Chapter 07: The Search for the First

Timberfell

Fyrmont 28th 1014

Sir Rupert's guests turn out to be two mages, Velinax and Tarren. They are members of the Arabathil Brotherhood, a group of mages that collect and study rare and magical beasts. They have heard that a beholder, a fearsome creature of great intellect, has been spotted in the area and wish to enlist the Companions' help in trying to capture it. Sir Rupert thinks that this creature may be behind the capture of the First and recommends that they aid the mages in their mission. Jedon is reluctant to trust the mages but is eventually persuaded. After they leave the Companions all spend a day relaxing, D'mond finds some interesting scrolls and spends some time copying them for later use.

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The Companions travel to Timberfell meeting no trouble on the road.
Timberfell is a small settlement populated by loggers and those trades that the loggers rely on. At the heart of the hamlet is the inn, The Knotty Ash. The companions stay here while they wait for the mages to turn up. As they wait they encounter a group of adventurers led by a female fighter by the name of Jelifer. Both groups are suspicious of each other and a fight nearly ensues.

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Jedon and the others head off into the forests where they meet Dak, the loggers' cook who says he has not seen the mages since the day before. As they search for more clues they find a truncated statue in a clearing which they deduce is the work of the beholder. They head back to the inn, dispirited.

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After Chang and Jedon nearly make a serious mistakes in the woods when they mistake a lovers' tryst for the creature they hunt D'mond finds a map in the mages' room that allows the companions to find the beholder's lair. D'mond also suggests that the other party, who vanished in the night, may have searched thier rooms while they were away in the forest.
They find themselves near the entrance to a cave when a beholder rushes towards them erratically. The compaions attack and down the creature with surprising ease, the reason for this is soon revealled when the creature's form changes into that of the mage Tarren! After being healed by Dohrum he reports that he saw the beholder after hearing his partner scream. He ran into the forest not knowing the beholder had played a trick on him, changing his form into that of a beholder.

The Beholder's Lair

The cave slanted downwards and this proved to be the undoing for Dohrum, D'mond and Jedon who tumbled down the shaft and off a low cliff in the darkness. The shaft opened into a large chamber that was littered with rocks, stalactites and stalagmites. Amongst the debris lurked carnivorous fungi and giant beetles, the latter wounding D'mond badly. Arinna ran off by herself, her half-orc eyes not flummoxed by the darkness. She was found by the others peering down a circular shaft in the next much smaller chamber. Some bravery and knotted ropes allowed the companions to descend the shaft which ended in a water filled chamber. Here amongst the shattered remains of it's previous victims a giant bloodworm

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fought them. Chang, Arinna and Dohrum were drained by the creature's bloodsucking mouth and the cleric could do nothing to restore the damage. Tarren agreed to come with them to help them free his partner.

Climbing out of the water they emerged into another circular chamber where they find Jelifer partially embedded in a mysterious black stone up to her knees. She points to an interrupted spiral of shelves that climb the walls of the chamber upon which her companions stand, turned to stone by the beholder. D'mond frees Jellifer using the power of the Talisman, then Tarren casts a fly spell upon Jedon who carries most of the party to the top of the shaft. Most not all as Arinna manages to jump and climb her way up using the shelves. Chang tries to follow but falls when he was nearly at the top. Jedon swoops down and catches the chunky monk before he hits the floor. On returning to the top of the shaft a strange look flickers across the ranger's features. A short corridor lined with more statues leads to a circular chamber containing an elevated gallery. As the companions enter the entrance vanishes to be replaced with a plug of Blackstone. At the same time a sphere floats down and is struck by Chang as Jedon and D'mond climb up onto the gallery. The floating gas spore explodes violently but Jedon and D'mond are busy tackling a decaying Death Tyrant on the gallery.

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The creature blasts Arinna with a disintegration ray which all but kills the brave barbarian. D'mond's anti-magic shell projected by the talisman prevents the creature attacking her with spells but it also prevents Tarren and Dohrum from attacking it. A battle ensues leaving the companions victorious but badly wounded.
Dohrum heals Arinna and his wounded companions and the search for a way out as Tarren is convinced that this was not the creature that captured Velinax the Vermillion. Chang climbs a hidden shaft that D'mond finds while the others search a heavy wooden chest. Arinna blatantly pockets the goods while Chang returns to report that the shaft opens into a dense thicket of spiny bushes.

The companions return to Dak's wagon and after a good nights sleep they head back towards Timberfell and the Knotty Ash. That evening to celebrate their safe return Dohrum challenges the others to a drinking contest that is surprisingly won by Zan. Chang, Arinna and Dohrum had to be carried upstairs after the event!

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After a good night's rest Tarren and Jellifer decide to team up to rescue Jellifer's companions who are still trapped in the beholder's passages.

A Summons Is Received

While breaking their fast a herald of Prince Rupert delivered a message.

Meet a friend of mine, Aleanor Pathsteader at the Inn of the Fair Warrior in Safeharbour as soon as you can. Something extraordinary is happening, and you need to know about it. The ranks of The Elect are swelling, and this may have some bearing on events with our missing friend. Do not try to contact me, I am being watched by forces unknown and I don't want them to know any more about you than they already do. -Your friend, Lord Kesryk.

The Fair Warrior

The Fair Warrior is a rather rough establishment near the Grand Market in Safeharbour run by Handsome Jon. On the way their the companions stock up on supplies and sell some of the goods they found in the beholder's lair. Jedon, Dohrum, D'mond all notice a large black spot appear and then disappear on the face of the sun which causes consternation in the crowded streets. Chang on the other hand was too busy fighting off a pair of footpads in the alleys near the market while Arinna was investigating a body in another dingy part of the city.
Chang eventually joined Dohrum, Jedon and D'mond in the Fair Warrier where Jedon stopped a fight between a large man from the northlands and a small man carrying a large number of parchment pamphlets. He then gave comfort to a crying woman whose brother had gone missing. Dohrum, D'mond and Chang meanwhile managed to get some information from the innkeeper about the whereabouts of Aleanor Pathsteader. It seems that she has gone off to a yellow warehouse on Maple Way with a suspicious woman wearing a black eye patch.

The Missing Man

After waiting some time for Arinna and Zen to arrive, the others decide to help Johanna whose brother has gone missing. On the way to his shop off of the Grand Market they find Arinna leaning over the body of a man who has had his head crushed and his brain removed. Zan was dispatched to find the city watch while the others continued to Johanna's brother's shop. Durgin ran a small herb importing business and lived in a small garret above the shop. There was no sign of Durgin but Jedon and D'mond found evidence of a struggle. Traces of slime suggested that Durgin had been abducted via the city's sewer network and so, reluctantly, the companions and Johanna entered the noisome tunnels.

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The maze of passages which twist and turn under the city have never been mapped and have grown haphazardly over the last hundred years or more. In one of the many complex passage junctions Chang stumbled into a deeper pool where a tentacled beast attacked. Acting in concert the beast was swiftly despatched without serious harm to anyone. Johanna surprised Jedon and the others with her steely nerves under pressure and her prowess with throwing daggers. However despite a few clues she is no closer to finding her brother. Frustrated with the slow progress Arinna stormed off into the drains on her own.

Eventually, after many dead ends and slime filled tunnels, the companions arrived at a strange chamber dominated by a large glowing onyx monolith. Surrounding the stone were several shrivelled corpses, amongst them, still alive, was Durgin, Johanna's brother. As the woman rushed forward to comfort the gibbering man a hideous creature appeared. Covered with fur and emitting an evil chill the creature attacked with claws and teeth. Johanna was downed instantly, Chang and Jedon would have followed if it were not for Dohrum's healing powers. D'mond attacked with her new found cutlass and slowly started to damage the creature while Jedon could only fend off attacks with his blades. The battle was evenly matched until the sound of a flute could be heard. Stirred by this the companions pressed the attack and defeated the creature.

After the battle and the healing of the wounded Zan and the others studied the pillar. Zan with a sombre voice declared that the glowing marking on the pillar could be that of the most feared creatures in the underground realms.

The Illithid - Mind Flayers were loose in the city of Safeharbour!
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