Crowned with Success

“Crowned with Success”
Purple Dragon episode
Episode no.	Episode 47
Date	2009-01-09
Game Master	Panzerman
Characters	Dorian Wolfe Florian Iordan Chaff Jorstag Carmog
Experience	4,000
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In which in which the knights enter Cormanthor and find the lost crown of Cormyr.

Synopsis

The knights left the Dalelands and met with their elven friends near the border. Kyril knew the way to the ruined city which lay a few days to the north. To the knights, the forest seemed wilder and more primal than those in Cormyr, but not blatantly enchanted as they had perhaps imagined it. The elves nevertheless warned them that the ancient magics of the abandoned realm had twisted many creatures and could sometimes interfere with arcane spellcasting.

The same night, the elves were proven right. When Sir Jorstag stood watch, he spied a score of green spheres approaching and sounded the alarm. These green spectres were wyrds, the spirits of dead elves who hated their living kin. The heroes did what they could to protect their elven friends, for the wyrd atacked the living elves ferociously. Sir Jorstag called out a bold challenge which was answered by a wyrd who glowed with ominous red light. Sir Reginalds ghoust touch blade bit deep into the spirit of the essence of the wyrd, but Florian and Sir Dorian found that many of their attacks passed harmlessly through their spectral enemies. Iordan unleashes a volley of spectral fireballs which annihilated most of them, and the red wyrd sank into the grounf, for his undead might was no match for Sir Jorstag's skill and courage.

Nymphs and visitor.

Next day, two heroes found two dead drow in the forest. One was nailed to a tree by and a huge arrow, and another had been split in two. Some large creature has done this, perhaps one of the forest giants mentioned by the elves. This turned out to be accurate, for they did encounter a small band of giants as they made camp. These giants were more like giant elves or men than the brutish and dimwitted hill giants sometimes found in the Stonelands or the mountains of Cormyr. The giant woodsmen were suspicious at first, but were soon convinced of the knights' good intentions. They told them that they could reach the Palace of Summer by following the river south to the hot springs.

The knights made camp in the ruined city. During his watch, Florian spied a shape crawling across the square. This turned out to be a crippled drow warrior with broken spine. He was in no position to resist Florian and Kiril, and was taken prisoner. Sir Dorian asked some questions about the drow race and their society. They learned that the arrogant drow considered themselves the rightful masters of the surface as well as underdark. The prisoner belonged to a drow faction which worshiped Vhaerun, the Lord of Shadows, and were enemies of the spider worshiping females. Of more immediate use was the fact that the drow claimed that he had entered the council building, and that it had come alive and crushed him.Once the knights had finished questioning the drow, he was given to the elves who killed him swiftly and eagerly.

The knights decided to enter the the largest intact structure the next day. Sir Jorstag announced his presence and soon found himself under attack by two stone golems. These were soon reduced to rubble with the help of his comrades in arms, but more were approaching. A tactical withdrawal to the outside of the building showed that the animated construct appeared to have no desire to pursue the heroes. Iordan (?) reconnoitered the building veiled by an invisibility spell. The structure had probably been some sort of official assembly hall or council building, but it was clear that it had been abandoned abandoned a long time ago. There appeared to nothing more of interest in the ruined city.

The knights found an enchanted boat moored by the river. This vessel bore the knights and their trusty steeds swiftly along the river to the Palace of Summer. At fist glance, it seemed to be intact but uninhabited. Several beautiful nymphs soon revealed themselves. The fey maidens were merry and playful, but they assured the knights that they would have been drowned or killed in other ways had they been evil. They invited the heroes to play with them. Sir Dorian and Sir Jorstag were able to resist their charms, but Florian seemed to suffer the same weakness for female beauty as all Obaskyrs.

The lost crown of Cormyr was on display in the garden. While the nymphs thought that it was pretty, they had no use for it. The knights reclaimed the crown and prepared to return to Cormyr.

Treasure

• The lost crown.