Hiward's Task

I signed up for a subscription to Dungeon Magazine at issue 1 while I was in school. There were several AD&D adventures in the first few years of Dungeon that I always wanted to play. Hirward's Task by Richard Stump published in the summer of 1987 (Dungeon 5) was one of them. I read it at the time and thought it a neat concept. AD&D adventures work pretty well in Swords & Wizardry so it would be perfect. But I forgot about it and soon my players were well past the levels 4-8 suggested. But it was a simple enough "task" (pun intended) to scale up the adventure for my players. It is a really big dungeon so I was hoping for 2-3 sessions of play. When re-writing it for my campaign I began to see the flaws in that assumption. It is essentially a monster hunt against a single air elemental. I increased the air elemental to be appropriately powerful but still I had concerns. At rightly as it turned out, the players did the adventure in one session. They barely explored 1/3 of the dungeon maps I painstakingly recreated in Dungeon Draft for our Roll 20 game.

Session 145: Hirward’s Task

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric, NPC), Brovin (human thief, NPC).

The adventurers in the Company of the Black Dragon settle into a few weeks of boredom in their Manor in Edgerton. Gabriel is just getting used to Dolmvay and professes he is interested in exploring more of this new land. Lakima spends time researching a new spell. When asked about it he tells Aldus that he is researching his replacement.

News comes and goes; they learn that the flying ship Skyward Seraph is still missing. The head of the Merchant Adventurers Guild, Rasmus Orban pays the group a visit and asks if the ship could have come to misfortune due to some problem with the spell. Lakima denies this. Rasmus asks if Lakima can locate the ship. Lakima responds that finding it would take time and gold but for 300 gold coins, he agrees to show Rasmus the general location. He takes out the Arrow of Direction and asks it to locate the ship. It points south and east. But how far away it is he cannot tell Rasmus. The Guildmaster tells them that he will direct some scouts in the southeast direction.

Bored with the inactivity Lakima decides to spend more time at the Mages Guild and he even teaches a few classes to the apprentices. While there he has a conversation with Norine Gayheart about her upcoming marriage to Aldus. Norine asks some indelicate questions about Aldus’ intentions and finances. She also asks Lakima if he would honor her by walking her down the aisle. Lakima agrees, and in an impulsive moment, he gives her a beautiful ruby pendant on a gold chain that belonged to his father Malkin.

Back at the Manor house some of the adventurers are gathered around the dining room table enjoying a snack. There is a sudden “pop” and crack of noise and a middle-aged wizard appears in the room. He looks out of breath and haggard.

“Right let me catch my breath,” the man gasps, then pulls out a chair and sits down. Aldus and Eathwund look at each other and neither can decide what to do. Brovin moves casually behind the man.

“Whew, made it in one piece,” the man says, “which one of you is Lakima the grey?” He looks about the room and dismisses August and Domago. Looking at Aldus and Eathwund he can see they are clearly not mages. His eyes light on Huntley the butler but he shakes his head and whispers, “No.”

The man then tries to ascertain where he is. Once they confirm he is in Edgerton he asks if they know Lakima the grey.

“Why do you want to know,” Eathwund asks.

“I want to hire him,” the man says.

He then introduces himself as Hirward Histamothus. He pauses expecting them to know who he is and is disappointed by the blank looks. Hirward tells them that he has a job for Lakima and his henchman and that he needs it to be carried out immediately. Eathwund tells Huntley to send a runner to the Mages Guild with a message for Lakima to come quickly.

While they wait Hirward asks for wine and then some food. He eats while ignoring the adventurers. Eventually, Lakima arrives and questions Hirward. Hirward admits that he has an accident in his complex in the Eastern Hills. He needs some help rectifying it. He has memorized three teleport spells and is ready to send the adventurers immediately. In return, he will pay 3,000 gold each and allow them to each pick one magic item from his collection.

After further conversation, Hirward reveals that his complex is located in the Kingdom of Tyr, the County of Erren on the other side of the world. He also admits that the problem is a hostile air elemental.

“I took all the right precautions. I set up a summoning circle of protection, I cast protection from evil, and I even used a censer of controlling air elementals. The elemental appeared, and it was a big one, but it was completely out of control, inexplicably hostile and the protection circles did not work. It killed my assistants and I had to quickly flee.”

“And what made you come here – so far away?” Lakima questioned.

“I figure given your recent proven experience in controlling air elementals that you were just the person for the task,” Hirward says.

“So, you were trying to build an airship,” Lakima says with the tone that he clearly understands what Hirward was doing. Hirward admits he was.

“I heard of the ship you created when one of my apprentices saw it flying over Leirchmon village a week ago.”

Hirward goes over the details with the adventurers. He does not want any unnecessary damage done to his complex. He advises against entering his private areas as they are protected from intruders. Finally, he warns them that he has kobold henchmen in the complex. He does not want them to be harmed.

Hirward is anxious to get going but Lakima tells him that he has a better method of getting to Erren. Hirward is not pleased to hear that it will take a full day. Lakima shows Hirward the Cloudstealer tethered above the Manor. He also admits that the adventurers stole it from some cloud giants. The entire group loads up on the Cloudstealer and they head off for the Bridgeway, a day’s travel to the south. Hirward arguing all the way that they should just teleport. Gabriel tells his new friends that he will get out at the Bridgeway and head onward to Dolmvay. He wants to explore this new land.

At the Bridgeway, Ezmeralden the custodian tells them that he does not have a control rod that gives access to any place in Tyr that he is aware. He does agree to go through some of the unexplored locations. Hirward watches the viewing mirror and does identify a bridge in a city in Tyr, but it is hundreds of miles from his complex.

“Well, we have to head back to Edgerton then,” Lakima says.

Hirward is exasperated and says he does not understand why they cannot just teleport from here. But Lakima informs him that he has not memorized the spell. Another day passes as the ship flies back to Edgerton – without Gabriel who has said goodbye.

They stay overnight and then from the Main Hall prepare to leave. Hirward teleports Aldus first. Then after a pause, he teleports Eathwund, Domago, and Brovin in turn. He then shows Lakima the location in his magic mirror. Lakima levitates to a height of 15 feet in the hall and teleports.

All five adventurers have arrived safe and sound in Eagle Rock Valley. They are certain of their destination as they see Eagle Rock spire a few hundred feet from their location.

“That must be the hill above the complex and the river,” Brovin says pointing at a hill a few hundred feet away from Eagle Rock. Hirward told them that they could enter through the river gate or through a guardpost under Eagle Rock. They decide to enter the guardpost. The cave entrance is camouflaged but visible from where they stand.

As they near the cave entrance, Lakima pauses and casts his new spell, Summon Protector. An animated suit of plate mail armor appears in the field beside Lakima armed with a longsword. Aldus takes a moment to examine the suit of armor and then asks if Lakima will be putting it on. Lakima laughs and then demonstrates that the protector follows his commands. He sends the protector into the cave first.

Brovin hurries behind the protector and the other adventurers bring up the rear. Brovin then pauses and whispers to the protector. When it does not respond he makes his way back to Lakima and tells him that there is a Kobold guard up ahead. They decide to announce their presence, mindful of what Hirward said about his kobold servants.

The kobolds do not respond but they soon hear a gruff human voice, “Intruders what do you want here?”

Lakima shouts that they were sent by Hirward but the human does not believe them. They walk forward into the torchlight of a guard post and are confronted by a human guard backed up by 6 or 8 kobolds. The guard tells them his name is Georgi and he is skeptical of their quest. But clearly intimidated by Eathwund, Aldus, and the animated protector he lets them pass. He does tell them that the kobolds claim to have fled from an air monster. He does not believe them but tells them the kobolds claim it attacked them at the guardpost at the other end of a tunnel that leads into the complex.

“Good, we should be able to finish this quickly,” Lakima states.

The access tunnel extends for a few hundred feet and then enters a guardroom. There is smashed furniture scattered about the room. It does look like the work of an air elemental. With the protector in the lead, they venture into Hirward’s complex. They explore a few rooms and encounter a dead guard in an underground flower garden lit by continual light spells. Lakima tells them about vampire grass and suggests they leave the body where it is. They also find a bloodied short sword and a guard who bled to death from a sword wound. This makes them think that possibly the problem is not just an air elemental.

More kobolds are encountered in their quarters. They yell at the adventurers to go away. After some negotiating, they learn that the kobolds have seen the air elemental and are hiding from it. The kobolds suggest they go north. While heading north they hear a human voice chanting. It is coming from behind a door so Lakima has the protector force open it. Inside they interrupt a young apprentice mage casting a protection from evil spell. He is so startled he almost casts magic missile at them before Lakima shouts for him to wait. The man tells them that he is Yoris, an apprentice to Darrin one of Hirward’s associates. He tells them that he has been trapped in his room for 3 days. Once or twice a day the air elemental passes by his door but his protection from evil spells has kept him safe to this point. He begs for some water and rations and they give it to him. Yoris suggests that they could wait with him for the elemental to return. After a discussion, the adventurers vote to continue.

In a large hall, they come across the scene of a battle, six dead kobolds and three dead humans lie scattered about the floor. Lakima observes the position of the bodies and decides that during the fight, they were working together and not against each other. As they are about to leave Domago hears one of the humans let out a low moan. He casts cure light wounds on the man who then comes to. The man first asks who they are. Then he tells them he is Adern Awlstaff an apprentice. He tells them that he was in a battle with the air elemental with some guards the same day Hirward’s summoning went wrong. The elemental flung him against the wall and he was knocked out.

“Which direction did it go?” Lakima asks. Adern admits he has no idea. Adern asks to join them for his own safety. He can point out the uses of the rooms they pass. Lakima decides they have been searching for the elemental for too long so he uses the Arrow of direction to locate it. The arrow points down. Adern tells them that it must be on the second level below.

“Do you know how to get there?” Lakima asks.

“Of course,” Adern says and gestures for them to follow him.

A short time later they come back to a lounge they passed through earlier in the day and Adern points to a stairway. He tells them that it leads down to the Great Hall. They head down the stairs and enter a large hall. The hall has five enormous iron statues of dwarves standing in alcoves and tapestries on the walls. Several of the tapestries have been torn apart and litter the floor.

“Don’t worry, the statues are not magical or animated,” Adern tells them, “Not like your suit of armor here,” and he points at Lakima’s protector. Intrigued by the protector Adern asks Lakima for details about the spell used to create it. Lakima tells him that mages do not share their secrets.

Lakima again uses the Arrow of direction and asks for it to locate the air elemental. It points northwest at one of the statues. Adern tells him there is nothing behind the stone wall. Lakima uses the wand of secret door detection and finds that he is telling the truth. Pointing at some nearby doors Lakima asks what lies beyond. Adern explains that they lead to the Main Library. The group pushes through the doors and enters the library. Inside they immediately hear distant voices arguing. Brovin points at a door and tells everyone that the voices come from there. Adern says that is a lounge.

Lakima pulls open the door to the lounge and is greeted by a man holding a crossbow pointed at him.

“Halt! One move and I will pin you to that bookcase,” the man says. After some introductions and the Adern explaining the adventurers, the man tells them he is Medhal. The other people in the room are an old mage named Darrin, a cleric who tells them he is Vonrall, and Darrin’s apprentice, a beautiful young mage named Ahoya.

The four ask what the adventurers plan to do and Lakima explains that they are tracking the air elemental with magic. It is nearby. The two mages and Medhal elect to lock themselves in the lounge, but Vonrall tells them he will accompany them. After some deliberation and an admonishment from his master Darrin, Adern reluctantly decides to stay behind in the lounge.

“I worship the mighty Lodor,” Vonrall tells Domago noticing his holy symbol, “whom do you follow?” Domago explains the relationship between St. Aleena and Rangeth. Vonrall has heard of Rangeth but scuffs at him calling him a weakling.

“Lodor, is a god of war!” he tells Domago.

Vonrall leads them in the general direction the Arrow had pointed. Soon everyone can hear the sounds of a windstorm getting closer. It begins to sound like a tornado. Vonrall tells them it seems to be coming from the scribes’ quarters. They make their way there and find the scribe's work area a complete mess, with papers, and scrolls spread everywhere. Lakima asks what is behind the two doors in the room and is told they are just the cells of the scribes. Lakima sends Aldus to check anyway. Aldus does find a scared scribe hiding under a bed who refuses to come out.

The whirling wind noise gets closer and closer. Eathwund says that it sounds like it is coming from behind the wall in the workroom. Lakima uses the wand of secret door detection and finds a door behind a desk. With his giant strength, Eathwund easily picks up the desk and moves it out of the way. Lakima triggers the secret door and it slides open.

Hurricane-force winds blast into the room and they see the whirlwind of the air elemental in the passage beyond. Shouting to be heard, Lakima tells everyone to wait then he summons an earth elemental. The earth elemental strides forward and begins pounding the air elemental to little effect. Aldus, Eathwund, and the protector join the fight. Brovin runs for cover and Lakima moves out of the direct field of fire. Vonrall casts protection from evil. The air elemental sends blasts of wind at the adventurers and everyone is struck by flying debris. Domago and Vonrall cast healing spells on the injured. After several unsuccessful attempts to hit the elemental, Aldus finally strikes it.

“I got a hit!” Aldus shouts above the noise.

The earth elemental also manages to hit the air elemental and pin it. Eathwund strikes the air elemental twice for a lot of damage. He then moves in for the kill against the diminished elemental. He hears the elemental screeching and realizes it is calling out in halting common.

“Whyyyy! Hurting me! Let me free!”

Eathwund yells to Lakima that the elemental is intelligent and asks for help to be freed. Lakima yells for everyone to stop attacking it. But he orders the earth elemental to hold it.

“Keep fighting, we have it now, what are you doing,” Vonrall yells in anger.

Lakima dismisses his comment with a glance. He tries talking to the elemental which is no longer attacking them but the conversation is difficult. All he can gather is that the elemental just wants to return to the Elemental Plane of Air. It does not seem to know how.

Lakima tells Domago to cast Dispel Evil. Domago shakes his head and tells them he did not pray for it this morning. Vonrall did though and he casts it on the elemental. Nothing happens.

“Something is holding it here,” Lakima says, “Where was it summoned?”

Vonrall claims to know and he offers to lead them there. It is a short distance away. The quandary is what to do with the two elementals. At first, Lakima suggests he stays so the earth elemental can hold the air elemental. But Eathwund points out that the rest of them will not understand what they find. Domago offers to stay and hold the elemental at bay. He casts protection from evil.

“I will prevent it from passing me,” Domago says.

Lakima dismisses the earth elemental and waits to see what the air elemental will do. It waits and does not advance. He does notice that it seems to be gaining strength again.

“Come on, there is not much time,” Lakima says and gestures for Vonrall to lead them.

Vonrall leads them to the room where the summoning occurred. There is blood splattered on one wall and the other is blackened by fire. In the center of the room is a summoning circle with the censer in the middle. The censer is still burning and smoke is pouring out of it after all of this time since the accident.

“The censer is cursed,” Lakima says after examining the evidence, “we have to destroy it.” He tells Aldus to smash the censer with his Thunderstrike Hammer.  With a single blow, the censer is crushed and its connection to the Plane of Air is broken. The group hurries back to the scribe’s chamber and finds Domago standing there alone.

“It’s gone,” Domago says. Vonrall suggests that it could still be in the complex somewhere but Lakima rejects that.

“I saw it get sucked into the void,” Domago says, “I think it returned to the Plane of Air”.

The group returns to let Darrin, Medhal, Ahoya, and Adern know that the elemental has been banished. Darrin asks when Hirward might arrive. Lakima tells him that Hirward will need a day to memorize teleport again.

“But I am sure he is watching right now,” Lakima says.

The adventurers are directed to rooms they can sleep in. The kobolds in the kitchen prepare a meal and other Kobolds begin moving about the complex cleaning up some of the mess. Over supper, they learn that the guard captain Elris killed two of his guards for some reason. Perhaps he went mad. He has been captured and placed in a holding cell.

The next day, Hirward does arrive. He congratulates the adventurers on their speed in accomplishing the task and is grateful that they did not cause any damage to his home. He pays each of them 3,000 gold and then shows them his private collection of magic items.

“Each of you can select one item,“ he says, “Except you, I saw you run away during the battle with the elemental,” Hirward tells Brovin.

“They don’t pay me to fight – I find traps and open locks only,” Brovin declares. Lakima argues that Brovin acted exactly as he had been instructed.

“Very well, you can pick an item,” Hirward tells Brovin.

The Rival

I had one of those sessions between adventures where I did not really have anything ready. If this was a face-to-face session ad-libbing an adventure would not be hugely difficult. But as an online session that relies heavily on maps I had to scramble. I decided to drop a bunch of hints and see which adventure they went after. These were all short encounters more than they were adventures. As it turned out they want after 2 encounters. The first, involving a witch, took an unexpected turn when half the party failed to save against a charm spell. This left a pair of non-combatant types facing the witch. The second was a trouble in the aisles type of adventure that finished a lot faster then expected.

Session 144: The Witch’s Cauldron

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Gabriel Anteriana (human cleric), Domago (human cleric, NPC), Brovin (human thief, NPC).

The members of the company of the Black Dragon are back in the town of Edgerton. They have just returned from a trip to the Feywild and are enjoying some peace and quiet at their Manor house.

Over breakfast one morning Lakima’s wife Alayna complains to those gathered to eat about her new competition in town. A woman she refers to as a witch is peddling cure-alls, love potions, and fortune-telling out of a rundown cottage in Mirdton. Alayna relates that some of her best customers are going to this witch Nagatha because of the sensation of buying from someone who claims to be a witch.

“I hate witches, if you want me to check into it just say the word,” Lakima tells his wife.

Alayna suggests they just check in on this Nagatha. She is probably mixing fake potions that could be a danger to the people of Edgerton. Lakima tells her he will check in on her and he invites his companions along. Eathwund, Aldus, Gabriel, Domago, and Brovin all decide to join him.

The group makes their way to the Midrton, a disreputable neighborhood in Edgerton, but also the location of the Sign of the Purple Bugbear, the tavern owned by Eathwund. Stopping at the Tavern they have lunch. Lakima asks the serving lady about Nagatha and the woman instantly becomes quiet not wanting to say anything. Yana, the manager of the tavern is more forthcoming. He tells Eathwund that Nagatha moved into an abandoned building not far from the East Gate. He gives them directions. Yana scoffs at the suggestion that Nagatha is a witch.

The group makes their way to Nagatha’s shop and home. It is a ramshackle two-and-a-half-story house and shop in the center of a square. The building looks abandoned, there is no signage, and the first-floor windows are boarded over. Light does peak out of the second-story windows and some white smoke drifts out of a chimney.

“Just let me check something before we enter,” says Gabriel. He then says a quick prayer and casts his hands about (casting Detect Evil). Gabriel gasps and looks about wildly for a second.

“I can sense a single soul with evil intent in the building. She has done evil and is preparing to do so again,” Gabriel says ominously, “and a woman in that house over there is planning to kill her husband.”

Domago looks about and the houses Gabriel has indicated. After a brief discussion, Brovin walks over and checks the door. It is looked but he laughs at how flimsy the lock is telling them that he can open it with a knife.

“Can we break in – she is really just minding her own business,” Lakima questions.

Domago though is certain. Gabriel detected evil intent. He waves at Brovin the unlock the door and then he pushes the door open and then enters.

“I guess that answers it,” says Gabriel.

Inside the group finds a small shop a door to rooms at the back of the house and a stair leading to the next floor. Lakima warns everyone not to touch any of the goods on display as he suspects they might be cursed. The group checks the rooms in the back finding a séance chamber and a bedroom but not finding Nagatha.

Domago then boldly leads the group up the stairs to the second floor. Here they find a chamber with cobwebs hanging from the rafters and old crates covered in dirty cloth. Sitting in a rocking chair next to a fireplace is a middle-aged woman. The woman has a black cat in her lap and she is stirring a cauldron hanging over a fire in the fireplace. The woman, whom they assume is Nagatha, nods to them as they enter seemingly unconcerned at their entrance.

Confronting the Witch

“Are you here to have your fortune told?” she says.

The room seems to be thick with a cloying smell coming from the cauldron. Eathwund thinks what a pleasant woman this is and then shakes off the feeling and wonders where that thought came from. Lakima and Brovin seem to also be having second thoughts.

“Well, I’m leaving,” Brovin says and he turns and walks down the stairs. Domago looks at the departing trapfinder in surprise.

“I just came by to let you know that the best magic-users in this town are members of the Mages Guild. Which I run. We cannot have any freelancers making trouble for the Guild,” Lakima tells Nagatha, “just some friendly advice.”

Lakima then tells everyone that they should not disturb the woman any longer and suggests they all leave. Lakima heads downstairs. Eathwund shrugs and looks around at those who remain and then he leaves as well. Aldus soon follows. Only a confused Domago and a surprised Gabriel remain facing Nagatha.

“Do you still sense evil,” Domago asks Gabriel.

“Yes, she plans to do something terrible soon, we must act quickly, I sense innocent lives are in danger,” Gabriel answers.

“Witch, I do not know what spell you placed on my friends but it will not work on me,” Domago says a quick prayer and points at the cauldron. There is a hiss and the sweet scent disappears from the chamber.

“You will pay for that do-gooder!” Nagatha says, “Whiskers kill them!” She puts her small black cat down on the floor in front of her and it transforms into a black panther and leaps toward Gabriel. Domago and Gabriel attack the dangerous panther with mace and hammer shouting in alarm. Nagatha takes out a potion drinks it and turns to mist and vanishes through the ceiling.

Downstairs, Aldus who is the last to leave the shop, hears the sounds of fighting upstairs turns back, and sprints up the stairs. He finds Domago and Gabriel fighting a panther. With a few thrusts with his sword, Aldus kills the panther. It collapses to the floor.

“Where did that witch go?” Aldus asks.

Domago explains that she must have gone upstairs. He points to a ladder leading to a trapdoor in the ceiling. Gabriel climbs up the ladder first and enters an attic covered in cobwebs but with a cleared area in the center. Here they see a table covered with the witch’s potions and notes. Nagatha is frantically stirring something in a small pot. Before she can react, Gabriel casts Quest on her and orders her to write out all of her misdeeds. Nagatha grimaces and tries to resist the enchantment but gives in. Sitting down at the workbench she begins writing out her lifetime of misdeeds on parchment. Aldus and Domago join Gabriel in the attic and Gabriel explains what he did. Nagatha finishes one page and grabs another parchment.

“This could take her a while,” Domago says while looking over her shoulder.

At this point, Gabriel hears a child cry out for help. Quieting Aldus and Domago he tells everyone to listen. They all hear a cry for help from above their heads. A frantic search reveals a hidden trap door in the ceiling. But with no ladder, Gabriel has to use a levitate potion to reach the secret attic. In this small chamber, he finds two cowering children. Gabriel picks them up and takes them downstairs. 

Meanwhile, Lakima, Eathwund, and Brovin returned to the Sign of the Purple Bugbear tavern and ordered some ales. They soon decide that their companions probably returned to the Manor house.

Aldus calls out for the town watch and the situation is explained to them. Domago warns them to avoid touching anything. Nagatha is manacled in iron and lead away. The watchmen marvel at the “confession” she has written. Gabriel recalls the woman they encountered early in the day who was searching for her missing children. He sends watchmen to get her and turns the children over to their grateful mother.

The three companions then return to the Manor House. Late that evening they relate what happened to Lakima, Eathwund, and Alayna. Alayna is ecstatic. Lakima suggests they should return tomorrow to search the witch’s home for magic.

The next day the entire group returns to the building that recently was home to the witch. A watchman stands guard outside waving the curious away telling them there is “nothing to see here.”

“We represent the Mages Guild and have come to clear away any dangerous curses,” Lakima tells the watchman. He believes the storey and happily opens the door for them telling them he will be much relieved once they have removed everything dangerous.

In a search of the home, they find a dozen unmarked potions. Lakima detects some scarves as magical but believes they are cursed so they burn them. They take some samples from the cauldron upstairs. Brovin unlocks a strongbox and finds a good sum of gold coins the witch had accumulated.

As they leave, Lakima assures the man on guard that they have removed everything dangerous from the home.

That afternoon in the Manor as they wait for dinner, they hear news from their butler Huntley that the flying ship belonging to the Merchant Adventurers’ Guild has gone missing. It is reported to be long overdue from a trip back from Dolmvay. Lakima thinks on this for a while and then informs his companions that he is going to be busy enchanting another ship for the Guild.

The next morning, they have a visitor after breakfast. Tanner, the mercenary employed by Clearwin to guard his shop arrives. He asks them to come at once to the shop. A rogue mage is running amok in the shop animating suits of armor and throwing knives. After a brief consideration, Lakima, Eathwund, Aldus, and Gabriel decide to head over to see what they can do to help Clearwin.

The group heads to Clearwin’s shop on the main market square. Lakima tells Gabriel a little about the shop called Clearwin’s Oddities. As they near the shop they see a small crowd of people has congregated outside. They see Clearwin yelling at a watchman, and another wounded watchman being attended to by Brother Wakefield, a priest of St. Cuthbert.

“Thank the gods you are here!” Clearwin says and rushes up to meet them. Clearwin explains that there were only a few people in the shop when the first incident occurred. A fine traveler’s cloak tried to smother a merchant. The merchant ran from the shop. Then a suit of armor began walking about the aisles. Finally, objects began to fly off the shelves and dart about trying to hit them. At this point, they ran from the shop. Clearwin thinks it was the work of a young man who had just entered the shop. He was dressed as a merchant but Clearwin suspects he is a mage.

The group enters the shop and finds everything is quiet. A few items lie on the floor but otherwise, it appears much as it always does. There is no sign of anyone else. A suit of armor stands up, picks up an axe, and takes a swing at Aldus who blocks it. Eathwund and Aldus pummel at the suit of armor. Then throwing knives begin flying out of a box on a shelf and whirling about the room. Lakima falls to the floor to avoid them and he notices a young man hiding under a table. Lakima confronts the man and learns that he is a local merchant. He was trying on some clothes when everything started to go mad. Lakima asks him what exactly he tried on. The merchant points to a small broach of a coiled serpent on his lapel. When Lakima asks to look at the broach the merchant finds he cannot remove it from his clothes. Lakima casts dispel magic on it and it falls to the floor. Immediately, all objects in the shop settle down onto the shelves.

Lakima examines the broach and discerns that it is the cause of all of the trouble. He steps outside and tells Clearwin he will take the broach as payment. However, Clearwin is not ready to part with the unique magic item and insists on keeping it. He agrees to give them some other items.

With the problem at Clearwin’s cleared up the group left the shop. Lakima tells them he wants to head by the waterfront and buy a riverboat. On the water front Lakima does find a sailor willing to sell his riverboat but before gold can change hands Lakima has a change of heart. He declines the deal and everyone heads back to the Manor.

That afternoon, Lakima pens a letter to Duke Robert offering to provide him with a flying warship, for the right price. He calls for a courier and has it sent post haste to Dolmvay.

Frost, Fey, and Folly

This past week's session was an original adventure I wrote for my Swords & Wizardry campaign players. Now that the group has been playing through 140+ sessions it is fairly easy to do some callbacks to the past. I incorporated the Silver Princess in this one. A few of the players had forgotten the connection.

Session 143: Frost, Fey, and folly

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Gabriel Anteriana (human cleric), Domago (human cleric, NPC), Brovin (human thief, NPC).

The adventurers have passed through a forest gate into the feywild. Arriving in winter, their magic tracking points unerringly in the direction of their stolen ship.

The group makes its way through the snow and ice. The landscape is devoid of life. After an hour of trudging, they feel some large thumps through the ground. Concerned for avalanches the group looks about cautiously and then spots an enormous, white, and blue hairy spider on the horizon heading in their direction. The spider is 60 feet in diameter and stands 40 feet tall.

“Wait!” Lakima tells everyone as he prepares a spell. Then with the final command word a bolt of intense light flashes toward the giant spider and it is turned to powder in an instant.

“Disintegrated it!” Lakima laughs.

Emboldened the group continues on in the direction the arrow pointed hours ago. Making steady progress toward the crag of rock they are using as a waypoint. Out of the snow emerges a small three-story stone castle. The castle has no windows on the ground floor but orange light peaks out of windows on the first floor. The roofs are peaked to prevent snow from building up. The entire structure is covered in frost and ice.

“There!” Eathwund shouts and points to a ship covered in snow and ice, not 50 feet from the entrance to the castle. The Cloudstealer. Steps lead up to a nine-foot-tall pair of double doors on the second floor.

“Be on guard, it looks like we might be dealing with Frost Giants,” Lakima warns.

Lakima waves Brovin forward and the trapfinder moves quickly up the icy steps to the door. While trying to pick the lock the door swings open and Brovin finds himself face-to-face with an ugly goblinoid creature with a bloody red cloth cap and bloodshot eyes.

“You are expected, come in,” the creature cackles.

Eathwund looks at Lakima who shrugs. Eathwund then steps through the doorway as the creature steps back. Soon Aldus, Lakima follows. A short time later everyone else enters. Inside is a tall stone chamber. An ornate pair of oak doors of similar height across the way are guarded by another goblin-like creature with a red cap. More doors enter the chamber but they appear human-sized. 

“Frostbite, tell our Ladyship that the guests have arrived,” the first creature encountered says to its fellow. The second creature nods and cracks open the far door to step inside. The chamber is cold and made of stone. A light frost covers the walls.

“The Lady Althea will see you now,” the creature says and swings open the door into a well-lit chamber.

One by one the adventurers enter a large audience chamber. A coldly beautiful woman with elvish features sits on a wooden throne atop a dais in a fairly bare chamber. There are four portraits on the walls and a pair of doors entering the chamber on opposite walls.

“I am the Lady Althea of the Winter Court,” the woman says. She pauses as if expecting a reaction or some sign of recognition. When no one moves or speaks a look of annoyance crosses her features.

Finally, Aldus steps forward and kneels and introduces the adventurers to Lady Althea. Lakima immediately launches into a series of questions to the lady asking why she stole their ship and risked the consequences of the Company of the Black Dragon. Lady Althea is unthreatened and appears amused. She listens to Lakima and then explains her tale.

She summoned them in what seemed the logical manner to her. As a Winter Fey of the High Court, there are Rules she must adhere and for this reason, she needs agents to work on her behalf. Her child has been kidnapped by the Summer Court and she needs them to return her. Fortunately, she knows where her child is being held. Unfortunately, it is in the mortal realm in a place called Haven. She did send winter elf agents to Haven but they have not returned. She will return their ship if they rescue her child from Princess Argentia of Haven.

“Well, if a child is at risk, we are willing to take on the task,” Lakima states, “Otherwise we would just take our ship.”

Further in the conversation, Lady Althea is surprised to hear that they did not receive her message that was to be delivered by one of her servants. She is also surprised to hear that they were attacked by the giant spider. It is a pet of hers and was supposed to be in its pen. She summons her consort Hailshadoe and questions him about the pet’s location. Lady Althea gives the company an escort of three winter elves to ensure they can get to the portal to the Kingswood unmolested.

The trip back to the portal is cold but uneventful. The winter elves leave without a word and the group steps through the portal.

“Where is this, Haven?” Aldus asks once they are safely back near the Bridgeway. Lakima tells Aldus and Gabriel about the adventure the group had a few years ago in Haven when they saved Princess Argentia the Silver Princess. They are friends of the court so this mission should be simple.

Confident that he has a good sense of direction, Lakima leads the group into Kingswood in the general direction of Haven. They expect to arrive before dark but as darkness falls, they find themselves lost in the woods. They set up camp and set watches.

The next morning, they find an old friend watching them sleep from a nearby tree. Elysia Silverwind, the elven ranger greets them and asks them what brings them to the border of Haven. Eathwund explains their mission and Elysia is puzzled but agrees to take them to Haven. It takes only 6 hours for Elysia to lead the company to the new village of Haven. A small town of Summer elves who have left the Feywild to accompany Princess Argentia. From the village, they head to the Silver Palace and gain entrance. Elysia explains that the Company of the Black Dragon wishes to speak with Princess Argentia and they are given an audience after only a short wait in a guest chamber.

Entering the busy throne room they see fey elves, high elves, and humans and dwarves. Princess Argentia greets the company recognizing Lakima and Eathwund. She asks after some of the members of the group who are no longer with them – Alonso, Ashdoshan, Fenris, and Lantosh. After the pleasantries are over, Lakima brings up the reason for their visit.

Princess Argentia looks concerned and then turns and waves to a beautiful young elven woman seated on her right.

“This is Naeloria, my sister, and she is hardly a child,” Argentia says. Naeloria appears to be about 20 which could be as old as 40 for an elf. “She is old enough to make her own decision, but perhaps it is time for her to visit her mother to alleviate her fears.”

Argentia convinces Naeloria that she should go with the Company of the Black Dragon and stay with her mother for at least a few weeks to let her mother know she is well.

“You can come back and visit anytime, Naeloria,” Argentia tells her.

The adventurers stay for a state dinner and stay the night. The next day they set out with Lady Naeloria. A troop of elven rangers guides them to the Bridgeway and tells them that they will wait and guard the structure. The adventurers cross through the Forest Gate again to the Feywild in the Realm of Winter. It is bitterly cold and windy, but Naeloria seems unaffected by the cold. They set out in single file for the castle of Lady Althea.

After an hour they see a white dragon approaching from the direction of the castle. Atop its back is Hailshadoe. Naeloria warns the group that she does not trust Hailshadoe.

“He has always hated me,” Naeloria says.

The white dragon lands nearby and Hailshadoe greets the group. He spots Naeloria and orders her up on the dragon telling the adventurers that he will return the lady to her mother. Naeloria looks clearly afraid to go.

Lakima tells Hailshadoe that they will escort the lady and they need no assistance. Hailshadoe is angered by this but he does not threaten them. Instead, he gets on his white dragon and flies away.

Not long after the group is ambushed by a pair of yeti and a pair of snow owlbears working together. The enormous creatures attempt to overrun the group but are held back by Eathwund and Aldus. During the fight, a snow golem rises up out of the snow near Lakima and knocks him unconscious with a single strike. Domago hurries to Lakima’s unconscious form lying in the snow and casts healing on him bringing him around. The white dragon reappears and breathes its frost breath on half of the group, Lakima is knocked unconscious again. August grabs up Lakima’s fallen Staff of Power but Gabriel heals Lakima and he stands again taking back the staff. By this time Eathwund and Aldus have killed the two yeti and are fighting the owlbears. The snow golem is killed with magic missiles and Hailshadoe and the white dragon are blasted by a lightning bolt. Hailshadoe plummets 100 feet to land in the snow dead, and the white dragon flies off. Aldus and Eathwund manage to kill off the last owlbears.

Naeloria emerges unharmed from cover in the snow. The group sets off and makes it to the castle. Lady Althea is happy to see her daughter and rewards the group. She also freezes a confidant of Hailshadoe. Lady Althea has her servants return the helm to the Cloudstealer and she releases Ezmeralden and the crew of the ship. 

The adventurers fly back to the forest gate and enter back in the mortal realm. Ezmeralden thanks them for saving him. The ship then flies north to Edgerton. After some rest, Lakima takes the time to identify the items they recovered from their adventures in the Great Desert. Once everything is identified the group splits the magic items up between them.

Epilogue

Aldus goes to visit Norine Gayheart in the School of Magic. He is surprised to learn that Norine is aware of the love potion in her wine when Aldus confesses to her. Heartened by the fact that Norine is not mad at him Aldus asks Norine to marry him and she accepts.

 

Inheritance

One of the players in this campaign has been trying to get a powerful sword and had asked an NPC wizard if he knew where one could be found. I had Elken tell him about Malkin's tomb. Malkin was the father of one of the other players as noted in his backstory. A hero who died shortly after saving the City of Veil. Since they were in Veil I reasoned he would have a tomb here. I wondered if the players would rob the tomb of a family member. Of course, they did.

Session 142: Despoiling Malkin’s Tomb

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Gabriel Anteriana (human cleric), Domago (human cleric, NPC), Brovin (human thief, NPC), August (human apprentice magic-user, NPC).

Members of the Company of the Black Dragon are in the City of Veil in the Great Desert having recently saved the city from an angry Efreeti.

There is a knock on the door of the guest house the party is staying at. Brovin opens the door ready to rebuff one of the citizens of the city who have been thanking the party for saving them. Instead, he finds Gabriel Anteriana a Cleric of Starlight at the door. Gabriel speaks with the group of adventurers explaining that he is a stranger in Veil looking for travel companions. Gabriel manages to convince the group to allow him to join them.

Aldus explains that they are off to loot the tomb of Malkin the Mighty, a legendary hero of the City of Veil. Aldus has learned that several magical swords are reputed to have been buried with Malkin. Gabriel is a little taken aback by this statement but accepts. Domago on the other hand is unhappy with the plan. But Lakima assures Domago that Malkin, who was his father, would not care. He has no use for the swords any longer.

It is a short walk from the City Gates to the tomb of Malkin which resides in a barren desert near the city. Lakima notices the arcane runes carved around the roof of the tomb and he casts Read Magic to investigate. He discovers that the magic runes protect the tomb from harm and prevent transportation magic.

Brovin examines one of two stone entrance doors and explains that they are stone blocks slid down into place. There is nothing he can do to open them. Lakima then casts Strength on Aldus so that the fighter can lift the stone door. Aldus manages to slide the stone block up in its tracks but there is nothing to hold the door open. So, he tells Eathwund to unsheathe Aldus’ great sword and jam it under the stone. Aldus lets down the stone door and the sword manages to bend but not break holding the weight. Inside the door is a small burial chamber. A dead thief is lying on the floor near a broken display stand holding gold, gems, and jewelry, and a large stone coffin that has been broken open. Brovin immediately reaches for some of the gold.

“Don’t touch anything!” Lakima shouts, “It has all been poisoned.”

Domago moves into the tomb and checks the corpse. He agrees that the person appears to have died from poisoning. Aldus takes the sword from the corpse and uses it to replace his great sword. The group examines the chamber. There is a shriveled human corpse in the coffin, a gold goblet, and gold coins on the floor, treasures in the broken display case, and two large tapestries on two walls. One depicts Malkin’s fight against the legendary sand walker of the City of Glass, and the other depicts Malkin’s final battle against the army of mountain tribesmen encircling the City of Veil. They do not find any secret entrances.

“Do you have the spell speak with dead?” Lakima asks Gabriel.

Gabriel nods and agrees to cast the spell on the dead thief. The thief tells them his name was Fareen. He was poisoned when he drank water from the goblet he found. He did not find any other level to the tomb.

They spot Brovin pocketing a necklace from the display case. Lakima admonishes the thief but he appears to be unbothered.

Lakima has Aldus open the other door but it just leads outside. Then they close all of the doors and Lakima uses the Wand of Secret Door detection. No doors are found, but when the tapestry depicting Malkin’s final battle is pulled aside, they find that there is a large mirror attached to the wall.

“There is the entrance,” Lakima exclaims.

He tells Aldus that since they are here for him, he should lead the way. Aldus looks dubiously at the mirror and then steps into it vanishing from sight. Shortly after, Lakima, Eathwund, Gabriel, Ian, Domago, and Brovin follow. They find themselves in a small stone chamber lit only by the light of Lakima’s staff.

Aldus asks Lakima to cast a continual light spell on his shield. It was dark in the chamber while he waited for the rest to arrive.

On the floor of the chamber, they see a message caved into the stone. The message is in common so all can read it:

Welcome, foolish adventurer, heed this rhyme,

You've entered Malkin's tomb, in dangerous

time.

In search of riches, you boldly tread,

But death may await you, in shadows spread.

This is your final chance, a choice to make,

To turn back now, for your own sake.

For if you persist, glory or death,

Awaits in Oqirax's maze, with every breath.

Aldus asks who Oqirax is. Lakima recognizes the name and tells him he was a powerful wizard who left the City of Veil not too many years after his father died.

In the chamber are two free-standing mirrors. There is also a mirror on the wall that they arrived through.

“It is a mirror maze created by a wizard,” Lakima explains. Since any direction could be right Lakima tells Aldus to choose.

“We should head right?” Aldus says. Then steps through the mirror to his left. The rest follow and they appear in a small chamber made up of two halls intersecting in a cross. Four mirrors lead from the hallways. Aldus picks another mirror and the group steps through. This continues through several nearly identical chambers as Aldus randomly picks mirrors to pass through. Sometimes they find handprints of dried blood on the walls or floor in a hallway.

Sometimes bare footprints of dried blood. In one hall they are attacked by the spectral figure of a fighter. In another, they encounter a spectral thief apparently lost in the maze. Eventually, they realize they have returned to a hallway they already passed through.

“This is hopeless, we are circling back on our own trail,” Brovin says.

Gabriel halts the group and communes with his deity. In his mind, he asks for the right path. A voice tells him that there are many paths to their goal, some lead to danger. Gabriel asks if the dangerous path is the quickest and he is told it could be. Finally, he asks if they should follow the bloody prints and he is told that they lead to a trap.

The commune spell does not produce a definitive answer so the group continues stepping through mirrors and passing through similar rooms until they step out of a mirror and enter a very large chamber. They are on a stone platform raised five feet above the main floor. A similar platform is 30 feet away also with a mirror upon it. Two burned corpses of human thieves lie on the floor below.

“This is a trap when we step down to the floor,” Lakima says.

The group agrees but does not see a way forward though they could step back through the mirror and try another path. Aldus volunteers to step down.

Aldus jumps off the platform and lands on the stone floor below. Immediately, a fire elemental appears and moves to attack him. Aldus swings at it with his sword. Eathwund jumps down to join Aldus and an air elemental appears and moves to attack Eathwund.

“I need to help them,” Ian the squire says and he moves to step down.

Lakima holds Ian back, “Wait, you will just summon more elementals.”

Lakima and Gabriel confer and Lakima asks if Gabriel has protection from evil prepared. He does not but Domago does. Domago casts protection from evil 10-foot radius and the entire group steps down and joins Eathwund and Aldus. Immediately, more elementals appear matching the number of the party. But all of the elementals are forced back by the power of Domago’s faith. The entire group makes their way to the other platform. Aldus pulls himself up and then pulls up the other members of the group and everyone passes through the mirror.

The group again finds themselves in the maze. Eventually, they come through into a unique hallway. It is longer than the other halls they have entered and two pit traps are blocking one end from the other. Gabriel casts Find Traps and warns everyone that the hallway floors and ceiling are trapped. Aldus moves up to the first pit and looks down. He finds that it is cloaked in magical darkness. Taking out a silver coin, Aldus drops it into the pit and hears the clink when it lands. He deduces that the pit is only 10 or 15 feet deep. Lakima asks Brovin to climb along the wall over the two pits. Brovin leaps onto a wall and easily moves hand over hand along the wall until he begins passing over the first pit. Suddenly, a hurricane-force wind erupts from the pit and Brovin loses his grip on the wall and is slammed into the ceiling.

“Are you okay?” Lakima asks. Brovin groans in pain pinned to the ceiling by the winds. Then just as suddenly as they occurred the winds cease, and Brovin plummets screaming toward the pit. Luckily, Aldus reacts quickly and catches Brovin.

“Do you have that bridge spell thing?” Aldus asks Lakima. Lakima shakes his head.

The group ponders the problem for a few minutes until Laima snaps his fingers.

“I have an idea!”

Lakima casts dispel magic successfully on the magical trap over the first pit. Aldus tentatively jumps across the pit and lands safely. Soon Lakima joins him, and then he uses the pearl of power to recover the spell and casts dispel magic on the second pit. The entire group jumps across the two pits until they all reach the far end of the hall. They find a skeleton lying on the floor here its back against the wall. The skeletons head turns toward them and in a raspy voice it says:

You did not heed my warning clear,

Now trapped forever, in my maze, you're here.

No escape, no light, just endless days,

In this labyrinth, your soul forever stays.

The group ignores the skeleton and picks another mirror to step through. After passing through a few similar halls, they arrive in a large cross-shaped chamber. A mirror in each arm of the cross. Before them lies a large stone coffin. Circles are carved into the stone floor around the coffin and four stone spheres rest on the floor. In each arm of the cross is a stone plinth with a weapon resting on it. Three swords and a long bow. Aldus examines the sword in the area they are in and he finds it is a well-used and worn scimitar. It does not look special in any way.

With his Find Traps spell still active, Gabriel can see that the chamber is full of traps. A trigger rises from the floor to the ceiling at the outermost carved circle around the coffin. Each of the weapons is trapped and that trap is connected to the mirrors in some way. He warns his companions.

The group examines the chamber for a while before an impatient Aldus says he will enter the central area triggering the trap.

“I am strong, I can take any damage this trap deals out!”

Aldus steps forward, and instantly the four enormous, stone spheres fly into the air and begin whipping around the coffin in circular paths. Aldus tries desperately to avoid them but he is struck three times and his body is flung like a rag doll into another arm of the chamber collapsing on the floor.

His companions wait in anticipation until they see Aldus struggle to his feet.

“I’m not dead,” Aldus gasps, “But I don’t want to try that again!”

“Can you dispel it?” Eathwund asks Lakima. Lakima shakes his head. While they ponder the latest trap, Aldus goes over to the sword near him. It is another scimitar but this one has magical runes engraved in the blade. He decides to lift up the sword. Instantly, the mirror near the sword shatters.

“What did you do!” Lakima yells.

“I just picked up this sword,” Aldus explains and waves the sword above his head.

“No one touches this sword,” Lakima says pointing at the worn sword near the group, “It is our only way out of here!”

Eventually, Lakima tells everyone that he has an idea. The stone balls have continued whizzing about in apparently circular random patterns. He casts a magic missile at one of the balls but it does little damage. Then he casts Wall of Iron across the chamber to one side of the stone coffin. The balls all slam into the wall of iron and crumble into dust. The noise caused by the whizzing balls ceases.

Aldus cautiously moves over to the stone coffin. He warns everyone that he is going to open the coffin. Aldus slides the stone lid to one side and looks into the coffin. Inside rests the well-preserved corpse of a tall, bearded man dressed in fine clothes.

The rest of the group approaches the open coffin, just as a spectral figure of a warrior rises out of the coffin and attacks Aldus.

Eathwund, Aldus, Gabriel, and Lakima fight the spectral figure. After less than a minute, it is reduced to a pale ghost and then vanishes. Aldus asks Lakima for permission to despoil his father’s tomb. Lakima tells him his father has no need for these mortal possessions.

The corpse is roughly tossed to one side to check beneath it. They find nothing. Lakima uses magic to detect that the boots and belt on the corpse are magical and they take them. Finally, they close the stone lid. Aldus takes one more sword and the longbow from the stone plinths. Two more mirrors shatter leaving only one mirror in the chamber. Lakima leads the way through the last mirror.

“Follow me, I know the way out,” Lakima says.

He confidently leads them through halls but soon it is apparent they took a wrong turn as they come to a hall with a skeleton wearing armor lying on the floor. Brovin grabs a bag full of potions and gold that lies on the floor near the skeleton. The group keeps on stepping through mirrors until they arrive back in the arena. This time Lakima casts Protection from Evil 10-foot radius so the group can cross the area floor. Finally, after several more trips through halls and some backtracking the group arrives back in the entrance hall with the message on the floor. They did notice that some of the mirrors in the halls they passed through were broken.

The exhausted adventurers head back to the city. Gabriel and Domago heal the wounds that Aldus and Brovin suffered. At the gates of the city, they carefully hide their booty in the bag of holding and the guards do not assess a tax on them. They collect August and Alayna at the guest house and then make their way to another city gate that leads to the road to the bridge that is connected to the magical Bridgeway. The guards at this gate warn them that travelers on this road have been going missing for a few days. Lakima assures them that their group is in no danger.

As the company approaches the old stone bridge across a dry chasm, they see that the Bridgeway portal is open. They had instructed Ezmeraldan the custodian of the Bridgeway to scry the location for them and leave the portal closed until they arrived. It appears something is awry.

Walking across the bridge the group steps off the far side and is instantly transported to the bridge in the Kingswood in Dolmvay. Gabriel is surprised by the drastic change in climate but Lakima explains the magic to him. There is no one around at the bridge. No signs of danger or struggle and their flying ship the Cloudstealer is gone.

“I think we might have been betrayed by my former mentor,” Lakima surmises.

They see a few confused merchants and commoners from the City of Veil looking about in wonder. Lakima tells them to quickly cross the bridge as he plans to close the portal. Most of the men immediately do as he instructs and return but one man tells them that this new land suits him and he runs off into the forest.

Lakima leads the group into the bridge structure and they search the rooms. There is no sign of a struggle but the chambers are empty. The portal is functioning with the control rods opening a portal to the City of Veil. Lakima removes the rod closes the portal and pockets it so no one else can take the portal to Veil.

Outside from atop the bridge they see snow on the group and a trail through the woods that indicates something large was dragged into the bushes. Lakima takes out the arrow of direction and asks for the location of Ezmeraldan. The arrow spins about in confusion. Then he asks for the location of the Cloudstealer and he gets the same result.

“I think our ship is on another plane of existence,” Lakima says.

Lakima tells Ian the squire that he needs to protect Alayna his wife. He takes out the horse in a bottle and releases it telling Ian to take Alayna safely to their Manor in Edgerton.

The rest of the group follows the path into the woods. Along the way, they see drag marks in the soil and patches of snow and ice. The path leads a mile into the woods until they come to a stone circle.

“I thought as much,” Lakima says, “fey creatures of winter have taken the ship.”

Lakima and Gabriel examine the circle. Lakima tells Gabriel that it is a fairy circle that will take them to Winter. But as he steps into the circle nothing happens. Then Lakima notices that one stone has been knocked over. He calls Aldus over and points out the stone telling Aldus that it needs to be stood up again.

Meanwhile, nearby Eathwund is looking off into the forest and spots movement from the corner of his eye. Looking carefully, he hears mocking laughter.

“Do you guys hear that,” Eathwund says as everyone ignores him.

He hears laughter again and a mocking voice.

“Have you lost your friends?”

“Which friends?” Eathwund answers.

“Have you forgotten them already?”

Eathwund tells everyone what he has heard. No one else has heard anything but now he has their attention. Then everyone hears mocking, hypnotic laughter echoing from the woods and building in pitch as if to numb their minds. Almost everyone shakes it off. Unnoticed by anyone else, poor August stands dumbly a few paces from the group staring off into the woods stunned.

On their guard and ready, no one is surprised as four fey creatures emerge from the woods and attack. The creatures appear to be short, very hairy men, with the legs of goats. One man weaves his hair into a rope and hurls it at Lakima who manages to avoid it. Lakima casts a fireball and badly injures three of the fey. Eathwund swings at one fey creature and chops its head clear off. Aldus stabs and kills another. A third is killed by blows from Gabriel’s hammer and darts from Lakima and the last creature runs off into the woods still taunting them.

Lakima councils not following the creature into the woods. Instead, he points to the fallen stone again. Aldus rights the stone and instantly, Lakima, Brovin, and Domago who had been standing in the circle a moment ago, vanish.

Eathwund asks Aldus what they should do now and Aldus suggests waiting to see what happens. Instead, Gabriel steps into the circle and vanishes. Eathwund shrugs and follows him. Finally, Aldus follows them.

They all arrive in a rocky barren. The temperature is freezing there is snow on the ground and snow falling from a grey overcast sky. Nearby, an ominous patch of blood lies on the ground slowly being covered with snow.

“Look!” Lakima shouts and points at drag marks in the snow.

The group follows the drag marks but they are quickly obscured by falling snow. There are no clear landmarks about them. Lakima pulls out the Arrow of Direction and tells it to point to the Cloudstealer. The arrow strongly points to the horizon.