Terrinoth #21 - Rescue Wilgold Part 2

(image from Heroic Maps)

Campaign Diary

It was late when Professor Wilfrey led Entana, Gio, and Percy to the Council House. Despite the lateness, the University Council was summoned, and our heroes quizzed over the events of the evening and the past few months. Having given their accounts, the trio were dismissed, while the council deliberated over what course of action to take.

(Click here for PC profiles)

At dawn the next day our heroes were once again summoned to the council chambers. There, the council offered them a quest.

It was the council's belief that Markos had come under the service of Waiqar the Undying, and that his theft of the Diaries of the Mad Mage Kovac could mean only one thing: Markos plans to continue Kovac's work and create undead versions of the Ironbound!

Our heroes' quest, if they chose to accept it, was to travel to Nerekhall and hopefully find Kovac's laboratory. If they did not find Markos there, they are to destroy the laboratory; if they did find the necromancer there, they are to kill him, and seal the laboratory.

"What if he surrenders?" asked Percy.

"He is a necromancer - he is too dangerous to be left alive." Wilfrey replied.

"Should he not be brought back to face justice?" Percy persisted.

"He is too dangerous to be left alive." Wilfrey repeated.

Markos has had some forty days of head-start on our heroes, and during good travel season. Adding to the difficulty of the mission was the requirement that it be conducted in strict secrecy - if word of the loss of the diaries under the guard of the University reached the Barons, there would be grave consequences, the Council warned. The mission will also need to be kept secret from the rival Academy in Nerekhall, which meant they could expect no aid at their destination.

In return, the Council let our heroes name their rewards if they succeeded in the mission.

Entana asked that the mission be considered his dissertation for his Master's degree, in practicum.

Gio asked for a reward of 1500 Gros, the sum owed in weregild for his family's freedom.

Percy asked to study wizardry at the University, and was offered a full scholarship upon her return.

The party was given horses and travel expenses, and sent on their way. Even as they made ready their mounts at the University stables, they saw a dozen riders being sent out - the Council had made plans in case their mission was a failure.

Prepping and Running the Game

As I mentioned in the previous post, the conclusion of this session set the stage for the completion of the character arcs for all three PCs: Entana must face an enemy from his past to succeed in his short-term goal; Gio has a chance of completing his short-term goal if he survives, although the fact that he had been sworn to secrecy means this quest will not help his long-term goal of becoming the most famous gnome in Terrinoth; Percy has a chance to learn rune magic.

The next session will see Entana and Gio reunited with Strigoi, and over the next two sessions the climax and resolution of this campaign arc.