LRC:The Darkness Inside
Starring: Robhim, Vaeriasa, Wolfdale, Tam Hukar and Wes Temple.
Guest Starring: Simon, False Robhim, Scarred Shadowknife, Alicia Humphrey, Shad, Ruha, Brennel, and the Spirit of Janus!
Unsuccessful, the Warriors return
After nearly six weeks of searching the ethereal plane around the island, Wolfdale receives a message on the wind from Shannon recommending that he and the Warriors come home for a short while. Walking out of the Ethereal plane is a great pleasure as you pass from out of the ethereal pudding and back into the material plane. You stare up at the fiendish oak tree and despite it's forboding nature you feel back at home.
As you pass through the gates of the city, the watch member on duty stops your group, staring up at Asa. After some debate the watch allows the group to enter the city but a pair of guards follow them. Wolfdale promptly scared the shit out of them and took their names.
Alicia, Ruha, and Shad find the party soon after
Alicia, Ruha, and Shad approach the party shortly after Wolfdale scares the guards, and Alicia tells them that she wants a debriefing at once at the Halls of the Even-Handed. When they arrive at the Halls, Alicia takes Wolfdale and Tam while Ruha and Shad interview the rest of the group.
Interviews
Ruha and Shad listen to the story of the events that transpired on the Ethereal plane and begin to ask questions.
- How did you confirm the identity of the ghost calling itself Drusilia? "We didn't," replied Robhim.
- Did the devils attempt to strike a deal with you? No.
After answering these questions, Ruha and Shad begin asking each of the adventurers questions separately.
Wes
- Have you been contacted by the Liberators? "No, but I do sympathize with the idea of a House of Commons."
- Do you believe that any of your fellow Warriors of the Morning Breeze could be Liberators? "No. They are all seriously unstable."
- Is one more unstable than the rest? "Vaeriasa"
- Who do you support for the crown of Lone Rock City? "Whomever can do the job best (I'm guessing JJ Wyeth was implied?)"
Vaeriasa
- Have you been contacted by the Liberators? "No."
- Do you believe that any of your fellow Warriors of the Morning Breeze could be Liberators? "No."
- Is one more unstable than the rest? "No."
- Who do you support for the crown of Lone Rock City? "Jones. He killed the previous king. Those with power should rule."
Robhim
- Have you been contacted by the Liberators? "No."
- Do you believe that any of your fellow Warriors of the Morning Breeze could be Liberators? "No."
- Is one more unstable than the rest? "No."
- Who do you support for the crown of Lone Rock City? "Since Alicia would decline, I would support Harlann. He not really elven anyway—more like a half-elf at heart."
Simon
- Have you been contacted by the Liberators? "No."
- Do you believe that any of your fellow Warriors of the Morning Breeze could be Liberators? "No."
- Is one more unstable than the rest? "Vaeriasa. But then she's a Harpell."
- Who do you support for the crown of Lone Rock City? "Whomever will keep financing—generously—the Warriors of the Morning Breeze."
After the interviews, an emergency mission
When the interrogation is complete, Ruha draws a cluster scrolls. "These are you orders and you are to take action on them immediately." She hands orders to Robhim, Vaeriasa, Wes, and Simon. The orders read, "You are to report to Janus' former residence immediately. A exploration team of elves discovered a new area and they were to report back yesterday. They have sent no word. Seek them out and bring them back alive, if possible."
"Cadearo is waiting for you in the hallway. Take him with you."
The unintentional treason of Brennell
Alicia leads Wolfdale and Tam to a conference room, where she requests that Tam wait in the hallway. Once inside the room, Alicia says, "I'm going to cast a spell on you to collect information quickly because time is of the essence." She begins casting and touches Wolfdale on the temples. A short moment later she opens her eyes and looks at Wolfdale.
"Divinations have revealed that the contents of the chest have fallen into the hands of Levistus' allies. This was through no fault of your own. I do hold you responsible for the poor decision on how to spend that Wish. You are a natural leader and you have to live up to that. You let Wes' personal goals override those of the mission. You should've used it to attempt to gather information on the whereabouts of the chest, not how to free his son from the "grip of evil". As a former adventurer I understand how these decisions get made."
"It has been brought to our attention that the chest I gave you was the wrong chest. It is in fact the key to another chest that belongs to a wizard in the Harpell School. It seems that someone broke into Shannon's office and rearranged his office. And this is not the first time that this event happened. Because this led to the forces of Levistus gaining the contents of the chest, I need you to bring in Brennell Flippins for treason. I know that he is a friend of yours, and he has done a tremendous service for Lone Rock City. I will recommend strongly that he be banished and not executed. By now Sir Valans has arrived. I want you, Tam, and Sir Valans to go and arrest Brennell. Here is paperwork."
Investigating Janus's Secret Basement
The guards at the Janus estate recognize the party and allow the party to pass, once the orders are shown. Traveling down into Janus' sub basement brings back memories. As the party passes the area where their long and drawn out fight took place, they see the chalk outline where the bone wizard finally fell. Beyond the hall, where the library was burned out by Robhim is a strange sight. As you move forward, you notice scattered around the burn area are half-burned books. As Robhim goes through the titles and he recognizes a few as ones that should've been destroyed. He laments that the entire complex was not burnt to the ground.
Continuing down deeper into the complex, the bottom level has an exposed trap door with a ladder leading down. Simon is reminded—gently—to send out Prying Eyes to see what lay beyond. He draws a map of the large room with two coffins on a dais.
As the group moves toward the room Cadearo keeps a keen eye out for traps, but as several members of the group cry out in pain as a Symbol of Pain is activated he makes a note to be more watchful in the future.
Around the entrance to the room are the bodies of five elf explorers. Slowly filtering into the room draws the attention of a well-hidden undead creature who surprises most of the party! Robhim summons worgs, Simon identifies the creature not as undead but as a shadowsteel golem, and Wes seeks a lever to turn it off.
While seeking a way to turn off the golem, Wes opens the coffins to find perfectly preserved a middle-aged woman and a 10-year-old boy.
After the golem is bested, Robhim directs everyone to destroy the necromatic coffins.
Death of a Hero
Wolfdale and Sir Valans were given orders to find and retrieve Brennel for questioning over a variety of treasonous pranks. While searching the city sounds of conflict came from a dark alley. They rushed to investigate, finding Rohbim under attack by four thugs. As they rushed to help Brennel was also coincidently observing the scene from hiding.
Brennel sapped a spell from Sir Valans as he and Wolfdale charged to Rohbim's rescue. Brennel snuck unto the scene and all dispatched the thugs with Rohbim's assistance until Wolfdale's dark opposite puched his shadowy blade into Wolfdale's back.
Rohbim convinced all the warriors to subdue Wolfdale whereupon the spirit of Janus cried out to have Wolfdale killed so he could possess another body. Wolfdale tried to keep Janus under control while Valans and Brennel beat back his shadowy counter-part.
Loot
- From the thugs: +3,448 gp (all to be added to the slush for rez?)
- This assumes selling four each of longsword (masterwork), scale mail, +1 light shield, and gaining 100gp from each body.
Lone Rock City: Gaming Sessions
Welcome to the Island, Back Alleys, Into the Woods, Rumblings, Underground, Defeating the Kocraken, "Mining Accident", The King's Murder, Long Live the King?, Tangled Trees, Heading Home, At Sea, Back in the City, God Shopping, Attacking the Darkness (Janus Raid), Under the Sea, Cavern of Deep Sashelas, Cavern of Deep Sashelas, part 2, Realm of the Dolphions, Meadmaker Mashup, Shieldmeet, Tending to Business, Fantine Taylor vs the Party, The Rescue of Delicious Harpell, Hunting Harpells, Attack of the 50 foot Ooze, Champions of Good?, Down the Rabbit Hole, Three Strikes, The King's Men, Heist, Prologue, Heist, Save the Beast, Rescue from the Duergar, Devil Elves Infest the Dark Wood, Artifact Evacuation, Rods of Thinuan Discovered, We Three Kings, Ghost from the past, Father and Daughter, Visiting the Elin of Nomin, The View From Inside The Jail, Hunting the Darkness, The Servant's Last Dance, Amnesia (Alternate World), Wedding and the End of the World (Alternate World), In the Garden of Evil, Deal with the Devil, The Death of Janus, Social Obligations, Bugs in the Floor, Finding Glimwocket, Return of Brennel, Quest for the Birthday Present (part 1), Quest for the Birthday Present (part 2), Ist'Vaech Is Having A Baby!, Fighting the Blood Clan, Defending the Muir Hole, Garrison of the Gale Grand Gala, Regicide, Bridezilla, Emergence of Nightbringer, Death and Return of Ist'Vaech, Dwarf Ghost and Riddles, Returned the Soulstone (in the Mail), Snubbed by the Githyanki, The Darkness Inside, Trip to Waterdeep, Kobolds Killing Cattle, Liberator Terrorist Attack, Liberators Secret Complex (multi-session), Wes Escapes From The Underworld, The Guards Kill Lemures Without Dying, Lil' Robby, No One Trusts Talen, Battle Interactive, Harlann's Evacuation,
Alternate World Sessions: Amnesia (Alternate World), Wedding and the End of the World (Alternate World),
Party Members: Simon, Robhim, Wolfdale, Ist'Vaech, Wes Temple, Vaeriasa, Vaeriasa Spells, Vaeriasa Special Abilities, Dragonform, Brave Iron Man (Guy),
Warriors of the Morning Breeze: Brennel, Simon, Robhim, Wolfdale, Dookette, Nan'lhach, Dmitrii, Ist'Vaech, Grim Greycastle, Sir Valans, Vaeriasa,