The Black Wedding

Session 136

Characters: Julian, Anthony, Randal, Tulgar, Cael.

NPCs: Yimluth Elkmoon: The Elk Father (Druid of Silvanus), Peter the Triad Priest (Tyr), Father Akkul the Triad Priest (Illmater), Hensley the Triad Priest (Torm), Mellomir: The Sage of Arabel, 5 Estate Guards (Lord Idool), 3 Vile Blink Dogs, 6 Baulder's Gate Blades, Priest of Waukeen, Lord Kynston Illance, Lady Felicia Illance, Lord Kisbin Idool, Chapel Organist, 4 Royal Purple Dragon Knights, Warwizard of Cormyr, Lord Thond.

L 15 Mirtul 1374 - E 16 Mirtul 1374

6550 XP

Grim had Teleported Anthony Manton's remains to the Fortress of the Faithful where he was Resurrected by their priests. The three High Priests were overjoyed that Anthony had returned back to Ferun amd gave him a warm welcome back. Anthony spoke with Father Peter, Akkul, and Hensley concerning his spirituality, recent trials, and concerns and then Grim and Anthony Teleported back to Cormyr where they met with their party in the Hullack Forest. Meanwhile, after the great battle with the Hagunemnon the party spoke with the Elk Father concerning the poem they had found in Wellstar's tower. The Elk Father seemed of no help. Having no memory of recent events or a writer's mind the Elk Father could only guess as to what the poem's purpose might be. His only suggestion was that perhaps there was more to this poem than simply researching its historical references. The party's investigation of these events was a timely and incredibly difficult task; one that seemingly led to nowhere. What Wellstar and Alaphandar were up to the still could not say, more prove. Perhaps the monks of Candlekeep had already found the answer?

With their last lead dead in their hands, the party decided that they would seek out the great diviner Sage Mellomir. A long time resident of Arabel, Baron Thomdor had appointed him to watch over Arabel in the party's absence. Anthony Manton remember him as a dry, dapper man with neat trimmed hair. Also, Mellomir was a powerful wizard, whom foretold the fall of Bhall and Myrkul before the Time of Troubles. Most recently, Mellomir was famous for having survived several kidnappings, and single-handedly destroying an entire Westgate family after it tried to assassinate him. With Cael's expertise the party was Greater Teleported back to Arabel. Before they sought out Mellomir the party went to the north gate and saw that a massive stone wall had been raised to replace the previous one, the work of a wizard no doubt. Arabel's civic guard and remaining Purple Dragon Knights were overjoyed to see that Pinehill's adventurers had returned.

The party then went back to Arabel's western wall district where they easily found Mellomir's old tower standing just one block away from Wellstar's. The two buildings could not have been more opposite, Wellstar's was a modern design and purely functional. It's only decor came from the odd mechanical contraptions which hung outside its windows. The tower's roof, a massive steel bowl guarding a great telescope which peered into the night sky. Mellomir's however, was one of Arabel's oldest structures, an architectural gem adorned with elegant stone reliefs carved into dragons, kings, and cavaliers. As the party approached the Sage's tower the door came flying open, a man in his forties wearing the robes of an apprentice greeted them and welcomed them in, Mellomir had been expecting them.

The apprentice brought the party into a lavish chamber furnished with card tables, a magical lanceboard set, plush purple furniture, and an animated harpsicord which filled the room with music. After several minutes Mellomir and an old hawk entered; he greeted the party as if they were old friends. The Sage ran through the party's names as well as a list of heroic accomplishments as an animated bar began to float drinks into their hands. The party asked Mellomir about the poem they had found in Wellstar's tower, their recent encounters concerning Ironvine, the Grey Knight's Lance, and of course The Elk Father. In addition, they also spoke to the Sage about the suspicious announcement that Lady Felicia Illance was to be married to the vile Lord Idool Kisbin. Alaphondar had little positive to say about Wellstar and mentioned his surprise concerning Alaphondar's disappearance. To the questions of the poem he told the party that while he was not aware of anything more detailed than what they had already encountered; they were not the only people whom were investigating the poem. He was not positive the identities, but he was sure they were most devious indeed.

This discussion landed the party into the inevitable and taboo subject of the Knights Draconis. Who could also be involved? Mellomir felt that while what the party had found was genuine historical evidence, that the Knights Draconis organization had died out some 500 years ago at least. He noted in his own personal study of them long ago that there were tell-tale changes in the Cormyrian court, King's personal guard, and composition of the royal bloodlines that would mark the end of the Knights Draconis as active participants in the Cormyrian royal line. He also mentioned how genius it was that they had put all their history into one place in which the only access would be granted once a year for just 24 hours. Even if one was to study intensely for all the 24 hours there would be no possibility to achieve even a fraction of the knowledge hidden within its walls. The powerful magical presences within the Knights Refuge had indeed forced the party into that exact dilemma. Mellomir told the party that whomever was behind this, it did not have to do with the Knights Draconis. In fact, it may have been the perfect wild goose chase the true criminals would need in order to tie up such epic adventurers such as they.

Their conversation began to round 2am when the topic changed to that of Lady Illance and Lord Idool Kisbin. Mellomir had been so busy managing the affairs of Arabel and divining into the future troop movements of the orcish and parliamentarian armies as well as the party's history that he was surprised by this news (not surprisingly). The drinks had begun to slur the conversation of all those present by this point and Mellomir offered the suggestion that they pay this wedding a visit (as they were official Emmisaries of the Steel Regent), just to make sure all was indeed right. The party jumped to their feet with a wobble noticing the wedding was probably in progress if not already over by now as it had been scheduled for this very evening. Mellomir stopped the party as they were about to run out and gave them each a potion to drink. Immediately they were sharp and sober as if they had slept for a full 8 hours, then the great Sage Teleported them off to Lord Idool Kisbin's personal mansion just outside the wall of Suzail's Gardens.

Though there was some light in the night sky the party had a difficult time seeing past Lord Idool Kisbin's gate. Idool had ordered his mansion designed by architects from Halruua; it's dark stone walls were punctuated by small dimly lit windows. Fortunately, due to the fact Lord Idool was only a Lord of Cormyr by gold and not blood he could not build his unsightly (and Un-Cormyrian) estate within the Gardens of Suzail. With his marriage to Lord Illance's duaghter however, all of that was about to change. Suddenly, the party was nearly shaken by the sound of a great organ playing a dreadful song from within the mansion's chapel. For Julian, whom had just recently lost the girl he had longed for, this was enough. He cast Improved Invisibility upon himself, activated his magical equipment and Blinked through the stone wall, marching silently towards the chapel. The rest of the party stepped forward and made their appearances known to the Estate Guard standing at the gate's entrance. The guard initially refused them entrance but when Anthony Manton and Randal gleamed their Purple Dragon Knight Rings and adventuring charter signed by the Steel Regent herself, he gathered together 4 other Estate guards and opened the gate. The party was escorted by the 5 guards along with 3 large black dogs. Cael thought that they resembled Blink dogs except they were too large and surrounded by an aura of evil. The Estate Guards however, did not resonate with the same tinge of darkness.

Julian had reached the Chapel's windows by the time the party had just gained entrance by the guards. Looking in he saw it was dedicated the Waukeen: the goddess of commerce. However, while the chapel kept true to the symbols and design of Waukeen's temples, it had a darker style than those he had previously seen. A Cleric of Waukeen was stating the opening gospels infront of Lord Idool Kisbin and Lady Felicia whom was dressed in a black wedding gown and sobbing. Lord Illance was seated in the chapel's first small pew with two menacing guardsman dressed in black platemail. Julian recognized them as the same personal guard from Baulders Gate that Lord Idool had been surrounded by after the Council the previous night, the Baulder's Gate Blades. A total of 6 of these guards were positioned around the Chapel ensuring that everything went just as their client desired. The organist, a lone old man with greyed hair sat in starchy bulter's clothing as if half asleep. By the time the party had arrived at the chapel door (which was barred twice over), Julian knew their time was running short as the Cleric had finished the opening gospels and was now asking for the couple's vows. Julian began looking for signs of entry and noted that the entire chapel had been sealed within multiple Walls of Force, as well as other protective spells he would need to avoid. The Estate Guards outside rapped upon the door and shouted that the Steel Regent's Emmisaries had arrived demanding entrance at once. Lord Idool Kisbin ordered his Elite Mercenaries to kill the party no matter what, and to resume the ceremony as quickly as possible. For Cael, Tulgar, (and even Anthony and Randal) they had heard enough. Randal unleashed a flurry of incredible blows into the door with his holy fists, the Estate Guards ran in all directions, their Blink Dogs cowering in fear. At the instant it shattered, Tulgar, Cael and Anthony saw into the Chapel and Dimension Doored in, the Elite Guards were waiting however, drawing their black bladed katanas and striking in the same motion. Julian Dimension Doored in as well and initially attempted to overtake Lord Idool's mind, however Idool was protected (he had payed quite a sum of gold to ensure nothing like this would happen). Anthony appeared behind the Cleric of Waukeen and cast a powerful spell, stunning the Cleric and stopping the ceremony. Lord Idool grabbed Felicia forcing a knife to her neck, she stopped struggling immediately.

Tulgar, Cael and Randal found their foes to be impressively capable in melee and soon were just as damaged as their foes. Tulgar stuck out and killed one with Gard, Cael cut through two more with Calinus Brumalis; an winter chill began to overtake the room. But Cael and Randal had cornered the last guard into the rear of the chapel when suddenly he struck out with a lash of steel. Randal pushed Cael away but the blade was quicker than he had anticipated; Randal's head fell to the floor with an ominous thud. Without even time to react to the first strike a second flash from the mercenary's blade hit Cael squarely between his helm and breastplate, his helm fell to the ground with a clang just a slit second after Randal's. Anthony turned and to the dire change of events and saw the mercenary standing with his katana drenched in blood, a vorpal. Anthony reacted by casting Revivify upon Cael; Julian saw this and used Greater Solarity to slow down time's passage and Replicated Anthony's spell Revivifying Randal as well. Cael had risen almost as fast as he was dropped, and a second later the awestruck mercenary was cleaved in half by his icy blade. Tulgar raged on as he wrapped Gar around another mercenary's chest and split him in two. Blood hit all four walls of the chapel at once. As the last of the guards were finished by the party, Lord Kisbin was slowly making an exit toward the broken chapel door; holding Felicia with a dagger at her perfect neck. Lord Illance was watching petrified in horror knowing that if he moved even an inch, Lord Kisbin would dispatch his daughter.

The party turned to pursue, but the second Lord Idool had backed his way through the door they heard the unmistakable sounds to an arrow volley. Kisbin's beedy eyes lit up with pain as he fell to his knees allowing Felicia to break free. Behind him a squad of Royal Purple Dragon Knights lead by a Warwizard marched up with bows trained on the door shouting for all to stand down and drop their weapons. Randal whom was not armed rushed to Lord Idool as he took his last breath hoping to stop him from dying for just a few seconds longer. Kisbin's eyes sunk back into his skull and in his last exhale whispered, "The Lost King has returned again, you are powerless to stop him".

The party immediately went to Lord Illance and Felicia's aid and afterwords spoke with the Warwizard about what hapd happened. The Royal Warwizards had been keeping a close eye upon the Weave inside the Gardens of Suzail ever since the Eye Rippers had smashed their way into the Gesture of Fealty and had responded to the powerful magic use with a team of Royal Purple Dragons. Lord Kisbin expressed his eternal gratefulness to the party for not only rescuing them, but also for not abandoning their suspicions. After the party had finished their report with the Royal Purple Dragon Squad they escorted Lord Illance and his daughter back to his personal estate within the Gardens of Suzail. His castle was a perfect Cormyrian fairytale with high turrets, large windows, white-washed stone, and powerful patches of Ironvine that reflected his romantic heart. It was also the first chance the party had ever had to see Felicia so close. Even at this hour of night, in a dreadful black dress and tear smeared makeup running down her face, she looked absolutely breathtaking. As the talked for the next hour with her they found both Lord Illance and his daughter to be just as humble as they were noble, a remarkable trait indeed.

After Felicia had gone to bed Lord Illance began to address the party's questions about the suspicious and irresponsible order he had given just days prior to move one of his largest caravans (the Dragoneye Dealing Coster) out of Arabel just prior to an orc attack. Lord Kisbin slowly began to explain everything. Almost three weeks ago Lord Idool visited his estate (tracking in mud and intimidating the servants) Kyston Illance refused to speak with a man so uncouth no matter how much business savvy his bank accounts showed. The next day Illance and his daughter were outside enjoying a walk when again Idool approached on horseback with two guards at his side asking to speak with Illance in private. Idool made vague references which threatened the welfare of Illance's trade routes and offered some "solutions" to prevent this at a price. Illance was not to be blackmailed and immediately withdrew with Felicia at his side. That very night Illance was awoken by one of his company men that a caravan into Suzail had not arrived and had not been seen in Jutesburgh, Bishop's Strattol, Kedalbee, or Windyhill (the towns just north of Suzail) either. Lord Illance knew the caravan's fate however, he had lost thousands of gold that night and could not prove Idool's guilt.

Over the next few days Idool's visits to Illance became stranger and more frequent. Ravens flew in with parcels, a former sailor turned ghost delivered news of when Idool was to be expected, and many other unusual things as well. In those two days Illance lost another caravan and a shop in the shipping district of Marsember, the local militia attributed the shop falling into the Sea of Shining Stars to "weathered timbers and cargo over the recommended weight". Illance found himself paying Idool increasing sums of money for his "expert suggestions" so that the Dragoneye Dealing Coster would remain profitable. Then one day Idool became bolder than even Illance would have ever suspected. Idool's interest had now shifted to Felicia. After a few misplaced words of affection to her, Illance lost his temper with Idool. Idool however would not relent and demanded her hand in marriage at once. Illance and his guards threw Idool out into his face, and for once Illance thought he had rid himself at last of the terrible Lord Idool. More wrong he could not be. For that night Illance was awoken by a freezing chill that had entered his sizable bed chamber.

When he awoke Illance saw a creature more terrifying than he could have ever imagined. A great skeletalized red dragon crouched within the room staring at Illance with two burning red orbs from within it's skull. Illance was instantly paralyzed with fear, the creature extended its skull over the bed and spoke in a hushed whisper. The creature told Illance that he was to agree to marry off his daughter to Idool or else she would meet a fate far worse than death. Lord Illance agreed to the terrible creature's demands and then in a flash it was gone leaving only a bitter chill and the smell of death within the room. Illance brought the party up to his bed chamber following the account where the party proceeded to search the room for any clues they could find. Julian found a place on the floor where the creature had been scratching with one of it's claws leaving a scar upon the marble floor. He gathered the dust remains within the cracked marble hoping that if there were any remnants of bone, Grim could analyze them in the future. The party thanked Illance for his honesty and after much thanks in return for saving his daughter from Lord Idool the party headed back to Lord Thond's manor for rest.

Finding the Elk Father

Session 135

Characters: Julian, Grim, Anthony, Randal.

NPCs: Balin, Awakened Ironvine, Lord Thond, Berronar of the 9th circle (Druid of the King’s Forest), Ozurr the Tree Ghost, Hagunemnon, The Elk Father.

E 14 Mirtul 1374 - L 15 Mirtul 1374

8400 XP

After a night of long political discussion in the chambers of Suzail’s royal court the party lumbered back to Lord Thond’s eccentric mansion for rest. Thond’s dust-ridden manor was perfectly quiet and dark, ideal for a long awaited sleep. Ten hours later in the late afternoon the party decided it was time to continue their investigation of the Myth of the Elk Father which had been interrupted by the previous night’s politics. With some unusual tips from Balin and the awakened Ironvine they had encountered previously on Aleron I’s tomb, the party made their way to the King’s Forest. Anthony Manton cast a Windwalk upon the party and within an hour of pleasant travel over the blue Cormyrian skies they had arrived at a conspicuous grove of trees.

In the center was an earth mound topped with broken stones halfway sunken into its face. The party searched the area finding many unusual magical runes and auras, but all of them in Grim’s opinion were incomplete at best. Julian discovered a small path which was well hidden in a somewhat disorienting landscape. Familiar with the tricks of druids from their experience in the Forest of Tethyr, Julian was able to follow the path. It led the party to a humble cottage with dry mortared river stones and a neatly thatched roof.


The party decided to wait until its master made an appearance and not shortly after a scruffy human dressed in peasant’s clothing shuffled through the undergrowth. Berronar greeted them with some hesitation due to the intimidating nature of some of their equipment and told them he was the master of the grove. The party told Berronar that their quest to find the Elk Father of the Cormyrian forest had led them to his grove. Berronar was quite surprised knowing that the Elk Father had been gone for some 800 years at least, a member of an ancient circle of druids long since dissolved. Berronar invited the party to some pungent tea and then led them back to the grove where they searched together. With Berronar’s assistance the party made the discovery that these were not individual stones but the remnants of one great former stone of significant magical power. They unearthed the stones and assembled them into a small platform; Grim repaired the damaged structure with a creative bit of spellcasting. It was only then the stone’s true magical power was restored. As the moon took its presence over the skies Anthony and Grim realized at that this was a teleportation stone. Wishing Berronar goodbye the party they activated the stone and vanished, appearing in an entirely different place.

The adventurers found themselves completely submerged in murky brown water, and entangled in reeds and water grasses. They still stood on a stone platform but were now in a pond of sorts, what moonlight there was had been filtered out by massive water lilies and a thick forest canopy above. They rose efficiently to the surface by simply reactivating the ongoing Windwalk. They were in another grove, however this time they were surrounded by water-logged trees, and the croaking of frogs all around, some as large as cats. Grim cast a Discern Location spell and an arcane voice whispered back to him that he was still on Ferun, in the Hermit’s Woods of Cormyr. Anthony knew this immediately as a swampy patch of land just east of Marsember. As they looked around further, Julian noticed there was a great terrace of pools draining water from a stream just above a hillside into this depression, most were broken in places and leaking water. Randal discovered the remains of a skeleton in the last pool which had run dry (or at least the muddy sort of dry that one can only find in a swamp). With Randal at the bottom and Julian at the top of the terraced pools they determined that long ago this figure was thrown from the top smashing the lowest pool’s outer wall.

A grave sense of the evil committed in this grove now lingered in the heads of the party. They decided together that what ever the magic was that brought them here may have been the path which the Elk Father had last taken. Or maybe they had been brought here for a reason? In addition, it was clear to them now that the grove’s former magic had been lost and that in order to continue on their path they would have to restore it. The party began lifting stones back into place when Julian had a remarkable idea, his Lyre of Building! And so with nothing more than an hour of music from the Lyre, Julian had reconstructed the grove to an old splendor. The trickles of water running in all directions resonated in the grove, and of course the frogs could no longer resist holding in their croaks. Anthony and Randal meanwhile had been busy burying the skeleton on a suitably dry plot of land overlooking the grove. Grim focused his attention back on the central pool. Within an hour or so of study he realized this magical pool was far more powerful than he had imagined. It would Teleport whoever looked deeply upon its murky surface to anywhere he or she wished to go, a dangerous proposition for some.

The party focused together on their quest and their desire to find the Elk Father as they stared deeply into the water. The next moment the party was staring at a great Grey Tree which stood alone in a massive grove of barren soil. The tree’s wood was petrified grey and looked hard as stone, as if sunk in sea water for hundreds of years. The hundreds of notches and hollows dotting its body were lit up with the yellow eyes of ghostly owls. In the center of its thick trunk was the face of an old man. The trees and its ghostly owls noticed the party’s presence almost immediately; owls hooted and flew out of their hollows swooping past the party into the forest. A powerful voice called out to the party demanding to know how they had reached his home. The party was surprised for they were expecting to see the treant’s face animate as it spoke, but instead they saw a spiritly visage within the petrified wood moving, the Tree Ghost. The party explained that they were not here to fight, or harm its resting place and that they desired only to find and speak with the Elk Father. The Tree Ghost refused to acquiesce to their requests for knowledge concerning the Elk Father for some time, but eventually their diplomacy succeeded.

The Tree Ghost told them that a long time ago he knew the Elk Father, whom often roamed the King’s Forest killing aberrations of nature and magic. Some 800 years ago however, the Elk Father disappeared, the Tree Ghost told the party he could take them to the last known site of the Elk Father. Their hearts leaped, until they heard the Tree Ghost’s grave tale of the hideous beast which followed the Elk Father there. The party insisted they go despite the Tree Ghost’s warnings and so they stepped into a massive hollow at his base.

When the party appeared Grim cast a Discern Location and discovered they had been Teleported by the Tree Ghost to the Hullack Forest in eastern Cormyr. It appeared almost identical to the King’s Forest with some exceptions that an avid tracker would notice. After all, the two woods were once one when the elves called them part of Cormanthor. They walked just a short distance through ancient trees finding odd wooded plants shaped in the forms of aberrations, orcs, and adventurers. Grim recognized them almost immediately as the work of a unique petrifaction spell. In the center of a clearing was a large pool of water which glistened in the moonlight. Circling the pool were 12 standing stones forming monoliths and great triathlon gates. The stones and trees were all adorned with hibernating and damaged magical runes which looked to have been clawed away by the monsters that now stood petrified in bark all around them.

Julian and Grim searched for more signs of magic still active and found only one. The pool’s surface seemed to be blocked by an epic barrier of some kind. Clearly whatever was under the water was either meant not to go in or out. Julian and Grim combined their efforts but only Grim through a great arcane toil was able to break the barrier. The party leapt into the pool expecting the worst, all their magical items now glowed with their full power. Rather than swimming down, they found themselves swimming up, and burst out of the water into an underground grotto where the monoliths above stretched down forming great stone pillars which supported the ceiling. It was then the party faced a terrible sight no man had seen for nearly 500 years, the Hagunemnon.

The creature’s form was in constant flux, as its flesh boiled over ever-changing its appearance. The Hagunemnon battered the party with stone giant fists, ripped at them with dragon’s claws, looking upon them with hundreds of green eyes. Julian struck it hard with his trusted death mace but it was nearly destroyed as that instant the beast’s hide became engorged with acid. Randal and Anthony battled back with all their might and suddenly the chaotic beast unleashed a burst of energy suppressing all but the most powerful magic in the grotto. Grim stood back now in terror as Julian, Anthony and Randal were being overcome by its power but Anthony was slain. In horror, the party continued to fight and managed to suppress it into a bubbling mass as it attempted to regenerate. Randal slowly pushed it into the pool while Julian kept it at bay with Firestorm. They were all moved back under the moonlight by the magical pool and in the open sky Grim conjured a great storm which brought a hail of mundane lightning down upon the beast, killing it instantly.

After the battle Grim Teleported Anthony to the familiar Fortress of the Faithful where services were immediately mustered for his spirit to be summoned once more by the Triad’s followers. Meanwhile, Julian and Randal returned to the grotto, and discovered it to be a tomb. Lining the walls were the graves of many great druids, all bearing the same title Elk Father. Perhaps there was not just one but many? All the graves were locked by the same epic abjuration; however Grim managed to cancel it as he had done the previous (though with no greater ease). Behind the sarcophagus was the still and sleeping body of a lycanthrope, half man, and half elk. It took some effort arising him, but after they had the Elk Father erupted in surprise, fear, and celebration as his memories gradually returned.

He told the party that he had found the Hagunemnon in Cormyr’s woods long ago and that when he engaged it he realized it was far too much for him. Rather than be killed, he led it back to the grove of the Elk Circle, where he trapped himself and the beast forever. With his last bit of magical energy the Elk Father sealed himself and his previous Circle Masters from the beast knowing that it might be his last action. After many thanks from the Elk Father, the party finally got around to asking him about the poem they had found in Wellstar’s tower. Why was the Elk Father mentioned? What did it mean to become an Elk Foe? The Elk Father looked over the poem in detail with the party but after much discussion he was just as clueless as the party. While at first glance the poem and the legends it evoked seemed as if they would allow the party to find who was behind all of this mystery. But now the party realized there was more to the poem than the myths and legends they had learned from the monks of Candlekeep.