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Ashes of Arend

This campaign toured a series of published modules, altered to fit into the World of Sulerin and for continuity. When I started this campaign I was also busy running a game for Call of Cthulhu, so I didn't have a lot of time to plan for each gaming session. Using modules was a great help in this respect and a bit of a new experience for me as well.
    We explored five modules in the beginning of this campaign: Raiders of Galath's Roost (Dungeon Magazine #87), set along the borders and within the Darkenwood forest; Bogged Down (Dungeon Magazine #91) set in the village of Braden Hollow; Stormdancers (Dungeon Magazine #86), set in the hills of the Caramoar Crater; L2: The Assassin's Knot, set in the town of Garret; and the excellent Tears for Twilight Hollow (Dungeon Magazine #90), set in the village of Twilight at the tip of the Couchee Mountains.
    After the last, we adopted a regular storyline and departed from the modular format once I had more time to do campaign planning.
    This campaign was set in 12885AC, in the struggling Kingdom of Arend, and ended late in year 12889AC.

Campaign Members

    Daimos (Dead)
    Demetrius (Dead)
    Kulu (Dead)
    Nonamoka (Dead)

    Al-Rathis (Retired)
    Amineri Brookhollow (Retired)
    Ayoi (Retired)
    Kail (Retired)
    Kalendor (Retired)
    Sasha Petrov (Retired)
    Tellzan Amberson (Retired)

People and Personalities

This is a collection of non-player-character personalities which our adventurers have met and delt with in the past. Most of this information is limited to what the players know of each personality.

Temple of Bone

The Temple of Bone is also known as the Hill of the Hunter, though why it is called that has been lost to legend for thousands of years. The Temple of Bone is a suitable adventuring locale for adventurers of seventeenth or eighteenth level as presented here. Our campaign passed through this site in search of more information about recent troubling events in the region.

Answers of Abharahab

Abharahab, a man of unknown origin, who dwells in the Monastery of Solace, above the Halls of Za and beneath the City of Ancients, met with the adventuring party to answer their questions. Herein are the answers to the questions which were asked of him.

Answers of Aoran Zeprithun

Herein are the answers which were given to Al-Rathis by the spirit that called itself Aoran Zeprithun, as transcribed by Tellzan Amberson. It is important to note that the spirit was determined to actually be a fiend. It's identity and even the veracity of this text should be considered questionable.

Answers of Vainegal thal-Zeroth

These are the answers given to questions posed to Vainegal, one of the Three of Shadow who once served the wizard king Saulos, by the adventuring troupe. Surely, Vainegal has his own goals, but it would appear that this time they coincide with the party's. Thus much of what is written here may be considered true.

Campaign Excerpt: Amineri Lightning Bolts Al-Rathis and Captive

A brief summary of events that took place during the latter part of an evening of roleplaying in which Amineri unexpectedly cast a lightning bolt spell upon Al-Rathis and the kobold captive.

Campaign Excerpt: Exploring at the Black Anvil Complex

This excerpt took place during the latter part of our campaign story. Herein, the party is immersed in exploring the vast complex that guards access to the Black Anvil Gate, a device which can open permanent, targeted portals between planes.

Campaign Excerpt: Traveling to Dunnal Krannok

This minor excerpt takes place just after the dwarven hero, Tadhg, joined up with the adventuring party as they were on their way to find the lost dwarven stronghold of Dunnal Krannok. Some of their travels to Dunnal Krannok are detailed, along with a surprise attack upon them from their infernal foe, Titalus.

Campaign Excerpt: Twin Shores

Herein, the party ponders the strange actions of the captain of their boat, explores the town of Twin Shores, and hears their first rumors of activities at the Temple of Bone.

Campaign Excerpts: Minor Events

This is actually two short excerpts. The first talks briefly about the party's narrow escape from the Hall of Kings and the second took place while they were looking for information on undead incursions into the Kingdom of Arend.

Guardians of the Shrine and the Halls of Azrandar

The following is a recounting of events which took place place when our adventuring party was about 14th level. Herein is the story of how they discovered the corruption that had infested the Shrine of Passion and the ensuing brave rescue of elfin villagers from the guardians of that shrine, including a brief visit to the fabled Halls of Azrandar.

Investigations into the Appearance of Undead to the West of Arend

These notes were collected from various conversations that provided an overview of an evening's gaming session. This session took place in the the month of Turningspar, in the Winter of early 12888AC. Herein, the party has returned to the Kingdom of Arend and decides to look into rumors of marauding undead in the western side of the kingdom. Some background information is provided to explain things that may not be familiar to some readers.

Journal Entries of Amineri Brookhollow

The following are some journal entries of events which took place towards the end of L2: the Assassin's Knot, while the party was adventuring in the town of Garrot.

Journals of Ayoi: Part 1, Discovering the Temple of Bone

Herein, Ayoi describes her and companions discovery, arrival, and first encounters at the evil steeped Temple of Bone.

Journals of Ayoi: Part 2, Of Undead and Demons

The journals of Ayoi continue as her party travels deeper into the Temple of Bone, encountering new threats and discovering new information about an evil they have opposed in the past.

Journals of Ayoi: Part 3, The Hunter

Ayoi's party continues to battle against the machinations of the demon lord, Titalus, and the Hunter rises to do battle.

Journals of Ayoi: Part 4, Killing Time

Within these journals Ayoi recounts the travels of the party as they visit Al-Rathis's family, spend some time in Bluewater, and take a look into the reports they hear of the growing numbers of undead along the Kingdom of Arend's western border.

Last Journal Entry of Vharagrod

Pilfered from the desk of the Qo Priest, Vharagrod, this is the last and only surviving page of journal book that he kept. The remaining pages destroyed inadvertently when attempted to be read.

Legend Lore Results for the "Curse on the Druid's Library"

Results of a legend lore as requested by Sasha when written in the Codex of Secrets.

Legend Lore Results for the "Gift of Rün"

Results of a legend lore spell cast by Ayoi to learn information on the new spiritual gift possessed by Al-Rathis and Sasha.

Legend Lore Results for the "Monastery of Solace"

Results of the legend lore as performed by Ayoi while visiting the Monastery of Solace.

Legend Lore Results for the "Reflection of El"

Results of a legend lore as requested by Sasha when written in the Codex of Secrets.

Legend Lore Results for the "Strange Vault Beneath the Temple of Qo in Tyndol"

Results of a legend lore as requested by Sasha when written in the Codex of Secrets.

Letter to Shernioth from Titalus

The following letter was found upon the body of a Shel-Tuul, one of four that were attempting to despoil the three hallowed druids groves which bolstered the wards protecting the Shrine of Passion.

Monologue of Maragan Shale

This is the introductory monologue given by the ghost named Maragan Shale, an ex-paladin which was turned from his worship of Prolitar and became a follower of Qo. Upon his death, given in sacrifice in hopes of raising an avatar of Qo, Maragan instead became a restless spirit. At first he attacks the party as intruders into his lair, but when he sees his old holy avenger, held by Elena, he reigns in his aggression and speaks to them.

Oracle Answer for Al-Rathis

This is the answer which was given to Al-Rathis, upon speaking to the Aken Oracle, deep within the Ardent Swamps. Al-Rathis's question involves how to go about defeating the powerful, infernal being called Titalus.

Oracle Answer for Ayoi

This is the answer which was given to Ayoi, upon speaking to the Aken Oracle. Ayoi's question asks about the earliest times of creation, of the ages which were before the Age of Chaos.

Oracle Answer for Sasha

This is the answer which was given to Sasha by the Aken Oracle. Sasha's question involved how to free the Baranar Giants from the curse that was upon them.

Oracle Answer for Tellzan

This is the answer given to Tellzan by the Aken Oracle. Tellzan's question involved how he and his companions could return from the past and to their own time.

Research Results for the Thorn of Atrot

The following is information that was imparted after Amineri did some research on a particularly nasty thorn which had burrowed itself into one of the guardian trees of the Shrine of Passion and caused the guardian to desert its post and rampage through the forest.

Session Notes: Investigating Undead Incursions

Briefly, having finished their adventuring at the Temple of Bone, the party returned to the Kingdom of Arend to relax and consider what to do next. While in the city of Bluewater they heard rumors that undead were roaming the western lands of the kingdom. Suspecting that Vainegal or some other undead power was causing trouble they decided to investigate. This is a summary of one gaming night's events.

Spiritual Gift: Annos

Spiritual gifts are minor sparks of divine power that are carried within the soul of those who possess them. They grant various abilities, typically within a narrow field. Spiritual gifts are ancient and very rare. Annos is a spiritual gift which increases its gifted with a heightened sense of awareness.

State of the Kingdom of Arend, 12889AC

This brief document describes the situation in the Kingdom of Arend, as the adventurers came to discover after returning from their travels to the Hall of Kings and adventuring in ancient times. It reveals some truths about what was really going on at that time, events which the players in the campaign did not have full knowledge of.

Teachings of Borsaeg: Ley Lines, Backroads, and the Green Ways

While Sasha experienced the wonders of the time known as the Unholy Wars she was privileged to make contact with the druids of that time. They took her in and one of them, a bear-lycanthrope by the name of Borsaeg, taught her a great many things. Herein are his teachings concerning druidic means of power and travel: ley lines, backroads, and the Green Ways.

The Defeat of Titalus, Torment of Slavery

This was the end of the Ashes of Arend campaign. Within is a recounting of the final battle against the Torment of Slavery, Titalus, and its defeat, survived by Tellzan, Ayoi, Sasha, Al-Rathis, and Elena.

The End of Brangorm the Brown

Herein is the story of how a successor was chosen for the baranar giant known as Brangorm the Brown, and of the last moments of that great druids life. Brangorm was a powerful druid among his people, but had suffered long from his race's curse and become little more than a mighty and wind worn statue standing guardian over a holy watering hole in the Desert of Three Winds.

The Oracle of Aken

This excerpt from the Ashes of Arend campaign took place while the heroes traveled back in time. Seeking answers to guide them to return to their own time and to aid them in their quests, they traveled to the ancient Oracle of Aken, a place lost in present times, but known in those old days. The story begins with armies marshaled battling beneath the small mountain in which the oracle lairs. The party has defeated the guards to the complex entrance and are about to enter within when a wizard arrives among them, bringing them warning, and imploring them to not enter the oracle.

The Unholy Wars: A Visit to the Past (part one)

This is the story of what took place when the party unexpectedly found themselves transported back in time to the era of the Unholy Wars, over ten-thousand years into the past. Our story begins in the present, on Silusa 27 of 12888AC, the day in which the party is transported to the past.

The Unholy Wars: A Visit to the Past (part two)

This is the story of what took place when the party unexpectedly found themselves transported back in time to the era of the Unholy Wars, over ten-thousand years into the past. This continues with the events following the party's triumph over the Vaati and describes their journey as they seek to return from the past and to their native time, concluding this story-arc.