# Final Fantasy:Chrystaria Lives- A d20 Egypt Campaign-  Updated 8/6 Mega Update



## DonTadow (Sep 14, 2004)

Chrystaria documents the adventures of a band of several very different individuals from Faerun whom were caught up in mysterious black vortex with no way of getting back home other than retrieve a mysterious black shard from the devious Drow known as Jezz the Lame.  The Vortex is a hole in time and space that enveloped the town of Tilverton two years ago.  The vortex was caused after the god Vecna from Greyhawk was repelled back into his own deminsion after attempting to disrupt the Faerun Pantheon.  The deed was done  by a band of warriors (my previous campaign as a player).  

The pcs first took up residence in a town called Torom. Torom is an unreal town. The concept Unreal comes from the writer Nancy Kress.  Those who are unreal do not share the same vision of reality as everyone else in Chrystaria. They are banished to small towns and not allowed to live in the temple cities. 

Chrystaria is run by the egyptian pantheon and there are a lot of egyption themes in the campaign.  However I  wanted to a campaign in a world that was dominated by egyptian mythology but in an updated medieval setting.  Episodes 1-19 are timelined with summaries for later episodes beginning after 

www.chrystaria.com 
Current Cast 

--Imprisoned-- Jalentriel Sharlest Ahmaquissar- Elf- Jalentriel is the only elf that has escaped from the elven lands.  He did so to look for an artifact that could save his daughter.  He found the artifact and is looking for passage back home.  Recently, Jalentriel altered the past which brought him to be imprisoned by the mysterious timelords.  
Bard 9th Level

--Player Out On Leave--  Fenrig Hawitt--  Not much is known about the pirately new allly except he is on the payroll of Former Kesmet Bianca.  The pirate is quite skilled with the magics.  
SeaMage 9th Level

Nikylik Hensu-Gnome - Always somewhat adventrous, he often helped out the Witchhunter groups whom passed through his town.  When the opportunity arrised to travel, he stole his cousins airship and flew the fleeing Rin th the Continent of Nique.  Recently he befriended a youngman in Quarta Set and became his tutor.  However, his past caught up with him and now he is being blackmailed to steal elven technology for a mafia boss from his home village. 
Taskmage  10th Level

Sadiyah- Human- A mysterious traveler out searching to rid her homeland of Lanai of the curse of the Cerebrus
Scout  10th Level

Rin Darastrix-Human- Shadow demon attacks are common on Chrystaria, but Rin's town was invaded by hundreds of them at once, unheard of.  She was the only one to escape.  She escaped before Chrystarian militiamen could investigate and she fled to Nique under hte guise of a Vision, looking for Vivian 
Monk Level 10

Vivian-Half-Dragon (LA 2)- Vivian is bonded with the Masamune sword, the fire Crystal Weapon.  She came to Chrystaria from the world of Faerun to look for her friend Akiko, whom came to the world herself to investigate a large black mass that took over the town of Tilverton and now threatens Vivain and Akiko's home of the Astral Plane.  
Pyschic Warrior 9

Tsesnisis Alexandra-Human - A good friend Nomarch Paula Searse from Quarta Set, she wishes to find out the plot that has taken her friends life.  Do to the timeshift, she has entered a world of a church that is more harsh than previously, and wishes to find means to change that.  
Cleric 10

Syxen-Warforged- Syxen was a guardmen for the Quarta Set Nomarch before being fired by his good friend.  He seeks to find out the truth and hopefully recover his friend.  Do to the timeshift he got a chance to say goodbye to his friend.  Then was blamed for his murder.  
Figher Level 10

NPCS

Clayton - Gnome- The young talkative handyman and first mate of Jonathan Sparrow.  He is along with the party to be support until the rest of the crew can rejoin the party. 
Rogue level 4

Dria - HUman- Full name Alexandria.  She was Paula Seare's daughter.  When Searse was murdered she was left alone.   She stowed away on the Rhapsody Sub so she could be with the only person she really knows in the world, Syxen.  
Scribe Level 1 
If you sign up for the mailing list on the site, you will get continued updates.  I am currently looking for a player.  Email me at dm@chrystaria.com


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## DonTadow (Mar 28, 2005)

*Episode 1-5 Timeline*

Episode 1- Phamenoth 1, 1122- 

-Eight adventurers travel through a mysterious vortex that has engulfed the Faerun town of Tilverton. They are transported to a demiplane of Lathander. One of them has a Crystal called the Elond Crystal, used by Mulhorand to travel to distant planes. 

-They meet Omaro, a divine agent of Lathander. He explains that they were on their way to Chrystaria, but he interupted their journey to warn them. 

-The group is attacked on Omaro’s Demi Plane and they lose the black Elond Crystal. Without the crystal, they can not return to Faerun. 

-Omaro uses a powerful teleportation ritual to finish sending the adventures to Chrystaria, but they will not be able to return without the crystal. 

-Two adventures were immediately killed during the travel the other six arrived peacefully. 

-They find themselves in a forest and take refuge in a town called Torom. The forest is on high alert after hanging a werewolf whom they believed killed the local priest. 




Episode 2- Phamenoth 2-4, 1122- 

-The town quickly takes notice of the wierd looking people. They are labeled witchhunters and were believed to be in makeup, as witchhunters on Chrystaria often do to seperate themselves.

- They stumble upon a plot by a rich man named Armon Wayford to blackmail local werewolves. Armon really killed the priest. 

-They stop him and recovered a tooth that transforms people into werewolves. Its worn like an amulet. 

-The pcs stop several townspeople, whom were revealed to be changlings, from dying. 

-They also discover that a plague is ravaging the town. The plague was caused by Armon as a second scheme he was working on. He was to provide the cure at an enormous fee. 



Episode 3- Phamenoth 5-6, 1122 

-The group travels into the mines of Torom to find a cure for the plague against orders from the townguard whom have warded off the mines for two years under the order of the church. 

-They find strange symbols written in an ancient language Egyptian. They also fight demons that are native to a fire demonsion.




Episode 4- Phamenoth 6-7, 1122 

-They travel deeper into the mines and mystakenly let out a genie that was being experimented on. He flees to excape the mine 

-They find a laboratory that was funded and operated by the Church. It seems they were trying to open a hole into the fire demension. They later find out that the mines is one of six planar nexus's in the world. They do not figure out how to open it. 

- They believe they defeat the genie Charaz only to have him come back alive in the town and destroy the church. 

-They cure the Plague by finding the neccessary fungus in a vial in the laboratory. They take it to Temorus Adle, the mysterious town healer and within 12 hours the plague is cured. 




Episode 5- Phamenoth 8-10, 1122 

-Despite their deeds, they are put under house arrest and nearly jailed by Cadir, the town guard captain. They meet Ray Vahn, a Ghaffir (paladin of the church) and Sheen Crown a priest. They were taken over

-They are told that the townspeople whom they saved, the changlings, were killed and hung by Cadir in a secret soul releasing "execution" because they were vile unreal. All changlings and other demons are born vile unreal. Vile unreal is a lower form of being unreal 

-They escape the house arrest and walk about the town freely as Sheen Crown and Ray Vahn have disappeared along with Cadir. 

-They investigate strange plant attacks and find out that the attacks are caused by the followers of a druid seeking revenge against Crown and Vahn whom attacked him on their way to Torum. 

-The PC's try to find Crown and Vahn to confront them, but the head of the masked knights whom accompanied the priest and ghaffir stop them. The head knight is a Githyanki named Tryun, an old ally of the half-dragon pc from the astral plane, Vivian. The party ponders how he got to this plane and wonder if the drow plan is bigger than what they assumed.


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## DonTadow (Mar 28, 2005)

*Episode 6-10*

Episode 6- ?????

-As the PCs prepared to fight Tryun, Aleirna, the Elven Cleric PC, was wisked way in a dark vortex, similiar to the one that brought them to the island The party is beamed back to Omaro’s later in midbattle with Tryun and several village folk whom he has placed under his spell via puppeteers.. 

-Omaro tells them that Aleirna's soul became unstable and was captured by an Astral Crystal. , a powerful artifact that randomly pulls unstable auras. The Crystal is controled by a powerful time wizard Ustran Gustav. Ironically his origins are linked to Chrystaria. 

-The party travels to the Astral Plane of Faerun using a powerful ritual and destroys the Astral Crystal 

-They find a cleric who tells them to sleep and he will keep guard. The Cleric kills all but one of the party members in their sleep and we find out the Cleric is really Ustran.




Episode 7- ?????

-Vivian escapes the tower and gets back to Omaro's Demiplane. She grabs one of the the ice sculptures. Ustran displayed on her way to escaping. 



Episode 8- Phanemoth 25, 26 
-Nikrasik, Kya and Mackenzie joined the new party. The three stumbled upon the vortex near Tilverton tracing Vivian's steps. The three were sent to retrive Vivian, a former comrade of theres in the Ma'at organization. The ma'at organization is the Faerun Astral Plane system of government. 

-The three met Vivian on Omaro's demiplane as he deverted them from going to Chrystaria just as he did the party before. 

-Vivian was in a coma most of the adventure but woke up seeming more powerful and determined. 

-The party was attacked by Ustran Gustuv and 5 zombies as they invaded Omaro's plane. 

-Omaro was presumed killed as he fought with Ustran to protect the party, Omaro summoned a large red vortex that swallowed him and Ustran

-The party figured out how to escape the demiplane as it was being destroyed. The party took the ice sculpture with them. They took refuge in teh abandoned Armon's house. They stored the sculpture there. 

-The party found out rom Omaro that Lolth is plotting with the church of Seradess and it has something to do with Chrystaria. It also had something to do with the mines of Torom. The Chyrstarian church helped Jezz escape but the reasoning is not known. They have also been dealing with minions of set

-The party arrived back to town and found the forests on fire. They helped put them out and found out from Drolly that Crown and Vahn orderedThe new people first ventured to Chrystaria. Befriended Drolly the druid near Torom.

-They ventured into the mines and Killed Tryan, but did not find out why or how he was here. 




Episode 9 Phanemoth 27th -29th
-They ventured further in the mines and killed Ray Vahn Crown and Vahn had reset up the lab. 

-They managed to arrest Sheen Crown 

-Discovered through the lab notes how to open up the fire dimension



Episode 10 Phanemoth 29th -30th
-Defeated a demon named Infrit. Infrit was not always a demon. He was once one of six warriors sent by Lathander to Chrystaria to help Osirus, Isis and the other gods with a special task. They were to go to the six nexus's of the world and seal them from planar travel. They were told that overtime their souls would become corrupted but Chrystaria would be safe. They made the sacrafice. They were each given a crystal that needed to be embedded deep into the nexus. They were told that in the future warriors would come to retrieve the crystals in order to save Chrystaria. 

- The crystal could not survive in its state on the outside anymore in crystal form. Infrit combined his soul with the Crystal and formed it into a weapon called the Masamune 

-Exited the deminsion without Temorus Adle believing he was evil

-Noticed that Mackzenzie had not only disappeared for the entire fire dimension journey, but she was also missing when the party returned


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## DonTadow (Mar 28, 2005)

*More to come*

11-19 will be posted later on.  Visit the website at www.chrystaria.com


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## DonTadow (Mar 29, 2005)

*Episodes 11-15*

#
Episode 11 Pharmuthi 1st- 2nd
-When the party returned, the frozen statue from Ustran's realm had unfrozen. The man was Xioloch, a former assistant to Ustran whom was turned into ice for attempting to kill Ustran.

-Xioloch would spend a lot of time with Mackenzie in the next three adventures

-Party deals with reprucussions of disobeying the churches orders to enter into the mines.
#
Episode 12 Pharmuthi 2nd- 3rd
-Nyther is introduced to the party as wondering forest ranger whom overheres a plot to burn down the town.

-Torom is burned down by the city as it was declared that the entire town had turned against the church. The party attempted to prevent but could not despite party's efforts.

-NIkrasik and Kya die in fight with the Enterprise Witchhunters, the scouting group of the church's militia.

- The militia obtains the Masamune when they pick up Nikrasik's body.

-Nyther kills Sheen Crown, a high priest of Nique, as he attempted to escape among all the calmity.

- The party hide in Drolly's grove to escape the persecution of the militia
#
Episode 13 Pharmuthi 3rd- 10th
-Rin, a monk from a monastary near the northern pole of Chrystaria, and Nikylik, an adventurous young gnome, find the party as they hide out in the druid grove. Rin was drawn to the area by a vision.

-Rin says that she has had many dreams about Vivian and believes it is her mission to help her.

-Rin comments that she left her village in search of a scaled woman after her village was destroyed by a large wave of Shadow demons, they killed everyone she knows. It was the largest known shadow demon attack ever.

-Party stages an ambush and recovers the masamune after nearly being killed

-Party recovers a dragonmech and sends it to distract the remaining army while they make there get away with the fire crystal/masamune

-Party travels to the west coast of NIque to escape the waves of Nique militia looking for them.

-Party discover a merchant tent near a large desert in on the west coast.

-They encounter a merchant/thief named Frula. He is apart of a local thieves (khemeti) guild. While the others in his guild was away harpys from the desert attacked and took over the hollowed out tree base.

- The party cleared harpy's from Frula's theive's guild tree-

-The harpys take the thieves guild treasure to there den in the desert
#
Episode 14 Pharmuthi 10th- 13th
-Party ispoisioned by the thieves guild and blackmailed with the cure, They are forced to go to the desert and find the theives treasure.

-Party clears out harpy's from there den and find Alynn, an archeologist captured by the harpy's two years ago. They also find an opening to an ancient tomb.

-Party nearly defeated by a Tonberry, a wierd creature. The tomb is that of Amun Ra. Alynn (later found out to be Jalentriel) came here two years ago but was captured by the harpies. He was being kept for a fiest as his elven blood is quite a rarety.
#
Episode 15 Pharmuthi 14th - 15th
-Party investigates tomb and finds that Amun Ra is more than whom they thought. He is also the first incarnation of the gem god Sardior.

-Sardior manages to manafest himself long enough to tell party that all god's in all of the universe's originate from Chrystaria. Sardior was once a Nomarch on Chrystaria named Amun Ra. He posed as a human to become a Nomarch, but he was one of the few dragons still on Chrystaria. When he died, his true body was burned so not to reveal the truth and clerics were burried in his tomb in his place. He was burried with the Ruby heart so that there would be no doubt whom was really burried in the tomb. , through several generations he evolved to be the god he is today.

-He also tells them that Lolth, the evil Faeurn spider queen, and Seradess, the evil Obsidian gem dragon god, are attempting to take over Chrystaria for there own dire scheme that he has not been able to figure.  He informs the party taht finding the Legendary Crystals such as the Masamune may be their only hope.  He believes the location of all of the crystals are located in a tomb that the elves were the keepers of 

-He informs party that Vivian's father is a three headed gem dragon named Blith and that Blith was once an ally of him. Who blith's loyalty lies with now is a mystery.  But he has been adamantly seeking his only daughter.   

- He informs party that they have been betrayed by two of there comrades. Mackenzie was not a priestess of Sardior as everyone presumed, in fact she was a priestess of Seradess.

-Mackenzie and Xioloch are gone along with the thieves treasure and all of the party's Chocoboos.

-Party is left stranded in the middle of the desert with a tomb's worth of treasure.


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## DonTadow (Mar 29, 2005)

*Episodes 16- Episode 19 Summaries*

Episode 16


-Brandoon, a young Bastian cat warrior looking for the Bow of Shiva and Rahotep join party. The party discovers that Temorus Adle did not die in the Fire deminsion but managed to escape. Temorus's real name was Ra Hotep. He was under guise in Torom as a healer. He is a former priest whom turned his back on the church long ago and became a hermit. Meeting the party made him realize that the only way he can change things is to act, so he is journeying to help find the crystals. 

-Brando'on, following leads that a legendary weapon might be near Torom, finds Ra Hotep burried under rubble in the former mines of Torom, he helps them. The two track down the party in the Desert and seek to rescue them. 
-Rahotep devises a method to obtain the cure for hte poison, they cure the poison and head off

-Hotep tells Vivian about why he hid in the town as Temorus Adle

- Hotep burns down merchant tent

-Cadir helps the party gain passage off of Nique 

-Xioloch and Mackenzie attack the party in the middle of the night as they wait on the airshop, try to obtain the masamune. Mackenzie is killed. Xioloch escapes and Vivian beheads Mackenzie. 

-Party meets Jonathan Sparrow, captain of the Rhapsody IV airship. 

Episode 17


- The party met the remainder of Sparrows crew 
- The party met Mr. Smith, a scruplous merchant on Skullhorg, a hidden city for pirates and thieves. Mr. Smith offers the party papers to enter Quarta Set, a city the party needs to travel to because suspect a woman lives whom knows how to find the Elven Kindgom. 
- Mr. Smith suggests that the party obtain the papers from a witchhunter group heading there, the Warrior witchhunters 
-The party pull off a daring midair hijacking taking out the Warrior Witchhunters, disabling captain Amond and his dwavern airship crew and taking the ship

Episode 18

-One witchhunter almost escaped but was recapture
- The party traded the Rhasody IV for Skitare/Rhaspody V and the paperwork needed to enter Quarta Set 
-The party saved the five changlings from slaverys by having Sparrow find a home for them while they explored Quarta Set
-the party were met at the docks by the Kemet (council) of Quarta Set which included the Nomarch and the Vizier. Both of which were eager to get the party to find the Nomarchs daughter. This was what the original Warrior Witchhunters were going to Quarta Set to accomplish. -Brando'on found found Princess Alexandria after exiting the party. He stumbled upon John Swift whom runs the minutemen, the underground Khemeti guild. 
-The party finds Madam Bianca, the woman rumored to have been to the elven realms and back. She is dwarven as the event took place 200 years ago. She does not acknowledge any such events. 
- The party is credited with the rescue of Alexandria but is warned later by Brando'on that she is a fake 


Episode 19
- The party attempt to break into the nomarchs house to find Alexandria, some are jailed. They do manage to find Alexandria whom is really a lizard looking creature called Tomorb. Tomorb gets the better hand doing something that caused the Nomarch and his wife to fall into comas. 
- Rahotep receives a map ofthe sewer system around Quarta Set
-Vivian begins using the cloak of disguise a lot, earning a date with a noblemen. 
-Party kills Tomorb but Tomorb first kills Captain Iskan and some guardsmen. People are grateful that the party at least uncovered the traitor.


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## DonTadow (Mar 29, 2005)

*Episode 19: Part 1 - Best Laid Plans*

Brando’on continued to tell the rest of the party his findings. He was not sure if the girl was an imposter or not but it was worth checking out. The party contemplated what their next moves should be as it approached two hours after midnight. Several party members discussed attempting to reveal the imposter at the party tomorrow, however, it was soon decided that attempting to sneak into the Nomarch’s compound under the guise of dark might be the best approach. In the mist of the talk, Alan, made a startling revelation, that his name was not Alynn, but Jalentriel. He also told the party that he was full elf, and not half. This caught the attention of the party, and they agreed to bring this up after they solve their current dilemma.

As the remaining party attempted to break into the compound, Rahotep was to go to see Madam Bianca. She had not seen him before and had no knowledge that he was associated with the party. It was hopes that he would be able to extract the information from her.

Quarta Set was a temple city, and there is a stern curfew at night. The party (except Rahotep) exited the pyramid through the ventilation and made their way a few blocks to the Nomarch’s compound. The first plan was to see if Rykio could jump onto the roof of the compound from another building. After scaling up to a nearby building and making his way as close as he could to the Nomarch’s compound, he realized that the distance was too great, but, as he headed back down, he was quickly spotted by one of the residence of the small two story home in which he stood atop of. The City militia quickly apprehended Rykio whom went with them without resistance. He was quickly apprehended and jailed. The militia accused Rykio of being a militiaman, but could not figure out why he was scaling buildings in the middle of the night. However, it Rykio quickly convinced the men that he had been drinking (which was confirmed by two guards at the pyramid city whom had earlier brought the party some wine). The militiamen took into account Rykio’s actions in rescuing princess Alexandria, and decided to let him sleep off his over drinking in his cell.


Using Rykio’s arrest as a distraction and after several minutes of scouting, the party felt good enough to attempt the break in again. This time Nikylik made Rin invisible and she leaved over the fence and scaled the wall. However, anti-magic fields surrounding the Nomarch’s compound disabled the spell making Rin, unknowingly, visible. She used a spiderclimb potion provided by Jalentriel, top quickly scale the building. Assuming she still had the guise of invisibility, she attempted to get the jump on the two guards posted on the roof, however, they quickly recognized her and a small scuffle began. As Rin knocked out one guard, the other ran and sounded the alarm, sending the same ringing pulse through the city that was heard when the Shadowdemon attacked. Rin leaped off of the building and made her way to where the party was gathered outside of the compound. Militiamen began to scour the area, looking for the attempted intruders. There were more militiamen in the area than other areas of the city, considering that the Pyramid and Kesmit (council) members’ homes are all in the High District. Brando’on and Jalentriel managed to hide down one of the alleys and behind some discarded crates. Nikylik found some trees near one of the areas and dodged militiamen surrounding the area. The remaining party attempted to dart back to the pyramid. All made it back, Except Vivian, whom was arrested by the militiamen. At the jail, Vivian, under the guise of her cloak (see beautiful Vivian in the character gallery, to flirt with the guards and explain how her and her friends over drank and did not know about all of the laws of the city. She feigned that she was just walking the streets when all of the loud noises started going off and she started to run. The militiamen, lusting her beauty, let her go with a stern warning to take her drunken friend. She was then escorted back to the jail with Rykio, whom still pretended to be drunk shouting out random words.


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## DonTadow (Mar 29, 2005)

*Episode 19 Part 2: Best Laid Plans*

As this was happening, on the other side of town, Rahotep knocked on the home of Madam Bianca. Several minutes went by before the old Dwarven woman stumbled to the door. She asked what the emergency was, and Rahotep told the woman quite frankly that he needed her help and that there was an imposter in the ranks of the temple. She quickly scurried Rahotep into her domain and looked around to make sure he had not been followed. Madam Bianca sat Rahotep down and warned him quickly that he should watch for crying mechanisms all about. There is never a reason not to be too careful in this city as everyone wants to know everyone business. The two talked for a bit as Rahotep explained that he had good reason to believe that Princess Alexandria died some time ago and that the woman now is an imposter. Madam Bianca believed him and told him that it may be best to unveil their plot at the private dinner in the coliseum they were having tomorrow. As they talked, Rahotep’s eye caught a black leather bound book on the table. Madam Bianca casually brushed the book onto the floor as if to get it out of the way. It appeared to be the same book that the party described to Rahotep as a possible diary of Madam Bianca’s. Rahotep thanked her for her time and offered to pay her, dropping the coins on the floor he attempted to pick up the book, but the large golden colored warforged in the corner carefully helped Rahotep off of the floor and put a piece of paper in his pocket.

Rahotep made it back to the Pyramid first. ON his way back he looked at the paper that Madam Bianca’s Forged slipped into his pocket, it was a map of the sewer system with exits for the Nomarch’s compound and the Coliseum. As he stumbled into the secret exit he found a figure moving around in the shadows. Ra-hotep leaped at the figure and subdued him. The figure was a young man in the middle of his teens. Rahotep threatened the young man, bordering near torture. The man quickly confessed that he came to steal items from the party. Rahotep picked up the bag the young man was carrying and found the two bastard swords that Vivian carried, both the Masamune and the Frostbrand were in the bag. Rahotep peeked outside the room and noticed that the two guards guarding the door were both knocked out. He revived both men and mockingly berated them for leaving their posts. Rahotep planted the alibi seed in the men’s head that the rest of his party caught them napping and went to go get help. At that time, Rin, Vivian and Rykio made their way back into the room and found the young man tied up. Exhausted the party tied the man up and decided to question him in the morning, as it had already went past 4am.

Jalentriel reconvened with Nikylik on the outside of the Nomarch’s compound. The young gnome was still eager to break into the place. Jalentriel, not wanting to see the gnome dead, decided to convince the young one to follow his lead. The two casually approached the door of the compound and asked to come in. The guards, after having a rough night, were surprised to see two witchhunters about. Jalentriel explained that they needed to see if the Nomarch was ok and that they would leave soon after. The guards, quick to impress the reputable warriors, invited them in. Jalentriel convinced the guards that they have had a rough night and that he and his little gnome pet could entertain them (the gnomes had not known too many non-thief gnomes). Jalentriel and Nikylik were both offered the upstairs room to change into their gear. Jalentriel changed into his jester outfit and went down and performed a rousing routine for the militiamen. Nikylik in the mean time began sneaking around upstairs. The laughter awoke the Nomarch and his family whom caught Nikylik sneaking around up the stairs. Nikylik hastily attempted to explain that their daughter was an imposter but they did not believe him in the least. Accusing him of a traitor, they screamed for the guards. Nikylik ducked in a storage room, opened a window and hid behind some boxes. The Nomarch chased after him, figuring that he had gone out of the window he went back to check on his wife and daughter. Nikylik waited several minutes before hearing two giant thuds as if something hit the ground. Hearing the commotion Jalentriel quickly wove a sleep spell into his routine putting the guards to sleep. He headed up stairs to check on Nikylik. Both the Nomarch and his Wife had fallen out and only Nikylik remained standing. The young girl Alexandria turned into a lizard like beast with snakes instead of hands and a long whip with snakes for its ends. The being called itself Tomorb (see character gallery). Jalentriel pretended to side with the being long enough to grab some of the skin it shed. Brando’on, whom had been monitoring the situation, ran up the stairs and began firing arrows into Tomorb. Jalentriel and Nikylik with Brando’on right behind them leapt towards the stairway and made their way to the pyramid.

Exhausted, they nearly collapsed from exhaustion. They agreed to discuss the altercation with the party tomorrow, but things would not be as so, as Captain Iskan and 10 to 20 militiamen awaked the party an hour later “now six hours after midnight”. Near him was Alexandria.

“There they go, they sickened my parents,” she exclaimed. Nikylik and Jalentriel attempted to explain themselves as the revived guards accused the two of being at the home earlier just before the Nomarch and his wife were found in comas. The men moved to apprehend Nikylik and Jalentriel, Vivian managed to sneak over and grab the Masamune out of the bag. The Masamune glowed and extended towards the princess, for a brief second all saw the image of Tomorb masquerading as the princess. Tomorb, figuring his cover was unraveled, used his snake arms and whip to quickly subdue ten guards before the party could act. As the party reached for there weapons Tomorb plowed through the remaining militiamen. The party leapt into action before more carnage could be done. Vivian plowed the Masamune into Tomorb commenting on making fine belts and shoes as Rykio also took some stabs with his dual weapons. Tomorb was outmatched by the party and even the Reptile dogs he summoned were quickly dispatched. But Tomorb was not to be out done, after the party believed they killed him, they attempted to make sense of the situation with Captain Iskan. Tomorb then rose up, sinking the teeth of its arm snakes into Iskan and killing him instantly. Tomorb seemed to be much tougher to fight the second time for the party, relying on Rin’s quick fists and a well placed strength drain by Nikylik, Tomorb was killed again. Vivian proceeded to hack up the being as more militia men poured in with flammable liquid and doused the pieces on fire. The young man whom had been seen stealing the swords was still tied up and in the room. The party decided to let him go and warned him never to steal from them again or what will happen with Tomorb could happen to them. They also told them to go out into the city and make sure he spreads the truth of what happened here.

At this point, more militia and the council began scurrying in. Vizier Hemptont Ta edged past the crowd and greeted the party, telling them that it was good that they apprehended an imposter. He told them that they could pick up their reward tomorrow morning and will be known throughout the land as heroes. He offered them another room in one of the state’s quarters of the Pyramid, as their room was now covered with scales, and reptile ash. The party enjoyed the quick accolades but begging for sleep was escorted to their states bedroom.

After nearly 12 hours of slumber for all they awoke and opened their room door to a serenade of cheers by citizens.


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## DonTadow (Mar 29, 2005)

*Episode 19 Best Laid Plans: Director's Commentary*

# Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery

#Brando'on was not in this adventure, his character was used as an NPC for all of the Episode.

#As a DM, I was a bit surprised by the actions of the players on this one. And good rolls "Rahotep rolled 3 20s in a row" saved them from a player lost.

#I was hoping the party would have done a bit more casing of the place, it takes a long time to tell guard rotations

# Rahotep nearly made off with the black book if not for high spot rolls

# Jalentriel performend some great roleplaying entertaining the troops.

# Again, there were some questionable decisions such as letting the young man go.

# Rykio was a hillarious drunk and Vivian did a great 360 roll as a sedustress "in contract to the kickass half dragon

# What was Tomorb, well if you're a d and d fantatic you'll know else you'll have to wait until next episode when/if the party looks for answers.


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## DonTadow (Apr 10, 2005)

*Episode 20: Significent Others*

Vivian and Rin awakened that evening to a messenger at their door. A small crowd had gathered outside of their door. He delivered to them an invitation from Tarus Qua, the nephew of acting Nomarch, Ihat Qua. The note was an invitation for Vivian and Rin to join him and Preslin, Tarus’s servant to a private dinner. Throughout their previous late dinner the night before, the two had been eyeing the two females. Vivian and Rin paid the messenger to respond back in writing that they will attend. The two women were suspicious that the response had to be back in writing. Nikylik and Jalentriel awoke as well and met the two other party members in their room. Brando’on and Rykio had set out earlier to look for the whereabouts about John Swift, believing that he could possibly shed some light on events.

Jalentriel hit the town that evening, coming about a local tavern in the common district. He attracted several small crowds as he pounced around in his Starling attire. Jalentriel spent the evening the bar, showing up the local bard talent Roger, whom was a regular. Jalentriel spent the evening telling jokes, playing his flute and listening in on several conversations.
The two ladies spent the evening in their rooms as Nikylik went to the local library to find out more information about the city. Before leaving, he was bombarded by money by his young apprentice Timmy, whom he befriended several days ago.
At the Library, Nikylik researched the history of Quarta Set, finding a book that detailed the struggles of the settlers against a lizard folk they called the Yuan-ti. He also befriended a young lady halfling with long stringy brown hair whom was fascinated by Nikylik’s travels. She was heavily flirtation with the young gnome and took him home and cooked him a nice juicy steak she had picked up from the butchers.
Nikylik came home the latest after declining an invitation to spend the night with the beautiful halfling.
The next day, Jalentriel visited Madam Bianca’s home to see if he could recover the diary one last time. Upon entering, the place was ransacked and there were speckles of blood everywhere. Bianca’s Forged lay in pieces but somewhat still active. There was also a large pile of shredded ash, which looked to be the remnants of the diary. Jalentriel searched the home for any other clues but found nothing. He then began to repair the Forged to the best of his knowledge, but the job was poorly done as the being’s arms began falling off. The Forged explained that masked men barged into the small herbal shack and left Bianca. He tried to fend them off but was incapacitated. Jalentriel became suspicious of the being attacking it before being stabbed by a large rapier, which flashed out of the creature’s arms. Jalentriel called out to stop the fighting with the Forged believing his story. He draped him in a cloth and escorted him back to the pyramid.

By the time Jalentriel returned, the party had already known of Bianca’s demise from the newspaper, which reported that her body had been found in the riverbanks this morning with many dagger wounds, similar to the wounds the Minutemen used. This news was bitter as it more than encouraged the public soul releasing (executions) of the minutemen. The party decided to keep their reputation in tact and not intervene in the soul releasing, opting instead to use the lax of guards in the pyramid to question the Forged. The Forged was arrogant and dismissive of the party, believing that they should be adamantly trying to find Bianca’s killers.
Nikylik spent hours reading the book he had picked up from the library the previous day as Jalentriel, Vivian and Rin attempted to try to find out how to reach the Elven Kingdoms. Jalentriel also attempted to piece together the burned ashes of the book, but after paying one of the apprentices, he found out that the book burned was a fake. The Forged was uncooperative. As the time for Rin and Vivian’s meeting with the two noblemen approached, the four party members thought it best to wrestle down the Forged. They began searching his body and found the leather diary on the Forged. The Forged also made a startling revelation; he was in fact Madam Bianca.
She had transmuted herself to trick her assailants but was not too weak to transform back into her original form. The party flipped through the book, discovering that there were several steps needed to travel. The diary detailed an underwater passage deep beneath the poisoned sea. The passage is where the spell sealing off Lanai is thin. That leads into mountains in Lanai, the Elven name for the Elven Kingdoms. To protect a ship from the harshness of the waters, the party would need an abundance of diamond ore. They will also need steel stained in pure demon blood and the blood of an innocent.

Vivian and Rin had little time to take in the new information before departing on their date. They were escorted by a caravan to a home 10 minutes from Quarta Set. There, were greeted by Tarus and Preslin whom were dressed for the occasion. The four had catered dinner and went out into some private fields for hunting.
The date ended abruptly, as Tarus and Preslin tricked the women to the location to ambush them. The two men turned into lizard like beings. Tarus, however, was much more pale than either Preslin or Tomorb and displayed various vampire like combat abilities during the battle. The two lizard beings tore into Rin and Vivian. Rin was quite adept at repelling the blows of the men, however, Vivian received numerous cuts from the two men. Before long, Rin herself began attacking Vivian. Rin pummeled Vivian badly and then took the Masamune out of Vivian’s hands. She appeared to be under a dominate spell. Rin’s hands burned as she handled the Masamune to Tarus. Just as she made the exchange Another sharp ray of dark black void shot towards the Tarus causing him to fall to the ground in agony. Rin looked up and snapped out of the spell to see an image fading into reality. It appeared to be Xioloch. He walked towards Vivian, very hurt at this point and reached over for the Masamune before jetting his arm back in pain and fading out of existence, “Damn she has already bonded with it” he screamed. “ He disappeared again.
Vivian stood up and used her psionics abilities to heal herself, she walked over and Punched Rin in the back of the head. Vivian then beheaded Tarus’s still body and the two burned the remains. A hurt Rin apologized to Vivian attempting to explain the dominance. Vivian began walking back to the temple city with Rin still hurt about her actions. Hours later the two reached the Pyramid, fearful at the repercussions for killing the acting Nomarch’s nephew and servant.

In the mean time, Nikylik, the young gnome illusionist, did not return back at all from his date when the party awoke the next morning. It was assumed that his date went “well.”


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## DonTadow (Apr 10, 2005)

*Episode 20: Significent Others- Director's Commentary*

# Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
# Brando'on dropped out of the campaign before this adventure. Neither Rahotep (whom also dropped) or Rykio were present.
# Jalentriel's showupmanship of the other bard was some interesting RPG'n that earned the party some much needed town rumors.
# This adventure went smooth with four players.
# There were a couple of roleplaying specific scenes that were ommited from the summary to keep a good flow. One of them was the long bar scene that Jalentriel showed upthe other bard. The other was the irritated messenger whom visited Vivian and Rin three tinmes.
# Also ommitted were the long scenes involving Nikylik and the halfling whom took a fancy to him. The suspicious Nikylik gave in to the woman eventually after much woeing. Nikylik's starting to make himself quite a name in the town.
# During the Lizard fight, Vivian is down to 12 hit point. I was hoping for more of a cat fight with Rin.
# I thought the party forgot about Ms. Bianca for a bit, their original purpose for being in the city.
# I liked this and last adventure because, often with this adventure and long campaigns, small things the party do now don't effect the world around them until a few adventures down the line. This time because of the storyline , the immediate consequences of not saving the minutemen are very apparent in the story.


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## DonTadow (Apr 19, 2005)

*Episode 21: Temple Revelations*

Episode 21: Temple Revelations
Pachon 1, 1122 

As the first day of Pachon’s dawned, a wary and ruffed up Nikylik stumbled into the Quarta Set Pyramid and to his room. Slamming the door, he awoke Jalentriel whom noticed the young gnome’s bruising and asked if all was ok. Nikylik did not wish to talk about his night and went immediately to sleep. Of course, now was the time for Jalentriel to begin practicing his hymns and prayers. Rahotep woke up as well to take his morning prayer at the temple on the lower floor. Before heading out he went to the ladies rooms, whom also were just getting up after their rough night. Rin was already up and about, exercising and watching the severed head of Tarus, whom they slain the previous night after he attacked them and tried to obtain the Masamune. Rahotep asked the ladies if they’d like to accompany him to the temple for morning prayer. Vivian scoffed at the notion and Rin neatly declined. The ladies told Rahotep about the head of Tarus and that they did not know how to destroy it. They also told Rahotep about the night’s previous events.

Rahotep quickly grabbed some water and prayed on it then doused it down the head. A green mist arose from the head, causing the head melt and evaporate. Rahotep began to explain that Tarus must have been some type of Lizard/ Vampire hybrid. Rahotep and the two ladies walked to room the men were staying in and told Nikylik and Jalentriel about their night. The party then decided that, instead of going about town this morning, they should travel to Tarus’s estate and search his home for clues about the connection between Ihat and the Yuan-ti. However, during the conversation Nikylik seemed to be acting extremely strange and hush.

After some talking it came out that Nikylik’s date with the young halfling woman did not go as well as everyone thought. Nikylik told the party that the woman was dead, but not by his hands. The party grew suspicious of the young gnome and demanded he tell them the whole story. Nikylik first said he did not know how the body was slain. Nikylik suggested that they cast a truth spell on him if they think he is lying. Rahotep called his bluff, casting the spell. Nikylik revealed that the young woman was murdered by a gnome his cousins had dealings with. The gnome mob boss had hired his cousins to build an experimental navigation system. The system was well worth 100,000GP. Nikylik did not know that the system was installed inside of the airship when he stole it to escort Rin to Torom. The gnome tracked Nikylik down and threatened to kill his family members if he did not return something of equivalent value to what was stolen. He also threatened to kill Timmy, the young gnome lass Nikylik was helping. Nikylik said that the gnome would kill a member of his family and the boy for each month that he does not receive payment.

The party was distressed by the news as it added yet another enemy to their growing list. It was decided that they go to Tarus’s estate while Rahotep goes and buries the body of the halfling woman.

At that point the morning news scroll was delivered. The scroll had a couple of stories of interest to the party. Nomarch Searse was in a lighter state of coma than he previously was, showing signs of recovery. Several Dignitaries from around the globe were traveling by airship into Quarta Set to see about his well being. They also discovered that the most prized treasure of Quarta Set was stolen by what witnessed described as men in dark paint in elf costumes. The party took note of this, as they are sure that they need the sword to cut the seal to the Elven Kingdom of Lanai. The party also pondered as to if that was the real sword or not. As the sword was stolen once before, perhaps the Quarta Set government was not so stupid as to put it in the same place to be stolen again.

After Rahotep left, the party decided to question the Madam Bianca Forge some more to see if she is hiding anything. Despite threats of dismantling and several divination spells nothing else was revealed. They lacked trust in her, and decided to take them along as to search the house.


Nikylik, Vivian, Rin, Jalentriel and the Forged Bianca rented some Chocoboo (bribing the stablemen to make sure that they were not seen) and road off into the country to find the estate. Through the dense forest and beyond a hill they found the estate where just the previous night Rin and Vivian had dined with the late Tarus. Sensing the front door was trapped, the party went in through the window. The house was a hunters dream with all types of game mounted and stuffed on walls. Jalentriel helped himself to several paintings and rugs throughout the house as the party searched for clues.

Upon entering the second dining room Nikylik was doused with a bucket of water. Vivian stopped the young gnome from entering into the next room and she ended up taking the blunt of an electrical field trap. Nikylik thanked her, and the five proceeded into the study where they were ambushed by two Lizard looking humans. The Yuan-ti fired off several rounds of bolts at them. However, the room was too small for the Yuan-ti to use their crossbow’s effectively. Vivian and Rin rushed into the room and quickly dispatched the Yuan-ti before they could learn any information about them.

The group continued to search the lower level and came across the butler and maid, both of them appeared to be human, but under a curse by the Quaa family. They are bound to the unhallow grounds of the estate and can not leave. Jalentriel hogtied the two and left them in the pantry as they searched the rest of the estate. The maid warned the party not to look into the urns or the treasure chests as they are trapped with monsters.
The party searched upstairs. In the guest bed room they found a coffin they suspected of belonging to Ihat Quaa when he visits the estate. Nikylik fashioned some stakes out of a table Vivian destroyed and they used caution to open the coffin which was empty. Madam Bianca then destroyed the coffin.

Further down in another room, Nikylik’s curiosity got the better of him, and he opened a large chest in the main library of the home, a grotesque man slimed out of the chest and charged for the door. Nikylik jetted out of the way as Rin and Vivian again made quick work of the undead creature.

In the trophy room, the party were immediately attacked by beings whom appeared to be composed of dirt and garbage. As Nikylik was the first to enter the room, the three surrounded him and began biting into him. Several bites later, Nikylik’s skin turned a bloated blue and green color. With the situation dire, Vivian filled the room with white fire and then a strength draining spell which left the Tome Mites weak enough for the Nikylik and Rin to finish off.

After nearly an hour in the house, the party finally made it into the guest bedroom where they located another coffin built into the bed. They took the same precaution, preparing their stakes. However, all that was found was a journal kept by Tarus. The journal was written in Draconic. Rin picked up the journal and immediately begin reading the last few entries. Tarus Quaa comes from a long line of Yuan-ti cultists. When Nomarch Regal buried the temple 500 years ago, the cultists whom worshiped the lizard people erected their tomb over the area. The knowledge of the temple being buried was lost as the many generations of the Quaa separated. It was not until two years ago, that Quaa and someone he describes as “The Master” found it. The journal spoke that some ritual is to be finished within a couple of weeks in the temple. The party immediately vacated the estate and headed back to the Pyramid Palace to discuss their findings with Rahotep. Rahotep had a bit of news to share himself. When he went to the woman’s house to bury the body and burn it down, there was no body, only a note that said that the woman had left for town to visit family in another Temple City. It seems that Nikylik’s powerful gnome friend tied up any loose ends.

As the party reconvened they received another knock on the door. It was the news carrier, whom had a special evening edition of the news scroll. The Nomarch had awakened from his coma and fired most of his security for their lapse in judgment. He even fired his trusted Forged, whom had been by his side and his personal bodyguard for 15 years. He then stepped down from office, appointing Ihat Quaa permanent Nomarch until the next elections.


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## DonTadow (Apr 19, 2005)

*Episode 21: Temple Revelations Director Commentary*

Episode 21: Temple Revelations
Pachon 1, 1122: Director Commentary 



    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * Nikylik and I resolved his night out through email The character of NIkylik was a lot more focused during the episode because of his dire situation
    * Jalentriel could not bare to kill the two old servents out right so they left them in teh cellar to die
    * This adventure was interesting. I did not think it would take as long to travel through the house, but the house had so many rooms it took the entire session.
    * Hints were scattered throughout the episode of the new characters who will join next week.
    * The paranoia of the party at the site of any coffin is funny


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## DonTadow (Apr 26, 2005)

*Episode 22: Why Won't You Die*

Vivian Ravenclaw, Jalentriel Ahmaquissar, Rin Darastix, Nikylik Hensu and Ra Hotep sat their room this evening putting together pieces of the events of the past few days. The five know that they are being used by someone, more than likely Ihat Quaa, but the ultimate plan of the new Nomarch is still a puzzle. Jalentriel was quick to point out that time is not a commodity that the five had a lot of, as he is eager to get back to his daughter and use the ruby heart to revive her of her deep coma. And to do that, the five must travel to Lanai, the Elven Land.

They commented how it has been some days since they have seen Rykio or Brando’on, whom both left a couple of days ago to track down John Swift. Among news from the town, the Nomarch had awakened from his coma, and fired most of his personal guard. He also stepped down from his position and appointed Ihat Quaa permanent Nomarch.

The five put together the pieces of the puzzles they had. The sword that they suspected they needed was stolen last night by men adorned to look like darkened elves. They assaulted Tarus Quaa’s estate and uncovered a diary and a detailed map to the Quaa tomb, which he notes could possess an entrance to the Yuan-ti Temple. The Yuan-ti were rumored to have hoards of the diamond ore needed to fend off the poison of the deadly oceans of Chrystaria. They would go to the tombs before day break the next morning. As the party finalized their plans, they received a knock at the door.

Ra-Hotep answered, opening the door to a beautiful tanned woman and a large Forged made of a substance unusual for the creatures. A puzzled Ra-Hotep wanted to know what business did the church have with the Warrior Witchhunters.

“Much”, said the woman.

Ra-Hotep looked at his comrades whom hesitantly gave them the signal to let the two in.

The woman explained that she was Tsesnsisis Alexandra, she is not a priest of Quarta Set but of one of the other Temple Cities. She was a former priest, high priest, in Quarta Set, but was unusually transferred a couple years ago. She came to Quarta Set to see about her dear friend Paula Searse.

The party seemed indifferent to the woman’s information. Only Jalentriel was friendly as the rest of the party whispered and questioned the woman’s intentions. She admitted that it is odd, but she does not believe she can trust anyone but the Forged, a former longtime ally and bodyguard of the Nomarch whom was abruptly fired, with the other personal guard. She said that she used scrying to find out that Paula Searse has either been turned into some type of monster or replaced by a Yuan-ti. She told them that she suspects Ihat Quaa to be a major culprit in the plot, but without proof she is lost.

The various party members questioned her motives repeatedly, asking why she did not go to the church for help. She told them she was not sure how far the deception went and that the events of recent may be connected to why she was replaced to begin. The Forged, whom called himself Syxen, agreed, admitting grief for his friend. Rahotep recognized the Forged as the one whom survived the initial kidnapping of the Nomarch’s daughter Alexandra, for which he quipped. Syxen gave a threatening evil eye more so it seemed out of anger for his own failure than Rahotep’s comment.

Vivian questioned how they could help, being exceptionally dismissive to the priestess. Alexandra asked that she be included with any knowledge of the Yuan-ti that they might have. Ra-Hotep believed her sincerity and pleaded for her case. The remaining party members agreed that additional help maybe needed. They informed the priestess of their dealings so far with the Yuan-ti and that they suspect that it has something to do with the temple. However, they stood firm to tell her that they were doing it only for the riches the temple may produce and not to save a city they could care little for. Alexandra dismissed the behavior as typical Mercenary mentality. However, it was slipped accidentally by Vivian that their find could help them get to the Elven Kingdom, for which Alexandra appeared to raise an eye.

Jalentriel dismissed the comment as fatigue and she meant Nique. The Forged and Priestess were dismissed quickly and the five remaining members planned for the next day, going out to buy last minute supplies and secure wagons to haul back the diamond ore. They also decided that Rahotep would stay behind to give the impression that the party was still about town.

Syxen and Alexandra were staying at an in near the Airport district, hardly accommodations for a priestess of her stature, but her presence in the city was no longer welcome. Before going home, Alexandra visited the temple, and received access to a series of books only meant to be read by priests of her standards. She came across several historical texts that discussed the Yuan-ti civilization in Quarta Set. She found several important tads of information including the knowledge that the Yuan-ti were in Quarta Set before it was settled, and that the Yuan-ti temple possessed an object that was of significant value to Chrystaria. It even mentioned that the reason the temple was buried by a force of paladins 500 years ago and not destroyed was because the temple could not be. She would share this information with her party the next morning, despite their lack of willing to share information with her.

The next morning, the six met on the outskirts of the city complete with supplies and a wagon. Jalentriel used a charm spell to charm the guards and make sure they did not remember seeing them that day. Vivian navigated the party to the tomb, however, her poor skills caused the party to arrive their 12 hours after they left out, making their arrival shortly after the sunset. They found themselves at a small opening in the forest with several tombs located a few hundred yards apart. They made an attempt to open the tomb door but failed. Alexandra, used her divine magic to speak with one of the snakes, to which warned her and her friends to go back. It then borrowed into the ground. The grass around the party began to move as hundreds of snakes raised their heads above the grass and borrowed into the ground at once.

“I guess we lost the element of surprise,” quipped Jalentriel.
The Quaa tomb was guarded with a powerful arcane lock, which was easily dispelled by Alexandra. Inside of the tomb was 12 non-descriptive crypts. The dust in the room was extremely thick. Syxen was first to attempt to remove the lid from one of the sarcophagi but could not budge. The remaining members searched the tomb but could not find much of anything else. After a half hour of searching, Jalentriel told the others to get behind him, he pulled his flute out and began a silent song, a slight wind came out of the flute which grew in intensity until it became a great wind. The wind blew the dust off of the majority of the sarchophagi. Most of the sarcophagi still had a small degree of dust on them, however, there was one in particular that was completely clean. Syxen braced himself against a nearby sarcophagi and pushed the sarcophagi away from where it was placed, revealing a large whole in the floor. Fearlessly he jumped down, nearly smashing himself to bits. Alexandra turned herself into a snake and slithered down the whole, Jalentriel attempted to use his tumble skills to scale down but fell as well. Vivian used a fly spell to fly down.

They found themselves a hundred feet below the original tomb, in what appeared to be a stone structure. The six adventures made there way half way down the 50 ft tunnel before them before Jalentriel used one if his windup toys to check for traps ahead of him. It reached the wall and was smashed by a giant headless mummified dog. The dog, charged for the party attacking them with fierce claws and bites. Another followed it. Behind them, they could hear a desperate moaning that caused Jalentriel to run in fear. The party made quick work of the dogs. As they began to loot, the beings quickly regained life. Jalentriel was more aware this time taking part in the combat and destroying the dogs again, this time burning the bandages that were left behind. They began to proceed on, believing they had dealt the final blow, but again, the dogs appeared again and the howling continued.

Syxen and Alexandra noticed that the howling was coming from deeper inside of this tomb. Vivian, Jalentriel, Nikylik and Rin chose to hold off the dogs, while Syxen and Alexandra looked for the source of the howling. Vivian used her brash acid and breath weapons to kill the beasts as the priestess and the Forge went off to find the howling. Jalentriel also joined in the action using mind effects and another powerful magic wind attack to blow the two dogs further down the tunnel and away from them.

In the mean time, Syxen and Alexandra located a room sealed by a large slab of stone at the end of one of the tunnels. As they searched, Syxen received several massive headaches seemingly crushing his head.

Syxen removed the slab to the small room and went inside. The howling was coming from a statue in the room. Also in the room was a Sarcophagi and Canopic Jars. Syxen began to destroy the statue and found two maimed and mummified dog heads inside howling at him. This time the howling seemed to directly effect him and Alexandria. He destroyed one. Alexandria looked in the Canopic Jar and found a large brain inside. She attempted to break it, but was struck by a massive headache. Noticing she was in trouble, the large Forged and his sense of protection leapt into action, unfortunately, he tripped over the sarcophagi and crushed the glass jar, and nearly killed Alexandra in the process. The dogs Jalentriel was keeping at bay evaporated into the other nothingness of the crypt. The party caught up with each other as Alexandra picked up a ring and necklace she found in the rummage of the room. When Syxen tipped over the Sarcophagi, the decaying body of a child came out.



What lies ahead in this crypt and does it lead to the Yuan-ti Temple?

What is the artifact the sacred texts say were hiding in the Yuan-ti Temple?

Will there be enough Diamond Ore for a ship?

What is Ihat Quaa's ultimate goals for the party?

Toon in next time!!!

Enjoy images of the characters, NPCs and Villains on the characters page.


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## DonTadow (Apr 26, 2005)

*Episode 22: Why Won't You Die- Director's Commentary*

Director's Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * This is the first of hopefully many adventures for Alexandra and Syxen, well at least Randy and Racheal.
    * Nikylik and Rin had to leave because of an abrupt sickness, get better.
    * The awkward, hey our goals are somwhat similiar can we go with you, was more difficult than i thought to introduce the party to Syxen and Alexandra. It was more so because the party has never had a good experience with the Church. This was rpg'ed nice and handled well by both parties.
    * Alexandra's character is special in that it is the first "real" pc.
    * The rolls and rpg'n for Syxen really helped solidify his roll as the overzealous defender whom has had some bad luck and questions his abilities at times.
    * The DC for the Arcane lock check was not high, but we lost our thief do to sickness and I did not want to rpg for him. Thankfully Jalentriel has some check trap skills.
    * The trap in the crypt was designed so that someone gets in and disappears, however, Syxen rolled a 20 to movethe Sarcophagi which bypassed the trap door. I still found a way to show the pcs there was a trap door.
    * The mummy dogs are the same ones found in Sardior's tomb. I liked the idea of a beast that keeps coming back until you destroy somethign else. I through in the Brain in the Jar from the Libris Mortis to add more of a challenge. Everytime I read how the egyptians used these jars for organs I think about that, what if it wasn't dead yet.
    * The game fealt shorter this time around, but when I timed it with our other games it was only short play wise by about an hour.


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## DonTadow (May 18, 2005)

*Episode 23: Humbling Happenstances, Pachon 2-3, 1122*

Episode 23: Humbling Happenstances
Pachon 2-3, 1122

Nikylik, Rin, Vivian, Jalentriel, Alexandria and the big Forge Syxen regrouped in the ordained cavern that Syxen and Alexandria had just decimated through what appeared to be the clumsiness of Syxen.

The makeshift tomb contained an overturned simple stone sarcophagus. The skeletal remains of a small board was scattered on the floor was well. The room was small, no more than 10 ft in width. On the skeleton was a ring and a necklace. Alexandria examined the skeleton and noticed the bones had a small tail nub. She collected the ring and necklace as party treasure. Examining those both revealed that the ring was identical to the one taken off of Ihat Quaa’s body. A snake emblem with a small gem sat were a diamond might normally be and the band was of a very weak gold.

The six grew tired in the musty, damp tomb, but it was decided that they must press on and investigate the other tombs in this portion of the catacombs before finding a place to rest. The party found three other tombs none no more ordained than any of the others though the sarcophagus in two of the tombs were booby trapped with a fire device that sniped some of the party members. Each of the tombs contained identical Sarcophgus, all of which contained skeletons baring rings and necklaces. One chamber, appeared to be that of holy followers, a man and woman, whom held weapons with emblems of Sobek. The statues in these rooms appeared to be that of the people buried, all of them showing some type of reptilian disfiguration. The rooms were very dusty and mildew. The Canopic Urns were nothing but dirty mildew. Beetles, spiders and other small insects danced in and out of the various tombs.

The six found an empty tomb and decided to rest there for the night. Syxen stood guard in front of the stone slab that posed as a door to the empty tomb. The night almost went by without a hitch, as Syxen’s senses failed to notice the increase in the amount of bugs. After several hours, it occurred to him that it was odd, and he peaked into the slab to check in on his comrades. Before he could get the slab halfway open, he saw a collection of beetles seeming to form a lower body. Within Seconds the beetles had formed into a humanoid figure and the wrapping of a mummy began to form. Syxen opened a screech out of his mouth, which awakened the other party members. He attempted to hit the being with his Falchon, but the sword slipped out of his hands with a giant thud, awakening any party members whom did not hear his dire screech. The being stood right over Alexandria and she as the first to felt its wrath. The mummy had beetles crawling in and out of its bandages and lashed out with its fists at the priestess. Having no spells, Alexandria scurried away and grabbed her mace. Nikylik also took cover as Rin and Vivian took the lead to fighting the being. Alexandria managed to let out an offensive ray of light incinerating part of the being as Vivian’s used her psychic powers to turn her claws into acid and burned the creature until it melted into a pile of sand in the room. Syxen could not get a hit on the being however, dropping his weapon several time. Jalentriel kicked the sand side of the walls and the exhausted party members agreed to attempt to sleep again.

Syxen this time stood in the doorway and an hour after the first battle, noticed the sand forming into a mummy again, this time around the meditating Vivian. Another warcry was shouted and the party took evasive positions again, this time using Alexandrias holy magic and Jalentriel’s bardic abilities to burn the sand until nothing more was left.

“Now can we get some sleep,” said the tired Alexandria.

And her request was answered, as she slept the rest of the night away with the rest of the party and no more attacks. The next day they searched the remainder of the tomb, finding a well ordained marble sarcophagus in one room that showed obvious times of trappings. They also found wording written in Draconic on many of the tomb walls. The wording appeared to be prayers but the dialect was so ancient that none could translate it well.

In one room, which appeared to be the servants burial quarters, the party found a clerical vestment of Sobek to which Nikylik put on and began to mock the god. Jalentriel warned the gnome that such things could turn bad and took the vestment back from the gnome. Also inside of the servant’s quarter, were two pressure plates to which Syxen smartly pushed the coffins on top of. Vivian and Alexandria heard moving in the hallway and investigated two remaining tombs to find a staircase leading down from inside of one of the coffins, obviously triggered by the pressure plate. Jalentriel almost broke the trap door in the coffin, but Nikylik managed to repair it. The party toyed around with the idea that the rings may have more meaning than simple ordination, and each put a ring on.

The party descended down the stone, rigged staircase into a set of windy caves. Heat vents blasted out steaming water and air as the ground was unbalanced and wet. The party took their time making their way up the paths. Sign of Yuan-ti use was evident as Sobeks holy symbols were etched on several of the walls in the caverns. Deadly snakes weaved in and out of the holes in the ridged stone appearing to be shadows darting about. Alexandria dropped to her knees in prayer. As the familiar white light that surrounds her during spells appeared, in a flash she appeared to be that of a snake again. She slithered to one of the snakes and used her charming abilities to ask it to take her to the Yuan-ti. The snake hesitated and a more affirmed spell was cast on it. It slithered through some tunnels and around some corners as the party followed the guiding snake.

The party reached a tunnel as the snake dipped into one of its holes. Arrows blasted at them nearly hinting Jalentriel and Nikylik as they searched for traps. Syxen bolted into the tunnel confronting the two Yuanti, but again, his combat proved ineffective as he immediately dropped his weapon. Jalentriel and Alexandria used their magic to hold off the Yuan-ti as Nikylik and Rin joined with crossfire cover. Vivian used her breath weapon to incinerate three of the remaining Yuan-ti. Noticing Rin’s missed attacks, Jalentriel enchanted Rin into a rage causing the often quiet and petite monk to charge at several remaining Yuan-ti, impaling them with her fist.

Most of he Yuan-ti were done for before they could get off a third or fourth shot, but one managed to escape after inducing fear into Alexandria. The Yuan-ti fled to a large cavern and down several tunnels before being corned in a empty room. He used his camouflage ability to hide from the six, but Vivian’s truth ability on her sword revealed them being to her and she quickly pointed it out to the remaining party. Syxen approached to attack but became idle by the charming effects of the Yuan-ti. Syxen managed to snap out of the spell in just enough time to redeem himself by slicing the Yuan-ti in half.


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## DonTadow (May 18, 2005)

*Episode 23: Pachon 2-3, 1122, Director's Commentary*

* The title comes from the journal entry of Alexandria for this episode. It ties a lot of things that happened in this episode together.
    * The mummy uses the swarm templates of sand and bettles in the Libris Mortis.
    * Syxen had the most horrible time rolling dice. I've never seen four 1s one 3 different dice until this episode the funny thing is it goes with his character's background of his recent failures making him questions things.
    * I was so upset this episode because I lost two secret rooms that were nothing but an extra puzzle thrown in. It wasn't needed after I found it and I scrapped it for later adventures.
    * This episode shows the importance of talking to animals and druidic abilities in dungeon situations.
    * The sand mummy encounter has now earned me the reputation of always making enemies come back (it's always legal though).
    * The best move of the night came when Syxen was guarding and he had said he stands guard outside the closed tomb for the night. Then, he decided to check in on the party. If he hadn't that mummy would have had some fun before he was found out.
    * Again, this wa a nicely paced episode and the unexpected happened again.


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## DonTadow (May 18, 2005)

*Episode 24: Almost Out of Time*

Episode 24: Almost Out of Time
Pachon 3-4, 1122

 The humid tempetures of the caveryns did nothing for the flesh and scale smell left by the dead Yuan-ti. Vivian discarded the snake head which landed in her arms as the ever opportunist Jalentriel gathered whatever useful items he could find on the Yuan-ti. Alexandria soon was overcoming her magical fear of snakes brought on by the Yuan-ti.
Irony Vivian called it.
Vivian, Jalentriel, Nikylik, Rin, Syxen and Alexandria followed the windy tunnels again, attempting to use clues to find an exist that may lead to the temple. They dodged the many open steam geysers scattered along there path. Before long, they reached the end of a tunnel that presented two tunnels heading north. The first tunnel was filled with snakes, some poisonous some your simple garden snake variety. As the Jester Jalentriel attempted to scurry past the snakes bonded together into a massive wall to block the path. Syxen suggested hacking through the snakes, but Jalentriel caught an idea as he slipped on one of the rings he pilfered off of the dead pureblood Yuan-ti buried in the Sarcophgus above. As he slipped on the ring the snakes parted. Jalentriel suggested they all attempt to do the same, but Alexandria had reservations about wearing the jewelry of Sobek, whom is a direct enemy of her god Isis.

The six argued a bit, as they have many times these last few days. It was decided they inspect the other tunnel, which turned out to be a dead end. Alexandria decided to turn into a snake and sit on Syxen’s shoulder as he wore the jewelry. The others had no hesitation about putting on the cursed ring and necklaces. They proceeded down the tunnel, but as Jalentriel reached the large opening on the other side, the floor fell from beneath them as they plunged 10 feet into a pit of snakes. Alexandria became lost in the snakes but turned herself into a scarab and flew out of the snakes while dodging the hungry vipers that lashed at her. The others pulled themselves out of the hole quite easily.

The tunnel opened up to another large area. A large fissure was ripped through this area. A wooden bread led over it to the other side. On the bridge, was a series of rocks, assembled to form a spider.

Another discussion broke out among the party as to whom would cross first, when Jalentriel again was the first to scurry across kicking the rock as he passed. Suddenly webbing began to sprout from the bridge nearly entangling the bard. He made it across and the other hacked there way through. Jalentriel noticed that the rocks were inscribed with some type of spell written in a language he referred to as drow.

The group pressed further, encountering an alchemy trap before reaching another large caveryn, that first appeared empty. Syxen was transformed into a small miniature version of himself by Syxen and sent into to scout the area. The forged eyes did not see the camaflouged Yuan-ti hiding behind the shadows of the steam. As the priestess Alexandria climbed through, crossbow bolts plunged into her stomach. She cast a spell that surrounded the Yuan-ti with fire and scorched there skin. The other soon rushed into the room and a brief skirmish took place with the Yuan-ti being quarter sliced by the large Flachon of Syxen in the end. The caveryn appeared to be a dwelling place for the Yuan-ti with sacks laid about and a kettle and pot on a makeshift fire. Alexandria found two oddly colored pieces of metal ore that she had never seen before. She showed Syxen whom also looked at the metal and could not identify it. Vivian and Jalentriel were quick to speak up and claim the item as party treasure, but Alexandria noted the strangeness of there voice and the eagerness of their actions.

The caveryn had two exits, the tunnel the party came through and a large door hollowed out in the form of the head of the God Sobek. The 10ft Stone door was that of the Alligator looking god with the scales of a dragon. The god’s provided the pc’s with a riddle and gave them four answers. With each incorrect answer the Door would unleash a different attack on the six. The riddle asked the party to provide the answer to the commonality between a Green Slaad, a Lillend and a troll. They had to pick between a witch, mummy, dragon and minotaur. Syxen stepped up first and said minotaur and received a heavy axe from the mouth of the door. Jalentriel’s response of witch almost turned him into a frog.

Alexandria then stepped up and said mummy, as she had figured that all of the other monsters had double letters in their names. The door opened.

Walking through the door was like walking into another plane. A purplish haze loomed above as the pcs found themselves walking out of a monolism and into a field of graves. Several other monoslisms were scattered about. Before the PCs could look around, more arrows darted at them. Several beings whom shared the elven features of Jalentriel were firing at them. Except these elves had darked skin and wore armor that bore jewels and gems shaped like spiders. Despite there awing appearance a fire beetle spell by Alexandria eveloped half of the drow. The others were quickly dispatched as Syxen took one hostage.

The Drow, Clufof, was left to guard the way to the temple by his leader Cyntharia. It was the same Cyntharia Vivian remembered whom attacked them at Omaro’s demiplane several months ago. Clufof at first refused to tell the Jalentriel anything, however Syxen’s grimacing look scared the young drow into sharing Cyntharia’s plans with the Yuan-ti. Clufof and the other drow were from Faerun, the same realm as Vivian. They were sent by Lolth. They had been using the Elond crystal, which was stolen from Vivian, to transport between the two planes. They have been using it to transport drow directly to Lanai, where they are preparing to overthrow the Gold Elf government and free the Dark Elves there whom are used as slaves for the most part. But Lanai was only one part of there plans, as Lolth has formed a trinity with Seredess, a former God of Faerun’s Astral Plane; Set, an evil god of Chrystaria and Sobek, his son and former god of the Underworld, also spritual god of the Yuan-ti. The gods wish to remove the barrier that prevents planar travel to Chrystaria, so that they may launch an assault on Faerun using Chrystaria as a platform.

The drow became more scared as Syxen approached closer, Alexandria, not wishing to see the torture of any creature, turned her head, as if to give approval for Vivian, Syxen and Jalentriel to do what is needed to retrieve any other information. Seeing this, the drow, fear dripping from his eyes, spoke more. He mentioned that Cyntharia was sent to Quarta Set to help the followers of Sobek revive their lost army. To do this, she has been performing an ancient Yuan-ti Ritual at the temple with the Yuan-ti priests that will open a door to a dimension in which the army awaits. Cyntharia used the Yuan-ti alchemical potions in the lab of one of the monolesms to make the potion to travel back in time and meet the clerics. The ritual will be complete in a few day said the drow, as he laughed and told them it was too late to stop them.

Jalentriel stripped the Drow of his clothes as Vivian gave him a quick death. The since of urgency was great as the party now knew that whatever they were in, was larger than what they had thought. They searched the tombs that the Drow told them too and found riddles that instructed how to make the potion. A blue liquid, an orange powder and red metal shavings put into a bowl and stirred counter clockwise produced the liquid. Smartly the party reversed the ingredients to make a potion so that they could return to there time period.

They rested a night to prepare for a journey they knew would be there deadliest leg yet.

The next morning they prepared there spells and sharpened their weapons. They sipped the potion at the same time. The result seemed to be the same. The minute it hit there tongues they blacked out.

What awaits our party and where in time did they go?

What is the artifact the sacred texts say were hiding in the Yuan-ti Temple?

Will there be enough Diamond Ore for a ship?


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## DonTadow (May 18, 2005)

*Episode 24: Pachons 3-4 Director's Commentary*

# Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
# Nikylik and Rin were not available this game and character's were moved to the background
# Overall- this adventure was different as usual as it incorporated two puzzles in the plot. The first puzzle can be found in Traps and Treachary II, the second puzzle can be found in Cloud Kingdom's Wilderness Puzzle book.

# The first puzzle challenged the party for 45 minutes and the answer wasn't solved until 15 minutes after the party solved it... confused. Well the party took a guess on mummy because they were in a crypt, but Alexandria figured it out some minutes later.
# The second puzzle regarding the potion was so easy for Alexandria that she solved it and was working on the potion in 15 minutes.
# Jalentriel won player of the game and for good reason this episode. His cowardness is hillarious as he role plays it. Even his spells, whereas effective, are geared towards not doing things and getting others to do it for him.
# I realy wish the player who plays Rin would have been here as she loves puzzles and would have enjoyed the oens here
# The party smartly avoided an entangled trap on the bridge by simply getting rid of the items causing the spell.
# Jalentriel was hurt by one trap that caused a mist to spray on him and then the other room ignites the chemicals on his body. Thisis a trap from Traps and Treachary II.
# It's always fun when a character from 24 adventuers ago comes back again. And I loved that Jezz was mentioned again as the current formation "except vivian" has never seen the Drow Prince before.
# As a DM, I hope that hte ingame hints between a relationship between the Drow and Yuan--ti was thought about before this adventure.
# I hate time travel as a plot device, so I'm making sure I use it very carefully and not cheesy as some movies make the mistake ofdoing. Also with consequences. I played a great series of rpgs at the last three NASCRAG Gencons that had time travel in it and they did it very well. NOthing lets the pcs know how important they effect the world than when they travel through time and see their differences.
# Nothing to do with nothing, but this was the week Gencon events went on sale and... let me tell you... it was an event as usual. I'm glad I got into the Iron DM tournament and round robin DM'n. It will be the first time ever I get to DM at Gencon. Next year I will do a segment of the campaign there.
# Jalentriel and Vivians RPG secrecy was great.
# I love the dynamics of all of the character's personalities. The remarks Alexandria makes in game about her comrades are interesting considering that their goals are so different than hers.


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## DonTadow (Jun 3, 2005)

*Episode 25: Are We There Yet*

Syxen and Jalentriel awoke from their second blackout in the same cemetery they had just left.  The broken bodies of the drow was evidence that they had not gone anywhere.  Rin and Nikylik were still there as well.  The only ones missing were Alexandra and Vivian. 
					***	

	Alexandra and Vivian awoke, bound with leafy tight vines around their ankles and hands.  Vegetation stuffed in their mouth’s to prevent them from screaming.  They appeared to be in the below ground cemetery, only the time was not the one they were from.  Many Yuan-ti bodies filtered the area, as other Yuan-ti warriors appeared to be digging graves and building monoliths.  Several priestly looking Yuan-ti seemed to be scribing Yuan-ti.  A rather a large Yuan-ti wearing priestly garments that only paled in comparison to the ones Jalentriel stole from tomb’s approached the two as they lie on their backs on the ground.  His head looked like a giant alligators as his tongue slithered back and forth inside of his large mouth.  As he approached, a fearful Alexandra turned into a small serpent, casting the spell quietly under her breath.  She slithered underneath the large husky dragon looking Vivian.  

	“ I didn’t expect you hear so soon.  Apparently my plan has worked.  Those idiotic humans.  Believing that we would rest content down here guarding the secrets of the temple.  I am glad that we have eventually proved our superiority to the humans in the future”, said the yuan-ti priest, whom identified himself as K’stallo.  

	Vivian smiled and played along.  K’stallo had obviously mistaken Vivian’s half-dragon heritage as that of a relative of the Yuan-ti.  He even believed Alexandra to be her snake familiar of sorts.    She knew that a false move could end her up on the other end of a blade.  Her demeanor was more passive than previously.

	K’stallo began to tell Vivian the true history of Quarta Set.  She was back in time 500 years ago, just after the big battle between the humans and the yuan-ti.  The yuan-ti had lost and as a last resort transported their temple beneath the ground into a tear between dimensions.  But the human soldiers led by Nomarch Regal were persistent and found them deep underground where the tear occurred.  There, they continued the battle there.  The Yuan-ti was near defeat before surrendering and throwing themselves at the mercy of Nomarch Regal.  Regal showed sympathy towards them after K’stallo explained that the Yuan-ti was protecting the temple which possessed one of the six portals to he locked dimensions. K’stallo told Regal that he needed to protect the portal until the legendary warriors come to take the crystals out as Isis commanded.  K’stallo snickers as he tells the story; “I knew Isis would get him”.  

	K’stallo continued to tell the story.  That he and Regal used there combined magic to send the temple 378 years into the future.  Regal etched the coordinates on his sword and said that he would only share the knowledge with the highest church leaders.  When the time was right they would know.  However, K’stallo did not tell the Nomarch that he was only the second in line of the Yuan-ti and that the highest priest lay wait in the temple, insuring that only a Yuan-ti would protect the world.  
	Vivian smiled and nodded pretending to have read about K’stallo’s great stories.  She told him that she had been sent here to retrieve the coordinates, as the sword was lost many years ago.  K’stallo eagerly believed her, telling her how he had invented the time potions and was a major leader for a number of the alchemical marvels of the Yuan-ti.  Vivian agreed and told him of her leader, now ruler of all Yuan-ti.  K’stallo seemed puzzled as to why a grunt was sent to greet him and retrieve the coordinates.  He expressed that he would like to have met the ruler of the Yuan-ti.  

                                      *** 

It took only Jalentriel and Syxen a few minutes to realize that the potion had not worked and they needed to drink more.  They downed their remaining bottles along with Nikylik and Rin. 

                                       ***

As Vivian tried to manipulate the coordinates out of K’stallo, Jalentriel, Syxen, Rin and Nikylik appeared.  Seeing Jalentriel’s robes and Vivian’s quick greeting of Jalentriel, all of the Yuan-ti began to bow, as they believed him to be the future leader.  Jalentriel played along well, commanding the Yuan-ti to give them provisions and the coordinates.  He also asked Syxen and the others to help them dig graves.  Syxen was immediately against the idea, but since the entire conversation was in Draconic, he could only look puzzled as Jalentriel bossed him around.  Syxen was not alone, Alexandra as well could not speak the dragon tongue and spoke wonderfully of Isis at times, prompting Jalentriel to smack her several times, one time to the ground.  The sweat from his brow grew as Syxen had to stop himself from protecting the priestess.  The Yuan-ti believed Jalentriel’s story, that Alexandria was a slave girl whom he was trying to train against Isis.  

The six were led to one of the Alchemical labs were Jalentriel asked that they be allowed to make more potions.  Nikylik got to work, using his gnome knowledge of alchemy to mix ice Molotov cocktails, more time potion and special antitoxins for the Yuan-ti Venom.  As Nikylik finished the final batches Isis’s disgust of the Yuan-ti temple grew more as she began to pray feverishly to her Isis for guidance.  At that moment, Yuan-ti began rushing the area, no longer roused by the lies told by the party.  K’stallo yelled that no leader would allow prayer’s of such a vile god.   Hoping to avoid conflict, they all drank the red potion and warped into 378 years into the future 

They awoke inside of a room with no windows, no doors and no air.  Jalentriel began singing the best he could, casting a spell to produce air in the room for several hours.  Alexandra began searching for cracks in the floor.  After finding one she turned into a scarab and scurried through dirt and to the outside as Nikylik searched for a way out.  The entire place had been trapped and obviously built by the past Yuan-ti after discovering they were manipulated.  Alexandra dug a tunnel to the outside and released the party.  

The outside had not changed, the familiar purple cloudy haze still loomed over, and however, this time monoliths and a path of snake statues led down a long road.  At the end was a large mountain with a dark gray stoned temple pyramid atop.  The six journey’s into the temple.  Tapestries, statues and books clearly showed that the temple was dedicated to Sobek.  The party investigated the various rooms, finding strange color ribbons in each room.  In one room, the high priests room, they found a book that contained prophetic writings that echoed most of the story K’stallo gave.  The party searched the room meticulously spending nearly a half hour searching each room.  Jalentriel even helped himself to several expensive tapestries and statues. 

They met a dead-end though in a storage room which contained what look to be a 9-slotted box that fit each of the ribbons.  Figuring it was some type of puzzle.  They placed the colored slots on the box.  Every time they placed a slot the room location would change. Each color ribbon represented a room and they had to be put in a particular order to move on.  Many tries and an hour after their first attempt, they solved the puzzle and moved into the next room, a large treasure room filled with Yuan-ti artwork.  Syxen suggested we pass up on the items now as too much time had been wasted.  They agreed and approached the last room, a large snake filled pool of water.  Remembering the yuan-ti jewelry, all but Isis adorned it and jumped into the water with Jalentriel in the lead.  Alexandria turned into a huge alligator, which did not fool the snakes at all whom bit into her with several near poisoning bites.  The rapid water was too difficult to swim for the party however, as they drained into a large room.  

Before them their hearts stopped as Princess Alexandra lay on a sacrificial bed, being chanted over by a 50ft tall Yuan-ti hydra hybrid and a familiar looking drow, Cyntharia.  Approaching them swiftly was six drow with two bladed swords, one of which swords glowed with psionics energy.


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## DonTadow (Jun 3, 2005)

*Episode 25 Director's Commentary*

# Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery

# Nikylik and Rin were not available this game and character's were moved to the background

# This was one of the rare combatless adventures and proved to be really fun. There was alot of good role playnig as the party attempted to get info from the past Yuan-ti.
# I hate time travel. So it was hard making sure that it was done at least somewhat right here.

# The fun thing about time travel is it shows the party immediate effects of their actions. I made sure to make up several things on the fly to show the problems that happen when you mess with time I kept thinking of the Simpson's episode Tree House of Horror.

# There was some more good in game conflict between the character as their two disticnt missions crossed.

# Vivian won the playero f he game this episode for her smart adjustement to the Yuan-ti setting. As a DM you put notes of possible battles and that was one where there should have been a high probability.

# The puzzle was a room puzzle. In which the temple is set up into none squares (nine rooms).Each with a different amount of exists. the PCs had to put it in the right order so that they had a passage to a room that has a right exit. It was fun and oneo f the rare homebrew puzzles I make. 

The fun thing about time travel is it shows the party immediate effects of their actions. I made sure to make up several things on the fly to show the problems that happen when you mess with time I kept thinking of the Simpson's episode Tree House of Horror. 


There was some more good in game conflict between the character as their two disticnt missions crossed. 


Vivian won the playero f he game this episode for her smart adjustement to the Yuan-ti setting. As a DM you put notes of possible battles and that was one where there should have been a high probability. 


The puzzle was a room puzzle. In which the temple is set up into none squares (nine rooms).Each with a different amount of exists. the PCs had to put it in the right order so that they had a passage to a room that has a right exit. It was fun and oneo f the rare homebrew puzzles I make.


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## DonTadow (Jun 6, 2005)

*Episode 26: Sacrifices*

Episode 26: Sacrafices
Pachon 6, 1122

Before them stood Evil. Pyre, the large Yuan-ti High Priest stood 50 ft tall. Herhands replaced by large vipers. The 50 foot tall reptilian being chanted carefully, as if any misspoken word could upset the large portal in front of her. Besides here was a familiar Drow Priestess named Cyntharia. Adorned in a red robe with a large ruby spider necklace draped around her frail neck, she held an old tome and a magnificent staff tipped with a spider similar to that of her necklace. Neither Pyre nor Cyntharia paid any attention to the six party members who had just “flushed” into the room.

Syxen, Rin, Alexandra, Vivian, Nikylik and Jalentriel, and unlikely band of heroes—all with ulterior motives—stood up. The chanting was an old form of Arcane Draconic. It was apparent that the ritual was opening the portal, to what the party know knows as the Ice Dimension- a rift between the plane of ice and Chrystaria. the dimension was one of six used to hold the magical crystals that created the shield over Chrystaria that prevents from planar travel and invasion. Of course the crystal can also be used to shut down the shield if it and the five other crystals fall into the wrong hands. Vivian already has one of the crystals in the form of the Masamune, the fire crystal. The location of the other four crystals is a mystery, but the group knows that there is a tome in the land of the elves that holds their locations.

Previous clues the party led them to believe that Cyntharia was a drow from a plane called Toril from a land called Faerun. There, a god, Lolth had planned on taking over Chrystaria by uniting the enslaved Drow. It was suspected she was working with the Chrystarian God’s Set and Sobek, as well a banished god from her plane called Seredess. But alliances between evil gods’s can be thin, as time soon will tell.

In any case the last time Vivian had seen Cyntharia, Vivian found herself on the losing side as the Drow Lich stole the Eland Stone, an artifact used to activate ancient dimensional transportation devices. Cyntharia used the device to transport to Chrystaria a small troop of drow including herself, and several others, more importantly Jezz the Lame, a devout Lt. of Lolth in Faerun. This also included Tryan, a former associate of Vivian from Faerun and a cultist of Seredess.

Now, here is Cyntharia, apparently opening the Ice portal to travel there and retrieve the Ice Crystal/weapon. Two sacrifices lay before her. A young Chrystarian woman, whose tattered clothing shows signs of royalty? It was the real Alexandra, the Nomarch’s Daughter. Beside her was a halfling young boy, perhaps from the nameless village.

The party moved to save them, but was met by six drow all bearing two-bladed swords with the Lolth holy symbol embedded in the hilt. The leader of the troop wielded a blade powered by a sharp blue energy, a soulblade no doubt.

Jalentriel moved first, casting various protection spells. Syxen, Vivian and Rin took the frontline, hammering through the drow and meeting them blow for blow. Nikylik and Alexandria hammered spells over the fierce melee fight before them, with Alexandria interrupting the chanting several times firing her damaging exploding fire beetle spell in-between the two several times. Pyre stood adamant in the chanting. With every word he spoke the 60ft circular disk rippled with blue wavy light as the 100s of frozen Yuan-ti on the ice dimension looked clearer. Cyntharia was easily angered though and spit several waves of negative energy at the party, sending unholy damage to them.
Just as Syxen and Rin broke the bodies of the drow warriors before them, Alexandria fired a massive fire beetle spell at the two evil clerics, this time seriously damaging Pyre. Cyntharia urged pyre to take care of their pest problem as she finished the chanting.
Pyre charged the party pulling a large Falchion shaped like a massive cobra from his sachets. The Falchion was the size of the 8 foot tall Syxen. Syxen met the extremely large Yuan-ti head on with his own smaller Falchion. The two exchanged blows as each sword clash produced an explosion of light and dark energy. Rin and Syxen joined the fight as Pyre’s blows began to chafe the metal of the brave Forged. Alexandra attempted to sneak by Pyre, but her Falchion met her feet nearly slicing the Priestess of Isis in Laugh. She fell to the ground bleeding heavily as Pyre mocked her weak God. Nikylik, pepped up with a haste spell, jolted over to Alexandria, binding her wounds so that the priestess could heal herself.

Meanwhile, Cyntharia continued the chanting and strolled about the back of the room, unmet by any combat. She donned the warm heavy fur clothing in the back of the room still chanting. Within seconds of her words the portal appeared nearly complete. She called her drow warriors back. Viewing the blood, flesh and metal flying about. She flew to the top of the ceiling and launched massive ball of fire energy at everyone--- including Pyre.

“You have been unworthy to join me, but thank you for being stupid enough to help me open the portal,” she said spitting another one at her. The entire room heated beyond the hottest temperatures. A seared Jalentriel fell to the ground gasping for air and dying from his burns. The others looked badly injured as well. Alexandria barely escaped death as she managed to turn into a beetle and scurry behind a nearby statue.

An angry Pyre stopped focusing his attention on Syxen and turned it to Cyntharia.

“You traitor, my god trusted you. Now you will meet your end,” he said, turning his Falchion on her. He stabbed her with the Falchion and through her to the other side of the room. Her remaining Drow guards attempted to help, but were killed by Vivian’s breath weapon.

Alexandria flew over in beetle form to the sacrifices. Unfortunately she had gotten to the halfling boy too late as he had been injured by the ice attack and broken into pieces. She unbound Alexandria and turned her into beetle form.

Cyntharia floated to the top of the 100ft ceiling firing a massive ice attack into the room. Syxen, knowing he could not reach the Drow Lich, laid a massive blow into the distracted Pyre splitting him in half; Rin joined the attack to finish off the creature. As Pyre fell to the ground in a mass of flesh and scale, his Unholy Falchion toppled on top of him. Cyntharia, seeing her greatest threat dead, cast an invisibility spell on herself. Vivian, wielding the Masamune, could still see her however, and through a tanglefoot bag at her legs. The others saw the floating tanglefoot bag and fired at her. Jalentriel attempted to teleport on top of her, but missed her terribly and ended up at the top of the temple in the pool of snakes.

Nikylik turned into a bat and flew up to the Cyntharia, attaching to her tightly. However, it was not enough as she flew into the portal with the bat formed gnome attached to her.

Rin screamed out no as she headed to the portal before being held by Vivian.

“We will rescue the little one but we need to rest first we are no help for him in this form,” she told her.

Alexandria turned back into human form and healed the wounds of her namesake. She then began the ritual to resurrect the halfling boy.

Syxen consoled Princess Alexandra. Neither the halfling nor her knew much about their captors other than they were captured.

A bloody Rin hobbled to the furs and began to rampage through them finding several pieces of torn parchment.

The information found put more of the pieces together.

One of the papers was a page from a book that could have only came from the libraries of the church. Giving indication that the drow may have some type of relationship with the Chrystarian Church. The paper had information about the Yuan-ti temple and a brief description that it held the Ice Portal. On a separate piece of parchment was a note about the ritual. Two nobles blooded virgins were needed to open the portal and the portal would stay open for one week or until the two had been drained completely of blood.

On another sheet of paper was a note from Cyntharia to one of her henchmen. “Now that we have used the Yuan-ti and its cultists to cause havoc in the Quarta Set Kingdom and we have manipulated the Witchhunters with the Masamune into causing the havoc, it is time to steal Regal’s Sword as Ihat Quaa is reluctant to helping us obtain it until he is in power. We can not go by his timeline as he may betray us so we shall obtain it on our own as security will be laxed.”

The last bit of paper was a note written by Jezz to Cyntharia instructing him that the god’s have ordered her to destroy the Yuan-ti after the portal is open as there will be no room for the snake slaves with the Drow, Shadowdemons, and Cultists of Set. It also notes that he had talked to “Mr. Smith” and “Mr. Smith” was assuring that the people whom have the Masamune will be traveling to Quarta Set soon just as Jezz asked. Jezz tells Cyntharia in the note to keep them occupied and obtain the sword after they are weakened by the Yuan-ti. Then bring both the Fire Crystal Masamune and the Ice Crystal weapon to him.

“Mr. Smith!” yelled Vivian as she realized how far the manipulation had gone. “

“Let us rest as we have much to do if we are going to apprehend the culprit behind all of this,” suggested Alexandria.

The party rested for the night as Syxen took watch.


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## DonTadow (Jun 6, 2005)

*Episode 26 Commentary*

Director's Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * The party was at full strength for this battle.
    * The two-bladed weapon drow is a prestige class from enworld Publishing. They make some great PDFs.
    * Cyntharia casts several spells familiar with final fantasy people, ICE 3, FIRE 3 and Unholy (opposite of Holy).
    * There were more action cards used in this session than any session I"ve ever been apart of. Alexandra used several cards to escape death.
    * I made a judgement call concerning Alexandra's size as a bug and her ability to get to the sacrafices. At first I ruled that she could not, but because of how small something tiny is she might have made it through with her high defense. I corrected the error by allowing the bug to escape one of Cyntharia's fire attacks.
    * The PCs were hard on themselves for letting Cyntharia escape but killing Pyre was a great feat. I ran this scenerio several ways with several outcomes. Considering were no deaths was a pretty big deal even though one of the baddies got away. This was a scenerio I didn't expect but with these guys it always is like this. 
    * The entire session was a battle but there were tons of RPG elements in it. From Vivian's reaction to seeing the drow lich again to the reaction of everyone when they found out Mr. Smith had arranged for them to head to Quarta Set.
    * Syxen blasted Pyre at one point with a 82 attack on a crystal. I believe the attack maxed out on all dice for the tripple damage. Plus he was beefed up with three spells that added damage to his attack. Not sure if all the math was right but it made a great effect.


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## DonTadow (Jun 22, 2005)

*Episode 27: Know Thy Neighbor*

Episode 27: Know thy Neighbor
Pachon 7, 1122

"From the Mouth of Shiva"

I feel them coming to me, their presence and hearts devoid of evil. Except one, but he knows not what he does I feel. They journey through the ice portal as I did so many 100s of years ago. They are well prepared for humans. Only seconds go by as the ice forms around their bare flesh. The priestess of Isis, bless her soul, has managed to make them articles of underclothing made of fire, very smart. I grow a liking to her and hope she is the one whom bonds with me. They find themselves at the top of Vlash’s Hill, as I have named it, on the edge of the great valley shaped as such a massive dragon. The frozen Yuan-ti army that guarded this place was destroyed by the dark one, whom for some reason has escaped my radar after infusing her demon fire into one of the caves in the Valley.

Four of them came through the portal. A brawny half-dragon whom I sense has the presence of Infrit in her. That stubborn old fool has found a home, inside of a half-dragon with a stubborn heart and a reluctance to do well. Another one travels with them, a warrior whom feels more powerful than I believe she knows. The priestess also travels, so confused of if she is doing Isis’s true work she is. Little does she know that so long as her heart remains pure Isis will know the true intent of her actions. Finally there is a man made of iron and steel whom wishes to know the intentions of his creation. His compassion is more so inside of his steel chest than that of many of the men I’ve met.

They hike down the hill, nearly tumbling at times and reach the bottom of it, causing a minor avalanche that buries several of them. The half-dragon, Vivian, wields the great Masamune, the sword once wielded by Infrit, and realizes its power to melt the snow around her. They make their way to the cave and find the small one, whom dwelled in the demon fire that the party is unaware of. They heal his false injuries. They wish to turn back, but the hearts of several of them tell them to move forward as well as the convincing of the little one, Nikylik. Nikylik turns into a winter wolf to resist the cold. A smart little one to turn into a beast protective of these dire winter elements.

They journeyed quickly towards the great Ice Mausoleum I dwell in. Mostly convinced by Nikylik that the dark one they previously battled was inside. They believed the lie. When they came to the bridge over the massive gap they grabbed the rings that pulled the bridge up attached to the side of the cliff wall. They pull the rings pulling up the bridge but making Xenolpha aware of their presence. This Ice Plane Nexus rests on the back of the large Beholder. He raises a giant stalk as the party crossed the bridge and a ray shoots out. I can see the five being’s souls float away from their bodies and back into their bodies. Except that the souls go into the wrong bodies.

Puzzled and bewildered they are confused by the occurrence, but realize and hope that maybe I can help them out. They venture forward with their souls in the wrong bodies. They reach the front door of the Mausoleum.

There they meet the guardian, the young Ice Dragon whom guards the door. He tells them what he once told me. To leave or die. They struggled to understand the bodies they were trapped in. Syxen (whose soul was inside of Alexandra the priest) stood idle, frustrated with the fact that he no longer had his massive body and felt quite useless attempting to understand the divine magic of Isis. Vivian (inside of Syxen’s body) struggled a bit with the slowness of the beast but quickly adapted as fighters often are built similar. She charged at the beast. Alexandra (inside of Rin’s body) along with Nikylik (inside of Vivian’s body) flanked the dragon and used their new overwhelming strength to make quick work of the beast. Vivian sliced off a toe of the dragon, an act I am unfamiliar with. I hope that Infrit teaches that woman some wisdom.

They enter into the mausoleum. They fin themselves in the entry room where the great door to my chamber is before them. But first they must prove themselves worthy. They must travel throughout the mausoleum and find the 9 keys to open the door. They quickly figure this out and enter the open door on the east wall. They enter into the first room that contains two mirrors. They ponder breaking the mirrors a bit and inspect them thoroughly. Vivian and Alexandra take up the rug and Vivian drapes it over one of the mirrors. The 1 key appears and they rush to put it in the door. They decide to put it in the door on the west of the room (which has holes for 3 keys).

They proceed to the next room with the puzzle. Rin fumbles with the small gnome hands she must not work with and solves the puzzle very slowly finding the number 2 key. The number 3 key was not far behind as they defeated Iglon, the Ice Devil, in the next room to find the number 3 key in his belly. However, it was not without consequences as the Ice Demon used the same spell the Beholder used, putting Syxen into Nikylik’s body, and Rin into Vivian’s body and Nikylik in Alexandra’s body.

They rushed back to the door on the west side of the entrance room and opened it revealing another chamber with large wooden Egyptian Hound statues. Again Rin proves that she is more than muscle, smartly turning into a small owl and floating high enough so the dogs could not reach them. She retrieved the key on the other side and flew back to the party receiving key number 5. After realizing they missed a key they went back to another room through the east door they skipped. There were three tables with boxes on each. Nikylik, using the magical abilities Vivian rarely does, checked all of the boxes and deciphered the magical puzzle. Alexandra then stumbled upon the key in the right box.

They proceeded back to the entrance and through the west door and through the next room. There, they witness a horrific and grotesque sight. Five men wounded mortally lay before them. They could not speak but cried and whimpered for someone to end the agonizing pain they were in. Nikylik sought to end the suffering as he wielded he mighty Masamune but was stopped by Syxen, whom quickly pulled out a potion and shoved down the throats of one of the men. Syxen’s actions were quick enough to get to the man before the Masamune’s blade came down on his throat. The man disappeared. Syxen went around and gave each a potion. They all disappeared. NO key appeared so the five ventured into the next room. But a flash of light occurred and suddenly the five found themselves back in the room, on the floor dying. They then watched themselves enter the room and heal them. They were lucky as the results could have been death if they had killed them. Sadly it would have been death by their own hands. Luckily they made the right choice and received key number 6.

The next room appears to be one massive trap. The Ice walls and floors of the mausoleum changed and there were paintings, statues and a giant checkerboard. IN the midst was a fountain with the key in it. Alexandra bolted towards the key and grabbed it, fearless in her new body. Rin held her breath, as she was sure that her body would be destroyed but it was not. The room appeared to be a big decoy, but soon they heard a grinding noise coming from the next room.

Vivian enters first, her too fearless in her new body. She disappeared.

The others followed and saw Vivian strapped on a slab of stone. A pendulum swung above quickly approaching the large steel body. There were five levers in the room each with a large blade above each of them. Fearful for his body, Syxen ran over and pulled a lever. The blade came down appearing to cut Syxen (Nikylik’s body) in half. The others wishing to save their friend followed suit. Body parts flew and bodies were destroyed by the blades over the lever but the giant pendulum stopped. The slab disappeared and turned into a key, but the death seemed permanent. Another illusion as the group has found out.

In the last room there sits Dwindlemeer, a powerful sorcerer encased in ice, his own personal torment. He offers the group a trade, one soul for the key. There is much wrangling as several of the group ponders what would happen. Then came the surprise. The half-dragon soul, Vivian, steps forth in the big iron body. She offers her soul. I expected it to be Alexandra. Dwindlemeer extends his finger and a black mist engulfs Vivian. The souls switch again as Vivian momentarily returns to her body before it is engulfed and incinerated. Nikylik’s soul went on to Syxen’s body. Alexandra and Syxen, upset, try to attack it, only letting go of their fury. Dwindlemeer repeats, it was a fair trade, and he warps everyone back to the entrance.

They discuss that they must move forward and not let the loss of a comrade affect them. They must get the crystal for Vivian.

They insert all the keys into the door and enter my chamber. I was awaiting them. All of them.

My chamber is immaculate as it is my resting place. It is large made of the same thick ice as the rest of the mausoleum. Four well-crafted hound statues lay in the corners as a large albatross arch holds the ice crystal.

It did not surprise me when the Lich Queen transformed from a melted ice cycle attached to the gnome’s clothing. However, it did surprise me that the shadow following the group did not manifest yet. If the group had figured out they were being tailed, either of the powerful beings may have killed them.

The Lich Queen was strong. She radiated of evil aura. Sick twisted magic. I somehow she had borrowed the pure evil magic from her god. She babbled as all villains do. About how she rescued the young gnome and compelled her to lead the party here. She had visited previously, but she could not figure out my illusions puzzles and left frustrated. Her plan seemed simple. Allow the party to do the dirty work as she had done up until this point I believe. Her entire scheme has led these individuals up to this moment.

We both levitated and began exchanging blows dedicated from our gods. I would prove that Isis is not to be fooled with. But this Drow Lich, this disciple of Lolth was powerful. As we tussled the others did well distracting her, allowing me to take advantage of her diverted attention and land my ice hands into her crown. The Lich Queen was powerful though throwing anyone back who distracted her, crashing them into he wall and destroying their weapon. Nikylik attempted to use the Chosen sword, but was smashed into the wall before he could land good blows. However, I had taken the upper hand. Syxen used Nikylik’s small body to sneak around and touch the crystal behind me, Syxen attempted to grab the crystal. The Drow Lich grew upset killing him on the spot with a dark shadow spell, forbidden magic used by only the vilest gods. I had enough, as I feigned to the ground. Creating most of the illusions in this place, I believe that subterfuge is sometimes better than direct contact. The Drow Lich became overconfidence and summoned shadows to kill the other 3 party members. But I had a surprise. As another party member went down, bleeding and dying, my ace came through. I had resurrected and made a bargain with Vivian. I gave her the memories formally repressed from her. In return, she must open her heart to the mission of Isis and save her friends and I. Vivian emerged from the arch leaping for the sword. She swiped at the Drow Lich but missed. The Drow Lich retaliated but caught the second swing, a vicious blow that split the being in half. The fight was almost over.

The shadow emerged. It was a being the group was familiar with. But little did they know that even this being held a secret. Xioloch they called him. But I know that that body once belonged to a being called Xioloch but it now houses something more sinister. There was no way that even I was to beat him, as Xioloch cast his spell, I cast one as well and everyone but Xioloch fell to the ground. He ran over to the Ice Crystal and took it. He mocked them.

He let his guard down. The banishment spell I cast under my breath had taken effect and the being was forced to wherever he had come.

I stood and told them they were safe now. But it was time for my destiny to be fulfilled. The stupid sorcerer had made off with my last trick, an illusion for I had merged with the Ice Crystal long ago. I healed and resurrected the gnome and reversed the soul switch. After watching them, I had finally felt comfortable enough to go with them. Sacrifice is important to me and they displayed sacrifices the entire day. My final task before merging myself with my bow, was to use my last bit of divine magic to send them back to through the portal. I only wish I could help them with the situation the one they left behind has created.


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## DonTadow (Jun 22, 2005)

*Episode 27 Director's Commentary*

Director's Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * This adventure was adapted from "The Last God's in AEG's Adventure I Book. It is a great adventure and my favorite out of the book.
    * . Nikylik was compelled out of game between adventures.
    * Thanks to WOTC's Frostburn for giving me all of the ice world stats.
    * Cyntharia was a 17th level priest with the lich template
    * Cyntharia is a level 25 priest.
    * One of the rooms had a puzzle that was just too difficult I thought for this party level. I plan on saving it for a future adventure. It was the room with the tables.
    * My favorite move of the night was when Syxen stopped the party from killing the men in the room. I was ready for someone to die there
    * I really didn't expect Vivian to make the sacrifice, but it falls in line with the arc of her character
    * The end of this adventure was rushed and I hated that. I ended up just copying my notes and shooting them to everyone (cleaned up of course) in pdf format. The adventure ended in session with Xioloch stealing the crystal which was a big let down and unintentional. Again apologies.


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## DonTadow (Jul 7, 2005)

*Episode 28: Ordering Thine Affairs*

Syxen, Alexandra, Nikylik, Rin and Vivian appeared in the antechamber of the Yuan-ti temple. The Demigoddess Shiva last act was sending the party and temple back to the original timeline. A quick glance around the room shows no signs of Jalentriel, but two small toddlers and a little girl are there. The little girl appears to be elven. The babies are crying and in need of diaper changes. Alexandra summons water and begins cleaning the children while Syxen questioned the little girl.

The girl stood silent for several minutes, before speaking to the witchhunters in a husky, deep male voice.

“Jalentriel was taken by the Timelords a few minutes ago. It seems that he had messed with several aspects of the timeline while you were in the ice dimension,”

Nikylik was the first to jump back, letting out a sharp scream after noticing the scary voice coming from the child. The others drew weapons.

The girl stepped back.

“I am Sardior, reincarnated into the body of this child. It seems that Jalentriel, attempting to change the timeline, managed to get the ruby heart to his daughter, however, he did not know the true meaning of the ruby heart. The ruby heart does not bring someone back to life. It instead reincarnates me into their body. When I was Human and selfish, I wanted eternal life, not knowing that I would one day be reincarnated into a god. I created this item on Chrystaria. I had no idea that the item would even drag me from my godhood. ,”

The group let down their weapons. Alexandra told the party that there was a sharp earthquake just before their arrival and things got hazy. Then she and the children were in the antechamber with the group. The party members begin to complain about headaches as she spoke.

“I am betting that your headaches are due to the memories flooded into your head with the memories you already had. More than likely, your presence in the ice dimension prevented you from having the other timeline extracted from your head,” she said.

Everyone commented on how they remember both timelines. IN this timeline, the group went into the Yuan-ti temple to save the Nomarch’s twins babies. However, now the Nomarch is a gnome, Nikylik’s former apprentice Timothy Fonswinkle. Paula Searse was never poisoned but his wife has been dead for five years. The Yuan-ti had been killed by the Drow well before they group had any encounters. Ihat Quaa was now a local businessman along with his nephew Tarus. The church was sterner on their rules against the unreal. There was no longer any unreal living in any of the temple cities. Instead, forged have been kept around as slaves and labeled non-sentient. Villages however are much larger and there is always constant strive between the real and the unreal.
The group had decided to travel to Quarta Set and see what awaits them. They emerged from the temple and headed on the road. Halfway between the city and the Yuan-ti temple, 50 to 100 soldiers greeted them. In charge of them was Kesmet of Defense, Paula Searse.

He greeted the group with familiarity and gave Syxen a stern handshake. He also winked an eye at Alexandra, an obvious sign of flirtation. He congratulated the party as several priests whisked the twins out of Alexandra’s hands. Searse explained that the city had become worried and thought the worse. When several said that a temple arose in the north, he assembled his best men to investigate. In this timeline, Syxen is assistant Kesmet of Defense to Searse. Rin, Vivian and Nikylik were only there to assist the temple warriors Syxen and Alexandra told Searse, said Rahotep also emerging from the soldiers. Slight smiles could be seen on the group’s faces as a familiar face was still around luckily.

The three, along with the little girl, immediately headed to Bianca’s home in the high district of Quarta Set. It seems in this timeline, she is now Kesmet of Commerce and powerful in the city along the way Rahotep made several remarks about how awful Vivian, Rin and Nikylik must have had it partying with “church” warriors. He obviously did not remember the previous timeline.

The group went there separate ways. Alexandra and Syxen headed to the temple to brief their superiors. The tone in Quarta Set seemed more oppressive as before as the group saw many Forged being herded and egged on with rods that seemed to let a jolt of electricity on them.

Alexandra met with Nomarch Timothy, whose power had obviously gone to his head. She told him only lightly about the adventure and nothing about the ice dimension. He let her in on a secret that Syxen was to be dismantled soon. The capital city of Hamatuptra put out the order after Forged rebels has started using Syxen as proof that Forged were sentient. After Timothy seemed to be propositioning Alexandra, she immediately feigned sick and left his office. She then returned to her room, after reporting to Kesmet of religion, Prophet Dedi, to mediate with the Ice Crystal Weapon.

Syxen had a private meeting with Paula Searse. Searse had said several racist Forged remarks when they were in the presence of the Nomarch and in front of his own soldiers.

In private, Searse expressed sorrow for the remarks. Him and Searse then went on a private outing chocoboo ride in the forest. It was a way for Syxen to tell Searse about their entire venture into the Ice dimension. Searse expressed relief as he asked the Forged to go with the party to the elven lands and find the crystals. He then handed them a slab of rock with two Dwarven words inscribed in them. Searse told him that he had hid this for years after they found Syxen, for fear that it could do harm to Syxen if others found it, but now was the time. He also gave Syxen some money and the two rode off in two different directions.
In the mean time, Bianca had filled Rin, Nikylik and Syxen in on the events that led to the alternate timeline. Jalentriel had visited her a couple hundred years ago. He told her that he had given a design to Roger Fonswinkle, a gnome tinker that could save the future. The little dolls were patterned after real and imaginary warriors but were charmed to spread good messages such as “slavery is wrong” and “help others”. It became popular and Fonswinkle became quite rich. Soon the church, seeing the message, got a hold of Fonswinkle and coerced him to change the dolls messages. Afterwards, the dolls became even more popular but spread messages of anti- unreal and any other message the church wanted to get across. It worked too as unreal were banished from cities all together once they had their Forged slaves.

Jalentriel had contacted Bianca 200 years ago and gave her enough information to successfully rescue her dad and uncle whom were trapped in the elven lands. She also delivered several messages to family members of Jalentriel, along with a ruby heart. Jalentriel’s information helped Bianca prepare a ship that can travel to the elven lands. She has kept the ship in good condition waiting upon this day.

The three remaining group members went to their rooms for rest, except Nikylik, whom decided to see what more he could learn about this new timeline. He went to a bar and did a bit of gambling before tailing a strange individual whom appeared to maybe be working for an underground resistance. He followed the man to his hideout.

Syxen in the mean time appeared at Bianca’s door, pretending he was on official business. However, once in private, he asked Vivian and Rin to gain him passage to Skullhorg, where Searse had told him he could have his Falchion repaired. Sparrow, the halfling airship pirate, had also been staying with Bianca, as he had agreed to pilot the ship through the waters and into the elven waters. Sparrow agreed to take Syxen and Vivian to Skullhorg, a three days travel, that night. The four met at the docks. With Syxen was Alexandra, whom also agree to go, being disgusted by the current condition of the church. Several of the dockworkers questioned the unscheduled night departure, but after a charm spell by Alexandra, Syxen and Vivian knocked out the guardsmen and through them into the ship.

They travel the three days journey to the island. Once docked, Sparrow escorted Syxen to a weaponsmith whom agreed to repair the weapon. Vivian paid a visit to Mr. Smith after procuring some Alchemy ingredients. Mr. Smith attempted to avoid Vivian, even having thugs attempt to take her out upon leaving. She tussled with them, then bolted into the Drunken Page, where Smith bartends, and barged into the secret door at the back of the bar. She pulled her knife and pressed it to her throat, threatening that if he crossed them again she would kill him.

Mr. Smith blew off her threats and told her that he was only taking care of business. Vivian gave him an eye, as if to say she means what she says, and brushes off the two guards whom came in looking for her. She headed back to the docked Rhapsody V where Syxen was.


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## DonTadow (Jul 7, 2005)

*Episode 28: Director's Commentary*

Directors ' Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * Jalentriel had done several things out of session in the past, while the pcs were in the ice deminsion. To make sure nothing was too specific, I had Jalentriel write out letters explaining what he wanted.
    * The Butterfly effect caused several things to change.
    * The pcs were really freaked out by the little girl with the deep voice.
    * Sparrow returned briefly. My favorite NPC.
    * I wanted the time travel to be as realistic as possible. Jalentriel had real motive to want to change the future as he only wanted to save his daughter the whole time.
    * Alexandra bonded with the weapon allowing her to use it.
    * This was a pure RPG session as the PCs winded down.
*   Players took a plus 1 to wisdom and a minute 1 to intelligence because of the memorys


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## DonTadow (Aug 4, 2005)

*Episode 29: Forging a Good Name*

The first day of Payni, 1122

It was well into the season of harvest, Shemu, and the street is quite empty, as many are tending to their harvests, even in this dead of night. Several hooded figures await at air Dock 12. The dock is one of 2 dozen 200-foot tall towers used for docking airships. Travelers use the magical lifters to move up and down from the tower to the streets below. Tonight, some very important cargo was on its way down, awaited by a special wagon marked to an high ranking official of Quarta Set.

This was one of only several shipments allowed to dock into Quarta Set within the last month, after Kesmet of Defense, Paula Searse, was murdered in the outskirts of Quarta Set. The prime suspect is the former Captain of the lower guards in Quarta Set, Syxen, still on the run presumably.

Bianca, Kesmet of Commerce has scheduled this shipment. She knows Syxen is innocent and, overseeing all shipping and trading in Quarta Set, halted all shipments until the murder of Paula Searse was found. However, she used the city’s low resources of spices to schedule an emergency ship to come in and deliver some. There was not a Spice on the ship however, not the Rhapsody V. It was Vivian, Syxen and Alexandria being smuggled back into the Quarta Set in crates. The crates were loaded into the stretched royal shipping wagon. Rin, Nikylik and Bianca got in the wagon after the crates were put in. Two other figures got into the wagon as well, outside help for Bianca. Fenrig Hawitt, a staunch stereotype of your typical air pirate stood a tall 5’10” with heavy green eyes. On his shoulder stood an exotic bird native to Quarta Set, a QS Parrot. A wore a neat green silk shirt with thick blue pantaloons. The other, Barthalemule called “Patches” by his new friend Nikylik, has a heavy patch over his eye. Standing 6 feet even but still had the presence of someone green to smuggling.

Over the course of the month since the murder, Vivian, Syxen and Alexandra were in Skullhorg, getting Syxen’s Falchion repaired. They kept in communication with Bianca through sending stones, enchanted stones you speak into and throw, naming the person you intend them for. They then travel to that person without error and relay the message. Nikylik and Rin spent much time with Bianca, whom revealed to them that she is also leader of the thieves guild in Quarta Set, the Minute Men. By being in charge of all legal and illegal shipments, it helps her regulate and protect innocent citizens and protect others from being exploited. However, since the murder, she has grown suspicious that some of her men may not be loyal, as the assassin whom killed Searse was not native to Quarta Set. She knows everyone whom comes in and out, so someone in her circle was lying. She also knows that Nomarch Timothy Fonswinkle was the one whom hired the assassin. She believes the plan was to frame Syxen to prove once and for all that Forged are not sentient and suffer from malfunctions often.

Bianca ordered the driver, Fenrig, to hurry to her estate. They passed a mob scene of sorts, it seems the Nomarch has used the situation to punish his political rivals as well, saying that they consorted with Syxen. The mob scene is watching the public punishment of a man whom ran against Fonswinkle in the Nomarch election several years ago.

Fenrig quickly rides past the scene and to Bianca’s large home located in the High Common District. They are all escorted into the dining room which has been turned to Bianca’s war room. She has Fenrig read from a scroll to make sure that there were no scrying sensors in the building.

Bianca began to catch up Vivian, Syxen and Alexandria on whatever information she could not get across on the limited sending stones. The small gnome Nikylik climbed onto a chair and said that they party should go and investigate the body of Searse. The initial report in the paper said that Searse was killed by a large Falchion similar to the one that Syxen carries. Bianca, agreed that it was a good idea to obtain the body. A plan was then hatched to travel across the river, where the mausoleums are, and take the body, which was still on stay there. (High Officials bodies are on stay for 30 days before they are sent).

Vivian, Syxen, Alexandria, Rin, Nikylik and their new friends Fenrig and Patches stealthed there way across the river and to the gates of the Official Tombs. Three guards were guarding the tomb that contained Searse’s body. Fenrig began quietly chanting a spell, to check the magical defenses, but the keen ears of one of the guards overheard the murmering. The guard walked to investigate, but before he reached the outside of the gate, Alexandria, wearing Nikylik’s Ring of Disguise, jumped in front of him in the appearance of an old lady. Saying she was the nomarch’s nanny, she pleaded to see the body, despite the guards’ demands to her that it was too late, as the time by now had approached to somewhere between 2 and 3 o’clock. Alexandria insisted, and the guards finally broke down the lady. Vivian appeared worried as she realized Fenrig had not quite seen yet the remaining magical defenses. She used the vanishing ability of her heavy chainmail armor and tried to stealthly follow Alexandria. Unfortunately the large changing brought the attention of the guards. Alexandria walked through the doors of the tomb and her disguise was immediately revealed by the anti-magic field she had walked into action. One of the guards quickly went for his bugle to sound the alarm, but it was quickly knocked out of his hands by Rin. The other guards went after Vivian and Alexandra as the remaining party members jumped into action. Syxen ran into the tomb and grabbed Searse’s body as the other two guards were quickly dispatched by Nikylik’s sleep spell and the fists of Rin and Patches. The third guard ran, yelling loudly and alerting other guards in the area. Though dispatched by a sleep spell, he made enough noise to sound the alarm. The group quickly assembled the guards and stuffed Searse’s body, carefully, into Vivian’s new bag of holding.

Several other guards ran into the tomb area. None of them suspected the witchhunters yet, as their reputation and fame were high in Quarta Set after saving the Nomarch’s children. The party told the guards that they came upon the area to find the guards knocked out and Searse’s body gone. The group managed to leave the area by telling the other guards that they were going to see if they could scout the area and find the culprits.
Back at Bianca’s estate, the party told Bianca what happened. Knowing that they would be identified by the guards once they are awaked, she suggested that all involved in the group go to the Thieve’s Guild Warehouse and investigate the body there. She began breaking things and Patches decked Bianca, to make it appear as if the group had attacked her first.

The party then went to the warehouse where Nikylik, Fenrig and Alexandra used magic, alchemy and divination spells to figure out that the Nomarch died of a poison, not a Falchion.

Nikylik decided to take Patches and investigate the area where Searse’s body was found. There, they discovered a yellow substance on the trees and a perch that may have been used to ambush the Nomarch as he road by.

They went back and relayed the information to the party members, who were being taken care of by Vulture, one of the sub leaders of the Minutemen. The party decided to sleep and rest until the next day.

Upon awakening, Fenrig decided to travel to the docks where he met the dock foreman whom said he knew nothing about any oddities or smuggling of assassins. Fenrig noticed he was being watched by the dock workers and got nervous, as some of them appeared to be minutemen he had seen at the warehouse. Fenrig headed to the alchemists to find out about the poison used and to get the ingredients for the antitoxin. Upon returning he was confronted by a familiar face. Vulture, and several minutemen. Vulture admitted that he was the assassin and that Fenrig should join them. He took off the mask that he had always worn to reveal his true identity, John Swift.

Using his empathy with his parrot, Orchid, Fenrig alerted the party to the folly. At the same time, several minutemen attacked the party in the warehouse. The minutemen stood little match for the experienced party, as they were quickly dispatched.

Fenrig, seeing that he was outnumbered, took a step back and turned into a humming bird. He then used his natural spell ability to cast a spell in the animal form, burning up two of his three attackers with a large fire spell. The third attacker, Vulture, ran towards the warehouse with Fenrig on his tail. Before he could get to the door he was shot with a fireball and met the hilt of Syxen’s Falchion.

The remaining minutemen were killed with the exception of one, whom pleaded for his life. He and Vulture were tied up. With the assasin in custody, Alexandra felt that she may be able to sneak into the temple and get an audience with Vizier Hemptont Ta. If she can convince him, the highest authority, that the Nomarch was up to no good, then Syxen would be free.

Alexandra left for the temple. Hours later she returned with the Vizier along with a dozen guardsmen whom surrounded the party. The Vizier cast a zone of truth and Swift told all about how he was hired by the Nomarch to frame Syxen. Unfortunately he also told of Bianca’s double business as Kesmet of Commerce and a smuggling leader. At this time the commotion at the dock warehouse had raised a small crowd of suspicious onlookers. The Vizier suggested they all go back to the temple and sort this mess out in public court. A special session was held and Fonswinkle was dragged out of his bed and charged with murder, a harsh crime for someone who is real. Syxen was released from any charged related to the murder and the party were reprieved of the deaths of the minutemen.

The party exited the temple and into the wagon that awaited them. Surprisingly, it was Madam Bianca. She explained that the party’s exploits bought her enough time to transfer the submarine ship they will use to get to the elven lands to a new more secure location. The ship is still being refitted and being supplied and will be ready to go in a week.











What awaits the party next season? Find out in three weeks....



Toon in next time!!!

Enjoy images of the characters, NPCs and Villains on the characters page.


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## DonTadow (Aug 4, 2005)

*Episode 29: Director's Commentary*

Directors ' Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * We had a guest player this week Nik, brother of Ashley (Rin). He played Patches and did a great role.
    * As Jalentriel has disappeared, the player playing him is playing a new character Fenrig. More on Fenrig in the next coming week
    * This ran as your typical mystery with a coupld of fun twists.
    * Kudos for Nik for suggesting out of the blue to do an autosophy on the body out of game. It took me by surprise. Way to keep me on my toes.
    * The poisions used were made up and not found in any books.
    * John Swift jumped out of a tree, punctured Searse with a syringe of types, then cut him with an enlarged Falchion.
    * Ironically, all of the minutemen are dead. This will be an important fact in the next adventure.
    * This adventure marks the end of Season 2, which covered the entire time in Quarta Set. The next Season will be entirely in the Elven lands (well mostly at least. A three week break follows this.)
    * There were a number of outstanding role playing moments this episode


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## DonTadow (Aug 4, 2005)

*Episode 30: The Twisted Land of Lanai*

The air smelled of rotten meat on the underwater boat. It had been a rough two months for the crew. Two weeks into the journey, the group found their first stowaway, Paula Searse’s daughter, Alexandria, whom nickname is Dria. Alone and without family in Quarta Set, she followed Syxen to the Quarta Set Docks and stashed away in some crates on the boat, surviving on table scraps.

It has now been two months, the boat submerged underwater a few weeks ago. Clayton, the handy gnome of Sparrow’s crew, nicknamed it a “sub” because it could submerge into the acidic waters of the Chrystarian Oceans.

This particular morning on the ship would not be like the others. Lydia, the ship mage, came down the stairs into the sleeping area on the ship. The area doubled as the cargo hold. There was not as much room on the ship as the other Rhapsodies. Mostly because there were at least 15 people living on the ship. Even Sparrow, normally flirtation and nice, had grown weary of his companions.

The others awoke and went through their morning routines. Alexandra and Vivian prayed. Vivian had seemed to devote herself the last few months to the teachings of Sardior. The Gem God, currently trapped in the body of a little girl, has been spending much time with her. Syxen spent time playing and talking to Dria. Dria has been very clingy to Syxen, obviously her way of mourning her fathers death. Nikylik has been learning the odds and ends of the ship with Clayton.

After Vivian finished her prayers, Rin, finally awoken from her nightmare, rushed Vivian into the engine room as she needed to tell her something quickly.

Madam Bianca came downstairs carrying a small table. The table had bowls of a gritty gray mushy food on it. The food smelled like bacon but obviously look nothing of the sorts.

“Dig in” she said. Untrusting of the food, Syxen asked Alexandria to conjure up different food for them two. Bianca’s father, Clode a large gray haired dwarf , urged Syxen to try the bacon smelling gruel. Syxen seemed amused at the idea, or at least amused for him, and took a small handful.

Nikylik on the other hand disappeared with Clayton, stumbling into Sparrow’s secret stash of Dwarven Ale. Drunk with only a small cup, the two gnomes found a stash of fresh biscuits Sparrow had been hiding, obviously the reason he never shows up for dinner call.

Others joined the table, several men and women Bianca brought on the boat to help man it, along with Fenrig and Patches.

As the crew ate, the air suddenly became unstable. A red electrical field swept the ship. It changed rapidly through the color spectrum and disappeared. Surprisingly, a familiar face sat looking somewhat sleep.

Another stowaway, Xioloch along with a 4 armed winged shadow demon.

Syxen took quick care of the sleeping shadow demon as the remaining crew wrestled Xioloch to the ground. Vivian pressed her sword close to Xiolochs throat and was seconds away from beheading her foe, when once again, the air shimmered.

The setting began to change as Vivian, Syxen, Rin, Nikylik and Alexandra found themselves in some sort rocky valley with the night sky upon them. Vivian recognized it, she was in a familiar place. Omaro’s layer.

The familiar half orc divine agent of Lathander stood out of the shadows.

“Greetings, Vivian. I see you brought new friends,” he said with a joking smirk.

Omaro introduced himself to the group and told him that he was happy that they managed to bring Xioloch/Ustran into the open so that he could trap him. It seems that the villain was not only a thorn in their side, but that the timelords had been looking for the time mage for some time. Omaro snapped his fingers and Xioloch disappeared into the nothingness.

Omaro began to explain how he survived his encounter with Ustran. The two fought for some time with Ustran believing he killed Omaro. However, Omaro played possom, using the time to watch over the Vivian and awaiting Ustran, possessing Xioloch’s body, to come out into the open. Once Xioloch was trapped somewhere he could not teleport away from, on the sub, Omaro used his borrowed Lathander magic to warp everyone there, where he delivered Xioloch to the timelords.

Omaro commended the new group on their actions but warned them to behave more like a team and less bickering. To this he appointed young Nikylik as the spokesperson or leader for the party. He also had another revelation, Vivian and Rin were sisters. Both could not believe it.

“But I look nothing like a a dragon,” said Rin.
“You take more after your mother, “ quipped Omaro. He explained that Blith’s wrath is always followed by the shadow. Just like when Blith attempted to find Vivian in Tilverton. Just like when Rin’s town was engulfed in the shadow dome. Blith wants his daughters for some purpose. Blith is the leader of the shadowdemons.

Omaro warned the party that the elven lands would be dangerous, and warned them to be ware of the Cerebrus. With that, he warped them off.

The party arrived a couple of months later than when they were taken, though only a few minutes had passed. They told Bianca about Omaro’s warnings but she knew nothing of the cerebrus. But Sardior, did. The little girl spoke in her husky voice and explained that the Cerebrus was contained to only a portion of the elven lands when Bianca was there, but it had sense spread to emcompass the entire elven land. Only magical enchantments protect the cities and towns from being swallowed.

A day later, the sub reached its destination. The group, along with several others, opened the hatch of the sub and found that the ship was in a cave devote of water despite being at the bottom of the ocean. Syxen used the sword of lord Regal to find the weak point of the elven shield just as Bianca told him. He then slashed through it, opening a whole for the group to go into. They tracked for weeks through treacherous mountains. After Nikylik meandered the party for some time, Rin took the lead and found the open path Bianca had described.

Though fresh air was refreshing to the group, the awe of the elven lands was fearful. The sky was dark, a deep purple as clouds and masses floated about. The group emeged from a cave in the face of a mountain. Their location, somewhere in a small mountain range. The familiar sound of flesh being torn into could be heard from above. They looked up to find a large black cloud like beast fighting with 5 flying humanoids. Without hesitation, or a plan, Alexandria and Vivian flew up to the ledge the being was on as Syxen and Rin fired arrows. The humanoids, whom appeared to be elves as the group got closer, looked oddly at the party. Vivian used her breath weapon as Alexandria used her array of elemental magic, but nothing seemed to effect the beast. Syxen managed to string three crossbow shots of massive amounts of damage into the creature. It flew towards him, swallowing Nikylik and Syxen. The being prepared to drop Nikylik and Syxen 1,000s of feet to their deaths. Nikylik luckily turned into a bat and flew out of the creatures mouth before he could drop them, but Syxen was not so fortunate. Alexandria rushed to save the forged casting a spell on him to give it wings. Distracted, the mass received a mighty blow from Vivian’s Masamune, causing it to fall to the ground and dissipate.

“Hello,” said Alexandria, hoping the elves would be thankful. But they flew away ignoring the group all together.

“Ungrateful” muttered Syxen.

The group, those who cannot fly, used the ropes and climbing gear to make their way down the mountain. After reaching the bottom, the morning had arrived. They proceeded out of the mountain range but found themselves lost as to the direction of the nearest village. The landscape was a twisted cauldron of evil. The rocks had faces of people in agony. The grass moved and scurried. The trees twisted with rot and looked as if they were eyeing the pcs. The PCs were amist in the Cerebrus.



The party will encounter a new foe for this next episode, plus Rika, the player who runs Vivian will be running the campaign.



Toon in next time!!!

Enjoy images of the characters, NPCs and Villains on the characters page.


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## DonTadow (Aug 4, 2005)

*Episode 31: ??? and ???? and ???? Oh My!!!!*

The adventurers awoke to humid, still air. The night was not restful, as they were attacked by more strange black clouds. They managed to fend them off, but were starting to feel the events of the day. Immediately they noticed they had not felt as rested as normal, like they did not get any rest at all. In any event they decided to pick up and head along the road.

'Well, we need to look for Sardior, where should we begin', asked Vivian in a deeper than usual husky voice. 'I remember that voice...where is Vivian', demanded Nikylik. 'I have taken over to help you find Sardior. That incompetent woman' (he takes off her bra, feeling a little freer afterwards) 'has lost track of her God. I have to make sure that Sardior is returned to us, obviously Shiva and I can't leave that task to you bunch of misfits.' As he and Nikylik chat about that time when Vivian and Nikylik switched bodies, Rin notices rustling in the thick brush far off the path. She stopped, and the rest did the same.

'Shhh, listen", she said, as she crept along the path following the sound. Before the others could hear the noise, Rin jumped into the thicket and grabbed the woman that had been following them along the path. They stumbled onto the path, where the others could see them. As Rin tried to talk to the woman while wrestling with her, the others rushed to their side. Only Infrit could understand her.

'Who are you and why are you following us', he asked. The struggling woman broke free of Rin's grasp. Syxen immediately rushed in after, and helped pin the woman to the ground while the others drew their weapons and surrounded them.

'I am Sadiyah, and I was not following you', she replied in elven. 'I meant you no harm, until you tackled me to the ground and drew your weapons on me'. Feeling that the threat had been neutralized, Syxen and Rin let her off the ground. Where are you going', asked Infrit.

'I am delivering a message to someone in Hyvenshire', she responded. They continue their conversation in elven as the rest of the group appears impatient and frustrated, 'what are you talking about, who is she, where is she going', they demand, for none of them speak elven. The group looks at Infrit for translation.

'This is going to be a long road to Hyvenshire.' 'Hyvenshire, why are we going there, what’s in Hyvenshire', they ask, almost in unison. 'We need to look for Sardior. We are going to Hyvenshire, right?' as Infrit asks the question, the group hesitates until Nikylik answers reluctantly

'Yes, we are going to Hyvenshire.' Infrit translates to Sadiyah that the group wishes to travel with her to the small town and she agrees, while they continue along the path.

Sadiyah knows the dark clouds and humidity in the air spell trouble. 'There's a storm coming fast, we must take shelter immediately she tells Infrit, and leads the group to a safe cave to let the storm pass. While spending the night in the cave, Nikylik spars with Syxen with the new mace given to him by Omaro. He notices that it lights up when he strikes with it.

'Ooooooh, pretty', he says. Rin watches Sadiyah from afar, while Alexandra tries a new spell. Alexandra tries and tries, but the spell just doesn't seem to want to work. 'Curious', she says. Everyone tries to help figure out why, but to no avail. As the storm moves through, the group exits the cave and returns to the path toward Hyvenshire. Up ahead, Sadiyah spots a cage with an elf inside, yelling for help. The others hear the cries for help and wonder what they should do about it. Sadiyah is against helping, Nikylik is as well, but changes his mind when he thinks how it would be to the groups’ advantage to have a 'local' as a friend. They approach the meager cell. A 3x3 tangle of thorn covered branches.

'How did you end up in there', asks Rin.

'I came upon an adventuring group and their wizard thought it would be funny to leave me this way. Please help me, get me out of here'. Nikylik searched the cage for a lock or some opening to free the elf, but pricked himself in the process on one of the thorns and began mumbling incessantly about a ball of some sort. Syxen and Infrit take turns striking at the cage while the ash covered elf cowered inside, but their weapons did no damage to the cage. ‘How do we free you’ asks Syxen. The elf starts babbling and then he starts to make a little sense, like rhyming. Nothing like Jalentriel used to do in song, as they remembered, but something similar…at first it sounds pretty nonsensical, but then they realized it was a riddle that explained the item he needed to free himself..

After some pondering, Sadiyah determines that they need to find a nest to help the elf escape. Rin spots a couple flying creatures in the air, and gets a good idea of where they might be nesting. Nikylik, having gathered his senses, volunteers to go in search of a nest, and Rin follows closely behind. He climbs halfway up a humongous tree when suddenly he is pricked again by a thorn. This time he resists its poison, but decides to fly up the rest of the way and spies a nest out the corner of his eye.

‘It’s pretty big, too big for me. I’ll have to let one of the others grab it.’ He flies down, tells Infrit, Sadiyah, and Alexandra about the nest he found, and Alexandra decides to summon her huge viper to retrieve it for her. The snake obeys, getting pricked along the way, and delivers the large nest to Alexandra, who in turn gives it to Syxen. Syxen goes out to the road and puts the nest on top of the cage. Instantly the cage disappears, the elf says a relieved ‘Thank you’ and flies away. Sadiyah notices that it appeared as if an angel had flown away. Nikylik investigated the area of the cage and finds a silver key with celestial elven markings on it. Infrit makes out the number ‘6’ and asks that he carry it. The group instantly feels as if they’ve had an entire night’s rest, and they continue along the path.

After traveling awhile, Rin and Sadiyah both hear another rustling in the thick undergrowth along the side of the road. Before they can act, they realize they are surrounded by many tiny claw-like creatures with flattened human heads as backs. The claw creatures attack Rin and Sadiyah, attaching themselves to both and began draining fluid out of their heads. Those that don’t attack begin making a bone chilling noise, like teeth chattering, that disturbs Nikylik to the point that he cannot move or speak. Infrit walks to Rin, grabs the claw creature off her head and bites it in half. Sadiyah struggles to remove the creature from her head, but cannot grasp it. The creatures advance on the party and attack Rin, Nikylik, Alexandria, and Clayton.

The rest continue to make the horrid chattering noise. Rin and Nikylik manage to grab the creatures off their heads, but Sadiyah cannot remove the one on her, and she is now starting to feel the urge to kill herself as the creature drains fluid from her skull. Alexandra creates a fire beetle swarm to kill the creatures on Alexandria and Clayton, and kills Clayton in the process. Alexandria is injured and is picked up by Syxen and carried off the path where he waits with her. A creature attaches itself to Alexandra and another to Nikylik, while the few remaining make the disgusting noise. They are easily dispatched, but one implants the ‘death urge’ in Alexandra’s mind. She tries to do harm to herself, but the others manage to hold her down long enough for the feeling to pass. Nikylik searches the surrounding area and finds several decomposing elf bodies and a few items and strange looking coins in the thick brush.

What does that key unlock?
Is the road to Hyvenshire filled with creatures like these?
Will the pc’s make it to Hyvenshire?

Tune in next week!

Enjoy images of the characters, NPCs and Villains on the characters page.


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## DonTadow (Aug 4, 2005)

*Episode 30: and 31 Director's Commentary*

Directors ' Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * Fenrig's on leave of absence.
    * This was a very lighthearted adventure. The pcs broke character a few times but after a few weeks off we needed something fun like this.
    * Pcs were contacted over the three week break with different pieces of information.
    * The Rin and Vivian being sisters thing was something I thought the pcs would find out last season after i left subtle clues in the dialogue of some npcs.
    * Bianca traveled to the elven kingdom 200 years ago.
    * The cerebrus comes from the April magazine of Dragon. The large creature was the nightseed from that episode.
    * Ustran was said in this episode to anger the timelords, though the pcs did not question what crimes he committed.
    * There was much fun had with the subject of 'innocence". A great conversation between Syxen and Dria about why Syxen won't try to "get with" priestess Alexandria.
    * Some great role playing moments. Nikylik rolled a 28 on a fortitude save for the nightseed that needed a 28. However, when he changed into the bat, he forgot to add his dex, which we later resolved with an action card use. 

   * The elven lands have a different calender system and not too many young elves speak common 
   *  Directors ' Commentary

    * Want to see images of this episode, go to the Characters Gallery
    * Fenrig's on leave of absence.
    * Sherika- the character who plays Vivian- DM'ed this adventure
    * I played the spirit of the Masamune taking control of her


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