Campaign journal
by Geoff GanderMy campaign started in Castellan Keep (B2), and then roamed west through the mountains to Armstead, then east and north into Darokin (Selenica). From there, the party did some orc hunting around Fort Hobart, and then passed through Alfheim, and then to Darokin City by way of Dolos. After that, they headed north to Akorros, and from there adventured up the eastern shore to discover the remnants of the fallen elven nation of Brethilad. Afterwards, they headed to the ruins of Ardelphia to fulfil a promise made to someone in Alfheim, and from there they went to Corunglain. At that point the campaign ended, but during that time we went through B2, B5, parts of B9 (Castle Caldwell & Beyond), and several adventure hooks in the relevant Gazetteers. Of course, I ended up writing a few modules as well, many of which are posted online.
There were several ongoing plotlines in my campaign, including thwarting a Blackmoorian mage (below), and countering a local resurgence of the Outer Beings (in Darokin).
Anyhow, my now-defunct campaign lasted roughly 6 years, and involved the following characters over the years:
Piratus Spinliana (went by the name of "Pire"), a half-elven spy (a class I created) from the kingdom of Shiye Lawr in Alphatia. Her initial mission was to infiltrate Karameikos with her buddies (she was introduced during a running of B2), but her party was ambushed, and she was the sole survivor. Her rescuers were the Thyatian warrior, Saturnus, and the drunkard thief Finn. Thus began the campaign. Only later on did Pire begin to learn about the true nature of her elvish heritage, that her ancestors actually came from the fallen elvish realm of Ilmaryll, and were a minor branch of the now-fallen royal house.
Pire later acquired a quest that served as a focal point (but not the only one) for the campaign - to combat the machinations of a wizard of fallen Blackmoor, who was seeking to change the course of world events for his own inscrutable purposes.
Saturnus Pilate, a Thyatian warrior who was much feared with the trident. He went his own way after the party crossed into Darokin, heading with Sasha, Finn, and Flit to Ierendi.
Finn (NPC), a thief whose lust for treasure was matched only by his thirst for alcohol. In truth, Finn was descended from the petty nobility of northern Darokin (near Corunglain) - adventuring was his way of escaping the stifling confines of high society. He actually never drank as much as he let on, and thus people were less cautious than they ought to have been around him. No one ever found out about Finn's true nature.
Flit (NPC), a happy-go-lucky pixie warrior, who insisted that he was just as valorous and strong as Saturnus (a claim that amused everyone). In truth, Flit was almost as proficient a scout as Pire. He later went to Ierendi with Saturnus, Finn, and Sasha.
Sasha, a Glantrian mage, only recently graduated from the prestigious Glantrian School of Magecraft, who never hesitated to inform people of this fact. An avid fan of dragon lore, Sasha had heard rumours of a group of mages who studied them in more detail, and thus she dedicated herself to finding out more about them. It was only the intercession of the other party members that kept her from trying to kill Duric in order to dissect him. She later went to Ierendi with Saturnus, Flit, and Finn.
Duric of clan Buhrodar, a hardy dwarven warrior from Rockhome. Secretly, he was a member of the Thorn society, a group of dwarves dedicated to hindering the elves whenever they could. Headstrong, even the strength of Saturnus was not enough to keep him out of a fight, although the party did manage to keep him from killing Sasha on several occasions. Unfortunately, Duric's headstrong nature was his undoing - he perished in a bugbear lair near Duke's Road Keep (where I ran B5 - Horror on the Hill, subbing that keep for Fort Guido).
Samuelle del Occhio (known commonly as "Sam"), a warrior from Torreon, who was found imprisoned in the bugbear lair near Duke's Road Keep (new character for Duric's player). He said nothing of his past, save that his homeland was ravaged by constant war. He possessed an abiding hatred of magic, and mages in particular. Sasha gave him a wide berth. Later in the campaign, he became very chaotic and flamboyant in nature, frequently sampling the seamier side of life - his companions questioned his sanity, but could not question his prowess in battle - few could withstand his charge.
Tosti Ulfsson, a warrior of Vestland who was on a quest when the party encountered him in Darokin. During his travels with them, he lent his strong sword arm unquestioningly, and his lust for battle revealed him to be a bit of a berserker. It was at this point that Sam started going a little "strange". He parted ways amiably (player left the country).
Dara of Clan Chossum, a young elf maiden with a thirst for adventure, whose odd choice of weapon (the chakram) lent an aura of confusion to any battle. Enthralled by the possibilities of magic, she met the party in Darokin, and tagged along at first out of mild interest, and later out of camaraderie.
Quellar of Clan Celedryl, an enigmatic shadow elf, at times serious and childlike. Although he said nothing of his past, his proficiency in the magical arts belied some formal training. In truth, Quellar was something of an idiot savant - he learned quickly, and could pick up on anything shown to him, yet at the same time displayed an incredible ignorance where social interactions and common sense were concerned. He delighted in cutting off the feet of his fallen opponents, and then dancing, because he then had feet, and his foes did not.
Johan, a thief from Thyatis who wanted to gain a working knowledge of the magical arts. He avidly sought texts on alchemy and magical theory, as well as someone who would be willing to teach him the fundamentals of basic magic. As a thief, Johan was proficient, but his greed killed him in the sewers of Darokin City (he was later resurrected).
Gerhard von Grauenberg (NPC), the chronicler of the party (my old website had our campaign journals in the form of a story he was writing based on what his friends were doing). Gerhard joined not long after Finn's departure, and his sword arm and healing hand saved the party on several occasions. He never said why he was so far away from Heldann (personal disagreement with some elements of official doctrine, but still faithful to Vanya).