Quest Logs
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
August
6
Sammy's death must have affected Avallac'h more than I thought as he was not able to accompany us during this week's venture. Crash was up to the task though! So Crash, Ignar, and I decide to try and clear out the path to the platinum mine.
It went... okay... all things considered. There was more running away than usual, and I'm so tired of everyone complaining that I can't cast fireball! That fire infused shatter was close enough, but did I get any credit? No! I'm done with it! I'm scribing nearly every "useful" spell Avallac'h has and spending every night practicing until I can. Next adventure, you'll all see how much better I can make a fireball! Everyone is so generic with their spellcasting - they don't see how simple it is to manipulate the magic to your whim...
And Ignar owes me! He would have died to that last Ettin if I hadn't misty stepped and thrown that potion at his face. But all he gave me was a silver piece... And I suppose he owes Crash, too, for pulling the monster away and punching it to death with fists and then Chonk.
And he owes all of us an explanation! Ignar seems to have acquired (or made?!) a contraption that definitely seemed to hold the effects of a fireball. Why didn't he use that the day before? I kept watch all night and didn't see him wander off, so I know he had to have had it already - was he just waiting to rub it in more that I couldn't cast it yet? Is it even the contraption generating the fireballs? Note to self: Next time he goes unconscious, remember to investigate that contraption of his before waking him again...
But otherwise, mission accomplished - the road is clear of Ettin. Next steps is to clear out the cave itself of its monstrous inhabitants, but I'm not going out again until I've perfected "fireball"...
July
30
The Ruby Counsel has suffered a great tragedy... Sammy Mendez was murdered by the red devil creature that takes on the form of others and maliciously sells double-edged items. Young, innocent Sammy was tricked into rapidly aging in exchange for power by the red devil - some of you may have even seen some of Sammy's growth spurt between quests - but the aging acceleration did not stop and all we could do in the end was watch as Sammy crumbled to dust before our eyes... To add insult to injury, the red devil creature even stole Sammy's form upon his death and spirited away once more. If you have not previously been convinced to not make dealings with this red devil creature, I implore you now - in the memory of Sammy - do not make any more deals with this creature.
Lelyvia is taking Sammy's death the hardest, but there was nothing that could have stopped it once the deal was made. Instead, we should remember Sammy as he lived - as fiery youth that lived life to the fullest. In his last day, he managed to outrun Ignar in a footrace around the faction hall, to slay an oblex that feasted upon the broken warpstone and had drained and almost copied Ignar, and to make peace with Ignar with surprising maturity. It's a shame Ignar didn't accept it before the end.
But life goes on. And on a more positive note, this tragedy has united us and brought us closer together - any grievances between Avallac'h and I have been set aside for the time being.
9
The Ruby council was sent to retrieve the Radiant Mind. After a fearsome battle with a giant reptile, we met a self proclaimed "demi-god" who was guarding the Mind. In what I can only describe as a strange shift of priorities, Maerilith fiercely defended this guardian and prevented us from completing the quest. What's the point of hunting for all these artifacts if we never reap the rewards. I am starting to suspect foul play. Sunholm citizens are acting strangely as if under the influence from other beings. For what purpose I do not know. Perhaps these outside forces are the same ones trying to destroy Sunholm.
On a personal note: Sunholm is under attack from powerful forces. Just look at the sky. The invaders that destroyed our guild hall are still on the loose. Deities and demi-gods interfere with our affairs. We need to be able to defend ourselves. Hard choices will need to be made to even the playing field.
When a benevolent deity actively protects an ancient and dangerous artifact from falling into the wrong hands, it makes no sense to defeat the artifact's greatest line of defense and risk it falling into the wrong hands. Some risks are too great to take even for the sake of knowledge.
In fact, if knowledge is what we seek, allying and speaking with a being over 1200 years old is much more valuable. Why can't anyone else see this? There's a wealth of knowledge they have of this world, of its history, of what's going on now. They knew of Oolmagi, of the devastation at the Kalant Ruins, and of a Vengeful god, who fought and defeated Sunholm's deities of the past. They even knew of the device that's generating the deadly miasma - an artifact created by the Vengeful god itself - and gave invaluable advice of where we could begin seeking out a way to deactivate it.
We must not make enemies of this Jovial god and must cease trying to take the Radiant Mind from its vigilant protector. We may need this powerful ally in the future if this Vengeful god is still around or creates more devices like the one generating the deadly miasma, and just think of the knowledge we could gain if that is not enough to convince you all!
In other news, beware of a red creature that takes the form of those around it and offers double-edged treasures for treacherous costs. Avallac'h already fell for one of its items and was almost further corrupted by the creature with another offer... I'm glad he saw reason in the end, but it seems the red creature whispers lies in its victims ears while trying to tempt them with its offer.
It also reacted strangely at the mention of Milo - another being with similar apparating powers and mysterious trades - and grew defensive when we asked if they had met. Perhaps Milo may know more about this individual...
2
I was right! Don't listen to Crash - the password for the newly discovered and possibly created by Oolmagi plane is definitely 'shadow' and not 'pants'. The entire realm and creatures within are made of shadow and somewhat mirrored, so it only makes sense. Besides, who doesn't wear pants in rain...
Another interesting facet of this dimension is that time pauses for everything outside of it; no one outside will notice any passage of time despite hours of exploration. And upon exiting it, physical wounds that occur within catch up at an excruciating rate - I do not recommend testing this on anything more severe than a scratch. This still leaves questions of whether your wounds would reopen and close in rapid succession after leaving if you heal before exiting, or what the nature of death is in the space. Strangely, writing in this shadow plane does not remain upon exit, nor do we seem able to take out the written notes of a previous adventurer, named Ludvic. I shall have to transcribe my maps and notes by memory, so I apologize for any discrepancies.
The shadow creatures, which vary from demons, cats, dogs, and larger beasts so far, also appear to reset upon each visit. The Ruby Counsel cleared out a number of the shadows and Moz cleared two floors, yet still the same shadows returned to their same positions on the third trip. Moz also did not find the study room that we had with the notes and... already broken table, so there is a possibility of rooms moving or disappearing between visits. However, the first room so far has remained consistent.
Another warning to anyone exploring this place is to bring protection against psychic damage - based on my experience with manipulating spells to do so myself, it appears that all of the shadows' attacks have been psychic, but they are not resistant to the damage themselves. Note to self: Remind Avallac'h to prepare intellect fortress for future excursions until I figure out how to get the symbols and incantations right myself.
One thing that is strange though is the almost organic nature of the twisting white and black thorny tendrils of the walls... It's not like other places that Oolmagi has created in the past nor has the usual puzzles and traps, so I wonder if this could be someone else's? Whoever it was though, they seek power...
June
25
Legend 03's motor cortex has been restored and is functioning significantly better than we've ever seen before! While there was a slight hiccup in the installation process, Zara of the Forerunner's faction easily snapped a few gears into place and Legend awoke with growing cognizance of themself and their abilities. However, their sword is still missing and parts of their memory still seems to be missing or incomplete, so more work is needed to help fully restore Legend and awaken their full potential.
Speaking of growing potential, I think I might have made a pen pal here at the guild! And hopefully, not another enemy... I gifted them a spare piece of parchment to kickstart the process and eagerly await their first letter. I really think that this letter exchange will be good for them... I still remember every now and then the months when I couldn't or didn't speak, so I understand how difficult it can be to communicate and connect with others without speech... Writing is easier than talking anyways, so it'll be a nice change from the day to day goings on at the guild, too!
18
We slayed a dragon! Well... Not the one that everyone talks about all the time, but a smaller one, a green dragon that hoarded an ancient dragon's fang. Once Svelta is rescued from the three remaining outlaws, she'll be able to do so much with that pristine tooth! And I suppose Ember might make something useful out of the dragon head we brought back... Maybe we should have brought more than just the head back... Oh, well.
Also, as an aside, beware of umberhulks. Honestly, a pack of those are more dangerous than a young dragon, or at least by the standards of how well Crash stayed standing and definitely didn't almost get eaten by them. Ignar had to switch his usual tactic, and impressively held his ground a few times against the creatures. Though, Crash still stole the show by ripping two of their heads off in a blind fury.
And for those keeping tabs on Brem, he has a new pet wolf to help around the shop! And may begin stocking potions of heroism soon - provided he already has the ingredients, I suppose.
11
Verta has returned! And with the head of one of the apparently four perpetrators that blew up the original guild, kidnapped Elaine and Svelta, and activated an ancient device that's the cause of the deadly green miasma now flowing across the land. A 10,000gp bounty has been placed on each of their heads, and the Ruby Counsel have a full description and map of the last known location of the remaining culprits. We will find them and we will save those missing yet!
Verta herself was also fascinating to meet... And apparently even remembered Ignar from the first wave of people through the portal. But I even got some recognition as the guild cartographer, and Kurst vouched for me! Note to self: I should clean up some of these maps and consider selling the spares... Otherwise, the feast went great! There was bountiful food, merrymaking, and a few brawls, which Krank and Crash featured in most. It was good to have such revelry... It's a good reminder that the guild will endure and recover from even the worst of devastations.
But once the celebrations wound down - the Ruby Counsel had a favor to perform! Avallac'h, Crash, Ignar, and I took Rok and Jagoda out to get more practice and experience in the field. While it was only a couple days away, Moz portaled us south to a forested clearing that needed eradicating of some pests, and eradicated them we did! There were some close calls with Jagoda, but she nimbly dodged all the attacks, and Crash was consumed once or twice by some shambling mounds but was fine as always. Rok was tremendously helpful throughout and knew so much about the biology of how shambling mounds work. I hope that we can help take him out more often - it'd be great to have more opportunities to knowledge share and give him the chance to see the world and spread his wings a bit more..
Anywho, I grabbed some random plants that Brem might be able to use while Crash chopped down a suspicious tree and ate one of its apples before we portaled back with our faction bracelets. Apparently, the platinum ones are supposed to be able to do group teleports, but it seems like they need a little more tinkering before they're fully functional yet. But overall, I'll call that a successful mission accomplished and a day well enjoyed!
4
With one more week until Verta's return, we decided to take Jagoda on her first faction quest (and locked in a number of other quests for the Crimson Counsel). In addition to helping Jagoda gain some experience, we also helped Brem begin restocking his shop. He has been... tinkering with more dangerous ingredients lately, so hopefully the tumorgrass supply will give him something to do and reduce the number of explosions...
Otherwise, this week has been relatively uneventful. It's so hard to wait for Verta's return... I think that everyone's a little apprehensive with a mixture of hope and dread of what news she may bring.
May
28
I really need to get enough gold for that broom... This last venture to finish retrieving the Radiant Eye reminded me just how much I miss flying and how useless my wings are today. Jumping off a mountain and feather falling down just isn't the same as true flight... Sigh...
In other news, that map of the Radiant Eye dungeon is also probably useless now. After we deftly dispatched of the last guardian and unraveled the puzzle within, nothing else stood in our way to retrieve the Radiant Eye besides the stone skull it was stuck within - a most difficult trial but we overcame it. Unfortunately, the Radiant Eye seems to have held the place together somewhat and with the Radiant Eye no longer in the skull, the mountain itself began to rumble as if it would collapse around us! We didn't stay long enough to find out though! Greth was the first to jump off, and I only just had enough time to hit with a feather fall before convincing everyone else to follow suit.
It was a long fall, but once at the base, we luckily had enough time to concentrate on the new copper guild wristbands and teleport back to our faction hall before the mountain came down on us. Apparently we hadn't been gone for long either, only a couple hours, so Moz was exceptionally pleased with us and even healed Avallac'h from his... definitely not mortal wounds from the puzzle aftermath. So no worries, Lelyvia!
Even more excitingly, it sounds like Virta Novaligar - the guildmaster herself! - will be returning next weekin two weeks with news of the despicable lowlifes that destroyed the guild, killed many, and kidnapped Elaine and Svelta. Best case scenario, the villains are dead, and Elaine and Svelta are rescued and unharmed and can join in the feast that's being prepared for Virta's return. Otherwise, hopefully the means of their entrapment is better known so that we can launch a full rescue mission next week! Otherwise... No. I won't consider that just yet - I've only heard rumors about Virta but there's no way she could have been bested by these villains or fail to rescue our friends. She just has to...
21
I wonder what a day in the life of Greth really looks like. A curious creature that seems almost oblivious to the power that he wields. Its just another example of a lessor creature that doesn't need to work hard or study to master the magical arts. Otherwise I guess only elves would succeed. In any case, Moz sent us to another mysterious dungeon with a potential artifact that rivals that of the radiant heart. Our friend Greth was of no use as we battled the temple guardians. We had to cut our adventure short, but maybe next week we can bring reinforcements. Perhaps that little one with the pony. Looks like she may be good with a bow.
Oh and Ignar lost his favorite armor. I guess we couldn't let him wear that cursed thing for ever. It was messing with his mind. Though the armor did make him look much more menacing. It could have come in handy in the days to come.
It has been a difficult past month or two for the guild, but with Lathander's grace, we have finally begun rebuilding and a modicum of normalcy has begun to return. Maerilith and the others even went off on a quest for the first time since the tragic attack that onset this schism and the subsequent deathly miasma that's covered this land. Luckily they returned relatively unharmed, but still not completely unaffected by the green miasma from their journey, which was only but a few hours. I fear what longer excursions might do to them.
It also appears that Sir Ignar has finally done away with that awful cursed armor. When I asked how they managed to finally convince him, Maerilith just giggled a bit and asked if I'd seen a figure falling from the sky earlier in the day and then went on a tangent about a skilled new enchanter that's joined the guild.
But otherwise, I've spent my time helping Coral and some newcomers get situated in our new faction hall - The Crimson Council - and I've continued to try to contact those on the list of missing persons from the event... No new news on that front, but I will keep trying. And may Lathander protect them and give them strength should they still be alive... But do not lose faith! We will find them, and we will not let those who could not be saved from the blast have died in vain. These perpetrators and kidnappers will not go unpunished. Lathander help me, justice will be had!
April
16
Yesterday was a tragedy for all of us. Being constrained to a bed myself all I can do is write this. We will rebuild, Kayhal Jrek has already begun drafting designs for what our new guild will look like. I must call attention to how much help Kayhal has been during this time, immediately jumping into action to help heal those who were injured after the first blast
| [...] | |
| Eric Silverhand | Deceased |
| Deni Kaska | Deceased |
| Svelta Friton | Missing |
| Agata Maximus | Deceased |
| [...] | |
| Hakvalak Nomar | Deceased |
| Olaf Itamari | Injured/Critical |
| Elaine Faefiel | Missing |
| Geth | Missing |
| [...] | |
| Legend 03 | Injured/Stable |
| [...] | |
| Jimmy Fingles | Missing |
| Kurst Halacor | Injured/Stable |
| [...] | |
| Kali Cantalar | Missing |
| Mr Willup | Deceased |
| Gruut | Injured/Stable |
| Fjergen Holfuuds | Injured/Stable |
| [...] |
We must steel ourselves to find those who did this. Though still recovering from the previous incident Moz Lux and her group is beginning to track down who did this and bring those responsible to justice.
9
I don't know where to begin... It all happened so quickly... Moz was in the best mood I'd ever seen her. She was so excited about a new project that required the warpcube, and when we agreed to trade it for one of the prototype jumpstone catalysts she had, I'd never seen such a skip to her step.
Then... They came through the portal...
It must have been a trap! There's no other explanation for it - the invisible figure slipping through behind the knights, the figure chained in the middle being a half-orc just like her, the timing as Moz walked down - it had to have been coordinated. Somehow they knew about Moz here and set this up to take whatever revenge or punishment their twisted "religious" minds thought had to be done.
All I can say is that I'm grateful that Kurst came as quickly as he did. Moz only managed to take out 2 before the assassin got to her; Avallac'h's warning shout came too late... But Kurst quickly took out the assassin and another knight who had resisted my attempts at thundering him away from Moz's unconscious form. Krank managed to restrain the final Knight of the Pure Chain for questioning in the prison, but the damage had been done, and even with all of Hakvalak's potions healing her wounds, we couldn't wake Moz back up...
After the danger had passed, Kurst tasked us with getting rid of the bodies and returning with what items could be salvaged. We identified their items, and nearly all of them were cursed with some tie to their religion and held poisons that could kill instantly...
It also seemed that whatever red kobold we'd encountered on our quest for the Radiant Heart found us again; it almost seems lured to places with large quantities of corpses and, from what I heard, forms out of their pooled blood... I don't think this is the Milo figure that Lelyvia spoke of anymore - Milo had never appeared in the same form more than once and didn't glow as ominously red... Whatever the kobold was though, Avallac'h did take one of its offers that Ignar had declined. I hope we don't regret it later...
But, getting back on track, we burned the Pure Chain bodies to ash and Crash smashed what bones remained to keep them from ever returning. Then, we went to bring what we'd found to Kurst, but only found Hakvalak inside, whom we gave the assassin's dagger and poison vial to in hopes that he could figure out a cure to get Moz back on her feet sooner. The emaciated half-orc was also fast asleep, so we didn't disturb him either. (Note to self: Make sure to keep a close eye on and thoroughly question the half-orc once he awakes to make sure he wasn't a willing part of the trap that the Knights of the Pure Trap sprung...) With that, we checked the prison for Kurst and found him interrogating the surviving knight. We informed Kurst of the cursed gear they carried and warned him about the poisons each one had before leaving him to his work.
Svelta excitedly took all the cursed gear, thoroughly impressed by their quality, but I do hope that she's careful with them... I wouldn't want her to hurt herself or for the curses to rub off on the other gear. (Especially not my newly dyed light green leather armor... I've been meaning to get an outfit that better matched my wings now that they're more cosmetic... at least for now...)
But after that whirlwind of events, I just didn't have the heart to go adventuring this week... The guild needs us this week. Moz needs us this week. So we'll be here to offer whatever extra protection we can provide!
What a mess. Who do these fanatics think they are. You cannot cage magic. Well they got what they deserved. It's a shame what happened to Moz however. I hope she pulls through. Hmmmm, I wonder if I could get my cube back? I don't think Moz will need it anytime soon.
Why blindly devote your entire existence to some "deity"? I prefer to find power myself.
I did meet our devilish kobold friend again. Gave me a pretty interesting cloak. I don't know if I want to use it.
2
We found the Radiant Heart! We traveled to the Kaska Wastes and explored a strange temple hidden beneath the sand. The heart was hidden behind a door that could only be opened by placing a set of colored gems on the correct pedestals. Naturally our group was able to solve this simple puzzle.
The Radiant Heart is not an artifact that creates some kind of shield however. Instead it seems you could "replace" you own heart with to make yourself particularly resistant to death. That is assuming you survive the process to replace your own heart in the first place.
I finally managed to convince the party to go explore another dungeon after a week off - this one was three days out in the Kaska Wastes (Note to self: try to convince them to walk next time so I can better add the location to my world map better.) Once there, we met a kobold guide named Greth, who for a sizeable fee, took us through the shifting sand dunes to the entrance of the dungeon. At first, I was doubtful of his navigation skills and tried to keep track of our journey by sketching my own map with the pointer pebble as reference, but low and behold, we did reach the skillfully disguised entrance. I'm amazed how anyone could have known that small recess in the sand led to a dungeon, besides by accidentally falling through themselves, but there we were.
Once inside, we went room by room, deactivating traps and overcoming summoned guardians... Some were familiar though... I'd remembered Lelyvia's tales of facing some of the puzzles within Oolmagi's enchanted hut, which guarded the mirror that led to his Eternal Spire, and grew suspicious that what awaited us might be yet another work of his design. There had also been a suspicious figure that appeared and attempted to barter with Ignar with strange prices reminiscent of this figure I've heard of named Milo, but the costs of these items seemed much steeper than anything they've sold before... But, after making it to the central chamber with no casualties whatsoever, it only took two attempts with the help of my maps to unlock the final room and reveal the artifact that I doubt Oolmagi could have made.
Within, we found the beating Radiant Heart held aloft by enchantments inscribed throughout the room. Avallac'h easily identified the artifact's properties and discovered it provided great protection but only to the one creature who replaces their own heart with it... Moz is a powerful spellcaster though, so I'm sure that with a little research, she'll find a way to harness its protective magic to do more for the guild. As an aside, I think that Crash seems to have softened Moz a bit since he's arrived as she always seems in a better mood with him around... I'll need to make sure he doesn't die while we're adventuring to keep her from falling back to her former more testy state.
Overall, it was a surprisingly quick adventure compared to the previous dungeons and ruins the party's explored. Hopefully, our success continues as we explore farther from the guild... And hopefully Lelyvia will stop interrogating me after every supposedly dangerous outing! We're doing just fine, so stop worrying!
After tending to you for nearly a year in the state you had been in, you can't expect me to just abandon you to your own devices and not fret over your wellbeing and of the wellbeing of the others without me being there to offer Lathander's protection! I'm only trying to help and make sure you're not overdoing it, so the least you could do is to let me know before you teleport off so I know where to go to rescue you all if none of you return... I heard that dozens of parties had disappeared in the wastes prior to your success, so there was no guarantee any of you were ready for such a challenge! Just... be careful. And may Lathander's light still protect you when I cannot.
- Lelyvia
March
19
Avallac'h did not fare well during guard duty last week and still looked a bit singed from his fireball as we all prepared to head out to complete the Kalant Ruins, but with only four buildings left to explore, we couldn't skip this week. (It's a pity that nightmares were the cause of this accident, but it's a good reminder that nothing good ever comes from sleeping; I'm glad that I stopped.) Before we left though, Avallac'h and I picked up the two scrolls we'd ordered from Legend 03, which I let Avallac'h hold onto after taking a few minutes to transfer them to my own book. Legend 03 is a curious thing, and I wonder what else it could do with upgrades... Perhaps it will expand its weekly spell inventory? Or perhaps even be able to craft magical items? Hm... This is something to look into more once I've stockpiled enough magical paper...
Back at the Kalant Ruins, I tried disguising myself as one of them based on the remains of the locket's drawing, but alas, we found no ghosts to speak with. Just some mummified zombies and more skeletons, which Crash and Ignar kept starting undead-head throwing fights with each other for some reason. After clearing out all the rooms though, Ignar brought out this perfume bottle that led us to a secret passage in Oolmagi's lab that led to a trapped and locked chest. Ignar almost got turned to stone trying to disable it, but once that was dealt with, Avallac'h clicked his fingers and the chest opened. (Note to self: remember to ask Avallac'h to borrow his spellbook for that spell once I finish figuring out the correct inscriptions for that difficulty of spell...) Unfortunately, most of the chests contents had rotted, but a silvery pearl with hints of a rainbow sheen in the light still remained. Avallac'h identified it as a pearl of power, and graciously allowed me to hold onto it so I can help contribute more in our future journeys.
With that, we returned and reported our findings to Moz about Oolmagi's lab, his experiment's devastation, Hevet, her template, and the triemveret's name fragments. Moz speculated that Oolmagi's experiment at the Kalant ruins may have been one of his earlier ones, or perhaps the one that was his last, but had never heard of Hevet before. Though, I look forward to seeing if she finds anything in her notes attached to one of the triemveret's names, which may provide our next lead...
In the meantime, the world is wide and open for exploring. It feels good to have another map under my belt, and I look forward to what the next one may hold...
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.
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.
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...