Gabe3e

ToT, Eleint ?, 1358DR

[Filling this out 3 months after the fact]

We argue with Midnight regarding the best way of tracking down Cyric. We decide that Midnight and the two Tablets should remain with Khelben in his tower. The rest of us split up and hunt for information. Falderian and Gwynn ask at the bars. G’kar and Kalcryx, as volunteers of the Watch, ask at the gates of the city. Kalcryx commandeers a griffon from the Watch to patrol. Jaran, Lyta and Rowan try quartering the city with locating spells.

We learn that Midnight’s companions, Adon and Kelemvor, are also in the city, hunting for Cyric. As we find Kelemvor, he is stabbed and falls dead with just one blow. Cyric is barely spotted, but vanishes like mist down an alley. He leaves no footsteps, even to Rowan and Jaran’s keen eyes.

G’kar and Kalcryx are beset by assassins, who they quickly slay, turning them over to the Watch. Jaran, Lyta and Rowan are attacked by large, demonic, purple vultures. Rowan tries to hide, but is paralyzed. Lyta and Jaran manage to kill the vultures.

ToT, Eleint ?, 1358DR

Use portal beneath Mount Waterdeep to get to the Abyss. Khelben must stay to hold the portal secure against escaping demons.

In the Abyss, magic works normally, but the divine casters still can’t speak to their gods. Lyta goes into ecstasy over the return of her powers. The portal opens to a narrow staircase, leading out to a wide road, flanked on each side with buildings crumbled into ruin.

Four-armed archer demons perch atop tall pillars, and begin to rain arrows down upon us. We stride in to put a stop to the stinging assault. More demons strike from the sides, emerging from hiding amongst the fallen stone. A flaming lion, as tall as a horse, savages G’kar and stopping Gwynn from her charge on Hadrian. A towering humanoid creature looms over the others, his deep russet, muscle-ripped arms ending in razor edged crab claws. His goat horned head whips around to face us as he challenges, “Is no one here brave enough to defeat me in single combat?” The glabrezu casts some divine spells upon himself.

Furious melee ensues. Rowan rhino-bombs the glabrezu. Kalcryx finishes it off. G’kar spiderclimbs the pillars to smack the archers. Lyta summons a huge celestial dinosaur to stop demons from retreating between buildings. We loot a lot of large bows and some glabrezu armor.

After an hour on the path, we find a fallen temple. At its center is a shimmering half-sphere, the colors of the rainbow coruscating across its opaque surface. The mages identify it as a primatic sphere, and we assume Midnight is inside. Unfortunately we have no way in, spells will not go through. Anything that goes through the globes surface has a chance of disintegrating. After much debate, we decide to carve a message upon an arrow and keep throwing some in until hopefully one makes it.

The arrow crackles as it flies through the surface, and after a tense minute, a ripple runs over the surface of the sphere and it disappears. Midnight stands inside, and we hurry out of the Abyss.

Khelben seals the portal behind us. In safety, Midnight tells us of the Tablet she found, and that Cyric has run off with the final one. He hides in the sprawl of Waterdeep.

Entry 46 (24 Elient, 1358DR): Turning a Con into a Pro

With magic not working for so many months, I was apparently out of practice. As we walked through Khelben’s portal to the Abyss, we were suddenly ambushed by several devils. My trusty quickened Nahal’s finger of death turned on me, and I suddenly felt drained, weaker, without the constitution to fight effectively.

Luckily my alternate reality did not fail me, and my strength returned with new vigor, and the spell came off heightened! How truly wonderful to have magic again…even if it must be in the Abyss!

ToT, 11 - ? Elient, 1358DR

[Huh. This is the date Gabe said it should be, but there’s a 2 day gap from the previous entry. I’m also obviously missing something between now and Feb27]

Murdock Darkfury offers his help to G’kar, to aid in restoring the gods to their rightful places, away from meddling among the mortal realm. Gwynn refuses though, as she feels he has not changed his habits, merely the names by which he calls them. Murdock is unfazed, and says he will shadow us to protect us as he can.

We arrive at the gates of Waterdeep. The guards at the gates tell us that magic has returned within the city limits, and that the archmage Blackstaff wishes stout adventurers to aid him at the Mount. We cross the city and climb the outskirts of Mount Waterdeep, finally descending into a cave leading into the belly of the mountain. Khelben holds vigil by a portal, keeping the portal closed against the demons of the Abyss.

He asks that we enter and seek out Midnight. She is trapped within.

I watch her as she works the ebon wood. For many days now, she has been uneasy. She stays belowdecks night and day with me, yet she does not enjoy my company. She turns snappish at the slightest provocations, then retreats into moody pouts. She picks at her meals. She sleeps poorly. She is never still, but stalks our small quarters like a caged cat. Her mind roves and her attentions wander –even now she forgets her carving and fiddles with the straps circling her thigh. She stares out toward the sea.

I worry for her.
(more…)

One more year

This last year I feel as if I have been torn four ways at once. I had thought to attribute it to the chaos in the Weave or the Gods direct influence upon Toril, but with the total withdrawal of Mystra’s touch upon the land, I can only conclude that the changes must be physical in nature.

The extended stay upon the ship has been particularly trying. The roving eyes of the bronzed Northman seems to rip through my ability to concentrate. The fierce ocean sun burns harsh upon my skin, and yet the gaze of this sailor seems to make the reddened, blistered flesh burn from within. I find my gaze locked upon the rippling of the muscles along his back as he reins in the sails. It takes all my effort to keep my mein.

I have begun staying belowdecks with Gwynnedh, in hopes that my skin returns to a healthy grey and such disturbing thoughts are quelled. But the two weeks of confinement have caused weight to gain in the most inconvenient places. My swords no longer hang flat upon my thigh, and I fear I shall have to adjust the straps crossing over my chest as well.

I need a distraction. With luck, perhaps we’ll be attacked.

A long overdue piece from when Doug played Falderian, the Handsome, the Brave.

…
(more…)

The Helmite Horseman lifts his visor and peers down at Gkar, smiling. Gkar looks up and exclaims: “Murdock”

…
(more…)

15 Flamerule - 9 Eleint 1358DR
[Game of Feb 13th, 2005]

Solved the Mulhorandi strength puzzle, but commited to questing for Horus-Re and to retrieving a relic of Horus-Re to the church, sometime in the future.

Feasted and celebrated with the King, second half of tablet belongs to the bride, who will give it to the Prince as a wedding gift from her father. Gkar spends time with a strange woman who makes him happier. Minor mingling in town.

Return to Lethir kingdom in Thesk, Prince and Princess marry, prince becomes King. Minor mingling. King presents first half of tablet to party as reward.

Rowan rejoins halves of tablet, it contains the names and portfolios of all neutral deities.

Return to Hillsfar. On the way, witness battle of Torm vs Bane outside Tantras. Torm ride Haranoloxis, the Bronze dragon. Torm and Bane cancel each other out and Haranoloxis falls to the sea. Rowan heals her. Reach Hillsfar.

KC receives Sending from Midnight, convinces Haranoloxis to fly the party to Waterdeep. Cyric stole one of the tablets, Midnight headed to WD.

Haranoloxis drops off party 1 day away from WD. Being a collosal dragon, she decides to not fly straight into WD.

Next day, the group sets off on foot. Ambushed by trolls. A mysterious rider shows up in the distance. Much melee ensues, Gkar drops, the troll flees, and the rider (now identified as a Helmite) comes forth to aid Gkar.

The rider lifts his helmet and greets Gkar. It is Murdock Darkfury.

30 Tarsahk - 11 Flamerule, 1358DR
[Game of Feb 12th, 2005]

Journeyed into Cormanthor, to Myth Drannor, To Hillsfar, across the Moonsea,
to the Sea of Fallen Stars, to Thesk, south of the Forest of Lethir.

Found half a tablet guarded by an insane king, journeyed to Mulhorand to find the young prince’s bride.