(7) Reaping 21, 582

• After being restless for a day, waiting for Eligos to research the Age of Worms, we decided to visit the Garden Quarter to talk to someone about purchasing a home in the River Quarter in Greyhawk. We were told that there were five properties currently available for sale in the River Quarter. Four recently listed and one that has been on the market for 13 years!
• We were able to get in contact with the owner of the manor that has been available for so long. He took us to the property, and we were amazed by the building. It was a large estate, in great repair, and fully furnished. Something didn’t make sense, as the asking price was well below what it should have been. So Donnor went next door to the monestary to inquire about the estate. Turns out it has been reported as being haunted by the people that were killed in the house.
• So we decided to stay the night to see if it was really haunted. Shortly before dawn, we were attacked by what could only be described as some spectral creatures of shadow, and we ran for our lives! After having breakfast with the owner, we made a deal to puchase the estate for 2,500 gold, much less than the steal of a price it was already going for. Now we just have to get rid of the spooks dwelling there! We have dubbed the manor, The Iron Fist Estate.
  

(7) Reaping 20, 582

• We stopped at the Green Dragon Inn for lunch. We ran into Ricard while we there there. We asked him if he knew anything about Cerenoc, (the merchant that owes Barnin some magical breast plate.) In hashing it out, we figured that we inadvertantly sent Cerenoc off after Ricard’s Sword of Chaos. I assume that when we get the time to go back to Castle Greyhawk, we will find him dead down in its dungeons.
• After lunch we went to a couple of merchants that Ricard suggested to unload all the gear we have been collecting.
• We sold everything and had a pretty heavy purse. Barnin decided to take his longsword to have it enchanted. It will take one week to complete, and when it’s done, it will become writhed in flame on command once the enchantment is complete.
  

(7) Reaping 20, 582

• The three-day trip from Diamond lake to Greyhawk went uneventfully. We arrived at Greyhawk late on the 3rd day, and as we were expected, we went through the gates all the way to the Able Carter Coaching Company without a hitch.
• We stayed the night at the Whistling Fish. The next morning, we ventured up to the Garden Quarter to visit Eligos, a long-time friend of Allustan. On the way, we ran into a parade of sorts. It was a host of Lord Henway’s animals, including some new additions to his collection.
• After a short time watching the animals, a chimera broke out of its cage and proceeded to attack the commonfolk. We assisted guards with killing the beast, but not before it killed two civilians.
• We filled Eligos in on everything that is going on in Diamond Lake; he agreed to look into the Age of Worms. He also let us know that we need to pass on the message to Allustan that, “he owes me one”. He also said that if we mention his name at the Crooked House Inn we would get a good price.
  

(7) Reaping 16, 582

• The two-day journey back to Diamond Lake went by uneventfully. After arriving back, we relaxed and slept that evening. The next day, we convened with the Captian of the Guard to learn that Luzane and Geltch were the ones that arranged to have Balobar’s taxes taken so that they didn’t arrive in Greyhawk and arouse suspision.
• We settled up our business with Vanelle, and Barnin now has a Ring of Protection +1.
• Allustan wants us to visit an old friend of his in Greyhawk, to have him investigate the Age of Worms further while he stays in Diamond Lake to investigate from there.
• On the morning of the 17th, the party leaves Diamond Lake enroute to Greyhawk.
  

(7) Reaping 13, 582

• The journey back through the swamp was uneventful. After traveling throughout the night, taking an 8-hour break at daybreak the party arrived back at Blackwall keep the next evening.
• The guards were happy to see their companions return, but they also seemed to be shaken. The guards that remained back said that three of their number were infected with the worms and were now trapped in the basement of the tower. They asked that we deal with them before leaving so that they could resume their post and properly reset their watch over this area.
• Being the heroes they are, Barnin and Donnor said they would take care of the turned guards. Shortly after unbarring the door and going down into the basement, Donnor and Barnin found the first of the guards. One look at the guard and Barnin wasn’t able to control the urge to flee, and left Donnor to deal with the guards alone.
• Donnor was alone for what seemed like ages waiting for help and holding off all three guards. Allustan joined the fray after Barnin burst into the room from the basement and fled the tower. Thanks to Allustan’s lightning bolts, the heroes were able to defeat the guards and return order to Blackwall Keep.
• These guards seemed to be much stronger than the other possesed creatures that they had faced up tho this point. The heroes and Allustan decided that they need to return to Diamond Lake with Marzena in tow to discuss matters further.
  

(7) Reaping 12, 582

• After a continued search we found the “shaman” and she made a deal with us. She would release the prisoners we had come for, as long as we “dealt” with the King of her tribe. She wanted him gone because he was the one allowing an outside 3rd party to use their tribe to help perpetuate the Age of Worms.
• We agreed to deal with the King either way as long as she released the prisoners. Donnor went through and healed all of the prisoners to make sure they were in good shape and able-bodied enough to defend themselves.
• We entered the King’s throne room and were immediately attacked by the King. He threw his mighty trident and then was able to retrieve it seemingly through thought. Fortunately for Barnin, the King wasn’t able to land many heavy blows, so the fight didn’t last very long.
• After removing the King from power, we assisted the shaman with securing the egg chamber. There were fanatic kobolds guarding the lizard tribe’s egg trove. We removed the kobolds, and made sure the area was as secure as possible before handing it over to the shaman.
• We had only been there for a couple hours, so we decided to head back to Blackwall Keep that same night. We arrived back at the Keep late the next evening after stopping to get fully rested.
  

(7) Reaping 12, 582

• We entered the hideout, and immediately came under attack. We found several sleeping chambers with a few belongings and nest like sleeping mats. We also found rooms with refuse piles, that have iridescent mushrooms that piqued Allustan’s interest, he said he would have to come back and check that out later.
• In one of the bed chambers, where we fought and killed 6 lizard men, one the lizard men had the Green Worms literally pour out of him after he died. It seemed like the lizard man was their host, all of the worms died after being exposed though.
  

(7) Reaping 12, 582

• The following morning, after regaining our strength, we continued on. Donnor has proven to be a most effective tracker, never leading us from the trail, (of course we didn’t tell him that a blind, mute could have pick up this herd’s trail.) After we were well into that evening, we heard some lizardfolk talking off in the distance. They proved to be guards standing post. After slaying the first two guards, we saw a harpy fly off, and then were approached by two more guards. We slew one of the guards, and knocked the other unconscious and restrained him.
• After a short questioning, and without much prodding, the lizardman told us that the “shaman” has the others and that their hideout was under the dirt mound they were patrolling. After searching for some time, we found the entrance to the hideout.
  

(7) Reaping 12, 582

• We made the two day trip only to find that they have been under siege all day, and the lizard folk from the Mistmarsh made off with 3 of tower guard, and Marzena.
• Edsel is one of the guard. That has assumed charge since the captain of the guard was killed. He is reluctant to take the post, but no one else has stepped up.
• Allustan wanted to leave immediately to find out what Marzena fate is, and understandably so, but we could not leave the keep in its current situation and expect it not to be overrun when we returned.
• We had Allustan stay in the tower with the guard, and told them to rain down arrows on the group of lizardmen that were to the east of the tower. We struck out southward to attack them head on. After quickly dispatching 15 of the lizardmen, we figured the remaining contingent would be fleeing back to wherever they came from. This actually worked out well for us, because it would give us something to track, and hopefully keep the rest of the Blackwall Keep guard intact. So without any undue time wasted, we headed south into the Mistmarsh. We weren’t able to go too far as exhaustion racked our bodies; we pushed ourselves as far as we could that evening.
  

(7) Reaping 10, 582

• Talked to Kellek’s adventuring group. The Warrior is an arrogant human. There is something brewing under the surface with the female elf in their party. Kellek seemingly the leader, is very distant and cryptic, especially when he said, “Revelation comes also in Darkness,” as we were leaving them in the parlor. He seemed to be waiting for some response.
• We also were reminded that the Champion Games were coming up in a couple weeks back in Greyhawk. I suppose we will be seeing Kellek’s group there as they were last years champion. I suppose I should take them a little more seriously if they have the ability to win a title like that.
• We left Diamond Lake going to Blackwall Keep.
  

(7) Reaping 10, 582

• After talking with Allustan again, he informed us that there was indeed a recently uncovered cairn. And he regrets to inform us that a local adventuring group has already went out and searched the cairn..
• After getting this news we decide to head out right away to see if there is any information in this cairn, that suddenly appeared, that would help us put an end to this Ebon Triad.
• We found evidence of activity at an abandon mining headquarters. This was close to the Whispering Cairn we were investigating.
• After a couple hours in the cairn, we began to realize that a local adventuring group that had been here before us searched this place and cleaned it out pretty well.
  

(7) Reaping 7, 582

• This trip Allustan accompanied us down into the mines. After a couple hours in the “faceless one’s” laboratory, we finally found the key to the coded missive that we found on Theldric. We also found the underground lair’s storage room, full of merchandise, supplied by none other than Balobar Smenk.
• Once we were back in Allustan’s home, we wasted no time decoding the scroll.
• Armed with these two pieces of solid evidence, we headed to the Greyhawk Garrison that is stationed in Diamond Lake. Once the evidence and story was presented to the Captain of the Guard, there was little to do, other than arrest Balobar. Accompanied by the captain and 6 guards we went to his house. With the procession that arrived at his door, Balobar was reduced to a groveling whelp.
• After Balobar was taken into custody, Donnor, Captain of the Guard and I went to Ragnolin Dourstones to pick him up for questioning as well. I figured he wouldn’t be extrodinarily happy about this. With our word backing him, we had little doubt that he would be cleared of any wrong doing.
• It is only a matter of time now. We should be able to relax peacefully here in Diamond Lake and get some rest and relaxation while the local guard does thier job, and investigates the case.
  

(7) Reaping 7, 582

• Although it was still early in the day, our bodys had been pushed to the limits. So we returned to the Able Carter Coaching Inn to take advantage of a quiet afternoon. Barnin rested and slept, while Donner communed with Kord, and got some well deserved rest as well.
• Even after a full nights sleep we still felt the effects of the previous days adventures. So we were only off to start our day after Donner bestowed Kords healing blessings upon us.
• After going through everything that we recovered from the mines we realized we had a few journals in our posession. So it would be another trip to Allustans for us to see if we could dig further into this “Ebon Triad.”
• After leaving the journals with Allustan, we made plans to meet back up with him this afternoon. Allustan will join us in a trip back down to the mines, to see what we can uncover in the mages chambers.
• Now we’re off to fill some time trying to unload our fancy dice. Being that there are gaming halls in town, this shouldn’t be too hard! So off to Lazare’s. Lazare was most impressed with the dice, and seem interested in purchasing them. He wanted us to take them to Allustan to tell us what the symbols on the dice mean…. Jeeze, why didn’t I think of that… guess I need more rest.
  

(7) Reaping 6, 582

• After clearing out the birdmen in the halls of the Vecna wing of this “Ebon Triad,” it seemed like there must be more. But after spending what seemed like forever (but was only a couple short hours) searching, we decided to return to town and seek the council of Allustan.
• Back in Diamond Lake, Allustan provided council on the “Ebon Triad,” as well as a potion to help find secret doors . . .
• We returned to the halls of Vecna, and Allustan’s potion did the trick; we found two new doors.
• After delving into the new hallways, we found new, more powerful opposition in the form of two clerics, a wizard, and several other combatants.
• We will likely say we made short work of them upon spreading word back at the tavern, but we nearly didn’t escape with our lives, because after facing everything we faced in the Vecna complex, we encountered the most hideous and powerful construct we had ever faced. It was a savage beast that rose out of the pool of blackness in the Dark Cathedral. It’s very appearance defied reason. We could only conclude that it somehow embodied the three vile religions given its alien charactersitics. It had six arms, representing Hextor, but at the same time three of those limbs ended in disembodied stumps, characteristic of Vecna’s missing hand. Its battle rage and thirst for combat with little regard to its own well-being would have made Erythnyul, the god of slaughter, proud. So, in a sense, this could have been some champion sent to exact revenge for the defeat of the three leaders of the churches buried deep under Diamond Lake.

(7) Reaping 6, 582

• This morning, we decided to make our way back to the Dourstone mines.
• We made our way to the third and final door in the hidden catacombs. Upon entering, all seemed abandoned.
• After a short exploration, we quickly learned that these followers of Vecna seem to be some species of bird humanoid.
• They keep popping out from around corners, and passing in and out of secret doors to keep an element of surprise.
• While chasing the birdmen through the halls, Donnor happened on a couple of dire weasels that didn’t take kindly to his presence.

(7) Reaping 5, 582

• While waiting for Fester to return, we decided to head over to Venelle’s to see if we can unload some of our loot. She was only interested in the composite longbows, so we left those with her possibly in exchange for some magic arrows she has on hand. She suggested that we might take our gemmed dice to one of the gaming parlors in town to see if they might be interested in buying them.

(7) Reaping 5, 582

• The grimlock’s leader’s defeat brought an end to their occupation of this cavern. We explored the remaining chambers and looted what we could. We released five surviving grimlocks in the process.
• Having cleared out this complex, it was time to leave. We collected our Krenshar trophy on the way out. No doubt Fester will be excited to get his new prize!
• There is still one more complex remaining to be dealt with.
• Headed back up to Diamond Lake and the Able Carter Coaching Inn. Made arrangements with Cade to keep the Krenshar in the stables until Fester returned.

(7) Reaping 5, 582

• Continued exploring cavern without hesitation. The southernmost corridor led straight to the quarters of the grimlock High Priest of Erythnul. We discovered him perched atop a high ledge, seemingly completely oblivious to our presence. The same could not be said of his fanatical guards, who attacked immediately.
• The speed with which we dealt with his personal guard apparently convinced the High Priest that we were worthy oppenents. He dropped down from his perch to engage us, but not before becoming invisible. This tactical advantage was short-lived, as he became visible upon his first attack.
• The battle was short and decisive, and we emerged victorious.

(7) Reaping 5, 582

• Moving deeper into the grimlock caverns; stumbled upon the chieftain’s chambers. Quickly dispatched him and several of his minions.