Rhonna: Strange Days in Sandpoint

Rhonna was having tea with her Aunt Mathel in the porch of the Merrid Mansion when they were disturbed by a numerous loud squawking coming from the beach. The young maiden stood up and searched for the source of the noise and noticed a flock of sea gulls suddenly take to the air and begin flying in a growing cacophonous spiral. The noise continues to grow for several minutes as large flocks wheel above the town in ever-gathering numbers.

Rhonna and her aunt, together with their neighbors stepped out of their houses to watch the spectacle. Eventually the seagulls’ erratic flight brings them into proximity to the Sandpoint lighthouse, where they crash into it violently by the hundreds before the few survivors continue their ragged flight out to sea.

"This is an ill omen." The young warlock whispered to herself.

For the next 2 days, crushed and broken bird carcasses wash up on the beaches around Sandpoint and cluster as flotsam beneath the port creating a horrible stench over the western portions of the town.

Arao: Strange Days in Sandpoint

Arao was in the streets of surrounded by a crowd of children beagging him to once more tell them stories about Magnimar and dragons. The dragonborn was in a middle of a story when a loud rattling and clatter is heard that proves to be tiny falling objects clattering on the roofs and streets of the city from a clear sky. At first the dragonborn assumed it to be hail, but examination reveals it to be tiny pieces of porous black rock— looking almost volcanic in nature but defying all identification.

The initial storm of pebbles does no noticeable damage, but after 2 minutes, the rocks increase in size and begin cracking shingles, ripping awnings, and pelting anyone who remains outside including the dragonborn and the children with him.

“Run for cover kids!” Arao shouted as he pointed towards the nearest building which happens to be Sandpoint Theater.

It was lucky that the paladin was in his armor and he used his body to shield the slower kids from the falling onslaught.

The rain lasts for just a little over a minute but when all is said and done, there are several dozen casualties and hundreds of gold pieces of damage to property and ships.

The stones themselves remain for a few more minutes, covering the ground before they suddenly evaporate into nothingness. Attempts to classify the material before it fades meet with failure—the stones feel like granite, but float in water and are strangely cold to the touch.

Gryffin: Strange Days in Sandpoint

"Does your spells normally do that?" Volioker asks as a purple mist fills up the living room.

"Ummm...no. It normally just summons a spectral floating hand lifts the object into the air and moves it where you wish." Gryffin states.

"There shouldn't have been any purple mist." The eladrin states as he further inspects the mists. "This is all very interesting."

The dwarf then moves towards and opens the nearest window. "Yes, it might be but it's filling up the house and I'm afraid it might stain the furniture!"

"I don't think its harmful dad." Gryffin stats as he casts a magic ball of light which is once more accompanied by the appearance of the same purple mist.

"If you're gonna keep doing that you might as well do it outside!" Volioker scolds his adopted son.

Gryffin absentmindedly moves out of the cottage still casting catnips and observing the strange mists.

He eventually notices that the mists remains around his for a few minutes before rising up towards the Blot.

"Hmmm... Brodert would need to hear about this." Gryffin states as he rubs his chin while staring up at Brodert's Shadow.

Lloyd: Strange Days in Sandpoint

"We ready?" Lloyd asks as he tightens the ropes holding his bags unto his mount. "I'd like to be on the road before the sun gets too high."

"I just need to have Das to check on the horse's shoes." Orik answered as the fighter looked on at the male human checked their mount's shoes.

Das ignores the two young men and continues to hammer the horseshoe while ranting about inpatient customers. The smith suddenly stops and gives a grunt.

"What's wrong?" Orik asks.

"The darn hammer and shoe's stuck to the anvil and refuses to move!" Das grunts as he pulls once more on the unyielding implement. The former mercenary gives it a try and likewise fails to budge it.

Lloyd hears the commotion and enters the small shop, ignoring the insistent barking of the large red mastiffs that the smith keeps. The former guardsman stops at his track as he spots numerous metal objects in the smithy begin to rise of its own - nails, hammers, chisels, even pieces of unfinished armor and weapons - which start to fly off and attach themselves to the bigger metal objects in the room and ricocheting along the way.

"Orik! Das! Get of the there!" Lloyd manages to shout.

The three occupants start to back out. Das manages to make it towards the door where Lloyd is. Orik, however, takes cover under a wooden table as the flying objects start to gain speed.

After a minute all is suddenly still once more and only the roaring flame of the smith could be heard.

"What was that all about?" Das states as he looks at the destruction within his shop and starts to pick up all his stuff while mutter curses along the way.

Kythan: Excavation

"Get her!" Kythan shouted to his companions as soon as they enter the cavern. The cavern itself appears to have been recently enlarged at the east end, where a massive, curving stone carving protrudes from the floor, wall, and ceiling. It is covered in runes that appear strangely familiar, and it appears that some of them have been chipped away.

A table nearby holds several stone working tools and a thin book.

It's not these however that captures the attention of the swordmage and his companions. As soon as they step thru the chamber, a pair of dretch guardians gibber and howl to alert the other occupant of the room - a female eladrin with purple skin and silver white hair - who takes cover behind her table. The two dretches attack and while the dark skinned eladrin fire her hand crossbow at them.

The fight turns bad for the dretches as Kythan quickly slashes thru them with his burning blade.

The female eladrin creates darkness and uses the cover provided to flee. The magical slippers she’s wearing allowing her to move along the wall and reach the shaft leading up. She continues to fire crossbow bolts at Kythan as she retreats up the shaft. She manages to catch the swordmage's shoulder with a minor wound.

Kythan annoyingly pulls out the small crossbow bolt and runs after her. He however struggles after a few steps and falls on the floor.

His companion is beside him in a few seconds and is checking the swordmage's wound.

"Poison." The companion whispers and busies himself with his bag.

"No!" Kythan gasps. "Go after her. We cannot let her escape."

The swordmage's vision then turns blurry and the world vanishes before his eyes.

Guillaume: The Blot

i proudly surveyed the growing congregation. it has not been that long since the goblin invasion. now, more humans have accepted the one true faith. there were a handful of elves, a couple of dwarves and i dont think i have ever seen any halflings inside the temple premises save the one who appears to have gotten "lost" but was lead to the right exit just in time. to make certain that all of the lesser races are accepted and welcomed to the church of corellon, i took a couple of humans as sacristans to the services, garbed in elaborate robes carrying the sweet smelling incenses that i just ordered. the humans seemed more impressed by the pageantry but if it yields faith. i think it could never go wrong.

a week has passed since the strange shadow in the sky has appeared. many of the women who attended the church has come to me for advice. they pester me with silly superstitions. of course, i expected it of the lesser races. i assured them though that whatever it is. wether or not it exists to do evil, surely corellon will protect us from it. that same night i came out and observed it secretly from church bell tower.

i grew worrisome.

DM: The Blot

Life has returned to normal in Sandpoint except for a strange atmospheric phenomenon that lately manifested in the sky above the town. The strange blot has hung in the air for several weeks, moving slowly in what appears to be a random pattern in the sky. At first assumed to be a dark cloud, it soon became evident that it often moved at odds with the wind. The blot itself resembles nothing so much as a shadow floating in the sky, almost as if some large but unseen object were partially blocking the sun’s rays.

The local sage Brodert Quint (Gryffin’s adopted father) first noticed the Blot before it was visible to the naked eye. He called it an “atmospheric shadow” and it was subsequently named for him as it became more visible.