Killian's Return

About the Saga

The ranger Killian "The Red" O'Brian returns to hunt down his nemesis, the pyromancer Weri.

Timeframe

• Greyhawk Date: 04/06/1998
• Real World Date: Planting 10, CY 587
• Read other Blackrazor Guild Sagas

Cast of Characters

• Character Name, brief description

Notable Quotes

• None.

What Has Come Before

The lich Brantis has been foiled in his attempt to return the Fading Land of Necros to the Pomarj. But now an old enemy has returned to trouble them: The Pyromancer Weri.

• Read the previous saga

The Saga

10th of Planting, C.Y. 587

The Return of Killian the Red

Killian the Red, former ranger and adventurer with the Blackrazor Guild, was imprisoned in the autumn of C.Y. 586 for interfering with the legal sentencing by a judge of the City of Greyhawk. After the incident – in which he teleported a convicted killer from his cell to the Outer Planes – he was sentenced to four years hard labor. The incident cost him his ranger status, hurling him down to the mundane world of a typical warrior.

In Coldeven of C.Y. 587, however, he was given a chance at redemption.

The Lord Ranger of the Vesve Forest, who held had a number of powerful contacts in the city, approached Killian with troubling news. The fire mage Weri, Killian’s sworn enemy, had been spotted in the city months earlier and had now been reported to be leading – or taking part in leading – an army of orcs on the Pomarj Peninsula.

But Weri wasn’t just some low-powered human hireling, as he’d been in the North Province of Aerdy during his last encounter with Killian. He had been transformed into something far more powerful – a mage of such power that he was even able to bend a dragon to his will.

The Lord Ranger gave Killian a choice – he could continue the life he had, smashing rocks in the prison, or he could head south and attempt to slay the hated mage.

Naturally, Killian accepted. The Lord Ranger, using his connections, was able to have Killian’s sentence commuted to time served and life-time banishment from the city. In addition, to losing his ranger abilities, his months in prison had eaten away at his fighting ability (In game terms, he suffered the loss of his ranger status as well as two levels of ability).

But he now has the opportunity to win back all that he lost. He spent the last two months fighting and working his way south along the Wild Coast finally arrive in the Free City of Obsidian Bay aboard the coaster Waveslayer on the 10th of Planting.

Dark secrets

At the same time some of the Blackrazor Guild’s best adventurers had just returned to the city from a foray against a previously unknown undead menace, the lich Brantis. The lich – and his servants in the Cult of Death Undying – nearly succeeded in wiping out the Blackrazor adventurers and establishing a kingdom of death on the Pomarj. Fortunately, the ranger Kannett was able to bring down the lich with a final blow, sending him back to the ashes he was created from. They returned to the city on Planeting 10, and spent several days. After their arrival back in the city, the guild’s mages – Aaron Windstalker, Falgar, Asop, Sven Kildare and Tenavier – met in the guild’s office to discuss what to do with two very dark and possibly very evil tomes they had recovered from the lich’s lair.

The first and slimmer of the two books was titled the Book of Sabar the Deadly, and had belonged to Brantis’ apprentice. It had a black leather cover, bone-white pages and was locked with a simple silver latch. It also had a number of protective spells cast on it to prevent exactly the sort of tampering the mages were attempting.

The second book was much larger, and seemed to almost radiate evil. Imprinted in silver letters upon its inky black cover were the words A Minor Study on the Art of Death. This was the traveling spellbook of the lich himself, and it was protected by even more powerful wards than the first book.

The mages and the other members of the guild debated what to do. The books obviously held high level magic spells – they had seen the lich cast them. But how to open it without dying?

Calvin Cloudmore, the party’s long-time cleric and a faithful billet of St. Cuthbert, refused to even consider opening the books. "They are evil!" he shouted at the party, his voice cracking slightly. "They should be destroyed immediately!"

The earth elementalist Sven provided a voice of reason. "There could be useful spells in there," he said calmly. "Spells that could be used for good. Naturally we would not use any of the evil spells, and we’ll turn over both books to the proper authorities when we learn all we can from them."

Calvin, clearly agitated but trusting of his good friends, agreed.

The mages then toyed with going to the Guild of Wizardry for help, but almost immediately dismissed that idea. The mages were just as likely to confiscate the "evil" tomes as they were to help defeat the books’ defenses.

Finally, they decided to buy – for the hefty sum of 3,000 gold pieces, two high level dispel magic scrolls from the Guild. They then used the scrolls to defeat some, but not all of the books’ defenses. Several of the Blackrazors nearly succumbed to madness as they attempted to read through the pages – the spells were similar to ones they had seen before, but the concepts used to illustrated them were total madness.

From Sabbar’s book, they discovered these spells:

• First Level Spells: Chill Touch, Wall of Fog
• Second: Spectral Hand, Stinking Cloud
• Third: Vampiric Touch, Lightening Bolt
• Fourth: Contagion, Enveration

From Brantis’, they found these:

• First Level: Burning Hands, Chill Touch
• Second Level: Darkness, 15’ radius; Stinking Cloud
• Third level: Vampiric Touch, Dispel Magic, Animate Dead
• Fourth Level: Enveration, Evard’s Black Tentacles, Stone Skin
• Fifth Level: Wall of Force, Teleport
• Sixth Level: Chain Lightning, Death Fog
• Seventh Level: Spell Turning, Shadow Walk, Clasp of Pain
• Eighth Level: Trap the Soul, Maze of Mind Death
• Nine Level: Power Word Kill, Energy Drain

Falgar did momentarily fall to insanity while attempting to learn one of the lower level spells. He passed out from the shock trying to learn the alien magic and when he came do all he could remember was visions of a vast army of undead, and a single word: Necros.

11th of Planting, C.Y. 587

Rumors of war were growing faster than the newly-planted crops in the field, and by mid-Planting of C.Y. 587, the leaders of Obsidian Bay decided to do something about it. Jander Drachen, leader of the city’s intelligence gathering corps, decided to send out some of his men to investigate whispers of a large army massing in Highport.

Not trusting the chaotic impulses of Ralishaz, he also decided to send out some adventuring types to check out the city and report back.

He approached members of several guilds, including the Blackrazors. Months earlier, the guild had helped him solve an increasingly troubling series of murders in the city. Now he needed to as another favor of them, and approached his contact: Kalib Ironfist, priest of Trithereon.

They met on a dark, deserted street in the city’s warehouse district. "Glad you could make it Kalib," Drachen said and cut straight to the heart of the matter. "We’ve received reports – some credible, some not – regarding a build up of humanoid troops in Highport. In addition to large concentrations of humanoid forces, it’s believed that a number of powerful mercenaries have signed on with the force as well as – and this is hard to believe I know – a red dragon. There have also been reports of High Orcs acting as advisors in the city, and of a great mage – a fire elementalist named Weri – working with these scum." He paused. "We need to confirm the validity of these rumors. I need to you help once more – please travel to the city, gather as much intelligence as possible, and return within three weeks."

"Do not engage the enemy unless necessary, and if you do engage them, leave no survivors. I need to know how many troops are in the city, what their racial make up is, what mercenaries are lurking about, and if this nonsense about the dragon is true. It’s crucial that you return as soon as possible – spend no more than three days in the city.

There are also rumors that special "advisors" – high orcs from the Bone March – are on the peninsula and are working with their native counterparts." Kalib was slightly awestruck, but not by the army in Highport. "We’re not exactly good at this sort of thing," he said. The Blackrazors were known for destroying at least as much as they saved during their various adventures.

"I know," Drachen replied. "But I need people I can trust, and I know you can do this. I suggest taking a small mixed force of rangers and mages. I can help you with some equipment," he said, handing Kalib a prepared backpack. It held two potions of healing, a potion of humanoid control, and a map to the city. "Stop by the city guard barracks tomorrow and pick up three homing pigeons," he said. "Then set out for the village of Mogelsville – it’s a small settlement up in the Drachensgrabs. They’ll provide you with a guide to lead you through the mountains to Highport. Good luck."

Before Kalib could respond, the spook returned to the shadows.

14th through the 16th of Planting, C.Y. 587

So on the 14th of Planting, the Blackrazors once again set out into the wilds of the Pomarj. This time their party consisted of a handful of regulars: Kalib, Killian, Fulgar, Kannett and Aaron. They made good time riding through the lowlands and by the 16th of Planting they had arrived at the foothills of the Drahensgrabs. They quickly moved into the mountain range, and found themselves navigating through badly eroded ravines.

It was in one of these ravines that the ambush occurred.

Hill giants, who had been lurking just out of site, sent a cascade of boulders rolling down on the party. Most of the Blackrazors weren’t surprised by the attack – they had sensed something was wrong at the last minute – but Fulgar was. His horse couldn’t escape in time, and was knocked down by the boulders, pinning him to the ground.

The others quickly took defensive positions and tried to counter attack their opponents – a half dozen hill giants!

The beast-men wore rough-shod leather armor pieced together from animal hides and other kills. They began throwing boulders at the party from the top of the hills, hitting their targets with surprising accuracy.

Some of the Blackrazors tried to climb the sides of the hills, but found their eroded faces to be a difficult go. Meanwhile, Fulgar tried to free himself, and Aaron used his trusty bow to cover him.

It was a very close thing.

Fulgar was able to reduce the size of the horse using a spells and then free himself. Aaron broke his bow string, and had to resort to using spells such as magic missile to defend himself. The party had the advantage of a stoneskin spell, which had been cast on each of them before they left the city. That allowed them a few precious minutes to bring the fight to the hill giants. The creatures did manage to drop Aaron, but the Blackrazors slew all but one of them in return. One of the creatures escaped into the countryside.

The attack may not have been crippling, but it was certainly painful. Kalib, who had neglected to take any healing spells that day, was useless as medic. Instead the party relied on the two potions of healing they had received from Drachen. After pulling themselves together, the Blackrazors continued their trek north to the relative safety of Mogelsville.

Experience & Loot

• No experience and/or loot is avalable for this saga.