D&D D20 - Irongate

Blackness. Tight, constricting blackness.    How much time has passed?  It seems
endless.   A stirring.    Something moves?   Nothing here ever moves.    Is it now?    Is it time? Is that a
voice speaking to me?   Why is it familiar?

"My former apprentice. The end approaches.  Now you can know them.  I have been destroyed, as we expected. They are coming.   Know them as intimately as any being can know another.  They are The Ones.  I give them to you.  End them.  End everything, and the plan will be complete.  You have done well."

Anger. It burns hot in this blackness.  I know them.  I FEEL them.  It is coming.

I will be free.

Tenser:

Never underestimate the power of the mortal spirit. In his last acts on this plane, Traubon has sacrificed himself to save Kelvos. Kelvos and his sword archon, without a place to call their own, have vowed to tear through Kulith Marr, easing our pursuit of knowledge of the place.

Will update you when we have completed our task.

Maren

Celeste:

I have word from Kulith Marr. Thanks in a large part to the final good acts of Traubon, you brother has returned to the light. Without a place in this world or in yours, he has pledged to purge as many of the undead of that horrible place as he can.

I hope you can find comfort in his noble endeavour.

Maren

"I'm sorry, Traubon, I'm sorry"

The night after the events of Kulith Marr, Maren, unencumbered by the torturous nightmares of his comrades, had a dream of his own.

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Dear Diary,

Tenser is old looking, his place is nice, but there is also so many different weird objects laying around. Before going on, he seems not happy about us. Ohhh, he wants us to return special gloves to Celeste that she gave to guard's family. I feel so ashamed that she is willing but I was not willing to give something to help. The others also did not give much, but I control my own actions and willingly did not.

He now gives information about the Kuss and Worm prophecies(Age of Worms), what ever they are. Triad is part of the mystery. Kulith Mar is location to create undead(Must be a bad place). Bucknards is a researcher, has information about Kuss. We need to find more information about Kuss. Tenser wants to have the Artifact left here with him and will trade 5 scrolls of greater teleport. We decide in the end to accept the offer. Maren gives his gloves of dex +4 to her, she gave Maren a luck stone, Alphonse gave back begrudgingly the gloves of dex +2 to Maren. And off we go to Bucknards residence. We leave our horses behind. I think Maren likes his horse, I just found out he named her, something to do with a girls name. I always thought you only named ships girls names, I guess Maren is weird like that, but I still like him.

We get our bearings and head to the Manor, as we approach, there is clues that indicate something is wrong. Maren says that there is not that many lights on, with very little activity going on. It is late evening and raining, most have not been able to see anything. Traubon says to go break in, I immediately said no, then Del just opened the door which indicates that owner is not thinking of privacy but it is odd. But then I did not notice the blood on the floor till someone pointed it out to me in the mud room. I whole heartedly agreed then that something is wrong and we need to help save any survivors in this big place. Inside past the mud room it seems like a foyer(not sure that is correct word for room we were in), but we are accosted by undead(former living staff and hired hands employed by the manor), we quickly vanquish them and move farther in, only to find that we have much more powerful forces involved, according to Alphonse, there is someone watching us through the eyes of the undead creatures. that is not all, when some of us go down a hallway, we are touched by undead creatures that can travel through walls and any solid object. Very freaky, luckily I can bounce around fast and makes me hard to hit, but it also seems that they are also hard to hit. I feel disoriented when I see my hand go through one of these Shadow creatures(I think that is what Maren called them). In meantime, Alphonse takes the extra effort to call some cold magic to put out the fire that is starting to go out of control in kitchen. Ohh, I almost forgot, I do not know what to do, I have almost missed every single attack against the Shadow creatures and this situation is not improving,  Maybe Maren knows something to help, so far he has not offered anything. Maybe I will have to ask him when there is more time.). Later for now, we have more of the Mansion to look around in and hopefully save someone from here.

Dear Diary,

Part II. I am continuously surprised at my own genius, after running through the cafeteria I saw there is a very long hallway with lots of doors, I am sure the Demon will not be able to choose which one to search for me. I ask one of the guards who just happen to step out of his own bedroom, "What is at end of this hallway."  He nodded and answered it led to the stables, which explains why door is much heavier. Quickly and quietly I run through door and in my rush slam the door. I also see that the exit north is so close. I run and open door with a couple of the stable hands staring at me open mouthed, I noticed that it is raining heavily. Again not sure where this tactical genius came from, I said to the stable hand closest to the door, "If anyone asks I went east." I go quickly and carefully to the Caravan Masters wagon and go inside and hide, that is located back towards the other end. As soon as I am inside and resting, I noticed some kind of weird glowy thing in middle of wagon. Looks sickly green. I feel uneasy with this but not able to do anything with this, leave it alone and set Maren's body down. I have to think.... after a few rounds of trying. I sigh, and mentally say: Well I tried. I cannot think of anything, So I just sit and prepare for worst. I am sure the Devil will find me soon, or hopefully it will run around outside looking for me. Why must it have the rod? Nothing comes to mind. I will have to ask my astute friends if they have any insight or wisdom to dispense. My mind is definitely blank on this subject.

After a few minutes, I hear a commotion, I try to leave and find my way blocked.  (It snuck in while I was trying to clear my thoughts, but I did notice that the door open and something invisible and small enter).  When I tried to bypass, it blocked me, immediately it transformed into the Bone Devil and filled the limited space of the wagon, I tried to hit it and missed, but at least it could not hit me either. Then before I know it, door opens and a very high keening noise comes from opening, and a brilliant light explodes from the crystal, and when things clear, the wagon has a huge hole on other side and Devil is no longer there, infact, there is holes going through four more walls beyond the wagon. I wish I knew what happened(Del Pique used his special sword combo that emits a very powerful ultrasound attack). After some time we have to pay for some of the death that was metted out by the Bone Devil. The captain of guard wants us to pay and we horribly under pay them, I think Traubon was being cheap but I do not really know. Until Celeste assists, not sure what kind of item a white glove with gold filagree, but she willingly gives it up to pay for sacrifice of guard to family.

Celeste comes to town and keeps me company till Maren is returned back alive. I always wanted to see that happening(of how a person is raised up) but never found the time. She seems to have Tensers interests involved and will guide us there. We book passage from Irongate to go to Mage Point, two weeks travel. We go to the major seaport and City of Greyhawk. As a side note, at the harbor, Celeste made the entry in very easy, not sure what she did and no one wanted to know how she did it. Well I did but I am so enraptured with her stunning beauty that I keep forgetting to ask her.

Innkeep at Mage Point says to see Simera in order to see Tenser.  Might take several weeks. In meantime, most everyone goes out gambling. I am not interested but, I will watch them all. I see Del has a gambling problem, I keep reminding him to stop or he will lose everything, but he kept on going . It is fascinating to watch, have been offered to join, but I still refuse on grounds that we are not in control with gambling.

Pirates be there!!! Luckily we bypass any would be plunderer, on the high seas.

Finally after eight weeks of waiting(Sept 6), unfortunately had to borrow money from Maren(20 platinum), we are going to be able to see Tenser tomorrow. By chance we happen to meet a famous adventurer who is like a legend of adventurers. It seems he knows us a little also, I am so shocked, he is actually interested in us as a group. Does that make me a popular person? Makes me wonder if that changes a person, I hope to stay the same. I am sleepy, I think I will take a nap again after my training and studying.

Dear Diary,

After meditating and watching my friends do their own things for the past eight weeks, especially with Traubon(He seems to have this fixation on the person who sold some magic item to us by way of a friend of ours, I always forget her name. I will have to ask Maren again, what her name is.), I was hoping to continue to have some rest and relaxation and ponder the greater meaning of my purpose with my friends and my god, but as chance has it, Traubon heard some information about the Caravan Master and his death with a surviving child hidden in wagon. Maren decides to give testimony as to our innocents and somehow we get sucked into investigating the cause. I thought that the man was hired to bait us and ran away, maybe he was just a loose end they wanted to cut. I never am sure about these things. It is easier to just listen to what ever everyone says and follow their directions. Sometimes I am not sure what they are saying. Anyways, Just as we get there, we find out that child knows me. I am dumbfounded as I have never seen her before. Not sure why but Maren wanted me to stay in hallway first, then after three minutes was called in by Maren. Which we then sent message to have rest of group come help with investigation. We need Alphonse to magically check out some of the weird stuff the Keystone Cops have found. Then the little girl smiles at me and I am caught off guard as she changes into a large Demon that is familiar. We have fought this thing before while riding with Caravan Master.

It is a vicious battle, it must have improved itself as most of my attacks miss and those that do hardly do any damage at all. I feel helpless but at same time very protective of all those who cannot defend themselves against this thing. Maren tried to cast some kind of spell and was disrupted or something which he promptly ran to back. By then the Demon called forth an ice wall and blocked Maren from helping me. I do not know how he did it, but several seconds later the wall disappeared. Which the Demon promptly called forth another wall at same spot between Maren and me. Leaving me to fight it alone. After what seems like only seconds, a blast opens a way in the ice wall with Maren stumbling through. In the meantime, I have been pummeling this thing with almost no affect. Maren finally sends some pretty colored lights at the thing that seems to do lots of damage to it. Go Maren... Soon the Demon fights solely on Maren and ignores me.  I feel even more shame for not being able to protect him. After what seems like an eternity, Maren yells at me to leave, which to me sounds like being a coward. Unfortunately my youth has scarred me and I refused his demand. Even the second time he yells at me to run away, I refuse. I each time tell him to leave first. I am sure I can help better this way...

Before I know it, Maren crumples to the ground from one of the Demons attacks. I do not know what came over me, I just acted. I as fast as I could, ran to him and picked him up, I had just enough time to notice a big bloody gash on his neck almost as big as his mouth. Hmm, yes his mouth is big and so this gash. Without thinking, I jump through the hole of the ice wall and run down the hallway to the exit, as soon as I get through to the hallway, I taunt the unholy thing to chase me, I did not know it can teleport so many times. I hope there is only a limited amount of times it can do this. It pops in at the far end of the hallway I just went to, effectively blocking my exit out. So as fast as I can, I run to the door on my right just before the Demon can reach, but the way is blocked by several cops who look like they are preparing to do battle. I do not think they are a match. But I guess they have to try. Or someone with more power comes along. Oh that is right, I forgot my other friends are coming. I wonder where they are? I hope they come as fast as they can.

Part II:

Dear Diary,

We are at Diamond Lake and heading back to Irongate. We hitch a ride with caravan that is heading towards Irongate. Caravan Master(Joordon) is willing to pay us 380 total to protect his product(snake oil, spices, herbs).

Takes about a full day. Some of us have noticed the CM has been acting weird and some has been poisoned with food he served. Then later on, a large bone demon, and 5 bearded devils teleported in and pointed at us and demanded' Give us the rod.'

We promptly take combat stance and with not response attack. Found out they can teleport. Damn they are hard to keep up. Thank you Alphonse for the Haste spell. Half way through battle, Bone Demon calls forth a horde of Lemures, Del after several rounds remembers to use the new weapons on horde, destroying many at each attack. Duhhhh. The big Bone Demon teleported away when he failed to acquire rod(Bone Demon gave name of his boss, but for the life of me, cannot remember name). Then soon afterwards, the caravan, left in a hurry. Since most of us did not have enough speed to catch him, we let him go.

Then we traveled to Irongate. Found a hotel and rested. Maren found out that his girlfriend is here. He did his smoochie thing and got her to at least trade some items for us. I personally think we need more cash for living expenses. I think she is nice person. Would be nice to see them married with little Marens running around. On second thought, maybe not.

Till tomorrow. Benlore.

The warrior champion Herald of Kyuss is not who WINS. It is Rakinian. Don't let any warriors get.....

Maren laid down on the grass, surrounded by the trees that make up the shrine to Obad-Hai in the city of Irongate, staring up at the stars. For the first time since he and his friends had dealt with the dopplegangers, he is alone. Tierra's off doing god knows what with her adventuring group, his friends are likely throwing a few back. Hell, even Zanthar is in Del's custody tonight.

Alone. Completely alone. And it has never felt so good.

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"After the battles have been won and the spoils spent, all we have is our memories." - The opening line of The Unabridged Journals of Larry Laffer

So many questions, so many memory gaps, where do I even go from here?

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There is a mind flayer here floating in the air, and it's beating us mercilessly. And Alphonse is dead.

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Well, Dell died again, but oh, wait, it wasn't really Del. Phew!
(Yup, I hates me some shapeshifters)

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So we are back in Irongate (where some of us take the time to train), waiting for the pal of Allustan to further research these worms, only to get waylaid by a couple of dopplegangers...

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After making the lizard folk all nice and happy, we head back to the tower, only to discover that we're ill-prepared to handle what awaits.

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Something to do in-town....

Gamble rules to make standard money
use the Profession:Gambler skill to make money during a week as per the rules.

Gamble rules to make big money:

The money you will make for 1 hour of play is determined by choosing a target DC for all the skill checks in the game. That DC-10, then squared, is how much you make if you win, or how much you loose if you fail. You win by making ALL the skill checks. You fail (the gambling game session) if you fail even one. You cannot take 10 on skill checks. If you will be playing for more than 1 hour, you can pre-plan that you will will be playing up to 8 hours in any given 24 hour period, and simply make one set of rolls, multiplying the win or loss by the numbers of hours planned.

Poker
bluff
sense motive
concentration

Black Jack
concentration
appraise
sense motive

Craps
appraise
bluff
diplomacy

Sports Betting
Appraise
Knowledge Local
Gather Information

Dragon Chess (minimum DC is 20, or no-one will play with you at this 1 hour, high money play level)
sense motive
diplomacy
appraise

SPECIALS:

Slight of Hand cheating - In any game that allows the Bluff skill, you can chose to cheat before playing. In that case, you can roll both Bluff and Slight of Hand and use whatever is higher. If you loose, you must pay triple the losing amount. If you won't or cannot, the DM will generate an appropriate encounter with hostile gamblers you just cheated.

Profession Gambler - If you have ranks in this skill, you can substitute this skill in place of one other skill in the game. This is NOT a best-of-either, but a complete substitution for the duration of the gambling.

An excerpt from "The Abridged Journal of Larry Laffer, Volume One":

The topic of good and evil was always a topic of debate for the Black Company, both around the campfire during our many adventures, as well as over a cask of ale at the Green Dragon Inn. While there was little discussion of the nature of pure evil or pure good, it was always the shades of grey that garnered the most attention. The paladins amongst us would, of course, argue that the one true path to a world without Evil was based on a strict adherence to the law. The clerics of the various gods would chime in that the paladin's laws were the laws of Man, and therefore, were inherently flawed. Only through giving your dbtvtion to a deity and a willingness to listen to their teachings would Good be able to triumph over Evil.

Right above this time, as the volume of the discourse would reach the level of waking up the neighbors, I would ask one simple question: "If you had the chance to destroy Iuz, before his reign of terror swallowed half of a continent, would you?"

Trust me, there are few more amusing sights than to see a holy paladin's eyes roll in the back of their head trying to come up with an answer for that one.

For me, laws are designed to keep the ignorant masses from hurting themselves and those around them. A true hero knows that there is only two outcomes when dealing with the most vile that walk this sphere: success or failure. The bending or flat out breaking of a few rules along the way to achieve a victory for the light is many times a necessity. When you're knee deep in evildoers, neither you nor your gods have the time for a judge and jury to pronounce sentence of their deeds.

Do not misunderstand, my children, even my loose interpretation of the law does not permit one to burn down a village or slaughter the innocent, but for a true hero, life is always a shade of grey. The gods will not judge you on your minor transgressions, but always on the results of those actions.

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I regret to inform you of the death of your friend Marzena. She was captured by the Lizard Men during the initial assault of the tower. We broke the siege, and then pursued them into the marshes. We caught up to her captors and rescued her as well as Barak and two others, Bob and Tom. We were slowed by our lack of sleep and the Lizard Men caught up to us.

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After charging up on a half dragon, we spend the night hunting for its victims...
A bed will never look as good as it will when we get back.

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The Ghost Warriors reunite with an old colleague and the chicken is promoted...
Then we end up taking on the Lizard King, er, general.

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