Post by hubertbartels on Mar 18, 2020 13:40:52 GMT -5
We had been relaxing in Baldur’s Gate for a few months when a group of merchants contacted us. They wanted us to travel to Phlan, up on the Moonsea and assist in its recovery from the bandits and hordes that taken over the place. I (Obsidian Sun) was reluctant to go until they mentioned Mantor’s Library and the mysteries that were to be found there.
A day later, we were in Mulmaster, exiting the teleport circle in the Wizard’s Guild. The merchants had arranged passage across the Moonsea on one of three cargo caravels going to Phlan. It should have been a short trip – but we ran into a problem.
As the lead caravel began to approach the island that protected the port of Phlan from storms, it was sunk by a hail of boulders hurled from the ruins of a keep high on Sokol Island. An unnatural storm began brewing over the top of the island. The two remaining ships quickly altered course and ran.
Three hours away, we made plans to return to the island. Sunny put on her Cloak of the Manta Ray, the others flew or used a Carpet of Flying and we made our way to Sokol unobserved. While swimming, Sunny noticed that the waters around the island had been filled with trees and debris to make a ship approach dangerous.
Arriving at a beach on the island, we could see cyclops patrolling the ruined walls of the keep. The keep was dominated by the unfinished remains of a lighthouse at one corner. Circling the keep and keeping hidden, we came across footprints. Giant boar hoof prints and unshod human footprints. Following the humans, we came to six poor souls, hiding in a limestone cave. They were escaped slave from the keep. From them, we learned that there were forty cyclops, guided by a blinded cyclop witch and led by a renegade Storm Giant. The six escaped slaves also told us about caves that ran underneath the lighthouse – we would not need to enter the keep through the front gates.
We entered the caves, headed for the foundations of the lighthouse. After a long while, the caves widened into a huge chamber. Inside was a gibbering mouther – it slammed Sunny hard but we finally killed it. A bit further on, we came across a faint magical light. Randall went ahead and reported it came from a priest praying to Jubliex, the demon of Slimes and Molds. The man was a survivor from the original garrison and now quite crazy.
Passing him by, we ascended into the ground floor of the lighthouse. This room was given over to an armory of giant weapons. From the upper floor, we could see out into the courtyard. We could see two groups of cyclops walking the ruined walls, while others walked across the yard to a mess hall. Joining them was a storm giant, Snorri. Elathrion recognized that the giant was wearing a bejeweled helment, an artifact of Myth Drannor, a cursed item that changed the wearer’s alignment.
Dividing into two groups, Jaggred, Sunny and Randall in one and Elathrion, Althea and Kelric in the other, we went after the guards. It was tough going – especially for Sunny – but we defeated them and tossed their bodies over the edge.
While we were recovering back in the storage area of the lighthouse, we noticed the blind cyclops witch and two assistants heading back to their rooms in the keep. We quickly rushed over and killed them before they could cause more trouble.
The biggest problem remaining was Snorri, the storm giant. We came up with a plan. Randall gave Sunny an invisibility potion and the tabaxi would sneak up behind Snorri and use a Remove Curse spell on the helmet. Sunny took up a position behind the storm giant and gave herself over to the Cat Lord. If the spell failed – the Storm Giant would kill her. She cast the spell, it worked and Snorri ripped the helmet off and threw it on the ground.
Snorri was overcome with horror at what he had been doing for the last 50 years. He has been allowing merrow and crags to use the island to attack Phlan while keeping ships from the port. The helmet was a gift from a Tyranthraxis who he thought was a friend.
Sunny lent out her Hat of Disguise and Snorri used it to appear that he still wore the cursed Helmet. With his help, we finished clearing the ruined keep of cyclops. The slaves in the keep were freed and we settled down to rest and relax.
In the month that followed, we were able to clear a foothold on the docks of Phlan and bring in the two remaining ships.
A day later, we were in Mulmaster, exiting the teleport circle in the Wizard’s Guild. The merchants had arranged passage across the Moonsea on one of three cargo caravels going to Phlan. It should have been a short trip – but we ran into a problem.
As the lead caravel began to approach the island that protected the port of Phlan from storms, it was sunk by a hail of boulders hurled from the ruins of a keep high on Sokol Island. An unnatural storm began brewing over the top of the island. The two remaining ships quickly altered course and ran.
Three hours away, we made plans to return to the island. Sunny put on her Cloak of the Manta Ray, the others flew or used a Carpet of Flying and we made our way to Sokol unobserved. While swimming, Sunny noticed that the waters around the island had been filled with trees and debris to make a ship approach dangerous.
Arriving at a beach on the island, we could see cyclops patrolling the ruined walls of the keep. The keep was dominated by the unfinished remains of a lighthouse at one corner. Circling the keep and keeping hidden, we came across footprints. Giant boar hoof prints and unshod human footprints. Following the humans, we came to six poor souls, hiding in a limestone cave. They were escaped slave from the keep. From them, we learned that there were forty cyclops, guided by a blinded cyclop witch and led by a renegade Storm Giant. The six escaped slaves also told us about caves that ran underneath the lighthouse – we would not need to enter the keep through the front gates.
We entered the caves, headed for the foundations of the lighthouse. After a long while, the caves widened into a huge chamber. Inside was a gibbering mouther – it slammed Sunny hard but we finally killed it. A bit further on, we came across a faint magical light. Randall went ahead and reported it came from a priest praying to Jubliex, the demon of Slimes and Molds. The man was a survivor from the original garrison and now quite crazy.
Passing him by, we ascended into the ground floor of the lighthouse. This room was given over to an armory of giant weapons. From the upper floor, we could see out into the courtyard. We could see two groups of cyclops walking the ruined walls, while others walked across the yard to a mess hall. Joining them was a storm giant, Snorri. Elathrion recognized that the giant was wearing a bejeweled helment, an artifact of Myth Drannor, a cursed item that changed the wearer’s alignment.
Dividing into two groups, Jaggred, Sunny and Randall in one and Elathrion, Althea and Kelric in the other, we went after the guards. It was tough going – especially for Sunny – but we defeated them and tossed their bodies over the edge.
While we were recovering back in the storage area of the lighthouse, we noticed the blind cyclops witch and two assistants heading back to their rooms in the keep. We quickly rushed over and killed them before they could cause more trouble.
The biggest problem remaining was Snorri, the storm giant. We came up with a plan. Randall gave Sunny an invisibility potion and the tabaxi would sneak up behind Snorri and use a Remove Curse spell on the helmet. Sunny took up a position behind the storm giant and gave herself over to the Cat Lord. If the spell failed – the Storm Giant would kill her. She cast the spell, it worked and Snorri ripped the helmet off and threw it on the ground.
Snorri was overcome with horror at what he had been doing for the last 50 years. He has been allowing merrow and crags to use the island to attack Phlan while keeping ships from the port. The helmet was a gift from a Tyranthraxis who he thought was a friend.
Sunny lent out her Hat of Disguise and Snorri used it to appear that he still wore the cursed Helmet. With his help, we finished clearing the ruined keep of cyclops. The slaves in the keep were freed and we settled down to rest and relax.
In the month that followed, we were able to clear a foothold on the docks of Phlan and bring in the two remaining ships.