Campaign Journal: Arcanum

[Epic Meepo]

Since another thread was asking if anyone here actually built actual campaigns instead of just campaign settings, I thought I'd post a campaign journal of a campaign I ran not too long ago.

Set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting three-hundred years in the future, the story opens in the Sembian port city of Yhaunn. Three centuries ago, the deities Mystra and Kelemvor were murdered by Cyric and Shar, tainting all magic in the cosmos. The Cormanthor drow have used the resulting chaos to conquer the Dalelands and parts of Sembia, including Yhaunn.

The story follows the adventures of three characters: Dalondaar, Jess, and Shae.

Dalondaar the unscrupulous necromancer studies arcane magic, despite the fact that it has become a dangerous and Tainted force. With each spell he casts, he further loses his grip on sanity.

Jess, a warrior who fled a demon cult that rules in her distant homeland, is filled with curiosity and is tempted to supplement her martial talents with arcane spells.

Sha, the thief, comes from a family devoted to a new god, Megistus, whose goal is to protect arcane secrets until such a time that magic is once again a stable force. His family controls a secret vault of arcane lore in a nearby city.

This trio has gathered to form a mercenary company so as to earn a living in Yhaunn. Except for mercenaries held on a tight leash and encouraged to fight amongst one another, humans have few other options for advancement in the drow-ruled city.

The campaign was arranged into cinematic "episodes", each with a "pre-credits" sequence followed by an adventure. Summaries of those adventures run prior to the end of the campaign follow.

[Epic Meepo]

Episode 101: â,¬Å"No Wares worth Burglingâ,¬Â¦Ã¢,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Dalondaar, Jess, and Sha mop up a tribe of goblins that has been terrorizing a neighborhood in Yuann.  Amidst the goblinsâ,¬,,¢ hoard, they find a curious goblin statue.

Adventure: Dalondaar, Jess, and Sha take the goblin statue to a gnomish collector named Tazo, owner of Tazoâ,¬,,¢s Occult Shoppe in the Stiltways neighborhood.  Tazo agrees to purchase the statue, which he explains depicts the god of the goblins, but he also wants to hire the trio who recovered it to investigate its origins.  As it so happens, this particular statue has been recovered from goblins several times, but is always purchased and returned to them once more.  Tazo suspects that a cleric of the goblin god is passing the statue around as a trophy to reward particularly mischievous goblin tribes.

The trio agrees to work with Tazo.  When the statue is again sold, the heroes track the courier who made the purchase to the statueâ,¬,,¢s actual owner.  They discover that the owner is none other than a hobgoblin cleric who appears to be leading the goblins of Yhaunn, just as Tazo had guessed.  The heroes slay the hobgoblin and recover the goblin statue once and for all, plunging the goblins of Yhaunn into disarray.


Episode 102: â,¬Å"The Defenders of Blackthornâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: A courier negotiates with a shady individual and purchases five â,¬Å"high-qualityâ,¬Â corpses for an unknown employer.

Adventure: Dalondaar, Jess, and Sha are hired by the drow, Lord Byron Blackthorn, to watch over his daughter, Malice, when she visits a shady tavern to watch a bard perform.  Lord Blackthorn suspects that a former street thug named Bren â,¬' now a necromancer working for the Bursary who has just purchased five corpses â,¬' may have plans to abduct Malice.  As a performance by the six-fingered bard, Devis Nimblefingers, commences, skeletons attack the tavern and two shady individuals attempt to drag Malice away.

The heroes defeat the attackers only to learn that Malice is working with them to escape her abusive father and rejoin Bren, her lover.  Malice counters her fatherâ,¬,,¢s offer to Dalondaar, Jess, and Sha, purchasing her freedom.  Jess expresses regret at having used lethal force against one of the individuals who turned out to be helping Malice, but the man is healed, so no harm is done.

Sha tries to further the trioâ,¬,,¢s profits and earn further opportunities for employment by taking advantage of Lord Blackthornâ,¬,,¢s present situation, but is rudely rebuffed.  As Sha leaves Blackthorn manor, Bursary guards are just arriving, no doubt to avenge the abuse of Malice at the hands of her father.


Episode 103: â,¬Å"Arcanumâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: A group of young drow females is preparing to sacrifice a boy on a dark altar, but the boy slips free.  He only makes it a few steps before being struck down by a vanguard of what appear to be drow males.

Adeventure: Dalondaar, Jess, and Sha decide that their mercenary company should be known as Arcanum.  The first client of the newly-christened Arcanum is an older man by the name of Bigby Tanner, a retired tradesman with dye-stained hands who has been referred to Arcanum the shop owner, Tazo.  Bigby Tanner plans on opening a new tavern down by the docks in time for the Games at summerâ,¬,,¢s end, but he first needs the help of some mercenaries; while remodeling, he discovered a pit that secretly accesses his cellar.

Arcanum investigates a subterranean complex at the base of the pit, and discovers old smugglersâ,¬,,¢ tunnels that have since been converted into an occult hideout.  The lair is infested with small demons which Jess particularly despises, and with zombie minions, the same vanguard that was recently involved in a grisly sacrifice.  Arcanum uncovers evidence of that sacrifice on a dark altar at the heart of the lair.  In addition, they discover that the other end of the tunnel emerges in a textile warehouse owned by a drow lord, Kezâ,¬,,¢ztrel Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri.  Upon completing their exploration, they inform their client about their discoveries, and about the hazards that they have eliminated.

Among the spoils that they won in the course of their latest venture, Arcanum finds a book describing various dark rituals and containing many sinister spells.  Included in the book is a spell named divine spark, an arcane spell that wizards can use to seize a small portion of Mystraâ,¬,,¢s ghostly essence and use that spark to perform minor miracles.

Dalondaar, backed by Jess, has a debate with Sha about the fate of the book.  Dalondaar wants to study the text in the hopes of finding a way to personally restore arcane magic to its former glory.  Sha explains that it is his familyâ,¬,,¢s duty â,¬' as assigned by the god, Trismegistus â,¬' to hide arcane lore away until such a time that magic reverts to its former function by some other means, probably a divine one.  Over the course of the debate, the party arrives at a compromise wherein Dalondaar and Jess shall each study two spells from the text before turning the entire book over into Shaâ,¬,,¢s custody.  Neither side is particularly happy with this arrangement.

Off-Screen: Dalondaar and Sha, both feeling a bit ill for having crawled through some unsanitary sections of tunnel, recuperate from their ordeal with the help of local healers.  Dalondaar and Jess complete their respective studies of the captured spellbook and then trade spells with one another.  Later, Sha listens for rumors about the discovery of any ruins in the area, but only hears of a few minor finds being uncovered by construction crews working at various drow households in town.


Episode 104: â,¬Å"Through the Looking Glassâ,¬Â

Off-Screen: Arcanum negotiates with former adventurer Lars Fandaer and takes a contract to help him gain entrance into a trapped tower a few miles south of the city.

Pre-Credits: Dalondaar is tormented by a magically-induced nightmare in which he steps through a mirror and falls a great distance to land at the feet of a throne built upon the forehead of a statue of Mystra.

Adventure: While preparing to clear out the trapped tower of mad illusionist Cyrus Mondaar for a client, Dalondaar informs Arcanum of his dream and his fears that he has become embroiled in a magical duel with a distant foe.  Suspecting that the culprit behind his nightmare is the Dark One, his former master, Dalondaar searches for individuals with access to the Dark Oneâ,¬,,¢s signature spell, shadow mask.  His search provides few answers, for it seems that the spell is a popular one in the city of Yhaunn.

During the course of various investigations later that day, the members of Arcanum learn several interesting â,¬' if tangential â,¬' rumors.  Father Matheson, cleric of Lathander, is struggling to divine the schemes of the priesthood of Lolth, who are attempting to seize temple lands; several fires have broken out in the warehouse district over the past few months; and ships of small merchants based in the city continue to disappear at sea on a regular basis.  Arcanum also confirms that Cyrus Mondaar is a potent wielder of arcane magic, and that his tower has been heavily fortified against trespass.

A few days later, Arcanum storms the illusionistâ,¬,,¢s tower, gaining entrance through a tunnel beneath it.  They discover that this winding tunnel has been converted into a confounding hall of mirrors.  As the group battles its way past a series of mirrored guardian creatures, Dalondaar is reminded of his nightmare by the startling appearance of a fiendish creature in one of the hallâ,¬,,¢s mirrors.  The fiend, whom only Dalondaar can see, asks that Dalondaar keep an open mind regarding his nocturnal visions.

Arcanum finally clears the hall of mirrors, only to find that its former owner has succumbed to the Taint of arcane magic and has become transformed into a wraith that haunts the premises.  After a harrowing battle, the wraith is destroyed and Arcanum claims the tower.  Within, they find a shrine that inexplicably juxtaposes the evil gods Cyric and Set, as well as a myriad of treasures, a fair share of which they have earned for their efforts.

After a few hours of recuperation at the temple of Lathander, the members of Arcanum retire for a few hours of hard-earned rest.  Almost at once, Dalondaar receives another vision.  A great and powerful devil looms over him, promising to give Dalondaar insight into the path necessary to achieve true arcane power.  The devil asks that Dalondaar open his mind to â,¬Å"let the whispers inâ,¬Â in exchange for its guidance and Dalondaar accepts the offer, allowing a disembodied voice full access to his thoughts.


Episode 105: â,¬Å"Family Mattersâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Jess remembers her former life in the small farming village of Thern.  As a child, she fell in with the two sons of the townâ,¬,,¢s mayor, a pair that slowly indoctrinated her into a cult of Demogorgon.  Eventually, she awakened to the evils of the cult when she was forced to participate in a ritual that involved blood sacrifice, prompting her to flee from the cult, leaving Thern, her parents, and her younger sister behind.

Adventure: Wondering as always if the family that she left behind is still alive and well, Jess asks for help from Father Matheson.  Though the cleric of Lathander explains that he must conserve most of his magic for the protection of his temple, he agrees to cast several scrying spells on Jessâ,¬,,¢ behalf in exchange for her assistance.  As it so happens, he needs Jess to recover a Lathanderite scroll that was lost to bandits west of the city.

Jess hires her own mercenary company to assist her in her mission.  With the help of Father Mathesonâ,¬,,¢s divinations, Arcanum is lead to the exact location of the stolen scroll and guided to strike at the most opportune moment.  The scant defenses that are in place when Arcanum arrives are quickly defeated and the lost Lathanderite scroll is recovered.

Also amongst the goods seized by the bandits is a letter that should have reached Sha two months ago.  The note explains that the treasure trove of Shaâ,¬,,¢s family is in danger, and that Sha must look after a particular item that has been sent with the letter.  That item is a single fragment of dark purple rock contained in a magical bag that only Sha can open.  Recalling his childhood, Sha remembers seeing the rock in question before.  It was once part of a circle of stones â,¬' actually a spellbook â,¬' hidden beneath the floor of his familyâ,¬,,¢s crypt.  Acquired by his great-grandfather, the stones seem to be one of the most important sets of arcane items that his family is sworn to protect, being both rare and powerful.

While Sha worries that his familyâ,¬,,¢s trove of forbidden treasures may have been plundered, Jess learns troubling news about her own relatives.  Upon delivering the recovered scroll to Father Matheson, Jess learns from the cleric that her parents are no longer in the world of the living, though her younger sister lives on in an unknown location.  Arcanum's secretary Vikeo, unimpressed by this scant amount of information, suggests that Jess join pilgrims of Kossuth in visiting the Sibyl at Aphrunn â,¬' a powerful oracle that may be able to provide more answers than Father Matheson â,¬' at the end of the summer season.

Though disheartened by the troubling news about her parents, Jess joins the rest of Arcanum as guests of Father Matheson at a midnight ceremony held to commemorate the seizure of the graveyard adjoining the clericâ,¬,,¢s temple by the drow ministry known as the Bursary.  Though Father Matheson is being forced to surrender this hallowed ground, he demonstrates the value of the scroll that Jess has retrieved for him, using its magic to guarantee that the occupants of his churchâ,¬,,¢s graveyard can never be animated as undead servants.  This thwarts the Bursaryâ,¬,,¢s plan for the captured land, rendering their hard-won prize worthless to the Bursar and his allies.

[Epic Meepo]

Episode 106: â,¬Å"Reputation, Part Iâ,¬Â

Off-Screen: Dalondaar inquires about the possibility of purchasing a new headquarters for Arcanum.  Jess befriends a handsome young nobleman named Lord Timothy while riding her horse on the outskirts of town.

Pre-Credits: While eradicating a band of ghouls, Arcanum tracks the source of the undead to an old mausoleum only to find that the lair has already been sacked by the Red Blades, a rival mercenary company.

Adventure: Irritated to varying degrees at having been bested by the haughty Red Blades, members of Arcanum investigate their rivals.  They learn that the Red Blades are a much touted band with lucrative connections in the drow community.  Upon learning this, Sha tries to improve Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s own reputation by arranging for them to take a contract in the drow quarter of town.  Ultimately, better-connected Vikeo is the one who secures the job.

Their contract takes Arcanum to the manor of the drow Lord Mezâ,¬,,¢zen, where Arcanum clears out an old dwarven ruin that recent construction has unearthed.  Though Jess is bothered by the poor pay of the job, Dalondaar and Sha are content with the intangible benefits of having worked it, particularly where Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s reputation is concerned.

The trio is still discussing such matters when they arrive at their headquarters to find Lord Kesâ,¬,,¢strel Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri awaiting their returnâ,¬Â¦

 
Episode 107: â,¬Å"Reputation, Part IIâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri explains that he has been following Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s recent exploits and that he wants their assistance.

Adventure:  In order to protect his daughterâ,¬,,¢s reputation, Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri needs Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s help in clearing out evidence of his daughterâ,¬,,¢s involvement in the occult that he has discovered hidden beneath his guest house.  Since Arcanum has already discovered similar evidence under another of Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢riâ,¬,,¢s properties, and since the lord does not want anyone else learning of such things, he insists that Arcanum be the mercenary company to take up the task at hand.  Arcanum agrees to work for him.

Posing as guests of Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri, Arcanum stays in luxury in the nobleâ,¬,,¢s guest house, though Dalondaar learns that he doesnâ,¬,,¢t fit in with high society.  In particular, he tries to investigate rumors of a cult that might be involved in Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢riâ,¬,,¢s dungeon, but all he can learn for sure is that the cult practices Mezro, the same ritual magic used in the creation of his own zombie minion.

Not long after Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s investigation, Arcanum delves into the dungeon beneath the guest house, where they discover the Mezro priestess that claims the dungeon as her lair.  Arcanum is soon engaged in desperate and losing battle against the priestess and her minions.  Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s zombie minion and then Jess are each struck down before â,¬' at the prompting of the Whispers in his head â,¬' Dalondaar parlays with Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s adversary.

Knowing that Lord Denarâ,¬,,¢ri will find a way to eliminate her if she remains in the dungeon, the priestess agrees to cease hostilities if Arcanum helps her to escape.  When Arcanum accepts these terms, Lord Denarâ,¬,,¢ri learns of the bargain, but is nevertheless pleased that Arcanum has managed to clear out the lair in his dungeon; the dungeonâ,¬,,¢s former occupants are now somebody elseâ,¬,,¢s problem.

Meanwhile, Jess lingers at the brink of death, where she perceives demons in the process of attempting to snatch her soul.  Before they can, Jess is restored to life with the help of Father Matheson and a scroll that Arcanum previously recovered for him.  Relieved that she has a second chance to escape her demons, Jess vows to live every day to the fullest.  In particular, she spends time with her new beau, Lord Timothy Fairweather.

Not long thereafter, Dalondaar disposes of his former zombie minion and is puzzled to see as he does so that the corpse of his minion is infused with epic conjuration and transmutation magic that he never detected during the ritual that created it.  While Dalondaar ponders this â,¬' and while Jess is out enjoying life â,¬' the necromancer meets in the shadows with others who deal in death, acquiring the corpse that will become his next zombie minion.


Episode 108: â,¬Å"A Midsummerâ,¬,,¢s Nightmareâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: The Whispers in Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s head suggest that he keep a close eye on Jess; now might be the time for her to escape from the â,¬Å"demons of her pastâ,¬Â.  Meanwhile, Lord Timothy Fairweather raves about the Midsummer Night Ball to which he has invited Jess, while, elsewhere, a madman rants about he will ruin that very same ball.

Adventure: Vikeo has found a new client for Arcanum, one who needs their help as bodyguards during a Midsummer Night rendezvous.  Jess is faced with the quandary of choosing between work and the ball to which she was invited until Vikeo agrees to serve as a bodyguard in her place.  Arcanum is free to accept their job offer and Jess is free to attend Lord Timothyâ,¬,,¢s ball, though Dalondaar convinces Sha to send his raven, Watcher, to keep an eye on Jess when she is away at the ball.

Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s client, a cleric of Isis visiting from across the sea, is a kindly old man named John Mucklebrim.  The cleric explains that he is in town to make an exchange with an old enemy â,¬' and former adventuring companion â,¬' Bilbo â,¬Å"Karsusâ,¬Â Grimm.  The rivals have agreed to exchange the last of many disputed magic items they had once shared.  While Mucklebrim hopes that the exchange will end their feud, he also expects treachery.

On Midsummer Night Arcanum meets Mucklebrim in the Stiltways shopping district.  After sunset, Mucklebrim and Karsus awkwardly make their exchange, but nonetheless decide it best to vent their animosity with a mage duel.  As the mages battle one another, Karsus sounds a jade whistle that summons shadowy ninja minions, whom Arcanum hold off until Mucklebrim manages to vanquish Karsus for the time being.

Meanwhile, the festivities at Lord Fairweatherâ,¬,,¢s ball are interrupted when the mad Lord Fontaine bursts onto the scene and announces that since he has been deemed unfit to host the Midsummer Night Ball, he will now ruin the entire event.  To this end, he calls forth his undead minion, the skeletal remnant of a fabled boogeyman known as the Eater of Children, and orders it to lay waste to Fairweatherâ,¬,,¢s manor.  Jess, Lord Timothy, and a host of manor guardsmen intercept the Eater of Children and ultimately destroy it.

But all is not well with Jess and Lord Timothy after the battle.  The lord is aghast to have seen Jess actually cast arcane spells, explaining that he has taken an oath to avoid associating with the practitioners of arcane magic.  Jess says that she will consider abstaining from such practices in order to continue their relationship, but can make no promises.  Watcher, who remains nearby, overhears the entire conversation.

When Sha balks at passing on what Watcher has overheard to Dalondaar, Dalondaar confides in Sha that he has made deals with dark creatures, but that he also suspects â,¬' based in part on information provided by those creatures â,¬' that Jess may have once been involved in the worship of the Demon Prince, Demogorgon.  Sha still refrains from passing on personal information about Jess and suggests that Dalondaar talk to Lord Timothy about the matter.  Despite the apparent impasse, Sha and Dalondaar agree that they do not want to end up as enemies in the manner of Mucklebrim and Karsus.

Episode 109: â,¬Å"A Tenday in the Lifeâ,¬Â¦Ã¢,¬Â

Pre-Credits: A monstrous man in a cloak shoves his way through a crowded marketplace, marching right up to the wizard Milfestaar and announcing that he has slain the Bursarâ,¬,,¢s niece on Milfestar's behalf, at which point he disappears.

Adventure: For ten days, Milfestaar liquidates his assets, puts all of his resources into protecting himself from agents of the Bursar, and prepares to leave town.  Meanwhile, the Bursar gathers his resources and prepares to put a bounty on Milfestaarâ,¬,,¢s head.

At the same time, Dalondaar spends a few days looking into Jessâ,¬,,¢ affairs, hoping to convince her not to follow the same dangerous path that he walks, as the Whispers in his head think that the time is right for her to escape the demons of her past.  Thereafter, Dalondaar does some research into the devilish entity that â,¬Ëgiftedâ,¬,,¢ him with the Whispers.  He is unable to pinpoint the exact nature of his benefactor, though he does learn useful information about devils in general.  He also happens to overhear a librarian mention that the Bursar is interested in Milfestaarâ,¬,,¢s Tower, at which point he and Arcanum investigate.

Over the course of the same tenday, Jess spends time with Lord Fairweather, discussing how their relationship has changed now that the lord has learned that she practices arcane magic that he is sworn to avoid.  She points out that she has refrained from casting any spells, and even goes so far as to arrange for Dalondaar to prepare spell scrolls for her, though not after confronting him about snooping in her affairs.

After a brief stop at a tiefling camp in which she has a fortune teller scry upon her sister, Jeni â,¬' who appears to have taken up the life of an adventurer â,¬' Jess joins Arcanum in looking into the matter of Milfestaarâ,¬,,¢s Tower.

Sha, meanwhile, is pursuing interesting rumors in town and learning follow-up information to past adventures.  He also spends some time studying the stone tablet that his father has sent him, learning that a spell of frightening and apocalyptic power is scribed upon the rock.  After gathering information suggesting that his family vault has been raided and his father slain, Shaâ,¬,,¢s fears are apparently confirmed by the same tiefling fortune teller that spoke with Jess.

Putting aside his concerns about the dangerous tablet in his possession and the fate of his father, Sha joins Arcanum in investigating the Bursarâ,¬,,¢s interest in Milfestaarâ,¬,,¢s Tower.  Through various investigations, the group learns that Milfestaar, a conjurer, is responsible for calling a creature that recently assassinated the Bursarâ,¬,,¢s niece.  They also learn that the Bursar will be putting a hefty price on Milfestaarâ,¬,,¢s head.

Unfortunately, Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s investigation tips off the Red Blades mercenary company.  These rivals are able to beat Arcanum to Milfestaar by being the first to contact the architect who built Milfestaarâ,¬,,¢s Tower.  When Arcanum finally arrives on the scene, they find that the Red Blades have already defeated Milfestaar and looted his tower.


Episode 110: â,¬Å"The Captain with No Nameâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: While serving as the bodyguard for a small caravan to the neighboring city of Ordulin, Arcanum is ambushed by bandits wielding powerful evocation magic, rendered unconscious, and taken prisoner.  As they slip in and out of consciousness, they hear some among their captors singing songs about the Captain with No Name.

Adventure: One by one, members of Arcanum awaken to find that they have been taken aboard an unnamed galleon.  Here, they are introduced to their captor and host, the unnamed captain of the unnamed galleon.  As it turns out, this captain happens to be the folk hero known only as the Captain with No Name, fabled pirate and enemy of the drow.

The Captain apologizes for having to abduct Arcanum in order to ask their help, but he explains that the priestesses of Lolth are looking for him with powerful divination magic.  The only way he could contact Arcanum without his involvement being detected was by having some of his friends on land abduct Arcanum against their will before the Captain made peaceful contact with the group.

The Captain explains that he needs allies that the drow priestesses are not asking about to help sink the Erath, a drow ship that will be arriving in Yuantan Bay at dawn.  The ship carries a trio of powerful monsters that the drow plan to unleash upon the city in order to cause chaos amongst the human segment of the population.

Arcanum, should they strike at the Erath, will be provided with magical assistance that will hide their identities and damage the target vessel.  They will also be allowed to freely loot the drow vessel.  This is enough to convince Dalondaar and Sha to help the Captain.  Jess, who has learned from her host that Captain Hezâ,¬,,¢rae of the Erath is a demon-cultist, is already anxious to storm the vessel.

Provided with a small craft, Arcanum awaits the Erathâ,¬,,¢s arrival, but before they make contact, they are visited by an undead spirit named Jared.  From the sunken ship Deadalus, Jared claims only to be seeking a return to his home city in order to rest.  Dalondaar and Sha quickly realize that Jared is a vampire, and suspect him of foul play.

Nevertheless, Arcanum agrees to take the vampire to land if he helps them attack the Erath, for they do not have the resources to battle both Jared and the drow ship.  When the Erath arrives, Jared assists in the attack.  Arcanum and the vampire sneak aboard, set fire to the ship, and breach its hull.  Amidst the destruction, Arcanum and Jared dispatch most of the shipâ,¬,,¢s crew and loot some of its treasures, though Captain Hezâ,¬,,¢rae and a few of her sailors manage to escape.

As the Erath disappears beneath the waves, Arcanum return to their small craft and head towards the city, with Jared speeding ahead and disappearing amidst the buildings as the groupâ,¬,,¢s vessel draws near.

[Epic Meepo]

Episode 111: â,¬Å"Vengeanceâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: While Dalondaar waits at the temple of Lathander to be healed of injuries sustained during his last adventure, he listens to a sermon about how the world will one day be better than it currently is.  Meanwhile, back in the imperfect world, Vikeo heeds calls for aid from his neighbors in fending off a pair of marauding wolves, only to be struck down by wolf goblins.

Adventure: Jess is the first member of Arcanum to return to their base on the day in question, and learns of Vikeoâ,¬,,¢s death.  Shaken, she gives a rambling account of events first to Dalondaar and then to Sha.  Together, Arcanum takes what Jess has learned from the accounts of eyewitnesses and what they all are able to learn from guards who intervened and piece together the details of the attack on Vikeo.

In the wolf goblin attack, only Vikeo and one guardsman who tried to interfere in the mutilation of Vikeoâ,¬,,¢s corpse were attacked, suggesting that Arcanum was being specifically targeted by the wolf goblins.  It is also apparent that the leader of the wolf goblins, a large wolf-like creature, is actually a barghest, a powerful fiend from the Lower Planes.

Knowing that shop owner, Tazo, is fairly familiar with goblin culture, Arcanum pays said gnome a visit.  As it turns out, Tazo was just thinking about contacting Vikeo.  The previous night, wolf goblins had been prowling Tazoâ,¬,,¢s Occult Shoppe.  Though they were struck dead by powerful wards after attacking Tazo, someone else used the resulting confusion to steal a particular goblin statuette that Arcanum had previously recovered from a hobgoblin cleric they had slain.

The thief who has stolen the statuette has left a calling card, that of the Red Blade mercenary company.  Tazo informs Arcanum that the Red Blades have recently acquired rare divination magic that might allow them to determine that Arcanum were the oneâ,¬,,¢s who recovered the statuette and killed its former owner.  Tazo also suspects that the barghest may be the superior of the slain hobgoblin cleric, in town to exact revenge.

Seeking answers, Arcanum seek out the Red Blades.  Finding the Red Blade known as Braids, Arcanum seeks an audience with her company.  Instead, she informs them that her client has left Arcanum a letter, which she produces.  The letter gives directions to a glade outside of town and a time at which Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s presence there is demanded.

Arcanum decides to meet the Red Bladeâ,¬,,¢s client as requested.  In the designated glade, Arcanum comes face to face with the barghest who has been seeking them, and the wolf goblin minions of said fiend.  The barghest confirms that it is indeed looking to avenge the hobgoblin that Arcanum has slain, and attacks them viciously.  After a punishing fight, Arcanum slays the barghestâ,¬,,¢s wolf goblin minions and defeats the fiend, though it manages to escape to fight another day.

Arcanum then returns to town and makes arrangements for Vikeoâ,¬,,¢s funeral.


Episode 112: â,¬Å"The Games Begin, Part 1â,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Common folk from Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s neighborhood approach the adventurers about representing them in an upcoming hookball tournament.  Though Sha is not interested in such frivolity, Dalondaar is intrigued, and Jess insists that they participate when she learns that they might have an opportunity to compete against the Red Blades.

Adventure: After getting a crash course in hookball from their new hireling, Karl, Arcanum joins the tournament, complete with an out-of-place Sha dressed out in an uncharacteristically gaudy entertainerâ,¬,,¢s outfit.  Putting to use their adventuring skills, Arcanum breezes past several teams of commoners; the Red Blades do likewise.

Between matches, Jess meets with Lord Timothy, who reveals that the tournament she has entered to confront the Red Blades also has a prize that Arcanum might win.  The two highest placing teams will be invited to the drow quarter of town, where each will be honored guests at the drow quarterâ,¬,,¢s fabled Arena.

Arcanumâ,¬,,¢s next game finds them matched up against the Iron Skulls, a team of four combat-savvy, spell-wielding brothers for whom hookball is an obsession.  Though Arcanum puts up a good fight, they are bested and eliminated from the tournament.

After the match, a courier directs Arcanum to Father Matheson, who seeks to speak with the group.  The cleric explains that they have featured prominently in a vision that he has recently received.  Though he doesnâ,¬,,¢t know the full details, he has foreseen that something in which Arcanum is involved will greatly impact the future of the city.

Suspecting that Father Mathesonâ,¬,,¢s vision may be related to their foray into hookball, Arcanum attends the championship match between the Iron Skulls and the Red Blades.  To Jessâ,¬,,¢ disgust, they realize that the formidable Iron Skulls appear to be throwing the game and allowing the Red Blades to win.

Jess informs the referee that she suspects the Red Blades of cheating, and is told that an investigation will be undertaken.  When Arcanum returns to their base of operations after Jess has made this accusation, a message from Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri is waiting nailed to their door.  In the note, the lord informs Arcanum that the Iron Skulls will be disqualified; confirming Jessâ,¬,,¢ suspicions that something untoward is afoot.

Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢riâ,¬,,¢s message also asks that Arcanum show up to the ceremony at which the winners of the tournament will be announced, the lot of them fully armed and armored.  Disgusted that the tournament has been manipulated, Jess wants nothing to do with Lord Dendarâ,¬,,¢riâ,¬,,¢s suggested course of action, but the other members of Arcanum remind Jess of Father Mathesonâ,¬,,¢s warning.  Something in which they are involved â,¬' quite likely this intrigue involving the tournament â,¬' will soon affect the entire city in unexpected ways.


Episode 113: â,¬Å"The Games Begin, Part 2â,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Jess learns from Lord Timothy that Arcanum is expected at the upcoming ceremony in full battle gear not because there might be trouble, but because that is proper etiquette when attending a formal drow function.  However, Father Matheson has grave words for Arcanum on the eve of the ceremonyâ,¬Â¦

Adventure: Father Matheson explains that he has divined how Arcanum will impact the future of the city.  Arcanum will be invited to participate in a ritual that marks the annual opening of the High Games of the drow.  As part of this ritual, Arcanum will be asked to spar with the Red Blades; the outcome of this match will be vital to the cities well-being.

The Bursar has convinced his cousin, an important dignitary visiting the city, to back the Red Blades in the upcoming combat.  Should Arcanum be victorious, the Bursarâ,¬,,¢s cousin will be so insulted that she will sabotage Yhuannâ,¬,,¢s bid to formally join the drow Empire of Cormanthor, sparing the city a terrible fate at the hands of the imperial drow.

Armed with this knowledge, Arcanum is taken to the drow Arena and given a rather uninformative tour of the facility.  They do learn that the Arena is actually a demiplane where visitors can fight â,¬Ëto the deathâ,¬,,¢ without actually dying or suffering injury.  Here, Arcanum and the Red Blades are invited to â,¬Ësparâ,¬,,¢ in celebration of the High Games.

In the mean time, Arcanum is treated to drow hospitality, of which they are wisely wary.  After refusing to eat possibly poisoned food and thwarting a potential assassination attempt by sealing a secret point of entry into their bedchamber, Arcanum is lead to the Arena for the opening ceremony of the High Games.  There, the Bursar attempts to bribe and then threaten Arcanum into throwing the match, but he is ultimately rebuffed.

While Arcanum waits to join the Red Blades in battle, Jess is troubled to overhear humanoid sacrifices being conducted prior to the combat, and is distressed to learn that there is nothing she can do to intervene.  Dalondaar does his best to comfort her by explaining the torment that awaits those who conduct humanoid sacrifices in the afterlife.

Arcanum is then ushered into the Arena and battle is joined.  Despite the haughty attitude of the Red Blades, it soon becomes apparent that some trick the Red Blades were planning has failed to work.  Shaken, the Red Blades are ultimately defeated.

For refusing to help him throw the match, the Bursar soon has Arcanum captured by his Retrievers and imprisoned in the dungeons of the Bursary.  The Bursar visits to gloat, but is taunted by Sha until he has to retreat, leaving them at the hands of his jailer.  Unfortunately for the Bursar, Arcanum once saved the jailerâ,¬,,¢s wife, Malice, from her abusive father, so the jailer, Bren, gladly helps Arcanum to escape imprisonment and flee the city.

Just outside town, Arcanum meets up with their old contact, Fildaern, and finds work as guards on the final voyage of Fildaernâ,¬,,¢s last remaining cargo ship.  Glad to have work outside the drow city, the members of Arcanum set sail for new adventures.

[Epic Meepo]

Episode 201: â,¬Å"Cormanthorâ,¬,,¢s Honorâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: A sailor enters the cargo hold of a ship, where he hears an unusual noise.  He moves to investigate and is promptly mauled by an unseen assailant.

Adventure: The members of Arcanum sail towards Shining Arrabar on the Sembian Trader, a ship owned and captained by retired adventurer, Lars Fandaer.  Also on board: Susan Gray, druid of Umerblee; Susanâ,¬,,¢s dog, Ladybird, and falcon familiar, Albatross; and a crew of assorted misfit sailors.

On its ninth day at sea, the Sembian Trader sails past the charred and drifting ruins of Comanthorâ,¬,,¢s Honor, another cargo and passenger ship hailing from the city of Yhuann.  Captain Fandaer surveys the hulk from afar but determines from the extent of its disrepair that there are no survivors on board and nothing to be salvaged.  His ship sails on, leaving the wreckage of Cormanthorâ,¬,,¢s Honor behind it.

Two days after passing the ruined ship, two of the Sembian Traderâ,¬,,¢s crew go missing.  Jess is the first to notice; she quickly alerts the other members of Arcanum, who then take the matter to the captain.  Fandaer orders a search of the vessel.

Though the missing crewmen are not yet discovered, in the course of the search, Dalondaar does notice several anomalies in the magical auras of his own comrades.  It seems somehow as though a magical aura that he only subconsciously noticed before has lifted from Jess, while at the same time, the bag carried by Sha radiates an unusual protective aura.  He also notes and odd aura of transmutation and conjuration surrounding his own zombie minion, an aura that the Whispers in his head seem to think is important.

Menawhile, Sha notices a crate in the cargo hold of the ship that disturbingly resembles a coffin.  Recalling a previous encounter with a vampire that sabotaged a ship sailing from Yhuann, Sha realizes that this could only be a vampireâ,¬,,¢s resting place and alerts the captain.

Lars concludes based upon Shaâ,¬,,¢s observations that some not-so-honorable citizen of Yhaunn must be sending vampires out on cargo ships leaving the city in order to sabotage his economic rivals.  Fandaer also realizes that the stowaway vampire must be dealt with before it decides to do to the Sembian Trader what someone â,¬' likely a vampire stowaway â,¬' has already done to the ill-fated Cormanthorâ,¬,,¢s Honor.

Arcanum and Fandaer go about setting a trap for the vampire stowaway and whatever minions it has created for itself.  Rushing to act before the next sundown, Arcanum and Fandaer corner the vampire and the spawn it has created from the missing members of the crew in the cargo hold, where preparations are already underway to deprive the vampires of their coffins.  In a fierce battle, Arcanum and Fandaer destroy their foes and save the Sembian Trader.


Episode 202: â,¬Å"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way, Part 1â,¬Â

Pre-Credits: While struggling to fight off boarders, the captain of a ship hurls an amulet overboard.  Two-hundred years later, Arcanum is traveling on a ship captained by Lars Fandaer.  The vessel is caught in a storm and is flooded with mysterious light.

Adventure: Arcanum and other members of Lars Fandaerâ,¬,,¢s crew awaken on the shore of a mysterious island, their ship caught on a nearby sandbar.  Lars, the first to awaken, is battling vicious creatures that are dragging off other members of the crew.  Arcanum moves to assist Lars and the creatures flee.

Upon assessing the situation, Arcanum and the captain determine that the ship can be repaired, given time, but three members of the crew are missing, presumably dragged off by the creatures that Lars fought.  Arcanum identifies their adversaries as meenlocks, nasty monsters of unknown origin that can transform humanoids into more of their kind.

They are also able to determine that the mysterious island is surrounded by the same mysterious storm that brought them here, and that it is not a part of their world.  Instead, the island is somewhere on the Upper Planes, a place very contrary to the wicked nature of the meenlocks that have kidnapped their shipmates.

Realizing that they cannot afford to loose any of the crew, Lars and Arcanum track the meenlocks to their subterranean lair and battle their way to the kidnapped sailors, who they eventually return to the ship, where repairs are underway.


Episode 203: â,¬Å"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way, Part 2â,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Previously, Arcanum was sailing on a ship captained by Lars Fandaer when a storm accompanied by mysterious lights transported them to an otherworldly island.

Adventure: Looking for answers, Arcanum and Captain Fandaer explore the mysterious island, heading for ruins that they sighted on a distant mountain peak.  Surviving the natural hazards of the island takes its toll: wildlife destroys Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s zombie companion and nearly slaughters Arcanum, as well.

Eventually, Arcanum discovers evidence of an ancient elven civilization in the jungle and a road leading to the ruins on the mountainside.   They discover that these latter ruins are occupied by hostile devils who seek to annex the island.  Arcanum defeats these fiends, and in doing so, unwittingly ends a siege on an ancient elven shrine.

The celestial being who maintains the ancient shrine thanks Arcanum for defeating the devils that have tormented her for centuries and rewards her rescuers with information.  The island they are on was once ruled by celestial elves, though a race known as the dark ones secretly lurked in the shadows.  One day, the rulers of the dark ones, powerful masters of transformational magic, created the meenlocks on a whim, and these new creatures soon overran the entire island.  The surviving elves abandoned the corrupted isle, departing by sea.  The dark ones, who were also threatened by their rulerâ,¬,,¢s creations, found safety in a secure subterranean vault.

It is in the Dark Onesâ,¬,,¢ Vault that Arcanum must seek the artifact that will return them to their proper world.  The item in question is an amulet that washed ashore two-hundred years ago and was retrieved by the dark ones.  The dark ones have no control over the item, which regularly creates magical storms that ensnare ships on other planes.  Only when a ship carrying the amulet sails into such a storm will the amuletâ,¬,,¢s erratic behavior end, and only then can Arcanum return home.


Episode 204: â,¬Å"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way, Part 3â,¬Â

Pre-Credits: Previously, Arcanum was snagged by a magical storm and stranded on a distant world.  They learned that in order to return home, they must retrieve a magical amulet from the Dark Oneâ,¬,,¢s Vault.

Adventure: While returning to the ship, Arcanum barely escapes the hazards of the wild while Lars Fandaer is lost.  This leaves the druid, Susan Grey, in charge of Fandaerâ,¬,,¢s vessel, a situation that makes Arcanum uncomfortable.  Worse still, they are forced to admit that they need Susanâ,¬,,¢s help in exploring the Dark Oneâ,¬,,¢s Vault.

Arcanum and the druid travel to the portal that will grant them access to the Dark Onesâ,¬,,¢ Vault, but discovers that the portal is trapped: Susan and the members of Arcanum are transported into a prison cell while their clothing, gear, and even their familiars â,¬' including the Whispers in Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s head â,¬' are deposited elsewhere in the dungeon.

The Whispers, now in the head of Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s zombie minion, join Jessâ,¬,,¢ rat familiar, Snook, and Shaâ,¬,,¢s raven familiar, Watcher, in mounting a rescue mission alongside Susan Greyâ,¬,,¢s animal companions.  The Dark Ones strike at these intruders, but are unfamiliar with tactics for fighting undead, allowing Whispers and his new body to easily slaughter a great number of them.

Snook is able to consult rats living in the Vault in order to locate the stranded members of Arcanum.  With the resistance mostly scattered, the Whispers lead the way in locating and rescuing Susan Grey and Arcanum.  With this task out of the way, the Whispers happily return to their home in Dalondaarâ,¬,,¢s head.

The newly freed Arcanum reequips and searches the Vault, clearing out more of the Dark Ones as they make their way deeper into the dungeon.  Ultimately, they and Susan are able to locate the magical amulet that will allow them to return home.  They also find a host of other treasures, including a piece of the circular spellbook that once belonged to Shaâ,¬,,¢s family.  Arcanum and Susan return to the ship with their treasures and sail into the otherworldly storm so that the recovered amulet can return them home.


Episode 205: â,¬Å"The Ghosts of Yesterdayâ,¬Â

Pre-Credits: While sailing with Arcanum towards a port on the isle of Ilighon, Watcher briefly spots a curious cloaked figure standing on the open sea.  Shortly thereafter, Arcanum arrives at Ilighon, where they discover that their journey has taken two years.

Adventure: The isle of Ilighon, home to a small but powerful enclave of druids, has become a haven for pilgrims of the god, Megistus, who has appeared on the island to distribute alchemical lore.  In the sprawling metropolis that has resulted, Sha has no problem identifying the nature of the treasures that Arcanum and the druid, Susan Grey, bring with them on their ship.

Arcanum, not trusting Susan, disembarks from her vessel, though not before resolving a dispute with the druid about the distribution of the treasure horde that they share.  While searching for possible lodging, Watcher notes that a particular individual is paying close attention to Dalondaar.  Though the individual disappears in the crowd, Dalondaar recognizes the man as Galen, someone who was once lived at the same orphanage as he before being stolen away by the mysterious Dark One.

Later, Sha ventures to the temple of Megistus, hoping to arrange an audience with a cleric.  While waiting in line, he encounters a fellow pilgrim from his home town.  He learns that, since his departure, his father was slain in an attack by Cyricists, leading to the dispersal of Gâ,¬,,¢Dan family artifacts that Sha now collects.

Meanwhile, Jess takes time out to insure that her horse is healed of injuries it sustained during her journey.  She also makes acquaintance with a band of horse-loving druids, though her newfound friends balk at Dalondaar and his â,¬Å"unnaturalâ,¬Â minion.

Dalondaar returns to town and discovers that Galen is looking for him.  When the two childhood acquaintances reunite, Galen mentions his involvement in a mysterious cabal of magic users, apparently believing that Dalondaar is also a member.  But when Dalondaar has difficulty speaking to Galen in the language of the Dark One, Galen realizes the truth and sends Dalondaar away.

As he seeks Jess, Dalondaar has a chance encounter with another old acquaintance, a gnome named Tazo.  Tazo, who hails from Yhaunn, explains how he fled that city after the drow that rule there â,¬' now guided by one Bursar Dendarâ,¬,,¢ri â,¬' started stealing property from wealthy landholders, capturing those who opposed them in the process.  He also explains that Jessâ,¬,,¢ sister, Jeni, once passed through town looking for Jess.

Dalondaar brings this news to Jess, and though she is intrigued, she makes sure to present a dismissive face to Dalondaar, having been offended when he earlier dismissed her in order to hold a private audience with Galen.

Meanwhile, Sha, who still waits in line, learns that he will be granted an audience â,¬' not with a cleric of Megistus, but with Megistus himself.

[battleaxbaby]

This is awesome. I usually jot down some notes after gaming but nothing so wonderfully documented and organized. In fact sometimes Im' so bad that later I dont even understand what it is that I wrote. Kudos to you, inspiration to me.