Category: Uncategorized

The Sevillian Traders

We start with the traders Crass and Calvin, Sevillian traders of the Orc attack who are are now camped a day or so to the south. The camp prior where we met the orcs was previously theirs.

They had wares for sale, but also news of the world, having recent camp south from the wildling tribes of the desert, having traded basics for barrels of beautiful aquamarines and lapis lazuli from a secret location the natives will not reveal

We chat briefly about the gems and detect an essence to them, probably evil in nature.

Purchases Made:

• Kangrog – 2x Vaulting + 1 Great Healing = 270gp
• Justus – 2x Vaulting = 250gold
• Pallarax – 1x Greater HP + 2 Healing Potion + 30ft of Rope = 81 gold

Leaving Gold Reserves of:

• Kangrog – 329gp
• Pallarax – 160gp
• Justus – ?? We used Senkos Money

No Items were sold to the merchants

Arrival at the Ruins

You traveled two days to arrive at the ruins of Mekk, which when you arrive is disappointingly nothing more than a small square building the in the middle of the desert, with a wooden door set into it (probably preserved by the heat?).

Before the building is a semi circle of five grey stone obelisks, standing out against the stark yellow sand. They are each wrapped in vines, that have sprouted vibrantly pink roses.

As you arrive, a cloud of dust is approaching from the North East, looking most likely to be riders, but coming from the blood ranges.

Kangrog in his infinite wisdom threw a throwing axe at a pillar before talking to anyone, leading to purple tentacles to emerge from the ground in the form of a Shoggoth, as known as The Guardian to local tribes.

Kangrog sets the sucker on fire (to little effect), before arranging a mass charge with Justus and the Orcs, before deciding to lead by jumping over the eldritch horror- who promptly slapped him down to the sand, prone.

Justus follows up with a massive Divine Smite, seeing 40 damage in a single hit, followed by the Orcs and Parallax who mob the horrific twisting and shape changing creature, lighting and long spears flashing in the white hot rage of the desert sun.

Seeing the effects of destroying a pillar, the orcs and party concentrate on those, freeing the best from captivity, and then realizing what they’ve done (released an eldritch horror), they quickly gathered bows and shot the thing before Parallax beat it senseless while channeling his Ki. It sunk back in the sand, seemingly dead.

The Shoggoth took several Orcs with it.

Our Heroic and Noble adventurers did not check for loot,
continuing to enjoy the challenge of a life of poverty and non-magical weapons 🤭

Justus and Parallax at work

Into the Ruins

Barak Bogchugger, suggests the orcs hold off whatever it is approaching from the North East while the players investigate. Not to be beaten to anything, ever, Kangrog bum-rushes the door, and… finds himself in a dank dark cave, before a rushing river with a fallen bridge no where to be found and yet another opportunity to jump forth!

The Party join him, and they jump/rope pull their way across the gap, and into the dungeon proper, where the next corridor showed the age of the ruins, where most traps were quite visible, jutting up floor stones, rusting nozzles for acid.

Parallax disarmed a few traps with a slid ice block across the floor, before the Barbarian and Paladin develop their new fusion dance;

The Aegis Whirl
Kangrog Holding Justus in a bride carry, shield facing out, as he whirled around with his Axe and Justus Shield blocking 8 of 10 traps (somehow?!)

From there, the rune was touched, and the false door opens.

The Aviary – Cutscene Segue

Midway down a long hallway is a simple door, with the sign “Aviary” next to it in the Mekkian script.

The Aviary
The door opens to the start of a spiral staircase that leads upwards. From what you can see from the space in the center, the staircase goes on for some way, as tall as any tower’s staircase you’ve seen before.

The Aviary – Climbing
You climb for a long time, the length of which is hard to perceive, before the stairs finally end at a small landing with a small archway leading out onto a small ledge, overlooking a vast, green vista.
A Giant Eagle sits perched on a small tree by the doorway, and it turns it’s head to stare one eye at you, before blinking softly and turning back to stare down below. It pats the stone next to it with it’s massive wing tip, and beckons with it’s head, chirping something.
(“It’s been long since someone used that door, come and see this wonder”)
The stone is, rather close to the edge though…

Below is the valley of Twilight, a massive V shaped valley formed of the meeting of three mountain ranges, funneling everything traveling between the three regions through a single choke point.

The Eagle is showing you the works of construction of the enormous obsidian black tower below, in the center of that vast choke-point.

Huge blocks of Light-draining stonework are floating up and into place as the wizards and masons below work, and floating high above it, seems to be the architect and master of the design.

Below him, is a large wooden platform, upon which seems to stand a troll. This Troll appears to be commanding a vast undead workforce, building the other city walls of what will one day be an immense city in scale and size, with walls larger than even maybe those of the great Iron Gates of Ran.

Survival DC 18 – You can feel eyes on you, other than the eagle.

The Aviary – The Chat
The Eagle gives another series of chirps, pointing at first the Troll, then the floating wizard. chirping the words, “The Last Mekkian” and below that is a stick figure in robes, with the words “Lord of Darkness”.
He watches you for your reaction to this, seeing none, he hops back down and waddles back towards the door you came through

You note behind him, or rather probably now, perhaps she is a her, as there is a large nest above and behind the door you came through, and behind that is the peak of the mountain.

On said peak of the mountain, is an Eagle twice the size of the one you are currently speaking with, with a wingspan of probably 120ft.
He is calmly staring directly at you, un-movingly.

You understand and relate more with squirrels now.

Passage

Coming to a collapsed passage, they looked around and couldn’t find the secret door to the old prison, but did find a small crack in the wall that led on-wards in a new direction.

Justus successfully avoided the traps of the non-present Kobold (hmm, but where is it though?!), and navigated the tunnels to avoid the giant rolling ball.

🙁

Acid River

The Kobold tunnel ends at the start of a massive flow of acid, high above it with a landing in sight on the other side.
Forgetting to look around, Kangrog quaffed a vaulting pot, then went for a strength potion.

Sensing what he was doing, Justus grabbed his own potion of vaulting, and gave the barbarian a hand, grabbing Parallax between them and helping the flightless dragonkind his first taste of what his ancestors once felt as they soared between ancient peaks.

It was a very cool move, I forgot at the time, but +1 Inspiration for all who read this.

The Library

An Optional Side Quest, that could have been skipped, but the lovely players decided to indulge me.

Entrance

The library should be a normal door that leads in my tiles, an open room with furniture and horror, looking like the study location of the owner of the dungeon, or some other wizard. There was a treasure chest in the corner that turned into a mimic when Parallax indulged the DM and opened it.

The grandfather Clock was also a mimic, a hostile one, and joined the battle. When killed it returned to the form of a clock.

After they defeat it, another mimic (an Ancient One who can speak common) spoke up from the bookcase and thank them for getting rid of the little bastard who took his place centuries ago, and returns to the trap.

He also warned them of the Others scouring the dungeon seeking the treasures still left in here, telling that they can consume and control people, and to be wary.

Behind the Hidden Door

Turning the Clock will open the hidden bookcase, and the Ancient Mimic helped them out, musing that his only living creche-ling is now living in some Nestorian city, Shodon? Shado? Shaddar?, and he might visit now the guardian out front is gone.

Behind it lies the book bound to the floor in chains, along with the table with glowing pages upon it.

This is a Skill Challenge, 10+/-, Success/Fail = 4,
Using skills to gain advantage for the rolls, the

Aids Used
– Using Investigate and searching the room gave advantage on one roll, they find a Book title that contradicts one of the thesis titles on the trap, but proves another. +adv
– Arcana gave advantage for a single roll, with knowledge that the center rune in a trap usually needs to be flowing with positive current, and might be a correct pick. +adv
– Insight – The Writing implements and candles seem to indicate the trap maker is right handed, and more likely to put the correct picks on the left + Adv.
– Survival – The hairs on an arm lift as they touch a wrong card +adv
– Religion – One of the papers has an obvious misspelling +adv.

Tome of Wisdom

Behind the door is a Tome of Understanding, which gives +2 Wisdom permanently, this was identified by the group, who have started reading it to Kangrog out loud, and thus the whole party is going to share the benefit when it applies (up to 6 days)

Outro

What happens next?! Will Kangrog ever get to Jump again? Will Parallax punch anything? Has Senko applied his epic stealth so well he was there the whole time?
Find out next time, on Dragonball Z! at D&D!

Loot List
Rare Items

• Bastard Sword of Sharpness – Justus
• Glamoured Studded Leather +1 – Senko
• Bead of Force – Senko(?)
• Ring of Protection +1 – Parallax
• Burnt Othor Fumes
• Dagger of Venom – Senko
• Adamantine Ring Mail – Justus
• ?????? – Kangrog (Reward due for beating Asim)

• Common Items
• Medical Kit with 4 uses.
• 83 gold
• A tobacco pouch
• A spyglass of decent make and quality.
• Symbol of Justaro
• Small bag of coal
• Grapple hook
• 2 gems (14gp ea)

Finish the Monastery

• Discuss with a Djinn Named Gusto that he will stay here, but will initialize the teleport portal for the Group.
  • Head to the Teleporter
  • In doing so, you travel first down some passageways, with Gusto opening two different secret doors to open to the next region.
  • All areas seem to have been abandoned for a least a season or more, due to the dust laying around.
  • As you arrive in the portal room, you find the signs of a battle in here, dried and desiccated limbs, dried pools of blood.
    • It seems to have been a last stand of the monks as they let others get away.
    • Oddly, almost all of the bodies in the room are around the edges of the room, there is almost a 30ft circle in front of the portal steps that is clear of all bar two bodies, both in the exact center of the empty circle, and coated in a very fine covering of black dust or ash.
      • Later, this would be identified as the effects of a Bead of Force, as one was found in the room, and the black dust is assumed to be a used/dissolved stone.
  • The High Monk – One specific form, laying on the steps of the portal, is wearing the robes of a High Monk of Kithloth, His end appears to have been from the massive crater in his chest, that looks like one of Asim’s lightning blasts.
    • A small ring can be found on the Monks left hand, a small band of reddish stone, with a simple, small blue gem inset in band, that glows slightly when hidden from the light. (Protection +1 AC and STs)
    • as you shift him to get the ring, a small black sphere falls from a packet in his robe, measures 3/4 of an inch in diameter and weighs an ounce.
    • Senko knew this to be a Bead of Force from his past (History Check to Identify)
  • The Guardian – On the steps, almost on top of the High Monk, is an armoured figure in a cloak the same blue as the Monk.
    • It appears he died protecting the monk, looking as though he jumped in the way of a particularly nasty dagger that is entangled in the dusty dry tendons skin and bones left of the warriors neck. (a Dagger of Venom)
    • His chain mail armour is an odd purple hue… Identified by Justus to be Adamantine Chain Mail
  • The Half-Alchemist – Behind the Monk, the bottom half of a figure lays halfway into the portal, as they were sliced in half horizontally.
    • Around his waist lies a pouch that was severed in half, and within it is a couple of vials, one looks to be a potion of healing, the other is labelled “Burnt Othur Fumes“, below those, folded into a small leather pouch, is an Alchemists kit.
  • Bodies in the Circle – One the figures in the center of the empty circle, you find them both to have a sigil of a bloody eye on the front of their chest. Each of them possess a scimitar, a leather sheild that looks suspicious human in colouring.
    • One of them has a Bastard Sword of Sharpness
    • The other, is wearing a set of completely normal clothes, that, seem to weigh far too much (eventually ID’d as Glamoured Studded Leather (+1 AC) )
  • Around the room, on the other bodies in the room if searched, are a few other items to be found
    • Medical Kit with 4 uses.
    • 83 gold
    • A tobacco pouch
    • A spyglass of decent make and quality.
    • Some minor weapons and Armor of various less-than-stellar quality and age, but useful if players want to switch up. (None taken)

Mattock

• Say Goodbye to Mattok, who is going to head South again, towards Relast and the Wander-Where. He is open to being contracted again, but will want more money because he knows you’re likely to let him die in combat (like, you know, you did 😉 )

The Portal – **Cutscene #1

• Gusto opens it, but is unable to connect, instead showing an inky black void.
• An C&C Era EVA Lady keeps repeating that ‘Unable to Connect, Network Registration has been blocked, please contact your Portal Guild Helpdesk for further assistance‘
• The players did not contact the helpdesk.
• A voice emerged from the portal, but seems directed at someone else. The voice was distinctly… Draconic.
  • “Xenth… some adventurers are trying to connect the Woken Winds portal, are these the ones you mentioned?”
• Xenth’s voice will reply a few moments later
  • “Yes, thank you Balazarass, I’ll take it from here.”
  • Then to the players.
  • “You can hear me, but I will not be able to hear you. Let me re-connect this portal temporarily to the network, it should connect in a moment. Once it turns violet, it is ready to use, but note, it will drop you at the Tos Calos portal, which is in the Town Square where you may have company. Alright, one moment…”
• The portal will slowly fill with color, first icy white, then blue, and settling into a whirling vortex of Violet and Mauve.
• In the center, faintly through the whistling streaks of powers beyond ken, you can see tall stone walls, towering over a dry sandy hill, below which a nearly dried up river runs weakly into the bay.
• A large keep is on a cliff overlooking both the port and the town, and a large tower seems to be set on the opposite corner of town.
• Appears, by all effects, to be Tos Calos, at long last.
• Justus went First, Senko Second, Parallax.. well…

The Connection Sure is Wonky

• As the Senko steps through the portal the portal flashes Red just as the person steps through, and then back to a whirling vortex.
• Balaz again : “Lady Sorceress, it appears the connection is unstable”
• To which Xenth replies: “No, someone in Tos Calos is fighting me… I should have this. Whoever is remaining, go. Go now!”
• after stepping through

Between the Ways

• You all appear on a flat grey disc, around 12 ft across, floating deep in the gloom of the abyss. You are all placed equally, about 1ft in from the edge of the disc, facing each other. Despite there being no point of refence, in both air currents, G forces or visible landmarks, you feel as if the disc is flying along somewhere in breakneck speeds.
• Within seconds, the blackness around you turns a bloody red, then flickers back to black and red again before settling onto black again before you hear Xenth exclaim “Hold on!!” before screaming and being cut short and going completely silent.
  • While the Abyss was red, you could see vast shapes floating in the clouds above and below, some serpentine, some indescribable.
• The Sky changes again, this time a great white tear appears high above you, as if light was streaming into the realm from another. A great vision appears, of what seems to be a gargantuan bloodred eye, filled with Galaxies and Pubescent Stellar Masses, appears distantly beyond the crack, before zooming in towards you, as if something on the outside is trying to peak in.
• The very fabric of reality starts to scream around you, the molecules shrinking in both fear and pain, as a huge…. thing… starts to press in on the cut and tear at the edge, as if it was a finger, slowly widening the crack in reality.
• Xenth’s voice appears distantly, Chanting what appears to be something, which only Parallax heard: “GetOutGetOutGetOutGetOut! GET OUT NOW!”
  • Before yet again falling to silence.
  • The crack continues to widen, and matter, either Light or Dark, Material or Anti, is rushing out through the void.
• This world, it turns out, may in fact, be ending at this very moment.

++ Intermission ++

• As Senko panicked about the lack of a door to ‘Get out’ through, a voice slices through the chaos, the same draconic one as before:
  • “Xenth is gone, I will aid thee, head into the light”
  • As it says this, a light appears in the center of the platform you stand on.
• Dont go into the light? The rift continues to grow, the thing gets into the astral pocket, and the player is lifted from the disc by the thing beyond, and the player must roll a new character.

The Desert
You find yourself tumbling onto a blisteringly hot sandy waste, with nothing in sight except some tumbleweeds, an arroyo, and mountains far, far to the east, and a small pathetic road near where you stand.

The dragons voice echoes faintly in the back of your skull before it fades for good “You are as close to your destination as I dared, The city is to the south-west. Avoid discovery.”

The Plants / Snappers Cut
Less than a half day south of the landing, is a large, old riverbed, filled with vicious snapping trees and savage looking briar thorn bushes.

The trees behav

A path leads to a serious of perilous pillars of rocks between the snapping trees, that will need to be leapt between to softly cross, though truly, nothing here felt ‘safe’

The crossing was made initally with some rope walking, desperate climbing, and some flaming fists to burn holes in the Fauna/Flora hybrid where needed.

Senko looted someone who hadnt made it in the past, finding a symbol of Justaro, Lord of Justice and Righteousness and some other common items (see: loot list)

Then someone used Water Whip, and much like sharks in the sea, or Zombies in 28 Days Later, ever plant in the riverbed turned to focus on the players and some started relocating closer. fuck.

A mad dash for the end was successful, with only Senko close to limb loss.

Little did they know, someone had been watching.

Senko Crosses – Cutscene #2
The minute Senko crosses the riverbed, a vision slams into his consciousness, taking over all he can see, hear and feel.

He sees a flicker of images at first,

• an Iron knight flying over a massive city by a warm lake
• A circle of thirteen sickly grey flames, circling a blue one that is roaring inside a glass orb.
  • All but three of the grey flames are almost out, flicking on their last legs. Of the three, one feels familiar.
• He sees the underground lake where he met this curse, but he is standing on the sand at the bottom of the lake, staring at a huge carved face of jade, lying on its side. He is listening to it, but of what it says, we do not hear.
• He sees Tos Calos again, but this time under siege by a vast army of desert warriors. It seems to be early Summer (maybe a month or two away).
• Finally, he sees himself, resplendent in epic armor, wielding a firearm of some sorts in one hand, and a glowing green rapier in the other that cuts through flesh as if it was butter. He is fighting, against figures you cannot see, but you hear it’s labored, mechanical breathing in the darkness around him. A serpentine voice whispers in his mind before he returns back to normal: “Your Journey will be dark, and full of Death. Find us, Free us, and we will protect and provide”
• He feels a pull, somewhere to the west of here, on a different heading to the road.

Empty Camp w/ Hungry Hungry Orcsies

• “There is an empty camp off the side of the road ahead, alongside some small dunes. The campfire still appears to be smoldering with a small wisp of smoke rising into the air from the little remaining fuel. The camp seems to be setup for maybe 3-4 people, with a tent and a few bedrolls laid out and look to have been used at some point in the past. Cooking and eating utensils are left near the fire, and there appears to be a post where mounts would have been tied if someone was here.
  There is no sign of life in sight, other than some errant tumbleweeds rolling past.”
• They Approach from far off, and have a chance to look around and scout, Senko just misses seeing the give-away (Meta)
• Parallax cleverly sparks the flame high, with a small cantrip, causing something in the shadows to flinch but not reveal itself, and the party started circling the camp.
• As Justus saw the hiding orcs, Parallax trod on one in the sand, and much like Dune (no relation) the Orcs jumped out of the sand and started a standoff with the players.
• A deal was struck, the players would give food and suppliers, and the Orcs would join them in 3 days, at the Ruins of Mekk.
• Senko really wanted to check out some heavy crates, but the orcs were cagey and wouldnt allow it. They looked heavy Barak – NPC Notes
• Motivation: They are hungry and poor, and regret ever coming down out of the mountains to the south, but they know without good supplies to help them get home, or without good loot to buy their way back into the tribe with, they would never survive.
• The Blood Rage: A history DC 3 will remind people the Orcs, Ogres and Giants are all cursed with Berserker rage by Slerikek.
• Leader: Barak Bogchugger. Smarter than the average Orc, but can be bought off. Knows a good deal when he hears it, and keeps the long term goal in sight: Getting out of this fucking desert.

The Traders
We end the session, arriving at the traders, a few miles south.

Sasha SlowScale warned Crass and Calvin, Sevillian traders of the Orc attack, and they are now camped a day or so to the south. The camp above was theirs, having fled the orcish attack.

They have wares for sale, but also news of the world, having recent camp south from the wildling tribes of the desert, having traded basics for crates of beautiful aquamarines and lapis lazuli from a secret location the natives will not reveal. They managed to escape with one of their three chests, and would greatly appreciate the other two being returned to them for a great reward.

Players are able to request the traders have items, and I will (probably) set it up for next fortnight.

The group started in a dwarven hall, long abandoned, having recently held the presence of a large Blue Drake – Charonatar the Dread – who departed after they opened the gate for it (while torching Parallax & [Name Unconfirmed]).

Things found:

The Runes on the Gate, Arcana showed that the runes were tuned to go off in the event of not using the pass phrase

Further Inspection showed that they are also tuned specifically towards a few species of enmity of the dwarves, Dragons, Orcs, and the like.

Nest of Charonatar the Dread‘s nest, really nothing more than a large circle of dust in the back corner of the hall.
Insight – The rats and other random beast carcasses near the door seem to have been placed more for blocking of drafts than for actual waste or feeding, as nearly all are fully intact.
History / Animal Handling – Dragons don’t need to eat to survive.

Dwarven Halls,

Elsewhere in the keep, we didn’t find a large of amount of goods or anything of interest to loot. The Keep itself is quite small, with little else apart from a few dormitories, offices and a small forge.

There was a ledger left on a desk in an office, someone’s attempt at leaving behind an account for anyone coming after them, but apart from messages about dwindling rates of ore coming from the nearby mines, and plans to relocate, there is little of interest to be found within.

Except, upon further review by Senko, there was a small coded message on one of the last panels, it seemed to refer to a location in the main Hall, nearby to one of the pillars.

Finding a stone on the wall that is loose. When pushed further, the stone starts to slide across to reveal a small chamber chiselled out from it.

Senko felt a small wire pull tight as he opened the panel, and was able to unlatch the trigger and open the chamber fully. Combining their Arcana skills later, the guys would determine that was a Chain Lightning Spell Trap, that probably would have finished off the party.

Within was revealed a small treasure trove for an adventurer, a small dagger with a silvery edge, three arrows with bright yellow fletching, a vial of some silvery liquid, a bottle of Grease, and what appears to be 2x potions of healing from their labels

The party was able to identify every item via detection rolls, as below.

Cache Loot:

• A small dagger with a silvery edge – great for managing undead with resistance to normal damages.
• Three arrows with bright yellow fletching, the feathers of the Callipis Canary is known to be used for the crafting of simple arrows beyond that of mundane means. (3x Arrows +1)
• A vial of some silvery liquid, known to be a Potion of Speed
• A bottle of Grease,
• What appears to be 2x potions of healing (labelled)

The Dwarven Way Entrance, noted in several locations in both Dwarven and Undercommon on signs, the Entrance to the ways can be found at the back of the halls, near the mines.

The Entrance has been partially collapsed by a cave in, but has plenty of room at the top for a humanoid figure to fit through.

The Dwarven Way

On the other side of the cave in, they find what is effectively a rest stop.
On one wall is a large rectangular map, carved onto a plate of bronze that is probably 8ft across by 4ft tall.

On it, are shown a number of settlements, and the paths that cross the earth between them, along with notations near certain landmarks and cautions.
Unfortunately, most of these notations are written in dwarvish, however the major towns do have their names also noted in undercommon in brackets and italics. Some of those shown in the local region are SkyShaft, Hammercrack, and luckily, the next destination, Kharak Lohdar.

The Way Ahead shows a small Underfort on the way, although it is set away from the main pass and could probably be bypassed if they wanted to. The Keep seems to be the connecting point of 3 converging paths, the keep you’re in, the one you’re headed to, and one from out to the west somewhere.

The only thing out west is the Waxing Wastes, and the Blood Raiders of Slerikek, so you can’t think of a good reason for there to be a tunnel going that way on the map…
But it could take us to Tangor…

The Cavern Bridge

A long, dimly lit, 60ft long, 5ft wide, stone bridge of terror lied before us. It was great!
The solution was simple: Use Senko as bait.

Parallax tied a rope to him, sent him on his way with a lantern. The Lantern’s light spooked a number of bats, which Senko dodged.

Realizing more must be coming, he dropped down to drive a piton into the ground, while Labrador sized Giant Bats sailed through the space he had just been in, just giving him a bit of a jostle.

Secured, the guys headed on wards, back into the tunnels of the Ways for two days of nervous

The UnderKarak

*A small Kharak, a guardhouse or way station, lies before you.*
*A once solid stone door lays on it side, open to all comers, from within the door you can see a flickering of fire or torchlight emerging. Perhaps an ancient flame, enchanted to stay lit, or perhaps a new friend to meet?*

We had the option to go around, but we wanted to see what was inside.

First Room

The first room was taken to be where a party was sleeping, as per the journal of Helmvor of the Flames, a local wizard.

He notes in recent entries that he was hired by another wizard along with a few other adventurers and local goblins to help defend him while a ritual was cast to reveal and unlock some ancient treasure.

With some deep Insight, Parallax proposed that Helmvor’s prose does suggest that he doesn’t quite believe this wizard, but some references to debts and ‘those looking for me’, which may suggest he doesn’t have a lot of options.

Some Flour and Booze and Bedrolls were found, determined roughly by species by the odor pouring from some.

• 5 Goblins
• 2 Bugbears
• 3 Humans

In one of the packs, some Oil of Sharpness was found, and applied to 5 of Senko’s arrows, making them +3 Magic Weapons for an hour

Second Room

The next room was a hero moment for Senko, sneaking open a door to an old shrine of some old forgotten deity, he saw four goblins.

Three seated and facing opposite towards the alter, the final gobbo is standing behind the altar, arms wide, as he proselytizes to those before him about the glory of the great god “Kallok, Oldest Flame of the Flamey Ones”, with his eyes shut tightly.

Senko snuck into the room, and started surgically taking Goblins out one by one, with rapier sneak attacks to the brain stem.

As the preacher finished his sermon, he opened his eyed to sight of Senko, ten feet away, aiming a hand crossbow at his face. As he died, the Goblin claimed he would have served Senko if he had asked.

Room Three – The Blood Wizard

Moments after the door is cracked open, you can hear a loud inhale of breath from across the room, followed by the words “I smell Scales, Silvered Steel and the blood of a Sennite. Ware the doorway, trouble arrives before us“

*In font of you is an ancient burial chamber, centered around a single large, latched, sarcophagus. Beyond it, is a man dressed in dripping red robes, standing between two altars covered in items and tomes. To either side of the room is three other humanoid figures, one in robes, and the other two wearing armour and bearing weapons and looking ready for a fight”

A sound of movement and snuffling is heard to one side of the door, revealing there might be more to this room than first expected (2 Bugbears)
The figure in the dripping red robes appears to be slightly hazy, as if something is either messing with the air or vision between you two.*

Within, a blood wizard was attempting to resurrect and free an ancient Vampire Lord of the Night Council of old. The fight begins as the whole party takes some form of Haste.

Parallax struck first, and Senko took put the flame wizard Helmvor down to 0hp on the first round, before pulling back and dropping grease in the doorway.

The lady barbarian charges headlong, as does a bugbear, the grease is ignited, and it got messy from thereon out. The Blood Wizard is nearly finished as the guys clean up the room, and some lightning breaths burn him out from the inside to clear the room.

Session was ended there prior to any looting or discovery, and Parallax and Senko push up to Level 5.

A frontier town on the edge of the Waxing Wastes (ex Bloody) to the west, Tos Calos sits on the only river in the very south of the wastes, and is also situated at the mouth of the only pass heading in or out of the wastes.

The town is home to all manner of law-evading peoples, from deep sea pirates, to treasure hunters of the wastes, through to dark priests and sorcerers, and is ruled by the little known figure of the Baron of Wax.

Session Date: 26th July, 2024
Attendees: Parallax (HW), Kangrog (JW)
Missing Members: Senko (BD)

The Crossing

Heading north from Rizden, do the party travel, heading to see Xenth on this endless quest for a mystery goblin we can barely remember.

We are traveling a day or so north, until we are past the river crossing where there will be a signed trail, that heads westward and up into the foothills of this spur of the mountains, to the Windy Vale, where Xenth’s tower has been marked on our map.

At the river, there are also three travelers on the far bank, some looking wet, as though they have recently crossed the river.
Upon recognizing Baelor (who had already recognized them) and his guard, the party rushed the ford, at the same time he was asking (see: screaming at) the armoured figure to “get them” as they had “followed me!”

At that, the Thassian rangers hiding under the Pass Without Trace spell, emerged from the trees and opened fire with crossbows.
Kangrog & Pallarax have to wade slowly across the river, after Kangrog tries to jump all sixty feet in one hopeful, yet mediocre dive.
Putting their respective abilities together including one demonic axe, they create a wall of steam, protecting them from fire (Providing Half Cover).

Unfortunately, the enemy cleric had cast Bless on the troops, and countered the effect.

Finally close enough, Pallarax drags Baelor’s guard into the river with Water Whip into the wall of steam, causing him to die screaming in the shallows as his face slowly boiled off.

Kangrog (too rage-filled to even notice the six or so arrows sticking from his chest) used the screaming guard as a launching pad, leaping at the Thassians with spears and splitting one in half and gaining Inspiration.

A frenetic brawl broke out. and Baelor scampered off on the horses. Kangrog chased the Cleric around the map, Pallarax chose to blow a man inside out by breathing lighting down his neck.

After the combat, the Party found another Cipher Book, this one fused shut by a lock, along with 9 gold.
The armour and weapons were left as they bore Thassian sigils on them.
The bodies were left where they fell, to feed the vultures, one assumes.

The Shrine

The next day, they travel the trail into the foothill’s of the Wardens, the surrounds changing from evergreen to a sparse and rocky vistas. By noon, you are on trails with sheer cliffs to one side, and sheer drop offs on the other, but the trail seems well travelled, and is comfortably wide that you can still walk two abreast without nearing either edge.

A couple merchants have passed you through the day, coming the other way from the valleys above, when asked, they mention there is no dangers ahead on the pass out of the ordinary, that the Baron and the Lady Sorceress keep the area well and safe from most harms.

In the early afternoon, they come across a small Shrine to Kithloth, Lady of Winds, in the side of the pass, that has a strange feeling to it, and under close inspection shows it has been corrupted, with the colours wrong, the symbol of the 4 lines of air was upside down.

An astral projection of a wind spirit is shown to Pallarax, as the cliffs shake and a single dark figure with long red hair blowing in the wind appears emerging from the back wall of the shrine.
She stands draped red in cloth hanging lifeless, staring at you, weeping rivers of blood. Long iron chains, wet with blood hold her wall, and she trashed against them weakly.

Once the source of the curse, a small blood sigil on the rear holding the ward in place is scratched off, she reappears and purges Slerikek from the valley

. As a thanks from the Lady of Wind, another astral presence flutters into your senses, projecting in front of you is many faintly glowing purple lines, fluttering about as if they are the wind itself.

The flicker and flutter for a moment before coming together to form the shape of you, in your monk robes of your home temple. You follow through a series of gestures, that when complete have your form shoot a burst of wind from it’s hands,
The symbols imprint in your mind, and Pallarax now has the Fist of Unbroken Air Monastic Tradition.

The Beholder Lair

Further on that day, as you pass through a small little valley filled with life,
you find first and odd scorch mark and a pile of ash on the ground.
Beyond it a small trail leads off, and as it curves away in the distance, there is fantastically realistic statues a Dwarf and Human, carved in a way to seem like they are running away in terror towards you.

Do you wish to explore the trail further, or continue on your way?
“Fuck that, no”

A wise choice for two level fours.

A visit from Horn

That night, as they setup camp, an unsuspecting gentleman in some fairly nice gear drops by to ask about the mountain of corpses back at the river crossing.

He reveals himself to be Captain Horn of the Nestorian Guard, but you’re pretty damn sure he’s NIS through and through.

He convinces them to sell them the Cipher for 200g, so he can take it back to Nestor for study and possible counter espionage operations as they had been struggling to crack the code the Thassians were talking in (like some random captain would know that).

He admits they were Thassians, and that bad times might be on the way.
Comments he will report in the Beholder’s lair, claiming to have gone inside for a ‘quick look’ on his way past.

A good session, well done all!

Daemon – Alignment Unknown

Slurg is a Daemon, found in a old and dying tree behind Blackthumb’s Roadside Repairs, in the small village of Rizden on the Alecton Way in 1212 NR, trying to sell Tangor’s location for a soul.

Slurg has implied he needs a soul to buy his freedom from his ‘master’, and attempts to bargain for a soul at every given opportunity. What that soul will actually be used for, has not been disclosed at this time.

He also appears geas-stricken as to not reveal who his master is, or his plans.

Player Interactions

Slurg has struck a deal with the Player Character of Kangrog, paying all his gold, a magical keg and a promise of ‘his next magical item’ in exchange for 1d6 fire damage added to the axe.
No greater specificity was given than that, leaving the Daemon fully in control of the relationship for now.

Session Date: 12th July, 2024
Attendees: Senko (BD), Parallax (HW), Kangrog (JW)

Town Description

Little more than ten buildings in total, Rizden is nothing more than a few houses that have sprung up next to a traders stop along a major roadway.`
Frequented by no one other than the transient and transitioner, the locals are aware of world events outside of their local region, hearing many things from many mouths in passing, and might know a thing or two, if one were to ask…

The party approached the town, and chose to visit the Inn first.

An Alehouse Drake was chained up outside, not showing any visible issues, other than a sign that read “Do Not Feed”
Senko managed to pat said Drake, and also getting his hand back just in time to get away without a scratch
(The sign would continue to frustrate and drive all actions of the party until such time as the Alehouse Drake would be fed)

Went inside the Inn to meet the folk:

Snakebite
Is sitting by the fire, casually trimming his nails with a ridiculously large knife, and humming an ancient long forgotten melody of Mekkia

• Gave 200gp to each player for the Ankheg shells.
• This has been retconned into a Stone Bank account for each player
• We will do the setup process when in town

Kangrog has purchased a Keg of Oskar‘s Booze for 50gp

• Oskar is a Brewmaster of Skyshaft, travelling the lands selling his wares.
• Drank 4(of 20 max)
• Before selling it to the Demon Slurg.-12cp for Ale drinks-10 sp for broken stool after the effects of Oskar’s booze wore off.Tossed 1 gp for Well

The drunk thief approaches the poor child (Purn)
A small human child, maybe 8-9 years of age, that is drinking casually from a wineglass at the bar.
She is a Artificer from the Pirtarvan Duchy, passing through on her way south, seeking the possible help with her reversed age mishap from the Elven Sorcerers in the Ancient Realms of Selendar

• Finds out about her mishap, de-aging too far in an experiment.Found out about the Thassian – Nestorian Conflict in Relast.
• Told them about the Activity in Morvail.
• Offers to Enchant Weapons for 500gp

Kangrog spoke to Inga
Ancient and wizened, she is potentially either short or tall of frame, but it’s hard to say with how stooped and bent over she is.

• She cast Lesser Restoration on him in passing
• Told him about a Wizard that might have work for them in town

Baelor asked Parrallax if he was Rogal.

Rust and Revlor are headed home

• Revlor has lost his sword.
• They’re going a very long way to avoid the Undead activity to the north.
• When asked about it, Rust said the Smith wasnt home when he visited.

The Party leaves and heads over to see Gelpdor the Grand, Star Alchmemist
The Tower Belongs to Gelpdor the Grand, Star Alchemist
A sweet little wizend old gnome, wearing a pink shirt and bright blue pants.
A Registered Alchemist of the Guild of Nestor, he is quick to tell anyone.
Talks a lot about stars and Mani-Spheres, and Magnetti-Spheres and it’s all very confusing.

• He had a quest for Roatating Soil, which was really just summinga huge Ankheg to do the work for him.
• They rotated the crops and got 10gp and 333XP each
• Asked and found out who Rogal is – The Blacksmith who goes by “BlackThumb” in town.

Back to Inn

• Lunch for all – 10cp each.
• They also found out that the Alehouse Drake is just a lil’ fatty on a diet

 

Heading to the Blacksmiths, Blackthumb’s Roadside Repairs they find it unoccupied.

• As they go to leave, from the empty building noises of furniture moving can be heard.
• Blackthumb comes out, sells some weapon Sharepening, and a Stave to Parallax.
• Kangrog – had Axe Sharpened = -5s (+1 dmg next combat)
• Senko= – 1gp  Rapier, 2x Daggers > Each with +1 Damage in next combat
• Parallax = – 5 sp for a Staff purchased.

They head over to a Demonically Inhabited Tree that has been given suss vibes to the spellcasters in town.

• There they meet a sweet little demon named Slurg who offers to give them the location of Tangor in exchange for a soul.
• They trick Slurg into giving away that he wants to use the soul to gain his freedom.
• Instead, after a while of bantering and bickering, Slurg makes a deal with Kangrog:
  “All his money, the Magical Beer, and his next magic item” for 1d6 Fire Damage on Kangrog’s current great axe.
• Gelpdor gives them 10gp each and a pat on the head for getting rid of the demon, and tells them to seek Xenth for help with finding Tangor in time.

The Thassian Spies

After the party figured out something was up with Baelor and the Blacksmith, they kept a watch.

• Baelor was watched, dropping his packet of letters in the Coal bin at Rogal Blackthumb’s. 
• Senko stealthed in, then tripped, knocking over the coal bin.
• Parallax, seeing this from the Inn window, unleased Kangrog upon the unsuspecting peace and quiet of the inn, creating a distraction to cover the noise.
• Senko stole the packet, snuck off to read it, finding it to be in code.
• He then B&E’d the blacksmith’s house, searched and found the trap door
• (But not the password on the paper, as no one would until too late)
• Went downstairs, with the Party in tow
• Rogal having seen them go, follows and watches from afar.
• They set off the trap, falling for the lure-tripline and missing the actual stone due to some shitty rolls.
• Senko dives from the Boulder, but has his ankle crushed
• Parallax runs too fast, so he gets up the ladder quicker, Kangrog does the same, but with 5ft to spare, Parallax getting him up the ladder with an assist.
• They turn to find Rogal behind them, Kangrog sets his axe on fire and threatens him, and he runs off into the night.
• Later, Baelor cannot be found either.

Meanwhile, Senko, on his own, opens the Cipher on the Altar, having an exchange with the person on the other side of the book:
– Them: What News do you Bring?
– S: [Cant remember, trying to guess the situation]
– T: What News do you bring?
– S: [cant remember, was about the packet of info]
– T: Initiation Phrase?
– S: Wait, there are people in the tunnel
– **Book burns to ash.**

 

Session Ended There

• • 866XP Each
    • 100 – Demon
    • 333 – Soil Rotation
    • 100 – Discovered the Spy
    • 333 – Found the Cipher

The Gardener

Returning to the Myconid, The Gardener, he gives each a pouch of spores as thanks. The spores will grant 3 rounds of haste if snorted, there are 6 uses in each bag.

The Gardener help’s by showing them a path out, via a channel of fresh air, leading to a series of narrow tunnels that lead upward to a place where it starts to branch out, into chambers of bones and spare carapaces, with the players determining they were in an Ankheg nest.

One returned with it’s feast of a still kicking horse horse, revealing a path to the surface but first getting off an acid spit and a couple of hits bringing Senko to the edge of death, before the cumulative assault of rapiers, lightning and fists brought down the beast.

Running to the surface to get out before stopping to heal, they were met at the entrance by a Hill Giant, Terr, who was quickly goaded into a rage by their slippery words and fast tongues, demanding they give back his child.

Deducing the Ankhegs must have him, they re-enter the nest, finding the child by a sleeping Ankheg that had finished feeding. A surprise rounds of damage smashes the best before it can rise, and they leave, dragging their spoils in the form of the carapaces.

Terr, gives his thanks, and promises to join them in a coming battle when required, and helps them break down the carcasses into a drag-able form of a sled made from a chuck of tree trunk he tears off.

Snakebite and Turbo

On the trail, the players come across a hunter/trader/tourist and his trusty companion, the legendary Snakebite and Turbo, travelers from Sevilla that seek out crazy and insane game and monsters, mostly just to see and witness them, but sometimes to help out towns from threats.

Snakebite has a chat with the players, mostly razzing them up due to their appearance, but he makes some basic trades with them, which will mostly be arranged nest session, but in the meantime they purchased a Newspaper, a Map of the Region, and he gave them directions to the nearest town, some 3-4 days away.

The carcasses were loaded up on Turbo’s cart, and he will join them in a village a day or so after them, as he has some folk to visit further along first but he first gave a warning that “this place don’feel righaat” and that he heard a pack of wolves ranging the plane a few nights back, and a pack of hyena’s the night before.

Experience Rewards
Reason	Reward
Ankheg Encounter #1	450 XP
Avoid Tarr’s Rage	100 XP
Ankheg Encounter #2	450 XP
Saved Garr, Son of Tarr	250 XP
Good Samaritan Bonus – Ankheg Pest	100 XP
Experience Per Player	675 XP

Inspirations Gained: 1 Each

A small update paper, including some story hooks and side quests.

Last we saw, the party was playing chicken with a massive undead… thing (think Dragon-Terrasque hybrid with a bit of stone giant tossed in for good measure), before using the Lich’s Portal to escape at the last moment.

After the portal dumped them out in the lower city of Mare, Rug & Erak quickly managed to break stealth, drawing the attention of Orcs that were looting city and starting a vast running battle against hundreds of the greenskins. Each PC dropped unconscious at least once in the following battle, before it ended at the steps of the Royal library, as Karandar and Erak shared a mid-air cleaving of a mountain troll, it’s head (and a good chunk of shoulder) falling to the dirt with the ‘thunk’ of a leaden weight.

The PCs were thanked by the three members of the [[Items#300 of Mare |300 of Mare]] who were guarding the library at the time ([[Items#67|67]], [[Items#113|113]] & [[Items#201|201]]), and were ushered inside, where they were they met the [[Reader]] for the first time, who was sitting reading the deck, flicking cards out of the deck held in his left hand, for them to hover when released, turning in the air to face him in place. The Reader made some comments as he first saw the players, observing each of their auras and remarking upon it, as below

He reads off each card in order

• “Weaver of House Life, she has returned to our world, fighting to remake her place, yet I sense already how she leans on you to follow her goals Destriant. Remember, she should serve you as much as you do her.”
• “Captain of House Fire. You have been claimed, Karandar, yet surprisingly not by darkness. “
• “Lodestone, a new role for you prophet, from blazing dawn to the striking light. Befriend Striker, he can show you the way.”
• “Soldier of the Forrester House. Huh.” stops for a second “That’s actually honestly surprisingly, I did not expect that of you warrior!”
• “An interesting group, surprising at the lack of a warren walker, yet still, I sense great power and potential here. Thank you for aiding us with the greenskins here, yet again they crash upon the walls of Mare, seeking for that which they cannot have.” (Note: Lugdush)

He looks again at the cards

“Call over those of the 300, and I will retry my reading, with you all together”

He then performed a reading with them all there, as is detailed here: [[Reader#Siege of Mare – 1156|Siege of Mare – 1156]]

After the reading, as they rest in the Library, Erak is visted by the Lady of the Living Wood and given a message:

//”Destriant. I have a boon to ask of thee, A cult whom worship mine graces resides on the second Layer of the City you are within. I prefer if these worshippers would remain among the living if this could be arranged I would be most grateful
I have a gift for the exchange in mind already, but it is time sensitive as you see, one of my IRON BARKS have fallen in the chaos of my return and I wish to keep it’s memories alive. if ‘you can save the cult, I will assist you in finding materials for your golem project, if you allow me to place the soul of CRADDATHUS within your finished product.
If you can neutralize the Shaman of the Warboss, I can give aid you with my warren, however I am too weak to Challenge Slerikek as I am now, so he must go first.//

May moisture find your roots, Destriant, and may your creepers find soft loam.””

====The Relief of Mare====

[[File:1156-Mare.jpg|thumb|The ‘Tactical Map’]]

The Party chose to send Erak and Karandar to infiltrate the Warcamp, striking for the Shaman and Warboss, while 67 would make a stand by the gates, drawing as much attention to himself as possible. The plan was that once the Shaman was removed, the veil of Slerikek’s foul energies would disperse, and the Reader would be able to Retrieve E & K.

They set off over the northern hills, looking down upon the Orc camp. As Dvoik and 67 started their distractions, the two heroes launched downhill, Karandar using his winged cloak, Erak running behind, each of them decimated handfuls of goblins with each turn. Barely a few minutes have passed before the PCs wade their way though the goblins, and find themselves charging a pack of ogres. Karandar, using his cloak, lifted and launched Erak up and at the Ogres, killing a handful on the first blow, before the barbarian joined him and completed the slaughtered.

67 & Dvoik were falling back, into the “The Killing Ground” (a local name for the 300 meters outside the walls, that the siege weapons of the upper cities were designed to strike. The men on the siege weapons, seeing the mass of orcs below start opening fire on the fight, creating even more carnage and confusion.

E&K finally make their way to the Warbosses tent, dealing with the elites at the front door, before Erak makes a risky move and offers Terranc his Ancient Blade back, on the condition that he assists them here. Terranc accepts his bargain, taking and the blade and with 2 Devas at his side, start decimating the camp even further. Terranc mainly concentrated on the Hill Giants.

[[File:20170929 215339a.jpg|thumb|The Kill Count]]

Karandar rushed the tent, engaging the mutated Ogre warboss and his Troll Shaman, who put up a decent fight for the Barbarian. Meanwhile, as per her message, The Destriant of the Wood (Erak) was given access to the full might of Illoshiana, Path of the Living Woods, and started slinging waves of energy around the camp, killing thousands of Greenskins per round.

Karandar, failing his perception save in the Warbosses tent, missed the sneaky fingers stealing the second half of the Vord blade. Erak was first to find it, as The Don dropped stealth, cackling like a mad-man and drove the anti-order blade deep into the Destriants back, severing his ties with the warren, and for a brief moment, exposing him to the Ever.

The Fight was all but over, Karandar having slain the warboss and his Shaman, Terranc had returned to his Warren, Erak was drained, and the Greenskins in disarray, having lost 10,000 of their original 45,000, and quickly fled the field.

====After the Fight====

The party zapped back to the city at the side of the Reader, and started the process of recovery, before setting off on their way back to Nestor.

While the fight outside had been raging, Rug headed out to hunt the Orcs in the city, bringing back 36 scalps and 2 new tattoos (?!). Rugs wolf is also with him suddenly, when asked Rug replies “Rug call, wolf come, is how work.”
Aloi edged away from the wolf giving it sideways glances and the Reader drew a card quickly, and stared at it for a moment before slipping it back into the deck.

Oromis had held the Library, holding off a small tribe of Ogres with the Reader and the 300.

67 and the 300 head back to the keep to report in, saying they will let the Duke know of their presence. The Reader offered to take them to the leafy cult, or up to the keep, or sneak them to the docks to avoid pomp.

First Erak chose to visit the local Cult of the Wooden Lady, finding a opium den filled with a priest and his Harem, who use Naruniga’s blessing to aid in growing their uh… stimulants. Yeah. Stimulants. Anyways, think whacked out hippies (Like, whatever maaaaan.)

They then visited the Duke, who gifted K & E with a single Stone of Recall each as a reward. Each stone will summon 67 (and anyone he choses to bring with him) to aid them.

After this, they head down to the docks, meeting up with Captain Horn of the Nestorian Marines, who briefs them on the situation, highly recommending they NOT fight Captain Moss when he tries it.

“I’ve heard of this ship,” stated Aloi, “if the rumors are true, this is either going to be a smooth sailing, or an adventure in it’s own right.”

Captain Moss ran a hard bargain, gaining 75gp per person, and challenging them to a fist fight, but no one accepted. The party them retreated to one of the Inns on the side of the docks, finding significant amounts of alcohol, and set to trying to dry it all before morning.

==== On the Ocean ====

As they set off the Captain chained himself to the poop deck with 2 cold, rune emblazoned bronze chains and starts bellowing orders. Legion Captain Horn will explain if asked that the captain refuses to pay a debt to the demi-god spirit that resides under Greenskin bay, and uses the chains to stop the spirit dragging him down to it.

They were met with days of storms and rough weather, exhausting the crew and party both, leaving them 5 exhaustion stacks down, but eventually the weather cleared around the time they turned at the Zardik Point and started to the head north.

Pirates set upon the ‘fleet’, and once successfully vanquished, the rest of the alcohol emerged, with a rather wild night in tow. Karandar and Aloi were rumored to have hooked up below decks (can anyone say “heir”?), and post that the journey was nearly over. A large part of that time was absorbed by Aloi guiding the party members in rudimentary secrets of the Warren, and guiding them towards access to their first warren point (3 for the Destriant) and a single ability each.

The Party reached Delagore safely, and chose to go by road to Port Pardue, instead of by the river (DM: Lucky choice.), and finally arrived in Nestor, to be surprised by a grand Triumph that Morrowdown and the Council had thrown for the parties benefit, selling their excellence to the mob.

==== Back in Nestor====

After the triumph died down, they went shopping, finding a new store in Adventure Lane (Jeremy’s Store – “Now, will you be paying in gold, or in terrible sacrifice?”) and experiencing Bruce having a fist fight with the new pastry vendor (and losing).

Here the session ended