Olga Volgamoore

Olga Volgamoore is a Level 4 Dwarf with Neutral alignment

Played By

Bally

Stats

Vitals

Born	September 3rd 965 AC
Deceased	-
Age	35
HP	25
Armor Class	17
Attack Bonus	2
Experience Points	13,400
Gold Pieces	-18
Lifestyle	Common

Ability Scores

STR	8
INT	10
WIS	14
DEX	12
CON	11
CHA	12

Saving Throws

Death	8
Wands	9
Paralysis	10
Breath Attacks	13
Spells	12
Wisdom Modifier to Saves vs Magic	1

Tales of Adventure

Year 1000 After Crowning

March 28th

Arrived at Castallan Keep on March 28th 1000 AC. Member of the party that defeated a group of Kobolds by using their ambush against them.

March 28th - 35th

Between March 28th 1000 AC and March 35th 1000 AC Olga began asking around about the wizard’s tower to the west. She learned that it was a day and a half journey away. She also learned two rumors: Anyone who has said they were venturing there has not returned and the Wizard died while trying to pull the sky down from the heavens. Believing there was more truth to the first one she was able to confirm with the Scribe of Castallan Keep that everyone who had left the keep for the tower had not returned to the keep. This included his sister-in-law who took his family’s magical amulet of protection.

March 35th

On March 35th 1000 AC, Olga joined in the raid on Cave D to retrieve the remains (and purse) of Bertram Swinney. While goblins were slain in dramatic fashion and more of the cave was explored, the only thing recovered of Bertam’s was his sword, which Olga currently possesses. Olga played a key role in the first ambush by gaining the attention of 3 goblins and tricking them into a passage that had a dead end.

March 35th - April 7th

Between March 35th 1000 AC and April 7th 1000 AC Olga There was a cold snap early in the week and Olga joined some of the residents of the keep on their journey down to the ruins of the “old keep” in the swamp, to engage in a sport about sending a heavy stone down polished ice. The ruins have been thoroughly looted and offer no obvious prospect for treasure hunting.

Olga noticed a smoke stack from further in the swamp and learns from her companions that it is from the hovel of a [[Swamp Hermitess|hermitess]. When the weather warms up Olga visits the Hermitess who is welcoming but odd as well. She spoke in an accent Olga didn’t recognize and kept her distance from her guest. Almost as if she didn’t trust herself to get too close. She kept a wet bandage around her fore arm the entire time and occasionally dampens it with water from the swamp. She catches Olga staring and mentions that it’s an old wound. She thanks Olga for the visit and offers a bit of advice for an aspiring adventurer. Most people think that there is only one set of ruins in swamp, but she knows for a fact that there is a second, older set of ruins. If Olga can gain access to them, the hermitess can inform her of what treasure lies beneath.

April 7th

On April 7th 1000 AC Adventuring Party 5 quickly begins a search for the basket rumored to have been left behind by the goblins during a night time raid earlier in the week. The pair learn that it was already retrieved by a patrol the following morning. Through conversation they are able to learn that the basket contained a severed human and and a note. Olga is able to gain access to the basket because she can read goblin. Beatrix Knibbs confirms the hand as Bertram’s. The message from the goblins read that attached that read “We’ll return the rest of him when we are done with him.”

Next Olga upgraded her armor and then Party Number 5 set out to explore the other 2 caves they had not attempted yet. As part of their strategy they each acquired a meat pie prepared by [{Beef the Meaty]]. At Cave E they found what they assumed was a sleeping bear and planned to lure it out using the meat pies and then quickly gain access to the cave. After taking the time to light a campfire to warm the pies and send their aroma into the cave they realized all too late that it was not a bear, but an Ogre sleeping beneath a bear skin (to keep warm).

The two were able to hide and go undetected while the Ogre ate the meat pies and spoke openly of his confusion, how the goblins hire him, and how he is so close to having three hundred gold.

After he returns to his nap in the cave Beatrix and Olga set up trip wire using some rope and rigged an extra bit of rope so they could ascend the cliffs if they needed run flee from the monster.

Beatrix was able to explore the small cave, find his stash of coins (removing 20 of them) and find a secret door as well.

The pair pressed on to Cave G where they encountered a powerful odor of a new kind of creature. Setting foot only briefly in the cave they found some corpses which they looted.

April 14th

On April 14th 1000 AC Adventuring Party 5 met with the Swamp Hermitess (brought her meat pies from Beef the Meaty) who resides in the swamp who drew them a map of where to find the older ruins and loaned them a bad boat (one she would not miss if it never returned). She has promised that if they navigate the ruins and return to her she will help retrieve the treasure within the facility.

On top of the ruins are a newer stone structures, but still incredibly old and are in various stages of collapse. There are chipped and faded paintings of fish, but on careful observation there is a pattern where all the fish heads have either been scraped off or otherwise removed by the elements.

The party finds what appears to be a closet emerging out of the solid foundation they are walking on. Unlike the other structures this is built from the same sturdy material that they are walking on. The party uses their abilities to check for secret (non magical) doors and traps and find neither. However, they notice 3 stones appear out of place and look as if they can be removed. Each one is on a different side of the structure.

Beatrix Knibbs removes one of the stones and nothing happens. When he goes to move another stone he notices that the one in hand looks like it would fit better in this second location. He goes about swapping the stones to where they naturally look like they belong and on the side that doesn't have any of those stones, the wall vanishes and an entrance way appears with stairs descending down into the old ruins.

After entering in, the wall re-materializes over the entrance way. A little further in they are able to translate a group of glowing letters to mean "The only way out is through" although they could not settle on what language it was written in or how they knew it. They continue on further down the stairs which takes them to an open doorway of an incredibly dark room. After entering the stones materialize over the doorway.

They notice several unusual things about the room that they are in. The vision from the torch light shrinks considerably. They are standing on a 9x12 platform that is surrounded by water (like an interior lake). While the other side of the room cannot be seen, the impression is that the room is huge. There are 2 additional 6x6 platform that are roughly 3 - 6 feet away. On the current platform there are 2 planks that are abou 8 feet long.

They use the planks to move to one of the platforms and they are able to see another one about the same distance away. The pair repeats these actions a few times before being able to see a giant animated mural of a giant goldfish with tentacle whiskers. And a 3rd eye. Moments later they become aware that the creature is in the water below them and it begins to attack. Beatrix sustains a minor injury from one of the creature's tentacles.

After escaping they meet back with the hermitess. She explains the condition of her injury and how she can't get too close to the ruins because it would risk turning her into one of the Aboleth's skum. She wants to know the way out because it might be a better way to get back in, but needs the creature to have been dealt with before she can.

She explains that the magic used to contain the creature is valuable and can be obtained after the creature is vanquished.

She gives them a sword to give others "a taste of the riches that are down there".

At the keep they learn that the sword is valuable, but hard to sell. The local buyer offers 80 gold for it now, or a 15% fee if can locate a wealthier buyer. He thinks the sword could fetch upto 160 gold. For the time being the pair elect to wait for the more lucrative option.

April 14th - 21st

Between April 14th 1000 AC and April 21st 1000 AC Olga crosses path with a young man named Conrad, who has short hair and wears gloves, while practicing her axe throwing. She catches him making beginner mistakes and promptly corrects him on the proper form. They compete a round, and she loses to him even though he took none of her advice. He gestured to one of his gloved fingers and said something to the effect of "Some people make their own luck."

April 21st

On April 21st 1000 AC Adventuring Party 5 set out for the caves, originally trying to steal from the Ogre living in cave E while he is sleeping. Unfortunately, Beatrix Knibbs wakes him up by stumbling over Ogre's possessions. However, the Ogre did not seem particularly grumpy after being woken up. Beatrix tries to blend in and blame the commotion on a bird, but the Ogre doesn't buy it. Olga enters the cave and introduces herself as "Crow" and offers the Ogre a meat pie. On parting Beatrix introduces himself as Bertram Swinney. The Ogre introduces himself as "Grwowth".

The party thoroughly explored Cave G and in the process dispatched an Owlbear by setting a trap for it They discovering a goblet worth 1300 gp and retrieved it from the two grey oozes that were in it's proximity. They survived the acid attack from the oozes and retreated from the cave (goblet in hand) to avoid potentially deadly combat. Beatrix picked up an owlbear claw and some feathers.

On the way back they spoke with Grwowth who told them that the Kobolds value owlbear feathers. Beatrix decides to risk going back to pluck as many feathers as he can off the carcass, while Olga walked back to the keep with the goblet.

Olga returned to the keep with an incredibly expensive goblet after adventuring with Beatrix, who stayed behind to gather owlbear feathers. On checking back in with the scribe, he assumes that Beatrix has perished, but he is relieved when Olga informs him that Beatrix was alive the last time she saw him. He asks about what your adventures turned up this time, as the sword from the previous week has caused a lot of excitement. When you show him the treasure his face goes pale and asks you to put it away. Then he asks, “Are you familiar with the tax laws of this country?”

She confessed that she don’t know and he explained that the Castallan is responsible for collecting a 25% income tax and sending it to the Arch Duke Stephan. Normally small treasure finds aren’t worth anyone’s time for collecting. But this is hard to ignore. If the Castallan were to collect the tax and Olga wouldn't have it, the Castallan could seize the property. The scribe is willing to look the other way, so long as Olga agrees to owe him a favor. He lets Olga know he is taking on a great risk as tax evasion is punishable by a 1 year prison sentence.

Like everyone residing in the keep, Olga has noticed a new gold coin circulating depicting three fish sharing one eye. She has also heard news from merchants stopping at the keep between their routes to Emirates of Yllarum, Empire of Thyatis, Republic of Darokin and Grand Duchy of Karameikos, that there have been far fewer attempts on the caravans by bandits.

April 28th

On April 28th 1000 AC Olga and Beef the Meaty decide to ask around about the The Wizard's Tower. They converse at the shop of the merchant who has been attempting to broker a deal for the sword Olga and Beatrix Knibbs. The merchant confirms that everyone he knows that has set out there has not returned, but considers maybe it is because they either moved on or stayed there. He also confirms that the Scribe had a sister-in-law that took an amulet of protection belonging to his family and set out for the tower. The journey their and back takes about 3 days.

With this information Adventuring Party 6 set out on a reconnaissance mission for the tower. On their way out they notice that the job board includes a new posting about a missing priest of Macroblan who is suspected of having absconded with the order's riches from the temple in Specularum.

Additionally, they find Conrad locked in a stockade in the public square to be shamed. He begs to be released and Olga insists that they must "leave this up to the due process of the keep."

The party arrives at the Wizard's tower on April 29th and find the terrain around the tower unusually soft. They also find the corpse of an adventurer they suspect to have been the Scribe's sister-in-law, along with an amulet of protection. Further exploration leads to discovering more bodies, some human animal hybrids. All of which seemed to have perished after exhausting their supplies.

The pair decide to leave and make camp at a safe distance. They travel all day on [April 30th](#april-30-1000), they realize that they are unable to find the keep and make camp.

They continue to travel on April 31st but make no discernible progress towards finding the keep. They fear the amulet is cursed and they bury it.

They begin to see creatures with fish shaped heads attempting to conceal themselves deep in the forest.

After hiking for an hour without the amulet they are still unable to get their bearings and see another of the creatures. This time they try to confront it, but it runs away. The two adventurers apologetically pursue only to find themselves surrounded by these creatures.

The fish shaped heads are actually elaborate masks. When they remove them it reveals a creature that is nearly human, except for their silver disk like eyes that occupy the entire eye socket and are angled to the side, not forward.

The party enters into negotiations with these strangers who call themselves The Kalaans. They are lead back to the Kalaan village to speak with the elders who share their history with the pair of adventurers. Specifically, how the Kalaans are descendants of aquatic creatures from another dimension who were transformed into their current human-like bodies by the aboleth Shalathazar.

In their conversation the pair learn that the Kalaans were deceived by Conrad who had promised to return them to their ancestral home. All the Kalaans were present when he opened a magical doorway by drawing a door on the wall of a garden with unusually dark chalk. Only half of the Kalaans went through with Conrad. Upon returning to their village, the remaining Kalaans found it ransacked. A large amount of their gold coins, featuring three fish sharing a single eye, were stolen during this raid.

The remaining Kalaans understood that if the journey through the doorway was successful some of the Kalaans would return for the ones who remained behind in Mystara. However, the Kalaans have reason to believe that Conrad has returned, but none of their kindred have.

If Conrad can be brought to the Kalaans, along with any evidence that he was responsible, the Kalaans would be willing to perform a ritual that grants the ability to breathe underwater for a time. They also show interest and support for a raid on the aboleth itself.

The Kalaans escort the pair to a days journey away from the keep, before parting ways. Olga and Beef return to the keep on April 33rd.

April 35th

On April 35th 1000 AC Olga and Beatrix Knibbs decide to complete the sale of the hermitess's sword.

Flush with gold from the sale two spent some time at the tavern to learn about Conrad's whereabouts and they learn that no one wants to talk about him because he has given everyone a reason to be upset with him.

They two speak with the scribe and learn more about the favor that Olga is obligated too. They learn that Conrad was in the stocks because a merchant accused him stealing. In order to keep the merchant happy, the captain of the guard put him in the stocks. Accused of taking a statue. They also learn that Conrad was not released, but he escaped. When he returns he'll need to return to the stocks.

The scribe is recruiting Olga to retrieve the amulet of protection that his sister-in-law stole from the family. Olga does not tell the scribe that Beef the Meaty and her returned to the keep two days ago with the amulet, nor does she share that they found the sister-in-law's body outside the Wizard's tower.

Olga and Beatrix return to the tavern to talk to people that Beatrix suspects are bandits. They plan on Olga starting conversations and Beatrix using his mind reading abilities with ESP to see if there is a connection to Conrad.

In the tavern they find three women conversing with each other, who Beatrix suspects bandits. One woman has long voluminous hair that stands up and appears unmaintained. Another is a muscular woman who has her hair in viking braids, and the third has short her hair styled in a bob.

Olga begins speaking about the Kalaans to the pair at table adjacent to the suspected bandits while Beatrix keeps his distance and begins his spell.

With Olga's help Beatrix is able to confirm that Conrad was working with the bandits on the raid on the Kalaans. The bandits are running low on their take and they suspect that Conrad is withholding some of the wealth.

The bandits suspicions are raised but the Olga and Beatrix are able to get away without causing alarm or receiving harm.

May 7th

On May 7th 1000 AC Adventuring Party 2 comes up with a plan to learn more about the possible whereabouts of Conrad, by using a similar technique that Olga and Beatrix Knibbs used with a trio of bandits a week ago. This time the plan is to stage a birthday party for Stilton (whose birthday was 2 weeks prior) at the tavern, and charge people admission to cover the costs of the food (meat pies prepared by Beef the Meaty).

During the birthday celebration the party learns the names of the three bandits: Nyx Lastname (poofy hair), the muscular one with the viking braids is Shieldbasher, and the one with the 'short bob' is named Ellie (which Nyx pronounces "Ewws" which is Ells short for Eloquent Ellie).

Group isolates each of the three bandits so Beatrix can use his ESP spell on them again. Between that and general conversation, the party learns that the three bandits are leaving in the morning to meet up with their gang "the swans" who have a hideout south of the keep that are a couple days away, confirms that Conrad's hair is grows at a fast rate. Everyone in the keep knows Conrad and everyone has some sort of grievance with him. The gang doesn't pay taxes. There are two routes to the headquarters through the mountains or take the river south and then trek up through the hills going North.

The bandits invite the party to join the gang. But the party declines.

Other activities include hair braiding, an arm wrestling contest between Olga and Shieldbasher which Olga lost, writing people's names on their foreheads with warpaint. At the end of the party Olga handed out extra meat pies to all the guests, including the bandits. Shieldbasher also walks away from the party "playing" a whistle.

May 14th

On May 14th 1000 AC Olga and Mira visit Grwowth at his cave and bring him some of Beef's meat pies. After some initial pleasantries Olga says that they are looking for someone who is accused of doing "the bad kind of murder" and then goes onto describe Conrad. Grwowth relays that he knew Conrad as a gold polisher who showed up at his cave and offered to take the ogre's gold coins and return them fully polished (an obvious scam). He thinks Conrad is over due and should be returning with the gold pieces. Grwowth assumed Conrad was living in the keep.

Mira asked about Conrad's appearance, Grwowth says he had a unibrow that would be the envy of any Ogre.

Grwowth is nervous about talking to "the law", no matter how good the meat pies are. Mira explained that they are mercenaries and this is just a job.

Grwowth asked whether there is a reward for tracking down Conrad and Mira says that there is and it's in meat pies. Grwowth thinks that is odd and even suspects that Conrad's accusers will turn him into meat pies. He says that he only takes gold for jobs and wishes them luck.

Olga plants the idea that Grwowth's missing gold was due to Conrad and not to a miscounting by Grwowth. Mira convinces Grwowth that it is at least a possibility while also telling Grwowth she lives in a cave like him. She was also interested in his furry bear coat.

After leaving the caves the two go hunting for bear, and find a carcass that had been picked over. They see a peryton, a human sized monster with the body of an eagle, the head and antlers of a stag, and the teeth of a wolf. The two decide to back away from the scene. When they are far enough away they see a second one descend from the tree tops, which would have surprised them if they had attacked the other.

May 21st

On May 21st 1000 AC, Adventuring Party 8 set out to investigate a report of large empty cages found 6 miles south of the keep. The party believes there may be a connection between these cages and last week's sighting of two perytons. Stilton Hovel, Beatrix Knibbs, and Olga Volgamoore are able to locate the cages away from the road, just as their source told them.

The trio investigate the empty cages and find that the metal cages are open and have locked padlocks on them. They also find large feathers which line up with Olga's memory of her encounter last week.

Olga and Beatrix argue about whether or not this was a lawful or unlawful conservation program. Stilton on the other hand makes the observation that there don't seem to be any ponchos, referring to Olga's earlier conversation about lintumiehets.

When investigating the surrounding area Stilton finds wagon tracks, that come off the road and return. The group suspects that the wagon left the road, dropped the cages and then returned, although Beatrix has some wild or alternative theory involving shape shifting perytons.

Beatrix enters one of the cages. Olga observes the cages from outside and finds a scrap of paper with a fragment of writing on it, but no one recognizes it. Although it appears close enough to an Elvin language to assume it is one.

The party decides to return to the Castallan Keep and see if someone notices an empty wagon passing through. They also realize that the trees here aren't strong enough to support a peryton nest. Beatrix speculates that these are chaotic conservationists that didn't do research before releasing the creatures into the wild. He also picks up as many feathers as he can, and begins scheming on how to profit from the two abandoned cages.

At the Keep the party speaks with the scribe who confirms that there was a caravan that had an empty wagon in it. The group has since left, but the driver and wagon are still in the keep according to his records. The scribe tells them the man's name is Arznak.

The party meets with the mysterious Arznak in the tavern and this is none other than the same person who claimed that Stilton's arm wrestling matches were fixed. Through conversation they learn he is from one of the Principalities Glantri and that he is hunting a lintumiehet. The party talks to him about perytons and get the impression that he is tied to the recent sightings. Arznak mentions that two hunters are recovering in the temple from an encounter with perytons.

As is typical of people from Glantri, Arznak is rude to Olga presumably due to her dwarven heritage.

Stilton convinces him to arm wrestle him and just as their match is about to begin he unexpectedly falls asleep. Beatrix assumes someone in the area cast a sleep spell.

Olga carries Stilton away to the temple in order to get his friend some help and to question the survivors of the suspected peryton attack.

Olga recognizes the two as the ones who had doubted his warnings about the parytons. When they admit she was right, Olga momentarily celebrates but then tones it down because she is not happy that they suffered such dangerous injuries during the attack.

Stilton wakes up on the temple floor sopping wet and finding a pair of acolytes standing over him with an empty bucket in their hands. Off to the side Beatrix says,

So thats why clerics don't use bladed weapons.

Beatrix and Olga continue talking to the pair of hunters. They describe their encounter and the older one shares a bit about seeing a lintumiehet a few years ago. He confirms that what attacked them was something different. When asked about the lintumiehet the older one says that after he saw it he remembers hearing a story about when one visited the keep before then. Three people tried to make trouble with it and creature dispatched them all before they had a chance to draw their weapons.

The temple acolytes move the party along so their patients can get some rest.

May 21st - 28th

Between May 21st and 28th the Priest of Macroblahn initiates an unprompted conversation with Olga about taxation in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. He talks about how the church of Macroblahn has a way around taxes and he is here on a mission from the church to recover wealth and artifacts from the caves. He offers Olga an opportunity to join a mission where if the loot is good enough he can cut the tax obligation in half. Olga says the needs to think about it. The priest claims to have accepted the decision and mentions that he was hoping she would accept right away. He adds,

Don't take too long. The life of an adventurer is perilous. And one with illicit treasure is even more so.

May 28th

Olga finds Sol Wolfingham, priest of Macroblahn, enjoying the sunshine of the day and bossing his followers around. Olga inquires if she can bring others along to improve the odds of success. The priest does not have any reservations about this, but says they won't be paying more. Meaning it basically comes out of Olga's share. The priest then asks if Stilton Hovel is one of those friends and reminds Olga that it was Stilton who brought it to his attention that one of his acolytes was stealing from the Keep's temple. Sol, says he needs a week to plan the expedition to the caves on the higher ridge.

Party 2 decides to revisit the cages that were found on May 21st, and speculate on Arznak's motives as they assume the cages (and the scrap of paper with Belcadizasine script) are his. But mostly the party discusses the potential to make money off of the cages.

May 29th

Party 2 discover that Beef the Meaty has been abducted. The party searches his quarter where they see signs of a struggle. The Amulet of protection is nowhere to be found. Stilton Hovel finds trace evidence that the three bandits he spoke to yesterday were in the room. The party inquires about the trio and learn that they did not make any arrangements to stay overnight yesterday.

They proceed to converse with the Scribe of Castallan Keep who doesn't have it in his records that he left. In conversation, Conrad comes up and the Scribe shows some patience to him that no one else seems to have.

In secret the Scribe suspects that there are unknown ways to get in and out of the keep, which has caused him to alter records and if caught could be big trouble for him.

May 30th

Party 2 revisit the Scribe of Castallan Keep. Beatrix asks if he was ready for a curve ball, which confused him because all balls are curved.

Olga Volgamoore presses the scribe about secret passages into and out of Castallan Keep and the scribe repeats that he doesn't know. If he did he would do his best to seal them up as their existence implicates (at best) less than accurate record keeping.

Beatrix inquires if there would be a pretax reward for locating the hypothetical passages. The scribe indicates that there is a possibility.

The party heads off in the direction of The Swans base of operations, which they only have a rough idea of its whereabouts. They know of a long way which requires traveling south by the river and then back north, and the shorter way through the mountains. The party elects for the shorter route to try to beat the abductors to the base.

Mira is able to decode secret path markers used by the bandits.

May 31st

The party comes out of the mountains and enters a terrain of rolling grasslands with no roads or buildings. The party eventually arrives at a mansion in the middle of nowhere. There are people in the courtyard. A whistle could be heard and someone yelling to get them to stop.

The party moves on further south in order to intercept the abductors and free Beef before the bandits reach the camp. After putting a fair amount of distance between the camp and themselves, the party hides. Right before midnight the group is able to spot the bandits riding in a cart pulled by a donkey or a small horse which also has Beef who is bound.

May 32nd

Olga Volgamoore, Beatrix Knibbs, and Stilton Hovel block the road the abductors are traveling, while Mira hides behind them waiting to attack when the group shouts the word "Curve Ball".

As the cart stops, Olga begins conversing with Eloquent Ellie in a diplomatic tone, but it is tense and become adversarial when Beef calls out that he is here against his will.

Olga senses a dangerous threat and tries to give the signal to Mira but blacks out before doing so.

The next thing Olga knows is that someone is shaking and slapping him. He tries speaking the phrase "Curve Ball." When he finally snaps out of it he yells:

CURVE BALL! CURVE BALL! CURVE BALL!

She sees that two of the abductors are lying unconscious in the road while the cart continues to move with Beef inside it, as well as a fourth abductor (Tankard Safecracker).

Stilton takes of running towards the cart and Olga follows. The halfling is hit by an arrow and tries to make his way past Beef to the front of the cart to gain control. Stilton jumps onto the back and Olga continues running to the front with the idea that she will unbuckle the traces that attach the cart to the donkey. However, Tankard surrenders before that becomes necessary.