North of the library of Jerudim are the dwarven lands of Dorvor. The Dorvori have been steadily rebuilding since the Dragon Wars and have rebuilt and reorganized their armies. During the Dragon Wars, goblin clans often battled against the dwarves. The Dragon War left both sides devastated, but the goblins seemed to take the worst of it and never recovered fully. But now the Black Claw clan seems to be active again. Dorvori patrols, ready for this threat, have been investigating exactly what is going on. One patrol managed to ambush a Black Claw column moving in the mountains. Hobgoblins prisoners almost never talk, but the goblins in the column were forthcoming and mentioned that they were reinforcing a group that was investigating some ruins. The Dwarven patrol had taken casualties so they sent a single scout armed with a Scroll of Sending to find these ruins and report back.

The scout chosen was Adric Greyspar, the son of Jedamar Greyspar. He was able to find the ruins and encountered a band of warriors battling goblins. Each seemed to have their own reason for investigating the library, but they seemed to all share a common foe so they joined forces.

The band continued their climb up the mountain and quickly came to the top of the dragonborn settlement. Bodies lay scattered around. Adric peeked inside a window and noticed that inside the building their were no bodies, as if the bodies had been dragged outside…

Around them the corpses of the dragonborn sprung up to stand against by the command of a goblin necromancer who appeared on a nearby roof. The undead raised by the goblin were weak and the group cut through them and Adric and Lo-kag climbed to the roof and engaged and slew the necromancer with the help of Convey and Fadris.

After the battle they examined a great pair of stone doors that seemed to be propped open by some stones. Adric worried tried to reinforce this so the doors wouldn’t close. His fears were well founded because as the group entered Lo-kag suddenly turned against them. He ripped the blockage from the door and the door slammed closed trapping the party in the library. The party was confused why he would suddenly turn against them, but they had no way to find the answers to that question.

They quickly came face to face with fortified goblins. Using caltrops and crude towers the goblins tried to stop the party, but were unable to slow them down or escape to warn anyone else.

Looking forward the band traveled deeper into the library seeking out goblin voices they heard. Behind another great set of doors they found more goblins and prepared to do battle once again.

Tarnash—-
Just a quick update. Shortly after making quick work of the guard goblins, a dwarven scout approached us. He stated that he was a scout from a legion of dwarves. This legion had encountered a large group of hobgoblins headed towards this Dragonborn settlement. The scout now believes that the hobgoblins intended to re-supply the group now encamped here. We quickly saw that our goals were common enough to pool our resources. He has now joined us, whether or not he will stay after this mission is completed remains undetermined.

We reached the height of the path along the mountain. Here there were several larger buildings on a large cliff shelf. There was also a large entryway carved into the mountain. I wanted to stop and admire the handiwork of my kinsmen, and perhaps give final rites to those who lay slaughtered on the ground—-but alas—-this would not happen. No sooner had we arrived then we noticed a goblin atop one of the buildings. He began to chant and suddenly the bodies of many of our kinsmen became animated zombies. It turned my stomach, but I plowed a way through these poor, hapless creatures nonetheless. The goblin’s perch kept him safe from my wrath, but several of my companions were able to access the roof, and ended his twisted mutterings.

We entered the tunnel that had been carved into this majestic mountain. We had not traveled but a scant few few but we were again attacked by a group of goblins. Again they had made advantageous preparations and fortifications. But it did not avail them, my Brother. Though I was injured by their treacherous caltrops, it did not deter me from wrecking my vengeance upon them. I saved my greatest blow for one of them who fled, no doubt trying to warn others of his kind. I hew my axe across his middle, separating his body into two halves.

I feel I must be careful my Brother. For though I know that the killing of goblins who have encroached on our kinsman’s lands, and the destruction of our evilly animated kinsman’s bodies are essentially good acts—-their is a certain enticing quality… I must not begin to overly ‘enjoy’ these acts—-or risk loosing clarity and respect for law.

When next I write, I hope to have more information on what occurred to the Dragonborn of this place, and perhaps have taken steps towards proper vengeance.

One last note, though I am focused on my kin and the implications of what I have found here—-I must say that this odd bunch of men I travel with have been a considerable boon to me and my aspirations. I hope that we continue to develop our fellowship and support of each other.

Tarnash. It is with a much heavier heart that I write you. After we left the cabin of Faith Fellmar, we ventured North. We searched for young Fellmar’s father’s notes. We found them in a cave, along with a family of large, vile insects. Brother, they spit acid at me! For the first time I suffered as many of my foes have suffered. The pain was so great that I hovered on the verge of death several times. Through the aid of my companions, and my own fortitude, I endured. When I regained consciousness, one of them was closing in on me, its maw approaching my head. With one mighty swing from my axe, I clove it in two. I then helped my new companions dispatch its mate. p. Again I am faced with a moral dilemma, is it just to kill a creature who is only trying to survive? What about its young? Truthfully I am not overly concerned with the deaths of this insect family, I cannot believe that their demise will adversely affect the world—but what if they had been centaurs, or desperate humans?

By examining the book, Convey was able to determine that they were in large part blackmail material against many of the nobles in the area. They were also a personal log of sorts, and mentioned the library that is held by our kinsman.
We continued our travels through the Willow Wood and entered the Duchy of Durand. Here we ran into some of my previous travel companions. These ruffians were a bit to interested in whether I had found any information regarding the Library where our kinsman are rumored to reside. I lied to them (may Bahamut forgive me), but I don’t think they believed me. I feel our paths will cross again sometime.

As we approached the base of the mountain range where the library was rumored to be, we encountered a man with strange scars across his body. He mumbled something and then collapsed. As he did so a number of intangible creatures appeared from the ground. They attacked us with debilitating mental attacks. This was another difficult battle, my Brother, but again we were victorious. I am beginning to trust these men I travel with, though they could not be more different from me.

We continued our travels and walked through a small mining town. I spoke with a grizzled dwarf. He did not have much to say that helped our quest, but I enjoyed our discussion nonetheless. I have often thought that we Dragonborn share more personality traits with Dwarves then other races.

We journeyed into the mountains and I began to have a strange feeling come over me—-one of desire, and hope, but mixed with foreboding. One particular mountain drew me as if it was calling out to me. As we approached we could indeed see that there was some sort of settlement carved into the mountain. We made our way up the trail towards it, and one of my companions made a horrific discovery. Fadris spotted a Dragonborn corpse. My apprehension grew to fear, and I hurried into the settlement. There we saw a stomach-churning scene. The entire outlying area of the settlement was littered with Dragonborn corpses. Whole families lay slaughtered in the streets. All of the bodies had their hearts removed. As best we could tell, the massacre happened several months ago.

Never had I felt lower, Brother. The anguish and loss I felt was almost overwhelming. Righteous vengeance stole over me and drove me forward. I was determined to find the foul creatures who had done this, and see that justice is done.

As we continued into the settlement we encountered a small group of goblins lead by a hobgoblin. Although they had prepared the terrain for a fight, we dispatched them quickly enough. I spared the last one so that he could give me information on what occurred. What I learned was not overly helpful. The goblin did not know who killed our brethren. He and a large band of his vile kin came to loot the library.

So here I sit, wanting to charge into their fortifications and annihilate them all, but knowing that I must think this situation through. My prayers to you and our parents. I hope that when I write again I will have more answers, and that justice will have been served.

As the strange vagabond dropped dead before them, strange masses of tentacles began to rise from the ground. These ghost like beings began to attack the party. Physical weapons seemed to have reduced effectiveness or these beings since they seemed to lack a true physical existence, but Convey and Fadris’ powers seemed to be effective against them. Convey identified these creatures as beings from the alien Far Realm that came through a ‘hole’ in reality. As they were defeated they vanished leaving no trace, perhaps returning to the place of their origin.

Upon examination of the poor wretch who died before them they found him to be well-dressed although not rich or noble but his cloth showed the effects of heavy travel. Underneath his cloths was something far more sinister. His body had runes carved into. Convey identified them as having to do with compulsion and portal creation although neither Convey nor Fadris was able to recognize the magic used and they got a sense that this was something very odd. Convey was able to cut a small gem from the chest of the man. The gem likely served as a focus, but it seemed that once removed it no longer had magical importance.

The band continued on through a small mining town. Shamash talked briefly with a dwarf who thought he was crazy for thinking that there was a Dragonborn library in the mountains. Undaunted the band set out of find the mountain mentioned in the journal of Hortense Fellmar. Shamash and Lo-kag led the way and were able to lead the party deeper into the mountains where they finally spied the mountain they sought.

The saw a Dragonborn settlement built along a switchback path that ascended up the mountain. Shamash, excited to see potential brethren ran forward. Fadris, not quite as eager hung back and noticed a Dragonborn foot sticking out from behind a boulder. Tentatively he approached and discovered a Dragonborn corpse that had suffered a grievious head wound and chest wound. The others noticed he had stopped and they all saw the corpse Fadris has discovered. Shamash, distraught, ran forward heedless of any danger. His more cautious companions trailed behind. Shamash burst through an open gate to find that his people had been slaughtered. Women and children lay dead. And every corpse shared a common trait. Each one was missing the heart. But the corpses were cold and whatever had happened had happened months ago.

The settlement did not appear to have been victim to any large scale attack. Convey guessed that the Dragonborn may have been taken completely by surprise. It also appeared that someone had fairly thoroughly looted the area and they spied no weapons or armor.

As they climbed the switchback path throught the Dragonborn town they looked for survivors, but found no one. But as the neared the top of the path encountered a pack of goblins led by a hobgoblin. The hobgoblin called for them to stop, but the heart broken Shamash was in mood for it and battle was joined immediately. The goblins fired from behind cover and rolled boulders on to the party who struggled to climb the steep slope. The hobgoblin seemed to possess unusual strength and hurled large stones although his accuracy seemed lacking. In the end, the goblins weren’t a match for the party. They took a goblin prisoner and Shamash, whose anger had been partially sated by the burst of violence, questioned him. The goblin claimed that a band of 100 goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears had shown up after the deaths of the Dragonborn, just a few weeks ago. He named their leader as Zorac and that they had 10 members capable of using magic. In exchange for this information Shamash and the others granted the goblin his life and told him to flee the mountain, although Lo-kag seemed to want to toss the goblin off the mountain.

Looting the bodies and finding an interesting pair of gloves of the hobgoblin they continued up the mountain looking the the entrance to the library they each hoped might hold some answers for them.

The Duke seems to have had a hand in things far darker than even I was aware of, if this woman is to be believed. The Dragonborn seems a personable sort, at least able to take heed of my advice. It seems that I alone have expertise in the role of the predator and the prey. The simple subterfuge of hiding the bodies, combined with our excellent progress, should make a direct attack on us unlikely for the near term. Though, considering the apparent dark powers the Duke possesses, an indirect attack should be anticipated. If he truly has struck a deal with evil immortals, we may be doomed already – they are formidable foes.

Speaking of formidable foes, the battle in the cave against the ankhegs went poorly. Casual entrance without proper scouting nearly led to our deaths. One minute of preparation can save an hour of danger, lest we forget. Outside his lands, and perhaps less loudly within them, the Duke is wildly unpopular, so we should use this mutual animosity to our benefit while traveling. This Anne Thibault, for example, provided us with many useful things, and further obfuscated our trail. This library of Draconic lore likely has information that will be key to my return to the Stonedragon. This band will prove most useful to that aim.

Stonedragon Lo-Kag

After defeating the Houndmaster the five strangers turned again to Faith Fellmar to hear what she had to say. She explained that the Duke wished her harm because he might fear any secrets her husband, the Duke’s old spy master might have held onto. She herself knew very little, but did comment that her husband had shown some concern over the mention of the library. Faith decided to pass on what her husband had left behind to Convey. She gave him a special cipher device and told him where he could find a box with his fathers notes. Faith herself decided to leave Willow Wood and Convey promised to stay in touch using his mental powers.

Lo-kag decided to join the group and hung the bodies of the Houndmaster and his hounds from nearby trees. Then they all set out to find the notes and to avoid the Duke whose reprisals they feared. The box proved to be difficult to acquire as the cave it had been hidden in had become the den of a pair of ankhegs. The ankhegs proved difficult foes, but luckily Faith had supplied the party with a pair of healing potions that allowed them to survive the encounter. The cipher proved time consuming to decode, but they found some blackmail material for various nobles. They also found the rough location of the library of Jerudim and some darker notes about Hortense Fellmar’s concerns about Duke Laurent.

Moving through the forest the band came upon some elves who seemed to have hostile intentions, but the group managed to calm the situation. The elves seemed hostile to the Duke and set off when the party told them where they could find the Duke.

Leaving the Willow Wood for the Duchy of Durand the group encountered the old ‘friends’ of Shamash. The two groups seemed suspicious of each other, but they moved on without incident although the party worried about being tracked by these men who they knew were also seeking the library.

The group reached the home of Anne Thibault who helped them. Destan warned her about some of the blackmail material they had found and asked that they try and take defensive precautions. Anne told him that Duke Tristan de Durand was becoming more and more influenced by Duke Laurent and that the old king was in ill health although she had few details. Destan asked that she try and have someone make sure that no foul play was involved with the king’s health.

The party again headed towards the library after Lady Thibault helped them with some supplies and as they began to reach the mountains they came upon a strange man who muttered ‘The Duke’ as he began to bleed from his ears and his eyes. There was a sudden pop and the man collapsed and as he did strange things began to emerge from the ground….

Finally I am free of that wretch. Perhaps it would have better to suffer death in the wild than the ignominy of honorless servitude. Without this journal’s respite I might have. If nothing else, it has and will serve as a record for future of my thoughts and deeds.

I am now in Willowood, some meaningless town filled with meaningless people. Except for these few I have just met. A dragonborn, who seems quite good in matters of arms and matters of faith. His speed is likely his weakness. An eladrin, fresh from the Feywild and dripping of it, who wields considerable arcane might. His inattentiveness would likely do him in. A human youth, with the might of the mind. Up close he is very fragile, of course. The older human, he seems battle-hardened and able. His single-mindedness could be a vulnerability. All but the last have a real naivety that could be exploited as well.

Their arrival allowed me to accelerate my plans and eliminate the Houndmaster with his mutts about. For the last year it seems I’ve been falling ever since I lept off Execution Peak. Perhaps now with their aid I will be able to rejoin my tribe and unite my people.

Stonedragon Lo-Kag

It is upon this fateful day that I write down for posterity sake, what i believe to be the first step to forging my own destiny. No longer am I selfishly protected by the arms of a wealthy isolated court, a trickster clown for their amusement. I am pushed, by the hands of fate it seems, to be grouped up with a chaotic band of misfits the likes i have never seen. My mother, my simple Tiefling mother, the center of a whirlwind of fates all gathered on this day. The Duke, my once admired ‘great uncle’, has revealed to me a face of treachery behind a mask of smiles. Was i just the funny little child of a powerful servant to him? Does he bear the responsibility of my father’s passing?

My mother only now, after the interruption of assassins, prepares herself to reveal more to me. I do know this, I am going to do whatever it takes to avenge this assault and investigate the death of my father further.
I have been forced to test my less exercised mental abilities on this day. I may be forced to use them and my education on the very court that was amused by them.
I feel an awakening.

This group I look at in such a plain little house in the woods, would bring a shocked smile to even a god (if such a thing exists).
Two immediately imposing figures, A mighty goliath and a noble dragonborn, clean themselves up of mud and blood at my mother’s door. They seem like lost brothers of stone and scale.
Standing near them is a human, who I happened upon once as a child, who has abilities that heal and rally the entire group, he now seems even more resolved to his goal.
A lone, and out of place Eldarin, with great arcane skills stands back and watches us all as if lost between dream and awake.
My mother observes us all now, with a great calm as if she suspected this day may come.
Today, I ,amongst these various creatures each on their own path, no longer feel isolated by my Tiefling blood.
In fact I am proud of it.

All Praise to Bahamut!
Tarnash—
p. My Brother, I will keep a journal of my travels so that I can keep an accurate account of my efforts on behalf of our people and the furtherance of the principles that Bahamut has given us. When possible, I will also try to post copies to you and our parents, just in case I am unable to return to our home.

You were right when you told me that Pure Evil is a rarity in the lands. I have not traveled far yet, but already I see that most humanoids are more concerned with survival than any darker motive. Yet sometimes this very focus on survival can drive them to evil acts. And as Bahamut teaches us, ‘One small evil act may be just enough to tilt the scales.’ I was traveling for a time with a Goliath named Lo-Kag. He would not tell me much, but I gleaned that he had been expelled from his home. In order to survive, he had taken up as a sell-sword (or more accurately a sell-whip) to make ends meet. He pranked me several times during our journey, but I could see that he was lashing out over some inner turmoil. I demurred and decided not to pursue the matter. More of him anon.

We traveled in the company of a Duke named Laurent. I cannot say that I thought well of this Duke, but he allowed me to journey with his retinue for several days. Previously, I had gleaned from a band of ruffians that there was a ‘witch woman’ in a town named Wildwood. This woman supposedly knew of a library populated with Dragonborn. Naturally I felt obliged to seek out this woman and ascertain what she knew. When I discussed this with the Duke, he became noticeably interested in the subject. Perhaps in the future I will be more careful in sharing information.

I went to meet the woman, expecting to fine some vile, wretched thing—-like the stories we tell to frighten the hatchlings. Though her appearance was somewhat off-putting (it was clear she had demon blood coursing through her body), she was in fact a kindly lady. I had no sooner spoken her name (Faith!), than I instantly felt great compassion for her, and her somewhat sickly looking son Convey. There was also an Eladrin present. I will write more about him at another time.

Now I can return to Lo-Kag. Lo-Kag and a vile dog-warden had been sent by the Duke to visit some sort of foul-play onto Faith. I confronted Lo-Kag at the door. I appealed to his sensibilities and morality. Lo-Kag relented, but the dog-warden could not be reasoned with. He set his hounds on Lo-Kag. I killed the dog-warden, and several of his dogs. The others in Faith’s home helped as well. I am not certain, but we may find additional common causes and journey together for a time.

This encounter has given me much to think about. How is it that a woman with demon blood coursing through her veins can so clearly be a righteous being? What were the moral underpinnings of Lo-Kag’s defection from the Duke’s unworthy cause?

I will write more when I can Brother. Keep thee well!

P.S. I used by Dragonborn Breath in the encounter as you have instructed me—it had a great effect!

Attendance: Doug, Nick, Sean, Kyle, John

There are moments of great importance where threads in the tapestry of life meet to form something more than the sum of those threads. To form a pattern that could shape the entire tapestry.

Emery Ayers

With a heart full of vengeance Emery Ayers found his way into the castle of Duke Laurent de Bellomey. With a dire patience born of a single minded focus he waited amongst the rafters to find his perfect moment to strike. And his patience bore fruit. Duke Laurent stood perfectly placed under a giant chandelier. The chain broke easily enough, but as the chandelier fell it seemed to spin in an incredibly improbable way. Instead of crushing the corrupt Duke it landed like on its side like a coin tossed into the air that lands on its edge. Cries went up and Emery darted back into the shadows determined to find another opportunity.

Despite the appearance of an assassin the court seemed strangely calm, and Emery got a second chance. He ambushed the Duke while he walked. Coming from behind and leap from the shadows, but a raised stone caught his foot leaving him prone at the feet of his intended target. The Duke turned and calmly retrieved the knife that Emery had planned to kill him with. The Duke seemed puzzle, not at why the young man wanted to kill him, but as to how Emery was even alive. Telling Emery that he was already dead he tossed the knife away and simply walked away.

Emery went to retrieve the knife and discovered in the hands of a strange boy of maybe 7 years. This boy had twisted horns and a tail. He handed Emery’s knife back to him and Emery told him to never speak of what he had witnessed. And the boy never did…

Emery left the Duke’s castle with the knowledge that normal attempts to kill the Duke seemed futile. But more dangerous to Emery than the Duke was the void. Now he could feel a dark emptiness that sought to drain him of purpose and life. Every night instead of dreaming he battled this empty void that want to engulf him. But every night he won this fight and fought to wake and stand to live another day. And he worked to prepare himself for a time when he would have the tools to defeat his foe.

Fifteen years of dreamless nights later Emery had gotten word from allies in the Priory of Darning. They had located the wife of Duke Laurent’s old spymaster, a woman named Fellmar who lived in a small town named Willow Wood. Emery, now going by the name Destan Volay set off to find this woman, hoping that she might provide some weapon to use against the Duke, but on his way he found something different. He came upon an Eladrin seemingly lost in the woods. In that moment something happened. The empty void that gnawed with him was suddenly filled. In an instant he lived another life, the life of an Eladrin who lived in the Feywild and sought to study magic to make his father proud. But in a flash his new life was gone. As he spoke to the Eladrin whose life he seemed to have lived he realized that he had nowhere to go. So together they set off to the cabin of Faith Fellmar…

Convey Fellmar

Convey’s life so far has been defined by his parentage. His mother Faith was a Tiefling, a person blessed or cursed with the blood of otherworldly beings. His father was a retainer and confident for a powerful noble, Duke Laurent de Bellomey. Convey lived a somewhat sheltered life shielded by the court that held his father, Hortense in high esteem. It also gave him a handful of strange experiences. When he was only seven he witnessed someone try to kill the Duke multiple times, but fail each time due to luck.

When he was a young man tragedy struck Convey’s life. His father, whose court position had given him a safe and prosperous life, did not return one day. Convey was told that his father had died while on a mission from the Duke. The tragedy for Convey quickly grew when his mother moved away to live in isolation in Willow Wood. She asked Convey to go with her, but he could not go from a life in the court to one in the woods. Besides he had money left to him from his father and he found his unusual nature made him somewhat of an attraction among the nobility. But while Convey inherited some unusual mental abilities from his father he did not inherit his skill at navigating court and it led him into trouble. With no parents and the Duke withdrawing any connections he felt a sense of isolation. He was the only one of his kind and he suddenly had a thirst to know about what and who he was. But yet again his thirst led him into trouble. He broke into a church to obtain some records and was discovered. No longer having the courts favor and being accused of theft from the church he fled to the home of his mother. The cabin of Faith Fellmar…

Fadris Evermoon

The child of greatness must always live in its shadow. Such is the story of Fadris Evermoon. He was the son of one of the greatest Eladrin mages. His siblings demonstrated amazing talent, but Fadris seemed cursed. For all his study and effort he seemed no lack the abilities of his family and in the eyes of his father he was a failure. But Fadris would not give up so easily. He found ways to contact powerful spirits and he made a deal. He gained power and when he was told that their would be a price he said that he would gladly pay it.

Fadris returned home to show his father what he accomplished, but the guards of the his fathers court did not know him, and when Fadris was brought before his family he could instantly see in their eyes that they did not know him. He did not try to convince with words since he know we would sound like a madman, instead he snuck to where his room was, but he found nothing. The spot where his room had been shaped from the great tree was untouched. He entire existence was gone. No one knew him. He had no where to go, no home, no family, no friends. Completely lost he wandered. In his confusion he was caught in worldfall and came upon a strange man who somehow seemed to know him. Fadris clutched on to the only evidence of his existence and followed this man, Destan Volay, to the cabin of Faith Fellmar….

Shamash Thunderstrike

Shamash set off from the hidden enclave of his people with the blessings of Bahamut and the advice of his brother. He walked among humans and found that some met him with awe while others met him with distrust. He was approached one night by a man who asked him of the Library of Jerudim, a place he claimed was guarded by dragonborn. Shamash was suspicious but he joined with this man and his companions to seek the library. Shamash sought to find his fellow dragonborn while his companions he suspected intended to loot he library itself.

Luckily the band found a lead. There was a ‘witch woman’ in the Willow Wood who might be able to help, and they set off to find her, but on the road Shamash;s companions learned that Duke Laurent de Bellomey would be visiting Willow Wood and for unknown reasons they delayed going their. Shamash, however, was not deterred and continued on and even travelled with the Duke for a time and spoke to him, although Shamash did not find the Duke’s thoughts on the dragonborn to his liking.

When Shamash reached Willow Wood he immediately sought out the holy man of the village. In this case it was a halfling named Elder Nook. Elder Nook seemed to take an immediate liking to Shamash and even trapped Shamash into promising to buy a copy of his book. From him, Shamash learned that the witch woman was a woman with devils blood, a Tiefling, but also that Elder Nook held her in high esteem and that she was a wonderful person. Somewhat confused, Shamash set off to find the cabin of Faith Fellmar…

Lo-kag

Born of the Stonedragon clan, Lo-kag was at home among the mountains, but one day the mountain seemed to turn against him. Separated from his hunting party Lo-kag became lost and the mountain suddenly shook, the ground opened underneath Lo-kag and he was swallowed by the mountain.

Waking in complete darkness, Lo-kag struggled to find some way out of the belly of the mountain. He caught the faintest glimmer of light and began to head towards it. The light came from a small circular stone, like a giant, glowing pearl. Although cautious, Lo-kag eventually retrieved the pearl, but as he did so it melted into nothing in his fingers. The fading light of the pearl was replaced with torches. His own people appeared and accused him of being a thief and having stole the pearl. One of his brothers sliced him open to search his stomach for the pearl. The shaman kept him alive, but this charity did not last. When Lo-kag could give no answer as to the pearl’s location they sentenced him to death. On the highest peak he was bound. The shaman of his people raised a knife to plunge into his chest, and as if relenting in handing out this cruel fate it shook again. The shaman stumbled and the knife fell cutting one of Lo-kag’s hands free. Lo-kag quickly freed himself, but when he stood he faced over a dozen hardened warriors of his own people. On one side he faced these warriors and on the other a shear cliff. Glancing over the cliff he saw clouds below and a great bird. With powerful legs he leap into the sky and plummeted down upon the bird that would carry him away from his people to safety.

Lo-kag’s grand escape quickly led to a less grand life. He sold his battle skills for room and board and quickly became employed by Duke Laurent de Bellomey under a vicious bastard only called the Houndmaster. Lo-kag was brought to Willow Wood by the Duke who planned on adding the small village in the woods to his own lands. Lo-kag and the odious Houndmaster were sent to beat up and threaten some woman. By this time, Lo-kag’s hatred of the Houndmaster had reached a dangerous peak and he knew that once his opportunity arose he would kill this man and leave the Duke’s service. But yet, the time had not yet come, and the two set off to the cabin off Faith Fellmar….

The Cabin of Faith Fellmar

Lo-kag came to the door. Only to be met by Shamash, whom he had met on the road. In front of him was the dragonborn who asked him to find the right thing to do and abandon the Houndmaster. Behind the Houndmaster called out slurs and crude threats. Lo-kag turned and the battle was joined. He was joined by four others who had also been drawn to this cabin and the Houndmaster and his pack was defeated. The paths of five people had crossed and a new pattern in the tapestry has been formed.