Coordinated by Bri "Margaret" Meisser
What did you miss from Festum Solis? So much happened that even those of us who were there missed stuff! Thankfully, I was able to enlist the help of many talented writers and adventurers to ensure that you can get a more complete picture of the event. Enjoy!
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Account by Styx of the Chimeron Militia
Friday Night
On June 23rd, 1023, a sizable force of adventurers of the Realms arrived at Coventry, myself among them. We were there to aid the defenders of Coventry in their fight against the Lost Kingdoms. Present were most of Voraniss, Invictus and Stonewood, a few members of the Chimeron Heroic Militia and the Riverhawks, and a few unaffiliated adventurers.
That night, we set out on a quick raid to retrieve a relic that was needed to help seal a well of Reality Magic that our enemies were using to strengthen themselves. Once we did the appropriate divination to actually find the relic in the dark woods, it was relatively easy to recover it, at least compared to the difficulties of the rest of the weekend.
The Lost Kingdoms fielded human soldiers against us, who we were able to defeat with low casualties. The confined space in the forest made things more difficult, as did the lack of visibility. The relic, an Orb of Potential, was recovered and we returned to Coventry for a war council.
The war council was brief and primarily consisted of us dividing our forces into 2 groups, to secure more relics and defend the throne of Coventry. We were also reminded to not disturb the throne of Coventry, lest we interfere with Aurora helping the defense of Coventry (and get smote). War council adjourned and everyone went to bed promptly and got tons of sleep (by which I mean stayed up too late sitting by the fire).
Saturday
On Saturday morning, an adventuring party set out to recover another relic needed to seal a well of Reality Magic in Coventry. The group consisted of most of Voraniss, a few members of the Chimeron Heroic Militia, a few Riverhawks and a couple other adventurers. This effort was successful, but the Lost Kingdoms put up a fierce fight to deny us the relic.
The Lost Kingdoms' forces primarily consisted of human foot soldiers and mages, with a few Phantoms joining them. They were led by the Skald Daikon, who can only be hurt by arrows drawn from a bow to the chest. We didn't have enough bows and couldn't do more than annoy him with the occasional arrow. I attempted to banish him, but got rendered for my troubles. Eventually, he would be dealt with, but not before we got in a lot more trouble.
Garrimaddon showed up while we were in the process of retrieving the relic. He and his forces killed most of us, including myself. From what I heard afterward, he then decided we weren't worth anymore of his trouble and left, along with his army. Daikon left less gloriously, with Page Margaret August calling on the power of Aurora and banishing him. Hopefully that doesn't mean she has yet another target on her back…
After Garrimaddon departed, the relic was recovered. We made it back to Coventry in good order, with a shiny new hat (not before raising a lot of people, calling quite a few souls and having a lot of trouble fishing Margaret out of a Circle of Protection). Thank you to Squire Alias for Interventioning to be able to call as many as souls as we needed, we might very well have left without everyone's souls returned otherwise.
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Account by Kiira of Invictus
So, while we were researching how to separate Garrimadden and his shields, a bunch of angry people attacked us at the temple and were heading towards recovering the relics. We must have been outnumbered 3 or 4-to-1. It was just plain nuts.
Several of them were hitting us so hard, they could take us out with just one blow! If we hit those ones, they’d shatter any weapons unless they were unbreakable. They were also avoiding those of us who could kill them because they were very smart. There was at least one who could only be attacked if you wielded a ghost bladed weapon, and it was super smart and knew exactly who had them! Then, there was one who was but wasn’t Sir Wil. He was a skald… more on him later…
We found this incredibly danger prone villager who was wearing the hat relic we needed, who seemed to not be able to stay in one place and was actively thwarting safety. Then, there was another less danger prone one who was mostly dead, but I ensured they made it back to the temple unharmed.
I died several times, along with everyone else. Like, several. I went through almost all of my alchemical and support spells I prepared for the day. It was intense, and the enemies were and endless font of death, up until they slowly retreated as we solve the shrine(I think it was a shrine).
There was a puzzle with three questions. Aelias was able to solve the first answer, which was awesome, after throwing some magic at it. The second answer I knew because I asked Druid King Hyger the night before to give me any information he had attained that could be helpful, and one of those things was the second answer: TIM THE ENCHANTER!!!! Yay, Hyger! Finally, after throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this encounter, I cast a really powerful alchemical spell which reset everyone in the shrines spells and gave us the answer to the last riddle, which Aelias was able to answer lickity-split!
While all this was happening, King Shandar went after the Not Sir. Wil, Sir. Wrath went to save Shandar from being rendered by the Not Sir. Wil, the rendered corpse of Shandar was dragged into the Temple of Aurora’s sacred circle protecting the throne by the priestess, I lost track of Wrath at that point, and we some how ended up coming out ahead, even King Shandar who eventually had his head reattached through some restorative magic. But, I was worried there for a moment. The Earl King’s forces do not mess around, that’s for sure.
Well, we ended up winning, although it was quite precarious for a while, and securing the last two relics, the hat and the wand, and saving the villagers.
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Account by Omri Azar
Much of this I cannot divulge. King Hygar said for the ritual scraps and all transcribed copies be burned, so none feel foolish enough to attempt to use it or undo what we have done.
While I cannot say how a ritual of sealing would become a ritual of unsealing, I’m sure those more versed in the arcane and mystical arts and sciences could speak on that.
What you’re getting from me is a recounting of the ritual to seal the well of reality magic as best as I can recollect without any of the bits that could lead to one recreating it directly. In as chronological and coherent of an order as I can make this.
With Arvitt Garrimaddon and his army knocking on Coventry’s door, and their forces allegedly tapping into reality magic, those of Coventry felt it best to seal away reality magic. This part will need some clarification later because also allegedly King Hygar sealed it away, so whether this actually occurred or it was unsealed for some reason is still unknown to me.
Friday evening Malcolm, a reality mage, said that we needed to complete a few trials in order to gain the items we needed for the ritual, and ciphered scraps to tell us what to do for the ritual. These items will be left vague for the reasons discussed before. With the combined forces that had gathered at Coventry during Festum Solis to defend it from invasion, we sought out the first trial that very night.
Each trial had some common elements. We were to collect blue cubes that would relate to a puzzle at our destination. There was a guardian, and an aura around the final part of the trial. I know with at least the first trial getting an attempt wrong meant those within the aura faced a harmful effect, usually to the limbs. And with each trial we were besieged by enemy forces which we needed to deflect. They sought what we were seeking, and they were not going to make it easy.
The puzzles themselves were different. The first required us to use the cubes to make a word, a password to speak to the puzzle’s guardian. The second required some math, which I know J’ortsa spent some time working on. The third trial was attempted by a group I was not part of so could not speak to its nature.
Sometimes we found blue cubes on enemy forces. In one case on a trial on Saturday I found a blue cube in someone’s home. That same trial Diakon had a cube for some reason. He offered it in exchange for Hygar’s head or someone’s soul. Neither of which was given, although he managed to rend some people, and we managed to somehow get the cube from him.
We didn’t lose anyone that day thankfully and Diakon was banished in such away any blood he took had no effect. Anyone who knows Skalds knows what a blessing that is. Tulkhan will have another chance to shoot Diakon in the chest, the skald’s one weakness. Or the crotch, as he once successfully accomplished. Doesn’t kill but sure looked like it hurt.
It took us until Saturday afternoon to successfully collect all the pieces and determine what the ritual was supposed to be. Excellent teamwork and dedication from all who were involved. Some although perhaps not all decipherers include Onyx, Margaret, Elizah, J’ortsa, Chrysanta, Omri, and perhaps Aelias. I do not wish miss anyone but with enemy forces attempting to invade it is hard to keep track of every moving piece. With ciphers decrypted and items collected, it was time to enact the ritual.
King Hygar is a reality mage, and he took point for most of these trials. And so he was the one who dealt the penultimate blow in the ritual of sealing. J’ortsa, Elizah, James Swift, and Aelias all played parts in the ritual as well, and so did I.
It was wondrous and breathtaking. The ground shook and energy collected then blasted into the air in a colorful swirling beam. And then energy dissipated and the well was sealed.
The effects of sealing the well are yet to be fully determined in my opinion. What ripples it’ll cause and what effects will be caused are to be seen in the future. We should all watch for what may come.
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Account by Page Margaret August on the defeat of Garrimaddon
As Saturday wore on, I received a vision from Aurora. As long as his shields stood, Garrimaddon would be able to get through any line. If we were not able to take them out, he would take the throne. So the pressure was on. One of his shields had been taken down during the Voraniss war. Sir Benjamin Grans. But two remained. King Dresden Quinn, the tactician, and Ixxan Iredann Ney’l Otann’i, the mage. So a ritual was devised to take them down. Myself and Styx would both cast rituals of banishment directed at the chains which bound the shields to Garrimaddon, backed by interventions from Queen Kindrianna and Lady Natira.
As the time came, we marched onto the field and I began to call on Aurora. The torrential downpour which had been covering the field only moments before began to fade as a beam of light encompassed the area where we were standing. Styx and I called to the shields. Using the power of Space and Light to serve the chains. We spoke to the Shields, offering them a path to redemption. They issued challenges, that should we complete them they would be severed from Garrimaddon. Dresden offered a magic missile challenge, which was completed by someone in Invictus. Ney’l blessed the dagger of anyone who would accept the challenge so they may be able to strike him and render his soul. At night, we would hunt, and if we won his connection would be severed. Myself, Tulkhan, and Fern accepted the challenge.
As night fell, the armies of the Lost Kingdoms fell onto Coventry. Fighting was brutal, as they began to push us back through the woods towards the throne. We stood in the open, waiting for our enemy to try and hunt us, and sticking together as a pack so we could overwhelm and kill him. But he never showed. We felt that the hunt was a two-way deal, and that by failing to show Ney’l had broken his end of it. Thus, his connection was gone, and Garrimaddon was vulnerable.
Garrimaddon meanwhile was marching to the throne. He made his way onto the pavilion, before being blasted back by Aurora’s light. He resumed his march. A group of us made our way to the throne, ready to make our last stand if necessary. Blows fell on him, but nothing was landing. James Swift was able to call upon the Sword of Kings from his book, and with Queen Kindrianna enhancing its divine aid into an intervention, he threw “Sword of Kings Lightning Bolt”. Stripping off a point of Garrimaddon’s armor for the first time in a thousand years. He was vulnerable.
Still, as sword blows rang, it was not enough. I prayed to Aurora, and she told me what I already knew. That only in single combat did he have a chance of being defeated. So King Shandar took up the fight. Not only defeating him, but absolutely humiliating Garrimaddon as he stripped him of his armor and killed him. But Garrimaddon began to generate. He unfortunately was able to escape. The fight is not over, and will have to continue in Caer Ma-Ut where he can be defeated once and for all. But for now, Coventry is safe.
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A report of Sunday’s journey to the besieged and destroyed town of Nathan’s Hollow.
Written by Fern Eberhardt for The View from Valehaven and the adventurers who joined in freeing Nathan’s Hollow in late September of 1021.
The Sunday morning after driving Garrimaddon and his forces away dawned warm and only got hotter from there. Most adventurers elected to remain in Coventry, a wise choice after the brutal battle the night before.
There was one other order of business Margaret and I felt we needed to complete though. In September of 1021, we had traveled to the town of Nathan’s Hollow with many other new adventurers, asked there by Sir Laika to help defeat a necromancer who had taken over the town. The necromancer was defeated, but the town had been razed, with no hope for a gaggle of inexperienced adventurers to restore the area. Margaret, in one of her first talks with Aurora, asked for a way to bring the town back to the thriving community it once was. Almost two years later, everything fell into place.
Margaret had gathered people in her life that she believed could represent the aspects of Auroran faith, we were in Coventry after the defeat of a great enemy, and we had a group of allies and the High Priestess of Aurora, all ready to travel to this town. This group consisted of twelve of us; myself, Margaret, Tony, Ypnn, Bogen, Onyx, J’ortsa, Alric, Omri, Styx, Rosetta, and High Priestess Bianca.
On the outskirts of the town, we first encountered a massive chasm, hundreds of feet to the bottom. Circling around inside were harpies. I admit, I was quite distracted with trying to feed and befriend them, so I was surprised when I looked over and saw Tony walking out over empty air, the land falling away a thousand feet below. He led us all out over the chasm, his faith in the gods guiding him. When we were about halfway across, he disappeared from the lead, and we saw him on the other side fighting a dark figure. Each time it was defeated, we were able to move toward Tony. Each time Tony was struck down, Onyx called out, raising him to continue fighting. Finally, the last of our group crossed, and the being was defeated for a final time.
We pressed on, and were soon engulfed by the smell of rot. Rottling undead blocked our path, and I found that I was able to purify my companions of the diseases the rottlings tried to impose. Another pleasant surprise was when I touched my hand to Alric’s blade, and it heated up, flames licking around it. He was one of the first to strike the rottlings, and it went up in a short blaze. Once I had made it so that we could properly put these undead down, we traveled up the trail. Along the way we picked up a new member to our group, Forest Runner Walter who was able to turn natural components we found into thrown cures to use against the rottlings. J’ortsa’s aim with them was deadly, or perhaps lively. I don’t think he missed a single shot. Tony, Alric, and I fought side by side often during that march, doing what we could to stand in front of our surprising number of caster allies. And then, up ahead, one of the Erl King’s warlords, Maggot was commanding the rottling forces. After a battle, Styx struck him down and cast a banishment, forcing the warlord’s retreat and the dispersal of the rottlings.
Once inside the town limits, a feeling of dread descended upon us, though it seemed to settle upon me a little later, as Rosetta said I had a strange reaction to the human bones scattered about. Along with the dread, darkness settled, and had to be pushed away by the light. Ypnn taught Bogen how to bring light forth to the area, and he stepped forward, her lantern in hand. With their powers and light, they granted members of the group the ability to swing light with their weapons. Tony and J’ortsa were particularly effective in teaming up to fight the embodiment of Darkness, driving it back.
Upon that victory, Margaret came across a shield of a Paladin of Tana Torne, and we had to recall memories and voices of the fallen we had encountered on our journey into Nathan’s Hollow. Omri helped assemble and organize our thoughts, and the correct order was found. Upon the proper recitation, a memory replayed of Tana Torne’s final stand, voices echoing out over the empty town.
And then… and then a nightmare arose. I was the first to see an unknown demon striding across the field toward us, but Margaret was the first to recognize the being as The Champion, still dead, but brought about as Bianca’s nightmare, a nightmare of despair, of hopelessness. The demon began enchanting our party and Bianca to attack our allies, and Margaret rebuffed him every step of the way. The demon spoke to many of us, threatening some with outright violence, speaking to others of their greatest doubts, and to others, myself included, things we already knew. To end the nightmare, to put Bianca at ease, those of us Margaret had chosen to represent the aspects of Aurora had to surround Bianca and speak about what the aspects mean to us. The undead dispersed and were restored to life, and Margaret banished The Champion, not without him getting some words in edgewise.
As we continued to monitor Bianca, the Paladin of Tana Torne and the owner of the shield we had been using approached, and introduced himself as Maxwell. We spoke with him and learned further steps that must be taken.
There is still much to do. Contact should be made with the stronghold city of Loch Torne, the forces of the Erl King must still be driven back, and people have to regain their lives that were untimely ripped away. But for now, the town of Nathan’s Hollow is alive again, and search parties are being sent out to return people to their homes. And to those who know, I made sure to ask that Forrest is looked after, and brought home safely.
OOC:
Shoutout to all of the event staff and NPCs who worked hard to make this happen. This is not the last we’ve seen of Lost Kingdoms plot, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.