10th Day of the Claw of winter (February): DAY SIX
Harpshield Castle Wartsnak Direlord (12:40 am):
Having found another, or the real Wartsnak Direlord, under Harpshield Castle the Adventures are unsure what else they may find, like a Tiger for example.
Vicross casts ‘Detect Magic’ and peruses over the items in the Old Treasure Room.
- The first chest contains 93 ep and 342 sp
- The second chest contains 236 gp and 44 ep
- One stand holds a ‘Magical Suit of Chain Mail’ (5’2’’)
- Another stand holds a ‘Magical Warhammer’
- The last holds a ‘Magical Shield’
- All 3 Urns are old Kingdom of Man artwork (10 pounds each)
In the False Treasure Room Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson find:
- The Chest holds 230 sp and 790 cp.
- The Decanter is very well made but not Magical, it now contains 3 doses of potion of poison
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson go in search of Wartsnak Direlord, but first they explore the reaming areas of the underneath Harpshield Castle.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson recover the body of the Fanged Moon Orc Holy Magician from the Grick Corridor, using the ‘Unseen Servant’ to do the heavy lifting, and they find on his person:
- 1 Bag of Powder (Colour Coded)
- 1 Bag of Powder (Colour Coded)
- Flail and Studded Leather Armour
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson check the Isolation Cell.
This reeking cell has a depressed floor, and it is full of rotting waste and filth. The floor is 3 feet below the hall. Inside, partially covered by mud and filth, is the body of an Elf who was tortured to death.
Kelson takes out the body and takes it to the Well Passage to wash the body, leaving Sir Ly and Vicross to dispatch of the Zombies in the Abandoned Storage and the Abandoned Tavern areas. Sir Ly uses the Moon Shaped Holy Symbol, found in Barovia land of Count Strahd, to make short work of releasing their soul back to the afterlife.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson look into the Orc Treasure Room and find that the Casks are full of Ale and that the large Iron Chest contains:
- A Pouch with 135 gp
- A Sack with 405 sp
- A Wooden coffer with 12 Gems
- A Jet Statuette of a Female Orc with enormous claws on her hands
Also inside is a large roll of New Parchment. The sheet is a map of the Daggerford region, originally keyed in Common.
In Orcish using Dwarven runes, territory on the map is marked as a “New Domain”. The area includes all the land between the Ardeep Forest and the Forlorn Hills.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson then search the Eastern Door out of the Abandoned Tavern area with Sir Ly having to smash the door down as Vicross had like Magical Power left to him. Beyond Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson find a short corridor leading to an unlock door. Past this second door the find a large, Warehouse sized, chamber.
The floor of this room is littered with wooden wreckage from various broken crates, pallets, and chests. A spider the size of a dog crouches in the dust near the northern wall. A stone staircase ascends to a pile of rubble in the southwest corner. In the southern wall is a 5-foot-wide circular tunnel.
There is something important about this chamber but the Adventures are unsure. Kelson then calls to his Deity for assistance and summons forth a Bat, which he then precedes to converse with the Only Mammal Capable of Flight.
After a short conversation Kelson informs Sir Ly and Vicross of the following:
- A Human like Vicross entered this room recently.
- The Bat called him the Blood like Vicross.
- There is a Secret Door used by the Human.
- No other has entered here except for the Long Worms.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson search for the Secret Door in the Warehouse and find it exactly where the Bat had indicated. Beyond is an Empty Room.
The small room seems empty except for a piece of fallen masonry in the north-western corner. The air here is stale.
Sir Ly is told to search the room while Vicross uses his ‘Detect Magic Spell’ but finds nothing.
The Door to the next Room is unlocked and so Sir Ly walk through into the adjacent chamber.
The room contains 2 tall bookcases on the East wall, a table near the North wall, and Bronze Braziers at the 4 corners. In the middle of the south wall is an archway that opens into a blank wall.
Suddenly, Sir Ly is attacked by 2 Shadows and is hit by one of the creatures which reduce his Strength as it’s drained by the undead creature. Having already used the Moon Shaped Holy Symbol Sir Ly now had to truest to his sword and the help of Vicross and Kelson. The creatures are dispatched. Inside the chamber Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson find to their horror the arch was once a portal. Vicross using his ’Detect Magic’ Spell is can see that the portal still radiates faint Transmutation Magic. Sir Ly looks at the shelves which contain books and scrolls, now desiccated and faded, which crumble to dust when touched.
Sir Ly: “This is shocking news indeed and I bet my Daggerford Militia Pay that is leads to the Underdark.”
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson decide to leave the Warehouse and head back to plan their escape knowing that, having spent a long time under Harpshield Castle, Wartsnak Direlord had surly retrieved or signalled to the other 2 Orc Tribes, the Gory Mauls and Jagged Scythes.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson head to the exits to see what their option for escape were. Sir Ly and Vicross will ‘Dimension Door’ into the Pigsty and wait for the time it takes to recover from the Spells effects and Kelson will escape through the Well, using his Rope and the cover of the other 2 Adventurers fighting the Orcs above.
Sir Ly and Vicross successfully arrive, wait for a while and then attack the Orcs in the Towers of Harpshield Castle. Sir Ly runs out to confront all-comers and runs up the ladder and Vicross attempts to cast ‘Sleep’ on 4 other Orcs coming from the Courtyard. Sir Ly is successful, even whilst under Short Bow fire from the next tower along. Vicross manages to ‘Sleep’ 3 of the 4 Gory Mauls Orcs, while the forth heads straight for the Wizard. Vicross uses more of his dwindling Magic to cast ‘Magic Missile’ and kill the Gory Mauls Orc.
Sir Ly heads down and out of the Tower and runs to the south-western Tower which is also maned by Gory Mauls Orcs with bows and a Captain; Vicross replaces Sir Ly in the southern Tower to survey the area and the adjacent eastern tower. This Tower is maned by Jagged Scythes Orcs with their Captain. Finally, Kelson, or a large area of Misty-Fog, emerges up and out from the Well and heads towards the noise of combat, the southern ramparts.
Sir Ly heads into the south-western Tower while under fire and intends to face a small unit of 4 Gory Mauls that are running up onto the western ramparts, Vicross uses up more of his limited Magic to cast ‘Magic Missile’ on the Jagged Scythes Orc Captain and Kelson makes his way up onto the southern ramparts and towards Sir Ly.
Sir Ly uses his ‘Ring of Shooting Stars’ to cast ‘Spark Shower’ on the Gory Mauls Orcs killing all 5, Vicross watched as the Jagged Scythes Orc Captain ran out across the Courtyard and into one of the tent of the original inhabitants of Harpshield Castle, the Fanged Moon Orcs and Kelson then moved into cover Sir Ly in his ‘Obscurement’ Spell.
Sir Ly is contacted by Vicross using the ‘Sending Stones’ and is informed about the Jagged Scythes Orc Captain and the Paladin heads down to confront the creature, Vicross waits in his vantage spot and Kelson attacks the remaining Gory Mauls Orcs above him by climbing the wall and using his Falchion and Mace.
Sir Ly eventually kills the Jagged Scythes Orc Captain but finds nothing of interest within the Tent.
Sir Ly: “What kind of a rouse is this?”
Vicross tells the Paladin to check the large Common Room building for any signs of Wartsnak Direlord and Kelson continues to battle with his Gory Mauls Orcs.
As Sir Ly is about to reach the large Common Room building, he hears a roar from behind and can see the unmistakeable figure of Wartsnak Direlord Charging towards him, with the Paladin knowing all he can do is take the initial blow.
Sir Ly: “One of my very own manoeuvres used against me, Touché.”
Wartsnak Direlord catches Sir Ly with a crushing blow and the hand-to-hand battle begins. Kelson uses his Longbow knowing that there was a small chance of him hitting the Paladin, but Kelson was confident that Sir Ly’s God would watch over him.
As the battle continues, Kelson hits his mark consistently while the Paladin struggles at first. As the combat continues Sir Ly is more successful and Wartsnak Direlord takes a servers amount of punishment.
Sir Ly then sees that the skin of Wartsnak Direlord starts to crack and burn, and he gives off waves of heat and the fight continues.
Vicross: “Something doesn’t feel right; I knew he was not the REAL Wartsnak Direlord.”
Again Wartsnak Direlord is hit and he gives off waves of heat. Kelson continues to fire Magical Arrows from his ‘Elven Longbow’ not knowing that any of this was occurring.
Vicross: “Sir Ly, get out of there.”
Sir Ly: “Indeed, I run to fight another day.”
Wartsnak Direlord hits the fleeing Paladin with his Battle Axe and is finally dispatched by Kelson. When he is destroyed, his body erupts in flames and burns to ash. Any creature that would have been within 5 feet of Wartsnak Direlord would have taken Fire Damage from it.
Kelson searches the remains of Wartsnak Direlord and finds what he was sent to retrieve. Kelson takes out his water bottle and washes off the blood and gore of the dead Wartsnak Direlord.
Kelson: “Behold, here in my hands I hold the mighty Gem made by the Dwarves called Morlin’s Tear.
Sir Ly looks at Morlin’s Tear and thinks it a thing of beauty. Vicross also looks at the Gem be his Sharpe eyes spot what he thinks to be scratches, but on closer inspection turns out to be a landscape. Vicross takes a an even closer look with more light and finally lets Sir Ly and Kelson know his findings.
Vicross: “This tear shaped Gem depicts or illustration shows a Castle, atop a Hill and which was overlooking a ford across what could be the Delimbiyr River. Of particular interest, I can just see that Morlin’s Tear depicts what appears to be a ‘Flaming Sky Chariot’ emerging from a portal in the skies.”
Kelson: “I think we need the help of someone wiser and longer lived than us to examine that which we have found, making sure it is kept safe and secret.”
Sir Ly: “I agree but should we not take it to the House of Flosin?”
Kelson: “I think our path already takes us to the Flosin Estate, at least to return the body of our fallen comrade. But then Daggerford Folks need to tend with Daggerford business do you not both think gentlemen?”
Vicross: “Who do you think is best to aid us then with the next task, Gwydion pen Dafwyd?”
Kelson: “Ha.Ha.Ha. Not unless I was ordered to by the Duke. No I think that Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl is our man.
Vicross: “Interesting.”
Vicross whispers to Sir Ly using the ‘Sending Stones’ that were still active.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson recover all the Items of interest from Harpshield Castle.
The Adventurers then ride 20 or so miles onto the Floshin Estate where Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson drop-off the body of the dead Elf. Then they ride off South along the Trail Way to Daggerford.
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson enter Daggerford through the Farmer’s Gate, on the Western side of Daggerford, and head straight for Delfen’s Tower. Kelson mumbles a phrase before he knocks on the door and after a short moment the door is opened by an invisible being holding a candle.
Unseen Servant: “This way Lord Kelson Yellowknife awaits you in his Library, follow me this way Adventurers.”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl is more courteous than usual especially when Kelson Darktreader hands over ‘Morlin’s Tear’ to the aged Wizard.
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl spends a long while examine the Gem with different lenses and Spells, Liquids and Spells and even just spells. The more the Wizard discovered, the more mysterious it all became.
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “My lords, this is what I have ascertained from my investigations and the literature that I have available to me, listen closely….”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “This item is a unique Gemstone, known as ‘Morlin’s Tear’ that, from what I knew of, was lost under Mount Illefarn within the Dwarfhold of Runedardath. This king’s tear depicts shows what I now know to be Morlin Castle, ere its destruction long ago, atop what is now known as Dagger Hill and which was overlooking the Delimbiyr River.”
Delfen turns from his chair and then points out of one of the windows, in a due South direction.
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “A truly priceless item in many ways.”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “Of particular interest, Morlin’s Tear depicts what appears to be a ‘Flaming Sky Chariot’ emerging from a portal in the skies. Careful triangulation, using my knowledge of Architecture and Engineering, can be easily calculated and the portal appears to lie some 30’ feet above the spire of Delfen’s Tower.
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl”: “Indeed how truly fortuitous it has been that you came here first.”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “I have looked by Magical means and the portal still exists. However, where it leads I can only guess.”
The Ranger stands up nearly knocking over the fine wine Vicross was enjoying.
Kelson Darktreader: “Under Castle Daggerford, I heard the rumours from the Duke once but never thought any more of it, thinking the Duke to exaggerate to impress me.”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “Indeed Ranger, it must then lead into long-forgotten and almost inaccessible sections of the Dungeons of the long-ruined Morlin Castle.
Kelson Darktreader: “How did Morlin’s Tear get from Runedardath to Harpshield Castle and why did Wartsnak Direlord have it?”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “A very good question Indeed Ranger.”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl goes on to tease Sir Ly and Vicross for not knowing of the History of Daggerford, as it shrouds the evil truth behind the tale of the long forgotten Morlin Castle.
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “The original Castle Daggerford was a wooden structure surrounded by a palisade fence built atop the ruins of, what we now know to be Morlin Castle. The rebuilt Castle Daggerford is now a three-story stone keep atop the hill, surrounded by a two-story stone wall.”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “As for Morlin Castle itself all I can uncover from my Library is that it was built for Artor Morlin, the Baron of Blood and Outlaw hailing from the lands of the Shoon. The Shoon Imperium was the dominant government of much of South and Western Faerûn during the sixth age of Calimshan (27 – 450 DR).”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “For more information regarding the Castle I would suggest that you speak with ‘The Lady’ as she is very resourceful and has access to the Dukes records.”
Kelson Darktreader: “And you trust her with this?”
Delfen ‘Yellowknife’ Ondabarl: “Implicitly my dear Ranger, as I know you do too.”
Vicross: “Excuse me for interrupting you both but…”
Sir Ly: “Don’t say it Vicross, I need a Bath and a Flagon of Ale or TWO.”
Vicross: “Should we not investigate this Flaming Chariot Portal before we put the dear Lady in any jeopardy?”