This was by far the longest campaign the Companions had ever been part of since they started D&D way back in 2004. What had initially been planned as a medium-length adventure eventually became one that had gone on for months. It was a pleasure DM-ing this campaign, and though some of the characters weren’t too happy with the conclusion, I felt it had been a unique and challenging experience for them.
The Story Before
Eons ago, Chaos and the Gods fought a war in the heavens over supremacy of the known worlds. Facing defeat, Chaos hid himself in a diamond He had earlier created. Unbeknown to the other Gods, Mystra discovered the diamond, and kept it for herself. To ensure it would remain hidden during the War in Heavens, she left it to the charge of a brass dragon residing in Faerun, but did not reveal the truth about it. Unfortunately, Mystra was slain, and the dragon became the sole owner of the diamond. Centuries passed, before a lich discovered the existence of the diamond and sought it out. He duelled with the dragon, who, facing certain defeat, used its fire breath to destroy the diamond. However, the diamond was not destroyed, though it had been split into two halves. The lich returned to his tower with the diamonds, intent on unlocking their secrets.
Several years passed by before a group of adventurers encountered the dragon, which had survived the battle. It convinced them to regain the two halves of the diamond, which they agreed to in exchange for countless treasures. They succeeded, but soon succumbed to in-fighting upon capturing the diamonds. The situation further worsened when the lich caught up with them, intending to regain what had been taken from him. In the ensuing fight, one half of the diamond was lost, while the other fell into the possession of one of the adventurers.
Enter the Companions
Siren, during one of his frequent forays into the city of Waterdeep, chanced upon the acquaintance of a retired adventurer, Ramirez. The ailing veteran and the bard soon became close friends, often sharing tales of adventure and song. As a token of friendship, Ramirez gifted Siren with a polished diamond, citing his gratitude as being the reason for the valuable gift.
A couple of weeks later, the Companions were invited to the wedding of Eduard Balanthor. However the wedding turned into a tragedy when a group of assassins attacked the guests and kidnapped the bride. The Companions were able to discover a link between the diamond Ramirez had given the bard, and the diamond on the wedding ring. The next day, they were contacted by a certain Glavias, who demanded the bard’s diamond in return for the bride’s release. The Companions, after consulting Khelben Blackstaff and the Wizards’ Guild, decided to comply with villain’s demands, fully intending to slay him once they had rescued the bride.
Around the World
Thus started an adventure that would take the Companions almost the entire length of Faerun. They travelled to foreign lands, a first for some of them, hunting down the elusive Glavias and his cohorts. They came upon the slave markets of Sembia, and duelled on the sands of Calimshan. They sailed to Tashalar, and battled through Halagard, before arriving in the Eastern Realms. Kozakura posed a challenging obstacle, as did Shou Lung. The Companions gave thanks to the gods when they finally crossed the Dragonwall and rode on the Plains of Horses. They were tired, worn and still unsure of the grander scheme of things. Throughout, Glavias had remained one step ahead of them, seemingly always knowing their next step. It didn’t help matters when the Companions discovered that Glavias had allied himself to Morgius, a previous acquaintance and sometime quarry.
The final showdown in the bowels of the Sister of Doom took place after the Companions had experienced a gruelling track through the volcanic mountains. By now, they had discovered answers to their many questions, but there would be one final surprise. As the protagonists in this epic saga readied to do battle for the last time, Siren, with the aid of Arwen and Iliath, fused the two halves of the diamond together. It would spell the end of Faerun as Chaos, his millenium-long plan finally realised, broke free from the whole diamond and destroyed the known world.
(Image taken from www.counterfeitchic.com at Google images)
