Next: [[Recap – 1156NR – Imperial – The Siege of Mare, on the Bilge-pump and Returning to Nestor]]
==== Illoshiara & The Vine Lord ====
The party set off across the warren of the Forest Lady, following the small, 3 eyed, glowing hare onwards into the wood.
Upon resting the party found themselves surrounded, the trees having moved during the night to form an impenetrable barrier, from which emerged a Vine Lord, who seemed to just be interested in conversing and finding out their reasons for being present. Upon learning of the Destriant among them, the Vine Lord mused about Naruniga’s return, mentioning the fight she would have ahead of her yet nothing about which side he supported.
Once he left and the trees allowed them to leave again, the party set of again, on the mounts provided by the vine lord. Little would trouble them for the rest of the journey, and they would soon reach the end of the vast forest warren.
==== Caleb and his Tree ====
Leaving Illoshiara, the party set off into the ways again, heading towards what Aloi described as “A font of pure order, one which feels strong enough to steer creation”, before being distracted by a side passage.
Within the passage, the party found whipping and cutting vines savaging them on the way, before they found themselves in Caleb’s Domin.
Before them stood a large chamber, carved out of the same root-like wall structure from the way they had come, yet these walls instead show flourishing vines, leaves and other life instead of the hard timber-like ones from before.
Within the chamber, a path leads through the blooming life on the ground, threading around 3 large Dragon Leaf trees, before heading to a massive trunk of roots at the chambers center.
The Path leads to a root-cabin built into the central trunk, the cabin a size that might suit a hill giant.
Within is Caleb himself, the Clay Golem that Finn, Erik, Rug and Co. freed from the Lair of Thanaz the Lich. He now sports little plants growing around him, and will welcomed the friendly traveler’s and offered them whatever assistance he could (Some basic healing, food and rest).
He told them that the roots he lives in are the Tree he saved from the “dead one’s house”. The Tree seeded on the clay golem as he planted it here in the ways, and it soon started to grow at a massive rate, growing this little ‘bubble’ below it. Caled tends the tree now, protecting it from hostile invaders “such as those strange blood-beings”, and helping the roots find the nutrients they seek.
Caleb is reluctant to give more information, but after they pushed him, he did guess that the tree grows in a warren above, potentially as-yet unclaimed. He also suspected that the tree has sunk a tap root into the Ordenflow, the flow of creation itself, which is probably the reason for it’s sudden growth spurts.
Caleb enhanced the Destriant’s armor to become [[Items#Caleb.27s_Blessing_-_Chain_Mail | This]], and made Karandar a grown crutch to aid in walking, but not battle.
The party left the glade feeling rested and fresh, heading for the Ordenflow.
==== Crossing the Ordenflow & a chat with Sorrow ====
The trail led the group onward, until they grew deaf from the rushing noise of the great river. The walls were growing damper and damper, and puddles were getting larger underfoot, before finally the passage opened up into a massive chasm, stretching far to the left and right. The walls of the Chasm were sheer, looking impossible to climb and while coated with the violent spray from the churning waters below.
The Chamber itself was lit with some glowing mosses at the ground level, some of which flickered as the spray hit them. A supernatural glow emanates from deep within the Ordenflow, so far down that its source can’t be identified from above (and to date no one who descended into the waters far enough to find out has come out alive again). Apart from the glow, the flow seems nothing more than a large underground river, with steep cliff-like banks that prevent access to it’s waters.
A small spar crossed the great river, barely wide enough for one to walk across, and the brave Destriant took the lead, crawling over on all fours. Just as Oromis followed, the stalactite next to Erak showed its true mimic form and set to sucking his face off. Erak learned the secret of his new armor, and launched the bloody mimic into the Orderflow.
After they crossed, a sudden cold wind filled the ways, coming from the only tunnel on this side, before quickly subsiding.
Karandar felt compelled to go that way, and as they approach the tunnel before them, a cloak appears, hanging by itself as if on an invisible person.
As they approach within 15ft, the figure speaks to them with a voice that Oromis and Karandar both recognized as Sorrow.
“I had heard rumors that Morrowdorn’s favorite pet is walking the ways, with no protection or guidance, and lo!, here you are crossing the Ordernflow, of all places.” The cloak nods towards the glowing river “Tell me Karandar, is your blood pure enough to feel the call from beneath? Do you feel the ever present pull to return to the Ever?”
Sorrow seemed almost disappointed at the negative response “Oh well, one hoped you might still harbor enough of the Ever within you, but clearly not” He paused to cough “I noticed you on the sidelines at Dr’Ang, do you understand now why I resisted your desire to release the Lord of the Dawn? He is not ready to bear the burden of two Warrens, he simply needs more time to solidify his control.”
The cloak seems to muse for a while, before gesturing down the passage behind him, then cloak falls lifelessly in the air before them “Well I won’t keep you any longer, I believe Ezum also desires a meeting with you”
As the cloak falls, it remains behind, acting as the cloak from below, Eral took it up, making it billow behind him gloriously, and they set off.
Only to find themselves fending off two Gug’s after they accidentally entered their lair.
As they wake the next morning, they find Sal gone, in her place is just a set of bloody, gnomish footprints.
”Law and Order sound”
==== The Hall of Slowly Released Information ====
A large chamber in the ways has a town, that has the shared lives of Fire, Ice and Forest daemons. The town is walled, and has a single entrance, that leads to an ancient negotiation hall. The first door leads to a small chamber, within which there are two doors, Ice & Fire.
The Ice door opened to Erak as he tried it, showing a man-sized snail, made entirely of ice, along with some Tree Sprites that are playing dice in the corner.
The Ice Snail wants the party to go to the Ice Warren, as Ezum herself needs to speak with them. They will insist that they leave as soon as they can, explaining that “The way has been opened to mortals temporarily, dally not”
3 small tree sprites who keep trying to grow on Erak when he stands still long enough. He takes them with him.
In the Fire door, two fire imps are standing in the room alone. As they approach, they hear a high pitched whine that they soon realize is the imps voices.
Seeing the humans cannot understand them, one of the imps grabs a bucket that was sitting in the corner, and douses the other one, who starts talking in a deep voice.
“Are thee here to receive the mortal flame?” he asks twice, before taking Karandar’s response of “Yes” back into the town.
The Fire Imp that stays lit followed Oromis around, poking and prodding, and taking in long sniffs next to him, each time he got close to Oromis, burning him repeatedly.
The party leave, struck by the oddity of the place, and realizing once more that the ways and warrens are alien to mankind.
==== Ezum’s Domain, Kinsh ====
The first arrive at the Wall. A series of jagged ice crystals that prevents Mortals from gaining access to the warren, has been there since before the times of the Ellenvord.
As they approach, it recedes to let them past and closes after them. The air is bitterly cold, and the metal of arms and armor start to stick to flesh and grow brittle, damaging and weakening our heroes.
Beyond the Wall, lied Ezums Warren, and waiting for them was a Frost Lord. A large muscular torso with a large heard and cloud of ice beneath him (think genie from Aladin), he welcomed them in Ezums name, introducing himself as Saaaalthorp, says he will take them to Ezum and gives them a cold resistance blessing, that works on all who are not currently devoted to another faith (Erak & Naruniga, sitting in the tree…).
Saaaalthorp is cheery, and hammers home question after question “its nice to see mortals again after so, so long, and asks what the mortal world is like now? Have the Sendare ranged south lately, and are they still such a threat? Does Ranesia still stand against the emerald threat? Has the commonwealth fallen? And what of Dwimmerhome? Do the golden pillars of Abbathor still guard the way against the Ogre-kin Mardek?”
All while talking, he is taking them onward past massive ice sculptures full of all manner of cold and icy species and races. The group occasionally recognized the race of a statue, notably a Male Elf and Female Human holding each other, seemingly in terror, later they see a large Dragonkin, that unlike any other dragon kin seen before, it has wings swept behind it. Finally, after what feels like hours, A large crystalline structure lied before them, upon which stands a sits a simple throne, formed purely of Ice.
A woman with pale, blue-white skin, wearing furs of exotic beasts (mostly all white-ish), and bearing troll-like fangs stands before the throne, probably 5 feet tall and… generally unimpressive.
“Welcome” she says moving forward “I am Ezum” and as she says her name, her eyes light up pale blue, the wind behind her seems to sharpen with intense cold, dealing 2d6 damage to all who didn’t have resistance to Ice (Erak, Destriant of warmer things). Ezums presence fills the each character making a wisdom DC 27 saving throw or gaining frightful presence. They all failed.
“I have asked for you to come to me, partly in aid to guide you back to your own plane, and also to offer some free advice, if you so wish to hear it?” She stops and waits, not offering anything, without your request.
“Excellent, wisdom has prevailed. As I have closed myself to mortals, I cannot assist without you asking first.” she pauses for a moment, before continuing.
“You need seek out the history of the blade you carry. While reforging it may become a necessity, to right the world back to Order, reforging it brings with it other complications unknown. Last time it was forged, we saw the birth of Slerikek, the Rise of the Emerald House, and Fall of Dawn. Know that the blade still remains untested against the threat it was forged to combat, as Ellenvord was disarmed before reaching the Archlich”
“Sentretta approaches a crises, of which it hasn’t seen in centuries. It seems that too many “chance happenings” are occurring simultaneously, enough that I must suspect the delicate hand of someone pulling the strings of all these events. The secrets of who and why are clouded to me, however I suspect they will show themselves as the climax approaches.”
Ezum sighs sadly for a moment, seeming to ponder for a moment, before listing world events, while ticking them off on her fingers
- Night has returned to the world, after nearly a thousand years.
- The Emerald House has crashed against Ranesia, for the first time in centuries with the largest army the world has ever seen
- The Sendare ride for Westmarch, where Striker and Sevenswords were last seen before they disappeared.
- Slerikek’s Bloodriders are moving on Tos Calos, and then the southlanders behind them.
- The undead has risen for the first time since Ellenvord’s fall, and seem fixated on his old seat of Nestor.
“Ask any questions you may have while we are together, for time is short. If you will permit, I shall fix that leg for a while for you. It will only last as long as it will remain chilled, as once it melts you will once again return to your current state.
Once you are ready, I shall send you back to the world of men and dwarves, so you may serve the purpose you need too. I will return you to where you are needed most, where you may do the most damage.”
She answered the questions she chose to, some examples:
- About Ascendancy and Godhood, of direct and non-direct actions.
- Why Terranc is twisted
- Some general world history, about the Vord blade and other things.
- Tempted Oromis to the faith
- Illuded to Karandar’s [[Sen%27s_Deck#Queen_of_All_.28Ioasha.29|”Sister”]]
- Advised Erak to get Naruinga some outside allies, but not her.
When they were ready to leave, she takes them back down off the platform, and a jagged rift of ice opens, showing a simple stone passageway beyond.
Saaaalthorp waved cheerfully as they left.
==== The Playpen ====
“As they exited the portal of Ice, they were almost immediately reminded in your times of the deep mines of Skyshaft. Every sound you make is somehow duller, as if the earth itself swallows the noise before it gets the chance to pass far, and the almost immediacy of the sticky, oppressive and exhaustive humid heat told them immediately; you’re well below the earth.
Standing in a wide hallway, probably far enough across for 3 men to fight side by side, the walls look to be cut out of the stone itself, but into a shape that resembles an above ground hallway. The floor below them was slanted towards the center, providing a small drain way that contains what seems to be a mixture of blood & offal, some dried, some fresh. The odor is not as severe as they expected, considering the substance stuck to the floor, making they suspect that it has been masked or removed.
The Screams however, were not filtered. From almost every direction they could hear the sounds of beings either in pain, probably recovering from it, or, from behind them came the unmistakable moan of thousands of un-stretched, disused undead voice boxes.
Oromis and Erak went back to look, and found hordes and hordes of undead beings mingling below.An army the living would never be able to defend themselves against. While this was happening, Karandar had been seen by Erik the Fool, who somehow talked himself into thinking Karandar was a double agent, and showed him his cool lab, and, meeting up with the rest of the group, he took them to Dvoik. Thinking to show his best prize, he instead let it loose, as Karandar dishonorably backstabbed the Dwarf, who quickly teleported away. Erak scrambled to free Dvoik, with Oromis’ help once the Fool had been dispatched.
The party and Dvoik explore for a little, finding a possible way out, before finding themselve in the presence of a Lich lord, and his minions
//This is Erinthotle, 7th of 13. //
An intense and desperate battle exploded with a fireball from Oromise, and a dashing charge by the Barbarians and Erak. The party, realisingd they had to get this over as quickly as possible, smashed into the undead, knocking the minions down in the first two turns, before Erinthotle brought out his Secret Weapon, Shoggzathu.
The wall bursts open, and a massive skeleton bursts out. It’s a twisted mess of former skeletons amalgamated together, tusks from ancient mammoths, jaws and head like those of giant walking birds, coupled with its 6 legged frame and a tail with a large spiked ball on the end.
It screams it’s challenge for all to hear, and earth beneath you quivers with fear!!
As it enters, it knocks most of the items off the wall, including the portal stone.
Erak dashes forward, taking a belting, but getting the stone and getting out to Aloi, who started the mass teleport up. The others fought a desperate delaying action, ending with Oromis and Dvoik dragging out unconscious Rug and Karandar (whose temporary leg was left behind).
As the stone had entered the circle, the true armory had opened up around them, and Erak grabbed the following items:
- Manual of Iron Golems – Erak
- Flail +2 – Rugina Culinaf
- [[Items#Wings_of_Flying|Wings of Flying]] – Karandar
- Ioun Stone of Absorption – Oromis
The teleportation got them away just in time, and the players landed down in the Fortress of Mare, to find it currently under siege, and them in the middle of the orcish territory.