Vyodros

* Deity
* Mortal

Lord of the Deluge (claimed)

Thunder Rider (claimed)

Guardian of the Skies (claimed)

Master of the Storm (claimed)

Squall-Carver (claimed)

Hawk of the Gale (claimed)

Vyodros was a human cleric that was among the first to explore the frontiers of Eskarya.

He currently wields the magical weapon Vyolnir and is worshipped by the members of the Sect of Vyodros.

## Background

Life eternal and thousands of worshippers was what Vyodros enjoyed since man first heard his thunderous roar in the night as he fought with his rival in the skies over Sossal in northern Faerûn. Thus was the life of a deity to whom the Sossrim people made offerings and sacrifices to bargain for him to send his storms elsewhere.

The ongoing enmity with his half-brother Uhemis, the God of the Winds, would deal great turmoil for the people of Sossrim and their city of Naupau and so their shamans made a pact with Nixtar, the God of Trickery to get their revenge. Transforming into a giant snowy owl (a creature sacred to the Sossrim people), Nixtar baited Vyodros into believing the beast was a familiar in service of his half-brother Uhemis. Calling down a violent tempest to smite the beast, the shamans of the Sossrim preached Vyodros to be a false god, an outsider in their pantheon. The shrine within Naupau to his name was torn down and ground to dust beneath hammer and hoof, and the offerings and sacrifices disappeared in an instant.

Without followers, Vyodros felt his powers weaken, his resolve wain, and soon the great abyss would rush to his embrace. He would awake, uncertain of time passed, or distance travelled. All he knew was that his body now bled, as it did from his brow, and that each stretch and step ached. He was human - an occurrence he was very keen to rectify.

Certain that worship is the way to regain his status as a deity, Vyodros seeks a new land in which he might find new souls who deem him worthy of praise through actions of good and glory.

## Adventures in Eskarya

### The First Chapel Expedition

During the first expedition into the wilds of Eskarya, Vyodros was amongst the pair of adventurers slain when the party was set upon wolves. Upon being revived, he was instilled further with his divine status.

Arriving later at the Chapel of Kaarin, he is responsible for alerting the goblin residents to their presence when he accidentally sets off a crossbow trap. Vyodros would prove his capability with his mace several times in the trip, first against the goblins and then against giant vultures that harried them on their return to Fort Eskarya.

### The Second Chapel Expedition

Electing once again to travel for the Chapel, the party was set upon by a Gnoll pack headed by a Pack Lord - confronted by noneless than Vyodros himself. Defeating the feral beasts, they remained unmolested until they eventually arrive at the Chapel. As twig blights sprung forth from the overgrowth, one of the party, Manyn moved to attack, such actions eventually leading to an encounter with a Treant and the sorcerer's own death. After final rites and offerings, the decision was made to depart for home at Fort Eskarya once more.

### Return to the Kobold Cave

Having spent time making plans for his grand chapel dedicated in his name, Vyodros once again ventured forth on an expedition to the previously discovered Kobold Cave with a party largely unknown to him. Despite not having seen the destination personally, he elected to lead the way - finding naught but confusion. After a confrontation with a Orc scouting party (the last surviving Orc of which was branded with Vyodros' mark and sent upon his way as a newly-made disciple), the party made camp. In the night, they are attacked by Phase Spiders and defeated them handily.

When they later arrived at the Kobold Cave, Vyodros' abilities once again proved potent against the Kobold Inventors and Sorcerers alike as the party steals their way into a treasure room. Vyodros would eventually claim a silver-plate bound tome called the Enchiridion of the Silver Void for himself, adding them to the collection of unusual seeds and the stolen ornate goblet he had acquired earlier.

### Return to the Kobold Cave... Again

Vyodros, confident in his ability to lead once again led the party astray in quick order, straight into the path of an Ettin. In the encounter, Vyodros would find himself impressed at the hardiness of their new half-orc companion Mogur, striking up a strange friendship with the barbarian. With the Ettin defeated, the party elected to explore the eponymous Ettin cave and quickly worked through the monstrosities remaining within - although in a noble action to clear the way of a horde of spider eggs, Vyodros found himself paralysed for the night.

He awoke reinvigorated, certain that he had cheated death once more by the sureness of his personal will and might. These thoughts of grandeur would only grow when that night he found himself levitating, certain that he had once again taken another step towards his prior divine form. Such belief would prove his hubris upon their arrival at the Kobold Cave, when Vyodros attempted to simply float across a fast-flowing stream of saltwater, only to plunge into the depths and find himself forced to swim to the other side. Engaged in combat with a Guard Drake and another Kobold Sorcerer, Vyodros, fighting side-by-side with Alton and Mogur found conflict between them when the use of a charming spell turned the half-orc barbarian against Vyodros and the Drow. After commanding Mogur to swim to buy the pair time, Vyodros stumbled across a mighty warhammer that he claimed for himself - and then promptly used the newly dubbed Vyolnir to strike down Mogur and break him free of the charm.

### In Search of a New Outpost

Led as always by the egotistical Vyodros, the party was immediately savaged by a pack of direwolves and later a Girallon, both of which he finds great success in defeating. Come the following day, Vyodros' directional skills continue to be unnaturally sound and the party made good time as they headed onwards towards the abandoned fort come morning. Stumbling upon a summoning ritual by a group of Xvarts, Vyodros is attacked by a foul abyssal horror of gaunt flesh and sharp sword-like limbs. With each tightening grip thunderous energy resonates from Vyodros as Perven and Alton attempt to heal him back to life, before finally Uriven slays the horror.

In the last hour of their rest that night, Rairaku emerged from the dark, bring with him a pair of ogres to attack the party. After killing Uriven, he attempted to do the same to Vyodros by means of dropping from a great height - although Vyodros survived this by means of Perven's healing word. A little worse for wear, they eventually arrive at the potential outpost, finding it abandoned - and in a state of desolation.

Led through a damaged library and beyond by an curious armoured being, the party spies a feasting hall that is holding host to nine ogres - a crowned female at their head. In the combat that followed, Vyodros discovered a huge mechanical construction of similar composition to the reanimated soldier and for better or worse, accidentally activates it. Finding himself drawn into the machine, he would find himself an infalliable killing machine, bolstered further by his spirit guardians. With another pack of wolves assisting, he sweeps through the remaining ogres and finally Queen Nua herself, ultimately securing the outpost.

### At the Gnoll Mine

With the turn of the year, much and more had changed at Fort Eskarya - most notably for Vyodros the growing recognition of his name for matters both bountiful and antagonistic. Much to his delight, a few amongst the residents and adventurers had started to rever him once more, but with such piety opposition grew. Upon the unveiling of a statue shaped in his honour, heretics made their voices heard and assuming them to be thralls of Nixtar, Vyodros and his faithful rallied against them in a street brawl.

Quickly departing the city an the overcast and stormy day, the journey went uneventfully with Vyodros leading the way, and come the following day as they travelled a rudimentary dirt road forming between Fort Eskarya and Camp Thorne, the party continued to make good time, making camp once more a few miles south of the mine. Come night time, they were attacked by the familiar force of giants as Rairaku's voice echoes through the dark. The faithful Mogur was felled by the Oni, only to be forced into flight by the stormclouds summoned at Vyodros' command. After resting the remainder of the night, they arrived at the mines on a rainy morning and find that the gates have been repaired and the gnolls have re-established themselves within the location. After a short battle, the party reconvened in the courtyard, electing to enter the mine shaft to the north from which they heard the sounds of mining work - although Mogur and Vyodros would quickly cause such a ruckus in their innane chatter that they drew the attention of near the entire mine. After freeing a number of slaves of numerous races, Vyodros shattered the bridge inadvertently attacking a trio of packlords but opened a chance for Mogur to harpoon one of them to their death as they tumbled off the cliff-face. Alton's pistol shatters the chest of their leader and another shatter attempted to break the bridge beneath the gnoll's feet - but he leapt to safety. Lost Flame and Alton found themselves being surrounded, Mogur was pushed into the chasm, following a gnoll blasted there by the Tempest Cleric's thunderous rebuke. Caught between fire and lightning, the Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu is destroyed and the remaining pack members are defeated one by one.

A wealth of gems is found in the mines, with Vyodros attempting to preach to the slaves as they free them - his only successful convert a Kuo-Toa called Uhllinpabil. After this adventure, Vyodros and his Sect relocated to Fort Kroideyn.

### The Tower of Varal

Before setting out, both Vyodros and Jamaal are accosted by Vallirk Thorne who betrays his anti non-human sentimentalities, declaring that soon all races beyond humanity will have no place in his lands. Unperturbed, the party sets forth for the tower at the centre of the lake to the east, ultimately making good time to the island. As the party begin to explore, they are set upon by a pair of Catoblepae and in a sudden necrotic energy, Alton is killed instantly. Vyodros resurrects him and after a night's rest, the party enters the tower.

Jumping over the illusionary bridge, Perven attempts to dispel the magic on the door but fails to do so. Vyodros manages to do cast the spell himself, only to be forced into the path of a magical flame trap when the rest of the party pushes forwards. Jamaal uses a crowbar to knock over the remaining braziers, attracting the attention of a Deep Gnome who promptly flees. After a range of clattering noises, a flurry of flying swords attacks in response, as well as Stone Cursed that animate into life. The Deep Gnome returns, blinding Vyodros, leaving the rest of the party to clean up the rest of the swords. Jamaal is bitten by a mimic, creating a certain paranoia in Alton's investigations of another statue. Nonetheless, he finds himself petrified when one of the statues attacks him, only to be released from the curse by Perven's magics.

Upstairs, Alton attempt to parley with the Deep Gnome on behalf of the party but fails to get very far. As a Stone Golem animates, Jamaal kills Krunkhuck - prompting the appearance of a Drow Mage. Alton once again attempts to parley, bartering a deal by which Vyodros resurrects the Deep Gnome, which the cleric does. Talk of sending a message to Vallirk Thorne begins and as Varal moves to cast a spell on Jamaal. The ranger throws down his bow but is struck down by a strange rupturing magic quite unlike anything any of the party has seen before. Varal declares Jamaal's fate is in the hands of chance and time alike and the party allows said time to pass, watching as the ranger stabilises. Varal issues a warning to the Thornes - a declaration that he desires to be left alone and will kill and destroy any that pledge allegiance to those that would disrupt his peace.

He allows them to leave - the party, Vyodros included, does just that.

### Discovery of Vester Keep

Bound due north from Fort Kroideyn with faces familiar and novel, Vyodros crossed a newly renovated bridge and continued onwards to the forest edge near the previously spotted ruined keep. At the boundary with the woods they came across a small home occupied by a white dragonborn called Jinjam who had grown displeased with the atmosphere at Fort Kroideyn. After getting lost on a tactic scouting mission, the party finds themselves back at Jinjam's hunt and decides to make camp for the night. Beyond a scorpion stinging Carnifex and Vyodros melding into stone, the dawn comes without issue.

After suffering from a lack of navigational talent and a run-in with more monstrosities in the night, the third day of the expedition came without too much issue. Morning brought with it heavy rain, but the party manages to reach the keep nonetheless. It is a ruin, victim of a siege from times past and partially reclaimed by nature. Orc-like creatures stand guard upon the shattered battlements but the party decides to use the heavy rain to cover their scouting efforts. They manage to stealth to a break in the wall, where a familiar voice is shouting orders in giant - Rairaku is within the keep, demanding his followers open something. As conflict stirred, Vyodros' lightning continues to pummel the minions, whilst Perven in bear form goes toe-to-toe with an Orc Claw of Luthic. Carnifex and Alton lay down consistent fire by manners arcane and mechanical as the combat rages on before Rairaku unleashes his Cone of Cold - striking his foes and allies alike. With his supporters faltering, Rairaku reappears from his state of invisibility, grappling Alton and attempting to fly away. Crippled by Vyodros' spiritual weapon and narrowly escaping Perven's Earthbind, Rairaku's grip falters enough for Alton to slip free. The oni turns invisible once more and tries to flee. Through means of Blindfold of Sight, Locate Object and eventually a successfully landed Faerie Fire they eventually locate him, but find themselves distracted by the last marauding orc chief that had managed to knock Finn unconscious.

Rairaku flees, his cowardice plain to see as he turns down a one-against-one duel with Vyodros.

### Liberation of Camp Thorne

Following reports that Camp Thorne had fallen to the forces of the Oni Rairaku, Vyodros was amongst those that set off to liberate the outpost with the aim of quelling the menace once and for all. Joined by the Warforged Titan found in the wreckage of the manor house that became Fort Kroideyn, they assaulted the camp at night.

Heavily defended by ogres wielding ballistas and worgs loosed from the gates to flank them in the night, the party pushed on nonetheless, Vyodros strengthed and protected further by the Kuo-Toa Priest Ullhinpabil's belief in him. As the storm above continued to rage away, the God of Lightning drew upon its strength again and again to harry their foes, granting use of his tempest to the druid Perven to assist him in this task.

The turn of the battle shifts on a pinhead with each passing moment, before finally the twisted form of the Fomorian, fleeing from Slink's Umber Hulk eye is killed by Jamaal, hidden as he was. Alton kills the last Hill Giant but the ballistas in the corners of the camp continue to fire. With the Titan nearly smashed to pieces but still emitting light, Alton deactivates the construct plunging much of the battlefield into the dark and starts to repair it, hidden away. The ballistas start to execute the prisoners in response to the chaos. A second wave of ogres and ettins surge forth, pushing back the party once more but Jamaal catches several with long-range arrow shots as Artos makes a valiant final stand.

Rairaku suddenly strikes, his Cone of Cold hitting Vyodros hard and wounding Perven. With Uhllinpabil dead at their feet, the cleric and druid retreat, but Perven is knocked down. With Rairaku now invisible he moves unseen, before casting sleep on Vyodros after his Death Ward brings him back from an Ettin's stike. Alton's disarming shot causes Rairaku to drop him briefly, before scooping up Vyodros once more - unfazed by the shots from Jamaal and Perven. Artos and Perven are carried off into the dark by Ettins at Rairaku's command. With the cleric in hand, he flies upwards further and further, and despite efforts from Alton, Jamaal and Vyodros himself, he falls - 'killing' him instantly.

Gloating in his victory, the oni does not spy the arrow fired from the shortbow of Slink from long distance. As tiny feathers upon the end of a narrow point burst through his throat, Rairaku falls 200 ft. himself, only to be shortly afterwards finished off by the kobold. The last of the ogres give chase to Slink, while Alton is knocked down by a heavy hit from a heavily-wounded Ettin. Jamaal's continued fire support picks away at the giants further, killing the last of the ballista-wielding ogres. As he rushes to Alton's aid and gets him back up, he too is felled and a back-and-forth in the magically cast darkness as they take turns healing each other. Meanwhile Slink runs through the chaotic, corpse-laden battlefield trying to find his bow, eventually scooping it up before dancing back and forth between the walls to avoid the grasp of the Ettin giving chase. Jamaal shots the Ettin that had been harrying him and Alton, leaving one final Ettin.

With four shots in quick succession, the ranger slays it.

The body of Vyodros and Uhllinpabil were both recovered following the battle and after a period of temporary meditative stasis brought on by the fall, the Master of the Storm once again awoke, ready for further adventures.

### The Warforged Factory

A short while after the liberation of Camp Thorne and the death of Rairaku, Vyodros and a party of adventurers set forth from the Guild-aligned lands of Eskarya once more - only to be promptly attacked by a green dragon. Despite the beast's fearsome appearance, he quickly proved to be of little consequence to the group, with Vyodros slaying the monster by means of a sudden lightning strike of unparalleled fury. Finn's attempts to claim the destruction of the beast by his own hand only seem to irk Vyodros, starting what would become a long-standing animosity between the pair.

Leading them north, Slink found a trail meandering through the mountains towards the strange metal building overlooking a waterfall. Covered in ivy, the most noticaeble feature of the construction was a metal chute covered in offcuts of plate and half-plate armour etched with the insignia of a steel bull with red eyes, the section seemingly leading to another metal chamber filled with pipes and other contraptions. Jamaal spies a sealed door, but when Slink moves to investigate he attracts the attention of a ragged looking half-elf speaking an unknown language. Vyodros parleys with him using Tongues and learns a number of things about the location and its history.

Agreeing to help Otto and his warforged companions with the management of a rogue Titan, the party made their way to the main assembly chamber and once the attack was started, Vyodros started to redirect water from the waterfall into the hallway, aiming to push the the Titan off the edge of the cliff. When this seems ineffectual, he instead destroyed the construct with a surge of thunder damage that erupted from him in a wave of energy. Using his strength, he also managed to pull the crystal creating the corrupted Warforged free from the machine, discovering it rich in all auras of magic - prompting him to discover it is most likely a fragment of a Lachla Shard.

With Otto slain by an orc recognised as Viakane, Vyodros claimed it for himself, along with a range of other strange and foreign constructions, artifacts and objects.

### The Incident at the Shrine

Vyodros, having spent the last couple of weeks pondering over the Lachla Shard fragment he discovered at the Warforged Factory operated by Otto, allows the psionic energy trapped within to enter his mind. He finds himself gifted telekenetic abilities and able to ward his mind against psychic attacks.

With Jamaal leading the way, they stumble headlong into Viakane and a band of orcs and decide to hide and potentially set an ambush upon the cliff-face. While many in the party are contended with letting them pass, Alton is not and forces their hand - enveloped in the darkness cast by the drow, the orcs surge forwards up the cliff-face, harrying the party. Perven melds into stone, Alton is near immediately felled, Jamaal and Slink continue their skirmishing tactics and Vyodros steps forwards, citing his holy texts and banishing Viakane, before promptly disappearing into the stone next to Perven, having also cast Sanctuary on himself.

The last of the orcs are slain, and Vyodros emerges from the stone, still holding concentration of the banishment. They take a moment's breather and ready themselves for Viakane. Hit by a flurry of arrows and lightning bolts alike, Viakane refuses to flee and seems set on fighting all of them. As Vyodros' sanctuary holds strong, so Viakane attacks Alton instead, knocking him down again. Slink heals him almost immediately, and the drow, kobold and quasi-deity stand side-by-side to fight the oversized orc. When Slink tries to flee, he catches a javelin from Viakane and is knocked unconscious. Fogel rushes to his aid but can only watch as Alton is knocked down again, before the drow is brought back up by a Potion of Healing from Vyodros' pocket. Fogel casts Aganazzar's Scorcher as Vyodros readies another strike - but it is Jamaal that slays him in the end. As he *dies*, he turns to ash, disappearing back to a fiendish plane.

They return to Fort Kroideyn.

The following morning, they decide to simply do some exploring, heading around the bottom of the lake. Passing through a burial ground of sorts, they come across hobgoblins making an offering before a foul-looking shrine, dispatching them quickly. Jamaal inspects the shrine, finding a rune proclaiming the words of Kol - "No Bloodshed, No Violence, Only Peace." This command seems to apply to the ring around the shrine, the one they had just indirectly defiled. There are other bodies, reaching for the stone, but none have wounds - and Perven deduces they may have starved. While Vyodros casts detect magic, they find a note on one of the slain hobgoblins making mention of a location called Khokkolun, the correspondence between Edak and Dralvar. The divination magic given off by the shrine seems to falter, evidently desecrated, so Vyodros encourages the party to move on.

After crossing a river through a ritually cast Water Walk, they spy a tower ahead from which a pair of Griffons take flight, seemingly on the hunt. They foolishly decide to strike at the party, and one of the pair is felled, prompting the other to flee. After Slink scavanges from the corpse, they make their way towards the tower - finding it is marked with the same hobgoblin mark and seemingly tended to, owing to the well-kept farm out back. Vyodros stops Slink from raiding it with use of his new-found Telekenetic powers and the party decides to give simple chatter and diplomacy a try. The hobgoblin that opens the door introduces themselves as Dralvar and offers them tea and talks of the lands around them, including the shrine to the north. They learn that Dralvar is of a shrine of five (but now the only survivor, owing to his wife's recent death and the demise of his brother, son and uncle by the hand of Perven, Alton and Slink). Realising this, Vyodros thanks the hobgoblin for the tea, politely requesting a sample of the crop so he might cultivate it for himself, before encouraging the party makes a quick exit and run back to the shrine.

Pushing through the night, they arrive at the shrine and successfully plant the evidence to suggest that the orcs were behind the attack, although do stumble across a failing small farm and an immortal bird called Perfire - who befriends Vyodros following a gift of crackers.

Their deceit seemingly successful, they returned to the fort.

### Vester Keep

Arrving at Vester Keep, Vyodros was among the party to discover that it had been occupied by a band of ogres and orcs and utilised the combination of his lightning and warhammer to clear the path to the trapdoor. He granted no mercy to the orog that attempted to surrender, and the party pushed onwards in pursuit of the two others that they had spotted.

Alton sends his Arcane Eye down the open trapdoor, finding no sign of the remaining pair. Within is a wine-cellar there is an iron door, seemingly locked. Spilled behind the door is blood of non-orcish origin, so after clearing out of the cellar they continue onwards once Slink pushes forwards. They find a mortuary of sorts and in a different direction another room with signs of a struggle - and a voice calling for help in a language other than Common. In the room from which the voice eminates, a pair of sarcophagi have been shattered (both from inside and out). Alton's Arcane Eye goes scouting further, finding a maze-like series of tunnels filled with dormant undead. Deciding to investigate the voice, they seem to find the source but are distracted when Alton is attacked by a Steeder lying in wait. Alton's greatsword delivers a vicious retort, but attracts other steeders - smaller but far more numerous than the first. As he finds himself surrounded Perven turns Alton into a giant ape and is still capable of communication with the party through Vyodros' Tongues spell.

The cries for help turn out to be Melusvi, with whom Vyodros shares a conversation - as well as succeeding in three consecutive wisdom saves. After a back and forth of spellcasting, Melusvi, trying to coerce Vyodros into helping him to regain his 'treasure' decides he will help them find treasure for themselves as to try and win their favour. He strolls through the winding tunnels with reckless abandon, seemingly invulnerable to the attacks from the claws of the prior residents of the keep. The party struggles to keep pace, harried by the ghasts, but generally manage to keep up with the Giant Ape on hand. He leads them to a split in the way, encouraging them to pick between treasure and pool of magic water. The water shows strange properties, with an elemental aura - and turns out to be a Water Elemental. When the concentration on Polymorph is broken by Perven taking damage, Melusvi casts fly on Alton whose subequent gun fire awakens a Beholder. Melusvi attempts to cast a spell, only to find it futile due to the creature's central eye. He runs and the party does so too, but Lost Flame attempts to strike the Beholder on the way out and narrowly avoids being disintegrated for his guile. As the Beholder's eyestalks continue to fire off to little effect, Vyodros positions himself out of the antimagic cone and manages to cast Banishment on it. The party takes this opportunity to start looting but are interrupted by Melusvi's insistence to return to the portal that he wants Vyodros to cast Dispel Magic on. On the way back, Vyodros burns his last third-level spell slot to prevent this from occurring, garnering the fiend's ire.

Melusvi immediately dominates Lost Flame, commanding him to slay Vyodros. Initially he can find no purchase but eventually manages to knock the cleric prone. In the meanwhile Melusvi had taken considerable damage from Alton and Vyodros, allowing Slink to slay him. He, like Viakane, turns to ash.

When the party tries to leave the Beholder floats in their way. With eyestalks firing away with rays of charm, disintegration, death, enervation & petrification, a few find their mark. Lost Flame is knocked unconscious, Alton is turned to stone but Slink's poison finds it mark. Vyodros narrowly avoids being disintegrated but Lost Flame is put to sleep. Vyodros is struck with a petrification ray but manages to wake up Lost Flame with a *Shatter*before he turns to stone. When he springs to his feet he manages to land one strike but his others are ineffectual. Perven continues to find some success with his *Produce Flames,*but it is not enough to save Slink. Paralysed, he cannot move out of the way from the Disintegration Ray and is turned to dust. A Death Ray kills Lost Flame, but Perven finally manages to kill the aberration.

Slowly ferrying the statues and the dead back to Jinjam's house, Perven manages to return to civilisation with a sizeable portion of the loot. Vyodros is unpetrified, allowing him to cast *Greater Restoration* on Alton and *Raise Dead* on Lost Flame - but there is nothing he could do for what remains of Slink.

### Keeping the Keep in Mind

Between the months of Tarsakh and Mirtul 1496 DR, Vyodros would spend some time casting Hallow on his Guildhall, the spell potent enough to encapsulate much of the surrounding street in its effects - both the warding of a number of creatures including fiends and undead, and the ability to speak in tongues.

At the turn of the moon, Vyodros was part of the expedition party that returned to Vester Keep, seeking to recover both the remains of the disintegrated kobold Slink, and investigate the treasures of the Beholder they had slain. After an encounter with an ogre wrongfully arrested for a gnoll attack on travelling merchants soured, Vyodros was among those quick to turn to covering their tracks - sending the ogre on his way and those responsible for its arrest into the dirt. Guiding them north towards the keep, they found the ruins empty - although in the tunnels beneath much had changed. Abjuration wards blocked their path, but they managed to reach the lair of the beholder nonetheless - but not before fighting through a mass of skeletons, flame skulls and the now zombified beholder itself. During this combat Vyodros enjoyed a short spell as a Giant Ape, thanks to use of polymorph. Vyodros' collection of gemstones only increased with the subsequent recovery of treasure.

And yet, he could not shift the ominous aura lingering in the dungeons - discovering it now also inhabited by an army of the undead, led by the paladin Zesoldi. Parleying with both in turn, Vyodros declared the Elysian a madman, refusing to assist him in his efforts to free the demon lord Kur'ixan in spite of his seemingly well meaning intentions (stemming from a shame and paranoia surrounding the previous mindflayer assault on Eskarya). Tensions rise, but ultimately come to naught (for now) as the party leaves - and subsequently Zesoldi finds himself unable to release the prison himself.

### How to Entertain Your Dragon

Joined on their adventure to find the Lair of Kedyr by a pair of seemingly inexperienced and brass adventurers called Kit and Tin, Vyodros was largely unimpressed by their japes and jokes. Growing increasingly suspicious, he cast Detect Evil and Good but found it of little use to discern their true nature. Leading the party, Vyodros discovered a cave hidden behind a waterfall - hearing kobolds within.

After Sip parleyed with the draconic creatures for a time, the relations soured to the point of combat, in which Vyodros engaged though all the while acting protectively of the young child Tin. Once the cave fell quiet once again and the party pushed forwards to the horde within, Vyodros' suspicions only grew further - particularly so at the mention of Kit's native status, his familiarity with Melusvi and his lack of willingness to share the horde evenly. The entire party found themselves surprised to learn they were in the presence of a copper dragon, but beyond his gleeful and toying behaviour, left on good terms.

The party, including Vyodros, decided to continue their travel through the forest the following day. Investigating a fey scouting party, he moved to aid Sip and Alton following their consumption by a Froghemoth, slaying the monstrosity with a well-placed Guiding Bolt that sundered it into pieces. Dispelling the magic lingering on a large emerald found within its belly, he freed the half-elf contained within and aided him in his journey back to civilisation.

When he returned to the Hall of the Tempest, Vyodros spent some time investigating the curious fossilised worm that had previously been retrieved during an expedition. When the Illithid tadpole sprung into life, Vyodros managed to batter it aside, before chasing it down and capturing it in a secure jar. The subsequent repairs to the building were paid for quickly and covertly.