Devil inside, devil inside. Every single one of them a devil inside...

After finishing up provisional runs to Sasserine and Monmurg, the party returns to Farshore. The previously feebleminded Jakara has arrived in Farshore with a letter from his master, Notlus Innersol. Vesserin (Farshore Chaplain), Lavinia, and the Olman liason to the chiefs of the seven villages, Miahuaxochitl, bid the party to help the Pelorian priest Noltus Innersol.

Noltus was reaching out to the Olman villages on the central plateau, hoping to turn their worship of Tonatiuh into worship of Pelor. He was also interested in the village of Mantru, which lies deep in the heart of the central plateau. It is also in this area where the vile skinwalkers are rumored to exist.

Vin immediately volunteers the party for the task of forming an expedition to the central plateau and seeking the Pelorian encampment to help Notlus Innersol. Rudolph jumps at the chance to return to the isle and search for the Dread Forge, and Daria strikes with a well placed poke to a half-sleeping Ortho.

The party journeys into the heart of the Isle of Dread and finds the causeway onto the central plateau. A roaming band of fell monkey demons attacks the party prior to ascending up to the causeway. The battle is quick, and the party is reminded of what wet monkey smells like.

Nesta finds a trail, and after a couple of hours, discoveres the crude huts of the Pelorian village. The village is mostly trogylodytes. Trog high priest of Pelor, Rissashtak, chieftan of the Pelorian camp greets the party and explains how Notlus has been missing for the past several days. There is great concern among the village about his well being. During the dinner conversation, a surprise visitor, Notlus Innersol. He looks surprised to see the party. The village greets the returning Notlus and his cohorts, the party is obiously suspicious of the returning group.

Before the moment passes, Noltus takes a cheap shot and lands a rounder on Vin's chin. The returning party begins to change shape. Horrible and demonic they assault the party. Even the dog morphs into a giant demonic beast. The battle opens with melee all around, Vin has a slight bout of paralysis. Daria and Rudy get scared and flee while one of the skin walkers begins to hurl spells at Ortho. As the party regroups the skin-walker mage hurls a couple of fireballs at the crowd. Slowly the battle breaks in favor of the adventurers.

Rudolpho makes a magnificant charge only to be paralyzed in his last step. He hears someone else yell, "Do I have to do everything around here." The skin walker mage disappears, but the party has won their victory.

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Session Characters: Ortho, Daria, Gwendelyn, Vin, Rudolpho, Hjalmgerdr, Nesta
Session Loot: +1 disruption heavy mace, ring of freedom of movement, clerical vestments, wooden holy symbol of Pelor, a small pouch of very strong coffee.

The Story of Ortho, the missing post

===This should have been posted somewhere in Aug 2007===

Ortho is from a family of Grey Elves that have been friends of Lavinia's family for 2 generations. He decided to attend the school for magical studies in Sasserine and took on a job as consultant for Lavinia's parents. He works in the background at the castle and keeps a low profile around town. He knows many people in Sasserine but they believe he is just a messenger.

Two generations ago Lavinia's family bought the farm out of debt where Ortho's father Tempur Pedic, a renowned narcoleptic fire mage, burned down his farm when he fell asleep casting an enlarged maximized fireball at a strange golem-like creature emerging from the cucumber patch. After moving north, he also founded a cult of Elementalist dreamers who seek revelations in dreams using a special magically created memory-foam to sleep on. One day, Ortho hopes to buy back the farm and continue his father's work in the old abandoned tower.

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Ortho's Diary entry 1, ====Posted as July 5, 2007====

I have been sent along on a journey to keep an eye on Avner. Lavinia expected he would meet with trouble on the voyage because of his demeanor. She was right as usual. Some of the crew developed a dislike for him immediately and treated him badly. It is my job to see that Avner makes it to his destination alive and I had to keep my purpose secret to succeed. In the last town a couple of our crew began looting and turned on Avner. They thought they had killed him but I managed to rescue him from a burning building and sneak him to one of the other buildings where he was tended to by a village healer. I remained on the ship with Rudolpho and Daria to monitor their behavior and to keep them from being suspicious of Avner's survival. I deplore working with these barbarians but they are tools I must use to reach my goal.

I will confide in Vin Icemark if I require assistance. He appears to be smitten with Lavinia however and I will remain distant to monitor his behavior till I'm assured he has no ulterior motives.

May the Fates see this journey to an end soon.