The Third Age (Humanity), Part Two: Year 1709 and Beyond

1709

November 9 (Sat) All but Burne enter Castle Ashaba. Minotaur in the gallery; troglodytes upstairs; weird tentacle snakey thing. Castle empty. Grimlocks in the dungeon. Burne can now enter. Cries for help in the darkness. More dark-skinned strangers (Shadow of Semerius). Party meets Connor. Castle occupants freed from dungeon cells. Tiger surprise. Ancient crypt. Magic portal. Tunnel to underground river, bridge. Water monster. Strange masks. Large room with an altar, incense burner, hole in ceiling; this is the source of the poisonous vapor that surrounds the sinkhole of the collapsed temple on the surface. The masks provide protection from the vapor. Party removes white rock from burner; vapors cease. Ian climbs up to hole. Gregory removes mask, collapses; Burne revives him.

November 8 (Fri) Morning meeting with Boragard and friends. "Let's go destroy the town!" Party turns coat on the way; battle on horseback chase on the road into town. Archer bullyboy escapes. Peace returns in Shadowdale. Party discusses, helps. Gregory learns of lost children. Party travels to an unoccupied mill, where dark-skinned men (Shadow of Semerius) with an unknown language search for something. Party travels to source of stream. Girl found (named Liz). In cave, boy rescued from crevice (with box). Ghouls, a ghast, a wight; mysterious voices. Hasty exit. Forest hides flitting shadows. During return to town, Liz shares dreams. 'Box of the Planes' examined. Posse arrives from neighboring lands. Ian climbs the old tower; Luc and Rahnellus investigate the castle; Gregory, Burne, and Beregon examine the mysterious burned area. That night, a veteran adventuring party passes through; stories and skills are shared.

November 7 (Thur) Trail in woods; spyglass scuffle; items found. Clearing, old stone marker with names of another party (long dead?). Camp of strangers. Decrepit wyvern. Statues of other party found. Patrolling hobgoblins with magic. More Zhentarim, specifically Chronomancers: Vendren, Shelledai, Utuaan. Time askew yet again; party destroys crystal ball after passageways of time and an endlessly repeating battle (fought by themselves, many times prior, to their deaths). Zhentarim share some information, then send party to Shadowdale. Party arrives in Shadowdale, scattered about the area. Gregory and Luc investigate farms, meet Bullyboyz. Burne, Rahnellus, and Ian confront Bullyboyz at bridge. Party regroups at road battle. Retreat to Beregon's home. Boris arrives, injured. Rest; midnight scouting. Castle Ashaba enchanted with sleep spell. Rahnellus brings forth a boat, via his wand. Party confronts Bullyboyz in various places; eventually joins the gang, to learn more about them.

November 6 (Wed) Party arrives in the Dalelands by sunset. Light snow. Stone hostel; hand with dish. Rest, healing. Night: dire wolves attack strange foreigner (oriental); party takes his armor (samurai-like), buries him. Later: an ancient/current stronghold. Time askew; party flipped back and forth between ancient past and present. Giants with human slaves. Strange ritual with red-robed figures; nude female about to be sacrificed. Manticore appears and roars; dragons fill the sky. Volcano erupts. Party returns to present.

November 5 (Tue) Minor earthquakes. Roc attacks. Goblin tribe crossfire. Party fights amongst themselves. Cave with flying heads, tiny statuette, demon painting. Ian goes mad, Gregory almost dies. Gregory to Rhannelous, pointing into the pit: "You need to be down *there*!" Secrets revealed? Luc falls into pit. Luc levitated out of pit, apparently by the demon Shadath: "This one is mine, with whom I am pleased." Party meets Telemon, who shares information. Night in Shadow Gap.

November 4 (Mon) Blue light; tunnel; underground. Tentacles; group discovers bodies of another party around a pit, and finishes incantation which prevents Ishled from rising. Giant ants, weak dwarven skeletons, stirges, ores. Drider and drow. Merkus names Kimian as a way out, and dies. Hanlan says "Hellgate Keep awakens"; tells Burne to "stand." Iduna bound in webbing: "They're real... run." Kimian killed by drow. Illithid sends party back; "This is not your concern." Night in Shadow Gap­

November 3 (Sun) Party passes old site of Trinson home. Shadow Gap. Ettin attacks camp. Mugh (pronounced "moog") passes through. Night in Shadow Gap. Methialas' balloon seen passing silently among the stars.

November 2 (Sat) Party discusses recent events. Cornelius, an associate of Methialas, asks about black powder. Hasterites known as the Order of the Shining Dawn arrive in Tilverton by the hundreds on horseback, determined to take control; party runs them out of town. Mid-morning, the party departs for Shadowdale. Sendant farm in evening: vines amuck.

November 1 (Fri) Party returns to Tilverton, which is troubled by a gender crisis and mirples at play. Amulet mystery solved. Meanwhile, Mourgrym leads an expedition ofwarriors to Daggerdale (4 days' ride).

October 31 (Thur) Party departs Thunder Peaks, camps in foothills. Meanwhile, 'Party X' departs for Shadowdale this morning, arriving at the Sendant farm this night.

October 30 (Wed) News arrives in Shadow dale that a threat of some kind, originating from the Desertmouth Mountains, endangers nearby Daggerdale. In the Thunder Peaks, the party rescues a pair of would-be prospectors from a hungry dire bear. Spiral cave with pits of black sand and ancient paintings of humans and a manticore. Explosion. Narrow crevice and sentries. Gruhn; bowl games. Red gems of charismatic power. Hall of murals ends with stone golems that guard the tomb of Tilvernus. Flames, escape underground, pit of darkness, illithid. Camp in the cave, Gregory ill, silence. Methialas abducts Gruhn's body. Giant balloon. Strange comments made. "A tiefling!" Meanwhile, another adventuring party arrives in Tilverton and accepts the job of finding out what happened to Castilion.

October 29 (Tue) Party leaves for Thunder Peaks; camps in foothills.

October 28 (Mon) News of Castilion's death reaches Tilverton. Winter's Edge Festival spoiled by unprecedented goblin raid. Shadowy figures seen at the Aldersons. Something about a pendant. A chill at Mystra's Shrine.

October 27 (Sun) Luc the bard arrives in Tilverton to perfonn during the Festival.

October 26 (Sat) Rahnellus' travelling party is attacked by goblins. Boris' mother tends to Rahnellus and sets him up at the Tilverton Inn. He can remember nothing prior to this date.

October 21 (Mon) Mourngrym sends a messenger to Tilverton.

October 20 (Sun) Temple collapses in the night. Sinkhole, rubble. Castilion believed to be in the temple at the time. Acolytes attempting rescue are overcome by a deadly unseen vapor that remains localized around the site.

June 15 Temple opens for worship (construction continues).

April 1 Construction of a unified temple begins on Beregon's land.

March 7 Castillion arrives in Shadowdale. Stays at the Boardinghouse for a week, then takes a room at Beregon Hilstar's place.

March 1 Castilion departs for Shadowdale.

1709