Chronicle for "Keep on the Shadowfell"

[Measure Zero]

Our talk with the Lord Warden was interrupted by some commotion in the street.  There were some Shadar-kai in the streets harassing a dwarf girl, demanding to know the whereabouts of her father.  After botching negotiations, we fought a hard battle against the assembled foes, killed them, and took their stuff.  At one point they claimed to be helping the city, so who knows what their motives really were.

After this, we journeyed on the King's Road to Winterhaven, fighting through a kobold ambush.  We talked to the Lord Mayor of the city, as well as a few interesting characters, and got a few leads.  We were told by the elf Ninaran that there is a cult of some sort operating near town, possibly in league with the kobolds and an unknown portion of the city's population.  We were also told that old man Elias sent Douven Stout to a dump that may be the location of a dragon's grave.  We also learned about redcaps, syphilis, and dwarf burlesque.

Journeying toward the alleged location of the cult, we were waylaid by kobolds once again.  Thanks to our brilliant tactics, we defeated the kobolds with only a few casualties.  We left off just as we were approaching the location Ninaran told Berrian about.

Current party:
Berrian, the Surrounded
Broca, the Anxious
Adran, the Shifting
Jyrgal, the Slightly Less Inclined toward Death
Hyune, the Librarian
Lucan, who Leaves Behind a Strange Smell when he Teleports
Boadicea, the Alienist

loot: (level 3) (all purply and nasty-looking) Vicious Flail +2, Frost Javelin +1, Amulet of Protection +1, Chain mail +2

[Measure Zero]

And by the way: worshiping Orcus around a priest of a god whose major tenant is "destroy followers of Orcus" is probably a bad idea.  Orcus is a demon bent on pure destruction; pretty much no one in the civilized world likes him.  It would be a good idea to keep any affiliation a secret.

[kenada]

Berrian wants to take some of the cultists prisoner so that we can interrogate them. What do I need to do (mechanically) to make sure that they are knocked unconscious and not killed?

[Measure Zero]

Berrian wants to take some of the cultists prisoner so that we can interrogate them. What do I need to do (mechanically) to make sure that they are knocked unconscious and not killed?

I think what you did before would work, as long as you don't accidentally kill them outright through massive damage.  I'll look it up later to be sure.

[kenada]

Hoo-ray! Now we just need to keep Broca from accidentally shooting them or sacrificing them to Orcus.

[Measure Zero]

We arrived at the cult hideout, and it turned out to be where the kobold bandits were holed up.  We overcame their superior tactics with brute force, taking down their goblin leader (try to figure that one out, I dare you).  An intercepted letter showed us that the kobolds were really involved with the cult, and that the cult has a spy in town that knows about us.  Then, a dragon attacked, but it was nothing compared to a bunch of kobolds.  The spy could be anyone, given how loud we are.  We took a detour and rescued Douven from a marauding gnome, and sold some important treasure to the drug-addled leader of the town.  One of the town elders told us that the cult may be trying to open a rift into a sanctuary of Orcus in the Shadowfell (this is bad).  We left off with the group about to set out to what could be the cult's headquarters.

Current party:
Berrian
Adran
Jyrgal
Lucan

loot: (level 3) Exalted Chain +1, Black Iron Plate +1, Bloodcut Leather +1, a ritual mirror, misc. gold and potions.

[kenada]

If you want to take prisoners, and the enemy fails to surrender, they can always be knocked unconscious then tied up.

[kenada]

Also, was that an in-character admission that Jyrgal was going through my things? That does not seem like particularly lawful behavior to me.

[Measure Zero]

If you want to take prisoners, and the enemy fails to surrender, they can always be knocked unconscious then tied up.

Me: unless you accidentally kill them by doing massive damage (bloodied value+).

[kenada]

Was I able to sell my old plate armor and longsword? I know we don’t bother collecting and selling enemies’ equipment, but I wasn’t sure how we were handling old equipment as it was replaced.

[Measure Zero]

I'm just not in favor of selling mundane equipment.

[kenada]

That’s what I figured.

[Measure Zero]

A ranger named Tim joined us and together we entered the lower levels of the ruined keep.  Supposedly, a rift to a Shadowfell Sanctuary of Orcus lies in the lower levels.  We fought with the goblins that had taken up residence near the entrance, defeated their leader, and set free one of their goblin criminals.

Current party:
Berrian
Adran
Jyrgal
Lucan
Hyune
Tim

loot: (level 4) Amulet of Health +1, Amulet of Protection +2, Bloodcloth +1, gold, potions, etc.

[Measure Zero]

We returned to town and were told that Tim's nearly identical twin sister raising the dead in Winterhaven's cemetery.  After dispatching her and learning the name of the evil mastermind behind all of this nastiness, we found that the mirror we had given to the Lord Mayor was stolen during the confusion.  We returned to the keep, determined to halt whatever infernal ritual this Kalarel was performing.  We continued our trek through the keep.  We fought an long-dead knight with a magical skull, then Broca set off a few traps and we were forced to withdraw.  Topside, we were joined by some adventurous residents of Winterhaven.  We then fought a series of monsters near the keep's cistern, and found (we think) the route by which the mirror was stolen.  We next plan to explore the keep's lowest level, where we believe this ritual must be occuring.

Current party:
Broca
Berrian
Adran
Jyrgal
Tim

then:
Lucan
Berrian
Adran
Tim
Wil
Hastur

loot: This escapes me at the moment.

[kenada]

I have the following written down for loot:

• +2 Cloak of Resistance
• 2 sunrods
• 2 rations
• 1 waterskin
• 1 waterskin with stale ale
• 10 gp in silver and copper
• +2 Flail
• Potion of Healing