Episode 2, "A Sneaking Suspicion"

While the adventurers slept off the prior day's brow-beating by Grum'Glum, Dugan was notified by the staff at the Golden Coin of a development in the theft of his prized ring; the remains of the lockbox had been discovered in a bush outside the establishment. Dugan decided to grab breakfast and wait for the two to come downstairs to discuss the issue at hand.

Fhasys and Talos joined Dugan for breakfast and a bit of stern talk, but Talos' attention was soon drawn to a pair of townsfolk at the other end of the bar. The two men were talking about some old "haunted" mine nearby and goading each other on about how neither of them were man enough to go explore it. The Embershard mine was established during the founding days of Lehren and had initially provided a sizable surge of capital, but the money soon dried up as miners began to dissapear one by one into the depths. Soon after, Embershard was all but abandoned and now plays host to god-knows-what types of evil vermin.

Dugan gave the party a subtle warning to turn the ring back in, and when it appeared that they weren't going to cooperate, he ordered a search of their belongings. Fhasys had initially planted the ring in Talos' pack, but with this warning looming overhead she decided it'd be best to point out to Talos that he'd in fact stolen it. Summoning his mage hand, Talos decided it'd be best to get the ring out of both of their possessions and dropped it in the rooftop gutter of the Golden Coin. Needless to say, Dugan's search came up empty-handed... which, of course, only intensified his suspicion.

Shortly prior to this whole ring fiasco, Dugan had asked the duo to dispose of the giant ogre head--still laying in the dirt and tethered to a pony outside of the Golden Coin. Children had gathered around the decaying head and an old man was drawing sketches of the scene for tips. Talos, seeing an opportunity to immortalize himself, took advantage and obtained one for himself. Shortly thereafter, he hired the stable boy at the Golden Coin to haul the head off to a dump somewhere.

While they awaited the stable boy's return with Talos' pony, the duo went down to the local stables to speak with a young assistant who'd once paid a visit to the old mines. The boy nervously recounted his story to the best of his ability and provided basic directions should the party want to investigate. He obviously had zero desire to ever go back and sobbed at the memory of his childhood friend who never made it back from the exploration with him.

Using the intelligence gifted upon him by the Gods, Talos realized that they were now one pony short and decided to see if Dugan had another to offer. He did not. The stable boy (who was to dispose of the ogre head) was also nowhere to be found, so they decided to go find out what happened.

Riding off into the forest just SE of Lehren, they stumbled upon a small rock quarry with said pony standing all by his lonesome smack in the middle of the pit. Closer inspection revealed some blood-spatter trailing up the far ledge and missing saddlebags. As the two investigated the scene at the bottom of the pit, it became obvious that they were being watched... Climbing back out, they decided to try and sneak around the perimeter of the quarry to get the drop on whomever was spying on them, but the gnolls got the first shot. Fhasys took a glancing blow from a spear that was hurled out from the treeline and combat ensued. Eventually, the party disposed of four gnolls and discovered the eviscerated remains of the stable boy nearby. During the combat, one particularly ravenous gnoll decided to have some raw pony flesh for lunch so the duo, once again, rode back to town on a single mount.

Talos delivered the bad news about the stable boy to the barkeep at the Golden Coin (who said he'd notify the family) and then the two turned right back around to go find out what all the fuss is about at the Embershard mine. Though a bit difficult to find, the mine was right where the folks at the tavern had said it was... some 15mi along the Deepvine river heading SW toward the coast. The going became quite difficult as they approached the mine, forcing the party to dismount and walk their ponies along a crude, ill-maintained path. After a lengthy search, Fhasys finally found the opening to the mine overgrown with vegetation and they crawled inside.

The mine entrance was dark and the air stagnant as expected for a long-since abandoned tunnel. Fhasys took the lead just outside of Talos' well-lit sword's light radius and she quickly came upon the first signs of life... A pile of rubble with a smashed body beneath. Fhasys also discovered the makings of a tripwire and post jutting out of the rubble, so the two decided to do a bit more "active" searching as they descend further into the mines. After finding an old dusty ladder descending down to the next level, Talos decided to use some rope to try and secure their climb down... just in case. Fhasys nimbly slid down the latter with little commotion, but Talos lost his grip and came crashing down on top of Fhasys at the bottom of the ladder.

The second floor's layout seemed fairly straightforward--a simple main shaft with branches at every 20' or so--and Talos did his best to map their findings. In their exploration of the first set of branches, the party found a small group of kobolds and dispatched them without too much trouble. In the second set of branches, they again found a couple more kobolds ripe for the picking. In the third set of branches, the not-so-subtle sound of snoring could be heard.

Fhasys approached cautiously and, in the grainy monochrome light of her darkvision saw a human sleeping behind rusted bars on a crude hay mat. The prisoner, badly beaten and emaciated, seemed quite traumatized and feared the return of "them"... the "things from below". The man rambled on (somewhat hysterically) about having had lost his friend and having been imprisoned by the beasts of the mine, and he pleaded to be set free. Using Fhasys' handy-dandy crowbar, the two managed to apply enough leverage to break the gate open and the prisoner scurried away to safety.

Talos and Fhasys, slightly bruised by the kobold encounters but not at all dissuaded by the prisoner, decided to take a short rest before they press on.

Episode 1, "Trouble in Lehren"

The story begins in the peaceful lakeside hamlet of Lehren, nestled on the southern shores of Lake Saun in the Kingdom of Erenon. Two recruits from the Lehren militia, sent on a typical scouting mission to report on local disturbances in the northwestern farmlands, have failed to return and the headmaster is growing concerned. Being a somewhat "tame" and docile little town, Lehren doesn't see much action and thus hasn't staffed the militia to appropriate levels. However, fate has it that two fine young adventurers just happen to be passing through...

Talos, a brilliant-yet-snobby young wizard of Elven descent, has chosen Lehren as his first stop in his quest to unravel the mysteries of a small, smoke-filled glass orb he'd recently obtained. A small curio shoppe, such as the one in Lehren, just might be the place to pick some brains. Sadly, the shoppe owner knew nothing save for pointing Talos in a new direction--Reeser Cloudlake in the city of Quanlo. Having the rest of the day to ponder the meaning of life, the universe, and everything, Talos decided to take a stroll through town. Upon crossing a small, dirt side road, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and decided to investigate. Talos had spotted an unusually quick and shadowy figure darting around the side of one of the more "noble" establishments of Lehren.

Fhasys, a deft yet vengeful young rogue of some Elven descent, had just stepped out into the daylight after what struck her as the most useless thieve's guild meeting she'd ever attended. Not only was the meeting sparsely attended (how many thieves does a hamlet really need, anyway), but they were all clearly far below her level of skill and expertise. She'd provided some tips and pointers on the finer skills of stealth but soon decided to move on... to stealing stuff. Winding her way through the town's various dirt roads and back-alleys, Fhasys stumbled upon quite possibly the most "upscale" home in all of Lehren--which wasn't saying much. She poked her way around the building looking for signs of life (and open windows), and eventually found one that she could slip into.

Talos was chasing a ghost, and one that barely held his curiosity... but it was better than getting drunk this early in the day. He followed the shadowy figure around one side of the home and then the other, finally stopping to watch her slip into a window. Shrugging his shoulders, he figured this sort of business was best left alone and made his way to the Golden Coin--the local inn and tavern. On the way, he was approached by a messenger and handed a letter... from none other than the headmaster of the local guild.

Managing to avoid detection of the home's single inhabitant, Fhasys unlocked and explored two rooms in the house for goodies. She left with a small wooden lock-box and a couple pairs of fancy clothes which she flipped at the local curio shop for a few gold. Seeing nothing of real value, she decided to head down the block to the Golden Coin as well for a drink. On the way, she was approached by a messenger.

The scene in the Golden Coin was that of absolute mellowness... Nothing, in particular, was going on anywhere. To celebrate her new found wealth, Fhasys bought a round for all four strangers at the bar; including a fancily-dressed elf sitting in a dark corner drinking some fancy wine. The elf, obviously, refused the vastly inferior drink. Taking it personally (as she usually does), Fhasys confronted the elf with a flying mug. Talos deftly dodged and landed next to her at the bar. What happens when an elitist meets a girl with a chip on her shoulder? Nothing good, I tell you.

Fhasys and Talos finally agreed to stop arguing and they were soon visited by the militia headmaster, Dugan Steinland. Some local farmsteads in the outskirts of town had been reporting disturbances, and the last batch of recruits sent to scout the area have not returned. For a handful of gold, they agreed to investigate.

After some while of walking the fields, the duo came across a badly damaged farm house owned by the Fetterman family. Smoke billowed from one side of the building where a huge gouge was dug out of the upper-floors. Talos discerned some rather large footprints in the grass while Fhasys moved closer to scope the situation. Inside, they encountered a group of mean-spirited bandits (which they dispatched with some difficulty) and then decided to head back for their reward. Actually, Fhasys decided to head back as Talos, at this point, was lying unconscious on the back of her horse.

Reward collected but with no news of the recruits, Dugan urged them to continue their search. More gold was offered, and accepted, as well as two ponies. Talos and Fhasys got in some more bickering at the Golden Coin before turning in for the night. Before going to sleep, Fhasys demolished her new found lock box to discover a small silver ring, embellished with an amethyst.

The next morning, they set off back toward the Fetterman farmstead following a crudely drawn map Fhasys had found on one of the bandits. After quite a long ride toward the foothills of Mount Ayrah, they encountered a sleeping giant... literally. The party snuck up on Grum'glum (the ogre) and, once within range, loosed an arrow in its direction. Unfortunately, the arrow missed--landing in a nearby bush--and awoke the beast. The ensuing battle was frightening, to say the least, involving a humongous javelin toss, constant "running away" behavior by Talos, and a club-slam that launched Fhasys into the air knocking her unconscious. Eventually, they managed to slay Grum'glum and search its cave.

In a huge, iron cauldron they found the skeletal remains of two people--assumed to be the missing recruits--and a silver token emblazoned with the symbol of a raven. Fhasys rode on the back of Talos' pony this time, and after a bit of healing they were granted another reward and thanked by Dugan for work well-done. The town of Lehren can rest easy knowing that nothing will ever happen again to disturb their peace... ever. Never ever. Again.

The Story of Talos

Talos Aldaron was born in a small Elven village on one of the smaller islands between Nightfalls Island and the City of the Steel Lotus. Talos' tribe of Elves had been guardians of the island for several thousands of years, allowing only creatures that did not upset the balance on the island to migrate or settle there. When Talos was a young child, the village elders' egos swelled and they lost touch with an evil growing on the island. The Elves believed themselves to be too powerful to be overcome by the trolls, giants, and orcs on the island because they were disorganized and fragmented; that is until a powerful mage appeared.

The creatures eventually overcame his tribe, reducing the village to ash and slaughtering the majority of his people. Talos tried to take up arms against the invaders but he was not prepared for the onslaught. After the slaughter, his mother and father were never found. When Talos came to, he was being driven to a slave market to be sold to a powerful sorcerer's estate. The remaining members of his tribe (including his brother and sister), also taken to market, were dispersed among the various bidders.

After learning of Talos' arcane Elvish bloodline, the sorcerer who'd purchased Talos had originally planned to rend his physical form into components for magical rituals and potions. Upon reflection, the sorcerer instead decided to model him in his image as an apprentice. After living as a servant in the fields of the sorcerer's estate, the young apprentice came of age and his master sought a new apprentice. He brought Talos and several other children to a large hall where various magic items were strewn about and then summoned several large bears and wolves to attack them. Many of the children were ripped apart in a matter of seconds before they even realized what was going on. Talos dodged several of the attacks and managed to grab a wand. With the threat of death looming, he was able to channel a few simple spells from the wand blinding and confusing the animals. The sorcerer, realizing the potential in Talos, ordered the animals to stand down. The few remaining survivors were ordered back to the fields, some severely crippled by their wounds.

Unknown to Talos, centuries prior to his village's invasion and his own abduction, his master had made a pact with an evil being of great power from another plane in hopes of power and longevity. This demon soon returned to collect on his debts, enslaving Talos' former master and slaughtering everyone in the estate. Amidst the chaos, Talos fled east into the Glitter Flame desert in search of sanctuary and a new beginning.

The Story of Fhasys

Fhasys Kittouch was born to the owner of a brothel in Cherak, a lonely port city on the coast. Obviously, she was a ‘mistake’. The brothel was quite successful due to its strategic location and reputation, owned by a woman with the willingness to accommodate any need no matter how depraved. Needless to say, there was a lot of turnover at this brothel. The owner, Sybil, was a perfect business-person - smart, ambitious, lacking in moral character and an expert manipulator. She was also quite meticulous and calculating, so it came as a shock when she learned that her ex-boyfriend-turned-psycho-stalker Elf had managed to knock her up before they split. Sybil went into complete denial which lasted right up until she was about to pop, by which time it was too late to do anything about. Fhasys was born.

She was an awful baby, which wasn't surprising considering her gene pool, nor did it help any that Sybil wanted nothing to do with her. She wasn’t a particularly attractive child, though she was smart and curious. She had no siblings to play with growing up, and Sybil kept her home from school to avoid dealing with Half-Elf haters. She hired tutors who were qualified enough, but not exactly friendly. Fhasys didn’t mind though, she was always lost in her own world-- dark and shadowy, yet somehow comforting. Although Sybil was cold to her child, she enjoyed showing her off like a bizarre novelty to her wealthy patrons and friends. She hired the best dancers, musicians and acrobats to train Fhasys in all manners of performance. The young girl was enthralled with all of it as it was the only form of self-expression her mother would allow. Fhasys hated the way her mother treated herself and the desperate women she employed, but she learned the hard way not to speak out against her.

As Fhasys grew into a (surprisingly attractive) woman, Sybil’s attitude toward her went from that of a slight burden to a constant reminder of her own waning mortality. Her bitterness toward Fhaysis only grew worse over time, and when Fhaysis turned 19 she rashly decided to sell her in her annual concubine auction. This was the second time Sybil had ever made a mistake.

Fhasys, in a fit of rage, burned the brothel down--and Sybil with it. She never looked back. It was the beginning of a new life for her, with no one but herself to rely on and a newfound freedom she would never take for granted.