Strife and Pride A Campaign Log

The companions woke and moved north, to the Dragon Fang patch. Suddenly Endrin and Hrsai heard a crash. They spread the word and everyone scattered, spreading through the area, seeking the source of the crash. Their search revealed a moaning Child of the Sun, impaled on an upraised tree root, barely conscious.

Hrsai examined the wounded man and noted that the situation was near hopeless. He offered the man a quick death; the wounded man managed a nod. Hrsai drove a dagger home, putting him out of his misery.

Endrin's keen senses picked out the sound of horse's hooves. She whispered the information to Kerith and the they investigate. Kerith finds a ledge with an excellent view above the impaled man. He had to suppress a moment's shock when he realized that the dead man had probably died while spying upon the companions as they marched toward the patch of Dragon Fang. Meanwhile, Endrin replayed the sounds on her thigh and decided that a second horse must have been present.

Kerith climbed back down and explained what he saw. Hrsai mentioned that he found a pouch full of Dragon Fang and a simple map of the area on the dead man.

We buried the Child of the Sun in a cairn at the base of the rock face he tumbled down. Kerith mentioned that looking from above, the trail we're on clearly continues, winding along to another cave. With a shrug, everyone agreed to continue exploring along the trail.

When we reached the cave (after a half-mile's walk), we found that it was quite short... perhaps three feet high at its mouth. Koverinos and Mareak noted that the cave narrowed, but expanded a bit further back. Meanwhile, Kerith's keen eyes picked out a figure who emerged from another fissure in the rock. He smiled and leaned against a tree as the figure crept forward, resolving into Clevadoran. Meanwhile, Koverinos called out greetings in his languages through the cave's throat.

Clevadoran suppressed a start when he finally noted Kerith's eyes on him. It resolved into a smile as he approached everyone. He told the gathered group that this was his cave, and followed that up by asking if anyone would like to tour it. General nods of assent; everyone followed him in, save Hrsai.

The tour revealed a very defensible entry and several areas for both elves and wolves to sleep. As the tour wound to an end, Koverinos mentioned the dead Whitecloak. After hurried and worried discussion (among the elvish wolf-companions), they decided to clear out. We accompanied them.

They emerged and together we wandered along a trail. After a few hours of walking, we reached the end of the trail. Along the way they reencountered Miskene, who rejoined them. Most of the companions settled in to camp; Koverinos entertained with tricks, Mareak worked his armor, and so on. Hrsai, Miskene and Kerith went hunting.

The wolves (and Rufus) dashed out of sight persuing a deer. They were joined by a strange wolf, owned by Ironjaw, a barbaric Wolfgar. Ironjaw joined his wolf in the pursuit; together the wolves downed the buck. He moved to gut and clean it as his wolf met the strange wolves (and Rufus). The three hunters came upon him- greetings were exchanged and the kill was quartered. Hrsai warned him of Pelor's Chosen's activity in the area. Ironjaw spat his disgust at the Whitecloaks, who poisoned the game in his area.

Ironjaw followed the hunters back to their camp, but set up a separate one nearby.

The next morning the Wild Elves departed. The companions (including Ironjaw) returned to the clearing where Pelor's Chosen had died. They set up in various spots; some to ambush and some to observe. Hrsai talked Mareak into moving back under cover.

Shortly after noon the Whitecloaks rode up. Confused at the fallen body's absence from the spot of his death, the Whitecloaks traced the man back to the cairn. As they started to excavate their companion, Koverinos played a trick, enchanting the wind to speak as a haunt.

As they hustled to complete their excavation, events quickly spun into chaos. Ironjaw raced down the rock face, and many arrows were launched by Endrin and Kerith; Mareak's charge rumbled and clattered. The thrashing was utter; the Whitecloak expedition was wiped out to the last man, with no significant blows stiking the companions.

After some discussion, the companions decided to cleanse the site and make off for the woods, bearing the slain Whitecloaks with them. The bodies were left for the animals; the Whitecloaks' horses and armor were stripped and taken. We set off for the Elvish Bandit camp, bearing the spoils of our fight. Koverinos and Ironjaw went into the camp and negotiated for goods and supplies. Raneric, the bandit leader, was somewhat surprised to see Koverinos return, particularly with human equipment. Koverinos sketched the horrors of the Whitecloaks oppression of Rudisheim's Elvish people; Raneric was cynically unimpressed.

The next morning, Hrsai pondered a dream that came while he slept. He addressed his companions as they broke their fast. "The goddess Elhonna appeared to me in a dream and spoke: 'You have been chosen to be defender of the forest. Seek ye the weapon in the forest'."

He asked them to accompany him, despite the delay, and they agreed. Looking about, they found a deer trail that seemed appropriate and followed it into the woods.

Soon they come upon a clearing covered in deep leaves and vines. Hrsai didn't recognize them, which made him deeply suspicious. Everyone waited and examined the clearing. Hrsai tossed a piece of bread into its midst, to no effect. Koverinos tried some deer meat; the movement was slow, but the vines did creep toward the meat and cover it. With a shudder the companions circled the clearing and continued along the deer path.

After a further hour of journeying, the companions came upon a standing stone about 15 feet high (and as big around as it was high). Ironjaw boosted Hrsai, who found a box in a depression in the center of the stone. Inside the box he found a bow shaped vine- a living bow.

Endrin pointed out that the whole clearing was encircled by mushrooms- clearly we were in a fairy ring. She pointed out tracks, which we avoided. Relying on Endrin and Hrsai's reckoning, we set off on a path that should lead rather directly to the dwarvish town.

After some travel, we came across a clearing with a quiet stream running through it. We stopped and ate, while Ironjaw's wolf roamed. Suddenly, a terrible shrieking, piercingly loud, rang out over the clearing. Ironjaw rushed to his wolf's aid; a thick carpet of moss was making the terrible noise. The deafening sound made his ears bleed, but Ironjaw stood his ground, slashing and chopping at the moss.

Thinking quickly, Kerith tossed oil on the patch and followed it with a burning torch. The moss burned, but the moist ground inhibited the burning. Still, the sound was less shrill. Ironjaw ripped moss out and threw it on the flames.

While everyone was distracted with the moss, a pair of gryphons spotted the companions, alerted by the moss. One struck Mareak, but Ironjaw caught its wing with a power sword stroke, grounding it. They two smashed the beast, striking powerful and skillful blows, quickly eliminating it. Meanwhile, the rest were dueling with the other; both sides were full of maneuver and cautious slashes. Eventually, the second gryphon fell to the companions.

Koverinos corked blood and took trophies, joined by Ironjaw. Hrsai, Kerith, and Endrin explored, finding the gryphon's lair, which contained great eggs. They gathered them up and returned to the gryphon corpse where the rest waited. Together they gathered their trophies and decided to continue on.

We spoke with the head of the dwarven community. He gave us permission to explore the ruins, and charged us with discovering what had befallen the first team.

Later, we stood at the rubble covered entrance and waited as some tough miners removed the collapse- enough to enter the strange city beyond. We wandered in and looked around appreciating the marbled walls and floors. The town was obviously the product of skilled stone work- and not dwarven stonework (according to Mareak). Koverinos suggested that it might be drow.

There were a number of dusty, abandoned chambers- a dining hall, some bed chambers, and so on. We also found a sloping floor- evidently a bathhouse, with mold still lingering. Kerith, anchored by a rope, explored to the center, but found naught of interest.

After lengthy investigation, Kerith found a tricky path across wall tops. We walked along, then, to our amazement, Kerith vanished into the wall. Illusion, we were reassured, and everyone followed through the seemingly rocky space.

At the end of a short hall, Endrin examined tracks and opined that both humanoids and round footed beasts moved along the corridor. With a groan, Koverinos explained that the round tracks likely belonged to drider. We turned right and advanced into the dusty corridor. The corridor grew narrow and roughened. After some further progress, we came across a large cocoon (spun in spider's silk). We quickly defeated the monstrous spider (that guarded its web) and split open the cocoon. A dwarf tumbled out, quite dead.

We continued, the path sloping more steeply downward, until people began slipping and sliding down the scree rockface. Ropes were staked and our descent continued. Finally we reached a smooth "floor" with a crooked hole in the "floor", from which water sounds came. We dropped a rope into the hole as Kerith descended, followed quickly by Ironjaw, Mareak, and Koverinos.

They soon encountered a spidery statue with ruby eyes. Koverinos let them know that it was a statue of Lloth, the drow goddess. Forewarned, exploration continued. A few chambers, largely empty were found down stream. Religious motifs circled the tops of the walls... usually spider themed. Uneasy, they called Endrin and Hrsai down to join them.

A strange room had an outpouring of strange beetles that bled acid (gathered by Koverinos). They were killed and herded by water from the lake (to which they were quite vulnerable). Otherwise, the area seemed nearly deserted, and we turned our attentions forward.

A dart trap almost speared Kerith, but he was too quick for it. The trap awoke a terrible fiend. Its aura of fear was powerful and scattered most efforts to stand against it, but eventually Mareak and Ironjaw overcame their fear, waded forward, and dispatched it with only nominal assistance from their cowering friends. (And Rufus, who proved largely immune to the fear).

Further exploration led to a room boasting an animated chest that eagerly snapped at hands and other goods that crossed its sharp jaws. Cunning was used to bypass the sharp trap and extract its treasures... among them Koverino's treasured Helm of Comprehend Languages. Other, somewhat more minor goods (potions and a scroll or two) were also withdrawn.

It had been a long day, so we retreated to a covered room, set a watch, and slept. Various watchmen noticed drow creeping about at the edge of the light; Ironjaw brought one down. Later, in the middle of the night, we were ambushed by drider. Their spells and attack from all sides (though mostly from the room) made fighting them difficult. The fight was carried to them up on the roof of the small room we'd selected for sleeping.

A bitter fight followed and powerful spells were exchanged. Mighty blows rained down on the foe and the tide turned toward the companions. The priestess called down darkness and made good her escape, protecting most of her companions in the retreat. Two of her spider-born companions did not live to escape.

Pursuit proved impossible- they rose almost straight into the air and crawled through dangerous tunnels above. Discretion being the better part of valor, the companions let them flee and redoubled their watch.

At the end of the hall beyond the chest, we witnessed a laughing boy- quite young, sitting on the ground. As we watched, spiders descended from the ceiling.

Arrows were launched and the warriors raced forward to smash at the fist sized spiders. Too late... one of the spiders bit the child, who continued to laugh.

The spiders were quickly dispatched, but they proved to be tiny offspring of a giant, nearly invisible spider that descended from the ceiling and bit Ironjaw. A terrible fight later, the spider was dispatched and Hrsai deployed a spell to slow the poison that Ironjaw suffered from.

After a breather, they continued and found another room, packed with ruby bright beetles, quite similar to the acid beetles they had encountered previously. The beetles flew and flapped, pitting metal with the impact of their bodies. After a lengthy and depressing fight later, banded mail that had been pressed into service as a flyswatter was riddled with holes but little else of value was damaged. Kerith and Endrin spotted a drow on their rear watch, but it withdrew into the shadowy depths, splashing downstream.

After a brief healing, they explored the next room and found an Ettin imprisoned. Despite its apparent stupidity, a bargain was reached and it was released. Panicking at its fast and jerky movements, Koverinos attacked and battle was joined. Soon it lay dead.

A winding ramp led out, so a final sweep of this region was proposed. Retracing their way back to the shadow spider's lair, Koverinos climbed up into its hidden lair and returned with an encased dwarf... who yet lived. He also came across other minor goods. Successful, they declared themsels finished and climbed the ramp.

At the top of the ramp the companions were faced with a dillema-- left or right. A quick exploration to the right revealed a drow city, which was prudently set aside as a matter for the dwarves to discuss.

Satisfied, the companions turned left and were soon back in the dwarven city, bearing the rescued dwarf and other plunder. They explained what they had found to the dwarven council, and asked what the council willed. The dwarves were in favor of scouring the drow from the caves, but couldn't raise volunteers enough to make it a likely proposition. Koverinos suggested exploring trade and other relations with the drow... greatly reluctant, the council agreed that he could approach them and negotiate.