Through the Vortex (Date 2/2/3)

“Beware the Vortex.” The warning buzzed in their ears, as the party descended through the Increasingly treacherous canyon. The water ran faster and rougher with each passing mile, and there was less and less easy footing on what could be generously referred to as the river’s bank. It wasn’t until they stood over a drop of some twenty feet onto jagged rocks near a grinding rapid, that the party halted their approach, and sent Ilyana ahead in her elemental form. What she found wasn’t the whirlpool she expected. Instead, the river plunged in a cascading fall into a vortex of energy which seem to be disintegrating the liquid after briefly merging with it. Out of curiosity, she decided to test the vortex with a summoned dolphin. The poor creature didn’t even reach it. As it plunged over the falls, a serpent shape of water and energy cracked from the whirlpool and ripped the summoned beast to shreds in an instant.

The party fell back. Marty sought an answer from Strom, but only got a cryptic warning to be careful. Leaving Edgar and Steven a safe distance away, the party did battle with the warped, elemental weird by standing atop the waterfall and hurling missiles and spells from a safe distance while distracting it with summoned creatures. Suddenly, a powerful surge of water swept Euwyn over the falls! Fearlessly, the party gathered their two apprentices and dived in after the prince.

They fell further than they expected. No longer was the vortex beneath them. Here, they could see only mountaintops far, far below them. The wind was biting as it tore passed them so fast it cut like knives. As clouds whipped by, the party gathered together. Edgar shouted caution, that they were too high. Anxiously, they clung to one another tightly as the ground rushed up toward them, until Edgar called it safe. Magic enveloped them, and they drifted down to the mountains. Euwyn summoned a cottage to protect them. They huddled inside wondering where they were and just how they had come to be there.

The Malwanese Marshal (Date 2/2/1)

Marty assembled his team, allowing the Prince to bring Edgar, hoping to make use of his engineering knowledge while giving the boy a chance to test his magics in a field setting. Their first stop was Giuseppe’s Ferry. They arrived late and demanded the use of the Marshal’s house. When the sleepy gnome claimed there was no Marshal house, and that any dealings between him and the former marshal had died with Lexington. Martin intimated an audit might be in order. Knowing that discretion was far better than investigation, Giuseppe was about to capitulate when wires got crossed and the situation suddenly became heated. Marty punched the little man in his nose. More words and threats were exchanged and any assistance the Royal Treasurer was about to give vanished. The party found an abandoned building to sleep in.

That night, a fire broke out in Giuseppe’s home. Marty, Euwyn and Ilyana teamed up to rescue the Treasurer who was greatly shaken by the event. Ilyana found no incriminating tracks in the area. In the morning, they used Edgar’s engineering knowledge and Marty’s magic to finger the guilty party. One of the gnome’s servants had set the fire, hoping to kill his boss and blame it on the Marshal.

Marty outfitted Stevan, the rescued priest, and brought him along. In the ruins of the tower, they encounter a stone giant. Marty cast a spell so they could converse and a tense situation was defused down to an agreement to avoid one another.

At the bottom of the ravine, Hedge was ensorcelled by a nereid, but after swimming naked with her and some giant eels that looked to be partially made of electricity, Marty was able to negotiate for the fighter’s release. As the party pressed on following the river the nereid warned them to, “Beware of the vortex!”

Journey Home (Date 2/1/28)

The gnolls crowded into the chamber chanting in gruff, high-pitched, barking voices, “Strom! Strom!” Marty let the chant roll over the victors for a time before raising his hands and silencing the throng. He welcomed their enthusiastic conversion and, in the Prince’s name, welcomed them into the kingdom of Malwan. A touch of healing allowed the addled priestess, Mjelde to find sleep, and the party followed suit – camping at the summit of the cave complex.

With Bar-bark left behind to rule until a suitable bitch rose among the ranks, the party headed first to Giuseppe’s Ferry to drop off a large portion of rescued slaves. A small handful, including the woman who claimed to be Yuri’s wife, made plans to return home. Euwyn avoided Kenny Ismort, and Marty counselled that the prince needed to go ahead with his challenge to Kenny’s father for the slight at the Midwinter Dance. Euwyn agreed. Everyone was aghast at the thought that Yuri had abandoned his wife and child to languish in slavery. Hedge had a flash of memory and recalled that Ichiban had been his student during their shared time in the other world. And the Prince had a nightmare that he, Lexington, his father and all the people of Malwan were trapped in spider webs. He awoke feeling shaken with an intense fear of spiders.

Upon reaching home, it was discovered that Yuri had not seen Emily (Hashek) for almost two years since she had been led away for sacrifice. He had no idea she was still alive, let alone pregnant with his child, Carly. He wept as he took them in his arms. Euwyn met with Relania who told him the time to take aggressive macho action was past. She counselled that if he still wanted to do something, he should leave no fingerprints.

The council was pleased to hear that the gnoll threat was ended, though some voices seemed dubious. They asked that Marshall Connoly should make a patrol through the area to ensure that the conversion held and to see what wonders the chasm might hold. Marty agreed, but more to the point of exploring than any true concern over the gnoll’s faith.

Death of the Gnoll Queen (Date 2/1/24)

A small group of gnolls in the slave pen explained that they had been placed there as punishment for their worship of Strom. Upon release, they promised to go forth and carry the word of their liberation to all sympathetic gnoll ears, and then to lead those gnolls down to attack the high priestess. Fearing that such help would arrive too late to save Mjelde, the party pressed on, bypassing the lower levels and flying straight to the queen’s tunnels.

Fighting their way through twisting tunnels, the party burst into a larger chamber, occupied by an immense gnoll wearing enchanted armor. Prince Euwyn struck fast and ensnared the entire room in magic webs. The gnoll chieftain roared in rage and ripped through the magic filaments to get at the offending wizard. He was a mighty gnoll, but no match for the party without his team to support him. As he died, he cursed Strom for abandoning him.

In the temple, Mjelde was strapped to the altar, her mind all but stolen by the foul concoction she’d been made to drink. Bellanna stood over her with a cruel looking knife in her hands. Not wasting time on parley, Euwyn enchanted the group with speed, and together, they rushed the dais. Even hasted the party couldn’t arrive fast enough to stay the priestess’s falling hand. Mjelde’s death looked imminent, until one of the gnolls taking part in the ritual cried out for Strom and grappled the priestess, pulling the knife aside. The sub-chief rushed in to assist from a nearby chamber, but was turned back by a wall of fire. He fled the tunnels rather than face the flames.

The fight was theirs! The day, and the tunnels belonged to Malwan. A sizable band gnolls rushed down to see their fallen Queen - her demon servitor already dispatched – and cheered the heroes in Strom’s name.