We+Strike+Predallen

__We Strike Predallen__
(Nov-08 session)

We met with the Resistance, a waitress at the inn at the crossroads, to learn where to deliver the children when we managed to rescue them. We learned that they were going to hide them with a very mercenary fellow who lived alone nearby. Hunter paid an initial fee to get his cooperation to speed up the process. We later learned that the inn we were staying at was owned by the Ghostmoon's orcish captain and bat friend, and this mercenary was the naked tattooed ogre. I think in the end, the fact that we couldn't kill the ogre saved us from attacking all 3. I also think everyone intends to return and get them later. We also had a report of the orc having "nice" stuff in his personal quarters.

We learned that the road into the box canyon fortress area of the Reds is accessed by a single road. That road meets up with a stream and cuts through a steep canyon before opening into the valley. Old ruined fortifications can be found as the road enters the steep canyon, and the Resistance would meet us there and hide the kids there for awhile until it was safe. The Acolyte, upon hearing our plan, or lack thereof, also decided to wait in the ruins. He supports us in theory, but lacks our confidence in fighting the military arm of the whole island's government, and pissing off a demi-god in the bargain.

We rented 2 wagons from the orc innkeeper/Ghostmoon captain and set out along the road. We passed through the ruins, the canyon, and waited at the mouth of the valley at the other end for darkness. We approached the town around 11pm and came in from the north. We let a hunting party head out unharmed, climbed the wall, and ambushed a pair of guards walking the wall. We attacked another pair of guards wandering the north end of the town, and headed to the main gate, where 2 more guards waited in each of two guard towers there. The first two went down pretty easily from groups entering from below and from the wall, but outside another group was spotted by a bouncer-looking guard near the school. He was held and filled with arrows, but was heard as he went down. A group of 3 guards from across the town started trotting down to our location. The guards in the second tower went down and the scattered characters were rejoining as the three guards arrived. We managed to take them down quickly and again without raising suspicion.

Five of us were now wearing red guard's cloaks and helms, and we headed into the school. We marched through the first building, finding nothing, across a courtyard, and into a second building, the dormitory. Zephyr, in the lead, saw another bouncer and bluffed him initially, but the ragged disguises didn't hold him for long and he attacked. We held him also and dragged him into the courtyard and killed him. We ordered the children to get up, dress, and pack up their belongings. We lined them up and got ready to march them out. Meanwhile a couple of people checked the back area of the school and found a teacher. She wasn't fooled by the bluffing for long, resisted the first hold, but not the second. By then the children were lined up and ready to go. We marched out the front door of the school and were heading to the front gate of the city, with some characters escorting from behind and beside. Others were still out front, waiting to ambush any other patrols that happened by.

Unfortunately, during that time we were crossing the main road, the Captain of the Guards saw us and shouted out a warning. Zephyr again tried a bluff, but she didn't seem to believe us. As she and her 5 guardsmen came down the road, we saw lights appear in the top of the barracks. Zephyr claimed that the Red commander had joined the Resistance and was threatening the children, and that we were ordered to lead the children to safety. The Captain saw through the story, dressed Zephyr down for sloppiness, but then commanded her men to help escort the children out of the city. We marched for an hour or so before hearing a commotion behind us. We hurried on, loaded the children on our wagons and got out through the canyon. We started an avalanche to block the canyon behind us, which was a huge success, and delivered the children to the Resistance at the ruins. By then several of the children were quite scared and trying to flee, but we managed to get them all there safely. Two of our number saw a light streaking over our heads as we passed through the canyon. We suspect it was a fire elemental messenger sent to warn someone to our east to catch us.

We succeeded in our first real confrontation with the order. Where do we go from here is the question. Our descriptions will get out once they question the people at the inn, and some earlier as some of us were clearly seen by the Captain and her guards.

__Escaping Pursuit__
(Nov-22 session)

After a lengthy debate on where to go next, we decided to cross the mountain ridge and head west through the forest straight to Honne's Mountain. Aurora, a half-orc female warrior, familiar with the local area, agreed to lead us across the pass and then return. We had little trouble the first night, sleeping in a cave behind a waterfall (where we found some stashed equipment), but then the next day we were attacked by hyenas. Four got us facing one direction then a dozen more suddenly charged in from the opposite direction. While Lori and Hayden finished off the four, on the other side Mojo and Obadiah were instantly surrounded and chewed up. While Mojo managed to stay afoot, Obadiah was pulled down and overwhelmed quickly. Our **Battle: Hyenas** suddenly became **Mission: Saving Private Obadiah**. Through everyone's efforts, Obadiah just got out alive, then as we turned on those around Mojo, their few survivors fled. Lots of fresh meat for all.

We crossed the ridge to the west (not seeing the ogres that live somewhere nearby) but saw a large fire back the way we had come. It was too far away to know exactly where or what it was, but we assume we are being followed. Across the ridge we entered a beautiful forested valley. Aurora turned back, but we agreed to stay to the path heading westward in case she encountered anyone pursuing us and had to return to us. During our first day, we heard a voice on the wind that said not to harm the trees. The second night an elven beauty (dryad?) named Willow motioned to our dwarf to come out and speak. He did and she asked our business, etc. He requested a meeting with the leader of the forest people. They separated and agreed to meet later. This was repeated the next night, since he didn't tell us about the first meeting at all. The second night he was seen entering the forest and followed. After a confused exchange, Willow spoke to the whole group. We learned the following: The Leader of the area is a treant. The beings here suffered during Tatemae's rampage through the area a century ago, but have made an agreement with the Orders now. Any runaways from the Orders will be returned and in exchange the Orders would stay out of this area. Willow had no real understanding that the Orders were Tatemae's power over the people of Predallen, and is not unsure of what to do with us. She is afraid of us and our power directly, she is afraid of breaking the agreement with the Orders, and she is afraid the Orders will rampage through the forest like Tatemae's forces a century ago. It seems we need to speak to the treant to settle this out. Will we be allowed passage through the valley, or will we fight our way through?

__Turning around__: __the Elemental and Heart of the Mountain__
January 3

We agreed to head to Willow's home, so turned Northwest for awhile to meet the person who spoke to us when we first arrived in the forest. A huge stag led us and Willow showed up again to guide us the last bit of the way. As suspected, a huge willow tree was there, with 5 ensorcelled human men defending it and Willow. We were fed and watered (but an encounter with a human of the area told us not to drink the wine. Too bad no one warned the 5 humans.) There, an ancient druid, more plant than human at this point, was brought in. She was on a litter, and sprouts from the litter had grown into and through the druidess to the point where she was now "sewn" into the litter. Honne had used some of her power to make her "one with these woods". She is aware of all that occurs in these woods and will continue to be so long after her body dies. She suspects that gifts like this, often given by Honne, left her slightly weaker than Tatemae, and eventually causing her to lose the war. Anyway, here Willow told us a story and she hired us to do a job. It turns out that as we were fleeing with the children from the Red Fort, the orc captain of the Ghostmoon, helped by Gwen the waitress, went into the keep and stole the Heart of the Mountain, the magical heart of Tatemae's Volcano. Tatemae had given it to a very powerful Fire Elemental, to keep for as long as he served her. Gwen arranged for it to be given to the treant of this forest, who was going to give it back setting the Elemental free and leaving Tatemae the weaker, but the captain kept it. Without that heart, the Elemental is now free not to serve Tatemae, which is good, but it assumes we were the ones that stole it. It doesn't know where we are, but is searching for us and is way too powerful for us. The druidess wants us to track down the captain and retrieve the Heart. It can then be given to the elemental, or as we suggested, given to Honne to empower her (we told them about the daughter of Freya, who can probably reach Honne). For taking this quest (and perhaps for payment for rescuing the kids) we were promised a permanent magic item each. A few items were kept by Willow, so we got those immediately, the rest to be gathered and given to us when we return. We received: Potion of Darkvision - Mojo. . . . . . . Ring of Protection +2 - Hunter Potion of Aid - Hayden. . . . . . . . . . +1 Large steel Shield - Kevlar Potion of Tongues - Obadiah. . . . . . +2 Heavy Mace - Basil Potion of Invis to Animals - Loricifera. Everburning Torch - Zephyr Scroll: Silent Image - Pavelow

Having agreed to the quest, we turned around and headed back east. Our only hope is that Gwen would have some idea of where the Captain is, or that he left some clue behind at the inn. With the druidess and Willow's guidance, we left their forest without incidence, crossed Ogre Ridge, where we stumbled upon 6 dead bodies killed by the ogres, probably our pursuers. We crossed the next valley, keeping off the trail, but were found by 5 baby copper dragons wearing collars. They landed in formation and when we charged all breathed a gas that slowed us and then took off. Assuming we've been found, we immediately set off again, arriving back at the road near the inn at sunset to find a large group gathered at the cross-roads with lots of lights. Ogrel scouted out a large militia gathered there, but they are not under any leadership we can see. They are drunk and sitting inside a ring of fires, and it should be easy to avoid them.

__**About Face Again - Back to the Citadel to Chat with the Whites**__ Jan 17 (450 xp)

Ogrel completed scouting the militia. They are indeed a true militia from the nearest city called up by the whites to arrest anyone passing through although they're too busy celebrating something to pose much of a threat. We bypass them and head to the Inn which is in the process of being looted by the Resistance. The Inn itself is left untouched but all outbuildings are being cleared of anything not attached to the walls. Ogrel slides in and gets a message to Gwen that the party will meet her in one of the barns after the looting is done. After a "WTF are you guys doing back here" "Why did you double-cross us" exchange, she informs us of recent events. The whites called up the militia from town to guard the pass and not the regular army, no idea why. The reds are all back in the citadel and not moving yet while the whites sort out what happened although their first action was to let the townies stone to death the 2 highest reds for incompetence. That's what the militia are celebrating. She swears the Capt. double-crossed her and she never intended to get us framed. Belief of this is mixed. The Capt had an exchange with BigBoy and they are still not making up which threw the Capt's plans out the window so he is winging it on where to run with the Heart. Gwen's last info is that he did a quick packing of his room and took off down the road __toward__ the Citadel valley. She has no idea why. We decided that looting the remaining contents of the Capt's room was the best course of action.

The 4 remaining Inn employees would not want the loot taken for several reasons and most of the party would not want to hurt them so Gwen drugged all their dinner (including her own to throw off suspicion) and we made our way into the room at midnight. Basil disarmed a poison trap on the door with his face, Ogrel disarmed the trapped chest with a mage hand allowing casters to practice creating water as a means of extinguishing fires, and we netted some coin, 3 potions, and a nice ring. The Capt had taken all the light and valuable stuff. As we were cleaning up the law started pounding on the door to inform the proprieter that they have captured some looters. A change self and quick thinking by Obadiah bribed the lawmen into turning over the captured resistance fighters to the Capt to personally punish. We arranged for Gwen to take them into custody as the party prepared to leave. Then BigBoy showed up screaming for the Capt to come out and finish this once and for all. We threw Gwen out the door to talk to him and she told him the Capt was gone and had run toward the Reds. BB and his companion bounty hunter took off after him. We decided to follow in order to use the Ogre and a means of finding the Orc.

We had to avoid the militia and then got stuck by the Red guards standing at the remains of the gate in the narrows. BB somehow got through or around but we wouldn't be able to do it without raising the alarm so decided to try scaling the cliffs a ways away to bypass the guards and avoid detention. After several hours of trying in the rain we gave up and did what we normally do and attacked the guards. They were dispatched and hidden and we boogied on down the road. As we left the narrows we heard dogs and people coming toward us. We hid as best as we could in the coverless rocks hoping the dark and rain would cover us. The dogs were acting strangely. They were not tracking whatever they were supposed to be looking for and were whining and whimpering. Unfortunately not everyone in the party is adept at hide skills and the Reds knew someone was in the rocks and set the dogs to attack. Instead the dogs took off in the opposite direction as soon as they were released with their handler chasing after them. We dispatched this group of Reds as well. While cleaning up the battle the 5 cute little dragons dropped in for another visit although 1 of them had a scroll case this time. The scroll was a summons and promise of safe passage from the Order of the Snow to appear before the Grand Inquisitor at the Citadel. It was still a few hours to get there and we had been up over a day traveling in the rain and decided to make camp and debate whether to submit to the summons. After debate we voted to head to the Citadel and present ourselves as requested. May as well kill the whole party in 1 swoop rather than piecemeal I guess.

At near dawn we were visited by a pain-racked human figure clad in glowing chains and a full helmet/mask. The metal was burning the flesh of the extremely evil figure which would magically heal and reburn. The party was awakened and on alert. Obadiah and Zephyr approached the figure who could barely speak through the pain and muffled by the mask. They cast healing and resistance to fire spells on it which helped with it's ability to be understood but not its message. The figure was absolutely insane from the torture. The creature turned out to be the one known as the Butcher who used to be the despot leader of the valley and was imprisoned and cursed by the combined efforts of Honne & Tatumae. The attempts to aid it from the party members also cursed them (-1 to Saves). We fled the creature and headed to the Citadel to meet our doom.

Since no man is freer than he who has nothing to lose some of the party members took the opportunity to taunt the Reds as we made our way through the town and were escorted to the Keep. The boldness grew as the response to our letter of passage and arrogance of the Reds increased during the trip. Eventually we reached the doors to the Keep with a "bring it bitches" attitude. Let the inquisition begin. And it did although there wasn't the expected torture. True to rumors the Whites had no interest in punishing us civilians and are 100% focused on finding out which Reds to burn for the child-freeing and Heart-stealing incident. We told a true story but tried to keep out a few details about individuals who aided us like the Red guard capt who let us go with the children. On day 2 though that Capt was brought to us and the whites already knew of her actions. We also met Gwen who the whites had summoned along with us so her cover is blown as well. She asked to be able to accompany us when we left since she had nowhere else to go. We are pondering that but probably will since she knows the area where we are heading and could be a useful guide.

Then the bomb dropped. The 2 highest level Matriarchs of the Whites met with the party alone - no scribes or witnesses. Their robes were a scintillating rainbow of all colors that bleed into white. They informed us that their position as an order is incredibly tenuous and they they themselves are being watched by an unknown order. The Whites are closest aligned with Honne and they claim that restoring her is the only way to return sanity to the island. There is another order counter to them that is aligned with Tatumae that is completely hidden. Perhaps if they are the order of All Colors, the other is the order of No Colors - the Invisible Order, as it were? They seem to be in fear of this mystery order and will not even speak of them because it draws attention. One thing they know is that the members of this order are not human. They also informed us that heading to Honne's temple would be a valuable step toward returning Honne. They will be able to keep the Reds busy scrambling for another 4 or 5 days but after that it will get suspicious and our safety cannot be guaranteed. If we can find the Orc in the next 3 days and return the Heart to them they will be able to provide something that will help us in the task of ending the sacrifices and Honne's temple. The group has already promised the Druidess that we would return the Heart to her and we have accepted some gifts from her already. We have the choice of honoring that deal or ending it. Assuming we can find the Capt and get the heart away from him. Oh, and those little Bronze Dragons are the offspring of Honne.

The Kitchen
Jan 31, 700xp The Whites told us that in order to remove our curses we could either go to the capital and pay a lot/do a quest for some high level cleric, or go downstairs and face the Butcher in his prison area, his old area called the Kitchen. Anyone of the Orders who enters always dies, but anyone in the kingdom is allowed to enter. On the way down we slowed to read the murals on the walls. They told the story of Ancient Predallen and the origin of Honne and Tatemae. They represented Honne as a human with an eagle's head (air spirit), and Tatemae as human with a ?? head (earth spirit), and each was soon affiliated with a dragon, Honne with Tiamat and Tatemae with Bahamat. We learned from our guides that Honne and Tatemae have some sort of continuing relationship with dragons. There are no dragons on Predallen, but it is considered safe territory to raise young in, a duty of the Orders, should any dragon ask it.

We soon reached the entrance to the Kitchen. A barred gate stood there, unlocked as it always is. We went in to find a series of rooms. Nothing much has been touched in centuries, not only wood but all iron had disappeared over time. We did find a series of bodies, also generations old, one per room. They had some old coins on them, with an occasional magic weapon. The last one had a scrollcase with a single page from a journal, saying he was the last of 24 (or so), lamenting their decision to ever come here. Anyway, in the 5th room we found 26 skeletons which the clerics quickly dusted. We saw the bodies reforming on the intact bunks. We destroyed one bunk, but it took too long, so we shoved the others into a corner room (northeast) and moved on. In the next room we found 4 undead humans with cow heads sewn on. Battle began, and after a few rounds of enchanting weapons and fighting through a doorway, Hunter and Mojo vs 2 of them, we decided to close the door and leave. Arranz recognized them as mummies.

At that point, we heard the Butcher moving though the area. We followed the sound through three more rooms before finally confronting him in a room with a Balrog statue and an open chasm blowing cold air. Here, the Butcher lamented his curse, while we called out to him to submit to the pact made with Honne/Tatemae. (We aren't quite sure if that pact is the same as with the Balrog). The Butcher took off his helmet and cursed what had been done to his face (which looked stunningly handsome to us.) He was half-elven. At that point, a strong gust of wind blew most of us into the chasm.

In the chasm, each of us was alone with the Butcher. He was under our control, and we understood our choice: torture him until he received redemption, or simply kill him, granting him redemption. Torture or Kill. Each made his/her decision and we were back in the room as if nothing had happened. Zephyr and Obadiah's curse was lifted, everyone who was tested in the chasm received a permanent +1 to saves vs. fear, and those who killed the Butcher received another effect. When encountering undead, there is a 20% chance the undead will target only that person. Those who tortured the Butcher have a 20% chance to be ignored by any undead. We also understood how to kill the Butcher. His soul resides in a cow that roams around the valley. Kill the cow and the Butcher dies and his soul goes to serve the Balrog; don't, and he continues to suffer until he gives in to the illusionary torture he is under. His absolute pride and arrogance have made it impossible for him to bow, and his madness means he can no longer change. After a discussion, we all, except Arranz, agreed that he is all but harmless here, while if he dies, he again serves the Balrog, probably in the Abyss, but who really knows for sure? Better not to take the chance such an evil figure will be sent back to create such evil and chaos as he did 1000 years ago. Mojo chimed in that its best not to meddle in the affairs of the gods or even demi-gods.

We left off in that room in the Kitchen. I think we can continue or leave now. XP total 700. +1 staff, dagger, light mace, large steel shield, 378 antique gp.

Feb 28 (650xp) We completed a search of the chasm room and during that time the Butcher returned to his typical moaning as opposed to the blithering he had been doing. We figured he was going to be worthless so we formed up single file and headed down the unexplored hallway. It opened into a natural cave with a narrow path around a central pool of water. We kept the wall on our right and started out. After a little while we came across the scattered remains of what had once been a human 100 years ago. We would come across these periodically throughout the exploration. They were all 100 years dead so it was difficult to get an absolute read on what happened but bits of evidence pointed to something large attacking out of the water so we kept our eyes that direction. We eventually found their base camp. The way we figured it was we were walking backward from the way they died. Something had discovered and was attacking them so they fled deeper into the caves and were caught in a dead end. There was a battle in farthest room and they decided to make a run for the front exit fighting their way out and didn't make it.
 * Cleaning the Kitchen**

Also at the back end of the cave we found the room this area was named after and where the Butcher did the things that got him cursed. There were some pedestals here-and-there that we think once had statues of the Butcher but were obliterated. There was a "war memorial" hall displaying tributes to units that attacked the citadel in the battle to capture the Butcher. Lots of things pointed to the current decor being deliberately set up by Hanne/Tatume in order to remind the Butcher that his past glory is gone and he is imprisoned. We could see that he walked everywhere throughout the cave except the actual kitchen room as if he was prevented by the curse from entering the one place where he might be able to relive glory.

We did discover a few unique things: There was a column in one of the rooms inscribed with the contract between the Balrog and the Butcher. We copied down a chunk of it for later study to try and decipher what was promised.

There is another exit to the place. There is a natural sink hole that we determined was on the hill that sits above the citadel. We were at the bottom looking up almost like we were standing in a well. The sides were basically vertical and unstable so it can't be climbed without gear. The floor of this well was covered in the remains of natural things thrown into the well like berries and wreaths. We recalled that the citadel was not built on the highest point because there was some sort of sacred thing on that hill so this must be part of it. Some of the items were fresh so whoever is paying tribute to nature here is still doing it.

Someone had been down here recently using the well. No idea who other than humanoid and he had probably lowered a rope from above, came down, wandered around the cave, and then left. No sign of what he did or where.

We found 2 decorative swords. One was in a mucky area and the blade contains what looks like a map of a building with symbols in some of the rooms. The second was in the camp of the suckers who came down here 100 years ago. That one contained what looks like a legend explaining what the symbols are on the other sword. It also looks like the 2 swords are keys to open some lock. More research is needed.

There were 2 locations where it looked like the 100 year party did some digging. One area was pretty big (6' x 6' x 6') and the other a little smaller. No idea what they were looking for, those swords maybe?

There was an illusion of a chest in one room. It looked like a cool magic treasure chest but was too clean and out of place. We believed it to be an illusion and trap. It was in the same room where the small dig happened and there was evidence that this was the trap that set off whatever attacked the last party. We went with that theory and left it alone. I want to save the game and go back and set it off just to see what happens.

Mojo is part werewolf. We were attacked by the crocagators that live down here. 4 normal sized ones jumped us at the narrows. We killed one but big mom & pop were following right behind. They both spanked Mojo and knocked him down to 1hp round 1. He raged and did this teen wolf impersonation. Unfortunately he didn't distinguish between them and us after the gators were killed so we all pounded him unconscious. We tied him up and after a little while he returned to his normal ugly self. He recalled changing and said sorry and he has issues. Read his character summary for new additions.

After cleaning out the crocagator nest from all the cool lewt we left the kitchen cave. We didn't run into the Butcher on the way out but could hear him moaning around. We left the skeletons and mummytaurs locked in their rooms. The whites were a little surprised to see us like they were laying odds we wouldn't ever come out of there. They reiterated how confusing it is that anyone of the orders is slaughtered right away down there but a normal person is free to enter although the place is pretty dangerous. We now know much more about the place than they do but they didn't grill us for details. They seem pretty blah about it. They did tell us that we can release the Butcher from the area by "inviting him out". It takes little more that "hey, how about a trip up top" and he can leave. They can give us the rest of the day to recoup and heal and then we need to head out. They can keep the reds steppin & fetchin for 3 more days before it gets weird so we have that long to find the Capt and BigBoy and get the stone. The little dragons don't trust us and don't want to act as messengers. If we acquire the Heart Stone the whites suggest that we come back to the citadel and "surrender to the whites". If we do that they will be able to protect us under the guise of "questioning" us. Apparently this will not seem out of place and throw up alarms to the other orders but they also can then sneak us away somewhere safe. The little dragon squad might be able to help us narrow down the search area for the Capt but that's all they will do.

Take for the night: Loot: 266 old gp 8 black gems, unknown value 2 ornate swords, maps and keys to some lost treasure. Held (and wanted) by Sibne +1 halberd Held by Mojo +1 small shield Unclaimed - carried by the Hunter Staff of Size Alteration Unclaimed - carried by Ace Rod of Enemy Detection unclaimed - carried by Arranz Potion of Alter Self - carried by Hayden? Quiver of Elhonna - carried by Saffron? +1 Breastplate - carried by Zephyr unidentified potion - held by the Hunter

We ended it being in the Citadel with the whites able to continue the conversation with them and get any final equipment. They also shared their plans for us: We are to kill both Captain Morgan and also Big Boy, who they now begin to think is actually the more dangerous of the two, and not just physically. After that, they will take us to a secret location where we can rest up, equip up (including spells), and learn more about Predallen and what needs to be done to save the world from becoming part of Predallen.

END