A Failed Experiment

Gundr Bronnson sat staring at the foul blackened demon horn as it cooled from Holy Purging. The tenth attempt of the day had survived the forge and bent to his will, and he was weary from the efforts. He had a head ache, and he felt generally sour. The only thing that cut through his nagging discomfort was the ringing of his Forge Master's hammer as he purified weapons that had rubbed the taint of the World Wound for too long. These experiments with the demon horn were wasting his time. The only thing he had wrung out of it was the ability to add chaos to a spell. There was no benefit to creating chaos. Chaos was not of Torag. He threw the horns, and all remaing components into the forge, to be consumed. He felt better, headache dissipating as the horn hissed into ash. He smiled and observed his newly appointed Forge Master.

Maximillian Reaverstone finally felt like his 200 years had led him to his path. Always in his crafting he had felt an invisible pressure to make perfection his goal.  The heat, the peal of the hammer upon anvil, the honest ache of both shoulder and grip, these were his sacraments. He had throughout his life heard a voice in his dreams, a voice instructing, a voice teaching, a voice calling.  He had long ago connected that voice to what he thought Torag would sound like. When the call came from the Lords that a forge priest was needed, Max was certain that only he could answer the call. It wasn't until the end of the first day of tutelage under Sir Gundr Bronsson, just as he mastered the feat of crafting magical rings, that he realized it ; the voice in his dreams matched Sir Gundr's and no one else's.

Vorimeraak

Vorimeraak

Marhevok

Marhevok

The Anselme Family Crypt

Alrys Anselme

Bodak Anti-Paladin

Skulgrym Male Nabasu

A Message From Queen Galfrey

To the Heroes of Drezen—
Words cannot convey my gratitude for what you have done.  I wish that I could say the worst is over, but as you must surely know, the liberation of Drezen is but the first of many steps. You are poised to serve in a way that no others among the crusaders can match. Use Drezen as a base of operations. Set out to explore the Wounded Lands to the south and west for anything else we can use against the demons. You, being on the front lines, doubtless have already isolated several possible leads to investigate, but do not hesitate to consult those I have sent north with you. Sosiel, Aron, Irabeth, and the rest know much of the region’s history and legends. Word of your success and Drezen’s liberation has already started to spread, and already I see the results in the faces of my soldiers. They fight with renewed morale. Our increased tenacity along the southern borders should keep the eye of Deskari turned away from you, affording you time to explore and investigate behind enemy lines. With your aid, I now feel that victory is finally something we can hope for.

—Galfrey

Queen Galfreay

DREZEN LG large town Corruption –2; Crime –4, Economy –5; Law +3; Lore +0; Society –1
Qualities holy site, strategic location, tenacious Danger +5 Disadvantages ruined
DEMOGRAPHICS
Government overlord
Population 2,150 (1,860 humans, 170 dwarves, 35 half-elves, 20 elves, 20 halflings, 15 aasimars, 10 gnomes, 10 half-orcs, 10 other)
Notable NPCs
High Priest Sosiel Vaenic (NG male human cleric of Shelyn 7)
Irabeth Tirabade, Commander of Drezen (LG female halforc paladin 7)
Riftwarden Aravashnial (CG male elf conjurer 5/riftwarden 3)
Spymaster Anevia Tirabade (NG female human rogue 7)
Treasurer Horgus Gwerm (LN male human aristocrat 4/rogue 2)
Warden Aron Kir (N male human rogue 5/low templar 2)

MARKETPLACE
Base Value 2,200 gp; Purchase Limit 5,000 gp; Spellcasting 5th
Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6
NOTES
Ruined Decades of demonic rule, combined with recent mass combat, has ruined the city—most of its buildings bear damage, and it doesn’t currently have enough citizens to function at full capacity. (Economy –6; reduce purchase limit by 50%; reduce spellcasting by 2 levels; reduce available
magic items in number to small town level [3d4 minor and 1d6 medium items])
Tenacious Despite its devastation, Drezen is now a bastion for law and goodness. (Corruption –2; Crime –2)

SWORD OF VALOR MAJOR ARTIFACT  AURA strong abjuration and evocation [good]
SLOT none CL 20th WEIGHT 3 lbs.

The Inheritor herself carried this crimson banner into battle during the Shining Crusade. An army commander who carries the Sword of Valor increases the DV and OM of her army by 4 against armies of undead or evil outsiders. Yet the Sword of Valor’s greatest power lies not in offense but
in defense. Mounted firmly upon an interior wall in a visible, public place, the Sword of Valor creates a 10-mile-radius area that bars demons and those who worship demons from using teleportation spells and effects and imparts on such creatures a –4 penalty to Armor Class and on all saving throws. Once per month while the banner is mounted on a wall, a worshiper of Iomedae within 30 feet of the banner can use it to summon a planetar to protect the banner and its surroundings for 1 day. Any nonevil creature that sleeps within a 1-mile radius becomes immune to fear effects from demons and demon worshipers for 24 hours.

DESTRUCTION
The Sword of Valor can be destroyed by Iomedae herself, but only if she chooses to do so and rips it apart with her bare hands.

The Corruption Forge

Corruption Forge

A ten-foot-wide cage encloses an elevated lift at the top of this high terrace. A line of chains and an array of pulleys allow the cage to be lowered down into the room or moved across the room to a set of double doors at the far side of the chamber. The terrace and cage both overlook a large chamber with walls that seem to glow red hot. Heat wavers in the air, and wisps of vapor periodically waft up from the floor and walls, but the temperature atop the terrace is rather cool. Below, in the center of the room, squats a large forge made of black and red metal.

Fiendish Salamander Guardians of the Forge

The Coming of the Dawnflower

Theruk Nul

Theruk Nul felt his minions defeat in the haunted vault and roused himself to see what force had defeated the sorceress.   Knowing that she would return to her grave in the cemetery the former half-orc Theruk left his study to find Jestak.  The corrupted Kellid, a woman from the Howling Blood clan, was strong enough to carry the sorceress’ coffin back here into his study.  It was time Theruk thought for her casket to join his own in his hidden chamber. Turning gaseous, Theruk flowed through the air vents of the citadel to the West Garrison where he knew to find Jestak lording over the tiefling siege engineers. 

Jestak

Radiance

Solidifying behind the large human woman, Theruk's presence immediately commanded her attention, having charmed the barbarian so many times that the she no longer resisted.  

The duo had just left the citadel when Theruk felt his connection to the sorceress completely severed and then a moment later the charm over the corrupted Kellid was gone.   Piercing the abyssal haze of the worldwound a golden glow rose above graveyard filling the sky with the sudden raidiance of the sun.  Celestial hosts poured through the sunlight flying towards the catapults atop each tower of the citadel.  A holographic image filled the air, the tiny sun filling the sky with light was the glow of the fabled sword Radiance and from its light celestial hosts were being called forth by The Herald Caller of Saranrae.  Jestak turned back from the light and fled into the citadel.  Theruk Nul’s initial shock was overcome by his desire for self preservation.  The priest of Shax swiftly returned to the citadel moving into the hidden chamber of his study convinced of their defeat.