Neverending Nights

Check out the previous segment here.

• Allen Silver – Half Elf – Bard
• Ambrosius – Minotaur – Fighter
• Kamb Font – “gnome” (actually a Changeling, but the party doesn’t know that) – Rogue
• Leil’thienne – Drow – Artificer (Alchemist)
• Talis Silverrose – Human – Wizard
• Aelamin Willowspirit – Half-Elf – Paladin (Knight of Solamnia) – Absent this Session
• Cole – Human Cleric (Joins this Session)

The shadow of the night crept over the broken land, filling in every crevice as it did so, like black, thick, murky water. As the shadows grew longer only a few stars seemed to emerge in the heavens, with Solinari, the white moon and Lunitari, the red moon looking onward. Solinari was waning while Lunitari seemed almost full, casting a foreboding red glaze over the landscape like phantom blood that had spilled here centuries ago, here to forever remind them of the bloodshed that resulted from the Cataclysm that sundered these lands so long ago.

Under the cover of night, a magical boat moved through the thick bog of mud that surrounded the prison camp called Camp Carrionclay. The camp was appropriately named as it sat atop of plateau that had been surrounded by murky, stagnant mud that made moving through it aboard the ship very complicated and the odor that emerged from the mud as the ship pushed through smelt of standing sewage water that had been cooking under a warm sun.

Ambrosius, a towering minotaur and veteran fighter, was the one helping the ship move quietly through the mud, his massive muscles rippling as it took intense effort to inch the boat through the sludge that seemed determined to stop the vessel from moving.

As the ship came to quietly rest against the base of the plateau of the camp, the mysterious gnome named Kamb Font pulled out his magical rope and tied one end to the ship and held the other as he seemed to effortlessly scale the plateau wall and reach the bone wall that surrounded the camp. The bones and sticks provided an easy means for Kamb to tie the rope to the wall.

The next part of the plan was now in effect – Kamb was to scale over the wall and make his way to the tower in the center and dispense of the two guards there quickly and quietly without raising the alarm. From there, the dark elf alchemist, Leil’Thenne, who like Kamb had not originally come from Krynn and had been pulled here by the magic released by the Cataclysm so long ago, would then use her magical abilities to teleport Talis Silverrose, a human wizard to the top of the tower, so that he could launch his devastating fireball spells on the camps without endangering the prisoners with how the camps were made.

That had been the plan.

But plans change.

As Kamb climbed over the camp’s walls, he had been turned invisible by the versatile Leil’Thenne, and was walking through the prison portion of the camp – and in the rusty cages saw everything from what appeared to be Aquatic elves, to other prisoners – but he paused when he saw a massive creature that he was not familiar with. As he approached the creature, Kamb noticed that unlike the other prisoners – there cage that imprisoned this beast also had a cage beneath its feet. Curious, Kamb began to feed it rations and then developed a new plan.

Telepathically communicating with Leil’Thenne, he explained he had developed a new plan – and that they’d know it in a second. He only added two words, “Land shark.”

Kamb observed the locks and determined he could easily open it; and did so, quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the drunken hobgoblin guard, who had been muttering about how he was upset he was watching the prisoners who had no hope of escaping and could be drinking with the others.

As Kamb unlocked the cage, he leapt on the cage and swung with it as it opened, keeping the cage between him and the land shark. The creature burst from the cage with remarkable speed and quickly spotted the hobgoblin and Kamb was shocked to watch the beast pause, then lower its body and do a leap that allowed it to sail through the air. It had reminded him of the times he’d seen sharks breach out of the water to catch a swimming seal. He watched in both admiration and horror as it landed on the hobgoblin, crushing it beneath its massive weight. He was thankful to be invisible and as he made his way towards the tower, the land shark creature was causing so much noise and commotion that other guards were rushing to see what was going on.

Kamb used his innate ability to teleport to the top of the tower, where he quickly dispatched the two guards and signaled Leil’Thenne. She looked at Talis. “Are you ready?”

Talis who was looking through a magical monocle that allowed him to see Nuitari put it away and nodded. He had noticed that Nuitari was full, his dark eye observing that which was unfolding beneath him.

Talis appeared on top of the tower and looked around. The camp had been distracted by the beast that Kamb had unleashed. “What is that thing?” Talis whispered.

“Don’t know,” Kamb shrugged, “never seen its kind before.”

“And you just let it go?” Talis was shocked.

“Well, they had it caged up, thought it would make for a good distraction,” Kamb smiled mischievously. There was something about when Kamb smiled, it never felt real – as if Talis had been staring at some kind of mask.

Talis watched as guards scrambled around the camp in confusion. Talis cleared his mind – and began to whisper the words of magic, rubbing ash between his fingers as he recited the arcane words carefully. As the final words of the spell fell from his lips he opened both of his hands and welcomed the bathing fire of energy that surged through his body and channeled into his hands, launching a massive fireball on the north end of the camp where Talis observed a larger tent, and undoubtedly a commander of this dark army.

A fireball streaked from his hands and struck several soldiers who’d been standing outside their tents hearing the sounds of confusion – tents immediately caught on fire and the sounds of screaming soldiers of evil tore through the night. A figure emerged from the larger tent – a creature they’d only seen a few times – a Sivak, a Draconian with silver skin. “Mage on the tower,” he shouted, and opened his wings and with a powerful leap ascended into the air and glided to the top of the tower. Kamb had already been fighting off another guard who’d come to the top of the tower as the Sivak landed on the top. Talis had been lost in the casting of his next fireball to strike the southern camp with the Sivak shoved his blade through Talis’ back.

The arcane words slipped from Talis’ mind as he crumbled forward, clasping his chest. Blood poured rapidly from the wound as he fell to the cold, tower floor, the pool of blood seeping around him. He looked up at Kamb, who had been now fighting the Sivak and the world vanished slowly from Talis’ vision.

Talis blinked – he saw himself standing before what he knew to be a powerful wizard in white robes. The wizard’s gaze was turned away from Talis, almost as if he were ashamed.

“That’s a lot of blood,” another voice said, and Talis looked to see another wizard, adorned in red robes, and from him he sensed great power. Talis went to look at his wound, his hand still clenched on his chest and saw that his robes had been completely covered in his own blood making it appear as if he were wearing red robes.

“Shadow of night,” a woman’s voice seemed to say. This captured Talis’ attention as it’d sounded familiar. “Perhaps I misjudged you.”

Talis turned and saw it had ben Wyhan, the black robed mage from Kalaman who had run the Apothecary.

“Misjudged me?” Talis asked. “What do you mean?”

“Your robes,” the voice for the black robed wizard had changed, and so had her appearance, for now it was a male who stood before Talis. “You use magic, by any means necessary, and choose destruction over other methods. This is not the first time you unleashed this magic – against the scorpions you’d done the same when you were near death. You bathe the land in ash and smoke. You wrap yourself in shadow and dark.”

Talis looked and saw he was wearing black robes.

Talis screamed.

But when he awoke it had been because he suddenly felt the pain surging through his body as Leil’Thenne’s magic had teleported him back and she gave him a healing potion – that while it gave him life, his body fought to heal the pain he’d suffered.

She helped him stand, “I need you to do your thing again. Things are not going well.”

Talis rose, and saw Kamb was still fighting, Allen Silver, the half-elf bard was on the wall, shooting spells. Cole, their newest campaign, a human cleric of Mishakal, was standing on one of the prison cages fighting off hobgoblins and draconians.

Ambrosius was just beyond the wall, he’d leapt down and was now fighting, with his axe swinging in every direction as guards were surrounding him. The land shark creature was in the large tent, with screams coming from there.

Talis saw the Sivak, the one whose blade still had his blood, near the large tent and quickly reached into his pocket and pulled ash from his pouch and chanted the words. Before the final arcane word fell from his mouth, Talis looked at his hands, covered in black ash and heard the words again: You bathe the land in ash and smoke. You wrap yourself in shadow and dark.

Talis sneered and let the fireball loose from his fingers…

Race: Half-Elf
Occupation: Formerly Chambermaid at the Blackmire Inn, Currently Waitress at The Bar of Destiny
Place of Birth: Klantea
Known Relatives: Mother (Unknown Female Elf), Father (Human Male, Name Unrevealed), Ex-Husband (Unknown Male Name), Chance (Son), Garette (Son), Conner (Son)
First Appearance: Neverending Nights – Thirty Three: There Be Pirates!
History: Daughter to a Human King, Christine was sent to Blackmire City to marry a man her father had arranged for her. Venturing to Blackmire City, she married the man and the two of them had a son by the name of Chance. She named her son “Chance” because she disliked the idea of royalty – everything was always planned out to the very last moment – even her own marriage. Her son, she hoped, would symbolize something that was not always determined.

She voyaged back home, with her son, so that he might meet his grandfather and see the land that he would one day rule over. As she suspected, her father already had laid out plans for his grandson, the heir to his throne. She sighed, and wondered if Chance would not have the freedom she had so desperately wanted, because he would one day be King. On the voyage back to Blackmire City, sailing across the Scarasea Oceans, her ship found itself under attack by an infamous pirate ship – The Black Sparrow. With no way to fight the undead crew of The Black Sparrow, the ship soon found itself boarded. Knowing a fate worse than death would befall her and her son if she remained aboard the ship, she took Chance and jumped off the ship and began treading water. The Black Sparrow destroyed her ship, letting it sink to the ocean depths below. Christine managed to use some of the ship’s remains to cling to, where she floated for several days. She and her son were eventually picked up and rescued by another ship that had just left Blackmire City. It immediately returned to the City, recognizing Christine as royalty.

After a day of recovering in the City, she ventured forth to meet the man she had married; only to discover he had married another, having heard the news of her ship being sunk and the entire crew perished; he believed she was dead. She realized, she now had the chance to truly be free. She returned to the ship that rescued her and paid the crew with what little gold she still had on her to keep her secret – then went to an Oracle to change her appearance slightly. No longer blond, now Christine sported a fiery red hair to match her passionate personality.

She provided for her son, Chance, by taking a job at the Blackmire City Tavern as a Chambermaid. It was here that she met Peter and Grayson, who told her about their own tales (though quite fictional) of sailing through the much dreaded Scarasea Oceans and encountering their own undead pirate crew. She enjoyed their story (though she immediately suspected it was false, because of the inconsistencies between the two of them telling it). Believing Peter to be a Bard of some kind, she kept in touch with Peter (hoping that he might come around and tell such stories to Chance as Chance grew older).

After the defeat of the Dragon of Silverlake, Peter contacted Christine and asked her to come work at their bar – The Bar of Destiny. He promised that he would pay her a great amount of money, knowing that she was providing for her and her son in Blackmire City. Christine accepted the job, and became the highest paid employee at The Bar of Destiny. It took only one week for her to have enough money to live comfortably and never need to work again – she knew what Peter was doing. He was paying her enough money so that she could spend time with her son and never need to work again. But she continued to work at the Bar of Destiny, to be an example for her son – that everyone should work hard in life, even if they have everything they ever needed. As fate would have it, she would meet a man at the Bar of Destiny, whom she would grow to care for. Together, they had a two sons named Garrett and Conner.

Eyes: Green
Hair: Auburn

Accessories:

NOTE: Christen is a strong, capable woman that none – male or female – would do wise to mess with.

Race: Goblin
Occupation: Former Dancer, Adventurer
Place of Birth: Stonemountain Caves
Known Relatives: Mother (Unknown Name), Father (Unknown Name)
First Appearance: Neverending Nights – Episode Eleven: Deep, Dark, Revenge (This Is How We Roll)
History: Like all goblins from Stonemountain, Charlie grew up a dancer. But that’s not what Charlie wanted out of life. He yearned for a sense of adventure and exploring the world beyond the Goblin Caves – to go beyond The Bridge. Albert disagreed with Charlie – and believed that Charlie having his head in the clouds only meant that he was going to trip over his own two feet eventually. Bob didn’t mind Charlie’s yearning for adventure, as long as it didn’t get him in trouble. For as long as he could remember, he has been friends with Albert and Bob. The trio grew up together, forging a very strong friendship. Life, over all, had been easy for all the goblins of Stonemountain Caverns. Their only concern was attacks from bugbears (trolls!) – but to ensure that no such attack happened, they always had one person out on Bridge Watch.

One night, while daring to cross the Bridge while it was his turn on Bridge Watch – Charlie was surprised by a Pawl the Dorf who had entered the caves. When Pawl the Dorf saw Charlie, he screamed “Bugbear!” sending Charlie into a panic (thinking the bugbears had managed to sneak into the caves). Seeing no Bugbears, Charlie returned to where he saw the Dwarf, only to find the Dwarf gone. He did however, find the Dwarf’s map on the floor. Charlie made no mention of what he did as he swapped shifts with Dink, who took over Bridge Watch duty.

Later that night, when Dink’s shift was over and he had not returned, Charlie grew concerned that perhaps Bugbears had managed to get past the bridge and do something to Dink. He encouraged Albert and Bob to go with him to investigate why Dink hadn’t returned from his shift. Albert tried to dismiss the concern by explaining Dink was notorious for leaving as soon as his shift was over – sometimes even sooner to go and “study magic.”

Figuring they would investigate what had happened to Dink, they eventually found him, nearly passed out on the floor, where he explained to them that he had been ‘Out-Danced’ by a Dwarf and two companions (a human and a half-elf). Charlie suspected he knew who this Dwarf was – it had to be the same one he saw at the entrance. But that Dwarf was alone – so who were these companions?

The trio dragged Dink back to the dance floor where he slowly recovered.

Unbeknownst to Charlie and the others, things were set in motion that day that would change all of their lives.

Albert, Bob and Charlie would end up encountering Andrea the Assassin (the name she was going by at the time) and Daniel the Destructive as the duo were pursuing Peter and Grayson. Andrea the Assassin forcibly recruited the assistance of the Goblin trio with the use of Daniel the Destructive’s magic. Along the way, the trio of goblins complained and conspired to escape Andrea the Assassin’s ruthless control. Eventually, Ellen and Dink the Goblin were also recruited into Andrea the Assassin’s growing army of goblins. Dink and Ellen, however, met an untimely demise when Evil Foo killed them just to show how “evil” she was.

Andrea the Assassin, however, in turn, killed Evil Foo for what she had done – not that she cared about either Ellen or Dink, but mostly because the smaller army inconvenienced her. This, however, convinced the other three goblins to remain with Andrea the Assassin, until she finally caught up with Peter the Ranger and Grayson the Fighter in the home of the Crimson Dragon. In the confusion, the trio (Albert, Bob and Charlie) escaped and attempted to return home; only to discover their home had fallen under a new Goblin King, who had a glowing red sword and suspiciously glowing eyes. Suspecting that magic was involved, the trio investigated further – and discovered a bugbear (or perhaps a troll – that is still up for debate!) – had disguised itself and over thrown the original king. The three goblins were imprisoned and sentenced to death – only to be rescued by Ellen (whom they had resurrected off screen!)

Ellen remained to lead the freedom force against the new Goblin King, while the other three sought out Peter and Grayson to help them over throw the new ruler. The trio caught up to the two heroes outside The City of Neverending, where Peter met with them and agreed to help them, leaving with Annette the Archer who had freed herself from the Crimson Draco’s prison after the death of the Crimson Dragon.

Eyes: Black
Hair: None

Accessories:

BOW: Charlie uses a non magical bow.

Race: Goblin
Occupation: Former Dancer, Adventurer
Place of Birth: Stonemountain Caves
Known Relatives: Mother (Unknown Name), Father (Unknown Name)
First Appearance: Neverending Nights – Episode Eleven: Deep, Dark, Revenge (This Is How We Roll)
History: Like all goblins from Stonemountain, Bob grew up a dancer. Unlike Albert, who was very grounded, and Charlie who was always drifting off into fantasy land – Bob was a Goblin who appreciated reality, with a touch of fantasy. He didn’t mind the idea of going on an adventure, as long as they were always back in time for dinner and chores. For as long as he could remember, he has been friends with Albert and Charlie. The trio grew up together, forging a very strong friendship. Life, over all, had been easy for all the goblins of Stonemountain Caverns. Their only concern was attacks from bugbears (trolls!) – but to ensure that no such attack happened, they always had one person out on Bridge Watch.

One night, Dink was out on Bridge Watch. Albert, Bob and Charlie all noticed that he had not yet come back from it (and Dink was notorious for leaving as soon as his shift was over – sometimes even sooner).

Figuring they would investigate what had happened to Dink, they eventually found him, nearly passed out on the floor, where he explained to them that he had been ‘Out-Danced’ by a Dwarf and two companions (a human and a half-elf).

The trio dragged Dink back to the dance floor where he slowly recovered.

Unbeknownst to Bob and the others, things were set in motion that day that would change all of their lives.

Albert, Bob and Charlie would end up encountering Andrea the Assassin (the name she was going by at the time) and Daniel the Destructive as the duo were pursuing Peter and Grayson. Andrea the Assassin forcibly recruited the assistance of the Goblin trio with the use of Daniel the Destructive’s magic. Along the way, the trio of goblins complained and conspired to escape Andrea the Assassin’s ruthless control. Eventually, Ellen and Dink the Goblin were also recruited into Andrea the Assassin’s growing army of goblins. Dink and Ellen, however, met an untimely demise when Evil Foo killed them just to show how “evil” she was.

Andrea the Assassin, however, in turn, killed Evil Foo for what she had done – not that she cared about either Ellen or Dink, but mostly because the smaller army inconvenienced her. This, however, convinced the other three goblins to remain with Andrea the Assassin, until she finally caught up with Peter the Ranger and Grayson the Fighter in the home of the Crimson Dragon. In the confusion, the trio (Albert, Bob and Charlie) escaped and attempted to return home; only to discover their home had fallen under a new Goblin King, who had a glowing red sword and suspiciously glowing eyes. Suspecting that magic was involved, the trio investigated further – and discovered a bugbear (or perhaps a troll – that is still up for debate!) – had disguised itself and over thrown the original king. The three goblins were imprisoned and sentenced to death – only to be rescued by Ellen (whom they had resurrected off screen!)

Ellen remained to lead the freedom force against the new Goblin King, while the other three sought out Peter and Grayson to help them over throw the new ruler. The trio caught up to the two heroes outside The City of Neverending, where Peter met with them and agreed to help them, leaving with Annette the Archer who had freed herself from the Crimson Draco’s prison after the death of the Crimson Dragon.

Eyes: Black
Hair: None

Accessories:

AXE: Bob uses a non magical axe.

Race: Human
Occupation: Designer
Place of Birth: Se’airuh
Known Relatives: Mother (Unknown Name), Father (Unknown Name)
First Appearance: Episode Fifty-Five: ‘All Time ‘Lowe’.’
History: Big Al hails from Se’airuh, a small village surrounded by mountains. When a young bard by the name of Larry came to Se’airuh, Big Al felt a connection with the bard. He followed the Larry the bard to several inn and taverns, where he wove comedic tales, earning the name Larry Laughter. Most of the bard’s tales spoke of how he went to the City of Neverending and lost his wages at a Casino run by gnomes, followed up his heroic deeds fighting Master Evil in a living volcano on some obscure island. The bard’s tale went on to say that he made his way through a bamboo maze. It’s the next chapter of the bard’s life where he apparently blacked out and forgot a portion of his life. When he had recovered, he found himself working at a brothel trying to recruit women. Realizing this wasn’t the life for him, he had gone out and tried to get in shape before leaving on a pleasure cruise. Big Al listened to this bard name Larry Laughter, and all of his hilarious stories, and thought to himself, “This might make an interesting game.”

So Big Al ventured forth in search of others to help recruit in the production of such an idea. His adventures took him through a mountain pass called Tore In Passage which led to a Dragon’s Keep. Within this fabled keep he listened to a troll’s tale about two knights who had rescued a maiden in distress. The trolls had been thankful for running into a frontier pharmacist named Freddy, who had provided help to the trolls.

Big Al realized, there was a lot in this world that could be turned into several games. Big Al, now a well traveled salesman, trying to pitch his game – encountered Peter and Grayson at one of the taverns he had been visiting. He spoke briefly to Grayson, offering words of advice on how to score with the ladies.

Big Al has been looking for Larry Laughter again, in hopes of learning more about the bard’s adventurers.

Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black, Balding.

Accessories:

WEAPON: Big Al has a wicked tongue and cheek sense of humor.