Here is the sixth edition of the D&D Game Summary.
Please refer to the earlier editions for character backgrounds and earlier
exploits.  


Summary of "NorCal Campaign" Part 6
-----------------------------------

This adventure was based on "In the Dwarven King's Court" which appeared in 
Dungeon Magazine issue #2.  Again, the setting and meta-plots were seriously
altered.


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #19--01/07/94

Together Again: (Mar 1, 697)
    The group got back together again after training for their last level
(5th for everyone except Galen, who went to 4th).  Galen also had made a
new spellbook.  During the winter, the characters kept themselves busy.
    Galen came back sporting a new look.  A lot more humble in appearance
and sporting a new and more subdued sigil.  He explained that he has 
joined an order of the wizard's guild.  He would not explain more, but he 
took to keeping a journal of events and notes on many things.
    Spike spent a lot of his time researching Stoutwall.  He discovered
that the town was rife with injustice...particularly to the Dwarves.  He
wrote a letter to the Dwarves of Stoutwall to let them know that help was
on the way, and to have them look for the orc supply line.  He also sent
a letter to the Dwarven council to get their support for Price Michael by
suggesting that Calibar was behind the orcs.
    Melody spent her time studying dwarven music.  She found that they
favor percussion and voice, but that brass instruments are not unheard of.
She wrote a song commemorating Gloin.  She also studied a bit of dwarven 
ettiquete.
    Furnes spent a lot of time in the town libraries researching the 
various Rings of Power.  He sometimes did this openly, and other times he 
snuck around.  He's fairly certain that he was followed at least once.  He
compiled all the information he could about the rings and shared some of
it with the group.  (See appendix 1)  His searching did lead him to a
confrontation with the head of the Foxboro Hastenzi temple.  Furnes went
prepared with a fake ring on his finger.  He admitted to seeing the Ring
of Death in Calibar's tower and gave details on how to find it.  He 
managed to hide the fact that he had the Ring of Mind with a lot of verbal 
tap dancing.
    Rhodan was a bit secretive.  He too spent some time doing things but
did not reveal what it was.  He did seem quite renewed at the meeting of
the group and gave a rousing speech on the life of an adventurer.
    Studedly was watching all winter for signs of the bounty hunters they
knew must be coming.  He started getting signs only a day or two before 
the group got together, and he urged them to get out of town fast.

Getting out of Dodge: (Mar 2, 697)
    Studedly spent a good deal of time planning some misdirection for the
group.  They spread rumours of their trip to Strafferberg and Higland.  He
also wore a disguise to act as a bounty hunter trying to collect on their
heads to gather more information.  He was successful since none of the
reports included any information about him.  His attempts to not be 
associated with the group in public have been successful.
    The others got their wagon covered and their supplies loaded.  Melody
disguised herself as a merchant and drove the cart out of town late that
morning.  Studedly left a bit later to see if anyone followed the cart.
    The cart passed over a bridge two hours out of town with a beggar 
sitting by it.  Melody did not stop.  She just threw a couple of coins 
down and said nothing.
    That night, Studedly caught up to them at their encampment.
    The rest of the trip to Barrington was quiet.

More Things that go BOOM in the Night: (Mar 4, 697)
    When they arrived, they decided to rent a one-room place in town for
a week.  This was not an easy decision, as some people thought they should
not stay in town at all.  Furnes fire trapped the door and window.
    Spike and Galen went to the tavern they were told to visit when 
looking for Michael.  They had no trouble meeting up with Malk to arrange 
a meeting for the following day out by the old well.  They did find some 
trouble however.  Apparently, everyone in the tavern recognized them and 
wanted to say "hi" or "good work mashing those black clerics" or "you 
saved my farm".  Several of them said that they've heard of bounty hunters 
after their heads, so they had better lay low.  Oh, and don't worry, we 
won't tell them that you're here!  Needless to say, Spike and Galen were a 
bit uneasy with all this.
    During the night, someone tried to open the window of the flat they
were staying in, and he was kill instantly by the fire trap.  Rhodan
was a bit slow getting outside to find the body.  Checking the tracks, he
saw that a second person had been there too.
    The explosion woke up a number of people in the neighborhood and they
were all looking out at Rhodan in the street.  Someone went for help, and
a guardsman soon arrived.  He recognized Rhodan as one of the town heroes,
and had a second guardsman take off the body.
    Nothing else happened that night, and in the morning Furnes sent word
to the temple of Talipene to have someone there remove the fire traps 
later this week.

Prince Charming: (Mar 5, 697)
    They took an indirect route out of town to the old well and set up a
watch pattern.  Prince Michael showed up on time with his own guards and
scouts.
    Spike did most of the talking with Prince Michael.  He told the Prince
what they'd discovered about Calibar and Stoutwall.  The Prince had not
known of any connection between Calibar and the orcs.  Spike also offered
to try and get the Dwarves to back up the Prince.  Michael said that he'd
have a formal document written up by mid-day the next day for the group
to carry to the Dwarves.  He also said that any proof of Calibar's ties
to the orcs would surely turn the Dwarves to his cause.
    In return, Michael offered some information.  Apparently, bounty 
hunter activity has been increasing and he thinks the group should get out 
of the way for a while.  Barrington itself is becoming pretty unsafe even 
for the Prince.  He thanked the group once again for acquiring the Crown 
and said that he's very pleased with the support they'd shown him.  His 
two helpers Malk and Charles think well of you too.  His chief aide is 
Vilner.
    He left and the group made its way cross-country to the farm michael
told them to wait at.  The spent the night in the barn.

Off to See the Dwarves: (Mar 6, 697)
    A runner came by in the morning to deliver the sealed message from
Prince Michael.  Shortly thereafter, the group made its way up the road
from Barrington to the dwarf lands.

ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #20--01/21/94

Fun and Games: (Mar 10, 697)
    The weather was still cold this high up, and snow showed on the peaks.
They arrived at Mountain Lake and got a room at the Weary Traveler Inn.
    They then went to eat at the Tavern.  This is where they got their
first taste of dwarven culture.  The food was good (served by a flirting
dwarf named Goldie).  Spike explained that you should never insult a
dwarf's beard.
    Rhodan got involved in some "thumping" (a dwarven game played in bars 
of hitting each other really hard), and also tried arm wrestling the bar 
champion (he lost).  Spike feared that Rhodan would screw something up, 
so he joined in as well (and lost too).
    Melody got involved in the singing and music later.  On the whole it
was a very good evening.

Mountain Lake: (Mar 11, 697)
    The next day, everyone except Galen explored the town.  Galen stayed
in his room studying.  He was putting Detect Magic into permanent memory.
    Javam's Mountain Outfitters was a dirty place run by a dirty dwarf 
selling adventuring equipment.
    Jenna's Gems and Jewels sold fresh-cut stones and imports.
    The Metal Man sold armor.
    Bartlett's Emporium was a general store.  The storekeeper was very 
eager to make sales and sold a few small items (helmet liner, boots) to 
the group.  Studedly arranged to have a funnel made.  
    The First Axe sold weapons.
    One-Eyed Jack's Custom Crafted Curios sold tourist items.
    After looking through the town, they went to see Carlos Blitzener, the
leader of the Warka Province.  Carlos was a gruff old dwarf who had done
quite a bit of adventuring in his prime.  He explained that the problem 
that they had in the fall had been solved. Another group of adventurers
had already come and cleaned things up.  
    The story is that some miners opened up a new cave and went exploring.  
One was killed by a piercer, and the other barely made it out alive with 
burns all over him.  The dwarves closed up the cave until this group of
adventurers came through.  They went in, fought a troll (losing 1 member
to a cave-in caused by a fireball) and the piercers.  In the end, they
found two electrum dragons living in the cave with their eggs.  The 
dragons appologized for any problem they might have been.  They were just
practicing their spellcasting when the dwarf arrived and got burnt.  The
dragons left peacefully a few weeks later.  All of this was in December.
    The party was a bit down that they'd missed out on the adventure.
    Carlos also told them that most of Mountain Lake was underground the
buildings above-ground were for travelers.  He then had someone lead the
group down into the underground sections.
    Furnes found the Hastenzi temple and also found an architecture master
to study with for the next few days.
    Spike went to the merchant's guild to find out what their opinions 
were on the Stoutwall thing.  The guild agreed that Calibar has been bad 
for business and gave Spike a reference in the capitol to check out.
    Studedly went back to pick up the funnel and got in a minor fight with
the storekeeper when he tried to buy a magnifying glass which was a lot
more expensive than he expected.

Obligations to the Dead: (Mar 12, 697)
    Spike had taken up a collection for Gloin when they were back in
Foxboro.  Galen and Furnes contributed 150 gp each.  Rhodan gave a 200 gp 
holy item of Forseti.  Spike gave a 250 gp gem.  Melody gave 200 gp and 
wrote a song.
    Spike, Melody, Rhodan and Studedly traveled a day south to Gloin's
home town of Gold River Run.  The town was set across a river.  The group
stayed the night and participated in a night of drinking and song in
commemoration of Gloin.  Melody's song and the party's gifts were much
appreciated.
    They travelled back the next day.
    Studedly appologized to the storekeeper for the fight, and Spike went
to see the dwarven smithies.

The Great Road: (Mar 15, 697)
    Once everyone was done studying and such, the group left for the 
dwarven capitol.  They took a mountain road for the next 3 days.  It was 
hard going.
    On the fourth day, they passed through a town and got onto the
Great Road.  The Road is a marvel of engineering.  It's 50 feet wide and
runs from Mount Diadem (the dwarven capitol) to Mount Crystol (the 
location of the once-great mithril mines).  The road itself is slightly 
warm to the touch so that snow and ice will not stick to it, and looks to 
be in great condition for a road built between 3000 and 4000 years ago.
    The road winds through the mountains and crosses over many bridges.  
At regular intervals, there are watchposts.  All of them had only token 
forces guarding them.
    There were tunnels as well.  The tunnels were lit by gas lamps, which
is something the group had never seen before.  Furnes played with one of
the lamps and found that it burned a gas and was self-lighting.
    Melody and Spike knew only rumours of Mount Crystol.  It was once the
world's greatest mine, and the only source of mithril.  It has been closed
for over a thousand years.  Some say that it is open but the dwarves are
hiding the fact.  Others say that the mines ran dry.  Still others say 
that daemons took up residence there and pushed the dwarves out.

Who Ever Heard of a Gnoll Bridge?: (Mar 18, 697)
    At one of the bridge guardposts, the group was attacked by a band of
gnolls.  A combination of spells and skillful fighting took down the 
gnolls quickly.  They took one prisoner.  Furnes tried out Prayer for the 
first time during this battle.
    Surveying the scene, they found the remains of a dwarven family nearby
which had been picked clean by some creature.  They also found blood 
smears in the unoccupied guard tower.  Some scattered bones might be the 
remains of the two dwarves that probably manned it.  Spike took notes as 
to the family markings of the dead family.  Rhodan found tracks leading 
away from the road into the mountains where the gnoll lair must be.
    They were unable to get any useful information out of the gnoll.  With
night closing in, they decided to take the gnoll prisoner to the next
guardpost.  
    The next day, the dwarves sent back a team to check into the 
situation.  The group continued up the Road.

Mount Diadem: (Mar 22, 697)
    The Great Road to Mount Diadem runs through a large valley of rich
farmlands, and alongside a large river.  Skillful aquaducts and irrigation
keep the lands growing crops well.  These crops form the heart of the
Fairgeld Province.  
    Curiously enough, no boats work the river.  A military presense was
seen by the party.  They were approached and asked about their business
several times.  Apparently, the dwarves were wary about something.
    Mount Diadem is a city under a mountain.  The river runs through 
tunnels dug millenia ago by the dwarves.  It supplies most of the water 
needs to the mountain dwellers.  It enters beside the Great Road and exits 
in a great series of waterfalls on the far side of the mountain.  
Alongside these waterfalls, growing in the mists and pools are the 
Hanging Gardens.  A masterpiece of design and life maintained by the 
dwarves.
    Similarly ingenious engineering maintains clean air through most of
the city.
    The city itself is divided into sectors.  An address in the city is
given by level (a weapon name), sector (one of the dwarven runes...I've
been using greek letters for simplicity), and number (location within a
sector).  The royal sector is Hammer/Alpha.

Seeing the City: (Mar 22, 697)
    The group settled into an inn at Axe/Sigma/23. They spent the next two
days seeing the sights.  
    Rhodan found some dwarven rangers to spend time with.  He found them 
to be skilled but very mathematical.  He also spent time in the gardens.  
    Melody put in more time studying dwarven music and seeing the sights.
    Spike studied the dwarven government.  The government is centered on
the Lord (sometimes called the King) who makes rulings from his throne.
There is also a Council of twelve dwarves.  One representative from each
of the provinces.  Usually, the Council member is from the dominant clan
of that province.  The guilds back various members but do not get any
specific seats on the Council.  Inter-province matters are handled by the
Council.  The Lordship is not necessarily hereditary, but a strong clan
can maintain leadership for several generations.  Lord Baradon is the
11th of the Fairgeld family on the throne.
    Galen did not see any sights.  Instead, he put Vocalize into permanent
memory.

ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #21--02/11/94

Dreams & Preparation: (Mar 24, 697)
    Spike went and scheduled a meeting with the king for the 27th.
    That night, they all had strange dreams.  In the dream, they saw a
shadowy figure approach.  They were filled with dread as they heard a
sorrowful whispering voice say:
        Seek out the Lord and Lady of the Land,
        for with your help much grief will be avoided.
    In addtion, Spike heard:
        Say that a dream has visited you and
        that a voice from the past has spoken.
        As a token of your trustworthiness, speak these words:
        "The words on the ring are Fellowship, Loyalty, and Trust"
    Rhodan heard:
        Say that a dream has visited you and
        that a voice from the present has spoken.
        Your token of truth is the following message:
        "In the Inner Chamber stands one and twenty chests of gold.
         Each is bound with a seal of silver."
    Melody heard:
        Say that a dream has visited you and
        that a voice from the future has spoken to you
        and say the following words:
        "The Conqueror of the Worm wears a gift of worth,
         while the Lord of the Mountain carries none.
         When they meet, axes will be stained with dwarven blood."
    These dreams got the group wondering, and they spent the next couple
of days researching matters.
    Melody found a number of stories of dragon slayers but nothing too
recent of of obvious importance.
    Spike spent time with his contact in the merchant's guild getting more
information on trade with Stoutwall.  He also looked up the treaty with
Stoutwall to see what it actually said.  It was signed between King 
Stonewith (Michael's father) and Lord Baradon (current dwarven ruler) with
an agreement not to impede trade, and to come to offer military aid when
needed.

Meeting with the Council: (Mar 27, 697)
    Spike, Melody, Rhodan, and Furnes went to the first meeting with the 
Lord of the Mountain and the Council.
    The first matter was that of Prince Michael.  At first, Spike's letter
was forgotten, but the Lady reminded Lord Baradon of it.  Spike then
presented the official sealed letter from the Prince to the Lord.  The
Council then took up discussion of the matter.
    Sextus Angral suspected Calibar of evil-doings and thought that 
backing the Prince might be a good idea, but that in order to go to war, 
proof would be necessary.
    Farnal Hammerfist was obviously a military man.  He liked the plan but
it seemed he was more interested in keeping the dwarven military together
and in proving the might of the dwarves than he was in the Prince.
    Tarnel Kandar does not like the idea of war.  The dwarves have earned
the peace they have.  That is why the treaty with Balthasar is so 
important.
    Spike brought up the treaty itself and discussions raged over the 
words on it.  Did the treaty bind two states or two rulers?  Did one go 
by intent or by the words?
    The discussion was an interesting one.  On the whole it seemed the
Council was not opposed to Prince Michael's plea, but were not able to
commit an opposition to Calibar.

A Private Talk: (Mar 27, 697)
    When the discussion was closed, Spike asked for a private talk.  The
Council was dismissed and Spike, Rhodan and Melody related their dreams.
The Lord kept a straight face, but the Lady was obviously upset about it.
The Lord then arranged for them to come back the next day to talk more
about this issue.
    On the way out, an aid to Hammerfist offered the assistance of his
clan in acquiring whatever is needed to help out poor Prince Michael.
    They managed to learn from the aid that the treaty with Balthasar is
to be signed in a little less than 3 weeks and will include free trade
and military assistance aspects.
    Research that afternoon discovered that the leader of Balthhasar is
Captain Reinhart, who is said to have killed a dragon in the GrayJag
mountains.  He also led his city against the orcs and coordinated the 
Ranger efforts in that war as well.  He's an elected leader.  The city's
history with the Dwarves has been mixed because its elected leadership
changes "freqently" as far as the dwarves are concerned.  The aliance
was proposed by Reinhart and seems to be supported by all the major
dwarven clans.

Have I Got a Job for You: (Mar 28, 697)
    The next day, the entire group showed up for the meeting with the 
Lord.  The Council was not in session, but the entire royal staff was 
present.  See Appendix #2 for a list of the staff members.
    The Lord announced to the staff that the group had been hired on to
find the cause of the string of thefts, which started with a single 
tapestry in the main hall 3 months ago.  The staff all seemed to think 
this was a good idea, except for Tafra (the Royal Executioner) and Bern 
Shureshank (the Royal Armorer).
    The staff was dismissed, and then the Lord revealed what really is
going on.  He really wanted them to accept the position.  He told them
that there has indeed been a string of thefts, with the most important
one happening just a few days earlier (Mar 24).  A sword was stolen from
the Treasury.
    This sword is of particular importance since it was a gift from 
Captain Reinhart and a symbol of the treaty.  Captain Reinhart was given 
a helm of great workmanship.  They are supposed to bear these items at 
the treaty signing in just over two weeks.  To not have the sword would 
be a disaster!
    So far, the fact that the sword is missing has been kept secret.  With
the group knowing so much, and coming with the dreams, it was obvious that
they should be assigned the task.
    The group accepted it.
    They discovered, by asking questions, that the "words on the ring"
referred to a family heirloom ring which the Lord wore and of which no one
other than himself and the Lady should know the writing.

Footprints in the Dust: (Mar 28, 697)
    The first order of business was to check out the Treasury.  Inside 
were 21 chests bound with silver.  There was also a track of footprints in
the dust of the room going from the door to where the sword was kept.
    Rhodan measured the footprints.
    Studedly studied the lock and discovered signs that someone tried to
pick it...and may have succeeded.  He succeeded himself.
    Galen used Detect Magic to see that the walls were protected against
digging and that the locks on the chests were magical as well.
    The Lord, the Butler and the Armorer are the only ones with keys to
the room.  The Lord, Lady, Butler, and Captain of the Guard are the only
ones who know the sword is missing.
    The Lord emphasized that no one should know about the missing sword 
and that it must be recovered.  He also said he'd have the Butler get they 
a map of the Royal Sector the next morning.  He'd arranged quarters for 
them in the sector as well.
    They stayed the night.

ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #22--02/18/94

Arranging Interviews: (Mar 29, 697)
    The morning was spent meeting people and arranging times to interview
them on this matter.  Melody talked with most everyone.
    They set the library up as their base of operations.  Galen spent time
there researching dwarven law.  Studedly and Rhodan went around acquiring
dust to be used for later footprint acquisition.  Spike and Furnes met 
with the Royal Smith.  Spike and Melody met with Tafra.
    Studedly and Rhodan also did some breaking-and-entering.  They took a
look in the maid's room, and then Studedly broke a lock pick in one of the
locks.  He managed to push the broken piece further in to make the lock
work again before one of the servants came through.  Finally, they broke
into the Royal Advisor's room and found the missing tapestry as a 
throw-rug!

Council in Session: (Mar 29, 697)
    The Council arrived for lunch.  The group was seated at the end of the
table with Spike at the highest seat and Galen at the lowest.  Spike spoke
with an aid who addressed him as "Ambassador Agland" and talked of the
Balthasarian treaty.
    After lunch, Council began.  The group mostly rested in the library.
Galen found some old books.  Furnes looked through one and found passages
about gypsies being driven from the dwarven lands over 1100 years ago when
they started getting riled up about some great evil.   That was the time
in which Lord Sklabek (4th of the Fairgelds) rules.  Galen found out that
Sklabek ruled for 505 years!  That's a long time for a dwarf and that he
was not a nice ruler.
    A few questions acertained that the missing tapestry was indeed of
Sklabek.  Normal Grizzleem (the Page) was very nice and very helpful.
    Furnes used a Detect Evil on the Council to find that only Tafra was
evil.
    When Council ended, the last few staff members were approached to
arrange interviews.

Evening Talks: (Mar 29, 697)
    At dinner, Galen got into a good talk with Snargrat (the Royal 
Advisor) and the interview with Nimis was arranged.
    After dinner, the party interviewed a number of the staff members.
The general pattern was to invite them to the Library and walk them across
a layer of dust to acquire their footprint.  Then they'd ask questions and
lead the person back to their room.
    First, the three ladies were interviewed.  Marjory Bouldershoulder,
Silya Frump, and Nimis Fairweather.  Next, was Edwin Grimpnoodle.
    At this point, Galen, Melody and Spike went to Snargrat's room to talk
and have wine with him.  Melody tried to get him to talk about the 
tapestry but failed.  If anything, he seemed oblivious.
    Finally, they talked with Pirmadon Saltsinge, and the three junior 
chefs Gimble Spoonhandle, Bumble Tallhood, and Simon Simplefellow.  
Pirmadon told them that the missing items in the household inventory were: 
8 gold candlesticks, 43 silver knives/forks/spoons, 6 crystal goblets, and 
a bottle of wine.
    Of all these people, Pirmadon, Edwin and Marjory had feet the same 
size as the footprints.

Ending the Day: (Mar 29, 697)
    When the group returned to their rooms, they discovered some items 
missing.  Melody was missing a wineskin full of wine, and Galen was 
missing his silvered mirror!
     
ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #23--03/04/94

The Second Day: (Mar 30, 697)
    In the morning, Studedly followed Snargrat through the sectors to
the temple of Forseti in the high-class sectors of the capitol.  Oddly
enough, Snargrat attempted (unsuccessfully) to shake a tail on the way.
He was in the Temple through the services that morning and came out
talking with a young acolyte.
    Studedly followed him back.
    The rest of the group got up to find breakfast had been delayed.
Apparently, Firesoot Ironfist, the Smith, discovered a piece of a 
lockpick in the lock of his door.  He was furious.  The group helped
calm him down some and promised to find the thief.  During this talk,
Rhodan accidentally leaked the fact that the Royal Treasury was burgled.
    First, the group interviewed Bern Sureshank, the Armorer.  Bern was 
quiet but cooperative.  He revealed that a suit of light plate armor he
was working on was stolen a month ago.  Also, only he and the king have
keys to the armor workshop.
    Next, they found Captain of the Guard, Gald Stockfellow.  He seemed
upset about the loss of the sword and eager to have it recovered.  His
investigations had revealed no real suspects.  He also said that the
Stoutwall ambasador used to hang around the royal sector a lot until
about 6 months ago when he started coming only for official functions.
They also gave theft reports on the mirror and wineskin to the captain.

That Afternoon: (Mar 30, 697)
    Galen watched the activity in the dwarven courts.  It was a day of
criminal proceedings.  Five dwarves were tried for high crimes.  All
were convicted.  Three were sent off with Tafra.  It was obvious that
the executioner's presense scared the defendants.
    Studedly and Rhodan went off to check out the rooms.  They confirmed
that Melody and Galen had their locks picked.  Rhodan got Galen's key in
order to check out the room for other thefts, but was really just making
sure that the other players would stay away for a while.  They then
proceeded to break into Snargrat's room again.
    Rhodan stayed on watch while Studedly searched the room.  He found
a locked coffer under the bed, and a loose brick in the chimney.  Behind
the brick was a wooden box with a yellow potion in it.  He took the box
and left the room.  The two of them went to Studedly's room to talk.
    Melody went out and found Fingal Furfeet, the Jester, and brought 
him to the library to talk.  They also talked with Landis Firmfist and
Bagmut Chiselman.
    They all met in Studedly's room a short while later.  Galen studied
Identify and then used it to discover that the potion was a Potion of
Speed.  Spike was *furious* with Studedly for breaking into the 
advisor's room again, and was even madder when Studedly revealed that
the piece of a lockpick that was found was his... and not the other
thief's.

When the Cats are Away: (Mar 30, 697)
    That night, the group split up to do some serious searching.
    Studedly and Spike searched the main hall.  They found a secret door
behind the throne and decided to let it be for now.  It might be an
escape route for the Lord, so they better not mess with it.
    Rhodan and Melody searched the banquet hall.  They found nothing
except an unfinished link from some chain mail.  The odd part is that
the link was next to the storage cabinets, not next to the Armorer's
seat.
    Galen helped Furnes search the well.  He levitated Furnes down and
Furnes used Water Breathing to search the very cold water.  He used
Fairy Fire for light.  He was unable to find any secret doors, but he
did find a purse with 6 gp in it, some rusty keys, and a silver spoon.  
He was levitated back out.
    While Furnes was warming back up, Galen searched the stores room.
He found a silver and jeweled goblet buried in a barrel of oatmeal.
He hid the goblet from the rest of the group.

The Slime of the Earth: (Mar 30, 697)
    Spike did not trust Studedly, but he did not want to watch him all
the time either.  Once Spike left, Studedly went to see if Rhodan was
interested in a little looking around.  Rhodan said no.
    Studedly snuck out alone and went through the secret door to find
some damp tunnels on the other side.  Using only his infravision, he
walked down the halls.  He stopped and checked out a mild heat source
which turned out to be some form of fungus...apparently not harmful.
He lit a candle at this point for light.
    There were two stairways.  Down the first he found a porticulus.
Down the second he found a long hall to a room.  In the room, a small
piece of slime dropped onto his arm.  He tried to wipe it off with his
other hand to discover the stuff was dangerous.  He wiped as much off
as possible with his cloak and left the cloak behind, but the stuff
still on his left arm was burning and would not rub off on the damp
walls.
    He ran quickly back, remembering to close the secret door, to 
Furnes' room.  Furnes used Protection from Fire on Studedly and then
used a Flame Blade to burn out the Green Slime which was consuming 
his arm.  During this time, he used a Silence spell to keep Studedly's
screams from waking people up.  Furnes' skills as a healer were put
to their greatest test at this time.
    Spike arrived first.  He was in a complete rage over the situation,
but would not tell Furnes what happened.
    Melody came out at the same time that the Chef, Pirmadon, arrived.
She told him that things were under control.  Spike came out and said
that it was just a "heated discussion", and that no one was in any 
danger.
    Melody helped Furnes by getting some linen napkins to use as
bandages.

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Dwarf Scorned: (Mar 31, 697)
    The next morning, Spike got up early and spoke to Pirmadon before
the chef left with yesterday's food to take to the poor.  Pirmadon
offered to talk about the inventory when he returned.
    Furnes managed to get the story out of Studedly.  Studedly was very 
thankful for Furnes' aid, and told the entire story to the group when 
the others arrived.
    Spike was almost completely unhinged by the whole thing.  He claimed
that Studedly was without morals and would not be allowed to participate
in the investigation any more.  Studedly defended his actions as being
completely justified in the face of the threat to the Dwarven nation.
The Sword needs to be found at all reasonable costs.  Spike did not 
agree that unauthorized breaking and enterings were justified at all.
    Galen backed Studedly while Melody was more interested in the health
of the group than any little transgressions that may have occurred.
    Rhodan helped set up a sling for Studedly's arm.

Deciding on the Future: (Mar 31, 697)
    Galen went off and got a list of the items reported stolen.  He
quickly noted that the goblet he found was not on the list.
    The rest of the group spent the afternoon while court was in session
trying to figure out what to do next in this investigation.  They did
not feel that they were making the progress they needed to.  It was
tempting to nail Snargrat, but is he the thief?  Would they scare off
the real thief?  How were they going to get the sword?  And how 
much should they tell the Lord about the investigation?


ADVENTURE NOTES--Day #24--03/18/94

Arranging the Search: (Mar 31, 697)
    When court was ended, the group met with Lord Baradon to give status
and to ask for a few favors.  They did not tell him much about who
they suspected because they did not have enough evidence to support any 
claims.  They asked to search a secret corridor they found and to be 
allowed to do a room by room search.  The Lord agreed on both counts and 
said to arrange things with the Captain of the Guard.
    After dinner, they found the Captain of the Guard and went into a 
secret passageway from the Queen's room, past the Armory to the Treasury.
Other than the fact that the corridor existed, there was nothing to be
found in the way of clues.
    They also arranged for a room by room search for the following 
morning.
    During the night, Rhodan got up for a sandwich and met Fingal in
the kitchen.

A Few Surprises: (Apr 1, 697)
    In the morning, about an hour after breakfast, the guards came over
and blocked off the living quarters.  The party members then conducted
a search of each room while under the supervision of the royal guards.
    They were unable to find any secret doors or incriminating evidence
in most of the rooms.  In the Armorer's room, they found two of the
missing glasses hidden along with about 1000 gp in a hidden compartment.
However, they did not think he was the thief.
    In Snargrat's room, Rhodan pointed out the tapestry to Gald, and
with at least some evidence present, they got permission to get the 
locked coffer under the bed opened.  Rather than reveal any lock skills
in the group, they sent for a locksmith to open the coffer.  Inside
the coffer they found close to 1000 gp plus a letter from Kha (Calibar's
second in command) to Snargrat!  The letter said that Snargrat was 
working as a spy and should report to the contact in "the temple"
regularly.  The Captain of the Guard was ready to have Snargrat executed
immediately, but the group convinced him to put the room back together
and leave things.  They really needed the Sword, and if they scared off
the spy, they might never get it back.
    Studedly and Spike left to go find Snargrat.  They were lucky that
Snargrat left before the search and was not back yet.  They also found
that the entire staff was upset over the situation and were riled up
to the point of hating the group.  Spike left to go to the temple of 
Forseti to scope it out, and bumped into Snargrat on the way.  That 
was when Studedly started following him back, and then watched the 
exit to the Royal Sector to make sure he did not leave.
    The locksmith spent the intervening time working on the lock to
Tafra's room.  The lock was very complicated and took quite a while to
open.  Galen opened the door carefully and they commenced to search the
room.  Initially they found nothing, but then they found a compartment
under the mattress containing a dozen small deadly weapons and several
vials which probably contained poison.  Tafra the Executioner definitely
was equipped as an assassin!
    At this point, the search was over and Gald announced to the staff
that nothing significant was found and that people would get a chance
to defend themselves against any evidence that was found.  He sent the
staff back to work in preparing for Court.

Results of the Search: (Apr 1, 697)
    Rhodan was in the main chamber when Snargrat arrived.  The Advisor
was not happy to find out about the search and made haste to his room.
Melody kept an eye on his room and noticed that the Advisor was much
more relaxed when he came out.
    Galen dressed up as a mage (he normally dresses more like a merchant)
in order to get a bit more respect and distance, but it backfired and he
got a bit more hatred.  One assistant to a council member even spit on
his shoe.
    Spike spent time scoping out the temple of Forseti.  He was escorted
around by an acolyte and shown the public chambers.  The temple was huge
and was frequented by wealthy dwarves.  Afterwards, he returned to the
Royal Sector.
    While court was in session the group pondered what they should do
next.  At dinner they were placed at the far end of the table and 
treated poorly by the staff.

Snaring the Thief: (Apr 1, 697)
    The group mostly relaxed in the evening but tried to keep an eye on
things.  When they went back to their rooms, Galen found his room had
been looked through (nothing was taken) and so did Rhodan (5 arrows were
taken).  Studedly examined the locks and discovered they had been picked.
    After a little thought, Galen knocked on Fingal Furfeet's door.  There
was no answer, and so Studedly picked the lock.  Nothing much had changed
in the room.
    The group immediately began searching the nearby storage areas
including the kitchens and secondary armory.  Furnes even duplicated his
search of the Well.  They were looking for the Jester or for any of the
missing items.
    Spike decided to place himself in the throne room where he could 
watch the secret door behind the throne.  After a while, Fingal was
seen sneaking out and towards the kitchen.  When he got to the kitchen,
the group surrounded him and hounded him with questions.  Melody went    
off and got the Captain of the Guard.  Fingal claimed to be sleeping
behind the throne, but no one believed him.  When Spike revealed the
existance of the secret door behind the throne, Gald was very surprised
and immediately took Fingal into custody.

All Will Become Clear: (Apr 1, 697)
    Gald took Furnes and three of his best men through the secret door
to see what was there.  Furnes used a Flame Blade to burn some green
slime and led them through some tunnels until they discovered a caged
rust monster.  At this point, they returned to the throne room.
    The party got together and went in at this point.  They found a few
empty rooms, then they went through a porticulis and followed some
footprints (apparently Fingal's) to another room where some second 
person met with him.  Following the second set of prints led them to
a small room set up as living quarters.
    Here they found all of their missing items, a few candlesticks,
glasses and pieces of silverware, about 1000 gp, and the missing Sword!
They also found a secret door leading directly into Lord Baradon's
room.
    Behind a concealed door they found a small dungeon with the remains
of a man rested.  When they entered, a ghostly form rose and spoke to
them.  The ghost was Flavis the Gypsy.  He worked for Sklabek but was
double-crossed.  Before he died, he laid a curse on the Fairgeld family
but in doing so tied himself to this place forever.  The curse can be
lifted from Lord Baradon and himself if his bones would be properly
burried.  Furnes helped out at this point and performed a burial
ceremony on Flavis' remains.
    At this point, they returned to the throne room and showed Gald the
Sword.  They then went to the Lord's room to confront him.  Lord Baradon
was awake and invited them in to talk.  
   He explained that for some unknown reason he has been living two 
lives.  By day he has been the Lord of the Mountain, and by night he 
has been Baradaar... the Lord's twin brother, and rightful heir to 
the throne.  Baradaar was the thief who stole things and hoped to 
mess up the Lord's life by taking the Sword.  Fingal was involved 
because Baradaar convinced Fingal to help him sell his goods.
    Lady Isobella also showed up and was happy to hear the story that
was spun by Furnes about the thief being caught and fed to the green
slime.  She appeared to see through things, however.

Cleaning Up: (Apr 2, 697)
    The next day, the Lord met with the group and thanked them for
recovering the sword.  The official story is that the thief, Fingal, was
caught the previous night and was in custody.  No one was allowed to
speak with the halfling to find out otherwise.  Lord Baradon was good
to the Jester and only banished him from dwarf lands.
    The Lord also revealed that he planned to keep Snargrat on, now that
he knew for certain that the advisor was a spy.  The group heard the
Lord speaking privately about opposing the treaty with Balthasar (which
was feeding false information to Calibar).  The Lord also said that he
would take care of any loose ends in the temple of Forseti, so they
should not worry.
    Each party member was rewarded with 500 gp and invited to remain in
the palace until the big treaty signing.  They were a bit fearful of
Tafra and any other headhunters out there, so they agreed.
    Galen used this time to put Identify into permanent memory.
    Melody became the court entertainer in Fingal's absense.

And Old Friend Comes a' Calling: (Apr 7, 697)
    Norman delivered a message to Spike which said that and old friend
wanted to meet him at a tavern in town just after dinner and it was
signed "Your friend by the Old Well".  This of course, had to be Prince
Michael.
    Spike took a small guard with him to the tavern where a nondescript
dwarf struck up a conversation and invited him off to a better tavern
where old friends can talk.  After some convincing, Spike agreed.
    The dwarf led him to Prince Michael.  The Prince revealed that a
part of his organization was breached and that Barrington is no longer
safe for him or anyone who supports him.  His second, Velnor was working
on damage control, but that might take a while.  Spike brought him up
to date on the status in the council, and Michael asked about the treaty.
Michael was concerned about a "rumor" that the Lord might oppose it, but
Spike informed him that this was false.  They also exchanged some code
words.
    The following day, a minor council member brought the issue of Prince
Michael back up and Spike (ambassador Agland) was called back to the 
floor to speak for the Prince.  Sentiments were still divided, though.

The Main Event: (Apr 10, 697)
    Everyone was in their best clothes for the arrival of Captain
Reinhart of Balthasar.  There was a ceremony and then before the treaty 
was signed, Lord Baradon had Snargrat put under arrest.  The treaty
was signed and a party commenced.
    During the party, Prince Michael arrived wearing the Crown which the
group retrieved.  The Prince projected an aura of charisma, confidence,
and leadership so strong that half of the dwarves in the room went down
onto one knee upon his entrance.
    Michael, Reinhart and Baradon had some discussions and the party
continued.
    The next day, Prince Michael made some agreements with the dwarven
council and with Captain Reinhart.

The Getaway: (Apr 13, 697)
    The group was sent a set of sized uniforms in Captain Reinhart's
colors.  They were then escorted to the Captain's honor guard and
accompanied the Captain's troop out of town.  This allowed them to
get by anyone who might have been looking for them.
    Once they got to Balthasar, they left for Kestria.
    In Kestria, Galen trained for 5th level while Studedly and Melody
trained for 6th level.


THE FUTURE:
    When their training is completed, it will be June 6th.  The group
probably should avoid going back toward Stoutwall, so the most likely
path is toward Strafferberg.


APPENDIX #1: The Rings of Power

The 10 rings of power were made long ago.  There is no record of who made
them.  It is only known that they are virtually indestructable and very
powerful.  When along, each ring has power, but when combined they get
even more powerful.

There was a was 697 years ago when one man acquired six of the rings.  It
took the combined might of the races to conquer this evil man.  When he 
fell, all the rings were lost from sight and a new era in history began 
with year 1.  The humans claim it was their champion who defeated the 
Dark Lord and became the first Emporer.  The elves and dwarves were 
beaten pretty badly and retreated to their homelands.  There wer 
champions from each of these races as well, and their stories differ a 
bit from the human one.

The rings are (as Furnes tells you):

1. Ring of Corellon == Mind
    Furnes has this one.
2. Ring of Serian == Body & Strength
3. Ring of Zydel == Death & Night
    This is the ring that Galen had.
4. Ring of Misha == Life
5. Ring of Hastenzi == Fire
6. Ring of Louhi/Freya == Water
7. Ring of Forseti == Earth (Dwarves)
    Warrior and Craftsman skills. Lost for over 400 years.
8. Ring of Indra == Air
9. Ring of Zivilyn == Truth
10. Ring of Marut == Deception & Shadows
    Grants invisibility. Stories of stealing children.


APPENDIX #2: Royal Staff

Baradon Fairgeld: (Lord of the Dwarves) 
   11th in his line.  Very kingly appearance.  Friendly and smart.
   Has a key to the Treasury on his person at all times.
   Knows of missing sword.
   Was finally discovered to have a split identity as Baradaar the thief
    and rightful heir to the throne.
Isobella Ironfist: (Lady of the Dwarves)
   Quiet but obviously works with the Lord on matters.  Smart.
   Knows of missing sword.
Snargrat "Slimtongue" Slinton: (Royal Advisor)
   Pompous.  Smooth talking.  Drops names whenever possible.  Diplomatic.
   Working here 6 months.  Had his room decorated then.
   Galen gets the feeling he's BSing and knows very little on most 
    matters.
   The tapestry was found in his room.  It had been missing for 3 months.
    He did not mention it when approached by the party members.
   Thinks Jester or Executioner must have done it.
   Goes to Temple of Forseti regularly.  Studedly followed him there and
    saw him speaking to an acolyte.
   Discovered that he was a spy for Calibar during the big search.
Edwin Grimpnoodle: (Royal Butler)
   Everything has its place.  Total attention to protocol.
   Has key to the Treasure on him at all times.
   Knows of missing sword.
   Feet match the footprints.
   Arranges seating and other matters for the king.
   Thinks Chef Pirmadon is behind things.  Based on the fact that he 
    already takes the Lord's food out and gives it away.
   (Pirmadon says he's seeing Marjory Bouldershoulder)

Bern Sureshank: (Royal Armorer)
   Strong.  Quiet.
   Feet matched the footprints.
   Working here close to 100 years.
   Has a key to the Treasury on his person at all times.
   Does not agree with having outsiders work on this case, but was
    cooperative.
   Had a suit of light plate armor stolen from his workshop.
   Found two glasses and some wine in a hidden compartment in his room.
Gald Stockfellow: (Captain of the Guard)
   Tough, competent fighter.
   Knows of missing sword but has not mentioned it directly.
   Has tried an investigation for the thief without any luck.
Firesoot Ironfist: (Royal Smith)
   Sooty.  Strong.  Gruff, direct speaking.  Hard work is important.
   Working here 7 years.
   Feet matched the footprints.
   Does not have any experience with locks.
Tafra: (Royal Executioner)
   Dark.  Mysterious.  Always wears his hood.  Strange and unnerving.
   Working here 8 months.
   Speaks in short sentences.
   Thinks Furfeet is behind it all.  Has seen him steal silverware.
   Thinks the advisor is bad.
   No clan affiliation.
   Discovered that he was an assassin during the great search.
Fingal Furfeet: (Court Jester)
   Silly.  Funny.  Harmless.
   Working here 2 months.
   Thinks Tafra is behind the missing items.
   Was found to be working with Baradaar to sell the stolen goods.  Was
    blamed for the entire thing and banished.
Norman Grizzleem: (Page/Herald)
   Young.  Fun.  Talkative.
   Says Snargrat is religious and goes to temples every 2nd or 3rd day.
   Hangs out with Simon.
Nimis Fairweather: (Lady's Maid)
   Modest.  Very ladylike.  Good sense.
   Working here 28 years.
   Responsible for the Lady's appearance.
   Upset over damp wall in her quarters and wants to be moved.

Pirmadon Saltsinge: (Royal Chef)
   Proud.  Was youngest head Chef.  Working here 49 years with 29 as head.
   Feet match the footprints.
   Takes day-old food to the poor each morning.
   Thinks Edwin may be behind things.  The man is such a snob who won't 
    even eat with the others.  Revealed that Edwin is seeing Marjory.
   Nothing missing from his kitchens, although lots missing from banquet
    hall.  Inventory done at Lord's request on the 25th.
Bumble Tallhood: (Junior Chef)
   Critical.  Outspoken.
   Working here 1 year
   Responsible for lunch and dinner.
   Thinks Silya is lazy and Majory a ditz and Simon is daft.
Gimble Spoonhandle: (Junior Chef)
   Quiet.
   Working here 3 years.
   Makes breakfast and does other chores.
Simon Simplefellow: (Junior Chef)
   A bit simpleminded.  Collects butterflies.
   Working here 5 years.
   Odds-and-ends kitchen duties.
   Thinks a ghost in the halls is stealing things.
Silya Frump: (Scullery Maid)
   Frumpy.  Lazy.
   Working here 11 years.
   Responsible for the banquet hall dinnerware.
   Says the moans of the Lord's dead ancestors can be heard in the dead
    of night sometimes.
Marjory Bouldershoulder: (General Servant)
   Ditzy.
   Working here 8 years.
   Feet match the footprints.
   Responsible for cleaning the libaray and main hall.
Bagmut Chiselman: (General Servant)
   Serves food.  Cleans banquet hall with Silya.
   Working here 3 years as an assistant smith.  3 months in kitchens.
   Said to be seeing Silya, which is probably why he transfered to a
    position working with Silya.
Landis Firmfist: (General Servant)
   Serves food.  Cleans main hall with Marjory.
   Working here 4 years.
   Feet matched the footprints.
   Thinks the Royal Executioner is an elf who hides his face behind the
    mask because he's ashamed of the fact.