• Meat Axe's Diary

• Exploring the Lost Citadel of the Scarlet Minotaur
• Argot cast Charm on a spider person (Ettercap)
• Sala'Iman helped out a Beastman
• The Ettercap showed the group where a pearl was then attacked the Beastman and was driven off
• Argot found a key
• The Beastman was convinced to lead the party to a secret area

• Party was introduced to more Beastmen in hidden hallways
• Encountered a Cave Crawler (giant centipede) and opened a door with skeletons inside. Combat ensued.
• Brought to Beastmen hideout through a secret doorway

• Party was introduced to more Beastmen in hidden hallways
• Sala'Iman convinced the Beastmen leader to offer help in the way of 12 hirelings
• Party entered courtyard where the Scarlet Minotaur resided.
• Meat Axe was charged and knocked unconscious. Argot attempted to heal Meat Axe and was knocked unconscious. Dragulon flanked the Scarlet Minotaur with the Beastmen Hirelings and was knocked unconscious. Sala'Iman was the only PC not unconscious at some point.
• The Scarlet Minotaur was killed and Meat Axe claimed his Great Axe
• Argot was not stabilized/healed in time and died.

• The Beastmen celebrated the death of the the Minotaur. One felt bad for the PCs and offered to take them to a sacrificial pool to attempt to revive their friend Argot.
• PCs placed Argot in the pool and Meat Axe sacrificed the Minotaur's Great Axe. Argot had a dream of a Dream Lady offering to bring him back from death if he promised to come meet her west of the mountains to the north and help her. She is close to the Siruul Elves camp.
• PCs went to a room with magically trapped pillars and claimed a Magic Greatsword, Asterion.
• They went to a throne room, killed an Ochre Jelly, and retrieved a Magic Spear, Vigilant.

• Party left the Citadel and headed to Alkesh.
• Learned that Meat Axe is wanted for medical malpractice in an unnamed port city for conducting emergency surgery on a rich noble.
• Learned Sala'Iman worships The Lost; A Pantheon of Gods lost at sea. A pretty common religion and the primary faith of pirates and sailors. The icon of The Lost is a compass. Devoted priests sacrifice their bodies (pegleg, eyepatch, hook hand, etc.) and are called Tappers.
• Party arrived at Alkesh and decided to stay at the serai just inside the city gates
• Sold gold and jewelry items at the Stout and Castle
• PCs caroused; Argot and Sal'Iman woke up in a gutter. Dragulon met a member of the Thieves Guild (Summer). Meat Axe met a drunk caravaner who told him a rumour of a pyramid to the east that was unearthed from a sandstorm.

• Helped Summer con some people in Alkesh.
• Found some Glass Statues.
• Argot had another dream urging him to meet up with a mysterious woman.
• Arrived at the Mysterious Pyramid where we met some people in a caravan.

• Caravanner Trenza Silverhound agreed to join the party for 1/5 of the loot from the dungeon
• Entered pyramid and saw murals depicting pharaoh king with cool sword and dragon worshippers
• Sala'Iman triggered blade trap and Meat Axe triggered was blinded by a dart trap
• Sala'Iman cured Meat Axe's blindness
• Dragulon attacked by Mimic and got a gold mask from a pharaoh statue
• Argot used Knock spell to open a door which caused green flame to ignite in statues hands. Skeleton archers appeared from coffins and attacked. All but 1 were destroyed.
• Party crawled into crack and found a dragon statue. Gave gold tribute and collected red liquid vials.
• Entered into room with many books.

• Collected elf vampire Firouz from grand gallery. Got Spear that impaled Firouz.
• Firouz led the party to the tomb of the pharaoh and priestess. Pharaoh was carrying a sick sword.
• Trenza was killed by a skeleton.
• Sala'Iman positioned himself in the centre of the room and cast turn undead, destroying half the skeletons and making all the rest except the pharaoh flee.
• The pharaoh cut Sala'Iman down to 0 hp and got a few solid hits on Meat Axe after Meat Axe got first blood on the pharaoh.
• Dragulon was able to revive Sala'Iman before he bled out and Sala'Iman cast turn undead again with a critical hit! The rest of the skeletons were destroyed and the pharaoh and priestess fled.
• Argot cleverly snuffed out all the green flames, removing the protective spell from the tomb room and allowing Dragulon and Sala'Iman to coup de grace the pharaoh and priestess.

• Party looted the dungeon and left the Vampire, Firouz, behond. They entombed Trenza's body in the pyramid as well.
• Gave the bad news of Trenza's death to the Caravan. Party was informed Trenza was a turncoat from the Crimson Regiment, a militia from the nation/region to the east. He left the militia to help refugees escape. Dragulon knows the Crimson Regiment as a government controlled militia. Trenza was on his way to find the Hawk Bandits who were a splinter militia of the Crimson Regiment and are preying on refugees and travellers.
• Party sold many items, identified some magic items, and read a few ancient texts, learning much.
• Split off from the Caravan to explore a settlement nearby. Approached at night and were confronted by 6 men on horseback who took up arms against the party.

• Party faced off against some bandits. They killed 3, captured 1, and 2 fled towards the nearby settlement. The party claimed 2 horses from the skirmish.
• Party learned from the bandit, Gaspar, that the bandit gang were ex-thieves guild members led by a man named Wadim. They were ill suited for life outside the city and a few were ready to mutiny.
• They learned of an oasis nearby, home to a Hippopotamus called The Boss.
• Learned the bandits attacked a caravan headed to the Thraxis Arena, and captured an ogre being taken there.

• Dragulon fell off a small cliff and woke the ogre but Argot convinced it to help kill the bandits and they'd help it escape.
• Some bandits fled while others mutinied and when the mutiny side won Dragulon then challenged the mutiny leader to a fight too. While they fought 1 on 1 Argot befriended the ogre more and Sala'Iman pilfered the bandits tents.
• They continued travelling through the night, looking for the ogres home.
• Started setting up camp in the morning and saw some shambling humanoid figures approaching who howled frighteningly.

• The Party decided to avoid the shambling humanoid figures (called Dunefiends by the ogre) and rode away.
• Ogre led the party to a goblin camp, where they were welcomed with a party for returning their guardian ogre, Urgg Dush The Avalanche. The PCs lied to the goblins, saying the bandits ran away with their 'sacred relics' (snow shoes and silver thread/needle)
• Argot met a kobold sage named Po-Kito Mas who told him about plans to summon a figure called the Cold Prince and ally him with the dragon Scourge. The goblins are excited to be ruled by two tyrannical leaders. Argot agreed to trade a scoll of Body Swap to be taught Lightning Bolt but both Argot and Po failed to learn the spells.
• Meat-Axe, Dragulon and Sala-Iman levelled up.
• Goblins and PCs ventured to bandit camp to retrieve the relics, found the bandits were gone and decided to track them towards Alkesh.

• PCs approached by guards on camels, warning them to keep the goblins out of Alkesh. They seemed impressed hearing of the PCs dismantling of the bandit camp and will send a scout to check if it's true.
• Arrived at Alkesh and met The Wolf of Yarin in line. He took a snowshoe to inspect.

* PCs caroused and gained a bard ally, Peter Pepperstep. Sala'Iman got banned from the tavern.

* We celebrated The Dawn of the Sacred Lemon

* PCs got 3 letters. Rendezvous for first letter brought them to a contact who blackmailed them to do a caravan run or reveal Meat Axe's criminal past. PCs cast zone of truth on the contact to discover the true meaning of the caravan run, to deliver a special package to the Hawk Bandits which the Shar Yasmila would not want to happen according to Max Ready.

* PCs continued through the Dawn of the Sacred Lemon festival and met young-ish and old-ish priests (Boatswain) for the Temple of the Lost who asked the PCs to clear a old less used temple of local thugs. Meanwhile, a young lady priest threw off her compass and, exasperated, asked the PCs for help delivering items to a lost tomb of a saint, saying that the other priests don't listen to her.

* PCs arrived at the Archives. They Assistant to the Headmaster informed them of the history of the Archives including its anti-magic platinum dome, and it's boarded up ancient underground forge. The Wolf of Yarin explained to the PCs that:

• The Vampire King as known by men is called the Cold Prince to goblins and fey.
• The Vampire King was an elven vampire from the fairy realm. He wove elements of winter with dark sorcery. Under his rule, the fairy realm lay under an eternal cloak of frost and snow.
• In the age of the Waking Fox, mortals waged war against the fey armies of the Vampire King.
• He came with a diplomatic goal to ally with goblins to enact his conquest. Vampire King, his Elves, and Goblins vs Men, The Scourge, and Kobolds
• His arm and shield were eaten by Scourge during a climactic battle at the Frostbound Fortress. He escaped but was exiled into his dominion in the Fairy realm. The fortress is now abandoned, but ghosts of Frost Elves haunt it.

* The Scourge attacked Alkesh, destroying a bell tower and killing multiple people.

* PCs went to the forgotten temple. Killed a couple thugs and suspected one was a vampire.

* Sala'Iman got bit by guy they thought was a vampire.

* Meat Axe had a vision from Eclipse Fang after killing a thug.

* Argot found a hidden passage and a room full of treasure. Sala'Iman opened a trapped chest and got poisoned.

* Sala'Iman visited a local healer and seemingly got cured of his vampirism and poison.

* PCs returned from liberating/looting the temple of The Lost from bandits and declined to return any found items or goods to the Priest of The Lost.

* They met with Summer and the Theives Guild and learned they have alternatives to being extorted by the local town guard. The Guild can offer them jobs, hirelings, info, and safe storage and they may not have to do the caravan job they have been blackmailed to do.

* Followed a series of clues starting from the etched glass Seadusa Medusea figurine/bottle owned by Sala-Iman. They eventually arrived at the north gate for their caravan job interview without having finished the trail of clues.

* PCs met new PCs Dimple and Pebble. They were all hired for the caravan. Mahmoud advised the package intended to be taken by the Hawk Bandits is a briefcase.

* Sala'Iman led the group to a statue and found a Strange Map.

* PCs went to Marvin's Marvelous Mixed Elixirs and spoke the code words. They were lead underground where they rented a storage room and paid for intel on their new employer.

* PCs did some reconnaissance at a serai. They learned the specific location of the briefcase, placed there by a young caravan worker named Federico. They learned their caravan master, Badim, was an adventurer with a rough past and connections with the Grand Vizier, Halcyon Ravenlace. Badim also told them the Howling Caves has a burning fortress and a megadungeon full of monsters and no one has ever reached the bottom.

* Partied hard.

* Discovered briefcase intended to be stolen contained forgery tools/documents for Shar Yasmila's Masquerade which will take place in 2 weeks. PCs stole 6 documents and forged their names.

* Dropped off some items in Thieves Guild storage.

* Sala'Iman sold a fake magic axe to a merchant with the help of Argot's illusions.

* Left in caravan, scouting ahead for dangers. Arrived at The Bones and saw a few people resting near a giant rib. They said they were travelling to Alkesh from Prontia and got lost due to a sandstorm then were hunted by something as they moved along the base of the mountains near The Howling Caves. The PCs give them some rations and take watch for the night.

* Dimple spots a cloaked figure sneaking around and calls out to wake everyone. Argot gets a glimpse of the figure and it looks exactly like him. Sala'Iman chases the figure down on horseback, headed towards the skull of The Bones. They reach the mouth at the same time and Sala'Iman sees the figure shapechange to an ogre while 4 other human figures step out from the shadows.

* PCs slaughtered the human nomads that appeared to be puppets of the shapeshifter. Meanwhile the shapeshifter disappeared into the skull of The Bones not to be seen again. Meat Axe got visions from his sword, Eclipse Fang when he killed 2 enemies.

* PCs returned to camp and determined the briefcase was not taken.

* The next day the PCs scout ahead with Badim and are approached by someone asking for payment of protection money. Meat Axe went to the person, trying to determine if they knew of the briefcase to be delivered. He claimed to be a Hawk Bandits but seemed to not know of the briefcase so Meat Axe attacked. The man jumped off the cliff face and all other PCs were hit with arrows.

* PCs paid off the bandits after being taken “hostage.” They also ensured the item was taken as per their previous agreement.

* Badim seemed frustrated that they nearly got in a deadly fight and also ended up paying off the bandits. An argument ensued but the PCs decided to go with the caravan until the Shar Oasis at least. Then will decide to stay or separate from there.

* Arrived at the Oasis and Argot had a vision, showing him where the Dream Lady can be found. Other PCs bought and sold many items. Pebble learned of a valuable pearl rumoured to exist in a clam in the deepest pool of the oasis.

* PCs went to a fight pit in the bush and Meat Axe inquired about fighting.

* Meat Axe destroyed two berserkers and a giant scorpion in a pit fight while Pebble and Dimple stole from people.

* The PCs decided to party on the dime of Noodle Shefield, a wealthy patron befriended by Argot's Charm spell for a few days. He offered the PCs a mission to collect treasure from a Pheonix nest. Meat Axe woke up in an unfamiliar room that looked and smelled like a latrine.

* Meat Axe wakes up in darkness and explores his surroundings as silently and cautiously as possible.

* The party tracks down Meat Axe in a cenote in the oasis. They find Meat Axe on the steps of a black monolithic ziggurat in a cave pool. Everyone enters and get ambushed by frogmen, but Sala'Iman convinces the frogmen the party is here to see “mother.”

* The PCs are brought to a room with many cowering frogmen and are introduced to “mother” who claims to have been given godhood by Mother Brine. Argot convinces her that they were sent there to teach her magic and read the scrolls behind her. Dimple begins distracting frogmen by singing a song and the frog mother agrees to send most everyone else away in order to study magic with Argot and Sala'Iman as translator. They end up paralyzing her and putting her two guards to sleep.

* Meat Axe and Pebble go with the rest of the frogmen to claim some previously brined frogspawn as a snack for “mother” on their way back they see that Sala'Iman transformed into a sea serpent and took command of the frogs. All PCs leave the frogs behind except for one who leads them through a Lost Temple and to a Treasure room.

* Sala'Iman and Dimple go into an underwater treasure room after distracting some giant leeches with a frogman sacrifice. They open 3 stone chests. One has a black pudding which attacks Dimple.

* Iron gate dropped, closing the underwater passage to the room separating Dimple and Sala'Iman.

* Black pudding knocks Dimple unconscious but he comes back by rolling a natural 20. Rest of the group attacks the leeches to get into the water and attempt to open the gate in various ways. No one succeeds, although the gate integrity is diminished by acid arrow.

* Croaking approaches and the frogmen/frog mother enter the room.

* Argot, Dimple, and Pebble are all unconscious at various points during the fight. Frog mother attempts to eat Pebble, as far as getting him inside her whole mouth.

* Argot casts Fireball and kills most frogmen. Remaining frogmen run away. Frog mother still standing but badly injured. Dimple kills her with her own obsidian knife, revealing the true nature of the Obsidian Witch Knife.

* PCs leave the monolith. Crossing the water Argot and Pebble get swallowed by another frog. The other PCs retaliate quickly, killing the frog and rescuing their friends before the frog or the incoming manta ray could do more damage. They all leave the cenote by the same rope they got down with.

* PCs bought and sold items including 2 camels: Ricky and Micky.

* Travelled north to meeting location, leaving around 8PM from Oasis and arriving shortly after midnight. Helped by good navigation from Sala. On the way there Dimple saw a group of 5 people on caribou who told them they were hunting and there were no dangers nearby.

* Arrived at a small canyon which appeared to be the site of a ancient tomb. 4 elves were completing some ritual on a goblin, apparently in reverence to the Cold Prince. They called the PCs to participate and Pebble partook for a moment before everyone decided to leave the elven ritualists to themselves and go enter the tomb.

* Party entered the tomb and were immediately harassed by floating religious relics. Pebble caught a flying compass and put it in his backpack. Dimple later used it to show him where treasure in the tomb lay.

* Explored the tomb finding a magic mirror, many statues with weapons, floating/dancing skeletons near a weird slime fissure, and a pillared room with large dog statues chained to the wall. After speaking the dogs names a door to a room to the north opened.

*A ghostly figure in the room asked the PCs to take his ring, and to bring it to his beloved by going down the stairs in the tomb. They first explored a chapel room and a hidden priests quarters, finding some blessed hard-tack and some lore about Captain Null, The Spider Navigator, and the Navigator's frog companion. Argot feels oddly dry and uncomfortable in his body.

* The PCs went down the stairs and passed some floating candles finding themselves transported to a snowy, wintery, fir tree forest path. Ahead of them is a open glade with a frozen lake and a 3 story white tower. There is also a set of footprints walking away from the tower towards the tree line to the north, and a weird fissure in the sky to the south.

* Argot immediately follows the footprints to the north and enters the woods. He sees moss and frost covered bodies litter the forest floor, which is deeply shadowed by tree canopy. The bodies appear to be folk of a type that do not reside in the mortal realm. He recognizes that he is physically changing too. He hears laughing further in the forest.

* Sala investigates the sky fissure and finds no clues about its cause or purpose. Heads over to Argot and lights a torch, seeing Argot has transformed into an anthropomorphic frog. Sala attempts to cast Restore but Argot dissuades him, embracing his froggy form. They move deeper into the forest towards the source of the noise and discover a clearing filled with strange fey beings having a feast. A small goat-legged boy approaches them and takes both their hands, inviting them to stay to watch a play for the King. Argot and Sala both turn and run.

* Pebble and Dimple investigate the tower. Pebble looks through a window while Dimple knocks on the door. A goblin riding a troll opens and asks Dimples name, compares to a list of invitees for a wedding. Delicious food scent wafts out of the tower.

* Meat Axe attempts to repair his snow shoes, but the going is tough and takes a long time. Eventually he heads over to the tower and introduces himself as lineage from Dorn Bluehammer, smith of Eclipse Fang, and presents the sword. The troll recognizes the swords craftsmanship and allows him entry. Dimple is also invited after some persuading.

* Dimple goes to the top floor, passing a feast room filled with guests sitting at a banquet table. At the top floor he knocks on a door and a beautiful elven lady opens, surprised but happy to see a stranger. She asks about Argot. Dimple tells her that her beloved has arrived and slips the knights ring on her finger, which makes the ghost knight from the tomb materialize. The knight and the lady embrace and thank Dimple. They ask about the rest of the adventuring party.

* Pebble heads over to the forest edge to look for Sala and Argot.

* Dragulon was captured by elves from Sir Sarpen's tomb and taken to the Fey realm. He escaped and ran into Argot and Sala'Iman.

* Argot is snared by an assassin vine but the party comes to the rescue.

* Everyone goes to the tower and celebrates the wedding of Sir Sarpen and Princess Snowfall-at-Dusk. They stay for 2 Fey days and are bestowed many gifts and receive much information including:

* * The Princess is the lady from Argot's dreams, she found him in between realms when he was near death while she tried to communicate with her dead love, Sir Sarpen. She is the 17th daughter of the Cold Prince, the tyrant of Fridgia, a nation in the Fey Realm. She is imprisoned in the tower until she renounces her love for Sir Sarpen.

* * The Cold Prince was defeated in battle with The Scourge, known as Black Sky at the time. The Cold Prince survived and retreated back to Frigia to recoup until he was ready to try expanding his dominion again. A wolf told Argot Black Sky is a proud predator, and must take umbrage towards the mortals who have turned away from him after his defense of the desert.

* * The Wolf of Yarin was suspected to have some deal with the Cold Prince long ago.

* * The pharaoh ruler at the time of the Frost War reached out to the Fortress of the Burning Brothers in the Howling Caves to create a key that locks and unlocks portals. He sent an adventuring party, The Flying Tigers, to retrieve it but they never made it there.

* A large green beam of light and multiple other fissures appear in the sky around the area of the White Tower.

* The PCs return to the mortal realm the way they came through the forest path and arrive back at Sir Sarpen's tomb, later learning that double the time had passed in the mortal world as the Fey world.

* The find some elves near a fissure planning to find a forward scouting camp. Dimple takes one hostage. They all ride together to the Thraxis arena.

* At the arena they do some shopping, selling, bartering and socializing. A seamstress is propositioned to sew elven mithral thread into a shirt. Many items from Sir Sarpen's tomb are sold.

* Dragulon and Argot travel through dreams to tell Summer to start going to sleep early for the safety of Alkesh. She agrees.

* At dawn the next day an attack at the Thraxis outpost occurs. The PCs engage.

* A big battle happened. Meat Axe killed a shapeshifter in disguise as Argot. Sala'Iman turned undead, trivializing the skeleton soldiers. Dimple killed a hobgoblin elite and elven military leader with a Chaotic Magic wand, raining razor blades from the sky. Pebble snuck around the battlefield doing massive damage to single targets.

* Battle concluded, with most primary targets being killed. Only a handful of goblins and an owlbear run away into the desert.

* Young Abed converted to The Lost and agreed to take Sala'Iman as his mentor.

* Dragulon noticed Young Abed carried his brother, Avalabumbra's, bronze and jade compass. Abed explained a Hawk Bandit gave it to him.

* Pebble interrogated Frost elf hostage, Kaldarith Wintergale, learning that the attack on Thraxis was likely a small side mission to acquire arms that had been stolen from goblins worshipping the Cold Prince. He also said the Frost Elves likely have a forward base established by now, the Frost Elves would have made direct contact with the goblins and possibly the dragon, and that soon the Cold Prince will take the desert.

* Dimple learned how to fight with a scimitar. He found a Lifewell tattoo scroll, a great axe with explosive power, and a sword called Dusk Edge.

* Dragulon and Meat Axe sign in for their Pit Fight.