Another painful disaster! Back @ the keep, we ran into the usual three Doppelganger’s @ the archway leading to the drawbridge & defeated them. Minsc in his Splint Mail seems especially vulnerable to their attacks & usually takes quite a beating but as a Barbarian Fighter cannot wear anything more than Splint.
There were traps galore on the first Labyrinth Level but Imoen was fantastic with her 100% Trap Detection/Removal bolstered by a Potion of Perception topped her @ 120% but as I’ll detail in a moment, even that was not always enough!
Our victories, in order, as we made our way thru the main hall & surrounding rooms were: two Phase Spiders; three Greater Doppelgangers; another Phase Spider; a Skeleton Warrior w/two Flesh Golems; two additional Phase Spiders; two Wraith Spiders; a single Skeleton; a second Skeleton Warrior w/two Skeleton’s guarding the treasure room; again a Skeleton Warrior; four more Phase Spiders & two Battle Horrors. We found some odd items which @ first we just left behind, e.g. a mallet head, some grapes, but then we started to figure out that we were working a riddle after speaking to four Dwarven Lift Warders that posed riddles to us. @ first we didn’t connect their gibberish together until we found a round room detailing the exploits of Durlag. When we left the room, in a room across the hall, a great sword fused into a rock became encased in a bluish light & the words, “You have raised my deeds…” suddenly filled the air. Then in the very next room we found a gong & remembered the mallet head. Up a long hall, we battled two of the Phase Spiders & the two Battle Horrors mentioned above before we went out & spoke to one of the Lift Warders that had mentioned ‘pride’ &, sure enough, by reading the texts about Durlag’s battles solved his ‘riddle’ & the Warder disappeared. At that time, I thought that was ALL good...but I was wrong. This event made it clear that each Dwarf was associated w/a riddle we needed to solve. We found the mallet handle also but we’re still trying to figure out if we can put it together & see what happens if we ‘bang the gong’.
Key Event: But then it happened…again! All was well, a couple of scrapes & bruises but we were headed out when we noticed a small hallway leading out of the far end of the Great Hall. Imoen lead, Detecting Traps as always & found one about 2/3 way down the hall. She Removed Trap…but it went off any way! A Fireball smoked us all pretty severely but we persevered so I had Imoen check it out again. I gave Imoen my Ring of Fire Protection she quaffed a Potion of Fire Resistance while the rest of us backed way off to the lift where the three remaining Gnome Warders were. Sure enough there were two more traps she easily used her Remove Trap skill on. She came back thru the hall, apparently w/o incident, but then suddenly a Fireball seemed to land right in the midst of us, completely charring Khalid, who’d already been seriously injured, beyond recognition. Quayle too, was killed, but he could be taken to a temple & Raised. Khalid has been a tremendous ally & friend, a personal friend of mine as he was to Gorion & now I’ve lost both he & his wife in addition to Dynahier. And so I led us back to Nashkel, second guessing. The usual three Doppelgangers blocked our way @ the stone archway but I defeated them alone, letting the others, all wounded, stand back.
Next, I had no choice but to replace Khalid w/another warrior. I looked for Kivan @ the FAI, everywhere I could think of, even travelling back to the Gnoll stronghold where I’d left him last. Through four Gnoll Veterans; eight Gnoll Slashers; four Gnolls; five Gnolls & four Gnoll Elites & four more Gnoll Veteran’s but Kivan was not to be found. I remembered the Paladin, Ajantis, near Fishing Village & was headed there despite the fact that he didn’t provide the powerful ranged capability Khalid had but then I remembered the Elf in the Cloakwood had a bow. So off to the Cloakwood it was, battling through six Wild Dogs, three Huge Spiders & three Ettercaps before finding him. Turns out he is both a Champion & Sharper (Fighter/7//Thief-Swashbuckler/7). He is well skilled w/a Longbow, has the Elvish natural skill w/a Long Sword & is extremely adept @ Moving Silently & Hiding in Shadow (100%/100%), whereas Imoen’s skills are best @ Finding/Removing Traps & Opening Locks (100%/100%).
Once we returned, we worked our way thru two Wraith Spiders & two Phase Spider before battling two more Battle Horrors, in which battle, Minsc also became a casualty & we had to return him to Nalin to request a Raise Dead spell before continuing.
And so we returned a third time, through three more Doppelgangers; two more Wraith Spiders & two more Battle Horrors, the latter which we defeated, in part using a Potions of Explosion & an Oil of Fiery Burning. We then fixed the mallet on the forge before defeating two Phase Spiders & using the mallet to ‘bang the gong’. Onward from there we ran across & defeated two more Phase Spiders in route to the wine press where we secured a bottle of wine. From there we approached the final two Lift Warders & solved their riddles only to get our asses kicked good by the four Lift Warders – I sensed somehow that was coming. When all was said & done there I was the only one standing. Minsc made it thru but collapsed after his Berserk state wore off. We'd protected ourselves with spells, potions & special abilities but still the battle was just brutal & fast paced beyond any yet. Heading back to Nalin alone, I defeated three Doppelgangers at the stone arch before getting to town in Nashkel to raise my comrades.
BATTLE OF THE LIFT WARDERS
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 927 gold – spent 4,800 gold on Raise Dead Spells) Scroll of Cloudkill; Treasure room w/1637 Gold, two Pearl Necklaces, two Black Opals, Bloodstone Amulet; Water Opal, Sphene Gym, Pearl, et al;
Current Disposition: Recuperating in Nashkel
Next Steps: Back to the second Labyrinth Level of the Keep
Level Up: • Quale received word via messenger from his Illusionist Guildmaster granting him the tile Spellbinder (Illusionist/9). He added the only spell his school has at that level, Shadow Door, of which he has two memorized. • Minsc has increased his skills to Superhero (Fighter-Barbarian/8) • Coran received word from his Swashbuckler’s academy that he has achieved the honorary title Magsman (Thief-Swashbuckler//8) & he has improved to 30% in Set Traps to go with 100% in each of Hide in Shadow & Move Silently. He is also a Champion (Fighter/7)
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +1, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +1, (SSS**) (Greater Basilisk) • Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/9); HP34; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Kirinhale)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn) • Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Battle Horror)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield & Warhammer*; (Mace*, SSS*);(Ankheg)(Cleric Aggressive) • Coran: Fighter/7//Thief (Swashbuckler/8); HP41; Studded Leather +1 w/Bracers of Archery, Boots of the North & Cloak of the Wolf; Longbow***, L/Sword** (SWS**)(Ettercap) (Ranged)
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Just getting started reading your play through but I love it when people role play their games and I like your style. I really enjoyed how you handled Montaron’s… dismissal…
... really enjoyed how you handled Montaron’s… dismissal…
I'd forgotten about that. I had to go back & re-read what I did. Yeah, if somebody kills your wife w/darts, you should be able to take'm out w/prejudice.
Two Labyrinth levels down now. It appears there’s at least one more but I didn’t have us go down the stairs @ all so we’ll see what’s there next. This time we blew through the three Doppelgangers @ the stone archway. I’m not sure what is directing them there to ‘guard’ the keep but I’d figure by now that they’d have figured out that three Doppelganger’s aren't slowing us down. Then, per our experience, we fought & easily killed two Phase Spiders. It’s always either two Phase or two Wraith Spiders in the first rooms to the left, the Library, on Labyrinth Level One. Again, not sure how they get there either, same kinda thing as the Doppelgangers @ the stone archway.
Finally @ Labyrinth Level Two we reconnoitered a room @ our 1100 when we descended the stairs. I had Imoen move, slowly, step by step, in to a rectangular room filled w/various statues & a giant Doppelganger rug. Imoen found a trapped globe @ the far end of the room. She grabbed what treasure was there, I can’t recall. We were stumped b/c we couldn't open any of the doors. Then it became apparent that the Doppelganger eyes on the rug kept looking back & forth @ two statues on either side of the room. Imoen hadn't detected anymore traps so Branwen & I looked them over & found that they turn if you grab them on both sides. Turning one opens one door & closes another & vice versa w/the other. The first door we opened was back in the circular entrance chamber @ 3 O’clock coming back from the statue room. It was a feminine bedroom, for a female dwarf that is, where we found three Wardstones. As we of gathered the first, suddenly a husky Dwarven voice said something like, “By Moylan’s Hammer,” (which we now know means a Greater Doppelganger is getting ready to attack). The false Durlag teleported all around the room before shape changing back into a Greater Doppelganger & exploding a Fireball that was largely ineffective. We pummeled him. & so the theme for most of that Labyrinth Level was established, though I didn't know it @ the time.
Following that, straight across the hall from in the entrance chamber was a room containing sparring dummies. These dummies radiated hostility. They also contained some potions, etc., that we snapped up. At that moment, another Greater Doppelganger in the form of Durlag shouted, “By Moylan’s Hammer” & some other gibberish as he teleported around the room before shape changing into his true form & releasing a Stinking Cloud. We pummeled him too. It then became clear that attacking the dummies opened more doors so we attacked them w/trial & error until we found a door leading to a throne room. Same old song & dance here, the triggering mechanism was Kiel’s Helmet (identified later as such) which was @ the far end of the throne room. This time it was a false Durlag, a false female Dwarf & a false younger Dwarf Berserker that Shape Changed into three Greater Doppelgangers. One of them cast a Cloudkill spell but it was @ the far end of the room from where we were so it was ineffective also. The one that cast the Cloudkill came from the far end of the room & attacked Quayle b/c Quayle had cast a spell @ him. Quayle tried to avoid him but couldn't get behind us in time & we had to collect his gear & return him to Nalin to purchase a Raise Dead spell before continuing.
Our next trip back to the 2nd Labyrinth Level was short as we killed the three Doppelgangers @ the stone archway, two Phase Spiders near the library & then after working our way through a torcher chamber filled with traps we found ourselves in a battle w/two Dwarven Doom Guards. We beat ‘em good but lost Branwen so it was back to Nalin before we could continue.
Finally we returned & finished up on that level. Back through the three Doppelgangers & two Wraith Spiders this time, we got back to the Torcher Chamber & beyond, using Wardstones to cross a Teleport Room. Imoen found the Wardstone in a trapped pot. On we went through an Urn Room w/a small Temple off it…both rooms were trapped, a big one in the Urn Room but Imoen Removed Traps on all of them successfully. In fact, she disarmed every trap on this level w/o fail, even a massive crushing trap that triggered on her but not enough to kill her. After that we were good, but that was later. Some decent treasure in these room, including a Wardstone to descend another level.
Key Event: After travelling down a long hall, battling Ghasts, five in all, & Imoen disarming another trap we found another room which was a false Exit Room w/a trapped staircase that Imoen disarmed. Imoen used her innate invisibility & moved across to a room that was @ about 2 O’clock from where we came out of the long hallway. Imoen checked out a bedroom beyond that she came back & reported was guarded by four more Dwarven Doom Guards & contained two chests. I decided to have Coran, Hide in Shadow & Move Silently to a place where he could toss an Oil of Fiery Burning in their midst. At the same time, Quayle was to use his Improved Invisibility to move into position to cast a Fireball down the same hall giving the Doom Guards a double dose of intense heat. Quayle jacked up his spell but Coran was on point with his & we coaxed three of the Doom Guards into chasing us up the long hall, through the Urn Room & back to the Teleport Room where we easily teleported over. When the three Dwarven Doom Guards caught up they couldn’t teleport & they were mindless, easy targets as we just blasted away @ them with a Lightning Bolt, Agannazar’s Scorcher & a Ring of Energy until they were no more. Then it was an easy thing to teleport back over & go clean up the fourth one who was still in the False Exit Room. We raided the chests & noticed what appears to be the door to the real Exit Room open as we passed through. We’ll come back to that later.
FOUR DWARVEN DOOM GUARD BATTLE
Another winding hall led us away from the bedroom to a Bridge Room. Imoen used her innate Invisibility & Find/Remove Traps while Coran used Hide in Shadow/Move Silently to approach the room from the hallway. Sure enough Imoen removed a trap right in the doorway before both she & Coran noticed three more false Dwarves, one a female. Both fired off arrows @ one of the false Dwarves & then retreated down the hall behind Branwen, Minsc & I as is our standard operating procedure. That way, the bows can be fired from behind a wall of steel & Quayle can cast spells or fire Sling Stones. We eventually drew them all into the hall where we waited to ambush around a 90’ turn. After that we got out of there through the Bridge Room, a heavily trapped Trophy Room before going down a hall with two 90’ turns. Between the 90’ turns was that massive crushing trap that Imoen disarmed but was still injured. After that we went into a Lever Room & had completed the 2nd Labyrinth Level. We decided to head back & spend a night in the open air @ Nashkel Carnival after being underground so long. When we arrived there we had to defeat two Ogres & then it was off to sleep after cashing out our loot. We did have to make a trip to Kelddath Ormlyr to identify a Morning Star, a Buckler & a large Dwarven Shield.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 1977 gold) Armor/Weapons: Kiel’s Helmet (Branwen); Krotan’s Skullcrusher (Mace +2) (Me); Kiel’s Morning Star (sold); Kiel’s Buckler (sold); Dwarven Large Shield +2 (Me); two sets Plate Mail; Gems/Jewelry: Moonbar Gyms x2; Water Opal, Blood Amulet; Sphene Gym; Potions: Frost Giant Strength;
Current Disposition: Resting @ Nashkel carnival
Next Steps: Keep going south in Durlag’s Labyrinth’s to Level 3
Level Up: Imoen, still considers herself affiliated w/her Charming Rogues Guild, even though she has now increased to full Thief/10. As such, the current Guild mistress is certainly concerned because Imoen has surpassed her mentor in skill. At this level, there is no doubt the Guild mistress is worried that Imoen will try & start her own guild & go to war w/her current guild, w/an aim of wiping out her out completely & taking over the guild. She doesn’t know Imoen! Imoen added skill in Hide in Shadow/Move Silently to 65% each, still having 100% in Find/Remove Traps & Open Locks. She also received two additional innate abilities, Invisibility 10’ Radius & Dire Charm.
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Greater Basilisk) • Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Kirinhale)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn) • Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Battle Horror)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive) • Coran: Fighter/7//Thief (Swashbuckler/8); HP41; Studded Leather +1 w/Bracers of Archery, Boots of the North & Cloak of the Wolf; Longbow***, L/Sword** (SWS**)(Phase Spider) (Ranged)
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
The battles get tougher the deeper we go. The losses mount but usually I’m able to raise the fallen despite selling a number of scrolls & other items we’d have liked to have had in our pouches. Unfortunately, I’m not always able to raise my companions. It took four trips down to the third Labyrinth Level to finish up & descend to level four. As always, we defeated the tiresome three Doppelgangers at the stone archway & then two Phase Spiders near the library before getting to level three of the Labyrinth the first time down. The place is protected by a constantly Exploding Fireball Room but by timing it out we’re able to avoid the explosions easily. Tossing my Ring of Protection from Fire back & forth gave us extra comfort. Next we found ourselves in a Maze Garden & Imoen led the way, scouting using her innate invisibility while Finding/Removing Traps that lay in our way. We defeated four Greater Ghouls before being ambushed by an Ashirukuru. That thing was rough & it was only Imoen’s innate Pixie Dust that allowed us to keep him visible until we could kill him. Afterward, we avoided a massive trap that Imoen found & removed while we simultaneously defeated two more Greater Ghouls before entering an intensely hot room on the left & down a short hallway. There were four of these rooms. In the first, there were two Phoenix Guards, a male & a female, that we easily defeated but I use the term loosely. Unfortunately, Phoenix Guards explode when they’re killed & then then reincarnate so you have to kill them again. The first explosion killed Quayle so we had to return to Nashkel to let Nalin perform a Raise Dead spell on him. On the way back to Nashkel, we had to carve up three Doppelgangers who’d respawned @ the stone Archway, as they continue to do.
After taking care of business in Nashkel, back thru the three Doppelgangers @ the stone archway, & then the spiders @ the library, I forget which, I think Wraith Spiders we were back on the 3rd Labyrinth Level & entered a second room, the Air Room, down the same hallway on the left. We won a hard fight w/an Air Aspect & three Invisible Stalkers before continuing further down the hall to the next room on the left. There we had some trouble in the Earth Room w/four Fission Slimes that turned into like 10 as they respawned when we killed them. It was obvious we needed more HEAT so we returned to High Hedge & loaded up. On the way back to High Hedge we fought two more Greater Ghouls in the Maze Garden before getting out. When we returned we fought thru the obligatory three Doppelgangers & two Phase Spiders but still didn’t have enough heat to beat the Fission Slimes. I finally took matters into my own hands & finished them. Continuing we found the last room on the left, Imoen scouted before we went in using her innate Invisibility while Finding/Removing Traps. She returned to report four Winter Wolves & a Polar Bear. Our plan was to go directly for the Polar Bear which we did & we took him out pretty easily but he wasn’t a typical Polar bear as he had an even more potent Blast of Frost than the Winter Wolves b/c it has the ability to Hold like an undead creature.
Key Event We killed the Polar Bear & were suddenly transported to a Chess Board. An ethereal voice laid out ‘rules’ which it turned out only we had to play by, e.g. my bishops had to move diagonally on their own color, Queen could do whatever, but then I as King couldn’t move @ all. We were informed that killing the King ended the game so he became our target at all costs. In so doing, we lost Imoen, Minsc, Coran, Quayle until the last two standing were Branwen & I after we focused on the King who’d moved down to our end of board. Despite being surrounded by others we focused all our attacks on the King & killed him. Sure enough, all of the other pieces faded away. The victory was won. Unfortunately, I had four bodies that needed to be raised & nowhere to store their equipment. I found a door w/a stairway, to the 4th Labyrinth Level Branwen & I met ghostly apparition of Durlag who said something about us needing to kill the evil in this place. Branwen & I hazarded a long hallway w/o Imoen to Find Traps. We found a room w/a ghostly apparition of Islanne offering us a way out. Initially we deferred looking for a chest or something for storage. We found a room & defeated two Helmeted Horror’s before finding a barrel which we filled w/everything from the chess board taking three, maybe four trips to do so.
ZUGZWANG FOR THE WHITE KING?
CHECKMATE FOR THE BLACK KING!!
Finally, we still had unexplored areas of the 3rd Labyrinth Level so we returned through the three Doppelgangers & two Wraith Spiders back down to the 3rd Level. Then I made an absolutely stupid decision based on how easy that Fireball Room had been. I tried to get us all over @ once instead of one @ a time. In so doing I charcoaled Coran & lost Quayle requiring another visit to Nalin. Just stupidity & impatience caused yet another unraisable death. And, so as I’ve had to do four times since I left Candlekeep, I had to find someone to take Coran’s place, especially in this place. Luckily, he’d not gotten close to any of us yet but he was still under my command. I’m out a strong bowman now as there are none that I can think of so I went to the Fishing Village & invited the Paladin Ajantis to join me. I gave him the Long Sword Coran had used & purchased him a set of Plate Mail but it wasn’t long after we returned to Durlag’s Tower that we got him a set of Full Plate. He carries a family crested medium shield. And so I led us back into the tower to finish up the brutal 3rd Level. First we got caught up in a difficult fight w/Skeleton’s armed w/Composite Long Bows & Arrows of Fire & Ice. Problem there was traps of some kind of gas, that even Imoen wasn’t picking up on, so we couldn’t mow them down like we should have. Plus they were all on different platforms so while we were knocking Skeleton’s off of one platform we were being shot @ from one or multiple other platforms @ the same time. Bad stuff but we eventually got them all & Imoen collected a bunch of Arrows of Ice!
& finally, as if things hadn’t been tough enough already we found a cave w/a lone Skeleton standing amongst statues of various warriors. The room was dominated by the body of a dead, giant Wyrm. The term, ‘Wyrm’ is simply an age category of a Red Dragon. Red Dragon ages are grouped thus, Wymling, Very Young, Young, Juvenile, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Old, Very Old, Ancient, Wyrm & the oldest of all are the Great Wyrms. Wyrms are GIGANTIC Dragons. Luckily this one was dead but there were some very real & dangerous greater wyverns in that cavern. Luckily we’d listened to the skeleton before we grinded him to dust. He told us the statues were great warriors & would help us fight w/eventuality that they would turn on us. We were smart enough to enlist their help. They turned out to be a Dwarven warrior type, a Hamadryad, a warrior of some type as he wore Full Plate &, finally, a Hobgoblin w/a Composite Longbow. The four of them helped wear them down, killing the first & wounding the second. Then we were able to pick off the weakened one & defeat the last one collectively. These weren’t your grandfathers Greater Wyverns!
And so it was back down to the 4th Level, past Durlag’s apparition & back to Islanne so that we could get out the easy way. Sure enough, it seems that will always be out.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,081 gold) Armor/Weapons: Gauntlet’s of Dexterity (Branwen); Long Sword +1 (sold); Full Plate (Ajantis); Gems/Jewelry: Pearl Necklace, Fire Opal Ring; Bloodstone Amulets (x2); Pearl; Potions: Scrolls:
Current Disposition: Back in Nashkel resting & preparing to head back into the keep
Next Steps: Back down to the 4th Level. Durlag’s apparition spoke of destroying “the evil in this place…”
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Greater Basilisk) • Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection, w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Kirinhale)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness & Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn) • Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, (Battle Horror)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive) • Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(N/A) (Paladin )
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
After all we did to struggle through the last level, we still had to cut down three Half-Ogres just to get back to Nashkel & recuperate. Once in Nashkel, we made a trip to Beregost & High Hedge to conduct some business w/Thalantyr. While there, we worked thru six Wild Dogs & six Skeleton’s w/Short Swords & Darts before getting back to Nashkel.
And so, next it was back to the castle to work our way back down to the 4th Labyrinth Level. After the 3rd Labyrinth Level, I couldn’t imagine what would be even deeper in that place but I was soon to find out. After the usual three Doppelganger’s & two Phase Spiders, I guided us down to the 4th Labyrinth Level. There was a Hidden Door on the right side of the main hallway & that was my first target. It turned out to be what we all called the Glowing Green Caverns but were, in fact, mostly tombs & one of the castles main treasure vaults. Actually, there was treasure lying everywhere in little pools of water, piled in corners & on the bodies of the undead that filled the place. By the time we’d worked through everything we’d battled & killed eleven Greater Ghouls, five Crypt Crawlers & three Ghasts. Greater Ghouls are like super Ghasts that are even tougher to kill & lash out with even more filthy & deadly clawing & biting attacks. Aside from those I mentioned above, we found one cave & had a single battle w/seven more Greater Ghouls & two more Crypt Crawlers that were led by what I can only call a Super Ghoul. That thing was the nastiest of all Ghouls & Ghasts I’ve ever seen. He spoke too, saying that he & the Ghouls were once warriors also but had been consumed by the evil in this place. We fought really well there & defeated them all & that could have been a bad deal if even one of us had been Held by one of their attacks. Very proud of my companions on this journey.
SIX DESTROYED GREATER GHOULS & THEIR PET CRYPT CRAWLERS
READYING FOR THE 'SUPER GHOUL' & ANOTHER GREATER GHOUL
FINAL VICTORY OVER SEVEN DEAD GREATER GHOULS, TWO CRYPT CRAWLERS & THE 'SUPER GHOUL'
Once out of the Glowing Green Caverns it was back to where Durlag’s apparition stood. Right there was another door that, once opened, led across a lava moat into an L shaped hallway. As always, Imoen used her innate Invisibility & scouted the hallway Finding/Removing Traps. She found/removed one in the doorway to a room that was like a three quarter oval. Being invisible & still checking for traps she circled the entire room before coming back to report three phase spiders, two sword spiders & two Ettercaps waiting for us there. Knowing what was ahead, we prepared w/spells & potions & Quayle cloaked us all in Invisibility 10’ Radius. He has, I think, four of that spell memorized & three each Blindness & Improved Invisibility, two each Deafness & Shadow Door & one each Spook, Reflected Image, Mirror Image, Invisibility & Blur. He also has an innate Invisibility capability. We have learned to use his various versions of invisibility very effectively in movement & combat. (Note: Remember I only allow specialist mages to write/memorize spells from their own schools although they can cast other schools spells from scrolls so scrolls are important to my game). When we finally attacked we had the initiative & ended up exterminating them all. One of the Phase Spiders was actually an Astral Phase Spider, a monster we’d never seen before. Whereas, Phase Spiders make quick forays from the Ethereal Plane into the natural world to snatch an unlucky creature to feed upon, Astral Phase Spiders hail from the Astral Plane for the same purpose.
It was after this battle that we started to unlock the secret to this castle. There was a Stone Golem in that same room & it drew us toward it. Once I approached & touched it, it asked a riddle. I can’t remember except that I got it & was suddenly transported w/the entire party to a Compass Room with four more Stone Golem’s. I didn’t know how it worked @ first but three of the Golem’s provide info while the fourth asks questions to see if you learned from the other three. I approached the ‘question Golem’ first & answered incorrectly twice. Thankfully, I wear a Ring of Fire Resistance & a Helm of Defense. Unfortunately, the others don’t so we had a couple of folks singed. So they moved to the other side of the room the next time I tried. I got it right the third time & was transported back to where Durlag’s apparition stands. I led us back to the Spider Room where there was a door in the opposite corner of the room from where we entered originally. I’d seen it before when I approached the Golem but when I got teleported it took the door out of play. Now I was back & Imoen did her usual Invisible Find/Remove traps scouting. She found a Token Machine Room. Luckily we’d kept every Wardstone we found during our adventures here & the one we got from the Forge Room slipped easily into the Token Machine. I’m not sure what it did but I think it was good. The next room was a Store Room w/two locked & trapped treasure chests…& another means into the Compass Room. This time I approached a different Golem & realized only one Golem asks the questions. The other three provide the information to answer & so I easily answered the question & was teleported back to Durlag’s apparition. I now knew the answer. There was a throne in the Treasure Room & I felt the power in it, just like I’d just experienced in the Store Room. I knew I could get back into the Compass Room via that throne. I also knew that a visit w/Durlag’s apparition would confirm that I was on the right track…& it did. It was time to approach Islanne & return to Nashkel, unload a mountain load of gems & come back here to try & get to the final answer.
After our short respite, I wanted to get back & strike while the ‘iron is still hot’ & malleable. So back thru three Doppelgangers & two Wraith Spiders to Labyrinth Level 4. Straight to the throne in the Treasure Room. Sure enough the throne led us back to the Compass Room. Knowing the key now, I quickly answered the question of the last Golem & found myself back @ Durlag’s apparition. Sure enough, when I spoke to Durlag, I had finished everything I needed for him to lead me to the ultimate evil that dominates this place.
DURLAG'S APPARITION SATISFIED
FOLLOWING DURLAG'S APPARITION TO THE FINAL BATTLE
Key Event: Durlag’s apparition led us to a Hidden Door that we’d tried to open before. Now it was wide open & led into a room where a defeated adventurer stood. Her party had been wiped out by what she called a Demon Knight, that she said was just beyond the door to the next room. She beseeched us not to go in there, spoke of a mirror that would duplicate each of us into enemies of ourselves, all but called me a fool for leading us into that room but there was nothing that was keeping me out of there. Knowing he was in there gave us the chance to cast spells, quaff potions, & prepare our attack. We got into the room w/o him seeing us or us him. He was in a circular pit & we were on a circular ledge above it. We were able to circle around, eventually w/me, Branwen, Minsc & Ajantis all on a different staircase leading down to him. He detected our invisibility & threatened us but I was having none of it. Imoen & Quayle were @ different positions from the rest of us so that any attacks on us wouldn’t threaten them too. Then Imoen fired off back to back (10th Level) Magic Missiles & then switched to Arrows of Biting while Quayle used three Scrolls of Flame Arrow followed by Blindness & Deafness I think. Branwen began to cast Silence 15’ Radius to keep the Demon Knight from casting spells while the remainder charged him & waited on Branwen to join us as soon as her spell was complete. We started pounding on him & he was taking punishment but dealing it too. I don’t know what he cast a Branwen, maybe Power Word Stun, but whatever it was she was stunned for the rest of the battle. That bastard also exploded a Fireball which is something we saw the first time he appeared when we first entered. The Fireball toasted me to my surprise (I later learned that I’d forgotten to get my Ring of Fire Resistance back from Imoen. It also scorched Ajantis big time too. I backed off & quaffed a Potion of Healing while Ajantis used his Lay on Hands (8th Level) on himself. Then it was back to work to finish the Demon Knight who was obviously badly injured. He immediately dispatched Ajantis & Branwen was still stunned. I was badly injured but had no choice but to join Minsc who was fighting a terrific battle in his Enraged state of mind. Quayle was still casting spells & Imoen was still pelting him w/Arrows of Biting. Minsc & I pounded hard with his Spider Bane Two-Handed Sword +2 & my Bastard Sword +1/+3 versus Shape Changers while the Demon Knight used a Scimitar +2. I finally landed the blow that killed him & he collapsed in a heap. We’d defeated the evil in this place, as Islanne’s spirit attested & we made our way out of there. We had defeated Durlag’s Tower. Sure, a few monsters will wander back in here & a few here & there, e.g., the Winter Wolves in the Ice Chamber escaped our blades. Headed back to Nashkel we were attacked by six Wild Dogs & finished them too.
CLAIRE PROVIDES AMPLE WARNING
PREPARING FOR WHAT LIES BEHIND DOOR #1
INITIAL ASSAULT
BATTLING TOE TO TOE WITH THE DEMON KNIGHT
ISLANNE CONFIRMS OUR WORK HERE IS COMPLETE
I would like to celebrate & relax a little bit tonight. I’m disappointed though that Branwen ended our relationship. Said she couldn’t concentrate in battle worrying about my safety & that, caring for me made her feel uncommitted fully to Tempus. Oh well, she’s definitely remains my priestess & most trusted partner in a fight. Imoen, of course, is my most trusted advisor.
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
I’d hoped to give my retinue a couple of days once we returned to Ulgoth’s Beard. We stopped @ Nashkel, Beregost & the FAI & spent a night @ each on the way back north. Ulgoth’s Beard Inn is not equipped for a party as large as ours, having only one Royal Room & one Peasant Room. I rent the Royal chamber & I’ve worked it out w/the innkeeper that when I rent the Royal Room he throws in the common room he has there too.
Unfortunately, the break I had planned for us was interrupted as soon as we marched back into the city w/the dust of Durlag’s Castle on our boots. We were ambushed as we walked into town by a Cult Enforcer, two Cult Guards in Splint Mail w/Bastard Swords, two Cult Assassins w/Studded leather & Short Sword & two Cult Archers w/Longbows & Studded Leather. I didn’t know @ the time but these attackers belonged to the Cult of a Demon. We defeated the Cultists in a prolonged battle but somehow one of them pickpocketed the dagger the Dwarf in the Ulgoth’s Beard Inn had wanted. When I told the Dwarf what had happened, he immediately knew that we were attacked by a Cult that was trying to summon a Demon, named Aec’Letec. I’d read that name in Durlag’s Tower. He asked us to find the Cult before they could summon the Demon. We started investigating Ulgoth’s beard & it wasn’t hard to find another Cult Guard standing in front of a storehouse, obviously blocking the entrance. Since time was of the essence, I pressed him & in a second there was another group of Cultists, similar to those that ambushed us earlier but this time there were five Cult Guards in Splint Mail w/Bastard Swords & two Cult Archers w/Longbows & Studded Leather. The Cult Guards were no pushover but we finally defeated them. After the battle, we weren’t ready to rush the door so we went back to the Inn & rested. In retrospect, I should have had a guard at the door to the Inn to make sure we weren’t ambushed it turned out not to be necessary.
After a brief respite, we rushed the storehouse door in our attack ‘V’ formation w/me on point. Waiting for us just inside the door were a Cult Enforcer; A Cult Mage, A Cult Guard, two more Cult Assassin’s & a Cult Archer. I focused on the Enforcer & the Mage. Imoen blasted the Enforcer w/two Magic Missiles Minsc went into a Rage & picked targets of his choosing as did Ajantis. Branwen used Silence 15’ Radius to try to prevent the Mage & the Enforcer from casting spells. The two Cult Assassins were working the edges dangerously & the Cult Archer was starting to cause problems in the ranks. Defeating the Cult Enforcer left the Cult Mage open & we cut him down easily. Then we worked to bring down the other three, which we did. The Cult Assassins were also a handful. And, so again, I had no choice but to rest as we were beaten up quite a bit. There was a stairway that led down to a lower level. That would be next.
Key Event: Knowing we would likely have a fight as soon as we were down the stairs we took the time to cast protection spells, use innate abilities & quaff potions. If there was nothing down there, we’d rather be safe than sorry, we all agreed. But there was: a Cult Priestess & more Cult Guards in hooded habits but still wearing Splint Mail w/Bastard Swords. Each Cult Guard carried a Potion of Heroism. We had no time to react before the Cult Priestess ‘broke the tagger’ & released a rather powerful Chasme.
This battle made me appreciate my upbringing & studies in Candlekeep for two reasons. First, because I knew what type of Demon we were dealing with immediately. A Chasme is a large, fly-like Demon w/buzzing wings & six limbs, two of which end in long, thin fingered hands. They are Tanar’ri. Tanar’ri are the dominant sub-type of demon, the other being the Obyriths. By far, the most Demons Lords are Tanar’ri. Tanar’ri were originally created by the Obyriths as slaves but eventually became so numerous that they revolted & overthrew the Obyriths. The original Prince of Demon’s was, Obox-Ob, an Obyrith, but when the Tanar’ri overthrew the Obyriths, Demogorgon took his place. This Chasme, Aec’Letec, is not a demon lord but Chasme are known to carve out small territories for themselves in the Abyss & other planes. There they act out the role of minor demon lords. That’s what Aec’Letec had done here. The other thing my studies taught me is that Chasme are especially susceptible to the spell Cloudkill. Quayle had one scroll. What I forgot in my haste was that if you kill a demon & there is another host nearby, they will possess that body if they can. In this case, Aec’Letec died almost as soon as the Cloudkill exploded but suddenly there were five or six duplicates of him, one for each Cult Guard nearby. My retinue fought their hearts out but they were dropping one by one. I started parrying the Chasme, working them back through the cloud & sure enough, one by one, they dropped until all were dead. Each time they died, their corpse melted into pools of black, tarlike ichor.Quayle & I were the only survivor’s but Quayle fell after the battle to his own Cloudkill. The battle was won but @ great cost, although all my companions could be raised, & later were by Galena Mirrorshade. This Chasme had grown powerful, using a Death Gaze others don’t have so he’d morphed somewhat from a normal Chasme in his time as a ‘minor demon lord’. Two Demon’s in the span of a week. Wow.
AEC'LETEC EVERYWHERE!
AEC'LETEC NOWHERE!!
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 252 gold – 4000 GP to raise my companions) Armor/Weapons: Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Fire Opal Ring; 100GP; Potions: Scrolls:
Current Disposition: I’ve returned us to Ulgoth’s Beard.
Next Steps: When we were headed to the cult, a mage-like man blurted out that he wanted help with another task. I plan to see what he is offering.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight) • Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Greater Doppelganger)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn) • Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive) • Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Phase Spider) (Paladin )
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
As I’d planned, I next approached the mage-like individual in front of the Ulgoth’s Beard Inn. He asked me to retrieve a cloak that belonged to him. He wasn’t forthcoming that it would involve being teleported to an Ice Island but, sure enough, that's where we wound up & immediately had to kill a Polar Bear. The Island was bitter cold & the wind cut thru our armor to the bone. We found a cave & descended into a complex of tunnels neatly cut into the rock. Passages were 10x10 & the rooms were just empty ‘hall-like’ & irregularly shaped.
Key Event: We started our exploration & immediately stumbled on, & defeated, two Winter Wolves. Then things started getting tough. Imoen was conducting her usual Find/Remove Traps & used her innate Invisibility to scout the hallways & rooms before coming back to give me the results of her reconnaissance. She came upon a mage-like figure (Mage/11) & returned to warn me. I organized us for combat but didn’t want to get caught in the passages or move forward into the room he was in, fearing traps yet undetected. There turned out to be a second mage (Fighter/Mage 8/8). We tried to lure the first into an open room where the bulk of the party was, so when he saw Imoen, he followed but not all the way into the room. Quayle cast a Scroll of Dispel Magic while Branwen cast Silence 15’ Radius right where we stood. He still got a spell off while Imoen simultaneously blasted him w/innate Magic Missiles. The rest of us tried to get to him in the hallway, which we did, but Imoen got her best kill taking him out. Unfortunately, his Confusion spell affected her & Quayle. Quayle just kinda stood there throwing stones but Imoen wandered off down the hall where she’d originally seen the mage she just killed. The second mage hurt her enough to make knock her unconscious & took my ‘eyes & ears’ from me in a very difficult complex, undoubtedly heavily trapped. Having no way off the island, I knew we were in dire straits w/o her. We killed the other mage w/shear brutality as I surrounded him w/my warriors & crushed him. Branwen prayed to Tempest & adjusted her divine spells to carry three Find Traps spells.
We continued, staying left, as is SOP, & after destroying another Winter Wolf, soon entered a cavern full of four Ankheg’s & another mage (Fighter/Thief 9/9). As usual, we drew some of the Ankheg’s away & destroyed them piecemeal before destroying the last of them & their mage.
Moving on, another Mage (Fighter/Mage 8/8) blocked our way in another chamber. It became obvious that all these mages desperately wanted off of this Island. It seems their magical powers of teleportation actually draw them here & they can’t escape. This particular mage said his name, actually I think they all did at least once. He fired Melf’s Acid Arrows & I really can’t remember as I write this what happened except that I know my fighters & warriors pummeled him but not w/o once again losing one of my companions to unconsciousness. This time it was Quayle. Now I have two companions to take to Nalin or another priest because even though they’re unconscious, it will take a Raise Dead or Resurrection Spell, not a Potion of Healing or a similar spell to revive them. Ajantis dropped the killing blade on this mage, scoring his best kill so far.
Now down to just four us, we destroyed another Winter Wolf before confronting a Gnome Mage (type/level u/k). He was a handful but we were finally able to bring him down. Immediately around the corner we battled & grabbed the pelts from three more Winter Wolves.
We found a lower level, a complex of caves, unfinished as they were on the previous level. This level contained nine Winter Wolves in various caverns throughout. (Note: I always opt for Ice island restoration in my modifications but this is the first time it was there to explore).
We finished up our adventure here when yet again we came across a hostile mage (Fighter/Mage 8/8/) in these caverns who was accompanied by three Mountain Bears. Once again, the four of us took them out w/ease & then cleaned out the rest of the caves bagging three more Winter Wolves. The mage had the Cloak that our benefactor had wanted so we were ready to make haste out of here. Once we were three we ascended & were teleported back to Ulgoth’s Beard where we wasted no time leaving for Beregost to purchase Raise Dead spells for our companions, sell our loot, e.g. Winter Wolf pelts @ High Hedge & identify some treasure, especially a Robe of the Evil Arch-Magi. We returned to Ulgoth’s Beard & gave the mage his cloak to little fanfare or gratitude.
RETRIEVING THE CLOAK
Treasure of Note: (Purse =7,191 gold) Armor/Weapons: Robe of the Evil Arch-Magi (sold); Gems/Jewelry/Gold: 12 Winter Wolf Pelts; 103 GP; Potions: Scrolls: Speed; Protection from Evil
Current Disposition: Crammed into the Inn @ Ulgoth’s Beard
Next Steps: Isle of Balduran
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight) • Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Andris)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn) • Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive) • Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Cuchol) (Paladin )
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
I decided to look around Ulgoth’s Beard. It just seems to be a place of intrigue & a hub of adventure. I didn’t want to miss the chance to aid the cause of goodness & law if there were other evil tentacles reaching out from this place. Sure enough, there was more work to be done. Chatting w/folks down near the shore led us to a mage-like man named Mendas who wanted us to retrieve a ships logbook from a Sea Captain named Balduran. This required me to take a trip from a Merchant League Counting House in Baldur’s Gate to obtain some Seafaring Charts. I’d not planned on returning to BG yet but w/Quayle’s multiple Invisibility 10’ Radius & Improved Invisibility & Imoen’s innate Invisibility 10’ Radius it was something we were able to do w/o being seen unless we wanted to. We hit Sorcerous Sundries, the Shop of Silence, Lucky Aello’s in E BG & a Potion Shop I know of in SW BG. After that, I had us rest at our usual Inn in SE BG. Next morning, I led my retinue to E BG where I’d been told I’d find the Merchant League Counting House. It was the first building on the right so we were there in a flash. Upon entering & approaching the leader, he & about seven other Merchant League Crewmen attacked us. We dusted them w/o a scratch. Luckily, we didn’t alert the Captain & six Merchant League Guards upstairs. Quayle used Invisibility 10’ Radius on all of us before we ascended & we recon’d upstairs, walking right next to the men w/o being see while Imoen was Finding/Removing Traps. Knowing how many enemy there were, we ambushed them from our invisibility & took them out w/little challenge, especially once we defeated the Captain. We grabbed all we could, including the Seafaring Charts & returned to Mendas in Ulgoth’s Beard. He made a copy of the charts, hired a Ship w/Captain & Crewmen & we were off to find this Balduran’s Logbook. The trip thru the Sea of Swords was easy but once beyond those the crew started to grumble, there was talk of mutiny even & suddenly things were tense until we were blessed by a huge storm that forced the crewmen to work together to save the ship which stopped there bickering. They eventually failed, however, & the ship fell apart. Almost as if a god wanted us to, Tempus maybe, my retinue & I were able to find large pieces of wood from the hull & deck to stay afloat. We were exhausted from the journey & the stress of the storm & next we knew we were all waking up on the beach of an island, though we didn’t know it @ the time.
We shortly realized it was an island & it was obvious the folks there were, at best, very suspicious of our presence. Everyone we spoke to told us we need to see the Headwoman, Kaishas. Around from fishing hut to storehouse to bunkhouse we looked until finally we found Kaishas. She told us, they too, were shipwrecked here long ago & had developed into this walled compound. They’d developed the wall & not repaired their ship because of men wolves on the north side of the island where the ship ran ashore. They couldn’t rebuild a ship on the south side of the island b/c of the rocks & a reef that lay nearby. She eventually got around to asking if we might kill the beasties on the north side of the Island, including their leader, Karoug. We agreed, thinking we were doing a good thing for these poor people trapped on this island. And so we headed north.
Bottom line, the north side of the Island was populated w/Wolfwere everywhere. These things are really tough w/vicious claws & a nasty bite & they keep coming w/o fear no matter how wounded they are. We worked the north of the island, resting often, luckily undisturbed. We killed thee Wolfwere &, shortly after, a Brown Bear before things got more challenging. After a rest in the SW corner of the north island, I had Quayle use Invisibility 10’ Radius on us & we moved out only to go a short distance before we came across a pair of mated Dire Wolves w/a pair of mated Wolves that we beat easily. Then we were approached by a man w/a Composite Longbow who said he & some friends were being attacked just east of where we were. We followed him into a trap. When we found him he was alone & we questioned where the battle was. He replied, “The Battle is here” & we were suddenly ambushed by four Wolfwere not to mention the man w/the Composite Bow. One of the Wolfwere was huge & by the time we killed them all, Quayle had been injured badly enough that he slipped into unconsciousness. My plan to approach this mission using Quayle’s invisibility spells was now severely challenged b/c, though Imoen has some innate abilities, they are far inferior to Quayle’s.
I had the five of us trudge on – we still had our four bruisers & Imoen had quivers full of enchanted arrows: Arrows +2; Biting; Ice; Acid; even Piercing. While there, we defeated four Brown Bears, five Black Bears, two more pairs of mated Dire Wolves & another pair of mated Wolves as well as a group of three Worgs & two Dread Wolves. After killing a man w/a Longbow who we’d spoken with. He seemed a little suspicious, so Ajantis used Detect Evil on him & got a positive result. Fearing he might attack us later or warn others of our presence, I chose to eliminate the threat. Our next difficult confrontation was w/the Sirine Queen. We’d spoken to someone in the village (we couldn’t remember who) about a witch that had put a spell on their brother. The brother lay dead, just behind the Sirine, so we figured we were in the right place. Unfortunately, she was good w/her Charm & Dire Charm spells & we were not able to get to her instantly. She charmed both Branwen & Ajantis & while Branwen just stood still, Ajantis chased us until the spell wore off. We were finally able to move back toward her & Branwen had started casting a spell @ her. She charmed Branwen again & we stayed back but once the spell wore off we attacked & cut the Sirine to pieces.
We killed three Wolfwere & two Dread Wolves that were together on the east coast of farthest northern point of the north island before we found the ship we’d been looking for. Deciding to rest before assaulting what we expected would be a beehive, we headed toward our favorite resting spot on this side of the island. On the way, we found a house & entered to find a Cleric/Mage named Dradeel. Obviously not in league w/the Wolfwere, apparently he’d lost his Spellbook & wanted us to find it in the ship, likely w/Karoug. In the meantime, he’d prayed & become a Cleric of Selune so he was a strong figure w/his spellbook but not so much as a Cleric. We agreed to help him & he gave us a Wolfsbane Amulet to aid us. We headed to our resting place but we were approached by a woman who claimed her son was killed by the beasts. Everyone’s sixth sense was up this time as we followed her northwest until she stopped. Sure enough, her son was a Large Wolfwere & she was of the regular size. We were ready for the ambush & we killed them quickly. Blessedly, it was @ this moment that Branwen was suddenly bathed in a blinding light…Tempus has made her a High Priestess. This gave her the spell Raise Dead so after a rest we were back in business when Branwen raised Quayle to us. After that, we killed another six Wolfwere in miscellaneous encounters…
Key Event: …& then entered the ship & we were all right in thinking it would be a beehive. The Orloc Deck contained a Wolfwere w/two Vampiric Wolves, two Dread Wolves, two Dire Wolves, two Worgs & two Wolves. I think that was the count anyway. Afterward, we rested just outside near the bow of the ship to watch the entrance for Wolfwere, Wolves, et al., that might return but none did. After resting the Orloc Deck was empty so we moved up to the Lower Deck where the where we battled w/two Huge Wolfwere, five Wolfwere & two Vampiric Wolves. But these fights were hard so we were forced to rest again in the same location. Next it was upward to the Middle Deck where the encounter was the same: two Huge Wolfwere, five Wolfwere & two Vampiric Wolves &, once again we were beat up enough that we were tired, cut up & had cast spells in the battle so we needed rest before heading upward to the Upper Deck. When we finally decided to go up another level, we encountered Karoug, his lover (a human mage) & another Wolfwere. We drew them down to the Orloc Deck & outside…& they came. The female mage went down easily & then it was a Wolfwere & a massive Greater Wolfwere (Karoug). The Wolfwere was tougher than normal b/c Karoug was tearing @ us too. Focusing on killing one @ a time we finally killed the ‘lesser’ of the two & then spent an eternity trying to kill Karoug. Ajantis, Branwen, Minsc & I all had to back off & heal @ one time or another while the other three continued the attack. Imoen cast innate Magic Missiles before switching to Arrows of Biting while Quale cast everything he could dish out. Finally, with the aid of the Wolfsbane Charm I landed a crushing blow that killed him. We found Balduran’s Logbook that Mendas wanted & The Sword of Balduran, a wicked sword for fighting Lycanthrope.
ONE CUT, 50 HPS DAMAGE & KNIGHTHOOD
We returned to south side of the island to bring the happy news to Kaishas & the villagers. Instead she dropped the news that we’d contracted Lycanthrope & were now welcome in the village…but she was taking the sea charts & leaving. Her advisor suddenly turned into a Werewolf and attacked us after arguing w/Kaishas that we shouldn’t be allowed to stay, that we weren’t like them. Luckily, Werewolves are a lot easier, I mean a lot easier, to deal w/than Wolfwere so we killed him w/ease only to find an entire village of full of Werewolves waiting for us when we left the building. Everyone we met immediately shape changed into a Werewolf & attacked us. We started killing them as they changed & killed everyone in the village we could find finishing w/25 Werewolf kills. Dradeel suddenly appeared & directed us to a secret door that led to a cave complex that he said would lead us to the ship & Kaishas. He warned us that the tunnels were dangerous & sure enough we had to kill 12 more Werewolves before finding a beach….& the ship. There we found Kaishas & thought maybe we could leave together but she turned into a Loup Garou & attacked us. We killed her, grabbed the sea charts & boarded the ship, sans a crew. Together we got the ship, somehow, to Ulgoth’s Beard where we were met by Mendas’ assistant who was angry when we didn’t return w/Kaishas. He said Mendas was going to be upset but I couldn’t see how, I brought him the Logbook as he paid me to do. Turns out he was very pissed b/c he turned out to be Kaishas husband & his name wasn’t Mendas but Saleed Gan & he too was a Loup Garou & his partner, a Huge Werewolf. My retinue & I were fed up w/Lycanthrope & people changing into Wolfwere & Werewolves & these two didn’t stand a chance. We smashed the huge one first & crushed the Loup Garou. We cleaned out his treasure & headed for the inn. Finally!
Treasure of Note: (Purse =11,722 gold) Armor/Weapons: Sword of Balduran; Wolfsbane Charm; Gems/Jewelry/Gold: 980 GP; Pearl Necklace; 423 GP; ; Pearl x4; 308 GP; Moonbar Gym; 100 GP; Potions: Speed; Scrolls:
Current Disposition: Spending a last night @ the Inn in Ulgoth’s Beard
Next Steps: I’m leading us back to Baldur’s Gate…it’s time I faced my accusers!
Level Up: • Branwen’s God, Tempus, has endowed her w/greater power making her a High Priestess of Tempus (Cleric/9) & added another Command, a second Silence 15’ Radius & Raise Dead to her already available spells. She immediately Raised Quayle back to our company. • Imoen, out from under the umbrella of her Charming Rogue’s Guild, continues to hone her skills & is now more skilled than many Guildmaster’s/mistresses at Thief/11. She’s added a 3rd Set Snare & increased her primary Thieving Skills to Find/Remove Traps & Open Locks @ 100% & Move/Silently & Hide in Shadow @ 73% & 87% (w/her Shadow Armor). • Gawain: After the mission, I was @ Ulgoth’s Beard when that mysterious stranger from a while back, the one w/the skins & leather garments w/a scraggly beard, gently woke me while the others were sleeping. He led me out of Ulgoth’s Beard Inn. Even the innkeeper & a sole drunken commoner had dozed off so we headed outside unnoticed. Around the side of the inn in the darkness was another man, a knight w/a huge shield, I could make out the outline of a dragon on it. I was wide awake but I felt no fear, no alarm. The first, man, introduced the other as Arthur. Arthur spoke softly & told me he’d been keeping tabs on my travels & my actions which he described a Chivalrous. Arthur said he needed men like me & wanted to honor me. He asked me to kneel & I found myself doing so. He knighted me but was guarded about the service required of me. He said when the time was right, he would call for my service. Until then, he said, “continue being a knight, Chivalrous & true. At the time, I couldn’t remember the place the unkempt, mage-like man had mentioned to me the first time I saw him @ the Red Sheaf…later I remembered it was Camelot. I am now a Lord (Fighter/9). My retinue somehow knew the next morning, without knowing anything about my encounter w/Arthur, they began to refer to me as, Sir Gawain!
SIR GAWAIN RECORD
SIR GAWAIN INVENTORY
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/9; HP105; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Sword of Balduran; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight) • Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/11); HP48; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Andris)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn) • Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/9): HP52; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive) • Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North & Wolfsbane Amulet; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Sirine Queen) (Paladin )
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
It was time to try & bring this thing to a conclusion & I was ready to go for the jugular, no matter what lay ahead. Leaving Ulgoth’s Beard behind, I led us to Wyrm’s Crossing before having Quayle cast Invisibility 10’ Radius on all of us so that we could move thru BG undetected. After a visit to Sorcerous Sundries & a rest after the journey from UB, my next stop was back to the Flaming Fist Headquarters. Using Invisibility 10’ Radius we went directly in, past the FFs that were milling around & upstairs where we found Duke Eltan lying ill in bed being treated by some guy I’d never seen. I had Branwen, still invisible, try to cast Cure Disease on the Duke. When she did, the man who’d been treating him became a Greater Doppelganger & died his trouble. At the Dukes request, we secreted him to the Harbormaster who took him into his care.
The Duke gave us damning documents that laid out Sarevok’s true intentions & told us to find the assassin’s Slythe & Kristen in the Undercellars. Not knowing where these were, we took a shot that we’d find them in the sewers. Sure enough, we wound around in them until we finally walked right into a thriving brothel. We were invisible, as usual, so we were able to scout the entire place w/o notice but we noticed Slythe although we didn’t see Kristen. I finally decided to reveal myself to Slythe which brought Kristen out of her own invisibility. As soon as Slythe reacted we pummeled him. Kristen put up a better fight than her husband but Imoen’s Magic Missiles & Arrows of Biting & Branwen Dispel Magic allowed us to get to her & take her out. She’d gotten off a Cloudkill spell but before it had much affect Branwen countered w/ Zone of Sweet Air.
BATTLE IN THE UNDERCELLAR
With invitations to the coronation of Sarevok as a new Duke, in place of Entar Silvershield who’d been assassinated by Slythe & Kristen, I led us to the Ducal Palace the following day. I planned to expose Sarevok for who he really is & what he intends using the documents provided by Duke Eltan. Only one of us, Imoen approached the guard & presented our invitations, the rest being invisible. Once we went inside, Imoen used her innate Invisibility so that we could move around undetected. The ceremony began & then an argument broke out between Duke Belt & Sarevok when Sarevok immediately overstepped him bounds. Suddenly, ~ eight Greater Doppelgangers shape changed from what had appeared to be nobles, aslo there for the coronation. Duke Belt, Duchess Liia & about 12 Flaming Fist Mercenaries, joined us in destroying the Greater Doppelganger’s before suddenly, @ the death of the last, Sarevok lost his temper & it was on. Unfortunately, he was teleported out before we could finish him.
BATTLE IN THE DUCAL PALACE
Duke Belt knew where Sarevok would go & he aided us in chasing him by teleporting us to his trail. We ended up in the local Thieves’ Guild (not Imoen’s type, Charming Rogue’s, but just a motley crew of thieves). We spoke to one of them, who told us that Sarevok had just torn thru & headed into the Thieves’ Maze. Wasting no time, we took off after him but were far behind & had to fight thru two Green Slimes, two Mustard Jelly’s, two Ochre Jellies, two Grey Ooze; two Doom Guards; three Skeleton Warriors; a Battle Horror & a Skeleton Warrior before we found where Sarevok had exited the maze. His mentor, now cast aside, lay wounded at the door he escaped thru. Winski, by name, told me of my relationship to Sarevok & laid out his plans for me. We left Winski alive & headed down to a city beneath the city, aptly named The Undercity. We patrolled the entire place, quickly finding the building that had to be where Sarevok was holed up. The gig was up & he had nowhere to go. As we performed our reconnaissance, we ran across & killed, 16 Ghasts; 10 Skeleton’s w/Composite Longbows; three Ghouls; six Skeleton’s w/Mace & Buckler; six Skeleton’s w/Warhammer & Buckler; four Skelton Warriors, three w/Two-Handed Swords, one w/Composite Longbow & Arrows of Ice. During this last battle, Ajantis was killed by the last one standing & Branwen cast Raise Dead on him, then we healed him the best we could. Wounded, we wanted to rest in place but I knew we’d be better off closer to the exit where we’d come in just in case something attacked our weakened group while resting (Note: I knew I was walking us into a tough fight, all wounded, but what I did is what I would have done normally, so I’d be using foreknowledge to save myself if I rested elsewhere – I always rest where we can get off the map if necessary). So we headed that way & we came across Iron Throne Assassin’s who’d been sent for Sarevok but decided to try us on first. There were two warriors in Plate Mail; a Rogue type; an Ogre & two Mages. One of them, was shooting Arrows of Detonation & w/the explosion, he took out Quail & a still weakened Ajantis. After that, we won the battle relatively easily with help from Branwen’s Silence 10’ Radius & Dispel Magic spells reducing the threat of the two mages. Once the battle was over, we collected up our fallen comrades’ equipment & headed back to the city to rest & allow Branwen to cast Raise Dead on them. On the way, a warrior named Tamako approached us as we passed Sorcerous Sundries (w/o Quayle we weren’t invisible – Imoen has Invisibility 10’ Radius but had already used it so we walked exposed). Tamako wanted to tell us something but wouldn’t spill the beans just yet, inviting me to meet her later @ the FF HQs. After Branwen’s had done her work & we’d rested, I headed there & talked w/her while everyone else stood near, invisible. Evidently she was Sarevok’s lover & wanted to rescue him from his mad desire to become the God of Murder & make him ‘Sarevok the man’, so she could love him & care for him. She wanted me to promise not to kill him & I said I’d do my best.
QUAYLE & BRANWEN BICKERING - QUAYLE WINS THIS ROUND
WHATEVER HAPPENED, I KNEW THIS WAS GOODBYE
After that, I wasted no time getting back to the Thieves’ Maze & back to the Undercity where we finished our reconnaissance external to the building killing six more Skeleton’s w/Warhammer & Buckler & three Ghouls before we ran into Tamako again…but she was hostile this time. We killed her easily.
Key Event: It was time to attack the Temple of Bhaal as it turned out to be. We rested nearby, & then prepared for our assault. Knowing what I thought lay beyond the door we prepared best we could, exactly like we did when we killed the Demon Knight. Spells, potions, innate abilities, whatever we had that could aid each other or ourselves we tried to don before we entered. Unfortunately, we pussyfooted around & lost some of our protections before the battle ever began. Imoen, invisible, as were we all, slipped around to the left to see what lay ahead but she wasn’t focusing on traps & set off a Lightning Bolt that hurt her pretty badly. She then backed off & started focusing on traps but even w/her skill, she couldn’t Remove Traps on a bunch of them that were spread around a huge Symbol of Bhaal that was in the center of the room. Imoen, went forward again, invisible & still injured. She made eye contact w/ Saravok & he could obviously Detect Invisibility b/c he called her out. She responded by firing an Arrow of Piercing that missed but the fight was on. Sarevok called to “Angelo, Tazok & (someone else)” & suddenly it was a little warm in there – really. One of them cast Web & another Cloudkill but all of us, except Quayle, got away. Quayle was injured & fell unconscious. I decided to fight my half-brother & I asked Minsc to go after the mages in the Web w/Spider’s Bane. Branwen managed to cast Dispel magic & Silence 15’ Radius, I think but I was focused on Sarevok & next I noticed she, Imoen, Quayle & Ajantis were all so badly wounded they’d slipped into unconscious from loss of blood. It was up to Minsk & I to finish the deal. I was landing solid blows against Sarevok while he wasn’t able to reciprocate. Our biggest problem was that there was, I guess, a Warrior/Mage that was protected in a spell & firing Arrows of Detonation & another kind that I thought was electricity based as it looked like Minsc was getting hit by Lightning Bolts but they didn’t to bounce around after…luckily w/his Boots of Grounding, Minsc is very resistant to lightning. I’m pretty much resistant to fire w/my Ring of Protection from Fire & Helm of Defense. I kept overpowering Sarevok & had landed four or five solid blows & he was weakening slowly but surely. Minsc separated from the fight a bit to quaff Potions of Healing, & while successful, he also woke up a Battle Horror in the corner. After healing a bit, he avoided the Battle Horror & came back over to aid in the main fight. He still couldn’t land much on the Warrior/Mage so I hollered @ him to help me w/Sarevok. Tazok was standing beside me but couldn’t land a blade on me which allowed me to continue all my focus on Sarevok. Minsc & I pounded away & finally killed Sarevok!!! As soon as we did Tazok headed for the door & when I looked up the Warrior/Mage & his cohort were dead too. We offed the Battle Horror, collected everything from our fallen that Minsc & I could carry & headed back to the city to Raise Branwen so she could Raise the others, which she did.
FINAL BATTLE WITH SAREVOK
FINISHING THE LAST ENEMY, A BATTLE HORROR
This will be my last journal for a while. Imoen & I are headed south to Athkatla & I Minsc is going to join us rather than return to Rasheman. Ajantis will travel w/us too, as he to go back to The Order of the Radiant Heart to report completion of his mission to prove himself as a Paladin by defeating the Bandit’s in & around Baldur’s Gate. He did a whole lot more than that. Quayle, I think, is going to Athkatla also but I don’t expect him to stay with us once we get there. He says he has a niece there that he needs to spend some time with. Funny, that doesn’t seem like him @ all but family changes us & he obviously misses her. Sadly, Branwen decided, not unexpectedly, to return to her home of Seawolf in the Norheim Isles. I’ll miss my former lover & battle partner.
Treasure of Note: (Final Purse = 6,293 gold) Armor/Weapons: Short Sword of Backstabbing (Imoen); Helm of Charm Protection (Ajantis); Full Plate Armor (Ajantis); Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Black Opal; Potions: Scrolls: Cone of Cold, Fireball
Current Disposition: Resting, one last time, at out little inn in S BG.
Next Steps: Travel to Amn, to Athkatla & take some time to recuperate. We’ve been on the road over a year since I left Baldur’s Gate w/Gorion.
Level Up: As the final blow fell on Sarevok, Minsc suddenly & clearly improved himself to a whole other level as a Barbarian (9).
MINSC FINAL RECORD AFTER ADVANCEMENT
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/9; HP105; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Sword of Balduran; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Sarevok)
SIR GAWAIN FINAL RECORD
SIR GAWAIN FINAL INVENTORY
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/11); HP48; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword of Backstabbing* Dagger +1*, (Andris)(Thief Def) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9); HP76; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
MINSC FINAL INVENTORY
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive) • Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/9): HP52; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive) • Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North, Helm of Charm Protection & Wolfsbane Amulet; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Sirine Queen) (Paladin )
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
After four years I finally completed a 'Completionist No Reload' as coined by Blackraven. I left no stone unturned from the Nashkel Mines north thru Ulgoth's Beard (including Ice Island, Durlag's Tower, Isle of Balduran) & everything east to west from the Lighthouse to Gullykin/Firewine Bridge. Woohoo. Did I mention, I've been trying for four years??? CT
Congratulations, @CharlestonianTemplar ! I followed your playthrough closely and it was a joy to read. If Gawain was not "Sir" already, he would get a knighthood now.
How I got here I still don’t know for sure. I’m in an inn in the Athkatla Bridge District but the last thing I remember is retiring to our regular inn in Baldur’s Gate after defeating Sarevok, Tazok, the mages & the Battle Horror. Minsc & I left the Temple w/as much loot as we could carry since Branwen, Imoen, Ajantis & Quayle had all been taken out. The plan was to return to the inn, rest & then travel to The Temple of Helm to have the priest there cast Raise Dead on Branwen. She in turn would go back w/us to the inn & raise the others over a couple of days. All of that happened as planned & then Branwen bid me (us) farewell & headed back to her home of Seawolf in the Northeim Isles just as she said she would. Quayle was in a hurry to see a niece in Athkatla & Ajantis to return to the Order of the Radiant Heart to report in & let them know he’d helped to bring a halt to the thieves and caravan raids in the area south of Baldur’s Gate – as had been his mission. We made plans to head out together: Imoen, Ajantis, Quayle, Minsc & I, the next AM. Quayle went up to his room & Ajantis headed to The Temple of Helm to pay his tithe & pray. Minsc, Imoen & I were sitting downstairs having an ale & a late night meal of rye bread, fish & cheese. We’d lost track of day & night going back & forth between the Undercity & we were the only ones in there except for the dozing barkeep. We weren’t drunk @ all, just eating our meal & talking.
Next thing I remember is waking up with Imoen urging me to hurry & realizing that I was in a cell like a giant iron wrought bird cage – except for humanoids. I had a splitting headache and my body ached everywhere w/pains of every type.
Immediate confusion reigned in the worst way. Imoen told me we were captives & that Minsc was also nearby in another cage. As soon as she said that, Jaheira’s death passed clearly before my eyes; & then Dynahier’s, & Khalid’s, & Coran’s. All of them died right in front of me…in front of both of us? What a painful succession of memories to become aware of upon waking into a fog. Where the in the Nine Hells were we anyway? It was like waking from a dream in a dream. Minsc was there though, captive in a cell w/no door. He too, was confused & talked of someone killing Dynahier as if it had happened recently. Dynahier was the first of us to fall – to a Sirine’s Arrow of Biting months ago. In his rage & my confusion, he suddenly just tore the bars to his cell apart as if they were vines. Imoen said she thought there was equipment in the next room but it wasn’t ours she didn’t think.
Imoen urged me on so I followed her to room w/the equipment. There was a motionless Golem the in the room & I kept fearing he’d attack every time we touched something, especially when Imoen Removed a trap in the wall behind a picture. In the room was a Two-Handed Sword & a set of Chain Mail for Minsc; an enchanted Dagger, Short Sword & a set of Studded Leather for Imoen. I found a set of Splint mail, a Small Shield & a Mace since there was no Bastard Sword which is my weapon of Grand Mastery.
And so, there we were, the three of us, who knows where, all confused, in a room full of bird cages meant for men, looking down an unknown passage….hoping it was the way out.
NO CLUE WHAT'S NEXT!
Key Event: I’m exhausted & can’t pen anything more tonight. Suffice to say, Imoen has now been kidnapped by some mages called the Cowled Wizards. Darkness follows me still. I need to rest my brain but I’ll write of everything we’ve experienced in the last three/four days when I wake. Lot’s has happened…lots.
Current Disposition: In this inhere in the Bridge District. I don’t know the name but I did when we arrived. I have some new companions, all approached me in a shady inn in the Slums. However, I think I have a good group of followers.
Next Steps: To find Imoen my only lead requires 20,000 gold so I’m trying to raise the gold. There’s a young mage/rogue type w/my now who wants me to help her w/some problems on her land, which I agreed to do. There have also been some grisly murders here in the district & there’s some energy around digging into that first.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic) • Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Splint Mail w/Medium Shield, Ring of Protection +1, Girdle of Bluntness & Bastard Sword***** • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/8, (HP51); Splint Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, (Mace**, THWS**) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1* • Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/10, (HP54); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Short Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
So the three of us started to try to find our way out of this Dunjon. We were tripping over the corpses of rogues strewn all over the floor. We finally found a room that contained seven Lightning Mephits & a machine that shot lightning out randomly. Luckily Lightning Mephits don’t pack much of a punch & we took care of business there & found a mechanism to turn off the Lightning Machine. Having finished them & turned off the lighting machine we looked behind us w/o finding a way out we had no choice but to go forward. In the next room was a Djinni that posed a riddle to Imoen before releasing an Ogre Mage on us for being right in our response. Unfortunately we were not at our best & didn’t kill the thing before it disappeared. The Djinni, nonetheless, told us to find Rielev to aid us which we eventually did. We then found a room full of tanks of some liquid filled w/the bodies of humans past any hope. There were also Mist Mephit & Ice Mephit but they aren’t there anymore. We killed 11 Goblins four w/Short Bow & Short Sword, seven w/Short Sword in the hallways (I’ve never seen a Goblin before – there were Kobolds galore in/around the Sword Coast but no Goblins. We moved on trying in vain to find an exit, before we found a library where we killed a Smoke Mephit & six Goblins, two w/Short Bow & Short Sword & three w/Short Sword before reminiscing for a moment over hoe the library reminded Imoen & I of Candlekeep. We kept moving back into a hallway that led us to a room full of six Duerger, two w/Light Crossbow, the rest w/Battle Axes or Warhammers. Man those things have a crummy disposition. We killed them & found some loot before we continued down the only hall leading out of there, past a door we couldn’t open & where Imoen found a huge trap in the hallway. She brilliantly Removed Trap before we moved on and found a room at the end of at the hall. Once again there was a welcoming party, or rather a single Cambion. If anyone ever reads this, suffice it to say that a Cambion is the offspring of a Succubus & a mortal man. They’re nasty but w/the Demon Knight, Aec’Letec & Sarevok in our wake he was little trouble once Imoen figured out how to turn off his protective barrier. This being a dead end we turned around and tried a door just down the hall but it wouldn’t open. We found a room w/a Smoke Mephit & a huge Golem. We killed the Mephit & but, once again, the Golem wasn’t hostile. He said something about conducting his duties for the master but I couldn’t get him to do anything until he told me about a stone in a room we’d passed earlier that contained another one of those tanks w/a barely living creature inside. We’d helped him to die & escape his torture but didn’t see the stone the first time. Minsc retrieved it and we activated him w/it so he took off down the hall & we never saw him again. We continued back tracking, killing three Goblins w/Short Bows & Battle Axes in a narrow hall before coming into a room w/a nasty Otyugh that popped me good & Slowed me but I finally killed him. We found some decent treasure including a key of some sort. We then found a really nice room but it radiated great danger &, sure enough, Imoen Found & Removed three traps before we were able to loot the place (including a strange statue that turned out to be important) & a leading to the left to a giant wheel that found ourselves on a little dirt road near some beautiful trees where we met three gorgeous Dryads. They told us they too were prisoners of, Irenicus. So that was out captor. It just so happened that we’d picked up some acorns we found earlier (we learned to pick up things that seem out of place in Durlag’s Tower & now we’re in the habit of it). The acorns were just what they needed to escape but we’d have to take them out of the dungeon to their queen to free them. We found an immaculate, but dangerous, room filled w/about six traps that Imoen handled before she picked up some decent treasure, a key like the first one & a key of a different sort. As we departed we were attacked by two Lesser Clay Golem’s which I guess reacted to a bell that rung when were first entered the last room. We left there & returned to that door we couldn’t open b/c Imoen insisted the statue would fit in a little whole she’d seen in the floor. We passed thru & found ourselves on a dock in the Elemental Plane of Air. Down the dock a long extension to the left led us to battle an Air Mephit & Mist Mephit & another Air Mephit & Smoke Mephit. Continuing, Imoen moved ahead Finding Traps Invisibly & returned to tell us there were five more Mephits; Ice, Magma, Mephit, Steam & Air. Minsc & I attacked the Magma Mephit first, then knocked them out one @ a time. A little to the left was a circular dock w/a Djinni that we released from a bottle. He wanted a flask that could fully release him in exchange for something he had of mine? He mentioned the flask might be w/one of the Golems or his concubine Dryads & we found it w/the latter. We returned, freed him, & gained a Sword of Chaos. I don’t know how it was mine since I use a Bastard Sword but Minsc loves it, especially since he lost Spiders Bane. We took the odd key we’d just found & went to one of those mirrors (we’d seen another back by the cells we’d been kept in). The key walked us right through into a gate to another level.
We tumbled onto a floor in a room w/another mirror but more remarkable b/c I found another follower, or at least someone else who wanted out of here. His name was Yoshimo & I’m not sure his exact skills but I’m sure he hails from Kara-Tur, east of Faerûn on Toril. Between Kara-Tur and Faerûn stretches the Hordelands for hundreds of miles. (I actually have him kitted as a Ninja as I have Valygar kitted as a Samurai). Yoshima joined w/us & was able to give us the information to pass thru the next two rooms. The next contained Ice Mephit, Magma Mephit, Radiant Mephit & four Mephit Portals. The portals, themselves, had to be knocked out b/c they produced the Mephits one after another just as Yoshimo had told us they would. Continuing we found another room w/those tanks filled w/liquid but these all contained clones of the same woman. One of them had escaped & was fighting an assassin, who she dispatched before turning on us. Sadly we killed the Clone. It then became trial & error looking for a passage out. We killed Ice Mephit & Assassin & then six Goblins, two w/Short Bow & Short Sword & four w/Short Sword, an assassin. The next room was trapped galore but we’d been picking up those keys I mentioned. There was a Duerger & an assassin in the middle of the room but they were killed by the traps. Imoen worked along the left wall unlocking one wand @ a time, we had five of six we needed but Imoen showed us how to skirt the one we didn’t. Then we found a room off of that one on the center left wall. Two assassins, one a mage were fighting a Vampiress. We helped the mage @ first as her companion was dead & we weren’t yet sure she was an assassin. We killed the Vampiress & then had to kill the mage when she attacked us. On the other side of the room was another forge room w/six Goblins, four w/Battle Axes & two w/Short Bow & Short Sword which we dispatched. Off to left in another alcove we four Duerger’s, two w/magic ability. I was incapacitated w/a Horror Spell while Imoen, Minsc & Yoshimo dusted them. When I finally got my wits, they’d gathered the loot & we moved to another room opposite the room w/the Vampiress. There were two rooms, one w/some fat, weird little dude begging us to get him out w/a key in a nearby chest. We loaded up on some loot but the fat guy stayed right up our butts the whole time until he turned into a Doppelganger & gave his life for his trouble. Finally we found the tunnel that led to a room w/three Assassins one of whom accused us of being Shadow Thieves. We couldn’t convince them we just wanted out so we killed them before finding a staircase @ the far end of the room with a passage way leading up above ground where there was obviously a battle raging.
Key Event: At first there were what turned out to be Shadow Thieves attacking the Mage Irenicus. He blasted them & Imoen, in her rage, blasted him w/her Magic Missiles when suddenly a bunch of unknown mages appeared. The later turned out to be the Cowled Wizards. Before I knew it, they arrested Irenicus, who appeared to go of his own accord & insisted that Imoen go too. Poof. She was gone, they all were. This all happened so quickly, my mind is still in Baldur’s Gate & yet my body is what I now know to be Athkatla & my best & oldest friend is captive to a mysterious group of wizards.
IMOEN & IRENICUS BATTLING; TAKEN BY THE COWLED WIZARDS
We got into Athkatla, unloaded our loot, & tried to find an inn w/room for the three of us in Waukeen’s Promenade but couldn’t. We had to head through an area called The Slums where we were approached by a man named Gaelan who said he could help me find Imoen. We had to follow him to his house where he offered to introduce us to the Shadow Thieves for only 20k gold. In the end I see no option right now. He had his nephew take us to a place called the Copper Coronet where I was able to find three adventurer’s to help me find the gold I needed. The first is, Auren Aseph of the Fighter/Apprentice Class & has already shown her incredible skill w/a long sword. The second is a noble w/Rogue skills but is dressed as a mage, her name is Nalia. She is anxious to get our help in ridding her land of some attackers. The last called himself a Warrior Cleric (Watcher of Helm). They all seem to be safe to travel with. We finally found a room in a place called the Bridge District, where we were informed by the Captain of the Guard that some grisly murders had been taking place there of late. Nalia seemed to think we needed to help them out despite her desire to get home & save her land.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,936 gold) Armor/Weapons: Bastard Sword +1 (Gawain); Dagger +1 (Imoen); Quarter Staff +1 (sold); Helm of Infravision (sold); Bracers of Defense AC8 (sold); Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2 (Minsc); Girdle of Bluntness (Gawain)Splint Mail x3 (Minsc & I, one sold); three sets of Chain Mail; Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Laeral’s Tear Necklace; Potions: Extra Healing x11; Scrolls: Dispel Magic; Fireball; Wands: five: Frost, Monster Summoning, Cloudkill…
Current Disposition: Resting @ Mae’Vars Guildhall in the Bridge District
Next Steps: Nalia seems to want to help solve the murders in Athkatla, despite wanting to get to her lands ASAP. We’ll start here & if she gets antsy, we’ll head there & return. Right now I need gold to try & find Imoen.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 12 – Average) • Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Splint Mail w/Medium Shield, Ring of Protection +1, Girdle of Bluntness & Bastard Sword***** • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/8, (HP51); Splint Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, (Mace**, THWS**) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1* • Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/10, (HP54); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Short Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; NPC Haldimir NPC for BG2_v2; Sarah NPC Romance Mod_v4; NPC Angelo_v5; Tyris Flare NPC_v6; Auren Aseph NPC_v9; Gavin NPC for BG2_v20111125 Beta & Hotfix for Gavin for BG2_v20; Rogue Rebalancing; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
At Nalia’s urging I had us look into the murders in the Bridge District, even though I was ready to go to the aid of her families keep first. The Lieutenant of the guard, Aegisfield, had given us the name of a courtesan named Rose, a boy named Faraji, and a beggar whose name escapes me. Rose was easiest to find & told us that what she remembered was a certain smell, Guril Berries, she said & directed us to a Merchant named Bel to ask if he might know what would smell like that, besides pie. He mentioned that there was a salve used to enhance men’s vitality, but more importantly, in leather making. He said there was a Tanner in town that we might ask. We also talked the boy who was of little use, blaming on a ‘witch’ named Miss Kragmoon that we never even found. We did find the beggar though & he had an Elephant Hide found @ one of the murders that blew the investigation open. I returned to Bel, who was again helpful & once again mentioned the Tanner being probably the best person to talk to (or someone @ the circus in Waukeen’s Promenade).
Key Event: I headed to the Tanner’s Shop, Rejiek by name, & after letting him know we were looking into the murder’s we mentioned the Elephant Hide & he became hostile & spilled the beans. He immediately disappeared down some stairs but we had to follow carefully for fear of traps as Yoshimo reminded me. Luckily, Nalia is just as effective @ finding traps as Imoen & she cleaned ‘em up on the ground floor, the first lower floor & then made sure we got safely to a small underground dock w/a number of crates stacked around. A Mage & two Ghasts were also present & we quickly braced for battle. I quaffed a Potion of Speed so that I could close quickly on the Mage. Auren used her brutal & innate Bust ability while Nalia cast a Scroll of Dispel Magic & Anomen a Spell of Silence 10’ Radius around the Mage. Before we could do anything w/him he became Invisible or Teleported or something leaving the Ghasts which were easy enough…& an Assassin w/Potions of Invisibility Galore it seemed. Using Anomen’s innate True Seeing capability granted by Helm, we kept the Assassin visible until we could cut him down. We were too late to catch Rejeik. BATTLE @ THE UNDERDOCK'S
We collected a small amount of decent loot for our troubles & reported back to Lieutenant Aegisfield who rewarded us & promised to hunt down Rejiek the Tanner. We found a note that indicates he might be headed to a place called Trademeet I think. I don’t know the names of places in Amn as well as those I knew nearer Candlekeep but Trademeet sounds familiar so I must have come across it somewhere in my library studies.
I realized something really weird today. I was trying to figure out the date when I started this journal. I asked Auren what date it was & she said it was 10 Mirtul 1369. How can that be? I know I left Candlekeep w/Gorion on 1 Mirtul 1369 during The Melting. Dynahier died, I know for sure, on 3 Hammer 1370, in Deepwinter, almost exactly eight months’ time when I left home. I defeated Sarevok on 22 Mirtul 1370, over a year after I left. It’s like time stood still while I adventured from North Amn to Ulgoth’s Beard & now I’m in Athkatla in the same month & year I left Candlekeep. I am extremely perplexed.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 9,025 gold) Armor/Weapons: Short Sword +1; Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Moonbar Gym, Water Opal, Black Opal x2; Bloodstone Amulet, Sphene Gym, 130 GP; Potions: Scrolls: Contingency; Wands:
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Five Flagon’s Inn in the Bridge District
Next Steps: Follow Nalia to her families keep
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 13 (+1) Average: Solved Bridge District Murders) • Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Ring of Protection +1, Girdle of Bluntness & Bastard Sword***** • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/8, (HP51); Splint Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, (Mace**, THWS**) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1* • Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/10, (HP54); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Short Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*)
Mods Used: : BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
0018 Mirtul 1369: After dealing w/the Bridge District murders, I made haste w/Nalia & the remainder of my retinue to the De’Arnise Keep. Before we arrived we were attacked by six Slaver’s. Not sure if they were trying to kill & rob us or make slaves of us but they did none of the above.
Once we arrived @ De’Arnise Keep, Nalia let me know that the keep had been overrun w/Trolls. We spoke to Captain Arat, the Captain of the De’Arnise Guard who was in an outer palisade. He told us that if we could open the drawbridge he & his men could draw the Trolls out. From there, Nalia led us into the keep thru a secret entrance in the side of the wall, behind some hedges. There we met Daleson, obviously a servant that was well treated by Nalia, although he tried to keep up appearances. Daleson said, that in addition to Trolls, we should also be worried about some giant snake-like monsters that came w/the Trolls. He told Nalia her father had been alive that morning & that the largest Troll had had him taken down to the ‘cellar.’ He also warned us about some burrowing creatures that had made the initial entrance for the Trolls. He said they were very tough but could be sidetracked by food. So there it was. Rescue Nalia’s father first. Eventually Nalia told us the only way to get to the cellars could be reached through a secret door off of her Aunt’s room. We worked our way thru letting Nalia guide us. She led us in search of her father’s flail down some halls that led thru secret doors to an armory & a crypt. We were able to put part of the Flail securing an Acid head to it in a really nifty forge that worked via the will alone. Then we started making our way toward Nalia’s Aunt’s room, by-passing most everything in a haste to save her father. Before we found the basement we encountered & defeated, in order of toughness, a Yuan-Ti Mage, a Greater Yuan-Ti; an Otyugh, Two Giant Trolls, four Trolls (one which split into two smaller Trolls), Three Ice Trolls & six Goblins. We were forced to rest behind closed doors twice during this stretch of battles.
Finally we came to the door of Nalia’s Aunt’s room. Nalia opened the door using a ‘skeleton key’ she’d grabbed in the Library, where we’d defeated the Yuan-Ti Mage. There was an obviously loyal & patient De’Arnise Guard named Hendron who would not leave her Aunt’s side & had barricaded them into her chamber for safety. Nalia spoke w/him & then her old-fashioned, unconscionable, irksome Aunt. For Nalia’s sake, we were all restrained as we directed her out of the keep to the palisade for safety. Then we passed thru the room & Nalia opened a secret door that led down a short hall to another that she also opened. Here a staircase led down to the cellars. The first cellar room was devoid of monsters & we gathered some treasure before opening the next door. That brought a Spectral Troll & two Trolls upon us but we dispatched them fairly easily. After gathering more treasure, I opened another door to a room w/five Umber Hulks which were easy enough to kill once we got ‘em close but they did leave both Anomen & I confused after the battle & it took us a few moments to get our wits back. We gathered up the treasure in that room & then Nalia pointed to the door that was sure to contain her father…& his captors. I opened it & led us in in a ‘V’ formation w/me on point. Torgal, the leader of the Trolls, & Two Giant Trolls came on quickly. I split the group sending Auren & Yoshimo versus one Giant Troll, Minsc & Anomen versus the second & Nalia & I versus Torgal. This was an very long, exhausting battle & it was all any of us could do to continue lifting our arms to strike w/our weapons or raise our shields. We eventually killed one of the Giant Trolls & Nalia finished him w/a Melf’s Magic Meteor. Somewhere in there, Yoshimo took one more blow than he could handle & fell. The second Giant Troll eventually fell & Nalia dispatched him too. Then everyone focused on Torgal who I’d injured w/Nalia’s help. Once the other’s joined my efforts, Torgal was not long for Toril. Once again, Nalia finished him with another M2 Meteor. Sadly, it was immediately apparent that Nalia’s father had not survived.
FINAL BATTLE FOR DE'ARNISE KEEP
Key Event: When it was over, Nalia wanted to leave immediately. As we entered the courtyard, Nalia stopped me, suddenly realizing the significance of her father’s death. She told me she was betrothed to another noble Isaea Roenall, a man she detests, from a despicable family that would gain control of De’Arnise Keep if the betrothal was seen thru. She offered me an arrangement where, as her father’s heir, she would name me Lord of De’Arnise Keep...& so, accepting, I have gone from being the step-son of a minor nobleman in a Library/Keep, to being knighted Sir Gawain by a King from a land not known to me, Camelot, & now I am addressed as Lord Gawain, & I have a Keep of my own. I am not ‘married’ to Nalia (in fact my relationship w/Auren is intriguing) but I am forever united, allied & joined with Nalia…but, even more, I am beholden, indebted & grateful to her for trusting me w/this enormous responsibility. Some are never going to accept me as a nobleman b/c my blood to them is not noble… but, then again, if they realized my true bloodline, I wonder what they’d think. LORD GAWAIN!
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 24,789 gold) Armor/Weapons: Helm of Balduran; Short Sword +1 (sold); Mace +1 (Minsc); Plate Mail +1 (Anomen); Gems: Quarter Staff +1 (sold); Arrows +2 (Nalia); Bracers of Archery (Nalia); Darts of Wounding (Yoshimo); Bolts +1 x20, Biting x40, Bolts x20 (Unidentified = U/I); Bolts x20 (U/I) (sold); Bullets +2 (40); Enchanted Spear (U/I); Longbow +1 (sold); Light Crossbow +1 (sold); Flail of Ages - Acid (Gawain); Jewelry/Gold: Bloodstone Amulet; 2,126gp; 810gp; Potions: Potions of Extra Healing x5 (General Purpose User = GPU); Scrolls: Lower Resistance; Wands:
Current Disposition: Back in the Five Flagon’s Inn in the Athkatla Bridge District.
Next Steps: As we departed the Keep, Anomen was informed by a runner that his sister had been murdered in Athkatla & that he was being summoned home by his father. We were returning anyway, but this news made our trip urgent & we went straight to Anomen’s w/o rest upon returning. Much has happened since we returned. I’ll pen that in my next entry but for now, I need to sleep.
Level Up: • Helm blessed Anomen by advancing him to a High Priest (Cleric/9) of the Watchers of Helm & granted him three new divine spells. Anomen chose Magic Stone, Hold Person & Raise Dead. • Nalia, already a Master Thief, continued to improve her skills (Thief/11) & has focused her efforts on improving her Hide in Shadows/Move Silently skills, now 78/77% respectively. Together w/her skills in Finding/Removing Traps & Opening Locks (100% each), she is an unbelievable asset to my retinue, especially since she made me Lord of De’Arnise Keep.
Current Party: (Reputation: 13 Average:) • Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +1 & Girdle of Bluntness; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid; (Mephit Portal) • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**); (Cohrvale)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/9, (HP53); Plate Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Greater Yuan-Ti)(Cleric Aggressive) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Urlaryl)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*; (Assassin)(Thief Aggressive) • Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/11, (HP56); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Arban’s Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*); (Torgal)(Thief Adventurer)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
1727 Mirtul 1369: Having finished up destroying Torgal, I left the remainder of the clean-up to Captain Arat & my Guards @ De’Arnise. As we were leaving, we were approached by a runner from Athkatla who informed him that his sister had been murdered. The runner said that Anomen was requested by his father Cor, to return to the family estate in the Government District of Athkatla. We made haste w/o stopping to rest & headed straight for the estate. We had hardly set foot in Athkatla when were attacked by four slavers, one a Mage & one a Cleric type. We defeated them & then continued to the Government District but were approached by a woman named Valen who tried to convince me to meet her mistress @ night in the Graveyard District. She said that Gaelen couldn’t be trusted & that her mistress could offer more. If I was interested, she said to be in the Graveyard District @ night. No sooner had she left than we were approached by Gaelen’s nephew again, Brus, I think it is. He said Gaelen was ready to sweeten the deal & that I should talk to Gaelen before I spoke to Valen’s mistress. I’m torn between trying to figure this out & save Imoen & supporting Anomen in his grief.
Before we could get to the Delryn Estate, we were approached a third time, this time by a boy named Delon, who was from a place called Imnesvale in the Umar Hills. People there are disappearing & the town is desperate, he insisted. Minsc was ready to head there straight away but we still needed to get to @ the Delryn Estate. We ran into our first Vampiress w/four Shadow Thieves but they told her they would ‘take care of us,’ so she disappeared. These Thieves not your granfathers thieves…they are a handful equipped w/Potions of Invisibility & Healing. We killed ‘em but they’re not for toying with.
When we arrived @ the Delryn Estate, Anomen’s father was inebriated & demanded that Anomen revenge his sisters’ death by killing a merchant named Saerk, who was & is his father’s greatest rival. Anomen was torn but deep inside he knew that revenge in this case was murder, & I knew he knew it. I talked w/him & he chose the right course. When he told his father, his father disowned him but Anomen stood his ground & said he was taking the case to the magistrate. He took the case to the Magistrate, Brylanna, who was obviously a noble & fair magistrate. Despite Anomen’s insistence that she arrest Saerk, the Magistrate said there was not enough evidence & urged Anomen not to seek revenge. He is bitter & sad but reluctantly left the issue behind & was ready to move on.
My next action was to take Gaelen the 15000gp & find out where I could find Imoen. Instead he told me I needed to meet a Shadow Thief named Aran Linvail. Now, more than a little irritated I found no choice but to go thru w/his directions & so straight away, I did so. At this point I am reminded that this was to be the second trip to the Thieves Guildhall b/c Yoshimo paid homage to the Master Thief of the Athkatla Shadow Thieves, Renal Bloodscalp. Actually Renal wanted me to get involved in some conflict w/another guild but I declined. Now, I was being directed to the Master Thief over all Shadow Thieves, Arin Linvail.
When we emerged, a runner met Nalia & informed her that her father had passed. The funeral, he said, was in the Graveyard District & she needed to be there soon. We headed there immediately. There was a small turnout but all in all a nice service save for the appearance of Isaea Roenall who threatened Nalia over her decision to name me Lord of De’Arnise Castle. It was humorous to see Isaea’s father agree w/Nalia’s argument that tradition held that the heir could indeed name the ‘Weapons Master’ who liberated her castle as Lord. Isaea wasn’t amused but I was.
Key Event: Arin wanted me to complete a task for him & once again, I see no choice. He’s asked me to watch the docks @ night for a shipment of his that he fears might be compromised. He’s asked me to meet one of his Thieves, Mook, down @ the docks & go from there. I’d already learned that walking the streets of Athkatla @ night, even w/my powerful retinue, is just not smart unless absolutely necessary. In this case, since I had to work @ night near the docks, I had us go to the Sea Bounty Tavern & wait out nightfall. When it got dark, we headed toward the docks & were quickly attacked by a Vampiress & three of four Shadow Thieves. This lethal battle led to the loss of the woman who’d just entrusted me w/her family’s home. She was brutally backstabbed by a Shadow Thief (88hps) & there was no raising her back to me. It’s hard enough fighting these Vampiress’ but w/skilled Shadow Thieves quaffing Potions of Invisibility & backstabbing the weaker or weakened members of my retinue it is nearly impossible. I didn’t realize it the first time we fought a Vampiress but this one was impervious to all but Minsc’s weapon but it became clear in this battle. We killed the Vampiress & then the Shadow Thieves but I’ve lost this wonderful woman who’s trusted me w/so much...one I expected to be part of my life henceforth.
DESTROYING A VAMPIRESS
This city is lawless & brutal. In the time we’ve been here, we’ve been attacked by A Slaver Mage & Cleric w/six Orog’s; another Mage & Cleric w/Bandits (one of the spellcasters got off a Confusion Spell that effected both Auren & Yoshimo; a Mad Cleric of Cyric & I already mentioned the first Vampiress & four Shadow Thieves. It’s almost every time we go out, especially @ night, we’re assaulted or ambushed by Ruffians, Bandits, Shadow Thieves, oh, & Vampiress’. It’s been never ending.
I retired to my Castle to deliver the news of Nalia’s passing & prepare for her funeral. Even though her father rests in Athkatla, I believe she would want to be in the family’s cemetery near the castle & that’s where I had her laid. Afterward, I had some issues to resolve, one in particular, involving a merchant who used my land as a caravan route. Recently, his caravans have been harassed by Bandits but, more recently, a caravan was destroyed & pillaged outright. The merchant was very angry. He estimated his loss @ 1000gp. I reimbursed him for his loss & assured him the Bandits were dealt with. I want this land to be safe for farming & commerce. I directed my Regent, Major Domo, to spend 500gp to hire mercenaries to hunt down & destroy the Bandit’s. My new Captain of the De’Arnise Guard (I will not change the name of this castle) is Captain Cernick. Captain Arat resigned because he believed he’d failed his master when the Trolls invaded. My Guard is too small to handle the Bandits right now, thinned out by the battles w/the Trolls, & they’re only able to conduct patrols in the immediate vicinity of the walls. Until I can replenish the ranks, I’ll have to rely on Mercenaries for extra security.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,643 gold) Armor/Weapons: Warhammer +2 (purchased for Ajantis); Studded Leather +2 (purchased for Auren); Jewelry/Gold: Potions: Scrolls: Wands:
Current Disposition: Resting @ my castle w/o the wonderful woman who made me it’s Lord. I feel strange that this place is mine & I didn’t protect her so that she could help me make decisions here & help me. There are protocols & w/the nuances I just don’t know.
Next Steps: I’m heading to Umar Hills to look into the situation that the young boy Delon approached us about. The two Vampiress’ we’ve met have been more than we could handle &, like I said earlier, I didn’t notice the first time but the second one was obviously impervious all of our weapons except Minsc’s. We need stronger weapons but couldn’t afford but one Warhammer for Anomen after paying the 15000gp to Gaelen.
Level Up: • Gawain: Along w/my Lordship my skill are now those of a Lord/10th Level (Fighter/10) • Auren Continues to be more & more deadly w/her Long sword. As her Lord, I’ve promoted her to Lord/10th Level (Fighter (Apprentice/10) also. She is second in command. • I promoted Anomen to Lord (Fighter/9). In addition to his recent elevation by Helm to High Priest of the Watchers of Helm, he is extremely valuable to me. He serves as my personal priest & @ Castle De’Arnise • Minsc continues to become more lethal & brutal in combat & is now a War Chief (Barbarian/Level 10) • Yoshimo None of my retinue any longer receive advancement thru their guilds, Yoshimo long since having passed the need for training in a Guild setting. He is now what he calls a Raikage/12th Level (Ninja/12)
Current Party: (Reputation: 12 Average:) • Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP108); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +1 & Girdle of Bluntness; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid (Mephit Portal) • Auren: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71)Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**); (Cohrvale)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Greater Yuan-Ti)(Cleric Aggressive) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/10), HP85; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Urlaryl)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*;(Assassin)(Thief Aggressive) • Nalia: Mage/Thief//10/11, (HP57); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Arban’s Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*); (Torgal)(Thief Adventurer)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
3021 Mirtul, 1369: Travel to Umar Hills from De’Arnise was uneventful. We arrived in Imnesvale & found the Mayor, Minister Lloyd, trying in vain to reassure the locals. It seems people had been disappearing & the local Ranger who normally watches over & protects this little hamlet had not been heard from. In addition, the Mayor sent a group of adventurer’s led by someone named Mazzy Fenton & neither had they been heard from since. Theories abounded as to what was happening: Wolves; an Ogre & a pack of humanoids just north of the hamlet or a Witch of old named Umar. He thought we would be best served by visiting the Ogre or going west to the cabin that their Ranger, Marella, called home. I chose the latter. Marella’s Cabin was easy enough to find & yielded a sense of dread for what lay ahead. There had obviously been a struggle there. In the bedroom & there were bloody footprints on the floor leading to the door. We found Marella’s journal & it seemed to point to the wolves but she mentioned that their behavior had changed & she sensed they were following her but not so that she could see them clearly, more like shadows. So we started out to investigate. We found the Ogre, who calls himself Madulf, & he was obviously not the culprit. He had a meager band of humanoids w/him, deserters from the ‘great army of Sothill in the south.’ Sothill is an Ogre Mage, who along w/his mate, Cyrvisnea, are leading two armies besieging southwestern Amnish city of Murann. Madulf & his band don’t want to fight & even asked me to tell the Mayor that he & his band were willing to protect the hamlet in exchange for infrequent trade. I passed this on to Minister Lloyd & he was excited.
We were later attacked by a Wild Tiger &, a bit later, a Grizzly Bear. The Grizzly was a handful – I’d never seen one of those further north. The Grizzly was near another cabin northwest Imnesvale. We entered carefully & were confronted by a strange looking man in studded Leather w/two Scimitars, both obviously enchanted. He was a formidable looking warrior & I certainly wanted him to join my retinue. His name was Valygar (Samurai Warrior/9) & he asked if we’d help him destroy an ancient wizard from his family line – something about a sphere or something that his body would allow us access to. I took him in for a short time but it became apparent that he & Yoshimo were very uncomfortable with one another. I deduce from my readings in Candlekeep & their unique skill sets that they both hail from Kara-Tur. Kara-Tur is on the far easternmost end of the continent of Faerun. In Kara-Tur, class is strictly followed. Valygar is likely from nobility, Yoshimo from the peasantry. Continuing, we soon stumbled on a cave. As always, going into a cave or similar ‘unknown’, I had us protect ourselves. Anomen cast Chant, Minsc used his Barbarian Rage & I cast Draw upon Holy Might & then we entered. The cave contained a treasure chest & I knew we had a problem w/o Imoen or Nalia there to check for traps. I decided to approach myself & when I opened it, the chest became a Killer Mimic & attacked us, lashing out w/a pseudopod of huge jaws that tried to swallow me whole while, @ the same time, excreting a glue like substance that Held both Auren & Yoshimo. We defeated him quickly after the initial surprise. We got reorganized & waited until Auren & Yoshimo freed themselves before exploring the rest of the cave, which included two Bug-bears that we struggled w/a bit but took down eventually.
It wasn’t long before we encountered a woman with blazing red hair who wore a set of revealing Leather Armor – turns out it was specially made for her to allow her to cast spells. And, does she cast spells, all of them fire based* - & we all have the singed hairs to prove it. I diplomatically released Valygar from my service, choosing Yoshimo based on seniority & skills, avoiding further uneasiness in my lance emanating between them. At the same time, I brought an arcane spell caster into my service again.** Valygar said if I needed his service in the future he would be at the Mithrest Inn in Athkatla.
Onward w/Tyris Flare, keeping my retinue/lance @ five, we continued further north beyond Umar Hills into a densely wooded forest w/a canopy so thick sunlight could barely penetrate, if @ all. The undergrowth & the darkness made progress painfully slow, literally. As soon as we entered we saw one of Mazzy Fenton’s party members being killed by something but we had no time to react. We know they were from Mazzy’s group b/c they had a journal that gave us some clues as to what we were facing, i.e., Shadows & Dark Wolves. Continuing, we had to destroy two Dark Wolves & four Shadows before we found…
Key Event: …a cave. I had us prepare before going in: Anomen cast Chant, Minsc, Barbarian Rage & I cast Draw upon Holy Might. Inside we found a woman eating a dead man. She addressed us immediately & I questioned her harshly. It appears that while she was the leader of the Umar Hills wolves, recently she lost her power over them to a Shade Lord who’d killed them & turned them to Shade Wolves.’ She said the reason she was eating the man was to gain strength for her final stand @ a ruined Temple of Amaunator, an ancient sun god. She asked me if I wanted to aid her. She mentioned a piece of a stained glass that could be used to bring in just enough light to destroy the Shade Wolves, which I’d read about in that journal we found earlier. I agreed to help & she suddenly shape-changed into a Werewolf & tore out the door. We followed her into an already raging battle w/three Shadow Fiends, five Shade Wolves & 13 Shadows. It was a tough fight w/so many of them & even though Yoshimo adjusted the stained glass we didn’t take advantage of it & move to within its sphere of protection. We won the battle. I decided @ that point to head back to Imnesvale & rest but even after we passed out of the dark forest & back to the Umar Hills we still were attacked by two more Shadow Fiends, two Shade Wolves, & four Shadows which we defeated in a drawn out, difficult battle, made all the more so b/c we already had wounds from our former battles in the forest.
Afterword, I checked in w/the Mayor who had, indeed, come to an agreement w/Madulf.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 785 gold) Armor/Weapons: Short Sword +1 (sold); Boots of Stealth (Yoshimo); Jewelry/Gold: Potions: Scrolls: Wands:
Current Disposition: Resting & recuperating in Marella’s Cabin REVIEWING RECENT BATTLES & PLANNING STRATEGY FOR THE ASSAULT ON THE TEMPLE RUINS
Next Steps: Descend into the Temple Ruins
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 12 Average:) • Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP105); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2 & Girdle of Bluntness; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid (Mephit Portal) • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**); (Cohrvale)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Greater Yuan-Ti)(Cleric Aggressive) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +1 & Cloak of the Sewers w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*;(Assassin)(Thief Aggressive) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/10), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Urlaryl)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP40; Tyris’ Leather Armor; Sling +1**; Spear +1**
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
* The part of the description of this kit G3 NPC that I thought was coolest was, “Meet Tyris Flare, a red-haired amazon who can kick ass and hurl fire!” So I tailored her w/the Fighter (Amazon Kit)/Mage. As an Amazon she had no spells in her kit so I dueled her as a mage to bring in ‘hurl fire’ part. She can cast Flaming Hands, Flame Arrow, Fireball, Fire Shields (Blue/Red), basically, any spell that involves fire as a component but not Lightning, Meteors, or anything else. As a Mage she can only memorize/cast Arcane Fire Spells but I’ll let her use scrolls like I did w/Quayle (Illusionist spells only) & Dynahier (Evocation/Invocation spells only) in BGI/TotSC.
** Adding a Ninja & a Samurai to my campaign made me do some research on them since I don’t know about them like I do Medieval European & Crusades Knights and history. Here’s what I found:
Samurai -Noblemen that followed the bushido code when they engaged in combat. -Warriors that serve the ruling emperor without requiring a fee for their services. -Considered an elite class. -Use hand-to-hand combat weapons, including Samurai Swords. -Wore metal clad suits of armor.
Ninjas -Belonged to the lower status of Japanese society and follow an unorthodox style of fighting. -Hired mercenaries that would be willing to serve anyone who is willing to pay them their asking price in return for their services. -Preferred sneak attacks, and smaller weapons such as Ninja Stars. -Wore black outfits of cloth covering all but their eyes.
Members of the Samurai class might ‘hire’ Ninja’s secretly to do things their Bushido Code wouldn’t allow but, otherwise, they lived & remained separated by their class & would not intermingle.
1422 Kythorn, 1369: As I pen these lines, the ‘Time of Flowers’ arrived w/the month of Kythorn. In just six days the Summer Solstice arrives. But instead of enjoying the weather & the exquisite starry nights, My retinue & I were fighting my way through the ‘dark forest’ to reach the temple underground ruins.
Once in the dark forest, we defeated & killed two Shade Wolves & a Shadow before we were @ the cobwebbed, staircase leading down. Once inside, we found a room to the right & carefully entered, knowing that Yoshimo isn’t very skilled @ Finding Traps like Imoen & Nalia. In the room, in addition to battling some Shade Wolves, we found the skeleton of a child. As I said before, I’ve learned from Durlag’s Tower to pick up weird things that seem out of place & while the bones didn’t seem ‘out of place’ I told Tyris to put them in her pack. That area contained a prison, some small rooms &a rather larger one w/a Bust of Amuanator, the ancient sun god. Approaching it caused it to speak asking if I was ready to test my knowledge regarding ‘the faith’. We’d found a parchment in another room in this area that annotated the morning ritual. I took a chance & fielded the question which was about that ritual & I nailed it. However, he told me I needed to come back when I’m ready to field another question. We found two large doors that were prison cells where we found the Noble Halving Warrior, Mazzy Fenton. I didn’t allow her to join us but part of me wants to, especially now that Anomen is Lawful Good. She may yet become a member of my lance.
We found a long, rickety, bridge leading down to a room w/a pool of lava dominating the room. We grabbed some minor treasure sitting on some rocks in the pool. Anomen’s 30% resistance to fire gained from the Delryn Family Shield helped him but it was still painful. There was a room on the far side of the pool w/some Shadows/Shadow Fiends. We grabbed some treasure & then headed the rest of the way around the lava pool into a crypt room where two ghosts that were guarding the tomb that the child’s skeleton belonged to. By bringing the bones to the tomb, we’d done a good thing & reunited her w/her tomb. We were immediately blessed by the child who was a Prophetess of Amuanatorr who’d been killed by the Shade Lord. She gave us a Wardstone of Invisibility to keep us safe from a Shadow Dragon that guards the Shade Lord.
In one battle we had a challenging fight against two Skeleton Warrior’s & three Shadow Fiends. We were packed into a doorway (my mistake for allowing it) & the monsters were of just the right combination to make it very dangerous. Both Skelton Warriors & Shadow Fiends are difficult to hurt & the Shadow Fiends have an improved ability to Hold a foe. In mid battle Auren, Anomen & Yoshimo were Held & were taking shots from the Skeleton Warriors & Shadow Fiends. The remaining three of us who were not Held had to carefully pick our targets to protect the most vulnerable of us. We finally killed the last of them but it was close. TOUGH, DANGEROUS FIGHT!
After that, I took us back to rest & heal rather than staying in the underground or even up top. I wanted to get back to hamlet & get a rest in Marella’s Cabin before coming back here. Before we left, we checked the rest of the hall & it ended @ a door we couldn’t open anyway. We’ll figure that out later. On the way back, in the Umar Hills (but on the north side of the river) we were attacked by two Shadow Fiends & seven Shadows which we had a tough time defeating in our weakened state.
Key Event: After our break, it was straight back to the under ruins to the bust of Amuanator, so that I/we could try to answer more questions. We’d found two more papers w/clues for the ‘noontide’ & ‘evening’ rituals before we left to rest before. Having already completed one of the riddles/questions, we were able to get both questions right – although I missed one the first time & got blasted by a Spell Strike. Anomen took over & finished up & when we got the last one correct, the bust granted us the third of three pieces to Amuantator’s Holy Symbol. Once again, I’d had us collect two of these pieces & as soon as Anomen answered we had Amuantator’s Holy Symbol. Using that we were able to open the door @ the far end of the hallway & descended stairs into an ornate, marble great hall. We circled the hall staying close to the wall & made it all around until we found stairs leading up – not those we used to descend into the hall. Yoshimo checked the hall a little more closely b/c we didn’t see anything but Yoshimo came back after scouting & said there was, indeed, a Shadow Dragon there. I opted to leave him alone for now. Then we went up the stairs &, ‘blammo’ there was the Shade Lord & three other monsters. They didn’t see us so I had us back out. There Anomen cast Chant, I cast Draw on Holy Might, Minsc Quaffed a Potion of Defense & then used his Barbarians Rage. Auren used her Bust ability, Yoshimo cast Blur & Tyris cast Fire Shield Red & Protection from Fire on herself. Then we stepped back through & I just let my lance go to it. Auren & I headed straight for, & killed the Shade Lord, Anomen & Minsc the Shadow Patrick & Yoshimo found a lone Shadow. Then Minsc & Anomen destroyed the Temple Alter. No one even got a scratch. DEFEATING THE SHADE LORD W/NARY A SCRATCH!
By the time we left the underground, in addition to the key event above & those monsters mentioned elsewhere, we’d killed a Bone Golem, five Skeleton Warrior’s, two Shadow Fiends, Shadow Jailor, Shadow Prisoner, 19 Shade Wolves, 15 Shadows & a handful more that were destroyed by the Stained Glass light.
Immediately, the darkness was gone as were the thick vines & scrub in the woods. We cleared the forest, just in case & killed a Wild Tiger & 2 x Wild Dogs. I had us go back into the great hall, still w/the Wardstone protecting us. Everything but the Shadow Dragon was gone. He/she’s made this their lair. As much trouble as we had w/ a single Vampiress I decided to come back for the Dragon later – after all, I know right where the lair is.
I returned us to town & the Mayor was overjoyed, even gave us an great set of armor that had belonged to his grandfather. It’s actually called The Night’s Gift +5 & it really improved Auren’s protection – as an Apprentice she can only wear Studded Leather or lighter & this Night’s Gift +5 is the best you can get. We also found some armor that was really strong & protected against being Held but it was Ghoul’s Skin & I just can’t allow that in my presence…or Anomen’s.
I stopped @ De’Arnise on the way back to Athkatla & collected 1000gp from taxes. Major Domo said the Captain of the Guard, Cernick, wanted to see me about an important matter. Seems he caught one of my Guards stealing items from around the keep. Captain Cernick wanted me to execute the man, but after I questioned a bit, I found that the Guard’s wife was ill & he needed gold to have her treated and/or buy her medicines. I let the Guard go this time & paid for his wife’s care. I told him to come to me next time rather than break the law. Captain Cernick will be watching him but I think he’s gonna be even more loyal to me now so I’m not concerned.
After all that, it seems we’re still not ready for Vampires. I returned to Athkatla to stop in the Adventurer’s Mart to try to upgrade as much as I could using the gold we brought back from the temple Ruins. I purchased a Doubly Enchanted Sling (+2), bullets (+2) & a Spear (+2), all of which went to Tyris. Then I led us back to the Bridge District for the last time @ night. We were assaulted by a Vampiress & two lesser Vampires. I suddenly became apparent that no one could hurt her, even though we’d been able to hurt Parisa. Evidently, this Vampiress was even tougher than the one we’d killed even though I’d upgraded everyone’s weapon except mine & Yoshimo. Tyris was so injured that she fell unconscious but the rest of us managed to get away & hide down on the docks. We waited there until daylight & then we got the rooms in the Five Flagon’s, hopefully for the last time – at least until Vampires are manageable.
I’d found a perfect place in the Den of the Seven Vales when we’d first gotten here after escaping Irenicus’ Dungeon. Problem was there was group of thug adventurer’s there who assaulted us so, @ the time, we were weakened & decided to find another inn which is how we ended up @ The Five Flagon’s. I decided to go back & check that place out again. The bastards were’ still there & they were aggressive again but this time we were healthy & I had a full retinue. When I saw them I immediately backed us down the stairs where I had us prepare for battle once I made sure they weren’t going to follow. Then we went back up & baited them & when they attacked, I took us back down the stairs to await their arrival. I wanted to try & separate them & I got a Dwarven Warrior (Mencar Pebblecrusher Ftr/14) & a Human Mage (Sorcerous Amon Mage/10) to come down alone. Even alone they were tough but the biggest danger was the Mage & he went down quickly. Then the Dwarf was easy enough. Then back up the stairs, we killed a Half Orc (Smaeluv Orcslicer – Ftr/10) a Human Rogue, (Brennan Risling – Thf 14) & an Imp (Pooky – Sorcerous Amons’ Familiar). Defeating them yielded some useful treasure & gave me a perfect room for my retinue & I when we come here (even though I’m getting kinda spoiled by this Nobility thing).
Speaking of Nobility, Anomen was hailed by Sir Robin Trawl of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. He was brought before the Prelate there & knighted after which he said his vows. I am lucky that he was allowed to remain me but Sir Robin noted the noble path my lance is upon & allowed him to serve under me. ANOMEN KNIGHTED BY THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE RADIANT HEART. WELL DESERVED.
I’ve been blessed again to have found a companion in Tyris. We are not lovers yet but that is just a matter of time. We are constantly smiling & winking & becoming closer as we get to know one another. I don’t think I’ve written before that Tyris is from a whole other world entirely. How she got here is not clear…she was just suddenly here. For my part, I’m glad to have her beside me. Funny before Tyris joined me, I thought Auren & I were growing slowly closer but she is all business now. Because of that, she remains my second in command. I CAN'T BREATHE!
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 6,784 gold) Armor/Weapons: Full Plate Mail (Gawain); The Nights Gift +5 (Auren); Namarra +2 (Auren); Shield of the Lost +2 (Anomen);Cloak of the Stars (Yoshimo); Cloak of Reflection (Gawain); Boots of Stealth (Yoshimo); Periapt of Proof Against Poison (Gawain); Halberd +1 (sold); Skin of the Ghoul (sold); Jewelry/Gold: 4,872gp; 250gp; Potions: Three Potions of Extra Healing (General Purpose); Scrolls: Summon Nishru (Tyris); Wands:
Current Disposition: I’ve rented the entire upstairs room of the Den of the Seven Vales for our use. The proprietor is a man-hater but Auren speaks for me anyway, so we have the use of the room whenever we’re here. But, we had to fight like the Nine Hells to get it (see above). Auren worked out an agreement wherein I pay the Nobles rate & get the entire upstairs for our use. I want us to have a place to ourselves & this is perfect for when we’re here in Athkatla.
Next Steps: I want to find Valygar & try to help him if I can. I still can’t complete the task @ the docks until I am sure we can deal w/these Vampiress’. I hated letting Valygar go & I feel I should at least try to help him. But, I looked for him when I got here to Waukeen’s Promennade, thinking he was in one of the Inn’s here. I checked the Copper Coronet also, so I may not have listened well enough. If I can’t find him, I’ll have to find a secondary mission.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 13 – Popular; saved Umar Hills) • Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP105); Full Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2 & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Amulet ; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid (Bone Golem) • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71 ); The Nights Gift +5 w/Namarra +2***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail +1 wShield of the Lost +2 (& Delryn Family Shield); Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Shadow Patrick)(Cleric Aggressive) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +2, Boots of Stealth & Cloak of the Stars w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*;(Del)(Thief Aggressive) • Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/10), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Parisa)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1) • Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP40; Tyris’ Leather Armor, Cloak of the Sewers & Ring of Invisibility; Sling +2**; Spear +2**; (Skeleton Warrior)(Mage Aggressive)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
1821 Eliasias, 1369: It’s been more than two months since I last had a chance to place quill to parchment. I’d assured Valygar that I’d help him w/his situation but then dismissed him to take Tyris into my Lance to keep it @ five. However, I’d given my word & a Knights word is his bond, especially one that has been blessed to become a Lord. I found him back @ his cabin & gave Minsc & Boo a vacation. The trip to Athkatla was uneventful & we stopped to upgrade Valygar’s arms to a doubly blessed Samurai Sword in his lead sword hand. We were able to enter this massive sphere w/Valygar in our company but that’s where the ‘easy ended’. First up we found a room w/treasure chests & a Stone Golem which we pummeled directly, although Yoshimo could only get one of three treasure chests open.
We ran into another group of adventurers but they just seemed to have given up hope of going on. They did tell us that once we entered this room we were locked in the Sphere. They also gave us an idea of what to expect beyond a door to the west of the entrance door but didn’t offer to join me. In this case I could’a used the help. The first gauntlet in this place was against a bunch of cannibalistic Halving’s, replete w/dangerous arcane & divine spellcasters. After easily working through a Skeleton Warrior & five Halving Warriors we encountered a Halving Warrior/Mage who’d animated two Skeleton Warriors. We tore up the Skeleton Warriors but they were a nuisance & by the time they were down, we just couldn’t land a blow on the Warrior/Mage. When we finally did kill him, Anomen, my priest & the only one of us that can Raise Dead had been so badly hurt that he slipped into unconsciousness. Considering that I could no longer get us out of the sphere, we would have to forge on w/o him, so I laid him in a little hut in the caverns that I guess the Halving’s used. A little further on in this cavernous corridor we met a really tough Halving Warrior w/three of the standard Halving Warriors, two Sword Spiders & two Ettercaps but we got thru them w/little difficulty. The difficulty was yet to come. In the next room was a weird machine w/what appeared to be a partial golem in a tank of liquid. There was a table nearby w/an arm (obviously required for the golem) & a book on how to make a golem written in the common tongue. I had the arm attached figuring the golem was useless w/o a head. Next, I had Yoshimo open the door to the right. He was using his Find/Remove Traps so he travelled the short distance in the vomitorium to the next door but tripped a trap & was instantly knocked completely unconscious. I went & retrieved him & carried him off to a tent in the caverns where I’d laid Anomen. The door he was about to open wouldn’t open anyway so I turned us to a door to the north, now down two key members of my Lance. I opened the door & Holy Smoke! At first there were just two Halving Warriors which I drew into the room, slammed the door behind (one of my favorite tactics to separate & destroy enemies piecemeal). We smashed them quickly. But then the scite hit the fan in a big way. I could hear spell casters incanting from behind the door so I let them do their thing…& waited & waited & waited until they were quiet & it had been what I figured was sufficient time to let their spells wear off (another favorite tactic). But then I opened the door intent on letting them begin another spell before slamming the door on them again. Didn’t work as they barged in…a Halving Mage & Halving Cleric who soon summoned a Skeleton Warrior & Sword Spider. They kicked our arse’s. First of all, trying to figure out which spell caster was vulnerable to attack, dealing w/a Skeleton Warrior & then a Sword Spider was confusing. We couldn’t focus on killing the latter two w/o trying to disrupt spells from the former. I decided to have us back into the cavernous area to spread them out & buy time but I didn’t move fast enough & soon Tyris was down – the 3rd, & most important person, in my heart if not my Lance. But I had no time to dwell on that now. As we withdrew we were able to destroy the Skeleton Warrior & the Sword Spider. Continuing to buy space & time we literally drew them all the way back thru the room w/the other adventurers (who offered no assistance) until we were in the very first room we’d entered when we came into the sphere. I had the door slammed but they came thru. Luckily for us, by then, they’d spent their best spells & we were able to cut them down. After finishing them & collecting their belongings, I brought Tyris & laid her in the same tent as Anomen & Yoshimo. I thank, Helm maybe, that she can be revived, all of them but especially her.
Down to just Auren, my best warrior & Valygar, who has shone quickly that those people in Kara-Tur are in good hands w/Samurai Warriors guarding their lands – much like Paladin’s here in Faerun. Still, there were only three of us left, none of us spellcasters, & we haven’t gotten very far @ all.
We’d been finding coal along the way & entered a furnace room. Reading the golem making book made me decide to stoke the furnaces – after all the golem still had no head. The book said something about powering up the golem machine so I was just seeing where this would lead. Each time we fired one up one of the furnaces, we were attacked by a Fire Elemental but the three of us dealt w/them easily & then the two Stone Golems we found in the next room. There we found the golem’s head. We were stuck & couldn’t go anywhere b/c we’d opened all the doors that would open. The only other one was the one we tried & couldn’t open. So…I attached the Golem’s Head & released him thinking he might be the answer to where we go next & hoping that it wasn’t going to end in another arse whooping. Luckily he wasn’t after us but an ‘intruder he detected’. He tore thru the door aforementioned (that Yoshimo couldn’t open) & flew thru rooms & halls into another cavernous type room where he went after a Giant Elder Orb. We decided it was in our interest to help him so we did – the last thing we wanted was to fight them both. He killed the Elder Orb & then just stood there so we moved on as he said there were evidently no more ‘intruder’s’.
GOLEM & THE ELDER ORB
Key Event: From there we went down some stairs to a door that led us directly to Lavok but I backed out before he saw me. This, I knew would take lots of patience since there wasn’t any kind of spell caster amongst the three of us. We did, however, have a Book of Infinite Spells that Tyris had been carrying (can’t remember where she picked it up). It was useable by any of the three of us so that would be helpful. I decided to go in, leaving the others behind in the hallway. I crept out in the room but after a few steps he challenged me. I let him start to incant & then moved quickly back & shut the door (Note: since the user interface let’s one know the spells being cast if you’re not too far away, I pretend that, even though we’re not spell casters, we can pick out words & phrases having travelled w/so many spell casters & having fought so many others. So, we can make out some spells & make a pretty well educated guess at others by listening to the incantations. I watch & count these closely as they use their spells – kinda like ‘counting cards’ in poker. Sometimes if you ‘go upstairs or into another area completely you can no longer hear the words & phrases, thus you can’t have any idea what they’ve cast). We knew he was casting protection & summoning spells so Auren opened the door & I used the Book of Infinite Spells which cast a Fireball that seemed to have little effect. Then we waited & waited, taunted & taunted & regressed & gained time & space (Note: At least real world 30-40 minutes of cat & mouse). Even so, his spells were penetrating the doorway @ times & we’d try to get back up the stairs but, alas, he caught Auren & Valygar in one fell swoop w/Abi Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting. I was alone now & carried them through the empty hall & laid them in the tent w/the others. Lavok didn’t follow me. I gathered every Potion of Extra Healing, Potion of Healing, Elixir of Health & Antidote from everyone. I grabbed Auren’s non-enchanted Longsword, Dadrek, Anomen’s Doubly Enchanted Warhammer & Valygar’s Doubly Enchanted Samurai Sword, none of which I’m proficient w/. It seems there’s a lot of use by enemy casters of Protection from Magic Weapons so for now I grabbed Auren’s but afterword were’ all going to have a non-magical weapon in addition to our enchanted ones. For now all I have is Auren’s. Back to the door, hoping Lavok had not burst through like the Halving Mages & Wizards did. He’d not & all was silent so I opened the door & let him see me & rile him up again. I’d not rested so neither had he & I knew that. The spells he’s cast were gone unless he had duplicates. I was wary of him until after a while I realized he was casting Chromatic Orb back to back & Magic Missiles in between. Then I allowed him his spells, quaffed a potion equivalent to my damage…then came back again for more. Finally he was out of spells &, exacerbated, he came @ me w/his staff. I couldn’t hit him w/my enchanted Bastard Sword or Auren’s Dadrek. So I switched to my Acid Headed Flail of the Ages. But…though the flail didn’t damage him, the acid did. And so I hit him & once I knew it was causing even minimal damage I kept it up as minimal damage is better than none. I hit him probably 20 times while his staff was useless against my armor. And then, I landed a solid blow & knew his Protection from Magic Weapons (& Normal) Weapons was spent. Then I dropped the Flail on the floor & drew my Bastard Sword +1 to bring my Grand Mastery to bear. Blow after blow landed until he begged me to let him live. He said his body & mind had been taken prisoner during one of his extra planetary excursion & that he has been thus for thousands of years. He begged me to find the heart of a demon & put it in the Engine Room. He said the sphere left Faerun as soon as we entered it & were now in the abyss. He told me if I could find the heart of a demon it would allow the sphere to return to Faerun. The door I originally came in would be where I’d find the demon. I went, believing Lavok’s story, through the door & suddenly found myself alone, all alone, somewhere in the 666 layers of the abyss. I rested (& lost a lot of good armor & equipment that I’d neglected to secure, e.g. Night’s Gift +5).
I ventured out from the doorway in the most desolate place I could have imagined & I actually prayed not to get trapped here. Luckily I could come & go. On my first foray I ran directly into a Salamander, a Quasit & two Imps which I dealt w/easily enough but learned that Quasit & Imp might be the weakest of demons & devils but they can still deal out damage. I found it interesting that this demon had enslaved some Imps as servants, Imps being devils & Corrupters, almost always in service ultimately to an Arch-Devil. Anyway, I was a little beat up so I tried to rest again & was attacked by a Maurezhi, they look like Ghasts but they are much more powerful as they are nasty, but lesser, Tanar’ri. After I killed him, I finally got a few hours rest before jaunting out & up a hill to the north. I didn’t have to go far before I found a Demon like Aec’Letec, a Chasme of the Tanar’ri race of Demons. I don’t think this one was quite as powerful as Aec’Letec but it gave me hell (ironic choice of words, huh?) sending three Imps; two Quasits & two Fire Mephit’s after me. I retrograded out of eyesight of the Chasme but got surrounded & was taking fire damage from the Fire Mephits, the claws & fangs of the Quasits w/cause a burning itch w/each hit & the & the barbed tails of the Imps. Slowly, one by one, I killed them off w/a couple of blows each but I admit I was nervous. I was beaten up pretty good but once they were dead I was able to rest unmolested. The Chasme didn’t come after me so after a few hours, I was ready to go find it (Chasme, unlike many demons, are neither male nor female...they’re very much like a fly). I moved back to where it’d had been & there it was as if it had never moved. It cast something @ me but it did nothing so I just attacked full bore to see if I could land a hit…& I did, a big one, & another w/a miss or two in between. The Chasme lashed out & landed some vicious bites & claws. Every time I hit him I did significant damage & I could see it was hurting the demon but I as bleeding profusely too. There was no way I could disengage & try to escape now lest he finish me off w/a spell before I could get out of sight. So I just had to quaff Potions of Healing whenever I felt I was getting to where one more attack could end me. It was a race to see which one of us would kill the other first. Thankfully, I finally killed the thing & got the heart I needed. Getting to the Engine Room was harder than killing the Chasme.
KILLING A CHASME TANAR'RI SINGLE HANDIDLY!
I went back to Lavok thinking the engine room was in one of those other doors there but he could only say hurry & couldn’t tell me where. I went up one set of stairs & found a forest w/an open grove w/two huge mushrooms & a bunch of tangled brambles. I was stupid & cut down the non-threatening mushroom directly in front of me & suddenly I was in deep crappe. The mushrooms were two Spore Colonies & they start pumping out Myconids two @ a time until there were 24 in all. The Spore Colonies also released spores in the air that caused me confusion so I couldn’t think straight but luckily I kept fighting even so & knocking out one of them every two or three blows. I’d come in & out of my confused state & @ times I was completely surrounded & being attacked by 12-15 @ once. Somehow I killed them all off & the confusion wore off & I went after the two Spore Colonies which were no longer pumping out Myconids. I destroyed them. I left that place & went back down into the room where Lavok lay. There was another staircase to a triangular shaped room that contained four Lizard Men that I easily defeated. But I still hadn’t found the Engine Room.
TOUGH MUSHROOMS?
I backtracked to a room w/Runes on the floor. We’d passed over these when following the Guardian Golem on the way to his defeating the Elder Orb. There was a door there but it wouldn’t open. I started messing w/the Runes figuring a wrong move would get me blasted & I was right. I touched the north. Rune (one of four Runes) & got a feeling I’d done something right, then the south Rune (still right) before getting hit w/a Flame Strike when I touched the east Rune. So I did it again after quaffing a Potion of Healing. Having gotten the first two right, I figured this time I’d touch the west Rune 3rd & the east Rune fourth. Got it & the door opened. Down the stairs I found a huge room & as I walked in slowly, I saw Tolgerias, the same Wizard I’d talked w/in the Government District who asked me to find Valygar. He started incanting & I started backtracking into the door. I figured, correctly, that it would be a long struggle, me having to avoid getting blasted completely off the face of Toril. The same tactics I used w/Lavok were all I had, except there was no door to close but I could get up to the top of the stairs but then I couldn’t hear his incantations. I’d stay up there for a while & then creep back down the stairs, as best one can in Full Plate Armor. I’d let him see me & then back off & wait for the spell but he didn’t follow me to the doorway @ first so I was able to be out of sight. He’d get me w/spells & cause damage but I was using Potions of Extra healing, Elixirs of Health & Potions of Healing to heal as much as I thought I could get by with but I was down to less than ten healing potions total. I can’t remember every detail of this fight – I think he sent a couple of Skeleton Warrior’s after me but I dealt w/them quickly. I do remember him summoning one or two Horned Devils (also called Malebranch) or, as I learned since I left the Sphere, nowadays they’re more commonly called Cornugon. Whatever you call them, I beat both of them easily enough. It was @ this point that I realized there was another mage as she rounded the doorway & came after me. I don’t remember the specifics but I must have dodged her by ascending the steps. I just know I killed her & realized Tolgerias was behind me when I did. I activated my Ring of Invisibility & bypassed him into the room & was able to scout the rest of the room, noting a door to the west & another to the north. I finally closed on him as it was obvious he didn’t have the ability to Detect Invisibility. I attacked him from behind but it was ineffective. Having lost my invisibility, he popped me w/a Magic Missile & a couple of Chromatic Orbs & then I knew it was close to over – just a matter of time. I moved back through the door into the hall leading to the stairs where he followed me & started striking @ me w/his staff but couldn’t hit me. As with Lavok, I decided to try the Acid Headed Flail & it started causing him acid damage. But once the Flail connected w/its full blow I swapped to my Grand Mastery Weapon, Bastard Sword +1 & quickly hacked him to pieces. The two doors led to an Ice Room & a Flame Room. In the former I killed a Snow Troll, an Ice Salamander & an Ice Mephit. In the latter a Greater Fire Elemental, a Salamander, two Fire & one Magma Mephits & a really tough Efreeti. Each room had another door in it & both led to the engine room I’d been trying to find. It wasn’t hard to find the location to place the Demon Heart but I was chased by three or four Golem’s - I chose not to fight. I felt like I was too close to getting out of here & rescuing my Lance.
DEFEATING TOLGERIAS!
I returned to Lavok after leaving the engine room. Lavok was almost dead & wanted one more time to see the Faerun sky again. I agreed to carry him out on the buttress & he died peacefully.
After that, I had a lot to do, beginning w/finding the nearest Temple of Helm so I could get Anomen Raised from the Dead. Then it was back to The Inn of Seven Vales for a few days rest while Anomen brought the rest of us back…starting w/Tyris. Once everyone was back & I distributed what I’d been able to bring back w/me, we needed to return & claim what else we could find & dig into a couple of chests Yoshimo couldn’t open. That ended up costing of nearly 2000gp in Potions of Master Thievery & Power before we could get into them. While going back & forth selling loot, buying replacement weapons & armor, etc., we were attacked by a Bandit Mage, a Bandit Cleric & two or more Bandits. We beat ‘em down but I’ve a good mind to stop fooling w/them & just move on – they’re all over the city but they’ve little treasure to be such a pain in the arse.
I realized now that while in the Sphere it had been over two months …& we’d travelled from the Prime Material Plane to the Abyss & back.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 575 gp) Armor/Weapons: Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2); Long Sword (Ras +2); 30 Arrows +2 (sold); Battle Axe +2 (Sold); Ninja-To +1 (sold); Leather Armor (+2) (sold); Jewelry/Gold: 350gp; Gem (Unidentified; Rings of Acuity (Tyris), Fire Control (Tyris), Ram (Anomen); Potions: 2 x Potion of Superior Healing; three Potion of Extra Healing; (General Purpose Use); two Potions of Invisibility; Scrolls: Wands:
Current Disposition: At this time, we’re all in the Inn of the Seven Vales, resting after a few days of running around trying to get ready to adventure out again.
Next Steps: The adventurer’s we came across in the Sphere were from another plane apparently. I told them I’d try to find a way to get them home. The only thing I can think of to try to contact someone in the Cowled Wizards who might know how, & be willing, to help them. Selfishly, I am worried that this might unlock the secret for how Tyris can return to her home plane…& that she’d take it. Definite insecurity on my part. I said earlier, Tryis is the most important person in my Lance. She’s more than that. She said she loved me today…after the night after we became lovers. I love her too. I want to think her love would keep her here w/me but, then again, everything she has ever known before she joined me is there.
MOVING ON FROM BRANWEN...
Level Up: • Lord Gawain: I don’t know where it happened but my skills have advanced me to Lord/11th Level (Fighter/11). • After he was revived & healed Valygar also advanced to Shôgun/10th Level (Samurai/10). Were he in Kara-Tur he’d be a Lord in his culture except that what we call a Lord here is called a Shôgun in Kara-Tur. • Yoshimo also advanced in skill to what would be called a Kage/13th Level (Ninja/13) were he home in Kara-Tur. In his case rather than being a Shogun (nobility), Yoshimo would likely be the head of a village (peasant) but the villages most powerful Ninja. He would meet, when necessary w/other Kage in Kage Summit’s when necessary.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 13 – Popular) • Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP105); Full Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Invisibility & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1*****, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Bone Golem)(1) • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71 ); Studded Leather +2 w/ Long Sword (Ras +2)***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2) • Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +2, Boots of Stealth, Cloak of the Sewers & Pale Green Ioun Stone w/Katana***, Darts +2/1*;(Del)(Thief Aggressive)(6) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail w Large Shield & Amulet of Power; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3**, Warhammer**, (SSS**); (Greater Fire Elemental)(Cleric Aggressive)(3) • Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP40; Tyris’ Leather Armor, Cloak of Protection +1, Buckler +1; Rings of Acuity, Fire Control; Sling +2**; Spear +2** Spear**; (Skeleton Warrior)(Mage Aggressive)(4) • Valygar: Samurai (Ranger/10); Studded Leather +2 w/Scimitar +2 (Rashad’s Talon +2)*****, Scimitar +1*****, Scimitar*****; (Stone Golem)(SCS Ease of Use AI, Setting 1)(5)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information; Red Font: Monster encounters (first use) (Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
2415 Nightal, 1369: I went to try & help the Knights of Solamnia that are stranded in the Planar Sphere. I found a Mage, apparently a Cowled Wizard, @ the Council of Six Building. He didn’t want to be bothered but he did point me Ribald (where I’d just come from). Ribald said he knew a Sorceress who’s been known to be able to help others return to their home plane…but it would cost me 9000gp for three travelers. I don’t have the gold now so I wasn’t able to do it immediately. Tyris expressed interest when she heard about the Sorcerous just as I feared. My heart dropped.
I remembered the Amnish Guard in front of the Circus Tent & that there was some trouble there. I thought maybe I could earn some gold by helping there if the situation wasn’t yet cleared up. The Guard told me they were waiting for the Cowled Wizard’s over two months ago so obviously it wasn’t high on their list b/c nothing had changed. I told him I’d check it out, so I went in w/my lance/retinue & came face to face w/a Genie. He asked me a couple of riddles that we blew both times & that caused him to attack. Tyris fired off a Fireball, Anomen Dispel Magic, Auren used her Dancing Sword ability from Ras +2, Yoshimo cast Blur on himself & then went on the attack & Valygar used his Samurai’s Kuatoray Technique. I just attacked & the Genie was dead & vanished in no time. He was so easy to hit, I wonder if Anomen’s Dispel Magic didn’t bring down some defenses for us. Then we ran into an Ogre that had the voice of a female Elf. It /she claimed that it was an illusion & that she was actually a Winged Elf & that a Gnome Illusionist named Kalah had turned everything to an illusion. She said I’d find a couple of peasant’s on the other side of the tent who were not peasants & that they would have a sword on them that was really an illusion. In fact, it was a key to the ‘chains’ that kept her illusion as an Ogre in place. We found a woman that looked like a Huge Spider before we found the peasants. They weren’t openly hostile but then suddenly I, then Anomen, the Yoshimo took damage. When attached they turned hostile & we destroyed them, found the sword & took it back to the Ogre/Winged Elf. Sure enough, in no time, a petite, blonde elf named Aerie stood before us offering to join & destroy Kalah. I told her to remain where she was & that we’d take care of it. Aerie was particularly concerned about her Uncle Quayle. Could it be? Last thing Quayle said in Baldur’s Gate was that he wanted to go back to Athkatla to be w/his niece. Hmm. There wasn’t much to the mystery in the tent. We went into the next room & were attacked by & killed five Werewolves & a Shadow. Then we started up a staircase & were met by another Genie but I wasn’t ready to play games. I blew by him & then into a room where stood Kalah, three Werewolves & a Green Slime (my old companion Quayle). I let Auren lead the others while I went for Kalah. In no time he was dead, the illusion was dispelled & we were standing over the nearly dead Kalah, now just a particularly runty Gnome again, in the original Circus Tent. Aerie was so happy to see Quayle, as was I. He has definitely changed – he actually wanted Aerie to travel w//me but I’ve no room as it stands now. I told her I might return & she said she’d be there. It was good to see Quayle again…he seems to have softened…no really!
Not much loot after all there so I moved over to the docks to wait on nightfall & try to link up w/this Mook from the Thieves Guild. We got there in plenty of time & when night fell, sure enough, Mook was there. We decided to watch her back while she approached whoever it was she was worried about. When she did she was attacked & killed by a powerful looking Vampire. We jumped on him & it wasn’t long before he was almost dead. He turned into a mist & left threatening that this wasn’t over. We reported to Linval & then he had me go find two of his Shadow Thieves that were getting ready to defect to the other Guild. He told me I’d find them @ the Five Flagons upstairs & I did. Auren tried to smooth talk them but it failed so we ended up killing the two of them & just as we did their contact from the other Guild showed & attacked us so we took him out too.
BATTLE @ THE DOCKS
After that I had to head back to Castle De-Arnise. One of my servant’s came of behalf of Major Domo to let me know that Lord Roenall has come to see me & that I am needed immediately. I returned as soon as possible, leaving Roenall waiting a few days. He demanded that I turn the castle over b/c I’m not of noble blood & that Nalia was too young to name me Lord of this keep & its lands. All of that is guff. I told him to get out of my castle & he & his retinue left but not w/o threatening to return w/a larger retinue. Major Domo is good @ his job, so I wasn’t surprised that he & Captain Cernick were already preparing my Guard to defend my keep & lands against attack by Lord Roenall’s forces. I’ll be ready to return to lead my troops on a moment’s notice.
HOLDING COURT @ DE'ARNISE. NEXT UP, LORD ROENALL.
Afterword, we took the news back to Aran Linval about what happened @ the Five Flagons. We had a note that we found on the contact. W/this information he deduced that the leader of his rival Guild was a Vampire named Bohdi that we would find in the catacombs under the Tombs in the Graveyard District. He said she will have undead minions, which I suspect will be other Vampires in great numbers as we’ve seen 10-12 already @ night (hence the reason I try not to travel by night). He said we would find a huge blue door that led to her lair under the tombs which will also be the heart of the Shadow Thieves rival guild. He said we wouldn’t be able to open the door ourselves – he will send a Mage w/a Golem to take care of that for us.
MEETING W/ARAN LINVAL
And so we went straightaway. Not knowing where to go we just started investigating tomb to tomb & the first we entered was the haunt of two Skeleton Warriors that we defeated easily. The next tomb we went into wasn’t a tomb, at least not where we were but there was a tunnel leading out of it. We only just got started before we were blasted w/a Lightning Bolt! We didn’t lose anyone but a couple or three of us had some serious burns & we needed to heal. . Outside we were approached by a man who was screaming about an old uncle whose ghost was chasing him. The Uncle was just a really angry Zombie & I’m not sure who was in the right but we killed the Zombie. On the way out of the cemetery, I heard a man mumbling & realized that he’d been buried alive. We saved him & he didn’t really know what happened except that someone had dumped him in this grave & he woke up like this. He thought I might check w/the caretaker of the graveyard & we found him. He sung like a canary under pressure & told me I might find the guy that paid him to look the other way in the Bridge District. The man that had been buried alive had a piece of red cloth that he thought might be a clue & that’s the same thing he caretaker mentioned about the color of his clothing. I’ll check it out. He also said there were three kidnappers involved. We took some rest @ The Inn of the Seven Vales.
Afterward, I went right back, avoiding the door we knew led us to the tunnels but found another nearby that also led into more tunnels (or possibly the same ones). We didn’t get far there before we were attacked by a Sword Spider, a Phase Spider, A Giant Spider & three ‘big’ spiders. We killed ‘em but both Tyris & Valygar took some serious poison damage. Time to go back & load up on Antidotes & get ‘em in our girdle pouches for quick access. We have a few in our Medicine bag but they weren’t available when we needed them. It was back to Waukeen’s Promenade for more rest & healing.
I went down to the Docks to try & hook up w/an armorer there. At this time he was only able to strengthen Tyris’ armor (by +1), give it 50% Magic Resistance & increase her spell casting speed. On the way back I went by the Government District as I was told I might find a capable Rogue there. I really need a real rogue. Yoshimo’s skills are just not enough. I found the rogue I was looking for, a Gnome who got arrested before I could finish talking to him. I couldn’t lie when the Amnish Guard asked if he try to sell me something. After they hauled him away, I went to see about bailing him out but got sidetracked by a mob trying to kill a Drow instead. She obviously had committed no crime but was being convicted to burn by a crowd of fanatics who hated her for her race, not by proper authorities who had convicted her of a crime. I couldn’t let that happen so I went over & blocked the crowd. I got surprising support from both Auren & Anomen so I freed her but didn’t take her in obviously. I had to kill three fanatics who attacked us for freeing her.
I decided that for this mission, & this mission only, I’d bring Jan along so I returned the following morning to bail him out & put him in debt to me. He actually proved to have fantastic Thieving skills, especially Find/Remove Traps, & he was an Illusionist like Quayle too…only more powerful & less cantankerous. (Note: For those that don’t read me regularly, I limit Specialist Mages, e.g., Illusionists, Conjurer’s, etc., to writing/learning only spells from their own discipline but I do give them the ability to cast spells from scrolls of any discipline. So Jan only has Illusionist spells, sometimes many of the same memorized & in his spellbook). I stopped in Bridge District to see if I could find the man in red. I almost missed him but he was on the docks & & when we questioned him, he ran into a house. There his two partners killed him as soon as they realized he’d messed up their scheme. I ran them down to & we took them out. I needed to let the Guards know but neither those in the district not the officials in the Council of Six building seemed to be interested.
Back to the Graveyard the following day, we killed a Crypt King before moving back inside the tunnels where we killed a total of five sword Spiders, three Phase Spiders, two Ettercaps, three Giant Spiders & six ‘big’ spiders. I saw Aram’s Mage & Golem but I wanted to make sure everything outside was safe first. I didn’t want an army of spiders attacking us while we were fighting vampires too. It quickly became apparent that inviting Jan into my lance for this mission was a wise decision – he can detect a trap all the way down the hall & a locked chest is barely a nuisance.
I continued us around the rock ledge that circled the cavern, circling a large dome like thing that was similar to the Cloakwood Nest in more than one way. In front were three spiders (rolled up in the numbers above). We took time to cast a few spells/quaff potions, as usual, before entering a cave, an obvious combat situation, just as we did, e.g., when we entered the main tent in Bandit Camp or walked into the Cloakwood Nest. Here it was a good thing b/c there was what appeared to be a Half-Drow but there was no doubt she was a Druid b/c she whipped out an Insect Plague that really made things tough. She also called 22 ‘big’ Spiders. Anomen was swarmed under & fell unconscious. Every one of us, @ times, were completely overwhelmed w/the bees & other flying, biting insects. We finally killed her & got out of there but the treasure was nothing to write Candlekeep about.
BATTLE W/THE HALF-DROW DRUID & FRIENDS
After a much needed rest, (we keep needing rest after only a short time in the Graveyard District), we cleared out another tomb & destroyed two Shadow Fiends & a Mummy. Then we moved into the tunnels we’d found. We killed three Sword Spiders, a Phase Spider, two Ettercaps a Giant Spider & two ’big’ Spiders. Then I led us back to where we’d seen Aram’s Mage & the Golem. He immediately had the Golem smash the blue door & then the Golem started kicking tail…on our side before he finally succumbed. Inside the door we battled hard against two Grimwarders & two Grimward Archers. Then I had Jan use one of his Invisibility Spells on himself while simultaneously using his Find Traps ability to scout a large banquet hall in front of us. Inside he spied a Vampire (Note: Gellal) & as directed came right back to us thinking the Vampire had seen him & started to chase. The Vampire didn’t follow after all, so we coaxed him out into the foyer where we were & then we destroyed him in a ambush. I found out something. Tyris’ fire spells do big damage to Vampires – THAT is useful information. We confirmed that in our next fight as we entered the banquet hall & battled a Fledgling Vampire & a Greater Ghoul. The Fledgling Vampire/Greater Ghoul gave us a tougher fight than the obviously more powerful Vampire we’d just destroyed. Both Tyris & Auren fell unconscious before we destroyed them. Back to The Inn of the Seven Vales to cast Raise Dead on them which will bring them out of the false sleep they’ve both lapsed into.
Key Event(s): Then I got sidetracked, we all did. Jan had a family issue involving the woman he loved but lost to another. It seems she was abused by her husband & was living w/Jan’s family. Lissa, the woman had a child w/her husband, who’d hurt their child, Jaella, so badly she was in a false sleep hanging on to life. Jan’s uncle sent us to a woman in the Government District who further directed us to the sewers beneath The Copper Coronet to speak w/someone called ‘The Hidden’. Jan, understandably, stayed behind w/Lissa & Jaella while the rest of us headed out to find these sewers. This actually took a little work, especially w/o Jan’s skills, because more than once we had to purchase Stone to Flesh scrolls b/c of a repeating trap that would Petrify passersby. In the sewers we found and defeated or destroyed a Mustard Jelly; two Hobgoblin Captains, two Hobgoblin Shaman’s, four Hobgoblin Elite, two Hobgoblins Archers, two Hobgoblin Warriors, a Kobold Shaman, two Kobold Commando & six Kobolds. While all of that was happening we met a hermit with his friend, a Carrion Crawler. He said there was a sword here & that he would help me w/the clues to secure it but I’d need to find them first. I already had a Staff of Goodberry’s that was one of the four ‘keys’ I needed which he said would ‘seal the deal’. Close by was a room where pipes spilled sewage into the sewers. There were four of them w/inscriptions on three of them that provided clues as to what I was looking for. I kept trying w/just the staff but Lightning kept shooting out so I had the others stay outside the room w/the door closed while I conducted my trial & error (mostly error). Luckily, my Cloak of Reflection protects me completely from electricity! Continuing we found a huge sewage room where we killed an Otyugh & destroyed Mustard & Ochre Jelly’s. We eventually found a severed hand in a sewer grate in that room which turned out to be the second of the four keys to the sword. We were doing two things @ once but the priority was this ‘Hidden’ fellow. While looking, we went through a door into a wooden room & fought a pitched battle against Slavers including a Priest of Cyric, a Captain of the Slaver Guards & seven Slaver Guards. Tyris & Valygar were so injured that they fell unconscious from the wounds they suffered so we had to return & rest & allow time for Anomen to revive them. I think now that that room is part of a dry-docked Slavers Ship that we were pointed to a bit later. Up a stairway in the sewers was another wooded bramble w/the Myconid King & two Myconids that we killed but, even so, a couple of us, Auren & Valygar for sure & I think Tyris, were overcome w/the Myconids Confusion ability created by the spores. We found the third key to the sword, a ring on two Skelton lovers that were embraced on a wall. But then, finally we found the ‘Hidden’ after killing a Carrion Crawler. The ‘Hidden’ already knew we were looking for him & what we wanted, i.e., to heal Jaella. The Hidden asked us to help him first, by killing two people who were searching for him. I didn’t question b/c I just wanted to save Jaella. I had to go the The Docks District to the Sea Bounty Tavern. We were told to address the barkeep, who we’ve talked to a few times before, & this time tell him we are ‘seekers’. We did & he, in turn, sent us to the Bridge District to the Five Flagons Inn, where we stayed when we first arrived in Athkatla. There we’d find the two we were looking for in a room on the second floor. We did as directed & found two Githyanki that we defeated but we had to avoid Auren for a while as she was Dire Charmed & attacking anyone she could get close to - she hit every one of us at least once. We spend the night there & then headed back to the sewers. We found The Hidden & he had already healed Jaella. Upon questioning him about why two Gythyanki would be following him, he shapechanged into a Mind Flayer. He then promptly left & we headed back to find Jaella healed. Sadly for Jan, Lissa promptly broke his heart again & left w/her abusive husband who’d showed up when we did. I led us back to the sewers, now w/Jan rejoined, & he immediately Removed the Petrification Trap. It dawned on us that the fourth key we needed for the sword was to kill the Carrion Crawler that was the hermit’s ‘true friend’. One of the clues was that the riddle would be solved w/the blood of a true friend. Sure enough, that did it & we left a saddened hermit but solved the riddle; severed hand first; the ring, the blood & then the Shaman’s Staff. We got a slightly cursed but powerful Two-Handed Sword +3 (Lilarcor) but sold it.
THE 'HIDDEN'
While doing all of that, having been given entrance to the seediest parts of the Copper Coronet, we found a Gladiator Fighting Pit: We were attacked by a Winter Wolf before finding the kennels for all of the animals used in the pits. Unfortunately, the Beast Master turned them all against us & we killed a Minotaur, a Grizzly Bear, a Panther, two Leopards, a Black Bear & two mutilated Gibberling’s. Had he not turned them on us, the Minotaur & the Gibberling’s might have perished but the animals certainly would not have. As we killed the animals I thought of Jaheira who I lost to my lance these months ago now. I wonder how she would have reacted.
We found the area where the brothel was but spent little time there, although we did tell an angry wife where her husband could be found. The other thing we found, most importantly, were the cells where prisoners were kept. There were a boy & a girl in these & a burly dude named Hendak obviously from the Norheim Isles, or one of the other Monshae Isles situated between islands Norland and Aralom (where my first love Branwen is now – but I’ve moved on & I love Tyris dearly now). Back to Hendak, we freed him & the children (as well as another friend of his) w/a key we found on the Beast Master. Hendak immediately went to work killing all of the Copper Coronet Guards but he really wanted that creepy guy Lehtinan who is the owner of this place & the director of all of the seedier goings on. He’d captured Hendak & made him a slave for the fighting pits & Hendak was ready to tear him a new one, which he did in no uncertain terms & then claimed the Coper Coronet for himself as payment for Lehtinan’s cruelty to him & others. He promised to clean the place up & started by giving us a discount on anything we purchase there from now on. He then asked us to do him one more favor – destroy the Slaver’s here in Athkatla – right around the block in a dry-docked ship. He advised not to attack headlong & said he’d heard of a secret entrance from the sewers that would be less risky. I know where that is & we’ll go there quickly. We need gold for the Knights of Solamnia & for armor, weapons, potions, etc., to fight the Vampires. I’d also like to purchase a ‘Spellcasting License’ from those crooked Cowled Wizards.
I took us back to Castle De’Arnise where I consented to the marriage of one of my household servants, Chanelle, to a local Ranger over a suitor from Roenall’s lands. When I found out where he was from he was handicapped already but then he spoke & had the same haughty, boastful, self-important vainglory that I’ve dealt w/from Lord Roenall & his snotty son. Sounds like the Ranger hits the ale more than the average Ranger but Chanelle understands that & obviously loves him anyway. I granted her a 500gp dowry, honoring a promise Lord De’Arnise made to her when he alive.
PREPARING FOR BANQUET @ DE'ARNISE
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 8,651gp) Armor/Weapons: Girdle of Piercing (Auren); Battle Axe (sold); Staff of Curing (Anomen); Two-Handed Sword +3; (Lilarcor)(Sold); Jewelry/Gold: 4,000 (De’Arnise Tax Revenue), three Emeralds, 1,287gp, 724gp; Diamond, Water Opal, 100gp; Potions: Scrolls: Chain Lightning, Contingency, Stoneskin, Magic Missile; Wands: None
Current Disposition: Rejuvenating & resting @ De’Arnise.
Next Steps: I need to get back onto Bohdi’s trail but I feel that stopping the Slavers will help me to do that more than another foray into her lair would right now. It’ll help me release the Knights of Solamnia & between that & stopping the Slaver’s I think I’ll be better ready to go after her.
Level Up: • Auren has increased her skills to those equivalent to a Lady (Fighter- Apprentice/11). Should she have any interest in it she would be equivalent to me as Lord but the title is only given to people like she & I when we become landowners. She remains 2nd in my Lance’s Chain of Command. • Lord Gawain: My fighting skills continue increase as does my resistance to spells, polymorph, death magic, etc. I am now graded as a Lord/12 (Fighter/12) & added Warhammer as my second weapon since I’ve topped out @ Grand Master w/the Bastard Sword & Anomen doesn’t have the strength to use the Hammer of Thunderbolts +3. • Anomen has incurred further favor from Helm & has been raised to High Priest of the Watchers of Helm 10 (Cleric/10). As such, he prayed for & tells me he received both Cure Serious & Critical Wounds.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 13 – Popular) • Gawain: Ftr/12, (HP119); Full Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Invisibility & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1*****, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3*, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Bone Golem)(1) • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//11), (HP77); Studded Leather +2, Girdle of Piercing w/ Long Sword (Ras +2)***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/10, (HP56); Plate Mail w Large Shield & Amulet of Power; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Warhammer**, Staff of Curing, (SSS**); (Greater Fire Elemental)(Cleric Aggressive)(3) • Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP31; Tyris’ Leather Armor, Cloak of Protection +1, Buckler +1; Rings of Acuity, Fire Control; Sling +2**; Spear +2** Spear**; (Skeleton Warrior)(Mage Aggressive)(4) • Valygar: Samurai (Ranger/10), (HP75); Studded Leather +2 w/Scimitar +2 (Rashad’s Talon +2)*****, Scimitar +1*****, Scimitar*****; (Vampire - Gellal)(SCS Ease of Use AI, Setting 1)(5) • Jan: Illusionist/11//Thief/12 (HP34); Jan’s Adventure Wear, Jen’s Techno Gloves, Jan’s Spectroscopes & Flasher Launcher w/Flasher Master Bruiser Mates; (Thief Adventurer)(Spider)(6)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
0603 Alturiak, 1370: Key Event: Into the rear entrance into the Tween Deck of the Slavers Ship we came into the cabin we’d been in before. No one else was there so we started investigating. Inside a large, circular cell were two trolls that we dispatched fairly quickly. Inside the cell was a little girl & Auren talked w/her & found that she’d been captive there for a while & had seen some ugly things. We showed her the way out & handed her 100gp to help her (& any other children she could gather). Further on we cut down two Yuan-Ti before coming amidships in a dining room where we met two Slaver Wizards, four Slaver Guards, & an Ogre & found ourselves in a long, tough & crushing battle. I really thought I had a solid battle plan. Jan had been casting Invisibility/Improved Invisibility on all of us as we moved through the ship, As such, we saw what we were up against clearly as Jan scouted all the way around them & came back to report. So, Auren & I moved to either side of the door ready to ambush Slavers coming thru. Anomen blessed us all & Auren & I likely (can’t remember now) quaffed a potion. The initial strike was to be a Fireball from Tyris who standing way back could not be seen &, I think Anomen cast a Flame Strike on one of the mages. The Fireball caused damage but killed no one as did the Flame Strike. Tyris surrounded herself w/Fireshield Red while Jan summoned an Efreeti from a scroll. The Efreeti went into the dining room & started battling one of the Slaver Wizards & most of the rest of the slavers concentrated on him. A couple of the Slaver Guards were trying to get through the door & Auren & I were tearing ‘em up. Anomen likely tossed a Dispel Magic in the dining room while my companions & I stayed in an empty room just off the dining room. The battle was going well, I thought. I don’t know how it happened but I realized the Efreeti was in the room w/us & I hollered @ Jan to direct him back to the Wizards but then Confusion reigned supreme. A couple of my lance were confused, Tyris & Anomen, I think…& also the Efreeti. I tried to focus on defeating my enemies but w/an Efreeti carrying a giant sword in the midst of us, Anomen wandering down the hall toward the Stern where we’d come in…but worse, Tyris was standing wounded, comatose & the Efreeti started to wander aimlessly toward her. My heart was filled w/dread & yet I had to fight. Anomen was knocked unconscious and then…my sweet Tyris was killed outright. I loved Tyris so much & more each time she smiled @ me & now, once again, my love is gone. This time, in the very combat I brought upon her. Somehow I finished the battle & when finished off our foes but to what end? Just a few short days ago, she sat beside me as I held court @ De’Arnise & I held dreams that she might always be so & now that dream will never be. I got out of there struggling to contain my emotions, got Anomen quickly to a Priest of Helm & then carried my love, Tyris w/me to De’Arnise where we laid her in a grave near the castle in the Licburg where now Nalia & the De’Arnise family rests alongside my dear Tyris. Anomen, as my Priest buried my dead in the manner of Helm. Tyris was prepared & buried in a full, sealed, stone casket, (with pitch and other substances) with her weapons & armor and a Holy Symbol of Helm. We stayed @ De’Arnise for a few days afterward as I mourned my lover. What a way to start the year, Alturiak, the Claw of Winter. How lonely I am.
I needed to stay busy & focused to keep from dwelling in my misery. My first order of business was to get another to round out my retinue. I reluctantly decided to go back & see if Quayle’s adopted niece was still able to join. Aerie joined me & has been very helpful. She has more spells than I’ve ever seen in one person. As both a Cleric & a Mage she is constantly aiding our battles w/spellcasting, both Arcane & Devine. A HUGE plus in her repertoire is anti-magic spells to help us counter other spellcasters. Now she has Breach, Lower Resistance & Greater Malison. I’ve always had specialist Mages, an Invoker & two Illusionists but Aerie can use any spell & I need her, more than ever now, to counter other mages defenses & allow us to kill them.
Before I lost Tyris, I redirected my focus to stopping the Slavers as requested by my friend Hendak, the new proprietor @ the Copper Coronet. Stopping the Slavers might help me to prepare for the assault on Bodhi’s lair with increased arms, armor, potions, etc. After all, that is one of the benefits of defeating bad guys...we get to keep the plunder. I also decided that I might just keep Jan around a while longer than I originally thought. His thieving skills are very beneficial to my efforts & his Illusionist spells are helpful also. I feel he will enhance my efforts to eventually destroy Bodhi which is the only way I know to find Imoen. Despite my reservations, he seems to get along w/everyone just fine (well, maybe not Anomen) & doesn’t question my authority.
By this point, I had enough gold to free the Solamnic knights & so I went straight to Ribald to do so. Ribald had us go back to the Planar Sphere where the sorceress would be the next day. I passed on the good news to the knights and the next day she arrived. She got them home & they were truly thankful. They gave us a Golden Girdle in thanksgiving. After they were gone, I started thinking about the next assault on Bodhi’s lair. I decided to go to the city jail first b/c I’d heard it mentioned somewhere that the Athkatla Guard had captured a demon & were keeping it in the city jail. Auren, who speaks for me in most cases, spoke w/the guard about taking the demon into my custody. The Guard sent me to the Council of Six Building to see Chief Inspector Brega who sent me to a Public Servant who sent me to someone else & after two more trips to Chief Inspector Brega I was finally given permission to take the demon into my custody. I showed the scroll w/the inspectors mark to the guard who couldn’t read it anyway but said it looked official enough & he was ready to be rid of it as soon as he could, it was obvious. The terrible demon was a Tiefling named Amber. Tiefling are distant kin of the union of a demonic creature w/a human or other humanoid. I wanted Amber to join me after speaking w/her so, now that I’ve completed my promise to Valygar, I decided to let him go home & add Amber to my retinue. Next up I was going to probe Bodhi’s Lair again.
And so, back under the Graveyard District & wherever else it extends to, we battled a total of four Sword Spiders, four Phase Spiders, four Giant Spiders & what I call, 12 ‘big’ Spiders as we went back & forth to rest & heal between the several forays we made. Unfortunately, as often in this place, we had to back out time & again after some tough struggles w/the Spiders & Vampires. In between, we battled & defeated three Bandit Clerics, two Bandit Mages & four Bandits in the streets of Athkatla. We are constantly, attacked. This place makes Baldur’s Gate look like the Nashkel Carnival .
Finally getting back into Bodhi’s lair we made it into the room where we’d ‘staked’ the first the first full vampire & were attacked immediately by another Vampire (Note: Durst) who, once again we defeated rather quickly only to have trouble w/a Fledgling Vampire that gave us all we could handle and by the time it was over, Amber, Aerie, & Anomen were unconscious. The battle was even more costly b/c I didn’t get Anomen’s equipment & by the time I realized it & returned it was gone.
After re-outfitting Anomen & resting/healing, I led us back to try & penetrate deeper into Bodhi’s lair. I’m till hesitant to attack her lair full-on, let alone her & our next battle bolstered my wariness. Jan scouted down a hall opposite that of the room we’d battled in last. I’ve decided the large entrance room is more of a room for those who seek audience w/Bodhi rather than a Banquet Hall (which wouldn’t make much sense for the lair of a Vampiress). As Jan searched for traps covered by Invisibility, he scouted a Vampiress & came back to warn me. I had Aerie cast a Fireball down the corridor simultaneously w/Anomen casting Dispel Magic hoping that wound weaken the Vampiress enough that we could deal w/her easily. Not to be. I began a long cat & mouse game w/a powerful Vampiress (Note: Tanova) after killing a very irritating Greater Ghoul. We pulled out of the fight after taking some injuries & loss of ‘life force’. After resting inside the lair (but near an exit) & having Anomen cast Lesser Restoration on those who needed it, I led us back to where we’d encountered the Vampiress but she wasn’t there. We continued to the end of the original hall (where we’d cast the Fireball/Dispel Magic) & the hall turned 90’ right & led into a large circular room w/spikes on the floor & blood, both dried & fresh, staining the floor. We were already hidden by Invisibility so I tried the same Fireball/Dispel Magic combo while Auren & I quaffed Potions of Invulnerability. This time we realized there was a Female Fledgling Vampire too but luckily she didn’t follow as we conducted a second retrograde against the Vampiress we’d fought before. Once, we had her down to where one or two more blows would finish her, but we couldn’t land even one & she was suddenly completed rejuvenated. I’d thrown everything I had to beat her down THAT far, staying on would have been suicide so I left the tombs hoping she would follow us out & she didn’t. We escaped worn completely out but all conscious. This next battle here here would have to wait for another day.
WE JUST CAN'T DESTROY HER YET
There’s been a guy @ the Copper Coronet hollering @ me that he had an offer if I hear it. I decided to take a break from Bodhi’s lair & listen to his offer. Lord Jierdan Firkragg, he called himself, hired me to destroy some Ogre’s that were besieging his land in the Windspear Hills. It seemed odd that a man that seemed powerful enough to hold land that far from the city would not be able to defeat Ogre’s, a rather simple enemy to defeat…but I guess, at one time, Ogres were a challenge for me too, so I decided to do it in exchange for the 10,000 gold he offered.
So off I led us there w/after a stop @ De’Arnise to enjoy & enjoy a banquet. Upon arrival @ the Windspear Hills Firkragg’s Ogre problem seemed, at first, to be for real. No sooner had we stepped for there, than we were attacked by what appeared to be, by I think I counted an Ogre Berserker, an Ogre Mage, an Ogre, a Baby Wyvern & a Kobold or something. Appeared being the key word! The moment they fell, what fell was not the carcass of a beast, but the Armor & Weapons of a Knights although in the heat of battle I didn’t notice as I would finish one foe & move straight to the next. They were knights, more specifically, Knights of the Radiant Heart, including my friend & companion Ajantis who’d been @ my side to defeat Sarevok. He’d returned to The Radiant Heart to report that he’d completed his mission of stopping the Bandit's around Baldur’s Gate & was, now I know, on a subsequent mission in the Windspear Hills. Now he lay dead @ my hands. It was only b/c of one eyewitness, Garren Windspear that we were assured he saw the same thing we did. It turns out these hills are named for him & the man that hired us, Firkragg, actually wrested these hills by engineering Lord Windspear’s downfall. Windspear took us to his cabin & said he would go to the Knights of the Radiant Heart to assure them of our innocence while we used his cabin as a respite until he returned. Shortly after he left, we settled down to rest w/Windspear’s daughter, Iltha, who’d remained w/us. But during the night, after a breathless runner burst in warning of bandits, suddenly a Bandit Mage a Bandit Dwarf berserker & an Orc teleported in to the cabin. While we killed them, by the time the battle was concluded Iltha was gone, kidnapped from under my nose. Before I’d had time to come up w/a plan, Baron Windspear, the true Lord of these hills, returned to learn of Iltha’s disappearance. He’d been successful in his effort to convince the Radiant Heart of my Innocence, especially considering that one of their own, Sir Anomen, serves me. Baron Windspear thinks Firkragg is trying to do the same thing to me that he did to him, i.e., discredit me for the kidnapping of his daughter, thereby, making a play for my own lands @ De’Arnise.
After discussing ‘what next’ w/Lord Windspear, we decided it best to search in a huge temple north of the cabin. We headed out. On the way we came across a bunch of Gnolls (~20) battling ~ seven knights. We watched since the knights seemed to have things in hand & once the battle was done we listened to the knights argue amongst themselves for a few moments but it was a strange conversation. Then…they spoke to us & quickly revealed themselves to be Werewolves. After the Battles of Balduran (North & South) a few months ago, Werewolves are a breeze, as were these. We collected up the loot carried by the Gnolls & then entered the Temple where we were accosted by Hobgoblins. By the time we had to leave we’d killed two Hobgoblin Captains, two Hobgoblin Shaman, a Hobgoblin Wizard, three Hobgoblin Elite & two Hobgoblin Archers. After the first batch of Hobgoblins (those above were two separate encounters) we destroyed a Crimson Death, & I think, seven Vampiric Mists & three Orcs before swatting two Kobold Commando’s & four Kobolds led by a mage, I think it was a Rakshasa, but regardless we just couldn’t handle him at that time (after the previous battles) & had to bail out of the temple for rest. I had no idea how long it’d be before I returned. I left, deciding to rest a night @ the cabin before heading back to Athkatla.
As soon as we arrived we were attacked Slavers (I can’t recall the makeup) & before I knew it, Amber had been kidnapped. In the little time she’s been w/me I’ve grown fond of her friendship, much like Auren & I had before Tyris & I fell in love. Auren & I are pretty much all business now but I enjoy talking w/Amber & I feel protective toward her ever since the wench that runs the Inn of the Seven Vales insulted her openly for being a Tiefling & wouldn’t serve us @ b/c she was w/us. Amber is good, whether Human or Tiefling, & hated to see her ostracized like that.
We killed the attacking slavers & one of them had a map that led to the seediest parts of Athkatla on a long twisting route down back alleys.
MAP TO YMMYRT
SEARCHING FOR AMBER
We finally found the location we were looking for where we were confronted by a number of Guards (again, didn’t count them) & a Cleric/Ranger who we later came to know as Lorraine. Once we’d killed all the Guards & Lorraine was on the verge of death she broke out of a spell she was under & it turned out she’d been forced into the service of a mage named YMMYRT who’d trapped her son’s soul in soul-stone. I agreed to help her find the soul stone & she agreed to fight w/us from the inside. After a break for rest back @ the Five Flagons Inn (staying there again after the Innkeeper @ the Inn of the Seven Vales insulted Amber) I headed back down those back streets & assaulted the building where this YMMYRT supposedly resides. Inside were a Guard Captain & some ~ 20 guards that we defeated in a protracted battle w/Lorraine helping immensely. After the battle it was back to the Five Flagon’s again after selling what bounty we’d gathered from the battle. Returning w/a Wardstone Lorraine had given me earlier, we ascended a stairway to a very fine upper floor w/three rooms. The first was of little interest but contained a couple of minor treasures, the second a library w/a cheerful Imp happily acting as a maidservant & cleaning anything that was dusty – including my boots. The last was a bedroom w/four evil Dryads, maybe charmed, but regardless they were no friends to us. We realized immediately we were in for a battle, made that much worse by traps around the room that even Jan couldn’t detect. We defeated the Dryads by isolating them & sending pairs of us against one of them. We took some injuries, including from the traps, but escaped w/a key to a door that we later found to lead to YMMYRT’s lab. Another rest @ the Five Flagon’s & it was back to YMMYRT’s home & lab where it was directly to the door & into the basement where the lab was located. An outer room was unspectacular as was a second, although Lorraine was there but now she was muted, undoubtedly by YMMYRT. Before we entered a door to the east of the room Lorraine was in, I had Jan use Invisibility and/or Improved Invisibility on us all & upon entering, we saw a man I was sure was YMMYRT.
FINDING YMMYRT
So we crept back out & closed the door since the mage had not detected us. I had us prepare for what I thought might be a huge battle w/a tough wizard so in addition to Invisibility/Improved Invisibility Auren & I quaffed Potions of Invulnerability while Sir Anomen added both Bless & Chant & Aerie, Speed. I added Call on Holy Might & Auren used her Bust ability. Then we slipped back thru the door, which was hidden from the direct view of YMMYRT where he stood. I positioned us all for the best possible use of our assault & then we executed a nearly perfect ambush, Auren & I going right up to him! While he had some pre-cast defensive spells already cast, Aerie made him more vulnerable w/Breach & Greater Malison back to back. The mage, obviously, very powerful, was so surprised he was unable to respond & could not react to Auren & my blows & Sir Anomen’s spells, including his favorite, Flame Strike. Jan used Blindness & then fired his doubly-enchanted sling stones. YMMYRT was gone in no time & the aid he called for from a Yuan-Ti & an Umber Hulk were too late & ineffective regardless. I know there was one more monster in one of the cells that lined the room but it was so insignificant I can’t recall what it was.
YMMYRT DEAD
I went back into the last room, found Lorraine, now able to speak, & gave her the soul gym with her sons’ soul inside. She was extremely thankful but she obviously has a long road of repentance for the things she’s done under YMMYRT’s control. After that, I tore the place apart looking for Amber, finally getting the idea after a couple of hours to look outside to see & I’ll be darned if she didn’t come walking up to me having already escaped. Obviously she can take care of herself but, either way, now she was safe & we could head back to the Windspear’s.
FREEING LORRAINE & RETURN THE SOUL-STONE W/HER SON'S SOUL
Before we headed back, I led us to the Council of Six building & had Aerie purchase a Magic License for 5000gp – it seems everything is 5000gp here. We need to be able to cast spells here w/o being accosted by the damned Cowled Wizards every time we get attacked & try to defend ourselves.
Just as I emerged from the Council of Six building a runner from De’Arnise approached me breathlessly, imploring me to return immediately b/c Lord Roenall was on the move w/his forces approaching my lands. I headed back w/o delay, with my loyal retinue ready to serve me faithfully in the defense of my home & the land entrusted to me by Nalia. On return, Major Domo laid out the situation, I talked strategy w/he & Captain Cernick. We decided that unlike my forces who are loyal, Lord Roenall’s are there for their pay only or are there fighting against their will. It was obvious to the three of us, & also to Auren & Sir Anomen that the Center of Gravity in this battle was Lord Roenall himself. Defeat him & his army will dissolve! And so, Captain Cernick organized my troops and my retinue stood w/me @ the front. A couple of my Guards dropped the drawbridge & I headed out w/only one foe to find – Roenall. I found him & w/o taking note of any other threat on the battlefield, I moved toward him w/arrows & spells all around me. My retinue took care of other immediate threats he had at his side, i.e. Mages, Clerics, other warriors, etc., (I hazard to call them knights b/c there’s not a shred of nobility in his army). I battled Lord Roenall & defeated him man to man, w/ease. Sure enough, upon his death, his forces panicked & dissolved in retreat. My soldiers performed very well against those of Roenall’s & there were many Roenallian’s scattered about the battlefield outside the drawbridge to prove it.
FINISHING ROENALL & HIS FORCES
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 642gp) Armor/Weapons: Ymmyrt’s Robe (sold); Bracers of Defense (AC5)(Aerie); Necklace of Opposite Alignment (sold); Dagger +3 (sold), Snow Leopards Skin (sold); Wyverns Skin (sold); two Studded Leather +1 (sold); Jewelry/Gold: 312gp; 250gp; Golden Girdle (Anomen); Potions: Magic Blocking (Gawain); Superior Healing (Gawain); two Invulnerability (Auren); five Extra Healing (General Use); Speed (General Use); Scrolls: Improved Mantle & Protection from Evil (Jan); Wands: Abyssal Pipe (Jan)
Current Disposition: Back @ Lord Windspear’s cabin, readying for another foray into the Temple.
Next Steps: Attack that Rakshasa, or whatever that thing is, & find out what lies beyond the door behind it.
Level Up: • Auren: has increased her skill & is now a Lady (Apprentice/12) & continues to crush opponents w/her Long Sword • Anomen: In addition to recently becoming a Senior Steeleye of Helm/10 (Cleric or Helm/10), Anomen is now equivalent to & holds the official title of Lord/10 (Fighter/10) himself, although as a member of the Knights of the Radiant Heart he is not allowed to keep any wealth or land for his own. Anomen is now a Knight of the Radiant Heart, Senior Steeleye of Helm & a Lord (Honorary) in his own right.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 14 – Popular) • Gawain: Ftr/12, (HP119); Full Plate Mail w/Shield of the Stars +3, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Fire Control & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1*****, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3*, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Bone Golem)(1)
GAWAIN RECORD
GAWAIN INVENTORY
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//12), (HP77); Studded Leather +2, Girdle of Piercing & Ring of Invisibility w/ Long Sword (Ras +2)***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2) • Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//10/10, (HP57); Plate Mail w Large Shield, Golden Girdle & Amulet of Power; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Warhammer**, Staff of Curing, (SSS**); (Greater Fire Elemental)(Cleric Aggressive)(3) • Jan: Illusionist/11//Thief/12 (HP34); Jan’s Adventure Wear, Jen’s Techno Gloves, Jan’s Spectroscopes & Flasher Launcher w/Flasher Master Bruiser Mates * & Abyssal Pipe; (Thief Adventurer)(Spider)(6) • Aerie: Cleric/11//Mage/12 (HP35 ); Cloak of Protection +1 & Bracers of Defense (AC5)(w/ Sling +2* & Club* (Warhammer*, Staff*), Wand of Fear & Black Spider Figurine; (Roenall Guard)(Mage Defensive)(5) • Amber: Thief/15//Fighter/6 (HP87); Leather Armor w/Amber’s Earing’s & Gillian’s Bracelet; Long Sword (Slaver Guard)(Amber’s Combat Script AI)(4)
ABYSSAL PIPE (ONLY JAN CAN USE)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
0814 Eleint, 1370: There’s no end to the trail of lives I’ve left in my pursuit of justice & goodness. Faithful companions who served me b/c they chose to. Unlike my servants, these followers endanger their lives daily in service to me. Now, I’ve lost Aerie. That sweet little elf who packed a punch as a Mage & a Cleric. She meant so much to Quayle who was a loyal follower after Dynahier was lost in my pursuit of Sarevok. Telling him was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I could see the pain in his eyes. I’m not sure what my own faith is yet but I knew all too well who Aerie trusted in & to whom her prayers were directed. Even though she was an elf, she was a devout follower of Baervan. Quayle taught her to adore Baervan & his best friend Chiktikka Fastpaws. I asked Quayle for the honor of letting her rest @ De’Arnise with the blue skies she loved so much above & miles of forest as far as the eye can see. Quayle agreed but insisted that she be given Gnomish funeral rites. Gnomish Priest of Baervan, friends, etc., came to De’Arnise. While Nalia, Tyris & Aerie never knew each other in this life, I hope they enjoy whatever lies on the other side together as friends, no as sisters. That night, De’Arnise was alive w/Gnomes, my retinue & even some of my senior servants enjoying an authentic Gnomish feast in honor & memory of Aerie.
The Key Event that took Aerie’s life was my fault. I was frustrated & wanted to see that my strategy would work. I’d been to the Windspear Hills, hired by a 'Lord Firkragg' @ the Copper Coronet to eliminate an Ogre problem on his land. It seemed a good opportunity to gain experience while picking up some treasure. Besides, if we got nothing, he still offered me 10,000gps for the work. This could be used to improve our weapons & allow me to get closer to destroying Bodhi &, in time, find Imoen, or so I hoped. I’ll write about everything else but we arrived & were duped into killing Paladin’s from the Order of the Radiant Heart by an illusion while they, likewise, were duped into attacking us. We saw an Ogre, an Ogre Mage, a Baby Wyvern & maybe a Kobold or something so we attacked thinking this is what we were sent here to do. Luckily, the true Lord of Windspear, after whom these hills are named saw what happened & added that all he saw was Ogres, fighting each other, but as they fell he saw that they fell as knights, including the great young Paladin, Ajantis, who’d been beside me in the battle against Sarevok. I was crushed, as was Anomem & the rest of us but Lord Windspear was an eyewitness & travelled on our behalf to Athkatla & clear our names w/the Order, especially considering that my reputation w/them has allowed Anomen to travel as my squire, rather than Sir Robin Trawl, his superior in The Order. It turns out Firkragg is no lord @ all & by way of duplicity, discredited Lord Windspear & took his lands. In the same way, we deduced, by tricking me into killing the Knights of the Order, was seeking to do the same to me & take De’Arnise for himself. Long story short (for now), Firkragg is an Ancient Red Dragon of the hugest size & makes his lair in a ruined temple north of Lord Windspear’s simple cabin. Of all evil dragons, aside from Tiamat herself, Red Dragons are the worst, especially an Ancient Male. After having learned all the secrets of the Temple & destroying the evil inhabitants, including Firkragg’s Mage, the only thing left was to destroy Firkragg & return Lord Windspear to his rightful place as the Lord of these Hills & gain an ally adjacent to my own lands in the process. And so I strategized that Firkragg would be resistant to magic & that would be our greatest challenge & his greatest defense. Aerie prepared for the battle memorizing multiple Lower Resistance spells, as well as Breach, Greater Malison & Secret Word to break his defenses & Wizard Eye to allow us to get a jump on him. Meanwhile Aerie, Anomen & Jan worked to make sure they had a magic strategy between them & added Amber who can has a Blinding Eye ability (she’s since added a Contagious Eye but hasn’t used it yet). The plan was simple in theory but much more difficult to execute. Spellcasters break down his resistance & Blind him, while Auren & I, and later Anomen & Amber attacked him from all sides so that he couldn’t focus. Aerie was masterful, getting off two Lower Resistance & a Breach spell, & either Jan or Amber obviously blinded him…But we couldn’t lay a blade on him. I saw a cut on his side that was pretty deep but he barely seemed to notice. Then in one flap of his giant winds we were all, but Amber, blown right up the steps we came in. Amber ran around him as he was focused on us. We were all knocked silly for a moment but Auren came to in time to gather his attention, taking a beating for her effort but giving the rest of us time to get our senses about us & escape back through the small Arch-way that Firkragg couldn’t access in dragon form. I knew we couldn’t rest b/c if we rested & healed so would he, so we waited for a long while, likely as much as three bells, hoping he wasn’t healing himself. We used every healing spell we had & were down to only Potions of Extra Healing, four, & maybe fifteen Potions of Healing between us. We cast all of the Protection Spells we had left, which were in short supply. We all prepared the best we could & made another short lived assault. This time, however, he was waiting right where he stood when we left & there was no way I was gonna risk our lives w/our backs against the wall @ the top of those steps, him w/his Cone of Fire dragon’s breath weapon &/or his might wing buffet that invariably knocks all of us silly for a few moments. So I immediately ordered a withdrawal after charging him to get his attention so the others could gather & we could make an escape. He bitch slapped me silly w/that big assed Red Dragon claw & it hurt but we escaped, barely & luckily no one was knocked out or I’d had to go back for them. I wanted to kill that dragon so much, & I knew my strategy was sound & I was could only see RED until I remembered that we’d left the Shadow Dragon (Note: Thaxll’ssillyia) in the Umar Hills Temple Ruins. I was headstrong & decided to go after her next so I led us there for battle...to sooth my own pride by killing another dragon in Firkragg’s place – at least for now. Everyone did exactly what we’d done w/Firkragg obediently with honor…for me. Aerie was brilliant, casting Lower Resistance twice & Breach. None of Blindness attempts took hold but after both my enchanted Bastard Sword (Note: +1/+3 vs Shapeshifters), Warhammer (Note: …of Thunderbolts +3) were ineffective I drew my regular, non-enchanted Bastard Sword that I have Grandmastered & landed a stiff blow. Then it was a race against time…and I lost, Aerie lost & it was my ego that brought this on her. Yes, we killed The Shadow Dragon but the cost is greater than I can bear @ this moment. I’ll never forget Aerie…or Dynahier…or Jaheira…or Khalid…or Coran…or Nalia…or Tyris. All gave their lives in Toril, forever, while in service to me. I cannot ever forget their loyalty & sacrifice.
START POINT FOR ASSAULT ON FIRKRAGG
WITHDRAWING FROM INITIAL ASSAULT ON FIRKRAGG
OPERATIONAL PLANNING FOR 2ND ASSAULT ON FIRKRAGG (ALSO REPULSED)
DRAWING THAXLL'SSILLYIA'S BLOOD
BITTER VICTORY
Over a period of weeks, we cleaned up the ‘Ogres’ Lord Firkragg sent us there to exterminate – only there were a lost more enemies than Ogres there, as a matter of fact, I don’t recall fighting even one real Ogre. We went back to Lord Windspear’s cabin to rest after the fight that killed Ajantis & his comrades from the Order. Iltha stayed w/us while Lord Windspear left for Athkatla. We had a light meal & conversed but everyone quickly looked to find a place to rest. I don’t think we hardly drifted off when a runner came to say that bandits were right behind him. And w/that a Mage, an Orc & a Dwarf teleported in &, although we killed them in a somewhat protracted battle, when it was over, Iltha was gone. It wasn’t long before Lord Windspear returned & learned of Iltha’s abduction by Windspear but, thankfully, he knew it we weren’t involved. When he learned it was Firkragg he asked us to rescue Iltha which we immediately set out to do. He directed us toward some temple ruins north of the cabin to begin our search.
Twelve separate times we entered the ruins themselves w/multiple returns to Athkatla & De’Arnise. On our first trip to, from and into the ruined temple that serves as Firkragg’s lair we fought & defeated a Crimson Death, two Ankheg’s, seven Vampiric Mists, six Orcs & six Orc Archer’s. We backed out after those battles w/some wounds to rest @ the cabin before returning a second time & defeating 11 more Vampiric Mists, & three Orcs & three Orc Archer’s. Still going strong we stumbled on four Kobolds & two Kobold Commando’s screening for a Rakshasa (Note: Actually the Ruck Transmuter). This thing had defenses up that we just could break down & he started causing too much damage to try to wait him out so I pulled us out @ headed back to the cabin to heal, rest & allow the spellcasters to reacquire those they’d spent. We weren’t ready for more battle but between returning to the cabin & travelling back to the temple we fought & killed five Ankheg’s, three Orcs, three Orc Archer’s, six Kobolds & a lone War Dog.
Back @ the temple we had a long, long battle w/the Rakshasa. As is my custom, I played hit & run w/a mage of this skill. It took patience, as any dangerous mage does, especially when they’ve protected themselves against enchanted or, even normal, weapons. This almost always is accompanied by various protection spells that need to be broken down before our magic’s work against them. The Rakshasa was no different. He popped off a couple of Fireballs while we tried to stay out of scorching range since when seen that play a day or so before. Aerie cast Breach & Anomen Dispel Magic but we still were unable to injure him thru magic or weapon, so we headed back up & out of the ruins. And I had us wait and wait and wait until Aerie (this was before the battle that took her life) was confident his initial spell protections were down. Simultaneously, we healed & cast what protection/enhancement spells we could. Returning after the time period Aerie thought sufficient, we found the Rakshasa again but he still had a glowing orb around him. Knowing he could remove our spell protections if we allowed him to rest, & having used the potions & spells we’d used to begin w/I decided we needed to keep the pressure on NOW! Auren & I tore into him w/our blades, Aerie & Anomen cast what spells they had remaining trying to break down his barrier of protection while Amber & Jan continued to try to blind him. The going was slow & the Rakshasa had his attention on Amber & was injuring her badly so I directed her to disengage & find a niche in the rock & remain there, which she did. Anomen joined Auren & I trying to damage him w/our arms, Aerie continued to cast spells trying to harm him & I had Jan retire to the stairway out b/c he was out of spells that could alter the situation & I surmised his doubly enchanted sling/stones would be ineffective in any case. It was then that my blade landed again & again, then Auren. Once we were through his protection barriers so that our weapons could harm him, we made quick work of the rest. Heck, even Aerie joined in w/her staff & Amber came out from her niche...there was enough so that everyone could enjoy this hard fought victory.
Back @ the lodge we had a good meal before, rested & healed before heading back to see what lay beyond the door where we’d first seen the Rakshasa. As we traversed the terrain between the cabin & the temple ruins we encountered & killed three Orcs & three Orc Archer’s. Arriving @ the ruins, we found the door & entered. Inside was an entrance room guarded by eight Orc Archers that we defeated easily but @ enough cost in spells that we needed to retire once again to rest & strengthen before venturing further inside.
The next time in we passed the area where we’d defeated the Orc Archers when we came to a hallway. As usual, Jan used his Invisibility Spell so he could Find Traps while remaining out of sight. The sight he saw was an ominous one. He returned to tell me/us that the hall contained an Iron Golem; two Stone Golem’s & a Clay Golem. At that point, I knew this would be the only battle during this trip to these dungeon/temple ruins. I had Jan cast Improved Invisibility on Auren, Anomen, Aerie & I before casting Invisibility 10’ Radius on all of us. I suspected the Iron Golem would be resistant to magic so Aerie’s job was to start by casting Lower Resistance on him. We’d learned that Clay Golem’s are not affected by slashing weapons but Stone Golem’s are. Conversely, Stone Golem’s are immune to blunt weapons but not to slashing weapons. Killing them was the first priority, next we’d battle the Iron Golem. We did defeat the two Stone Golem’s & a Clay Golem but, as w/any Golem’s, we’d expect & did take a couple of heavy blows, Anomen, the most. Which was to his peril b/c when we finally jumped the Iron Golem in the hall (he couldn’t get into the room where we fought the other Golem’s), Anomen took a blow that knocked him into unconsciousness. But we killed the Iron Golem rather easily & then had to return to the cabin so Aerie could raise Anomen. On the way back we were accosted by & defeated three Orcs & three Orc Archers.
The sixth time I led us into the temple dungeon brought us into an encounter that would require three trips to/from the cottage before we could move on. We passed thru the hall where the Golems & a small room where we cut down three Orcs & three Orc Archers that led to another hall. Intending to go left, we instead saw to the right, a group consisting of an Ancient Vampiress, four Elder Vampiress’, two Vampires, six Mummies, two Ghasts & eventually nine summoned Dire Wolves. I decided immediately that everything we had was to be directed initially toward the Ancient Vampiress. But I had us draw back toward the ‘Orc Archer room’ to buy time & space after an initial volley of spells from Aerie & Anomen. By the time we returned to the ‘Orc Archer Room’ we had time to cast spells of protection, e.g., Bless, Chant, Haste & Draw Upon Holy Might & we likely quaffed a portion or two. But none of the group of the fifteen undead nor the summoned Dire Wolves ever came into the room so I had Jan Invisibly recon move carefully back to the halls and through the room where the three Orc’s & Orc Archer’s had been &, as luck would have it only the Ancient Vampiress had followed us that far. As always, any Vampiress puts up a fight like a mad beast w/exceptional intelligence but an Ancient Vampiress is as wily & powerful as they get. She saw thru Jan’s Invisibility & gave chase. In this case, Anomen slammed the door behind her & we just closed on her mercilessly. Aerie’s spells were landing as were Anomen’s, while @ the same time, so were the blades Amber, Auren & I carried. We killed her but it took a while to finish her. When she was gone, it was apparent to me that we’d spent too many resources, blood, spells, life force, etc., that we needed to head back one more time for cabin to rest, healing & nourishment.
But even after the respite, the battle wasn’t over, b/c the rest of the six Vampiress’ & Vampires, the Mummies, the Ghasts & the Dire Wolves. This time we were able to get up to the hallway where we’d first seen them, unchallenged. Jan cast Improved Invisibility on Auren, Anomen, Aerie & I before casting Invisibility 10’ Radius on the rest. Auren & I stood in the doorway w/Anomen & Amber behind us & Aerie & Jan @ the rear (a dangerous formation as I usually put Anomen @ the back as the rear guard). Everyone was safe in the hallway as any attack would have to come thru Auren & I & we’d seen nothing threatening to this point so an attack from behind seemed unlikely. I don’t remember now how we got the attention of the small undead horde, likely I had Aerie toss a Fireball in their midst. However we did it, they came, all of them & they all concentrated @ the doorway. At times there were three of them w/our focus being the Elder Vampiress’ & we slowly cut them down one @ a time. They seem somewhat weaker than those we’ve faced in Bodhi’s lair. We destroyed one Elder Vampiress, then another, then a Vampire, then a Mummy & a Dire Wolf before getting @ another Elder Vampiress. Whatever the actual order, we eventually killed/destroyed all of them & were, ourselves, in ‘dire need’ (no pun intended) of rest, healing & nourishment so we conducted a retrograde to Lord Windspear’s Cabin & spent a night amongst he & Iltha.
Back at it by mid-day next, I led us for the 8th time to descend the steps into the dungeons below the temple ruins. I wanted to find out what treasure might be in the room where all the Vampires & Undead were originally congregated but we weren’t done w/Undead. There remained another Elder Vampiress that we hammered quickly before finding a nasty room containing a Greater Wraith, a Greater Shadow Fiend, two Wraiths, two Shadows & a Ghast. We were able to cut them down & I can’t recall but Aerie or Anomen or both may have had to cast restoration on one or two of us. But, once again, rather than trying to rest in the dungeon, I elected to take the few mile walk back to the cabin again. We are welcome there & are pretty much assured of a good night’s rest.
So again we descended & again we fought. This time we went left @ the ‘Undead Tunnel’ & met an adventurer named Samia who asked us if we’d help her gather some papers from the tomb of a King Strohm. She herself, she said, could go no further. We didn’t actually go the way she was trying to lead us immediately b/c I don’t like to break my normal routine which is always go left (or straight) rather than right when given the choice. She didn’t say anything so I stayed my course. I led us down a hall that brought us into combat w/a Greater Wolfwere; two Wolfwere & two Dread Wolves before we found a door where we battled a Stone Golem, a Clay Golem, three Orogs & two more Dread Wolves. After that we were smoked, so we headed out of the tunnels to rest only to have to fight our way out thru three Orcs & three Orc Archer’s w/three Mummies. Once back @ the cabin we had a much needed respite.
There was no break, no breather here. The next time we descended we went left again, this time to battle an Iron Golem & eight Orog’s. This place is relentless. Aerie helped break down the Iron Golem’s magic resistance w/a Lower Resistance spell. Then Auren, Anomen & I tore him up one side & down the other. From there we went up an incline to a small room w/a door to the south which led to a wooden ramp leading down to another door to the east. Inside was Tazok & an Orc Chief w/three Orc’s. Tazok! The coward that ran when I & my followers confronted him @ the Bandit Camp & then slithered out when we battled Sarevok. The ultimate, & now dead, coward. He & the Orcs took a few moments to finish but they are finished. Here we found Iltha but were unable to free her w/o a key that she said we’d find on a Mage (Note: Conster). We found the mage in a large room to our left, the same room that served as Firkragg’s primary lair. Luckily, Firkragg was not immediately hostile, seemed pompous, uninterested & bored & left his mage to battle us. That’s when I decided that I’d soon wipe that smirk off his face as soon as I could. But now we battled the mage. We got back out of the huge room Firkragg was in & back into the room where we’d battled Tazok & crew & where Iltha was in a cell. I didn’t think it good to fight the mage in there for long, lest he let loose a Fireball or Lightning Bolt & kill Iltha. As usual, w/mages these days, he was immediately protected in some kind of Globe & numerous other protection spells & we couldn’t get @ him yet. So it was back out of that room & up the wooden bridge to the room that was up near where the Golem’s were. We slammed the door but he followed us through & we had to disperse back down the ramp where the Golem’s originally stood, & out into the hallway where we’d killed the Wolfwere, Werewolves, Stone/Clay Golem’s, etc. The mage didn‘t follow so we healed & rested for nearly for what seemed somewhere between one and two bells. Then I came out of the tunnel & back up the ramp w/Auren to track him down & he was in the small room. The longer we’ve been out here, the less often spells are effective. I think he was trying to cast Confusion or Dire Charm, something like that but neither Auren & I were effected, but then neither were our blades until I drew my un-enchanted Bastard Sword which ripped into the flesh @ his shoulder. Seeing this, Auren drew Dadrek. Anomen had remained behind coming up slowly & it was @ this point that we all closed on him for the kill. Once we killed him, we had the key we needed to rescue Iltha for which both she & her father were obviously grateful.
SMASHING TAZOK ONCE & FOR ALL!
Back @ the cabin, we took another good rest before going back. We passed Samia, nodded & went about our business. Straight across from where we fought the Iron Golem was a doorway (if we’d gone right we’d have gone back to where we fought the mage near the wooden walkway down to where Tazok was). There were four Lycanthrope, two Greater Wolfwere & two Wolfwere that tried the old, ‘trapped adventurers’ thing but the hair was standing up on the back of my beck even before they tried to spring their trap. They barely made us breathe hard but across the hall from where they attacked us was a cave. There were some minor monsters in there fighting amongst themselves & allowed us a moment of levity before Jan found a secret door to another cave containing an Adamantine Golem w/two Stone Golems. I sent one of us in (can’t recall & I don’t want to wake them to ask) but I just wanted to make sure there weren’t any more monsters hiding in there. We drew the Stone Golem’s out & pummeled them. Thank Goodness the Adamantine Golem couldn’t get thru the exit to the smaller cave he was in. That allowed me to treat him like an Iron Golem b/c we’d never seen this type Golem. I knew nothing but expected he’d have that Cloudkill ability & he did. Aerie cast Lower Resistance followed by Melf’s Magic Meteors, Magic Missile, et al. I know Anomen used Flame Strike & Jan, as he always does w/enemies, cast Blindness. Neither Amber, Anomen or Auren could hit him w/their weapon’s b/c of their enchantment & neither did mine so, once again, I drew my regular Bastard Sword & started whacking him in return for getting whacked in return. Sure enough, he released that Cloudkill stuff more than once so I was knee deep in it. I called Amber, Anomen or Auren off b/c there was no sense standing close to this thing when one successful hit could wipe them off the face of Toril. I finally landed a blow that took him out but it was Aerie’s magic that made it possible.
WEARING DOWN THE ADAMANTINE GOLEM
After that battle, I returned us to Athkatla after stopping @ De’Arnise to check on matters there. I hoped to find items in the cities shops to help our efforts. My mind was looking forward to Firkragg but somewhere inside I knew I wasn’t ready – we weren’t ready.
On return to Firkragg’s lair, our twelfth visit, we finally started Samia’s quest w/her still just kinda standing there. Here my retinue & I fought & killed our first ever Beholder (Note: The Director), five Djinni’s, (Note: Guardians); a Greater Fire Elemental (Note: Guardian); & two Fell Ghasts before we rested & fought/defeated two Skeleton Warrior’s. We pieced together a burial mask that, I suppose, belonged w/King Strohm’s body, wherever that lay. Shortly afterward, we found a treasure containing Dragonslayer & a Dragon Scale Shield +2. It was @ that point we realized Samia was not our friend or another adventurer like us, but a duplicitous, conniving wench hiding behind a suit of armor. She’d used my retinue & I to do her blade work w/the Beholder, the Greater Fire Elemental & the Djinni’s. The coward, Samia, brought w/her a Mage, a Gnome Illusionist, an Assassin & a Knight* or Cleric. It was a hard fight but it was somewhat satisfying that Samia was the first to fall. However, Amber & Anomen both fell unconscious from their wounds. As always, we had a tough time, even w/Aerie, defeating the Mage & the Illusionist. Eventually, we got thru their defenses & were able to get our friends & their equipment out of there. After a rest @ the cabin to have Aerie cast Raise Dead on both of them & an extra nights rest we headed again for Athkatla knowing only Firkragg remained. The trip wasn’t really worth the time b/c we really weren’t able to find anything to aid us versus Firkragg & I didn’t change my mind about trying to defeat him. And so we circle back to the Key Event that I wrote about above.
OUR FIRST BEHOLDER
BETRAYED BY SAMIA
On return to Athkatla, Anomen paid a protocol visit to Sir Ryan Trawl @ the Order of the Most Radiant Heart. He asked Anomen, all of us, to infiltrate a group of Fallen Paladins that were acting as if they were still w/the Order but @ the same time were involved in some nefarious business in the Bridge District. We agreed, found them easily & we caught them in a battle w/members of the Thieves Guild. Once the battle was complete the leader of the Fallen Paladin’s questioned us about why we stood by & watched them fight w/o lifting a hand. We blew that line of questioning off & told him we were there to join the. He told us their leader, Anarg, wasn’t there @ this time but that if we were to obtain a silver chalice that had belonged to Anarg when he was a member of the order, it would go a long way to getting us accepted into his group. We returned to the Order & talked w/Sir Robin & he agreed to let us take it w/us to use in the infiltration. It didn’t matter though, b/c Anarg didn’t fall for it & set the Fallen Paladin’s against us. Anarg was a little tough as was his second in command, Reynald de Chatillon. Still we beat ‘em down, completed the mission, & returned the chalice to Sir Robin. Now is time for a decent rest but Imoen is still missing & I’m really no closer to saving her than the moment she was taken from me.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 6,662gp) Armor/Weapons: Belt of Inertial Barrier (Gawain); Daystar (Amber); Armor of the Night + 4 (Auren); Gauntlet’s of Ogre Power ((Anomen); Dragonslayer (Auren); Dragon Scale Shield +2 (Anomen); Full Plate Mail +1 (sold); Plate Mail +2 (Delver’s Plate - sold); Two Handed Sword +2; Halberd Shaft (sold); Jewelry/Gold: Laeral’s Tear Necklace sold); Rogue Stone x2 (sold); Kings Tears (sold); Star Sapphire x2 (sold); Beljuril; Ring of Fire Resistance (Anomen); Ring of Human Influence (Amber); Moonbar Gym x3; Water Opal; 3,296gp, 2,120gp; 620GP, 490GP, 240gp; Potions: Fire Giant Strength (Gawain); Invulnerability x3 (Gawain); Extra Healing x10 (General Use); Frost Giant Strength (Auren); Scrolls: Power Word Stun (Aerie); Cone of Cold x2 (Aerie memorized one); Spell Immunity (Jan); Wizard Eye (Aerie); Wands:
Current Disposition: In Athkatla, selling & buying; resting & recuperating (Five Flagons)
Next Steps: I don’t know right now.
Level Up: Gawain : I felt my abilities as a knight improving as this mission went along, I’m able to connect w/my blows more often & my ability to resist magic is noticeably better. I am now a Lord/13 (Fighter/13). Jan : Is now a Master Thief/13 (Thief/13) & improved +25% to Set Traps. Now he can: Find/Remove Traps, Open Locks, Detect Illusion @ 100%; Pick Pockets @ 45%; Hide In Shadow/Move Silently @ 40% & Set Traps @ 35%.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 14 – Popular) • Gawain: Ftr/13 (HP117); Full Plate Mail w/Shield of the Stars +3, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Fire Control & Belt of Inertial Barrier, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1/+3 vs Shapeshifters*****, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3*, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Adamantite Golem)(1) • Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//12), (HP77); Armor of the Night +4; & w/Girdle of Hill Giant Strength; Dragonslayer (+2) & Ras +2***** (SWS**; Ring of Fire Resistance; (Thaxll’ssillyia))(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2)
AUREN RECORD
AUREN INVENTORY
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//10/10, (HP57); Plate Mail w Dragon Scale Shield +2, Gauntlet’s of Ogre Power, Golden Girdle & Amulet of Power & Ring of Protection Against Fire; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Warhammer**, Staff of Curing, (SSS**); (Elder Vampire)(Cleric Aggressive)(3) • Amber: Thief/15//Fighter/6 (HP87); Studded Leather +2, w/Amber’s Earing’s & Gillian’s Bracelet & Ring of Invisibility & Girdle of Piercing; Long Sword (Ogre Mage)(Amber’s Combat Script AI)(4) • Jan: Illusionist/11//Thief/12 (HP34); Jan’s Adventure Wear, Jen’s Techno Gloves, Jan’s Spectroscopes & Flasher Launcher w/Flasher Master Bruiser Mates & Abyssal Pipe; (Thief Adventurer)(Slaver Guard)(5)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command) * Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
1823 Nightal 1370: I’ve been unable to sit down to journal for some time as I’ve literally been to The Underdark & back. I was ‘underwater’ @ first &, later, ‘Underdark’. When we did rest I was exhausted & there was nothing to light a fire w/in the Underdark. Our Torches worked well but couldn’t really serve as a light for our encampment. Besides, it would have been foolhardy down there anyway. I’m gonna try & piece everything together. Things happened so quickly, it seems like a dream & I know all too well about dreams! I’m gonna have to work on this for a few days. I might not remember some things & I might get some things mixed up…there’s so much I want to remember for the lessons they teach.
Damn those Athkatla Bandits. I’ve been trying to avoid them even though they’re easily crushed but even trying to disengage we got tangled up long enough for one of them to kill Jan. He’d been such a great companion, friend & a super helpful Mage/Thief. The Bandit ambush included a Bandit Mage, a Bandit Cleric, a Bandit Fighter & two Bandits Rogues. One of the Rogues brutally backstabbed Jan & there was no raising him back to us.
After travelling to Valygar’s cabin, I brought him & Minsc to travel w /me. I led us to see Gaelen after Arin Linvail told us that one of his Rogue’s, Arledrian, was missing. Arin feared this might Arledrian might have sided w/Bodhi. After talking w/Gaelen, we searched Arledrian’s room & find poster for the playhouse under the Five Flagon’s. I led us to search for Arledrian @ Five Flagon’s. Gaelen allowed us to search Arledrian’s room where we found a journal written in Elvish. Gaelen thought Marina @ the Thieves’ Guild would be able to translate the Elvish for us. Once she read it, Marina, obviously worried, asked us to rush to Bodhi’s Lair & save Arledrian. We arrived in the nick of time & found Arledrian surrounded by three Vampires. We saved him & he was grateful. We returned his journal to him & he asked me to tell Gaelen he’d be away for a while to tend to for personal matters. Gaelen thanked me & gave us some gems. I told Marina as she’d seemed genuinely concerned for Arledrian. She too was grateful.
After whipping those Vampires I decided to take another crack @ Bodhi’s Lair. We finally caught up to & destroyed Tanova’s Fledgling Vampiress in the torture chamber. Then we descended the stairs & destroyed two Fledgling Vampiress’, a Fledgling Vampire, two Greater Ghouls, two Grimwarders & two Grimwarder Archers. We returned to the Docks District for some reason & were ambushed by & killed a Ruffian Captain, a Mugger & a two Thugs.
On return to Bodhi’s Lair, we were able to destroy Lassal but Tanova was still too tough & she hurt Auren badly enough that she sunk into unconsciousness. We were able to retrieve her armor & weapons, escape Tanova, & return to the Five Flagon’s where Anomen treated Auren. We rested until she was able to go again. Auren gets injured so often one would think she is soft but the fact of the matter is that, wearing only enchanted Leather Armor, she rushes to the front of every battle & chooses the toughest opponent she can find. I can’t move that quickly in my Full Plate so I feel sometimes like she has to wait an entire bell before I reach her side.
We went to the Temple of Helm so Anomen could present his tithe. There I was asked by Sir Sarle to search for a Cult that was advertising in the street, decrying both Helm & Lothandar. I was told to search for the cult In the sewers. There we destroyed a Green Slime, a Grey Ooze, a Sea Troll, a Mustard Jelly & six Kobolds, three w/Short Sword, three w/Short Sword & Short Bow. There we met a Paladin-Inquisitor named Keldorn. There was no way I couldn’t take in a Paladin, & Minsc has been w/me thru so much that I asked Valygar to return to his cabin for the time being. Going forward we killed six Goblins, two w/short Sword & Short Bow, three w/Short Sword & one w/Mace. We later came upon five Mephits: Fire, Dust, Ice, Lightning, Magma, Fire Mephits, five Umber Hulks & a Minotaur that we defeated w/o injury. On the way back to rest @ the Five Flagon’s we were confronted by a tough party of Adventurer’s: a Dwarf Berserker w/an Enchanted Throwing Axe, a Mage, a Cleric, a Warrior, et al. We defeated them fairly easily but they had the potential to be more of a challenge. Returning to the sewers we encountered & defeated a Rakshasa, a Kobold Shaman, two Kobold Commandos, a Kobold Captain, five Kobolds, four Ettercaps, an Ooze Mephit & seven Shadows. We crushed a weak Beholder his followers called the Unseeing Eye. His Cult High Priest named Gaal wore Plate Mail & was armed w/Ardalla’s Fall. He was surrounded by three Cult Elite Guards w/Plate Mail, Long Sword & Heavy Crossbow. We returned & informed our contact @ the Temple of Helm. I don’t remember how we ended up there but we were able to bring a monster & a murder named Neb to justice.
While working thru the sewers & defeating the Beholder Cult we rescued another Tiefling named Haer‘ dalise who invited us to see a play in the Five Flagon’s. I thought it would be a nice break but no such providence. Instead we ended up ‘plane travelling’ to a Planar Prison in search of Haer’ dalise & his theater company. We were welcomed to the Planar Prison by six Bounty Hunters (two Mages, two Assassins, Dwarf, & a Drow) & a bit later, by two Thrall’s (Mage, Warrior). For the next day, day & a half, we were stuck in the Prison w/no way to escape except to destroy the Warden & the Master of the Thrall’s. This according to a Gnome that had somehow escaped his collar, the instrument that kept the prisoner’s slaves/thralls under the influence of the Master of Thrall’s. To get out we had to battle numerous challenging enemies defeating a Wyvern, Two Thrall Mage’s, a Thrall Warrior, a Thrall Bowman, five Umber Hulks, a Minotaur & two Air Elementals.
We had to go back to where we entered after that gauntlet b/c it was obvious things were getting tougher & we still had a ways to go. Next up was the Master of Thrall’s, a Demon of the Tan’narri subtype, a Chasme. He turned out to be pretty difficult but we defeated it w/o loss. After a few more bells rest it was time to drive on & we did. Just past some deep pits that were all over the Prison, we encountered the Warden, a Cambion Demon. I generally think of a Chasme as a tougher opponent. I recall defeating a Cambion easily in Irenicus’ Dungeon. We had to kill 10 Umber Hulk’s & two Minotaur’s before we completely focus on the Cambion. We ended up in a retrograde to the other side of the Prison to buy time & space but eventually his defenses wore off & our weapons started to damage him. Once that happens, anything we are battling becomes short of this world. Once that battle was over we quickly found Haer’ dalise & the theater company in which he performs. Haer ‘dalise returned to Faerun w/us while the rest of his company went on to perform elsewhere.
On return to Athkatla we went w/Keldorn to his estate so that he could see his wife & children. Sadly, Keldorn’s Wife & children we distant from him & it turned out his wife had been w/another man. In the end we learned that she didn’t actually commit adultery but Keldorn took a few days to straighten things out & spend time w/his family. Once his service to me is complete he plans to resign from active membership in the Order.
AUREN VS. TANOVA (50 HPS DAMAGE!)
Key Event: After Keldorn retuned I decided to assault Bodhi’s lair again & this time, Tanova fell after putting up another vicious fight. We followed her essence back to her tomb & staked her thru the heart (as evil as she was, Tanova was a tremendous foe). At that point, Bodhi made herself known to me. After cutting each other w/our words she ended the contest & she attacked...we jumped her & beat her mercilessly but she escaped my clutches & slipped away.
Gawain, Auren, Amber, Anomen & Keldorn in Brynnlaw
After Keldorn retuned I decided to assault Bodhi’s lair again & this time, Tanova fell after putting up another vicious fight. We followed her essence back to her tomb & staked her thru the heart (as evil as she was, Tanova was a tremendous foe). At that point, Bodhi made herself known to me. After cutting each other w/our words she ended the contest & she attacked...we jumped her & beat her mercilessly but she escaped my clutches & slipped away.
I had us rest @ the Five Flagon’s before going to the Thieves Guild to meet w/Linvail to let him know of our success. He kept his end of the bargain, finally! In no time we were on a ship to Brynnlaw Island. Unfortunately, Bodhi was in charge of our welcoming party & ‘convinced’ the ship’s captain, Saemon Havarian, to betray us. As soon as we set foot on the dock we were attacked by three Vampiress’ & four Dire Wolves. This was an extremely challenging battle as we were really caught off guard which is to my shame as a leader because it got Minsc killed with no possibility of raising/resurrecting him. The others had only known him for the few weeks since Jan was killed but Minsc has been w/me since my second week leaving Candlekeep & he (& Boo) were always “raring to go”. I believe Imoen is somehow alive in that fortress on the cliff but, if she is, she & I will be all that remains of our original six. Four dear friends & companions lost forever, not to mention those who’ve joined me since. Brynnlaw was a haven for pirates & we were constantly accosted by them. While there we were ambushed on the streets by the Pirate Lord Desharik, a Pirate Mage & 14 Pirates. We found an inn in Brynnlaw but it only offered a place in the corner where we could spread out, stay safe(r) & out of rain. There I met a good-hearted Mage, Sanik, who was trying to leave the island w/his wife. It was a nice talk but, just then, he was ambushed by an Assassin & killed before we could react. I learned from the barkeep that Sanik was an assassin getting revenge for Sanik’s having fallen in love w/a courtesan & convincing her to leave Brynnlaw w/him. He told me the woman Sanik loved was named Claire & was likely being held prisoner in Galvena’s Festhall. I’d seen that place but it was always closed. I appreciated Sanik’s heart & his love for Claire was obvious so it was only fitting that I aid her, besides, I’m told she might have the ‘key’ to getting me in the Asylum. Her rescue was easy enough. We had to kill a Guard Captain (Note: Front) & two Guards to get into the brothel/prison area. From there it was simple enough to work thru a couple of Guards, a Mage named Vadek, & Galvena herself. Claire was grateful for her rescue but heartbroken @ having lost Sanik. Claire was able to point me to a man named Captain Golin who gave me two ways into get into Spellhold Asylum. One was to go to the Pirate Lord & the second was to visit a Mage who used to be a Cowled Wizard. I was curious about the Pirate Lord but I wasn’t gonna fain insanity to get put away in the Asylum which was the angle there. Still I went there to meet him b/c I wondered what a Pirate Lord was all about. When I told him what were here for he exploded & left to warn his allies in Spellhold Asylum. We tried to prevent him but he quickly evaded our effort. Perth the Adept was not what I expected either. He was not a Cleric, Adept being normally associated w/a low level Cleric, & he was most definitely not low level. He was well protected & it seemed Keldorn’s Dispel Magic couldn’t break through. At one point Anomen, Keldorn & Amber were under the control of some kind of mind altering magic. He may have even captured Auren (who seems to be particularly susceptible to that type spell). We finally got our weapons on him & he was gone in no time after that, leaving us the Wardstone to Spellhold Asylum.
THE LAST VAMPIRESS DESTROYED!
I can’t remember when but somewhere in there we paid a visit to Cayia, the Pirate Leader’s harlot. She was not his harlot the moment we visited b/c she was in bed w/another (maybe she was just earning some gold on the side). Regardless, when she realized we were there she bolted & called on three of the Pirate Lord’s Pirates who were easily dispatched.
Comments
There were traps galore on the first Labyrinth Level but Imoen was fantastic with her 100% Trap Detection/Removal bolstered by a Potion of Perception topped her @ 120% but as I’ll detail in a moment, even that was not always enough!
Our victories, in order, as we made our way thru the main hall & surrounding rooms were: two Phase Spiders; three Greater Doppelgangers; another Phase Spider; a Skeleton Warrior w/two Flesh Golems; two additional Phase Spiders; two Wraith Spiders; a single Skeleton; a second Skeleton Warrior w/two Skeleton’s guarding the treasure room; again a Skeleton Warrior; four more Phase Spiders & two Battle Horrors. We found some odd items which @ first we just left behind, e.g. a mallet head, some grapes, but then we started to figure out that we were working a riddle after speaking to four Dwarven Lift Warders that posed riddles to us. @ first we didn’t connect their gibberish together until we found a round room detailing the exploits of Durlag. When we left the room, in a room across the hall, a great sword fused into a rock became encased in a bluish light & the words, “You have raised my deeds…” suddenly filled the air. Then in the very next room we found a gong & remembered the mallet head. Up a long hall, we battled two of the Phase Spiders & the two Battle Horrors mentioned above before we went out & spoke to one of the Lift Warders that had mentioned ‘pride’ &, sure enough, by reading the texts about Durlag’s battles solved his ‘riddle’ & the Warder disappeared. At that time, I thought that was ALL good...but I was wrong. This event made it clear that each Dwarf was associated w/a riddle we needed to solve. We found the mallet handle also but we’re still trying to figure out if we can put it together & see what happens if we ‘bang the gong’.
Key Event: But then it happened…again! All was well, a couple of scrapes & bruises but we were headed out when we noticed a small hallway leading out of the far end of the Great Hall. Imoen lead, Detecting Traps as always & found one about 2/3 way down the hall. She Removed Trap…but it went off any way! A Fireball smoked us all pretty severely but we persevered so I had Imoen check it out again. I gave Imoen my Ring of Fire Protection she quaffed a Potion of Fire Resistance while the rest of us backed way off to the lift where the three remaining Gnome Warders were. Sure enough there were two more traps she easily used her Remove Trap skill on. She came back thru the hall, apparently w/o incident, but then suddenly a Fireball seemed to land right in the midst of us, completely charring Khalid, who’d already been seriously injured, beyond recognition. Quayle too, was killed, but he could be taken to a temple & Raised. Khalid has been a tremendous ally & friend, a personal friend of mine as he was to Gorion & now I’ve lost both he & his wife in addition to Dynahier. And so I led us back to Nashkel, second guessing. The usual three Doppelgangers blocked our way @ the stone archway but I defeated them alone, letting the others, all wounded, stand back.
Next, I had no choice but to replace Khalid w/another warrior. I looked for Kivan @ the FAI, everywhere I could think of, even travelling back to the Gnoll stronghold where I’d left him last. Through four Gnoll Veterans; eight Gnoll Slashers; four Gnolls; five Gnolls & four Gnoll Elites & four more Gnoll Veteran’s but Kivan was not to be found. I remembered the Paladin, Ajantis, near Fishing Village & was headed there despite the fact that he didn’t provide the powerful ranged capability Khalid had but then I remembered the Elf in the Cloakwood had a bow. So off to the Cloakwood it was, battling through six Wild Dogs, three Huge Spiders & three Ettercaps before finding him. Turns out he is both a Champion & Sharper (Fighter/7//Thief-Swashbuckler/7). He is well skilled w/a Longbow, has the Elvish natural skill w/a Long Sword & is extremely adept @ Moving Silently & Hiding in Shadow (100%/100%), whereas Imoen’s skills are best @ Finding/Removing Traps & Opening Locks (100%/100%).
Once we returned, we worked our way thru two Wraith Spiders & two Phase Spider before battling two more Battle Horrors, in which battle, Minsc also became a casualty & we had to return him to Nalin to request a Raise Dead spell before continuing.
And so we returned a third time, through three more Doppelgangers; two more Wraith Spiders & two more Battle Horrors, the latter which we defeated, in part using a Potions of Explosion & an Oil of Fiery Burning. We then fixed the mallet on the forge before defeating two Phase Spiders & using the mallet to ‘bang the gong’. Onward from there we ran across & defeated two more Phase Spiders in route to the wine press where we secured a bottle of wine. From there we approached the final two Lift Warders & solved their riddles only to get our asses kicked good by the four Lift Warders – I sensed somehow that was coming. When all was said & done there I was the only one standing. Minsc made it thru but collapsed after his Berserk state wore off. We'd protected ourselves with spells, potions & special abilities but still the battle was just brutal & fast paced beyond any yet. Heading back to Nalin alone, I defeated three Doppelgangers at the stone arch before getting to town in Nashkel to raise my comrades.
BATTLE OF THE LIFT WARDERS
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 927 gold – spent 4,800 gold on Raise Dead Spells) Scroll of Cloudkill; Treasure room w/1637 Gold, two Pearl Necklaces, two Black Opals, Bloodstone Amulet; Water Opal, Sphene Gym, Pearl, et al;
Current Disposition: Recuperating in Nashkel
Next Steps: Back to the second Labyrinth Level of the Keep
Level Up:
• Quale received word via messenger from his Illusionist Guildmaster granting him the tile Spellbinder (Illusionist/9). He added the only spell his school has at that level, Shadow Door, of which he has two memorized.
• Minsc has increased his skills to Superhero (Fighter-Barbarian/8)
• Coran received word from his Swashbuckler’s academy that he has achieved the honorary title Magsman (Thief-Swashbuckler//8) & he has improved to 30% in Set Traps to go with 100% in each of Hide in Shadow & Move Silently. He is also a Champion (Fighter/7)
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +1, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +1, (SSS**) (Greater Basilisk)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/9); HP34; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Kirinhale)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Battle Horror)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield & Warhammer*; (Mace*, SSS*);(Ankheg)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Coran: Fighter/7//Thief (Swashbuckler/8); HP41; Studded Leather +1 w/Bracers of Archery, Boots of the North & Cloak of the Wolf; Longbow***, L/Sword** (SWS**)(Ettercap) (Ranged)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Finally @ Labyrinth Level Two we reconnoitered a room @ our 1100 when we descended the stairs. I had Imoen move, slowly, step by step, in to a rectangular room filled w/various statues & a giant Doppelganger rug. Imoen found a trapped globe @ the far end of the room. She grabbed what treasure was there, I can’t recall. We were stumped b/c we couldn't open any of the doors. Then it became apparent that the Doppelganger eyes on the rug kept looking back & forth @ two statues on either side of the room. Imoen hadn't detected anymore traps so Branwen & I looked them over & found that they turn if you grab them on both sides. Turning one opens one door & closes another & vice versa w/the other. The first door we opened was back in the circular entrance chamber @ 3 O’clock
coming back from the statue room. It was a feminine bedroom, for a female dwarf that is, where we found three Wardstones. As we of gathered the first, suddenly a husky Dwarven voice said something like, “By Moylan’s Hammer,” (which we now know means a Greater Doppelganger is getting ready to attack). The false Durlag teleported all around the room before shape changing back into a Greater Doppelganger & exploding a Fireball that was largely ineffective. We pummeled him. & so the theme for most of that Labyrinth Level was established, though I didn't know it @ the time.
Following that, straight across the hall from in the entrance chamber was a room containing sparring dummies. These dummies radiated hostility. They also contained some potions, etc., that we snapped up. At that moment, another Greater Doppelganger in the form of Durlag shouted, “By Moylan’s Hammer” & some other gibberish as he teleported around the room before shape changing into his true form & releasing a Stinking Cloud. We pummeled him too. It then became clear that attacking the dummies opened more doors so we attacked them w/trial & error until we found a door leading to a throne room. Same old song & dance here, the triggering mechanism was Kiel’s Helmet (identified later as such) which was @ the far end of the throne room. This time it was a false Durlag, a false female Dwarf & a false younger Dwarf Berserker that Shape Changed into three Greater Doppelgangers. One of them cast a Cloudkill spell but it was @ the far end of the room from where we were so it was ineffective also. The one that cast the Cloudkill came from the far end of the room & attacked Quayle b/c Quayle had cast a spell @ him. Quayle tried to avoid him but couldn't get behind us in time & we had to collect his gear & return him to Nalin to purchase a Raise Dead spell before continuing.
Our next trip back to the 2nd Labyrinth Level was short as we killed the three Doppelgangers @ the stone archway, two Phase Spiders near the library & then after working our way through a torcher chamber filled with traps we found ourselves in a battle w/two Dwarven Doom Guards. We beat ‘em good but lost Branwen so it was back to Nalin before we could continue.
Finally we returned & finished up on that level. Back through the three Doppelgangers & two Wraith Spiders this time, we got back to the Torcher Chamber & beyond, using Wardstones to cross a Teleport Room. Imoen found the Wardstone in a trapped pot. On we went through an Urn Room w/a small Temple off it…both rooms were trapped, a big one in the Urn Room but Imoen Removed Traps on all of them successfully. In fact, she disarmed every trap on this level w/o fail, even a massive crushing trap that triggered on her but not enough to kill her. After that we were good, but that was later. Some decent treasure in these room, including a Wardstone to descend another level.
Key Event: After travelling down a long hall, battling Ghasts, five in all, & Imoen disarming another trap we found another room which was a false Exit Room w/a trapped staircase that Imoen disarmed. Imoen used her innate invisibility & moved across to a room that was @ about 2 O’clock from where we came out of the long hallway. Imoen checked out a bedroom beyond that she came back & reported was guarded by four more Dwarven Doom Guards & contained two chests. I decided to have Coran, Hide in Shadow & Move Silently to a place where he could toss an Oil of Fiery Burning in their midst. At the same time, Quayle was to use his Improved Invisibility to move into position to cast a Fireball down the same hall giving the Doom Guards a double dose of intense heat. Quayle jacked up his spell but Coran was on point with his & we coaxed three of the Doom Guards into chasing us up the long hall, through the Urn Room & back to the Teleport Room where we easily teleported over. When the three Dwarven Doom Guards caught up they couldn’t teleport & they were mindless, easy targets as we just blasted away @ them with a Lightning Bolt, Agannazar’s Scorcher & a Ring of Energy until they were no more. Then it was an easy thing to teleport back over & go clean up the fourth one who was still in the False Exit Room. We raided the chests & noticed what appears to be the door to the real Exit Room open as we passed through. We’ll come back to that later.
FOUR DWARVEN DOOM GUARD BATTLE
Another winding hall led us away from the bedroom to a Bridge Room. Imoen used her innate Invisibility & Find/Remove Traps while Coran used Hide in Shadow/Move Silently to approach the room from the hallway. Sure enough Imoen removed a trap right in the doorway before both she & Coran noticed three more false Dwarves, one a female. Both fired off arrows @ one of the false Dwarves & then retreated down the hall behind Branwen, Minsc & I as is our standard operating procedure. That way, the bows can be fired from behind a wall of steel & Quayle can cast spells or fire Sling Stones. We eventually drew them all into the hall where we waited to ambush around a 90’ turn. After that we got out of there through the Bridge Room, a heavily trapped Trophy Room before going down a hall with two 90’ turns. Between the 90’ turns was that massive crushing trap that Imoen disarmed but was still injured. After that we went into a Lever Room & had completed the 2nd Labyrinth Level. We decided to head back & spend a night in the open air @ Nashkel Carnival after being underground so long. When we arrived there we had to defeat two Ogres & then it was off to sleep after cashing out our loot. We did have to make a trip to Kelddath Ormlyr to identify a Morning Star, a Buckler & a large Dwarven Shield.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 1977 gold) Armor/Weapons: Kiel’s Helmet (Branwen); Krotan’s Skullcrusher (Mace +2) (Me); Kiel’s Morning Star (sold); Kiel’s Buckler (sold); Dwarven Large Shield +2 (Me); two sets Plate Mail; Gems/Jewelry: Moonbar Gyms x2; Water Opal, Blood Amulet; Sphene Gym; Potions: Frost Giant Strength;
Current Disposition: Resting @ Nashkel carnival
Next Steps: Keep going south in Durlag’s Labyrinth’s to Level 3
Level Up: Imoen, still considers herself affiliated w/her Charming Rogues Guild, even though she has now increased to full Thief/10. As such, the current Guild mistress is certainly concerned because Imoen has surpassed her mentor in skill. At this level, there is no doubt the Guild mistress is worried that Imoen will try & start her own guild & go to war w/her current guild, w/an aim of wiping out her out completely & taking over the guild. She doesn’t know Imoen! Imoen added skill in Hide in Shadow/Move Silently to 65% each, still having 100% in Find/Remove Traps & Open Locks. She also received two additional innate abilities, Invisibility 10’ Radius & Dire Charm.
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Greater Basilisk)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Kirinhale)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Battle Horror)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Coran: Fighter/7//Thief (Swashbuckler/8); HP41; Studded Leather +1 w/Bracers of Archery, Boots of the North & Cloak of the Wolf; Longbow***, L/Sword** (SWS**)(Phase Spider) (Ranged)
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
After taking care of business in Nashkel, back thru the three Doppelgangers @ the stone archway, & then the spiders @ the library, I forget which, I think Wraith Spiders we were back on the 3rd Labyrinth Level & entered a second room, the Air Room, down the same hallway on the left. We won a hard fight w/an Air Aspect & three Invisible Stalkers before continuing further down the hall to the next room on the left. There we had some trouble in the Earth Room w/four Fission Slimes that turned into like 10 as they respawned when we killed them. It was obvious we needed more HEAT so we returned to High Hedge & loaded up. On the way back to High Hedge we fought two more Greater Ghouls in the Maze Garden before getting out. When we returned we fought thru the obligatory three Doppelgangers & two Phase Spiders but still didn’t have enough heat to beat the Fission Slimes. I finally took matters into my own hands & finished them. Continuing we found the last room on the left, Imoen scouted before we went in using her innate Invisibility while Finding/Removing Traps. She returned to report four Winter Wolves & a Polar Bear. Our plan was to go directly for the Polar Bear which we did & we took him out pretty easily but he wasn’t a typical Polar bear as he had an even more potent Blast of Frost than the Winter Wolves b/c it has the ability to Hold like an undead creature.
Key Event We killed the Polar Bear & were suddenly transported to a Chess Board. An ethereal voice laid out ‘rules’ which it turned out only we had to play by, e.g. my bishops had to move diagonally on their own color, Queen could do whatever, but then I as King couldn’t move @ all. We were informed that killing the King ended the game so he became our target at all costs. In so doing, we lost Imoen, Minsc, Coran, Quayle until the last two standing were Branwen & I after we focused on the King who’d moved down to our end of board. Despite being surrounded by others we focused all our attacks on the King & killed him. Sure enough, all of the other pieces faded away. The victory was won. Unfortunately, I had four bodies that needed to be raised & nowhere to store their equipment. I found a door w/a stairway, to the 4th Labyrinth Level Branwen & I met ghostly apparition of Durlag who said something about us needing to kill the evil in this place. Branwen & I hazarded a long hallway w/o Imoen to Find Traps. We found a room w/a ghostly apparition of Islanne offering us a way out. Initially we deferred looking for a chest or something for storage. We found a room & defeated two Helmeted Horror’s before finding a barrel which we filled w/everything from the chess board taking three, maybe four trips to do so.
ZUGZWANG FOR THE WHITE KING?
CHECKMATE FOR THE BLACK KING!!
Finally, we still had unexplored areas of the 3rd Labyrinth Level so we returned through the three Doppelgangers & two Wraith Spiders back down to the 3rd Level. Then I made an absolutely stupid decision based on how easy that Fireball Room had been. I tried to get us all over @ once instead of one @ a time. In so doing I charcoaled Coran & lost Quayle requiring another visit to Nalin. Just stupidity & impatience caused yet another unraisable death. And, so as I’ve had to do four times since I left Candlekeep, I had to find someone to take Coran’s place, especially in this place. Luckily, he’d not gotten close to any of us yet but he was still under my command. I’m out a strong bowman now as there are none that I can think of so I went to the Fishing Village & invited the Paladin Ajantis to join me. I gave him the Long Sword Coran had used & purchased him a set of Plate Mail but it wasn’t long after we returned to Durlag’s Tower that we got him a set of Full Plate. He carries a family crested medium shield. And so I led us back into the tower to finish up the brutal 3rd Level. First we got caught up in a difficult fight w/Skeleton’s armed w/Composite Long Bows & Arrows of Fire & Ice. Problem there was traps of some kind of gas, that even Imoen wasn’t picking up on, so we couldn’t mow them down like we should have. Plus they were all on different platforms so while we were knocking Skeleton’s off of one platform we were being shot @ from one or multiple other platforms @ the same time. Bad stuff but we eventually got them all & Imoen collected a bunch of Arrows of Ice!
& finally, as if things hadn’t been tough enough already we found a cave w/a lone Skeleton standing amongst statues of various warriors. The room was dominated by the body of a dead, giant Wyrm. The term, ‘Wyrm’ is simply an age category of a Red Dragon. Red Dragon ages are grouped thus, Wymling, Very Young, Young, Juvenile, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Old, Very Old, Ancient, Wyrm & the oldest of all are the Great Wyrms. Wyrms are GIGANTIC Dragons. Luckily this one was dead but there were some very real & dangerous greater wyverns in that cavern. Luckily we’d listened to the skeleton before we grinded him to dust. He told us the statues were great warriors & would help us fight w/eventuality that they would turn on us. We were smart enough to enlist their help. They turned out to be a Dwarven warrior type, a Hamadryad, a warrior of some type as he wore Full Plate &, finally, a Hobgoblin w/a Composite Longbow. The four of them helped wear them down, killing the first & wounding the second. Then we were able to pick off the weakened one & defeat the last one collectively. These weren’t your grandfathers Greater Wyverns!
And so it was back down to the 4th Level, past Durlag’s apparition & back to Islanne so that we could get out the easy way. Sure enough, it seems that will always be out.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,081 gold) Armor/Weapons: Gauntlet’s of Dexterity (Branwen); Long Sword +1 (sold); Full Plate (Ajantis); Gems/Jewelry: Pearl Necklace, Fire Opal Ring; Bloodstone Amulets (x2); Pearl; Potions: Scrolls:
Current Disposition: Back in Nashkel resting & preparing to head back into the keep
Next Steps: Back down to the 4th Level. Durlag’s apparition spoke of destroying “the evil in this place…”
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of
Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****,
Mace +2, (SSS**) (Greater Basilisk)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection, w/Short Bow*,
Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Kirinhale)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness & Spiders
Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy,
(Battle Horror)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1,
Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric
Aggressive)
• Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2,
Mace** (SSS**)(N/A) (Paladin )
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
And so, next it was back to the castle to work our way back down to the 4th Labyrinth Level. After the 3rd Labyrinth Level, I couldn’t imagine what would be even deeper in that place but I was soon to find out. After the usual three Doppelganger’s & two Phase Spiders, I guided us down to the 4th Labyrinth Level. There was a Hidden Door on the right side of the main hallway & that was my first target. It turned out to be what we all called the Glowing Green Caverns but were, in fact, mostly tombs & one of the castles main treasure vaults. Actually, there was treasure lying everywhere in little pools of water, piled in corners & on the bodies of the undead that filled the place. By the time we’d worked through everything we’d battled & killed eleven Greater Ghouls, five Crypt Crawlers & three Ghasts. Greater Ghouls are like super Ghasts that are even tougher to kill & lash out with even more filthy & deadly clawing & biting attacks. Aside from those I mentioned above, we found one cave & had a single battle w/seven more Greater Ghouls & two more Crypt Crawlers that were led by what I can only call a Super Ghoul. That thing was the nastiest of all Ghouls & Ghasts I’ve ever seen. He spoke too, saying that he & the Ghouls were once warriors also but had been consumed by the evil in this place. We fought really well there & defeated them all & that could have been a bad deal if even one of us had been Held by one of their attacks. Very proud of my companions on this journey.
SIX DESTROYED GREATER GHOULS & THEIR PET CRYPT CRAWLERS
READYING FOR THE 'SUPER GHOUL' & ANOTHER GREATER GHOUL
FINAL VICTORY OVER SEVEN DEAD GREATER GHOULS, TWO CRYPT CRAWLERS & THE 'SUPER GHOUL'
Once out of the Glowing Green Caverns it was back to where Durlag’s apparition stood. Right there was another door that, once opened, led across a lava moat into an L shaped hallway. As always, Imoen used her innate Invisibility & scouted the hallway Finding/Removing Traps. She found/removed one in the doorway to a room that was like a three quarter oval. Being invisible & still checking for traps she circled the entire room before coming back to report three phase spiders, two sword spiders & two Ettercaps waiting for us there. Knowing what was ahead, we prepared w/spells & potions & Quayle cloaked us all in Invisibility 10’ Radius. He has, I think, four of that spell memorized & three each Blindness & Improved Invisibility, two each Deafness & Shadow Door & one each Spook, Reflected Image, Mirror Image, Invisibility & Blur. He also has an innate Invisibility capability. We have learned to use his various versions of invisibility very effectively in movement & combat. (Note: Remember I only allow specialist mages to write/memorize spells from their own schools although they can cast other schools spells from scrolls so scrolls are important to my game). When we finally attacked we had the initiative & ended up exterminating them all. One of the Phase Spiders was actually an Astral Phase Spider, a monster we’d never seen before. Whereas, Phase Spiders make quick forays from the Ethereal Plane into the natural world to snatch an unlucky creature to feed upon, Astral Phase Spiders hail from the Astral Plane for the same purpose.
It was after this battle that we started to unlock the secret to this castle. There was a Stone Golem in that same room & it drew us toward it. Once I approached & touched it, it asked a riddle. I can’t remember except that I got it & was suddenly transported w/the entire party to a Compass Room with four more Stone Golem’s. I didn’t know how it worked @ first but three of the Golem’s provide info while the fourth asks questions to see if you learned from the other three. I approached the ‘question Golem’ first & answered incorrectly twice. Thankfully, I wear a Ring of Fire Resistance & a Helm of Defense. Unfortunately, the others don’t so we had a couple of folks singed. So they moved to the other side of the room the next time I tried. I got it right the third time & was transported back to where Durlag’s apparition stands. I led us back to the Spider Room where there was a door in the opposite corner of the room from where we entered originally. I’d seen it before when I approached the Golem but when I got teleported it took the door out of play. Now I was back & Imoen did her usual Invisible Find/Remove traps scouting. She found a Token Machine Room. Luckily we’d kept every Wardstone we found during our adventures here & the one we got from the Forge Room slipped easily into the Token Machine. I’m not sure what it did but I think it was good. The next room was a Store Room w/two locked & trapped treasure chests…& another means into the Compass Room. This time I approached a different Golem & realized only one Golem asks the questions. The other three provide the information to answer & so I easily answered the question & was teleported back to Durlag’s apparition. I now knew the answer. There was a throne in the Treasure Room & I felt the power in it, just like I’d just experienced in the Store Room. I knew I could get back into the Compass Room via that throne. I also knew that a visit w/Durlag’s apparition would confirm that I was on the right track…& it did. It was time to approach Islanne & return to Nashkel, unload a mountain load of gems & come back here to try & get to the final answer.
After our short respite, I wanted to get back & strike while the ‘iron is still hot’ & malleable. So back thru three Doppelgangers & two Wraith Spiders to Labyrinth Level 4. Straight to the throne in the Treasure Room. Sure enough the throne led us back to the Compass Room. Knowing the key now, I quickly answered the question of the last Golem & found myself back @ Durlag’s apparition. Sure enough, when I spoke to Durlag, I had finished everything I needed for him to lead me to the ultimate evil that dominates this place.
DURLAG'S APPARITION SATISFIED
FOLLOWING DURLAG'S APPARITION TO THE FINAL BATTLE
Key Event: Durlag’s apparition led us to a Hidden Door that we’d tried to open before. Now it was wide open & led into a room where a defeated adventurer stood. Her party had been wiped out by what she called a Demon Knight, that she said was just beyond the door to the next room. She beseeched us not to go in there, spoke of a mirror that would duplicate each of us into enemies of ourselves, all but called me a fool for leading us into that room but there was nothing that was keeping me out of there. Knowing he was in there gave us the chance to cast spells, quaff potions, & prepare our attack. We got into the room w/o him seeing us or us him. He was in a circular pit & we were on a circular ledge above it. We were able to circle around, eventually w/me, Branwen, Minsc & Ajantis all on a different staircase leading down to him. He detected our invisibility & threatened us but I was having none of it. Imoen & Quayle were @ different positions from the rest of us so that any attacks on us wouldn’t threaten them too. Then Imoen fired off back to back (10th Level) Magic Missiles & then switched to Arrows of Biting while Quayle used three Scrolls of Flame Arrow followed by Blindness & Deafness I think. Branwen began to cast Silence 15’ Radius to keep the Demon Knight from casting spells while the remainder charged him & waited on Branwen to join us as soon as her spell was complete. We started pounding on him & he was taking punishment but dealing it too. I don’t know what he cast a Branwen, maybe Power Word Stun, but whatever it was she was stunned for the rest of the battle. That bastard also exploded a Fireball which is something we saw the first time he appeared when we first entered. The Fireball toasted me to my surprise (I later learned that I’d forgotten to get my Ring of Fire Resistance back from Imoen. It also scorched Ajantis big time too. I backed off & quaffed a Potion of Healing while Ajantis used his Lay on Hands (8th Level) on himself. Then it was back to work to finish the Demon Knight who was obviously badly injured. He immediately dispatched Ajantis & Branwen was still stunned. I was badly injured but had no choice but to join Minsc who was fighting a terrific battle in his Enraged state of mind. Quayle was still casting spells & Imoen was still pelting him w/Arrows of Biting. Minsc & I pounded hard with his Spider Bane Two-Handed Sword +2 & my Bastard Sword +1/+3 versus Shape Changers while the Demon Knight used a Scimitar +2. I finally landed the blow that killed him & he collapsed in a heap. We’d defeated the evil in this place, as Islanne’s spirit attested & we made our way out of there. We had defeated Durlag’s Tower. Sure, a few monsters will wander back in here & a few here & there, e.g., the Winter Wolves in the Ice Chamber escaped our blades. Headed back to Nashkel we were attacked by six Wild Dogs & finished them too.
CLAIRE PROVIDES AMPLE WARNING
PREPARING FOR WHAT LIES BEHIND DOOR #1
INITIAL ASSAULT
BATTLING TOE TO TOE WITH THE DEMON KNIGHT
ISLANNE CONFIRMS OUR WORK HERE IS COMPLETE
I would like to celebrate & relax a little bit tonight. I’m disappointed though that Branwen ended our relationship. Said she couldn’t concentrate in battle worrying about my safety & that, caring for me made her feel uncommitted fully to Tempus. Oh well, she’s definitely remains my priestess & most trusted partner in a fight. Imoen, of course, is my most trusted advisor.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 8,047 Gold) Armor/Weapons: Scimitar +2 (sold) Gems/JewelryGold: 5,700 GP; 2,297 GP; 1,130 GP; 980 GP; 582 GP; Emerald, Diamond, Moonbar Gym, Sphene Gym x2; Pearl; Potions: Potions of Free Action; Speed x4; Fire Giant Strength x2, Frost Giant Strength x2); Scrolls: Scroll of Blur
Current Disposition: Resting @ the FAI after trips to Nashkel & Beregost enroute back to Ulgoth’s Beard.
Next Steps: Back to Ulgoth’s Beard to return the Soul Taker to the Dwarf
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Greater Doppelganger)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Phase Spider) (Paladin )
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Unfortunately, the break I had planned for us was interrupted as soon as we marched back into the city w/the dust of Durlag’s Castle on our boots. We were ambushed as we walked into town by a Cult Enforcer, two Cult Guards in Splint Mail w/Bastard Swords, two Cult Assassins w/Studded leather & Short Sword & two Cult Archers w/Longbows & Studded Leather. I didn’t know @ the time but these attackers belonged to the Cult of a Demon. We defeated the Cultists in a prolonged battle but somehow one of them pickpocketed the dagger the Dwarf in the Ulgoth’s Beard Inn had wanted. When I told the Dwarf what had happened, he immediately knew that we were attacked by a Cult that was trying to summon a Demon, named Aec’Letec. I’d read that name in Durlag’s Tower. He asked us to find the Cult before they could summon the Demon. We started investigating Ulgoth’s beard & it wasn’t hard to find another Cult Guard standing in front of a storehouse, obviously blocking the entrance. Since time was of the essence, I pressed him & in a second there was another group of Cultists, similar to those that ambushed us earlier but this time there were five Cult Guards in Splint Mail w/Bastard Swords & two Cult Archers w/Longbows & Studded Leather. The Cult Guards were no pushover but we finally defeated them. After the battle, we weren’t ready to rush the door so we went back to the Inn & rested. In retrospect, I should have had a guard at the door to the Inn to make sure we weren’t ambushed it turned out not to be necessary.
After a brief respite, we rushed the storehouse door in our attack ‘V’ formation w/me on point. Waiting for us just inside the door were a Cult Enforcer; A Cult Mage, A Cult Guard, two more Cult Assassin’s & a Cult Archer. I focused on the Enforcer & the Mage. Imoen blasted the Enforcer w/two Magic Missiles Minsc went into a Rage & picked targets of his choosing as did Ajantis. Branwen used Silence 15’ Radius to try to prevent the Mage & the Enforcer from casting spells. The two Cult Assassins were working the edges dangerously & the Cult Archer was starting to cause problems in the ranks. Defeating the Cult Enforcer left the Cult Mage open & we cut him down easily. Then we worked to bring down the other three, which we did. The Cult Assassins were also a handful. And, so again, I had no choice but to rest as we were beaten up quite a bit. There was a stairway that led down to a lower level. That would be next.
Key Event: Knowing we would likely have a fight as soon as we were down the stairs we took the time to cast protection spells, use innate abilities & quaff potions. If there was nothing down there, we’d rather be safe than sorry, we all agreed. But there was: a Cult Priestess & more Cult Guards in hooded habits but still wearing Splint Mail w/Bastard Swords. Each Cult Guard carried a Potion of Heroism. We had no time to react before the Cult Priestess ‘broke the tagger’ & released a rather powerful Chasme.
This battle made me appreciate my upbringing & studies in Candlekeep for two reasons. First, because I knew what type of Demon we were dealing with immediately. A Chasme is a large, fly-like Demon w/buzzing wings & six limbs, two of which end in long, thin fingered hands. They are Tanar’ri. Tanar’ri are the dominant sub-type of demon, the other being the Obyriths. By far, the most Demons Lords are Tanar’ri. Tanar’ri were originally created by the Obyriths as slaves but eventually became so numerous that they revolted & overthrew the Obyriths. The original Prince of Demon’s was, Obox-Ob, an Obyrith, but when the Tanar’ri overthrew the Obyriths, Demogorgon took his place. This Chasme, Aec’Letec, is not a demon lord but Chasme are known to carve out small territories for themselves in the Abyss & other planes. There they act out the role of minor demon lords. That’s what Aec’Letec had done here. The other thing my studies taught me is that Chasme are especially susceptible to the spell Cloudkill. Quayle had one scroll. What I forgot in my haste was that if you kill a demon & there is another host nearby, they will possess that body if they can. In this case, Aec’Letec died almost as soon as the Cloudkill exploded but suddenly there were five or six duplicates of him, one for each Cult Guard nearby. My retinue fought their hearts out but they were dropping one by one. I started parrying the Chasme, working them back through the cloud & sure enough, one by one, they dropped until all were dead. Each time they died, their corpse melted into pools of black, tarlike ichor.Quayle & I were the only survivor’s but Quayle fell after the battle to his own Cloudkill. The battle was won but @ great cost, although all my companions could be raised, & later were by Galena Mirrorshade. This Chasme had grown powerful, using a Death Gaze others don’t have so he’d morphed somewhat from a normal Chasme in his time as a ‘minor demon lord’. Two Demon’s in the span of a week. Wow.
AEC'LETEC EVERYWHERE!
AEC'LETEC NOWHERE!!
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 252 gold – 4000 GP to raise my companions) Armor/Weapons: Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Fire Opal Ring; 100GP; Potions: Scrolls:
Current Disposition: I’ve returned us to Ulgoth’s Beard.
Next Steps: When we were headed to the cult, a mage-like man blurted out that he wanted help with another task. I plan to see what he is offering.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Greater Doppelganger)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Phase Spider) (Paladin )
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Key Event: We started our exploration & immediately stumbled on, & defeated, two Winter Wolves. Then things started getting tough. Imoen was conducting her usual Find/Remove Traps & used her innate Invisibility to scout the hallways & rooms before coming back to give me the results of her reconnaissance. She came upon a mage-like figure (Mage/11) & returned to warn me. I organized us for combat but didn’t want to get caught in the passages or move forward into the room he was in, fearing traps yet undetected. There turned out to be a second mage (Fighter/Mage 8/8). We tried to lure the first into an open room where the bulk of the party was, so when he saw Imoen, he followed but not all the way into the room. Quayle cast a Scroll of Dispel Magic while Branwen cast Silence 15’ Radius right where we stood. He still got a spell off while Imoen simultaneously blasted him w/innate Magic Missiles. The rest of us tried to get to him in the hallway, which we did, but Imoen got her best kill taking him out. Unfortunately, his Confusion spell affected her & Quayle. Quayle just kinda stood there throwing stones but Imoen wandered off down the hall where she’d originally seen the mage she just killed. The second mage hurt her enough to make knock her unconscious & took my ‘eyes & ears’ from me in a very difficult complex, undoubtedly heavily trapped. Having no way off the island, I knew we were in dire straits w/o her. We killed the other mage w/shear brutality as I surrounded him w/my warriors & crushed him. Branwen prayed to Tempest & adjusted her divine spells to carry three Find Traps spells.
We continued, staying left, as is SOP, & after destroying another Winter Wolf, soon entered a cavern full of four Ankheg’s & another mage (Fighter/Thief 9/9). As usual, we drew some of the Ankheg’s away & destroyed them piecemeal before destroying the last of them & their mage.
Moving on, another Mage (Fighter/Mage 8/8) blocked our way in another chamber. It became obvious that all these mages desperately wanted off of this Island. It seems their magical powers of teleportation actually draw them here & they can’t escape. This particular mage said his name, actually I think they all did at least once. He fired Melf’s Acid Arrows & I really can’t remember as I write this what happened except that I know my fighters & warriors pummeled him but not w/o once again losing one of my companions to unconsciousness. This time it was Quayle. Now I have two companions to take to Nalin or another priest because even though they’re unconscious, it will take a Raise Dead or Resurrection Spell, not a Potion of Healing or a similar spell to revive them. Ajantis dropped the killing blade on this mage, scoring his best kill so far.
Now down to just four us, we destroyed another Winter Wolf before confronting a Gnome Mage (type/level u/k). He was a handful but we were finally able to bring him down. Immediately around the corner we battled & grabbed the pelts from three more Winter Wolves.
We found a lower level, a complex of caves, unfinished as they were on the previous level. This level contained nine Winter Wolves in various caverns throughout. (Note: I always opt for Ice island restoration in my modifications but this is the first time it was there to explore).
We finished up our adventure here when yet again we came across a hostile mage (Fighter/Mage 8/8/) in these caverns who was accompanied by three Mountain Bears. Once again, the four of us took them out w/ease & then cleaned out the rest of the caves bagging three more Winter Wolves. The mage had the Cloak that our benefactor had wanted so we were ready to make haste out of here. Once we were three we ascended & were teleported back to Ulgoth’s Beard where we wasted no time leaving for Beregost to purchase Raise Dead spells for our companions, sell our loot, e.g. Winter Wolf pelts @ High Hedge & identify some treasure, especially a Robe of the Evil Arch-Magi. We returned to Ulgoth’s Beard & gave the mage his cloak to little fanfare or gratitude.
RETRIEVING THE CLOAK
Treasure of Note: (Purse =7,191 gold) Armor/Weapons: Robe of the Evil Arch-Magi (sold); Gems/Jewelry/Gold: 12 Winter Wolf Pelts; 103 GP; Potions: Scrolls: Speed; Protection from Evil
Current Disposition: Crammed into the Inn @ Ulgoth’s Beard
Next Steps: Isle of Balduran
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/8; HP91; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/10); HP44; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Andris)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/8): HP48; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Cuchol) (Paladin )
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
We shortly realized it was an island & it was obvious the folks there were, at best, very suspicious of our presence. Everyone we spoke to told us we need to see the Headwoman, Kaishas. Around from fishing hut to storehouse to bunkhouse we looked until finally we found Kaishas. She told us, they too, were shipwrecked here long ago & had developed into this walled compound. They’d developed the wall & not repaired their ship because of men wolves on the north side of the island where the ship ran ashore. They couldn’t rebuild a ship on the south side of the island b/c of the rocks & a reef that lay nearby. She eventually got around to asking if we might kill the beasties on the north side of the Island, including their leader, Karoug. We agreed, thinking we were doing a good thing for these poor people trapped on this island. And so we headed north.
Bottom line, the north side of the Island was populated w/Wolfwere everywhere. These things are really tough w/vicious claws & a nasty bite & they keep coming w/o fear no matter how wounded they are. We worked the north of the island, resting often, luckily undisturbed. We killed thee Wolfwere &, shortly after, a Brown Bear before things got more challenging. After a rest in the SW corner of the north island, I had Quayle use Invisibility 10’ Radius on us & we moved out only to go a short distance before we came across a pair of mated Dire Wolves w/a pair of mated Wolves that we beat easily. Then we were approached by a man w/a Composite Longbow who said he & some friends were being attacked just east of where we were. We followed him into a trap. When we found him he was alone & we questioned where the battle was. He replied, “The Battle is here” & we were suddenly ambushed by four Wolfwere not to mention the man w/the Composite Bow. One of the Wolfwere was huge & by the time we killed them all, Quayle had been injured badly enough that he slipped into unconsciousness. My plan to approach this mission using Quayle’s invisibility spells was now severely challenged b/c, though Imoen has some innate abilities, they are far inferior to Quayle’s.
I had the five of us trudge on – we still had our four bruisers & Imoen had quivers full of enchanted arrows: Arrows +2; Biting; Ice; Acid; even Piercing. While there, we defeated four Brown Bears, five Black Bears, two more pairs of mated Dire Wolves & another pair of mated Wolves as well as a group of three Worgs & two Dread Wolves. After killing a man w/a Longbow who we’d spoken with. He seemed a little suspicious, so Ajantis used Detect Evil on him & got a positive result. Fearing he might attack us later or warn others of our presence, I chose to eliminate the threat. Our next difficult confrontation was w/the Sirine Queen. We’d spoken to someone in the village (we couldn’t remember who) about a witch that had put a spell on their brother. The brother lay dead, just behind the Sirine, so we figured we were in the right place. Unfortunately, she was good w/her Charm & Dire Charm spells & we were not able to get to her instantly. She charmed both Branwen & Ajantis & while Branwen just stood still, Ajantis chased us until the spell wore off. We were finally able to move back toward her & Branwen had started casting a spell @ her. She charmed Branwen again & we stayed back but once the spell wore off we attacked & cut the Sirine to pieces.
We killed three Wolfwere & two Dread Wolves that were together on the east coast of farthest northern point of the north island before we found the ship we’d been looking for. Deciding to rest before assaulting what we expected would be a beehive, we headed toward our favorite resting spot on this side of the island. On the way, we found a house & entered to find a Cleric/Mage named Dradeel. Obviously not in league w/the Wolfwere, apparently he’d lost his Spellbook & wanted us to find it in the ship, likely w/Karoug. In the meantime, he’d prayed & become a Cleric of Selune so he was a strong figure w/his spellbook but not so much as a Cleric. We agreed to help him & he gave us a Wolfsbane Amulet to aid us. We headed to our resting place but we were approached by a woman who claimed her son was killed by the beasts. Everyone’s sixth sense was up this time as we followed her northwest until she stopped. Sure enough, her son was a Large Wolfwere & she was of the regular size. We were ready for the ambush & we killed them quickly. Blessedly, it was @ this moment that Branwen was suddenly bathed in a blinding light…Tempus has made her a High Priestess. This gave her the spell Raise Dead so after a rest we were back in business when Branwen raised Quayle to us. After that, we killed another six Wolfwere in miscellaneous encounters…
Key Event: …& then entered the ship & we were all right in thinking it would be a beehive. The Orloc Deck contained a Wolfwere w/two Vampiric Wolves, two Dread Wolves, two Dire Wolves, two Worgs & two Wolves. I think that was the count anyway. Afterward, we rested just outside near the bow of the ship to watch the entrance for Wolfwere, Wolves, et al., that might return but none did. After resting the Orloc Deck was empty so we moved up to the Lower Deck where the where we battled w/two Huge Wolfwere, five Wolfwere & two Vampiric Wolves. But these fights were hard so we were forced to rest again in the same location. Next it was upward to the Middle Deck where the encounter was the same: two Huge Wolfwere, five Wolfwere & two Vampiric Wolves &, once again we were beat up enough that we were tired, cut up & had cast spells in the battle so we needed rest before heading upward to the Upper Deck. When we finally decided to go up another level, we encountered Karoug, his lover (a human mage) & another Wolfwere. We drew them down to the Orloc Deck & outside…& they came. The female mage went down easily & then it was a Wolfwere & a massive Greater Wolfwere (Karoug). The Wolfwere was tougher than normal b/c Karoug was tearing @ us too. Focusing on killing one @ a time we finally killed the ‘lesser’ of the two & then spent an eternity trying to kill Karoug. Ajantis, Branwen, Minsc & I all had to back off & heal @ one time or another while the other three continued the attack. Imoen cast innate Magic Missiles before switching to Arrows of Biting while Quale cast everything he could dish out. Finally, with the aid of the Wolfsbane Charm I landed a crushing blow that killed him. We found Balduran’s Logbook that Mendas wanted & The Sword of Balduran, a wicked sword for fighting Lycanthrope.
ONE CUT, 50 HPS DAMAGE & KNIGHTHOOD
We returned to south side of the island to bring the happy news to Kaishas & the villagers. Instead she dropped the news that we’d contracted Lycanthrope & were now welcome in the village…but she was taking the sea charts & leaving. Her advisor suddenly turned into a Werewolf and attacked us after arguing w/Kaishas that we shouldn’t be allowed to stay, that we weren’t like them. Luckily, Werewolves are a lot easier, I mean a lot easier, to deal w/than Wolfwere so we killed him w/ease only to find an entire village of full of Werewolves waiting for us when we left the building. Everyone we met immediately shape changed into a Werewolf & attacked us. We started killing them as they changed & killed everyone in the village we could find finishing w/25 Werewolf kills. Dradeel suddenly appeared & directed us to a secret door that led to a cave complex that he said would lead us to the ship & Kaishas. He warned us that the tunnels were dangerous & sure enough we had to kill 12 more Werewolves before finding a beach….& the ship. There we found Kaishas & thought maybe we could leave together but she turned into a Loup Garou & attacked us. We killed her, grabbed the sea charts & boarded the ship, sans a crew. Together we got the ship, somehow, to Ulgoth’s Beard where we were met by Mendas’ assistant who was angry when we didn’t return w/Kaishas. He said Mendas was going to be upset but I couldn’t see how, I brought him the Logbook as he paid me to do. Turns out he was very pissed b/c he turned out to be Kaishas husband & his name wasn’t Mendas but Saleed Gan & he too was a Loup Garou & his partner, a Huge Werewolf. My retinue & I were fed up w/Lycanthrope & people changing into Wolfwere & Werewolves & these two didn’t stand a chance. We smashed the huge one first & crushed the Loup Garou. We cleaned out his treasure & headed for the inn. Finally!
Treasure of Note: (Purse =11,722 gold) Armor/Weapons: Sword of Balduran; Wolfsbane Charm; Gems/Jewelry/Gold: 980 GP; Pearl Necklace; 423 GP; ; Pearl x4; 308 GP; Moonbar Gym; 100 GP; Potions: Speed; Scrolls:
Current Disposition: Spending a last night @ the Inn in Ulgoth’s Beard
Next Steps: I’m leading us back to Baldur’s Gate…it’s time I faced my accusers!
Level Up:
• Branwen’s God, Tempus, has endowed her w/greater power making her a High Priestess of Tempus (Cleric/9) & added another Command, a second Silence 15’ Radius & Raise Dead to her already available spells. She immediately Raised Quayle back to our company.
• Imoen, out from under the umbrella of her Charming Rogue’s Guild, continues to hone her skills & is now more skilled than many Guildmaster’s/mistresses at Thief/11. She’s added a 3rd Set Snare & increased her primary Thieving Skills to Find/Remove Traps & Open Locks @ 100% & Move/Silently & Hide in Shadow @ 73% & 87% (w/her Shadow Armor).
• Gawain: After the mission, I was @ Ulgoth’s Beard when that mysterious stranger from a while back, the one w/the skins & leather garments w/a scraggly beard, gently woke me while the others were sleeping. He led me out of Ulgoth’s Beard Inn. Even the innkeeper & a sole drunken commoner had dozed off so we headed outside unnoticed. Around the side of the inn in the darkness was another man, a knight w/a huge shield, I could make out the outline of a dragon on it. I was wide awake but I felt no fear, no alarm. The first, man, introduced the other as Arthur. Arthur spoke softly & told me he’d been keeping tabs on my travels & my actions which he described a Chivalrous. Arthur said he needed men like me & wanted to honor me. He asked me to kneel & I found myself doing so. He knighted me but was guarded about the service required of me. He said when the time was right, he would call for my service. Until then, he said, “continue being a knight, Chivalrous & true. At the time, I couldn’t remember the place the unkempt, mage-like man had mentioned to me the first time I saw him @ the Red Sheaf…later I remembered it was Camelot. I am now a Lord (Fighter/9). My retinue somehow knew the next morning, without knowing anything about my encounter w/Arthur, they began to refer to me as, Sir Gawain!
SIR GAWAIN RECORD
SIR GAWAIN INVENTORY
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/9; HP105; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Sword of Balduran; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Demon Knight)
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/11); HP48; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword +1* Dagger +1*, (Andris)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/8); HP68; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/9): HP52; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North & Wolfsbane Amulet; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Sirine Queen) (Paladin )
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
The Duke gave us damning documents that laid out Sarevok’s true intentions & told us to find the assassin’s Slythe & Kristen in the Undercellars. Not knowing where these were, we took a shot that we’d find them in the sewers. Sure enough, we wound around in them until we finally walked right into a thriving brothel. We were invisible, as usual, so we were able to scout the entire place w/o notice but we noticed Slythe although we didn’t see Kristen. I finally decided to reveal myself to Slythe which brought Kristen out of her own invisibility. As soon as Slythe reacted we pummeled him. Kristen put up a better fight than her husband but Imoen’s Magic Missiles & Arrows of Biting & Branwen Dispel Magic allowed us to get to her & take her out. She’d gotten off a Cloudkill spell but before it had much affect Branwen countered w/ Zone of Sweet Air.
BATTLE IN THE UNDERCELLAR
With invitations to the coronation of Sarevok as a new Duke, in place of Entar Silvershield who’d been assassinated by Slythe & Kristen, I led us to the Ducal Palace the following day. I planned to expose Sarevok for who he really is & what he intends using the documents provided by Duke Eltan. Only one of us, Imoen approached the guard & presented our invitations, the rest being invisible. Once we went inside, Imoen used her innate Invisibility so that we could move around undetected. The ceremony began & then an argument broke out between Duke Belt & Sarevok when Sarevok immediately overstepped him bounds. Suddenly, ~ eight Greater Doppelgangers shape changed from what had appeared to be nobles, aslo there for the coronation. Duke Belt, Duchess Liia & about 12 Flaming Fist Mercenaries, joined us in destroying the Greater Doppelganger’s before suddenly, @ the death of the last, Sarevok lost his temper & it was on. Unfortunately, he was teleported out before we could finish him.
BATTLE IN THE DUCAL PALACE
Duke Belt knew where Sarevok would go & he aided us in chasing him by teleporting us to his trail. We ended up in the local Thieves’ Guild (not Imoen’s type, Charming Rogue’s, but just a motley crew of thieves). We spoke to one of them, who told us that Sarevok had just torn thru & headed into the Thieves’ Maze. Wasting no time, we took off after him but were far behind & had to fight thru two Green Slimes, two Mustard Jelly’s, two Ochre Jellies, two Grey Ooze; two Doom Guards; three Skeleton Warriors; a Battle Horror & a Skeleton Warrior before we found where Sarevok had exited the maze. His mentor, now cast aside, lay wounded at the door he escaped thru. Winski, by name, told me of my relationship to Sarevok & laid out his plans for me. We left Winski alive & headed down to a city beneath the city, aptly named The Undercity. We patrolled the entire place, quickly finding the building that had to be where Sarevok was holed up. The gig was up & he had nowhere to go. As we performed our reconnaissance, we ran across & killed, 16 Ghasts; 10 Skeleton’s w/Composite Longbows; three Ghouls; six Skeleton’s w/Mace & Buckler; six Skeleton’s w/Warhammer & Buckler; four Skelton Warriors, three w/Two-Handed Swords, one w/Composite Longbow & Arrows of Ice. During this last battle, Ajantis was killed by the last one standing & Branwen cast Raise Dead on him, then we healed him the best we could. Wounded, we wanted to rest in place but I knew we’d be better off closer to the exit where we’d come in just in case something attacked our weakened group while resting (Note: I knew I was walking us into a tough fight, all wounded, but what I did is what I would have done normally, so I’d be using foreknowledge to save myself if I rested elsewhere – I always rest where we can get off the map if necessary). So we headed that way & we came across Iron Throne Assassin’s who’d been sent for Sarevok but decided to try us on first. There were two warriors in Plate Mail; a Rogue type; an Ogre & two Mages. One of them, was shooting Arrows of Detonation & w/the explosion, he took out Quail & a still weakened Ajantis. After that, we won the battle relatively easily with help from Branwen’s Silence 10’ Radius & Dispel Magic spells reducing the threat of the two mages. Once the battle was over, we collected up our fallen comrades’ equipment & headed back to the city to rest & allow Branwen to cast Raise Dead on them. On the way, a warrior named Tamako approached us as we passed Sorcerous Sundries (w/o Quayle we weren’t invisible – Imoen has Invisibility 10’ Radius but had already used it so we walked exposed). Tamako wanted to tell us something but wouldn’t spill the beans just yet, inviting me to meet her later @ the FF HQs. After Branwen’s had done her work & we’d rested, I headed there & talked w/her while everyone else stood near, invisible. Evidently she was Sarevok’s lover & wanted to rescue him from his mad desire to become the God of Murder & make him ‘Sarevok the man’, so she could love him & care for him. She wanted me to promise not to kill him & I said I’d do my best.
QUAYLE & BRANWEN BICKERING - QUAYLE WINS THIS ROUND
WHATEVER HAPPENED, I KNEW THIS WAS GOODBYE
After that, I wasted no time getting back to the Thieves’ Maze & back to the Undercity where we finished our reconnaissance external to the building killing six more Skeleton’s w/Warhammer & Buckler & three Ghouls before we ran into Tamako again…but she was hostile this time. We killed her easily.
Key Event: It was time to attack the Temple of Bhaal as it turned out to be. We rested nearby, & then prepared for our assault. Knowing what I thought lay beyond the door we prepared best we could, exactly like we did when we killed the Demon Knight. Spells, potions, innate abilities, whatever we had that could aid each other or ourselves we tried to don before we entered. Unfortunately, we pussyfooted around & lost some of our protections before the battle ever began. Imoen, invisible, as were we all, slipped around to the left to see what lay ahead but she wasn’t focusing on traps & set off a Lightning Bolt that hurt her pretty badly. She then backed off & started focusing on traps but even w/her skill, she couldn’t Remove Traps on a bunch of them that were spread around a huge Symbol of Bhaal that was in the center of the room. Imoen, went forward again, invisible & still injured. She made eye contact w/ Saravok & he could obviously Detect Invisibility b/c he called her out. She responded by firing an Arrow of Piercing that missed but the fight was on. Sarevok called to “Angelo, Tazok & (someone else)” & suddenly it was a little warm in there – really. One of them cast Web & another Cloudkill but all of us, except Quayle, got away. Quayle was injured & fell unconscious. I decided to fight my half-brother & I asked Minsc to go after the mages in the Web w/Spider’s Bane. Branwen managed to cast Dispel magic & Silence 15’ Radius, I think but I was focused on Sarevok & next I noticed she, Imoen, Quayle & Ajantis were all so badly wounded they’d slipped into unconscious from loss of blood. It was up to Minsk & I to finish the deal. I was landing solid blows against Sarevok while he wasn’t able to reciprocate. Our biggest problem was that there was, I guess, a Warrior/Mage that was protected in a spell & firing Arrows of Detonation & another kind that I thought was electricity based as it looked like Minsc was getting hit by Lightning Bolts but they didn’t to bounce around after…luckily w/his Boots of Grounding, Minsc is very resistant to lightning. I’m pretty much resistant to fire w/my Ring of Protection from Fire & Helm of Defense. I kept overpowering Sarevok & had landed four or five solid blows & he was weakening slowly but surely. Minsc separated from the fight a bit to quaff Potions of Healing, & while successful, he also woke up a Battle Horror in the corner. After healing a bit, he avoided the Battle Horror & came back over to aid in the main fight. He still couldn’t land much on the Warrior/Mage so I hollered @ him to help me w/Sarevok. Tazok was standing beside me but couldn’t land a blade on me which allowed me to continue all my focus on Sarevok. Minsc & I pounded away & finally killed Sarevok!!! As soon as we did Tazok headed for the door & when I looked up the Warrior/Mage & his cohort were dead too. We offed the Battle Horror, collected everything from our fallen that Minsc & I could carry & headed back to the city to Raise Branwen so she could Raise the others, which she did.
FINAL BATTLE WITH SAREVOK
FINISHING THE LAST ENEMY, A BATTLE HORROR
This will be my last journal for a while. Imoen & I are headed south to Athkatla & I Minsc is going to join us rather than return to Rasheman. Ajantis will travel w/us too, as he to go back to The Order of the Radiant Heart to report completion of his mission to prove himself as a Paladin by defeating the Bandit’s in & around Baldur’s Gate. He did a whole lot more than that. Quayle, I think, is going to Athkatla also but I don’t expect him to stay with us once we get there. He says he has a niece there that he needs to spend some time with. Funny, that doesn’t seem like him @ all but family changes us & he obviously misses her. Sadly, Branwen decided, not unexpectedly, to return to her home of Seawolf in the Norheim Isles. I’ll miss my former lover & battle partner.
Treasure of Note: (Final Purse = 6,293 gold) Armor/Weapons: Short Sword of Backstabbing (Imoen); Helm of Charm Protection (Ajantis); Full Plate Armor (Ajantis); Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Black Opal; Potions: Scrolls: Cone of Cold, Fireball
Current Disposition: Resting, one last time, at out little inn in S BG.
Next Steps: Travel to Amn, to Athkatla & take some time to recuperate. We’ve been on the road over a year since I left Baldur’s Gate w/Gorion.
Level Up: As the final blow fell on Sarevok, Minsc suddenly & clearly improved himself to a whole other level as a Barbarian (9).
MINSC FINAL RECORD AFTER ADVANCEMENT
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/9; HP105; Full Plate w/Large Shield +2, Cloak of Protection +2, Helm of Defense, Boots of Grounding, Girdle of Bluntness, Rings of Fire Resistance & Free Action; Sword of Balduran; Bastard Sword +1/+3****, Mace +2, (SSS**) (Sarevok)
SIR GAWAIN FINAL RECORD
SIR GAWAIN FINAL INVENTORY
• Imoen: Thief (Charming Rogue/11); HP48; Shadow Armor, Cloak of Non-Detection & Gandolar’s Lucky Ring w/Short Bow*, Short Sword of Backstabbing* Dagger +1*, (Andris)(Thief Def)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9); HP76; Splint Mai w/Boots of Avoidance, Girdle of Bluntness &Spiders Bane***, Flail 1 x x2/THWS**(Spellcaster Defend)(Davaeorn)
MINSC FINAL INVENTORY
• Quayle: Mage (Illusionist/9); HP20; Bracers of Defense AC6, Sling* & Dagger +2*, Ring of Energy, Necklace of Missiles, (Chess Queen)(Wizard Defensive)
• Branwen: Cleric (Priestess of Tempus/9): HP52; Full Plate +1 (Plate of the Dark) w/Large Shield +1, Gauntlet’s of Dexterity, Kiel’s Helmet & Mace +1*; Warhammer*; (SSS*);(Fuernebol)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Ajantis: Fighter/(Paladin/8); HP47; Full Plate w/Medium Shield, Boots of the North, Helm of Charm Protection & Wolfsbane Amulet; L/Sword +1** x2, Mace** (SSS**)(Sirine Queen) (Paladin )
LEAVING THE TEMPLE OF BHAAL BEHIND
Mods Used: HardTimes-v2; BG1UB_v12; bg1npc-v20; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; level1npcs-v1.9; bg2_tweaks-v14; Randomizer-v68; scs-v21 (- Tactical Challenges)
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Seriously, a formidable effort! And not just a 'completionist no-reload' run, but a roleplayed one at that!
I'm very much looking forward to reading about Sir Gawain's exploits in Amn...
Next thing I remember is waking up with Imoen urging me to hurry & realizing that I was in a cell like a giant iron wrought bird cage – except for humanoids. I had a splitting headache and my body ached everywhere w/pains of every type.
Immediate confusion reigned in the worst way. Imoen told me we were captives & that Minsc was also nearby in another cage. As soon as she said that, Jaheira’s death passed clearly before my eyes; & then Dynahier’s, & Khalid’s, & Coran’s. All of them died right in front of me…in front of both of us? What a painful succession of memories to become aware of upon waking into a fog. Where the in the Nine Hells were we anyway? It was like waking from a dream in a dream. Minsc was there though, captive in a cell w/no door. He too, was confused & talked of someone killing Dynahier as if it had happened recently. Dynahier was the first of us to fall – to a Sirine’s Arrow of Biting months ago. In his rage & my confusion, he suddenly just tore the bars to his cell apart as if they were vines. Imoen said she thought there was equipment in the next room but it wasn’t ours she didn’t think.
Imoen urged me on so I followed her to room w/the equipment. There was a motionless Golem the in the room & I kept fearing he’d attack every time we touched something, especially when Imoen Removed a trap in the wall behind a picture. In the room was a Two-Handed Sword & a set of Chain Mail for Minsc; an enchanted Dagger, Short Sword & a set of Studded Leather for Imoen. I found a set of Splint mail, a Small Shield & a Mace since there was no Bastard Sword which is my weapon of Grand Mastery.
And so, there we were, the three of us, who knows where, all confused, in a room full of bird cages meant for men, looking down an unknown passage….hoping it was the way out.
NO CLUE WHAT'S NEXT!
Key Event: I’m exhausted & can’t pen anything more tonight. Suffice to say, Imoen has now been kidnapped by some mages called the Cowled Wizards. Darkness follows me still. I need to rest my brain but I’ll write of everything we’ve experienced in the last three/four days when I wake. Lot’s has happened…lots.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,936 gold) Armor/Weapons: Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Potions: Scrolls:
Current Disposition: In this inhere in the Bridge District. I don’t know the name but I did when we arrived. I have some new companions, all approached me in a shady inn in the Slums. However, I think I have a good group of followers.
Next Steps: To find Imoen my only lead requires 20,000 gold so I’m trying to raise the gold. There’s a young mage/rogue type w/my now who wants me to help her w/some problems on her land, which I agreed to do. There have also been some grisly murders here in the district & there’s some energy around digging into that first.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 20 – Heroic)
• Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Splint Mail w/Medium Shield, Ring of Protection +1, Girdle of Bluntness & Bastard Sword*****
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/8, (HP51); Splint Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, (Mace**, THWS**)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*
• Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/10, (HP54); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Short Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
We tumbled onto a floor in a room w/another mirror but more remarkable b/c I found another follower, or at least someone else who wanted out of here. His name was Yoshimo & I’m not sure his exact skills but I’m sure he hails from Kara-Tur, east of Faerûn on Toril. Between Kara-Tur and Faerûn stretches the Hordelands for hundreds of miles. (I actually have him kitted as a Ninja as I have Valygar kitted as a Samurai). Yoshima joined w/us & was able to give us the information to pass thru the next two rooms. The next contained Ice Mephit, Magma Mephit, Radiant Mephit & four Mephit Portals. The portals, themselves, had to be knocked out b/c they produced the Mephits one after another just as Yoshimo had told us they would. Continuing we found another room w/those tanks filled w/liquid but these all contained clones of the same woman. One of them had escaped & was fighting an assassin, who she dispatched before turning on us. Sadly we killed the Clone. It then became trial & error looking for a passage out. We killed Ice Mephit & Assassin & then six Goblins, two w/Short Bow & Short Sword & four w/Short Sword, an assassin. The next room was trapped galore but we’d been picking up those keys I mentioned. There was a Duerger & an assassin in the middle of the room but they were killed by the traps. Imoen worked along the left wall unlocking one wand @ a time, we had five of six we needed but Imoen showed us how to skirt the one we didn’t. Then we found a room off of that one on the center left wall. Two assassins, one a mage were fighting a Vampiress. We helped the mage @ first as her companion was dead & we weren’t yet sure she was an assassin. We killed the Vampiress & then had to kill the mage when she attacked us. On the other side of the room was another forge room w/six Goblins, four w/Battle Axes & two w/Short Bow & Short Sword which we dispatched. Off to left in another alcove we four Duerger’s, two w/magic ability. I was incapacitated w/a Horror Spell while Imoen, Minsc & Yoshimo dusted them. When I finally got my wits, they’d gathered the loot & we moved to another room opposite the room w/the Vampiress. There were two rooms, one w/some fat, weird little dude begging us to get him out w/a key in a nearby chest. We loaded up on some loot but the fat guy stayed right up our butts the whole time until he turned into a Doppelganger & gave his life for his trouble. Finally we found the tunnel that led to a room w/three Assassins one of whom accused us of being Shadow Thieves. We couldn’t convince them we just wanted out so we killed them before finding a staircase @ the far end of the room with a passage way leading up above ground where there was obviously a battle raging.
Key Event: At first there were what turned out to be Shadow Thieves attacking the Mage Irenicus. He blasted them & Imoen, in her rage, blasted him w/her Magic Missiles when suddenly a bunch of unknown mages appeared. The later turned out to be the Cowled Wizards. Before I knew it, they arrested Irenicus, who appeared to go of his own accord & insisted that Imoen go too. Poof. She was gone, they all were. This all happened so quickly, my mind is still in Baldur’s Gate & yet my body is what I now know to be Athkatla & my best & oldest friend is captive to a mysterious group of wizards.
IMOEN & IRENICUS BATTLING; TAKEN BY THE COWLED WIZARDS
We got into Athkatla, unloaded our loot, & tried to find an inn w/room for the three of us in Waukeen’s Promenade but couldn’t. We had to head through an area called The Slums where we were approached by a man named Gaelan who said he could help me find Imoen. We had to follow him to his house where he offered to introduce us to the Shadow Thieves for only 20k gold. In the end I see no option right now. He had his nephew take us to a place called the Copper Coronet where I was able to find three adventurer’s to help me find the gold I needed. The first is, Auren Aseph of the Fighter/Apprentice Class & has already shown her incredible skill w/a long sword. The second is a noble w/Rogue skills but is dressed as a mage, her name is Nalia. She is anxious to get our help in ridding her land of some attackers. The last called himself a Warrior Cleric (Watcher of Helm). They all seem to be safe to travel with. We finally found a room in a place called the Bridge District, where we were informed by the Captain of the Guard that some grisly murders had been taking place there of late. Nalia seemed to think we needed to help them out despite her desire to get home & save her land.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,936 gold) Armor/Weapons: Bastard Sword +1 (Gawain); Dagger +1 (Imoen); Quarter Staff +1 (sold); Helm of Infravision (sold); Bracers of Defense AC8 (sold); Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2 (Minsc); Girdle of Bluntness (Gawain)Splint Mail x3 (Minsc & I, one sold); three sets of Chain Mail; Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Laeral’s Tear Necklace; Potions: Extra Healing x11; Scrolls: Dispel Magic; Fireball; Wands: five: Frost, Monster Summoning, Cloudkill…
Current Disposition: Resting @ Mae’Vars Guildhall in the Bridge District
Next Steps: Nalia seems to want to help solve the murders in Athkatla, despite wanting to get to her lands ASAP. We’ll start here & if she gets antsy, we’ll head there & return. Right now I need gold to try & find Imoen.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 12 – Average)
• Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Splint Mail w/Medium Shield, Ring of Protection +1, Girdle of Bluntness & Bastard Sword*****
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/8, (HP51); Splint Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, (Mace**, THWS**)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*
• Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/10, (HP54); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Short Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; X0black101 (Blackguard); MegaModKits v1.01L; NPC Haldimir NPC for BG2_v2; Sarah NPC Romance Mod_v4; NPC Angelo_v5; Tyris Flare NPC_v6; Auren Aseph NPC_v9; Gavin NPC for BG2_v20111125 Beta & Hotfix for Gavin for BG2_v20; Rogue Rebalancing; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Key Event: I headed to the Tanner’s Shop, Rejiek by name, & after letting him know we were looking into the murder’s we mentioned the Elephant Hide & he became hostile & spilled the beans. He immediately disappeared down some stairs but we had to follow carefully for fear of traps as Yoshimo reminded me. Luckily, Nalia is just as effective @ finding traps as Imoen & she cleaned ‘em up on the ground floor, the first lower floor & then made sure we got safely to a small underground dock w/a number of crates stacked around. A Mage & two Ghasts were also present & we quickly braced for battle. I quaffed a Potion of Speed so that I could close quickly on the Mage. Auren used her brutal & innate Bust ability while Nalia cast a Scroll of Dispel Magic & Anomen a Spell of Silence 10’ Radius around the Mage. Before we could do anything w/him he became Invisible or Teleported or something leaving the Ghasts which were easy enough…& an Assassin w/Potions of Invisibility Galore it seemed. Using Anomen’s innate True Seeing capability granted by Helm, we kept the Assassin visible until we could cut him down. We were too late to catch Rejeik.
BATTLE @ THE UNDERDOCK'S
We collected a small amount of decent loot for our troubles & reported back to Lieutenant Aegisfield who rewarded us & promised to hunt down Rejiek the Tanner. We found a note that indicates he might be headed to a place called Trademeet I think. I don’t know the names of places in Amn as well as those I knew nearer Candlekeep but Trademeet sounds familiar so I must have come across it somewhere in my library studies.
I realized something really weird today. I was trying to figure out the date when I started this journal. I asked Auren what date it was & she said it was 10 Mirtul 1369. How can that be? I know I left Candlekeep w/Gorion on 1 Mirtul 1369 during The Melting. Dynahier died, I know for sure, on 3 Hammer 1370, in Deepwinter, almost exactly eight months’ time when I left home. I defeated Sarevok on 22 Mirtul 1370, over a year after I left. It’s like time stood still while I adventured from North Amn to Ulgoth’s Beard & now I’m in Athkatla in the same month & year I left Candlekeep. I am extremely perplexed.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 9,025 gold) Armor/Weapons: Short Sword +1; Gems/Jewelry/Gold: Moonbar Gym, Water Opal, Black Opal x2; Bloodstone Amulet, Sphene Gym, 130 GP; Potions: Scrolls: Contingency; Wands:
Current Disposition: Resting @ the Five Flagon’s Inn in the Bridge District
Next Steps: Follow Nalia to her families keep
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 13 (+1) Average: Solved Bridge District Murders)
• Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Ring of Protection +1, Girdle of Bluntness & Bastard Sword*****
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/8, (HP51); Splint Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, (Mace**, THWS**)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*
• Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/10, (HP54); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Short Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*)
Mods Used: : BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Yoshimo, Ninja
Valygar; Samurai
Sarah, Beast Master
Auren Aseph, Apprentice (Great kit)
Tyris Flare, Amazon/Mage
Haldimir – Bladesinger
CT
Once we arrived @ De’Arnise Keep, Nalia let me know that the keep had been overrun w/Trolls. We spoke to Captain Arat, the Captain of the De’Arnise Guard who was in an outer palisade. He told us that if we could open the drawbridge he & his men could draw the Trolls out. From there, Nalia led us into the keep thru a secret entrance in the side of the wall, behind some hedges. There we met Daleson, obviously a servant that was well treated by Nalia, although he tried to keep up appearances. Daleson said, that in addition to Trolls, we should also be worried about some giant snake-like monsters that came w/the Trolls. He told Nalia her father had been alive that morning & that the largest Troll had had him taken down to the ‘cellar.’ He also warned us about some burrowing creatures that had made the initial entrance for the Trolls. He said they were very tough but could be sidetracked by food. So there it was. Rescue Nalia’s father first. Eventually Nalia told us the only way to get to the cellars could be reached through a secret door off of her Aunt’s room. We worked our way thru letting Nalia guide us. She led us in search of her father’s flail down some halls that led thru secret doors to an armory & a crypt. We were able to put part of the Flail securing an Acid head to it in a really nifty forge that worked via the will alone. Then we started making our way toward Nalia’s Aunt’s room, by-passing most everything in a haste to save her father. Before we found the basement we encountered & defeated, in order of toughness, a Yuan-Ti Mage, a Greater Yuan-Ti; an Otyugh, Two Giant Trolls, four Trolls (one which split into two smaller Trolls), Three Ice Trolls & six Goblins. We were forced to rest behind closed doors twice during this stretch of battles.
Finally we came to the door of Nalia’s Aunt’s room. Nalia opened the door using a ‘skeleton key’ she’d grabbed in the Library, where we’d defeated the Yuan-Ti Mage. There was an obviously loyal & patient De’Arnise Guard named Hendron who would not leave her Aunt’s side & had barricaded them into her chamber for safety. Nalia spoke w/him & then her old-fashioned, unconscionable, irksome Aunt. For Nalia’s sake, we were all restrained as we directed her out of the keep to the palisade for safety. Then we passed thru the room & Nalia opened a secret door that led down a short hall to another that she also opened. Here a staircase led down to the cellars. The first cellar room was devoid of monsters & we gathered some treasure before opening the next door. That brought a Spectral Troll & two Trolls upon us but we dispatched them fairly easily. After gathering more treasure, I opened another door to a room w/five Umber Hulks which were easy enough to kill once we got ‘em close but they did leave both Anomen & I confused after the battle & it took us a few moments to get our wits back. We gathered up the treasure in that room & then Nalia pointed to the door that was sure to contain her father…& his captors. I opened it & led us in in a ‘V’ formation w/me on point. Torgal, the leader of the Trolls, & Two Giant Trolls came on quickly. I split the group sending Auren & Yoshimo versus one Giant Troll, Minsc & Anomen versus the second & Nalia & I versus Torgal. This was an very long, exhausting battle & it was all any of us could do to continue lifting our arms to strike w/our weapons or raise our shields. We eventually killed one of the Giant Trolls & Nalia finished him w/a Melf’s Magic Meteor. Somewhere in there, Yoshimo took one more blow than he could handle & fell. The second Giant Troll eventually fell & Nalia dispatched him too. Then everyone focused on Torgal who I’d injured w/Nalia’s help. Once the other’s joined my efforts, Torgal was not long for Toril. Once again, Nalia finished him with another M2 Meteor. Sadly, it was immediately apparent that Nalia’s father had not survived.
FINAL BATTLE FOR DE'ARNISE KEEP
Key Event: When it was over, Nalia wanted to leave immediately. As we entered the courtyard, Nalia stopped me, suddenly realizing the significance of her father’s death. She told me she was betrothed to another noble Isaea Roenall, a man she detests, from a despicable family that would gain control of De’Arnise Keep if the betrothal was seen thru. She offered me an arrangement where, as her father’s heir, she would name me Lord of De’Arnise Keep...& so, accepting, I have gone from being the step-son of a minor nobleman in a Library/Keep, to being knighted Sir Gawain by a King from a land not known to me, Camelot, & now I am addressed as Lord Gawain, & I have a Keep of my own. I am not ‘married’ to Nalia (in fact my relationship w/Auren is intriguing) but I am forever united, allied & joined with Nalia…but, even more, I am beholden, indebted & grateful to her for trusting me w/this enormous responsibility. Some are never going to accept me as a nobleman b/c my blood to them is not noble… but, then again, if they realized my true bloodline, I wonder what they’d think.
LORD GAWAIN!
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 24,789 gold) Armor/Weapons: Helm of Balduran; Short Sword +1 (sold); Mace +1 (Minsc); Plate Mail +1 (Anomen); Gems: Quarter Staff +1 (sold); Arrows +2 (Nalia); Bracers of Archery (Nalia); Darts of Wounding (Yoshimo); Bolts +1 x20, Biting x40, Bolts x20 (Unidentified = U/I); Bolts x20 (U/I) (sold); Bullets +2 (40); Enchanted Spear (U/I); Longbow +1 (sold); Light Crossbow +1 (sold); Flail of Ages - Acid (Gawain); Jewelry/Gold: Bloodstone Amulet; 2,126gp; 810gp; Potions: Potions of Extra Healing x5 (General Purpose User = GPU); Scrolls: Lower Resistance; Wands:
Current Disposition: Back in the Five Flagon’s Inn in the Athkatla Bridge District.
Next Steps: As we departed the Keep, Anomen was informed by a runner that his sister had been murdered in Athkatla & that he was being summoned home by his father. We were returning anyway, but this news made our trip urgent & we went straight to Anomen’s w/o rest upon returning. Much has happened since we returned. I’ll pen that in my next entry but for now, I need to sleep.
Level Up:
• Helm blessed Anomen by advancing him to a High Priest (Cleric/9) of the Watchers of Helm & granted him three new divine spells. Anomen chose Magic Stone, Hold Person & Raise Dead.
• Nalia, already a Master Thief, continued to improve her skills (Thief/11) & has focused her efforts on improving her Hide in Shadows/Move Silently skills, now 78/77% respectively. Together w/her skills in Finding/Removing Traps & Opening Locks (100% each), she is an unbelievable asset to my retinue, especially since she made me Lord of De’Arnise Keep.
Current Party: (Reputation: 13 Average:)
• Gawain: Ftr/9, (HP105); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +1 & Girdle of Bluntness; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid; (Mephit Portal)
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//9), (HP68 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**); (Cohrvale)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//8/9, (HP53); Plate Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Greater Yuan-Ti)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/9), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Urlaryl)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/11), HP64; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*; (Assassin)(Thief Aggressive)
• Nalia: Mage/Thief//9/11, (HP56); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Arban’s Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*); (Torgal)(Thief Adventurer)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Before we could get to the Delryn Estate, we were approached a third time, this time by a boy named Delon, who was from a place called Imnesvale in the Umar Hills. People there are disappearing & the town is desperate, he insisted. Minsc was ready to head there straight away but we still needed to get to @ the Delryn Estate. We ran into our first Vampiress w/four Shadow Thieves but they told her they would ‘take care of us,’ so she disappeared. These Thieves not your granfathers thieves…they are a handful equipped w/Potions of Invisibility & Healing. We killed ‘em but they’re not for toying with.
When we arrived @ the Delryn Estate, Anomen’s father was inebriated & demanded that Anomen revenge his sisters’ death by killing a merchant named Saerk, who was & is his father’s greatest rival. Anomen was torn but deep inside he knew that revenge in this case was murder, & I knew he knew it. I talked w/him & he chose the right course. When he told his father, his father disowned him but Anomen stood his ground & said he was taking the case to the magistrate. He took the case to the Magistrate, Brylanna, who was obviously a noble & fair magistrate. Despite Anomen’s insistence that she arrest Saerk, the Magistrate said there was not enough evidence & urged Anomen not to seek revenge. He is bitter & sad but reluctantly left the issue behind & was ready to move on.
My next action was to take Gaelen the 15000gp & find out where I could find Imoen. Instead he told me I needed to meet a Shadow Thief named Aran Linvail. Now, more than a little irritated I found no choice but to go thru w/his directions & so straight away, I did so. At this point I am reminded that this was to be the second trip to the Thieves Guildhall b/c Yoshimo paid homage to the Master Thief of the Athkatla Shadow Thieves, Renal Bloodscalp. Actually Renal wanted me to get involved in some conflict w/another guild but I declined. Now, I was being directed to the Master Thief over all Shadow Thieves, Arin Linvail.
When we emerged, a runner met Nalia & informed her that her father had passed. The funeral, he said, was in the Graveyard District & she needed to be there soon. We headed there immediately. There was a small turnout but all in all a nice service save for the appearance of Isaea Roenall who threatened Nalia over her decision to name me Lord of De’Arnise Castle. It was humorous to see Isaea’s father agree w/Nalia’s argument that tradition held that the heir could indeed name the ‘Weapons Master’ who liberated her castle as Lord. Isaea wasn’t amused but I was.
Key Event: Arin wanted me to complete a task for him & once again, I see no choice. He’s asked me to watch the docks @ night for a shipment of his that he fears might be compromised. He’s asked me to meet one of his Thieves, Mook, down @ the docks & go from there. I’d already learned that walking the streets of Athkatla @ night, even w/my powerful retinue, is just not smart unless absolutely necessary. In this case, since I had to work @ night near the docks, I had us go to the Sea Bounty Tavern & wait out nightfall. When it got dark, we headed toward the docks & were quickly attacked by a Vampiress & three of four Shadow Thieves. This lethal battle led to the loss of the woman who’d just entrusted me w/her family’s home. She was brutally backstabbed by a Shadow Thief (88hps) & there was no raising her back to me. It’s hard enough fighting these Vampiress’ but w/skilled Shadow Thieves quaffing Potions of Invisibility & backstabbing the weaker or weakened members of my retinue it is nearly impossible. I didn’t realize it the first time we fought a Vampiress but this one was impervious to all but Minsc’s weapon but it became clear in this battle. We killed the Vampiress & then the Shadow Thieves but I’ve lost this wonderful woman who’s trusted me w/so much...one I expected to be part of my life henceforth.
DESTROYING A VAMPIRESS
This city is lawless & brutal. In the time we’ve been here, we’ve been attacked by A Slaver Mage & Cleric w/six Orog’s; another Mage & Cleric w/Bandits (one of the spellcasters got off a Confusion Spell that effected both Auren & Yoshimo; a Mad Cleric of Cyric & I already mentioned the first Vampiress & four Shadow Thieves. It’s almost every time we go out, especially @ night, we’re assaulted or ambushed by Ruffians, Bandits, Shadow Thieves, oh, & Vampiress’. It’s been never ending.
I retired to my Castle to deliver the news of Nalia’s passing & prepare for her funeral. Even though her father rests in Athkatla, I believe she would want to be in the family’s cemetery near the castle & that’s where I had her laid. Afterward, I had some issues to resolve, one in particular, involving a merchant who used my land as a caravan route. Recently, his caravans have been harassed by Bandits but, more recently, a caravan was destroyed & pillaged outright. The merchant was very angry. He estimated his loss @ 1000gp. I reimbursed him for his loss & assured him the Bandits were dealt with. I want this land to be safe for farming & commerce. I directed my Regent, Major Domo, to spend 500gp to hire mercenaries to hunt down & destroy the Bandit’s. My new Captain of the De’Arnise Guard (I will not change the name of this castle) is Captain Cernick. Captain Arat resigned because he believed he’d failed his master when the Trolls invaded. My Guard is too small to handle the Bandits right now, thinned out by the battles w/the Trolls, & they’re only able to conduct patrols in the immediate vicinity of the walls. Until I can replenish the ranks, I’ll have to rely on Mercenaries for extra security.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 3,643 gold) Armor/Weapons: Warhammer +2 (purchased for Ajantis); Studded Leather +2 (purchased for Auren); Jewelry/Gold: Potions: Scrolls: Wands:
Current Disposition: Resting @ my castle w/o the wonderful woman who made me it’s Lord. I feel strange that this place is mine & I didn’t protect her so that she could help me make decisions here & help me. There are protocols & w/the nuances I just don’t know.
Next Steps: I’m heading to Umar Hills to look into the situation that the young boy Delon approached us about. The two Vampiress’ we’ve met have been more than we could handle &, like I said earlier, I didn’t notice the first time but the second one was obviously impervious all of our weapons except Minsc’s. We need stronger weapons but couldn’t afford but one Warhammer for Anomen after paying the 15000gp to Gaelen.
Level Up:
• Gawain: Along w/my Lordship my skill are now those of a Lord/10th Level (Fighter/10)
• Auren Continues to be more & more deadly w/her Long sword. As her Lord, I’ve promoted her to Lord/10th Level (Fighter (Apprentice/10) also. She is second in command.
• I promoted Anomen to Lord (Fighter/9). In addition to his recent elevation by Helm to High Priest of the Watchers of Helm, he is extremely valuable to me. He serves as my personal priest & @ Castle De’Arnise
• Minsc continues to become more lethal & brutal in combat & is now a War Chief (Barbarian/Level 10)
• Yoshimo None of my retinue any longer receive advancement thru their guilds, Yoshimo long since having passed the need for training in a Guild setting. He is now what he calls a Raikage/12th Level (Ninja/12)
Current Party: (Reputation: 12 Average:)
• Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP108); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +1 & Girdle of Bluntness; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid (Mephit Portal)
• Auren: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71)Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**); (Cohrvale)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Greater Yuan-Ti)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/10), HP85; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Urlaryl)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +1 w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*;(Assassin)(Thief Aggressive)
• Nalia: Mage/Thief//10/11, (HP57); Studded Leather +1 w/Short Bow +1* & Arban’s Sword +2* (Dgr*, Crossbow*); (Torgal)(Thief Adventurer)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
We were later attacked by a Wild Tiger &, a bit later, a Grizzly Bear. The Grizzly was a handful – I’d never seen one of those further north. The Grizzly was near another cabin northwest Imnesvale. We entered carefully & were confronted by a strange looking man in studded Leather w/two Scimitars, both obviously enchanted. He was a formidable looking warrior & I certainly wanted him to join my retinue. His name was Valygar (Samurai Warrior/9) & he asked if we’d help him destroy an ancient wizard from his family line – something about a sphere or something that his body would allow us access to. I took him in for a short time but it became apparent that he & Yoshimo were very uncomfortable with one another. I deduce from my readings in Candlekeep & their unique skill sets that they both hail from Kara-Tur. Kara-Tur is on the far easternmost end of the continent of Faerun. In Kara-Tur, class is strictly followed. Valygar is likely from nobility, Yoshimo from the peasantry. Continuing, we soon stumbled on a cave. As always, going into a cave or similar ‘unknown’, I had us protect ourselves. Anomen cast Chant, Minsc used his Barbarian Rage & I cast Draw upon Holy Might & then we entered. The cave contained a treasure chest & I knew we had a problem w/o Imoen or Nalia there to check for traps. I decided to approach myself & when I opened it, the chest became a Killer Mimic & attacked us, lashing out w/a pseudopod of huge jaws that tried to swallow me whole while, @ the same time, excreting a glue like substance that Held both Auren & Yoshimo. We defeated him quickly after the initial surprise. We got reorganized & waited until Auren & Yoshimo freed themselves before exploring the rest of the cave, which included two Bug-bears that we struggled w/a bit but took down eventually.
It wasn’t long before we encountered a woman with blazing red hair who wore a set of revealing Leather Armor – turns out it was specially made for her to allow her to cast spells. And, does she cast spells, all of them fire based* - & we all have the singed hairs to prove it. I diplomatically released Valygar from my service, choosing Yoshimo based on seniority & skills, avoiding further uneasiness in my lance emanating between them. At the same time, I brought an arcane spell caster into my service again.** Valygar said if I needed his service in the future he would be at the Mithrest Inn in Athkatla.
Onward w/Tyris Flare, keeping my retinue/lance @ five, we continued further north beyond Umar Hills into a densely wooded forest w/a canopy so thick sunlight could barely penetrate, if @ all. The undergrowth & the darkness made progress painfully slow, literally. As soon as we entered we saw one of Mazzy Fenton’s party members being killed by something but we had no time to react. We know they were from Mazzy’s group b/c they had a journal that gave us some clues as to what we were facing, i.e., Shadows & Dark Wolves. Continuing, we had to destroy two Dark Wolves & four Shadows before we found…
Key Event: …a cave. I had us prepare before going in: Anomen cast Chant, Minsc, Barbarian Rage & I cast Draw upon Holy Might. Inside we found a woman eating a dead man. She addressed us immediately & I questioned her harshly. It appears that while she was the leader of the Umar Hills wolves, recently she lost her power over them to a Shade Lord who’d killed them & turned them to Shade Wolves.’ She said the reason she was eating the man was to gain strength for her final stand @ a ruined Temple of Amaunator, an ancient sun god. She asked me if I wanted to aid her. She mentioned a piece of a stained glass that could be used to bring in just enough light to destroy the Shade Wolves, which I’d read about in that journal we found earlier. I agreed to help & she suddenly shape-changed into a Werewolf & tore out the door. We followed her into an already raging battle w/three Shadow Fiends, five Shade Wolves & 13 Shadows. It was a tough fight w/so many of them & even though Yoshimo adjusted the stained glass we didn’t take advantage of it & move to within its sphere of protection. We won the battle. I decided @ that point to head back to Imnesvale & rest but even after we passed out of the dark forest & back to the Umar Hills we still were attacked by two more Shadow Fiends, two Shade Wolves, & four Shadows which we defeated in a drawn out, difficult battle, made all the more so b/c we already had wounds from our former battles in the forest.
Afterword, I checked in w/the Mayor who had, indeed, come to an agreement w/Madulf.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 785 gold) Armor/Weapons: Short Sword +1 (sold); Boots of Stealth (Yoshimo); Jewelry/Gold: Potions: Scrolls: Wands:
Current Disposition: Resting & recuperating in Marella’s Cabin
REVIEWING RECENT BATTLES & PLANNING STRATEGY FOR THE ASSAULT ON THE TEMPLE RUINS
Next Steps: Descend into the Temple Ruins
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 12 Average:)
• Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP105); Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2 & Girdle of Bluntness; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid (Mephit Portal)
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71 )Studded Leather +1 w/Long Sword +1***** (SWS**); (Cohrvale)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail +1 w/Delryn Family Shield & Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Greater Yuan-Ti)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +1 & Cloak of the Sewers w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*;(Assassin)(Thief Aggressive)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/10), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Urlaryl)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP40; Tyris’ Leather Armor; Sling +1**; Spear +1**
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
* The part of the description of this kit G3 NPC that I thought was coolest was, “Meet Tyris Flare, a red-haired amazon who can kick ass and hurl fire!” So I tailored her w/the Fighter (Amazon Kit)/Mage. As an Amazon she had no spells in her kit so I dueled her as a mage to bring in ‘hurl fire’ part. She can cast Flaming Hands, Flame Arrow, Fireball, Fire Shields (Blue/Red), basically, any spell that involves fire as a component but not Lightning, Meteors, or anything else. As a Mage she can only memorize/cast Arcane Fire Spells but I’ll let her use scrolls like I did w/Quayle (Illusionist spells only) & Dynahier (Evocation/Invocation spells only) in BGI/TotSC.
** Adding a Ninja & a Samurai to my campaign made me do some research on them since I don’t know about them like I do Medieval European & Crusades Knights and history. Here’s what I found:
Samurai
-Noblemen that followed the bushido code when they engaged in combat.
-Warriors that serve the ruling emperor without requiring a fee for their services.
-Considered an elite class.
-Use hand-to-hand combat weapons, including Samurai Swords.
-Wore metal clad suits of armor.
Ninjas
-Belonged to the lower status of Japanese society and follow an unorthodox style of fighting.
-Hired mercenaries that would be willing to serve anyone who is willing to pay them their asking price in return for their services.
-Preferred sneak attacks, and smaller weapons such as Ninja Stars.
-Wore black outfits of cloth covering all but their eyes.
Members of the Samurai class might ‘hire’ Ninja’s secretly to do things their Bushido Code wouldn’t allow but, otherwise, they lived & remained separated by their class & would not intermingle.
Once in the dark forest, we defeated & killed two Shade Wolves & a Shadow before we were @ the cobwebbed, staircase leading down. Once inside, we found a room to the right & carefully entered, knowing that Yoshimo isn’t very skilled @ Finding Traps like Imoen & Nalia. In the room, in addition to battling some Shade Wolves, we found the skeleton of a child. As I said before, I’ve learned from Durlag’s Tower to pick up weird things that seem out of place & while the bones didn’t seem ‘out of place’ I told Tyris to put them in her pack. That area contained a prison, some small rooms &a rather larger one w/a Bust of Amuanator, the ancient sun god. Approaching it caused it to speak asking if I was ready to test my knowledge regarding ‘the faith’. We’d found a parchment in another room in this area that annotated the morning ritual. I took a chance & fielded the question which was about that ritual & I nailed it. However, he told me I needed to come back when I’m ready to field another question. We found two large doors that were prison cells where we found the Noble Halving Warrior, Mazzy Fenton. I didn’t allow her to join us but part of me wants to, especially now that Anomen is Lawful Good. She may yet become a member of my lance.
We found a long, rickety, bridge leading down to a room w/a pool of lava dominating the room. We grabbed some minor treasure sitting on some rocks in the pool. Anomen’s 30% resistance to fire gained from the Delryn Family Shield helped him but it was still painful. There was a room on the far side of the pool w/some Shadows/Shadow Fiends. We grabbed some treasure & then headed the rest of the way around the lava pool into a crypt room where two ghosts that were guarding the tomb that the child’s skeleton belonged to. By bringing the bones to the tomb, we’d done a good thing & reunited her w/her tomb. We were immediately blessed by the child who was a Prophetess of Amuanatorr who’d been killed by the Shade Lord. She gave us a Wardstone of Invisibility to keep us safe from a Shadow Dragon that guards the Shade Lord.
In one battle we had a challenging fight against two Skeleton Warrior’s & three Shadow Fiends. We were packed into a doorway (my mistake for allowing it) & the monsters were of just the right combination to make it very dangerous. Both Skelton Warriors & Shadow Fiends are difficult to hurt & the Shadow Fiends have an improved ability to Hold a foe. In mid battle Auren, Anomen & Yoshimo were Held & were taking shots from the Skeleton Warriors & Shadow Fiends. The remaining three of us who were not Held had to carefully pick our targets to protect the most vulnerable of us. We finally killed the last of them but it was close.
TOUGH, DANGEROUS FIGHT!
After that, I took us back to rest & heal rather than staying in the underground or even up top. I wanted to get back to hamlet & get a rest in Marella’s Cabin before coming back here. Before we left, we checked the rest of the hall & it ended @ a door we couldn’t open anyway. We’ll figure that out later. On the way back, in the Umar Hills (but on the north side of the river) we were attacked by two Shadow Fiends & seven Shadows which we had a tough time defeating in our weakened state.
Key Event: After our break, it was straight back to the under ruins to the bust of Amuanator, so that I/we could try to answer more questions. We’d found two more papers w/clues for the ‘noontide’ & ‘evening’ rituals before we left to rest before. Having already completed one of the riddles/questions, we were able to get both questions right – although I missed one the first time & got blasted by a Spell Strike. Anomen took over & finished up & when we got the last one correct, the bust granted us the third of three pieces to Amuantator’s Holy Symbol. Once again, I’d had us collect two of these pieces & as soon as Anomen answered we had Amuantator’s Holy Symbol. Using that we were able to open the door @ the far end of the hallway & descended stairs into an ornate, marble great hall. We circled the hall staying close to the wall & made it all around until we found stairs leading up – not those we used to descend into the hall. Yoshimo checked the hall a little more closely b/c we didn’t see anything but Yoshimo came back after scouting & said there was, indeed, a Shadow Dragon there. I opted to leave him alone for now. Then we went up the stairs &, ‘blammo’ there was the Shade Lord & three other monsters. They didn’t see us so I had us back out. There Anomen cast Chant, I cast Draw on Holy Might, Minsc Quaffed a Potion of Defense & then used his Barbarians Rage. Auren used her Bust ability, Yoshimo cast Blur & Tyris cast Fire Shield Red & Protection from Fire on herself. Then we stepped back through & I just let my lance go to it. Auren & I headed straight for, & killed the Shade Lord, Anomen & Minsc the Shadow Patrick & Yoshimo found a lone Shadow. Then Minsc & Anomen destroyed the Temple Alter. No one even got a scratch.
DEFEATING THE SHADE LORD W/NARY A SCRATCH!
By the time we left the underground, in addition to the key event above & those monsters mentioned elsewhere, we’d killed a Bone Golem, five Skeleton Warrior’s, two Shadow Fiends, Shadow Jailor, Shadow Prisoner, 19 Shade Wolves, 15 Shadows & a handful more that were destroyed by the Stained Glass light.
Immediately, the darkness was gone as were the thick vines & scrub in the woods. We cleared the forest, just in case & killed a Wild Tiger & 2 x Wild Dogs. I had us go back into the great hall, still w/the Wardstone protecting us. Everything but the Shadow Dragon was gone. He/she’s made this their lair. As much trouble as we had w/ a single Vampiress I decided to come back for the Dragon later – after all, I know right where the lair is.
I returned us to town & the Mayor was overjoyed, even gave us an great set of armor that had belonged to his grandfather. It’s actually called The Night’s Gift +5 & it really improved Auren’s protection – as an Apprentice she can only wear Studded Leather or lighter & this Night’s Gift +5 is the best you can get. We also found some armor that was really strong & protected against being Held but it was Ghoul’s Skin & I just can’t allow that in my presence…or Anomen’s.
I stopped @ De’Arnise on the way back to Athkatla & collected 1000gp from taxes. Major Domo said the Captain of the Guard, Cernick, wanted to see me about an important matter. Seems he caught one of my Guards stealing items from around the keep. Captain Cernick wanted me to execute the man, but after I questioned a bit, I found that the Guard’s wife was ill & he needed gold to have her treated and/or buy her medicines. I let the Guard go this time & paid for his wife’s care. I told him to come to me next time rather than break the law. Captain Cernick will be watching him but I think he’s gonna be even more loyal to me now so I’m not concerned.
After all that, it seems we’re still not ready for Vampires. I returned to Athkatla to stop in the Adventurer’s Mart to try to upgrade as much as I could using the gold we brought back from the temple Ruins. I purchased a Doubly Enchanted Sling (+2), bullets (+2) & a Spear (+2), all of which went to Tyris. Then I led us back to the Bridge District for the last time @ night. We were assaulted by a Vampiress & two lesser Vampires. I suddenly became apparent that no one could hurt her, even though we’d been able to hurt Parisa. Evidently, this Vampiress was even tougher than the one we’d killed even though I’d upgraded everyone’s weapon except mine & Yoshimo. Tyris was so injured that she fell unconscious but the rest of us managed to get away & hide down on the docks. We waited there until daylight & then we got the rooms in the Five Flagon’s, hopefully for the last time – at least until Vampires are manageable.
I’d found a perfect place in the Den of the Seven Vales when we’d first gotten here after escaping Irenicus’ Dungeon. Problem was there was group of thug adventurer’s there who assaulted us so, @ the time, we were weakened & decided to find another inn which is how we ended up @ The Five Flagon’s. I decided to go back & check that place out again. The bastards were’ still there & they were aggressive again but this time we were healthy & I had a full retinue. When I saw them I immediately backed us down the stairs where I had us prepare for battle once I made sure they weren’t going to follow. Then we went back up & baited them & when they attacked, I took us back down the stairs to await their arrival. I wanted to try & separate them & I got a Dwarven Warrior (Mencar Pebblecrusher Ftr/14) & a Human Mage (Sorcerous Amon Mage/10) to come down alone. Even alone they were tough but the biggest danger was the Mage & he went down quickly. Then the Dwarf was easy enough. Then back up the stairs, we killed a Half Orc (Smaeluv Orcslicer – Ftr/10) a Human Rogue, (Brennan Risling – Thf 14) & an Imp (Pooky – Sorcerous Amons’ Familiar). Defeating them yielded some useful treasure & gave me a perfect room for my retinue & I when we come here (even though I’m getting kinda spoiled by this Nobility thing).
Speaking of Nobility, Anomen was hailed by Sir Robin Trawl of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. He was brought before the Prelate there & knighted after which he said his vows. I am lucky that he was allowed to remain me but Sir Robin noted the noble path my lance is upon & allowed him to serve under me.
ANOMEN KNIGHTED BY THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE RADIANT HEART. WELL DESERVED.
I’ve been blessed again to have found a companion in Tyris. We are not lovers yet but that is just a matter of time. We are constantly smiling & winking & becoming closer as we get to know one another. I don’t think I’ve written before that Tyris is from a whole other world entirely. How she got here is not clear…she was just suddenly here. For my part, I’m glad to have her beside me. Funny before Tyris joined me, I thought Auren & I were growing slowly closer but she is all business now. Because of that, she remains my second in command.
I CAN'T BREATHE!
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 6,784 gold) Armor/Weapons: Full Plate Mail (Gawain); The Nights Gift +5 (Auren); Namarra +2 (Auren); Shield of the Lost +2 (Anomen);Cloak of the Stars (Yoshimo); Cloak of Reflection (Gawain); Boots of Stealth (Yoshimo); Periapt of Proof Against Poison (Gawain); Halberd +1 (sold); Skin of the Ghoul (sold); Jewelry/Gold: 4,872gp; 250gp; Potions: Three Potions of Extra Healing (General Purpose); Scrolls: Summon Nishru (Tyris); Wands:
Current Disposition: I’ve rented the entire upstairs room of the Den of the Seven Vales for our use. The proprietor is a man-hater but Auren speaks for me anyway, so we have the use of the room whenever we’re here. But, we had to fight like the Nine Hells to get it (see above). Auren worked out an agreement wherein I pay the Nobles rate & get the entire upstairs for our use. I want us to have a place to ourselves & this is perfect for when we’re here in Athkatla.
Next Steps: I want to find Valygar & try to help him if I can. I still can’t complete the task @ the docks until I am sure we can deal w/these Vampiress’. I hated letting Valygar go & I feel I should at least try to help him. But, I looked for him when I got here to Waukeen’s Promennade, thinking he was in one of the Inn’s here. I checked the Copper Coronet also, so I may not have listened well enough. If I can’t find him, I’ll have to find a secondary mission.
Level Up: None
Current Party: (Reputation: 13 – Popular; saved Umar Hills)
• Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP105); Full Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2 & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Amulet ; Bastard Sword*****, Flail of the Ages Acid (Bone Golem)
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71 ); The Nights Gift +5 w/Namarra +2***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail +1 wShield of the Lost +2 (& Delryn Family Shield); Mace +1***,(Warhammer*, SSS**); (Shadow Patrick)(Cleric Aggressive)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +2, Boots of Stealth & Cloak of the Stars w/Katana +1***, Darts +1*;(Del)(Thief Aggressive)
• Minsc: Fighter (Barbarian/10), HP76; Mail of the Dead +2 w/Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2***, Mace +1**, THWS**); (Parisa)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)
• Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP40; Tyris’ Leather Armor, Cloak of the Sewers & Ring of Invisibility; Sling +2**; Spear +2**; (Skeleton Warrior)(Mage Aggressive)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
We ran into another group of adventurers but they just seemed to have given up hope of going on. They did tell us that once we entered this room we were locked in the Sphere. They also gave us an idea of what to expect beyond a door to the west of the entrance door but didn’t offer to join me. In this case I could’a used the help. The first gauntlet in this place was against a bunch of cannibalistic Halving’s, replete w/dangerous arcane & divine spellcasters. After easily working through a Skeleton Warrior & five Halving Warriors we encountered a Halving Warrior/Mage who’d animated two Skeleton Warriors. We tore up the Skeleton Warriors but they were a nuisance & by the time they were down, we just couldn’t land a blow on the Warrior/Mage. When we finally did kill him, Anomen, my priest & the only one of us that can Raise Dead had been so badly hurt that he slipped into unconsciousness. Considering that I could no longer get us out of the sphere, we would have to forge on w/o him, so I laid him in a little hut in the caverns that I guess the Halving’s used. A little further on in this cavernous corridor we met a really tough Halving Warrior w/three of the standard Halving Warriors, two Sword Spiders & two Ettercaps but we got thru them w/little difficulty. The difficulty was yet to come. In the next room was a weird machine w/what appeared to be a partial golem in a tank of liquid. There was a table nearby w/an arm (obviously required for the golem) & a book on how to make a golem written in the common tongue. I had the arm attached figuring the golem was useless w/o a head. Next, I had Yoshimo open the door to the right. He was using his Find/Remove Traps so he travelled the short distance in the vomitorium to the next door but tripped a trap & was instantly knocked completely unconscious. I went & retrieved him & carried him off to a tent in the caverns where I’d laid Anomen. The door he was about to open wouldn’t open anyway so I turned us to a door to the north, now down two key members of my Lance. I opened the door & Holy Smoke! At first there were just two Halving Warriors which I drew into the room, slammed the door behind (one of my favorite tactics to separate & destroy enemies piecemeal). We smashed them quickly. But then the scite hit the fan in a big way. I could hear spell casters incanting from behind the door so I let them do their thing…& waited & waited & waited until they were quiet & it had been what I figured was sufficient time to let their spells wear off (another favorite tactic). But then I opened the door intent on letting them begin another spell before slamming the door on them again. Didn’t work as they barged in…a Halving Mage & Halving Cleric who soon summoned a Skeleton Warrior & Sword Spider. They kicked our arse’s. First of all, trying to figure out which spell caster was vulnerable to attack, dealing w/a Skeleton Warrior & then a Sword Spider was confusing. We couldn’t focus on killing the latter two w/o trying to disrupt spells from the former. I decided to have us back into the cavernous area to spread them out & buy time but I didn’t move fast enough & soon Tyris was down – the 3rd, & most important person, in my heart if not my Lance. But I had no time to dwell on that now. As we withdrew we were able to destroy the Skeleton Warrior & the Sword Spider. Continuing to buy space & time we literally drew them all the way back thru the room w/the other adventurers (who offered no assistance) until we were in the very first room we’d entered when we came into the sphere. I had the door slammed but they came thru. Luckily for us, by then, they’d spent their best spells & we were able to cut them down. After finishing them & collecting their belongings, I brought Tyris & laid her in the same tent as Anomen & Yoshimo. I thank, Helm maybe, that she can be revived, all of them but especially her.
Down to just Auren, my best warrior & Valygar, who has shone quickly that those people in Kara-Tur are in good hands w/Samurai Warriors guarding their lands – much like Paladin’s here in Faerun. Still, there were only three of us left, none of us spellcasters, & we haven’t gotten very far @ all.
We’d been finding coal along the way & entered a furnace room. Reading the golem making book made me decide to stoke the furnaces – after all the golem still had no head. The book said something about powering up the golem machine so I was just seeing where this would lead. Each time we fired one up one of the furnaces, we were attacked by a Fire Elemental but the three of us dealt w/them easily & then the two Stone Golems we found in the next room. There we found the golem’s head. We were stuck & couldn’t go anywhere b/c we’d opened all the doors that would open. The only other one was the one we tried & couldn’t open. So…I attached the Golem’s Head & released him thinking he might be the answer to where we go next & hoping that it wasn’t going to end in another arse whooping. Luckily he wasn’t after us but an ‘intruder he detected’. He tore thru the door aforementioned (that Yoshimo couldn’t open) & flew thru rooms & halls into another cavernous type room where he went after a Giant Elder Orb. We decided it was in our interest to help him so we did – the last thing we wanted was to fight them both. He killed the Elder Orb & then just stood there so we moved on as he said there were evidently no more ‘intruder’s’.
GOLEM & THE ELDER ORB
Key Event: From there we went down some stairs to a door that led us directly to Lavok but I backed out before he saw me. This, I knew would take lots of patience since there wasn’t any kind of spell caster amongst the three of us. We did, however, have a Book of Infinite Spells that Tyris had been carrying (can’t remember where she picked it up). It was useable by any of the three of us so that would be helpful. I decided to go in, leaving the others behind in the hallway. I crept out in the room but after a few steps he challenged me. I let him start to incant & then moved quickly back & shut the door (Note: since the user interface let’s one know the spells being cast if you’re not too far away, I pretend that, even though we’re not spell casters, we can pick out words & phrases having travelled w/so many spell casters & having fought so many others. So, we can make out some spells & make a pretty well educated guess at others by listening to the incantations. I watch & count these closely as they use their spells – kinda like ‘counting cards’ in poker. Sometimes if you ‘go upstairs or into another area completely you can no longer hear the words & phrases, thus you can’t have any idea what they’ve cast). We knew he was casting protection & summoning spells so Auren opened the door & I used the Book of Infinite Spells which cast a Fireball that seemed to have little effect. Then we waited & waited, taunted & taunted & regressed & gained time & space (Note: At least real world 30-40 minutes of cat & mouse). Even so, his spells were penetrating the doorway @ times & we’d try to get back up the stairs but, alas, he caught Auren & Valygar in one fell swoop w/Abi Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting. I was alone now & carried them through the empty hall & laid them in the tent w/the others. Lavok didn’t follow me. I gathered every Potion of Extra Healing, Potion of Healing, Elixir of Health & Antidote from everyone. I grabbed Auren’s non-enchanted Longsword, Dadrek, Anomen’s Doubly Enchanted Warhammer & Valygar’s Doubly Enchanted Samurai Sword, none of which I’m proficient w/. It seems there’s a lot of use by enemy casters of Protection from Magic Weapons so for now I grabbed Auren’s but afterword were’ all going to have a non-magical weapon in addition to our enchanted ones. For now all I have is Auren’s. Back to the door, hoping Lavok had not burst through like the Halving Mages & Wizards did. He’d not & all was silent so I opened the door & let him see me & rile him up again. I’d not rested so neither had he & I knew that. The spells he’s cast were gone unless he had duplicates. I was wary of him until after a while I realized he was casting Chromatic Orb back to back & Magic Missiles in between. Then I allowed him his spells, quaffed a potion equivalent to my damage…then came back again for more. Finally he was out of spells &, exacerbated, he came @ me w/his staff. I couldn’t hit him w/my enchanted Bastard Sword or Auren’s Dadrek. So I switched to my Acid Headed Flail of the Ages. But…though the flail didn’t damage him, the acid did. And so I hit him & once I knew it was causing even minimal damage I kept it up as minimal damage is better than none. I hit him probably 20 times while his staff was useless against my armor. And then, I landed a solid blow & knew his Protection from Magic Weapons (& Normal) Weapons was spent. Then I dropped the Flail on the floor & drew my Bastard Sword +1 to bring my Grand Mastery to bear. Blow after blow landed until he begged me to let him live. He said his body & mind had been taken prisoner during one of his extra planetary excursion & that he has been thus for thousands of years. He begged me to find the heart of a demon & put it in the Engine Room. He said the sphere left Faerun as soon as we entered it & were now in the abyss. He told me if I could find the heart of a demon it would allow the sphere to return to Faerun. The door I originally came in would be where I’d find the demon. I went, believing Lavok’s story, through the door & suddenly found myself alone, all alone, somewhere in the 666 layers of the abyss. I rested (& lost a lot of good armor & equipment that I’d neglected to secure, e.g. Night’s Gift +5).
I ventured out from the doorway in the most desolate place I could have imagined & I actually prayed not to get trapped here. Luckily I could come & go. On my first foray I ran directly into a Salamander, a Quasit & two Imps which I dealt w/easily enough but learned that Quasit & Imp might be the weakest of demons & devils but they can still deal out damage. I found it interesting that this demon had enslaved some Imps as servants, Imps being devils & Corrupters, almost always in service ultimately to an Arch-Devil. Anyway, I was a little beat up so I tried to rest again & was attacked by a Maurezhi, they look like Ghasts but they are much more powerful as they are nasty, but lesser, Tanar’ri. After I killed him, I finally got a few hours rest before jaunting out & up a hill to the north. I didn’t have to go far before I found a Demon like Aec’Letec, a Chasme of the Tanar’ri race of Demons. I don’t think this one was quite as powerful as Aec’Letec but it gave me hell (ironic choice of words, huh?) sending three Imps; two Quasits & two Fire Mephit’s after me. I retrograded out of eyesight of the Chasme but got surrounded & was taking fire damage from the Fire Mephits, the claws & fangs of the Quasits w/cause a burning itch w/each hit & the & the barbed tails of the Imps. Slowly, one by one, I killed them off w/a couple of blows each but I admit I was nervous. I was beaten up pretty good but once they were dead I was able to rest unmolested. The Chasme didn’t come after me so after a few hours, I was ready to go find it (Chasme, unlike many demons, are neither male nor female...they’re very much like a fly). I moved back to where it’d had been & there it was as if it had never moved. It cast something @ me but it did nothing so I just attacked full bore to see if I could land a hit…& I did, a big one, & another w/a miss or two in between. The Chasme lashed out & landed some vicious bites & claws. Every time I hit him I did significant damage & I could see it was hurting the demon but I as bleeding profusely too. There was no way I could disengage & try to escape now lest he finish me off w/a spell before I could get out of sight. So I just had to quaff Potions of Healing whenever I felt I was getting to where one more attack could end me. It was a race to see which one of us would kill the other first. Thankfully, I finally killed the thing & got the heart I needed. Getting to the Engine Room was harder than killing the Chasme.
KILLING A CHASME TANAR'RI SINGLE HANDIDLY!
I went back to Lavok thinking the engine room was in one of those other doors there but he could only say hurry & couldn’t tell me where. I went up one set of stairs & found a forest w/an open grove w/two huge mushrooms & a bunch of tangled brambles. I was stupid & cut down the non-threatening mushroom directly in front of me & suddenly I was in deep crappe. The mushrooms were two Spore Colonies & they start pumping out Myconids two @ a time until there were 24 in all. The Spore Colonies also released spores in the air that caused me confusion so I couldn’t think straight but luckily I kept fighting even so & knocking out one of them every two or three blows. I’d come in & out of my confused state & @ times I was completely surrounded & being attacked by 12-15 @ once. Somehow I killed them all off & the confusion wore off & I went after the two Spore Colonies which were no longer pumping out Myconids. I destroyed them. I left that place & went back down into the room where Lavok lay. There was another staircase to a triangular shaped room that contained four Lizard Men that I easily defeated. But I still hadn’t found the Engine Room.
TOUGH MUSHROOMS?
I backtracked to a room w/Runes on the floor. We’d passed over these when following the Guardian Golem on the way to his defeating the Elder Orb. There was a door there but it wouldn’t open. I started messing w/the Runes figuring a wrong move would get me blasted & I was right. I touched the north. Rune (one of four Runes) & got a feeling I’d done something right, then the south Rune (still right) before getting hit w/a Flame Strike when I touched the east Rune. So I did it again after quaffing a Potion of Healing. Having gotten the first two right, I figured this time I’d touch the west Rune 3rd & the east Rune fourth. Got it & the door opened. Down the stairs I found a huge room & as I walked in slowly, I saw Tolgerias, the same Wizard I’d talked w/in the Government District who asked me to find Valygar. He started incanting & I started backtracking into the door. I figured, correctly, that it would be a long struggle, me having to avoid getting blasted completely off the face of Toril. The same tactics I used w/Lavok were all I had, except there was no door to close but I could get up to the top of the stairs but then I couldn’t hear his incantations. I’d stay up there for a while & then creep back down the stairs, as best one can in Full Plate Armor. I’d let him see me & then back off & wait for the spell but he didn’t follow me to the doorway @ first so I was able to be out of sight. He’d get me w/spells & cause damage but I was using Potions of Extra healing, Elixirs of Health & Potions of Healing to heal as much as I thought I could get by with but I was down to less than ten healing potions total. I can’t remember every detail of this fight – I think he sent a couple of Skeleton Warrior’s after me but I dealt w/them quickly. I do remember him summoning one or two Horned Devils (also called Malebranch) or, as I learned since I left the Sphere, nowadays they’re more commonly called Cornugon. Whatever you call them, I beat both of them easily enough. It was @ this point that I realized there was another mage as she rounded the doorway & came after me. I don’t remember the specifics but I must have dodged her by ascending the steps. I just know I killed her & realized Tolgerias was behind me when I did. I activated my Ring of Invisibility & bypassed him into the room & was able to scout the rest of the room, noting a door to the west & another to the north. I finally closed on him as it was obvious he didn’t have the ability to Detect Invisibility. I attacked him from behind but it was ineffective. Having lost my invisibility, he popped me w/a Magic Missile & a couple of Chromatic Orbs & then I knew it was close to over – just a matter of time. I moved back through the door into the hall leading to the stairs where he followed me & started striking @ me w/his staff but couldn’t hit me. As with Lavok, I decided to try the Acid Headed Flail & it started causing him acid damage. But once the Flail connected w/its full blow I swapped to my Grand Mastery Weapon, Bastard Sword +1 & quickly hacked him to pieces. The two doors led to an Ice Room & a Flame Room. In the former I killed a Snow Troll, an Ice Salamander & an Ice Mephit. In the latter a Greater Fire Elemental, a Salamander, two Fire & one Magma Mephits & a really tough Efreeti. Each room had another door in it & both led to the engine room I’d been trying to find. It wasn’t hard to find the location to place the Demon Heart but I was chased by three or four Golem’s - I chose not to fight. I felt like I was too close to getting out of here & rescuing my Lance.
DEFEATING TOLGERIAS!
I returned to Lavok after leaving the engine room. Lavok was almost dead & wanted one more time to see the Faerun sky again. I agreed to carry him out on the buttress & he died peacefully.
After that, I had a lot to do, beginning w/finding the nearest Temple of Helm so I could get Anomen Raised from the Dead. Then it was back to The Inn of Seven Vales for a few days rest while Anomen brought the rest of us back…starting w/Tyris. Once everyone was back & I distributed what I’d been able to bring back w/me, we needed to return & claim what else we could find & dig into a couple of chests Yoshimo couldn’t open. That ended up costing of nearly 2000gp in Potions of Master Thievery & Power before we could get into them. While going back & forth selling loot, buying replacement weapons & armor, etc., we were attacked by a Bandit Mage, a Bandit Cleric & two or more Bandits. We beat ‘em down but I’ve a good mind to stop fooling w/them & just move on – they’re all over the city but they’ve little treasure to be such a pain in the arse.
I realized now that while in the Sphere it had been over two months …& we’d travelled from the Prime Material Plane to the Abyss & back.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 575 gp) Armor/Weapons: Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2); Long Sword (Ras +2); 30 Arrows +2 (sold); Battle Axe +2 (Sold); Ninja-To +1 (sold); Leather Armor (+2) (sold); Jewelry/Gold: 350gp; Gem (Unidentified; Rings of Acuity (Tyris), Fire Control (Tyris), Ram (Anomen); Potions: 2 x Potion of Superior Healing; three Potion of Extra Healing; (General Purpose Use); two Potions of Invisibility; Scrolls: Wands:
Current Disposition: At this time, we’re all in the Inn of the Seven Vales, resting after a few days of running around trying to get ready to adventure out again.
Next Steps: The adventurer’s we came across in the Sphere were from another plane apparently. I told them I’d try to find a way to get them home. The only thing I can think of to try to contact someone in the Cowled Wizards who might know how, & be willing, to help them. Selfishly, I am worried that this might unlock the secret for how Tyris can return to her home plane…& that she’d take it. Definite insecurity on my part. I said earlier, Tryis is the most important person in my Lance. She’s more than that. She said she loved me today…after the night after we became lovers. I love her too. I want to think her love would keep her here w/me but, then again, everything she has ever known before she joined me is there.
MOVING ON FROM BRANWEN...
Level Up:
• Lord Gawain: I don’t know where it happened but my skills have advanced me to Lord/11th Level (Fighter/11).
• After he was revived & healed Valygar also advanced to Shôgun/10th Level (Samurai/10). Were he in Kara-Tur he’d be a Lord in his culture except that what we call a Lord here is called a Shôgun in Kara-Tur.
• Yoshimo also advanced in skill to what would be called a Kage/13th Level (Ninja/13) were he home in Kara-Tur. In his case rather than being a Shogun (nobility), Yoshimo would likely be the head of a village (peasant) but the villages most powerful Ninja. He would meet, when necessary w/other Kage in Kage Summit’s when necessary.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 13 – Popular)
• Gawain: Ftr/10, (HP105); Full Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Invisibility & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1*****, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Bone Golem)(1)
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//10), (HP71 ); Studded Leather +2 w/ Long Sword (Ras +2)***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2)
• Yoshimo: Thief (Ninja/12), HP68; Studded Leather +2, Boots of Stealth, Cloak of the Sewers & Pale Green Ioun Stone w/Katana***, Darts +2/1*;(Del)(Thief Aggressive)(6)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/9, (HP55); Plate Mail w Large Shield & Amulet of Power; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3**, Warhammer**, (SSS**); (Greater Fire Elemental)(Cleric Aggressive)(3)
• Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP40; Tyris’ Leather Armor, Cloak of Protection +1, Buckler +1; Rings of Acuity, Fire Control; Sling +2**; Spear +2** Spear**; (Skeleton Warrior)(Mage Aggressive)(4)
• Valygar: Samurai (Ranger/10); Studded Leather +2 w/Scimitar +2 (Rashad’s Talon +2)*****, Scimitar +1*****, Scimitar*****; (Stone Golem)(SCS Ease of Use AI, Setting 1)(5)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
Blue Font: New information;
Red Font: Monster encounters (first use)
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
I remembered the Amnish Guard in front of the Circus Tent & that there was some trouble there. I thought maybe I could earn some gold by helping there if the situation wasn’t yet cleared up. The Guard told me they were waiting for the Cowled Wizard’s over two months ago so obviously it wasn’t high on their list b/c nothing had changed. I told him I’d check it out, so I went in w/my lance/retinue & came face to face w/a Genie. He asked me a couple of riddles that we blew both times & that caused him to attack. Tyris fired off a Fireball, Anomen Dispel Magic, Auren used her Dancing Sword ability from Ras +2, Yoshimo cast Blur on himself & then went on the attack & Valygar used his Samurai’s Kuatoray Technique. I just attacked & the Genie was dead & vanished in no time. He was so easy to hit, I wonder if Anomen’s Dispel Magic didn’t bring down some defenses for us. Then we ran into an Ogre that had the voice of a female Elf. It /she claimed that it was an illusion & that she was actually a Winged Elf & that a Gnome Illusionist named Kalah had turned everything to an illusion. She said I’d find a couple of peasant’s on the other side of the tent who were not peasants & that they would have a sword on them that was really an illusion. In fact, it was a key to the ‘chains’ that kept her illusion as an Ogre in place. We found a woman that looked like a Huge Spider before we found the peasants. They weren’t openly hostile but then suddenly I, then Anomen, the Yoshimo took damage. When attached they turned hostile & we destroyed them, found the sword & took it back to the Ogre/Winged Elf. Sure enough, in no time, a petite, blonde elf named Aerie stood before us offering to join & destroy Kalah. I told her to remain where she was & that we’d take care of it. Aerie was particularly concerned about her Uncle Quayle. Could it be? Last thing Quayle said in Baldur’s Gate was that he wanted to go back to Athkatla to be w/his niece. Hmm. There wasn’t much to the mystery in the tent. We went into the next room & were attacked by & killed five Werewolves & a Shadow. Then we started up a staircase & were met by another Genie but I wasn’t ready to play games. I blew by him & then into a room where stood Kalah, three Werewolves & a Green Slime (my old companion Quayle). I let Auren lead the others while I went for Kalah. In no time he was dead, the illusion was dispelled & we were standing over the nearly dead Kalah, now just a particularly runty Gnome again, in the original Circus Tent. Aerie was so happy to see Quayle, as was I. He has definitely changed – he actually wanted Aerie to travel w//me but I’ve no room as it stands now. I told her I might return & she said she’d be there. It was good to see Quayle again…he seems to have softened…no really!
Not much loot after all there so I moved over to the docks to wait on nightfall & try to link up w/this Mook from the Thieves Guild. We got there in plenty of time & when night fell, sure enough, Mook was there. We decided to watch her back while she approached whoever it was she was worried about. When she did she was attacked & killed by a powerful looking Vampire. We jumped on him & it wasn’t long before he was almost dead. He turned into a mist & left threatening that this wasn’t over. We reported to Linval & then he had me go find two of his Shadow Thieves that were getting ready to defect to the other Guild. He told me I’d find them @ the Five Flagons upstairs & I did. Auren tried to smooth talk them but it failed so we ended up killing the two of them & just as we did their contact from the other Guild showed & attacked us so we took him out too.
BATTLE @ THE DOCKS
After that I had to head back to Castle De-Arnise. One of my servant’s came of behalf of Major Domo to let me know that Lord Roenall has come to see me & that I am needed immediately. I returned as soon as possible, leaving Roenall waiting a few days. He demanded that I turn the castle over b/c I’m not of noble blood & that Nalia was too young to name me Lord of this keep & its lands. All of that is guff. I told him to get out of my castle & he & his retinue left but not w/o threatening to return w/a larger retinue. Major Domo is good @ his job, so I wasn’t surprised that he & Captain Cernick were already preparing my Guard to defend my keep & lands against attack by Lord Roenall’s forces. I’ll be ready to return to lead my troops on a moment’s notice.
HOLDING COURT @ DE'ARNISE. NEXT UP, LORD ROENALL.
Afterword, we took the news back to Aran Linval about what happened @ the Five Flagons. We had a note that we found on the contact. W/this information he deduced that the leader of his rival Guild was a Vampire named Bohdi that we would find in the catacombs under the Tombs in the Graveyard District. He said she will have undead minions, which I suspect will be other Vampires in great numbers as we’ve seen 10-12 already @ night (hence the reason I try not to travel by night). He said we would find a huge blue door that led to her lair under the tombs which will also be the heart of the Shadow Thieves rival guild. He said we wouldn’t be able to open the door ourselves – he will send a Mage w/a Golem to take care of that for us.
MEETING W/ARAN LINVAL
And so we went straightaway. Not knowing where to go we just started investigating tomb to tomb & the first we entered was the haunt of two Skeleton Warriors that we defeated easily. The next tomb we went into wasn’t a tomb, at least not where we were but there was a tunnel leading out of it. We only just got started before we were blasted w/a Lightning Bolt! We didn’t lose anyone but a couple or three of us had some serious burns & we needed to heal. . Outside we were approached by a man who was screaming about an old uncle whose ghost was chasing him. The Uncle was just a really angry Zombie & I’m not sure who was in the right but we killed the Zombie. On the way out of the cemetery, I heard a man mumbling & realized that he’d been buried alive. We saved him & he didn’t really know what happened except that someone had dumped him in this grave & he woke up like this. He thought I might check w/the caretaker of the graveyard & we found him. He sung like a canary under pressure & told me I might find the guy that paid him to look the other way in the Bridge District. The man that had been buried alive had a piece of red cloth that he thought might be a clue & that’s the same thing he caretaker mentioned about the color of his clothing. I’ll check it out. He also said there were three kidnappers involved. We took some rest @ The Inn of the Seven Vales.
Afterward, I went right back, avoiding the door we knew led us to the tunnels but found another nearby that also led into more tunnels (or possibly the same ones). We didn’t get far there before we were attacked by a Sword Spider, a Phase Spider, A Giant Spider & three ‘big’ spiders. We killed ‘em but both Tyris & Valygar took some serious poison damage. Time to go back & load up on Antidotes & get ‘em in our girdle pouches for quick access. We have a few in our Medicine bag but they weren’t available when we needed them. It was back to Waukeen’s Promenade for more rest & healing.
I went down to the Docks to try & hook up w/an armorer there. At this time he was only able to strengthen Tyris’ armor (by +1), give it 50% Magic Resistance & increase her spell casting speed. On the way back I went by the Government District as I was told I might find a capable Rogue there. I really need a real rogue. Yoshimo’s skills are just not enough. I found the rogue I was looking for, a Gnome who got arrested before I could finish talking to him. I couldn’t lie when the Amnish Guard asked if he try to sell me something. After they hauled him away, I went to see about bailing him out but got sidetracked by a mob trying to kill a Drow instead. She obviously had committed no crime but was being convicted to burn by a crowd of fanatics who hated her for her race, not by proper authorities who had convicted her of a crime. I couldn’t let that happen so I went over & blocked the crowd. I got surprising support from both Auren & Anomen so I freed her but didn’t take her in obviously. I had to kill three fanatics who attacked us for freeing her.
I decided that for this mission, & this mission only, I’d bring Jan along so I returned the following morning to bail him out & put him in debt to me. He actually proved to have fantastic Thieving skills, especially Find/Remove Traps, & he was an Illusionist like Quayle too…only more powerful & less cantankerous. (Note: For those that don’t read me regularly, I limit Specialist Mages, e.g., Illusionists, Conjurer’s, etc., to writing/learning only spells from their own discipline but I do give them the ability to cast spells from scrolls of any discipline. So Jan only has Illusionist spells, sometimes many of the same memorized & in his spellbook). I stopped in Bridge District to see if I could find the man in red. I almost missed him but he was on the docks & & when we questioned him, he ran into a house. There his two partners killed him as soon as they realized he’d messed up their scheme. I ran them down to & we took them out. I needed to let the Guards know but neither those in the district not the officials in the Council of Six building seemed to be interested.
Back to the Graveyard the following day, we killed a Crypt King before moving back inside the tunnels where we killed a total of five sword Spiders, three Phase Spiders, two Ettercaps, three Giant Spiders & six ‘big’ spiders. I saw Aram’s Mage & Golem but I wanted to make sure everything outside was safe first. I didn’t want an army of spiders attacking us while we were fighting vampires too. It quickly became apparent that inviting Jan into my lance for this mission was a wise decision – he can detect a trap all the way down the hall & a locked chest is barely a nuisance.
I continued us around the rock ledge that circled the cavern, circling a large dome like thing that was similar to the Cloakwood Nest in more than one way. In front were three spiders (rolled up in the numbers above). We took time to cast a few spells/quaff potions, as usual, before entering a cave, an obvious combat situation, just as we did, e.g., when we entered the main tent in Bandit Camp or walked into the Cloakwood Nest. Here it was a good thing b/c there was what appeared to be a Half-Drow but there was no doubt she was a Druid b/c she whipped out an Insect Plague that really made things tough. She also called 22 ‘big’ Spiders. Anomen was swarmed under & fell unconscious. Every one of us, @ times, were completely overwhelmed w/the bees & other flying, biting insects. We finally killed her & got out of there but the treasure was nothing to write Candlekeep about.
BATTLE W/THE HALF-DROW DRUID & FRIENDS
After a much needed rest, (we keep needing rest after only a short time in the Graveyard District), we cleared out another tomb & destroyed two Shadow Fiends & a Mummy. Then we moved into the tunnels we’d found. We killed three Sword Spiders, a Phase Spider, two Ettercaps a Giant Spider & two ’big’ Spiders. Then I led us back to where we’d seen Aram’s Mage & the Golem. He immediately had the Golem smash the blue door & then the Golem started kicking tail…on our side before he finally succumbed. Inside the door we battled hard against two Grimwarders & two Grimward Archers. Then I had Jan use one of his Invisibility Spells on himself while simultaneously using his Find Traps ability to scout a large banquet hall in front of us. Inside he spied a Vampire (Note: Gellal) & as directed came right back to us thinking the Vampire had seen him & started to chase. The Vampire didn’t follow after all, so we coaxed him out into the foyer where we were & then we destroyed him in a ambush. I found out something. Tyris’ fire spells do big damage to Vampires – THAT is useful information. We confirmed that in our next fight as we entered the banquet hall & battled a Fledgling Vampire & a Greater Ghoul. The Fledgling Vampire/Greater Ghoul gave us a tougher fight than the obviously more powerful Vampire we’d just destroyed. Both Tyris & Auren fell unconscious before we destroyed them. Back to The Inn of the Seven Vales to cast Raise Dead on them which will bring them out of the false sleep they’ve both lapsed into.
Key Event(s): Then I got sidetracked, we all did. Jan had a family issue involving the woman he loved but lost to another. It seems she was abused by her husband & was living w/Jan’s family. Lissa, the woman had a child w/her husband, who’d hurt their child, Jaella, so badly she was in a false sleep hanging on to life. Jan’s uncle sent us to a woman in the Government District who further directed us to the sewers beneath The Copper Coronet to speak w/someone called ‘The Hidden’. Jan, understandably, stayed behind w/Lissa & Jaella while the rest of us headed out to find these sewers. This actually took a little work, especially w/o Jan’s skills, because more than once we had to purchase Stone to Flesh scrolls b/c of a repeating trap that would Petrify passersby. In the sewers we found and defeated or destroyed a Mustard Jelly; two Hobgoblin Captains, two Hobgoblin Shaman’s, four Hobgoblin Elite, two Hobgoblins Archers, two Hobgoblin Warriors, a Kobold Shaman, two Kobold Commando & six Kobolds. While all of that was happening we met a hermit with his friend, a Carrion Crawler. He said there was a sword here & that he would help me w/the clues to secure it but I’d need to find them first. I already had a Staff of Goodberry’s that was one of the four ‘keys’ I needed which he said would ‘seal the deal’. Close by was a room where pipes spilled sewage into the sewers. There were four of them w/inscriptions on three of them that provided clues as to what I was looking for. I kept trying w/just the staff but Lightning kept shooting out so I had the others stay outside the room w/the door closed while I conducted my trial & error (mostly error). Luckily, my Cloak of Reflection protects me completely from electricity! Continuing we found a huge sewage room where we killed an Otyugh & destroyed Mustard & Ochre Jelly’s. We eventually found a severed hand in a sewer grate in that room which turned out to be the second of the four keys to the sword. We were doing two things @ once but the priority was this ‘Hidden’ fellow. While looking, we went through a door into a wooden room & fought a pitched battle against Slavers including a Priest of Cyric, a Captain of the Slaver Guards & seven Slaver Guards. Tyris & Valygar were so injured that they fell unconscious from the wounds they suffered so we had to return & rest & allow time for Anomen to revive them. I think now that that room is part of a dry-docked Slavers Ship that we were pointed to a bit later. Up a stairway in the sewers was another wooded bramble w/the Myconid King & two Myconids that we killed but, even so, a couple of us, Auren & Valygar for sure & I think Tyris, were overcome w/the Myconids Confusion ability created by the spores. We found the third key to the sword, a ring on two Skelton lovers that were embraced on a wall. But then, finally we found the ‘Hidden’ after killing a Carrion Crawler. The ‘Hidden’ already knew we were looking for him & what we wanted, i.e., to heal Jaella. The Hidden asked us to help him first, by killing two people who were searching for him. I didn’t question b/c I just wanted to save Jaella. I had to go the The Docks District to the Sea Bounty Tavern. We were told to address the barkeep, who we’ve talked to a few times before, & this time tell him we are ‘seekers’. We did & he, in turn, sent us to the Bridge District to the Five Flagons Inn, where we stayed when we first arrived in Athkatla. There we’d find the two we were looking for in a room on the second floor. We did as directed & found two Githyanki that we defeated but we had to avoid Auren for a while as she was Dire Charmed & attacking anyone she could get close to - she hit every one of us at least once. We spend the night there & then headed back to the sewers. We found The Hidden & he had already healed Jaella. Upon questioning him about why two Gythyanki would be following him, he shapechanged into a Mind Flayer. He then promptly left & we headed back to find Jaella healed. Sadly for Jan, Lissa promptly broke his heart again & left w/her abusive husband who’d showed up when we did. I led us back to the sewers, now w/Jan rejoined, & he immediately Removed the Petrification Trap. It dawned on us that the fourth key we needed for the sword was to kill the Carrion Crawler that was the hermit’s ‘true friend’. One of the clues was that the riddle would be solved w/the blood of a true friend. Sure enough, that did it & we left a saddened hermit but solved the riddle; severed hand first; the ring, the blood & then the Shaman’s Staff. We got a slightly cursed but powerful Two-Handed Sword +3 (Lilarcor) but sold it.
THE 'HIDDEN'
While doing all of that, having been given entrance to the seediest parts of the Copper Coronet, we found a Gladiator Fighting Pit: We were attacked by a Winter Wolf before finding the kennels for all of the animals used in the pits. Unfortunately, the Beast Master turned them all against us & we killed a Minotaur, a Grizzly Bear, a Panther, two Leopards, a Black Bear & two mutilated Gibberling’s. Had he not turned them on us, the Minotaur & the Gibberling’s might have perished but the animals certainly would not have. As we killed the animals I thought of Jaheira who I lost to my lance these months ago now. I wonder how she would have reacted.
We found the area where the brothel was but spent little time there, although we did tell an angry wife where her husband could be found. The other thing we found, most importantly, were the cells where prisoners were kept. There were a boy & a girl in these & a burly dude named Hendak obviously from the Norheim Isles, or one of the other Monshae Isles situated between islands Norland and Aralom (where my first love Branwen is now – but I’ve moved on & I love Tyris dearly now). Back to Hendak, we freed him & the children (as well as another friend of his) w/a key we found on the Beast Master. Hendak immediately went to work killing all of the Copper Coronet Guards but he really wanted that creepy guy Lehtinan who is the owner of this place & the director of all of the seedier goings on. He’d captured Hendak & made him a slave for the fighting pits & Hendak was ready to tear him a new one, which he did in no uncertain terms & then claimed the Coper Coronet for himself as payment for Lehtinan’s cruelty to him & others. He promised to clean the place up & started by giving us a discount on anything we purchase there from now on. He then asked us to do him one more favor – destroy the Slaver’s here in Athkatla – right around the block in a dry-docked ship. He advised not to attack headlong & said he’d heard of a secret entrance from the sewers that would be less risky. I know where that is & we’ll go there quickly. We need gold for the Knights of Solamnia & for armor, weapons, potions, etc., to fight the Vampires. I’d also like to purchase a ‘Spellcasting License’ from those crooked Cowled Wizards.
I took us back to Castle De’Arnise where I consented to the marriage of one of my household servants, Chanelle, to a local Ranger over a suitor from Roenall’s lands. When I found out where he was from he was handicapped already but then he spoke & had the same haughty, boastful, self-important vainglory that I’ve dealt w/from Lord Roenall & his snotty son. Sounds like the Ranger hits the ale more than the average Ranger but Chanelle understands that & obviously loves him anyway. I granted her a 500gp dowry, honoring a promise Lord De’Arnise made to her when he alive.
PREPARING FOR BANQUET @ DE'ARNISE
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 8,651gp) Armor/Weapons: Girdle of Piercing (Auren); Battle Axe (sold); Staff of Curing (Anomen); Two-Handed Sword +3; (Lilarcor)(Sold); Jewelry/Gold: 4,000 (De’Arnise Tax Revenue), three Emeralds, 1,287gp, 724gp; Diamond, Water Opal, 100gp; Potions: Scrolls: Chain Lightning, Contingency, Stoneskin, Magic Missile; Wands: None
Current Disposition: Rejuvenating & resting @ De’Arnise.
Next Steps: I need to get back onto Bohdi’s trail but I feel that stopping the Slavers will help me to do that more than another foray into her lair would right now. It’ll help me release the Knights of Solamnia & between that & stopping the Slaver’s I think I’ll be better ready to go after her.
Level Up:
• Auren has increased her skills to those equivalent to a Lady (Fighter- Apprentice/11). Should she have any interest in it she would be equivalent to me as Lord but the title is only given to people like she & I when we become landowners. She remains 2nd in my Lance’s Chain of Command.
• Lord Gawain: My fighting skills continue increase as does my resistance to spells, polymorph, death magic, etc. I am now graded as a Lord/12 (Fighter/12) & added Warhammer as my second weapon since I’ve topped out @ Grand Master w/the Bastard Sword & Anomen doesn’t have the strength to use the Hammer of Thunderbolts +3.
• Anomen has incurred further favor from Helm & has been raised to High Priest of the Watchers of Helm 10 (Cleric/10). As such, he prayed for & tells me he received both Cure Serious & Critical Wounds.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 13 – Popular)
• Gawain: Ftr/12, (HP119); Full Plate Mail w/Large Shield, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Invisibility & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1*****, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3*, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Bone Golem)(1)
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//11), (HP77); Studded Leather +2, Girdle of Piercing w/ Long Sword (Ras +2)***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//9/10, (HP56); Plate Mail w Large Shield & Amulet of Power; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Warhammer**, Staff of Curing, (SSS**); (Greater Fire Elemental)(Cleric Aggressive)(3)
• Tyris Flare: Fighter (Amazon/9)//Mage [Fire Only]/10; HP31; Tyris’ Leather Armor, Cloak of Protection +1, Buckler +1; Rings of Acuity, Fire Control; Sling +2**; Spear +2** Spear**; (Skeleton Warrior)(Mage Aggressive)(4)
• Valygar: Samurai (Ranger/10), (HP75); Studded Leather +2 w/Scimitar +2 (Rashad’s Talon +2)*****, Scimitar +1*****, Scimitar*****; (Vampire - Gellal)(SCS Ease of Use AI, Setting 1)(5)
• Jan: Illusionist/11//Thief/12 (HP34); Jan’s Adventure Wear, Jen’s Techno Gloves, Jan’s Spectroscopes & Flasher Launcher w/Flasher Master Bruiser Mates; (Thief Adventurer)(Spider)(6)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
I needed to stay busy & focused to keep from dwelling in my misery. My first order of business was to get another to round out my retinue. I reluctantly decided to go back & see if Quayle’s adopted niece was still able to join. Aerie joined me & has been very helpful. She has more spells than I’ve ever seen in one person. As both a Cleric & a Mage she is constantly aiding our battles w/spellcasting, both Arcane & Devine. A HUGE plus in her repertoire is anti-magic spells to help us counter other spellcasters. Now she has Breach, Lower Resistance & Greater Malison. I’ve always had specialist Mages, an Invoker & two Illusionists but Aerie can use any spell & I need her, more than ever now, to counter other mages defenses & allow us to kill them.
Before I lost Tyris, I redirected my focus to stopping the Slavers as requested by my friend Hendak, the new proprietor @ the Copper Coronet. Stopping the Slavers might help me to prepare for the assault on Bodhi’s lair with increased arms, armor, potions, etc. After all, that is one of the benefits of defeating bad guys...we get to keep the plunder. I also decided that I might just keep Jan around a while longer than I originally thought. His thieving skills are very beneficial to my efforts & his Illusionist spells are helpful also. I feel he will enhance my efforts to eventually destroy Bodhi which is the only way I know to find Imoen. Despite my reservations, he seems to get along w/everyone just fine (well, maybe not Anomen) & doesn’t question my authority.
By this point, I had enough gold to free the Solamnic knights & so I went straight to Ribald to do so. Ribald had us go back to the Planar Sphere where the sorceress would be the next day. I passed on the good news to the knights and the next day she arrived. She got them home & they were truly thankful. They gave us a Golden Girdle in thanksgiving. After they were gone, I started thinking about the next assault on Bodhi’s lair. I decided to go to the city jail first b/c I’d heard it mentioned somewhere that the Athkatla Guard had captured a demon & were keeping it in the city jail. Auren, who speaks for me in most cases, spoke w/the guard about taking the demon into my custody. The Guard sent me to the Council of Six Building to see Chief Inspector Brega who sent me to a Public Servant who sent me to someone else & after two more trips to Chief Inspector Brega I was finally given permission to take the demon into my custody. I showed the scroll w/the inspectors mark to the guard who couldn’t read it anyway but said it looked official enough & he was ready to be rid of it as soon as he could, it was obvious. The terrible demon was a Tiefling named Amber. Tiefling are distant kin of the union of a demonic creature w/a human or other humanoid. I wanted Amber to join me after speaking w/her so, now that I’ve completed my promise to Valygar, I decided to let him go home & add Amber to my retinue. Next up I was going to probe Bodhi’s Lair again.
And so, back under the Graveyard District & wherever else it extends to, we battled a total of four Sword Spiders, four Phase Spiders, four Giant Spiders & what I call, 12 ‘big’ Spiders as we went back & forth to rest & heal between the several forays we made. Unfortunately, as often in this place, we had to back out time & again after some tough struggles w/the Spiders & Vampires. In between, we battled & defeated three Bandit Clerics, two Bandit Mages & four Bandits in the streets of Athkatla. We are constantly, attacked. This place makes Baldur’s Gate look like the Nashkel Carnival .
Finally getting back into Bodhi’s lair we made it into the room where we’d ‘staked’ the first the first full vampire & were attacked immediately by another Vampire (Note: Durst) who, once again we defeated rather quickly only to have trouble w/a Fledgling Vampire that gave us all we could handle and by the time it was over, Amber, Aerie, & Anomen were unconscious. The battle was even more costly b/c I didn’t get Anomen’s equipment & by the time I realized it & returned it was gone.
After re-outfitting Anomen & resting/healing, I led us back to try & penetrate deeper into Bodhi’s lair. I’m till hesitant to attack her lair full-on, let alone her & our next battle bolstered my wariness. Jan scouted down a hall opposite that of the room we’d battled in last. I’ve decided the large entrance room is more of a room for those who seek audience w/Bodhi rather than a Banquet Hall (which wouldn’t make much sense for the lair of a Vampiress). As Jan searched for traps covered by Invisibility, he scouted a Vampiress & came back to warn me. I had Aerie cast a Fireball down the corridor simultaneously w/Anomen casting Dispel Magic hoping that wound weaken the Vampiress enough that we could deal w/her easily. Not to be. I began a long cat & mouse game w/a powerful Vampiress (Note: Tanova) after killing a very irritating Greater Ghoul. We pulled out of the fight after taking some injuries & loss of ‘life force’. After resting inside the lair (but near an exit) & having Anomen cast Lesser Restoration on those who needed it, I led us back to where we’d encountered the Vampiress but she wasn’t there. We continued to the end of the original hall (where we’d cast the Fireball/Dispel Magic) & the hall turned 90’ right & led into a large circular room w/spikes on the floor & blood, both dried & fresh, staining the floor. We were already hidden by Invisibility so I tried the same Fireball/Dispel Magic combo while Auren & I quaffed Potions of Invulnerability. This time we realized there was a Female Fledgling Vampire too but luckily she didn’t follow as we conducted a second retrograde against the Vampiress we’d fought before. Once, we had her down to where one or two more blows would finish her, but we couldn’t land even one & she was suddenly completed rejuvenated. I’d thrown everything I had to beat her down THAT far, staying on would have been suicide so I left the tombs hoping she would follow us out & she didn’t. We escaped worn completely out but all conscious. This next battle here here would have to wait for another day.
WE JUST CAN'T DESTROY HER YET
There’s been a guy @ the Copper Coronet hollering @ me that he had an offer if I hear it. I decided to take a break from Bodhi’s lair & listen to his offer. Lord Jierdan Firkragg, he called himself, hired me to destroy some Ogre’s that were besieging his land in the Windspear Hills. It seemed odd that a man that seemed powerful enough to hold land that far from the city would not be able to defeat Ogre’s, a rather simple enemy to defeat…but I guess, at one time, Ogres were a challenge for me too, so I decided to do it in exchange for the 10,000 gold he offered.
So off I led us there w/after a stop @ De’Arnise to enjoy & enjoy a banquet. Upon arrival @ the Windspear Hills Firkragg’s Ogre problem seemed, at first, to be for real. No sooner had we stepped for there, than we were attacked by what appeared to be, by I think I counted an Ogre Berserker, an Ogre Mage, an Ogre, a Baby Wyvern & a Kobold or something. Appeared being the key word! The moment they fell, what fell was not the carcass of a beast, but the Armor & Weapons of a Knights although in the heat of battle I didn’t notice as I would finish one foe & move straight to the next. They were knights, more specifically, Knights of the Radiant Heart, including my friend & companion Ajantis who’d been @ my side to defeat Sarevok. He’d returned to The Radiant Heart to report that he’d completed his mission of stopping the Bandit's around Baldur’s Gate & was, now I know, on a subsequent mission in the Windspear Hills. Now he lay dead @ my hands. It was only b/c of one eyewitness, Garren Windspear that we were assured he saw the same thing we did. It turns out these hills are named for him & the man that hired us, Firkragg, actually wrested these hills by engineering Lord Windspear’s downfall. Windspear took us to his cabin & said he would go to the Knights of the Radiant Heart to assure them of our innocence while we used his cabin as a respite until he returned. Shortly after he left, we settled down to rest w/Windspear’s daughter, Iltha, who’d remained w/us. But during the night, after a breathless runner burst in warning of bandits, suddenly a Bandit Mage a Bandit Dwarf berserker & an Orc teleported in to the cabin. While we killed them, by the time the battle was concluded Iltha was gone, kidnapped from under my nose. Before I’d had time to come up w/a plan, Baron Windspear, the true Lord of these hills, returned to learn of Iltha’s disappearance. He’d been successful in his effort to convince the Radiant Heart of my Innocence, especially considering that one of their own, Sir Anomen, serves me. Baron Windspear thinks Firkragg is trying to do the same thing to me that he did to him, i.e., discredit me for the kidnapping of his daughter, thereby, making a play for my own lands @ De’Arnise.
After discussing ‘what next’ w/Lord Windspear, we decided it best to search in a huge temple north of the cabin. We headed out. On the way we came across a bunch of Gnolls (~20) battling ~ seven knights. We watched since the knights seemed to have things in hand & once the battle was done we listened to the knights argue amongst themselves for a few moments but it was a strange conversation. Then…they spoke to us & quickly revealed themselves to be Werewolves. After the Battles of Balduran (North & South) a few months ago, Werewolves are a breeze, as were these. We collected up the loot carried by the Gnolls & then entered the Temple where we were accosted by Hobgoblins. By the time we had to leave we’d killed two Hobgoblin Captains, two Hobgoblin Shaman, a Hobgoblin Wizard, three Hobgoblin Elite & two Hobgoblin Archers. After the first batch of Hobgoblins (those above were two separate encounters) we destroyed a Crimson Death, & I think, seven Vampiric Mists & three Orcs before swatting two Kobold Commando’s & four Kobolds led by a mage, I think it was a Rakshasa, but regardless we just couldn’t handle him at that time (after the previous battles) & had to bail out of the temple for rest. I had no idea how long it’d be before I returned. I left, deciding to rest a night @ the cabin before heading back to Athkatla.
As soon as we arrived we were attacked Slavers (I can’t recall the makeup) & before I knew it, Amber had been kidnapped. In the little time she’s been w/me I’ve grown fond of her friendship, much like Auren & I had before Tyris & I fell in love. Auren & I are pretty much all business now but I enjoy talking w/Amber & I feel protective toward her ever since the wench that runs the Inn of the Seven Vales insulted her openly for being a Tiefling & wouldn’t serve us @ b/c she was w/us. Amber is good, whether Human or Tiefling, & hated to see her ostracized like that.
We killed the attacking slavers & one of them had a map that led to the seediest parts of Athkatla on a long twisting route down back alleys.
MAP TO YMMYRT
SEARCHING FOR AMBER
We finally found the location we were looking for where we were confronted by a number of Guards (again, didn’t count them) & a Cleric/Ranger who we later came to know as Lorraine. Once we’d killed all the Guards & Lorraine was on the verge of death she broke out of a spell she was under & it turned out she’d been forced into the service of a mage named YMMYRT who’d trapped her son’s soul in soul-stone. I agreed to help her find the soul stone & she agreed to fight w/us from the inside. After a break for rest back @ the Five Flagons Inn (staying there again after the Innkeeper @ the Inn of the Seven Vales insulted Amber) I headed back down those back streets & assaulted the building where this YMMYRT supposedly resides. Inside were a Guard Captain & some ~ 20 guards that we defeated in a protracted battle w/Lorraine helping immensely. After the battle it was back to the Five Flagon’s again after selling what bounty we’d gathered from the battle. Returning w/a Wardstone Lorraine had given me earlier, we ascended a stairway to a very fine upper floor w/three rooms. The first was of little interest but contained a couple of minor treasures, the second a library w/a cheerful Imp happily acting as a maidservant & cleaning anything that was dusty – including my boots. The last was a bedroom w/four evil Dryads, maybe charmed, but regardless they were no friends to us. We realized immediately we were in for a battle, made that much worse by traps around the room that even Jan couldn’t detect. We defeated the Dryads by isolating them & sending pairs of us against one of them. We took some injuries, including from the traps, but escaped w/a key to a door that we later found to lead to YMMYRT’s lab. Another rest @ the Five Flagon’s & it was back to YMMYRT’s home & lab where it was directly to the door & into the basement where the lab was located. An outer room was unspectacular as was a second, although Lorraine was there but now she was muted, undoubtedly by YMMYRT. Before we entered a door to the east of the room Lorraine was in, I had Jan use Invisibility and/or Improved Invisibility on us all & upon entering, we saw a man I was sure was YMMYRT.
FINDING YMMYRT
So we crept back out & closed the door since the mage had not detected us. I had us prepare for what I thought might be a huge battle w/a tough wizard so in addition to Invisibility/Improved Invisibility Auren & I quaffed Potions of Invulnerability while Sir Anomen added both Bless & Chant & Aerie, Speed. I added Call on Holy Might & Auren used her Bust ability. Then we slipped back thru the door, which was hidden from the direct view of YMMYRT where he stood. I positioned us all for the best possible use of our assault & then we executed a nearly perfect ambush, Auren & I going right up to him! While he had some pre-cast defensive spells already cast, Aerie made him more vulnerable w/Breach & Greater Malison back to back. The mage, obviously, very powerful, was so surprised he was unable to respond & could not react to Auren & my blows & Sir Anomen’s spells, including his favorite, Flame Strike. Jan used Blindness & then fired his doubly-enchanted sling stones. YMMYRT was gone in no time & the aid he called for from a Yuan-Ti & an Umber Hulk were too late & ineffective regardless. I know there was one more monster in one of the cells that lined the room but it was so insignificant I can’t recall what it was.
YMMYRT DEAD
I went back into the last room, found Lorraine, now able to speak, & gave her the soul gym with her sons’ soul inside. She was extremely thankful but she obviously has a long road of repentance for the things she’s done under YMMYRT’s control. After that, I tore the place apart looking for Amber, finally getting the idea after a couple of hours to look outside to see & I’ll be darned if she didn’t come walking up to me having already escaped. Obviously she can take care of herself but, either way, now she was safe & we could head back to the Windspear’s.
FREEING LORRAINE & RETURN THE SOUL-STONE W/HER SON'S SOUL
Before we headed back, I led us to the Council of Six building & had Aerie purchase a Magic License for 5000gp – it seems everything is 5000gp here. We need to be able to cast spells here w/o being accosted by the damned Cowled Wizards every time we get attacked & try to defend ourselves.
Just as I emerged from the Council of Six building a runner from De’Arnise approached me breathlessly, imploring me to return immediately b/c Lord Roenall was on the move w/his forces approaching my lands. I headed back w/o delay, with my loyal retinue ready to serve me faithfully in the defense of my home & the land entrusted to me by Nalia. On return, Major Domo laid out the situation, I talked strategy w/he & Captain Cernick. We decided that unlike my forces who are loyal, Lord Roenall’s are there for their pay only or are there fighting against their will. It was obvious to the three of us, & also to Auren & Sir Anomen that the Center of Gravity in this battle was Lord Roenall himself. Defeat him & his army will dissolve! And so, Captain Cernick organized my troops and my retinue stood w/me @ the front. A couple of my Guards dropped the drawbridge & I headed out w/only one foe to find – Roenall. I found him & w/o taking note of any other threat on the battlefield, I moved toward him w/arrows & spells all around me. My retinue took care of other immediate threats he had at his side, i.e. Mages, Clerics, other warriors, etc., (I hazard to call them knights b/c there’s not a shred of nobility in his army). I battled Lord Roenall & defeated him man to man, w/ease. Sure enough, upon his death, his forces panicked & dissolved in retreat. My soldiers performed very well against those of Roenall’s & there were many Roenallian’s scattered about the battlefield outside the drawbridge to prove it.
FINISHING ROENALL & HIS FORCES
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 642gp) Armor/Weapons: Ymmyrt’s Robe (sold); Bracers of Defense (AC5)(Aerie); Necklace of Opposite Alignment (sold); Dagger +3 (sold), Snow Leopards Skin (sold); Wyverns Skin (sold); two Studded Leather +1 (sold); Jewelry/Gold: 312gp; 250gp; Golden Girdle (Anomen); Potions: Magic Blocking (Gawain); Superior Healing (Gawain); two Invulnerability (Auren); five Extra Healing (General Use); Speed (General Use); Scrolls: Improved Mantle & Protection from Evil (Jan); Wands: Abyssal Pipe (Jan)
Current Disposition: Back @ Lord Windspear’s cabin, readying for another foray into the Temple.
Next Steps: Attack that Rakshasa, or whatever that thing is, & find out what lies beyond the door behind it.
Level Up:
• Auren: has increased her skill & is now a Lady (Apprentice/12) & continues to crush opponents w/her Long Sword
• Anomen: In addition to recently becoming a Senior Steeleye of Helm/10 (Cleric or Helm/10), Anomen is now equivalent to & holds the official title of Lord/10 (Fighter/10) himself, although as a member of the Knights of the Radiant Heart he is not allowed to keep any wealth or land for his own. Anomen is now a Knight of the Radiant Heart, Senior Steeleye of Helm & a Lord (Honorary) in his own right.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 14 – Popular)
• Gawain: Ftr/12, (HP119); Full Plate Mail w/Shield of the Stars +3, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Fire Control & Girdle of Bluntness, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1*****, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3*, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Bone Golem)(1)
GAWAIN RECORD
GAWAIN INVENTORY
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//12), (HP77); Studded Leather +2, Girdle of Piercing & Ring of Invisibility w/ Long Sword (Ras +2)***** (SWS**); (Shade Lord)(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2)
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//10/10, (HP57); Plate Mail w Large Shield, Golden Girdle & Amulet of Power; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Warhammer**, Staff of Curing, (SSS**); (Greater Fire Elemental)(Cleric Aggressive)(3)
• Jan: Illusionist/11//Thief/12 (HP34); Jan’s Adventure Wear, Jen’s Techno Gloves, Jan’s Spectroscopes & Flasher Launcher w/Flasher Master Bruiser Mates * & Abyssal Pipe; (Thief Adventurer)(Spider)(6)
• Aerie: Cleric/11//Mage/12 (HP35 ); Cloak of Protection +1 & Bracers of Defense (AC5)(w/ Sling +2* & Club* (Warhammer*, Staff*), Wand of Fear & Black Spider Figurine; (Roenall Guard)(Mage Defensive)(5)
• Amber: Thief/15//Fighter/6 (HP87); Leather Armor w/Amber’s Earing’s & Gillian’s Bracelet; Long Sword (Slaver Guard)(Amber’s Combat Script AI)(4)
ABYSSAL PIPE (ONLY JAN CAN USE)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
The Key Event that took Aerie’s life was my fault. I was frustrated & wanted to see that my strategy would work. I’d been to the Windspear Hills, hired by a 'Lord Firkragg' @ the Copper Coronet to eliminate an Ogre problem on his land. It seemed a good opportunity to gain experience while picking up some treasure. Besides, if we got nothing, he still offered me 10,000gps for the work. This could be used to improve our weapons & allow me to get closer to destroying Bodhi &, in time, find Imoen, or so I hoped. I’ll write about everything else but we arrived & were duped into killing Paladin’s from the Order of the Radiant Heart by an illusion while they, likewise, were duped into attacking us. We saw an Ogre, an Ogre Mage, a Baby Wyvern & maybe a Kobold or something so we attacked thinking this is what we were sent here to do. Luckily, the true Lord of Windspear, after whom these hills are named saw what happened & added that all he saw was Ogres, fighting each other, but as they fell he saw that they fell as knights, including the great young Paladin, Ajantis, who’d been beside me in the battle against Sarevok. I was crushed, as was Anomem & the rest of us but Lord Windspear was an eyewitness & travelled on our behalf to Athkatla & clear our names w/the Order, especially considering that my reputation w/them has allowed Anomen to travel as my squire, rather than Sir Robin Trawl, his superior in The Order. It turns out Firkragg is no lord @ all & by way of duplicity, discredited Lord Windspear & took his lands. In the same way, we deduced, by tricking me into killing the Knights of the Order, was seeking to do the same to me & take De’Arnise for himself. Long story short (for now), Firkragg is an Ancient Red Dragon of the hugest size & makes his lair in a ruined temple north of Lord Windspear’s simple cabin. Of all evil dragons, aside from Tiamat herself, Red Dragons are the worst, especially an Ancient Male. After having learned all the secrets of the Temple & destroying the evil inhabitants, including Firkragg’s Mage, the only thing left was to destroy Firkragg & return Lord Windspear to his rightful place as the Lord of these Hills & gain an ally adjacent to my own lands in the process. And so I strategized that Firkragg would be resistant to magic & that would be our greatest challenge & his greatest defense. Aerie prepared for the battle memorizing multiple Lower Resistance spells, as well as Breach, Greater Malison & Secret Word to break his defenses & Wizard Eye to allow us to get a jump on him. Meanwhile Aerie, Anomen & Jan worked to make sure they had a magic strategy between them & added Amber who can has a Blinding Eye ability (she’s since added a Contagious Eye but hasn’t used it yet). The plan was simple in theory but much more difficult to execute. Spellcasters break down his resistance & Blind him, while Auren & I, and later Anomen & Amber attacked him from all sides so that he couldn’t focus. Aerie was masterful, getting off two Lower Resistance & a Breach spell, & either Jan or Amber obviously blinded him…But we couldn’t lay a blade on him. I saw a cut on his side that was pretty deep but he barely seemed to notice. Then in one flap of his giant winds we were all, but Amber, blown right up the steps we came in. Amber ran around him as he was focused on us. We were all knocked silly for a moment but Auren came to in time to gather his attention, taking a beating for her effort but giving the rest of us time to get our senses about us & escape back through the small Arch-way that Firkragg couldn’t access in dragon form. I knew we couldn’t rest b/c if we rested & healed so would he, so we waited for a long while, likely as much as three bells, hoping he wasn’t healing himself. We used every healing spell we had & were down to only Potions of Extra Healing, four, & maybe fifteen Potions of Healing between us. We cast all of the Protection Spells we had left, which were in short supply. We all prepared the best we could & made another short lived assault. This time, however, he was waiting right where he stood when we left & there was no way I was gonna risk our lives w/our backs against the wall @ the top of those steps, him w/his Cone of Fire dragon’s breath weapon &/or his might wing buffet that invariably knocks all of us silly for a few moments. So I immediately ordered a withdrawal after charging him to get his attention so the others could gather & we could make an escape. He bitch slapped me silly w/that big assed Red Dragon claw & it hurt but we escaped, barely & luckily no one was knocked out or I’d had to go back for them. I wanted to kill that dragon so much, & I knew my strategy was sound & I was could only see RED until I remembered that we’d left the Shadow Dragon (Note: Thaxll’ssillyia) in the Umar Hills Temple Ruins. I was headstrong & decided to go after her next so I led us there for battle...to sooth my own pride by killing another dragon in Firkragg’s place – at least for now. Everyone did exactly what we’d done w/Firkragg obediently with honor…for me. Aerie was brilliant, casting Lower Resistance twice & Breach. None of Blindness attempts took hold but after both my enchanted Bastard Sword (Note: +1/+3 vs Shapeshifters), Warhammer (Note: …of Thunderbolts +3) were ineffective I drew my regular, non-enchanted Bastard Sword that I have Grandmastered & landed a stiff blow. Then it was a race against time…and I lost, Aerie lost & it was my ego that brought this on her. Yes, we killed The Shadow Dragon but the cost is greater than I can bear @ this moment. I’ll never forget Aerie…or Dynahier…or Jaheira…or Khalid…or Coran…or Nalia…or Tyris. All gave their lives in Toril, forever, while in service to me. I cannot ever forget their loyalty & sacrifice.
START POINT FOR ASSAULT ON FIRKRAGG
WITHDRAWING FROM INITIAL ASSAULT ON FIRKRAGG
OPERATIONAL PLANNING FOR 2ND ASSAULT ON FIRKRAGG (ALSO REPULSED)
DRAWING THAXLL'SSILLYIA'S BLOOD
BITTER VICTORY
Over a period of weeks, we cleaned up the ‘Ogres’ Lord Firkragg sent us there to exterminate – only there were a lost more enemies than Ogres there, as a matter of fact, I don’t recall fighting even one real Ogre. We went back to Lord Windspear’s cabin to rest after the fight that killed Ajantis & his comrades from the Order. Iltha stayed w/us while Lord Windspear left for Athkatla. We had a light meal & conversed but everyone quickly looked to find a place to rest. I don’t think we hardly drifted off when a runner came to say that bandits were right behind him. And w/that a Mage, an Orc & a Dwarf teleported in &, although we killed them in a somewhat protracted battle, when it was over, Iltha was gone. It wasn’t long before Lord Windspear returned & learned of Iltha’s abduction by Windspear but, thankfully, he knew it we weren’t involved. When he learned it was Firkragg he asked us to rescue Iltha which we immediately set out to do. He directed us toward some temple ruins north of the cabin to begin our search.
Twelve separate times we entered the ruins themselves w/multiple returns to Athkatla & De’Arnise. On our first trip to, from and into the ruined temple that serves as Firkragg’s lair we fought & defeated a Crimson Death, two Ankheg’s, seven Vampiric Mists, six Orcs & six Orc Archer’s. We backed out after those battles w/some wounds to rest @ the cabin before returning a second time & defeating 11 more Vampiric Mists, & three Orcs & three Orc Archer’s. Still going strong we stumbled on four Kobolds & two Kobold Commando’s screening for a Rakshasa (Note: Actually the Ruck Transmuter). This thing had defenses up that we just could break down & he started causing too much damage to try to wait him out so I pulled us out @ headed back to the cabin to heal, rest & allow the spellcasters to reacquire those they’d spent. We weren’t ready for more battle but between returning to the cabin & travelling back to the temple we fought & killed five Ankheg’s, three Orcs, three Orc Archer’s, six Kobolds & a lone War Dog.
Back @ the temple we had a long, long battle w/the Rakshasa. As is my custom, I played hit & run w/a mage of this skill. It took patience, as any dangerous mage does, especially when they’ve protected themselves against enchanted or, even normal, weapons. This almost always is accompanied by various protection spells that need to be broken down before our magic’s work against them. The Rakshasa was no different. He popped off a couple of Fireballs while we tried to stay out of scorching range since when seen that play a day or so before. Aerie cast Breach & Anomen Dispel Magic but we still were unable to injure him thru magic or weapon, so we headed back up & out of the ruins. And I had us wait and wait and wait until Aerie (this was before the battle that took her life) was confident his initial spell protections were down. Simultaneously, we healed & cast what protection/enhancement spells we could. Returning after the time period Aerie thought sufficient, we found the Rakshasa again but he still had a glowing orb around him. Knowing he could remove our spell protections if we allowed him to rest, & having used the potions & spells we’d used to begin w/I decided we needed to keep the pressure on NOW! Auren & I tore into him w/our blades, Aerie & Anomen cast what spells they had remaining trying to break down his barrier of protection while Amber & Jan continued to try to blind him. The going was slow & the Rakshasa had his attention on Amber & was injuring her badly so I directed her to disengage & find a niche in the rock & remain there, which she did. Anomen joined Auren & I trying to damage him w/our arms, Aerie continued to cast spells trying to harm him & I had Jan retire to the stairway out b/c he was out of spells that could alter the situation & I surmised his doubly enchanted sling/stones would be ineffective in any case. It was then that my blade landed again & again, then Auren. Once we were through his protection barriers so that our weapons could harm him, we made quick work of the rest. Heck, even Aerie joined in w/her staff & Amber came out from her niche...there was enough so that everyone could enjoy this hard fought victory.
Back @ the lodge we had a good meal before, rested & healed before heading back to see what lay beyond the door where we’d first seen the Rakshasa. As we traversed the terrain between the cabin & the temple ruins we encountered & killed three Orcs & three Orc Archer’s. Arriving @ the ruins, we found the door & entered. Inside was an entrance room guarded by eight Orc Archers that we defeated easily but @ enough cost in spells that we needed to retire once again to rest & strengthen before venturing further inside.
The next time in we passed the area where we’d defeated the Orc Archers when we came to a hallway. As usual, Jan used his Invisibility Spell so he could Find Traps while remaining out of sight. The sight he saw was an ominous one. He returned to tell me/us that the hall contained an Iron Golem; two Stone Golem’s & a Clay Golem. At that point, I knew this would be the only battle during this trip to these dungeon/temple ruins. I had Jan cast Improved Invisibility on Auren, Anomen, Aerie & I before casting Invisibility 10’ Radius on all of us. I suspected the Iron Golem would be resistant to magic so Aerie’s job was to start by casting Lower Resistance on him. We’d learned that Clay Golem’s are not affected by slashing weapons but Stone Golem’s are. Conversely, Stone Golem’s are immune to blunt weapons but not to slashing weapons. Killing them was the first priority, next we’d battle the Iron Golem. We did defeat the two Stone Golem’s & a Clay Golem but, as w/any Golem’s, we’d expect & did take a couple of heavy blows, Anomen, the most. Which was to his peril b/c when we finally jumped the Iron Golem in the hall (he couldn’t get into the room where we fought the other Golem’s), Anomen took a blow that knocked him into unconsciousness. But we killed the Iron Golem rather easily & then had to return to the cabin so Aerie could raise Anomen. On the way back we were accosted by & defeated three Orcs & three Orc Archers.
The sixth time I led us into the temple dungeon brought us into an encounter that would require three trips to/from the cottage before we could move on. We passed thru the hall where the Golems & a small room where we cut down three Orcs & three Orc Archers that led to another hall. Intending to go left, we instead saw to the right, a group consisting of an Ancient Vampiress, four Elder Vampiress’, two Vampires, six Mummies, two Ghasts & eventually nine summoned Dire Wolves. I decided immediately that everything we had was to be directed initially toward the Ancient Vampiress. But I had us draw back toward the ‘Orc Archer room’ to buy time & space after an initial volley of spells from Aerie & Anomen. By the time we returned to the ‘Orc Archer Room’ we had time to cast spells of protection, e.g., Bless, Chant, Haste & Draw Upon Holy Might & we likely quaffed a portion or two. But none of the group of the fifteen undead nor the summoned Dire Wolves ever came into the room so I had Jan Invisibly recon move carefully back to the halls and through the room where the three Orc’s & Orc Archer’s had been &, as luck would have it only the Ancient Vampiress had followed us that far. As always, any Vampiress puts up a fight like a mad beast w/exceptional intelligence but an Ancient Vampiress is as wily & powerful as they get. She saw thru Jan’s Invisibility & gave chase. In this case, Anomen slammed the door behind her & we just closed on her mercilessly. Aerie’s spells were landing as were Anomen’s, while @ the same time, so were the blades Amber, Auren & I carried. We killed her but it took a while to finish her. When she was gone, it was apparent to me that we’d spent too many resources, blood, spells, life force, etc., that we needed to head back one more time for cabin to rest, healing & nourishment.
But even after the respite, the battle wasn’t over, b/c the rest of the six Vampiress’ & Vampires, the Mummies, the Ghasts & the Dire Wolves. This time we were able to get up to the hallway where we’d first seen them, unchallenged. Jan cast Improved Invisibility on Auren, Anomen, Aerie & I before casting Invisibility 10’ Radius on the rest. Auren & I stood in the doorway w/Anomen & Amber behind us & Aerie & Jan @ the rear (a dangerous formation as I usually put Anomen @ the back as the rear guard). Everyone was safe in the hallway as any attack would have to come thru Auren & I & we’d seen nothing threatening to this point so an attack from behind seemed unlikely. I don’t remember now how we got the attention of the small undead horde, likely I had Aerie toss a Fireball in their midst. However we did it, they came, all of them & they all concentrated @ the doorway. At times there were three of them w/our focus being the Elder Vampiress’ & we slowly cut them down one @ a time. They seem somewhat weaker than those we’ve faced in Bodhi’s lair. We destroyed one Elder Vampiress, then another, then a Vampire, then a Mummy & a Dire Wolf before getting @ another Elder Vampiress. Whatever the actual order, we eventually killed/destroyed all of them & were, ourselves, in ‘dire need’ (no pun intended) of rest, healing & nourishment so we conducted a retrograde to Lord Windspear’s Cabin & spent a night amongst he & Iltha.
Back at it by mid-day next, I led us for the 8th time to descend the steps into the dungeons below the temple ruins. I wanted to find out what treasure might be in the room where all the Vampires & Undead were originally congregated but we weren’t done w/Undead. There remained another Elder Vampiress that we hammered quickly before finding a nasty room containing a Greater Wraith, a Greater Shadow Fiend, two Wraiths, two Shadows & a Ghast. We were able to cut them down & I can’t recall but Aerie or Anomen or both may have had to cast restoration on one or two of us. But, once again, rather than trying to rest in the dungeon, I elected to take the few mile walk back to the cabin again. We are welcome there & are pretty much assured of a good night’s rest.
So again we descended & again we fought. This time we went left @ the ‘Undead Tunnel’ & met an adventurer named Samia who asked us if we’d help her gather some papers from the tomb of a King Strohm. She herself, she said, could go no further. We didn’t actually go the way she was trying to lead us immediately b/c I don’t like to break my normal routine which is always go left (or straight) rather than right when given the choice. She didn’t say anything so I stayed my course. I led us down a hall that brought us into combat w/a Greater Wolfwere; two Wolfwere & two Dread Wolves before we found a door where we battled a Stone Golem, a Clay Golem, three Orogs & two more Dread Wolves. After that we were smoked, so we headed out of the tunnels to rest only to have to fight our way out thru three Orcs & three Orc Archer’s w/three Mummies. Once back @ the cabin we had a much needed respite.
There was no break, no breather here. The next time we descended we went left again, this time to battle an Iron Golem & eight Orog’s. This place is relentless. Aerie helped break down the Iron Golem’s magic resistance w/a Lower Resistance spell. Then Auren, Anomen & I tore him up one side & down the other. From there we went up an incline to a small room w/a door to the south which led to a wooden ramp leading down to another door to the east. Inside was Tazok & an Orc Chief w/three Orc’s. Tazok! The coward that ran when I & my followers confronted him @ the Bandit Camp & then slithered out when we battled Sarevok. The ultimate, & now dead, coward. He & the Orcs took a few moments to finish but they are finished. Here we found Iltha but were unable to free her w/o a key that she said we’d find on a Mage (Note: Conster). We found the mage in a large room to our left, the same room that served as Firkragg’s primary lair. Luckily, Firkragg was not immediately hostile, seemed pompous, uninterested & bored & left his mage to battle us. That’s when I decided that I’d soon wipe that smirk off his face as soon as I could. But now we battled the mage. We got back out of the huge room Firkragg was in & back into the room where we’d battled Tazok & crew & where Iltha was in a cell. I didn’t think it good to fight the mage in there for long, lest he let loose a Fireball or Lightning Bolt & kill Iltha. As usual, w/mages these days, he was immediately protected in some kind of Globe & numerous other protection spells & we couldn’t get @ him yet. So it was back out of that room & up the wooden bridge to the room that was up near where the Golem’s were. We slammed the door but he followed us through & we had to disperse back down the ramp where the Golem’s originally stood, & out into the hallway where we’d killed the Wolfwere, Werewolves, Stone/Clay Golem’s, etc. The mage didn‘t follow so we healed & rested for nearly for what seemed somewhere between one and two bells. Then I came out of the tunnel & back up the ramp w/Auren to track him down & he was in the small room. The longer we’ve been out here, the less often spells are effective. I think he was trying to cast Confusion or Dire Charm, something like that but neither Auren & I were effected, but then neither were our blades until I drew my un-enchanted Bastard Sword which ripped into the flesh @ his shoulder. Seeing this, Auren drew Dadrek. Anomen had remained behind coming up slowly & it was @ this point that we all closed on him for the kill. Once we killed him, we had the key we needed to rescue Iltha for which both she & her father were obviously grateful.
SMASHING TAZOK ONCE & FOR ALL!
Back @ the cabin, we took another good rest before going back. We passed Samia, nodded & went about our business. Straight across from where we fought the Iron Golem was a doorway (if we’d gone right we’d have gone back to where we fought the mage near the wooden walkway down to where Tazok was). There were four Lycanthrope, two Greater Wolfwere & two Wolfwere that tried the old, ‘trapped adventurers’ thing but the hair was standing up on the back of my beck even before they tried to spring their trap. They barely made us breathe hard but across the hall from where they attacked us was a cave. There were some minor monsters in there fighting amongst themselves & allowed us a moment of levity before Jan found a secret door to another cave containing an Adamantine Golem w/two Stone Golems. I sent one of us in (can’t recall & I don’t want to wake them to ask) but I just wanted to make sure there weren’t any more monsters hiding in there. We drew the Stone Golem’s out & pummeled them. Thank Goodness the Adamantine Golem couldn’t get thru the exit to the smaller cave he was in. That allowed me to treat him like an Iron Golem b/c we’d never seen this type Golem. I knew nothing but expected he’d have that Cloudkill ability & he did. Aerie cast Lower Resistance followed by Melf’s Magic Meteors, Magic Missile, et al. I know Anomen used Flame Strike & Jan, as he always does w/enemies, cast Blindness. Neither Amber, Anomen or Auren could hit him w/their weapon’s b/c of their enchantment & neither did mine so, once again, I drew my regular Bastard Sword & started whacking him in return for getting whacked in return. Sure enough, he released that Cloudkill stuff more than once so I was knee deep in it. I called Amber, Anomen or Auren off b/c there was no sense standing close to this thing when one successful hit could wipe them off the face of Toril. I finally landed a blow that took him out but it was Aerie’s magic that made it possible.
WEARING DOWN THE ADAMANTINE GOLEM
After that battle, I returned us to Athkatla after stopping @ De’Arnise to check on matters there. I hoped to find items in the cities shops to help our efforts. My mind was looking forward to Firkragg but somewhere inside I knew I wasn’t ready – we weren’t ready.
On return to Firkragg’s lair, our twelfth visit, we finally started Samia’s quest w/her still just kinda standing there. Here my retinue & I fought & killed our first ever Beholder (Note: The Director), five Djinni’s, (Note: Guardians); a Greater Fire Elemental (Note: Guardian); & two Fell Ghasts before we rested & fought/defeated two Skeleton Warrior’s. We pieced together a burial mask that, I suppose, belonged w/King Strohm’s body, wherever that lay. Shortly afterward, we found a treasure containing Dragonslayer & a Dragon Scale Shield +2. It was @ that point we realized Samia was not our friend or another adventurer like us, but a duplicitous, conniving wench hiding behind a suit of armor. She’d used my retinue & I to do her blade work w/the Beholder, the Greater Fire Elemental & the Djinni’s. The coward, Samia, brought w/her a Mage, a Gnome Illusionist, an Assassin & a Knight* or Cleric. It was a hard fight but it was somewhat satisfying that Samia was the first to fall. However, Amber & Anomen both fell unconscious from their wounds. As always, we had a tough time, even w/Aerie, defeating the Mage & the Illusionist. Eventually, we got thru their defenses & were able to get our friends & their equipment out of there. After a rest @ the cabin to have Aerie cast Raise Dead on both of them & an extra nights rest we headed again for Athkatla knowing only Firkragg remained. The trip wasn’t really worth the time b/c we really weren’t able to find anything to aid us versus Firkragg & I didn’t change my mind about trying to defeat him. And so we circle back to the Key Event that I wrote about above.
OUR FIRST BEHOLDER
BETRAYED BY SAMIA
On return to Athkatla, Anomen paid a protocol visit to Sir Ryan Trawl @ the Order of the Most Radiant Heart. He asked Anomen, all of us, to infiltrate a group of Fallen Paladins that were acting as if they were still w/the Order but @ the same time were involved in some nefarious business in the Bridge District. We agreed, found them easily & we caught them in a battle w/members of the Thieves Guild. Once the battle was complete the leader of the Fallen Paladin’s questioned us about why we stood by & watched them fight w/o lifting a hand. We blew that line of questioning off & told him we were there to join the. He told us their leader, Anarg, wasn’t there @ this time but that if we were to obtain a silver chalice that had belonged to Anarg when he was a member of the order, it would go a long way to getting us accepted into his group. We returned to the Order & talked w/Sir Robin & he agreed to let us take it w/us to use in the infiltration. It didn’t matter though, b/c Anarg didn’t fall for it & set the Fallen Paladin’s against us. Anarg was a little tough as was his second in command, Reynald de Chatillon. Still we beat ‘em down, completed the mission, & returned the chalice to Sir Robin. Now is time for a decent rest but Imoen is still missing & I’m really no closer to saving her than the moment she was taken from me.
Treasure of Note: (Purse = 6,662gp) Armor/Weapons: Belt of Inertial Barrier (Gawain); Daystar (Amber); Armor of the Night + 4 (Auren); Gauntlet’s of Ogre Power ((Anomen); Dragonslayer (Auren); Dragon Scale Shield +2 (Anomen); Full Plate Mail +1 (sold); Plate Mail +2 (Delver’s Plate - sold); Two Handed Sword +2; Halberd Shaft (sold); Jewelry/Gold: Laeral’s Tear Necklace sold); Rogue Stone x2 (sold); Kings Tears (sold); Star Sapphire x2 (sold); Beljuril; Ring of Fire Resistance (Anomen); Ring of Human Influence (Amber); Moonbar Gym x3; Water Opal; 3,296gp, 2,120gp; 620GP, 490GP, 240gp; Potions: Fire Giant Strength (Gawain); Invulnerability x3 (Gawain); Extra Healing x10 (General Use); Frost Giant Strength (Auren); Scrolls: Power Word Stun (Aerie); Cone of Cold x2 (Aerie memorized one); Spell Immunity (Jan); Wizard Eye (Aerie); Wands:
Current Disposition: In Athkatla, selling & buying; resting & recuperating (Five Flagons)
Next Steps: I don’t know right now.
Level Up:
Gawain : I felt my abilities as a knight improving as this mission went along, I’m able to connect w/my blows more often & my ability to resist magic is noticeably better. I am now a Lord/13 (Fighter/13).
Jan : Is now a Master Thief/13 (Thief/13) & improved +25% to Set Traps. Now he can: Find/Remove Traps, Open Locks, Detect Illusion @ 100%; Pick Pockets @ 45%; Hide In Shadow/Move Silently @ 40% & Set Traps @ 35%.
Current Party (In Order of March): (Reputation: 14 – Popular)
• Gawain: Ftr/13 (HP117); Full Plate Mail w/Shield of the Stars +3, Helm of Balduran, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Fire Control & Belt of Inertial Barrier, Cloak of Reflection & Periapt of Proof Against Poison ; Bastard Sword +1/+3 vs Shapeshifters*****, Hammer of Thunderbolts +3*, Flail of the Ages (Acid); Bastard Sword***** (Adamantite Golem)(1)
• Auren Aseph: Ftr (Apprentice//12), (HP77); Armor of the Night +4; & w/Girdle of Hill Giant Strength; Dragonslayer (+2) & Ras +2***** (SWS**; Ring of Fire Resistance; (Thaxll’ssillyia))(SCS Ease of Use, Setting 1)(2)
AUREN RECORD
AUREN INVENTORY
• Anomen: Ftr/Watcher of Helm//10/10, (HP57); Plate Mail w Dragon Scale Shield +2, Gauntlet’s of Ogre Power, Golden Girdle & Amulet of Power & Ring of Protection Against Fire; Mace (Mauler’s Arm +2)***, Warhammer**, Staff of Curing, (SSS**); (Elder Vampire)(Cleric Aggressive)(3)
• Amber: Thief/15//Fighter/6 (HP87); Studded Leather +2, w/Amber’s Earing’s & Gillian’s Bracelet & Ring of Invisibility & Girdle of Piercing; Long Sword (Ogre Mage)(Amber’s Combat Script AI)(4)
• Jan: Illusionist/11//Thief/12 (HP34); Jan’s Adventure Wear, Jen’s Techno Gloves, Jan’s Spectroscopes & Flasher Launcher w/Flasher Master Bruiser Mates & Abyssal Pipe; (Thief Adventurer)(Slaver Guard)(5)
Mods Used: BG2 FixPack _v10; Amber_v4; Auren Aseph_v9; Sarah_v4; Haldimir_v2; : Tyris Flare_v6; Gavin_v20 & Hotfix; scs-v30 (- Tactical Challenges); MegaModKits v1.01L (Anti-Paladin, Charming Rogue, Priest of Sylvanus, Bladesinger, Amazon, Apprentice, Ninja, Samurai); Divine Remix_v8 (Nightcloak of Shar, Holy Strategist of the Red Knight, Batleguard of Tempus, Strifeleader of Cyric, Bowslinger, Forest Runner, Wilderness Runner) ; Rogue Rebalancing; bg2_tweaks-v16; Item Randomizer-v6.8; level1npcs-v1.9
(Best kill)(Current AI)(Chain of Command)
* Name Levels are ancient, AD&D titles that used to represent each new level in a class
Damn those Athkatla Bandits. I’ve been trying to avoid them even though they’re easily crushed but even trying to disengage we got tangled up long enough for one of them to kill Jan. He’d been such a great companion, friend & a super helpful Mage/Thief. The Bandit ambush included a Bandit Mage, a Bandit Cleric, a Bandit Fighter & two Bandits Rogues. One of the Rogues brutally backstabbed Jan & there was no raising him back to us.
After travelling to Valygar’s cabin, I brought him & Minsc to travel w /me. I led us to see Gaelen after Arin Linvail told us that one of his Rogue’s, Arledrian, was missing. Arin feared this might Arledrian might have sided w/Bodhi. After talking w/Gaelen, we searched Arledrian’s room & find poster for the playhouse under the Five Flagon’s. I led us to search for Arledrian @ Five Flagon’s. Gaelen allowed us to search Arledrian’s room where we found a journal written in Elvish. Gaelen thought Marina @ the Thieves’ Guild would be able to translate the Elvish for us. Once she read it, Marina, obviously worried, asked us to rush to Bodhi’s Lair & save Arledrian. We arrived in the nick of time & found Arledrian surrounded by three Vampires. We saved him & he was grateful. We returned his journal to him & he asked me to tell Gaelen he’d be away for a while to tend to for personal matters. Gaelen thanked me & gave us some gems. I told Marina as she’d seemed genuinely concerned for Arledrian. She too was grateful.
After whipping those Vampires I decided to take another crack @ Bodhi’s Lair. We finally caught up to & destroyed Tanova’s Fledgling Vampiress in the torture chamber. Then we descended the stairs & destroyed two Fledgling Vampiress’, a Fledgling Vampire, two Greater Ghouls, two Grimwarders & two Grimwarder Archers. We returned to the Docks District for some reason & were ambushed by & killed a Ruffian Captain, a Mugger & a two Thugs.
On return to Bodhi’s Lair, we were able to destroy Lassal but Tanova was still too tough & she hurt Auren badly enough that she sunk into unconsciousness. We were able to retrieve her armor & weapons, escape Tanova, & return to the Five Flagon’s where Anomen treated Auren. We rested until she was able to go again. Auren gets injured so often one would think she is soft but the fact of the matter is that, wearing only enchanted Leather Armor, she rushes to the front of every battle & chooses the toughest opponent she can find. I can’t move that quickly in my Full Plate so I feel sometimes like she has to wait an entire bell before I reach her side.
We went to the Temple of Helm so Anomen could present his tithe. There I was asked by Sir Sarle to search for a Cult that was advertising in the street, decrying both Helm & Lothandar. I was told to search for the cult In the sewers. There we destroyed a Green Slime, a Grey Ooze, a Sea Troll, a Mustard Jelly & six Kobolds, three w/Short Sword, three w/Short Sword & Short Bow. There we met a Paladin-Inquisitor named Keldorn. There was no way I couldn’t take in a Paladin, & Minsc has been w/me thru so much that I asked Valygar to return to his cabin for the time being. Going forward we killed six Goblins, two w/short Sword & Short Bow, three w/Short Sword & one w/Mace. We later came upon five Mephits: Fire, Dust, Ice, Lightning, Magma, Fire Mephits, five Umber Hulks & a Minotaur that we defeated w/o injury. On the way back to rest @ the Five Flagon’s we were confronted by a tough party of Adventurer’s: a Dwarf Berserker w/an Enchanted Throwing Axe, a Mage, a Cleric, a Warrior, et al. We defeated them fairly easily but they had the potential to be more of a challenge. Returning to the sewers we encountered & defeated a Rakshasa, a Kobold Shaman, two Kobold Commandos, a Kobold Captain, five Kobolds, four Ettercaps, an Ooze Mephit & seven Shadows. We crushed a weak Beholder his followers called the Unseeing Eye. His Cult High Priest named Gaal wore Plate Mail & was armed w/Ardalla’s Fall. He was surrounded by three Cult Elite Guards w/Plate Mail, Long Sword & Heavy Crossbow. We returned & informed our contact @ the Temple of Helm. I don’t remember how we ended up there but we were able to bring a monster & a murder named Neb to justice.
While working thru the sewers & defeating the Beholder Cult we rescued another Tiefling named Haer‘ dalise who invited us to see a play in the Five Flagon’s. I thought it would be a nice break but no such providence. Instead we ended up ‘plane travelling’ to a Planar Prison in search of Haer’ dalise & his theater company. We were welcomed to the Planar Prison by six Bounty Hunters (two Mages, two Assassins, Dwarf, & a Drow) & a bit later, by two Thrall’s (Mage, Warrior). For the next day, day & a half, we were stuck in the Prison w/no way to escape except to destroy the Warden & the Master of the Thrall’s. This according to a Gnome that had somehow escaped his collar, the instrument that kept the prisoner’s slaves/thralls under the influence of the Master of Thrall’s. To get out we had to battle numerous challenging enemies defeating a Wyvern, Two Thrall Mage’s, a Thrall Warrior, a Thrall Bowman, five Umber Hulks, a Minotaur & two Air Elementals.
We had to go back to where we entered after that gauntlet b/c it was obvious things were getting tougher & we still had a ways to go. Next up was the Master of Thrall’s, a Demon of the Tan’narri subtype, a Chasme. He turned out to be pretty difficult but we defeated it w/o loss. After a few more bells rest it was time to drive on & we did. Just past some deep pits that were all over the Prison, we encountered the Warden, a Cambion Demon. I generally think of a Chasme as a tougher opponent. I recall defeating a Cambion easily in Irenicus’ Dungeon. We had to kill 10 Umber Hulk’s & two Minotaur’s before we completely focus on the Cambion. We ended up in a retrograde to the other side of the Prison to buy time & space but eventually his defenses wore off & our weapons started to damage him. Once that happens, anything we are battling becomes short of this world. Once that battle was over we quickly found Haer’ dalise & the theater company in which he performs. Haer ‘dalise returned to Faerun w/us while the rest of his company went on to perform elsewhere.
On return to Athkatla we went w/Keldorn to his estate so that he could see his wife & children. Sadly, Keldorn’s Wife & children we distant from him & it turned out his wife had been w/another man. In the end we learned that she didn’t actually commit adultery but Keldorn took a few days to straighten things out & spend time w/his family. Once his service to me is complete he plans to resign from active membership in the Order.
AUREN VS. TANOVA (50 HPS DAMAGE!)
Key Event: After Keldorn retuned I decided to assault Bodhi’s lair again & this time, Tanova fell after putting up another vicious fight. We followed her essence back to her tomb & staked her thru the heart (as evil as she was, Tanova was a tremendous foe). At that point, Bodhi made herself known to me. After cutting each other w/our words she ended the contest & she attacked...we jumped her & beat her mercilessly but she escaped my clutches & slipped away.
PUMMELING BODHI
After Keldorn retuned I decided to assault Bodhi’s lair again & this time, Tanova fell after putting up another vicious fight. We followed her essence back to her tomb & staked her thru the heart (as evil as she was, Tanova was a tremendous foe). At that point, Bodhi made herself known to me. After cutting each other w/our words she ended the contest & she attacked...we jumped her & beat her mercilessly but she escaped my clutches & slipped away.
I had us rest @ the Five Flagon’s before going to the Thieves Guild to meet w/Linvail to let him know of our success. He kept his end of the bargain, finally! In no time we were on a ship to Brynnlaw Island. Unfortunately, Bodhi was in charge of our welcoming party & ‘convinced’ the ship’s captain, Saemon Havarian, to betray us. As soon as we set foot on the dock we were attacked by three Vampiress’ & four Dire Wolves. This was an extremely challenging battle as we were really caught off guard which is to my shame as a leader because it got Minsc killed with no possibility of raising/resurrecting him. The others had only known him for the few weeks since Jan was killed but Minsc has been w/me since my second week leaving Candlekeep & he (& Boo) were always “raring to go”. I believe Imoen is somehow alive in that fortress on the cliff but, if she is, she & I will be all that remains of our original six. Four dear friends & companions lost forever, not to mention those who’ve joined me since. Brynnlaw was a haven for pirates & we were constantly accosted by them. While there we were ambushed on the streets by the Pirate Lord Desharik, a Pirate Mage & 14 Pirates. We found an inn in Brynnlaw but it only offered a place in the corner where we could spread out, stay safe(r) & out of rain. There I met a good-hearted Mage, Sanik, who was trying to leave the island w/his wife. It was a nice talk but, just then, he was ambushed by an Assassin & killed before we could react. I learned from the barkeep that Sanik was an assassin getting revenge for Sanik’s having fallen in love w/a courtesan & convincing her to leave Brynnlaw w/him. He told me the woman Sanik loved was named Claire & was likely being held prisoner in Galvena’s Festhall. I’d seen that place but it was always closed. I appreciated Sanik’s heart & his love for Claire was obvious so it was only fitting that I aid her, besides, I’m told she might have the ‘key’ to getting me in the Asylum. Her rescue was easy enough. We had to kill a Guard Captain (Note: Front) & two Guards to get into the brothel/prison area. From there it was simple enough to work thru a couple of Guards, a Mage named Vadek, & Galvena herself. Claire was grateful for her rescue but heartbroken @ having lost Sanik. Claire was able to point me to a man named Captain Golin who gave me two ways into get into Spellhold Asylum. One was to go to the Pirate Lord & the second was to visit a Mage who used to be a Cowled Wizard. I was curious about the Pirate Lord but I wasn’t gonna fain insanity to get put away in the Asylum which was the angle there. Still I went there to meet him b/c I wondered what a Pirate Lord was all about. When I told him what were here for he exploded & left to warn his allies in Spellhold Asylum. We tried to prevent him but he quickly evaded our effort. Perth the Adept was not what I expected either. He was not a Cleric, Adept being normally associated w/a low level Cleric, & he was most definitely not low level. He was well protected & it seemed Keldorn’s Dispel Magic couldn’t break through. At one point Anomen, Keldorn & Amber were under the control of some kind of mind altering magic. He may have even captured Auren (who seems to be particularly susceptible to that type spell). We finally got our weapons on him & he was gone in no time after that, leaving us the Wardstone to Spellhold Asylum.
THE LAST VAMPIRESS DESTROYED!
I can’t remember when but somewhere in there we paid a visit to Cayia, the Pirate Leader’s harlot. She was not his harlot the moment we visited b/c she was in bed w/another (maybe she was just earning some gold on the side). Regardless, when she realized we were there she bolted & called on three of the Pirate Lord’s Pirates who were easily dispatched.