Arkania: Pit Falls

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Upon returning to Phaexcaer the party immediately hunts down a reputable healer who cures Zubon of his Blue Cough and Emmo of the Numbskull virus (sounds like it makes zombies). While he's at it, he makes sure the rest of the team has a clean bill of health. Just to be certain he suggests the party rests awhile in the city which doesn't sit well with Curian. After a few days he bids farewell and departs to look for the unicorn alone.

The rest of the team spends a lot of time re-equipping and bar hopping, learning about a temple in the wilds to the South that warrants a look and hire a familiar looking, one eyed thief girl named Harika to guide them. The road led past some avalanches and another item hungry swamp that ate random weapons, armor, and Zubon's pants. While the temple itself turned out to be a non-event (as it was really just a temple, exactly like the city ones), a cave high up in the mountains  showed signs of orc activity.

Within they found a small regiment of the orcish scum building siege weapons. This band were led by an ugly ogre who managed to kick Emmo into a pit of spikes, killing the hapless elf, before he was defeated. Apart from taking their revenge on the remaining enemies and destroying their constructs they also came across an orcish document that looked important. Pity none of them could read it.

Maintaining a spike pit must be annoying logistically.

Arkania: Hyggelik

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

The pirates did make an attempt at stopping the party from leaving not just the cave, but the island itself via ship boarding combat. They are woefully unsuccessful and upon reaching Thorwal the party sells the looted treasure to now sit at over 2K Ducats in the kitty. Taking a guess with the assembled map they headed back North to Phexcaer and along the way Vayshen spots a marker point. A marker to Hyggelik's treasure!

That would be incredibly good spotting.

It is a hard slog crossing the river and hacking through vegetation for days. Zubon and Emmo fall sick from the journey but eventually they find some ruins deep in the mountains - a crumbling castle. Literally, as falling debris and twisted ankles do more damage than the numerous zombies wandering the grounds. There's also a cool puzzle door involving mirrors and separating the party but the main event is a large chamber with a lot of undead.

Enemies all around - just where we want them!

Weakened from the journey here the fight is pretty tough, with Curian getting clawed a lot and Emmo too sick to actually contribute. Still, they are on the verge of winning when a voice calls out to the zombies and orders them to stop fighting. It is zombie Hyggelik, cursed to undeath by some treasure he and his men found years ago. Hearing about the impending orc attack, he willingly hands over Grimring to Shintar and commands the team to protect the lands from the orcish invaders.

You aren't looking so good, Mister Hyggelik.

Arkania: Runinshaven

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Stuck on the isle of Runinshaven the party decides to explore all the way up to the lighthouse. Around midway they find a cave which is the strangest one they've run into so far. It has pirates and undead. They also have a humorous encounter against another Heshthot demon. This one must have heard of them because on its first turn of combat it simply turned tail and ran! The most unique creature here though, was a dragon!

Because those are the only options you have when facing a dragon.

He had been trapped here by pirates and asked for aid to be free. This was a little more challenging than first anticipated as it involved fighting endless streams of mummies who were adept at breaking weapons, burning Zubon's hands to pull down a lever, having Paeroka's lockpicks break on a difficult door forcing Vayshen and Wolfy to bust it down with force and finally confronting the pirate captain and his lackeys. Vayshen also manages to get bitten by a rat after sticking his hand in a random hole.

With the orb controlling the dragon destroyed it rejoices, vowing to kill all humans it comes across for retribution. It does spare the party though, and gives them enough experience to advance another level. I guess that's a good thing?

And the world was a better place?

Arkania: The Missing Piece

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

With no other leads to go on, Curian convinced the team to head back up to Hermit's lake to find his unicorn but all they find are an increasing number of orcs, goblins and ogres. I seriously question why orcs are considered a threat if it is so easy to defeat them. Anyway, after days of uneventful travel the team encounters a bard who sings a song about Hyggelik. He happens to be traveling with a merchant who is in possession of a map piece and is willing to sell it for a mere 60 ducats!

Not with your text box in the way, Curian.

Inspired by this turn of events the team revisits Jurge at Skjal, hoping that he would give the last piece over upon seeing the rest of the map. He doesn't. Zubon wishes Iron Dagger was around to break in and simply steal it from him but that's not an option. With winter setting in the mountain passes are also now impassable meaning they can't go after the -relatively- nearby Daspota treasure. Disheartened they decide to take a ship back to Thorwal to plan their next move.

Baby kraken?

However a random encounter shifts the course of their ship! The krakennewt almost takes Wolfy down with it into the sea but it is fought off but the vessel is forced to dock on the isle of Runinshaven for repairs.

Arkania: Truth in Rumors

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

It was a few days later that the party arrived at Skjal by ship, now in the 1.5k Ducat range in wealth. Alas, no amount of money could part Jurge Torfinsson from his part of the map. He demanded to see a letter of introduction from the Hetman of Thorwal. The party did have one earlier, but Zubon kinda lost it in the marsh at Hermit's Lake. No problem though, for such an important quest surely the Hetman would make another right?

The party returned to Thorwal only to find the Hetman was uninterested in seeing them, and would basically no longer assist them in anyway. Dismayed by this turn of events, Shintar suggested they try clean out the remainder of the local keep. An idea everyone else agreed with, possibly because they were all drunk at that point. The amount of alcohol consumed in this game is amazing. Even the custodian, Master Dramosch was a bit tipsy when he let his old friends back in.

That sounds safe! Let's go!

After Curian managed to unseal the ominous door the team found themselves fighting undead again, proving that the rumors were in fact true. Stairs down led to vertical shafts leading down, and to flooded passages which required swimming.

One of those expletive moments.

At the very last floor waited another Heshthot demon. Paeroka was thrilled at the chance to "avenge" Nerk's passing but she didn't get the chance. Curian and Emmo did a combined kamehameha and it was simply no more. Eventually they find a narrow passage that leads out to a local smithy, which is odd since that kind of implicates the smith with all the demonic and undead presence down there. This point is left unexplored in the game. :P