Author Archive: Michael Bielaczyc

Back to the city

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Adventure Log
It was a long road back to the Den, but you have made it now. Martyn welcomed you back, and even gave Wanderers coins to your new companions. You are wanted magic users, so caution will mark your next few months in the city.

You are to visit the Warehouse district and pose as warehouse guards for Jan Melgrin.

News

  • The Factories are working again. Weapons and engines are being made. Factories started in full swing about a month ago.
  • A procession of elves from the north were welcomed into the Walled Tower this Fall and left 2 days later. That was before the factories started.
  • Steel has been shipping south as well.
  • The Red Guard seem even more on edge since the deal with the north.
  • The adventurers are wanted, though the search has died down since they have been gone for a month.

People:

  • Grael
  • Biena
  • Martyn

What to do.

  • Safehouse in a warehouse.
  • Stay low profile. Disguise in public.
  • Let things calm down a bit.
  • Cure Thay’s Curse
  • Travel to Dwarf Town and meet Dwygar

Things needed to remove the curse:

Removal of the Curse

  • Squid’s Ink
  • Tallow from an unmated male pig
  • Silver bowl with name of the cursed engraved
  • Blood of the Cursed
  • Blood of an Uncursed
  • Charcoal from an ancient oak

Best when Moons are waning, and in a place of power.

Coming Up:

October 31st, 5679 – Mordreen – Harvest End – As the leaves fall, and the harvest is reaped, it holds strong ties to the visualization of death. It is a festival in which people wear masks to hide from Kaldrath and Mooruuk, the gods of death. People also often spend time giving thanks to the spirits of their ancestors. In the east, there is the running of the light, where people run through the town late at night to scare away any evil spirits and hold the servants of Kaldrath at bay.
In the Morning a big feast is enjoyed by most as a remembrance of their ancestors.

Shadows of the Tower: Captured and Pursued

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Both moons had started to rise as the day quickly turned to dusk. 

Thay sat with his back against the crumbling wall of the old house. “I just don’t feel right.”

Leshy bent over him, his long slender fingers working over Thay’s brown skin. “It seems the magical energies you released where uncontrolled. Strange. You have an… aura of wrongness. It is the best I can tell. Someone with more power then we must help define this.”

Perrin paced back and forth, peering out the cracks of the broken home. “And what do we do with him?” He pointed at the Orovari elf bound with rope. The Orovari’s eyes blazed behind his mask.

“Eat?” Xynx asked in all earnestness.

Roe rubbed his hand down his old shattered shield. “I don’t know. But we have to make a decision quick, I feel our time here is unsafe.”

Campaign Notes:

  • Thay is cursed, -4 to all rolls until Remove Curse is cast on him.

Shadows of the Tower: Dreams in the Dark

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Roe awoke with a start. His hand reached reflexively for his shield, only to find the nightmare was true. His symbol of the order destroyed, crumbled in what could have been a death blow. Even knowing it served its purpose, it hurt. A smith must be able to fix it.

Dreams came back from some murky place in his half awake mind. A sound of someone shuffling to the left, Leshy rubbed his eyes, they looked more sunken than normal. Roe broke the silence, “Strange dreams? Me too.”

“Was she in them?” Leshy looked seriously at Roe.

Thay answered, rustling as he turned over, “The woman with the black eyes?”

Roe paused, “Yes. She helped us after we used the portal stone.” Roe pulled the green stone from his pouch. It still felt a little warm.

Perrin, who sat on against the wall near the door looks over. “I did not sleep, but there is something… Familiar about a woman with black eyes.”

Leshy was quiet, but his concerned brow furrowed deeper.

Thay looked off into the darkness. “She welcomed us, and told us she would always be there to guide us. She is who brought us here.”

“And she said there was something here for us to see.” Roe looked down at the stone.

Campaign notes

The temple of the valley

  • The Guard was left to leave
  • Portal stone was taken by roe

The ogre cave

  • Roe almost died and his legacy shield was destroyed

Shadows of the Tower Living Campaign: Investigating the Raiders

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Intro into the adventure:

The Spring has been wet, and the forest smells of old leaves and damp soil. You have been sent into the wooded mountains to investigate disappearances. Farms have been raided. Merchant wagons have disappeared. The people are worried, so the Baron has hired the Wanderers to investigate. You were led to a base camp run by a squad of dwarves. Its leader, Mort, assigning each group a section of the mountains to investigate. Your job is to find the source of the raids, attain proof of the culprits, and return to Mort.

Adventure Epilogue

The adventurers returned to the dwarven camp, dragging behind them two large wormlike monstrosities. Behind the creatures came the freed farmers and merchants, they looked tired and frightened. Others from the camp rushed out to help the survivors.

Levi pulled his hood up, not enjoying the looks from the others in the camp. He moved to the shadows as they continued through the camp.

Mort, a grizzled dwarf came out from a large tent at the center of the camp when he heard the commotion. Oxton, in his usual brash manner, walked right up to the dwarf and clapped him on the back, “Welp, it seems we solved your problems. Peasants have been freed, we come back victorious, and the bards will sing our praises.”

Goldcloak sat down heavily on a stump near a campfire. His bandages were soaked with sweat and blood. Jer came close to inspect the bandages, but with a glance around thought better than to try and healing in front of so many eyes.

Lyla had already grown bored with the banter, and had wandered off somewhere in the camp.

Mort’s eyes grew wide when he saw the creatures they had drug into camp. Another dwarf, who was as broad as he was tall and missing an arm loosened his sword as he approached with Mort. “Well lads and lady, you did well to help these poor citizens, but it looks like our troubles have just begun. These are orlocks. And they haven’t been in these mountains for as long as the elves have been gone. This is bad news for us.”

Lyla popped up again, the small elfling somehow right next to Mort and poking the strange humanoid-faced worms with a stick. “They sure are ugly. And their lair stunk. These guys were cocooning some of the farmers when we found them. It was pretty gross. And not a single crystal or gem to be found in the whole place.”

The one armed dwarf drew his sword and with a swift motion pierced each creature’s skull with it. He looked to Mort, his hardened features growing more grim.

Mort motioned to some other dwarves, “Burn these things and send word to Kowal. There is going to be more trouble soon.”

Shadows of the Tower: Path of Two, Adventure One

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Apra 4th – Dusk

The moons had started to appear in the darkening sky. The wooden bridge creaked in the wind over the chasm behind the adventurers.

Two bandits struggled against their bonds. They tried to cry out, but Roe had muffled their foul mouthes with strips of cloth. Thay tended to their wounds. He turned to the others.

“We did not have to kill them, we could have incapacitated them.”

Leshy looked up, he strange eyes seemed puzzled. “What does mean, incapacitate? These were enemies. Enemies get defeated.”

“And now what do we do with them? We have to get to Elmhearth, and they will just slow us down.” Roe seemed a little uncomfortable straying from the mission.

Leshy interjected, “We defeat them. Then we go.”

The rogue looked ready to say something when the older bandit loosened his mouth gag enough to talk, “No reason for all of that. I can pay you. And pay you well, if you let us go.”

Summary

The adventurers left Kowal and headed north. In the forest, they were attacked by wolves, though they successfully defeated or scared off the beasts. On the third night they arrived at the Northguard Inn.

They sat at the large round table, which seemed a little short. They then found out that they had taken a dwarven patrol’s regular table. After a night of drinking and stories, the dwarves challenged the group to a wrestling match.  Leshy successfully defeated a one armed dwarf, and after such a good show, Mort pledged his and his “Irregulars” friendship to the adventurers.

Continuing on the Elmhearth, the adventurers ran afoul of some bandits at a large bridge. The bandits were defeated, though two survived and were taken prisoner.

 

 

The cold road out of Kowal.

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The first adventure under the Shadows of the Tower

Three left the relative safety of the walls of Kowal behind. A dwarven librarian, an old blind musician, and an adventurous elfling. Sent on a seemingly small errand to check on a farmer’s claims of ancient ruins. The contract they received offered a payment for any artifacts found and returned, as well as earning their Wanderer’s Coin.

Halfway through their journey, they were caught in an electric acid rain storm, and sought shelter in an old crumbling inn. That night they were attacked by a band of small demon creatures. In the middle of their battle, a red headed dwarf, sent by the Wanderers as well, burst into the old inn and helped defend their sanctuary. Thorbard the Librarian took a chance of using magic in front of his new companions, putting the demons to sleep. Having been confronted by creatures from the Navirim, the companions were phased little by his magic, especially when it was used to heal their wounds.

After meeting with Farmer Elm a few days later, the companions found their way to and old grove of ancient trees. There they found a tunnel leading into a hill side, warded by runes and fire glyph traps.

They headed into the darkness, finding the ruins to be inhabited by ancient undead. Fighting through their fear, they took down the creatures, finally barricading themselves in a room to rest and prepare to venture deeper into the catacombs.

How to join the Shadows of the Tower Living Campaign

The War of the Towers

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The sky was gray as ash, but every once in awhile the pale sun peeked through.

Martyn stood among the throngs of citizens standing outside the Walled Tower. The Tower was old, its dark grey stone matching the tall wall that surrounded it. Spires pointed up like fangs into the sky, the old architecture of Uthgard apparent in it’s design. The tower was mostly empty these days, save for the Baron and the rest of the Zadeku family. A small garrison of the Steel Guard stayed on the grounds as well.

Martyn heard his companion, Garric, shift from side to side. Garric never did like the cold. Today the Baron was to address the rumors about his son, telling the citizens what happened. All the city could talk about lately was the Baron’s son, the wizards, and what may come next. Martyn was afraid he already knew.

A two large wooden doors opened on the balcony above the walled gate. It seemed but a small speck on the giant gray wall, but everyone knew this was the lord’s balcony. The crowds quieted.

A tall man strode out, his suit an elegant purple, a sharp contrast to the dull colors surrounding him. He was thin, his eyes narrow and intense. He looked out over the crowd and smiled. It was the strange smile, Martyn often thought it looked like the smile of a thief who you couldn’t help but like. Next to him came his wife. In pale yellow she was the opposite of her husband. Contrast to his strange good looks, she was radiant and heart warming. Her light brown skin made her different than most in Kowal, and her jet black hair was styled intricately above her head, wrapped in jewels.

Baron Zadeku held up his hands, ” Greetings citizens.” His voice rang with a tone that had a hint of music to it. “I am sure you have all heard the rumors of the awful actions against my heir and son.” At that moment his son stepped from the shadows of the doorway. He held his head high, and the clouds seemed to part at just the right moment to reveal the tattooed runes all over his face. Even from this distance his eyes seemed sunken and dark. “The sorcerers of Eredar wrongfully kidnapped my only child, my son, and accused him of using the same ruinous magic that they partake in. They scarred his body with blasphemous symbols and pierced his flesh with implements of torture. We do not believe in the work of demons in our lands, nor do we accept those of other lands to take our own people and condemn them with their demonic ways. This is an act of war.”

Martyn turned to Garric, the Baron’s voice continuing to ring in cadence across the courtyard. “Garric, this is going to make things interesting. Its already been a tough few years, this will make things slimmer.”

Garric nodded. ” I think I have heard all I need to.” He turned and started to push his way back through the crowd.

Martyn turned back to hear the Baron proclaim.

“We will declare war on these demon lovers both abroad, and in our own city. We will reclaim our lands, our city, and our people, and none shall challenge us.”

Martyn shook his head. This will change things.

How to join the Shadows of the Tower Living Campaign

The son returns…

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The whispers ran through the city of Kowal.

The Baron’s son was returning. It had been a year. Arnexi had long been known for his adventures and disregard for his station, ever since he travel to Tyr on a diplomatic mission in his teens. He had never arrived in Tyr and returned to Kowal a month later. But this had been different.

Rumors said that Arnexi was a warlock. A practicer of magic. But in Kowal, practicing magic was considered almost the same as murder. Magic destroyed the world, magic was forbidden.

But the son of Baron Zadeku was off limits to the magistrates and their tough laws. The ruling family was above the law. After all, they wrote it.

Arnexi had been gone for a year, off in a far away land doing the things only a young lord can do.

Now he is returning. And he was different. Word came from the outlying villages. Arnexi had been captured by Eredar, the tower of the mages. He was sentenced for practicing ravaging magic and had been silenced.

Arnexi arrived in the streets of Kowal astride a giant white horse, his honor guards behind him in dull gray armor and dull gray horses. Large red banners flew from their backs, the symbol of Kowal floating in the breeze.

Arnexi had changed. His blonde hair was shaved in places, and tattoos covered most of his skin where it could be seen. His eyes looked sunken and bruised. But he sat tall in his saddle, ignoring those who stared from the streets and windows. The silent procession carried itself down the street and through the gates of the Baron’s tower.

The gates closed, but mouths opened and the city was buzzing with speculation.

 

How to join the Shadows of the Tower Living Campaign