Candle in the Dark Campaign Diary - Session 7: Old Nock

The Cast:

• Enid, half-elf cleric of Bahamut
• Nashgar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut
• Leilua, tiefling warlock
• Corrin, halfling barbarian

The heroes continue their fight with the possessed tree called "Old Nock".  Nashgar poured a potion of gaseous form into the mouth of the high priestess of Avandra, Chandara, whom they had followed here.  The potion had the desired effect of changing her into a cloud of vapor that released her from the grip of the tree.  The tree responded by unleashing a series of vine-like branches at the heroes, attempting to ensnare, choke and hang them from its branches.  The heroes fought hard against Old Nock, but struggled against the vines, having to break free from their grip.  As they damaged the tree, the entity possessing it grew angry and fearful of their assault and unleashed hallucinogenic spores, which affected Corrin and Leilua, causing them to believe the tree to be friendly to them, rather than an enemy.  With those two out of the fight, it was left to Enid and Nashgar to destroy the tree, but Nashgar was vine-whipped and hung from the upper branches. Enid delivered the killing blow, shattering the truck with his divine power and causing it to fall over.  

The heroes act quickly to save Nashgar, and when Chandara resumes her normal form, they aid her as well, as the wounds inflicted upon her by the tree threatened her well-being.  As the group rests, they see the forest around them, which had been corrupted by the influence of the entity possessing Old Nock, begin to take on a more normal appearance and the blights that had been growing from the tree's spores regained their natural state.  Chandara told the heroes that she had learned about the tree's history from descendants of Horvath's druidic order and came here to try and banish the entity from this plane, but it was more powerful than she had believed and it invaded her mind, rendering her helpless until the heroes came and freed her.  She thanked them and made an oath to continue Horvath's work to ensure the entity does not return to the tree as penance for her failure.

After a brief rest in the forest, the heroes and Chandara return to the Goathorne Inn, rest for the night and the following day, Chandara bids farewell to them as she returns to Restwell Keep.  The heroes, not being certain if giving Lord Drysdale the Slaying Stone is wise despite having signed a contract with him to acquire the item for him, decide to put off that decision until they have had time to investigate the other task they had been given by the dragon Tyristys, which is to help her find the lair of the Prophet of Tiamat.  They asked Chandara if she knew of a Lord Mage Starris, but she stated she did not, that the title of "Lord Mage" was what was used in the time of the Nerath Empire and she was not familiar with anyone using it in current times.  She suggested asking the Mages of Saruun, or perhaps the High Septarch of Fallcrest.  Maybe even Lady Allande Markelhay, the wife of Lord Markelhay, ruler of Fallcrest, as she is a magic-user of some repute.

The heroes rest, restock their supplies at the inn, then head out towards Fallcrest.

End of session.

Candle in the Dark Campaign Diary - Session 6: The Slaying Stone, Pt 4

The Cast:

• Enid, half-elf cleric of Bahamut
• Nashgar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut
• Leilua, tiefling warlock
• Corrin, halfling barbarian 

The heroes decide to head back to Kiris Dahn to warn Tyristys of the orcs and the Red Hand.  Upon returning, the dragon changes her mind about going to Palanthus as Nashgar had asked her to do earlier.  Something about the Red Hand convinced her that there was a need to make the journey, so she bequeaths the offerings that she had collected to the heroes and leaves the Slaying Stone in their possession for safe keeping and departs.

The heroes spend the night in her lair, then leave as sounds from the town indicate something bad is going down.  They decide to travel to the Goathorne Inn to consider their next move.  Do they return the Slaying Stone to Lord Drysdale, whose motives are questionable?  Do they seek out this Lord Mage Starris to find where the lair of Calastryx, the Prophet of Tiamat is located?  Do they try and discover what caused the events from the last time they stayed at the Goathorne Inn?   They rest at the inn for the night to ponder their options.

The following morning, upon learning that the Avandra priestess Chandara had recently visited the inn, the heroes decide to try and follow her trail.  This leads them to a strange copse of wood that is infested with spiders, which they must fight off, and eventually to an area dominated by a large and ancient tree.  The tree has veins of glowing green light which give off motes that float through the air and warp the surrounding vegetation around it.  The disheveled figure of Chandara stood before the tree, eyes glowing with the same eerie green light coming from the tree.  The tree also had a number of animated plants surrounding it, which attacked as soon as Nashgar approached.

The heroes fight off the twig and needle blights, which Nashgar tries to free Chandara from the tree's control, which it seemed to have both on her mind and on her body, as roots were wrapped around her legs and burrowing into them, holding her fast.  Attacks against the tree itself seemed to be shrugged off or ineffective.  As Nashgar fought at the roots around her legs, Chandara whispered to him to kill her, that she could not hold it much longer.  Did she mean resist the tree's influence?  Was she doing something to the tree?  It's not clear, as she seemed to struggle to say those few words. But Nashgar refuses her plea, and continues to try and pull her from it while the rest of the team fight off the blights and watch as the floating motes of light begin to create a second wave.  Nashgar decides to try something different and pours a Potion of Gaseous Form into Chandara's mouth.

End of session.

Candle in the Dark Campaign Diary - Session 5: The Slaying Stone, Pt 3

The Cast:

• Enid, half-elf cleric of Bahamut
• Nashgar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut
• Leilua, tiefling warlock
• Corrin, halfling barbarian

The heroes spend a good long while in the small den that was occupied by the hobgoblin leader of Gorizbaad, Hu-Jat.  They rest, collect the items of worth from the vault, but do not find the Slaying Stone.   They do find the hobgoblin's journal, which dates back to their invasion of Kiris Dahn 8 years ago.  The journal has  8 years' worth of entries, most of them brief as there were few updates with any significant events until recently.  The entries from the last week show the arrival of the orcs from the Stonemarch, who entered town and began killing goblins until Hu-Jat gave over control.  The orcs claimed Gorizbaad in the name of the "Red Hand" which is presumably the tribe the orcs come from, and inform Hu-Jat that his tribe has been destroyed.  The orcs have since been searching the town for something that they would not tell Hu-Jat.  The journal has no further information past that.

Once the heroes complete their rest, they collect themselves and find Meepo the goblin.  They discuss the goblin mutants that are in the cells adjoining the lab room, trying to decide whether to leave them or put them out of their misery.  They decide to leave them for now and go deeper into the cellar finding a room with mineral water flowing through from the hot springs.  They also find a grated hole that leads down to a tunnel leading away from the manor.  They follow the tunnel all the way to a cavern, wherein lay a brass dragon named Tyristys.  Nashgar delivers to the dragon a request from the church of Bahamut requesting that all metallic dragons go to the church capital of Palanthus.  Tyristys scoffs and says he has no interest in traveling such a distance without good cause, which Nashgar could not provide as he was not given one.

The heroes inquire about the Slaying Stone and Tyristys says she has it and is keeping it safe from those who would use it for evil purposes.  The heroes say they need to take it to Lord Drysdale to safeguard his keep, but Tyristys laughs at this, believing this lord, like all others, has only his own interests in mind.  The heroes ask what it will take to get the stone from her, and the dragon responds that she has been seeking information on the whereabouts of the lair of an evil dragon called Calastryx, a so-called prophet of Tiamat who claimed to have the power to call the goddess into the mortal world to usher in a new dragon age.  Reputedly, Calastryx was cursed by a mortal wizard, which caused the dragon to fall into a magical slumber.  Tyristys wants to find that dragon's lair and kill him before his slumber ends, so she needs agents to seek out information that will reveal the location of the lair.  The only clue she has is the name of the wizard who cursed the dragon; Mage Lord Starris.  If they can provide the locatoin of the dragon's lair, then Tyristys will give them the Slaying Stone.

The heroes agreed to take the dragon's offer and they leave her lair beneath the hot springs.  The group decides to head back to the tower of Treona, but they find it is burning furiously.  The orcs responsible attack the group, putting up a good fight, but the heroes overcome them.  A message found on the orc leader has orders to find the Slaying Stone and to kill the dragon laired under the town.  The orders are signed, High Wyrmlord Azaar Kul of the Red Hand.  "All Hail God-Queen Tiamat!"

End of Session

Candle in the Dark Campaign Diary - Session 4: Slaying Stone pt 2

The Cast:

• Enid, half-elf cleric of Bahamut
• Nashgar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut
• Leilua, tiefling warlock
• Corrin, halfling barbarian 

DM's NOTE: This session was plagued with technical difficulties, so our usual 3 hour session was shortened by this.

The heroes continue into the manor, finding a set of stairs leading to the cellar.  They enter a room that was a wine cellar and encounter two goblins.  One they kill, the other they manage to get to submit and reveal the hidden door.  The goblin, "meepo" reluctantly leads the group into a hidden hall and says the "boss" is behind the metal doors blocking their way.  Enid bangs on the door and a gruff voice answers from the other side, refusing to open the door.  They get meepo to say that there is an attack and they need help, so the door opens and the group surprise the hobgoblin guard on the other side.  They try to get him to give up, but the soldier attacks and they have to kill him.  In the room, a strange laboratory of sorts, a mutated goblin attacks, but is also killed. 

The group enters another hall and find two more closed doors.  They listen at one, but are themselves surprised when a hobgoblin soldier bursts through and attacks, dealing some harm to them but ultimately being killed.  The team move into the room he was in, a small study, and rest as they try to revive Nashgar, who had fallen in the battle.  Corrin took a nasty wound that will leave an ugly scar across his face.  Though they were hurt, the group recovers and finds a hidden chamber that has some treasures within. 

End of session.