Experience summary Sept 30, 1999 - Players
Inverness: It is the morning of October 19. Rhyawdd has been summoned to the private chambers of the wizard Emchath on a matter of some urgency. Emchath asks Rhyawdd if he still intends to join Kieren Urquhart’s quest. Rhyawdd tells Emchath that he is putting together a party to travel to Skye to join up with Kieren. Emchath says this is good news because there are several tasks that he would like Rhyawdd to complete during the journey. Emchath reveals that he is making arrangements with an acquaintance to assist Rhyawdd's group in their journey to Loch Duich. He tells Rhyawdd to assemble his party with all haste and be ready to depart as soon as possible.
Rhyawdd takes his leave of Emchath and proceeds to assemble a party for the journey to Loch Duich. He speaks with two of his cousins (David and William) who share his views on the Comyn claim to membership in the Clan Chattan. David, a warrior of renown, agrees to join Rhyawdd's party. William, a cleric of Dagda, also agrees to join Rhyawdd, however he is uncertain on when he will be available because of his responsibilities to the church in Inverness (William is second to the high priest). Rhyawdd agrees to speak with the high priest on William's behalf.
Rhyawdd gains an audience with Robert Baird, the high priest of Dagda, and negotiates with him to get William's timely relief from his clerical duties to the church. Rhyawdd donates 130 gp to the church. Master Robert says he will consider the matter and give Rhyawdd an answer in the morning.
On the evening of the 19th Rhyawdd is once again summoned by Emchath. "Good news", says Emchath, " I have been able to secure transport to Loch Duich for you and your party whenever you are ready to go". Rhyawdd tells Emchath that he is still assembling his party and that he should be ready to go in the next day or two. Emchath says OK and proceeds to elaborate on the tasks that he would like Rhyawdd to undertake on his behalf.
Emchath has reviewed Rhyawdd's account from the Cairn, and he is convinced that the wizard that Rhyawdd/Kieren et. al. battled/killed in the Corrimony Cairn is the infamous necromancer who lives in a tower in the "Valley of the Dead" north of Loch Duich. This necromancer will have many spell books and magical tomes in his tower that would be of great value to Emchath in his studies. Emchath asks Rhyawdd to recover any tomes or books that he finds in the tower and bring them to Inverness. To assist Rhyawdd in this matter, Emchath gives him a bag of holding 500# capacity for the safe collection and storage of the books.
A second task that Emchath has for Rhyawdd is assisting Kieren in the rescue of his daughter from her captors on the Isle of Skye. Apparently, Emchath's friend Misha has promised Kieren assistance in his quest and Emchath now asks Rhyawdd to provide that assistance on Misha's behalf (as a favor to Emchath.)
Finally, Emchath asks Rhyawdd to arrange for the Sidhe (Brook) that travels with Kieren to return to Inverness whenever it is convenient so that he may meet the Sidhe. Rhyawdd asks how much force should be used in this matter, and Emchath stresses that the Sidhe should come of his own free will.
Emchath, tells Rhyawdd to let him know when the party is assembled so that he can finalize the transportation. Before Rhyawdd takes his leave, Emchath also gives him a map of the Isle of Skye and Loch Duich. He tells Rhyawdd that the map may prove helpful in the coming journey, and that Rhyawdd should feel free to enhance/update the map with any first-hand information he should gather.
On the morning of October 20, Rhyawdd learns that his cousin William, the priest, will be ready to depart Inverness on the morning of the 21st. Rhyawdd sets the morning of the 21st as the departure time for his party and advises Emchath. Emchath tells him to gather his party at the castle first thing in the morning so that he can lead them to the Clava Cairns to meet the individual who will take the party to Loch Duich. Rhyawdd thinks this odd because the Cairns are 2 hours to the west of Inverness, the opposite direction of where his party wants to go.
Nicollete and Cedric, Rhyawdd's henchmen, prepare for the journey to Loch Duich by purchasing provisions, cold weather gear, and camping supplies. All is made ready for Rhyawdd's party to depart on the morning of the 21st.
On the morning of October 21st, Rhyawdd's party meets Emchath and his apprentice, Elinor Grant, at Inverness castle. They journey 2 hours to the west to the Clava burial cairns. The trip is uneventful. Emchath leads the group to a nearby grove of trees and tells them to stay put while he locates his acquaintance. He enters the grove, and a short while later returns with a 40+ year old woman who he introduces as "Coleen". Emchath tells the party that Coleen will lead them on their journey to Loch Duich. Emchath & Elinor take their leave of the party and bid them a safe and successful expedition.
Coleen leads the party into the grove, advising them to "stay on the path". She takes them to a circle of standing stones and tells them to enter the circle with her. Coleen tells everyone to join hands with her and go where she leads. She stresses that the party should continue holding hands during the journey or they will become "lost". Coleen then closes her eyes and goes into a trance while mumbling a barely audible incantation. After several minutes an 8' diameter portal/doorway materializes in the center of the stone circle. Coleen opens her eyes and leads the party through the portal.
The party exits the portal into a stone circle much the same as the one they were in. Coleen leads the party from the stone circle along a path through the woods. "Stay on the path" she reminds everyone again. The party travels ~200 yards through the woods and comes to a small clearing with a simple hut surrounded by well maintained gardens and flower beds. The sweet smell of cooking jam and wood smoke hangs in the air. There is a comely female stirring a bubbling pot on a wood fire near the hut. The woman appears to be about 25 years old. Coleen calls greeting to the woman whose name is Linelle. There is a hearty exchange between the two and then Coleen introduces the party. Linelle's mother Gerdie (older woman ~60 years) exits the hut and greets Coleen and the party. Rhyawdd is introduced to Gerdie as the leader of the group. They speak for a while as Linelle offers refreshment to the others. Coleen suggests that the party members can help with cutting wood for the fire and stirring the boiling jam.
Gerdie speaks with Rhyawdd at length about why he has come to Loch Duich. He explains about the various tasks that Emchath has asked him to do. Gerdie is skeptical at first with regards to the necromancer's tower (she does not believe that he is dead) and the rescue of Kieren's daughter on Skye. She asks Rhyawdd if he is aware of the dragon Infyrana who controls a good portion of the Isle of Skye. She confides that Infyrana is very powerful and more than a match for Rhyawdd's group. Rhyawdd explains that he has come to Loch Duich to meet up with Kieren's party. As Rhyawdd describes Kieren Gerdie casts a spell on the boiling pot of jam. An image of Kieren's group appears in the pot. They appear to be walking along the shore of a loch. The group is led by Kieren and an individual that Rhyawdd does not recognize. Gerdie says that Kieren's group is obviously alive, but she is not sure where they can be found. She suggests that Rhyawdd's group make inquiries at Eileen Donan Castle nearby to see if there is any word on them. Before the party leaves, Gerdie and Linelle offer them lunch. While everyone is eating, Kieren's group shows up at Gerdie’s cottage.
Flashback to Invershiel, Morning of October 21st
Kieren and the party are staying at the Lee Shore Inn in the village of Invershiel. They are recovering from the rigors of their trek from the Great Glen to Loch Duich. Kieren considers hiring a boat to take the party from Invershiel to Skye. He speaks with Gawain, the dwarven cleric about travelling by sea and gets a very negative response from him on the idea. Gawain says that both he and Agate are already concerned enough about the ferry crossing at Loch Alsh. Apparently, the locals talk about pirates and sea monsters in the Loch have done little to diminish the dwarves fears about travelling by sea. Gawain makes it clear that the dwarves wish to travel overland as much as possible.
After their discussion, Gawain offers to heal Kieren's wounds from the encounter with the hill giants. Gawain casts 4 orisons to bring Kieren to full hit points. Meanwhile Tarl casts Messenger to send a message to Rhyawdd via Emchath.
Denholm MacKenzie shows up at the Inn and seeks out Kieren. Denholm again expresses his thanks to Kieren's party for their timely rescue of his patrol from the hill giants. Denholm offers any assistance that he can to the party. He suggests that Kieren may wish to speak with the wise woman Gerdie who has some knowledge of the dragon that lives on the Isle of Skye. Kieren agrees to meet Gerdie, and Denholm responds that Durant MacRae (a member of the patrol rescued by Kieren's party) has volunteered to guide Kieren's party anywhere they wish to go in the lands held by the MacKenzies and their kin (Mathesons and MacRaes).
Shortly afterwards, Kieren's party reassembles and heads west along the north shore of Loch Duich toward the village of Keppoch where Gerdie lives. Durant MacRae is leading the party. It is a sunny, clear day and quite warm (60'F) for the time of year. After 45 minutes the party passes through the small village of Morvish in the northwest corner of Loch Duich. Two hours later the party arrives in Keppoch. Durant leads the group to a small cottage in a copse of trees on the outskirts of the village. There is a group of men and women gathered there. These people are quickly recognized as Gerdie and her daughter as well as Rhyawdd and his travelling companions. Introductions are made all around and the newcomers are offered a hearty lunch of mead, freshly made bread and jam.
After lunch Gerdie speaks with Kieren privately inside her hut. Kieren notices that the interior of the hut appears much larger than would be expected from its outward appearance. Gerdie questions Kieren at length about his quest to rescue his daughter. She tells Kieren that "the bitch Infyrana" is a powerful red dragon that has lived on Skye for over 30 years. She and her army of goblins reportedly live in a dwarven mining settlement in the Cuillen hills on the southern coast of Skye. Infyrana is reputed to have slain or driven off all the dwarves that lived on Skye. Gerdie also says that Infyrana has an alliance of sorts with the Lords of the Isles (MacLeod and MacDonald clans), but she suspects that this alliance has become sorely strained in the past few years. Infyrana is reported to be demanding more and greater tribute from the Lords with each passing year. Her armies of goblins have grown more powerful and now openly raid surrounding villages in search of food and treasure. It is also rumored that Infyrana has started demanding young maidens be brought to her regularly, which may explain why MacLeod and MacDonald raiding parties have been kidnapping young females within the past couple years. Gerdie tells Kieren that it quite likely that he will run afoul of Infyrana and/or her minions when he attempts to rescue his daughter.
After giving Kieren the "good news", Gerdie offers him tea. When she hands him a cup, she grasps his hand and goes into a trance. Kieren can sense that Gerdie is magically probing his thoughts. He allows her to do this. After a few seconds Gerdie opens her eyes and says to Kieren that he is an honorable, brave man with a pure heart. She tells him that she will provide what assistance she can in his quest to rescue his daughter. Gerdie asks Kieren to describe his daughter. As he does this she casts a spell on a boiling pot of water on the stove. For a brief moment the image of Kieren's daughter appears in the water and then dissipates. "Strange," mutters Gerdie, "It would appear that your daughter is alive, but someone is blocking attempts to scry her." Gerdie tells Kieren that she would like to consult the goddess on his daughter's fate. Kieren waits while Gerdie goes into another room (a room that is too big for the hut). Fifteen minutes pass and Gerdie returns. She tells Kieren that his daughter is safe from Infyrana for the moment. She confides that a young man (?) is protecting his daughter from harm in some way and she should be safe for several weeks.
Gerdie suggests that Kieren may wish to use the time he has to locate a powerful magic item that will aid him in his quest, especially if he runs afoul of Infyrana. She relates the following story to Kieren: Ten years ago a mighty dragon slayer named Thollyr came from the south with the intention of slaying Infyrana in her lair. During his sea passage to the Isle of Skye the boat he was on was attacked by pirates. During the battle the boat crashed into shoals and sank with all on board. In the weeks that followed the pirates were able to salvage the wreckage and came into possession of a dragon amulet that Thollyr carried. The three pirate captains who attacked Thollyr's boat could not agree on ownership of the amulet so they split it into three pieces, one for each. Since then, the three shards of the amulet have changed hands several times. The shards are reputed to have great magical powers. The Shard of Righting has healing powers and is reputed to be able to raise the dead. The Shard of Finding can locate wealth as well as dragon-kind. The Shard of Warding protects against magic and the ravages of dragons breath.
Gerdie says that she knows the locations of all three shards. She tells Kieren that one of the shards is held by the necromancer who lives in the Valley of the Dead to the north of Loch Duich. According to Rhyawdd, Kieren and his companions have already killed this necromancer. If this is the case, then the combined parties may be able to plunder the necromancer's tower and gain the shard. Gerdie tells Kieren this will be the first of many trials that he and his companions will face as they attempt to rescue his daughter. If they are successful at the necromancer's tower then perhaps they will succeed in their quest on Skye. Gerdie tells Kieren to bring her the shard from the tower and she will then divulge to him the locations of the remaining shards. Kieren agrees to go to the necromancers tower. Gerdie goes into another room and returns with 2 flasks. She gives the flasks to Kieren and tells him that they are healing potions that he will need on his quest. Gerdie also casts a spell on Kieren which she says will protect him against poisons and diseases for a couple days.
Kieren rejoins his companions and tells them of his discussion with Gerdie and their plan of action. Meanwhile, Gerdie takes Durant MacRae aside and speaks with him privately. Gerdie later tells the party that Durant has agreed to take them as far as the Valley of the Dead. The parties assemble and head for Killilan, the last Matheson village before the Valley of the Dead. During their trek they pass the Matheson stronghold of Eileen Donan Castle which commands the entrance to Loch Long and the Western end of Loch Duich. Further along, they pass through the village of Dornie on the western shore of Loch Long. The village is much larger than Invershiel and boasts a true inn as well as a tavern.
Shortly before nightfall the party arrives in Killilan. It is a quiet fishing village at the western end of Loch Long. The river Elchaig runs through the center of town and leads up into the mountains to the west where the Valley of the Dead is reputed to be. There is a small traveler’s inn here known as the Brook Trout inn. There is only accommodation for 10 people so Durant, Kieren, and Magnus find accommodation with the local priest of Dagda named Nicholas Matheson. The priest is quite pleased to hear that Kieren's party may have already dispatched the necromancer. He gives 2 healing potions and 6 vials of holy water to Kieren to aid him in his quest. The party spends a quiet evening in Killilan, where they receive a hearty meal and all the drinks they want at no charge. The townsmen are pleased to hear that Kieren's party intends to vanquish the evil in the valley of the dead. They share many tales with the party about undead in the Valley. There is also mention made of ensorcelled wolves that roam the valley.
Morning of October 22. It is overcast and warm. A steady rain soaks everything. The party assembles outside the inn and leaves for the Valley of the Dead at first light. After three uneventful hours of trudging through rain and mud the party arrives at a sharp cleft in the valley wall to the south. Durant indicates that this is the entrance to the Valley of the Dead. He bids the party good fortune and says that he will remain in Killilan until evening of the following day to wait for their return.
The party proceeds into the valley. The vegetation is sparse, and what’s there is twisted and stunted. A small stream flows out of the valley into the river Elchaig, which the party has been following. On the right side of the stream steep cliffs end at the creek side. There is a seldom used path along the left side of the stream that leads into the Valley of the Dead. There are numerous rocks and boulders that litter the ground.
Brook, the Sidhe, takes point and the party proceeds along the trail. After several hundred yards Brook cries out that the dead are rising. The party advances to see 18 skeletons rising from an obvious battle site. 5 of the skeletons are 12' tall. There is a brief skirmish before the priests (Tarl, William, Gawain) in the party turn the skeletons and drive them off. Both Tarl and Kieren are injured. Tarl casts Orison on himself to heal his wounds.
The party regroups and continues along the trail. After a mile or so they cross a side stream coming from the hills to the left (east). After they cross the stream, a pack of wolves appears from behind some rocks ~150 yards away on the hillside to the left. The wolves move very quickly and give the party little time to prepare. The priests, Gawain and William, are able to Bless the party before the wolves engage them. Liana casts 2 magic missiles at one of the charging wolves. The fighters in the party form a skirmish line on the left to intercept the charging wolves. Four of the eight wolves make it to the skirmish line and attack. Kieren, Cedric, and Agate are bitten. The fighters retaliate on the wolves and injured several of them. Liothien shoots two arrows into a wolf that is attacking Cedric. Brook administers the killing blow to a wolf that attacked Kieren. Tarl attempts to cast a spell against the wolves but his deity does not answer his plea. It is noted by the party the wolves exude a terrible stench of rotting flesh and appear to be some sort of undead. The remaining 4 wolves that are charging appear to be moving to flank the party.
Liana - Fighter/M-U
Total EP 450
Spell point total: 20 / 22
Hit point total: 33 / 33
Kieren – Ranger
Total EP 845
Spell point total: 12 / 12
Hit point total: 28 / 40
Tarl – Cleric/Th
Total EP 2150
Spell point total: 23 / 25
Hit point total: 38 / 38
Rhyawdd MacPherson – Rogue
Total EP 845
Brook – Warrior Sidhe
Total EP 345
Spell point total: 13 / 13
Cedric – Fighter
Nicollete – Thief
Hit Point total: 12/12