Herein lies the summary overview of the events spanning the period following the Battle of Stonewall up until the Slaying of Boccob’s Stonechild.
Session 2
After saving the villagers from the frogmen attacks, the adventurers saved a group of stone masons that were trapped by a different group of frogmen. During the battle, both Pujols and Llamers were infected with the strange grey rot that had afflicted the fromen. Following the battle, they met a non-infected frogman named Logbump. Logbump explained, through tearful whining, that the disease started a little over two years ago, in the frogmen town of Bog and Tree. and that he seems to be the only frog that he’s aware of that hasn’t been infected.
The group found themselves distrusting each other due to Cobweb’s strange activity, including the disappearance of the decree signed by the Virgin Queen. He had in fact stolen it, and placed it in his hidey hole, hoping to use it to become the overlord of the Thunderspire Vale.
After intrigue layered over intrigue, Lia was disfigured by a trap set by Cobweb. Cobweb, fearing that the group had found him out was rash in his decisions, and sprung his own trap that knocked him unconscious. Upon closer inspection, Pujols saw a particular tattoo on Cobweb’s body that marked him as the contract breaker that he had been hired to kill. While Cobweb lay helpless, Pujols struck a devastating coup-de-grace and severed the little head from his body. This actually seemed to have appeased the group’s blood lust, and brought peace to the fellowship.
Session 3
As the group brought the remaining stone quarry workers back to the town of Stonewall, they came across a strange half-angelic, half-mad war cleric named Ansis being attacked by faeries. The group helped him, and listened to him tell of his odd tale about a vision that seemed to include them, and a midnight flight. They welcomed his offer of help, and he filled the fourth spot on the vacant space left by Cobweb.
Back at Stonewall, the adventurers organized the villagers into fighting forces and building forces, and trained them for several days, leaving the building of their new fortress in the hands of Whit and newly arrived Alderman Friedrich Wildfire. This despite Lia’s warnings that Wildfire was a charlatan, he seemed to have good intentions. The group saw to the infected villagers the best they could, while letting those who wished to leave the valley do so, and sent a message to Padraig warning them of the refugees headed his way. The villagers did all they were asked and more, due to their intense love of the lady Lia.
Southward, deeper into the vale the adventurers went, being attacked by the pixies and the trees themselves, the group became aware that the forests were growing faster than seemed possible.
Session 4
Deep in the forest of the valley, the Havenroad became completely overgrown, and the adventurers pushed their way through the hedge forcefully. Eventually they came across a small group of sick folk being protected by a priestess of Celestian named Alisahn. Alisahn told the adventurers that she could help them if they helped her. The group mostly ignored the woman, but did heed some counsel that revolved around the Crumbling Tower in the south eastern section of the valley, and headed towards that, leaving the sick group to find their own way back to Stonewall.
When almost gone from the forest, the group was attacked by a lumbering giant intent on stealing Llamers as his newest helpmeet. With his giant club he ambushed the group while they slept, and tried to make off with her, but was held in place largely due to Pujol’s dogged grapping skills. Bumblebash, as he was known, met his final doom in a desperate attempt at love. What a romantic.
While passing where the Thunderspire Mountain‘s foothills should have begun, the group came across a giant gaping chasm, which Alisahn had called the Thunder Gash. There appeared no direct way into the chasm other than a rushing river/waterfall on the far end of the chasm. Curious about the strange trees and pulsing lava at the bottom of the precipice, the group lowered Ansis by a rope into the open canyon. During which, they almost lost their footing, and nearly lost Ansis completely to the hundreds of feet falling below. They hauled him back up and continued towards the Crumbling Tower in the wastes southward.
Finding the tower in terrible shape, missing all but the bottom level, they quickly solved a riddle that identified this tower as The Tower of Boccob, and opened the door to the tower’s first floor.
Session 5
Seeing some sort of darkened portal in the opening of the door, Ansis decides he wants to throw a bolt of sacred fire into the opening. For… unknown reasons. As soon as anything touches the dark portal all hint of it is gone. Girding up their loins, the group stepped through to find themselves in a room with a table and a mirror. On the table were a few stone objects, one of which Llamers picked up and vanished into the mirror on the opposite side. The same thing happened to both Ansis and Lia, until Pujols was left alone in the room. Ansis, Lia and Llamers all could see Pujols move almost imperceptibly slowly through their side of the mirror, while Pujols couldn’t seem to see them at all. After inspection, of the room, Pujols sawan inscription on the table and a book in the mirror on the table behind him that he couldn’t see in the room itself. The inscription said “Reflect on your Choices”.
Pujols picked up the invisible book and opened it. The mirror vanished revealing a winding staircase going upwards. With Ansis, Lia and Llamers back in the room with Pujols, the book created a new page that seemed to sketch them and add a date. The pages had 234 (specifically listed) entries that included all sorts of imagery of what they assumed were previous visitors to the tower.
Taking the book with them, they wound up the staircase leading to the upper levels that they had thought destroyed. And came across a magical inscription that read “Step Light.” When stepping on it, both Ansis and Llamers felt a heaviness to them, and a crushing blow. Inspection of them showed their were hardening on the inside. When winding round the second flight of stairs they found the same trap. Ansis quickly intuited that this was an endless staircase, and upon some inner reflection the group had Pujols extinguish the candles, and proceed up the stairs in darkness. Once they did so, they were able to cross the trap without any problems, and came to a door at the end of several flights of stairs.
Inside the room at the end of the staircase was a statue of a hulking manshape that held an amulet that Lia had seen in the illustration of them in the book. She went to it, and picked it up after poking at it, and the statue came to life. After it made some threatening advances toward Lia, Pujols came barreling at it and the fight was on. Ansis and Lia tried their best to calm the situation, but the stoneman seemed beyond consoling now. Lia found that the amulet had the power to command the statues in the room, and tried to stir them into battle. The stoneman looked grossly outmatched until the pit in the middle of the statued room began to flame hot, and the stoneman stepped into it, after which he began pounding on the floor massively, attempting to cave the room in. Calling out for his “Mother” in primordial, he begged her to “Hold us! Embrace us!” as the ceiling continued to collapse on the group, crushing the statues that Lia commanded.
In the end, it was a final, amazingly lucky blow landed by the last one standing, Llamers, to fell the mighty stoneman. But it was too late. Lia had died in the battle, and only with quick action did Llamers save the lives of her other two companions. Laying amongst the ruin, Llamers rested and nursed her friends. And grieved for Lia.