Mark's Greyhawk Savage Tide Campaign

[bytor]

It's been a while since I got an update posted here huh? I'll try to get an abbreviated synopsis of the events of the last number of sessions up soon... I think there have been 4 since the last recap.

[bytor]

Here you go, a series of abbreviated and poorly-written updates for the last few sessions:

Savage Tide – Session 45 Recap

Starday, 8 Fireseek, 597 CY

The party battles the wastrilith, nearly killing it before it manages to teleport away to some hidden demesne. Heading into the temple, the party encounters a sizable force of skinwalker warriors and acolytes led by a skinwalker ranger chieftain. Croan succumbs to grievous wounds during the fight, but the skinwalkers are finally defeated.

Savage Tide – Session 46 Recap

Sunday, 9 Fireseek, 597 CY

After resting (via Armond’s rope trick spell), the party makes its way through the temple, exploring the ancient corridors until coming to a strange room dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, Tonatiuh and Tezcatlipoca. Recognizing the room as a representation of the stone tablet received from Vesserin, the party manages to decipher the puzzle and is rewarded with the Nimbus Bow, an ancient Olman artifact, from manifestations of the three gods themselves.

After thoroughly exploring the upper level of the temple, the party makes its way down to the flooded second level, where they are confronted by a trio of hezrou demons. The party sends the demons back to the Abyss and proceeds to explore the second level.

Savage Tide – Session 47 Recap

Sunday, 9 Fireseek, 597 CY

Professor Veeblefester casts a true resurrection spell to restore Croan to this mortal coil. Moving through the ancient temple, the party uncovers the origin of the shadow pearls – huge fiendish oysters corrupted by Abyssal reagents and demonic influence. The party destroys the oysters and their germinating pearls and do battle with the kopru worshippers of Demogorgon populating the third level of the temple. Finally, in the darkest depths of the temple, the party confronts Khala, an aspect of Demogorgon, defeating the creature after a long and taxing battle. With Khala’s defeat and the destruction of the fiendish oysters, shadow pearl production is effectively shut down and the demonic taint on the Isle of Dread eradicated once and for all.

Leaving the temple, the party meets a scurvy pirate representing Crimson Fleet interests in the temple called Throgiff. The party interrogates Throgiff and learns that the Crimson Fleet has already stockpiles 35 shadow pearls at their base of operations in Scuttlecove, and that more have been scattered across the face of Oerth, for what purpose is unknown.

So ends City of Broken Idols, part seven of the Savage Tide.

Moonday, 10 Fireseek, 597 CY

The party returns to Farshore via Armond’s teleportation magic. Expecting a warm welcome and time for rest before continuing their pursuit of existing shadow pearls at the Crimson Fleet stronghold in Scuttlecove, they are instead met with furtive glances and troubled stares. Shag, Ash and Thamiol rush to meet the party and point to the destroyed section of the Vanderboren estate that was once Lavinia’s bedroom. Shag tells of the return of an undead Vanthus Vanderboren astride a burning steed, leading a force of demonic ape minions to Lavinia’s manor. Some of the citizens of Farshore tell the party that they caught a glimpse of the demon apes carrying Lavinia from her burning manor, and they claim that the monsters were branded with the mark of the Crimson Fleet. More heard Vanthus’ greeting to Lavinia just before he, the demons and Lavinia vanished from sight: “It is time for you to love me again, sister. The Lord of the Crimson Fleet can awaken it in you when I bring you before him. Your time here is over.”

So begins Serpents of Scuttlecove, part eight of the Savage Tide.

Savage Tide – Session 48 Recap

Godsday, 11 Fireseek, 597 CY

The party wastes little time gearing up for a journey to Scuttlecove after learning that the Jade Ravens took Lavinia’s ship, the Blue Nixie, on a rescue mission soon after the attack. They leave aboard the Brandy Jezebel the next morning for Scuttlecove. Before leaving, Vesserin Catherly informs them of the dangerous nature of Scuttlecove, and indicates that rumours suggest several factions vie for dominance in the city, including the Crimson Fleet, the Seventh Coil (a yuan-ti organization sometimes in league with the Fleet) and the Monastery of the Dire Hunger, an organization of cannibalistic monks.

Godsday, 18 Fireseek, 597 CY

Thamiol has a dream during the night recalling his first witness of the savage tide in Kraken Cove so long ago. In the dream, Harliss Javell, the Crimson Fleet captain who lost her crew in the outbreak in Kraken Cove, speaks to Thamiol as if relaying a message. Harliss greets Thamiol with a smile and an offer of allegiance, explaining that she was not aware of the danger of the shadow pearls those many months ago, and has come to Scuttlecove to realize vengeance against the Crimson Fleet for the events at Kraken Cove. Harliss explains that she has discovered a mutual acquaintance, Vanthus Vanderboren, has made his presence known in Scuttlecove and is rumoured to be holding his sister Lavinia hostage. Harliss promises the aid of the Protectorate in rescuing Lavinia, as long as she can count on the party’s assistance in laying the Crimson Fleet low as part of the process. Harliss bids the party meet her at a Protectorate safehouse called “Red Foam Whaling” when they arrive in Scuttlecove.

Moonday, 24 Fireseek, 597 CY

The party arrives in Scuttlecove, a wretched hive of scum and villainy, and begins the search for Harliss and Red Foam Whaling. In the process, the party finds a dead and dismembered Kaskus Kiel (and his dog Luke), the dwarf druid member of the Jade Ravens, strung up in the city plaza. Calico finds a long-time companion of his at a tavern called “The Violated Ogre”, and the party eventually learns the location of Red Foam Whaling from a group of unsavoury locals. Unfortunately, instead of finding Harliss Javell at the facility, the party walks into an ambush of yuan-ti in league with a succubus. After fighting the yuan-ti the party explores the facility more thoroughly, finding Zan Oldavin (another Jade Raven) unconscious and near death in one room and Harliss Javell’s gear in the den of the yuan-ti’s leader.

Savage Tide – Session 49 Recap

Moonday, 24 Fireseek, 597 CY

The party takes stock of the yuan-ti’s hideout and discovers a curious folded note in Harliss’ gear. It reads:

Esteemed Tyralandi,
The bearer of this note is a friend and associate of mine.
If you could aid her, I would once again be in your debt.
Please extend to her every courtesy.
Zimon Alenveer

Taking stock of the names Tyralandi and Zimon Alenveer, the party turns its attention to Zan. Professor Veeblefester administers a curative spell to the bloodied Zan Oldavin, rousing him to consciousness and healing the worst of his wounds. Zan struggles initially, gasping back to life and unsure of the intent of those nearby.

“Zan! Hold still, calm yourself!” cautions Thamiol.

“Thamiol? Valorian? Calico? Bloody hell but it’s good to see you. Where’re the others?

“Don’t know Zan. We were hoping you might be able to tell us,” responds Thamiol.

“Ah, gods everything hurts.” Zan props himself up against a sturdy timber, massaging an eight-inch scar on his side that Veeblefester’s healing failed to eliminate. “Kaskus and I, we headed west along the docks after arriving, asking around. Tolin and Liamae went east. Godsdamn, I thought it would be fun to get out of Farshore; thought we might be able to show Lavinia we still had the goods, you know? Anyway, I guess we attracted the wrong crowd with our questions. We were attacked by a bunch of snakefolk, yuan-ti. I was knocked unconscious; don’t know what happened to Kaskus. I remember coming to, being carried over someone’s shoulder. Mentioned something about a minting house, the Seventh Coil…. I fell unconscious and next thing I’m here. Bloody lucky I guess. Anyway, you got a ship or something? I think I’m hungry….”

The party leaves Red Foam Whaling with Zan and heads towards the Brandy Jezebel. Thamiol, growing increasingly concerned about Liamae, begins questioning the vagabonds, prostitutes and other, less savoury characters peppering the streets of Scuttlecove like so many rats. Finally, after delivering Zan to Calico’s ship, Thamiol gets a lead.

“Oi berk, yea I seen a lass o’ jus such a descrip’n. Comely lit’l phing she was. Saw ‘er goin’ in’a Rusty Shunt. Offered ‘er a gold galleon te sit on me face but she woon’t go fer it. No ‘arm in tryin’ eh?”

The party finds the Rusty Shunt after heading back west into the city. Unlike most of the buildings in Scuttlecove, the two-story inn appears well-built and well-kept. Inside, the inn maintains its somewhat respectable character, and even the clientele are better behaved. Of course, the six well-armed guards standing sentry in the common room may have something to do with that.

Behind the counter is a portly man who nonetheless looks like he has seen some action in the past. “Greetings folks. Looking for a room? Food? Drink? I’d ask to see some coin but you look like you’ll have no trouble paying. Please, take a load off. Lars Landicaster’s the name.”

After speaking with Lars for a time and inquiring about Liamae, Lars bids the party follow him into the kitchens. He leads them blindfolded through a circuitous route under the Rusty Shunt. “I don’t know where the girl is, but I know someone who might be able to help.” Lars removes the blindfolds and the party members find themselves in a safehouse of sorts. Sitting across the room is a familiar face: Tolin Kientai of the Jade Ravens.

A sedate and sober Tolin, wracked with guilt about the unknown fates of his companions, tells the party that he and Liamae split up from Kaskus and Zan after arriving in Scuttlecove. As they began asking around town about the whereabouts of Lavinia, it became quickly apparent that they were out of their depth and that Scuttlecove was perhaps more dangerous than the wilds of the Isle of Dread. The last he saw of Liamae she was following a lead to someone named Tyralandi at a place called Porphyry House, while Tolin headed in another direction and was set upon by a gang of bar-lgura thugs. He barely managed to escape and eventually found himself at the Rusty Shunt, where the Protectorate took him into hiding to thwart the bar-lgura Crimson Fleet recruiters.

The party leaves the safehouse and heads back to Calico’s ship with Tolin accompanying them. On the route they are confronted by a group of Scuttlecove thugs intent on showing the party their due for showing such an interest in the goings-on of the city. The thugs are taken aback when Thamiol begins playing a tune for them, insisting that his interest in the city and recent events are simply research for a series of ballads he is writing. Further coaxing from Calico convinces the brutes to bugger off.

Godsday, 25 Fireseek, 597 CY

Leaving Calico’s ship, the Brandy Jezebel, the party follows up on the lead from Tolin and Harliss’ note and heads toward Porphyry House. Inquiring about town on the way the party learns that Tyralandi is the beautiful proprietor of Porphyry House, which is well-known as the premier brothel in Scuttlecove.

[bytor]

Well, it's been a while since I've updated this thread, and a lot has happened in the Savage Tide campaign since last summer. Here is a recap of last Wednesday's game. Last session leads up to the final two adventures in the series.

Savage Tide – Session 63 Recap

Sunday, 16 Planting, 597 CY

Unwilling to implant the Tooth of Ahazu in his own mouth, Armond grudgingly donates the demonic artifact to the dwarf Shag. Somewhat nervous about the prospect of touching Ahazu's pool, Shag asks Azreal to remove one of his teeth and implant the Tooth of Ahazu, guessing he had about a 50% chance that the tooth would protect him from any negative effects of touching Ahazu's pool. The Tooth of Ahazu implants itself in Shag's mouth as though it always belonged there. Shag's skin immediately takes on a pale hue, and his countenance becomes gaunt and haggard.

Shag touches Ahazu's pool and is immediately engulfed by a visage of Ahazu's face rising from the black waters. Luckily, the Tooth of Ahazu has its desired effect and protects Shag from being pulled into Shattered Night and merging with Ahazu's essence. Now in telepathic contact with Ahazu, Shag manages to broker a pact with the demon lord of night and abduction. Ahazu agrees to provide the secret of freeing Shami-Amourae from her prison in return for an even greater prize, something considerably more powerful than the Lady of Debased Eros (in game terms, a replacement prisoner of at least CR 24). The replacement prisoner will be accepted by Ahazu dead or alive, and Shag is given 66 days to make good on his promise, else he will be taken as Ahazu's replacement prisoner. As Shag agrees to the contract, the weight of the pact settles over him, binding him to its terms. The rest of the party feels a similar weight fall over them, oblivious to the fact that Shag unwittingly entered all of them into Ahazu's pact.

In return for his promise, Shag is given a book of infinite spells tied to the cult of Shami-Amourae. One page remains in the book, and only by casting the spell on that page while standing at the edge of Shami-Amourae's well can she be released from the bonds of her prison. With that, Ahazu breaks contact with Shag.

In the meantime, Azreal plane shifts away from the Wells of Darkness with Shump's body, arriving some 50 miles of the city of Sasserine. The rest of the party sets up a temporary campsite in a sheltered lee of the jagged rocks and peaks of the layer. After several hours of searching, Azreal manages to secure enough diamonds and holy water to conduct a true resurrection on Shump, and does so following a night’s rest at Lavinia’s estate. The two return to the Wells of Darkness soon after, luckily arriving within 5 miles of Overlook Keep. A hasty teleportation spell reunites the party. Shump, of course, maintains some distance from Calico, who is clearly displeased with his return.

Moonday, 17 Planting, 597 CY

Under Shadowfire's guidance, the party makes its way to Shami-Amourae's well. As soon as they come within earshot of the well they hear a cacophanous noise - a riot of shrieks and ape-like grunts. Coming close to the well, they see it is overflowing with strangely verdant foliage and life - huge trees ripe with deep red and purple fruit. Swinging from the branches of the trees are at least four immense, four-armed, silver-furred Abyss-tainted gorilla-like creatures. The fiendish creatures do not initially attack, instead gesturing crudely to the party, seeming to suggest a nightmarish exchange of sexual favours for access to Shami-Amourae's well. Shag's attempt to intimidate the massive creatures does not go as planned, and one of the apes mistakenly takes Shag's challenge as an invitation. It bounds forward, motioning for Shag to turn around and bend over. Once within range, clearly anticipating the fun it is going to have with the poor dwarf, Shag unleashes his mighty axe, taking the Abyss-tainted gorallon by surprise and nearly running it through. A few short rounds later and the remaining gorallons scattered from the area.

Making its way through the thick canopy of verdant trees, the party slowly descends the well. The group exits the canopy about 40 feet above the bottom of the well. Standing atop the black pool is a gargantuan retriever (similar to the bebilith-like construct fought at the Crimson Fleet Wreck), unmoving and inactive. Unsure of how the apparently inactive giant retriever will react to an attempt to free Shami-Amourae, and not necessarily desiring to fight the massive construct, Azreal uses a summoning spell to call forth an earth elemental titan, a paragon of elemental kind. The party hovers over the two titans and watches the resulting cage match. By the time the fight is over, the massive retriever is destroyed, crumpled in a giant heap of Abyssal metal amidst the massive tree trunks at the base of the well. The elemental titan remains, still under the control of Azreal.

Shump wastes little time using the book of infinite spells (via his Use Magic Device skill) to casts the freedom spell inscribed in its last page. Shami-Amourae, a stunning, statuesque woman with flawless pale skin and long golden tresses, slowly rises from the pool's depths. Her angelic form is marred by the wanton, lustful pout of her lips, the all-consuming hunger that lurks within her eyes, the large bat wings that unfurl from her back, and the writhing tail that coils around one leg. An expression of joy appears on her face as she notices the party, only to suddenly grow slack. It is then that the party notices the writhing snake protruding from her neck, previously hidden behind her silky hair. The snake’s hissing face rears up behind Shami-Amourae’s head and spits a curse, “You shall not have this prize! I shall use her to destroy your bodies, and I shall send your souls back to Shattered Night forever!” The chokesnake symbiont, a failsafe planted by Demogorgon before he imprisoned Shami-Amourae, attacks the party using the Lady of Delight's abilities, but is fortunately vanquished by Shag.

Shami-Amourae drops to her knees in a daze, and then with a scream of anguish, she tears the snake-thing from her neck, throws it to the ground and crushes it with her heel. She looks over to the party and is about to say something when a great thunderous boom rips through the air and drowns out her voice. The trees surrounding Shami-Amourae’s pool are torn from their roots and tossed from the well by some unseen force, and a swiftly spreading rift of darkness opens in the sky above. A moment later, a torrent of dark water cascades from the rift, as if a great waterfall had suddenly appeared in the sky. Several party-members are struck by the waters (a diversion of the River Styx, engineered by Demogorgon in the rare event of Shami-Amourae's rescue) and loose several hours of memory, but narrowly escape total amnesia). The party manages to escape the rapidly-filling well before being affected by the waters again, only to face a group of four bar-lgura demons riding demonic retriever mounts exiting the growing rift. With the help of Shami-Amourae the bar-lgura demons and retrievers are defeated, and Shami-Amourae is finally able to speak to the party. She thanks them for her rescue, and after some prompting explains why Demogorgon imprisoned her in the Wells of Darkness, and how it may be possible to defeat him.

"Demogorgon is his own worst enemy. He is, in many ways, two creatures that share the same body. Aameul, his left head, is them more charismatic and calculating, while Hethradiah, his right head, is more impulsive and feral. Each views the other as inferior, and each believes the other incapable of outfoxing itself. It's really rather cute, after a fashion. It certainly makes it easy to manipulate him, by playing Aameul off of Hethradiah, and vice versa.

"Both of his heads have long sought ways to achieve dominance over the other. Even before they betrayed me, Aameul and Hethradiah had hatched independant plans to take control. Aameul's is to murder Hethradiah and use the life energy of the Bastion of Unborn Souls to cauterize the wound. I have my doubts that would work. Hethradiah's plan is much more insidious. He planned on seeding dozens, if not hundreds, of Material Plane cities on a number of worlds with madness - he called it a savage tide. The resulting eruption of insanity could then be siphoned into Gaping Maw, where he could use the energy to absorb Aameul. In effect, Aameul wanted to shed his unwanted half, while Hethradiah wanted to absorb it. A much stronger plan. I always did like him better.

"If you seek to oppose him, take warning. Demogorgon is not one to be trifled with - even I wasn't able to deceive him for long. What hope do you think you have? No...if you want to even have a chance at stopping him, you need to distract him. That is Demogorgon's weakness. Each situation he faces brings two reactions, not one. And when faced with multiple dangers across multiple fronts, these reactions can paralyze him. I've seen it before, on a small scale as he's been forced to deal with uprisings and invasions. I quiver to think how he'd react to something on a larger scale... say, perhaps, an invasion of Gaping Maw by the armies of multiple enemies at once?

"In any event, I need to be away from this place, to go into hiding before he tries for me again. I have much to rebuild. I've no interest in tangling with Demorgorgon again soon. Perhaps ever. But if you feel suicidal, I'd suggest consulting with someone who knows more than I do about the Abyss. Someone like that tart, Iggwilv, perhaps?"

With that, Shami-Amourae plane shifts away, leaving the party alone on the edges of the new expanding lake fed by the River Styx. As they debate their next move, a sinister form appears in the growing lake. Emerging from the mist and vapour churning up from the turbid waters is a long skiff, propelled along the water's surface by a gaunt figure. As it approaches, an almost palpable aura of menace filled the air. Charon, Boatman of the River Styx, has arrived.

So ends The Wells of Darkness, part ten of the Savage Tide

[bytor]

Here we go - session 64 recap in point-form.

Savage Tide – Session 64 Recap

Moonday, 17 Planting, 597 CY

Calico, disgusted with the degenerating morality of the party, takes his leave and plane shifts back to Sasserine to take proper control of his growing fleet. He communicates to Lavinia his fears regarding the influence that the Abyss is having on several members of the party.

Arriving in the skies above the Wells of Darkness, almost at the same time as Charon, is a young red dragon. After hearing rumours of the party’s exploits in the Abyss and following the movements of Charon via scrying magic, the red dragon decided to take a chance that the group would allow an outcast red dragon to join them in their quest. Happily, the motley crew is more than willing to accept such a strange new addition to their group.

Charon invites the party aboard his skiff, querying them on the state of his river. The party responds by explaining about Shami-Amourae and their quest against Demogorgon and his plans for triggering the Savage Tide.

Charon ferries the party back through the rift and along the River Styx. He describes Demogorgon as a common enemy, and brings them to the gothic estate of Iggwilv, Witch-Queen of Perrenland, Mother of Iuz, and Daughter of Baba Yaga, on the Grey Wastes of Hades. The party is shocked to see the Blue Nixie, Lavinia’s ship, docked at the pier leading up to Iggwilv’s estate. Charon explains that he brought the ship here, and that as long as they are aboard it and sailing on his river they are protected from the denizens and ravages of the lower planes. Charon then takes his leave, telling the party to call on him when the final battle against Demogorgon begins.

Godsday, 18 Planting, 597 CY

Following some initial confrontations with a pair of stygian linnorms and Iggwilv’s overzealous arcanaloth yugoloth house-guardians, Iggwilv deigns to meet with the party. Iggwilv makes it clear that in other circumstances the party’s intrusion on her home would be met with indiscriminate force, and that the future may yet hold violence between them. For now, however, she concedes that the opportunity to destroy Demogorgon is one that necessitates an alliance of sorts between several of the most infamous and powerful enemies of Demogorgon. Iggwilv outlines the hatchings of a plan, and directs the party to those who would most likely be willing or convinced to participate in a temporary alliance against the Prince of Demons. That list includes:

Charon, Boatman of the Styx, with whom the party has already met and secured assistance;

Orcus, Prince of Undead – demon lord of undeath, residing on the plane of Thanatos in the Abyss, who harbours a deep desire for the title of Prince of Demons;

Gwynharwyf, The Whirling Fury – consort and lover of the eladrin Queen Morwell of the Court of Stars, residing on the plane of Arborea. Iggwilv believes she will join the alliance for past wrongs by Demogorgon against the eladrin;

Malcanthet, Queen of Succubi – residing in the Palace of Flesh on the plane of Shendilavri in the Abyss, who has been involved in events leading up to the Savage Tide for some time;

Obox-Ob, obyrith lord and former Prince of Demons, who was killed by the Queen of Chaos eons ago. A fragment of his aspect is said to still exist and desires revenge against Demogorgon;

Bagromar, aspect of Demogorgon and one of the twin generals of the Prince of Demons’ armies. Said to be dissatisfied with his lot and perhaps jealous of his twin brother (and dual aspect of Demogorgon), Tetradarian.

The party discusses the details of the possible alliance with Iggwilv for some time before taking their leave. Iggwilv hands the party a letter that she says should help them in getting an audience before Orcus. She warns them of his propensity for violence, and suggests they return to her when, and if, they secure an alliance with the Prince of Undead.

The party journeys to Thanatos via the River Styx aboard the Blue Nixie. They eventually reach the keep of Everlost and gain an audience with Orcus after presenting Iggwilv’s letter to his balor and bodak attendants. The party meets with Orcus at the foot of his throne, surrounded by legions of undead thralls and attendants and forced into supplication by the overwhelming negative and physical energy emanating from the demon lord. Orcus seems interested in the party’s suggestion of an alliance against, Demogorgon, but demands a display of power from them before committing. He insists that the group pick a champion to do battle against Lestra, one of his death giant thralls, and opens the doors to his great arena.

So begins Enemies of My Enemy, part eleven of the Savage Tide

[majortom]

Man, part eleven. It seems like we'll all be struck by lightening once this adventure path has finished.

[bytor]

Savage Tide Synopsis, or What Happened During the Last 68 Sessions

Part 1: There is No Honour

This all started long ago, when Lavinia Vanderboren entreated you to help secure access to her family vault then asked for your help with her missing brother, Vanthus. You learned that Vanthus was responsible for the deaths of his and Lavinia’s parents – that he burned them alive aboard their ship months earlier. You found him at Parrot Island, where he trapped you in smugglers tunnels below. You escaped and found the Lotus Dragon thieves’ guild just about ready to take over the Sasserine sea trade, with Rowyn Kellani, scion of a local noble family, at its helm. You dispatched Rowyn’s pet fell drake and sent the guild-mistress to the city guard. Alas, Vanthus escaped, but not for long.

Part 2: The Bullywug Gambit

You sought out Kraken’s Cove, a location mentioned in the documents found in the Lotus Dragon guildhall; the place was in chaos, with flesh-eating pirates and many deadly creatures running loose. Fighting off diseased and enraged beasts took valuable time, and Croan fell prey to a particularly nasty deinonychus, but you eventually wound your way through the caverns to encounter Captain Harliss Javell of the notorious Crimson Fleet. She told you Vanthus Vanderboren reneged on a deal and caused the mayhem in the cove when he broke a black pearl. She also told you that she sent her first mate and bullywug conscripts to Sasserine for revenge against Vanthus and the rest of his family. The race was on, back to save Lavinia during the Wyrmfall festival. You dodged assassin stilt-walkers hired by the Kellani family and saved Lavinia from the bullywugs and Harliss Javell’s half-orc first mate.

Part 3: The Ravaged Pride’s Wake

After a bit of rest, a thankful Lavinia had more work for you. It was time to set sail and transport a vital supply shipment to Farshore on the Isle of Dread, a settlement established by Lavinia’s parents several years ago. You set sail aboard the Ravaged Pride, a ship sponsored by the Meravanchi family, while Lavinia sails on her own ship, the Blue Nixie. You picked up a petrified statue of a dwarf at ruined Tamoachan, later returning Shag to his fleshly form. Later in the journey you ran a Scarlet Brotherhood blockage and found an old enemy stowed away – none other than Rowyn Kellani. You spare her life, and later, in the middle of a Sargasso sea, you found and defeated a seaweed-dwelling monstrosity. Your ship, however, was caught by a dreadful storm and wrecked on the northern shore of the Isle of Dread.

Part 4: Here There Be Monsters

With the Ravaged Pride no longer seaworthy, the only option was a trek through the jungle, meeting dinosaurs and terror birds while taking the surviving passengers and crew along to safety. On the far side of the mountain range, a band of gargoyles repeatedly harried your attempts to find safe haven. One of your allies, a curious gnome naturalist named Urol Forol, was abducted by a bar-lgura demon and taken deep into the Island interior. Following his abductor led to a shrine to a terrible entity – Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons. A battle against the bar-lgura Olangru and his harem of followers ensued, and you managed to save Urol from a terrible fate.

Part 5: Tides of Dread

With the demons at the shrine defeated, you arrived at Farshore just in time to see it attacked by pirates. You helped the defenders and were reunited with Lavinia Vanderboren. The pirates were just scouts, though, and you discovered that the Crimson Fleet was coming to pillage and raze Farshore. You helped prepare the colony’s defences, forging alliances with the Olman and Phanaton natives, fighting dinosaurs, recovering and making repairs to the Ravaged Pride, and defeating an aspect of a vengeful Olman god. When the Crimson Fleet hove into view, you crossed swords with Lavinia’s corrupted brother Vanthus and finally defeated him. From Vanthus’ papers you learned that the pearl that he broke in Kraken’s Cove was one of many such items, and that the Crimson Fleet was in the habit of purchasing more of the nefarious things for evil ends.

Part 6: The Lightless Depths

Having learned from the prisoners of the Crimson Fleet that the shadow pearls came from the north end of the Isle of Dread, you sailed there to put a stop to their creation. There, you found troglodytes aiding in a much deeper operation. You went deep below the Isle of Dread, past ancient wardings of Olman times, into the deep dark where mongrelmen and aboleths lurked. One imprisoned aboleth told you how to sabotage the kopru-created shadow pearls being created below in Golismorga, the city of madness where the aboleths once ruled. In a ziggurat deep below the island, where kopru behemoths and elders held sway, you fought the aberrations to a standstill and destroyed the vile cesspit powering the shadow pearls.

Part 7: City of Broken Idols

Upon returning to Farshore, you again heard from Lavinia, this time concerning a missionary and a mysterious seal related to ruins in the centre of the Island. You learned that the demons who infected the central plateau were no longer content to live in the ancient city of Thanaclan, but were spreading outward. The trip to the plateau and its forbidden island held many dangers, such as a titanic crocodile, demonic skinwalkers, and a powerful wastrilith demon – all guarding a profane temple. Danger did not stop your advance, although the demons and magic-slinging skinwalkers came in ever greater numbers. The temple was home to Khala, an aspect of Demogorgon, and his pet demons. Khala’s death drew Demogorgon’s attention directly to you for the first time.

Part 8: Serpents of Scuttlecove

Soon after, you discovered that several shadow pearls had already left the island, bound for Scuttlecove. At Farshore, Lavinia had been abducted by her brother Vanthus, now undead. Captain Harliss Javell, of Kraken’s Cove, contacted you in a dream and asked you to meet her in Scuttlecove so she might explain where Lavinia was held. When you showed up as requested, yuan-ti ambused you. To find Lavinia, you had to make nice with the half-fiend nymph Tyralandi, proprietor of Porphyry House brothel, do battle with the Sisters of Lamentation, a covey of shaved harpies, and finally rescue Harliss (and Liamae, a member of another adventuring group associated with the Vanderborens). Harliss was both grateful and informative, and told you about the Crimson Fleet headquarters hidden not far away – but magically shielded. There, you fought your way past the remnants of a splintered Crimson Fleet, including pirates, yuan-ti anathema, and demonic constructs to the leader of the fleet, Cold Captain Wyther. You also discovered that Lavinia had been taken to Gaping Maw, Demogorgon’s layer of the Abyss. Worse, it was revealed that dozens of shadow pearls had spread throughout the cities of Oerth, and that Demogorgon would soon trigger them with a ceremony in the Abyss. But how to stop a demon lord on his home plane?

Part 9: Into the Maw

You ventured into the Gaping Maw, tracking Vanthus across the Abyssian Ocean in search of the prison of Divided’s Ire. Finding the island prison required some help, but with advice from a rescued servant of Orcus and a group of planar merchants, your sailing finally took the right direction. Once there, you defeated Vanthus and numerous feuding demons to rescue Lavinia at last, but she was not the one who knew Demogorgon’s weakness. Orgosh the bullywug lich told you that the secret to stopping Demogorgon was known to an exiled demon – his former lover, Shami-Amourae – held in a prison of a completely different nature.

Part 10: The Wells of Darkness

A deeper prison than even Divided’s Ire, the Wells of Darkness held gods and demon lords. Approaching Red Shroud, a succubus who rules the town of Broken Reach on Pazunia, you learned that Shami-Amourae did tryst with Demogorgon until she was imprisoned in the Wells of Darkness. Traveling to the Well of Debased Eros, you fought chasme, abyssal ghouls, and worse, but finally freed Shami-Amourae with the help of a demon lord named Ahazu the Seizer. In return for her freedom, Shami-Amourae revealed the secret of Demogorgon’s split minds. Unfortunately, her freedom triggered a magical contingency that tore a hole in the River Styx and brought some of Demogorgon’s servants to destroy anyone who had learned what Shami-Amourae might have told them. Fighting a mob of bar-lgura mounted on retrievers, you drove them away under a rain of forgetfulness.

Part 11: Enemies of My Enemy

Offended by the planar rift in the Styx, the boatman Charon offered you his help in rallying Demogorgon’s foes: Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen of Perrenland; the eladrin Gwynharwyf of Queen Morwell’s Court of Stars; Orcus, vile Prince of the Undead; First Hammer Falring of the Midgard Dwarves; and even Malcanthet, Queen of the Succubi. With a few trips along the Styx, over Yggdrasil, and beyond, you found the Prince of Demons has many enemies willing to bring their power to bear on the assault on Demogorgon’s home layer. With a mixture of diplomacy and raw power, you forged alliances to bring entire planar armies to the cause. An assault on the infinite armies of the Gaping Maw began to seem a little less like suicide, and a little more like a plan.

Part 12: The Prince of Demons

The War-Council is in session. Plans are being drawn. Battle awaits….