Ascension of Narkul: Annabell's Path

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Written by: Sammy

Back to Annabel's Notebook

We met with the black dragonborn who informed us of another party that had gone further ahead.

The walls of this laboratory seem to speak, i have an urge to study the runes covering the walls but i ignore it and press on with our task.

We met up with an odd Fire genasi who talks to herself, and another dragonborn this one of bronze.

The Automiton seems strong but naive, lord Fenris seems to be looking to replace me. I will not let that happen.

Our journey back has been long but we have arrived

Greyhawk keep is 2nd lead.

Alucard…an odd man, in 50 years, uh..45 years he hasnt seemed to age a day. he seems human, not elf

Put plan into action. Found 4 members to turn. Hid them in an old shack in the wet district .

Had a daylight spell scroll crafted suspected Alucard is a vampire after discussing with the others and lors fenrius

Learned that Alucard has sent all the servants out on leave. Annabell thinks he is making a move of some kind and time is of the essence.

Krag suggested to attack during the day, Annabell thinks this is a silly idea.

Krag gave some information about the windows being alarmed

At odds with Krag who seems to want to wait.

Medrash said the door seemed pretty solid and kickable.

Plan to attack this evening , 3rd Tuesdsday of seedmoot with or without the party

I gave it everything i had but it still wasn't enough, not even close, we were outmatched from the beginning, we should have been eliminated….but Alucard spared us, some misguided sense of pity maybe?
I have never been so dishonored. i am not sure what to do next, i feel like i have created, My fate was death yet it was not given…a cruller fate still.

Do not want to kill another dragon..i i mean a dragon. it feels wrong, morally incorrect, like attacking a friend…i am not sure why.

Next Session Unknown motivations. all i do know is Annabell doesn't want to kill a dragon and that she must get stronger. if these can be weaved into what the reest of the party want to do, but she is emotionally defeated and will take a back seat next session.

The morning was dreary as we all woke up after the humiliating defeat. I came down treated to breakfast with the large amount i had paid for the room. I sat quietly eating the hot meal. i greeted each of the other party members as they came down.
Lord Fenris was displeased with me and we got in a bit of a violent argument. Instinctively after he grabbed my hair i threw a punch. he hasn't spoken to me since.
We decided that we need to get stronger, so as any party would we went to look for work and the Job board. two jobs stuck out to us. one about missing graves and another about a Wizard.
I wanted to see what the wizard wanted but was out voted.

The Grave keeper tells of some bodies that were dug up and stolen, asks us to find what ever did this and return the bodies, it turned out to be a corpse collector, a gulling battle was fought with us coming out victories. Fenris and Medrash both falling to thier injuries but we managed to pull them back from deaths grasp.

The reward was 25G each.

Pre
Through the swamp and the exploding bodies the stench of a days work hangs on me, i would desperately like a trip to the bath house and to buy some sanitary supplies. a hairbrush to tame my windstorm of hair. a tooth brush and some good soap.
it will take a while, i also need to tend to my wounds, replace bandages, tidy my armor and weapon.
After this depending on the remaining day i would like to persue the next job on the job board.

Annabell realises she knows little about her traveling company, and would like to ask each member in character a bit about their past and their motivations.
How Krag came to meet his weasel, whats its name, i am not sure they have been formally introduced.
How did Medrash come to be apart of this group, does he have any connection to phoenix? whats his life been like as an outlawed and dos he feel any reliafe for no longer being hunted?
What is Phoinex? is she a child? is her love of burning things a hobby or seated in some horrible trauma? what does she hope to gain from Narkul?

Post
Returning from the swamp i gathered some hygiene items and took a nice long bath in the Dry district. a private room where i could relax a bit and tend to myself. My hair needing the most attention, it was filthy, frizzy and a tangled mess. it took most of the allotted hour to tidy it up.
I went to the wizard with the little daylight left asking him some more details about the posted job, I ran into Karg on the way. after that i returned with Karg to the Inn and meet up with the others, Karg and i had a bit of a heart to heart.
He told me about his trouble holding down a normal job, and he was mainly here for the money.
I opened up to him about my lack of memories from while i was alive. and the sence of importance i have to find these old memories, i hope Narkul is able to help me uncover this.

Back at the inn both Phoenix and Medrash were both only here for money..Medrash also wanted to spill blood.

We met Beldreeze the next morning and told him of our failure against Alucard. he gave us a new lead on the lost keep as well as telling us of another group that was hired to find the hand. now it seems we have competition.

The wizards job turned out to be quite chaotic, we found Imari taken apart our automaton friend, rage filled my mind as i lashed out at Imari. the rest of my companions equally as angry but it is fortunate that their are terrible aim otherwise we would have no way to repair our friend.
After some threatening words Imari went quickly to work putting the atomoton back together.
After The automaton was put back together it took a mighty swing at Imari, felling him in one hit. we then quickly cobbled a plan together to leave the city.

Nebu covered The automaton as best they could while Karg was asked to collect the reward money, I lead the automaton out of the city while Medrash and Phoenix burned the house down. the reward was 50 Gold each.

Other Group

We made a hasty escape from Mupburg after the incident with Imari, making our way to the campsite we met beldreeze to regroup.
Gathering little supplies and Nebu interacting with the green dragonborn we were off to find this lost keep Beldreezed mentioned. The Automoton S.A.M joined us.

The Journey took a few days and seemed to weigh on Karg the most. During this trip i managed to awaken my spellbook, the order of the scribes speak of awakening a consciousness within a wizards spellbook.

We avoided Rot angles and butted heads with Karg but eventually made it to the “lost keep” it seemed we were not the first ones here. Beldreeze had mentioned another party was sent to search but this seemed to be a 3rd party. Make shift campsite with three bedrolls, one had been torn and its owner laying dead in the shallow waters of the bank. or so I thought.
Preparing to descend into the keep through a small collapsed hole in the roof. Kard went to inspect the body, to find it was not as dead as i thought. a small fight broke out as we delt with the unwelcomed guest.
Down into the keep it was as held together as any building sunk into the swamp would be. the water and humidity had destroyed almost everything, Wood had rotten, metal had rusted. the foul smell of decay and rot hung in the air, the air itself thick with moisture and stale.

Journing further in down the spiral stairs, we found a large dining room of sorts. it was spacious and relatively untouched by the swamp. a body slumped over on the table where it had split in two.
I detected some necromantic magic in a back room which i followed while the others took to other things.

The source was an ornate jewelry box, near a bloated rotting corpse. far more rotten that would be normal. its flesh and even clothes were a mushy mess. possibly due to this item.
Walking out to show the rest of the party i was barraged with them shouting and even some attacks.

We journeyed deeper into the keep.
We encounter many forces, an animated suite of armor, and perhaps an earth elemental, i did not get a clear view

Going further in Medrash and Nebu unleashed a horde of the undead, we dispatched them with relative ease but the battle was long.

Deeper we encounter a maze of corridors, being hunted by a wraith. we managed to chase it off however Nebu was injured.

Eventually making it to a room with 4 great statues as well as a book being held by one. Neby shot it with a crossbow.
After me and the party deliberated we came to the conclusion that it was one of the ancient codexes.

The keep went further in.

Reading the plates on the statues as follows

Dragon born statue
1st Line: -Ithful advi-
2nd Line: end mage to the king daut-

Faithful Advice?

Buff human statue

1st Line: -
2nd Line: Champion of the reach

Much larger Statue on bellow floor

1st Line: Dauthos Ar-on 2nd Line: King of - Reach

We read the statues, I rack my brain for answers, it feels like i know all these names, but from a long lost dream. my blasted amnesia its driving me mad.

I cast detect magic finding some sources in the back rooms, they turn out to be potions of some sort, Karg gives me a fright from being so close yet so quiet.
attempting to exit out the other door i am greeted by Nebu dropping a large rock onto the floor, causing it to give way. i had to steady myself in the doorframe.
Nebu and medrash jumped down while the rest of us took the stairs, the lower level had a hallway full of knight statues holding donation bowls with a grand statue at the end.

We started to discuss the purpose and origin of the Keep.

checking behind some drapes we find more statues, however these ones looked to be caught mid combat and were giving off arcane signals.
I draw my sword and order everyone to be on alert.

I hear someone rushing forward and smash my shield into them as they approach me.

As a throne and sword comes into view one of the doors is smashed open as some sort of beast appears ready to fight.
As we see the beast in full view it becomes quite clear that these statues are indeed unfortunate souls who fell to the beast's Stone gaze.

The sword ends up being Last Quip, one of the nine swords of Greyhawk, a very special blade indeed. Nebu did indeed claim it first however lacked to help during the confrontation of the baskalisk.

Nebu and Karg's pet climb a tunnel in the baskalisks nest to find it went all the way to the surface. I and The rest of the party took the long way retracing their footsteps with no altercations.
When i went to retrive the jewlery box it had vanished. the other party members not knowng where it had gone.

we exited the keep to find S.A.M and Nebu waiting.

Pre
Plans to return to Beldreze and tell him of our treck through the keep, the monsters we found and slayed, the ones we left. the items we found save the Codex.
Ask questions about the statues, who are they exactly and why are they there?

Let Karg read the codex before the party reach Beldreeze

Background things
Annabell wants another bath, risk going into town for it.
Bath carried out

Annabell is getting tired of Rations, she wants a more dignified meal and perhaps learn how to cook her own.
found a nice place that wasnt the best, enjoyed meal an wine, did not follow up on cooking skills

Talk to the wizard from the previous job

• How to craft spell scrolls, if he had any books she could take/Purchase from him on arcane spell scroll crafting or altering spells.
• Discuss her idea to create a new form of the spiritual weapon spell.
• specificly wants to learn the Spell Baulder's tower.

Learned the baulder's tower spell, confirmed with churche about new spell

Give Karg the necromantic jewelry box see if he can figure out a way to open it or examine it as he wants.
outside of annabell's knowlage karg handed the box to Nebu to open then was surprised when there was a hint of foul play

Give Phoinex and Medrash one of the common potions each
medrash was unavalible and phoinex almost blew the books cover to Beldreeze so no potion

Find the undead she let loose if they haven't wandered too far from town and give them release into the afterlife.
she'll be right…

Ask Bekldreeze if he or Narkul have ways of bringing one such as herself back to proper life and/or restore her memories.
Perhaps

Perhaps get distracted by fine clothing.
Did not get distracted

Study the codex further. Spoke with a priest and a herbilist who only confirmed the artifacts power is great but did not offer details, perhaps a druid may help, herbilist is organising a meeting

See if she can find a cart and horses, the party walking around by foot is less than desirable and Annabell would like to find something to carry them and supplies.
Carts in the marsh may be a bad idea, save getting a cart when the party is out of the marsh

Someone has been into alucards manour and looked through destroyed records before annabell, home was full of dangerous runes. copied partial teleportation circle.

possible someone who had inside knowlage of alucards manour , knew wich room was alucards

Pre

Follow up on Druid meeting

Ask Karg on progress of the box. Karg gave the box to Nebu who seems to have opened it and given Karb some mundane items

Keep an eye on phoenix. Didnt keep a close enough eye on her she seemingly destroyed the codex but with knowledge of what it is. its safe to assume the book was not destroyed but its fate remains a mystery. was it warped, or absorbed?

Tell party of Alucard's manor, Perhaps the other group is in town? if they are find out what they know. Confirms with party the other group is most likely to explain the Alucard manor raid

Study the codex further. didn't get too :(

Spend the day in mulburg finishing up any loose ends before returning to the lost keep. perhaps leave early if nothing to do. Found a more posh tavern, Nebu gave a wand that was said to be from the box. after using it we were taken to a safe haven of sorts. needs further study wand felt lighter after use.

Prepare speedy corior spell in case the codex needs to be smuggled quickly, send to fenrius with note on details spell prepared but of no use for the codex as per above

Would Narkul recognize Annabell as Welington? No

The druid that told of the codex
an hour of traveling into the mash in a strait line.
walk through the arch, don't look around. walk backwards
Nichole corthdraw?

Nichole also spoke of a Hag of the mash that she has been fighting with for over a millenia.

Nacole explains that the codex was written when the world was still young by one of the greatest druids, Hierophant Prithvirana, to protect the material world from other planar invasion. The book is the barrier between worlds, without it planes start bleeding together and sending creatures between worlds has little to no cost. Think of the demonic invasion from recent memory, without this book the entire plane of Nine Hells could of crashed into the material. But the book also grants it's owner immense power, it is said with two months of nothing but studying and understanding the knowledge within one can summon powerful elementals from your surrounds to aid you, bend stone and sea to your will. Every time a publicly known owner and the codex goes missing there is a story of a mighty phoenix beyond compare known as 'The Defender of all Felwind' Nacole knows of two events one in Ostrov which sealed the majority of entries to the Underdark, only a few remain across the world. The second a shard of Arborea was causing apocalyptic weather but was sealed by the Defender.

Met Dyndrid, assume he is a dragon in disguise.

Met Narkul,
Calls reton The reach.
Plans to take Reton for his own but not the other nations so as if they do not interfear.
Seems to think he can restor Annabell's memories and perhaps restor her body to life.
Asked for power to defeat a vampire.
Narkul has yet to speak to the newly established Greyhawk but is going to take that land too.

Phoinex asked about a voice in her head, Narkul used some sort of pearl on her.

Nebu asked for acention to a dragon, seems very loyal to narkul and Dyndrid

Karg asked for revenge and money.

Gear up

TALK TO BELDRIESE BEFORE GOING TO BED
Beldriese seemed much less of a dragon than we had originally seen. Perhaps broken or lost faith in himself. Warning us not to trust Narkul and that he may twist our loyalty into a trap. it was quite a strange change of personality as Beldrise was the gateway for us. I told him of the codex since we had now lost it, he seemed indifferent to the knowledge but who knows what he may be thinking

Beldrise said he was journing to the Golden caverns then on to the Hollow Cliffs for Personal indevours

Can't murder Phoinex cause continuity.

Study Wand better. Wand is still lighter

Gain more strength and track down Narkul's hand.

The keep was surprisingly empty during our stay. it seemed it was only Annabell, the party and Narkul. no sighns of the previous beasts and no sign of any loyal followers.
Narkul seemes to be meditation/concentrating on a spell during the night, Beldrise confirmed it was Narkul's power that was raising the keep from the swamp.

Annabell was awakened some deep partial clues and a vision of a memory with Narkul

• Leader worn down
• Killed by the crown
• on a mission of peace
• Torn Piece by piece
• Sea of Sand
• Soul trapped in the Land

Hall way strangers

Fancy manor other strongers

Beachside view

location in mulburge

Beach episode.

The scroll did not vanish when it was used. Either the scroll has multiple uses or we went to the wrong place…
Annabell made the choice based on if it was a one way trip. Had she known the scroll could be used multiple times she recons she would have gone to the hallways first to double check.

Annabell may go and check the hallway herself while the rest of the party explore the beach home.

Perhaps a chance to relax? Annabell may cave to an opportunity to have a small vacation.

the manor may be a repeat of last time. although the party is stronger not sure if we could take Alucard yet. Alucard still owes Beldrise a favor.

the portal to the government building in mulburg is interesting, perhaps an official knows of Alucard's movements. Annabell wouldn't be against forcing some info out of an official.

Should ask about this other group

What happened to the victims of the baskalisk?