GAME HISTORY

Chapter One - Life's Bazaar

DAY ONE
The Accosted Priest
Walking the streets of Cauldron, the party (made up of Kollin, Zephaniah, Aoife, Rohuland Gralabaster and Brother Antoninius, interrupt the mugging/intimidation of Ruphus Laro (a 19-year old cleric of the local church of St. Cuthbert), scaring off the three male muggers after a brief affray. A mysterious woman with the same black & white painted face that the muggers had also- someone does not want the Church of St. Cuthbert involved in an investigation to find four missing children (Deakon, Evelyn, Lucinda, and Terrem) from the local orphanage.

The Church of St. Cuthbert
Returning Ruphus to the Church of St Cuthbert, the group meet Jenya Urikas, the acting High Priestess, who thanks the party for helping Ruphus, and asks them to help find out about the missing orphans. A clue was a divination cast from a holy mace: "The locks are key to finding them. Look beyond the curtain, below the cauldron. Beware the doors with teeth. Descend into the malachite hold where precious life is bought with gold. Half a dwarf binds then, but not for long." The group go search for information on the attackers, finding some in the Slippery Eel Tavern - the painted faces indicated that the Last Laugh Thieves Guild were behind things.

The Lantern Street Orphanage
At the orphanage, the group met the orphanage's headmistress. Gretchyn. She indicated that the Town Guard had already investigated, along with a couple of half-elf investigators working on behalf of the Lord Mayor (Fario Ellegoth and Fellian Shard). The group do some questioning and "look around", managing to get a "confession" out of Patch the caretaker. He works for the Last Laugh, and had a contact there - Revus Twindaggers, who had paid him to keep an eye on one of the children (Terrem Kharatys). They also find out that the locks were made by Keygan Ghelve, a local locksmith. Afterwards, Kollin goes back to the alley where Ruphus was mugged, and manages to track down the three muggers - amazingly, the trail seems to lead towards the entrance of the town guard barracks! After dossing the remainder of the night at Zephaniah's parent's place.

DAY TWO
The next morning the group visit the Church of St, Cuthbert again, and pick up a list of the people kidnapped over the recent weeks. They also visit the Lord Mayor's office, and get a similar list from him. They visit the Tax Collector's office, and try to get info on the Kharatys family to no avail. They also ask around, trying to find out who the Fario and Fellian half-elves were, and only find one shop-keeper who thinks he recognises the name as a pair of adventurers.

Ghelve's Locks
Here, the group meet the gnome locksmith (Keygan Ghelve), who confesses that his rat familiar was kidnapped and is being held hostage. Keygan had made a set of skeleton keys that would open any of his locks in the city. The kidnappers live in the "ruins of Jzadirune" - a small abandoned underground gnome enclave whose entrance is via the locksmith's shop. One of the kidnappers was in the back-room of the shop - a tall hairless creature with grey skin that was very good at hiding. Having dispatched the "tall one" (skulk) as Keygan had called it, the group prepare to follow the trail and descend into the depths. At some point, Fario and Fellian meet up with them, and join them in this dungeon delve!

Vanishing in Jzadirune
Descending into the dark, the group work their way through the dungeon, over-coming gnomish illusions, traps, "raggamoffyns" and other automatons before retreating back up to Cauldron and the Church of St Cuthberts to rest and get healed.

DAY THREE
Returning to the dungeon, they search further, before again breaking to "come up for air".

DAY FOUR
Further exploring after coming back up to Cauldron to sell stuff, then descend again an hour later - where they meet a grell and a "small one" (dark creeper)- who they interrogate, finding out that the Skulks are mostly responsible for the kidnapping. The small one introduces them to Yuathyb, his leader, who tells them about Kazmojen, the half-troll, half dwarf slaver behind the kidnappings. Yuathyb tells the group how to get down to the Malachite Fortress - where Kazmojen resides. They also find the skulk that has the three skeleton keys, a chest mimic that was holding the rat familiar of Keygan. They return to Cauldron.

DAY FIVE
Zephaniah awakes to find that he has succumbed to the Vanishing curse, and the group go to the Church of St Cuthberts to get a remove curse (They estimate 4 days for it to take effect and restore him to opacity). Lady Taryn asks to join them, wishing to help in the rescue of the children. (OOC: A new PC)

DAYs SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT and NINE.
Zephaniah stays at home an recovers from the Vanishing curse. He also starts to suffer from delusions of grandeur - thinking he might run for Lord Mayor. The group visit Skie's Treasury and meet with Skie Aldersun to purchase some magical items.

DAY TEN
Kazmojen's Bazaar
The next day the group meet up to resume their quest. Brother Antoninius however declines to join them. Shortly after descending the lift, the group fight a creature polymorphed into an ogre, along with some sort of animated sculpture - and sadly, the paladin Rohuland Gralabaster dies. Fario and Fellian take his body back to the Church of St Cuthbert. The group then rescue a young monk named Cyprianus (OOC: a new PC) from some hobgoblins. Sorely wounded, the group head back to the surface again and sell some loot, as well as go to the Church of St Cuthbert for some healing. They move quickly, and manage to return to the Malachite Fortress before anyone spots that they had been there, Fario and Fellian rejoining them. Further on, they rescue some more of the kidnapped residents of Cauldron, and Fario and Fellian escort the ex-slaves back to the surface. A cunning plan is hatched to poison Kazmojen, who they interrupt in the middle of trying to sell a child slave (Terrem Kharatys) to an durgar underdark merchant named Pryllak. A beholder pops into being and tells Kazmojen that Terrem was taken by mistake from the orphanage, and needs to be returned. It then disappears with the child. Kazmojen doesn't succumb to the poison trick, and a battle commences. A new woman named Pruearyn (OOC: a new PC), having followed the party down from Cauldron, joins them in trying to take down the boss of the slaving gang. The half-elf Fario dies at the half-troll's hands. Eventually, Kazmojen is subdued, and the surviving slaves who hadn't been sold were rescued. Lady Taryn found the fight too much danger for her and left the party.

The group return to Cauldron with the rescued slaves. Fellian heads off to deal with the dead Fario.

DAY ELEVEN
Aeofi has also succumbed to "The Vanishing", which Zephaniah believed was the result of a cursed wand they had been using, she gets a remove curse applied at the Church of St Cuthbert. One of the rescued slaves, a dwarf by the name of Biren Starseeker (OOC: another new PC!) chooses to join the group for a while. Zephaniah tries to adopt the child Terrem, whom the beholder had returned to the orphanage... definitely a puzzle there still!

DAY TWELVE
Aeofi receives a Lesser Restoration spell to cure the Vanishing curse more quickly, and the group, now consisting of Kollin, Aoife, Zephaniah, the monk Cyprianus, the woman Pruearyn and the dwarf Biren, go back down into the Malachite Fortress to explore it further, seeking Kazmojen's treasure and the vanished durgar. Here, they defeat a large mimic and get the treasure, before returning to Cauldron, selling stuff and re-equipping.

Chapter Two - Drakthar's Way

DAY SIXTEEN
Hunting Goblins
A few days later, Zephanianh receives an invitation to meet with the Captain of the Town Guard (Terseon Skellerang) who asks the party to help the town deal with a goblin infestation... They manage to obtain the head of Kazmojen, and use a Speak with Dead spell on it - Kazmojen reveals that a certain "Vervil Ashmantle" was his contact in Cauldron, and that Orbius was the name of the beholder that stopped him selling Terrem.

DAY SEVENTEEN
The next day they seek more information about the clues they've found. Zephaniah unsuccessfully visits Bluecrater Academy and the public records office. They cast a spell to read some of the goblin graffiti, and decide to set up a trap for the goblins. Aeofi manages to find out some info on Vervil Ashmantle, learning that he is owner of Kingfisher Sendings, a messenger service which is based in Kingfisher Hollow, the second largest settlement in the area, about 20-25 miles east of Cauldron.

DAY TWENTY TWO
It takes 7 cold and wet nights before their patience pays off, and they manage to capture/kill some goblins. They discover that the goblins are already charmed by some more powerful being - a bugbear wizard named Drakthar in a dungeon complex below the Bathhouse. After dropping off the captive goblins to the Town Guard (and letting the charmed one go), the group meet a woman - specifically the same female member of the Last Laugh who had tried to scare them off right at the beginning. Zeph starts to arrange a meeting to chat more, but Aeofi stirs up trouble instead. After the woman gets away, the group move on to the Bathhouse, where the dwarven owner (Orak) reluctantly lets them in, and lies about having seen goblins recently. As they talk to Orak, four were-rats transform on the far side of the street. The group hurry inside, but the were-rats follow them. They are helped by a passer by, Iannis, a priest of Fharlangh. Pruearyn seems to just disappear, obviously scared off by the goblins and were-rats. They visit the Church of St Cuthberts and get some belladonna, to help combat the on-set of lycanthropy. Iannis has become infected however, and Jyana suggests they go to the temple of Kord to see a more powerful priest to help with his curse. Aeofi and Zephaniah argue about his proposed meeting with the woman from the Last Laugh.

DAY TWENTY THREE
The next day, they meet a dwarf, Bordrick, on the steps of the temple to Kord, who introduced them to High Priest Asfelkir Hranleurt. The High Priest couldn't help Iannis, but suggested that Bordrick join them, which he does. The High priest also suggests they seek help at the Cathedral of Wee Jas instead. The group visit the Cathedral, where a terse cleric makes them wait, only to say "come back tomorrow morning - WITH the money!" As Zephaniah isn't feeling well, Iannis diagnoses him as having picked up some sewer rash or something from the wererats, and puts him to bed after a cure disease and restoration spells. By next morning, he is feeling better.

DAY TWENTY FOUR
The following morning, Iannis gets a remove curse from the Cathedral of Wee Jas, hopefully healing him of the lycanthropy. Early afternoon, Bordrick attends Orak's bathhouse to "check him out." Convinced that he is acting suspiciously, Zephaniah goes invisible and studies the place and Orak. He detects that Orak IS under some sort of magical supernatural charm spell... The group warn off other customers, and then confront Orak once the bathhouse is empty. Orak denies everything, but is subdued and tied up. Using a key from Orak, the group, now comprising Aeofi, Kollin, Zephaniah, Cyprianus, Iannis and Bordrick) go through a circular iron door and decend into some dwarven tunnels. Bordrick trips an alarm, and the group are attacked by a group of goblins, which they manage to dispatch. Aeofi, makes some excuses and heads off to sell the equipment looted from the goblins, saying she will be back later. (OOC: Exit stage left Aeofi's player) The group continue to explore, coming across more goblins hiding in a store-room. The rest of the group find a room full of neatly made beds close to the stairs up, and decide to hole up for the night there, but not before Cyprianus returns to the surface to sell some of the goblin equipment they have found and take the collected goblin ears to Captain Skellerang for payment. He returns with some more healing potions from the Church of St Cuthbert and the group settle down for the night.. It is not a peaceful sleep however, as they are disturbed by some goblins sneaks, which were also dispatched along with a worg, though it was a close run thing, and Cyprianus nearly died. After the battle, the group decide resting up in the bath house would be a better place to rest - which had been Bordrick's suggestion all along! :-) During the early hours of the morning, the group are disturbed again, this time by some stupid goblins knocking on the other side of the door. The door is opened, the three goblins dispatched and the group return to their rest, sleeping late.

DAY TWENTY FIVE
It was almost lunch time when the party finally awoke, still tired from their exerhtions. Kollin had picked up some sort of infection from the dirty goblins, and Bordrick decides to stay and guard Orak, whilst Cyprianus takes Kollin to the Church of St Cuthbert to see if he can be healed. Jenya Urikas tells them that Aeofi has been found dead in a Cauldron alley, killed by a single rapier wound. Rumour had it that she was assassinated by members of the Last Laugh, Cauldron's notorious thieves' guild. People say that she tried to frustrate a meeting of the Last Laugh in the low-cost inn "Minuta's Board" a few days ago by spreading many false rumours. By three o'clock, the group are ready to descend back into the ancient dwarf hold below Orak's Bath House, and trooping down the stairs, the group continue their exploration, finding a couple of goblin wizards and a magic cauldron for brewing potions. They also find that some more natural looking caverns intersect with the dwarven built halls, and when moving down one of them, discover that some stalagties are in fact Darkmantles. A short way on from that, and some goblins archers were spotted up on a high ledge. The group retreat around the corner and Bordrick sets up the lantern to cast shadows as a decoy as the group crept around the other way and came at the goblins from the rear. This counter ambush is successful. They then come across a defiled temple to Moradin. Returning to where they had left the lantern, the continue down the natural cavern, only to be ambushed by three more goblin archers, a worg and a group of goblin skirmishers. As the goblins and worg are dealt with, Drakthar the Bloodmonger appears for the first time. He appears to be almost invulnerable, and taunts the group, downing Iannis and then boasting he will return and kill another of the group before he turns to mist and floats away. Kollin uses the wand of healing and brings Iannis back from the brink of death, and the group retreat to the surface, realising they needed additional help if they were to destroy Drakthar. Back on the surface, Zephaniah visits Weer's Elixirs and asks Vortimax, his old teacher, to identify some of the potions. Bordrick tells the Gnomish owner of Skie's Treasury all that had happened, and the group name themselves Cauldron's Companions. (OOC: Not "Zephaniah's Minions!") Kollin decides to get back to nature and hikes out of the city, and down into the forest around the dormant volcanoe. Here, he has a vision and finds himself a new animal companion - a wolf he names Atara.

DAY TWENTY SIX
This day is spent preparing for the next trip down into the dungeon. Bordrick spent most of his time with Orak, keeping the captive dwarf company, making sure he was comfortable and not going hungry or thirsty. Zephaniah spent some time copying spells into his spellbook, and Iannis spent some time making some scrolls.

DAY TWENTY SEVEN
During the morning, Kollin returns to the group with Atara at his side. Now as prepared as they could be, the group descend again into the dungeon, to face Drakthar. Exploring the tunnels beyond where they were ambushed last time, they discover a human wizard and a tiefling female - whom they subdue and attempt to question. The human is named Chorlyndyr and the tiefling Kallev. They claim to be in the complex to negotiate with Drakthar, but refuse to admit on whose behalf they are negotiating. They are left bound and tied whilst the group move on. Another pair of goblin archers are spotted on room is found with a bone throne in it. Moments later, Drakthar appears, with swarms of rats around him. The throne animates and starts to attack. Zephaniah traps the rats in a web, and Cyprianus and Bordrick destroy the throne. Iannis calls upon the power of his God and turns Drakthar, who turns to mist and flees. The party start to chase after, Bordrick and Iannis taking a short cut through a room with a goblin shaman and a couple of shocker lizards. After a tense chase, Drakthar solidifes again, and the group attack him again. Cyprianus's blows have the most telling effect, slowly disabling the vampire. Too late, the vampire tries to become gaseous and flee, but Cyprianus has drained so much of its dexterity, it cannot move. When it next turned into solid form again, intending to use some of its other powers, Zephaniah quickly drove a stake through its heart, killing it. Bordrick decapitated the corpse, and the group picked up their prisoners and took the body back to the surface. A grateful, and no longer charmed Orak was released, and the group then went to visit Captain Skellerang to hand over the prisoners. The group then moved on, taking the wrapped body of Drakthar to the Church of St Cuthbert. Runners were sent out, and the bell tolled, and a crowd arrived to witness the public destruction of Drakthar's body. Zephaniah, who had expressed an interest in running for Mayor one day, had felt the extra publicity wouldn't harm, and made a speech. Bordirk also spoke out on behalf of Orak, making sure that he wouldn't be the subject of rumours and that his business would survive. Cyprianus, having had some of his life force drained by Drakthar, had the effects negated by a spell from the Church.

DAY TWENTY EIGHT
Following an interrogation of Chorlyndyr and Kallev, which revealed that they were both effectively mercenaries, who had been sent into "Drakthar's Way" - the name given to the underground complex of tunnels that led from outside the city to the old dwarven halls under Orak's bath-house - to negotiate passage of a number of mercenaries who were supposed to be going into the employ of one of the city's nobels as "body-guards". The mercenaries were to come from a company run by an Ogre Mage known only as the "Blue Duke". Apparently they had a third companion, a named Xoden Nightshield who was missed in the caverns. The Companions decided that if they wanted any chance of finding anything valuable that Drakthar might have had, they needed to make a move quick - before it was pilfered by any stray goblins or even this Xoden fellow. Gathering their gear, they decended again in Drakthar's Way, this time finding a cavern off Drakthar's old Throne room that had a dire bat in it. The bat was subdued, and Drakthar's treasure trove was discovered beyond - as well as a consealed grave where he presumably rested. The group continued on, deciding to explore the rest of the complex and follow the caves - hoping to perhaps track down Xoden. Scouting ahead using his dark vision, Bordrick got caught by some green slime, though it was scraped off before it could kill him. He was severely weakened though. A short way on from that, the group encountered Xoden and some half-orc mercenaries. Bordrick tried to bluff things, pretending to be Orak, but eventually Xoden spotted the ruse and ordered an attack. Zephaniah's timely web spell caught all their enemies (bar one goblin who was dispatched by a magic missile spell). Xoden was cut free from the web and the half-orcs told to return to the Blue Duke and find business elsewhere. The group returned to the surface, Xoden was handed over to Captain Skellerang for questioning, though it seemed clear that both he and Chorlyndyr would probably be released, since although they had been associating with an obviously evil power (Drakthar), they had committed no particular crime.

Chapter Three - Flood Season

DAY THIRTY ONE
Meeting the Competition
A few days later, Zephaniah's held a street party outside his parent's home (the Radcliff Residence) to celebrate the success of the Cauldron Companions in their most recent adventure. At the party, the group meet a young halfling bard who shows an interest in hanging around with them to "get material for her new songs and tales". As the evening goes on, Zephaniah is confronted by four guests who style themselves as adventurers, calling themselves the Stormblades. They are Annah Taskerhill (daughter of one of Cauldron's most important nobels, her father Ankhin is reportedly a close personal friend of the lord mayor), Cora Lathenmire (her parents are well-known weapon traders and employ a number of smiths in town), Todd Vanderboren (his adoptive parents are among Cauldron's newest) and Zachary Aslaxin II (his parents run a high-class inn called 'The Coy Nixie' near the eastern gate of Cauldron). They were obnoxious.

DAY THIRTY EIGHT
Flood Festival
About a week later, the city of Cauldron started to prepare for the Flood Festival - a celebration that takes place at the begining of the monsoon season. The city, built on the sides of what is effectively a huge bowl, tends to suffer from flooding in the rainy season. Several decades ago, the flooding had got so bad that the clergy of the various churches banded together and created a number of "wands of control water" to use the following year. The use of these in wands the following season was so successful that the city erupted into a massive festival. In the years that followed, this became a tradition known as the Flood Festival, starting earlier and earlier each year until it was starting before the first rains had actually fallen.

The group had spent some time enjoying the festival, which culminated in a masked ball (held at the Coy Nixie) for the nobility - the theme of which was based on the history of the region - the founders of the city or the demons they defeated. In light of their recent service to the city, Cauldron's Companions were also invited. Zephaniah attended masked under illusionary magic to appear to be Nabthatoron, the legendary demon defeated by Surabar Spellmason - one of the founding fathers of the city and now played by Zachary Aslaxin II. Bordrick attended with Skie as his guest, Zephaniah's guest was also masked by illusion to appear to be a succubus. (Ed: Never did find out who she was, though I suspected Jil of the Last Laugh!)

DAY THIRTY NINE
Sarcem's Sending
The next morning, the group recieve an urgent summons from Jenya Urikas at the temple of St. Cuthbert. The message says that she's been in contact with high priest Sarcem Delasharn and that he needs immediate assistance. More specifically, he was under attack whilst on route back from Sasserine where he had acquired eight wands of control water that the city would need in the coming days and weeks as the rainy season progressed.

Death at the Lucky Monkey (Map of surrounding area)
Agreeing to help, the companions quickly gather their belongings and ride out to the Lucky Monkey (map layout)- a large inn nearly a day's ride from the city on one of the main roads through the jungle. Once there, they discover that the inn's occupants have been slaughtered, and that the perpertrators are still there - drinking themselves stupid and wrecking the place. Entering via the rear entrance, the group encounter the were-baboon leader together with his trained baboons. They defeat him, and then head for the basement - where, after defeating some more of the bandits they discover a half-drow woman named Shensen Tesseril hiding there. She told of a woman with flaming red hair and facial tattoos who led the attack on the Inn. The rogues and hill-men captured in the battles to retake the inn confirmed this. The group also found a holy symbol apparently dedicated to three evil gods - Vecna, Hextor, and Erythnul.

DAY FORTY
Not wishing to travel during the night, the group stayed in the inn, Bordrick refusing to sleep and instead keeping a close eye on their prisoners - all secured safely in the basement. The next morning, Zephaniah and Bordrick stayed at the inn, whilst the others hurried back to Cauldron with Sarcem's body to fetch the town guard. Late that evening, Elijah (Zephaniah's new cohort), arrived, having ridden out from Cauldron almost immediately that the others arrived back.

DAY FOURTY ONE
Hunting for the Wands
On the afternoon of the next day, the city guard arrived from Cauldron to take charge of the prisoners. A tired Bordrick, with Zephaniah and Elijah in tow returned to the city, where they met up with the rest of the Cauldron Companions. They had already done some asking around town, and put a possible name to the red-headed woman behind the theft of the wands - one Triel Eldurast - a woman who used to be a member of the town guard before murdering her fellow guards and fleeing. Also a worshipper of Hextor apparently. A suggestion was made that Jenya at the Church of St Cuthbert might be able to cast some sort of divination that would help them, and Iannis and Bordrick went along to ask about it.

Jenya, now the new high priestess, used a holy relic - a mace called the Star of Justice - to ask the question "Where should Cauldron's Companions go to find the stolen wands?"

"The Tipped Tankard Tavern is not only a good place to get a drink. Not all of the cooks there know only about recipes. And not all have only meals to sell" was the holy answer. That evening, the group arrived at the Tipped Tankard Tavern, and Hathar asked to speak to the cooks. One of them came out and offered to sell some information about the location of the wands - and arranged a mid-night rendezvous the following night.