The mysterious Lich

OOC: If your PC had contact with, or is aware of anything regarding the recent appearance and apparent defeat of an unnamed Lich in Valorian's Vale, and your PC is attempting to do anything to further that plot, please post your PC's intended actions here (please keep it within reason, follow general good RP ettiquette please, and ask OOC if you are not sure if your PC can do something) and allow me an opportunity to respond with any adjudications, results, information or follow up activities.

OOC :: Wha?.. damn.. a three week holiday and I missed some DM interference with liches... .... ....

From Shouri's Diary....
"Walking around the familiar grounds of Valorions Vale tonight, my hightened wolfblooded senses and pale master undead studies would suggest to me that a unknown highly powerful undead battle, possibly involving a lich, happened here not long ago, the scent still lingers. I must ask the townsfolk for witnesses, and possibly the graveyard guardians for any clues as to what transpired and what I can do next...."

From Jay
" Hmm, never a dis-appointing read", chuckle, " My sister finds many unusual things. Oh, well, best put this diary back where she hid it...."

Beuttleria has heard of this lich in the Vale ,but has only been able come in contact with a few lich's in the Desert Temple. While these lich's may know plenty they have said nothing when under interrogation (or just havn't survived long enough to say anything). Like usual the Beuttlerians are dedicated to the protection of the vale and the smiting of any evils in Aenea.

Derik and Glor

A Lich loose in the Vale. As Derik said, "Beuttlerians are dedicated to the protection of the vale and the smiting of any evils in Aenea." When the Monk, Bram Alley, is in the vale I will question the lich when it rears his ugly head, in our Vale.

BA,
Beuttlerian Monk.

Sir Rayvensclaw Nightkind ponders the dracolich the lich called upon in the attack on the Vale, trying to remember the name of the foul beast.

RustyDios wrote:OOC :: Wha?.. damn.. a three week holiday and I missed some DM interference with liches... .... ....

From Shouri's Diary....
"Walking around the familiar grounds of Valorions Vale tonight, my hightened wolfblooded senses and pale master undead studies would suggest to me that a unknown highly powerful undead battle, possibly involving a lich, happened here not long ago, the scent still lingers. I must ask the townsfolk for witnesses, and possibly the graveyard guardians for any clues as to what transpired and what I can do next...."

From Jay
" Hmm, never a dis-appointing read", chuckle, " My sister finds many unusual things. Oh, well, best put this diary back where she hid it...."

Inquiring oif the Vale's residents nets mostly unconclusive evidence....

Antonis, the healer of Asis, does remember the Lich using a particularly specific draconic name to call his dracolich, however... the exact spelling could be anyon'es guess, but it sounded something like "Axearendricksis" or something close to that.

RayvenNightkind wrote:Sir Rayvensclaw Nightkind ponders the dracolich the lich called upon in the attack on the Vale, trying to remember the name of the foul beast.

Having battled and slain the potent, foul, undead dragon... Rayvensclaw can remember clearly hearing the lich's voice booming in his head as the beast dropped from on high to shake the ground before him...

"Akshariandrixxus! To me! SLAY THIS FOOL!!!"

OOC: Man, this all sounds mysterious and fun.

Miow: thinks it all sounds terribly exciting! I've always wanted to meet a lich and ask them what it feels like to be one! Ah well, I'm sure I'll meet one someday...

While pondering the name of the beast that befell upon the Vale, Sir Rayvensclaw quitely slips off to the swamp of mists to begin gathering the regents need to enter the Fields of Death. (or undead, can't remember what it's name is for sure off hand) For he's almost sure the beast did not originate from Vorshlag's Tomb or near the beast that resides in the sands.

Seeing as it was polite of him to knock, on his way past, and invite Jay/Shouri along into the swamps with him by leaving a note under their door... at dusk they head into the swamps after Sir Ray.... Jay tracking his heavy footsteps in the swamp marsh and Shouri just following her nose.... .... they are yet to actually catch up with Sir Ray..

ooc// hehe, I forgot your house is right there, lol.

OOC: are your PCs doing anything special or out of the ordinary while travelling this path?

I would be searching the area on the way to the fields for any indications that the lich or his cohort had passed through this way.

Your travels proceed as they would in-game. No clues of such passage present themselves.

Sir Rayvensclaw, Jay and Shouri gather the required regents and enter the fields in search of the the Dracolich Akshariandrixxus.

Again, your travels proceed as normal in the fields. It seems there is not connection in the fields to the Lich or Dracolich that assaulted the vale.

Perhaps another path may yield more info.

Shouri suggests maybe a trip to the Macedone burial island to see if the undead there have been stirred up again...

Jay agrees this is a good move, as Rayvensclaw and he have been caught out there before (whilst laying past allies to rest), by an unknown demi-lich, his undead super-minions and his army of four (yes 4) dracoliches.....

Maybe the demi-lich has reached full lichdom (is that the right ascension path?), and with his four draco's, there is a possibility one of them was named Axe-something-or-other ...... ...

OOC: the path of lichdom starts at Lich, and then "upgrades" to demi-lich.... which the caveat that you lose your body from the neck down.

IC:
The burial isle also yields no significant clues. Perhaps there is knowledge to be found elsewhere.

Okay.. with that little expedition yeilding no solid results, Jay teleports off to the Kalas cave in Damorok, to search the bookshelves for any mentions of dragons / dracoliches beginning with "Axe / Aks", the Ape Knowledge keeper of Kalas looks at him oddly, yet another time this shadowchild has perused his shelves.... now if they could comunicate.... ...

Shouri on the other hand cuts across Macedone to the large Kalas Temple Library, to do much the same...

As for Rayvensclaw.. neither are fully sure where he went after getting back from the island... possibly to pray for some guidance from Dalix to slay this evil lich and his cohorts.... .... ...

Rayvensclaw heads to the north, in search of the lich there.

RustyDios wrote:Okay.. with that little expedition yeilding no solid results, Jay teleports off to the Kalas cave in Damorok, to search the bookshelves for any mentions of dragons / dracoliches beginning with "Axe / Aks", the Ape Knowledge keeper of Kalas looks at him oddly, yet another time this shadowchild has perused his shelves.... now if they could comunicate.... ...

Shouri on the other hand cuts across Macedone to the large Kalas Temple Library, to do much the same...

As for Rayvensclaw.. neither are fully sure where he went after getting back from the island... possibly to pray for some guidance from Dalix to slay this evil lich and his cohorts.... .... ...

After days of research, bleary eyed and with a headache, you come across references in a tome of known draconic elders..... a passage referring to Akshariandrixxus the Furious. Apparently this name belonged to an Ancient Red Dragon many centuries ago. There is no mention of such dragon becoming undead.... but there are many mentions of his slaying entire villages and buring down outposts of any humanoids who dared venture close to his domain near the Crystal Forest. Many, many elves had perished in the flames of his great and deadly breath. It seems that a half-elf Paladin from an unknown village to the south much more recently (within the last 150 years) defeated this force of evil in the region. Nothing else is mentioned.

RayvenNightkind wrote:Rayvensclaw heads to the north, in search of the lich there.

As can be expected upon finding the quarry, combat ensues. Rayven is victorious, but learns of nothing relevant.

Hmm.. what to do next... thinking on this one for a bit... just need a little rest ... just a little naa.... (snore

// just saw the post

Zander Danolement goes to the well stocked library near the Vale, there to research any dead wizards who may have some grudge against the Vale.

Also, cross-referencing with those wizards known for dabbling in the dark necromanitic arts...

I can't remember the name of the place ,but there is quite a large grave yard over by the Lava Elfs in Calithia. This graveyard not only is filled with tombs and such ,but also contains a demon. Could this Lich be from there? Beuttleria has yet to go to that graveyard since the lich appeared ,but we shall pay the grave yard a visit today.

Derik and Glor

jo4n wrote:// just saw the post

Zander Danolement goes to the well stocked library near the Vale, there to research any dead wizards who may have some grudge against the Vale.

Also, cross-referencing with those wizards known for dabbling in the dark necromanitic arts...

Your research does not yield significant results. There is no information on any wizards, living or dead, with any particular interest in the Vale. That doesnt mean they don't exist... it just has not been documented.

While that particular graveyard is all but overflowing with undead, there does not seem to be any clues therein regarding the Lich who assaulted the Vale, nor his pet dracolich.

daveyeisley wrote:

RayvenNightkind wrote:Rayvensclaw heads to the north, in search of the lich there.

As can be expected upon finding the quarry, combat ensues. Rayven is victorious, but learns of nothing relevant.

So what happened to Rayvensclaw after the fight, because he seems to have informed no-one that he found the lich, or has bested him... and has not yet returned.

Meanwhile, Jay and Shouri have headed to the Zertina Ruins to find the grave shrine to a half-elf paladin from long ago, they will be searching for any recent signs of the draco-lich but just want to see if this half-elf was burried with anything useful or hinting that he may have been a dragon slayer.... ... Jay suggests he slips into the shadows (hides in plain sight )from the kobolds found there to see if they know anything, Shouri uses a Cloak of the Invisibility to quietly infiltrate them and learn what she can.... fortunately they both know draconic and the conversations between these kobolds can be very humorous at times, from the stories and cautionary tales they tell each other you'd think there would be a great kobold bard somewhere... .. ...

After spending as much time as they want to spend here gathering information (a few days before it gets boring listening to the kobalds chatter, a week at most), they head onwards towards the great crystal forest to ask the guardian elves how old they are and if they remember Arksiandrixxus the Furious.. ...

Sir Rayvensclaw slips a note under the Braysins' door, letting them know of his findings in the frozen north, and letting Jay and Shouri know where he can be located. Afterward he returns to his home and prays to Dalix for guidence in the endevour to locate this mysterious foe.

Returning to the Vale after an extended trek throughout the lands of Aenea, Geron hears rumors of a lich apparently bold enough to challenge the adventurers of the Vale.

He heads to the Temple of Mystara in Macedone to meditate & pray, and perhaps gain insight into this anonymous creature which has mastered his mistress’ art to such a degree as to cheat the final slumber of Zolaras.

RustyDios wrote:

daveyeisley wrote:

RayvenNightkind wrote:Rayvensclaw heads to the north, in search of the lich there.

As can be expected upon finding the quarry, combat ensues. Rayven is victorious, but learns of nothing relevant.

So what happened to Rayvensclaw after the fight, because he seems to have informed no-one that he found the lich, or has bested him... and has not yet returned.

Meanwhile, Jay and Shouri have headed to the Zertina Ruins to find the grave shrine to a half-elf paladin from long ago, they will be searching for any recent signs of the draco-lich but just want to see if this half-elf was burried with anything useful or hinting that he may have been a dragon slayer.... ... Jay suggests he slips into the shadows (hides in plain sight )from the kobolds found there to see if they know anything, Shouri uses a Cloak of the Invisibility to quietly infiltrate them and learn what she can.... fortunately they both know draconic and the conversations between these kobolds can be very humorous at times, from the stories and cautionary tales they tell each other you'd think there would be a great kobold bard somewhere... .. ...

After spending as much time as they want to spend here gathering information (a few days before it gets boring listening to the kobalds chatter, a week at most), they head onwards towards the great crystal forest to ask the guardian elves how old they are and if they remember Arksiandrixxus the Furious.. ...

The Zertina ruins prove to be mostly a disappointment. Aside from the clues regarding a mysterious Paladin's special blade.... there is nothing of Liches or Dracoliches.

The elves of the crystal forest seem cool at best, and deftly defect inquiries to their ages, and past histories.
It would seem they may indeed be hiding knowledge, but whether or not it is relevant is another issue. The mention of Akshariandrixxus does raise eyebrows.... but the elves seem rather tight lipped. Perhaps there is some way to "persuade" them to share their knowledge.

RayvenNightkind wrote:Sir Rayvensclaw slips a note under the Braysins' door, letting them know of his findings in the frozen north, and letting Jay and Shouri know where he can be located. Afterward he returns to his home and prays to Dalix for guidence in the endevour to locate this mysterious foe.

In the quiet, immeasureably brief moment before Rayvensclaw stands after his prayer.... his senses abruptly retreat, and he is consumed with blackness. In the next instant, his mind is flooded... overwhelmed with a vision.
A vision of a lone warrior engaged in fierce combat with the towering figure of a Red Dragon. The vision lasts only a moment, but is clear enough to show the talons of the wyrm glancing off the warrior's helm, removing the helm completely, and revealing the face of a half-elf.... who seems *very* familliar.... but from where?

Mister Period wrote:Returning to the Vale after an extended trek throughout the lands of Aenea, Geron hears rumors of a lich apparently bold enough to challenge the adventurers of the Vale.

He heads to the Temple of Mystara in Macedone to meditate & pray, and perhaps gain insight into this anonymous creature which has mastered his mistress’ art to such a degree as to cheat the final slumber of Zolaras.

Similar to rayvenclaws' experience, Geron is struck with a short, powerful insight into the past.

An image of a young elf, garbed in robes carrying a thick tome with magical runes (obviously a spellbook), mounting a horse and galloping into the dark, away from a nearby bonfire surrounded by myriad elves embroiled in some sort of celebration. The elf's face is strikingly memorable, but not familiar.

Liches and Dracoliches eh? I do gain some measure of pleasure from dispatching these abominations...

Talon sends runners to the Braysins and Ravenclaw that he is joining the hunt.

It seems it is time for me to journey back to my homelands in the Sylvan realms. I'll see if my Elders can shed any light on these foul undead.

But first methinks I'll stop off at the League and see about a scroll to parlay with the spirits. My ability to use magics may prove helpful here.... While here I may as well pray to Lysis to bring me fortune in these endevours.

I'll see if I might be able to communicate with the spirit of the crystal tower. And see what that old guardian of the Elves might know. And while I'm in the area, I'll talk to my old friend Allura the water nymph, shes always been kind to me letting me rest in her grove.

Travelling through these parts it only seems right to dig around Ravens's Nest a little and see what my Lore and knowledges can turn up there....

Talon

After his vision Sir Rayvensclaw gathers his gear and makes haste for Vale to inspect the statues in the town hall.

RayvenNightkind wrote:After his vision Sir Rayvensclaw gathers his gear and makes haste for Vale to inspect the statues in the town hall.

Bingo!

Valorian himself.... it had to be.

But.... if Valorian defeated the beast..... how could it still be wandering around in skeletal form?

Sir Rayvensclaw remembers the ghost of Valorian holding vigil on the hill, and proceeds there to inquire with the spirit.

ThorGar OakenShield wrote:Liches and Dracoliches eh? I do gain some measure of pleasure from dispatching these abominations...

Talon sends runners to the Braysins and Ravenclaw that he is joining the hunt.

It seems it is time for me to journey back to my homelands in the Sylvan realms. I'll see if my Elders can shed any light on these foul undead.

But first methinks I'll stop off at the League and see about a scroll to parlay with the spirits. My ability to use magics may prove helpful here.... While here I may as well pray to Lysis to bring me fortune in these endevours.

I'll see if I might be able to communicate with the spirit of the crystal tower. And see what that old guardian of the Elves might know. And while I'm in the area, I'll talk to my old friend Allura the water nymph, shes always been kind to me letting me rest in her grove.

Travelling through these parts it only seems right to dig around Ravens's Nest a little and see what my Lore and knowledges can turn up there....



Talon

The elves who know anything about Akshariandrixxus at all are universally old, and remarkably adept at deflecting questions about the beast. If you had to guess, there is something painful, or dark, or secret about the elven past regarding this... perhaps all three. The questions involving liches are met with no useful information or clues at all.

Even the old guardian of the crystal tower withholds any story on the subjects, although the spirit bristles at the mention of the wyrm's name. A sadness, deeper than that which normally radiates from the spirit, becomes apparent once the anger fades.

Communing with spirits yields an unexpected result. A ghost who haunts the Vale, that of Valorian himself.... makes his presence known to you. He does not speak. The spirit merely holds up two items before you. A skull, and a Black Triangle divided into four quarters, then the spirit slowly melts away to mist, and is gone.

The water Nymph and the Raven's nest consume a few hours each respectively, but yield no clues.

RayvenNightkind wrote:Sir Rayvensclaw remembers the ghost of Valorian holding vigil on the hill, and proceeds there to inquire with the spirit.

A ghost who haunts the Vale, that of Valorian himself.... makes his
presence known to you. He does not speak. The spirit merely holds up
two items before you. A skull, and a Black Triangle divided into four
quarters, then the spirit slowly melts away to mist, and is gone.

After being shown these thing by Valorian, Sir Rayvensclaw sends a runner to the Braysin house, too ask for assistance and himself heads into the silverleaf forest to search the shadow temple.

RayvenNightkind wrote:After being shown these thing by Valorian, Sir Rayvensclaw sends a runner to the Braysin house, too ask for assistance and himself heads into the silverleaf forest to search the shadow temple.

**OOC: give me some time on this please**

Hearing of Rayvensclaws findings, Jay heads over to VV himself to commune with the spirit of Valarion, when the spirit finally appears Jay looks at him and brandishes the Sword of Zolaras, in it's Wraithblade form, dragged from the halls of the dead, back into the world of the living, by Jay Braysin himself...

The reaction of the ghost to this wraithblade weilding shadowchild is... .... .... ... ...

The spirit notes the blade, and the brandishing..... and melts away into mist..... apparently it does not appreciate the weapons presence or the threat of its use. Or perhaps it had nothing to share...

RayvenNightkind wrote:After being shown these thing by Valorian, Sir Rayvensclaw sends a runner to the Braysin house, too ask for assistance and himself heads into the silverleaf forest to search the shadow temple.

Rayven, Jay and Shouri travel to the forest in search of the Temple.

The above ground altar is, as usual, occupied by several skulls. Upon your apporach they rise to the air and decry your interruption.

You interject as they begin spellcasting, informing them of the doom that awaits if they do not assist you in your quest for the information you seek. As you brandish the otherwordly blade of soul collecting.... they stop their spellcasting... hesitating, even as the hatred burns in their eyes.... they know they are overmatched. Knowing full well the damnation awaiting them should they be defeated and their phylacteries destroyed... they concede.

They inform you of the arrival, centuries ago, of a haggard and malnourished elf. A wizard seeking refuge from the world of the living, and instruction in the arts of death... in exchange for servitude. A cunning one, he was.... he served well for over a century, and gained knowledge and power as he aided the Demiliches in their dark works. Eventually he fulfilled the bargain and gained instruction in the ritual to become a lich.... and completed it successfully. Then, he disappeared. No scrying could locate him, and even the arcane contract binding him to serve had somehow been nullified.

When pressed for the Elf's identity, they scoff.... but the threat of destruction forces them to yield a name.

Jaelthir.

With this utterance, you sense immensely powerful magic sweep past you, and the liches vanish in a black thunderbolt of necrotic energies.

// I almost misread that.... my mind skipped the n and the the first c in a certain word there at the end.... gave me a giggle for a moment...

"Hmm.... well that was quite a good find there... we have another name to dig up some dirt on... I (Jay) think I'll go back to that Kalas library, as I can teleport to Damorok anyway.. see what I can dig up... be back in a few nights.. "

".. and I (Shouri) suppose I could ask around and find some stuff about this elf, Jalfrair. I'll try the elven wine seller in ((damn.. the name escapes me.. that elf village near the halfling bandit boat))... his tongue likes to wangle a bit in the beauty of a Songstress of Jewel and a few bottles of his homebrew.... I'll be back in a day or two... "


Jay, Shouri (and Rayven, if it's okay with him) decide to meet up in three days time at the crystal tower's portal.... if they don't find anyhing useful they can push the new found elven name on those two elven guards of the crystal forest...... maybe that will get a better reaction out of them then the dragons name....

Rayvensclaw agrees and heads to his house to meditate a bit more on these most recent findings

RayvenNightkind wrote:Rayvensclaw agrees and heads to his house to meditate a bit more on these most recent findings

The name Jaelthir.... it seems elven.... but it is certainly not included in any historic texts of note.

RustyDios wrote:// I almost misread that.... my mind skipped the n and the the first c in a certain word there at the end.... gave me a giggle for a moment...

"Hmm.... well that was quite a good find there... we have another name to dig up some dirt on... I (Jay) think I'll go back to that Kalas library, as I can teleport to Damorok anyway.. see what I can dig up... be back in a few nights.. "

".. and I (Shouri) suppose I could ask around and find some stuff about this elf, Jalfrair. I'll try the elven wine seller in ((damn.. the name escapes me.. that elf village near the halfling bandit boat))... his tongue likes to wangle a bit in the beauty of a Songstress of Jewel and a few bottles of his homebrew.... I'll be back in a day or two... "


Jay, Shouri (and Rayven, if it's okay with him) decide to meet up in three days time at the crystal tower's portal.... if they don't find anyhing useful they can push the new found elven name on those two elven guards of the crystal forest...... maybe that will get a better reaction out of them then the dragons name....

After a week of on and off cramming research sessions in the Kalas library, there is not a single reference to be found of the name Jaelthir. Either the name belongs to someone who was not historically significant, or that person has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous to scribes across Aenea..... or possibly both.

The Elven Wine merchant keeps up the facade of the other elves when questioned. Upon the mention of the name Jaelthir, his eye dart for just a brief moment to home off to his left side, but his countenance then immediately becomes impassive. There is more to be known here, but the elves seem unwilling to divulge it.
Perhaps their pride will not allow them to reveal something shameful in their past...

// Damn we really need an ancient old elf on our side that's willing to shed some light...

Jay starts to ponder that maybe the elf's had a hand to deal with in the ressurrection to draco-lich status of Akshariandrixxus, and that the malnourished elf, Jalthier, was somehow forced out of the Slyvan Realm, possibly by the great Valarion of Vale himself, maybe.. ... But the clue's from his ghost relating to skulls and Zolaras still puzzle him.. ..

Could their be something more sinister and divinely deadly hiding out in the great hall.... .... hmmm, he hopes it will be some time before he can investigate that course of actions...

With nothing better to do, Jay enters the shadows and fades from sight, his intentions to spy on the Elven wine seller for a week or so, just what does this man say behind closed doors in the comfort of his home?.. .. Oh the joy's of being a shadowdancing shadowchild.... .... .... ....

Shouri goes home to study what Jalthier may have needed to become a fully fledged lich, the study is amusing to her as she wanted to learn about this stuff anyway, she finds some interesting tomes on the step from Mistress of the Pale to demi-lich, but nothing solid on the regents or rituals to the next step, nothing in which to attempt to trace the path of Jalthier...
She wonders how no-one has found any information on him and decides to run a small test... a whole page of her diary is filled with his name, just to see how long it remains there.... ..... .... ...