The Fireball Gazette

So Sorry to Interrupt, but Heroes Brave the Beacon’s Flames – A Demon Was Quite Defeated at Eye Island Lighthouse, Eh?

October 1, 2024

Inderøy, Eye Island Lighthouse - I am terribly sorry to report that Mad Matt was feeling a bit under the weather, eh, after his recent encounter with Nalzagoth, the Star Devourer. Selah stayed behind on the ship - and we do apologize for her lack of adventure - to care for him while the rest of the party, namely Ace, Tiyana, and Mabel, prepared for a new mission. A bystander named Havi, who was perhaps a bit mistakenly thought to be a party member, decided to join their ranks as they met Ølødelging Blødelsødelstrøm in Inderøy. Ølødelgødel had a bit of a request, if it isn't too much trouble: to investigate the mysterious flickering light of Eye Island’s lighthouse, eh.

A Rewarding Task from Ølødelgødel
Ølødelgødel informed the group, with the utmost politeness, that the lighthouse, once essential for maintaining the balance of stars and ley lines, had been dark for centuries - until recently, when its light began to flicker quite inconveniently. Other adventurers had been sent to investigate, but, oh dear, none returned. He believed the box of keys the party recovered from the harpies was crucial to solving the mystery, eh. Offering 60 gold per person, with extra bonuses for any survivors or bodies returned - which is a bit of a dreadful thing to ask, we know - Ølødelgødel made the mission worth their while. With the promise of gold and a bit of intrigue, the party accepted and set out the next morning, eh.

Arrival at Eye Island
After a full day’s march through the chilly air, the group arrived at the somewhat ominous lighthouse in the early evening. A strange silence enveloped the area - no animals, no wind, only an unsettling quiet that was quite disconcerting, eh. The party crossed a bridge that spanned the moat surrounding the lighthouse, expecting traps but encountering none, much obliged. Their journey brought them to a massive brass door adorned with carvings of swans, which were lovely, really. Ace, always eager to prove his lockpicking prowess (if you don’t mind him showing off), used the crown-emblazoned brass key to unlock it. With a combined effort, Mabel and Havi pushed open the heavy door, revealing the secrets inside, eh.

A Mysterious Star Chart on the First Floor
Inside, I am so incredibly sorry to mention that the party found the remains of three adventurers scattered across the floor, eh. Tiyana found a silver circle on the ground with a keyhole in its center. Ace inserted the silver key, and suddenly the room around him transformed into a three-dimensional star chart. Stars twinkled in the dark void as Tiyana realized that the tower was drawing energy from the stars themselves, which is quite something, eh. Their curiosity deepened, and they moved to the next floor, if it’s alright with you.

The Gear-Filled Second Floor
On the second floor, the party found massive gears along the walls and floor, alongside more bodies that Havi, being a very sturdy and helpful lad, carried down to the entrance, eh. Tiyana discovered that one of the cloverleaf-shaped keys perfectly fit a knob on the wall. Ace applied the key while Havi used his strength to pull the lever, reversing the gear mechanisms, which was quite a bit of work, eh. With this new knowledge, the adventurers proceeded to the third floor.

Lighting the Furnace on the Third Floor
Upon reaching the third floor, they were greeted by a large, dormant furnace filled with coal. Mabel, being quite quick to act despite the mess, threw a nearby hemp cover into the furnace as kindly kindling, while Ace used the heart-shaped brass key to ignite it. Flames roared to life, lighting the furnace and powering the next stage of the lighthouse, eh. Ace, feeling perhaps a bit too emboldened by his successes with the keys, declared himself the "Lockpick Master of Inderøy," though Tiyana quickly, and very politely, reminded him that using the correct keys wasn’t quite the same as master lockpicking… With the furnace lit, the party climbed toward the roof, eh.

The Final Floor – Confronting Dralvos
Reaching the rooftop, the party saw an octagonal structure housing a massive crystal at its center. A control panel awaited with the final golden keyhole. Ace eagerly turned the key, lighting the beacon once again, eh. However, the brightness blinded him instantly - so sorry about that! - and Havi barely caught him before he stumbled off the roof. As the group shielded their eyes from the blinding light, an even greater danger appeared: Dralvos, a very familiar fire demon, materialized atop the octagon and thanked the party for restoring the lighthouse for him, which was quite rude of him, eh. Without warning, Havi launched a throwing axe into Dralvos’s horns, disrupting his monologue. The demon descended upon the party, ready to destroy them, which was quite a bother.

A Fiery Battle Erupts
Dralvos wasted no time, summoning fiery whips to pull Havi toward him, though Havi’s strength shattered the demon’s attack, eh. Enraged, Dralvos unleashed a torrent of flames upon Tiyana and Havi, but Tiyana absorbed much of the damage while Havi emerged unharmed, thank goodness. Ace, despite being quite blinded, managed to sneak up behind Dralvos and stab him with his electrified rapier. Meanwhile, Mabel attempted to teleport Dralvos onto the railing of the roof, but her efforts were in vain as the demon stood his ground, summoning fiery spheres that exploded around them, eh. Peanut Butter, Mabel’s robotic companion, was hit by one and severely damaged - we are so terribly sorry about that! As Dralvos summoned more fiery spheres, Havi relentlessly attacked with his sword, cutting deep into the demon’s dark form, eh. Tiyana unleashed a barrage of spells, knowing that even though Dralvos was a fire demon, her fireballs would still do damage, if you don't mind me saying. Mabel, seeing that the battle was escalating, tried to catapult a crowbar at Dralvos but missed, and Ace, blinded once again, stumbled into the octagon, eh. Desperately, the party knew they had to cut off Dralvos’s power source - the crystal.
Havi, in a fit of rage, charged into the blinding light and, being quite unaffected by the crystal’s glow, hacked off both of Dralvos’s arms, eh. The demon let out a hiss of fury before disappearing in a flash of flames, defeated at last.

Returning to Inderøy – Mission Complete
With Dralvos vanquished, the party turned off the lighthouse’s power, taking the demon’s severed arms as trophies, which is a bit gruesome, eh. Havi, ever the practical and sturdy warrior, planned to fashion them into vambrace gloves. They carried the fallen adventurers’ skeletons back to Inderøy, handing them over to Ølødelgødel, with our deepest apologies for the weight. The party explained that, unfortunately, the precious keys had turned to dust inside the lighthouse, a fact Ølødelgødel accepted with some reluctance, eh. Satisfied that the lighthouse was once again dormant, Ølødelgødel rewarded the party with their promised gold, content that the stars and ley lines were safe - at least for now, eh.

New Knowledge, New Adventures Await
The party’s successful mission not only earned them gold but also access to the lighthouse’s beacon, which could be used to send light signals across the whole triangle, eh. The star chart might also prove useful, should the party ever need to consult the constellations. With newfound knowledge and a harrowing victory behind them, the adventurers set their sights on their next destination: Fort Murray, eh.