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| Author | The Temple of Elemental Evil |
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This saga will be written using names of players currently in the game. I will ask permission before I place them in the story. The Temple of Elemental Evil was a Dungeons and Dragons gaming adventure module. The following story is based around it. If comments are to be made, please open a new thread for them. I ask the mods to help keep this thread clean of all comments. Players who wish to be included in the story and are above 8th level, feel free to contact me. I will work you in if I am able but it will at my discretion how you will be used. Thank you.
Modi | "Look master, I learned a new spell ! Come and ...." But the young wizard had just spoken her last word as a dagger was thrust through her neck from behind, the blade now visible, protruding from her throat. Sam, her teacher, was busy in the next room studying archane magics that the young apprentice could only dream of someday understanding. Not wanting to discourage his pupil's enthusiasm, he rose and masked the look of irritability at being disturbed and came to see the claim of success.
What he found was her body, sprawled on the floor, blood spurting from the gaping wound in her neck. Standing over her, a menacing cloaked figure, weapon in hand, glared at him with a confidence that made the master wizard's skin crawl. Not wanting to unleash his fire or lightning bolt in his own laboratory he called for his golem guards to kill the intruder.A split second after his command, he noticed they had somehow been rendered useless and the magical life he gave them was snuffed out. If he could just get to his genie lamp, he was sure this murderer would be destroyed and justice for his young student would be achieved. | "Looking for this?" asked the intruder? He pulled Sam's lamp from a small sack and laughed. He continued, " You fools thought you could summon the elemental magics and not be noticed?" " Look at you, not even knowing of what I speak! Your turn to die!" But Sam was not a master wizard for no good reason, spending his youth with his nose buried in books of wizardry and ancient magics,earning him the nickname Lone Wolf, he delved into the craft eventually becoming one of the leaders of the Band of Eight, a group of high level mages living in the Great Capital. The Band had done many heroic deeds for Empire and Sam in his own right stood out among the greatest on many occasions. In an instant, he teleported away, leaving the intruder and his now lifeless student alone.
Appearing in front of the Thieves Guild out of thin air, the startled guards fumbled for their swords but then recognized the wizard and relaxed. " I demand entrance and do NOT make me wait long or I swear you will be vaporized!" | The Thieves Guild. A stranger to Empire, when hearing the name mentioned, would wonder how it was possible to have a guild of thieves operating right out in the open? Most large cities had them of course but they usually didn't advertise!
The tale goes that during the Troll Wars when Empire was young and not yet the strong fortress it is today, every man, woman and child old enough to swing a stick, took up arms to fight off the nasty creatures. As men often do when they settle an area, they had encroached on the native inhabitants to clear the land for themselves and their families. Empire was a fantastic port city long ago but at that time it went by another name, long forgotten. When the first settlers arrived in modern times, they came upon a once great city, now in ruin. Nature had almost taken the whole area back unto itself, leaving only the vine covered rubble of yesterday, along with a few towers, crumbling but still standing in a proud tribute to past glory. It was obvious to those who began the work of rebuilding the city that it had been burned in a severe fire. Not much of value was found among the ruins but Thaddeus, one of the original founders of Empire, uncovered an old iron chest when he scavenged blocks from what appeared to be an old church to some unknown god. Now Thaddeus was a good man but the idea of found treasure overtook him and he quickly covered the chest up and returned at night with his brother Eli to retrieve it. When they got back to camp they easily broke the rusted lock, muffling the sound of their work using rags wrapped around their tools to dull the sound. In it was an old candle, a quill, ink, and some sort of tome. Their dreams of gold and rubies left them disheartened at their find but curiosity over the book drove it quickly away. Maybe a treasure map inside.....? | clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap
keep going! ^^ | | The brothers both sneezed when the dusty old book was opened. The first page was a map and after a few minutes of study they both agreed that it was a map of the old city by the lay of the land along the sea. " Let's get the others and show them" said an excited Eli. As he rose from his seat his brother pulled him back into his chair rather forcefully. "Hey what's the big idea?" Thaddeus, being a few years older and quite a bit wiser than his younger brother, told him to keep quiet. " No reason to blab about our find until we thoroughly examine it ourselves. If we tell the others we will have a hundred hands grabbing for a look and a thousand questions about it that we can't yet answer." That was just like Thaddeus, thought Eli. He has all the answers and is usually correct but he was bursting to tell someone about it. " Brother, I see that look in your eyes. Hasn't your big mouth gotten you in trouble enough times? Haven't you learned by now not to be hasty? If you would have listened to me, you wouldn't have married..." Eli shot his brother an angry look and it stopped him from continuing his rant about Elizabeth, his wife who ran off with some adventurer only six months after their marriage. "I'm going to bed" said a now hurt Eli and he promptly went to his sleeping bag and turned away from the light on the table where his brother sat. Thaddeus was more of a father to Eli than a brother after their parents were taken by the plague when they were young lads. Thinking all will be well in the morning, Thaddeus turned his eyes back to the book. | | [Post deleted by moderator Kotrin // corrected below] | Excuse my copy paste skills. The above insert should read;
"We can't hold another fortnight!" The reality of the situation set in among the council. They were all going to die. The armies of trolls were too great and their numbers seemed endless. What was driving these monsters? Usually trolls were content to have a full belly and a place to sleep but these trolls were organized! Among them were all sorts of other evil creatures. Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins and even a young black dragon made up their army but the trolls made up the main part and the other creatures obeyed their commands. " Curse that Thaddeus, the stinking traitor!" The man speaking was Lord Otis of Greenwood who came to the city after it had been built strong and established a sea trading economy. He had experience in the art of war, and to his credit his plans held the city far longer than it should have stood. " Our wives, our children....must it end this way?" A voice at the other end of the massive council table spoke. It was Linus the sage. " Have you thought about approaching Dacron for help?" The council immediately broke out in curses and hissing at that name. Dacron was a pirate who had terrorized their sea trade for years and the merchants among the council were the loudest amongst the men who berated Linus for raising such an idea.
" Are you quite finished" he asked? "What other choice do we have than to ask his help? Not only does he have seasoned fighters but he is sure to have other contacts and we may be able to hire some bandits that he must know from his travels. He also has the ships we need to escape if we so choose." The merchant vessels were the first targets of the evil troll army and all were burned within two nights thus trapping the city residents. Those who left on foot to escape didn't get far and came back to the city but not by the usual means, Their broken bodies were catapulted by the siege engines back into the city to further terrorize the people. Some were headless, all were mutilated and many were half eaten. Dacron was their last chance... | Dacron was a shrewd man and not just a bloodthirsty pirate, although he had no problem sticking you with a dagger or slashing your belly open with his cutlass if you resisted him. As he got older he started yearning for the real respect that successful businessmen earned. His crew wouldn't understand so he shared his desire with only his three-legged dog when he was drunk and alone in his cabin. He lived very well but he wanted more and not just gold. He also realized he was mortal and his trade was not only dangerous because of the possibility of being cut down in battle but some young man may want to take his place and remove him before he was ready to retire.
There was a druid who had a grove outside the city walls, now cut down and used for troll siege engines and firewood along with his prized Yellow Oak, an enormous tree that stood in the center of the grove. The oak was made into a great ram in sight of the city walls, the work being almost finished. The inhabitants wondered if their gates would hold against it. The druid had shapeshifting ability, a fact that he hid from the city folk. He was part of the council but usually his chair sat empty as he couldn't be bothered by city business. His druidic name was not known but he was called Doc by the people because of the famous salves and ointments he could procure. It was Doc who volunteered to seek out Dacron. He was soundly rejected until he turned himself into a crow in front of them and then back into human form. That act brought a quick end to the question of who would go to find Dacron! | | It was three days before the druid returned and during that time a foolish plan was hatched to send a few men to try and parlay with then enemy army. Out rode three brave souls, two Empire guards and the man who came up with the idea. The walls were crowded as the people watched the men as they road out of the city. They had no real hope of success but the plan was to at least talk with whoever was leading the army and find something, anything to aid them. They knew Thaddeus was involved and if he was found some thought he could be reasoned with, remembering him as he used to be, a kind man. They reached the first line of trolls and were ripped from their horses as the people on the walls gasped in horror! The city guards were clubbed to death in seconds and the third man was snatched up by a particulary large troll who tore his head clean off his shoulders. The monsters howled with delight as the bodies were flung away and feasted upon. It was the most horrible sight the people ever witnessed. The children who managed a spot on the wall had nightmares about this the rest of their lives. The head of the third man was strapped to the ram as some sort of sick decoration. Many thought of how they would end their own lives before the city fell, imagining a cruel death at the hands of these villains. | | It was also during the time of the druid's mission when other plans were discussed in case he failed to return or the answer from Dacron was no. "What about the elves? Surely they have a common enemy here and come to save us!" There was no answer to that question and why should there be? The humans who came to rebuild the city, destroyed much woodland, bringing them in conflict with the area elves. There was great distrust between the groups and here and there a killing from one side against the other. The settlers were foolish to dismiss the elves and do nothing to right the past wrongs. It was elvish homeland and the humans did not respect it as they hewed much lumber for their needs. Some silently vowed to change that if they somehow survived this war. The elves could be harsh when pushed but were not evil, unlike their dark cousins, the drow. While no drow were spotted in the numbers of enemy outside the wall, if they were involved at all, it would be to help destroy the city. | | In the city there lived a native tribesman, Korg. The elite called him and his people barbarians but never to his face for fear of losing a few teeth. Korg was brought before the council to plead with him about his people and if they could organize an attack and help the city inhabitants. Korg showed up 3 years prior and found work as a hunting guide. What the council didn't know was that Korg was expelled from his tribe by the chieftain, who caught him sleeping with his daughter, ruining her worth and disgracing the family. His home was burned and he was flogged almost to death and left bleeding in the woods. Doc found him and nursed him back to health but never shared his secret and the two became friends. The council begged him and offered him gold but he just sat there silent. He didn't care for the elite and the way they looked at him and he understood well how they mocked him. They thought he was just a stupid barbarian and his quiet way didn't do anything to dispel that notion. Now these proud men were begging him and he enjoyed it for he had no fear of death and dreamed of splitting the troll leader's head open in a glorious end to his life. They were wasting their time. The barbarians wouldn't be coming to save them. | Things were spinning out of control in the city as nerves were on edge and some crossed that line between sanity and insanity. Old George Mackey leapt to his death from the church tower. One of the guards who was murdered by the trolls two days back was his son and George felt he had nothing to live for.
When Doc returned he went straight for the council chambers, ignoring all questions about where he had been from the commoners. His appearance gave some a temporary lift in spirit as they trusted him and many suspected he had mighty powers that could be unleashed against the enemy. When the council members had all gathered to hear the news many voices bombarded him with questions all at once and instead of trying to answer them, he took out his pipe and lit it, saying nothing until they all quieted down. He told them that he had found Dacron and an agreement was reached. Dacron demanded a place outside the city to operate legally and a full pardon granted to him by Empire. All merchants who had claims against him would have them dismissed. He also wanted a seat at the council. These demands seemed more than reasonable to the men who would soon lose their lives when the final assault was launched. Doc instructed them to signal his ship by lighting only one tower at dusk. | Many questions were hurled at Doc about when, and how Dacron would attack but Doc didn't have any answers. He was only instructed to have the city ready for battle and when they saw his ships arriving at Misty Coast to open the gates and attack after seeing him raise a red flag. The council was very worried hearing this and wondered if he wouldn't betray them? Doc stated that he believed the pirate would keep his word.
In the mean time, the army outside the city grew and there were men in dark robes seen here and there. Inside the city, each person prayed to his or her own god or goddess for deliverance, promising more devotion if the city was spared. In times of peril, oaths like these were sworn in sincerity but usually the worshipper would gradually fall back into comfort and lax supplication when the danger had passed. | Of course the sea trade of Empire was not a one way business and foreign ships that came to port during the siege left quickly when they saw the large army of monsters camped around it. Dacron and his boys couldn't resist raiding some of these as their days of piracy would be ending soon. A merchant ship from the nearby land of Nulb was spotted and boarded but this ship was spared its cargo as Dacron had other plans for it. His first mate stayed on the Nulb vessel with instructions to directly hand a letter to The Order of Holy Paladins. The Order was a faction of knights, sworn to uphold justice and defend the innocent whenever called upon. The leader was one, Derik the White who was a childhood friend of Dacron before they parted ways due to their occupations. Many times Derik tried to persuade his friend to serve good and change his sinful ways but it was in vain. Dacron knew that Derik could not refuse a cry for help and he would come with his holy knights.
These knights were famous in that they rode trained griffins to battle and they were such a sight, armor gleaming, as they tore into evil wherever they found it. | | Lan was the name of Dacron's first mate. He was pure evil and Dacron used this to keep his crew under control. Lan was all to eager to administer a flogging when pirate's law was broken. When Lan was finally informed of Dacron's real plan, to set up a land based operation, he said nothing but rejected that life for himself. He figured he was smart enough and tough enough to be a captain and decided to betray his brothers. Instead of sailing back to the Sea Dragon, the name of Dacron's main ship,after meeting with Derik, he murdered a lone rider just outside Nulb and took his horse back to Empire to inform the enemy of the plan. He figured he would be able to retain the Sea Dragon and begin his reign as new master of the high seas. Having been so well traveled, he could pick up a new crew easily, as long as there were enough survivors from the war to work the ship to new destinations. How the enemy was to stop the flying paladins was not his concern. He pushed his stolen horse so hard, it collapsed and died about a mile outside the camp and he ran on foot until he saw the outlying fires of the army. Surveying the camp from a tall tree, he could see the main tent that must house whoever led the disgusting array of creatures. | Lan didn't know how much time he had before the Order came for battle so he had to gamble a little. Although he didn't see Empire's disasterous attempt at a parlay, he was wise enough to know that he could be killed before he reached the person in charge to give them his information. He hid until a hobgoblin strayed close and grabbing him, successfully keeping his assault silent. When he finally got the hobgoblin calmed down, he conveyed to him what he was there to do and the hob seemed to understand. He let go of it and allowed the creature to lead him into camp.
The pair was met with stares from the trolls and other monsters as they walked toward the main tent. A dark robed man saw the human and headed straight towards him. Lan was relieved that he would be able to speak to his own kind and get down to business. "Why was this man hooded" he thought to himself, it is noon and hot outside. The figure now stood before him and Lan tried his best to see inside the hood but was unable to make out anything. The figure just turned and walked towards the tent and Lan followed. Two massive troll guards were placed on either side of the tent entrance. It was at that moment that Lan thought he may have made a mistake coming here but it was too late to turn back now. He took a deep breath and stepped into the tent. | | clap clap clap clap clap clap clap
what a good story! | what a good story!
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