Heroes and Heroines
Live Action Roleplaying
Source: Tenth
Chiaroscuro - Skirmisher
Rivalyn - Healer
Faer talen Vydalia – Wizard of the Dark College
Twig – Wizard of the Earth College
Tenth – Wizard of the Green College
MaiRu – Mage of the Light College
Ziggy – Summer druid and bard
Oswald - Warrior
Marius The Magnificent – Wizard of the Air College
Rath Elg– Neutral priest
Abbanen – Scout
The party was briefed by Voran Ashcaster within the throne room of Dyna Nightblade in the Scar-Silvani Citadel in Clearwater. The party were given a tracking device which could track and identify the destination and travel means of its partner stone. The mission was to track some Scar-Silvani from house Sigrin Tortha who were attempting an attack on the Protectorate’s own Skar Silvani from Tenebrous. Sigrin Tortha had taken the stone and were to be caught and eliminated.
The first jump had been to the Plane of Darkness. Voran Ashcaster arranged a shadow shift. On arrival the Party were almost entirely blinded apart from Faer Talen who was able to see due to her protections. The Party were harried by some local denizens but passed through without too much trouble.
The tracking device drew the party towards a building defended by Sigrin Tortha Scar-Silvani including their 14th warrior. Sigrin Tortha were defeated in a mighty clash, but shortly after they fell, two members of the Protectorate Cleansing Flame appeared. High Priest Greensleeves and Cristophe were known to many in the Party. They were now in a chapel in the Evergreen Valley. The Cleansing Flame had been defending a gold skull and the Necromantic Crown from a Scar-Silvani attack. The skull was that of Queen Rachael, a powerful ruler whose use of the Good Sphere was great and her hatred of Undead was legendary. The Skull and the Crown had been recovered by a previous Protectorate mission. The Cleansing Flame had been perfecting the Mass Holy Bolt invocation by tapping the into Skull’s Good Sphere connection. They had taken advantage of the Crown’s ability to draw undead to it and they had been using it to repeatedly to destroy all undead in the area. The effective area of the bolt depended on the number of priests and high priests involved. However, the Crown and Skull were now gone.
After some discussion, High Priest Greensleeves foresaw a journey to the Sea of Lost Souls and prepared powerful Good Sphere spiritual protections for each party member.
The next morning it was determined that Air magic had been used for the Crown’s escape. The Party were assaulted by a group of air and fire elementals and a Fire Wizard. Dispatching this foe the thieves were pursued via the elemental Plane of Air. The party arrived, hung helpless in mid air unable to move. Only Marius could pull the party together. The party were assaulted by several Air creatures who used air to push them around. Marius drew the Party together and they eventually reached the exit portal.
The party appeared in some unknown woods. The mauled bodies of two Scar-Silvani were found, seemingly assaulted by mighty wild beasts.
A group of Silverweb Forest troops led by Captain Mayleth arrived, aggressive and demanding to know why the Party were there. After their seer, Morgath, cast an invocation they were placated and believed the story of tracking down thieves and demanded that the Crown be brought to them at the Barracks for investigation once it was found. They discovered a small magic ball on one of the bodies that had been missed, which they gave to the Party. This was the tracking device’s target.
It seemed that the Crown and Skull had been taken by some warped druids – The Brotherhood of the Dark Young. They were pursued deeper into their lands and many warped beasts were fought, mixtures of man and boar; goblin and wolf; spider and orc or many other types were battled.
After hours of fighting a pair of druidic figures appeared. Baccus, Avatar of Summer introduced himself and once it was established that the Party had been fighting the abominations, he was extremely friendly and invited the Party to a feast in his Summer Realm. He determined that the Crown had been taken to the Razor Edge Mountains by a druid.
After lunch, wine, rest and preparation, the Party were tree-shifted to the Razor Edge mountains and the location of the druid that had taken the Crown. A brutal fight ensued and the druid and his creatures were slain. The Crown was not with him.
A Gunthar had observed the fight and was extremely positively disposed to the Party. Drinks were shared and a Speak with Animals allowed him to say that Malice had a base close by. He offered to distract the bulk of their undead to allow the Party to sneak around the perimeter and defeat their lesser undead defences.
The Party passed through an open portal to the Sea of Lost Souls.
Many undead were fought and the Party found their way to a confused battle between a Necromancer and undead battling each other. Some of these creatures were under his control and a powerful undead Eviscerator attempted to slay him. It seemed he had the Crown. The Necromancer died and all the undead assaulted the Party. After a brutal fight which involved the loss of limbs and many broken bones the Crown was recovered.
After further lesser undead fights in which undead were drawn to the Crown, the Party were greeted by a seemingly living man who said that they had been invited to dinner with his master. He said that they would be safe from the undead and planar effects.
At the dinner table the following “people” were present.
The Lord arrived and was introduced as Lord Drax. (It seemed he’d been mentioned in ‘yellow’ scrolls which told the story of Queen Rachael and her battle against the encroaching corruption of Necromancy led by Drax)
Drax was a Vampire Lord imbued with a Djinn. He dominated several Party members and after dinner was freely handed the Skull and Crown.
He called forth Queen Rachael from the skull intending to end her, but now in human form she called forth the Angel of Retribution who forced Drax into gaseous form using a holy sword and holy bolts.
The Party were informed that each of the Lord’s guests held the key to his destruction. The angel created some holy water and leant the Party his holy sword so that Drax could be destroyed.
As the first key, the Bard had the Party perform the story of Lord Drax’s creation. In short, Drax’s father was ignorant of the need to consecrate the body of one killed by a vampire, and so when a stranger arrived at their village he buried him in the graveyard without performing the necessary ritual, and the stranger rose as a vampire. Young Drax was turned into a vampire by the now undead stranger. The villagers put paid to the stranger, but Drax was spared and grew in power, slaying his father, who also rose as a vampire. <Is there going to be a second Drax showing up to get revenge here?>
The next morning the Scholar gave the Party a riddle involving four undead who’s initial letters spelled out the thing she sought, REST.
Next the Illurian’s bond had to be broken with Drax. The Illurian was chained to one of the Effigies Illuria on the Sea of Lost Souls. This was what allowed them to purify their spirits via Negromancy. The Illurian was broken free and after several Party possessions and a great battle, he was slain. The way to Drax’s tomb was open.
Holy water was poured upon Drax in his coffin. The Djinn was released and slain after he granted Tenth a wish, which was used to slay the Djinn.
Queen Rachael’s skull and the Crown were recovered and the Party were given the option of travelling to the Plane of Good to allow her to ascend or returning to Idenia with the Crown. Laying the Queen to Rest on the Plane of Good was chosen.
On the Plane of Good healing was constant. It was revealed that once a living creature reached more than twice their health they would ascend too. The Party damaged themselves and each other to stay below the appropriate level. After some minutes of waiting Queen Rachael ascended and the Party were free to leave. The Angel of Retribution offered many the chance to stay and fight the Good fight. The Party each chose where they would return with most choosing the Prime Material plane. Those that did, arrived at the Pyramid of Light temple. It seems Ziggy chose to visit Baccus in the Summer Lands.