Party
- Brann — Dwarf Barbarian (Dave)
- Ethan — Elf Wizard (Hag)
- Jacob — Half-Orc Fighter (Myk)
- Slyvestor III — Halfling Warlock (Bear)
- Tenoch — Lizardfolk Druid (Gaz)
Adventure
Slyvestor dreams of wandering lost across a plain in a monochrome land. He see’s a three-pupilled eye glaring through a rift in reality. As a voice booms rattling his entire being he wakes with the utterance emblazoned across his mind — “OPEN THIS PORTAL!”. Slyvestor turns to his familiar Stewart and remarks “message received”.
As the party all rouse from their slumber both Brann and Jacob rise with an unshakeable sense of apathy. Slyvestor makes to leave the burrow and opens the door to find three of the grey-skinned inhabitants of Gloam Tolm preparing to enter.
The visitors are the burrow’s occupant, Catch, as well as Irlock the village’s shaman (who is the only one to speak some of the common tongue) and the village elder Tamtam.
When asked their purpose Ethan states that the party are seeking a beast named Tazimack. The villagers do not recognise the name but do recognise the deeds the party share details of and name the Abductor, a creature who lives in a cavern in the forests near the village. The villagers share that their captors and keepers, grey-skinned dwarves, protect the village from the Abductor but that they would like the creature to be vanquished as it has plagued their people for generations. They offer the party the assistance of Catch in locating the Dark City and aiding their injured ally if the party vow to return and vanquish the Abductor.
After shaking with the Elder on the terms of the agreement the party then set about discussing whether to head the most direct route to the city; through the village gates (and the Duergar guard) and along the road, or over the wall and face the perils of the forest.
The party vote to brave the unknown perils of the forest, rather than draw the Duergar’s ire and risk having them target the villagers for revenge. The villagers help the party ascend the wall, unfortunately Ethan falls on the descent and takes some bumps and bruises.
As they make their way through the forests Tenoch notices some humanoids moving towards them through the treeless thicket. Grey-skinned, long-limbed humanoids descend on the party striking Catch, who was leading them through the forest, down and out immediately. The party easily defeat the marauders, though Brann is clearly put out by Tenoch’s choice of wild shape — a lion. Catch is healed and found to be paralysed and thus the party set off into the forest without their guide yet attempting to follow his heading.
When Catch comes to he gestures that they need to change direction. Tenoch is the most capable survivalist, but only Slyvestor (with his new-found telepathy) is able to hold conversations with the villager. Slyvestor acts as a medium and after some initial confusion the route to the road is found again.
Trekking through the forest Catch, Slyvestor and Tenoch stumble upon cowled creatures with long, hooked grey noses and cloven feet standing watch over the entrance to a quarry. After some debate, and learning from Catch that the creatures are known bandits, the party decide to skirt around the quarry making a show of might. Their plan to show a combination of deference and might is successful and though their departure is watched the increasing number of creatures do not choose to attack.
The remainder of the travel to the Dark City is uneventful with the party opting to avoid confrontation and travel cautiously they move a little more slowly, skirting the road and hiding whenever they hear other users of the road approaching. After a few days travel the party arrive at the heavily defended and busy gates of the Dark City.
Before approaching the gates the party try to form a plan. Catch is able to share what he knows of the Dark City — dark skinned elves rule and jealously guard their knowledge whilst paying sacrifice to a demon for protection, grey-skinned human-like folk are the oppressed working class and those who show any glimpse of intelligence or uniqueness are arrested. Armed with this knowledge Slyvestor is keen to disguise Ethan as a Drow. Ethan is keen not to offend notoriously unforgiving Drow and eventually the party agree to go in as merchants and travellers. Jacob buries his greatsword in a shallow hole by the road to which Ethan asks why he would carry such a weapon when he rarely uses it.
At the gates the guards great them in Elven and Ethan begins to parley before Slyvestor speaks telepathically to one of them. This puts the guard on edge and Slyvestor attempts to calm things with a Charm Person spell. Between the one guard who succumbed and Ethan they are able to talk the other guard down and gain entrance to the city, though they are forced to leave all of their weapons (including magical foci) at the city gates and given a receipt to collect them on departure.
As they pass through the gates flanked by a dozen or more guards and step into the city they almost immediately see a pyre of books burning as a man stands on a platform above preaching about the security and comfort of not knowing…