An Old Tome

GadGuard

_Taniko and Daishi, training again. New place, found out later, Vladimir called it the Keep of the Fallen. Mostly undead within, clearing the lower floors was easy enough.

Such a waste, grand halls left to the undead. Joked about moving in one day. Seems silly in hindsight, after the story Vladimir told me.

All manner of undead I've never seen. Again, I thank Vulcan for this weapon. Would've been much harder otherwise. Though we had to turn back anyway, as there number was too many.

It's been awhile since the sisters were together. Decided to head out, just the three of us. On other notes, I seem to only be fighting undead these days.

Did rather well, cutting our way to the lower levels. Though there was suspicion that a bloodsucker waited underneath. Unfounded.

Heard scratching in sealed sarcophagus, decided to leave. Quickly.

Spoke with Vladimir about our earlier trip. Seems it was not just old books in the chambers. Some manner of power lies there.

People have been looking into it. Perhaps we'll be the ones to finish their work?

Winter wolf wandered in the gates. No one seemed to care.

Bear wandered in the gates. No one seemed to care.

People got mauled._

GadGuard

_Rain has work to do in Oscura. Cabel follows. Vladimir looking to explore crypts below Oscura.

New undead to battle. Spirits and grey brutish creatures. Powers come in use, against the heat. Crematorium burns still. Do battle with giant bone lizard, causing fear in us. Take tooth as trophy. Glad I got the star crafted.

Much deeper within. We find lengthy corridor. A riddle and warning. I scribe it all.

"Born together and each of the same,
taking of one, each unique in it's name.

She is of night and also of day,
Seen but not heard less she comes this way

Old but not frail and cannot be caught,
moving through time yet aging not

Another is gentle and soft in her touch
yet destroy it will a rock in her clutch

bidding their will with nothing to mind,
there is no place one goes they will not find.

This one beings with her both beginning and end,
she takes what she wants scolding even a friend.

Alone in their race to do as they will,
each its own bidding and tasks to fulfill.

Her name is not clear and her manner is fierce,
the strongest of shields her way will pierce.

Together for cause they grow ever stronger,
but together at times one may be no longer."

Vladimir pulls the levers. Trial and error. Burning skeleton, much burning. Door opens. Find books, very old, faded and untouched.

"She comes from above and below and beside,
the way past this way is where she'll reside.

Move now and see that the way is clear.
for the power of They you shall revere."

Exit is blocked. Attacked by spectre. Again as we try to leave. Vladimir is struck down. Three of us carry him back, fighting for our lives. Most excitement I've had in awhile. With death around every corner.

Bring him to the temple, fix him up quick. Turn down payment, take answer to the riddle instead. More to be found past the door below, requires more help though._

GadGuard

_Walked into inn. Val is there. Elven mage requires help, fighting off bandits. Creates a portal, sending a group of us off. Apparently back in Cormyr. Home, of sorts.

Whole lot of dead folk. The fort looking less than well. Few guards walk the walls. Mayor speaks to us, speaks of devils and deals. Another attack, not before long.

Guards rush out. Outnumbered. Told to hold the entrance. Rushed out anyway. Cutting a swath towards the guards. Too many, they fall. I decide to turn back. The fort is still standing.

Mayor and elven mage don't seem to get along. Bandits have a camp, in a cave to the south west. We are to retrieve documents, to find out more. Val, Vincent and Cabel come up with plans. Disguises, invisibility. I come up with one too, kill them all.

Old coot continues rambling about tigers, bears and frogs. Killed an undead bear, dire tiger and followed a frog. Claims to be a shaman. Had Cabel chew a bandit ear, to heal himself. Odd one that.

Went with my plan, killed everyone on the way in. Half orc bandits are not push-overs. Nor are mages who go invisible and cast fireball.

Val takes on their leader, I rush in just in time. Val looking rather bloodied and worn. We gather up everything, return to fort.

Mayor is busy reading documents. Elven mage thanks us, and sends us off.

A helmet and bow, for my troubles._

GadGuard

_Bats and slimes by the fires. I hardly notice. Alestra runs towards us, fully armed. Monsters in the inn. We rush up, fight off shadow fiends.

Man named Elyl recognizes me. Brings up past deeds, rushes at me with sword. Planned only to knock him down, felled him in one blow. Decided to let it go. Play nice, as it were.

Gates attacked by undead. Then the lightning. Snow begins to fall. Spiders ambush the defenders, surprised, but not for long.

Druids are busy praying. Ice golem charges for the gates. Trolls come flanking. Fight them off, weather worsening.

Someone answers their prayer. Weather is back to the norm. Just more rain. Potions to share. A single flower and a beam of light.

Why didn't anyone answer mine?

Same group to explore another plane. Derek opens the portal. Tiger faced lady asks for a question. Val comes through for this. And she again figures out the fellow's name.

More battles up ahead. Horses on fire, nightmares. Exploding critters. Spiders of utter horror. Flame elementals.

Round the corridor, last room. Rather large dragon. Everyone is awe-struck. Remain where I was. Never liked dragons. Val performs a song. Dragon seems pleased, gives out items.

We head back. More spiders. I fall. That makes two.

We distribute the items. Earn a thick cloak for the cold.

Never thought about the deal, till now. Not a mistake. Merely rushed.

Power is a means, not a goal. In the end, what do I want?_

GadGuard

_Rain has met vampires in the crypts. Wanting to turn her, she said. Seems preoccupied with the thought. Promises of power, always the same.

Vladimir hiring help. Food shortage in Oscura. Sources of meat south in the woods. Much further south.

Past the goblins. Tregan speaks of ghost wolves, as they attack. Group in disarray, running about wildly. Clawed and bitten. Slayed a few. Vladimir calls for retreat. Back into eastern woods.

Decide to go around wolves. Hob woods. Eventually into caves. Group does not listen. Victim to bugbear spells. Silly folk. Take platform down deeper.

First time venturing. Group notices odd crystals. Catch sight of more bugbears. Vladimir again calls for retreat. Come back with questionable others, he said.

Return to town, receive more than agreed payment._

GadGuard

_Sogar takes me to the old crypts. Been reading his book, violence and blood. Nothing new. Conquer fear, he said.

Outlook remains the same. Body otherwise. Flesh and blood. Fear of death. Comes naturally. New to me.

The smell of undead. Putrid. The blades and bites. Pain. We cut them down. Hold the doorway.

Back to the old altar. I know it well. We speak shortly of sacrifices. Head down deeper.

Ambushed by giant. Immobilized by ghouls. I feel weak. Pathetic even. Takes time, he says.

We find a priest. Old hatreds arise. I cut him down. And more.

Val does not agree to Sogar's teachings. Honor first and foremost, she says. I am unsure.

Big fellah is named Grak. Focused on my body. Appealed to his greed. Demon hunting in Jyidd. Lucius and Ekmen join.

Grak hates trees. Man-devouring ones. Paranoid even.

Take the ferry across. Old Jyidd papers still with me. Can barely remember. So long ago. Same with camp.

Small flying demons. Disappear and casts spells. Hard to draw into cover. Charged and killed.

Incubus standing at bridge. Ekmen and Lucius attack, flanked by Succubus. Grak and I distract it. Black tentacles. Grak falls. Saved him with supplies. He owes me.

Ekmen takes Incubus's head as trophy. Nothing for me.

Have not used new powers. Many chances, situations. Still, no._

GadGuard

_Hand out clothes in Norwick for Marty. Wearing Sisterhood colors.

Sitting by the fires. I hear a voice. For a brief moment, fear. But no, someone else. Find a secluded spot.

A name I know. Another deal. Seems simple enough.

Plumes of smoke towards the north. Folk head up. Expecting trouble.

I see it. Peltarch Defenders came down the pass. Massacred folk camped at the crossroads.

Pieces come together. Still no bigger picture. Less I know, the better.

Return to scene. Evidence gone. No trace of anything. Folk suspect.

No reliable witnesses. My word against theirs.

Spread the word._

GadGuard

_Another trip to the old crypts. Locked out in the open, on my own. Silvarion fireballs. Soften the enemy. Tan and Daishi held off the bridge.

I charge, join the fray. I fall, dead.

Details few. A single wish. Something simple. One for another.

I wake. Different.

The one who calls me student. Looks weakened. Brought me back, thank the Reaver, he said.

A swing of the blade. Flesh and blood. And the pain. It's been decades._

GadGuard

_Elidur went to take a bath

Easterners and Rain. Training as always. First gnolls. Then winter wolves. Marty came along. Called them evil. Came in packs. Cold is a nuisance. Returned to Peltarch.

Came across Z in the commons. Order is complete. Useful against undead and weres. Ironic. Now to find Vulcan.

Marty to tend the trees out west. Guarded her from orcs. Nothing new.

Gathered a group to check barrows under Peltarch. Marty leads, Lucius and elf follow. Entered the sewers at the docks.

Marty speaks of cultists who worship the dead. Found them. Killed them. Burned them.

Came across slime, impervious to weapons. Magic Missile did it in.

Zombies were about. Found entrance to the barrows. A dark hole within the sewers. Long talk from Marty. She does not like undead. Or the smell.

Wights and ghouls. Traps on the doors. Too many behind the doors, decided to turn back. Voices heard. One whimpering male. One loud female.

Marty sets traps near exit. Looked down corridor. Vulcan surrounded by zombies. Insane sea elf.

Rushed in, felling zombies. Can't hit the sea elf. She sets me on fire. Cuts me down. Elf helps me up. She runs after Marty. Leading her to traps, maybe. Near entrance, we regroup. Renewed assault. Bring her down.

Having been on fire, not in good mood. Escorted Vulcan out. Looking for components, he said. Insane sea elf who set me on fire, was turncoat bodyguard.

Vulcan takes us to smithy. Forges a spear as thanks. Pass him components. Forged Star of the Morning. Stuffed it in bag. Too bright, might hurt myself.

Split what we found. Took sea elf's sword as trophy._

GadGuard

_Senators talking in the commons. Trade relations between Peltarch and Oscura. Left for Norwick. Thought it would be quieter.

Not so. Many gathered by the fire. Crafting Union readying for a mining trip. Placed order with Z before they left. Order should be delivered in a week.

A trip to the spiders. Larger ones are missing. Found our secret place. Val shared her story. I shared mine. Never told it before. A pact of sisters.

Rubo took us to the southern orc caves. Or Dorks as he called them. With the watchful eye of Garl, we had little trouble. Took one too many hits, required healing. Exhausted. Left soon after.

Commons was empty. Everyone in the inn. Marty mentions the sisterhood. And many a familiar name. She requires bodyguards. Hired on the spot.

Took Van out to the fishmen. Nearly fell to a sneak. Earned his sword. I hate acid.

Spent time in the spa. Forgetting troubles. For the moment._

GadGuard

_Trip to the old crypts. Took the boat south. Usual walk through old Norwick. No trouble.

Undead acting odd. Flanked us whenever we opened a door. Pugor and Lucius took the brunt of it. Cleared one side. More poured in from the other. Had to make it to the exit.

Darkness gathered. Constant attacks from the shadows. Some manner of specter. Scythe, sword, crossbow, useless. Defeated by Pugor's axe and Lucius's sword.

Regathered. Another attempt at the exit. Shadows again. A skeleton on fire. A skeleton champion. struck Pugor down. Shut the door. No way out.

Pugor barely breathing. Lucius takes the lead. Lured the flaming skeleton. Struck down by my scythe. Not before setting me on fire. Took bone as trophy. No sign of champion.

Regathered. Shut the door. No more potions, they said. Burnt and hungry. Dragged one aside, ate in a corner. Time for last charge. Lucius and I hold them off. Ethan helps Pugor out.

They came. No way out for Ethan. Lucius is surrounded. Too many shadows. Help arrives. Elf named Troff. Cut a path through the darkness.

Stayed for brief moment. Descending darkness. Escaped.

Came across another elf. Worships Lolth. Odd one. Spoke shortly. Doesn't seem entirely there._

GadGuard

_Sitting in the commons. Talking to Marty. Can one fight one's own nature? I wonder.

Silvarion reading book on rifts. String and needle to find them. Apparently, it works. Pointed due south.

Found rift near ruins. Old temple complex. Insect men. Pushed further in. Found giant spider. Decided to call for help. Val came. Long drawn out fight. Took fang as trophy. Head too big.

More insect men. Aelthas came. Stingers hurt. Mind spiders. Head hurts. Disrupted ritual with fireball. Faces of woman everywhere.

Altar past bridge. Bloodied and burnt. Women with same face. Took head as trophy. Found loot. To be split back in town. Head still hurting.

Left. Portal closed by magical scroll. All safe.

Items of interest. Legendary assassin's dagger. One of a pair. Blacksoul sickle. Vampiric. Could sate hunger. Lost it to Aelthas. Marty takes drugs. Funny.

Hammer knows. Something I said. Really should pay attention to what I'm saying.

Stayed at the inn. Hungry as always._

GadGuard

_Decided to take a walk down to Norwick from Peltarch. Labur, Ethan and Brendal. Expected to be a quiet walk. Was otherwise.

Gnoll bandits. Wanted to eat me. Found it funny. The rest made short work of them.

Found corpse along the way. Hoarans they said. Hungry from gnoll fight.

Small demon at crossroads. Said it owned it. Wanted me for breeding. Watched as the rest struggled to hit the rather nimble thing. Was laughing too hard to help.

Reached Norwick. Cooked meat over fire, while the rest were talking. Ate.

Southern gates attacked. Many, many died. Defended it for a short while. White flag, exchange of words. Decided to leave for the graveyard instead. Quieter there.

Big group in southern woods. Looking for trouble. Found it in Hob woods. Shadow overhead. Sounds of large creature. Brendel and Mina went to look.

Harpies. Wyverns and larger ones. Dwarves are handy for such things.

Found new bar. I like the service and drinks. Rass came. Memories of being chewed by Rass. Not fun. Balor came. Something else came. Mina left a tip.

We all left._

GadGuard

_Out at orcs with group. Exploring the southern cave. Bad idea.

Caster took us by surprise. Val and I were first to fall. Don't remember much.

Was brought back. Who? Why?