Bards Tale 012

What lies beneath

There are deep places in this world, many long forgotten and undisturbed for an age. Entire cultures, races and worlds live unto themselves in the depths. Strange things hint at the past buried beneath centuries of neglect and disinterest. Facts well known to our companions.

The party finds themselves at the top of a stairway leading to unknown depths. Sieg and Dex are revived with the skill of Aranel and the brave lot heads deeper. Spurred on by the unknown fate of those brothers of Karnak on the surface, the party delves down 5 stories deep into the earth and rock. Finding a chamber at the bottom, with a large ornate door, blocked by toppled debris and statues. However with every path closed, at least another presents itself. Following air currents in the room, Aranel spies a hole leading down into a natural looking chamber. Hoping for an alternate entrance into the ancient Magnatherian library the party explores. Finding a dead end path, the party finds themselves assaulted by large poisonous spiders within their den. Small fighting quarters makes the fight difficult but the party prevails. Smashing carapace, limb, and eyes, the blighted care not about poisons. Varaxis however still of a living persuasion indeed succumbs to the biting poisons of the dog sized spiders. Arrows fall, axes cleave, and swords ring true as Jaspyr obliterates the last of the spiders and the party explores further.

Not all is as it seems, Aranel spots a crude trap through one of the natural chambers exits. Is there deft hands at work down in these depths, setting nets and the like, or are these the remnants of a long forgotten people, they wonder. The question is soon answered as Aranel sets off the trap intentionally, and walks through the opening sensing no danger. Spiders descend upon the party, this time with little fierce halfling sized men riding upon their backs, armed with spear and net. The bottle neck in the cavern allows limited access to the 3 darklings and their mounts. The party even in their hurt and tired state easily dispatch these 3 and send them to a darkness new to even those that live without light.

“Carry on, there are people dying up top we need to find a way to help them” Dex commands as the party continues on. Coming into a large chamber split into two by a large chasm they cannot see the bottom of. Halfway into the chamber they hear a few words of the clicking language of the darklings and all is dark. Varaxis carrying the only light source notes he cannot even see much more than his Magnatherian gift and the others have never known such darkness. With no blightcreep, no lights and no senses the party stumbles, trying to find their way out of the darkness. Spears jab at Jaspyr and Sieg as Dex and Aranel find their way out to the cavern wall. Darkness still greets them until Varaxis emerges forth, showing a globe of black still encompassing most of the chamber and 2 of their cursed friends. Sieg being attacked from many sides stumbles and brutally falls deep into the chasm, hitting a ledge far below his already bruised and battered body leaves his consciousness behind. Jaspyr wanders in the dark as a spider net grabs hold of Dex and Varaxis. Aranel climbs a ledge to gain a good advantage on the situation and tries to lower a rope into the chasm, hoping beyond hope that Sieg is still conscious, and able to find this life line, he is wrong on both counts. A bolt of dark energy emerges from the dark sphere slamming Aranel hard with enough force to make him drop his rope into the deep. Dex and Varaxis struggle out of the spider web and try to gain their footing. Jaspyr eventually takes so many spears and jabs in the dark he succumbs to unconsciousness.

The darkness lifts and our 3 remaining hero's spy many Darklings scurrying about and hauling Jaspyr off into the chasm. Dropping many with his arrows, Aranel spots a Darkling wearing a head dress made of one of the large spiders as dark bolts fly from his fingers hitting him again and again. Dex and Varaxis hurry to help as the 3 take out the remainder as the Darkling shaman runs up the wall unhindered by gravity or the need of a spider mount. Varaxis and Aranel quickly drop him as Dex hurries to secure the fate of his chasm bound comrades. Dropping down 50 ft of rope and heading without tarry, Dex leads into the chasm. “We need to find them, and get the hell out of here” as he drops down to a ledge in the chasm 15 feet below the end of his rope without a second glance. As a man possessed Dex drops the Darklings, and spiders hauling off Jaspyr and newly bound Sieg. They revive Sieg and Jaspyr as they scramble up to the rope with difficulty finding themselves atop the chasm once again.

At the top, upon closer inspection of the Darkling shaman Jaspyr finds a strange ring upon his small hands. As he holds it, the ring re sises to fit upon his finger perfectly...Magic! With new found stability balance and grip, Jaspyr finds he too can now scramble up vertical walls as though he were a spider. Varaxis takes the head dress and finds it makes him look even more fearsome and decides to make it a permanent fixture to his travelling attire...you know to scare the kids. As if a demon man with glowing rune tattoos, bracer and green fiery energy wasn't scary enough

thoughts of a paladin

As our band of blighted heroes face what appears to be miniature blight bringers they are quickly overwhelmed and Sieg is struck down, shortly followed by Dex. In the throes of this bizarre form of death, Sieg feels a great darkness crawling over him; over his soul. His faith wanes and his mind races..

The faithful have been a dying breed in the years of late. As we clambered on in our own lives the xenophobic cultures grew less and less accepting, leading to suffering, hatred and death. It was these factors that brought me to my faith, or should I say it brought my beliefs to me. I discovered Avandra's guiding hand on the roads of travel. Traveling as an axe for hire, defense for some of the more hapless caravans, I felt a light within compelling me to help. Having heard many rumors of the god of luck, change and travel over the years, I began to feel her presence. Her light brought new life into me, gave me purpose and guidance. I pledged my axe to this light and the people it watches over and began life anew. Twiceborn as a paladin of the free people.

However, times have changed. In what's seemed like a matter of days the world has fallen into darkness and the light of my faith grows dim. Avandra's presence is faint and with the monstrosity I've become my ability to believe has waned. I've felt as though we've been abandoned and left to rot amongst the blight ridden of the world. We're burned by the light of the gods and reviled by the people. How can I prove myself and do good for the people like this.

My four compatriots and I fight for different reasons, but I sense that we are all fighting for our humanity. And as I lay here, burning in the sunlight of the Pelor and overwhelmed by the creations of blight, I wonder; do we deserve our humanity? In the countless years we were not of our mind we have most definitely committed atrocities I care not to fathom. In my personal attempts to maintain composure and sensibility I have gone mad and attempted murder of innocent beings. Maybe this change in our bodies was a sign that we are lost and we have been forsaken. And maybe this is the end.

Not all luck is as bad as it seems. Change is sometimes a necessary evil for a greater good.

A-Avandra.. I can feel your light within me once more. Your divinity flowing through my veins, albeit faintly. Perhaps this has happened for a reason. Maybe I was fated to meet these individuals and to be drawn through such trials. Perhaps we can indeed bring about a change in this world yet. We are close to an almost ancient discovery and I feel I must protect my compatriots. Avandra knows I can't do this alone and I feel a bond with them stronger than I've felt with others in a long time.

My faith was dying, but Avandra is watching over us, of that I know. Renewed in belief and love for this world I know we must push on and we must survive. We must bring about change.

Tales of the Bard 011

We come in peace

As the figures approach, Aranel decides to split off from the party to get a better look and ambushing position. The others stand ready for an assault and hope for an easier solution to present itself. These brave, who toil to find out the mysteries of what has consumed this world, still have hope. It happens quickly, the figures are seen to wave and move their arms in a fluid like motion, bringing together both hands and pulling them apart. As their hands pull apart a path is made through the fog squarely on the hero's of Ostwick. 'We are found' they think as they are presented with a familiar question. “Who are you?”. Dex, Sieg, Jaspyr, and Varaxis come forward to confront these men and women of Pelor. Dex explains that “We come seeking refuge from this war, in hopes that mighty Pelor can help us with our plight”. Looking the blight weary over the monks and sisters of Karnak decide to bring Elder Reubin to decide the fate of these strangers.

Interesting

Elder Reubin is an old cane laden man in his twilight years. But with all that age, there is a quickness in his eyes and he almost sees through this lot set before him. “I see you have multiplied, there is 5 of you here where the brothers told me there was only 4?” Elder Reubin queries as Aranel steps forward. After asking many questions of the party, and gleaning truths and half truths from them, the elder decides to grant the travellers sanctuary under heavy guard. Sensing Jaspyr's unease, Reubin tells him “I am but an old man now my friend, I'm afraid i would not taste very good to you indeed”. Noticing the Argos Librarium grafted to the arm of Varaxis The leader of this Temple sees some familiar looking runes upon it. Leading them into Karnak the party takes great pain as they enter the light and walk to some makeshift quarters set up for them to stay through the night. The guards bring them live chickens as horrible sounds ring through the courtyard.

55/1st/51be

The next morning Reubin comes and collects the party wanting to show them around the grounds, to see if they came to the right place as they warranted. Showing the party around the grounds, the elder points out some familiar runes located on walk stones around the base of the main temple. As Varaxis holds up his hand and survey's the surroundings, the Argo Librarium plinks little flashes of light on the runic sequence he is meant to unlock a secret door. As Varaxis activates the runes they light up and a secret door opens up to stairs leading downward below the temple. Moments after opening up the secret stair, the unnatural glow of the site discontinues as there are shouts of “incoming” and the hustle and bustle of everyone in the temple mobilizing to defend. Black balls of writhing tentacles fly overhead and slam into buildings, the ground and people. 2 of the monks wisk away the old man as the party takes the fight to one of the newly arriving blight bringers. Aranel, Varaxis and Sieg strike with great ferver. The swirling mess of tentacles lashes out slamming into Sieg. Jaspyr steps in and unleashes a rending blow to the mess almost cutting the beast in twain with smoke roiling off of his argent blade. Dex orders Jaspyr to strike again and he does. The monster reels but pulls itself back together as threads on a loom intertwine making cloth. The blight bringer rains down tentacles on Sieg and Dex as it grabs hold of the argent wielding Jaspyr. More blows pummel Sieg into unconsciousness, then the same for Dex. Jaspyr frees himself as Varaxis and Aranel bring the pain to the tentacled mass as it wails unto unconsciousness. Grabbing up Dex, and Seig the party withdraws into the hidden stair as the sounds weapons, spells and fists ring through the temple.