The Chronicles of Far Keep

Back to the Campaign: Time of the Green Star

OMG is working on this, will have it up in a bit.

The Chronicles

Part One (First 14 Pages)

The original group consisted of:

Friar Ventas - Fighter/Cleric of Jaser
Melisende - Witch of the Flying Assembly (Sorceress)
Walker Mikhal Oglu - Druid

The story commenced with the party making their way to Far Keep, but they were ambushed by a group of 3 bandits on the road. Rather than fight them, the group convinces them to lay down their arms and come with them to Far Keep to repent for their activities. The party reaches Far Keep and is met by:

Duke Sean Anasazi - Human Fighter, Duke and Ruler of Far Keep and the surrounding area
Glixi the Lorekeeper - Pixie, Court Wizard of Far Keep

After brief introductions and offers to serve, the Duke briefly explains the role of his family at Far Keep:

"The Anasazi's have stood against the Green Star and the Darkness it brings from the beginning, which is why I am here. This Keep will be both the tip of the sword and the shield of the Land for as long as I rule here. We shall hold the lines against the Darkness and anything that it may bring."

The Duke presents the party with a map and outlines several of the challenges that Far Keep is currently enduring (see Area Surrounding Farkeep)

After discussing the problems, the group agrees to deal with the vampire and then the water sprite that is harassing the goblins. Glixi does some research and discovers that Guildtown, a small city to the south, has in it's possession an enchanted crossbow which has the power to slay the vampire, so the group makes their way to Guildtown to procure this holy artifact.

As they journeyed south, the party was attacked by an Owlbear near the bridge. A skirmish follows in which the party emerges victorious over the foul monster. They continue their journey to Guildtown and arrive without further incident.

That night as the party settles in for the night, a loud scream wakes everybody. They quickly identify that somebody is being attacked or seriously hurt just up the road from the town. The group quickly jumps into action and get on their horses and ride out to the disturbing screams:

The two horses thunder round a bend and almost trample those they find at the scene. Two men lie prone, pooled in blood. A third seems to be kneeling or stumbling amidst them. Drawing up their mounts the four Farkeepers look again and see with horror that the third figure is not a victim but the perpetrator of the bloodshed, a vampire feeding on his and knees at the neck of one of the fallen men. As he glances up the party note with horror that he has the whiskered face and dark mail of a knight of old.

The old vampire makes to run as he sees the group advancing upon him. Groggy from lack of sleep, Glixi prematurely tries to stop the vampire by entangling him with a spell, which only serves to anger him. Instead of running, he forces his way through the enchanted roots and vines and makes to attack the party. The group quickly realizes they are no match for him and retreat to the town with the men attacked by the vampire.

One of the survivors of the attack is a man named Shooter, who is a member of the Protection Society (a racketeering gang operating out of Guildtown). He tells the party he was tasked with recruiting the highway bandits to help him raid a hidden treasure trove in an old mineshaft near the town. He agrees to show the party where this mineshaft is and help them recover any treasure. The party realizes they can use this treasure to pay the various guilds for the holy crossbow they need.

Possible Sub-Plot to Explore in the Future - the Red Cudgel gang: "...he (Shooter) considers his Protection Society to be an illegal but not unworthy organization- formed as a check against a much crueller Red Cudgel criminal gang. Despite this they regularly raid warehouses and the houses of wealthy merchants." (Initial Mention of Red Cudgel)

Part Two

Glixi takes her leave of the party and returns to Far Keep.

The remaining party spends some time planning their next move. During this time Friar Ventas attends the cathedral and meets the Matron of Bethan and she told him of some dreams/visions she has had:

"A celestial handmaiden of the Lady visited me in vision and spoke that the Duke of Farkeep has become befuddled by the encounter with the Vampire, a distant family relative, and fears the monster's vainglory as a family taint. The whole party must share rule and leadership-even representation of Farkeep- to help him cure his fears."

"A holy weapon, The Keeper's Blade, lies amidst the weird ancient cargo of the warehouse caves. Jaser will not consider it a sin to enter ther, since its owners have long since departed."

While at the cathedral Friar Ventas uncovers one of the two statues of Jaser, which is generally only used on a rare few holy days, such as the day of choosing. The maiden told the other servants in the cathedral not to cover it back, "What this good friar has uncovered must stay uncovered until the baleful star's rays have fled from the Realm."

As the party finishes getting ready to go to the mines, Sir Thomas enters the town and makes quite an entrance. A young knight of Jaser, but he already has some reputation in the world and is welcomed by the townspeople immediately. He was sent here by the Church of Jaser to recover an ancient holy sword. He joins the party as they venture to the mines.

Shooter meets the group at the enterance to the mine with some kind of magic charm which disables a deadly trap protecting it.

Just as the group is about to enter the cave, Walker rejoins the group after spending some time out in the wilderness. He reports to the group that there are bombardier bettles and some undead roaming the wilderness not far from their location.

The group enters the cave and reaches a shaft, which they descend into and are immediately attacked by some winged vargouille (rather annoying bat-like creatures with a paralysing screech ability). The Duke makes quick work of the foul creatures and they continue through the passageway.

They reach a large chamber which is guarded by two brass golems which spring to life as soon as they enter the room. A large battle occurs, afterwhich the party discovers a rather large pile of treasure which they take from the mine and return to the town.

While they are sorting out the loot they recall some unusual behavior from Shooter, who disappeared on the way back from the mines. The party are then lead by John Barrowman, to the Master of Bones (rumored leader of the Protection Society gang), who leads them a hidden room in the House of Devils and they discuss the whereabouts of Shooter.

Possible Sub-Plot for the Future - Red Cudgels: "I have to tell you, Sir Friar, that you need to shift that loot that you brought in from the caves today. The Red Cudgels have been casing your inn something rotten. If you don't get it under lock and key soon they'll be coming in over the roof. We even thought about turning you over ourselves!"(The Red Cudgel Threat)

Glixi returns with some interesting information about an old Charter and how Guildtown's relationship is with Far Keep:

The Charter was granted by His Majesty Petra IV during the Long War. It was just a big village then , and the Lord of Farkeep held dominion over it as the southmost point of his estate. But when the King asked for Farkeep to send a company of soldiers the Baron was out of soldiers and money. The tradesfolk of this place - only a tiny weavers' guild here then!- gathered together whatever money they could to equip a company of foreign mercenaries. To save Farkeep's honour. Lizard folk axemen as it happens! The king was delighted because they were critical in the final battle against Delos. Afterwards he granted the charter to Guildtown as a reward. To run for 101 years.

Possible Sub-Plot for the Future - Ledgers: While digging up this Charter information, Glixi also discovered some rather suspicious accounting records between Far Keep and Guildtown. It seems the old Baron was involved in some shady business with several members of the town. (The Mysterious Ledgers)

Through some discussion the Master of Bones reveals to the party where Shooter has gone, they find him hiding out in a small residence. They discover he has been enthralled by the vampire, so they drag him to the cathedral to purify his soul.

That's the first 26 pages, more coming

Melisende's Account to the Flying Assembly (taking up the story)

Thwarting the Red Cudgels Attack Fearing an attack by the Red Cudgels, the party approach new allies-the Matrons of Bethan and the Protection Society who form formidable armed gangs to surround the Griffon. That eve armoured women patrol the street with lanterns while head-scarved Protection men lurk in the shadows . The Red Cudgels deign not to tangle with such a force. The next morning The Matrons arrange for the party’s loot to be shifted to the cathedral coffers. The task of shifting the hoard is handled by a single individual- an ogre trundling a barrow the size of a hay-cart.

The Village in the Woods Having disposed of their (oddly disappointing) treasure, the Company follow the druid into the wilds beyond the town walls. The druid tracks a cluster of giant bombardier beetles which are dispatched. But Oglu the Walker makes a grimmer discovery when he leads the Company on the trail of his second quarry-a troupe of undead. The party find an abandoned graveyard in a forest clearing. They locate some still-animated skeletons and a tomb in which others might be at rest. These undead are entangled by the Walker’s magic, but a more powerful foe, a skeleton bowman possessed of mortal-like cunning, attempts to ambush the party as they are occupied. A fight ensues , split along two fronts- some of the Company battling the graveyard skeletons while others pursue the archer. The latter flees but leads his pursuers to a well-shaft in an abandoned overgrown village quite close to the graveyard. The undead thing escapes along an underground tunnel at the well's bottom to a fortified roundhouse further within the village ruins. Entering the roundhouse in a well-co-ordinated pincer attack (some following via the tunnel, others charging overland) they find the building has been protected with various defensive spells, clearly put in place by Green Star cultists. Only one activates but summons a powerful Green Star lizard. This formidable creature is slain surprisingly easily, as Sir Thomas is able to behead it. The archer is also destroyed in a short exchange of attacks. The party recover a hoard-no doubt the village’s treasure –somehow more satisfying than their last. It contains some ‘evil’ cult items but also a locked box crammed with gems and a powerful ‘fiery trident’ wand. In the village ruins elsewhere a careful search reveals some masterwork bows and arrows which are used to equip the villein soldiers. Some holy items pertaining to Jaser are also found- a silver statue of the Archangel and a strange early edition of The Archangel's Psalter. The fact that these items were hidden suggests that the village had given itself over to the GS cult in the last GS cycle and that worship of Jaser had gone underground. Was this a sign of things to come in the new Cycle (the GM posed exciting little interest) ?

The Restoration of Guildtown to Farkeep (or the ‘Tyranny of Farkeep’ in the guild accounts) Rejecting an offer by goblin merchants to exchange the party’s total haul for the price of the crossbow’s promissory note, the Company instead decide to make a bid to reinstate Farkeep’s control over the guilds. The Friar draws on his connections to receive backing for this plan, securing the support of not only the Matrons of Jaser but also the Cathedral’s worldly Cardinal by gifting them with his Psalter and the silver statue of Jaser. The Protection Society are also successfully canvassed. At the same time Glixie is put to work in the Town’s famous library, collecting legal historical evidence to suggest that the guilds’ long royal lease had expired (it later transpired from the Keep’s ledgers that the last baron knew this, but had been happy to accept cash ‘gifts’ to leave this matter alone) . The Company demand to meet with the Guildmasters and enter negotiations. The Guild is routed from its century-long period of freedom and power. In its place a new Farkeep troika are appointed :
-Toadwhisperer , a goblin merchant
-Ger Coalfinger , the Master of Bones
-Lady Herrin, a Matron of Bethan and leader of the Cathedral Guard.

The lizardfolk guardsmen are dismissed and the Town Miltia handed control over the guildhouse. Before leaving each of the Company make a speech, sometimes speaking to ease the pride of the wounded guilds.

The Return to Farkeep Having set up a ruling council the Company return to Farkeep. On the way they stay at their usual halfway inn, and hear that the cunning but cowardly troll of Riverbridge has taken up his old station under the bridge, stopping traffic between Guildtown and Farkeep. The Company approach with typical care , guided by their druid. But they are nevertheless quite well tricked. For the troll sets a decoy -the stiffened corpse of the owlbear killed earlier –in the shadows of the bridge, then leaps upon the Company as they prepare their assault on the object. The troll’s success is short-lived, however, as its blows do little harm to the party’s well-armoured fighters. The wretch agrees to quit the land in return for some healing, its safety and a present of a small gem given by the witch Melisende.

The Stone of the Hound. Back at the Keep, Oglu investigates the crossroads reputedly haunted by an immense spectral hound. He discovers after some sleuthing and chatter with local yokels that the being is a benevolent guardian, which devours monsters that threaten the fields at the core of the Farkeep estate. It manifests through the Stone of the Hound, an ancient menhir that has been refashioned to resemble an Angel Stone roadside shrine.

The New Castellan [new years’ break-we lose Mel and the Duke] After the witch Melisende is recalled to the Flying Assembly the Duke grows bored of his rustic surroundings, longing for knightly fellowship and the glittering world of chivalry. Sir Thomas agrees to accompany him to a joust in the nearby Barony of Pelin. When he leaves, he passes the chain of his office as Castellan to the martial Friar. The Friar determines that he will commence his duties by investigating the Old Wizard’s Tower , mysteriously closed by the Keep’s last mage towards the end of his time there. The Old Wizard's Tower The Old Wizard's Tower The party re-open the old tower and discover its layout (see the detailed Wizard's Tower section in the The Keep page. The adventure proves hazardous-an assassin vine and Devil are met along the way. The exploration finishes when they encounter a dreadful illusion with accompanying siren in the basement that empties most of the Keep of its inhabitants. Not wishing to re-enter and risk insanity, the party decide to find another way to the levels beneath. During their exploration of the Old Wizard's Tower they also come across Denys, a young sorceress who has been visiting the observatory via a secret a passage, and look upon a terrifying old tome, The Tribulations of the Star Times.

The Undertunnels As their next step the party carry out a search for another way into the lower levels of the Tower, searching for secret passages reputed to exist in the kitchens and pantries beneath the Great and Fencing Halls. By accident, the druid comes across a grisly discovery of a blasphemous old hidden chapel, within which are interred the Keep's wicked old ancestors. The Friar cleanses the chapel of some of its evil, but leaves the crypts untouched. A second passage is later found wending between the kitchens and leading to the second basement floor of the Old Wizard's Castle. The chamber is clearly a kind of specimen room or museum, full of savage species collected from another planet- the Green Star itself! the Company battle some savage alien baboon-like creatures and slay them. The sharp-eyed sorceress also finds a table top that is etched with a map showing subterranean caverns extending from the Keep into the deep dark earth below. Far far below the keep, the map indicates, is a henge by a lake in a vast cavern. The gate to the Green Star.

Finding The Long Way Down

The party make an essay along a tunnel that leads from the 'museum'. This is long, low and circular and slopes downwards and westwards, having the stamp of uncanny goblin work. After a quarter mile of dizzying progress (the circular walls and steep slope are narrow and disorienting) the tunnel gives way into a larger space. Holding their torches aloft and with the sergeant flashing the beam of his powerful small lantern, the party perceive that they have entered a ledge over a large cavern. The roof is hung with stalactites. The distant floor (50' below and only visible in shadow) seems dusty and empty. The clearest way forward now takes the form of a path, cut like a clean notch into the wall of the cavern and following it round towards some invisible destination.
Here Sergeant Lot reveals that he is a royal spy and asks that he be allowed to return to report his findings to the King's Wizard. The Friar, angry at this revelation, declines. But the company soon return to the surface, sensing that they must secure business on the surface of their estate first before continuing their adventure in the underdeep.

Important Links

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