Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Chapter 12: Fin

Hmm... this isn't typical.

Upon their arrival in Sundabar, it became clear that something was amiss. Soon after arriving by boat, the clerk at the rental shop said all his boats were out; yet they had just arrived. Similar to their experience upon being ambushed in Loudwater, there was no one walking the streets at all. Exploring the conspicuously quiet city, everyone was on edge. Their eyes darted to and fro, and hands were never far from their weapons. Standing at the edge of an arched stone bridge, they all stopped as they thought they heard sounds coming from the square ahead. Augustar put his finger to his lips, and they advanced cautiously.

Faced with the biggest force of monsters they had ever seen, some in the party braced for the battle of their life. Augustar however, exercised discretion, and quickly made a gesture for the party to retreat. Oddly, even though a goblin had drawn attention to them, no one from the massive army followed. "I think we'd best find another way to Ascore!" Augustar said, out of breath as they made haste to the gates of Sundabar.

The Company traveled for more than a week trying to find a path to Ascore. The water of the nearby rivers ran too deep to cross. The mountain path south of Sundabar had recently been blocked by an avalanche. In the end, they found a path through the great desert itself, battling the heat, thirst, and a flight of wyverns to reach their destination.

I thought this was a little cheap until I found a way around it.

Some nice art.

Surrounding the city was a massive cliff; the party could see a ring of pyramids far below them, within the ruins of what must have once been a great city. There was no doubt, this was their destination, Ascore. There appeared to be an entrance down into the cliff itself, flanked by two griffons carved in an ancient style, sporting minor imperfections from the passing of thousands of years. The Company followed the path as it spiraled down through the cliff-side, it's bottom worn smooth by the countless boots and carriage wheels that had traveled it. After what seemed like hours in almost total darkness, they emerged into the light of the sun to see a great archway before them, behind which was the only visible entrance to the city. The archway was worn with time and choked by vines, but it's etching was still legible.

This is pretty wonky looking; it's a bit of a hint.

They found a dead city, filled with the restless dead of Ascore who were unfortunately not happy to once again have visitors. Within the ancient walls they discovered some new stone work. Upon a huge wooden gate, reinforced with iron bands, was nailed a stylized "M", just like the one they had seen on the red sail of the ship in the purple rocks, made of brass. Yes, there was no doubt who had erected this gate, the Zhentarim.

The gate was massive and took much effort to open, but it was unlocked, almost as if they were expected. Soon after entering this newly constructed area of the city, a booming voice rang out from seemingly everywhere and nowhere all at once. "Welcome to Ascore would be heroes!" It was Vaalgamon, "I thank you for bringing the statuettes which are critical to our success. Before you is something that was a bit of a hobby for the Ascorians, a maze! Enter it, I know you will, and face my minions. If you are valiant, you will have the honor of delivering the statuettes to me personally and dying by my sword. If you are less so, then my minions will feast on your flesh and bones."

"I really don't like this guy," said Steve Nash.

Vaalgamon does a little fourth-wall breaking to describe the new game mechanic here. 

The final battle(s) in Gateway introduce a novel idea. Instead of returning to the first person exploration map as usual after a combat, they pick a direction to leave the map, and then are immediately faced with new foes. Some of the possible combats are ridiculously easy, a bunch of goblins; while others are very, very tough, with a bunch of shambling mounds. Vaalgamon himself is a BEAST. He is loaded with magic items. These give him a -8 AC, regeneration and magic resistance. He can also cast spells and wields a long sword +5. I think beating him is supposed to be sort of a "mega-boss" type thing, not really expected. I remember I got him with a very lucky charm person spell the first time I beat the game. What is key here is that a party member can escape off the map to the north and win the game without actually defeating Vaalgamon and his minions. This is not explicitly stated in the game. I think I assumed I had to beat him the first time I played.

I have beaten Vaalgamon to get his items before. I thought about going back and re-doing it, but I'm glad I didn't, as I found out from the comments on this video that the items don't import into the next game! These battles are so long and difficult that would have felt like a colossal waste of time (though still not as bad as FF13-2 Gilgamesh!).

With a couple of their number fallen, including Augustar and Chode Hammer, Avrilenne yelled "Run!" pointing to the northern exit of the maze with her mace.

They gathered up the bodies, of which Ranzo Ray was the worst off, having miscalculated a lightning bolt that had reflected back upon him and sent him to his death, and made for the exit. Vaalgamon and his minions smugly lined up to pursue them, but their smugness didn't last long.

Rotting and skeletal hands rose up by the hundreds to claw at Vaalgamon and his minions. The dead of ancient Ascore would no longer tolerate the trespassing Zhentarim. One-by-one they were dragged beneath the foaming earth. The general wielded his sword in a frantic whirlwind of gleaming metal, but for each arm he severed, two more seemed to take it's place. A look of surprise and disbelief contorted his face as even the powerful Vaalgamon found he could not win, and he slowly disappeared into the ground. With Vaalgamon defeated, there was no time yet for celebration, as uncountable armies of orcs, trolls, mercenaries and Zhentarim warriors bore down on the city.

Considering his 18 intelligence and low strength, I wonder if he's actually a powerful fighter/mage and chose to hide that fact... jerk.

Everyone collectively gasped as Krevish revealed his hidden identity. He produced a shining ring, and held it aloft, soon everyone felt much better. Even Ranzo was resurrected before their very eyes. "My ring had one wish left, I had to save it to restore you heroes for your final task."

Krevish complemented them on their perseverance, skill, and overall heroism, then directed them to the top of the largest pyramid in the plaza, where a black granite alter stood. "Quickly Augustar, you must invert the statues and place them inside the altar. It is not the elements which lend them their power, but the bases."

Augustar inserted the statuettes as quickly as he dared, not wanting to damage them or otherwise disturb the magic. The missing base rose from inside the altar, creating a five sided pyramid, like the one they now stood on. Beams of light shot forth, and the Ring of Reversal was placed at their apex.

This reminds me of the end of the last game I played...

The beams of light expanded until they bathed the entirety of the city, the cliffs beyond, and into the desert. An uncountable horde of monsters were drawn to the light, bearing down upon the surrounding armies in a storm of fangs, claws, and fire. Soon, all was pandemonium. The Company did not need to have a discussion, they all knew now was the time to leave. They made their way through the army of orcs, who was now scrambling to defend themselves. They cut down who they needed to make a path, their focus on the pathway up the cliffs. In the mayhem and carnage that followed, all were looking to save themselves, no one cared anymore to target this now insignificant group of adventurers. 

I really liked how these ending scenes are tiled together.

Nice cop-out! It's okay game, you did a good job describing the events preceding this in detail.

A reception befitting heroes.

After weeks of travel and celebration, the grateful heroes ended right where they started; in the warmth of the tavern in Yartar, spending late into the night reveling and story-weaving. Only this time, they kept a very close eye on their drinks! 

Thank you my friends, I hope you have enjoyed this tale, that of the Gateway to the Savage Frontier. Before long, you will hear more of the great deeds of The Company as their adventures continue in Treasures of the Savage Frontier. Return here for more... of This Bard's Tales!

Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Chapter 11: How Not to Train Your Dragon

Over plates of fried potatoes and honeyed ham, The Company consulted their map of the Savage Frontier. It appeared the Star Mounts could be reached by boat, however, reaching the heights where "even birds cannot fly" was something else entirely. Being as none of them had a ring of flying or some-such thing, it was decided their only option was to investigate and hope for the best.

"Amanitas did say we would need to have faith," Avrilenne said, with a flourish of her hand, "May Tyr guide us on our path."

As soon as they arrived at the base of the mountains, their faith was answered... possibly. There was a group of man-like birds being assaulted by giant snakes! Although most of our altruistic party would have rushed to their help anyway, everyone saw the possibility these winged men provided.

They hacked the snakes until they released their captives. Suddenly, Steve Nash let out a yell, "For all that is holy! What are those things?"

The objects of his wonder were massive mounds of moss and undergrowth that appeared to be walking towards them, with an almost human gait. They were quite hideous, with gaping black maws and red pinpoints for eyes. Their bodies were soft and moist, glistening as if with dew. They were true horrors, their bodies making them resistant to both weapons and fire.

These guys are truly b*s. The're resistant to everything... except stinking clouds, which is how I beat them. This first battle, as you can no doubt guess, necessitated a reload. My last character couldn't even do 7hp damage. 

Our party discovered something very peculiar in the aftermath of battle, though. The formidable vegetables apparently had a penchant for swallowing equally formidable foes, for their insides contained a trove of magic items! Augustar and Avrilenne equipped themselves with new suits of plate mail, after cleaning of the wet soil of course. Chode and Ranzo both found themselves the new owners of magic cloaks which, when worn, served to disguise their positions with illusions. "These will no doubt come in handy, eh?" Chode said as he nudged Ranzo, but was startled when he missed and almost fell over. 

"Hah!" Ranzo laughed heartily, "They work quite well."

Deyumn that's some crazy magical loot! The top gear is all shambling mound, as if they swallowed some great warrior, or cleric; as the ioun stones are for wisdom.*

*I figured my reason for looking up how to use a semicolon was because I like to do things correctly. The website I checked may have the best reason: "By using semicolons effectively, you can make your writing sound more sophisticated." (Emphasis added)

The battle won, the bird-men approached. It turned out they were, thankfully, both intelligent and benevolent. After the party explained their mission, they were very willing to take them as far as they dare, to the edge of their aerie. Beyond that, dragons ruled the sky, led by a black-hearted sorceress who rode upon one into battle.

So many vowels! How does one pronounce Aarakocra?

It did not take long before The Company was greeted by their host, Ceptienne. By her own admission, her lair was a maze, made in the shape of her first initial in three different alphabets. There were many portals, she said, but only passage through twelve would reach her. The group was very patient mapping the place and its almost uncountable one-way passages. With Lady Deschanel now gone, Steve Nash took over the mapping duties, as he seemed to be only member left with the patience to do so.

First fight with dragons! I made a rookie mistake and got my elf killed by putting him in the line of fire. Never let anyone with less than the dragon's hp -9 near them. I know this. I couldn't even be mad about it.

Ceptienne was at first flippant and mocking. As the party conquered one obstacle after another in short order though, her jovial facade faded.

Like so many other villains, her boisterous threats were empty. The Company made short work of the sorceress and her guardians. The Statuette of the South now in hand, they triumphantly returned to the aarakocra, who were thankfully still waiting safely for their return.

Seeing the full inventory here did feel good.

With all four statuettes and the ring of reversal in their position, they made one last stop in Secomber to see Amanitas. Although they were certain what he would say, all still felt the need to see their friends one more time before leaving for what would no doubt be the most dangerous of their quests.

Amanitas thanked them heartily for thinking of him, but would tolerate no foot-dragging. Soon, they were out the door, and on the way to Yartar; where they would travel by boat all the way around the realm to the city of Sundabar. and from there, to Ascore! 

   

Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Chapter 10: Ranzo Me Boys, Ranzo!

The Statuette of the West recovered, our intrepid adventurer's made way from the Kraken Society's island gratefully. Jagaerda departed to her homeland in her own particular... idiom. Once again followed by an impressive scowl from Aria Darkstar.

They stopped at the island of Tuern to recover the bodies of their compatriots, and thankfully had recovered enough gold from the Krakens to have them raised from the dead in Neverwinter. However, upon their arrival in Neverwinter, they were immediately attacked! Word had reached the Zhentarim soldiers stationed in Neverwinter, and they were waiting. These men were accompanied by trained griffons, but thankfully they proved to be a surmountable obstacle for our heroes.

It was quite an eventful return to the City of Skilled Hands*. Lady Deschanel was flagged down by a young boy frantically waving a scroll. "My Lady! I have urgent news!" he handed her the scroll, and soon had his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

*This is a reference to the excellent craftsmanship of Neverwinter's occupants, not its prostitutes, unfortunately.

Lady Deschanel scanned the document, betraying no emotion on her face. She looked up, paused, and said, "It appears my mother has taken very ill. She may not have much longer to live. I'm afraid I must return to New Phlan with haste."

"What! Oh no..." Avrilenne moved to give her an awkward hug, showing much more concern than the Lady did herself.

However, each of them knew that the Lady Deschanel cared deeply for her mother, but she was not the type to wear her emotions on her sleeve. They made quick preparations for her departure by carriage to begin the long trip eastward. She left her magical accouterments with the party, assuming they would need them more than she now. Each of them hugged her in turn, and wished her the best of luck.

Neverwinter was a haven for adventurers, especially in these troubled times. Nothing creates opportunity for adventure more than good ol' trouble. The party recruited a new member fresh off a whaling vessel.  His name was Ranzo Ray, a swashbuckling elf sailor who had many talents. The suave gentlemen said he had tired of the tough life on the waves, and wished for a little more excitement, and more so, treasure, in his life. Augustar questioned him thoroughly, and after determining he was trustworthy, they welcomed Ranzo aboard.

Ranzo's first battle as a new member was with a trio of hill giants in the mountains outside of the city. Assuming he would need training after such a fight, his initiation was to carry all 1,000 gold he would need to pay for it back to Neverwinter himself in a sack over his shoulder. "Welcome to The Company!" Augustar laughed and pat him on the back heartily, coining a new name for their, until then, anonymous team.

Ranzo smiled and played along. His great strength, especially for a slim elf, made carrying the coins a simple thing, but he made a show of it being very heavy just for kicks.

Ranzo Ray was a name I borrowed from a friend, and I never quite new the origin. He said Ranzo was the greatest sailor that ever lived, or some such thing. As far as I can tell, it's from a sea shanty, which would make sense, given my friend's interests. Here's a link to a discussion on the subject.

The first thing that came up in my search actually linked to the Forgotten Realms. My first thought was "Wow, he's already an official part of the Realms!" After further reading, I think the connection is through a homebrew; same source material, though.

I hate to ruin anyone's immersion, but of course, Lady Deschanel didn't actually get a message in game. I had two full wizards, and while that was handy at times, I got really tired of skipping their turns most of the time in battle. They can throw darts, but the problem is, since they throw three at a time, their stock depletes quickly if you throw every turn. I'm glad this was changed in later editions, because right now, my wizards act once every 5 rounds or so.

Today's filler screenshot: The Kraken guards and their awl pikes!

I hadn't considered using an elf mage, because of those darn level limits in 1st edition AD&D. I read an article somewhere on the internets, and it was a bit of a revelation to me that 11 is the level limit in the second game in the series, so having an elf mage is not a disadvantage. Also, I've found the thief is a bit underrated because of one thing, backstab! I've faced so many foes that are very difficult to take down in melee because of their high ACs, but it only takes one lucky backstab to lay them low. So, I decided to get the best of both (er, three) worlds and get a Fighter/Mage/Thief. So now I have two thieves. Take that thief haters!

I'm not going to lie, I've spent so much time writing these posts that I think I may have written more than I've actually played. I've got to strike a balance. In interest of catching up to where I am in game, here's a quick summary. The party finds out from Amanitas that the next statue is in Llorkh. They head there through Loudwater, where a huge force of Zhentarim led by Vaalgamon is waiting. Vaalgamon leaves when the battle is joined, that's just like him.

In Llorkh, they can explore a bit, but upon trying to the leave the city by boat, a trap door is opened, dropping them in a massive underground arena. The proprietor is none other than Vaalgamon himself. They fight three battles, and are told they may live to fight again another day... in the arena. With the help of another half-orc prisoner, they escape, gaining the new statuette on the way.

With that, onward to the Star Mounts to recover the last of the four statuettes!

Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Chapter 9: Trisk It

After a quick meeting with the village's leader, our party realized they were indeed in the Purple Rocks. The island they had landed on was Utherall, and the other Trisk. Trisk was the location of the massive Kraken headquarters, but they also maintained fortresses on Utherall.

"They take almost all we have," he told them, "but if we refuse their demands, they drag away our children to be slaves. I don't know if you can defeat them, but anything you can do to hinder them can only make our lives better."

It didn't take the party long to explore the small island. Of note was a small lighthouse, and two small forts occupied with heavily armed Kraken members. Men who were clearly pirates were manning the lighthouse and attacked on sight. Being as that was, Augustar surmised that these men were planning to use it to guide their evil allies, and thus he doused it.

Out a side door and behind one of the fortresses was a small dock. Tied to it was a simple, weather-worn boat. It looked old, but serviceable, with three sets of oars. From here, our adventurers could see the imposing Kraken headquarters clearly. Whitecaps formed in the wind over the strait, above which the island of Trisk had been carved into a massive, horrid kraken facade. Now was not the time for fear or intimidation though, as our brave crew readied the oars.

On the Kraken foot soldiers they had discovered two notes written in what appeared to be code. Putting their heads together, the group was confident they knew where their target was, and headed directly for it. They had no desire to risk their lives by infiltrating the giant fortress. The dock was their target. Chode spotted it, and pointed it out to the rest of the party. "There's a ship," he said, "Red sails, big "M" on it. Does that mean anything to anyone?"

"Yes," answered Lady Deschanel, "No doubt it is a ship of Manshoon, the lord of Zhentil Keep. Such is his hubris that he plasters his insignia on everything." 

"Quickly!" Augustar said, "We must reach the pearl before it makes it to the pier. I do not wish to fight a ship full of marines as well."

They knew their target, the statuette they sought lie in a "small chest carved from the pearl of a great oyster, in a small room carved from the rock of a great mountain, which is itself made small by the greatness of the sea." Thus they had been told by the wizard Amanitas.

They made their way as stealthily as possible down the sheer, rocky slope of the island. Throwing open the first door they could find, they were treated to a bit of a surprise!

"Close formation!" yelled Augustar, his brilliant sword drawn.

There was a small army of Krakens gaurding the chest, heavily armored and wielding long pikes. They formed tight lines, trying to spear our heroes from a distance. Well placed spell slinging opened up holes in their lines, and Augustar lopped the ends of of the offending pole-arms with his sword of stonecutting. In the aftermath, Chode rushed forward to open the chest, surrounded by the other party members. Gingerly he undid the buckles on the chest's leather strap, and slid off the shimmering pearl lid.

They were all relieved to see that the statuette was inside the chest, and appeared to be undamaged. After they had suitably admired their quarry, Augustar broke the silence, "Great work, now let's get out of here before that ship realizes their booty has been waylaid."

The Kraken guards on Utherall yield two notes which can be decoded to get a hint. It's a pretty good puzzle. Unfortunately, I had spoiled it a bit. Every now and then I'll check a clue book to see certain things. For instance, I checked to see if there was something I might be missing in the Neverwinter side-quest, since none of the NPCs acknowledged I had completed it. My will power wasn't good enough, and I glanced ahead at the next area, and managed to partially spoil the code. I've done this sort of thing a number of times. I have yet to the learn my lesson! 

Even having the jist of what it was getting it, it still took me some time to decode, so I decided I'd post them here so you, the reader, can try your hand at it.

The odd message of the kraken 1: 

css al a i gad. csl te o cre suhet te t i tk wl gad te traee i. dc te t dw do suh te truh vut is fo tkn b wl sau te.

The odd message of the kraken 2: 

ot l t t ur. ate h f onr otws h o t ae il urs h hetnd f. ok h o on or ot h hog al t rm ae e il tte h.   

Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Chapter 8: Release the Sovereign!

After the harsh landscape of the volcano caldera on Tuern, our party was quite relieved to end up in the bustling seaport of Gundbarg. The mood was also somber, as Steve Nash and Krevish both lay dead. Avrilenne took to the unenviable task of making sure the bodies were kept clean and relatively preserved until the funds to raise them could be obtained. Upon arrival, they were taken to the local temple for safe keeping.

Not surprisingly Gundbarg had its own share of troubles. The party tried to meet briefly with King Redaxe, the leader of the island civilization. They were informed that his daughter, Princess Jagaerda, was missing, and the King was indisposed. Investigating the town, the local villagers gave their take on the situation.

"...and I had to walk to the adventurer's guild in the snow, up hill, both ways!"

Following the leads they could find in town, it seemed that the Princess's captors had made their way into the hills surrounding the the city of Gundbarg. They hiked upwards on worn trails, toward the center of the island. They fought many stony margoyles, and large sea-trolls, called scrags, on their way. A small cabin, in disrepair and covered in ivy, was built into the hillside. It looked like the kind of place some kidnappers would hide out, observed Avrilenne. They found the door unlocked. Cautiously opening it, they were face to face with a group of pirates playing a card game.

The foolish pirate's boast was unfounded, as our party had no problem defeating the pirates. It was true, the princess was not in the cabin. Chode, however, procured a map from the trousers of the boastful miscreant, showing what he assumed was the palace, with a secret entrance marked by a red "X".

The "X" indeed marked the spot, where a grate led to an abandoned supply tunnel into a part of the palace that looked like it hadn't been in use for decades. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and cobwebs bridged every corner. White sheets had been lain over the furniture, which no longer was placed in any way that made sense. Augustar pointed, as they all heard a commotion coming from behind a reinforced wooden door ahead. It was locked. Chode and Augustar made eye contact. Chode silently nodded, then lowered his shoulders.

The young princess was there, having just dispatched her captors. She was haughty and much less than thankful to be rescued, thinking she didn't need any "rescuing." Aria crossed her arms and put on her best scowl. The rest of the party, non-plussed by the woman's arrogance, negotiated to escort her the short distance to the King's room in the palace.

King Redaxe was much more appreciative than his daughter, offering up an enchanted shield as a reward. It was of shining silver steel, with a stylized golden inlay of an eagle. The King then told them of the purple rocks, a group of islands further out to sea where the Kraken Society had their headquarters. He told them their best chance of finding a pilot who could lead them there would be back on Tuern. While Aria still wore her impressive scowl, Jagaerda announced that if the Kraken was their target, she would accompany them. It was not a discussion.

Negotiating for travel back to Tuern, our party again boarded a ship. The sailor selling passage asked for 300 gp, triple what they had paid in Tuern and Luskan. Avrilenne was having none of that, and her outright refusal to pay brought the haggler down to 150 gp.

What the heck is apple-shining?

This link will help you visualize what happened next:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtfI7hWpwc

Our intrepid adventurers were almost hallucinating from hunger and dehydration, but were non-the-less grateful to be on solid ground. They found themselves in a tiny village. Thankfully the locals had a building marked "Inn", which strangely did not seem to be attended. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and there was fresh fruit and water laid out on a large table by the entrance. The table was attacked by the whole party, and soon nothing remained. 

After the food and water had settled, they all lay bout, exhausted. "These islands... do you think the're the purple rocks?" asked Chode, to no one in particular.

"I don't know if I can trust my eyes now, but as we drifted in, I thought I could see a fortress on the larger island. There was a certain... purple hue in the light of dusk to these islands, don't you think?" answered Lady Deschanel.

"We'll just have to hope they are, it can't be helped," said Augustar.

I didn't remember getting attacked by the kraken from my previous playthoughs, so that was fun. It is a little tough that it represents a "point of no return", because I don't think you can make it back to the mainland until you've completed this quest. That can be tough in these D&D games, but at least you can make it back to the home base of Tuern.

It seemed like a scene that is begging for some extra-art, like a full screen pic. What do I know though? They may not have had space or time to put that in. The text description does do a good job of painting a picture though, I thought.

Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Chapter 7: Trial by Fire

After resupplying in Neverwinter, our party decided to follow a lead from the Kraken base in Yartar. They had discovered a tattered schedule for trips out to ocean, from a place called the "Company of the Brazen Pennant." Their travels in Luskan revealed that the Company was located there, where trips to the nearest islands could be purchased.

Since the ship didn't leave until morning, I decided to explore the "Old City" of Luskan. I didn't find much. It was a smelly fish-packing district filled with otyughs, margoyles, and scrags.

It was late in the evening when they arrived in Luskan, but they found that their ship left in the morning hours. Passing the night with uneventful exploration of Luskan's not so famous "Old City", they climbed aboard the galley in the morning, and set sail to the beating of drums and the beating of oars on the water.

Two days passed. Before any of our party could see a thing on the horizon, the man in the crow's nest yelled out "Land ho! Uttersea." 

"Uttersea?" grunted Chode, "What kind of name is that? Is there a high population of dairy cows?"

"Well, if there is a high population of milk cows, there's bound to be a high population of milk maids!" offered Krevish cheerfully, rubbing his hands together frantically.

The rest of the party stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Well..." Lady Deschanel chimed in to break the silence, "I don't know how it got its name, but the town is an interesting place. It's built in the caldera of a dormant volcano. The underground volcanic activity keeps the town and the surrounding sea quite warm."

Upon arriving in the town of Uttersea on the isle of Tuern, I wasn't sure what I needed to do next. There were some kind of weak side-quests so far in the game. For example, there was the "Old City" in Luskan, which was really just extra combats. In Neverwinter, Lord Nasher tells the party that the city's new gardens have been inhabited by monsters. The party can clear them out, but there is no reaction from Lord Nasher upon doing so. Tuern is the first real side-quest I've found so far. I fully explored the caverns, discovering two important things.

The party can save a local hero who has been given the "small castle" in the above description by his king. He gives the party armor of the glacier as a reward, which is pretty cool. It goes well with the Sword of Icewind Dale I picked up in some pirate's booty in Luskan.

The bigger prize was in the hands of two fire giants. They were carrying meteorite ore, which has been alluded to by the game a number of times. This can be taken back to a smith in Neverwinter, who will forge it into a +3 sword of stonecutting. This is pretty handy against the games ubiquitous margoyles.

Aren't these guys witty?

I was pretty loaded down with jewelry at this point, and feeling pretty confident in my party's abilities, so I decided to unload some gold. I loaded up on the scrolls available in Neverwinter, and also traveled back to Silverymoon to check out the magic shop there. Silverymoon has a good selection of potions. Note as you read on, that I've maybe used one of those items at this point. That's important because, after spending almost all my cash, I further explored the crags of Tuern.

Two efreet managed to kill Krevish... dead.

That was a bummer, but I carried on. Soon after, two salamanders laid the wood down on Steve Nash, also sending him to his grave. What's the chance of that happening? Two deaths in a row?

This of course happened right after I had confidently spent my excess cash on magic items. I decided to push on, and also not sell back my new items, for a few reasons. First, my backup save was from at least a few hours earlier. Second, Krevish is an NPC, so I'm not worried about him getting experience to carry on to the next game. Third, Steve Nash was already at level 6, the max for the game. He will definitely have plenty of extra experience going in to the next game. 

With two characters dead, and nowhere near the 5500 gold I needed to even raise one of them, I pressed on to the next island. I wasn't sure when I started exploring Tuern, but it appears the island is an optional side-quest.