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Al'Kabor, the most powerful wizard living on Norrath, has
reached heights of power the likes of which most have never even dreamed. For
him, however, this will all be for naught if he is unable to achieve what he
desires more than anything: Immortality. This would give him the ultimate power,
the power over death itself.
So, Al'Kabor returns to his roots, to Erudin, to begin his
research on the watermen, The Kedge. He now needs the help of adventurers to
continue this research.
Al'Kabor requires a few components. He cannot be bothered
with the menial task of retrieving his own spell components, thus he tasks a
group of adventurers with the responsibility of bringing him the components he
needs. First, he sends a group of adventurers to retrieve four gnoll teeth. With
these in hand, he dispatches a group to retrieve an aviak charm from South
Karana.
Finally, Al'Kabor needs something with a little more staying
power, so to speak. Mammoth tusks from the beasts that roam the frozen plains of
Norrath are said to hold this special property.
With these items collected, Al'Kabor continues his research.
To continue his search for immortality, the wizard Al'Kabor
needs certain items to replicate a most heinous ceremony. In his studies in the
library of Erudin, he has read about a scroll of great power, and the fateful
journey leading to its loss at sea.
The ship "Shark's Bane" was chartered to carry the scroll
from Butcherblock to Freeport during some of the worst storms that ocean had yet
seen. Despite being crewed by rough and seedy veteran seaman, none of whom were
strangers to travel in treacherous conditions, the voyage turned disastrous.
Upon reaching the Ocean of Tears, the ship's captain
determined it would be prudent to seek refuge at the Sisters of Erollisi Isle.
His order to the tillerman to steer hard to port was met with no response.
Turning, he watched as the poor soul was swept over the rail on the crest of a
wave. The captain scrambled toward the rigging. A second wave breached the
starboard side. The captain shut his eyes tightly and prepared for the impact.
When none came, he opened his eyes. A muffled screamed escaped him as he watched
the wave, now standing impossibly on the deck, sprout great arms and reach for
him. The cacophony of snapping timbers and the thundering of water were all that
bespoke the final voyage of the "Shark's Bane".
Al'Kabor's knowledge of the ship and its fate are the results
of his studies in the great Library of Erudin. However, as is the case with
tales of this sort, much of the text was based upon hearsay. But there was
mention of one Tillerman Jairik as the only survivor of the tragedy.
Excited at the prospect of adding this scroll to his
"Shopping List of Armageddon," Al'Kabor once again recruits a party to seek out
Tillerman Jairik, and convince him to return to the site of the wreck to assist
in the retrieval of the lost cargo. The wizard's knowledge of Jairik is limited
to his general location. "The wretch has reverted to the meaningless existence
of an arms monger, peddling his wares in the cave of East Commonlands. Were it
not for the fact that within his tiny skull is locked the key so conjunctive to
my research, I would give no more thought to his death than I would afford a
mosquito in Feerrott."
Tillerman Jairik has no knowledge of the cargo of the ship,
though he knew it was valuable. He avoided the hold of the ship when the item
was loaded, and was issued strict orders by the captain not to snoop. He felt an
eerie presence even as he boarded the ship that rainy evening. "Arr, what a man
don't know about, won't show up later to bite him in the arse!"
Jairik has a mild fear of the sea now, but he overcomes it in
order to accompany the adventurers to the location of the wreck. "Me ol' bones
will feel more at ease knowin' me crewmates be at peace in their watery graves,
aye." Because he was swept overboard before the attack of what Al'Kabor
identified as a water elemental, he has no knowledge of the beast. He fully
expects the ship to be in ruins with its cargo plundered long ago. Little does
he know, the elemental has taken up residence aboard the lost ship.
By the time the ship reaches the docks in the Ocean of Tears,
Jairik has regained his sea legs, and has no problem swimming to the rocky isle.
"C'mon, ye scurvy dogs! The salty brine will keep ya afloat, like an egg on a
glass table!"
"Prexus! Don't be takin' me now!" Jairik exclaims when he
sees the ghostly Shark's Bane docked at the isle, and the great Water Elemental
floating upon its deck. "Ach, I dinnae want to be fish food!"
The water elemental disembarks and attacks the adventurers.
Jairik, overcome with terror, only assists in the battle when the party becomes
overwhelmed, and even then only half-heartedly.
With the defeat of the water elemental, Jairik continues on
with the party to the Sisters of Erollisi island, where Al'Kabor awaits them.
Anxious to return to his laboratory and continue his research, Al'Kabor quickly
rewards the adventurers. The party's questions annoy him, they being far too
simple to comprehend his plans, and he rudely departs.
Tillerman Jairik, the Swashbuckler, returns to the
Commonlands and resumes his peaceful mercantile life.
At last, with the long sought after scroll in his possession,
the mighty Al'Kabor unravels the secret behind the demise of the Kedge race.
Phinigel Autropos, the last surviving Kedge, consigned his brethren to permanent
undeath with a magical spell of great power. Al'Kabor, armed with this
knowledge, confronts Phinigel. The unspoken threat that he could use the very
same spell on Phinigel himself is made clear, unless Phinigel cooperates with
the wizard. The last Kedge is not one to take such threats lightly, however, and
though he could more than likely destroy arrogant Erudite, he reasons it wiser
to teach him a valuable lesson rather than risk his own life.
Phinigel uses his arcane magic to send out a vision of an
ancient artifact, long guarded by his minions, the aqua goblins. The Hammer of
Dagnor Butcherblock, the first dwarven king, appears before the dwarven rogue
Duskan Hammerhand and a dark elven cleric named Teuil N'Mar. In the vision, the
hammer is revealed, secreted beneath the murky waters of Dagnor's Cauldron
within a barnacle-encrusted tower, and guarded by aqua goblins. Duskan
recognizes the holy relic, and immediately makes a foolish attempt to retrieve
the hammer alone, desiring the glory of the successful deed solely for himself.
He fails, narrowly escaping the aqua goblins with his life.
Crawling along the shore, barely coherent and near death,
Duskan manages to convince a party of passing adventurers to escort him to his
King. When Duskan is brought before King Kazon Stormhammer and reveals his story
of the vision and his botched raid, the King organizes an expedition for the
recovery of the Butcherblock Hammer, known among the dwarves as Dagnor's Fist.
Three dwarven champions are chosen to head the effort: Boris Stormhammer, the
King's nephew, Kalek Orefinder, and Fenric Ogrebane, son of the legendary Furtog
Ogrebane. These three, aided by the adventurers, easily cut down the aqua
goblins guarding the hammer. As the goblin Tidal Lord is dying, Phinigel
Autropos himself appears. He stymies the dwarves and adventurers, driving them
back. Then, as swiftly as he appeared, he disappears. The dwarves and
adventurers finish off the last goblin and rescue the hammer.
As they march victoriously back to Kaladim, a dark elven
raiding party ambushes and slaughters them. In the fight, the dark elven wizard
perishes, preventing the raiders' return to Neriak. The leader, Valkis D'Vinn,
carefully seals the captured relic in an enchanted adamantium chest, and orders
his group to march to Crushbone, where another dark elven wizard awaits.
Fenric, thought dead but actually feigning, overhears these
plans, and immediately seeks help once they leave.
The dark elven raiding party discovers upon returning to
Crushbone that the wizard they sought, Szasi R'Alis, is dead, along with Grak
Crushbone, who died defending her. Valkis attempts to bargain with the
adventurers who surround them, but is quickly cut down. The sealed Adamant Chest
of Thex passes into the possession of the adventurers, who return to Kaladim to
deliver the chest to King Kazon. The Dwarven King declares the dwarf in the
party of adventurers his champion, and instructs him to return with the key to
the chest.
The adventurers travel to Nektulos and slay Captain Na'Var,
holder of the key. The Captain struggles, but is outmatched. The adventurers
take the key back to the King, who rewards them with baubles from his treasury.
The King then declares the dwarf adventurer who was integral to the success of
the mission to be Champion of the Dwarves, and Guardian of Butcherblock's
Hammer.
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