Professor Silvanus

Game Summary 2.03

Associates,

Tomorrow is the dawn of a grand new chapter of Laws of Heaven and Earth. Our heroes have liberated the town of Bristol from Solasch's goblin army. They have made their mark on the city of Newcastle, and saved its wealthiest from the threat of anti-republican revolution. They have held back the marauding clans united by the orog warlod Tusk. But behind it all questions remain. What is the Red Hand, and why is its insidious influence seem to drive goblins, orcs, men, and dragonborn to acts of violence and greed? Who are these shadowy figures lurking in the background, writing letters of encouragement, supplying arms, and spinning plots? Could the answer to all of these question be found beyond the deepest shadow, past the dimensional veil?

More drama, more excitement, and more adventure next time on Laws of Heaven and Earth!

Sunday, November 13th, 2010. 9pm EST; 6pm PST.

Signing off,

The Real Kraken Thunderhammer

Dream Dust

...and a bit of Ungol Dust, too.

Game Summary 2.02

Synopsis

After defeating the orc priestess of Gruumsh and her orog (half-ogre, half-orc) soldiers, the Shuffle Alliance used a hidden door leading into the cellars. What they found there was a terrible carnage. The bodies of human monks lay strewn about. Many of the paladins of Ioun had died with sword in hand, but most of the monks were slaughtered in their nightshirts, many in their beds. They far outnumbered the dead orcs. After pocketing the priestess's private purse, the group headed past a shattered barrier into a dark passageway. At the end of it, they found a perilous set of stairs wandering down into a chasm. Reinforcements were already arriving from the depths. They battled on precarious ground; Varis and Bran'don were nearly pushed to their certain deaths. But they persevered over the orc grunts and the battle-hardened orogs leading them. They pressed on, nearly two hundred feet down, into a tight natural passageway, where the party could hear more orcs arguing. Someone has collapsed the passageway, and they mean to make him pay...

Game 2.4: Bound in the Darkness

I can't play this Sunday, the 18th, but I might be able to play on Saturday or a weekday. Check your schedules. If we can't find a day, we can always schedule the game in two weeks.

Your characters have reached level 4! Take note of any changes you need to make, including increasing your hit points, AC, and attack scores to match your new half-level (2). You also get to choose a feat, as well as increase two different ability scores by 1 point (18 becomes 19).

Kraken Thunderhammer

Orog

Game Summary 2.01

Synopsis

The Red Hand has struck again! The Crown Loyalists were seduced by the elusive Mr. X, and whatever promises the Red Hand offered, and were instructed to target the prominent guests of House Havilani's Grand Ball. The attack was thwarted by the newly-named Shuffle Alliance, with the much-needed help of the half-elf scholar and wizard Varis. However, the conclusion of this affair only led to more pressing questions. Why are so many disparate groups fighting under the Red Hand's banner? What is the connection between the Red Hand and the Shadowfell? Who is the nefarious dragonborn, Mr. X?

More answers, more questions, and more adventures are sure to follow as our heroes follow the caravan north to Redstone Watch, where the colony of gold dwarves that links East and West fights against invading orc hordes. Time to earn some coin, boys. For glory, for victory, for Newcastle!

Game 2.2: Road to Redstone Watch

Sunday, September 26th at 9pm ET, 6pm PST.

All armor, weapons, and tabards are restored, as discussed last session. Only two encounters away from Level 4!

Wolfgang Salt

Byron Cooper

Lucan

Auronaz / Aaron

Mr. X

Brabran Thunderhammer

Elena Wright

Newcastle Primer

Geography and Politics

Your characters all live inside the borders of the former Kingdom of Rivenark, which was ruled by the Riven Clan. This kingdom fell apart nearly four hundred years ago and splintered into a few different countries.

The largest piece of this former kingdom is the Grand Duchy of Armandy, currently ruled byArchduke Jonn II. After the fall of Rivenark, the central region was divided into many Duchies. After centuries of conflict, Armandy finally swallowed up almost all of its rivals and became a Grand Duchy, demoting all of the other Dukes to Earls. You lived in Salisburg, under Earl Brannwho wanted to break away from Armandy. He failed, and as members of his army you were told to either join the Archduke's army or leave in exile.

The Grand Duchy of Armandy accounts for half of the former territory of Rivenark.

In the East, there is the Republic of Novocastria, which is the formal term for the city-state of Newcastle. Many people in the city refer to it as Novocastria, because it sounds more refined. After leading the rebellion against the Riven Clan, this region, which accounts for about a third of the former kingdom, did away with its aristocracy. It is led by Executor Malthus, a General Assembly, and a High Court. All of the surrounding villages in the region are run by Town Councils, and they pay taxes to Novocastria in exchange for protection and services, unlike the system of Lords you're used to in Armandy. Not everyone is happy with this experiment, however. As you saw in Bristol, support can come slowly or not at all to the farthest reaches. Part of the problem is that the city is very insular, as you'll find out.

Neither the Grand Duchy of Armandy nor the Republic of Novocastria have borders the way you and I think of them. There are many pockets of independence that exist because it's impossible for their armies to completely enforce rule. For example, the elves of Flamewood forest are within Novocastria's region of influence, but only a fool would say they are under its rule. TheGold dwarves of Redstone Watch also operate independently though they maintain good relations with the Republic. They are equally loyal to the Gold dwarf Khans that rule over the great dwarven fortresses of Rajan.

The Sultanates of Rajan lie far across the desert to the East, and is rarely thought about except as a source of trade.

People of Novocastria

Humans are the most prevalent inhabitants of the land. Humans once associated themselves with clans, but today they mainly identify themselves by their place of birth or their political attachments. Beyond town or village, humans in Armandy think of themselves in terms of who their Lords are, from the Archduke down to the local Knights. Humans in Novocastria consider themselves to be citizens of their nearest city, in the case of Newcastle proper, or town, in the case of Bristol. The idea of citizenship is new, and hard for many to define. A few Rajani humans live in the city as merchants, and they hail from the Sultanates of Rajan to the East.

Most humans are farmers, but they occupy every strata of society, particularly at the top. They make up 78% of the city population.

Half-elves are very common in Novocastria. When the Kingdom of Rivenark was founded, the Moonshadow clan of elves was conquered and brought into the kingdom. Over time, human blood diluted the elf population. The half-elves of the city identify themselves by family and surname, but they consider themselves collectively to be the descendants of the Moonshadows. Half-elves from other lands or the children of humans and elves do exist, but they are a small minority. Because of the liaison between the goblins of the Red Hand and the last kings of Rivenark, elves and half-elves were once heavily persecuted and even enslaved. The last four hundred years have dispelled many of those old opinions, but some humans will occasionally flare up with anti-elf sentiment when they feel threatened by half-elf success. Established families of half-elves live in the Moonshadow area of the city, which was once a ghetto for half-elves but is now a high-rent neighborhood. Other families live scattered in the city, wherever they can afford to be.

Half-elves are charismatic and resilient. They tend to be clerks, lawyers, bureaucrats, alchemists, herbalists, and guardsman. They account for 15% of the city's population.

Dwarves make up the next largest minority in the city. There are two types of dwarves that live in Novocastria. Shield dwarves are light-skinned dwarves that often have blonde or red hair. They hail from the mountains to the West. Various families of Shield dwarves have lived and worked in Novocastria for hundreds of years. They tend to be artisans, smiths, and foundry workers who live in the Forge or the Scrabble neighborhoods. Many humans who work as artisans and smiths have adopted Shield dwarf culture, such as the worship of Moradin the Crafter and their peculiar accents.

Shield dwarves make up half of the dwarven population of the city, and the other half are Gold dwarves. Gold dwarves hail from the the East. They have dark skin and dark hair, and wear rich clothing in the Rajani style.. Their metalcraft and woodcraft is the finest in the land, but most of the Gold dwarves in Novocastria are merchants. They trade finely crafted goods mainly for agricultural products, which resell at a premium along the desert frontier that separates Rajan and Novocastria. Their most established settlement is to the northeast in Redstone Watch, where they mine and protect their trade routes.

Whether they are Shield dwarf artisans or Gold dwarf merchants, dwarves account for nearly 5% of the city's population.

Full-blooded elves are very rare in Novocastria. The few that visit the city are from Flamewood forest, which has a tense relationship with nearby human-controlled cities and villages. Those that live permanently are usually mercenaries or criminals that can be found alongside tieflings,goliaths, and half-orcs in the rougher parts of the city, like the Scrabble, the Barrens, or the Black Market outside the city walls. Halfling clans occasionally come far down the river on their riverboat flotillas to trade. They collectively account for 2% of the population.

Eladrin and gnomes, and any other inhabitants of the Feywild, are almost never seen since there are almost no easy places to cross to that plane in this region for unknown reasons.

Riven Clan History

Panel 1

Glance: In the first section of the fresco, an epic battle is drawn in the simple style of that bygone era. Figures are sketched in profile, with their heads eerily facing towards the viewer. The colors are simple and bold. Humans and elves are locked in combat, swords hewing bone and arrows piercing bodies. The dress is antiquated.

History: To the untrained eye, this section seems to be a battle of humans and elves, but you recognize that it's actually between many different clans. The central focus is the invading Riven clan, identifiable their rampant drake crest, followed by a few other human clans. One contingent is even carrying an archaic version of the Salisburg crest. The other side of the battle is led by the Moonshadow nation of elves, supported by various human clans dressed in furs and scales. This is the battle that forged the Kingdom of Rivenark, a monarchy that stretched from the eastern city of Newcastle into the western lands from which you have come.

Religion: Looking over the symbols painted on banners and ornaments, you can see that among the flowing banners of the Riven-led alliance flies one with a golden sun on a white field, the holy symbol of Pelor, the sun god of mercy and bounty. Among the elves, the cloaks of what you assume are warrior-priests are stitched with a Crescent Moon and Star, the symbols of Sehanine, goddess of love and trickery, and Corellon, god of art and magic. Their human allies carry tokens you assume to be representative of spirit worship.

Panel 2

Glance: After a few drawings of the founding of the city of Newcastle, the second section shows a large image of people arrayed in tiers, which you assume to be an attempt at mimicking depth. Each tier contains bowing subjects, both human and elf, below a human wearing a golden crown.

History: You recognize the king as the fabled first monarch of Rivenark, Lord Van Jallach, in whose crypt hide the dwarf Adronsius, the old crone , and the captive goblin. Below him sit his royal family, a court wizard, and an arch-priest. You know from the few folk tales that survive from this time that the Rivens themselves were able sorcerers. Below the Riven clan standard are the various standards of their allied clans, joined now by the black and white half-moon on azure of the Moonshadow elves.

Religion: The stylized Sun of Pelor is among the standards hanging on the tier below the Riven clan banner.

Panel 3:

Glance: After some scenes of various kings and tableau of quotidian life, another bloody scene appears depicting an invading army of hobgoblins. An arrayed army of humans, half-elves and elves are in melee, but toward the end of this section seem overrun by the invading goblin army. The panel ends with a stylized red river flowing diagonally into the last section of the fresco.

History: This is the invasion of the true Red Hand, as evidenced by the five-fingered handprints painted onto the tabards of the hobgoblin soldiers. This was the greatest army of goblins ever raised. By all accounts their leaders were sophisticated and powerful enough to subjugate even the nomadic orc tribes of the Redstone Flats north of this mountain range. A few orcs are interspersed among the goblins. The goblins essentially ruled for a few generations, keeping the Riven family as figureheads, before a resurgence of Rivenark took back control. This was a dark and bloody era for the region, and though the Rivenark dynasty prevailed, it was a Pyrrhic victory that eventually led to a permanent dissolution of the monarchy.

Religion: At first glance there seem to be no holy symbols at all in the depiction of the battle. You know that the hobgoblins of the Red Hand, both then and now, have a cult-like fervor surrounding that particular symbol, though it has never had a clear religious significance. One figure in the mass catches your attention. A robed figure stands near the source of the red river holding no weapons. Its hands are outstretched and its face is covered by a mask. The image of a crumbling skull is etched onto it...

Panel 4:

Glance: A royal family is sitting on a litter carried by hobgoblins and surrounded by hobgoblin soldiers. Humans are prostrate before the litter in positions of worship. Half-elves are bent in front and behind the litter, in the manner of slaves, sweeping the way.

History: This is an incredible find. Muddling through hundreds of years of myth and legend, historians have been able to determine that the last kings of Rivenark were twisted by the victory against the Red Hand. They grew tyrannical and dissolved the council of nobles that represented the people. From their throne in Newcastle they ruled over the land, tightly controlling the wealth that came in through the spice roads to the East. It was the merchants of the Newcastle region that led the revolution that destroyed their dynasty. While the other regions of Rivenark dissolved into duchies and earldoms, this region has never suffered a nobleman in the hundreds of years since, instead turning to a novel form of rule by common assembly. This panel says so much more. The Riven clan didn't repel the hobgoblins--they brought them under their control and used them to subjugate the land once again. The rule of the Red Hand and the return of the Riven kings were not successive, they were contiguous. Sitting atop his litter, the human king is depicted with a terrible and cruel countenance below a large banner displaying a five-fingered hand dripping red on a white field.

Religion: It's clear the Riven clan took up the cultish banner of the Red Hand. No other traces of religious symbols can be found in the image.

Obelisks

Twin stone obelisks, cut from translucent red quartz, loom over you. Between them flickers an image of the Shadowfell, a pale reflection of the natural word that is the home of creatures of shadow and dead souls in purgatory. The obelisks are in disrepair, chipped and cracked, and some of the arcane runes inscribed on their surfaces have been smoothed.

Skill Challenges:

Arcana: [DC 10] The runes are written in the phonetic alphabet used almost universally by arcane spellcasters. [DC 15] The obelisks channel arcane power and the spell inscribed into them directs the energy between them to break down the barrier between the natural world and the Shadowfell. The spell maintained by these obelisks is fading, which is why the barrier is merely a thin window. The spell is a ritual that can be replicated. This ritual will fetch a pretty penny at market.[DC 20] Furthermore, it can potentially be modified to open a door into other echo planes, by changing the runes you assume are planar coordinates.

Religion: [DC 15] This ritual is an arcane mimic of a divine power of the Raven Queen and her agents. The Raven Queen is the goddess of death and queen of the Shadowfell. [DC 20] The syntax used in the ritual is ancient, this mimic was undoubtedly the work of Vecna or his agents. Vecna, the god of secrets, sought to undo the Raven Queen's power by breaking down the barriers between planes and discovering the secrets of eternal life.

History: [DC 15] The fact that the Riven clan constructed a portal like this is shocking. This sort of necromancy, dabbling in the powers of the Shadowfell, is frowned upon by the common faiths of this region. [DC 20] This, then, must have been the source of the famed dark powers that twisted the royal family towards the end of their reign. What other business could they have had in the realm of shadows?

Blazons

Pelor: Argent, a sun in splendor Or

Sehanine & Corellon: Sable, a quarter-moon argent (for Sehanine) and a mullet of eight points elongated palewise argent (for Corellon) tinctured of a fur

The Red Hand: Argent, a hand displayed gules

Moonshadow Clan: Azure, a moon party per pale argent and sable

Riven Clan: Or, a drake rampant gules

Proto-Salisburg Clan: Gules, a bend argent

Game Summary 2.00

Synopsis

After an exciting first day in Newcastle, the as-of-yet-unnamed mercenary band has taken residence in the Coopers' estate in Old Market. Time for some well-earned rest and relaxation! After being fitted for fine formal wear, the band heads to a ball sponsored by the Havilani Merchant House. Only one day of mischief and the group is already being introduced to Novocastrian high society.

Nothing could go wrong now, right?

Game 2.0: Road to Redstone Watch

This session will happen this Sunday, September 12th. I hope you all can make it, I'd like to have a full session after our long break.

Please take into account that your characters will begin play next session without armor. If you had heavy armor, you'll be wearing an enchanted overcoat that gives you a +2 AC bonus and counts as light armor. If you had light armor, your clothing is normal and has no bonus.

Bringing weapons to a ball is not unheard of, but certainly old-fashioned. It will give you a -2 penalty to social interactions (Diplomacy, Bluff, Streetwise, etc.)

Game Summary 1.04

Synopsis

Barthus, the once exiled King of Rivenark, had been tempted by priests of the dark god Vecna to abandon his mortal life for the sweet immortality of undeath. With this new power he was able to subjugate the hobgoblin warlords that ruled over his lands. But in defeat they tempted him with even greater power, power that could be had by swearing loyalty to the Red Hand. So he abandoned his god and he abandoned his people to slavery and subjugation under his hobgoblin generals. And the people rose up against him.

Hundreds of years later, he lay in the dark--fully mad--until a hobgoblin returned promising that a new Red Hand was forming. Maybe his betrayal of Vecna would still be rewarded... alas it was not. The exiles, Allister, Feanor, Kairon, and Bran'don, ended his miserable life not ten steps from his former throne.

The group had now defeated Solasch, crippling his upstart group of Red Hand wannabes, and Barthus, freeing the lands that were once a part of Rivenark of his dark shadow. Only one promise was left. They helped their ally Timo find his gnomes, but Timo had been deceived. His gnomes had been transformed into vile wererats through the wicked magic of the gnome Arcanist Marko. The heat of battle revealed Marko to be a gremlin who was determined to end the revolution the Shadowglen gnomes were fomenting in the Feywild. The gremlin died, pleased that he had trapped Timo's gnomes in this world and served his "King" well.

Who is this King? Why were the gnomes rebelling against him? What did the gremlin mean when he said the gnomes were trapped in the World?

Game 1.9: Red Hand Aftermath

You've made it to level 3! Please level your characters by next session. If you use the Character Builder, you can add your new items. If not, be sure to do it by hand and remember that many items come with powers attached.

Items:

Allister (Lifedrinker Mace),

Feanor (Fey Strike Longsword),

Kairon (Dragonscale Dagger, Baffling Cape),

Bran'don (Flesh Seeker Short Sword, Darkleaf Armor).

Sunday, July 25th, 2010. 9pm ET; 6pm PT. Via Skype + Google Docs.

Special Note

Gentlemen,

Because this Sunday is the 4th of July, and Monday is therefore a federal holiday, we'll be moving our game session to 9pm EST on Monday, July 5th. We'll have the session as long as three players have confirmed as of Monday. Here's a little summary of where you are so far:

Allister, Feanor, and Kairon have found that even in exile, life is determined to lay new responsibilities at your feet. Not long after leaving the Grand Duchy of Salisburg and crossing the border into lands in the Novocastrian Protectorate, they discovered a town laid to waste by raiders. With his last breath, a human monk begged them to take a boy, Malo, to safety in the city of Newcastle. In death, his illusions faded and he was revealed to be a githzerai, a mysterious race of planeswalkers.

The party headed to Bristol to rest. Bristol was once a tiny village of fishermen and woodcutters built around the ancient Temple of Pelor the Redeemer, but was now a sprawling mountainside city thanks to refugees from the war against the Red Hand, an army of goblinoids that lay seige to the region decades past. It was not long before the party was assaulted by an invading army of goblins, hobgoblins, and one terrible ogre, once again waving the banner of the Red Hand. They fought back, saving many townsfolk, and were asked by Councilmen Troyas, a half-elf scholar who had made the town his home, to rescue prisoners taken by the raiders and retreive artifacts stolen from the Temple.

The trio tracked the hobgoblins to the north, to the ancient crypts of Rivenbarrow. Here, the founders and kings of the kingdom of Rivenark rested for eternity. Rivenark ruled over Newcastle, Salisburg, and other regions until they grew tyrannical and were deposed nearly five hundred years ago. They were soon joined by the half-orc scout Bran'don, a mercenary from Salisburg making his way through Bristol. Worried for their citizens, the town council hired him to join the exiles in their quest. Fighting their way through goblins, hobgoblins, and a den of terrible ettercaps, as well as turning a mercenary company of gnomes to their side, the group have rescued many of the captured townsfolk and discovered terrible secrets and many treasures. The crypts hid altars to Vecna, the dark god of magic and necromancy and the keeper of secrets. To see his symbols displayed openly here was a disturbing revelation about how evil the Riven Kings had become.

Together they bested Solasch, the leader of the ragtag group of pretenders waving the banner of the Red Hand. His private chambers lie ahead, holding who knows what. One more prisoner remains, however, perhaps deeper in the crypts, behind an ominous locked door...

Game Summary 1.03

Synopsis

Alistair, Feanor, Kairon, Bran'don and Malo have cut a deal with the Shadowglen gnome cartel, and are moving deeper into the ancient complex. After fighting their way through hobgoblins, they've arrived in an room covered in decorative frescos. In front of them stand two obelisks, between which shimmers an image of a dark mirror of the Redstone Mountains.

Two of the prisoners are safe, and one confirmed dead, but where are the rest and where are the artifacts stolen from the Temple of Pelor the Redeemer?

Game 1.5: Red Hand Rising

Sunday, June 6th, 2010. 9-11pm ET; 6-8pm PT. Via Skype + Google Docs.

Game Summary 1.02

Synopsis

Alistair, Feanor, Kairon, and Malo set of on their search for the missing townsfolk and the stolen artifacts. They trekked through the wilds north of Bristol into the Redrock Mountains. At the foot of a mountain, carved into a sheer cliff face, they found Rivenbarrow, the tomb of ancient kings. The mercenaries entered the tomb cautiously and encountered the forward guards: two hobgoblin soldiers and a goblin scout. The hobgoblins proved to be organized and trained fighters, and the goblin set off a moving flame contraption, intended to be no more than an impressive display, but dangerous to those caught in it. The mercenaries prevailed. After interrogating the goblin, the companions began their descent into a passageway to the "Riven Clan Crypt."

Game 1.2: Red Hand Rising

Sunday, May 16th, 2010. 9-11pm ET; 6-8pm PT. Via Skype + Google Docs.

Game Summary 1.01

Synopsis

After a long journey, Alistair, Feanor, Kairon, and their young charge Malo arrive in Bristol. Bristol was once a small, sleepy town nestled between a hill and a river. The war against the Red Hand fifty years ago turned it into a bustling refugee town with sprawling makeshift buildings.

Taking a short rest in Bristol's tavern, the company's peace was shattered by an invading goblins. They survived a pitched battle with hobgoblin soldiers and goblin sappers and raced into the streets, only to meet face to face with a terrible ogre lobbing casks of flaming pitch. Victorious, the adventurers were approached by the town guard and were escorted to the central plaza where they were brought before the town council.

The head of the council, Eoffram, charged the adventurers with being spies for the hobgoblins, but, with the help of Councilman Aaron, they were able to turn opinion in their favor. Instead of the stockade, the adventurers were hired by the town to rescue prisoners taken by the hobgoblins. Aaron, a scholar, then privately asked them to retrieve artifacts stolen from the Temple of Pelor the Redeemer.

Interrogating an imprisoned hobgoblin, the company learned that the goblins were a part of a new Red Hand, brought together by a hobgoblin named Solasch. He has hidden away in the mountains to the north in Rivenbarrow, a sprawling tomb of ancient kings.

Game 1.1: Red Hand Rising

Starting this week, we will be meeting every Sunday for roughly 2 hours. The goal is to get two encounters in each week. We may potentially do some roleplaying and/or skill challenges in between by forum. I'll look into that. See you:

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010. 7-9pm ET; 4-6pm PT. Via Skype + Google Docs.

Game Summary 1.00

Overview

Welcome to the D&D 4e adventure, Laws of Heaven and Earth. This game uses a customized version of the D&D “Points of Light” base campaign setting. It meets bi-monthly on Sunday evenings (USA time zones) over Skype, and uses Google Docs for maps and minis.

Synopsis

Three adventurers, former soldiers from a disbanded army, travel east to the merchant city of Newcastle. One is searching for his roots; one is fleeing from his past; and one is returning to a home he left long ago. Together, they find themselves in the center of a chaotic war, a dark prophecy, and the machinations of distant gods.

Opening

A human fighter, a half-elf bard, and a tiefling sorcerer, partners and strangers all the same, cross the border into Newcastle Province, a semi-autonomous burgher republic on the eastern edge of the Grand Duchy of Salisburg. Not far into the frontier, the trio comes upon a small hamlet utterly destroyed by fire and sword. The only living souls are an old monk and the young boy standing over him. With his dying breath, the old monk makes his final request–that the boy be safely transported to the shrine of Bahamut in the city of Newcastle, where a dragonborn priest named Zurin will care for him. As the monk perishes, so to does his magic, breaking the illusion that surrounds him. The old human is in fact an old githzerai, a mysterious race of ascetics native to the Astral Sea. This revelation leaves no doubt: there is much more to this mystery. For now, the three are left with unanswered questions and a boy who smiles, but does not speak.

Game I: Red Hand Rising

Sunday, April 25th, 2010. 7pm-12am ET; 4pm-9pm PT. Via Skype + Google Docs.