Symon nods his assent and waits for Karl to finish speaking so that he can talk about what happened to him while he was dead.
((Symon runs around naked is only proficient in cloth armour, which is functionally the same as being naked. As such he can't wear leather armour at all. It's not all bad though, since he does get +3 AC from wearing cloth due to class abilities.
Also Symon actually buying himself anything seems pretty unlikely right now. I remember him wanting to give all of his money away to the poor or something like that.))
((Pretty sure that there was some sort of magical armor that one of the players is carrying that you can wear since it WAS yours. I don't remember who though. I'll double check. In the meantime...))
Karl begins telling Thyra who tries her best to sit up, but fails to do so. The party ((someone I hope)) tries to help her get comfortable as she sits attentively.
You start by saying what happend when she left; thousands upon thousands of undead as far as you could see, with more coming, the last wave of undead being these strange beings that were too smart and too organized to be fully undead. You tell her how all seemed lost until Thoradin, the dwarf the party met weeks ago, opened the sealed gate and sealed you all inside. Inside, you told her about the undead roaming the halls, the maddened survivors (but not mentioning much about them or what you took from them, as Karl quickly changes the subject), the pile of corpses that piled high to the ceiling and the Necromancers that were inside the dining hall. You tell her as well of the first hero of the fortress, The Toady One, and how he aided you in your quest.
You then told her about going deeper into the fortress, where The Feathered Serpent, Cotl, a beast forgotten long before the days of time, had separated the party with his tunneling. Karl tells of fighting cave crocodiles and Alexander taming one of them, Cromwell and Thoradin falling and being lost in the dark until finding his way through the powers of smell ((I assume the party leaves out him being a werewolf)) and finding Weston and Nadarr, who tells a sadder tale. Upon them fumbling in the dark for a way out, they lost Symon and found a spider web coating the cavernous area, containing an undead blade spider who grabbed Symon and slew him by ripping his head off of his body and feasting on him in front of the other members. A stranger hiding in the caverns appeared and assisted the others in combat until Thoradin and Cromwell arrived. When Symon's killer was slain, they burned his body in hopes that the magics of the place would not return him. But Symon here stepped in and talked about Aurel's Undead body revived him, and did many unspeakable tortures to his body as Symon's body was older, and much more angry and full of hate. Aurel cringes at this and swaps the topic by asking how they reunited. Karl notes that he found the others by using Siga, his Onyx Dog, and used her tracking scent to find the others.
You told her of then meeting Aurel again atop the great Feathered Serpent, Cotl, and how its new undead form and its sheer size was before you and how Karl, inside the beast's stomach, severed its head from the inside and defeated it not long after with ease as Thoradin, Isbat the stranger and Karl stood tall over the defeated Wurm. Alexander continued in his curse as he touched a wall of shadow and absorbed it, gaining power at a terrible price. You tell her how you went back and slew a dragon and saw visions of the Necromancer slaughtering many.
You told her of how you descended down and fought husks for the first time as you searched for a safe place to rest. You fought the greatest soldiers in the army against the living and barely defeated three of them, with Alexander and Thoradin collapsing into a fit of darkened rage. You told her how the place began to shift due to fell magics and fought the some of the strongest of the Necromancer's forces.
Thoradin, Isbat and Alexander fought the shapeshifter Gonzou, who was killed back in Amn, Nadarr and Weston battled Grot and his forces of shadow goblins, who were slain in the mountains and back in Amn, and lastly, and Karl and Cromwell ended Symon's suffering by piercing him on the spikes of the arena. Symon tells that until this point, he was in Limbo and saw everything that took place as his god spoke to him and blessed him with being his champion, showing her his Mark. Weston looks for a similar mark and finds it on his chest opposite of his heart, and Karl finds his on the back of his shoulder. Aurel acknowledges himself being marked as well with his tattoo now covered by his signature red cloak that Nadarr carried as a memento till Aurel's return.
You tell her of the goods left behind and the piles of weapons. And of course, the countless husks raining down upon the party as you fled. You tell her of the final showdown, and the shadow magic growing in might. You tell of the Necromancer turning into a shadow demon, cursing the gods and shouting about his demon-god called The Chained One... And Alexander's pact with him. You told her of the summoning of clones of Karl, Weston, Cromwell and Nadarr as well as Symon brought back again, but healed and looking as he did in life before his death, and Aurel, though weakened of power. You tell how you defeated them and Symon and Aurel rising back up and aiding the fight against the Necromancer. You tell her of how the party was reunited before Aurel's death and how Symon's strength defeated the Necromancer's shadow magic from reforming. You tell of the Necomancer being revealed to be nothing more then an insane old man who traded his soul for immortality and youth. You tell of Alexander's breakdown as he brutally killed the foe, turning his head into a bloody pulp, and of how he went insane as he only says he "remembers" before letting The Chained One take hold of him. You tell her of how Alexander became a dark vessel for the Chained One's power, with nothing of Alexander from before the fight still there.
You tell her of the escape, as the place filled with magma as you made a daring escape, dodging flowing magma and running atop a rickety bridge. You then tell her of brekaing open the side exit and seeing sunset again after so long. You tell her of the joy, the relief and the laughter that ensued once you knew it was all over. You told her of the blessings of The Toady One from the gods and the gifts he gave unto them on behalf of the departed. You told her of how Thoradin has now become King of the new settlement of Stormbreaker Hold, and of the tales Toady One has said. You then tell her of the burial of Isbat, who lost his life in the last fight, and the second burial of Gonzou and Grot's final rest.
After what seemed like days of telling her this tale, she stands attentively, not once during the entire time you spoke did she question you on anything. She wept at parts, she looked scared, and of course, she smiled and even laughed with you when the journey was over (and of Aurel and Symon being naked, as told by the Head who cracked a sexual joke every now and then). And of course, she felt pain at the loss of your allies, and she felt great worry at the sound of The Chained One and Alexander losing his sanity.
"... I know that I may never be able to sing again... But if I can walk again, I will make sure everyone hears of your tale as an apology for my cowardice.
I will let all of Faerun know of Karl the Guardian of the Raven Queen,
Weston the Sorcerer of the Owl,
Nadarr the Honorable Mage,
Cromwell Jackson the Vagabond of Planes,
Thoradin Stormbreaker the King of The Land Once Dead,
Alexander, He Who Fell Into Madness,
Isbat Vasyol the Warrior in the Caverns,
Aurel the Unkillable,
And of Symon the Foe of Demon Friends.
I would ask that you do me one last favor. I cannot walk, and it hurts to move. But I would ask that one of you carry me to the tavern, for I will tell of your tale so they will see the legend before them.
Would you do me this kindness?"She looks at Symon with this. Cromwell elbows him, and the head laughs and mocks you as they push you to do it. Symon (because of peer pressure) does just that, and carries Thyra to the tavern, with the others in tow. Aurel tells Nadarr to hold his tongue for a bit as the party enters.
Symon places her down atop the bar table as she requests and speaks.
"Come, and gather everyone! Though my body may never heal, but my heart has been mended. I shall tell you a great and wonderful tale; a tale of the six great heroes standing before you and their great journey from Crimmor in Amn where they were hired by a man who was half machine and travels with a blood red mist..."Before you know it, its nighttime, and Thyra tells everyone of your story. From the beginning in Crimmor and Gonzou's suicide and Weston's joining, to the city of Athkatla where you fought Aurel's kin, to the dwarves who warned you of the shadow creatures, to the foot of the mountain where the first fight against the Necromancer's forces began. From there, she told of your journey of the mountain maze and of the giant Archuther, to the death of Bouchart and Grot with the dramatic arrival of Cromwell on his steed. She told of your journey to Murann where you chased out a werewolf (but didn't say of the arrest of Aurel and Cromwell or the banishment from there). She told of the battles you fought, and of the bonds they shared. She told of Aurel's death and of great sorrow, and of his dark return. She told the entire story, until she reached the Hold. There, she told of the abandonment of her friends, and of what she was their death. She told of how six walked in, but six returned, triumphant and now stand before you. She gave honor to the slain, and whenever she said your names, she said it as the title she said, not just Nadarr, or Cromwell or Aurel.
When she ended, the entire crowd cheered, and everyone, even the captain of the guard who attended halfway through the story, raise a mug of ale, each shouting a toast to you by your new names:
HAIL, KARL, GUARDIAN OF THE RAVEN QUEEN!
HAIL WESTON, SORCERER OF THE OWL!
HAIL NADARR, HONORABLE MAGE!
HAIL CROMWELL JACKSON, VAGABOND OF THE PLANES!
HAIL AUREL THE UNKILLABLE!
HAIL SYMON, FOE OF DEMONFRIENDS! They all cheer and drink to your name, everyone giving you hugs, hand shakes and bows all alike. As Symon assist Thyra back to Benn's house, she steals a kiss on his cheek, all of the men hooting and cheering the young man (and the odd curse as people began to pay up for a bet that was long due).
The party stayed in the Tavern for free that night, and the Captain paid you each a large sum of 1500gp each, and he says that the reward can never be fully repaid by gold. The people see you all off, Thyra being kept in a makeshift wheelchair pushed by Benn, and cheered for you as you left.
It took several days to return to Amn, the scummy, thief ridden cesspool that it is. But its a grand sight to see. As you pass by, word already has spread as people talk of the death of the Necromancer to the south, and of six heroes who did it, as well as talk of a New King of Dwarves who reside there. You make sure to cover your gold as you decide to detour Athkatla in fear of Aurel's kin being there still. You end up making it back to Crimmor with three days left to spare.
It is the 3rd of Leaffall, In the Year of the Ageless One. Sadly, you missed out on Harvestide last month, but it's a glad thing you're back. Someone rushes you all a note almost within minutes of entering.
I have heard good tidings that you made it. Your dwarven friends haven't stopped talking about it. They're in the market area that we first met at. I will be meeting you there in the evening for your reward. Bring me what you promised me, and I will reward you properly as my master deems it.
I'll be waiting.
-Olon Rotlaw
((Yes, he wrote a smile there))
You have several options right now:
- Go see the dwarves about the dwarven artifact you retrieved for them
- Wait until Olon arrives to finish the deal
- Do something with your hard earned wealth
- Go visit Aurel's House for a real bed after so long
- Whatever else the party wishes to do
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Topic: Lets Play Dungeons and Dragons (4th Edition): 86 Days Remain... (Read 346447 times)