Post by Bandgoat on May 29, 2013 20:54:38 GMT -6
Neth 15, 4707 – Early Evening
My Lovely Epshi,
This morning, after sleeping on the issues at hand, we decided to head to Magnimar via Soril’s wizardly ways. Before we traveled, we healed ourselves from our harrowing confrontation of the day before. Once we arrived in the city, we went about informing the officials of the impending attack on Sandpoint and gathered what equipment we could afford for the protection of the town. I do not know if any help will be sent from Magnimar since all that could be spared have been sent to reinforce Fort Rannick. May Desna smile upon us.
- Love, LIR
Neth 16, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
This morning, after Soril had prepared his spells for the day, we transported to Sandpoint to ready their defenses and train the citizens for emergency situations. Unfortunately, the fortifications of the town were not designed with giants in mind. Against dragons, what can one do? Perhaps if some of our people could come to the aid of Sandpoint using their arcane artistry we might stand a better chance. This town could use all the help it can get.
- LIR
Neth 17, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
Today, we called up the militia and began training them with simple combat techniques. I doubt it will do much good. The mere sight of a stone giant will send the population into panic, and for good reason. There is little any of them will be able to do against such foes.
- LIR
Neth 18, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
Today we spent most of our time counseling the town council and informing the guards of the best ways to defend against giants. I wish we could have given them more help as to what to expect from a dragon, but none of us have any experience with them. The help of the elves would be most appreciated at this time.
- LIR
Neth 19, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
Today, we ran drills with the citizens who volunteered to form a fire brigade. I must admit they looked very impressive. This town has a ferocious will when it comes to defending themselves. Perhaps our odds are better than I initially feared.
- LIR
Neth 20, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
We have started taking turns on the town watch, looking for signs of the incoming attack. I will go on duty shortly, taking a one-hour watch at each of the four hastily-constructed towers guarding the perimeter of the town. Warning bells have been installed and I believe we are ready as we will ever be for whatever may await us.
- LIR
Neth 21, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
I suppose no news is good news, except for the fact that we know an attack is imminent. At this point, we are just waiting out the calm before the storm. Unfortunately, that gives everyone, including myself, time enough to contemplate their fears.
- LIR
Neth 22, 4707 – Early Evening
My Darling Epshi,
The more idle time I have, the more I think about the events in my life that have led me to this point. Lady Luck has certainly smiled upon me these last twenty years. Spending most of that time with you has been my greatest pleasure in life. It seems strange that a sudden cavalier urge for some adventure would bring me to the defense of a town I barely know – a town that looks up to me, of all people, as a hero…and for no other reason than because I got into a street fight with a goblin. Traveling up rivers, climbing mountains, exploring haunted houses, fighting goblins, ghouls, giants, ogres, and sociopathic redheads were certainly not things I thought I would be doing right now. I suppose Desna has a way of smiling upon you, granting your wishes through the least likely of circumstances…at least until she turns around and laughs at you.
- Until Our Next Meeting, LIR
Neth 23, 4707 – Late Evening
To My Noble Lord Erynrel,
I regret I must bring you ill tidings on this day about your son, whom we affectionately called Illya. Though he fought valiantly and bravely, winning the day and protecting the humans of Sandpoint, he did not survive the brutal attack on the town. Upon my arrival in the town this afternoon, too tardy in my coming to render aid during the fight, I made the acquaintance of Illya’s companions of these last few months: a human wizard, a half-human archer, a demon-child dabbler of the arcane, a not-quite-human female paladin, and a cranky dwarf. Graciously, they recounted the events of the day, which I will endeavor to summarize for you herein.
This morning, the half-human woman, Lai’Ki, was at one of the northern guard towers. Off in the distance, about 200 feet away, she saw a handful of giant-sized humanoids near a rocky outcropping. She immediately ordered the sounding of the alarm bells and horns. The ranger observed the giants as they crept closer. She then saw a big flying creature approach from the north. After a few seconds, the archer finally got a good view of the dragon: it was red. She then relocated to the other watch tower guarding the northern approach. After the dragon flew overhead, the five giants to the north started attacking the gate. The valiant ranger put up a defense of the northern tower, shooting the giants as they came. I commented on how impressed I was with her bow skills, based on the evidence I had seen upon entering the town. The giants made it to the north gate and attacked the defenders, wounding the half-human and killing another guard by impaling him on a spear. The steady-eyed ranger was able to kill one of them before she was forced to flee into the town, dragging another guardsman behind her.
While all of this was happening at the northern part of town, the demon-child, named Xingnala, was out at the southern tower guarding a bridge. About the time the dragon made its appearance, the demon spawn saw two stone giants and three very large bears approach the town. He threw a bomb on the bears and flew away, leaving the guard to fend for himself. The giants then threw stones at him as he flew, injuring him, then moved across the river and headed toward the market district. The demon child attempted to track down the bears and kill one of them, eventually accomplishing his task before trying to join up with the rest of the party.
Meanwhile, your son and the rest of his partners were still sleeping in bed when the alarm sounded. Once awakened, the human helped clad the dwarf in armor while Illya helped armor the female. When the dragon arrived above the city, it proceeded to torch the town a house at time. With that, the town erupted into chaos, though the well-trained fire brigade started working immediately. It was at that point that Illya and his friends emerged from the inn. The four of them moved toward the north to reinforce the gate. As they hustled north through town, the dragon flew directly overhead. The paladin tried to shoot it with an arrow, but nearly hit the dwarf instead. Just as they approached the temple square, they came around the corner of a street to find the dragon alight on the Sandpoint temple. The dragon spread its wings and roared deafeningly, placing the general populace into panic. Soon afterwards, the giants broke through the north gate and started rampaging though the town. When the human wizard Soril saw that, he shot a fireball at the gate, hoping to limit the number of giants pouring into the town. After that, the dragon swooped down to the ground and starting devouring the panicking people that crossed its path. Not able to stand the sight of innocents dying, the paladin named Ryll ran toward the dragon. Illya’s crossbow shots at the dragon all missed. The mage used a combination of readied spells and a magical wand, but they did not seem to do anything to the dragon. The dwarf and the paladin enlarged themselves in attempt to combat the dragon’s size advantage and engaged the dragon in hand-to-claw fighting. The paladin was able to inflict some massive damage, while the dwarf was never able to land a solid blow. At one point, the dragon then breathed fire on the group. Illya, as usual, escaped unharmed, dodging out of the way. The dwarf was able to brush most of it away through his magical protections, but the paladin took the brunt of the attack.
As luck would have it, the half-human ranger arrived on the scene at that point and started shooting magical arrows at the dragon. The dragon was obviously a formidable foe, at various times rendering all of its nearby enemies unconscious. The demon-spawn bomber finally showed up and hurled flasks of acid at the fire-breathing dragon. The dragon then breathed his last breath of flame at the demon-child, scorching him. However, Lai’Ki got within accurate range and heroically shot the dragon in the back of the neck with a magical arrow, killing the foul beast.
When the party killed the dragon, many of the townsfolk started cheering. Despite the battle still raging in other parts of the city, it was a major morale victory for the town. Shortly thereafter, a contingent of townsfolk showed up to render aid. The priest Father Zantus, the proprietress Ameiko Kaijitsu, Sheriff Hemlock, a handful of guards, and some acolytes were able to take control of the town square. They were able to heal some of the party, at least enough for the party to heal itself. Hemlock apprised them that stone giants had breached the north gate and crossed both bridges to the east. He also said that there was a great deal of commotion in the market district in the south of town. Your son’s group all decided to take care of the immediate threat at the north gate.
Several seconds later, they caught up to the giants harassing the northern part of the town. The ranger and the mage attacked them at range until they ducked behind a few buildings for cover. The rest of them then engaged them in melee. They were rather easily defeated, though they took their toll, particularly on Illya with one well-placed hit.
When they had finished with them, everyone in the city heard the unmistakable sound of a stone giant war horn coming from the area near an old ruined structure near the shore. Arriving on the scene, the heroes found four stone giants, one holding a pick in each hand and wearing a horn attached to his belt. A battle ensued. The positions became confused and obfuscated, with allies positioning themselves in and amongst the enemy. At one point, the giants knocked Illya and the dwarf off their feet, and wounded the bomber and the mage all within seconds of each other. The paladin healed herself and your son and then moved to help the cleric Tolgun. Illya stood up and tried to move out of the fight, having been damaged repeatedly, planning to regroup in a more defensive position, but one of the giants charged after him, knocking him down again. The mage moved out of the fight as well, teleporting onto the roof of a nearby house. The ranger and the demon spawn hit the leader with ranged attacks killing him. While the paladin was busy healing herself and the cleric, the giants turned to flee the area after seeing their leader defeated. However, Desna wept and your brave son Illya was in their path and he was crushed underfoot, killing him. It was only seconds later that the invasion was over and the cleanup process began.
By all reports, your son died a hero, in the protection of others. I can only hope this information gives you some solace and acceptance of his untimely death. Out of fondness for your son, I have resolved to continue his mission, so I will be staying in Sandpoint and lending my aid to his comrades in their struggles against the enemies of Varisia. I hope to see you again soon.
- Your Loving Daughter-In-Law, Epi’shalaya “Epshi” Rycesh
Neth 25, 4707 – Late Morning
My Dearest Love,
I suppose I arrived in Sandpoint too late. Two days ago, as I neared the town, billows of smoke wafted into the afternoon air. A giant, a half dozen arrows protruding from its corpse, lay slain next to the north gate. The gates themselves hung loosely from their hinges. As I entered the town, I asked a local citizen for your whereabouts. She pointed to the temple and wordlessly went about clearing from the street the rubble that was presumably once her home. As I entered the temple, I was unprepared for what awaited me. As I saw your bruised and broken body lying in state, I was so overcome with emotion that I fell to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. Though I had always known I would long outlive you, I had hoped to share more of our lives together. After what seemed like hours of crying, the kindly Father Zantus came over to console me. I introduced myself and asked him what had happened. About that time, a human, a half-elf, a demon child, an attractive not-quite-human female, and a stinking dwarf entered the room. Father Zantus explained that they could tell the story of the battle better than he could. They then told me of the circumstances surrounding your last day.
As your friends told the story of your heroic death, tears welled in my eyes again. This time I was able to choke them back and I thanked them for the news. I introduced myself as Epi’Shalaya, your wife, and that they probably knew me as Epshi. Grateful for the camaraderie they provided to you over the past months, I allowed them to continue calling me by the more familiar name. Except the dwarf – I demanded he call me Widow Rycesh instead.
Still grateful for the service the group provided for all Varisia and knowing how much this quest meant to you, I volunteered my aid to the party, suggesting I accompany them and continue the service you provided. I explained that I was quite accomplished at the use of a blade and I might even be able to teach the wizard a thing or two, though I imagine he will be the one tutoring me based on your esteem of him. With that and a few introductions, we returned to the task at hand: the cleanup of the town.
In the aftermath of the invasion, it became clear that quite a number of citizens died and a surprising number of them have gone missing. We think the giants absconded with them during their raid. A few buildings have been damaged and some looting has been done. We were eventually able to drive off the dire bears rampaging through the town and we collected what valuable equipment the giants left behind. The stone giant leader, had a large stone that looked like a piece of the Old Light ruin. Soril surmised that he wanted to interrogate the stone for information since these particular giants can speak with them. Hemlock informed us that they had also taken a stone giant prisoner.
Our first task was then to interrogate the captive: a lone captured stone giant, whose attitude was quite surly. Ryll attempted to play nice with it, improving its attitude, though I think I would have tried a more aggressive approach. The injured giant was a wealth of useful information. He said his leader’s name was Teraktinus and they were sent on a mission by his lord Mokmurian. They were to gather a stone from an old ruin near the shore, presumably so they could probe its history using some ritualistic magic. The rest of the party recognized the name of the leader from the note they found on Hook Mountain that was signed “M,” presumably by this Mokmurian. When asked to describe Mokmurian to us, the captive spouted something about him being one of the dark giants of old come again. He said he has convinced many tribes that they will rule the lowlands again and that he has mastered the ancient arts. He described these powers as the magic of the ancient lords: the ability to turn the living into immobile stone and turn his own flesh into granite armor; to cause the very stones of the world to quicken and pull those atop them into a tomb below the earth. He also said that a full-scale invasion by Mokmurian would be coming soon.
We inquired about Mokmurian’s base of operations. We were not able to pinpoint its exact location, but it is located in the Iron Peaks of the Storval Plateau. He calls his fortress Jorgenfist, a name that provokes mixed emotions among the giants of the plateau. It is a few days travel from the Storval Stairs. We gained some incomplete knowledge of its defenses and troop layout, but we gained no more useful knowledge from the prisoner.
Tired from their ordeal of the day, the party retired to rest and plan their next moves. I spent the evening in the temple, keeping the Rite of the Last Vigil with you, as was the custom of your mother’s people.
The following morning, the party reconvened to discuss matters. The dwarf suggested we interrogate Teraktinus himself. When confronted with the fact that that particular giant was now dead, he said it was not problematic. Tolgun simply cast a spell on the corpse and we were able to communicate with it. The dead giant said he was tasked with bringing back a rock from the circular ruin in Sandpoint, so Mokmurian and another giant named Conna could speak with it. The corpse did not know the importance of the rock or if Mokmurian was working for someone else.
Soril told us that in order to talk to a rock, we would need the aid of a powerful druid, and that we might find such a person in or near Magnimar. We therefore teleported to the City of Monuments with several tasks in hand. Firstly, we informed the lord mayor of the attack on Sandpoint and the continued threat that the giants maintain on all Varisia. We then consulted a druid who was able to cast a spell on the stone we recovered, allowing us to communicate with it. It is a funny sensation, speaking with a rock, allowing it to communicate directly with your mind. The stone told us that it was once part of a war machine, a tower of great proportion that could hurl fire many miles, operated by humans and giants. Under the rubble of the now ruined tower is a well and water. The tower was destroyed in an earthquake and the slow rot of time. We did not get anything else useful from the stone, but it is clear Mokmurian was after something with great magical power.
While we were in Magnimar, we sold what equipment we did not need and bought some more useful items for our proposed sojourn into the heart of Varisia and our assault on Jorgenfist. We also enlisted the aid of a mage who could teleport us ahead of the giants returning from their raid. After studying the map some more, we decided to try to teleport to the village of Ravenmoor, the closest settlement to the Storval Stairs, in the hopes of heading off the giants along their retreat.
We then went back to Sandpoint to talk to the Thassilonian expert Broderick Quink. He said that the information we learned from the stone confirms his theories, that the Old Light was an ancient Thassalonian ruin probably built by giants. It was a larger tower that he thinks was used as a border defense device that could spray fire or some other element many miles into the neighboring Thassalonian fiefdom. The barons of Thassalon did not always get along, and he thinks the fiefdom that existed in the lowlands of Varisia and another fiefdom that now lies at the bottom of the ocean were enemies. Quink also reported that different scholars have theorized that Thassalon was a very advanced magical kingdom and that they recognized seven schools of magic – divination was excluded. The ruler of each fiefdom was a specialist in one school of magic. We realized we found a necromancer on Hook Mountain and Mokmurian sounded like a transmuter. That left five other wizards of great power we may possibly face.
We spent the rest of the day making preparations for our journey. I again spent the night in the presence of your body in the temple of Sandpoint. This morning, at dawn, we had your funeral. When you were placed upon the pyre, I kissed your cheek one last time and then sped you away on the wings of Desna. During the solemn ceremony, I almost wished you had never come to the town of Sandpoint. Then I saw the tears in the eyes of the townspeople you helped saved and saw how much you meant to them. I was never so proud to be your wife as I was at that moment. I shall endeavor to lead by your example and help where I may. I will continue to write to you and cast the ashes of my letters to the wind so that they may find you. If death should find me along this adventure, I pray to fall into your arms again soon in the Otherworld.
- Until the Next We Meet, Your Ever Faithful Wife, E
My Lovely Epshi,
This morning, after sleeping on the issues at hand, we decided to head to Magnimar via Soril’s wizardly ways. Before we traveled, we healed ourselves from our harrowing confrontation of the day before. Once we arrived in the city, we went about informing the officials of the impending attack on Sandpoint and gathered what equipment we could afford for the protection of the town. I do not know if any help will be sent from Magnimar since all that could be spared have been sent to reinforce Fort Rannick. May Desna smile upon us.
- Love, LIR
Neth 16, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
This morning, after Soril had prepared his spells for the day, we transported to Sandpoint to ready their defenses and train the citizens for emergency situations. Unfortunately, the fortifications of the town were not designed with giants in mind. Against dragons, what can one do? Perhaps if some of our people could come to the aid of Sandpoint using their arcane artistry we might stand a better chance. This town could use all the help it can get.
- LIR
Neth 17, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
Today, we called up the militia and began training them with simple combat techniques. I doubt it will do much good. The mere sight of a stone giant will send the population into panic, and for good reason. There is little any of them will be able to do against such foes.
- LIR
Neth 18, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
Today we spent most of our time counseling the town council and informing the guards of the best ways to defend against giants. I wish we could have given them more help as to what to expect from a dragon, but none of us have any experience with them. The help of the elves would be most appreciated at this time.
- LIR
Neth 19, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
Today, we ran drills with the citizens who volunteered to form a fire brigade. I must admit they looked very impressive. This town has a ferocious will when it comes to defending themselves. Perhaps our odds are better than I initially feared.
- LIR
Neth 20, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
We have started taking turns on the town watch, looking for signs of the incoming attack. I will go on duty shortly, taking a one-hour watch at each of the four hastily-constructed towers guarding the perimeter of the town. Warning bells have been installed and I believe we are ready as we will ever be for whatever may await us.
- LIR
Neth 21, 4707 – Early Evening
E,
I suppose no news is good news, except for the fact that we know an attack is imminent. At this point, we are just waiting out the calm before the storm. Unfortunately, that gives everyone, including myself, time enough to contemplate their fears.
- LIR
Neth 22, 4707 – Early Evening
My Darling Epshi,
The more idle time I have, the more I think about the events in my life that have led me to this point. Lady Luck has certainly smiled upon me these last twenty years. Spending most of that time with you has been my greatest pleasure in life. It seems strange that a sudden cavalier urge for some adventure would bring me to the defense of a town I barely know – a town that looks up to me, of all people, as a hero…and for no other reason than because I got into a street fight with a goblin. Traveling up rivers, climbing mountains, exploring haunted houses, fighting goblins, ghouls, giants, ogres, and sociopathic redheads were certainly not things I thought I would be doing right now. I suppose Desna has a way of smiling upon you, granting your wishes through the least likely of circumstances…at least until she turns around and laughs at you.
- Until Our Next Meeting, LIR
Neth 23, 4707 – Late Evening
To My Noble Lord Erynrel,
I regret I must bring you ill tidings on this day about your son, whom we affectionately called Illya. Though he fought valiantly and bravely, winning the day and protecting the humans of Sandpoint, he did not survive the brutal attack on the town. Upon my arrival in the town this afternoon, too tardy in my coming to render aid during the fight, I made the acquaintance of Illya’s companions of these last few months: a human wizard, a half-human archer, a demon-child dabbler of the arcane, a not-quite-human female paladin, and a cranky dwarf. Graciously, they recounted the events of the day, which I will endeavor to summarize for you herein.
This morning, the half-human woman, Lai’Ki, was at one of the northern guard towers. Off in the distance, about 200 feet away, she saw a handful of giant-sized humanoids near a rocky outcropping. She immediately ordered the sounding of the alarm bells and horns. The ranger observed the giants as they crept closer. She then saw a big flying creature approach from the north. After a few seconds, the archer finally got a good view of the dragon: it was red. She then relocated to the other watch tower guarding the northern approach. After the dragon flew overhead, the five giants to the north started attacking the gate. The valiant ranger put up a defense of the northern tower, shooting the giants as they came. I commented on how impressed I was with her bow skills, based on the evidence I had seen upon entering the town. The giants made it to the north gate and attacked the defenders, wounding the half-human and killing another guard by impaling him on a spear. The steady-eyed ranger was able to kill one of them before she was forced to flee into the town, dragging another guardsman behind her.
While all of this was happening at the northern part of town, the demon-child, named Xingnala, was out at the southern tower guarding a bridge. About the time the dragon made its appearance, the demon spawn saw two stone giants and three very large bears approach the town. He threw a bomb on the bears and flew away, leaving the guard to fend for himself. The giants then threw stones at him as he flew, injuring him, then moved across the river and headed toward the market district. The demon child attempted to track down the bears and kill one of them, eventually accomplishing his task before trying to join up with the rest of the party.
Meanwhile, your son and the rest of his partners were still sleeping in bed when the alarm sounded. Once awakened, the human helped clad the dwarf in armor while Illya helped armor the female. When the dragon arrived above the city, it proceeded to torch the town a house at time. With that, the town erupted into chaos, though the well-trained fire brigade started working immediately. It was at that point that Illya and his friends emerged from the inn. The four of them moved toward the north to reinforce the gate. As they hustled north through town, the dragon flew directly overhead. The paladin tried to shoot it with an arrow, but nearly hit the dwarf instead. Just as they approached the temple square, they came around the corner of a street to find the dragon alight on the Sandpoint temple. The dragon spread its wings and roared deafeningly, placing the general populace into panic. Soon afterwards, the giants broke through the north gate and started rampaging though the town. When the human wizard Soril saw that, he shot a fireball at the gate, hoping to limit the number of giants pouring into the town. After that, the dragon swooped down to the ground and starting devouring the panicking people that crossed its path. Not able to stand the sight of innocents dying, the paladin named Ryll ran toward the dragon. Illya’s crossbow shots at the dragon all missed. The mage used a combination of readied spells and a magical wand, but they did not seem to do anything to the dragon. The dwarf and the paladin enlarged themselves in attempt to combat the dragon’s size advantage and engaged the dragon in hand-to-claw fighting. The paladin was able to inflict some massive damage, while the dwarf was never able to land a solid blow. At one point, the dragon then breathed fire on the group. Illya, as usual, escaped unharmed, dodging out of the way. The dwarf was able to brush most of it away through his magical protections, but the paladin took the brunt of the attack.
As luck would have it, the half-human ranger arrived on the scene at that point and started shooting magical arrows at the dragon. The dragon was obviously a formidable foe, at various times rendering all of its nearby enemies unconscious. The demon-spawn bomber finally showed up and hurled flasks of acid at the fire-breathing dragon. The dragon then breathed his last breath of flame at the demon-child, scorching him. However, Lai’Ki got within accurate range and heroically shot the dragon in the back of the neck with a magical arrow, killing the foul beast.
When the party killed the dragon, many of the townsfolk started cheering. Despite the battle still raging in other parts of the city, it was a major morale victory for the town. Shortly thereafter, a contingent of townsfolk showed up to render aid. The priest Father Zantus, the proprietress Ameiko Kaijitsu, Sheriff Hemlock, a handful of guards, and some acolytes were able to take control of the town square. They were able to heal some of the party, at least enough for the party to heal itself. Hemlock apprised them that stone giants had breached the north gate and crossed both bridges to the east. He also said that there was a great deal of commotion in the market district in the south of town. Your son’s group all decided to take care of the immediate threat at the north gate.
Several seconds later, they caught up to the giants harassing the northern part of the town. The ranger and the mage attacked them at range until they ducked behind a few buildings for cover. The rest of them then engaged them in melee. They were rather easily defeated, though they took their toll, particularly on Illya with one well-placed hit.
When they had finished with them, everyone in the city heard the unmistakable sound of a stone giant war horn coming from the area near an old ruined structure near the shore. Arriving on the scene, the heroes found four stone giants, one holding a pick in each hand and wearing a horn attached to his belt. A battle ensued. The positions became confused and obfuscated, with allies positioning themselves in and amongst the enemy. At one point, the giants knocked Illya and the dwarf off their feet, and wounded the bomber and the mage all within seconds of each other. The paladin healed herself and your son and then moved to help the cleric Tolgun. Illya stood up and tried to move out of the fight, having been damaged repeatedly, planning to regroup in a more defensive position, but one of the giants charged after him, knocking him down again. The mage moved out of the fight as well, teleporting onto the roof of a nearby house. The ranger and the demon spawn hit the leader with ranged attacks killing him. While the paladin was busy healing herself and the cleric, the giants turned to flee the area after seeing their leader defeated. However, Desna wept and your brave son Illya was in their path and he was crushed underfoot, killing him. It was only seconds later that the invasion was over and the cleanup process began.
By all reports, your son died a hero, in the protection of others. I can only hope this information gives you some solace and acceptance of his untimely death. Out of fondness for your son, I have resolved to continue his mission, so I will be staying in Sandpoint and lending my aid to his comrades in their struggles against the enemies of Varisia. I hope to see you again soon.
- Your Loving Daughter-In-Law, Epi’shalaya “Epshi” Rycesh
Neth 25, 4707 – Late Morning
My Dearest Love,
I suppose I arrived in Sandpoint too late. Two days ago, as I neared the town, billows of smoke wafted into the afternoon air. A giant, a half dozen arrows protruding from its corpse, lay slain next to the north gate. The gates themselves hung loosely from their hinges. As I entered the town, I asked a local citizen for your whereabouts. She pointed to the temple and wordlessly went about clearing from the street the rubble that was presumably once her home. As I entered the temple, I was unprepared for what awaited me. As I saw your bruised and broken body lying in state, I was so overcome with emotion that I fell to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. Though I had always known I would long outlive you, I had hoped to share more of our lives together. After what seemed like hours of crying, the kindly Father Zantus came over to console me. I introduced myself and asked him what had happened. About that time, a human, a half-elf, a demon child, an attractive not-quite-human female, and a stinking dwarf entered the room. Father Zantus explained that they could tell the story of the battle better than he could. They then told me of the circumstances surrounding your last day.
As your friends told the story of your heroic death, tears welled in my eyes again. This time I was able to choke them back and I thanked them for the news. I introduced myself as Epi’Shalaya, your wife, and that they probably knew me as Epshi. Grateful for the camaraderie they provided to you over the past months, I allowed them to continue calling me by the more familiar name. Except the dwarf – I demanded he call me Widow Rycesh instead.
Still grateful for the service the group provided for all Varisia and knowing how much this quest meant to you, I volunteered my aid to the party, suggesting I accompany them and continue the service you provided. I explained that I was quite accomplished at the use of a blade and I might even be able to teach the wizard a thing or two, though I imagine he will be the one tutoring me based on your esteem of him. With that and a few introductions, we returned to the task at hand: the cleanup of the town.
In the aftermath of the invasion, it became clear that quite a number of citizens died and a surprising number of them have gone missing. We think the giants absconded with them during their raid. A few buildings have been damaged and some looting has been done. We were eventually able to drive off the dire bears rampaging through the town and we collected what valuable equipment the giants left behind. The stone giant leader, had a large stone that looked like a piece of the Old Light ruin. Soril surmised that he wanted to interrogate the stone for information since these particular giants can speak with them. Hemlock informed us that they had also taken a stone giant prisoner.
Our first task was then to interrogate the captive: a lone captured stone giant, whose attitude was quite surly. Ryll attempted to play nice with it, improving its attitude, though I think I would have tried a more aggressive approach. The injured giant was a wealth of useful information. He said his leader’s name was Teraktinus and they were sent on a mission by his lord Mokmurian. They were to gather a stone from an old ruin near the shore, presumably so they could probe its history using some ritualistic magic. The rest of the party recognized the name of the leader from the note they found on Hook Mountain that was signed “M,” presumably by this Mokmurian. When asked to describe Mokmurian to us, the captive spouted something about him being one of the dark giants of old come again. He said he has convinced many tribes that they will rule the lowlands again and that he has mastered the ancient arts. He described these powers as the magic of the ancient lords: the ability to turn the living into immobile stone and turn his own flesh into granite armor; to cause the very stones of the world to quicken and pull those atop them into a tomb below the earth. He also said that a full-scale invasion by Mokmurian would be coming soon.
We inquired about Mokmurian’s base of operations. We were not able to pinpoint its exact location, but it is located in the Iron Peaks of the Storval Plateau. He calls his fortress Jorgenfist, a name that provokes mixed emotions among the giants of the plateau. It is a few days travel from the Storval Stairs. We gained some incomplete knowledge of its defenses and troop layout, but we gained no more useful knowledge from the prisoner.
Tired from their ordeal of the day, the party retired to rest and plan their next moves. I spent the evening in the temple, keeping the Rite of the Last Vigil with you, as was the custom of your mother’s people.
The following morning, the party reconvened to discuss matters. The dwarf suggested we interrogate Teraktinus himself. When confronted with the fact that that particular giant was now dead, he said it was not problematic. Tolgun simply cast a spell on the corpse and we were able to communicate with it. The dead giant said he was tasked with bringing back a rock from the circular ruin in Sandpoint, so Mokmurian and another giant named Conna could speak with it. The corpse did not know the importance of the rock or if Mokmurian was working for someone else.
Soril told us that in order to talk to a rock, we would need the aid of a powerful druid, and that we might find such a person in or near Magnimar. We therefore teleported to the City of Monuments with several tasks in hand. Firstly, we informed the lord mayor of the attack on Sandpoint and the continued threat that the giants maintain on all Varisia. We then consulted a druid who was able to cast a spell on the stone we recovered, allowing us to communicate with it. It is a funny sensation, speaking with a rock, allowing it to communicate directly with your mind. The stone told us that it was once part of a war machine, a tower of great proportion that could hurl fire many miles, operated by humans and giants. Under the rubble of the now ruined tower is a well and water. The tower was destroyed in an earthquake and the slow rot of time. We did not get anything else useful from the stone, but it is clear Mokmurian was after something with great magical power.
While we were in Magnimar, we sold what equipment we did not need and bought some more useful items for our proposed sojourn into the heart of Varisia and our assault on Jorgenfist. We also enlisted the aid of a mage who could teleport us ahead of the giants returning from their raid. After studying the map some more, we decided to try to teleport to the village of Ravenmoor, the closest settlement to the Storval Stairs, in the hopes of heading off the giants along their retreat.
We then went back to Sandpoint to talk to the Thassilonian expert Broderick Quink. He said that the information we learned from the stone confirms his theories, that the Old Light was an ancient Thassalonian ruin probably built by giants. It was a larger tower that he thinks was used as a border defense device that could spray fire or some other element many miles into the neighboring Thassalonian fiefdom. The barons of Thassalon did not always get along, and he thinks the fiefdom that existed in the lowlands of Varisia and another fiefdom that now lies at the bottom of the ocean were enemies. Quink also reported that different scholars have theorized that Thassalon was a very advanced magical kingdom and that they recognized seven schools of magic – divination was excluded. The ruler of each fiefdom was a specialist in one school of magic. We realized we found a necromancer on Hook Mountain and Mokmurian sounded like a transmuter. That left five other wizards of great power we may possibly face.
We spent the rest of the day making preparations for our journey. I again spent the night in the presence of your body in the temple of Sandpoint. This morning, at dawn, we had your funeral. When you were placed upon the pyre, I kissed your cheek one last time and then sped you away on the wings of Desna. During the solemn ceremony, I almost wished you had never come to the town of Sandpoint. Then I saw the tears in the eyes of the townspeople you helped saved and saw how much you meant to them. I was never so proud to be your wife as I was at that moment. I shall endeavor to lead by your example and help where I may. I will continue to write to you and cast the ashes of my letters to the wind so that they may find you. If death should find me along this adventure, I pray to fall into your arms again soon in the Otherworld.
- Until the Next We Meet, Your Ever Faithful Wife, E
