Players Present: Veth, Finn, Khad, Michaela, HK-58, Zimb
NPC’s: Kima Greyleaf, Jean-Dorial Encarthan, Lord Chester D’Marke, Harven, Bren, The Grey Machine (Zen Blacksteel, Amilia, Conner, Annalee, Marcus Deland)
Run By: Joe
Submitted By: Michaela
The Summer Solstice Festival had come back to Ravens Bluff and Michaela was enjoying the comradery and food that it brought with it. She was there with her friends: Veth, Khad, Trashcan, Zimb and the new friend they had met over the week, Finn. He seemed cool and easy to talk to and Michaela liked having a new friend.
While she was eating a bacon-wrapped apple bells started to ring, ‘dang it’ she thought, ‘we forgot about the wedding.’ The group hurried to the event and arrived in time to see Kima Greyleaf walking down the aisle toward Jean-Dorial Encarthan.
Kima wore a plunging, sweetheart neckline that was paired with a beaded, illusion high neckline to create a unique – and sparkling – statement. The unique, rich beading was layered to create shapes, and when added with the lattice detailing and scrolling lace, extended down through the bodice over the hips, shaping her body perfectly. The Bellagio crepe skirt of her gown was sleek and sophisticated and created an understated sheath silhouette. Low, sheer cutouts adorned each side of the gown before extending into an open back, complete with illusion tulle giving the illusion of floating, beaded straps. The back of the wedding dress zipped up beneath fabric buttons. To top it off she wore a diamond tiara on her head.
After tearing her eyes from the vision that was Kima, Michaela noticed that there were a lot of important people from Ravens Bluff attending the wedding. ‘The free food has nothing to do with that’ she thought to herself while smiling and the personal joke. Lord Chester D’Marke oversaw the wedding and it was a beautiful service.
After the clapping dies down and the newly married couple takes their places at the end of the buffet line, Michaela and the rest of the guest get in line for food and to wish the new couple well. While in line the older members of the Midnight Menagerie are there and the 2 groups converse while getting food and moving closer to the new couple.
Soon there are only 2 women in front of Michala and her friends and her plate is full, she is happy. As she steps up, with her friends, and began speaking with Jean-Dorial, the 2 women began speaking with Kima.
“Congratulations sir, it was a beautiful wedding,” Michaela said when she stepped up.
“Thank you,” Jean replied.
“Here you go, sir,” Veth said and handed Jean 5 Platinum.
“Thank you, kind Luck Dragon,” Jean says when he receives the gift. Veth starts to smile and walk around with pride from being called a Luck Dragon. The others give gifts and talk with Jean for a moment longer preparing to speak to Kima when there is a cry from Kima. They all look to her and see one of the women, both old, with her arm around Kima’s neck. As the onlookers see this, the woman begins to transform into a horrible looking monster.
Her companion warns Jean not to do anything so his bride stays safe. She pulls out a holy symbol of Shar, hisses at the crowd and then both women and Kima disappear. All hell breaks loose. The older members try to ascertain the situation while bystanders and normal members of society are frantic and began making noise ranging from whispers of fear to screams of disbelief.
Suddenly a loud and clear voice is heard above the chaos. It is Jean-Dorian. “Please, we must stay calm. This situation demands clear and calm minds. Those of the guests, who are not adventurers or military, please return to your home. When information is found out or new given, you will be informed.” He said with clear authority and then gave the bystanders and nonmilitary and adventuring guests time to evacuate the area. When they were gone he turned his attention to the remaining people.
“For the rest of you, I am going to need help in rescuing my wife, or recovering her dead body if it comes to that.” As the words left his mouth, for a brief moment, his demeanor cracked and all could see the vulnerable man beneath the bravery. Then he was back to his brave self. The military and adventuring groups began sectioning themselves off and assigning tasks to the groups. Veth went to Jean-Dorian and provided some information about the women who had done this.
Apparently, the woman had been purchasing property around town and when confronted said they were a follower of a god that was not Shar. They were also responsible for the Were-creature outbreak that had occurred in the Sewers. Jean-Dorian directs Veth to the city guard and the same information is conveyed to them. They thank him and the rest of the group for the information.
When the group arrived back at the staging area they saw that Lord Chester D’Marke was attempting some spells.
“For some reason, I am unable to locate Kima.” He said to Jean-Dorian. Jean’s face fell slightly, but for only a moment. Lord D’Marke continued. “I was able to ascertain some information with my Augury Spell, but it is not good.” He is about to convey the information when screams can be heard from onlookers. We turn to see what is happening and people are staring and pointing to the sky, we look up.
If the sun was a pie, it was missing slices, and more were starting to appear.
“Judging by the rate of disappearance we have about 2 hours before the sun is completely gone.” Lord D’Marke stated to the group around him. “We need to find Kima before the sun disappears or all is lost. Do we have volunteers to assist in the hunt?” All of the members of the Midnight Menagerie step up and volunteer.
Michaela and her friends are assigned 3 buildings near Lake Christina. They are to gather information and report back with anything suspicious. All of the teams are asked to come up with a codename so that information can be disseminated quickly; they name themselves The Unlucky Dragons. Before heading out Michaela takes some of the food from the buffet and loads it into their cart and then they head out.
They arrive at the first building. There it stood. Michaela had walked past it several times and she had never seen it. It shocked her, the idea that someone could have lived in this very building. The walls, so tall and never-ending, encircle them as if they were the victims of an ambush. They then noticed almost forcefully, the windows had curtains covering them. This didn’t seem to match the outside of the building.
The group watched as Khad ran to the building and jump kicked it for no apparent reason, but no one said anything. He then decides to go and talk to the neighbors to get information about the building, almost as if in frustration. As he walks off, Trashcan decides to open the front door and go in. The rest of the group followed Trashcan from room to room. During the search, Zimb found a book called Chemical Gardening that seemed to intrigue him and Veth.
During the search, the group finds and Alchemical Lab. While searching through the lab they find a letter:
Jillian,
Please use this property to store the weapons and other equipment that I ordered from you. I don’t expect to need the items until after the event, so make sure threat they are well protected, and will not rot or rust in the meantime.
Take Care,
Harven
After checking the house one more time, Zimb starts to pack up the Alchemical lab. Michaela starts packing the cart with what he packs up. The group finds a scroll with powerful spells, Veth takes them with Zimb’s permission. During the packing process, Michaela hears an explosion from inside the house. She finishes packing the last box and then rushes inside. Apparently, Veth and Trashcan were trying to open something and they triggered a trap, they seemed to be ok.
After everyone was done with the building the group packed up and proceeded to the next building. On the way there they came across the City Watch being attacked by Bug Bears. The group parked their horses and cart outside of the battle area and waded in to assist the watchmen. The fight was tough but ended with Khad kicked the last one in the groin and killed it. We were only able to save 4 of the 10 watchmen.
After talking with the watchmen and discovering that Bren might be the one responsible for the Bug Bears they preceded to the next building. As they searched this building, they discovered that it had a basement. The team separated into 2 units: 1. Finn, Michaela, and Khad stayed upstairs while 2. Zimb, Veth, and Trashcan went into the basement. Almost as soon as the 2nd group went downstairs Zimb yelled for the 1st group to come down quickly.
The 2nd group was being attacked by some strange looking dogs. They were attacking Trashcan and…eating his armor. Maybe more like melting it. the 1st and 2nd group combined and finished off the dogs without further injury, although Trashcan lost his armor in the fight. They search the room and find piles of rust, wooden shafts and crumbled barrels and boxes.
After searching the building thoroughly, they leave and proceed to the last one. On their way there they come across a mob of people outside of the Temple of Selune. They are accusing them for the disappearance of the sun and the calamities that will befall them. The group run and put themselves in between the mob and the Temple. They try different approaches to calm the crowd, some more effective than others.
Veth steps forward and promises the crowd that the Midnight Menagerie will save the city. With the promise coming from an established group that has done many good services for the city, the crowd disperses. The group tries to take a moment and catch their breath but then there is a loud noise coming from down the street. They look to see what the cause of the commotion is.
Coming down the street and toward the Temple are all sorts of beasts. They look frantic, panicked and a little hysterical. They are aiming toward the Temple and the group. From behind the group spilling out of the Temple is more beasts and at a closer examination, the group realizes they looked staggered. They begin collapsing in front of the temple as the others from down the street join the pile. Michaela and her friends go inside the Temple.
As they enter the temple they run into the lycanthrope bear they attacked a few weeks ago. This time they raise their hands in surrender and the bear doesn’t attack. They try to communicate with the bear but it can’t seem to transform out of its hybrid form and can only grunt out one word at a time through growls and snorts. It’s enough to figure out that the Lycanthropes are in trouble and something needs to be done.
The group proceeds to leave the temple and head to the 3rd building but as they are they see the pile of beasts and decide to take a moment and get them inside the temple where they can be protected. When they are finished they head to the 3rd and final building. When they arrive, the sun disappears.
Inside the building, voices can be heard, chanting. Khad rushes to a window as Trashcan charges the front door. Seeing that the door is open, Trashcan rushes inside, Fin and Michaela move to the door on one side and Khad on the other. Zimb is a few feet away and Veth steps to the open door. He pulls out the scroll from earlier, says some stuff while waiving his wings and tail and suddenly black tentacles burst from the ground.
The tentacles wrapped around the occupants of the room and before anyone could breathe and shattered their physical bodies. Their spell caster, a woman in the back, survived a little longer, but she eventually succumbed. As Veth saw the destruction he had caused he walked by the carnage, “Unlucky Dragon? PSSHH.”
After the spell is dispelled by Veth, we loot the bodies, but there is nothing really left except for amulets with the symbol of Shar on them. Floating in the middle of the room is an object that Michaela and her friends could only describe as a big dark jewel. They leave it alone and search the rest of the building. The only thing they find is in the basement. In the basement, they find a door that seems to be bursting with magic. So much power in the fact that the members of the group that can detect magic have to stop because it’s overwhelming.
The group spends time trying to break into or open the door and they can’t. Michaela goes upstairs and with her sword pushes the jewel down the stairs and near the door, still nothing. Eventually, it becomes clear that they have done all they can for now and Trashcan uses the conk he was given to summon the Grey Machine. Soon they arrive Zen Blacksteel – Elven Fighter, Amilia – Halfling Invoker, Conner – Dwarven Fighter/Priest of Muamman Duthanol, Annalee – Half-elf Priest/Wizard of Mystra, Marcus Deland – Human Swashbuckler/Wizard.
As they enter they congratulate the group on a job well done. They also inform them of a few details that have only been ascertained recently: 1. The Jewel we found is an orb of Shar and it is called the Lunar Orb. It has great summoning power over a large area. 2. They know someone is working with the followers of Shar. We were asked to escort the orb back to the others at Raven’s Park. We accept.
On their way back to the park, the orb explodes and a sentient whirlwind of flame burst forth and attacks the group. There is a fight and in the melee, Veth and Michaela are blinded. After the demon is vanquished, Veth and Michaela are loaded into the cart and brought to the park. There Amilia heals them all and the group reports to Jean about what happened.
End Results
1. The Grey Machine fought bravely.
2. Bren was captured alive and is awaiting trial.
3. Numerous hags, giants and other creatures were fought.
4. Harven escaped.
XP
2,500
Items
Bowl of Monster Summoning
To activate, the user must pour a vial of holy water in the 2 inch diameter bowl and meditate over the bowl for 1 round. Any monster summoning spell cast by the user on the following round summons monsters of the next highest category. (ie a monster summoning I spell would instead summon creatures normally called by a monster summoning II) Number of monsters summoned is determined by the initial spell. The bowl is usable once per adventure. The bowl is usable only by wizards and bards.
Ioun Stone (Pale Green Ellipsold)
This ioun stone absorbs spells o up to 4th level directed at the user. After absorbing 10 spell levels, it burns up, forever useless. It cannot be recharged. The spell levels cannot be used by the owner of the stone. Further, it only absorbs spells directed at the owner specifically; it does not absorb area of effect spells if the owner happens to be in the area of effect.
Wizard Scroll
This scroll contains the spells armor, Acid armor, monster summoning I and Black tentacles. They are written at the 11th level
Wooden Club +2
Short Sword +1
A week later gifts arrive for the members
Hk-58 – “Rakentaa”
This golden +1 heavy steel shield is impossibly light and handy despite its size. It has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance, and it allows the wielder to use feather fall on himself once per day. A creature wearing celestial armor while wielding a celestial shield may command the armor to provide overland flight rather than fly once per day and can cast Daylight 3 times per day.
Michaela – “Fury”
This ancient greatsword +1 was once owned by the Frost Giant King Jarl. For many years he used it as an off-hand weapon. When wielded by a skilled warrior it grants one additional attack at -5 at the end of each round.
Vethihenich – “Jade Statuette of Zuur”
This beautifully intricate jade dragon statuette is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. When held all spells with the an acid descriptor are cast at 1 level higher and the holder gains 5 acid resistance. If the holder has acid resistance from another means their resistance is doubled instead.
Zimb – “Silver Star of Midnight”
This silver starburst amulet acts as a holy symbol to Mystra. When worn openly by a Mystrian wizard it confers a +2 Int bonus (Diplomacy) and ability to memorize 3 additional spell levels per day. Due to it’s direct tie to Mystra it confers a +10 reaction bonus to Mystrians and a -10 reaction bonus to Sharites.
Khad – “Illmater’s Obal”
These tattered hand wraps were recovered from Gradus the Sufferer after his sacrificial death during the Time of Troubles. In the hands of an Illmaterite they can remove the suffering of others but at a price. As a touch attack, damage to a willing target can be transferred to the wearer. The wearer can never transfer more damage then his current HP-1.
