Adventurers Present:
Balasar the Paladin
Naivara the hot Wizard
Joreb the Paladin
And in spirit Jonn Redgar.
Also present was DC, the DM, may the light of a thousand dawns shine upon him.
The adventurers began their evening with a quick discussion on themselves, their levels and various new powers. Some new loot was also found on the bodies of the dead cultists. A beautiful golden skeletal ramhead amulet worth 250 gp was taken by Naivara to accentuate her plunging neckline and 150 gp found its way into the group’s coffers. As Naivara put on the necklace she joked with the apprentice wizard, “you played your part well, we shall return the favour some time, jokes aside, your abilities were not as bad as we jested”. Joreb cut the apprentice Tobolar Quickfoot deeply with a cutting remark, “he’s not interested… wizards don’t go in for that sort of thing because magic is so much more thrilling”
A long discussion followed with Tobolar’s master, Nimozaran. The group managed to convince the master about their worth and good intentions through the diplomatic skills of Joreb and the other party members. Joreb went into details of his understandings of the pyramid of Shadows, its energies and obvious extra-dimensional purpose. The paladin uses his insights and understandings and the elderly mage is convinced of the groups merits.
Nimozaran then slowly reveals his knowledge on the pyramid in his gravely voice…a very long winded account recorded here:
Pyramid of Shadows
“When first the pyramid appeared I stood utterly confounded, just as astounded as the rest of the town. What was this dire black pyramid floating over our small community? But instead of leaving as many have chosen to do, I decided to find out the truth to this mystery. I went into the oldest part of the Mages’ Guild’s library and started dusting of tomes I haven’t even opened before. It has taken me weeks to go through all the material, but finally I found the answer in an old tome dating back to the founding of Fallcrest three hundred years ago.
Nearly five hundred years ago, a mighty tiefling wizard named Karavakos made a fatal bargain. The twin threats of minotaurs of the wild and rebellion from within threatened his iron grip over the lands of his petty kingdom. In desperation, Karavakos summoned a demon, a servant of the mighty demon prince Orcus and asked for aid. The demon whispered dark secrets to Karavakos, guiding him into building an unholy cult of the demon prince Orcus in his kingdom. In return the demon showed him a ritual and an artifact that would create a gap between the worlds, connecting one of Orcus’s unholy Shadowfell sites to the world. Karavakos, already a skilled magician, created the Rod of Ruin and the necessary ritual to bridge the gap to the Shadowfell. Skeletons, zombies, and demons flooded through the rift into the light of day. A legion of abyssal warriors came to march under his command, and he stepped up his efforts to restore his tyranny over his domain and subjects.
The hordes of demons came at what at the time seemed to be a very reasonable price. They would fight on Karavakos behalf and obey his orders. If he ever led them to defeat, however, they would abandon him and feed on his dark soul for all eternity. All the souls of his subjects would be damned to an eternity of pain in the depths of Abyss. Only an error made by the wizard could result in the demons’ defeat—no army in the world could defeat them on the field of battle. Karavakos led his hordes on one conquest after another. His first target was the neighboring minotaur tribes, which were almost driven to extinction by Karavakos undead and demon infested hordes. One tribe took refuge in the depths below Thunderspire Mountain, where they founded the city of Saruun Khel and hid from Karavakos wrath. What had been a small kingdom ruled by Karavakos grew into a mighty nation to rival the great human empire of Nerath that held sway over much of the land at this time. With winter’s arrival, Karavakos called a halt to his campaign of expansion. He returned to his palace with the eladrin princess, Vyrellis, who was to be his bride. Together, he proclaimed, they would rule a new empire, and with spring’s dawning his armies would march into the Feywild, extending their rule across two worlds.
When spring came, the demon hordes marched through the thin border between worlds. In the Feywild, though, the demons met their match. Invincible on the battlefields of the natural world, the demons had no such protection once they stepped into the Feywild. Fey spears and arrows felled the hordes, putting an end to Karavakos’s dreams of conquest— and severing his demonic bargain. At the same time, the empire of Nerath had dispatched legionnaires to eliminate the threat of the rift to the Shadowfell. The empire’s soldiers destroyed the remaining undead, sealed the opening, and built a keep to watch over the location and contain the threat. This is the site known as the Keep on the Shadowfell.
At the same time, the empire of Nerath had dispatched legionnaires to eliminate the threat of the rift to the Shadowfell. The empire’s soldiers destroyed the remaining undead, sealed the opening, and built a keep to watch over the location and contain the threat. This is the site known as the Keep on the Shadowfell. Karavakos nation died on that day, all his subjects killed and their souls brought back to the Abyss with the returning demons. At the end of the war the greatest wizards of the Neratch Empire and the Seelie Court in the Feywild created something they referred to as ‘The Pyramid of Shadow’, its purpose lost in the sand of time. This very tower, the Septarch’s Tower was build as a foci for the ritual, as it is all made up of Feystone to make sure it would never fall. Aranda Markelhay was one of the Nerathan wizards who constructed the tower. Who was later given the task to guard the Septarch’s Tower. The Markelhay family soon established the town which later would become Fallcrest and the Moonstone Keep as their residence. Generations later I guess the knowledge of their true past has been lost and none of the Markehay family today knows anything about their grand past, except that they have inherited the governance of Fallcrest for generations.
Why the pyramid has suddenly appeared over Fallcrest again is not mentioned anywhere in the tomes, but that I want you to find out. At the top of the tower there has been a teleportation circle that has been dead as long as I can remember. Two weeks ago it started to shine as a shooting star…”
As the aged mage finishes his amazing speech the group take in their situation. Balasar openly admits to his desire to throw Merry onto it and Joreb seconds the idea, adding we should tie a rope around his foot so we can drag him back.
As the group examines their surrounding more carefully they notice strange silver symbols inscribed in the floor of the top level of the Septarch’s Tower. They seem almost alive, shining bright and flowing before your eyes. Nobody can be sure were they lead, but you have your guesses.
With this new development the group discuss their future plans. Together they agree to rest up and replenish supplies before making their valiant assault on the pyramid.
They head back into Fallcrest to visit Naerumar’s Imports, Considered the finest of Fallcrest’s retail establishments, Naerumar’s Imports deals in gemstones, jewelry, art, and magic trinkets. The owner is Orest Naerumar, a tiefling who displays impeccable manners and discretion.
6 potions of healing are purchased as emergency supplies. The adventurers share these out equally amongst those here: Balasar, Mikal, Naivara nd Joreb. Then Naivara holds the spares for her other companions. A +2 magic dagger is sold and Joreb purchases a delightful +1 cloak of walking wounded (level 4) for 840 gp and that leaves the group with 860 gp. The cloak looks good on the ruggered paladin, but not as fetching as the new Orb Naivara is now wielding.
Orb of Radiance (standard)
A pinpoint of light dances on the tip of the wand.
Human Ruffian 59: 18 vs. Fort, 5 radiant damage
Hit: If the target moves nearer to you on its next turn, it takes an extra 1d6 + Constitution modifier damage.
Not to be the only one without some new loot Balasar purchases an avalanche hammer +1, enchanted with the essence of the elemental earth, this hammer strikes foes like an avalanche, a bargain at 840 gp. The level 4 item allows him to charge an enemy and hit with a melee basic attack using this weapon, the attack deals 1W extra damage.
The adventurers take an extended rest, then watch as Joreb clicks his heels together three times…
It is now time for the daring group to enter the pyramid!
As they are magically teleported into an unknown area A stench of death and blood assails you as you appear suddenly atop a pile of bodies. Humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, and others, all apparently recently killed but all wearing clothing and armor of an earlier age. The pile of bodies seems to shift, as though something might be moving beneath it. Above you, at the top of the pit, you see a hideous, two-headed giant—he’s rubbing two blades together with an eager gleam in the eyes of both its horrifying heads.
As their surroundings dawn on the party and the battle ahead looms, the astute adventurers notice Mikal, he has undergone an interesting transformation…
