April 26th, 2021

Our heroes, still moving in two separate parties within the storm sewers beneath the city of Barrowmore, have yet to find one another. Despite Lexomel hearing the distant voices of their other friends, Galadin and Lexomel decide they will rest. They leave brave Calista on guard duty, wherein not a darn thing happens, so he plays solitaire. And, wow! Calista wins! Yay!

When Lexomel and Galadin wake, this intrepid trio decide they will NOT rejoin the others, Instead they cast off in their little boat to explore the storm sewers on their own. Sailing east then north, they encounter the rotting skeletons of several giant rats on a narrow beach. Yuck! Overcome by revulsion, the group turns the craft and sail south.

The trio comes to another small underground beach. Sharp-eyed Galadin spies a door. Although it is locked, he cleverly deploys his thieves’ tools and successfully opens this impediment. It is still night, and they find themselves outside again, on a rundown dock. They can see the beach they accessed from the Temple of Talos just across the small bay. As they move past heaps of fishing tackle, both Lexomel and Galadin accidentally fall through the rotted planks to the ocean below. Fortunately, each brave adventurer is able to swim, and can haul themselves up and out of the fetid water using ropes from one of the boats moored there.

Dramatis Personae

Calista (Reni)

Fenmyar (Freddy)

Galidan (Andrew)

Jakama (Rowan)

Lexomel (Rex)

Obsidian (Jase)

A good deal of loot

A large number of fish

A buried chest

by Tyler Forseth-Agnew

Finally in extreme anticipation of vast treasures, our heroes gleefully begin to open the numerous barrels and crates on this rickety wooden structure. Prying up the first they discover…fish. Hmm. The next crate yields a huge quantity of…fish. On and on it goes…nothing but fish, fish, fish! Each of the barrels, boxes and crates contains fish. Curses!

Hopping back into their small boat, the disappointed crew returns to the temple beach to consider their next move. Just then, sharp-eyed Lexomel spies tiny crabs, disappearing into a hole in the sand. Callista begins to dig and quickly strikes the hard surface of a buried chest. What could it contain? Hmmm.

Meanwhile, clever Fenmyr has cracked the code on the stout iron. He explains his insight to the others: the code is made up of three numbers that when either added together or multiplied together must give the same result. These three digits must be arranged from biggest to smallest. Fenmyr carefully depresses the buttons for digits “3-2-1,” and the trio of friends collectively hold their breath. Suddenly, the heavy iron door hisses open to reveal a mysterious chamber within.

Delighted, the friends take in a veritable trove of goods. But beyond the crates, barrels and sacks, a wooden staircase rises to a closed trapdoor on the ceiling. This is concerning for the trio. Jakama’s Mage Hand spell is unable to push it open: something weighing more than ten pounds must surely be atop the hatch! Undeterred, the adventurers begin to search through the items in the room for valuables.

Obsidian opens a crate that contains six castoff chainmail shirts.  However, no one in their trio save Fenmyr is trained to wear such armor without clinking. This kind of noise risks alerting opponents when attempting to be stealthy. An important thing for both Obsidian and Jakama to consider before donning one of these as added protection. But the chain shirts are valuable nonetheless, and can be resold at a profit. They tuck them away in their packs.

The group finds some other items that may be useful. Eventually, the friends evenly share between them the six tanglefoot grenades, six vials of acid and the six thunderstones they have found: two of each per friend. Finally, Fenmyr opens a sack and discovers it contains 2400 silver pieces, and the group agrees to share these evenly amongst the three of them.

After dividing the loot, the trio begins to discuss what they think is holding the trap door closed. A puzzle. What could possibly be up there?

Something to be reckoned with, eventually.

April 19th, 2021

Dramatis Personae

Calista (Reni)

Fenmyar (Freddy)

Galidan (Andrew)

Jakama (Rowan)

Lexomel (Rex)

Obsidian (Jase)

Our heroes are still moving in two separate parties within the dank and mysterious storm sewers beneath the city of Barrowmore.

Calista, Lexomel and Galiden have discovered what must surely be the meeting place for followers of Talos, the chaotic and selfish god of storms. Calista shares the tome he’s found, and Galiden is able to translate some of it. He identifies three different prayers in this leatherbound book: a Prayer to Calm the Sea, a Prayer to Call a Storm, and a Prayer to Raise the Tides. Lexomel, in the company of his Guardian Drake, Prelexo, takes the ceremonial dagger from the makeshift temple, noting the dried blood on the blade. Yuck!

The group debates the wisdom of putting their boat into the ocean from the beach outside, but they elect to return to the sewers. After all, they have agreed to search for King Dugong’s manatee subjects held captive somewhere in this terrible underground canal complex. And who knows? Maybe there will be some treasure in it for our brave heroes.

Meanwhile, Fenmyar and Jakama help their new comrade Obsidian, sputtering and dripping, from the bottom of the canal. But now, how to cross safely? Fortunately the intrepid friends have spotted a plank of wood on the far side of this deadly canal. Jakama is able to cast a Mage Hand spell to drag the board into place across its span. The three are able to cross safely. Whew! 

They investigate the chamber that surely must have been the lair of the now-deceased troll. There are plenty of fish bones and rat skeletons, but little else of value. Continuing further into the tunnels, the group discovers a heavy, banded iron door.  Surely something quite valuable must be behind such a sturdy door. But sadly, it is solidly locked with no apparent keyhole. So how to open it?

Sharp-eyed Jakama and Fenmyar find a panel of the ten numerical digits. Scratched into the nearby stone are three mysterious clues:

What could this mean? Hashtag wha? Maybe there is some other meaning here. It is possible, when the trio reunites with their three other friends, that they might pool their wits to figure out how to decode this puzzle and open the treasury door. We can only hope.

April 12th, 2021

Dramatis Personae

Calista (Reni)

Fenmyar (Freddy)

Galidan (Andrew)

Jakama (Rowan)

Lexomel (Rex)

Obsidian (Jase)

illustration: Jari Hirvikoski

When last we checked in with our heroes, they had defeated a huge and vicious troll with the assistance of Good King Dugong, Ruler of the Manatees. Also helping with their victory was the sorcerer Obsidian, a new adventurer who has elected to join their group.

Calista checks in with King Dugong, who appears very thin for a royal manatee, and seems much weakened from his experience with the troll. The King requests that our heroes rescue his people, other manatees cruelly imprisoned in this desolate and sunless place by the evil troglodytes. For what reason? Who can say? Our valiant friends readily agree.

Photograph: Brent Durand/Getty Images

While Calista makes ready the two boats for departure, Fenmyar explores a mysterious chamber cut into the southern face of the mossy sewer wall. The intrepid Fenmyar stealthily steps over the gnawed bones and used candle subs that litter the floor in this dark and smelly place.

He comes upon a chest! Declining offers of help, Fenmyar uses his axe to open it. He is able to view the what is inside (yay!) but the more delicate treasures have suffered damage (wha!). Six vials of what might have been healing potions have inadvertently been broken, spilling their precious golden contents on the only other two items in the chest.

Lexomel pulls these out. He holds two soggy scrolls and discovers that one is a spell of Mass Healing. He brings them back to the group and restores health to those needing it. The second scroll is unreadable to both Lexomel, a ranger, and even to the sorcerer Calista. Calista knows that the scroll contains magic, but the rune is one unfamiliar to him. Likely the spell is higher level magic from another class…possibly meant for druids. Who can say for certain? Our heroes will need to wait to identify the magic therein.

Jakama attempts to engage the mysterious Obsidian in conversation. Obsidian gives naught but his name then climbs into one of the two boats. Jakama, worried by the lack of information from this mysterious stranger, climbs into this same boat to keep an eye on him. Fenmyar, anxious to be gone, casts off, leaving Calista and Galiden awaiting the return of Lexomel, who has gone back to retrieve a sack he spotted in the corner of the treasure cave. Galiden calls after the departing boat, voicing his worries about running into other trolls, but to no avail. Fenmyar is determined.

Lexomel returns to discover the other adventurers are floating down the southern branch of the watery sewer tunnels. Lexomel is pleased to inform the two remaining friends that he has found a leather bag containing gold coins. With Calista and Galiden, the trio decides it should be shared between the three of them only, rather than the with the ones who left without waiting. Climbing into their boat, they paddle away from the sound of roaring water. A pipe near the roof of the cavern spills rain water into the channel.

Spotting some steps leading away the bank of the sewer channel, the three friends find a mysterious chamber. The room contains a wide table with an enormous spider carved into its center.

The group finds some ceremonial dagger items. Callista also finds a large tome but is unable to identify which of the gods this book of prayer is written to. He declines the offer of help from the others, shoving it into his pack.

Lexomel pushes open a door and finds an isolated beach. It is dark and the city is far to the north of the heroes’ location. The three wonder how far away the other trio is and what they have found…

Fenmyar, Jakama and Obsidian paddle south, and after what seems like a long time with only the dripping of water to keep them company, they discover an artificial island. Our heroes pull their boat ashore and begin to explore. The tiny island is verdant with lush plants that don’t seem to mind growing in the dark, and Fenmyar recognizes this as the vegetation fed to King Dugong by the evil troglodytes. He stoops to gather an armload in case they find the other manatees.

Drawn by curiosity, and believing he has spotted potential valuable crates, Obsidian is drawn to the far side of the island. Jakama, still not quite trusting Obsidian, moves to follow. In an effort to leap across the channel to where Obsidian seems to be headed, Jakama, who some may recall cannot swim, sinks to the bottom of the stream. Obsidian, torn between saving Jakama and the promise of treasure, chooses the latter. He also attempts to leap across the channel and misses. Obsidian, likewise, sinks to the bottom and begins to drown.

Fenmyar hears the commotion and is fortunately able to drag Jakama, sputtering, to the surface. Obsidian is still struggles beneath the water…

April 5th, 2021

Dramatis Personae

Calista (Reni)

Fenmyar (Freddy)

Galidan (Andrew)

Jakama (Rowan)

Lexomel (Rex)

Obsidian (Jase)

King Dugong Ruler of the Manatees

A very unpleasant troll

We open with Obsidian, a human sorcerer, who is exploring the storm sewers beneath the kingdom of Barrowmore. His keen ears alert him that someplace close there is the scrum of combat. An adventurous sort, he fearlessly approaches, and comes upon our heroes. Obsidian observes that these fellow adventurers, unknown to him, seem to be on the losing side of a ferocious battle with the troll. Selflessly, Obsidian elects to help them.

After attempting a frontal assault of the monstrously large troll, Lexomel has been grievously injured and has fallen unconscious. His guard drake, a ferociously loyal young green dragon, stands protectively over him to attack the troll on his behalf. Small comfort: poor Lexomel is at risk of dying unless one of his comrades can bind his wounds! Unfortunately, Lexomel currently lies at the rather large feet of the enormous troll, and his allies are hesitant to approach him because they risk injury to themselves. Curses!

Things do indeed look very grim for our party of heroes. As everyone knows, trolls are able to regenerate some of their health, even mid-combat. Even with the additional spells fired by Obsidian, the group is in extreme danger. The friends, guided by the monster lore possessed by Galidan, begin to use attacks that the troll is vulnerable to.

Brave Callista and fearless Galidan, both sorcerers, scorch the troll with well-placed Fire Bolt and Burning Hands spells. As Galidan has shared, the group now know that trolls cannot regenerate when damaged by flame. Valiant Jakama, a warlock, joins in by sending powerful Eldritch Blasts toward the troll: not open flame, but effective nonetheless. Fenmyar and his guard drake, Lil Bub, take turns attacking the troll, and even these extra brave actions do not seem quite enough to defeat this fearsome foe.

But…our band of adventurers are fortunate to have King Dugong, ruler of the All Manatees, in their debt. Recall: our heroes have rescued him from cruel imprisonment by the troglodytes. After floating south in the storm sewers by boat, our heroes discovered a set of iron bars to the King’s prison. The group worked together to break the bars to release the grateful King.

Although King Dugong is in a weakened state from his long captivity, he struggles to assist the heroes. He drags himself out of the water and with a mighty effort he slams the troll with his tail. Royally.

Heartened by this crushing blow to their enemy, our party rallies to defeat the troll, who is lifeless in an evil smelling pile at the foot of the stairs that lead down to the water’s edge. Now, confronted with this mysterious stranger, our heroes get down to the business of binding the wounds of old friends and making introductions with new ones.