Session Recap - 16 September 2011

From Loranon

Session Recap
16 September 2011
Start Date	27 April 1002
End Date	11 May 1002
Adventure Locations	Anvilrock, Wilderness, Streamwind, Kharadin Woods
Previous Session	9 September 2011
Next Session	30 September 2011

Participating Characters

Heimdalsgate, Illia Viran, Jalfrezi, Pan Oros, Rickard Hill, Therthyra Brutebeard

Leaving Anvilrock

Initial attempts at leaving Anvilrock failed, as the various exit tunnels were still collapsed. The party set about helping to clear the tunnels and left Anvilrock as soon as the way was clear, ignoring the fact that there were still trapped dwarves in the vicinity. Once the party saw the sun again, they gathered up their mounts and headed off towards Streamwind.

Bomgar the Barbarian

As the party traveled close to the edge of the Kharadin Woods, loud sobbing could be heard from within. Upon investigation, the party came upon an overly-muscled wild elf who wielded a monstrously large greatsword. The elvish speakers in the group spoke with him at length. He named himself as Bomgar the Barbarian, a recently deposed bandit leader (though he would not know what the word "deposed" meant, as he was quite simple of mind). It took some effort to get him to calm down, but between pep talk and drug pushing, Pan Oros convinced Bomgar that he should head back to the bandit group and reclaim the leadership. Bomgar also learned that there is a difference between humans and lumberjacks and that he would take this into consideration during future banditry. He also was given enough courage to seek out Clarie Windspeaker and tell her how he feels for her.

Despite Jalfrezi's best efforts to get the party to fight the barbarian wild elf (to steal his flaming sword), Bomgar left the party peacefully.

The Streamwind Situation

The party arrived to find Streamwind in various states of rubble and reconstruction. The residents were sullen, ill-tempered, and lacking the joy for life normally exhibited by elves. Heimdalsgate led the party in seeking out Orack Reieeg. He was not able to get any help from the local population, who simply shook their heads and shambled on, but after some hours of searching Heimdalsgate came upon a very drunk Orack Reieeg. After pestering the poor drunk for some time, he became enraged and brought down a flamestrike upon the approaching Rickard Hill. As the party quickly restrained the man, the villagers converged on the conflict and attacked the party with improvised weapons. The lawful good paladin Rickard Hill suggested that Pan Oros vomit a swarm of insects upon the villagers, but the witch declined to kill the poor and downtrodden crowd who were simply trying to defend a friend against a group of strangers.

The fight was broken up as a dozen riders from the Garriton garrison charged into town. As the men came into view of the elves, they simply stopped their struggle against the party and stepped away without emotion. The riders stopped short of the fight as their leader shouted, "Stop this disorder immediately!"

Rickard let Orack get up and the oracle complained bitterly about the party breaking his booze jug (he had actually smashed it over Rickard's head during the struggle). He requested Rigg Alsman, the leader of the Garriton men, to take the party into custody. He refused while calling the oracle a "blind old fool". Rigg demanded that the party disperse. As they did, he dismounted, and grabbed Orack, dragging him to a nearby hut.

Heimdalsgate waited for three hours while Rigg and Orack were inside the hut. During this time, the rest of the party spoke with some wounded elves who came into town. Pan Oros was able to speak with one who talked of some of the motives involved in the struggle between the humans of Kandor and the wild elves of the Kharadin Woods. The wild elf said it was simply an issue of trees and land. The humans wanted the trees but the wild elves wanted them to stay the ground. It had escalated from there to raids on lumber camps, assassinations of mayors, and desires of genocide.

Eventually, Orack was released from the hut and was followed by the party. Exasperated, Orack demanded what they wanted. Heimdalsgate stepped forward and professed his desire to learn the mysteries of life. Orack simply told him to experience The First Dawn and, in doing so, learn the mystery of life. Orack claimed that he personally experienced The First Dawn, the time when life began. After some convincing, Orack agreed to reveal how Heimdalsgate could experience The First Dawn. As part of the process to gain attunement, Heimdalsgate was requested to to manipulate the fortunes of a couple hundred enemies and heal a moderate amount of the wounds of his allies through his life link. Additionally, he was required to obtain a shard of the Godskey and a shard of a falling star. When asked where he could obtain these items, Orack mentioned that Mount Centifus was where the Godskey was shattered, but simply stared at Lunos, Mezra's second moon, when asked about a shard of a falling star.

After leaving Orack to his drinking, the party wandered around the village, gathering information about the Arcane Focus of Control. They healed and fed the wounded elves as they went, and their generosity produced an elf that was willing to sneak out of town and guide the party through Kharadin Woods to the Arcane Focus of Control.

Wherein the Party Nonchalantly Kills Loyal Soldiers of Kandor

A couple days after the party set out from Streamwind, they were stopped by a patrol of the Kandori military. They demanded the party turn over the wild elves or be attacked. With Rickard declaring, "An unjust law is no law at all!" the party attacked. They killed all of the soldiers and left their bodies behind. The bodies were savaged by carrion eaters, but a few days later, Rigg Alsman was able to recover the bodies and gather some clues about the soldiers' murderers.

Soldiers of Kandor demand the surrender of both the wild elf guide and Illia. The party denies the request and slays the soliders.

The Arcane Focus of Control

On the morning of May 11, the guide warned the party that the area they were entering was very dangerous and to remain alert. Shortly before noon, the party came upon a clearing. Within the center of the clearing was a simple stone altar, sitting upon a circle of cobblestones.

After traveling all the way from Anvilrock, the party finally reaches its destination, the Arcane Focus of Control.