Quest Logs: Difference between revisions
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Maerilith is pretty exited to learn more about Hevet. I would be more interested in minding some more of Ulmagi's magic. }} | Maerilith is pretty exited to learn more about Hevet. I would be more interested in minding some more of Ulmagi's magic. }} | ||
{{playerlog|Maerilith | | |||
While we still try to speak with the ghosts we meet, it seems to be a hopeless endeavor at this point to get any information from them without violence. At least Crash is no longer scared of them and not blindly attacking every one that he sees. | |||
Fortunately, a couple of artifacts remained in tact enough to glean more information about Hevet and the previous inhabitants - what appears to be a priest's journal and a small locket in the rubble of a temple. Both were in delicate condition from age but preserved enough to read their contents. "The Word of Hevet" detailed the Kalant's worship of the Goddess Hevet and their religious leaders, the Hevet Triamveret, whose names only partially remained in the back: Deloyo, Sia, and Chesh. ''If these names mean anything to anyone at the guild, please come to me with what you know.'' The locket was more sentimental but still offered another connection to Hevet. ''Thank you, Svelta, for helping repair the locket. It means a lot to me.'' | |||
Not much else remains of the ruins to explore though, and while I'll be disappointed to leave them behind when we're done, they've offered more answers than I was expecting and yet... I still have more questions. But I can't imagine that the Kalant Ruins were the sole location of Hevet's worship... nor of Oolmagi's influence. I'm not sure why Avallac'h is so interested in researching Oolmagi's work - it's not something we should meddle with. But Avallac'h has been generous in sharing what arcane lore and spells he's uncovered so far, so I won't stop his pursuits <small><strike>''unless she deems it necessar''</strike></small> unless it threatens the guild. | |||
Also, a note to [[Barkom]]: While we've never had the chance to properly meet, my traveling companions have, and I've heard that you're interested in starting up a tavern. We've recently come across a barrel of possibly millennia-old wine and would appreciate your expertise in identifying it.}} | |||
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Kurst agreed that the camp can be dispersed or moved farther away as long as they're no longer a threat; however, Bara, Katha, and Lethro made good points that they were there first and that we could be the ones to move elsewhere. I am conflicted and torn between what to do but will try to find a peaceful resolution, Lathander willing. Perhaps these creatures could join the guild or foster their civilization elsewhere where they have more room to grow and flourish? Or perhaps they will continue to be radicalized by the Grand Speaker and leaving them be will allow evil to grow instead? I will need the week to think on it, and I think I will see if I can commission some augury materials... | Kurst agreed that the camp can be dispersed or moved farther away as long as they're no longer a threat; however, Bara, Katha, and Lethro made good points that they were there first and that we could be the ones to move elsewhere. I am conflicted and torn between what to do but will try to find a peaceful resolution, Lathander willing. Perhaps these creatures could join the guild or foster their civilization elsewhere where they have more room to grow and flourish? Or perhaps they will continue to be radicalized by the Grand Speaker and leaving them be will allow evil to grow instead? I will need the week to think on it, and I think I will see if I can commission some augury materials... | ||
}} | }} | ||
= 2020 = | = 2020 = | ||
[[Quest Logs 2020]] | [[Quest Logs 2020]] | ||
Revision as of 12:52, 14 March 2021
Every quest inside of the world of Sunholm is logged by our adventurers so that other guild members can live vicariously though them, and so that other adventurers can stay on top of the successes and failures of the guild as a whole. If an adventurer shares a quest log with the guild then they are usually met with payment for their work by other guild members, however if there is ever a case where no member of the adventuring party provides a history of what happened then it is unlikely anyone will know about their deeds, or even that the world itself will remember their experiences (Characters will not receive exp for that session). There is no requirement for the style or form of the quest logs, they can be short summaries, a list of events that occurred, masterfully woven tales, sonnets, poems, songs, or anything else you would like, they must however contain information about all of the major story events that occurred.
Logs
March
12 (Downtime)
12
We rummaged through more homes in the Kalant Ruins. Some of the occupants seemed to worship a god we have never heard of, Hevet.
Maerilith is pretty exited to learn more about Hevet. I would be more interested in minding some more of Ulmagi's magic.
While we still try to speak with the ghosts we meet, it seems to be a hopeless endeavor at this point to get any information from them without violence. At least Crash is no longer scared of them and not blindly attacking every one that he sees.
Fortunately, a couple of artifacts remained in tact enough to glean more information about Hevet and the previous inhabitants - what appears to be a priest's journal and a small locket in the rubble of a temple. Both were in delicate condition from age but preserved enough to read their contents. "The Word of Hevet" detailed the Kalant's worship of the Goddess Hevet and their religious leaders, the Hevet Triamveret, whose names only partially remained in the back: Deloyo, Sia, and Chesh. If these names mean anything to anyone at the guild, please come to me with what you know. The locket was more sentimental but still offered another connection to Hevet. Thank you, Svelta, for helping repair the locket. It means a lot to me.
Not much else remains of the ruins to explore though, and while I'll be disappointed to leave them behind when we're done, they've offered more answers than I was expecting and yet... I still have more questions. But I can't imagine that the Kalant Ruins were the sole location of Hevet's worship... nor of Oolmagi's influence. I'm not sure why Avallac'h is so interested in researching Oolmagi's work - it's not something we should meddle with. But Avallac'h has been generous in sharing what arcane lore and spells he's uncovered so far, so I won't stop his pursuits unless she deems it necessar unless it threatens the guild.
5
We spent another day searching through the homes within the Kalant Ruins. We have encountered all types of haunted creatures. Poor souls that once inhabited this otherwise unremarkable little town. Progress is slow, but I believe we will soon be able to determine the nature of Ulmagi's experiment.
Warning to future traveler's: Bring the means to reveal invisible creatures.
Crash possibly killed our last opportunity to speak to the Kalant locals - a ghost that had returned to the first room. However, it's also possible it was just a scout to warn the others of our approach based on all the others'... violent reaction to our presence... But at least we tried. If only mind magic worked on ghosts...
Regardless, this trip proved less fruitful than last week's. We found nothing more about the previous inhabitants of this town, on Oolmagi or his creation, or of Hevet. Just vengeful ghosts, mindless skeletons, and a handful of gold... (Mental note: remember to divide up what we found with the others before we head out again.)
I hope Oolmagi's lab and belongings were not the last place here untouched enough by time to provide some clues... I still have so many questions... I must learn more.
February
27
19
You shouldn't have gone to the ruins without letting me confirm it was safe first! What if it had been filled with deadly aberrations as the last one had? Or the path there blocked by trolls or larger monstrosities? What if one of you went down and I wasn't there to bring you back up?! You were lucky it was only a few undead this time, but don't think I didn't notice how drained Crash and you looked when you returned. It may still be too dangerous for you there!
-Lelyvia
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not some child that needs to be looked after! I can handle myself, and these ruins... these ruins are important for me. I need to study them more, I need to find out what happened. Who lived here before. Don't you want me to get out and enjoy life again? Wasn't that all you were trying to do these past few months? I'm finding a new path forward. I need this.
-Mae
Sigh... Very well, if I can't stop you, at least let me offer my assistance; I have a spare healing potion you can take for emergencies. But, if any of you go down while at the ruins, it's non-negotiable about staying put at the guild until whatever larger threat there is taken care of! If you're not back after a week next time, I'm heading out to bring you all back and can only pray I'll be able to recover each of you... May Lathander watch over you all in my absence.
-Lelyvia
12
But my first journey outside of the guild's halls was quite interesting. We spoke with the farmers who were searching for their missing family heirlooms, and fortunately unfortunately, their tiefling-hating father had been eaten by wolves. Too bad we don't have any leads on their onyx figurines... I wouldn't be surprised though if some irritable, conceited, haughty wizard disintegrated them on a whim or over a simple misunderstanding.
Either way, we were back to square one on what to do, and for some reason, Avallac'h and the others seemed hesitant on going to the new temple with me. Lelyvia, you better not have told them I wasn't allowed to go there without you! I'm not a child that needs to be looked after! So, instead I suggested we try to find a ruby for Elaine. I... needed to make it up to her... and how hard could a ruby be to find with a whole mine and vastly unexplored hills to the east?
As luck would have it, Eric Silverhand did have a ruby he was willing to part with for a discounted price. The only downside was that it was enchanted or infused with some sort of magic that burned and set fire to those that touched it. Avallac'h studied the gem from a distance with mage hand and detect magic, (Mental note: practice mimicking some of those incantations and gestures tonight and experiment with what various deviations can achieve.) and determined that it held some sort of containment magic but didn't know how to release it without damaging the ruby itself.
Without a way to safely free whatever was inside, it was too risky to purchase the ruby from Eric, so off we went into the hillsides in search of another. After a couple of days though, we'd only scrounged up some small chunks of gold and other gems, but nothing like the fist sized ruby from the mine. We decided to check in with Elaine to get a better understanding of exactly what she needed. (Moz had been willing to sell us a ruby, too, though it was half the size of the one from the mine.) Yet, there was a very particular size and shape that she needed for... something she was crafting, so the ruby from the mine was our best chance.
Carefully, we went to Moz (I'm still surprised by her good mood in seeing me, but it's a welcome one.) to seek her advice on how to break a containment spell without harming the gem, and apparently a code work or a simple dispel magic is all that's needed! So, back to the mine we went - Ignar was willing to purchase the ruby in exchange for the magical knife that Elaine was offering as a reward, but I still helped get a better bargain for him.
Once outside, Avallac'h dispelled the containment (Mental note: these incantations and gestures were much more complex than detect magic - this one may take longer to learn.) and out emerged an aggressive fire elemental. It simple enough to defeat the thing and retrieve the now inactive ruby for Elaine, who was elated to finally have it and happy to give Ignar her never-dull dagger and to agree to give back any excess ruby remains once she was done. Hm... Thinking on it, I think I noticed ruby dust on Lelyvia's temple wishlist... But the important part was Elaine was happy and amends are finally being made for the past.
So that's where you were! I was worried sick about you, Maerilith! When you disappeared without saying a word, I scoured the guild for you and feared the worst. You can't go off adventuring too far from the guild just yet, and especially none of the dungeons until I've checked them out first, so Lathander help me! It's too dangerous out there! You haven't seen the abominations that we have or the countless close calls we've encountered. As my ward, I can't in good faith let you put yourself in mortal danger. I know you're yearning to begin a new map of your own, but your safety must come first.
-Lelyvia
4
A tense battle ensued after that with Avallac'h and I raining down righteous fire from a distance with Crash and Ignar trading blows with the statue. But it was strange. It seemed to deal radiant damage, but it refused to be reasoned with, and as it took more blows, this strange dark inky black substance began poring out of its cracks and necrotic damage began mixing with the radiant. Whatever foul thing animated the statue, we quickly discovered was far from angelic. But at last, Avallac'h cast one final fireball that seemed to put the creature on its last leg - the black sludge nearly covering the entire statue at this point - but its powerful screech knocked Avallac'h out, and in its fury, struck down Crash and Ignar in two quick blows. I stood alone with no way to heal them all at once and could only pray to Lathander I could get to them all in time. Knowing Avallac'h stood the best chance of downing the creature with another large spell, I healed him and rushed over to stabilize Ignar as Crash seemed to have stabilized on his own somehow. Then, I turned to face the corrupted statue and hold my ground to give Avallac'h a chance to finish it off. But... It's mace cracked down in one brutal swing, and... I remember nothing after that.
The next thing I knew was Avallac'h leaning over me administering a potion and the oozing statue frozen in place. Whatever it was, it seemed to have finally been defeated. So, after praying to Lathander to revitalize us all, we cautiously inspected the remains and the rest of the room. Crash collected some of the creature's tar-like substance and discovered that the mace the creature wielded was drawn to his own weapon and they seemed to fuse, giving off a bit of a necrotic aura itself now... Nothing else could be found in the chamber, but it felt complete, as though the temple had finally been cleansed of its corruption.
Going outside confirmed our suspicions. There stood Daemon! It was the first time I had seen the solar angel - any angel for that matter, and I was speechless in his presence. I didn't even have the chance to ask what holy deity he followed - perhaps he could have been one of Lathander's own messengers! I look forward to the day when we meet again. And the body of the green celestial creature we had freed was also no where to be found, so perhaps we will see them again, too... I have so many questions...
But Daemon congratulated us, and recognizing Ignar as one of those who had freed him initially, granted him the Seal of Joy and the task to reunite it with the others someday before flying off into the distance. With that, we did one final check of the dungeon to try and see if the celestial being was still there to no avail; however, we did manage to open the coffin we previously had not been able to unlock and retrieved a magical ring that pulled in a specific direction - SW if I recall correctly -similar to those pointy pebbles Ignar and Maerilith have. Perhaps this will lead to the next dungeon?
Either way, we had done it! Valharot Temple was cleared, and we returned to the guild triumphant!
TODO maerilith observations
January
29
After it stood up, it began an onslaught with increasing fervor and as the seconds went by, soon it was clubbing 8 times before anyone could react! And we didn't have time to spare to bring it down, so with our combined might and Lathander's grace, we felled the creature. We still attempted to only knock it out; however, it's more difficult to pinpoint what's nonlethal on undead creatures so a lethal blow was landed. It also might have popped back up immediately now that I think back on its regenerative powers... But... That was almost a fatal mistake that could save sent an ever growing monster right into the center of the guild... I can't begin to imagine the casualties if we had not been able to stop it in the first couple of minutes and it had continued to gather strength for the remaining hour... Our lesson has been learned though - bring sturdier rope and never underestimate our opponents, even those who had seemed weaker upon our first encounter.
But otherwise, the journey was relatively uneventful. We returned to thoroughly pick through the treasure room and found the final key - the key with an emerald eye, which could only lead to the final locked door with a matching emerald that we'd found on a previous venture. Who knows what lies beyond the door, but based on my calculations, this could be the final unexplored room of the Vahlarot Temple, so we should be prepared for our greatest challenge yet...
As I've continued to keep an eye on Maerilith, I've grown increasingly worried for her wellbeing... She seems fervently dedicated to studying... something, I'm not sure what, but she almost never stops reading from her book. I'm honestly not sure how she hasn't finished it by now or if she's just re-reading it over and over. But for the first time, I've noticed how much she's neglected herself - I doubt she even has the strength to lift herself off the ground anymore. And Maerilith's so consumed with whatever it is she's doing that she's stopped paying attention to her surroundings altogether! I walked up behind her not even trying to be quiet, and she jumped in surprise nearly tumbling off of her bunk. I don't know what I should do, and the strange thing is that despite it all, she seems to be glowing with health with an endurance I can't understand with her lack of sleep and her mood hasn't sunk back to that depressive state she had been in for so long... I must consult Lathander on what to do for I don't want to risk her falling back into that state, yet also don't want this new... almost manic behavior to get out of hand... Hopefully, it's just a transition period and she'll go back to healthier habits soon.
22
But off we journeyed on our familiar route... And at the temple we arrived... The five of us gathered outside of the beholder room and began our final planning and preparations. I sought Lathander's guidance first, and only after he he said fighting the beholder would turn out well, did my confidence grow. Our plan would work. Lathander wouldn't lie. So, we let Sammy peek at the beholder with some eye drops he'd bought from Milo that apparently allows him to view the vitality of creatures around him. The first drop was unfortunately wasted on us as we learned that the effect was instantaneous, but the second drop gave us no other clues - nothing showed for the beholder... With nothing left to do but cast the last few protection spells, Crash charges into the room! And two exceedingly impressive blows cleave through the beholder, and yet... It looked untouched and didn't react at all to Crash's strikes. The rest of us enter and attack it one by one to seemingly no affect. Everything just seemed to pass right through it. But it didn't move to attack either.
However, while its appearance never changed, forceful piercing damage still radiated from it throughout the room every few seconds, so time was of the essence to uncover what was happening. Sammy found it first after going through what was now clearly an illusion and encountering something solid in the middle. We tried deactivating it with spells and covering it with Ignar's bedroll before taking another hit from it. But using the bedroll as a guide, Crash managed to crack what turned out to be a once smooth crystalline or gem-like egg, which went tumbling and seemed to do the trick for disabling this cunning trap. Our only casualty was Ignar's bedroll, so with that morale boost, we quickly found the next hidden door and moved onward!
The next few rooms were more of what we were expecting - still moving cautiously with Sammy expertly scouting ahead each time. But then we encountered a set of double doors and a large room filled to the brim with the worst of the abberations we'd encountered so far and a new one - what appeared to be a cross between a mindflayer and a beholder. Fortunately, we got the drop on them, so I hit most of them with a fireball but none went down with the initial blast... Avallac'h fortunately took out the wounded intellect devourers before they could react though, and our protective spell on Crash kept him safe from most of the mind beholder's initial eye attacks. Sammy wasn't as lucky and went down quickly. Ignar dragged him back out of danger and seemed to be about to administer a healing potion to him, so I sent more fireballs into the aberration filled room in hopes to reduce their numbers enough to focus on the mind beholder. Unfortunately, Ignar ran into the room with the others to join the fray before successfully tending to Sammy's wounds, so I helped Sammy back up. I do hope Ignar's mind isn't failing him already... I know he's an older gnome, but I do fear his memory may be ailing more severely than I'd initially presumed.
Eventually, all that's left is us and the mind beholder, which Crash manages to get one massive cleave through before going down to its power, leaving Ignar to deal the final blow. With that, I upped Crash and we returned reinvigorated. By Lathander's grace, we'd all survived and cleared a few more rooms! There's no guarantee the next few rooms will be as manageable, but I believe we are finally reaching the end of this mysterious temple and of ridding it of the evil lurking within!
When we returned, I was gladdened to see Maerilith smiling for the first time in quite a while. She happily poured over the new additions to the map I've been working on and pointed out areas of improvement before returning my gold and going back to her quarters, still smiling. At first I thought this was a sign that she may finally be recovering; however, over the next few days, I've caught her up late at night reading her book and found her still reading at daybreak. I fear that she's stopped sleeping altogether and worry that its affecting her mental state. But, I don't want to approach her about it yet in case this is somehow healing her lost soul. Still, I worry, and pray Lathander watches over her...
15
At first it went well. We'd managed to convince them to talk after a few missed arrows on their part and the laying down of some of our weapons on our part. A goblin named Vale who seemed the most finely dressed of them all, even wearing a hat, agreed to cease hostilities and leave if we met their conditions. The first, was not possible. They wanted all of their companions resurrected since the start of conflicts from that first camp attacked nearly a year ago. I doubt that many diamonds exist in this world, or at least in whatever supplies the guild might have. We then tried to compromise with payment for their deaths, and we seemed to have reached on agreement - we'd speak with our leaders about possible trade of weapons to protect themselves from future attacks after they move away. We even received a patch of cloth to grant us safe passage while we traveled through their lands during negotiations. However, we soon learned that the weapons they seek were not blades but magic - fireballs. The only thing comparable to what they asked was a wand of fireball, but even if it wasn't exceedingly dangerous to give one to them, we couldn't afford even one of the two for sale at the guild.
After consulting our goblin hostages of what might work, they suggested trial by combat, and Vale agreed to it - if their champion lost, they would leave, and if our champion lost, we would leave. If either of us went back on the deal, the hostages' lives were void - either Katha, Bara, and Lethro or Sammy, who went over to their side. Crash eagerly stepped up to fight, and I had high hopes that a quick display of our prowess would convince them that they were no match and cease this stalemate without any further bloodshed. It was not to be though.
A couple hours later, an even better dressed hobgoblin emerged with Vale, who said nothing and gave no name but was dubbed Davo by Vale and their champion. The fight was quick. Crash got two blows in on Davo before he could escape Crash's reach and levitate 60 feet in the air, but Davo already looked very bloodied from the wounds. Only two more exchanges passed, Crash throwing handaxes, Davo summoning falling ice, and then Crash's javelin landed the final blow. We'd stood victorious for but a moment before we hear Sammy scream behind the fort's gate and Vale shout the condemning words: "Kill them all!"
In my fury at their betrayal, their disregard of the second chance they were given, their commitment to continuing this evil cycle, I instinctively bathed them in Lathander's holy fury, smiting Vale, all outside the gate, and setting fire to the structure. Ignar led the charge through the burning gate with Crash close behind, and I rushed in with Avallac'h to make sure no evil escaped. Sammy had also escaped his binds and joined the fray. Chaos ensued.
But...
It was over so quickly once it started... Barely more than a minute passed before all lay dead or consumed by the fire, which continued ravaging the once walled settlement for another hour until it was nothing but a charred, smoldering husk. Katha, Bara, and Lethro had all fainted from the shock; the only mercy I could give their scarred souls, who had seen all they once loved and knew slaughtered, was death. However, Katha's body seemed to have disappeared in a puff of smoke when touched, so she may live yet. I don't know what to feel with this possibility - worry that the cycle will repeat itself and she'll raise another army to return, or hope that she didn't see all of the destruction and will convince others to stay away or change their ways. I hope her survival is part of the good that comes out of this.
But then that was that... Crash found some things here and there worth a little bit, we went back with proof of the deed to give to Kurst, we received our reward... Hopefully, the lands are safer now, but it feels as though this was part of the bad that came out of this - the loss of life that could have been avoided if they hadn't been radicalized. But, if there's one thing that seems all the clearer now is that the Grand Speaker must be stopped before others fall under their vile influence.
8
However, with the festivities winding down, I could only round up Crash and Ignar to go out and pick up some work off the posting board. We're no where nearer to being able to take on a beholder, so we decided to try and scout out the monster cult army to the south, which apparently sprung up some number of months ago before even I arrived at the guild. Together the three of us easily approached one of their scouting parties, and after a futile attempt to diplomacy with the group of hobgoblins and goblins, with barrages of arrows streaming past me, I had to act in self defense once an arrow got through my defenses. All but the leader was left standing, which we took captive and questioned until we came to an agreement to prove to them we cannot go back through the portal, and in return for them to stop following the Grand Speakers orders to build an army and to go back to the villages they came through... Unfortunately, Calath did not survive the journey back to the guild... Lathander please forgive my failings in that moment of not protecting that lost soul from my companions...
However, we knew the location of their camp, so we decided to scout it further before returning otherwise empty handed on this two day venture. Once about 500 or so feet away, we confirmed Calath's words that about a dozen of various goblins, bugbears, and hobgoblins guarded the front gate of this fort on a hill. It was smaller than the outskirt camp of the 5th ring but still sizeable enough to likely house 50 or so people inside. After more arguing of our next steps, we decided to turn back and try to negotiate with another scouting party; we didn't want to begin a confrontation with the entire camp if the Grand Speaker still resided within.
After a few more hours of wandering and setting up a sizeable fire for camp - this time doing our best to avoid any and all pretenses of sneaking up on them - we encountered another scouting party. Negotiations only went slightly better this time but eventually devolved into another fireball... Lathander give me guidance, I know not if my actions are truly justified. But the three survivors we took prisoner did survive the journey to the guild. There we proved to them that we cannot go back through the portal, unfortunately terrified them with Brem (who has successfully returned to his body and somehow the mindflayer's simultaneously), and brought them before Kurst.
Kurst agreed that the camp can be dispersed or moved farther away as long as they're no longer a threat; however, Bara, Katha, and Lethro made good points that they were there first and that we could be the ones to move elsewhere. I am conflicted and torn between what to do but will try to find a peaceful resolution, Lathander willing. Perhaps these creatures could join the guild or foster their civilization elsewhere where they have more room to grow and flourish? Or perhaps they will continue to be radicalized by the Grand Speaker and leaving them be will allow evil to grow instead? I will need the week to think on it, and I think I will see if I can commission some augury materials...