Chapter One

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| class="alignright" |'''[[Shadows Over Ealdwood:Chapter_Two|Chapter Two &rarr;]]'''
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==The Wizard's Apprentices==

===Characters===

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Alice_(Renee_OConnor).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Alice, Human (Karelian) Bard]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Albrecht.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Albrecht, Human (Karelian) Rogue]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Bohdan.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Bohdan, Sea Dwarf Fighter]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Diezalau.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Diezalau, Human (Karelian) Sorcerer]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Jakob_(Michael_C_Hall).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Jakob, Human (Vaerinjar) Fighter]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Ogilvy.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Ogilvy Prettyheart, Havlin Warlock]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Reznik.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Reznik, Human (Karelian) Cleric]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>

==Game Sessions==

===2021-11-14===

[[File:Vodni_Brana.jpg|800px|thumb|none|]]

Vodni Brana, mid morning...

Albrecht and Diezalau are apprentices to Zsbysek The Resplendent, the most well-known wizard in Vodni Brana. A letter arrives, informing Zsbysek that a brewery he owns, Wizard's Tower Brewery, has been overrun with giant rats. Zsbysek gives Albrecht and Diezalau a bag of 175 silver and tells them to go deal with it.

Albrecht and Diezalau gather up a group of acquaintances and sell-swords, and head west to the brewery. They are greeted at the brewery by Glowkindle, the gnome brewmaster. Glowkindle explains that they had been digging in the cellar to expand the storage area, when they broke through to an old section of the wizard tower. Giant rats swarmed out, attacking the gnomes and killing Glowkindle's nephew.

The gang heads down into the cellar and manages to kill all of the giant rats. They proceed into the old section of the wizard tower...

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Zsbysek_(John_Carradine).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Zsbysek The Resplendent, Human (Karelian) Wizard]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Glowkindle.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Glowkindle, Gnome Brewmaster]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>

===2021-11-21===

The gang explores the rest of the old wizard tower, killing a few giant centipedes and a giant spider that spins flaming webs. They spend the night at a pub in the nearby village of Tashalar, happy to have accomplished their mission.

In the morning, they discover that their valuables have been stolen (other than a healing potion). They find a calling card with a note on the back:

<blockquote>Wisp Shadowfoot, Gentleman Thief<br />
(back) Johan's warehouse, midnight</blockquote>


With a mixture of anger and curiosity, the gang heads to Vodni Brana. They find Johan's warehouse, which is an abandoned waterfront warehouse. They look around, but do not find anything interesting or threatening. Albrecht and Diezalau check in with Zsbysek, letting him know that they accomplished the task he set them. He grudgingly acknowledges their success, and get back to working on his memoirs.

The gang waits for midnight...

===2021-11-28===

Midnight arrives, and the gang waits in the empty warehouse for Wisp Shadowfoot to arrive.

And he does, although no one sees him. A voice in the darkness tells them that he will return their belongings and owe them a favour, if they get rid of the Way Hill Slashers.

Wisp explains that the Way Hill Slashers prey on the same wealth residents of Vodni Brana as he does, but unlike him, they kill everyone. This has resulted in people increasing their security, and making their traps more lethal. The gang probably does not care about that, but surely such brave and heroic individuals would want to remove a gang of ruthless murderers...?

Wisp tells them that the Way Hill Slashers have been recruited from among the worst of the worst of Vodni Brana's criminal underclass. Even the notorious Copper Blades have lost members to the Way Hill Slashers.

Wisp knows little of the Slashers' leader, other than their name -- Vex'Tiel -- and that they're an ice elf. However, he does know that the Way Hill Slashers are planning a job this very night. In fact, they are probably on the way to their prey now.

Wisp doesn't know who they are targeting, but he does know that they always leave a few of their crew at the Eagle's Feather, a former tavern on the north side of the inner city.

With that, Wisp drops a card, which Ogilvy identifies as having a ''sending'' spell on it, which the gang can use to contact Wisp later, to collect on the favour.

The gang heads to the long-disused Eagle's Feather, and makes quick work of the half-dozen Way Hill Slashers cooling their heels there. They leave one alive, briefly -- just long enough to find out where the rest of the gang has gone.

The gang arrives at Wildstone House, the home of a wealthy Havlin merchant and his family. The Way Hill Slashers are already there, but have not yet completed their plan to rob and murder everyone.

The battle begins...

===2021-12-05===

The gang rescues the Wildstone family, killing the Way Hill Slashers and cornering their leader, Vex'Tiel. Vex'Tiel slips away, but not before telling the gang that her actions have been for a greater purpose. She is finding and killing members of the Cult Of Corruption, who seek to end the world in rot and ruin. The gang is skeptical.

The gang spends time talking to the city guard, explaining what has happened and why. The people of Havlin Town express their gratitude. Eventually, the gang returns to the Eagle's Feather, where they discover that someone has been here recently, taking most of the maps and documents that the gang had previously found.

Whoever it was left behind two chests. Bohdan opens a chest, which tugs a spider thread, which tugs other spider webs... and hundreds of spiders boil out of the webs in the corners of the basement.

===2021-12-12===

The gang defeats the swarms of spiders and gathers the loot left behind by Vex'Tiel, then returns to the mansion of Zsbysek with Murdan, a dwarf who had been held captive by Vex'Tiel.

While questioning Murdan and debating their next plans, they realize that they are being spied upon by someone invisible. A game of hide-and-seek ends with the capture of the invisible spy -- a Havlin wearing a magic cloak of invisibility.

The gang takes the Havlin back to the basement of the Eagle's Feather. They create an illusion of Vex'Tiel, and question the Havlin spy, pretending to be in the employ of Vex'Tiel. The Havlin appears convinced, and they prepare to send him to spy on Anton, Lord Dvorak (whose name the Havlin spy had overheard, and whom he believes to be the next target of the Way Hill Slashers)...

===2022-01-02===

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Pavel_(Bruce_Campbell).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Sergeant Pavel of the city guard, Human (Karelian) Fighter]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>

The gang interrogates the havlin, and are about to turn him over to the city guard when he cleverly distracts them and makes a break for it. Unfortunately for him, Alice and Diezalau are not taken in by his ruse, and they cast spells at him (Hold Person and Magic Missile). Jakob gags and binds the havlin, and they take him to the central guard station.

Unfortunately, the havlin died from his wounds, which puts the gang in an awkward position. The guards decide that the havlin probably had it coming, and they are late for lunch, so they don't arrest the gang, for now.

The gang decides to check in with Mr. and Mrs. Wildstone, the havlins they rescued the previous evening. They are recovering while they oversee the repairs to their home, and they are happy to answer questions and help the people who rescued them. The two pieces of information that seem most relevant are the upcoming Autumn Festival party being given by Lord Anton of House Dvorak, and the possible connection to the temple of Cymothoa.

The Wildstones are happy to give the gang their party invitation, along with a letter naming the gang as the Wildstones' guests.

Back at Zsbysek's manor, Zsbysek the Resplendent tells his apprentices Albrecht and Diezalau that he has been invited to a party this weekend: an Autumn Festival party being given by Lord Anton of House Dvorak. Zsbysek does not intend to go, but they are welcome to attend in his place if they like.

Meanwhile, Albrecht, Jakob, Ogilvy, and Reznik go to the temple quarter to talk with a priest of Cymothoa. The priest does not seem suspicious or sinister, and describes the work of Cymothoa (decay and decomposition) as simply a part of the natural order.

However, on the way back to Zsbysek's manor, Albrecht and the others are ambushed by a half-dozen priests carrying holy symbols of Cymothoa! It is a close fight, but the gang prevails. The city guard take these deaths more seriously, and question the gang thoroughly before releasing them.

Dressed in their new formal attire, the gang gets ready to go to the mansion of Lord Anton of House Dvorak.

===2022-01-16===

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Anton_(Jeremy_Irons).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Lord Anton of House Dvorak, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Stefan_(Russell_Brand).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Stefan of House Dvorak, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Izabel_(Ursula_Corbero).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Izabel of House Svoboda, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:VexTiel_(Fanfoxy).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Vex'Tiel, Ice Elf]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>

It's the Autumn Festival Party at Dvorak Manor. The gang schmooze and explore, some of them more invasively than others. Reznik sneaks away and uses a ruse to avoid suspicion. He doesn't find the violin-shaped bottle he is looking for, but he does find a ledger (one of many) devoted to Lord Anton's business dealings in Voscau, Reznik's hometown.

Everyone else makes small talk and listens for anything interesting. Anton is a pleasant host, and makes the rounds to talk to each of his guests. The two guests who stand out, other than the gang themselves, are Anton's son Stefan and a young woman named Izabel. Stefan would prefer to be elsewhere, although he is agreeable when spoken to. Izabel is fascinated by the gang's stories, and asks for more.

Ogilvy seems to catch Anton's eye at one point, and he offers her a tour. He shows her the paintings of his wives (now all deceased -- alas, taken too soon), and he is proud to show Ogilvy his wine cellar. One bottle he doesn't tell her the history of is a half-size wine bottle shaped like a violin, and filled with a glowing blue liquid.

Diezalau sneaks away and turns invisible so that she can search the building.

Albrecht sees through Ziggy's eyes as the owl circles the building. Ziggy spots someone in one of the rooms: Vex'Tiel, who appears to be waiting. A few minutes later, a man enters the room: it's Stefan. He warns Vex'Tiel that the people who killed her gang are downstairs, and that she should leave. Not looking worried, she does as asked, followed a few steps behind by Stefan.

Reznik follows Stefan, but loses sight of Vex'Tiel.

While the rest of the gang share some of the information they'd gathered, Reznik finally finds the object of his search: the violin-shaped bottle. He takes a bottle of some dwarven whisky as well.

Reznik joins the gang just as they give chase to Vex'Tiel, who is blocks away by this time. Albrecht uses his magic cloak to Dimension Door in front of Vex'Tiel... and then she stabs him, repeatedly.

Reznik arrives at Albrecht's bleeding and unconscious body just in time to see Vex'Tiel slip around a corner where the alley meets a main road. He chooses to stay with Albrecht and save his life (which he does). The rest of the gang catch up just in time to hear how surprised Albrecht is that Vex'Tiel would attack him, when he just wanted to talk to her.

Vex'Tiel being long gone by this time, the gang decides to head back to Dvorak Manor. When they arrive, they find the building dark, and the front gate locked.

===2022-01-23===

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Jarmila_(Jenna_Dewan).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Captain Jarmila, Vodni Brana City Guard, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Josef_(Daniel_Kaluuya).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Josef, Shadow Daggers assassin, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Professor_Winsome_Landy.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Professor Winsome Landy, Havlin Scholar]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>

As the snow begins to fall on the gang, they decide to head back to Zsbysek's mansion, but Reznik wants to make a stop first: the Red Frog pub, on the riverfront.

Reznik goes in alone, and meets with Josef, an assassin with the Shadow Daggers. Apparently, the assignment to steal the violin-shaped bottle from Lord Anton was just a test -- and he passed. He gets to keep the bottle (a Potion of True Resurrection), and now he is a member of the Shadow Daggers. The rest of the gang arrives shortly thereafter, and they have a few drinks before heading back to Zsbysek's.

The next morning, they have a visitor. Professor Winsome Landy, a havlin scholar, seeks assistance escorting an archeological find from the Ealdwood back to Vodni Brana. She is willing to pay Diezalau and Albrecht 500 silver pieces for the job.

Diezalau and Albrecht debate whether to take the job, and whether to loop in the rest of the gang. They bring the job offer to the gang, and then they debate whether to take the job. Eventually, they do, although there is a brief misunderstanding about the payment.

The gang heads out of the city, into the Ealdwood, and arrives at the inn a few days later. The nameless inn is long abandoned, and was appropriated by Professor Landy and her colleagues to serve as a base for their archeological explorations. They find carnage, and goblins. After killing or driving away the goblins, the gang realizes that the bodies (some partially eaten) have been here for days.

Professor Landy leads them to the archeological site, an hour or so through densely wooden hills, until they see a stone archway in a hillside. The archway had been buried, but has recently been excavated. The gang investigates, and are attacked by several ghouls -- ghouls who were once Professor Landy's colleagues!

===2022-01-30===

The gang defeats and destroys the ghouls -- former colleagues of Professor Landy -- and finds Professor Calador, the elf, in a hidden area beneath the ancient temple of Cymothoa. According to Calador, the rest of the archeological team was possessed by the artifact they fond in the temple, and he was forced to kill several of them before he locked himself in the hidden shrine.

Alas, Calador is the one who has been possessed by the temple, and he turns violent once the gang is close to the shrine to Cymothoa. The gang destroys what is left of Calador, and they make sure that the rest of the ghouls are destroyed, as well.

The gang takes the artifact, a magical flanged mace, and heads back to Vodni Brana.

A day or so later, while still within the Ealdwood, they hear the sound of someone in trouble -- but it's a trap! It's a hag, who attacks the gang along with her monstrous enchanted plants. But the gang prevails, and they eventually arrive safely in Vodni Brana.

===2022-02-06===

The gang heads back to the city mansion of Lord Anton of Dvorak, which is all dark and  closed up. They knock, and meet an old lady who has been left as the caretaker while Lord Anton and his family have returned to their country estates.

Back at Zsbysek's manor, they discuss their options and enjoy a meal. Later, they notice they are being watched! A crossbow bolt is sufficient to drive the spy away.

The gang splits up, with some visiting the Shrine of Cymothoa in the Temple Of Temples, and some visiting the [[Media:Temple_of_Thehlal.jpg|Dark Library of Thehlal]].

An invitation arrives for Ogilvy, to visit the Dvorak estate, a few miles south of the town of Breechhill.

===2022-02-13===

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Smails_butler.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Smails, the butler for House Dvorak]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Anton_(Jeremy_Irons).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Lord Anton of House Dvorak, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Stefan_(Russell_Brand).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Stefan of House Dvorak, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:VexTiel_(Fanfoxy).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Vex'Tiel, Ice Elf]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>

The gang heads south to Breechhill, and then east to the [[Media:Dvorak_fortress_(Khotyn_fortress).jpg|Dvorak estate]]. They see that the fortress-like building has been attacked recently. Lord Anton explains that a devil has been attacking them each night at dusk, demanding that they hand over Lord Anton's infant grandson, Harry. Anton offers them 100 gold each if they will help defend his family.

Reznik takes the opportunity to goad Lord Anton, and see how he responds to accusations that he killed Reznik's parents (or had them killed).

As night falls, a [[Media:Scarecrow_(Mike_Moser).jpg|burning scarecrow]] and several hounds made of mist attack. The gang fights them off, with the assistance of Lord Anton and Vex'Tiel. However, they discover that the baby Harry was abducted during the fray!

Fade out as Ogilvy wakes up Stefan, Lord Anton offers Bohdan and Diezalau 500 gold each to go get his grandson, and Diezalau and Albrecht are starting to put together the fact that what Lord Anton has done, what he's said about what he has done, and what he seems to actually believe, do not quite match up.

And outside on the front steps, the scarecrow's magic axe and magic sickle lay in the mist...

===2022-02-20===

<div><ul class="thumbs">
<li>[[File:Anton_(Jeremy_Irons).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Lord Anton of House Dvorak, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Stefan_(Russell_Brand).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Stefan of House Dvorak, Human (Karelian)]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:VexTiel_(Fanfoxy).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Vex'Tiel, Ice Elf]]&nbsp;</li>
<li>[[File:Yeth_Devil_(James_Wolf_Strehle)_cropped.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Yeth, devil who makes bargains]]&nbsp;<br />[[Media:Yeth_Devil_(James_Wolf_Strehle).jpg|Yeth, full version]]</li>
<li>[[File:Female_human_paladin_(Eksrey)_cropped.jpg|200px|thumb|none|Araleth, paladin of Uzzah (deceased)]]&nbsp;<br />[[Media:Female_human_paladin_(Eksrey).jpg|Araleth, full version]]</li>
<li>[[File:Female_elf_priest_(George_Panfilov).jpg|200px|thumb|none|Ghilanna, priestess of Laat]]&nbsp;</li>
</ul></div>



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Scarecrow
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Berry the Havlin Housekeeper
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Temple of Thehlal
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Dvorak fortress
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Dvorak bulter
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Devil Yeth
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paladin of Uzzah
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elf priestess
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angry dwarf with axe


This is not a butter knife, a pry bar, or a letter opener. Any use for any such purpose or as a door stop or a lintel voids the warrenty and may cause harm due to flying shards of metal due to the blade shattering.
Using the point to etch graffiti is strictly forbidden and may subject the owner to a fine of at least 10 thousand gold and 6 months of incarceration. Anyone who suffers death thanks to misuse is forbidden a raise dead.
The manufacturer is not responsible for death, dismemberment, wounds or injury. Dealing with rust, dings, and dents is entirely your responsibility.
-->

<!-- <div style="text-align: center;">
==='''Shadows Over Ealdwood''' continues in '''[[Shadows Over Ealdwood:Chapter_Two|The Keep]]'''===
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[[Category:Shadows Over Ealdwood]]
[[Category:Fantasy]]