Campaigns

Back to the Burning Star

The Banewarrens, Part 12

Players/Characters Present:
Bruce Barnett - Bonzimir Amantes (Rog6/Hlf3)
Barbara Muth - Nereida Amantes (Clr9)  and Elida ( KSK6)
Tim Chan - Demetrios Amantes (Wiz 6/Hum3)
Michael Burgio - Marcus Asinus (Ftr1/ KSK7)
Nora Dunn - Laelia Parvula (Mnk8)

Having returned from the Quaan, the Company of the Starborn saw the devastation wrought by Charch-Pahn on the Chapel of St. Thessina.  They quietly returned to their home and discussed whether to contact either the Great Church or the Inverted Pyramid.  Concerned about the Sword of Lies, they decided to keep a low profile and contact neither. 

Nereida spent the next day identifying the magic items looted from the Quann, while Bonzimir and Demetrios sought out buyers for the more mundane items recovered.  Demetrios returned to Marcian's Oddities, where he ogled some of the rarer items, but settled for purchasing a fair number of spell scrolls and potions (largely Mage Armor and Magic Weapon for Laelia).  Bonzimir was again frustrated in his quest for an enchanted suit of halfling-sized leather armor.

Nereida sent Elida out to search for a smith who could create a magic weapon for Nereida.  Elida found the dwarven smith Maddan, who offered for sale a morningstar enchanted with the elements of ice and cold (a +1 Frost Heavy Morningstar).  He also let it be known that he knew the secrets of Thunder, and could build a Thundering weapon (or add that quality to a weapon). 

During the day, Nereida managed to identify the looted items as a +1 dagger of returning, javelins of lightning, and a variety of potions.  She was also able to determine a special quality of the second part of the staff of shards - when a potion is poured over the rod, it is absorbed and then its power released on whomever it touches - a rod of potion touch.  Later that day, Demetrios identified the boots as winged boots. (The dagger was sold, and the javelins and boots were both given to Marcus on the theory that he was best suited to use them).

Laelia and Marcus spent the day going through the papers they had looted from the Pactlords.  In addition to the basic plan (find the Black Grail, conquer the world), they also discovered the makeup of the third Grailquest Team - it included Ferendis, a half-fiend red dragon and Vo-Nul the phase spider, as well several less disturbing members.  Perhaps most importantly, it identified the plan of two Pactlords (Li the phasm and Saarachk the aranea) to disguise themselves as harmless humans, infiltrate the Company of the Starborn and kill the members one by one.

The next day, the Company returned to Maddan's smithy and Demetrios negotiated with the dour smith for the sale of the morningstar.  They also paid half in advance for the forging of a Thundering rapier for Bonzimir and a Thundering guisarme for Elida.

They also visited Professor Herminius to warn him that the Pactlords new his name.  Herminius was able to identify the races of Li and Saarachk.  A "phasm" is an amorphous creature of evil, capable of taking on any form it can conceive.  Although not terribly dangerous in its native form, its very mutability makes it deadly.  An "aranea" is an intelligent spider-like creature that can assume a variety of humanoid forms and is thought to be quite intelligent.  Nereida left a copy of the Pactlords's papers with the Professor.

On the third day, the Company finally returned to the Outer Vaults of the Banewarrens.  The paladins guarding the entrance informed them that several members of the Order of the Dawn were already in the Banewarrens.  The Company discovered to their surprise that the wall of force was back in place, as was the cold trap.  Geristonomos was nowhere to be seen.  Proceeding to the upper portion of the Outer Vaults, the Company was again confronted with only two ways to proceed: a warded door and the "airlock" into the flooded room.  The warded door now stood open. 

Entering the room beyond, Bonzimir discovered the hard way that the floor was trapped with an electrical trap.  After receiving some healing, he disabled the trap, then discovered another on the stairs beyond.  Disabling that, he led the party to a room at the top of the stairs dominated by a large pit.  Over the pit hung a black iron chain and from the chain was suspended a blackened cuirass and vamraces from a suit of plate mail.  As Bonzimir approached, a ghostly image filled the armor - an ancient, haughty face.  "What are you simpletons doing here?" it demanded.  "Flee now, while you still can!"

Demetrios suggested that there seemed to be little that a trapped ghost could do, and the figure became enraged, but Bonzimir quickly calmed him down (natural "20" on the Diplomacy roll!).  Explaining that they sought to close the Banewarrens, the Company asked for help.  Duly mollified, the ghost explained that it was the soul of Tirranth, a thoroughly evil warlord from a time long before the rise of the Empire.  He bragged of the nations he'd exterminated and the mighty who had bowed down to him.  When his own lieutenant rose up to assassinate him, Tirranth's hate cursed him to remain in the armor after death.  For centuries, he possessed the wearer of the armor and, while giving the wearer great powers, forced him to carry out unspeakable acts.  Now, though, Tirranth is tired.  His hate has waned and he wants nothing more than release from the armor, even though he knows it will condemn him to torment in the lower planes.  Tirranth agreed to teach the Company about Banewarrens if they would agree to perform a ritual to release him.

While Nereida retreated to perform a ritual of Divination, the others questioned Tirranth about the location of several banes and the best route to the Sealing Rod.  Tirranth told them that the Sword of Lies is in a vault 120 feet up in "Tremoc Korin", the Baneheart.  It is guarded by a massive iron golem.  The Sealing Rod lies 1200 feet up the Baneheart, in an open vault, guarded by "the remnants of Eslathagos Malkith's evil."  The Black Grail is nearby.  The third part of the staff of shards lies beyond the Baneheart in a place known as "the Dread One's Path".  The ghost also told them that there were dozens of "Inner Vaults" and hundreds of lesser vaults off of the Baneheart, but that it was unnecessary to enter most of these to reach the Sealing Rod.   The route to the Baneheart lay through the Inner Vaults "beyond a secret door, into the Inner Vaults.  Past "the Conflagration" to another hidden door, then past "the Sleeping King" to the Baneheart."

Nereida's used the divination spell to ask for divine guidance on whether performing Tirranth's ritual would place their quest or the city in danger.  The divine messengers returned with a heavenly voice, saying "The righteous need not fear Evil's just reward."  Taking this as a positive sign, the Company prepared to free Tirranth.  The final question they asked him was how to find the secret door to the Inner Vaults.  Tirranth told them to "look beyond the flooded chamber".  Following his instructions, the Company knelt and chanted the evil warlord's name three times, then sprinkled holy water into the pit and Nereida cast a blessing on the armor.  With a sigh, Tirranth began to fade from view, but not before the Company saw the sudden fear and horror on his face as he was drawn at last to his everlasting reward. 

The Company discussed what they had learned.  An iron golem guards the Sword of Lies.  Demetrios knew that only a weapon made of adamantium could injure such a construct, and he knew of no such weapons.  An effective deterrent to anyone seizing the Sword.  They decided to deal with that knowledge later, and to return to the flooded chamber. 

After examining it for awhile through the airlocks, it was decided that they best course would be to drain the room by opening the valve below, and fight the giant octopi there.  However, just as they were preparing to head downstairs, a distant crash caught Laelia's ears (thanks to her cloak of whispers) and the water began to drain rapidly from the flooded chamber.  Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity, the Company opened the airlock and rushed into the now-drained room.  There were three pits in the floor, corresponding to the two glass tubes below and the valve.  However, one of the pits corresponding to a glass tube was empty, and sounds of combat could be heard from below.  The Company understood that the paladins of the Order of the Dawn (which they jokingly referred to as "Swordquest Team #1) had smashed one of the tubes in order to take on the octopi one at a time.  "Damn," said Bonzimir.  "We didn't think of that.  The paladins are smarter than us!"  At that point, the second octopus attacked from the still-flooded pit, seizing Marcus and nearly squeezing the life out of him.  But the Company slew the beast quickly.

Hearing the combat above, the a female voice called up.  It was Lady Severa, a paladin, and she offered to join forces with the Company if they would wait for her team.  The Company agreed to this, but while they waited for the paladins, they discussed their misgivings about the Great Church's mission.  While only Demetrios actively feared the return of the Sword of Lies (and Marcus pointed out that it -might- be the legendary holy sword known as the Sword of Truth), all were uncomfortable with the Church's shift in priorities.

The Company decided to inspect the room beyond the flooded chamber's second airlock.  In it, they discovered a single heavy chain leading into the ceiling and hidden trap door in the floor.  Pulling the chain had no obvious effects, so the Company decided to backtrack and see whether anything had changed in the other rooms.  Eventually, in the northern part of the Outer Vaults, they discovered an open door where none had been before.  They formulated a plan: They would tell the paladins of the now-open door and would themselves return to the trap door, reasoning that this might be shortcut to the Inner Vaults, while the paladins would take the longer route.

When the paladins arrived, introductions were made.  The team included not only Lady Severa, but Kalerecent, a paladin well known to the team, as well as an elven paladin/sorcerer, a burly female warrior and a female cleric.  The paladins then entered the new door and immediately began opening vault doors, to the horror of the Company, especially Nereida, who lectured them on the dangers of releasing the Banes.  "We understand the dangers, lady Amantes," Severa told her, "and we too are saddened by what we must do.  But we have sworn to recover the Sword of Truth or die trying.  The prophecy says that the Church will need the Sword to survive the coming darkness, and so we must perforce act for the greater good.  Our order will hunt down any banes that escape, but for now, we must find the Sword of Truth."

"Also," added Kalerecent, "the Pactlords and your 'Lady of Shadows' can open the vaults without us.  We are not aiding them at all."

Unhappy, the Company left the paladins to their quest and returned to the trap door.  Unfortunately, what they discovered was merely a route around the flooded chamber, not a route to the Inner Vaults and so, reluctantly, they followed the paladins.  They found that the paladins had opened three vaults.  The first contained a floating mummified hand, the second a floating sphere that contained a roiling greenish gas and the third contained nothing at all.  Beyond this, the Company found a room that bore obvious signs of combat, including a ruined ornamental screen.  A quick look around revealed an arrow drawn in chalk and pointing to the north wall.  Bonzimir quickly found a secret door there an the Company stepped through, hot on the trail of the paladins.

In the long corridor beyond, the Company encountered an area warded by runes.  Demetrios identified these as part of a forbiddance spell, a ward designed to harm those of a different outlook than the caster.  Experimentation quickly proved that the caster (probably Danar) was lawful good, because Laelia was unharmed while the others all took damage crossing the area.  Beyond that, the encountered a ghostly image of Danar, begging them to turn back, rather than risk releasing the horrible banes beyond.  Finally, the again encounted the paladins.

Severa told them that they had not found the Sword, and had left the banes where they were.  However, they were attacked by a huge air elemental which badly injured them.  They had to drive off a second elemental before they realized that they decorative screen in the room was summoning them.  Destroying the screen had stopped any more elementals from coming.  The paladins had stopped in this room because it contained a Sealed Door, and they could go no farther.  They had decided to rest and heal here.

Severa told Nereida that she knew the Company was worried about what the paladins might release.  She assured the priestess that her group would try to do as little harm as possible, and could even act as allies to the Company.  The Company agreed not to oppose the paladins, and told them that Tirranth had said the Sword lay beyond the Inner Vaults in the Baneheart.  Severa doubted information provided by an evil spirit, but said that they would look for a way to this "Baneheart".

[GM's Note: The decision not to directly team up with the paladins was a bit of (perhaps necessary) metagaming.  Running combats with that many teammates could take a very long time).] 

Nereida took out the Hand of Danar (which the paladins clearly regarded as creepy) and opened the door to the Inner Vaults.  And here the story paused....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1) What is "the Conflagration"?

2) Who is "the Sleeping King"?

3) Was Tirranth telling the truth?

4) Will the paladins prove helpful?

5) Where is Geristonomos?

6) Where is Navanna?

7) Where can the Company get adamantium weapons?

Tune in Next Time!

Back to the Burning Star

Forward to The Banewarrens, Part 13