Beloved Readers,
I have the most exciting news!
THERE’S A NEW CAPTAIN AT THE HELM OF THE QUARANTINE QUESTERS!
It’s a new DM! A new party! A new quest! And just as many exclamation points as usual!
Brent is retiring as the DM for awhile, so that he can enjoy playing the game himself. And who else to take up the mantle but Kurt, who was known as Dallian the Rock Gnome Rogue in another life?
So, as we welcome a new DM to the game, please allow me the great pleasure of introducing your NEW cadre of adventurers!
Carlos: Half-Elf LG Storm Sorcerer (Anderson)
Andraste: Wood Elf CG Monk (Jenny)
Thro’Viloanna Hlaendeth AKA Vilya: High Elf NG Wizard (of the Divination School) and her snake, Astraeya (Maddy)
Brynja of the Shadowaxe Clan: Dwarf CG Twilight Cleric (Heather)
Thack: Dwarf NG Barbarian (Brent)
An eclectic group to be sure, but a valiant and worthy one, there must be no doubt.
The DM begins by describing the premise: We have all met at the eastern gates of Candlekeep, a massive citadel on the cliffs overlooking the Sea of Swords. The DM also informs us that he hopes one of us in the party has been having village/famine/crop troubles and travels to Candlekeep to speak with a sage named Matreous, who may be able to provide answers to the ongoing blight.
By sheer coincidence, two of the players may fit that bill, in some roundabout way. Thack the barbarian has been living in the wild, seeking out people who destroyed his homeland. Brynja the cleric has some past experience with famine and discloses to the group that she lost a younger sister many years ago to starvation. It is this past tragedy that bonded her to the barbarian when they met on the road in recent days.
Vilya is experiencing a famine of another kind – one of knowledge. Candlekeep is known the world over for its amazing repositories and libraries, and as Vilya has worked her way through most of the books in her village, she travels to the citadel to read and learn. Carlos is a sailor looking for adventure (and he would like us to know he is proficient in water vehicles), and Andraste is just very excited to be out among people. As a monk, she led a very solitary life in the foothills of the Coneflower Mountains., and a journey to the Coast is her first foray out into the “real world”.
The enormous black metal gates of Candlekeep stand nearly 16′ tall, and as if that weren’t enough, five priest-looking guys stand watch over the crowd at the entrance. Some of the people are let into the city while some are turned away, the party notices. Because of the number of travelers milling about and waiting for their turn, several vendor kiosks have cropped up and various wares are being hawked and haggled over right out on the fortress grounds.
The dwarf cleric asks the relatively tall half-elf sorcerer if they should try to enter the city. Vilya sends her snake to a pocket dimension and the group advances in the line. They are greeted by one of the priests, who introduces himself as Silnar, Captain of the Guard of Candlekeep. Upon asking the procedure to enter the citadel, Silnar responds to the group as thus:
“We will allow passage if you can provide an original piece of literature that we do not have in our own libraries.”
Uh. Candlekeep is very well-known for its libraries, so having a book that the city does not have? A steep price, indeed. And that explains why the party looks to its resident scholar, Vilya the wizard. As the high elf looks through her things, Carlos the sorcerer scribbles the letter ‘E’ on a piece of parchment and hands it to Silnar (“Here’s an original piece for you.”). As you might expect, dear readers, Silnar gazes upon the scrap of paper with immense disdain. Silnar denies Vilya’s offer of a Book of Lore as well as Brynja’s Prayers of Twilight (52nd edition). Finally, the dwarf cleric informs Silnar that they just simply wish to seek the advice of Matreous. The priest’s expression changes slightly as he informs the group that actually, Matreous has not been seen for several days, not reporting to his duties at the library.
Well, well, well. A problem that needs a solution. Which the cleric also points out to Silnar.
Vilya decides to plunk herself on the ground and compose, right then and there, a book that for certain Candlekeep does not have in its stacks. Meanwhile, Silnar relents and says the group can gain access to the city if they will “tackle a cave of kobolds” who have been known to harass and menace the local citizenry. While the group stands to the side to mull this over, they are called over by a gnome vendor standing in front of his cart of trinkets and whatnots. Bidbop is his name and he claims to have just the book the party needs to enter the city. And all the questers have to do to get it is locate the residence of a gnome named Torkig, who has unfortunately passed on to the next realm. He is rumored to have invented a special type of powerful battery, and if it truly exists, it is somewhere hidden in his home. And that battery is what Bidbop wants.
Upon questioning, Bidbop claims he is not looking for the battery himself because he feels uneasy about breaking into another’s home.
But…asking a group of strangers to do it for him? No problem. Bidbop offers no incentive to the group to take up his quest, another than the promise to provide a book for passage. Seeing as the group has already committed to a job, the group opts to pass on MmmBop’s quest for now.
And so, after checking Silnar’s map, the party heads off in search of menacing kobolds. They plod through the wooded canyons and gullies in this order: Monk, Barbarian, Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric. And they do so in as quiet of a manner as possible. It’s worth mentioning here that the only member of the group wearing any kind of substantial armor is the cleric…which makes her the least squishiest – but loudest – member of the party. It is not long into the trek that the carcass of a dead animal is seen just off the path. Thack investigates, because if it’s a deer, he’ll probably kill it again.
Oh yes, dear readers, I have forgotten to mention Thack’s intense hatred of deer. And so now you know.
Anyway, Thack rolls a Survival check and discovers that the deer is in fact a cow, and was likely killed for its meat. Good. There will be no post-mortem mutilation for the dwarf barbarian today. Someone was just in the mood for beef and could probably only carry 54 pounds of it back for use.
However, the INT 7 Barbarian is just getting warmed up. Shortly after, he spots a crude snare trap nearby, and when he goes to Investigate – the trap activates, making a loud rattling noise. The group springs off the path behind trees and under shrubbery to hide and wait. Two small lizardy-looking creatures soon emerge and as Vilya understands Draconic, she realizes they are resetting the trap and seem more worried about each other’s incompetence than about potential forest dangers.
When the kobolds finally move off, the party rolls Stealth checks and proceeds to follow them, with Ms. ClankyPants Brynja a little further back in the line. Within minutes, the kobolds disappear into a rock outcropping and it would appear the party has found their lair.
And if there were music playing right now, it would be “Heartache Tonight” by the Eagles. Because…somebody’s gonna hurt someone…
Vilya casts Minor Illusion to lure kobolds out with a sound of a mooing helpless baby calf. The minute two lizardfolk pop out for a look-around, Carlos casts Thunderwave.
Party: 2 Kobolds: 0
The massive thunder sound that accompanies that spell brings some interesting news: this particular kobold cave was not the only one in the area, and now, many other kobolds are emerging from two or three other caves around them.
Good times! And with that, the DM has the group roll initiative. Brnyja has Vigilant Blessing cast on herself, and thus, gets the advantage on initiative rolls. Turns out that it’s not needed, because she’s completely fired up and ready to go (rolling a Nat 20).
Six kobolds are now descending upon the group, all with slings in their hands.
Brynja: Casts Sacred Flame for 3 pts radiant damage on the nearest kobold
Kobold 1: Chucks rock at Brynja’s forehead, does 8 pts of damage
Carlos: Natural 20 Fire Bolt and the smell of charred lizard hangs heavy in the air
Kobold 2: Misses
Kobold 3: Hits the sorcerer for 2 pts damage
Andraste: After exclaiming that she “doesn’t scramble”, the monk practically floats up the rocks and begins punching kobolds (one dies, one takes 2 pts damage)
Vilya: Fire Bolt for 2 pts damage
Kobold 4: Slaps the monk for 5 pts of damage
Kobold 5: Misses the wizard
Kobold 6: Misses the monk
Thack: Too busy cutting off kobold tails for Silnar to be interested in fighting this time around.
Brynja then casts Sleep and the remaining kobolds fall to the ground in deep slumber, allowing the party to evacuate the scene quickly. There are some bleeding scratches that need tending, so it’s back to Candlekeep the brave adventurers return.
“Hey, Silnar. We’re back,” one of the questers says sometime later. Carlos chimes in with, “I bet you don’t have one of those in your library” as he holds up the bloodied, hacked-off stump of kobold tail. If you wanted or needed that visual, blessed readers.
The Priest/Guard Captain resists the gift at first, and is not willing to accept it as proof of a job well-done. But then, Carlos does his Persuasion check (and Brynja casts Guidance on the sorcerer for a little extra help), and Silnar changes his tune. Then he presents a map, highlighting key places to stop and take a brief rest before entering the city.
THEN, Silnar goes over the rules for entering and visiting Candlekeep…and boy, are there a lot. Essentially, it boils down to: no fighting, no arguing, no name-calling, no being mean, no stealing, no copying manuscripts, and no vandalism.
Carlos is happy to hear this, as a Lawful Good sorcerer, because he appreciates law and order. On the other hand, Brynja the Chaotic Good Cleric and Andraste the Chaotic Good Monk are feeling a little twitchy at the never-ending list of regulations. They tamp it down for the time being and the party proceeds through the gates, entering the Court of Air. Within the airy courtyard, the players head for The Hearth, an inn/pub that will provide a place of respite, food, drink, and information-gathering.
Upon entering, the party notices the unique clockwork device over the bar. Enclosed in luminous crystal, it’s a striking feature for the patrons. About 20 people mill about the place, an eclectic mix of folk. Dwarves are at the bar and a huge ogre sits in the corner, reading. Topics of conversation for the next few minutes include: Matreous’s disappearance and Kobold Tails (or…Tales, as it were). Brynja buys a round for the party while Thwap (err…Thack) saunters up to the bar, swinging his tails for everyone to see. Oh. The tail-swinging is the barbarian’s attempt to get the dwarves talking to him. Ohhhh.
Dwarves to Thack: Nice tails.
Thack: Thanks. Who ruin crops?
Dwarves: No idea. How about we buy you a beer?
Thack: Pause.
Thack: But seriously…
The dwarves inform Thack & Co. that the one to speak with is the ogre in the corner. Who goes by the name “Little One.”
Psssht. Like that scares Thack.
What does scare him, though, is the subsequent big-worded description Little One the Ogre gives about the book he’s reading. Carlos tries to reach back into his mental archives and remember if the ogre’s book is one he’s heard of. But, he Critically Fumbles his roll and suddenly forgets every book he’s ever read.
About Matreous, though, the ogre informs the party that all he really knows is this: the sage was last seen in his study. Helpful.
He then regales them with the story of how he used to be a heartless, mindless killing machine until he took a pretty headband from the body of a halfling squeak. Upon donning the headband, he became the most civilized and learned ogre in the realm.
And Vilya’s hands itch so badly at the desire to thieve the ogre’s headgear, you’d think she’d plunged them bare into the deadly Keough Ivy Patch of Doom.
There are then several moments of trying to convince the ogre to join them, which he rebuffs. Eventually, feeling rested and recharged, the party then depart The Hearth, intent to finding a guide through the Emerald Door. A sentinel bars their way, and only after the monk and cleric implore the man that they represent many different kinds of skills and areas of expertise, AND MAY ACUTALLY BE OF ASSISTANCE does the guard call out “Fembrus!”
Fembrus is a young male in the employ of the city of Candlekeep and he makes good conversation as he leads them into the city and to the house of Matreous. The only piece of information that seems semi-useful is the comment is that Matreous spent a good deal of time reading books on interdimensional travel (as Fembrus was the gofer to bring him those books).
Now, isn’t that a fascinating little tidbit for our party to just happen by?
Meanwhile, the monk, not ever having traveled this far from the Coneflower Mtn Foothills, is awestruck by just about everything she sees. The people, the buildings, the people. Minutes later, the group arrives at Matreous’s house and upon entering, find a book called “The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces” open on a reading pedestal. The book, which draws heavily on information regarding spells like Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansions and the like, is penned by an author named Fistandia. Portals to other worlds and extra spaces can be opened with a command word, in this case “scepter”.
Holding her crystal in her hand, Vilya speaks the word aloud, and a shimmering door appears in the room. It is looking more and more like Matreous perhaps ventured through a portal like this and was trapped on the other side, unable to return to Candlekeep. However, before the party steps through the door themselves, they ask Fembrus to say the word as well. When he does, the portal reappears. Good. The guide is left with explicit instruction to return within an hour, utter the command word, and meet them here. He agrees. And is incredibly good-natured about doing so.
And with that the party begins the next leg of the journey – Portal to the Unknown.
An exciting first adventure for our neophyte DM…and a very well executed one too! We shall see you, friends, on the other side.
Ever your servant,
Heather