• Fandillas
• Thorgard
• Adaeril - FTR 4 / MAG 3
• Gromble Godhater - THF

We are in Mombafra.

Starling village is about one day away, heading north, and is located just on the edge of the Valley of the Red Sun. The Valley is dominated by a volcano where deep black smog colors the sky and causes the sun to appear red.

Maervahr has a key for the TOWER OF THE FORGOTTEN MASTER that he acquired from a Thief in Gren. The Thief had amnesia and did not recall how it was acquired. He called it the Tower of the Disintegration Ray Master.

We are gearing up so Maervahr bought some rope for the journey and infiltration.

We hire 3 Porters and 1 Linkboy. Maervahr paid 4 sp for them up front.

We check for Mercenaries in Mombafra:

• 2 Heavy Horsemen.
• 3 Medium Horsemen, 4 gp each per day.
• 3 Heavy Footmen.

We pay for the 3 Medium Horsmen for 4 days worth of wages up front. They wear chainmail and carry a lance, a flail, a shield, and a shortsword.

Our party of 11 (including Mercenaries and Hirelings) sets out for Starling. We have an Ox and a cart as well.

As we set forth on the road, Fandillas's Hawk sees a group of 19 Ogres over a mile away. Some of them are carrying sacks on their back. To the east is some rocky crags and an area where the west hills descend into a swamp. We head east.

Fandillas's Hawk reports that Ogres are bisecting our path so we resume our travel over the grassy hills and avoid the Ogres. We eventually see some faint lights coming from Starling just over the hills, descending over the valley. There is no smoke coming from the tower, it is from the Volcano. As we approach we can see torchlight up ahead and we finally arrive at THE BLACK STARLING TAVERN. We hook up our Ox in the stables and head inside.

Thorgard buys drinks and asks about the Tower here in the Red Sun Valley. They say that Starling is the largest village in the valley but there are also 3 Thorpes across the valley and there are much smaller numbers. There are some dotted houses in the Valley and four castle ruins, two of which have occupants. There is also one populated area at Dead Man's Stone which is notorious for Brigands. They spend most their time harassing the Thorpe near the castle and there is Harden, which is a name of a Thorpe.

There is a ruined monastery that lies to the west, deep in the swamps. It is currently controlled by a tribe of Werewolves. Nobody seems to know who was the venerated god of the monastery or which group built the place as it long ago fell to beasts of chaos.

Starling has around 750 souls in it.

• The Wizard in the Tower rewards a Thief that makes it to the top of the Tower.
• The damned people at the Tower are horrible people and they all hate each other.
• There are terrible Dinosaurs at the Tower but they won't eat anyone that smells of basil.
• All of the Wizard's Apprentices will stab in the back if they thought they could.
• The people of Starling and the local Thorpes are fine with the Wizard. They say he has a light touch but controls the valley with his Dinosaurs. He also hires young lads from the Valley as Guards.
• The assistants and help that he has hired are a mishmash of people, even a Brigand from Dead Mans Stone may work for him.
• The Forgotten Master is so humorless and could care less about the Valley and its residents as long as nobody disrupts his work.
• There are young lads that are hired to work for the Forgotten Master that return to the village from time to time.
• Any dried basil in town? They can't remember but it is common sense around town that there are Pterodactyls seen flying around town, but they harm nobody so far and they have not been attacked.
• There are hills far to the west, north of where “Ravenloft” is…They say there are Dinosaurs there. Norlips are the herbivorous Dinosaurs that are ridden by the Guards of Criss Antha.
• The Forgotten Master has no Norlips.
• The Forgotten Master was summoned here from another time.
• They recount the tale of a traveling Thief, an adventurer from some months ago, that was planning to rob the Tower. They never saw them again.

Is there such a thing as a Jurassic Plane of Dinosaurs? We wonder.

Did the Forgotten Master break any laws? He's kind of the one in charge of the Valley. He has a light touch and does not do anything that causes harm to the people here. He just controls the Valley.

How far is the Tower from Starling? About 12 miles away.

What might we find on the way to the Tower? An open plain or an open field that is largely patrolled by Pteradons. Sommetimes the Dinosaurs are seen flying around and sometimes they have a rider. The Forgotten Master is known to indiscriminately allow his pets to help themselves to uninvited intruders.

We rest at the Inn / Tavern. We can see the Valley more clearly now. and that it is a sprawling open plain with some rocky landscapes blanketed with flowers. A Volcano, the largest mountain in the distance, is leaking dust and smog. The sun shines through the smog with a blood red color, illuminating the valley in crimson. Beyond the Tower is an elevated lake where water seems to roll off into gullies and ravines where it flows into rivers.

Adaeril uses the Rod of Alertness and Detects Alignment. The basil guy was Neutral Evil.

The tower is visible to us from 12 miles away this morning and we have set out for the Tower of the Forgotten Master.

We can see that there are great double doors in front of it and can even see all the windows. We judge it to be maybe 9 stories high though there are not too many windows. We can see that there are some windows on the 1st and 3rd levels of the Tower. The windows on the far side are on the 4th level and there are some additional windows on the top level. In the direction we are coming from is a big pair of double doors which is the main entrance. Even in the red sun, there is a pale blue glow that surrounds the Tower.

Eventually we come across a nearby brook that babbles along. It was at this moment that we heard a cry from above as a flying beast launches off from the upper level of the tower and blocks the sun. The flying creature is as least as big as a man.

Two armored Guards are at the front of the tower as we approach.

We hail the Guards. One of them raises their arm and lets it drop and greet us as we approach. We wait for a while as one Guard goes inside. They look young and are wearing chain mail and holding shields and spears. We are least as tall as they are.

After 20 minutes, a Guard comes back. He says, “The Master says to return in 3 weeks and he might have something for us to do”.

We check to see if there are any Guards anywhere else but all we see are the two doors in the front. Gromble starts walking around the back of the Tower.

He can use his Gnomish perspective to inspect the Tower, so he talks to the Guard incessantly until the annoying Gnome bores the Guard. He leaves and then comes back out after about 20 minutes,

Adaeril once again uses the Rod of Alertness and finds that both Guards are True Neutral but are lying about the Forgotten Master. Gromble can hear a woman talking and a Dog bark from inside the back door of the Tower. He rolls a Move Silently and pops open the back door. Inside he finds a woman who is cooking. She is a very large woman with her hair tied back and she is cooking a bunch of different food. There are two Dogs on the floor and he can see the boots of a man at an adjacent table as he crawls around. There is a conversation about other people who live inside the Tower.

Gromble walks in as though he belongs. The Man sitting at the table stiffens up and the two stop talking. Both Dogs also sit up. The Cook asks, “Who are you now?”

He responds, “I'm Gromble, recently hired. I was told to bring food from one place to another.” She tells him that bread is all that you can get before breakfast.

The rest of the party is still outside and has found that Gromble has not yet returned.

One of the Guards chuckles to himself about random people in the Valley.

Meanwhile, Gromble sees a cook fire and some aprons. He decides to grab a big apron and an assistant chef's hat, puts it on and goes through the rest of the tower. Beyond this kitchen area is a corridor to the right along with two doors to the left.

He comes across a plain door and listens…

Outside, Adaeril tries to bore the Guards while Thorgard inspects and Gromble explores inside. Thorgard sees no sliding panels anywhere to open the doors. The windows have common glass panes that look like they might get broken in bar fights.

Gromble is inside of a Grand Chamber where he was listening at first door but has not heard anything. He can see the entire chamber and some double doors that match the ones seen from outside. He can hear the Guards shouting some nonsense. The entry looks spotlessly clean and there is a huge grand staircase, two of them. Between the stairs is the head of a large Tyranosaurus Rex type Dinosaur with eyes that are solid rubies. It is an elegant room with 6 vases sat upon some wooden stands. They are highly valuable, stealable. He also finds a spacious closet filled with some coats, a pair of boots, some cloaks. There are no boxes in the closet.

Next, he listen at the southern door but hears no other noise.

Outside, the Guard sighs heavily and then goes inside. Gromble hears someone yell for “Fordo” who responds, “Coming, coming…” The Guard is then telling someone that there are some people here to see the Master. He is then told three times to go away. A portly man comes by, this is the one named Fordo.

The Guards tell us to come back in three days and we can come back to see the apprentices. We will not have to hang out in the dust valley next time.

We ask about the one called Fordo and they says “Fordo is as well as he ever is.” Adaeril determines that it was not a lie and Fordo is neutral aligned.

Gromble Godhater continues searching around and finds some rooms that have the belongings of different people in them. Inside, a fourth person shows up and a conversation has been struck up in the kitchen. Gromble climbs up the staircase. He comes to another great chamber with walls made of light colored wood and polished stone along with massive windows. In the center of the room, behind some steel bars that form a circle around it, is a huge glowing blue crystal. The crystal descends into the floor and into the ceiling and it has a blue light emanating from it, this is the same light we spotted from the outside. In this area is also an elevated throne made of exotic bone. A woman in plate mail looks at Gromble in shock as she draws her sword.

“Who do you think you are?” she shouts at him.

“Im here to get the breakfast orders.” Gromble says.

The armored woman shouts out “Guards! Guards! There is a Thief!”

Gromble quickly looks for an escape and sees that the crystal goes up many floors to a central area before it stops in the ceiling. He decides that he will try to escape by running past the woman as she screams for help.

The armored woman charges Gromble with her blade and brings it down upon him. Gromble takes 5 damage from the attack. GROMBLE IS KILLED!

The Tower is now on alert while the Gnome tried to rob the place and the rest of the party has departed back to Starling, having failed to enter the Tower of the Forgotten Master. We declare that we are not going back anytime soon!

At the Black Starling Tavern, some Merchants from Starling on their way to Mombafra. They reported seeing some Ogres along the road. They were heavily armed but a decently powerful Magic-User from their caravan scared off the Ogres. In the local militia house or barracks, someone might have gotten some idea of what to know about Ogres in this area.

Travelers often see those Ogres on the way back from Mombafra and they say that their lair is possibly on the eastern side of the road, somewhere within the rocky crags. We saw 19 Ogres on our way to Starling. We ask if there are more than that. The local Merchant says he has not seen 19 before.

We check for available Mercenaries in Starling:

• 8 Light Footmen, they would accompany us into the lair.

The Ogre lair is 10 to 15 miles toward the swamp which is also near the location of the Monastery in the swamp to the west. The Monastery is about 20 to 25 miles away and is a barely remaining remnant of a building. It is prowled by a bunch of Werewolves. The Castle in the area is where the Brigands are, which must be around 100 Men in that contingent. The Brigands are on the other side of the valley, about 40 to 50 miles away.

Following the death of Gromble, our late Gnome Thief, we are joined by:

• Zakra Slaughterfiend - Half-Orc FTR 1 / ASN 1, hp 5, AC 8/8, MV 9“, 1-2 Doors, 1-3 in 20 Listen.

The party decides to not return to the Tower and instead, to go LAIR HUNTING!

We will head in the area of the Ogre's lair that was rumored to be in the south.

The next day, we head into the Crags.

After 2 hours of searching, we find a distinctive tell tale sign of an Ogre lair. The area is littered with skins and corpses. There are also huge bones that lie strewn about and area that is 25' wide. We count the bodies and find about 30 heads of Dwarves, Elves and Humans amongst them. To the right of the gruesome pile is a pleasant brook that babbles by.

We are standing atop an elevated crag and notice that some boulders are stacked up along the brook, forming a crude bridge. The brook is about 15' wide

We tie up all our Horses using a rope that is wrapped around a tree. Fandillas sends out his Familiar, a Hawk, to scout out the area and hears footsteps coming from inside a nearby cave.

Maervahr casts STRENGTH on himself, gaining +2 STR. He now has a 17. A short while later, several Ogres pour out of the cave!

9 Ogres emerge out of the cave opening. One of them is wearing full battle dress and the rest of them fan out with their huge clubs in hand.

Adaeril did 6 damage to one of the Ogres while others did 4 damage. Our Slingers hit once dealing 6 damage.

Adaeril strike again and did 5 damage however they strike the new Assassin Half-Orc, Zakra, and she is killed by the Ogres! Zakra is Dead!

Adaeril orders the the Horsemen to charge the leader with their lances. The Horsemen comply and charge into combat with their mounted attacks. They will be hitting on an 11. One of them hit for 1 damage. Two of the Ogres on the north side fall in the melee. After the charge, the Medium Horsemen pull out their flails and attack. One of the Horsemen is killed instantly.

Another hit by Adaeril who did 5 damage while another Horseman is killed instantly. Adaeril casts Protection From Evil while 8 of the Footmen charge.

The last of the Horseman dies leaving only the unmounted warriors left. Thorgard hits for 8 damage and one of the Footmen takes 3 damage. Fandilas hits one of the Ogres for 6 damage, killing it!

Adaeril kills one Ogre after a charge attack. With the fall of many of the Ogres, two Ogre females come out. They are flanking an Ogre Chief who carries a spiked club.

In the next round, Adaeril did 2 damage with one hit while another Ogre is killed up top. 2 Female Ogres run back into the cave as the Ogre Chieftain watches.

Thorgard is pulled up by the rope to the cliff top above. We begin firing and the Ogre Leader takes 8 damage.

6 Female Ogres emerge out of the cave, hefting a huge chest and holding random shit. There is a thick rope being pulled by 5 Humans who look severely bruised.

Thorgard takes this moment to slay the Ogre Leader while Adaeril does 7 damage to another. Fandilas strikes one of the Female Ogres while a Footman does another 8 damage to one, killing it!

Finally, we manage to kill the last male Ogre.

One of the Female Ogres shouts something in the Chaotic Evil tongue, it is a curse! Suddenly all of their Slaves go flying 6' into the cliffside. The Females charge us into battle.

The Female Ogres miss Adaeril but he hits one for 7 damage. The Female Ogres attack the Footmen and hit for 4, 4, and 4 damage respectively. One of them dies to a blow by the Ogre Chieftain. There are now only 7 Footmen left.

We are now focusing our attacks on the Ogre Chief and the Footmen have charged. The Chief is finally dropped down to 0 hitpoints! We have killed the Ogre Chief. Meanwhile, the Footmen did 6, 5, 4, 6 damage. Adaeril did 3 damage to one of the Female Gores and another Footmen did 3 more damage.

Thorgard takes 5 damage from one attack while Fandilas, who has AC 4, takes 4 damage. Fandilas kills one more Ogress and the Footmen kill another. There are only 4 Female Ogres left.

Two of the Footmen fall to blows and Adaeril does 11 damage which kills another one! There are only 3 Females Ogres left. Fandilas takes 8 damage from a strong blow but then we manage to kill two of the three Female Ogres.

The final Ogress is killed and the battle is over.

Here is the treasure we have won. We have killed 6 Female Ogres 16 male Ogres.

• 830 gp
• 16000 cp
• 8600 sp

Total Gold: 2866.6

• 8 potions, all of them magic (and all different).
• 13 gems:
  • 65 gp
  • 50 gp
  • 100 gp
  • 50 gp
  • 50 gp
  • 14 gp
  • 50 gp
  • 50 gp
  • 100 gp
  • 10 gp
  • 50 gp
  • 10 gp
  • 100 gp

Total GP value: 699 gp.

• 7 pieces of jewelry.
  • 3000 gp
  • 8000 gp (14000 gp)
  • 10500 gp
  • 4000 gp (12500 gp)
  • 3000 gp
  • 8000 gp
  • 2000 gp (12000 gp)

Total GP value: 38500 gp.

There were no magic items on their bodies.

Fandillas gets taken to the Temple immediately as he goes insane from sipping a potion! It functioned as a SYMBOL OF INSANITY. Another Potion of Health will cure insanity so he uses HALF the potion of health and this cures it! Fandillas's third potion causes him to sputter fire from his mouth, appears that it is a Potion of Fire Breathing.

Adaeril gets some magic oil and a Potion of Gold Detection.

Thorgard's potion makes him feel resistant to fire and his next one makes him feel charismatic!

• Adaeril gets 15,722 xp.
• Thorgard 13072 xp.
• Fandilas 14,072.

Adaeril paid his upkeep of 500 gp but he now owes 4,500 gp for TRAINING FOR MAGIC USER LEVEL 4.

Adaeril Buys more silver arrows for 6 gp.