10.6: Baronet Maurice de Kyron, Pierre Dupont and Boldaviullusallus met in Karanbar.
13.6: Grand Dinner with Magus Magnus Araque. Boldaviullusallus abused caviar, while both Maurice and Pierre attempted to flirt with Mlle Françoise Boulet. Boldavius bragged on Pierre’s behalf, later he ran around in the ceiling and fell into a punch bowl, and was then chased away by drunks.
21.6-7.8: "Old Man Katan and the Incredible Edible Dancing Mushroom Band" (Dungeon #41). Boldaviullusallus was hogtied and hung in a tree, on Maurice’s initiative (do not tease wizards, for they are blunt and quick to irritation), and when he asked to be let down – they let him fall. Finally they got the Bog Monster and Mr Katan to be friends. Maurice left the party to go north,.as did Boldavius, who returned to his gnomish community.
8.8-20.9: A good-aligned minotaur joined the party, as did a Mithraic and an Enki priest, and the mad fire-mage Scorn. The party fought wererats in the city of Boucar, and struggled against a nergalspawn posing as a psychotherapist. Pierre was accused of being mad for the first time. In the Border Swamp they fought bullywugs, and failed to conquer the undead of an elven war tomb.
28.8 (roughly): Boldavius and his cousin Wigglefount fought big goblins (bugbears) and the Døkkalf wizard Sabrar Pharn. Many gnomes were kidnapped.
21.9: The Mithraic priest tried to atone for eating human flesh in the nergalspawn’s kitchen, and was called to another dimension (Ravenloft) by a fiery angel of Mithra (helion) which is trapped there. The characters were called in while visiting Infernis Blanca, a powerful mage who acted as a conduit.
In the country of Falkonovia (Ravenloft) the players were asked by an astronomer to recover a fallen star. They arrived in a small village where great evil was afoot. A Khandian soldier joined them. Exploring around, they managed to get on everybody’s bad side, and were chased by villagers, militia and the minions of a nameless evil entity, simultaneously.
The characters were besieged in the burgomeister’s castle. The minotaur had been possessed by the evil entity and slew the burgomeister. An errant glass grenade blew up an alchemical lab, taking with it much of the castle roof. The players were attacked by the possessing entity and by undead shadows. Only Pierre Dupont escaped with his life and his soul intact. He went to the Demiplane of shadows (shadvent.doc)
28.9: Pierre Dupont returned alone to Decria, in a gnomish hospital, with a mortally wounded warhorse, which is put in stasis by gnomish doctors. Pierre is bearing a letter for Valdemar, whence he got it he did not know.
20.10: Boldaviullusallus and Bimle turned up at Maurice’s doorstep (he was at the time working as a clerk for his brother Gastoune), and persuaded him to go along to the Bad Badger Inn, where they would mount an expedition to free the missing gnomes of Beverbygda. On their way they rode a sled through a city, running over the city guard and jumping from the pier to a waiting boat. They met the Brennan family.
23.10: Bimle, Boldaviullusallus and Maurice arrived at the Bad Badger Inn, where they awaited the arrival of Pierre, Porthos and an Enki priest, who were sent there in crates. They also met a cynic fighter. Boldavius (and his singing campestri) started a fight at the inn. The group fought the inn guards to a standstill. The wizard Claude and his bodyguard Leo (a leotaur) joined the party. Thus bolstered, the party set out to rescue the gnomes of Beverbygda. They started to explore the subterran deeps, but after a vicious fight with a flock of trolls, they had to recuperate at the Bad Badger for some time, and Porthos left them.
26.10-17.11: They set out again. The common quest was to recover the gnomes kidnapped by Sabrar Pharn. These gnomes were now working in a Døkkalfar obsidian mine. The party journeyed through the subterran passages, and fought giant scorpions. Coming upon a Nergalspawn chained over a geysir, they liberated it, and it departed. Some time later, the party was attacked by and chased by a highly intelligent dragon (Whysslath). They beat it at a game of riddles, with the Nergalspawn serving as a referee (and forcing the dragon to admit its loss).
They sought shelter in a kobold (duergar) town. But in the inn they stayed at, they got into a brawl over a Wheel of Fortune, after playing without knowing the rules. Pierre and the Cynic were kidnapped by Døkkalfar priestesses of Echidna during the struggle, and carried away in their sedan chair.. Boldavius stole a magic wand. Bimle saved the day. They all flede out of town with their lives. They set up a successful ambush of the Døkkalfar and their goblin (quaggoth) slave-soldiers; They won and liberated Pierre and The Cynic. They fought huge spiders and ran into another Døkkalfar patrol, which they destroyed, at the cost of the Cynic’s life. Kept going, and entered an area laden with deadly fungi and giant burrowing worms. Pierre was used as bait here. They were then very near the Døkkalf mine.
Realizing that facing the Døkkalfar head-on would be suicide (and thus circumventing the multilayered death traps and ambush a vicious Fate had laid there), the group found a rear entrance through a narrow crack, and entered the Blackstone Mines with little opposition. They befriended a goblin – Tarak, who scouted the area for them, and rallied a number of goblin slaves to fight against the Døkkalfar and their goblin and ogre guards. A great and lengthy battle erupted, in which the group fought with great valiance, but in the end most of them were captured.
In their cell, they were visited by the nergalspawn and asked to sell their souls. They refused. Maurice was romanced by the Døkkalfar leader (Viceronia). Boldavius escaped and snuck around a lot. Tarak meets Purrleisure and other fairies. Boldavius recovered some equipment and managed to liberate the others. There was more fighting. The second Enki priest was sacrificed to Echidna (Lolth) and Pierre suffered permanent lung damage at the altar. Aided by Purrleisure and a nergalspawn attack the party and the gnomes escaped on a train propulsed by undead spider legs. Pierre romanced the fairy leader (Nymph). Party left the subterran reaches Fighting a giant snail on the way. ("Man’n’Gnome and the Mines of Doom" – own production).
18.11: The rescued gnomes and the surviving rescuers returned to the surface.
28.12: The ill-fated 13th Day Yule Christmas party where Magus Amadeus returned with lots of freeloaders ("party.doc"). Suffice to say that the following came to the chateau uninvited: a company of gnomish soldiers, a number of sentient and malicious metheors, a hippopotamus, giant insect-warriors, a sentient and voracious glob of acid, a battlefield of amazons and barbarians, a tribe of gremlins, a number of gnomish tourists, elpephantine humanoids, a rather largish goblin, a few satyrs and so forth. 48 hours of chaos, confusion and carnage followed, not free of such odd elements as exploding chickens and magical paint. Eventually, a united front of priests and wizards successfully banished Amadeus Kyron le Contraire from the planet, but not before much of of Chateau Kyron had bene demolished. The largish goblin became a retainer to the Kyrons.
13th month: Mikondor joined the party, which travelled to the Gnome Hills to fight mutant dragons. They had a food fight, and then went out and slew three dragons in rapid succession, one of which was scared magically by Boldaviullusallus, and later sat on him. Boldaviullusallus got his magical white fur boots.
1st month: Party is welshed by travelling merchants ("All Things Nice" – Dungeon #45). Maurice fights spiritual enemy in meat cellar ("Eyes of the Iceborn" - Dungeon #54). Mikondor left the party.
2nd month: Escorted the Brennans’ boat with a wizard’s (Master Dogan) cargo ("Moving Day" - Dungeon #43).. Horats Renard (aka Malvent) (renegade wizard) tried to steal it many times. The group was set upon by defrauders, thieves, a mob, pirates and goblins. They beat them all soundly. Paulus Varro joined the party. At the Bad Badger Inn they are attacked by Mr. Renard and his enlarged, hasted mercenaries. There was a violent fight, but the party won. Renard escaped. There was a final attack by giants before the cargo was delivered in the Ville de Coer. Tarak left the party.
Hunted for firedrakes for Magus Gephurade in the Vallé de Coeras. The Hermes priest Naly joins party. The character captured firedrakes for Gephurad (loonie wizard), who makes oil of fiery burning from them. They fought goblins, trolls and Horats Renard to open up the Zvern passage ("ambush.doc"). Once more they defeated this rogue wizard and thus liberated the Coeran passage from his banditry, but the Brennans’ barge was destroyed in the fight, and several soldiers were killed. Naly left the party. Party travelled to Karanbar. Pierre left and Mikondor rejoined the party.
3rd month: Maurice rented a room in a Dobé inn (The Resting Whale) and chased an evil priest through magical portals. Slews him. Found the Leviathan dagger. Went to the Moon Lagoon. Met the bard Katyn and some headhunters. Foughts giant octopus and sea witch. Finds the treasure of Nbod (pirate captain), and has Nbod’s remains buried ("Nbod’s Room" - Dungeon #51).
4th month: The Game Masterbecame an exchange student, left in July 1996, and returned in May 1997
5th month: The party was hired by Mr Eanaur (director of the theatre Legerdemain) to protect Squyllou Runé (mighty wizard) from Prym Glamer (director of play). They posed as actors. Eventually, they discovered that Mr Runé was the true villain. They fought and lost against his goons, and were bound in cellar. However, they managed to escape, and fought the goons again, twice, winning both times. There was a final struggle agains Rhuné’s summoned monsters and remaining goons. Runé was caught by the City Guard. He turned out to be insane, and was soon cured. Party is richly rewarded, by both Eanaur and Runé. Wigglefount went along on this adventure. Mikondor went to the scene. ("Legerdemain" - Dungeon #39).
7th month: Maurice, Paulus and Wigglefount go north to Dobé and through Resting Whale Inn to the Moon Lagoon. Fight flying monsters with beaks and ten tentacles (each). Recover a lightning-lance forged from an unknown metal. Sell it for a fortune to a wizard. Paulus and Wigglefount go back, fight harpies and find "metal bananas" and magical potions. Sell these too. The three go back to Karanbar ("grell attack.doc").
10th month: Mikondor found the sunken abode of the wizard Fatus. Mikondor then led the exploration of the sunken abode of the wizard Fatus (wizquest.doc). Sadira, Karthon, Wilbur and Henrí briefely accompanied the party. Fight mutated toads and card golems. Mikondor finds Fatus cube while searching alone, but it is stolen by mysterious strangers. Mikondor tried to trace them.
Maurice and Mikondor gave Nissa a lesson ("Pandora’s Apprentice" – Dungeon #38).
Boldavius and Mikondor entered Fatus’ submerged laboratory. There they unleashed steam mephits., and were almost killed, but were saved by Hazim, a jinnee released by Boldavius. The jinnee turned out to be a lot of trouble – it destroyed most of Fatus’s residence, and part of the neighbourhood. Pierre arrived at the scene and killed the steam mephits. Boldavius was imprisoned. Maurice and Paulus joined Mikondor and Pierre in visiting him in his cell. More witless wishing led to a battle with a fiend.
18.10: The characters went with Hazeem the Jinnee to Jinnistan, in order to have him released from their service by his overlord. However, in going to Jinnistan he made a wrong turn, and he and the party arrived in the City of Brass by accident ("In the City of Brass"). The City of Brass is home to Hazeem’s people’s ancestral enemies. Going into the city, the characters met Dhalia Amak (a noble fiery jinnee) who fell in love with Pierre and took them home to the Blue Horse Palazzo (owned by her husband, Miraz Amak, who is the court physican of the Sultan of the City of Brass). Pierre became a loverboy, but the others were enslaved by Dahlia’s co-wife Shireen. Maurice, Paulus and Boldavius went on a shopping trip, and bought cigars, tobacco and black lotus. Paulus befriended the salamander Essafra. Maurice and Boldavius went on another shopping trip. They bought ridiculous clothes for Pierre and fought harginn robbers. They also met gnomes who directed them to the Ebony Queen (the gnomes work there), and its captain, named Soot. Soot offered to take the characters along, if they stole an albino nightmare called Steam, owned by Miraz Amak, for him. They agreed to this, did so and, and went to stable it with a mage called Shamedi. They then foughtght Shamedi, an Atrahasite and three ogres. The Atrahasite, an ogre and Hazim the jinnee died. The players lost the horse and hid out with Essafra.
20.10: The Great Race in the City of Brass (Jinnistan). Maurice rode Steam to victory.
21.10: Maurice, Mikondor, Paulus, Yusuf and Grudge returned with Capt. Soot from Jinnistan. Grudge disembarked in Davêrughaimar, while the rest went to Karanbar. Maurice and Yusuf got teaching jobs, Mikondor went to the stage, and Paulus became a bouncer at the Brandy Sea.
14.12: Two days before Yuletide, Bardor, who was at the time studying magic at the Pyramid in Karanbar, went for a late evening walk. He let his mind wander, his feet wander, and suddenly, he found that he had absent-mindedly stepped into the great entry hall of mansion, with a great number of glass chimes and huge windows of coloured glass. Bardor wandered around a bit, and eventually he found his way into a great glass-blowing workshop, at the centre of which there was a great glowing pit. An old man and his three muscular workers waited here. The old man wore glasses, a fedora hat and a robe, and spoke in an archaic manner, the three workers had had their faces and fingertips encased in glass.
Through conversation with this man, who called himself Verre, Bardor discovered that the mansion was in the Astral plane, that the man had been transported here after making a deal with his "master" as the people of Karanbar were assaulting his home, some 120 years ago. At every full moon, he attempted to draw people in and draw their souls into bottles. If their will to live proved to strong, he would encase their faces in glass and make them his slaves. He mentioned that his time was running short, and that he needed 16 more souls to complete his contract. Bardor threatened to kill him, and the man then ordered his slaves to seize Bardor.
Bardor stepped backwards and tried to invoke a magical wind, but failed. He then struck the first slave with his staff, to little apparent effect, and the slave seized him by the shoulders and began to pull him back into the room. However, Bardor’s quarterstaff got jammed between them, and this gave him some leverage to resist the pull. Bardor pulled his knife, and quickly stabbed the slave repeatedly in the stomach. The first slave lost consciousness just as Bardor had almost been pulled into the room, and the second slave brought down a roundhouse blow towards his neck, the blow missed by a couple of inches and hit Bardor’s shoulder instead, as he threw himself sideways and backwards out of the room. Unfortunately, he landed on his right arm and sprained it. He then got up on his knees and invoked a magical wind, which blew the first and second slave into the firepit. Much injured and fatigued, he fled to the second floor, where he rested in an empty room for a couple of minutes before he invoked a great lightning bolt and went out to hunt for Verre. As he came out into the hall, he saw Verre and his final slave coming up the staircase. Bardor threw his lightning bolt, but hit the servant instead of Verre. However, the shock caused Verre to drop his own magical missile, a great ball of glass, which shattered and injured both him and his slave, which then fell down the stairs and broke his neck. Knowing that he had only seconds, Bardor ran towards Verre, who threw another glass sphere, which missed. Bardor leaped forwards and body-slammed Verre down the stairs. Then he grabbed him by his hair and slammed his head repeatedly against the floor. All the time Verre tried to invoke his spells, but failed (having your cranium slammed against a marble floor may hamper you ability to concentrate). As he cracked the evil man’s skull open, Bardor lost consciousness. He woke up in a back street of Karanbar’s old city the next morning, with a sprained arm and a beautiful glass owl in his hand.
25.1: Maurice, Mikondor and Paulus travelled towards Dobè, to go to the Moon Atoll and earn some serious money.
27.1 Transported by mystic mists, they arrived in the land of Valachan ("The Price of Revenge" – Dungeon #42). Met Elisa, a little vampiress who ran with wolves. The party had a horrible experience in the cellar of a burned-out house. In the evening, the party reached Ungrad in the evening. They met Antiannetta the Doctor, and slept at the Inn of Quiet Repose.
28.1: The party explored Ungrad, met Felix the Mayor, and Ewilda the Vistani fortuneteller, who died of stroke during their meeting. At night, they fought Anianetta and Felix, both of which turned out to be vampires. Maurice controlled Antianetta with magic, and told her to bring them to her hiding place, but he lost control on the way, and she summoned wolves, and escaped after a mighty struggle.
1.2:: The party snuck into Ungrad, found an abandoned Mithraic temple. They found a secret entrance to a small catacomb complex, where they found some ancient relics. Yusuf Al-Asmari arrived.
2.2:: They fought ravens and wolves. found white roses fated to destroy Mayor Felix, travelled to his estate and defeated the vampiric couple.
3.2; The party left Ungrad in great haste.
5.2: The party was hired by an alchemist to find black roses in Sithicus.
9.2:: The party arrived in Sithicus ("When Black Roses Bloom").
15.2: Maurice became a gate, and brought the party (minus Magda and Farrand) from Nedargaard to Chaotopia.
"It came to pass as the Bewildered were finally fully recuperated, that Maurice Kyron once more tried to visualize the magical energies flowing from Nedargaard Keep to the surrounding lands.
Somehow, Yusuf must have gotten infused with too much life-energy, for as his body began to stir, it also began budding, shooting off no less than fifteen foetid Yusufs which quickly grew into more or less exact physical copies of him, who nonetheless seemed to have an entirely different mindset...."
17.2: Amadeus opened a gate back to Karanbar. The party went through. Yusuf is brought back to normal shape.
18.2: The party met Gerrard. Gerrard and Yusuf brought priests to the apartment to arrest Mikondor and his henchmen. Magical showdown. Mikondor, Boldaviullusallus, Shekaran and Mirromurr departed magically.
20.2: (Night to 21.2:) The party assaulted the smuggler ship ("smuggle.doc").
22.2: Maurice was contacted by an official, who asked him to investigate the murder of Selthanon.
23.2: Once more, the party left Karanbar to go to Dobé. This time, they succeed.
25.2: The party reached Dobé.
26.2: The members of the party were incited by Baron Edgare to prove the innocence of his son, Baronet Caspare, and were promised 100 soleil d’or if they succeeded. ("Selthanon’s Murder" – own production)
27.2: Investigations in Dobé. The party travelled through stormy weater, by night, to reach the Elven Havens.
28.2: The party arrived in the Elven Havens. Talked to the Elven Lord and his son, questioned various residents.
1.3: The characters snooped around the Elven Havens for information. Yusuf blew himself up a bit.
2.3: The four travelled from the Elven Havens on an Elven ship, further investigations in Dobé. Mateo attempted to pump Arlene, a female merchant, for information, but ended up telling her all he knew (he should have drunk fewer Nergalian Full Moons).
3.3: Caspare took Raethquel hostage, Maurice, Paulus and Yusuf tried to liberate him, and the hawkman died. Caspar was given to the elves. The three survivors met Julius. In the evening, they walked into a misty alley and found themselves back at Nedargaard Keep.
4.3: Mikondor, Boldaviullusallus, Shekaran and Mirromurr returned. Mikondor jumped from a ledge and dropped 16 meters down on a hapless skeleton warrior.
Yusuf attempted to touch the Lord with Niding’s Death, this caused an explosion, and the sound attracted Azrael and the five remaining skeleton warriors. After much mayhem, Julius the Older managed to take Azrael hostage. At that time, Oma Magda was dead (a morningstar crushed her ribcage), Farrand had been gutted and was just barely alive, and the same could be sad of Boldaviullusallus, who had been chopped in the shoulder. Yusuf and Julius were grieveously wounded. Mateo had received no new wounds, and the much-reduced Maurice had not even a scratch. Ticklemop disappeared during hte fight and did not return until it was over. Three of the skeleton warriors were crushed, two were still in good shape.
Azrael explained that the mirrors made it possible for the Lord to relive his life as he thought it ought to have been. He also explained how to go into the mirrors. Maurice guarded Azrael while Yusuf, Julius and Mateo started entering the mirrors.
6.3: Showdown with Lord Soth. The surviving characters met A God, were healed and blessed, and found themselves back in the gutters of Dobé.
7.3: The advent of GURPS,
11.3: Maurice worked as a teacher, Paulus as a bouncer.
12.4: Julius and Morgan met in peculiar ways.
13.4: Julius sailed from Soergar to Tangrine, in search for a "big score" he had heard of.
15.4: Julius, Mateo, Farrand and Mikondor left Tangrine, after a few hours they came upon the havoc which was Signor Lidsun’s home and garden the night before ("Tulips of the Silver Moon" - Dungeon #55). On a Die Mal, they set out to solve the mystery of the missing tulip bulbs. They met a gigantic, poor-tempered farmer. Julius was bitten by an adder.
16.4: Mateo attempted to bed a pretty young lady.
17.4: Mateo Martini and Mikondor brought the ailing Julius to Tangrine, in the evening, where he was aided by a Mithraic priest.
18.4: Maurice came by ship to Tangrine. Julius and Morgan met him,. Mikondor decided to help the poor farmer they met on the 15.4.
19.4 Maurice and the two rogues left Tangrine (Pacar).
21.4: They came into Avation. This evening Morgan and Julius tried to steal from Caius Paulus Augustus, and got themselves a lasting enemy.
22.4. Julius and Morgan were captured by Caius’s employees. Maurice reached Soergar in the middle of the day. Spent the next three evenings dining with the mighty.
23.4: The Clementian sorcerour and his voluptous maiden fled the dungeons of Soergar.
24.4 "The Spring Celebration of Count Peter of Millex" – own production.
25.4-2.6: Rested, studied and/or worked in Millex. Julius became Maurice’s apprentice.
3.6: Left Soergar, travelled southwest towards Camons
5.6: Met Mikondor and Farrand.
6.6: Arrived in Camons, the Night of Hopeful Dawn. Fell down a pit, was rescued by the Gnomish Brigade. Overall, a humiliating experience.
7.6 - 9.6: Recovered from the Night of Hopeful Dawn. Nursed wounded pride.
10.6: Made abortive attempt to travel to Benry (attacked by brigands). Saved by judicious use of illusions by Boldaviullusallus.
11.6: The "Calling the Great One" adventure. Maurice, followed by Julius, Mikondor; He went to the barracks of the Count and "borrowed" some guards, among them the Naamlandish braggart Geir Arne; and also ran into his former companion, the Cargan Paulus Varro, who came along. Travelled westwards and into the forest. Saw glints of brass in the forest. Were attacked by werewolves. Pierre came riding along on a golden steed and fought together with his old friends. Maurice’s horse was killed. They examined a small stony circle next to the road, and found some strange footprints. Also, Maurice found some Elven writing on one of the stones. In the evening, the group approaced the village of Benry. Outside the gates they found crucified, eyeless corpses. Inside, they found the tavern to be an excessively lively place, where people feasted, fought and fornicated. A local peasant girl came with blatant invitations to Maurice and Mikondor. Maurice led part of the group upstairs to find a free room, and accidentally witnessed a group of werewolves feasting on human flesh. The experience left a lasting impression on his mind. Going outside, they spoke to the peasant girl. They attempted to leave the village by breaking through the pallisade surrounding it (as both gates were guarded) but failed and found themselves attacked by werewolves. After killing some of them, and chasing the rest off with an illusion of a dragon, the group left through a gate which had been abandoned by its guards. They went out into the forest and hid there for the night.
12.6: The group attempted to contact the chief priest of the valley.
13.6: Walking towards the stone circle, the group saw many strange spectacles, including trees growing upside down, oak trees bearing fruit and a flock of deer attacking and eating a bear. As the five of them came close to the stone circle, they met the Knight, a fearsome warrior clad in Typhonite armour and mounted on a beast half-lion, half horse. Saying, "None shall pass" he charged them, but was felled by a crossbow-bolt which Julius shot through his eye-slit. Mikondor, who had leaped into a tree, landed on the back of the masterless horse, knocking it to the ground. He then kicked it in the testicles. The group attacked the prone beast until that one too was still. Wayward magical energies from Maurice’s spellcasting turned the Knight into a sort of gigantic armour-plated tapeworm.
The group snuck closer to the stone circle, and beheld a frightful spectacle.
14.6: Rested in Benry. A group of Pyrophlatics (an order of priests of Terminus, dedicated to fight chaos and evil) arrives, led by one Dorian de Terminus, and these pick up the vile grimoire used by Livud the False Prophet, as well as other ill-favoured items left behind by the dead cult. They repair what damage Chaos has inflicted on the characters’ bodies and minds, and also promise to write a letter to Khand, which will announce that Mikodor has redeemed himself.
15.6: Travelled from Benry to Camon. Mikondor stayed in Benry, to help the farmers with reconstruction. Pierre, Paulus and Geir Arne headed north to fight in the Dorannic Civil War.
16.6-18.6: Rested in Camon.
19.6: Travelled from Camons to Bady, where they prepared to spend the night at the village’s only tavern. Here they met Sharak the Blind, and allowed him to join them. Later they were contacted by the men of the Baron Remon of Bady, and invited to his castle. The Baron informed the characters that his firstborn son Borellus had been kidnapped by bandits, and asked them to deliver the ransom requested, as he feared his guards would be too rash and attack the bandits. The ransom would be delivered in a special chest which only members of Remon’s family knew how to open.
20.6: The group set out next morning, accompanied by a small escort, and travelled to a small hamlet, where they were contacted by one of the bandits. He told them to leave the escort behind and follow him. They did, and met the bandits’ leader, Thoro, in an abandoned ruin. But as Baronet Borellus opened the chest, it proved to be filled with lead rather than silver. Thoro flew into a rage and attacked, assisted by his bandit underlings. He died, as did some of the other bandits, after some very disorganized combat ("Ransom" – Dungeon #42). They returned to Bady Castle, with Baronet Borellus and the chest. Maurice questioned the lack of silver in the chest, and was accused of stealing it by sorcerous means. He was challenged by Baron Remon to trial by combat, however the Baron was gracious enough to let him rest and recover before the combat.
21.6-27.6: Rested in Bady castle. Met a very congenial falcon, which they totally ignored.
28.6: Maurice fought in trial with Baron Remon of Bady. He lost, but the honour of both men was satisfied.
1.7-4.7: Rested in Bady town. Continued to be pestered by the raptorous bird.
4.7: Julius was caught trying to steal silver cutlery from the table of Baron Remon de Bady, and was taken into the dungeon and whipped until he confessed. He escaped without signing a confession, though, but all his property was confiscated.
5.7: Set out for Courite from the town of Bady. Was followed for some distance by the falcon. Julius attempted to catch and sell it. The falcon left, finally realizing the folly of its endeavours.
6.7: Julius met with his master Maurice again.
8.7: Maurice and Sharak reached Courite in the evening. Bardor joined them. They went down to the harbour, and then on to the Cape, where they visited the Khandian Consulate, meeting the old and ill-tempered Aspirantus Ursonius Fuernardus. They wound up in the local Lodge, where they met Bimle and Boldavius, the irrepressible gnomes, and some introverted wizards.
9.7: Bardor tried to learn to smoke tobacco. Maurice met with Milla and went to the Welcoming Ceremony. Boldaviullusallus asked Julius to examine the papers of Caius Paulus Augustus. Bardor and Sharak went for a walk in the city. They saved the journeyman gravedigger Jean-Pierre from seven bullies who were harassing him, and then went to the Academy of Stellarius, so that Bardor could get updated on the latest rumours of the mystery of Farnol IV. They later got lost, and ran into five thugs who tried to rob them in a desolate part of the city. The thugs will not try this again anytime soon.
At the welcoming ceremony, Maurice watched the general bootlicking, and then walked around being social. He talked to Marquis Peter and his vassals, but unfortunately he soon made several faux-pas, as his brother Gastoune had shown up. Finally he became nauseated by the nobles’ eating habits, and vomited. While recovering, he spoke with Bimle and Don Julo de Pilamaxos (who invited him to a reception at the Clementian Embassy). Returning to the Lodge of Sorcerors, he met Sharak again, and they spoke at length. After Sharak had been informed of what was going on, they decided to go to Stellarius’s Academy. On the way there, three men dressed in hats and dark cloaks walked up to Maurice, asked if he was Maurice de Kyron, and on a positive answer immediately attacked him with swords. Maurice was mortally wounded, and the men escaped, but with his healing powers, Sharak saved Maurice’s life. The two of them returned to the Lodge.
Bardor returned in the evening, and later Bimle showed up. The gnome used a healing ointment to bring Maurice back to full consciousness, and then chastised him for letting himself get assassinated for personal reasons despite the need Khand and Bimle had for him. He then adorned Maurice with some Mithraic effects. He left the three humans. Bardor cast Seeker, and got a vision of the current location of the Leviathan Dagger. He saw it lying on a table by a window, next to a book and through the window, he saw Hangman’s Bluff. He reasoned that it had to be somewhere in the Rookery. Soon after, Bimle returned, punched Maurice in the stomach and hid under the bed. A Mithraic priestess then came in, commended the breathless Maurice on his great courage in battle for Mithra, against the powers of darkness, and healed him. She left, warning him of a dark disturbance in his aura, and he then healed himself to full health. Maurice, Bardor and Sharak then got some dingy clothes from Bimle and disguised themselves somewhat before going into the Rookery. In the Rookery, they visited a drinking hall, and immediately blew their cover. Sharak heard some men commenting that they were probably rich men in disguise, and warned the other characters. When they had left the drinking hall, they soon heard men following them, and turned into a side street, which turned out to be a dead end. The three hid at the end of the street. Maurice’s spellcasting gave his position away, and two robbers charged him. He managed to knock one man unconscious, but was cut down by the other. Then Bardor attacked, and with some help from Sharak’s terror spell he managed to break one or two limbs on each of three of the robbers, the final robber lost his lunch and ran away in terror (due to Sharak’s spell). Bardor also fainted due to loss of blood, and the torch dropped by one of the robbers put the alley on fire. The locals managed to put out the fire and rescue the three adventurers (the robbers had crawled away already). Then Sharak and Maurice used their healing powers, and the three of them returned to the Lodge around midnight. Sharak cast foolishness on the blood- and vomit-covered Bardor, and persuaded him to sleep in the hall (though he was the one paying for the room). What a day, three armed assaults and three regurgitations, in three different parts of the city.
10.7: The first day of the Royal Fair. The characters spent the day indoors, talking and healing. Maurice spoke to the Lodge Master, Darton Spirarus, and wrote a letter to Maga Sulfurina. Gastoune visited him, and expressed his relief that "the rumours of Maurice’s death had been greatly exaggregated". Bimle also comes for a visit, bringing with him two hired bodyguards. Julius takes part in the crossbowm contest, barely avoids shooting an innocent bystander.
11.7: Bardor, Sharak and Julius went to the Great Market so that Bardor could take part in the archery contest. While waiting for it to start, they watched a comedy which is being performed by a group of thespians. Annoyed by Bardor’s braying laughing, which usually started for no good reason ("but that kind of shoes did not come into use until 40 years afterwards – who-ho-ho") Sharak cast magical fear on him. Fearing for his life, Bardor attacked Sharak with his staff, and Sharak frantically tried to enspell Bardor, while Julius tried to strike the poor Avatine unconscious. Eventually, Sharak managed to put Bardor to sleep, but he was accused of being a diabolist (having cast many spells) and the accusers woke up Bardor again. He quickly managed to give Sharak a brutal blow to the head. The Haramian and the Avatine were apprehended by the town guard, while the Kargan slipped away between the legs of the spectators. Bardor was still allowed to take part in both staff-fighting and archery contests, but performs very poorly in both (struck down by the first staff strike). Julius read the lips of Caius Paulus Augustus. Luap scouted the Great Market.
12.7: The Third Day of the Royal Fair. Julius took part in the fencing bouts, under the name Anonymus Incogniticus and made it to the quarter-finals before being defeated by a master fencer called Piermont, who placed second in the end. He wins a prize of 10 silver pistoles ($500).
Luap had found that it may be possible to set fire to the pavillion of the nobles, and thus flush Don Julo out into the open. He was on a roof, getting ready to fire, when Bimle showed up, persuading him to refrain from this course of action (using clever arguments and an axe), and to instead work for Bimle. In return Bimle indicated that Luap would be allowed to completely discredit Don Julo. Luap is told to protect Maurice from his friends and enemies.
Baronet Maurice also took part in the fencing contest, but was beaten in the first fight by a Clementian fencer named Franco, who made it all the way to the semi-finals. Maurice was brought back to consciousness by a physician, and then went to Sharak, healed him, and was in turned healed by him. Bimle came to him in the prison cell, and told him that he had located the people who tried to murder Maurice two days ago. They were staying at the "Cupid’s Grotto", and their leader was called Jules.
Bimle put a necklace imbued with an illusion disguise on Sharak, which made him look exactly like Maurice Kyron. He instructed him to go to Le Cevrette Noire together with Bardor, and to speak with Luap. His highly visible presence there would hopefully discredit any claims that Mr Kyron was slumming it, and draw any and all assassins to Sharak. Sharak resented being put into the line of fire, but it was pointed out to him that the alternative is being left for the pyre. Bardor was also liberated, and the two left while Bimle distracted the guards somehow.
Maurice disguised himself with a black robe (one of the many that Bimle once stole from a Clementian monestary), and he, Julius and the two bodyguards headed into the Rookery, after Julius has first obtained some information of "Cupid’s Grotto" from the locals. Julius tried to get to meet Jules, claiming that Jules owed Mr. Sharone (Maurice) a lot of money. He was turned away – the clerk stressed that they will not allow their business to be disrupted nor their customers distressed. Maurice went to watch over the back door, while the three others watched over the front door. But the clerk summoned the ruffians who were paid to protect the bathing house, and Julius and the others were chased off.
’Maurice’ (Sharak) and Bardor went to the Cevrette Noire, where they met Luap, and spoke to him. They also met Mademoiselle Stanboury (who turned out to be a real looker, but a true bitch), and her timid servant René. Snogard also appeared, and he and Luap insulted Mademoiselle Stanboury at length. A messenger arrived with Luap’s crossbow, and told him of a number of men which were waiting on the street and the opposite roof outside. Snogard left, bothering one of the men outside (who was pretending to be a beggar). Luap went out to scout, but, found that the enemy is too numerous. He told the two others of the trouble. ’Maurice’ "disguised" himself as Sharak, and the three of them wandered off. They met Snogard again, and all four went to the Lodge of Sorcerours. Snogard asked Luap to become his teacher.
Julius went and fetched Bardor at the Lodge (reasoning that he might be useful as a distraction). He then persuaded him that Sharak was inside "Cupid’s Grotto" spreading vicious rumours about Bardor. Bardor went into the establishment and demanded to be led to Sharak. When told that only paying customers were admitted, he paid, and soon forgot all about Sharak (I am going to have a bath – just like a noble). Incredibly, he managed to remain a virgin and totally unaware of the true nature of the Grotto.
Julius opened the bolt of the back door, and knocked out a snoozing guard. He, Maurice and the bodyguards then went inside, and soon stumbled upon four guards in the kitchen/water heating rooom, just as Julius was trying to knock out a serving girl. Maurice and the bodyguards ran away, Julius hid inside the house, and later snuck out.
Bardor eventually emerged from the Grotto, and the five of them waited all night outside the main entrance, checking for magic all people who left the house.
13.7: At dawn, Maurice felt a disturbance in the weave of magic, coming from the second floor. Julius did a second-story job, and found the room which Bardor had seen in a vision. But the room was bereft of all loose items, save for two loose women in the bed, and a letter adressed "pour Baronet Maurice Kyron". Maurice had the letter checked for magic in the lodge, and then dispelled its dweomers (sound, fire and meta-magic). The letter turned out to be blank. They then got a couple of hours of decent sleep.
Maurice’s rest was interrupted by the visit of one Banneret Raphel de Stanbouri, who asked Maurice to keep an eye on his "difficult" daughter – Feuline Stanbouri, and if possible teach her something of the harsh realities of the real world. Maurice agreed to do so.
Maurice went out to borrow some money and bought a decent horse, he got ready just in time to catch up with the royal entourage, brining along his three servants, Zargan, Bardor and Julius. He spoke a bit with the beautiful Feuline, but was frightened off by the dogs of Baronet Leonard de Pemy. Julius was told rather firmly that he should not attempt any thieving.
The entourage of 1200 persons and roughly as many horses and oxen, arrived at the chateau in the Tibellu hill, the lesser nobles set up camp, while the royality and peers found housing in the hunting chateau. There was dancing and gaiety.
14.7: Midsummer. Much hunting and feasting. Feuline spent much time with Maurice, distracting him from his important tasks and marking him for the enmitiy of many young noblemen. Baronet Baronet Maurice was insulted and challenged Baronet Leonard to a duel, Leonard chose swords as the fititng weapon. Maurice’s secondants were Count Peter de Millex and the Baron de Fonte-Aunau. Though both combatants were seriously wounded, Maurice was the technical victor, and both he and Leopold were later assisted by the Royal Astrologer’s apprentice, who treated their life-threatening wounds so well that they were able to be seated at the royal dinner later that night. There was much dancing and gaiety, but Bardor’s old friends grumbled at being forbidden to hold their traditional midsummer celebration, claiming that it would "anger the powers of the land".
15.7: Maurice reconvalcented in the pleasant company of Feuline, and the not-quite-as-pleasant-company of Bardor and Julius. Bardor had some trouble playing the part of a servant. The conversation was disturbed as La Infanta Bellabianca Persepina de Clementia came flying by at a high speed, sleeping on her back in 20 meters height. Soon she was followed Decanus Noctezo and his servant, Magog, who were flying quickly too. They all disappeared over the hunting chateau’s park.
Maurice and Feuline mounted their horses and gave pursuit, and Julius and Bardor followed somewhat later, as they needed to con somebody out of a crossbow and two horses first.
As Maurice and Feuline reached a small glade in the park, they saw a dolme. Maurice sensed that from underneath it came strong magical radiation. They rode up to it and dismounted. Going closer, they saw that there was an open tunnel shaft under the dolme, which apparently had been covered by a great flat stone until recently. At the rim of the shaft stood Decanus Noctezo, and in the shaft itself, pushing to hold a magical gate open, was Magog, now in the form of an ebon-skinned batwinged fiend. While Maurice’s long experience with matters supernatural enabled him to shrug off the horrible sight, Feuline was stunned. Decanus Noctezo told Maurice that beings unknown had abducted La Infanta. Maurice jumped through the gate. Noctezo grabbed Feuline by the hair, pulling her with him as he followed Maurice. At that time, Bardor and Julius arrived in the glade, just in time to see Feuline pulled down the shaft. Though daunted by the fiend, they jumped past him.
In Feylund: With a gut-wrenching displacement, the five arrived horizontally, though they had departed vertically. Maurice was the first to regain control of his wits and guts, and helped Feuline stand. He also explained to the others that he recognized their present location as the land of the Beutiful People (the Feylund). He carefully instructed them in the proper behaviour for this realm, including always staying on one’s path, never uttering one’s name, never accepting gifts, and never calling the Sidhe by any of their proper names, rather calling them the Beautiful Family or such like.
The first obstacle the five met was a hulking humanoid (8 feet tall and 600 lbs), which was awakened by a sidhe and charged them. Mirculously they escaped without serious injury (even Julius, who was stepped on), and the beast was brough low, primarily by a sunbolt from Maurice and a fireball from Noctezo (who also burned it to cinders with create fire).
The second obstacle was a closed gate, controlled by a sidhe sitting on top of a 12 yards tall wall. After Maurice solved his riddle, the sidhe opened the gate, but also offered a second riddle. This riddle took up quite a bit of the character’s time, and Julius was finally fooled into accepting the answer and prize (a golden ring) as a "gift", which was then paid for with 5 years of his life.
As the five stepped through the gate, they were plunged into inpenetrable darkness. Four of them eventually found one another again, but Bardor was not seen again. He had stepped off the path. And found the darker way.
They finally entered an unguarded Sidhe castle. Going up a spiral stair, they arrived at a great hall, where the Infanta was held. 200 sidhe and quite a few pucks and pixies were in attendance and a sidhe standing in front of her throne was casting some spell at the Infanta. The characters sprinted through a rain of magic missiles (stone spheres, lightning bolts, fireballs, sunbolts). As Noctezo reached the Infanta he opened a gate back to a space anchor which Magog had created while in contact with the gate. Julius was the last one through the gate,.throwing himself headlong through it as it closed and cut the toetips off his boots.
9.8: Maurice, Julius, Feuline and Noctezo returned to the Beiarlund (world of mortals) arriving in the Xacian Palace of the Grand King of Clementia (after an absence of 20 days).
17.8: Julius and Maurice arrived in Courite.
18.8: Maurice was made a member of the Order of the Narwhale, while Julius received his spurs and was knighted, to be the page of Maurice. Maurice was given the fief of Benry, which was conveniently lordless. In the afternoon, Mikondor arrived. Maurice, Julius and Mikondor were seen out-and-about the city, particularily at La Hydre, favoured watering hole of the young and rich. Julius and Mikondor gambled a bit. In the process of flirting with the most beautiful woman present, Mateo managed to insult another young nobleman soundly, and was challenged to a duel. The weapons and location were chosen, and Mateo asked Baronet Maurice and Sir Julius to be his secundants. They agreed to be. Julius got into a conversation with a Mr. Barbe. He also got Mateo interested in Mr. Barbe’s offer: To buy shares in an a ship which was to sail to Clementia, buy armaments, and then to sell them in Dorannia – the profits of a successful venture was estimated at 50% - 100%.
19.8: The two secundants, accompanied by Mikondor, showed up at the Cimitiere Vieux (the old graveyard) to second the duel, but soon discovered that Mateo was not there. So instead, they had lunch with the offending party, roundly reviling Mateo’s cowardice. In the evening, the characters returned to La Hydre; Once more, Mikondor struck up a converstation with the mysterious woman, and Maurice joined them. Her name turned out to be Murielle. She supported their suspicions that Mateo might have been too frightened to show up for the duel. Mikodor escorted her home.
20.8: Mikondor did not turn up in the morning, nor did Mateo. In the evening, at La Hydre, the fair Murielle did not reappear.
21.8: After Naly had cast a successful Seeker, he and Maurice picked up Julius, and they went to the Rue des Orfèvres, where Naly felt the presence of Mikodor. As it was Sunday’s morning, there were few people about. After asking a servant-girl, and looking around a bit, they noted that one of the houses marked as plague-struck had tightly drawn and fairly new-looking curtains on the second floor, and looking a bit closer, they found that one of the entrance doors had been opened recently. They entered the house, and Julius used his magic coin to provide light. Sneaking up (to the efforts of the other two were soundly ruined by Maurice) to the first floor, Julius, walking point, fell down through the staircase, as some steps turned out to be loose. However, his acrobatic training spared him of any damage. Once up, they found that some rooms were unfurnished, while others were not. One room contained a dais covered in black cloth, and six heavy silver candlesticks, but after some dispute with Maurice, Julius agreed to leave them where they were.
As they were coming down the stairs again, Maurice, who was bringing up the rear, was shoved from behind, and fell into Naly, who in turn fell into Julius, and the three tumbled down the stairs, landing in a heap below it. As they attempted to regain their composure, they became aware of a flying gentleman hovering over the stairs behind them, and a number of robe-clad persons approaching them across the floor of the entrance hall, brandishing clubs. Julius got into a scuffle with the flying gentleman, who seemed not to mind very much neither knife stabs nor groin kicks, merely smiling wickedly and attempting to plunge his longish teeth into Julius’s throat.The ghoul was lain low as Julius pulled out an ashen crossbow bolt and stuck it deep into the being’s gut. The club-wielders approached the three, and, not minding whatever injuries they suffered, they quickly knocked out both Julius and Naly, though Naly recovered his consciousness within moments, and was healed further by Maurice. For a further description of the combat, see the goldsmith shop affair.
The burning house was eventually torn down and doused by over hundred concerned neighbours, led by those who live right next to the fire.
Mateo and Miquondor returned from parts unknown, looking rather worse for wear. In their company was a beautiful young woman and a mercenary. Mateo adressed the masses, and with his influence and reputation, as well as an offer of monetary reward, he got the serving folk to dig out the beaten, broken bodies of Maurice, Julius and Naly. Miquondor helped. Mateo nearly drowned Maurice with some more water, but the young woman saved him, and also gave first aid to the other two survivors. They had the three transported to the Lodge of Sorcerers.
This was the last time the Masters acted as a coherent group...