Dicing with Death Episode 141

Zweihard Day 126
Zweihard Blacksteel wakes up in the Halfling Village north of Heatstroke and ends up eating two breakfasts. Zweihard tries to leave, but is given more food to go. Then Zweihard stays longer so he can meets with Old-man Underhill, a figure of authority in the Village. He updates him on what he found out at the Abby.

Old-man Underhill decides to accompany Zweihard to investigate what happened at the Abby. But Zweihard is even more food by the innkeeper. The pair then head back to the abby. Zweihard shows Underhill down to the cellar where the evidence of disturbance is. Nothing new is discovered here.

Zweihard takes a whiff of the gas coming from the crack on the main floor of the Abby. He sees Old-man Underhill stab the ground and a light-yellow fluid flow out in the distance some way south. Zweihard heads over and finds the ground below his feet is soft like he is standing on stake. Zweihard investigates the ground more closely. It smells like spoilt meat.

Then Zweihard sees that Old-Man Underhill is at a distance away again, almost a mile away south. He sees Underhill stab his sword at a shubbery then fall away. Zweihard runs over to help, but finds himself face to face with a massive mouth in the ground. Crawling out of the maw are 3 emaciated dog-like creatures that appear to have no skin. Zweihard attacks the creatures with his Mithril Hellish Halberd.

The creatures spew tendrils from their mouths and seize Zweihard's legs. Zweihard is dragged into the mouth.

Zweihard then wakes up, the vision over. He is still sitting in the Abby. He sees Old-Man Underhill heading so the South. Zweihard catches up. They again find the spongy ground again. Zweihard spots the bush a mile away. Zweihard readys for battle a distance, then casts entangle on the bush. Zweihard then summons a dust devil and sets the bush on fire. Zweihard heads up himself and finds no maw or mutant dogs. Zweihard thinks that maybe the vision was symbolic.

Zweihard starts making a map of how widespread the the pestilence spreads. It continues after another mile. Old-Man Underhill heads back to his village. Zweihard heads further south.

Near the end of the day Zweihard spots a small lighthouse. Zweihard heads over to the halfing settlement. The ground here is still soft and squishy. It appears to be abandoned a few days, maybe a week. There some evidence of struggle. He finds claw marks matching around the size of the the demon dogs.

Zweihard heads to the lighthouse to sleep for the night. There is a purple light coming from the very distant near or at Heatstroke. A faint purple column rising from a dome.

Zweihard is woken in the night by strange animal noises.

Day 127
Zweihard wakes up, it seems the animal noises have stopped. At the base of the light house is a vine growing up the side, which wasn't there last evening. He tries to kill it with his iron axe and it does nothing. His Mithril Hellish Halberd however does damage the demonic growth.

Zweihard casts Astral Awareness. He also casts Detect Evil. He finds chaotic evil radiating from all of the ground around him.

Zweihard heads south. After 4 miles is another village. Then another. Each the same as the first abandoned Village. Eventually reaching the River Crux. Across the river he sees the city of Heatstroke and the Great Pyramid. On the pyramid he spots are large 9 Foot Demons walking on the pyramid steps. He also spots some more of the Dog Demons.

Zweihard heads back north, wanting to first warn the Halfling Village, then head back to Dwarf County. He returns to the light house and sleeps there again. That night he again sees the strange purple lights. With his spells Zweihard determines that the light has a trans-dimensional properties.


 * It is 'known' that on 1510-01-07 Heatstroke fell to the demons. And that halfling village was abandoned around week ago. So we're at least at the 14th of Januiary 1510, if the dates are right. However it isn't certain.

Day 128
At the base of the lighthouse is another tendril has grown, but larger this time, at 4 foot high. Zweihard kills the tendril again.

By the end of the day Zweihard reaches the Halfling Village. It is the same as he left it, alive and happy. Zweihard finds Old Man Underhill. He reports in the bad news. Old Man Underhill talks about perhaps evacuating.

Zweihard writes a message to Blacksteel Keep reporting on his adventure, casting a spell on a bird and sending it.

Day 129
Zweihard leaves the Halfling Village on a stiff owned by a halfling named Charlie. They head north to Weatherlight. He reaches there by the end of the day. Charlie chats the whole time.

Zweihard learns that Mil Faldur survived, but hundreds died. He ends up fighting some Dwarves who insult the Blacksteel name.



Day 130
Zweihard takes a boat to Keldoram.

Day 134
Zweihard arrives in Keldoram. He finds a tavern called The Dwarf's Ship. He spots some Blacksteel Dwarves inside. They are celebrating their victories traveling from Tharnham to Keldoram. Thane Einhard Blacksteel is 2 miles outside of the town. They are under command of Captain Reyer Redspear.

Zweihard finds Redspear at the The Meaty Rounds tavern. She will lead Zweihard to his brother. She was talking to human scouts to find out about nearby Hobgoblin movements.

They arrive at the war camp after an hour. They are allowed in. Zweihard briefs the Thane Einhard on what he observed. Einhard then talk about news from the Human lands, that Meadstead, Confluence, & Bluecliff have been fighting one-another. Baroness Stephanie of Meadstead seems to be battling off her own brother (Events from Game On).

Zweihard then tells his brother his intention is to find Mithril to fight off the Demon Invaders. Einhard names Zweihard the Vizier of Blacksteel Keep and it's lands while Einhard is away at war.