Campaign journal
by Simone NeriA short (long) synopsis of my campaign
I run a campaign that goes on since 1992 (we've had at least two years of no play at all, however); most of the players have changed, only one remains of the original party. We started 2nd ed. and then converted the whole campaign to 3.5 (conversion still in progress...). Anyway, in the order they turned up:
Claudius 'Calandros' Kallergan (LG human paladin): a Thyatian paladin of the Church of Karameikos, son of an important but disgraced noble (he was one of the generals who crushed the Marilenev Rebellion - Stephan, wishing to make peace with Traladaran subjects, kept him as far as possible from his court; now his alliance goes to Desmond Kelvin); he was "sheared" and took the name of Calandros. In AC 1003 he returned with honour to his father, but they wound up in different sides of the Karameikan civil war.
Titus Rorrigan (NG human cleric/wizard): a Thyatian wizard/cleric from the Church of Karameikos; much more interested in magic than preaching faith. He was killed in Ylaruam in AC 1002 by the Magian Fire Worshippers.
Dunrik Dunrikos (CG human wizard): a Traladaran wizard, son of a poor artisan family of Specularum; he's one of the boys raised to arcane study by Teldon himself. His father - also a wizard - perished during a mysterious fire in his laboratory while studying some forbidden fire spell... Bargle had him killed in AC 1003 to put his hands on the remaining tomes of those forbidden researches.
Alexander Locksly (NG human fighter): a half Darokinian fighter from Kelvin; his family was kidnapped by slavers (Iron Ring) and never seen again; he thinks they're in the Black Eagle Barony or dead at all. Later married Livia Fortas; they served together the rulers of Verge and had a child in AC 1007.
Sergej 'Zordak' Rovenscu (CN human bard/later fighter): a bard from Specularum, adventuring by the name of Zordak; he earns his life entertaining people, flirting with ladies and performing for the nobles (in 2nd ed. he has the 'Jester' kit from PHBR8... very funny!). Really a Karameikan character from a former campaign, who, after some adventures in the Known World, served as jester and spy one of the lords of Norwold, but was later exiled and returned to Karameikos. He keeps very quiet about his past life (his level wasn't much higher than that of the other beginning PCs). Zordak left the party early in AC 1000 and spent several months as an outlaw, robbing travellers on Westron Road; next, he headed back to Norwold with two former Iron Ring members - and eventually received from Ericall (the king had pardoned him) his own barony in AC 1004.
Livia Fortas (NG human ranger): a ranger from Kelvin who joined the party at the beginning of AC 1000; later she fell in love with Alexander. The two married in AC 1003 and had a child in AC 1007.
Sythandria (CG elf thief): a swashbuckler Callarii elf, who at first joined the party to escape an angered lover and then fell in love with Claudius, who married her later in AC 1000. They didn't get along very well, however: Sythandria became the lover of Julius, and Claudius managed to obtain a divorce. Later they reconciled. Sythandria died on AC 1003 during Julius' struggle against his brother Giovanni. Now she rests at the feet of Julius' tower in the Glantrian Alps.
Julius Radician (CG later N human necromancer): a wizard from Glantri, living in the Foreign Quarter of Specularum; he and his fiancée Sarah joined the party at the end of AC 1000. He broke with Sarah and become the lover of Sythandria for some time; the elf maiden was killed by Julius' brother, determined to steal from him the information about the secret location of their grandfather's tower. Julius won the upper side thanks to the help of a mysterious half-vampire witch, Louise (!!) with whom he established a relationship. Despite his intentions to show how necromancy could be put to good use, Julius is falling more and more in the grasp of dark and wicked magic, a fact he tries to keep his friend Claudius from learning...
Sarah Chesterton (LG human fighter/later cleric of Ixion): a beautiful and shy Darokinian girl from Selenica, betrothed to Julius. Joined the party at the end of AC 1000. Julius broke from her and she tried to win Claudius' love, with no success. Later she found solace in faith and became a cleric of Ixion.
Louise (CN human half-vampire witch/rogue): a witch from Old Averoigne, she was brought on Mystara by the party in AC 1000. Later she helped Julius against his brother and became her lover, and now she follows the party. Often Julius has to sacrifice some of his blood to Louise's thirst...
Jebedia 'Jeb' Cornsdale (CG human ranger): friend of Livia, joined the party in AC 1003; in AC 1006 left to join Darokin's Legions in their war against the Master of Hule, and since then was never seen again...
Eva Ghinassi (CG human cleric of Valerias): cousin to Jeb and in charge of the small temple of Valerias in Specularum. Frivolous and extremely beautiful, she also joined the party in AC 1003; she saved from death at least once both Claudius and Julius.
Phoebus Kenan (LG human fighter/cavalier): son of a noble from Luln, he is since AC 1006 the faithful squire (3.5 cohort) of Claudius.
The party started in AC 1000 and completed several adventures. Here's a small synopsis:
- The party retrieved the stolen Golden Bell of Chardastes (from B1-9), held by the evil she-cleric Elwyn.
- Then, they cleaned the Old Mill in Threshold from giant vermin.
- The party travelled to Sukyskyn, from where they were to escort a horse herd that would be sold at Kelvin (B10); the infighting of some group members (mostly Dunrik and Alexander against Zordak) prevented the party from saving the farm (that was burnt to the ground, his inhabitants reduced to slavery - because of this the Iron Ring would eventually seize the Lost Valley and extend his network of spies and slavers). The party fled to Kelvin.
- The party travelled to the Thanegioth Archipelago and explore the Isle of Dread (X1); they found out a huge black pearl in the island's central plateau. The gem contained the spirit of a devil, that later showed up and had to be destroyed.
- During a visit in Kerendas, the party winded up in Old Averoigne (X2 modified); a local witch, Louise, helped them to get back to Mystara, and followed them on their world.
- The party was then charged by the Kerendan temple of Odin to bring back some disappeared apprentices, gone in search of an undersea treasure in a complex of sahuagin-infested underwater ruins (AD&D adventure "The Murky Deeps").
- They helped Sasha of Luln to unveil a plot of the Black Eagle to seize the town through some wererats (in this adventure, titled "Welcome to Luln", they had their first fight with Bargle).
- The party travelled to Darokin, where they discovered a strange amulet that protected from sunlight; one of Darokin's Border Magistrates - later discovered to be a vampire - stole the amulet and the party had to stalk him up to Darokin City, where he was destroyed. During this adventure the party stumbled across a strange green gem of necromantic power (see later).
- The party headed in the Broken Lands in search of the fabled treasure of a crushed skyship, the "Pride of the Skies" (Dungeon #20 adventure "Pride of the Skies").
- The necromantic green gem (see above) was stolen from the party while in Corunglain; the party gave chase to the robbers through Darokin, Five Shires, Karameikos and mainland Thyatis, where they learned that the gem hosted the spirit of the last Pharaoh of Nithia; the robbers, members of the Magian Fire Worshippers, were bringing it in Ylaruam to raise again their undead king. With the help o a local sheik, the party destroyed the Pharaoh (a greater mummy) and brought the gem to the Isle of Dawn to destroy it also (it had to be touched together by a Nithian = Thothian Pharaoh and a man of pure heart = Claudius). The Thothian Pharaoh happened to be at Helskir Conference (from M5) and they met him there.
- The party then was sent to investigate the spreading of an entropic cult among goblinoids at Castellan Keep (B2 modified); there they helped the castellan to deal with an infiltration of Iron Ring members in the keep and discovered how far the Iron Ring's network had extended. They managed to uncover many of the Iron Ring's operations in eastern Karameikos and finally confronted Golthar himself (the evil wizard from B10) in the Lost Valley, where he had become a sort of king to the Traldar.
- The party set in search of the disappeared Dunrik, discovering that Bargle had him killed to seize some forbidden magic tomes; the party puts an end to Bargle's evil schemes (he was planning to overrun Luln with fire elementals).
- On the behalf of the Church of Karameikos, the party discovered that a lesser noble from western Karameikos was a cleric of an entropic immortal involved in dealings with the Iron Ring, and brought him to justice.
- The party was hired by Jeddarin Corran to clean Corran Keep in the Silver Sierras ("Prelude" from WotI); there they found the mirror-shield and met Rheddrian.
- The party has to reach again the Lost Valley following an outbreak of fiendish creatures from a portal in the ruined Temple of Pflarr; they manage to seal the portal and Julius find an ancient and evil necromantic book, the "Res Necromanticae Infinitae", thought to be the power source of the first death masters (belonging to the Secret Art of Necromancy) of Glantri.
- Rheddrian send the party to Aegos ("Build-Up" from WotI); they meet Kelter Zerben, wind up in the Hollow World and manage to return to the outer world via north polar opening, warning Empress Eriadna. During their trip, they had also some adventures with Icevale Elves and the Beastmen.
- Back at home, the party went to Darokin to join Karameikan allied forces against the Master of Hule; they arrived too late to take part in the siege of Darokin City, but played an important role in the great battle of Tellara (east of Akorros) between the Hulean-Sindhi forces and the allied forces.
- Then Karameikos fell into civil war following the treaty of Sundsvall: the king on one side, some of the Thyatian nobles (Hendriks, Kelvin, Penhaligon, etc.) faithful to Thyatis on the other. Notably, Claudius' father joined the Thyatian faction.
Recently (AC 1007), the party has foiled another of Bargle's plans to help Hendriks in his war against the king (they think they've killed him... ehehehe), tried to locate Kelter Zerben and investigated about the slow death of the Canolbarth Forest...
Right now, the party includes Claudius and Phoebus, Eva, Julius and Louise. At the end of AC 1008, I plan to throw them all in the "Finale" of WotI (I've just finished to convert it to 3.5), where a great red wyrm dracolich named Calor awaits them...