The Cursed: Eleran and the Medusa

[Part of the Cursed story line.]

Using fireballs to clear a way through the melee, the team fights past minotaurs, drow and Zhentarim before finally reaching Dexam and his column of minotaurs. The lady in purple also reveals herself to be a medusa!

The mages open with their biggest spells, with Eleran intentionally incinerating Dimswart who was too smart to live (and whose usefulness had come to an end). This infuriated Dexam who quickly was running out of minotaurs. The medusa used her petrifying gaze on Eleran, but the mirror he brought reflected it and turned her into stone, killing her.

Unfortunately, Dexam also used a petrification ray at him at the same time turning Eleran into a stone statue. This left an opening for Melia to backstab the beholder but it wasn't enough to kill it - resulting in her disintegration next.

How does this thing fly... or poop for that matter?

Finally it is Sir Siegfried that slays the eye tyrant, then leads the injured survivors onward to search for an exit, leaving the statues of Eleran and the medusa behind.

The Cursed: All Part of the Plan

[Part of the Cursed story line.]

Rescuing Dimswart the sage was easy as he was totally unguarded. Eleran then cast a small spell that summoned a lady in purple. "As promised," was all Eleran needed to say for the woman to open a magic gateway.

Stepping through, the group found themselves in a large underground chamber filled with minotaurs and their beholder leader, Dexam, who was overjoyed that the sage and his knowledge was now in his possession. Dexam doesn't get to celebrate long before more portals open with Zhentarim troops pouring out led by Fzoul himself!

That mustache means business!

"Dexam! You..." Fzoul was cut short as Dexam disintegrated him in a single blast, removing another of the cursed bonds from Eleran's arm. As both sides then clashed into battle, Dexam now disinterested, left with his entourage and Dimswart in tow.

"Was that part of the plan?" questioned Ulfert. "After him!" was the only answer Eleran offered.

The Cursed: Not the Quest we signed up for

[Part of the Cursed story line.]

Upon leaving Hap all the Drow gear the team is carrying dissolves in the sunlight so they stop by another small village and restock with the best available gear and also take the time to level up. Eleran then leads the team Northeast to the sea where they catch a boat and are promptly beset upon by pirates!

Said pirates are terrible though, and surrender after they are easily defeated. Ulfert recognizes two of them as Ragner and Rollo who he once fought alongside. Eleran decides to hire them as transport and messengers for the other Curse Bond teams.

Eventually the group reaches the Zhentil Keep, home of another bond master - Fzoul. They bid farewell to the pirates then make their way into the city filled with worse scum and undesirables. Eleran has a way of talking to them that keeps them out of trouble though, and at the local magic shop they stock up on potions and the like.

Follow me into this dark alley...

Afterwards they meet Eleran's contact, a halfling thief named Olive Ruskettle, who shows them a secret way into the local temple before vanishing into the shadows. It's only at that point that Eleran gives the specifics of the job today, and the team is surprised to learn that this is in fact, a rescue mission.

The Cursed: Second Team

[Part of the Cursed story line.]

Outnumbered and standing in the open against a spell caster is never an ideal combat situation so Siegfried ushered the others back through the door and got Aika to enchant it with a stinking cloud. As expected, Dracandros just hung back and ordered his troops to charge.

Doorways, the MVP of combat.

With the warriors holding the door and the spell casters shooting through the fog, the enemy was thinned out slowly until only Dracandos was left. Granted, the survivors lost Wilrech in the melee towards the end, but there was still enough of them to rush the mage at the end, with Melia finishing off Dracandros with a sneaky backstab. 

Finally free, the survivors Aika, Melia, Mercedes, Siegfried and Ulfert, made it back to Hap and told the villagers of what transpired much to the interest of the visiting mage Eleran, one of the branded, who then offered them an exorbitant amount of gold to continue the quest of breaking the Azure Bonds. Either from greed or from a sense of righteousness, they all agree.

Eador: Fairy Dust

[Part of the Masters of Eador story.]

In space, two new masters appear - the Elf King Dariol who clearly has a thing for Vianta, and an "ancient" one (green skinned elf?) named Ul-Dagan "the engineer". Ul-Dagan in particular is quite abrasive so Nesturs tries attack him immediately, only to find his world is protected by some form of force shield.

Due to this, Nesturs sends Olchyr to attack Vianta instead since she now hates him for what happened to Oinor. The sadist mage Eleran is also hired to assist. It is tough to progress on the Fairy Queen's shard due to the low mining (low gold) and the high number of powerful treants milling about. Indeed it's easier to go through the small pockets of demon territories here.

Eleran is feeling ballsy.

Fortunately Nesturs tech level has been going through the roof thanks to all the huge shards (of other masters) he's been collecting, and his proxies bypass a lot of fighting simply by constructing a shipyard to sail them beside Vianta's castle, which ironically is guarded only by simple militia. Eleran easily defeats them, captures Vianta, and uses her in his experiments until she expires.