A Date with the Devil...

After finishing up their stint as high-paid delivery boys, the group returns to Caer Callidyrr with lots of questions and only a few answers. At High King Keane’s request Stolig temporarily assumes the post of Royal Engineer. The Protectorate joins him on his first assignment- to investigate the odd sightings at Irphong and rescue the amateur adventurers sent there to investigate. The king’s nephew was the mage in that party and the king has been unable to scry on the young man.

The party departs for Irphong on board The Last Elixir and rows a longboat to shore, as experience has taught Glar to anchor his ship a good distance from the island. The portal atop the high tower is once again active and the party witness an Ogre fall to his death, before they take refuge in the basement of the ruin to formulate a plan. Elrose’ feathered friend flies to the top of the tower to give the group an idea of the nature of their foes. From the description, Stolig give the group the bad news: their foe is an Erinyes, a devilish scout from the Nine Hells of Bator

He outlines a plan and it gains momentum as input from the group fleshes out the details. Then they go into action:

• Milo swims to The Last Elixir to warn Glar to leave the area temporarily and return in two days to look for a signal that the Protectorate has survived. He encounters an imp (which the group later kills before it can betray their basement hideaway).


• Amaren, Uuldegger and Hakim search out the Ogre tribe beneath the dangerous ruins and convince the hulking beasts to aid the Protectorate in vanquishing a common foe.


• Cloud, Elrose and his sorceress familiar keep an eye on the skies, watching the Erinyes patrol the area from hidden locations.


• Stolig prepares spells that will prepare the group and their weapons for their battle with the deadly outsider.


• Thorik drinks and searches the crumbling basement to the west, returning with a nicely crafted warhammer.

The next day, Amaren calls out the devil and battle ensues! A solid team-based combat effort, wise spell selection, quick thinking, unshakeable faith and just a pinch of luck keep the group alive until the Erinyes falls from the sky, a bolt from Hakim’s crossbow embedded in her heart. The plan had been to render the vile beast unconscious to have her available for interrogation, but the 80 foot fall ruins the final piece of an otherwise flawless combat.

No matter, the answers flow just as willingly from a dead body and the group learns priceless information about a long-dormant portal network in western Faerün and a possible connection to one of Stolig’s disgruntled but talented kinsman.

Still in his role as Royal Engineer, Stolig takes his next assignment (investigating excavation accidents in Moray) and the Protectorate agree to accompany him on his journey to the strange island...

More catching up...

I wished to continue my summary of recent events, but after reading Amaren's post I think that this area has been covered well (many thanks, Chris). Bring yourself up to speed here.

Instead, we'll talk about your individual characters and where things are at:

Amaren Corinath: Though the world is filled with evil and deceit, the young paladin is finding that there are those who find his example inspiring and thought-provoking. While he stands (sometimes alone) in his fortress of righteousness, the evil around him are finding their position a bit less defensible and are starting to question their allegiances. His unwavering position has also caught the eye of many on the other side of the alignment fence and his immediate trustworthiness is opening doors to resources that might otherwise be unavailable. Now, if we could just give him several ranks in ‘Confidence’…

Cloud Strife: This tiny creature is finding the adventuring life to his liking. Good pay, lots of travel, interesting trinkets and a birds eye view when the axes begin swinging- what's not to like? The rest of the Protectorate regard him with caution- his formidable powers continue to grow, and what do they really know about this creature anyway? Ah well, Amaren trusts him and if Amaren accepts him, he must be okay, right?

Elrose Elwood: The impatient, abrupt, young sorcerer has just found out that the familiar he summoned is, in reality, a sorceress and summoner of some talent. Through some malady she was killed and a kind-hearted (but misguided) druid reincarnated her as a bird. She hopes to regain her former elven form and believes that Elrose has the potenial to help her. With a powerful, but somewhat helpless ally as a familiar for now, Elrose has a choice to make: Listen to his inner voice and tell her to get lost or overcome some personal issues and help her regain her former self. Stay tuned…

Milo Quickfist: Enthusiastic and well-intentioned (if not the brightest sunrod in the bunch), Milo will readily become the group's rogue, scout, spokesman, reference desk, fighter and anything else that they have a need for, despite his disadvantages in some areas. If this young monk can ever channel his enthusiasm into his strengths rather than his weaknesses, he may reach his full potential as a valued member of the team. Until then, the rest of the group remains puzzled why this young man chooses to struggle as a poor engineer or diplomat when he could become a great monk.

Stolig Blimth: A bit disillusioned, the talented gnome is seeking employment elsewhere. Although he is happy with his time spent crafting as the group continues their adventures, there appears to be little demand for his wide knowledge base and craft skills within the Protectorate. He is beginning to believe that the party only keeps him around for his ability to heal, a tiny portion of his skill set. Like all adventurers, he would like to find a position where he can realize his full potential.

Thorik Ironhand: Always partial to fine ale (and what dwarf isn't?) Thorik's drinking has begun to affect his adventuring skills, but no one in the party sees the need to intervene yet. He has heard word that his brother (a bit less scrupulous than Thorik) is engaged in activities that will smudge the family name and he's trying his best to stay on the straight and narrow path to keep his clan's name held in high regard.


Xelritch Faeonil: After a close call in the warehouse district, Xel has made the noble decision to tackle his bounty-hunter problem alone, before another party member is hurt because of his past. He tracks the bugbear bounty hunter Aglaar, who has never once found his prey and returned home empty handed- until now. Hopefully Xel can follow the trail all the way back to Sythillis himself.

Catching up...

After delivering their package to High King Keane and High Queen Alicia Kendrick in the imperial palace at Caer Callidyrr, the party receives their payment and dines with the royal couple. The royal family is impressed enough with their performance to offer them a similar task- deliver a pair of invitations to the Feast of the Moon to King Dagdar of Moray and King Thelgaar Ironhand of Oman's Isle. Sounds pretty simple. The catch: both invitations must reach their intended receipients or neither can be delivered. To deliver a single invitation would be viewed as 'taking sides' and politically would plunge the region into war. This is to be accomplished with a pair of 'signal stones' provided by King Keane.

Xel, Milo, Amaren and Og (a hired sword) head for Moray on board The Last Elixir with the royal dwarven Engineer. The ship is attacked en-route by a group of harpies whose intent (which they succeed at) is to prevent the dwarven engineer from reaching Moray. When one is captured, the party interrogates her and uncovers shady dealings and mysterious deaths that seem to implicate Aldem Dagdar, prince of Moray.

Arriving in Moray, they attempt to learn more, but are stymied when Dilson, the town historian, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. A scrap of paper found in the dead man's hand only adds additional questions to an already puzzling conundrum. They wait until their signal stone glows to deliver their invitation to King Dagdar. Cautiously they broach the subject of a criminal in the royal family, but make no ground with the king without concrete evidence. With a few more clues, but still more questions than answers, they return to Caer Callidyrr.

Meanwhile, the balance of the party lands on Oman's isle and arrives as an open portal allows an odd band of creatures to terrorize a local village. Defeating the abyssal visitors, they gather what information they can about the portal and proceed to the Iron Keep, stronghold of King Ironhand and wait at the land-side gates of the Keep. Once their signalstone glows, the king is given the invitation and their job is complete. They return to Caer Callidyrr.

The activation of two portals that had been silent for centuries is too much of a coincidence for the group and Stolig and Milo search for information on Portals and the foremost expert in the field- Lauren Calli.

Stolig remembers a story told to him by the talkative halfling bard, Willimac Lanewalker, that places Lauren in (you guessed it) Caer Callidyrr.

What luck.