Session 19

THE MANSION

Warmshade 15-16, 4433

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 4
Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 4
Robert the Swift, Fighter 4
Meep, Dwarf 3
Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4
Lord Fesgate, Fighter 3 (NPC)

Late-Night Escape

Suba-Jin and Robert the Swift were deep in conversation with Sesto the stonemason in an Old Town dive bar. The poor man regretted bragging about knowing the location of the sorcerer Dimorites' mansion. Now that it was done, he feared for his own and his family's safety. Suba-Jin and Robert convinced him that the group could keep him safe for a few days. He agreed to go with them for now - partly convinced by Suba-Jin's speech, partly by the two shady types watching from the corner of the bar!

Outside, the trio hired a rickshaw and headed off into the Emerald City night. Over their shoulders, Robert spotted the two shady guys coming out of the bar and flagging down a ride of their own. Suba-Jin urged the driver to go faster. After some chatter about "official business" and a bit of money to sweeten the deal he picked up the pace. There were a few close calls on the crowded streets but the group avoided crashing and lost their tail just before Market Avenue. They rejoined the group at the Dragon's Eye and Sesto stayed with them.

In the morning the group headed up through the Boulevards district to the Cliffside gates. Sesto had some plain workman's clothes for them and they stored their adventuring gear in wheelbarrows under the work crew's regular supplies. Sesto knew all the guards, so they didn't check very closely.

Cliffside looked different in the daytime, a maze of streets hemmed in by the tall walls of nobles' estates. Every noble house wanted to be 'higher' than their peers and so over the years they had built their walls ever higher. The result was a disorienting neighbourhood with few visible landmarks. The group followed Sesto into the tunnels beneath the streets, where workmen and servants scurried to and fro out of their masters' sight. The work crew set up for the day and Sesto led the gang to their destination.

Pointing out a narrow crawlspace, he said they "would know it when they saw it" on the other side. He told the gang that the workday lasted until sunset and they shouldn't be late if they wanted to preserve their incognito.

Into the Gardens

The party passed through an old dry cistern and a few storage rooms. Climbing up some stairs they emerged into a hot, humid grotto surrounded by thick hedges. Sunlight filtered in through the canopy of leaves & vines above. The walls of plant matter swayed & twisted in unnatural, unwholesome motion.

ME (and an unrelated monke) - thanks Chris!

- In a dark grotto floored with dry leaves, faceless black humanoid statues rested in poses of mourning and supplication. The vines covering them were green and healthy.

- A building of dull grey slate was found, with a greening copper door inscribed "Pherusa Dimorites - lost beyond light." The smell of incense emanated from within, but the door was locked and they couldn't get inside.

- From an old shed, the group heard beastly snarling and sinister exhortations that seemed to echo in their minds. Opening the door revealed a tiny wild boar about 1' high. It called itself "ME," and wanted the group to indulge their darkest desires for money, sex & violence. Gorr threw it a gold coin, which it ate. ME said it could sniff out the things it wanted, and the group agreed to follow it to the promise of treasure.

Chris: "This pig is a demon, guaranteed!"

- They followed ME deeper into the hedges, through openings so narrow they had to pass slowly in single file. They came face-to-face with a pack of small humanoids that looked like anthropomorphic mandrake roots. ME was familiar with them and wanted to eat one. The mandrake men knew about ME and hated it. More than that, they wanted some fresh meat. The party offered them rations but they weren't interested. After some tense moments, the group slowly backed away and the mandrake men didn't pursue.

- ME led them deeper through the hedges to a small grotto littered with copper & brass coins. A yellow limestone shrine at the back was carved with horns, crescent moons and spiderweb motifs. Everyone recognized symbols of Nephtlys, the Imperial goddess of wealth and commerce, whose form was a combination of woman and spider.

Atop the shrine were some gold and silver coins, along with a rare electrum crescent coin worth a fair amount. While ME rooted around on the ground and ate the coppers, Robert scooped up the coinage into a sack. Thinking it might provide a benefit, Gorr decided to make an offering of 1000 silver at the wealth goddess' shrine.

On the way out, the mandrake men caught up with the group and insisted on some fresh meat. A fight was on, but the little root-creatures were dispatched swiftly.

Dungeon notes - thanks Chris!

- Following ME's lead again, the gang came to a wide lawn open to the sky. To the south, a huge two-story stone mansion - more like a palace, really - loomed above the shrubbery. A water feature to the west fed a pond with water slopping over the edge. In the center of the lawn, a few zebra-striped fish swam sluggishly in an algae-covered pond topped with an oversized statue of Nephtlys. The statue was covered in green lichen and no water flowed anymore.

Gorr fed the fish and threw a few coins in the well.

- ME urged them eastwards through some greening brass gates. A small sign read "Welcome to the Hedge Maze. Enjoy Yourself!" but someone had written over it with red paint "DON'T GET LOST." Heeding the sign, the group turned back around.

- They searched through some rubbish-filled areas and found an old statue of a woman and child covered in vines, leaning up in a corner. Gorr cut the vines off with his axe to reveal a nameplate: "Eilitheya Dimorites, 4720-"

The group planned to explore the narrow hedge passages further when we left off.

Explored Areas

Monsters Defeated:

7 mandrake-men

Treasure:

1 electrum crescent coin
15 gold
32 silver

Session 18

ESCAPE THE DOOMED MOUNTAIN!

14-15 Warmshade, 4433

Characters:

Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 4
Robert the Swift, Fighter 3
Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4
Meep, Dwarf 3
Gorr, Ranger 4
Regetus Rex, Illusionist 2 (thanks Nick!)
Lord Fesgate, Fighter 3 (NPC)

A Sticky Situation

The party was stuck at the top of a mountain, in a blizzard, surrounded by hordes of the restless dead. Many plans were suggested, debated and ultimately abandoned. Disguise? Skiing? Straight-up running?

Player: "Do we really want to gamble our lives on the judgement of some racist zombies??"

It was finally determined that Regetus Rex could call in his favour from the six-armed god Karttekeza. The group was picked up from the mountaintop by the giant prismatic riding peacock Praveena and whisked home on its back. Before leaving they loaded the magical harp, mirror and all the other treasure they had found on to the animal.

Back to Viridistan

After setting them down in a quiet place on the riverside (only a few children witnessed them landing), the peacock screeched and flew away through the spaces between the worlds.

Robert the Swift headed back to the Irregulars' Barracks, where a rumour came his way. Apparently a stonemason named Sesto working in Cliffside claimed to have discovered the lost mansion of Dimorites, a powerful magician of olden days. Any adventurer who could enter this long-lost building would have his pick of the sorceror's arcane secrets.

Most of the group rested up at Seven Visions, the house of ill-repute where their contact Zvezdana Ozi had helped them out in the past. The next day they asked the sagely Zvezdana about many of the strange clues & items they'd accumulated on their trip:

- The name Yredelemnul mentioned in some old books and by Magrometh the Piper (last session) was an old alias for one of the greater demon-lords, usually called Orcus prince of the Undead!

- The magical mirror: it reflects only those of Lawful alignment.

- The giant painting that Lothos wanted: was not magical, and Zvezdana saw a different image - the same chamber, but full of human skeletons standing, walking or climbing around.

- The bronze axe which read "Execute The Weak" in the cult's writing: magical +1/+3 vs. helpless, slept, blinded, prone or otherwise disabled enemies.

- The serene golden mask: a tool of interrogation. When donned, it would catch the wearer's face with painful barbs until someone else touched them and spoke the words "I am done with him" or similar.

- The ugly wooden toothy mask: renders the wearer invisible to certain specific undead beings - most likely the Greater undead interred in Yredelemnul's shrine.

- The crystal spheres: contain a liquefied essence of time. When released, its effects are not completely predictable, but it might be possible to slow an enemy with it.

- The snow-globes: windows into alternative worlds, each slightly different from our own. Hence the differences in the condition of the fort, the weather on the mountaintop, etc.

- The golden cup shown in the painting: Zvezdana wasn't sure. It seemed to be of Elven make but even that was ambiguous and its magical properties were obscure. The group asked her to do further research, which may take a few weeks.

Some items (the masks, harp, the cult's books, etc) were too strange to sell at the Bazaar and the group didn't want such ominous items being traced back to them after the events on the mountaintop. Zvezdana said she would try to set up a meeting with "some people." She knew the party had no love for the city guard after her girls helped them during a raid (Session 15) so she was willing to go out on a limb, but once the group met these mysterious folks she wanted to be kept out of it. 

Zvezdana: *drag from cigarette* "Ey know zese types, ey em not vanting to get too friendly viff zem, understand?"

The group said they did and would await her message about such a meeting. In the meantime they sold all the mundane treasure they found in the shrine, including all the jewelry that Eric had looted from the time-locked undead.

Zvezdana had also heard the rumours about Sesto and Dimorites' mansion. She was keenly interested as well: during his lifetime, the sorceror was censured by the Gloaming Tower for dabbling in forbidden magics: Vivimancy & Necromancy, the powers of life & death. Zvezdana was willing to pay generously if books or materials on these subjects could be brought to her. After all, why bring them to the Inquisition who would only destroy the priceless knowledge forever?

Searching for Sesto

Robert the Swift & Suba-Jin spent some time at the great gates to Cliffside, trying to get acquainted with the guards. They got a description of Sesto, and came back at the end of the workday.

They followed the stonemason to the Old City where he stopped into a neighbourhood tavern for a drink. They sat down with him and struck up a conversation.

Sesto gave up the info quick. He regretted ever mentioning his discovery - he knew it was only a matter of time before some unscrupulous types grabbed him up, and then his fate was sealed! He was afraid to go home (he lived nearby) in case of endangering his family. The two adventurers told him they meant no harm and only wanted to know the path to the sorceror's mansion. Sesto said they would never find it without him - the district was full of nobles' estates with high walls which were constantly being knocked down, moved and rebuilt - not to mention a veritable maze of tunnels underneath the streets for servants. They had to keep him alive. He also demanded a fair percentage of loot recovered for the danger he had to endure.

A pair of shady types were observing the group from the shadows. Others were interested in Sesto as well...

Monsters:

none

Treasure:

A great deal of nonmagical treasure found in the fort and shrine was sold off.
Shares are as follows:

Robert the Swift: 1910 silver

Suba-Jin: 1910 silver

Regetus Rex: 1065 silver

Meep: 845 silver

Gorr: 1910 silver

Eric Withakay: 1910 silver

Experience Totals:

Robert the Swift has reached 4th level!

Regetus Rex has reached 3rd level!

Session 17

TO THE SACRED MOUNTAIN - PART II

14 Warmshade, 4433

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 4
Robert the Swift, Fighter 3
Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 4
Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4
Lord Fesgate, Fighter 3 (NPC)

Beneath the Fort

The ruined fort was completely explored. There was nowhere to go but down. Leaving Regetus Rex to guard the painting [Nick was absent this session] the party ventured downwards through the trapdoor, descending a vertical tunnel with handholds cut into the rock. An icy wind blew up at them.

At the bottom of the tunnel, a passage ran back towards the entrance of the fort. The floor & walls were carved into screaming faces, everything was covered in a thin sheen of ice. The next door was an ominously snarling gargoyle's face - but opening it brought no ill effects. They passed through a room with ten skeletal left hands resting on tables, to a pair of great bronze doors graven with a familiar symbol:

Gorr recognized it from the pendant he took from Eralion's corpse [way back in Session 6!].

The great doors opened with a blast of icy air. Inside was the vast and bizarre temple of a strange cult. Stone pews faced a huge open pit yawning in the center - a vertical continuation of the pit in the fortress' courtyard above. 

A faint, metallic whining sound could be heard in the distance.

A statue rose behind the pit: a corpulent man-beast with the head and hooves of a goat and spreading bat wings. He raised a great whip high above his head, and pointed a talon forward imperiously. In front of the statue was an offering basin. Gorr looked inside and saw some treasures, but decided not to take them. Robert wasn't so scrupulous, looting a jewelled dagger and a ruby necklace - both looked nice & valuable.

Like this, but holding a whip

Colourful and frightening murals circled the walls, depicting bizarre and sometimes repulsive activities. A procession of demons marched, leading a rabble of people engaged in every imaginable act - eating, running, warring, fornicating, etc - a display of rampant humanity. The demon leading the charge was twin to the statue, a man-goat with bat wings. Behind him were a lizardlike being with two primate heads & tentacle-arms; a swirling pillar of eyes; a finely-dressed nobleman with a lewd expression; and a manlike entity with two heads and two serpentine tails instead of legs. 

Suba-Jin pondered what he remembered from Hextor's doctrines on demonology, and thought that the pillar of eyes was called "The Faceless Lord," and the one with twin tails was "Abraxas," but he couldn't remember any details.

Beyond the procession the murals got worse. Atrocities rendered in exacting detail: hundreds of women hanged from a single tree, forests of men impaled on pikes, etc. Strangely the victims were either humans with green, purple, blue or copper-orange skin, and a humanoid of unknown type with curving ears, thin limbs and elongated ovoid skulls. Nobody recognized these last creatures.

Player: "Of course we don't recognize them - the people here made them extinct!"
Another Player: "I'll bet those guys sucked The Most."

In one corner lay an ancient, dusty pipe organ with its keys and pipes made from bones - from small fingers up to the thighbones of some massive beast. Gorr tried looking into the pipes and saw a bit of dust and mold, cautioning the others about playing it. Eric opened it up and retrieved something stuck in the works - an odd black stone bowl and a necklace showing the same horned symbol as the door. They seemed valuable. Suba-Jin sat down to play, attempting to duplicate the harp's music upstairs [last session]. After a few tries, he got it and everyone had a brief vision: a man in red robes with a grotesque mask drawing a blueprint of the temple complex.

Deciding not to mess with the organ further, they explored a few other rooms. One was a wrecked library. After a mishap with some sort of trapped magic scroll, Suba-Jin picked up a handful of books, all written in the same runic script as everything else here. Gorr found a map, but without understanding its annotations it wasn't too useful at the moment.

In a ruined bedroom, a secret panel concealed shelf upon shelf of tiny snow globes, each one containing a miniature representation of the fortress on the mountain peak. Each was slightly different - the fortress intact in one, ruined in another, another with tiny human figures visible walking through the snow. The group took one or two and Gorr found an intact velvet glove which he tucked into his belt.

The next door was locked with no way to open it. The offering basin beside it was full of dirty water and - human teeth. Someone had a peryton fang from the last battle, and dropping it in the basin allowed the group to pass through.

The high-pitched whine got louder, now joined by a distant clatter like percussion played to no earthly rhythm.

In an embalming or preparation room, Gorr found a book with diagrams of stitching corpses together into some kind of unholy monster. Thinking some perverse nerd (ie. wizard) would pay for it, he brought it with him.

The party found multiple vast burial-chambers, huge room complexes that smelled of ancient dust with narrow passageways honeycombing through them. Hundreds of corpses, maybe thousands, were interred in these ancient crypts. The group didn't like the look of them, and skipped over these areas after a cursory look.

They did find the skeleton of a dwarf slumped up against a door. He had died of grievous injuries long ago, and was almost completely decayed. He clutched one of the snow-globes in his hand. In his backpack was a contract of mercenary service. His name was Glauron the dwarf, and he had been hired by someone named Issachar Dimorites in the year 4315.

Reading

Another nearby room held something more interesting. Eighteen huge books on pedestals. While the group investigated, Gorr found a small black jeweler's loupe. It allowed him to understand the runic writing used in this place! The group began reading over all the clues they'd found so far:

- The big books were entitled "Chronicle of the Most Consummate Church of Yredelemnul" vols 1-18. They were mostly dry history, but Suba-Jin found a note suggesting possible betrayal by someone named the Red Architect. The last entry of the last book was dated 4265. It outlined fears of the then-Emperor knowing about their activities, predicting he would soon be sending forces after them. It mentioned the existence of many other temples around the world, including one in the Range of Dissension.

- The books Suba-Jin had found in the library were mostly useless, either written in code or full of bizarre esoteric statements like "I commandeth the seventy blasphemies, I speak through the heart of the worms in the grey-black star," etc. One did mention a useful clue: a curse would fall on any who failed to leave a coin in the fountains, or who lied to the Exalted Interrogator.

- Gorr tried to interpret the runes on the old carved pendant he'd found on Eralion's corpse. It was a prayer, saying "I commend myself into your hands, Yredelemnul. Allow me to pass beyond the final gates of death, into your realm of eternal power..."

- The rusty magic bronze axe Robert found had runes too: "Execute The Weak."

Steve: "Sure! Exactly the kind of shit you stencil on the side of your F-18."

The Piper

They found a carving of a great eye covered in ice, its pupil carved into many smaller eyes of all sizes. Beneath it was a basin filled with dirty water. Thinking an offering was necessary, Suba-Jin and Gorr each threw in a coin and were magically affected. Suba-Jin gained a point of Strength, and Gorr lost a point of Wisdom. They passed on by a pair of fountains depicting a group of children vomiting, and left coins there as well to no obvious effect.

Coming around the final corner, the group saw the room shown in the painting! The golden cup and an old book rested on an altar carved with gold lettering. The same skeleton statue loomed over the whole scene. One thing was different: floating gently through the air were hundreds of blue glass spheres filled with liquid.

Before their eyes, a demon appeared in the centre of the room. Looking like an emaciated blackish-red skeleton, it had three heads and six arms. It was playing a bone flute and a drum, creating the otherworldly whistling "music" that permeated the complex!

It introduced itself as Magrometh the Piper, speaking from one of its heads not occupied with fluting. It asked if any "sons of the First Men" had come to speak with it. It explained it had been summoned here in olden days to guard this place. Its song controlled the corpses in the crypts. If it ceased playing, they would "rise from their sleep, to shamble in Yredelemnul's service once more."

"So, when will you stop playing your song?"
"When the time is right... When I am called to by Yredelemnul," responded Magrometh. "Or if a true son of the First Men should ask, then I would also cease."

The group indicated they only wanted the golden cup, which Magrometh said was a prize taken from the cult's old foes. He was not willing to give it up, even if asked nicely. This went back & forth for a while, until Robert the Swift had enough.

"Well, we want the cup. So stop playing." After a moment of Magrometh's penetrating stare, it nodded, flourished its instruments and vanished. The song ceased, and the floating spheres crashed down to the floor in a rain of glass shards and icy blue liquid. Eric managed to save two fist-sized ones for the party to keep.

The golden cup didn't look like much at first glance, covered in the dust & grime of the centuries. But was like the one in the painting, so Robert grabbed it. Worried about the dead in the crypts, the group made their way back up to ground level quickly. The blizzard was worsening outside and they needed a plan.

Eric Alone

This is when things got strange. The group decided to see if the grandfather clock would rewind time for them, the way it had sent Suba-Jin forward [last session]. The whole group agreed and together they wound the hands of the clock back twelve hours.

Eric noticed that nobody else was moving except him. Everything was frozen: his friends, the torches in their hands, even the snowflakes coming through the window were stopped in mid-air. He began to realize that he might be trapped in time for twelve hours all by himself!

Returning downstairs, he explored the room where they'd met Magrometh more carefully. Comparing it to the painting, he realized there should be another door behind the altar, and he noticed that some of the liquid from the shattered globes had drained underneath the wall in that direction. A short search opened a secret door and Eric entered a whole new section of the crypts. 

The map Gorr had found in the library showed this new area. With the eyepiece the text was translated and Eric used it to navigate:

 

Most of these rooms were barred on the outside. Each was the tomb of an undead creature just recently risen from its coffin. The time stop effect allowed Eric to enter, investigate, steal any treasure they had and then attempt to destroy them by beating on their frozen forms with his enchanted mace. It wasn't clear what effect this would have when the flow of time was resumed, but he decided to err on the side of caution when it came to the restless dead!

The Mausoleum of the Slaughterer held a powerfully-built revenant wrapped in rags, lurking on a platform above the door. Its only valuable was an ornate warmask carved into a scowling, horned face.

The Tomb of the Twin Inquisitors held two corpulent, rotted ghouls crawling with huge maggots. Even with time frozen, it took everything Eric had not to lose his lunch as he searched them. He found a platinum goblet and a small wooden box.

The Crypt of the Cloven One was totally empty, its sarcophagus unadorned. Perhaps its chosen occupant had never been buried here?

The Crypt of the Architect was lit by an ornate brass lamp. The sarcophagus was artfully carved in the shape of a great city. The Architect itself wore rich crimson robes and a horned mask. Eric took its mask and the jewelry right off its arms.

The Crypt of the Exalted Interrogator held a withered creature wrapped in rags, with glittering eyes. Eric took its emerald-studded crown.

The Tomb of the Testifier was small, holding only a yellowed corpse with no adornments. Eric found a gold chain in its coffin.

The Throne-Crypt of the Blessed Afflictor held an imposing figure in antique armour resting on a throne. It wore a crown, necklaces & bracelets and held a sceptre, all of which Eric took.

Having looted the remaining foes in the crypts and hopefully disposed of them for good, Eric assembled as much wooden debris and flammable material as he could. He piled it up at the bottom of the ladder and dropped a lit torch on it, hoping the fire would start when time resumed and keep the dead in the crypts from climbing up after them. After this he tried to rest for a while. It was cold and his sleep was troubled by strange & unsettling dreams, but he succeeded in memorizing spells.

The Risen Dead

When the flow of time resumed Eric filled everyone in on what had happened. They decided to brave the blizzard in the dark and loaded up Gorr's sled with all their treasure.

At the entrance to the fort, they were greeted by a chilling sight: the snow outside was beginning to swarm with skeletons! Scores, maybe even hundreds of the restless dead only now beginning to crawl up from their ancient resting places beneath the mountain snows. The group ducked back inside, wondering how they could possibly escape this time...

*****

Monsters defeated: 

it is unclear

Treasures:

Jewelled dagger
Ruby necklace
Onyx bowl
Necklace with Horned Sigil
Satin glove
Book with diagrams of corpses

Loupe of translation

Some snow-globes

Gold goblet

2 glass spheres of strange liquid

Blessed Afflictor's crown, jewelry & sceptre
Testifier's gold chain
Exalted Interrogator's emerald crown
Red architect's mask & jewelry
Slaughterer's mask
Twin Inquisitors' platinum goblet

Twin Inquisitors' wooden box

Session 16

TO THE SACRED MOUNTAIN

1-14 Warmshade, 4433

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 4
Robert the Swift, Fighter 3
Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 4
Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4
Regetus Rex, Illusionist 2
Lord Fesgate, Fighter 3 (NPC)

A Mysterious Missive

At the Veterans' Association, Robert the Swift received a strange letter. The one-armed barman and inveterate gossip Primoz said that "some knife-ear" had brought it the night before. The rest of the group, staying at The Dragon's Eye Inn (a local hot-spot) were handed a similar letter by the tough-looking proprietor, Patchey. 

It read thusly:

*****

Comrades,

I hope this missive finds you well, and the adventuring life hasn’t left you worse for wear. My thanks for your show of support during my testing. I hope you understand that I had no time for socializing. Indeed, my admission to the Gloaming Tower has opened up such paths of arcane knowledge that I am unable to pursue an opportunity that came my way recently.

A new colleague at the Tower is obsessed with some ancient once-lost treasure. She just heard a rumour from the Starrcrag Mountains, and is hiring mercenaries to search for some ancient relic or other. Knowing my adventuring past, she offered me a place in the expedition. Instead I pass this information on to you.

What I know is this:

The village of Mishell is between the Starrcrag Mountains and the Missing Memory Marshes. It can be reached in about two weeks if you take a boat upriver. The rumour comes from a man named Tjaard, a mountaineer of some kind. Find him, learn what he knows and claim the items.

The treasure itself is two pieces: The first is a large oil painting. The second is an item depicted in the painting itself. She didn’t elaborate on this point.

She is planning to send at least one group of mercenaries to claim this prize. I would advise swiftness if you intend to win it for yourself.

My colleague is completely obsessed. I get the distinct impression that recovering just one item or the other would be insufficient for her purposes. I will pay your group four thousand silver for the recovery of the painting and the other item, whatever it turns out to be. I will contact you six weeks from now in the same manner as today, and I hope to hear happy news.

Ever Yours,
Lothos

*****

After some debate the group decided a trip to the mountains was more agreeable than venturing into the undercity to breathe in more poison gas. Before leaving town, Regetus Rex borrowed some money from his friends to pay off his debts to a street vendor. While way too drunk he had spent 200 silver pieces on exotic stuffed birds, which now adorned his room at the Dragon's Eye.

They paid for passage up the River Leander through the Elsenwood on a grain barge staffed by sullen Ghinoran workers. The river was crowded with boats to & from the capital carrying all manner of trade goods. The Imperial Navy kept the major shipping routes safe, and the river trip was mostly boring. They stopped in Caer Cadwen, the ancient fortress turned provincial capital, but didn't get into any trouble.

Finally disembarking in the village of Smale, they took horses through the hills and avoided the marshes. They were rumoured to be prowled by an enormous electric eel which destroyed boats and fried the passengers with its lightning.

The hills had an agreeable, summery climate after the relentless heat of Viridistan. Gradually the weather got cooler as they approached the Starrcrag Mountains until they found Mishell in the foothills. The peaks above were covered in snow, but in the valleys were vineyards tended by dwarves, the source of the wine which was the village's only export.

Mishell was small, built by & for the dwarves. The party posted up in the cramped, smoky, low-ceilinged tavern. They met the publican Rollo and spoke to him for a while, bought a round for the locals and waited. Tjaard showed up at the end of the day. He turned out to be a dwarf who did odd jobs, working for the loggers or miners up in the mountains or, rarely, as a guide for travellers who came to the region.

Tjaard said that a few months ago, he had been separated from his friends in a storm on the mountain and wandered into a ruined fort. Inside he found a painting on the wall that showed him holding a golden cup. Filled with superstitious dread, he had run all the way down the mountain, barely making it back alive. Nobody believed his story, but some weeks later an elf had come to town and seemed very interested in the tale. He hadn't thought about it much since then.

He was willing to lead the party to the fort, but a storm was brewing on the mountaintop. The group decided to leave first thing in the morning, hoping to get up & down before the storm got really bad. They paid Tjaard to guide them up the mountain and set out. The sky was overcast and it got painfully cold quickly. Most of the party had never seen snow in their lives, and they were all thankful for the winter gear they brought with them. 

Halfway up the group came upon a gruesome scene in the deep snow. A small camp of loggers had been attacked. Each man was slain by animal bites or gored by horns, and their hearts ripped from their chests! There were plenty of signs of battle and bloodstains, but no tracks leading away. Tjaard was distraught - these dwarves & men were all known to him. The group helped themselves to a few bits of gear and progressed up the mountain. 

The snow began to fall faster & heavier.

The Fort

At the mountain's summit, on a plateau of jagged rocks & snow lay the old fortress. Once three floors or higher, it was barely more than one story now, its ceiling all fallen in. It looked like a round pillbox with snowdrifts piled up around it. Tjaard left them there, heading back down the mountain to seek shelter from the worsening storm and await their return. He was too afraid to enter a second time.

Inside the fort, the group found a great deal of strangeness. The walls were covered in archaic runic script that no-one had ever seen before. Soft harp music emanated from somewhere.

A vast pit covered in a rusted metal grate yawned in the center of the hall. The bottom was too far down to see.

The preserved head of a deer was mounted on one wall. Rex took the eyes, which were glass spheres filled with cold blue liquid. 

An old grandfather clock was still ticking, although its time was inaccurate. Suba-Jin tried messing with the hands by turning them forward an hour and vanished from everyone's sight! One hour later he reappeared, not realizing what had happened - as if he had been sent forward through time.

An old mirror rested against one wall, it seemed to function normally to Suba-Jin and nobody else messed with it.

Rex opened an enormous book on a lectern. It was inscribed in varying inks, varying handwriting. It was a list of names & dates. The latest entries were from a few hundred years ago, and the names were recognizable. The last name written down was Kayin Davtyan - 6 Blackmoon 4265 BCCC. Other names logged in the book around that time are familiar-sounding, from all over the Empire.

Towards the end of the book, it uses the common calendar beginning around the year 4000. Before that were groups of years named after people: Vincachius 1-30, Carpathia 1-49, Arnolliac 1-3, Carnithrax 1-80, etc. Turning to the beginning of the book, Rex found a strange calendar system which began at 0 and counted up to 5000 at least! What could it mean? The book obviously held many more secrets, but it was too heavy to carry so the group left it where it was for now.

[DM's note -- Year 0 BCCC is the official creation date of the world by most religions (ie. 4400 years ago). I added more detail here than I described during the session, because I didn't want to look it up in the middle of the game. Good researching, Nick!]

They found a harp, the source of the strange music. Nobody was playing it, the music simply emanated from it.

In the same room was the painting they sought. It showed the whole party standing in a small room before a crude stone altar adorned with skulls. Suba-Jin and Eric were holding fist-sized spheres of glowing glass, while Robert was in the center drinking from an ornate golden cup. A grey skeletal statue loomed over them, and light shone down from above. Two doorways could be seen in the background, leading into darkness. 

They removed the 6'x4' painting from its frame and rolled it up.

In three glass display cases they found an old book, a golden mask and a rusty bronze axe. They all showed as magical, so the cases were smashed & looted. In the same room was a heavy stone trapdoor in the floor. They left it alone for the moment.

On the upper floors they found a room of strange torture devices and some dormitories. These were investigated and a crude wooden mask was found, filled with real human teeth. The thing was ugly and smelled bad, but they kept it.

One room on the upper floor was inaccessible except by rope. Gorr snuck up to take a look, and found a flock of sleeping creatures. Hideous hybrids with the heads of stags and the bodies of huge birds - Perytons! One creature was larger than the other and looked different. Where a stag's rack of antlers would be, this demon had a strange organic candelabra with seven black candles, each burning with a supernatural green flame.

A plan of attack was devised, and the group assaulted the perytons from both sides. Rex's colour spray spells were used to devastating effect. The party sustained a few injuries but killed all four of the perytons. The candelabra-headed one was a tougher opponent, and seemed almost impossible to injure. When a few of its candles were knocked off its head it decided to cut and run, flying out of a hole in the ceiling and into the blizzard. During the battle, Robert found the rusty axe quite useful - it seemed to be especially powerful against the blinded creatures.

The lumberjacks' missing hearts were found here - sizzling on a fire in the center of the room! Rex threw snow onto it to bank down the heat, and the hearts were tossed outside into the snow. Underneath the group found a few gems, which they pocketed.

With the beasts slain, the party considered their next move. The snow outside fell heavier and heavier, and there seemed no way to go except - down!

*****

Monsters:

4 Perytons (980 xp)

Treasure:

old book
serene golden mask
ugly wooden mask
rusted magical axe
3 greenish-black candles
1 smoky quartz
1 emerald
mysterious painting

Session 15

THE PLOTS THICKEN

Longrass 17-20, 4433

Characters:

Gorr, ranger 4

Suba-Jin, cleric of Hextor 4

Robert the Swift, fighter 3

Eric Withakay, cleric of Solaris 4

Meep, dwarf fighter 3

Lord Fesgate, fighter 3

Seven Visions

Carousing at the high-class Dockside establishment went quite well, all things considered.

- Eric Withakay went on a drunken spending spree, buying 100 sp worth of useless trinkets from a street vendor. 

- Robert the Swift spoke too freely in his cups and let slip some vital piece of information to another reveller, but he can't remember what.

- Regetus Rex also went on a spending spree, and bought 200 sp worth of things he didn't need or want. He didn't have the money on him, and now owes the merchant. 

[Both of you who bought things, feel free to make up what they are or I'll roll for it later]


A few rumours were gleaned in the night: 

- The boat-people fished the body some smuggler out of the Firth last night with a bloody spider carved into his chest! 

- The Gloaming Tower is having a special event in two days. A new sanctioned apprentice is undergoing the test to be raised up to full rank, and everyone is going down to the river to watch.


In the morning, Robert the Swift was woken by his mechanical bird singing him awake in a lovely woman's voice. The sounds of argument drew him downstairs, where the madame Zvezdana Ozi and her bouncer Hakan were arguing with someone at the front door. 

"We're paid up this month! What's the problem?"
"Sorry Lady, new orders. We're doing a spot-check!"
"What is this bullshit?"

"Filthy cop," pfffffffff "'Eyy em trying to run ey beez-ness!"

Realizing the guards were probably coming in, Robert woke up the group. They were preparing to jump out the window but a few of Zvezdana's girls took pity on them (Suba-Jin's coins didn't hurt) and hid the group in their rooms. After the guards left, the gang had Zvezdana identify a few magic items - some bracers of defense AC 13, a potion of longevity and a scroll of Invisiblity, 10' radius.

She bought the potion for a princely sum (she's getting on in years), and asked them for a favour. One of her girls (named Etelvina) joined a theatre troupe at The Theatre of Sutrali Khibari in the Old City. In the past week, nobody had heard from her and Zvezdana was starting to worry. Was she OK? Had she started working somewhere else? What happened? The group agreed to check it out.

Around Town

The group split up and did a few things throughout the city, bought gear, went to the Night Wolf Inn to pick up some of their savings, etc.

Robert & Gorr investigated the theatre, a dingy place beneath Uugen's Market in the Old City. A staircase beside a statue of the pangolin-armadillo goddess of luck Kettkí led down below, infested with beggars and strewn with garbage. The ticket-taker told them that a skeletal apparition with glowing eyes had kidnapped Etelvina right off the stage at the climax of a performance! The play was a lurid romance called "The Bleeding Skeleton." Since then business has boomed as folks hope to see a repeat of this thrilling & macabre event. That play wasn't on that night, so they moved on.

Uugen's Market, Old City

Suba-Jin gave his tithe at the church of Hextor and was urged to deal with this "Inquisition Problem" by Votgauum, his immediate superior. He went to Fort Penitence and managed to get a bit more information on why Eric's name was on wanted posters around the city [Session 1 - No Salvation For Witches].

That night the group went down to the docks and watched the wizard's initiation. It turned out that the apprentice was none other than Lothos the Undesirable himself! He walked and acted differently since the group last saw him. Gorr called out his name, but he didn't appear to notice. As the sun set, Lothos demonstrated his newfound magical power - stepping off the docks onto a sparkling bridge of lights, walking up & over the water and into the Gloaming Tower itself before the whole scene faded from view.

The group returned to the theatre the next day while it was closed. Banging on the door brought the attention of Barzhánu, a mean & imperious-looking woman. She introduced herself as the impresario and allowed the group to come in and explore the "alleged ghost problem" if they didn't disturb rehearsals. The actors were an ill-favoured lot, clearly drawn from the city's unfortunates.

Behind the stage was a carving on the wall of a madly dancing skeleton clad in wild rags. This seemed somehow related to the haunting but they didn't get around to investigating it, instead exploring a backstage storage room with a spiral staircase. Downstairs was a deep basement area that showed no signs of travel. 

A great stone face of a scowling, helmeted warrior blocked passage forward. After a few tries opening it, Suba-Jin wondered if the content of the play might be relevant. Barzhánu said "The Bleeding Skeleton" was about a cursed warrior named Kadurghán - when the name was uttered, the stone face opened with a great grinding sound! A pastel rose-coloured mist issued forth, smelling of flowers and causing a light-headed dizziness.

The Realm of Kadurghán

This soporific mist was also poisonous - a few of the group tied wet rags around their mouths and this helped a little bit, but they still felt their strength slowly ebbing as they progressed through the tunnels. 

They passed a few old storage rooms filled with couches, rotting clothes & a lady's makeup table, but didn't look inside. Next was a large hall with the words "THE NARCOTIC THRONE: THE COURT OF KADURGHÁN" carved above the doorway. Within the richly decorated & marbled hall, an imposing figure in blue-black ceremonial armour sat on a brass throne, lost in thought or asleep. The party's spellcasting caught his attention and he demanded to know their purpose here.

They explained their search for the missing girl. He told them the monster they sought was called Uromén, the Chortling Death. Its domain was deeper into the undercity, but more than that he didn't know. Kadurghán (for it could only be him) said he did not harm women, and sought only the heart of a powerful warrior strong enough to beat in his own chest - indicating a small hinged panel on his armour. After some more chatter he made it clear the party would pay dearly for disturbing his repose, while a pack of sinister horned ghosts coalesced out of the red mists.

The battle was short and furious. Kadurghán didn't even join, only exhorted his ghostly minions from his throne. The poisonous mists began taking their toll and the group decided to flee. Meep the Dwarf was knocked out by a ghost's parting strike but Gorr carried him, and everyone made it up the stairs.

Back in the Theater 

Upstairs, a tense stand-off occurred with Barzhánu's guards while Robert the Swift dragged her downstairs to prove how dangerous the Undercity was. When Suba-Jin went down to see how it was going, he found her shoving Robert's lifeless body down into the mists! A Light spell and the sudden appearance of a pack of horned ghosts kept her busy, while Suba-Jin dragged his friend back upstairs. It seemed that she had stabbed him with a poisoned dagger, but the lucky use of a Neutralize Poison spell stabilized Robert for the moment. 

The group explored the rest of the theatre shooing out the scared players and sullen thugs, none of whom had much reason to stay with their employer gone. They found the bloody clothes of some former lover in Barzhánu's room, along with her stash and some treasure.

Two bricked-up archways in backstage rooms led to parts unknown and Gorr used his mining tools to smash a few bricks out. On the other side of one was a ratty-smelling room with some veiled figures wearing soiled black and purple robes. They were priests, and this the Temple of Sürü Miklári. Entry was forbidden but they were willing to offer oracles about matters in the city from "the little brothers" for one talent of silver (500 coins). They insisted the door not be knocked down further, but reluctantly allowed for a small hole through which communication could be made.

After exploring the theatre, they took Robert to the church of Hextor for more healing and the poison was finally over with. Votgauum again urged Suba-Jin to deal with Eric's legal troubles. They decided to turn Eric in to the Inquisition, claim the reward and hope that the priests' magical abilities discerned the truth of events.

Fort Penitence

"We got him!" Gorr cried when they walked into the Inquisition's headquarters. Once he was identified, Eric was quickly ushered away. The rest of the party were given their reward and ushered by a large group of guards through twisting tunnels underneath the Fort. They quickly got lost and were finally ushered into a large interview room -- where Eric himself was sitting! After a few minutes of uncomfortable waiting an imposing Viridian with piercing eyes entered the room. The guards seemed afraid of him and made themselves scarce. 

A long conversation ensued with the man, Phaidros Imad, covering many topics:

- He had enough dirt on the group to have them all condemned. For the Drydale Massacre [back in Session 1], possession of contraband, their trips to the Undercity and possibly more he wasn't saying.

- The Inquisition knew about Bishop Gray all along, and wanted his magic book. The party told him about Lothos carrying it and the attribute-trading statues [Session 9]. He was frustrated by the book moving out of his reach, for now.

- His main concern at the moment was the Night Wolf Inn. All his attempts to place agents in the Adventurers' Guild had failed. Now that he had the group in his power and most of them were already members, he wanted to learn more about the place. He didn't believe for a second it was a "simple adventuring guild."

His questions included:

Who runs the Inn? 
What are his or her capabilities, resources, goals, agendas?
How long will the Inn be operating outside Viridistan? Is it intended to be permanent?
What else is inside the inn?
Who else is a member of the Guild?
What kind of agenda is driving the Guild's activities?
Any other information on the Inn itself, the Guild and those involved with it.

Phaidros spoke with narrowed eyes, in an ominous whisper: "I don't have to tell men in your position that there is a war going on... behind things." He would be watching the group carefully but they'd only meet him again if they did extremely well or extremely poorly. Their next contact would be known by a password: "The Pelagic Argosy Sights Land." 

He cautioned that they were not official Inquisition troops and he was neither willing nor able to help them out in future. After this stern dismissal they were escorted out of a side-exit from the Fort. Back in the city and free of the manhunt, the party contemplated their next move, and the renewal of hostilities with that mysterious bastard Kadurghán...

*****

Monsters Defeated:

3 horned ghosts (240 xp)

Treasure:

silver & gold coins (divided amongst the group)

a gilded theatre-mask

some bloody clothes

Experience Totals:

Session 14 - Treasure

Monsters Defeated:

6 moaning guardians (570)

3 giant crabs (240)

gelatinous cube (245)

Treasure Recovered:

3 blocks of crimson incense (1 each kept by Suba-Jin and Eric)

lock and key sets - gold, silver, brass (sold)

Things to Identify: 

Eralion's Bracers (magical)

Scroll & Potion taken from Eralion's Tomb

Zvezdana at Seven Visions can identify any of these for 400 silver each.

Money Gained:

Some loot was sold off from previous adventures. The gems and jewelry in Eralion's hoard, the gold chain taken from the Estieveran crypt, along with the magical locks & keys brought from the mansion and a few other doodads.

Gorr: 1170 silver

Robert: 1170 silver

Meep: 270 silver

Regitus: 900 silver

(the clerics get much less, because they elected to keep some of the valuable crimson incense from Karttekeza's manor to use as religious offerings)

Suba-Jin: 470 silver + 1 crimson incense

Eric: 380 silver + 1 crimson incense

Lord Fesgate is a classed & leveled NPC who can make his own decisions. He is pulling as much weight as a PC. Therefore he takes a full share of experience points, regardless of how money is handed out.

These XP totals are BEFORE any carousing bonuses have been applied (I don't have info from everyone yet!!!)

Tracking Treasure

Last session the question was asked:

"How do we know what treasure has been sold? Who has which items? What are their plans for these items? What about treasure picked up a few sessions ago by players who aren't here today?"

These are good questions. Now that we have more players and this campaign is not just a handful of one-shots like it was when we started out (back in Halloween '19), they are more difficult to answer.

First of all.

- Your DM has limited time & energy. I would rather spend it developing exciting adventures and not add even more bookkeeping than I already do.

- Encumbrance (who is carrying what) is a vital factor, but it's different from dividing up the loot (who is owed what). It's easy to get these confused.

- I'm Not Bloody Psychic. Most of you keep your own character sheet on your computer that I don't even look at. I can't very well help you with shit I can't see.

With the above caveats in mind, 

*** What I Do For The Players ***

- Track the value of all treasure, monsters, cash, etc. Both for money and XP purposes.

- Track who was present when the treasure was recovered, ie. how much money & experience points your character is "owed" if that item is brought back to civilization and exchanged for hard cash. I can thus deal out treasure & experience for you based on who was where, when.

- Do the math when the group returns to town and sells off treasure. Then write up everyone's payouts in the play report. 

If someone wants to keep a particular piece of valuable treasure as their own share, I will work the numbers for you. However: if this results in an unequal distribution I will need everyone involved to communicate their agreement. 

*** What You Must Do For Yourselves ***

 - Keep track of your inventory. This is one of the few things I expect the players to handle on their own. If keeping track of encumbrance is too hard, try managing an entire game world. 

Then, try the Automatic Character Spreadsheet I wrote just for you. Your character sheet is the only thing you're responsible for. Please make sure it's accurate.

 - Decide to sell off your treasure. I only post up the values and distribute coinage for treasures you choose to sell! I reminded you guys of a few outstanding items last session, but I will not be doing so again. If you aren't interested enough in the cash or XP to mention a piece of loot, it can sit in your backpack forever for all I care. I can't play the game for you, and if I could it'd be rather pointless.

 - Keep track of coinage. Both carried (encumbrance) and stored (where and how). 

Let's say you pick up a sack of 100 coins during an adventure. Weeks later, how am I going to remember what you did with it? This is impossible for me to supervise even if I wanted to. Obviously I distribute XP for those 100 coins (because I know who was there when it was found) but I don't know who is carrying it or what happened to it.

You have to communicate with each other (does anyone remember how to do that?) so that each player gets their fair share. Make notes, write out IOUs, do whatever the fuck you must. If the players aren't careful, it is easy for some characters to be carrying huge sums of cash that are not actually theirs, but belong to everyone. How you resolve this problem as a group is up to you.

I am sometimes able to remind you of things like "you guys found that 250 gold in the Orc caves" but I delete my treasure records after all experience has been awarded, so don't wait too long!

***

I hope that clarifies a few things. As always if you need help or have questions, just drop me a line and I will answer any rules questions you may have, walk you through how encumbrance works, or teach you how to use the character spreadsheet. Have a blessed day.

Session 14

THE ENCHANTMENT OF VASHUNDARA - Part II

12-16 Longrass, 4433
Several days passed while travelling between worlds, but this was hard to judge at the time.

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 3

Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 3

Robert the Swift, Fighter 2

Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4

Regetus Rex, Illusionist 2

Lord Fesgate, fighter 3 (NPC)

Karttekeza's Mansion

The party was in the midst of exploring the mansion of the giant god Karttekeza. Everything was far too large for them, and the giant animals all seemed intelligent and talkative.

Investigating the steam room, the group found a prisoner inside - a Viridian in a shabby-genteel toga named Regetus Rex. He had also been brought to the manor on a flying peacock, but barely survived being stuffed into the steam room and left to die by a few of the spectral guardians who infested the area. With his other friends, he agreed to join the party in their journey to free Karttekeza.

The group spotted a glint of metal at the bottom of the swimming pool - it looked like the brass key. Robert took off his armour and swam down to get it. At the last second he realized he was swimming right towards a gelatinous cube concealed in the water! He swiftly reversed course and came up to the surface. The group managed to lure the cube out of the water, where it was swiftly defeated with missile fire and the key obtained.

Upstairs, the group got into a skirmish with the moaning guardians. One was destroyed and the other fled into a nearby room where Vashundara lay sleeping. Several plans were concocted. The group decided to lure two of the guardians out with an illusion cast by Regetus. They spotted the ambush and attempted to flee. A protracted battle ensued with the characters nervously looking over at the demoness, wondering if she would wake up!

At one point during the fighting on the 2nd floor, one of the spectral guardians pushed past the front rank of fighters and singled out Eric. The cleric had the momentary sense that some force was singling him out for ill-treatment as the damned soul's scimitar struck home. What could it mean?

Luckily Vashundara slumbered soundly while her troops were mopped up. Very... carefully... Robert and Gorr managed to creep up beside her on the giant bed and unclasp the necklace holding the gold key. They only needed one more to free the imprisoned god!

They inspected a locked door with a poem on it and debated a few courses of action, but elected to leave it alone and proceed to the third floor, consisting of a huge hanging garden with pillars holding up a domed roof. A vast statue of a giant fighting a snake poured water into a small pond filled with rushes.

On the floor of the pavilion lay the giant peacock Amrita, mate of the one that had carried the group here. He was sickly and weak after suffering Vashundara's poison bite! A Cure Light Wounds spell seemed to help a little bit.

At that moment the party was accosted by four huge ravens, who demanded "shiny things". Robert attempted to negotiate with them, offering shiny things if they knew where the silver key was. They weren't inclined to debate, and insisted they knew nothing about a key and wanted a payout. Just when a confrontation seemed imminent, Amrita stood up and whistled at the ravens. They flew away amid protestations about not wanting to trouble the master of the house!

Although Amrita couldn't speak, he could gesture with his beak. When the players asked about the silver key he directed them to the lotus pond on the 2nd floor.

Returning to the pond and the picturesque island in its middle, the group caught the attention of a snapping-turtle living inside. It was almost big enough to swallow a man whole. Before the turtle could answer their questions, three giant crabs emerged from the water attracted by the commotion! They didn't bother talking and scuttled to the attack. Lord Fesgate was dealt a stiff blow from their claws, but Regetus' colour spray and a spirited defense by the group routed them.

When they convinced the turtle to come back, he said that perhaps he had seen the silver key - when he ate it! There was some debate about what to do - induce vomiting? Wait for him to poop it out? Eric even Command-ed the turtle to vomit, but it didn't work. Then Suba-Jin suggested looking into the turtle's throat - and there it was! They propped its mouth open with Retegus' quarterstaff and a tense moment ensued while Robert the Swift reached in with his mining pick to pull out the key - the turtle gagged and almost closed its mouth, but the staff held and Robert was safe.

With all three keys secured, the group left to unlock Karttekeza and secure Vashundara's final defeat.

The God's Gratitude

Eighteen feet tall, six-armed, six-headed, with glowing golden skin. Karttekeza was a terrible sight once freed. He stormed through his mansion to his bedroom and accused Vashundara of tricking him. She awoke and began to protest, but a storm of fire & lightning issued from the god, erasing the demoness from existence. The second of Uthummaos' shadowy demons was defeated!

Karttekeza offered the party a choice of several rewards for rescuing him:

Eric opted to have his crippling back injury healed.

Robert selected a small mechanical peacock, which sings and warns its owner of danger.

Suba-Jin received a third arm, which grew from the left side of his body.

Regetus accepted a favour from Praveena, the giant peacock which carried them here. In the future, she would come at one time of his choosing and carry the group anywhere they wished (including other worlds & dimensions).

Gorr asked for some special spider-silk rope made by the giant spiders in the mansion gardens.

Lord Fesgate accepted Karttekeza's magical wave-bladed dagger (a two-handed sword for him).

A few other topics were mentioned.

Uthummaos' other demons:

 
"I don't know where they are, but they must lurk near Uthummaos' centres of power. They are powerful beings of shadow, and battling them in darkened places would be near-suicide."

A request:

 
"If you find the ruins of my houses of worship, would you restore them for me? Few even remember Karttekeza anymore, for courage and beauty and poetry are nearly gone from that gloomy realm."

Best advice for the future:

"Uthummaos' influence is vast,
you may find him close to home.
Paths found in dreams may lead you to him -
but who points the way for you?
The watcher by silver light may help your cause
but the bars of time hold fast,
and much should stay locked in.
In a place of cold & terror,
beware the song and heed the clock.
Hold true the covenants you have made, 
for in time old friends may become new enemies.
And take the chance to speak
with someone who floats by evening."

Return To Viridistan

On Praveena's back, the group flew through the mists between dimensions. They emerged in the skies high above Trident Gulf, the emerald city glittering beneath them. Praveena set them down in a somewhat quiet section of the river, but they were spotted by several townspeople and riverboats. Rumours will likely circulate in the future.

Their next destination: the marketplace to sell their treasure, then Seven Visions for some carousing!

***

Asking Karttekeza for advice about the future was a great idea. He is a deity after all, and sees much. Since he is a god of poetry among other things, his predictions come in obscure phrases. Interpretation is left up to you. -DM

***

Memorable Lines:

Regetus: "I'm an illusionist. Large mansions are part of my specialty."

Robert the Swift: *throws down four silver coins*

Giant Raven: "You don't think much of me, do you pal?"

DM: "Ok, You reach into the turtle's mouth. There is a small chance something goes wrong... Oh no, I rolled it!"

Players: *chorus of boos, laughter*

DM: "It's all right, the staff will only break on a-"
Player: "Don't say 'small chance' again!"

Session 13

THE ENCHANTMENT OF VASHUNDARA

About 12 Longrass, 4433

You spent around 2 subjective days in the forest.

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 3

Robert the Swift, Fighter 2

Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 3

Meep the Dwarf, Fighter 2

Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4

Lord Fesgate, Fighter 3

Fesgate Cemetery

After resting in the ruined village of Fesgate and searching for valuables, the group moved along the Moonlit Zone forest path. Their friend Lord Fesgate knew the area of old, but the kingdom's curse had changed many things. They came to a large graveyard and he searched among the headstones for his family name. Finding his children and grandchildren buried here but nothing after that, the party supposed that whatever curse turned the land's people into shades happened around that time, two generations after First Lord Raeldus.

A large crypt marked "Estieveran" and decorated with heraldry of a black shield & three yellow swords beckoned with an open door. Fesgate said the Estieverans were a pious family, thought well of in his day. Their eldest sons usually entered the service of Solaris as priests or paladins.

The main floor of the crypt held only smashed & looted burial niches, their nameplates pried off. A corpse lay on the stairwell, wearing burnt leather armour. Robert found a bundle of notes in its backpack, but nobody could read them.

The bottom floor held four burial chambers with their nameplates intact, marked Adinet, Muriel, Manard and Alart. Gorr investigated an old urn meant to hold ashes, finding some black sludge and a few gold coins at the bottom. Entering the rooms, each held a sarcophagus carved with the likeness of its occupant. Opening up Muriel's, the desiccated corpse of the noblewoman reached out, its eyes glowing with a sinister light!

Although Muriel's risen corpse was dispatched quickly, Manard and Adinet rose from their coffins also and attacked the group. Robert was bitten and briefly paralyzed before Suba-Jin cured him and the cleric's divine force drove the undead into a rout. Alart's burial chamber was found empty. The sarcophagus was carved to represent a fighting-man, but the face was left blank - perhaps Alart was still alive when this tomb fell into ruin, or died in a faraway place?

Return to the Forgotten Village

Finishing their circuit through the Moonlit Zone, the group passed back through Eralion's keep. Silent and deserted, the satyrs pressed into his cause had long ago fled. They heard a pack of hounds baying elsewhere in the forest, but did not see them.

The village was in disrepair when they returned. The hounds had attacked and killed a few of the villagers. The consensus was that these "devil-dogs" were sent by Eralion to cause trouble. Everyone was happy to hear that the group had defeated the wizard, and hoped that the pack of hounds would remain in the Moonlit Zone without his evil intelligence directing them.

While the group rested, a few conversations happened:

-The priestess Shandril reminded Eric that as a champion of the god Solaris, he had an obligation to fulfill: donations of valuables like sacrificial animals, holy incense, treasures, art objects or other such things must be made. [500 sp value immediately, and 1500 in the next month. These sacrifices are normally offered at a designated temple or other holy place.]

-The group asked about Alart Estieveran, wondering if he might have a connection to Sun-Eater, the legendary flail once held by a fallen paladin. Shandril said he was the most powerful knight serving King Wakelinus, and roamed the kingdom on quests when the curse fell upon the land. She didn't know where he might be nowadays. [see also Session 7]

- Shandril identified the pouches of sparkling powders as flower extracts. One was a healing dust [1d6+1 hp], the other unknown. She suggested visiting an alchemist who knew more on the subject, and lived further north.

- Shandril also mentioned two other ancient sites of interest: one contained a healing spring, largely safe the last time she visited but a far distance to travel. The other was a ruined city with a shrine to Solaris. It was closer, but guarded by powerful enemies so she left it alone.

-Lord Fesgate and Shandril put their heads together, trying to draw on Fesgate's knowledge of the area in ancient times to create a map of the region the group could use.

Ride to Giantland

The next day (if day & night could be said to mean anything in this region of perpetual twilight), an oddity appeared outside the village. A peacock the size of a house, its feathers glittering and shining. The group approached it with some food, and it bent its head to the ground. Quickly taking its meaning, they all climbed up and sat on its back. It took to the air, carrying them to places unknown!

Flying high over the forest, the group could see many far-away things: a river & lake covered in mist, a distant pastel-coloured field, many moonlit zones which appeared as inky blots on the horizon. Flying west, they left land behind and flew over a vast ocean covered in grey clouds. 

Eventually they came to an island covered in jungle of strange proportions: everything was four times their size! The trees, vines, plants and even animals were colossal. The peacock set them down near an opulent manor-house sized for a giant, surrounded by a lavish walled garden.

A few ghostly creatures guarded the gate. Clad in black metal armour, shrouded in faded grey cloaks. Their faces were not visible, but once in a while they let out a tortured moan or wail. The party took down the two guards with a barrage of ranged attacks and explored the compound.

Gorr climbed a tree inside the wall and surveyed the house. He saw a lake on the 2nd floor, and a garden on the 3rd with another giant peacock lying still.

While exploring the grounds, the group ran headlong into a pair of giant colourful chickens, pecking in the ground for bugs. These animals were quite talkative, and explained that "the Master" had been imprisoned and the grounds overrun with demons & monsters. They were too scared to do anything about it, being only simple chickens.

The group launched an assault on four of the moaning guardians in a covered pavilion at the corner of the manor. They were guarding a six-headed & six-armed giant. Three of the enemies fell to missile fire while the fourth tried to run away. Eric was closest and charged after it, managing to slam a door on its retreat. The spirit turned and desperately retaliated, striking Eric in the spine with its scimitar & paralyzing the whole right side of his body! Luckily Meep the Dwarf was right behind, and struck the spirit down before it could do any more damage.

Meanwhile Gorr examined the giant, bound in heavy chains. His six heads were asleep or unconscious and wouldn't wake up. Three padlocks hung on the chains - one gold, one silver and one bronze. Gorr's attempts to break the chains or dig up the anchor points seemed fruitless for now. 

Exploring the villa further they found a granary, a weapon room with colossal blades hanging on the walls, and a statue of the six-armed giant riding a chariot - in his hands were two curved swords, a bow, a rabbit, a curvaceous woman and an open book.

Coming out of the granary, they were accosted by a huge scorpion scuttling out from under the water-trough. It demanded satisfaction for its hunger, suggesting they leave Eric for it to eat. "He looks sick anyway, you won't missss him..." Robert held it at bay while the clerics cast a Command for it to run away, and the party hustled through a door before it could return.

Gorr: "Can you also Command the right side of your body to work?"

In the wine cellar they met Sheela, an orange housecat the size of a lion! He told them his master was named Karttekeza. The demoness Vashundara [see Session 9] had entrapped him, eaten one of his great peacocks and poisoned another. She was probably in the bedroom upstairs, but her demonic servants were all over the house. Sheela was too afraid to help, and stayed in the wine cellar.

Exploring further, they found the bath: a vast room with a huge pool of clear water. Frescoes of Karttekeza's famous battles decorated the bottom. In the corner was a steam room. The group wondered whether they should take a break and have a soak?

*****

Everyone gained 1 fear point during the battle in the crypt.

[Eric is currently gimping around. He can move at half speed and cast spells with difficulty if he is held up by a friend, who also must move at half speed. Fighting is right out for both of them while Eric is upright. Other penalties may be assessed when I think of them. Justin can play Lord Fesgate for the duration.]

Lord Fesgate

Fighter 3

HP 18

AC 18 (plate, shield)

STR 13, CON 13

Base attack bonus +3

Scimitar +4 (1d8+1)

Enemies Defeated

Manard, Muriel & Adinet - 204 xp

6 moaning guards - 570 xp

Total: 774 experience

Treasure

pouch of off-white dust (healing)

pouch of deep purple dust (unknown)

bundle of notes, unknown language

10 gold coins

Estieveran family signet ring (black shield with 3 gold swords)

gold chain