Though it's been a year, we picked up the tabletop campaign where we left off. There were a few minor retcons to adjust the story for my campaign plans--most notably that the Master of Songbirds was being held somewhere against his will within the Spiderwood, as opposed to somewhere ambiguous outside of town.
There was one major change, however, and one generally contrary to the spirit of the blog--for this session, as a test, characters were converted to the DragonAge system by Green Ronin, which is most definitely NOT old-school in mechanics. It is rather rules-light however, and is a system that provides some narrative possibilities for the players with the "stunt" system. I think that much, at least, was appreciated by the players.
I also adopted a new approach, one I've never really embraced--instead of providing all of the details, such as the final powers of the artifact, once it was found, I asked the players to tell me what it did. I intend on using this method going forward, so that the players have more influence in crafting the setting.
With the scholarly (and only slightly alcoholic) venerable dwarf Olin in tow, the group--consisting of Granny, Daisy and Kanaen--heads back to the Spiderwood to investigate the mystery of the glowing webs, revealed by moonlight, and the ancient tomb they discovered. Olin, having studied the region's archeological record extensively, and having been disappointed by the lack of any evidence of dwarven civilizations in the region (above or underground), has nevertheless made some study of the known elven civilizations that called the Spiderwood home, and was intrigued to learn more.
The trip to the Spiderwood having been uneventful, the group made excellent time returning to the site of their discovery--and as hoped, the thin light of the quarter moon once again revealed the glowing strands of web, creating an ephemeral pathway into the darkness. The group took much caution, with the nimble Daisy scouting ahead, to avoid making noise, lest there be enemies lurking in the wood.
Daisy discovered, however, not long after taking the path following the glowing web, that they were indeed not alone in the wood. Sounds ahead, those of a furious combat, alerted the halfling, and almost immediately, they began to approach Daisy's position. The noise grew to a crescendo, the sounds of battle and cries of the fallen literally all around her, though no sign could be seen of any foe, neither by Daisy nor her companions. Suddenly, ghostly forms of dwarven warriors began to manifest, being driven back by other ghostly forms, those of orcs and goblin-kin. It was clear that the dwarves were being routed, and driven deeper into the wood. The ghosts took no notice of the group, that is until Daisy interacted with one of the spirits--suddenly a trio of ghostly orc focused on her and rushed to attack, their own forms seeming to become more substantial as the boundary between the spiritual and physical seemed to evaporate.
Though pressed into hiding by the attack, stalwart Kanaen was able to force the foes off of Daisy, and with assistance by Granny (in the form of flung caltrops at the opponent's faces), the three manifested orc ghosts were slain. All evidence of the battle, including the sounds and other ghostly forms, disappeared, though Olin's interests were keen having finally found evidence of the dwarves. Theories arose, regarding the thinning of the border between the physical realm and "the Fade" in this region...perhaps explaining some of the inconsistencies in time experienced in the Petunia and Magnolia's clearing.
Not long thereafter, the company reached the tomb--though they searched for some sort of marker or identification, none could be found. The tomb was constructed to last the ages, and though they searched for some sign of there being a hidden tunnel or entrance to an underground crypt, none could be found. Once again, however, sounds could be heard around them--this time of muffled speech, which quickly turned into heated debate. Ghostly forms of elves and dwarves took shape around the group, though this time the company took care not to interact with any of them, even when the elves drew their weapons and began to slay the dwarves over some disagreement. Olin had some inkling what this may be, at least partly--the "Dusk King", identified by the elf-stone worn on a necklace, was a legendary antecedent of the elven civilizations he studied. Little was known of this Dusk King--at least, little that Olin could recall--and as the ghostly forms faded away, it seemed clear that the tomb was some monument--either to the slain dwarves, or to some other event unknown. With somber moods, especially Kanaen, having watched his kindred be slain, they continued deeper into the wood.
Daisy, again scouting ahead, discovered a tower--this time, fully material, with no sign of any ghostly presence--with only one entrance, a sturdy door with hidden hinges, barred from the inside. Olin confirmed it was of dwarven construction--a purely defensive building, meant to keep the unwanted out. There would be no way, short of a battering ram, to breach the entrance. That is, of course, until Daisy discovered, while crawling on the ground looking for an alternate way in, that ghostly evidence of a siege appeared--along with the bodies of several fallen dwarf soldiers. She searched for a ghostly axe to try and cut through the door, and when she found one, learned she could take it from the ghost world into her own--also revealing that the door had a ghostly overlay, this one battered and broken, allowing entrance to the tower, but only by entering the ghost realm of the Fade.
The only clue Olin could provide as to the tower's purpose was a reference to yet another legend--the "Heart of the Wood," an artifact of unknown power and origin, presumably wielded by the elves...though in context of the violence witnessed at the ghostly debate, the truth of the Heart of the Wood could be altogether different. And it could very well be possible that this is indeed the object being sought by Petunia and Magnolia. Given that the Master of Songbirds may also be held within the tower...presumably seeking the Heart of the Wood himself, for purposes unknown to Granny, the company decides to venture forth into the ghost realm to investigate, passing through the door as if it were indeed insubstantial.
Within, the company found signs--in the form of skeletal dwarven deceased--that the tower's defenses had been breached by orcs and goblin-kin. Granny, more than anyone else (being of half-elven heritage), felt a supernatural sense of unwelcome, which was proven to be more than just a feeling when the skeletal remains awakened to repel the intruders and protect the Heart of the Wood.
Kanaen, sensing the honor of the dwarven fallen, if not yet fully comprehending their purpose, issued a challenge to the skeletons--in the form of single combat, allowing the company to pass, should he prove the victor. The dwarf skeletons assented, though proved unequal to Kanaen's challenge, eventually conceding defeat and allowing the group access to the second floor. Feeling more in charge of the environment, they ventured onward.
The second floor proved to be a puzzle--four statues, two elf and two dwarf, were arranged on the walls, with a door of unequaled strength opposite the group. In the center of the chamber was a fountain, from which protruded eight objects, each designed to fit within the statue's hands. There was a sword, an axe, a wheat sheaf, an unidentified plant, a scepter, a set of merchant's scales, a miner's pick and a jewel, similar to the elf-stone seen at the tomb. After carefully examining the statues, the group divined that the elf was indeed the Dusk King, and anointed him with the stone.
Olin confirmed that the Dusk King's wife, known as the "Black Widow", was thought to have poisoned her husband--Granny, confirming that the unidentified plant was indeed the toxic "Adder's Kiss," gave this relic to the statue.
The dwarf king's maiden wore plain clothes and utilitarian boots, driving the company to bestow the miner's pick upon her, and so it was that only the dwarf king--unrecognized by both Kanaen and Olin--was left without a relic. After fighting off dwarven ancestor spirits, after incorrectly assigning him the scepter, they settled upon the merchant's scales, causing the door to open as if by magic, allowing them entrance to the third and final floor of the tower.
At the top, they encountered the dwarf king, overcome both physically and mentally by a twisted spirit of greed. In his hand was a tiara, upon which was set a large green stone--presumably the Heart of the Wood. Beside him lay his wife, in a restful pose, slain by a knife through the heart. The Master of Songbirds was present--bound to a chair, having been thoroughly tortured and worked over, the dwarf king believing him to be the Dusk King, having arrived to challenge the king for control of the stone, and also believing that he murdered his wife--though it would be proven that the dwarf king himself struck that blow, in a fit of uncontrolled rage, incited by the spirit of greed.
The company brought battle to the dwarf king, though it became apparent that he was bolstered by the Fade and by the spirit of greed, and the group suffered a rain of attacks both magic and physical, unable to wrest to the tiara from his grip. Finally understanding the tangled mess of emotion and motivation guiding the spirit's actions, they appealed to the dwarf king's sense of honor, hoping to overcome greed's influence. They managed to convince him that the Master of Songbirds was not an agent of the Dusk King, and also that they would become protectors of the stone--for present times, as the dwarf king's enemies were long since dead--and finally he handed over the tiara.
As he did, the tower began to recede into the Fade, though the company was able to escape--with both the tiara and the Master of Songbirds--before it finally disappeared, leaving the company in the middle of the Spiderwood, with dawn not far off.
