Wishery: Sessions 1 & 2

THROUGH ULTAN'S DOOR

16-17 Meadowlark, 4433

Characters:

Two-Faced Humphrey, human spy 1 (Tim)

Avala, human elementalist 1 (Brielle)

Octavian the Bloody Fist, human spy 1 (Tim)

Krull the Barbarian King, human fighter 1 (Brielle)

*****

Two-Faced Humphrey and Avala, shaken by their bizarre experiences in the Drydale monastery [way back in Session 1] returned to Viridistan for a while. Humphrey spent his time greasing palms & trying to start criminal schemes, none of which panned out. Avala worked on artistic endeavours. Soon they craved further adventure and joined with a sinister spy named Octavian and a buff fighting-man named Krull with the grandiose title "The Barbarian King." They all decided to investigate rumours circling in the Bazaar of a magical door to Wishery, the land of dreams, beneath a printmaker's shop.

Finding the shop in the shadow of the Great Aqueduct on Market St was no problem. The owner Ultan was a stooped & ancient man with ink-stained fingers. The shop was cluttered with tools, wood blocks, and handsome framed prints on the walls. Ultan demanded 10 silvers up front per person before anyone could even see the door. Avala tried to haggle but the old man stood firm on his price. After business was concluded, Ultan's nephew Samir conducted the group into a back room. In a narrow basement closet beneath the stairs was the door:

Painted sky-blue and adorned with gold leaf in swirling, elaborate patterns. Its handle carved into an elegant, arching swan's neck. Nothing like this door is known anywhere else in the Viridian Empire. Now convinced the stories were true, the party proceeded through into the land of Wishery!

The First Expedition

They entered Wishery in a dark room that smelled like a sewer. A hallway led to the left into a larger circular space, and a door to the right was blocked by something. Octavian and Krull pushed hard against it, and with a mighty heave they shoved through!

Inside were two pale, emaciated men with white hair and black-stained mouths, accompanied by a hideous doglike creature with a horse's skull for a head. One of them ran away while the other reached for his weapon. The group offered food to the strange man and attempted to parley. He turned out to be mute, which made communication difficult. He could understand the party's questions, but only gesture with his hands and make "uh, uh" noises.

At this point they heard a flapping sound behind them. From the other direction, two black bundles of feathers & wings flapped into view, like scrambled ravens with one large, central eye. The odd beasts flew towards the group, and even meeting their monocular gaze caused deep cuts to well up on Humphrey's face!

The whole group piled through the door over the mute's protests, slamming it behind them. Another tense stand-off occurred when a crew of five more pale mutes arrived to investigate the commotion. Offering more food, the party managed to avoid hostilities. They gleaned some clues with more charades:

-These mutes are outcasts of some kind, accursed by their society.

-It was shocking to the mutes that the group didn't wear masks, which are commonplace here for everyone except them. But, mask-wearers are dangerous.

-There is a city far away, and high above their heads.

-Pig-nosed bipedal creatures infest the area, and the mutes want them destroyed or driven out.

After the conversation, the mutes made it clear that the group couldn't pass through their territory. Hoping the winged eyes were gone, the group left the way they had came, and proceeded back through the door to Viridistan.

The Second Expedition

After Humphrey had recovered from his wounds, the group went to Hightown to buy masks for themselves. In a store called Hawk's Antiques they found four for sale: two hideous ghoul's faces, an elegant feathered domino, and a squid with tentacles for a beard. Prezerus Hawk the proprietor said they were all the rage at social events this season. He also had an elegant carved urn for sale, made by the Mycretians living in the distant Holy Cities of the desert. Nobody was really interested, and the group returned to Ultan's.

Avala tried to negotiate again, but Ultan was having none of it and demanded his 10 silver, the group grudgingly paying.

This time they explored a larger domed room, finding hanging corpses wearing robes and hooked plague-doctor masks. They brought the corpses down to search, narrowly avoiding the rusted bear-traps hidden in the straw beneath. Searching through ruined bedrooms, they found a small gold pin in the design of a web.

They followed a red-tiled hallway lined with broken stained glass screens, came through a rusted portcullis and saw the source of the smell: the sewer river. A handsome boat was moored at the wooden dock, but Octavian fell through the rotted boards into the foul water before he could reach it! Only quick rope-work on the group's part saved him. 

While Octavian was stripping off his filthy armour, another group of pale & stained mutes surprised everyone, emerging from a locked door. These were hostile, so the group hurriedly jumped in the boat and floated downstream.

The sewer river was an old brick tunnel about 50' across. Metal pipes discharged effluent at intervals. The smell was horrible. After about an hour, they heard buzzing up ahead: on the sewer's surface three huge flies skipped, their eyes glittering like jewels. They doused their lights to avoid the flies, which still followed the party at a discreet distance for a while.

Soon, a light up ahead revealed a slick of viscera, blood & fat on the water's surface. Giant flies and moths buzzed around it. The stench of death was near-unbearable. Regular bursts of gore flowed from three huge gaping faces carved into the tunnel wall. Between them, two staircases led upwards and into the sinister red light.

"There's NO way we're going up there!" Avala said.

The group turned their boat around immediately. They paddled back upriver past the dock and still further, seeking a way upwards into the city they'd heard of. Another hour of rowing past a few side branches brought them to a stone dock and a wide cavern opening above them. Distantly, they could see a bright point of light in the cavern's ceiling. Could it be daylight?

The Leprosarium

The cavern was huge, but illumined faintly by the light from above. It held some kind of ruined underground city. The houses were once fine, with multicoloured paint now dusty and chipping. Nearby the group heard the sounds of conversation and chains creaking.

Humphrey and Octavian snuck forward amongst the buildings to see what was happening. Some people were gathered around a wooden platform with an open-fronted cage on it. All wore masks. A few armoured men stood guard, while a huge shirtless laborer cranked some kind of windlass attached to chains that hung from high above. A woman in robes was climbing into the cage, which was lifted off the ground by the chains. They watched the elevator dwindle high into the distance, towards the light at the roof of the cavern. This was definitely a way out!

The guards were baffled at seeing strangers here that they hadn't brought down on the elevator. They asked to see the group's tongues, and didn't like what they saw. "First time down here?" asked a guard. "No way you're getting back up to Zyan without a dose of Bluetongue. Get it at the Temple, and don't come back to me until you do." He indicated the a huge stone building at the back of the cavern.

The temple was guarded by silent armoured soldiers with smooth, eyeless helms. Petitioners in filthy rags crowded the entryway outside, begging admittance. The guards must have liked the look of the party though, and stepped aside to let them in.

Inside they spoke to the proctor, a man with leprous skin and red robes. He explained this place was a colony for those afflicted with the Walking Plague. Without a dose of the blue medicine, visitors could not return to the city for fear of spreading it. Humphrey tried to bribe him, but didn't have nearly enough money.

In the Leprosarium's small marketplace, a half-dozen infected men sold strange medicines:

 - Bluetongue - 100 gold - inoculates against exposure to the plague in the last 24 hours

 - Graydream - 100 silver - brings pleasant dreams of dead relatives

 - Hole - 100 copper -  relieves feelings of grief

None in the group could afford the Bluetongue necessary to pass up to the city. However, Octavian managed to convince one of the lepers to gamble him for it, and won with his set of loaded dice! They got what looked like a pot of blue paint, and each party member slathered some of the sparkling paste on their tongues. 

Returning to the elevator, the guards now allowed them passage upwards. After a slow ride, they emerged into daylight. They were finally in Zyan!

Treasure:

Golden web brooch

Enemies Defeated: 

none

Session 12

ERALION'S END

12th Longrass, 4433
You aren't sure how long you spent in the forest.

Characters:

Gorr, ranger 3

Suba-Jin, cleric 3

Robert the Swift, fighter 2

Meep, dwarf 2

*****

In the Keep

The party had just defeated a red fire-spirit when the doors of the chapel beneath them opened. They saw a satyr emerge that looked just like the revellers they met long ago, or the ones they had gambled with in the Sage's temple. They hoisted him up with a rope and pumped him for information before letting him down. They learned that the shadow-mage Eralion himself was below in the chapel!

They made a plan, and climbed down the tower stairs. Wielding their magic weapons, the group swarmed the wizard shade. Despite his protective aura of darkness, their attacks hit home and Eralion fled at top speed. A chase throughout the ruins ensued and Eralion seemed about to escape into the woods when he was brought low with a trick shot by Robert the Swift [a lucky hit at a penalty, with a vial of holy water tied to his arrow]. The shade vanished, leaving only his two-crescent pendant and engraved copper bracers behind.

One of the four demons of the realm mentioned by the Sage of Lune had been destroyed. Where were the other three to be found? It was unclear at this time. The group was now free to loot Eralion's ancient tomb, finding some loose papers they couldn't read, a broken flask, and a pile of loot in his sarcophagus.

Gorr planted an acorn from Grandfather Tree in the courtyard of the ruined keep.

Exploring the Moonlit Zone

A path beckoned from the ruined fort, leading deeper into the dark & crowded forest. The group decided to press further and see what could be found. At a T-intersection, they found a signpost pointing to Fesgate in one direction and Fesgate Tower in the other. They opted for the tower, along the way sneaking past another fire spirit which was chasing around some forest wildlife.

The tower itself was a simple affair, circular and about six or seven stories. Against the starless sky, outlines of strange structures could just be seen around the peak. The group climbed the inside of the tower, sealing another fire spirit inside a vault on the way, and passing by rooms guarded with carved runes, some still glowing with magic.

In a room of hanging cages they found a dead knight with a broken sword, his plate mail pierced through the heart. He carried a journal, but nobody could read the language.

At the tower's peak, narrow bridges stretched outside, connecting to smaller towers floating out in the open air with no support structure. A few shrivelled bundles wrapped in silk hung from the ceiling, and the corpse of a dog-sized spider rested in the dust. Gorr wanted to try and harvest poison from it, but changed his mind.

The group avoided two of the bridges: one covered in spiderwebs, and another leading to a room of glowing green crystals and sleeping giant moths. In the third tower they found a few prison cells full of bizarre creatures, and rescued a man. Wearing rusted full plate and a closed helmet, he identified himself as Lord Fesgate. He seemed not to know how much time had passed since his imprisonment. He had no knowledge of the state of the kingdom or its curse. The group reasoned that the tower cells froze their occupants in time, so to the prisoner only moments would elapse between incarceration and freedom, even though it might have been centuries.

Fesgate told them a few facts:

 - The tower prisons were built in the moonlit zones in ancient times to contain monsters & enemies of the realm. They were commissioned centuries ago by First Lord Raeldus, with the help of the Immortal Sage. (Is that the same as the Sage of Lune? It is unclear.)

 - This tower once imprisoned great numbers of needlemen, gryphs, giant spiders and monstrous hounds, among other monsters.

 - He was thrown into his cell by First Lord Raeldus on some trumped-up charge.

by Chris

Fesgate joined them for now. On their way back down the tower they met an even stranger being. Surrounded by a swarm of moths (and trailed by six of huge size), a giant with a head like the moon confronted them at the top of the tower. He introduced himself as Howroch, the Full-Headed. He said Fesgate was a traitor and it was foolish to let him out (the Lord denied this). He seemed sad, and didn't feel inclined to fight about it after all these years. 

The group learned more interesting facts:

 - The moonlit zone prisons are weakening after all these years, and many dangerous monsters have escaped already. Some "much more dangerous than these common spiders."

 - Each prison was guarded by a Moon Giant. Not all Moon Giants are strict and Lawful like him: there are also Half-Headed (Neutral) and Eclipsed (Chaotic and dangerous).

 - He would help in the fight against Uthummaos if he could. He told the group about two mighty weapons of legend lost in other moonlit zones: Sun-Eater, a flail that absorbs light once held by a fallen paladin. The Moonlight Sword, rumoured to be a powerful wizard's weapon.

Howroch accompanied the party back down the tower and let them out. They proceeded away from the tower in the opposite direction from whence they came. Howroch parted ways with them and they found what was left of Fesgate Village, long since deserted. After fighting a pack of huge, six-legged black birds in the main meeting hall, Lord Fesgate finally seemed to accept that things had changed in his homeland, and might never be the same again...

*****

Enemies Defeated:

Eralion the shade - 1260 xp

black six-legged bird - 121 xp

345 xp each

Treasure:

Eralion's treasure hoard:

  27 gold

  200 silver

  156 copper

  eight gems

  six pieces of jewelry

  1 scroll

  1 potion

  ceremonial dagger

  Eralion's copper bracers

broken sword

8 gp

knight's journal (foreign language)

sack of 100 silver

Session 11

A RUDE AWAKENING

3rd-12th Longrass, 4433

Characters:

Young Joe Spruce, druid 1

Gorr, ranger 3

Robert the Swift, fighter 2

Suba-Jin, cleric 3

Meep, dwarf 2

Eric Withakay, cleric 4

*****

[DM's Note - Sorry guys, I waited too long to write this report because of the holidays & assorted things. My memory of the session is now a bit hazy. If I missed anything or got any details wrong, let me know and I'll correct it.]

A Night at Seven Visions

The gang blew a ton of money on gambling, wine, women & song. Most held their liquor, except for Robert and Joe. Their encounters with the courtesans of Seven Visions were bizarre & psychedelic, becoming ever more dreamlike and surreal as the night progressed, eventually becoming terrifying psycho-sexual dramas - their innermost fantasies come to life. Each was thoroughly scarred by the experience [gaining 1 fear point] and afterwards could never be sure how much was real and how much a bad dream, nor exactly how things ended.

During the night Fred, the last man-at-arms in the service of Young Joe Spruce, was overcome with fear at his companions' deaths and deserted the company.

In the early hours of the morning, while sleeping off their night of partying the group was ambushed in their beds by knife-wielding assassins. These rough-looking men with faces covered, wrapped in layers of ragged finery could take serious punishment. They were high on a drug called BLACK, the same tarry substance found hidden in Morthevole's shop. One of them was subdued and gave up Morthevole's name before he died of his injuries when the drug's effects wore off. Robert's arm was injured badly in the fight and would require a few weeks of bed-rest to heal.

The establishment's madame Zvezdana Ozi apologized for the mistakes of her security force and told the group she would compensate their next stay. Women, drinking, drugs, whatever they wanted. She used her occult knowledge to identify the ancient golden shield Suba-Jin found [a shield +1].

About Town

The group ran a few errands. First they found a jeweller in Hightown named Tibor Stefandis, who was wealthy enough to buy the ruby they found in Morthevole's basement. They settled on 370 gold pieces, a princely sum for a single gemstone! Stefandis recognized the ruby's design, and told them a strange story about it:

"This is a legendary gemstone. The Ruby Heart of Sanghé Shriwar the Slicer, a goddess long-ago fallen out of favour in the city. She was sometimes depicted as a beautiful dancing-girl in an overgrown garden, sometimes as a multi-armed vision of terror & destruction. She was associated with the moon, and vengeance. The center of her worship was in the Riverside district amongst several noble families. They may yet live in that area, but their fortunes have now fallen along with hers."

The group visited Morthevole at his shop in the Nest and sweated him (after fighting some albino monkeys on the way). He admitted that the "blackthroats" (as such addicts are called) came to his shop, and he sent them after the group for an easy score. Suba-Jin rubbed the last does of BLACK on his neck, and the group swept his shop before leaving him thoroughly terrified. 

To the Night Wolf Inn

Reasoning that it would be a great way for Robert to recover, the gang headed for the Night Wolf Inn, to rest up in the Forest of Dreams where time passes more swiftly than in the normal world. After a cramped (subjective) month in the Inn room, Robert's arm had healed up and the gang had mostly recovered from their encounters with undead in the crypts below the city [everyone lost 2 accumulated fear points].

At fighting strength, the group pressed on further into the forest. With Young Joe Spruce in their group, navigation was easy and travel swift. 

Returning to their allies in the Forgotten Village, they learned of more activity in the ruined castle of Eralion the wizard: a pack of ravenous shadow-hounds had been raiding from within the Moonlit Zone!

Venturing back inside that dark & cryptic region, they heard the baying of these spectral dogs in the distance but never encountered them. Creeping into Eralion's keep once more, they spied a man of elemental fire dancing madly in the courtyard. Defeating it with a combination of magic weapons and holy water, they suddenly heard the great doors of the chapel below their feet begin to creak open...

*****

Monsters Defeated:

Man of Flames - 370 xp

3 Blackthroats - 107 xp

Treasure:

40 silver pieces - 40 xp

3 gold pieces - 30 xp

selling off the Ruby Heart - 3700 xp

TOTAL:

91 xp each for this session

617 each for those who found the Ruby Heart

Many of you leveled up after last session. As usual, once you return to a safe area (in this case, the room's furniture) and rest a day, you can gain the benefits of your new level. Some of you had the experience after selling the ruby, but we ended last session in the middle of the action, so it doesn't make sense to do your levels right now.

[Setting] Peoples of the Empire

Humans are the most common race in the Empire, by far. The human race has no "sub-races," only cultural and ethnic divisions—of which most humans unfortunately make far too much of a difference. Most humans of Viridistan are a mix of a number of bloodlines, with the most common being a mix of Viridian, Tharbrian and Ghinoran, though some may have Skandik, Avalonian, Altanian or even Amazonian blood.

ALRYAN

This is the name applied to the city folk of the large cities of the northeastern Empire, such as the City State of the Invincible Overlord, Warwik and Modron. They are in fact a mix of Tharbrian and Altanian blood, but they consider themselves “civilized.” Most Alryans have disdain for the uncivilized barbarian Altanians to the south, and would be appalled if they knew of their actual close kinship. Wise city dwellers, Alryans have keen eyesight and are sensitive to the body language of many races. They consider a highly developed sense of humour is the prerequisite to civilized conduct. 

Description: Skin color ranging from fair to olive to reddish skin (due to the Altanian influence), brown hair, brown eyes, 5 ft. 8 in., 170 lbs, average build, typically Neutral.

ALTANIAN

The “barbarian” Altanians occupy the portion of the Pazidan Peninsula south of the City State of the Invincible Overlord known as Barbarian Altanis. Families are organized into animal totem clans within each tribe. Some clans remain completely nomadic in nature, while most have settled into a semi-nomadic way of life, settling in small ramshackle villages. Clans include Grizzly Bear (the largest tribe), Mountain Lion, Forest Ape, Tusked Boar, Gray Wolf, and Spotted Wolverine. Altanians are among the

most renowned trackers in the world. Altaninians maintain their youth and vigor through old age, and then continue with a mature physique until the day that they die—though few ever live to reach the natural end of their life.

Altanian society (non-nomadic tribes) is dominated by the women, who own all chattel and property, save the weapons wielded by the warrior men. The men follow the Way of the Sword, which is a quasi-religious cult led by Sword Knights—Altanians that have earned the right to carry Ancestral Swords. Most women stay at home, tending to gardens, while the men go hunting and raiding, or form mercenary bands and adventure in other regions. 

There are reputedly some pureblooded Altanians, with the darkest blood red skin, who claim descent from various Chaos Lords—powerful inhuman creatures from the Chaos Planes of the Netherworld. 

Description: Copper to reddish brown to blood red (purebloods) skin, sandy to black (pure bloods) hair, hazel eyes, 5 ft. 6 in., 180 lbs, average to stocky build, typically Neutral or Chaotic.

AMAZON

Known in the northern lands as “Shield-Maidens” due to their disdain for armor other than shields, the Amazons are dominated by the female. They are said to have originated in the Ament Lands, far to the south, and over millennia migrated, pillaged, and battled their way north. In the north, Amazons can be found in their castle near Sea Rune on the Pagan coast north of Ossary. They can also be found in the southern lands in and around the city of Rallu and near Ghinor and the Ament Tundra. 

Mercenary Amazons can be found in nearly every fighting force in the Empire. Friendly with most forest dwelling races, they often unite to protect an area endangered by woodsmen or some natural calamity. Amazons frequently have trained animal companions. The Amazons near Sea Rune are rumored to use trained lions as pets. Highly dexterous and very well toned, they are noted for preferring little or no armor in combat. In grouped combat, they fight in unison as if telepathically linked with their sisters. They often anticipate the tactics of opponents.

Amazons take their captives as slaves, though only the female slaves are put to work. Male slaves (including male Amazons) are used solely for reproductive purposes and sport. Pure lineage Amazon males are often traded between queens of different tribes. Male Amazons are not pampered as are the female concubines of other races, they are instead expected to maintain themselves in top athletic condition, though not to learn the ways of war.

Description: Fair to light brown skin, blonde or red hair, green eyes, 5 ft. 6 in., 110 lbs., lithe to voluptuous build, typically Lawful.

ANTILLIAN

Antillians, centered on the city of Antil, are a further admixture of Alryan with more Orichalan, Tharbrian, elven, and (now extinct) Antili blood. Where Alryans are wise and wryly humorous, Antillians are cunning and disarmingly vicious. Antillians are terrifying merchants, willing and able to swindle at the drop of a copper; they are also a proud people, and they have taken the tradition of vendetta to hitherto unknown heights. Antillians are graceful, with very lithe features and slightly pointed ears, though to mistake one for a half-elf is to ask for a duel. 

Antillians wear rich, colourful clothing, the more ostentatious the better, and prefer light, quick weapons, such as rapiers and stilettos. Antillians consider women to be chattel, to be used to further political and mercantile relationships. Antillians are notorious slavers, considering other races

destined only for servitude. They despise Amazons, and believe them to be fit only for concubinage.

Description: Swarthy olive skin, black hair, brown eyes, 5 ft. 6 in., 150 lbs, light build, typically Neutral.

AVALONIAN

The Avalonians are the noblest of people, in their own minds if nowhere else. The tall, thin Avalonians dress in wealthy clothing, for all their clans are of noble blood, and all Avalonians hold a noble title, even the least citizen. They are also merchants by profession and control nearly all trade in the Uther Pentwegern Sea and southward to the Sea's Edge. 

Their city, Valon, is built right upon the sea, and consists of gold and silver tower-girt islands divided by stone-lined canals which freeze over in winter. Swimming is natural to these folk. They are also superlative sailors and shipwrights. Most Avalonians have some sort of magical training, typically cold, water, and/or ice magic. The wizards and sorcerers of this race are unsurpassed in the North, rivaled only by the wizards of distant legendary Tula.

Some claim to be descended from an ancient admixture of merfolk and an unknown extra-planar folk from the Elemental Plane of Water or Ice. Sage comparisons between the Avalonians and the green-skinned Viridians cause violence to erupt most unexpectedly from this otherwise peaceful folk. Some few Avalonians have gills and can breathe in the water as if on land, although this is a rarity outside their homeland.

Description: Commoner Avalonians have pale skin with light blue tints, hair of any color, but body hair such as eyebrows and beards are usually tinted with platinum, gray or black eyes, 6 ft, 200 lbs, sleek and muscular build, typically Neutral. Higher-ranked nobles have pale blue skin, platinum blonde hair, silver eyes, 6 ft. 4 in., 200 lbs, sleek and muscular build, typically Lawful.

DUNAEL

Dunael Woods-Folk originated in the Dearthwood, where most can still be found, locked in eternal struggle against the wild beasts of the forest, and clans of barbaric wild elves like the Purple Claw. The Dunael are descended from an ancient alliance of Orichalan, Tharbriana, Amazon, and Altanian clans, with a bit of elven blood, blended centuries ago into a single culture. Today they are few in numbers and remain hard-pressed by their enemies. The Dunael, though semi-barbaric today, once had a great culture, and claim to be descended from the ancient Orichalans that inhabited a lost city where now stands the City State. The Dunael no longer have a king, but are ruled by the Captain of the Rangers, an ally of the Invincible Overlord.

Description: Bronzed tan skin, coal black hair, blue or green eyes, 5 ft. 8 in., 170 lbs, average build, typically Chaotic or Neutral.

GHINORAN

Ghinorans are the remnants of the Ghinoran Successor States from the ancient Kelnoran Empire, which fell thousands upon thousands of years ago. They occupy the lands of the southwestern crescent of the Sea of Five Winds from Lenap to Tlan and across to Chim, as well as the regions to the south approaching the Demon Empires and north above Lenap. Though some vestige of civilization is returning to these areas (or has maintained itself over many years), the people are mostly tribal and warlike.

Description: Various skin colors ranging from bronzed near the deserts to olive in Tlan and dusky in Chim, brown or tawny hair, brown or green eyes, 5 ft. 10 in., 150 lbs, average build, typically Neutral.

ORICHALAN

There are few of these folk left, as most people with Orichalan blood have been hunted down by the Altanians. Most that still exist either live in isolated communities (such as the Moonraker Moor Folk or the Roglo River Folk) or live in areas where they are not persecuted (such as in the city of Malikarr or in southern Oricha). Nevertheless, some remain in various regions of the Empire. Each share the same racial traits and description.

They are descended from the merchants of the long-fallen Dragon Empire. These merchants plied their trade up and down the Great Estuary of Roglaroon, as well as along the seacoast and other nearby river systems, though they maintained their homes in the cities, and mingled with other races. When the Dragon Empire fell millennia ago, their descendants remained on the waters, as it was the safest place during the terrible barbaric anarchy that followed that time.

Description: Slight purple cast to skin, some of which may also have patches of slight scales like snakeskin; dark hair, often black or with purplish highlights; amber or grey eyes; 6 ft., 180 lbs, lean build, typically Neutral.

SKANDIK

The Skandik Sea Wolves are a well-muscled water-loving race. They are ritually birthed in the water and spend most of their youth learning the ways of the sea. They build their towns only along coastlines and their longships raid the surrounding areas. They pay homage to Jarls and organize themselves into clan villages. Only true warriors are allowed to wear beards, which are a sign of manhood. They are renowned swimmers and sailors. Many, strangely, have webbed toes. They traditionally worship the gods Odin, Thor and the Norse pantheon. They inhabit the northern coast above the City State west of Warwik as well as the southern stretch of the Pagan Coast and a number of the isles in that region of the Winedark Sea.

Description: Pale skin, blonde or strawberry blonde hair, blue or green eyes, 5 ft. 9 in., 180 lbs., stocky build, typically Neutral.

THARBRIAN

Tharbrians are eternal nomads of the central Empire, having migrated from the far West. Their ancestors, the Tharbrian Wild-Men are responsible for many invasions into the lands of Viridistan and the City State. Though still primarily nomadic and warlike, some have settled into more permanent villages and have become accepted in cities throughout the region. The city of Modron was founded ages ago by less nomadic Tharbrians in honor of the goddess Modron, whom the Tharbrians freed from ancient captivity. 

Most Tharbrian nomads are men and women of honor and battle. They believe in a strict warrior code that forbids the slaughter of innocents or the murder of those that have fought valiantly. Among some, this code seems to be a disdain for all things not dealing with war. The conquered are kept as slaves to tend to the herds and perform other labor that is beneath the warriors of this society. Women are equal to men in Tharbrian society. Tharbrian smiths are renown for their sword making skills, and the Tharbrian saber is infamous in battle, more so when wielded by a Tharbrian warrior.

Description: Ruddy tan skin, tawny brown, or raven black hair, blue or green eyes, 5 ft. 7 in., 160 lbs., light build, typically Chaotic.

VIRIDIAN

The basal population of the cities, towns and villages surrounding the Emerald City of Viridistan. Their primary stock is Tharbrian, dominated for thousands of years by the True Viridians (of which the Green Emperor and his Empress-wife are thankfully the last), and intermixed with a dollop of True Viridian blood. Common Viridians make up the bulk of the farmers, artisans, craftsmen, and merchants of the Empire. The green tinge to their skin is usually looked down upon in the east, while the greener the skin, the better, in the west near Viridistan.

Description: Pale skin with varying tints of green, tawny or blonde hair, green eyes, 5 ft. 6 in., 150 lbs, average build, typically Lawful.

Session 10

MORTHEVOLE'S CELLARS

3rd Longrass, 4433

Cast:

Gorr, ranger 3
Suba-Jin, cleric 2
Robert the Swift, fighter 2
Tullius Jr./Sir Karavon, fighter 3

Eric Withakay, cleric 3

Young Joe Spruce, druid 1

Ted, Fred & Ned, men-at-arms

New Friends & New Adventures

The group followed up a lead from the Church of Hextor: a down-on-his-luck merchant was asking for help. Joined by Young Joe Spruce, a druid in the city for the first time. Accompanying him were three men-at-arms, bound into servitude for a month for trespassing in the forests (for two of them, the servitude would be much shorter than that!).

The group met Morthevole the merchant and asked for information. He gave them the key to his shop and a crude map of part of The Nest. Gorr took a short detour to the pleasure-parks and boulevards in the south of the city to plant one of Grandfather Tree's acorns.

Entering the Nest is like walking into a dungeon. The borough is almost completely sealed off, with only three well-known entrances. Buildings stack on top of each other, blocking out the sun and rendering it a dark & confusing three-dimensional maze. The group startled a few prostitutes as they wandered, but saw no other living beings. They were able to follow their map and not get lost.

The Tunnels

The group explored Morthevole's dingy pawn-shop which had been cleared out in a hurry. They found a crack in the basement wall, leading into some rough limestone caverns, hewn into the very rock the city rests on. These tunnels were low & cold, filled with ancient calcifying skeletons stowed here long ago for unknowable reasons.

The first encounter was with some feral, emaciated humans resembling ghouls or vampires, with yellow phosphorescent eyes and sharpened canines. These ragged beggars lost their nerve after a few casualties, and were chased down & slaughtered to the last. The group descended further and searched through many rooms, fighting some undead priests with knives instead of hands, and turning over many ancient skeletons slick with minerals, stacked or sitting or sometimes piled haphazardly wherever they would fit. 

In a small shrine, they found a bronze statue of a buxom woman called Shriwar the Slicer. Behind it stood a chart of the world's three moons (Sky-King, Vanis & Howla) in relation to each other, showing certain conjunctions and alignments. Robert the Swift narrowly avoided death when he attempted to gain the trapped statue's treasure, but with Tullius Jr's assistance a glittering ruby was recovered from its chest.

At the bottom of the vaults, the group lit two skull-lamps with scented oil to open a great iron door. Inside, they disturbed a group of 12 knife-skeletons and were set upon by a strange foe: a skeleton with glowing crystal bones, which drew the very breath from poor Ted and Ned.

A Conversation with Morthevole

Returning to the merchant led to a few clues. He was endlessly grateful for the party's help, and they learned that the tarry substance found in his shop was called BLACK, an addictive substance rubbed on the throat, producing an energetic high and sense of self-confidence. He kept it in case of shakedowns: when black-throats come visiting, one had better be prepared to give them something. 

Gorr asked about the myserious amulet recovered from Eralion's keep: Morthevole recognized the symbol as one used by a local gang called the Coffin Masters to mark their territory.

The group pressed Morthevole to keep his shop open to them if they needed to fence stolen goods, or find a place to hide out. He seemed nervous about the prospect but reluctantly assented. He recommended a few out-of-the-way places to lay low for a while, since the group were nervous about the wanted posters they'd seen around town.

Night in Viridistan

The party visited the burning-ghats, at the base of the great bridge. Priests of the fire-goddess Kale Kala with sooty orange robes conduct cremation rites there for a fee. Joe Spruce paid 40 silver each for Ted and Ned to be prepared, while Suba-Jin and Eric administered a warriors' last rites - the latter stumbling over the liturgy, as he had only learned it a few days prior.

From there, they took back streets to Seven Visions. It turned out to be a well-appointed, upscale whorehouse. Soft music, plush carpets and incense pervaded inside. The madame, an elegant Tharbrian named Zvezdana Ozi whose office was decorated with appalling pornographic paintings, said she could rent rooms & provide any entertainments desired - and was herself a sage, well-versed in many topics of inquiry. The gang laid their money down and got ready to enjoy themselves while hiding out!

Monsters Defeated:

14 feral beggars (70 xp)

2 knife-ghouls (142 xp)

12 knife-skeletons (156 xp)

1 glowing crystalline skeleton (350 xp)

Treasure: 

270 gold coins (divided during the session)

silver comb (650 sp)

scented lamp-oil (240 sp)

ancient amphorae of camphor oil (1440 sp)

old ritual headdresses (nobody seems interested in buying these)

Total - 388 sp each

Treasure Kept: 

hammered gold shield (Suba-Jin kept)

crystalline bones (still glowing faintly)

corpse's hair (detects as magical)

Shriwar the Slicer's ruby "heart"

Carousing:

Robert - girls 100 sp

Suba-Jin - carousing 270 sp

Eric - carousing 300 sp

Gorr - carousing 1000 sp

Joe Spruce - carousing/girls 400 sp

The results of carousing will be detailed next session.

EXPERIENCE TOTALS:

Party To-Do

-Suba-Jin reached 3rd level, Eric Withakay reached 4th. A few other characters are spitting distance of leveling as well. Gorr might be close to leveling, but I don't know how much XP he needs (Chris, please send me a chart).

-The first 3 people to contact me with the passphrase "Yredelemnul" will get 250 bonus xp. [Expired]

-For each encounter with undead, your character's sanity is affected. Many members of the group have accumulated 2 or 3 fear points by now.  Once your Fear equals your WIS score, you suffer a blow to your sanity.  These points are not easily removed: for 20 days (one Imperial month) spent in a calm, civilized setting without any danger or strenuous activity, you may remove 1 point.  How you manage this mechanic is up to you. 

[Setting] The Imperial Calendar

Balozkinar's Corrected Commoners' Calendar
(BCCC for short) has been adopted throughout the Empire.




It uses 5-day weeks and 20-day months.
The days of the week are: Airday, Waterday, Earthday, Fireday and Spiritday.

The months of the BCCC Calendar are:

Month	Day	Season Begins
Thawmist	1-20
Dewsnap	21-40	Spring
Flowerbloom	41-60
Sweetrain	61-80
Meadowlark	81-100
Longrass	101-120	Summer
Warmshade	121-140
Sunstrong	141-160
Thistleburn	161-180
Harvestime	181-200
Goodgrove	201-220	Fall
Blackmoon	221-240
Willowind	241-260
Redleaves	261-280
Maggotfeast	281-300	Winter
Coldrain	301-320
Shadowrath	321-340
Gloomfrost	341-360
Year's End	361-365\366

Because Year's End is a 5- or 6-day month, the days of the week are the same every year (ie. Thawmist 1 is an Airday, Coldrain 19 is a Fireday, etc)


Holy Days:

Every religion has its own holy days, and some have more than one. With 137 Imperial gods, at least a minor festival or celebration is happening somewhere in Viridistan every day. There are far too many to list!

History:

A small selection of notable events throughout the years:

4433 - Today

4431 - The Deepwater Rebellion - towns & cities around Trident Gulf revolted. Ruthlessly put down by Viridian troops (including some PCs if they were in the Legion - fighters, rangers, spies, etc)

4284 - The Great Slaughter of Pain - massacre of the Mycretian religion, Viridian garrison placed in the Holy Cities in the desert.

4283 - Hautulin Seheitt becomes the current Green Emperor

4105 - An Imperial army destroys a rebel host from the City-State of the Invincible Overlord

3075 - City-State of the Invincible Overlord founded

2400 - The Holy Cities achieve independence from Viridistan

120 - City of Valon founded

101 - Viridistan founded

0 - "Corrected" Creation Date adopted to harmonise various calendar systems. Not everyone agrees on this.

-8603 - Creation Date of many religions

Session 9 Downtime - Viridistan

Suba-Jin

Reports to the great Battle-Dome of Hextor on the Street of the Gods to make his devotions. The dark edifice looms over nearby buildings. It is surrounded by statues of warriors and adorned with stained-glass windows, friezes and murals featuring scenes of historic battles against goblins, elves, monsters and just about everyone else. The clanging of weapons, shouts of battle and cracking of whips ring out at all hours. He passes by Hextor's red-robed priests & soldiers, naked slaves, and the familiar if unnerving skeletal temple guardians to the sanctum of his superior Votgauum, a severe & scarred Viridian.

The clergy finds the mournful, ethereal scent from the Forest of Dreams a bit sensitive, but are pleased at Suba-Jin's diligence & piety for bringing treasure wrested from his enemies. Votgauum also suggests Suba-Jin consider choosing one of the "arms of Hextor" to become proficient with, and he selects the falchion. Votgauum presents him with one as a gift to the promising acolyte.

[Offerings of roughly this value are expected from crusading clerics such as yourself regularly. As you donate more, Hextor will favour you with other benefits: special one-use abilities, magical buffs, guidance, followers or even magic items.]

Votgauum also passes along a request: a seedy-looking pawnbroker in the Old City named Morthevole has asked the church for help, saying his shop was taken from him unlawfully. Suba-Jin found him staying at a bar in the Old City (a lower-class district against the northern city wall. Filled with crumbling tenements, narrow alleys and outlandish structures left by the city's original builders, whoever they were). "The White Egg" is a lousy dive bar on the Avenue of Power, in the shadow of the great aqueduct. It's only made tolerable by a few tough-looking serving girls who work the crowd for tips. The pawnbroker probably picked it because it isn't very busy.

Morthevole is a wienery-looking Antillian in once rich, but now shabby clothes. He looks scared shitless. He is evasive about questions. He says he didn't have dealings with "the things," but that they are so dangerous he fears returning to his shop. They came up from a hole in his basement, and there are at least six or seven he's seen - but he has heard the sounds of more. He wants this whole thing kept secret, and says if nobody finds out, you can keep any treasure you find. His shop is in a part of town called The Nest. It's a district of adobe & brick structures built on top of each other in layers upon layers, until it forms a 3-dimensional maze. Most of the neighbourhood never sees the sky at all. As you would expect it is populated with criminal gangs, scum, mutants & drug fiends. Morthevole can give you directions & the key to his store which is not too far inside, but doesn't know the district well other than that. 

["A hole in his basement" is significant. It is commonly believed that dungeons exist underneath the city. But everyone knows it is illegal to explore below, on pain of death.]

Lothos

Studies magical tomes. From The Starless Stars, Lothos is able to decipher several spells easily: charm person, allure, shocking grasp, jump, scare & arcane lock are added to his spellbook.

To decipher the encoded text of Obliteration Without Glory, Lothos locks himself in his tiny rented room in Otherside, poring over the ancient & forbidding tome for three days straight! At the end of the third day, his efforts bear mixed success. He has decoded one of the spells, but its magic is unusable to him - it requires a spellcaster devoted to the forces death! 

There are several more spells to be deciphered, and each attempt will take three days. There is no guarantee which ones will be usable by elves and magic-users, and which require a dedicated necromancer.

Vanished!!

When you are done resting and get ready for your next adventure, Lothos the Undesirable is nowhere to be found! The rooming-house where he stayed does not remember when he left. With him go the two aforementioned spellbooks, as well as the mysterious engraved staff lifted from Eralion's tomb, and the 'talking book' Pheldrazash.

His whereabouts are unknown. Amongst the indifferent masses of the Emerald City, a determined elf could hide for a long time. Perhaps you will see Lothos again, perhaps not. I am sure you can all guess what might have happened. Mike will need a new character for the time being.

Spotted Around Town

On the third day, you spot some parchment handbills posted around the city:

Unlocking New Character Classes

When player-characters die, this is my gift to you. Each unique death will unlock a new playable character class or sub-class. Lothos didn't exactly 'die' but was taken out of play, so it's close enough for this purpose. For being 'killed' by a magical effect, this class is now available to everyone:

"The Incantrix"

A dimensional guardian specializing in divinations, wards and metamagic. Viewed with suspicion by established magic-users for their dangerous spell-stealing ability.

Requirements: INT 9, WIS 12

Casts a mixture of Magic-User and Illusionist spells up to 7th level

17 INT to cast 6th level spells, 18 INT to cast 7th level spells

Special Abilities:

1st level - charge healing - Drain charges from magical devices to heal (2d4 hp per charge). This takes a full round and does not work on artifacts or items without charges. This can raise hp above max, but these phantom hp last for only 10 rounds.

2nd level - spell steal - The incantrix can steal a memorized spell from another spell caster. The spell to be stolen is determined at random and the incantrix knows nothing about the stolen spell. This special ability by-passes magic resistance and there is no saving throw. The stolen spell may be cast by the incantrix immediately or held for later use, and can be cast without any material components. When cast, the spell functions as if cast by the being it was stolen from (with regards to level). Any spell already in the process of being cast cannot be stolen. 

The incantrix can erase the spell from her mind and inscribe it on a scroll or in a book with the Write spell, though this does not allow her to use it if it is forbidden by her class. Only by such scribing can the stolen spell be identified. The incantrix may use this special ability 1/day at levels 2-4, 2/day at levels 5-6, 3/day at levels 7-8 and so on at a range of 10'/level. There is a small chance of spell-steal victims being mentally damaged in the process, especially after successive strikes.

3rd level and up - other abilities which help fight ethereal & undead creatures, etc.