The Tower Ruins

Fort Inevitable

Having travelled northwards through the River Kingdoms the Adventures arrives  at Fort Inevitable. The town shielded was behind large stone walls  and the gates were guarded by Hellknights. After stern warnings about obeying all laws and town ordinances they were permitted entry, but noted that the Hellknights had taken their particulars down.
Thyrus - a fame seeker looking to make his fortune.
Yangrit - a traveller, just passing through
Seawyr - a scholar, seeking learning in the town
Tamarie - a cleric. just passing through
Jontric - a traveller, just passing through
Thyrus was additionally warned that he and any in his Party would require a "Letter of Warrant" to operate in the area.

Seeking accommodation, the Party were directed to The Juliver Arms, but quickly decided that it was a bit rich for their blood, though Thyrus did find out about some-place called the Emerald Spire nearby that sounded like it might be interesting! He also discovered that a "Letter of Warrant" cost 50gp a year and attracted a 30% levy! Yangrit went exploring the town and  and eventually managed to secure beds in the common room behind The Helmed Lady across the town square.

Next morning, after a bite of breakfast, they decided that as Fort Inevitable seems a bit pricy, and wishing to avoid any Hellknight entanglements, they set out heading northwards through Echo Woods to the mysterious Emerald Spire.

The Tower Ruins

As they emerged from the Echo Wood under-brush, the Party found themselves staring up at a ruined keep guarding a broken central tower. The keep appeared to be made of smooth, green glass. The clearing around the ruin lay barren, with sickly weeds struggling to rise from the magic-blasted earth. Melted chunks of twisted glass peppered the ground, lending a green hue to the clearing’s light. Despite the damage, however, the glass of the keep itself seems to have avoided the ravages of time, with those pieces that survived whatever cataclysm had struck unmarred by pitting or cracking, clean of moss and other clinging debris.

At the top of a steep dirt path winding up through the rubble, a doorway opens onto darkness. Cautiously, with the exception of Seawyr, who had his nose stuck in a book they proceeded up the twisting path until suddenly Thyrus grunted as a small arrow slammed into his shoulder! He charged up the path followed by his companions where they were attacked by a small group of goblins accompanied by two goblin dogs. Initially the goblins proved irksome but eventually the Party slaughtered them, though Tamarie's healing power was sorely needed.

Heading deeper into the complex they were blocked by a barred door. They could hear goblin voices behind the door, who demanded a password. There appeared no way through - until Seawyr managed to trick the goblins into revealing the password. Once the door was opened the three, rather stupid, goblin guards were swiftly dealt with!

Three exits led from this room. The first, hidden behind a rather obvious painted canvas of a piece of wall, led to a tunnel snaking westward. While they pondered, Jontric summoned his eidolon, Seth. They then decided to take the passageway heading south, discovering a rather pitiful armoury, (which Thyrus easily unlocked). A second doorway led to a stairway leading up which was illuminated by a massive glowing crystal pillar at it's centre.

The Kitchen of Doom

While the Party discussed their next actions, Tyrus wandered off announcing he was going to the jakes! The Party's cunning plan devolved into the usual kick-open-the-door-and-kill-everything approach. Yangrit took the lead opening the door into what appeared to be some kind of barracks. The several goblins within, reacted predictably, screeching horrible goblin obscenities and attacking with horse-choppers. Equally predictably, the goblins were swiftly slain, allowing the Party to recover several more of the curious green potions as well as some small short-bows and arrows. A door in the opposite corner led through to a wide hallway where two more goblins were swiftly despatched. Several exits led from this hall a wide set of double doors lay to the left, tow other doors, one opposite and one to the right, and a rocky passageway leading to the south.

They chose the door opposite which led into what looked like a kitchen part of which had been converted to a laboratory. Within was a small elderly goblin waving a curved staff, and an automaton of some kind.  Yangrit and Juntrik charged in. As they did, the goblin suddenly swelled in size and battle was joined. As the battle raged, Juntrik summoned a celestial dog and Yangrit a small earth elemental to aid the. Fortunately most of the cleric's spells seemed to fail against them and they managed to get a couple of hits in before the cleric drew out one of the green potions and drank it, healing himself.

 The automaton proved to be a formidable foe, and both Juntrik and Yangrit were quickly down, causing Tamarie to to have to drag them to safety under cover of Seawyr's spells! Tamarie cast a cure light wounds on Yangrit and used one of the potions on Juntrik. As they rejoined the battle, the dog and earth elemental were still snipping away at the automaton. Seawyr tossed a spell at the automaton as did Juntrik, noting that bursts of electrical energy sparked along it's torso. The Party swarmed the cleric attacking furiously but surrounded, the cleric invoked Lamashtu, channelling a burst of negative energy - near killing all of them. Unseen by them, the automaton, enveloped in a cloud of sparks, exploded - killing the cleric instantly!

At that moment, Thyrus , drawn by the sounds of battle, arrived and surveyed the carnage. Fortunately, though near death,his friends were still breathing and he quickly administered healing potions to all.

Grulk's Lair

As the Party recovered and set out to explore the immediate surroundings they were suddenly ambushed by more goblins coming for a room to the north of the kitchen/laboratory. Briefly troublesome these goblins were swiftly dealt with. In a bedroom nearby, Seawyr discovered a bone scroll-tube inside of which was sheet of parchment on which was drawn a complicated magical sigil in iridescent green ink.Using comprehend languages he was able to discern the word "Six" ,written in an unknown language, was hidden within the looping swirls of the arcane sigil. Seawyr was also able to examine the curled stick they had taken from the goblin cleric noting the works "heally-stick" were scrawled on the side. He determined it was a wand of cure light wounds activated by striking the target soundly with it! The rest of the were empty, but they did find a small tunnel leading to the outside and stairs going down. After deliberation they decide to check the stairs going up first.

The stairs led, through a mysterious pool of darkness, to a tower room. The door was locked , but Thyrus managed to pick the lock easily enough and charged in. The room was occupied by a surprised looking bugbear who grabbed a morningstar and swung mightily - clobbering Thyrus! Tamarie and Yangrit followed in surrounding the bugbear, while Seawyr lobbed spells from the doorway. Outnumbered the bugbear soon succumbed, and the Party decided to rest here overnight after dragging the body out. From the bugbear they recovered a small amount of treasure and a nice magic ring, which Seawyr claimed!