Session 01
General Summary
As Camero was leaving the temple of Corellon he heard a voice in his head. His arcana skills
enabled him to recognise this voice as a Sending ritual. The voice, which he did not recognise,
gave him a teleportation code and told him that he was summoned to meet his destiny. It told him
that he must choose now � come and meet his destiny or let it pass and continue with his friends.
It asked for his answer directly - would he come?
Turning on his heel without a word, Camero marched back into the temple. He climbed the stairs
to the teleportation circle, spent a few moments arranging the sigils there and then spoke words of
power. Immediately a portal opened and looking in, he could see the insides of a small room,
luxuriously appointed. The walls were round and a stair case lead both up and down from that
level. Windows in the walls of the room looked out at the tops of trees giving a spectacular view
across a large forest. There was no one there. Without a word or a backward look, Camero stepped
into the portal and it collapsed behind him, leaving his companions stranded in an alien country
unable to even communicate with the people around them, nor to have any idea how to return
home.
Stepping into the circle Camero felt the familiar tugging sensation as he was transported across the
world somewhere. As he appeared in the room a ghostly hand floated down from the staircase
above and beckoned him to follow. Heading up the stairs he came into a room with 12 seats
arranged in a circle. There were 10 figures sat upon the seats in the room. Somehow all were
slightly blurry and he could not make out their features. One of the figures welcomed him and
asked him to stand in the middle of their circle. Camero did as he was bade. The figure who was
the circle's spokesman asked formally if he was "Camero ab Dhorlot, son of the black dragon
Dhorlot the Dragon Father and the eladrin maiden Vaerila of Mithrendain in the Feywild?"
Camero could sense magical streams perhaps compelling the truth or perhaps simply detecting it.
He answered "I am Camero ab Dhorlot, son of the black dragon Dhorlot the Dragon Father and
the eladrin maiden Vaerila of Mithrendain in the Feywild".
The figure nodded and told him that he had been watched for many years by the Cabal he saw
before him that his recent actions in the City of Cauldron had convinced them that he was ready to
learn a great Truth. The question was, did he feel ready for the burden of this Truth? Camero
answered that truth often depended on the viewpoint of the individual, but said that he was ready.
The figure beckoned to a previously unnoticed corner of the room and a simple stool floated to the
centre of the circle where Camero was invited to sit. The figure in the middle said he would now
tell Camero about the group he was sat in the middle of. The figure said they were the Cabal of
Callindrill. This society was formed about 1400 years ago by the fabled archmage after whom
they are named. He gathered the 11 greatest wizards of the world to his side and together these 12
luminaries formed the Cabal. Callindrill set forth simple guidelines for the purpose of the society
and they have remained unchanged to this day. The purpose of the Cabal of Callindrill is to protect
the World of Rodinia. That is its only goal and only purpose. They protect the world from
everything and anything which might endanger it, from natural disaster to extraplanar threat. And,
as was Callindrill's wish all along, they do so in utmost secrecy.
There are at most 12 members of the Cabal at any one time. Partially to honour the tradition of the
original 12 members and also from a practical point of view to facilitate the secrecy that is so
important to the society. As Camero could see there are currently only 10 members, hence 2
empty seats in the circle. He said that Camero had been watched and, as one of the most powerful
mages in the world at this moment, and as one of noble heart and action, found to measure up to
the honour of membership by the Cabal. He had been brought here to be offered a place in the
Cabal.
The figure paused, letting this information sink in, but not expecting an answer just yet. He then
proceeded to tell Camero what benefits he would gain from being a member. These included:
His own personal tower. The one they were in now, in fact. It used to belong to a powerful wizard
in these parts called Ermenred, who was well on his way to being invited into the Cabal but who
fell to the machinations of the Cabal's arch nemesis. Ermenred's apprentice at the time fled the
tower in fear of reprisals from the people who killed his master and it has lain empty ever since.
The entire contents of the tower would be his too, including all Ermenred's library and research.
Should Camero require aid in a quest that falls under the remit of the Cabal he could, of course,
request it and any aid that could be given would be given. However he was to remember that all
the other members of the Cabal are also busy protecting the world and if a large number of arch
wizards suddenly got involved in one affair people would notice. This was to be avoided.
The trappings of the Cabal are two fold. First is a cloak whose only purpose is to hide the wearers
true identity from other members of the Cabal. No one here knows the true name or identity of any
other member. And that went for Camero too, as his true name would be forgotten by all there
present as part of the ritual to invest him in the Cabal if he elected to join them.
The second trapping is a signet ring carved with the symbol of Callindrill, an upside down
pyramid with a lightning bolt through it. This, more than anything is a symbol of the wizard's
membership of the Cabal of Callindrill and should be worn at all times.
All members of the Cabal of Callindrill are expected to keep the cabal itself secret first and for
most. No one can be told of its existence, not even friends, lovers, spouses or children. This is the
most sacred duty. Beyond that it is the Cabal's designated purpose to protect the World of Rodinia.
The methods each member chooses to employ to achieve this goal are their own to choose as long
as the first duty is not compromised. Each member knows the identity of the leader of the Cabal
and can communicate with him via the standard ritual of Sending. Where necessary a meeting
such as this could be called. This was not often however. There is nothing to stop a member of the
Cabal from continuing their normal life, doing their own thing and working towards whatever
ends they feel, as long as they are constantly alert for and reacting to any threats to the world and
its stability.
So, the question now was: would Camero join and become the 11th member of the Cabal of
Callindrill?
Camero thought for but a second and then answered that he had a duty to Farlanghan which he
could not and would not forsake. He said that if this fitted in with the wishes of his deity then he
would be honoured to join. The figure who lead the cabal said that he could see no reason at all
why Farlanghn''s wishes would counter act the purposes of the Cabal and that they could not see
that as a problem at all. Taking that to heart Camero bowed and agreed to join the Cabal of
Callindrill.
The 10 figures sat around rose together and immediately began a complex ritual of initiation. As
part of the ritual Camero was given the Cloak of the Cabal which he was told should only be worn
when in Cabal meetings and should kept safe at other times. He was also given his Ring of the
Cabal which he was to wear at all times.
When the ritual was over, the leader of the Cabal told him that he was now free to explore the
tower and then return to his previous adventures. He explained that the tower they were in was
currently under a ritual of suspended animation. Effectively all the time Camero spent inside this
tower at this moment was but a millisecond in time to those outside the tower. So he could spend
as long in there as he liked, getting to know the place and pouring over the library. But once he
left the tower the spell would be broken and time in the tower would return to normal. This was a
one off occurrance also so when he returned there in future, time will flow normally.
Camero thanked the group for the honour they had bestowed upon him and as one they bowed and
faded to nothingness, leaving him alone in his new tower. Camero shook his head in wonder and
set about exploring his new home. The tower itself was luxuriously appointed with many
bedrooms and a well stocked kitchen and larder. It obviously contained a permenent teleportation
circle too. The front door was magicall locked already and attuned such that only he could open it.
Searching the tower and its considerable library Camero discovered the tower contained a great
number of books on various subjects, especially the arcane and religious texts. Ermenred who had
stocked this library clearly had similar tastes to Camero. Settling in to a comfortable chair by a
roaring fire Camero began to read.
A week or so later, Camero had scoured the library, discovering many interesting texts and a few
new spells he was previously unfamiliar with. He had not left the tower all this time and had
settled into it quickly. He found it homely and pleasant. It stood on the edge of a large forest
which he didn't recognise, but which he would have been surprised to know was actually the forest
of Eldaran, the very same forest his friends were currently inside. Looking out the windows was a
bit of a strange experience as the sun did not move at all during the week he was in the tower and
even the birds were stuck in place, strangely suspended, as the leader of the Cabal had said.
Nothing outside the tower was progressing.
Eventally Camero realised it was time to return to the real world. He collected his adventuring
gear together, and after one last refreshing cup of the strange hot leafy brew he had found in the
tower larder, he went up to the teleportation circle room and arranged the sigils there to point to
the teleportation circle back in the temple of Corellon. He took one last look around then chanted
the words of power to open the portal and stepped through.
No sooner had Magma Force watched Camero disappear into the portal he had summoned, then he
was back out again. The portal collapsed behind him. They looked at him quizically as something
had definitely happened - his gear was all arranged in a slightly different way to that which it was
when he stepped into the portal, and the more observant noticed he was suddenly wearing a new
ring on his finger. All he did was to smile enigmatically and stride out of the temple into the
forest. They would get nothing from the wizard about where he had gone and what he had been
doing.
Back to the original plan, Eadric the ranger led the group to a natural gully formed between two
cliff faces. They said that the hill giant chieftan lived in a cave further down inside the gully where
the sides got steep. Following the gully down Magma Force soon came to an opening in the north
wall of the gully. Step sided walls lined the gully here and a few bushes and trees threw the area
into shade. A large collection of giants stood around seemingly on guard.
Magma Force wasted no time rushing up the gully to engage the giants. A quick skirmish broke
out with giants and humans battling for supremacy, but there was only ever going to be one
winner. Even when two previously unnoticed giants appeared on ledges high above the cave
mouth and rained down large lead balls with their giant slings the heroes were not ever in any real
danger. With the giants outside the cave mouth all killed Gotrek and Harley scampered up the cliff
face to engage the two slingers whilst Camero and Morgan clambered up with slightly more
difficulty. Soon though the slingers were brought into melee and dispatched. The group collected
together, searched the bodies and took a breather before Harley headed into the cave mouth to
scout things out.
Entering the cave it was clear there were two passages, left and right. The passage left was dark
and the one to the right was lit with a fire light. Sneaking down the right passage Harley could see
a couple of large giants warming their hands. Sneaking forward he almost bumped into a hulking
giant who was hidden in the shadows in front of him. Slowly and stealthily he drew his rapier and
slit the giants throat. The giant died in a gurgle of blood and there was a soft thud as his body hit
the floor. Unfortunately for Harley that was the precise second that the giants in the cave chose to
have a quiet moment and the thud was heard all across the cave. Battle was joined!
The rest of Magma Force flooded into the cave, Gotrek calling upon his axe to burst into flames
and help illuminate the way. Harley rushed into the cave to quickly dispatch another grunt but
then found himself surrounded as the hill giant chieftan entered the firelight at the far side of the
cave and rallied his troops to rush forward. Only some quick thinking, nimble feet and an insanely
good ability to blend with the shadows saved Harley and he stealthily made his way back to the
beach-head that Gotrek and Morgan were forcing in the giant wall.
The chieftain reached the battle lines and his troops noticeably lifted their spirits. About now
Camero heard the shuffling sounds of a giant behind him in the cave entrance - it had snuck
around from the other passage and was creeping up behind them! They were surrounded by giants
and the action was gaining intensity!
Report Date
11 Apr 2024
Related Plots