Questor has a girlfriend he loves very much, so much in fact that he is having a baby with her. It is the custom around the Neptune Sea that, when you have a baby with someone, you marry this person after the birth of the child. For these kinds of weddings, which not always occurs because of love, it is accustomed for the man to buy them both identical rings. Since Questor feels that no normal ring will do for his wife, decided to travel to Sigil in search of the perfect ring for his soon-to-be-wife. Since Sigil is a dangerous place Gri’shak decided to go along with Questor acting as his bodyguard. After some searching Questor found the perfect rings for the wedding, two very exquisite rings made of pure mithril. Not only are these rings very beautiful, but also very expensive. Questor, being Questor, haggled with the salesman for a way to lower the price. Reluctantly the salesman agreed with Questor that there would be a decrease in price if the adventurers could find a man named Tarrok, whom owned him money. For this quest Questor and Gri’shak have traveled to the gate town of Bedlam. This town is a festering hole teaming with Tanar’ri, Bleak Cabals, Bugbears and other nasty creatures of Evil alignment.

Since the two adventurers arrived in town they have already engaged in a bar fight, while looking for Torrak, having to kill several evil drunks before being point the way towards a bar he was frequently seen. During this skirmish Questor was able to use a new spell he received from his God, the Rising Sun, causing many of these drunks to become blinded and disoriented.

Back on the streets the duo was approached by a member of the Bleak Cabal who stated that he two ‘goody-goody’s’ didn’t belong in this town and that they weren’t welcome. After being irritating for several moments the mad man ran away after Gri’shak took a swing at him. The duo entered the Way Lands Inn, and gained information from the friendly barman (rarity in this town) about a possible location of Torrak. He was supposedly staying a lot in a favorite tavern of Tanar’ri called the Eye of the Dagger Inn. After a beer and the checking of their equipment they set out to visit this inn and get the money Torrak owned both the barkeep of the Way Land Inn and the jeweler at whom Questor ordered the two wedding rings.

Unfortunately they were beset by a group of Bleak Cabal before they got close to this inn. Their leader approached stating again that ‘their kind’ were not welcome within the town of Bedlam, after which he hefted his heavy two handed mace and made an effort to strike at Questor. Gri’shak, however, was alert for such cheap shots and severely wounded the leader with his powerful sword, which radiated light at a previously unseen intensity. A fight ensued in which Questor used several more recently received spells to great effect, causing the armors of six of the assailants to become searing hot and creating a deep puddle of mud under the feet of others. After a few tense couple of minutes during which Questor became severely wounded and Gri’shaks knee was shattered by the assailants, the battle was suddenly over, the remaining members of the gang being burned to death within their red hot armors. The mage of the gang, blinded by a light spell of Questor, tried to fly away and towards safety but Questor dispelled his ability to fly causing him to fall from the sky on top of a nearby rooftop.

Of the attacking band only the leader and mage, although both severely wounded, escaped with their lives. Both Questor and Gri’shak were both wounded to some extent, and they began thinking of taking a little lower profile while within this town of teaming evil. Since Questor was running low on spells they decided to return to Bak’nors Rock first, for healing and rest. In the middle of the plaza were they fought the Bleak Kabal moments before, Questor transported both of them to his own temple.

Upon arrival, Gri’shak remembered something about the first time Questor used his amulet of the planes: plane shifting leaves trails that a mage with the right spells could follow. Immediately he sent for Gramber to check for trails. The elven high mage of the castle was luckily not busy with experiments and came to the temple area. There the story of their adventure up to this point was told to him, and he used his magic to confirm that the transportation left a trail that a skilled mage could follow.

Immediately he left and returned with his stone golem so it could be used in case an enemy would follow the trail. After the golem was installed within the temple the trio talked about their past together and plans for the future, this being one of those rare moments that they all were together during their ‘castle-time’. After a few minutes of talking a sudden pop made the trio look up, within the temple the mage previously blinded by Questor suddenly materialized from thin air!

Gri’shak already anticipating something like this would happen, immediately tried to tackle this opponent, but the mage was able to dodge his attack. Both Questor and Gramber were still trying to get their bearing, giving the mage the chance to throw a flask on the floor. A large portion of the temple suddenly became engulfed by fog, rendering an attempt of Questor to cast a spell upon him useless. Gri’shak took the time to take out his massive sword into play, landing several solid blows on the mage that were repelled by stone skins. Gramber’s spell of seeing was still active, making it able for him to try to dispel the mages magical protections. After the enemy mage surveyed the situation he grabbed an amulet he was carrying and instantly vanished!

It was decided that the golem of Gramber would remain within the temple, together with a strange magical being, somehow linked to Gramber, as an early warning system, while the three Lords of Bak’nors Rock would get some rest. Gramber decided it would be wise for him to join Questor and Gri’shak on their next visit to Bedlam, seeing that if they again would fight within those streets they could use all the help they could get.

The night passed without incident, and the group was ready to leave. Before leaving, Questor used a special spell, granted by his God, to secure his temple area from all kind of teleportation magic, and the group was ready to go. They transported within Bedlam and set out for the Way lands Inn to gather more information. Gri’shak used a magical device to alter his appearance into something more resembling a form of Tanar’ri, as to blend in with the creatures in this town.

From the innkeeper they heard that they gained quite a reputation in town, and were advised to keep a lower profile. Gramber and Questor left the Inn heading for the Eye of the Dagger, Gri’shak staying behind them in Tanar’ri form. Within the inn they sought out a table and sat down, while Gri’shak would talk to a human patron looking for a way to contact Tarrok. Playing a Tanar’ri with the need for Tarroks help, he was able to arrange a meeting later that day. The entire party left the inn to avoid getting in trouble within, and stayed the rest of the day within the Way lands Inn.

Eventually they left the inn and headed towards the meeting point where they found their contact in the company of a dozen Shadow Fiends, a seemingly soulless creature with a slave collar, and an incredible large specimen of the Groristro Tanar’ri! Upon questioning of the contact about the mission they would have partake in to gain his trust it became clear that they were assembled to attack a temple on ‘some prime world’. This group was hired by the same mage that teleported in the temple of Questor the day before! Not only that, but it became apparent that the contact was in fact the man the group was looking for!

The mage appeared and talked to Torrak for a short time, not noticing Gramber and Questor, whom took up positions behind the Groristro to avoid recognition by the mage. The mage prepared a spell to take the group within the temple and let the Tanar’ri loose on everything in sight, but luckily the protective magic, set in place only that morning by Questor held the group at bay! The tanar’ri were furious, their minds set on combat. Gri’shak, sensing their willingness for combat and obvious dislike of the mage, raised them into an aggressive state, hoping to set this group onto the mage. Feeling the favor of these demons turning against him, the mage cast a spell, causing enough delay for him to get away, just as Tarrok gave the tanari’ri permission to attack the mage.

Tarrok immediately ran towards a archway and used a key to open a portal that would probably lead to the lair of the mage. The tanar’ri ran through this portal, immediately followed by the party. Stepping through the portal they found themselves within a hallway, the tanari’ri running in front of them and Tarrok waiting for them. At this moment the party took their chance and Gramber used a spell to gain control of Tarrok’s body while Questor transported the party together with the slave and Tarrok to Sigil!

Their, they took Tarrok to the shop, receiving the discount on the rings, and soon after they transported back to their castle. Now they had two problems to solve: what to do with the mindless slave, and what to do with Tarrok?

Updated: 25-02-2003 19:58 By TH