Lost City (Isendir's Tale).

Felt wanderlust again, and embarked on a scouting trip into the Rawlinswood with a Dwarf named Silver Chalice.

We passed through hobgoblin lands, past ghost wolves, corrupted goblin & mummified harpies territory ... into an entrance to the Lost City.

'Lost City' was one of important sites of the Old Narfell Empire, now is deserted, inhabited by monsters.

Silver warned me about not going too close to statues near entrance, as these 'awaken' & 'animate' to attack intruders, hard to defeat as well - perhaps a group of five would stand a chance to explore the Lost City deeper.

Of the monsters we passed on the way most notable were Ghost Wolves & Mummified Harpies.

Mummified Harpies are tough to damage, immune to nonmagickal weapons, sturdy as hell.

Ghost Wolves strike from nowhere, just appear, fight then disappear in mists ... Silver believes they can see invisible as well.

In the Lost City's first chamber i saw a pattern in a pillar, an art-form that made my former meditation with Anheim mature, it awakened an 'Iron Will' mind form ... as well as made me Visualize & Remember Vital Points on a human & other creatures' bodies ... my moves to strike at these points became more fluid as well.

i was positively suprised with my combat efficiency on our way back - especially with my new equipment added to that.

-- Isendir Nain, a Curious Elven Scout, Archer & Mercenary.




Mummified Harpy.




Corrupted Goblins.




a Forest Entrance to the Lost City.




Lost City's First Chamber.




Ghost Wolf.

Deeper Into the Darkness (Isendir's Tale).

Beyond the Purple Doors.


My ways crossed again with Old Lord Skull & his entourge.

We went Norwick Crypts & beyond mystery-shrouded, magically locked & trapped purple doors.

What we found there was a Lair of Necromancer, Balthazar Kane.

He gave us mission into Menzoberranzan's Outskirts, the Drow City.

We had to find adventuring party of escaped drow slaves & point them into direction of an artifact, of Demonsbane Trident.

We had to not pursue the artifact ourselves, as it was attracting too much of the troubles for our employer. Adventuring Party would kill demons that delay our boss' plans on them own, then attract revenge. Our role was just to hint them direction.

Merryl, Inkubus he summoned earlier, opened portal for us, we went in.

Inside we talked with Drow Militia & Matron Quenthel Baenre and were allowed to enter bazaar & talk to escaped surfacer slaves.

Soon they arrived, we exchanged words then went to bazaar.

i borrowed 10 000 gold pieces from Bronn, and bought a Longbow made from Bone & Sinew.

Others bought other items, not only at this bone stand.

Then we followed rumours of another 'Myrkul Godling', a mortal with blood of Dead-God Myrkul wishing to ascend to the Godly Throne on her own.

We talked a little, she cast a spell on Old Lord Skull, killing him instantly, stealing the godly spark in the process ... getting closer to her goals.

Then she raised him from death speaking words that she has power over life & death.

Old Lord Skull drank potion of 'Heal' then attacked her, we killed her ... and i took insane satisfaction that killing blow came from my arrow.

Old Lord Skull animated her corpse, so it would appear that she's alive for a while, then we fled the drow city.

At lair of Balthazar Kane, the Portal closed behind us, we were debriefed & rewarded.

i got a belt of agility, will have to hunt orcs for a while to repay Bronn Gold-Debt.

-- Isendir, Greedy & Succesful Adventurer, a Shady Mercenary.




Balthazar Kane, Necromancer.




Portal.




Matron Quenthel Baenre.




Adventurers.




Trade.




Myrkul's Godling.




Myrkul's Godling Dead.




Debrief.




a Longbone Bow.




Belt of Agility.

A Nice Dwarf-Trader (Amyliomendur's Tale).

a Trade.


i've met a nice dwarf-trader in the Peltarch's Commons.

He sold me Gauntlets of Ogre Power for a mere 860 gold pieces, on condition that when i no longer need these i'll resell him for the same price.

These Gauntlets have indeed use in Combat, as well as in carrying equipment & loot.

He identified things i had for sale as well, for 50 gold pieces.

-- Amyliomendur Nain, an Adventurer & a Weaponmaster in Training.




Gauntlets of Ogre Power.

Debt Repaid (Isendir's Tale).

It was a lot of blood & gore in the orc caves, but i arranged for 5 500 gold pieces to pay Anna Blake for a cloak.

Now it's fully mine.

i'll need to take care of other things for a while, as such intense involvement in combat is mentally draining.

Perhaps i'll look into the brighter sides of life, more or less, for now, at least.

-- Isendir Nain, a greedy adventurer with a little of faith or morality.




Paid.

Romani Camp's History (Isendir's Tale).

Nars Pass' Bridge.


After acquisition of a Romani Scout Ring, i've decided to look at Romani & their History.

First went south to the Gypsy Camp, visited Cera's tree - found poisonous frogs & mind-disabling mists. After killing three of the frogs, went deeper to see Cera & her familiar panther, Mojo. They seemed distant, i didn't want them interrupted so i left.

On my way back, found undead in the Nars Pass. Zombies there are nothing new, but invisible wraith was a suprise. It struck me with energy attack, then as i approached Shrine of Tempus, it retreated - probably scared off by Temple's Wards & Protection Spells.

Reported this wraith to a guard near Peltarch's Gate, then headed to the City Hall, to the Library.

Studies revealed that Gypsy Camp was once a Mining Valley, where slaves toiled under Narfell Demonbinders in oppressive conditions. Not sure whether there was a revolt, or that Ending of Narfell Empire & Cataclysms gave them that opportunity - but slaves eventually fled. They lived on roads as Gypsies, Romani in their language, then returned to old valley and started to live there - in tents, underground & trees' interiors.

Couldn't find what caused them to leave area, or whether they were massacred - but of recent, only Cera & Mojo live there.

Cera is a powerful Sorceress, but slowly the Gypsy Camps falls into oblivion.

-- Isendir Nain, a curious adventurer.




a Signpost in Nars Pass.




Gypsy Camp - Outside Cera's Tree.




a Fight with a Poisonous Frog.

... in the Mind-Disabling Mists.




Cera's Tree Interiors - Campfire.




Nexus.




Wraith in Nars Pass.




Saved by Wards.




a Report.




Study.

Scout Crossbones (Isendir's Tale).

Orc Killed.


i've been visiting orc cave to earn gold i owe Anna Blake for a cloak.

It's usually better pay than visits to kobold swamps, but this time it was even more.

In a chest room i've noticed a large orc with Bagthru's Charms & Symbols, probably a cleric of this orcish god.

i shot him, he ran to me and cast a damaging spell on me; wounded i ran away while shooting, he kept following despite his wounds.

Finally i did kill him, and found a nice Gypsy Camp's Romani Scout Ring at his body.

Then i've cleaned rest of the cave and returned to Peltarch.

-- Isendir, an Archer Scout Adventurer Mercenary of a little faith.




a Gypsy Camp's Romani Scout Ring.

Demon Skin (Isendir's Tale).

Shady Meet.

i've met a group of shady adventurers in an Oscuran 'Coppers' Inn.

We embarked on an adventure to get a succubus demon skin, to be used in an summoning / binding ritual.

They required me to pray to Myrkul at midnight, so i did - perhaps there will be monetary rewards for that.

We found demons in Jiyyd Ruins, we negotiated, fought a challenge, and peeled a skin of succubus.

Female demon cried out of pain & pleasure, then was sent away to it's home plane before it died.

Then we went Norwick Crypts to deliver the skin, and a necromancer summoned incubus, a male seductive demon.

... it was something of finishing something unfinished, a necromancer's business that should last for a while.

We left via secret door leading to a hidden place, talked more with a vampire & another necromancer - then were teleported back to 'Coppers'.

It was interresting experience, we'll see how this will unfold in a future.

-- Isendir Nain, a Shady Adventurer.




Travel.




Demons.




a Necromancer's Rite.




Incubus Summoned.




a Secret Door out.




Debrief.

Debt Repaid, Debt Got ... and a new Cloak (Isendir's Tale).

... i've hunted Orcs mercilessly for their quirky equipment - it sells well at Hemrod.

It's more risky than hunting kobolds, but at least i am not so bored anymore.

Some of these valuable items require Lore skill to be identified, that i lack. Shopkepeers don't pay well for unknown items, had to bother other of adventurers to identify these for me.

Managed to collect 2 750 gold pieces to pay Anna Blake for her gloves.

Then new opportunity appeared, she sold me another item - a magickal Cloak with protecting qualities, for 5 500 gold pieces again.

i have to pay full amount within a year^*, or i'll lose this precious & useful cloak.

-- Isendir, a greedy Adventurer & Mercenary.




Black Protecting Cloak.


--
* A year in game is a month in real time; precisely it's a little more, but for simplicity we agreed to a real time month limit.

Huntmaster's Gloves (Isendir's Tale).

i met a Chauntean Priestess & a local magic item merchant, Anna Blake, in Peltarch's Commons.

i found occasion - magickal gloves that enhance Dexterity & a grip on a weapon of it's wielder, while reducing one's resistance to cold & chill.

Price was 6 000 gold pieces, but i was given a discount to 5 500 gold pieces & option to pay half now and half later.

If i fail to pay within a year^*, i'll have to return these gloves to Anna Blake.

-- Isendir, a greedy & shy archer scout mercenary of Corellon Larethian.




--
* A year in game is a month in real time; precisely it's a little more, but for simplicity we agreed to a real time month limit.

Promise Fulfilled (Anheim's Tale).

First win.


Finally i did fulfill my promise to Tempus, to kill gnolls.

i killed three of gnoll wariors by myself, using only potions & martial arts.

They were alone or in a small group.

They have deadly knockdown training, but i did succeed to stun warriors twice with my fist.

i had to flee, heal & return to kill them.

i killed at least two of their younglings as well, and wounded one more.

... it was potions-expensive & dangerous holy trip.

i did offer part of my spoils - two of Endurance Potions - to Tempus at his Shrine, after combat.

Then, i stayed there to meditate.

-- Anheim, a Warrior & Martial Artist.




Second warrior.




Thrid warrior.




Offering to Tempus.

Noble Responsibility (Frances' Tale).

i did invest a lot of coin on Elemental Magick related with Air & Water, sold some of my less useful & heavy items for that.

i don't have much of coin left, after my recent spendings.

... then i did trade some of the more expensive of my healing potions for powerful arrows a quiver & for many of spell crystals.

Wailing arrows are on par with the best of arrows i've seen in the land, usually too expensive & rare to find.

The spell crystals are not cheap either.

i have a sense of urgency telling me to focus more on a Fight for Darkhavens, my noble family of Oscura, and less on pursuing personal power & riches.

-- Frances, a Noble Witch-Adventuress of Darkhavens.




Wailing Arrows.




Spell Crystals.

5 perfect, 8 regular, 19 rough.




a Discussion.

The Power of One Hundred Elementals.

Dear Journal,

i did complete a Mist's Power, by buying a Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals,
the Censer of Controlling Air Elementals i do already have.

Censer has that precious quality that it's never used up ... but it's fail is that it can be used to summon only once a day.

Bowl can be used only ten times, but as often one desires - it's still useful as power burst, and Water Elementals are more powerful with their drown suffociation ability that can instantly kill. Otherwise they are fairly weak in combat, but probably stronger than me still.


Dear Journal,

i plan to call the power of one hundred elementals, by summoning them and making them come when called to obey.

These Elementals are weak, but not the meekest - and in this number they have the meaning.

i started doing it, under the Oscuran sway. Oscura is the Most Magickal town in the Land anyway, there are a proper Magickal Auras as well that i use to my advantage. i'll make sure they won't regret.

It will take me one hundred of days.

The Air Elementals are Genderless, and look suspiciously enough similar to Djinni.

Where's Djinni there Mandalas, however.

Under my command these will serve the Light far more.

-- Yours, Chea Allin, a Witch & a Seeker of Enlightened Energies.




The Censer.




A Bowl.




Beginning of the Preparations.