Heart's Desire
Warning: Spoilers for the module itself.
We were in Greyhawk helping some followers of ST. Cuthbert with their task. Many refugees were here after lots of Orc attacks and the church opened its doors. I helped raise spirits and boost morale for the people as my companions helped keep things orderly or rose spirits as well too. Once we were down to the last few people, we noticed a young woman watching us. After things were done, she talked to Father Nicoli, the cleric overseeing these things and then talked to us.
She was looking for her husband, and wanted us to help find news of him. He used to work as a bouncer for the thieves guild and had helped in a heist two months ago, and had to flee the city. She really wanted to know any news of him, good or bad, not even caring about the Pendant that he had stolen to try and sell to get them out of Greyhawk and leave for good. We agreed to help her, she was willing to give everything she had for us to find him, but I couldn't let her give up her small pouch of coin for us. The wood elf in the group wanted to take it, but I talked him down. Adventure was enough, no reason to rob a worried woman blind. We'd find treasure, we'd always find treasure. At least, that's what I understood, and had come to find on my travels.
Anyway, we stayed at an inn the night before we planned to leave, and we were approached by one of the city watchmen about what we were doing. Told us if we found the pendant and returned it, we'd get compensated. Well, that was all fine and good, but the guy who originally owned the pendant I heard was a bit of a jerk. Wasn't really to eager to give him anything back if he was gonna be a big meanie, even if it was his first. Well, serves him right.
We headed out the next day towards Mardens Field. On the way we met a young woman named Aimlee (who's quite the flirt) who was being bullied by four men of the thieves guild. We got them to go away and talked to Aimlee, who was eager to talk to use after a short while, and told us she had seen a ghost near her campsite. A lot of villagers had taken to living out of the town I heard to get away from the mean Count's lackeys.
We went with her to her campsite, to wait with her and see if there would be a ghost. We saw him, and he looked...like the man in the picture we were sent to find. We talked with him, and he was the man we're looking for! The path he walked was the path towards home, but he only walked it at night, and strangely seemed to get closer, but only because at this time of year, the nights were getting longer. He...he wanted us to find it, find the pendant and sell it and give some of the money to his wife. He also wanted us to lay his body to rest, and he pointed us towards it.
We followed his trail, it wasn't hard, we found old tower ruins and Mistletoe, a dryad with a twisted sense of humor. Reth, that was his name. Well, we found his body with Mistletoe, though she called him Tatters. She wanted Tatters to win the chess game she was playing with him this time, and to win in two moves. Saddly, the only way to win was to cheat, and the rogue in the party...he couldn't make a sleight of hand check to save his life it seemed.
I started to sing a fascinating melody. She was distracted and FINALLY our rogue was able to help us win this. Much fun to be the effective on in the party for a change yeah? Mistletoe told us that she had taken that pendant (the one we were looking for) and traded it for the chess board. So we were going to have to talk to the "Dark Man" about getting it back.
A bit more on Mistletoe, she seemed to be half rotted, half whole. She said she's always been that way, and that was connected to her tree I suppose, half alive, half dead. I was curious as to what had killed half the tree, but we'd probably find that out...considering she was taking us beneath it. Mebbe.
Once she took us inside, we went through a pair of iron doors that had writing on them, that I couldn't decipher unfortunately but it wasn't important it seemed, so we continued on inside. We found a balcony, and down the balcony there was a dark man sitting in a cage made of cold iron surrounded by six onyx statues. he was playing a cello quite beautifully.
We asked for the pendant, he asked for his freedom. It was easy enough for us to agree, on the promise that he wouldn't hurt us. (And it looked like he really could)
We went left to start (always go left) and came to a woman's chambers. We went into a side room and an illusion had these acid shooting things attack us. We destroyed them, found a latch on the throne to a door that led us to these miners/constructs, though we didn't know what to do with them.
The snow elf in the party had the right kind of weapon to break us out of there though, at least easily, so we moved on. We found a large sun room with lots of plants next. We kept them away with flames and got the first key to free the demon from the hands of a statue that was in the midst of all the plants. It was a success for this one at least.
We continued on to a room of Deity Shrines. Wee Jas was one...there were other ones, and one belonged to DALT! My deity, Dalt was one of the shrines! There was a big brass key hanging beside it. I took the key, clutching it close. It was only because I worshiped Dalt that I could take it without any trouble.
Next we came to a room full of masks. They all started talking at once about their wants and desires before shutting up. It was kinda weird.
Another room we came to, there was a Chandelier covered in a cloak. Some kind of an undead guy was there. He wanted tribute, but we didn't know what kind to pay (and probably weren't going to pay it in the end anyways). He orders his servants to attack....but it was just him. ((At APL 2 it has it written - "He doesn't realize he doesn't have servants yet" wink ) I sang my heart out, giving people a great boost with my music. It was a pretty easy fight to win in the end.
The next room had a fountain, a glowly light room and there was also a dark room. We went into the dark room and got attacked. When I got to attack it, I shot my bow and killed the Vargoule in ONE HIT! I couldn't believe my luck!
We found notes talking about the aspect of Graz'zt, that he had had a kid with the one woman there, and about the mining constructs, and the Vargoule, we think in the end it was the brother. He had gotten attacked by other Vargoules...
We used the mining constructs to clear ou the rubble and found the fourth key. The statues we had to chose from were the Lemure, Kuo-Toa, Worg, Choker, Bugbear, Torgue (it was a fire thingie). We decided to fight (ie not put keys in) the Lemure and the Kuo-Toa. I got paralyzed though, but the fight still ended quickly. We released the Aspect of Graz'Zt and received his favor as well as the pendant.
We waited for the next day for Mistletoe to take us out, she said the people from the Thieves Guild were waiting for 'us' by where we came in, so we decided to go to a different tree instead. And when we did, Mistletoe's half withered self started becoming whole again. She said, "My eye, I can see..."
I think even if that aspect was evil, good came of making him gone. Though now having his eye on me a little...just a little...weird I suppose. Dalt protect me from anything bad.
We in the end as a party decided to screw Greyhawk, both the Thieves Guild and the City Watch and pawned off the pendant. We'll get paid in installments, (20 mods set in Greyhawk with Rich Upkeep... >.> wink
The key that I found turned out to be a Lesser Artifact of Dalt! It acts as a chime of opening, and has an inscription on it! ((*insert it here when I have my AR in front of me*))
Now I'm going to head home to Gaia and my special someone and all my friends. I can't wait to see the others again. I have a second date planned out with Sir Donovan as well! I get to cook and everything! Its so exciting!
((And with that, this is pretty much done...my bard kicked a** and took names in this mod!))
