talinor

Notes

Day 1 - Prisoners in the Cave

Woke up in a cave off a cliff. Not sure how we got here. We found Duergar and realized we are prisoners. In a locked section of the dungeon, there was plant life growing from cracks in the stone wall.

We found 4 statues of ancient gods from other regions: Mother (Karhu), Father (me), Female Nature Wizard (Sparks), Dwarven Female (TingTangTong). I touched the father and had a flashback of being on a ship when I was very young. This room seems to be a place where these regions of Talimor met (for peace, maybe).

Spark got an image of an ancient dwarven kingdom known as Shoresguard.

We were in a tavern at some town we’re not sure of, and woke up in the cell. What led us here? Why did TingTangTong come with us?

Day 2 - The Goblin Camp

We followed tracks along a ridge down toward a body of water. A group of goblins were camping at a pond. We slayed them. A sign said “Squiggs pond.” A column of smoke rises to the north, indicating more may be there. Following that, we found a larger camp and intruded, slaying more.

To the north, there was a massive camp. We decided to feign a run to the west but actually ran east to the water. Goblins with swarms of rats attacked us as we called out for “help” to lure them into the westward ploy. We succeeded and booked it to the east in what is now the dead of night.

Following the coast a bit more, we encountered another camp. We emptied the camp of goblins and rested for the night.

Day 3 - The Haunted Temple

We came across a ruin at the mouth of a river. A ship out in the water a mile or so away. We decided to travel upstream, but suddenly found ourselves in a graveyard. Decayed warhorses charged in along with skeletons coming from the ground. Afterward, the world returned to normal.

We decided to search the city hall type structure. There was some type of dark cloudy shroud about it. We fought an array of specters and an annoying-as-shit poltergeist.

We lapped around the river to the north to go south to the chapel. As we entered, the doors closed behind us and skeletons and decayed dogs attacked. A minotaur skeleton charged toward Karhu, in bear form. Steamy blood poured in but disappeared when the minotaur was slain.

The temple was then at peace, so we rested.

Day 4 - Orcs and Coins

Karhu shaped into a bird and saw a tower to the northeast. We decided to return and kill the goblin settlement. We got to the war camp and more or less attacked it head-on.

We destroyed the camp using the staff; however, a goblin with a tattoo of “13” escaped. We then long rested in the camp after searching it.

Day 5 - Burying the Treasure

We buried 22,919 silver, 6,106 copper in the ground near a distinctive tree Karhu saw from the air to the northeast of the war camp. Walking north to the tower, we had to bunker down due to a storm.

Day 6 - Village of Sebes

The people don’t like to talk about “cities” and “mayors.” They got what they got.

Ivard is a city to the east at the mouth of the river.

Orcs to the west.

Virgil’s son traveled south to adventure down in the destroyed city.

Gregory is the oldest guard, the one who trains them.

Yazriel is the wizard and is not from ‘round here. He hasn’t been back in town for some weeks. We visited his tower but it was locked down and the wizard doesn’t appear to have been around lately.

Shoresguard was the ancient dwarven kingdom that Sorin came from. The Duergar took it over. When we showed Sorin the brooch from the prison, he broke it into a key that opens the gates to Shoresguard.

Sorin wanted to come with us to the Duergar Shoresguard to use the key himself. We were going to borrow a wagon from Ani after dropping off hay, but Sandu stopped us to give us a key to Yazriel’s tower.

Exploring the tower, we started getting attacked by dogs, a mimic, a statue, and automatons. Thonk touched a door and passed out. We got the room open, finding a chest with an amulet. We put Thonk in the chest.

Further up the tower, we fought spiny creatures and beholder-wannabes. Making our way to the bed chambers, we found a bag of holding but no sign of Yazriel. We rested.

Day 7 - The Orc Ambush

We headed south with the wagon and Sorin toward Shoresguard but detoured toward our coins. We fought a band of orcs. “13” made an appearance. I went for him, but he ran before I could get him. We made camp on the way to Shoresguard when a storm hit.

Day 8 - The Flying Fight

Made our way toward the entrance during the storm. Duergar and some mechanisms of theirs were fighting back plant growth. We found a half-elf there, fighting the dark dwarfs himself. The plants overwhelmed the entrance, and we were forced out. Sorin disappeared as we fought, and the entrance to Shoresguard crumbled completely. The storm we’ve been facing is unnatural. Sparks says it’s from harpies and chimera in the plains. By the gods, he was right! We fought a chimera and some harpies.

Day 9 - Tracking Sorin

We decided to double back and see if Karhu could sniff out where Sorin went since the storm is gone now. The cart is really limping along, but Sparks is jerry-rigging it.

Paths led northwest up the mountain ridge. Sorin and Duergar had scents along those trails. We followed the mountain line. 10 hours in, we found another set of tracks. Karhu smells Sorin went down the east route.

Day 10 - The Orc Hamlet

We followed Sorin’s scent east and found a non-human shanty town, which ended up being an orc hamlet. Sorin did come by, as did the Duergar. Some of their populace deal with the Duergar, but the elders don’t support that. The Duergar came first, looking for Sorin.

The primal orcs had Sorin, got supplies, and went west. We decided to go back to Sebes.

Day 11 - The Abandoned Tunnel

We traveled west toward where the primal orcs gave Sorin over to the Duergar. We found a tunnel/cave. It seemed abandoned. Karhu smelled orc but not Sorin or Duergar. Entering the system, it led to a flat wall that smelled of Duergar but they had left.

We found a cavern filled with Duergar.

Day 12 - Giants and Vine Blights

We left to take a break from the combats with giants. Upon re-entering the facility, we were met with another giant.

Exploring some caves, we encountered vine blights. I got stuffed in a tight space and ensnared—worst experience of my adventuring career. Terrifying.

We found a large funnel hole with a massive column of plant growth. Further along the trail, we found a stone pillar with some sort of warding power. However, some piece was missing, perhaps allowing the plant growth to creep in.

After destroying a shambling mound, we took a short rest and went back toward unexplored canyons. We found a Duergar hive and fought more than a dozen.

I got gloves of missile catching and a poisonous dagger. Both are “meh.”

Epilogue

The adventurers found there way to the throne room of Shoresguard. Before them stood the sheriff of the Duergar - Thetik. After battling him and his elite guards, when Thetik appeared beaten - a dark figure appeared in the shadows and imbued Thetic with unholy power. The fight raged on, but they were once again triumphant as the sheriff exploded from the demonic powers within him. The light of the explosion exposing the dark figure still hidden in the shadows…now revealed to be a great demon! The ceiling began to crumble, and the adventurers barely escaped the collapsing room.

With their leader slain, the remaining duergar scattered back into the dark recesses of the mountains. And as the duergar retreated - this left the mountain kingdom of Shoresguard empty. Sorin realized this was his chance to redeem himself and his people. The party went with Sorin to the northern stronghold of the remaining dwarves, where they met with Sorin’s father Dorthen - heir to the kingdom of Shoresguard. The dwarves thought their great achievement was lost for all time when the fall struck. The dwarves travelled back to the sacred halls following Sorin’s guidance, and retook their home. The first order of business was quelling the spirits of the earth. This was done by replacing the runestone taken by the duergar - the removal of which had caused the rampant growth throughout most of the ruins. Sorin was crowned once again as prince, and the next heir to the kingdom.

The dwarves let the adventurers know that a human settlement, known as Harbad, had been thriving on the far eastern coast of Shoresguard. This fledgling harbor had been working on ships capable of making the great journey across the sea back to Farfield and lands beyond. The party set off at once to make their way to a slice of civilization. After traveling a few weeks - they sighted the town in the distance, just beyond a dense forest. The woods were filled with wonderful strange creatures - some more terrifying than enticing. This place had at once both the feeling of great age but new life, darkness with light, and sense of dread followed by euphoria. When they finally saw a clearing and a path out of the claustrophobic thicket, they were confronted by great elven lord riding a massive stag. She was beautiful beyond description, and spoke with a force that made them all listen in awe.

“You have healed the wound within the earth, but this scar was but one of four in these lands. The sky has been torn asunder - allowing the unnatural to fall upon the world from the beyond. The seabed has been cracked open wide - threatening to drain all the oceans of their waters. And a terrible endless fire burns its way through like a hot blade from the abyss itself, spewing into Talinor.”

“Heed these words and join with the few brave enough to stand against such odds… Or, you may ignore this plight and travel on to leave this land. But know this…these scars will grow, and they will not only envelop Talinor. The whole of this world will be swallowed in time.”

It is not known which path the adventurers followed, they may have split up and chose to ignore this peril to follow their own ends…or they may have banded together once more to end the cataclysm tearing Talinor apart. That story has not yet been written.