Elkoremarr's Tower - IC

[Lord Ruby34]

"And I am Roderick Payne, one of Pelor's servants. May He light the road upon which you walk." Roderick said. He smiled softly at Lord Ibrahim. His companion's had taken care of most of the important business, but the tended to forget about matters of the divine.

"Do not worry about Sir Kramer, my lord, we will bring him back. If he has passed I will plead with Pelor to bring him back."

[Escheton]

"Nothker the Strong, at your service...sir...
Not to speak ill of your soldiers or Sir Kramer, but Kord himself strengthens my blade and few foes have stood long against my might.
Do not worry, we will overpower the wretches that choke your land." Nothker says with confidence and resolve.

"Now, some payment up front would help in replenishing our consumable supplies such as minor potions and silver bolts. Our last hunt was rather costly on that part and upon return we found our contractor...well...eaten." he follows with less strength to his words to not impose.

[Archwizard]

Lord Ibrahim listens as you speak, focusing intently on each person.

He looks at Asherem and says, "There have been no direct attacks upon any of my lands yet. But it is that yet I fear. As to disappearances, yes, of a sort. We have found homes abandoned, but usually it is impossible to tell if they left willingly or not. The populace on the edge of the lands can sometimes be fairly transient, here for a season or two, then gone. There have been a couple homes that were in disarray, which might indicate something foul having occurred, but really there is no way to tell. There have been no bloody massacres or anything like that. Reports of bandits attacking more boldly than before, especially to the west, have come in. We have also had a couple messengers come and ask about the whereabouts of a certain caravan, only to have us tell them they were never here."

Turning to Bofsun and Roderick, he says, "I know almost nothing, which is extremely frustrating. What I can tell you is that we believe it to be a wizard, a necromancer, of some sort. Quelaas and Qint have been able to detect necromantic magic around the tower, and the strength of the aura has been growing lately. It certainly wasn't there before a year or so ago. Their efforts to divine further information have been blocked. This was what led us to sending Sir Kramer to investigate. For whatever reason, whatever is in the tower is not attacking us directly for now. He may fear our defenses, might be waiting for something, or may simply not care and our suffering could be a by-product of other activities. No matter why this is occurring, I must put it to an end for it is causing my people to suffer. I appreciate your words and intent regarding Sir Kramer, and it will set part of my mind and heart at ease to have him returned to us. I wish I could tell you more of his fate, I simply know that he has not returned and it has been many months. If he could have returned, he would have. And for him to be unable is a very serious matter indeed."

He then looks at Nothker and chuckles, "It is most unusual to see a Duergar above ground. Your race's reputation for pleasantries and subtlety appears to be well deserved. As is your confidence and determination. Do not fear insulting my men, they are loyal, brave and strong. But in the end, they are also simple fighting men, who serve to defend their homes. They are not adventurers who set out to face evil and horrors such as this. That was another reason to send Sir Kramer, he was an adventurer at times in the past, and he is familiar with more worldly horrors. As to the issue of supplies, I believe I mentioned by instructions to the merchants around town. You may also wish to speak to Quelaas and Qint regarding what supplies they have of a more magical nature. I will grant you each a credit of 1,000 gold to be drawn against Ogdenhall's coffers for supplies. I will have Telain travel with you to inform merchants of this, and to keep a record of it. This credit will not count against your reward. Please understand, I wish you success and wish to assist you in any way I can, but I must also protect the interests of Ogdenhall and its people. Until you produce results, you are another drain on our resources."

Telain looks at Lord Ibrahim and bows, "As you wish my lord, it is my pleasure to serve."

Finally, Lord Ibrahim looks at Krenn and Torval and says, "You two are very quiet, please, introduce yourselves and ask anything you wish."

[abadguy]

A slim and pale elf with long flowing red hair steps forth from the near-shadows where he had been casually standing. Even so, the servants and courtiers were almost shocked to see him appear. Torval did have a knack for staying unseen if he wished it.

"Greetings, Lord Ibrahim, and the blessings of Sehanine Moonbow be upon you and your house. I am Torval Gudelvessun, dedicant to the Moon Goddess and a hunter of undead, as are my companions here. I am sure you have sought us based on our achievements so no need for me to repeat them here."

"Rest assured that if the threat is indeed one of the undead, we will vanquish it will no mercy."

"Some questions if you would indulge me, lord. Firstly, exactly how long ago did Sir Kramer set off and secondly, in the worst case scenario, if we found him in the state of undeath, could we go ahead and destroy him? Lastly, have your diviners tried looking for Sir Kramer directly?"

[Luca]

Krenn shifted, almost nervously, at the king's address. "Sorry hu- Milord, its just normally when I'm surrounded by armed men its either these lot" he gestures loosely at the band he is a member of "or guards who don't like the teeth and scales. That and I was taught a long time ago to shut up until spoken to around important humans" and still had the scars to remind him.

"The slow death of sickness is a terrible thing, a man deserves to die on his feat or quietly. To watch your nation suffer the same must hurt" Cross species expressions are often hard to figure out, but its pretty obvious genuine regret is on Krenn's face "Thanks for putting up with us, we'll make sure to stop this. Whatever it is."

[marcielle]

After a few moments of deep thought, Asherem speaks up.
I am afraid, Laird Ibrahim, that the more likely scenario is that this is a direct assault on you and your lands. It probably is not a side effect of something else. Anyone with the skill and power to affect the entire area would probably have been smart enough to keep his actions secret. There would have been no signs until he was ready. And this probably isn't a natural, for want of a better word, occurence, because then the effects would have been bloodier and far less subtle. I urge you to constantly have your men at the ready. Also, I come far from the North and would have no idea why anyone would want to attack you and your lands without preserving the trade routes, which he obviously doesn't care about. And I probably wouldn't know if it proverbially bit me in the face. Therefore, before we embark upon this mission, I have a request to make of you. A historian escort, or at least a librarian. An expert on the history and legends of your region to accompany us. If we do not know what he seeks, the perpetrators plans may still succeed, even if we slay his army.

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Cunning KnowledgedDiplomacy - (1d20+7)[12]
Circumstance modifiers:
We are undead experts
Pertaining to job fulfilment
We aren't asking for money so this is not likely for personal gain
I have a rather convincing arguement(if I do say so myself)
Lord Ibrahim is probably desperate

[Archwizard]

Lord Ibrahim inclines his head towards Torval, "I thank you for your blessings. As to your questions, Sir Kramer and his men, a company of roughly ten soldiers, departed almost six months ago now. After roughly a month had passed with no word we began to fear the worst. I sent a scout to investigate the area to see if Sir Kramer had set up a camp. The scout returned two week later to say that he could find no sign of Sir Kramer or his men. The scout did not approach the tower too closely for fear of whatever is inside. He did say though that he saw no activity at all near the tower."

Lord Ibrahim paces a bit in front of his throne, continuing, "Of course, at this point not only did we have to assume the worst regarding Sir Kramer's fate, we had the very nasty realization that there was a good chance that this threat is too powerful to handle ourselves. Certainly, not without depleting an unacceptable amount of resources. Defending Ogdenhall from attack is one thing. We have resources and defenses here that can be brought to bear. However, the same is probably true for who, or what, ever is inside the tower. So, the decision was made to find a group that would be able to assist us. That, naturally, is where you come in. Our research revealed you to us, and you certainly seem to fit the bill. Then I had my messengers dispatched to find you, and Telain, unsurprisingly, was successful. That whole process took almost four months, four very painful months."

"So that is the timeline information. Regarding the more painful question as to the potential fate of Sir Kramer, do what you must. He would not want to exist as an abomination. I would want my friend to be at peace." With that statement, Lord Ibrahim looks pensive again.

In the lull, the man that had been standing at the throne speaks up, "As to your final question Torval, I can answer that. With my lord's leave of course." Lord Ibrahim merely nods, and then walks to his throne and sits down.

The man continues, "I am Qint, the Lord's head Wizard. Quelaas and I tried to discern the location and fate of Sir Kramer for quite some time, but our efforts have been blocked. The tower is either enchanted, or made of a special material, or we are being actively worked against. Whatever the cause, we cannot discover anything about the inside of the tower. Just about the only conclusion we can draw from that is Sir Kramer must be inside, because otherwise we would have found him outside. This is also why the magical and necromantic nature of the threat stayed hidden from us for so long. Until we thought to apply some power to the tower, it simply appeared to be nothing more than an old tower. But whatever is inside must be growing more powerful, because the mystical necromantic aura is unmistakable now."

Lord Ibrahim leans forward in his throne and focuses on Krenn, "Patience and deference are important qualities, but I like knowing who I interact with, especially if they are going to be acting on my behalf. I appreciate your sentiments, and your resolve. I would also appreciate knowing your name, since you forgot to mention that." With that, he chuckles a bit.

Turning back to Asherem, Lord Ibrahim looks thoughtful again, "I certainly fear that your assessment of the situation is correct. As I mentioned, we have resources and defenses here that make a straightforward a very risky proposition. But an indirect siege? That is a threat that is much harder to fight. As to what they could possibly be after, I honestly have no idea. Ogdenhall controls no rare resources, nor are we part of any significant military alliance. We have plenty of fertile farmlands and similar resources, but for this region that's not exactly unique. Our other main strength is our location along the trade routes. Avoiding Ogdenhall must be costing merchants a fortune in lost trade and extra travel time. However, as you accurately note, our attacker does not seem to be at all interested in preserving or taking advantage of the trade routes. We even did research into my family's past to see if there was someone with a grudge against us, but we could find nothing. Your desire to know the why of our situation is a good one, and one I certainly share. However, I cannot accede to your request. I cannot expose an untrained man to that sort of danger, nor would I want you to be distracted by having to defend him. I would simply ask that you bring back any information or materials you find that you think might be relevant. Perhaps, if you can make the tower safe, I can send people there to investigate deeper."

He leans back in his throne again and signals one of the guards, "Unless you have something else, I believe you should get ready to head out. I still would like to know the name of the final group member before you leave though."

The guard in the southeast corners moves over to the doors and opens them.

[marcielle]

Asherem seems a bit dissapointed by the Lairds refusal, but conceeds and bows out.

[abadguy]

"Well met, Wizard Qint, and thank you, Lord Ibrahim for your patience to my replies, as well as your generosity in advancing some credit for supplies and gear. I am sure I speak for my companions that we will proceed as soon as possible once we've acquired all we needed."

Torval confers with the rest of Death To Undeath as they leave the hall. "So fellas, looks like our biggest bounty yet. Thoughts?"

[marcielle]

'Well, unless we can be absolutely sure the wizard will not escape, we'll have to clear out the area as we go. A complete cleansing. So he can bring in his experts. Traps will have to be taken out too. Though given the pay, I'm sure trap removal will be a small issue. Since this looks to be an extended job, we'll need more healing supplies than usual. A pool would probably be more efficient than each buying our own. In case the one responsible has scrying it might be wise that we only talk in our distinct languages instead of common. I can translate for all of us. Mathematically, Light potions are more economical, but we might want one or two moderate versions for emergencies. A wand of telportation and dispelling might be useful. Just in case our target gets creative. But what do the rest of you say?'

[Luca]

The next words out of Krenn's mouth are in a tongue that is both harsh and flowing, a strange language far detached from common, the language of his ancestors; draconic. "The dragon's inspiration shall deal with most of our wounds, I trust magic to do the rest." He switches back to the common tongue "Or was that too early to change how we speak? I don't claim to understand wizards but surely if he's watching us its already too late to start hiding?"

"As for the pay, King needs real champions. This will be harder than the other fights, I hope we're all prepared"

[Titanium Fox]

Bofsun just stands, slowly and silently taking in all of the banter flying about, parsing any information that he can. However, Asherem's interpretation of events seems to be exactly what he was beginning to formulate within his own mind.

A quick shake of his head heralds his first speech in a considerable amount of time, at least for those who know him.

"Lord, I appreciate your offer, but as it sounds you do not have the resources that you need to sustain yourselves. t'would not be right of me to accept your offer of extra credit atop the generous bounty you offer in this time of need. Boys, it looks as though we storm the tower at dawn. I would think that the increased presence of bandits would be due to the guard's focus upon that tower; cause and effect. If we can fight off whatever lies within the tower, we can most likely allow the kingdom to heal."

[abadguy]

"Always the unnecessarily altruistic one eh, Bofsun. Don't come crying to us for supplies when you run dry."

"Pooling resources does sound like the way to go. I'll contribute half of my share for party needs. I'll need the other half for ... special items."

Once they are out of the castle, Torval begins scouring the shops and paying visits to the various churches and temples.

[Archwizard]

Lord Ibrahim stands and says, "Good luck. I have other matters I must see to, but I eagerly await news. Telain shall serve as an escort and guide around Ogdenhall, but he is not permitted near that tower." With that, he exits the throne room. The four guards in the corners exit with him.

After making the necessary arrangements for supplies with Qint, the party heads out of the inner keep and back into the bazaar area, escorted by Telain.

He looks at you and says, "Where to now?"

[Lord Ruby34]

"I am quite content to go where my companions wish for now." Roderick gestured to the group behind him. "So lead on."

[Escheton]

"Geared up and all set. Lets sweep the perimeter of the tower. Get the lay of the land. Then kick in the door and start swinging."
The spiny bearded duergar has a clear sparkle in his eye from the prospect.

[abadguy]

Mmm hmmm ... perhaps you have a library here? I would like to search and read up more on any histories or stories of the Tower, if any. Torval asks, one hand thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

[Archwizard]

"The only library is the Lord's library back in the inner keep. I'm sure he would have no problem with you going in there to do some research."

Telain turns to the guard at the edge of the bazaar, "Have one of your men escort Torval to the library so that he may do some research. When he is finished, please escort him back here."

The guard nods and signals to the entrance of the tunnel. After a couple minutes a guard comes up the tunnel, and after hearing the instructions he looks at Torval and says, "Please come with me."

He then goes back up the tunnel, heads through the double doors of the courtyard and inside takes a right, followed by another right. On the left is a door that opens up to a library. The room is 30'x40', and is just filled with books. The walls are lined with books, and there are center stands with books in them. There is also a large oak table with benches around it in the center of the room. Large chandeliers hang down from the ceiling to provide illumination. In the corners of the room and under the table you see buckets of water.

The guard looks at Torval (and anyone who has joined him) and says, "Please feel free to conduct your research, I shall remain stationed by the door here." With that, he does as he says, and positions himself at attention by the entrance.

[abadguy]

Water? Torval looks curiously at the buckets of water. Why? To put out fires? Strange.

He looks at the titles, searching around for titles that may pertain to:
1) legends of Ogdenhall
2) family history of the Tredine
3) stories/anecdotes/histories regarding the existence of the tower. Has it always been there? What was its previous purpose before being a pit of undeath?
4) History/lineage of Sir Kramer.

[Archwizard]

Torval sets up to conduct his research.

He discovers the following information:

Ogdenhall was founded nearly 350 years ago by the Tredine family. The area where it is now was wild, unclaimed territory until Alistair Tredine arrived with a group of settlers and established the first village. That village was on the spot that the fortified city now occupies. When first settled, the people of Ogdenhall didn't have much interaction with anyone else, friend or foe. They established a farming community that began to prosper.

Then, 40 years in, they were attacked by gnolls who were trying to claim the territory for themselves. The people of Ogdenhall were unprepared, and suffered greatly before finally driving the gnolls off to the west. This prompted the building of the current fortified city. A central keep was constructed to use as the seat of government and a barracks/supply depot in times of crises, while the outer walls allowed for people to set up trade and lives inside their protection. Farming was still done in the area surrounding the central fortifications.

The construction of the fortress drew the attention of travelers, who stopped there on their way to other places. The reputation of Ogdenhall as a haven for travelers, and a well-fortified location, spread. Caravans between new settlements and older ones began including Ogdenhall as a central stop. The wealth and power of Ogdenhall grew.

By this time, about 80 years had passed since Ogdenhall's founding and Alistair's grandson Ibrahim was the current lord. A massive force of gnolls attacked from the west, trying once again to capture the land. While they managed to do extensive damage to the unprotected farmland, the fortress stood strong and repelled the attack with little loss of life for the people of Ogdenhall. This cemented Ogdenhall's reputation, but it also caused Ibrahim to construct a defensive structure to the west of the main settled lands.

Construction of the tower was finished relatively quickly, and Ibrahim granted the tower to one of his family's loyal supporters, the Lancet family. The Lancets moved to the tower, where they protected the western side of Ogdenhall for over 150 years. During the initial 30 years of the tower's life, gnoll attacks were common, if not frequent. All were handily repelled, and the wisdom in building the tower was obvious as no further damage to Ogdenhall's farmlands occurred. Eventually, friendly establishments to the west sprung up, driving the gnolls back further. However, that family fell on hard times and eventually there were no heirs left to continue to fulfill the Lancet's duty.

By this time, 230 years had passed since the founding of Ogdenhall, and over 100 since the last recorded gnoll attack. With the Lancets gone, the current lord of Ogdenhall, Ulbright II, saw no need to maintain the tower. Attacks from the west were a thing of the past, and trade was common now. Patrols from Ogdenhall and other areas appeared sufficient to maintain the peace and safety of the area.

That was 120 years ago, and until recently it was believed that the Lancet Tower was still empty.



Sir Kramer's family history is similar to the Lancet story. His family came with Alistair Tredine and was part of the initial founding. Over time, they continued to support the Tredines and proved to be a family with an aptitude for military matters and tactical thinking. They became the primary defenders of Ogdenhall proper.

[Titanium Fox]

Bofsun, on the other hand, eventually makes the decision to rest his mind and body for what little time he could before the toll of morning, when they would venture into the tower to fight horrors unknown. Having followed Ser Telain for the brief time that they had been within the castle's walls, he turns to his companion.

Ser Telain, if I could trouble ye to point me to the nearest tavern. I prefer to calm my nerves the night before an assignment, ye see."

[Archwizard]

"Of course. The tavern and the inn are both in the northwest corner of the fortress. Lord Ibrahim has arranged for 3 rooms for your group to rest until you are prepared to leave."

[Archwizard]

Telain looks at the rest of the party and says, "Is there anything else you need? Our troubles surely aren't going to be resolved here in the bazaar...."

[marcielle]

Asherem goes through the library, but instead searches for chronicles of commonly occuring or particularly powerful undead in the area surrounding the towers.

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Cunning Knowledge'd Religion - (1d20+17)[37]

[abadguy]

Torval then turns his attention to news archives from the time when the Lancet tower was believed to be empty and if any particular organisation or family who may have moved into it over the past 100 years.

[Archwizard]

Asherem finds no mention of any undead, either common or powerful in the library. However, he does find one book written about 40 years ago that suggests that the Lancet family's fall was a result of dealings with Nerull gone bad. Other books reference this one and suggest that it is a very far-fetched fantasy and that the Lancets were well known worshipers of Pelor and that the last Lancet simply failed to have an heir and the Tredines simply didn't see the need to keep up the tower.

Torval finds no record of anyone who has been believed to be using the tower, either with or without permission. In fact, you cannot find any record of anyone even asking to use the tower in over 100 years. A couple families did inquire after it was clear that the Lancets had no heirs, but the Tredines did not feel it was necessary or a justified drain on Ogdenhall's resources.

[abadguy]

Torval joins Asherem as he finishes his own research. "I found nothing really strange in this area. It is as though this menace appeared very suddenly ... still ... I wonder if the word on the ground would be more useful. Shall we go join the others in the tarvern?"

[marcielle]

'Very well. But see if you can spot any pictures of the Lancet family. I just have a hunch.' Asherem sighs wearily and abandons his exhaustive search on local undead.

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Ashe looks for some pictures or portraits of the Lancets before he leaves and memorises the faces to the best of his ability

[Luca]

In the tavern surrounded by some less than easy patrons and his companions Krenn is sinking back a few warm up drinks. "Here's to another job, may it be as successful as the others."

Whether people were more accepting here, word of his companions had spread or perhaps that their escort was lingering' whatever the reason krenn was enjoying being himself in civilisation.

[Archwizard]

The party rests and enjoys the ales at the Thirsty Soldier. The darker ale is quite good, the lighter ones are only fair, but much less expensive.

Finally, telain arrives with Qint and Qint delivers the items you had requested from both him and from Quelaas.

"Here are your supplies. I hope they serve you well." With that, Qint departs.

Telain takes you to Captain Karath's office and signals the stable boys, "Prepare the horses immdiately." The boys nod and dart off.

Captain Karath emerges from his office and says, "I see you are preparing to leave. I hope you are as good as the rumor mill says. You will probably need all your wits to succeed. I wish you luck." He nods solemnly and then heads over to the stables to supervise the preparations for your departure.

Telain turns to you and says, "Obviously, a lot of hope rides with you folks. This is as far as go with you. We anxiously await your return, for I do not wish to have to travel to find another group to go after you." He smiles a bit with that, in a gallows humor way.

Captain Karath comes back, and he has six horses with him, Nothker's warhorse and 5 hardy looking riding horses. "Lord Ibrahim instructed me to have these horses held aside for your use. They are some of our finest riding horses, and they will get you there as quickly as any can."

He gives you each a set of reins to a horse and then heads back into his office.

As you mount your horses, Telain looks up at you and says, "May the might of Heironeous power your weapons."

You set off towards the tower. Exiting the fortress, you head west following the roads. You travel for two days, then on the third day the tower comes into view. It's a tall, black building, built more like a pyramid than a tower. On the dawn of the fourth day you are near enough the tower to see more details. It is surrounded by a tall, black wall, roughly 15' tall. Each level of the tower must be 20' tall, and it has 5 levels. The tower appears to be set back from the road on the north side by a couple hundred feat, with a gate in the center of the south wall.

You halt your horses roughly 2000' from the walls. The tower is quiet, and almost ominous in appearance. You see no windows at all in any of the walls you can see.

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I hope this map makes a couple basic things clear, if not, I can try to explain better, because drawing better isn't really an option....



Scale: 1 square = 10'x10'

The Black is the bottom floor, 250'x250'.
The Dark Blue is the second floor, 200'x200'.
The Dark Red is the third floor, 150'x150'.
The Purple is the fourth floor, 100'x100'.
The Green is the fifth floor, 50'x50'.