frp

(Previous Session) (Back to V2 Index) (Next Session)

Note: This adventure concludes “Barrow of the Forgotten King”, by Ed Stark, as published by Wizards of the Coast.

14 March 1111

After the difficult battle with the undead, the party discusses whether they should return to town and rest again. However, with the grave robbers apparently still ahead of them, time cannot be wasted.

As a compromise, the party leaves the tomb (with Sigur's help at the waterfall), climbs down the mine shaft they discovered earlier, and returns to the magical dragon fountain. Finding its restorative powers still intact, Allie and Ketamine refresh their spells – and the entire party is refreshed as if they had rested for the night.

Area 21) Treachery's Price

Back in the tomb, the party finds the last illusion room that reveals the fate of the forgotten king – he was betrayed by his raven-haired follower and his crown was stolen. This man was clearly the one Sigur referred to as “The Betrayer”.

Area 22) Betrayer's Throne

The party finds a dark-haired man sitting on an opulent throne. While this is clearly the man known as “The Betrayer”, he is far from what the party expected. Rather than being some form of hideous undead, he seems calm and talkative – right up to the point where someone¹⁾ asks about his children.

The Betrayer leaps from this throne so quickly that half the party is surprised. He then calls his “Knights” to join him in battle – at which point two statues of mounted warriors change into lance-bearing skeletal warriors atop skeletal horses.

The resulting battle is brutal. Líkami falls under the hooves of a skeletal horse. Yosi falls at the hands of the Betrayer. But in the end, the trio of evil are vanquished. When it is realized that Líkami and Yosi are actually dead, the triumph turns to shock.

Still… The grave robbers had made it this far and were nowhere to be seen. There must be more to the tomb…

The surviving party exhaust their healing spells and begin searching the room. Eventually, someone²⁾ finds a secret door that leads to the true tomb…

Area 23) The King's Tomb

The final tomb has been ransacked. While four statues of the king, his queen, and two of their allies remain – complete with lifelike illusions to project the way they lived, all four of their sarcophagi have been disturbed. Three of them still contain remains, but the fourth is empty. As the group begins to search the place, the statue of the king comes “alive” and speaks to them.

“Thank you, my friends. It is good to see that heroism remains in this world. My time to return is not now, but it might be soon.”

“In my time it was prophesied that my rule would end prematurely, but that I would return to aid the world in its most dire struggle. I sense that time coming, but my bones have been stolen, and if they are not recovered, I don't know if the prophecy can be fulfilled.”

“My name is Theron, but that is no matter, for my time is past. The name you need to know is “Sertrous”. I heard the grave robbers who came through here use that name in conjunction with something called 'The House of Circlet', and while I do not know who or what this House is, I know that they are evil and must not triumph!”

“The villains stole my bones, and the weapons of my wife and my champions! Those arms are very powerful and should not be used in the service of evil. Still, they did not get this….”

The King reaches into the empty tomb, through its bottom, and pulls out a jet-black longsword, with a plain hilt decorated by a single large pearl in the pommel.

“This weapon, Merthúvial” he says, “once helped me save a kingdom. May it aid you in your heroics and serve as thanks from a forgotten king.”

The King then handed his weapon to Allie, thus satisfying the first legacy ritual (King's Gift).

14 March 1111

After leaving the Tomb of the Forgotten King, the party loads the bodies of Líkami and Yosi into the cart and heads to see Sebastian, the cleric in the village of Hardanger. While he cannot help them raise the two from the dead, he tells them of “Ludvik”, a priest in Southbay who might be able to help (though he will require a significant fee). He offers a letter of introduction and helps them remove some cursed armor from Ash before they leave.

The alley was dark enough to shield the woman from unwanted notice, but her heart raced nevertheless. She had always hated the city. It reeked with the smell of humans. It was noisy. And despite being a few miles upriver from the bay, the cold sea was too close for comfort. She longed for the safety of the marsh. Even more, she longed for the warmth of her homeland.

But like many times before, she had to attend to business. And that meant the city.

The shopkeeper she was meeting was better adapted to this place – his shape closer to human – but even so, he was forced to keep to the alleys and wear concealing clothing. How he managed to do it was a constant source of wonder and disgust.

With a last look to ensure no humans noticed, she opened the door to the shop and stepped through – latching it closed once she was inside.

The keeper kept his shop warm. Warm enough that she was able to relax, if only for a moment. Behind his counter, he was slowly and carefully measuring a vial of red ink. A variety of blades and piercing tools were laid out to the side.

“About time,” he hissed. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago. I am expecting a client soon – so you will have to be quick.”

“I have received a vision,” she began.

The keeper stopped measuring and set the ink down. “Praise to Sseth! Does it reveal our victory at last?”

“No.” She lowered her head slightly, “It tells only of defeat.”

The shopkeeper stared. His eyes locked on her. His face expressionless.

After a long, awkward silence, he asked softly, “What did it say?”

“It was short and unclear. It said: 'The end of Sertrous begins when the two who are one breathe the Dragon's Breath.'”

He remained still and silent. She waited. Was he angry? Was he relieved?

“Well then,” he finally replied. “I guess we had better find these 'two' and stop them from breathing whatever it is they're not supposed to breathe.”

(Previous Session) (Back to V2 Index) (Next Session)