Category Archives: Journal Entries

Journal entries for the Jade Regent campaign

November 28th, 2015

Character: Etayne

Etayne Journal Entry 2

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23 Sarenith, Starday

Peaceful nights rest last night. This morning while communing with Ling, I felt compelled to prepare spells that would help my fellow mob members. I tried to reason that burning hands would help keep them alive by getting rid of our enemies, but in the end I knew I needed to be able to heal the others.

After we were all ready, we enter the swamp again heading to where we believed the goblins to be. As we traveled I tried to maintain my attention to our surroundings in watch of possible danger. This was a boooooring job. Though it was boring I know it was necessary.The last thing we want is to be surprised but the swamp beast. I would be interested in seeing the beast but not interested in it seeing me.

After a while we got to what we believed to be the Goblins Village, but it look as though someone, or something beat us to it. There were humanoid skeleton foot prints leading out of the village and when we enter it was quiet. The pig pen was filled with burnt bodies, so we decided to cautiously explore.

The huts were raised about five feet from the ground and definitely had the look of Goblin craftsmanship. Sparna climbed the first latter he came to and opened the door. He mentioned goblins  and the next thing I know we are in battle. I go to the latter were Sparna was with my long spear to support him and Qatana goes to. We climb in and dispatch a few of the vermin while I take a take a few arrows to my back. This was a bit painful, but I stayed focus on the Goblins were I was, certain that the others would take my assailants down. As I thought, those goblins soon fell.

I then jumped down from the hut and joined the others as who had opened one of the other huts. I peered into the hut as the others fought. Knowing I could not get to the fray I decided to that those goblins could use a bit of Misfortune. I hex them one by one and each one I hexed certainly met misfortune with a dance of death. Just as quickly as I hexed them my companions dispatched them.

When we came to a barred door Someone suggested that one of us go below the hut and see if we could find an escape route for the goblins. I volunteered and swiftly went below to find a trap door but found just how shabby goblin huts are built. I was able to peer through the base boards of the hut and get an estimate on the number of goblins in the room. There were about a half dozen goblins with the King.

Soon after I gave the number the door was broken down and the fight commenced. Within moments a flash of light flared and I heard several goblins drop. I noticed that Sparna was hurt badly as I looked up through the boards. I put my had on his foot and healed him. It seemed that whatever was compelling me this morning was correct. The King soon followed is people to the grave.

Now all that was left was to loot the place and retrieve the ears. I was going to watch the gates but was soon called to help Identify some magical items. Kali and I seem to work well together on this. I like Kali so far. She has treated me well and we have talked a bit. Her knowledge of languages is impressive. There was an exquisite chest that held many of the items we found. I volunteered to carry the chest as we continued to investigate markings on a map we found on a beautiful fan.

We journeyed deeper into the swamp to investigate the closed mark. We soon came upon a boat a ways from the shore. It was surrounded by a fence and seem quite singed. I figured there would be nothing of interest to me in the ship so I stayed out and watched the surrounding. Ling stayed close by. I am impressed how he is able to stay unnoticed so much. It maybe that he just rarely leaves my side. After everyone was satisfied that nothing was there we chose to go investigate the outer most mark on the map since it would offer a safer place to camp.

The journey to the second location was much like the previous walks not much happened. There were a few times that Ling walked even closer than normal, which of course alerted me, but nothing happened.

As we got closer we discover skeletal tracks again and they lead to a cave. We all agreed that it would be better for us to rest for the night before we ventured in. So here we are camped.

24 Sarenith, Sunday

Again another peaceful nights rest. While communing with Ling this morning, I felt similar to yesterday going to more of a supportive approach. It felt right.

We soon came up to the cave and since Sparna could see in the dark he took the lead. We enter the cave a quickly found a passage that was filled with webbing. I heard this and decided to help draw them out to us so that we night have the advantage. I don’t recall if I made a sound but I do remember cutting myself to help them smell blood and draw them out.

They quickly came upon us. I don’t believe in the fray that anyone got poisoned or I am sure they would have told me. The battle again ended swiftly with our group victorious.

Some of the group proceeded to cross some brackish water while Qatana found an easier passage and appeared on the other side. I proceeded to follow though others were not to please with our choice. On my way through I noticed another tunnel branching off. Sparna and I decided to explore it. It again had another tunnel branching off that we went down and found what Sparna described as an island with large colorful crystal formations on it. I could not see a thing. I thought at some point we were talking about the water being a certain depth then he said poke it with my Spear. Naturally I thought he was talking about the water not that I knew exactly what i was poking at in this darkness. I think he forgot I count not see well. So I poked the water and something came out and attacked him we called out to our companions and Ivan showed up with a light so that I could see. By this time Sparna had been struck and got a nice acid burn. This was an amoeba like creature. It was quickly dispatched. This creature gave everyone cause to stay away from the brackish water.

Sparna, Ivan, and I left that area explored a little deeper in, where we found a small crevice. Sparna looked down the crevice which led to a room with dormant skeletons lying on the ground. We then joined the rest of our group and proceeded down the larger path. This lead to the opening with the skeletons.

We formed a line of defense and Olmas decided to try to remove the armor off of one of the Skeletons. This not surprisingly awoke all the other Skeletons which began to enclose around us. Some others left the line we formed and started taking a beating. Some of the skeletons rose up from the water slightly behind us. Many of our party, from what I could see, were on the verge of collapsing. I was read to assist them but there was no way to get to them. Luckily others were.  Olmas came over to Ivan and I looking really torn up and Ivan healed him. Then Olmas left Ivan and I to deal with 1 or 2 Skeletons on our own. This was interesting since Ivan and I were not really the best equipped to fight Skeletons. Some people have a strange way of showing gratitude, but then again he is part elf and I know how they can be. Fortunately the Skeletons were all dispatched and all of our mob were still standing. I would like to mention that I did not provoke this fight.

The next fight, however, I kind of did. We went into a small room where there was another chest and on the chest looked like an important Skeleton. The others were trying to determine how to approach it, but I was feeling a bit impatient. I wanted to be done in this cave, so I picked up a stone and through it at the bones. I missed. Qatana apparently liked my approach and succeeded where I failed. The Skeleton arose and said something to Olmas in a foreign language. Olmas, then issued a challenge back a it. This invigorated everyone as we attacked it. I spat out a curse at it and Sparna after taking a heavy blow from it, removed it’s weapon. It dropped soon there after. Kali and I did the usual identification of items in the chest and someone found a letter in the hilt of a sword.It was written in a foreign language. It was read and determined that Ameiko would need to see it.

It seems that so far our raids have been fruitful and will bring us much wealth. I don’t have any idea what to do with my portion. There is not much I feel I need or desire. Perhaps I could hire someone to locate my despicable father, so I could thank him for my wonderful childhood. Probably not worth it. He is probably already dead anyway, and how would I know it was truly him if I did find him. I will have to leave him to the Gods to deal with. Yet I am sure it is he who haunts my dreams. If by fortune the gods do have me run into him, I will deal with him.

Character: Olmas

Annals of the Order of the Dragon

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as written by the cavalier, Olmas Lurecia, himself.

23 Sarenith, Starday

Although we had dispatched many goblins, we’d not yet found the king, nor had we explored the whole complex.  Although part of the group stood before a likely pair of double doors, the group as a whole was still fairly scattered.  I hurried to the double doors, arriving at the same time as several others.  Radella had examined the doors and declared them to be free of traps.

Qatana waited for a moment, which gave me a chance to get closer to her.  But then for some reason, she illogically decided to open the doors and step in.  She is far too impetuous.

The room held goblins, including one that appeared to be the chief.  It was decorated in typical goblin fashion, with poorly preserved dog and horse heads adorning the walls.  Although decrepit and smelly, the room seemed to be their equivalent of a throne room, judging from the elevated “chair” that had been constructed for one of the goblins.

Meanwhile Etayne had gone below the room (to the ground) to get a different view of things.  The floorboards were imprecisely laid, which allowed him to get a vague idea of what was happening above.  And what was happening is that a bunch of goblins had moved in on Qatana as the chair goblin gestured and made a sound that was clearly an order to attack.

It didn’t take long for Qatana to get injured.  I managed to kill one goblin with a single blow but there was eight of them altogether and it was a bit like trying to kill a cloud of mosquitoes.  Fast little buggers.

Some of the goblins began to attack me, and although I have decent armor it only takes a few lucky hits to make me hurt.  Chief goblin fired off a skyrocket, of all things, and several of us were blinded or injured when it exploded … of course, so were several goblins. Chief must be an inherited position because he clearly hadn’t outsmarted all the other goblins.

Kali threw a color spray out, and between that and a couple more axe flurries, and we had a room full of goblin corpses, including one bearing two 250 gp ears.

We also found

[101] 5 +1 arrows with animal bane (2d6 extra damage)
[102] 2 potions of cure light wounds (one to Sparna, one to me)
[103] skyrocket
[104] 6 regular arrows
[105] MW composite longbow
[106] chain shirt (small)
[107] spear

There was a small “bedroom” just off this room (similar decor plus a bed with ratty looking blankets).  Qatana had been making notes about each room we’d visited, and suddenly announced that there must be something behind a particular wall.  I bashed it with the axe, and she was right – there as another small room, closet really, but it held an intriguing looking

[108] beautiful red chest

Someone said it appeared to be from the Minkaui kingdom of Tien (sure, ok). There were delicate edgings of cranes and frogs.  Opening it, we found

[109] 6 MW shurikens
[110] a long hairpin with a red pearl at one end
[111] a folding fan: one side had a painted picture of a gecko among cherry blossoms.  the other side had a scrawlings representing far lesser skill in art. In fact, they looked like a crude map of part of the swamp, with 3 x’s marked on it.

There were also 329 silver pieces and 112 gold pieces.

Technically we’d come to kill the goblins, retrieve their leader’s head for extra reward, and return to the town to claim said reward.  But now with this fan in front of us, we seemed closer to something bigger. Maybe worth more money.

We quickly decided to check out the closest X on the map.

On the way, we noticed some of the apparently skeletal footprints again. It appears that perhaps they were going – or rather, returning to, if I read the tracks correctly – the same way we were heading.

After about a mile, we found an odd sight. There was a two masted Chelish ship that was here on land.  Somebody – goblins, I suspect – had actually built a fence around it, apparently claiming ownership. A pile of goblin bodies laid out in an orderly pile outside the ship suggested, however, that merely demonstrating ownership had been insufficient.

I’d judge it had been there for maybe 20 years. There were goblin tracks everywhere, but there were more recent ones of skeletons. It had obviously  been on fire at some time in the past, and there was writing in a strange script on the side of the boat which was probably its name. If this ship ever held anything, it seemed the goblins had plundered it.

We returned to the goblin fort, retrieved the chest, and briefly talked about what to do next. The day was waning. We decided to visit another X, although we’d probably get there late in the day and might wait to seriously examine or explore whatever the X represented in daylight.

We returned to the regular road, but then turned off to the “witches walk” after a time.  Arriving at the edge of the swamp, we again saw bony footprints.  People began muttering to themselves, asking, what good is a sword against something with no flesh?  I think my great sword will still do good damage against a skeleton, should we meet one, but others are considering alternatives.

As night drew, we could see about 2000 feet away another shipwreck. There appeared to be a cave entrance nearby.  The skeletal tracks entered the cave.  We decided going into a dark cave that was inhabited by skeletons, at night, was not the best idea. We set up watches, and camped out closer to the road.

I suggested we might set a few traps that would make a racket if tripped, just to give us extra time if something got past the guard and tried to sneak up on us.  The group agreed.

The night passed uneventfully.

24 Sarenith, Sunday

Bit of trivia I picked up from another in the group: the Witches Walk is called that because, legend has it, it leads to Megus, also known as the Swamp Witch.  Legend has it that sometimes she comes to town for things, but that nobody has ever really cared to follow her back and visit.  Bit of a recluse, apparently.

Meanwhile, Qatana tried to estimate the number of skeletons that made these tracks, and concludes it was 6-12.

So we approached the cave – clearly, this was where we needed to go. Again, Qatana pushed past and went to the head of the group. I can’t imagine facing Shalelu if something were to happen to her, but I need to talk to her about her impetuousness, or she’s going to get herself killed in spite of the rest of us.

A clicking sound greeted us, which could be bones tapping or something else, like spiders.  And before we could try to determine one way or another, Qatana went deeper and yes, confirmed there were two spiders in the cave.  I rushed up with her and swung, but missed.  The corridor was narrow here, and our options were limited.

We managed to dispatch the spiders, and Qatana was off again in another direction, like a hummingbird flitting between flowers.  While the rest of the group entered the spider den, I followed Qatana.  I’d always expected that leading a group on a quest would involve me strategizing about where to go next, not reactively running to hastily protect someone who was apparently moving randomly.

She was standing near a pool that appeared to have some depth to it … maybe or maybe not over my head, but deep enough to hide something in it.

Meanwhile, I gathered from the noise behind us that something had been living in the spider den and disturbed. I found out later it was a giant amoeba.  Sheesh. I can’t be everywhere.

It was quickly dispatched (I think Sparna may have finally killed it) and the rest of the group soon joined us. We arranged ourselves, and continued moving forward, staying away from the water to our left as much as possible.

Ivan, I think, threw a glowing rock into the room, revealing a large cavern with piles of bones scattered throughout. Piles of bones which seemed to have some ragged armor attached to it.

Nothing moved.

I couldn’t help but believe that these were the skeletons and they would come to life at some point, so I approached the pile nearest me and began to try to remove the armor.  If it was going to come to life, I’d rather it didn’t have armor.

And by golly, they all came to life an stood up.

Qatana, instead of retreating, tried to attack.  She’s not really a warrior; it’s not her forte.  There were shouts of trying to retreat into the corridor so they could not surround us, but skeletons were emerging from the water too, and in short order it was not possible to retreat without giving the skeletons free blows at us as we passed.  We weren’t quite surrounded, but we were at least flanked.  And some of our stronger fighters were stuck out of position .. or rather some of our more vulnerable people were stuck nearer the front.

Ivan shot off a “blunt arrow” (I thought that was weird when he first mentioned he had those, but now I see the wisdom in these strange weapons_ and it connected.  But then we found the skeletons, once standing, were not slow to move and everyone in the front found themselves under multiple attacks.

Several of us found ourselves near death, including myself.  Qatana was, I thought, sure to leave this plane but in a very fortunate turn of events she was able to heal herself with a potion faster than I’ve ever see anyone do.  Ivan reached out and healed me when I thought I was in similar straits, but I fear I offended him when I, rejuvenated, immediately moved into thicker battle, not realizing that he himself was particularly vulnerable at that time.  I must remember to scan 360 before deciding on my next move since battle situations can change so quickly.

Ultimately we did defeat them without any deaths, but barely.  Now with time to look around the cavern, it was apparent that there was another exit than the way we came in.  Resolutely, we all marched that way to see if there were more undead waiting to attack us.

We were not incorrect, but this was a different creature.

There was but one, and it was sitting on another, grander chest. Qatana, of course, threw a rock at it, and like the other skeletons, it slowly rose.  This one’s armor appeared real and useful, and its eyes glowed from empty sockets. It was dressed in a foreign manner. As it stood, it scanned us like a hawk, and then turned to me. It pointed at me with its sword, and said a single word in a language that I didn’t know – and yet I knew what had happened. I knew how to respond. This is what it meant to stand in this role – to be identified as the champion to be defeated, the mark to be measured against.  Somehow this long dead champion had identified me as the main threat, and in its strange language, issued a challenge.

“I accept your challenge,” I replied. “And challenge you in return. To the death.”

I did not know if I could defeat him, but I also knew I had companions who could both join the attack and heal me during the battle.  But I didn’t fully realize the truth of that thought.  The battle, such was it was, was anticlimatic.  Sparna quickly disarmed him of the fine looking sword he held, and it was all but decided from that point. Radella found her inner warrior and unleashed some amazing blows before Anavaru finished it off. I had but one swing at it, connecting, but feeling as though I hadn’t really answered the challenge honorably.  Perhaps I should have asked my compantions to stand down first and given me a chance to make good on my challenge.  Perhaps next time.

This chest, a jade and cherry one, held amazing things like the other. Being bigger, it held bigger things.

First, there was the sword that had fallen from his fingers at Sparna’s beckon.

[112] +1 wakazashi. Once per day it could cast shield on another
companion if touched by the wielder. It had seven shrikes
coiled on a branch.
[113] a bronze key
[114] cherry and jade chest, lined with red velvet, opened by [113]
[115] 5 potions of cure light wounds
[116] 2 potions of cure moderate wounds
[117] 3 potions of lesser restoration
[118] wand of identify [19]
[119] MW Chain shirt
[120] MW cold iron wakazashi
[121] 11 fireworks (desnan candles)
[122] 4 skyrockets (as we’d found in the goblin fort)
[123] ring of climbing

and a pile of coins: 7640 silver pieces, 842 gold pieces, jewelry worth about 1100 gold pieces.

In addition, while examining the sword, we discovered a small hidden panel. A miniature scroll was concealed within.  It was also in that foreign script.  Kali smiled, and said, “I memorized Comprehend Languages just in case something like this came up.”

The scroll was a letter to a son – specifically, as she read on, to Ameiko’s father from Ameiko’s grandfather. It spoke of heritage and honor. “I was not angry at you. I was angry at myself.  The next few days will show.  The box holds our family’s treasure. It is in a secret vault under Brinewell Castle. Enemies will believe our line has ended; this is an advantage, because our enemies will never stop.”

It said more, and in more flowery language.  But clearly, Shalelu’s friend Ameiko was heir to a heritage that she was not aware of.  Or was she, and she was hiding from it?

Is there a greater quest, a greater cause here?  The possibility stirs my blood.

Character: Qatana

Qatana’s Journal Entry for November

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Starday, Sarenith 23, 4712 Evening
Lost Coast Road

We had gathered before the pair of double doors in the goblin stronghold, and I could hear movement on the other side plus the small-rat-like-dog yipping noise that passes for goblin tongue. The curious smell of sulphur and carbon mixed unpleasantly with what I had already come to recognize as the stench of goblin body odor.

Etayne had dropped to the ground and crawled beneath the room, where she was able to look up and see at least half a dozen goblins. At the same time Kali had pronounced that there was some form of magic in the room.

Radella checked the doors, and as soon as she announced they were free from traps I smashed through just as I heard Ivan cast Bless.

There were eight goblins squished together in too little space. One was sitting in a baby’s high chair, which served as his throne, and was waving a spear in one hand and a rocket in the other. A semi-circle of seven “warriors” stood before him, wielding dog slicers and acting as little, but grim body guards.

Poorly preserved horse and dog heads were mounted on the walls, and small animals that had been pickled in jars lined shelves. It smelled as bad as it sounds.

One stumbled forward near me and I squashed it like a bug, but another nicked me with its blade. Radella shot another.

Sparna stepped through and deftly killed two. I cast Bane on the survivors and stepped out to make room for Olmas, who promptly skewered another.

The leader lit his rocket and it blasted forward, killing his remaining guards and blinding Radella and I.

A moment later, when I could see again, the leader was dead and Anavaru was cutting its head off. Apparently Kali had immobilized it with Color Spray, and then Olmas and Ana did the rest.

Goblin Fort B

“A job well done,” squeaked Beorn.

Indeed it was, for we now head the head of the goblin leader, plus 42 freshly severed ears (including those from the leader), which by my calculations will bring us 920 gold pieces (115 for each of us).

We also gathered a handful of useful items:

[101] 5 +1 Animal Bane arrows
[102] 2 potions of cure light wounds (Sparna and Olmas)
[103] sky rocket
[104] 6 arrows
[105] master work composite longbow (STR +0)
[106] small chain shirt
[107] spear

There was a small and stinky “royal bed chamber” off to the east, but it was obvious that there must have been more beyond the southern wall.

Olmas created a new doorway for us, and we found a small room with a beautiful red lacquered chest with cranes and frogs painted on it. Someone identified it as from the Minkaui kingdom (Tien), and nested within its plush red velvet lining were:

[108] Minkaui red chest
[109] 6 master work shurikens
[110] long red hair pin with pearl at one end
[111] gold and ivory fan, with painting of a gecko walking on cherry blossoms

On the reverse side of the fan the goblins had crudely drawn a map of the swamp with three Xs marking areas of interest.

The nearest was on the coast straight from the fort, and so we made our way to Soggy Bay. Kali’s raven, Nihali, flew as scout overhead, but there was little to see through the undergrowth. We heard some unusual movement off to one side, but we made it to the water and hiked south towards the mark on the map.

Soon we could see a two masted Chelish ship that had run aground quite some time ago. Oddly enough the wreck was encircled by an old fence, and goblin prints littered the soft ground. A pile of mangled goblin bodies lay at the bow of the ship (some weeks old).

We explored the charred ship, which smelled of seaweed and charcoal, but other than the name, painted in Tien script, we found nothing of interest.

We returned to the goblin fort, picked up the chest, and then head back to the Lost Coast Road to more easily access the spot of the next nearest X.

Using a well established trail known as the “Witch’s Walk” we made our way back down into the swamp, and then followed the base of a rise south until we came to a cave. I had already noticed that the skeleton tracks from the fort followed our course, and they led into the cave.

The sun was setting and none of us wanted to face undead at night; so we returned to the road, and after setting up a handful of simple sound traps we made camp.

Sunday, Sarenith 24, 4712 Late Morning
Cave near Brinestump Marsh

Nothing triggered our make shift alarms, and nothing untoward occurred overnight, other than Pookie and Star making off color jokes about a slumber party. Seriously girls, grow up!

We quickly ate, broke camp, and made our way back to the cave entrance.

We had to hack through the nettles and vines, after which we entered the dark and damp earth. A pool of brackish water ran along the left side of the cave, and a track of skeleton prints was easy to see leading both in and out from within.

We huddled there for a moment listening to a disturbing clicking sound. I called out, “Oi, anybody in there?” and the clicking sound stopped. We cautiously backed out. A couple of large spiders (think dog sized) sprang out at us, but Sparna and Radella killed the first, and Anna and Ivan killed the second as it fled.

We moved in and saw that the pool cut off access through the main passage, but there was a small crack to the right from whence the spiders had come.

I followed this narrow passage which rejoined the main cavern where I waved at the others, but from behind I heard a splash followed by the sound of fighting.

Etayne and Sparna had followed through the narrow passage and could not resist exploring the even narrower crack that led deeper in. There they found a circular chamber filled with a pool of water, in the midst of which sat a tiny island of crystal.

Etayne had poked at the water with a spear, and the water poked back, striking Sparna. Some sort of amorphous blobby thing lived there, but Sparna managed to kill it.

We all assembled in the main cavern and followed it around a bend to a large chamber that stretched off in either direction. The pool of stagnant water extended left, and to the right was dry ground with perhaps a dozen skeletons lying on the ground.

We approached cautiously, but the things did not move. At least not until Olmas moved over to one and tried to remove its armor.

Really? Were they bothering us? Oh well, we would have probably made things worse had we just tried to wander past them.

Each of the skeletons stood up and began to advance on us, striking out as opportunity arose.

We were out numbered, and it was clear we needed to regroup into a more strategic formation, but it was already too late.

More skeletons arose from the water to our left, effectively removing any chance of retreat from our list of options. They closed in and things looked very bleak.

I spent most of my time healing in some fashion or another, but it was not enough. Several had closed in on me, and for a brief moment I thought I was about to die.

But then all of my little friends cried out, “No!” as one, and time seemed to stop and then reorganize itself around me. I found myself in possession of a cure spell I did not realize I had prepared, and with that cast I felt much better, and was able to channel more energy to help my comrades.

We were victorious, and had all survived, but only barely. Thanks to my friends we had been saved from more grievous results. Timber sarcastically remarked, “Try not to let that become a habit.” I could only concur.

While the skeletons were clad in armor, it was rusted and rent and not worth the effort of trying to salvage, and so instead we turned our attention to the other tunnel leading out.

We found that it opened up to a good sized cavern that then narrowed down to a crack at the far side. Sitting in the middle of this was a skeleton more finely dressed than his companions that we had fought. And it was sitting on a large jade and cherry chest, in the same style as the small chest we found with the goblins.

Skeleton CaveIt wore a chain shirt and was armed with an exotic sword that glowed with magic.

Etayne and I threw stones at it, and she called out, “Are you awake?”

It rose up and pointed at Olmas with a boney finger and spoke in an unknown (to us) tongue. It then hefted its sword and strode towards him.

This was all we let it do before pouncing upon it from all sides and destroying it.

Unlike its brethren, this skeleton had an interesting assortment of loot, which we liberated.

[112] +1 exotic sword etched with seven shrikes perched upon a twisted twig
Once per day the wielder can cast Shield Other on any creaturetouched
[113] bronze key
[114] chest lined with red velvet
[115] 5 potions of Cure Light Wounds
[116] 2 potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
[117] 3 potions of Lesser Restoration
[118] wand of Identify [19 charges]
[119] master work chain mail shirt
[120] master work cold iron exotic sword
[121] 11 fireworks, “Desna’s Candles”
[122] 4 sky rockets
[123] ring of climbing

842 gold pieces
7,140 silver pieces

While handling the sword to identify it, we noticed that the pommel hid a small scroll case, and within it was a letter, but in Tien, which none of us could read.

Ever resourceful, Kali cast Comprehend Languages and read the letter. It was addressed to Ameiko’s father (who had died some years ago in a bizarre accident at the glassworks) from his father, and it hinted at some long hidden family history and heritage.

The shipwreck we had encountered, The Keijitsu Star (according to Kali) had been intended to bring this letter and various family heirlooms to Ameiko’s family, but had obviously failed to do so. The letter also alluded to a much larger collection of family wealth and secret information hidden away in a place called Brinewall.

None of us were sure where Brinewall was, but we all agreed that Ameiko should be given the letter.

There is a discussion going on about whether the Tien items we have found thus far should be returned as well, but I have no great interest in its outcome.

Foremost on my mind is what could be out at the third and final X marked on the goblin map, and if we should head over there today, or return to Sandpoint first and find Ameiko.

Character: Kali

Kali’s Journal, Sarenith 23-24, 4712

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Sarenith 23 (Mid-day)

I fell gravely ill when I was very young though of course I don’t remember any of it. My parents tell me they were traveling across the Carpendan Plains when I was four years old and the road took them along a marshland probably not unlike this one. No magic, no curses, no ancient horrors: just a simple mosquito bite paired with everyday misfortune.

We followed goblin tracks almost all the way in. Up above us, Nihali kept a watchful eye on the trail but the thick vegetation made seeing anything beyond its boundaries very difficult, and it felt like the swamp was slowly closing in around us the deeper into the marsh we pressed. If they somehow knew we were coming, we’d not likely see the ambush before it was sprung.

As it turned out I needn’t have worried. We emerged into a clearing of sorts that revealed the village in the distance, and from where we stood on the trail it looked eerily deserted. The front gate was completely broken down and there were no signs of activity. I asked Nihali to scout as safely as she could and she returned in short order with an ominous report.

“No guards, signs of life. Burned bodies, bones in the hole. Much fear.”

We approached the village cautiously and stepped into the compound. The gate had been broken down from the inside and then crushed in a stampede. Small footprints, dozens and dozens of them, told a story of a chaotic escape into the marsh. Whatever had happened here had terrified the goblins, sending most of the village fleeing in a mass panic.

A closer search of the grounds turned up a sinister explanation: skeletal footprints in the dirt, human-sized, leading into the village and back out again.

The charred bodies in the central pit were definitely goblins. A pig stye turned mass grave. It suggested there were still survivors here since someone had to be alive in order to burn and bury the dead, and we found the first of them in a small outbuilding. A half dozen goblins were cowering there in abject fear, and I suddenly felt uneasy about what we were here to do. Yes, they were goblins, and yes, we knew what this tribe had done, but that did not mean it was right to slaughter them in this manner.

But it did not take long for the situation to change: they became hostile and violent as soon as they saw what we were. The fight broke out in that first building and then spread to the courtyard when more goblins appeared at the window of one of the guardhouses. I tried to circle around using the platforms on the other side, but there was no direct path across and I ended up going deeper into the complex instead.

Eventually, I ran into Olmas, just as the rest of the party was preparing an assault into what they presumed was the goblin chieftain’s throne room. Etayne dropped down to the ground below and was able to count at least a half-dozen of them, in addition to the chieftain, through gaps in the raised floor. I was detecting faint traces of magic inside just as Qatana smashed the door in.

Nearly seven years ago on the beach in Sandpoint she flattened Jefy Theern, breaking several of his ribs when she slammed into him. I didn’t see it happen, or if I did the concussion erased my memory of it, but this is what it must have looked like. While goblin engineering, if you can call it that, is clumsy and primitive that door was still barred on the inside and sturdy enough to resist entry. Yet, under the force of her impact it shattered, sending a shower of splintered wood into the room.

Just seconds after the assault began an explosion in the doorway confirmed that the Licktoad tribe had, indeed, found a cache of fireworks. Several of us, including the chieftain’s own defenders, were enveloped in a starburst of searing, metallic powder that would no doubt have been quite beautiful from a few hundred feet away. While it was probably a waste of a spell—he immolated the last of his own with this trick—I answered with a color spray that left him blinded and stunned; Olmas and Anavaru delivered the killing blows.

A crudely hidden room turned up an astonishing surprise: a chest with a beautiful, red lacquer finish, decorated with etchings of cranes and frogs. I was stunned. It was obviously from Tian Xia, and almost certainly the Minkai Empire. It was a work of art.

goblin fan mapInside was something even more curious: a delicate Tian Xia fan which we unfolded. One side had an intricate painting of a gecko on backdrop of cherry blossoms. The other, unfortunately, had been painted over by the goblins but they had done so in order to draw a crude map of the marsh in wide, sloppy strokes. Bold X’s marked two locations along the shore and a third at the base of the cliffs just a short distance from the Witch’s Walk. (I don’t know if the goblins’ paint can be removed without damaging the original artwork, but it seems like something that should be attempted. When we are back in town, I will ask about this.) Presumably, one of these X’s is the shipwreck that is the source of the fireworks, but the others? Yet more mysteries.

Sarenith 23 (Evening)

We found the weatherworn shipwreck inland from the bay, far enough from the water that it was likely grounded there in a storm many years past. Curiously, the goblins had built a rickety fence around it complete with a broken gate. Ever the opportunists, they had apparently turned it into a home…which they subsequently destroyed by inadvertently setting it ablaze. From the outside, the two-mast Chelish vessel looked intact but the inside was completely gutted. Most likely their luck with the cache of skyrockets had finally run out and there had been an accident that led to a fire.

The dead goblins outside the ship, however, were anything but an accident. The badly decomposed bodies bore the telltale signs of battle injuries but gave no clues as to their assailants.

The name of the ship was still visible, and astonishingly it was written in Tien. I copied the pictographs as best I could since none of us could read them and even if I had the spell prepared it would have been a waste for just this purpose. Vudrani is a relatively young language on the scale by which these things are measured, and it evolved with heavy influence from Tien (I am told that in Tian Xia, Vudrani is even widely spoken as a foreign language). The two cultures have intermingled for centuries and I had an opportunity many years ago in Jalmeray to start learning Tien. Foolishly, I passed it up. As much as I have regretted that decision over the years, I am doing so even more, now.

Maybe if dad knew Tien things would have turned out differently. That may sound like I am shifting the responsibility for my decision to someone else, but the reality is that nearly all of my languages are a result of my parents’ influence. Dad, of course, spoke Vudrani at home as often as he did common: he very reasonably was not going to raise a daughter that wasn’t fluent in his native tongue. By nature of growing up in Varisia and having my mom as my mom I, of course, learned not just Varisian but Thassilonian as well—and knowing mom she probably started Thassilonian lessons while I was still in her womb. (Never mind that it’s basically a dead language known only by scholars and eccentrics.) And Elvish? A very useful language to have, of course, but that was both dad and mom, and motivated more by the family business than anything else. Only Draconic and Celestial didn’t originate with them, and if we’re being totally honest here the former wasn’t exactly a choice, either. Sure, you can learn magic without knowing Draconic, just as you can see with only one eye.

We are camped above the bluffs along the Witch’s Walk for the night. Down below, we came across the skeleton footprints and unsurprisingly they led to one of the locations marked on the goblins’ map, which turned out to be the entrance to a cave. What we were not expecting to see was a second shipwreck, visible just offshore in the distance and roughly corresponding to the sole remaining X. With the sun setting and the whereabouts of the skeletons unknown, however, the increasing prospects of a battle with the undead in a swamp in the dark seemed strangely unappealing.

Sarenith 24 (Morning)

Gods, I am an idiot. How many years did I spend around Ameiko? How could I not recognize the pictograph? How many times have I seen it? Dozens? A hundred? The Kaijitsu Star. There is an old adage about not noticing what is right in front of you, or what you don’t expect to find, and I guess this is what they mean. But still. I should have known.

I also feel like I have invaded her privacy, something that she has guarded carefully for as long as I have known her. I can’t say for certain that this letter was intended for her father, but the timing would be right. It’s dated 4687, just a couple of years before Ameiko was born. Sandpoint was founded in the 4660’s by the Mercantile League, an alliance of four families that included the Kaijitsus. Who else could it have been written to?

Ameiko did not talk much about her family, but I saw and heard enough of her father to know that he was a bitter, angry, and resentful man. Perhaps this letter explains some of that. Ultimately, I believe that we are responsible for our own decisions and choices in life, but we are influenced by how we are raised and how we are treated. How we respond to these trials is a test of our character, and perhaps this was one too many indignities for his. Did her father feel abandoned by his father? Did those feelings ferment over time into anger and rage, eventually driving his family away from him? What would have been different had this letter been received?

I need to see Ameiko. I need to be the one who shows her the letter, and the one who apologizes for this intrusion into her past. I’m sorry. We didn’t know.

And then there are the treasures we have found. Technically, they belong to the Kajitsu family which means that they belong to Ameiko. She will need to be told about these as well.

And what of this mystery? The caves below were filled with skeletons dressed in Tian Xia style armor. The second chest, made from cherry wood and jade, was clearly from one of the ships, and among its contents were more sky rockets and depressions where others had been removed.

It was enough to start forming a story of what had happened: the goblins found the chests which contained the fireworks and taken them, but someone, somewhere, created skeletons from the dead off of one or both ships. One of those, the one guarding the chest, had somehow retained its will and memories, and it must have been able to control the others. They raided the goblin village and took the chest back and brought it here.

But who created the skeletons? And what is the other shipwreck and how is it connected (if it’s connected at all)?

The caves were a harrowing experience. In the main cavern, the skeletons converged on us from all directions and many of the others had pushed too far in to be able to safely retreat. I thought we were going to lose Olmas but Ivan was there to provide some much-needed healing. Qatana, however, was quickly surrounded and there was no one close enough to help her in time. I don’t know how she did it, but miraculously she managed a healing spell just as the group of three skeletons descended on her and it saved her life.

This was the first time I have ever used those little acid darts in anger. I saw the effect it had on the skeletons. Dad, you can officially stop worrying now.

Character: Ivan

Ivan’s journal entry for November 2015

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=== Sarenith 23, 4712; later in the day===

We fought our way through to the goblin king’s throne room; I guess this is really the goblin chief. I looked down the hallway only to discover that there is no way that I am going to get into that room. These were not big rooms so I am not sure how we would all get into the room and have the space to fight. I stayed back and watched the gate through the doorway. My first real use of the bless spell. I know Koya really believes in the little words of encouragement before casting spells such as these but I couldn’t remember what I wrote down. Instead of taking the time to find the paper with the message I instead just decided that I am no longer going to even try to encourage people; the effect of the spell should be enough.

They allowed Qatana up front and she was the one to break open the doors. I couldn’t really see much but I did see the explosion as the fireworks engulfed a lot of the party. Qatana said that she after that did something called a channel to do a group heal. I think it is like my spell bless; where it bursts out from me. Whereas my spell only affects people that I trust her channel affects everyone within range. She said she has the ability to exclude some number of people. Through this discussion I learned from her that burst spells like bless or her channel are blocked by things like walls. So I have to remember that people around the corner will not get the goodness of the spell.

Those that could fit  inside the room finished off the goblins and the goblin chief. Ears have been removed and we have the head of the goblin chief. Someone found a hidden room and Olmas used his Axe to create a door way. Kali was on and on about the strange language on the box and some of the items. A fan in the chest provides a crude map of Brinestump march with X’s to mark spots. We decided to first go to the one towards the coast near by.

I found my arrows and mended them. I also found and mended Radella’s arrows. We have the goblin ears and the chief’s head. The chief was using a masterwork composite longbow. After discussion I am currently the holder of the longbow. Radella wasn’t sure if she could use a longbow. I really need one that adds my strength to the damage.

The longbow is not as good as the one over at the general store. The composite masterwork at the store had a stronger pull so that it would do more damage. They said that they had recently obtained this longbow for a good price; normally most people just by the standard composite masterwork longbow. The longbow I wanted was 600 gold; 200 gold more than the standard composite masterwork longbow. I originally went to pick up cold iron arrows. Alistair told me that when I go out into the world to get cold iron arrows to help against those pesky red caps. While I was there the clerk showed me these blunt arrows. When I asked why someone would by them she didn’t really have a good answer. She just told me to think about it as being able to punch someone from 100 feet away. I had money and could not resist. She also showed me blanches for weapons. It’s a one use type of thing that for me would cover 10 arrows. I was going to skip these until she explained that I would have to pre-treat with a hot flame to set it. It cost 5 gold to make 10 of my cold iron arrows to also have the silver trait. She explained it as getting through damage reduction of some creatures. Maybe someday I will figure out what to use silver on.

I still remember how much fun it was to create a hot flame to set the weapon blanches on the 10 arrows. It actually didn’t take that long and I kind of wish I bought more. I spent more time playing with the fire then actually applying blanches to the arrows. I will just have to carry around the blunt arrows and the blanched silver arrows until I can figure out when to use them.

Speaking of bows Rarallo has some supper cool bows. The last time I was there He showed me a +1 holy darkwood composite longbow that was ordered. When I asked about cost Rarallo said this cost 18,000 gold. How can anyone afford that much gold? When I asked him what holy does he told me that it does more damage to those that are evil and aligns the weapon good. When I asked how to you know if something is evil he just said “just wait for the Paladin to proclaim that it is evil”. I didn’t really understand. I thought if the bow is expensive then I will maybe buy some arrows. 50 arrows of holy cost as much as the bow; 18 thousand gold. He doesn’t normally stock holy arrows so I would have to buy all 50. Some things like fire arrows sell better so he sells them by arrow for 160 gold per arrow or 8,000 if you want 50. There was something called bane that he sold buy the arrow but only the version for animal. Turns out that some well to do merchants get together for hunts and they each secretly buy these bane animal arrows to get the edge. These bane animal arrows can be purchased for 160 gold each. If I ever get lots of money for magic bows I might need more then one. Oh, Rarallo also showed me this efficient quiver that would hold 60 arrows and store other things like extra bows. We went out back and Rarallo let me try a flame longbow and the efficient quiver. Way cool. This quiver actually lets you pull the arrow you want. For demonstration he had me shoot two arrows one blue and one red. This is really cool. When I mended his arrows with magic Rarallo suggested that maybe I should in the future consider learning to enchant weapons or magic items. Rarallo sells the efficient quiver for 1,800 gold; much more then I have. Coming from the farm I have a hard time figuring out how people can afford these things.

I am also carrying 2 of the 5 bane animal arrows that we found. I wonder if these were created by Rarallo. These plus the longbow are really on loan until we get to town and begin selling things.

Let see. Ok we headed through the marsh over to the “X” near the coastline. At the point where the “X” was we found a ship with some strange writings on them. The goblins were piled up out side and have been there for a couple of weeks. Some of the others did some searching inside the ship but they really didn’t find anything and this ship is dangerous and falling apart. There was some strange writing on the ship and even Kali could not read. Kali really puts a lot of importance in knowing languages. Once again in the goblin fort they kept speaking in some strange language so I had no clue what they were talking about. Supposedly I was supposed to know what the hell they were saying.

Finding nothing of interest we head out of the marsh. We headed over to one of the next “X” spots. We arrive just before sunset and discovered that the boney footprints come and go from a cave. We back tracked and made camp near the lost coast road.

=== Sarenith 24, 4712; ===

Morning arrived and I spent my 15 minutes of focus on energies of my spells to refresh. I looked over to see Kali and Etayne still focused on this task. I have been watching the other spell casters over the last two days to see how they perform this ritual. As far as I can tell Qatana prays similar to Koya. Kali seems to spend her time reading through her book and Etayne does some animal thing with her fox. It all looks so natural when they are doing there thing. What they do looks complicated. It looks like these people have been working on there magic for some time. The other three kept talking about what spells to memorize for the day and I don’t know what this means. When they ask me I just say that I have cure wounds, bless, and magic weapon. They seem to be oh ok so I guess that is the right answer? I have the spells that I can cast continually throughout the day and then those 3 spells. I keep practicing the new spells that I am trying to learn but I just haven’t yet gotten it correct.

The snare trap I set last night didn’t catch anything so rations for today. We broke camp and headed back down the path towards the bottom of the cliff and then over to the cave. On the second spider I moved in behind Ana and shot the spider. In the end Ana took her nice looking Greatsword and carved up the spider. I retrieved my arrow and used mend to fix the arrow. With a light source Qatana pushed her way forward. Sparna and Etayne checked out a path that led to a pool with a strange creature inside. I took a light over so Etayne could see but in the end Sparna pretty much took care of this thing. The others had a name for the creature but I don’t remember what they called it.

A little further down we found the large group of skeletons. I think it was Qatana who said that you need blunt weapons against skeletons. Ha how I found a use for those blunt weapons. So I out 5 in my quiver and held two for the first shot. The fist shots were dead on and took down a skeleton. After that it was the luck of the draw. I really wish I had that efficient quiver.

Qatana said “fall back” so I did. But then the rest of them had no way to fall back so I move forward. Qatana’s health was becoming and issue so I started to move in to help with healing. I indented to cast then step into melee to keep spell casting simple but Olmas backed up bringing the skeletons with him. Olmas was almost dead so I attempted a tricky defensive casting. It’s really hard and I wasn’t really sure if it was going to work. I either need to learn how to get better at casting defensively or stop doing it at all.

Olmas now healed he runs to the other members of the group to help them leaving the skeleton attacking me when I don’t have a melee weapon out. I took damage staying there to help him and he just runs off to find glory. Luckly Sparna stepped over to help out with the skeleton. I am not sure if Olmas running towards what he thought was a bigger battle or afraid of this skeleton. As we had defeated all of the skeletons I got after him about it and he just said that the others needed his help. I am clearly not running into melee to heal Olmas again; it is too dangerous. He has been almost dead twice in the last two days; he is on his own if it happens a third time. These skeletons didn’t have anything of value so I just repaired my arrows and put the blunt arrows back in my backpack.

Moving onto the next room we of course find a skeleton on another chest. He wasn’t moving so I took the time to pull two blunt arrows; At least I will get one good shot off. After several failed throws to get his attention Qatana throws her light rock and hits the skeleton. He stands up points at Olmas and says something that I do not understand. Olmas responds spouting some crap and steps forward. Sparna goes to disarm the skeleton and gets hit really hard before nicely disarming the skeleton. I was able to heal up Sparna after his bold move. This may have saved a lot of damage from this skeleton.

With the skeleton dispatched we found that his sword had some heavy magic on it. It was magic and did something special so it is even more expensive. From my talks with Rarallo it is worth 8000 to 18000 gold if purchased from a store; not sure how much they will buy it for. Even at half price this is a lot of money. We also have a number of other magic items that can bring in money as well. I didn’t pay attention to everything in either chest but I saw Qatana creating inventory and she has normally been straight forward on things.

We have a lot of stuff so we need to go back to town. It would be nice to check out the other ship but we figure that we would need a boat from town to get there. Once I get my one eighth of the loot plus what ever we find out the boat I will hopefully have enough to get away from Sandpoint and see the world.