Adventure 10 - Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows

Played December 13, 2004
Dateline Mournland: 25 Therendor 999 (early spring – equivalent to late-March)
Featuring Baqar, Jory, Kirin, Metal Guy, and Quarion


On the way to Kerrine’s home our heroes ran into a Warforged patrol. Fortunately they were able to break the traditional adventurer role of being the target of an ambush and instead launch one atop a broken ridge – Metal Guy pretended to have prisoners while the rest of the band assumed ambush positions. In a heated battle (featuring Kirin making use of her heat metal spell against a Warforged monk) our heroes were victorious and after a day-long journey arrived at Kerrine’s home.

It was hard to miss – it was surrounded by a seemingly bottomless chasm surrounding it on all sides. And for good measure it had been pushed some 80 feet higher. Fortunately a tree had fallen across the chasm, giving access to a strangely fertile ledge (odd, since most of the Mournland was a wasteland). Baqar, not one for discretion, charged right across (with Fluffy), only to find himself attached by bloodsucking vines. He fled to a cave entrance while the rest of the heroes (and Fluffy) finished it off. Within the tunnels they found themselves under attack by a strange sort of zombie-orc – not undead, but rather animated by some odd plant life. They finished them off and destroyed the seeds which seemed to be growing out of their heads.

Wandering the tunnels our heroes found the a pool of water and well-shaft above, leading to Kerrine’s house. Climbing up, they worked their way up to Kerrine’s basement which showed signs of the Day of Mourning – the house above the basement was rubble, the foundation cracked, piecing of the ceiling and walls had caved in. They found Kerrine’s body under a pile of rubble – right next to a wall which she had exposed by moving a crate.

Sure enough there was a secret door behind the crate. Unfortunately, moving it broke a magic circle in the room beyond. But they saw no one – not until they fell under attack by a shadow fey which Kerrine had apparently kept imprisoned. He ambushed and retreated into shadow. Or hid in plain sight, without the aid of cover or darkness. Our heroes were badly wounded until they finally brought him down. They managed to capture him alive.

The shadow fey, or shadar-kai as they are more formally referred to, had been stuck in Kerrine’s basement for several years. He agreed to aid our heroes in exchange for his life. He explained how his people had attempted, ages ago, to plunge Eberron into endless twilight. It did not work, instead the shadar-kai were left bound to the Plane of Shadow. The device they used was still in Xen’drik – and he did not know if it could be repaired, but the Shadow Key would most likely be needed to reactivate the shadow device.

Our heroes then took their prisoner along with what little loot there was in the basement, and headed back to Drekel’s boat.


Treasure

• 1600 silver pieces from rescuing merchant (160 gp value).
• Potions from the Warforged patrol – two potions of True Strike (give a +20 bonus to one attack roll, worth 50 gp each), two potions of invisibility (100 gp each)
• Collection of druidic tomes – worth perhaps 200 gp if sold.
• Kerrine’s reseach on the Shadow Key and Shadow Fey (detailed below).
  
  

Experience

• Warforged patrol – leader was a 2nd level monk (Challenge Rating 2). Also present was a scout (2nd level rogue, CR 2). There were also 6 warriors (1st level each, CR ½). Total experience 600 + 600 + 150 x 6 = 1800 XP.
• “Zombie orcs” – Yellow Musk Zombies. You fought two with a CR of ½ each. 300 XP.
• Assassin Vine – Challenge Rating of 3 (900 experience points).
• Shadow Fey – 3rd level rogue plus shadow fey abilities gave him a CR of 4.1350 XP.
  
  4350 experience total this adventure – 870 per character, bringing character totals to 5061. 4th level is about 1000 XP away.
  
  

Kerrine’s notes on the Shadow Key and Shadow Fey are below. It is dated one day before the Day of Mourning – the tragedy which destroyed the Kingdom of Cyre, killing most of its population (including Kerrine) and turning Cyre into the wastes now known as the Mournland.

19 Olarune, 994

It so happens that my trip to Metrol was very fruitful. Quint Vas, the ambassador from Aerenal, gave me access to some of his ancient records telling tales of Xen’drik, tens of thousands of years ago. Ambassador Vas was quick to point out that his information was still only legend, but I am fascinated by this version of the legend, in that it differs from the version my brother uncovered.

The most popular version of this tale indicates that the giants of Xen’drik imprisoned a tribe of Shadar-Kai (“Shadow Fey”) for rebellion against their great empire. Supposedly, the key would release them from the arcane prison the giants are to have created.

Though the two versions agree that the shadar-kai were opposed to the giant empire, this version minimizes the role of the giants. Seeking to preserve the world from the giants, the shadar-kai made a pact with a dark power in the Plane of Shadow, to cast Eberron into an endless twilight where the shadar-kai, masters of shadow, would reign supreme. But something went wrong with their artifact – it did not plunge Eberron into endless twilight – rather it bound the shadar-kai to the Plane of Shadow, damned to lose their souls to its dark depths. The Shadow Key was supposedly used to activate the shadar-kai artifact. It fell into the hands of the giants (which would explain the giant version of the takle). Apparently the Key eventually made its way into Eberron after the fall of the giant empire).

The elves of Aerenal believe this second version to be closer to the truth. Ambassador Vas also warned me that they also believe the artifact almost worked – a skilled artificer might be able to fulfill its original purpose, though the artifact could not be reactivated without the Shadow Key.

Ian and I must proceed carefully – it is certain all of the powers in this never-ending war would covet the opportunity to use the artifact – they would see it as a weapon they could control. If we could find a way to destroy the Shadow Key then the artifact would become one more useless relic of a bygone age. Perhaps Cornellus Krenn of Stormreach on Xen’drik would have information on how to destroy the Key – I know that neither I nor Ambassador Vas know anything about that…