L5 group: Opara Kakas tells Mordred about dream 2/6. Mordred & Sandor visit Dr Rosa at Lighthouse 3/6, Mordred Sandro Rosa & Saera chase bandits to caves 4/6/4447.
XP 200 + 7760= 7960/14000
Smon: Tabletop group have cleared most of the NW level 1, which is mostly trash heaps & junk, and entered the crypts in the NE of level 1.
chris107: He does and I will
Smon: They met the goblins in the gatehouse, who told them they had been chased out of level 1 by Oriax's orcs when they arrived a year ago fleeing Hakeem.
Smon: So I think the PCs are looking to kill the orcs & help the goblins go back.
Smon: They also killed lots of kobolds and the kobold's "dragon", an oversized gecko (44 hp AC 14 ATT +6 dam 2d8+4)
chris107: Nice
chris107: How’s the XP doing table top wise?
chris107: They seem to be cleaning up a lot of stuff
Smon: Also Opara Kakas the asst priestess of Mitra tells Mordred that Dock the half elf warlock came to her reporting strange dreams of a beautiful woman calling him to Stonehell - and Dr Piercemuller sent a letter to Lady Vex reporting she is having the same dreams, except at the end of hers the woman turns into a hideous Mantis beast!
Smon: Dr Rosa fears some weird entity is in Stonehell and its dream sendings may even have been what stirred the Immortal King in Thracia.
chris107: Very cool!
Sandor Sunneson: Is that something they will be following up on?
Smon: Probably, yes.
Sandor Sunneson: So a CE grasshopper with shape shifting ability
Smon: yup
Sandor Sunneson: interesting
Sandor Sunneson: nice one Simon!
Smon: Lady Vex is quite keen for Mordred to visit Dr Piercemuller at Oriax's tower and see if he can find out more.
chris107: He would be happy to do so.
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro will alsp be happy to plod along
Smon: OOC I don't think Rosa & Mordred/Sandro have met before?
Sandor Sunneson: No, that is correct
Sandor Sunneson: Was Bill ok after Friday?
Smon: he was happy yup
Sandor Sunneson: Hope you both had a good weekend doing stuff
Sandor Sunneson: lol
chris107: Don’t think so... but I could be wrong. Dr. P had gone by the time M turned up I think?
Sandor Sunneson: Any rationale to his dislike to Margor? Or it's because he's a wee boy
chris107:
Smon: We went out for lunch to Pizza Express then Wimbledon Common yesterday, and he made me GM Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl so he could get his F19 PC Bravery a hammer of thunderbolts.
chris107: Maglor is not very likeable
Sandor Sunneson: Piercemuller I think met Dagda and Hakeem
chris107: 5e Gkacial rift?
Smon: Well Bill came up with a saga how the elves & dragonborn are sworn enemies... the Dragonborn think elves are all like the evil Amiodel elves at Ludgates in Oricha.
chris107: Yeah, I thought that too Fergus
Smon: No used BECM/1e mashup.
Smon: (agree re Rosa)
Sandor Sunneson: Is Bracery the chap who runs the ylari in Mystara?
Sandor Sunneson: Bravery even
Smon: yes. Duke-Sultan Prince Bravery Karameikos.
Sandor Sunneson: so he played in character and we were too hard on him
Smon: LOL
Sandor Sunneson: Next time Chris, just attack him
Smon: (suggest we role play a bit while you're doing Bochi game, nothing heavy)
chris107: (Good with me)
Smon: GM: The day after Lady Vex asks Mordred to speak with Dr Piercemuller you can make the 10 mile trip south to the Lighthouse, where the sage is studying Oriax's library.
Sandor Sunneson: I've not logged onto Bochi's game, so yeah go for it
Smon: After a three hour walk you approach the tower's outer wall. A horn blares and the gates are opened by two tall & buxom amazons.
chris107: Mordred seems hardly to notice them
Smon: An obviously-pregnant amazon officer comes out to greet you.
Smon: "Good afternoon, I am Clenderi, the commander here. How may I assist?" she regards you two coolly.
Sandor Sunneson: Good afternoon,
chris107: M explains that they have important messages for Dr. P
Smon: pre-pregnant Clenderi https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1HwCjxwlJSb7vI1GFk-5l8u7lCRqVeRXtSdxbpmdoK9LcygBJSHvuPSHIkyGeVEIxUd4ScGZs2duqvHqKuPuUgdgRC8BdS9oETfmPxP5PdcfBzwjRwLLQUaDupHiysNBXAV2aCxdRYM/s400/Clenderi+the+Amazon.jpg
Smon: OOC she's 7 months pregnant I see, soon the sound of little Sandor/Sandora!
Sandor Sunneson: and pregnant?
chris107: Lady Vex has sent us. A recently arrived Bard has given us alarming news.
Smon: Clenderi nods. "The Sage Piercemuller is in Oriax's library. I will take you to her."
Smon: Rather awkwardly the pregnant amazon ascends the high spiral steps of the tower, you following, to the library, where she knocks and enters.
Smon: A tall and very beautiful woman wearing only a loincloth & spectacles despite the cool air sits within, perusing a sinister black leather-bound tome.
Smon: She looks up as you enter.
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro will say to the guard, I hope all goes well for you with the litlle one M'Lady
Smon: Clenderi: "Sage, these emissaries of Lady Vex wish to consult with you."
chris107: M bows floridly
chris107: Making swift introduction. All businesslike
Smon: Rosa w even less on - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJXcjMHAgacYEint-LAHb4Fuxf9lZ_kA-50oZitvwPfacca70C1HD-zL_LOtBrxCh1mHzj-fqBmidL5E9I4TFLcoaVif86_NiveHszX7MwYAdtq7LOEsxx8sY6Qa1wVynDViIMACJVr8/s640/morningcoffee_by_fransmensinkartist-daskh5s.jpg
Smon: Clenderi nods to Sandro. "Thank you. I'll leave you now." Rosa looks a bit startled, but closes the book and stands up. "A blue man! I mean... hello there!"
Smon: She offers Mordred a hand.
chris107: Thank you Madame.
Smon: & listens to his intro.
Smon: brb tea
chris107: He outlines what Lady Vex told him
Smon: Dr Rosa nods at the tale. "Its power is spreading..."
Smon: "Please, sit." She offers you chairs at the table.
Smon: Rosa then gingerly opens the black tome.
chris107: M makes himself comfortable
Smon: "This work is the Ineffable Grimoire of Alkazam... it concerns creatures of the Transmundane."
chris107: Admiring the ancient tomes
chris107: M likes books
Smon: Rosa leafs through it until she reaches a section called The Nakthotis.
Smon: It has images of numerous nightmarish entities.
chris107: He asks many pertinent questions. M is very bright
Sandor Sunneson: They don't look very nice thing
Sandor Sunneson: s
chris107: Unlike his player
Smon: "The Mangled Innocence... The Thicket of Sorrows... The Crawling Cancer... Horrible Delights... ah yes, here it is!" At the very end is an entry titled The Nixthisis.
chris107: M loves this stuff
Smon: Rosa: "The writing is an archaic form of Viridian, but this word, Nixthisis, I dreamed it! From what I can tell, it is an emotio-phage, feeding especially on negative emotions - pain, sorrow, fear..."
Sandor Sunneson: What is a phage?
Smon: She hurriedly turns over several pages detailing the growth & development of the Nixthisis from Larval through Slouching Gaze & Tearer of Stitches, to a sketch of a mantis-like entity with features of an undead horse, and too many tentacles.
chris107: Combat going on, bear with me please
Smon: (phage = eater)
chris107: And ewwww!
Smon: "Alkazam drew this from a mixture of fever-dreams and wild speculation. See here..."
Sandor Sunneson: oooh, we must look at putting out if it's misery
Smon: If the Nixthisis should feed too greatly, it Must Grow Beyond All Reason.
Smon: The Walls Between Worlds Shall Crumble.
Smon: Dreams become Reality.
chris107: That doesn’t sound good
Smon: Nightmares Walk the Earth. The Dead Rise.
chris107: Is there anything we can do to stop this? Any clues?
Smon: Rosa: "The dead walk... I think this might have been what stirred the corpse-wight of the Immortal King? If so, it is beginning to reach even beyond Stonehell..."
Sandor Sunneson: was the immortal one Kainos?
Smon: Rosa shrugs. "Somewhere in the depths of Stonehell, where Reality itself breaks down... We may find it."
Smon: (no)
Smon: (big undead dragon lord)
Smon: aka the First King
chris107: So we must venture deeper into Stonehell for an answer?
Smon: Rosa nods. "There are stories here of Stonehell dating back three centuries, though it had been quiet these past few decades, Oriax noted. Perhaps the Nixthisis slumbered..."
Smon: "Oriax speculated that the Mad Vizier's project had attracted some supernatural Evil to it - I believe this may be it."
chris107: Any mention of where in that vast place we should look?
Sandor Sunneson: An undead dragon, when they had that battle against the undead they had Dyson, wonder if Dyson could be resummoned to fight this dragon?
chris107: We must fight our own battles. Snaps Mordred.
chris107: Dragons!
Smon: Rosa shrugs. "I don't know. The man who wrote this died in Viridistan two thousand years ago. Oriax knew nothing of the Nixthisis, only some speculation of an evil force that cursed Stonehell, attracting monsters and warping the stones' fabric... Though he does mention a disco..."
Smon: Rosa looks wistful. "I like discos..."
chris107: Disco’s?
chris107: I think we found one.
Smon: "Dancing lights? Music? I feel like dancing, dancing..."
Smon: Rosa does a wee shimmy.
Sandor Sunneson: Yes, and the rays impacted folk in different ways
chris107: M explains what they found
Smon: Rosa looks surprised. "Oh? Really? That definitely doesn't sound Nerathi! Perhaps they repurposed some ancient Alt-Tech..."
Smon: "I'd like to see it - perhaps you could escort me there sometime? I could use a break from all these books!"
Sandor Sunneson: Maybe we go back there??
Smon: "Most of them are pretty grim - and Oriax had some quite peculiar tastes..."
chris107: Mordred readily agrees
chris107: He knows a clever woman when he sees one
Smon: "As for the Nixthisis, I don't know... with these dreams, perhaps if I got closer I might sense something? Or not."
Smon: She shrugs.
chris107: He will show her the magical book he recovered from the Dwarves when he gets a chance
Sandor Sunneson: Well lets go and see
chris107: Just in case she knows anything
Smon: "Do you want to head back to Selatine today? I need to get some things, and Clenderi tells me I have to put a robe on when I visit the Ghinar villages..." she sighs.
Sandor Sunneson: Can do
Smon: OOC You mean the spell book chris?
chris107: We could go back in the morning? Suggests M. Eager to explore the fabulous library in search of the arcane
chris107: OOC yes
Sandor Sunneson: Ok, Sandro will have a nosey round the library too
Smon: Rosa nods. "Fine. Stay here tonight, the amazons have a nice hostelry set up..."
Sandor Sunneson: Thank you Rosa
Smon: Inspecting the library, there seem to be many hundreds of tomes, some of them describing entirely unfamiliar places and times.#
chris107: Mordred would happily spend years here
Smon: Rosa: "That one's the 2012 Rough Guide to Thailand... I don't think it will help much."
chris107: But appreciates he has stuff to do
chris107:
Smon: "His own notes over there have a lot about the Isles of Purple Haunted Putrescence, some kind of dimensional nexus he could access via his Mirror... Which Clenderi won't let me near."
chris107: I think that rough Barbarian fellow, Sandor? Was interested in seeing the mirror too?
Smon: "That one there has preliminary designs for something he calls his Orgone Machine, a kind of power generator powered by sex magic... And those are on the care and feeding of Orcs."
chris107: Mordred makes a mental note to avoid these volumes
Sandor Sunneson: Sounds facinating
Smon: Mordred can't make much sense of most of the writing, though there is a century old account of Damkina that is reassuringly familiar.
Smon: Beside it is a sheaf of records of Sending correspondence with a Lord Myuni, apparently another Archmage, Viridian, also with an interest in dimensional magics.
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro goes and looks for some books on Ki points
chris107: The Wizard Knights of Odin (OOC) 😎
Smon: Myuni's tower is near Antil, and it looks as if he was instructing Oriax on certain matters re Portal construction.
Smon: Sandro finds a tome "Kung Fu Fighting - All the Kids, Fast As Lightning"
chris107:
Sandor Sunneson: lol
chris107: Enter the Dragon?
chris107: (About the same year?)
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro will take the book to bed with him, ensuring it's been stamped and then go and get some kip
Smon: Mordred reads long into the night... he finds a book called Primeval Thule that appears to detail a whole other world, right beside a heavy tome titled Yggsburgh...
Smon: Inside 'Yggsburgh' Oriax has inserted a note that the ladies are particularly delectable, but the Planar Alignment makes the portal energy requirements prohibitive for now.
Smon: GM: Eventually you go to bed, waking next day for breakfast at the hostelry.
chris107: He silently determines to visit these wonderful places (Hakeem is Wilderlands, Mordred is Jerry Cornellian)
Smon: Yggsburgh looks to be an amazing city, far beyond even the Overlord's CSIO.
chris107: M would love it
Smon: Amazing fashions... https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnM5yPZsnXwk53FI2daTFPMcplkfQoijFmlhT9mkOLtkjsnZ44JaLhg6119cIH7SsnihgQKX98X0i27GgHh_YJXSDH-qb4D9z2f2gCps9q-A80iEP_dYxUM7-JR6o2AnsmXFGOLNx0paF/s640/Lady.jpg
chris107: He will go to any length to study the arcane
Smon: There are several paragraphs about a certain Sir Ulrich Hawkes, Mayore of Yggsburgh, for whom Oriax appears to have a certain respect, judging by the side notes.
Smon: At breakfast you eat your amazon porridge.
Sandor Sunneson: Is there a link to him?? GM gets a link out to share....it's Robert Mugabe
Smon: Clenderi comes in as you dine with Rosa. She looks strangely grim.
chris107:
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro gets stuck in to his oated meal and a cup of tea for liquid consumption
Sandor Sunneson: Did you not have a good nights kip Ma'am?
Smon: (chris knows Sir Ulrich well - a very fine fellow!)
Sandor Sunneson: Another on Hakeem's hit list?
chris107: (Indeed, I liked that campaign world. Dear Claris Starling)
Smon: Clenderi shakes her head. "It's not that - our scouts have just returned, reported a looted wagon on the road to Selatine! It must have been a couple hours behind you on the trail. Damn brigands!"
Smon: She winces, holding her tummy. "There there dear, no need to kick just yet..."
Sandor Sunneson: Shall we go and deal witth them Mordred?
Smon: (Clarissa is enjoying her paradise island w Polyachus)
chris107: Mordred asks if there may be a chance to catch these villains?
chris107: And
Smon: Clenderi: "Maybe.. the trail led west over the plain... " she scowls.
chris107: Let us at least try!
Smon: "It's Gluck Goodkind's wagon. The fool goes around with no guards and a daughter any slaver would kill for... I fear they're both taken."
chris107: My Lady Vex would not have us ignore such deeds
Smon: "I'll send a scout with you, help you pick up the trail?"
chris107: (Those two do get into a lot of trouble)
chris107: Yes please
Smon: Rosa: "I'll come along - Mordred, Sandro it's on the way to Selatine, right?"
chris107: Aye, but be careful. There are few alive with your wisdom I fear my Lady.
Sandor Sunneson: believe so, yes, how many were there?
Smon: Clenderi calls in a blonde amazon girl carrying a bow. "Saera, how many were there?"
chris107: Mordred begins strapping on his armour etc
Smon: Saera: "A lot... Could be a dozen? Mix of Altanian and Ghinoran foot-wraps and boots."
Smon: Clenderi: "Saera, show these men the scene and help them track the attackers. Don't get yourself killed - don't go in any caves."
Smon: Saera pouts: "Yes captain."
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro all ready to go
Smon: Saera - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVakDynjvHg_t4RPUIW_L-HvTdgBy69U7iQhnjcuSU-GghWBD7T7RLgh_Qz9yTQOhZtO7LLLF6cJBpWSmVmLB3ehf9PQaxdktEProXK5eOWNch6RwNAmYfv31xZLqqxvNVPNKH229kTY/s320/Saera+the+Scout.jpg - readies her gear.
Smon: "This way friends."
Smon: She leads you out the north gate and across the plain at a good pace.
Smon: Dr Rosa, now in a light smock, soon struggles to keep up.
chris107: Mordred goes willingly. He will keep Dr. P. Close though
Smon: "Sorry, out of shape... *huff*"
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro will ask Sarea is she wants to scout ahead as he often does
Smon: Two miles north the path bends east along the sea cliffs; the Shrine of Ulther just visible where the inland cliffs rise to the north.
Smon: Another mile brings you to the sight of an upturned wagon and two slaughtered horses, meat harvested.
Smon: Saera surveys the tall grasses.
Smon: /roll d6
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 3,
Smon: A pack of wild dogs are chomping on the remaining horse meat.
Smon: "This way..."
Smon: Saera leads you west, circling the ambush site, to a fainter trail leading north.
chris107: M is alert
Smon: "What do you think? About a dozen of them? She indicates almost invisible marks in the dirt & trampled grass."
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro will check
Smon: "I think by these two shorter strides, they had two captives, so the merchants still alive, for now."
Smon: Sandro WIS+Prof
Sandor Sunneson rolls 1d20 and gets: 11,
Sandor Sunneson: +5-16
Sandor Sunneson: =16
Smon: He can make out the trail running due north, but not much more.
Sandor Sunneson: Not much on the go here, trail runs N
Smon: Saera nods.
Smon: "There are a lot of caves in the cliffs between Stonehell and Dyson's Delve... look out."
Smon: She leads you north along the trail, across the plain.
chris107: M follows close
Smon: Soon after a couple miles you see trees ahead, the south edge of the Thrace woods, and the Ghinarian cliffs rising to the west. The trail heads NW.
chris107: Pizza just arrived, 5 mins please?
Smon: The trail leads to the cliffs and starts to climb upwards.
Sandor Sunneson: what time we playing till?
Sandor Sunneson: 10?
Smon: I can stop at 10 yup.
Sandor Sunneson: cool
Smon: You reach the top of the cliff, finding yourself in a narrow gorge.
Smon: /roll d6
chris107: I’ll be watching
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 1,
Smon: There are clear signs of recent treads on the path.
chris107: Typing with pizza fingers is tough
Smon: Proceeding cautiously you head about half a mile through very rugged terrain, until the track leads up from a ravine floor heading NE along the ravine's north side. There appear to be dark cave openings ahead.
Smon: /roll d20+1
Smon rolls 1d20+1 and gets: 20, (+1) = 21
Smon: bad luck...
Smon: Suddenly you hear a whistling bird call.
Smon: Saera stops. "We've been spotted!"
chris107: M moves to protect the Prof.
Smon: Scanning the dark caves off the trail ahead - nearest is 60' away, the other 70' further on, larger but partly hidden by scree and vegetation.
Sandor Sunneson: We moving back out of the way?
Smon: You don't see any attackers. Saera nods. You retreat towards the ravine floor.
chris107: No
chris107: Just closing ranks
Smon: Saera & Rosa retreat to the scrubby trees growing on the ravine floor.
Sandor Sunneson: I meant more to the side of the ravine, not running away
Smon: Is Mordred pressing on?
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro happy to go with Mordred
Smon: You're on a narrow trail about 5' wide here, it widens out to about 10' ahead of the nearer cave.
Sandor Sunneson: But we need to guard the Dr
Smon: Sandro whispers urgently to Mordred as you stand on the ledge.
Sandor Sunneson: We can return here with Zaagar
chris107: Yes
Sandor Sunneson: We need to protect the Dr
Smon: Looking back you see Saedra leading Rosa into cover among the scrub trees.
chris107: Let’s do this
Smon: /roll d6
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 2,
Smon: No sign of enemies.
chris107: We can not leave these merchants to their doom
Sandor Sunneson: Ok, I think this is crazy but think the Dr's safety should take first importance
Sandor Sunneson: Anyway, lets go then
Smon: You continue up to the first cave?
chris107: Mordred boldly steps up
Sandor Sunneson: Oui
chris107: Yes, we must rescue the innocent
Smon: Mordred heads boldly up the path, Sandro following.
Smon: Reaching the cave entrance he finds an area clearly used as an observation point, the scrubby grass pressed down.
Smon: A narrow winding tunnel leads from the ledge into the rock. In the distance round a u-bend is a dim flicker of firelight.
chris107: Shhhh...
chris107: He sends his silent owl to look
Sandor Sunneson: Sandro will hear for noise
Smon: The owl flaps in N into the cave and quickly returns, reporting a cave with cooking fire & pot, empty - it looks recently vacated, with a narrow exit in the NE wall.
Smon: /roll d6
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 5,
Smon: Sandro can roll perception then
Sandor Sunneson: very recently.........lol
Sandor Sunneson rolls 1d20 and gets: 16,
chris107: Let’s press on
Smon: Sandro hears the whinny of horses from deeper in the caves.
Sandor Sunneson: He'll sign thatto Mordred
Sandor Sunneson: or say it quietly even
Smon: From the canyon floor, Saera signs you a good-luck gesture as you turn and enter the caves...
Smon: Guess I'll stop there, 9.56?
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