Downtime

 Autumn - the last week in the month of Jessica 1371

As Tandis prepared for the winter festival, the heroes of Harrowhoff took a hiatus from their adventures. Visefrin, as bishop, presided over the ritual and said goodly blessings and benisons over the bounty set aside for winter. 

Wellborn spent many long hours in Throy's study pouring over tomes and writings left by the monks of old. He found a mention of a lost book called "The First Crusade". This book it was said, would detail some of Tandis' occulted history - if only it could be found. Despite these late candle-lit nights, Wellborn was able to spend some hours with his young family. 

Sir Fidlthid was dismayed by the destruction of his magic armor, and still, the words of Morcarat weighed heavy on his mind. He spent the week often in the company of the men of Tandis Castle and the armorer fitted him with a handsome new harness of plate. 

Meanwhile, Heironymous dedicated many long hours to researching the means by which magic scrolls could be made. As a budding enchanter, he felt such power was within his grasp.

Sybael spent the intermission in more romantic pursuits, as elves are wont to do. He and his new companion, herself of the elven wood, passed many nights dancing, singing, and reciting the poetry of love beneath the moon and stars. 

Many of the heroes were still preoccupied with the brazier and pondered its power. No tome or manuscript on Throy's heavy shelves gave an answer. But as the festival drew to a close a familiar rap sounded upon the door of Harrowhoff and in from the cold night came Brieberus, the green wizard of Verdengard. He looked upon the brazier and saw that the heroes had grown ever more powerful and certain of their abilities. He cautioned them:

"Let not pride weaken your resolve or cloud your minds. For even now, the enemy draws his plans against you. He has taken notice of your deeds, for you slew one precious to him."

The wizard studied the brazier and said this:

"This thing is an object of great and terrible power. If it is to be used, it must be with the utmost caution. I cannot tell you the ritual needed to bring forth its magic, but I know one who may. Travel to the Changing Forest and seek there the warlock, Linfall the Mad. This mage, though unpredictable knows knows much lore of such items. The warlock lives in Elmshar a crooked manse deep in that strange wood East of the Shadow Mountains."

Altar of Chaos

 Autumn - 16th Day in the month of Jessica 1371

Down the heroes delved into the fifth deep. They sought a sun in the darkness that would lead them to the Tomb of Lorkus and his lost staff. They encountered a black pudding that destroyed Fidlthid's armor, the Golden Scale of Talo Goldentwine. Beyond this beast was an old chamber adorned with serpent sigils and reliefs. Upon a wall hung a brilliant spear. The heroes claimed it and named it the Serpent Spear. 

They found a horrible bed chamber adorned with human skin and from a secret room emerged two famished manticores. It was not clear to the delvers whose pets these foul beasts once were.

The expedition stalked through the maze-like passages of the deep and eventually found a sun sigil in a darkened corridor. Welborn threw open a secret door with sorcery and the party claimed Lorkus' holy staff and his grimoire. 

The group came to another boudoir occupied by the singing sisters, a terrible duo of harpies who enchanted some of the heroes, but were both slain before they could do further harm. In an adjoining chamber was a smoking altar of chaos. Its foul miasma caused a fit of coughing from the adventurers and from another chamber, a vulture-like demon emerged. Thankfully, Heironymous changed the nether-thing into a chicken before it could do its worst. 

The heroes investigated the chamber from whence the demon came. Within was an arcane circle carved into the floor surrounded by glyphs. Near to the circle was a princely offering of platinum - perhaps a price paid in some eldritch rite. Taran's Helm of Read Languages allowed her to determine that this was indeed a portal to a hellish realm. 

The Fire Rift

Autumn 9th Day in the month of Jessica 1371

Long had Fidlthid sought to destroy the silver ring given to him by Morcarat. So, down, the heroes delved in search of the Fire Rift, whose flames could smite even the most powerful magic device. Beyond a foul, mold-covered crypt, they found a massive stair winding down around a deep shaft. Down they went, further down than ever before. 

The stairs eventually came to a massive portal of stone wrought into the maw of a leering demon. A smoldering firelight came from within. The stairs wound down further into the darkness. Within the cave, the heroes slew fire-breathing reptiles and red lizard men who threw javelins tipped in sharp obsidian. 

They came eventually to the great rift of fire. Across it spanned a narrow bridge of stone and on the opposite side was an entryway gleaming with white light. Fidlthid destroyed Mocarat's ring which succumbed to the leaping fire that filled the rift. Across the bridge, they went and slew two beings of magical flame called to this realm by powerful sorcery. 

In the chamber beyond the bridge, they seized an ever-burning torch of white light and a heavy brass brazier set upon a tripod. It took two men to carry the large brazier, and Balthazar, one of the henchmen who bore it, fell to a lizardman's cruel javelin

Nevertheless, the heroes surfaced and set about learning what they could of the mysterious objects once ensconced deep within the fiery cavern. 

The Goblin Block

Autumn - 2nd day in the month of Jessica 1371

The elf, Faneon, having learned the location of lord Estadir once again set off below Tandis and into the dungeon accompanied by the heroes of Harrowhoff. They found Estadir where the elven prisoners said he would be - holed up in the Black Fane. Still, the shattered demon statue of dark stone and the pale hydra bones adorned the former under-temple of chaos. 

Estadir, a noble elf, and courtier of the Elfking received Faneon and the heroes. The elf lord said he would return to court only once his pupil, Elion, was rescued from the Goblin Block. Estadir noticed the elven cloak and boots Heironymous wore and he sent the heroes to rescue Elion to prove that they were worthy of such trappings. 

The heroes ascended to seek the Goblin Block on the second deep. On the way, they met some rudely attired warriors on their way to the block to purchase an elf. The heroes tricked this foul band and presented Faneaon as a captive they wished to sell. The band of warriors led the party to the block. There, several bugbears were auctioning off an elf. This wretch was eventually purchased by the band of men, who began to lead him south - they were unknowingly followed by Fidlthid who had been rendered invisible. 

While at the block the heroes of Harrowhoff learned that a hobgoblin chief known as Yargle was the lord of the Goblin Block. Bishop Visefrin, through holy divination, found that beyond the dais of the block was a secret door. 

Fidlithid followed the group with the captive elf and found himself in yet another fane of chaos, this one with a pool of dark roiling water in the center. Beyond the pool, a terrible priest of chaos weaved spoke words, and seemed ready to sacrifice the captive elf to the pool itself. Fidlthid blew his Horn of Valhalla and the fight began. The rest of the heroes were not far behind. 

During the battle, the priest of chaos was held fast by sorcery, but a tentacled horror burst forth from the pool. This eldritch beast killed the brave and noble Faneaon. The captive elf, still shackled took up Faneon's bright axe and smote the creature of the void.

In the end, the heroes found their way beyond the block, slew an ogre jailor, and rescued Elion and several others. They did not encounter Yargle. Estadir was happy to have his pupil returned and agreed to accompany the rest above. The elf who took up the axe, Sybael, asked for leave to stay in Tandis. Estadir agreed to this. The noble elf also claimed that the heroes would be given leave to pass through the forest of the Elfking. 

An Elf in Tandis

Autumn - the 23rd through the 26th day in the month of Kali 1371

The heroes of Harrowhoff were feted and feasted in the hall of lord Fillip for three days and nights. An elf named Faneon was among the august assembly. This elf was a rare envoy sent by the high king of the elves into the lands of men. Faneon was seeking, Estadir, an elven mage believed to have been delving the dungeons. 

At the end of the feast, the heroes of Harrowhoff made their requests of Fillip. The Hobbit was given the title Marshall of Tandis and would be allowed to lead the vanguard in the event of war. The magic users proclaimed their intention to raise a tower and establish an institute of study and magical research. Fillip supported this effort believing that such a place might bring prestige to his demesne. 

Later the group went into the fifth deep, for elven prisoners were being made to battle there in the wicked Arena. They found a secret way into the cell of the elves and thereafter made their way onto the arena's foul battleground. There three more elves were preparing to fight an unknown foe yet to appear below the scores of bugbears that cheered and chanted from the stone gallery above. 

A giant lizard of terrible aspect emerged and the battle began. The heroes slew the lizard and turned their sights on the bugbears above. Lightning struck and missiles screamed, sent forth from the flashing fingers of Heironymous and Welborn. The mighty Moon Bow of Fidlthid shot true. A bugbear chief who wielded a great war bow was slain, and his chosen warriors were paralyzed by Visefrin as he channeled godly power. Those bugbears who once filled the fifth deep were broken. 

The heroes learned of Estadir's probable location - the Black Fane on the fourth deep. They learned too of the Goblin Block, a wicked chamber where elves were being sold to priests of chaos.