dwin was in his element: ensconced in the Wizard's Tower in Greyhawk, amongst the most famous and most extensive collection of arcane lore on Oerth. Edwin spent the mornings researching in the library, and the evenings enchanting items.
The Staff of Law
Each segment of the staff has a different power, and as segments are assembled they gain new powers via resonance with each other.
Wind Dukes
Also known as the Vaati, the Wind Dukes make their home in the Vale of Aaqa, which is somewhere in the outer planes. The vale is magically protected such that it is impossible to gate or teleport in. The Vaati are the original immortal race dedicated to pure Law. The Vaati existed as a race before the concepts of Good and Evil came into being. Over time a few Vaati have drifted towards good or evil, but all remain Lawful (and the majority are Lawful Neutral).
A few of the Wind Dukes are still searching for the Staff of Law, to keep it from falling into the hands of Chaos. In their long separation from the rest of their race they have drifted towards Lawful Good. They are considered outcasts.
The Vaati appear as seven foot tall, statuesque, androgynous humans with ebony skin and white eyes. They have their own language, which sounds like a series of high pitched whistles.
Wolf Spider Demons
The wolf spiders are Tanar'ii in service to the Queen of Chaos. There are five types, each of which becomes stronger and more intelligent. All five types can shoot webs. Some have functional arms. As tanar'ii they are resistant or immune to cold, electricity, fire, and poison.
Miksa the Wolf Spider
Miska was completely unknown until he became the General of the Armies of Chaos. Until that point the forces of Law and Chaos had fought to a stalemate. Miska turned the tide of battle, and the Wind Dukes constructed the Staff of Law specifically to kill him.
When Miska was pierced with the staff it created a wound of pure Law, which will not heal. Even to this day Miska carries the wound. Miska can regenerate from any other injury, nothing save the staff can permanently kill him. Miska's weakness is therefore the staff; however, the staff is stained with Miska's blood. If Miska can get his hands on the staff he can withdraw his blood from it and use it to heal himself.
Miska is imprisoned somewhere on the plane of Pandemonium.
The ritual to rejoin the segments of the staff does not expunge Miska's blood, it merely suppresses the Chaos sufficiently for the pieces to be rejoined. There is no known way to remove the blood staining the staff.
Chaden
Chaden spent her the days searching Greyhawk for people who had experienced the incursions of chaos or the demonic wolf-spiders. Given the close proximity of the newly-created Vastest Bog she asked many people about it, but everyone seemed to think it had always been there. All of Greyhawk had been changed in subtle ways, and many areas of the town were seedier than they had been. There were definitely more beggars.
Chaden heard tell of a talented street performer, whose act consisted of small white mice performing amazing tricks. The performer was described as a tall female human wearing a loose robe and turban. Chaden and Kaerick spent several days seeking out a performance, finally discovering the woman performing before a large crowd. One rat perched upon her shoulder, she said, "Applause, please." as the rat dove into a bucket of water. There were seven rats altogether, performing on a rickety platform of sticks and strings. The crowd found it very entertaining. Chaden and Kaerick noticed a few pickpockets working the crowd, but did not see any coordination between the performer and the thieves and concluded they were probably just opportunists. Kaerick was quite certain that the woman was not casting spells or using magic, the rats appeared to be doing the tricks naturally.
"Are the little white mice by any
chance searching for the Ultimate Answer to Life, the
Universe, and Everything?"
At the end of the show Chaden approached the performer as she walked toward a nearby alley. Giving the entire proceeds of her performance to a group of orphaned children, the woman said, "Would you mind walking outside the city? I don't want to be overheard. Would your friends like to join us?"
Chaden quickly returned to the Inn and to the Wizards Tower to collect the rest of the adventurers. Edwin immediately concluded that the rats must be were-rats but Chaden disagreed, saying she had a hunch that the performer was actually one of the Vaati. The two laid a small wager on the outcome.
| Why do people have so little memory about the past and the changes wrought by the incursions of chaos? | People do not remember how things are changed because of the waves of chaos reverberating through the world. Reality itself is being modified, not just people's memories. |
| Why do we remember? | You notice the incursions because you are under the influence of the Staff of Law. A few other powerful beings can also shake off the effect. [Editor's note: like Garmoth] |
| How serious are the incursions of chaos? | Some are minor: rearranging towns and fields to be less efficient. Others are more serious, rendering entire swaths of countryside less fertile. People are dying. |
| Why are the incursions happening? | It is the influence of the Queen of Chaos. She is tightening her grasp. The only way to redirect her attention is to move the staff to another world. If the staff breaks apart it will scatter across the planes. It can be broken apart simply by desiring it to do so. Once fully assembled, the best way to break it is to invoke its full power, which is resurrection. |
| When the staff transports itself away, how does it pick its destination? | The staff does not decide where to go. Whenever it reappears, the Queen of Chaos sends her minions to retrieve it. Only once before has the staff been fully reassembled. Its resurrection power was used, and it broke apart again. |
| Can we break the Queen's hold without breaking the staff apart? | You will need to reassemble the staff, allow Miska to touch it to withdraw his blood and remove the taint, and then use the staff to kill him. The staff can then be brought to the Vale of Aaqa, where the Wind Dukes will protect it. |
| How will Miska be able to reabsorb his blood from the staff? | The blood tainting the staff is part of Miska's essence, and will be drawn to him. |
| Is it possible to remove Miska's blood from the staff via any other mechanism? | No, there is no way to remove Miska's blood from the staff save by facing him. |
| What if we chop off some portion of Miska's body and touch it to the staff? | No-one has ever tried that. |
| How hard is it going to be to come by a weapon that can hurt Miska? | It is something I would consider mundane. Miska can be hurt, but he regenerates from any wound save that inflicted by an instrument of pure Law. |
| Where might we obtain a weapon that can hurt Miska? | It seems your champion can enchant weapons. |
| Is it possible the Queen's minions have been watching us? | The demons can sense the staff's movements, or when its powers are used. |
| Does Miska have any other weaknesses? | He is Tanar'ii, with the normal resistances and vulnerabilities of their kind. |
| Who imprisons Miska? | A cocoon of Law surrounds his citadel on the plane of Pandemonium. A few minions are with him. |
| How do we reach Miskas citadel? | When the time is right I will take you there in my chariot. |
| Can we mask the staff's presence? | Not really. By minimizing the use of its powers and any transfer of ownership, you can reduce the demons ability to sense it. |
| What powers does the staff possess? | The first segment can heal, and the second segment can slow its opponents. If the segments are joined it will retain these powers and gain new ones. |
| Should we rejoin the segments? | If you don't, different people will have to carry them. I recommend you do join them as quickly as possible after locating the final piece. |
| The pieces of the staff impose certain... behavioral modifications. Do these become stronger as it is reassembled? | The bearer of the complete staff becomes a Champion of Law. |
| Is it easier for the Queen of Chaos to locate the staff when it is reassembled? | No, she gets no stronger sense of the assembled segments than she does of the individual pieces. However the act of joining the segments does send waves which may bring her minions. |
| Can we destroy the staff to keep it away from the Queen of Chaos? | The staff cannot be destroyed nor significantly changed. |
| Do you have a Lawful Evil hair? | No, but you may have a few strands of mine as a Lawful Good hair. |
| Did the Dragon survive its encounter with the demons? | Yes. The dragon is far more powerful. |
| Can you tell us more about the Spider fiends? | There are five types: Kakkuu - the weakest, barely intelligent brutes Spithriku - stronger and slightly more intelligent Phisarazu - larger, with functioning arms which often wield weapons. These are leaders of the lesser fiends. Lycosidilith and Raklupis are the strongest, far more crafty and dangerous than the others. |
| How are the wolf-spiders able to adapt to our tactics? | The Queen of Chaos sends them, and remains in telepathic contact. She sees what they see. |
| Who is the Queen of Chaos? | She is ancient beyond reckoning. She never leaves the Steaming Fens. She is not tanar'ii, she is unique. |
| Are you the only Vaati outside the vale? | The Vaati who would visit here are searching for the staff. Qadej is another whom you may encounter. |
Chaden's Orphanage
Having grown up as an orphan on the streets of Greyhawk, Chaden asked about the children to whom Archestan had given the coins. All of the charitable organizations Chaden remembered from her own childhood were no more: the incursions of Chaos in Greyhawk had removed them from history. As Edwin would need several more weeks to complete the weapon enchantments the party needed, Chaden spent the time renting space and setting up the funding for a new orphanage. She hoped the lingering influence of the Staff of Law would prevent it from being erased by another incursion.
The Search for a Lawful Evil Hair
One might think that the best place to find a Lawful Evil hair would be a dockside tavern, where the grim and desperate can oft be found. One would be incorrect in this assumption. Though evil can be found in great multitude in such places, it is hardly ever of the lawful variety. No, the place to find Lawful Evil is both cleaner and better lit than those. It is a place where heartless efficiency is not avoided, but strived for. The best place to find pure Lawful Evil ... is the halls of government.
Fortunately the bureaucrats, clerks, and other functionaries have many of the same needs and desires as other, better men. Katriana was able to find one such. In gratitude he gave her a lock of hair from his head, to remember him by.
| Enhance Chaden's Greatsword to +2 | 3000 gp |
| Enhance Grapthar's Axe to +2, Bane (Chaotic Outsider) | 5000 gp |
| Enchant Syn's Amulet as a Necklace of Natural Attacks +2 | 8600 gp |
| Enchant Katriana's Phylactery as an Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 | 3000 gp |
| Enhance Edwin's Headband of Intellect to +3 | 2500 gp |
| Total 22,100 gp and 22 days | |
The Staff of Law
The party stayed in Greyhawk for three weeks, researching, provisioning, and enchanting. At the end of that time, Edwin incorporated the Lawful Good and Lawful Evil hairs into a brush and began the ritual to rejoin the first and second segments. After inscribing the glyphs he brought the two pieces together. They hovered in the air for a moment, then flew together with an audible "click". The assembled segments retained their Cure Light Wounds and Slow abilities, and also granted the ability to Fly.
Though the adventurers had cast various defensive magics in expectation of a demonic ambush, no attack was forthcoming. The pull of the third segment came from the west.
| Is the third segment of the staff at least 500 miles away? | yes |
| Is the third segment of the staff at least 1000 miles away? | no |
| Is the third segment of the staff at least 750 miles away? | no |
| Is the third segment of the staff at least 625 miles away? | no |
| Is the third segment of the staff at least 562.5 miles away? | yes |
| Is the third segment of the staff at least 590 miles away? | yes |
| Is the third segment of the staff in the possession of a creature? | yes |
| Is the second segment of the staff below ground? | no |
| Is the creature possessing the third segment of the staff a humanoid? | no |
| Is the creature possessing the third segment of the staff an outsider? | no |
| Is the creature possessing the third segment of the staff a spellcaster? | yes |
| Is the creature possessing the third segment of the staff an aberration? | no |
| Does the creature possessing the third segment of the staff have minions? | yes |
| Does the creature possessing the third segment of the staff know we are coming? | no |
The Narrator
Edwin cast Shadow Walk, and the party travelled for nearly twelve hours to cover approximately 590 miles. They emerged well after dark near the Lormil mountains, and rested for the night in a Leomund's Tiny Hut. The next morning Katriana cast Mass Camoflage, and they set out to climb the foothills. The Staff of Law pulled upward, indicating the third segment was up in the mountains somewhere.
A thin plume of smoke rose from the scraggly trees a few hundred feet below the party. Edwin cast Rary's Mnemonic Bond and Katriana turned into an eagle, flying back to investigate while the rest of the party trudged onward. She saw a clearing with a large bonfire of broken furniture and various bags and backpacks. Two dead fire giants sprawled at one end of the clearing, while a mixed group of elderly humans and orcs were drinking and celebrating. She heard distinct cries of "Freedom! We're free!" The rest of the party came to investigate.
| What killed you? | cold |
| What kind of creature killed you with cold? | Dragon |
| Do you know any creature possessing a wand? | ... no answer ... |
| Where can we find a secret entrance to the castle? | ... no answer ... |
The slaves knew very little else of use. There is a wide trail leading all the way up to the castle, where many cloud giants (and a few fire giants) live. The two clans have invited representatives of other giant races to the wedding as well. The leader of the cloud giants is Urick.
The Narrator
The party located the trail leading to the castle. After a mere ten minutes of walking they heard a voice from behind them: "Halt, you varlots! Declare yourselves or you're icicles." On the trail about fifty feet behind was a very small silver dragon, about twelve feet from head to tail. The party introduced themselves, and the dragon said his name was Kirin. "My mom and dad left me in charge," he bragged breathlessly, "Have you seen my sister?"
Kirin's younger sister, a wyrmling named Arielle, was missing. Kirin's parents thought she might have tried to eat silver from the clouds, and been captured by the giants. The dragons were trying to rescue her, and had killed the fire giants in the clearing. Kirin had been put in charge of guarding the road (presumably, because they thought it would keep him away from the castle and out of danger). Kirin had stopped another party of travellers yesterday, a pair of pale skinned elves on a flying rug. They turned nasty so he had blasted them with his breath weapon, but did not hurt them. "They made the air stink, and then I flew away," explained Kirin. Edwin thought it had likely been a Cloudkill spell.