In which Dan Stands Aside

journals/seventh/_posts/2025-04-28-cryptdragon-12.md

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+---
+title: Tales from the Crypt (Dragon), S5E12
+---
+
+## Current Objectives
+- ~~Investigate the ethereal plane room at the Giant's keep~~
+- ~~Enter Stormheim~~
+- **[COMPLETE]** Join Kaldur and seek the Mantles of the Heroes
+- **[COMPLETE]** Aid the merfolk in attacking the Cthulu cults
+- **[COMPLETE]** Defeat the Dracolich to earn the Rune from Nuripites
+
+## Events
+- The party stands in the Runebarrow, deliberating when and where to return
+  Cayden Caylien to the material plane. We decide, after a brief discussion and
+  brainstorming sesh, to keep to our plan, and return Cayden to Sheila G's
+  temple. But then, we reconsider, and decide to return him somewhere, and then
+  _teleport_ with him elsewhere if we so choose. Maurgim will protect Cayden
+  from being scryed upon once he is on the material plane, but returning him to
+  life will (likely) be very well known.
+    - We finally decide to return Cayden to "the cube room" in Fort Ang. Sheila
+      G and Stackor will _teleport_ to that location ahead of time, so SG knows
+      better of it.
+
+- We rest for the night in the Runebarrow, then _plane shift_ back to the
+  material plane, then _teleports_ back to Rime. They sell their loot,
+  distribute the new wealth, and do some shopping.
+    - Kaldur Black and Harvey have a mental chat, mostly about political
+      scheming and cult hunting.
+
+## Player Characters
+- Gartug Ironfist, a dwarven brawler (Bill)
+- Sheila G, a half-elf cleric of Cayden Calien (Thans)
+- Stackor, a dwarven wizard (James)
+- Harvey, a tengu-ish monk (Mike)
+- Randy Van Peoples, a human cleric of Gozreh (Dan)
+
+## Locations
+- A dead planet
+- The Boneyard
+  - The barrow of Nuripites, a crypt dragon
+  - The Runebarrow
+- Rime
+
+## NPCs and Notable Characters
+- Naynay, a human pervert with some martial arts training
+
+---
+
+## Current Objectives
+- Proceed to the Far Territiries, and reclaim Fort Rather
+
+## Events
+- Herein begins our tales of the Altasian army moving into the Far Territories
+  to reclaim Fort Rather, and fight the daemon Calcifer. When last we left them,
+  they had left Flint a bit of a disaster.
+    - Their first stop is at Shrine Lake. There, the party identifies various
+      fey groups, which appear to all of sworn loyalty to the empty throne of
+      the Twilight Court. This is odd.
+    - The second stop is in The Verdant. There, the party discovers two fighting
+      factions - a group of "original" verdant elves and half-elves, and a group
+      of "new" verdant elves and half-elves.
+        - The "OG Verdant" note that the "New Verdant" have taken up strange and
+          dark tidings, and would like the party to kill them. If this is done,
+          the OG will restore the camps, offer safe passage, and even provide
+          guides.
+            - The party members notice a group of paler elves, which they
+              suspect may be calling the shots behind the scene.
+        - The "New Verdant" mostly just want to be left alone. They ask the
+          party to take whichever of them wants to leave with them, and offer us
+          guidance out of the forest.
+        - The decision, after a vote, is to take on the New Verdant as a means
+          of solving the OG Verdant's problem. We will take whomever wants to
+          come with us away, and punish them accordingly if necessary.
+    - The third stop is in a barren desert. The caravan is beset by small groups
+      of undead, seemingly coming from a large dark sandstorm to the north.
+      Commander Syrup considers dispatching troops to investigate and possibly
+      root-out the cause of these undead, but the party advises against it, and
+      we move on.
+    - The fourth stop is the small region of Perth. There, the halflings and
+      wayangs are at each-other with fighting and distrust.
+        - The wayangs stated that the halflings poisioned their well, and
+          attacked them. The party's investigations confirm this, but further
+          find a growing cult of yog-sothos, which they destroy.
+        - The halflings make claims that the wayangs _plane shifted_ some of
+          their vulnerable and venerable members away. The party's
+          investigations confirm this, but further find a growing cult of
+          nyarlethotep, which they weren't fully able to destroy. The party
+          decides to leave a detachment of Abadar's Inquisition to finish the
+          task.
+
+- We arrive at modern day. Stackor pops up, talks with Syrup, then heads back to
+  Rime. The next day, Stackor and Randy Van Peoples, who _resurrects_ Sir Beet.
+
+- The camp has a meeting. The scouts sent to Ganth have not returned. The party
+  is being sent to investigate what happened to the scouts. Once determined, the
+  party is to meet with Count Therin to discuss the forces resupplying, camping,
+  and moving through towards Fort Rather.
+    - As we approach, the gates are down, the guards are armed, but the Counts
+      flag still flies. Sir Beet does the talking. The guard informs us that our
+      scouts are within, though they split, and half went further north. When
+      the scouts arrived, there was an attempt on the Count's life by assassins.
+      The guard is welcoming of additional support, stating that Ganth seems to
+      stand alone against many threats. We move into the town, to meet with the
+      captain of the guard.
+        - A fetchling notices the party, though most of us don't notice them,
+          and moves into a home. A few moments later, a crow leaves from that
+          home, flying east.
+        - The party meets with Captain Ilios
+
+## Player Characters
+
+- Sir Beet, a human paladin of Iomedae (Thans)
+- Sir Tern Ipswitch, a human paladin of Ragathiel (Bill)
+- Jen Erica von Illamage, a human wizard (Mike)
+- Burren "Smokey" Blunt, aka Bat-Man, but in the bat language, so like a bunch of "eee eee" and stuff (Dan)
+- Ignatious "Geo" Joe, an oread shaman (Thans)
+- Stackor, a dwarven wizard (James)
+
+## Locations
+- Road from Flint to Ganth
+
+## NPCs and Notable Characters
+- Colonel Syrup, commander of the Altasian forces
+
+## Other Notes
+- Stand Aside.
+
+## Upcoming Events
+