Real Date: February 11, 2006
Campaign Session: 37
Adventure Session: 21
Campaign: Legacy of the Burning Star
Adventure: The Banewarrens
Theeurth Date: Daarlem 26-Northhale 2, 2806 (Mid-Summer)
Location: The Banewarrens (The Baneheart), Adoria,
Callistus
Players/Characters Present:
Bruce Barnett - Bonzimir Amantes (Rog7/Hlf3)
Barbara Muth - Nereida Amantes (Clr10) and Elida (
KSK8)
Tim Chan - Demetrios Amantes (Wiz 7/Hum3)
Davis Murphy - Basil Amantes (Ftr9)
NPCs - Aulus Hirtius Neverius (Ftr5/Eldritch Warrior 5)
[GM's Note: This was a short session because of a winter
storm that forced the GM to dig a whole lotta snow...]
After some searching, and difficulty with a tricky lock, The
Company determined that they could only get into the next chamber
by opening two doors at once, which they accomplished by having
Bonzimir unlock one and Demetrios use a knock spell on the
other. Inside, they found eight identical longswords
floating in mid-air surrounded by a ruddy glow. Theorizing
that this was like a mirror image spell, Bonzimir struck
one of the swords with a sling bullet. He was right.
The "sword" disappeared, but the bullet came back at him
in a blaze of molten fury that injured him badly. Undaunted
the party began touching swords while Nereida healed their
injuries until at last Basil grasped a real sword.
[GM's Note: Why, I wonder, didn't you use true seeing?]
This was the Sword of Lies. An evil artifact of ancient
days. It had lusted for mage blood for centuries and
immediately ordered Basil to kill Demetrios, then Aulus, and then
the rest of the party. Basil hacked at Demetrios, injuring
him terribly. As the Company sprang to his defense,
Demetrios cast improved invisibility and disappeared.
Elida tried to use her clarity power on Basil, but he cut
her badly and she fell back. Aulus ran up, intending to
grapple Basil, and Basil thrust the Sword of Lies through Aulus's
heart, killing him instantly.
[GM's Note: Poor Aulus fell afoul of a power attack, the
mage-bane ability of the Sword -and- a critical hit. He
survived the raw damage, but as usual, could not survive the
saving throw required for massive damage.]
Seeing that they were in terrible danger, the Company took the
gloves off. Demetrios hit Basil with a lightning bolt,
and moments later, Nereida hit him with a minor meteorite.
Basil was dead and the fight was over.
The Company placed Aulus and Basil in the Bag of Holding, along
with the Sword of Lies (sheathed and manipulated by means of a mage
hand spell.) Demetrios then used teleport to get
them all out, intending to head for the library of Borlamnos in
Callistus, because of their friendship with Julius Ennius, the
Secundus of Borlamnos. However, the energies of the
Banemight sent the spell astray, and they wound up in some
pleasant but unknown woodland obviously far from Callistus.
A second teleport spell also went astray, taking them not
to the library of Borlamnos in Callistus, but to the Dome of
Kardev, the great chief temple of Borlamnos in the eastern city of
Adoria. After apologizing for their sudden appearance in the
midst of Kardev's scholars, the Company retired for the night to
an inn. At the inn, Nereida raised Basil from the dead.
She also cast a commune spell to seek a better
understanding of the Sword of Lies. She learned that it was
both the Sword of Lies and the Sword of Truth (under a curse) and
that she did not have the ability to break the enchantment.
Nor did anyone she knew, including the Primus of Borlamnos (the
religion's high priest). However, someone in the Church of
Borlamnos did. She also learned that Flavia Brassus -does-
know of Aulus's brainwashing.
The next day, Demetrios teleported himself, Basil and Bonzimir to
the temple in Callistus, where they were quickly surrounded by
Knights of the Sacred Keys. Eventually, they were taken
before the Secundus, who agreed to wait while Demetrios went back
for Nereida and Elida. Alas, Demetrios's teleport
went astray again, depositing him in an inn room with several
thieves who were planning a heist. They attacked the
interloper and Demetrios just managed to teleport out again.
Unbelievably, the teleport failed again, and Demetrios was injured
before arriving at long last in Nereida's inn room. After
she healed him again, he teleported them all back to Callistus.
Once ensconced with the Secundus, they told him everything about
their time in the Banewarrens and asked if he knew who in the
church could help them lift the curse from the Sword of Truth.
He considered and said that he might. He offered them the
hospitality of the temple and said that he would speak with them
all again in the morning.
And here the story paused....
1) Who can break the curse on the Sword of
Truth?
2) What should the Company of the Starborn do with the Sword once
the curse is lifted?
3) What created the great roar and the fall of masonry?
4) Can Dukett be killed?
5) Where is the Sealing Rod?
6) Where is the final third of the Staff of Shards?
7) What waits at the top of the Baneheart?
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