Ascension of Narkul
Chapter 1: The Delian Tomb
A Mother's Plea Session 1
A mother, Ashleigh, bursts into the sole inn pleading for help, her daughter, Violet, has been taken by goblins into a nearby tomb, our adventurers Vanazor, Jerald, and Ryll take up the call and slay goblins outside the Delian tomb before beginning their decent into the tomb.
Rescue of Violet Session 2
Delving deeper into the tomb the group clears a scythe trap only to trigger a necromancy trap causing zombies, ghouls, and skeletons to attack them, dispatching the undead and hearing a chanting behind a statue Vanazor finds a hidden door leading to a ritual sacrifice. Goblins and a Bugbear channeler leading them have tied up Violet using her to try unlock a magic barrier blocking a way further into the tomb. After a few close calls the group kill the goblins and bugbear, freeing Violet and returning to Broadhurst.
Broadhurst Session 3
Having returned to town…
Chapter 1: New Friends
Meetings & Marsh Session 1
Four individuals gather at Bharzut's Inn in the town of Mulburg to meet with Burldries leader of a group calling themselves Order of the Lost Keep. They've each been contracted for a lucrative job but before details are given, Burldries needs to test the group to ensure they can get a job done. With haste the group set out into the marsh to find a magic workshop, they reach the workshop and find no one around.
Workshop & Information Session 2
After a harrowing encounter with an awakened tree and shambling mound Pheonix and Medrash are joined by Fenris, Annabell, and Karg, the new party then clears their way through to an upper level where they find the sentient workshop named S.A.M (Structure for Assistive Magic) has transferred it's being into a makeshift automaton. Tensions are initially high but the group convinces the construct to travel back to town.
Jobs & Hunting Session 3
Before returning to the town of Mulburg the group makes a detour to a campsite set up by the Order of the Lost Keep, where they meet Beldrith, Akzer, and Happy all apart of the Order, after introductions and a hunting trip Burldries enters the camp with Amari, a tense stand off follows as Amari and Fenris try to hold claim of the construct. Pressure is slowly released and a deal is reached, with all sides in agreement Amari pays the group and leaves camp with the automaton.
Burldries then puts forward the main contract, retrieve the Hand of Narkul, providing two leads to follow; Alucard who was the last person known to be holding Sovereign captive, and the Fellowship of the Alicorn, a group set on finding and banishing the Lich King Narkul. Annabell takes the lead by introducing herself to Alucard and after some discussion part ways.
Day of Preparation Session 4
The group starts to form a plan to confront Alucard, Annabell gathers unwilling souls for added back up, Fenris finding information that the staff have been given a few days of leave, Karg investigating potential alternate entry points and trappings, Medrash checks his boot size against the door (looks kickable), and Pheonix receives a gift from a friend.
Alucard's Manor Session 5
The group kicks down the doors to Alucard's Manor where they find him expecting their return, after some discussion and confirmations of Soverign's status, the group had enough of Alucard's politics and deals attacking him but falling short, Alucard holds off from killing the group and lets them flee.
Missing Bodies Session 6
Licking their wounds the group gathers themselves and picks up a contract investigating a grave robbery, in the process finding and taking down a corpse collector, two bodies are returned to the graveyard and others are burned in a ritual. Karg returns in the night to rob a grave Pheonix found eminating a magic source.
Friendly Interference Session 7
After a meeting with Burldries they learn of another group tasked to find the hand and a possible location for the Lost Keep. Picking up another contract from a Wizard to investigate a magical interference that is disrupting his research, he sent his apprentice to look into it but they never returned.
On searching the house the interference is coming from the group find Amari pulling apart the automaton S.A.M, a quick beating and threats Amari restores the automaton, as soon as they are restored the construct strikes Amari down, and escapes town with the group, burning Amari's house down with him still in it.
Chapter 2: The Lost Keep
Delve into the swamp Session 8
Escaping the town with S.A.M the group collect a couple supplies from Beldrith at the Orders camp near the city, moving into the swamp they avoid a pair of Rot Angles. After a couple sleeps they find the roof of a tower sticking out from the mud a small portion caved in, on the outside a destroyed camp with three bedrolls and an undead body submerged nearby
Moving into the structure they find illegible remains of presumably arcane study, just outside the study a malnourished corpse holding a crossbow and note warning of a jewelled box. Annabell is first to find the box with a rotting body next to it. Exploring further they find a set of animated armour and suspected earth elemental but manage to keep the peace.
Descent into the keep - part 1 Session 9
The group descends into the structure coming across a mud filled floor, slowing movement. Medrash and Nebu knock in a double door, revealing ~25 zombies, as the noise stirs them from their wake hastily using rope and a shortbow to hold the door closed but doesn't hold long before the undead pouring through, however are quickly dispatched by Pheonix's cloud of daggers and a fireball while Annabell's spirtual weapon and gaurdian clean the rest up.
Entering a collapsed section creates a maze like path where shadows seem to have a mind of their own. Pushing throught the maze they enter a large area with various pieces of art and decaying statue, one of which had the Codex Terragnosis a book defining and binding the laws of nature to the material plane.
Descent into the keep - part 2 Session 10
After examining the statues, determining the one holding the book likely depicted Lady Greyhawk, a masculine dragonborn with “_ithful advi_ and mage to King Daut_”, and third statue of a masculine human first half lost to time with only “Champion of the Reach” remaing.
Descending further in they discover 6 statues standing infront of 6 basins, each containing gold. The path leading to a large statue of a human man, a crown sits on his head, a book in his left arm and an elven designed long sword in his right hand pointed into the air, a rusted plaque underneath reads “Dauthos Ar_on King of _ Reach”
Pushing further the group finds five petrified statues and a basilisk, making quick work of the basilisk Nebu retrieves an Last Quip one of nine swords of Greyhawk from the throne, and group returns to the surface and begins their journey back to the city.
Lost Keep, found Session 11
Returning to Mulburg the group discusses their findings with Burldries who is eager to check and confirm for himself. With a partial reward each goes to town with their own goals. Karg buys a new set of armour and robs a home with Zippy. Nebu gets a blacksmith to open the lock box releasing a ghastly smoke, instantly killing the smith and harming Nebu who then heals at a herbalist and then later steals from a jeweller. Annabell enjoys a bath and meal, sought out the wizard who aided in learning a new spell and a lead to a druid to learn more about the Codex.
Druids & Dragons Session 12
Annabell binds her blade to herself through the help of the Mulburg temple creating an aspect of the blade that can be summoned at will. The group then visits the herbalist who provides a stone and instruction to reach the Druidic Sage Nacole Corthdraw. Following the herbalist's words the group find themselves in Corthdraw Grove where they begin discussing the Codex Terragnosis but interrupted by Pheonix grabbing the book and setting it alight with magic, it fades to ash and scorched earth. Tensions quickly rise and slowly calm as Nacole continues her lesson and tries to figure out what happened.
With no answers being found by standing around the group travel to the Lost keep where they meet Narkul and Dyndryd. Narkul thanks each of them asking what they'd like in return for finding his Keep, Annabell requesting restoration of her memories, Nebu to become a dragon, Karg aid in a personal matter and to hunt Alucard, and Pheonix to rid the unwelcome guest in her mind.
Chapter 3: Vampire Hunt
Narkul's Keep Session 13
Before bed the group have a discussion with Burldries appearing less stoic and leading than before, pleads with them not to fall for Narkul's deception, he then informs the group he'll be away for a couple weeks as he reveals his Black Dragon form and flies North.
In a meeting with Narkul, he gifts Nebu with a Chromatic Dragonborn armour and a Metallic Dragonborn dagger, gifted Karg with a spell scroll to trace and reopen uses of teleportation, partially restored Annabell's memory and began work on removing Pheonix's unwanted guest. Taking their gifts and new knowledge the group returned to Mulburg bringing S.A.M with them to Alucard's manor where Annabell viewed and assessed many portal remains, the group deciding to go to a view of a beach side and a small home.
