Beyond the Battle of Tandis

The 25th day of the 7th month to the 1st day of the 8th month 1372

The forces of Vortigen descended on Tandis. From land and air they came, and it was up to the heroes of Harrowhoff to drive them back. An army of orcs was magically tangled by plants and boldly met by Fidlthid and his riders as Welborn unleashed a creature of fire summoned from the brazier. Visefrin and Taran rode wyverns to meet Vortigen's airborne forces and clashed with a sorcerer upon a black dragon and two wyvern-riding wraiths. Heironymous struck down dozens of lizardmen who climbed the castle's battlements. 

Even this great force proved no match for the heroes. The flying beasts and their riders were slain as were many orcs. The survivors routed and fled into the wastes. During the battle, the gatehouse of the castle was destroyed by a powerful spell unleashed by the dragon-riding sorcerer. After the dust settled, Lord Fillip promised captaincy of the castle to Fidlthid upon his death. Heironymous recovered a black mask from the fallen sorcerer. When he donned the mask, he was shown a dark vision of Voritgen, and he nearly fell to chaos. 

The heroes had learned of the black blade capable of commanding the grey princes, and off they went to seek it beneath the necropolis. At grim castle Lichgate they found that Eligal, the necromancer, had been turned into a spectre, and that the Rama dagger was missing. From Lichgate, Wellborn recovered Eligal's staff and his grimoire. 

Into the necropolis, the heroes crept, bypassing the Princes themselves. They entered the foul crypts below and began their search. Taran fell to a cloud of poison gas that spewed forth from a sealed sarcophagus. Deeper and deeper they travelled until they found a secret tomb beyond a graven image of a sword-wielding warrior. They had found the tomb of the black sword. 

As they opened the tomb to reveal the sword, a horrible creature emerged from shadow. It was a great undead eye tyrant that spewed dire spells. A terrible fight began. Feek claimed the sword, but was taken by chaos and turned the powerful blade on his allies. Welborn too, turned on his fellow heroes, influenced by a powerful spell cast by the eye tyrant. Several retainers fell in the battle, but the heroes prevailed and managed to free Feek of the blade's influence. The heroes secured the sword and teleported back to Verdengard. Despite the bishop's prayers and blessings, Taran was gone.

Heironymous studied the mask to see if it could be unbound from Vortigen's malign influence. It seemed this artifact was forever tied to chaos, and like the black orb, it was a conduit of Vortigen's power.

The staff of Eligal proved to be a Staff of Withering, capable of maiming foes unlucky enough to be struck in battle.

Eligal's spellbook contained the following spells

Level 1: Ventriloquism

Level 2: Magic Mouth, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Detect Invisible

Level 3: Hold Person, Dispel Magic, Protection from Normal Missiles, Rope Trick

Level 4: Wall of Ice, Polymorph Other, Remove Curse, Wizard Eye

Level 5: Teleport, Hold Monster, Animate Dead, Passwall, Feeblemind

Visefrin again communed with the gods

Is there a worthy champion to claim the black sword in Tandis, or among our allies?

Any who would dare wield such an artifact will eventually become wholly corrupted. Even if a champion were to overcome the blade's influence temporarily, servitude to chaos awaits them. 

What are Vortigen's plans after his defeat?

His immediate plans are clouded by his inestimable power. Darkness alone emanates from the heart of his domain.

Did we pass the second artifact that Vortigen seeks while inside the Crypt of the Grey Princes?

The Grey Princes, as you call them, are bound to protect the artifact. They, like you, will do everything in their power to prevent the artifact from falling into the hands of Vortigen. As such, they have ensconced the artifact in an even more remote location beyond our ken. The black sword alone will compel them to reveal its location.

The Fall of Thrandur

 25th day in the 6th month - 18th day of the 7th month 1372

Having received two wyvern mounts from the eagle riders, the heroes set off to the East seeking the frozen lands cursed by Morcarat. They wished to end her tyranny, but first, they sought the council of Brieberus. The Green Wizard cautioned restraint and suggested that despite Morcarat's capriciousness, she may prove an essential ally against the forces Vortigen. He told them too that Thrandur, a servant of Vortigen, would make a more worthwhile foe in the Shadow Mountains. 

Into the frozen wastes they went and upon their wyverns they flew to meet Morcaract high on the mountain of Rilm. Morcaract told them of Thrandur and his forces in the castle Mafelond. She told them too that Vortigen had claimed an artifact of terrible power and sought yet another ensconced beneath the necropolis of the Grey Princes. The Ice Maiden claimed that Vortigen would soon strike. 

The heroes returned to the pass and found that their horsemen had been ambushed by Thrandur's forces. Into the treacherous crags they climbed seeking the castle Mafelond. They encountered and destroyed a garrison of orcs and later arrived at the mighty fortress. 

Invisibly they flew onto a bridge between two keeps and entered secretly the hall of Thrandur. In a firelit hall, the heroes found Thrandur and his companions. A wicked fight took place and eventually, the heroes were victorious. They left the Thrandur and his companions dead and the garrison leaderless and freezing upon the mountainside. Fidlthid was struck down during the fight but was restored by the mighty power of Visefrin. 

The heroes hurried home to Tandis to begin mustering their defenses if indeed Vortigen Blacktalon was to strike at the heart of them.

Visefrin communed again with the mighty gods.

When will Vortigen Strike?

He will strike soon. His forces are already poised to pour from the foul swamp. 

What forces will he use to strike?

His foul army will attack from land and sky. Beware the winged beasts that match your own, and beware the sorcerers who ride them. 

How can the Grey Princes be defeated?

The power wielded by the princes is terrible indeed. A fight with them would no doubt result in the breaking of some of your companions. The princes will bend the knee only to the wielder of the black sword lost in their crypts beneath the necropolis. However, any mortal who touches this sword risks utter corruption.  

The Mountain Queen

6th - 18th day in the 6th month 13372

The heroes set off to the east seeking the Lost Canticles. A day's journey brought them before a great camp of Northmen. These men, led by the warlord Sven, were on their way Southwest to make war against the people of Stilfrot. Sven had learned that his wife, the shieldmaiden Sigrid, had been made queen of these barbarians living in the foothills of the Cloudfall Mountains. Sven had long sought his runaway bride and wished to take her back to the lands of the Jun. 

The heroes departed and after some time arrived in the Wyrmswood Forest. They discovered a ruined temple within the forest and began to explore. There they battled a massive Purple Worm who swalled the diminutive Welborn whole. The gnome managed to free himself with a mighty barrage of magic missiles. 

Visefrin recovered the relics of two forgotten saints, and the heroes proceeded into the teetering tower to seek the ancient text. From the base of the tower, another great worm emerged. The heroes battled it bravely, but the elf, Sybael, was stung by its tail and perished. 

Atop the tower, Visefrin placed the relics and with a blinding flash, the book appeared. With these canticles, Visefrin would learn the powers of the ancient clerics. 

On the heroes traveled further south into the land of the barbarians. They arrived at the stout steading of Stilfrot nestled in the fertile foothills of the Cloudfalls. Visefrin had earlier sent ravens with bits of the Jun garments. This warning had worked as Sigrid was already preparing to evacuate her people to their mountain fortress. 

The heroes accompanied this long procession into the peaks and waited for Sven's forces to arrive. On the second night, they came and Sven issued a challenge to his errant wife to face him in combat. This she did and on the perilous causeway above the cliff they met in battle; Sigrid was equipped with a magic mace and mail by the heroes. The queen defeated her husband and cast him down the cliff to his doom. Sven's warriors then pledged fealty to the Mountain Queen.

Sigrid was impressed with the power of Visefrin's gods and 1,000 barbarians & Jun warriors were baptised by the bishop in the days that followed. The heroes had made a powerful new ally in the South.

Once the great sacrament was done, Visefrin communed with the gods.

How has Brieberus been affected by the eternal winter storm?

The eastern reaches of the wood are covered in frost and snow. His tower grows cold and shadows in the forest grow long. Creatures heretofore unknown to the wood have come.

Has the Rama Dagger claimed hold of the necromancer? 

No. But powers terrible and ancient surround him seeking to claim the dagger for themselves

What troubles the people who live in the ruined city to the east?

Shade-loving creatures of chaos have taken root in the dark places of the city. The men there are kept from the knowledge their ancestors once wielded.  

Doors of Shadow & Flame

30th day in the 5th month 1372

It was noticed in the realm of Tandis that a storm was gathering far to the northeast, a storm that seemed to linger, unnaturally still, in the distance. Again the heroes delved beneath the castle seeking the seventh level of the dungeon, where the Cult of Demogorgon dwelt. There they found a massive chamber attended by foul magic users who ushered forth a brigade of hobgoblins from a black stone portal. The heroes, who had charmed a great hydra gave battle, but the hydra was turned against them by the wicked sorcerers. 

It was a terrible clash in which many of the heroes were wounded and the stalwart man at arms, Dangelo, perished. Onward, they continued into the strange level characterized by foul serpentine motifs. Beyond they found a pair of Fire Giants. One was cast away by the wand of fear while the other was slain by sword and spell. Beyond a massive door, the heroes found a portal of fire that led to some dark stone keep occupied by a half dozen more of those horrible giants. They seized the treasure surrounding the portal and reached the surface. 

A powerful scroll recovered contained the following spells: Lightning Bolt, Disintegrate, Part Water, and Contact Higher Plane

The spell books used by the cultists contained the following spells: sleep, magic missile, hold person, detect invisible, phantasmal forces, charm person, dispel magic, and charm monster

Heironymous began construction on a staff capable of accepting powerful enchantment. This endeavor would cost him at least 1,000 pieces of gold. 

Again mighty Visefrin communed with the gods.

What is the source of the black clouds in the distance?

Those lands have been plunged into an eternal winter conjured by the sorceress, Morcarat.

What realm do these heathen giants with coal-like skin occupy?

Their keep is high in the mountains that bind the Red Steppe north of the Snarfell range

Has the necromancer used the Rama Dagger?

The dagger yet whispers in the dreams of the necromancer. It has not yet severed any soul by his hand.