# Zad/Wizardru's Story Hour (*final update 11/12*)



## Zad

*Zad/Wizardru’s Story Hour*

*Prologue*
Greetings! And welcome to the new story hour!

Some of you are new readers, while others are surely coming here based on your enjoyment (I hope) of the old story hour. Wizardru’s Story Hour (a.k.a. The Savage Sword of Meepo) chronicled a campaign that spanned about six years of real time, in which our characters started from humble (i.e. first level) beginnings and eventually walked among the gods themselves. But all stories must come to an end, and so it was with this one. 

And now the same group of people begin a new campaign. This campaign will take place in Greyhawk, in the Shackled City setting. It is the same world/plane as the prior campaign, but about twelve years have passed since the conclusion of the last campaign. Time has marched on, and so we see changes in the world.

Generally, peace has settled over the lands of the Flanaess. There are of course isolated conflicts here and there, but nothing like the large scale wars that the prior few years had seen. Iuz continues to be a plague to the northern Flanaess, but he has been effectively contained. The Shield lands have been repopulated, albeit sparsely. The Horned Society has re-established itself over the Bone Marches and their previous territory but have had a truce with Iuz (they have enough common enemies as it is). The Scarlet Brotherhood has risen in power once again, but has not troubled the north so far.

The Grey Guild (the guild of wizards and other magic users) has regained much of its former strength, but many arcanists avoid membership fearing another culling of the mages. Guild Minister Scorch himself made it a rule that involvement in the Grey Guild automatically precludes membership in any other magical society – a policy shared by similar organizations.

Eight years ago, the magical barrier known only as the Interdiction was apparently eased, for reasons quite unknown to most. Tales of the mysterious Judges and Baliffs are a source of academic curiosity, but only the most powerful wizards or clerics even know of their existence, or the changes that occurred. 

Meanwhile the sect of the Church of Pelor that follows Saint Dravot has grown strong and it is not uncommon to find the Living Saint’s disciples among the worshippers of Pelor.

*Introductions*
The easy ones first: I am Zad, the author of the story (and the prior one.) Wizardru is the DM of this (and the prior) campaign. All the same players are back, and I’ve noted their ENWorld ID next to the character name so you know who’s who. All the players read and post here, so don’t be surprised to hear from them.

In the prior story hour, the story was told through the journal entries of Kayleigh. In this story, there is a slightly different perspective.

*Astrid Grace MacKenzie of the Bearkiller Clan:* Astrid is name this changeling fighter uses in her preferred persona, a human female with red hair and green eyes. She grew up on the streets of Greyhawk as part of a small enclave of changelings. She joined the town watch before signing on with a mercenary unit, where she met Elizabeth (see below). Astrid is very reluctant to let anyone know her true identity, but will eventually confide in those she trusts. She worships St. Dravot as part of her persona but not her true beliefs. (Fighter, played by Dravot.)

*Diamondshard Glyphandar:* The prodigal son of the Illumian Cabal
Diamondshard. 6'2" and 210 pounds. Glyf is addicted to morning calisthenics. Normally he keeps his snow white hair in a buzz cut with a short vandyke beard. Like all Illumians Glyf seeks knowledge, but unlike them he seeks something else as well. (Artificer, played by Argent.)

*Elizabeth Cartwright:* Elizabeth was a farm girl from Keoland who wanted off the farm. She ran off with a group of passing mercenaries as a camp girl, but was instructed by a company mage who sensed she had the potential for more. The mercenary unit dissolved recently and she and her friend Astrid were close enough to Cauldron to head there to look for more work. (Psychic Warrior, played by Zad.)

*Krisfallion:* A wandering worshipper of Phaulkon (a Suel diety of the air and archery). He wanders the land as a mercenary/priest teaching archery and fletching to soldiers in the armies he serves in. “Free like the clouds” is his philosophy. Originally from the Storm Coast, Krisfallion claims he was a student of the famous hermit Tarnedas, despite that notable’s disappearance decades ago. Krisfallion has wandered randomly throughout the Flanaess, following the clouds, migrating birds, or just flipping a coin when he comes to a split in the road. (Cleric, played by Scorch.)

*Maris Elohra Banozard:* A bookish young girl of 15, she is the daughter of a nearby merchant family of some means. She’s very bright but also rather naive. She has a rat familiar, Penelope. (Wizard, played by Valanthe.)

*Bellsin:* Bellsin can tell you very little about Bellsin. He has no memory and no information save a note in his pocket implying that was his name. His appearance and manner mark him as a desert man. (Spellthief, played by Aethramyr.)

*Tzaddik:* An elven ranger, of the habit of wandering in the forrests near Cauldron. (Ranger, played by Oldschool1e).  Tzaddik died during Zenith Trajectory.

*Ramir:* It occurs to me that someday I should learn something about Ramir so I can write it here. (Elven duskblade, played by Oldschool1e as Tzaddik's replacement)


Originally this was posted about a few of our characters. I include it for posterity:

*Maris:* Maris is not so much notable for her skills as she is for her attire – she insists on wearing squeaky clown shoes wherever she goes. This makes stealth all but impossible for her but she insists on it, citing the devotion to her diety – Jeff, the God of Biscuits. Maris owns a pet rat, and there is reason to believe the rat is the brains of the outfit. (Wizard, played by Valanthe.)

*Bellsin:* Very little is known about Bellsin. This is not due to a mysterious past but simply because he’s a drunken sot. On the few occasions he is able to articulate actual words, he tends to go on about being a chief of a powerful kobold tribe who was polymorphed into something even less savory. (Spellthief, played by Aethramyr.)

(Editor’s note: The astute reader may notice that some of the descriptions are somewhat less… credible than others. The reason is simple: all players were requested to send a few lines introducing their character. Those that did not instead got that information provided by me.  No doubt this information will be edited to something more suitable once the information is provided.)


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## Zad

This post reserved for future use


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## Zad

This post also reserved for future use.


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## Zad

*Life's Bazaar - Chapter 1*

*Life’s Bazaar*

*Life’s Bazaar – Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
Experience is 450 exp.


This Week’s Adventure:
I was starting to get worried. Now that I stop to think about it, I don’t ever recall being “worried” before. It was a strange sensation and not really one I enjoyed. 

Having observed Astrid and Elizabeth for some months now, it was pretty obvious to me that they were worried too. And they weren’t enjoying it either.

From what I understand, Elizabeth had run away from the farm and considering that start did fairly well. She tagged along with a mercenary band, first as a camp servant. But over time she learned to fight and a little more. And she became friends with Astrid. I admit at first I was wary of her, and doubly so when I learned her changeling nature. But they were two peas in a pod, and they became friends. 

So when then the mercenary company they were with disbanded, it was natural that they would stick together, broke and jobless as they were. Elizabeth was at a loss for what to do next but Astrid proved to be a good friend to have. 

There was a clique of half-orcs in the mercenary band. Generally speaking, they were vile, fickle, and rude. And they certainly didn’t give the girls anything but a hard time and a lot of leering. Of course, after the first time the “girls” cracked a few skulls, the half-orcs learned to keep their paws to themselves and leer from a distance, and not too loudly at that. While the half-orcs were not a problem, there was certainly no spirit of cooperation flowing from them either. Enter Astrid - her… talents allowed her to listen in on the talk of the half-orcs in the mercenary group and they were sure there was work to be found to the south in the city of Cauldron. Armed with that information, and without any better ideas, the girls set out for the city that sprang up in the volcano. And I followed. It’s what I do.

The pay they had received was barely enough to get them there. Once they arrived, they took a room at the Drunken Morkoth Inn. I was starting to wonder what a morkoth was (and what happened when it got drunk), but the girls stopped short as soon as they walked in and immediately started to worry. 

What they saw when they walked in was an inn – patrons, an innkeeper, and so on. This wasn’t, I gathered, what worried them. It was what they didn’t see. If you want to recruit mercenaries, you put on your best weapons and go to a low-class inn, and hang around. And as you recruit, the new blood tends to hang out there drinking until it’s time to leave. And word spreads, and more recruits show up. Any other mercenaries looking for new recruits goes where the others are gathered, and soon you have a giant labor pool of drunk fighters and recruiters all in the same place.

And what Astrid and Elizabeth didn’t see were drunks. And they knew right away they had a problem. Personally, I assumed they were just in the wrong bar. But a day later, after following them all over this maze of a town, I started to get worried as well. Nobody was recruiting – there weren’t even any mercenary companies in town. And from what I overheard, the girls were not exactly experiencing a heavy cash surplus – they didn’t expect to be able to eat in another day or two unless they found work. Fortunately, St. Cuthbert saw fit to provide salvation.

Which in this case was a scream.

The scream came from down an alley. What I was at first was sure was a woman crying out for help was in fact a priest of some sort, the symbol of St. Cuthbert hanging from his neck. The fact that his scream was in a high falsetto could be excused since there were three thugs that were beating the tar out of him.

“And stay away from the orphanage! You understand priest?!? Stay away from it!!”

There were none of the town watch around, and Astrid and Elizabeth just looked at each other and shrugged and freed their weapons. They both have good hearts, but I think the idea that this might lead to paying work with someone was higher in their minds to tell the truth. Astrid nodded silently to the right of the alleyway at a man. He was sitting on a barrel, with his feet up on another barrel lounging around and eating some kind of meat on a stick. Astrid thought he was a lookout but he seemed as startled by the scream as anyone. He tossed aside his meatsicle and stood up and stretched and in the same motion strung a bow with an ease that was disturbing. With that he moved towards the alley a step behind the girls.

As the girls stepped into the alley, one of the thugs who was taking a less active role in the beating turned on them.

“Just keep walking. This ain’t none of your business,” he said, his hand hovering near a long knife. The man was of the general common thug variety, but he, like his companions, was wearing black and white makeup on his face in some kind of theatrical style. Not exactly low-profile.

From what I could see from my vantage point, there was some interest from other passers-by at the other end of the alley, and a similar threat was made.

Astrid looked at Elizabeth and shrugged, as if to say “What about the lookout?” Elizabeth shrugged back, implying “Eh. If he doesn’t run, we’ll pummel him too.” And they charged. Astrid stepped up to the goon and cracked him in the head with her halberd and Elizabeth followed that with a quick cut to the leg and the man staggered on his feet. He turned to run but his injured leg cut out as soon as he put weight on it and he collapsed in the dirt. As he fell, an arrow went whizzing between the girls, loosed by the “lookout”. While it was somewhat close to them, it was a far closer shot to the third thug in the middle of the alley, who just barely avoided getting hit. 

At the other end of the alley, whoever was there was also not backing down. I could make out a large human, and a young girl. The thug there had drawn his blade and cut the large human, and it was clear neither him nor the girl made their living with a sword.

The girls rushed the middle thug. Astrid swung but the goon twisted aside. Sadly for him that put him in position for Elizabeth, who decided to make sure the man couldn’t kill the priest. She put her mental energy into her blade as she hit and cut a massive gash across his chest. He too tried to run before collapsing on the ground and bleeding profusely.

The “lookout” dashed forward and checked on the priest, making him either uninvolved in the mugging or a great actor. The third thug, scuffling now with three people at the alley mouth, decided to run. There was a brief chase, but the large human managed to get ahead of him and club the man as he tried to run by in a panic.

The thug was dragged back to where the priest was recovering his wits. First, he made sure to perform some healing magic on the thugs to be sure they didn’t die. The young girl called the city watch while the others talked to the priest.

“Thank you so much for your help. I had thought these thugs from the Last Laugh intended to rob me but they seemed to have been sent to give me a warning instead. But I’m not sure why.”

It was what he didn’t say that was more interesting. He was clearly shocked by the amount of lethality they used to save him. He may have been grateful, but his sense of justice did not abide killing these goons for beating him up. 

There were six people who had stopped to help the acolyte. Besides the girls, there was the large human, who was not human at all. The glowing runes floating about his head marked him as Illumian, at least by reputation. There was the “lookout”, a human in his thirties who handled his bow far too well to have been new to it. There was another human man who had been at the far end of the alley out of sight, and the young girl. She was about old enough to marry and she had the look of an apprentice of some kind. 

“My name is Rufus Laroe. I’m an acolyte of St. Cuthbert,” he said, still trying to recover his wits.

“I’m Astrid Grace MacKenzie of the Bearkiller Clan,” Astrid said, though why she always insisted on that whole name was beyond me. “And this is Elizabeth Cartwright.”

The lookout smiled and just said “Krisfallion.”

The Illumian was Diamondshard Glyphandar – Glyf – and the girl he was with was Maris. I noticed that Glyf was leading a pack mule and seemed to be a bit too attached to it. The other human was Bellsin.

Astrid asked “What is this orphanage they mentioned, and why are they wearing makeup?”

“The Last Laugh is the local thieves’ guild. That is what you might call their ‘professional’ costume when they’re doing official business. As for the orphanage, I’m more confused there. I was investigating some kidnappings from the orphanage but I’m not sure why they would care about that at all. Nonetheless I am fearful they might attack again. I thank you deeply for your help but I fear I must ask if you might see fit to escort me back to my temple. I’m sure the acting high-priestess will reward you for your kindness.”

The word “reward” was all the girls needed. They would have done it anyway, though they might not admit it. But they still needed to eat. Krisfallion shrugged with the look of a man with nothing better to do, so he was up for the walk. The others were slower to get on board but ultimately they realized it was too late to attend to whatever other business they had and we set off for the church.

The girls spread out front and back, and the group tried to look inconspicuous, although this late at night such a large group was bound to attract attention. On the way, Rufus, perhaps feeling the need to fill the silence, explained more about the abductions. “There have been a string of disappearances recently, but these were the most recent. Four children, stolen away into thin air! The orphanage was barred and locked you see, but the children were taken all the same. Two boys and two girls, stolen from their locked dormitories.”

“You lock the children up at night?” Maris asked, slightly disturbed by this.

“Well, you must understand it is simply to prevent them getting into mischief,” Rufus replied. “But it didn’t stop whoever took them. There was no sign of entry or exit, and nobody saw anything. The acting high cleric of my church has publicly vowed to resolve the matter, even committing a powerful artifact to the effort.”

There was more chatter on the subject of the children, but all it really served to show was how little Rufus had been able to discover so far. The most telling bit of information was the one he seemed to be trying to forget – that the Last Laugh had felt this was important enough to rough him up over.

We arrived at the church – an impressive building of stone and some wood. Rufus had us wait in a chamber while he spoke to an acolyte who took his cloak. Rufus withdrew and soon enough the acolyte returned with warm spiced wine and bread and cheese. Before too long, Rufus returned with another priest – a woman in her early forties. At her side was a mace that seemed more suitable for ceremony than battle. 

“Greetings. My name is Jenya Urikas. I am the acting senior cleric here. Our High Priest is currently away on business. I hope you will all accept my thanks for the aid you rendered. Saint Cuthbert will see Justice done on the perpetrators.”

She asked them to sit, and she repeated many of the details that Rufus had. “There have been disappearances starting almost ninety days ago. They have received little attention from the city guard, and have disturbed me greatly. The people come from all walks of life and we can see no common link between them. But the children bothered me most. I have committed to brining the perpetrators to justice and bringing the resources of Saint Cuthbert to bear on this.”

She drew out the mace. “This is the Star of Justice, enchanted by the Church with the gift of prophecy. Once a week, I may ask a question and receive an answer. I asked where the children could be found. In response, I received a riddle. This is most unusual – the answer is usually very straightforward according to my research.”

_The locks are the key to finding them. Look beyond the curtain, below the cauldron. Beware the doors with teeth. Descend into the malachite ‘hold, where precious life is bought with gold. Half a dwarf binds them, but not for long._

Whereas most of the others listened closely, Astrid fidgeted while Elizabeth just enjoyed the wine and tried to look interested. They didn’t understand why they were being told all this – they were just hoping for enough of a reward to keep looking for more work or at best a short job. They couldn’t see that they were being set up for something bigger. Luck has a way of working like that. 

Elizabeth made a clumsy stab at fishing for a job. “You may find it prudent to have Rufus escorted when he goes out on his investigations. It is likely that the Last Laugh will try again, and with more force.”

Jenya frowned. “Their involvement is most troubling in this matter. I can see no sense in it. However it has clearly shown that we are ill-equipped to investigate this matter. But I have committed us, and we will see it through. To that end… “ (here it comes, I thought) “I believe we will need agents to handle this.”

The girls exchanged a quick look, and they were in. A job was a job was their thinking. I was more concerned however – this sounded dangerously close to “adventuring”, a career path noted for its high rewards and even higher mortality rate. 

The old mercenary joke goes: “A son says to his father ‘I want to grow up and become and adventurer!’ and the father says ‘Well you can’t have it both ways son – which is it?’”

Krisfallion was also in. He seemed the type that liked to try the more interesting road. Glyf had other business in the city and was hesitant. He had some business at the Blue Crater Academy – the local mage guild and Maris was already a student there. Jenya carefully explained to them that the doors of Blue Crater open only to keys of gold, and to pursue their studies they would require money – more money than they had. They were convinced.

Bellsin was more difficult to fathom. He seemed lost and not entirely clear on even what city he was in. But he too slowly signed on.

Jenya seemed pleased that Saint Cuthbert had provided. “I can offer you these magical potions of healing to help you. If you can find the four children and bring them back, the church will reward you 2,500 gp. “

No doubt about it now – this was adventuring. 

Elizabeth tried to look as if this was merely adequate, but failed miserably. The fact was this was more money than a mercenary was likely to see in a few years worth of campaigning. Whatever their story, the impact was lost on none of them.

The group left with the text of the riddle, a list of the victims, the potions, and the promise of whatever help and influence the church could offer. They returned Maris to the academy then the rest of them went to the Drunken Morkoth. In the morning they met back up and set out for the orphanage.

The bell was answered by a halfling woman. She seemed cranky at first, but softened when she realized the group was there to help, and had been sent by Jenya. Her name was Gretchin Tashek, and she was in charge of the orphanage. 

Gretchin was very helpful, but there was little more she could tell. She did mention that the first day after the disappearances, the town guard investigated. The second day, two half-elves were asking questions. They claimed to be from the mayor’s office, and were very smooth-talking. Neither group turned up anything useful so far.

The orphanage was quite secure – locked doors and dormitories, and the windows all with bars. The only key was on a necklace Gretchin wore. The locks were carefully inspected by Bellsin, who seemed educated in such matters, and he noted they were very high quality. Almost too high for the orphanage.

“The locks were made years ago by Kheegan Ghelve – he’s the local locksmith, and quite talented. They cost a pretty penny too, but they’ve always worked well.”

“Until now…” observed Bellsin.

Krisfallion wandered off and started chatting with the staff.  He settled on the half-orc janitor named Patch as someone of interest. Krisfallion had a way about him, and the half-orc started to open up. Perhaps it was guilt too – we mentioned the attack on Rufus and Patch seemed to feel bad that things had gone so far.

“Patch like drink. That not wrong,” Patch said. “Patch like drinking with Revus Twindaggers. He ask Patch to keep an eye on Terrem,” mentioning one of the missing children. “Pay patch fifty gold. Patch not know why. Not say to hurt him – tell Patch to look out for him. Patch not think anything wrong with that.” Patch started talking faster as the guilt began forcing words out of his mouth. “Maybe Terrem’s parents – they both dead. Patch not know. Patch only think Revus mentioned parents because Revus was drunk. Patch keep eye on Terrem for a year now. Patch not think it important.”

I had never seen a half-orc cry, but Patch seemed mighty close. 

It seemed that Revus would find Patch, rather than them arranging to meet or anything more formal. It also seemed that Revus was part of the Last Laugh.

So they had two leads to look in to – the Last Laugh, and the locks. Finding Revus would likely prove difficult so they first set out to the locksmith. I don’t think they expected much to come of it, but it was something at least to eliminate.

They found the shop without too much trouble – turned out to be around the corner from the Blue Crater Academy. They entered and were greeted by Keygan Ghelve.

It took me at least thirty seconds to believe what I was seeing. Ghelve was a gnome but he walked around on stilts. His pants were cut appropriate, and he looked like nothing so much as a human child in a growth spurt.

The group asked questions, doing their best not to sound like they were accusing the gnome of anything but still watching him closely for any signs of guilt. Astrid plopped herself into a chair and made it clear that she wasn’t leaving until they had their questions answered. Keygan had been in business for many years and had done a great deal of business as the primary locksmith in town. Even if all the victims had disappeared from beneath his locks, they were so prevalent that it couldn’t really be considered odd.

_The locks are the key to finding them Look beyond the curtain._

Now I should mention that the prophecy of the Star of Justice mentioned locks, but nobody thought too much on it. Questions were asked about underground lakes and such – that’s the way of prophecies; they can’t be taken too literally. But it wasn’t the locks that intrigued Elizabeth and some of the others.

It was the curtain. The big, heavy, red velvet curtain that hung in a doorway in the shop. Suddenly it was very important to know what’s beyond that curtain. I have to admit I was curious myself.

Maris had an idea for that, in the form of a rat. I had assumed Maris was some kind of spellcaster to be training at the Academy, but the rat made me sure she was a fledgling wizard. And so Penelope the rat was sent around the counter to see what lie beyond.

Penelope saw another room with stairs leading to an upper-level balcony. In the room were three chests, and a strange mechanical gizmo with whirling gears and things. Nothing overly unusual to be sure. Penelope returned.

Elizabeth couldn’t get over that curtain though. It was too much. And despite not actually being all that bright, she can be rather intuitive at times. “So are there master keys to your locks?”

“No. If a key were lost, I’d have to examine the lock to fashion a new one,” he replied, indicating a massive display of keys on the wall of the shop. And then he looked over his shoulders at the curtain, using only his eyes.

I was worried Elizabeth had missed it, but she hadn’t. Not bright, but intuitive. “So you know of no easy way to bypass your locks?”

“None,” he said. And looked again. “I make such a wide variety of door and chest locks.”

Bellsin, knowing there were chests behind the curtain, asked “Chest locks. Interesting. Do you have any examples?”

“Right back here,” Keygan said, doing his level best to stay cool. He thought someone was watching and could not even hint now.

Keygan began discussing the intricacies of the chest locks with Bellsin while the others wandered about the back room. Elizabeth was intrigued by the gizmo near the stairs. Which seemed innocent enough, until a thin blade suddenly pierced her back and came out her chest.

A figure crouched on the stairs, holding the blade. It wore some kind of blue-green fabric all over, or perhaps it was just its hide. It didn’t make even a hint of a sound as it pulled its sword out of Elizabeth who fell back against the wall, staggered.

The small back-room was not a good place for a fight, and everyone was tripping over each other as they tried to move back and forth to attack the creature. A number of failed attacks from the front opened the opportunity for Astrid to strike upward through the railing, piercing the creature in the kidney. Even as it died, it still didn’t make a sound.

Elizabeth was very nearly dead. She couldn’t risk trying to drink the potion while the creature was alive, but as it fell she quickly swallowed the sweet liquid and the wound closed over.

“Oh it’s been a nightmare!” moaned Keygan. “They came into the store and they took Starbrow. I can sense him beneath me somewhere. A mile. He’s frightened and hungry.”

“Your familiar?” Maris asked.

Keygan nodded and sobbed. “My rat. They threatened him. There were two kinds – ones like that one – taller. And then the smaller ones. They don’t wear clothes, and have no hair. I’ve never been able to figure if they were men or women. They change color and are hard to see. Normally there are two or three here together but only one guards me during the day. They go out into the streets on rainy or cloudy nights.” Keygan was blathering now.

“There are skeleton keys. I gave them a set that would open most of my locks. I had to! They were going to kill Starbrow! One of the tall ones carries the keys on a silver ring. They came from Jzadirune.”

The group all looked at him blankly. 

“Oh right. You wouldn’t know. It’s a small gnomish enclave beneath the city. It was abandoned 75 years ago due to a magical plague called the Vanishing. It caused people to slowly fade away into nothingness. I’m not sure if it’s still there or not. But the enclave was abandoned. There’s only one way in and you’re standing next to it. It’d been so long ago I had forgotten the passage was there, until they came.”

“Hm,” Kris said. “Well then that’s where we have to go.”

Keygan finally saw some hope. “Oh please, can you rescue Starbrow? I can give you a copy of my father’s map! It’s not marked but better than nothing. Be careful of the doors though – they’re trapped to harm anyone who is not a gnome.”

Bellsin was concerned. “Tell us more about the doors.”

“They’re giant gears you see. They only work for gnomes.”

_Beware the doors with teeth._

“Alright. That’s certainly where the trail leads so to find the victims, that’s where we go,” Astrid said calmly. 


Loot:
Rapier
Light crossbow
Thunderstone
20 bolts
dark colored cloak


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## Zad

*Shackled City Beginnings: Krisfallion*

It is the Common Year 605, and the winds of change blow across the world. Never one to set down roots, you had few attachments to let go of when you fled to the Headlands during the Scarlet Brotherhood's invasion of your homeland, lo those many years ago. You were one of the lucky ones. Their cruel dominance of the region was only exceeded by their torching of the many of Onnwal's larger towns as they were driven out. A young refugee you found yourself traveling along north, and then following the shore and letting the wind drive you. You soon found yourself traveling throughout the north of Onnwal, in the small valleys and fishing villages known as the Storm Coast. Here, the wind was the master of your fate; here, Phaulkon was supreme. Wise men learned to heed his signs; certainly every fisher manchecked the skies before starting his days work, whether he sailed up the Gearnat or into Relmor Bay.

But with no family, you found yourself wandering and seeking purpose. Days were spent with lazy fishing, nights spent sheltering in caves. Then one day, a terrible storm raged like you had never seen, catching you on a long stretch of beach with no shelter. That was when you spied the strange old man, crouched on a tall rock in the surf, buffeted by the waves. Surely he was half-mad and likely to fall and drown! You dived into the pounding waves, struggling to rescue him with no thought of your own safety. The storm was too powerful, and soon you feared you would drown yourself...when the old man grabbed you and pulled you to safety with a strength that belied his years. Exhausted, you collapsed.

When you woke, you found the old man had moved you to a cave that was vast but dry and warm. Once more he perched on a rock...like a bird, you thought. It was then that you noticed the dozens of seagulls, sparhawks, whiskeyjacks that were perched about him, all staring at you, silently. This was the Parliament of Birds. This was Tarnedas, priest of Phaulkon. Under his tutelage, you found direction in non-direction. He taught you of the bow and the birds, of the winds and the ways of war, that you might help remove the Scarlet plague from your country. Then he sent you on your way. Though you helped the rebellion, the Scarlets had already been beaten back by the time Tarnedas judged you ready.

When you returned to him, he told you thus:

"Live your life like a cloud. Let the winds blow you where they may; do good when you can. Give shade to those who need it, bring rain when it the earth is thirsty and warm winds when it is cold and cold winds when it is warm. Phaulkon will guide your steps to where you need to be."

And so you left him, and started your journey. And when a ship pulled away from the docks, you were the one who jumped across the gap onto its moving deck. When the captain asked where you were bound, you flipped him a coin and said, "let the wind decide." And so it did. When the ship docked as Sasserine, you followed the wind south and west, until you found yourself passing through the town of Redgorge. From there, you made your way to the city of Cauldron, because that was where the wind blew you. It is your first day in Cauldron, and the rains have begun.


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## Zad

*Life's Bazaar - Chapter 2*

*Life’s Bazaar – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes:
Experience is 300.

We’re joined by a new character – Tzaddik. I’ll amend the introduction and give some details once his character design stabilizes. During the actual game he was a ranger but that might change or be refined.


This Week’s Adventure:
Just as they were getting ready to descend into the darkness, there was a loud knock at the door. Keegan nearly jumped out of his skin and wouldn’t go out. Astrid went and opened the door and found an elf there.

“Are you Astrid?” he asked. “The church of St. Cuthbert sent me to help. My name is Tzaddik.” As evidence of his claim, he held up one of the marked potion bottles that Jenya had given the others.

Since the church was ordering this mission, there was little argument offered if they wanted to send along extra help. Tzaddik was filled in on the discoveries to date and of the passage below.

Looking him over, I wasn’t impressed. He carried a bow lightly in his hand, but looked as if he’d been in the wilds for some time and just arrived. But then again, this group as a whole wasn’t that impressive to look at so he hardly seemed out of place.

They lit lanterns and sunrods and descended the stone stairs. It was completely dark, and filled with dust and cobwebs, and it seemed I was the only one who wondered why there were so many cobwebs given the traffic these stairs were reputed to have seen lately. The stairs went down three flights and emptied into a large room. The room was far more interesting if you just didn’t look at it.

To listen, it was filled with sounds – chirping birds, rustling leaves, laughing, pleasant whispers, and so on. I was actually a little disappointed to turn the corner and see a fairly plain stone room. Gnomish illusion craft – I suppose I should have expected it, but still…

The room had several masks hanging on the wall, each a smiling happy gnome face. As Bellsin got close to one, it began speaking, it’s round cheeks smiling happily. 

“Welcome to Jazadirune! 
Behold the wonder 
but beware ye who seek to plunder. 
Traps abound and guardians peer 
beyond each portal and behind each gear.”

The room had two gear-shaped doors to the south, one of which had been wedged open by a couple feet. Surely these were the gears about which so many warnings had been given. It wasn’t even necessary for me to offer a reminder about this – everyone present was already wary of the doors and wanted little to do with them. Glyphandar noted that there was a rune on each – a letter of the gnomish alphabet. 

But the wedged-open door was of note. It seemed that someone, fairly recently, had managed to pry open the door and then wedged it open. Glyph’s curiosity won out over his caution at that point and he stepped through the open door. And he was promptly stabbed by two skulking creatures inside.

I can only hope that his caution grows stronger in the future because of it.

The creatures had been stuffing their faces with spiders and apparently Glyph had interrupted their lunch. Their rapiers lashed out and nearly ended Glyph’s life on the spot. Astrid grabbed him by the sleeve and practically threw him back into the room with the rest of us, Elizabeth stepping up to cover the door, with Krisfallion covering her. Through the opening, they could see one of the creatures run off down a tunnel, adding a new urgency. The girls exchanged a nod, and Astrid dove into the room blocking quickly and drawing the creature’s attention, then Elizabeth stepped in behind her and cut him open.

Krisfallion went to Glyph, and uttered a few words. As he did, a breeze blew through the room, and while gentle was enough to draw the blood off of the wounded artificer and his flesh was whole underneath again.

No one knew if the interlopers would run away, or if the group would soon be attacked by waves of the creatures. This room had two tunnels leading out of it – they were crude and clumsy and it suggested that the new arrivals had dug them. Elizabeth quickly scattered caltrops down the tunnel that the first creature had run down, and they braced for an attack. 

The attack didn’t come. At least not right away. Now that I think about it, these creatures don’t seem the type for direct confrontation. So the group hustled down the other tunnel with the notion of being somewhere unexpected. They moved down a good deal of tunnel, which made me wonder what had been doing so much digging down here. One passage branched off and lead to a large open chamber that was filled with sunlight. Four large trees and several smaller shrubbery and hedges filled the room looking like a lovely glade and birds chirped quietly above. All an illusion of course, but you had to admire the gnomish spirit in making it.

Some of the group wanted to investigate the room further, but Elizabeth was agitated and insistent they move on. The prisoners, she reasoned, were in danger since the group’s presence was known. The attackers might be fleeing, or they might be massing for an attack, or they might be killing the prisoners, but whatever they were doing, they weren’t here. She argued they should find the prisoners first and investigate later, and no one could find any fault with that thinking, so they moved on.

Another tunnel opened into another finished room. With some quick sketching and deduction, they realized that the tunnels seemed to interconnect with different areas of Jazadirune and they were seeing where they were on the map that Keegan had given them. Perhaps the tunnels were used by the new arrivals to bypass gear doors or other traps. As Elizabeth entered the room, she disappeared. 

To everyone else at least. To her, everything was fine. Astrid started poking her halberd cautiously forward, and Elizabeth grabbed the haft and tugged her to come forward. There was a great deal of talk about falling victim to the Vanishing plague, but after a bit of bumbling and stumbling, the magically educated folks reasoned that there were some areas of invisibility in the room that would make you wink in or out to those watching.

The group moved cautiously forward, but the tension was broken by a loud gnomish voice, yelling something about intruders and producing a great deal of clunking and clanking. The group fanned out, and Tzaddik found a large mechanical thing – the central body was a large cone with a tunnel through it, and it had sharp wings to the sides. And it wasn’t happy to see anyone.

They had to move up carefully or risk stumbling into the thing. The girls got close around it and were swinging madly but their weapons kept being deflected off the metal skin. After hissing and squealing, it let off a high pitched squeal that made me want to explode. Half the group was bleeding from their ears and nose and some of them were reeling from the noise. Maris just collapsed on the floor in a heap.

Spells and weapons were flying around in a flurry but most of them did little good. Bit by bit, the clockwork creature, which may have already been damaged, started to suffer from the beating. Astrid stabbed hard into a dent in the skin and wrenched the head of her halberd around and must have cut something important and the thing flew apart into pieces.

Krisfallion did everything he could for the injured, and managed to get everyone at least walking again. But the fight hurt the group badly. If the sneaking creatures attacked, they’d be in no position to fight them off. Resting in Jazadirune was out of the question for the same reason. So they agreed to return to the surface as quickly as possible.

While Kris tended the wounded, Glyph meticulously examined the construct. He found a small steel rod that had a gnomish rune “A” on the end and notches on the other end – perhaps a key to the gear doors. And he found a gemstone that was previously some vital part of the construct and surely worth something on its own.

The group withdrew quickly the way they’d came. To their relief and my surprise, there was no ambush waiting for them in the entry room. Tzaddik said there were tracks indicating someone had moved into the caltrops but not all the way through them. They went up the stairs but found the door blocked.

Bellsin knocked, and called to Keegan, who in a fit of stark raving terror had barricaded the door. He hesitantly moved this furniture and let the group in, and they promptly barricaded the door behind him. Rather than being angry, they applauded Keegan for his good thinking.

The group was injured, and their spells spent. Krisfallion said that he could heal everyone but it would take all his blessings to do so, and he would not want to go below again without resting again. Instead of waiting two days, they formed a better plan.

Elizabeth stayed at Keegan’s shop (which was no end of comfort to Keegan). The others went into town and requested aid from the church of St. Cuthbert. Since town seemed more interesting I snuck off with them. Jenya was happy to provide aid, and sent a small group of clerics to heal the party so that they could re-enter the enclave the next day once rested. She was concerned to hear of the discoveries so far, and was relieved that the group intended to return and complete their rescue mission. They also wanted to see about selling the recovered gemstone, perhaps to purchase some kind of healing magic. 

Much to my surprise, there was no contention or objection. Whether due to a spirit of cooperation or a general fear of injury, there was no quibbling about the use of what would turn out to be a substantial sum of gold in this way. More than anything, this was what made me think this group might have a chance after all.

Keegan suggested that a merchant named Tiggit would be the one to speak to about selling the gem. They found Tiggit’s shop with some asking around and entered. Tiggit, an elderly halfling, was napping in a chair in front of fire with a dog at his feet. When the group entered, the dog looked up.

“Tiggit. You have customers,” it said.

Tiggit woke with a slight start. The group just stared. Glyph muttered “A blink dog?”

Maris wasn’t really interested in what it was. She was a girl and it was a dog, and that was all she needed to start petting him and scratching his ears. The blink dog had no objections to this at all and seemed quite happy with it all.

Tiggit ignored most of this, and took to appraising the offered gemstone. If he was impressed at the size or value of the stone, he gave no signs of it, and nonchalantly offered five hundred gold for it. There was no sense of haggling or negotiation from him – the offer was the offer and that was it, especially where strangers were concerned. The group accepted and Tiggit gave a letter of credit for the promised sum, claiming not to have such sums on hand. (Nor, I think, would he hand it over to strangers if he did.)

The group then discussed where they might be able to find potions or even perhaps a wand of healing. Tiggit overheard this and suggested Sky, a former adventurer that catered to the kinds of needs the group seemed to have. 

Sky was a female gnome, and I was starting to think that every merchant in this town was required by law to be under four feet tall. Her shop not only boasted some interesting items, but also a great number of trophies and souvenirs from other adventuring companies. I couldn’t help but wonder if those groups were all deceased. I would have asked but I doubt the answer would have made me feel any better.

Sky was eager for the group to sign her guest book and after that was done they got down to business. She was able to offer the group a “slightly used” wand of healing, plus some potions in exchange for the letter of credit plus a bit of gold to even out the transaction. As with Tiggit, there was no haggling involved with strangers. Cauldron, it seemed, was a take-it-or-leave-it town.

So the group returned to Keegan’s shop, and asked if he would mind terribly if they spent the night here to guard the passage. Keegan was enthusiastic, to say the least, about that idea and welcomed the group and did everything in his power to make them comfortable. 

The night passed without any bumps. As the group was preparing to leave, one of the St. Cuthbert clerics arrived at the shop and he and Bellsin went outside to speak.

Some may call me rude – I prefer to think of it as a healthy sense of curiosity driven by a keen sense of self-preservation. So I followed.

The priest seemed nervous. “This is not allowed you know. But I believe strongly in what you’re doing and I worry for those children.”

“I understand,” said Bellsin. “But you have my word that I will only use the spell as you would have yourself. Think of it as ‘borrowing’ if it helps,” he smiled. “Besides, you would have healed us if it would help, because you believe it to be the right thing to do. But this way you don’t have to go yourself.”

“In this case, what is just is more important than what is allowed,” the priest agreed. “But ah… will this hurt?”

“Not at all, though it will feel… odd,” Bellsin told him. 

The priest nodded, and Bellsin reached out and touched him on the wrist. There was a bit of a ripple in the air, and then nothing. The priest shook his head for a moment, then was fine. “Thank you,” Bellsin said.

“Use it well,” the priest replied, then left.

I wasn’t sure what I had just seen. But it didn’t seem like much to worry about so I went back.

The group crept carefully back down the passage and into the foyer, ready for an ambush at any moment. It didn’t come. But as they crept with their backs to the wall, Tzaddik noticed something on the wall, and in due time found a secret door. There were no indications that the intruders had discovered this passage and therefore it offered an option to come at them from an unknown front. That made it attractive, and the group went through.

The passage led to a room that was on the map, containing several gear doors and a set of locked iron double doors that they could find no way to open. However another secret door led out and they used that instead.

As Bellsin crept along ahead, suddenly the floor gave way underneath him, and the floor ahead of him flipped up and over, dropping him into a pit below. Lucky for him, there were short spikes on the walls, but not on the floor. Unlucky for him, the fall hurt him badly.

Bellsin stuck his spear through the opening, trying to keep the lid from closing on him. Tzaddik scrambled to get a rope out, but before they could get it to him, the entire room Bellsin was in spun. The wall was the floor and he went flying towards the spikes. 

This just goes to show you that a gnome won’t be happy unless he makes things complicated. Why put spikes on the floor when you can just spin the room and put the victim on the spikes? I’m surprised it even worked after all these years.

Bellsin managed to land on his feet rather than being impaled on spikes. Everyone scrambled to get Bellsin out before the room spun again. While they were working, Bellsin invoked the blessings of St. Cuthbert and healed his wounds.

And now it all made sense. Bellsin had somehow “borrowed” a healing spell from the friendly priest. And a good thing too.

With some hammer and rope, they finally hauled Bellsin out, and spiked the floor shut so it couldn’t drop anyone else in. Past the trap they found the armory, still holding a fair bit of gnomish weaponry and armor which was carefully collected. And in the armory was a chest.

Once the trouble of the lock was out of the way, they found a number of sundry and alchemical supplies. But nobody was convinced. 

“Secret compartment?” they all asked at once.

Sure enough, there was a small tube concealed in one of the iron struts. Inside was a wand, which was handed over to Maris, whose excitement was scarcely contained. Nobody was sure what it was, but it didn’t seem to matter much to Maris. It was a magic wand! She started pointing it at armor stands in a menacing matter and Kris had to get her to relax with it before she blew us all to pieces. She pouted a bit but didn’t argue too much once she realized he could be right.

“There’s something bothering me,” Astrid said. “Keegan said his rat was being held about a mile down, right? But we’re only maybe a hundred feet or so below his shop. If we’re going to find his rat and presumably the prisoners, we need to find a way down. Way down.”

“Only one problem with that,” Elizabeth said. “Wouldn’t ‘way down’ be a volcano?”


Loot:
Suit of gnomish half plate
3 small steel shields (small size)
2 light picks (small size)
3 hooked hammers (small size)
1 heavy pick (small size)
1 padlock (hey, we’re first level – it’s valuable.)
16 crossbow bolts (probably not normal)
2 smokesticks
1 thunderstone
1 tanglefoot bag
wand, evocation magic.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Ok... I have to say in my defence that I was getting excited to move on and couldn't wait any more. Glyf is actually very patient. He hasn't strangled Elizabeth or her friend yet.... yet.


----------



## Piratecat

Give him time.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Give him time.



Time time time See what's become of me.


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Ok... I have to say in my defence that I was getting excited to move on and couldn't wait any more. Glyf is actually very patient. He hasn't strangled Elizabeth or her friend yet.... yet.




Astrid has done nothing at all to you...said nothing rude, done nothing wrong.

Astrid's player on the other hand...


----------



## Zad

The thing it comes down to - and there's really just no getting around this - is that we're first level, and we suck. At everything. Someone was going to have to go in. Someone was going to get stabbed. Stealth wasn't the issue here. And since we all suck, it really didn't matter which one of us it was, beyond a certain point.

So in character, I'd say you were a bit reckless, because adventuring is reckless. Elizabeth has socks that have lasted longer than many adventuring careers, and there's no reason to make it worse. (Even mercenaries think adventurers are crazy.)

Out of character, I'd say yeah it wasn't a great idea, but there was no help for it and someone was going to pay the piper.


----------



## Zad

*Life's Bazaar - Chapter 3*

*Life’s Bazaar - Chapter 3*

OOC Notes:
Experience is 535xp. Welcome to second level.

This Week’s Adventure:
I was starting to see how Jazadirune was built according to distinctly gnomish construction philosophies. First you fill the place with overly elaborate, well-warded gear doors. Then you make a thousand un-warded secret doors that lead all over the place. Why? I suspect the secret door maker was a friend of someone important and so they made sure he had enough work to do. I fully expect that when we find the outhouse, there’ll be a secret door leading to another outhouse.

And as the group got the hang of finding them, they started using them in preference to any other means of moving about the place. I think this was in part because it seemed that the new residents didn’t know about or use them, and so it was a way of doing something unexpected, and in part because it was something new and they just needed to work it out of their systems.

And so they went from room to room, secret door to secret door. There was broken furniture, some alchemical equipment, and so on. They found a few trinkets here and there, including a threadbare grey sack out of which Glyphandar produced a small furry object that magically became a cat when thrown. I wasn’t sure what use that would be to anyone and it was obvious why the sack was left behind.

One room held another digging machine. The group approached it warily despite the fact that it seemed to be only half-constructed. And that lead to another secret door, which led to a hidden alchemical lab that wasn’t on the map. Before anyone could make a guess at why the gnomes had a secret alchemical lab, the found they had bigger problems.

There were some piles of rags in the room, and the rags suddenly started moving and looping. And attacking. One pile was just rags, while another seemed to have wrapped itself around the body of one of the skulking creatures and was moving around like a clumsy puppet, but not so clumsy that it didn’t cut Glyph across the nose with its rapier.

The fight grew very unpleasant very quickly. Elizabeth, Astrid and Tzaddik were doing their best to cut apart the rag pile, but it was hard to affect. Bellsin and Glyph were engaged with the skulker-rag, but they too were having a tough time of it. I was hoping that one of them would be destroyed so they could concentrate their efforts but neither of the rag creatures was cooperating with this plan.

Each time the creature lashed at Astrid, it tried to grab at her with small hooks that coated the rags. Luck and her strength kept the thing from completely ensnaring here, though it got close a couple times. After a great deal of slashing and cutting, and no small amount of spell and arrow support from Maris and Kris, the rags finally fell inert on the floor.

Meanwhile, Glyph used some alchemist fire, splashing himself and Bellsin with it in the process. Bellsin managed to get in behind it and do some serious damage to the skulker trapped in the rags – apparently it wasn’t actually dead. Between them, they managed to destroy the flesh long before the rags. It released the useless body to the floor and flew after Bellsin with a vengeance. Glyph withdrew, as he had been badly injured in the fight. The rags wrapped around Bellsin and were on the verge of suffocating him before Astrid, Tzaddik, and Elizabeth, having just finished off the other creature, jumped on Bellsin and began ripping the rags off. Even the three of them might not have been enough had the creature not been weakened by Maris’ strength-draining spell.

Glyph meanwhile was feeling the desperateness of the situation. He took the magic wand found earlier, and attempted to activate it without even knowing what it would do. He was successful, and a fan of flames shot out from the wand. He caught the creature in it, but also Elizabeth. (And from what I heard her say later, the carelessness of this caused her some distress.)

The rags were singed but not giving up yet. They flew at Glyph, perhaps to prevent being burned again, and swarmed all over him. Before they could suffocate him, everyone else swung desperately at the rags, and suddenly they flew apart and collapsed to the floor. 

Everyone was breathing heavy and terrified. Krisfallion used the healing wand to repair most of the physical damage, but there was some pointed grumbling about Glyph being as much of a hazard as the enemies. The fact that he could have dropped a fireball on the entire group seemed to completely have escaped him. 

Maris’ spells were exhausted, but thanks to the wand the group was reasonably well and elected to press on a bit longer. Elizabeth was starting to get a sense of how the rooms were laid out in conjunction with the tunnels and the secret passages. They managed to get themselves to come out near the other side of the large iron doors they found earlier, but were confronted by a wooden barricade – an improvised wall that was built from the remains of furniture and lab tables. At first, they thought the skulkers had walled off one access path to their territory, but the more they looked, the more they worried. The wall was built from the outside, and was so tightly built not even a rat could slip through. 

The wall wasn’t built to keep people out – it was built to keep something in. Or at least so they feared. I wasn’t sure myself, but I was convinced enough that I didn’t look for myself or press the matter.

They finished poking around in one area of the map, tromping around through a room filled with mist and poisonous centipedes. But once that was done, they’d had enough for now. They again withdrew to the surface and stayed at Keegan’s shop.

The night was uneventful. The morning however was not. Most of the group looked well – better than well actually. But Glyph…

When he woke up, he wasn’t all there. He was fading away – partially transparent save for the blue runes floating around his head. 

The Vanishing had noticed him. And it was going to take him.

Loot:
Rapier
Alchemist’s lab (500gp if we can get it out)
6 flasks of non-magical powder
3 flasks of hardened sludge
2 flasks of acid
20 tindertwigs
“U” key
tanglefoot bag
3 flasks alchemist’s fire
3 vials of antitoxin (net – subtracted the one used)
2 smokesticks
8 sunrods
thunderstone
2 applications universal solvent
silver bracelet (area J-11)
three citrines (area J-11)
glass vial of powder (area J-11)
digging machine power crystal


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> I fully expect that when we find the outhouse, there’ll be a secret door leading to another outhouse.




Heh.  One should hasten to point out that many of those secret doors DO NOT bypass the gear doors.  The skulks' tunnels, however, DO.  Combined with the secret doors, they allow you to bypass many of the gear doors...but without the tunnels, you'd never have reached most of the secret doors in the first place.



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> One room held another digging machine. The group approached it warily despite the fact that it seemed to be only half-constructed.




You forgot the other digging machine...the one under the sheet, and the ensuing hilarity with Glyphandar.  



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> Each time the creature lashed at Astrid, it tried to grab at her with small hooks that coated the rags. Luck and her strength kept the thing from completely ensnaring here, though it got close a couple times. After a great deal of slashing and cutting, and no small amount of spell and arrow support from Maris and Kris, the rags finally fell inert on the floor.




The creatures described herein are called Ragamoffins...or raggamuffyns...whatever.  They're constructs, if you're curious, and particularly dangerous.  By '_a great deal of luck_', what the narrator means is '_if Maris hadn't cast Ray of Enfeeblement on the creature, Astrid would have been dominated and they might have all DIED'_.   Astrid was successfully grappled twice, and only managed to escape both times due to having it's strength reduced by 6, and then by also being fatigued by a Touch of Fatigue spell, reducing it's DEX proved extremely important, as several hits ONLY hit because of it.

This whole combat forced us to reacquaint ourselves with Ye Olde Grapplinge Rulese.  Everyone seeme convinced that attacking into a grapple generated a 50/50 chance of hitting the other guy...but we couldn't find a rules cite, so didn't.  The point became moot, when it became clear that the ONLY way to save Bellsin was to literally rip the creature off of him...something that was only possible with Astrid in the game at full strength.



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> The Vanishing had noticed him. And it was going to take him.




Quotes from the table:
Argent: _Oh......Great._
dravot: _So.....how do you feel about the duskblade as a class?_ 


I should note that we're having a blast in the new game so far....at least, *I* am, anyhow.  It's a mark of things that I don't even realize I haven't had time to snack through most of the evening, and that I lose track of time during the game.  I'm excited for each new session, and can't wait for the metaplot to really gel as the players watch.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Quotes from the table:
> Argent: _Oh......Great._
> dravot: _So.....how do you feel about the duskblade as a class?_



I'm more than a bit upset over this. I took me forever to decide on Glyf as my character. Now I'm having to rethink just to be on the safe side. 



			
				WizarDru said:
			
		

> I should note that we're having a blast in the new game so far....at least, *I* am, anyhow.  It's a mark of things that I don't even realize I haven't had time to snack through most of the evening, and that I lose track of time during the game.  I'm excited for each new session, and can't wait for the metaplot to really gel as the players watch.



 As with all of your games I just can't get enough. You are a god among DMs Wizardru.


----------



## Zad

Well, you ain't dead yet. I'm sure there's some way to fix it. 

But if not, can I have your stuff?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Zad said:
			
		

> Well, you ain't dead yet. I'm sure there's some way to fix it.
> 
> But if not, can I have your stuff?



Sure. Here try out this Bag of Tricks!


----------



## WizarDru

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> I'm more than a bit upset over this. I took me forever to decide on Glyf as my character. Now I'm having to rethink just to be on the safe side.
> 
> As with all of your games I just can't get enough. You are a god among DMs Wizardru.




I think you want Piratecat...he's two threads over. 

And quit pretending you're not salivating at creating a new character.  But as Zad points out...you ain't dead, yet.  And Chrisotpher Perkins ain't Bruce Cordell....that is what I am saying.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

WizarDru said:
			
		

> I think you want Piratecat...he's two threads over.
> 
> And quit pretending you're not salivating at creating a new character.  But as Zad points out...you ain't dead, yet.  And Chrisotpher Perkins ain't Bruce Cordell....that is what I am saying.



Awww. And I was all into my poor me rant.


----------



## LordVyreth

WizarDru said:
			
		

> I think you want Piratecat...he's two threads over.
> 
> And quit pretending you're not salivating at creating a new character.  But as Zad points out...you ain't dead, yet.  And Chrisotpher Perkins ain't Bruce Cordell....that is what I am saying.




Oh, I wouldn't worry.  I read Jollydoc's Story Hour of the same adventures, and if a group of tournament-winning, self-admitting power gamers can have such a high mortality rate...


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Oh, I wouldn't worry.  I read Jollydoc's Story Hour of the same adventures, and if a group of tournament-winning, self-admitting power gamers can have such a high mortality rate...



Ok.. That's supposed to make me feel better how?


----------



## Nifft

I hereby demand a Rogue's Gallery write-up.

Very happy to see a Spellthief in play. 

 -- N


----------



## dravot

Nifft said:
			
		

> I hereby demand a Rogue's Gallery write-up.
> 
> Very happy to see a Spellthief in play.
> 
> -- N




We'll work on it.  (Just wrapping up tonight's session.  Lots of fun.)


----------



## Nifft

dravot said:
			
		

> We'll work on it.  (Just wrapping up tonight's session.  Lots of fun.)




Most excellent. I look forward to enjoying them vicariously. 

 -- N

PS: And maybe maybe maybe helping your poor, hapless DM come up with some cute fuzzy monsters... or something...


----------



## LightPhoenix

So I'm completely obsessed already, simply because I can't figure out who the narrator is...   

Glad to see you guys take on some low-level play... not that I didn't enjoy TSSoM, but low-level play has a bit more of a sense of mortality.

I love the adventuring quote!


----------



## LordVyreth

Nifft said:
			
		

> Most excellent. I look forward to enjoying them vicariously.
> 
> -- N
> 
> PS: And maybe maybe maybe helping your poor, hapless DM come up with some cute fuzzy monsters... or something...




Unfortunately, since this Story Hour is based on a complete series of adventures designed to be played for an entire campaign, I don't think Dru will need much help making monsters.  Believe me, I already asked.


----------



## Seule

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> So I'm completely obsessed already, simply because I can't figure out who the narrator is...




I'm pretty sure that the narrator is small and shiny.  

  --Seule


----------



## dravot

Nifft said:
			
		

> Most excellent. I look forward to enjoying them vicariously.
> 
> -- N
> 
> PS: And maybe maybe maybe helping your poor, hapless DM come up with some cute fuzzy monsters... or something...




Rogues Gallery Thread


----------



## Zad

*Life's Bazaar - Chapter 4*

*Life’s Bazaar – Chapter 4*

OOC Notes:
Experience is 550xp. Due to user error, the notes for this session were destroyed. As a result, the story for today may be more fictional than usual.

This Week’s Adventure:
They all bowed of course. All but one.  He bowed too, but he was slower than the others. I ordered him tortured for his insolence. Such is the way of things – if you don’t express your dominance once in a while, people become… rude. At such times, I remind them why I am the Lord and Master of all I survey, with the Flanaess bowing before my will, my reign going back centuries…

Oh, sorry.  Wandered off there for a bit. Where was I? Oh, the Vanishing. Right.

Keygan had the most abrupt reaction. He shrieked. Then he ran up the stairs to his room, slammed the door behind him and locked it. I managed to get a look inside, he was hiding under the bed. All things considered, it may be the smartest way to handle it.

The Vanishing, whatever it was, was beyond the ability of this group to deal with. The unspoken possibility was that it may be impossible to deal with at all, if an entire gnomish enclave failed to handle it years back. But this was a dark thought that no one expressed aloud. Glyph did a detailed examination of the magic wand and determined that in addition to its obvious fire-shooting spell, it was cursed with the Vanishing and it was his use of it that caused him to become cursed. The bag that had produced the summoned feline was also infected, and this suggested that any magic item found in the enclave should be considered suspect and not used. But the question of how to save Glyph remained.

The group split up, with Elizabeth charged with disposing of the latest salvage from below (just the non-magical and hence non-cursed items) and the others would proceed to the temple of St. Cuthbert to speak to Jenya.

I elected to follow Glyph, since the Vanishing was more troubling. Elizabeth’s activities were simple enough to inquire about later, and I learned that after she made a few inquiries, she found her way to Maavu’s Imports, run by Maavu Arlintal. Maavu, it seemed, was one of the largest scale merchants in the city who was responsible for a great deal of the traffic of mundane goods in and out of Cauldron. The shop or storefront was a two-story affair but more impressive was the large warehouse across the street. Given the armed private guards and the amount of traffic, it was obvious a considerable amount of trade came through here. 

Elizabeth entered the busy shop – it was more of an office really – and was directed to an upstairs office where she met with one of Maavu’s clerks. He was efficient, if not overly pleasant and indicated they were both equipped and willing to purchase mundane goods of the type adventurers often recovered. (I’m beginning to believe that either the merchants in this town meet daily with each other to discuss who’s new in town or they have some arcane ability to detect adventurers since this fellow, like every other merchant met so far, knew he was dealing with adventurers. Personally I’d rather be viewed as having some honest living like “mercenary” or “horse thief” but there’s no way around it for now.)

The clerk in question had little interest in the exact items being offered once he knew the general type and number. To him, the main thing was to settle the terms. Elizabeth hadn’t been thinking that far ahead but it made sense and she gladly negotiated terms with the man, which would simply make future sales a matter of bookkeeping and not of haggling over every paltry item. Maavu’s was not some flea-ridden bazaar where loud haggling was the language of the sale – it was a professional business and terms were agreed to and then carried forward. The terms and sale consummated, the clerk offered to send a cart around to collect the items.

The experience also served to cement another idea in my mind: this town ran off _relationships_. With Keygan, with Skie, with Tygot, and now with Maavu, the key driver was not value or haggling skill – it was how well they knew you. As a stranger you couldn’t expect too much, but as familiarity increased the terms would change. It was about trust and reputation and it was the currency of Cauldron more than gold or silver. Elizabeth too was making this connection as she made her way to Tygot’s. She’s not all that clever, but she is very intuitive. And since she has some skill in repairing armor, sooner or later she would need to get access to a blacksmith’s shop. In order to do that, she would need to understand how things work in Cauldron, so understanding the driving currency is an important step for her and by extension the rest of the group.

She then went to Tygot’s who seemed pleased in a subdued way – he mentioned that he’d been able to sell the last gemstone to Lord Vhalantru already, and no doubt he made some profit from it. Recognizing the value of trust and reputation, she stayed a while, made conversation, and enjoyed some tea while they negotiated over the latest set of pretty things. Tygot also pointed out that in addition to gems and art objects, his customers have a great interest in antiquities and old things, and that should the group come across any documents or old papers, he would be very interested in such things. 

“Tygot,” Elizabeth asked “how long have you lived in Cauldron?”

“All my life, my dear girl,” he replied. Which was not an inconsiderable amount of time.

“Might I ask what you know of the Vanishing?”

“Oh… hm… nasty business that. There was a gnomish enclave you see – Jazadirune I think it was – beneath the city. Used to produce quite a few magic items as I recall. Then people started just disappearing. I don’t think anyone who contracted the disease survived it, but some lingered on for quite a while.”

“I see,” she said, slightly disappointed. “Do you know anyone who was around at the time who is still in Cauldron?”

If Tygot was curious about the reason for the questions, he didn’t show it. “Hm. Some time ago. Gelve, the locksmith – he’s still in town but he would have been very young at the time. And there was another old gnome, but I think he went missing a month or so back.”

So there is someone who might know more about the Vanishing, but he was kidnapped. Wonderful.

At the temple of St. Cuthbert, things were more interesting. The group arrived and asked to speak to Jenya.

“_Priestess_ Jenya,” he emphasized. “She is occupied right now. I am Brother Duos. I will be happy to help you.” 

“Well, I suppose. We were looking into the disappearance of the children at Jenya’s request. But we’ve hit a problem. A member of group has become… afflicted,” Krisfallion explained.

“I see. Well, if the glorious grace of St. Cuthbert is willing, then I shall serve as His vessel and you shall be healed.” He led the group into the same meeting chamber that they had used before and only then did Glyph remove his cloak and show himself in all his half-transparent glory.

“By Cuthbert’s Cudgel! You are afflicted indeed! Those glowing runes are surely the sign of great evil!” Brother Duos exclaimed.

Kris buried his face in his hands. Maris tried to explain “No the runes are natural for him. He’s an illumien. But he shouldn’t be transparent. It’s the Vanishing – a disease or curse from the gnomish enclave.”

“Oh. I see. Well, you shall be healed. I shall use my most powerful prayer!” And with that Brother Duos cast a spell.

Which really wasn’t that powerful at all. It was only slightly more powerful than the wand the group had. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t healed.

Brother Duos looked genuinely surprised as he said “I’m sorry my son, you are doomed.” Fortunately for everyone involved, Rufus stumbled into the room.

“Oh you’re here? Any progress on the children? I know Jenya will be anxious to hear of your progress. Oh no, what happened to you?” Rufus said, finally catching sight of Glyph.

Some explanations followed and Jenya arrived shortly. Brother Duos lingered, not entirely sure what to do with himself. Unfortunately Jenya had no way to help Glyphandar, but she was glad to get an update on the efforts to locate the children.

Lacking any way to help Glyph, the group decided to return to Jazadirune to continue their mission and hopefully learn more about the Vanishing. If there was a cure, it seemed the only place it would come from would be the abandoned enclave.

Astrid and Elizabeth had spent some time copying Keygan’s map and drawing in what they had discovered. Armed with that they set off to the west and came to what seemed to be a throne room, complete with a sleeping gnome wearing a crown sitting in the throne.  As Bellsin crept up the stairs to the dais, a large carving of a smiling gnome face on the landing declared loudly “To gain audience with the glorious king, you must give a tribute of the most valuable coin you possess!” and the carving moved and the tongue stuck out, awaiting the offering.

Bellsin shrugged, and placed a single gold piece on the tongue. It swallowed the coin and cheerfully proclaimed “Proceed!”

The fact that the sleeping gnome was an illusion surprised no one. In a compartment in the arm of the throne was the collected tribute. As they checked the room however, Bellsin had gone down, then come back up the stairs. 

“To gain audience with the glorious king, you must give a tribute of the most valuable coin you possess!”

Bellsin shrugged, having already paid the tribute. But as he went by the carving it shouted “MISER! I CURSE YOU WITH CLUMSINESS!” A blue ray shot from the eyes, and Bellsin immediately stumbled and fell. The glow faded and he got back up, but he was now convulsing slightly, which made him prone to tripping and clumsy movements. Hopefully it would wear off.

The moved southward, and as they reached another room, they saw a fur-covered humanoid just disappearing through a secret door. Rather than chase him into an ambush, they moved farther south to try to intercept him. They came into a spacious theater and then moved into a grand hall supported by columns carved into the shapes of gnomes standing on each others shoulders to support the vaulted ceiling. Expecting an ambush from their stealthy prey, they spread out and began moving through the room. 

And as they did, two skulks leaned out from behind the columns and threw thunderstones. Bellsin, Tzaddik and Maris were standing almost on top of the stones when they broke and were deafened by the blast. I count myself fortunate I was nowhere near them.

The great hall was perfect for the skulks. In addition to the large columns for them to hide behind, the room was lit with dancing lights that flickered and wandered, giving them no shortage of shadows to move around. As the fighters moved slowly forward, the others threw sunrods into the room to help flush out the skulks. It worked better than expected, not only showing the skulks circling to attack Tzaddik but drawing hisses from the bright light. 

Once they were exposed, they were vulnerable.  The girls moved in on either side of one skulk and cut him apart, while the other was killed by Kris and Tzaddik. 

But neither of them was furry. They both had the smooth leathery skin typical of their race. So what was it that ran away? They consulted the map and saw that the creature likely fled into a room that adjoined the great hall, but the gear door was closed. They decided it must be hiding, and ran back around to the secret door through which it fled. The door was opened and Elizabeth stepped through.

She was attacked by a wolf. Or something that any observer would mistake for a wolf. If the observer were drunk. Or addled. Or addled and drunk.

It lunged at her, and she stepped to one side and brought her falchion down on it, cutting it in half. “It” turned out to be a skulk wearing a tattered wolf costume. (The room it was hiding in was filled with the threadbare remains of costumes and scenery for the nearby theatre.) But when the mangy fur was pulled away, the skulk revealed had more problems than simply poor fashion sense – it was fading away. Even as we watched, the creature disappeared as the Vanishing took away its lifeless body. It was a chilling look at what might await Glyph, and through it nobody could say a word and they filed out silently.

Going back to the great hall, they looked down a few of the hallways leading out of the room. As they went down one hall, Elizabeth was looking at the map. 

“Hold up a second,” she said, looking at the wall at a corner. “Let’s check right here.”

“What for?” Bellsin asked.

“Secret door,” she replied. “Call it a hunch.”

It only took Bellsin a moment to find the door hidden in the wall, just where it was predicted.

“You know what this means?” Astrid asked.  “You’re starting to think like a gnome.”

Elizabeth feigned disgust. “What an awful thing to say.”

It wasn’t nearly as awful as the contents of the room. Inside was the decaying corpse of some kind of carrion beast. It had a bulbous head with many tentacles topping its eight foot body and it probably smelled as bad alive as it did dead. The room seemed to be a treasury of some sort and the group checked it carefully. Someone had decided to use the creature as storage – inside the guts were two coffers. One had a fair bit of money, while the other had a healing kit, and a pair of scrolls. 

Further along was a bath containing a large pool in the middle with a ceiling shrouded in webs with a single large web-covered corpse hanging down. The group became immediately wary, and Tzaddik spotted two smallish spiders in the webbing. (Not large enough to kill a man, I noted.) Kris shot them and the group moved in warily waiting for the ambush from above that never came.

Instead it came from the pool, when a large spider leapt out of the water at Tzaddik. The group killed it but not before it had poisoned Tzaddik. When it fell back into the pool became apparent that the water was an illusion. (Why would someone make a fake bath?) The cocoon held the desiccated body of a skulk but it had a small magical stone orbiting its head which resumed its orbit once the webbing was cut away.

Going north, the hall led past a gear door and Maris’ familiar grew restless and was sure she smelled another rat. They backed up and went down a nearby tunnel that they believed would let them bypass the door without opening it. The tunnel ended in a wall and a hole in the ceiling six feet up. While looking up, Tzaddik spotted a skulk. Unfortunately the skulk also spotted him. It fired a crossbow bolt that came straight down through the elf’s throat and he collapsed onto the tunnel floor.

Astrid and Elizabeth exchanged a quick look then both charged forward and up the hole. The room they hauled themselves into was very small, with barely enough room for them and the very unhappy skulk, who could do little to stop them coming up once he had fired. Krisfallion healed Tzaddik while the girls made short, bloody work of the skulk. Around his neck was a chain with a silver key.

The small closet had a concealed door that opened into the room they sought. In the room was a chest on top of which was a cage containing a rat. The rat had a star-shaped marking on its fur on its head leaving no doubt that this was Starbrow. His nose and whiskers twitched excitedly as he pressed up against the bars of the cage.

But before anyone could approach the cage, a toothy maw appeared on the front of the chest. “Well hello there,” it said in smiling Undercommon. Not that I had any idea, but it turned out that Tzaddik was fluent in the language of below. 

“So I’m thinkin’ you must have killed the skulk. That’s fine. Dey won’t let me eat the rat. All they feed me is spiders. Now don’t get me wrong, I LIKE spiders. Like ‘em a lot really. But all I’z ever GET is spiders.” Large pseudopods waved idly, but making anyone think twice about grabbing at the cage all the same.

Nobody said a word. They were all just staring at the mimic and trying to decide if they were going to have to fight it and if so, how. The creatures were known for destroying adventurers.

The mimic was unafraid, which in itself made me even more afraid. It said “So you look like adventurers to me. Not slavers or skulks, no sir. You come from above – I’z can tell. So I find myself wonderin’ if you have any of dem… iron rations.”

“Yes,” Tzaddik said, starting to see why the mimic was talking to them. “We have some. They’re very tasty.”

“Oh YES,” it said, slavering. “So very tasty. Tasty treats dey are indeed. I LOVE dat surface food. So I was thinking if you gave me a week’s worth I could let you ‘ave the rat.”

The part about “and not kill you” was unspoken but implied.

Tzaddik said “I can’t give you a week’s worth. I only have six days.” Elizabeth looked apoplectic and Astrid was looking concerned – the mimic would not be an easy opponent to fight, and it just wanted food. If it were me, I wouldn’t be trying to haggle. Astrid was thinking the same thing and threw another package of the stuff at Tzaddik. Why anyone would want to eat that stuff was beyond me anyway, so nothing lost as far as I’m concerned.

Tzaddik tossed the rations to the mimic. It didn’t even open the pack as it tossed a portion into its toothy maw, and followed that with a lot of chewing and smacking sounds. “Oh yes. Oh soooo good.” It pushed the rest of the rations into the corner. “Food dat good you don’ eat all at once!” it laughed.

It offered the cage over and we released Starbrow with the silver key. The rat quickly crawled into Maris’ satchel with Penelope and hid.

“See, I knew you weren’t with those slavers. They won’t let me eat the slaves either. Not as tasty as rations though. Mmmmm.”

“So,” Tzaddik asked cautiously, “where are the slavers?”

“Well they’z down below somewhah. The Malachite Fortress, yes. But I’z don’t know how they get there. Mus’ be nearby though.”

“What can you tell us about them?” 

The mimic was in a good mood from the rations and seemed to have virtually no loyalty to the skulks. “Well, I can’t say’z I know much. Kasmogen runs the slave market down below. That’s where they take the prisoners they won’t let me eat. And I can’t eat skulks you know – taste terrible. But dey takes them down to the hobgoblins who run t’ings down there. Some of them wuz up here with mah cousin but not too long ago they went below. A day or two – not long. But dey’z dun leave me here.”

The mimic went silent for a moment. Then burst out “I can’t HELP myself!” and swallowed another ration. “So good…. Oh yes… Salty…”

The group withdrew, making a note to get some more rations in case more bribes were needed. Some discussion over the map had everyone convinced they knew where the tunnel downward had to be, and they set off to the north to the room where they fought the digging machine.

There was a tunnel they hadn’t checked, and they were all set to head straight in but as they entered the tunnel they saw a sign, written in gnomish.

*Turn back or die*

The sign didn’t seem like a threat – it seemed like a warning. I didn’t really think the skulks could read, but who can say. Plus there are the other creatures that Keygan described with the hooves. Was this an attempt to keep us out, or did it lead to something they were afraid of?

Once again the map proved invaluable. The tunnel headed in the direction of the room that had been barricaded, and that seemed to suggest it was a warning. The group decided to heed that warning for now, and rather than risk any further harm to their first rescue, they decided to retreat and return Starbrow to Keygan.

Keygan knew Starbrow had been freed, but that wasn’t enough to make him want to get anywhere near Glyph. The group came to the door to Keygan’s shop and knocked, and the bar was lifted, followed by the sound of feet running upstairs and a door slamming. 

He yelled from upstairs “Thank you for finding Starbrow. If Maris could just bring him up alone, that would be fine. You didn’t let Glyph touch him, did you?”


Loot:
Clear spindle ioun stone (cursed)
Scroll of mage armor (cursed)
Scroll of mirror image (cursed)
Healer’s kit
Assorted objects lost in the note crash, 415gp worth


----------



## Zad

I put Elizabeth's stat block in the above-linked thread.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*A few days late*

Message to Hawthornseed Trillian 

Dearest Uncle,
It would seem that the distraction you and the Diamondshard Cabal have been praying for has come. Upon arrival in Cauldron, I became entangled in an investigation into the disappearance of many of the citizenry. 
Investigating this matter has matched me up with a party of humans who have aided me in finding information.
The strange part is that “as one word leads to the formation of a sentence” my new companions and I seem to work well together; I’m very fond of the woman known as Mariss. She is a very young magus and I feel that she may have the potential to one day take the Ritual of Words Made Flesh.
But I digress. The reasons for my journey to Cauldron were two fold, as you must realize. The one we will not discuss at this time. The second was to continue Father’s research into the supposed chambers under the Cauldron where there may be information on more Artificer related studies. It seems there was a Gnomish outpost below the city. My companions and I are about to enter through the main doors. My skills will be challenged as I may be called upon to confound the magic on the doorways into thinking I am a Gnome. 
When this missive reaches you I will already have been down in the sub-city for a few days. I hope this is not the last you hear from me as I have far too much to do than let a little thing like my demise stop me from perfection.

In Love and Knowledge,

Diamondshard Glyphandar
Seeker of ancient knowledge and vengeance.


(This message was sent the day we first went into the Enclave)


----------



## Nifft

Thanks for the Rogue's gallery. 
No session this weekend?
 -- N


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## Argent Silvermage

Nifft said:
			
		

> Thanks for the Rogue's gallery.
> No session this weekend?
> -- N



Holiday weekends are always a crap shoot. They played Mutants and Masterminds. I recovered from a trip to the emergency room. (I'm fine. Just a bad scare with my heart.)


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## WizarDru

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Holiday weekends are always a crap shoot. They played Mutants and Masterminds. I recovered from a trip to the emergency room. (I'm fine. Just a bad scare with my heart.)




And we're all much relieved that you're OK.

This weekend was, as mentioned, an M&M weekend, not an Alpha/SC weekend.  The players had to face....MURDERMALL!  And we discovered that Mr. Smith is one of those dark, nearly-Anti heroes we've read about.


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## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> And we discovered that Mr. Smith is one of those dark, nearly-Anti heroes we've read about.




And I have to tell you, that I'm still giggling about that even now.


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## Piratecat

I can't wait to hear about it.


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## WizarDru

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I can't wait to hear about it.




I am but your humble servant. 

So, first you should know about the characters.  This session featured four of the members of the team (who at this time remains nameless).  They include:

Binary: Master of technology, unknowningly merged with a computerized demon

Shooting Star: Supernatural Archer Extrodinaire and mistress of the trick shot

Spitfire Jones: WWII English Super-Ace recently revived from the deep-freeze, he can fly and is super-strong in the air....he is also Dead Sexy.

Mr. Smith: Mysterious and shadowy dispenser of Justice, he knows what you FEAR.   Think of the Phantom Stranger and you're in the right area)

Not present was Back-Alley Brawler, who Arrests People _in the Face_.

Issue number One, "Intelligent Design" found our heroes fighting the oddball Dr. Genome, the man who made monkeys intelligent enough to use firearms, making Gun Monkeys.  He also had MutAnimals, victims exposed to his terrible drug Orgutanin, which turned them into feral humanoids with superpowers.  After tracking them to two separate hi-tech facilities (and shutting down his Giant Mechanical Ape [complete with Monkey Gatling Cannon (tm)], the heroes arrested the erstwhile mad scientist and watched helplessly as his brain was wiped by a reporter who had himself been mind-controlled.

Issue number Two, "Conspicuous Consumerism" found our heroes back at their strip-mall storefront (aka HQ) pondering how they had now managed to move from 4th on the Freedom City PD's speed-dial to _maybe_ 3rd, when Detective Morris of the FCPD called them via cellphone to tell them that, since they were now Gun Monkey speciailists, there was a report of a loose Gun Monkey running wild at a mall in the suburubs west of the city.  Deciding that being considered Evil Super Monkey Specialists was better than being considered total non-entities, the heroes made their way each in their own fashion to the mall.

Binary quickly tapped into the local radio transmissions and listened to the mall security 
walkie-talkie chatter.  The last known location of the weird monkey was somewhere near House of a Thousand Picture Frames...when suddenly it had been spotted near United Colors of Bob.  Binary announced this to the group, thusly:

"_I've found our monkey.  He's by....I don't believe I'm saying this...United Colors of Bob_."  

Chase was soon given; of the four, Mr. Smith was the one who spotted the monkey, leaving the FYE and leaping across the wires strung across the large open-air area, descending from the 3rd floor to the first.   The monkey rapidly proved elusive to catch, and seemed different from the previous monkeys so encountered.  For one, he seemed...well, goofier.  Also, his gun was a Banana Gun, not a Chimp and Wesson.  Mr. Smith attempted to drain his wisdom, but failed.  Binary was unable to grab him and Spitfire Jones took a moment to zero in on him.  

"_Where'd he go?_
"_There he is!  He's jumping over that really crappy 70s artwork piece!_"
"_I've lost him!_"
"_"I see him!  He's making for the Orange Julius!_"

The monkey then attacked the giant plaster orange and banana above the stand, apparently 
transfixed by the giant banana.  What ensued was then a comedy of errors, as Shooting Star would pin the monkey with her energy arrows, while Spitfire Jones kept just missing his chance to grab the energetic beast.  Mr. Smith finally managed to attempt to instill fear in the monkey...only to realize the monkey didn't have any sort of true intelligence.  As he realized this, it's skull split in half, revealing it was a ROBOT GUN MONKEY!  A sudden humming occured, the orange in the Orange Julius sign began thrumming with radiating energy, and everyone was blinded by a flash of light.

And suddenly, the monkey was gone.  It was then that Mr. Smith realized something wasn't quite right.

"_Wasn't the food court...over there?_"

All malls looked the same, they agreed.  But this one was laid out differently than the one they'd come from.  Hoping to figure out where they were, they quickly headed to an information map....as they scanned it, it's lettering suddenly changed.

*Welcome to....
MURDERMALL!*

"_Welcome to Murdermall, LOSERS!_" intoned a whiny, nasal voice.  "_You're gonna die here, Yeah!  Hah!  Suckers!  You fell for my robot monkey!  Oldest trick in the book! Nyah-ha-hah!   You're gonna die right here in my Murdermall! Hah!_"  Binary rolled his eyes.  Great.  A Nerd Assassin.  As their assailant spoke, the windows and doors sealed shut behind blast doors.  So they'd been teleported, then.  

Mr. Smith decided he'd better establish if he could escape this idiot's trap, and teleported away.  His abilities were scrambled, though; he found himself standing in a Starbucks on the other side of the mall.  Sighing in resignation, he asked for a coffee...while at the same time draining the vendor's wisdom, to ensure he was truly human.  The barrista began blubbering as he couldn't remember if Venti was a large or medium, but eventually presented Smith with a latte.  

He asked for a reference point, and then began walking back to his companions.  No reason to tempt fate if he didn't have to.

Meanwhile, Binary had begun baiting their would-be assassin.  He'd quickly hacked the information map, and quickly tapped into the whole mall's security camera system.  Their attacker called himself Mallrat, and Murdermall was his personal playground.  In a battle of verbal wits, Binary had him outmatched, and he quickly tricked valuable information out of him.  He'd been hired to kill them, though his employers were anonymous.  He had hostages, but he'd clearly not done his legwork.  The only one that they knew was Inspector Morris from the FCPD.  The others were complete unknowns, including "that chick you know.  You know...._that chick?  From the THING?_"  They were utterly unimpressed with his selection of hostages.  Mallrat wanted them to fight their way free, or he'd kill the hostages.  Not much of a problem, since they were already prepared to do that.

It was then that Shooting Star heard the rumbling of an engine.  Further down the walkway, near one of the end-stores was a display: "_Win this SUV!_" it boldly declared.  The Hummer's engine gunned to life, it's wheels screeching as the vehicle did a donut.  Inside, two men dressed in black suits with black hats and wearing sunglasses stared out a them...one thin and tall and the other short and stout.  The Blue Brothers.  As Robots.  The humvee streaked their way.

"But aren't we on the third floor?"
"_Apparently they don't much care._"

While Binary took to the air, mostly just to avoid the fracas, he continued to hack the system.  The hostages weren't here, and neither was mallrat.  That meant little reason to remain...but it would take time to find a way out.  They didn't even know where they were, yet. Shooting star tried to shoot out the Humvee's engine, but only blew the radiator, instead.  In the distance, the sound of a police car siren, as a bunch of neo-nazi robots gave chase to the Blue Brothers.  Spitfire Jones had seen enough; he flew in and yanked the humvee into the air.  

Robo-Elwood leaned out of the cab, lowered his shades and looked directly at him.

"Excuse me, but....do you have any *TOOOASSSTTTT?!?!?!*"  

Spitfire Jones nearly dropped the cab, as he considered the weighty question.  Shooting star, seeing his confusion, shot Elwood in the face, stunning him momentarily and ripping half of his mask off, revealing the WestWorld-like robot beneath. Jones suddenly shook his head.  "STOP THAT, you blighter!" he cried, throwing the SUV into the police car, resulting in a huge fireball.  

Both cars were atomized, their parts flying in every direction.  As the smoke settled, Jake walked out of the wreckage, unharmed, with nary a crease on his suit.  Mr. Smith was oblivious to all of this as he rode the escalator of life to the second floor.  The latte was quite good.  At the 2nd floor landing, he spied the giant FAO Schwartz toy store bear.  He walked towards the escalator to the third floor, hearing the sound of an explosion nearby.  The bear's eyes glowed red and it suddenly began to move.  It regarded him with silent malice, holding a giant alphabet block that began to glow with energy.  "Welcome to our world, welcome to our world, welcome to our word of....*DEATH!*" it intoned, launching an explosive toy block at him. 

 It missed by inches, blowing up the Kitchen Kapers store behind him.  Mr. Smith put his latte  down...and shrouded the area in darkness.  It's eyes glowed with infrared energy.

"_Oh....wonderful._"  It fired again.

Meanwhile, Jake had addressed Shooting Star and Spitfire Jones.  "Now, waaaaaiiiit a minute...!," he intoned...trying to force them to dance in a musical number.  They ignored him, but Spitfire Jones wasn't about to let him have a second try.  His attempt to throw a bench at it, however, was unsucessful.

Binary had now found that Radio Shack was where the central computer bank could be found, while Sears must be the holding area for the robots.  He directed Shooting Star to take the store out, using an explosive energy arrow.  She quickly did so, hoping the teleport scrambler would go, as well.  The blast doors opened, just as someone started shooting at them.  Looking up, they saw a boy in a pajamas and...Santa Claus?  Both were armed with Red Rider BB Guns.  "I'll put your eye out, jerks!"  "HO HO HO, TIME TO DIE!"

Shooting Star was getting annoyed.  Jake tried to again convince her to dance, this time producing a bullwhip and singing "RAWHIIIIIIIDE! HYAH!".  She blew him up.  She then turned her attention to the Red Ryder wielding robots, and she and Spitfire made short work of them.

Mr. Smith had taken a hit from the 'B' block, and was staggered for a moment.  Robots were a weak point for him, but he managed to knock it for a loop.  He dodged the third and final 'C' block, but still was unable to do much to harm the ridiculous but dangerous construct.  Jones showed up and grabbed a kiosk of apparently explosive candles to throw at it.  Then it made a fatal mistake.  It grabbed Mr. Smith, perhaps intending to rend him limb from limb.  It was a poor choice.  Mr. Smith looked up, and teleported them both there.  Then he teleported himself back to the landing.  As he picked up his latte, he watched the robot fall 60 feet to it's doom, smashing on impact with the marble floor below.

Binary had now tapped into the world GPS system, and located them.  They were in....the Phillipines?  Well, it explained how one would hide an entire mall of death.  And Mallrat had at least three more, but they were disconnected from this system.  But how to get home and save the hostages?

Checking over the mall, they noted that there was still significant power channeled to the exit doors.  Teleport portals, perhaps?  Outside the doors were crude paintings of a fake parking lot.  Binary tested one door...and found himself in different mall.  His cell phone rang, as he stared up at a giant cowboy boot.

"_Where are you?_"
"_I'm....I'm in the South Plains Mall in.....Lubbock, Texas._"
"_My God, Lubbock? Why...WHY?_"
"_Funny.  I'm coming back._"

Experimentation revealed that the exits and entrances led to tons of real world malls.  Mallrat clearly had the ability to move back and forth between them.  But where was he?  And where were the hostages?  Binary hacked the system, and they saw the image of the hostages, again.  He teleported, again....and found himself once more in a Starbucks.  

"_Good Afternoon, sir.  Welcome to the Mall of America first floor Starbucks!  Can I help you?_"  The cellphone, again.

"_Latte, please. Hello._"
"_Where are you?_"
"_Starbucks.  I think I'm getting jumpy.  When we find this guy...that's bad for HIM.  I'm at the Mall of America._"
"_Figures. This guy has a serious fixation._"
_ "You got a fix on the hostages?_"
"_Think so.  They're at..._"
"_Sears, right?_"
"_Yup.  How'd you...?_"
"_Just a hunch._"

Mr. Smith teleported back to the Murdermall and collected them.  He warned them that travel through his world was....unsettling for some.  This proved an understatement.  Frightening images, spirits of some other world and a bone-chilling cold assualted them as they passed, in a but an instant, from one place to the next.  Shooting Star, in particular, had been more sensitive to the spirit world and the unpleasant place they had traversed.  She gave Mr. Smith a suspicious stare, but said nothing for now.

If Mr. Smith noticed, he didn't say so...and likely didn't care.  In no time at all, they walked openly into the Sears.  Binary quickly hacked the security system and found the cameras that showed the hostages...in the stock room.  Mallrat was here, all right.  His whiny voice emerged from the PA system throughout the store, confusing shoppers.  The heroes called him out, warning him that they'd deliver him a beating.  Mallrat believed them, and ran for it, creating a teleportation portal and getting out of Dodge.  Shooting Star and Spitfire Jones released the hostages while Binary examined his computer.

"By Jove!" cried the englishman.  "Now I recognize you, miss!  You were one of those mutanimal chaps.  I must say I prefer your current shape!"  The group rolled its collective eyes...and then watched as Jones collected a phone number and made a date.  While Jones chatted up the former hostages, Shooting Star noticed a man enter the room...through a wall.  She was the only one who could see or hear him; a ghost.  Some discussion ensued, while the other heroes watched her suspiciously.  He identified himself as Derek, a worker from Aeropostale, and Mallrat's first victim.  He had been murdered by a robotic cash register that had ripped out his throat during closing one night, just before he was to meet his girlfriend Stacey at Sbarro's in the food court.

Binary identified Mallrat's real name, Desmond Lettam, and his history.  He was the most well compensated stock boy in retail history, making more than the CEO of the company in an annual salary.  While Binary puzzled that out, Mr. Smith noticed all the obsessive security cam photos pasted around the monitor and desk.  They all had one thing in common....Stacey.  Smith excused himself to investigate 'an angle', as he called it.  Shooting Star convinced Derek to move on, now that he'd passed his info to the living.

Binary, for his part, found out how Lettam made so much money....he was employed not at a Sears...but at EVERY Sears in the world, all at once.  Each one provided him a salary.  Money was something he DIDN'T need.  He did this for kicks.  But how to find him?  They checked his start date.  First day of employment was five years ago...but not at the Mall of America Sears.  It was at the OTHER big mall...the largest by retail space; King of Prussia, PA.  It made sense; the KoP mall was older and had been the largest and more prestigous mall on and off again.  The title of largest mall switched hands a lot, but KoP was the largest in the U.S. for store space.  They would go there as soon as Smith turned back up.

He did soon enough...with a slightly giddy (and wisdom-drained) Stacey in tow.  He'd been talking to her for some time, getting information and as friendly as one could with a man as mysterious and intimidating as Smith was.  Several in the group weren't pleased with Smith's decision to bring Stacey along...not the least of which was that in her current state, she wasn't necessarily making clearly rational decisions.  However, Smith teleported all of them without inviting lengthy debate.  They found themselves at KoP Mall, and made for the Sears there.

Once more they entered the store brazenly, and this time Mallrat decided to fight back.  His whiney voice rang over the PA system, confusing customers. 

"_FOOLS!  You think you're so smart, but you're not!  You'll SEE!  Death Mannequins, ATTACK!_" he yelled, spittle almost audible over the speaker system.  As one, every dress mannqeuin in the store began moving, their hands transforming into guns.

"_I wouldn't do that, if I were you.  Stacey's right here, and she might get....HURT._"  Some of the cameras zoomed in on the befuddled American Eagle salesgirl.  There was a pause, as Mallrat tried to figure out what to do.  Smith appeared smug, and unconcerned at all.  He let the threat hang, unafraid of any development.

"_Death Mannequins...uhh, uhh...DON'T Attack!  I mean...uhm.....JERKS!  How dare you?  Our love is pure!  You can't...you can't just....GAH!_"  The robots stopped in their tracks.  Apprehending Mallrat was pathetically easy after that.  He refused to fight if it meant his beloved Stacey, who had no idea who he was, would get hurt.  Confiscating his equipment, they discovered he used gadgets to henahnce his personal, mall-only teleport power.  Smith was incredulous.

"_How far down the food chain do you have to be to have a *mall-only teleport power?*_" 
 Mallrat was quickly arrested and interred, with the FCPD taking jurisdiction and promising to lock up Mallrate safely, as they'd had experiences with gadgeteers and tricks in the past.  The group, for their part, returned to their storefront, except for Jones, who took one of the hostages out to dinner, and perhaps more.


----------



## WizarDru

Oh, and for those worried that I'll never post the DM's wrap-up article, never fear...it's being worked on.  It just takes a while.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Mr. Smith was oblivious to all of this as he rode the escalator of life to the second floor.  The latte was quite good.  At the 2nd floor landing, he spied the giant FAO Schwartz toy store bear.  He walked towards the escalator to the third floor, hearing the sound of an explosion nearby.  The bear's eyes glowed red and it suddenly began to move.  It regarded him with silent malice, holding a giant alphabet block that began to glow with energy.  "Welcome to our world, welcome to our world, welcome to our word of....*DEATH!*" it intoned, launching an explosive toy block at him.




When the GM turns to you and says "Take a hero point" you know you're in trouble.

Still giggling. I'm starting to like Smith a lot.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Ok.... All I have to say is it's not my fault. I was just defending myself. I also think I would have made a fine..... Zad. PUT DOWN THAT KNIFE.

PS: I think we have a replacement for Bolo and the licking/being eaten. (Boccoc save me.)


----------



## Zad

Bolo needed approval for all new spells. 

Glyphandar doesn't suffer from that problem (yet), but he has had his alchemist fire privledges revoked.


----------



## Zad

*Life's Bazaar - Chapter 5*

*Life’s Bazaar – Chapter 5*

OOC Notes:
650 exp. Loot split was 189gp from sell-off early in the session.

This Week’s Adventure:
With Starbrow safe and sound, the group set into what was becoming an established routine of tending to business. But as they split up to tend to matters in town, Astrid had a thought and pulled Elizabeth aside. The two of them discussed an idea then put it into play.

Elizabeth set off for Maavu’s to dispose of the recent load of spoils. Astrid slipped out a minute later, and then once safely out of sight, altered her appearance to one of her other personas and followed Elizabeth. Having heard the plan, I thought it would be more interesting not to mention more useful to stick with Astrid. 

Astrid was now just an unknown face in the crowd and she followed Elizabeth, who had waited so Astrid had time to change out of sight. Elizabeth did nothing unusual as she made her way to Maavu’s Imports, while the two of us kept a careful eye out for anyone who might be following Elizabeth. Astrid’s thinking was that they may have attracted some attention by now so it was a smart thing to check. 

And “attention” was exactly what we saw. Astrid started to notice a half-elf who seemed to be traveling the same direction. After a time it became clear he was following Elizabeth. She would have had a tough time spotting him – he was clearly experienced in these kinds of things, and only the fact that he wasn’t trying to avoid notice by us allowed us to pick him out. When Elizabeth entered Maavu’s, the half-elf waited outside in a very casual way, but when she left, he did not continue to follow. 

It was a busy day in Maavu’s. There was probably some kind of regular schedule to business and this was just one of those times – perhaps a shipment arriving or departing. Elizabeth was getting the hang of how things worked and immediately went to the right person to discuss the sale of the armor that came from the last run into Jazadirune. 

Her usual clerk, upon seeing her, immediately waved her over and pulled out a small necklace. It was a token on a copper chain, marked with the seal of the House of Arlintal and on the back her name. As he handed it to her, he said “This token marks you as someone we have done business with. It will help us serve you better in the future by demonstrating we have done business before.”

In Cauldron, relationships are everything.

Once it was clear that the half-elf was no longer following Elizabeth, the girls got back together and Astrid resumed her normal appearance and they sought out a blacksmith. Elizabeth had done some asking around and learned that most of the smiths belonged to a guild run by one of the noble houses. However the most skilled smith in town – Phallian Gurnezarn – was independent. Word was he refused to bow to the pressure to join, and his skill allowed him to remain in business offering wares the others could not produce, albeit at slightly higher prices. 

Finding the shop was easy enough – it was a large forge and likely had quite a few apprentices working there and it sat a good ten paces away from all the buildings around it. The girls entered and found a woman at the counter scribbling in a ledger. Around the walls of the shop area were examples of Gurnezarn’s craftsmanship – fine weapons and armor, most of them elaborately decorated. His reputation was obviously well-earned.

Astrid inquired about commissioning a masterwork halberd, and soon a massive shirtless man in a leather apron came out. He watched her swing, took measurements, and examined the wear of her current halberd to see how it was used. He was every bit the craftsman. He said he could have it ready in a couple days, but would prefer a week to do a proper job. Astrid wanted a proper job, and agreed to a week.

While this went on, Elizabeth spoke to the woman – Gurnezarn’s wife – about use of the forge. Mrs. Gurnezarn asked some questions probing the depth of Elizabeth’s knowledge and seemed satisfied with what she saw. She said she would discuss it with her husband and decide on a fee, whether money or service-in-trade.

The following morning, the group made arrangements for Jenya to lift the curse from Bellsin. That helped him, but there was nothing to be done for Glyph, who had faded away substantially during the night. When it was time to return to the enclave, Keygan emerged from his room, shrouded in blankets and wearing goggles and hurried the group through the door so that he could barricade it again.

There seemed to be no sign of defense in the entry room, so the group elected to investigate the secret door they’d found on the landing of the stairs coming in. In this case, “investigating” seemed to entail triggering a trap that dumped half the group roughly into the entry room and sprained a few ankles and wrists.

Behind the door (once opened properly) was a room whose floor was a wooden platform. At each corner was a stout chain with another chain going through a hole in the center. On the wall was a promising-looking lever. No doubt this was the passage down to the Malachite Fortress that they had been looking for. 

And I suppose the two hobgoblins deserve a mention as well. They were ready and threw javelins at Glyphandar who, by this measure at least, wasn’t quite invisible enough.

Astrid moved in and smashed her halberd into one, while Krisfallion dropped the other. Swiftness was important here – hesitate and they could have used the elevator to retreat and left the group staring at a large empty shaft.

When they were ready, they pulled the lever. The platform descended for nearly a minute, and by Tzaddik’s estimation took them some two hundred feet down. The platform landed in front of an iron reinforced door that opened into a large hall that seemed to be carved from solid malachite and polished to a high shine. Two empty iron cages hung from the ceiling, while a hunk of raw stone and crystal decorated the middle of the room. 

Fortunately there were no guards on this end. Bellsin, fearing the cages were part of some trap, unlocked the first one. But before he could reach the second, the stone artwork made a grinding noise as stone grated on stone and it attacked Tzaddik.

Once it was moving, Krisfallion realized it was a stone spike – a minor earth elemental. Krisfallion invoked the power of his god, and the elemental recoiled in fear and scrambled away. Glyph made a few glowing runes in the air where they hung for a moment before he gestured them to encircle Elizabeth’s falchion. She moved in – step, step, step, slice – and the creature shattered into inert pieces on the floor. She looked at her now-enchanted weapon and smiled at Glyph approvingly.

The smile however was short-lived. A door at the end of the room flew open, propelled by a massive, filth-covered foot, and into the room lumbered an ogre covered with all manner of slime, filth, and excrement. It roared with battle lust and swung a filth-encrusted falchion at Astrid, cutting her deeply. 

The group was not well-positioned, and Astrid was without support. She tried to do a fighting withdrawal, but the creature brought the blade low in an arc born more from brute force than skill and the force of the blow knocked her unconscious. 

Elizabeth knew her falchion well and had studied its use. She knew how to use the curve of the blade, to use grace and skill, and to flow effortlessly from parry to attack. This brute hardly knew which end to hold, and was getting by on nothing but raw strength. It was this strength which Maris sapped away, the green energy of her spell starting the turn of the tide.

The creature lunged at Tzaddik and he just managed to turn aside its clumsy swing. I moved in behind it with Bellsin and they began cutting the creature apart. Between swords and arrows, the disgusting ogre fell before it could bring its blade to bear again. Fortunately Astrid was only badly wounded, not killed, and Kris was able to revive her.

The room from which the creature came was foulness itself, with effluvia and filth encrusting every surface. The place would disgust even an ogre and it was difficult to understand why this particular ogre would embrace such sewage. There was no furniture as such, but there was a pile of refuse hardened into a crude chair. One corner held a chest, cemented into hardened excrement which held the creature’s valuables, but more than one party member wretched during the examination. I count myself fortunate I was not similarly inconvenienced – it looked quite unpleasant.

There were no obvious ways out of the entry hall or side chamber, leading to the search for the inevitable secret door. Dwarven stonework presented a greater challenge but the door was ultimately located.

The next room had two hobgoblin guards, who must not have heard the cacophony raised by the last battle – or they assumed the filthy ogre had won. There were some doors out of the room and a statue of a dwarven warrior in the center of the room, a spiked chain entwined around his arms and body.

The hobgoblins were smart and disciplined. The first thing one of them did was run off and raise the alarm. Good tactics, really. For them.

But things went from bad to worse for us. As Tzaddik entered the room, Glyph lobbed a flask of alchemist’s fire over his head. It splashed down splattering sticky fire on to one of the hobgoblins and onto the statue. And more pressingly, onto the chain around the statue, which immediately began writhing and moving. It unwrapped itself from the statue and threw itself at Glyph. 

The scene was a mess. Hobgoblin and goblin reinforcements were coming from one passage while the chain flailed around in the room attacking. Astrid engaged the chain with Tzaddik while Bellsin and Elizabeth held back the incoming troops. The hobgoblins and goblins were far easier to deal with as it turned out and that wave was quickly killed.

The chain was far harder to handle. It was a piece of metal, and very hard to damage. Astrid was giving it all she had and still only nicking it. Tzaddik took to making tactical feints to help Astrid. The chain made several whipping cuts at Glyph who had to pull back or risk getting killed.

About this time, barked orders could be heard in goblin from behind the group – another wave of reinforcements had come around through another secret door and was moving in from behind – the same direction Glyphandar had retreated in – and cutting off any possible escape up the lift.

With the first wave of goblinoids dead, Elizabeth moved in to help with the chain. The situation was becoming desperate and they needed to destroy this chain before the latest wave of slavers closed in.

The girls swung for all their worth. And swung. And swung.

“What happened to the hobgoblins?” Astrid asked, ducking a swipe of the chain.

“I think Glyph is holding them off to buy us time,” Kris said. 

That didn’t sound good. I looked out the door to see, and Kris was, after a fashion, correct. The goblin skirmishers in the line had completely swarmed over Glyph and knocked him to the ground and were in the process of binding his hands and gagging him.

While unconventional, and I assume unintentional, it bought the time needed. With the combined effort of nearly the entire party, one final blow was struck and the chain flew apart into two pieces and fell to the ground. And none too soon.

The girls exchanged looks and Astrid called “Fighting line!” and they moved through the door into the hallway, shoulder to shoulder. The hobgoblins shouted and they and their goblin troops surged forward. What followed was the combined product of skill, tactics, teamwork, and some amount of luck. As each goblin or hobgoblin moved forward, it was met by a sweeping arc of a falchion or firm thrust of a halberd. The girls moved together in a coordinated flow of movement, slaver after slaver stepping up and being crushed or cut. Between them arrows flew off Kris’ bow, and as they advanced, Bellsin and Tzaddik flanked in and brought down even more slavers. 

It was quick and it was bloody. And it was over. Or at least partly – there was no sign of Kasmogen, despite one of the hobgoblins clearly calling his name earlier. But a dozen dead slavers was certainly a good start.


Loot:
2 Studded Leather
2 longswords
100s
100cp
huge falchion, 25% of book value due to wear
large iron key
2 deep green spiniels (room M-4)
5990 copper
2248 silver
potion of cure moderate
10 studded leather
10 light shields
10 longswords


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Not fighting against the Goblinoids was only logical. I *am* after all _*Illumian*_ . They wouldn't kill me as I'm easily worth 10 or more Humans. I probably would have been forced to be a house servent or teacher to their young. Besides _They_ may know of a cure. I'm loosing personal power (Charisma) at an alarming level.


----------



## Zad

*Life's Bazaar - Chapter 6*

*Life’s Bazaar – Chapter 6*

OOC Notes:
Experience is 875xp, and we earned every point.

This Week’s Adventure:
Everyone was breathing heavy and spattered in blood. Well, everyone but me that is – not as if I actually got *involved* or anything. But they couldn’t even stop to catch their breath or, as they desperately wanted, to retreat and rest. The cat was out of the bag, the alarm raised, and the children, if they were still here, were in danger of being lost.

They formed ranks and moved off towards where the hobgoblin had run to raise the alarm, with Krisfallion casting healing spells with the wand as they ran. They came into a large central hall with several doors, including one open one. The hall had once been quite opulent and seemed intended to impress visitors. At one end were large ornamental doors made of carved malachite. They jogged up to the open door ready to fight, but the room – some kind of barracks, was empty. Once close to the barracks, they could hear the familiar ringing strikes of hammer on anvil. The thick stone doors did a lot to deaden sound but the commotion was recognizable even so.

So loud was it that the hobgoblins and goblins in the forge didn’t even notice when the group opened the door and entered. Goblins worked at a large anvil with dwarf and halfling captives helping them, while a few hobgoblins stood about lazily guarding them.

Astrid and Elizabeth moved in and set a line before they even noticed. The hobgoblins recklessly charged and were quickly cut down. The goblins met similar quick ends, whether from arrows or swords. Since the group was careful to block the exits, no one survived to raise an alarm.

There were three captives – a female halfling named Maple, a dwarf named Sandor, and a male halfling who was terrified or tortured to the point of being nearly feral. Fortunately Maple was more rational, and better yet spoke goblin.

“Kids? They brought in some human children a few days ago. They were kept separate from the other prisoners. I heard Kasmojen talking – he asked for the boy.”

“Do you know where they are? Can you take us to them? And while we’re at it, can you tell us what Kasmojen is? What race?” Astrid asked.

“I think they’re in the main hall with Kasmojen right now. I can take you there yes. As for Kasmojen, I have no idea. Part dwarf maybe? He’s huge though,” she said.

Maple had tried to escape before and been caught, so she was not about to pass up a chance to get out now. She armed herself with weapons from the goblins and was ready to come along. The male halfling was practically paralyzed with fear, and Sandor hauled him over her shoulders and took him along bodily.

Maple said that she could take us in via a secret door or through the main doors – the double doors in the hall. The group, foolishly I thought, opted for the double doors, hoping that an open area would favor them more.

As they walked up to the doors, Bellsin caught sight of two peepholes being quickly shut. The doors were barred. The group threw their combined might at the doors trying to force them open but the dwarven stonework may as well have been a mountain for all the good it did.

Then a voice. “Cease your attacking. We will open the door.”

“This can’t be good,” said Elizabeth.

_No it can’t,_ I thought. _It means either they have so much force that they’re unafraid of you, or they’re very dumb. The latter seems unlikely._

There were sounds of several locks being disengaged, and then the huge portals swung silently open. Before them was a grand hall carved out of solid malachite. Four pillars held up the high ceiling, with cages of fire beetles hanging from above giving off an eerie red illumination. The back half of the room was a raised dais with broad stairs going up. In the far wall were five windows opening out onto darkness. In the center of the dais was a tall post and an iron chain was attached leading to the collar around the boy Tarem’s neck. Next to him was a… well… a… _thing_ in full plate armor. In one hand it had a massive double-headed axe, and in the other the chain that held the boy. Nearby was a dwarf with strange yellow skin and eyes like a cat. 

The other children were there as well, off to the side, held by hobgoblin guards, several of which were scattered around the room. And then there was a strange four-legged creature with large quills bristling on its back. 

The voice boomed out from the armored figure “It is very rude of you to arrive unannounced. This is a place of business. Clearly you have business with me, so step in and we will discuss it.” Surely it was Kasmojen. And he was indeed big.
The dwarf-thing objected. “This is most irregular. I am already in the midst of negotiations. There were not supposed to be other bidders. I was assured of this.”

Kasmojen ignored him. “I take it from the distinct lack of sound behind you that you’ve slain a considerable number of my guards. Am I correct in this?”

The group had said nothing so far. I could tell from the way they were shifting their grip that Elizabeth and Astrid were on the verge of just attacking. Kris seemed close as well.

The dwarf however interrupted again. “I say… it looks like an illumien! Damaged, yes, but still it would be worth a good deal. I say Kasmojen, are they stock or are they other bidders? After we finish this negotiation for the boy, I might purchase the illumien. There is great call for his kind in the underdark.”

Maris spoke. “You don’t want him. He has the Vanishing.”

This brought the dwarf’s attention to her. “My you do look like a fair specimen dear. You would fetch a fine sum.”

Now at this critical juncture, a rational being has to wonder what the right thing to do is. On one hand, the safety of the children was at stake, and these were slavers and should be destroyed. But at the same time, their mission was to free the children. One could easily negotiate for their release, and still likely make a profit from the adventure. I would have thought it would at least be worth exploring the latter idea, to see how much it would cost. 

But what I think didn’t matter much. The dwarf’s leer was enough to push Krisfallion over the edge, and the battle was on.

As weapons came up, the dwarf disappeared with a pop. Kasmojen, who was faster than he looked, charged the fighters. He hit Elizabeth with a heavy blow that left a massive wound and her barely on her feet. If he could do that in one blow, it was no wonder he was willing to open the door. 

Kris moved behind Elizabeth and managed to heal her slightly using the magic wand, but it was nowhere near enough to protect her from dying from another blow. It was enough to keep her from sliding under though, and as the hobgoblin guards moved up on all sides, she slashed out and dropped one. Astrid swung hard at Kasmojen but the blow just bounced off his stout armor.

The quill-dog charged in from the side, and bowled over Maris, leaving her bleeding an unconscious. On the other flank, hobgoblins charged in and overlooked Bellsin in the shadowy light, and the two of them went down in a tangle when he tripped over him. 

And then Glyph made a run across the battle trying to get to Terrem. My first thought was that he was insane. Which could be true, but was overridden by my second thought, which was that he believed he was so far gone with the Vanishing that he felt he would be dead soon regardless. By the grace of the gods, he somehow made it across the room. The dwarf appeared suddenly and tried to trip him up but couldn’t clearly see Glyph’s legs enough to make it work. Poor Terrem saw nothing more than a strange ghost coming for him and shrank away in fear.

Kasmojen didn’t look at Elizabeth so much as a threat as an opportunity to build up momentum and cleave through her to Astrid. Fortunately his axe went high and he missed her – I’m quite sure that if he’d hit, it would have been the end of her life.

Some of the hobgoblins were trying to get the other children out of the room. The ones that had joined the battle had found quick deaths at the hands of one sword or another. Kasmojen was unfazed and had the raw power to slaughter the entire group alone, but the quill-dog was more than pulling his own weight too as he lunged at Tzaddik and felled him too in one shot. Bellsin took a look at the scene and decided either from nobility or a sense of survival that his best hope lie in keeping the girls alive and fighting, and seeing how badly Elizabeth was still hurt, stepped in behind her with an open potion vial and managed to nearly hurl the liquid in her mouth. Her wound closed up and she was ready to fight again. He patted her on the shoulder twice and she only nodded in reply, fearing to turn away from Kasmojen for even a second.

I’m definitely going to have to remember to do something nice for Bellsin someday.

The girls moved in with a vengeance, but it didn’t help much. They continued to maneuver to keep Kasmojen between them and had the assistance of Maple trying to set him up, but Kasmojen was strong and well armored. Pressed as he was, Kasmojen was having difficulty making decisive attacks but he was still cutting into Astrid, who was starting to get the sense of his motions and wounding him in return.

And then something odd happened. Now you must understand than when I say “something odd” it’s in the context of one walking down a city street and having a large troll fall out the sky, growl once, then turn into honey and ooze all over the sidewalk, and saying “Oh, that’s odd.”

A beholder arrived. There you go. I said it. A beholder. The first thought I had was “Oh, hm, sorry, that’s just over the top. A bit too much. Should have tried for something more plausible.” I thought it was the dwarf, crafting an illusion. He’d been popping in and out of visibility and I thought this was his latest distraction. But it was just to wild to be believable.

Then I looked at him. And he was *terrified*. 

The fighting stopped. The room practically froze. Guards fell. And the beholder spoke.

“I have come for Terrem Kharatys. That boy should not have been taken from Cauldron. I intend to see that he is safely returned to his orphanage. You can keep the others – they are of no consequence. Come Terrem – you will be safe with me.”

The hobgoblins who had been trying to take out the other children dropped what they were holding and ran in sheer panic. Kasmojen protested. “The boy is my property! You cannot take him.” Kasmojen speaking made Astrid take a swing at him, but he blocked it and riposted, wounding her again.

The beholder, showing some degree of patience I would think, said “You will be compensated slavemaster. But I am taking him. He will not be harmed and will be returned to the orphanage.” From behind the beholder, a small pouch of coin flung into the room on it’s own and landed on the floor. “I said come with me, boy,” the beholder said to Terrem, still frozen in terror. A green ray lanced out from one of the eyestalks and Terrem staggered backwards a step, then he ran over to join the beholder. When he was near, the two of them disappeared.

The fight was too far gone to stop now. More of the party started to circle and harass Kasmojen while the others tried to stall the quill-dog. Finally a feint drew Kasmojen out of position and Astrid landed a solid blow to his chest, denting the armor and breaking the slavemaster’s ribs. He dropped to his knees and a quick thrust ended his life.

The group then swarmed over the quill-dog. The beast was tough, but it couldn’t stand alone. And unlike the hobgoblins, it hadn’t the sense to flee.

They had survived, albeit just barely. The children, three of them at least, were safe. Everyone caught their breath for a few moments, and then Maple took them to the slave pens.

An arched stone bridge went over a deep ravine and to the far side of a great cavern. Two statues guarded an alcove that held a door leading to an entire cell block. Maple warned them that there were two big machines that would attack anyone who did not satisfy them. As she described them, it was clear they were more gnomish digging devices. The group entered and Glyph addressed them in gnomish and told them to shut down. He quickly reached in and removed the power crystals for each and the group went into the slave pens.

There were precious few captives left – most of the kidnap victims had been sold already. Only eight of the victims were still here, but as luck would have it one of them was Jasper Drundlesput, the old gnome who had been in Jazadirune when the Vanishing began.

His memory was far more useful than Keygan’s. “The Spellmason – he cheated. Jazadirune is built atop a Spellweaver vault. It made it easier to make items using their ancient magic. The curse took a long time to come into play but it was quite effectie as you can see. If you can find a cleric of sufficient power, they can remove the curse – or disease. It is partly both, and can be removed by magics curing either.”

“That’s it?” asked Glyph. “Why didn’t you cure yourselves then?”

“We didn’t have a cleric who was that powerful you see,” Jasper mused. “And we kept getting re-infected. We didn’t understand how it was happening at the time. A cleric can most likely even purge the taint from magic items, but we didn’t know that at the time. Though I don’t think you’d find many people willing to buy them.”

As the group freed the captives, Bellsin made a keen observation. “If these guys were slavers, where are the profits?”

While the captives waited in a safe room, the group quickly explored the Malachite Fortress. Any remaining creature with half a brain had fled to the Underdark, so there was little danger left. Kasmojen’s quarters were easily discovered, and among the skulls and skins and other macabre items, a secret door was found leading to a large room filled with the spoils of slaving – chests full of coin, jewel encrusted horns, armor, an ornate gong, and more.

Bellsin held out his arm preventing anyone from entering.

“Which one of you is the mimic?”

Remind me to do two nice things for Bellsin. I had completely forgotten. Judging from the Oh’s and Ah’s, I wasn’t the only one.

The gong manifested a toothy mouth. “Well hello thayah. You gots the smell of mah cousin on yas.”

“Yes we had the pleasure. We were able to work out an arrangement with him,” Bellsin said.

“He’s a bit strange that one. Eats terrible, disgusting things, yah know.”

“To each his own I suppose,” Bellsin answered. “Perhaps we can work out an arrangement with you?”

“Ohhh no no no. I don’t be eatin’ no surface food. Deee-sgusting. But now, would I be correct in thinking that since you’z a-standin’ here, you must have a nice tasty dead half-troll somewhere?” The mimic’s tongue was out and slavering at the thought of Kasmojen’s body.

“Why yes, yes we do,” Bellsin smiled. And a deal was made.

The haul was substantial, and it took some effort to get it all out, but it was worth it. Kris suggested that they allow the freed captives to take all the copper pieces, to help them get back on their feet. It was a gesture for which the captives were most grateful.

But among the treasure and belongings was a disturbing letter. It was dated six days ago, and addressed to Kasmojen in common. The tone was quite angry, and chastised him several times. The writer warned Kasmojen to ease off snatching slaves from the streets – it would be far too easy to become too successful at the job. Other people are watching and they may have to get involved. It could also attract the attention of neer-do-wells or do-gooders and that would be quite undesirable. The letter warned that if he did not slow down, the wrong sort of attention would be coming his way soon. It was signed with the logo of a flying kingfisher. Maris recognized it as the emblem of the Kingfisher Sendings messenger service.

The group returned to the surface, and to the door in Keygan’s shop. Keygan was being difficult about opening it, fearing the Vanishing. 

Elizabeth was worn out from the whole ordeal, and whispered through the door “We have some of the people who were kidnapped with us. It would be a shame if they learned of your involve…”

“Whoa whoa no need to be hasty!” Keygan said as the door opened. 

The victims were allowed to return to their homes, though surely the city watch would want to speak to them later. The group meanwhile took the children to the orphanage, where they were warmly welcomed. Gretchin was glad all the children were all safe, and said that Terrem had appeared some time ago. She inquired as to why he was returned in such an odd way, and alone.

“Circumstances permitted his return at that time,” Elizabeth said, not giving any details about the beholder, who had apparently been true to his word.

The group then went straight to the Temple of St. Cuthbert. Word had already reached the temple and Rufus was waiting for them, with Jenya joining them soon after they arrived. 

After thanking the group for their fine work, Jenya fixed on Glyph, who’s face was that of a man knowing his death was not long off. “Take heart, Glyphandar. I went to the Blue Crater Academy and learned of the Vanishing. I believe I can cure you of this affliction.”

Jenya brought out the Star of Justice, and bade Glyph kneel to receive St. Cuthbert’s blessing. “This is going to hurt a little,” she warned. Then she hauled off and hit him in the head.

The change was immediate. The power of the Saint washed over him as he lay on the floor, and the fading reversed and he was whole again. The bump on the head would take longer to heal but wasn’t likely to be fatal.

“Jenya,” Elizabeth said “we would also request you meet with us and the city watch. They will surely want to know of these events, but would be far more likely to believe us if you spoke on our behalf.”

“I will arrange a meeting with Captain Skellerang in the morning,” she agreed.

“You should also know about the beholder,” Elizabeth said.

Jenya was silent while the group told them of the circumstances of Terrem’s rescue and unusual rescuer. When they’d finished, she said “I’m not sure what to say. What you speak of is surely important, but we could not stop such a creature if we wanted to. I am not sure what to do.”

“Neither are we,” Kris said. “But we thought you should know.”

And with that it was over. Jenya paid the promised fee, and the group ate and drank their fill and had their remaining wounds tended to while the clerics listened in rapt attention to the tale of the adventure. 

The rescue was done, but there were bigger things afoot in Cauldron. Whatever it was, it wasn’t over. But that was for tomorrow.


Loot:
7 studded leather
7 longswords
7 light wood shields
50 plat
masterwork urgosh
suit of full plate, medium size
180gp
Ring with three keys, malachite style
Two pulvierizer power crystals

From room M-11:
4 large iron keys, demon head style
4225 silver
450 gold
sliver crescent moon pendant
two potions darkvision
lots of glass beads (i.e. to trip someone with)
2219 copper (given away)
696 silver
1450 copper (given away)
522 gold
900 silver
masterwork chain shirt
masterwork studded leather
composite shortbow (+2 str bonus)
silvered two-bladed sword
180 silver
darkwood shield
large steel shield
362 copper (given away)
19 gems (M-11)
ivory horn set with bloodstones
2500 gold (fee from church)


----------



## Aethramyr

Zad said:
			
		

> “The Spellmason – he cheated. Jazadirune is built atop a Spellweaver vault. It made it easier to make items using their ancient magic. The curse took a long time to come into play but it was quite effectie as you can see. If you can find a cleric of sufficient power, they can remove the curse – or disease. It is partly both, and can be removed by magics curing either.”





"...So, what we did was, we made this Item that could cast 'Remove Curse', See, And..."


----------



## dravot

Lots of fun, and a very difficult fight.

I didn't think we were getting out of there, but teamwork and interference by the beholder paid out in the end.  Also, WizarDru's dice seemed to abandon him partway.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

OK WOW!
I was sure we were all doomed. Everyone was going down so easily. Glyf's Cha was so low that even if he had infusions He still couldn't cast any. I was out of all of my alchemical supplies and my walking stick is no real weapon when faced with a howler or the Dwarf/troll hybrid. 
I felt the only chance to get back to bargening was to get ahold of the child. (I think he's related to the Spellmason). So seeing as I wasn't going to survive the night I dove into action. I rushed to the boy and when I realised what I must look to him I decided to keep the other children from being taken. 

Glypf is going to be a lot of fun but his first few levels were like a race against death. Here's hopeing He stays alive from here on out.

(Oh.. and *I* reminded Bellsin about the Mimic.)


----------



## Zad

I'm with them - I thought we were dead meat. When he came up to Elizabeth, downed her to 0 hp in one hit then was going to hit her again and cleave to Astrid, and Maris went down in one shot from the dog, I thought we were dead. One more round, he drops Astrid, the front line is gone and it's all over.

I'm still not entirely sure how we made it out. Part of it was clearing the hobgoblins from the backfield, part of it was a couple bad rolls for Kasmojen, part of it was certainly good party support.

T'was icky extreme. Negotation was never really an option I don't think for this group, so the combat was inevitable. I guess if we'd had resources it might have been better but I can easily see a TPK on this encounter - remember we have a larger group than most modules call for.


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> T'was icky extreme. Negotation was never really an option I don't think for this group, so the combat was inevitable. I guess if we'd had resources it might have been better but I can easily see a TPK on this encounter - remember we have a larger group than most modules call for.




Actually, the chance of a TPK was almost nil, beholder or no beholder.  Kazmojen had no intention of killing you if he could avoid it, just beating you within an inch of your lives, so he could throw you in a cell as slave stock.

Note also that there were at least three classed NPCs who could help you escape, and that for a smaller party, negotiation would rapidly become an option when faced with a superior force.  Guile also could have gotten you through most of the dungeon without any combat at all; a simple charm spell, intimidate, bluff or a bard with any talent could have had you stroll on through.

Glyph was also not going to die tomorrow, all drama aside.  With his CHA at 8, the worst he could suffer was another 6 CHA damage...2/3 points of which would have healed immediately.  So the best case for the next day was that his CHA went back up to 9, worst case was that it went down to 4.  The party never encountered him, but a boss in Jzadirune was also infected with the Vanishing, and had been for months....as had the skulker in the wolf's costume.

It's important to point out that negotiation clearly wasn't on the agenda for THIS party, but it would be for some parties...and the module accomdated several solutions to the problem.   And yes, my dice kept the party alive for at least two critical rounds.  Kazmojen missed three times in a row, which certainly had an effect.


----------



## LordVyreth

So, is this the end of the first adventure, or do you still have to deal with the denoument?  If the former, I'm curious as to what changes, if any, you made to the game.  I know of at least one monster that was seemingly removed either because of Dru or when it was transferred from Dungeon to the complied book form.

What level is everyone now?  I heard the first adventure should have taken you to level 3.  How'd it do?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> So, is this the end of the first adventure, or do you still have to deal with the denoument?  If the former, I'm curious as to what changes, if any, you made to the game.  I know of at least one monster that was seemingly removed either because of Dru or when it was transferred from Dungeon to the complied book form.
> 
> What level is everyone now?  I heard the first adventure should have taken you to level 3.  How'd it do?



We're all 3rd except Oldschool1e (Tzaddik) who is still 2nd level.

As for the rest.... We'll have to wait. this weekend we're playing the Barakus game that is no longer Barakus.


----------



## WizarDru

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> So, is this the end of the first adventure, or do you still have to deal with the denoument?  If the former, I'm curious as to what changes, if any, you made to the game.  I know of at least one monster that was seemingly removed either because of Dru or when it was transferred from Dungeon to the complied book form.
> 
> What level is everyone now?  I heard the first adventure should have taken you to level 3.  How'd it do?




Very few changes from the SC:HB version.   Which monster are you referring to?  

Massive e-mails have flown about concerning future plans, loot distribution and deconstruction of the module...so yeah, it's safe to say it is over.  This weekend is a Barakus weekend, and then we're on to Chapter 2.


----------



## LordVyreth

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Very few changes from the SC:HB version.   Which monster are you referring to?
> 
> Massive e-mails have flown about concerning future plans, loot distribution and deconstruction of the module...so yeah, it's safe to say it is over.  This weekend is a Barakus weekend, and then we're on to Chapter 2.




The only one that I know if is that the grell was very much alive in the original version and it nearly TPKed at least one party that I know of.  It's possible they prematurely had him killed when they translated the adventures to book form.


----------



## WizarDru

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> The only one that I know if is that the grell was very much alive in the original version and it nearly TPKed at least one party that I know of.  It's possible they prematurely had him killed when they translated the adventures to book form.




Nope, he's still in there...they just never went into that room.  The only way to reach him would have required them tearing down the barricades or going through a gear door...and the party had no plans on doing either.  They were there to find and rescue the kids...and it became pretty clear that the kids were nowhere near the grell.


----------



## Zad

*Drakthar's Way - Chapter 1*

*Drakthar’s Way - Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
Xp coming later. For the reader’s reference, most of the group is now third level.

This Week’s Adventure:
“So what next?” I asked Elizabeth.

“Honestly, I have no idea. Thoughts?” she asked Astrid.

“Well, I’m not sure. Our immediate problem – money – is solved. We’re now filthy rich. And more importantly, we actually survived a trip adventuring,” Astrid replied. “We still don’t have a job, but we have a lot more time before we have to worry about it.”

“I’m not sure if I want to deal with any more adventuring or not. The rewards were extreme, to say the least, but the risks were equally extreme,” Elizabeth replied over her drink. 

_No argument there_ I thought.

“But I do have an idea for now,” she went on. “One that should cover our bets either way. If we want to stay mercenaries, then light infantry is ok but we both know the pay is weak. Heavy infantry on the other hand, gets paid much better.”

“True,” Astrid agreed. There was really no disagreeing with that – light infantry troops were widely regarded as disposable and of little value. Heavily armored, seasoned fighters on the other hand could turn a battle, and were paid accordingly. “So you’re suggesting we invest some of our newfound wealth in armor?”

“Yes. Plus if we end up on another _adventure_” (Elizabeth said the word with some distaste, as any respectable person would) “we could use the better protection there as well.”

Astrid raised her goblet “To the heavy infantry!”

It sounded easy over drinks. Elizabeth had just enough skill that, with a little help, she could produce a set of full plate armor of the highest quality. And if she made it, the cost would be a great deal less than if they bought it. (Elizabeth wasn’t convinced that a male smith, no matter how skilled, would get the fit right, given the contours of the female form.) The only problem was the forge at which to do it. Elizabeth hoped to negotiate the use of Gurnezarn’s forge in trade for her working there, but that proved to be difficult. 

“It’s not that you don’t know how to handle yerself in a forge lass,” he said. “But if I do that for you, it’ll cause no end of trouble among the apprentices.”

Gurnezarn didn’t need those kinds of headaches. So they worked out an arrangement for her to rent forge time for what was now a fairly modest fee, and in doing so she would avoid creating problems for the smith and got the help of an apprentice to boot.

Gurnezarn himself was busy finishing Astrid’s new halberd, and then working on a new sword for Elizabeth – a commission that no doubt helped the overall negotiation. The prices were of course ruinous – it seemed Cauldron’s entire economy was built around overcharging for everything, unless you were selling of course in which case you were offered pennies. But the girls believed it would not only enhance their survivability and fighting effectiveness, but also their prospects at getting a legitimate job. 

The following weeks of endless heating and hammering were, however, more than I could tolerate. And after very little of my kibitzing and offering advice, Elizabeth suggested I find some other trouble to get into. Astrid got herself lost somewhere in town, no doubt in one of her other guises. So I decided to check in on some of the others. 

Glyph and Maris were madly scribbling away, and were, overall, just as uninteresting as Elizabeth but without all the noise. Krisfallion however was more interesting – he had a wandering spirit and a general sense of trouble about him. He and Tzaddik were going to a neighboring town to seek out a master boyer, so I decided to follow along.

They secured passage on one of Maavu’s caravans just to save themselves the walk, and enjoyed a lazy ride through the countryside to Kingfisher Hollow. The weather was pleasant and it was nice to see some trees and fields. The ride itself was uneventful, but there was talk among the escort how a lot of the wild animals have been aggressive lately, and how a pack of lowlands baboons even attacked a caravan and had to be driven off. There were similar rumors heard by others, and it seemed more than just idle gossip on a long trip.

Kingfisher Hollow was a quiet town on the river, and overall a much nicer place than Cauldron. Krisfallion managed to procure the bow he sought. Interestingly, he was asked if he had a token from Maavu or someone else. Not knowing it would be useful, he did not. However it did show that the impact of such items (and the accompanying reputation) had impacts that extended beyond Cauldron itself. 

They spent a pleasant evening at Kingfisher Hollow then returned with the caravan the next day. But they did make one interesting stop – at Kingfisher Sendings. Kris did not have the note recovered from Kasmojen, and would likely not have shown it if he had. But he did make some inquiries on the services available. The messenger service delivered only to Cauldron and the surrounding towns. They had a variety of magical protection services available, but the cost was beyond the means of most people. Whomever sent the note was rich enough not to be worried about the cost. But it seemed that the notes were delivered by courier by hand, therefore someone may know who sent it. 

When I returned to Cauldron, I learned a note had been delivered to the Blue Tygers. (Cauldron was used to dealing with adventuring groups and it was easier to just follow their conventions and adopt a name than try to fight it, so Astrid had picked the Blue Tygers.)

_I would like to meet with you at the Town Hall to discuss a very important matter. Please come at your earliest convenience or send notice that you are unable to attend._

It bore the seal of the Lord Mayor and was signed by Captain Terseon Skellerang of the town watch. Elizabeth got everyone together (except Astrid who was still presumably wandering around somewhere) and they went to see him.

They were shown into what I can only describe as a compound. The facilities here were more suited for a militia than a town watch. Elizabeth estimated there were accommodations for seven hundred men or more, with no telling how many lived in the city proper. Several phalanxes were drilling in the yard and in this they definitely looked more like a town watch then an army.

Passing a low single-story keep, there were some comments made about it. Maris commented that the keep was just the façade, and that was in fact the prison. She lowered her voice when she said it, and when asked, flushed a bit and said that it was a place most people spoke of in hushed tones. There were plenty of stories of those who went below into its underground depths and were never seen again.

We were lead to a small house with a green roof and a plain build. Inside, it was as plain as it was on the outside, with nothing decorative at all. A gaunt man in his forties with blonde hair and mustache sat at a plain desk. Even in the unassuming surroundings, he had an air of nobility around him. Introductions were made and the Captain offered seats to the group.

First Glyph related the entire tale of the trip into Jazadirune and the Malachite Fortress. The note recovered from Kasmojen was given over to the Captain so that he could pursue the source. The Captain listened intently, jotting notes here and there and asking pointed questions. He mentioned that the thugs who assaulted Rufus and started this whole mess were in fact town guardsmen who had, so far, resisted interrogation. 

“You might want to mention the half-elves who were snooping around,” I mentioned to Elizabeth, who promptly did. The Captain said that nobody he knew of from the Mayor’s office was investigating and he would pursue it.

“But this is only part of why I asked you here. Part of the reason we did not pursue the disappearances more vigorously was that we thought it was linked to the goblins and that we were already working hard on the same problem. Now it seems the two were unrelated.” Skellerang muttered a bit under his breath, cursing incompetence and a few other things. I had the definite sense that he viewed the entire affair as something that had been royally botched, and he was quite angry over it.

“What goblins?” Bellsin asked.

“We’ve been very busy trying to stop some goblins. They’ve been appearing in the city at night ransacking, looting, and vandalizing shops. Nobody has been killed… yet. But there have been some assaults. It needs to STOP. My men seem incapable of finding the root of the problem. They’ve killed a few, to be sure, but they seem undeterred by that.”

“It seems very odd that goblins would come to vandalize the city. Seems too dangerous for them,” remarked Tzaddik.

“Not really. It’s a rich city and the rock beneath is riddled with caverns. They’re coming up to scrounge,” he said, certain that’s all there was to it.

Already I was suspicious. Steal? I could believe that. Vandalize? No, that didn’t sit right. To risk the wrath of the town watch, it was too much for goblins. 

“I want your help to end them. Find them, kill them, bring their ears as proof. You’ll get five gold per ear. It’s a miracle nobody’s been murdered yet, and I won’t have it. Not in my city.” Captain Skellerang was very much about law and order and this disruption was intolerable to him.

The group accepted, and he gave them a seal to show that they were deputized for this purpose. And off they went.

The group went to the scene of the last act of vandalism. Crudely written graffiti proclaimed “Drakthar is the fog!” in goblin. But the area was so highly trafficked there was no way to follow any tracks. They agreed to get some sleep then patrol through the night to try to find a group of goblins.

They spent the entire evening moving through the town with no results, save getting to know the city better. Exhausted, they went to back to the Drunken Morkloth and were about to collapse into their rooms when a dwarf came down the stairs.

“Friends! Long night eh? Come, let me buy you breakfast!”

At first I thought they’d just politely decline and go upstairs, but I saw heads nodding at the notion of breakfast and soon they were all marching back down the stairs to eat.

The dwarf was Tyro Ambersmith. Amberhelm. Amberwamber. Something like that. In any case, he was offering breakfast, and the only price was to hear first hand about the slavers in the Fortress. While some of the Tygers were sluggish, they told him the tale and he seemed quite satisfied. I got the feeling that Tyro didn’t get out too much and wanted some company, and wasn’t above paying for it.

The next night started off much like the first. Then someone caught sight of a group of goblins moving in an alley and the chase was on. The goblins split up and each tried to escape. The group picked one and stayed on him, eventually trapping him in a blind alley. Glyph, Bellsin and Tzaddik all tried to pummel him into submission but the wiry goblin danced around them. Even when Kris commanded him to drop to the ground he kept poking with his crude sword. Finally Elizabeth walked up and put her mailed fist upside the goblin’s head and he dropped like a stone.

The goblin was carrying a crude but effective short sword, a crossbow and was wearing leathers. He was, in short, too well equipped to be scavenging for food and on the edge of starvation. Elizabeth, unsubtle as always, jacked the goblin up against the wall and woke him up. But the feisty goblin refused to answer any questions.

Then Bellsin said “He’s enchanted!” He sounded more surprised than anyone. There was some kind of magic on the goblin, controlling him in some way. Without a way to break it, there was little more they could do though, and they threw the goblin at the first patrol they found to be held for questioning.

The group was going to try to pick up the trail of one of the other goblins when they found goblins vandalizing a shop. This time instead of rushing them, they allowed the more subtle members of the group to follow them. The goblins wound their way down to the southern portion of Ash street, and approached a dome-shaped building. The sign outside had three wavy lines, marking it as a bathhouse. The goblins crept up, knocked on the door, and were let inside. 

But there were more people watching. Bellsin and Tzaddik spotted two or three other men, lurking on nearby rooftops or alleys, all watching the building. It seemed as through they were lookouts, but Krisfallion wasn’t convinced. 

“They might be other investigators or totally unrelated. We shouldn’t attack them first,” he advocated.

Elizabeth was more inclined to swing first and ask questions later but yielded. The group moved up to the door in force and Bellsin, after much fussing, was able to force the lock. While he did, the other “observers” were moving in the shadows, clearly interested in what was happening.

The door opened and the Tygers moved in to a large room inside the dome. The air was wet and the dome itself translucent. Smaller areas were curtained off the main room, where a large pool was fed from an improbably small decanter. From behind a curtain, a dwarf came running over, shouting.

“You can’t be in here! You must go! Leave now!”

His voice began as urgent and developed into frantic and manic. Elizabeth made it clear they were there on town watch business but he just kept yelling. But while he was yelling, the goons outside were moving, and as soon as weapons were drawn, the dwarf pulled out an axe too.

The door was knocked open by a cloaked figure that was moving almost on all fours. The light was dim but as he moved in, there was enough to make out the rat-like features on his face and body. Three others moved in behind him, and they too looked like half men, half rats. 

And it was at this moment I thought of a conversation that had occurred four days earlier.

---------------------
“Elizabeth!” Gurnezarn called across the forge. “Your blade is ready!”

Elizabeth put down her hammer, wiped her forehead, and walked over. She took the offered weapon and tested the feel of it. “It’s excellent. Wonderful work!” she beamed, but then furrowed her brow as she ran her finger down the edge. “Not holding a sharp edge very well though, is it?” she asked, confused.

“Of course not. It’s the alchemical silver. You asked for it – I assumed you knew,” Gurnezarn laughed.

“Hm. No I didn’t. If I had, I don’t think I would have asked for it, especially given how much it cost.” She was unhappy bordering on angry, but only at herself. “Oh well. No help for it now. But in the future I’ll know – alchemical silver is not worth it.”
---------------------​
And with this in mind, I could not help but say the words “Alchemical silver is not worth it.”

Elizabeth ignored me, and ignored the dwarf and moved to her first victim, I mean wererat. One smooth cut and he went down in a heap. The other rats hissed seeing the long curve of her silvered blade.

If it were not for that blade, I am sure I would be telling a different story. With it, the battle was short and bloody. Bellsin slammed the door throwing one of the rat men back into the street, while Maris’ spell made another sleep. The others tried to subdue the dwarf, who took to yelling at the wererats to leave as well, all the time swinging his axe. He probably knew how to use it far better than he actually was.

In moments, three wererats were dead and the fourth was running. The dwarf was knocked silly and examination showed that he too was under the influence of some kind of mind control magic.

They tied him up then explored the bathhouse. A towel room looked more like a nest, and it seemed that the crazed dwarf had been sleeping there. The rest of the bath was empty, but there was a locked door. Behind it were a set of stairs descending into darkness, the words “Drakthar is dead, long live Drakthar” scrawled on the wall in chalk.

Tzaddik knelt down and looked at the floor. “This is where the goblins went.”


----------



## LordVyreth

This doesn't sound familiar.  I heard that the book added a new adventure not in the magazine.  Do you know if this one's it, or is this from elsewhere or an original adventure?  

Also, is this the first time a party member addressed the narrator?  Up until know, I could swear that it just observed events.


----------



## dravot

WizarDru says that this is one that was not in the magazine.


----------



## Zad

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Also, is this the first time a party member addressed the narrator?  Up until know, I could swear that it just observed events.




Looking back through the story, I must say I believe you're quite correct.


----------



## WizarDru

dravot said:
			
		

> WizarDru says that this is one that was not in the magazine.




Correct; "Drakthar's Way" is also known as the 'lost module'.  It was restored in the SC:HC.  Folks familiar with the original material will begin to notice occasional deviations from the source material as we go.  Some of this is simply natural; a good campaign requires tweaking from any source material to be personal for its players.  A good module should provide a common frame of reference, but leave plenty of room for adjustment by an individual DM, if he so chooses.

You will see a serious expansion of this concept in the third module, I hope.  Anyone who read the previous story hour from the beginning saw the same level of deviation.  At the beginning of the campaign, we stuck fairly close to the printed word, dungeon-wise, but drastically expanded the core concepts.  The villages of Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury were barely fleshed out, Forge's being so scarce as barely worth mentioning...so I ran with them, somewhat.  Cauldron is, on the other hand, very much a fleshed out character.  My goal is to make it seem like a living, breathing thing.  

The cool thing about using modules like this (other than the reduced workload for me, the DM), is the ability to compare notes with other DMs and to contrast different choices from both players and DM during and after the fact.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Does this ability to contrast help you sleep at night when you torture the Artificer? Huh! Does it?!?


----------



## Nifft

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Does this ability to contrast help you sleep at night when you torture the Artificer? Huh! Does it?!?




DMs sleep better after torturing a PC.
It's a well-known fact.

 -- N


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Nifft said:
			
		

> DMs sleep better after torturing a PC.
> It's a well-known fact.
> 
> -- N



Et Tu Nifft?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

WOW! Who knew you could win at D&D? 

We were moving along in this 10' hall and I noticed a button. I pressed it and the walls disappeared and Bob Barker came outr and said I had found the button and I won D&D! Gosh I'm so proud! 


(I'm insane too.)


----------



## WizarDru

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Et Tu Nifft?



He's just telling ya the truth, mang.

Besides, if you're only just realizing NOW that Nifft doesn't have your best interests at heart, you weren't paying attention.


----------



## Nifft

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Besides, if you're only just realizing NOW that Nifft doesn't have your best interests at heart, you weren't paying attention.




That's not true! I do have their "interests" at heart.
I just want to keep their lives "interesting". (Not long... just interesting.) 

 -- N


----------



## WizarDru

Nifft said:
			
		

> That's not true! I do have their "interests" at heart.
> I just want to keep their lives "interesting". (Not long... just interesting.)




Which is exactly why "interesting times" is considered a curse. 

As the Chinese were wont to posit: "_It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a PC in a chaotic period._"   (well, they said something like that...)


----------



## Zad

But PC's that live in boring times don't get much exp either.


----------



## dravot

Next game session is Saturday.  Yay!

Gobbie smackdown commencing in T-25 hours....


----------



## dravot

A fun game, and my first crit with my x3 halberd and power attack running, with a lightning buff on the weapon.  41 dmg.


----------



## Zad

*Drakthar's Way - Chapter 2*

*Drakthar’s Way – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes:
Exp from last session was 500xp.
Exp this session is 750xp.

Note for the interested: Some readers had asked about this module, not recalling it from the magazine article series. This is indeed the “lost module” and was not published in the magazine. One of the (few apparently) complaints from folks who used the series was that there needed to be a short adventure between the first and second adventures to get the party to the appropriate level, and when they published the book, this was provided for. And here it is.

On another note, Tzaddik likely won’t be joining us for the near future due to real-life commitments.


This Week’s Adventure:
At first, they were just going to leave the crazed dwarf tied up in the bath house, but eventually they realized this was probably an unkind choice. Tzaddik volunteered to escort him to the city watch to be taken into custody and he would return as soon as he was able. This would also serve to let Captain Skellerang know the source of the goblin infestation.

They spent some time securing the bath house and searching it carefully before heading downward – they wanted to give the returning goblins some time to clear the area. I was still worried about more wererats and went outside to take a quick look around and see if there were any more coming.

I watched for some time, hidden in a shadow in the alley only vaguely aware of the crashing and thumping sounds inside the bath house. After some minutes, I saw a figure coming down the street, doing a clumsy impersonation of “casual”. My suspicions were triggered by the sheer amount of noise the person was making and confirmed when I caught the glint of full plate armor in the thin street light – it was Astrid. She was walking slowly down the street scanning the buildings. 

I stepped out of the alleyway and slid up to her. “Over here,” I called.

 “Oh it’s you,” she said. “I was expecting to find a trail of bodies to lead the way.”

“You’re not far off,” I said. “The trail starts at that bath house over there.” And we rejoined the others.

The rest of the group was about ready to head down the stairs. They twisted around and opened into a hallway. To the east there was a great deal of shouting and barking. The walls were covered with graffiti – “Drakthar is dead, long live Drakthar” and so on. It was written in charcoal, chalk, blood, slime, excrement, and other less identifiable substances. The group veered away from the noise, wanting to avoid attacking the entire place at once.

Nearby was a dormitory of some kind, filled with neatly made cots and sparse furniture. It was a sharp contrast to the rest of the place in that it was clean and orderly. Beyond it was a small storeroom with crates piled up. The crates were marked with the sign of a bird cage, but before the contents could be checked, goblins swarmed out and attacked.

The goblins were… unusual. They were very quick, and ducked among the party before they could react. They were also highly disciplined. Both of these were noteworthy, but it’s not to say they weren’t goblins. They still got cut down quickly. One of them put a small wound on Astrid before she smashed its head open. Elizabeth took the head clean off another one. Then a goblin riding a wolf charged up the hallway on the other side of the store room. It drew two blades and leapt, dare I say it, gracefully off the wolf. 

The goblin must have thought he would destroy the invaders, and to be fair he gave the group pause. Elizabeth fell back and there was a chime of perfect pitch that marked the activation of her shield. Glyphandar moved behind Astrid and touched her halberd and the shaft sprang to life with small streaks of lightning. 

The girls moved up, Astrid thrusting into the neck of the wolf while Elizabeth used a sweeping circular feint and then brought her blade into the goblin’s neck. The two of them fell together with a wet thump and that was the end of it. The goblins were quickly searched and their ears were removed (something which repulsed Glyph).

The whole area was worked stone and masonry, but there were areas that opened into lava tubes. The group avoided those and moved through the worked areas. One room was some kind of larder – skinned carcasses hung from chains. There were two baboons, two wild boars and some long smelly fish. These goblins must somehow have access to the wilderness outside the city.

While the group was sharing a moment of revulsion, a goblin appeared out of a side room and with a word, a fan of flame erupted from his hands. Elizabeth was watching the hallway and so was the only one not singed. 

This was, however, to be the last thing the goblin would ever do. Astrid swung at the creature, but went high. Elizabeth moved next to her and cut the goblin deeply. The wound however glowed with magical energy, and the goblin did not fall. Bellsin frowned, and his blade thrust at the goblin. As it hit, the magic was pulled from the goblin and into Bellsin. Deprived of his magical support, the goblin squeaked and collapsed on the floor.

Behind the goblin was an alchemical work room, complete with bubbling stone cauldron. Another goblin was hidden behind a table but he also met with a quick end. The arcanists were more fascinated by the cauldron however – it was clearly of dwarven make and heated its contents without any fire or heat source. Glyph was positively drooling over it and was convinced it was valuable, if they could find a way to remove it. Maris was more interested in the contents, which seemed to be a potion-in-progress and would be done in another hour or so by her guess.

Down the hall was a door that opened on a temple. A large statue of a dwarf, minus the head, dominated the room, and even the copious amounts of goblin graffiti and desecration couldn’t hide the fact that it was once a temple to Moradin. Beyond defiling it, the goblins seemed to have little interest in this room so the Blue Tygers moved on.

As they exited, they all started to hear… something. It was almost like wailing or screeching like a swarm of bats. It was getting louder and closer, and the group braced for something to hit.

Then around the corners from two directions there came a writhing mass of fur and tails and teeth.

Rats.

“Glyph,” Elizabeth said quietly. “If you have any of that alchemist fire, now would be a good time.”


Loot:
Masterwork leather armor, small size
Small masterwork longsword 
Small masterwork shortsword
Light crossbow (small)
2 potions (Silent Wolf)
3 sets small leather armor
3 small shortswords
3 small light crossbows
32gp
38sp
4 sets ears
3 sets small leather armor
3 small shortswords
3 small light crossbows
3 sets ears
18gp
24sp
Small short spear
2 sets ears
Two vials (goblin adepts, one each)
Stone cauldron (later)
Potion of see invisibility


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Must Have The Self Heating Cauldron!


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Must Have The Self Heating Cauldron!




You mis-spelled Hot-Tub.


----------



## Spatzimaus

Zad said:
			
		

> I stepped out of the alleyway and slid up to her. “Over here,” I called.
> 
> “Oh it’s you,” she said. “I was expecting to find a trail of bodies to lead the way.”
> 
> “You’re not far off,” I said. “The trail starts at that bath house over there.” And we rejoined the others.




I thought I had figured out who the narrator was, but this part wouldn't work with my theory since the players aren't 5th level yet.  So, I'm back to being confused again.

Edit: Never mind, figured out the problem.  It was a houserule thing, the rules as written would allow it.  Feel free to delete this post.


----------



## Zad

Not to spoil your fun Spaz, but it sounds like you got it. Kinda anti-climatic, huh? 

And for what it's worth, I had to look up those rules when I was writing the story.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Zad said:
			
		

> Not to spoil your fun Spaz, but it sounds like you got it. Kinda anti-climatic, huh?
> 
> And for what it's worth, I had to look up those rules when I was writing the story.



Strangly the players have never been introduced to the "author".


----------



## dravot

Two words:  Tyler Durden.


----------



## Zad

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Strangly the players have never been introduced to the "author".




I'm the author. I'm fairly sure we've met.   

As for the narrator and the characters, since you've never had a conversation, why would you have been introduced? And Astrid has has, so your statement is not entirely true.


----------



## Scorch

dravot said:
			
		

> Two words:  Tyler Durden.




The first rule of Blue Tigers is - you do not talk about Blue Tigers. The second rule of Blue Tigers is - you DO NOT talk about Blue Tigers.


----------



## dravot

Game night!

Rats - they're not just for breakfast anymore.


----------



## Zad

*Drakthar’s Way – Chapter 3*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 515 for all characters

This Week’s Adventure:
The rats swarmed in like a thick furry tide over the floors and up the walls. They came from two directions and Astrid and Elizabeth moved to block both fronts. I could hear sounds like echoes on the wind as the rats moved with singular purpose – a whispering voice – “Drakthar is the fall…”

Kris cast a quick spell and there was a loud whooshing thump of a sound that broke over some of the rats, but it barely broke their stride. Elizabeth and Astrid both smashed their weapons into the piles of rats, sending fur and bodies flying but the rats were unfazed. They moved in a frenzy and swarmed around each of them, biting at any exposed flesh they could find. Their weapons seemed ineffective but it was all they had, and they cut into rat after rat with swords and arrows. When the hallway was littered with the bodies of broken rodents, the remaining rats suddenly broke and scurried away into holes and between broken stones. There was a malice in their eyes that had suddenly vanished, and the whispering sounds abruptly stopped, and it was over.

It was then I realized that the raucous noises down the hall were still going strong – whatever the goblins were doing down there, they were still doing and hadn’t noticed the mess in the hallway. The group seemed finally ready to deal with whatever lay beyond, and braced themselves to fight a large number of goblins. Glyph enchanted Elizabeth’s falchion specifically for goblin fighting and it was glowing with a sick blue, almost eager, light.

Which, as it turned out, was a complete waste.

Boot was applied to door and the girls moved in to attack the two goblin guards who immediately raised an alarm. Another door down the hall opened and it looked as though there was going to be a serious knock-down, drag-out fight with over a dozen goblins through three rooms.

Maris had other ideas. She looked in the other doorway, and cast a spell. A dense fog spilled out from nowhere all through the rooms. Shapes in the fog like spirits from the grave clawed at the goblins with chilling hands. The goblins screamed in panic but the fog was everywhere. Soon the goblins began collapsing to the floor, their flesh bearing frozen scars from the icy claws.

And that was it. Over a dozen goblins were dead. The entire barracks cleansed of their presence.

The group just stared at Maris with a look of silent concern. One needed no skill at magic to know this was not the sort of magic that reputable people trifled with. 

Maris simply beamed at the sight. “It worked!” she squealed.

Glyph finally spoke up. “I’m not sure that’s the kind of magic you should be experimenting with.”

“Oh don’t be silly,” she said dismissively. “It’s not evil in itself – it’s what you use it for.”

I didn’t believe that for a minute.

The group moved on, explored further, and found a room that opened on to one of the larger tunnels but from above. There were two goblin sentries stationed there who might have been a problem if the group had been in the tunnel. As it was, they were killed quickly. Further explorations found hidden caches of treasure and a dwarf skeleton that had been used for target practice but was wearing a magic amulet. Only the dirt and grime caked on it had hidden it from the goblins.

The group finally decided to explore the tunnel. There were indications that there was another worg around somewhere and it might have gone down the tunnel recently. 

And suddenly everything went black. “Ambush,” Elizabeth said loudly, then quieter to Astrid “Forward and we’ll find them – the darkness can’t be that big.”

The sloping floor made movement in the dark more difficult, and Astrid lost her footing moving up. The darkness field was bigger than they expected, but once clear of it, there was nothing to see – no goblins, no worg, no ambush. 

“Something just flew by me,” Tzaddik called out. 

What they had thought was a goblin ambush was now turning out to be something else. Everyone’s heard stories of creatures that lurk in caves and attack unsuspecting passers-by. Nobody could remember which kind of creature was which of course, but it wasn’t that important. 

Maris used a _Sleep_ spell and there were two thumps on the floor as if someone had dropped a cloak. But one thing was still flapping around. And it had a taste for elf. Tzaddik began shouting that one was attacking him. To find him, Astrid held out her halberd and Elizabeth grabbed the other end and they went into the darkness together using it as a pole to find Tzaddik. They found him so abruptly that it knocked him over, and the next moment consisted of Tzaddik screaming and trying to rip the thing off his head, while the girls fumbled around trying to get a hand on the creature and pry it loose. Astrid pulled it off Tzaddik and then it started tearing at her. Finally Elizabeth got a solid grip and heaved it off and smashed it into the floor three times before it stopped flapping and struggling. 

As it died, the darkness lifted, leaving the three of them dirty and bloody on the tunnel floor.

“And they don’t even have ears we can turn in,” someone quipped.


Loot:
19 sets of goblin junk – optional retrieval
- leather armor (small)
- light wooden shield (small)
- small morning star
- javelins
- 1sp 2cp

MW thief’s kit
MW dwarven artisan tools
Healer’s kit
Tanglefoot bag
4 thunderstones
4 alchemist fire
Magic amulet (room 17)


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Ha Ha! I loved the look on everyone when Mariss cast that spell! Wizardru described the effect in such a chilling way it was great and then Mariss' player just dismissing the horrific deaths as if it were nothing.... 
/ Argent shivers in anticipation. 

The battles were a pain due to the floor design. i never got off even one Alchemist fire.


----------



## pogre

Caught up and I must say great stuff as usual. I was wondering if Scorch has been doing any painting or modelling for this campaign. Or perhaps he is saving those efforts for the Barakus campaign that is no longer Barakus?


----------



## Scorch

pogre said:
			
		

> Caught up and I must say great stuff as usual. I was wondering if Scorch has been doing any painting or modelling for this campaign. Or perhaps he is saving those efforts for the Barakus campaign that is no longer Barakus?




My city building project is sort of on hiatus when I reached Building #13.  I will probably pick it up again in the fall and finish out the full 26 I promised I would do this year.

Instead, what I have been working on are these 50 to 60 odd Grendel resin pieces I picked up at Origins from a guy's close out bin.  They are thrones, pillars, ruins, chairs, benches, ovens, shelves, etc. etc.  Basically a lot of prop pieces.  In all likelihood, I am going to start posting to my blog again with pictures.  I just need to get the energy to do so.  I blame the heat... and City of Heroes...

As far as what we are using for tactical combat, we have reverted to the one inch grid tablet but this time we have it on a seperate table near a couch.  We would Role Play around the main table and when tactical combat goes down, WizarDru would relocate himself to the couch to draw the map.  When combat actually starts we would all migrate back and forth between tables when our turn came up.  We use a mixture of DnD minis, painted reaper minis, and one converted Mage Knight mini.  It is much easier this way since my stuff is all the way back at my place and WizarDru and Valanthe have limited space for storage.  Perhaps when we do a big combat we know is coming then we will use the set pieces.  We will take plenty of pics, be assured!

Scorch


----------



## WizarDru

Scorch said:
			
		

> As far as what we are using for tactical combat, we have reverted to the one inch grid tablet but this time we have it on a seperate table near a couch.  We would Role Play around the main table and when tactical combat goes down, WizarDru would relocate himself to the couch to draw the map.  When combat actually starts we would all migrate back and forth between tables when our turn came up.  We use a mixture of DnD minis, painted reaper minis, and one converted Mage Knight mini.  It is much easier this way since my stuff is all the way back at my place and WizarDru and Valanthe have limited space for storage.  Perhaps when we do a big combat we know is coming then we will use the set pieces.  We will take plenty of pics, be assured!




Personally, I'm not too taken with our current method.  Relocating to that end of the room tends to be counterproductive, as I need to take the books with me OR migrate back and forth as needs be.  It also tends to break the group's focus when I do so.  I'm wondering about possible solutions; one of which might be for me to relocate to Grimm's position (but now I'm not near the PC) OR to move the table down during the game and place the card table behind my normal position.

As to pieces/parts...we'll need some for the next session, and I'll let you know which by e-mail.  Right now, the current module is too difficult to use pieces for, but I have expectations of doing some serious mastermaze/hirst art layouts for a couple of the future modules.   Some set pieces will be helpful.  I will probably have to stop by and cherry-pick the stock for the next adventure, as Flood Season has a combat that I intend to use a lot of your pieces for.  

It involves a Monkey.  


...I've said too much.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> It involves a Monkey.




And he has a gun...


----------



## pogre

Scorch said:
			
		

> Instead, what I have been working on are these 50 to 60 odd Grendel resin pieces I picked up at Origins from a guy's close out bin.  They are thrones, pillars, ruins, chairs, benches, ovens, shelves, etc. etc.  Basically a lot of prop pieces.  In all likelihood, I am going to start posting to my blog again with pictures.  I just need to get the energy to do so.  I blame the heat... and City of Heroes..
> Scorch




Dang it! You were at Origins? So was I.

I'm not sure if I'm more upset that I missed a chance to game with you or missed that discount bin


----------



## Nifft

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Ha Ha! I loved the look on everyone when Mariss cast that spell! Wizardru described the effect in such a chilling way it was great and then Mariss' player just dismissing the horrific deaths as if it were nothing....




I'm dense... what spell was under that icky-sounding effect?

 -- N


----------



## WizarDru

Nifft said:
			
		

> I'm dense... what spell was under that icky-sounding effect?
> 
> -- N




That's a PHB II spell that I approved called Kelgore's Grave Mist.  It certainly cleared the room, here.  It's a Necromancy/Conjuration spell (I think), as all Kelgore's spells are dual-schooled.  It has no save, and does 1d6 cold damage per round and automatically fatigues anyone in a 20' radius.  Duration is rd/level.  

Shy, plucky little Maris has a few heavy hitters that she can pull out in an emergency, this is one of them.  She had considered using it againt the swarms, but the others had her hold back (it's radius is problematic, to say the least).  Elizabeth's reaction, after one of mild shock and horror, was that of "_...and that's why I didn't want you wasting it on the rats._"  

The character dynamics of the Shackled City characters is fun to watch, as they are so different from the Meepites.  For example, Argent had the epiphany last session that Glyphandar was something of a coward who is much more likely to retreat from a fight than Bolo, who obviously never met a head-on collision he didn't like.  Sneaky rule-breaker Valanthe is very different from wide-eyed innocent Maris.  Dravot would have been intrigued by the mystery of Drakthar, but Astrid is totally uninterested.  And so on.

And before anyone accuses me of being an enabler...all that alchemist's fire?  it's right there in the module.


----------



## Zad

While I was certainly glad to have that kind of spell in hand for the goblins, my initial reason for suggesting holding off on spellcasting was more ... pragmatic. 

After hearing some of our player spellcasters complaining they had nothing to do once they were out of spells, and knowing we had a big fight coming, I figured maybe it would prevent complaining later.  (Of course, they have a few more now than they did at first level so that helps too.)


----------



## Argent Silvermage

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Argent had the epiphany last session that Glyphandar was something of a coward who is much more likely to retreat from a fight than Bolo, who obviously never met a head-on collision he didn't like.  And before anyone accuses me of being an enabler...all that alchemist's fire?  it's right there in the module.



LOL! Glyf is not exactly a coward but I just think he has a greater appriciation of his life after almost disappearing. 
And all that Alchemist's fire... MINE!


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> LOL! Glyf is not exactly a coward but I just think he has a greater appriciation of his life after almost disappearing.
> And all that Alchemist's fire... MINE!




I was planning to use one or two as sterno for camp cooking.


----------



## Nifft

WizarDru said:
			
		

> That's a PHB II spell that I approved called Kelgore's Grave Mist.




Woah. That book just jumped from "should buy" to "must buy now". 

Thanks! -- N


----------



## dravot

Meh.

In tonight's first combat, still going, Astrid has missed by one (against someone on all out defense), rolled 3 natural 1's, and a 6.

Edit: Yay!  I hit something.  And then I rolled a 1 on a Fort Save.   :\

Edit: Hit a couple of times...and another 1.  That's my 5th natural 1 of the night.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> Meh.
> 
> In tonight's first combat, still going, Astrid has missed by one (against someone on all out defense), rolled 3 natural 1's, and a 6.
> 
> Edit: Yay!  I hit something.  And then I rolled a 1 on a Fort Save.   :\
> 
> Edit: Hit a couple of times...and another 1.  That's my 5th natural 1 of the night.



We're all in the same boat.


----------



## WizarDru

Oh, how interesting is the next session going to be?

Who knew it would be _all three_ spellcasters?


----------



## dravot

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Oh, how interesting is the next session going to be?
> 
> Who knew it would be _all three_ spellcasters?




And yet, you seem to be the only one surprised by how things went.


----------



## Zad

*Drakthar's Way - Chapter 4*

*Drakthar’s Way – Chapter 4*


OOC Notes:
Exp is 1,466 each. Tzaddik couldn’t make this session hence his absence from the story.

This Week’s Adventure:
At this point, the group had been up all night and they were looking tired. They withdrew to the bath house to get some rest before returning to finish the job. In the bath house they found six guards from the watch at the ready. Glyphandar began speaking to them and they just nodded at him and looked around him to Astrid and Elizabeth. It was clear that to him, authority comes at the end of a sword and he looked to the armored fighters for information. 

“Most of them are dead but we’re not done yet. But we need some rest. We’re going to sleep and then go back down,” Elizabeth said curtly. “You might want to barricade that door for now.”

The guards nodded and did so, while the group collapsed. Some hours later they were rested and fed, and in some cases, bathed. (Something which I noticed always seems to improve Elizabeth’s temperament for reasons I can’t grasp.) Renewed, they descended again into the tunnels.

The large lava tube was the major unexplored area remaining, and they headed that direction, but not without first looking in on their earlier handiwork. Many of the goblin bodies were gone and there was less blood than there should have been. It was the blood that set off a gentle warning in my mind. Mind you I expected that the remaining residents would have discovered the death of their comrades, but the missing blood was… wrong.

We worked our way carefully down the gentle slope just waiting for the ambush that would surely be there. Bellsin was ahead of the group moving carefully, and suddenly his hand went up – there was something ahead. Elizabeth needed no further warnings and focused quickly and a single pure note of sound came from nowhere and hung in the air – she had formed her mental shield. 

The goblins didn’t know what the sound was, but attacked all the same. A half dozen skirmishers came out from behind rocks, while crossbowmen fired from a ledge overhead. A goblin rider on a warg charged up and the rider dismounted in front of the group.

Whatever the Blue Tygers ate for breakfast, it wasn’t enough. Fate was against them, and every action they took seemed cursed. Maris tried to put the goblins on the ledge to sleep, but only one succumbed. Astrid found her strikes continually blocked. Another wolf rider and goblin attacked the back rank, and Elizabeth moved to that front, and while her blade struck hard, it wasn’t enough to drop the rider. 

Then a goblin spellcaster loosed a ray of fire at Maris, and she immediately collapsed. The goblin did a little victory dance. Kris was able to heal her quickly though, and she retaliated by again calling up the grave mist and most of the weak goblin skirmishers succumbed to it. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough for the worgs or their riders. One wolf brought Glyph down who prudently scrambled away from the wolf, and then infused Elizabeth with greater strength. 

The chaos continued, but there was little progress. The weaker goblins were dead but the worgs and riders were proving tenacious. Astrid was exchanging blows with her foes but was unable to strike true while Kris tried to help by invoking a thunderclap to stun the attackers. At the rear, Elizabeth brought her blade down hard on a wolf, and even channeling her personal power into the strike the wolf kept its feat. It snarled in response and with a bite and jerk pulled Elizabeth’s leg out from under her. She rolled on the ground and brought her falchion through a full swing and took the warg’s head off, and then rose to her feat, the riders attacks skittering across her invisible shield. 

Then there was a slow clapping – almost amused. A voice echoed down the tunnel “Excellent. Waste your energy. Fly my children – fly!” This was followed by high-pitched screeching and flapping.

As the swarms of bats charged up the tunnel, everyone knew the situation had gone from bad to worse. By the time the bats arrived there was only one goblin and one worg left alive, both of which retreated, along with the spellcaster who disappeared just after nearly killing Maris. The bats swarmed people at random, and weapons swung wildly trying to fend them off. Their tiny bites continued to bleed and they nearly overcame Bellsin at one point before one of the girls diverted their attention. After several seconds of desperate flailing, the bats dispersed. 

There were several seconds of silence, then more amused clapping. The voice called out again. “So you see my power.” The voice was coming from above. Just inside the light of the sunrods, a figure walked on the ceiling. It looked like a bugbear, but there was now no doubt it was really a vampire. “I do not waste more on you, for you are not worthy of it, and so I give you the death-of-a-thousand-cuts and weaken you with meaningless servants like goblins. The cage-masters will see. Your lords will have to deal with Drakthar.” It hissed in anger, ready to attack.

Astrid looked at Elizabeth. “Back?”

Elizabeth nodded quickly, understanding. They couldn’t fight the vampire when it was up there – they had to retreat. She called out “Everyone BACK!” and they started moving quickly towards the worked stone rooms (with lower ceilings).

The vampire tried to exert its will on Krisfallion, but his free spirit did not bend easily. Kris tried to repel the vampire but failed, and moved back a bit. Maris also could not resist the urge to fight, and used a spell to disrupt the vampire, and also moved back some. The girls didn’t understand why they weren’t in full retreat but continued to pull back, outpacing most of the others despite their full armor. 

Drakthar was unamused by Maris’ attempt, and he turned his gaze on her next. He looked into her eyes and she folded, now a creature subject to his command. Kris tried to knock her unconscious but failed, and Glyph stopped to try to protect Maris from the vampire. Drakthar turned his gaze on Glyph, and he too succumbed.

Not good at all. Bellsin, Astrid and Elizabeth continued to fall back trying to find a favorable place to fight while Kris again tried to use his faith to repel the vampire, but the creature was just too strong. Drakthar attempted to bring Kris under his control again and again, and Kris finally was weak enough to fall prey to his will.

Bellsin and the girls had continued to run in a near panic. They weren’t certain what happened but they did know that there should be more of them than there were. They pulled back further to the stairs and waited a few seconds to see if any more of them came.

None did.

A rat crawled out of a nearby crack in the stone, its eyes glowing red, and it spoke. “I have your friends. If you want them, you must tell your masters they must deal with Drakthar, or Drakthar’s way is closed to them.” 

Not knowing what else to do, they retreated up the stairs. I debated staying and trying to sneak around and find the others, but a vampire was nothing to be trifled with and I went with them.

The three of them came through the door in the bath house to see the crossbows of the guards trained on them. They ignored them and slammed the door behind them. The guards initial caution turned to confusion as they realized there were several people missing and those that were here were panicked. 

Astrid looked at one of the guards. “Send for Captain Skellerang. NOW!” The guard looked at the ranking guard who nodded, then he left.

It took over an hour for Skellerang to arrive, during which time the survivor’s heartbeats had almost returned to normal. When he arrived, the Captain seemed somewhat perturbed at having to appear on the scene personally. “What’s going on here?!?” he demanded.

Elizabeth was stern in her tone. “What’s going on is that there’s a VAMPIRE down there! Drakthar is a vampire. He’s got the other three of us under his control.”

Skellerang stopped short, his face suddenly full of concern. “A vampire…” he thought for a moment analyzing it. “We are not equipped to deal with this. We must seek the church. Explain the details while we walk.”

The group explained what happened while they made for the temple of St. Cuthbert. At the threshold, Skellerang made obeisance to the Saint, illustrating that he was no stranger to this church. Rufus was near the foyer, and Skellerang called to him “I must see Jenya immediately. I will wait in the study. Has the High Priest returned yet?”

“No, sir. He has not.” Rufus said, and went to find Jenya. 

Skellerang went to the study with the girls and Bellsin in tow. His familiarity made it clear he must worship here. It was only a few minutes before Jenya arrived. Skellerang quickly explained what the group had found.

“You’re sure?” Jenya asked, incredulous. 

Elizabeth, mustering what courtesy she had left, replied “No, we are not sure. We have no means to test something like that – how could we possibly be ‘sure’? But you know what we have seen and you can draw what conclusion you will.”

Jenya nodded. “This is a matter more in your realm, Sir Alex,” she said over her shoulder.

A man entered – he must have been waiting outside but within earshot. “This is Sir Alex Tercival, a paladin in the service of St. Cuthbert,” Jenya said.

Sir Alex was ready for battle, wearing banded mail of stunning quality and a large sword slung over his back. He had a stern unforgiving look on his face. “This is most disturbing but I confess I am not surprised. This city is corrupt at its heart. The Mayor’s office will take weeks to decide anything, and all the while justice is not served in Saint Cuthbert’s name. Evil must be smitten!”

He looked at the girls and Bellsin. “Your help would be greatly appreciated but if necessary I will march alone, and I will march tonight. It sickens me to even stand inside this city’s walls, which is why I come here less and less. But I am here this day. If you wish to stand with me, I will smile upon it, but if you chose not to, I will not frown.”

The group thought silently for several moments before Elizabeth answered. “Our friends are held by this vampire, and we would recover them. But I fear that this creature is completely beyond our power. I am not sure how we could aid you.”

Sir Alex acted as if that was of no relevance. “At the fall of the sun I shall go forth. Meet me at this bath house if you chose to come. If not, then please provide some form of map or some such.” Sir Alex then left to pray and prepare.

No one said anything for some time. An air of desperation and powerlessness hung between the girls and Bellsin. Skellerang however was feeling something different – he was livid. 

“Did you hear that?? He all but accused me of being corrupt. The pompous ass!” he spat.

“It’s just his way,” Jenya said, trying to soothe him. “He is a good man, just as you are. I’m not sure why the two of you are always at each other’s throats.”

“We do good work here, even if it is unappreciated. We’re horribly undermanned, otherwise we wouldn’t have to turn to… “ his head went to the group and suddenly remembering their presence, changed whatever words he had planned “… to outside help to deal with threats. But the Mayor’s office seems uninclined to help. You tell that self-righteous ass that if he doesn’t find this Drakthar and slay him within two days time, I will seek the dwarves and bury him under tons of rock!” And Skellerang stormed out.

Jenya sighed deeply and feigned a smile at the group. “He won’t really seek the dwarves,” she said, as if that helped. “He’d probably just get the Storm Blades to handle it, who will, make no mistake about it, collapse the tunnels and bury Drakthar under rock, along with your friends.”

“And would that stop a vampire?” Bellsin asked.

“No, not really. It would probably just irritate him,” Jenya sighed.

“He’s a vampire. We can’t fight a vampire!” Elizabeth’s frustration was getting out of control. “They are shadow and evil, they can’t be harmed by weapons, and they kill you by looking at you! I don’t know what Sir Alex thinks we are, but we are not paladins.” 

Jenya, fortunately, was calm. “They are powerful, and some of what you say is true, but they have weaknesses as well. You may find they are less powerful than folk stories would indicate.” Jenya then pulled a large tome from the shelf, and she fell into his school teacher voice and related everything the book said about vampires. After a half hour of this talk, Elizabeth was no less frustrated.

“So let me see if I understand this: our weapons will not hurt him. There are ways to make it possible, but not within our means, or not without the members of our group that Drakthar controls. There are ways to resist his control, but again, not within our means. And there is no question that we are vastly overmatched.”

Rufus had no answer. Neither did Jenya, save to say “We will of course offer you what help we can. I would go with you myself if my duties did not prevent me. I confess I chafe at being restrained from acting directly in pursuit of justice but there is nothing I can do until the High Priest returns.”

Astrid had been largely silent up to this point. “Drakthar wants _something_. He wants to negotiate. Maybe we should try it. For that matter, it seems like he’s already angry at something. Maybe he tried to negotiate with someone and they rebuffed him and this is his play to be taken seriously.”

“That is a disturbing thought, but I’m scared to think of where it might lead,” Bellsin said. 

“You might be right,” Elizabeth said “but if our interest is in getting the others back, I’m not sure uncovering such a thing would help quickly enough. But personally I’d be perfectly willing to negotiate, either under false pretenses or not. I suspect however that Sir Alex would not be inclined to try such a tactic.”

“No, he would not,” Jenya said flatly. “He will destroy Drakthar or die trying.”

“If we want our friends back, then all we can do is help him. If we can’t hurt the vampire, maybe we can deal with his minions for Sir Alex,” Elizabeth conceded.

“Or become them,” Astrid quipped ominously.


----------



## dravot

Good writeup, Zad.

It was a fun, though occasionally frustrating night.

Astrid faced a goblin and warg, and couldn't hit at all.  The first attack missed by one (the warg was moving on all out defense), then the next 2 attacks were natural 1's, then the next attack was a natural 5, and still too low.  Argh.   :\ 

Amazingly, though, they couldn't hit her either.  I think Astrid took 2 points of dmg until the bat swarms showed up.

I wanted us to move to someplace defensable, then try to take on the vampire.  Being on the ceiling like that meant that we couldn't fight Drakthar directly.  Once people started being dominated, even that option was right out.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I'm sitting here looking at the information for the first level of Vampire Spawn.... Undead Artificer?   Muwhahaha!

(It would never happen. I'm far to bad a player of evil characters.)

The interesting thing is that Wizardru has said that all of us becoming thralls of the "bugpire" would not stop the game.  Now that's an interesting statement... There must be all sorts of interweaving of the plot lines for that to happen. 
Make me even more excited to be playing this game.


----------



## Scorch

I have to admit:  it was a little frustrating rolling nothing greater than a 3 for several critical dice throws in a row.  At one point I threw the offending die across the room at the couch.

The thing is that Krisfallion could not leave a fifteen year old girl alone in the clutches of a monsterous vampiric bugbear.  I would have stuck there until he either dominated me or I died fighting him.  "It just ain't right" as he would put it.

It will certainly make for an interesting next session.

Ah well, at least I get to take my revenge this Friday when we run my campaign.    

Scorch


----------



## dravot

Scorch said:
			
		

> The thing is that Krisfallion could not leave a fifteen year old girl alone in the clutches of a monsterous vampiric bugbear.  I would have stuck there until he either dominated me or I died fighting him.  "It just ain't right" as he would put it.
> 
> It will certainly make for an interesting next session.




Dravot would have made the same decision.  Astrid isn't Dravot though.    

Astrid doesn't believe in leaving a comrade in arms behind, but she also recognizes the tactical realities - all she wanted was to fight Drakthar someplace that gave the group an even chance, but Maris stayed to fight.  By the time you guys were dominated, Astrid was halfway toward the entrance anyway, and it was better to retreat and gather resources for a followup than to make a useless sacrifice (in her opinion)


----------



## Zad

Scorch said:
			
		

> Ah well, at least I get to take my revenge this Friday when we run my campaign.




Why do I suddenly feel like the victim both ways here? Oh well, there goes the rogue...


----------



## dravot

Zad said:
			
		

> Why do I suddenly feel like the victim both ways here? Oh well, there goes the rogue...




Roadtrip!  I wonder if we'll see the hanged man again.


----------



## dravot

Game night!  The rescue is going according to plan - Drakthar's plan...


----------



## Argent Silvermage

It was horrible. Nothing went right. NOTHING!


----------



## Nifft

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> It was horrible. Nothing went right. NOTHING!




Did something bite your new PC? I seem to recall a few things biting your old PC...  

 -- N


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Nifft said:
			
		

> Did something bite your new PC? I seem to recall a few things biting your old PC...
> 
> -- N



LOL! No Nothing like that.

I just think my acting is going un-noticed. I have tried to hint at something now for a few games and no one has caught on to it yet. (It's something very in-game. Maybe if the master lets me speak again I'll tell you more)


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> LOL! No Nothing like that.
> 
> I just think my acting is going un-noticed. I have tried to hint at something now for a few games and no one has caught on to it yet. (It's something very in-game. Maybe if the master lets me speak again I'll tell you more)




What?  That embarrassing piece of spinach in your teeth?  Yeah, we noticed.  We just didn't want to tell you about it.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> What?  That embarrassing piece of spinach in your teeth?  Yeah, we noticed.  We just didn't want to tell you about it.



You... I... I can.... /Sobs uncontrolably


----------



## Zad

*Drakthar's way - Chapter 5*

*Drakthar’s Way – Chapter 5*


OOC Notes:
Exp 630 – remember that vampire spawn must apply the level adjustment. 


This Week’s Adventure:
“So regardless of cost, you think we need some potions?” Bellsin asked.

“Going back is suicide enough as it is, but if we go back without some basic precautions, then we deserve to serve a bugbear vampire,” Elizabeth said. 

Astrid said nothing but just nodded. Sir Alex’s faith or not, luck favored the prepared combatant. Elizabeth knew from talking to Jenya that while the temple could prepare some modest elixirs, they did not have anything on hand that could help them. She first set off for Skie’s shop hoping that the gnome would have the needed potions while at the same time knowing where she would end up.

Just before she got there, she saw Brother Duos running up a side street, huffing and puffing. He soon stopped to catch his breath and Elizabeth walked up to him at a slow pace.

“Oh… there you… (huff… wheeze) are. (pant pant) Wanted to… find you,” he gasped out.

“And so you have,” she replied calmly. She gave him some time to recover, if just to avoid having to explain why the acolyte collapsed in the street.

“Potions… more potions… in the… deep vault. We think there are some _Protection from Evil_ in there… It’s Sarsen’s system and we haven’t decoded them all but we think… there are two.”

She thanked him. The church could not afford to give them out but they would provide them at a discount, which is more than you could say for any other merchant in Cauldron.

Entering Skie’s was no help – she had nothing in stock that would help. Skie must have picked up on Elizabeth’s dread, and offered one more suggestion on where to look, but the trading post turned out to be another dead end.

“No help for it then,” Elizabeth said, steeling herself, and she headed for Weir’s Elixers.
The shop was a three story tower that stuck out in Cauldron as being completely daft. There was a small stylized sign in front marked with a sigil, but nothing else to show what might be sold there or even that it was a shop. Elizabeth took a breath – she had heard enough about Weir to think he was an arrogant ass with overpriced goods, and was not looking forward to this. She knocked and the door opened with a creak.

The interior was lit by several sconces and a small fire over which simmered a kettle. A small creature with bat-like wings perched on the edge, stirring the pot with a large spoon. Fine carpets covered the floors but many had large scorch marks or bleached areas. Around the walls were racks upon racks of liquid-filled glass vials. An austere man supervised the small demon. He wore red robes with gold lining that sported similar bleached areas to the carpets. 

“You have found Weir’s Elixers,” he said in a quiet sneering way. “I am Vortimax Weir.”

He was everything she expected and she just wanted to smack him.

“I’m looking for oil to enchant a weapon temporarily,” she said flatly.

“How many do you seek?” he asked.

“Three.”

“Which is my entire stock.” He gestured and three vials came from one of the racks to his hand. He examined each and made a mark with a pen on the label on each.

Elizabeth couldn’t help but wonder if this was just overblown showmanship or if Weir was the genuine article. She looked him over and scanned the shop and concluded (based no doubt on her deep knowledge of the magical arts) that he was in fact truly a powerful man and not simply trying to look like one. 

Money was exchanged and she left. As expected, Weir’s prices were ruinous, bordering on robbery. Elizabeth grumped all the way back to the inn about how overpriced everything in Cauldron was. 

For the next few hours, she tried to meditate and prepare. From the outside, she was calm, quiet, focused, and serene. But that was a lie. Inside she was in a state of near panic, and only after hours of focus did she even begin to calm down. Assuming she survived the next day, she made a resolution: No More Adventuring. That is, assuming she could actually afford to leave Cauldron.

Bellsin, Astrid, Elizabeth, Sir Alex, and I met at the appointed time at the bath house and descended into the caves. Once they reached the natural caverns, Sir Alex began banging a loud challenge with sword and shield, calling out to Drakthar to fight him.

Down the passage, a sunrod cracked to life. The light showed a goblin adept holding it, and Drakthar next to him. “Now girl. Seal them.”

A brief word or two, and the passage was filled with sticky webs. Maris beamed.

From there, things only got worse. 

Krisfallion cast a spell, and Sir Alex, already stuck in the webbing, froze in place. And Drakthar began slowly walking down the cave.

Astrid struggled to get free of the web and worked her way forward. Elizabeth wasn’t stuck and managed to force her way out of the back webbing. She was free, but the web was still between her and her friends and enemies. She began throwing lit flasks of oil trying to burn away enough of the webs to move through.

Maris then cast forth a green ray, and Sir Alex’s strength drained away. “Good thing we have a paladin with us,” I quipped to myself.

Glyph attempted to cause Sir Alex’s armor to begin heating, but Sir Alex ignored it. “Fool!” Drakthar yelled. “I said I wanted them unharmed!”

“But it probably won’t kill him,” Glyph cried, disappointed.

[The reader should note at this time that the entire table of players stopped upon utterance of those fateful worlds. “Let’s see if we understand this,” the undominated said, “the standard is ‘it probably won’t kill you’? So when we have to put you down, lethal attacks are ok as long as ‘it probably won’t kill you’?” And so it was.]

The only saving grace in this entire disaster was Bellsin. He had been sneaking along the cave, and had gone unnoticed by anyone. If he seized the opportunity, he was by now a good ways away searching for Drakthar’s coffin. Unfortunately he was not completely forgotten. 

“Hey, where’s Bellsin?” Kris asked. 

“Who? The thief?” Drakthar demanded.

“I don’t see him,” Kris pointed out.

“Find him, fool! Girl, you too!” Drakthar ordered. And Kris went off trying to guess where Bellsin might have gone. Maris was on a ledge overlooking the cave and backed away to join with Kris.

Sir Alex was still frozen in place, Drakthar’s hand around his throat. But Alex’s will was strong and Drakthar was unable to make him serve. Astrid came charging out of the web and was about to attack when Tzaddik cast a spell (odd in itself) and Astrid collapsed asleep.

Elizabeth was now fully panicked. _If Bellsin is smart, he’s leaving this place_ she thought. She was trying her best to decide whether to run. She had almost burned her way through the webbing to the other side where the fight was, but it was now almost hopeless.

“You need to go in,” I said. “You can’t leave Astrid.” 

Elizabeth growled in frustration but held her ground and tried to burn away the final feet of the webbing between her and Astrid. Tzaddik was standing over her, getting out rope to tie her up with.

Sir Alex could finally move, but his muscles were nearly useless and Drakthar had him by the throat. “BEND!” Drakthar screamed, but Sir Alex would not serve him. In what was likely his last act of defiance, he managed to force his arm to move and threw his sword…

At Astrid.

It was a clumsy effort but the point poked her just enough to wake her. “Fool!” Drakthar spat. “You think that will matter?”

Astrid stood up, and pulled out a silvered short sword and slashed at Drakthar. It cut him deeply exposing his shriveled lungs and he cursed in anger.

“That’s the break you were looking for,” I said, prodding Elizabeth to charge.

And charge she did. She stuck herself in the last bit of webbing but she was close enough to bring her large silvered blade down on Drakthar. It was a long stroke and she brought it on to Drakthar’s neck. The blade shot through him without stopping and his head lifted into the air before violently exploding into gas along with his body.

The gas collected itself and began moving up the ledge and down the passage. This left Tzaddik and Glyphandar alone with two very unhappy women. “No no, wait!” he said. “You’ll like serving the master! You’ll see it’s a good thing!” Glyph pleaded. Elizabeth slashed at Glyph [Note: “It probably won’t kill him”] who tried to heat Elizabeth’s armor. Unfortunately the act of the spell left him vulnerable, and the girls smashed their pommels into his head and gut and he crumpled. Tzaddik had no choice but to attack but his heart wasn’t in it, and the girls pummeled him into unconsciousness too.

It was in some ways refreshing.

Meanwhile, Bellsin was doing far better. He had attempted to penetrate into the caves but was stopped by a goblin guard with two shocker lizards. While he was backing out, he came upon Kris who was searching for him. Kris went right by him without even noticing. Bellsin stepped out of the shadow and grabbed onto Kris, and used his power to steal an enchantment from Kris. He stole the only one there was – the domination.

Bellsin was protected by a potion so for the time being it had no effect. Kris, suddenly under his own will, just stopped and yelled “Dammit!”

The two of them went off to find Maris. They did so openly, and walked by the goblin guard giving the password. Kris had a hunch where the coffin was and they went towards it. They met up in a throne room where Maris found them. The throne itself, a construction of bone and muscle that looked as if it was made from corpse parts, was not as easily fooled and started to attack. Kris yelled to Maris “Bellsin is with us now – you need to help us.”

_”Well,” _ she reasoned _”the master must have told Kris to, so I better help.”_

The throne was being difficult but Kris had a sudden idea, and began using the wand of _Cure Moderate Wounds_. After a few hits the chair fell apart. 

Once the throne was destroyed, Maris suddenly knew the master was vanquished. She looked to Kris for what to do next, and Bellsin subdued her in one swift stroke. Bellsin and Kris went through the forbidden door and down the hall found a stone coffin with small holes, the gas still seeping inside.

The girls had just caught up (the goblins were apparently abandoning their posts) and together they smashed the coffen and cleansed it with holy water that Sir Alex had brought for that purpose.

With the vampire dead, we could wake up the consciousness-challenged members of the group safely. The previously enslaved members talked of mercenaries that were staying here – a tiefling woman and others. We went to investigate but they too had left the area. In their quarters was one dropped page of a long letter. It was addressed to someone named Xoden.

“… the Blue Duke has already made arrangements and procured a large number of half orc soldiers from the north. He is currently in negotiations with a noble in Cauldron for their employment. The noble, which I will not name here for obvious reasons, wishes to augment his or her personal bodyguards with stronger mercenaries but not publicly. The Blue Duke has made arrangements with the Cagewrights to smuggle these mercenaries in through Drakthar’s Way. The vampire is incompetent and stupid but convenient so we will deal with him for now….”​
Deeper in the caves we found the exit to the outside – a cave on the outer edge of the caldera. They tied of a large piece of cloth to serve as a marker so this entry could be found later from the outside by Captain Skellerang. Near the exit were several crates of supplies – mostly foodstuffs. All were marked with a symbol of a small black birdcage. 

The rest of the facility had been abandoned when the vampire fell, so the group spent some time to collect the spoils of their slim victory. The venture had already been too much of a disaster to leave behind what few rewards might exist. Spoils in hand, they returned to the surface and found Captain Skellerang waiting.

“You survived? Is the vampire destroyed then?” he asked.

“Yes,” Sir Alex said, and said no more.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” the Captain said.

“Well,” Astrid said, “you could carry this bag of ears…”

Loot:
Magical self-heating cauldron
17,200 cp
3,500 sp
Rusty battleaxe
Composite longbow (+3 str bonus)
Quiver (Ehlonna’s)
Masterwork rapier
Masterwork silver spear
Breastplate (shaped like a griffon)
Mithril chain shirt
Heavy darkwood shield
Gold bracelet (Drakthar’s treasure)
Silver comb inlaid with amber (Drakthar’s treasure)
Small ivory flute (Drakthar’s treasure)
Necklace of missiles (type 2)
Quaal’s feather token (?)


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*The ways of the Artificer*

As you may have been thinking "what the hell was the Lawful Good Artificer so blood thirsty for?" and have been right to think that.

I see Glyf as being very devoted to his "group" if that's group is after a bunch of goblins he will do his best to make it clean and neat kills. 
He was under a compulsion from a vampire. This led him to be as precise as needed without killing them and Chris could always heal them (he thought). 

One thing that was left out of the writeup is that Glyf tried to TALK Astrid out of opposing Drakthar. Why Astrid and not Elizabeth? I'll quote myself "But I don't CARE about Elizabeth." Take that as you will, but I've been hinting for a while now that Glyp has a crush on Astrid.


----------



## dravot

A fun, though nervous evening.

We got webbed, and then the paladin failed his save vs. Kris' _hold_ spell - the initial save, and all of the subsequent saves.  Basically, he was _held_ until the spell wore off.   :\ 

He was then _enfeebled_ - down 7 STR.

And then Astrid rolled a 1 vs. the _sleep_ spell.  Woof.

The amazing thing is that the paladin made all of his _domination_ saves, which kept the vampire focused on him, and allowed Astrid and Elizabeth to get through the web, and get their act together.

Oh, and the vampire's grapple with Sir Alex meant that we had a chance to hit him.


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> One thing that was left out of the writeup is that Glyf tried to TALK Astrid out of opposing Drakthar. Why Astrid and not Elizabeth? I'll quote myself "But I don't CARE about Elizabeth." Take that as you will, but I've been hinting for a while now that Glyph has a crush on Astrid.




That is *so* cute.


----------



## Zad

I should have realized it sooner - he only throws alchemist's fire on people he _really_ cares about.


----------



## dravot

Zad said:
			
		

> I should have realized it sooner - he only throws alchemist's fire on people he _really_ cares about.




Actually, Astrid has never been hit by alchemist's fire.  See?  Glyph cares.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> Actually, Astrid has never been hit by alchemist's fire.  See?  Glyph cares.



See. I told you I was being subtle.   
She is the first person he enchants if he can as well. He also has spoken to her more than anyone else except Maris and her only because he thinks of himself as her protector.


----------



## Nifft

Zad said:
			
		

> *Drakthar’s Way – Chapter 5*OOC Notes:
> Exp 630 – remember that vampire spawn must apply the level adjustment.




Vampire spawn?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Nifft said:
			
		

> Vampire spawn?



What's the matter Nifft? Scared of the Dark? the loving loving dark?


----------



## Greybar

Yeah, I figured it was going to be good after I saw that OOC Note...


----------



## Zad

Noobdy was turned into vampire spawn (that we know of at least). I put that in for reader amusement


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> Noobdy was turned into vampire spawn (that we know of at least). I put that in for reader amusement




This kind of grew out of an in-game discussion, where I explained that the party needed another level before they were powerful enough to become vampires if taken over, and would instead be turned into spawn.  



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> “Potions… more potions… in the… deep vault. We think there are some Protection from Evil in there… It’s Sarsen’s system and we haven’t decoded them all but we think… there are two.”




The casual observer might be tempted to think "_Ahhh...Dru realized the challenge was too much for them and gave them a boost._"  While I am not adverse to doing just that, this wasn't such a case.  This was actually the DM correcting a mistake that the players were unaware of...specifically that the temple of St. Cuthbert will provide quite a bit more than I thought they would (which is why it always pays to re-read some details from time to time).  They won't do it for free, but they offer the best price the PCs are likely to see short of making it themselves.

Observers may also note that Tzaddik just sort of 'appeared' as a victim of domination.  This just made things easier from a story standpoint, really, since oldschool1e had missed an intervening session and seemed the logical conclusion.

Overall, I think "Drakthar's Way" was probably the weakest entry in the book and it wasn't bad by any measure.  Certainly, the combat afforded in this session was the kind we like best: tense, uncertain and it could go either way.  The players didn't get handed this battle, they took it by grasping with bloodied hands.  If Sir Alex didn't keep making his Will Saves, it's quite likely that the entire party would have been dominated.

And if I were awarding Action Points, Aethramyr would have gotten one for having Bellsin steal Krisfallions domination.  It was pretty funny...Bellsin successfully stole the spell effect and then failed his save...but then remembered that he had used a Protection of Evil potion...effectively giving him several minutes to find and destroy 'the master's' coffin before he'd turn to the bad guy side.  Great stuff.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> And if I were awarding Action Points, Aethramyr would have gotten one for having Bellsin steal Krisfallions domination.  It was pretty funny...Bellsin successfully stole the spell effect and then failed his save...but then remembered that he had used a Protection of Evil potion...effectively giving him several minutes to find and destroy 'the master's' coffin before he'd turn to the bad guy side.  Great stuff.




Actually no, this was planned more than a week in advance - if protected he could steal the spell and free Kris. And I thought he made his save, given the bonuses of the pro-evil potion?  Regardless, it all worked out. 

I'm not sure I share the same level of praise for this particular adventure. I think the vampire was too much for the level of the party, and there were way too many ways it could go horribly wrong. Maybe it was just bad luck on our part but I spent most of my time feeling utterly powerless and that I could not decide my own fate, and I was struggling to find a reason in-character to stand and fight.  The vampire may have been low in hit points but I am assuming he had the usual DR and fast healing, and the encounter as written seemed designed to end with the entire party dominated. I'd reccomend that DM's tread very carefully when dealing with it. Of course, there are surely all kinds of things written in that I am unware of, so take that advice for what little it's worth.


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> I'm not sure I share the same level of praise for this particular adventure. I think the vampire was too much for the level of the party, and there were way too many ways it could go horribly wrong. Maybe it was just bad luck on our part but...




It was a combination of bad luck and metagaming on the part of Drakthar's level of power.  If Krisfallion had rolled a turn decently even once (instead of failing three times) on his turn check, if every PC hadn't failed their dominate saves, if Maris hadn't missed her touch attack, if Astrid hadn't failed a will save against a sleep spell from a first level sorceror and on and on and on.  The dice turning so hideously against the party would have allowed a kobold with an attitude to wreck the party up (and let's not forget, a goblin adept nearly dropped half the party two sessions ago).  The problem was that Drakthar targetted the spellcasters first and got them all, and the party lost their only ranged ability, spell casting power and turning ability all in one fell swoop.  Had one of the party members just grabbed Maris and ran, you'd probably have been easily able to overpower Drakthar shortly thereafter.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Had one of the party members just grabbed Maris and ran, you'd probably have been easily able to overpower Drakthar shortly thereafter.




For that matter, had the party retreated when we said "Retreat!"....


----------



## pogre

Zad said:
			
		

> I'm not sure I share the same level of praise for this particular adventure. I think the vampire was too much for the level of the party, and there were way too many ways it could go horribly wrong. Maybe it was just bad luck on our part but I spent most of my time feeling utterly powerless and that I could not decide my own fate, and I was struggling to find a reason in-character to stand and fight.  The vampire may have been low in hit points but I am assuming he had the usual DR and fast healing, and the encounter as written seemed designed to end with the entire party dominated. I'd reccomend that DM's tread very carefully when dealing with it. Of course, there are surely all kinds of things written in that I am unware of, so take that advice for what little it's worth.




Ah, even the great ones have player gripes - sure he is couching it in terms of the adventure, but...


----------



## dravot

pogre said:
			
		

> Ah, even the great ones have player gripes - sure he is couching it in terms of the adventure, but...




Eh.  I didn't find it that bad.  It made for a fun challenge.  And WizarDru's right...if Astrid had made her save, it would have been different.  If we had an invis potion, it would have been different.  And so on.

We weren't helpless.  We just had some obstacles to overcome.    

And we were richly rewarded  for our troubles with the opportunity to strike our fellow party members.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> And we were richly rewarded  for our troubles with the opportunity to strike our fellow party members.



Yeah. and it reinforced Glyf's idea that you're the nice one and elizabeth is a shrew.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*Dark Glyphandar Rising*

Tonight it starts. My bid for total control of the city of Cauldron. Come my dark minions! Fly on steel wings and the blood of the innocent!


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*and so it begins...*

Costume rental: 100GP
Coach rental: 43GP
Seeing Tzaddik in a marilith costume with fake comedy breasts: PRICELESS


----------



## Zad

*Flood Season - Chapter 1*

*Flood Season - Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
No exp tally for this week - it'll come with next week when we wrap up the ball.

This Week's Adventure:

Elizabeth was quite busy dealing with the aftermath of Drakthar. Running here, running there, negotiating with this person and that. She was becoming a familiar face among the Cauldron mercantile crowd and while there was a perception that Astrid was the leader, Elizabeth was the one all the merchants dealt with. 

I found it strange that the one piece of business that she was ignoring I was sure would be the one to cause the most trouble: The Demonscar Ball. 

The entire group had been invited, but it wasn't long before the alarm bells started going off. Casual talk over breakfast revealed that the invitations, each elaborately illuminated, contained some differences. Elizabeth wrote it off to artistic variation, but I wasn't so sure. But the first glimmer of the depth of the problem came to light with a simple question.

"Inkeeper," Bellsin asked "do you know if there's any significance to the variations in the invitations to the Ball?"

"The Ball??!?" he said, as if Bellsin had just handed him a wet kobold smothered in syrup. "I wouldn't know much about the Ball. I'm just a working man, like yourselves. The likes of me don't get invited to no Ball."

"Perhaps," Astrid said quietly "we are underestimating this..."

Elizabeth finished her mead and stood up. "I have to go finish some deals with some of the merchants. I can ask them - I'm sure they'll be helpful."

And they were. "The Ball? You've been invited?" Tygot asked, not displeased. 

"The Demonscar Ball, yes," Elizabeth answered. "We're a bit in the dark on the whole thing I'm afraid."

"No need to say Demonscar, my dear. This time of year, there's only one 'Ball' anyone is going to be talking about," he said smiling. "The Ball is the social event of the year, with all of the elite of Cauldron assembled, plus many from surrounding areas. That you've been invited so soon is surprising, but no doubt due to your fine work of late."

"I see," she said suddenly aware of how un-elite she was. "I suppose I'm going to need a dress. Do you know a good tailor? I hope there's not dancing..."

"You don't need a dress. You need a costume. It's a recreation of the battle between the demons and the Cauldron founders." Tygot sounded genuinely excited.

Elizabeth buried her head in her hands. "Where would I get a costume?"

The blink dog shifted slightly in his napping position and interjected. "Sarlene's Silks And Finery is the place you want my dear. They can take care of you."

"Thank you Leepok," Elizabeth said. "This is getting worse by the minute."

"And if it's anything like the norm in Cauldron, it's going to cost a fortune" I thought.

Elizabeth gathered up the rest of the crew and told them the bad news. And so the Blue Tyger Legion headed off to Sarlene's.

It was an upscale shop on the northern rim of the crater, sporting the luxury of stone construction. A polite elven woman with a hint of her years asked if she could be of help. When the group said they had invitations to the Ball and needed to rent costumes, the woman asked to see their invitations.

"Why?" Glyph asked. "I assure you we are not lying." 

"Oh no my dear," she said "I did not mean to imply that. I merely want to see if you are demons or founders."

She was met with a variety of blank looks. Elizabeth finally said "Please pardon us but we are new to all of this. It would be most helpful if you assumed we knew nothing of the Ball, and you would not be far from the truth."

And she was most helpful. The mark on the invitation - that of a mountain or a caldera, indicated which side one was to play. Elizabeth, Maris, and Bellsin were all City Founders. Krisfallion, Glyph, and Tzaddik were demons.

And then there was Astrid. Her mark was different, and Sarlene was surprised to see it. "Oh my. I wish you had come in sooner." 

"We only got the invitations yesterday," Astrid said.

"Well, you should have come yesterday," Sarlene replied, not rudely.

"We were busy killing a vampire," Astrid said with a polite smile. Sarlene looked as if she had said "We were busy watering the garden."

"Why is it so important? And why is hers different?" Kris asked.

"She is to play Nabatheron, the leader of the demon hordes. The costume is quite special."

In Cauldron, "special" usually means "expensive". This time was no different. Astrid's costume was an elaborate affair - a winged demon complete with arms that ended in pincer claws yet allowed her full range of motion, glowing eyes, animated tail, etc. 

"The top part will come off so you can fit in the coach" Sarlene commented, looking over Astrid once she was wearing the whole outfit for a test fitting. 

"Coach?" Elizabeth asked, knowing what was coming.

The rest of the fittings were a bit dull. The founders wore stylized outfits, very nice but a single night's rental would cost more than a farmer saw in a lifetime. The demons were just as expensive but more tricky. Kris was dressed as a pit fiend with a real whip and all. Tzaddik was ... noteworthy. Since there were few costumes left, he was to be dressed as a marilith, complete with amusing extra arms and fake comedy breasts. As expensive as the outfits were, Astrid's fee was twice as bad - two HUNDRED gold. 

This is to say nothing of the coach rental fee from a nearby merchant, plus the etiquette lessons from the Blue Crater Academy - most of the group was determined not to make a hash of the evening and decided it was worth it even at Cauldron prices.

Of more concern was a familiar face - the blonde half elf who had been following Elizabeth  was spotted. Astrid stepped into an alley and altered her appearance and followed him, and I went with her. (Glyph had made or acquired for her a magic item that would let her alter her appearance - I believe he is still unaware of her true nature.) The elf went to the Drunken Morkloth and to the room of Tyro Amberhelm.  The friendly dwarf now seemed to have  entirely different motives, and I hate to admit it but it seems Tzaddik was right to be suspicious. 

Bellsin's room was next to Tyro's, and I sent him upstairs and he and Astrid listened to what they could. I waited hidden by a table in the hallway to see what I could if someone came out.

"... keeping an eye on them..."

"... Pheleon says they went to purchase costumes..."

"... danger?"

"... no think they're safe for now. We'll wait and see how it plays out. Certainly something's afoot here. It's rather odd that they were so quickly invited to the ball. Someone is manipulating events. For now, we watch and wait."

"... no Tessaril is fine..."

"... wait..."

"... he says they've come back to the inn. They're already here. You're not exiting by the stairs - you'll be seen. Go the other way. That'll do for now. Go below. If you have any questions contact me, otherwise I'll send you a message at the appointed time."

"... By the Strider..."

The door opened, and I saw a dark skinned human come out of the room, wearing robes and carrying a staff. He went down the room and scanned the room quickly. It would not have been noticed except that Elizabeth knew he was coming and saw him study the room.

Astrid followed this new disguise to a pavilion in the park where he met with the other elf. She followed them to a bar in a working-class part of town, but then lost them.

"'By the Strider' is something that some sects of the followers of Farlanghan say," Krisfallion noted once the details had been relayed.

Something that had been nearly missed in all the fuss and bother was that the Ball itself was merely the culmination of a week-long festival in Cauldron. It began raining on the first day of the festival, and rained more or less steadily throughout. There were games, and shows, and the usual sort of thing. Astrid found herself in the drinking contest and was only finally knocked out on the final day, very nearly winning. It didn't hurt her reputation, but I'm starting to wonder if that's a good thing.

The day of the Ball arrived, and the costumes were delivered as promised. Everyone got themselves dressed, although Tzaddik had some issues with his... prosthetics. The coach arrived precisely on schedule and it did look very stylish with ivory unicorns, gold gilding, and soft blue leather seats. Elizabeth handed a letter of mark to the driver at the appropriate moment, and I could swear there was a look of relief on his face that they didn't try to pay him with anything as base as actual money. Once everyone was on board, the coach set off for the Coy Nixie. 

There was no small amount of cheering at the arrival of the Blue Tyger Legion. There was quite a crowd around the inn there to watch the arrival of the finest of Cauldron, and the group's arrival, or perhaps just Nabtheteron's, caused a lot of cheering. We were lead inside to a grand area where many people were milling about, socializing and being generally seen. A servant in black approached us.

"Ms. Cartwright?" he asked.

"Yes?" I smiled politely.

"Lord Vhalantru would like to speak with you when you have a moment," he said.

"Oh of course," I said, not quite knowing who that was or what it meant. "I have not yet had the pleasure of his Lordship's acquaintance. Would you be kind enough to show me to him?"

She took Bellsin's arm to bring him with her and we were shown to a table where a man sat with an elegant lady, both dressed elegantly as city founders. She was beautiful in every way, and I gave Elizabeth a little reassurance. Introductions were made - the woman was Lady Celeste from Sasserine. Once polite obligations were satisfied and some casual conversation had been made, he dismissed Lady Celeste, but in a very polite way. 

Lord Vhalantru lowered his voice. "I should warn you. It's my understanding that the StormBlades are... how shall I put this... they are somewhat threatened by your recent exploits. I don't know how much you know about them..."

Elizabeth said "I know nearly nothing of them I'm afraid."

"Each is the son or daughter of a powerful noble in the city. From what I've heard, they may try to sabotage some of your efforts this evening so keep an eye on them. The four you're looking for... ah there," he said scanning the room then pointing out a lovely woman in an angel outfit. "Anna Taskerhill - the only daughter of the Taskerhills. She has quite a singing voice. Over there, Cara Lathenmire. Her family owns most of the forges in the city. She is every bit the firebrand she appears to be. She is quick to anger and often resorts to violence."  The woman he pointed out had short, red hair and a sour expression. "The dour man is Todd Vanderboren, and the other is Zachary Azlaxin the second - son of Lord Azlaxin, the hosts."

"This would explain how the Nabtheteron invitation landed with us," Elizabeth remarked.

"It may be that the invitations were sent purely for the opportunity to embarrass you. Be wary. I don't think they would do anything foolish," by which he meant "violent", "but they may want to make you look foolish in front of the nobles. 

I took some more time to stare at each. Cora was talking to some people describing a fight - the gestures are universal - but she didn't seem to have her heart in it. And she looked uncomfortable in her rather feminine costume. Todd was in a grey robe with a hood and his face painted like a skeleton. He was supposed to be a founder - a dead one. While I was watching, he caught sight of Elizabeth and Bellsin and went over to Anna, whom he pointed them out to. Anna immediately turned to her parents and did the same thing. 

Elizabeth thanked Lord Vhalantru for his time, and returned to the group. (I wonder what this help may cost us later.) She discreetly passed the word to the others to be on guard, and the girls and I decided it would be best if I stayed near Astrid for a while - she was likely to be the focal point of any problems. 

Then suddenly, gold and white doors swung open and the Demonscar Herald came out, and tapped his white staff three times. He wore a robe half white, half red, and a mask to match - half fiendish, half an angelic blonde man. His hands even matched. 

He spoke in a loud clear voice. "Welcome dignitaries and noblemen, denizens of the Demonskar" turning to his left so only his demonic visage can be seen "and founders of our fair city," turning around to reveal his angelic half.

"Tonight is a celebration of Cauldron's most glorious and monumental of historical events - the battle between good and evil, heaven and hell, arcane hero and demon general - between the founder of our grand city, Sundabar Spellmason and the demonic lord who sought to destroy our ancestors, Nabthatoron."

"Please enter through the grand doors to formal greet your Ball Patrons and begin the fabulous festivities!"


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We play again tonight. Wizardru and the kids are much better now.


----------



## Zad

*Flood Season - Chapter 2*

*Flood Season – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes:
Exp for both sessions 800xp.

This Week’s Adventure:
The doors were open but none of the guests made a great hurry to rush up the stairs, and so the Blue Tygers lingered and mingled until the time seemed more appropriate to move upstairs. At the top of the stairs were two nobles and it was soon apparent that it was the Lord and Lady Azlaxin greeting each of the guests. Some the greeted very briefly while others received more time or attention. I suspected that there were innumerable social cues in how each guest was treated but I am either too socially inept or indifferent to recognize them. As the Blue Tygers reached the top of the stairs, the Demonskar herald accepted the proffered invitations and announced their arrival.

The Lord and Lady were actually polite and spent more time greeting the group than I might have expected. Their greeting and appreciation of recent work seemed almost genuine, and this impression was reinforced when Lady Azlaxin called her son over to meet the Blue Tygers. Zachary the second looked as if he had just been introduced to a pile of dung in a gutter and excused himself as quickly as he could.

The ballroom was a grand affair and was replete with magically lit chandeliers, large windows, and elaborate banners; red for the demonic army on the right and gold for the defenders on the left.

Before the group had gotten far, a man lurched up, wine in hand. He was thrilled to meet the group and clearly had been drinking a fair bit already.

I had been sticking very close to Astrid since it was apparent that as Nabthataron she would likely be the focus of any embarrassment by the Stormblades. “Who is this man?” I asked.

In a low tone she said “Must be the mayor – notice the sash.”

Eventually Mayor Severin Navalant got around to pumping the hands of each of the group and thanking them for their efforts against the smugglers.

“Smugglers?” said Glyph with raised eyebrows. “You mean the vampire?”

The mayor began quickly coughing and harrumphing and doing his best to forgot he heard that word. Astrid stepped in adding “They called themselves that since they were sucking the city dry.” She added a glare at Glyph and hoped he would get the point.

The mayor quickly latched on to Astrid’s lie and recovered his composure. The one noteworthy item was that the mayor was very interested in when the group expected to be leaving Cauldron – he seemed almost anxious. Glyph then proceeded to further muck up the works by starting to complain about the ruinous treatment by the city’s merchant community, but Maris managed to get him off the topic before to much damage was done. (I suspect Penelope was involved somehow in ways I care not to dwell on.) The only saving grace here was that the mayor was probably so in his cups that he’ll be very likely to forget most of the night anyway.

Not a minute later, the group was approached by a very attractive woman in her early thirties. “Your skill at arms and bravery in battle are more than welcomed in our fair city. The church of Wee Jas rejoices at your success and offers you aid whenever you need it. I am Embril Aloustinai, High Priestess. It is a pleasure to meet you."
She gave each of the group a lingering welcome that I could not quite understand. “We value adventurers of your ilk in the Church of Wee Jas. If you desire magical power, our church’s doors are always open to you.”

_Is it me or is she way too interested in us?_ Elizabeth asked.

_I’m not sure, but she’s creepy._ I replied. The men, to their credit, were also wary.

The group broke up to at least attempt to mingle among the crowd. Elizabeth made certain to give her greetings to those of the merchant crowd who were present. While she was speaking to Tygot, a tallish man joined the conversation. 

“Tygot, I hope you won’t mind my interruption but I had to seize the opportunity to introduce myself to Ms. Cartwright – Maavu Arlintal at your service.”

Elizabeth smiled genuinely – she had been hoping to find him. “A pleasure, sir. I was hoping to get the opportunity to meet you in person tonight.” The three of them spent some time talking, each taking some comfort in the vaguely out-of-place feeling they all shared.

After some more of this general nonsense, the singing contest began. The herald announced “After losing his arm and lady love Celestia while slaying the horrific dragon, Vittris Bale, Surabar stood without a weapon to face the demonic general Nabthataron and his approaching infernal horde. The beautiful winged angel Nidrama appeared to Surabar heralded by a song of heaven while he stood alone one morning in the jungle. She told him of her belief in his strength and wisdom and granted him a weapon to combat the evil that threatened to overwhelm his forces – Alakast.

Tonight we honor Nidrama with our own ‘Song of Heaven’, a competition to see who will be our angel this evening and reward Alakast to Surabar during the Demonskar Dance. I humbly invite last year’s angel to the stage to defend her position - the beautiful Annah Taskerhill. (Applause follows) Contenders to the auspicious position please step up onto the stage. This evening’s winner will receive the golden Alakast trophy.“ He held up a beautiful 3 foot long golden rod that drew gasps and applause.

There was only one other contestant – Glyphandar. No one else had either the skill or foolishness to challenge Annah. If he did well, it could add prestige but further annoy the Stormblades. On the up side, if he did poorly, maybe the Stormblades would be happy.

There were six verses to the song, and they would alternate, with Annah as the previous year’s winner going first, accompanying herself on the harp. Annah started very nicely. Glyph however did stunningly well on his first verse. His performance tempted Annah to try slightly overhard and she was a bit off. Glyph’s second round was horrible – it seems he tried too hard to repeat his first round. His singing was so bad as to completely throw off Annah who did her last verse horribly. Glyphandar finished with something average, and the crowd offered polite applause amid their confusion. The judge awarded the trophy to Annah and the event moved on.

The herald spoke. “As the demonic army moved towards Redgorge and Surabar used his great elemental powers to defend his people, to the east one of Surabar’s greatest friends and competitors sought to support her friends and the people of Redgorge with her own powers.  Kozomagon Lidu was a powerful necromancer, who had founded a settlement near what is now the Cauldron foothills and called it Liduton. She had purposefully built the village close to an ancient Kopru necropolis hidden in a deep, dark lake. “

“As Nabthataron lead his howling forces against the region, Kozomagon drew upon her powers to raise an army of undead kopru to defend Liduton. Instead of helping the citizenry, the attempt turned to tragedy as the undead army turned on the Liduton citizens and Kozomagon herself.”

“Tonight we will reveal our own leader of Liduton in memory of this tragedy. We will announce our Mayor and Lady of the Haunted Village.  Find your partner, align upon the necromantic symbol of Liduton and let the Dance of Kozomagon’s Folly, begin!"

The servants rolled out a series of enchanted carpets with circles stitched into them. As people took places in the overlapping circular tracks they faded to a green translucent ghostly form.  The Tygers cast about for appropriate partners. Glyph asked Astrid. Elizabeth was spared from her building dread when she was asked by Maavu to dance. Bellsin asked Jenya, which seemed to relieve her – Jenya was not used to standing in during these functions. The Lady Celeste asked Kris to dance, to my surprise. Perhaps she was trying to avoid something less savory. Maris was asked by several suitors – I suspect they were minor nobles appropriate to her station.

The Tygers are a lot of things but “dancers” is not one of them. To my surprise, they lasted surprisingly long before the increasing tempo caused a collision that knocked them out of the contest. The entire group made it through the first verses. Only Kris was tripped up in the second verses.  The third verses saw Elizabeth trip up, and it was just as Cora was coming around and she was gearing up to kick her but Maavu interposed himself as they fell and apologized for _his_ clumsiness, acting every bit the gentleman. Cora just scowled and moved on.

When the music stopped suddenly, the mayor was chosen. In the center were Glyph and Astrid, with no small amount of genuine applause to go with it.

It was a miracle nothing tragic had happened yet if you ask me. 

A gong sounded the commencement of dinner, and the crowd moved downstairs again where the tables had been set. The Blue Tygers were conducted to a table not overly far from the head table, but populated with an… interesting crowd. Regrettably, the Stormblades were only one table away.

First was Bolar Westkey, a gnome who owned a map shop. During dinner he expressed his appreciation for what the group had done for Keygan during that whole affair. There was a tall half orc named Dalam Bandershield. It seemed he was a bodyguard who was semi-retired and fully intoxicated. Tyro Amberhelm was there, and next to him Vortimax Weir. Last there were two nobles – Sir Sabastian and Lady Gwendolyn Brady-Dippenshire of the Sasserine Azlaxins. Their distaste with the others at the table was as apparent and kindly, the Tygers saw fit to largely ignore them rather than torment them further.
The guests were quickly seated and Lord Azlaxin rose. “Lord Mayor, Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you once more this humble gathering. Once again we celebrate the glorious Demonskar Battle and once again we honor out heroic founder – Surabar Spellmason. If only he could see today what his great work accomplished and see the glory of the city he created.” As he spoke, servants moved through the banquet tables giving each guest a glass with a bubbling red drink with white smoke pouring out.

“This year has proved especially difficult to our grand city. We have had kidnappings, thwarted drow invasions and dealt with rampant goblin vandalism that threaten our holdings and welfare. Heroic adventurers have been our salvation. One group, I am extremely proud to announce, has my own son within its ranks – Zachary II. The other members of this heroic group are a sons and daughters of Cauldron nobility, protecting the weak and strong alike – collectively they are known as the Stormblades!” Lord Azlaxin smiled at the loud applause that followed. Every single one of the Tygers applauded as well. 

“Another group has also proved their valour in the past few months. Rising from poorer beginnings than our other heroes, they have demonstrated a noble spirit none the less. They have single handedly rescued the kidnapped orphans from the slavers, stopped rampant goblin attacks, but have also slain a vampire lurking beneath our city streets! I give you...the Blue Tyger Legion!” This time not only applause but cheering. The group seemed almost embarrassed.

“I ask you all to stand with me and toast Surabar Spellmason and Cauldron Heroes!”

After the toast, the first course was brought out – five dips and exotic fruits and spiced breads.

Apparently each course got an introduction. The herald spoke before the second course. “Surabar was known for his legendary swordsmanship and battle prowess but he is better remembered for his superior arcane skills and boundless intellect. Each year we reward the greatest wit in attendance with a membership to the Bluecrater Academy and their extensive library. The question this year is who will answer the Riddle of Ruin before the sands of time run out!”

“The Riddle:

Wob I am called, twisted about--
I'm a strange creature shaped for battle.
When I bend and the battle-sting snakes
Through my belly, I am primed to drive off
The death-stroke. When my lord and tormentor
Releases my limbs, I am long again,
As laced with slaughter, I spit out
The death-blend I swallowed before.
What whistles from my belly does not easily pass,
And the man who seizes this sudden cup
Pays with his life for the long, last drink.
Unwound I will not obey any man;
Bound tight, I serve. Say what I am.”

The poor man had hardly finished before half our table was saying “A longbow!” I think the entire group called out the answer, save Elizabeth, who was still trying to figure out what a “wob” was.

The second course was soup (Surabar Soup) and the third a roast boar that looked quite nice. The fourth was a desert pie filled with fruit and topped with cream – a favorite of those who attend the ball. Assuming yours wasn’t poisoned.

Between courses, Todd Vanderboren left his table and took Annah aside somewhere. She returned shortly thereafter alone. While the desert was being served, Elizabeth thought she heard an out-of-place noise, and Astrid saw that her pie was perhaps wetter than it should be. The two girls looked at each other and shook their head. 

It wasn’t hard for Astrid to pawn off the pie on the drunken Dalam who enthusiastically wolfed it down. Vanderboren seemed genuinely confused when it was Dalam, not Astrid, who had to quickly excuse himself from the table. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw Zachary the second smack Vanderboren upside his head.

Before the final course Lord Azlaxin rose again. “Margaret and myself hope you have been enjoying your night.” Cheering and applause (and some significant amount of alcohol) said that they were. “I am pleased to introduce the final course. It is a celebration of the defeat of the Demonskar army and the foundation of Cauldron. The reason I announce this course is because my lovely wife herself made it.” And more applause. As Lord Aslaxin sat,  six servants walked out of the kitchen carrying a monstrous cake shaped like a caldera. It was beautifully decorated. Lady Aslaxin herself came out of her seat to cut the cake while the servants carried the slices over to the waiting guests.

Vortimax Weir removed a small vial from his pocket and drank it. When questioned by silent looks he simply replied “Sorry, I did not bring enough elixirs to resist poison for everyone.” Apparently the Lady’s cake had some unpleasant effects last year, but this year it was much better.

At the conclusion of dinner, the Herald called out "The Demonskar Army marched over the rise, their fearsome drums heralding their arrival and their triumphant roar sending waves of panic through the watching Redgorge defenders. Rising from the demonic ranks, the dreaded Abyssal General Nabthataron rose into the sky above the baying army. Surabar stood atop the great walls of Redgorge, shinning like a beacon of hope and unbending strength. ‘Sons and daughters of Redgorge. Today we will end this threat once and for all.  This demonic horde will be smashed against these walls like a wave smashing against a cliff. Have no fear, lose no faith, for the gods are with us and we will not waver!  Death is the only thing that awaits this evil upon this day - VICTORY SHALL BE OURS!!'”

“Let us rise to the challenge and march to war upon the dance floor above. Take your name cards with you and let the Clash of Armies begin"

The guests went back up to the ballroom and were arranged for the dance. I went with Astrid who was refreshed on her role as Nabthataron by Lady Azlaxin. Those of the group who were dressed as city founders were greeted by innocuous partners. But for Kris and Glyph, dressed as demons, they found themselves opposite Stormblade partners. Kris was paired with Annah, while Glyph had Cora.

"High upon the city walls the two generals faced each other. The hideous demonic leader Nabthataron towered above the robed wizard, and the soldiers of both armies stopped as one to witness the spectacle. There would be only one victor this day."

And it began.

Again, by some miracle, the Blue Tyger Legion managed to escape horribly embarrassing themselves and muddled through the dance. Glyph had his shoulder dislocated by Cora and was generally abused but it was otherwise uneventful.

Astrid’s dance fight with Lord Azlaxin was… less than graceful. Her moves were generally clumsy and off cue, but she did manage a most excellent death. By then most of the crowd was tipsy enough that they applauded enthusiastically regardless.

At the conclusion of the dance, the mayor took the stage. "Tonight is a celebration of our heritage and our glorious city as much as it is a celebration of our founder. Our city survives on the back of our citizens and under the wise direction of our nobles.” 

“During times of adversity we are sometimes witness to great acts of bravery and great heroes of valor. We have such individuals here with us this night and the city council and myself have declared that their actions will not go unheralded in this grand city.”

“To these ends can I please ask the group who are as noble in character and deed as they are in title to stand next to me. Please come to the stage - The Stormblades!” Applause accompanied the Stormblades as they attended the mayor. “Due to their defeat of the demonic kobolds and the subsequent retreat of their drow masters, each hero will be awarding with the Star of Valor.” The crowd applauded as the mayor pinned the medal on each of them and shook their hand.

"But we are blessed in this city with not just one band of heroes but with two. A group has arisen in our fair city that arose from humble beginnings to avert some of the biggest disasters we have ever witnessed in Cauldron. They are heroes of virtue and of character; they show honor in spirit and strength in their hearts, they protect the commoners and nobles alike. Please come to the front - I give to you the Blue Tyger Legion!” 

The crowd was even more enthusiastic as the group hesitantly went forward. The Stormblades just scowled. 

Lord Azlaxin spoke. "The Lord Mayor will not only be awarding the Blue Tyger Legion  the Star of Valor but also the Flaming Crest." 

I learned later that these things are not just trinkets. The Star of Valor is genuinely respected among the nobles, and can help open doors that would otherwise be closed. The Flaming Crest is awarded by the Merchant’s Council for service in maintaining commerce in Cauldron and will help with negotiations. 

Lord Aslaxin said “Everyone: Cauldrons Heroes!” Thunderous applause and cheering continued for some time, and then the ball came to a conclusion.

The group was saying their goodbyes and about to return to the inn when they were braced by a panicked Jenya. “I need help – I don’t know what to do. The city is in danger. We can’t talk here though.” She lead the group to a side room and tried to compose herself.

“I just got a sending from Sarsen. She pulled out a small piece of paper with scribbled words. “He said ‘At Lucky Monkey. Have eight wands. Tavern’s been attacked. Bandits led by barbaric ape man. Mortally wounded. Retreated to basement. They know we’re here. Send assistance.’”

“The spell lets me send a response but I wasn’t thinking clearly. I sent ‘Sarsen is that you? Hang on. Conserve resources. I’ll send aid immediately. Send me another message when you can but until then have’ and the spell ended.”

“What’s a lucky monkey?” Kris asked.

“It’s an inn about a day from here. Sarsen was returning from Sasserine with wands to control the flooding. The Flood Season is not just a festival – if the rains get too bad, they can flood the lake and the lower sections of the city. Hundreds of people could be killed or left homeless! It is the responsibility of the four great churches of Cauldron to take steps to control the flooding, but it’s been mild the last few years and none of them were doing anything about it. Sarsen went to get the wands so we could be ready. The rains have been bad, and we need those wands. I’d send Alex but he’s left the city a week ago on his damnable quest. I can provide you horses and offer you five thousand gold to rescue him and return with the wands.”

What could we say?

“We’ll leave at once.”


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*Glyphandar before the Ball*

My life with the Blue Tygers has been an eventful one. Had I known what this day had in store I might not have allowed myself to awaken at all. But rise I did and knowing we had just the few days before vanquished a vampire (not that I had much to do with that. I was under its thrall) I just kept to myself and was only marginally social. 
Yesterday at breakfast Astrid had shown us the letters we had received with the Ball invitations. I had to act to keep my lady from as much social problems as I could. Humans have nothing on my people when it comes to “court intrigue” and a masquerade ball would be nothing without the cat fighting and one-up-man ship that come with royalty. 
I had to act and thus I ran back to my room having acquired singing lessons from one of the teachers at the Blue Star Academy. I had been carving a barrette for Astrid out of the jawbone of the first worg we had killed. Now I had an even more interesting concept for this item. Taking some of the ingredients from my Father’s alchemy kit and some others I have been able to acquire I cast a permanent enchantment on the barrette allowing the wearer to alter their appearance and clothing. This is my crowning achievement thus far and I wanted my Astrid to always have the most perfect look and dazzle all the other women at the ball. Half a day later I was done and offered the magic item to Astrid. She seemed a bit stunned by my gift but seemed very pleased by it. She even asked if it could change her racial appearance and when I said yes she seemed far more pleased that I could have hoped. 

Later in the day as we had come back from supper I was approached by the tavern keep and handed a letter. I stood away from any others and opened the hastily scrawled outer envelope. Inside was a letter written is beautiful Illumian script. I was to meet members of my cabal at a local tavern away from the Blue Tygers. 
Without hesitation I made my way to the tavern and met Diamondshard Dilao who is the Justicar of the Diamondshard cabal and a few others. Dilao advised me that I had been chosen as the Final Seed of our Cabal. While both an honor and a way to see my personal goals achieved it meant I was now a nomad. The burden is that I am now to start a new cabal if anything should happen to Diamondshard and must never return to Diamondshard for more that a day. I returned to my room and wept both in joy and sorrow.

Now I know why my father wanted me to be more independent than my peers. He must have foreseen this and was preparing me for my journey. The Blue Tyger Legion is now my cabal. It is my duty to see that they survive as they are my primary protection from the Gith and the machinations of rival cabals.


----------



## Zad

*Flood Season - Chapter 3*

*Flood Season – Chapter 3*

OOC Notes:
Exp this session is 1000 exp.

This Week’s Adventure:
The Blue Tygers returned to the Drunken Morkloth with Jenya in the coach. Jenya was only able to provide sketchy directions to the Lucky Monkey. Given we would be riding at night in the rain to an unfamiliar area, it seemed wise to get something more precise. Having just met someone who ran a map shop, there was an obvious way to solve that problem, and they had the carriage driver detour to Bolar Westkey’s shop. The gnome had just returned and was happy to do the small favor of opening up long enough to sell an appropriate map. 

Once at the inn, the group quickly equipped themselves for the trip. At least most of them did. Glyphandar was given a message upon his arrival at the inn, and his elders were demanding his immediate presence. The rest of the group got dressed and set out into the night.

It was dark, cold, wet, and generally unpleasant. The horses were kept to a walk for the first several hours until the rising sun turned the landscape a lighter shade of grey and we picked up the pace to speed our arrival. Just after sunrise, we passed a troop of baboons in a clearing. Upon seeing us, they stopped and stared. We watched them but the baboons did not attack and once we were past them, they went on their way. I wasn’t sure if this was normal behavior for such animals but it was certainly disturbing.

Both the horses and their riders were nearly exhausted by the time they arrived at the Lucky Monkey. It was a massive structure and looked old and well used. The roof sagged slightly but not unsafely, the siding was weathered and stained, and covered in carvings of monkeys attempting various risky acts. But there were signs of problems too – windows were smashed out, and there was a fresh spray of blood across the front wall. The earth was torn up as if a large group of men had moved through. Inside we could hear breaking crockery and smashing wood. 

And just a little singing and drunken carrying-on.

The door was barricaded, and Astrid and Elizabeth, favoring a quick frontal attack before being discovered, ripped the door open. It took them a couple tries but the commotion inside seemed to conceal their initial efforts.

The main room of the inn was a disaster – broken furniture and mugs everywhere, and no small amount of blood. The noise was the result of several apparently drunken thugs enjoying the spoils of their victory.

It took the thugs a few seconds to realize that someone had arrived, and a few more to realize it wasn’t a passing traveler but a serious threat. The knowledge didn’t help them much – the fight was brief and the Blue Tygers showed little in the way of mercy. The thugs, while not incompetent, were drunk and unprepared. Two of them were put to sleep during the fight, not out of any sense of compassion but merely for information. Some of them were dressed in skins and had the mark of folk who lived in the wild, while others were clearly city toughs. All of them wore red sashes though which was suspicious given they were different in almost every other respect.

Kris, Bellsin and Maris tied then interrogated the captives while Astrid and Elizabeth began searching around looking for the entrance to the cellar where Sarsen might be holed up. Looking at the general scene, I was becoming convinced that all of Sarsen we would find would be his body.

The thugs were uncooperative – either because they weren’t intimidated or because they figured they were dead no matter what; I couldn’t tell. Or perhaps they were stalling. One captive said the kitchen was in the back, and Elizabeth returned to an open courtyard to check the back of the inn. Before she got far, there was howling and yelling, and a half-dozen baboons came from the back and out windows. There were also a few more hired thugs waiting for the right time to attack, and they jumped out once the commotion started.

This new attack had the potential to be much more deadly. Elizabeth made a quick fighting retreat back into the common room to avoid being swarmed by the baboons. Then Maris filled the courtyard with webs and it was a fait accompli from there. The apes lacked the intelligence to withdraw or gather up, and attacked haphazardly once they broke free and were easily cut down. The remaining thugs found themselves unsupported and they too met a fast end.

It was about this time that we all came to the realization that the red sashes were probably what kept the apes from attacking the thugs. Everyone put on a red sash just in case.

Since the inn wasn’t yet safe, the Tygers prepared themselves and moved through a banquet room to the kitchen. Boot met door in the predictable way, but nobody was ready for what was behind it.

In the kitchen at a large table was a large… creature. It was half baboon and half man. His face was pierced, tattooed, and scarred. On the table a severed head sat among a large pile of tongues. Near the fire pit, the assembled treasures of the inn and the patrons had been neatly sorted. And blood was everywhere.

“What’s this?!? Would-be rescuers come to see Tongue-eater?!? What do you have to say about that, priest?” This last was directed at the severed head on the table, and everyone’s heart sank. The baboon drew a long falchion and screeched. Unnoticed in the shock were several baboon guards with him and they grunted and moved in.

We moved into the room, determined to add this creature’s blood to the carnage. One baboon moved to block Astrid’s entry and she crippled it with a thrust of her halberd. Elizabeth began moving towards Tongue-eater but another baboon stepped in front over her. Elizabeth stepped in and brought her blade around and up into the creature’s gut in a long gash and it fell aside limp. This cleared the way for Astrid to rush Tongue-eater, and rush him she did. She came at him hard, brought her halberd in low then reversed her swing and brought the head in a powerful arc right at Tongue-eater’s head. The creature’s blade had gone low to block and his head was utterly exposed to Astrid’s fierce blow. The halberd landed, and Tongue-eater’s head split open like a melon.

[OOC: A 4th level fighter crit and hit for 55 damage. Tongue-eater was apparently a were-baboon but the DR was utterly irrelevant in the face of that hit.]

The remaining baboons shook and immediately fled. I couldn’t say for sure if it was fear or if some compulsion was now broken.  If there had been any other human attackers, I suspect they also fled. The inn was now safe, but the damage was done.

The kitchen held stairs that lead to the basement, and the basement door was smashed open. In the cellar were casks and barrels, and the dirt floor was soaked with beer, mead, and blood. A fierce battle was fought here, and there were several thugs dead on the floor. Against a large barrel was a headless body, wearing robes and still holding a mace. The trappings left no doubt that it was Sarsen. He was wearing fine armor beneath his robes, and the mace had a daunting aura about it – it was surely responsible for much of the damage here. If it was valuable, why had it been left here? The obvious answer was that the enchantments made it too dangerous for the looters. Kris carefully reached down and picked it up and heard a brief fading sound of angels signing as he did.

One oddity was a human thug lying near a short tunnel. He was dead, but not from battle. His hand was at his throat, and his mouth and nose were foaming with a brownish liquid. 

“Looks like brown mold. Or yellow mold. Or was it a pudding?” commented Kris. “Well in any case, it’s nasty stuff.” 

Down the tunnel was a door but the wood had been warped and distorted and seemed to be braced against the dirt walls. The walls and floors were covered with brown powder.

“Hellooooo?” Elizabeth called out. “Anyone down there?”

“Go away,” a well-spoken, female voice called back. “You won’t get me without a fight you butchers!”

“We’re not with um… well… them. We were sent by the temple of St. Cuthbert to rescue their High Priest. He managed to get a message out. It’s safe now – you can come out.”

“How do I know you’re not them and just lying to lure me out?” she called back.

“Well we… ah… hm… You have a good point there. I can’t think of any way to prove it really. Not with that mold in the way and all.”

The voice thought for a minute. “If you came to rescue the priest, what was his name?”

“Sarsen.” two or three people said at once.

“Hm. I’m still not sure I trust you,” she said.

“Fair enough,” Elizabeth replied. “I’m not sure I would either in your position. We’re going to check the inn carefully for any stragglers but we’ll check back on you in a bit.”

The Blue Tygers searched the inn carefully. They found no other attackers. The found a pile of bodies out back – the former innkeepers and guests – each with their tongue removed. They found that Sarsen was still apparently carrying all his other possessions but did not have the wands.

Then they had a little heart-to-heart talk with the surviving attackers. Now that they knew everyone was dead, they were far more willing to open up and talk in the hopes of saving their pathetic lives. They were hired muscle – one was recruited in Cauldron, the other a small group of wild men. A woman named Triel hired them – she had flaming red hair, tattoos, a burn scar on her face, and wore spiked plate armor with a symbol of Hextor on it, and a black triangle similar to one we found on the were-baboon. It was black and had a small silver symbol engraved at each corner – Kris identified them as symbols of Vecna, Hextor and Erythnul. 

Bellsin paused. “Didn’t we hear a rumor from one of the guards during the whole bathhouse thing? Something about a woman recruiting all the alley bashers she could fine?”

Kris nodded, “Ayup, I believe you’re right.”

The fear started cracking into the thug’s voice. “It was Tongue-eater’s idea to kill everyone, but the woman liked it. She was a bloodthirsty bitch. The priest in the basement was wrecking everyone up with his mace until Triel took care of him, then the monkey took his head off. Triel took something from the priest – said she had what she came for. It was a small bundle wrapped in cloth but I didn’t see what it was. Then she said we could do what we wanted with the rest. The monkey was going to split up the loot.”

Astrid was unhappy at the lack of useful information. “Where was she going next?” 

“I don’t know. She didn’t say.”

Astrid slapped him on the head and we all stepped away so as not to be heard. She said “Useless. They made sure the hired hands didn’t know anything useful. It’s a dead end.”

Elizabeth nodded. “We’ll have to take Sarsen’s body back and tell Jenya what happened. Captain Skellerang will probably be interested too.”

“I’m sure the wands are gone,” I said. “But just to be safe, we should check the entire inn just in case Sarsen hid them somewhere.”

The girls couldn’t argue that but tried anyway. “Jenya is going to need to know quickly though.”

I let out a wry laugh. “You’re in no shape to travel anyway. You’ve been up for a day and a half with only the sleep you could steal on horseback, and you’re thinking of riding back again now? You girls may be used to that, but look at Maris? She’s barely standing.”

They said nothing, and there was nothing to say – there were practically dead on their feet. They gathered in a private room that wasn’t bloody, ate a bit, and then split up to carefully search the inn. 

The results were expected – nothing. Astrid found a small shrine to Farlanghan which had been smashed. She tried to patch it up as best she could. There was a number of locked safes in the treasury – this inn was as much an outpost as a tavern – but it was all plundered and likely part of the piles in the kitchen. The library was destroyed.

When Kris was poking around in the basement, he checked on the lone survivor. “You still ok in there?” he asked.

“Yes… I suppose,” she answered him. Then after a pause “I don’t know if you are lying or not. But I’m going to remove the mold. It will probably be the last thing I ever do,” she said, clearly resigned to her death.

There was the sound of a string instrument playing from behind the door, and the mold started receding and then disappeared altogether. Kris walked carefully down to the door. It was still completely expanded into the surrounding walls.

“Um, what about the door?” he asked.

“I can’t do anything about that right now,” she replied. “If you’re going to kill me you’ll have to break it open.”

“Well we’re not gonna be killing you but I’ll call the muscle down here and we’ll get you out of there.”

Kris called the others down and with a bit of brute force they managed to smash the door in. The room beyond held the well, and little else, except for the girl. Her skin was dark – grey really, and her long white hair didn’t hide her shaped ears or other elven features. There was dried blood on her forehead and her arm seemed to be broken.

She was standing but not even ready to offer resistance. Then she started to look at the nature of the plate-clad fighters and the others, and realized that it was true – they were not part of the assault and she might actually be rescued.

Kris moved into the room and checked her injuries. “Let’s get you fixed up, little lady,” he said, and cured her.

“I… thank you,” she said. 

“You’re welcome,” Kris said. “I’m Krisfallion,” and he introduced the others.

“My name is Shensen Tesseril,” she said, then reading the obvious puzzlement on some of our faces said “I’m half-drow, yes.”

She seemed to be expecting revulsion or outrage, or at least bracing for it. All she got was a few looks of “Half drow – wow, how about that, don’t hear that every day” and that was it. 

“So what happened?” 

“I’m not sure – I wasn’t here for the whole slaughter. I was out walking and when I returned the attack was underway. I helped where I could, and ended up with Sarsen retreating into the cellar. He held them off and told me to go into the well room.” She was emotional but continued. “He gave his life to give me a chance. I don’t know what happened from there.”

Astrid said “We’re going to spend the night here – we were at the Demonskar ball last night and then this happened and Jenya asked us to come straight here. We’re in no shape to travel and despite the gore, the Lucky Monkey is probably safe enough for one night. In the morning we’ll return to Cauldron. You are welcome to travel with us if that is your destination.”

In the morning, a cart was prepared from the stables. Sarsen’s body was… reassembled and placed respectfully in the cart, in sharp contrast to the two thugs who were trussed up and thrown in like so much cargo. The other bodies were given a respectful funeral out back. No one saw any point in leaving the valuables at the inn with their owners all deceased, so they took that as well. As they were about to ride away, Elizabeth put a note on the door:

“The Lucky Monkey was attacked and the inhabitants killed. The Blue Tyger Legion killed the attacking force but it was too late to prevent what you see here. They have returned to Cauldron to report this tragedy. The inn is closed.”

As she hung the note, the rain began with renewed vigor and a biting chill. Without a word, they set off on the road back to Cauldron.

It was almost supper time when they reached the city gates. They made straight for the Temple of Saint Cuthbert, while Shensen set off on her own path. “Where are you staying?” she asked. “I have friends here I must speak to.”

“You can find us at the Drunken Morkloth,” Bellsin said.

“Oh? That’s where I’m heading – my friends are there. I’ll see you there then,” she said.

Elizabeth was suddenly intrigued or suspicious. “Oh? We know some people there. Who are you friends?”

Shensen seemed to hesitate slightly but then said “I’d be surprised if you knew him. Tyro Amberhelm.”

Elizabeth’s suspicions were confirmed. “Oh sure, we know Tyro. Well, you go ahead. We have some unpleasant duties to perform.”

After she rode away, Elizabeth and Astrid exchanged grim glances.

At the temple, Jenya came quickly and no one said anything – it was clear from everyone’s expression that we had failed. Wordlessly, we walked to the cart, and lifted the cloth that covered the fallen High Priest. Jenya sobbed, and a crack of thunder and lightning split the sky.

Jenya recovered herself after a moment, realizing that her worst fears were confirmed and she was now the High Priestess. She had Rufus summon the acolytes to begin preparations to lay Sarsen to his final rest. 

“Did you find the wands?” she asked.

“No,” Astrid replied. “It seems that he was attacked for the wands specifically. As for the rest of his possessions, we have brought you the body as we found it.”

Jenya was given a full accounting of the events at the Lucky Monkey. Finally she said “I must consult the Star of Justice. You all must be very tired. Please take some rest and I will speak to you soon. I will have someone take a message to Captain Skellerang with the details of what you described – you need not bother yourselves with that. We can make sure your prisoners are brought to Justice.”

The Blue Tyger Legion, soaked, battleworn and weary, entered the Drunken Morkloth. The common room was full of people but there was one table conspicuously empty as if waiting for someone. On the table was a small tile with a blue tiger painted on it. At seeing them, the innkeeper began setting up drinks and food.

_Apparently we’ve “arrived”,_ Elizabeth said to me.

Some time later, Shensen came down the stairs. She was cleaned up, wearing fresh clothes and looked generally much better. 

“I wish to thank you all. I am very appreciative of your help. You did much more than you needed to, and I am grateful,” she said. The group offered her a spot at the table but she declined. “I would like to offer you these as a reward for helping me. They are magical boots that will let you run and jump farther. Please accept them without protest – I feel it I must thank you with these.”

Protesting was clearly on some people’s minds, but they deferred. Elizabeth and Astrid exchanged looks that I needed no mental powers to understand; they had heard of such magic and how it could help someone in full armor get around the field much more quickly. 

Shensen withdrew and went to a small stage and began performing. Whether it was for the crowd in general or another form of thanks to the Blue Tygers was hard to say, but it definitely helped ease the burdens and scars that came from the trip to the Lucky Monkey.

Loot:
2 MW rapiers
6 MW longswords
6 chain mail
6 potions (from hill folk)
6 MW steel shields
MW studded leather
Heward’s handy haversack
7 potions (monkeyman)
2680 copper
1953 silver
742 gold
18 plat
4500 gp of general stuff
Boots of striding and springing
Stay tuned for split info group


----------



## Aethramyr

*Bellsin's Journal*

OOC Note: Bellsin's first entry was lost in the board-death a while back; If this rambles a little it's to introduce some of what was lost.   /ooc


I feel guilty.

The last thing I remember before I arrived in Cauldron was a bestial face, covered in blood. When Priestess Jenya said that Sarsen was in trouble, trapped by an Ape-Man, I thought It might be the same beast. I probably should have told my companions then.

But that wasn’t what I felt guilty about.

Priestess Jenya was kind enough to let me use the Star of Justice last week, and it gave me a vision of a massive, gorilla-like beast that attacked a caravan on the road. It’s mouth covered in gore, I watched in my vision as the beast grabbed the head of a camel and snapped off it’s lower jaw to pull the camel’s tongue out. It killed most of the others in the caravan, before taking a large swipe with it’s limb and knocked me off of the ledge we were on. I tumbled briefly then landed on a ledge. Oddly, there was a woman there. She spoke softly, and I don’t remember her face or her exact words, but she looked at me with an expression that spoke volumes, and what it spoke was “THAT will never do”. Then she really spoke, and said she was going to do something so I’d be safe. After that, everything went white and the vision faded.

I probably should have told my companions that as well. 

But what I felt guilty about was what we found out after the vision. Jenya said there was an Arcane Mark on my arm. She couldn’t read it, but it glowed briefly during the vision. She offered to remove it, and I was tempted to have her do it, but I didn’t know what else I would have that could lead me to more information about my past. But this I still didn’t tell my companions. I didn’t know if someone could track me through it, and what there intentions would be if they could, but once we were on the way to the Lucky Monkey, They may have known we were coming and that could put my companions in danger. And I feel guilty that I didn’t tell them.

That’s not to say I didn’t try. I asked Jenya before we left if she could remove the mark, but she didn’t have the spell available to her. I tried to tell them on the way, but we were interrupted by...monkeys. A pack of them. Then we were fighting at the Inn itself, and it was moot. 

In the end, it didn’t matter. Astrid dispatched tongue-eater in one swing. I couldn’t learn anything from him except that he was a Were-Gorilla. If it was a trap, it wasn’t a good one, and we made our way back to Cauldron without incident. 

But still, I felt guilty about not telling them.


----------



## Zad

*Flood Season – Chapter 4*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 683

This Week’s Adventure:
It was late in the morning before the Blue Tygers started dragging themselves downstairs. A night’s rest and a warm meal did a lot to erase the strains of the last days. Astrid and Glyph went with Elizabeth to sell the spoils of the trip. Elizabeth didn’t say anything but she didn’t really need to; the entire thing felt dirty to her as if she’d robbed a grave. She couldn’t justify keeping the plunder as a reward – she just didn’t know what else to do with it besides sell it. 

The soggy run around Cauldron was routine and unremarkable, save for when Glyph caught sight of a blonde man watching from an alleyway for just a second. Astrid and Elizabeth were both getting impatient with the “constantly being followed” bit, and I think they were likely to act on it soon.

Not long after we left the Drunken Morkoth, a watchmen arrived from Captain Skellerang who wished to speak to the Tygers. Bellsin, Krisfallion and Maris went, and since it involved the Lucky Monkey, Shensen accompanied them as the sole witness to the events. Their excursion was more grim. Captain Skellerang wanted them to sign a statement confirming the events at the inn, which were part of the death warrant for the two captives we had brought back.  Kris showed some hesitation at being presented with the warrant, and made an idle remark about mob justice. This, it seems, was very much the wrong thing to Captain Skellerang.

"Mob justice?!? I'll have you know we have the rule of law here in Cauldron. These men have committed crimes and if found guilty will pay for their sins. If you think there is no justice in Cauldron you are quite wrong and I won't have you stand here and question the justice I have worked my life serving." 

Kris apologized. "I did not mean to give offense. I only wondered if there is no room for mercy but I do not suggest it is my place to decide."

Skellerang was only partially appeased. "St. Cuthbert is the god of Justice, not mercy," he said, and left it at that.

Skellerang did have some slight knowledge of Triel. He knew her when she used to be part of the guard. She was a little too enthusiastic about her work, and was nothing more than a bully five or six years ago. She’s a fugitive as far as Cauldron is concerned.

Everyone arrived back at the inn around the same time. This was quickly followed by the arrival of Brother Duos, who informed us that High Priestess Jenya had consulted the Star of Justice and wished to speak to us.

The new, and reluctant, High Priestess was waiting when we arrived. “I’ve consulted the Star of Justice, and it has given me another cryptic riddle. It was my understanding that this was not the usual way the Star behaves, but it has done so for me every time I have consulted it so perhaps it is my faith that is weak. Nevertheless here was the divination.”

_Down among the watery dead
The mayor must go for the first time
His people long since dead
The cultists keep the fruits of their crime
Two are still living and one dead
To find them search it in time_

“Liduton,” someone said. Apparently our education for the Demonskar Ball was not totally wasted. The town of undead from the dance contest – the contest which two of the Blue Tygers won, and were therefore Mayor.

“We’ll leave directly,” Elizabeth said. The High Priestess gave us letters of Mark that could be used in the temples in nearby Redgorge or Hollowsky, and we left.

We returned to the Morkoth and gathered what we’d need. Fortunately Liduton was close – perhaps 20 miles. There were two choices – one involved taking a road most of the way then cutting across hilly terrain, while the other came in from the other side and was disused road. We elected for the hilly terrain since it would be less likely to be watched. We stuck to the trees and fog where possible, and the rain helped conceal our approach as we came through the valley to Liduton. As we got closer we could start to hear… sounds. Whispering, a woman screaming, gurgling, and so on. There was no doubt that Liduton deserved its reputation as being haunted. At times, we could see shapes in the fog, which then would run off before being fully seen.

The buildings in town were each made of a single piece of stone. Glyph theorized that magic had been used to shape them as opposed to any mundane carving or construction. The buildings were pointed towards a central avenue and town circle and from there a road led to the lake. In the town circle, there were remains of creatures both human and inhuman. 

The dock area was barren and in ruins. In the lake we could see some islands and began looking for an old boat to use to get there. Hidden under some foliage was more than we might have hoped – three boats, all of recent make. In one of them was a quiver of arrows of the same fletching as the hill people used. It was our first solid indicator that we were on the right track.

We took two of the boats and rowed wordlessly out to the island. Whatever tormented creatures haunted the town, they seemed content to ignore us for the time being and let us slip into the lake without menace.

The island was as ruined as the town. One building however had some recent work done – a small bit of roof to cover a set of ancient stairs descending into the darkness. The grass in the area was completely worn away, suggesting quite a bit of traffic recently. 

The stairs descended into a lava tube which had been minimally worked to serve whatever purpose its creators had in mind. The tube emptied onto a small ledge overlooking a vast chasm. A hundred feet below, glowing green water lapped against the walls of the cavern which were covered in glowing algae. 

The ledge had some planks piled up on the edge, and a building carved into the wall to one side. Coming from this structure were ropes that descended across and downward and hanging on the ropes was an iron cage of sorts. The building itself had no windows and no conventional door but there was an inset area carved into the rock roughly in the shape of a door. Pushing on it made the rock pivot. 

While the noise wasn’t loud, it wasn’t quiet either. A voice soon said “Quiet! I heard something!” There were some footsteps then “The door is open – sound the alarm!” 

The girls shrugged and focused, while Bellsin pushed the door open. They rushed the room to find one guard throwing a lever on a large winch mechanism. Whatever alarm he was going for, he never got there – he wasn’t unskilled but the girls cut him down all the same. The other guard tried to defend himself but had nowhere to go and he met the same fate without triggering any alarms.

Glyph and Bellsin spent some time pouring over the winch. Whatever the guard had done had rendered it inoperable, but they were able to reverse it after a few minutes of tinkering. The entire trolley seemed worn, rickety, and something that no sane person would set foot in. But it was the only way to go. Astrid, Bellsin and Maris got in first, and Glyph struggled to work the winch and send them down. It was with more than a little jerking and swinging that they finally reached the other end – a small shack on the beach of the lake down below. Those above piled into the cage and waited.

The lake was rippling with strange currents and unidentifiable things floating by, or at least mostly unidentifiable. Maris was able to see a half-chewed body floating in the lake and it was clear it hadn't been there overly long. The buildings seemed as though they had been half melted and whatever built these things was inhuman and alien in nature. The ropes however lead to a very conventional wooden shack that was clearly not an original feature of the place. Astrid checked the interior and triggered a small plate that brought half the walls down on her. She was badly hurt but at least it wasn’t fatal. 

Once recovered, she worked the winch and brought the rest of us down. 

The beach revealed the traffic in the area – much of it went to a large set of double doors in the cavern walls. Some went to two other doors but we elected to go in the front. The “front” unfortunately was loaded with traps. Bellsin fell in a pit and barely avoided triggering several other unpleasant surprises. [OOC: It was traptacular, and is now called “Trapsylvania”.] After a bit of creeping around, the group found one door with a fair bit of noise behind it. It might be a barracks or common room. Whatever it was, trouble would be on the other side.


Loot:
2 sets chainmail
2 mw large steel shields
2 mw longswords
2 potions of cure moderate wounds


----------



## Zad

*Flood Season - Chapter 5*

*Flood Season – Chapter 5*

OOC Notes: 
Exp is 1600


This Week’s Adventure:
There were some quick preparations and then Astrid kicked open the door. The conversation in the room ceased as Elizabeth charged in and cut deep into one of the hillfolk. 

The response of the hillfolk was impressive. They weren’t panicked or disorganized – they regrouped as best they could and worked together well. They tried to grapple with the Tygers or create openings for their fellows, but despite some good coordination they weren’t making much headway.

That is until Triel burst out of a door into the hallway. There was no mistaking her spiked plate and red hair, nor the heavy flail she whipped around. The door she came out of put her squarely in our back ranks facing down Maris, and there was no way that could end well. 

Fortunately, or perhaps not, Triel was more interested in Kris and for a moment I wondered if she was going to try to kill him or seduce him. Astrid and Elizabeth swapped looks and Astrid pulled back to deal with Triel while Elizabeth stayed in the room to fight the hillfolk. Astrid moved out of the room and in front of Kris, and Triel seemed quite put out by that. So much so that she gave Astrid such a fierce thumping that it nearly took her off her feet immediately.

Maris stepped back to see more reinforcements coming down the hall. She quickly filled the hall with spider webs and kept us safe on that front for the time being. Meanwhile Kris and Glyph did everything they could to keep Astrid on her feet and fighting. They healed a lot of her wounds, but Triel executed a brilliant feint and then hit Astrid so hard she collapsed in a pile on the floor.

In the room, the hillfolk were still using brilliant tactics and failing miserably to even scratch Elizabeth, while she cut one down after the next. She saw Astrid collapse, and knew what she had to do. She pulled back from the room and into the hall to face down Triel, hoping that her mental shield would let her endure Triel’s attacks better. The hillfolk watched her pull back, and no doubt their pride suffered, being considered so inconsequential that they could be ignored. They swung feverishly at Elizabeth as she retreated, but only proved that she was right to ignore them.

Straddling Astrid as she was, her first shot glanced off the wall and missed, but it turned out swordplay wasn’t going to decide this fight. Kris stretched out a hand and said “Hold!”

And Triel did. She was caught in his spell, unable to move. Maris, seeing the opportunity, released a bolt of fire into the back of Triel’s head, and she died instantly.

Things went more smoothly from there. A few of the hillfolk got away, but despite the morale-crusher of their leader being killed, most stood, fought, and died. Astrid’s wounds were healed, and all was well. The most clear indicator of success came from searching Triel – she had three wands on her, and the markings made us sure they were the water control wands that Jenya needed. It wasn’t the full eight, but it was a start.

“Only three?” Astrid asked Glyph, who was verifying they were the right wands.

“Only three,” he said.

“What now?” Elizabeth asked. “Do we take what we have and go, or do we search this place more? We know Triel took them all from Sarsen, but she could have done anything with them.”

“Three is good, but I think to help Cauldron we’ll need more. Each wand we don’t have probably represents a lot of dead people,” Kris said.

So we moved on hoping to find more wands. We moved carefully, expecting more traps. We weren’t disappointed. A pivoting floor deposited Bellsin into a murky cistern. We hauled him out, but not before a number of leech-like things had attached to him and started sucking his blood. There was some frenzy around getting them off but after a bit he was safe, and only slightly woozy from the blood loss.

“Erm… there’s something magical in the water,” Glyph said, studying the cistern. “Might be a wand.”

A collective groan went out – the leech-y things were going to make life difficult. At least that’s what everyone thought – everyone except Bellsin.

He took out one of the wands we had already recovered, and used it. The water in the cistern drained away, and the leech-creatures were exposed. After that it was a simple matter of lowering someone waving around a torch to recover the wand that had been hidden below.

Bloody brilliant.

We continued exploring and checking carefully – Triel must have gone through some trouble to hide the other wands. Rubble-strewn caverns held broken furniture, and some old zombies. In one large cave, we were attacked by some kind of twisted gnoll – he had a spiked chain and chainmail melted into his flesh. The fight was brief and bloody for him. We suspected he might be guarding another wand but there was nothing in the room or on his body (which they spent a great deal of time pouring over extricating the enchanted weapon and armor, macabre as it was).

In searching the room, Maris saw two sources of magic that were floating around. Something was up there, darting to and fro. Elizabeth had a flash of memory and dug out a potion from her bag – it was labeled “See invisible”.

Drinking it, she could see a small winged demon flying around, holding a wand. It saw her drink the potion, and it knew it was revealed.

“What do you want? Go away. This is mine, you can’t have it!” it said. Despite its words, everything about it said that perhaps we could have it. There was talk of breaking out bows, but the creature was small and invisible, and could probably escape us in these caves.

“Why would you want that crummy wand? Do you know what it does?” Elizabeth asked.

“I know it’s mine, and I know you want it,” it said.

“It’s a wand of Control Water. Maybe we could trade you something for it,” Elizabeth countered. “What do you want?”

“Hm…” the creature said. When it learned what kind of wand it was, it was obviously disappointed. But it clearly trying to gauge our desperation and see what it might get away with. Before it got far, Elizabeth had an idea.

“Tell you what. We just got this wand from that thing over there. It’s a wand of Inflict Moderate Wounds. Much better than the one you have. We’ll trade you that,” and she tossed the wand towards the creature.

It immediately abandoned the wand it was carrying and grabbed the new one like it was a diamond. “Yeah! I know what to do with this one. Control water sucks! This is great!” 

“Since your so happy, maybe you could tell us where some of the other wands might be?” Astrid suggested.

The quasit hesitated. It was pretty happy though, so it decided to answer. “The gnome has at least one of them. There’s a gnome somewheres in here – Skaven I think his name is. I think he had two but gave one to the big spider.”

“And where is this gnome?” Bellsin asked.

The quasit got snarky. “Well, imagine the place in here on the farthest opposite side of where you are, and that’d be it. Of course if you wanted to offer something else, I might be inclined to be more helpful…”

Everyone just shrugged. “No thanks, that’ll be ok. We’ll figure it out.” 

The quasit was disappointed but a clumsy negotiator. “Well, ok. Oh, by the way, say hi to Sparky for me,” it said giggling, trying to entice us. But we just walked away.

Back down some caves and lava tubes, we came into another large cavern. A sudden roar came from the rocks, and a massive skeleton in the shape of a dinosaur emerged from behind a collapsed area and charged.

Astrid said “I wonder if this is Sparky.”

Loot:
3 wands control water
1 wand cure serious wounds, 7 charges (level?)
+1 silver heavy flail
+1 spiked full plate
2 potions of cure light wounds
1 scroll of cure moderate wounds and hold person
silver holy symbol of hextor
30 gold
4 plate
keyring
everburning torch

6 standard hillfolk kit
chain mail
MW large steel shield
MW long sword
Potion of cure moderate
Wand of control water (#4)

+1 chain mail
+1 spiked chain
Wand of inflict moderate wounds (35 charges) (traded out)
Wand of control water (#5)


----------



## dravot

With 43 HP max, Astrid took a total of 70 hp in damage from Triel, including a crit for 35.    

Let's hear it for the healers!  Big round of applause!


----------



## thatdarncat

Woops... somehow this got bumped off of my subscription list... I guess I have some catching up to do


----------



## thatdarncat

And caught up. I love the day after American Thanksgiving!

Thanks for all the writing Zad, you've made a long boring day a whole lot better


----------



## dravot

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> And caught up. I love the day after American Thanksgiving!
> 
> Thanks for all the writing Zad, you've made a long boring day a whole lot better




We aim to please.  (We'pre playing right now, too)


----------



## thatdarncat

Woot! I'd say get in the chatroom, but I have to take Seri out in search of Nunchuks. And GRR Martin novels.

good luck!


----------



## dravot

Any luck on nunchuks?

WizarDru has a Wii, and Zad and I are looking to each pick one up soon.l


----------



## dravot

Holy Crap.

With Bull's Strength and Prayer, and a full-out power attack (5 out of 5), Astrid just hit for max damage of 30.


----------



## thatdarncat

No luck on Nunchuks OR Rayman I'm afraid. Did rent Lego Star Wars  (original trilogy) and Trauma Center. Trauma Center is interesting. 

Nice damage  you must have ruined SOMEONES' day.


----------



## Zad

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the writing Zad, you've made a long boring day a whole lot better




You're welcome. Always nice to be appreciated. 

Work's a tad wonky today - update will certainly not be today but in the next day or two I should think.


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> You're welcome. Always nice to be appreciated.
> 
> Work's a tad wonky today - update will certainly not be today but in the next day or two I should think.




Roger that.  Work has been VERY busy lately, hence my lack of comments here.  Hopefully, I'm at the end of a long road and some quiet time approaches.

But in the meantime....EXCITE TRUCK and ZELDA!!


----------



## Zad

*Flood Season - Chapter 6*

*Flood Season – Chapter 6*


OOC Notes:
Exp is 1560.


This Week’s Adventure:
Sparky leapt forward, crossing the large cavern in a single bound, and smashed his snout into Elizabeth, snapping ribs even through her plate armor. She struggled to keep her feet through the pain and she and Astrid made their stand against the creature.

Not for lack of desire mind you – the others were all there, doing what they could. But most of their spells had already been cast and what they had left was no use against the huge skeleton. A massive bite nearly ripped off Astrid’s head, while the girls did their beast to beat the creature down. Elizabeth’s falchion was of limited use, but Astrid was breaking bones with the enchanted flail recovered from Triel’s body.

Sparky however was clearly winning. It nearly killed Elizabeth twice, and she finally stepped back to establish her mental shield to try and survive just a bit longer. Astrid had been attacked so fiercely she lost consciousness only to be healed by Kris and get up again only to be knocked unconscious again. The girls (and everyone really) struggled beat the creature apart, but couldn’t land a telling blow. An eternity followed where all combatants hung on the edge of death, waiting for the blow that would kill their foe or kill them. Astrid’s armor had been half destroyed and Elizabeth had lost a great deal of blood.

Finally after her fourth return from unconsciousness, Astrid managed to bring the flail into Sparky’s leg, and it snapped with a crack. The dinosaur wavered for a moment, then fell sideways and collapsed into a pile of bones.

Elizabeth could barely stand upright and the floor was slick with the blood of four people, all of it coming from Astrid. We stopped only long enough to search the room for a wand before moving back to Triel’s room and locking ourselves in to rest. Thanks to the healing wand and what few spells remained, we were mostly in fighting shape by the morning.

Which isn’t to say it was an uneventful night. Elizabeth meditated before bed. There was something itching in her mind, and she needed to find it. The two of us entered a deep trance together and were wandering in a wash of colored lights and clear musical tones. She was close to understanding – it’s as if one was hearing musical notes but could not pick out the song, and then suddenly it all snaps into place. After a time, she found the song, and everything clicked. The colors and sounds harmonized, and after enjoying it for a while, she ended the trance.

This was not the first time this happened. This time was different though, but I didn’t understand it til a few hours later, when I was pacing around the small chamber, in theory on guard with Astrid. I say “in theory” because the room was quite secure and trapped, so it was unlikely that there would be any incident. The others were all sound asleep. 

I had wandered near the door, and was considering what might be moving about. 

“Don’t even think it,” Astrid said quietly.

“Think what?” Innocence was never a quality I had much of.

“Of going out for a look around,” she said flatly, then added “the trouble you could attract far outweighs the trouble you could prevent by looking around.” Astrid knew me well enough to know that anything like an order would just invoke defiance in me. A reasonable argument however would usually do the trick.

_Feh,_ I thought. _It’s not as if I can’t take care of myself._

“I heard that,” Astrid said sarcastically at first, then she stopped. “Wait. I heard that.”

_Fascinating,_ I thought.

Astrid didn’t speak. _I know you do this with Elizabeth but since when can you do this with other people?_ she asked.

_Since now I suppose. I hadn’t really considered it but I suppose it was only a matter of time before I figured it out. This could be very handy,_ I replied.

After several hour sleep and some improvised armor repairs, we were ready to set out again. We resumed our exploration of the caverns. Beyond Sparky, there were a series of caverns infested with undead – ogre zombie were driven off by Kris and then destroyed for instance. What we weren’t finding was any more wands.

One cavern was covered with black and red crystals, casting dancing reflections from magical sconces on the wall. In the center was a large black slab of stone. Two dwarven corpses were rotting against the far wall. To no one’s surprise, they suddenly shifted and lurched awkwardly to their feet.

Even for zombies, they seemed clumsy. Then I saw the bodies seemed to be infested with some kind of worm (or worms?). The worms seemed to be using the bodies like puppets, and were looking for more. They lashed out, the worms emerging to attack or were flung at their target. One latched on to Elizabeth but was ripped off before it could do much more. With some sorcery and some sword-work, they were cut down.

The large stone was apparently a cache for someone and held a considerable amount of coin. But that marked the end of exploration in this side of the complex. Since the quasit suggested that we might find more wands at the far end of the complex we started backtracking.

It didn’t take too long before we found a room strewn with webs. In the middle we saw a spider covered in sharp spines near a gnome, and in one corner an ettercap.

“So these are the creatures that you feared Skaven? I shall deal with them for you. I hope to make a meal of at least one of them,” the spider quipped as we came in. The gnome made a few gestures and vanished.

I suspect we would have been just as happy to talk if it would have gotten us the wands, but that didn’t seem to be an option. And the battle began.

Elizabeth moved to block the spider, while Astrid headed for the ettercap. Maris blanketed an area in that grave mist cutting them off from retreat. The spider shot some of it’s spines at Astrid but it didn’t stop her from smashing into the ettercap and dropping it in a heap. A number of spells went off, and the spider was killed too. The gnome was invisible but still trying to join the battle without revealing himself and he summoned a fiendish centipede but Maris blew it apart with a scorching ray.

Once the spider was dead, the gnome ran. We chased him down the hall, trying to get a bead on him so we could cut him down. Astrid startled him enough to make him yelp, and that was enough for Bellsin. He threw his spear and managed to hit the cringing gnome, but in doing so stole his invisibility spell. The gnome was revealed and vulnerable, and his life after that was short and unpleasant.

It took some time to search through all the webbing and piles, but the rewards were worth it. Besides the monetary value, two more wands of control water were located. There was now only one wand unaccounted for, and suspicions were high that a magically locked door would hold the final prize. It took a fair bit of bashing to finally destroy the door, but at this point the Blue Tyger Legion held the field so there was no one left to argue. The door revealed what was surely the gnome’s living chambers, and the last of the wands.

There were some unexplored areas left in the complex, but we had what we came for and it was time to leave. We were already worried that we had taken too long and flooding would be claiming lives, so we exited with all speed.

As we were moving back up the cavern by the rope car, there was a movement in the water below. Some kind of creature – something between a toad and an alligator, crawled out of the water. It looked up at us, an eerie intelligence in its eyes. It then started laughing, and slithered inside through one of the open doors. Maris believes it was an aquatic demon called a skulven – perhaps it was going inside to feed on the carnage we had left behind.

At the top of the lift, Glyphandar removed some parts from the mechanism that would hopefully deter anyone returning or any new evil seeking to make a home here. We considered cutting the ropes entirely but worried we might need to get back down some day.

We emerged back onto the island in the lake to find it was early morning and the rain and lightning were going at a steady pace. The boats were gone – taken by fleeing hillfolk surely. Kris used a spell to turn Astrid into a cloudy gas, and she floated to the shore and retrieved the boats from where the hillfolk had abandoned them.

We slipped through the village, which was deathly quiet. None of the ghosts or shapes that had shown themselves before were in evidence now. The wet mud showed that the hillfolk had left this way, and we began to worry they would discover our hidden horses.

We were right to suspect it, but wrong to worry. As we approached the horses, we saw bodies. The hillfolk – nearly a dozen in all – were lying dead around the horses, themselves unharmed and unfazed. The bodies were pale white – one clawed at his eyes, another at his ears. They all seemed to be dead of fright. Just then we heard the odd sound of a child’s laughter from a distant place, and just the hint of a scream.

We looked towards the village and Elizabeth said “Thank you.” With further delay, we rode off as fast as we could for Cauldron.

We arrived around nightfall. Even outside the walls we could hear angry shouts from unhappy people. The guards waved us in immediately and we went straight to the Temple of St. Cuthbert. Along the way, we could hear tales of water rising above the foundations on the lakefront and distant arguing and shouting made its way up the caldera. Things were getting bad.

Brother Duos was waiting outside in the rain for… well anyone really but certainly he was hoping for us. He brought us in immediately and when we indicated we were successful, he dispatched waiting runners to the other major churches. We went inside and Jenya arrived presently. Without discussion, we handed over the bundle of eight wands and she looked as if an enormous weight was lifted from her.

“Thank you. You’ve done a great thing,” she said. 

We nodded, tired and drenched. Warm drinks were brought and everyone nursed them by the fire.

“I’m sorry to ask this, but I’m afraid I must. I know you are wet and tired, and I am sure recovering these was no easy task. But if you have any strength left in you, I must ask you to help us. Priests will be arriving soon from other temples to use the wands – we will go to different sides of the lake and fight the flood. I must ask you to escort us lest anything happen. Krisfallion, your help in fighting the flood would also be most appreciated.” Jenya looked sickened that she must ask even more of us after what we must have been through but the answer she got surprised her.

“Are we wet? Yes. Cold? Yes. Were we nearly killed? Several times,” Astrid said over her warm cider. “But after all we went through to recover these wands and save people, we are not about to let you go out alone now and have someone try to stop you. We will go with you and the other priests and see to your safety.”

And so it was. Priests from the Church of Pelor and the Temple of Kord arrived and we split up as their escorts. Each group made their way down to the lake’s edge in a different part of town and while there were some angry townsfolk to send away, none of the groups met any more trouble than that. For three grueling hours, the holy men and women worked to fight the flood, the wands creating great whirlpools into which water was drawn into and disappeared. Crowds started to gather around each priest to watch them fight the flood. Somewhere in the second hour, they started to make headway. The rain relented to a light drizzle, and the natural drainage of the caldera started to catch up, helped by the magic of the wands. It was inspiring in its own way.

When the waters had been beaten back a safe distance, the priests gathered together. The crowds that had gathered with each group merged together and started cheering.

After a time Jenya held up a hand and spoke with a voice that was tired but strong and full of faith and inspiration. “St. Cuthbert, Pelor, Kord. They have not forsaken you, nor have they forsaken Cauldron. During the flood season, the gods protect us, and hold back the waters, as they have always done.”

“’But where were they when our homes flooded?’ I hear you ask. The gods are not the only ones with their eyes on Cauldron, and not all those eyes are kind ones. Evil moves in the woods and dark places. And Evil tried to stop the gods and let you drown.”

The crowd was responding to her impromptu sermon. Jenya may not have felt herself Sarsen’s equal, but she had true faith and when she shared it, it had a powerful effect.

“But the gods protected you, and the gods stopped this plan and provided the tools to fight the floods. And for that we thank them.” She stopped and bowed her head, as did the other priests and following them, the crowd. “And most importantly we thank them for the help of the Blue Tyger Legion. Without them, where we now stand would be four feet underwater. It was they who stopped the evil, who brought the means, and who served as the god’s instruments. And we thank them for saving us.”

Jenya turned to us, and she bowed her head. And when she did, the crowd erupted in cheers and chants. Jenya smiled, and everyone blushed. (Even Astrid, which I wasn’t sure was physically possible.) 

Jenya lead the procession back to the temple, the crowd swarming all around thanking the priests, the Blue Tygers, even each other. At the temple, Jenya split the wands up among the churches, and they departed, though not without each thanking us. 

Jenya then brought out a sealed letter of credit. “Your reward, as promised.”

Elizabeth accepted it. “I feel bad about taking this when this flood season has already cost you so much.”

Jenya’s face flashed with sadness. “True, the cost has been high. But please accept it nonetheless. St. Cuthbert teaches us justice, and this too is justice – heroic deeds deserve rewards.”

Elizabeth nodded. “You should be proud of yourself today. You served your Lord well. You are not Sarsen, nor will you ever be. But you are the High Priestess.”

Jenya nodded, the sadness still on her face. “You all should go get some rest. You more than earned it.”

When the Blue Tygers entered the Drunken Morkoth, you’d have thought a king had entered with the amount of cheering that erupted. There was a lot of thanking and back slapping. The innkeeper started bringing out warm food and drink and more importantly had his child start readying hot baths. And we finally could rest.

While eating, Shensen came to the table. “Congratulations. It’s good to know once more you have come to the aid of innocents.” There were a few “It was nothing”s and even Glyph was being fairly modest about the whole thing. 

Shensen looked slightly uncomfortable. “When you are rested and cleaned up, Tyro would like to speak to you in his room about something.” 

Astrid and Elizabeth immediately exchanged sharp glances. Kris said “We’ll seek him once we’re recovered enough to be sociable.”

After food, baths and clean clothes were all taken care of, the group gathered up to talk to Tyro. While not armed and armored to their usual standard, everyone was still carrying weapons, suspicious of Tyro. He was either going to come clean or attack the group, and we needed to be ready either way.

Tyro invited everyone in and offered seats. He started with some hesitations. “I have been concealing some things from you.”

“We know,” Elizabeth said, in a slightly less than cordial way.

Tyro nodded. “The boys are overly enthusiastic, but the meant no harm. Will you allow me to invite them in?” 

“Why don’t you tell us what you’ve been hiding first?” Astrid said. 

Tyro, sensing an opportunity to show trust, nodded. “Allow me to first show you my true form.” He stood up and his shape began to twist until he was revealed as a half elf. “My name is not Tyro, though that is the personality I assume. My name is Meerthan Eliothlorn. I represent a cell of the Striders of Farlanghan. We serve the Travelling one. My masters in the Striders sent me here to investigate certain goines on. We suspect a group known as the Cagewrights may be active in cauldron. We were attracted here because we suspected them in a group of kidnappings. Suspicious at first, we thought you also might be involved, but obviously that is not the case. After we came to realize that, we kept an eye on you thinking you might lead us to them but that has not come to pass. My three associates have all been placed at different locations to see what they can learn. And there you have it.”

Astrid, satisfied for now, said “You can invite the boys in.” Tyro – or rather Meerthan – did. The “boys” entered with minimal fuss, save to introduce themselves as Fallion and Ferun.

“I’m glad you decided to talk to us now rather than later. Your boys there were getting close to an unpleasant mugging in an alleyway following us” Kris said. “The ladies here were getting tired of being followed and had returned the favor a couple times.”

“We know,” Meerthan said, although I wasn’t entirely sure if that was true. “But we would hopefully have avoided that. Our mission is not open combat. We think the Cagewrights – mind you we know little about them – have an active interest or involvement in Cauldron. We want to find out why and what they’re up to.”

“We know little about them but we have heard of them. We’ve seen what we assume is their mark on several crates in Drakthar’s way, and he mentioned the Cagemakers on several occasions,” Maris said. And we relayed the details of that encounter.

“Interesting. That’s helpful. We were investigating them in Dyvers. While assaulting a cell, they summoned a thing from Carceri – the prison plane. All of my companions in my group were slain from the effort of driving the creature back, but we did drive out the Cagewrights. Our associates tracked them to this region and soon after the kidnappings started. But we’re not sure what they’re up to or why they’re here. But we intend to discover the truth.”

“The way things seem to go in Cauldron,” Astrid said dryly “we had best discover the truth before it ‘discovers’ us.”


Loot:
15500cp
8000sp
4500gp
200pp
Wand of burning hands 23 charges (caster level 1)
Masterwork dagger
Bracers of armor +1
Goggles of minute seeing
Slippers of spider climbing
Pearl of power level 1
Wand of control water #6
4 Potions of hiding (250 mkt price)
58 gold
4 plat
keyring
small book with spells up to 4th level
500 silver
450 gold
darkwood and silver masterwork harp – 800g
diamond ring worth bunches
jade idol of yondolla (value unknown)
+1 light steel shield 
wand of control water #7 and #8


----------



## Spatzimaus

Zad said:
			
		

> Elizabeth meditated before bed. There was something itching in her mind, and she needed to find it. The two of us entered a deep trance together and were wandering in a wash of colored lights and clear musical tones. She was close to understanding – it’s as if one was hearing musical notes but could not pick out the song, and then suddenly it all snaps into place. After a time, she found the song, and everything clicked. The colors and sounds harmonized, and after enjoying it for a while, she ended the trance.




DING!  5th level!  So, did everyone level up, or only Elizabeth?


----------



## dravot

Spatzimaus said:
			
		

> DING!  5th level!  So, did everyone level up, or only Elizabeth?




Everyone but Glyphandar, I believe.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> Everyone but Glyphandar, I believe.



Go ahead... Rub it in... I was sick.


----------



## thatdarncat

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Go ahead... Rub it in... I was sick.



It's ok, I finally figured out who the narrator was ^^;;


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Go ahead... Rub it in... I was sick.




No rubbing it in, or gloating.  Just a statement of fact, my man.  Hope you feel better soon.


----------



## Zad

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> It's ok, I finally figured out who the narrator was ^^;;




Well I pretty much gave it to ya now didn't I? 

More seriously, I have always intended it to become more and more obvious though without a direct statement. The thing that made me want to write on this explicitly is the telepathy - it's just *going* to come up, so I figured I had better establish it. At a minimum, we have a way over a language barrier, so I didn't want to address it when we got there but handle it now. Author mechanics, if you will.

So now that it's more obvious, I'm curious what y'all think of the concept of our narrator. I'll post later with my initial thinking that got me to it.


----------



## Spatzimaus

Zad said:
			
		

> So now that it's more obvious, I'm curious what y'all think of the concept of our narrator. I'll post later with my initial thinking that got me to it.




From the game side, it's one of the things I've always liked about the psionic classes, and it was a smart choice for Elizabeth.  Like you saw in this last strip, it can act as a scout, communications link, or hood ornament, while still providing a Feat-level stat boost.  Plus, back in the Mind's Eye supplement there was a Feat that added all sorts of other fun bonuses to these; better movement modes, more defense, that sort of thing.

From the story side, it's nice because it gives you a narrator with a full intelligence that isn't the usual dispassionate third-person observer, but isn't one of the main characters.  Some stories have used a Wizard's Familiar as a narrator, but inevitably they have to think of things in terms of the animal the Familiar was; this isn't a problem here.  Of course, its personality will still be skewed a bit by its type, but that's relatively minor.  (Plus, it's a lot harder to stuff a cat in your pocket when a fight starts, and cats don't have Hardness and the immunity to mind-affecting stuff.)

Speaking of which, which personality is it?  I'd guess "Resolved" from the defiance comment (plus, it'd be an ideal choice for a PW), but you could have Improved it to add another bonus, like Meticulous.


----------



## thatdarncat

Zad said:
			
		

> Well I pretty much gave it to ya now didn't I?



yeah, I'm dense some times  



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> So now that it's more obvious, I'm curious what y'all think of the concept of our narrator. I'll post later with my initial thinking that got me to it.



I like, it was a very smooth way to introduce the narrator. 

The concept itself is neat, it avoids a lot of the narrator archtypes - it's not a disinterested narrator, it's not one of the characters, it's not a storyteller...


----------



## Zad

You hit it pretty good TDC. When "designing" the story hour for this campaign I faced a question - first person or third person. I really felt I had "done" first person pretty thoroughly in the prior story hour - it added a great slant and it was good. But it also has some limitations and mostly I wanted to try something different here. I thought about third person generic but I thought that would be dull - it offered no opportunity for any real flavor for events.

I briefly toyed with the idea of some unseen presence following the group. It would be a bit of a strain on "reality" though and didn't quite sit right - like some silent order that watches goings-on. Just wasn't working for me. Plus he couldn't interact with the party.

Now the characters weren't even firmed up, but I eventually converged on Elizabeth, and then it just clicked. - a narrator who could be lots of places, who had a point of view and yet some level of detachment, and I could even generate a little mystery about who it was. And so it went.

Spatzimaus I also have to agree with - it was win/win. I gave up a feat to get the benefits of a feat plus more. It's had some benefits where I handed it off to Astrid, allowing some covert communication between the girls. Frankly I think they handled them better than familiars - smaller benefits but smaller risks and less maintenance. Interestingly, in actual game play, it's barely been mentioned. And you are correct on "Resolved" - it was a natural choice. I originally toyed with injecting more of that personality into the narration, but I realized it would skew the story hour too far, and so left it with a more balanced feel. I have not added other elements, although I have taken the feat to allow it to hold an extra psionic focus for me.

I'm glad you find both the concept and the discovery amusing. Dravot and I liked it a lot and I was hoping y'all would too.


----------



## thatdarncat

While we're on the topic, how are you finding the 3.5 psionics rules? I've yet to build a psion character but I'm seriously considering it next time we start a low level campaign.


----------



## Spatzimaus

Resolved is probably the best choice for a PW, since there's not a Reflex-boosting choice, although in 3.5E the fact that their casting keys off WIS helps keep Will from being too weak.  My PW picked Resolved as well (and later added Meticulous with a Feat), which is why that was my first guess.  My Psion went with Artiste; he loved using _fabricate_ on any random object he could find to turn it into something more artistic (like statues of various people he knew), and after he went Constructor the DM allowed me to use Craft checks to make the constructs look more distinctive.


----------



## Zad

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> While we're on the topic, how are you finding the 3.5 psionics rules? I've yet to build a psion character but I'm seriously considering it next time we start a low level campaign.




Psionics is, for all intents and purposes, a mana-based magic system. You could, if you were so inclined, just label it "magic" and it's how magic works in your world and go. And it's a pretty good system imho. 3.0 was reasonable, but the polish added in 3.5 definitely improves the play. The idea of augmenting powers is excellent and keeps low level powers as viable choices as you go into higher levels. 

That said, we're only 5 levels in, and the psi warrior isn't exactly a powerhouse. Force Screen has been my bread and butter and the ac boost is invaluable. So far I've gravitated towards buff-type powers that enhance my survivability and it definitely makes a difference in the abuse I take vs Astrid (which is good since I have fewer hit points). Downside is of course I need to prep - most of these buffs are very short duration.

I've had an itch to try a psi warrior and a psion for a while. Aethramyr has a psion in a campaign we've played a few times but again, is low level. I've got a soulknife in the same campaign but you can hardly call that the same thing. Maybe next opportunity I'll try a psion and really stretch its legs.

(I should also note I had a psion/constructor in a game Grimm ran but it was under 3.0 and astral constructs were oh-my-god powerful. It took time for him to spin up, but he could fill the field with disposable troops. Plus they had other uses. "Hey look, a trap. Should I disarm it? Nah send in a construct." I was glad they nerfed that a bit.

So overall I think they work well.


----------



## thatdarncat

Cool. We've had one psion in my current campaign so far, but I didn't want to judge the all psions based off of one min-maxed mobile artillery character.


----------



## dravot

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> Cool. We've had one psion in my current campaign so far, but I didn't want to judge the all psions based off of one min-maxed mobile artillery character.




Pretty much.  The psion has flexibility that wizards, and even sorcerors don't have.

For the next campaign we do (whenever that is...we have 3 right now), I want to do a mana/psion equivalent arcane caster.  There are rules for it in Unearthed Arcana, I believe.


----------



## dravot

Game Night!

Chapter 1 of Zenith Trajectory.  Whatever that is.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*So Tired...*

What are these people? MAD!?!

We no sooner return from the celebrations for saving the city when I'm roughly handled and thrown into my room at the Drunken Morkoth with Astrid and Kriss breathing down my neck asking me to work on thier equipment. 

I spent weeks without seeing the sun and all I had for company is my newest creation. But Grinder my watch dog is an amiable little clockwork if I do say so myself. 

All in All I was able to enchant my Mitheral Chain shirt as well as those of Tzaddik and Belsin. Enchanted Elizabeth's armor and Falchion, Kriss' Armor and Bow and My lovely Astrid's Armor and Halbard. I was even able to make a charm I learned from the druids at Oakenhearth Cabal to protect Marris. 

Now all I want to do is sleep for a week.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I just posted Glyphandar's updated information in the rogues gallery thread. 

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=3214018#post3214018

along with Grinder and Valet his Homunculi.


----------



## WizarDru

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> I just posted Glyphandar's updated information in the rogues gallery thread.
> 
> http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=3214018#post3214018
> 
> along with Grinder and Valet his Homunculi.




Wait....we have a Rogues Gallery thread? 

Look for an update sometime soon, I expect...Zad's been at training all week, but hopefully he'll be able to put up the first chapter of Zenith Trajectory soon.


----------



## Zad

Unfortunately I ain't out of the woods yet. Not sure when I will be - it might end up waiting til next adventure - depends on work.


----------



## thatdarncat

No worries, work comes first. We'll still be here when you're back.


----------



## Zad

*Zenith Trajectory – Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
1155 for 3rd level characters
965 for 5th level characters

Loot:
No loot this time but the split from disposal was 8,421 each.

This Week’s Adventure:
After averting disaster during the flood season, things quieted down considerably. Which, I have to say, was something of a relief. I was beginning to think that Cauldron was a magnet for disaster, but it seems it just may have been having a bad run or luck. Once it became clear that there was no immediate disaster waiting for the Blue Tygers, they each started drifting to their separate long term interests or goals. That’s not to say we disbanded – difficult considering we never “banded” in the first place. But it was more like a vacation while the rains fell and everything stayed quiet.

Maris poured herself into her studies at the academy. Bellsin and Kris… well suffice to say the few times I checked up on them, they were managing to find trouble but nothing too dire. Kris visited Sasserine a few times, if for no other reason than to relieve the boredom. Astrid enjoyed the break, and also took some time to establish some of her other identities in Cauldron.

Elizabeth took her time cleaning up affairs from the last adventure. She visited merchants and brokers as needed. One visit to Tygot was indicative of all the other visits; when she arrived, there was a man in robes – a tax collector – accompanied by a half-orc guard who Elizabeth recognized as a former mercenary from a prior campaign. After they departed Tygot’s comments echoed those of the other merchants – that the tax increases were ruining them. It ate into the profits from the adventure noticeably.

Once the profits were fully realized however, Elizabeth set about a new project. Requests from some of the others added to her work.

“A full set of plate and two chain shirts…” she said, concerned. “That’s going to take a lot of metal.”

“And you can bet it won’t come cheap,” I said. “I don’t know where you’d even find it in this town.”

“You won’t. But I suspect someone in Sasserine has it or can get it. But for something like this, you don’t just walk in off the street and buy it. It’s going to take connections. Let’s see if Maavu can help with that.”

And off we went to see Maavu. Elizabeth was greeted warmly upon entering, having gained some recognition both as a seller and a minor hero. Her usual broker got to her in due time. She requested a personal meeting with Maavu and was seen after a short wait.

“Miss Elizabeth, lovely to see you again,” he said sincerely.

“And you Master Arlintal,” she replied. 

“Not to rush things but I’m afraid I’m overwhelmed at the moment. What did you need that Ivan couldn’t help you with?” he asked, to the point.

“Oh, I know you’re busy and I’m sorry for taking your time. But I suspect this would need your touch. I am looking for something special and I don’t think I can get it without connections.”

“And what would that be?” he asked, slightly curious.

“Mithril.”

“Ah. That shouldn’t be too hard. How much?”

“About fifty pounds should do it,” she said simply, as if it were a bushel of potatoes.

Maavu stopped and looked at her, then eventually said “You said ‘fifty’, not ‘fifteen’?” She nodded. “Well, yes I can see why you’d ask to see me then. I think I can get that for you. Not here of course – Sasserine and the Iron Lords would be the place. But I don’t think they’d see you if you walked in without an introduction so you’re quite right on all counts. But I think I can arrange it.”

And he was right. He arranged it and within a few weeks, there was a king’s ransom in mithril delivered to Gurnezarn’s smithy. The metal was challenging to work with but Elizabeth had time, and patiently, painstakingly, set about creating the armor. 

Bellsin and Kris were quite pleased with the results for their chain mail, and Elizabeth’s new plate was stunning – she really poured her heart into it and the results showed.  It took her months, but the results were worth it, and it kept her busy, if not me.

Which brings me to someone who kept himself almost as busy – Glyph. About six weeks after the turning of the waters, he gathered everyone at dinner.

He said “I find myself in a position to create magical items of some power now. I do this for its own sake, and the advancement of my art, but it is also part of my contribution to this group – to protect and aid you, and that strengthens us all. So if there is something you need, tell me.”

And tell him they did. He spent weeks closeted away, emerging only for food and the occasional bath. He worked on weapons, armor, and even some kind of bizarre magical dog. He was tired and busy, but he seemed to be genuinely enjoying his work.

When Elizabeth finished her armor, she naturally took it to him, although I could tell she was hesitant. He seemed genuinely impressed with it – not every day one sees a full set of mithril plate armor, as beautiful as it is functional. Without any further word, he immediately set to enchanting it, determined to make it better.

I can’t fault his devotion to his art, that’s for sure.

There was one other pursuit to which the girls devoted themselves – finding work. It looked like the adventuring business was winding down, and while they were certainly not desperate for money, they were trying to look to the future. There was word that war was about to erupt to the north involving the Horned Society. But then word came that the Grey Guild had gotten involved and put a quick end to it. A few months later, a traveler mentioned that some kind of demonic incursion was going on in the Shield Lands and the forces of Iuz were on the move. It would be a long trip but likely good paying work. Then the requests for soldiers suddenly stopped – rumor was that servants of Dravot had stepped in. 

Peace is not good for the business of war. But peace or no, Cauldron still attracts trouble.

The girls and I were ambling around the warehouse district taking care of some minor business when a lot of screaming and crashing erupted nearby. We came around the corner to see an umber hulk ripping apart people and buildings.

“Can’t be,” Elizabeth said. “Must be an illusion or something – a real umber hulk? Not likely.”

Astrid concurred, and they drew weapons and charged. The umber hulk was doing a fine impersonation of an umber hulk – people were panicking and confused, it shot beams from its eyes and generally ripped buildings apart. As the girls got closer, they felt the wave of confusion wash over them. It was certainly starting to look like an umber hulk to me.

Elizabeth got close and cut deep enough to pierce its shell and it shrieked and clawed her in return. Behind it two gnomes ran up and each cast a magic missile – the missiles streaked at the umber hulk but then ricocheted off when they hit.

The umber hulk leapt at the ground and retreated.

The gnomes stared down the collapsed hole with the girls, then looked at them and recognized them. “We’re with the guard from the MTA – the Magical Threat Authority. I’m not sure we can do much to help you though – this is more your thing.”

Astrid was thinking fast. “If you can’t do much to him, are there any spells you know that can help us?” 

The gnomes started nodding so hard I thought their heads would pop off, and then each cast a spell, and magic settled around the girls and they were now blurry and out of focus. A loud crash down the street signaled the resurfacing of the monster and the girls wasted no time in gong after him.

One street over Maris had been moving towards the same crashing when there was screaming above her and a woman, who had been trying to escape the now-burning building, lost her balance and dropped something. From the screaming, it was safe to say it was a baby.

Maris acted without hesitation and sticky webs sprung from the air between buildings. The baby hit, bounced, rolled and eventually slowed down stuck in the sticky tangle, gooey but safe.

The girls closed in on the umber hulk, and it was ready for them. The bewildering nature of the creature’s multiple eyes was not enough to make them stop attacking but it was sufficient to make their attacks sloppy and wild, and the umber hulk amused itself by denting the new mithril armor several times but some timely help from Kris kept the injuries from being life-threatening. Finally Astrid managed to land a solid blow and caved the creature’s head in.

There was the usual questions asked and what not afterward, but for the most part the Blue Tygers left the city watch to clean up the mess, including the thief that Glyph had caught trying to take advantage of the confusion. In many ways the rumors that followed in the wake of the event were more interesting than the attack itself – one rumor suggested that Maavu had been keeping it as a pet and would feed people to the monster. Another rumor said that Maavu had been seen fleeing the city on a black horse with clouds where the hooves should be.

And I can say that this was not an isolated incident – it seemed that with the end of winter, trouble was waking up from its hibernation. Upon return to the Drunken Morkoth, we found Lady Celeste waiting for us in a private area. She asked that we have dinner with her tomorrow evening and that we would find it to be profitable. She gave Astrid a small white card:

_Cusp of Sunrise
Obsidian Avenue, Northeast._

Asking around revealed that the Cusp of Sunrise was a well known dinner club for the nobility with an exclusive membership. It was owned by a noble woman – Ophelia Knowlern who lives in Hollowsky. This naturally lead to some frantic shopping for appropriate attire for the evening. Elizabeth was simultaneously mortified by the amount of money she was spending on clothing and resigned to the fact that this was the price of doing business in Cauldron.

At the appointed hour, the Blue Tygers arrived at the Cusp of Sunrise. It was an ivory colored building with a central tower as tall as the city walls. An iron bound door offered a simple sign saying “Cusp of Sunrise. Members only,” and masked the sounds of music and gentle laughter behind it.

A large man in a blue robe opened the door in response to our knock. “Welcome to the Cusp of Sunrise. I am Renjin,” he said, bidding the group inside. Elizabeth offered him the card, informing him that they were to dine with Lady Elizabeth. 

He looked over each of the group carefully. At first I thought he was looking for weapons, but dress weapons were part of the normal attire and several of the Tygers wore them openly. Finally I realized he was seeing if everyone was properly dressed. “Smashing outfits,” he said, nodding. Everyone had spent a fair bit of coin to be properly dressed and have appropriate jewelry. Well, almost everyone. Renjin leaned in to Kris and said “I believe you’ll find a wonderful jeweler on Magma street – ever so tasteful.” Then to everyone “I believe the Lady has not yet arrived but please enter and be welcome. As invited guests you have access to all areas save the East Wing. Enter the Grand Library behind me and feel free to eat and drink.”

The group entered into the large central tower – perhaps a hundred feet across, and covered in bookshelves. There were scores of nobles but only a few were actually reading. Most were sipping wine, or playing dice, or eating in plush leather chairs. I didn’t see Lord Valantruu in scanning the room but there were a dozen people standing near a cluster of statuary listening to someone talk, with occasional titters of laughter drifting across the room. 

Elizabeth was looking up and noticed two people looking down at them, and down at her in particular in both sense of the word. They were wearing elven chainmail but managed to make it look completely inappropriate on their frames. Elizabeth smiled back at the Lathenmires and nodded in greeting and they turned away in a huff.

As the group gravitated towards a table near the wall, a voice across the room began shouting in a huff. “I want these ruffians… these thugs removed from this place at once. This is an insult sir!” There was some harrumphing and muttering. 

Lord Taskerhill was still blustering. “I am a senior member of this club and I insist, nay I DEMAND…” and he was cut off.

“Oh please! Some of us are trying to enjoy a polite evening Taskerhill.” Lord Valantruu’s voice was polite but calm and mocking. “And while you constantly remind us of your membership here, you are not the only one who is a longstanding member who contributes highly to the Cusp. So please shut your mouth – unlike your daughter you are not highly skilled in its use.”

Lord Taskerhill turned bright red, and Elizabeth was satisfied to see that the nobleman had understood the full weight of the barb. But he had no real reply. “The quality of this organization has dropped dramatically. It won’t do. Good day sir.” And he left.

Bellsin muttered to the group “Don’t go away mad. Just go away.”

After the dust settled, Lord Valantruu came over, and Elizabeth thanked him for his words. “Not at all,” he said. “The least I can do – the floods may be down but I, at least, still remember who we have to thank for it. I must have you over for dinner some time to thank you properly.”

The group had drinks, then dinner. Lady Celeste was delayed for some reason and it was suggested they not wait for her. As the group was enjoying some desert wine, one of the blue-robed attendants came to the table. “The Lady Celeste has arrived. If you’ll follow me?”

We were escorted into a private room in the East Wing. Lady Celeste was inside, along with a dwarf who was so old and emaciated that he almost passed for a skeleton. His beard was ragged and thin and his fine robes and hint of chain mail beneath them couldn’t conceal the ravages of time on his body. Greetings were exchanged and the dwarf, after drawing a long, difficult breath, spoke in a wheezing, strained voice.

“Thank you Celeste. You’re the cities of the hero right now, and it’s heroes that I need. I’ll pay you well if you can rescue my son from the Underdark. I am Davken Splintershield. You recently repaired my son’s statue, and it would please me greatly if you would repair my son as well. My son, Zenith – I have not seen him since we parted ways at the Malachite Fortress.”

The dwarf stopped and caught his breath. Even this much was an exertion for him. Lady Celeste put her hand on his shoulder to quiet him and spoke. “What the Iron Lord is trying to say is that he has reconciled with two of his three sons but the last – Zenith – led an expedition of dwarves into the Underdark years ago after they abandoned the Malachite Fortress. He was determined to lead a crusade against the Underdark. We are not sure of his end result, but his departure depleted the reserves of the fortress and the dwarves were forced to abandon it. The dwarves came above ground and went their own ways. Zenith was one of the righteous – the Dwarven Defenders. They were chosen to defend the underground approaches to the fortress but it was a duty they abandoned when they chose to take the fight to the enemy.”

“I pleaded with him not to go,” Splintershield said. “He struck me during our argument. It almost came to the drawing of blades. I have not been a good father to my sons. I was harsh, cruel even. I drove them all away. My wife Marta with her dying breath cursed me for driving our sons from her and making them bitter against us. I will waste away to nothing unless I reverse this curse. I wish to see my son again and make amends.”

“My Lord, what if your son no longer lives?” Elizabeth asked what was on everyone’s mind.

Splintershield started to answer then collapsed into coughing. Lady Celeste said “Arcane and divine divinations have shown that he is – he is being held prisoner in a koa toan shrine north of the city called Bhal-hamatugn.”

“If you find the shrine, you will find my boy. How many dwarves could there be in a shrine?” Splintershield gasped. “You will know him by his great righteousness, his jet black beard, his jackass nature, and the standard of the Splintershield which he is honor-bound to bear. Unless he has become very different, he would never let it fall.”

He took a drink of water then went on. “I will pay you each four thousand gold pieces, or six thousand in armors and armor from the finest artisans in my clan.”

“Also,” Lady Celeste added “I will sponsor you at the Cusp. You may find this useful.” And expensive – Maris knew that this was something on the order of a thousand gold pieces itself. It shows great faith if she is willing to vouch for them in this way.

“As for the ‘how’, the Stormblades have collapsed the access to the Underdark from the Malachite Fortress. But there is supposedly a way in a fissure north of the city. One of the Iron Lord’s clansmen heard this from a man called Crazy Jarred. I have here a map to his home, some two days north by horse.”

Astrid, ever the professional, had one question. “My Lord, so that we are clear. Are you asking us to find him, free him, and ask him to come to you? Or are you asking us to retrieve him, willing or not?”

The Iron Lord shook his head. “I must make amends with my sons. I would not ask you to compel him – to do so will not lead to peace between us. I ask that you do what you can.”

A quick glance around showed that everyone seemed willing. Astrid said “We will find your son. We shall leave in the morning.”


----------



## Zad

*Economics*

I like this game. I like games in general. But part of liking games is liking various aspects of the game and D&D has a lot of aspects. This last session made me think about economics.

Availability of gear is a major balancing factor in this game (and many others). Controlling the flow of loot is the biggest way of keeping the players in the right general area - of forcing to them to make choices on the use of limited resources.

I spend some time thinking about how to best use my limited resources. And what I found interesting is that the artificer brings a very interesting change to the dynamics of this. 

Now the class has abilities in its own right - I'm not suggesting it doesn't. But I think perhaps the biggest ability of the class is not the most obvious - by making stuff, he makes the rest of the party better. (Call him BASF.) 

By economically making magic items, he makes limited resources go farther. Even if he just stands there in a dungeon, he still did something, because the fighter is wearing +2 armor that he couldn't have afforded otherwise. 

Generally classes have short term abilities and long term abilities, but the Artificer is interesting because his big long term ability increases the short term abilities of all the gear-driven classes. I find it an interesting case study and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out over time. Issues about item availability, both in terms of cost and in terms of finding it, change with him in the picture. Should be interesting to see.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Zad said:
			
		

> I like this game.



 I concur. This game is a good as the Meepo game. 
I always knew Glyf would be an interesting character to play as the Artificer is so dependent on others, but I percerviered and now i'm really happy with the choice.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Speaking of characters shining... Tzaddik is going to be VERY needed for the next adventure I would think. Him in his favored enemie "children of Lolth" goodness and all.


----------



## Tony Vargas

I'm curious how you handled crafting Mithral Full Plate.  Was it crafted like regular MW full plate with the Mithral cost just added on top, or was the total value crafted?  (if the latter, how'd it end up only taking months..?)


----------



## Zad

Well, when I said "I like this game" I meant D&D but I like this particular game too. 



			
				Tony Vargas said:
			
		

> I'm curious how you handled crafting Mithral Full Plate.  Was it crafted like regular MW full plate with the Mithral cost just added on top, or was the total value crafted?  (if the latter, how'd it end up only taking months..?)




Over the years we've determined that the crafting rules... lack. They're really not very robust when it comes to dealing with mundane items. So we either fill in the gaps or just hand wave some things.

Elizabeth's Craft Armor is high enough that, with some help and in Gurnezarn's forge, she can make masterwork stuff reliably. We were told we'd have "several months" between the end of the last adventure and this one, so time was not an issue (nor do we usually factor it in since the RAW suggest some things take ridiculously long.) So as far as the DC goes, not a problem. Your specific question as far as what was crafted really means "how long did it take" and we really didn't bother working it out given time was not an issue. I would probably have suggested just "craft" the MW plate - adding the mithril value means it would take you years.

For cost, I took a third of the cost of (full plate + mithril) as written. Mithril armor is masterwork by definition and the cost is included. So 1,500 + 9,000 = 10,500 / 3 = 3,500gp. Crafting it yourself really helps with the cost. (I also had to pay for rental of the forge but it was still a good deal.)

I had wanted mithril because it would be medium armor, and I was considering a feat that would up my movement when in medium armor or lighter. Then the boots showed up so now I'm wondering if I should have waited and held out for adamantine instead which I could have done for 5,500, but it's questionable if I could have obtained that much adamantine. I'm also not sure how much DR 3/- is really worth.


----------



## thatdarncat

My group has almost always favoured movement and dex based AC over armour based AC. I've had to put obsticles in the way of my PCs purchasing mithral armour as they were all wanting some and assuming they could purchase it in just any store. ^^;;

I like your solution for the craft DCs.


----------



## dravot

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> My group has almost always favoured movement and dex based AC over armour based AC. I've had to put obsticles in the way of my PCs purchasing mithral armour as they were all wanting some and assuming they could purchase it in just any store. ^^;;
> 
> I like your solution for the craft DCs.




In a 28 point buy game, and limited magic item resources, dex based armor for a front rank fighter is not a great idea.  How'd you accomplish it?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*They're alive! ALIVE!*

Grinder and Valet.

I must say that I’m hardly the kind to pat myself on the back but I am very proud of my accomplishments of late. After all of the work infusing power into the items of my companions, I was free to do some true artificing. Using parts taken from refuse we found in Jzadirune and some items I was able to procure from Weir, I set about creating my greatest creations. 

I must seem something of a madman to the rest of the Blue tigers as I have been seen very sporadically and when they do see me I’m always looking my worst. I honestly thought Mariss would faint when she saw me siphoning off my own blood into the chamber within my Iron Defender. As inquisitive a girl as she is should have left me to my work. 

My first creation is Grinder. Iron Defenders are a staple as a guardian for someone of my profession and each is as unique as the Artificer who created it. I made Grinder from parts removed from the digging machines in Jzadirune as well as parts taken from the first Worg that Astrid and I killed. Building his frame from Darkwood and Worg bone was simple and the finishing touch of small armor pieces taken from the ruined suit of armor found in Jzadirune remolded were a perfect touch. Once the infusions were in place and my blood added to awaken ‘him’ Grinder immediately took to my side as a faithful dog would. I painted him and designed his body to look like a miniature tiger painted a medium blue with indigo stripes. I have named him grinder for the way he tends to grind his teeth when not occupied. 

My next creation was just as important. I now had a bodyguard but I needed an assistant as well. My art requires me to carry a lot of equipment as well as my adventuring gear. I may be in better physical condition than many, but I’m only one being. Using the foot design I saw the Gnomes used on their digging golems, I fashioned feet and legs onto a frame of metal, worked this frame around a chest made of Darkwood that I had made and then attached arm units to the sides. The “face” of Valet is a large elaborate looking lock with eyes and a mouth. On the top of the Valet is the symbol of the Blue Tyger Legion and on the sides or “shoulders” of the Valet are my personal glyph and that of Diamondshard Cabal.

Now with my Guardian and assistant I feel ready to face any challenge ahead of me. Except for actually asking my Astrid out on a date.


----------



## Zad

*Zenith Trajectory - Chapter 2*

*Zenith Trajectory – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 1500. This takes most of the party to 6th.

This Week’s Adventure:
In the morning, we left. Not much more to it than that. There was quite a bit of debate about preparation, but ultimately we concluded we couldn’t afford much in the way of being prepared, and settled for getting a horse and cart in case Zenith was not able to walk on his own.

The trip was largely uneventful. We were almost ambushed by a group of goblins lead by an ogre. They were surely bandits expecting easy prey, but as they got closer they got a better look at our group, and stopped short. The ogre barked something and they began carefully retreating back to the forest. Bandits look for easy prey, and it wouldn’t be found with the Blue Tygers. We let them go without pursuit.

Around noon on the second day, we reached the approximate location of Crazy Jared’s hut. That is to say we reached the area on the map – there was no sign of a hut but it was just untamed wilderness and there was no landmark to orient on. The group spread out a bit trying to find sign of a fire or other habitation, and caught sight of a flash and plume of smoke on the far side of a hill.

I might have had some slight concerns about a “plume of smoke” – it was too large to be a cooking fire. But whatever concerns I had, they weren’t enough. As we crested the hill, we saw a hut sitting in the middle of some ramshackle walls. There was a man in a robe waving some kind of stick around, and the fire was the result of a red dragon attacking the hut.

A red dragon. 

Think about that for a few moments.

“Must be an illusion,” Kris commented.

“What if it’s not?” Elizabeth asked.

“Gotta be,” Kris said. And the group started moving down the hill. We could hear the shouting from here – the dragon wanted to know something, and I can only assume the man was being uncooperative. The man saw us and ran up to us as the dragon smashed a wall with its tail.

“Ah, my knights! You’ve arrived! And just in time too.” The man, madness in his eyes, waved the rod around and now seemed to be wearing a kingly robe and a crown. “Go! Attack him!” 

The dragon was unamused. “Insolent mammals. You do not dictate to Gottrod. I am Lord of these woods. By my father’s fangs, leave your wealth and I will let you live. Defy me and die.” This was unintelligible to everyone except Maris, who understood the language. 

“Don’t listen to the foul beast – hear the fear in his words!” The madman said, and touched Astrid with the rod in time for her to suddenly understand the last half of the threat.

We were in no hurry to attack the dragon, but the idea of leaving the wealth behind didn’t sit particularly well with anyone either. There was little in the way of debate – the Blue Tygers neither attacked nor ran and waited to see what would happen, weapons readied and spread out to avoid being incinerated all at once.

“It’s an illusion,” Kris repeated. “The guy is crazy. He conjured it.”

The dragon didn’t wait long, and flew in closer. Astrid fired an arrow, and it bounced off the creature’s scales.  Maris followed up with a lightning bolt and left a few scorch marks.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at Kris.

The dragon, still in the air, blasted fire at us. Krisfallion and Bellsin collapsed immediately, nearly dead. Astrid got an arrow to land solidly but it was little more than an irritation. 

Maris, not wanting to risk more gouts of flame, threw a spell and managed to blind Gottrod. It was brilliant.

Gottrod was irritated. “Fine. I’ll destroy you with my teeth and claws,” it snarled and landed.

Elizabeth saw her opportunity and charged in. She cut the dragon deeply, but was unprepared for the counterattack. Dragons, it seems, have extraordinary senses, and being blind was only a minor handicap. The dragon erupted into a flurry of claws and wingstrokes, tearing through armor and flesh. A moment later, Elizabeth fell to the ground, barely breathing.

Despite this, the dragon was still unhappy, made more so by more arrows from Astrid. It flapped its wings and thrust into the air, either to breathe again or retreat. Maris had made it to Kris and forced a potion into him and he was conscious again, and saw what was happening. 

“Oh no  you don’t,” he said, and a burst of light erupted from his outstretched hand. He hit the dragon square in the chest burning a hole into him. Gottrod roared and tried to fly but his wings gave out and he dropped from the sky, smashing into the ground.

“Well done, my knights! You have protected Andoria from another attack!” the madman said, quite pleased. Then he promptly ran off to put out the fire, while we saved the dying. We didn’t lose anyone, but it was very close. As Kris revived Elizabeth, she sat up on one elbow and said “That was a damn convincing illusion.”

Crazy Jared ambled back over when the fire was out. He waved his scepter about “Behold the peaceable realm of Andoria.” The dilapidated structures were replaced with rolling orchards and a castle. A campaign tent appeared nearby and he walked towards it. “Attend Us.”

He entered the tent and sat on a grand chair. Astrid, as one of the few who was not at death’s door recently, was the most inclined to talk to Crazy Jared in a civil tongue rather than beat him senseless. “Your Majesty, what did the dragon want?”

“Oh, he was asking about the black.”

“The black?”

Jared nodded. “The black dragon. He’s moved into this area somewhat recently, though not so recently as Gottrod. Staking out territory and all that – I assume Gottrod wanted to kill him for his territory. You do realize that you’ve killed Hookface’s son. There will be consequences.”

Hookface was an established red dragon in the area, according to Maris. This could be bad. The “knights” conferred quietly.

“This is very bad,” Astrid said. “We’ll need to conceal our involvement in this, and stay quiet about it.”

“Agreed,” everyone said. 

“Use some false names with Jared – perhaps the names of the Stormblades,” Elizabeth said with a wicked grin. 

“Assuming he’s even sane enough to remember,” Maris said. 

“And we should move the body under cover of the trees just to keep it hidden longer,” Bellsin added.

Jared suddenly grabbed Maris on the shoulder, a different madness in his eyes. “Do not look into the smoking eye. It will curse you. The smoking eye is both a blessing and a curse. One of you is destined for it, or will die from it. The mark you bear shows the cages and the iron tree. Stay away from the iron tree. Mark me or they will look for you again.” That last bit was straight at Bellsin.

Then he let her go, and shook his head, now back to his old crazy self. 

Astrid tried to move on to the reason we came. “Your Majesty, we were told you know of a way to the Underdark. There are enemies of Andoria there, plotting against Your kingdom. We must attack them before they assault You.”

“Oh indeed? Well then listen closely – go east past the Chasm of Slight Madness and find Ugly Nose Rock. From there cross the rope bridge and the Pit of Seven Jaws is nearby. This will lead you to the Underdark.” He sketched out a crude map, indicating that the entrance was quite nearby.

During the conversation, Astrid used different names for herself and others, but it was apparent that Crazy Jared had little left in the way of memory. “One last thing Your Majesty – where is the black?”

“Oh We have no idea, my dear,” he said.

“Why would Gottrod think you knew then?” 

“Well, We have some power you see – We can cast divinations and such. In fact, We can cast one for you now…” and then he paused. “Except that We seem to have cast it already today. Funny I don’t remember that…”

The group took their leave, having learned what they came for. They dragged the carcass into the trees, hoping the animals would remove the evidence – there was little else they could do. If Hookface was old enough to have a son, he was likely a powerful dragon and if he knew magic, there might be little that could be done to hide the deed. It was a sobering fact that no one discussed. 

We set out eastward, following Crazy Jared’s directions. The Chasm of Slight Madness was little more than a dip in the landscape. Likewise, it took a bit of imagination to see the Ugly Nose in the rock, but when we came to the large pit in the earth with a staircase jutting out of the outer edge, there was no doubt that it was the Pit of Seven Jaws.

In hindsight, I wish we had asked why it was the “Pit of Seven Jaws.”

We began moving down the stairs, and the old wood and metal made no end of creaking and groaning. Bellsin was out front, and moving like a shadow, which turned out to be very fortunate. He motioned for a sudden stop and everyone froze. The urgency of his signal made clear something was very wrong.

I reached out to his mind. _What do you see?_

He was somewhat confused. Understandable since we have not, technically, been introduced. _Whaa?!? Who is this?_

I went for the simple answer, even if it was untrue. _Elizabeth._

_Oh. I see eyes. Seven sets of eyes. I think it’s a hydra._

I relayed the information to Astrid and Elizabeth. They shrugged at each other, and Astrid charged.

The hydra waited, then shrieked, and seven mouths opened together and loosed a blast of ice and snow. The bitter cold froze everything in place. Astrid reeled, barely able to move, while Bellsin, caught in the blast, crumpled on the staircase. 

Elizabeth yelled “Out!” Maris spoke a word, and the party was conjured to her, including the barely-alive Bellsin. Kris healed him even as Elizabeth was dragging him up the stairs. The group scrambled up the stairs. The hydra was unable to follow.

Elizabeth was rattled. “Enough. Splintershield can find his own son. This is not good. First a dragon, now this?!? It’s too much.”

Maris was racking her brains for information. “I’ve read about these. Most hydra can’t do that but there are some that can breathe fire or ice, but it’s very limited – they can’t do it often and not very far – not like a dragon. If you attack the heads, two will grow back after a bit though.”

“Even better,” Elizabeth sighed. “Rewards are useless if you don’t live to collect.”

“I’m not so sure,” Kris said. “I think I can protect us from some of that breath. It won’t hold for long, but it could stop the first wave and give you time to kill it.”

“Not the point. If we get by the hydra, what next? A dragon, then a hydra, then what? The sergeant always said ‘If you can’t handle the first wave, you sure as hell can’t handle the second.’”

Astrid was considering it too. “He also said ‘So put your biggest guys in the first wave.’ It can’t come up the stairs – we might be able to use that.”

“It will heal quickly but fire will hurt it badly. That’s something else we can make use of,” Maris said.

“That’s fine for this. What about whatever else is down that tunnel? If this is the sentry, what’s the main garrison like? You’re not looking at the soldier not the army,” Elizabeth said, growing more exasperated. “So far, we’ve nearly lost three people against the dragon, and two against the hydra. Let the Stormblades throw their lives away.”

The discussion continued, and everyone except Elizabeth was becoming convinced that this was workable, given proper preparation. Elizabeth was still in favor of withdrawing.

_You know we can do this,_ I told her. _Flaming weapons, fiery spells, proper protections… it can work._

_And what after that?_ she asked. It wasn’t a bad question either, and she was right to consider it. _What waits beyond? Will we be able to run away from that before it kills us all?_

_I don’t know. But you’re thinking of the hydra like a guard dog with a more powerful master beyond. What if it’s just a thing residing here? What if it eats whatever it can find and whomever tries to come through? What if the creatures beyond are weaker, and afraid? Why don’t creatures from the Underdark roam the countryside? Is it because they can’t get by the hydra?_ 

_I have some fairly vivid memories of a dragon recently ripping my entrails out,_ she said.

_Remove the armor and we expose the soft underbelly. Once flanked, they are weak._

_And if the underbelly isn’t so soft as you say?_ 

_Then we run from what we cannot fight instead of what we can._ 

“Fine,” Elizabeth relented.

The next morning, preparations were in place and layers of protection made ready. The girls were protected from cold, and Elizabeth used every protection she had. We made our way down the stairs, not trying to conceal ourselves. Maris caused illusionary sounds and lights to appear at the bottom of the pit, and the cryohyrda took the bait. Ice and wind shot forth, and the girls charged.

The fight was brief and decisive. Kris stunned the creature, and Maris burned it with fire. Then Astrid brought her halberd down, and sliced through to the creature’s heart. It was over in a flash.

At the bottom of the pit was a fissure in the wall that presumably lead into the Underdark. But it went unexplored for now – the group wanted to be at full strength to journey further, and it would be useful to see if anyone came to check on the hydra.

The next day, we went once more into the Pit of Seven Jaws. Everything was exactly as we had left it. The passage beyond the fissure widened quickly and went far into the distance. In fact it went for several miles. There were crevasses in the sides occasionally but they did not lead anywhere. One did hold something though – the body of a drider, staked to the wall. Sigils and signs were written in the blood of the drider. Bellsin believed it was some kind of warning to the drow to stay out. 

Other than that, the passage was empty. It was in fact almost curiously devoid of life – perhaps an indicator that the hydra was a predator not a pet. Finally the fissure opened on to an immense cavern with a large rift. At the bottom of the chasm was a large building, shaped like some kind of fish with stairs leading into its mouth. Hundreds of feet below, the sound of lapping water echoed on the walls.

Kris summed it up. “Well if that ain’t a kua-toan temple, I don’t know what is.”

Loot:
- gp for horse and cart
Mithril chain shirt – magic – (+1 prob)
2 masterwork scimitars
masterwork composite longbow (+3 str)
25gp


----------



## dravot

The breath attack of the cryohydra was 21d6, and I made the mistake of allowing WizarDru to use my d6's, which seem to roll high.  The result: 83 damage, 41 with a DC 18 Reflex save.  Ouch.

Both of us made our saves, but 41 put Bellsin in the negatives, and put Astrid at +14 HP or so.  Gah.  Maris' spell saved the day, by pulling us all out of the fire.  Yay Maris!

The dragon fight was also pretty tough, but fun.  Again, Maris saved the day by blinding the dragon.  Otherwise, we'd have to plink away with arrows while it stayed above melee range, whilst raining hot fiery death upon us.


----------



## WizarDru

dravot said:
			
		

> Maris' spell saved the day, by pulling us all out of the fire.  Yay Maris!
> 
> The dragon fight was also pretty tough, but fun.  Again, Maris saved the day by blinding the dragon.  Otherwise, we'd have to plink away with arrows while it stayed above melee range, whilst raining hot fiery death upon us.




The spell in question was Regroup from the PHB II, for the curious.  Maris had spent a great deal of time deciding on her latest spells, and decided on this one for it's highly useful tactical application.  Lo and behold, two sessions later it saves a party member's life.

To clarify: Bellsin had evaded detection, but the Hydra blasted Astrid and he was just in the line of fire.  Even with the save, he was instantly dropped to -9.  This left him with just a 15% chance on his turn not to die.  Maris hadn't memmed Regroup that day, but she HAD scribed it on a scroll for emergencies.  This clearly qualified.  Instantly, the party was out of the Hydra's reach and able to escape.

Astrid, meanwhile continued her "feast or famine" method of combat.  She apparently only has two modes, total suckitude or crit-happy mama.  Nothing was hurting the Hydra until Maris used a Scorching Ray, knocking it to half-health.  Then Astird did something on the odds of 68 points of damage and a little piece of me died inside.


----------



## WizarDru

Oh, and it isn't really clear but when Jared uttered these sentences: "_The mark you bear shows the cages and the iron tree. Stay away from the iron tree. Mark me or they will look for you again._", he was staring directly at Bellsin.


----------



## thatdarncat

Dravot said:
			
		

> How'd you accomplish it?



The other DM in our group is a little bit more permissive. And allows broken stats. And broken character builds.

For some reason he hasn't been asked to run anything for a while. 



			
				Dravot said:
			
		

> I made the mistake of allowing WizarDru to use my d6's, which seem to roll high.



A block of Chessex mini d6s by any chance?

And for the record, this post was more interesting than _the Transporter 2_


----------



## Zad

Wizardru said:
			
		

> Then Astird did something on the odds of 68 points of damage and a little piece of me died inside.




Making up for all the parts of Bellsin that died on the outside.


Unprepared, the hydra was death on wheels. 

Prepared, it was dead on ice. The contrast was stark. For my part all I did was miss it, but I think I was the sink for Astrid's miss-happy d20 

The conversational elements was, for a change, not synthetic. I had a circuit breaker trip that has only tripped once before, and I was ready to walk away. The first time was in the arbitrary death-trap-fest that is Nightfang Spire. (In that case a poorly written, arbitrary module.) This time, the trend of a dragon then cryohydra was enough to make me sure I didn't want to deal with what lay beyond. Elizabeth was fully ready to turn around and go home. 

In character, I'm still ready to cut and run if it looks like we can't handle whatever comes next. Out of character, I'm hoping it's one of those module tricks where they put a big beasty up front (gee, also like Nightfang Spire) and the rest will have a more appropriate CR. But I'm still perfectly ready to leave.


----------



## dravot

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> A block of Chessex mini d6s by any chance?
> 
> And for the record, this post was more interesting than _the Transporter 2_




It's a cube of 16 purple transparent d6's (typical size) that I've had for ages.  On 16d6, they'll roll +6 - +8 over average (as an estimate)


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> In character, I'm still ready to cut and run if it looks like we can't handle whatever comes next. Out of character, I'm hoping it's one of those module tricks where they put a big beasty up front (gee, also like Nightfang Spire) and the rest will have a more appropriate CR. But I'm still perfectly ready to leave.




The DM is monitoring the situation.  Zenith Trajectory is NOT NICE....but the whys and wherefores will become apparent later.  The party, post-hydra, has just hit 6th.  This will make things somewhat easier, although a discussion was had that the adventure path _assumes_ six party members and there needs to be something of a contingency when that isn't the case, as here.

It didn't suck that Bellsin rolled a natural 20 on his Move Silent check at the same time that they Hydra made a poor Listen check.  Bellsin got a 32, iirc, with a -10 circumstance penalty versus the Hydra's 7+9=16.


----------



## Scorch

Zad said:
			
		

> I had a circuit breaker trip that has only tripped once before, and I was ready to walk away. The first time was in the arbitrary death-trap-fest that is Nightfang Spire. (In that case a poorly written, arbitrary module.)




In the six to seven years that we have grouped together playing Dungeons and Dragons, this is the third time we have had a major problem with a module.  You all have seen the first two mentioned here, last weekend's session and Nightfang Spire.  The third was "The Module That Must Not Be Named".  It was so bad that we ret-conned it out of the Story Hour and all agreed it never happened.

I also know what it is like to run an encounter that you begin to think halfway through "ZOMG!  I think I'm gonna kill all of them.  Do I have a clear run up the stairs and out of the house if that happens?"  but usually the players rally halfway through and school whatever challenge I have laid out.  Only once did I have an encounter that I created that they had to retreat from but then again, so did the enemy they were fighting.  It only made the group more determined to track down their opponents to the ends of the earth (or in this case, the ends of the module map) and destroy them once and for all.

Scorch


----------



## dravot

It's hard to say.  YMMV, but the dragon wasn't too bad.  They basically reduced the CR of the dragon by having him injured from a previous fight with the other dragon.  I'm not 100% sure about a reduction in HP as worth a reduction in CR, but we pulled it out.

Where we went wrong was in assuming that the hydra was intelligent, and thus we had to fight now, rather than retreat and prepare with the knowledge that it wasn't going to ambush us - or even scout, consider and prep on the stairs rather than charge.

Live and learn.  Or almost die and learn.  Or something.    

(and we decided that it's not combat unless Bellsin hits negative HP)


----------



## Morrow

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Zenith Trajectory is NOT NICE....but the whys and wherefores will become apparent later.




Very true.  I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that the dragon and then the hydra isn't the last, "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too," sequence in Zenith Trajectory.  That being said, ZT has got some really fun encounters.  Either the party is going to walk out of this one with some cool stories to tell or they aren't going to walk out at all.

Morrow


----------



## Jarrod

I really, really, *REALLY* wasn't a fan of the hydra in this module. Or the dragon, for that matter. 

The hydra was just dumb. It was a big glass cannon. If you got near it unprepared, you died - that breath weapon is just stupid. Otherwise, you could kill it with hardly a scratch. Do you have a wizard who knows scorching ray and fireball? You're set. It wasn't a monster, it was a trap. 

The dragon... well, in the magazine versions there was no backplot to why he was there. Just a dragon flying around that you had to kill. Of course, he had to be stupid and land because if he just strafed all day you were dead. So it was a stupid dragon - survive the first breath weapon and then you could kill it. Again, a trap and not a real encounter. 

Bad bad bad design. 

On the other hand, the remainder of the module was quite good. Tough, don't get me wrong - very hard and deadly. But good, and it made sense.


----------



## WizarDru

Jarrod said:
			
		

> The hydra was just dumb. It was a big glass cannon. If you got near it unprepared, you died - that breath weapon is just stupid. Otherwise, you could kill it with hardly a scratch. Do you have a wizard who knows scorching ray and fireball? You're set. It wasn't a monster, it was a trap.




We prefer the term 'Eggshells with Hammers'.  Quite honestly, I didn't expect them to charge the Hydra sans preparation when they snuck up on it, but not knowing that it was just an animal and not a dragon-like intelligence will do that to you.  I expected what they eventually _did_ do, which was retreat, buff and then strike hard.



			
				Jarrod said:
			
		

> The dragon... well, in the magazine versions there was no backplot to why he was there. Just a dragon flying around that you had to kill. Of course, he had to be stupid and land because if he just strafed all day you were dead. So it was a stupid dragon - survive the first breath weapon and then you could kill it. Again, a trap and not a real encounter.




Well, that presumes a group has good ranged attacks...and the Blue Tyger Legion is much more focused on melee.  Had they done enough damage, Gottrod would have retreated in quick order...but the chance never really arose.  By the time he wanted to escape, the party had rallied and down he went.  I'd have to go back and check the dungeon version to see what else might have been changed, but I thought this was the case in the original version, as well.  We'll see.



			
				dravot said:
			
		

> I'm not 100% sure about a reduction in HP as worth a reduction in CR, but we pulled it out.




A reduction in EL, not CR.  And yes, there was a difference....about one round's worth, which may have been the difference between life and death for someone.  



			
				Scorch said:
			
		

> The third was "The Module That Must Not Be Named". It was so bad that we ret-conned it out of the Story Hour and all agreed it never happened.




You're also not allowed to mention...."The Scottish Play".  Are we clear?


----------



## LordVyreth

Yeah, when I first heard you guys were doing this story hour, this was the adventure that made me nervous.  It seemed to trip up other games in other Story Hours, including one who handled "the Module," albeit a 3.0 version thereof.  That being said, I trust Wizardru to handle things appropriately, though I'd be happy to offer any suggestions if he needs them.  Of course, I never ran this module, since I only use my own adventures in general, and I just have the Dungeon version, not the hard copy, but I'll do my best.  Either way, I think you guys can pull through okay.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> That being said, I trust Wizardru to handle things appropriately, though I'd be happy to offer any suggestions if he needs them.  Of course, I never ran this module, since I only use my own adventures in general, and I just have the Dungeon version, not the hard copy, but I'll do my best.  Either way, I think you guys can pull through okay.



Well I wasn't there last week. (I was doped up on cold meds and having read tarot all day long I was beyond rational thought.) Once Glyf is in the mix all will be fine. After all They can only win with me there. Really... Why are you all laughing?


----------



## Zad

*Zenith Trajectory - Chapter 3*

*Zenith Trajectory – Chapter 3*

OOC Notes:
Exp for 6th level is 1250, 5th is 1500 and 4th is 1600.

This Week’s Adventure:
We spent some time staring out into the vast rift canyon. Even the glowing phosphorescence didn’t illuminate the entire thing and it was difficult to see if there were any surprises lurking below. After several minutes of observation, no guards or patrols were to be seen and we descended the slick ledge that lead to the cavern floor. 

The bottom of the canyon was dry for perhaps a hundred feet before the water started. The murkiness made it difficult to tell how quickly the floor fell away but we were hesitant to risk facing aquatic creatures in their element. While debating a way to cross, a gentle splishing sound came out of the darkness. After a few moments, the rhythmic sound grew and soon we could make out a shape in the mist – a frog-like creature in a large canoe. It was leaning over one side, paddling calmly towards us.

There was a quick exchange of “fight, talk or flight” looks but it was only one kua-toa and it seemed unlikely he’d row up in a canoe if his intentions were hostile.

“Greetings,” Astrid said in undercommon. 

He stopped paddling close to the water’s edge – the size of the boat revealed the water must deepen very quickly if he could get that close with so large a craft. “Hello,” he said slowly. His undercommon was rough but understandable. “Seek ye the Smoking Eye? I shall guide you to the maw.”

_Weren’t we told NOT to seek the Smoking Eye?_ I thought at Astrid.

_Well, yes. But this looks promising for a way out there._ she replied.

Stalling, Astrid said “Please, tell us of the Smoking Eye – we have heard about it and we are curious.”

The creature nodded. “It swirls among the darkness, inside smoky chambers surrounded by whips and attended by prophecy. I see it swirling in darkness.”

While he spoke, we thought. _Let’s take his offer and see where he takes us. If we have to fight, then we still can later._ 

Astrid said “We will seek the Smoking Eye.” The kua-toa brought the boat closer and everyone got on board. The canoe was made from bone and the hide of some watery creature and was quite well constructed and solid. Without any further word, the creature paddled slowly towards the temple and once there, we got out. He paddled off again into the darkness.

“That was entirely too easy,” Elizabeth quipped.

Bellsin’s only response was to shove Elizabeth out of the way of a crossbow bolt that shot down from above. Inside the empty eyes of the temple, something moved that wasn’t as glad to see us.

Everyone moved up the stairs into the mouth that was the temple door – everyone except Glyph, which left him as the lone target for the next volley of crossbow bolts. He was scratched up but was newly motivated and moved out of the line of fire. The kua-toan guards leapt down from their posts in the eye, and we charged back out to meet them.

Elizabeth opened with a quick, graceful cut but the kua-toa blocked with his shield, and the weapon immediately stuck fast. It was still in her hands but unusable as it was. Elizabeth would remain locked with this creature while around her, the rest of the Tygers systematically killed the other kua-toa. Spells and arrows worked particularly well of course. Finally Bellsin stepped behind Elizabeth’s adversary and neatly finished him.

Even with the creature dead, the falchion took some effort to free, causing no small amount of sing. Examination showed that all the shields were coated with some kind of slime that made things stick fast. Unwilling to be caught again, Elizabeth sheathed her weapon and took one of the short spears and shields to turn the tables on the kua-toa.

In the entryway were frescoes and two large statues. One was a kua-toa but the other was a squat humanoid with a black sphere for a head. I wasn’t sure what to make of this other image and none of the more educated of the party had any idea who it represented. Side passages branched off, including one warded by a portcullis. The lever to open it was in the foyer, implying it was meant to keep something in rather than keep anyone out, so that was the first avenue of exploration. Immediately beyond the portcullis were four cells and for a moment I actually thought this might be a very quick mission. Sadly, there was no Zenith, just two prisoners half crazed from paranoia. The group tried to talk to them but they gave up no useful information, and the group moved on, promising to come free them when they were about to leave.

A stairway beyond the pens lead up to a torture chamber, knee-deep in water. As we started moving through, a creature rose up out of the water – it was soggy and worm-ridden and definitely not alive. Krisfallion invoked the word of Faulkon and the creature recoiled in pain. It was a good thing too – upon catching sight of the creature, Astrid and Tzaddik were crippled with fear and loathing and couldn’t act. Kris invoked a ray of brilliant light, combined with a ray of flame from Maris and the creature soon fell forward, still smoking in the water.

The hallway beyond came to a sudden stop. If you ask me, if you’re going to go to the trouble of having a secret door, you should at least make it look like there’s some other reason for a hallway to be there. The secret door was found, and Astrid disguised herself as a kua-toa. The combination of her study of the creature we had seen earlier along with her racial abilities and the hat of disguise combined to considerable effect, though I believe most of the group still believes she is only human. The new Astrid carefully opened the door, and crimson light leaked into the hallway. Murmured chanting became audible and she could see a large chamber beyond. A seventy foot high statue of a woman was the centerpiece – she had the head and claws of a lobster and it was obvious this was the kua-toan goddess. There was an iron-railed balcony above around the edge of the chamber, and then another one further up. The walls were painted with frescoes of bloody sacrifices.  She carefully closed the door.

This chamber, while interesting, was clearly populated and was unlikely to be a place to hold a prisoner, so the group decided to try another route and went back to the entrance.

Right near the entryway, there was a small chamber with four sleeping kua-toa. Despite the racket from the earlier guards, the loud noises from raising the portcullis, and the general moving about, these so-called guards were blissfully asleep. It was odd, but sometimes things are. The guards were dispatched and beyond them was a passage leading up to the eyesocket sentry posts.

This left the large carved stone doors as the only unexplored direction. They would almost certainly lead into the large chamber with the god-statue. The doors were protected by a magical glyph. Our Glyph managed to deceive this protection, and was able to open the door safely. Upon cracking the door, crimson light seeped into the room confirming what we would see beyond. This door opened onto the lower balcony. From here we could see four priests at the base of the statue, chanting, though fortunately there were none on this level to notice us. The balcony above had gaps in it, and it seemed there were small drawbridges that lowered to allow passage across. Stairs lead both down to the floor from our location, and up to the upper balcony.

“I don’t suppose there’s any way to avoid fighting the priests in their temple in front of the statue of their god, is there?” someone asked rhetorically.

Apparently not.

Loot:
8 masterwork large steel shields, complete with goo
4 short spears
8 masterwork hand crossbows with ammunition
4 masterwork rapiers
5 large steel shields (may not carry out)


----------



## Greybar

Man, speaking of paranoia, I'm sure the party was very paranoid at this point.  A helpful boatman?  Sleeping guards?  Things going well when they do what they've been told not to do?

Fun read as always, thanks for writing this all up for our enjoyment!


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Greybar said:
			
		

> Man, speaking of paranoia, I'm sure the party was very paranoid at this point.  A helpful boatman?  Sleeping guards?  Things going well when they do what they've been told not to do?
> 
> Fun read as always, thanks for writing this all up for our enjoyment!



Oh i'm sure this is a trap. The only thing that went wrong was my own bad die rolls. To me.. that means we're in deep dragon doo doo.


----------



## dravot

Greybar said:
			
		

> Man, speaking of paranoia, I'm sure the party was very paranoid at this point.  A helpful boatman?  Sleeping guards?  Things going well when they do what they've been told not to do?
> 
> Fun read as always, thanks for writing this all up for our enjoyment!




In character, we have no idea.  It certainly seems like the guards didn't hear us, and remained asleep.  We think that we presented ourselves honorably as pilgrims to the ferryman.  Why he passed us on and the guards attacked us, I don't know.

We did get xp for the ferryman though, the same amount as if we fought him.


----------



## Jarrod

I loved the fight against the guards. Of course, my character had just gotten Defenestrating Sphere (CompArcane), and there's _nothing_ like hucking fish-men down some steps. 

I'm with you on the secret door, though. I mean, really? Who does that? 

Good luck with the temple full of chanting fishies. You'll be surprised by the <censored>, think you expected the <censored> and probably terrified by the <triple censored>.


----------



## dravot

Jarrod said:
			
		

> I loved the fight against the guards. Of course, my character had just gotten Defenestrating Sphere (CompArcane), and there's _nothing_ like hucking fish-men down some steps.
> 
> I'm with you on the secret door, though. I mean, really? Who does that?
> 
> Good luck with the temple full of chanting fishies. You'll be surprised by the <censored>, think you expected the <censored> and probably terrified by the <triple censored>.




Now that's just plain mean.


----------



## Jarrod

Who, moi? 

Also grammatically incorrect, but hey...


----------



## WizarDru

Jarrod said:
			
		

> Good luck with the temple full of chanting fishies. You'll be surprised by the <censored>, think you expected the <censored> and probably terrified by the <triple censored>.




[Golf Clap]Oh, well played, sir.  Well played. [/Golf Clap]

Dice rolls were interesting.  The jumping kuo toas at the maw all rolled 18s or higher on their jump checks, taking no damage from the jumps.  They clearly sucked away the rolls from sleeping kuo-toas, who all rolled 3 or lower on their listen checks.  Astrid made more four or five saves against the kuo-toa's slime shields and never failed, while poor Elizabeth failed on the first attack.

The party had no idea what the mummy was until Maris identified it.  Of great amusement to me was the fact to no one in the party was quite sure what a kuo-toa WAS.

Astrid: "So, they smell really bad, right?"
Krisfallion: "_No, those are troglodytes._"
Bellsin: "Are these the blind guys?"
Krisfallion: "_No, those are grimlocks._"
Astrid:  "So what the hells are these things?"
Krisfallion: "_They're Kuo-Toans._"
Astrid:  "Which ARE....."
Krisfallion: "_Danged if I know, freckles._"
Elizabeth:  "*I'll tell you what they are.  They're orcs that look like frogs.  And they ain't killing themselves.  Let's go.*"


----------



## thatdarncat

Ooo mad libs!



			
				Jarrod said:
			
		

> You'll be surprised by the tea party, think you expected the cake and probably terrified by the fish-headed dog of doom.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> Ooo mad libs!



Mad Libs? Are they democrats that voted for Cthuhlu?


----------



## dravot

Well, last night's session could have gone better.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I heard as soon as he got home. How could you! (I laughed!)


----------



## dravot

How could we do what?  It was beyond our control.  Heck, you survived that with 2 HP.  Just sayin'.

Nice artificer ... shame if ... something happened ... to it.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> How could we do what?  It was beyond our control.  Heck, you survived that with 2 HP.  Just sayin'.



 He said you didn't heal him when you could. I Laughed.



			
				dravot said:
			
		

> Nice artificer ... shame if ... something happened ... to it.



 Um... Righty-o Shutting up now.


Without naming any Names There is someone in my home who is tyring to convince me that Multiclassing Battlemage and Duskblade is a GOOD idea. 

I may have to beat him until I feel better. I feel REAL bad right now.


----------



## dravot

I suggested Bard-barian, but he didn't like that idea.


----------



## Zad

*Zenith Trajectory - Chapter 4*

*Zenith Trajectory – Chapter 4*

OOC Notes:
Revised exp: for 6th level characters, 4,433. For 5th level characters, 4,946.

This Week’s Adventure:
With the stone door open, the plans were laid. In order to get any farther, we would need to get past the Whips, and that would mean killing them. Spells were cast and Glyph augmented the girl’s weapons to be especially potent against the kua-toa. The thinking was that the priests would be the true threat and better to fully prepare against them.

How wrong we were.

Astrid, still looking like a kua-toa, went in and went to the left trying to look like she belonged there. The rest of us went to the right towards the stairs leading down to the Whips. We weren’t far in when we were noticed. It wasn’t the Whips though – it was the warriors on the upper balcony. But the die was cast and in we went.

Astrid and Elizabeth charged downstairs. Astrid struck down one priest before they could respond. The remaining three joined together and hurled lightning at Astrid but she kept coming and killed another just as Elizabeth struck a third. It wasn’t long before the fourth fell as well. The Whips had excellent armor and were surprisingly hard to land a blow on, but for a change some luck was with us. 

On the upper balcony, things were more chaotic. Maris and Tzaddik were trying to stop them before they could raise the alarm, supported by arrow fire from Kris and eventually Astrid. After a few seconds the last one was run down by Tzaddik and things were quiet.

Too quiet.

Something was happening at the statue. The statue to the kua-toan goddess dominated the room and was building up some kind of magical charge. It had certainly had an impact on the kua-toa when we were fighting them but now it was readying something else entirely. We started trying to grab the bodies of the fallen and leave the room as quickly as possible, but we weren’t all out when there was a burst of flame and a vortex opened before the statue. The smell of brimstone wafted through the room, and a lilting voice called quietly.

“Who summons Aushanna?”

It was an attractive woman, with bright eyes and red hair. But the smell and the flame made it obvious she wasn’t from this world. 

“An erinyes!” Maris gasped. Even her usual wonder was completely overwhelmed by fear. 

“She’s far too powerful for us to attack,” Kris warned. 

“But,” Glyph said “the power required to summon her is considerable. It may be that she will only be here a very short time.”

“Right, so we run and try to out last her. Let’s move out.” Elizabeth said quickly.

Her voice called out almost teasingly after she saw the fallen priests. “Ah adventurers I see. Well they served the Sea Mother poorly, but I’ll have to kill you in retaliation.” The devil’s eyes fell on Astrid who had been trying to drag out a body. “I’ve never killed a changeling before.”

Then she looked hard at Bellsin and stopped. “Don’t worry dear, I’m not allowed to kill you. Not as long as you bear the Mark. But you look tasty. Maybe I’ll have a taste of your blood before I kill the others.”

“Run!” Astrid yelled.

Aushanna loosed a volley of arrows made of pure fire, striking various people. But before Astrid could leave, she charmed her. “No need to run dear, I won’t hurt you. It’s just a misunderstanding.”

Astrid nodded quietly and the erinyes called out. “Your little changeling friend is mine now. It’s not like I can’t catch you. I can read every thought in you head from here. Just stay where you are for a minute.”

Of course that’s precisely what we _didn’t_ do, retreating into one of the rooms near the entrance. 

There was a soft pop as the erinyes appeared in the hallway. “Come out come out…” she said, and the curtain was blown aside as a sickly grey gas rolled into the room. Everyone immediately started choking on the foul smoke. Tzaddik collapsed immediately and his skin instantly turned the color of ash as his breathing stopped.

“Go go go!” Elizabeth said, moving up the stairs to the guard post in the eye of the fish temple. The fatality only made running a more potent option – Elizabeth was sure we couldn’t fight the devil. 

I can also tell you she was terrified. _Be calm and see the whole field_ I tried to reassure her. 

_Such power can’t last long or the priests would not have died as readily_ she said trying to steady herself. _Must retreat until we gain advantage._

But Maris didn’t retreat. She tried to cast a spell, stepping close to the devil to do so. The spell washed over with no effect. 

“That’s very charming dear. But pointless,” the erinyes said patronizingly. Aushanna flung a length of rope towards Astrid and it tried to entangle her, but Astrid knocked it aside, the attack bringing her back to herself.

“Keep running!” Elizabeth yelled.

“I’m not leaving Maris!” Kris said flatly.

By now, Elizabeth was in the guard post, and jumped on to the stairs as the kua-toa had. She and Astrid both began moving towards the devil. It was suicide, but unless they were going to retreat together, options were few. Astrid managed to land a glancing blow, and that was enough to make Aushanna retreat. She teleported away.

A pregnant silence followed as they waited for her to re-appear. When several seconds went by, people started preparing and healing rather than just waiting.

Kris renewed the blessings on the Tygers. “When we retreat, all that happens is we get picked off one at a time.”

Elizabeth replied between mental preparations. “That’s because we don’t all retreat when we’re told. THAT’S when we get picked off. We need to all move together, not have one of us stand their ground.”

Glyph finished lacing Elizabeth’s weapon with a holy preparation, and was about to start on Astrid’s when a pop announced Aushanna’s return at the base of the temple stairs. She fired arrows at Elizabeth but Elizabeth was ready and the arrows all missed.

Elizabeth moved with reckless abandon. With caution thrown to the wind, she charged down the stairs and swung hard. The enchanted falchion bit deep into the devil’s midsection and black blood sprayed out. Aushanna shrieked in disgust and teleported away.

Astrid saw an opportunity and took it. She called out “You’ve shown what you can do. And you’ve seen what we can do. You have fulfilled the terms of your contract and you can go.”

Aushanna reappeared out of immediate reach. She took a long look at the group and the glimmering weapons – a more serious look than she had before. And she looked at her own wounds. “Perhaps you’re right. When the Iron Tree cracks your souls, I shall see you again. You win this time.”

“Enjoy your time in the cage,” she said smiling, and disappeared in a burst of flame.

“We did it,” Elizabeth said, out of breath.

“We won?” Glyph asked.

“No,” Astrid said. “we survived. Which is good enough.”

“Not for Tzaddik…” Kris said quietly.

Loot: 
4 masterwork heavy steel shield
4 masterwork rapier
4 masterwork hand crossbow
4 sets of +1 banded mail
4 masterwork morningtars
4 scrolls bear’s endurance
1 potion cure moderate
2 scrolls cure moderate


----------



## Zad

Yep, he's dead Jim.

Tzaddik, due to missing several sessions, was a level or two behind everyone else. When he failed the save against the unholy blight, that was all it took to make him dead dead dead.

We won't be searching for a way to resurrect him. While you might think this is due to cost, or the fact that nobody in Cauldron seems to have that kind of power, the more primary reason is that Old_school_1e said not to bother - the character hasn't worked out as he was hoping, especially the multi-classing of wizard and ranger. He'll be re-rolling something new.

As for the devil, all I can say is "wow". This module has Bruce Cordell written all over it. (In our group, that's not a good thing.)

For those interested, most of the party hit 7th level.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I think we sould bring back Tzaddic as a warforged under Glyphs control.


----------



## Jarrod

Yeah, that devil was *rough*. We went in through the secret door and cleaned up the whips but good, but then the devil showed up. Dropped the rogue in one full attack (bowrogue, and only one with decent ranged) and it went downhill from there. Ow ow ow ow ow.


----------



## LordVyreth

Remember when, way back at the start of the campaign, I was worried about how you guys would do, since you don't generally like the really lethal adventures?  I mentioned another SH here on ENWorld were some very experienced players were often killed.  In paticular, I remember one fight that was a near TPK, killing most of the party and forcing the survivors to retreat and find new allies.

This was that fight.

Aushanna was a brutal opponent from what I read about her, and you guys did great to only lose one player, especially one who was 2 levels below the party and kind of a strange multiclass in the first place.  Well done.


----------



## LightPhoenix

Is this the first time that the (most) characters have learned Astrid is a Changeling?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> Is this the first time that the (most) characters have learned Astrid is a Changeling?



Yes. Up until now only Elizabeth and her shiny friend knew. 
Glyf is very freaked out about this. Not that she's a changling but he feels a bit betrayed that she couldn't confide in him.


----------



## WizarDru

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Yes. Up until now only Elizabeth and her shiny friend knew.
> Glyf is very freaked out about this. Not that she's a changling but he feels a bit betrayed that she couldn't confide in him.




What the characters do and don't know is a point of conjecture, right now.  While Aushanna DID call Astrid a changeling, it's not clear how many really took her at her word.  


Concerning the fight:  Let me be candid.  The problem here is that, judging from my research, the party should really have been 7th level in this fight, not 6th.  A number of 4th level spells would have been a big help to stop her.  Overall, it's a poorly conceived battle, in that it is pretty much unavoidable and difficult if not impossible to evade once begun.  The Blue Tyger Legion never leaves it's own behind if it can avoid it.  I softballed Aushanna and they knew it, but in my mind it was inappropriate to do otherwise.  Why?  

Let's be clear, here....Aushanna is a CR 9 advanced Erinyes who is introduced in an environment designed to heighten her lethality and that is virtually unpredictable by the party's actions.  The party figured out that something was going to be summoned, but assumed (based on the whips) that it couldn't be THAT powerful.  Aushanna isn't an eggshell with a hammer...she's just a hammer.  And with the ability to Rapid Shot at +16, she was doing 4 flaming arrows a turn.  Only two or three party members could survive a sustained barrage from her, and not likely for two rounds.  In my mind, any fight that is conceived of with the almost certainty that all but the luckiest party will lose at least one character (at least, at these levels, where raise dead and resurrections are problematic) is a poor design.

So why did I let Aushanna stand as it was.  A couple of things:  first, I underestimated the power of Unholy Blight and the fact that she can cast it at will (as opposed to once a day).  Second, I softballed the fight, but it would downright insulting to retcon it, in my mind.  The players want a challenge, they just want it to be fair.  Someone attempted to bargain with Aushanna early on, but he wasn't the Charisma monkey, and it failed miserably.  Astrid, on the other hand (once un-charmed), wielded a Good-aspected halberd and rolled a 29 on her Intimidate.  Aushanna backed down....she is Evil, after all, and a lawful devil working for a Chaotic deity...which frankly doesn't make much sense.

Suffice it to say I'll be reviewing the rest of the module a little more closely, to make sure I get the results I'm looking for, since it's clear that the module is nastier than I wanted.  It's easy for a DM to make an unwinnable situation...it takes work to make a challenging one.  Which isn't to say the rest of the module will be a cake-walk...just that I don't want it to be an unescapable death-trap.


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Yes. Up until now only Elizabeth and her shiny friend knew.
> Glyf is very freaked out about this. Not that she's a changling but he feels a bit betrayed that she couldn't confide in him.




Dear, dear Glyf.  She saw a human in Kuo-toa disguise, and was attempting to sow mistrust and discontent amongst us, and you're letting her.

I thought you were stronger. 

Such a disappointment.


----------



## Zad

We were really off balance at first. Having an artificer in the group means prep is your friend. We were just totally unprepared for a devil. (Had we been, I'm not sure it would have made any difference - played to full lethality, her teleport and ranged attacks spell death for everyone anyway.)  But once we had a quick breather, good-aligning the weapons and buffing a little more made us something Aushanna had to take a second look at and decide if it was worth it. We managed to get our act together just enough to appear non-trivial.

Now, what I'm really saying there is "It gave us an excuse on which our suspension of disbelief could rest". It became quickly clear it was unwinnable, and inescapable. (Unwinnable by itself isn't bad provided the party has options, like, say, running.) Sure Wizardru softballed her. We knew, he knew we knew, etc. Satisfying? No. But better than just going through the mechanics of killing everyone. We all see where it's going and try to come up with enough of a in-character reason to make a way out.

It's an imperfect world we live in. A little flexibility on everyone's part helps preserve the fun.


----------



## ShawnLStroud

Zad said:
			
		

> It's an imperfect world we live in. A little flexibility on everyone's part helps preserve the fun.




QFT

I should mention that this story hour makes me want to run/play DnD again.  Good job on everyone's part!


----------



## WizarDru

ShawnLStroud said:
			
		

> I should mention that this story hour makes me want to run/play DnD again.  Good job on everyone's part!




That's some of the highest praise we've gotten!  Thanks!


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> Dear, dear Glyf.  She saw a human in Kuo-toa disguise, and was attempting to sow mistrust and discontent amongst us, and you're letting her.
> 
> I thought you were stronger.
> 
> Such a disappointment.



Of Course! It's the barrette of change I made you. It's good enough to even fool a devil! Damn I'm good!


----------



## Scorch

dravot said:
			
		

> Dear, dear Glyf.  She saw a human in Kuo-toa disguise, and was attempting to sow mistrust and discontent amongst us, and you're letting her.
> 
> I thought you were stronger.
> 
> Such a disappointment.




Krisfallion:  Change-a-wha...?  *shrug* Meh.


----------



## Tony Vargas

'Softballing' isn't at all inapropriate for a high relative CR single-creature encounter.  The foe has every reason to be overconfident in such a situation, and an evil one may well be inclined to 'play' with the party a bit, however intelligent in may actually be, or have a hidden agenda (antipathy towards it's summoner or whatever) that makes defeating the party of less strategic importance to it.  So I think you were entirely justified to do so in that case - and, I found it reasonably plausible as presented.  Good DMing.

Theoretically, a CR 9 would be a tough but winnable fight for a level 7 party.  For a level 6 it might be excessive, so I don't see the need to advance it from 8 in the first place.  On top of that, the large open cavern favors a flying/teleporting ranged-attack-wielding monster a bit, doesn't it?  And there were other foes present.  That could easily have constituted an EL 10+ unless the party had some advantage going into it that I didn't notice.  


I have to admit, I was anxious to see how your group would handle this encounter, since it gave JollyDoc's such a hard time (they had an actual Celestial PC, so the Unholly Blights were devestating).  


Which reminds me - the Unholly Blight is AT WILL.  I can understand giving monsters an ability 'at will' that a party might have more limitted access too - afterall, the monster is only there for one battle.  But, when you're talking a domain-only spell, or a top-level spell, I think it can be a mistake - and one that'll bite harder the longer the battle lasts (and a battle will go longer the lower level the party, in all likelihood).


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I have always loved Wizardru's games. In the 30 some years I've been playing RPGs He is the only DM I would say has consistantly been as much for the players as against them. (Trust me... I played in a game that the DM felt if at least 1 character didn't die in a game session he wasn't having any fun.)

That said, I have this unnerving knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time so my only advantage in the last fight was that I wasn't physically there. (NEVER eat at the Old Country Buffet. I got food poisoning that a week later I'm still somewhat sick from.)
That's probably my only saving grace or it would have been two deaths not one. 

One cool thing is the group dynamic. 
Glyphandar: The ultimate team player. He really would give an arm to help someone else.
Elizabeth: Despite her lack of social skills she is a wonderful tactical leader
Astrid: Tank! She is a lot of the glue that hoilds us together. 
Krissfallion: Spiritual advisor with a tough of big brother (drunk big brother)
Mariss: The little sister with a very scary side. 
Belsin: The not so black sheep of the family his enginuity has proven life safing again and again.
Tzaddik: The impetuous one. I would have loved to see what he could have become in time.


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## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> That said, I have this unnerving knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time so my only advantage in the last fight was that I wasn't physically there. (NEVER eat at the Old Country Buffet. I got food poisoning that a week later I'm still somewhat sick from.)
> That's probably my only saving grace or it would have been two deaths not one.




Not to mention, I rolled a crit for you.   I think that the crit was for a total of 6 damage, but it was a crit.


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## dravot

Game night!

Lots of interesting stuff - with some real surprises.  Much fun.


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## thatdarncat

Cool, can't wait to hear about it


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## Zad

*Zenith Trajectory – Chapter 5*


OOC Notes:
Exp later by email. The party, in part due to DM adjustment, is generally 7th level now, with two exceptions.

Update: exp is 2600 for 6th level characters, 2250 for 7th.


This Week’s Adventure:
“Well unless this dwarf is standing behind us, we need to get out of here and recover. The frogs are not giving up their prize easily,” Astrid said. Nobody disagreed. 

“Should we leave the temple or find a place to hole up for a while? I can’t say I remember any good spots for that. We might have killed a lot of guards but there are sure to be more,” Bellsin said after considering it for a moment. 

“I’d feel safer if we withdrew at least to the tunnel. There was little enough traffic up there that we might be safe for a night,” Astrid replied, “but that leaves the water in our way.”

“Didn’t we see some small boats in the guard room?” Elizabeth asked.

And so we retreated, taking our fallen ranger with us. We were able to slip across the water to the tunnel without being seen and settled in for a short rest, an uneasy silence following us along. Krisfallion said a blessing over the body, and then he was wrapped up tight to keep the vermin away until he could be properly interred.

There was no sense of day or night, and everyone was so exhausted that they fell asleep almost immediately without discussion. Glyph’s mechanical dog-thing kept a tireless watch anyway, and nobody wanted to bring up the topic of who would cover Tzaddik’s shift.

Several hours later, the dog started moving around quietly, nudging Glyph. I could easily see what altered him – a light, bobbing its way down the long tunnel. It moved carefully but nothing could really hide it. Soon, everyone was up, and hiding along the tunnel wall in nooks and root clusters.

The light continued to move along the tunnel growing closer. The mere fact that there was a light implied it was someone from the surface rather than a native of the Underdark. I started moving down the tunnel to get a better look and warn the others what was coming.

It was a single creature – an elf. He had a longsword out, but he’d obviously been creeping along for several miles and his alertness was suffering. Each step he took made a soft _shink shink shink_ sound betraying the armor under his cloak. 

The elf passed Bellsin, who was nothing more than a shadow along the wall. Once he was near the girls, they stepped out.

“That’ll do,” Astrid said flatly. “You’ll find it healthier to keep your weapon lowered.”

The elf stopped, instinctively crouching once Astrid spoke. He paused, then stood up, his weapon cautiously relaxed. He looked from Astrid to Elizabeth and back. “You are the Blue Tygers?”

“You’ll find it better for your health if you let us ask the questions,” Elizabeth said calmly. To make the point clear, Bellsin let the elf feel the pressure of the tip of his blade against his kidney. 

“Ah,” he said, not moving.

“Who are you, why are you here?” Astrid asked.

“My name is Ramir,” he said. “I’m looking for Tzaddik. I tracked you through the wilds, not that you made it easy.”

“And how do you know Tzaddik?” Astrid asked. 

“I suppose I don’t. We have a mutual acquaintance. I was seeking him on a private matter. “

By now more of the group was coming out of the shadows. Ramir was no more tense because of this, but no less either. 

“Well there he is,” Maris barked, pointing at the wrapped body. “Say what you came to say and go.” Maris was taking Tzaddik’s death harder than the others – she hadn’t dealt with death so directly before, nor was she a battle-tested soldier.

“As you can see, your effort was in vain, making the question of whether we believe you irrelevant. You should go now.”

“But I have proof,” he stammered quickly and reached inside his cloak, only to be brought up short by an insistent press of Bellsin’s blade. “I’m just reaching for a letter,” he said, both worried and insulted.

“And you also have the smell of a spell caster about you – I can tell you know,” Bellsin said quietly. 

“Fair enough,” Ramir said. “May I?”

The sharp tip withdrew slightly, and Ramir cautiously extracted a set of papers. “I spoke with the Lady Celeste. She offered these letters to help vouch for my identity and intentions.”

Elizabeth took the letters from Ramir, and began examining them carefully. After a few minutes she said “If they’re forgeries, they’re good ones. If they’re real, we should be able to trust him.”

“I’ll submit to whatever magics you wish to confirm it if you like,” Ramir said. At first he was somewhat put off at his reception but he seemed to be more genuine now. I suspect he began to realize he would be doing the same thing if the positions were reversed and he appreciated the Tyger’s position.

That seemed to be enough to convince the girls, and weapons generally were put away and postures relaxed. “Well, as I said it seems irrelevant now. Tzaddik is dead, killed by a devil.”

“Unfortunate,” was all the reply Ramir could muster.

“You obviously made it here on your own, although given what we faced to get this far I would say it was somewhat foolish of you,” Elizabeth said.

“And of us,” Bellsin chimed in.

“Truth,” Elizabeth nodded. “I assume you can make it back out on your own, or if you wish you can wait here for us. Our work is not yet done and we are not ready to leave.”

“I can be of some help, if you wish. I am not unskilled with sword and, as you said, spells.”

“Why would you want to do that?” Astrid asked bluntly.

“Why indeed?” Elizabeth added. “It’s rare to see a Celenean elf falling in with mercenaries.” 

Ramir shrugged, neither confirming nor denying his homeland. “You seem as if you could use the help. And the Lady indicated that if you needed my assistance that the payment terms would be extended to me as well.” 

Astrid raised an eyebrow to Elizabeth, who nodded; the letters confirmed what he had said.

The Blue Tygers excused themselves and discussed it, and Elizabeth continued to pour over the bona fides searching for any signs of trickery. Ultimately they concluded that they did certainly seem to need the help.

Astrid told him “Very well, you can join us for this mission. Afterward… well afterward is afterward, and you can go your own way or we can talk about staying on.”

Introductions were made and Ramir was informed of the situation. In due time the group returned to the temple.

The guard post seemed to be unoccupied. We entered cautiously, and as Astrid entered the foyer a kua-toa came out of the shadows and lunged at her. Astrid parried and riposted, drawing blood. Maris followed with a spell and Elizabeth finished him off. 

But something wasn’t right. Everyone was still on edge, expecting more in the ambush. The group spread out, and Astrid heard something in the foyer. Moments of anxious silence and looking about followed as everyone became more and more sure there was some invisible creature in the room but the room was so crowded that it seemed impossible. 

“UP!” Astrid finally said and started swinging at the ceiling. 

There was something there – her halberd drew an arc of blood out of thin air. But then it skittered away and we continued poking about blindly. 

Maris tensed, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Behind her, a kua-toa appeared and leapt from the wall, a dagger in each hand slick with black ooze. The creature’s blades were heading straight for her kidneys, when there was a sudden sliver flicker across its path. Elizabeth’s curved blade came back around a wide arc to a guard, but there was no need – the assassin’s body had been sliced down the middle and each half made a wet splash on the floor and skidded to a stop on either side of Maris.

We made our way back down to the temple using the secret door to hopefully avoid any traps. Glyph spent no small amount of time fiddling about before we entered the actual temple chamber, attempting to deceive the wards that his presence was legitimate, and by extension ours. Whether it worked or the ward was simply discharged was unclear, but in either case no Eyrines appeared and we passed through without incident.

The lowest floor held doors that had been ignored previously and since we were at the bottom we started there. Behind the altar were two doors and Bellsin’s careful ear picked out the words of a concerned man issuing orders. 

“… they’re either dead, or they’re feeding on the kill. Quick, bring me my armor.”

An unarmored opponent was all the prompting we needed. Astrid resumed her kua-toa disguise and entered the room. Inside she saw a priest hastily trying to don his plate mail with a duregar slave helping. Her appearance was convincing but not good enough and the priest was on to her. He stepped back and cast a spell, and the water in the room which had only been ankle-deep, began swelling. Soon it was filling the room and pouring out the open door, knocking down anyone in the way.

Astrid buried her halberd deep in the priest’s midsection, despite the water coursing around. Elizabeth went to the second door and opened it, allowing the enchanted water to drain away that much faster. Meanwhile Astrid was holding her own, stabbing at the priest as he tried to heal himself before it became fatal.

The duregar grew so tall he filled the room and tried to grab at Astrid but a pre-emptive haft strike across his temple brought him down. Astrid struck at the priest and the priest could withstand no more, and died, his blood draining out of the room with the water.

We continued to explore the lower levels encountering a variety of kua-toa décor styles that are better left undescribed. Bellsin carefully entered one room, half of which was underwater. He could make out swirls in the water that were schools of small creatures and he was able to pick out two pairs of kua-toa eyes lurking just at the waterline, waiting for the group.

Bellsin returned to the group and we were debating our best plan of attack when a voice called out loudly down the hall.

“Hello! I say, I don’t suppose you would care to discuss this like civilized beings before anything unfortunate happened?”

The voice was calm, strong, and anything but kua-toan. 

“We’re not unreasonable,” Elizabeth called. “We will talk. You may approach. We will guarantee safe passage.”

“I hope you’ll understand if I’m somewhat hesitant even in light of that offer. I smell the blood of one of my kind on you and would rather be cautious,” the voice replied. 

“Very well, two of us will come towards you,” Astrid said, and the girls went forward, weapons close, but not on guard.

Upon entering the room, they saw a black dragon. He was perched casually, parts of his hindquarters still in the water. “Greetings. I am Dorlat, the dragonfather.” Suddenly some of the frescoes in other rooms of a dragon mating with kua-toa became both more clear and less even tasteful. The dragon, upon seeing that the girls were… well… girls, immediately began eyeing them with an undisguised lust. “Well, this is unexpected but most welcome.”

“So let us first get the preliminaries out of the way – I assume you are here on some kind of crusade against the evil kua-toa?”

The girls exchanged a look. “No, we’re here looking for a dwarf. We don’t care about the kua-toa particularly except when they get in the way.”

“Ahhhh,” the dragon said. “Splintershield. Well you’re welcome to him.”

“Will the kua-toa let us take him and withdraw?” Astrid asked.

“Ah, well no not really. You’ll have to kill every last one that gets in your way I’m afraid.”

“And that doesn’t concern you?”

“Not particularly. That entire pool is teeming with my spawn but none of these creatures are of any consequence to me.” To make his point, he reached out a claw and snapped the neck of one of the kua-toa in the pool. “On the other hand perhaps we can… discuss other things.” He eyed Astrid particularly. “Our offspring would be… very strong.”

Astrid adequately hid her revulsion. “No, thank you just the same.”

“Are you sure? I am not un-generous in my liaisons. The rewards are many and… various.”

“Not. Interested,” she replied flatly.

“Perhaps if you would tell us where the dwarf is we could move along and trouble you no further,” Elizabeth tried to bring him on track.

“Oh. Yes. Third floor. Can’t miss him.” Dorlat was still leering, but now at Elizabeth. “Such fine child-bearing hips…”

“Thank you, but no. We’ll be going now.”

Dorlat called as they withdrew. “I smell a younger one with you – perhaps she would be interested? Must spread the seed far you know!”

As the girls returned, Maris asked “What was that about? What did he want with me?”

Astrid looked at her sternly. “You’re too young. But let’s just say you’d be starring in your own fresco.”

Maris shuddered in revulsion and we went upstairs.

Dorlat was right – the dwarf was hard to miss. Inside an oval chamber was a horrible scene. Bloody frescoes covered the wall surrounding a throne of stitched human skin. Banners – the Splintershield clan banners – hung upside down from pillars in open mockery. Corpses hung from the ceiling by their feet. On the throne was a dwarf in full plate armor with a large axe nearby. The madness in his eyes was palpable. 

As we entered, the corpses began jerking and swaying. The dwarf called out. “I prophesize your doom.”

“Zenith,” Astrid asked, “are you in your right mind?”

“The green woman is looking for you. The Smoking Eye is going to set your city aflame,” he said.

Everyone stood in silence as Zenith raved.

“Not since the dark streams of the Smoking Eye. Not since the split. Have you seen it? Have you seen the Smoking Eye? Can’t you see it?”

Elizabeth tried to calm him. “Your father misses you Zenith. Will you come with us?”

“Oh, but I can’t. Not yet. This is my throne, and this,” he waved to the corpses “is my tribe. They were going to kill us all but the eye spoke to me. Spoke to ME! Told me to tell them the high priest would die, and the next day, before they killed me, he did. And so they listened. And they listened more and more and became mine. I am the Eye’s, just as you one day will be.”

Maris tried a different tack. “Where is the Smoking Eye?”

“Why, it’s here!” He pointed at himself. “And here…” he pointed at her. Zenith turned on Bellsin. “You’ll be buried alive, but you won’t be alone. The Eye told me that.”

Then he wheeled on Kris. “Your heart harbors two ships – betrayal and joy. Will they both arrive?”

Elizabeth tried again. “Will you come with us? We can help you.”

Zenith was still ranting, now at Astrid. “You will dance with yourself but one of you won’t get up. When the dance is over, one of you dies. Will you lead?”

Then his mind heard the question. “Go where? I won’t go anywhere. You can’t make me go. My clan is here. Can’t you hear them? They’re singing to me.”

“They’re asking to be let go,” Maris said calmly.

“Let go?!? Let go?!? I can’t let go. I have to destroy the Underdark. We only seek to remove its evil to protect ourselves. They’ll never come up to the fortress again. Father didn’t understand that. Do you?”

“The Eye tells me it’s all pointless. The cages are coming and there will be chains for everyone and we’ll all swing from the tree.”

Zenith got up and shuffled slowly towards us, dragging his axe along the floor. A moment of lucidity seemed to emerge. “Where would you go?” he asked Astrid.

“To the city,” she said. “To your father.”

Zenith was conflicted. Now that he was closer we could see a strange tattoo design over one eye. Then suddenly, something snapped. Or perhaps it’s better to say “something in him gave up”. His eyes drooped, his shoulders sagged, the axe haft fell to the floor. 

“Wherever you want to go, take me there.”

We carefully disarmed him under the guise of helping him, carefully packing his arms and armor and banners for the trip. We left the temple, Zenith following along but saying nothing more.

If there were any defenders left, they didn’t try to stop us. The trip to Cauldron was so quiet it was eerie. The Blue Tygers arrived at town near supper, and went immediately to the Cusp of Sunrise. 

The usher was… cold, to say the least. A group of highly armed people dirty from the road asking to see Lady Celeste was not exactly welcome but he had apparently been giving instructions and he followed them. The group was shown to a private room and given food.

It was some time before anyone came, and the person who did was not Lady Celeste but Lord Valantruu. “Greetings friends. Lady Celeste was detained on an errand. I see you were successful.”

“Only after a fashion, My Lord,” Elizabeth said, curtsying in armor. “Zenith is maddened and, we believe, cursed. Kris has tried to lift the curse but it is something more sinister than the standard prayers can resolve.” She moved closer to Lord Valantruu and lowered her voice. “He has not been violent so far, though it was close when we first found him. But I urge caution.”

“I understand. I think I can get someone from the Blue Crater Academy to look at him straight away. Please wait here while I summon assistance.”

It was well over an hour before Lord Valantruu returned with some guards and mages from the Academy. They carefully escorted Zenith away to be tended to.

“You have been successful, even if the price was dear. I have here the letters of mark as your reward,” he said, once Zenith was on his way.

“Thank you. We also have Zenith’s possessions and the clan banners. We thought Lord Splintershield would want them.”

“Indeed, he will be glad for their return. You should feel free to keep the armor and weapons if you wish,” he said.

The group exchanged looks and Elizabeth took that in. “No, I think we would rather see those returned to Zenith and his father.”

Lord Valantruu looked saddened. “That may not be possible. Splintershield has taken a turn for the worse and is very ill. That is why he is not here to meet you.”

One of the mages returned to the room and approached Lord Valantruu. He began to talk quietly but Lord Valantruu stopped him. “Please, they should hear this.”

“He is indeed cursed but it is unlike anything we have ever seen before. We will need time to study him and find a way to break this malady.”

“Do what you can for him,” Lord Valantruu said. “But do it quickly, or father and son may both be doomed.”


Loot:
5 poisoned daggers (shadow essence poison)
slippers of spider climbing
+1 returning short spear
masterwork heavy wooden shield with goo
mithril plate +1
mancatcher staff
holy symbol
500gp
malachite handled mirror (room 6)
pearl necklace (room 6)
garnet ring (room 6)
1200 sp
embroidered mantle
ebony chess set
fresco paints
tapestry


----------



## LordVyreth

Let's be honest.  How much of that first part was actually roleplayed, and how much of it was "You look trustworthy.  Come, join us on our quest!" exactly?

Interesting ending, too.  You handled much more of the dungeon in a non-violent fashion than I expected.  Most groups that I heard of brought Zenith home the hard way.


----------



## WizarDru

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Let's be honest.  How much of that first part was actually roleplayed, and how much of it was "You look trustworthy.  Come, join us on our quest!" exactly?
> 
> Interesting ending, too.  You handled much more of the dungeon in a non-violent fashion than I expected.  Most groups that I heard of brought Zenith home the hard way.




More than you'd expect on one level, less than you'd expect on another.  The details of how he joined were pretty much what you'd read.  This is the alpha game now, so we expect a level of verisimilitude.  "Suddenly, a duskblade appears!" wasn't going to work.  We actually made jokes around the table about "_I am Galstaff, warrior of light..._", but the truth is that we did discuss the specifics as you read them.  Zad just cleaned it up a bit, as oldschool1e was running late to the game that night and we didn't cover the specifics of the dialogue.

As for Zenith, the module was very unclear on him, and my reading of him indicated that he could be brought home with the right talking to.  Like their encounter with Dhorlot, they had a choice of how to handle things....they made some good rolls and used some good talking points.  Zenith was weighing his decision to fight or not throughout the discussion, but they talked him down.  

It may not be entirely clear, but the monk/assassin kuo-toa was within one round of killing first Krisfallion and then Maris.  In fact, Elizabeth identified and killed him one initiative action before his attack.  Had Elizabeth missed, Maris might have died to his assassin attack.

Up next, we detour off the SCAP track for some non-canon sheananigans.


----------



## Zad

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Let's be honest.  How much of that first part was actually roleplayed, and how much of it was "You look trustworthy.  Come, join us on our quest!" exactly?




oldschool1e was running quite late - well working actually so not "late" in the sense that it wasn't unexpected. We were absolutely in need of rest and it was the logical point for him to join up but he wasn't there to play it through. We're willing to be a bit open-minded shall we say in order to move the game along but we would still have made him squirm a bit. 

But he wasn't there. So it was "ok we'll play this out when he gets here but for now lets move on" and then when he actually got there we kinda forgot. Wizardru gave me the story points and I fabricated the rest when I wrote it up. Truth is I expect what I came up with is pretty close to how it would have played out. 

I was expecting to fight Zenith - he didn't look like he was going to come down off the ledge. Then the poor bugger just snapped.  As for Dharlot, well, some of us are fairly tightly objective-focused. He wasn't part of the mission, and if he didn't attack, there was no reason to antagonize him. He made it easy by talking first so it was easy to be polite. Plus at that point we'd been in the temple for a while and really wanted to just bag our dwarf and get out.


----------



## dravot

Game night tonight.

I haven't killed anyone yet, and my halberd is itching for action.


----------



## thatdarncat

So what's the new module?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> So what's the new module?



Glyf and Astrid's excellent adventure.
I think we're using the book of erotic fantasy.


----------



## dravot

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Glyf and Astrid's excellent adventure.
> I think we're using the book of erotic fantasy.




Um, no.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

dravot said:
			
		

> Um, no.



But... As an Artificer... The gadget selection alone...*dang*
/Glyphandar falls to the sound of Mariss with a frying pan.


----------



## WizarDru

dravot said:
			
		

> Um, no.




But you have to admit, in light of the last session, we certainly did skirt the line there, for a while.


----------



## Zad

*Frozen Elegy - Chapter 1*

*Frozen Elegy – Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 1500 for 7th, 1750 for 6th.

This adventure marks a departure from the Shackled City Adventure Path. Wizardru, for his own nefarious reasons, has chosen to insert this adventure. The naïve reader might think this is for plot development, character background development and to ensure the party is at the at the correct level for subsequent adventures, but anyone who thinks that clearly hasn’t read the DM’s prior works. 

Loot take from Zenith Trajectory for the record is 6,784 gp plus the reward from the dwarves (4,000 gp cash or 6,000 in dwarven-crafted goods.)


This Week’s Adventure:
The first order of business was a good night’s rest. The next was the disposal of all the assorted plunder from the temple. Elizabeth was becoming increasingly proficient at dealing with the various merchants of Cauldron and if you didn’t know she was a farm girl you might have thought she’d been doing it for years. Anyone dealing with the merchants couldn’t help but hear the grumbling about the tax increases, nor could they miss the near constant presence of tax collectors and their escorts. But for all the increased taxes, there was no sign of any improvements or repairs being done. There were more guards to be sure – some of the tax collector’s thugs were mercenaries from the girl’s last campaign – but that was the only outward sign of where the money was going. The taxes were not limited to the middle or lower classes – Cauldron’s elite were being taxed even harder and were quite irritated according to all accounts.

Everyone spent a week or so pursuing their business or spending some of their money. I was wondering why the tax collectors had not yet paid a visit to the Blue Tygers – an event which would certainly not go well. Perhaps it was the fact that they were not citizens or residents of the city per se, or perhaps it was due to the fact that much of their gains was being poured back into the local economy and therefore was taxed on that end. Whatever the reason, I was glad it hadn’t happened. I doubted that anyone would take kindly to being taxed, especially after rendering such services to the city. Given the way Cauldron seems to attract trouble, running the Blue Tygers out of town would seem to be an unwise move.

And in all the after-adventure tales, no one ever said anything about the dragon. Thank the gods.

A few days later, a small service was held for Tzaddik. Jenya conducted the service but it was in a small garden with none of the usual trappings of St. Cuthbert. Whatever business Ramir had with him, he never mentioned it. He seemed overwhelmed with his share of the proceeds from the mission, but that didn’t stop him from accepting it. A private discussion among the Tygers later revealed that no one had any issues with him so far, and if he was inclined, he could perhaps join the group on their next mission.

After a week or so, a boy brought a message to the Drunken Morkoth. It was from Tygot and said he had something the group might find interesting. 

“Well let’s go see what it is,” Glyph said.

“No,” Elizabeth said flatly. “At least not yet. It’s just after lunch. Tygot usually naps around now. Give it a couple hours and then we’ll go.”

“You’re getting to know these people entirely too well,” Glyph said.

After waiting a few hours, Elizabeth, Glyph, Maris and I went to Tygot’s shop. As expected he had the appearance of a halfling who had just woken up.

“Ah excellent. How are you? Care for some tea?” he said, welcoming them. Once the pleasantries were satisfied, he moved to business.

“I’ve come across something you may find interesting. You had shown me some keys you recovered from the Malachite Fortress – I believe I’ve come into possession of the rest of the set. I received them from a contact in Hollowsky who frequently finds more unusual items and sends them on to me. He was on a trip through the south and came across a wrecked caravan. It had been attacked – merchants and guards slain and so on – but by what he couldn’t say. In the wreckage he found these keys. When I saw them I thought of you – I can’t imagine they’d be of much interest to anyone else.”

Tygot pulled out a small box in which were three keys. The motif was unmistakably the same as the four we had. “The glyphs here, and here, appear to be giantish.”

Astrid looked at them closely “You’re right. I speak giantish and I hadn’t even really noticed until you pointed it out. Looks like numbers – very stylized but definitely there.”

Tygot beamed a bit. “The hands of the demons seem to indicate the numbers of the previous and following keys in the sequence. Otherwise they’re nearly identical except for some slight variations in the faces of the demons.”

“Well, we’re definitely interested in them. What can we offer you for them?” Elizabeth asked.

Tygot waved his hand. “Oh, very little. I would only ask that you cover the costs of the transportation and such – you’ve been very good for business and I doubt anyone else would be interested in them.”

“Easily done,” Elizabeth smiled. 

“There is one other odd thing I noticed,” Tygot said. He pulled out a small magnifying lens and pointed at spots on the keys “Here, you see, and here? Those small nubs and holes – I’m not sure what they’re for. They’re in different places but I doubt they have anything to do with it being a key. It could be casting marks but I don’t think so.”

“Well, worth looking into. But it so happens we know the local locksmith, perhaps he will have some thoughts,” Astrid said.

On the way to Keegan’s shop we picked up the rest of the keys so we’d have the full set on hand. Gelve’s shop had new hours posted, and they were a fairly short but luckily he was open when we arrived.

The shop itself seemed disheveled. Boxes were lying about carelessly, and the whole place has an unkempt feel that it hadn’t before. Keygan came from the back, wearing his usual stilts, and got immediately nervous. 

“Oh, um, hello… look if you were planning… that is to say it’s been caved in… the Stormblades…”

Elizabeth held up a hand. “Please, be calm. We’re here to consult with the town’s foremost locksmith, nothing else. Are you alright?”

“Oh,” he said calming considerably. “Alright? Well, tired I suppose. You know, the judgment and all.”

“Judgment?” Maris asked.

“Oh, I suppose you don’t.” Keygan handed over a rolled up parchment. It was an order from Captain Skellerang, endorsed by Jenya. It was a summary judgment against Keygan for his complicity in the whole kidnapping affair. As his punishment he was required to replace all the locks in the city, while not bankrupting himself. The city would pay for the locks, but not the labor.

“It’s fair, just quite a lot of work,” Keygan said. “But what can I do for you today?”

Elizabeth laid out the keys on the countertop. “We had come across part of this set earlier and the remaining keys just came to us. We wanted your opinion.”

Keygan began a thorough examination of the keys. “Hm, black iron, no magic, clumsy work. Not made by a locksmith, no no… more like a blacksmith trying to make do. They were all made together, probably forged. The design on one side is stronger than the other – probably poured from a mold then shaped further from there. It’s trying to look like it’s of infernal make – they’re of that style – but their actual origin isn’t nearly so exotic. “

After a bit he said “The construction itself isn’t that secure. You can learn more from looking at the key than the lock I always say. I can make you a master that would probably open, oh, four of them at a time. So with a couple masters you could simulate them all. I’m not sure what this script along the spine is…”

“Script?”

“Here along the edge,” Keygan pointed out. “I don’t recognize it – maybe some infernal language since that’s the style they were imitating.”

“We thought it was decoration,” Astrid said and looked closer. “I’ve been studying infernal languages lately… yes it is infernal. Kur… Khurlog. In praise of Khurlog. I don’t recognize that word – I think it’s a name.”

There were variations on other keys. “To strengthen the tribe”, “In the name of the Order”, “Praise of Nabthateron”, “The music must be silenced”.

“You may want to see what Weir can make of them. He’s an expert in infernal devices,” Keygan suggested.

“Excellent idea,” Elizabeth said. “In the meantime, I think some master keys might be a good idea. I’d like to commission those.”

“Of course,” Keygan said. “I can have them ready, oh, tomorrow I should think.” With that he began taking notes, measurements and impressions of the keys.

Once he was done we gathered up the keys and took them to Weir’s Elixers. Weir was in, and immediately took to dressing down Maris. 

“Young lady you should know that your ‘adventures’ will not be considered adequate excuse for missing your potions assignments.” Maris was wisely quiet and deferential, even though she didn’t realize she had new assignments from Weir.

We told him we were here for a consultation and he took us up one level to a more cordial sitting area. He examined each key as it was laid out.

“Hm, less than 800 years old clearly. Not of infernal make but in the infernal style. I believe they originated on the Prime. Khurlog… yes…” He took down a book from a shelf and flipped through it, finding what he wanted. “Yes, as I thought. Khurlog was a giant. There are ruins of his fortress in the mountains south of Hollowsky. Frost giants, yes. They were a mighty tribe eight or nine centuries ago. There’s been no recent activity but of course rumors always persist. There have been no expeditions there that I know of. But these keys could originate there. Plenty of black iron in those hills.”

Then he began staring at the keys as a group. After a few moments he began moving them around on the table, laying keys on top of each other. The nubs and holes apparently served to interlock the keys together in a complex pattern. It took him some shuffling about before he found two that locked in and then he began laying in others. Finally he had the keys all interlocked in a circular arrangement like a summoning circle. With the keys in this pattern, some of the infernal scripting was covered up, forming a new message. 

“Praise Jarl Khurlog, he who has silenced the music and saved the order and served Nabthateron.”

“The manufacture of these keys is quite simple, but the interlocking rather complex. They must have had an important function,” Weir remarked. “Beyond that I can’t say much. No charge for the consultation however – you brought something interesting and I am intrigued. If you find anything further about these keys I trust you’ll share it with me?”

“Absolutely,” Astrid said.

“You may also wish to consult with Priestess Jenya. She is well schooled in history and may be of some help.”

As we left Weir’s shop, there were sounds of a scuffle up the street and the unmistakable sound of wood hitting flesh. Then coming out of a modest house, we could see tax collectors carrying a sack full of some kind of poultry.

Astrid glanced at Elizabeth, who looked concerned. 

I don’t like the looks of that Astrid thought. I’m going to check it out.

Good idea, Elizabeth replied. 

I recognized my cue and went with Astrid. Inside the house was a woman holding a rag to a man’s bleeding head. They were bread merchants who were behind on their taxes and so the thugs took the chickens as payment. Astrid gave the couple a few gold to help them along, and in following days proceeded to try to encourage folks like the innkeeper at the Morkoth to buy from the couple.

The others went to the Temple to see Jenya. They were welcomed inside and were shown to Jenya’s study. Jenya was along and welcomed them warmly.

When the mystery of the keys was explained, Jenya examined them. “It resembles a binding circle,” she said. “It has no power on its own, but it’s more like a blueprint. How odd.”

She then checked her sources on Khurlog, reading from a history book. “Khurlog. A frost giant commander under Nabthateron. He and his forces retired from the field before the invasion of Redgorge. He was reported dead. He was the head of an order – the Order of the Black Kibe. Apparently the fortress was found to be abandoned after Spellmason vanquished Nabthateron.”

At that point Brother Duos entered with an urgent message for Jenya from Lord Valantruu, and the group took their leave and returned to the Drunken Morkoth for dinner.

While eating, one of Tyro’s “associates” came in and headed upstairs. Elizabeth caught his eye and waved him over. 

“Sorry to bother you but have you ever heard of The Smoking Eye?”

He paused briefly. “Perhaps we should discuss that in private.”

“Ah,” she said. “We’ll be along shortly.”

After dinner was done, a few of the Tygers went up to Tyro’s room. He was wary, asking “Where have you heard of The Smoking Eye?”

They proceeded to recount each instance where it had been mentioned during their trip to the Underdark.

“Interesting,” Tyro said. “We have heard of it but know little. It started to come up about a year ago. There was a monk near Redgorge who had a gift for prophecy and he began saying incoherent things about it. Three months later a homeless man began raving about smoking eyes and flaming feathers and chains. Only the phrasing seemed familiar, but there was little else. A month later a drunken man mentioned The Smoking Eye before killing himself, jumping off the rim of the caldera. In all I have about fifteen instances of various monks, hermits, prophets, and madmen mentioning it. One of them drew this picture,” and he showed an image of an unusual half skull icon.

There was little else to know for now, so the group retired. The morning brought a new messenger, this time from Captain Skellerang, requesting an envoy. Astrid, Kris and Bellsin went, and on their return they said that there have been a number of attacks on the southern roads. Some kind of reptile dogs or some such – the guard lieutenant didn’t seem to put much stock in it. But they were offering a bounty for us to go check it out and for any pelts we return with.

“If we’re going south anyway, perhaps we should check out this ruined fortress and see if the keys have some function,” Elizabeth said.

“Interesting,” Kris said. “But we have no notion where this fortress is. Hunting for it in the mountains isn’t likely to be easy.”

“Well, what about the mapmaker? He may have a map that shows the location,” Glyph said. 

It only took a brief visit to acquire a map of the southern areas, including the location of the ruined fortress.

“So how do we get there? Hollowsky is a long way to walk, and getting horses in the mountains will be difficult,” Bellsin asked.

“Good point. Horses are hard to come by in Cauldron anyway,” Astrid said.

Elizabeth had a thought. “Let’s try this from another angle. Merchants are being attacked. So we offer to escort a caravan that’s going to Hollowsky in exchange for the ride. What merchant wouldn’t like an escort from the Blue Tygers?” 

It was a clever idea, and Elizabeth began checking her contacts. Luck was with us as it turned out Lady Ophella Knowlern was returning to Hollowsky with various brewing goods. She was not only the owner of the Cusp of Sunrise but the Drunken Morkoth as well, and welcomed the escort. She was polite, but appropriately distant to all save Maris, whom she insisted ride in the carriage with her, no doubt as a result of the girl’s station.

So it’s not enough that trouble always finds us. Now we have to go looking for it.


----------



## thatdarncat

mmmm update. 

I have to say, this storyhour has been a big inspiration for me in my own game. I've been trying to build a world that the PCs inhabit, instead of one they hack and slash through. The Blue Tygers' adventures in Cauldron have taught me a lot.


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## Zad

Two bits from my still-addled mind: (Been sick all week)

A world that feels real is a laudable goal, and at times an elusive one. It requires several things.

First, your material has to provide you with the necessary depth - that or you have to go make it up yourself. Sure the latter is possible but your workload is lower the first way.

Second, you have to execute it well. Good material in the hands of a DM who doesn't use it is useless. And even the best DM can have a hard time making bad material work.

Third, your players have to have some level of buy-in and try to work with it. A group that wants to hack and slash doesn't care about tax collectors, they just want someplace to dump their loot. It's joint storytelling so you can't have half the team on board.

One of the biggest things I think contributes to the feeling of a real world (and some readers have heard us say this often) is that *actions should have consequences*. Both good and bad, there needs to be cause and effect and it has to be visible to the players. If they aren't punished for unfavorable actions, there's no reason to avoid them or to think before you act. If they aren't rewarded either, then there's no reason to try - they feel that the story is just playing out around them regardless of what they do. (Ravenloft II anyone?) Players shouldn't feel like spectators, generally speaking.

A rehash for many of you for sure - TdC I'm sure knows all this for instance  But I think those are the key ingredients to making the world feel like it's more than just "Shop 24 sells magic items."

Shackled City seems to put a lot of emphasis on vendor relationships. I recognized it right away and have gotten better at rubbing elbows effectively in this area. (Not that it's a strong suit of my skills/character, just that I keep the notes/records, and therefore loot falls under that. So we chose to roleplay it more than doing a lot of bluff/appraise checks.)


----------



## thatdarncat

Consequences are only part of that tho. The players need to CARE before they worry about the consequences of their actions. 

The vendor relationships were one of the first things I started working on for my current game. It seems to give my players more of an attachment to the game when they know that if they take their gems to "Herold" He'll give them a good price for the lot. They care that said NPC appreciates their business. Extend that to other contacts (temples, sages, etc) and they start to care when those NPCs need help or ask the party to look into something. 

This way when they don't follow up on a plot and the shop girl who was nice to them suffers horribly for helping them, they care.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We missed a game this week. Zad was dealing with a major cold and I'm getting over Congestive Heart Failure. We will play this weekend so wish us luck and hope we aren't killed by the horrors of this next adventure.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*Lessons learned: A short story about Diamondshard Glyphandar*

Waking was always the worst part of the day. Dawn had not yet risen and Diamondshard Glyphandar hated this twilight. Darkness was never a favorite thing for him and even he thought that was strange, his people after all were from the shadow realm originally. He huddled in his cot with the only light coming from the Illumian symbols that were ever-present glowing softly about his head. Off in the distance the second bell of the morning ran telling him it was now an hour before dawn. This was the time of Dravot, the light bringer of Pelor. Or so it was now that the human had been accepted into the ranks of the gods. Glyf (as he was known by his friends outside Cabal Diamondshard) spoke a prayer to Aulasha the Librarian and hoped he never had to face the kinds of perils that waited outside the Cabal walls. He mustered up his courage and putting on a loose robe wandered off to the privy. Once done he marched straight to the barracks where he joined the rest of the neophytes in physical training exercises. 

Many bruises later he returned to the students’ wing of the Cabal where he showered and changed. He let the water run down his body and caught a look at himself in the long mirror used to reflect and amplify their glowing sigils and provide light without a needed light source. He saw that he had gained a bit more weight and muscle mass. It looked good on him. His dove gray hair needed to be cut back to it’s normal crew cut and the bread trimmed, but his eyes were still as blue as the sigils orbiting his head. 
He dressed quickly and downed a potion of cure minor wounds just to take the edge off his bruises. He looked good in his new leathers and loved the hidden compartments in his boots, good for keeping tools away from ignorant Halflings. 

Glyf wandered up to the latest lecture on Incarnum and it’s properties. He was very interested in the workings of this “soul stuff” and the applications he could make of it in his chosen field of Artificer. 

He came to the auditorium and entered. He sat next to his best friend Diamondshard Terras, a portly young fellow who was learning the magical properties of Shadow on a level that Glyf could only just grasp. “Your just in time.” Terras said. “We haven’t started the lecture yet.” 
Two hours later the lecture was done and Glyf walked up to the presenter. The older elf looked at the young Illumian and said. “I see within you a far greater soul than you believe you possess child. I am Llandros Evenshoal. How may I be of assistance?” 
Glyf was a bit taken aback by the elf’s forwardness but he spoke just the same. “Master I have been trying to work with the Incarnum but as soon as I can sense it around me it seems to drift away. Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?”
“Not all souls are able to access the power of Essentia. I would hazard a guess that it is not meant for you.” The Elven elder stated.
Glyf looked as if he had been struck across the face. “I.. I have to learn to use soul magic. I’m an Illumian. I will succeed at everything I attempt. How can this be possible?” 
“Child, you need to remember that no one being can do all things.” The elder said with a bit of pity in his voice, “Even the Gods have special areas of providence and lack control in other areas.”
He left Glyf sitting and walked down the hall. When Glyf looked up all he could see was the ribbons of power that trailed in the air behind Master Evenshoal and a sense that he was put in his place in the most gentle way possible.

Once back to his cell, Glyf and Terras sat discussing the lecture and pouring over Glyf’s notes on Alchemy. Eventually the dinner chimes sounded and they made their way to the main dining hall. Glyf smiled as he passed his mother Mystra who was sitting with the other Magi and his Father Gallion was deep in discussion with the other teachers. Neither of his parents stropped what they were doing to notice his entrance as was customary with his people, The type of familial ties that many other races have do not exist among the Illumians. Everyone raises the young equally and from an early age they are removed from their mothers and taken to their student dorms. There they are raised by both volunteer members of the Cabal and the teaching staff. 
Dinner was finished quickly and the time came for discussion and individual training came on its heels. Terras made his way to his main instructor and Glyf made his way to the stables. A month ago Diamondshard Mystra’s brother (Glyf’s uncle) Hawthornseed Trillian who was a druid from another Cabal had gifted Glyphandar with a baby donkey for him to raise. As a child Glyf used to spend time at the Hawthornseed Cabal learning animal husbandry from Trillian. Lady, as he named her, was a very well behaved member of her species and seemed to adore the young Illumian. He brushed her and made sure she had a clean stall and feed. He spent an hour or so teaching her simple commands and then wandered outside the stables looking at the stars. 
Before he knew it the final bells rang out and he jogged back to the students’ wing. He finished his chores and landed in his bed a bit harder than he needed. He closed his eyes and meditated on what the future would bring. Maybe his father would take him to Cauldron some day, but did he really want top leave the comfort and safety of the Cabal?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Now THAT was a great game! the enemies numbered 81+ VS. the Legion. Too Cool!


----------



## Zad

*Frozen Elegy - Chapter 2*

*Frozen Elegy – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes: 
Exp TBD.

This Week’s Adventure:
Bryon pulled his cloak closer around him as he got down from the dilapidated cart. _A broken-down cart for a broken-down horse_ he thought, and wondered how many more seasons he could keep each going. Of course, at the rate things were going, he’d be dead from starvation of killed on the road long before the horse or cart became an issue. 

Anna came round the other side of the horse as he lead it towards the open field, and put the feed bag the horse’s snout. Of the three of them, the horse looked the happiest. 

The couple secured the horse and cart without a word – they’d been married and traveling far too long to have much new to say – and went inside the inn. Neither noticed the lingering signs of blood in the field that the rain hadn’t quite washed away.

The inn looked to them like it always did. Bryon and Anna traveled every spring and fall, selling their spices and herbs at communities around the edge of Cauldron. They couldn’t afford to sell inside Cauldron this year what with the taxes and all, and they were just hoping to make enough to scrape by. If the inn was suffering, it wasn’t much noticeable. There were the usual number of caravans parked in the fields. They’d arrived late in the day, so the common room was largely empty, save for some scruffy looking types at a table near the fire. 

“There you are,” grunted the innkeeper. “I was hoping you’d be making it. Wife says the mutton ain’t the same without the seasonings.” 

Bryon managed a wan smile. “Same as always. Ain’t much else a man can do.” Then Bryon actually heard what the innkeeper said – not “when” you’d make it, but “if”. His brow furrowed. “What’d make ya think we wouldn’t be by?”

“Oh, heard of some troubles on the roads is all,” the innkeeper lied badly. “I’ll get you some dinner,” he said and went to the kitchen. The night and meal would be part of whatever bargain they struck in the morning for spices. 

The couple sat down, and had food and beer soon enough. This close to Hollowsky, the beer would always be good.

“I’m telling you it’s was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, I and I don’t give no nevermind to what you think,” one of the men said loudly. He looked like a trapper or local woodsman.

“Yeah, well you ain’t seen the same measure of fightin’ that I has,” the other said. “I seen heroics in the wars, I have.” The second man was old, grizzled and almost certainly inflating his past deeds. “But you ain’t wrong about one thing – it was amazing. Not wrong at all. That was a battle yes sir. We can thank the gods that this inn wasn’t another Lucky Monkey.”

Until the words “Lucky Monkey” Bryon and Anna had ignored them. It was loud talk from men who likely as not spent too much time alone in the woods and was scarcely worth attention. But by now word of what happened at the Lucky Monkey had spread to all those who traveled for a living, and if something happened here, that was worth asking after.

“Not something you should even say out loud – not something to be said at all. Thems were good folk at that inn. Fair and honest they were,” Anna said. “Just cause some bear or somethin’ came round here, no reason to be sayin’ that.” Anna thought they were just talking, but Bryon was already suspicious from the innkeeper and listened to the response carefully.

“Bear?!? Ain’t no bear what filled the field out back with blood and made a pile of corpses big as a barn,” snorted the first man over his drink. After a moment he looked at them squarely with a realization. “You ain’t heard, have ye…”

“Ain’t heard what? Some tall tale at a roadside inn? Fair’s to say I heards ‘em all,” Anna said.

“A week ago, this very inn was attacked by a horde of beasts lead by a creature not man nor beast. Would have killed everyone here, were it not prevented,” the old man said quietly. There was fear in his voice, and Anna knew it wasn’t some tall tale after all. “You don’t believe us, you ask Gus.”

Bryon looked over at the innkeeper who was clearing a nearby table. Gus looked back at him, then hung his head and went back to the kitchen. Gus didn’t want to say it but there was no doubt it was true.

“So what happened?” Bryon asked. 

“Well…” the first man started, then was cut off by the older one.

“It’s a long tale, friend, and it’s late, and we needs to be going,” he said.

Bryon scowled and smiled at the same time – a talent he inherited from his father. Poor as they were, if there were attacks on the road, they needed to know. And they might be able to trade the story for a drink just as these two were trying to. “Fine. A fresh beer is in it for you.”

The two came over to their table. The older one said he was Griff, and introduced the other man as Dennis.

Griff did most of the talking and there was enough fear, respect, and awe in his voice to make Bryon believe most of what he said.

“A week ago yesterday, we both happened to be here. Now the road’s been quiet lately. Caravans were getting attacked here or there, some travelers with wild stories and such but enough people seen entire merchant trains destroyed as to give it weight enough. So it was quieter than it should be, but still folks here. That day, a small train rolled in – Lady whatsername, with just one cart.”

“Knowlern – that one what owns the brewery in Hollowsky,” Dennis supplied.

“Yeah that’s her. Came in her with another girl and a whole lot of guards. Strange crew too. An illumien, and two women.”

Dennis was now fully enjoying his new beer. “Full plate armor those two. Nicest what I ever seen.”

Griff just rolled his eyes. “Now mind you I didn’t think nuttin of it at the time, but I wouldn’t call you wrong if you said I shoulda. The Lady went upstairs, and that was that.”

“Till the middle of the night,” Dennis piped in.

“Quiet and drink yer beer,” Griff growled. “In the middle of the night all manner of fuss starts up. There’s howling going on outside, and one of them guards that was upstairs goes charging outside. I can hear shouting and barking and I goes to the window.”

“Which goes to show you how dumb he really is,” Dennis added then hid behind his mug.

“What I seen, I ain’t never gonna forget. First I see a man standing there, but he ain’t no man. He’s white all over, with a long head like some kind of lizard. There’s blood all over him and he’s got the head of a guard in his hands with the neck freshly snapped. Lookin’ in his eyes was like looking in the eyes of the devil. Behind him, there were all these beasts. Dogs sort of but some walked upright. Dozens of them, tearing at whatever was near ‘em.”

“Dozens?” Anna said skeptically, having reached her limit. “I reckon you can’t even count that high.”

“Maybe not,” Dennis said. But they did. When it was done. Ask Gus,” then he yelled “Gus! Tell ‘em! Dozens!”

Gus was at the bar. He sighed. He was scared of this story scaring people away as it spread. “Dozens. Four score in all.” Gus didn’t mention the ones that ran off at the end.

Bryon and Anna fell silent. Griff went on. “I wouldn’t believe it if I were you either. They was like kobolds almost but more feral. And they would howl at you and freeze you solid like a white dragon. I could see a score were biting and circling around someone – someone out there was trying to fight ‘em back. It was them.”

“Them? Who’s ‘them’?” Bryon asked. 

“The ones what came in with Lady Knowlern. Turned out it was the Blue Tyger Legion,” Griff said, waiting for that to sink in.

Since the flood season, the word of the Blue Tygers had spread around a fair bit but a lot of it was a far cry from the truth. Bryon started to put it all together, muttering “Two women in armor, illumien…”

“Exactly,” Griff said. “And if you think those girls – and they were naught more than girls to these eyes – if you think those girls are all for show, I am here to tell you that you are wrong. Those dogs were swarming one of them and she was whipping her halberd around crackin’ the skull of one after the next. They charged in more and she kept felling them like they was stalks of wheat.”

“The other girl…”

“Elishabeth,” slurred Dennis.

“… she came round the back. I seen one of the others right behind her – archer of some sort. They came round ready to attack but they waited, real smart like. They had one of their boys - an elf – he was sly. He poked at the hunter, got him all mad like, and then ran back towards the other two and that hunter followed him right into their line. Elizabeth and the hunter locked up good and fought hard. She started cutting him left and right.”

“She was beautiful,” Dennis moaned. “She had this big curved shword, and danced around like there was mushic playin’ that only she could hear.” Dennis promptly fell on his face on the table.

Griff just rolled his eyes. “The dogs swarmed around them but she just ignored them. She and the archer and the elf, they stayed on that hunter and they made him regret that night, you bet they did. They was biting and breathing cold and all that, and still they ignored them and fought the hunter.”

“The other girl, she was still killing dogs. Every time she opened a hole, more would surge in. Now me I’da been trying to get to my friends, but she just fought more and more of ‘em. But she wasn’t alone, no sir. Magic started coming from upstairs from a window. That little girl who came in with the Lady, she was a mage of some kind and she was hurlin’ fire and destruction down on those things. The illumien was down on the ground throwing explosions around too. But that other girl, she was getting bit and breathed on and her halberd was caked in frozen blood and she still kept killin’ ‘em.”

“I look back to the hunter, and he’s just parried that girl’s sword. He comes in to strike, and she turned it back on him. She lured him in then knocked him to the side when he went for the kill. Then she just turned around, away from him. Wasn’t til I saw his head hit the ground behind her that I saw her blade, the edge behind her along her arm.”

By now, Bryon and Anna were transfixed. 

“Now the dogs – they didn’t run. They kept on fighting, and the Blue Tygers, they obliged them real nice. They killed every last one of them – didn’t lose a single one of their own either. And they didn’t stop until this place was safe.”

Griff took a long pull from his beer. Anna recovered first. “I see what you mean about the Lucky Monkey.”

“I reckon,” Griff said, acknowledging the vague apology. “But this time they were here in time to stop it. And I ain’t never seen nothing fight like those girls or their friends. I hear tell those things were attacking a lot of caravans – killin’ everyone and everything. Folks said that they saw bodies staked into the rock, skinned and salted like a spring pig. I tell you what, we are all better off since the Blue Tyger Legion came through that door.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Gus added quietly.

Dennis stirred briefly, yelling “I luv you Elishabeth!” then collapsed back to the tabletop with a snore.

Loot:
Ivory token with symbol of Tiamat
Backpack of human skin – backpack of resistance +1 (seriously)
5 adamantine arrows
10 cold iron arrows
a broken bow (more of a clue than loot really)


----------



## WizarDru

Woot!  I loved this session, just so you know (and I love it's write-up just as much).

For those who are curious, this adventure was supplemented by convention purchases.  Using WotC's dungeon tiles, I dropped an inn down with one fell swoop.  The monsters of our piece was a Whitespawn Hunter, leading a horde of Whitespawn Hordelings, both from Monster Manual IV.  It won't be the last new monster our group encounters this time out.

I realize a lot of people don't much care for the MM IV, but I LOVE it.  I had his lair ready, should the party choose to hunt it down, as well as a fully equipped hunter (with full rage mojo running) with some great thematic monsters ready for use with very little time invested by me, the DM.  This makes me happy-happy.

Expect more details of what actually transpired from the party's perspective in the next story hour entry.  I knew the evening was going well when Zad commented to dravot that he was getting a real 'Predator' vibe.  It's what I was shooting for and it was gratifying to know it was coming through that way.

The combat, which dominated the evening, was a lot of fun.  Sometimes the party needs to be able to flex it's muscles and show off what they can do.  This was such a time.  I wish I'd had the foresight to take a picture of the battle-map during the game....Astrid was the eye of the hurricane, with small creatures swarming about her.  Maris rained death-from-above from inside the inn....due to an amusing circumstance, she merely needed to walk to the window and drop the hurt.  Her first spell, iirc, was one of the variable length spells from the PHB II, which took two rounds to cast and did 7d10 damage, I think.  She also used some storm bolts.

Glyphandar got to truly flex his support muscles.  His first new trick was to UMD some Insignia spells, buffing the party from all over the map through their BTL signet rings.  A remote Bless, Ward and Heal spell all done at a large distance...and Grinder, his pet, did his part.  Bellsin's stealth came in handy in finding and spotting the threat, while Remier managed to hold his own against the hunter.  Krisfallion appeared to be all over the field, a spell here and a bowshot there.  Like I said, it was great.

I especially have to thank Scorch for handling the minis during the battle.  It made things much easier and ran much smoother than it otherwise might have.  And that swell new initiative board helped a bunch, too.


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## Jarrod

Have I mentioned you're an inspiration? Lots of baddies and heroic combat, that's the stuff.

One question: Insignia spells? BTL wha? Signet rings? I find this fascinating, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter...


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## Argent Silvermage

Jarrod said:
			
		

> Have I mentioned you're an inspiration? Lots of baddies and heroic combat, that's the stuff.
> 
> One question: Insignia spells? BTL wha? Signet rings? I find this fascinating, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter...




The Insignia Spells are from Races of Destiny. I was looking for something to maximise Glyf's team tactic vibe and those worked so well. Basicaly they are Alarm, bless, CL Wounds, and a warding spell that are cast on anyone in a 400+ radius who is wearing a specially made insignia/signet ring (broack/amulet/ etc.) while minor in strength they kick butt when were scattered all over the map and can't get together enough to cast a normal bless or mass cure. 

In game I see them as a spell type used by Illumians created before the race became true Illumians. 

BTL = Blue Tyger Legion (insignia rings in this case)

I'm loving my Homunculus! Grinder (Iron Defender) is now up to 4 hit dice and has an electrical add to his attack (from the improved Homunculus feat). He really held his own against the spawns.


----------



## Aethramyr

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Bellsin's stealth came in handy in finding and spotting the threat, while Remier managed to hold his own against the hunter.





Which was the extent of my usefulness for the combat, because my tactical position once the melee started was pretty grim. Making myself known too early or too late would have probably turned out poorly.  

I was on the wrong side of the map, and with the exception of stealing some cold resistance from one of the beasties, I pretty much played dodge wierd-cold-kobold thingie until I could join the rest. (by valliantly running into the inn..)

Bellsin.


----------



## WizarDru

Aethramyr said:
			
		

> Which was the extent of my usefulness for the combat, because my tactical position once the melee started was pretty grim. Making myself known too early or too late would have probably turned out poorly.




Except that you were the only one who made his check to hear the Hunter skin his victim.  Had you not made that roll, the party would have been woken in a much nastier fashion...and while I don't think it would have been a TPK, it would have been much more perilous.

And there's something to be said for knowing when to stand and when to retreat.


----------



## Aethramyr

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Except that you were the only one who made his check to hear the Hunter skin his victim.  Had you not made that roll, the party would have been woken in a much nastier fashion...and while I don't think it would have been a TPK, it would have been much more perilous.
> 
> And there's something to be said for knowing when to stand and when to retreat.




I'se not complaining. I could only kill one a turn on a sneak attack with average or better damage rolls. After that, I'm on the wrong end of the numbers game, and end up splitting party resources as someone tries to rescue me. Out of dodge was the best place for me, and I was more than happy to go there...


----------



## Zad

*About stories and writing*

And now, a bit of story-hour writing discussion. 

I think some of you lurking out there (and not lurking) are story hour writers too. While this campaign and the prior one have never had the legendary status of, say, Piratecat's, the hit count over time always has it showing up as a very well-read story, and I've fielded questions publicly and privately from authors and soon-to-be authors. This entry was a little different so I figured I'd babble about it for a bit. If that sort of thing is no interest to you, you probably want to skip this. 

Let's start with the ground rules. First, we've established a perspective in this story - first person from a borderline-involved party. (I think it's generally known who the narrator is at this point but I'm too lazy to look to see if we've come out and said it. Spoiler: 



Spoiler



The narrator is Elizabeth's psicrystal. This made it different from the prior story hour where the perspective was not of a PC but was of an entity with a view, so not third person.



We also have general guidelines - these are good story-hour writing practice that have grown over the years.  First, it's a good idea to give each character some camera time. Fighters and mages have a tendency for the spectacular and that can marginalize other characters. Second, combat is boring. Since this is a full-on babble, let's explore that a little.

Combat is, generally speaking, dull for the reader. Especially if you fall into the natural tendency in D&D and describe it round-by-round, the way it happened. It makes for lousy story and bad tension and drama. Consider an action movie with multiple good guys/bad guys. They don't show GG1 punching, then cut to GG2 punching, then BG 3, then GG3, then BG2. It'd jar the viewer senseless. You spend some time showing a bit of action in one area, then the other, then the next. The viewer understands they're happening in parallel.

Even when you reorder the temporal moves this way, it can be dull. A fight with a big dragon or boss deserves some attention, but the mundane business of hacking through the orcs in Room #27 can get dull. 

So the lesson here is that combat has to be written carefully or it will get dull and drag your story down. Generally speaking, character interactions make good drama and good story, while combat does not. 

Now let's pretend you're me. We played on Saturday night. We spent a little time in the traveling. We were attacked by a group of baboons which we drove off pretty easily. Then we found a caravan that had been attacked. Everyone was not just dead - they were missing, horses and all. The caravan had been attacked by something bestial but it wasn't robbed, however the strongbox had been opened and money removed. Then we found the bodies, skinned, salted, and staked to the cliff face above in a predator-like way. 

But this was a small part of the night. We spent most of the night doing a massive combat outside the inn. The whitespawn hunter and waves of 20 hordelings were quite a handful and it took all night to get through it. 

So it's Monday morning and you're going to write about this. You know combat is dull but that's almost all that happened. If you go light on the combat, you don't have much of a story. It deserves some attention but if you stretch it to fill the story (there's no set amount really) it'll drag. As I was getting ready for work, I had a thought. 

"Bet they'll be telling stories about it in that inn for a while."

Inspiration followed. What if I change perspective just for this entry. The concept fell together quickly. A traveller shows up at the inn, overhears regulars, gets the whole story. Piece of cake. It can have a more dramatic flair, and it will read so much better as we establish the new characters/perspective and go through the drama of the attack from that viewpoint.

Now as I was writing it, I added details to make it play out as you can see. But it became clear that I had another problem. Remember the rule about camera time for each character? I've got a couple guys, probably half asleep, half drunk looking through windows at a battle. What can they see? They see the girls in plate armor - they understand it. Swords, blood, etc. They see Glyph because he has glowy things. Can they tell he used an insignia spell to get a Bless spell on everyone? No, not really. Can they see Kris' support spells or healing? Did they notice when Ramir went to 0 hp at the end? No. Do they even notice Bellsin at all? Nope. Yes, I could have had them see it, but it would have been a stretch.

So what do you do? My answer was to break the rule. It's a good rule, but it's not carved in stone. The objective here is a good story, and the story was better this way. I spoke to Bellsin/Aethramyr last night. He said:

"If some half-drunk guy sees what *I'm* up to, then I suck."

And he's right of course. Story is irrevocably linked to perspective. It's important when writing a story hour to have someone who has a good perspective with a broad view. (Assuming you're not doing third-person.) But that doesn't mean you can't make occasional departures and experiment in your writing. The results may surprise you.

For what it's worth, the whole "I lub you Elishabeth!" thing just kind of happened as I was writing. It could easily have been Astrid.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We so need a ranger or druid. We suck in the wilderness.


----------



## Zad

*Frozen Elegy - Chapter 3*

*Frozen Elegy – Chapter 3*

OOC Notes:
Exp for last session is 3505 for 7th level characters, 3815 for 6th. Most of the party became 8th level with this.

Exp this session is 1135 for 8th, 1400 for 7th.

This Week’s Adventure:
The trip to Hollowsky was… eventful. First we were attacked by a group of baboons. These monkeys were anything but lucky however and they were driven off handily. I couldn’t shake the impression that they were somehow hunting *us* specifically but it was just a feeling. 

Two days out from Hollowsky, we came across a caravan. It had been attacked, and there was plenty of blood. But there were no corpses of either man or beast. Inspection showed it to be a Lathenmire caravan of armor and weapons but the goods were still there. The strongbox was even there though it had been opened with the key. Papers, logs and letters of mark were still in the box but the cash was missing. Elizabeth took custody of the strongbox with the intention of returning it to the Lathenmires regardless of their distaste for her.

It was only as she was walking away from the caravan that Bellsin noticed a slow sound – drip, drip, drip. He looked up and was gripped with shock and revulsion.

Staked to the cliff-edge were the bodies of the caravan. Guards, teamsters, even the horse, all impaled into the rock face with bone spikes. Each had been methodically skinned. It was clear that this had only been done hours ago.

No one said a word. There were no words to describe it. When Lady Ophelia asked, we told her “You are better not knowing, and not seeing it, My Lady.”

Not too long after, we reached an inn and settled for the night. “Settled” is a bit of a wry joke actually – it was anything but.

The creature responsible for the attacks launched an assault on the inn. I’m not clear if it was simply attacking outlying prey, or if its intent was to destroy everyone there. But it did, at one point, realize the Blue Tyger Legion was defending, and attacked with renewed fervor, calling in hordes of small kobold-like creatures. 

The battle was short but bloody, and we repelled the assault and destroyed most of the attackers. We could only assume that these were the creatures that Captain Skellerang wanted destroyed, but it was doubtful he knew the extent of the problem. Bringing back hides for the bounty was impractical to say the least – there were more than eighty creatures dead. Instead, the tally was counted and Lady Ophelia signed an affidavit as a witness. 

Lady Ophelia also spent some time with the innkeeper. I understand she gave him a considerable sum of money to fortify the inn and repair the damage. As a local noble, she had an interest in the safety of travelers.

The next day we arrived in Hollowsky. It was a small, sleepy village – more like the middle point of a cluster of farming communities. Lady Ophelia assured us we would never again pay for a meal or lodging in Hollowsky, and we rested at the town’s small inn. The townsfolk were at first wary of the heavily armed Legion, but as other travelers arrived telling the tale of what happened the night before, fear turned to respect and admiration, and the townsfolk seemed to feel much better knowing the horde was destroyed. We talked to some locals about our destination and they were able to offer a few (very few) landmarks to help fill in our map. We also heard tales about a lost city in the jungle to the north which has reportedly claimed the lives of many adventurers. Some said it was a Spellweaver city, others said “snake people” live there, and the Spellmason wiped them out. Overall though, the locals seemed to know little outside their immediate demesnes.

Lady Ophelia returned to the inn from her manor just as we were setting out the next day. She gave us a letter, requesting we deliver it to Priestess Jenya, which of course we were happy to do. 

The mountain itself was easy to spot – it was the tallest peak to the south, and its snowy cap made it stand out against the others nearby. We set off southward, going through plantations growing various grains. In only an hour’s travel, the wilderness took over and there was no sign of civilization. 

We saw different paths as we approached the mountain. Some were deer tracks, while others seemed worn down by larger feet. But we were in an open snowy area when Bellsin and Krisfallion stopped. They were looking up the mountain. 

“What is it?” Astrid asked.

“I don’t know… something’s wrong,” Bellsin said. 

After a moment, Kris said “Why is the mountain moving?”

An avalanche of snow had detached and was coming down the mountain. Needless to say, everyone started running.

Kris got to Maris, spoke a few works and began walking on the air, moving straight up, so they were both safe. Once safely above, Kris used a spell to let Glyph turn into a thin white mist, and he too was safe.

Elizabeth was running hard but didn’t think she was going to make it. It took a moment for her to focus her mind, but then she finally faded. She looked almost ghost-like now, partially here, and partially in the astral plane. She drifted upward.

Bellsin managed to get to cover just on speed, but Astrid and Grinder were not so lucky. The snow overwhelmed them near the edge of the slide, and they were covered over. Once the snow stopped moving we began searching around but to no avail.

It was Bellsin who finally had the epiphany, and searched for magical auras. In this way we tracked down Astrid before she suffocated and were able to dig her out. We found Grinder the same way, but of course there was less urgency since he wasn’t so much worried about breathing as he was rust.

We had barely began moving again when we learned that the avalanche was no accident. Two creatures were lurking uphill. They looked like large blocks of ice with a blue light inside. They seemed displeased we had survived and began moving closer to attack.

“Ice and chill, ice and chill, no further will you go up hill. This is the Black Order’s will,” they chanted together.

It took us some time to get close enough to engage. The creatures were clumsy, and Astrid brought her halberd into one and the impact sent a network of cracks out into the creature’s icy body. Before much else could happen, Maris released a spell she had been working up for several seconds. She reached the crescendo of the spell’s power and fire erupted across the creatures. They immediately melted, and once breached the blue light and wind gushed from the icy body and they cracked, shattered, and then finally melted away to nothing.

“Who is the Black Order?” Kris asked.

“Beats me,” Maris answered. “Maybe if they re-freeze, you can ask them.”

We moved further up the mountain, and in a short while came to a set of carved stone stairs. The height of the steps strongly suggested something larger than a human made them. At some points the steps weren’t needed and stopped, only to resume again farther up. They lead upwards and came around a bend towards a misshapen pile of rocks. A second look showed that it was an old fortress, with towers and walls partially collapsed. As we grew closer we could begin to hear music carried on the wind – something low and depressing like a funeral dirge.

The entrance had a portcullis but it was raised and skewed and looked stuck. Two large statues flanked the doorway, but there was no ice on them. Bellsin watched them carefully and saw one scratch the back of his neck. Giants.

Bellsin scouted a path through trees and cover that he thought would get us closer so we wouldn’t have to cross two hundred feet of open ground vulnerable to the giant’s thrown boulders. He cut the distance by half, and we braced to charge.

The girls leapt out together and began running down the slope towards the giants, sped along by Maris’ spell of haste. The giant – and I say “giant” because only one seemed to notice – sighed in exasperation and then threw a rock towards the other giant, yelling at him to get up. They both grabbed their axes from where they were resting against the wall. They didn’t seem to be in a very big hurry about it. 

Grinder was closing the gap fastest and as it ran by the first giant it slapped at it with its axe. This was what Glyph had in mind, allowing Astrid and then Elizabeth to get inside the axe swing and attack the giant. The girls both landed hard blows, but when the giant went to swing at Elizabeth, the axe turned back and cut into the giant’s leg thanks to a curse from Maris.

Between fiery spells from Maris and the weapons of Bellsin, Astrid, and Elizabeth, the giants didn’t last long at all. But what puzzled me more was the lackadaisical way they prepared. Were they attacked so often it was boring to them? Were their attackers so trivial to dispatch?  Why would they be so cavalier about it?

The fortress was as run-down on the inside as it looked to be on the outside. If the giants ever cared for this place, they had stopped long ago. The music got louder as we entered. The foyer had several exits including some collapsed ones, and we went down a passage that the music seemed slightly louder from.

In the next chamber we found a giant sitting on the floor. He had a torch in his hand and was burning his fingers repeatedly. From the scarring and charring on both his hands, it appeared it was something he did often. He paid no attention to us.

“That looks like it hurts,” Astrid said.

“It’s the only thing that makes it stop. Who are you? You don’t look like me. You’re not in my mind. What do you want?” The giant was trying to focus and seemed to be teetering on the edge, or perhaps past the edge, of sanity.

“I’m seeking some answers,” Astrid said.

“I don’t have answers. All I have is the music. It won’t stop… won’t stop…”

“Where is the music coming from? Who brought it here?” Astrid asked.

The giant burned himself again, lucidity returning to his eyes for a moment. “A foul thing, we locked it up. It makes the music. It won’t stop. We can’t leave, even if we wanted to give it up. It’s our charge. Until the quiet watch, but it is not my turn to go outside. So I have to burn it.”

“Who is it?” she asked.

“It’s not a ‘who’. It’s a thing – an abomination. We bound it. It is our prisoner. We took it from the field of battle and we bound it. It won’t shut up, won’t stop. Can’t you hear it?”

I should mention that we came to this place to see if we could find something that was relevant to our set of keys. We had entirely no idea what we were looking for but this seemed promising somehow.

“Do you want me to stop the music for you?” Astrid asked helpfully.

“You can’t stop the music. You don’t have the power. We don’t have the power. We were tricked out of the keys, now there’s nothing to left to let it out.”

Promising indeed.

“What keys? Are there specific keys?”

The giant singed himself again. “The demon general gave us several keys. Now they’re all gone.”

“Who could have done that?” Astrid said.

“We gave them away. We had to. So no one could let it out.”

“So of the keys were brought together would that let it out?”

The giant grunted. “That might unleash the binding. I don’t know. Might give us our powers back, might make us whole. It might release us from the curse.”

Astrid nodded. “So where is this monster?” 

“In the icy prison below, guarded by the Jarl. Always guarded by the Jarl.” He was losing his grip again.

“Down those stairs over there?” Astrid asked, indicating a set of stairs on the other side of the chamber.

“There is no way to get to it. We buried the entrances so it is unreachable.”

Glyph whispered “What is unreachable to a giant may be reachable by smaller creatures.”

“And how many of you are there here?” Astrid said.

“Not counting the Jarl, there are eight of the Black Order. Servants of Nabthateron. He marked us, told us to retire form the field and so we did, with our prize. That did not stop Nabtatheron’s failure though.”

Kris commented “Well there’s your Black Order.” 

Astrid asked one final question. “Does this thing have a name?”

The giant looked pained. “If we knew its name we may have been able to do more with it.” Lucidity retreated again and the giant began rocking and moaning.

We went towards the music as best we could. We passed other giants – one was slowly pounding his head against a wall while another was holding his ears. They too had no interest in us and we did not provoke them. Another room held a group of ogres, the spirit beaten out of them – they cowered in a corner until we left.

After several corridors we found a caved-in passage which we were able to alternately squeeze through or climb over. The music got noticeably louder once we were on the other side.

The hallway was slick with ice and lead to a large chamber. In the middle was a large blue crystal. A skeleton was prostrate before the crystal, still wearing a cape the size of a tapestry. In the center of the crystal was a shadow or body of some kind. The crystal was floating in the chamber, bound by a series of chains from all sides holding it in place. The chains ran to metal plates in the floor and on the crystal.

Personally I was waiting for the skeleton to rise up and attack us – the spirit of the Jarl still bound to this world. That didn’t happen. Instead, a piece of ice came at us from where it sat along one wall. It was as if a troll had been carved out of perfectly clear ice.

Astrid looked at her halberd. I could practically hear the thought. _Ice. Hammer. Hmf._ She shrugged and lunged at the creature, Elizabeth on her heels. Astrid landed a flurry of deep strikes to the creature, and the body began cracking and chipping. After several blows, the creature was covered in deep cracks. Elizabeth moved for her own set of long cuts, but upon landing her first blow, the creature fell apart into a hail of fist-sized chunks.

Everyone’s attack suddenly stopped short. Elizabeth looked to Astrid who shrugged. “I loosened it for you.”

Glyph and Maris examined the ice carefully, worried that the creature might somehow reform like a real troll. Nothing seemed to be happening but after longer observation, pieces did begin to move towards each other. They consulted and determined that they would need to shatter the ice to smaller pieces to finish the creature for good. Glyph had recently enhanced Grinder to deliver a jolt of electricity with his bite, and Glyph now manipulated this enchantment to make the iron dog’s jaws vibrate with great intensity instead. Grinder set about living up to his name, grinding the pieces of ice into crumbs. He rather seemed to enjoy it.

Meanwhile Elizabeth had the keys out, and she and the others were examining the crystal. Several plates holding the chains had keyholes, and one had two keyholes. They were even numbered, thus avoiding use of the master keys.

We inserted the keys into five of the plates and turned them. As we did, each chain in turn fell away from the crystal. Oddly, nobody questioned whether we should release whatever thing was in here. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” seemed good enough for everyone. Finally we inserted the final two keys and turned them, and the last of the chains fell away. The music stopped.

At first there was nothing, then slowly the crystal prison began steaming. There was a sudden flash and the room was filled with steam. After a moment, the steam settled to the floor, revealing the prisoner.

He was tall, but not so tall as a giant. His white wings still had a hint of frost on them, and his white toga blew gently in an unseen wind, dancing over skin like ivory. His face was both happy and stern at once. 

He stepped forward away from the prison, and bowed deeply.

Elizabeth found her voice first. “Are you well?” 

“I am free at last. I appear to be in your debt,” he said. His voice was musical and made other words spoken sound harsh and dull in comparison.

“We are the Blue Tyger Legion,” Glyph said. “May we ask your name?”

“Indeed, I know of you. I am Ulaaloo. I have been imprisoned here for many years, since the Redgorge battle.”

Elizabeth was looking at him carefully, still slightly nervous. When she couldn’t find her answer, she asked. “May I ask whom you serve?” Elizabeth was most certainly not a student of celestial affairs, but she had the impression, both distinct and as it happens correct, that an angel such as this was a servant of some deity. 


“My time is short but I will answer what I can. I served St. Cuthbert, and serve Him still – fear not for me in that respect…” he said.

Kris was bothered and broke in. “Wait, you said you know of us? How could that be?”

“I have been kept appraised of your progress but now that I am freed I’m afraid you may have done yourselves a slight disservice. I have mere moments here before I will be politely asked to return to my place of origin, and after that not-so-politely, due to the current rules of astral mechanics. But an ally of yours has spoken to me several times of your situation.”

“And whom might that be?” Elizabeth said, troubled.

“Lady Jenya perhaps?” Glyph suggested.

“No but her name is known to me. She is known to but one of you thought she has in her way watched over you. I cannot reveal her name to you now, though you would know her as “N”. One of you knows of whom I speak. Such involvement is, to some degree, forbidden.”

“But how is freeing you a disservice?” Elizabeth asked.

“It has cut one of your lines of communication. No longer can I offer advice to her, particularly on how to protect you. But I believe the days of you needing protection are coming to a close and soon the day will come when she must ask for help from you. Turbulent times are about to come upon you. Nabthatheron stirs.”

Astrid asked “But wasn’t Nabthateron destroyed?”

The archon looked to each side of him at some unseen presence. “Nabthateron was shamed and denied return to Hell by Grazzt. He resides on the Prime still. His particular dispensation is… vexing.”

He paused and looked again. “We are on the border of politeness ending, so I must summarize quickly. I will help you in what way I can and sometime soon I may be able to return and help. If you seek counsel, speak to Jenya. She may be able to summon me for your aid. Tell her my name that she may ask for me. Should you encounter N, convince her that she walks a dangerous path. There are rules even we follow, more so than you.”

He looked again at the nothing beside him and nodded. “My time here is done. Thank you again. I hope to return the favor someday.”

So saying, he faded away. As he did, for just a moment, there was a strange hint of a shadow as if two robed creatures were standing next to him.

“Well I suppose we found what we came to find,” shrugged Astrid. “Let’s get out of here.”

And so we did. The giants were befuddled by the cessation of the music, but most were too far gone to understand they were really seeing us. Those that were more lucid were simply too confused to challenge us or give chase. We exited the fortress without incident and went down the mountain. It was a long hike but two hours after sundown, we entered Hollowsky, safe and sound.

Loot:
Two expensive necklaces from frost giants.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*Grinder*

My homunculus really got a work out, but it's really proving worth the expense.   

I'm considering making another but giving it alternate upgrades from the "Big G". 

I can't wait till 8th level (Glyf's a level behind the rest of the group) and take Craft Construct! I've already stated out a Griffon Effigy!


----------



## LordVyreth

Heh, I forgot that this game takes place in the same world as the last one.  The Judges could interfere with the plot as things continue quite a bit!


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Heh, I forgot that this game takes place in the same world as the last one.  The Judges could interfere with the plot as things continue quite a bit!



Yeah.. It was interesting to see if and what would happen. We as the players didn't even know if there WERE still judges. The characters had no idea there even were such creatures (And still don't).


----------



## Zad

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> We as the players didn't even know if there WERE still judges. The characters had no idea there even were such creatures (And still don't).




Sure we did (the players). It was covered in the introductory material for the campaign.

In character, different story. I plan on asking the questions though.


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> Sure we did (the players). It was covered in the introductory material for the campaign.
> 
> In character, different story. I plan on asking the questions though.




And you'll find the answer is a little different than one might expect.  While it isn't called out as much in the story hour, there are several ties to the previous one as well as occasional nods (some of which don't make it in to the story hour, for brevity's sake) to the previous story-hour.  References to the worship of Dravot and his followers, for example.  There are also some that haven't been discovered by the party....YET.  Suffice it to say that at least two of the former members of the Savage Sword of Meepo have a finger in the pie that is Cauldron, though it is generally off of their radar.  We still love those characters, you understand....and laying them down was HARD.

Frozen Elegy also gave me a chance to stretch my legs...I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed some of the freedom of using my own story.  What this portends for the rest of the story arc, I couldn't say...though it may suggest that my editing will tend to increase over time, not decrease.  That isn't to say that the Shackled City will jump of the rails...but the train may move to a different track from time to time.  This is much easier to accomplish with a developed world and developed characters...something I now have in spades.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*I'm a sad unemployed bear.*

Ok. Now no one who knows me will ever doubt that I spend WAY to much time thinking about my characters  but even I think I've gone overboard on this one.

At the moment The Tygers are living out of the Drunken Morkoth and due to his "experiments" I figured Glyf would be better served with his own place. 
Ok so we have that. Now I just spent hours going over in my head and putting down on paper what he will need in it other than to say his lab and the essentials needed for it. I have PLANS! Plans I tell you. I can't be safe in just a regular house oh no! I have to look up spells and itewms that will turn Glyf's little 3 story home into a fortress. Including staff and guards.

Being out of work is just bad for my psychie.


----------



## Zad

*Demonskar Legacy - Chapter 1*

*Demonskar Legacy – Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 400 for 8th, 525 for 7th.
Loot split from last run is so small that it’ll be thrown with the next split. The only thing worth anything is the necklaces which Elizabeth bought out.


This Week’s Adventure:
The next few weeks were very busy. Not busy in the “repelling an invasion” sense, but certainly didn’t seem restful.

While we were gone, a basked of adamantine ingots had arrived for Astrid’s new armor, and Elizabeth got to work straight away on it. She was hoping to get it done so Glyph would have time to enchant it before something else happened. She also had a message to deliver to Jenya, but the heat-reheat cycle of working with the strange metal kept creating situations where Elizabeth couldn’t deliver it at any reasonable hour.

Finally Elizabeth got the hang of it and made it over to the temple as evening services were closing. As she waited for the attendees to depart, she saw several town notables, including Lord Vhalantruu, and the Lord Mayor, surrounded by a large group of bodyguards. There were some sour looks directed his way, most followed by some amount of contrition at the thought that St. Cuthbert would disapprove. The Mayor, it seemed, was not entirely sober, which was rather shameful but he didn’t seem to care.

We also noticed the Azlaxin’s, and managed to overhear young Zachary adamantly denying something – “… it wasn’t true. It was a lie, and it didn’t happen. And there was no public nudity involved…” Zachary seemed genuinely embarrassed and upset but his father was having none of it.

Once the crowd had departed, we entered the temple and waited quietly in the back while the High Priestess finished with her tasks. Jenya finished up, and walked towards us. She seemed genuinely glad to see Elizabeth, and we went into the study.

Elizabeth first delivered the message from Lady Knowlern. Jenya received it with some concern on her face but did not disclose the contents. After that, Elizabeth related the events that took place at the frost giant ruins. It wasn’t long before Jenya stopped her and asked for a scrivener to record this story. Jenya listened with great interest, and noted that Ulaaloo’s name is recorded as one of the host, but he had not been heard from in some time. 

“I mention he made a point of asking us to give you his name, that you might be able to call on him in future divinations,” Elizabeth added, “though I’m not certain how the Star of Justice works in such matters.”

Jenya nodded. “I wish I had it yesterday. I was using the Star to help Lord Vhalantruu, who was attempting to determine the whereabouts of Lady Celeste. She has gone missing and no magics have been able to find her.”

“Disturbing indeed. Has she been missing long?"

"Since before you returned with Lord Splintershield's son. Lord Vhalantruu has solicited divinations from all the temples in town and the Blue Crater Academy as well but none have yielded any information," Jenya said, concern in her voice.

"Perhaps Ulaaloo can help if you try again. If a lead turns up, I would be willing to investigate this further, but right now I am unsure where to begin. But this brings me to a question I have,” Elizabeth asked. “It was clear that Ulaaloo was going to be forced off the plane very quickly, but I don’t understand why. He’s an angel – what was making him leave?”

“I believe that would be the Judges. They are powerful beings that exist outside the normal celestial hierarchy, enforcing a set of rules set down some twenty years ago. These rules were created after ever-increasing incursions onto this plane from outside elements, and then after the Great Greyhawk Wars, they were further strengthened. The rules were… how shall I say… fully ratified in the last ten years. The Judges are not fallen angels per se, but more like volunteers – a neutral system of removing creatures that do not belong here. These rules are quite complicated and over time loopholes were uncovered and new rules enacted.” 

“Whom exactly do these rules govern?” Elizabeth asked, concerned.

“They govern extraplanar beings like angels and devils and the higher powers they serve. I don’t fully understand the reasons or even the full rules. I do know this though: Cascades of more than one generation cannot pass. It is completely prohibited by the rules.”

Elizabeth stared blankly back at Jenya who then remembered she wasn’t talking to someone versed in such things. “Angels and devils can summon more of their kind. Those new beings can summon more, and so on. This is called a ‘cascade’. It can quickly turn the Prime into a war zone between heaven and hell. The rules allow the first being to summon more of its kind, but those beings cannot summon others.”

“And these Judges eject those that do not belong?” 

Jenya nodded. “For more powerful intruders, there are the Arbiters. These creatures are more powerful, and their aspect was increased with the arrival of the deity Dravot. Their powers are enhanced by his portfolio, and they have absorbed some of the power of the abyssal and infernal in their role. But the Judges are not creatures of Pelor.

“Have you seen these Judges?”

“No. I have never even seen a drawing of one. But planar mechanics is not something I study, and I confess I am not an expert.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Compared to me, you are. But let’s change the subject all the same. You are a pillar of this community and your opinion is both worthy of respect and likely to be fairly neutral in this. Everyone I’ve spoken to of late has complained about the burden of the taxes. Certainly there are more guards around, but it seems there have been no repairs made since the flood.”

Jenya thought for a few moments before answering. “It is true that the burden is high, but it is also true that there have been many monster attacks. I have known Terseon for many years but I fear he may have become lost in his desire to create order. I agree that there are many repairs that are sorely needed though.”

“Well that may be something we can help with, if we can ask for your help first. We were asked to investigate some monster attacks to the south, and offered a bounty to do so. We were... successful - perhaps more successful than anyone expected, since no one knew the true scale of the threat. The bounty is sizable but if we were to split it among us, it would be… “ Elizabeth trailed off. “Let’s just say we think the money could be better used elsewhere. We would like to contribute the bounty to the community and pay for repairs to things damaged by the flood. We are unsure how far this money will go, or even what projects might be best undertaken. That is where we need your help.”

Jenya seemed slightly surprised but very pleased. “Ah I see. Well that is something I would gladly help with. That money will go a long way in this matter. And I know just the man for the job – Keygan Gelve.” Jenya began writing a letter, explaining “Tell him that we feel his penance has been adequately served and justice has been done. I am asking him to undertake these project, for which he will be compensated of course. They should be well within his skills to accomplish. I’m suggesting repairs to the Trumpet Street Dock, the retaining wall on the crater’s edge, and repairs to the orphanage.” Jenya handed the completed letter to Elizabeth.

“Excellent. I’m pleased that his punishment is served – he seemed quite worn last I saw him. Thank you so much for your help High Priestess,” she said, with a hint of smile.

Jenya gave a mock frown at the jest. Then it turned to a real frown as Elizabeth departed and a messenger arrived. I couldn’t tell what he might be doing there but Jenya recognized him and wasn’t thrilled.

Elizabeth immediately went to see Keygan, who happily received her. He seemed very pleased by her news and indicated that the projects should be very practical and he would set about the work immediately.

Her last stop was the Lathenmire guild house, to return the log books from the attacked caravan. She was received rather skeptically, and it was clear that they didn’t like her – in most cases actively hated her. But for all that, they did respect her and there was some genuine appreciation at the log books being returned. 

Astrid on the other hand spent some time watching City Hall. The suspicions were that something was going on, and Astrid was preparing in case she needed to infiltrate later. I spent some time with her watching the comings and goings of the various messengers (of which it seemed there were several ranks) and others. 

Astrid also did some carousing with the various members of the watch, with whom she instantly fit in. She heard some interesting rumors about Zachary Azlaxin, and also Todd Vanderboren. Some of the men expressed concern that Skellerang has become more and more obsessed and intolerant of lawlessness. Others were on escort duty, accompanying around tax collectors and none to happy about it. The taxes in the city were now equal to, or more than, Sasserine. Astrid was even told that the Blue Tygers would probably be hearing from the tax man soon.

The tax situation was getting worse, and things were coming to a head. Notices started to appear around town. 

_Citizens of Cauldron, let your voice be heard.

Come one, come all to City Hall this evening. Those in power must learn that we do not welcome their indulgences. Their vices shall be borne by our pockets no more. The tax collectors are the lapdogs of their greed – let not their shadows besmirch our stoops. 

Speak your will! Voice your pain! Help us return Cauldron to her children!_

The Blue Tygers looked at a copy over dinner at the Drunken Morkoth. 

“This isn’t good,” Elizabeth said flatly.

“Not good at all. It’s a riot in the making. The guards are under orders to take these down but they’re going up faster than they’re getting ripped down,” Astrid said.

“Maybe we should go and see what might be done,” Bellsin said.

“Actually I was thinking the opposite – none of us should get anywhere near this rally,” Elizabeth said.

“How do you figure?” Kris asked.

“Nothing good can come of it,” she explained. “If the Blue Tygers show up, it will be bad for us no matter what. Are we there supporting the rebellious people? That’s not good. Are we there providing help for the guards? Also not good. People will assume we’re taking sides, and neither works well for us. And if a riot does break out, what can we do? Help the people? Bad idea. Help the guards? Also bad. We could send some of us covertly, but if anyone recognizable is there, or we show up in force, it could be a disaster.”

Nobody had an argument for that. But while Elizabeth was explaining, a messenger arrived and came to the table. He handed his letter over to Bellsin who was skimming it while Elizabeth was talking.

“Well it makes perfect sense to me, but it doesn’t matter now – we’re going anyway,” he said, tossing the letter on the table. “It’s from Jenya. She’s heard rumors that Sir Alek will be at the rally, and she’s worried about him. She’s asking us to go and see if we can find him.”

Everyone sighed.


The square in front of city hall was packed with people. Near the building, town watchmen stood, their arms locked together and their halberd shafts across their bodies forming a perimeter. The crowd was rowdy but there was no sign of Sir Alek. We spread out trying to spot him but it was virtually impossible to see anyone specific.

That all changed when a man stepped on up the rim of the fountain and addressed the crowd. I couldn’t see very well, but Elizabeth recognized him immediately.

“Oh no,” she said. “It’s Maavu.”

“Fellow citizens, hear me!” he cried out. The crowd hushed immediately. “Hear my voice and repeat my words tenfold so that those who have turned their backs on us are forced to hear! Hear me, for I speak for all of us!”

“My name is Maavu Arlintal and I am one of you! I call Cauldron my home. I live and do business here and I have for many years. Many of you know me, and I know you. We are all hard-working, trustworthy people!”

The crowd was cheering appropriately. Maavu was no bard but he had the crowd’s attention all the same.

“Hard times have fallen upon this land. The roads grow more dangerous, and it threatens to cut us off from our neighbors and partners in trade! An inn full of people – one of them the high priest of one of our own temples – was senselessly attacked and the people all murdered, not a day’s ride from here! In recent days, dragons – yes dragons – have threatened the skies and passes! Stories of creatures unthinkable lurk in the fringes of the wild.”

“But we are a tough people, and have weathered tough times before! Heroes like the Blue Tyger Legion and brave citizens like yourselves have answered the challenges of protecting our lands, although others are charged with that duty.”

“But the troubles have also found us at home. We have suffered in recent months as have our sons and daughters who were stolen away from us by evil lurking beneath our very streets! We have suffered as the rains came and flooded our dear city and threatened to erode the very foundations of our livelihoods! A vile umber hulk from the darkened tunnels of the Abyss itself has torn through our homes and business in broad daylight – I know for I suffered a great loss that day. I came away with my life and consider myself fortunate but I mourn those who perished.”

“But again we have not lain down, for we know how to get through hard times. Again we have been blessed by the actions of brave citizens who have put their lives on the line to defend the defenseless. And again, others who should have answered that call have done nothing.”

“Alas I misspeak, for actions have been taken. The leaders of Cauldron have spoken through the voice of the tax collectors! The offer promises with each outstretched palm, with each cut they take! ‘For the good of Cauldron’ they say! ‘To repair the damage’ they say! ‘To help those in need’ they say!”

“But what have they done with your hard earned coin? Nothing! Where are the repairs to the buildings damaged by the flood? They haven’t done any! Warehouses stand abandoned about to fall into the lake! The only repairs that have been done have not been done by our leaders but by the Blue Tyger Legion, who again have risen up to do what others should have done, taking the tax money they were paid as a reward and using it to rebuild our city! Where are the repairs to the streets and structures damaged by the hulk? They have not been done! And I was not the only one to lose business and property that day… There are many who have received nothing but empty words for their suffering.”

“As I said, many of you know me, and you know me as a man of action. I am not one to complain without a plan of recourse! I am here to say that Cauldron needs new leadership, a new protector who is not corrupt on power or gold. I am here to tell you that a challenge has been issued for the removal of Terseon Skellerang as Captain of the Town Guard.”

“I have here in my hand the formal written challenge, which has been presented to Skellerang and the Lord Mayor. This challenge invokes on of Cauldron’s oldest laws – the Law of Peers. Under this law, the five founding families of Cauldron have the right to challenge the office of Captain of the Town Guard if one of them should feel that he is unworthy, immoral, or incapable of seeing to his duties – the protection of the people! This law, laid down with the founding stones of our city, has never been needed – until now.”

“By the Law of Peers, only one of the five founding noble families has the right to challenge the Captain of the Guard. This does not leave much hope that one with the interests of the common citizen – you and I – will be represented. But I am here to tell you that the one who has issued the challenge is such a man. He heralds from one of the founding lineages, but his life has not been one of pampered luxury, oh no. He knows what it means to suffer, as you do, and to rise above it, as you have before. The challenger is indeed one of the brave, heroic citizens whom I have spoken of, who is willing to risk death to protect our city.”

“I am speaking of Sir Alek Tercival. “

The crowd was getting more and more worked up. A riot was most certainly in the works.

“Sir Tercival, a paladin of St. Cuthbert, has issued the challenge in accordance with the old ways, and the Laws of our city. But so far no response has been made. By law, the issued challenge should be made public by the Lord Mayor, but Fatty Navalant hopes to protect his puppet Skellerang by keeping the challenge a secret! No doubt that he hopes to send his new army of half-orc thugs – an army feeding off your bread – to deal with the upstart challenger with a crossbow bolt in the back! By the Law…”

Maavu stopped and pointed, noticing the arrival of one of the guard sergeants with a group of men. “Look citizens! Another puppet of corruption, with his thugs to protect him! Sent, no doubt, to silence the will of the people!”

The sergeant, a name named Krewis, was not happy. Astrid knows him and he’s a decent fellow but in an impossible situation. He hardly had a chance to say a word before the crowd turned on him. It was all a jumble of yelling and jeering.

A young man pulled out a dagger and jumped one of the guards with Krewis, and the scene exploded. The guards were killed in moments. Sergeant Krewis managed to drink a potion and none of the nearby rioters could bring themselves to attack him. Such magic was strong but would only go so far.

The girls started trying to move through the crowd to try to diffuse the situation – neither had weapons drawn. But the situation got worse.

Before the rally, Bellsin was as suspicious as any of us. The difference is he took what turned out to be an incredibly wise step in preparation – he had cast a spell that revealed invisible objects. Whatever he might have been looking for, I don’t think it was what he actually saw. A creature came out of an upper story window of city hall. It looked like Maavu might if he had been turned into a ghost – it was floating wispy creature who’s arms and legs faded into nothingness at the ends but it bore a definite resemblance. Bellsin called out and stabbed at the thing as it passed by him at remarkable speed. It let out a terrible wail and lances of red light shot from its eyes as it suddenly appeared to everyone else. The eyes held terrible power but nothing obvious happened.

Sergeant Krewis was in deep trouble - a mob was nearly on him and they'd tear him apart if something wasn't done fast - that potion wouldn't hold for long. Kris used a spell to calm down the people in the immediate area, which bought some time. Maris then yanked Krewis to her through the ether, so he was now, effectively lost in the crowd. Once Kris had Krewis close, he said “You need to get out of here before you get hurt son. Trust me.” And he cast a spell, and Krewis dissolved away into a thin mist. Krewis didn’t understand the magic but wasted no time in floating to safety.

Bellsin was with Maavu trying to deal with the creature. The only good part about its arrival was that it terrified the crowd into dispersing rather than rioting. The girls got close enough and began surrounding the creature, attacking it. Maavu knew he was in great danger, and drank a potion that turned him into gas as well. But the creature moved closer and attempted to inhale him and devour him. 

Bellsin and Astrid attacked in a desperate bid to save Maavu. Astrid’s enchanted halberd found purchase and the creature shrieked and dispersed, releasing what hold it had on the gaseous Maavu.

The square was still a chaotic scene. Kris was protecting Maris, and Glyph was trying to keep the rioters and the guard from killing each other. A large group of guardsmen was entering the square, ready to fight but letting anyone who was simply running away pass them by.

Maavu moved close to Elizabeth and whispered. “I’m so sorry. Thank you for your help. I wanted to bring you in on this earlier but… Something evil is working within Cauldron’s government. Seek me at Redgorge. I have allies there I want you to speak with. Visit the Redhead Miners inn. When asked the appropriate answer is ‘mortar’. Take care of yourselves. I’m sorry – I didn’t want this to happen.”

“I know,” she replied. “But given the situation, it was unavoidable.”

Maavu drifted away and the Blue Tygers set about trying to get everyone to disperse – a task at which Astrid excelled. Weapons were put away while this was being done so there was no threat presented. Captain Skellerang arrived at the front of a platoon of reinforcements, and looked as though he was seriously considering locking us up.

Fortunately Sergeant Krewis returned and reported what he saw which helped. The situation was not pretty, and not without its cost, but there was no doubt it would have been much worse had we not acted.

The bells in the town hall began ringing, and a few figures stepped out on to the balcony, including the Lord Mayor and Lord Vhalantruu. Lord Vhalantruu was whispering in the Mayor’s ear pointing out over the square. 

The Mayor began yelling in a shaky voice. “I hereby declare that there shall be no taxes levied for three full months. Furthermore, I extend a general amnesty for anyone who left the town square during the riot. No one will be sought in connection with the events here tonight. Anyone who has already been arrested will be released after paying a small fine with no further action taken. Except for Maavu Arlintal – he is wanted for treason.” The mayor quickly withdrew inside, but town criers took up the message and repeated it all night.

“But he said nothing at all about the challenge. Interesting,” commented Astrid quietly.

For the rest of the evening there were no disturbances in the streets. The patrols were heavy but peaceful. Of note was that there was not a single half orc among the patrolling guards that we saw that night as we went to see Jenya.

Once the details were told, Jenya looked even more tired than before. “I know of the Law of Peers. Alek’s father bankrupt the family, and his mother died in childbirth, but he is a descendant of one of the five founding families. He was left an orphan of the state, destitute, embarrassed and penniless. Another orphan child,” she pointed at herself, “became his friend and took him in. He and I both found and served St. Cuthbert in our own way.”

“Alek’s claim is legitimate but untested. Skellerang may claim it’s a plot and that Alek is either a dupe or trying to use an unjust law that was never removed from the books. Skellerang has become harder and harder to get access to and I am not sure what he is really thinking these days. I support Alek’s choice to remove Skellerang, though it pains me to do so. He has become too attached to order and he may be drunk with power and a source of some corruption. He may think the only way he can make this city safe is to rule it with an iron fist. As for Alek, I haven’t seen him in weeks – only once since the vampire was vanquished. It’s always been a dream of Alek’s to restore his family estates and buy back the ancestral manor. Some of his adventures have been for the purpose of generating items of antiquity to sell and pay off his father’s debt, which is still outstanding. Most of these went to Tygot.”

“Recently I used the Star of Justice to seek Alek. It told me:

_Late on the path of justice trapped between glass and stone he weeps where many can see him but he can see only himself._”

“Even less helpful than usual,” Maris commented.

Just then the bells at city hall began ringing. Jenya moved to the window and threw open the shutters. From the temple we could see a fire lower in the caldera.

And it was moving.

“Why are there are fire elementals in the city?” Maris said quietly.


edit: added a few details that escaped my pen


----------



## Argent Silvermage

The worst thing about the whole mob scene was that we are all used to KILLING large crowds of opponents. 
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1192000&postcount=267

Reading this I miss Bolo. I really miss the little Hobbit/Elf/Janni and his little dog too.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*The acquisition of Glyphandar’s Lab:*

Having just returned from the frozen citadel of the giants I had come to a revelation that had been building in my mind since my designation of Final Seed of Cabal Diamondshard; I needed a permanent residence. 

It was becoming problematic to use the rooms at the Drunken Morkoth when the maid and the other residents would complain of the smells and sounds at all hours of the night. I also had an issue where some of the drunken hooligans had tried to steal Grinder. Not that they survived the experience without permanent scars.

This is how I find myself moving into my new home on Bituminous Road, just downward of Lava Avenue, literally in the Shadow of the Blue Crater Academy. The huge 3 story home sits on land owned by the Azlaxan family. I purchased it for the kings’ ransom of 10,000 gold pieces and a bit of my dignity. 

In order to be found “worthy” of a mortgage I had to enchant a weapon for Zachary Azlaxan Jr. One of the Storm Blades. I have not forgotten how he and his friends tried to embarrass the Blue Tygers at the Demonscar ball. I also feel the shoulder Cora dislocated when it rains. In my own way I gave him something special and hope that that makes him think differently of the Legion. I enchanted his Rapier to channel electricity and told him that when I have the time he could pay to have a thundering attack added to his weapon; giving a true Storm Blade. He seemed to enjoy it immensely.

The first thing I did was to create my third Homunculi, a Dedicated Wright I have named Forge. He has been invaluable since I can empower him to enchant items so that I effectively can now do twice the work in half the time, and I need it. Between enchanting my own equipment plus Belsin’s spear, Kriss’ armor and Astrid’s new adamantine full plate I would have had no time to just relax and unpack.


----------



## Zad

*Demonskar Legacy – Chapter 2*

*Demonskar Legacy – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 815 for 7th level characters, 630 for 8th level. 

As I sit down to write today, I have no idea how this is going to turn out. My laptop took a dirt nap before the game and I was forced to resort to an antiquated approach of taking notes >on paper<. Pelor help us all.


This Week’s Adventure:
We could see the elementals were down near the lake. “Grab one of those wands of controlling water and let’s get moving!” Elizabeth said.

Jenya produced one of the wands from a desk drawer and declared “I’m coming with you.” She hadn’t moved a step before Brother Duos stood in her path.  “No you are not. As proctor, it is my duty to stop you in this. We cannot afford to lose another high priest.”

Jenya drew in a breath to argue, but stopped, realizing Duos was right. “Very well. We will prepare to receive the wounded here.”

The Blue Tyger Legion ran to the fire as fast as the sloping and winding streets of Cauldron would permit. They finally rounded another corner to see the fire in its full fury.

Two massive elementals – pyres of living fire – were wantonly destroying an inn in this downscale section of town. The inn was the home to most of the half-orc mercenaries, and the half-orcs were furiously working a bucket brigade trying to slow the fire, but avoiding direct confrontation with the elementals.

Several yards away, a man – the innkeeper no doubt – was screaming at a half-orc who was barking orders. “Do SOMETHING! Attack them!”

The half-orc was a seasoned veteran and was keeping his cool. “What do you want us to do? Weapons are useless!” and to prove his point he held up the melted slag of a sword.

Supported with protective magic from Kris, Astrid charged in with Elizabeth just behind her. The half-orcs may not have been able to fight the elementals, but the girls’ enchanted weapons fared better, tearing out gooey chunks of fire from the first elemental and it wasn’t long before it lost cohesion and fell apart into mindless fire. The creature had battered Astrid but she was only bashed, not burned thanks to Kris’ spell.

The second elemental either didn’t realize that someone had arrived that could hurt them, or didn’t care, and continued to set fire to anything within its not inconsiderable reach. Through the commotion, Maris made out the sound of a child screaming for help inside, and Bellsin ran inside the burning inn to find him.

Maris then turned on the second elemental. She had started by using a _haste_ spell on the Blue Tygers and followed that by _slow_ing the elemental. Astrid, Elizabeth and Grinder, now enchanted for the occasion, tore at the elemental. As the second elemental was besieged, Bellsin found the scullery boy trapped by debris in the kitchen and with some effort managed to free him.

The second elemental was destroyed just as Bellsin was emerging with the hurt boy. Maris and Glyph were looking at the “remains” of the elementals. 

“Why is all this still here?” Maris asked. “Normally when an elemental is summoned, they simply return to their home plane when they’re destroyed. But this one was really destroyed – it’s bits are still here. The only way that could happen…”

“… is if someone used a very powerful spell to open a gate,” Glyph finished her sentence. “This is not good.”

The half-orcs were having a hard time gaining on the fire, which had taken a firm hold on the ramshackle building. Kris called forth the crater lake using the power of the wand and began putting out the larger gouts of flame. As he did, cold sleet started falling from above, which helped put out the smaller flames and keep the fire from spreading further.

The source of the sleet was a new arrival – a giant of a man with blue hair that could only be the so-called “Blue Duke”, the Captain in charge of the half-orc mercenaries. The half-orc sergeant immediately came over and gave a thorough report to him. 

Just after the Blue Duke arrived, a heavy set man in robes came puffing up and moved towards the wounded. Astrid recognized Kristoff – the High Priest of the temple of Pelor. Despite the commotion there were still on-lookers who were yelling insults at the half-orcs, telling them they weren’t welcome. This was too much for Kristoff.

“You people should be ashamed. People have been hurt and killed here, and some of them the very people who have tried to protect you and yours. You should be helping them not yelling insults. Go home in shame and pray to Pelor for wisdom if you can think of nothing else to do but take joy in the pain of your neighbor.”

Kristoff’s words were effective, and the mocking stopped immediately. 

Maris spoke with the Blue Duke briefly who was both thankful and polite, but once the situation was under control he hurried off to consult with the Mayor.

Bellsin make sure the boy he rescued was healed and well. The boy had seen a man go into the basement and use a scroll before the attack began. The boy was fearful though and the combination of his statements and his hesitation strongly suggested that the Last Laugh was involved in the attack.

It was a full enough night, and the situation was under control, so the Blue Tygers headed home, exhausted. 

“Why do these things always happen when we’re around?” Astrid asked with a sigh.

“I don’t know,” I remarked, “but we need to start finding trouble that actually pays something.” 

In the morning, the town criers were out early. Their message had changed slightly as well. They repeated the amnesty for those involved in the riot, and declared that Maavu had been sentenced to death in absentia for his role. The criers also said that while Sir Alek had indeed presented a challenge, that divination magic revealed he was possessed by demons and so the challenge was not valid. They also said that due to the events of the prior night, the half-orcs would be relocating immediately to a camp outside the city. 

“Interesting,” Kris commented.

We split up to attend to various tasks. Elizabeth went to try to find Lord Vhalantruu. She was concerned about the disappearance of Lady Celeste and wanted to see what information he had in case we had the opportunity to follow up on it. She went to the Vhalantruu manor, but the Lord was not at home. Servants indicated he was off visiting various temples and that he might be found at the Temple of Wee Jas but he had left  the manor some time ago. Elizabeth went to the temple where she was greeted (if you want to call it that) by a priest named Vel. When she inquired as to Lord Vhalantruu, the priest declined to confirm or deny his presence and seemed to be making a point of being as rude as possible. He seemed to know who Elizabeth was, and in so knowing was determined to be an ass despite the kind words of his High Priestess at the Demonskar ball. Elizabeth was petulant and decided to linger at the temple for a time hoping either to encounter Lord Vhalantruu or simply irritate Vel. While she had no luck at the former, she was stunningly successful at the latter, and after being fully satisfied that his unkindness had been returned, she set out. She spent some hours criss-crossing Cauldron but had no luck.

The rest of us went to see Jenya. The temple was busy seeing to the injuries from the attack and fire, and morning services had been cancelled. Jenya saw us in her study. 

“I am very worried about Alek. The Star of Justice’s cryptic answer causes me great concern. I would be grateful if you could look into his whereabouts. I wish I could offer you a reward for this but the coffers are sorely drained as it is…”

Astrid cut her off with a wave. “There’s no need. We will look into it. He is tied in with these events somehow and we would do well to find him.”

“He had been adventuring near Redgorge but I do not know where. As I had said, he was seeking to re-establish the family fortune, and adventured to find treasures to further that goal. I believe most of the things he recovered he sold to Tygot, so you might inquire there.”

Once outside, I called to Elizabeth. _Meet us near Tygot’s so we can plan our next move._

_Just as well,_ she replied. _I’m getting nowhere trying to chase Vhalantruu._

“If Alek was adventuring near Redgorge, that could be just the excuse we need to go there,” mused Kris. “And we could make contact with Maavu without causing a fuss.”

“Very true,” Bellsin said. “Let’s see what Tygot has to say, but plan to leave in the morning.”

“I want to go see if I can learn anything from the half-orcs,” Astrid said. “I’ll meet up with you later. You don’t need me to talk to Tygot anyway.”

Maris also had something bothering her. “I want to go to the Academy and see what I can learn about the Grey Guild. The hint that Lady Celeste was in contact with them is intriguing. I was warned away from inquiring about them when I asked my instructors so I need to do some discrete research.”

So we split up and I went with the group visiting Tygot.

After the usual pleasantries were exchanged, Elizabeth got to the point.

“Tygot, we have to ask you something that you probably won’t want to answer. Jenya is very worried about Sir Alek and where he’s disappeared to. She said he had sold some items to you, and we wanted to know what they were in case they gave us some clue to his whereabouts. I’m sure you usually do not discuss business with other clients but in this case we were hoping…”

He held up a hand. “Nonsense. I respect Sir Alek and if I can help you find him, I am happy to do so.” Tygot went over to a large ledger and began combing through pages of shorthand only he could decipher. 

“Hm,” he said after a time. “I have three items which he brought in. The first is a painting – Knight in Brown – there it is behind you on the wall. The second is a baboon mask,” and noting what was written, he pulled a case from one of the many drawers on the wall and took out a mask. It was unusual but not really that helpful.

“And then… hegemonic plate. Oh yes, I recall now,” and he fetched it from the back. He brought out a large plate of pure silver. It portrayed images on the front of a six-armed creature (a spellweaver, noted Glyph) overseeing the construction of something – a temple or other structure if you ask me. The final panel showed the spellweaver holding an object, and the caption was loosely translated as “starry mirror”. It also included a sequence of numbers – 3 – 4 – 5 – 1 – 2 – 3. 

The back was far more interesting. It had a map that had been scratched out with a sharp object. It was crude but had more than enough detail to find the “end”, provided you knew where to start. The map seemed to start near an unnamed river at a headless statue, but there was no other reference point.

We offered to buy the plate from Tygot but he said we were welcome to take it as long as we needed it. Later at the Morkloth, we examined it again.

Maris came from Redgorge. “There is a headless demon statue by the river. I’m not sure exactly where it is – it’s not really of any significance as a landmark. But someone probably knows where to find it.”

“Then we would know where to begin. I’m guessing this map indicates where Alek was adventuring so if we can find the start maybe we can find him, or at least where he was. More importantly, we can also take care of other business in Redgorge.” Astrid didn’t mention Maavu by name. She lowered her voice before continuing. “This offers us the perfect pretext for going to Redgorge. While there we can hear what ‘he’ has to say. But say nothing of this. I think we’re all equally suspicious of everything right now, and I for one don’t know who to trust. So let’s not say more than we have to.”

In the morning we set out for Redgorge. It was an uneventful trip and by mid-afternoon the basalt fortifications (“Raised by the Spellmason himself” Maris noted) rose into view. The town itself had many empty buildings on the outskirts revealing it had never quite been fully repopulated since the Demonskar war. The town itself was mostly a hub for mining and farming activities in the area and seemed sedate when compared to Cauldron.

We immediately headed for Maris’ family estate. If anyone cared enough to be watching the comings and goings of the Blue Tyger Legion, it would have seemed odd had we not stayed with Maris’ family, and Elizabeth was nervous about drawing any attention to the Redhead Miner inn. Maris’ mother was at home and was gracious and welcoming, although with a bit much of the noble attitude. Coming from this background, I was surprised Maris was as class-indifferent as she was.

The group had a quiet discussion and agreed that sending the entire company to meet with Maavu would be too risky. Elizabeth, Astrid and I would go to make contact, using some misdirection to prevent being too easily followed, though the details were not discussed. It was assumed that Astrid would use her magical hair comb to discreetly follow Elizabeth.  The truth was that Elizabeth had the comb and would use it to evade notice if needed while Astrid used her natural talents.  But Elizabeth would arrive at the inn as herself first otherwise she might be ignored.

The town was small enough that a stranger was immediately noticed. Astrid’s skills were formidable but it didn’t cover the fact that she was a new face. But she was easily ignored in favor of the plate-armored woman, and it helped keep Astrid from over-much scrutiny. The innkeeper was cordial enough, and there was a human bard entertaining the customers, knee-high boots sticking out from a brown robe.

After finishing a bawdy song that caused no reaction in Elizabeth, he seemed disappointed. “Well then my dear a riddle for you! What can you bind with water sand and lime?”

“It could only be mortar,” Elizabeth said, offering the pre-arranged answer. 

“Indeed it could!” the bard cried, and went on to a new song. But after that song, he sat down at the table, leaning in close acting as if he was making an indecent offer. “The Foreman looks forward to meeting you, Ms. Cartwright. As do others. There will be a meeting later and we will take you downstairs along with any others you have brought.”

“Excellent,” she said, and went to throw the remains of her drink at him in mock defiance. The bard quickly yielded and left the table.

As promised, later on a subtle signal was given and Elizabeth went into the back, Astrid in her disguise following after. The innkeeper showed them into a cellar where several stools were collected around a table. The walls were decorated with elaborate frescoes (elaborate for a cellar at any rate) depicting the history of Cauldron. It showed Sundabar Spellmason arriving, a scene of an angel handing him a staff, a scene of him raising the fortifications around Redgorge, of the battle of Redgorge, and finally of Sundabar turning into a mountain. 

A man entered with graying hair and a goatee wearing a leather apron, accompanied by another man. Maavu entered soon after and was visibly glad to see the girls. The bard also arrived with one or two others.

 “Where is Alek?” the graying man asked Maavu.

“He’s disappeared,” Maavu said. “It can’t be good. I don’t know if Skellerang got to him or something else did.”

The Foreman thought on this in silence for a moment, then turned to the girls. “I am the Foreman, and we are the Chisel. We are an organization dedicated to protecting the region especially the artisans and craftsmen. We have few select members, mostly Cauldronites. We have seen chaos at work in the government. Divinations tell us a disaster is coming. And Maavu, you may have done more harm than good with your stunt. It could be just the excuse Skellerang needs to come hunt us down.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be violent,” lamented Maavu. “Not at all.”

The bard’s voice cut in, filled with a harsh edge. “Oh grow up Maavu. They set you up. The Last Laugh sent assassins into the crowd. How do you think the guards fell so quickly? They set you up and you played right into their hands.”

The bard was right of course – the riot was a powderkeg but someone took great pains to make sure the fuse lit.

“And what if they send the half-orcs to Redgorge?” asked the Foreman. “What if they find the Hall of Carvings?”

“There is only a remote chance of that,” said one man.

“But if they do it would be disasterous! The miners may fight to protect it and then what would happen?”

“Gentlemen, if I may?” interjected Elizabeth. “Have you had recent word from Cauldron?”

There was plenty said, but no one answered the question, which Elizabeth took as a negative. 

“Then let me bring this word. Maavu has been sentenced to death.” Maavu grew pale at that news. “The challenge has been acknowledged but they claim that Alek is possessed by demons and therefore the challenge is not valid. And before we left, elementals were sent by someone very powerful to burn down the inn where the half-orcs were billeted.”

There was a great deal of discussion at all this, but nothing that was directly useful. Elizabeth again interrupted. “So none of you know what might have become of Sir Alek, or Lady Celeste?”

There was silence.

“Very well. We have a lead of our own to pursue and we will do so. I am not sure what else can be done for now.” 

The Chisel was unhappy but had no solid plan on how to proceed. They did have knowledge of the headless demon statue, and to find it one simply floats down-river until you see it on the banks. The Foreman offered boats that the Blue Tygers could use in their mission, and the meeting broke up. 

On their way back to the estate, Astrid asked “Tell me again which ones were the bad guys and which were the good guys?”

Elizabeth laughed. “I have no idea.”

“More importantly,” I said “which one is paying our fee?”


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We play again in a few hours. I'm sitting home bored and waiting.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

No one offored to suck out the poison.


----------



## Zad

*Demonskar Legacy – Chapter 3*

OOC Notes:
Experience revision from last session: Revised figures are 3500 for 8th level characters, 4669 exp for 7th level. For those wondering why the revision, Wizardru has been looking ahead and looking at the material for coming adventures. Shackled City is full of great material but is not always totally clear on their expectations of where the characters will be level-wise at each adventure. So Wizardru is making occasional adjustments to help make sure we’re not underpowered for some coming encounters. 

Exp for this session TBD later.

This Week’s Adventure:
As promised, everything was arranged for us. Two boats were set up and waiting, complete with a tow-behind raft to accommodate Glyph’s menagerie which wouldn’t fit in the boats. We were also given some basic instructions and a map. The river was slow and lazy here, but it would get brisk and deep at some points, and the girls decided that removing the plate armor would probably be a safe thing to do, even knowing they’d probably regret it later.

The girls were split between the boats and took primary rowing duty but at points everyone needed to pitch in just to get through some of the swifter currents. Maris did her level best but managed to exhaust herself the unaccustomed physical labor. 

They weren’t lying when they said it was wild country, either. Not far out of Redgorge, the jungle closed in hard and fast and the was no sign of civilization. Life teemed everywhere in the jungle and the river. Fish jumped out of the water, chasing prey, and occasionally a clawed hand would reach up and snatch a fish. Fortunately the owner of the hand showed no interest in us. The intense effort of rowing the boats made the time pass quickly and before long, someone in the lead boat made out a large statue of a headless demon on the left bank. It took some hard pulling at the oars, but the girls managed to bring both boats up on shore in a smooth landing.

Just as we pulled up, I noticed most of the birds in the area startle and fly away. But after they had left, there were still birds calling back and forth. So if the birds had flown away, what was making bird calls?

The answer came with a volley of poisoned arrows from the jungle edge. Everyone dove down and got behind the boats as best they could, except Bellsin who slipped into the jungle’s cover. Peering over the boat’s edge we could make out gnolls in the jungle. They were wearing scraps and hides as armor, but their marksmanship was certainly refined. 

Even though the beach was small and the jungle only a few paces away, Elizabeth and Astrid did not relish the idea of charging the gnolls without any armor on. Kris used a prayer to destroy one of the gnoll bows, but for the most part the Blue Tygers waited hoping to draw the gnolls out. 

The gnolls weren’t coming through. Maris had started a long incantation and when it was clear the gnolls wouldn’t come, she let it fly. A massive gout of fire spread out in the middle of the line of gnolls. Jungle and flesh burned away with equal speed and the entire field stopped in a stunned moment.

The problem with indiscriminate fire is that it’s indiscriminate. Bellsin had been slipping in behind the gnoll leader when the fiery discharge washed over the gnolls, and over him. He fared better in that he survived where the gnolls were killed outright, but his flesh was burned black where any was left on his body.

Astrid and Elizabeth took advantage of the confusion to charge the gnolls. One went left, the other right, and started cutting down what was left of the gnoll line. Once the girls engaged, Kris moved in and did what he could to help Bellsin before he died outright.

The girls were able to finish the gnolls and Maris made sure the one who tried to flee didn’t make it far. I’m not sure that was any comfort to Bellsin though. Kris had used a lot of prayers to get Bellsin back on his feet. 

Once the beach was safe, the girls got their armor on.

“Ok, we need some ground rules here,” Astrid started. “First off, we do *not* do the enemy’s work for them,” she said to Maris. “I thought we had gotten through this with Glyph.” 

“More power is more dangerous to us than it is to them if you can’t control it Maris,” Elizabeth added.

“If you don’t know where everyone is, then you shouldn’t be laying down that kind of magic in that area,” Astrid agreed. “Second,” now Astrid turned to Bellsin “you need to at least give some idea of where you’re heading if you’re going out of sight. Otherwise you negate a powerful weapon. Something as small as ‘I’m going to hit the right flank’ can make all the difference.”

Maris didn’t say anything but she nodded with her head down. Bellsin also agreed quietly.

I said nothing, but I was beginning to worry about Maris. She was getting powerful now, and there were consequences she seemed to be ignoring. She seemed to do something just because she could, rather than if it was a good idea to do. I’m hoping that nearly killing Bellsin will give her a new perspective, but I’m still nervous.

Once the boats were hidden, the party set out down a crude trail that lead northwest from the statue. The jungle was thick on all sides save for the tiny trail, and every manner of creature seemed to lurk in the foliage. A tiger caught sight of us, but after reflection it seemed to decide that we weren’t prey, and moved on.

The trail lead not so much to a clearing but to an area where the brush was more trampled down. In the center was a large dirt mound with a hole in it leading downward. This would certainly be the cave marked “home” on the crude map on the silver plate. The cave itself was a landmark and only of interest because of that. But in the event something was in there, better to find it now than have it sneak up on us, so we entered the cave.

At the first bend we saw the half-eaten corpse of a baboon. “Whatever this thing is, it’s ok  in my book,” commented Astrid. The baboon had been rotting for some time, and the bites that had been taken meant that this thing had a substantial mouth. A small room had the body of an ogre. It too was long-dead, but the ogre was quite old before it was killed. Beyond that was another room with a large, hairy creature eating another baboon. It was some kind of sloth with arms almost as long as its entire body, and it sniffed the air realizing we were close. 

Bellsin was out in front and a prime target. With an arcane word he pulled the colors off his body and flung them at the sloth. It made the sloth blink and lose track of the now colorless Bellsin. Maris released a sickly purple ray at the sloth. “I took away some of its life energy,” she said as Elizabeth closed in, dodging carefully around the long arms. The sloth charged at her and rushed Kris, who had just fired one of the poisoned arrows at it. Elizabeth debated trying to stop the creature but the size and weight prompted her to step aside. The girls moved in, and Elizabeth cut deeply into the sloth’s back, which sent her reeling with a massive fist, and then grabbed her. Elizabeth only smiled slightly, watching Astrid behind the creature preparing to rain blows on the sloth. The sloth howled in anger at the assault, and tried to bite at Elizabeth, but before it could, Bellsin plunged his spear into one of the open wounds and the sloth shook and fell.

The mound was empty, save for half-eaten bodies in various stages of decay. Then Bellsin found a slender wand tossed in a corner. Kris immediately noticed the markings of St. Cuthbert on it. It’s magic was spent but it had been a wand of healing.

The last room in the cave was different from the rest. It was covered with a rambling sprawl written in giant. It was a long monologue about Gorg, self-proclaimed lord of this area after the tribe was separated. Gorg came here with the greatest treasure, the silver plate – the last vestige of treasure from the ancient masters and symbol of his leadership. The others in the tribe rejected him and his leadership and went some other direction. 

“Sir Alek had the plate,” Bellsin commented. “I’ll wager Alek found the ogre, and killed him and took the plate. He used up his healing wand in the process.” It was logical – the sloth probably moved in after the ogre was dead. 

The day was getting late, so we made camp here. The reputation of the sloth might help make for an uneventful night, and we moved out enough of the carrion so that the place was less revolting.

The night was quiet, except for a visitor during the first watch. Bellsin and Kris were up when we heard the flapping of large wings. “Oh no, it’s the dragon,” I thought. Fortunately I was wrong.

Silence filled the jungle as a creature with large feathered wings descended in front of the cave entrance. She had pale white skin and silvery eyes and wore light robes. She bore a sword that looked like a starry night. 

She said in a quiet but clear voice “May I speak to Bellsin please?”

“An angel?” Bellsin said quietly to Kris.

“Technically, a movanic deva, a powerful astral being,” Kris replied. 

I moved closer – she was either unaware or unconcerned about me. Bellsin stepped closer too, and she spoke quickly.

“Greetings. I cannot stay long. I’ve come to speak to both of you. Your memories will soon return Bellsin and soon you will understand the mark you bear.” She waved her hand and the mark of Carceri, the prison plane, appeared on Bellsin’s face. “Powerful forces of chaos and evil are on the move. I dare not remain here long lest my presence attract the attention of those forces or of the Judges. But I could not let you march into danger without warning. The Lord of the Demonskar knows of your approach and he and his minions prepare for your arrival. Just as they will with you, they did with Alek before you. You must remain resolute. Alek Tercival must be saved or Redgorge and perhaps even Cauldron are doomed. In the past invited danger by violating certain restrictions. Would that I could help you again this time but recently my shield has been removed. I have no aid to offer you but knowledge now.”

“In past ages, I provided Surabar Spellmason a powerful weapon to assist him in his conflict with the Lord of the Demonskar. This was Alakast, a quarterstaff infused with an undying hatred of the fiends of the outer rifts. It is a weapon of great power. Unfortunately Alakast was stolen centuries ago, ripped from the Spellmason’s tomb by graverobbers. From there it fell into hands of unspeakable forces. But do not despair – it is fated that Alakast will be wielded again against the Lord of the Demonskar. It has found its way to you, but you must claim it. Seek it in the lair of my false sisters, beyond the watchful eyes of the north. That is all I’m at liberty to say. I promise your memories will begin to return to you soon but this is in part because I cannot shield you from those who hunt you much longer.”

“I will try to aid you in the future as best I can but my time is almost done. If you save Sir Alek, you will know what to do next. I wish you well. Never lose sight of your goals and beware the Cages, for they seek to put you in one. If they succeed in that, Cauldron dies.”

With that, she sheathed her sword and flapped her wings once. She shot into the air, and the in a shimmer, disappeared.

Bellsin and Kris looked at each other, unsure of what to say next.

“Should we wake the others?” Kris finally said.

“Hm. No, let ‘em sleep. We can tell them in the morning.”

In the morning the reactions were much the same as the night before – stunned silence. So we set off into the jungle again.

After some more travel, the jungle ended abruptly. To the north we could see clouds roiling above the horizon, and a jagged scar of a chasm opened in the ground, surrounded by razor sharp volcanic glass and stone. 

“The Demonskar,” Maris said in a whisper. 

“I didn’t realize we were going to the Demonskar,” Glyph said.

“I didn’t realize there actually _was_ a ‘Demonskar’” Elizabeth noted.

There were ruined structures around and in the Demonskar, protruding like broken fingers from a shattered grave. Nearby one large structure pushed out of the black earth – a large pipe. Since the map lead into the pipe, that’s where we went.

The pipe itself was remarkable and made from a metal Elizabeth didn’t recognize. Everyone put their heads together and concluded the pipe was made of isometril – an exotic metal that comes from some other plane. Intact it would be priceless, but the metal was somehow… corrupted. 

We entered the pipe and promptly got lost. The map on the silver artifact was simplistic, and suggested there were only a few turns to be made. But the interior of the pipe had many more options than that, and it wasn’t long before we were lost and had to backtrack.

“Maybe we need to think more like an ogre,” Bellsin noted. “If we only look at turns that are large enough for an ogre to consider, it might work.” 

Bellsin was right, and with that frame of reference he lead us flawlessly until we emerged out of the miles of pipework. As we emerged we saw a wide pit littered with jagged rocks and puddles of caustic fluids. A crudely carved wide stairway descended into the pit and curved around out of sight. But stranger was the humming sound – an odd low noise that would start and stop at irregular intervals. The noise increased substantially once we exited the pipe, and it was so loud as to make metal and crystal vibrate with the intensity. The noise seemed to come from the two giant metal tubes protruding straight up from the far side of the pit – two chimneys but unlike any conventional chimney.

We descended the crude stairs. They were clearly built for creatures larger than us, and we used a series of ropes to help keep from sliding off the edge. The toxic fumes became overpowering at times, and Glyph and Maris had to stop climbing occasionally due to the nausea. 

The passage out of the pit was blocked by a large iron portcullis. Above was a small cave hardly big enough for a gnome that might lead to the other side. The portcullis itself looked old but cared for and likely operational.

“If we can find the mechanism maybe we can open it?” Glyph said. “If not I might be able to rust it apart.”

“Hm. I’ll see if I can’t find the mechanism first,” Elizabeth said. Elizabeth focused for a moment, and there was a sound on the wind like fresh rain. Elizabeth faded and became wispy and ghost like, and with a grin walked through the portcullis and floated upward.

And then stopped suddenly. _There’s an ogre up there. No make that a giant. He’s hefting rocks waiting for us._ I relayed to Astrid. _I could try to take him out but I’m not sure that’s a good idea by myself. He’s sitting right at the opening mechanism.[i/]

The giant knew someone was down there, but from where he was he couldn’t see who and was wondering what was taking so long.

“Kaismo, did you whistle?” the giant yelled out.

Astrid understood him and figured there was little to lose by trying. “Yes, me whistled.”

“You not Muggo!” the giant yelled. “You intruders!”

Astrid shrugged and stepped into view. “Muggo sent me.”

“Me not believe you,” the giant said.

“Fine, not believe me, but when boss hears, you be in big trouble like you never seen before.”

The giant thought for a moment then made a painful show of trying to be clever. “What boss’ name then? Who send you?”

Astrid went for broke. “Nabthateron,” she said calmly.

The giant was immediately cowed. “Me open gate.”

Once the gate was open, the giant tried to be helpful. “Me haven’t seen the paladin.”

“And when did you last see him?” Astrid asked quickly.

“Hm. Um. Me let him through… not seen him since the last time.” The giant clearly had been left orders about the paladin – to allow him through. 

“And when was that?” Astrid drove her point home hard by assuming the form of a skulven. Elizabeth was close enough to hear the giant under his breath trying to understand the party “Ghosty, demon, eyrines… me hate eyrines…” 

The giant snapped up at the question. “Not see him for several days. Go in, not come out.”

“Then we will go find him,” Astrid declared.

“You want me to tell the hags?” the giant said, clearly dreading the task.

“No. I will tell them.” Astrid said, to the giant’s relief.

As we walked deeper into the fortress, the gate closed behind us with resounding finality._


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*Update coming soonish*

We played last weekend and will play again Friday. 
Last session was one long battle and Zad wants to have more to write about before posting the story hour.
Trust me in that the battle last weekend was FUN! We are really coming together as a group. 
A quote "YOU GUYS SUCK! KEEP MOVING! wHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? i HATE YOU GUYS!"


----------



## ThoughtBubble

Thanks for the update! I'm enjoying the story hour and looking forward to more.


----------



## WizarDru

I would look for a longish update next week.  While the previous session was a Incredible Combat of Unusual Size (ICUS), it wouldn't necessarily translate well into a whole story hour chapter.  There were story points of note, but they'll make more sense after the party attacks a few other items this time out.

It is possible that we will conclude Demonskar Legacy tonight.  With a TPK? Why not?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Woo Hoo TPK!

I could go for a Total Party Kielbasa. Lets get our Polish on!


----------



## Greybar

> ... after the party attacks a few other items ...




TPK'd by animated objects.  So sad.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Well it looks like the TPK will have to wait until we play next. But I'm getting my Warforged Incarnate ready just in case. YEASH!
/Looks at the picture again.  Cries and puts the book down.


----------



## Zad

*Demonskar Legacy - Chapter 4 and 5*

*Demonskar Legacy – Chapter 4 and 5*

Author’s Note: 
For assorted reasons, I didn’t write up chapter 4 after it happened as is my habit. So I’m doing these together. 

OOC Notes:
Exp from chapter 3 was 2450.
Exp for chapter 4 is 5200. Most party members become 9th level.
Exp for chapter 5 is 4630. Those of you good at math will realize that puts most of us at 10th. 

Loot:
280gp
4300sp
12 pieces of amber, 100gp ea
+1 arrow deflection light metal shield
Wand of lightning bolt CL 7, 14 charges
2 jugs of 10 doses of alchemist fire each
Wand of displacement 11 charges
+1 warhammer (large creature)
+3 chain shirt (large creature)
A nice dagger
Wand of cure serious, 22 charges
Wand of dispel magic, 18 charges (CL 5)
Parts of the silver and platinum cage
3 rings of protection +2
disembodied eyeball gemstone from hags
5 golden baboon masks
staff
130gp
Full set of silverware
Golden armband 120gp
Scroll – CL 14, prying eyes, greater dispel magic, sequester
Necklace of fireballs, level undetermined
2 potions cure serious
4 potions cure moderate
Mace +1 light mace
10 carpets


This Week’s Adventure:
We made our way to the interior of the fortress. Large disks on the ceiling would start glowing as we approached, which made it easy to see but also made it pretty obvious we were coming. The first large chamber was some kind of melted meeting room.

I say “melted” because the most notable fixture looked like it had been warped and twisted when it was new and then suffered more indignities from there. It was either some kind of table with bizarre chairs, or a sculpture from an artist who had gone insane.

In the next room, there was a font – two hands cradled a globe from which flowed a purple liquid which flowed down graceful columns and into a basin. A chalice sat on the rim of the font, inviting any and all to partake. The liquid showed traces of magic, but the font itself radiated with powerful enchantments. Glyph took a sample of the liquid for later examination but otherwise we left the entire thing alone.

We crept through a few other rooms, several with caved-in passages. One passage reflected a flickering blue light, and occasional banging could be heard. We slipped quietly down the hall (well as quietly as we could) and saw a forge. Against one wall was a pile of smashed anvils, as if they were used until they broke from stress and then were tossed aside. 

Then a large hand reached around from out of view and lobbed a piece of anvil at Bellsin as a deep voice yelled “We’re under attack! The Blue Tyger Legion is here!”

A giant of a… well… giant stepped into view, reaching for a warhammer leaning against an intact anvil. His reddish skin and orange beard marked him as a fire giant, and one that would not fall easily. I looked back down the corridor, and saw a group of ettins gaining momentum and readying to hit us from behind.

“We’ll take the giant,” Astrid waved. “Maris, slow down those ettins.” The giant just smiled, and used a small wand to cause his image to shift and waver.

Maris took that literally, and in a moment the ettins were moving like they were stuck in tar. One ettin seemed to have escaped the effect, but he was stuck in the back and could be heard bellowing “Will you guys move!?!?” To make it more complicated, Maris then filled the corridor with sticky webbing, and the slowed giants were bogged down even further. Only the last giant was free of the goo.

“I hate you guys.”

Maris giggled.

The girls moved in on the giant, bolstered by assorted magics. Grinder had gotten close first, and the giant brought his hammer down and smashed the construct very nearly flat in one blow.  Astrid drew first blood on the giant, but the giant then struck back, smashing armor and ribs alike. Kris was ready and quickly healed her to keep her from being killed in the next attack. Bellsin, cloaked by an earlier spell, stepped in and at his touch the shifting images around the giant stabilized and were gone. Elizabeth then cut deep into the giant’s leg, but he spun around bringing his hammer in a long arc around to make contact, and Elizabeth was thrown back into the anvil and collapsed on the ground. The giant couldn’t very well ignore Astrid though and that allowed Kris the chance to get to Elizabeth and keep her from getting any closer to death’s door. It cost him a glancing blow from the giant but he managed to save Elizabeth.

The moment was all Astrid needed, and she brought her halberd deep into the giant’s midsection. He was beaten and bloody and the blow sent him reeling and let Astrid swing low to his ankle, bringing him down for the final blow to the head.

The ettins were… having a tough time of it. The first of them were breaking through the webbing, and Astrid tried to take advantage of their confusion and the bad view they had. She took on the appearance of the giant (albeit smaller).

“Form up and kill them! They cursed me!” she called in giantish.

The ettins, seeing an opportunity to attack their hated master, roared and charged Astrid. For her part, she merely shrugged and moved back around the corner where our line was setting up anyway. “Worth a try,” she shrugged.

Before ducking behind our line, Maris left the giants a parting gift – a lightning bolt. Then she slipped behind the girls and waited for them to come charging in.

Bellsin had a thought and had gone to the body of the fire giant looking for the wand he had used, but it wasn’t there. He thought quickly and cast a spell, and then could see a small mephit, skulking away with the wand in hand. It looked over it’s shoulder at Bellin who tapped his foot. “Wand. Now,” he said, pointing at the floor.

The mephit thought only briefly, then smiled a big, overdone smile. He placed the wand on the floor and then started backing away. Quickly. Bellsin waved a hand dismissing him and the creature skittered away.

By now the ettins came around the corner and crashed into a fighting line set to receive them. Weakened as they were, and moving slowly besides, they really didn’t stand much chance. The girls cut down each one as they arrived, supported by Kris, Maris and Glyph. By the time the idea of retreat settled into one of their addled heads, it was already too late.

With the dust settled we looked around a bit. Just as we were looking down one hall, a group of four hill giants popped out on the other end. They braced for a moment, then they looked past us and saw the fallen ettins. There was a quick exchange of glances as the Blue Tygers started moving closer and then the giants lowered their weapons. 

“Ah… we just go now, ok?” one said in broken Common.

Astrid replied in giant. “You leave. Now. And take only what you’re carrying now.”

The giants nodded eagerly. “We go!”

After some looking around to determine the area was safe, we examined the forge in more detail. The forge itself was magical and incredibly hot. While this was interesting, it was overshadowed by the cage. 

A cage  around eight foot square had been constructed. It was made of isometril and silver and platinum and was etched with arcane markings. It had a large hoop structurally linked to the top, as if the cage was designed to be hung from something.

When she touched the cage, Maris stopped cold. A moment later she shook out of it.

“I saw… something. A vision, like the others. I saw Bellsin in bone shackles hanging from a tree in an iron cage. Above the tree, there was a big gash, like a rip in space. The other side looked like Hell.”

“It may be worse than that,” commented Glyph. He and Elizabeth had been carefully examining the cage’s construction. “There are markings here – not the arcane ones. It looks like this was a prototype. I think the giant was using this one as a guide to make more.” Elizabeth nodded in silent agreement with Glyph’s assessment.

“It would be unwise for us to explore much more here without resting first, and this seems as safe a place as any. See what you can learn about this thing.” Astrid said.

“I think we should take it with us,” Elizabeth said. “That way Maris and Glyph can research the arcane scrawlings later, and the materials themselves are valuable. And that way we eliminate the prototype and perhaps even learn how to break them later. With the forge here, I think we can take it apart without too much trouble.”

Glyph and Elizabeth spent a few hours taking apart the cage. It went slowly at first but then once they broke the main structure the rest came apart readily enough. They carefully marked the pieces so they could reassemble it if need be and stored it in a magical backpack.

Several hour’s rest was enough to refresh everyone. Except Elizabeth. 

“This is wrong,” she told me. “This is not good. Did you see that thing?” She meant the fire giant.

“Yes, I saw it,” I told her. “What about it?” I was calm, because she was not. She needed some ‘calm’ right now.

“This is not fit work for a mercenary company. Standing up to a giant who can kill me in one stroke is NOT what I signed up for,” she hissed.

“Technically, you didn’t sign up for anything as I recall,” I replied. “You were asked for help. Should you have said no?”

“Maybe. I don’t think we’re strong enough for this. We’re not heroes here. We’re just some random people,” she said. What she meant was “I’m just a farm girl.”

_“What did Wulfgar used to say to you? ‘A hero is scared too, but they go ahead and do what needs doing anyway.’ To these people you are a hero. You act. You do what they cannot even if it is dangerous.” _ There was no need to keep speaking out loud so I thought directly to her.

_”I’m scared.”_ she thought quietly.

_”I know,”_ I thought, projecting reassurance. _”But are you scared of what you fight, or of what you’re becoming? Of what _we’re_ becoming?”_

_”I don’t understand that either. When Damalast passed through camp and showed me things, I thought it was just minor magic. Simple spells. And when he showed me how to make you, I thought it was partly my imagination. But now it’s all swirling around, like an itch in my mind that I can’t quite remember. It’s all happening so fast.”_

_”We’re not magic. Maris’ and Glyph’s reactions make that clear enough. They’re not sure what to make of you.”_ I said. _”That scares you?”_

_”I just don’t know what to think any more. I don’t know where this is going. I thought I’d be swinging a sword but there’s more,”_  Elizabeth thought. 

_”Then maybe we need to find someone to talk to who understands this better, if that will make you feel better about it. But we can’t just leave this place, or ignore what’s happening around us. You know that.”_

_”I know,”_ she thought, trying to be strong and yet giving in at the same time.

We spent some time in meditation after that, and she calmed down. She had a moment amidst the swirling colors and music that exist inside her mind where she refused to be swept along and instead demanded beauty and harmony, and the colors and sounds obeyed. After that she slept much better.

The “morning” came, and we returned to the task of finding Sir Alek. We made our way back to the sculpture room to explore another passage, but someone was waiting for us. As we entered the room, the lights came up, and there was a soft swelling of music as if a choir sang in the distance. On the table-like thing, three angelic figures stood, smiling at us. The center one bore a chalice.

The center angel spoke. “Thank you noble warriors. You have removed the evil taint of the fire giant and his horde. This ancient and sacred site has been relieved of their evil. This place is an oasis in the heart of the Demonskar, now cleansed of their vile touch.”

Elizabeth made out a medallion of Pelor on the neck of one of the angels, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The cynicism was palpable among the Blue Tygers. Not a single one of them believed a word of it. The angels seemed not to notice, as the team moved in and spread out slightly.

“This is the nectar of the gods – we offer it to you as reward for your brave actions,” the middle one said. 

“Uh huh,” Kris said coolly. Bellsin, being closer, peered into the chalice skeptically, while a ringing single tone in the air marked Elizabeth summoning her invisible shield.

I honestly can’t tell you what happened here. The Blue Tyger Legion may be many things, but “good actors” is not one of them. They didn’t believe these were angels, and I can’t believe that didn’t show. The “angels” were either persistent or very dim. Only when Kris waved his hand with the calm words of a spell designed to reveal toxins did the charade finally waver.

One let out a heavy sigh. “Enough sisters. It is clear they do not believe it.” All at once, the illusion fell away, revealing three shriveled old women. They had green skin, kelp-like hair, and deep scars on their faces and their lower bodies were like crickets. One of them spat a few words and glowing walls appeared around Elizabeth and Maris.

Kris uttered a quick prayer, energizing everyone’s weapons. Maris turned to Elizabeth. “I can get us out of here.”

“Then do it,” Elizabeth said.

“Well it’s just that… that is to say I *think* I can. I had an idea last night. But I haven’t tried it yet,” Maris said.

Elizabeth held up a hand. “I’m not sure I want to know any more. Let’s just try it.”

Maris said a few short syllables, and they disappeared and reappeared behind one of the hags. Maris looked incredibly pleased. Elizabeth just looked relieved.

The hag spun on them and clawed at Elizabeth but missed. There was a third eye in a hole gouged in the hag’s hand.

The middle sister was wearing a tiara with an eye set in the middle. The eye gazed at Glyph and he fell under the spell and began screaming and running.

The sisters were a menace but with Astrid and Elizabeth close, and support from Maris and Kris, they were in over their heads. The first hag fell quickly, and the second was injured by spellfire in a matter of seconds. Bellsin’s talents were particularly suited to the occasion and he was making the most of them. Soon there was only one injured hag left and she fled down the hallway and turned invisible.

Which doesn’t really help when Maris fills the hallway with webbing. The Blue Tygers ran down the trapped hag and sent her to join her sisters.

“Not too bright were they,” remarked Astrid.

“I might have been born at night, but it wasn’t *last* night,” replied Bellsin dryly.

The hags carried little, but the eyeball in the tiara was actually a gemstone. That and some magic rings were all they seemed to possess. They must have a lair here somewhere, and some exploration found it nearby. The scribblings on the door in dung and blood served as a pretty good indicator.

The room was actually fairly pleasant, with colorful carpets and tapestries and three beds. In one corner a large loom sat with a half-finished project. As we entered, piles of bones beside the beds swirled and animated, becoming six-armed skeletons. Each held a large five-sided mirror in its lower arms.

Elizabeth paused a moment, then raised the eyeball-gem high and waved it at them. They stopped in place. She said “Stand down” and the skeletons broke back apart into piles of bones and remained there.

Elizabeth nodded approvingly as Bellsin simply said “Nice.”

We moved in and searched the room carefully. Bellsin was drawn to a set of masks hanging on the wall. They were golden baboon masks much like the one we had seen at Tygot’s. 

“… search behind the eyes…” he whispered to himself as he lifted the masks off the wall. Behind one was a small switch that revealed a large hidden compartment. Inside there was a box, six feet long and made of cherry wood and ornately carved. It carried holy symbols from half a dozen religions and was a work of art. Of course the case was nothing compared to what lay inside.

The case opened easily and held a staff of white wood nestled in velvet. It was covered in golden symbols and glowed with a soft white light. To no one’s surprise, carved down the side was the word “Alakast”. 

Bellsin set the case on a table, and touched the staff. There was a jolt of power, and he jerked upright. The symbol of Carceri on his face burned with a bright fire. The sting passed quickly and he felt Alakast’s power cascading through him. He knew that each head was different, and whomever took up Alakast could unlock more of its power. Through it, he felt a burning hunger to destroy demons and devils and of course, Nabthateron.

Bellsin released the staff, and the symbol on his face once again faded away.

Glyphandar asked to see the staff, and noticed that the heads were carved with the words “Mind” and “Body”. When he touched the staff, he felt the power but not so directly as Bellsin.

Astrid touched the staff and had much the same experience as Bellsin. She could feel the holy mission of the staff.

Kris tried next. When he touched it, the ground around him glowed and a wind blew gently from nowhere. He could feel the holy power and a growing intelligence. 

Elizabeth also tried, but the reaction was different. As her hand neared the staff, there was a keening wail coming from nowhere in particular. It was a piercing noise that shot through me, and through her, though nobody else seemed to hear it. As her fingers touched the wood, the noise wavered, as if a musical instrument was almost but not quite in tune. The sound shrieked and hovered about trying to find harmony for a moment before Elizabeth pulled her hand away and the noise faded. 

“Well you were destined to find it,” remarked Kris. 

“But not necessarily wield it,” Bellsin agreed. “I think that remains to be seen yet.”

The case was closed and we resumed searching the room. Once done we continued looking for Sir Alek.

Off the throne room there was hallway with a unique room. There was a large mirror built into one wall with a white marble chair facing it. The mirror was filled with pinpoints of light like stars. The ceiling was a large dome with four sides. As we entered there was movement from the chair, and the worn and haggard image of Sir Alek stared at us.

“Have you come? Am I… Are you just a product of my madness? Cauldron is in great danger. I’ve been trapped here,” he said, almost raving. “The mirror trapped me – I was trying to discern its power – to understand… But your arrival seems to have broken the spell.”

There was some wariness. “What kind of danger is Cauldron in?” Maris asked.

“I wasn’t strong enough, or maybe smart enough, to understand the power of the mirror. I thought I could. You fought your way here though, you might be able to,” he said, not really answering.

Astrid looked into the mirror. In the room in the reflection, there were doors on each side of the room. Inside she could make out the reflection of another Sir Alek. In a shifting image, she saw three strange creatures with long wicked daggers moving cautiously. Upon seeing Sir Alek, she became even more suspicious of the being sitting before us. Instinctively everyone started fingering weapons and Sir Alek looked nervous. 

He held up his hands. “Wait. Please,” he said. His image shifted to resemble one of the creatures in the mirror. “I mean you no harm. My name is Gaflon. What do you want here? Are you here to destroy the mirror?”

“No. We are looking for Sir Alek,” Astrid said, pointing at the image in the mirror. “Nothing more.”

Gaflon relaxed visibly, and so did we. “My people are from the plane of mirrors. The spellweavers constructed this mirror in ages past. My people cannot pass through it however, but the one you seek lies within.”

“Do you know much of this place?” Glyph asked.

Gaflon shrugged. “I know some. It is an old place. Many enter the mirror and do not return.”

As a test, Glyph held up the vial of purple liquid from the fountain. “And what does this do?” 

Gaflon said “It is an elixir of the spellweavers for their ogre slaves. It makes you stronger, but also weaker – more easily controlled. I understand it is also addictive. The spellweavers were careful masters. The fluid cannot last more than an hour outside the Demonskar.”

While they were speaking, Astrid touched the mirror. The surface was at first unyielding, but then rippled and allowed her finger to enter.

“I mean you no harm. I only ask that you do not harm the mirror. My people cannot pass through but we do get certain… benefits. I can tell you your friend has been there for many days and is starting to lose his grip on reality,” Gaflon said.

Astrid agreed. “We will not damage the mirror intentionally. We only want to release our friend. If we can do that without damaging the mirror, we will.”

Gaflon was satisfied. “I believe you. And I do not think you could damage it unintentionally,” he smiled. “If you are on the plane of mirrors, offer my name and I shall vouch for you.” He approached the mirror and it shimmered differently for him and he passed through and disappeared.

We spent some time studying the carvings on the floor, and also the silver plate that had led us here. Elizabeth and Bellsin seemed to have some ideas on how things might work but it was going to take some experimentation. It was agreed that everyone would have to pass through so they might stay together.

Astrid went first, and the room she entered resembled the one she left, save for five new doorways, each a different color. A rope tied to her to keep the group together fell slack as soon as she passed through.

Glyph went next and appeared in the same room yet different. The colored doorways were different colors but with the same overall theme.

Elizabeth and Bellsin entered next. It soon became apparent that they could hear each other but not perceive each other in any other way. Elizabeth and Bellsin each set off going through different colored doorways, trying two different theories of how to use the key in the silver plate.

Bellsin turned out to be right, and after passing through several doors in sequence he appeared in an ancient room that appeared to be part of a temple. The air was cooler and drier, and a massive set of iron double doors filled an archway. Crumpled on the floor was Sir Alek. He seemed starved or dehydrated and not entirely in his right mind. He had no supplies, just his sword and armor. As Bellsin examined him, he grabbed his collar suddenly.

“When the final cage is shackled, the burning doom shall RISE!” he cried out. “Stuck here! Trapped! It’s one way!”

We gathered up the rest of the group, talking them through the proper sequence of doors to take and soon we were all with Sir Alek and Kris examined him.

“He’s not starving,” Kris said. “I think that magic ring of his is feeding him. But he’s not well either.”

“Beware the unseen mark! Beware the eyes that kill!” Alek raved. “The angels – they sent me here.”

“Sir Alek,” Elizabeth commanded. “Snap out of it. They weren’t angels. You were deceived by an illusion.”

To my slight surprise, this actually seemed to bring him around a little. “They were… weren’t angels?”

“No,” she said flatly. “Now get up. We need your help.”

“Been here weeks,” he said, calming down.

The mirror from this side was solid and unpassable. The only way out was the large iron doors. From the scratches and marks, it seemed Sir Alek had tried to open them but simply lacked the strength.

Looking at the doors, Maris gasped. She saw another vision – smoking wings, a burning eye. And the large iron door that was already before us. She had the definite sense something unpleasant was beyond the doors.

As the girls braced to open the doors, Sir Alek yelled “He’s coming! He’s coming now!”

The girls exchanged a look and shrugged it off. And they heaved.

The doors opened to a large set of stairs rising up twenty feet. Standing casually at the top waited a large demon. 

“At last! The Blue Tyger Legion brings my pretty to me. Tercival has been a good toy, but this ends now. You will die here in this desert alone and Tercival is not going anywhere. And now you will die.”

At least the costume party taught us how to recognize Nabthateron.


----------



## Zad

Didn't get time to do an edit and cleanup pass. It's probably a mess. C'est la vie.


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> At least the costume party taught us how to recognize Nabthateron.




And thus the prophecy of the two mayors dancing once again comes to pass.

Not unlike the encounter of a beholder with a first level party, the party was somewhat dumbfounded here: "_....wait, THE Nabthatoron?  *NOW?*  Not an illusion or something?_"


Astute readers will take note that this is actually two sessions combined into one story entry.  The first session, while action-packed and exciting, was one REALLY long fight with the Giant and Ettins.  Good game....made for a boring story hour entry, though, unless you just want blow for blow stuff.

Fans of the original module (or at least folks who've read them) will note that this plays out considerably differently in certain places than the written copy.  Expect that to happen more and more often as we go.  As we reach more advanced levels, I'm interested in making the more 'Meepite' elements of the campaign setting assert themselves.

Folks who aren't long-time readers dating back to the previous story hour may wonder what the heck Isometril is.  You could check out this story entry  for details.  Two (or really eight) specialty materials exist in this campaign world: Isometril (white and black) and Vitaesis (multiple colors).  The spell-weavers used the material extensively, but the magical fallout and corruption of the material seen in the Demonskar renders it wholly unusable (which is why it remains).


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Zad said:
			
		

> Bellsin, cloaked by an earlier spell, stepped in and at his touch the shifting images around the giant stabilized and were gone.



While this did happen; Zad must have forgotten a move from Glyf. 
When we were 3rd level Glyf had made a few druid scrolls. In his background it is pointed out that his Uncle (Hawthornseed Trillian) is a druid that Glyf stayed with as a child (After Shattersday and his siblings were all killed) and learned what the capabilities of nature magic were; so I had him create some druid scrolls. (metagaming a bit as I'm so used to the spells from my days as Bolo.)
Anyway The giant was displaced and I remembered I had a scroll of Faerie fire so I cast it while the others laughed at me. Until I men tioned what it did to the giants spell and they looked at me like I had done something right for a change.   

Belsins attack gained him fire resistance from the giant.


----------



## Zad

Zad's notes were thin, Zad's memory was equally thin from a week-old session. Zad made up something that sounded plausible  

Happens all the time.

For instance, I often forget Glyph's gender, and so I flip a coin to see what he'll be that week.


----------



## Aethramyr

Well, if you're going to correct him, might as well set the record straight.

Fairy Fire - True. Glyf did FF the giant.

Bellsin's attack, however, DID take the giant's Displacement. And the Resistance. 2 for 1 sale on stealing stuff.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I forgot that. 

I wasn't 'correcting' Zad as much as making Glyf look a bit more competent than he comes off in this story hour.


----------



## Zad

I'm finding my notes are being a little lacking generally. I can remember things got killed, but I'm not doing as good a job tracking support moves nor at writing them up if I did note them. It's something I'm working on as an author.


----------



## Blacklamb

I've caught up.

Excellent writing of course, grats Zad on getting me hooked on another of your story hours!   

Question for Glyph's Player. You're and Artificer and Alchemical Savant.
Are these both classes in the Eberon book?

I lack this book, but I think I might love the class, deciding on if I am going to check it out.
Any other words/opinions about the Eberon book before I make a final decision.

Also I think some people are lagging on the Rogues gallery posts! I seem to recall there being more than Glyph and Elizabeth in the party.


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## Argent Silvermage

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> Question for Glyph's Player. You're and Artificer and Alchemical Savant.
> Are these both classes in the Eberon book?
> I seem to recall there being more than Glyph and Elizabeth in the party.




Last thing first... There is really no one other than Glyf. The whole Universe revolves around him.

The Artificer is a core class in the Ebberon Campaign setting.
The Alchemist Savant is from Magic of Ebberon. It's a 5 level PRC and it can (and should) be taken at low levels to be most effective.
You can meet all of the requirements for it by 6th level. so go to Artificer 5/ Alchemist Savant 1 as a 6th level choice.
And take the pointblank shot and precise shot feats if you can. then Grenadier and Mad Alchemist feats from PHB2
You will be a fire tossing magic making God/dess.


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## Blacklamb

Sounds like loads of fun!


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## Argent Silvermage

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> Sounds like loads of fun!



If I ever get a chance to "retrofit" Glyf I would start with the AS a lot sooner. my problem is I wasn't thinking of the ability of "spellvials" it will blow you away when you think about the power it gives you to buff and heal from distance.
Add a packmate homunculus who is able to throw potions and you're all set to take on the world.


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## Zad

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> I've caught up.
> 
> Excellent writing of course, grats Zad on getting me hooked on another of your story hours!
> 
> ...
> 
> Also I think some people are lagging on the Rogues gallery posts! I seem to recall there being more than Glyph and Elizabeth in the party.




Thanks very much. I try hard to make it worth reading but I'm well aware some days I hit it better than others.

As for the rogue's gallery, I mostly refreshed mine as a backup precaution. Recently my laptop had issues and I couldn't get to a copy of Elizabeth's sheet. Steps have been taken to prevent that happening again, but I wanted a copy somewhere else.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*Saturday*

We play this Saturday. Thank Pelor!
These 3 week off times are gonna kill me. 

Now I need to put a question to our readers... I don't think Nabthateron is the main villien. He's powerful but how is he getting past the judges?


----------



## Zad

*The Test of the Smoking Eye - Chapter 1*

*The Test of the Smoking Eye*

*The Test of the Smoking Eye – Chapter 1*

OOC Notes: 
Experience is 1000xp for 10th, and I didn’t see how much for 9th. That’s for those that lived. 

This Week’s Adventure:
Sir Alek snarled “The baboons may wait for their empire to return, but I shall not, fiend!” and charged up the stairs. 

Nabthateron looked merely amused, and smacked him casually to the side with a huge clawed hand. Sir Alek was thrown back against the wall with a spray of blood. With another hand, he made an absent gesture, and gravity wobbled and then released everyone in the stairway and we all floated towards the ceiling and bobbed there.

Astrid began using her halberd to pull her way closer to Nabthateron. She managed to pull herself just out of the magical field and fell to the ground with a clatter. Nabthateron swing at her as she fell, but he made too big a show of it and his stroke went high.

Everyone else took advantage of the casual pace Nabthateron set to cast whatever protective magic they could muster. 

“You realize this is entirely futile, don’t you?” Nabthateron asked bemusedly.

In response, a pale green ray lanced up the stairs and struck him in the chest, visibly weakening him. He seemed irked by this but tried to play it off. “Ah, Maris. Your power has grown nicely. Tell me dear, do you crave more? More dark secrets to make you even more powerful? I can arrange it… for a price. Have you asked your master how he came by his power? Vortimax Weir found my offer promising – I can do much for you as well.”

Sir Alek used his divine power to heal himself, and just in time too. Nabthateron rolled his eyes and brought two hands over his head and smashed them down. As he did, a fel energy built up in them and smashed into the floor crashing out in waves. The energy made an impact on everyone but Alek and Glyph reeled the most from it. 

Elizabeth finally worked her way out of the gravity field, with me pushing as best I could to help. She landed on her feet and swung at Nabthateron but her falchion clattered off a magical force protecting him. Bellsin tried to take advantage of the moment and jabbed at the demon, but he too was deflected.

Without turning, Nabthateron said “Ah, that would be Bellsin. You’ll find I’m more difficult to defeat than your Ekbiri demons.”

Nabthateron was easily dodging blows from Astrid and Elizabeth and reached over to snatch up Alek by the throat. “Ah poor Alek. It was so easy to convince the hags to delude you into doing my bidding. Now Redgorge will fall, and maybe even Cauldron will burn. Perhaps I’ll rally an army – you’ve re-engaged my curiosity.” And with a casual twist of his wrist, he snapped Alek’s neck and let his limp body fall to the floor.

He turned to the rest of us. “I could kill you, but it’s far more satisfying to watch you waste away and die. Perhaps I’ll come back and offer you an alternative. I’m sure one of you will consider accepting an offer of power. One of you can survive with Alek’s ring, assuming you kill the others to get it. Oh, Sir Alek had the right idea, but then your kind always do.” 

“So you’re just going to toy with us and walk away?” Kris asked.

“Ah the man of gods. Yes, that’s just what I plan to do. Ah how Jenya will cry when you tell her how you failed to save him. Oh but that’s right, _you’ll never see her again._”

Kris responded with a single holy word and a column of flame descended on the demon, but he just laughed even as he batted aside Elizabeth’s blade.

Bellsin tried a different tack and jabbed at Nabthateron with Alakast. One side of the demon’s mouth curled up in amusement. “My my, what do you plan to do with that boy?” and the demon turned the ancient weapon aside.

Maris managed to get her slowing spell to penetrate the demon’s defenses and he adopted a peeved expression. Bellsin tossed Alakast to Astrid who caught it even as she brought her halberd down in a fierce one-handed smash and struck true with a solid blow. Nabthateron, while wounded, was far from desperate.

“Impressive. You may have potential, if you survive. If you manage to escape, we’ll meet again, changeling.”

Nabthateron paused briefly, then continued. “They don’t even know, do they?” He smiled, and vanished in a swirl of flames.

There was a silence in the air as everyone braced for another attack. When it was clear it wouldn’t be coming, nobody quite knew what to do.

As Kris moved to examine Sir Alek, the body began glowing with a soft light. It floated up off the floor and light gushed out from the eyes and mouth and the body spoke with a voice of another.

“There is naught left for you in Cauldron to return to, heroes. If you return, you enter your own graves and bring doom on all you love. Trust the sign of the Smoking Eye if you wish to save them all.” The voice was that of the angel Nidrama. 

“Weren’t we warned away from the eye before?” Glyph asked.

There was no response. Instead the body then gently floated to the floor and landed in a restful pose. Unfortunately he was still very dead.

“Well,” Kris said quietly, “I think I may be able to bring him back to life. Provided he’s willing. But it’s difficult and I don’t have the rather expensive diamond dust needed.”

“You can do that?” Astrid asked.

“I think I can, now, Phaulkon willing,” he said modestly.

Bellsin went out past the hole in the wall that had been obscured by Nabthateron’s towering presence. Beyond was a vast desert. There was nothing but sand in every direction as far as the eye could see. “Wherever we are, I don’t think it’s near Cauldron any more.”

“The mirror was probably a spellweaver transportation device and this may be all that’s left of the destination,” Glyph said. 

“I can teleport now,” Maris said, “but I’m not sure where we are, and I don’t think I can take us all in any event, assuming we’re still even on our own plane.”

“I think we are,” said Glyph, consulting a small crystal. “But I couldn’t say where.”

“So we either take on the desert and die starving, or starve here and wait for Nabthateron to return?” Astrid said.

“Well, I’m not sure about that,” Elizabeth said. “Kris, you can say a prayer to make food or water, can’t  you?” 

“Oh sure, more than we’ll ever need,” he nodded.

“So contrary to Nabthateron’s thinking, we can eat, drink, leave, and perhaps even teleport. Either he was bluffing or we’re not nearly as helpless as he thinks we are,” she said.

“Some of both, I reckon,” Kris said. “I’m just glad he didn’t consider us dangerous enough to destroy – he could have done it easily.”

Everyone nodded silently with some glances going to the body of the fallen paladin.

We elected to rest first before proceeding. In the morning we would have message spells and divinations to help us chose a path. While people were settling in, Elizabeth said to Astrid “Perhaps Alakast knows something that might be helpful?”

Astrid shrugged and nodded, and knowing her meaning, reached for the staff and handed it to Elizabeth. As she did, Bellsin commented “I didn’t get a sense of a voice from it, just impressions.”

Elizabeth nodded but said “Hm, well I’ll try some different ways of asking. It can’t hurt.” Then frowned and added “I hope.”

When the others had settled and it was quiet, she sat and prepared. The staff was on the ground before her, and I hovered near her head. As before, when her hand got close to the staff, there was a discordant squealing noise like a shrieking, out-of-tune instrument. Unfazed she picked up the weapon gently but firmly and held it across her knees and closed her eyes, focusing on the noise.

She flicked a thought at me, and together we focused on the noise, altering it, sculpting it, moving within the tones. Tone by tone, we moved within the pattern, adjusting each in turn until a harmonious chorus began to form. With each new note aligned, the others became easier to bring together and soon there was a resonating, perfectly balanced musical flow. Then, with the alignment complete, we relaxed, and the music faded gently to silence and the staff was calmer.

Elizabeth reached out to it. _Can you hear me? Alakast, weapon of old, I call you._

There was no response at first, and then only a muted whisper or grumble and then nothing.

_Alakast! You are needed._ she said, louder this time (if there was such a thing). 

She raised an eyebrow at me, and I thought a moment. _I’m sure a weapon of this nature does not respond casually. Something more resolute perhaps?_

_Alakast!_ she thought, adding a chorus of music to punctuate the call. 

At first, there was only silence, but only seemingly. There was a quiet trace of sound and color – faint and distant. We followed it seeking the source. Together we began to understand.

_It’s…_ I started.

_asleep._ she finished. _Dormant. Waiting._

Together we explored more of the colors and sounds. Alakast was dormant after having been forgotten for so long. But even in what you might call its dreams were the keys – the rituals that would re-awaken it. It might have more of an identity then but for now it was asleep and even its old enemy did not awaken it. The exploration also revealed two distinct voices to the chorus – one deep and resonating – the sound of the Body. The other was light and precise – the sound of the Mind. The two aspects to the two heads of the staff combined into a harmonious whole.

_Even asleep, it’s a potent weapon,_ I said, reminding her of what Glyph said. 

_I know – what will it be like when awake?_ she asked the obvious question. 

It was the same question Astrid asked when Elizabeth woke her for her shift. “So what will it be like if we awaken it? Will it be too much? Or will someone try to take it from us? And when did it get so damn cold?!?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Kris said that deserts can get very cold at night. It could be a problem if we try to leave here on foot. As for the rest, I have no idea. But I’ll sleep on it,” she smiled.

Or at least she’d sleep for a while. Part way through the next watch, the bell of Glyph’s alarm spell went off as several demons appeared in our midst.

They were tall and skinny, with blackish skin dripping with red slime. Their mouths were a mass of teeth, slavering and angry. Quick as a flash one snapped out at Bellsin wounding him.

Astrid was always a bit petulant when her watch was disturbed, and the first demon learned that first-hand. Her halberd came nearly full circle before finding its mark, and one of the creatures’ head was smashed in from the blow. Before it could fall to the ground, its body disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Elizabeth got to her feet, and as it happened Alakast was the handy weapon. She brought the staff around in a sharp swing and the weapon flared with white fire. It smashed into one of the demons and burned him, and it leapt away. Maris was able to finish it with a spell and it too vanished. 

The third one didn’t fare much better as Grinder drove it into the girls. 

“Nabthateron being testy?” Astrid asked rhetorically.

The rest of the night was tense but without further attacks. In the morning after prayers, Kris spoke a blessing that would preserve Sir Alek’s body until something more lasting could be done. He was just raising the question of how best to query the gods on our next direction when there was a loud tapping outside.

“Hello? May I approach?” a voice called.

The Blue Tygers looked at each other quizzically, wondering who would be out there. “Sure,” Astrid replied.

A human wearing a long robe appeared cautiously before the hole in the wall. The tabard he wore bore the symbol of the Smoking Eye. The hood obscured most of his face but the grayish hands that held his staff ended in rough nails. Once it seemed he wouldn’t be attacked immediately, he carefully entered. “I did not wish to alarm you, which is why I announced myself.”

“And you are?” Elizabeth asked.

“My name is Kaurophon,” he said.

“Well, then, good morning,” Elizabeth said, struggling to find something to say. “We’re surprised to see anyone given that it seemed we were in a very large and very empty desert.”

“You _are_ in a large and empty desert,” Kaurophon said. “I estimate you are a thousand miles from Cauldron.”

Everyone stiffened slightly. “And how do you know we came from Cauldron?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’ve been aware of you for some time now, Miss Cartwright. When I saw you make your attempt to defeat Nabthateron, or at least thwart him, I hoped you would not come to an unfortunate end as I need your help.”

“Our help?” Maris asked.

“Yes, you see I seek your help to travel to the plane of Occipitus. It would be a great victory for the forces of good – to cleanse it from evil.”

Most of the group simply stared at Kaurophon blankly. Glyph said “Occipitus is the site of a battle between good and evil. It is in the Abyss, but a part of Celestia was ripped free and dropped there. It was ruled by the Archangel Adamarcus. While in the Abyss, it is both good and evil.”

Maris and Kris nodded in understanding. Astrid and Elizabeth continued to stare blankly.

Kaurophon nodded. “I need your help to pass the test of the Smoking Eye.”

“And what exactly is the Smoking Eye?” Maris asked.

“The Smoking Eye is the test that one must pass. It was created by the former ruler of that plane. He disappeared years ago. Whomever passes the test of the Smoking Eye becomes the new rightful ruler of Occipitus. The test has three parts, each hidden on the plane. The location of one part is revealed by the previous one. I stumbled upon the first part by accident but I am not powerful enough to pass it myself. The prophet suggested that you could help. I heard his words and came here.”

“What words, and what prophet?” Kris asked.

“I do not know the prophet, but the words were ‘There is naught left for you in Cauldron to return to, heroes. If you return, you enter your own graves and bring doom on all you love. Trust the sign of the Smoking Eye if you wish to save them all.’ And thus I came to seek you out.” Kaurophon added “I know this is much to believe. I am willing to submit to whatever divinations you wish to verify my intent, however I should tell you that your spells may reveal that I am partly of demon blood. I tell you this so you will not be alarmed.”

Kris asked the next obvious question. “How would we get there?”

“If you agree, I can take us there. And I have scrolls that will allow you to return. You may examine them,” he said, handing over a pair of scroll cases.

Elizabeth knew no divinations but tried a test of her own. “And what if we say no?”

Kaurophon shrugged. “I am aware of the unrest in Cauldron and Redgorge. The architects behind this are the Cagewrights. They are behind a great deal that troubles your lands. I believe their true motives are even more sinister. I have done a great deal of research into the nature of Occipitus, and this drew me to the Cagewright’s attention. They asked me to join and I did for a time, to further my own goals. I soon realized they were all mad and left them to their lunacies. I was not trusted enough to learn their true goals however. I believe that what troubles Cauldron is linked to Occipitus. I suspect that the Cagewrights approached me because they do not want Occipitus to be taken by the forces of good. But if you chose to refuse me, there is little I can do.”

This was a suitable answer to Elizabeth – something with a more sinister motive might have been inclined to threaten or plead.

“But isn’t the Abyss a very dangerous place to go? Can’t the very air kill you?” Elizabeth asked.

Kaurophon shrugged. “It is not so dangerous as you might believe, due to its dual nature. Though it is far from safe. At the center of Occipitus is an enormous half-buried skull. The flame from the unburied eye shoots skyward.” He pointed towards the design on his tabard. “As for the test, it was named by he who created it – the Demon Lord Adamarcus.”

“Wait, didn’t you just say he was an Archangel?” Elizabeth asked Glyph.

“Indeed he did,” Kaurophon said.

“So he was contaminated?” Glyph asked. 

“I am not sure,” Kaurophon replied. Research has never revealed that and I have heard conflicting tales. But I must ask you – if we are to leave we should do so soon before others find the first test.”

The Blue Tygers gathered together. Kris spoke first. “I’m game to try. Beats being here.” Ever ready to go where the wind was blowing, that one.

Glyph and Maris were equally interested. The girls were more hesitant. “I’m not sure I’m ready to believe this creature so easily. We know nothing of him or his motives,” Elizabeth said.

“Nidrama did say to follow the sign of the smoking eye though – that should count for something,” Maris pointed out.

“True, but that could be a fake, and that source is also… questionable,” Elizabeth said. 

“Well, Kris prepared some divinations, so we can at least consult with the gods,” Astrid said. “And we should send the message to Jenya regardless.”

Everyone nodded at that. First the message to Jenya was sent.

_Found Alek. Toyed with by Nabthateron. Alek dead. Nabthateron wants Redgorge destroyed. Cauldron in danger too. May be going off plane to Smoking Eye._

Her reply came back, though not what we might have hoped for.

_Alek dead?? Was he controlled? Have body? Will do sending to you. I can revert challenge and stop siege. Nabthateron alive? What is he planning…_

A few minutes later, the sending from Jenya came.

_… to do? Secure Sir Alek’s relics if you can. Might be able to return him to life. Trust your judgment in all things. Do what you think best._

“If she can call off the siege, it might keep Redgorge safe for a time,” Glyph said.

“We can hope,” Maris said, obviously worried about her family.

“I’m not sure we could stop a siege on a whole town anyway,” Bellsin observed.

“Honestly, I think at this point maybe we can,” Astrid said.

We composed our reply then sent it.

_Alek tricked by hags, was maddened. Reposed body, have relics and Alakast. Stop challenge and siege! Nabthateron’s goals unclear._

Next, Kris focused on the offer to go to Occipitus and asked Phaulkon for guidance. Before long there was a whisper on the wind.

*A trap lies in your future, but beyond the trap lies your destiny and Cauldron’s salvation.*

“Not exactly reassuring,” Elizabeth said. “And not exactly a helpful answer either. Of course there will be a trap *somewhere* in the future.” 

“But this is clearly where our destiny lies,” Glyph said. 

“Clearly? I’m not sure it’s clear at all. It’s clear as mud to me,” Elizabeth said, frustrated. “We’re talking about going to the Abyss here. THE ABYSS! I think that, just by itself, deserves a little consideration.”

I took a look around. Kris was ready to go because it was there. Glyph and Maris were fascinated by the notion of going to another plane. Bellsin was ready to go, but I couldn’t tell why. He’s somewhat harder to read.  Elizabeth felt like they were all ignoring the not-insignificant dangers.

And I had to agree with her. _They’re not seeing,_ I thought.

_Of course not. Why else would they be ready to follow someone who showed up this morning?_ was her reply.

_Nidrama did suggest it was a good course of action though. And so did the prayer_ I mentioned.

_The prayer gives me more hope – the rest is equally suspect. It makes more sense for us to return to Cauldron._

_I agree,_ I thought. _We are being manipulated into going elsewhere._

Elizabeth clearly could not think of a lot of reasons to go. And certainly it was a lot easier to think of reasons to go to Cauldron rather than Occipitus.

“I’m in,” Astrid said finally. 

Elizabeth just looked at her, and Astrid just shrugged in reply. 

_So either we wait here for Nabthateron alone or we go to the Abyss?_ I asked.

Elizabeth gave up. Staying here was no option at all.

“Prepare yourselves,” Kaurophon said.

He held up his staff which began glowing brightly. We were all suddenly pulled in an impossible direction and we phased into the ethereal (I learned later) and then into the astral. This was both comfortable and familiar and needed no introduction. From there things got warmer and the smell got sickly sweet. Then abruptly we arrived – the color of the landscape changed and an oppression started tugging on my mind. The sky was made of flames and bathed everything in a red glow. In the distance we could see the half-buried skull – the size of a small mountain – with the pillar of flame shooting upward. A half mile ahead was a clearing with a set of gently curving white pillars rising from the ground like a half-buried ribcage. The ground itself was spongy and soft and wrinkled, like flesh more than dirt.

“Welcome to Occipitus.”


----------



## Zad

*The Test of the Smoking Eye - Chapter 2*

*The Test of the Smoking Eye – Chapter 2*

OOC Notes:
10th level gets 1400. 9th level gets 1600.

This Week’s Adventure:
Kaurophon took a few moments to orient himself, scanning the strange landscape. “The first of the three tests is within the Cathedral of Feathers. It lies about one hundred miles that way,” he said, pointing. 

“And what is within the Cathedral? What is the test exactly?” Maris asked

“I do not know. The Proctor would not let me enter,” he replied.

“A hundred miles? Well we’ll have a few days to think about it,” Elizabeth quipped. 

“Days?” Kaurophon asked, confused.

“I believe it will take about four days to walk there, yes. Unless you have some other means of transportation?” Elizabeth said. 

Kaurophon stammered. “I thought … that is to say I assumed you had some means to fly there.”

“I don’t know that spell,” Maris said unapologetically. 

“Why would you assume that, Kaurophon?” Elizabeth said, sensing a disturbing level of unpreparedness in Kaurophon.

Kaurophon had no response. The Blue Tygers began walking in the indicated direction. Glyph had been silent, quietly working out a formula. Eventually he said “I believe I can conjure some illusionary steeds to speed things up considerably. However this place is very oppressive and I’m not sure how successful I’ll be trying to improvise like that.”

Kaurophon nodded. “There are… fragments of this place that are strong with Celestia. You will find it far easier to use your abilities there. The nature of the plane shifts often and I cannot say where one might be. We should proceed in this direction and hopefully we will find one.”

Kris had another idea, holding up a finger. “The wind’s blowing this way – I say we go this way.”

Nobody had a better idea and off we went, hoping to find a holy site.

And we did, hardly an hour into our journey. The spongy flesh that passed for ground (that we’d even seen thunderbeasts eating) gave way to something more like real dirt. It wasn’t quite so damp and quite so smelly (so I’m told). As we entered the area, there was a rush of movement as something leapt towards the sky. A serpent with feathered wings in rainbow colors hovered above us, hissing in irritation.

“Turn back demonss. There is no plassse for you here.”

“The Blue Tyger Legion are no demons,” Astrid declared flatly. Everyone was standing tall and unafraid, secure in the knowledge that we were not, in fact, demons. Everyone but Glyph that is, who was prostrate on the ground bowing before the creature.

The couatl was slightly surprised by such simple confidence and looked us over more carefully. “Interesssting. That one,” it indicated Kaurophon, “iss evil. But the rest of you do not seem ssusspect. What brings you here?”

Kris shrugged and said “The wind.”

The couatl swooped in close, less puffed-up and more curious, its eyes changing color as it scanned him. “Ah, a follower of the wind god. You may enter this holy plassce. Once a temple, it now holdss evil at bay. The one who travelsss with you – if you bring him on thessse groundsss, you are responssible for hiss actionss. I shall trust in your wordss. Pleasse pardon my reception. My name is Sarisss.”

We entered the grounds and Glyph began his preparations. Elizabeth was fascinated but saw a possible source of more information. “If I may, Sarisss, what do you know of the Test of the Smoking Eye?”

“Who asskss?” it said.

“My name is Elizabeth,” she said.

The answer seemed to carry great weight for the couatl. “The tessst. Created by Adsmarcusss. Seek you such a tessst?”

She nodded, and the couatl relayed what it knew, which matched up with what Kaurophon had told us.  Glyph did ask “Who exactly can take the test?”

“Any can take the tessst, ssshould they have the will, shining one. Though some, such as those who are marked, may have greater chances. I sssee more than one of you bear sssuch a mark.”

“More than one?” Astrid asked. “We knew only of one.”

The snake waved its head at Bellsin. “That one bears the mark of the damned – you are one of the shackleborn. You have the blood of Carceri running through your veins – an unfortunate legacy you bear. Somewhere in your line, an ancestor suffered taint of the plane of prisons, whether by force or choice, and since then his line bears the mark. Ever with chains on his soul.”

“And that one. Marissss, I see the haunting that casts over you. The mark of prophecy. The touch of the burning wing about you. What it means I cannot sssay.” Then it added “Sshould you encounter the one named Saureya, he may be able to cast light on your quessstions about the Ssmoking Eye.”

Glyph had prepared four illusionary horses which would carry five of us. As for the others, the plan was that Kaurophon could enable them to fly and we would drag them behind, the horses being far faster than the flight spell would normally permit. The indignity coming off Kaurophon was palpable but he did not object. Before departing, Glyph asked one final favor.

“Blessed one, may I take a piece of this place with me as a touchstone?”

“Yesss. Your people are blesssed here,” the couatl said.

“How so?” Glyph asked.

“He whom I ssserve is greatly impressed with the massstery of the languagess and the lettersss and the wordsss.”

“Boccob?”

“Indeed.”

“Is there anything you can do for Sir Alek? He is a paladin fallen in the fight against evil.”

Sarisss inspected the body. “He isss beyond my ability to help. But should you find yourself trapped here, return to me. I can sssend you back to your plane.”

The offer was something that gave visible comfort to more than one of the Blue Tygers, I noticed.

With farewells said, we set off to the Cathedral of Feathers. Aside from an attack by flaming spirits that left several of us weakened, the journey was reasonably calm. (Given we were on the Abyss, I was expecting to be fighting every step of the way.)

After several hours at a pace no mortal horse could match, we crested a hill and saw another cluster of celestial rubble. This area was far larger though, spanning a large depression in the ground. Sitting askew was a white marble cathedral that was most certainly not from this plane. It was largely intact though large cracks could be seen even from this distance. 

“The Cathedral of Feathers,” Kaurophon said solemnly. “The test awaits us inside.”

“So where are the feathers?” Elizabeth asked, shattering the moment. 

“What?” Kaurophon said, still plagued with the look of a man confronted with something that was not what he expected.

“The feathers. It’s the Cathedral of Feathers? Why? Where are the feathers?” Elizabeth repeated. The question was far from inane – the answer might offer a hint at what was waiting.

“They’re inside,” Kaurophon answered curtly.

The front doors were closed, and due to the lean of the building were difficult to open and did not at first want to yield.

“Where is this proctor you mentioned?” Astrid asked.

“He’s inside,” Kaurophon answered.

Astrid grunted, throwing herself against the door again. “How did you get in last time then?” 

“The doors were not shut then.” That should have been a warning.

Finally with most of the group pushing, one of the large stone doors finally groaned and moved inward. Beyond was a large chamber that was the foyer of what once must have been a beautiful cathedral. Remnants of tapestries covered the walls, and another large set of doors lead further into the church. As we approached them, the room was suddenly filled with sticky webs and a lightning bolt cracked out with a blast. Along the ceiling, two driders appeared, their invisibility now undone.

The scene was not pretty. The driders were obviously spellcasters of some skill, prepared, and were hovering out of reach. The girls pulled out bows and started firing even as they worked their way out of the webbing. Maris started throwing her own spells while Glyph tried to dispel their protections. But their plan really started having trouble when Bellsin, unnoticed, threw his spear at a drider. As the weapon connected, he tugged on the arcane threads woven around the creature, and unraveled the levitation and the drider fell to the floor with an unceremonious clatter. Glyphandar then dispelled the webbing, and Elizabeth charged hard, driving Alakast like a lance through it. It smashed against the wall and crumpled. 

The second drider was under fire from Maris, Kris and Astrid and one last spell made it slump unconscious, still floating in the air. Bellsin giggled a little giggle, and floated up on his stolen levitation and began extracting spells from the unconscious drider until it finally died from blood loss.

“Clearly someone else beat us here,” Astrid remarked.

“Clearly,”  Kaurophon said. “Might I suggest we use a silence spell before attempting the next door. These might have just been the sentries.”

Everyone agreed that was wise. And appropriate, as it turned out – the second set of doors were as stubborn as the first. The effort of opening them would surely have attracted attention had the spell not muted the grunts and groans.

Beyond the doors was a vast chamber. Piles of rubble smoldered on the floor, dotted near sweeping buttresses, some smashed to bits. At the far end was a statue of Orcus – the subject was clear even across this wide cathedral. On the statue, dwarfed by its sheer size, Bellsin could see a demonic woman. She was looking intently at something in the statue’s hands even as her body gyrated and ground against the statue. She hadn’t noticed our entry, though whether that was because of the silence spell or her… preoccupation… was hard to say.

A flaming pyre was visible behind her – then it moved. The slithering rhythm gave the impression of the burning salamander far better than what little could be seen of the flaming outline.

I could hear in Astrid’s mind –

_Is she doing what I _think_ she’s doing?_


----------



## WizarDru

It is something of a head-scratcher that the module sets such lengthy distances and assumes that players have the travel magic to match...either that or the author should have discussed how to manage the urgency issue without the presence of them.  A minor nitpick, but significant to me.

The Order of the Stick's wilderness encounter rule applied here, although because of Occipitus' nature, there are far fewer encounters than one might expect for a plane of the abyss.  In point of fact, the module goes to some lengths to reduce the impact of the plane even as it introduces it.  In many ways, Occipitus is the abyss on training wheels. 

Several stand-out moments for me:

1) Glyphandar solving the travel problem.  Despite what the story indicates, some serious and lengthy discussion and planning was exchanged over how to increase their travel time.  The initial idea of making a flying carpet was discarded due to time restraints and other issues.  Wind walk (which was what I expected to be the travel system of choice) wasn't up to the task.  Glyph's Pseudo-Phantom Steeds proved to be just the thing they needed.

2) Krisfallion's idea to see which way the wind was blowing, literally.  This was a perfect choice both in-character and it perfectly fit with his deity's methods of contact.  I always feel clerics deserve a shout-out in-game for their particular and sometimes unexciting role and this seemed a perfect example that fit both the character and the module.

3)  Bellsin's 'going-up' moment.  Bellsin unceremoniously stole the drider's levitation spell...which proved lethal when the PCs go their hands on him.  The other drider, however, still had his levitation spell going, even at -8 hit points.  I informed Bellsin's player that the drider was still floating and how was he going to steal spells at a distance of 15 feet?  He thought for a second, smiled and said "I'll use MY levitation," pointing skyward.


DM Confession: I totally screwed the drider encounter up.  There's a great big pit in the floor that they cover by an illusion, and I plum forgot about it.  Not sure how much of a change it would have made, but I don't like it when I make a sloppy mistake.  Once more the BTL discovers they need to beef up their ranged capacity.  Will they?  Time will tell.


Running Gag:  Since Elizabeth took up Alakast as a weapon, she hasn't encountered a single evil outsider.  Abominations?  Sure.  Undead?  You bet.  Outsiders?  Not so much.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> 1) Glyphandar solving the travel problem.  Despite what the story indicates, some serious and lengthy discussion and planning was exchanged over how to increase their travel time.  The initial idea of making a flying carpet was discarded due to time restraints and other issues.  Wind walk (which was what I expected to be the travel system of choice) wasn't up to the task.  Glyph's Pseudo-Phantom Steeds proved to be just the thing they needed.




The thing that made this so funny for me was that Kaurophon was so absolute in his expectation that we'd have such means available. He simply couldn't wrap his mind around the idea it would take us four days to walk there. It was well played, really. And then to suffer the indignity of being dragged along behind a horse like a kite was the icing on the cake.



> DM Confession: I totally screwed the drider encounter up.  There's a great big pit in the floor that they cover by an illusion, and I plum forgot about it.  Not sure how much of a change it would have made, but I don't like it when I make a sloppy mistake.  Once more the BTL discovers they need to beef up their ranged capacity.  Will they?  Time will tell.




Pit? Hm. Odd. I'm not sure if that helps or hurts the driders. 

For ranged capability, it's something of a choice. Given the last campaign had a ranged-attack powerhouse, we've kind of deliberately avoided going too deep in that direction - particularly me. Plus you have Kris and Maris. Astrid and Lizzy can use a bow just fine, but they haven't invested in them, and doing damage with a bow requires a completely different strategy. Strength and power attack don't do much for you after all. It's like a party without a cleric - it's a lifestyle choice


----------



## Scorch

WizarDru said:
			
		

> 2) Krisfallion's idea to see which way the wind was blowing, literally.  This was a perfect choice both in-character and it perfectly fit with his deity's methods of contact.  I always feel clerics deserve a shout-out in-game for their particular and sometimes unexciting role and this seemed a perfect example that fit both the character and the module.




When I made Kris, I decided that we was going to be support.  Dravot and I have chatted about this based off his experience from the old Alpha campaign playing a cleric.  If you go into combat expecting to outshine the front line fighters and mages in dishing out the damage then you ain't doing your job right.

I sort of have a decision tree for playing Kris in combat:

1)  Buff the group
2)  Buff the fighters
3)  If no one is hurt then de-buff or plink away at baddies with bow
4)  Once damage/de-buffs start piling up on front line fighters, start with the heals

Clerics are the engine that keeps a party going for the long haul during combat.  An excellent stratey of party dynamics is when we fought the fire giant.  We concentrated on the big guy while Maris used battle field control tactics (a web and a slow) to keep the ettins out of combat.  They would have just divided our resources from taking down the big guy first.  The front line fighters moved in to engage the giant and start soaking up the damage.  The artificer and spell thief move in and provide support.  I, as the cleric, move in and start with the cures, even if I have to take an AoO to get in there to heal up a badly damaged fighter.  Once the giant is down, it is then just mop up against the ettins.

Scorch


----------



## Aethramyr

Bellsin's Decision tree:

1) Self buffs, if need be.
2) Vanish. Low AC means get out of sight.
3) If there is magic that is not nailed down, take it. (Note: If the magic is able to be pried loose, it is not considered nailed down)
4) If it's a low-magic (on their side) fight, find someone (again, on their side) to straight-up-for-damage backstab.
5) Retreat to a safe distance. This one is key - you don't want to forget this step too many times.

Lather, rinse, repeat. 

Like most rogues, he's built as an ambush fighter. His raw spell selection was chosen for Vanishing, Mobility, and spotting the poor guy who thinks invisibility is a good idea. 

The Driders were fun - they had obvious magic that they were currently using (levitate) that would be amusing if they lost it (Beware falling driders). Once unconcious, I could strip-mine their brain for usable spells and such.


----------



## Aethramyr

Zad said:
			
		

> Pit? Hm. Odd. I'm not sure if that helps or hurts the driders.





Hurts. It means bellsin waits until the drider is over the pit before taking the levitate...


----------



## WizarDru

Aethramyr said:
			
		

> Hurts. It means bellsin waits until the drider is over the pit before taking the levitate...




Helps.  If your two best fighters had dropped in the pit and then been buried in a web with complete cover, things might have been much nastier.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Helps.  If your two best fighters had dropped in the pit and then been buried in a web with complete cover, things might have been much nastier.




Right. That's my confusion. We can't see them but they can't see us. Too many direct damage spells damage the web and frankly I have a hard time seeing them whittling us down that way. I guess they could pick on the others but leaving Maris in a firing position is usually unwise. 

How deep was the pit?


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> How deep was the pit?




I really don't remember.  My gut level feeling is that they were 20' deep.  The thing is, if the two biggest fighters are out of the battle for two rounds minimum, the rest of the party is in much greater peril.  The driders were not great stand-up fighters but they could easily hold their own against the others between spells and potent poison attacks.  Particularly if they choose to target Maris, the most significant threat to them.  However, as only CR8 creatures, they were at a disadvantage to begin with against a 10th level party of 6.


----------



## Aethramyr

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Helps.  If your two best fighters had dropped in the pit and then been buried in a web with complete cover, things might have been much nastier.




Hurts. Doesn't change my plan, I still take the levitate when they're over the pit. Only difference is, now Astrid and Elizibeth are at the bottom waiting for him   

Or it means Maris uses her recall spell and pulls everyone out of the pit and out of the web. 

But Like you said, 2X CR8 vs. BTL? they had rather poor chances of stopping us, reguardless.


----------



## LordVyreth

I don't see how you'd lose your two best fighters, anyway.  Wouldn't the one with the better initiative fall in, and then the second would switch to plan B?  Of course, that's assuming the first one misses her reflex save in the first place.

Oh, how did the party react to Astrid's revelation last time about being a changeling?  Or did they just not trust the demon?


----------



## Zad

Not much reaction yet. Either they didn't grasp the statement's meaning, didn't trust the demon, or didn't really care.

(Or so I assume - Elizabeth has always known so I'm not the best judge.)


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> I don't see how you'd lose your two best fighters, anyway.  Wouldn't the one with the better initiative fall in, and then the second would switch to plan B?  Of course, that's assuming the first one misses her reflex save in the first place.
> 
> Oh, how did the party react to Astrid's revelation last time about being a changeling?  Or did they just not trust the demon?



Not to be an egotist but It's the magic barette I made Astrid. It's so good it fools demons.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

I might as well jump on the what I do band wagon.

1) Alter Grinder's bite attack to whatever the big nasty is vulnerable to and if nothing then go for Bane of that creature type. Sic the Doggie on the baddies.
2) Buff whomever needs it.
3) If no one needs buffs then start dispelling and or tossing flasks of some spell or another. 

Glyf really shines when out of combat when he has the time to work his mojo. His big battle thing is Grinder and when I get the chance to stock him back up the Packmate Valet. 
It's great to have so many hands but tough to know what to do with idle ones.  

Case in point: Creating the 4 phantom steeds.


----------



## dravot

I hit things.  Hard.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We play tonight!
Will the succubus get her jolllies before Astrid blushes herself to death? 
Will Grinder ever stop licking his nuts (and bolts)?


----------



## Blacklamb

Yay! I have been craving some more of this fabulous story hour!

Good luck tonight guy!


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> Yay! I have been craving some more of this fabulous story hour!
> 
> Good luck tonight guy!



A tiny brass clockwork dragon appears from off stage and says "Ahem... I am Lexicon. Master Glyphandar's Expeditious Messinger. He sent me to make the clarification that his last posting was from the 22nd. The battle was long and fierce with the near death of the master and his companions. The recounting of said tale will have to wait however until the crysteline one has enough story to write."

The honunculus bows deeply, flicks his tail and flaps away.


----------



## Blacklamb

*Hangs head in shame*

I plead insomnia. Had I but checked the date I would not have been filled with hope and created such an obvious social blunder! :\ 

Ok, off to the store for some Nyquil and a nap. Well Nyquil at least, I'll wait till I get home for the nap part...


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> *Hangs head in shame*
> 
> I plead insomnia. Had I but checked the date I would not have been filled with hope and created such an obvious social blunder! :\
> 
> Ok, off to the store for some Nyquil and a nap. Well Nyquil at least, I'll wait till I get home for the nap part...



We play Saturday. I hope we get through this so I can find out if Glyf still has a home and a Dedicated wright working there.
I'm also working on a wonderous item to summon those Phantom steeds once per day. 

(I LOVE THE ARTIFICER CLASS!!!!!! Glee!)


----------



## Argent Silvermage

IT BURNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Zad

*The Test of the Smoking Eye - Chapter 3 and 4*

*The Test of the Smoking Eye – Chapter 3 and 4*

OOC Notes:
Chapter 3: Exp is 1,000 for 9th, 915 for 10th.
Chapter 4: Exp is 4,500 for 9th, 3,500 for 10th.

Author’s Note:
I’m catching up on a couple sessions and somewhat abbreviating the tale. I’ll probably make another post with more details on this.

This Week’s Adventures:
Penelope held the bit of bread in her paws as she slowly chewed on it. One nice part of being a familiar was not always having to eat in a hurry. _I still don’t follow you,_ she thought. _Explain the smell again._

_Ok, I’ll start over,_ I replied. _But I’m just taking your word for it on the smell._

_Right, I keep forgetting. Not sure how anything can survive without smelling things but that’s my world for you,_ she shrugged.

Just then Grinder got up again, agitated at the plane’s shifting aspect. Since the Test of the Smoking Eye had completed, the plane had done a lot of shifting in its aspect, and Grinder felt the need to poke around every time something changed.  He was diligent but not exactly one to think outside the box.

“Grinder, it’s just the plane doing its thing again. No need to wake everyone,” I said. Grinder made a show of sniffing, and then relented. He returned to listening.

“Right. Now, do we all understand the Test of the Smoking Eye was put in place by the former ruler of this plane to allow for a successor to take over?” I said aloud. Grinder was a little fidgety but was still interested.

Grinder and Penelope nodded. The valet sat quietly.

“So we went to the big church. After they destroyed the succubus, and ran off the salamander, they found the test.”

_He smelled funny too. All burnt,_ noted Penelope. _Why didn’t he fight?_

“Because he knew he’d lose and he didn’t fancy that. He offered to leave and Astrid let him go because there was no point in fighting him. So the mummy…”

_…smelled funny_ the rat interjected, dropping her snack.

“... told them they had to fight either the bebbilith or the angel,” I continued.  “They fought the bebbilith, and passed the test.”

_And that lead them to the next test running through all those big blister thingies and getting teleported a lot. I understand that part. Then we came here to the big funny smelling smoking skull thingy_

“Exactly. I suppose it was kind of predictable and I’m not sure why we didn’t just start here but there you have it. So as we went up, we found Saureya – the fallen angel fellow with the black wings. He had been staked out and was nearly dead, but they saved him. He knew Kaurophon and they didn’t seem to like each other.”

_Wonder why,_ Penelope snorted derisively. 

“Good taste, I can only assume,” I laughed. “Saureya said he was waiting to see who would come and pass the test and that he helped Adamarcus create the test. But it was clear there was a rakshasa and his bodyguard just ahead, so we moved up and killed them.”

“After that they found the wizard – the Burning Skin. He said he was from the Prime too and didn’t want any trouble and was just studying things. And he smelled really funny” I added in anticipation.

_How did you know? You said you couldn’t tell!_ Penelope said.

“Educated guess,” I replied. “Now Penelope this is where I think your smell problem starts. We moved up to the eyesocket of the big skull. There was another mummy there, and he said it was the Test of Sacrifice. He said bla bla bla ‘Sacrifice an ally to the plasma and Occipitus is yours.’”

_And that’s when Kaurophon tried to betray us right?_

“Yes. Kaurophon wasn’t very bright,” I said, even with Grinder growling at the mention of Kaurophon’s name. “I can’t really figure out what he was thinking. He was scared of the Prime and the Cagewrights. He turned on us. Everyone attacked him, but it was Maris’ lightning bolt that threw him backward into the fire. 

_But why do we…_ she started.

“I’m getting to that. Now because Maris was responsible for throwing the ally into the fire, she passed the test. The mummy pointed at her and said ‘Completed!’ Maris screamed, and fire shot out of her eyesocket. It settled down after a minute but her left eye had been replaced by a burning orb that gave off a thin wisp of smoke. The smoke is what you keep smelling. Maris is the ruler of this plane now, and this is a manifestation of that. But YOU Penelope are an extension of Maris. You rule this plane too now. You and Maris are one. As her eye burns, so does yours. And yours also smokes, and that smoke is what you smell.”

_So you mean to say that I’m going to have to live with this smell forever?!?_

“Or until Maris no longer rules Occipitus, yes,” I said.  “If I understood the conversation correctly, Maris can make the smoking eye disappear when she is not on Occipitus, and I would assume that applies to you too. But the smoky smell will persist.”

_I’m not sure I like this,_ the rat said, pouting. _I didn’t think it was permanent._

---------------------------------------------

In the morning we returned to the Prime. Kris used a short incantation and a fresh wind swept in, and took us with it across the dimensions. The fresh air was short-lived however and was replaced the smell of blood and fire and war. In the distance I could hear someone singing a battle hymn. An arrow whizzed by Maris’ ear. There were a thousand sounds all around, and nearby a follower of Farlanghan ducked out of the way as a demon crashed to the floor gushing black ichor from his wounds.

We were in Redgorge, and townsfolk and others were running towards large gates with improvised weapons. One screamed “We can’t hold it!”

Then the door burst open, and dretches, vrocks and demonkin charged into the town.

Loot:
(From cysts)
Bastard sword +1 holy
Bracers of accuracy
Cloak of Resistance +3
Dagger +1 unholy
MW full plate
190 pp
3200 gp
5950 sp
Dravot statue
Platinum music box
Portrait of Lady Celeste
Ivory harp with golden strings
Embroidered silk mantle
Amulet carved in ebony shaped like lightning bolt
Another portrait – angel of some kind – same one we freed uulaaaluuu
Expensive solid gold chalice inset with sapphires
Scroll of plane shift (arcane)


----------



## Zad

*The Test of the Smoking Eye - Chapter 5*

*Test of the Smoking Eye – Chapter 5*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 2,603 for 10th level characters for most of us. This makes you exactly 11th level. Everyone should take enough exp to make them 11th level.

This Week’s Adventure:
The chaos of the battlefield was instantly recognizable. There was the smoke of burning buildings, the smell of blood and fluids, and the screams of panic. Making it’s way over the din was a war chant coming from a female voice – Shensen was singing near two of the Striders. From the looks of things they had just felled a large ape-like demon. 

In front of us was one of the town gates, hanging open. A ring of militia men with improvised spears were trying to hold back some goat-men demons and succeeding, but behind them was something large, and behind that another ape-demon. Behind us, Maavu had just come around the corner with a cleric of Pelor with him. One street over, the Cauldron guard captain we had saved was charging at the gate with an improvised company of recruits. Unfortunately what the men had in courage, they lacked in experience – to seasoned soldiers like the girls, the disorganization was apparent.

“Scouts on the wall,” Bellsin noted, gesturing at some imps perched on the wall tops. 

The Blue Tyger Legion wasted no time making their presence known. Astrid began shouting orders to the militia – “Flank the sides of the gate, we’ll hold the line!” while Elizabeth moved up to the center of the defensive line. Maris needed no instruction, and moved to impede the progress of the demons. There was a sudden rush of dark shadows that were all drawn towards Maris with the tension of a dragon inhaling before releasing fire. The dark force – whatever it was – was pushed into the ground and traveled unseen to just outside the gate where it erupted from the ground as slick black tentacles. The tentacles lashed feverishly at the ape demon and the foot soldiers there, and seemed to squeal with delight as they ripped the demonic soldiers limb from limb. 

No one who saw the spell was undisturbed by it. 

_Did it look like that last time she cast that spell?_ Elizabeth thought.

_I can’t recall that it did,_ I answered. 

Fortunately a cool strong breeze blew in just then – Krisfallion had brought down Faulkon’s blessings and a flock of songbirds soared through the scene. The zephyr clung and lingered on the weapons of everyone present, strengthening them for the fight. The wind even knocked the imps off the walls for the time being. Glyph followed this with a spell of his own, protecting everyone on the field.

Shensen bent forward and shifted and her normally-small form grew into that of a large wolf, the Striders moving to flank her. 

The large demon in the gate roared in laughter. “Blue Tyger Legion! Oh goody! Little human! Pull my finger!”

And laughing it… released a vile purple gas from places best left unmentioned. The gas shot through the gate and clung to the ground and the defenders. It was, frankly, disgusting, but not much more than that. 

It was slightly disappointing because Elizabeth had hoped it would charge in, so they could attack it from all sides. Sensing its hesitation, Astrid goaded it. “Is that the best you have? Pathetic. You’ll have to do better if you want to take this town.”

It took the bait and roared with rage. It ran forward and grabbed Astrid. Unfortunately she wasn’t quick enough to avoid it’s grasp but it did put the creature close enough for Elizabeth to smash into its side with Alakast even as Maris weakened it further. This is precisely the purpose for which Alakast was designed, and even in its dormant state it did not disappoint. The demon stumbled at the weakness and the wound, and almost dropped Astrid. It stumbled backwards and tried to through Astrid into the tentacles. Astrid neatly rolled, and avoided the grasping black arms, and while still on the ground swept a sword across in a fast arc, cutting through both the demon’s ankles. The creature toppled forward and she brought the sword down in a hard chop and took its head clean off.

The effect on the attackers and the defenders was immediate and apparent. The townsmen cheered, while the demons gave back a step, save for the ape-demon still caught in the tentacles. While his guards had been ripped apart by the tentacles, he was still vigorously fighting them. Elizabeth called “Now!” to Maris, who unraveled her spell and the tentacles slithered back underground. Freed, the demon charged through the gate at Elizabeth and Astrid, who had scrambled back to the line. The creature charged fiercely and crashed into the girls. Amazingly they both kept their feet and were only forced back a few feet. Elizabeth whipped Alakast around in a frenzy, doubling over the demon then thrusting hard, shoving the staff head into the creatures eye socket and out the other side of it’s skull. They sat frozen like that a moment before she jerked the staff free and the demon collapsed. 

But before anyone could cheer, fear swept through the ranks. Voices – voices of failure, of defeat, of doom, whispered on the winds. Men began panicking and Maavu seemed paralyzed and was beginning to jibber and wail. One of the Striders of Farlanghan began chopping at his own leg with his sword.

From within the town, spectral creatures began coming forward. They were screaming or mumbling and seemed to sow madness as they went. Kris was carried aloft by a sudden wind and landed in front of the Striders and as he landed, a rush of air surged forth from where he touched the ground and the allips were torn apart by the wind.

There was still more whispering and gibbering through – another creature – this one a demon rather than an allip, was moving between buildings. It was getting closer to Maavu and he looked on the verge of losing his mind. Elizabeth rushed at it, but even after several strikes from her and magic missiles from Maris, the creature was still screaming. 

Kris, looking calm, put a finger to his lips. “Shhhhhhhh” he said quietly, and then all the sound stopped. The maddening whispers ceased, and the demon causing them looked… uncomfortable. From its side, Grinder lunged at its midsection and the iron jaws, infused with magical energy, clamped down hard and removed a large chunk from the demon. Grinder spit out the foul flesh and the demon staggered back a step and died.

Meanwhile, Bellsin had taken an interest in Nabthateron’s scouts. He had snuck on the imps and smashed one after the next. Each time he took their invisibility even as he took their life and then went on to the next.

“ENOUGH!” a voice bellowed. Nabthateron had appeared outside the gate. Close, but far enough away not to be in immediate danger. This was the only thing that suggested he had any kind of fear.

“By my estimation, your vaunted spell power should run out in another minute or so. It may take hours, but you’ll run out of fancy tricks. And then I will conquer Redgorge and anything else I want. I have time, and I don’t care about the lives of all these creatures,” he said, waving absently at his considerable army. “So enjoy your minor victory. You may eventually decide to join us. I have scanned your minds and I can tell you that at least one of you has seriously considered my previous offer.”

Glyphandar did what he could to restore Maavu’s wits. “What do they want?” 

“They want to kill us all,” Maavu said simply. 

Now that there was a break in the battle, Bellsin was scanning the scene. His spell let him see the unseen, and he was now seeing Judges scattered all around the battlefield and in the air. They were all standing still, simply watching. Then he caught sight of Nidrama in the town and went to her.

“I am glad to see you are not dead,” she said to him. “I heard you had been to the Abyss. I see it’s left its mark on at least one of you.”

“Yes but Occipitus is now closer to Celestia for it,” he answered, considering it worthwhile. “Why don’t the Judges act? I thought this was not allowed.”

“They cannot act on Nabthateron’s forces for the same reason they cannot remove me. They cannot banish an exile. I am no longer attached to the realm of Celestia so they cannot banish me. I was banished for helping you. I am exiled to the Prime as are the demons. Graz’zt exiled Nabthateron forcing him away. He was not permitted to return until he conquered Redgorge.”

“So wait, doesn’t that just mean we should…” Bellsin began

“… surrender the town and let Nabthateron have it?” Elizabeth finished.

The Blue Tygers all saw the idea very quickly, but it took longer to form for Nidrama and the others. 

“If Graz’zt banished Nabthateron until he conquered Redgorge, and if that’s binding and isn’t misleading or anything, then the moment Nabthateron conquers the town, he’s no longer an exile and the Judges can act.”

“I can tell you this,” Astrid said. “We cannot hold the town, nor can we hope to destroy that whole army. Even setting aside Nabthateron’s direct involvement, it is too much.”

“Perhaps not,” Maavu said. “Surabar Spellmason raised these walls to guard against this very army. The demons cannot breach the walls or the gates now that they are properly sealed. They can go over, but he has very few flying demons.”

“Still, I don’t believe ‘winning’ this battle is an option we have. We should be focused on ‘surviving’ it.” Astrid was dour but she was also right.

We debated the idea a bit, and discussed the idea of trying to evacuate the few hundred people that were defending the town. After a time, Nidrama spoke up.

“I have considered your idea. It may work. You would need someone with authority to surrender the town. The mayor, if he lives.”

“He’s at the western gate,” Maavu said. And we immediately moved to the west gate.

The mayor thought the idea was ridiculous, but he had few alternatives. It took some time to explain the Judges and the interplanar laws, but Jenya was at the western gate and she verified what we were saying. “But still, it’s a crazy idea,” the mayor said.

“Perhaps we can consult the gods?” the priest of Pelor spoke up. “I have a simple divination at my disposal.”

Everyone nodded. 

The priest kneeled and prayed. “Exalted Dravot, defender of the innocent and smiter of demons, revered son of Pelor, Lightbringer and Healer, show us the way. What of our fate should we surrender the town?”

The clouds broke, and a ray of bright sunshine covered the priest in a bright yellow glow for a moment, then faded.

He stood up. “That means ‘weal’.”

That helped, but the Mayor was still hesitant. “You’re asking a lot,” he said to us.

“What choices do you have? The walls may hold the demons back, but that’s no victory,” she said.

“None. None at all. There’s nothing worse that can happen. If it fails, we fight our last stand,” the Mayor sighed. 

The Mayor and Astrid climbed a narrow stairway to a small observation post on the wall. The full demon army was arrayed outside the town on all sides. 

The Mayor stiffened himself then yelled out “Nabthateron!”

We could hear the demon lord’s voice in our heads. _What? Have you decided to surrender?_ the mockery apparent.

“Actually, yes. Acting as the Mayor of Redgorge, we officially surrender. We will open the gate. You have conquered us.”

There was a long pause, then finally a reply.

_I’m sorry… what?!?_

“The town has been conquered. Nabthateron has defeated us and conquered the town,” the Mayor repeated, being almost overly specific.
There was another long pause, then a giddy, incredulous laugh we could hear from across the field. The laugh spread out across the demon army, as they all joined their lord in his mirth.

Then suddenly there was a different laugh. It was more hollow and empty, but there was a lot more of it. Across the field we could see Judges appearing at the outer edges of the army, brandishing their staves. They used them to banish the demons and while they didn’t swing them very violently some of the weaker demons were still killed just from the stroke. The demon army suddenly went silent, as it was melted away from the outer edges. The Judges faces were all stoic masks, but there was still a hint of enjoyment that was palpable. 

Astrid looked out to Nabthateron. And she waved.

The demons were all returned to the abyss in mere moments and in a short time, Nabthateron stood alone, surrounded by Judges. Then a shadow blocked out the sun behind us, and a powerful presence appeared. He was a Judge, but much larger than the others. He hovered behind us, his wings beating almost carelessly. His mask was more stylized and etched in gold and silver. Instead of a staff, he carried a hammer. His wings beat once and he shot over the walls towards Nabthateron, who could only stand and watch. The hammer drew back and smashed down, and Nabthateron was smashed back across the planes to the abyss, save for a single lobster claw flopping on the ground. The large judge looked at it and smashed his hammer down, and it shattered into a thousand pieces that evaporated on the wind.

He looked around in what for a mortal would be called satisfaction, though the impassive face betrayed no such emotion. Then he hoisted his hammer over his shoulder and flew back towards the walls of Redgorge. Behind him, some of the Judges began fading out, while others flew off in the general direction of the Demonskar, presumable to clean up.

The Judge drew up before Astrid. “You have Our thanks, Bearkiller clan. I am known as Meltorannan. I am the head of the Judges. You have done a great services this day and ended a great evil. Thank your companions on Our behalf.”

He moved towards Krisfallion. “Thank you for your help. Be wary – there are other forces that we have not been able to deal with that are becoming involved in your affairs.”

“Ya mean like the Cagewrights?” Kris said innocently.

“Indeed. They skirt the edges of the Interdiction. They are not outsiders but they have dealings with them frequently. They understand the rules and know how to skirt around them. While I cannot guarantee that we can aid you in the future, if you seek me I will come to answer your questions as best I can. Mark my name.”

With that, he bowed deeply, and faded away.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as everyone just looked at each other. Finally Elizabeth said “So, um… yay?”

The silence shattered and everyone started laughing. The tension melted away and the remaining townsfolk finally felt like it was over and they were safe. There was a slight discomfort among the Blue Tygers though – something about the victory felt hollow. But when you get down to it, it was still a victory.

Before long we found Jenya and returned Sir Alek’s body to her. She was very grateful that we brought it back all this way. “Hopefully he will decide to return,” she said.

“So what happened with the challenge?” Glyph asked.

“Thanks to your message I was able to intercede after sending out several messages of my own. The law is very clear – with the challenge rendered moot, Maavu could not be considered a traitor and therefore Captain Skellerang had no jurisdiction to siege Redgorge. He was forced to withdraw. His conduct saddens me. He was always a man of the law, but of late he has become twisted by it.”

Nearby Captain Skylar was talking to the Mayor and they seemed to come to some sort of arrangement. It seemed the Captain was uncomfortable with Skellerang’s orders of late. Skellerang was more than happy to butcher his way into the walls, and Skylar could not abide by that. He and some of his men had been thrown out of the guard for standing by their convictions. This is why they were in Redgorge when Nabthateron’s army came. But the Mayor had just asked him to become the head of the Redgorge guard, so some good came of it.

“The Blue Duke is a butcher, that bastard. The siege was underway until Jenya stopped it. Nobody would have won, but Redgorge would have fallen.”

“So here’s a question,” Elizabeth said. “Cauldron’s forces were here, then left. But why did Nabthateron attack now? Why not a week ago, or a month ago? What made ‘now’ special?”

“If we knew that, we’d know a lot more than we do I’ll wager,” Glyph said.

Nidrama, who had been silent most of the time, spoke. “I believe it is because you could have killed Nabthateron, had you the opportunity. And he saw you had Alakast. Once he knew you had escaped the desert, he was forced to move so he could conquer the town and not fight Alakast.”

“Is he that scared of Alakast?” Astrid asked.

“You misunderstand. Alakast is not just the name of the weapon but also the name of my brother who gave his soul to make it,” Nidrama said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She turned to Elizabeth. “If you wish, I can teach you how to reach him. There will be blood and there will be pain but in the end you will bond with him and both become stronger.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I would like that. He is… dormant. Not surprising after so long in the custody of hags and demons. But I think we have not seen the last of Nabthateron, and it would aid us all if Alakast awoke once more.”

“Then let us speak now. For the future, I rather like it here,” Nidrama said. “The walls are… comforting. I believe I will remain here for a time. Should you need me in the future, you shall find me here. Perhaps in the church of Pelor.”

The army broke up into more of a celebration, as cooks and innkeepers fell into their more comfortable roles. Nearly everyone left in the town gravitated towards some of the larger inns where the impromptu celebration got underway. It lasted late into the night and was a welcome reprieve. It felt good to be back on our own plane – you don’t realize how much it feels ‘right’ until you leave it.

In the morning – the very _late_ morning – a bleary group of Blue Tygers packed up and, with the thanks of Redgorge, made their way back to Cauldron, accompanied by Shensen and the Strider brothers. Fallion asked the girls if they could make some time for instruction and they were happy to help with that. Ferun’s talents would require him to spend some time at the Academy however.

Even tired and slightly hung-over, they managed to make it back to Cauldron’s gates by sunset. They were let in without challenge, to the relief of everyone who was expecting more trouble. The tale of Redgorge had not yet made it back to town, so we were able to make our way to the Morkloth in relative peace and quiet, only hearing gossip about the disappearance of the Mayor on the way.

“The Mayor’s disappeared – had you heard?” the innkeeper asked as we sat down for some dinner.

“Yep,” Astrid said. And raising her mug she said “Could be the best thing that ever happened to this town.”


----------



## Zad

Ok random thoughts in no particular order.

We concluded on Saturday that Ikea furniture comes from the Paraelemental plane of particle board.

More seriously:

I'm a bit boggled by this part of the story arc. Not what we experienced - that was great. No, I'm boggled by the Module As Written. (MAW)

According to Wizardru, the entire battle of Redgorge takes place off camera. The PC's aren't involved. I'm not entirely clear on what happens in the MAW, since there's no Interdiction to save the town, but it's really disturbing to me. A demon army attacks, and you are off doing other things? The fact that the MAW brings you off-plane at a very bad time itself was a sticking point for me and one I ultimately only ended up going along with because that's obviously where the module was set up. But this was really wierd.

As it happened for us, it fit in neatly with the campaign world and let us act and be involved in what happened. But the idea of writing the PC's out of it really boggles my brain.

(For those that don't have the background: due to a big history with demon/angel wars, there's a set of rules called the Interdiction that limits the activity of outsiders on the Prime in this campaign world. It's been modified over time, and largely came into being in its present state in the former story hour/campaign. Short story is this: outsiders on the prime can expect to be thrown out very quickly by the Judges. They are a group of celestials charged with enforcing the interdiction. The diety Ralishaz - a god of the prime - is in charge of it all along with some key players on his team like Meltorannan. Mel was formerly an angel of Pelor's before events in the last story made him swing over. The rank-and-file Judges are a bit closed-minded and not really open to negotiation - they enforce the law as written. Higher ups can bend a little. So when you see a demon army, it becomes clear that there's a loophole somewhere. Knowledge of all this has only recently made it's way to these PC's but they're catching on fast.)

On a story-related note, I'm not sure what will be happening in the near future. I've had some trouble summoning the necessary muse lately to write the story and do a good job with it. I hate just dashing something off for the sake of doing it, so I'm in a bit of a quandary. Part of it may relate to the last adventure, which was frankly somewhat uninspiring. We'll see what the future brings. It's possible the story may go on a hiatus which I'm sure would disappoint the three or four people reading.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

That was just a great fight. 
Meltorannan and his giant Gavel was just hysterical.

Now if I just had some time to create!


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> I'm a bit boggled by this part of the story arc. Not what we experienced - that was great. No, I'm boggled by the Module As Written. (MAW)




I should clarify.  In the MAW, there is NO demonic invasion.  The siege of Redgorge involves Skelerang's forces, and it all takes place off-camera.  Nabbie's assualt on Redgorge is a 'could happen' given a small amount of lip-service, but otherwise isn't really dealt with other than some 'further developments could include' sequence from Demonskar Legacy.

The main problem I've found with Shackled City is that the modules feel disjointed and somewhat uneven.  'Smoking Eye' is weak.  It expects the DM to work around it's flmsy justification for a motivator, fails to really develop any ideas beyond the core quest and really falls flat.

I think one thing that the SC would really benefit from is a 'NPC path and motivation' summary for some of the key players.  I've had to figure some of that out and backfill some of it, myself.  If the players hadn't met Sir Alek prior to Demonskar, they'd be much less likely to care about him or some of the other people, like Tygot or Skellerang.

I expect that I'm going to be jumping the rails from the SCAP more and more, as my reading ahead has shown that some of the things I find least appealing about the concept of an adventure path looms in the future.  It looks a little too drawn out for my tastes, with more combats than are needed or interesting in some places, and characters being sorely underused in others.

I think you can judge how Zad condensed the prior two sessions into one brief tale versus the most recent session report being longer than both of them combined which session was more interesting for the players and felt more like the players were living in it.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> The siege of Redgorge involves Skelerang's forces, and it all takes place off-camera.




That's worse. The idea that the PCs wouldn't want to intervene in something like that is just plain silly and one I can't believe the writers made. I'm not saying we *would* but it was easily possible. (Ok, I would think we would have, given Maris' family in Redgorge, but even absent that I can see a lot of PCs wanting a piece of that action in some way.)


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> That's worse. The idea that the PCs wouldn't want to intervene in something like that is just plain silly and one I can't believe the writers made. I'm not saying we *would* but it was easily possible. (Ok, I would think we would have, given Maris' family in Redgorge, but even absent that I can see a lot of PCs wanting a piece of that action in some way.)




In fairness to the authors, they often point out that the players can run these developments, but don't really do more than suggest them, not flesh them out.  Part of this comes from the 'module' idea...by not wanting to force an individual DM down a path, they suggest developments outside of the scope of the module, but don't pursue them.  This makes the module more generic, but that often doesn't serve my individual needs.  The more I read about the SCAP, the more I see how people started customizing it to fill in the gaps.  My only disappointment is that the authors were too faithful to the original dungeon articles.

That is to say, the book could have condensed two of the later modules into one and then expanded on some of the things like the Demonskar Ball and Siege of Redgorge, which are obvious set pieces that could use some expansion and then offer things like a timeline and more indepth suggestions as to how to integrate certain high-profile NPCs into the game (such as introducing certain characters much earlier, as I've done, rather than have them appear as speed bumps later on in a specific module where they help/hinder the PCs).


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Not to kiss Assgard too much but it shows what a superior DM can do with an OK suppliment that we all still are interested in the game.


----------



## thatdarncat

Zad said:
			
		

> It's possible the story may go on a hiatus which I'm sure would disappoint the three or four people reading.



Much disappointment, but it'd be understanding disappointment. :S


----------



## LightPhoenix

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> Much disappointment, but it'd be understanding disappointment. :S




So I count for two, thatdarncat make three... who would be the fourth?


----------



## Sandain

I'm the fourth.


----------



## wolff96

Fifth!  

I just lurk 99.9% of the time, is all.


----------



## LordVyreth

I figured Zad and company would be used to being the Lurker's Choice by now!    

I would probably post more, but until this week or so I had some weird problem with ENworld where every page requires a good minute to load due to some adobe acrobat problem.  Also, I was more invested in the last campaign, since I could contribute directly to it.  That being said, I enjoy seeing this group's response to an adventure path I know fairly well.  I agree with Zad that the Smoking Eye module doesn't entirely fit in with the feel of the rest of the series.  I like Dru's response to it, along with the clever use of previous campaign consequences.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

What do you all think of this?

Diamondshard Glyphandar; Mayor of Cauldron.   

I'm seriously thinking of running for mayor if the campaign allows it.


----------



## Greybar

You realize that would probably mean a lot less time in your lab, working on fun stuff, though... 

Oh, and plot me down as reader n+1 who'd miss you guys if you took a storyhour hiatus.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Greybar said:
			
		

> You realize that would probably mean a lot less time in your lab, working on fun stuff, though...
> 
> Oh, and plot me down as reader n+1 who'd miss you guys if you took a storyhour hiatus.



I was going to make a Mayoritron 1000 to actually run the city. What do I look like a public Servent? Boccob forbid!


----------



## Sandain

I am with Lord V on this, I read this story hour because of the DM and players.  However, dislike the SCAP AP.  The last campaign was absolutely amazing and being able to offer ideas etc made even us readers feel involved.

I honestly wonder if this glorified dungeon bash with the weakest plot ever suits your group and DM style at all.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Sandain said:
			
		

> I am with Lord V on this, I read this story hour because of the DM and players.  However, dislike the SCAP AP.  The last campaign was absolutely amazing and being able to offer ideas etc made even us readers feel involved.




Thanks from all of us. That's high praise.



			
				Sandain said:
			
		

> I honestly wonder if this glorified dungeon bash with the weakest plot ever suits your group and DM style at all.



The adventure itself is not all that bad. Remember that it took Wizardru a long time to come up with the last adventure and while he's an impressive man he is only human and has other concerns than gaming. That was the reason he took up SC in the first place. You have to remember that not every game will be as wonderful as SSoM, Goddess knows that only happens maybe once in a life time.


----------



## Zad

Sandain said:
			
		

> I am with Lord V on this, I read this story hour because of the DM and players.  However, dislike the SCAP AP.  The last campaign was absolutely amazing and being able to offer ideas etc made even us readers feel involved.
> 
> I honestly wonder if this glorified dungeon bash with the weakest plot ever suits your group and DM style at all.




Your point is interesting. I think what we're learning is that while it can work ok, it's not as good as it could be. I know from our conversations that Wizardru is considering jumping off the tracks a bit more, so to speak, and putting more of his own touch on the AP. He'd still use some of the general material but put more of his own feel on it. The Demonskar Ball and the Battle of Redgorge are good examples there. 

For the record - I appreciate the encouragement. As some of you know writing a story can be hard, and the rewards few, so I cherish those. The hiatus is not definite - just have to see what happens. But I'd rather post nothing than give you crap.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We play tonight. 

I'm just saying.


----------



## WizarDru

*Prologue: The Secret of Stones*

Taren dragged his body along the floor, dragged only by the strength of his arms.  He had spent months...no, _years_ building the strength of those arms.  He now wished he'd spent more time emphasizing his now useless legs, instead.  His arms had the power to drag his shattered body along though, so he used the tools he had.  Forward.  Keep moving forward.  

He had used a focusing exercise to ignore the pain.  The crystal lodged in his belly was not staunching the flow of blood as it flowed out onto the broken earth, but instead seemed to be moving occasionally to keep the wound fresh.  He could feel it drinking in his life essence as it did so.  Could it be drinking some of his bodily fluids?  A preposterous thought, but these were preposterous times.

From nearby he could hear the cries of others, and the steady crunch of footfalls on loose gravel.  One of them was coming, then.  Taren ignored the sound and focused on the task at hand.  He knew if he stopped moving, he would die.  If he could reach some of the supplies in the infirmary, he could heal himself.  Twenty more feet.  He could do that.  Focus.

He realized that he could still feel his legs when a great weight suddenly fell upon one, causing him to cry out in agony.  When his vision returned, he realized he had blacked out.  He had been kicked over onto his back.  He was much weaker.  How long had he been out?  He could feel more than see the shadow above him, blocking out the sun.  He knew who it was, regardless.  He tried to speak, but found he no longer had the energy.  

Taren was a realist.  There would be no escape, now.  All that remained would be to determine the manner of his death, not the avoidance of it.  As the previous three men and one woman who held his position had done, he had made preparations.  His contingency plan was not terribly subtle, but that word had never been used to describe Taren and with good reason.  The conflagration centered from his body would burn anything within ten paces to a cinder.  Crystals or no, they would all die together.  He just had to utter the trigger phrase.

He mustered all his remaining strength.  They were close enough, now.  All his effort, guided to purpose.  Focus.

"_At the Sufferance of the Spellmason..._", he uttered, barely more than whisper.

Nothing.

Taren expected a sudden burst of pain, a flicker of fire...something before the end.  It took him a few seconds to realize that his contingency device had failed to do anything at all.

"_*Poor, poor Taren,*_" came the deep baritone of his rival.  "_*Did you truly think me that much of a fool?  That I didn't know of your mark of office?*_"  Taren felt something wet on his cheek.  He had been spat upon.  "_*Shall I pass my water upon you?  I always hated you, you imperious, condescending know nothing!  You actually thought I wanted the title you threw at me?  An honor, you called it?  No more shall I be bound by your petty rules.  I have a NEW master.*_"

Taren focused his eyes.  The traitor had stepped aside, and now something bigger than a man hovered above him.  Taren's eyes finally resolved what it was, and he gasped in terror.

"_You're....you're an abomination!_"

"*I prefer the term Aberration, actually.  And yes, I am.  And you let me walk right in through the front door.*"

"_Who....who ARE you?_"

"*Oh, very clever.  Shall I reveal all my plans and identity to you, so that the Blue Tyger Legion or some other well-intentioned marauders can use the most trivial of spells to question your corpse?  Very well, I'll tell you who I am.  I am the LORD OF OBLIVION.  Commit that to memory for the few seconds you may enjoy it.  Done?  Good.  Because I. AM. HUNGRY.*"

The last thing Taren saw was the jaws...the enormous, illogical jaws... as they grew wider and wider, until at last the blotted out the light and surrounded him.  His final curious thought was to ponder how it appeared to be larger on the inside than it was on the outside.  And then he was gone, leaving the last of his family an orphan.


----------



## dravot

WizarDru said:
			
		

> The last thing Taren saw was the jaws...the enormous, illogical jaws... as they grew wider and wider, until at last the blotted out the light and surrounded him.  His final curious thought was to ponder how it appeared to be larger on the inside than it was on the outside.  And then he was gone, leaving the last of his family an orphan.




Man, I'd hate to be that orphan.

I wonder who it is?


----------



## LightPhoenix

On a more serious note from my last post, I think the thing I like the most about the storyhour is that it seems there is a lot more in depth commentary and discussion about "meta" things - such as making modules work within a campaign, or what makes them not work, or the effect of a past campaign on the current.  I find it very fascinating to read what other people think.

It helps that I like Zad's writing style as well.


----------



## Zad

*The Secrets of Stone - Chapter 1*

*The Secrets of Stone – Chapter 1*

OOC Notes:
Exp is 1500 this week for everyone.

This Week’s Adventure:
There was a tension in the air of Cauldron that was more palpable. The discontent over taxes had crossed the threshold between words and action, and people were leaving the city in droves due to the taxes. The disappearance of the mayor was common talk at the Morkoth that night and everyone and his brother had a theory as to the forces behind it.

For my part I just wasn’t that interested. The Lord Mayor was a drunken sot, and I was hardly concerned for his safety, despite being more concerned about what it meant for the hidden forces that had been manipulating events in the city. But despite not being at the forefront of discussion lately (the tale of the Siege of Redgorge had not yet made it to Cauldron) we did still retain some degree of popularity. According to the innkeeper, there were several parties that were interested in meeting with us, including one quiet stranger in the corner. Beyond him, there was a furtive glance from Tyro Amberhelm wanting to talk, and someone had inquired after Bellsin. None of us were in much mood for it tonight and enjoyed dinner and a bath before going to bed, leaving the interactions for the morning.

The next day consisted of endless amounts of traipsing around the city. In some cases it was to sell the proceeds of the trip, in others to meet up with those who had wanted to speak to us.

Tyro informed us there was a cleric of Farlanghan who wished to speak to us regarding a debt, and he was waiting at Shensen’s grove. So during the course of business we went to the grove and found him. He was an unkempt man lazing about smoking a pipe and every bit what you would expect from a cleric of Farlanghan. His name was Festol Ormond and the debt was one he felt the church – such as it was – owed us.

The Lucky Monkey was a safe haven operated by the worshippers of Farlanghan and they were grateful to us for saving the inn and shrine. They wanted to re-establish operations there, but lacked the financial resources to do so. Put simply, they were offering us the opportunity to fund the reconstruction and in so doing receive a large share of the profits from its operation. It could also serve as a permanent home for the group should we wish to fund construction of quarters there. Elizabeth, her business sense keenly honed by several months in the city, was immediately interested and the group soon agreed to fund the inn’s rebirth. 

Bellsin had a more private visit from a man named Artus Shemwick. Shemwick was a man with many contacts on the street. Apparently he had an association with the Last Laugh but that was no longer in play. He had information to offer Bellsin and also offered his on-going services. The information related to someone who was in town four days ago – an Ekbiri – who was looking for Bellsin of the Thousand Tales. He seemed like a merchant who gave the name of Nahazir. He was going to do business until he saw the prices and went off to the neighboring towns.

Bellsin paid the man well, and secured his services as an ear on the street for the future.

The city watch apparently had also been looking for us – we learned it was to question us regarding a recent murder. 



We also made time to stop by the Church of St. Cuthbert to check on Jenya and Alek. The Church had a notice saying there would be no services until later that day, but we entered regardless and were warmly greeted by Rufus. He informed us Sir Alek had chosen to return, and Jenya was exhausted from the effort and was resting. Alek was at the front of the church meditating and we approached him. We waited quietly until he paused in his rituals.

“Sir Alek – are you well?” Elizabeth asked as he turned.

“I am… better than I was, much thanks to you. I have much to pay for my hubris. I have sworn not to raise sword or shield until I have repaired the damage I have done. I have strayed too far from this temple for too long. In time I make take those things up again, but the words that have reached my ears in the last few hours have disturbed me. Jenya needs a protector and it is past time I took up that mantle. You have done what I should have done, and I thank you for that. I was not going to come back, but Jenya begged that I do so, and for her sake I did. Truth be told, I was not enthused about the prospect of returning to life here, but she says that will change. I pray she is right.”

“I am diminished, and I was not ever a good servant of St. Cuthbert, but I shall strive to improve myself. Should you have need of my sword, simply ask and if Jenya gives her leave I shall aid you. You know me and I can be a faithful ally. I admit to being… unsophisticated in certain matters, but I am here if you have need. Understand now that I am guided by one thing above all others – Jenya’s safety. But I have traveled these lands extensively even as far as Hookface’s lair. I can guide you to places others cannot.”

“I wanted to say we’re sorry that we could not save you from Nabthateron’s anger,” Elizabeth offered.

Alek laughed a wry laugh. “You did all you could, and more in fact. You have nothing to apologize for – you have set an example I would do well to follow.”

We talked a bit more, then left Sir Alek to continue his atonement. On our way out, Rufus was enthusiastically signaling his approval.

During a trip to Skie’s, Astrid learned another interesting bit of news – Todd Vanderboren was dead. The Stormblades were ambushed in caverns beneath Cauldron. Indeed the Stormblades may not continue their adventuring as a result. The body bore no cut or bruise, but the Stormblades are not discussing the matter. Their mission failed and they show no interest in resuming it.

One of the more intriguing meetings was with Tygot. Elizabeth would have needed to go visit him to return the sliver plate and sell some of the art objects retrieved, but she was also hoping he could tell her something about the painting of Lady Celeste. She had no idea how much we would learn.

Tygot’s shop was even sparser than last visit with many of Tygot’s good apparently being shipped to other outlets. Elizabeth was not planning to sell the portrait but wanted to show it to Tygot to perhaps get an idea of when it was painted. Tygot, wasting no time, went far beyond that, asking her to retrieve a wand from a drawer.

“Not the left drawer dear – wouldn’t want the fire wand. That would have unfortunate results,” he laughed.

Tygot used the retrieved wand, and then began reciting the detailed history of the painting.

“Hm. Painted by a moderately talented halfling who was visiting the plane of Celestia and encountered a woman of untold beauty and wanted to capture her likeness so that he might remember her when he returned to the Prime. She was not human… she was a … lillend I believe they’re called. Sort of a celestial muse, which explains the harp – they’re creatures of song and verse. He brought the picture back, and then passed it to a relative who… oh my was killed in a caravan assault in the southern mountains. Stepped on by an ice giant – nasty that. It went back to a fortress in the mountains, and then was traded by the giants to an ice demon, then he traded it for… thirty five souls – how odd.”

Tygot looked disgusted at the distasteful practice but went on. “From there the portrait went to a place called Occipitus. It was used to bargain with a ghost of some kind, then it was ultimately left in a large cathedral for many years where you found it.”

“Fascinating,” Elizabeth said. “Far more than I hoped to learn, thank you so much!”

“One other thing – this is apparently not the only one. It was part of a set. There were at least two by the same artist of this subject.”

Tygot either did not recognize the Lady Celeste or chose not to mention it. Either way was fine.

_So Lady Celeste is a lillend,_ I thought

_But then she two is skirting this interdiction business,_ Elizabeth realized.

We concluded our business and moved on. 

By now it was nearly time for dinner, so we returned to the Morkoth and changed into appropriate attire for the Cusp of Sunrise and some other appointments. Elizabeth found herself unwilling to leave Alakast behind lest something unpleasant happen to it. Him. Whatever. Fortunately it was not so notorious a weapon as to cause a stir when carried around, and it just seemed to be another fantastic weapon carried by the Blue Tygers. We were greeted with the usual (im)politeness at the Cusp of Sunrise and were seated.

Maris was quickly drawn away to the Lady Knowlern’s table. Apparently the Lady has taken an interest in Maris. But the rest of us had a pleasant enough meal and part way through the soup course we were joined by yet another party who had been seeking us.

He was tall, and wore a silver silk shirt open to the mid-chest, and a fabulous grey ermine cape. He was polite yet still had an air of superiority about him even as he bowed slightly. “I was hoping I might join you to discuss something. I am Sir Dorcus – I’m told you have heard I wished to speak with you.”

We nodded and he sat down, and immediately tore off a large hunk of bread and ate it with relish. “You would be Astrid of the Bearkiller Clan? A pleasure. Not that I know of any Bearkiller clans, despite having studied the northern clans quite a lot.”

Astrid did not respond to the simplistic goad and just waited quietly.

“Would you mind if I used a magic item?” he asked through gulping mouthfuls.

“For what purpose?” Glyph asked warily.

“Privacy,” he said simply, re-buttering the bread. 

We nodded and he removed a necklace set with a brilliant blue stone. “Vitaesis…” I heard Glyph whisper under his breath. He wrapped the necklace around a candle in the center of the table. 

“I do hope you don’t mind,” he said, “but I hate being… overheard. Of course my name is not Sir Dorcus any more than I’m human. Though I do love your society. Such wonderful foods.” To punctuate the point he helped himself to some of the appetizers. “In any case, call me Skorad.”

“If you’re not human, then what are ya?” Kris asked plainly.

“A dragon. Have you been contacted by someone from the Council yet?” he replied.

 “The only dragon we’ve had contact with is a rather strange black dragon…” Elizabeth started.

“Dorlat – the pervert. If I didn’t know better I’d say Dorlat’s only function in life was to see what kind of half dragon he could produce with every race on the Flaness. Still it’s not my place to tell him how to behave. So that’s a ‘no’ then on being contacted by the Council?”

“What Council?” Astrid asked in a clearly leading manner.

“The Scaled Council. It’s a… well let me begin from the beginning. I am a mediator. When certain groups – such as yourselves – or armies, militias, what have you – reach a certain status, which is to say is known to have killed a dragon of a specific size and nature or is likely to be capable of such…”

“We haven’t killed any dragons,” Elizabeth said calmly.

“You misunderstand my dear,” he said patronizingly. “I’m not here to chastise you. I’m here to inform you that there are some rules which you may be unaware of. I suspect sooner or later you’ll run afoul of another dragon and there are things you need to know.”

He leaned back in his chair. “You may or may not be aware of two great Dragon wars in history. You likely do not know of the third. What evolved after that was a détente between the chromatic and metallic dragons. To maintain that peace, an oversight council was formed. This worked well until about ten years ago at which time negotiations broke down and large scale warfare ensued. Cities were razed, and thousands died. It was most unfortunate.”

The last dragon war was widely known, even if its impact was only felt in certain areas of the world.

“That’s where I come in. My group is an… outside faction. A third group if you wish. After the last war it was apparent that both sides needed a further negotiation system. We steel dragons stayed effectively neutral from either side and maintained a defense of the larger settlements.”

“The Greyhawk dragons – is that you?” Glyph said with sudden realization, using the name of the somewhat mysterious protectors of Greyhawk during the last war.

Skorad looked like he had eaten something distasteful. “Yes, that would be us, though our scope is far from limited to Greyhawk. You live in one of the many cities thoat does not have direct steel dragon oversight. This is my first visit to Cauldron in many months.”

“In any case, my purpose is to inform you of the rules. Whenever a group of adventurers or an army or government slays a dragon, they get a visit like this. I am here to facilitate your knowledge of the rules – the do’s and don’t’s if you will. You don’t have to follow the rules, but if you chose not to, you do not get the protection from retribution that they offer.”

“There are rules?” Astrid said.

“Yes. Let me explain. Left unchecked, the chromatics would do harm to the countryside. They are dragons after all. Some are ravenous, some are simply not too bright. It is the way of things. But to prevent all out war, they are allowed to do as they wish. But there are rules of engagement between dragons – direct confrontation is not permitted. You really not need concern yourself with the details of dragon-to-dragon interactions but there are things you need to know involving you and dragons.”

Skorad’s face turned serious, perhaps for the first time. “The first and most important is this. You must never raise a dragon from the dead or violate its body in the form of the undead. This is considered the most cardinal sin and both sides will hunt you down and destroy you.”

Not what I was expecting to hear.

He went on. “If a dragon attacks you, you are expected and encouraged to defend yourselves. But if you hunt them down without justification, then you will not be sheltered by the Council’s graces against retribution.”

“Wait,” Elizabeth held up her hand. “Are you saying that if it was a legitimate engagement or defense of ourselves or the country or what have you, that these rules protect us from retribution?”

“Oh absolutely,” he said. “Whether it was ‘legitimate’ can be contested of course – the steel dragons will conduct a trial in such cases.”

“So if someone killed a dragon who had attacked them,” she pressed, “the rules prevent retribution by the deceased dragons family for instance?”

“Yes. We call it the ‘Bastards have brothers’ clause.”

“Not that we have, of course,” Elizabeth replied.

Skorad’s patience was getting weary. “Please girl. I know you killed Hookface’s son. And given your general proximity to such a large, territorial dragon, it was important that I stop by. I really should have done it sooner. And given you this,” he said, pushing a small box towards us.

Glyph opened the box and inside was a dragon scale. 

“As of the accord of five years ago, these are provided to groups like you that might run up against the rules. It allows for quicker communication with the Council. This can be used to contact me directly. I am your legal representative in this. You should notify me after you fight a dragon – or before, if you can.”

The entire group just looked at him silently so he went on.

“There are some other key elements. Anything that happens off-plane is not the Council’s concern, for instance. Dracoliches are fair game and you may hunt them all you wish. I only know of three. And should you fight a dragon and not slay him, he is permitted to seek retribution against you personally. Also only pureblood dragons count – if you slay one of Dorlat’s progeny, I certainly won’t say anything.”

“So how did you find out about our… encounter?” Elizabeth asked.

“Dragons of a given age are continually monitored by magic. When a dragon ends up dead, investigations are done to see who did it. I was a bit surprised to learn of your deeds but as I said it’s been some time since I was here last. But with your proximity to Hookface, well I’m not saying you’re going to go after him but it was past time for this conversation regardless.”

The conversation continued and there were some details explained. But the practical upshot was that as long as Maris didn’t go creating draconic zombies, we were protected from Hookface coming after us for killing his son. Still I was in no rush to brag about it.

After some time, Lord Vhalantruu, who the city council had elected mayor a few hours ago, emerged from a private room and took dinner. Elizabeth sent word she wished to speak with him and he received her a short time later.

“Welcome my dear. Congratulations on Redgorge – I just heard.”

“Thank you. It was a close thing. Congratulations to you on your election,” she replied.

“That too was a close thing, and unexpected. And not entirely welcome,” he said quietly.

“I do not wish to over-stay my welcome and tax your time,” she said politely. “But I was concerned about Lady Celeste and I understand you’ve done quite a lot of work trying to find her.”

“Indeed. I will be happy to share what I know. Lady Celeste came from the north some months ago. I confess I could deny her little. She had come south to investigate the disappearance of a relative close to her. I gave her access to many of my resources and she undertook some diplomatic work on her own, such as the affair you were involved in with the Splintershields. The day after you left on that task, she told me she had some information on a group called the… oh what was it… Prison… no… cagemaker… no…”

“Cagewrights?” Elizabeth supplied before she could stop to consider it.

“Yes, that’s it! She believed they were related to her relative’s disappearance but gave no details. She said she might have to go to Sasserine which was hardly unusual. She met up with an elf named Ramir before she left. I only know his name because he turned up dead last week, murdered. The watch had wanted to question you about it but having learned of your whereabouts I’ve rescinded that order. Ramir had approached me a short time ago inquiring after Celeste. I provided him what information I had and sent him on his way.”

Vhalantruu said quietly “Skellerang wanted to put a warrant out on you about that, but cooler heads prevailed.”

“In any case I’ve had divinations done by the Blue Crater Academy, the priests of Wee Jas and by Jenya. I asked a variety of questions. Most of them failed completely. She resists attempts to be scried, she cannot be summoned, and cannot be located. She is not in the afterlife. If she lives – and I believe she does – she is transformed or protected from being scanned. I cannot bankrupt myself on this but I have tried. For all I know, she might be hiding on purpose. I suspect foul play however.”

“So you have heard of these Cagewrights?” he asked.

“It’s a name that has come up during some of our travels,” Elizabeth said after a moment. By now she had sense enough to be cautious. “By some accounts they are a powerful group manipulating events behind the scenes in Cauldron for some nefarious purpose. But it’s more likely that it’s simply empty rumor and suspicion and it means nothing at all.”

Lord Vhalantruu had been helpful so far, but Elizabeth was worried she was being pumped for information and since we knew practically nothing, it seemed wiser to play off the group as meaningless until their reach could be better understood.

“Well, do keep me informed if you learn anything more about Celeste or these Cagewrights,” he asked.

“Of course, Lord Mayor,” she said with a small smile, and departed.

Meanwhile Glyph had gone back to the Morkoth to meet up with another person who seemed to be looking for us – the stranger at the inn. Glyph ordered himself a drink and then quite directly asked the man to join him. The man accepted. 

“I am Govaris. I have been tasked with locating you.”

“I see. And for what purpose?” Glyph asked. 

“To deliver this,” he said, pushing a small book out onto the table. “This is the book of my people – the People of Stone. I was charged with making you aware of my presence.”

Glyph opened the book and flipped through some of the pages. Cursory examination showed it to be a series of philosophies and study material. Many pictures were drawn, including one of a giant crystal inscribed with symbols, an elven man in ornate armor meditating before it. “This is a treatise on lucid dreaming?” Glyph asked.

“Indeed. As I said, I am one of the People of Stone. One of the Tested ones,” Govaris said as if it was evident.

Glyph finally made the connection. “Ah, the Testing. You’re from the Lendore Isles?”

Govaris nodded.  “We seek enlightenment as the Great Dreamer does. This book is for you to keep. I travel from city to city, wherever the dreams tell me to go. They told me to come here. The book contains some of the secrets of our arts. Should you wish you, you can learn the secrets of dreaming and discoveries. And with it the secrets of your own Marks. I seek those who bear marks and help them bring them to fulfillment.”

“Interesting. One of us has often had prophetic dreams. But the Marks? Ah yes, we were just told of these recently.”

“Indeed. One amongst your number has received the benefit of our gifts before. She is powerful in the ways of the Dreaming, if she would only tap it. She can train herself in the art of the Lucid Dream. Should she desire to know more, she may find me at the Blue Crater Academy for three more days. “

“As for the Marks - these techniques are not simple, nor are the paths easy ones. There are two paths – the path of the mind and the path of the body. If you wish, you can seek out the Tested Ones – it is an epic journey either way. But I have discharged my duty and now I may go.”

“We thank you for your gift, Govaris,” Glyph said and shook the man’s hand.

By now the rest of us had returned from the Cusp of Sunrise and come to the table. We sat down and Glyph told us about Govaris. The end of his story was punctuated by a sharp crack as the door to the street flew off its hinges and half way across the room.

Three people charged into the inn – a woman in armor with a sword, a half-orc with a large sword and fine custom armor, and a human, his hands glowing with magical energy.

“Wouldn’t it have made more sense to come inside first and then attack us?” Astrid asked.


----------



## WizarDru

Astrid's problem is she has no appreciation for dramatics.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Astrid's problem is she has no appreciation for dramatics.



And the bad guys don't seem to appriciate good solid doors.


----------



## LordVyreth

Wow, speaking of references to the old campaign.  I don't really remember the details of the Scaled Council, but some of the later bits of dragon politics definately ring a bell.  As does The Dreaming.  

It's also interesting that Celeste is so involved at this point in the campaign.  I won't spoil anything, but she was handled much differently in the original adventure path.


----------



## Zad

Background on a rainy Wednesday:

*The Scaled Council: * The Council is an organization of dragons who's primary purpose was to maintain some semblance of peace between the metallic (good) and chromatic (evil) dragons. After earlier historical dragon wars the Council was founded. The history goes back quite a ways. 

In the old campaign, the PCs encountered the Scaled Council from the first day though they didn't know it, as they were being employed by Lord Gelban, a.k.a. the Gilden, the leader of the Gold Dragons and co-chair of the council. Over time the Council broke down after Infernus (the head of the reds) attacked Lord Gelban and took him hostage. (Not entirely sure why, now that I think about it.) Open warfare broke out among the dragons, and cities like Hexpools were razed in the process. The PC's rescued Gelban from Infernus' demi-plane and returned him to leadership. After some of the forces pulling the strings were eliminated, the dragons were able to restore their troubled peace and restore the Council.  

During the dragon wars, the PCs became aware of a force that had moved into Greyhawk and attempted to maintain order. This group was said to consist of grey dragons who would suddenly appear at the first sign of trouble, but the PCs never had a chance to investigate and determine if it really was dragons or some force posing as such. Since their adventures never took them back through Greyhawk, this force went un-investigated. 

Exactly how the Council has evolved in the intervening ten years is something we are just starting to learn. However it's now become clear that the Greyhawk Dragons are in fact the Steel Dragons, who moved in to protect major civiliation centers. The Steel's have apparently been integrated into the Council's structure and some new rules implemented and old ones reinforced. (The notion of never ever raising a dragon from the dead was a taboo even in the first campaign.)

The metallic dragons in the last campaign would commonly use human agents and maintained a fair stable of such troubleshooters. The metallics tended to hold sway over a geographic territory. If this trend continued, it's somewhat surprising that the PCs have not yet been engaged by a metallic dragon, but it is likely that the metallics are at least aware of the Blue Tyger Legion by now. Certainly with the recent take-over of Occipitus, they will be appearing on people's radar in a whole new light.

*The Dreaming and the People of Stone:* The Dreaming, the People of Stone/the Testing and the Lendore Isles are all interrelated topics. A secretive group of elves live on the Lendore Isles. They are worshipers of Sehanine Moonbow, the elven goddess of dreams. Some of them have been through The Testing. The exact details and nature of this trial are unknown to us. But such tested people come out the other end changed. (This is all Greyhawk standard stuff I believe.) These people and Sehanine worshipers in general are skilled in Lucid Dreaming which is a method of controlling ones dreams to productive ends, either prophetically or for communication. 

In the prior campaign, Aethramyr was a paladin of Sehanine and skilled in the Dreaming. 

A cursory glance does not show any obvious connection to the events of this campaign so far. But it seems that the People of Stone are now taking a more active role in dealing with Marked individuals.

*The Marks:* Marks of Power are manifestations of latent potential in all beings. It's not clear if everyone is marked, or simply has the potential to become marked. In the prior campaign, all the PCs were marked. Most bore the Mark of Fire, while Aethramyr bore the Mark of Stone. Marks are very dependent on the individual for their form and manfestation - for Kayleigh the mark was intimately tied to her Archer's Nock which was related to her being an Arcane Archer. So the expression of the mark depends a great deal on the particular individual.

The Marks bear a link to the Primals - creatures that formed the prime material plane and represent primal forces like fire, earth, disease, and so on. The primals are neither good or evil - they are absolute and beyond such concepts. 

In a more concrete sense, the marks are linked to epic progression. (i.e. going beyond 20th level) Unlocking the power in ones mark is essential to crossing into epic territory. The mechanism varies from class to class and can vary from person to person even then. 

The marks may provide other benefits or penalties to the bearers but if so, it is not known to me.

How's that?


----------



## WizarDru

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wow, speaking of references to the old campaign.  I don't really remember the details of the Scaled Council, but some of the later bits of dragon politics definately ring a bell.  As does The Dreaming.
> 
> It's also interesting that Celeste is so involved at this point in the campaign.  I won't spoil anything, but she was handled much differently in the original adventure path.




Indeed.  That won't be the last change to an NPC, either.  One thing that's bothered me for a while is that, since I've been using the SCAP close to as-written, that certain elements of my setting were largely off-screen, as the characters weren't really seeing it.  While I had a lot of the answers to how my version was different from Greyhawk and the RAW SCAP, it wasn't apparent to the PCs at all.  They have now hit 11th level...such changes should become noticable, and now they have.

One of the players, I don't recall which, wondered what the Scaled Council, among others, thought of what was happening in Cauldron.  A lot of power-brokers in the world appeared to be ignorant of said events...which in some cases stretched credulity unless explained.  Even now, the question of how Celeste was able to remain on the Prime is a question that has been asked (though they'll have to find out themselves).  In some cases, it's simply a logical extrapolation of what the players know of the world and in some cases it's a simple curiosity of how the campaign has changed since the players were in it.

I won't name names, but there's at least one important NPC who's eventual fate is just NOT IN THE BOOK (or if it is, it's REALLY well hidden).  It's possible that it's meant to be left to the individual DM or that it's not THAT relevant to the later game, but it really, REALLY bugged me.  One of the sins of the SCAP is a classic one: some modules are more interesting to READ than they are to PLAY.  As DM, I can see why Sir Alek does what he does and what happened...but unless I embellish certain events, it's not clear or not important to the players.

Case in point: Sir Alek helped the players in "Drakthar's Way".  While this wasn't originally scripted, it made sense as soon as they needed help (and he would have volunteered to lend them aid sooner or later)....and more importantly, made him a character they knew.  His disappearance in Demonskar Legacy means something, emotionally, because he's not just 'some guy'...he's a real face with a real story.  

Some of the modules in SCAP are no-brainers: motivating the players to rescue orphans and explore an abandoned magic factory?  EASY.  Convincing a battered party to accompany an OBVIOUSLY evil dude to a THE ABYSS?  HARD SELL.  Sure I made it work...but only because the players were willing to meet me half-way.  The deck simply isn't stacked that well...and ultimately, while it has a greater campaign arc reason, that reason is poorly defined in the module for both DM and player....especially player.

I found this session very satisfying.  Did I perhaps slather on a tad much of the previous campaign tie-ins?  Probably (and you should realize, Zad left OUT some details, like the Lucky Monkey's new manager).  But it was, IMHO, necessary to do a course-correction.

Understand, though, that this isn't an indictment of the SCAP....but of how the SCAP doesn't fit my players or my style that well.  It does it's job pretty well...and it lasted a LOT longer than the WotC Adventure Path, whose shackles I was chafing before the second module was done.


----------



## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Did I perhaps slather on a tad much of the previous campaign tie-ins?  Probably (and you should realize, Zad left OUT some details, like the Lucky Monkey's new manager).




True dat. I left out a bunch of stuff for various reasons. Some just due to volume - a bridge session like this can have a lot of unrelated things that don't weave together well in a story format and so I was looking for edits to make.

The new Lucky Monkey management is Ember. As in "Scorch's sister" who is apparently now a worshiper of Farlanghan. Ok maybe it's just someone named Ember and a coincidence - yeah right. (Left out since we would have no idea who she was.)

Maris had an amusing run with Vortimax Weir about her homework, most of which was inadvertently already done due to adventuring. (Left out since it happened out of narrator view.)

Kris and Shensen have been "exploring each other's faith" if you know what I mean. And I think you do.

Jenya has leveled up some since last we knew and can raise the dead on her own. Much to my personal surprise.

There were a few points I left out of Astrid's visit with Skie.

I think there's more - I just can't remember them.



> A lot of power-brokers in the world appeared to be ignorant of said events...which in some cases stretched credulity unless explained.




Very true, and one that I've speculated about. Especially true in recent days.

1. Cauldron is entirely too close to Celene for the elves not to have ears out. (as it were)

2. When a group of *hundreds* of demons attacks a town in apparent violation of the Interdiction, that's going to get a lot of people's attention. More than anything this recent development will, I think, make a lot of heads suddenly snap around and look in Cauldron's direction.

3. Power: Kris and Maris are hitting their stride. Kris can RAISE. THE. DEAD. Maris is getting 6th level spells and is going to start attracting attention. I'm sure the Blue Crater Academy is well monitored so it won't be long now that she's re-surfaced with far more power (oh, and her own demi-plane).

4. Dead dragons tend to attract attention

5. PC's have appeared on the radar of several factions and those factions have willingly chosen to appear on the PC's radar now. Crosstalk and spying is going to cause word to spread farther.

I believe what happened last week is only the tip of the iceberg and suddenly things are going to pick up speed. People sure as heck are going to hear about "demon army" and want to know what happened.


----------



## LordVyreth

This begs another question, now that the campaign is nearing its climax.  How do you resolve the fact that the original party is still out there?  At some point, the Meepites will theoretically want to do something, even if it's off-camera.  The other SH that I read about this path here actually made use of this by replacing a benevolent NPC with a former player character.  Granted, it was an evil player character, so it wasn't so simple a matter, but it was an interesting idea.


----------



## WizarDru

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> This begs another question, now that the campaign is nearing its climax.  How do you resolve the fact that the original party is still out there?  At some point, the Meepites will theoretically want to do something, even if it's off-camera.  The other SH that I read about this path here actually made use of this by replacing a benevolent NPC with a former player character.  Granted, it was an evil player character, so it wasn't so simple a matter, but it was an interesting idea.



 Nearing it's climax?  They're only 11th level, me lad.  The finale modules are, IMHO, the weakest link.  Chapters 10 and 11 are both really just one module, and I don't like how they handle things.  The main story may resolve or may NOT resolve that way, but if it does, I'd like the players to actually know WHO the Cagewrights are BEFORE they end up fighting them.  Bad guys who they don't know or have a history with are not much more use to me than just a random stat-block...and the Cagewrights are mostly set up as late campaign roadblocks in one of a couple of modules.  WEAK. 

Your assumption is that the original party is still together as a collective group.  That's not really the case, 10 years down the line.  They interact periodically, but their separated duties keep them away from each other....and they've become part of the power structure on the Prime they unseated.  It's rules now dominate their fates.  Only one of the party members of the previous campaign truly goes her own way.

Though it may not be immediately evident, three of the previous game's party members have already directly acted in Cauldron on some level, and two of them indirectly.  I would say more, but I don't know that all of the PCs have made those connections, and at least one of those is a minor spoiler.  Such as it is. 



			
				Zad said:
			
		

> 1. Cauldron is entirely too close to Celene for the elves not to have ears out. (as it were)



Actually, it is too far.  Celene is roughly 220-250 miles away, across four other nations (the Sea Princes, the Yeomanry, Keoland and either one of the Uleks).  By boat, Cauldron is closer to the Scarlet Brotherhood, but the Sea Princes control the regional waters, so the brothers (who were soundly beaten years ago) never come that far West.

As for the other issues...let's just say the Grey Guild already has spoken with Maris, more than once.  One of the party members has allied himself with the Chisel, another has actively been making contacts all over the city and all of them are beginning to chafe under the current settings of taxes.  As for Redgorge...well, we'll see how that plays out, shall we?


----------



## Argent Silvermage

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> This begs another question, now that the campaign is nearing its climax.  How do you resolve the fact that the original party is still out there?  At some point, the Meepites will theoretically want to do something, even if it's off-camera.  The other SH that I read about this path here actually made use of this by replacing a benevolent NPC with a former player character.  Granted, it was an evil player character, so it wasn't so simple a matter, but it was an interesting idea.



My personal theory is that The Meepites may have known about the Deamons but due to thier working alongside The God of Balance (can't remember his name) they may have to work with those laws. I'm sure Dravot the demigod does. 
It was kind of an assumption on my part that the rest of the Meepites are considered a part of his "Mythology" and thus may be considered effected by it as well. If they break the rules Dravot and Pelor are effected. 

I can't think why Bolo would get involved except to do something about the flooding. Of course if he was asked he would bring the wrath of nature down on demons but to my knowledge no one has asked him.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

*On the road to Cauldron: Glyfandar and Maavu*

The evening was settling in and Glyf’s curiosity was getting the better of him. Elizabeth had told the Glyf about the ‘Chisel’ but he needed to know more and the obvious person to ask was Maavu. He wheeled his phantom steed up to the couch that Maavu was sitting in and said, "I was hoping Master Maavu that I might learn more about this conclave you belong to. I am interested if there might be a place for myself there".

With out looking up Maavu replied, "Ahh, Glyf. I expected that you would ask, sooner or later. Like Father, Like Son, as they say. There may be a place for you among The Chisel. We are makers and crafters, but we are dedicated to the cause of protecting the people of this region from those who might cheat or harm them. If you follow your father's ideals, then it may be that you could be welcomed into our ranks as he was."

Glyf’s face must have lighted and darkened all at once. The Illumian peoples were of a nature to be unattached to their parents and children letting the whole of the Cabal to raise and rear children. Glyf never got to know his parents well and when most of the Cabal was killed on Shatterday He had even less to for emotional ties with. "You knew Diamondshard Trillian"? Glyf says in a bit of shock. "What can you tell me of his activities in Cauldron? I came here to find out why he was murdered. Was it due to his being a Chisel member"?

Maavu looked at Glyf and saw the hurt there in the young mans face. How unlike his father, how human this young alchemist was, "Your father was an ambitious man, but a compassionate one, as well.  
For years, he was the Knowledgeable Scholar in our ranks, dedicated to wise council for our actions.  Your cabal was, in no small part, sheltered by his actions.  He understood the need for the Chisel and he suspected foul things were afoot in Cauldron.  He never shared exactly what he believed, but he did tell me that the Cabal had had some visitors, all seeking knowledge about some topic concerning complex magic item construction.  He suspected that someone in Cauldron, someone powerful, was planning something of danger to the entire region."

"If he was killed for being a member of the Chisel, the reason died with him.  We are a very subtle organization, normally...my recent actions notwithstanding.  We try to manipulate events from behind the scenes, using money and knowledge to influence people directly and indirectly.  
We rarely take hasty action.  Trillian's death was as much a shock to us as it was to you.  If they bore the Chisel ill will, they must not have discovered who were...or they may have simply not cared."

The runes floating around Glyphandar’s head spun a bit faster and he said, "I can only say that I am my father's child. While I am not the wisest of men I am a compassionate and understanding man. I hope that I am making my father proud with my role in the Blue Tyger Legion. 
Like Trillian I have devoted my life to transforming the lives of others and to my craft. 
Once I'm able to settle down and devote my time to my mechanicals I intend to create some worker units to lend to the people on Caldrons wharfs as well as swell the ranks of the militia when needed."

"Is there anything I can do to show the chisel that I am worthy of their attention?"

Maavu smiled and turned his face away, “You do much already to convince us. There are already member of the Chisel that are interested in your joining”.

The two travelers chatted about what the Chisel was and what he would learn from the members and how he may be of use them. Glyf was pleased.


----------



## Zad

What Wizardru said re: the Meepites not being together. We still talk surely, but we don't roll together. Each one is off tending to their own duties and interests.

The reverse side of that is the whole Redgorge siege. I would fully expect that the news of that little event would draw some interest from Scorch, maybe Valanthe, Aethramyr, Bolo for sure, and Kayleigh. Dravot would probably just talk to the judges directly - divine hotline and all 



> Though it may not be immediately evident, three of the previous game's party members have already directly acted in Cauldron on some level, and two of them indirectly. I would say more, but I don't know that all of the PCs have made those connections, and at least one of those is a minor spoiler. Such as it is.




Hm. That's a lotta meepites. Speculation ensues...

Given: the Grey Guild has scoped out Maris. Hardly surprising - Scorch would have established an infrastructure for just that. Valanthe could be involved.

Aethramyr - indirect via people of the testing. If dreamin's been goin' on, he may have seen things.

Bolo - possible indirect action via Shensen?

I'd have to say that aside from some assumed curiosity from the Grey Guild, I don't think I've made ANY of those connections.  Certainly not direct ones.


----------



## Zad

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> My personal theory is that The Meepites may have known about the Deamons but due to thier working alongside The God of Balance (can't remember his name) they may have to work with those laws. I'm sure Dravot the demigod does.
> It was kind of an assumption on my part that the rest of the Meepites are considered a part of his "Mythology" and thus may be considered effected by it as well. If they break the rules Dravot and Pelor are effected.
> 
> I can't think why Bolo would get involved except to do something about the flooding. Of course if he was asked he would bring the wrath of nature down on demons but to my knowledge no one has asked him.




Hm. I'm not sure I'd agree. Ralishaz has no real leverage over most of the more earthly meepites.

Dravot is the obvious exception. It's at the same time likely to know the most, and yet intervene the least.

Scorch would, I would think, view a demon army on the prime as a curiosity but wouldn't necessarily care enough to act. Same for Valanthe. Both are impulsive enough to destroy them on a whim if provoked though.

Oddly I would have thought Bolo would be uptight about the army - it's not natural, it doesn't belong here. 

I suspect Aethramyr would have acted if he knew about it. Still a paladin after all, and there's no reason he shouldn't destroy them.

Kayleigh would be disturbed by their presence. She might act, or she might wait and see but hard to guess which. Hard to imagine her letting them smash Redgorge, and also hard to imagine her acting on something that was so far afield. But like most of the others, nothing really prevents her direct action if she chose. Nothing I know of at least.

Fascinating...


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Zad said:
			
		

> Oddly I would have thought Bolo would be uptight about the army - it's not natural, it doesn't belong here.



 Oh in dealing with the demon army at Redgorge Bolo's probably pissed he couldn't awaken the flora and fauna around the area to destroy the army. He would most defenitly go there and start kicking scales.


The way I see if.. 
Scorch: is obvious. 
Aethrymer: is watching us as we have the marks and his people know all about the marks. Also as Mariss has a dreamers gift he knows about her and thus us. 
Valenthe: The Cagewrites are right up the hands ally so she may be getting ready to hand us some infor soon. 
Dravot: He's working in Cauldron via his cleric. He's also interested in our civic tendencies. 
Kayleigh: I don't know.. The Cagewrites sound a LOT like they may be using the same kind of magic used against the Elves during the Gythyanki invasion. The Queen may have her or Melf involved on the sidelines. 

Back to Bolo: He may be connected with the Followers of Farlanghen. Lord knows his Grove is a refugee camp and that may have ties to the Striders people.


----------



## WizarDru

Zad said:
			
		

> What Wizardru said re: the Meepites not being together. We still talk surely, but we don't roll together. Each one is off tending to their own duties and interests.
> 
> The reverse side of that is the whole Redgorge siege. I would fully expect that the news of that little event would draw some interest from Scorch, maybe Valanthe, Aethramyr, Bolo for sure, and Kayleigh. Dravot would probably just talk to the judges directly - divine hotline and all




The Meepites are, quite honestly, BUSY.  And they have bigger fish to fry.  Some of them were aware of the demon army in Redgorge and had been for years.  Wiping them out, however, never became a priority....and there are more complicated political issues that are in play.  Some of the Meepites are off-plane for periods of time and they can't be everywhere at once.  In fact, they can rarely venture forth to handle what are, essentially, trivial matters.  If the demon army had moved towards Cauldron, that might have been different.  Or it might not.  

In some cases, the cost of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance.  And with the passing of the last Silvering and the destruction of the ShadowTaker, a lot of the long-standing checks and balances broke down.  The law of unintended consquences kicked in....and beings like Iuz and the Horned Society flowed into the void.  If the new Celenian leaves her homeland, every moment she's not there, enemy forces have a chance to move against her people.  The Tested Ones have found their callings and pursue it with a passion, under the guidance of the Dreamer and with the aid of the Brandybuck.  The Grey Guild has cast a wide net, and the Guildminister finds himself at the center of a huge machine of his own making.  Dravot (both of them) operate under a much tighter set of restrictions than he/they once enjoyed.

Valanthe....well, that's a different story.


----------



## Scorch

WizarDru said:
			
		

> The Grey Guild has cast a wide net, and the Guildminister finds himself at the center of a huge machine of his own making.




Hmm... Fight demon army at Red Gorge or work on giant, floating, invisible pyramid...

Scorch


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Just for the record.. 2 week hyatus starting last week. Sorry to do it to you all.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Gleeee!
We play tonight!


----------



## thatdarncat

woot! bout time


----------



## Argent Silvermage

thatdarncat said:
			
		

> woot! bout time



My innocence died.   
But the opponents were amazing! Heroes of Battle must be a really kick a$$ book.


----------



## WizarDru

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> My innocence died.
> But the opponents were amazing! Heroes of Battle must be a really kick a$$ book.




It really isn't, but it has a few gems in it.  The Military prestige classes are great team players, and they took you on using their strengths.  What happens next....well, that remains to be seen.  I'll refrain from further discussion until after the story chapter is posted.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

We Play again tonight.
For those hoping for a story hour from last week it's coming. Zad is waiting for more material as last week was mainly fighting. 
Although when the story hour is up Glyf will have a real mad on for... well that would be telling.


----------



## Zad

Argent Silvermage said:
			
		

> Zad is waiting for more material as last week was mainly fighting.




No he wasn't.


----------



## Argent Silvermage

It appears that Zad is cranky.


----------



## Zad

Nah. At least no more than usual. Just the "writer's ennui" that has recently been surfacing and was previously mentioned.


----------



## Blacklamb

Miss you guys!

Get well soon!(in regards to the writer's ennui)

Blacklamb


----------



## darkhall-nestor

You know a good blow by blow description of combat couldn't hurt


----------



## Zad

My experience has been somewhat to the contrary.

Blow-by-blow descriptions of combat tend to get bogged down in a lot of details. They can also suffer from timing issues since from a game-perspective, everyone moves in rotation but that usually makes for really hard reading since the reader can have a hard time following what's going on as the "camera" hops around so much. I remember reading some of Turtledove's work on the lizard invasion where the focus character shifted every few pages and I found it a tiring read in the same way, and enjoyed some of the later books in that series more where he cut the number of "main" characters and stayed on each for longer periods.

My experience is also that swing-swing-swing-swing doesn't make for much of an interesting story. At one point in the prior story hour, I was doing exactly that. Eventually I realized that it was a story hour - emphasis on the word *story* and it should read like a story, rather than a court-reporter record of the night's D&D game.

As a result over the years, I've drifted away from highly detailed combat descriptions. In part due to reading the works of authors I find far better - Destan for instance - and in part from just learning to write better (to me). Stories revolve around dramatic tension, and character development. While combat is useful for both, there are lots of other things that are as well, and the _mechanics_ of combat usually just serve to diminish rather than heighten the drama. Not to mention my notes are usually not good enough for that much detail 

All that said, I'm sure it can be done, and I'm sure it can be done well. But I have found it to be not-so-great for my personal style of writing. My twin goals for the story hour have always been a) to tell an entertaining story and b) to serve as a substantively accurate account of the game which we can refer to later for reference (something both players and DM have needed to do). I'm usually able to serve both goals at the same time. There are times I favor the good story a little higher and lie take some artistic discretion with the events but it's usually something that while adding flavor to the story was not a "substantive" alteration. But again, it's my feeling that BBB descriptions rarely serve those goals, at least for me.


----------



## ThoughtBubble

One of the things I've really enjoyed about this Story Hour has been in the character's reaction to the module. It's a very understated sort of tongue in cheek humor, not about your game, but about D&D. You can feel the points where the party stops for a beat. They look at each other, then the camera, then each other, then shrug and continue again. It's those points where something is totally off, and they KNOW it, but then decide to downplay it for the sake of the show/story/module. For example, the part with the obviously evil guy taking the party to Occipitus. Or the point when "It's obviously an illusionary dragon." But it's exemplified in the re-telling by the familiars. The story has this amazing sense of self-awareness and wry humor at itself. 

Anyway, thank you for the fun that you've given us. Good future gaming, and I hope Wizardru manages to keep the weirdness at acceptable levels.


----------



## Zad

Thank you for the kind words. Writing is a continual evolution and experiment, and I try to make it interesting and strike certain balances and yet continue to evolve.

As for the... oddities, I think you'll see less of them. Wizardru has has about enough of the patent silliness with this last one, and is going to start using the modules more as a guideline and is going to do more substantial alterations to make it dovetail into his world better as well as tweak it to fit the various character backstories.

As you said, in the end we all want to have fun and if the sign says "Dungeon -> this way" we may balk a bit but eventually we'll suspend disbelief and move along. But if it's candy-coated better, then it's an easier pill to swallow for everyone.


----------



## Zad

Setting my writing aside, the gods have cursed us. We've had to abort a few planned sessions the last few weeks and won't have another for this game for a few more due to vacations. 

Such is life sometimes. We used to lose most of August because two of our group tended to attend a certain war but that is no longer an issue.


----------



## LightPhoenix

No!  You are NOT allowed to have lives!  Bad Meepites!    

Seriously, I don't think it's a big deal.  I was more afraid you guys were playtesting 4E and wouldn't feel like posting was appropriate.  Of course, I think you all _should_ playtest 4E.


----------



## Zad

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> No!  You are NOT allowed to have lives!  Bad Meepites!




Well a leaking hot water heater got us this week. Not sure if you'd call that a "life".



			
				LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> Seriously, I don't think it's a big deal.  I was more afraid you guys were playtesting 4E and wouldn't feel like posting was appropriate.  Of course, I think you all _should_ playtest 4E.




Hey if you know somebody, we'd be more than happy to playtest it. Probably provide some decent feedback too - a decent cross section in our group.


----------



## LightPhoenix

Zad said:
			
		

> Hey if you know somebody, we'd be more than happy to playtest it. Probably provide some decent feedback too - a decent cross section in our group.




If I knew somebody, _I'd_ be playtesting it.  I'd figure with your experiences with high-level play, you'd make good candidates.  Too bad it's not something that can be applied for.


----------



## Aethramyr

*Well, we're not dead.*

We're not dead. Neither our characters, or us, luckily. We even played Shackled City this weekend. Throwing down some notes just so they're not forgotten, but don't go looking for Zad's prose here. If you want to wait for it, i'm putting it in spoiler tags. 


[sblock]The group that attacked us in the bar at the end of the last episode? Called the winnowers or some-such. We were rather annoyed that they were just using astral copies of themselves, and not actually there. They were ready, we weren't. It took a bit, but we made it. 

We didn't want to let them re-group, so we went looking for trouble. Couldn't find it immediatly, but then managed to spot one attacking a friend of the groups. Bellsin saw him, then saw the Diamond shart who was SUPPOSED to be helping glyph, and sort of "overheard" him talking about how he was fooling glyph, and he hired the winnowers. Followed him to the temple of We Jas, and we gathered ourselves and set out to find trouble in the Temple. [/sblock]


----------



## Zad

"So, this is how it ends?"

We were scheduled to play over the weekend. And we kind of tried to.

The summary of circumstances goes like this:

Me: "We need to work out the details on Alakast."

Wizardru: "Yeah, true. I'll work something up and send it to you"

Dravot: "I got an idea: We forget Alakast and go do Pathfinder!"

And it was only a half-joking suggestion.

I'm not sure if we mentioned it here but we've done a little experimentation with the Pathfinder adventure series. Wizardru likes it a lot and after having run a few adventures with semi-throw-away characters, we're all liking it too. Maybe it's just the new-adventure smell that will wear off eventually but we like it a lot.

Contrast that with Shackled City. While it started strong, the blemishes are starting to show themselves in a big way. Everyone likes their characters, but nobody is overly invested in the adventure path itself. The story has a lot of holes, and everyone seems to care less and less. The meta plots, which are laid out for the DM, are poorly and haphazardly revealed to the players, which results in a general lack of caring about the overall thing.

So we finally just put it out there and talked about it. Unsurprisingly, everyone was feeling the same way. And so rather than go through the motions, we decided to just stop with this one. We will probably use the characters in some other material, but Shackled City has failed to deliver on its promise and we're just going to let it drop and pursue Pathfinder. When 4e comes out we'll probably pick that up too.


----------



## WizarDru

So.....Shackled City.

....


See, here's the thing.  We need to talk, you and I.  You should sit down.  You've been with us for what, 9 months?  A year?  Hmmm.  Let me look at your file, here.

I see.

When we first hired you for the 'Adventure Path' position, we had high hopes.  We'd contracted with you before through the Dungeon organization, as you'll recall.  Based on your performance there, we'd offered you a full-time position.  We put your map on the wall and put together a project team.  Things were going well.  But then...well, let's review.

First off, let me say that I feel you excelled in some areas.  Your graphics were good, if not always accurate.  Your maps were attractive...again, if sometimes incorrect.  Your voluminous if sometimes poorly organized stat-blocks met our needs.  Your dungeons...well, here's where we noted our first problems, Shackled City.

Your first assignment, "Life's Bazaar", was a solid effort, extremely irritating pun notwithstanding.  A creative and interesting dungeon using something other than the standard goblins and kobolds, with some fun (although sometimes very dangerous) challenges.  A good ending and some fun twists, with plenty of room for growth.  A fine sign of the work we expected from you.  The beholder at the end was a nice touch, if a tad deus ex machina.

Now, at this point we weren't expecting much in the way of a grand story-arc, but some underpinnings...which we saw.  The real problems started with your sophmore effort, really.  You remember it, I'm sure..."Drakthar's Way"?  This was an all-new work and we had high hopes for it.  Hopes that were quickly dashed, I'm afraid.  In many ways, it felt like a quick re-hash of the previous module.  Oh, there was a vampire Bugbear in it, which was interesting....but it came down to another exploration of an abandoned dungeon under the city, with more clues that would prove meaningless to the heroes.  We made some alterations to accomadate upcoming events and hoped that this would be a slight case.  After all, there were some interesting encounters and some potentially interesting developments here.  There were developments related to future modules, even if they seems a little ham-fisted.  We continued to hope.

The third module introduced the first of many problems that would occur.  "Flood Season" did some things so well and others so poorly that it was surprising they were in the same module.  You provided a very solid motivation to get the players involved in the story...we liked that.  You built on existing story elements and introduced a set of NPC rivals for the party.  That was good work, there.  Forgetting some timing issues for a minute, we were pretty happy with this module.  Things that didn't work very well, of course, were the 'tough' encounters and the fact that, once again, the players didn't get a lot of the story, except through NPC exposition.  

But in the sense of a missed opportunity, we found the best remembered moments of the module came from a supplement someone else wrote for the module...not in your work.  The whole Flood Festival was underused, frankly, and looking back, we realize a LOT of the personality of the city came from the DM's innovation, not your foundations.  We forgave this since, as we mentioned, the module was overall quite good.  We assumed the adventure path was on the right track and moved forward.

Our first clue that you weren't checking your own work was your next effort: "Zenith Trajectory".   Again, we had a good motivation for the heroes.  But now we had some problems.  Getting the heroes out of the city to rescue someone immediately following "Flood Season" felt like you were repeating yourself.  The party noticed, even though we jazzed it up some.  Then we had the problem of Crazy Jared.  Your module hinged on a couple of points: you included an encounter with a dragon that felt somewhat hollow, to rescue an insane character who was needed for information...without actually establishing that the party really needed him.  Never mind that he wasn't really all that amusing, but just sort of annoying.

Oh, and let me sidetrack for a moment.  We wanted to make note of the whole 'crazy prophet' notions.  You were extremely inconsistent with this concept throughout the path.  Why isn't Crazy Jared spouting about your BBEG back in the beginning?  Why do all the crazy characters spout incomprehensible nonsense?  Why bother giving the players a prophecy at all if it's nonsensical and of no use to them?  You did this with the Star of Justice so often, it became a source of player mockery.  Worse, it meant that when you did give clear information later, it was ignored as assumed gibberish and not given any critical thought.

Now we come to our first real problems...one that would occur with more and more frequency.  The 'Challenging' encounter.  Not every group looks forward to a near-TPK several times a module, Shackled City.  The cryo-hydra encounter was somewhere near player-assassination in some aspects.  There was little to no way for the players to anticipate the full force they were to be hit with.  It was not the first such encounter in this dungeon.  It was a dangerous but survivable encounter, so we went with it.  But that doesn't excuse what came next:  the erinyes, sir.  This created an untenable situation; a killer monster with high mobility, tons of powers and an environment that made her even more lethal than normal.  Teleport at Will battles do not become us, sir.  I won't bother discussing the mummy.  The Control Water encounter was acceptable.

Never mind that we again had a littany of 'the players will never really understand the significance' events scattered throughout the module.  Finding out about Zenith Splintershield might have happened in module TEN.  Maybe.  Do you really think that's suitable?  We did like the side touches with the black dragon, mind you.  That was fun, if underplayed...but the maps were a NIGHTMARE.   I saw what you were trying to do, but it was too confusing for everyone involved.

So then we came to what we had hoped would be the feather in our crown, "The Demonskar Legacy".  Here, at last, was the core story...at least in parts.  We'd laid down the foundation for this at length, previously....but using our own content, not yours.  Core NPCs would have been just names, if we hadn't made them significant earlier on.  Again, motivation for the PCs was....well, let's be honest, now.  How many times can you have the same NPC beg for the heroes help, just on happenstance?  You were repeating yourself again, here.  

This time we had some problems from the module that weren't your doing, but ours.  We had campaign specifc rules that made things complicated, but we found some outs.  But your basic plot structure was abominable.  The players were rapidly reaching a 'why would we do that?' phase.   The maps were truly messed up this time, and there were whole sequences that just didn't make sense.  We spent, on your advice Shackled City, several modules building up the demon-general and the Demon Skar in general.  Then we pissed away the whole narrative as a series of caves and some stupid wind-pipes?  That's it?  And you even wasted two ideas at once, wasting the spell-weaver city AND the demon-enclave.  WEAK.  By now covering your short-comings was becoming something akin to actual work...which was why we HIRED you, Shackled City.  You were supposed to be saving us time and effort, not shifting what we were working on.  We were, to say the least, disappointed.

Once again, the most memorable and enjoyable parts of the module were our own work.  Here, we began to suspect you were staying out late and drinking.  How could you write a module featuring an invasion and then have it resolve OFF-CAMERA WITHOUT THE PLAYERS?  What were you thinking, man?  Never mind that you also began dropping major NPCs from the arc without any real explanation of where they went.  For shame, Shackled City, for shame.  Of course, the hideously lopsided final battle of the module was another situation like the Erinyes from "Zenith Trajectory".  No one likes being obviously soft-balled, Shackled City...and here you were at your most patronizing.  With a no-win/no-win scenario, no less.

But now we come the worst offender, Shackled City.  The game-breaker, in fact.  Not the last module we used, you understand...but this is the one that cracked the sky first.  This is the work where we began thinking about terminating your employment.  Remember how we talked about player motivation?  This time you provided us with the worst, most pathetic and flimsy motivation we'd seen.  If we had been wise, we would have avoided the whole idea...but we liked the IDEA of the plane of Occipitus, and the players shrugged and played along for our sake.  But we all knew it was a ruse.  We'd been thrown out of the story in an obvious way...and for little actual reward, as it worked out.

Did you just throw darts at a board for the monsters for this one?  And....A MAZE puzzle?  Really?  Were you just throwing whatever you could think of on the page?  Some of these encounters felt tacked on...like you were just filling an XP requirement quota.  (Seriously, the lich and the dragon encounters...what were you thinking, there?)  It was obvious to us and to the players.  And the worst part was that at the end of the module, it felt like a totally pointless side-track.  And a predictable one, at that. 

You see, Shackled City, we felt you were 'phoning it in' by this point.  We know that higher level modules are tougher...in fact, we believe we know it BETTER THAN YOU.  Your work was getting sloppy, now.  Mismatched artwork and maps became more common, and statblock mistakes started appearing.  It was becoming more work to cover for your mistakes than we wanted, and you were delivering over-glorified dungeon crawls.

We skipped "Secret of the Soul Pillars" when it became obvious that it was just a rehash of the same non-adventure we'd already seen THREE TIMES by this point.  The players weren't going to just go march off to ANOTHER dungeon to find another item that would again provide them NO REAL ANSWERS.  And by this point, the non-presence of the Cagewrights, the proposed evil organization who motivates most of the adventure path, was beginning to rankle.  The actions of the beholder, Orbius, were completely unknown to the party, making them effectively meaningless.

So we advanced to "Lords of Oblivion"....and it killed the game.  Because we were following the EXACT same plot as "Secret of the Soul Pillars" and "Flood Season", and it was wearing thin.  Did you think we didn't notice the meta-structure you kept overusing?  Because we did, Shackled City, we did.  Event happens and players stop it, but then discover that wizard Foozle did it, and they chase him to location A and fight him.  That leads them to location B, where they fight Foozle's pal and then location C to fight Foozle and get Item/Installation X, that gives them a teensy clue about the metaplot.  

For that matter, you have an NPC spouting exposition about the meta-plot...and if the PCs put their boot to the door or can't sneak in to hear it, they may never really know what's going on.  EVER.

Now, we didn't even bother with the rest of the campaign.  It was simply too much.  Let's summarize your grand plan:  the beholder becomes a Tarterian Beholder in his dungeon.  The players are exepcted to hunt him down.  Then the cagewrights trigger the volcano and earthquakes to activate their artifact and the red dragon Hookface attacks.  Oh, and some demodands attack.  So the players find the Cagewrights lair and kill most of them, then hunt the others to ANOTHER dungeon and kill them there.  Then the BBEG suddenly appears and the players just rush off to fight him.....and then, ROLL CREDITS?

You do realize that, with what you gave us, half the most important NPCs and villains only show up about five minutes before they become important or in the case of the villains, DEAD?  You spend eight modules building up the cagewrights and then kill them off in a matter of minutes after meeting them.

Really, Shackled City...I think you knew you weren't really trying.  Especially as you were so inconsistent with some elements.  NPCs appear and disappear without much explanation.  Story arcs are inconsistently applied.  Whole chunks of story are inaccessible to the players without major intervention from the DM.  And worst of all, Shackled City...you became DULL.  Pedestrian.  Predictable.  

I think we all agree this just isn't working out of any of us, Shackled City.  I've informed the heroes that Vhalantru is defeated, the Cagewrights thwarted and that life goes on.  Cauldron will live to be used another day...but please pick up your severance check and clear out your desk.  We appreciate some of the work you did, but you just weren't a good fit for us.

Good Day, Sir.


----------



## LordVyreth

Aww, I'm sorry to see this thing go, but I certainly understand why it is.  Yeah, you covered most of my issues with this thing, and why I prefer making up my own adventures in the first place.  So did you let the PCs see the last modules, or are you saving them for borrowing purposes.  I'd like to discuss/rip on some of the details that got to me personally after reading the original Dungeon versions.  Oh, here's another question for you, Dru: how would you have concluded things, assuming you used everything up to, say, Flood Season as is?

The one thing I definately can agree on without spoiling things is the Occipitus.  At least it avoided "go into another dungeon under the city" syndrome, but it should have been near or at the end of the path, maybe even the penultimate dungeon.  At that point, I'd say, the party learns about the BBEG and the only way to defeat him is via the plane's power.  You go there, the party's high enough to make the Abyss abyssal and still be fair, and now you have a reason for the party to go there, instead of abruptly abandoning it mid-invasion.  Given that, as Dru mentioned, the second and third to last adventures are both "go kill a whole bunch of high level NPCs," it's not like they didn't have the room.


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## WizarDru

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Oh, here's another question for you, Dru: how would you have concluded things, assuming you used everything up to, say, Flood Season as is?




If I cherry pick anything from the Shackled City AP, it won't be anything that the PCs would specifically identify.  Stat-blocks, mostly.

Occipitus in and of itself wasn't a problem.  Having an evil NPC the PCs have never met before show up out of thin air and say "Hey, who wants to go the THE ABYSS!?!?" was weak.  It was made even weaker by the fact the PCs could survive indefinitely in the abandoned temple in the desert until they could cobble together a solution to get out.  Once they were at Occipitus, it seemed ridiculous: the module wants to create a sense of urgency...but then it requires the PCs to travel HUNDREDS OF MILES.  Those are two self-conflicting goals.

The story hour here doesn't really reflect the last few sessions, in which the heroes fought some custom NPCs I used to replace the weak-sauce assassins of Lord of Oblivion.  I tried integrating one of the Cagewrights into the fight, namely 'Fish' Wierjon.  It proved frustrating, but got the plot moving, at least.  The players did attack the Temple of Wee Jas, but as much because they found out that the Diamonshard Cabal had been wiped out by Orbius and Rhiavadi, with the exception of the newly christened Blackshard Di'Lao and his henchmen.  Hilarity ensued, but heroes were driven from the temple by Ike Iverson's forces (though they came VERY close to stopping him).

A LOT of stuff happened in the last few sessions that hasn't been reported here, and the campaign finished right after they found out about Vhalantru's true identity by using a Speak with Dead on Jil's corpse.

My goal had been to make the cagewrights much more tangible foes who would appear and be dealt with in some force before the heroes tracked them to the lair.  Hookface might have shown up when I deemed it approriate, but he'd have to contend with the local Scaled Council representative before doing anything (who had also shown up).  Eventually the cagewrights would accidentally release adimarchus...or something.  I hadn't quite figured out how to make Adimarchus a credible threat in the scheme of the campaign, per se.

The problem with the later modules is they offer up a threat about 10 minutes before the players have to STOP the threat.  This becomes a real problem...and part of the root of it is that the campaign is so heavily tied to Cauldron, geographically.  High level PCs live on a wider stage than that, and the campaign arc doesn't really handle that.  Hell, pathfinder moves on to the big city by the second module (though they go back and forth a lot).

When I have some more time, I'll discuss what worked and didn't.  But it's worth noting that the best moments of the game all came from stuff NOT in the book.  And that's a bit of a problem, for me.  (see The Demonskar Ball, Ghost Town, Siege of Redgorge, Bellsin discoving his parentage, etc.)


----------



## Argent Silvermage

Well now that we've reached the end of SC... what were the Meepites doing in the story?


----------



## LightPhoenix

So... will the Pathfinder sessions be written up?

(Bated breath)


----------



## WizarDru

So now, some post-mortem reporting.

First off, let me be clear: the 'exit interview' post notwithstanding, I don't regret buying or running Shackled City.  Nor do I think that the problems I encountered were insurmountable.  That really wasn't the issue at all.  Neither do I feel that Shackled City is a bad product.  I feel quite the opposite.  While I will abandon Shackled City as an adventure path, Cauldron will remain.

My issues with the Shackled City ultimately are three-fold.  They are, as follows:

1) *It ended up requiring too much work from me as the DM.*  I purchased Shackled City to make running a fully assembled campaign a low-effort task.  I ran the previous campaign almost entirely on my own work for 6+ years.  At later levels, this proved draining sometimes (a fun kind of draining, but nevertheless it sometimes left me creatively empty).  Shackled City fulfilled this promise in early levels quite handily...but as the campaign went on, it needed lots of upkeep.  Shackled City's whole was not greater than the sum of its parts, regretably.  

2) *It's not really meant for our group.*  SCAP suffers from a common published module problem: it assumes that the characters will willingly do things 'because they're adventurers'.  This sort of thing is fair game at 1st level and certainly it's not unreasonable that players will say 'well, we need to start _somehow_and shrug their shoulders under the 'brought together under circumstances' bailiwick.  But the SCAP has a LOT of this sort of thing, and no suggestions for when that is NOT an alternative that is attractive to the heroes.  The worst offender is the 'Test of the Smoking Eye' where a heretofore unknown evil NPC shows up and asks the PCs to go to the Abyss with him.  This is wishful thinking at best.  You shouldn't have to depend on the flimsy excuse of 'because they're adventurers' to be the primary motivation to move an untenable plot along.

3) *The SCAP was written by committee.*  While later efforts from Paizo work, the Shackled City SCAP clearly had issues in terms of plot and pacing.  Plot threads are left dangling or are just left unexplained.  Important characters only walk into the players lives minutes before they do their 'big moment'.  Characters like Maavu the merchant, Sir Alek the paladin or Jil the assassin never actually have any significance to the players are inconsistent throughout the arc.  Character like the first Mayor, who has a picture but never even has a speaking part in the main story (but whose importance to the story is significant) are given more space than necessary and yet remain criminally undeveloped.  An important character like Tygot, the halfling merchant, is presented as if he was totally new in the fifth module, even though he gets pride of place in several places prior to that point.  And so on.  SCAP is unfocused and the story arc falls apart in the later modules.


So where does the SCAP excel?

1) *Excellent set pieces.*  There are some great set-ups and combats here.  Some of them could have used more guidance in tempering their use and balance issues, but overall they are interesting and sometimes very fun and challenging.

2) *A well developed setting.*  Cauldron is a great setting.  It is both expansive and small, allowing the DM freedom to tell different kinds of stories.  Cauldron has a unique feel to it and the city is internally consistent.  Best of all, it's very easy to plug it in to an existing infrastrucure.

3) *Pretty pictures*  Seriously.  While there are times when the artwork and cartography disagreed with the written text, it never failed to deliver on the promise of compelling visuals to share.  Sometimes a picture is much more valuable than a few descriptor paragraphs, and the quality artwork really helped with that.  Paizo's usual bang-up job of layout and graphic knowhow certainly played a part, too.

4) *Time-savings.*  Having pages and pages of stat-blocks at one's beck and call doesn't suck.  And since Paizo was in good cahoots with WotC, these stat blocks included stuff from supplemental books, like non-MM monsters and prestige-classed characters from non-DMG sources.  This made the enemies much more interesting and ave the players more options.

In answer to the question: Yes, I think someone (possibly me) will perform a write-up of the new Pathfinder adventures.

Next Post: Life, Liberty and Campaign Ties.


----------



## WizarDru

The question was asked: what WERE the Meepites up to during the campaign.  Oddly enough I thought that most of this was revealed in recent adventures in the Shackled City game (to the players, at least), but here's the details:


1) *Scorch, the Guildmaster.*  Of the heroes of our last story hour, Scorch was the most invested in the SCAP campaign, albeit indirectly.  He dispatched the Lady Celeste to investigate the Cagewrights, which led her to Lord Vhalantru.  Vhalantru had her imprisoned in a picture, rendering her unscryable and still living.  When Celeste disappeared and failed to check in, Scorch dispatched another agent, Ramir, to investigate her disappearance.  Ramir walked right into Vhalantru's clutches and was simply slain outright when he got in over his head.  Scorch himself is quite busy running the Grey Guild from his demi-plane, the Siege Majere.

2) *Valanthe the Sleepless* Between maintaining the Hand, the non-magic arm of the Grey Guild (whose specific imperative is to keep the guild _itself_ in check and single-handedly containing the threat of the Horned Society to the North, Valanthe had little time to visit Cauldron in recent months, though she managed a single visit to the city to confer with one of the guild's agents, Vortimax Weir.  She saved the party from one ambush, though the party was unaware of it, as a favor to Weir.

3) *Dravot the demi-god/king* Saint Dravot's followers have been encountered several times, though more often in passing than directly.  Pelor has a weak presence in Cauldron, so his followers are rare to encounter.  Whether or not the Caliph of Ekbir is the same Dravot know to have gone adventuring years ago is unknown.  What is known is that his paladin brother-in-law, head of the Tower of the Moon, one of two of St. Dravot's elite undead-fighting orders, had a son also of that order who disappeared during a mission southwards named Bellsin.

4) *Aethramyr* The leader of the Tested People (the testing having passed years back) has ascended to his new position of the Great Dreamer.  He leads his people and teaches the skill of Lucid Dreaming to any of a noble nature.  In the last few years, he has dispatched some of his people to train potential candidates of the Dreaming and to defend against any incursions into the Dreaming by evil forces, as well as monitor the status of the Far Realms.  One of those acolytes approached and trained Maris to defend herself, as she had the Dream-haunted trait and was having prophetic dreams sent to her by Adimarchus.

5) *Bolo* As the Great Druid of the North, Bolo had no interaction with the Shackled Ciy.  Spending most of his time keeping peace in the wildlands from the Nomad territories all the way to the Land of Black Ice, Bolo never had call to come as far South as the Cauldron region.  Bolo is one of the few humans who is allowed to sit in on meetings of the Scaled Council.

6) *Kayleigh, the Celenian* The guardian of the people of Celene has sat in the same small meditation vale for the last 5 years, studying with her master to eventually assume the full mantle of her title and continuing her transformation into a Leshay.  She has been joined by the sword-prince, who has dedicated himself to the same cause.

Also, The Lucky Monkey was taken over by Blue Tyger Legion towards the last few sessions, in cooperation with the Church of Fharlangan.  When the players arrived at the Monkey as a hideout after the assassins attacked, they found little constructs had been working on the monkey for days, repairing and expanding it. They also found a strange powered stone that protected the inn and them, and discovered that the new innkeeper was a member of the Striders of Fharlangan named 'Ember'.  Ember, older readers may recall, was Scorch's sister.  The devices were constructed by her and her mistresss, the Owl.  Ember would have turned out to be a femme fatale of sorts, and likely would have become attached to some of the male characters.

There were other connections, but they're not coming to mind, just now.  Need Coffee.


----------



## Scorch

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Scorch, the Guildmaster.[/b]  Of the heroes of our last story hour, Scorch was the most invested in the SCAP campaign, albeit indirectly.  He dispatched the Lady Celeste to investigate the Cagewrights, which led her to Lord Vhalantru.  Vhalantru had her imprisoned in a picture, rendering her unscryable and still living.  When Celeste disappeared and failed to check in, Scorch dispatched another agent, Ramir, to investigate her disappearance.  Ramir walked right into Vhalantru's clutches and was simply slain outright when he got in over his head.  Scorch himself is quite busy running the Grey Guild from his demi-plane, the Siege Majere.
> 
> ...
> 
> Ember, older readers may recall, was Scorch's sister.  The devices were constructed by her and her mistresss, the Owl.  Ember would have turned out to be a femme fatale of sorts, and likely would have become attached to some of the male characters.




I had asked WizarDru earlier what I should write Scorch up as now-a-days and he said Level 35.  I still think we should do a one shot "getting the band back together" epic level adventure with the old Alpha game characters...

Any character who did get involved with Ember would REALLY get the attention of Scorch who is a little over-protective of her. ;-)

Scorch


----------



## Aethramyr

*Lvl 35?*

Aethramyr at level 35? 

Evil. Outsiders. Worst. Nightmare. Worse than that Rosanne-Barr-dancing-the-Watusi-on-their-back-in-stilletto-heels nightmare. 


Bellsin was starting to come into his story - finding who he is, Shifting his combat abilities to be more Rogue-like, almost contacting his parents. But that's the Wizardru-Flavoring in the Campaign, not part of the SCAP cannon (Well, not the combat ability shift). The story was getting kind of a, "why are we (as a party) doing this again?" Vibe. Occipitus was probably the biggest offender. Our assault on the Temple of We Jas was for the Winnowers, and once they were gone, we really couldn't Justify Staying to Kill the BBEG in residence. (At that time, we didn't know about the attack on Glyph's Cabal, so revenge wasn't on our motivations there). 

I liked Bellsin, and would like to try out his new abilities from lvl 12, (two Weapon fighting, and two Glyphander-made Daggers) 

But My Pathfinder-adventure character promises to be fun, so we'll go there for a bit.


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## Argent Silvermage

*I couldn't resist.*

Bolo Brandybuck
 	23st level Druid/ 1st Level Divine Agent of Ehlonna/11th level Janni
 		Medium Fey Outsider (Native)  {Janni} 
Hit Dice:	35d8+50 (239 hp/296 with belt.) 
Initiative:	+11
Speed:	20 in armor, Normal 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class:	33 (+1 Dex, +3 ring, +10 Darkwood Breastplate, +5 Darkwood Heavy Shield (animated), +4 natural armor), touch 14, flat-footed 29
Base Attack:	+17/+12/+7
Attack:	MW Scimitar +18/+13/+8 melee (1d6+2/18–20/x2) or MW Comp. Longbow +16/+11/+6 ranged (1d8+2/x3)
Space/Reach:	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:	Magic, Wildshapes
Special Qualities:	Fey traits, Immune to all Enchantments and Charms.
Druid Abilities:	Animal Companion, Nature sense, Wild Empathy (26/22), Woodland Stride, Trackless step, Resist Nature’s Lure, Wildshapes [Tiny to huge], Venom Immunity, 1000 faces, Timeless Body.
Divine Agent Abilities:	Casts “Good” Spells at +1 level. Gain 1 Good Domain spell per level.
Saves:	Fort +17 (19), Ref +12, Will +26 (29)*
Abilities:	Str 17, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 22, Wis 37, Cha 21
Abilities with Items:	Str 21, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 22, Wis 41, Cha 21
Skills:	Knowledge Nature +41, Listen +24 (+26), Search +6, Spot +21 (+23), Diplomacy +15, Sense Motive +24 (+26), Concentration +17 (+20), Craft Wicker +8, Handle Animal +26 (+28), Knowledge Planes +8, Knowledge Psionics +9, Move silently +3, Ride Dog +8, Spellcraft +28, Swim +1 (+3), Survival +44 (+46), Knowledge Fae +20, Knowledge Folk  Tales +13, Perform Storytelling +13, Bluff +8
Languages:	Common, Sylvan, Druidic, Giant, Terran, Auran, Aquan, Ignan, Halfling & Blue Bugbear.
Feats:	Leadership, Evolve, Iron Will, Track, Plant Control, Fast Wildshape, Nature Spell, Extra Wildshape (Animal-Plant-Magical Beast 8/Elemental 4), Magical Beast Wild Shape, Improved Initiative, Improved Elemental Wildshape, Practiced Spellcaster, Improved Initiative, +2.
Janni powers: 	Enlarge/Reduce 2/day, Telepathy 100’, Speak with Animals 2/day, Invisibility 3/day, Create food and water 1/day, Fire Resistance 15, & Plane Shift at will (6 passengers).
Environment:	The Grove in the Land of Black Ice
Alignment:	Neutral Good

Appearance: Bolo’s basic look. 6’ 8” tall 215 lbs. Burnished copper skin. Golden hair. Bolo has a golden glittery sheen to his skin and hair. He has a tattoo of a tree on his chest and various tribal style tattoos along his body. Due to Bolo’s 1000 faces ability he can change his appearance at will and does so often. He typically dresses in “Arabian” style.

Combat: Bolo tends to think defensively. He will cast Dispel Magic or Greater Dispel Magic at the largest opponent before they can get an attack off if he can. From there he will switch into an elemental form and combine his combat abilities with his spell casting. His favorite forms are the Air Elemental and Blink Dog.

Fey Jan Traits (Ex): Fey Jan possess the following racial and insight traits.
•	+4 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
•	Medium size.
•	A Jan’s base land speed is 30 feet.
•	Immunities to “Humanoid” only spells, enchantments and charm effects.
•	+4 to save vs. Fae magic (Resist Natures Lure)
•	Darkvision 60 foot.
•	+4 insight bonus to all fear and compulsion effects (Not reflected in the saving throw modifiers given here.)
•	+4 insight bonus to concentration checks.
•	+4 insight bonus to will saves versus illusion and enchantment effects. (Not reflected in the saving throw modifiers given here.)
•	+4 insight bonus to Sense Motive 
•	Weapon Proficiency: All simple and Martial weapons. All light and medium armor
Gift of the Divine Breath:
•	+4 insight bonus to saves vs. death spells and death effects.
•	+2 insight bonus to Initiative
•	+1 to Wisdom
Book and Tome adds:
+2 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha.

Equipment of note:
+5 Darkwood Breastplates (Wild)
+3 Darkwood Heavy Shield (animated)
Robe of Resistance +3
Cloak of Displacement, Minor (20% Miss Chance)
Gloves of Man: (Built into Gloves of Storing)
Glove of storing Right hand (Rod of fire extinguishing)
Glove of Storing Left Hand (Shield above)
Bulette Belt: +4 Natural Armor, +4 STR, +4 CON
Circlet of Understanding: Speak with Animals, Comprehend Languages and Read Magic
Ring of Feather Fall
+3 Ring of Protection
Figurine of Wondrous Power: Onyx Dog
Horn of Fog
Periapt of Wisdom +4
Quiver of Ehlonna (modified for Wands, Staves and Rods)
Masterwork Composite Long Bow (+2 mighty)
Bracers of Mighty Fists +2
Rod of Flame Extinguishing
Ioun Stone: Vibrant Purple: Stores 3 spell levels (spells listed on spell sheet)
Ioun Stone: Dark Blue (Alertness) 
Ioun Stone: Pale Lavender (absorbs spells of 4th level or lower Max 20 spell levels)
Portable Hole
Leaf of The First Ash.
Rod of Acid substitution.
Rod of Cold Substitution.

New info: Bolo has the blood of Ashardalon.

Extra equipment not carried on Bolo:
Heward’s haversack.


As you can see. Bolo went full tilt into his Janni form.


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## Zad

WizarDru said:
			
		

> The players did attack the Temple of Wee Jas, but as much because they found out that the Diamonshard Cabal had been wiped out by Orbius and Rhiavadi, with the exception of the newly christened Blackshard Di'Lao and his henchmen.  Hilarity ensued, but heroes were driven from the temple by Ike Iverson's forces (though they came VERY close to stopping him).




We were as much "driven out" as we were just denied motivation and unsure why we were there. The whole setup was that we were attacked by the Winnowers and eventually a lead showed up saying they were at the temple.

And they were. And we were a little uncomfortable doing a full-on assault of an upstanding religious institution in town but we went in. We tried to talk our way past the first guards but no dice. But after that, the winnowers showed up and made it very clear they were leaving and were just hired out. We pressed on thinking Di'Lao was around and that he was somehow behind it. But that part was less than clear and we weren't sure he was even there. Given the uncertainty, ransacking an established church was putting us on pretty thin ice, motivation-wise.

Add to that some really stiff resistance and we just said "What are we trying to do here anyway?" and bailed out.


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## Zad

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> So... will the Pathfinder sessions be written up?
> 
> (Bated breath)




That's a goooood question.

Since it was kind of a sandbox one-off, nobody had bothered so far. Someone might pick up the mantle though. It's not impossible that I will do it, but I don't think it's likely either. It's a lot of work and I could use a break.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how much of my SC blah feeling was wanting a break vs not feeling invested in the goings-on. It's possible I'll get wrapped up in it all and want to write. 

But it is a lot of work.


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