Post by Tugark (Retired) on Sept 12, 2017 23:40:03 GMT
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall."
— Joe Walcott, the Barbados Demon
In the Three-headed Ettin, Val and Nowhere are sat among friends and familiar faces. The drink is flowing tonight, as Daring Heights has lost an adventurer.
They each recount the last few days—a journey deep into Kantas' own Underdark, where they discovered more key information about both the Twilight creatures and the rival group of explorers who's existence was not known of until recently, along with the existence of another portal.
Harold, the Viscount's secretary had approached the party days earlier to share what information was known about the rival group and the second portal, and to charge them to seek out more information about this shadowy group that has eluded Daring Heights' knowledge until now. There are battles to be fought on many sides, and knowledge of one's enemies is a great weapon after all.
Armed with what information was available, Tugark, Nowhere and Val set out to discover more about this rival threat; where were they operating from? who were they? why were they operating in secret? What was their goal?
Travelling a long way NNW from Daring, our party entered a cave—guided by a prisoner captured while exploring the known rival camp for any clues—hours and hours passed as they ventured deeper in to the cave, the nature of the cavernous spaces throughout the cave became more sinister. They had entered the Underdark, and after some time noticed some Drow who approached them. It turns out that the Drow had been trading with this rival group, largely in slaves but that they had stopped dealing with them when it appeared that the rival group had taken up with the Twilight, or as the Drow called them, the "perversions of Shar". After some more discussion the Drow excused themselves and the party continued on their way deeper in to Underdark to find the main camp of the rival group.
The sum of what the party discovered about our rivals is as follows: This rival group is lead by a merchant prince, Ambar of Kotu (Kotu being a town near Calimport, one of the southernmost cities on the Swordcoast). Initally using an unstable portal to move between Faerun and Kantas the portal has subsequently been anchored to their encampment deep underground. There were 5 camps above ground that were placed not far from the known locations that the unstable portal would move between, before it was anchored in the Underdark. The rivals have struck a bargain with the Twilight to supply slaves in exchange for wealth.
It is here, at the central camp of the rivals where our party meets with 2 dwarven wizards, sisters, who are in charge of maintain the portal and in command while the merchant prince is away through the portal. Our party, through the introduction of their prisoner-turned-guide are cautiously welcomed in, not as ambasadors of Daring Heights—for fear they may lose their heads—but as independent opportunists. Tugark, convincing the wizard that he was looking for other employment (and his other party members too believed this was truth over ruse!) while Nowhere and Val proposed alternative business opportunities.
The wizard revealed, through some vague business terms that we were being listened to and watched by two Twilight sentinels; these were large, scorpion-centaurs, or scorpitaurs as Tugark put them. Large and feirce looking they watched the party interact with the rival's wizards, but did not act aggressivly towards them. The wizard seemed to hint at the idea that they were not pleased about their arrangement, so taking this chance we followed and talked as they sent off a convoy of slaves to be traded to the Twilight. During this long journey an opportunity arose for our party to strike the scorpitaur, releasing the wizard to freely act. Val snuck up behind it, after walking away to empty his bladder, while Tugark spoke to some of the accopanying guards to try to buy them to help against the twilight enemy, to no such luck. They were determined to stay out of this fight, which a fine consolation to having them help.
Striking the scorpitaur quicky and in unision, our party made quick work of the twilight's guard and with that a decision had to be made. Turn around now, slaves in hand to fortify the rival's camp against the Twilight and miss the exchange alerting the Twilight, or make the exchange in order to buy more time to shore up the rival's camp. It was decided, not by the slaves, that the strong and fighting-fit would return to the rival's camp, while those who were not would be taken on to the exchange. This exchange happend in a giant cavern which is roughly underneath the location of the Twilight gorge, it seems this is at least one of the sources of the monstrosities. The exchange made, the party returned with the wizard to the rival's camp where one scorpitaur remained.
It is here, friends, that Tugark met his fateful end. The killing blow against the scorpitaur was with Tugark's final breath. He was reckless in his barbarian rage, a sight to behold as he beat, scratched, and clawed the scorpitaur with his bare hands when his greataxe proved useless against the chitin armour of the monsterous thing. It is in this place that Tugark remains. Whatever adventures lie beyond the shadows of Kantas, you may imagine he is in a better place, with rum and plunder aplenty.
As they're reckoning of the adventure finished the door to the Ettin was opened and a Firbolg entered, hunched over in order to fit through the doorway. The cacophony of the tavern is an entirely new experience for this Firbolg, as he takes in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the tavern before him—and the eyes of nearly every partron in the room...
andycd , Nowhere , The Sergeant / Alisha
— Joe Walcott, the Barbados Demon
In the Three-headed Ettin, Val and Nowhere are sat among friends and familiar faces. The drink is flowing tonight, as Daring Heights has lost an adventurer.
They each recount the last few days—a journey deep into Kantas' own Underdark, where they discovered more key information about both the Twilight creatures and the rival group of explorers who's existence was not known of until recently, along with the existence of another portal.
Harold, the Viscount's secretary had approached the party days earlier to share what information was known about the rival group and the second portal, and to charge them to seek out more information about this shadowy group that has eluded Daring Heights' knowledge until now. There are battles to be fought on many sides, and knowledge of one's enemies is a great weapon after all.
Armed with what information was available, Tugark, Nowhere and Val set out to discover more about this rival threat; where were they operating from? who were they? why were they operating in secret? What was their goal?
Travelling a long way NNW from Daring, our party entered a cave—guided by a prisoner captured while exploring the known rival camp for any clues—hours and hours passed as they ventured deeper in to the cave, the nature of the cavernous spaces throughout the cave became more sinister. They had entered the Underdark, and after some time noticed some Drow who approached them. It turns out that the Drow had been trading with this rival group, largely in slaves but that they had stopped dealing with them when it appeared that the rival group had taken up with the Twilight, or as the Drow called them, the "perversions of Shar". After some more discussion the Drow excused themselves and the party continued on their way deeper in to Underdark to find the main camp of the rival group.
The sum of what the party discovered about our rivals is as follows: This rival group is lead by a merchant prince, Ambar of Kotu (Kotu being a town near Calimport, one of the southernmost cities on the Swordcoast). Initally using an unstable portal to move between Faerun and Kantas the portal has subsequently been anchored to their encampment deep underground. There were 5 camps above ground that were placed not far from the known locations that the unstable portal would move between, before it was anchored in the Underdark. The rivals have struck a bargain with the Twilight to supply slaves in exchange for wealth.
It is here, at the central camp of the rivals where our party meets with 2 dwarven wizards, sisters, who are in charge of maintain the portal and in command while the merchant prince is away through the portal. Our party, through the introduction of their prisoner-turned-guide are cautiously welcomed in, not as ambasadors of Daring Heights—for fear they may lose their heads—but as independent opportunists. Tugark, convincing the wizard that he was looking for other employment (and his other party members too believed this was truth over ruse!) while Nowhere and Val proposed alternative business opportunities.
The wizard revealed, through some vague business terms that we were being listened to and watched by two Twilight sentinels; these were large, scorpion-centaurs, or scorpitaurs as Tugark put them. Large and feirce looking they watched the party interact with the rival's wizards, but did not act aggressivly towards them. The wizard seemed to hint at the idea that they were not pleased about their arrangement, so taking this chance we followed and talked as they sent off a convoy of slaves to be traded to the Twilight. During this long journey an opportunity arose for our party to strike the scorpitaur, releasing the wizard to freely act. Val snuck up behind it, after walking away to empty his bladder, while Tugark spoke to some of the accopanying guards to try to buy them to help against the twilight enemy, to no such luck. They were determined to stay out of this fight, which a fine consolation to having them help.
Striking the scorpitaur quicky and in unision, our party made quick work of the twilight's guard and with that a decision had to be made. Turn around now, slaves in hand to fortify the rival's camp against the Twilight and miss the exchange alerting the Twilight, or make the exchange in order to buy more time to shore up the rival's camp. It was decided, not by the slaves, that the strong and fighting-fit would return to the rival's camp, while those who were not would be taken on to the exchange. This exchange happend in a giant cavern which is roughly underneath the location of the Twilight gorge, it seems this is at least one of the sources of the monstrosities. The exchange made, the party returned with the wizard to the rival's camp where one scorpitaur remained.
It is here, friends, that Tugark met his fateful end. The killing blow against the scorpitaur was with Tugark's final breath. He was reckless in his barbarian rage, a sight to behold as he beat, scratched, and clawed the scorpitaur with his bare hands when his greataxe proved useless against the chitin armour of the monsterous thing. It is in this place that Tugark remains. Whatever adventures lie beyond the shadows of Kantas, you may imagine he is in a better place, with rum and plunder aplenty.
As they're reckoning of the adventure finished the door to the Ettin was opened and a Firbolg entered, hunched over in order to fit through the doorway. The cacophony of the tavern is an entirely new experience for this Firbolg, as he takes in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the tavern before him—and the eyes of nearly every partron in the room...
andycd , Nowhere , The Sergeant / Alisha