of writhing serpents. He urges his followers to:

✦ Hide under the cloak of night, that your deeds might be kept in secret.

✦ Kill in Zehir’s name and offer each murder as a sacrifice.

✦ Delight in poison, and surround yourself with snakes.

Chapter One - Part 2 - Into the Frying Pan

“So what’s your name and why were you following us, Daemon?” Rayne snarled across the fire.

Lirael interjected, “Rayne, we must keep the peace, here…” He looked to the stranger, “I apologize for our rudeness. My name is Lirael, and this is Rayne. We are mere travelers.”

“I am XIII,” The Daemon informed the two of them.

“Thirteen?” Lirael and Rayne asked together, puzzled.

“Yes…”

They all paused. Lirael and Rayne sat feeling slightly uncomfortable while XIII sat grinning devilishly at them. Finally, XIII spoke again.

“Don’t you find it strange that we are the only ones who were wandering around out in the rain and needing shelter here?” He asked them, somewhat rhetorically.

“Well, I suppose we can’t really know for sure if we really are the only ones here, now can we?” Lirael replied, looking suspiciously towards the three doors in the room that no one had bothered to pay any attention to yet. “Rayne, why don’t you go and see if the door over is locked or not?” He asked, pointing to the door to his right.

“I’m on it,” Rayne replied, as he stood and walked over to the door on the right side of the chamber. He gave it a good pounding after discovering that it was indeed locked. “Hm, it’s definitely pretty solid…” He noted.

XIII mumbled something about trivialities and stretched out his bedroll to lie upon and rest his eyes. There would be no way he would actually get any real sleep though, as Rayne took a running start at the door before slamming his body into it with full force. Surprisingly the door held its ground. Rubbing his shoulder, Rayne backed up once more to give it another go. But as he ran at the door, a colossal clap of thunder roared from the clouds outside and shook the entire structure. As Rayne was about to hit the door again, all three doors in the chamber were rattled off their hinges at once and they fell with yet another loud crash to the floor.

Before any of them could gather their senses, the sounds of squeaking filled the air as a pack of terribly fat and grimy looking rats swarmed into the chamber from the doorway on the back wall. Acting upon his animalistic instincts, Rayne drew his sword and stabbed the first rat that approached him into the ground. It struggled for only a brief moment before its life force was completely extinguished.

XIII, excited by the death and scent of the rodent’s blood, jumped to his feet from his bedroll and lunged at the first rat he saw, digging his dagger-like claws deep into its flesh and shoving its now mangled form between his razor sharp teeth.

Meanwhile, Lirael used his Eladrin Feystep to teleport himself over to the swarm and slash one of the rats dead with a sickle he pulled from his belt as Rayne was being bitten by a rat that had attacked him in a panic. Practically before he could even smite the rat that was already biting him, the pack of rats swarmed in on the trio all at once, biting them all with their sharp, nasty incisors.

XIII devoured another rat out of exhilaration, but choked on the putrid flesh and gags. This only amuses him more, and he laughs a little, maniacally, while blood and bile drip from his jaws.

Seeing that everyone was being attacked by the rodents, Rayne became enraged and, like a ram, he hurled himself at what remained of the pack, nearly smashing into Lirael, who dodged at the last second, with his crushing blow into the stone floor. XIII would have been struck if he hadn’t instantly vaporized into a cloud of mist and floated away. While he did obliterate the last of the rats, Rayne also left a sizable dent in the floor.

“Watch what you are doing, Rayne, you gargantuan boor!” Lirael exclaimed in his moment of fluster.

Brushing dust and gravel off of himself, Rayne stood up and apologized for nearly flattening Lirael over a couple of rats.

“That…” Lirael said as he straightened out his clothes, “Was absolutely absurd.” And with that he sat down pompously beside the campfire, still irritated by Rayne.
  
XIII giggled as he pet a dripping rodent’s skeleton which had only bits of flesh left to dangle off of its splintered bones.

Chapter One - Part 1 - Entering the Tor

 

[Map of the Tor]

The sky had been slowly darkening all day with the smell of rain thick in the air in Briar Hills. Finally, it had begun to fall, accompanied by loud peals of thunder that seemed to roll across the landscape. The sun was hidden behind massive black storm clouds and a cold wind blew from the north. As bolts of lightning began to slam from cloud to earth and large rocks of hail began to strike the ground, the need for shelter was making itself quite clear for Lirael and Rayne, who were merely a pair of simple travelers to the common eye.

Ahead in the distance, a large tor rose from a nearby hillside, its form illuminated by the occasional lightning bolt. It seemed rocky and solid which would mean it would provide some good safety from the storm. The only alternative would be to endure the weather, but it was becoming obvious that doing so could prove fatal over the course of the night. The storm did not look as if it had any intention of letting up for at least a day or more.

“We should find shelter fast, Lirael,” Rayne called over the noise of the weather, as he pointed to the tor looming some 20 yards away.

“I am aware,” Lirael remarked. But something was troubling him, “Someone has been following us, Rayne. We need to be careful. We don’t know if he is friend or foe, or even what his motivation for following us is.”

Rayne looked around, trying to spot the mysterious lurker that he had not yet noticed. But the hail was really coming down on them. Lirael decided to make quick work of this nuisance.

“You there, stalking us! Reveal yourself at once!” He shouted out toward the nearby brush.

Without hesitation, a frightening, gangly humanoid creature with a wide and pointy-toothed grin appeared before them. The large horns on his head proved him to be a Daemon, for sure. Cautious, but unafraid, Lirael and Rayne greeted the stranger, desperate to hurry this situation along and find shelter.

“We do not wish to quarrel,” Lirael called out to the Daemon, “If you would be peaceful with us, we would be glad to share the shelter of this tor up ahead with you.”

Just then, a large chunk of ice fell from the sky, knocking the Daemon forcefully on the head. With a pained grunt (though the grin never faded), the Daemon began to walk towards the tor with them, still not saying a word.

The massive tor towered above the surrounding countryside. On the side of the hill it sat upon, a huge arched entryway sat protected beneath a narrow ledge of dirt and grass, leading into the underground catacombs of the structure. The broken remains of an immense, round stone were scattered around the entryway, suggesting that it may have once been blocked off. But luckily the entrance was wide open for the three new acquaintances. The ground just outside it sloped away from the doorway, directing the falling water out and away, which, along with the sturdy nature of the place, gave assurance that it would make a reliable place of shelter from the severe conditions outside. Eagerly, they all scampered inside.

The stone chamber beyond the entrance was large and open. Peeling paint and broken scrollwork suggested that it was once decorated with care, but only dust remained to greet Lirael, Rayne, and the Daemon. Lirael announced that he would gather whatever wood he could find for a campfire and Rayne offered him a spare torch.

After some careful rummaging, he managed to transform the tattered remains of some old furniture into firewood. Rayne lit it with the torch and they all sat around the warming flames to take the chill off.

Hightower

This is the map of our first adventure: the Tor at Hightower. It is located in the Briar Hills of Harkenwold.

XIII

[NEEDS EDITING, NEW PICTURE COMING SOON]
Player Name: Gerry
Character Name: XIII
Race: Daemon
Class: Warlock
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 130
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Personality: Mysterious, mischievous, and dark. XIII has a bloodlust and sadistic side that are rarely satisfied.
Appearance: Tall and very lanky, XIII has a Cheshire grin with sharp, pointed teeth. 
History: XIII comes from a long line of Daemon nobility. In fact, he is the thirteenth of his bloodline. His mother killed his father for reasons unknown when XIII was still an infant. He lived in the Daemon continent of Bael Turath for 17 years until a group of evil assassinated his mother. After a bloody revenge on his mother's killers, XIII had no home to return to. Thus, he began roaming the world with no restrictions on his violence and no inhibitions, learning bits about the arcane here and there. With no apparent purpose or direction in life, XIII met Lirael and Rayne after randomly following them for the amusement of it. For some reason, he felt a draw towards the two very interesting characters and decided to join their party for a to be decided extent of time.

Rayne

[New picture soon...maybe?]
Player Name: Jeremiah
Character Name: Rayne
Race: Shifter
Class: Warden
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180
Alignment: Neutral
Personality: Rayne's true wish is to become one with nature, the only thing he feels truly close to.
Appearance: Long, dark hair, usually tied back into a ponytail and dark green eyes. Strong build with darker skin, slightly furry due to his canine descendancy, which gives him slightly dog/wolf-like features as well that become more pronounced when he is enraged.  
History: Rayne is believed to be orphaned. He was found by Eladrin at a young age and raised by them in their own city of the Fey Plane. Despite his love and gratitude for them, upon completing his training and coming of age he decides to venture out into the world in hopes of discovering himself among other things.

Lirael

Player Name: Michael
Character Name: Lirael
Race: Eladrin
Class: Psion
Gender: Male
Age: 93
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 168
Alignment: Evil
Personality: Lirael attempts to keep a high moral and ethical code. He is generous, friendly, and charming and he is usually well-liked. However, he will experience, on occassion, dissociative bouts accompanied by hints of sadism.
Appearance: Silver hair and fair skin. Lean physique, slender features, embodies the Eladrin ideal of civility, unless of course he is crossed. Then he will quickly shift to a more mad scientist type of demeanor.
History: Lirael was captured by Drow at a young age (the Drow are a race that despise the Eladrin). He spent his days in captivity mastering his mind and ultimately developing psionic powers, which he used to his benefit to help him escape his enslavement. Back in his home-city among his friends and family once more, however, he still struggled with an unshakable sadism than none of his kind could understand or relate to. He decided he had to leave his home town to face his dark side before it unleashed itself, bringing shame and disappointment upon him and his family when he was finally confronted with the engagement of his arranged marriage. So he broke off the engagement and took to adventuring.

Harkenwold

This is the area in which our campaign begins. It is known as Harkenwold and is located in the Southeast portion of the Nentir Vale. Our first adventure takes place in the Briar Hills at Hightower, which is located between the two forked rivers you can see framing Briar Hills.

 

Population: ~2,000

50% Human

25% Halfling

20% Dwarf

5% Other

Most Harkenwolders live in small hamlets and isolated steadings across the countryside. In the country you will find primarily farmers, shepherds, and woodcutters while in the hamlets (villages) you will find woodworkers, smiths, carters, brewers, cheese makers, and leatherworkers. Most other citizens are field workers. Steadings, or farms, in Harkenwold generally house entire extended families, meaning approximately 20 people live on each farmhouse property at most.

The weather in Harkenwold is typically overcast. Rain is common. Sunny days are rare.

White river is the main water source in Harkenwold, varying from 200 to 300 feet wide with a max of 10 feet deep. There are two ferries, one near Tor's Hold, and one near Easthill. They are both flatboats large enough for a horse and wagon but they are not tended, meaning you have to ferry yourself across.

Harken Forest is dense and with thick undergrowth, dangerous for inexperienced travelers due to the population of drake and wolves that exist here. There are a couple of trails, but typically, the citizens of Harkenwold will not brave the forest alone.

Nentir Vale

Here is a map of the Nentir Vale. This is the area we begin our campaign. More specifically we begin in Harkenwold, at Hightower in the Briar Hills.

First Post!

Welcome, nerdies! This is the epic telling of our epic tale as per the words of my choosing. This is purely for my own amusement and hopefully for yours too. Probably it will add some flowing-ness to the chaos that is our D&D sessions. It will help you to recap what happened so you are prepared for next week. It will help you to get to know your character so you can roleplay better so I can write your character better here. And last but not least, it will be entertaining. I will include outtakes as well!

And off I go to write the first chapter...!