Well of Life – Hero to Cero?

 In amongst the return of the “Well of Life” Kalan and the crew had to go to Tradetown in order to get the earth elemental spell.  On their visit they were under strict instructions bring no attention to themselves and keep out of trouble. The crew made their way to the meeting point the Green Dragon Inn - looked after by Bluedo the barman. Bluedo was quite taken with these Drow who had charmed him on the first visit. Previously Kalan had attracted the attention of the cat woman barmaid Tabatha but had surprisingly snubbed her advances. This time his attention was fixed on the only other patron in the Inn a small Drow female at the bar.

While the captain and the rest of the crew got in their drinks Kalan made his way across to try out his charm. She was immediately very ill at ease with Kalan’s advances. Instead of threatening to kill him out right for his “how are you doing” chat up line she stutt ... Read more »

Well of life - Cero’s plight

Cero was set up as Kalan’s private mistress under the watchful eye of his henchman. This turned out to be an expensive but highly pleasurable time for Kalan for several weeks to come. Cero never warmed to Kalan and constantly railed against her capture, imprisonment and what she described as torture at Kalan’s hands. Kalan was still a follower of Astralla at this time so did feel a little guilt in his part for what had befallen this girl. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, warred against his constant lust.  He tried for a while to inform and train Cero in the ways of Lloth to protect her and the typical way a true Drow female should act. Cero laughed off his training and insisted he run off with her to Tradetown and meet with other freethinking followers of Eilistraee. Kalan could see that the risk of keeping Cero was being far outweighed by the danger to himself.  He had also become aware that his henchman was making extra money selling off Cero to other Drow. Time was running short for Kalan and Cero.

... Read more »

Well of Life – Captain Bâleed’s revenge

As the aftermath of the cleansing subsided Captain Bâleed was keen to get underway. Her first point of call was Tradetown and the Green Dragon. The Captain kept quiet as to the reason they were at the Inn and told the crew to get food and drinks but be alert. Kalan looked around as he entered Tradetown, could Cero have made it back by now? – he doubted it, the journey would take months. He hoped she had made it out of the City alive. He also hoped she had more sense to stay away from the Green Dragon. The crew waited for most of the day until nearing dusk when ten or so squawking chattering Kenku burst into the Inn. Bâleed watched them enter through narrowed eyes and waited for them get far enough into the room. Just as they turned to sneer at the Drow she yelled “Despair crew show these craven crows the bite of Drow steel!!”  The crew immediately drew swords an attacked. The Kenku were no match for the angered Drow and were quickly dispatched. Bluedo the barman stood holding a shaking Tabatha they were only protected by the bar in front of them as the massacre ensued. The Drow finished with their gory work started searching the Kenku bodies.  They came across a map that suggested po ... Read more »

To protect a merchant

Another change in circumstances for Kalan came when the crew were sent out to protect a clan Kobra merchant in the ghetto section of town. Intelligence had informed them that Velor the merchant was soon to be attacked and killed and his house burned to the ground. The Despair crew were the only ones free at that time as the cleansing still progressed in the city. They were also the only ones that would be quick enough to be dispatched to help the merchant out. The crew arrived just in time. Set up at key points in the house with just a few of Velor’s bodyguards. Then the attack came in from all sides. Many attackers died before reaching the walls of the house but their superior numbers allowed them to breach the house by smashing through the lower windows. A deadly hand to hand melee erupted in the halls and rooms of the ground floor. Here the close fighting suited the Despair crew. They had experience of fighting monsters in dungeons and caverns so what were a few Drow underworld thugs in a house.

As the crew ... Read more »

Kalan accused of Murder

Things were on the up for the crew and the captain, however Kalan’s world was about to be ripped to pieces. After a particularly successful raid the tired crew returned at dusk to the tower of clan Kobra. As the Despair came in to the final approach the top of the tower the crew noticed it was busier than usual for this time. A Lloth priestess and several House Guards were waiting for the Despair to land and the crew to disembark - they were the Justicars of the Lloth Temple.

The story they had heard before leaving that day was that a young Lloth priestess had been killed and a scarf of hers had been taken. Kalan’s heart sank as soon as his foot hit the solid ground of the tower. The eyes of the Guard and the priestess had remained fixed on him – a ladies scarf was being held by the priestess. He knew that he was innocent but someone had set him up. He scanned the crew around him – could it be one of the Rievers? Who would be so jealous or see him as an enemy? The original gunner? Captain Bâleed? Gul? Birz? ... Read more »

Attack on Dwarf Kingdom – who’s the funny guy in the red suit

On their way out on a quest the Despair tried raiding on the edge of the Dwarf Kingdom.  It was winter at this time and the ground was thick with snow. On a clear night the Drow were on the look out for food and planned to raid the sheep kept by the Dwarves for the winter. The cleansing had left everything in short supply as the daily business of the City was sorely disrupted.

As they journeyed in the Despair they flew across a good sized Dwarf settlement.  Their attention was fixed on a red clad dwarf scrambling over the roofs and hedges carrying a large sack. Intrigued the Drow moved the ship down and Zaen, Kalan, Birz and Gul jumped out and moved to intercept the red Dwarf.

The d ... Read more »

The Babbling head – gets muted

As the death of Captain Bâleed sank in and the crew waited to hear who would be appointed their new captain the clan House Kobra was in for another surprise.  Kalan had sought quieter pursuits he had found a book on improving your charm and was reading it thoroughly. With the loss of Cero, and his recent interrogation he had thought about trying to use his seductions on the Priestess Sultanya who had been with them on the last couple of quests. He thought to use his Outsider rural charm (this did not go down well with the Drow females of the City) to ask for help in the Lloth texts and prayers in case he was doing it wrong.  Just to try and ingratiate himself with Priestess Sultanya. She was often too busy and regarded Kalan with much suspicion.  He decided it might be better to keep a low profile instead. On a whim he went off to the library to see the weird construct Defect and spend time with the Babbling head.

... Read more »

The Dungeon Map from the Kenku lair

The next big adventure took the crew to the magical door shown by a map they found in the Kenku lair. The door required opening by the use of a Knock spell. This took a significant amount of energy from the caster so would diminish the ability to use other spells. Each Drow was reluctant to be the one to cast but someone had to and Gul step forward this time. After the door was opened the crew sent to investigate carefully walked in Gul, Kalan, Birz, Zaen, the priestess Sultanya and a new crewmates Kargoth and Goraz. Just behind them scrabbled Grinn the head goblin of the Despair (a half breed Drow and Goblin – best not dwell on it).  They could tell that the cavern was massive and ancient so was likely to have untold riches and of course wandering monsters.

They were expected to return within four hours if they found nothing otherwise the Despair would return within a day. The first encounter was with a mob of 4 ogres. The fight was lengthy and t ... Read more »

The Demons Bowl

The Despair were challenged to head out to the demon kingdom to seek out a scrying bowl the House Mother Agna desired.  The crew were quickly provisioned and headed out. They were also sent our with an emissary who set all of the Drows teeth on edge. On the way their Joruus proved himself in practice as decent gunner and under Vixia’s orders was to relieve Kalan. Unfortunately they were attacked by giant eagles and in a panic Joruus managed to shoot the bolt through the side of the ship and damage the bolt thrower. Henkle the Duergar dwarf engineer fumed at Joruus shouting about the expense and time it would take to repair the bolt thrower. Joruus was immediately demoted and Kalan restored to gunner, but without a bolt thrower at his point. The rest of the crew killed several eagles and saw off the rest and the journey commenced.

At one part a strange magic washed over the crew and the ship it was emanating from the emissary. As the pilot and most of the crew succumbed to ... Read more »

The Red Orcs – Capture the White Orc Emissary

They spotted the 4 warg riders and the emissary who could be clearly made out. They were in time - the wargs were just a few miles short of their destination.  The Despair went ahead of the wargs in the direct path of their journey and dropped the volunteer crewmen off Birz, Gul, Kalan, Dreggs, and Joruus. 

They were left in open ground facing 5 charging wargs. The Drow prepared their spells a mix of magic missiles and sleep spells – would these work on a warg? If not, they were in for a tough fight - taking on charging cavalry in the open were not good odds. As the wargs charged towards the Drow the spells were released and two wargs went down taking the riders ... Read more »