Fires of the Falcon

Goodmonth 4th, 580
Company takes up lodging at Mizaab's Manor (Grey Manor). They are trying to track down the Cult. Scrying is not working. The City of Greyhawk is in shambles and there is panic, mostly due to the actions of the cult. The company discovers the cult has been using Illusions of them causing destruction through out the city.   Goodmonth 7th, 580 A group of town folk come to attack the Grey Manor:

From the windows of the dragon's room, you see numer- ous citizens of Greyhawk hold- ing torches at the edge of the woods. In the moonlight, you see that many of them carry pitchforks, spades, rakes, and hoes. They appear to have hesi- tated, then a group of about ten men gather at the front of the mob. They confer for a moment, then four of the men cautiously approach the house. Mizaab does not seem to be the slightest bit worried. You can't be certain, but he almost seems to be amused by all this. The four men outside enter the courtyard and shout up at the house. "We know you're in there," they shout. "We know what you've been doing, and we're here to tell you that we don't like it one bit. You can't treat our city like your own per- sonal playground to vandalize as you please. Come out here and pay for your crimes!" Mizaab looks mildly amused and steps to the window. Un- latching it, he swings the win- dow into the room and calls down to the men in the court- yard. "Greetings, my good fel- lows!" he calls. "Would you be so kind to explain what this is all about? I can assure you that no one in this household has done any of the deeds you describe." One of the men steps forward. "We've seen those adventuring- types making trouble around town. And we know they're staying with you. We've got a lot of witnesses, old man—lots of people can identify your guests as vandals and troublemakers. Send 'em out to us now—we don't mean to hurt anybody, but if you don't give us what we want, we'll have to smoke you out!" Mizaab turns to the PCs and asks if they have any idea what this is about. Puzzled, he turns back to the window and calls to the men in his courtyard. "Good fellows—I assure you that my guests have done noth- ing wrong. Certainly there is some mistake. I can vouch for the whereabouts of my guests for the entire evening. Tell me what has happened so we can put this matter to rest." A conversation ensues between Mizaab and the men outside. The men tell Mizaab that the PCs were seen all over the city, starting fights, setting fires, and causing all types of trouble. Mizaab assures the men that the PCs could not have performed such acts. He explains their where- abouts during the vandalism, and reminds the men of the PCs' repu- tation and their history in aiding the city (if the PCs played either of the previous modules in this tril- ogy). After a lengthy conversation in which Mizaab's demeanor is noth- ing less than pleasant, the men re- turn to the other citizens gathered at the edge of the woods. The con- versation there becomes ani- mated, and finally, about half the citizens quickly approach the house. The other citizens with- draw, apparently satisfied with Mi- zaab's explanation. The citizens approaching the manor attempt to use their torches to burn down the house. Rocks are hurled at the windows and tools are used to try to pry open the doors and windows. Throughout all this, Mizaab sits back and chats pleasantly with the PCs, apparently not noticing the assault on his luxurious home. He is fully aware of the assault, but he knows that his home is so well for- tified that he has no cause to worry. When the citizens realize that their actions are not harming the house and that its occupants have no intention of appearing, they begin to withdraw, a few at a time. Mizaab apologizes to the PCs for the disruption and suggests that they return to bed.

  Goodmonth 6th, 580
  They receive a message from Derider the constable to meet at the Citadel.

"I've begun to suspect that someone at the Citadel is in league with this cult. We have set up surveillance in many parts of the city to try to locate the cult's headquarters, but we've found nothing. I find it im- possible to believe that the cult members are so stealthy as to completely hide from us. I think that someone on the inside must be telling the cult which areas of the city we plan to watch on certain days. "Also, I've been stopped by citizens who have asked me if their tips were of any help. I've never heard any of the tips that they say they brought to the Cit- adel. Somewhere, someone is suppressing information. "Unfortunately, I don't know who to suspect. I don't even know what level of authority a traitor might have attained. I'm worried that it might be some- one in a high position. "After the assault on the tem- ple, a few of my people sug- gested that I establish a set of personal guards for myself. At first, I didn't like this idea, but as things in the city became worse, I decided that they were right. I now have an escort of four guards who walk me home and pick me up in the morning. They travel everywhere with me. I hate that things have become so bad in this city that I'm afraid to walk the streets. "Now I worry that someone on the inside is a traitor and could be endangering not only myself, but the whole city. I must find a way to flush out the traitor. "I hope that you can help. I have a plan to trap the guilty party, but I need a powerful group like yourselves. Will you do it?" You can see that Derider is vis- ibly shaken and that she proba- bly has few options for solving this problem.

Veenaira immediately says its Nestor. They knew it all along but can supply no evidence. He stopped them from Killing The Falcon a month ago.

"I want to give this traitor the opportunity to get me alone. I have a feeling that the cult would be happy to see me out of the way. If the traitor is in a high position in the Citadel, he would need to eliminate only a few people in order to take charge of my job. If someone in my position were to concede defeat to this cult, I think it would scare off the rest of Greyhawk's citizens. The cult would have what they want. "This is my plan. I'm going to announce to my upper-level staff that I must attend a meet- ing with someone claiming to have information about the cult. The only requirement of this meeting, according to whoever this person is, is that I come alone. I'll leave strict orders for no one to follow me. "I plan to stage this meeting near sunset. I'd like all of you to be stationed nearby in order to assist in rounding up anyone from the Citadel who might fol- low me and attack. I was consid- ering using a place in the woods to the north of the city, unless anyone has a better suggestion."

  They come up on with a plan and Narciara will never be far from Derider. She will be in disguise and shadowing her. The plan relies alot on Worvin's Enchantments.   Goodmonth 7th, 580
Derider goes to the appointed meeting place and is attacked. All the guards succumb to Worvin's Suggestions and Charms. Derider Recognizes the guards: Scarm Jenns, Dwenn Hyer, Finx Klimm, and Lymin Camber. All are members of the City Watch; the first three have been members for at least four years, and the fourth has been a member for only a few months. The Company notes they were all with Nestor when they went to stop their cult assault.   They question the guards under charm:

• The Falcon is indeed at work in the city. She has not abandoned her plan to take over Greyhawk.
• The guards do not know the location of the cult's new headquarters. Only the priests have been allowed to move into the new lair. Cult members have been instructed to go about their lives in order to preserve the secrecy of the new location and avoid suspicion.
• * One of the guards has heard a rumor that a building in the River Quarter provides access to the new lair. This has not been confirmed, and the guard does not know whether the building in question is a private home or a business.
• No other members of the City Watch are cult members, but their leader inside the Citadel is Nestor Morden, Derider's assistant.

  Worvin successfully alters their memories to have voluntarily given the information. They return to the citadel and Carcharius walks into the office, to Nestor's protests and punches him with Dreadful strike and Hunters Mark right in the jaw. He's about to call for the guard when Derider and the rest of the party walks in. She arrests him and brings him kicking and screaming to the dungeon.   Derider tells them as a reward the City would like to Buy them Dinner at the Patricians Club the most prestigious establishment in the city. They all agree, Carcharius and Corfyn buy Fine clothes, Worvin will use his Prestigious Robe of the Archmage, Jaegus uses clothes he already has, Veenaira uses some fine revealing Vestments, and Narciara purchases fine clothes. They return to the Grey Manor to get ready.   They meet Derider at her home than go to the Patricians club where they make contact with many of the powerful in the City. Anjor of Oerth is there surprisingly and he comments on Worvin's new robe. He is not wearing his at the moment.   Later that night th Cult attacks the Manor: This assault begins exactly like the previous assault—PCs waking to noises and met quickly by Mi- zaab. They are led to Mizaab's sit- ting room to observe the attack. This attack, however, leaves no room for discussion and is far more organized. Heavier weap- onry, spells, and better-organized tactics characterize this attack. Thirty cult members appear for this attack. Three are mages, seven are clerics, 12 are fighters, and the remainder are zero-level cult members. The spellcasters launch their best attacks, but fire, cold, electric- ity, fog, and other spell effects can- not harm the house. Fighters attempt to burn or hack at the house, with no effect. Anything the cult members can dish out, the house can withstand. Mizaab regard this as more a nuisance than a significant threat. When he sees that the attackers are more powerful than the attack- ers of the previous night, he invites the PCs to follow him up onto the roof. A stairway behind a secret door near Mizaab's living quarters leads up to a trap door on the roof. Once on the roof, Mizaab asks the PCs to watch the woods on all sides. If they detect any fires burning in the woods from the attackers' torches, they are to notify him immediately. Several fires do break out and when alerted, Mizaab casts a strange water summoning spell that originates above the fire and douses it.   After approximately 30 min- utes, the cult members begin to re- treat, realizing that their attacks have no effect. Throughout the al- tercation, Mizaab expresses his wishes that the PCs remain with him and not go to the courtyard to confront the enemy. Mizaab knows that his house can survive the at- tack and feels that there is no need to endanger themselves unneces- sarily. Mizaab does not prevent the PCs from casting spells down from the roof, but he cautions the PCs about damaging his forest. He is adamant about preserving his trees.   Goodmonth 8th, 580
Derider sends a courier over to the Grey Manor:

Derider sends a message to Sturtevant telling that Aestrella Shanfarel has disappeared. That morning, she failed to appear for rehearsal at the Opera House. Her colleagues, knowing that Aestrella is never late and always sends word if she is ill, went to her home and found a broken window. In- side, three servants were bound and gagged, and there were signs of a struggle in Aestrella's bed- room. Aestrella's friends released the servants and summoned the City Watch. The servants were ques- tioned, but they had seen nothing. Everyone in the household was asleep at the time of the break-in, and the servants were yanked from their beds, bound, gagged, and blindfolded before they knew what happened. The reports vary in the number of suspects involved—one servant thinks there were as many as ten men, one believes there were six, and the third servant believes there were only four attackers.

Mizaab is visibly shaken at this news. He has been calm and re- served at all times, even during the attack on his home, but now he paces the floor and his voice is strained. He is convinced that the cult has something to do with the kidnapping, and he is certain that no ransom note will come. The concerned dragon tells the PCs that under the circumstances, he must admit something to them that he would never reveal under normal conditions. Aestrella is also a Greyhawk dragon, and although she has many strengths, she also has special vulnerabilities. Mizaab also tactfully but firmly warns the PCs that they must re- veal this secret to no one. Mizaab explains to the PCs that Aestrella could die if she is near a feeding cycle. He explains that Greyhawk dragons must escape the city periodically in order to consume large amounts. The food they consume in humanoid form is simply not enough to sustain their massive natural forms. Therefore, they make trips to the forest to hunt and binge. Mizaab is concerned because if Aestrella is held captive and pre- vented from feeding in dragon- form, she could die in a matter of days. Even if her captors feed her generously to sustain her human form, Aestrella could starve in less than a week. Mizaab does not allow the PCs to attempt to search Aestrella's house. He has faith in Derider's abilities, and he accepts her word that no clues were found. This development spurs Mizaab to hasten the investigation in any way possible. He is obsessed with finding Aestrella and putting and end to the cult once and for all.
Goodmonth 9th-10th, 580
Terrible torrential thunderstorms for 2 days straight. A watchman Garth is the first to notice This: a whirlpool newly formed.   The Company questions Garth:

"I was stationed up on the wall the night of the big rain. When it rains like that, a couple of guys are always put on the wall to watch for boats tearing loose or people falling in the river. "Real early in the morning, just as the sun was pokin' up, I noticed one part of the river dip like it was goin' over a waterfall. Then, a minute later, the river evened out like it always is. Ever since then, though, there's been that funny whirlpool where it happened."

Goodmonth 11th, 580
Narciara, Worvin, and Corfyn investigate it from the air. Carcharius investigates it from the water. The people from the air can tell this is not natural. Carcharius' underwater investigation reveals a large crack in the floor of the river bed. He discovers that it opens into a network of underwater tunnels leading to the cult's lair.
Goodmonth 12th, 580 They go to the rift, Mizaab goes with them, and Derider sends guards to anchor the Company with Ropes so they can enter the rift. The 7 enter the river rift.  

The recent heavy rains have swelled the river. Its level is ap- proximately one foot higher than the normal level for this time of year. The current is swift and the city guards who row your boats have their hands full controlling the dinghies as you prepare to jump overboard. As a safety measure, they have rowed to a position a few yards downriver of the whirlpool to prevent the boats from getting sucked into the swirling waters. You must jump overboard one at a time and swim a few yards before the whirlpool sucks you in. You notice that there is no marine life in the immediate vi- cinity of the turbulence. The chilly waters of the Selin- tan river greet each one of you. Mizaab regards all this rather lightly, and he has taken on the demeanor of an excited child ever since you accepted this mission. You hear an excited yell as he hops into the cold wa- ters. One by one, you are sucked into the whirlpool. Every ounce of strength is required to keep your heads above water and control your bodies. As you reach the bottom of the swirl, you must fight to keep from being bashed into the river bed. You slide more or less neatly into the crevice leading below.

  They go through a shaft and find a tunnel system full of Derro. They slaughter many Derro on the way to a room where they find 34 Human Slaves. he derro kidnapped slaves as they were needed. The slaves are weak but otherwise healthy. They are fearful of leaving the cavern because they know that they might encounter worse creatures than the derro. The slaves know nothing about the remaining caves. They are led to a new portion of the caverns to excavate rooms, but they travel in the dark and are too disoriented to find the way on their own. The slaves know nothing about traps or secret doors in the lair. The slaves cannot provide any infor- mation to the PCs. The slave quarters are outfitted with moldy piles of straw and dete- riorating mattresses. The slaves have no personal possessions and wear little more than rags. The Saltmarsh Six clear the caves for the Slaves to shelter until they can be rescued. They clear the cavesystem of Derro. Goodmonth 13th, 580
Worvin casts Modenkainen's Magnificent Mansion after a long rest for the 34 slaves to shelter in. It will expire in 24 hours. Carcharius told them, if that happens to wait here.   They descend one level down through a natural tunnel. They are ambushed by Hook Horrors. Hook Horrors are destroyed.
At the end of the Hook Horror corridor is a stone. Veenaira moves it an an awful smell arises. There is a strange moss and Carcharius immediately recognizes it as a Meenlock lair. It has to be destroyed. They transform sleeping humans to Meenlocks.

Tbrchlight reveals a wide, low tunnel leading into the rock wall. All surfaces of the tunnel are greenish-brown with thick, tangles of moss. The floor is both spongy and crunchy from the moss and scattered bones. The moss beneath your feet is trampled and flattened, but you cannot detect any distinguishable footprints.

  Carcharius does. He sees the Meenlock tracks.

The ceiling in this cave opens up to eight feet in height. The floor here is exposed stone, but heaps of moss five and six feet high stand around the perime- ter of the cave. The floor is stained with what you assume to be blood, but you can't be sure. If it is blood, it's the blood of many different creatures with many different kinds of body fluids. In the center of the room are six stone posts, each with a leather thong wrapped loosely around it. From the positions of the posts, you might guess that whatever lives here uses the posts to detain its victims. The room is otherwise empty.

They kill the 5 meenlocks.

The stench in this room is nearly unbearable. If anyone was feeling queasy earlier, they now have to fight from becom- ing ill. Bones are stacked around the entire perimeter of this room like snowdrifts. A shallow pit in the center of this cave is slick with a black oozy substance. Six stone posts, like the ones in room M2, surround the two- foot-deep pit. Outside the ring of posts is a ring of moss piles, forming a continuous circle about 12 inches high. What takes place in this room you can only guess. The smell and the evidence suggest some thing too horrifying to imagine.

  They Find the stairs from the Derro Savant quarters and descend to the Cult level. They take a short rest, but are otherwise fine. They see similar trappings to the cult in this complex. Veenaira takes the robes they find in order to destroy them later.   They enter a large complex

A crude altar matching the stone of the caverns stands at the front of the room. Iron can- dlestands, holding the cult's sig- nature black candles, flank the altar. One of the blackened bra- ziers, salvaged from the cult's old temple under the city, stands in front of the altar. The same unholy symbol of Iuz from the old temple hangs on the wall behind the altar. Crude benches and stools fill most of the room. Although the room has been chiseled out only recently, it is filthy with dung, trash, melted wax, and incense ash. A musty, scorched stench hangs in the air

  Veenaira Smashes the symbol of Iuz.
  They explore some other rooms and come to one with a magical symbol of Iuz animating sabre cat skeletons. Veenaira dusts them by channeling and then casts Dispel Magic on the Iuz Symbol which was ripped from the old complex. It is brittle now, and she destoys it.   They encounter a storage room with 100 skeletons, they start to animate, and Veenaira, Worvin, and Corfyn dust them before they can even activate. They next go into the Zombie Storage. Same thing occurs.   They destroy every symbol of Iuz they encounter. They fight the remaining fighters and rogues but they are severely weakened from the battle and the ambush on the party about a month ago. The Cult is severely outmatched by the Company of Saltmarsh Six. Not one is spared. They corner The Falcon.  

"Ah, I was wondering if you'd recognize me," Mizaab says to the Falcon. "It's been a long time, but I guess you've had lit- tle else to think about over all the years. "I guess we made a mistake back then by not finishing you off. Ah, but we were young and naive, and willing to believe that things always work out the way we want. "I'm afraid we simply can't al- low this kind of thing to happen again. This city doesn't want your kind, and I'm here to make sure that the good folk of Greyhawk never have to worry about you again." With that, the Mizaab begins casting a spell.
The Falcon is so stunned that she simply stands sputtering and hissing for two rounds. When she finally recovers, she directs all her attacks at Mizaab. "You! It can't be you! It was too many years ago! But if it is you, I owe you something from long ago. I haven't forgotten all those years of being trapped in your little prison."  

  Mizaab Slays her. Veenaira suggests rituals to make sure she cannot be ressurected or raised as undead. They search the rest of the complex, and Mizaab looks for Aestrella. They find her in a dangerous prison. Mizaab changes to dragon form to rescue her.