998 Rhaan 24th - Sypheros 6th

998 Rhaan 24th Fairhaven sometime before midnight

As we were navigating Fairhaven, we were again attacked by the warforged warrior known as Cutlass. It almost would have been comical as he had absolutely no chance against Zed, even had the rest of us sat out the engagement. But killing a sentient creature should never be taken lightly. I was to discover later that Zed made the distasteful choice to keep the head as a trophy.

Later, I received a message indicating that the marriage, hinted at by certain relatives, will indeed be taking place soon. I will be wed to one of my distant cousins, one Bryanna daughter of Galaynas d’Sivis. I don’t know Galaynas well, but I do know that he is a high ranking instructor in the College of Antiquities of the Korranburg Library. Of the daughter I know next to nothing. I dare not refuse this arranged marriage or I could have an assassin set after me, or worse I could be excoriated. Likely this youngster Bryanna is a homely short-nosed plump little moppet who is being married off to a penniless nobody because no one else will have her. Otherwise her father would not be wasting his time with me.

998 Rhaan 25th aboard an Orien lightning railcar, morning

As I write this I am speeding toward Korranburg on a House Orien transport. After receiving the message of my impending nuptials I immediately went to an Orien station and purchased four tickets to Korranburg. I did not want to risk walking all the way to my wedding, thus I purchased the tickets immediately. Zed suggested we visit his wizard friend Largo Capachitore before trying the Canniths and it turned out providential that we did so. We spent most of our remaining funds on Pazenga as Largo just happened to have in his possession an enchanted belt designed to enhance a pugilist’s fighting ability, increasing both in the force of unarmed blows and the wearer’s dodging skills. The belt cost us an exorbitant 13,000 gold coins, but we paid it cheerfully reasoning that this was the chance of a lifetime and would likely not be repeated. For myself I purchased the least expensive wand of force missiles as a basic defense. We did not have enough funds left to buy Elarin the skin toughening amulet (as we purchased for Pazenga), so we did not bother to visit the Canniths and instead went straight back to the lightning rail station.

998 Rhaan 26th aboard an Orien lightning railcar morning

At the last Orien station I sent a letter to Failin requesting his services. If I am to be married I can’t have my bride trudging across Khorvaire like a vagabond. Furthermore his wagon has proven itself tactically invaluable in running battles, especially battles with cavalry. I also sent a cordial letter of greeting to young Bryannna. Hopefully these steps will placate the proud Galaynas.

998 Rhaan 28th Korranburg, Zilargo

We arrived in Korranburg, only three days prior to the wedding. We immediately were escorted to the Galaynas estate, and as expected he proved to be a very typical gnome patriarch, that is an untrustworthy bore. I would like us to be friends, he could even be a father figure to me, but I think our relationship will always be strained. I even gave him the opportunity to back out of the betrothal to no avail. Things went from bad to worse when we returned from the Canniths and Galayans tried to wrest Cutlass’ sword from my grasp and ended up cutting his own hands.

The problem was that the Canniths offered us well under half the value of the powerful weapon so I was forced to unlock the secrets of its cold power on my own. Then we made an abortive attempt to sell the magic sword to a half-orc from House Tharashk but he offered us even less. Therefore we had no choice but to return to the Canniths with our hats in our hand and accept their offer. At least we scraped up enough money to purchase one of the skin toughening amulets for Elarin. We took the remainder of the sale’s proceeds in a voucher (as well as a number of platinum pieces).

998 Sypheros 1st Korranburg late night

The marriage ceremony was quaint and I might almost have been moved, had I been an actual willing participant. I must concede that I appreciated the fact that the priest called out each member of the Sovereign Host individually during the blessing, nice touch that. Many priests just mention the Host as a whole or only Aureon and Boldrei. As Bryanna came down the aisle I saw that she was no short nosed doughty dumpling but was slim and well proportioned and the shape of her heavy veil suggested firm and up thrust nasal passages. At that point I was sure she must be scarred or gap toothed under the veil. When the veil was finally removed it all became clear. Bryanna was, though no stunning beauty, extremely pretty. That was when it struck me, she has no mark! This explained why Galaynas was so desperate to marry off his only child. Overtures toward betrothal with better situated and eligible dragonmarked bachelors were likely rebuffed, if she lacked a mark. Most Sivis families used marriages as opportunities to breed stronger and more reliable dragon marks (along with the standard political marriages to cement alliances). I almost felt sorry for the poor thing. Married off to a penniless bookish stranger just to breed gnomelings and provide her father with a dragonmarked heir.

Later at the reception Bryanna and I were approached by a “messenger” from the royal Galifarian family of Cyre. It seems that Prince Oargev ir Wynarn remembered my parents’ service to his royal mother and he wanted to congratulate us. According to the message we had three days to depart. Thinking quickly, I evaluated Galaynas’ level of intoxication and decided it was an excellent time to broach the subject of a “honeymoon”. He was too drunk to object, so I have his tacit approval. This is truly a most auspicious and fortuitous event! Not only will I be able to get out from under Galaynas thumb but I will also be able to serve a member of the Galifarian royal family as did my parents! I only wish I had more than three days to depart as I had thought to avail myself of the Korranburg Library to study new and exotic magics. I suppose I shall just have to make the most of three days allotted me by inviting Bryanna to study at the Library with me.

998 Sypheros 4th Korranburg Library morning

To my complete and utter surprise the time that I spent with Bryanna at the Library was truly enjoyable. Not only is she bright and educated but she shares my fascination with esoteric subjects. She is well versed in magical theory and is an accomplished lay priestess of Boldrei herself. Like myself she shares a fascination for magics that blur the line between the arcane and the divine. Most significantly, in one category, that of nature’s secrets, she surpasses me in learning and wisdom. Bryanna even offered to scribe a few scrolls of divine magic after I expressed an interest in her powers. For three days we labored side by side, with me reading dusty old tomes and making notes while she scribed fresh scrolls for my perusal at a later date. I am embarrassed to admit this but I find myself truly enjoying her company. Such an attractive, intelligent, and agreeable young thing. I wonder what she thinks of me. Disappointment most like.

998 Sypheros 6th somewhere on the road in Breland or New Cyre, afternoon

On the road to New Cyre, we unwittingly drove right into an ambush set by an advance force of hobgoblins. Clothyard arrows fell around us like rain. Failin was severely wounded and would have died had it not been for Bryanna. With Failin huddled down beneath the seat, we were forced to fight a static battle defending the wagon. Zed covered our front by leaping from the wagon and charging two fire breathing hounds summoned from Fernia. Zed was soon supported by our martial arts master Pazenga.

I immediately cast a Gatekeeper spell that caused the grass and bushes to animate and grapple the hidden hobgoblins. On the packed earth and gravel of the road we were immune to the nature spell’s power. Elarin launched his powerful firebolt spell and then leapt off the elemental wagon to defend our vulnerable left flank. While Elarin engaged a hobgoblin in a deadly duel of flashing blades, I cast my new cold sphere spell on the two fire dogs, to little effect. After finishing off the hounds Zed was attacked by a hobgoblin champion wielding a short sword in either hand. The two swordsmen fought a furious melee and the invincible Zed, scorched as he was from the hounds, actually seemed to be in trouble. Then an unseen hobgoblin priest of the Mockery summoned another of the fire hounds and Zed was now caught between the hammer and the anvil. Had it not been for Pazenga’s exotic unarmed fighting skills he might actually have been deactivated. But luck was once again on our side and Zed smote the hobgoblin swordsman a mighty blow that separated his head from his shoulders. Zed used the sword’s powerful back swing to inflict a debilitating wound on the summoned fire hound.

When the hobgoblin champion fell, the Mockery priest led a frenzied charge on Zed. Fearing what spells he might bring to bear on my warforged friend, I carefully climbed down the wagon and prepared my Phantasmal Assailants spell. While all this was going on Bryanna’s earth elemental familiar, Shard, joined Elarin and the two of them finished off the hobgoblin swordsman and then they both moved forward to support Zed and Pazenga. Before they reached the front, I released the pent up power of my spell on the enemy priest. The hobgoblin was completely taken in by the illusion, believing himself to be under attack by a deadly enemy. Zed seized the opportunity and neatly cut the priest in half just as a second wave of hobgoblins charged up the road to our front. They were clearly seeking to surround me, perhaps they noticed that my spell caused their leader to scream like a frightened elf girl-child. They must have thought it a shrewd strategy to attempt to eliminate the enemy spellbinder but in reality it put them at a severe tactical disadvantage. In targeting me, they were forced to run past Pazenga, Zed, and Elarin. A number were slain while running through the swirling melee and only one actually reached me alive. And even this hobgoblin was dispatched by my wife’s fire ray spell. This was the hobgoblin’s last gasp as they had over extended themselves in trying to surround me. They routed when they realized they were not going to be able to get to me and we let them leave with the exception of a single hobgoblin prisoner. As I prepare my spells tonight I am including my charm spell and we shall what this hobgoblin has to say tomorrow.

Bryanna has not spoken since the battle and I fear that the carnage was something of a shock to her. This is likely the first time she has taken another's life. I should go and speak with her, Host give me the correct words.

998 Rhaan 24th Fairhaven, Aundair

998 Rhaan 24th Fairhaven late afternoon

As we prepared to depart for our next assault on the sanitarium a tall comely dark haired human-like being approached us. It was a kalashtar by the name of Karshinar. He had read my add offering employment in our company and he said, though he was no scout, his psionic powers would be most useful in our quest. I have read about the legendary psionic powers of the kalashtar but have had no direct experience of them. Furthermore he asked for very little in terms of compensation, so we gladly accepted his services.

As we made the short journey from Fairhaven to Haverthold Sanitarium we vowed that this would be our last assault on the haunted mansion. We wished to put an end to the curse, not just for the poor damned souls trapped therein, but also to give meaning to the selfless sacrifice of our dear friend and comrade Vaegar. I swore before the Host that his death would not be in vain.

We entered the haunted mansion and ascended to the second floor. When we established for certain that the second floor contained no more clues to the completion of our quest, we turned our attention to the basement. We lowered ourselves to the sub-basement with Vaegar’s silk rope. Zed descended first and while we worked our own descent, he discovered a rib cage that animated and floated around him as if to ward him from unseen enemies. After we rallied in the subbasement, we began marching down the small exit tunnel. In the distance, we saw a door glowing crimson with eldritch blood magic. We thought it prudent to focus our investigations elsewhere. Our small company continued down the short tunnel to an ash-filled chamber with bones strewn about. Apparently this small chamber was actually some sort of a heating furnace. During Haverthold’s dark period, under Luec, it was employed to cremate victims of his cruelty. Suddenly the piles of scorched bones coalesced into a half dozen living skeletons. Although these creatures momentarily surprised us, Zed our warforged soldier scattered them like tenpins. The remainder of our party merely fended them off, secure in our confidence of Zed’s prowess. After continuing down the tunnel, we came upon a magically sealed door and we managed to open it.

Upon entering we immediately realized that this was the chamber of horrors wherein the horrific mutilations occurred, conveniently located near the furnace to facilitate disposal of human body parts. The room was a combination torture chamber and operating room if such a place is conceivable by the sane. The room was “L” shaped and just out of sight was a living corpse animated by the power of the dark necromantic energies of the mansion’s curse. As a preemptive strike, Elarin darted to the far side of the room and blasted the undead with his powerful firebolt spell. As the remainder of the party moved to engage the creature at close range, the undead leapt forward and cuffed Elarin with an emaciated hand sheathed in ebony death magic. Despite the debilitating weakness caused by the attack Elarin fought on desperately. While we did our best to distract the creature, Zed laid into it and hacked it to pieces.

At this point we rejoiced for we thought we had destroyed the evil twin Luec. And yet it all seemed far to easy. We had faced a far greater threat in the shadow ghost of Akim Voss. But as a henchman one would presume his undead manifestation to be a much weaker creature than his master Luec's. In any case, after searching the horrific operating room and confiscating an enchanted book, we returned to the first floor and headed for the main exit.

As we approached the narthex, the grandfather clock began to chime, sounding a death toll as it were. Then a creature of nightmare appeared hovering in the air before us. Luec had been transformed by the curse into some sort of a here-to-fore unknown type of undead. In appearance it was similar to a skeleton but there seemed to be some sort of a skin-like membrane pulled over the bones, tight as a drum. The most bizarre piece of undead anatomy was the terrifying scorpion’s tail extending from the creature’s hipbones in the buttock region, though the creature had no flesh for proper buttocks.

That is when it all came clear to me. The scorpion tail……. Luec’s cursed undead body was too much like unto that of an aspect of the servitors of the god of the dark six known as the Mockery to be just a coincidence. The drow refer to the Mockery as Vulkoor and he can take the form of a elf/scorpion centauric creature. Akim Vaas’ Succor Belath must have been simply a pseudonym for the Mockery, god of treacherous warriors.

The thing that used to be Luec used the dark necromancy under its command to summon a pair of shadow spirits from Dolurruh. Given that the curse-warped corpse was levitating some ten feet above the floor, we attacked the shadows first. The combination of Zed’s ghost hammer and our own now considerable experience fighting these shadow ghosts resulted in their speedy annihilation. I used my flaming sphere spell to good effect against the summoned shadow beings. Luec’s skeletal form was not so easily dealt with. When we saw that Zed had control of the situation Elarin and I turned our attention the undead Luec. Elarin and I began a furious spell barrage. But my force missiles, and Elarin’s new acid bolt, did not seem to have any appreciable effect. Karshinar used his uncanny psi powers to blast Luec with cold and this also had no effect. Dygoran called upon the power of the Silver Flame in order to cow the undead mastermind into submission. She might as well have been attempting to rebuke a doorknob for all the good it did. Luec retaliated by striking me with his tail but I was able to shake off the debilitating effects of the scorpion poison.

After Zed finshed off the last of the shadow ghosts, he drew his warsword and closed with the skeleton-scorpion. Between Zed’s great height and the reach provided by his huge sword, our war forged champion was just able to slice at the creature’s feet. In doing so Zed was taking a severe beating from Luec’s mighty scorpion tail but was able to stay in the fight thanks to his golem-like physiology and immunity to poisons. Karshinar tried another of his mysterious psionic powers and this time it actually seemed to bother the thing. The kalashtar seemed to be employing an energy that exploited Luec's vulnerabilities with this particular attack. Meanwhile Dygoran and Pazenga joined Zed in attacking Luec’s feet. I continued to ply my spells against Luec, to no effect, but Elarin realized the futility of spells and opted to climb the stairs so as to get close enough to strike Luec with his enchanted thrusting sword. Before Elarin could get into position he was struck by Luec’s deadly tail, the poison leaving behind an enervating lethargy. When Elarin staggered into position and struck at Luec, the combination of the poison’s enervation and Luec’s near invulnerability to magic changed what should have been a devastating blow into a mild flesh wound. Elarin was forced to flee for his life.

It was at this time that Luec employed his terror inducing magics and caused Dygoran and Zed to flee for their lives, dropping their weapons as they ran. Luec created an ice wall to prevent our escape. I moved my fire sphere spell forward to melt a hole in the ice wall and then Pazenga and I began to follow the others to the back door. I never had the opportunity to move my fire spell but at least it assured us of an exit though the front door, albeit by leaping through searing flame. As I moved my fire globe spell, Karshinar acted as rear guard and blasted Luec with his psi powers again and again. Luec counter attacked with his deadly scorpion tail and thus the kalashtar decided it was his turn to flee. Karshinar leapt through my fire spell and rolled into the atrium on the other side of the wall of ice. Unseen by the rest of us, Luec cornered him in the atrium.

When I saw Karshinar head for my flaming sphere “door” in the ice, continued my own flight to back door. Ironically Zed passed me going in as I was running out. He dashed back to the narthex to regain his beloved great sword. Dygoran abandoned reason and soon followed after him to rescue her flaming morning star. Meanwhile the trapped kalashtar drew upon the dregs of his waning psionic power and blasted Luec with every fiber of his Quori soul. Impossibly Luec was blown apart!

Immediately Haverthold Sanitarium began to shake. The delayed destruction now given free rein. I just managed to leap out the back door as the ceiling began to rain around us. By then Zed had reached his sword, scooped it up and began to run for the back door. His adamantine skin and golem physiology enabled his body to endure the impacts and fight on to the back door. Dygoran was not so fortunate. She managed to reach her ancestral morning star, but she had taken serious punishment from the plummeting debris. Hapless Dygoran must have decided that she had no chance of reaching the distant back door and set her hopes on the front via the hole my fire spell made in the ice wall. Poor Dygoran nearly made it, but only nearly. As the roof finally caved in, her arm emerged from the wreckage, still clutching the precious morning star.

Heart broken over the loss of a second comrade, we dug out her corpse and brought it back to the temple of the Silver Flame in Fairhaven. Our one consolation was that we were able to return Dygoran’s enchanted morning star to her family. After we said our goodbyes to the priestess, our new kalashtar friend Karshinar also bid us farewell. Karshinar said he had urgent business elsewhere and could not tarry. He is the true hero of the final battle against the evil of Haverthold. We had given up, thinking ourselves defeated, but he fought on and prevailed. Karshinar alone broke the curse by effecting Luec’s destruction.

Bryanna d'Sivis' stat block

Bryanna d'Sivis, Female Gnome, Rock Adp5: CR 4; Small Humanoid (Gnome);
HD 5d6+15(Adept) ; hp 35; Init +0;
Spd 20; AC:11 (Flatfooted:11 Touch:11);
Atk +1 base melee, +3 base ranged;
SA: Spell-like Abilities Speak with Animals 3 1 Dancing Lights 1 1 Ghost Sound 1 1 Prestidigitation 1 1 ;
SQ: Low-light Vision (Ex), +4 Dodge Bonus to AC vs. Giants, Weapon Familiarity (Ex), +1 Attack vs. Kobolds and Goblinoids; RF: +2 bonus for saves against illusions, Spell Like Ability: 1/day Speak with Animals (Burrowing mammal only, 1 minute), Spell Like Ability - If Charisma is over 10 - 1/day: Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation;
AL LG; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +7;

STR 6, DEX 10, CON 16, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 13.

Skills: Concentration +8, Craft (Alchemy) +1, Decipher Script +1.5, Diplomacy +2, Gather Information +2, Heal +7, Hide +4, Knowledge (Nature) +9, Listen +5, Spellcraft +6, Use Magic Device +1.5.
Feats: Augment Healing, Improved Familiar, Magic of the Land, Scribe Scroll, Simple Weapon Proficiency.

Spells Known (Adp 3/3/2): 0 -- Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Guidance, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Touch of Fatigue; 1st -- Cause Fear, Command, Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Chaos, Detect Evil, Detect Good, Detect Law, Endure Elements, Obscuring Mist, Protection from Chaos, Protection from Evil, Protection from Good, Protection from Law, Sleep; 2nd -- Aid, Animal Trance, Bear`s Endurance, Bull`s Strength, Cat`s Grace, Cure Moderate Wounds, Darkness, Delay Poison, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility, Web.Spells Prepared (Adp 3/3/2): 0 - Cure Minor Wounds x3; 1st - Cure Light Wounds x2, Obscuring Mist; 2nd - Mirror Image, Scorching Ray.

Elemental, Earth, Small, Male Elemental, Earth, Small : CR 1; Small Elemental (Earth,Extraplanar); HD 5d8 ( Elemental) ; hp 17; Init -1; Spd 20; AC 18; Atk + 6 base melee, + 2 base ranged; +6 ( 1d6+4, Slam ); SA: Earth Mastery (Ex) , Push (Ex) ; SQ: Racial Traits: Elemental, Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Immunity: Critical hits (Ex), Immunity: Flanking (Ex), Immunity: Paralysis (Ex), Immunity: Poison (Ex), Immunity: Sleep Effects (Ex), Immunity: Stun (Ex), Earth Glide (Ex), No Dual Nature (Ex), Immunity: Reincarnate (Ex), Immunity: Raise Dead (Ex), Immunity: Resurrection (Ex); AL N; SV Fort + 4, Ref + 0, Will + 4; STR 17, DEX 8, CON 13, INT 6, WIS 11, CHA 11.Skills: Concentration +8, Craft (__________) +1, Diplomacy +2, Gather Information +2, Heal +7, Hide +4, Listen +5. Feats: Power Attack.

Dinnivan's personal History in detail

Brief Personal History: Dinnivan’s parents (Filgin and Dolra) were moderately wealthy members of the dragon marked house Sivis prior to the inception of the last war. In the early years of the Last War Dinnivan’s parents served under a number of flags as a primary means of communication with the front lines. Their ultimate goal was to serve as a communication conduit between the various members of the Galfarian royal family in hopes that the war might end through negotiation, and this was how much of their time was spent, especially in their later years. Realistically such communication was employed to create and dissolve alliances and did little to bring the conflict to a conclusion, and perhaps even lengthened it. When Dinnivan was conceived, the gnome couple withdrew from involvement in the conflict in order to raise their son safely in Korranburg. However, as soon as Dinnivan was old enough to enter studies in the Korranburg Library, his parents resumed serving various members of the Galfarian royal family as communication specialists. This went on for a number of years during which Dinnivan graduated from the Library of Korranberg’s College of Tabernacles (religion and philosophy) and was retained to serve as assistant librarian. Dinnivan rarely saw his parents but they wrote him frequently. A week prior to the Day of Mourning Dinnivan received a letter from his parents telling him that they were in Cyre working for its Queen and that they would be coming home for a visit in two weeks. That was the last Dinnivan heard from his parents and therefore Dinnivan assumes they were slain in the Mourning. Furthermore nearly all of the family wealth disappeared with them. When the Last War finally ended Dinnivan decided to fulfill a life long dream and travel to Sharn to train under the House Phairlan illusionists.

letter sent to Failin to secure his services

Most esteemed Failin:

My compatriots and I find ourselves in need of reliable and defensible transportation due to an unfortunate level of notoriety via the Korranburg Chronicle. We have come into some funds and I believe we can compensate you handsomely for your services. Please know that our appreciation for your skill, courage, and loyalty is undiminished. If you are in accord with the above, meet us at the estate of Galaynas d'Sivis in Korranberg before noon of 1 Sypheros, 998 YK.

Sincerely,
Dinnivan d'Sivis and company

PS feel free to obscure your identity if needful. We will refer to you as "Drover" until we hear your preferences.