Episode Guide

List of Previous Episodes
May 18th: The Fall of Don Diego

Geoff and Joel awake in the Threfall magehold to find that Geoff has a terrible headache brought on by his visions and Durden Ironblood is nowhere to be found. Unfased by this, they head to the infirmary asking for a remedy for Geoff's post-nightmare pain. Frakes, the head medic, expresses his displeasure that they would remove one his patients (Don Diego) from his infirmary and warns them that to be up and about at this stage of his illness would likely kill the rogue. An investigation reveals that Don Diego was last seen heading for the hills supported by two hooded and cloaked figures. Following the directions of the (competence-challenged) front door guards and a blood compass from Ullman, Geoff and Joel follow the trail of the sickly Don Diego and the mysterious hissing hooded figures that took him. 45 minutes north and west of Threfall, our dynamic duo discover a necromantic ritual with Don Diego as its subject: a group of evildoers is making use of some pre-Imperium ruins in a small valley off the main road. They seem to be performing a ritual of some kind. Geoff and Joel ambush the necromancer, his lizardman, warmage, and lackeys. A confusing fight ensues, during which the freshly murdered Don Diego is awakened as an undead foe of surprising strength and speed before being put to his final rest by Joel and Geoff. Our heros return to the magehold with news of Don Diego's death and with copies of the runes that were carved onto the summoning alter. On their way back they are hailed by Broderic who accompanies them to the Magehold, seeking a conversation with the still-absent Durden. A discussion with Ullman and Broderic reveals that the abduction and re-animation of Don Diego is not a unique occurence, and that initiates of the Ash Legion as well as acolytes of the magehold are also disappearing (and sometimes reappearing in a most disturbing fashion). Ullman and Broderic also believe there is at least one mole at work and with some suggestions by Joel, everyone agrees to do some digging and some false rumor planting in an attempt to ascertain his or her identity. Geoff and Joel seek the assistance of Frakes again, during which time they learn perhaps more than they would have wished about the dangers of practicing magic at the tower. They also recieve two recoveries apiece.

The pair are interrupted from further digging by the discovery of Durden unconscious in the magehold library. A skillful shot by Joel narrowly prevents the theft of Darius Ironblood's journal by a type of flying snake found in the Irinatas. They retrieve the journal and learn that the snake had likely been smuggled in via a hollowed out book donated to the library a couple days previously. After a mostly unhelpful talk with the militant librarian, the players turn their investigating powers toward the mystery of the dirty, nondescript urchin said to have delivered the snake book. With some helpful clues given by Jace, the two zero in on a likely target: a temporarily vacated mansion in the noble district. A few successful intimidate checks later, the players succeed in capturing the urchin, a small boy named Roberts. Roberts haltingly speaks of a 'miss Aria' who convinced him to deliver the book for her with the promise of food. The players return to the Magehold with the trussed up urchin slung over Joel's shoulder. Geoff and Joel entrust the urchin to the care of Broderic and the Ash Legion and speak with Ullman about this "miss Aria", finding that he is familiar with her name, and that she likely represents a shadowy organization which has lately been making itself known in Arnast's criminal underworld known as the Vost Nazaan. Now Geoff and Joel settle down to wait for Durden to regain consciousness, hoping he can provide some more information...

May 4th: Trouble in the Hills, Part 2

Having struck down the undead invaders of their starmetal mine, our heros head for Threfall and the magehold, hoping to make sense of their newly acquired armor and journal and get treatment for Don Diego, who has been struck by a mysterious illness. Before they leave, Broderic of the Ash Legion expresses interest in their relics, and hints at more available for their perusal at the Legion fastness near the city of Arn.

Once at Threfall, Ullman assures them that with the insights provided by Joel Karristan he should have a translation of the latter parts of the journal available by the next day. Trouble lurks in the shadows, however, and our heros are set upon in their sleep at a local inn by three lizardmen and a wraith. Pillow Fort Karristan is destroyed, and Durden Ironblood learns of a sinister side to his ancestor's armor when he is consumed by rage and slays one of their attackers. Later that morning, Ullman confirms that the armor has been enchanted with the Bloodlust enchantment, although the strange after-effects Durden experienced seem to suggest something more...

April 27th: Trouble in the Hills, Part 1

On their way out of the ruins on the mountainside, our heros are confronted with the ghostly events of a past era, culminating in a spectral fight-one in which some of the combatants are all too real. Upon fighting their way out of the ruins, the heros are met by Senior Knight Broderic, an officer of the Ash Legion, and a dozen of his knights. He warns them of an impending attack to the northwest, which they quickly realize must be in their own starmetal mine! Our heros join forces with the Ash Legion and rush off to the mine, leaving the group of undead assaulting the primary fortifications for Broderic and his knights to deal with, the party heads deeper into the mine in search of the real threat. They find a lizardman overseeing a group of skeleton warriors who are holding the leashes of an undead bulette. After a short but brutal fight in which Don Diego is seriously wounded, the group finds a cave exposed by the invaders with a wondrous set of armor and a mysterious journal apparently belonging to Darius Ironblood, ancestor to Durden and founder of the Shields of Valor. The journal is legible up until the last two weeks of entries, which seem to be in some kind of code.

Possible Future Episodes
Where Have all the Flowers Gone:  The group is sent by the Ash Legion to a remote northern villiage to investigate rumors of undead sightings. On arrival, they find the village overwhelmed by lizardmen and their undying henchmen, with the population slain or being carted off to places unknown.

The Sound and the Fury: The heros assault the Black Emperor's stronghold at the head of an army of Arnastian soldiers and Ash Legion mercenaries.

Home Sweet Home: The heros uncover an ancient stronghold-a small millitary garrison to the old Imperium, but with a little cleanup and some pest disposal, it would make an excellent base!

On Top of the World: Our heros journey to the top of the Sundermount to seek the Forgemaster's help in releasing the Bloodlust enchantment from Durden Ironblood's armor.