About a day and a half. It's hard to tell
Suba-Jin, cleric 1 (John)
Robert the Swift, fighter 1 (Steve)
Veigar Thricescarred, fighter 2 (Kevin)
Gorr, barbarian 2 (Chris)
*****
Exploring the Forest
After the tree-climbing adventure last session, a few of the crew took a rest at the room furniture: Aladar IX, Lothos the Undesirable and Eric Withakay (whose players couldn't make it). Suba-Jin and Robert the Swift were joined by their belated friend-of-a-friend, the Skandik warrior Viegar Thricescarred. In the wilds of the Forest of Dreams, they met a stranger lost between dimensions: the barbarian archer Gorr with his faithful horse Hep.
The four set out on foot towards the great white building spotted last session. Progressing through the shadowy, dreamlike forests brought them to the edge of a great crevasse. A crumbling, pillared stone structure rested at its edge from which dim clattering noises emanated. Approaching with a lit torch, a collection of shadows resolved themselves into armoured figures. Three men of grim aspect - their bodies pure black shadows, their weapons & armour shades of gray. They hailed the party in dark tones and invited them inside.
Inside the structure, nine shadowy warriors were setting the table for a feast. A few dark and insubstantial goat-men tapped into a barrel of dark wine. The victuals laid out looked tempting: great cooked game birds, sliced meats, oddly-coloured vegetables, pungent stews & the glowing flowers that grew throughout the forest. These shadow-people offered places to the group and a few sat down. Gorr was suspicous of the whole thing and wandered the room with Hep asking questions & looking around.
On a sunken piece of land in the middle of the crevasse towered a great ruined coliseum. A set of stairs led down to a narrow stone bridge spanning black & misty depths. The shades called it "Wakelinus' Folly" and said beneath it was a burial-place for ancient gods.
The shades claimed to serve "Mad King Wakelinus" who ruled their whole realm from his distant fortress "in the fields." Their whole world was abandoned by the gods and cursed, but they could not explain the curse's origin except to say it began with the king's madness a thousand years ago.
Soon it became obvious something was wrong - after joining in the feast, Viegar and Robert slowed down, their responses became sluggish and intermittent. Drinking the wine actually made Viegar feel two years young, but it only made Suba-Jin and Robert feel tired. Beginning to wise up, Gorr and Suba-Jin dragged their compatriots away from the ghostly feast. The revelers urged them to return but did not pursue them down the stairs into the crevasse.
Not wanting to explore the innards of the ruined coliseum, the gang climbed up the side with a grappling hook and ascended to the top, almost level with the high ground at the edge of the crevasse. Circling around, they crossed the narrow bridge connecting it to a tall tower on the side of the island, reaching down into the depths below. Strange text was carved into the floor, but nobody could read it.
The Ruined Shrines
Deep at the bottom of the tower, double doors opened into a square room with a deep black pit. A fresh wind blew in from behind, disturbing the dust on the stone floors. Past a series of barren crypt chambers filled with moldering bones, the party entered a sizable round domed chamber. A great white & gold canopic jar stood in the center and a carved marble face in one wall wept endless tears.
They were joined by another shadowy figure: a woman in worn white robes introduced herself as Shandril, a caretaker of the shrine, and asked their business. The group told her they were "just explorers" looking for information about the land's curse. Seeming more spry and aware than other shades, Shandril tolerated their presence and offered advice. She said they were in the "shrine of Weeping Beauty" although she did not know the ancient god's original name.
The next domed room had a narrow walkway surrounded by a sandy floor. A tall statue in the center depicted a warrior with his guts torn out. Shandril warned about "the test of dying strength" and the group entered to see what might happen. As soon as they did, a pack of sword-wielding skeletons emerged from the sands all around and charged! Between Suba-Jin's use of turning, Robert's scroll of protection from undead and Gorr's well-aimed trick shots the skeletons were swiftly disposed of. After the battle a red glow emanated from the statue, passing over each of them in turn.
[Each combatant has obtained a one-time blessing from the God of Dying Strength. When outnumbered in combat and less than full hit points, they can use that blessing to endure against overwhelming odds: granting themselves +1d6 temporary HP and +2 to AC & saves until the end of the battle.]
Another room held a man-sized chrome sphere on a pedestal, reflecting the chipped green frescoes on the walls. The smell of pine and a calm feeling suffused the room. Shandril said she came here for contemplation, but the sphere didn't seem to do anything and the group moved on.
The next room had a day-glo fresco of coloured tiles on the floor. Try as they might, the party couldn't make out any pattern or design, and Shandril was no help either. Touching a green glowing tile, Robert the Swift vanished from everyone's sight! Perturbed by this, the group looked into a few side-rooms. They overturned a chest full of rotted clothing but didn't poke through it much, only picking up a few odd coins that rolled out. Another room held a well-kept bed with no signs of rot or dust. Shandril said it was safe to sleep in. They looked through the large double-doors nearby, but decided they should find out what happened to Robert.
On a sunken piece of land in the middle of the crevasse towered a great ruined coliseum. A set of stairs led down to a narrow stone bridge spanning black & misty depths. The shades called it "Wakelinus' Folly" and said beneath it was a burial-place for ancient gods.
The shades claimed to serve "Mad King Wakelinus" who ruled their whole realm from his distant fortress "in the fields." Their whole world was abandoned by the gods and cursed, but they could not explain the curse's origin except to say it began with the king's madness a thousand years ago.
Soon it became obvious something was wrong - after joining in the feast, Viegar and Robert slowed down, their responses became sluggish and intermittent. Drinking the wine actually made Viegar feel two years young, but it only made Suba-Jin and Robert feel tired. Beginning to wise up, Gorr and Suba-Jin dragged their compatriots away from the ghostly feast. The revelers urged them to return but did not pursue them down the stairs into the crevasse.
Not wanting to explore the innards of the ruined coliseum, the gang climbed up the side with a grappling hook and ascended to the top, almost level with the high ground at the edge of the crevasse. Circling around, they crossed the narrow bridge connecting it to a tall tower on the side of the island, reaching down into the depths below. Strange text was carved into the floor, but nobody could read it.
The Ruined Shrines
Deep at the bottom of the tower, double doors opened into a square room with a deep black pit. A fresh wind blew in from behind, disturbing the dust on the stone floors. Past a series of barren crypt chambers filled with moldering bones, the party entered a sizable round domed chamber. A great white & gold canopic jar stood in the center and a carved marble face in one wall wept endless tears.
They were joined by another shadowy figure: a woman in worn white robes introduced herself as Shandril, a caretaker of the shrine, and asked their business. The group told her they were "just explorers" looking for information about the land's curse. Seeming more spry and aware than other shades, Shandril tolerated their presence and offered advice. She said they were in the "shrine of Weeping Beauty" although she did not know the ancient god's original name.
The next domed room had a narrow walkway surrounded by a sandy floor. A tall statue in the center depicted a warrior with his guts torn out. Shandril warned about "the test of dying strength" and the group entered to see what might happen. As soon as they did, a pack of sword-wielding skeletons emerged from the sands all around and charged! Between Suba-Jin's use of turning, Robert's scroll of protection from undead and Gorr's well-aimed trick shots the skeletons were swiftly disposed of. After the battle a red glow emanated from the statue, passing over each of them in turn.
[Each combatant has obtained a one-time blessing from the God of Dying Strength. When outnumbered in combat and less than full hit points, they can use that blessing to endure against overwhelming odds: granting themselves +1d6 temporary HP and +2 to AC & saves until the end of the battle.]
Another room held a man-sized chrome sphere on a pedestal, reflecting the chipped green frescoes on the walls. The smell of pine and a calm feeling suffused the room. Shandril said she came here for contemplation, but the sphere didn't seem to do anything and the group moved on.
The next room had a day-glo fresco of coloured tiles on the floor. Try as they might, the party couldn't make out any pattern or design, and Shandril was no help either. Touching a green glowing tile, Robert the Swift vanished from everyone's sight! Perturbed by this, the group looked into a few side-rooms. They overturned a chest full of rotted clothing but didn't poke through it much, only picking up a few odd coins that rolled out. Another room held a well-kept bed with no signs of rot or dust. Shandril said it was safe to sleep in. They looked through the large double-doors nearby, but decided they should find out what happened to Robert.
Robert touched the tile, and everyone else in the room vanished. He was alone. He called out but nobody answered. Everything else looked the same, but his comrades were gone. He looked into the side rooms and saw a well-kept bed and an overturned chest full of clothes. He called out again in the hopes that somebody could hear him.
Not sure what else to do, Gorr and Shandril volunteered to touch the fresco next. As soon as they did, they disappeared too. Each character who touched it vanished in their turn.
Robert found Gorr and Shandril by the fresco. Suba-Jin and then Viegar appeared soon after.
The group were all together again, but they were no wiser about what had happened. Tthrough the double-doors and up the stairs, the chamber smelled of rot and leaves. An apple tree grew from a mound of dirt and rubble, strong even in the darkness underground. When they entered the room, the party felt a mild trembling & vibration in the floor. Shandril seemed worried and said she had never felt that during her visits.
Robert was interested in the pile of rubble and dirt beneath the tree. Investigating with his entrenching tool, he saw a spot that looked like an old gravesite or filled-in hole. He set to digging while the others gleefully ate apples from the tree. They were delicious. After 15 minutes, Robert hit something with a clang. He uncovered a black, metallic insectile limb about the length of a sword.
While the group ate apples, the trembling grew in strength. The party withdrew to the edge of the room, leaving the strange metal limb inside as bait for any incoming monster. Instead, the roof began to collapse in a rain of stones and dirt! Thinking quickly, Gorr grabbed the insect limb before the roof buried it, suffering a glancing blow from a falling rock. The group retreated to the chrome sphere, but that room began to tremble as well and they pressed on to the first domed room just before a rain of rocks crushed the mirrored orb for good.
Shandril was a bit disturbed by all this destruction. Gorr took her aside and offered her a philter of love that he had with him. He thought it might lift her spirits since she was cursed with the same dour attitude as the other shadowy folk of this realm. She found the suggestion strange and stopped to consider it.
Meanwhile Robert, Suba-Jin and Viegar had thrown a rope over the giant canopic jar. They wanted to yank the lid off, but they succeeded only in tipping it over. With a great crash, it shattered into a million pieces. Inside, an enormous pulsing heart could be seen - once belonging to an ancient god now beating for the very last time. The heart burst in a blinding flare and from the ground sprouted a giant full-grown cherry tree, stretching up to the ceiling. In a matter of seconds the air was filled with slowly drifting, delicate pink blossoms.
Shandril was nonplussed at this last act of devastation - but the cherries did taste delicious.
The group decided to leave the ruined shrines, climbing up the tower to the outdoors. Shandril offered to lead them somewhere else so they could continue exploring the realm:
-Her home, where she lived among other shades and tended a shrine to her god Solaris.
-The Temple of the Sage, where the Sage of Lune was rumoured to have turned to madness and monsters stalked the grounds.
Enemies Defeated:
Not sure what else to do, Gorr and Shandril volunteered to touch the fresco next. As soon as they did, they disappeared too. Each character who touched it vanished in their turn.
Robert found Gorr and Shandril by the fresco. Suba-Jin and then Viegar appeared soon after.
The group were all together again, but they were no wiser about what had happened. Tthrough the double-doors and up the stairs, the chamber smelled of rot and leaves. An apple tree grew from a mound of dirt and rubble, strong even in the darkness underground. When they entered the room, the party felt a mild trembling & vibration in the floor. Shandril seemed worried and said she had never felt that during her visits.
Robert was interested in the pile of rubble and dirt beneath the tree. Investigating with his entrenching tool, he saw a spot that looked like an old gravesite or filled-in hole. He set to digging while the others gleefully ate apples from the tree. They were delicious. After 15 minutes, Robert hit something with a clang. He uncovered a black, metallic insectile limb about the length of a sword.
While the group ate apples, the trembling grew in strength. The party withdrew to the edge of the room, leaving the strange metal limb inside as bait for any incoming monster. Instead, the roof began to collapse in a rain of stones and dirt! Thinking quickly, Gorr grabbed the insect limb before the roof buried it, suffering a glancing blow from a falling rock. The group retreated to the chrome sphere, but that room began to tremble as well and they pressed on to the first domed room just before a rain of rocks crushed the mirrored orb for good.
Shandril was a bit disturbed by all this destruction. Gorr took her aside and offered her a philter of love that he had with him. He thought it might lift her spirits since she was cursed with the same dour attitude as the other shadowy folk of this realm. She found the suggestion strange and stopped to consider it.
Meanwhile Robert, Suba-Jin and Viegar had thrown a rope over the giant canopic jar. They wanted to yank the lid off, but they succeeded only in tipping it over. With a great crash, it shattered into a million pieces. Inside, an enormous pulsing heart could be seen - once belonging to an ancient god now beating for the very last time. The heart burst in a blinding flare and from the ground sprouted a giant full-grown cherry tree, stretching up to the ceiling. In a matter of seconds the air was filled with slowly drifting, delicate pink blossoms.
Shandril was nonplussed at this last act of devastation - but the cherries did taste delicious.
The group decided to leave the ruined shrines, climbing up the tower to the outdoors. Shandril offered to lead them somewhere else so they could continue exploring the realm:
-Her home, where she lived among other shades and tended a shrine to her god Solaris.
-The Temple of the Sage, where the Sage of Lune was rumoured to have turned to madness and monsters stalked the grounds.
Enemies Defeated:
14 skeletons
Each player - 45 xp
Treasure:
15 gilded copper helmets
Ornate china tea set
A flask of tears
old square-shaped coins - 16 copper, 10 silver
Treasure:
15 gilded copper helmets
Ornate china tea set
A flask of tears
old square-shaped coins - 16 copper, 10 silver
Apples and cherries
Metallic giant insect leg
Metallic giant insect leg
