Session #47

Previous Next
Title: Moradin's Forge and the Heart of Wee Jas
System: Dungeons & Dragons: Third Edition
Style: FCS Gaming League - Module
Date: June 14, 2003 - Saturday
Time: 2:30pm - 8:30pm (Sign-In at 2:15pm)
Game Date/Time: 8 Liatha 153 P.A.
Planet/Region/Locale: Kerda / Myst Wall Crater / Dragons Den
Game Master: Christopher J. Ford
Location:

Gamer's Guild
Clifton Park Center (Formerly Clifton Country Mall)
Clifton Park NY 12065
Near the Food Court

Ratings: Exposition 4
Combat 2
Experience 1
Danger 4
Maximum Registration: 8 Teams (16 Characters)
Level: Master Level - Novice level teams may enter, but safeties do not apply! Epic level teams may enter, but safeties apply!

 

The Situation

Secrets long hidden always run the risk of being discovered. As work continues on the construction of Dragons Den, workers have come across an old shaft in the mountain. Releasing a foul air that spoke of ages of forgotten solitude, the shaft soon breathed a warm air upon the workers in the area. Too warm for their tastes. They emerged from their tunnels to find themselves surrounded by followers of Wee Jas and Moradin. More to the point, they found themselves BETWEEN enraged robed wizards of Wee Jas and battle readied dwarven clerics of Moradin. This just cannot end well....

The mayor has asked for a group of brave champions to risk the shaft and find out the secrets at its base. The robes and the clerics won't explain themselves and he has a feeling there is more to this story than a simple matter of property rights. A search through history, grand debates, and epic battle await those who dare this challenge. And for those who discover forbidden secrets, powerful new allies and items shall be revealed.

 

Registered Teams & Their Fates

Nine (9) champions answered the mayors call for help. They arrived at the mayor's estate where they learned of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the tunnel. The champions immediately split up. Two of them went to research the history of the area. The mayors library was full of information, but most of it was recent. The only clue found was that the rock in the crater was especially difficult to work. This was already common knowledge for those who cared to know such things. The embassy library proved a slightly better source of information. There was an old story about Moradin and Wee Jas forming an alliance during the Relic Wars. It seemed that to destroy many problematic items, and to create some new ones, Moradin constructed a mighty forge. The location of this forge was never known.

Meanwhile, those who had proceeded directly to the cave entrance found a powder keg that had already blown. Instead of two factions staring each other down, the Dwarves of Moradin and the Robes of Wee Jas had taken to battle. Half a dozen bodies lay about the ground outside the entrance. An investigation of the bodies found a scroll and a well made belt. Inside the tunnel, the groups were still engaged in battle with each side taking about equal losses. Kij found this very unhelpful and dominated the room; literally. A conversation with his new found companions revealed another scroll and a bit more of the story. Both groups had believed that the forge was somewhere in this crater. While they were considered fringe groups by their respective religions, they could not allow the other group to take control of the forge.

The research group returned to join the others in the cavern. Outside the cave, Tharivol found a stately Ambassador taking care of the dead. After his team's help, she bestowed a very ornate dagger on him. The champions investigated the tunnel beyond the discovered door and found it contained prayers to both Wee Jas and Moradin along with several symbols they had found on the scrolls. A kind venerable dwarf appeared to lend some guidance. In a flash, the dagger Tharivol had flew toward the door and a seam appeared. The dwarf reached to removed the dagger and it became a large ruby. As the dwarf left, Lisonamit has a flash of fate and asked everyone to step backward. As they did, a large steel ring fell to the floor. The teams quickly determined that the doors could be opened by pressing the access panels on each simultaneously.

Once inside the main chamber, the forge itself was revealed. When powered by two keys known as the Ring of Moradin and the Heart of Wee Jas, this forge could apparently destroy any magic item, power up any charged item, or combine multiple items. The champions played with the ability until Lisonamit grabbed the Heart and vanished. Cedrik and Kij tracked him to his grove to recover the item. Kij was forced to dominate Lisonamit and a day later, the druid returned with the Heart and the champions completed their tests of the forge.

The third day after the items entered the main chamber, they vanished. The remaining members of the robes and the clerics have banded together to protect their sacred place. The mayor has granted them temporary custodianship pending negotiations with their main temples.

The population, having heard the news of what happened, has started to ask itself questions. Have the Draco-Kindred started to return again? Have the orbs out-lived their purpose? Or are Moradin and Wee Jas simply some of the few to have survived the war with the old ones? And if so, why did it take them this long to nurse their wounds and return?

Coordinator's Note: I've decided to start posting some of the GM documents that are available. Remember that this is player information and not character information. Also remember that GMs need to alter games occasionally to match circumstances, so any posted description may vary from these documents.

  1. Cheerful (Novice)
    Player: Jennifer Sternfeld

    Cedrik (Human Male Nomad 13) assisted the other champions with deciphering the secrets of the forge. When Lisonamit vanished with the Heart, it was Cedrik's ability to track him that allowed its return.

    Cheerful survives to adventure again.

  2. Collectors, The (Novice)
    Player: Adam Fasoldt

    Frith Lightfeather (Halfling Male Rogue 3 / Wizard 5 / Arcane Trickster 7) joined the champions for the first time. He followed Andrinor around helping to figure out the history behind the forge and showed his skills while deciphering the puzzles of the forge.

    The Collectors survives to adventure again.

  3. Rig (Master)
    Player: Wayne Edie

    Kij (Human Male Psion 16 / Arch Psion 2) apparently finds it easier to get along with people if he controls their every choice. Using his trademark domination ability, he not only convinced the dwarves and robes to stop fighting, but also recovered a mysterious scroll that helped the champions activate the forge. Kij also controlled Lisonamit and forced him to return the Heart.

    Rig survives to adventure again.

  4. Death from Afar (Epic)
    Player: Jonathan Sternfeld

    Andrinor Agriaba (Human Male Cleric 9) did his best upfront to research the history of the forge. He first explored the mayor's library with Frith and followed that up with a trip to the embassy library. With useful information in hand, he joined the other champions at the entrance to the forge. Outside the cave, he encountered a very stately lady (Avatar of Wee Jas). Sargen of Hornwood (Human Rogue 9) engaged her in conversation, but it was Tharivol Liaden (Elf Fighter 6 / Wizard 2 / Arcane Archer 11 / Deepwoods Sniper 2) that attracted her attention. Andrinor helped see to the dead as they were being loaded onto her cart. In thanks for their help, the lady gifted Tharivol a dagger that would later prove to be the Heart of Wee Jas itself.

    Death from Afar survives to adventure again.

  5. Twig (Epic)
    Player: Vanessa Wilcox-Swarez
    Lisonamit (Wood Elf Male Druid 21) showed up with Wiskers (Dire Bear Male Midgard-Kindred ECL 12) in tow. Wiskers dutifully battered down the first entrance to the cave tunnels. Lisonamit was the first to brave the top of the forge. With his immunity to its fire, he easily handled what others had the bear. When he felt insulted and ignored, despite his contribution, he grabbed the Heart and teleported away to his grove. He stored the Heart in his magical glove and gave it to his worg to run with. When Kij and Cedrik showed up, he truthfully answered that he did not know where it was. It was only through Kij's domination that he was forced to find the worg and return the Heart. This forced servitude is not something that will easily be forgotten.

    Twig survives to adventure again.

  6. Swarm (Novice)
    Player: Mark Jerard

    Kristoliana (Aranean Master of Flies 8 ECL 15) took advantage of her other forms and quickly traveled to the temple of Moradin to research the legend. In the process, she pointed out a flaw in the temple's dismissal of the rogue faction's belief. Shortly after she left, the temple marched out to the cave site in force and arrived at the same time as the Wizard's Guild. But all the guilds found was a sealed tunnel protected by the rogues.

    Swarm survives to adventure again.