Dangar Stonekleaver - male dwarf from the Northern Dwarven Kingdom
Mikal Torvaldsson - human male, of the Uplander Clans
Darian Kyle - human male, formerly of the Imperial 7th Legion [deserter]
The adventurers dispersed for the evening.
Late that night, pounding on his door awoke Tim in his apartment in the Student's Quarter. It was a squad of the University Guard! The Arch‑Chancellor of the University has sent for Tim for immediate questioning.
When Tim arrived on campus he was escorted to the History building. The South Wing was on fire and in the process of being put out. The entire third and fourth floors were destroyed by whatever happened. The Arch‑Chancellor explained to Tim that the University had attempted to verify Tim's report through the use of a Farseer. Some sort of defensive spell was triggered and a massive feedback of elemental fire exploded from the Farseer and set the upper floors on fire.
The Arch-Chancellor, with several other members of the Faculty, proceeded to question Tim about the Vault in detail. The remaining adventurers were either called in or were brought in when they showed up at the University Gates looking for Tim the next morning.
July 29, 17 IC
The questioning session lasted until near Noon (with a break for a catered breakfast and then a smoke, because wizards). During the questioning, Dangar related a dream-vision he received that night from Lord Gamrin, Dwarven God of Protection.
Dangar's Vision
Dangar slowly become aware of the sound of metal pounding on metal with metallic clicking between the crashes. With a resounding CRASH, he fully awoke. He turned over to see what was pounding and saw a giant of a dwarf. He was six feet tall, powerfully built, and covered with the blood of his enemies. His clothing was once fine, but was now rags. He wore the shattered remains of chains and shackles and was carrying a tremendous war hammer. The metallic clicking was caused by bits of the shattered chains flying out of the darkness and reforming the chains around the dwarf.
The dwarf saw Dangar and turned and spoke to Dangar in a voice of rolling thunder:
“DO NOT LET THEM SHACKLE OUR PEOPLE AGAIN! STOP THEM BEFORE WE ARE ONCE AGAIN THEIR SLAVES! FIND THIS PART OF THE TRUE KEY AND DESTROY IT!”
An image of a blue and red sphere appeared in front of Dangar. It looked very familiar. He turns and smashed several of the chain links that have formed around him with a massive crash of his war hammer. He turns back to Dangar and said, “HURRY, BEFORE ALL IS LOST!” He raised his hammer and Brought it down one last time onto the sphere and causing a deafening crash that woke Dangar up, covered with sweat, Dangar's sheets wrapped around him like shackles.
Dangar and Tim realized the orb from the dream-vision was one of the items they brought back from El Djem. The Arch-Chancellor created the Orb Commission on the spot to start an investigation into the orb and how to destroy it. He was worried because the University was supposed to be shielded from the kind of attack that killed the Farseer and heavily damaged the History building.
Noon
Town criers across the city read out the War Proclamation (see below), warning the citizens of Freegate that a goblinoid horde was heading towards the city. The adventurers quickly angled for a position working for Outlands University to avoid being drafted into the City Militia. They and all the other adventurers that were associated with the University were sent to a oratorium to be assembled into teams.
Time, Dangar, Mikal, and Darian became Unit #173, Tim's Outlanders, one of 200 units in the Outlands University Militia. To supplement their skills an elven woman named Casvia (whose name means "Herald of Good Fortune") and a human woman named Aureme Anginsan were assigned to the group. Casvia was a wizard and was assigned to handle communication between the University and Unit 173. Aureme was an ex-sailor from the Imperial Navy and good with the scimitar and the harpoon, augmenting the group's melee capabilities. Unit #173 was assigned to scout out the Horde and return with information about it.
The newly christened Tim's Outlanders purchased some additional riding animals (one pony and one mule, 330sp) and saddles (two poor saddles, 30sp) and left Freegate, heading south.
Game Session Ends
War Proclamation
Official Pronouncement
Due to the approaching Jebli Horde, the Faceless Five are declaring an official State of Emergency. On this day, the 29th of July, in the 17th year of the Imperial Calendar, the following proclamation is made:
By Order of the Faceless Five:
All able bodied citizens of a mature age, as determined by the Faceless Five, are to immediately report to the City Building of their home Quarter and register for the City Militia. Failure to register by sun up tomorrow will result in immediate assignment to a Militia Penal Unit. All “Adventurers” are requested to identify themselves for special assignment.
Tomorrow, July 30th, at Noon, the Faceless Five will post Militia Assignments throughout the City. Militia members will have until Midnight to report in at their unit Headquarters. All non-combatants will be organized into Support Details.
For the week of July 30 through August 5, any individuals caught Thieving will be put to Death.
Any Merchants found to be increasing the cost of their wares by more than twice during the Period of Crisis will be subject to the following Penalties:
- Confiscation of all Goods,
- Fines of no less than 5,000 Gold Crowns, and
- Immediate enrollment into a Militia Penal Unit.
The cost for exemption from the Militia is 500,000 Gold Crowns, payable in cash to the Faceless Five.
The following people are automatically exempt from the Militia service but may be asked to participate in Support Details.
- Priests and Priestesses of any established Temple
- Faculty of Outlands University
- Children
- City Government Officials
- City Guard
Any able bodied individual not a citizen of this City and who does not wish to participate in the defense of the City is requested to register as such tomorrow morning before Noon. You will be escorted outside the City boundaries and asked not to return.
Happening Off-Stage
The University officials decide to designate the El Djem Collection “hazardous” due to the various problems that have developed since Tim brought it back. Therefore, only Senior Wizards are allowed to work directly with the Collection until each item is cleared.
The orb from the El Djem Collection proved remarkably resistant to being damaged. The Arch-Chancellor assigned a small group to investigate the problem and determine what is needed to destroy the orb. The Orb Group starts work on researching a ritual to accomplish this task.
A wizard stole the Book of Ymer from the El Djem Collection before the collection was locked down. They started forming a cult in the plains east of the Great Nef, past the northeastern lands claimed by Freegate. Calling themselves the Crystal Brotherhood they gained control of a small village. Their leader uses the approaching Horde as a means to gain sway in other villages nearby.
Tarquin the Mad and Rary the Red are finding it more difficult to locate all of the locations Montiflurio has asked them to find. When they finally are ready to return to Freegate, they will be cut off from returning to the city by the goblinoid horde.
The Vault, after the University tries to look into it, went into full lock down. None of the amulets and Words Those Who Watch have will work any more. Those Who Watch now need to reassemble the True Key. It is three triangles and two spheres that magically link and will allow the bearer access to the Vault and command of the defenses. The orb the adventurers have is one of the pieces.
DM Discussion
The use of the term "Jebli" is of course borrowed from the original Greyhawk campaign where orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, and kobolds had different names than what appear in the Monster Manual. I liked this better than saying "goblinoids" as all of my players had a long history of playing AD&D and had no fear of goblinoids. I hind sight, I should have created different names instead of lifting them as Jebli sounded funny to the players and did not strike any uncertainty into them.
Session 6 [Not Yet Posted]
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