Age of Worms Campaign Update 4/10/2008

CHRONICLE VAULT 20080403, FROM THE LIBRARY OF RHAVUS THE FIEND-SAGE ...

Coldeven 22, 595 CY
Five of the companions - Argo, Drake, Kong, Duke, and Kaspar - were caught surprised by their nemesis Loris Raknian, who jumped out of the crowded marketplace with murder on his mind! His assassin friend, Captain Okoral, joined in the fray, and soon a deadly melee was engaged between the two sides. Loris fought with tenacity and recklessness, a trait which served him well in the gladiator arena.

But he had not faced such an opponent as the Kings of the Road, and even with Okoral's help the two were not doing well. Kong was struck by the assassin's blade and felt poison course this body, but after a pitched and fierce battle the two were killed. Just to be sure, Drake cut their heads off for good measure.

The violence attracted the attention of the Blessed Angels - erinyes devils dressed in black that patrolled the skies of Alhaster. As the heroes looted the fallen bodies something terrible happened.

A dragon appeared out of invisibility and stomped on Kong and Argo! This was a massive black dragon, old and powerful, and announced the death of the heroes in a high-pitched female voice. With a start the companions realized they were facing off against the Black Mother, whose brood they had destroyed in the Mistmarsh months before!

Ilthane, the Black Mother, was a terrible foe, and the party - already weakened from their battle with Loris Raknian and Okoral - found victory slipping further and further away. The dragon was a master tactician, keeping the barbarian and halfling under foot while engaging the remaining opponents. Drake caught the full force of her acidic breath weapon and did not get back up.

Drake the Slayer died when the Black Mother breathed a line of acid in his face.

Duke cast spell after spell as Kaspar tried to keep the dragon busy, the victory came from the least likely of places. Under foot, Argo had given up trying to wriggle free and simply tried to stab the dragon repeatedly. One of his blows struck a major vein in Ilthane's leg, and she let out a shriek. It would be her last shriek, as the life and blood fled from her body, she collapsed in a heap.

The Black Mother was finally defeated after months of searching for her. The Blessed Angels told the surviving heroes that they had to clean up the mess, and they suggested a halfling taxidermist who worked with exotic animals. Duke took the fallen body of Drake and they decided to use a reincarnate spell to bring him back to life - it was the only option they had available to them. While the dwarf wizard prepared the spell the rest of the companions sought out the taxidermist.

Finding the Curious Owlbear was not a problem, and proprietor - a portly halfling named Chosk Underpate - was more than happy to mount and stuff many parts of the fallen dragon. He needed at least two weeks to complete the work, however, and demanded payment up front. The heroes gladly paid, but one thing gnawed at them - where was Ilthane's lair?

Asking around yielded some promising information which pointed them towards the Traitor's Graveyard where traitors were hung. They decided to wait for Duke to reincarnate Drake, which he did - returning his soul to life in the body of an orc. Drake the Slayer was now Drake the Orc, a fact which did not please him. He was fairly depressed after that.

Searching the graveyard for the lair of Ilthane cheered him up some, and eventually all of the companions (including Klaus) uncovered the Black Mother's lair. Inside was a treasure cache, smaller than expected, but which would prove to be both great and troublesome at the same time. The first thing they found were six elixirs, which had the draconic symbols of strength, health, speed, wit, wisdom, and charisma. These increased corresponding physical traist of the imbiber, and were divied out accordingly.

The only other treasure worth finding was a strange object - the Deck of Many Things. This was a terribly powerful artifact, whimsical with its boons and dangerous to boot. Right there the heroes decided to draw from the deck and test their fate.

Kong stepped forward first and pulled the Sun, a powerful card which increased his experience by leaps and bounds. Duke drew next and got the Key, gaining possession of a magical greatsword where the blade was made of crackling energy. The dwarf wizard gave this to Kong.

Drake pulled next, and got the Moon - granting him a series of magical wishes. He immediately wished to be human again, and he reverted to his original form. He also drew the Vizier, and had an answer to a dilemma up his sleeve.

Argo drew the Jester and also gained in experience knowledge. When it came time for Klaus to take his turn, however, a sense of dread came over him as he pulled out the feared Donjon card - Klaus disappeared in the blink of the eye. Kaspar decided to try his luck, and he pulled the Void - his eyes went blank as his soul left his body.

Klaus Kopperthumbs is imprisoned somewhere from pulling the Donjon out of the Deck of Many Things.

Kaspar Nailo's soul is trapped somewhere but his body functions from pulling the Void out of the Deck of Many Things.

The six companions were reduced to four after nothing more than an artifact. They had defeated gladiators, dragons, demons, undead - and only now did they truly feel loss.

Session Updates
Decks of Many Things, huh? Hilarious!

'Till next, Game On!

"Weird" Dave Olson