Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Requiem for a Nightmare - Part Deux

Frustrated at the lack of success in finding Melisana's father the company sailed south to Bridgewater and spent the night.  The party had nightmares of a huge cat hurtling itself upon the character ready to rend flesh, the character then awoke in a tightly confined space, they lift the lids to find themselves in coffins!!   They escaped the coffins, a crypt cat, a horse stampede, a mummy attack and learn of the Koshka Bluffs.  Prince Othmar hired them to find a staff which he allowed them to keep for a price.  Prince Othmar sent them to Castle Faerhaaven to see Sir Hiregaard who told them of strange happenings at his quarry at the Koshka Bluffs.  They also learned of a new great Rift to the west of Nova Vaasa that recently opened where Gehenna used to be.  It is covered with shadows. 

After arriving at the quarry the characters were beset by cats and more cats.  More mummy attacks happened and eventually the adventurers found a way into the bluffs which concealed a long hidden tomb.  After a long search where they encountered zombies, Jermlaine, rats, skeletal mummies, more cats, and a recurring mummy attack the characters sealed the tomb with the staff (The Awakening)..  Fleeing to the northeast the characters entered Tepest where they are hired to save Bryonna from a fiery death.  After a visit to Viktal and meeting with High Priest Wyan they searched for evidence of Bryonna's innocence, visited the Vistani, completed a mission for the Three Hags and unmasked the Boowray saving Bryonna.   Just as they thought of leaving Wyan begged them to find his daughter, Lorelei, who framed Bryonna and had escaped from her cell.  This adventure led them to Keening, right up to Mount Lament, Tristessa the Banshee's Lair.  Their they witnessed a battle between Tristessa and Loht, the Prince of Shadows.  He exchanges her child (falsely) for a sword.  The adventurers made it clear to her that the child was false and escaped her wrath (Servants of Darkness).
The hearty group then found themselves back in Saltmarsh where they were hired to find the cause of caravan attacks to the east.  They set out and heard the "Ballad of Sakatha" about Great Lizard King.  They searched the caravan trail and the village of Waycombe eventually found their way to a temple hidden in the swamp.  They fought a dragon, brigands, trolls, bugbears, and lizard men.  Stairs led down from the Great Banquet Hall to the throne room of the the Great Lizard King Sakatha.  The party then was in a dangerous battle with the Vampiric Lizard Man but they eventually triumphed and looted the temple as much as possible and recovering Melisana's father. (I2 - Tomb of the Lizard King).
Once again the party found themselves in Tepest, in the village of Briggdarrow where much had gone wrong, all the townspeople were like automotons, save a few dead bodies.  They found an orphan hiding and he described a terrible scene of attacks by black hounds and the "dancing men".  He also told of the White Lady and wanted to find her.  After an attack by the "dancing me" the heroes left Briggdarrow and wandered in Tepest fighting goblins, treants,strange grinning "redcaps" and tall gaunt shadow "elves"  the group finally makes it to the White Lady.  She was actually Queen Maeve of the Shadow Rift, sister of Loht, the Prince of Shadow.  She related Loht's plan to release Gwydion from the Obsidion Gate in the Rift and implored the adventurers to stop him.  This proved a mighty feat as they descended into the Rift found more strange Arak creatures, some helpful, some not.  Retrieved the Crown of Arak from the Malachite Palace, crossed the Stonedowns, under the Black Marsh and up the Darkenheights to the Obsidion Gate.  There they found Loht enchanting the ritual to open the Gate and just as they arrived at the top Loht completed the ritual and was grabbed by Gwydions Tentacle.  The party then fought the Tentacle, Thirteen Fingered Hand, Talon, Cloven Hoof, Smashing Fist and Spiked Tail of Gwydion.  Finally the successfully tossed the Crown of Arak through the Gate which sealed the gate and saved the world from Gwydion's rampage.  The adventurers then made their way back through the Rift and climbed out (The Shadow Rift).
As they emerged from the Rift, not recalling any of the journey, each character felt strange and different.  They were now 4e characters.  Each of the characters will be detailed in the next post.

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