Lucian was tasked by the Grand Mages of Balepeak to travel to Wolrost, and stumbled upon the adventurers Poggy Woggy and Ana.
The adventurers all make their way to Wolrost, and happen upon a festival on their way into town. A mysterious bard was found playing extraordinary music on his piano on stage in front of a crowd, and after his performance walks towards the food. Lucian and Ana approach the bard and congratulate him, to which he reveals his name to be Aaron Urn. Poggy Woggy inquires what this festival happens to be celebrating, and is informed by a commoner that they are in ToshoCon, to which Aaron elaborates that it is a convention for libraries. Many people have traveled far and wide in search of the rarest books, most of which can only be found here.
As Lucian attempts to critique the historical inaccuracies of a "History of Balepeak" book he had found, a yell was heard from a nearby tent. Lucian finished his notetaking and dashed to the tent with the other adventurers, and found a group of six goblins that had surrounded a quivering man in a chef's outfit. He promised gold for their help in defeating the goblins, and thus they swiftly vanquished the enemies.
The man revealed himself to be Perrywinkle Cobblepot, and offered some of his "Gold Award" soup as payment. Poggy Woggy demanded monetary payment, and started threatening Cobblepot if not paid. Following an altercation with Ana, Poggy Woggy departed the tent. Perrywinkle Cobblepot proceeded to calm down, and then explained that he could split the prize money of a nearby food competition with the adventurers, which was negotiated to 75% going to the adventurers. Ana quickly accepted the deal, and starts the A Watched Pot Never Boils quest.
In Search of Ingredients
12/11/2020
As the adventurers were leaving ToshoCon, they were informed that they should stop by Glassport to inquire further about where to find the ingredients. They left Perrywinkle Cobblepot's tent and headed down the central path of ToshoCon. Upon reaching the main road to Wolrost, the adventurers were greeted by a strange figure that seemed quite nervous, maybe even lost. He introduced himself as Yahn, a member of the Paladin Posse. He asked to join the group, as he didn't know his way home. With the new member in tow, they decided to head towards Glassport.
Upon arrival, they stopped at the Glassport Inn and inquired about shipments of vegetables and other assorted foods. The innkeeper wasn't quite sure if she knew about the exact ingredients they wanted, but she pointed them towards the dock workers that might know. After thanking her and paying for rooms, the group decided to split up. Aaron Urn went to practice his flute playing, Lucian went to practice summoning, and Ana wanted to sleep.
However, Yahn decided that he wanted to help, and ran to as many shop keepers as he could. The first shopkeeper he encountered was a gnome, who was quite confused by the inquiry about a "Golden Carrot". He tried his best, but couldn't give Yahn any useful information. Frustrated, Yahn ran to the dock workers that the gnome pointed out who might be able to help him. They were able to give information about the Snowtar Mushrooms, saying that they had to be used quickly or they would wither. Again, Yahn's questions about "Golden Carrots" went unanswered. He went to sleep with little information gained.
After waking, the adventurers went to the innkeeper for breakfast, which was a pancake and egg special for one copper. Thrilled at the chance for a good meal, they all ate their fill. Satisfied with his meal, Aaron turned to Yahn and asked what he had learned the night before. Yahn exitedly recounted the questions he asked of the locals the previous night, and Aaron noticed that Yahn had been asking about "Golden Carrots" instead of "Magic Carrots". Realizing the mistake, Aaron had Yahn guide him to the workers that he had confused the night before. After the clarification, the worker informed Aaron that Magic Carrots were grown exclusively underground by witches, and for further questions he should ask Henry, who usually sat by the fireplace in the Glassport Inn.
Moving back inside, Aaron found Henry by the fireplace and excitedly asked questions about the Magic Carrots. Henry obliged his curiosity and explained that he had recently come back from Litwell, which had started having murmers of a local witch. He explained that Litwell has a storied history with witches, and this isn't out of the ordinary. Lucian sent a raven to the magisters at Frostpeak, and soon enough their reply confirmed this information. Henry explained that he had stayed at the Moonlight Tavern off the main road to Litwell, and they should head there for more information.
The adventurers set off on Lucian's summoned horses towards the Moonlight Tavern, and arrived rather late. The tavern was packed with folks from all over, including a bard that Aaron recognized from his travels to other taverns. The group asked the clearly overworked inkeeper for rooms, and soon noticed a bulletin board listing for a witch. The prize was 200 GP, and to see the inkeeper for more information. They were directed towards a man in the back room, who introduced himself as the local gravekeeper. He noticed that many of his gravestones had been disturbed, and offered to guide the adventurers to the witch's hut.
After being dropped off at the witch's hut, the gravekeeper wished them well and disappeared into the night. The group was soon met with a horde of skeletons and spiders, which they slew with ease. Cautiously approaching the witch's hut, they noticed that there appeared to be an illusion covering a hatch to an underground lair. Descending under the bog, Yahn encountered a trap, which he deftly dodged with quick reflexes. They were met in the next room with an army of fire beetles, which they soon dispatched with their numerous attacks.
From the Witch's Lair to the Necromancer's Crypt
12/18/2020
Continuing through the witch's lair, the group was met with a blob of grey ooze, which was quickly defeated by Lucian's Create Pit spell. Moving past that encounter, the group encountered a riddle set up by the Witch of Litwell to safeguard her room. It read:
One sentence uttered, you may contrive. If truth you speak, then you shall drown. If falsehoods I hear, you'll burn alive.
As the rest of the adventuring party remained stumped, Aaron uttered "This sentence is false." The door, sensing the literary paradox, opened and revealed the witch. She quickly cast Fireball on the group, but was overrun and Ana stabbed her through the face. After looking through the witch's remains, there was a distinct lack of Magic Carrots. This caused them to look even further, and discovered a hidden shaft with lots of loot, a few notes, and loot. There was a note from the witch referencing a necromancer, and a note mentioning a caravan headed to Dusross filled with new recruits for the Paladin Posse.
The group made their way back to the Moonlight Tavern and collected their reward. However, the gravekeeper seemed concerned, and said that his gravesites were still being disturbed, despite the witch being dead. Combined with the mention of the necromancer on the witch's note, they deduced that it must mean the necromancer is responsible for the grave disturbances. They inquired with the mayor of Litwell about the necromancer, and he offered 15 Platinum per person as reward. The group rejoined the gravekeeper, they investigated the disturbed gravesites. The evidence pointed towards necromantic power that surrounded the gravesite of an orc warrior, and they followed the tracks to what appeared to be the necromancer's crypt.
Inside the Crypt
12/22/2020
The adventurers traveled through the lair, encountering hordes of zombies. Yahn distracted the horde while Aaron cast Blistering Invective, which burned all the zombies in short order. Aaron decided to investigate portions of the crypt on his own, and then discovered a large "4" that appeared on the wall behind a large gathering of Orcs. The room also included a sword which appeared to be stuck to a rock. Upon further exploration, the group also discovered two shrines, and an inscription with the writing:
Upon this hill the traitor died, sword in hand, blood in eyes.
Wreathed in bone, the traitor cried, 'Kill the King, leave none alive!'
Thirteen souls with him he took, breaker of swords, their souls he shook.
Here he rests, folly of mind, return the sword, and pass in kind.
The Road to Dusross
1/2/2021
The group moved through the crypt, realizing that the stones combined with the elemental order displayed in the riddle to make a binary code. The riddle mentioned "thirteen souls", and when setting the binary code to the value thirteen unlocked the sword from the stone. When combining the sword with the riddle, the door to the necromancer's crypt unlocked and allowed them to descend the stairs.
When the group turned the corner to face the necromancer, they had their weapons and spells readied, and Yahn Waggu shot the first skeleton he saw. The necromancer walked up to investigate, but as soon as he was in sight, Lucian Staleus summoned a horde of frogs which grappled the necromancer into a newly summoned pit. Yahn Waggu finished him off with a quick shot from his bow, and as soon as he was dead the skeletons collapsed.
Lucian Staleus noticed that the necromancer had a pin which belonged to the Grand Mages of Balepeak and picked it up, which went noticed by Aaron Urn, who said nothing. They traveled back to the Moonlight Tavern and collected their reward. Yahn Waggu met his fellow members of the Paladin Posse and learned about a recruiting station that was paying new recruits 50 gold to sign up. He "learned" that you could put your name down many times to sign up for the Paladin Posse more than once, and got the recruiter to join him on his plan / scheme.
The group traveled with the new recruits up to Dusross and stopped for the night at a tavern on the side of the mountain. There, they met a mysterious woman with an unknown sigil who promised to take them to the guild hall quicker. Using her expertise, they were able to arrive at the guild hall by nightfall.
Yahn, visiting the main hall of his guild, the Paladin Posse, opens the gates and is greeted with the familiar sight of Paladins milling about, practicing their swordplay in the courtyard, and going about their daily tasks. The leader of the guild, Brenden, the Illuminator, greets Yahn and reveals himself to be Yahn's father. They caught up on new adventures, and discussed the highly technical proceedings of acquiring lions to become couriers for the guild. Fascinated by this discussion, Lucian Staleus remarked that he knew a noble name Maria Farquaad that might be able to get them courier lions.
Brenden Waggu, the Illuminator, thoroughly satisfied with the prospect of adding lions to the guild, then sat everyone down. He explains some of his gripes with the other paladins, saying, "Ya know, Chad keeps feeding the horses manure, Brad chugged all the ale in the local tavern, Spencer broke the hay cart again, all normal things."
He looks around to make sure the other paladins aren't listening and says: "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, since we wanted to keep this matter inside the guild. But one of our older members, Paladin Orson, died last week, found burned to a crisp in his room. Our investigators are having difficulties figuring out why he died, though I can't be sure why... The guild, and by extension me, would greatly appreciate any assistance you could lend in getting to the bottom of this. With the proper compensation to show it, of course."
Brenden explained that he could give the group their Dusross spices if they could solve this mystery for him. Aaron Urn talked up the deal to 250 platinum per traveler (except Yahn Waggu who would get his dad's bow) and 3 lions, in addition to the spices, which Brenden Waggu, the Illuminator enthusiastically agreed to with multiple slaps of his ink-stained hand on a picture version of the contract.
Brenden indicates towards another guild member to show them to the body. The investigators blunder about and keep talking about a candle that must have fallen on him. Lucian identifies a scroll the party found as a Scroll of Fireball, but the wording is incorrect and jumbled.
They asked around the Paladin Posse guild hall for information, and received the following:
Chad (Out by the Stables)
"Yeah, I heard about that, but I didn't really see anything. Well, I guess I did see someone walking across the courtyard, but people always do that, right?" Further questioning reveals that he is describing Sullivan
Brad (In the local tavern)
"Was drinking real heavily that night, somehow got back to my room but I woke up with a bruised knee. Don't remember falling, but that's how it goes sometimes."
Sullivan (In the meal hall)
"I was in that swordfight practice that night, saw the flash of light but I thought it was the reflection off my sword. Only heard what happened to Orson after the practice, though I can't say I'm too unhappy. We didn't really get along, always thought he was smarter than everybody else." Spits into the nearby bucket
Iriel (By the fountain)
"Wish I could tell you what happened to him, but I stayed back in the tavern. Was there all night. I feel bad I missed my meeting with Orson, I was supposed to help him with his healing magic but I had a bit too much. After I heard about what happened to him, I must say I felt much worse..."
Cultists and Portals
1/9/2021
The group figures out that Iriel killed Orson and confront her, but she starts crying and explains the whole story. Iriel and Orson were best friends, for many years. Iriel joined the Paladin Posse many years ago, and discovered she had a gift for healing magic. Orson soon took an interest in improving his healing magic, because it helped him keep killing more monsters. He and Iriel soon set up an agreement where she teaches him healing magic, and he helps improve her fighting ability. Iriel soon wanted to start learning how to cast better spells for killing monsters and attempted to write a fireball scroll, but she messed it up and it turned into directing the fireball at the caster. She mixed up the scrolls, and when Orson cast it, he immediately burst into flames and died. Iriel gasped, and realized that she would be excommunicated as soon as the Paladin Posse found out what had happened. So, she came up with the story that she was at the tavern all night, and made sure Spencer saw her there, figuring that Spencer wouldn't be sober enough to think otherwise. She messed up when she bumped into Harold on the way to the tavern, and quickly rushed past him, hoping he wouldn't notice. Later that night, she rifled through her scroll pile and hid the Scroll of Minor Healing under her pillow, hoping nobody would connect the dots. She starts crying, and runs out of the guild hall. When they try to find her outside the gates, she appears to already be gone.
The party had been hearing reports about disturbing dreams and nightmares around the town of Snowtar. Upon investigating, they found a dungeon where they fought some cultists. The party discovered a cultist in a cell, who informed them that he was going to be a sacrifice for the Old Gods. Aaron Urn and Lucian Staleus were able to find out that the portal was being summoned somewhere in Rogcog. However, the cultists had captured Alexia Kartrice, and threatened to kill her unless they yielded themselves to the cultists.
On the trip to the docks, the group runs across Iriel on the road. She explains how she joined the Anti-Paladin Posse, a secret guild of Anti-Paladins that swear to destroy the Paladin Posse and replace their influence with theirs. She traded her healing magic for damaging magic, and quickly became the most feared member of the Anti-Paladin Posse. She then starts the fight against the group as her vengeance. A killing blow is landed, and as Iriel lays dying, she realizes her mistake in turning her back on Iomedae. She requests that they bring her body back to the Paladin Posse's guild hall, to which Yahn agrees to take her sword back instead.
The party then confronted the cultists at the docks and overpowered them. They took control of the ship and sailed to Koghog, and traveled the rest of the way to Rogcog on foot. They attacked the cultists, but when the last cultist was killed, they were all sucked into the portal as it collapsed. When the party looked up, they saw but a few words:
