The Hunt Begins

November 28, 2006

Byron comes to the group, telling them that Nigel is on the way and he is bringing the new Lord of the County. Byron is going into hiding knowing that they would find out he was involved. He hopes they aren't too tough on the people of the county for not saying anything sooner. He tells the group that he chose them for a reason. A cleric of Helm, named Brandon, came through in early spring expecting to find them already. Then he told Byron about Eric and Victor, that they were wrongly imprisoned, and that Bryon could trust them. That's what put Byron on them in the first place.

They still have time for some good byes but this only makes it more tough. When the whole town comes to the Inn to say good bye, it hits the group that they might not be coming back or see any of them. This hits Duece hard, as it was one of the first places that really accepted him. However, they can't stay and so they get their things and leave.

They decide to head up to Tilverton. That is how this all got started so they decide to check the place out. They skirt along the hills and mountains in the north. On the way, they get attacked by a giant. This is not the group that cowered from orcs several months ago. While an impressive site, the giant doesn't intimidate them even as he rains boulders down on them. He targets Eric, who looks like the toughest in his new armor. With that armor, Eric deflects the rocks and charges the giant, hoping to keep its fire. Reece uses his abilities to inspire to help the group resist the giant's attacks. Victor charges the giant as well. Duece pulls out his bow and manages to shoot the giant's throwing arm as well as both of its eyes! After that, it was a mercy killing.

They continue into the pass out of Cormyr, with Duece leading the way past patrols. Eric and Victor are still branded and they don't want any trouble. As they near the edge of the gap, there is a figure camping. Duece tries to sneak up on him but the figure looked up as he moved from one hiding spot to another.

"Ah, you must be Duece."

Nothing could have stunned Duece more than to hear this person name him and the group. It turns out this is Brandon. Helm led him here to make sure he spoke to the group. He tells them that they are not ready for Tilverton. Tilverton was ravaged by magic in the attack and without protection, they would all be affected by it. Further, there is a patrol of Purple Dragons there they would have to avoid. He says the best thing to do is to clear Eric and Victor's names first.

Then he drops the big news.

Both of them were set up for prison. Some of Victor's fellow monks were extorting the area for more money. They thought they could bring Victor in but he refused. So, they knocked him out and turned him over to the Purple Dragons as the one causing the problems in their county. They also altered his memories so he didn't remember anything and thought he had done it.

As for Eric, it turns out he was set up as well. His wife was charmed by the lover and it is possible that Eric was enraged further, so that he would kill them both. Eric was stunned and then completely outraged that he killed his innocent wife. He goes off and in his anger, punches the rocks and stone walls of the area, causing some bad damage to himself. When they find him, they bring him back and Brandon heals him. Brandon also is able to remove the brand, which the group asks him to do.

Before watches begin, Duece had asked for the amulet they had taken from Molmas, after a divination by Brandon convinced him it would help him learn Shadow Magic. He gets pulled, along with Reece, into the Shadow Plane. Reece is hurt and being attacked by something and Duece manages to help him. Duece manages to get them back to the material plane but it wasn't a pleasant journey for Reece. Duece is more determined to figure this out.

Duece wakes up with a start, realizing he fell asleep on his watch. A Shadow Dragon is looming over the camp. The thing moves with the grace of a shadow, and is just as quick. It wants the amulet from Duece and is holding Brandon in its claws for it. Duece hesitates and the dragon kills Brandon and tosses him aside. Then it goes to Reece and threatens him with its long, dagger like claws. Duece threatens to destroy the amulet. The dragon chuckles and says he will be back and is gone in a swirl of shadows.

Duece checks on Brandon who isn't good and tries to heal him through the amulet. Duece senses what he thinks is life energy that can be put into Brandon and does so. Unfortunately, it wasn't normal life energy and he awakens Brandon as a Shadow Knight. Brandon is now Duece's servant. Duece is not happy about what he has doen and tells Brandon that he doesn't want a servant and Brandon is free. This allows him to have his free will back and he is outraged at what Duece has done to him. He shouts that he will have his revenge on him and disappears in a swirl of shadows, something Duece thinks he is seeing too much.

There is an argument among the group as they try and get the amulet away from Duece, but he won't hear of it. He knows he needs it to learn Shadow Magic and still wants to try. Victor and him get into a verbal fight, which ends with Duece insulting Victor and Victor walking away.

The next morning, Reece wakes up to a dragon staring down at him. It is a copper colored dragon, and its metallic scales are glowing quite brightly in the morning light. The dragon, who introduces himself as Nail, says that he needs them to do something for him. He has a book on Shadow Magic and wants it returned to the ruins where it belongs. If they agree to do it, he will give them ten thousand coins. Eric is quick to ask what kind of coins. The dragon had copper in mind, Eric asks for platinum but they end up agreeing on silver.

After Duece sees the book, he thinks this is the item that Brandon's divination meant and he sees he could learn from it. He is unwilling to give it up until he has had a chance to look at it. Further, Victor doesn't want to do this. Brandon told him of a shrine where he could regain his favor with Helm and he wants to do that right away, not some side quest that will distract them.

They all agree to go to the shrine and then take the book back, which will give Duece time to look at it. Even the dragon agrees and says he will meet them back here when they are ready. The group heads back to Cormyr.

They travel across the north of Cormyr going west this time instead of east. They avoid all of the villages in the area as they head toward High Horn, where the shrine is located. When they arrive several days later, Victor goes into the shrine and prays. He is in there for a long time. He realizes that Helm didn't forsake him, he forsake Helm because of what he thought he had done. As this knowledge washes over him, he feels the favor of Helm return. He also knows that he can now heal the brand himself and does so. Energized by this, Victor joins the rest of them and they set off back across Cormyr to meet the dragon again.

Notes

• This was an awesome session! Lots of good role playing. And it was really interesting to see how the giant had little chance in attacking Eric. With the character's skills, the giant couldn't hurt him very much. Eric's proficiency with the armor meant he was deflecting most of the damage. What I really liked was how it showed Alternity handled skills and armor. If any of the other characters, unskilled in armor, had taken a hit, they would have been down, probably dying. Eric's skill allowed him to avoid a lot of the damage.
• Duece's player was rolling terrible! He must have rolled two or three critical failures, which is what caused him to go to the Shadow Plane as well as creating Brandon as a Shadow Knight. It was great drama but the player wasn't happy.
• I gave the group a fair amount of "xp", although that's not the term in Alternity, and at the end, they weren't happy about it! They wanted to back to the slower progression they had had! I said I won't revoke what I did, because most of what they got was because they know have a Powerful Enemy. But I would starting watching this for next time.
• The characters did have a big argument over what Duece had done. They wanted him to give up the amulet but he wouldn't. In general, he confused them a lot by his actions. (Duece is only 14 and sometimes he acts quite mature and sometimes he doesn't.)
• The players did quite well at the background information I sprang on them. I had told them that if they didn't get me a background in a few weeks, it would be fair game. They didn't and so I came up with this. I thought it worked out well.