The Scaled Plague
Let me start by saying that this is the resurrection of a game I abandoned here about 8 months ago due to real life events taking presidence over my PbP time. All the original threads have been archived, and I'm not sure what the chance is of un-archiving all of them. However, that being said, I just think it will be easier for me to migrate the relevant data from those old archived threads in a fresh new game thread rather than sorting through the old threads. It will also be less confusing for my players. :)
OK, now here's the actual premise:
This campaign will take place in the Forgotten Realms setting and take place on a homebrewed island. The PCs will be more or less thrust into the middle of an epic struggle between two forces of good and evil. The main antagonist for the campaign will be lizardfolk. The PCs will be sure to encounter reptilians of all manner as well, including dinosaurs. The campaign will be about 50/50 in roleplaying/hack ‘n’ slash.Diary Excerpts penned by Valeg Stormspeaker, Former Lorekeeper of the Rune Edge Clan
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1356, Year of the Worm Alturiak 12 – Today, I celebrate my 10 year anniversary since making my pilgrimage to Kethend Arux. The enchanted treasures of Aethelinda the Blue have more than compensated for the risk invested in my abandonement of my former clan. Much has happened over the course of this decade. The Ibixian population was simple enough to tame and Lord Ferimorx has been more than gracious to me for dominating the troublesome Lightningspire tower. The late Aethelinda’s golems have been more than useful in repairing the tower’s structure after years of neglect. The forests of the inner island have also granted me a welcome release from my studies and the denizens have always been cautious enough to overlook my prescence there. The arcane items and tomes in Aethelinda’s collections hold unprecedented power and I’ve only skimmed the surface. I look forward to the years ahead, where power will be in no short supply and mastery of the arcane hangs at my very fingertips. Alturiak 27 – My sleep was in short supply last night. During my last moments of wakefulness, my eyes were drawn to the black skies above Kethend Arux. Drawn there by a magic of ancient days, or so the aura suggested. The magic manifested itself as a burning star being cast down from its place in the heavens. The star burned with an eerie emerald fire and moved like lightning, crashing down into the heart of Kethend Arux’s interior forest. Had it not been for my weary body, I would have investigated the site immediately, but my physical being screamed for sleep. So, I slept. Today, I leave to investigate the site where the star fell. My curiousity gives speed to my feet. I must go. Alturiak 28 – My journey to investigate events two night before did not go as plan and yielded troubling results. After half a day’s journey through the familiar forests of the inner island, I found myself in the unfamiliar. A foreign jungle had sprung to life in the midst of the forest. An unearthly power emanated from every vine, shrub and palm tree I passed in the jungle. It was as if the jungle itself was alive and driven forward by a will of it’s own. The forest that had once occupied the now jungle area had been consumed, for no tree that had been there two night before remained. Though I was troubled at the sudden appearance of the jungle, it’s prescence is not what I found most alarming. Not more fifty paces into the jungle, I was assailed by a barrage of arrows and spears. Tracking the trajectories, I spotted the source. More than two dozen lizardfolk of varying breeds had ambushed me. I had seen lizardfolk a time or two before my arrival upon Kethend Arux, but had never seen or known of any upon the island before this day. Still yet, for the reptilians to attack me openly, a giant of no small stature, made me think that they were either stupid or crazed. Their number easily fell to my enchantments and axe, while taking minimal damage. As I investigated their bodies for any clues on their origin, I found myself the target of another group of their kin. Only, this time, there were twice the number I had felled only moments before. I had no choice but to retreat for the time being. Now, I rest and ponder. Ches 19 – Four expeditions from the day I made my first alone have resulted in similar results, not to mention the loss of nearly a dozen Ibixian escorts. With each expedition, we found the jungles borders to have extended miles further. The “Creeping Jungle” as nicknamed by the Ibixians ebbs it’s viney tendrils further and further with every passing day and with it’s larger area come a near endless number of lizardfolk. Their savagery is astounding. My general impression of the race was they more or less leaned towards neutrality, being more than content to lord over a designated area of marsh or jungle. These, seemed more bent on destruction and total annihilation. The island’s interior forest, that has grown here for decades is their current enemy, but it is only a matter of time before they turn their attention towards the mountains and the Lightningspire. I can only hope that they will be content with the inner valley and leave us to our own lands. Tarsakh 9 – The island’s inner forest has been decimated and overgrown with the Creeping Jungle. As I feared, the scaled horde now wanders into the mountains, scouting our beloved hills and craggy peaks. They are preparing for invasion. I can feel it in my blood. How long can we hold off such a ravenous foe who seems to have no end of to their number? The fallen star is the key… Tarsakh 26 – The lizardfolk have established camps all about our mountain range, surrounding our encampments. Tension hangs heavily in the air, and is evident on the Ibixian’s long faces. To their credit, they have proved more than effective in repelling attack after attack from their scaled enemies. I have offered both my blade and golems to their cause, as our fates are now intertwined. Most troubling of all is the fleeting power of my magic. Some malevolent force bend it’s will against me, and seems to be robbing me of my very eldritch nature. Not all is lost however, for with the close proximity of the horde has come the opportunity to take prisoners. I’ve had the chance to interrogate half a dozen such prisoners of late. Though stubborn and ignorant, the lizardfolk can be broken. I’ve learned much during these interrogation sessions. As I suspected, the stone is the source of their power, and is known among their number as the Murkstone. Their descriptions of their arrival are varied and undetailed at best, but I gather that they arrived by means of some type of gate opened by the Murkstone. They are led by a powerful shaman named Kirag’Innek. According to their reports, Kirag resides at the center of the jungle guarding over the Murkstone. The shaman’s prescence at the Murkstone only confirms that the cursed star is the source of island’s woe. It must be destroyed…. But, how? Mirtul 8 – Another month of fierce battles, now daily in frequency. The lizardfolk replenish their fallen ranks faster than we can heal our wounded. Half of the original Ibixian’s warriors have fallen and another quarter bear unmended battle wounds. The golems are our salvation, but even they have their limitations, for now warbred dinosaurs have appeared upon the lizardfolks’ front lines. The Creeping Jungle continues it’s advance as well, now having consumed the innermost mountains. It’s progress is slowgoing, but it comes nonetheless. My body is wracked with pain and my soul grows weary of battle. In desperation, both myself and the Ibixians have acted accordingly. A dozen Ibixians attempted to flee the island by boat sailing to Umberlee’s mercies. Their boat was later found shipwrecked near their port of depature. One survivor was found. He spoke of underwater dragons and half-eaten shipmates. In my own desperation, I have turned towards Aethelinda’s collection of spellbooks. Days of research turned up little that I could utilize, aside from one scroll I had overlooked in the months prior. It’s ultimate effect is unclear, but I am willing to try anything to turn the tides of our conflict….. |
