frp

Upon a secret journey
I met a holy man
His blindness was his wisdom
I'm such a lonely man

You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss

• I. The Trial of Vincent
• II. The Trial of Bria
• III. The Trial of Bigby
• IV. The Trial of Roderick
• V. Godsland

• Danskel = mercenary grunt
• Laryn
• Samhunt (or simply “Sam”)
• Burol
• Rynther
• Kaliss

The setting is a tavern known as Pauvel's Grotto (Tavern 10 in Masterwork Maps: Inns and Taverns). It is a place he visited often when he was a teenager, but this is the year 1086, two years before he was born. The party will arrive at local sunset and Vincent's first impression from outside is that the place has been cleaned up and a new sign has been put in place.

There are a large number of horses in a nearby stable and the sounds of a boisterous crowd can be easily heard. There are a group of 4 people who work for a local mercantyler. They are leaving just as the party arrives and will be able to answer some basic questions - however if the party presses too long or asks too many weird questions, they will make their escape.

Inside, the place looks about the same as Vincent remembers, although he won't recognize any of the patrons - or even the bartender. This is because the original owner, Pauvel, died before Vincent first visited the place.

A quick scan of the patrons reveals that there are about 50 in the main room. Half appear to be farm laborers or other commoners, while the other half appear to be mercenaries - which is a high percentage from Vincent's perspective. In addition, there are the following people that stand out:

1. A table with 3 wealthy, older men (Mercantylers)
2. A table with a pair of con-men: A thief and a thespian
3. A Half-Orc sitting at the free end of the bar (bouncer for Pauvel)
4. A table with 4 well-armed men (one is clearly the “leader”)
5. A young couple sit at a table alone - afraid of everyone around them
6. An Ourai sits with two Telemi - he does not seem to be a servant
7. A beautiful woman sitting alone and drinking what looks like water

Behind the bar is Pauvel, and while he is quite busy, he seems to notice everything going on in the bar.

If approached, use the following sample phrases as discussion points, progressing (if appropriate) from the first to the last in the course of the conversation. To get to the final line in the conversation will require considerable guile. All NPC's will start off as “Unfriendly” and will need to be made friendly using Diplomacy (or something similar). A DC25 check will bring them to Friendly - which will get most of the way.

Pauvel:

• Are you here to fight the goblins?
• Most of the men are hired mercenaries.
• They were hired by the baron - but he doesn't have enough, in my opinion.
• Talk to Polos if you want the work

Kal'rad, the half-orc bouncer: (#3 on the list above)

• Nobody goes into the private rooms without paying.
• The far room is occupied.
• The near room is 1 gold for the evening, drinks not included.
• Don't make me get rough!
• { Note: If Kal'rad is attacked, the bar patrons will side with him }

Polos, the mercenary leader: (#4 from the list above)

• Mercenary work is not for everyone.
• The pay is quite good - if you survive.
• 4 sp per day - half to your heir if you don't survive - None up front!
• We're waiting here for the knights - if they show!
• Sersit knows more about the campaign. I don't have my orders, yet.

Sersit, the money man: (#1 from the list above)

• The baron calls the shots - I'm just the “facilitator”
• We all have a vested interest in reclaiming our lost land.
• We're waiting for the knights from House Wagner
• If Baron Marcus doesn't send them, we don't go
• Tydele is in there now negotiating { glances at back room }

Tydele, the baron's constable: (Back room, door closed)

• { Note: Will have to get past Kal'rad first }
• { In the room is Tydele, 2 scribes, and Jaes of the House Wagner }
• { Tydele is annoyed by any interruption - negotiations going poorly }
• House Wagner is asking too much for their help.
• Mercedes may have to abandon the hinterlands completely
• We need an army to clear out the goblins
• Worse, we have no idea how many goblins there are
• Without reconnaissance, the task is probably hopeless

Yengo, the thespian, and his assistant, Darkim: (#2 from the list above)

• { Darkim is a thief who usually works the crowds when Yengo performs }
• We're just here to entertain the brave soldiers.
• No, really. We support our troops!
• { Actually, they are spies for the goblins! }

Tek and Serdra, a confused young couple: (#5 from the list above)

• We don't want any trouble.
• We just want to be left alone.
• We are eloping.
• { These poor kids are way out of their element }

Quelor, the Ourai: (#6 from the list above)

• { The two Telemi don't talk }
• We are here to fight the goblins.
• My people were enemies of the goblins long before you people arrived.

Eurynome {ue-rin'-ah-mee}: (#7 from the list above)

• { She has 2 glasses of water and a third that is empty }
• { She is ethnically Greek - quite different from a typical Telemi }
• { She is also fantastically beautiful - but supremely competent }
• I'm not the one you want to talk to.
• Go ask Pauvel. He will help anybody … for the right price.
• I lost my sister, Leuce, to a madman's rage. Life is unfair.
• { Eurynome is an Oceanid, one of the daughters of Oceanus }
• { She was sister to Leuce - who was turned by Hades into a white poplar }

After all these conversations, the party will be tasked (or hopefully will offer) to scout the goblins. At which point, they will encounter Zhazing, Crean, and 4 Bugbear Warriors. All six are Half-Fiends and their stats are attached on separate pages.

Zhazing's encampment is carefully surrounded by 67 Goblins (Rogue/1, hp 9). They provide no significant challenge to the party, but will alert Zhazing to the party's arrival - which will give him enough time to cast Invisibility Sphere on himself (which will cover all six). Once invisible, he will cast Silent Greater Invisibility on Crean, then himself.

Don't forget the half-fiend's wings!

Zhazing will become interested in Vincent and after the combat has progressed for awhile, he will try to use his Vampiric Touch on him. If he succeeds, he will say, “I know your blood. I tasted it before in the living world.”

Once the half-fiends are killed, Eurynome will provide Vincent with the forehead touch to erase his psychic mark. If the party left members back at Pauvel's, then she will be there when they return. Otherwise, she will arrive at the site of the combat. In either case, the fog will reappear soon thereafter.

When she removes the mark, she will say the following:

“You follow your blood, while your cousin follows his heart.
The majesty of the gods is shown in the pattern of your life.”

The party arrives out of the fog on the lower edge of the map called TrialBriaCavern1.jpg. Up ahead in the main cavern is the Drow encounter from “Wrath of the Abyss” (Dungeon Magazine #119, February 2005, p.44-46). In addition, there is a Mind Flayer in the cavern located at the top of the map called TrialBriaCavern2.jpg. (see attached sheet)

In the Mind Flayer's cavern is a pool of scrying. This psionic item will react to any character with psionic powers and it is obvious that it is a psionic item. However, to activate it requires a Concentraton DC25 roll. As Bria is the only psionicist in the group, she is the key here…

If activated, it will show Einerk, the dwarf, and an unknown female Elf sneaking through a Drow temple. Einerk will probably only be recognized because he is carrying his axe. (When the party met him, he was a long-dead ghost). The Elf is unknown to the party, but she carries Bria's bow! Across the room is a Drow priestess holding the Smoke crystal. She casts a spell into the crystal and thus demonstrates a new power available to the party. (… Need details here …)

As the party watches, the Elf sneaks silently across the room and steals a teleport chain from a platform. This is the same chain that the party found in Einerk's tomb. However, the Drow spots her! She hands the chain over to Einerk and the two flee. Outside the temple, the Drow appears to use psionic powers to attack the two. The elf falls. Einerk stops to pick her up and then activates some kind of magic item and disappears. At this point, the pool will shut off. Activating it again will not locate Einerk.

Beyond these caverns, the tunnel merges with hewn corridors and the party will find themselves in an upper level hallway with frequent balconies overlooking a massive cavern. As they gaze into the city below, they will be approached by Einerk (the ghost). He will tell Bria the following:

“Kera saved my neck on more than one occasion. I wish I could have been there to save hers when she needed it.”

Then he will remove her psychic mark and the fog will reappear.

The “Kera” he refers to is Bria's elven grandmother. Her full name is Keraerareth = Ker (spell) + aera (Singer/Song) + reth (Arcane).

Setting is his shop in the Southlands. His apothecary ingredients are arranged in no particular order (as usual). But there will be a pattern that he now recognizes - whereas before he did not see it because his magical powers were not that good. By mixing the ingredients appropriately, he can create a special potion that does something wonderful. Either that, or it simply reveals the sigil to proceed.

Key ingredient: A small vial of ordinary rain water - with a label written in his own hand (or perhaps his father's).

Use Chris's foreshadowing: “What's in a name? Nobody knows.”

Myth target: p.67 - Gehenna

Will meet Djinn whom he summoned way back a long time ago. Djinn will tell of Shadow's attempt to contain the elemental lords. The party may deduce that Shadow is learning from Prison Plane 121 about how to imprison “gods”. The Djinn will also reassure Rod about Matchitisiu and explain that it is the Lord of Chaos who came to him in the desert.

Myth target: p.143 - Rakshasas, Rama, Ramayana, Ran (Norse), Rashnu, Ravana

When the party emerges from Roderick's trial, they will come out of the underworld caverns and emerge into the sun of Godsland. They will still be unable to plane shift home, but will be visited by Matchitisiu in a more direct form than ever before.

The Police - Secret Journey

Upon a secret journey
I met a holy man
His blindness was his wisdom
I'm such a lonely man

And as the world was turning
It rolled itself in pain
This does not seem to touch you
He pointed to the rain

You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss

And on the days that followed
I listened to his words
I strained to understand him
I chased his thoughts like birds

You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss

You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
You will see joy in this sadness
You will find this love you miss

And when you've made your secret journey
You will be a holy man

• Apr 1081 - Teir, a farmer under Baron Conrad of the House Mercedes, dies, leaving his family in poverty. His wife, Sesyi, keeps the family together.
• Jan 1083 - Aramil born (actual date unknown, later assumed to be Sep 1082)
• Nov 1083 - Sesyi, wife of Teir, dies; Waran decides to leave to seek his fortune, leaving his brother Areno to run the farm alone.
• Dec 1085 - Goblins invade farmlands in Mercedes's hinterlands barony; Baron Conrad flees, providing insufficient assistance for his serfs to defend themselves; Aramil's parents, Areno and Nysriss, are killed while they try to flee; The 3-year-old Aramil and his 16-month-old brother, Teir, are taken by the goblins; Aramil is rescued by Delkin, the ranger, but Teir is not. (Aramil has blocked out details of this event - including the existance of his brother)
• Jan 1086 - Waran, Areno's brother, returns to the hinterlands; finding no trace of his brother, he heads out to seek revenge against House Mercedes and/or the goblins.
• Dec 1086 - The badly beaten Waran staggers into the Mercedes barony and is nursed back to health by Velova, the baron's 18-year-old daughter. He tells them his name is “Daniel”.
• Sep 1087 - “Daniel” disappears, leaving a pregnant Velova behind.
• Mar 1088 - Vincent born.

• Oct 1102 - Ourai uprising. Aramil is 20, Vincent is 14.
• Dec 1104 - Dark Mage's zombie armies march. Aramil is 22, Vincent is 16.
• Sep 1105 - Ourai revolt finally put down. Aramil is 23, Vincent is 17.
• Jan 1108 - Both at the resort. Aramil is 25, Vincent is 19.

The story that Perdel tells Aramil:

You look so familiar that I was sure we met before. However, ever since I met you yesterday, I've been scouring my memory for the details. Finally, this afternoon, when we returning to my cottage after killing those dread monsters in the forest, it came to me in a flash!

Do you know a man named Areno?

{ As Aramil has not heard this name, I assume he responds in the negative }

You bear such an amazing likeness to this man, that you must be his brother or cousin. He ran a farm in the hinterlands of House Mercedes, which is now fouled by goblins. Last December, when the goblins invaded from the hills, Areno, his wife Nysriss, and their two young sons were killed.

While it is easy to blame the goblins for this atrocity, it is also important to note that Baron Conrad Mercedes fled the hinterlands as soon as the size of the goblin army was realized. He made no effort to defend his serfs, nor did he help them escape the assault - in which hundreds died! Someday, someone should see that the Baron pays for this cowardice!

{ Aramil has heard of House Mercedes as that is Vincent's family. (Vincent uses his surname whenever he wants to impress people - although Aramil has never been impressed by such pomp). He knows little about the Baron other than what Vincent has told him since it was a long day's ride away from where Aramil was raised and he never had good reason to visit. }

Feel free to ask questions…

After this conversation, he wipes the psychic mark from your forehead and says, “As you learn from the Beast–don't lose the Man”.

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