House of Heroes Northern Board

[jmecha]

*Within the depths of the House of Heroes information is being consolidated in an effort to see a larger picture.*



Known Factions

Red Caps: Murderous gnome looking beings of Fey orgins who are terrorizing the length of the Long Road.

Unidentified Wizard: dressed in Red residing in the fort near Rasslanter who appears to be in league with an Unidentified Black Dragon.

Unidentified Black Dragon: Has recently hatched eggs and appears to have Lizardfolk serving it.

Unidentified Lizardfolk: Appear to be serving the unidentified Black Dragon.

Unidentified Kobolds: Might lair near the Black Dragon's Lair.

Unidentified Source of Rot: A Rot is working to spread in the Westwood capable of turning Plants violent and creating Zombies of Men and Animals.

Claugiyliamatar: "Old Gnawbones" an Ancient Green Dragon residing in Kryptgarden and Leader of the Zartruss Hobgoblins.

Zartrus Hobgoblins: A an exceptionally capable and violent military force based out of Kryptgarden and loyal to Claugiyliamatar.

Drow of Kryptgarden: Rivals of the Zartruss rumored to have captured the Westwood Witch sometime ago.

Malarites of the Westwood: Violent Shapeshifters lairing in the southern section of the Westwood.

Elves of the Westwood:An Elven community in the Northern Westwood that appears to practice isolationism.

Early days of Eleasis, 1400 Dale Recking, The Year of Lost Ships
Rumors of Black Dragon sightings in the Westwood begin to spread and the Zartruss Hobgoblins appear to become more aggressive along the Long Road and within the Westwood. There is even a Zartruss Hobgoblin attack on Rasslanter that is repelled by Lhuevenhead Trading Company.

Source: Sarenna Irithyl of Lhuevenhead Trading Company
An unidentified Wizard in Red took up residency in the Fort near Rasslanter.

Source: Caliope Dirtpaw of Lhuevenhead Trading Company
Sarenna Irithyl, JaydenWindfrost, Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuvenhead Trading Company encountered violent plants and what appeared to be zombie bears within the Westwood. Their investigation lead them to what was described to me as a male man sized Half-Fiend with red flesh and black horns who attacked them on sight. I am told the fight was violent but brief battle in which the Half Fiend appeared to be armed, armored, and wield magic. After the battle it was discovered the Half Fiend had in it's possession a black acorn which exploded before the members of Lhuevenhead Trading Company could closely examine it.

Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
The Lhuvenhead Trading Company leads a handful of attacks into Kryptgarden from Red larch, often turned back quickly by overwhelming numbers of Zartruss and dangerous wild life. Keryn Tel'Jora, expresses that she wants to capture the remains of one of the Zartruss Half-Dragon Claw Monks to study it.


Eleint 22nd, 1400 Dale Reckoning, The Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
During a march along the road through the Westwood members of the House of Heroes Rako Ca'tra and Pawn Xandos Klaxxan encountered a band of Kobolds in the company of a Black Wyrmling, as well as a band of Lizardmen carrying Black Dragon Egg fragments who appeared to be in pursuit of the Kobolds and Black Wyrmling. The Kobolds, Black Wyrmling, and Lizardmen were all slain. The House of Heroes is in possession of the Black Dragon Egg fragments. It was immediately after the these two encounters the sun set and members of the House of Heroes smelt a foul rot on wind coming from deeper within the wood, north of the road. Upon investigation of the source of the smell red eyed zombie bears were encountered as well as shambling mounds and a musk creeper tree. The House of Heroes patrol then withdrew from the Westwood to report it's findings.

Eleint 28th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, The Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
Lieutenant Mengor stationed at the Unicorn Inn informed Caliope Dirtpaw, Rako Ca'tra, and pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the Zartruss Hobgoblins having created a fortified position at the boarder of the Westwood and Kryptgarden. It was the Lieutenant Mengor's's concern that if this fortified position was not destroyed, the Zartruss would use it as a staging area from which they would launch raids across the Westwood. Together Caliope Dirtpaw, Rako Ca'tra, and Pawn Xandos Klaxxan attacked the fortified position and survived a dangerous Zartruss counter attack afterwards. The fortified position was successfully destroyed.

Source: Gael Lynch of the Adventurer's Guild
A Black Dragon was seen meeting with the Wizard in Red at the Fort outside of Rasslanter. The meeting was described as appearing cooperative.

Marpenoth 2nd, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
Together with Sarenna Irithyl of the Lhuvenhead Trading Company, Soosh Mieroc and Eylas T'almerlon of the Adventurer's Guild, we traveled south of the City to where the Cult of the Dragon has been known to lair in the Southern Woods. As we passed through the City Gate we saw an unidentified Male Red Wizard of Thay accompanied by Two Thayan Knights returning from locations unknown south of the City. It is suspected the Thayans were meeting with the Cult of the Dragon. We eventually pushed into the woods of the Cultists where we encountered them in unexpected numbers and found several invitational flyers upon their corpses inviting the Cultists to join together for a great revival.


Marpenoth 3rd, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Magolir of the Westwood Elves
The Elves have used Divinations to determine the source of the Spores affecting the Westwood to be Divine in Nature.

Marpenoth 4th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan
In an effort to investigate the Rot, Gael Lynch of the Adventurer's Guild, Sarenna Irithyl of the Lhuvendhead Trading Company, and myself patrolled the Westwood. We encountered a few Zartruss and some Spore infected Zombie Bears, before discovering several fountains spewing green spores up from the forest floor. Divination used by Gael Lynch revealed the Spores to have an aura of Necromancy. Shortly after our proximity to the spores put the three of us into a catatonic state in which we lost several hours. Upon coming to our senses we discovered night had fallen. We proceeded to explore the Westwood and interrupted what appeared to be the workings of what I assume to be a powerful druid clad in black robes. We were beset upon by shambling mounds and a potent undead being clad in black robes wielding a scythe and powerful magics. Although we survived the encounter, thebeing we assumed to be a Druid in Black erupted into a swarm of flies and vanished into the depths of the woods. Afterwards the sounds of the forest resumed and the fonts of spores ceased their spewing. In closing a careful medical examine revealed no signs of any of us having been infected by the spores.



Marpenoth 12th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
During an evening patrol of the the Westwood with Rako Ca'tra near the Elven Enclave we discovered a collection of discarded furniture and old tomes piled together upon the forest floor. As we neared the collection we felt a sense of unease before the furniture and tomes animated and attacked us. No sooner had we defeated the animated objects a thick fog surrounded us and we were suddenly beset upon by black robed figures summoning undead. Afterwards we discovered a collection of shirtless giggling gnomes at the edge of the fog, all giggling through what appeared to be red facial masks designed to facilitate filtering the air they breathed.

The giggling gaggle scattered unseen into the forest as we neared them, and for a short time after leaving the fog I experienced feeling of joy and a sense of euphoria. As the sense of euphoria faded I felt a sense of overwhelming loneliness, at which time Rako Ca'tra reported he was feeling normal.



Marpenoth 13th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Caliope Dirtpaw of Lhuvendhead Trading Company
In the bogs north of Red Larch Sarenna Irithyl of the Lhuvendhead Trading, Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuvendhead Trading Company, and Gael Lynch of the Adventurer's Guild experinced lost time and awoke to find themselves surrounded by thick fog. In the distance they saw dark clad figures who fled before they could be approached.

Notes:
All of the Dark Clad figures and Fog sightings have been experienced at night.

There are now two accounts of people experiencing lost time.
Once in the Bogs and once in the Westwood near spore fonts.

Caliope Dirtpaw expressed the Bogs as being a place that appeared green and lush, pleasant and filling her with a sense of Joy, that passed after she left them. I and Rako Ca'tra also felt similar senses of Euphoria after being exposed to the Fog.

Marpenoth 17th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
A careful inspection of the green spores South of Hero's Park revealed they do not appears to be related to nor similar to the hallucinogenic spores recently encountered in the Westwood, other then their color and the sense of euphoria they create in those that inhale them.

According to an older man with well gnarled hands who appeared to be in his seventh decade of life, the spores are from the Greenback Porcini Mushroom which only grow at the base of Great Oaks. This man went on to claim that in his twenties he use to experiment with a variety of herbs and mushrooms with a Druid named Allanon who has been long gone for sometime. I did not press the issue to determine if Allanon was deceased or just on a mushroom and herb induced journey from which he has never properly returned. The older gentlemen went on to complain that local youths tend to sniff at the base of the Great Oak using the Greenback Porcine Mushroom spores to give them a case of the smiling giggles, and that the youth are likely rotting their brains because to much of anything is simply no good.

Afterwards the older man asked me if I had any Ginko with a suspicious look in his eyes.



Marpenoth 17th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Caliope Dirtpaw of Lhuvendhead Trading Company
Caliope Dirtpaw of Lhuvendead Trading Company shared with me that she had recently experienced vivid dreams while sleeping safely within her bed within the Company Headquarters located in Virgin Square. Within her dreams she saw the Westwood at night cloaked in a thick fog and witnessed dark figures moving about and heard them whisper and felt them compel her to come to the Westwood. When Caliope Dirtpaw awoke she felt compelled to travel to the Westwood, and with her fellow Company members absent for the moment she sought me out and asked that I join her to the Westwood to investigate.



As we reached the Westwood it was evening and our maneuvers through the forest were met with the challenges we had come to expect. There were Werebeasts, Worgs, Wolves, Spiders, and even brightly colored Rainbow Beetles. It was not until we moved West of the Elven Enclave in the Northern reaches of the Westwood that we encountered the unexpected as the Fog sprung up all around us without warning. In immediate response I drank a vial of magical antidote which should have fortified my body from any poisons, in hopes that I might learn if such a measure might prevent myself from losing time or hallucinating. What was seen next both Caliope Dirtpaw bore witness to as well as myself despite having drank the magical antidote, and afterwards we both lost time.



Without warning some shafts of light within the fog appeared and shortly afterwards an ancient looking and neglected hut appeared near them. What appeared to be a very elderly woman staggered out of the hut. She staggered and stepped along tending to her business ignoring our presence as if she had somewhere to be or as if we did not exist to her. As the old woman made it twenty painful looking bent back haggard steps from her hut, she vanished in a brief dazzle of magical lights as if she was teleported away.

Caliope Dirtpaw and I moved to investigate the Hut when we were interupted by what appeared to be perhaps a blue skinned shirtless Gnome wearing a bright red Troll Head shaped mask came running past us giggling through the fog before it vanished from our sight. The same blue skinned gnomish creature, or an identical second, made a another giggling run pass us and we gave chase only to see it vanish before our eyes.

When we did take a closer look at the Hut we found we could not enter it because some unseen force pushed against our efforts at entry. Through the open door I could see within the hut was full of furniture, a fireplace was blazing, and a table full of food including roasted pheasant, ham, turkey, roast beef, cakes and assorted pastries. Despite the cobwebs and obvious state of disrepair and neglect on the outside of the Hut, inside appeared set and ready for a splendid holiday feast.

Caliope Dirtpaw and I, left as the light of Lathander was rising without further incident.

[jmecha]

A Plea For Help



page 7 of the Trumpet in the advertisement section.
My name is Commander Gheldam, I operate out of Rassalanter for the Waterdeep Militia.
I call for every good citizen and abled bodied person to help investigate the many incidences of missing children, slaughter of farm animals, and vandalism effecting the good folk of The Long Road. Not only Rassalanter has befallen upon these horrible occurrences. Amphail and Red Larch has well. A reward will be offered to find out who or what group is perpetrating these foul crimes, also a bounty as well will be offered for these individuals dead or alive.

Marpenoth 22nd, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

In response to the troubles reported along the Long Road, Sarenna Irithyl of the Lhuvendhead Trading Company, Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuvendhead Trading Company, Dorian Orthallas of the Adventurer's Guild, Rako Ca'tra of the House of Heroes, and myself, meet with Commander Gheldarm Tassor of Rasslanter to offer our aid. We learned that the people and communities along the Long Road have been suffering violence from unknown sources and people of all ages have gone missing with alarming regularity in recent rides.

Particular note was mention of a Caravan who's sixty-seven men making up drivers and guards have all gone missing, the horses slain and left where they lay by what appears to have been death by one thousand cuts, and who's cargo of food stuffs was left unmolested.

More immediately though was the missing members of the Sageforhn Family who had gone missing in the stump bogs East of Rasslanter while picking mushrooms. The missing members were a nine year old girl and her father.

The band of us set out immediately into the stump bog in search of the missing pair and through the dark of night followed the sound of child like giggles deeper into the depths of the bog where we found ourselves set upon by Red Caps.



NOTE: RED CAPS

They resembled small, tough, and elderly human men or undersized wizened gnomes, standing 3–4 feet tall and weighing 50 pounds. They had hunched backs, wiry muscles, leathery skins, and evil smiles filled with wickedly sharp, protruding teeth. They wore heavy iron boots, leather pants, and the bright-red leather pointed caps for which they were named; these were always soaked in fresh blood. They wielded scythes, sickles, or other heavy bladed weapons that seemed much too big for them.

Vicious and cruel, redcaps were insane serial killers who thrived on others' pain and dipped their caps in the blood of those they'd killed. They desired only to murder and cause carnage and mayhem, and acted only to satisfy these bloody impulses. However, their instinct to survive and need to soak their hats in fresh blood was the root of their murderous nature.



Beyond the Red Caps we encountered what Sarenna Irithyl and Dorian Orthallas divined to be a one way portal into the Bog from a place unknown, but suspected to be the origin place of the Red Caps. The area around said portal was dizzying with magical energy and it made our very heads swim and made the mud at our feet seem to swirl and shimmer in manners unnatural, the portal was also surrounded with dozens of mutilated corpses of men and women who had been posed in all manner of grotesque. After further study it was learned the Corpses were illusions, although the portal appeared to be very real and it withstood our efforts to see it dispelled.

Failing to seal the Portal, we moved on to find the missing Sageforhn pair, who we lead back to safely reunite with the rest of the Sageforhn Family.



In closing, I suspect the Red Caps are responsible for the missing Caravan Men, slaughtered horses and untouched food stock cargo, the question remains of where are they coming from and why are they coming to bring their mischief and murder here and now of all places?

[jmecha]

Marpenoth 23, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Solo Patrol in Westwood.

Nothing much out of the ordinary for first few hours, Worgs, Wolves, no sign of Blight or much else. A Few hours travel North Western and the air began to thicken and feel heavier, a general feeling of wrongness manifested as a scratching in my head. This feeling intensified rapidly to the point I took to striking my helm with my gauntlet for any sort of relief. A shrill squeaking started to sound in my ear, so I intensified my efforts. Either annoyed or terrified at my actions, a small pixie looking creature flew out of my ear channel and flew around my head repeatedly, in what sounded like scolding before taking wing into the forest and out of sight. A tactical withdrawal was made to further assess these actions.

Marpenoth 24, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Return to solo Patrol in Westwood.

Having recovered from the previous day, a return to the Westwood was in order. I immediately broke North West with no delay, eager to find sign. Followed an odd set of tracks that turned out was a Grey Renderer on a rampage. It was put down. At the Old Elven ruins, a sharp and biting cold wind boiled up, cold enough to freeze the surface of the stream and frost the plants. This inclement and supernatural weather change heralded a frost-laden rider perched on a white horse. It wasted little time giving intent, as it blasted me with a barrage of ice and snow. I gave him a few bolts for his trouble, but the damage done to the rider seemed to heal quick, as the wounds sealed back over. Due to the inference of some Worgs and a Wyvern, I took to being unseen to apply some beneficial enchantments and then stormed the Frosty bastard, opening up with a pair of fire bombs. I closed with and let the lash do my talking. Old Frosty was skilled, and if not for the enchantments, I might be sprouting mushrooms. With the final lash, he went down, collapsing into a pile of lifeless slush and I went off to make this report.
Watch your steps in the Westwood.

[epetrow]

A letter written in neat but elegantly flowing script is pinned to the Northern Board in the House of Heroes (identical copies are delivered by Jeeves the Guardgoyle to the Adventurer's Guild and LTC.)

Marpenoth 26, 1400 Dale Reckoning
A dire warning to the adventuring groups of Waterdeep.

My comrades in Arms,

A new evil and deadly foe has appeared in the Westwood. Heed the following observances and details and use them to your advantage before venturing into the Westwood.

Early this morning while patrolling the Westwood near the Unicorn I came across Caliope Dirtpaw, Xandos Klaxxon and Rako Ca'tra. While we were conversing in front of the Inn, a noble man stumbled up the road from the east and informed us that his bloody tunic and ice covered beard were a result of the icy riders that a few of us have encountered in recent weeks.

As we set up to investigate, the ground beneath each of our boots appeared to freeze; an ill omen indeed. We journeyed bit a little while east and encountered a pack of the riders. The only description In all my studies that matched their appearance was in children's tales. According to these tales, they are called Cold Riders and they ride in on the northern wind and freeze naughty children in their beds on a cold winter's night. As we dispatched the vile creatures their bodies melted away as an ice flow in a river on a warm spring morning.

We continued our search and were suddenly beset by all matter of beasts and monsters in waves . . . bugbears, wolves and worgs, devil dogs and finally a large force of Zartruss Hobgoblins including several shamans and beserkers and one dragon claw. After a hard one victory against the hordes, my companions and I were puzzled as to why these factions should now somehow unite when before they were in constant conflict. Only upon later reflection did I realize that this was not a coordinated attack but a mass exodus. It never occurred to me at the time because I could not fathom a threat so powerful or fearsome that it could rout such a diverse host.

I now know better. s the last hobgoblin fell and our group gathered it was as if night suddenly fell. The darkest moonless blackness that can only be achieved by the Art. I immediately reached for my Ultravision scroll to penetrate the darkness and immediately wished I did not. The beasts description is again out of children's tales. The writings refer to it only as the Bogeyman. I can only describe it as a nightmare.

The battle was joined, already Caliope and Klaxxon were attacking it with Rako firing bolts into it. I sent a volley of Arcane projectiles into it and I shivered as the missles impacted and had no effect whatsoever on the beast. Resistance to the arcane then. Another shiver hit my spine as I recognized the spell that the beast was casting. It pointed a claw at Pawn Klaxxon and I saw his eyes go wide and could almost feel his heart stop as the fiend visible only in his own mind made contact with his flesh and his still healthy body crumpled to the forest floor, lifeless. Caliope danced around and tried to find weak spots, her daggers whirling in the dim light and Rako shouted and redoubled his efforts to down the beast. Then the bogeyman turned his eyes to me.

It cast and I knew the spell from the first Arcane syllable. I had used this spell many times before, I knew its power was in the belief of the victim. His own fears would literally stop his heart and there was only one defense, disbelief, Gnomes pride themselves as understanding the nature of illusions like no other race in Faerun. i have experienced illusionary magics for three centuries and have studied well to become a master of the illusionary Art. I do not tell you this not out of pride my comrades only to warn you that despite all of my experience with Illusion and my Will steeled against the onslaught, my phantasm seemed real to me though the horror of it I will not tell. My Mental defenses breached, it reached out and touched my chest, my heart skipped a beat and I only barely resisted due to my gnomish health. Even so, the apparition still gave me a grievous physical injury but not a fatal one.

As I recovered, I looked up to see that Rako's and Caliope's physical and elemental onslaught on the beast was taking its toll but was still not fatal. I decided to try another barrage of missles at the same time it started to cast that dreaded spell at me again. My fingers flew as fast as they could and the arcane words tore from my lips faster than they ever had fueled by my rising fear. As I pointed my hand at the beast and the five missles flew toward him I saw his finger pointed at me as his own spell completed. As the horror of my own making slowly approached, my missles struck home and this time to full effect, finishing the grisly work almost completed by Rako and Caliope alone. The light of the mini explosions shone through my illusionary terror, my mind locked on that tiny flaw in the image, allowing my psyche to resist it.

Panting in the darkness, the three comrades gathered their fallen companion and returned to the House of Heroes.

Wyk Whitehorn
Seeker of the Font of Knowledge
Loremaster of the Adventurer's Guild

Post Script: The bogeyman physical body was dispelled but it will reform. I will scour the libraries of Waterdeep to learn what I can that may be useful in the fight ahead. The enemy is powerful. It resists magical attacks and can cast illusionary magicks more powerful than mine. Be wary when venturing out in the Westwood for a great evil lurks there.

[jmecha]

Marpenoth 28th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Birdsong, a Druid affiliated with the Adventurer's Guild and the Westwood Elves

The elves of the Westwood and the Druid Birdsong believe the Unseelie Court of the Fey is responsible for many of the recent disturbances in the region, and during a recent Patrol encountered a Pixie who was being chased by what Birdsong suspects to be Meenlocks. The Meenlocks were slain and the Pixie afterwards thanked the small band of Westwood Elves and Birdsong for their efforts.



Meenlocks: Described by Birdsong as tiny broken formed fey that are smaller then a Hin and cruel creatures capable of mentally abusing those they choose to weaken before violently attacking.

Most disturbing though is Birdsong's concern that the Unseelie Fey are capable of granting sentience to the trees and wild life, and are going to be using them as a martial force to further their yet undetermined cause. Birdsong has reported fish leaping from the streams in an ineffective attempt on her life, as well as being attacked by trees; one tree she held a conversation with and it claimed to be enjoying it's new sentient existence.

[jmecha]

Marpenoth 29th, Night of the Blood Red Moon, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

Responding to rumors of troubles in Red Larch a band of volunteers consisting of Keryn Tel'Jora of the Lhuevenhead Trading Company, Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuevenhead Trading Company, Gael Lynch of the Adventurer's Guild, Soosh of the Adventurer's Guild, and myself set out along the Long Road to lend our aid.



We found that the children of the community had been turned into a variety of fruits and vegetables, various forms of livestock, as well as Goblins. The children despite their new forms maintained their ability to express themselves through words and appeared to maintain shreds of their original personalities. The Arcanists amongst us performed a small battery of tests and examinations before we decided to set out to the North where the children had been playing when they were turned into their new forms.



As we moved through the few farms and open fields north of Red Larch we were set upon by wave after wave of Red Caps who attacked our numbers with murderous zeal. Each wave more numerous then the last as Red Caps appeared to pour out of the hidden places of each pumpkin patch, to spring forth between each piece of wheat, and come running at us from around every corner. In truth I lost count, though I suspect the number we encountered and fought was no lower then thirty and possibly as high a number as fifty.

After the last wave of Red Caps fell the wind grew still and the night grew unnaturally silent, yet the grass swirled in mysterious and memorizing patterns and the branches of the trees danced despite the total absence of wind within the night sky. The Arcanist Soosh appeared to be witnessing color patterns and arcane energies flowing through the sky, and I will reach out to him to provide a detailed arcanist's report of what he witnessed. It was during this long moment of eerie silence that we heard a loud noise not unlike that of a giant bottle of champagne being opened somewhere west of where we stood.



Together the band of us moved Westward to discover a trail of decapitated corpses littering the road leading to the covered bridge where a Headless Horsman awaited mounted atop a Nightmare. The fighting that followed was some of the fiercest I have ever witnessed. Each of our Arcanists hurled volleys of magical energy at our enemy as well as summoning fantastical creatures such as hulking flaming earth elementals made of solid stone to combat it, and the summons were as swiftly and easily defeated as the spells were ignored by the Headless Horseman. Our every effort seemed to be ignored by the impossible fortitude of the Headless Horseman as it shrugged off spells as well as sling stones, ignored both swords and arrows, acid and fire. The one means of attack I did make note of harming the Horseman was the superficial damage done by well landed vials of Holy Water, though even the little damage they appeared to do was quickly undone by the horror's supernatural ability to regenerate it's self.

What the Headless Horseman did not ignore, was our having heads attached to our bodies. It rode us down one after another in a most sincere effort to see each and everyone of our heads swiftly removed from our necks with what appeared to be a fantastically sharp sword swung with near unerring accuracy and supernatural strength. I advise anyone who encounters this fantastic horror without a plan in place to defeat it, to flee from it.

We did not flee, and instead took our turns being chased over the open fields while alternating our roles as attacker and running rabbit. In the end the rising light of Lathander is what ended the battle as the Headless Horseman either rode off at first light or vanished altogether.



When we returned to Red Larch we found all of the children returned to their original forms, save one who did not survive the night. One of the boys named George, who had been turned into a Goblin, gave into his growing sense of hunger and consumed another boy named Charlie, who had been turned into a chicken. It may have been this perverse act of cannibalisms on the night of the blood red moon that allowed the Headless Horseman to enter into our existence.

[zetamog]

- Excerpt from Test no. 2059: divining mass alteration during human infant to apple transmogrification (Outsider initiated)

...appeared to be magical transmutation to fairly normal forms, but of extended duration.
Gael Lynch proceeded to place the transformed into a bucket of water (subject was informed of the test prior to it). The subsequent lack of displacement besides that due a normal apple suggests the mass of the subject was entirely redetermined to that of its new form by the weave. This conforms to the norms of polymorph magic. More notable was the continuation of the subjects' original powers of speech, hearing and seemingly normal perceptive abilities. Dissection was not possible at the time and the direct source of these properties remains unknown, though it may be speculated that again the mechanical was replaced entirely by the magical.

It should be further noted that the forms inflicted upon each subject bore Common names starting with the first letter of their own, and that the natural versions of each transmuted creature would normally be expected to consume some of the others. This had drastic consequences.

The spells unusual duration is likely linked to magical phenomena hitherto observed rather than any normal metamagic.

The observer noted that intiating magical detection spells made visible an agglomeration of magical energy unprecedented in magnitude. The energy appeared to be present at considerable altitude and spanned the distance between opposite horizons. Specific features observed include streamers, whorls, waves, sparks and streams of sparks, styalized geometric shapes, amorphous shifting objects and localised groups of objects (some resemblance to faerunian animals noted). All demonstrated greatly varying luminosity and color, including some shades that could not be identified, though red predominated.

The observer experienced a transfixtion effect and had to forceably return their attention to the mundane.
The phenomenon flowed in a specific direction, like a terrestrial river. Following its course, the observer first travelled North, and then West from Red Larch, for several miles. Other than its direction of travel, the only obvious pattern was the manifestation of additional supernatural sub-phenomina associated with the Fey Outsiders.

Observer noted unusual occurences such as the directional levitation of mundane objects appearence of hostile and invulnerable entities, and numerous fresh human cadavers, not normally encountered at this location. A sudden report, likely resulting from the instantaneous displacement of a volume of air, occured, followed by the manifestation of a red glow from an enclosed bridge structure. It became apparent the noise had resulted from the arrival of a large horse-mounted entity.

That these events were linked was evidenced by their universal dissipation as dawn broke and the red moon's light left the sky.

Conclusion:
- The red moon event precipitated the usual paranormal phenomena
- Fey entities either initiated or exploited this, harnessing the concentration of the weave and causing it to flow at their volition
- The Fey were able to harness this power to cause otherwise inexplicable phenomena that bore the hallmark of a malevelont intelligence with a sadistic sense of humour
- Their precise aims are unknown, command of magic of several orders of magnitude beyond that previously observed, and general attitude unmistakeably hostile
- The mechanism of their command of this plane's magic is also unknown. It may be that the manipulations were performed remotely from their homeworld since terrestrially, only effects were observed

Addendum

Transformed subject recovered, retains memories of the events, to be questioned. Further investigation to divine the magic's source of control. All available sources to be examined in pursuit of further information regarding the Outsiders.

[jmecha]

Uktar 3rd, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

After hearing Lieutenant Mengor, at the Unicorn Inn, speak of the continued blight of Fey plaguing the Long Road, the Druid Birdsong and I decided to set out through the Westwood for Amphail.

We left as the sun was setting and shortly after nightfall we were ambushed by dark-skinned brutes that had thick black fur and a predatory look in their beady eyes. They were identified by Birdsong as being predatory Fey named Hidebehinds, known for brutally ambushing their victims.



After defeating the Hidebehindes who ambushed us, we continued East towards Amphail and nearly escaped the Westwood when we heard a tree being chopped down to the North of us. Upon investigation of the lumberjacking we encountered several brutish, one-eyed giants carrying large, well-made axes and wearing simple tunics. They had a heads of shaggy hair, and the lower half of their faces were obscured by a bristly, dark beards. We failed to properly identify these cyclops creatures though Birdsong did recgonize they were not of this world and most likely Fey in orgin.



When we eventually reached Amphail and reported in to Lieutenant Ken he warned us to avoid the local graveyard because a potent undead had taken up residence there. We were told the creature did not appear to leave the graveyard, but no one who had entered the graveyard since it's arrival have ever returned.

What we found within the graveyard was a wicked creature dressed in the garb of an undertaker and resembles an ethereal gargoyle. It has tiny black close set eyes, and its skin is slate gray. It proved exceptionally dangerous and capable of summoning the dead of the graveyard to fight upon it's behalf.



Upon defeating this being, the blanket of dread that had been present over Amphail felt lifted. Birdsong identified the being as not Undead, but as a Fey known as a Tombstone Fairy who was not only known for summoning undead, but killing those foolish enough to enter the graveyards in which it lairs so it may later add them to it's ranks of undead.

[jmecha]

Uktar 5th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

While traveling to Amphail by way of the Westwood in the company of the Dwarven Clergy Raldin Thunderbeard, Elyas T'almerlon of the Adventurer's Guild, we encountered new variations of the Fey as well as an alarming magical phenomenon.

It was evening when the fog rolled in without warning and several diminutive cruel looking beings with twisted faces locked in grins of malice and reeking of brimstone emerged bathed in auras of flame. They looked like evil gnomish born from the fires of Yintros and they hurled fire at us while cackling with glee.



No sooner had we managed to battle back the last of the fiery fey, there emerged twisted and menacing Saytr with menacing auras who fought along side animated trees with branches as sharp as razors. Be warned that the twisted and abhorrent Saytrs are by their mere proximity capable of driving brave men to flee and the trees we encountered were more then capable of leaving lasting wounds that could quickly leave a warrior weak and dying from blood loss.



Most importantly though was the magical Phenomenon that I experienced, and Dwarven Cleric Raldin Thunderbeard described as a river of magic flowing through the Westwood. I was made a victim of emotions that swelled up within me without warning and upon a scale I did not imagine possible. There was no warning, nor was there any battle to be waged internally between myself and my feelings. The emotion of grief and sorrow simply washed over me as I mourned the deaths of a small pack of wolves who had tried to eat my companions and I.

I am writing this so there is no confusion or vagary as to what this Magical Phenomena is capable of, I was not simply sad, I was a blubbering mess of tears and snot as I felt an unending torrent of emotional sadness and grief. I was still able to perform my duties to an extent, but my judgement was clouded by severe emotions and my vision was blurred by the continuous stream of tears.

Last but not least, as we emerged from the Westwood near Amphail our passage was blocked by a dense fog filled with a cacophony of voices that threated us to engage them in a contest of riddles to either earn our safe passage or die at their hands. We managed to offer a riddle that they were unable to answer correctly and they held true to their word and allowed our passage.

[Holy_Rage]

Uktar 7th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, The Year of Lost Ships

Let there be no doubt: where Need arises, Greed answers. And such an axiom I uphold proudly, a banner nontarnishable, pristine and glorious, untouched by the feeble ramblings of the rest of the Mordinsamman. For where the incursions of the Meaningless Frolickers of the Feywild seek to make of the Westwood a river of tainted, polluted magicks, the Grim Lord of the Mountains blesses us with a propitious insight: the mining, refining, smelting, forging and cleaving by means of Cold Iron gear. If we must lust after such a rare and precious boon fiercely, then cold and deadly shall be the path set towards it, much like Cold Iron is tempered by Frost and Fire in equal parts.

'Tis I, then, Raldin of Clan Thunderbeard, Thirdson of Clan Thunderbeard, Exalted Servant of the Mountain's Shadow, who brings word of such a terrible boon: "In the lands of the pallid Elves, where pry we shall a Diamond of Frost and Anguish from the still beating Heart of an Ice Fiend, Offered promptly such shall be to the Mountain's Grim Lord, so that his Hunger Gnawing be satiated and our paltry request be granted!"

Such is the Mountain's will; and broken, ruined and twisted all those who oppose its Lord Terrible and Uncaring; hearken to the words of his Exalted Servant and seek salvation in the ruin of the Frost Diabolical! And in such, we too shall be tempered by adversity, so that our sweat and blood rise to the Mountain's nostrils and match a mere figment of the Glitterhell's illustrious glory!

[jmecha]

Uktar 7th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

In response to complaints that the road through the Westwood has been plagued by Fey and trade with Hope Valley Mining Camp has become impossible, a band of us set out to clear the road. We consisted of Sarenno of the Lhuevenhead Trading Company, Gael Lynch, Soosh, Wyk Whitehorn, and Birdsong of the Adventurer's Guild.



As we progressed through the Westwood we encountered increasingly larger numbers of Red Caps concealed within thick blankets of Fog. Particular of note the Gnomish Arcanist Wyk Whitehorn appeared to have been stricken by the emotional phenomenon and perhaps suffered hopeless ennui. We also encountered a new variation of Fey that is known as a Quickling. This small fey proved capable of moving faster then any other being I have ever seen or encountered, and it appeared to be content in running up to attempt larceny from our pockets and then run off as quickly as it arrived. Eventually though we managed to push through the fog and Red Caps to combat the dangerous Sword Trees capable of cutting a man to the bone with their severely sharp limbs.

In the end we reopened the road through the Westwood, though so long as the Fey continue to invade unchecked it is only a matter of time till they will have the numbers to reclaim the road should they choose to.

[jmecha]

Uktar 9th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

During a presence patrol through the Stump Bogs East of Rasslanter, with Rako Ca'tra of the House of Heroes and the Druidess Birdsong of the Adventurer's Guild we encountered Red Caps who made excellent use of the Bog's terrain to continuously ambush and harass our trespassing presence within their territory. Of particular note though were the Red Cap Riders we encountered who rode mounted atop what appeared to be Wyverns capable of delivering a deadly bite which would leave a devastating bleeding wound.

[jmecha]

Uktar 12th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

Commander Gheldam Tassor of Rasslanter requested aid in protecting the people of the Stump Bog East of Rasslanter so they might celebrate their Yearling Feast. In response Keryn Tel'Jora and Caliope Dirtpaw of Lhuevenhead Trading Company, Gael Lynch, Wyk Whitehorn, and Dorian Orthallas of the Adventurer's guild, as well as myself set out into the Stump Bogs to investigate the Fey activities and cull their numbers where we could.

We initially marched through the Stump Bog meeting with little to no resistance other then the occasional Red Cap, and we eventually reached the Portal discovered during previous patrols. Gael Lynch used a Divination to Analyze the Portal and found it to be a one way portal to our world from the Fey Wild. It was suspected that in time the Fey would find the means to make it a two way portal or that they would or have established a portal elsewhere leading back to the Fey Wild so the my bring their captured victims back to the Fey Wild. In a perhaps futile gesture traps were laid at the mouth of the portal in an effort to present to the next arriving Fey a proper greeting to the prime.



It was near the portal that our efforts were disturbed by the arrival of a Greater Barghest who circled our numbers for sometime before moving to attack within our ranks unleashing a horrifying howl capable of striking fear into a man regardless of the quality of his mettle. Due to the combined arms of the arcanist's arsenal of spells and Caliope's fast acting daggers the Barghest quickly proved it's bark worse then it's bite when it was slain.



We found our way to the Southern region of the Stump Bog where locals have claimed there exist an old haunted manor house, though our expedition did not probe deep enough to confirm these rumors. Our band was quickly confronted by Tombstone Fairies who effectively stripped us of our wardings with Dispelling magics just before The Boogeyman arrived to sow terror through our ranks. We once more worked to use a variety of our combined arms to bring the Boogeyman down and found our efforts to be stunningly unsuccessful. Most of the spells our arcanists leveled against him appeared to slide harmlessly off his grotesque frame, and although one Hold Monster Spell was successfully in paralyzing the Boogeyman for a time, the best efforts of magically summoned creatures, Caliope Dirtpaw's daggers, and my own physical assault proved wildly incapable of doing more then providing superficial injuries that the Boogeyman quickly recovered from due to some Unseelie Regenerative properties.



It was during our prolonged battle against the Boogeyman that twenty or so Red Caps lead by a Red Cap Elder joined the fray, and our small band was turned back from the Southern Bog and retreated. Our efforts though were not fruitless in that there were lessons learned which I will now present to you here.

• Sixteen's Nightmare Neutralizing Field proved an effective defense against the Boogeyman's deadly Phantasmal Killer magics

• The Boogeyman has potent magical resistances and appears to be almost impossible to physically harm, while also capable of regenerating his form to undo damage done to him.

• The Boogeyman may rival Quicklings for speed and appears capable of seeing through invisibility, Potions of Speed and or the power of flight maybe the only means of escaping him.

• Red Caps are fast upon their feet, Red Cap Riders mounted on Wyverns are capable of flight, and Red Cap Elders are far faster and more dangerous then their lessors, though thankfully Invisibility does appear an effective means of escaping their murderous intentions.

[jmecha]

Uktar 19th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

In accord with the Dwarven Cleric's divination, Raldin Thunderbeard, Rako Ca'tra, Caliope Dirtpaw, and myself set out for the depths of the frozen caverns beneath Waterdeep to confront an Ice Demon. We encountered heavy resistance by way of Frozen Water Elementals, Yeti, Elven Cultists of the Frost Maiden, and even a Mimic disguised as a treasure chest.

Due to proper preparations we were able to survive the fierce fighting and in the end a Diamond of Frost was carved from the Ice Demon's Heart by the bejeweled dagger of Clergy Raldin Thunderbeard. Soon we will set out for Amphail to make the sacrfice in hope that the Dwarven God might bless us with the gift of Cold Iron.

[jmecha]

Uktar 20th, 1400 Dale Reckoning, Year of Lost Ships
Source: Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes

In accord with the Dwarven Cleric's divination, Raldin Thunderbeard, Rako Ca'tra, and myself traveled to Amphail to sacrifice the Diamond Heart of an Ice Demon to the Dwarven God so that we maybe gifted with Cold Iron.

The Dwarven Cleric Raldin Thunderbeard made the sacrifice a ritual affair atop an altar deep beneath Amphail, making use of the dwarven language and his own blood. In the end we were warned of the following.

"A mountain path. Leading to a cave.
To Dwarven tunnels deep below the earth.
A chest contains That Which We Seek.
But Beware, O Servant of Faith.
For it is guarded by Those who hold it MORE DEARLY THAN YOURSELF!"

In a practical effort to better understand what might await us in the Dwarven Tunnels within the Sword Mountains, we have agreed to first search the Citadel of the Bloody Hand to see what records the Dwarves may have left behind.