Year 2, Day 11-18

Having successfully recovered the schema, we confidently headed back up to Frellwit's waiting cart only to discover that he and the wolf pack had disappeared, along with Arad's undead horses and the trebuchet. Exiting the cave quickly revealed a possible explanation, though, as we were confronted by four four armed, four headed giant skeletons and their apparent cloaked master astride and undead looking dragon thing. Garos, as she called herself, demanded the schema we had just recovered but Aramel, speaking for all of us, quickly fireballed her and some of her minions while Arad's skeletons and i charged into melee range.

In hindsight, given that we did have two copies of the schema AND these giants had four of everything AND Garos was riding a dragon, we probably should have handed the schema over without resisting, but that simply isn't our style. Ultimately the battle proved to be completely one sided as the giant skeletons shrugged off all of our attacks without faltering. After one exchange with the skeletons I was on my last legs and was thinking it was high time for a tactical withdrawal when I realized that I would have to contend with the black tentacles and web spell that Aramel had just cast to hinder the skeletons' progress. As Tara and Arad pulled Kaellana's unconscious form to safety, I heard Aramel call out, "Sorry", as they headed deeper into the cave. A moment later a skeletal hand clove into my side and I crumpled as darkness took me, but not before I had the pleasure of experiencing the burning sensation as another of Aramel's fireballs was unleashed in my vicinity, killing me.

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I'm not sure how long I wandered, though I was later told it was three days, as my soul was set adrift on ephemeral currents once it was released from my body's grasp. What I experienced is impossible to describe, and even harder to remember as the memories fade from my mind. I do remember feeling a tugging at my core as I drifted that pulled me back from the nether, back to Eberron. When I first opened me eyes, things seemed slightly off, though I was relieved to see Kaellana looking down at me with Tara prowling in the background. As I stood, I realized that something was drastically wrong, as my eye level only came up to Kaellana's waist... WHICH MEANT I WAS ONLY TWO AND A HALF FEET TALL!!!

I had conflicting emotions while Kaellana explained that the rest of the group had escaped the Mournlands and after reaching Ruuqan Draal, she had reincarnated me. Which was why I now found my soul in the body of a deep halfling... Feeling the urge to celebrate my renewed life, despite its height challenges, I asked Kaellana if she wanted to help me out... though she declined most rudely. Leaving her in the dust, I went around knocking on doors, whilst completely naked I might add, until I found Aramel and Arad. Though they were initially surprised, once they realized it was me, Aramel gave me some boots and a cloak, and Arad gave me his halfling identification papers for one 'Alton Goodbarrel'. Learning that Worsa and her pack were hanging around outside of Ruuqan Draal, I quickly sped off, careful to keep my cloak shut so that I wouldn't cause too much excitement at my passage.

I reached Worsa and struggled to get her to recognize it was me, though my new form proved quite a difficulty. All i really wanted was to let her know not to eat people and stick to the wilds where she and her pack would be the safest.. (teardrop on page) And then she sped off to the north, saying something about seeking colder lands.

After that I returned to the inn the party was staying at after picking up a small greatspear and chain shirt. I had the delightful experience of learning that Garos had returned to my body, taken all of my magical or useful belongings and then cut off one of my original body's hands, so I was forced to resupply with the funds I had remaining, which she somehow missed. We soon sought out a message post and found that Lady Ellandre had left us word telling us to look for a ship at the docks that would return us to Sharn.

We found it quickly enough and the bugbear captain led us to the elven historian that owned the yacht. We learned that she and Lady E were colleagues and that our names had been passed on because we were supposed to be good at obtaining items, though the whole returning with them was another issue altogether. Apparently her estate in Sharn had recently been burglarized and a marble hand had been stolen with her defenses and magical traps all skillfully circumvented. The only clue she had was the body of one of the supposed thieves, a Raver from the Fallen district, a devastated slum that had been mostly destroyed when one of Sharn's floating towers randomly fell out of the sky a century ago and crushed it. We had already failed at our other task and figured that doing this was better than nothing, and agreed to look into the matter.

The days passed uneventfully though I did befriend a hobgoblin general who agreed to spar with me on the aft deck. I think he underestimated me because of my size, but I still retain most of my attributes and abilities from before I died and managed to knock him out with our practice swords. Oddly enough I never saw him again after that first night and when I asked anyone about his whereabouts they became upset, saying that they hated hobgoblins and that one would never be allowed on the ship.

We eventually reached the Fallen district and met our contact, a sister from a Chapel of the Silver Flame, and I tried to be as civil as possible considering that I frelling dislike those zealots, though she actually seemed to be fairly sane and nice for a believer. With her direction, we headed towards Raver territory where we were quickly ambushed in a narrow alley strewn with barricades. There were only about a half dozen raves, but their annoying tactic of trying to grapple us into submission quickly proved to be extremely effective. Arad was pulled into a three way while everyone else had to contend with their own partners. Thanks to my size, I had considerable difficulty, though Aramel managed to save the day by polymorphing into a huge multi-limbed creature that could eat the ravers one by one.

With the way this past week has gone for us, things do not look well.

-A.N.-
aka ~ Alton Goobarrel

Year 2, Day 11

Heading down the dimly lit tunnel, we found ourselves looking at three doorways when a direwolf and two regular wolves emerged from two of them. To everyone's surprise, the direwolf spoke to us, while watching us cautiously. While I'm sure some members of our party may have been inclined to kill the creatures, I could only think of how amazing it was that I was talking to a wolf; awesome! Through polite inquiry I learned that Worsa, the direwolf, must have been some sort of Cannith test subject at one point, but she gained sentience, most likely, during the cataclysm that created the Mournlands.

Having moved closer to her, we found that the doorway that none of the wolves had emerged from seemed to be locked with an opening that would require an orange colored key rod. We decided to keep an eye out as we searched the facility and found that Worsa would be more than happy to help us if we agreed to kill a mechanical wolf that was keeping her separated from the rest of her pack. Searching the two rooms open to us, we found some weapons and pools of water, but the only thing of note was that Worsa's lick of Arad managed to heal some of his wounds. Setting off to confront the mechanical terror, we headed to the main rotator and allowed Worsa to guide us.

A familiar hallway with dim glow globes yawned before us before it angled out of sight. Moving forwards quickly brought us to the attention of our semi-lupine foe and Arad quickly sent his skeletons into the fray to ward off the large beast. Once it came close enough, we could see that it appeared to be a large wolf that had had metal plates and objects grafted into its body. We all brought our implements of choice to bear, weapon, magic, and bony claw, and while the creature seemed capable of slowing the movements of one of the skeletons, I resisted the effect and continued to lash out at it. The battle was over quickly, but Arad lost one of his most trusty followers, the undead thrall we called "Clumsy".

Alas, he shall be sorely missed.

We quickly set about freeing Worsa's pack and while they joyously reunited, we set about searching this section of the facility, keeping our eyes out for the schema all the while. Tucking away items of interest, I addressed Worsa and found out that what she wanted now was to escape with her pack from White Hearth and run free on the surface. I'm surprised by what I did next, but I think I understand why now. The wolves remind me... of myself, feeling this unspoken kinship, I couldn't agree to help them without trying to explain the realities of present day Cyre. I could tell Worsa didn't comprehend the dangers I tried to describe, but I managed to convince her to wait until we left before leaving White Hearth so that we could lead them out of the Mournlands. Following this, we manged to contrive a system for getting the wolves up the ladder into the caverns above and thanks to one of Kaellana's druidic spells, Worsa was able to run right up the walls somehow.

I led the pack to the cavern before Frellwit's cart and had to deal with more of his shystery antics while he hemmed and hawed about being paid and staying in the cave but though the simple application of addition, forced him to realize an error in his counting, the fool.

Before we descended into the depths of White Hearth again, I retrieved one of the regenerating bodies for the wolves to snack upon, and then rejoined my companions. In short order we proceeded to explore the rest of the facility, finding storerooms, laundry rooms, still magically automated, a study, a dining hall, and the fearsome firestorm room that Worsa had mentioned to us. Entering that room we knew we were going to be in for a serious fight as we saw the wet floor spotted with the severely charred remains of bodies. The firestorm soon emerged from the far doorway and the fiery combat that ensued was utterly confusing. Why does something so hot it can burn you also have to be in a perpetual state of rain? Once we were able to land some solid blows on the thing, it seemed to die, and having been engulfed by it, I know that its center was, oddly enough, comprised of ice.

We also found an incredible device in the kitchen area adjoining the dining hall where ten people seemed to be slumped over in their chairs. It looked like a cupboard, but had special compartments that contained spices, could keep food cold, and even cook things. Once we realized what it could do, we knew we just had to have it and spent the time to haul it back to Frellwit's cart, where we some how managed to store it. Then, using the key rods we had been discovering throughout the facility, we went and unlocked the locked room in Worsa's wing, finding someone's private bedchambers which we immediately ransacked. Taking everything of value, Aramel used something called a rope trick to create a pocket dimension where we found the oppression and restriction on magical use to have been completely nullified. If we ever make any other sojourns into the blasted lands we definitely need to remember that trick.

The last few things we found as we stumbled around the facility looking for the schema were a strange room that projected the illusion of another that just so happened to contain metallic, diamond shaped plates and a trap. We went down the last unexplored hall and plugged in the orange key we had just discovered hanging on the wall in the illusion room. This promptly caused this second rotator to angle downwards and jerk to a halt, throwing only me and one of Arad's minions off of the platform, down what must have been a thirty foot fall to crash into some water. Luckily no one else fell thirty feet and I was able to hold my breath long enough for the rest of them to drop a skeleton weighted rope so that they could lift me out of my predicament as I held my breath and hoped.

Shortly, dripping wet, we fumbled around on the control panel and the rotator revealed a new hallway. Apparently, the orange rod did lead to a new section, it simply went to the trap the first time it's used. Heading down the new hall we could see glaringly bright light coming from ahead as the temperature started to climb. Aramel, thinking one of the potions we had found earlier might prove of use in warding off the heat, popped the cork and drank it only to discover he had unleashed a fireball in the middle of the group, buffeting everyone severely and almost managing to kill Aramel's familiar, Ku. We were sure it must have died, but somehow it escaped only severely singed. Pressing forward, we found that we had reached the illusion room and we going to start searching it for the schema when two fire elementals attacked, lashing out with burning fists. Teamwork and strength prevailed as we dispatched the elementals and laid claim to the schema we had spent so long looking for.

-A.N.-

Year 2, Day 10

We set off towards the devastated land and the horrors it surely contained with steadfast determination, knowing that we would surely overcome anything we encountered. Luckily for Aramel and his demon guy-friend, who we had been separated from since our tactical retreat the day before, we found them cuddling in a bush on the outskirts of Rose Quarry. The two had apparently fled in the complete opposite direction as us and had been hiding the entire time Arad, Kaellana, Tara, and I had been investigating our next move and fighting zombies. Once they had clambered aboard, Faelian continued towards the Mournlands and soon we were confronted by the towering wall of grayness that delineates the border of what was Cyre.

Sensing his fear, I urged Faelian onwards, knowing that if we never got started, he'd probably try to back out or charge us more gold, and I was becoming slightly aggravated with his haggling. Inside the mist, fog? I'm not really sure what it was but it had a clear effect on the entire party as our light sources were unnaturally dimmed. Depression and despondency seemed to wash over us in unending waves that set a bleak mood over the entire group. Knowing I had to boost morale somehow, I tried to tell some jokes and perform an inspiring tumbling routine in the back of the wagon. Neither were very successful, though I was utterly delighted by the fact that I was at least doing something.

Faelian the Frellwit, as I think he should now be dubbed, eventually admitted once we noticed that we should have been through the gray wall after only twenty minutes, yet he somehow managed to get lost. Kaellana, the only one in our group to have a feeling for which way we needed to go, directed Frellwit, and we eventually cleared the mist, feeling immeasurably better, but with our lanterns still dimmed. Using my map, she then proceeded to choose a new direction that would hopefully lead us to White Hearth.

The blasted and barren lands we passed through were devoid of any semblance of almost life, though the few "trees" and plants that we saw were twisted, thorny, perversions of their natural states. Considering Kaellana's background I would have thought she would have been more moved than she was by the sight, but I suppose her mind was on other things. We shortly came across what appeared to be a recent battle site, but as I inspected the soldier's armors, I recognized them as having hailed from Thrane, Breland, and Cyre. They seemed to have died while fighting around two wagons and a catapult and Arad saw this as a great time to add to his bag o' skeletons. I have to admit, I was disturbed by the desecration of the Thranite bodies as those men were once my own comrades in arms. I mulled this over but realized that they had no need of their skeletons any longer and since Arad wasn't actually binding their souls to the bones, there shouldn't be any harm to them.

Setting out to help him with this task, the rest of the party spread out in a small group around the front of Frellwit's wagon. Of course, just after Arad and I had ventured a short distance to collect the corpses, an eerie rumbling could be heard emanating from the unnatural darkness around us and everyone was attacked by a small herd of skeletal horses that interrupted Arad's preparations. Tossing an everburning lantern out, we helped illuminate a larger area around the wagon and set to our foes with magic and steel. Demon guy-friend used his magics to great effect and reduced two of the abominations to splinters while Aramel and his bodyguard worked on some others. Kaellana, Tara, and I held our ground on the other side of the cart while Arad attempted to force these undead beast to his will. Mere moments after the beasts had emerged from the gloom, more than half of their herd was obliterated, and Arad had 3 new undead mounts, clasping arms included.

Now that we had apparently cleared the vicinity of hostile forces, Arad continued with his animation while we searched the area for anything of use. We moved onwards and after a few hours we realized that we had to be off course, as we should have already reached White Hearth. Through some careful evaluations of our direction, speed, and possible lost direction in the gray mist, I'm sure I impressed everyone by deducing the correct course change we needed to make to reach the Cannith facility. Also, for some reason Aramel and demon guy-friend really wanted to bring the catapult so we attached it to the rear of the cart, and were forced to proceedat a slower apce.

Of course, this then led us directly into the path of a house sized crab encrusted with spines and weapons from the Great War. It emerged, as the undead horses had, from the gloom and our only warning was when it toppled the wagon over on its side. We eventually managed to extricate ourselves from the wreckage and began to deal with the new threat.Arad's horses harassed it while Aramel, demon guy-friend, and Kaellana used ranged attacks. I charged in, using my acrobatic skills to evade the massive crab's claws and punched my spear through it's shell. It focused on the horses, possibly due to their size, unwisely deciding that the were the more serious threat. On my next attack I misjudged the creature's reach and received a punishing blow that sent me staggering back ten feet. I'm sure that if some of the other party members were hit that hard they'd have been toppled or killed. As it was, I retained my feet and readied myself for another attack, but it wasn't needed, as one of the magic casters took it out from afar. A quick search of its exterior yielded an impressive looking set of gloves that are probably magical, and we tucked those away for identification later.

As we continued forwards, we came across a mountain of corpses that looked freshly slain but considered how our encounter with the dead had gone earlier, we decided to press onwards and ignore it, despite the potential for wealth it may have contained. Shortly after this, we came to a large mound that had a well worn trail leading towards its interior through a clearly artificial opening. The house Cannith symbol was in evidence above the mantle and we knew that the we may have finally reached our destination. From atop the mound came a familiar form that I recognized instantly, the undead crow-thing that had been perched atop the chapel in Rose Quarry. Seeing it meant that we were either followed, or beaten to the facility, but my surmising was cut short as the creature attacked, swoping out of the sky to buffet us with its wings. I, in a moment of tactical error, decided to leave my spear int eh wagon and hop out with just my shortbow, as I assumed it would try to fly around instead of landing. Luckily the rest of the group quickly overwhelmed it, though Arad took a severe blow by standing in front of the catapult as Frellwit drove it into the cave.

After the fight, though, we were able to crawl through the wagon into the caves inside and saw that a path led deeper into the darkness. To allow some of our spellcasters enough time to regain the use of their magic, I took first watch inside the cave, watching the passage out of our chamber in case anything tried confront us. My watch passed uneventfully and once I had slept, we all headed into the cave, convincing Frellwit to wait until we came back. We were soon presented with branching paths and followed the first one to our left, as the other one led down. We found a metal hatch inset into the ground and sued the blue crystal tipped rod in the hole that had apparently been designed for it. I got a shocking surprise as a lightning bolt flow out and it me in the chest, knocking me off my feet. This was obviously not the correct entrance to the facility so we took the other path. Working through all of the branches, and using skeletons to open the hatches, we discovered that the lowermost hatch was the actual entrance to the facility... though that probably should have been obvious to us.

Climbing down the ladder that descended from the hatch, we found ourselves on a pedestal in a spherical room with a strange control mechanism with receptacles for spheres of different colors, brown, blue, and green. Through trial and error we stuck the one blue orb we had into one of the sockets and braced as the spherical walls shifted around us to bring the opening through which we had entered, around to reveal a lit hallway heading into the distance.

-A.N.-