E-Dawn Volume 27: July-October 2006 Edition
“Do you like my cool new hat?” –Ninheim talking
about the Crown of Leaves.
Spoiler Alert: This journal contains
spoilers for the Legend of Earthdawn Volume 1 quest: The Heart of Heroes and
the online adventure Woodland Whispers by Carsten Damm.
PC RECAP
Pugsli’s Spy Report 14. Journey into the Heart.
Rua 14, 1521 TH Bartertown gate
Boss,
We
left Bartertown for the northwest to cross the Serpent River and reach the
Heart Wood.
-P
Rua 19, 1521 TH Throal hinterlands
Boss,
Terror
Birds, giant black condors attacked us. They hit me hard, and had me down for a
while. Fortunately, Aylaa dominated one away, and we managed to fell the other
through sheer attrition.
-P
Rua 21, 1521 TH Serpent River
Boss,
We
managed to cross the Serpent River with help from Johnny C. Bravo’s Scavian
Barge. I wonder what he is doing this close to the elven territories,
especially Kaer Eidolon and the Mothingale River?
-P
Rua 22, 1521 TH Fringe of the Heart Wood
Boss,
Thorn
Men attacked us as we entered the Heart Wood. With every step, more and more
poured out of the woods like a breaking dam, they flooded the area making
passage impossible and dangerous. We could not hope to fight them off
indefinitely. I looked for the source of the thorn men. There were thorn men
ward traps everywhere. I went about disarming them, and eventually Noratu got
the idea to dispel the ward traps as well. Ninheim dealt with the Thorn Men by
trying to burn the whole Heart Wood down, but we’ve come to expect this out of
him. After the battle was won, he used ice magic to cool the fires, killing
even more trees with frost. I can’t help but feel that this will lead to even
more trouble soon. The ward traps could have been laced with other spells like
alarms, and the burning trees caused plumes of noticeable smoke to go
northeast. As for me, it took me too long to find the traps. I need to train
more as a Thief and less as a Swordmaster for a time.
-P
Rua 30, 1521 TH Heart Wood Palace
Boss,
After
negotiating with some ex-blood elf guards, we entered the Heart Wood Palace. We
were granted an audience with the council of twelve, the defacto leadership of
the Heart Wood, and ruling in the name of the Queen of Shosara. We negotiated
for admittance into the Heart Wood Palace’s library, and were given a mission
to the Midland Trading Post to determine why trade had completely stopped
coming to the Heart Wood from there. We were given 350 silver pieces to
investigate now, and library access and 350 silver pieces later for successful
resumption of trade.
-P
Woodland Whispers
Mawag 7, 1521 TH Midland Trading Post
Boss,
We
arrived at the Midland Trading Post. After searching the town, we found out
that trade had been interrupted by several factors, increased Syrtis control of
the Old Theran Road, increased Horror activity near Scytha, and the sudden
disappearance of trading caravans from Haven and Parlainth. Ghosts or spirits
had spooked some of the other trading caravans off. We found out that there
were old burial sites near the Midland Trading Post from Gurt and we began to
set out to find them. As we left, Ninheim was suddenly beset upon by trees and
lightning shooting crows, and after fighting them off, we returned to
town. Ninheim’s elementalism spells were
no longer functioning and it seemed like he had earned the personal attention
of all the local flora and fauna. Ninheim and Black Guard would stay at the
Midland Trading Post for Ninheim’s own safety, while we set off to look for
burial sites the next day.
-P
Mawag 8, 1521 TH Burial Mound
Boss,
As we left the Midland Trading Post, we
noticed that the surrounding countryside had grown rapidly overnight and blue
stones were glowing along the fence line. As we traveled to the forest near the
burial mound, we could swear the trees were following us. On the edge of the
forest, an elf spirit on horseback in heavy armor charged at us with a spirit
lance. Coga moved to defend us, and then his charge, Laura, called out to the
elf spirit. He paused his attack just long enough for us to explain what were
doing at the burial mound. We were not
interested in raiding the burial mound, nor were we greedy traders.
The
elf spirit, Keris Briarthorne, told us his story. He had built the first
Midland Trading Post many years ago. He had hired an ork tribe called the
Broken Horns to protect the Midland Trading Post and became friends with them.
When Geocosm came to the area, he opposed their investigation of the environs.
This escalated into a full-blown war with him fighting Geocosm with his ork
allies causing the deaths of many Broken Horn orks who were buried with honor
here and many scars on the land such as a nearby ravine. In the end, he was not strong enough and was
defeated with the Midland Trading Post destroyed. The new Midland Trading Post
was built on top of the first one. He alleged that Geocosm had been able to
defeat him by making a pact with a Horror, a Horror that had breached the
Broken Horn’s kaer, Gra’Vakk, and nearly killed all of his ork friends’
descendants. Geocosm continued its bizarre magical experiments, and was causing
the current magical problems.
If we
would defeat Geocosm, he would aid us. We promised to help him. He gave us all
a magical amulet to protect us from Geocosm and its minions including one for
Ninheim, as well as a spell to banish the evil tree spirits that had infested
six rune stones around the Midland Trading Post called the Ritual of
Purification. We returned to the Midland
Trading Post.
-P
Mawag 9, 1521 TH Midland Trading Post
Boss,
We returned to the Midland Inn, and found
Ninheim. He was wearing a ‘cool hat’ in his opinion that he had just happened
to find on the windowsill of the inn. The hat was actually a crown with leaves
growing on it, and had a magical aura according to Noratu. We gave Ninheim one
of Keris’ amulets, after unsuccessfully trying to get him to remove the crown.
If the crown is a tool of Geocosm, hopefully the amulet will prevent it’s magic
from working on Ninheim. We left with
Ninheim despite the danger he may represent. Black Guard, Aylaa’s animal companions,
and Laira’s and Ninheim’s wagons and constructs were left behind since without
an amulet to protect them, they would draw the wood elementals to us making our
investigations difficult.
As we left, a lynx was building a pile of
oak leaves, and pawed at Ninheim, trying to get his attention. And Ninheim gave
it some attention, and killed it! Noratu resurrected the lynx, which ran away,
but was caught by Coga. Aylaa, our Beastmaster, talked to the lynx, and found
out that it was the transmogrified spirit of a Geocosm assistant. The assistant
explained that his master, Warret Kollombot, a dwarf Elementalist of the
Firesea of Trosk had been turned into an oak tree. Aylaa asked the lynx to lead
us to the tree.
-P
Mawag 10, 1521 TH Rune Stone of Hate
Boss,
We followed the lynx past some thorn-spitting
bushes into some thick brush. The thorns itched like crazy, but were a minor
irritation. I yelled at Ninheim about him failing to warn us about the plants.
We were all a little on edge, now that I think about it. In the thick brush, a
tree killed the lynx by snapping its neck.
We defeated the tree, but couldn’t resurrect the lynx. We continued on
to the rune stone. A wyvern surprised us, severely wounding Coga in the
process. We fought the beast off, and made our way to the tree. Ninheim used a
spell to talk to the Elementalist, and found out that his Heat Food spell at
the inn had wrecked their ritual spell and got them turned to trees and their
assistants into animals. Noratu used the name and signet ring to power the
Ritual of Purification to remove the Elementalist’s spirit from the tree. The
tree withered and died, revealing the stone that had a rune meaning Hate
inscribed on it. I felt sick; we had murdered a helpless Name-giver. On the way
back to the Midland Trading Post, the bushes no longer spat thorns at us, for
which I am very grateful.
-P
Mawag 11, 1521 TH Midland Trading Post
Boss,
We rested at the Midland Inn and got some
salves for our injuries. They healed up nicely.
-P
Mawag 12, 1521 TH Rune Stone of Deception
Boss,
We made our way to the next rune stone. We
found a crater with a large tree in the middle, and Ninheim promptly fell in
after tripping on some roots. A bunch of humanoids with sharp claws came out
and attacked him, forcing us to come to his rescue. We found a ‘dead’ possum
and a satchel, with an insignia no one recognized. We poked at the ‘dead’
possum, forcing it to wake up. Aylaa found out the Elementalist’s name, Yalnar
Khansif, from the possum. After that, Noratu hesitated, and then cast the
Ritual of Purification using the name and satchel causing the tree to wither
and the roots to begin to crumble. It revealed a large and tall stone with a
rune meaning Deception on it. I think Noratu is starting to have doubts about
our killing these Elementalists as well. We returned to the Midland Trading
Post.
-P
Mawag 14, 1521 TH Ravine
Boss,
We found a large ravine on our way to the
third rune stone. An elderly ork came out to defend the area, but Laira cast
Mestoph’s Foul Blades at him, dismembering the poor ork. She then proceeded to
find his name, Tamshuk, in his diary and use his pipe to summon him back into
the world. She forced the spirit to reveal that he was guarding the area as a
sacred battleground and burial mound for the Broken Horn tribe. Long ago, the
place was the site of a great battle between his tribe and a group of
Horror-tainted magicians according to Tamshuk’s spirit. I can’t believe that I just witnessed the
senseless slaughter of an elderly ork man with a strong sense of devotion and
duty to his tribe who posed no threat to us. We shouldn’t let any of these
so-called heroes even think about threading the Keys of Heroes.
-P
Mawag 14 response dated Mawag 28, TH 1521
P,
Your objections are noted, P. But I really
think you are underestimating the power of the nine greatest heroes of the
races. If your companions are as ruthless and bloodthirsty as you say, then the
greater cause can only be served by having them tempered by mixing with the
personalities of the nine. Remember what the great King Varulus the Younger
said about ruffians and heroes. You also must remember that many of your
companions here guarding the keys are most worthy of the honor of this task.
Granite, obsidiman Warrior, Seth, dwarf Air Sailor and Swordmaster, Gwen, elf
Elementalist, Jezsia, ork Liberator, Drach’mar, troll Outcast Warrior and
Swordmaster, D, as well as yourself and Coga. The only other one we need alive
is Ninheim. The rest are expendable. Ninheim is no hero, but he is the key for
all our hopes.
-R
Mawag 28 response dated Gahmil 13, TH 1521
Boss,
D? What do you mean D? How could the magic
of this endeavor even be allowed to flow in that direction?
-P
Mawag 15, 1521 TH Rune Stone of Contentment
Boss,
As we approached the next rune stone, a wave
of joy overtook me. I took to the air, trying daring flying maneuvers and
played some tricks on Coga and Dova. We approached a large tree with many
branches with a monkey near a meandering stream. Aylaa learned from the monkey
that he was the apprentice of the Elementalist called Mogologolo. Noratu
hesitated again, but then cast the Ritual of Purification on the tree using his
name and a bag we found at the location. My temporary joy evaporated; we had
slaughtered another defenseless Name-giver. The removed tree revealed a small,
nearly perfect sphere of a blue rock with a rune meaning Contentment on
it. We returned to the Midland Trading
Post.
-P
Mawag 16-21, 1521 TH Midland Trading Post
Boss,
Ninheim, Noratu, and Laira worked out a
spell design idea for changing the Ritual of Purification to the Ritual of
Release, while I trained on my Thief talents. Laira eventually created a scroll
with the Ritual of Release.
-P
Mawag 22, 1521 TH Silent Brothers
Boss,
We found a small grove of trees with six
stones in the center. It was a monument to a long forgotten battle between
Keris and Geocosm where Keris defeated them. Laira attempted to free one of the
petrified Elementalists using the Ritual of Release, but could not without a
Name or a Pattern Item. We continued on to the next rune stone.
-P
Mawag 23, 1521 TH Rune Stone of Fear
Boss,
As we continued towards the rune stone we
saw an imposing barrier of thorns and thickets that looked nearly impassable
blocking our way. Noratu summoned up a razor orb, and then was shocked as the
forest moved away from the orb. We walked towards the forest, with each step
the grass lowered, flowers shuttered, and branches twisted up away from us. A weeping
willow was the tree here. A prairie dog ran away from us and hid in his hole.
Aylaa talked with the prairie dog, learning he was the apprentice of the
Elementalist, Xafruhk Mandaloch. Laira cast the Ritual of Release using the
name and the clothes. He was returned to human form, as was his elf apprentice.
The elf apprentice was buried in the hole and we had to dig him out. He had
extensive internal injuries as a result of his sudden transformation in the
underground hole. The removed tree revealed a long, bean shaped stone curled
almost in a ball with a rune meaning Fear on it. We captured the Elementalists
and returned with them to the Midland Trading Post.
-P
Mawag 24, 1521 TH Midland Trading Post
Boss,
We
told Gurt everything we had found out in
our investigations thus far and revealed that Mandaloch had been
involved in a
war long ago with the Broken Horn tribe ork warriors who guarded the
Midland
Trading Post. Gurt handed Mandaloch over to the Broken Horn tribe. The
tribe
executed Mandaloch by flaying him alive. It sickens me just thinking
about it.
-P
Mawag 25, 1521 TH Rune Stone of Chaos
Boss,
As we approached this rune stone, we saw a
multitude of bizarre flora and fauna including a two-tailed fox and a
jackrabbit with horns on its head, a jackelope. Aylaa spoke to the two-tailed
fox that revealed he was the morphed apprentice of the t’skrang Elementalist
Kei’Sar. The fox showed us to her gnarled and twisted tree that seemed like it
was in a struggle to the last moment of her transformation. Gathering up her
sword and saying her name, Laira used the Ritual of Release to free her and her
apprentice. This revealed an irregular stone with protrusions of crystal and
quartz, and embedded gems, sand, pumice, and other weird permutations bearing a
rune meaning Chaos. Knowing what would
happen to them if we took them back with us to the Midland Trading Post we let
the Kei’Sar and her male two-tailed t’skrang apprentice go. We returned to the
Midland Trading Post.
-P
Mawag 27, 1521 TH Magic Post
Boss,
On our way to the last rune stone, we came
across a strange magical post. Ninheim, Noratu, and Laira studied the strange
magic item and its writings, and then decided to manipulate it, with both
Ninheim and Laira both disappearing into the post and then reappearing when
Noratu freed them. I kept my distance from the post. I wanted no part of that
experience of being captured by a weird magic item! After figuring out that the
device was used to trap and contain people and spirits, Laira dumped all the
cells. Two cells contained a wood elemental and a thorn man that we defeated, a
storm crow that Aylaa befriended, a male ork warrior of the Broken Horn tribe
who left to return to his tribe and ask for the honor or replacing Tamshuk at
the ravine, a female blood elf who was suspended and promptly killed when the
hibernating wood spirit within her was released when she awoke, and a male elf
warrior who had once fought for Geocosm who vowed revenge on them for
imprisoning him in the item (after Laira told him Geocosm had imprisoned him
within the magic post) and went to hunt down Kei’Sar and the apprentices. We
tried to lift the post after digging it up, but it was just too heavy to carry.
We decided that we would come back and get the post with the wagon after the
mission.
-P
Mawag 28, 1521 TH Rune Stone of Curiosity
Boss,
As we approached the final rune stone, it
felt as if the entire forest’s collective eyes were upon us. Flowers blossomed
and pointed in our direction. Grass leaves and tree branches moved to touch us.
A wolf nipped our heels, and insects bit us. We found a large tree with its
roots going into a large lake. Fish were jumping out of the water to look at
us! One of them kept leaping at me, trying to eat me! We already knew from
talking to Kei’Sar the name of the Elementalist here, Britham Boyhan. Laira
gathered up his clothes and papers and cast the Ritual of Release. The tree
turned into a dwarf Elementalist, and one of the fish turned into a human apprentice.
Ninheim was able to save the drowning apprentice by casting the Gills spell on
him and giving us enough time to get the water out of his lungs. The revealed
stone seemed to be two conjoined stones with a rune meaning Curiosity inscribed
in the middle. Britham Boyhan claimed to be an Elementalist in the service of
the King of Throal, and that his experiment was done with the permission of
Throal. He warned us that the wood elemental summoned at Gra’Vakk would be
physically manifested at this point and ready to wreak his vengeance upon
Barsaive starting with the Midland Trading Post. He also taught us the Ritual
of Banishment to return Xolghunaraani to his home plane of wood since
Geocosm was too weak to accomplish this. He told us that the pattern item of Xolghunaraani
was also necessary, and that it formerly looked like an amber disc, but may
have been obscured or changed in some way by this point. We captured Britham
and his apprentice and left for Gra’Vakk.
-P
Mawag 29, 1521 TH Gra’Vakk
Boss,
We rushed to Gra’Vakk to see a giant
deciduous tree sticking up from the ruins below. As we approached, Noratu
figured out that the crown of leaves that Ninheim was wearing had to be the
altered Pattern Item of Xolghunaraani. By this point, Aylaa’s storm crow
had already decided to steal the crown from Ninheim. Ninheim was angered by the
theft of his ‘cool hat’ and attempted to kill the bird. Noratu’s magic meddling
saved the storm crow, and Aylaa directed her pet to give the crown to Noratu.
Enraged at Noratu’s actions, Ninheim screeched, summoning up a huge gaggle of
storm crows from the tree to attack Noratu. The storm crows cackled and
attacked us all though, even Ninheim, and Aylaa told me that they said Ninheim
had failed them. Ninheim was incensed at the storm crow’s betrayal and took to
the skies for his revenge with his sword swinging. Aylaa managed to dominate
the storm crows and turn them against one another, but it was too late for her
storm crow and Britham’s apprentice. We advanced to the base of the tree with
Ninheim seeming to have broken the wood elemental’s control.
The tree was starting to move. Britham
suggested that we attack the roots to destroy its mobility. The roots were
guarded by many smaller wood elementals.
As we attacked the roots, the wood elementals would attack us, and the
roots would try to grab us. After a long battle, we finally got the tree to
stop moving and defeated the small wood elementals. Britham told us the
spellcasters would need to get to the top of the tree in order to cast the
Ritual of Banishment. Noratu and Ninheim used a spell to fly up to the top,
while Aylaa and I flew up naturally. Laira was unable to fly and instead
started to summon spirits who could fly to assist instead. As we flew up near
the branches of the huge tree, the branches swatted at us. Aylaa and I fought
the branches while Noratu and Ninheim attempted to cast the Ritual of
Banishment. Laira had her spirits attacking the tree’s trunk for some reason.
After some failed attempts, and some necessary healing after the brutal branch
attacks, Noratu and Ninheim succeeded at the ritual and banished the tree back
to its home plane. The huge tree disintegrated into smaller wood elementals
before finally disappearing altogether, as we ran and flew away towards the
Midland Trading Post with Britham Boyhan in tow.
-P
Rules Update
Next session we will integrate the rules in
the Player’s Compendium completely. Some exceptions thus far are noted
below.
For
the Player’s Compendium talent knacks Create Enhanced, Armored, and
Share Matrix Object, the character must have the proper talent ranks as well as
know one of the matrix talents in question to acquire the talent knack.
For
the Player’s Compendium spell Displace Self, the spell will still grant
an exchange of the Effect step for the Initiative step as per First Edition
rules. However, this Initiative bonus will be subject to Initiative penalties.
Legend Points And Loot 7
Session 1: Journey into the Heart
Terror
Birds Award: 950 Legend Points
Thorn
Men Award: 1,500 Legend Points
Heroics
Award: 900 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Session
Award: 1,800 Legend Points (Reach the edge of the Heart Wood)
Total
Maximum Possible: 6,950 Legend Points
Missed
Session Award: 900 Legend Points.
Loot:
5 Thorn Men Spears
Session 2: Woodland Whispers Part 1
Avatar
and Storm Crows Award: 210 Legend Points
Wyvern
Award: 315 Legend Points
Doppelgangers Award: 550 Legend Points
Doppelgangers Award: 550 Legend Points
Heroics
Award: 900 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Session
Award: 1,800 Legend Points (Purification of the Rune Stone of
Hate/Deception)
Total
Maximum Possible: 5,575 Legend Points
Missed
Session Award: 900 Legend Points.
Loot:
350 Silver Pieces Mission Advance
Session 3: Woodland Whispers Part 2
Avatar
Award: 35 Legend Points
Thorn
Men Award: 30 Legend Points
Storm
Crow Award: 990 Legend Points
Heroics
Award: 900 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Session
Award: 1,200 (Subtractions –300 Tamshuk and –300 Mogologolo deaths) awarded
out of 1,800 possible Legend Points (Arrive at Xolghunaraani)
Total
Maximum Possible: 5,555 Legend Points
Missed
Session Award: 900 Legend Points
Loot:
1 Thorn Man Spear
Session 4: Woodland Whispers Part 3
Avatar,
Roots, Branches Award: 8,850 Legend Points
Heroics Award: 900 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Heroics Award: 900 Legend Points
Roleplaying Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Adventure
Award: 3,600 Legend Points (Banish Xolghunaraani)
Total
Maximum Possible: 15,150 Legend Points
Missed
Session Award: 1,800 Legend Points
Loot:
None
Notes:
When Pugsli is in Bartertown usually no messages are sent since he reports
directly to R.
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