998 Lharvion 9th - 14th

998 Lharvion 9th morning

After resting and preparing ourselves for the final conflict, Rosa the huge dire wolf mentioned that there was an additional room filled with items for which she had no use. This room was some sort of armory and we discovered an enchanted shirt of blue enameled chain mail and a number of master craft weapons of Cannith make. Elarin picked up the enchanted chain shirt and Zed claimed possession of the masterwork great sword. Now with our improved arms and armor we are ready to attempt the schema.

998 Lharvion 9th late morning

That was a near thing. It turns out that the sole schema guardians were the two fire elementals that we had previously identified in the scrying room. At first I was concerned that I had, once again, misidentified a living fire spell as a fire elemental but they were indeed exactly what they seemed. I was fully prepared to handle fire elementals and it should have been a relatively slight challenge. However, just as we choosing our ground for the conflict, one of the fire elementals toppled a huge vat of molten glass. Due to the intense heat, the glass’ viscosity was very low and it spilled freely like water. It flowed all the way into our defensive formation at the threshold. A number of us were slightly burned escaping the molten glass. Worst of all, the combination of molten glass and the searing touch of the fire elementals caused Zed to burst into flames. That oily substance that stands in for warforged blood seems to burn quite well. I knew we were in grave danger at that point so I began casting a ward on each of us as Zed writhed on the floor in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the ravening flames. The ward I placed on the rest of us made it quite impossible for the elementals to touch us. Despite his frantic rolling, the flames were still consuming Zed and he was rapidly approaching his deactivation point. I called to him, requesting that he come near. When he did so, I conjured water and doused his flame. While all this was going on Vaegar was furiously cocking and then firing his crossbow at the elementals while protected by the living rampart of Elarin and myself. The elementals had had enough and pushed past Elarin and I to get to Vaegar and Zed. Then began an almost comical game of cat-and-mouse with Elarin and I doing our utmost to hinder the passage of the elementals while allowing Vaegar and Zed to pass freely (in order to avoid being pinned down and immolated). This farce quickly turned the tide of battle to our advantage. Zed and Vaegar struck at the elementals as they would attempt to maneuver past. A few such passes and the elementals were sent back to Fernia where they belong.

After the battle was won, we searched the room carefully. Inside a transparent chest we found not one but two adamantine diamond-shaped schemas! Furthermore there was a Creation Pattern wheel with all the schemas were represented. I suspect that the wheel was one of the devices used to create the various adamantine schema for which we are questing.

998 Lharvion 10th late morning

I am feeling quite put out as I was very nearly slain this morning. As we attempted to exit Whitehearth, the false vampire Garrow (perhaps actually a changeling in the form of a vampire), the human spellbinder Melora and their Emerald Claw warriors both human and skeletal ambushed us. They were drawn up in an array with crossbows trained on us and our defensive situation was highly untenable. At first I threatened to destroy the schema by puncturing the enchanted backpack and severing its connection to the non-dimensional space that actually contained the schema. Garrow did not seem the least bit concerned, or he bluffs so convincingly that he tricked me into believing that he did not care if the schema was destroyed. Acting on intuition, I felt that our only hope was a tactical retreat to the cavern that contained the shaft-ladder. In the course of the retreat Zed wounded Garrow despite the creature’s clumsy attempts to confuse us with his doppelganger-like powers. Zed and I formed a rearguard at a choke point near the shaft-ladder. Garrow’s recklessness agression convinced me he truly was a vampire. I had thought that only one with a vampire’s regenerative prowess would undertake such the desperate risks, unsupported, in the Mournland. I was incorrect. Fresh blood, left on the battle field, told a different story. Garrow wisely turned invisible and used the stealth advantage such magic provides to slip a blade in my back. At this point I was unconscious of course and at death’s own door but I was told what happened next.

Thinking quickly Zed threw ONE of the schemas near where he believed Garrow to be and told him to take it and leave quickly. Garrow, of course, had no way of knowing about the second schema and did as he was bade. Garrow double crossed us and sent his squad of Emerald Claw skeleton warriors after us, but that was no more than was expected. Zed’s strong defensive position provided an easy victory over the Emerald Claw skeletons. I was revived by Vaegar employing a potion and the enchanted back pack.

998 Lharvion 14th Rhukaan Draal

Our trip out of the Mournland was relatively uneventful. I will not write of what occurred when I attempted to rescue the “baby” as it is too unpleasant to dwell upon. My compatriots and I are about to meet with the mysterious Lady Elaydren. We are in a most uncomfortable position in our negotiations, having lost a schema to the Emerald Claw. The fault lies first and foremost with myself. Had I correctly divined the situation we might have had a great victory over the Emerald Claw. Truth be told, I would give the schema away to the Cannith for free, if Lady Elaydren refused to pay for it, but there is no need for her to know this.