We've made it through the mine. From best we can tell, it was a dwarven mine that encountered some serious, serious evil. The source of the evil was a demon called a Glabrazu. Of the beings we have fought on this journey, he was by far the hardest to kill. Even with my spike and a two key strikes, it still took us a very long time and in the course of the battle Tamlin fell.
After the battle, we could physically sense the oppressive evil permeating the mine retreat. We also discovered (before the battle commenced but at the site of the battle) the source of the dripping. There was a giant woman flayed and suspended from the ceiling. The dripping was her never-ending tears. After defeating the Glabrazu and his summoned others, Osbert went about freeing the giant. She now resides in the pool she created beneath her while suspended. We turned to our source text, the Knights of Mist Valley, and was able to identify her as a Krinosi. At one point there were four Krinosi and our very educated guess is that she was the "joyful" krinosi. While her demise was far from joyful, we all got the sense that after she was removed from the ceiling of the mine, she was resting and there was some sense of peace about her.
The treasure haul from this mine is epic. We have something close to 20 mithril bars not to mention the magic items. I am anxious to get back to Holm to have the Dark Blade reforged.
After resting and deciding the path forward, we decided to press on toward the Temple of Knox. Tonight we are resting in a forest village of lycanthropic elves and a fey. Its not the best place to sleep but its not the worst.
Also, last night I was approached by a red cap in my sleep. Its not surprising but still unsettling. We've known they were watching us and are going about their business for them. In some way. I'm not too concerned about that...right now.
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Khalo's Journal: Royal Blood
Once, in my early days, I was traveling with Ashanto and Blinet, and we came to a fork in the road. There was some quibbling over which direction to go - Ashanto wished to go to the right, where the terrain seemed well-traveled, and there were signs and trail markers. I desired to explore the more rugged path. Blinet, in what passed for wisdom on his part, expressed no particular preference, summarizing each option as "a choice between stories." He finally conceded that while going my way would make for a more exciting tale, Ashanto's way was the more comfortable option.
As we have embarked under the mountain on our way out west, I find myself unsure as to which of the choices we've made would have been the more interesting story. Certainly, the way we chose was fraught with challenges, and it is probably the most sensible direction for us to have taken. I am not sure that the talents of our retinue are well-suited to making friends with wyvern-riding lizard men. And, to be sure, had we not chosen the path we are on now, we would not have made the discovery that I, Khalo Kavorath, am a dwarf of noble blood.
Whatever that means - I am not sure that "noble" is the right word to describe the family who abandoned me - the distant, unknowable Clan Foambeard - but by virtue of their genetic makeup, I was able to pass through to the guarded room behind the lair of the demon our group heroically slew. And therefore, I was able to collect a treasure which I see as a reward for our efforts. I am not sure how much of it I can actually enjoy, but I have resigned myself to the fact that my path restricts me from utilizing such earthly goods, particularly the metals my people are so fond of drawing from the rock and manipulating.
I am taking to rest now, because the combination of the battle, the pit trap, and the efforts of withdrawing the treasures have left me quite weary, and I need to rise fresh so that I may invite Tamlin back to the mortal realm. He was slain fighting the demon. If he feels he has earned his rest, so be it, but I think he may have unfinished business in the land of the living. For my part, I confess to being excited to perform the ritual of reincarnation. I saw Ozgander perform it once, and I paid close attention. I have finally matured to the point where I know I am ready to undertake it on my own. In this way, I know the blood and matter I am made of is special moreso than what any steel guardians may surmise.
Entry concluded.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Soromir's Journal Entry #29
After making it through the valley that is a mass grave from the Gods-Slayer War, we began our trek up the mountain pass. In the distance we spotted some wiverns and were approached by a wivern and its rider. The rider was covered in scales, and it looked almost dragon-like. The rider was also dumb as hell. He considered us an invader but didn't attack. Also, his kind didn't know the dome had fallen and seemed inclined to remain in the ignorance that the dome HADN'T fallen.
Close to where we encountered the dragon-man the mountain path forked; one path led up and toward the wiverns and dragon people and the other path led down and into a mine. We chose the mine. As we came to the entrance to the mine, the arch of the mine entrance had ancient dwarven script etched in. While I couldn't interpret it, I knew that it was dwarven.
As we ventured into the mine, it quickly became obvious that the darkness in this mine wasn't natural. Where we would normally get ample light from torches and light spells, the luminesence had been reduced to about 15'. Khalo's dark vision was also failing him. as with most tunnels and mines we've encountered so far, there were various rooms off the main tunnel shaft. One room that Khalo and Tamlin went into was strewn and the floor covered with very, very old clothing from women and girls. I will assume these were dwarven women and girls. Oddly though, there were no skeletons or corpses to be found in this room. It looked as though the people had just disappeared.
The room opposite, Zane and I went into. This room was rather plain except for what appeared to be some odd looking water moving at the back edge of the room. Looking back on it, the skittering and clacking sound I heard should have been enough to tell me it wasn't water. Zane stuck his short sword in and was immediately set upon by a flesh-eating beetle. The beetle attacked in such a way that it looked like it was peeling away the flesh on Zane's arm. We beat it off and then fled the room as it looked like the beetles were massing and coming for us. We told Khalo this and he stone-shaped the entrance to that room and probably saved our lives in doing so.
At some point, I'm not sure when (after the encounter or before, more on the encounter will be described below) we came to a larger a room and from the ceiling we could see what appeared to be flat cages with piles of something below them. We were able to see what was in the cages. Dwarves had been hung upside down in the cages, and flayed (likely alive). The piles below each cage was their skin.
Sufficiently creeped the fuck out but not enough to inspire us to turn tail and run, we move forward through the room. As we exit the room, we notice a black flame approaching us. This would be the start of the encounter I referenced above. It's a black flame because I have no other way to describe it; a black flame that gives off a purple light. As it got closer, the flame was on a white candle. And it was being held by an undead dwarf male. The undead dwarf male had a look of sheer agony and torture on its face and it was also dragging six corpses behind it. The corpses were being dragged via rope tied to I-bolts that had been sunk into the body of the undead dwarf. Luckily those corpses were lifeless. However, I can't help but assume that the corpses being dragged were the corpses of the dwarf's family. We battled the corpse and defeated it but not before being attacked by the missles that were the family, lobbed by the dead dwarf. The dwarf dropped the candle when it died again, but the candle didn't go out. After some thought, we were able to identify it as a "Candle of Darkness" and after some further consideration, we determined that Osbert would be familiar in how these candles are made.
Interestingly enough, our two fearless friends, Osbert and Orrenthal, decided to wait outside the mine discussing the merits of who gives a fuck while Khalo, Zane, Tamlin, Norris, and I pursued glory.
I hope there is some mithril in this mine.
Close to where we encountered the dragon-man the mountain path forked; one path led up and toward the wiverns and dragon people and the other path led down and into a mine. We chose the mine. As we came to the entrance to the mine, the arch of the mine entrance had ancient dwarven script etched in. While I couldn't interpret it, I knew that it was dwarven.
As we ventured into the mine, it quickly became obvious that the darkness in this mine wasn't natural. Where we would normally get ample light from torches and light spells, the luminesence had been reduced to about 15'. Khalo's dark vision was also failing him. as with most tunnels and mines we've encountered so far, there were various rooms off the main tunnel shaft. One room that Khalo and Tamlin went into was strewn and the floor covered with very, very old clothing from women and girls. I will assume these were dwarven women and girls. Oddly though, there were no skeletons or corpses to be found in this room. It looked as though the people had just disappeared.
The room opposite, Zane and I went into. This room was rather plain except for what appeared to be some odd looking water moving at the back edge of the room. Looking back on it, the skittering and clacking sound I heard should have been enough to tell me it wasn't water. Zane stuck his short sword in and was immediately set upon by a flesh-eating beetle. The beetle attacked in such a way that it looked like it was peeling away the flesh on Zane's arm. We beat it off and then fled the room as it looked like the beetles were massing and coming for us. We told Khalo this and he stone-shaped the entrance to that room and probably saved our lives in doing so.
At some point, I'm not sure when (after the encounter or before, more on the encounter will be described below) we came to a larger a room and from the ceiling we could see what appeared to be flat cages with piles of something below them. We were able to see what was in the cages. Dwarves had been hung upside down in the cages, and flayed (likely alive). The piles below each cage was their skin.
Sufficiently creeped the fuck out but not enough to inspire us to turn tail and run, we move forward through the room. As we exit the room, we notice a black flame approaching us. This would be the start of the encounter I referenced above. It's a black flame because I have no other way to describe it; a black flame that gives off a purple light. As it got closer, the flame was on a white candle. And it was being held by an undead dwarf male. The undead dwarf male had a look of sheer agony and torture on its face and it was also dragging six corpses behind it. The corpses were being dragged via rope tied to I-bolts that had been sunk into the body of the undead dwarf. Luckily those corpses were lifeless. However, I can't help but assume that the corpses being dragged were the corpses of the dwarf's family. We battled the corpse and defeated it but not before being attacked by the missles that were the family, lobbed by the dead dwarf. The dwarf dropped the candle when it died again, but the candle didn't go out. After some thought, we were able to identify it as a "Candle of Darkness" and after some further consideration, we determined that Osbert would be familiar in how these candles are made.
Interestingly enough, our two fearless friends, Osbert and Orrenthal, decided to wait outside the mine discussing the merits of who gives a fuck while Khalo, Zane, Tamlin, Norris, and I pursued glory.
I hope there is some mithril in this mine.
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Khalo's Journal: West Side Story
Since I last set pen to paper in this book, I have eaten two people. The first time could be chalked up to an occupational hazard. The second time, I had worked up a hippogriff-sized appetite.
We dispatched the deserters, received our reward, and then moved on to more personal pursuits. We decided we should track down the wizard Nordo, and which led us to Abernathy, which led us to the belief that Nordo had set out to the west of the ruins of Norhall in search of something related to Yallathune. Our group decided to follow.
Outside of town, we were beset by bandits. Their mistake.
Seeing the city from the outside of town was revealing. At the far west end, we found ruins that seemed to come from a great battle. Later, we saw the tree - and while camping in view of it, Orenthal was subject to a spiritual encounter with the god of death. Unfortunately for us, this encounter went from spiritual to material quickly. However, because we saw them coming, I was able to prepare in a way I had not before. These preparations made Mome Rath a particularly formidable foe. It was hard to argue with the results, though I do not wish to fall into a rut with our combat style - my preference is to keep our enemies on their toes.
There were wights, skeleton giants, and spectres, but our fighting was focused mainly on ghouls, who were the first wave. They slew two enhanced dire wolves I summoned to our aid; though they are but returned to their home plane, I lament their loss regardless. There were many ghouls, but our strategy prevented our losses from being too dear, while they were destroyed utterly.
In this midst of this fighting, the spectres came and took hold of Orenthal, taking him we knew not where - they evaporated with him when they made contact.
When the ghouls had been defeated, the remaining forces began to chant, and an ancient structure emerged from the ground. Before the chanting was complete, though, a massive being stepped forth to call an end to their machinations. He was - well, for lack of a better word, maimed. He was missing limbs, and had been repatched with inorganic materials.
He strode forward, and chastised Nerull, who materialized. They argued out of earshot, and then the army of undead retreated, and we were given a jar. Inside was a figurine of Orenthal, and our limited arcane knowledge (without him) revealed to us that there would be a way to bring our flesh and blood compatriot back, though we could not suss out how in the moment.
The Maimed One (in whose presence we were in awe, Soromir most of all), bid us enter the building, and bade us be respectful inside. We went in, and discovered a tomb and a ghost keeping watch. The ghost introduced himself as a former cleric of Frumious, whose resting place this was. In that moment, we understood the Maimed One's objections to Nerull's actions, for it seems he had intended to raise the body of this slain god to use for his own purposes.
The ghost told us the story of the war between the god-king of the giants and the civilized world, which included a breach of this realm and the introduction of the eye tyrants and Yallathune to this world. He also chronicled the gods Frumious, Feador, and Bajol taking the field to fight, and the god-king luring the gods to a magical relic which rendered them mortal, then killing two of three and severely wounding the others in a great blast. Soon after, the mortal form of the ghost was killed by a falling gargoyle, and so ends his memories, and his ability to provide us with new information. Oh, and he told us of the Gnome of Gnomewood, the Isle Librarian, and Blackbriar fighting together on the same side. This action seemed so unusual to our ears, we resolved to seek out Blackbriar - he's the one we had prior contact with, anyway - for him to illuminate us.
Entry concluded.
We dispatched the deserters, received our reward, and then moved on to more personal pursuits. We decided we should track down the wizard Nordo, and which led us to Abernathy, which led us to the belief that Nordo had set out to the west of the ruins of Norhall in search of something related to Yallathune. Our group decided to follow.
Outside of town, we were beset by bandits. Their mistake.
Seeing the city from the outside of town was revealing. At the far west end, we found ruins that seemed to come from a great battle. Later, we saw the tree - and while camping in view of it, Orenthal was subject to a spiritual encounter with the god of death. Unfortunately for us, this encounter went from spiritual to material quickly. However, because we saw them coming, I was able to prepare in a way I had not before. These preparations made Mome Rath a particularly formidable foe. It was hard to argue with the results, though I do not wish to fall into a rut with our combat style - my preference is to keep our enemies on their toes.
There were wights, skeleton giants, and spectres, but our fighting was focused mainly on ghouls, who were the first wave. They slew two enhanced dire wolves I summoned to our aid; though they are but returned to their home plane, I lament their loss regardless. There were many ghouls, but our strategy prevented our losses from being too dear, while they were destroyed utterly.
In this midst of this fighting, the spectres came and took hold of Orenthal, taking him we knew not where - they evaporated with him when they made contact.
When the ghouls had been defeated, the remaining forces began to chant, and an ancient structure emerged from the ground. Before the chanting was complete, though, a massive being stepped forth to call an end to their machinations. He was - well, for lack of a better word, maimed. He was missing limbs, and had been repatched with inorganic materials.
He strode forward, and chastised Nerull, who materialized. They argued out of earshot, and then the army of undead retreated, and we were given a jar. Inside was a figurine of Orenthal, and our limited arcane knowledge (without him) revealed to us that there would be a way to bring our flesh and blood compatriot back, though we could not suss out how in the moment.
The Maimed One (in whose presence we were in awe, Soromir most of all), bid us enter the building, and bade us be respectful inside. We went in, and discovered a tomb and a ghost keeping watch. The ghost introduced himself as a former cleric of Frumious, whose resting place this was. In that moment, we understood the Maimed One's objections to Nerull's actions, for it seems he had intended to raise the body of this slain god to use for his own purposes.
The ghost told us the story of the war between the god-king of the giants and the civilized world, which included a breach of this realm and the introduction of the eye tyrants and Yallathune to this world. He also chronicled the gods Frumious, Feador, and Bajol taking the field to fight, and the god-king luring the gods to a magical relic which rendered them mortal, then killing two of three and severely wounding the others in a great blast. Soon after, the mortal form of the ghost was killed by a falling gargoyle, and so ends his memories, and his ability to provide us with new information. Oh, and he told us of the Gnome of Gnomewood, the Isle Librarian, and Blackbriar fighting together on the same side. This action seemed so unusual to our ears, we resolved to seek out Blackbriar - he's the one we had prior contact with, anyway - for him to illuminate us.
Entry concluded.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Soromir's Journal Entry #28
I do try to be a "good" person in my own way. However last night after a night out, 12 beers in I believe, I had a vision. I was in a motorized carriage being commanded by Nerul. This was some scary shit. So now read this journal: I, Soromir Thoroughgash do solemnly swear to amend my ways: My drink intake per night will be limited to six beers an evening, provided that more is not required. I do not want to take another ride with Nerul.
We've now moved out into the plains on our way to the Temple of Nox. On the way there we were attacked by bandits. They didn't pose any real threat, just more annoying than anything else. This will be a hard slough.
Nemnock also told us that about four miles into the city, there is a stronghold of Yallathun. It's clear now that Yallathun is more important than originally alluded due by the demon doll.
In closing: cheers to moderated sobriety.
We've now moved out into the plains on our way to the Temple of Nox. On the way there we were attacked by bandits. They didn't pose any real threat, just more annoying than anything else. This will be a hard slough.
Nemnock also told us that about four miles into the city, there is a stronghold of Yallathun. It's clear now that Yallathun is more important than originally alluded due by the demon doll.
In closing: cheers to moderated sobriety.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Soromir's Journal Entry #27
Nordo has been a subject of interest for some time now. A key milestone in our interaction with Nordo was his "un-stoning" me after our fight with the Beholder. Nordo has a keen interest in our past with Jerricho. Seems like Nordo and Jerricho are both well-matched casters.
With the background out of the way I can now focus on the important bits about Nordo. Nemnock and the 50 Gnomes think that Nordo is one of the "Endless". Harvest Wraith is also one of the "Endless". Its unclear if the Endless have mal-intent or if they are in fact just immortal and like to play games with the mortal. They are dicks, nonetheless. Nemnock think's Nordo's real name is Nordaghast.
As of this writing, no one has seen hide nor hair of Nordo for about two or three days. He was last seen talking with a local drunk named Abernathy (more on him to follow).
So we tracked down Abernathy and inquired about Nordo. Abernathy was a font of information. Like us, Abernathy has a strong interest in the God-Slayer War and this is what brought him to the Domelands with the first settlement group. Abernathy is an archaeologist by trade and when he came to the Domelands, he explored the western ends of the area, just outside the western edge of the Dome. There, at the western end of the area, he found a Temple to Nox (i'm not sure who that is but it doesn't sound "friendly"). In that temple he found a large sarcophagus with "Yallathun" written on it. Yes, that's right boys and girls. Yallathun. So being a good archaeologist, Abernathy opened it. And there was an earthquake. And the Dome fell. So in a very literal sense, Yallathun is "behind" this. He escaped as a humanoid with tentacles took after him and his crew. Abernathy doesn't know where Yallathun took too after his release.
So now I hope we get to explore that temple.
And I need remember to do some more digging on who Nordoghast is.
With the background out of the way I can now focus on the important bits about Nordo. Nemnock and the 50 Gnomes think that Nordo is one of the "Endless". Harvest Wraith is also one of the "Endless". Its unclear if the Endless have mal-intent or if they are in fact just immortal and like to play games with the mortal. They are dicks, nonetheless. Nemnock think's Nordo's real name is Nordaghast.
As of this writing, no one has seen hide nor hair of Nordo for about two or three days. He was last seen talking with a local drunk named Abernathy (more on him to follow).
So we tracked down Abernathy and inquired about Nordo. Abernathy was a font of information. Like us, Abernathy has a strong interest in the God-Slayer War and this is what brought him to the Domelands with the first settlement group. Abernathy is an archaeologist by trade and when he came to the Domelands, he explored the western ends of the area, just outside the western edge of the Dome. There, at the western end of the area, he found a Temple to Nox (i'm not sure who that is but it doesn't sound "friendly"). In that temple he found a large sarcophagus with "Yallathun" written on it. Yes, that's right boys and girls. Yallathun. So being a good archaeologist, Abernathy opened it. And there was an earthquake. And the Dome fell. So in a very literal sense, Yallathun is "behind" this. He escaped as a humanoid with tentacles took after him and his crew. Abernathy doesn't know where Yallathun took too after his release.
So now I hope we get to explore that temple.
And I need remember to do some more digging on who Nordoghast is.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Soromir's Journal Entry #26
It's not for me to judge the actions of others or even to attempt to rationalize their actions. So let me open with a question: If you're going to go AWOL, why stop at the closest island in the bay from your command post? That seems really stupid. And these guys were stupid. There were a few guys that threw some magic at us but by and large, the group of deserting soldiers really didn't know what they had in store for them.
In some ways you almost feel bad for them. Bumpkins that were duped into this notion of escape only to stop at the closest island and think they could hold out. Really, I blame their captain and the officers for getting them into this mess. One can always claim to be "just following orders" and I generally object one's readiness to forfeit their personal accountability. However, when you don't know any better and the odds facing you in the other direction are bleak, I get why you might choose this path. Regardless, the moment they decided to desert their fate was sealed. So you're better off dying fighting for the recapturing of the Domelands than to be yet another mission of conquest in the saga that is the "Recapturing of the Domelands." Morons.
Overall, not much to say about the combat itself. It was pretty standard fair. The soldiers never stood a chance. And they faced some pretty high-end magic being thrown at them. The wetwork was hack and slash and the poor saps could barely land a hit.
A note on tactics: divide and conquer worked well here. However, we should try to really focus more on the high-level casters as a group and then focus on the grunts.
I used the hexblade's curse again and it worked.
Later.
In some ways you almost feel bad for them. Bumpkins that were duped into this notion of escape only to stop at the closest island and think they could hold out. Really, I blame their captain and the officers for getting them into this mess. One can always claim to be "just following orders" and I generally object one's readiness to forfeit their personal accountability. However, when you don't know any better and the odds facing you in the other direction are bleak, I get why you might choose this path. Regardless, the moment they decided to desert their fate was sealed. So you're better off dying fighting for the recapturing of the Domelands than to be yet another mission of conquest in the saga that is the "Recapturing of the Domelands." Morons.
Overall, not much to say about the combat itself. It was pretty standard fair. The soldiers never stood a chance. And they faced some pretty high-end magic being thrown at them. The wetwork was hack and slash and the poor saps could barely land a hit.
A note on tactics: divide and conquer worked well here. However, we should try to really focus more on the high-level casters as a group and then focus on the grunts.
I used the hexblade's curse again and it worked.
Later.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Khalo's Journal: Here There Beholders (and Dragons, Too)
We have embarked on a couple of missions now into the part of the city still occupied by monsters. In doing so, we have learned a few things - for instance, that the dragons (and their ilk) appear to be organized, at least loosely - making patrols, and working with some sort of undead cadre. We need to learn more about that.
According to the beholder we met, they (the beholders) are largely unaware that the dome has been lifted, and should they find out, it could mean trouble for the rest of the world, as they were in the midst of an invasion that our interlocutor believed they are eager to resume. To that, I say "perhaps" - a great deal can change in 800 years. Note to self - see what you can find out about the natural life expectancy of beholders.
We killed the beast to prevent him spreading the news to his fellows. In the course of the fight, Soromir was turned to stone, and so we traded our information at the liason's office in exchange for his restoration. The magic was provided by a wizard in service to The Condor, a human called Nordo whom Nimnock claims is an agricultural savant. I would be interested in talking to him further, to find out if his methods are sustainable.
While we were with Nimnock, he alerted us to a job that needed doing, and set us up with the military officer who wished to see it done. I found it best for my temperament to stay removed from the conversation, and as such, I do not recall his name. Of the mission - a group of soldiers deserted their duty and took up residence in a keep on a nearby island. For the sake of morale, the Condor's army needs to see these men executed for their crime, and the officer who gave us the job thinks it is best done not by the hands of their fellow soldiers, but by mercenaries, which our acceptance of this task so makes us.
Osbert has objections, but he has chosen to accompany us all the same. I am less interested in the laws of the Condor and his army, but am certainly willing to reduce the invasive population. They brought along some spell casters - a wizard, and a cleric, which is wise on their part. As I write this, I have just returned from a scouting mission to the island, where my disguise as a bird was detected by the deserters resident bird behavior expert. I remain convinced of the verisimilitude of my performance.
Entry concluded.
According to the beholder we met, they (the beholders) are largely unaware that the dome has been lifted, and should they find out, it could mean trouble for the rest of the world, as they were in the midst of an invasion that our interlocutor believed they are eager to resume. To that, I say "perhaps" - a great deal can change in 800 years. Note to self - see what you can find out about the natural life expectancy of beholders.
We killed the beast to prevent him spreading the news to his fellows. In the course of the fight, Soromir was turned to stone, and so we traded our information at the liason's office in exchange for his restoration. The magic was provided by a wizard in service to The Condor, a human called Nordo whom Nimnock claims is an agricultural savant. I would be interested in talking to him further, to find out if his methods are sustainable.
While we were with Nimnock, he alerted us to a job that needed doing, and set us up with the military officer who wished to see it done. I found it best for my temperament to stay removed from the conversation, and as such, I do not recall his name. Of the mission - a group of soldiers deserted their duty and took up residence in a keep on a nearby island. For the sake of morale, the Condor's army needs to see these men executed for their crime, and the officer who gave us the job thinks it is best done not by the hands of their fellow soldiers, but by mercenaries, which our acceptance of this task so makes us.
Osbert has objections, but he has chosen to accompany us all the same. I am less interested in the laws of the Condor and his army, but am certainly willing to reduce the invasive population. They brought along some spell casters - a wizard, and a cleric, which is wise on their part. As I write this, I have just returned from a scouting mission to the island, where my disguise as a bird was detected by the deserters resident bird behavior expert. I remain convinced of the verisimilitude of my performance.
Entry concluded.
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Khalo's Journal: First Impressions of the Domelands
The more Bornos has become a memory, I find I am feeling more of myself again.
The team encountered another member of the Fiftygnomes, named Douglas. He is an off-worlder, gathering intelligence in this realm. He was being hunted by a tiger man with backwards hands. We slew the tiger man.
As we made our way closer to the Domelands, a few occurrences and encounters of note:
We were followed by members of the Topaz Syndicate. They attempted to harass us, but we showed them what's what. They were out of their element now, and we were into ours.
The Yallathune cultist wagon was attacked, and its inhabitants were killed. We inherited the wagon. The style isn't to my taste, but at least the wagon is covered.
A troll stopped the wagon train to demand a toll. A bit cliche, sure, but from the meeting, we learned that some of the Domelands natives are growing hostile to the increasing number of explorers, settlers, and soldiers brought over to these lands by the Condor. I must admit I sympathize with their plight somewhat.
I learned about two different packs of direwolves that call these lands home. One of these packs has an unnatural aspect to them, and my worldview calls me to see them destroyed. Hopefully this will lift the stigma on direwolves in general, as they are noble, natural creatures and have rights to these lands.
Here in the Domelands, ruins and remains suggest that in earlier times, many of the inhabitants of this area were followers of Frumious the Shepherd (so named by me based on my reading of the Knights of Mist Valley texts).
The Condor did not send for his children. This means that we accompanied them kind of for nothing - other than the thickening of the plot and my growing distrust of Jericho. My compatriots' treatment of him in a favorable to neutral manner continues to be a source of concern to me. Continued association with him strikes me as unwise.
We have started to get to know the city a bit. There's a section with tight military control, and a bigger section that is not as under control. The Condor's policy is to tame it through the entrepreneurial spirit of the settlers and adventurers. So far, this policy hasn't ended in catastrophe. I should list the shopkeeps we are getting to know, but my memory for names is less than stellar. A weapon smith and his gnomish friend make magical weapons and armor - Holm, I think his name is? A kind halfling woman sells potions. A tiresome human man sells scrolls and wands. There's a tailor who makes wearables. There's a dealer in items of wonder and power. I will rely on my friends who recall these things better than I do.
I remember Nimnock, though - he's another member of the Fiftygnomes, and he works for the Condor in the Office of the Liason. A good source of information. I'll expand upon him in another entry.
Lito is dead. We went out on a mission for Jericho, which yielded valuable information in spite of the questionable motivations for going out in the first place, and the pitiable result. This mission is where we discovered a cemetery for followers of Frumious, and where we received elixirs that improved our acuity. For me, the elixir boosted my capacity for and desire to learn, and increased my curiosity. I am eager, and a little nervous (which is something I don't recall being in some time) to discover how this augmentation will impact my personality.
Lito's death came upon his discovery that Vas Ra, his primary motivation for adventuring, was within the laboratory we were exploring for Jericho. Unfortunately, this Vas Ra is not a creature of good. He is at least a vampire, and according to some we have spoken to, a figure of great legend and dread. His full name was revealed to us when we found his tomb - Harvas Raeth.
Finally, a couple of thoughts about the city - I am distressed at the rapid deforestation that is occurring at the city wall. The soldiers claim it is for defense. I can see the wisdom in that, but I do not think the defense of the city justifies the level of wanton habitat destruction I have seen. I plan to do something about this.
The "wild" sections of the city's ruins are infested with creatures such as dragons and beholders. I have no particular enmity for dragons, but the concentration I'm seeing suggests that thinning out their numbers, particularly the hostile ones, might not be a bad thing. Beholders are not creatures I deem to be of value, so we should endeavor to eradicate them. I look forward to the challenge.
Entry concluded.
The team encountered another member of the Fiftygnomes, named Douglas. He is an off-worlder, gathering intelligence in this realm. He was being hunted by a tiger man with backwards hands. We slew the tiger man.
As we made our way closer to the Domelands, a few occurrences and encounters of note:
We were followed by members of the Topaz Syndicate. They attempted to harass us, but we showed them what's what. They were out of their element now, and we were into ours.
The Yallathune cultist wagon was attacked, and its inhabitants were killed. We inherited the wagon. The style isn't to my taste, but at least the wagon is covered.
A troll stopped the wagon train to demand a toll. A bit cliche, sure, but from the meeting, we learned that some of the Domelands natives are growing hostile to the increasing number of explorers, settlers, and soldiers brought over to these lands by the Condor. I must admit I sympathize with their plight somewhat.
I learned about two different packs of direwolves that call these lands home. One of these packs has an unnatural aspect to them, and my worldview calls me to see them destroyed. Hopefully this will lift the stigma on direwolves in general, as they are noble, natural creatures and have rights to these lands.
Here in the Domelands, ruins and remains suggest that in earlier times, many of the inhabitants of this area were followers of Frumious the Shepherd (so named by me based on my reading of the Knights of Mist Valley texts).
The Condor did not send for his children. This means that we accompanied them kind of for nothing - other than the thickening of the plot and my growing distrust of Jericho. My compatriots' treatment of him in a favorable to neutral manner continues to be a source of concern to me. Continued association with him strikes me as unwise.
We have started to get to know the city a bit. There's a section with tight military control, and a bigger section that is not as under control. The Condor's policy is to tame it through the entrepreneurial spirit of the settlers and adventurers. So far, this policy hasn't ended in catastrophe. I should list the shopkeeps we are getting to know, but my memory for names is less than stellar. A weapon smith and his gnomish friend make magical weapons and armor - Holm, I think his name is? A kind halfling woman sells potions. A tiresome human man sells scrolls and wands. There's a tailor who makes wearables. There's a dealer in items of wonder and power. I will rely on my friends who recall these things better than I do.
I remember Nimnock, though - he's another member of the Fiftygnomes, and he works for the Condor in the Office of the Liason. A good source of information. I'll expand upon him in another entry.
Lito is dead. We went out on a mission for Jericho, which yielded valuable information in spite of the questionable motivations for going out in the first place, and the pitiable result. This mission is where we discovered a cemetery for followers of Frumious, and where we received elixirs that improved our acuity. For me, the elixir boosted my capacity for and desire to learn, and increased my curiosity. I am eager, and a little nervous (which is something I don't recall being in some time) to discover how this augmentation will impact my personality.
Lito's death came upon his discovery that Vas Ra, his primary motivation for adventuring, was within the laboratory we were exploring for Jericho. Unfortunately, this Vas Ra is not a creature of good. He is at least a vampire, and according to some we have spoken to, a figure of great legend and dread. His full name was revealed to us when we found his tomb - Harvas Raeth.
Finally, a couple of thoughts about the city - I am distressed at the rapid deforestation that is occurring at the city wall. The soldiers claim it is for defense. I can see the wisdom in that, but I do not think the defense of the city justifies the level of wanton habitat destruction I have seen. I plan to do something about this.
The "wild" sections of the city's ruins are infested with creatures such as dragons and beholders. I have no particular enmity for dragons, but the concentration I'm seeing suggests that thinning out their numbers, particularly the hostile ones, might not be a bad thing. Beholders are not creatures I deem to be of value, so we should endeavor to eradicate them. I look forward to the challenge.
Entry concluded.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Soromir's Journal Entry # 25
Finally fought a dragon. I kicked its ass then it kicked mine. Real hard. It was a black dragon that did acid damage. We haven't checked for any treasure yet but there is probably a ton. 40,000 here we come.
We came across the dragon as we were making our way toward the center of the city. As it turns out there isn't nearly as much of Norhall that's been reclaimed as originally fought. Nem-Nock at the Liason's office gave us the details on a couple of tasks, the first being the retaking of the mithril mines and the second being the Palace (which we are currently working our way toward). We fought the dragon on the way to the Palace and Nem-Nock did tell us that things get more dangerous the further into the city we go. Safe to assume the Palace is the most dangerous part of the City.
Jerricho laid some startling news on us: The Beholder Dominion is in the city and very close to the settled portions of the city. Jerricho came across a "half-dead and desicated beholder" about 1/3 of a mile from where we call home. There is suspicion that the Dome was put over the Domelands to contain the Beholders in the area. Welp, the dome has fallen and we are here. So the Beholders are going to be here and in force most likely.
Jerricho also speculated that there is a Hawk under magical control in Bornos that had the idea of shipping the Condor's kids to Norhall. Alvin will address that situation when he returns to Bornos.
Alvin is also going back to Bornos to address the above but more importantly to bring back more troops. Alvin informed us that the reclamation of the Domelands is at a standstill and the reclamation is becoming a military operation, holding on to what the Condor has already taken. The additional troops from Bornos will help with whatever strategy is chosen.
Its getting serious here.
In closing, when I have the Dark Blade reforged, I'm going to call it "Steve."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhksrIKkqtw
We came across the dragon as we were making our way toward the center of the city. As it turns out there isn't nearly as much of Norhall that's been reclaimed as originally fought. Nem-Nock at the Liason's office gave us the details on a couple of tasks, the first being the retaking of the mithril mines and the second being the Palace (which we are currently working our way toward). We fought the dragon on the way to the Palace and Nem-Nock did tell us that things get more dangerous the further into the city we go. Safe to assume the Palace is the most dangerous part of the City.
Jerricho laid some startling news on us: The Beholder Dominion is in the city and very close to the settled portions of the city. Jerricho came across a "half-dead and desicated beholder" about 1/3 of a mile from where we call home. There is suspicion that the Dome was put over the Domelands to contain the Beholders in the area. Welp, the dome has fallen and we are here. So the Beholders are going to be here and in force most likely.
Jerricho also speculated that there is a Hawk under magical control in Bornos that had the idea of shipping the Condor's kids to Norhall. Alvin will address that situation when he returns to Bornos.
Alvin is also going back to Bornos to address the above but more importantly to bring back more troops. Alvin informed us that the reclamation of the Domelands is at a standstill and the reclamation is becoming a military operation, holding on to what the Condor has already taken. The additional troops from Bornos will help with whatever strategy is chosen.
Its getting serious here.
In closing, when I have the Dark Blade reforged, I'm going to call it "Steve."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhksrIKkqtw
Friday, February 8, 2019
Soromir's Journal - It's been a hot minute
So, how's it going. There has been a lot going on lately and I regret that I haven't had the time to spend with you that I normally would. So, let me give you a run down of what's happening in the world of Soromir right now:
1. So right before we departed for the Domelands, I discovered that I'm a ruidmentary sorcerer. I can't do much, but what I can do is pretty powerful. A target's uncontrolled laughter could make a scrap easier. And Bull Strength on myself never hurts.
2. We are almost to the Domelands. We can see what I think to be Norhall in the distance.
3. Shortly before departing Bornos, we more or less cleared Night's Reach. We took care of the prime target well before we actually left the tower. Lots going on there. We found someone named Elicor, who was/is a key Protagonist in the Knights of Mist Valley. He knows Bajol. We failed to ask Elicor how Bajol became maimed.
4. Not sure if I mentioned this previously but Night's Reach was used as an outpost for the Giant's in the Godslayer War. So what happened as we were exiting Night's Reach is apropos...
5. We killed this shit out of two frost giants. Not before we got a ton of information though. Something along these lines: Norhall (see above) is thought to be the "resting" place of the God King of the Giants. Some Giant big-wig (pun intended) named Strom is cooridnating the assembly of the Giants and someone named the High Wizard or some such nonesense is assembling the "Host" which will be all things Giant-like (bugs and dragons included).
6. The Dominion of the Beholder is still in play though to what extent remains to be seen. They will probably be at Norhall in some fashion too.
7. Argoth, King of Hell, loves chaos. Orrenthal talked to his dolly and learned as much. Also that Argoth, not Yallathun, is really the cause of the trouble. So he says.
8. Jerricho has taken care of the little mindflayer girl and her retinue. We now have two wagons - one normal looking and one looking like a hearse that we are using on the final leg of the Journey.
9. We crossed a frozen lake and at the other end was a giant statue called "Fromm's Rest." People in the party think this is important. The statue is missing it's head and hands.
I will try to be better about spending time with you but since we are almost to Norhall and it really looks like things are about get even wilder...you get it.
I'm still not sure why people don't like Jerricho. Dude is powerful and helpful. We couldn't kill that mindflayer toddler. He did. So there.
1. So right before we departed for the Domelands, I discovered that I'm a ruidmentary sorcerer. I can't do much, but what I can do is pretty powerful. A target's uncontrolled laughter could make a scrap easier. And Bull Strength on myself never hurts.
2. We are almost to the Domelands. We can see what I think to be Norhall in the distance.
3. Shortly before departing Bornos, we more or less cleared Night's Reach. We took care of the prime target well before we actually left the tower. Lots going on there. We found someone named Elicor, who was/is a key Protagonist in the Knights of Mist Valley. He knows Bajol. We failed to ask Elicor how Bajol became maimed.
4. Not sure if I mentioned this previously but Night's Reach was used as an outpost for the Giant's in the Godslayer War. So what happened as we were exiting Night's Reach is apropos...
5. We killed this shit out of two frost giants. Not before we got a ton of information though. Something along these lines: Norhall (see above) is thought to be the "resting" place of the God King of the Giants. Some Giant big-wig (pun intended) named Strom is cooridnating the assembly of the Giants and someone named the High Wizard or some such nonesense is assembling the "Host" which will be all things Giant-like (bugs and dragons included).
6. The Dominion of the Beholder is still in play though to what extent remains to be seen. They will probably be at Norhall in some fashion too.
7. Argoth, King of Hell, loves chaos. Orrenthal talked to his dolly and learned as much. Also that Argoth, not Yallathun, is really the cause of the trouble. So he says.
8. Jerricho has taken care of the little mindflayer girl and her retinue. We now have two wagons - one normal looking and one looking like a hearse that we are using on the final leg of the Journey.
9. We crossed a frozen lake and at the other end was a giant statue called "Fromm's Rest." People in the party think this is important. The statue is missing it's head and hands.
I will try to be better about spending time with you but since we are almost to Norhall and it really looks like things are about get even wilder...you get it.
I'm still not sure why people don't like Jerricho. Dude is powerful and helpful. We couldn't kill that mindflayer toddler. He did. So there.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Khalo's Journal: Wagons West
Eventually, our retinue came to the conclusion that we could spend a very long time in Night's Reach if we wished, and so, satisfied with the evils we had vanquished, and in possession of the metal discs that society values so much as to exchange them for the tools and means for comfort and survival, we returned to Bornos.
Upon our return (and after a stop at the Blue Star Lore Seekers' Guild house), it became apparent that we needed to arrange our affairs for the trip - at long last - to the Domelands. We met the caravan's leader, a soldier named Alvin, who accidentally revealed a bit about Tamlin's past to us - a period of his life spent in the thrall of the creatures of the fey realm. We druids have developed a healthy caution for the fey, but fortunately, we are rarely the target of their mischief.
There was also the matter of updating Inspector Murphy about the Black Sticks' connection to the Night's Reach. Once the treacherous story had been laid out to him, he understood the sudden change in competency among his colleagues. And Osbert reported to his order and his master, Frederick, and we reacquainted ourselves with the Condor's children prior to the journey.
I am trying as mightily as I can to develop or at least feign an interest in the safety and well-being of these children, but it is difficult for me. We did not need this charge, but as we accepted it, I will perform my role dutifully. Fortunately, so far that has mostly meant driving the cart.
I attended a meeting of the cart drivers, and they seemed keen to stand together in case they felt mistreated or overlooked. However, I saw no evidence of mistreatment, but I paid my dues nonetheless.
More enjoyable have been my occasional outings in aviary form to scout the road ahead. In these first four weeks - admittedly, likely the safest stretch of the journey - there has not been much danger to speak of. On my last excursion to the skies, met a blue dragon, who tried to make lunch of me. Fortunately, I could fly faster than the creature. It is a pity that in my alternate form, I am unable to better communicate with them. I cannot be certain if they will be something we encounter later on. Perhaps I will be able to get an audience with Alvin later to find out more.
Entry concluded.
Upon our return (and after a stop at the Blue Star Lore Seekers' Guild house), it became apparent that we needed to arrange our affairs for the trip - at long last - to the Domelands. We met the caravan's leader, a soldier named Alvin, who accidentally revealed a bit about Tamlin's past to us - a period of his life spent in the thrall of the creatures of the fey realm. We druids have developed a healthy caution for the fey, but fortunately, we are rarely the target of their mischief.
There was also the matter of updating Inspector Murphy about the Black Sticks' connection to the Night's Reach. Once the treacherous story had been laid out to him, he understood the sudden change in competency among his colleagues. And Osbert reported to his order and his master, Frederick, and we reacquainted ourselves with the Condor's children prior to the journey.
I am trying as mightily as I can to develop or at least feign an interest in the safety and well-being of these children, but it is difficult for me. We did not need this charge, but as we accepted it, I will perform my role dutifully. Fortunately, so far that has mostly meant driving the cart.
I attended a meeting of the cart drivers, and they seemed keen to stand together in case they felt mistreated or overlooked. However, I saw no evidence of mistreatment, but I paid my dues nonetheless.
More enjoyable have been my occasional outings in aviary form to scout the road ahead. In these first four weeks - admittedly, likely the safest stretch of the journey - there has not been much danger to speak of. On my last excursion to the skies, met a blue dragon, who tried to make lunch of me. Fortunately, I could fly faster than the creature. It is a pity that in my alternate form, I am unable to better communicate with them. I cannot be certain if they will be something we encounter later on. Perhaps I will be able to get an audience with Alvin later to find out more.
Entry concluded.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Khalo's Journal: Night's Reach
Night's Reach is a curious place. Grimlocks on the bottom, along with some kind of malevolent commanding entity to lead them. On the upper-middle levels, one finds all manner of undead Giant-kind. And at the top, our goal - the Cowl. He was dispatched - I won't say easily, but the entity he summoned, which he referred to as the Emissary, caused most of the trouble. Depleted of significant spells, Mome Rath and I were mostly bystanders to the battle. And yet, we were victorious against this Emissary, which did not qualify for Orenthal's dismissal magics, but was still alien in nature. I am not wise to the nuance of it all. Osbert and Soromir brought the creature down through sheer determination.
The living dead had to be dealt with, then. This was a foregone conclusion. The overwhelming majority of us cannot tolerate their existence, so in violation are they with the various codes and credos we adhere to. That they are of the Giant variety is an unexpected bonus. I had not fought such creatures before, but something (probably in my baser nature) takes great satisfaction in taking them on. I was particularly proud of the way I immobilized a mummy, severely limiting its ability to spread the foul disease it carries.
In my opinion, I'm willing to leave the Grimlocks be. Our retinue seems anxious to return to Bornos with some of the information and lore we have gathered here, and while we can't abide the living dead, a Night's Reach infested with Grimlocks is something with which I could be perfectly content. They are basically confined to subterranean spaces as a result of their physiology, and the fact is, Night's Reach is such an ideal lair / hideout, I'm sure the people of Bornos would be happy to have a manageable threat to occupy it if they themselves don't see fit to turn it into an outpost for the Condor's military or the Black Sticks, which seems distasteful to me anyway.
And then there's Ellicor. I'm not one to carry books around with me, and so I've read the adventures of the Knights of Mist Valley more than once now. I wish he had been game to accept my bargain for information. As it is, he wasn't, and now I find myself wondering if I shouldn't have given it to him, anyway. It's not every day you meet an important character from a legendary tale, and even though we played a significant part by freeing him from his centuries-long imprisonment, I could have done more. Next time, I will endeavor to think beyond what benefits merely me and my compatriots, and try to make the decision that is best for this realm. And if I ever see Ellicor again, I will make sure he knows that Osgood Hawthorn yet lives.
Entry concluded.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Soromir's Journal Entry #24
How's this for anti-climactic: The Cowl's name was Trevor. That's a name you give a little dog or a mouse, not a high-level necromancer. Jeebus. I think we killed him rather easily. We hit him hard but before we could confirm the kill, he fell off Night's Reach and into the sea. Orrenthal sent his familiar, Icarus, to investigate Trevor's death. More on that later.
We knew that there was some magic and shennanigans tied to the full moon and the tower, that something was supposed to arrive with the full moon. In Trevor's abyssal-driven madness, he was screaming something about an "ambassador" or "emissary" or something like that, arriving. What arrived was something we identified as a "Moon Calf." And when it arrived, it at first didn't seem interested in us, only wanting to complete its mission which I guess had something to do with shooting a light beam from the Night's Reach into the sea below. I'm no expert in these things, but that's probably not good.
The Moon Calf came from The Dark Side of the Moon; no, not the head shop in the Scholar's District. The literal dark side of the moon. Interestingly, while the creature certainly had the appearance of something extraplannar, one of the Os (Orrenthal or Osbert) was able to identify it as something from this plane. In other words, it's not related (at least I don't think so) to the creatures from the Void (i.e., the Dominion of the Beholder). It's all tied together though, I'm sure.
The Moon Calf was smart. I tried repeatedly to get it to wrestle with me, but it didn't take the bait. The thing was hard to bring down and as it kept flying around and attacking. Missle attacks did the most damage. Finally Osbert was able to grab it with his grappling hook and rope. However, that twenty foot through of a three pound object proved too much for Osbert and he was unable to hold on. So I grabbed the rope and did my thing. We killed it.
Moving back to Trevor, here are some key facts and assumptions to remember, based upon the notes we found in what appeared to be his quarters in the Night's Reach (8th Floor I believe):
1. He was working in the Black Sticks - Icarus retrieved a Black Stick's patch from the sea and the notes seem to indicate as much.
2. He was working in the Black Sticks as a Cook.
3. He was working in the Black Sticks as a Cook and he was skilled in poisons.
4. He was working in the Black Sticks as s Cook and he was using his skills in poisons to poison the Black Sticks.
5. He was poisoning the Black Sticks during cooking for the Black Sticks
6. The poison he was using on the Black Sticks was a poison that caused fear. (this may explain their ineptitude and general reticence to enforce the law. This might explain that.)
7. He was searching the Graveyard (where we met/fought Bill)(The Spectre Bill told us that someone was using 'necromantic rays' to raise undead in the Graveyard and the rays were coming from the palace)(As an aside, Jerricho has the hand of Vecna and has requested us to locate the eye)
8. He was searching the Graveyard looking for powerful necromantic object(s).
9. He was working with Horace, whom we interviewed before hiring Tamlin
10. Horace cleared out the poisons from the Apothecary at the direction or in partnership with Trevor
11. Trevor was going to raise an undead army to defeat the Topaz Syndicate
This last bit is interesting and where I start making assumptions: We know that the Topaz Syndicate is running this city. We know the Black Sticks are having a very difficult time with the Topaz Syndicate. Why would a powerful necromancer work in the Black Sticks and concern himself with something as seemingly mundane as the Topaz Syndicate; the necromantic interests seem to lie with larger concerns. My hunch is someone knew what Trevor was doing and implicitly sanctioned it. In other words a deal was made something along these lines: you raise me an army to defeat the Topaz Syndicate and I'll ignore the rest of your business. This is an assumption, I have nothing firm to base this on.
Moving on from Trevor and the Moon Calf, after resting from the fight we moved to the 7th Floor. The 7th floor contained another tomb, but this tomb was sealed by an ornate door with Giant script written on it basically warning us not to open the door. We opened the door. Because, why not. Standing in the tomb was a massive figure wearing gold armor. The figure was mechanical in nature but it was intelligent. One of the Os identified the figure as an "Inevitable" called Marute. He was summoned by the people that retook the tower 800 years ago, roughly the time of the Godslayer Wars. We decided it best not to involve ourselves with the Inevitable. He was guarding something in the room beyond the antechamber we were standing in. We asked him if anyone else had opened the doors to the antechamber before us and he said no one else had. I'm not sure we will keep this to ourselves. Probably not.
We knew that there was some magic and shennanigans tied to the full moon and the tower, that something was supposed to arrive with the full moon. In Trevor's abyssal-driven madness, he was screaming something about an "ambassador" or "emissary" or something like that, arriving. What arrived was something we identified as a "Moon Calf." And when it arrived, it at first didn't seem interested in us, only wanting to complete its mission which I guess had something to do with shooting a light beam from the Night's Reach into the sea below. I'm no expert in these things, but that's probably not good.
The Moon Calf came from The Dark Side of the Moon; no, not the head shop in the Scholar's District. The literal dark side of the moon. Interestingly, while the creature certainly had the appearance of something extraplannar, one of the Os (Orrenthal or Osbert) was able to identify it as something from this plane. In other words, it's not related (at least I don't think so) to the creatures from the Void (i.e., the Dominion of the Beholder). It's all tied together though, I'm sure.
The Moon Calf was smart. I tried repeatedly to get it to wrestle with me, but it didn't take the bait. The thing was hard to bring down and as it kept flying around and attacking. Missle attacks did the most damage. Finally Osbert was able to grab it with his grappling hook and rope. However, that twenty foot through of a three pound object proved too much for Osbert and he was unable to hold on. So I grabbed the rope and did my thing. We killed it.
Moving back to Trevor, here are some key facts and assumptions to remember, based upon the notes we found in what appeared to be his quarters in the Night's Reach (8th Floor I believe):
1. He was working in the Black Sticks - Icarus retrieved a Black Stick's patch from the sea and the notes seem to indicate as much.
2. He was working in the Black Sticks as a Cook.
3. He was working in the Black Sticks as a Cook and he was skilled in poisons.
4. He was working in the Black Sticks as s Cook and he was using his skills in poisons to poison the Black Sticks.
5. He was poisoning the Black Sticks during cooking for the Black Sticks
6. The poison he was using on the Black Sticks was a poison that caused fear. (this may explain their ineptitude and general reticence to enforce the law. This might explain that.)
7. He was searching the Graveyard (where we met/fought Bill)(The Spectre Bill told us that someone was using 'necromantic rays' to raise undead in the Graveyard and the rays were coming from the palace)(As an aside, Jerricho has the hand of Vecna and has requested us to locate the eye)
8. He was searching the Graveyard looking for powerful necromantic object(s).
9. He was working with Horace, whom we interviewed before hiring Tamlin
10. Horace cleared out the poisons from the Apothecary at the direction or in partnership with Trevor
11. Trevor was going to raise an undead army to defeat the Topaz Syndicate
This last bit is interesting and where I start making assumptions: We know that the Topaz Syndicate is running this city. We know the Black Sticks are having a very difficult time with the Topaz Syndicate. Why would a powerful necromancer work in the Black Sticks and concern himself with something as seemingly mundane as the Topaz Syndicate; the necromantic interests seem to lie with larger concerns. My hunch is someone knew what Trevor was doing and implicitly sanctioned it. In other words a deal was made something along these lines: you raise me an army to defeat the Topaz Syndicate and I'll ignore the rest of your business. This is an assumption, I have nothing firm to base this on.
Moving on from Trevor and the Moon Calf, after resting from the fight we moved to the 7th Floor. The 7th floor contained another tomb, but this tomb was sealed by an ornate door with Giant script written on it basically warning us not to open the door. We opened the door. Because, why not. Standing in the tomb was a massive figure wearing gold armor. The figure was mechanical in nature but it was intelligent. One of the Os identified the figure as an "Inevitable" called Marute. He was summoned by the people that retook the tower 800 years ago, roughly the time of the Godslayer Wars. We decided it best not to involve ourselves with the Inevitable. He was guarding something in the room beyond the antechamber we were standing in. We asked him if anyone else had opened the doors to the antechamber before us and he said no one else had. I'm not sure we will keep this to ourselves. Probably not.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Khalo's Journal: Dwarves and Their Hangups
I have not yet recorded it within these pages, but the member of our retinue known as Jace is now known as Zayn. I was not involved, or at least not engaged with the reasoning behind his updated monniker, but I think it had something to do with the state-sanctioned sport fights he was promoting and organizing. The event has now occurred, but not to the fulfillment of our friend's dreams. The proverbial weed in the garden preventing the event from flourishing is the Topaz Syndicate, a local organized crime group that has been holding sport fights outside of the legal boundaries of the city's purview. Their corruption of the event left many in Bornos with a poor opinion of the whole enterprise. The Topaz Syndicate has shown itself to be a parasite within this city, and while some parasites can have a symbiotic relationship with their host, this one seems to be more of the one-way variety, like that tapeworm Elmo the Loon acquired during his lycanthropic period. Those types of parasites must be purged, and the host must be sanitized of them entirely.
This, however, is but one of many things on our team to-do list. After a quarrel between Osbert and Orenthal, the rest of us decided to give them some space to work out their troubles, and we went to an inn and tavern that Tamlin knew of called The Earth's Embrace. It's a wonderful place, by and large. The owner is a noble sort, and his animal companion is mightily impressive. Plus, he had a bottle of Ice Draught, and I was finally able to taste the famous beverage. It's quite good. While enjoying The Earth's Embrace, we were recruited to investigate eerie transpirations at Darmoor Manor, just on the edge of town. Based on the description of the place by Claire, a manor resident who sought us out for the job, I had some idea of what to expect, and those expectations were met almost exactly. There was a good deal of evil within those walls, and we purged most of it - a little unfortunately got away due to Claire's aunt's dastardly use of animals as vessels for her wicked soul.
After we concluded our work, we returned to the inn, bringing along the bodies of previous adventurers who had failed in the effort before us. I gave those bodies over to a still-living member of their party, and even offered to reincarnate them if they so wished - a new ability of mine that I am eager to practice before it becomes necessary for me to try it on someone close to me. Osbert and Orenthal joined us, and the party complete returned to Darmor Manor the next day to conduct further investigation of the grounds, which turned out to be fruitful, and in relation somewhat to our next agenda item, a visit to Night's Reach in the hopes of turning out The Cowl from what is believed to be his hideout.
The night before we left, I drank heartily, which is not my usual custom, but for the mood I was in after discovering that Kenneth, the dwarven armorer, now bears cold feelings towards our group thanks to the fallout of the sport fight. To make matters worse, The Earth's Embrace's door was darkened by a band of musical dwarves who not only insisted on playing music poorly, but then they wanted to talk to me. I did not behave with great dignity, but I did not embarrass myself overtly, either.
I look forward to crawling around in a cave and feeling less complicated emotions.
Entry concluded.
This, however, is but one of many things on our team to-do list. After a quarrel between Osbert and Orenthal, the rest of us decided to give them some space to work out their troubles, and we went to an inn and tavern that Tamlin knew of called The Earth's Embrace. It's a wonderful place, by and large. The owner is a noble sort, and his animal companion is mightily impressive. Plus, he had a bottle of Ice Draught, and I was finally able to taste the famous beverage. It's quite good. While enjoying The Earth's Embrace, we were recruited to investigate eerie transpirations at Darmoor Manor, just on the edge of town. Based on the description of the place by Claire, a manor resident who sought us out for the job, I had some idea of what to expect, and those expectations were met almost exactly. There was a good deal of evil within those walls, and we purged most of it - a little unfortunately got away due to Claire's aunt's dastardly use of animals as vessels for her wicked soul.
After we concluded our work, we returned to the inn, bringing along the bodies of previous adventurers who had failed in the effort before us. I gave those bodies over to a still-living member of their party, and even offered to reincarnate them if they so wished - a new ability of mine that I am eager to practice before it becomes necessary for me to try it on someone close to me. Osbert and Orenthal joined us, and the party complete returned to Darmor Manor the next day to conduct further investigation of the grounds, which turned out to be fruitful, and in relation somewhat to our next agenda item, a visit to Night's Reach in the hopes of turning out The Cowl from what is believed to be his hideout.
The night before we left, I drank heartily, which is not my usual custom, but for the mood I was in after discovering that Kenneth, the dwarven armorer, now bears cold feelings towards our group thanks to the fallout of the sport fight. To make matters worse, The Earth's Embrace's door was darkened by a band of musical dwarves who not only insisted on playing music poorly, but then they wanted to talk to me. I did not behave with great dignity, but I did not embarrass myself overtly, either.
I look forward to crawling around in a cave and feeling less complicated emotions.
Entry concluded.
Soromir's Journal Entry #23
So my hunch about the Tin Man was a bust. It's still some creepy shit though. Compounding the creepiness was the identification of these four porcelain dolls as effigy/icon of some really evil gods. One is an icon of Ne'Rul, one is an icon of Agroth, one is an icon of Set, and one is an icon of Tinmet (not to sure about this one but the gist is evil dragons).
So, on top of everything else we're dealing with in this town, there will be dragons most likely. The Darmor family had stained glass windows depicting dragons. So yeah, this bullshit is coming our way too.
Zane and I took time to peruse the family library, looking for any sort of history on this family. Turns out Auntie has been around multiple generations. The eccentric biddy was straight evil. And now it looks like her soul might have transferred to that crow that escaped. The cages holding the animals in her tower were some kind of magical soul transferrence mechanisms. On paper, that seems pretty cool. But whatever. Fuck this fucked up family. And now we have some damn dragons coming up in our business.
We are about to head out to Nights Reach tomorrow morning. Guess what - there is a connection between Nights Reach and Darmor Manor. The two keeps seem to have a way of communicating with each other via their respective patios/landings. There is some bone chair on Darmor Manor. And some moon rocks or something on Nights Reach. Something appears in the light of the full moon. We'll likely be at Nights Reach with the next full moon.
Party, party, party.
So, on top of everything else we're dealing with in this town, there will be dragons most likely. The Darmor family had stained glass windows depicting dragons. So yeah, this bullshit is coming our way too.
Zane and I took time to peruse the family library, looking for any sort of history on this family. Turns out Auntie has been around multiple generations. The eccentric biddy was straight evil. And now it looks like her soul might have transferred to that crow that escaped. The cages holding the animals in her tower were some kind of magical soul transferrence mechanisms. On paper, that seems pretty cool. But whatever. Fuck this fucked up family. And now we have some damn dragons coming up in our business.
We are about to head out to Nights Reach tomorrow morning. Guess what - there is a connection between Nights Reach and Darmor Manor. The two keeps seem to have a way of communicating with each other via their respective patios/landings. There is some bone chair on Darmor Manor. And some moon rocks or something on Nights Reach. Something appears in the light of the full moon. We'll likely be at Nights Reach with the next full moon.
Party, party, party.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Soromir's Journal Entry #22
To make things worse in this city, there is likely an undead genocidal maniac residing in Darmor Manor. Granted, he's encased in tin but that probably just means he's harder to really kill.
Darmor Manor is cursed. After being approached by the niece of the matriarch of Darmor Manor, we determined that it was best to investigate. We did this without the "assistance" of Osbert or Orrenthal. It was a smart decision.
We weren't sure what to expect when we went into Darmor Manor. But here is what we knew going in:
1. There were sciency/occulty experiments going on in the tombs of the house.
2. There are TOMBS in the house.
3. The girl's uncle hadn't been seen coming from this lab in the TOMBS (see the "sciency/occulty" comment above)
4. The auntie lived in a turret built off the side of the house and never left that room
5. A couple of Black Sticks investigated the tombs and lab at the request of the girl but fled the mansion in terror
6. An adventuring party had also investigated the manor and tombs but never returned (we found their bodies and returned them to their lone surviving member Laren)
Here is what we know coming out of Darmor Manor:
1. Auntie burns and burns well.
2. Uncle is dead and in his place were two demon-ish/arachnid-ish/hellhounds. They were dispatched quickly and the Dark Blade did well against them.
3. There are TOMBS in a house.
4. Auntie was communicating with the Void via her bed, which we identified as "Outer Darkness' Rest"
5. In the lab area, there were arcane symbols written that we recognized and sketched for Leito to investigate. Along with the arcane symbols was a picture of a large head with four tentacles attached to it.
6. Auntie was missing an eye and didn't seem to care.
7. We are returning to Darmor Manor.
There is still a lot to do in Darmor Manor. We're going to have to really kill the genocidal Tin-Man. Also, there is something strange with the girl - she told us she "start(s) to fade" if she stays away from the manor for too long.
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Khalo's Journal: Dinner, Death, and Disagreement
The group consensus was to bring Tamlin aboard as our new trapfinder. This result is most pleasing to me, and unless the halfling turns out to be the most gifted of liars, I do not expect to regret our choice.
We attended a state dinner that thankfully turned into an opportunity for combat. Those sorts of formal gatherings are decidedly not my forte. Osbert's boss alerted us to the problem - more of the living dead. I am most certainly against the sort, but have not yet translated my gut instinct for this into articulated reason. Fundamentally, I suppose I do not object to the continued animation of decomposing flesh. It does not seem all that different from what we are, frankly. But the method by which the flesh is animated leads to them being exclusively (in my experience) evil, which puts them out of balance.
Under the direction of a being known as The Cowl, they were involved in an assassination attempt on the life of Jehrico the tutor. We defeated the creatures with as minimal a fuss as can be expected, but the mastermind behind these attacks escaped. We were pleased by this development for the most part, excepting the time Jace lost in pursuit of promoting his fighting enterprise. The aftermath of the fight, however, was a series of discoveries which led to the troubling revelation of Jehrico's wickedness. In fact, there was even a question that The Cowl may have been righteous in his efforts, or that the entire affair was an orchestrated event to engender sympathy for, or at least insulate Jehrico from suspicion. Much of the credit for sleuthing out Jehrico's true nature goes to Orenthal. His skill set is enviable, and he is a valuable contributor to our group, which mitigates his physical weakness and his deficiencies of self-reflection.
Following our success in defeating the minions of The Cowl, we accepted an offer to stay in a room in the Condor's palace. While this affords us an opportunity to get closer to the mysteries and intrigues in which we find ourselves currently embroiled, I am concerned that it separates us further from the various storylines in the city, where there is still much to be concerned about. Furthermore, this raises our profile, which may not be for the best. It could also be viewed as a means by which Inspector Murphy can keep a closer eye on us. This could be a good thing or a bad thing - perhaps the inspector will finally realize that we are not directly responsible for the crimes he currently suspects of us, or his careful tracking of our comings and goings will circumstantially connect us to a crime he is investigating. I am not familiar enough with the laws of Bornos to know what constitutes proof, and it will not be a pretty thing if I am informed that I must subjugate myself or submit to incarceration should the law's version of justice conflict with my own.
Entry concluded.
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Soromir - Stream of Conscience
I can't write but I can think. I can't write because I'm blind. I'm pretty sure it was Leito that blinded me. I hit him though. Connected pretty good, actually. And then I connected again and again with the hulking undead mass(es). I was lucky tonight.
I'm not sure what happened to Leito. I was told that he disappeared into the shadows.
Now, I'm not certain that it was Leito but he wasn't there with us tonight and I've seen him do some really powerful magic. It seems like walking through shadows would be pretty powerful magic. Just a guess.
I hope our gear is okay. If the Dark Blade is missing, Imma be hella pissed.
Pretty sure I was exploited by Jace tonight. Not sure how I feel about that but whatever. I was blind and couldn't do much about it. I hope I can get rid of this blindness soon.
Jerricho is really sick. I didn't/couldn't see him because I'M FUCKING BLIND. But I could tell. He mentioned something about someone being "consumed." Orrenthal, from what I could hear, was really interested in that.
I think we did the Commandant's work for him tonight. But we know that the Cowl isn't Jerricho. I'm pretty sure it's Leito.
I don't regret not eating dinner. But I could use something now. Also, I'm gonna kill Horace at the first chance I get. If I can see him. He might kill me using some candy-ass poison. What a bitch.
I haven't seen any dogs in this town. Or cats. That's weird. They are probably around but I sure as shit can't see them now.
I'm not sure what happened to Leito. I was told that he disappeared into the shadows.
Now, I'm not certain that it was Leito but he wasn't there with us tonight and I've seen him do some really powerful magic. It seems like walking through shadows would be pretty powerful magic. Just a guess.
I hope our gear is okay. If the Dark Blade is missing, Imma be hella pissed.
Pretty sure I was exploited by Jace tonight. Not sure how I feel about that but whatever. I was blind and couldn't do much about it. I hope I can get rid of this blindness soon.
Jerricho is really sick. I didn't/couldn't see him because I'M FUCKING BLIND. But I could tell. He mentioned something about someone being "consumed." Orrenthal, from what I could hear, was really interested in that.
I think we did the Commandant's work for him tonight. But we know that the Cowl isn't Jerricho. I'm pretty sure it's Leito.
I don't regret not eating dinner. But I could use something now. Also, I'm gonna kill Horace at the first chance I get. If I can see him. He might kill me using some candy-ass poison. What a bitch.
I haven't seen any dogs in this town. Or cats. That's weird. They are probably around but I sure as shit can't see them now.
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Soromir's Journal Entry #21
Lots of things to unpack here. The most important is this - my hatred of all things Giant is well founded. Bajol also hates the giants and the giants hate him. This is fine. I will kill as many of them as I can before I leave this world.
I am not sure if the death of the Bajol Priest and Accolytes are on my account. Orrenthal's familiar was able to retrieve my note and while it was covered in blood, it otherwise handn't been disturbed. I have no doubt about the intent of the murders, I just doubt I am somehow accountable for their deaths. Either way, they are one more notch in my vengence tabulation.
It seems like the big bads in this realm are competing against eachother. Tainted Ones do not cotton Beholders and visa versa. Giants do not cotton Tainted Ones and visa versa (this was more or less gleaned from The Knights of Mist Valley). I'm not sure if the Giants and Beholders party.
We are about to get ready for this state dinner. It's going to suck and something bad is going to happen most likely. We can't take our weapons or armor. I'm not drinking and I'm staying close to the exit.
I am not sure if the death of the Bajol Priest and Accolytes are on my account. Orrenthal's familiar was able to retrieve my note and while it was covered in blood, it otherwise handn't been disturbed. I have no doubt about the intent of the murders, I just doubt I am somehow accountable for their deaths. Either way, they are one more notch in my vengence tabulation.
It seems like the big bads in this realm are competing against eachother. Tainted Ones do not cotton Beholders and visa versa. Giants do not cotton Tainted Ones and visa versa (this was more or less gleaned from The Knights of Mist Valley). I'm not sure if the Giants and Beholders party.
We are about to get ready for this state dinner. It's going to suck and something bad is going to happen most likely. We can't take our weapons or armor. I'm not drinking and I'm staying close to the exit.
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