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!
