link to Zed the warforged's character sheet

http://www.dndonlinegames.com/view.php?id=42759

998 Sypheros 29th to Aryth 3rd

998 Aryths 1st the capital of New Cyre

Somehow the Honor Guard has survived the battle for New Cyre despite the many brave souls who have fallen. The Sovereign Host must favor my companions and I given the desperate battles that we have seen. For surely it was not our own efforts that carried us through but solely divine providence. By rights we should be dead and New Cyre razed but somehow victory was seized while we were surrounded by defeat.

It all started early in the evening of the 29th of Sypheros. Prince Orgev contacted us via the telepathic connection wrought by the human wizard Immerstal the Red. Prince Orgev “spoke” of a small group of hill giants that broke through the defenses and were rampaging through New Cyre destroying all that lay in their path. The king ordered the “Honor Guard” to counter attack in order to prevent the defenders from being surrounded. Gravely concerned for Bryanna’s safety, I asked her to remain behind and instead allowed the elf-woman Quin to act as our secondary healer. Our archer ally Simon strongbow was no where to be seen.

In short order we came upon the four huge giants who were seemingly unwounded despite the forces arrayed against them. Before any my allies could close with the deadly brutes, I cast a time-slowing spell upon the giants and three of the four began moving with the tell tale zombie-like gate that spoke of a successful casting. Being the fleetest of foot, Pazenga closed with the giants first, delivering a crushing nerve punch to the side of one creature’s knee. Elarin and I began a furious spell barrage on the three “slowed” giants while Zed closed with the unharmed giant to protect the rest of us. Zed was nearly beaten to a pulp by the giant’s tree-sized club but managed to hold his own and even outlast his opponent while the rest of us tore into the weakened giants. When the last giant was slain Quin and I saw to the worst of our hurts before we were again contacted by King Orgev.

What we had most feared had occurred, the great red dragon we had seen in the distance was employing his flaming breath to create a conflagration that would destroy the capital of New Cyre without recourse to battle. Elarin and I had forecasted such an unhappy event and we were prepared with a plan that we thought provided for almost certain victory. I would summon a shadow steed to provide Elarin with unmatchable speed and mobility and the elf would employ the superior range and irresistible power of his acid missile spell to strike from a distance that would preclude counter attack by the dragon’s firebreath. The balance of our party would travel to the sight of the conflict on foot to render assistance should that prove necessary. There was one great flaw in our preparations; we had not taken into account that such a battle might occur at night.

I was not a witness to the subsequent events but I received a detailed report from my close friend Elarin and this is what follows.

Our elven companion Elarin was unable to see the dragon in the cloaking darkness and was forced to approach much closer than we had planned and this very nearly led to catastrophe. Elarin wisely chose to head toward the flaming cottages. Even then the elf was only able to spy the dragon when it breathed fire. As soon as the flaming breath erupted in the distant darkness, Elarin fired his spell at the creature’s revealed muzzle. When darkness closed about the great wyrm once again Elarin was unsure in which direction to flee. As he was riding his phantom steed in a whirling broken pattern to throw off pursuit, the elf was in turn ambushed by the unseen flying reptile. The flaming cone disintegrated the quasi-real shadow steed and inflicted nearly fatal agonizing burns on Elarin. The elven sorcerer-swordsman only preserved his life by hiding in a secluded alley and healing himself with the potions provided by our quartermaster Pazenga.

Thereafter the battle turned into a game of cat and mouse with each opponent hiding from the other while simultaneously seeking to ambush his opponent (I say his but for all I know the dragon was a female). Elarin blasted the creature a number of times from hiding with his acid missile spell and was only caught by its fiery breath on one more occasion but this enough for him to despair of victory. The fact that the dragon did not roar in pain despite what should have been agonizing acid burns led Elarin to the conclusion that the dragon had some sort of acid defense at work. Our elven ally chose the better part of valor and hid until our arrival.

When Zed the war forged warrior, Pazenga the weaponless, Quin the elven druidess, and I came upon the flame-lit scene we found a dragon unwounded and Elarin missing. Naturally we concluded that the elf had been slain and eaten by the great beast and we attacked with bloody vengeance in our hearts. Despite the reckless anger I felt I knew we had no chance to defeat an airborne dragon that was immune to the vast majority of arcane magics that I had prepared. Therefore I took a desperate gamble and darted forward to cast my death illusion spell. As I feared the dragon’s innate resistance to such simple spells allowed the beast to shake off the image of fear I place in its mind. But at least I had turned the creature’s attention away from allies and it used its flaming breath on me instead of them. I had an invisible shield of heat resistance cast upon myself and the searing flames were barely uncomfortable.

Zed and Pazenga charged the grounded red reptile but only the gith martial artist was able to close with it before it took to the air. Paz struck delivered one his powerful nerve blows and the creature seemed to be discomfited by the attack. Just before the reptile launched itself into the sky a battle cry resounded from the top of a tall inn and Simon strongbow threw himself off the roof and onto the dragon’s back, both hands wrapped around the hilt of his ensorcelled bastard sword. The sword did not appear to penetrate the thick scales but the frigid enchantments on the blade caused the fire creature to panic and take to the air. At this point Elarin found us and screamed that the dragon was immune to acid as well as heat. I knew then with a crystal clear certainty that we could not defeat the dragon now that he was in the air, immune to our close combat warriors as well, as the vast majority of spells in our combined arsenal.

My companions rapid fired arrows and bolts at the thing to little effect. Desperate to save myself as well as my companions, I drew upon the magical power deep within my soul and recast the death illusion. This time I felt the dragon’s supreme confidence its own invulnerability waver just a bit. The dragon was enraged and retaliated with his searing fire breath and this time my defenses were overwhelmed and I received painful, if not debilitating, burns. I knew I would not likely survive the next flame blast and I once again drew upon the magic that runs through my gnomish veins and recast the death illusion, this time imagining that we were frozen deep in an iceberg in the distant north, frostbitten, suffocating with rock-hard ice filling our throats and drowning out our screams of terror. It seemed so real I believed it was real and so did the dragon. With a roar of agony and despair the beast’s heart burst from sheer terror and it plunged to the ground looking for all the world like a child’s broken kite.

For a few heart beats there was an uncanny silence as we looked at one another each surprised that we had survived the seemingly hopeless battle. Quin and I set to healing our friends with our enchanted wands and then we began the long march back to Orgev’s command headquarters.

Upon our return Lord Orgev informed us that a number of enemy goblinoid forces had breached the outer defenses and were converging on hastily created barricade manned by a dozen New Cyre militia and a handful of elves that were lead by a Deineith warmark by the nickname of Lion. Given the situation the risk to Bryanna was limited and her healing skills could potentially save many lives. Therefore I thought it prudent to bring her with us to the barricade. In order to hasten our arrival Zed scooped me up and ran for the barricade and Simon did the same for my wife. We managed to beat the goblins to the barricade and had time to place our forces in a strong defensive position. We placed the human militia with crossbows on a roof to our left flank and the elven archers on the roof on our right flank.

We did not have to wait long once our preparations were in place. A small force of just under a dozen hobgoblins supported by two airborne manticores could be seen heading towards our position. I prepared my prismatic mist spell and when the Red Claw soldiers came into view I conjured the spell into their midst. The spell was too weak to cause fatalities but it did injure and harass the attackers. The hobgoblin infantry charged the barricade and attempted to leap it, only to be hurled back time and again, often with lethal results for the humanoids. Zed, Pazenga, Lion, and Elarin defended the barricade with a fierce tenacity and none could stand against them.

The two manticores were apparently more intelligent than the hobgoblins and soon chose to avoid our center and instead attack the flanks. A fierce archery contest ensued, crossbows and longbows pitted against the tail quills of the manticores. Our human and elven soldiers took the worst of it, many falling injured from the roofs. Bryanna and Quin sprang into action to succor the beset warriors, Bryanna healing the injured humans and Quinn aiding her elven kin. Meanwhile I healed those in the center, keeping an especially close watch on the Deneith called Lion. The elves managed to slay their manticore without losing a single man thanks to Quin’s healing prowess. The human militia were not so fortunate as the beast felled a number of them and then flew on to their roof to employ tooth and claw at close quarters.

In short order the suicidal charges of the goblinoids soldiers became a route and very few escaped with their lives. At this reversal, our center was able to assist the human militia on our left flank. The elven archers also did what they could to support their human allies as well. Despite the horrible wounds inflicted by the mighty claws and teeth of the manticore and the subsequent bone breaking fall from the roof, only three humans perished. Though my darling wife managed to save many others she wept bitterly over the three that had crossed over to Dolurruh before she could attend them.

The final manticore had no hope of opposing our small army and was quickly dispatched with bows, crossbows, and spells. While I attended the wounded soldiers Zed engaged in barbarous vengeance. As a warning to the other goblinoids, he struck off the heads of the dead and dying and placed them on posts that jutted from the barricade. This is was a brutal an unnecessary act that put us on the same moral level as the Red Hand. We needed to cling to the moral high ground if we were to have the favor of the Sovereign Host and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The Honor Guard had only a few minutes to heal the worst of the injured and redeploy our forces when the next wave charged. This time our opponents were a handful of powerfully muscled and lightly armored bugbears, with fur bleached a dead white, bearing great two handed axes. By the howling racket the goblinoids made and the drooling rage on their countenances, I could guess they were berserkers. They seemed not to care one whit about my prismatic mist spell and ran straight through it as though it did not exist. Unlike the hobgoblins these hairy humanoids were quite capable of leaping the barricade and bringing the fight to us. I spent much of the battle healing the Deneith warmark, Lion, as he fought much like his namesake.

The bugbear berserkers managed to kill another member of our crossbow militia and all of us were hard pressed by their furious assault. Most of the Honor Guard was forced to withdraw a few feet from our defensive position in order to avoid being overrun. Only Lion and Pazenga were able to stand their ground before the furious assault. Elarin was bleeding from a couple of deep axe wounds and would certainly have been hacked to pieces had he not chosen that time to unveil his greatest new power. Elarin has learned a spell that allows him to charge his blade with negative energy such that it steals the life force from his opponent and adds it to his own. The elf’s wounds healed as those of the white bubears grew ever more terrible.

Then the tide of battle shifted in our favor as the archery support from the militia crossbow and the elven archers began to take its toll on the goblinoids. One particular bugbear made it his dying mission to send me to Dolurruh ahead of him and I received a life threatening wound to my shoulder. But by this time there were few bugbears still on their feet so I retreated through our skirmish line. As expected, the huge goblinoid pursued me but was cut down by my associates as he attempted to weave between them. With this berserker’s death the force was broken, each of them dead, or routed from the battlefield.

Once again we had only a bare few minutes before the third wave charged the barricade. We were convinced that we had faced the worst with the destruction of the bugbear berserkers, we were wrong, very wrong. At first we seemed to be facing a half dozen goblin Calvary mounted on what appeared to be large blue wolves. As the mounts loped near the barricade it became apparent that they were blue dragon spawn of unknown origin. Electrical arcs danced between them somehow without harming their goblin masters. My prismatic mist spell had no effect upon these dragon spawn and little enough upon their masters.

Intuitively sensing the danger we were in, I blasted the goblin cavalry formation with a fireball that severely burned the mounts and slew one of the goblin riders. We knew we were in danger when the draconic creatures halted a few dozen yards short of the barricade. Lightning erupted from their collective maws and our entire center was jolted with searing electricity. The sole exception was Pazenga who somehow managed to dodge the deadly bolts and hold his position. We called for archery support and the human militia and elven archers began to annihilate the goblin riders. However their arrows were nigh useless against the dragon-like hide of the bluespawn mounts. After a second jolt the tide turned against us and Elarin, Zed, and I were forced to run for our lives. While retreating, I retaliated with another fireball that left the dragon-spawn reeling in pain. Again they exhaled lightning and Zed and I were thrown off our feet twitching and smoking from electrical burns. Yet again I retaliated with a fireball and this time a couple of the draconic creatures burst into flames and collapsed to the ground. The tide had turned back in our favor and we counter charged the beasts, striking them down without mercy. In short order the beasts were surrounded and slain thanks to our superior numbers. Wearied beyond endurance Bryanna, Quin, and I began to heal the wounded.

We three healers had not yet completed our life-saving task when a telepathic distress call reached us from King Orgev. In the middle of the transmission, the king was severely wounded and near death, apparently the victim of an assassination attempt. The arrow that struck Lord Orgev had even been poisoned to ensure his demise, but the king is far to strong of will to be slain so easily and he fought for life.

Thinking quickly I cast another shadow steed spell, this time on Zed and he cradled me in his arms while the shadow mount sped toward the king’s command post. When we arrived I healed what I could of the king’s hurts but was unable to do anything about the poison weakening his body. I had sudden inspiration and requested that Zed place his strength gauntlets on the king’s hands and our lord stirred and returned to consciousness. King Orgev was as weak as a newborn but at least he had command of his full mental faculties and was able to resume command. The king ordered Zed and I to find and destroy the assassin that had so treacherously ambushed our lord.

We were directed to a tall building from which it seemed the deadly arrows had originated. On our way there we were met by our githzerai ally Pazenga. As we approached the tower I thought to protect my friends from the deadly poisoned arrows by offering myself as a target for the assassin’s missiles. Despite what later occurred this was not empty bravado on my part, I had protected myself with my illusionary duplicates spell and a missile shield that would keep out un-enchanted arrows. Somehow the assassin was able to ignore most of my illusionary images and his bow and arrows were enchanted so as to bypass my missile shield. I was struck by two poisoned arrows and was forced to dive into an alley for cover. My wounds did, however, buy Zed and Pazenga the time they needed to reach the assassin’s building.

Zed and Pazenga then engaged in a cat and mouse battle with a hobgoblin sorceress that left them both wounded from her lighting bolts and a summoned swarm of insects. Limping into the building, I placed a silence spell upon Pazenga that stripped the witch of most of her powers. The sorceress had no real hope of defeating such powerful opponents and could do no more than delay the inevitable. After a protracted chase she was slain.

As I glanced at the scrolls the hobgoblin sorceress bore, Pazenga ran up the stairs after the assassin. Upon opening the door at the top of the stairs Paz was ambushed by the unknown assassin who repeatedly plunged a poisoned blade into the gith’s body. Barely alive, the githzerai martial artist wisely chose to tumble down the stairs to safety. I healed my friend Paz as best I could, like the king he was suffering from a poison that weakens its victim and I had no counter for that. I asked Pazenga to act as rear guard and I positioned myself behind Zed to heal him should the assassin strike again. This seemed a prudent action in that warforged are immune to most poisons. But when Zed opened the door the assassin was nowhere to be seen and the warforged swordsman was instead struck with yet another bolt of lightning. More lightning followed as well as an enervating spell that left Zed as weak as the typical human. The second sorceress fought courageously for a time, but with the assassin fled, she chose surrender over death.

We had thought our labors complete this day and thus I sent Pazenga and Zed to the Host temple for healing. As I was journeying to the command post, King Orgev contacted me via telepathy and ordered me to return post haste. I came as quickly as I could but we gnomes are a short legged race and much slower than the oversized races like humans. Furthermore I was escorting the hobgoblin prisoner with my lighting wand trained on her back. Thus I was somewhat annoyed when King Orgev ordered me to head back out again defend the temple. I could have saved a great deal of time by heading straight there. But such is life of any servant of the royal family of Galifar.

I was informed by King Orgev that the Red Hand general known as Wyrmlord Kharn was leading a small party of giants and ogres in the direction of the Host temple, seemingly intent on a suicide attack on the symbol of our faith. Fearing for my friends already at the temple, Elarin, Bryanna, Quin, Simon, and I left at once. Because of my slow pace we arrived after the battle was already well underway. A little less than a dozen crossbow militia led by Zed and Pazenga faced off against Kharn and his giants. I did arrive in time to witness Zed’s master stroke however.

Ignoring my warning, Zed used the glass-encapsulated black ball as a weapon against Kharn and his giant allies. The warforged swordsman broke our elemental gem to summon an air elemental and instructed it to smash the black ball on the ground at Kharn’s feet. What happened next was nothing short of devastation.

The elemental did as instructed and a great ball of entropic blackness erupted that pulled at everything within a few yards. Anything that entered the ebon sphere was instantly disintegrated. The elemental was immediately slain. Wyrmlord Kharn’s speed and agility allowed him to leap aside and avoid any harm. Kharn’s giants were not so fortunate. Within a few seconds only three were left alive and two of those three had received disintegration injuries and were dripping blood.

Kharn called for single combat against our champion and called Zed out. Neither willing to dishonorably attack Kharn nor to allow Zed to die unsupported I settled for a middle road by casting a speed spell upon our party that would give the warforged warrior a significant edge against the huge hobgoblin. Zed drank his potion of displacement as he strode toward Kharn’s position on our left. The giants and our allied party fell into an uneasy peace, weapons prepared for violence while the two warriors squared off.

Two handed axe clanged against great sword and the battle began. It quickly became apparent that Zed was overmatched. Had it not been for his magical enhancement Zed would have been slain in the first few seconds of the duel. Kharn was easily able to penetrate Zed’s defenses and every blow weakened the warforged. Zed was quickly tiring and many of his own blows were far off the mark. Then Zed somehow managed to deliver two mighty slashes that left the hobgoblin bleeding profusely.

The two separated, each eyeing the other, both know that the next un-parried blow would end it, both unwilling to be the one to lose the duel. Did I see grudging admiration in their eyes? Or was that a trick of the light?

Elarin and I exchanged a glance not knowing what to do. So it seemed, but Elarin knew exactly what he wanted to do and he put an arrow through Kharn’s eye! As the hobgoblin lay unconscious, squirting blood from his eye, breath rasping in his throat, Simon put an arrow in his lung with that great bow of his and Kharn went still. With their leader slain, the giants began a suicide charge against our position. Wounded as they were the giants were quickly put down.

When we returned to the command post we were told that the Red Hand had been routed by the Deneiths and were fleeing back to their mountains. It seemed that the horror of this war was over. We should have been elated and relieved but something held us back. We had seen too much to be filled with joy.

998 Aryth 3rd Capital of New Cyre

It seems that the war is not over but merely entering a new phase. We have been summoned by Prince Orgev to yet another war council indicating a threat still remains. Perhaps Wyrmlord Kharn was not the highest ranking member of the Red Hand Horde. I fear that we yet have our greatest challenge before us.

25th-28th of Sypheros

Sypheros 28th late afternoon, city of New Cyre Sivis messaging station

As I hastily scrawl this journal we are completing our final preparations for the battle of New Cyre and scouts herald the approach of the great Red Hand Horde. I need to start at the beginning or what occurred later will make little sense to the reader, should I fall in battle, as seems likely to occur given our current circumstances.

After rescuing the Ghost Lord, we finally resumed the interrupted journey to the capital of New Cyre and the long postponed meeting with Prince Orgev. As we struggled through the Thorn Wastes created by the Ghost Lord, we came upon a human male archer clad in livery analogous to the Cryan scouts. There was no badge to confirm this identification but given our location it seemed certain enough to allay any suspicion. Upon speaking with the archer we discovered that he was indeed a scout for New Cyre by the name of Simon Ghendt. When I told him we were traveling to New Cyre, he indicated that he was traveling in the same direction and thus I offered him a place among us, at least for the length of the journey.

My companions and I had only traveled a short distance with our new ally when we nearly overwhelmed by a deadly ambush. A small horde of mutated goblins spotted us struggling though the Thorn Wastes and charged in our direction. I cast my Prismatic Mist spell to wound the warped goblinoids but their leaders were too cunning to be fooled by such a transparent ploy. After their leader and a few others were blasted by the rainbow moats, a warning was screamed to the twisted goblins ordinging them to avoid the purple mist altogether. Even still the prismatic spell forced the Xoriat-warped creatures on a long arc to circumnavigate the deadly violet mist. This gave us a brief reprieve to prepare our stand against the humanoids.

Our our weaponless warrior Pazenga charged into the mist in order to exploit its potential as a safe haven from which to launch attacks at the grotesque creatures, trusting to his innate githzerai magic resistance to protect him from the rainbow motes’ deadly effects. As the creatures passed the half way point on their semi-circular path, I blasted the mutated mob on the left with an explosive ball of fire, nearly destroying them to a man. As Simon and I retreated before the horde on our right flank, Zed, Elarin, and the three warforged closed with the mutated goblinoids to prevent their advance. Just as it seemed we had the battle well in hand, the bizarre humanoids drew out potion bottles and began smashing them to the ground. The creatures were blowing themselves up in order to wound us, their enemies.

The events of the next few seconds occurred so rapidly that that no rational counter could be brought to bear. As I fled in horror, our three warforged allies, Crucible, Prong, and Smelt, were blown apart, damaged beyond hope of repair. Then Elarin was imprisoned in some sort of force bubble and was unable to continue the fight. Pazenga continued to harass the enemy but was unable to induce the creatures to persue him into the deadly mist. Only Zed fought on in the thick of the goblinoid horde and he was so badly damaged it was difficult to credit that he still stood upon his feet. Simon and I counter attacked with missile fire, force missiles and cloth-yard arrows, in order to give Zed what assistance we could. Pazenga moved into position to protect Zed’s flank and somehow Zed managed to hang on until all the creatures were slain, either by our hand or their own. I was quite grieved by the loss of our warforged and my inability to save them from the exploding goblinoids. I take some solace in the hope that perhaps if we are instrumental in the defeat of the Red Hand Horde, Prince Orgev might agree to some sort of monument or honorarium could be dedicated to those stalwart warforged warriors.

At camp that night we discussed the upcoming war and our role in the events to come. My associates in the Honor Guard agreed with my conclusion that time was of the essence. Zed and I stayed at camp an extra day while the others continued on to the elven tree village of Starsong Hill. While Zed warded my person, I worked out the particulars of a powerful spell I had perused while working as an assistant librarian at Korrenburg Library. After preparing the spell, I cast it upon our warforged champion Zed and as expected it summoned a shadow horse able to run tirelessly at speed for many hours. Cradled like a babe in Zed’s mighty arms, we raced towards New Cyre leaving our companions far behind.

Upon arrival at New Cyre we discovered that the elves had already arrived and that they had brought my beautiful wife Bryanna and our driver Failin with them. This simplified matters nicely. I was summoned to speak to Prince Orgev before I was able to reunite with my wife. In my haste to begin working on my part of New Cyre’s defense I was somewhat abrupt with Prince Orgev. When our business was complete I begged his forgiveness and sped off to find my young wife. After reuniting with Byranna, we checked into the Sivis messaging station and there found that we could take over the building as our head quarters because my cousins were fleeing New Cyre before the city was invested. Our time was short and our need was great and thus I decided that the best course of action was to have my talented wife craft two fog wands and ten scrolls of invisibility. For my part, I would devote my time to learning Bryanna’s divine invisibility spell and the time altering Haste spell from that hobgoblin wizard’s spell book, so long overlooked. But first I needed to locate Failin and meet with the Canniths of New Cyre in order to sell off our unusable items of magical power and purchase new equipment. It was a good thing that I did so quickly because the Canniths were as determined to quit the city as were my own gnomish cousins. With little haggling and much overcharging, we were able to purchase a number of useful items from the Canniths as well as to empty Failin‘s crowded wagon. Our most significant purchase being a battle-belt for Zed that would bend time allowing him a brief but eye-blurring series of blows. Another significant acquisition was a force shield ring for Pazenga that further protects him from enemy attacks.

After the remainder of my companions from the Honor Guard arrived in New Cyre, we were summoned to a protracted and contentious war council by Prince Orgev. The only significant decisions that the Honor Guard took part in was the disposition of the Blademark mercenaries and the priests. Although I freely confess to having absolutely no practical experience in warfare, I have read a number of treatises on the art of war. Drawing upon the advice of generals of the old Galifarian Empire, I proposed that the elite Blademarks ought to be mounted for quick response and concentrated into two groups of two hundred and fifty and placed at strategic locations to be employed as a tactical reserve in order to plug any holes in our lines and prevent a break out. Conversely, I suggested that the priests ought to be spread out among the men to heal our soldiers more readily, and to prevent unnecessary fatalities. Our own part in the coming conflict has already been predetermined by Prince Orgev; we are to be the relief force for the tactical reserve. I have some reservations about our chances against a foe that can put two hundred and fifty Blademarks to flight but we will do what we can to help.

I am watching my darling wife scribe the final spells of invisibility as I complete this entry. The Red Hand Horde is clearly visible in the distance and many fear an attack will come as early as tonight. I pray to the Sovereign Host to succor this city in its time of need. If we few defenders fall, many innocents will perish and many more may well beg for death and find even that mercy denied them.

Dinnivan level 10

Dinnivan d’Sivis Tomebinder
Rock Gnome 9th character level, 3rd level Archivist (cast as level 7), 3rd level Wizard (1st Gnome Illus. Racial Sub. Level, cast as level 7 except transmutation as caster level 6) 4th level Mystic Theurge
Lawful (84) Good (94) Birth Date 892 Rhaan 12th
Stats
S 6 (-2)
D 10 (0)
C 16 (+3)/18(+4)
I 20/22 (+5 bonus spells 2/1/1/1/1)/(+6 bonus spells 2/2/1/1/1/1)
W 17 (+3 bonus spells 1/1/1)
Ch 11 (0)
AC 15/19G (+1 size +3 armor +1 ring) hp 80 (rolls 6,4,3,6,5,4,3,4,2, 4) Speed 20’Action Points 10 (2d6)
Experience Points 45,120/55,000
Melee attack: dagger +1 (-2 str, -2 flaw, +1 size, +4 wiz,,arch,mystic) damage 1d3-2 19-20/x2
0 vs. kobolds and goblinoids
Missile attack: Crossbow or rays +3 (-2 flaw, +1 size, +4 wiz,,arch,mystic)
Saves
Fort +9/+11 vs. illusion (+4 con, +3 Archivist, +1 Wizard, +1 Mystic Theurge)
Reflex +3/+5 vs. illusion (+1 Archivist, +1 Wizard, +1 Mystic Theurge)
Will +13/+15 vs. illusion (+3 wisdom, +3 Archivist, +3 Wizard, +4 Mystic Theurge)
Skills (48 points Archivist, 18 wizard, 25 Mystic Theurge)
Listen +5 (+3 wisdom +2 gnome 0 ranks)
Craft: Alchemy +10 (+1 rank +6 int +2 gnome +1 specialized)
Profession: Scribe +5 (+3 wisdom +1 rank +1 specialized)
Healing +7 (+3 wisdom +4 ranks)
Decipher script +11 (+1 rank +6 int +2 archivist +2 Sivis Dragonmark)
Speak Language: Goblin (2 skill points but 1 rank)
Hide +8 (+4 small +4 ranks)
Speak Language: Orc (2 skill points but 1 rank)
Knowledge Nature +11 (+5 ranks +6 int)
Knowledge Dungeoneering +15 (+6 int +9 ranks) Aberrations
Knowledge Planes +15 (+6 int +9 ranks) Outsiders and elementals
Knowledge Arcane +18 (+6 int +12 ranks) Magical Beasts
Knowledge Religion +21 (+6 int +13 ranks +2 archivist) Undead
Concentration +16 (+3 con +13 ranks)
Spell craft +21 (+6 Int +13 ranks +2 synergy w/ know. arcane)
Swift Concentration (2 points) 1/encounter maintain concentration as swift action
Feats
Free- light armor and simple weapons
Free- Scribe Scroll
Flaw- Augment Healing
Flaw- Sivis Dragon Mark (comprehend languages 1/day +2 decipher script)
1st Trivial Knowledge (2 dice rolls knowledge checks)
3rd Spell Focus: illusion
6th Leadership
9th Touch of Healing (3hp/spell level reserve cure of healing per round, 50% max)
Flaw
Non-combatant (-2 melee)
Shaky (-2 ranged)
Traits
Specialized (+1 alchemy -2 all other crafts)
Specialized (+1 Scribe -2 all other professions)
Languages
Gnome
Common
Burrowing Mammal
Dwarven
Elven
Draconic
Giantish
Orcish
Goblin
Racial Abilities
Low light vision
Innate Spells (at wizard level due to 1st level gnome illusionist racial substitution level):
1/day 1st level Speak with (burrowing) Animals, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation
Class Features:
Archivist:
Dark Knowledge (4/day, move action, 60’, 1 minute, know roll 15=+1 attack, 25=+2 attack, 35=+3 attack)
Illusionist:
Shadow Shaper (hide is class skill but lose bonus feats)
Immediate Magic: Brief Figment 4/day (immediate action, 1 mirror image, 1 round, but lose familiar)
1st level Gnome Illusionist Racial Substitution level: Gnome Illusion Spells:
gnome gains wizard level as level of racial spell-like abilities and -1 spell level on the following spells 0/1st Silent Image, Ventriloquism; 1st/2nd Leomand’s Trap, Minor Image; 2nd/3rd Illusionary Script, Major Image; 3rd/4th Illusionary Wall; 4th/5th Persistent Image; 5th/6th Programmed Image
But has penalty or -1 caster level on Transmutation spells
Archivist Prayer Book
0 All Clerical
1st Cure Light Wounds (1d8+7, will ½), Protection From Evil (1 min/L), Summon Monster I (25’+5/2L, 1 round, 1 round/L), Sanctuary, Hide From Undead, Resurgence (touch, 2nd save), Command, Summon Nature’s Ally I (25‘+5/2L, 1 round, 1 round/L, wolf), Entangle (400’+40/L, 40‘ radius, reflex for ½ move or held fast and DC20 strength or escape artist to move ½, unentangled must save each round), Night Shield (+1 saves 6th=+2 9th=+3, negates magic missiles) Obscuring Mist (20‘ 20% miss 5‘, 50% miss 10+, 1 min/L), Burning Hands (15’ cone, 5d4)
2nd Lesser Restoration (3 rounds, cures 1d4 removes reduction), Silence (400+40/L, 20‘), Hold Person (100‘+10/L, 1 round/L), Cure Moderate Wounds (2d8+1/L+4), Summon Monster II (25’+5/2L, 1 round, 1 round/L, no more than 30’ apart, celestial bombardier beetle or celestial giant bee), Shield Other (25‘+5/2L, 1 hour/L, +1 AC & saves), Web (100+10/L, 20‘ radius, 10 min/L, reflex to get loose or stuck DC 20 str or 25 escape artist 2nd chance to get loose, those loose str check or escape artist to move DC 15= 5’ DC 20=10’ DC 25=15’ etc), Mirror Image (1 min/L, 1d4 images +1/3L, AC 11), Invisibility
3rd Protection from Energy (10min/L, 12 damage/L), Magic Circle(10’, 10min/L), Cure Serious Wounds (3d8+6+1/L), Windwall ( range 100 +10/L, 10/L x 5/L, can be cylinder or rectangle) , 4th Spell Immunity (10 min/L), Freedom of Movement (10 min/L, 4th level and lower, as spell resistance)
Archivist Spells Prepared 4/6/5/4/2 (caster level 7 save 16+ spell level or 18+ spell level Illusion)
0 level Cure Minor Wounds x4
1st Cure Light Wounds, Summon Nature’s Ally I, Entangle, Burning Hands, Night Shield, Obscuring Mist
2nd Silence, Web, Mirror Image, Summon Monster II, Hold Person
3rd Magic Circle, Protection from Energy, Cure Serious Wounds, Windwall
4th Spell Immunity x2 or Spell Immunity and Freedom of Movement
Illusionist Spell Book (restricted: conjuration and necromancy, Transmutation caster at level -1)
0 all except conjuration & necromancy plus Silent Image (400+40/L, concentration) & Ventriloquism
1st Minor Image (concentration +2 rounds, 400+40/L), Color Spray (p 210, will neg, 15‘ cone, min stun 1 round), Charm Person, Magic Missile (100+10/L) Net of Shadows, Ebon Eyes (trans), Repair Light Damage (trans. 1d8+1/L-1), Disguise Self, Shield (1 min/L, +4), Reduce Person, Identify (casting 1 hour, 100gp pearl), Sleep, Shocking Grasp, Alarm, Power Word: Fatigue (RD p 115, 25‘+5/2L, <100hp, 1st -2 str&dex no run/charge, 2nd half speed -6 str&dex),
2nd Phantasmal Assailants (SC 25‘+5/2L, 8/4 wis&dex, 1st will 2nd fort), Flaming Sphere (reflex neg, 100+10/L, 30‘round, 1 round/L), Mirror Image (1 min/L, 1d4 images +1/3L, AC 11), Bull’s Strength (1 min/L), Resist Energy (10 min/L, -10 energy 9th -20 11th -30), Vertigo (PHB2 127, will neg, 25+5/2L, 1 round/L, no spell resistance, DC 10 balance fail by 5=prone, -2 attack and save, airborne +4 will & no balance), Snowball Swarm (SC p194, 2d6 reflex ½, 100’+10/L, 10’ burst), Levitate (25+5/2L, 100#/L, 1 min/L, -1/attack, 20‘ round), Protection from Arrows (1 hour/L, 10/magic, 10hp/L max),
3rd Displacement (1 round/L) , Slow (will neg, 25+5/2L, 1 round/L, within 30, ½ move, -1 AC attack save, single action), Fireball (400‘+40/L, 20‘), Vertigo Field (100+10/L, 20’, 1 round/L, 20% miss, difficult terrain=double cost, Fort save each round or nauseated 1 round once only), Prismatic Mist (100+10/L, 30’ radius, 1 min/L, no spell resistance, 1: 1d4 fire 2: 1d6 acid 3: 1d8 electric 4: 1d4 str fort neg 5: slow 1 round will neg 6: confusion 1-10 normal 21-50 nothing 51-70 flee 71-100 attack nearest 7: dazed 1 round will neg 8: roll twice) 4th Shadow Conjuration (as phantom steed, AC 18/11, hp 2, move 140), Phantasmal Killer (100+10/L, will negates, fort 3d6)
Wizard (Illusionist) Spells Prepared ( caster level 7 except Transmutation level 6, 5/7/6/4/3 save 16+ spell level or 18+ spell level Illusion)
0 level Silent Image, Repair Minor Damagex4
1st Magic Missile, Repair Light Damage, Shield, Power Word: Fatiguex2, Disguise Self, Color Spray
2nd Phantasmal Assailants (Illus), Flaming Sphere, Vertigo, Levitate, Protection from Arrows, Mirror Image
3rd Displacement, Slow, Fireball, Prismatic Mist
4th Shadow Conjuration x2, Phantasmal Killer
Encumbrance/Equipment (current 9)
Light <=15, Medium <=30, Heavy <=45
Spell Component Pouch 2 lbs.
Flame Touched Red Iron Holy Symbol 0 lbs
Scholar’s outfit (worn) 0 lbs
Everburning shuttered lantern 2 lbs (carried underground, surface in backpack)
Bracers of Armor +3 (worn)
Amulet of Health +2 (worn)
Headband of Intellect +2 (worn)
Heward’s Handy Haversack: 5 lbs total
Main Pack: Max 80 lbs - size 8 cubic feet (used 59.5 lbs)
Magic full plate 50 lbs
Magic heavy mace 8 lbs
Dagger 0.5 lbs
Charm of Balinor 0
Eberron Dragonshard (20 spell levels) 0 lbs
necklace
Coins in sack: 1 lbs
60 platinum pieces
0 gold pieces
0 silver pieces
0 copper pieces
Horn of Fog Bryanna
Unknown magic pearl
Potion of Mage Armor 0 lbs
Red potion Whitehearth p23
2 potions from haunted mansion basement
Right Pouch: Max 20 lbs – size 2 cubic feet (used 19.5 lbs)
Dinnivan 2 Spell Books 6 lbs
Spell book 3 lbs (100 spell levels total, 0=1, used=47)
Prayer book 3 lbs (100 spell levels total, 0=1, used=50)
Letter of Credit to house Orien 0 lbs
Hobgoblin spell book 3 lbs (1st-Level Spells Magic missile, shocking grasp, alarm, grease, mage armor, shield, sleep 2nd-Level Spells Ghoul Touch, Blindness/deafness, Web, Bull's Strength, Mirror Image 3rd-Level Fireball, Haste)
Dinnivan’s Journal 3 lbs
Letter of Introduction from Morgrave University 0 lbs
Scrolls (divine): 0 lbs
Plant Growth
Bull’s Strength
Cat’s Grace
Bear’s Endurance
Scorching Ray
See Invisibility
Darkness
Heat Metal
Spiritual Weapon
Resist Energy
Scrolls (arcane):
3 Net of Shadows
Unknown scroll
Fly
Haste
Invisibility x2,
Summon Monster 4
Scrolls, artificer Repair Moderate at level 3
Deed to castle 0lbs
Map of Sharn 0 lbs
Traveling Papers 0 lbs
Deed to castle 0 lbs
1 bedrolls 5 lbs
Glamour Weave courtier outfit 2.5 lbs
Left Pouch: Max 20 lbs – size 2 cubic feet (used 20 lbs)
Wands:
Wand of Dawn Burst (49 charges CM 101)
Wand of Magic Missiles L1(46 charges)
Wand of Magic Missiles L5 (14 charges)
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 0 lbs (45 charges) gift to Bryanna
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 0 lbs (28 charges)
Wand of Repair Light Damage 0 lbs (23 charges)
Wand of Repair Light Damage 0lbs (50 charges)
Wand of Shield Other 0 lbs (30 charges level 3)
Wand of Ebon Eyes (49 charges)
Wand of Net of Shadows (49 charges)
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50)
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50)
Wand of Hold person (DC ?)
Wand of Lightning Bolts (L5 14 charges)
Wand of lesser Electric Orb (42)
Healer Kit 1 lbs
140 arrows for Elarin 14 lbs.
1 bedroll 5 lbs
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.
Faith: Worships the Sovereign Host with special focus on Aureon (LN god of law, knowledge, lore, and magic) and his wife Boldrei (LG goddess of community, hearth, villages, homes, marriages, and government appointments)
Description:
Hair color- dark gray, Skin Color- light brown, thin arms and legs, small potbelly, Height 3’4’, Weight 46 lbs, Age 106
Wands to Purchase
Wand of Entangle, Wand of Power Word: word of fatigue, Wand of Bull’s strength, Wand of Invest Light Protection, Wand of power word pain
Feat Plans
9th level Craft Wand
12th Improved Spell Focus: illusion*
15th Elven Spell Knowledge
18th Draconic Archivist
21st Magic of the Land

23rd-25th Sypheros 998

998 Sypheros 25th somewhere in the Thornwastes on the outskirts of New Cyre

We are extremely fortunate to have survived the debacle that was our adventure in the Ghost Lord’s lair. It seems that we had misread the situation and therefore selected sub-optimal tactics to achieve the what was in truth the actual mission. I take full responsibility for this error. As the group’s magical tactician, it is my job to identify the mission to customize my spell selection to meet the consequent challenges. It seems that our mission was NOT to fight our way through the Ghost Lord’s traps and minions in order to return his phylactery and ensure his neutrality in the coming war. Instead we were on a mission to RESCUE the vile lich from the hobgoblins of the Redhand Horde! Had I divined our true goal my tactics would very different. I would instead have taken a smaller group to the Lion Shrine which would have depended more upon stealth and would have included Bryanna and excluded our new warforged allies. We would have employed our gnomish skill with illusion to penetrate invisibly to the Ghost Lord’s lair-prison and there we would have given him his phylactery. That accomplished, we could have joined forces with Ghost Lord to annihilate the hobgoblins holding him prisoner. Given the power of the Ghost Lord this would have been a much less difficult proposition than what we actually faced.

Instead I thought to avoid peril to my beloved by leaving her at the elven tree village and we brought our warforged allies to heal and protect Zed. The elves were kind enough to have their gigantic owls ferry our company to the Ghost Lord’s tomb. Our strike force included the warforged artificer Crucible, the warforged heavy infantrymen Prong and Smelt, Elarin our elven sorcerer-swordsman, Pazenga the githerzai martial artist, Zed our warforged champion, and of course myself. The area surrounding the lair was a dusty desert bare of plant life, dubbed the Thornwastes by the local inhabitants. Doubtless the lich’s death powers had something to do with the desolation. The lair itself was an extremely impressive piece of architecture although on a somewhat smaller scale than I had envisioned. The tomb-like structure was built in the shape of an elegant stylized lion. One entered the structure through the lion’s mouth which was in actuality a grand staircase. As we drew close to the “mouth” a huge azure beast detached itself from the shadows of the “gullet” and charged us. The creature was reminiscent of a blue dragon but its wings were small, its torso was long and snake-like, and it had six legs instead of four.

As most of us reeled in confusion and terror, Pazenga sprinted to the creature and delivered a crippling nerve punch behind the one of the reptile’s middle legs. Before the creature could counter-attack our gith ally, Elarin stepped forward shouting words of magic, drew the power about him, and hurled his fire rays at the creature. The soldier-spellbinder’s four fire rays spell burned with a blinding white light that seared the air all around. The spell plowed into the draconic creature burning its chest scales to greasy ash and leaving the flesh underneath scorched, blackened, and oozing fluid. I gagged as the air was filled with the smell of roasting meat. Ignoring Pazenga, the creature roared in agony and instead sought to destroy the source of its pain, our own Elarin. The sapphire reptile charged our elven ally, opening its jaws in order to swallow him in a single gulp but the creature was too weak from its crippling injuries and Elarin dove to safety. I was not willing to give the huge reptile a second chance and drove five force missiles into the seared area of its chest. The draconic beast collapsed to the ground twitching.

After entering the lion-tomb, we sent Pazenga ahead to scout as per our standard reconnaissance protocol. After only a few steps down a narrow stone passage, Pazenga discovered what appeared to be a deadly trap but was in reality merely a pressure plate used to remotely open the front door. It was then that the transparent ectoplasmic form of a huge lion materialized in front of us. The lion-spirit opened its deadly maw and let loose a hideous moaning roar that shook the walls as well as our confidence. Gamely Pazenga attacked the ghost beast with his deadly hands and feat but to little effect. I called from the back rank for Zed to unlimber his ghost-hammer and join in the attack while simultaneously drawing and firing my weaker force missile wand. The magic of Zed’s ghost hammer rendered the spirit’s intangible nature moot. However the ghost-brute was in turn able to easily pass its claws through the warforged’s adamantine skin so as to chill the very magical life force animating him but Zed’s mighty two handed hammer blows destroyed the creature before it had the opportunity to do any serious harm.

After the creature was destroyed I used my powers of divine healing and arcane repairing to ameliorate the worst of Zed’s minor injures. We had only progressed a few score of yards before we were once attacked again by another ghost-lion. The roar of this spirit-creature was even more terrifying than that of the first lion and it caused Elarin and I to lose confidence in our magical prowess. Then the creature attacked Zed in a rage and weakened him with a crippling touch that went right to the core of his construct physiology. Zed, being the stalwart companion that he is, fought on even though he would likely have been slain or at best incapacitated.

Witnessing the danger to my warforged friend restored my resolve and I released the power I had been holding in reserve for just such an emergency. I blasted the creature with a volley of five force missiles. When it did not go down I blasted it a second and then a third time and finally the spirit-cat burst like a soap bubble. With the battle ended I saw to our hurts but it became apparent that I could do nothing about the injuries inflicted upon Zed by the ghost-brute.

My friends and our warforged allies continued on, weakened though we were. We were foolishly secure in the false assurance that at any time we need only place the phylactery in a well traveled area and retreat. After a few short minutes we came upon a room that was suffused with thick mist such as that summoned by Bryanna and myself. We sent Pazenga ahead to reconnoiter as usual and he came upon a chamber filled with shadow hobgoblin warriors. Pazenga attempted to defeat one of the shadow creatures but found them nearly impossible to harm. The shadow beings counter-attack inflicting a significant sword wound on the gith monk. Paz wisely retreated and reported back that there were shadow hobgoblins filling the adjacent room and that they seemed unable to advance to attack and were somehow tied to a particular chamber. I had Pazenga escort me to the mist-filled room adjacent to the shadow chamber.

I was to find out later that in the mist I mistakenly had taken the shadow-hobgoblins to be a new form of undead when in actuality they were a shadow-based magical spell. Shadow magic is a superior form of illusion to which I am intimately familiar, though I have yet to learn a spell of that sub-school. Thinking the creatures were a form of undead, I drew my dawnburst wand and cast a wall of wind spell to clear a line of sight to the shadow creatures. I released the power contained in the wand but the flash of intense white light had no effect on the shadow beings. Before I could begin to understand the nature of my error I was blasted by a volley of force spheres that left me with broken ribs and dislocated collar bone. Pazenga saved me then by scooping up my tiny form and retreating out of the mist chamber.

As soon as I came to my senses I healed myself and we discussed our options. Not perceiving the true situation, it seemed prudent to me to drop the Ghost Lord’s phylactery there, near his henchmen, and retreat while we still lived. The ambush appeared to be unbeatable at the time so we decided to send Pazenga back with the phylactery and an offer of peace. After he did this we quickly exited the lion-tomb thinking that we had achieved our mission. As we sped away from the lion-tomb, hobgoblins appeared in the mouth and eyes and shouted something in Galifarian about having recaptured the phylactery and that the “Honor Guard” should not be allowed to escape. It was then that I realized that the Ghost Lord was a prisoner in his own home, held captive by the hobgoblins of the Redhand. The hobgoblins had made a fatal error, had they not pursued us we would have mistakenly allowed them to retain control of the Ghost Lord thinking that we had already fulfilled our mission.

A hobgoblin sorcerer and two unarmed martial artists rappelled out of the lion’s eyes, exhorted into battle by a female hobgoblin spellbinder that seemed to be their leader. The hobgoblin sorcerer opened the battle with a lightning blast that rocked Zed back on his heels, but it was not sufficient to take our warforged champion out of the battle. The goblinoid pugilists laid into the other warforged, and although the hobgoblins fought bravely, without their army of shadow-warriors they could not hope to prevail. It soon became obvious that my allies had the hobgoblin monks well in hand so I cast a silence on Pazenga knowing he would take the hint and attack the hobgoblin evoker in order to prevent him from killing us with another salvo of lightning bolts or force spheres. The two goblinoid martial artists were quickly dispatched by our combined forces and after Pazenga closed with the hobgoblin warmage the battle was, for most intents and purposes, over.

After our entire party was swarming around the hapless hobgoblin spellbinder, I turned my attention to their leader. I cast a levitation magic on Pazenga in order to lift him up to the female arcanist’s level, but long before he gained the eye-balcony, the witch retreated out of sight. Pazenga gave pursuit but was unable to close due to her excessive lead. Realizing my error in allowing the Redhand to regain the phylactery we resolved to pursue the female hobgoblin in order to recover the item and wrest the Ghost Lord from their control. It took us some time, even with the levitate spell, to ascend to the level of the lion’s eye. While we were climbing and levitating, Zed decided to take up the pursuit of the female leader that Pazenga had given up. We were greatly concerned with the welfare our warforged swordmaster but we needn’t have worried for the “eye” level seemed entirely unpopulated and in a few short minutes we were reunited with Zed in the very trap chamber we had vacated only a few minutes prior. The shadow warriors were nowhere to be seen, leaving me to suspect that they had indeed been summoned by a spellbinder and were not permanent residents of the lion tomb.

After traveling a short distance we came upon a large ceremonial chamber of some sort that was dominated by a marble lion statue with an adjacent pool that was fenced with lion skulls. Floating in the pool was the rotting carcass of a large lion. We had only stepped foot in the chamber when we were attacked by three small undead beings very reminiscent of the deadly aberrations known as dolgaunts. Like dolgaunts, these creatures also possessed a set of two long tentacles but in their case the tentacles grew from the chest not the back. Their tactics were nearly identical to the dolgaunts we had fought after the crash of the Cloudant. They attempted to ensnare Zed and Pazenga in their tentacles and then draw the life force out of their victims. I instinctively knew that the best way to counter the deadly tentacles was to use time-bending magic to slow the creatures so their rope-like limbs could be avoided. For this reason I darted through our ranks and released the power of my time slowing spell. One of the three was able to resist the power of my spell through will force alone but the others began to move with the tell-tale quicksand-like slowness that speaks of the spell’s effects. It was a difficult battle bottled up in the corridor as we were but with the influence of the spell of slowing, Zed and Pazenga were able to defeat the creatures with minimal assistance.

We had only just begun to take stock of our injuries when we were again attacked, this time by an invisible assailant that we presumed to be the hobgoblin leader. She cast a subtle but deadly illusion that made allies appear as enemies and enemies appear as allies. For a short time it seemed that we might all be slain for Zed and Smelt had fallen prey to the insidious illusion spell and attacked Pazenga and each other. Zed was screaming something about Karrnathi zombies. Thinking quickly I darted to the front of the column and cast an illusion of a zombie so that Zed would have an invulnerable target for his fury. This was not completely necessary as it turned out that the cry of a friend in pain would break the glamer and end the spell’s hold. The problem being that surviving a slash from Zed’s razor-sharp adamantine blade is easier said than done.

While this self-destructive skirmish was unfolding the invisible hobgoblin witch began firing spells at our company. Many of them were targeted at Pazenga and had no effect on the strong willed githzerai. By the time the illusion had run its course, the hobgoblin spellbinder had wisely given up on Pazenga as a target and instead began to fire on Elarin. Before the hobgoblin witch could be located, she incapacitated Elarin with a spell that reduced the keen-minded elf to a drooling moron. When the elf continued to ineptly search for her as might a village idiot she blasted him into unconsciousness with an unknown spell. The hobgoblin enchantress had committed a fatal error, however, in that Pazenga had been carefully listening for the chanting of words of power that indicate spell casting. Paz identified her position as floating near the ceiling, the very reason we were unable to locate her. Our gith martial artist ran up the back of the lion statue and tackled the invisible sorceress in mid-air. The two of them plunged to the floor together, though only Zed was visible. I placed another silence magic upon Pazenga to prevent the witch from spell casting but she had prepared countermeasures and thus was barely inconvenienced.

Paz was able to land a couple of blows before the witch again slipped through our fingers with a dematerializing spell of some sort. She had actually moved, invisibly, into the very altar room wherein I had taken refuge. The hobgoblin witch’s illusion spell wore off and she became visible but she managed to cast the spell that had begun this misadventure, the shadow warrior spell. The altar room was now filled with shadowy hobgoblins and I was surrounded and unable to move under the threat of their dark swords. Zed and Pazenga attempted to come to my rescue but our construct-swordsman found the shadow creatures as difficult to slay as had our gith monk. Throwing caution to the wind, Pazenga ignored the shadow spell and simply dove into the room, leaping and cart wheeling around the slashing hobgoblin warriors. The goblinoid echantress retreated before him but he was able deliver a series of painful blows until he, also, was blasted with the unconsciousness spell that had laid Elarin low.

I alone stood between the beguiler witch and escape. Unable to cast spells with Pazenga’s silence so near I was forced to fight with Bryanna’s Staff of Life. I could no more harm the goblin sorceress with it than I could out fence Zed, but I kept her busy long enough for Pazenga to heal himself and reenter the fray. As Pazenga threw a rushing blur of punches and kicks at the female hobgoblin spellbinder, I slipped my wife’s staff between her legs to keep the hobgoblin off balance. In a few heartbeats she was overwhelmed by the sheer speed and intensity of blows and eventually Pazenga was able to strike a nerve bundle in her neck that caused her reel in pain. Sensing victory, Pazenga moved in for the kill, mercilessly inflicting blow after blow, and soon the sorceress collapsed from internal bleeding. Somehow we had managed to survive, against the odds, once again. And more importantly we were in possession of the phylactery as well as other items of arcane power borne by the hobgoblin witch.

We continued our trek through the lion-tomb in the sole remaining direction left to us and soon we came upon what we took to be the throne room of the Ghost Lord. The Ghost Lord was indeed a lich as we had been told, this clear by the dry boney nature of his undead form. He was attended by an unliving warrior sheathed in cloth strips, almost certainly some sort of mummy. Power surrounded the lich’s desiccated corpse as flies surround a rotted sun-cooked carcass. Fighting down my own fear and loathing, I brought the phylactery forward in a gesture of peace. The Ghost Lord must have realized the danger presented by the staff I carried for he would not allow me to approach and instead had his guardian take the phylactery from me.

I did not want to appear weak before the evil magic-user for fear that he would turn on us. Therefore I requested a reward for our service, something an evil creature would understand. The Ghost Lord sent his mummy henchman forth to fetch an amulet as our reward for the phylactery‘s return. We will certainly not try out that amulet until we have the leisure time to study its properties. Treachery is hardly out of the question when dealing with such a vile creature. We bade the undead good riddance and left the lion tomb content to be as far away from that tomb of horrors as possible. Sadly when we reentered the light we saw that our elven escort and their owl companions had been slain by the Redhand. I should have told them to leave and return later but I presumed that the power of flight would keep them safe.

As I write this entry we are encamped within the blasted dustbowl that surrounds the Ghost Lord’s tomb. I am very concerned with our lack of mounts and the impact such a long slow trek might have on our ability to effect the war’s outcome. At the Korranburg Library I once read of a powerful illusion spell that just might help us here. If only I could remember how it goes………..

Dinnivan d’Sivis Tomebinder
Rock Gnome 9th character level, 3rd level Archivist (cast as level 6), 3rd level Wizard (1st Gnome Illus. Racial Sub. Level, cast as level 9 except transmutation as caster level 8) 3rd level Mystic Theurge
Lawful (84) Good (94) Birth Date 892 Rhaan 12th
Stats
S 6 (-2)
D 10 (0)
C 16 (+3)/18(+4)
I 20/22 (+5 bonus spells 2/1/1/1/1)/(+6 bonus spells 2/2/1/1/1/1)
W 17 (+3 bonus spells 1/1/1)
Ch 11 (0)
AC 15/19G (+1 size +3 armor +1 ring) hp 72 (rolls 6,4,3,6,5,4,3,4,2) Speed 20’Action Points 8 (2d6)
Experience Points 41,220/45,000
Melee attack: dagger +0 (-2 str, -2 flaw, +1 size, +3 wiz,,arch,mystic) damage 1d3-2 19-20/x2
0 vs. kobolds and goblinoids
Missile attack: Crossbow or rays +2 (-2 flaw, +1 size, +3 wiz,,arch,mystic)
Saves
Fort +9/+11 vs. illusion (+4 con, +3 Archivist, +1 Wizard, +1 Mystic Theurge)
Reflex +3/+5 vs. illusion (+1 Archivist, +1 Wizard, +1 Mystic Theurge)
Will +12/+14 vs. illusion (+3 wisdom, +3 Archivist, +3 Wizard, +3 Mystic Theurge)
Skills (48 points Archivist, 18 wizard, 20 Mystic Theurge)
Listen +5 (+3 wisdom +2 gnome 0 ranks)
Craft: Alchemy +9 (+1 rank +5 int +2 gnome +1 specialized)
Profession: Scribe +5 (+3 wisdom +1 rank +1 specialized)
Healing +7 (+3 wisdom +4 ranks)
Decipher script +10 (+1 rank +5 int +2 archivist +2 Sivis Dragonmark)
Speak Language: Goblin (2 skill points but 1 rank)
Hide +8 (+4 small +4 ranks)
Speak Language: Orc (2 skill points but 1 rank)
Knowledge Nature +10 (+5 ranks +5 int)
Knowledge Dungeoneering +14 (+5 int +9 ranks) Aberrations
Knowledge Planes +14 (+5 int +9 ranks) Outsiders and elementals
Knowledge Arcane +17 (+5 int +12 ranks) Magical Beasts
Knowledge Religion +19 (+5 int +12 ranks +2 archivist) Undead
Concentration +15 (+3 con +12 ranks)
Spell craft +19 (+5 Int +12 ranks +2 synergy w/ know. arcane)
NEXT LEVEL SWIFT CONCENTRATION
Feats
Free- light armor and simple weapons
Free- Scribe Scroll
Flaw- Augment Healing (+2 per spell level)
Flaw- Sivis Dragon Mark (comprehend languages 1/day +2 decipher script)
1st Trivial Knowledge (2 dice rolls knowledge checks)
3rd Spell Focus: illusion
6th Leadership
9th Practiced Spell Caster (up to +4 on caster level for wizard class)
Flaw
Non-combatant (-2 melee)
Shaky (-2 ranged)
Traits
Specialized (+1 alchemy -2 all other crafts)
Specialized (+1 Scribe -2 all other professions)
Languages
Gnome
Common
Burrowing Mammal
Dwarven
Elven
Draconic
Giantish
Orcish
Goblin
Racial Abilities
Low light vision
Innate Spells (at wizard level due to 1st level gnome illusionist racial substitution level):
1/day 1st level Speak with (burrowing) Animals, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation
Class Features:
Archivist:
Dark Knowledge (4/day, move action, 60’, 1 minute, know roll 15=+1 attack, 25=+2 attack, 35=+3 attack)
Illusionist:
Shadow Shaper (hide is class skill but lose bonus feats)
Immediate Magic: Brief Figment 4/day (immediate action, 1 mirror image, 1 round, but lose familiar)
1st level Gnome Illusionist Racial Substitution level: Gnome Illusion Spells:
gnome gains wizard level as level of racial spell-like abilities and -1 spell level on the following spells 0/1st Silent Image, Ventriloquism; 1st/2nd Leomand’s Trap, Minor Image; 2nd/3rd Illusionary Script, Major Image; 3rd/4th Illusionary Wall; 4th/5th Persistent Image; 5th/6th Programmed Image
But has penalty or -1 caster level on Transmutation spells
Archivist Prayer Book
0 All Clerical
1st Cure Light Wounds (1d8+7, will ½), Protection From Evil (1 min/L), Summon Monster I (25’+5/2L, 1 round, 1 round/L), Sanctuary, Hide From Undead, Resurgence (touch, 2nd save), Command, Summon Nature’s Ally I (25‘+5/2L, 1 round, 1 round/L, wolf), Entangle (400’+40/L, 40‘ radius, reflex for ½ move or held fast and DC20 strength or escape artist to move ½, unentangled must save each round), Night Shield (+1 saves 6th=+2 9th=+3, negates magic missiles) Obscuring Mist (20‘ 20% miss 5‘, 50% miss 10+, 1 min/L), Burning Hands (15’ cone, 5d4)
2nd Lesser Restoration (3 rounds, cures 1d4 removes reduction), Silence (400+40/L, 20‘), Hold Person (100‘+10/L, 1 round/L), Cure Moderate Wounds (2d8+1/L+4), Summon Monster II (25’+5/2L, 1 round, 1 round/L, no more than 30’ apart, celestial bombardier beetle or celestial giant bee), Shield Other (25‘+5/2L, 1 hour/L, +1 AC & saves), Web (100+10/L, 20‘ radius, 10 min/L, reflex to get loose or stuck DC 20 str or 25 escape artist 2nd chance to get loose, those loose str check or escape artist to move DC 15= 5’ DC 20=10’ DC 25=15’ etc), Mirror Image (1 min/L, 1d4 images +1/3L, AC 11), Invisibility
3rd Protection from Energy (10min/L, 12 damage/L), Magic Circle(10’, 10min/L), Cure Serious Wounds (3d8+6+1/L), Windwall ( range 100 +10/L, 10/L x 5/L, can be cylinder or rectangle)
Archivist Spells Prepared 4/5/5/4 (save 16+ spell level or 18+ spell level Illusion)
0 level Cure Minor Wounds x4
1st Cure Light Wounds, Summon Nature’s Ally I, Entangle, Burning Hands, Night Shield (currently hide from undeadx5)
2nd Silence, Web, Mirror Image, Summon Monster II, Hold Person (currently silencex5)
3rd Magic Circle, Protection from Energy, Cure Serious Wounds, Windwall (currently 1 magic circle and protection from energyx3)
Illusionist Spell Book (restricted: conjuration and necromancy, Transmutation caster at level -1)
0 all except conjuration & necromancy plus Silent Image (400+40/L, concentration) & Ventriloquism
1st Minor Image (concentration +2 rounds, 400+40/L), Color Spray (p 210, will neg, 15‘ cone, min stun 1 round), Charm Person, Magic Missile (100+10/L) Net of Shadows, Ebon Eyes (trans), Repair Light Damage (trans. 1d8+1/L-1), Disguise Self, Shield (1 min/L, +4), Reduce Person, Identify (casting 1 hour, 100gp pearl), Sleep, Shocking Grasp, Alarm, Power Word: Fatigue (RD p 115, 25‘+5/2L, <100hp, 1st -2 str&dex no run/charge, 2nd half speed -6 str&dex),
2nd Phantasmal Assailants (SC 25‘+5/2L, 8/4 wis&dex, 1st will 2nd fort), Flaming Sphere (reflex neg, 100+10/L, 30‘round, 1 round/L), Mirror Image (1 min/L, 1d4 images +1/3L, AC 11), Bull’s Strength (1 min/L), Resist Energy (10 min/L, -10 energy 9th -20 11th -30), Vertigo (PHB2 127, will neg, 25+5/2L, 1 round/L, no spell resistance, DC 10 balance fail by 5=prone, -2 attack and save, airborne +4 will & no balance), Snowball Swarm (SC p194, 2d6 reflex ½, 100’+10/L, 10’ burst), Levitate (25+5/2L, 100#/L, 1 min/L, -1/attack, 20‘ round), Protection from Arrows (1 hour/L, 10/magic, 10hp/L max),
3rd Displacement (1 round/L) , Slow (will neg, 25+5/2L, 1 round/L, within 30, ½ move, -1 AC attack save), Fireball (400‘+40/L, 20‘), Vertigo Field (100+10/L, 20’, 1 round/L, 20% miss, difficult terrain=double cost, Fort save each round or nauseated 1 round once only), Prismatic Mist (100+10/L, 30’ radius, 1 min/L, no spell resistance, 1: 1d4 fire 2: 1d6 acid 3: 1d8 electric 4: 1d4 str fort neg 5: slow 1 round will neg 6: confusion 1-10 normal 21-50 nothing 51-70 flee 71-100 attack nearest 7: dazed 1 round will neg 8: roll twice)
Wizard (Illusionist) Spells Prepared (5/6/6/4 save 16+ spell level or 18+ spell level Illusion)
0 level Silent Image, Repair Minor Damagex4
1st Color Spray , Magic Missile, Repair Light Damage, Shield, Power Word: Fatigue x2 (currently 1 minor image and magic missilex5) cast one magic missile already
2nd Phantasmal Assailants (Illus), Flaming Sphere, Vertigo, Levitate, Protection from Arrows (currently 1 mirror image 1 flaming sphere resist energyx4)
3rd Displacement, Slow, Fireball, Prismatic Mist
Encumbrance/Equipment (current 9)
Light <=15, Medium <=30, Heavy <=45
Spell Component Pouch 2 lbs.
Flame Touched Red Iron Holy Symbol 0 lbs
Scholar’s outfit (worn) 0 lbs
Everburning shuttered lantern 2 lbs (carried underground, surface in backpack)
Bracers of Armor +3 (worn)
Amulet of Health +2 (worn)
Headband of Intellect +2 (worn)
Heward’s Handy Haversack: 5 lbs total
Main Pack: Max 80 lbs - size 8 cubic feet (used 59.5 lbs)
Magic full plate 50 lbs
Magic heavy mace 8 lbs
Dagger 0.5 lbs
Charm of Balinor 0
Eberron Dragonshard (20 spell levels) 0 lbs
necklace
Coins in sack: 1 lbs
60 platinum pieces
0 gold pieces
0 silver pieces
0 copper pieces
Staff of Life 2 charges 2 lbs Bryanna
Horn of Fog Bryanna
Unknown magic pearl
Potion of Mage Armor 0 lbs
Red potion Whitehearth p23
2 potions from haunted mansion basement
Right Pouch: Max 20 lbs – size 2 cubic feet (used 19.5 lbs)
Dinnivan 2 Spell Books 6 lbs
Spell book 3 lbs (100 spell levels total, 0=1, used=47)
Prayer book 3 lbs (100 spell levels total, 0=1, used=50)
Letter of Credit to house Orien 0 lbs
Hobgoblin spell book 3 lbs (1st-Level Spells Magic missile, shocking grasp, alarm, grease, mage armor, shield, sleep 2nd-Level Spells Ghoul Touch, Blindness/deafness, Web, Bull's Strength, Mirror Image 3rd-Level Fireball, Haste)
Dinnivan’s Journal 3 lbs
Letter of Introduction from Morgrave University 0 lbs
Scrolls (divine): 0 lbs
Plant Growth
Bull’s Strength
Cat’s Grace
Bear’s Endurance
Scorching Ray
See Invisibility
Darkness
Heat Metal
Spiritual Weapon
Resist Energy
Scrolls (arcane):
3 Net of Shadows
Unknown scroll
Fly
Haste
Invisibility x2,
Summon Monster 4
Deed to castle 0lbs
Map of Sharn 0 lbs
Traveling Papers 0 lbs
Deed to castle 0 lbs
1 bedrolls 5 lbs
Glamour Weave courtier outfit 2.5 lbs
Left Pouch: Max 20 lbs – size 2 cubic feet (used 20 lbs)
Wands:
Wand of Dawn Burst (50 charges CM 101)
Wand of Magic Missiles L1(48 charges)
Wand of Magic Missiles L5 (14 charges)
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 0 lbs (45 charges) gift to Bryanna
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 0 lbs (48 charges)
Wand of Repair Light Damage 0 lbs (27 charges)
Wand of Shield Other 0 lbs (30 charges level 3)
Wand of Ebon Eyes (49 charges)
Wand of Net of Shadows (49 charges)
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50)
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50)
Staff of Healing (1) gift to Bryanna
Wand of Hold person (DC ?)
Wand of Lightening Bolts
Healer Kit 1 lbs
140 arrows for Elarin 14 lbs.
1 bedroll 5 lbs
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.
Faith: Worships the Sovereign Host with special focus on Aureon (LN god of law, knowledge, lore, and magic) and his wife Boldrei (LG goddess of community, hearth, villages, homes, marriages, and government appointments)
Description:
Hair color- dark gray, Skin Color- light brown, thin arms and legs, small potbelly, Height 3’4’, Weight 46 lbs, Age 106
Wands to Purchase
Wand of Entangle, Wand of Power Word: word of fatigue, Wand of Bull’s strength, Wand of Invest Light Protection, Wand of power word pain
Feat Plans
9th level Craft Wand
12th Improved Spell Focus: illusion*
15th Elven Spell Knowledge
18th Draconic Archivist
21st Magic of the Land
Skill Plans
Bluff 4 ranks (level 17)
Use Magic Device 5 ranks (+2 synergy w/ spell craft to decipher spell scrolls)
Decipher Script 5 ranks (+2 synergy w/ use magic device involving scrolls)
Spell craft * ranks (+2 synergy w/ use magic device check when one rank in it)
Cleric Spells to learn from Cannith Scrolls: Repair Light Damage, Repair Minor Damage, Insight Of Good Fortune, Cloud of Knives, Wall of Fire (Fire Domain 4th)
New Spells to Learn at Korranseburg Library:
Power Word: Fatigue RD 115, Power Word: Pain RD116, Power Word: Sicken RD116, Dawnburst Dark Way (SC p58 for scrolls only)CM 101, Karmic Aura CM 108, Karmic Backlash CM 109, Truecasting CM 121, Dragon Eye Rune DM 66, Path of Frost DM 71, Soul of Order DM 73. Dark Way (SC p58 for scrolls only), Jet of Steam CM, Boiling Blood CM, Luminous Swarm CM, Spells for illusionist (restricted: conjuration and necromancy) True Strike, Feather Fall, Dispelling Touch, 1st/2nd Leomand’s Trap, Minor Image; 2nd/3rd Illusionary Script, Major Image;
Adept Spells for Archivist:
Level 3 spells
S. O. P.
1. When leaving dungeon Paz scouts exit to check for ambush.
2. If DM rolls attack roll and damage at same time Din will use immediate figment for every attack unless otherwise noted.
3. Din is always hiding in the shadows and moving silently unless the movement speed of the party prevents it.
4. At fancy parties Zed wears the backpack.
5. If I have an opportunity to learn new spells Din will always do so.
6. I carry Brianna’s staff and fog horn if she is some where safe and not with party.
The description of the Knowledge skill indicates that in general, the baseline DC of checks to identify monsters and remember one bit of useful information about their special powers or vulnerabilities is equal to 10 + the monster's HD. Every 5 points by which the check result exceeds the DC yields another useful piece of information (PH 78).
As a general rule of thumb, a DC 15 check or higher will reveal all of the base creature's type and subtype traits as defined in the glossary. This often includes information about energy resistance or various immunities. For instance, a DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that dragons have high hit points (12-sided HD), all good saves, and have darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision. They eat, sleep, and breathe.
Information specific to the creature, such as its type of damage resistance, spell-like abilities, or immunities come with the high DC check results.
Celestial giant bee CR 1; Medium Magical Beast (Augmented,Extraplanar); HD 3d8 (Vermin) ; hp 13; Init +2; Spd 20, Fly, Good 80; AC:14 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:12); Atk +2 (1d4, Sting); SA: Poison (Ex) , Smite Evil (Su) ; SQ: Racial Traits: Vermin, Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Mindless (Ex), Immunity: Mind-Affecting Attacks (Ex), Resistance: Electricity (Ex): 5, Resistance: Cold (Ex): 5, Spell Resistance (Ex): 3 + 5, Resistance: Acid (Ex): 5; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2; STR 11, DEX 14, CON 11, INT --, WIS 12, CHA 9.
Skills: Spot +5.
Description: Although they are many times larger, growing to a length of about 5 feet, giant bees behave generally the same as their smaller cousins.
Combat: Giant bees are usually not aggressive except when defending themselves or their hive.
Special Attacks: Poison (Ex): Sting, Fortitude save (DC 13); initial and secondary damage 1d6 temporary Constitution. A bee that successfully stings another creature pulls away, leaving its stinger in the creature. The bee then dies.
Celestial giant bombardier beetle: CR 2; Medium Magical Beast (Augmented,Extraplanar); HD 2d8+4 (Vermin) ; hp 13; Init +0; Spd 30; AC:16 (Flatfooted:16 Touch:10); Atk +2(1d4+1, Bite); SA: Acid Spray (Ex) , Smite Evil (Su) ; SQ: Racial Traits: Vermin, Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Mindless (Ex), Immunity: Mind-Affecting Attacks (Ex), Resistance: Electricity (Ex): 5, Resistance: Cold (Ex): 5, Spell Resistance (Ex): 2 + 5, Resistance: Acid (Ex): 5; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +0; STR 13, DEX 10, CON 14, INT --, WIS 10, CHA 9.
Description: These creatures feed primarily on carrion and offal, gathering heaps of the stuff in which to build nests and lay eggs. A giant bombardier beetle is about 6 feet long.
Giant bombardier beetles have no interest in other creatures. They normally attack only to defend themselves, their nests, or their eggs.
Combat: Giant bombardier beetles bite with their mandibles and spray acid.
Special Attacks: Acid Spray (Ex): When attacked or disturbed, a giant bombardier beetle can release a 10-foot cone of acidic vapor once per round. Those within the cone must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or take 1d4+2 points of damage.

wolf: CR 1; Medium Animal ; HD 2d8+4 (Animal) ; hp 13; Init +2; Spd 50; AC:14 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:12); Atk +2 base melee, +3 base ranged; +2 (1d6+1, Bite); SA: Trip (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex); AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1; STR 13, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Jump +9.
Feats: Track.
Description: Wolves are pack hunters infamous for their persistence and cunning.
Combat: A favorite tactic is to send a few individuals against the foe's front while the rest of the pack circles and attacks from the flanks or rear.
Special Attacks: Trip (Ex): A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action (see page 139 in the Player's Handbook) without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf.

998 Sypheros 20th-22nd

998 Sypheros 20th morning, the Elven village of Starsong Hill near the border of New Cyre

As I suspected the giant owls that I saw silhouetted against the moon were no threat to my company. Their masters could easily have had the great birds attack us unseen and unheard had that been their desire. But as fortune would have it these were instead the very elves for which we had been searching as per the messenger sent by Prince Orgev. The small party of forest elves recovered a ring from the emerald dragon-beast’s viscera and then questioned us about our business in their swamp. My companions and I explained to the elves about the massive horde of hobgoblins bearing down on New Cyre. Then we related the information we had obtained that indicated the existence of spawning facility for the draconic beasts in their very own swamp. Not surprisingly the elves knew something of these matters and offered to fly us to their woodland home.

Starsong Hill was a fairly typical elven tree village with dwellings merging almost seamlessly into the surrounding forest. We were brought before their leader Speaker of the Song Sellyria Starsinger and explained the situation to her and her advisors. It seems the elves were having some trouble with the same group of hobgoblins and their lizardfolk allies. Occasionally the old adage has validity; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Helpfully they offered to guide us to the sunken city ruins that the hobgoblins were using as a base to breed these unholy beasts.

Sellyria gave us free access to their village and my companions and I split up to follow our own personal agendas prior to turning in for the night. Elarin slipped out to console Trellara Nightshadow, the widow of the elf slain by the razor-wing that we slew in turn. Zed wandered, seemingly aimlessly, but in actuality he trolled for intelligence as he meandered around the village. For my part I trekked over to the Sovereign Host temple dedicated to Balinor. I engaged two of their priests in a lengthy discussion of nature magic and they offered to scribe a scroll so that I could learn that most useful of all nature magics, the ability to grow plants to enormous size and thus subsequently multiply crop yields. I plan to use this spell to ensure that New Cyre recovers from this war without the widespread starvation that typically accompanies total warfare. Of course I am getting ahead of myself as we still have to win the war and this is by no means assured.

I was at the Host temple and thus I was not to be a witness to the demonstration of Pazenga’s incredible skills in unarmed combat. However I was told that my gith companion located a small group of martial artists that served as monastery to the village. Pazenga sought them out in hopes of learning new fighting techniques but instead the gith has become something of an instructor to the elves. Apparently Paz sparred with a female elf by the name of Kala Forestfist who served as the mistress of the small temple. Kala was totally incapable of even touching Pazenga. A single nerve pinch delivered to the elf woman’s neck left her weak, shaking, and humbled. As powerful as the elven people are, they cannot hope to match a githzerai in unarmed combat. Enough of this for tonight, I must get some sleep to face the trials of tomorrow.

998 Sypheros 22nd morning, Starsong Hill near the border of New Cyre

On the day of our journey to Rhest’s ruins we rose at dawn and made preparations for our assault. We traveled via bark canoes provided by our new elven allies. The outpost at the Rhest ruins was in actuality two compounds. Ringing the perimeter of a small lake was a village consisting of the grass huts of lizardfolk. In the center of the lake were the remnants of two tall buildings projecting above the murky black water. The two buildings were further interlaced with a series of connecting bridges that facilitated traffic between the two structures. We had no way of knowing how many floors were invisible, buried under many feet of stagnant water and muck.

As per our standard reconnaissance protocol, we sent Pazenga ahead to scout out the lizard huts. Pazenga returned a few minutes later and reported that the lizard-people bore arms and armor with the scarlet hand sigil that indicated membership in the hobgoblin army. We reluctantly gave Pazenga permission to use lethal force against any lizard men he should encounter. I was to find out later that Pazenga followed the grim necessity to the extreme by slaying the humanoid reptiles mercilessly in their sleep. Although I would not have done this myself, I can’t fault him for it either. What was he to do, wake them, then kill them? How much more merciful would that have been? Neither could we leave such a significant force along our route of retreat, should events turn against us. I can only hope that he spared any of the small ones but I cannot bear to ask.

When the threat to our line of retreat was secured, we hid out of sight in a lizardfolk hut until nightfall. As we awaited sunset we spotted a dark scaled dragon and rider fly off toward the horizon. Taking advantage of the creature’s absence we silently paddled toward the two ruined buildings. Pazenga suggested we initiate our assault at the building vacated by the horse-sized black dragon. Again we sent Pazenga ahead to scout and he quickly returned warning us of four ogres guarding the roof of the structure. I placed a silence magic upon Pazenga and sent him ahead to begin the attack. For a short time Pazenga fought the giants alone and the silence magic prevented them from calling an alarm. Soon Zed, Elarin, Crucible, and the two warforged warriors Smelt and Prong joined the battle and made short work of the undisciplined ogres.

Afterward we once again we sent Pazenga ahead to reconnoiter and he came upon a two headed giant on the level below the roof. Since the silence magic was still in effect Pazenga chose to immediately attack the ettin in silence because he would not be able to report back while silenced in any case. It was a stalemate as the mighty giant was unable to strike our agile martial artist and Pazenga could not inflict any serious harm on the giant-kin. After a few heart beats we began to descend the stairs to check on our gith friend and we came upon the furious melee. Elarin, Zed, and the warforged waded into the battle, and although Zed was seriously injured, the ettin was quickly dispatched.

After searching the giant's lair we sent Pazenga down the stairs again to scout out the next level. There Paz found the black dragon’s lair and his treasure horde. We discovered two wands, an enchanted headband, a magic horn, and a great deal of coin. Crucible was later to identify these items as wands of paralyzing and lightning, a horn of fog summoning, and a headband to improve a wizard‘s understanding of magic. Significantly, we discovered the phylactery of a lich and a letter from the hobgoblin leadership indicating that they were blackmailing this “Ghost Lord” into joining his forces to their mighty horde. After collecting the items we began a room to room search of this level. Pazenga stumbled upon one of the dragon’s lieutenants and was attacked. The gith monk was able to fight off the goblinoid enchanter’s attempts at mind control through sheer force of will alone. Pazenga countered attacked and the hobgoblin mindbender was forced to retreat to preserve his life. Turning invisible, he slipped past Pazenga and would have been able to escape. Foolishly the goblinoid spellbinder chose to renew his attack on the rest of our party but he was vastly out numbered and was quickly slain.

After dispatching the hobgoblin spellbinder we set about preparing a trap for the dragon's return. We surrounded the acid-melted hole that served as an emergency escape route for the amphibious dragon. Stupidly we had not reckoned on the dragon arriving by air The black dragon landed on the roof and the four ogre corpses tipped it off that assassins stalked its lair. The dragon wisely burned another entrance into its treasure room with its vitriolic acid vomit.

Now our positions were reversed with the dragon prepared to ambush us if we entered the adjacent room. The dragon let out a horrible mind rending roar and all the warforged fled save Zed. Pazenga opened the door and was able to dodge the gout of acid vomit. The glistening ebony dragon was so large that it filled the majority of the ante-chamber and our gith martial artist was forced to leap and roll in order to maneuver safely to the reptilian monster’s flank where he delivered a debilitating nerve punch to its shoulder. Then the remainder of the Honor Guard surged into action. I cast a light bending illusion to protect Zed and he went on to attack the dragon. The warforged swordsman sliced a book-sized section of scale and skin from the dragon’s neck but the dragon seemed to barely notice. Elarin strode a few steps forward and the very air shimmered as he gathered the power of his fire ray spell. The elven sorcerer-soldier released the power of the spell and this time it burned, not orange, but white hot. The dragon roared in pain as the scales below his neck were incinerated. Zed drove his great sword into the seared and ruined breast and the dragon staggered, this time weakly screeching in pain. Seizing the opportunity, my beloved Bryanna blasted her own, albeit inferior, orange-yellow fire ray spell into the hole left by Zed’s great sword and fire sprayed out its mouth as the dragon‘s own throat burst into flames. The ebony dragon sagged and its eyes went dark.

As we smote the dragon to its knees its rider, a skilled goblin archer, charged in via the stairs and began a furious arrow barrage. Despite the goblinoid’s obvious skill it was far too little and far too late. The goblin archer managed to inflict only a couple of insignificant flesh wounds before Pazenga knocked him out and tied him up. We thought that this goblin captain would be a valuable source of information to take back to New Cyre but such was not to be.

Now that we had cleared out the leadership tower we decided to head over to the aquatic corral-like structure we had seen from the roof. Once again we followed standard protocol and had Pazenga scout ahead to flush out any hazards. As Pazenga scanned the corral for draconic eggs suddenly another one of the green dragon-like razor wings leapt out of the water and coughed acid gas at him. Pazenga easily slipped under the gas and thus the dragon-like creature chose instead to employ the appendages that give it its name. The razor wing was incredibly agile for it was the first creature I have ever seen out maneuver the swift Pazenga. The creature would dart in, slash at Paz with a wing, and dart back into the water before the githzerai monk could land a blow. We allowed this to go on only a few seconds before the rest of us strode into action. Reacting first, Elarin took careful aim with his powerful hobgoblin longbow and fired an arrow straight into the creature's eye. The arrow passed into its brain killing the reptile instantly. The four of us turned to Elarin in mute shock. I remember saying, “I had no idea you could shoot like that Elarin.”

We did not have long to admire Elarin's skill with the bow as we soon heard the blast of a hobgoblin horn and the sound of many hobnailed boots hammering on wooden planks. We formed a defensive position on the bridge with the warforged soldiers forming a shield wall in front backed by Zed and Crucible and with Bryanna, Elarin, and I hiding in the room with the dragon corpse. Bryanna darted to the rear of the warforged formation and cast a fog spell that concealed our position. Unable to see what was going on, I screamed for Zed to destroy the bridge. I had in mind that warforged cannot drown but heavily armored hobgoblins almost certainly would. Unfortunately Zed did not exercise basic caution and instead of cleaving the bridge under a hobgoblin’s feet he cut the bridge out from under himself causing him to plunge into the dark water.

I quickly followed Bryanna to the rear of our formation and we both cast our mirror images spell. Meanwhile the warforged Smelt was driven back into the bridge gap created by Zed’s sword and disappeared beneath dirty water. Pazenga left the safety of the corral and attacked the hobgoblin rear. The gith monk tripped a hobgoblin swordsman and shoved him off the bridge to drown in the dark water. Then Paz did likewise to the next goblin-kin in the line. Other goblinoid warriors kept attempting to leap Zed’s gap to attack Bryanna but they were being slain by Crucible and Elarin, greatly assisted by the murky water.

Suddenly Bryanna and I heard the sound of booted feet tromping at our rear. Although they could not see us my wife and I knew we had to escape or be overrun by the deadly hobgoblin soldiers. I grabbed Bryanna with my right arm and cast my spell of levitation with my left while Bryanna hugged into me placing her staff around the back of my neck. We quickly rose out of the conjured mist and I cast my new prismatic sparks spell so that it would extend into the fog and the hidden hobgoblins. The spell did little damage but it did demoralize those hobgoblins participating in the flanking attack. By this time the living constructs Crucible and Prong had eliminated the primary attack and so they withdrew toward Elarin and the cooling dragon corpse. As we rose from the mist a hobgoblin sorcerer that was fleeing the rainbow flecked purple mist spotted us and retaliated with a fireball. Our hair was singed and we received superficial burns but we survived otherwise intact. I counter attacked with my own fireball blasting the spellbinder from his feet. The sorcerer cast another spell, probably invisibility, and was lost from view. I cast another prismatic mist spell on the other side of the building to discourage fresh troops from arriving on that side.

As Bryanna used the powerful staff to heal her burns, we discovered that Zed had gained the roof and was engaging the hobgoblin snipers in hand to hand combat. The other warforged and Elarin soon joined him, rallying our forces and driving the snipers from the roof.

It was at this time that Pazenga again appeared at the what would have been the rear of the hobgoblin flankers, had they not been fleeing my enchanted mist. The invisible sorcerer summoned a horde of bats to harass and lacerate the githzerai but this did not stop him from destroying the two remaining goblin swordsmen. Apparently the goblin-kin sorcerer chose the better part of valor and levitated out of Pazenga’s reach. When the spell-binder passed above the mist he blasted Bryanna and I with another fireball again causing painful but not life threatening burns. I countered with a blast of five force missiles to the sorcerer’s heart and he plunged back into the mist.

Silence again reigned around Rhest's ruins and we waited for the spells to dissipate before continuing our mission. It came as an unwelcome surprise when we realized that goblin captain had escaped in the confusion and mist. Pazenga and Zed destroyed the eggs while the balance of our party prepared the hatching facility for arson. This accomplished we disembarked in the canoe with flames roaring into the skies behind us. After paddling to shore we razed the lizard folk huts to the ground as well. For some reason I feel a small portion of shame over destroying the lizard man village. Perhaps this is because I suspect that the crocodile people were unwilling allies of the red hand horde. Perhaps under other circumstances we could have been friends but, given what has happened, there is little we can do to placate them. Perhaps someday in the distant future.

Now that we have returned to Starsong Hill we must prepare for an expedition to the lair of this “Ghost Lord”. We discussed many options and have decided to bring him his phylactery in the hope of ensuring his neutrality in this conflict. If things go poorly, I will call for a retreat leaving the phylactery in our wake, surely it will be found and the appropriate conclusions will be drawn. This may be our only hope, for if we are forced to fight the lich some of us will surely die, perhaps all of us.