Monday, December 31, 2007
Evil God List
Happy New Year, all! I've streamlined the evil gods a bit, added some new info to their lists, and found some nifty pictures for them. So without further delay, I present cosmic evil:
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Session 36 Report
Session 36:
Kasper and his entourage faced off against the group. Izaki managed to cut the devil Elsibeth in half, and several others took out a vampire or two. After Rend's explosive return, he gashed Kasper across the gut, spilling a mass of black quills. It wasn't long after that Falst, the Ancient Blight, was reborn. The vampires, harpies and ghost fled, while the group faced off against the outsider.
Through the combined might of the group (and bad rolls), Falst was quickly battered to the point of ineffectiveness. Serren decided to flee while the fleeing was good and, in classic Nailo fashion, rained damage over the enemy as well as his allies before high tailing it into the space between the wall. Despite Falst's best efforts to hinder his flight, Serren used various means to maintain his feather fall. In an unidentified attack, Falst melted one of Serren's ring off as well as Tisiphone's collar. She promptly awoke, thirsty for blood.
Just as the fight looked grim for the newly awakened demonlord, to the point of pity for the quilled giant, the group discovered a terrible truth...
Experience: 2100
Kasper and his entourage faced off against the group. Izaki managed to cut the devil Elsibeth in half, and several others took out a vampire or two. After Rend's explosive return, he gashed Kasper across the gut, spilling a mass of black quills. It wasn't long after that Falst, the Ancient Blight, was reborn. The vampires, harpies and ghost fled, while the group faced off against the outsider.
Through the combined might of the group (and bad rolls), Falst was quickly battered to the point of ineffectiveness. Serren decided to flee while the fleeing was good and, in classic Nailo fashion, rained damage over the enemy as well as his allies before high tailing it into the space between the wall. Despite Falst's best efforts to hinder his flight, Serren used various means to maintain his feather fall. In an unidentified attack, Falst melted one of Serren's ring off as well as Tisiphone's collar. She promptly awoke, thirsty for blood.
Just as the fight looked grim for the newly awakened demonlord, to the point of pity for the quilled giant, the group discovered a terrible truth...
Experience: 2100
Friday, December 21, 2007
Huma Eeryie Top
Here's a quick map to help visualize the scene tonight. Notice the letter column and number row. It'll be a bit like Battleship tonight when everyone begins to move. The squares are each 10 x 10 ft. and those circles are pillars.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Poll #7 Results
What are some trouble spots with the campaign?
Last week's poll inspired some productive conversation! I always welcome dialog on the forum.
I hope in the next few weeks to think up some more good questions. And that gives me a good idea for the next poll-related event...
In the General Discussion forum, post your own poll related to the campaign and we'll all vote. Constructive or crazy, whatever you're feeling.
Last week's poll inspired some productive conversation! I always welcome dialog on the forum.
I hope in the next few weeks to think up some more good questions. And that gives me a good idea for the next poll-related event...
In the General Discussion forum, post your own poll related to the campaign and we'll all vote. Constructive or crazy, whatever you're feeling.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
No Session 12/14
Sorry guys, but I won't be able to make this Friday's session. Get back to me with possible make up dates.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Session 35 Report
Just wanted to welcome out newest player Finduilas, thank our Co-DM, and applaud Izaki for putting D&D before his education.
Session 35:
With the Ice Queen poised to attack Ivristel, Northstar and Ilari sent Tasha and the raptorian cleric Finduilas to retrieve the group. With a vampire named Lectus as their guide (as only vampires can manipulate the Waypoints) they passed into the Tirian woods. Through shadows and shadow children, bad memories and soupy fog, the trio managed through the forest and over the hills to Lastlight...
On the outskirts of town, Sev and Sirocco investigated the old Ministry. If the Minister was destroyed, what would become of his extradimensional base? As they reached for the door, heavy-breathing in the tall grass alerted them to a most shocking creature: a ten foot troll with a massive great sword. His name was Rend, an old friend of Scrin's, come to fulfill a promise. Since Scrin was dead, the troll's allegiance passed to the next arch druid, namely Sev. The goblin welcomed the help, as did Sirocco as he was removing the hinges of the locked Ministry door. With one great kick, Rend booted the door in, though it seemed the shack had reverted back to normal.
Resolved to enter House Huma and vanquish the three Nature marked for defeat (Tisiphone, Kasper and Falst), Sev went to look for the group, Rend in tow and Sirocco leading the way with his keen nose...
Yesenya, Ali and Izaki left the foundry and entered the gold dragon's lair. Coming down the stairs, they found Rees playing chess with a brooding, dark figure. Ali demanded to know the man's identity, and the figure mentioned something about a debt, but things were overshadowed by the tearful reunion of a mother and her child. When the two finally pried themselves apart, Yesenya coyly welcomed the figure as Serren.
During the following hour or so, Yesenya bestowed Izaki with celestial lupin armor. Alisaadi, still quite injured from the foundry and more so mentally drained, was offered a chance to stay with the gold, which she accepted. And as for Serren, deals within deals led to Yesenya promising compensation for the safety of the group during their perils in House Huma.
Sev, Rend and Sirocco met with Izaki and Serren. Tasha, Finduilas and the guide Lectus joined them soon after. When reunions and play was done, two hours were spent puzzling over the perfect plan for entering House Huma. Ideas ranged from magic gift boxes, cursed rings and busting down the door. Lectus cleared his throat and mentioned he might know of a man who could get them into House Huma.
The group followed Lectus through the misty hills and to a river bank where a lone, stilted shack leaned precariously over the water's edge. Lectus went in alone and an hour later returned with a squat creature adorned in rat pelts and carrying a spear twice his size.
Mirkis the Wererat demanded payment for his services. The group offered gold, but even the platinum coins held little wonder to the rat. When Tasha showed him the red demon hide she'd kept from a past battle, Mirkis's eyes lit up. He snatched the payment and stuffed it under his shirt, agreeing to lead them to the secret entrance to House Huma: the shitting pool. Apparently one of the tower sides was designated for harpies and their bird and living allies to defecate. While disgusting to imagine, it was a rarely-monitored area of the tower.
Mirkis leading, the group traveled for a day, over the river and through the foot hills. At dawn the rat needed rest and holed up in a cave, though given enough hours and troll farts, the group was prodded onward. Mirkis took low and secret ditches within the hills to the very edge of the shitting pool, a white-green-gray pond that bubbled and stunk like everybody's business. The pool pressed against the shitting side of the tower, streaked with white, gray and green up its thousand feet.
During this time, the group had to be very stealthy, for House Huma employed many birds with excellent vision, most of which circled the highest eeryies in a dense, cawing cloud. At the tower's edge, the group discussed the best way to go about climbing and entering. Mirkis looked at them funny and began fiddling with one of the tower stones. Eventually it gave, revealing a clawed out tunnel inside. Mirkis passingly mentioned his cousin had once escaped using this way and that before Tisiphone captured and flayed him, he'd been able to share the secret with his kin.
Tasha led the way as the group entered the space between the tower wall, where a nexus of timber and stone supports stretched a thousand feet up, keeping the tower side from crumbling away. Mirkis directed them to climb to the top where there should be another loose stone, however he refused to go himself. When questioned why, his answer was simply that it was too dangerous. However he promised to wait at the bottom until they came back or he had absolute proof they all were dead. Someone had to ask what that confirmation would be, to which the wererat flatly replied "Screaming..."
Whether using flight, magic, or old fashioned climbing techniques, the group made their way up the space between the walls. Thankfully an attack never came, though god knows it was a ripe time for one. At the top they discovered a dead end, Sirocco eventually finding that the loose stone had long been re-mortared and sealed. Serren's investigation of the wall allowed him to "see" what was on the other side, an empty throne room without walls. Rend, begging to break through it, fought the urge as long as he could. When Serren mentioned Tisiphone had entered, the troll blew out the wall in one fell strike.
The fight was on. Tisiphone and the group traded quick words before she summoned a fog cloud. Unable to see their hands in front of their faces, the group was at a loss, breaking thrones and scratching walls. However the natural mountain winds did not allow for the mists to last long, and once cleared the fury was cornered. She proved to be quite elusive, arrogant in her dismissals of their attacks. Worse, she dominated Rend's mind (and right after Finduilas had granted him the added strength of a bull!). Fearful the group might somehow be able to wrestle control of the troll back from her, Tisiphone forced Rend to swan dive off the ledge and a thousand feet down into the shitting pool.
Izaki discovered a new power from Seven Caged Tigers, becoming a weretiger. In the hybrid form he proved the only one able to really hurt the quick, marble-skinned vampire. In an move born of frustration and fury, Tasha tackled the harpy, actually taking her down. Slothy Sev then proceeded to sit on them both. Serren cast a spell that knocked the vampire near-senseless. Sirocco used a shadow-slipping ability to pull Tasha out from under Sev and Tisiphone reverted to gaseous form (lingering close to Sev's giant ass in hopes of disguising herself). Before she could get wind born, Serren cast another spell which sent the vampire into unconsciousness. She reverted back to flesh and the mage leaped onto her, fastening a collar around her neck and then knocking her even more senseless.
Experience: 2000
Session 35:
With the Ice Queen poised to attack Ivristel, Northstar and Ilari sent Tasha and the raptorian cleric Finduilas to retrieve the group. With a vampire named Lectus as their guide (as only vampires can manipulate the Waypoints) they passed into the Tirian woods. Through shadows and shadow children, bad memories and soupy fog, the trio managed through the forest and over the hills to Lastlight...
On the outskirts of town, Sev and Sirocco investigated the old Ministry. If the Minister was destroyed, what would become of his extradimensional base? As they reached for the door, heavy-breathing in the tall grass alerted them to a most shocking creature: a ten foot troll with a massive great sword. His name was Rend, an old friend of Scrin's, come to fulfill a promise. Since Scrin was dead, the troll's allegiance passed to the next arch druid, namely Sev. The goblin welcomed the help, as did Sirocco as he was removing the hinges of the locked Ministry door. With one great kick, Rend booted the door in, though it seemed the shack had reverted back to normal.
Resolved to enter House Huma and vanquish the three Nature marked for defeat (Tisiphone, Kasper and Falst), Sev went to look for the group, Rend in tow and Sirocco leading the way with his keen nose...
Yesenya, Ali and Izaki left the foundry and entered the gold dragon's lair. Coming down the stairs, they found Rees playing chess with a brooding, dark figure. Ali demanded to know the man's identity, and the figure mentioned something about a debt, but things were overshadowed by the tearful reunion of a mother and her child. When the two finally pried themselves apart, Yesenya coyly welcomed the figure as Serren.
During the following hour or so, Yesenya bestowed Izaki with celestial lupin armor. Alisaadi, still quite injured from the foundry and more so mentally drained, was offered a chance to stay with the gold, which she accepted. And as for Serren, deals within deals led to Yesenya promising compensation for the safety of the group during their perils in House Huma.
Sev, Rend and Sirocco met with Izaki and Serren. Tasha, Finduilas and the guide Lectus joined them soon after. When reunions and play was done, two hours were spent puzzling over the perfect plan for entering House Huma. Ideas ranged from magic gift boxes, cursed rings and busting down the door. Lectus cleared his throat and mentioned he might know of a man who could get them into House Huma.
The group followed Lectus through the misty hills and to a river bank where a lone, stilted shack leaned precariously over the water's edge. Lectus went in alone and an hour later returned with a squat creature adorned in rat pelts and carrying a spear twice his size.
Mirkis the Wererat demanded payment for his services. The group offered gold, but even the platinum coins held little wonder to the rat. When Tasha showed him the red demon hide she'd kept from a past battle, Mirkis's eyes lit up. He snatched the payment and stuffed it under his shirt, agreeing to lead them to the secret entrance to House Huma: the shitting pool. Apparently one of the tower sides was designated for harpies and their bird and living allies to defecate. While disgusting to imagine, it was a rarely-monitored area of the tower.
Mirkis leading, the group traveled for a day, over the river and through the foot hills. At dawn the rat needed rest and holed up in a cave, though given enough hours and troll farts, the group was prodded onward. Mirkis took low and secret ditches within the hills to the very edge of the shitting pool, a white-green-gray pond that bubbled and stunk like everybody's business. The pool pressed against the shitting side of the tower, streaked with white, gray and green up its thousand feet.
During this time, the group had to be very stealthy, for House Huma employed many birds with excellent vision, most of which circled the highest eeryies in a dense, cawing cloud. At the tower's edge, the group discussed the best way to go about climbing and entering. Mirkis looked at them funny and began fiddling with one of the tower stones. Eventually it gave, revealing a clawed out tunnel inside. Mirkis passingly mentioned his cousin had once escaped using this way and that before Tisiphone captured and flayed him, he'd been able to share the secret with his kin.
Tasha led the way as the group entered the space between the tower wall, where a nexus of timber and stone supports stretched a thousand feet up, keeping the tower side from crumbling away. Mirkis directed them to climb to the top where there should be another loose stone, however he refused to go himself. When questioned why, his answer was simply that it was too dangerous. However he promised to wait at the bottom until they came back or he had absolute proof they all were dead. Someone had to ask what that confirmation would be, to which the wererat flatly replied "Screaming..."
Whether using flight, magic, or old fashioned climbing techniques, the group made their way up the space between the walls. Thankfully an attack never came, though god knows it was a ripe time for one. At the top they discovered a dead end, Sirocco eventually finding that the loose stone had long been re-mortared and sealed. Serren's investigation of the wall allowed him to "see" what was on the other side, an empty throne room without walls. Rend, begging to break through it, fought the urge as long as he could. When Serren mentioned Tisiphone had entered, the troll blew out the wall in one fell strike.
The fight was on. Tisiphone and the group traded quick words before she summoned a fog cloud. Unable to see their hands in front of their faces, the group was at a loss, breaking thrones and scratching walls. However the natural mountain winds did not allow for the mists to last long, and once cleared the fury was cornered. She proved to be quite elusive, arrogant in her dismissals of their attacks. Worse, she dominated Rend's mind (and right after Finduilas had granted him the added strength of a bull!). Fearful the group might somehow be able to wrestle control of the troll back from her, Tisiphone forced Rend to swan dive off the ledge and a thousand feet down into the shitting pool.
Izaki discovered a new power from Seven Caged Tigers, becoming a weretiger. In the hybrid form he proved the only one able to really hurt the quick, marble-skinned vampire. In an move born of frustration and fury, Tasha tackled the harpy, actually taking her down. Slothy Sev then proceeded to sit on them both. Serren cast a spell that knocked the vampire near-senseless. Sirocco used a shadow-slipping ability to pull Tasha out from under Sev and Tisiphone reverted to gaseous form (lingering close to Sev's giant ass in hopes of disguising herself). Before she could get wind born, Serren cast another spell which sent the vampire into unconsciousness. She reverted back to flesh and the mage leaped onto her, fastening a collar around her neck and then knocking her even more senseless.
Tasha goads, "Goin to go have at it wit the harpy vampire?"
Izaki, by now having shifted back to regular human, is looking around the room and at himself entirely confused as to what the hell just happened to him.
Serren shrugs. "It's not a perfect control device. I'm taking her for questioning. I'll be back shortly." He adds, "We can also find out Kasper's plans and where he's at as well"
Serren puts any of Tisiphone's entrails back into her so she can heal.
Tasha smirks. "Right..."
A cold voice on the wing retorts, "No need to wander far..."
Tasha jumps to her feet and draws her axe and shield. Sirocco readies his bow.
Kasper and ten vampires swoop in. "And I'd appreciate if you put my future queen down."
Experience: 2000
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Othyr
Here's a quick map of the continent of Othyr to give an idea of how the seven lands are linked.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Session 34 Report
Session 34:
After Nailo's threat, the imps backed down, returning to their tables, and Firnod lowered his sword and backed into a corner, not wanting to die. Tazjaree smiled, peered through the magical darkness and winked at Nailo, promising to see the group again, then teleporting out. The darkness still up, Nailo and the group traded words, just before the imps started to cackle like mad. The overpowering smells of food, perfume and unwashed flesh filled the room. Dante slipped back into invisibility and welcomed the Minister, whose cruel, quivering tone indicated he did not come for tea. He scolded them for using their free reign of his lands to shut down his gold mining operation- one that was used to fund operations against Falst and his icy sister Shalraza- and kill their would-be devil allies in the impending fight with the demon lord. The group had betrayed him and for that he was going to make them suffer.
Dante shouted he was never his pawn, that the Minister was worse than the vampires and that he himself planned to rule the land. The devil quickly bound the group with magic far beyond their means to break. Rendered powerless, Ali, Izaki, Dante and Nailo could only listen as the Minister's massive bulk shift in the blackness, feel the trembling of his steps, and maybe worst of all smell his sour stench as he passed near them. He offered the group an ultimatum: forfeit their souls and wear a slave ring, or die. The group refused.
Despite being held and hindered from talking, everyone still think and, unfortunately for Nailo, the Minister could read minds. He lumbered over to the shadow lord and tore off his arm. The group was forced to listen as the devil savored the limb, only imagining what obscenities the shadows hid. Then he moved to Dante, who barraged the devil with heated thoughts. At first he dislocated the dhamphir's limb, then tore it off at the shoulder, a whip of blood hitting Ali and Izaki in the face. As the devil swallowed the arm whole, tears streamed down the dragon shaman's cheeks, irresistible nectar to a devil. Without the normal noisy approach, the Minister manifested right behind Ali, breathing down her neck and giving it a lick. As he wrapped his hand around her arm and promised sweet pain, the wall exploded...
Sev fought against the webs, with the aid of Sirocco managing to get himself free. The golem, meanwhile, pounded against the wall, apparently wanting to get through to where the majority of the intruders were. It was then the two goblins noticed a small, sparking hole at the base of the golem's neck, perhaps a point of malfunction. They allowed the machine man to break through most of the wall before Sev conjured some water into the sparking hole. The iron golem went insane, spasming, spinning and crashing around the room as it entered its robotic death throws. The goblins managed to avoid the backlash and watched as the golem crashed the the floor and went still. Sirocco commented on how they should teach the moves to a bard, as they'd be a big hit, to which Sev agreed the golem should be kept as a learning tool. Together they tore off the golem's arm and broke through the wall...
Distracted, the Minister released his magic hold on the group and the darkness was banished by the light of the previous room. The silhouettes of a goblin with a bow and a giant sloth were most-welcomed sights. However the true form of the Minister was also revealed, a twenty foot fiend of disgustingly unimaginable obesity, riddled with stretch marks and skin tags. Two heavy black leather wings acted as a cloak over his hunched frame. Within his bald, bunched and quadruple-chinned head was a tiny, pinched face with black beady eyes, black lips and rows of shark's teeth.
To escape the devil's grip, Ali cut off her own arm with a powerful swipe of her claw, and the group moved to attack. However the devil was quicker, enhancing his already terrible appearance to the point of panicked insanity. All but Nailo and Alisaadi fell to it, running out like maniacs in their hysteria. Ali healed her arm through her draconic powers, while Nailo launched a shadow bolt that fell far from where he'd aimed it (the devil's two skulls and short sword). The devil cackled with amusement, then bathed himself in a fireball which spread outward and consumed the entire room. Everyone was burned to some degree or another, Dante falling unconscious through the combined trauma of his missing arm and the burns. The devil follows up by speaking words so profane it made the mortals' ears bleed and sunk the entire hall into an unholy aura.
Nailo grabbed Ali and whispered something, casting an angry and defeated look over the dragon shaman as she fled with the shadow lord. The Minister launched a fireball after them, which burned Nailo nearly to a crisp. Still, they managed to reach the previous chamber. Before passing out of sight, Alisaadi said a heart-felt prayer to the gold dragon, begging for everyone's lives.
A brilliant crack formed along the gold casing of the dragon, its light returning the group to their senses.
Sadly, the Minister's last fireball had other effects...
Thus ended Dante of Saspien...
Sirocco and Izaki try their best to strike the devil, but to no avail, while Sev accused the fiend of double crossing him.
The gold dragon shook the casing from her and stretched her wings in all her brilliance. The group couldn't help but bow in awe and she quickly assumed the shape of a beautiful elf with gold and white armor. Sev introduced himself and she thanked him for freeing her, though he admitted it wasn't him but his friends. She nodded and together they moved for the foundry exit. On the way, Yesenya, as Alisaadi had called the dragon, shrunk and packaged the iron golem in a gift box of holding for the arch druid.
They made their way to the bee furnace chamber, where Alisaadi and Nailo were surrounded and about to be made bloated pin cushions. Yesenya stepped forward and breathed a sentient gold fire, snaking through the air and killing all two hundred infernal insects. As Alisaadi introduced herself, Yesenya startled and enchanted Nailo with an infant's intelligence. As he dropped to the floor gurgling, she explained he had the mark of the dragon god and was an enemy of all things. Ali explained she had made a pact with Nailo and that she had to go with him, though she offered her locket to be given to Rees. Yesenya took the object and tried to persuade Ali to change her mind, but the woman was set.
Yesenya returned Nailo to his normal intelligence and warned him never to return to her lands. Angrily, the shadow lord lunged for the gold dragon, while the group restrained him. When Sirocco knocked him in the jewels, he doubled over, but quickly retaliated by spewing acid at the sniper. Having had enough, Yesenya acted:
Thus ended Nailo the Shadow Lord...
Yesenya found her unconscious husband and carried him out, asking for someone to please bring her to her daughter. Alisaadi, with Izaki following, led her to the memorial behind the Powers manor, while Sev and Sirocco lingered outside of town, the arch druid thinking hard...
(Just as a side note, there was a lot of arm ripping this session...)
After Nailo's threat, the imps backed down, returning to their tables, and Firnod lowered his sword and backed into a corner, not wanting to die. Tazjaree smiled, peered through the magical darkness and winked at Nailo, promising to see the group again, then teleporting out. The darkness still up, Nailo and the group traded words, just before the imps started to cackle like mad. The overpowering smells of food, perfume and unwashed flesh filled the room. Dante slipped back into invisibility and welcomed the Minister, whose cruel, quivering tone indicated he did not come for tea. He scolded them for using their free reign of his lands to shut down his gold mining operation- one that was used to fund operations against Falst and his icy sister Shalraza- and kill their would-be devil allies in the impending fight with the demon lord. The group had betrayed him and for that he was going to make them suffer.
Dante shouted he was never his pawn, that the Minister was worse than the vampires and that he himself planned to rule the land. The devil quickly bound the group with magic far beyond their means to break. Rendered powerless, Ali, Izaki, Dante and Nailo could only listen as the Minister's massive bulk shift in the blackness, feel the trembling of his steps, and maybe worst of all smell his sour stench as he passed near them. He offered the group an ultimatum: forfeit their souls and wear a slave ring, or die. The group refused.
Despite being held and hindered from talking, everyone still think and, unfortunately for Nailo, the Minister could read minds. He lumbered over to the shadow lord and tore off his arm. The group was forced to listen as the devil savored the limb, only imagining what obscenities the shadows hid. Then he moved to Dante, who barraged the devil with heated thoughts. At first he dislocated the dhamphir's limb, then tore it off at the shoulder, a whip of blood hitting Ali and Izaki in the face. As the devil swallowed the arm whole, tears streamed down the dragon shaman's cheeks, irresistible nectar to a devil. Without the normal noisy approach, the Minister manifested right behind Ali, breathing down her neck and giving it a lick. As he wrapped his hand around her arm and promised sweet pain, the wall exploded...
Sev fought against the webs, with the aid of Sirocco managing to get himself free. The golem, meanwhile, pounded against the wall, apparently wanting to get through to where the majority of the intruders were. It was then the two goblins noticed a small, sparking hole at the base of the golem's neck, perhaps a point of malfunction. They allowed the machine man to break through most of the wall before Sev conjured some water into the sparking hole. The iron golem went insane, spasming, spinning and crashing around the room as it entered its robotic death throws. The goblins managed to avoid the backlash and watched as the golem crashed the the floor and went still. Sirocco commented on how they should teach the moves to a bard, as they'd be a big hit, to which Sev agreed the golem should be kept as a learning tool. Together they tore off the golem's arm and broke through the wall...
Distracted, the Minister released his magic hold on the group and the darkness was banished by the light of the previous room. The silhouettes of a goblin with a bow and a giant sloth were most-welcomed sights. However the true form of the Minister was also revealed, a twenty foot fiend of disgustingly unimaginable obesity, riddled with stretch marks and skin tags. Two heavy black leather wings acted as a cloak over his hunched frame. Within his bald, bunched and quadruple-chinned head was a tiny, pinched face with black beady eyes, black lips and rows of shark's teeth.
To escape the devil's grip, Ali cut off her own arm with a powerful swipe of her claw, and the group moved to attack. However the devil was quicker, enhancing his already terrible appearance to the point of panicked insanity. All but Nailo and Alisaadi fell to it, running out like maniacs in their hysteria. Ali healed her arm through her draconic powers, while Nailo launched a shadow bolt that fell far from where he'd aimed it (the devil's two skulls and short sword). The devil cackled with amusement, then bathed himself in a fireball which spread outward and consumed the entire room. Everyone was burned to some degree or another, Dante falling unconscious through the combined trauma of his missing arm and the burns. The devil follows up by speaking words so profane it made the mortals' ears bleed and sunk the entire hall into an unholy aura.
Alisaadi whimpers as she backs up more, looking up at the golden dragon above and remembering something. She clenches her claw tightly and looks at the Minister. "You can never destroy my hope!" She takes a deep breath and unleashes a breath of acid at the devil.
He doesn't bother dodging, opening his arms and taking the paltry damage. It seems most of the acid didn't even burn him. He sneers, peering into Ali's eyes. "I'll spend years discovering your flesh..."
Nailo grabbed Ali and whispered something, casting an angry and defeated look over the dragon shaman as she fled with the shadow lord. The Minister launched a fireball after them, which burned Nailo nearly to a crisp. Still, they managed to reach the previous chamber. Before passing out of sight, Alisaadi said a heart-felt prayer to the gold dragon, begging for everyone's lives.
A brilliant crack formed along the gold casing of the dragon, its light returning the group to their senses.
Sadly, the Minister's last fireball had other effects...
As the flames lick Nailo and Alisaadi, they also wash over the unconscious body of nearby Dante. In an echoing scream, the dhamphir explodes into dozens of bats which each take a piece of his soul to hell. All that remains of him is a greasy black smear.
Thus ended Dante of Saspien...
Sirocco and Izaki try their best to strike the devil, but to no avail, while Sev accused the fiend of double crossing him.
Sev growls shaking the soot off himself, fresh fur has already grown. He scowls at the Minister. "We...had..a...DEAL!" He screams it out. "Perhaps I should go work for someone with someone who wont double cross me..."
"Dare speak of double cross? You brought this on yourselves. I wanted you to take out Kasper and the demon lord, not my gold mines and the devils that were to reinforce you during the battle!"
"Then end this now. Give us a real chance." Sev waves his hand dismissively. "You already killed one of our own"
The cracks along the gold dragon's body become more numerous and shine even more light. The Minister seems particularly perturbed by the cracking dragon.
Sev smiles slightly, glancing up at the dragon. "Leave now and I will talk with this one."
"She's dead. Your little shaman is just trying to scare me, heh, ME, the master of fear..."
The dragon emits a low rumbling, a burning, gravelly growl.
Sev shrugs smiling. "So was Nailo."
Sirocco adds, "I thought you were the master of Gluttony..."
"I'm the MASTER of it all!" He laughs, opening his arms and gathering dark energy for his biggest fireball yet.
THUD! The gold dragon's foot stomps on the devil, smearing him into paste. The whole complex shakes.
The gold dragon shook the casing from her and stretched her wings in all her brilliance. The group couldn't help but bow in awe and she quickly assumed the shape of a beautiful elf with gold and white armor. Sev introduced himself and she thanked him for freeing her, though he admitted it wasn't him but his friends. She nodded and together they moved for the foundry exit. On the way, Yesenya, as Alisaadi had called the dragon, shrunk and packaged the iron golem in a gift box of holding for the arch druid.
They made their way to the bee furnace chamber, where Alisaadi and Nailo were surrounded and about to be made bloated pin cushions. Yesenya stepped forward and breathed a sentient gold fire, snaking through the air and killing all two hundred infernal insects. As Alisaadi introduced herself, Yesenya startled and enchanted Nailo with an infant's intelligence. As he dropped to the floor gurgling, she explained he had the mark of the dragon god and was an enemy of all things. Ali explained she had made a pact with Nailo and that she had to go with him, though she offered her locket to be given to Rees. Yesenya took the object and tried to persuade Ali to change her mind, but the woman was set.
Yesenya returned Nailo to his normal intelligence and warned him never to return to her lands. Angrily, the shadow lord lunged for the gold dragon, while the group restrained him. When Sirocco knocked him in the jewels, he doubled over, but quickly retaliated by spewing acid at the sniper. Having had enough, Yesenya acted:
Golden seeking flame strikes Nailo from every angle, boiling his flesh, crumbling his bones to char, bursting every organ and evaporating his blood. His remnants blow away in the foundry winds.
Thus ended Nailo the Shadow Lord...
Yesenya found her unconscious husband and carried him out, asking for someone to please bring her to her daughter. Alisaadi, with Izaki following, led her to the memorial behind the Powers manor, while Sev and Sirocco lingered outside of town, the arch druid thinking hard...
(Just as a side note, there was a lot of arm ripping this session...)
Poll #6 Results
And the question of the week:
What would you rate the campaign? (by movie rating standards)
And for once in the blog's history the vote was unanimous.
R - Restricted
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. (age may be 18 in some states)
What would you rate the campaign? (by movie rating standards)
And for once in the blog's history the vote was unanimous.
R - Restricted
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. (age may be 18 in some states)
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Session 33 Report
Forgot to post this!
Session 33:
Rees ran sobbing into the vineyards behind her house, while Alisaadi called out apologies and chased after. Rees collapsed before a huge, white marble statue of an elven woman reaching heavenward. Ali rightly guessed it was a memorial to Rees's late mother, with a golden plaque engraved in Draconic:
She asked if Alisaadi wanted to know a secret, one her father told her to only share with those she trusted most dearly. She activated a secret means of sliding back the statue and accessed a white, marble staircase leading into the earth. The two entered. As Rees hummed old songs her mother used to sing her, gold ore veins in the walls began glowing brightly. At the bottom, white crystals burst into light across the ceiling and revealed a sprawling cavern. From the looks of it, and Ali was something of an expert on this topic, the cavern appeared to be an old dragon lair.
Ali thanked the little girl dearly for sharing her secret hideaway and Rees admitted her last secret, that the lair once belonged to her mother Yesenya. The little girl revealed her true half-dragon form, her skin turning to fine, golden scale and her freckles becoming diamonds. Alisaadi bowed before her. They talked of mutual dragon acquaintances, after which Rees begged Ali go and investigate her father's disappearance, as she trusted her more than two, smelly men. The shaman agreed, making the girl promise she would stay safe and hidden.
Dante and Izaki confronted the old priests about the blood pooled under the golden statue. The old priests asked that it be forgotten, as they too were allies of the Minister. Before they offered anything more, Alisaadi kicked the church doors in and demanded the priests tell her where Firnod Powers was hidden.
Even as the shaman accused the three men of being unfit to worship Raya, the priests tore off their Rayan robes to reveal golden vestments and mirror masks. They were indeed faithful priests of the goddess, just not Raya. The golden idol and their true mistress was the dark goddess Pride, otherwise known as Superbia. They'd been keeping the people of Lastlight fooled and docile for generations.
Dante first sought to calm Alisaadi with his gaze, but her rage was far too great. With news that Firnod was to be sacrificed, the fight was on. Alisaadi bathed the high priest in acid and Dante finished the job, killing the ancient man before he'd even a chance to act. Izaki practically killed the second priest with a single blow and the third priest quickly surrendered.
Izaki spared the old man and Alisaadi questioned him harshly, gleaning that below the church was a foundry run by devils, with a creature known as Tazjaree overseeing. Just as the Minister was a devil directly inspired by Gula, Tazjaree was a devil of Superbia. Having gotten all she could out of him, Ali let the frightened villain hobble away.
The three of them proceeded down the blood streaked stairs and into the devils' foundry...
Miles and miles away, Sirocco kept a vigilant watch over camp. When he heard footsteps, the goblin went to wake Sev, but was suddenly taken over by powerful magic and forced to step away and remove his bow. A decrepit goblin woman with iron teeth and a rickety bow stepped into the clearing, but with the voice of the Creature of the Crossroads. It didn't think their last encounter at the road signs was fair and wanted another challenge. Sirocco regained control of his body and a target sprung out of the ground thirty yards back. The creature took aim and fired, only to miss... Sirocco struck it easily. The creature grew annoyed and the target sprouted legs, bounding here and there. Sirocco was given the first go and he nailed it like it was nothing. Furious, the creature howled and the target sprouted wings, flapping erratically across the sky. Sirocco trained his bow for the third time and pierced the target's heart. It fell dead while the creature fumed, stomping and cursing. As the tantrum raged, the creature's voice grew tinier and its physical form shrunk, smaller and smaller until it zapped out of existence.
Now any person in a normal sleep would have been woken by such an event, but Sev had entered a natural repose and was contacted by his elemental guide Stirba. She informed him of how things were going in the North and what had to be done to ensure the West did not suffer a similar fate. Three deaths were called for, though it pained Stirba to ask her arch druid to become a death dealer. The greatest adversary in the West was the demon lord Falst, who, if given enough time, would grow in might equal to the Ice Queen. However, he was still weak from his release and could be killed, if Sev and his friends acted quickly. In order to reach him, however, Sev would need to defeat Falst's two able guardians and allies. One Sev had already met, the would-be vampire king Kasper, emboldened by the swords of his father and demonic resources. The other was Tisiphone Huma, who had killed her sisters and taken control of House Huma. She currently harbored her compatriots in House Huma, a well-fortified eyrie. Stirba thanked Sev for doing what need to be done to preserve the world and the goblin awoke.
The green pair made their way across the hills at daybreak and by dusk entered Lastlight, only to find it boarded up for the night. Fox as their guide, they found the Ministry well enough, though the animal absolutely refused to enter. The goblins knocked and entered, though, passing through a veil of infernal shadow...
Nailo returned to the pool where he'd spoken to Daithrak, Taras sleepily following afterward. An off comment led to Taras revealing a little secret he'd been keeping from his master (or his human familiar if you happened to ask him). Shadow stuff billowed around him and he took on the form of a pale, creepy six year old human, with a black bowl haircut and a gray school uniform. Nailo wasn't very impressed, provoking the shadow wyrmling into moving off to the side and experiment with untold number of hair styles and outfits. Ultimately Taras kept his little antichrist appearance.
The large black dragon Graeme returned, spitting out what was left of Linai onto the ground, nothing much more than some gnawed upon bones and scraps of hair and flesh. He apologized for the lack of stuff, but the animals had gotten to her. Daithrak rose from the marsh and she and Nailo finalized their arrangements involving kidnapping and cloning...
Alisaadi, Izaki and Dante took the blood-streaked stairs into a mine shaft. It opened up into a large cavern containing a massive furnace and hundreds of infernal bee workers. With the door into the next chamber clearly in sight, Dante became invisible and threw a few levers and switches along the furnace, throwing the place into chaos as the furnace went out and steam billowed. Ali, Izaki and eventually Dante made it into the adjacent passage. The next room was a mold library, with massive iron molds in the likenesses of monolithic limbs, mighty gears, pillars, statues and huge metal friezes. An iron golem activated and chased them out of the room, actually pounding down the walls once they slipped through a passage too small for it to follow.
The boom, boom, boom of iron fists tearing down the foundry behind them, the trio entered the pouring room. There they found Aeryn, bound to a mold, half-covered in molten gold so that her upper body was perfectly preserved, while the rest of her had melted away into a soupy, flesh-blood mess. Firnod, bound to another mold and about to be similarly done away with, screamed for help. The three took care of the fire devil overseer and freed the elf lord. Ali gave him her sword Smirk to use as they continued on. They passed a through a cooling and degating room unnoticed, then fought two sand devils in the blasting room, finally coming to the end of the devil's foundry: the finishing room.
A long, high-ceilinged great hall, the finishing room had two long wooden tables running the length of either side wall, occupied by sixty imps working on finishing details and the smaller machinery for the die cuts. But the dominant feature and the one that provoked Alisaadi out of stealth and into a dragon's rage was the sight of the gargantuan gold dragon smothered in hardened gold casing, who Ali immediately recognized as Rees's mother Yesenya. She burst into the room, despite Dante's desire for some secrecy, and demanded to know who killed the elder dragon. That's when Ali noticed what Izaki and Dante had seen all along, the devil lounging along the dragon's neck. She looked like a statue of a human made entirely of gold with great bat wings and a scorpion tail. This was Tazjaree whom the old priest had spoken of. She seemed most pleased with how upset the dragon shaman had gotten and before long another battle began...
Sev and Sirocco met with the Minister in all his gross glory, the arch druid even offering him one of the Hound's teeth as a gift of good will. He accepted gleefully and gave Sev a ring in turn, one that if turned at exactly the right moment would summon infernal aid. He insisted the goblin put it on and seemed most pleased when he did so. While the two hammered out the simple deal of agreeing to help each other destroy Falst and Kasper, Sirocco was chased up a pillar by the hungry, hungry whores who moaned for his little green bod. Business complete, they left, all too happy to be out of the sinister abode...
Nailo and Taras made their way toward Lastlight, where Daithrak's chosen quarry lived, reaching it by nightfall. On the ground, they encountered Sev and Sirocco. After some quick catch up and introductions, Nailo, Sev and Sirocco, with Taras and Fox behind them, made for the Church looking to reunite the group. Finding three dead priests and a broken altar was a good indication they'd been that way and the shadow lord, arch druid and desert sniper descended into the foundry.
They passed to the brink of a passage where hundreds of devilish giant bees toiled in rekindling a massive furnace. So preoccupied, the group stealthily bypassed them, making it to another passage. Despite it being blocked off by tons of fallen rock, the arch druid summoned a fiery worm which bore through the obstruction in under a minute. They entered room after ruined room, each having a huge hole broken through the wall. They also heard faint booming, eventually meeting the boomer. The iron golem turned and attacked the new intruders. Nailo webbed it next to slothy Sev and fled into the finishing room, while Sirocco and Sev fought on...
The battle was at a stand still, Tazjaree and Dante trading blow for devastating blow in mid air, while Ali and Izaki killed slews of imps that entered their range. Suddenly the room filled with magic darkness and shook with a dragon roar. Nailo demanded everyone cease the pointless fighting, as they were all allies against the demon lord Falst. If they didn't stop, he'd kill them, and his voice sounded venomously sincere.
Session 33:
Rees ran sobbing into the vineyards behind her house, while Alisaadi called out apologies and chased after. Rees collapsed before a huge, white marble statue of an elven woman reaching heavenward. Ali rightly guessed it was a memorial to Rees's late mother, with a golden plaque engraved in Draconic:
Here my golden beauty once slept.Rees and Ali made peace and the girl admitted she only got upset because of how much the shaman reminded her of her mother.
She asked if Alisaadi wanted to know a secret, one her father told her to only share with those she trusted most dearly. She activated a secret means of sliding back the statue and accessed a white, marble staircase leading into the earth. The two entered. As Rees hummed old songs her mother used to sing her, gold ore veins in the walls began glowing brightly. At the bottom, white crystals burst into light across the ceiling and revealed a sprawling cavern. From the looks of it, and Ali was something of an expert on this topic, the cavern appeared to be an old dragon lair.
Ali thanked the little girl dearly for sharing her secret hideaway and Rees admitted her last secret, that the lair once belonged to her mother Yesenya. The little girl revealed her true half-dragon form, her skin turning to fine, golden scale and her freckles becoming diamonds. Alisaadi bowed before her. They talked of mutual dragon acquaintances, after which Rees begged Ali go and investigate her father's disappearance, as she trusted her more than two, smelly men. The shaman agreed, making the girl promise she would stay safe and hidden.
Dante and Izaki confronted the old priests about the blood pooled under the golden statue. The old priests asked that it be forgotten, as they too were allies of the Minister. Before they offered anything more, Alisaadi kicked the church doors in and demanded the priests tell her where Firnod Powers was hidden.
Even as the shaman accused the three men of being unfit to worship Raya, the priests tore off their Rayan robes to reveal golden vestments and mirror masks. They were indeed faithful priests of the goddess, just not Raya. The golden idol and their true mistress was the dark goddess Pride, otherwise known as Superbia. They'd been keeping the people of Lastlight fooled and docile for generations.
Dante first sought to calm Alisaadi with his gaze, but her rage was far too great. With news that Firnod was to be sacrificed, the fight was on. Alisaadi bathed the high priest in acid and Dante finished the job, killing the ancient man before he'd even a chance to act. Izaki practically killed the second priest with a single blow and the third priest quickly surrendered.
Izaki spared the old man and Alisaadi questioned him harshly, gleaning that below the church was a foundry run by devils, with a creature known as Tazjaree overseeing. Just as the Minister was a devil directly inspired by Gula, Tazjaree was a devil of Superbia. Having gotten all she could out of him, Ali let the frightened villain hobble away.
The three of them proceeded down the blood streaked stairs and into the devils' foundry...
Miles and miles away, Sirocco kept a vigilant watch over camp. When he heard footsteps, the goblin went to wake Sev, but was suddenly taken over by powerful magic and forced to step away and remove his bow. A decrepit goblin woman with iron teeth and a rickety bow stepped into the clearing, but with the voice of the Creature of the Crossroads. It didn't think their last encounter at the road signs was fair and wanted another challenge. Sirocco regained control of his body and a target sprung out of the ground thirty yards back. The creature took aim and fired, only to miss... Sirocco struck it easily. The creature grew annoyed and the target sprouted legs, bounding here and there. Sirocco was given the first go and he nailed it like it was nothing. Furious, the creature howled and the target sprouted wings, flapping erratically across the sky. Sirocco trained his bow for the third time and pierced the target's heart. It fell dead while the creature fumed, stomping and cursing. As the tantrum raged, the creature's voice grew tinier and its physical form shrunk, smaller and smaller until it zapped out of existence.
Now any person in a normal sleep would have been woken by such an event, but Sev had entered a natural repose and was contacted by his elemental guide Stirba. She informed him of how things were going in the North and what had to be done to ensure the West did not suffer a similar fate. Three deaths were called for, though it pained Stirba to ask her arch druid to become a death dealer. The greatest adversary in the West was the demon lord Falst, who, if given enough time, would grow in might equal to the Ice Queen. However, he was still weak from his release and could be killed, if Sev and his friends acted quickly. In order to reach him, however, Sev would need to defeat Falst's two able guardians and allies. One Sev had already met, the would-be vampire king Kasper, emboldened by the swords of his father and demonic resources. The other was Tisiphone Huma, who had killed her sisters and taken control of House Huma. She currently harbored her compatriots in House Huma, a well-fortified eyrie. Stirba thanked Sev for doing what need to be done to preserve the world and the goblin awoke.
The green pair made their way across the hills at daybreak and by dusk entered Lastlight, only to find it boarded up for the night. Fox as their guide, they found the Ministry well enough, though the animal absolutely refused to enter. The goblins knocked and entered, though, passing through a veil of infernal shadow...
Nailo returned to the pool where he'd spoken to Daithrak, Taras sleepily following afterward. An off comment led to Taras revealing a little secret he'd been keeping from his master (or his human familiar if you happened to ask him). Shadow stuff billowed around him and he took on the form of a pale, creepy six year old human, with a black bowl haircut and a gray school uniform. Nailo wasn't very impressed, provoking the shadow wyrmling into moving off to the side and experiment with untold number of hair styles and outfits. Ultimately Taras kept his little antichrist appearance.
The large black dragon Graeme returned, spitting out what was left of Linai onto the ground, nothing much more than some gnawed upon bones and scraps of hair and flesh. He apologized for the lack of stuff, but the animals had gotten to her. Daithrak rose from the marsh and she and Nailo finalized their arrangements involving kidnapping and cloning...
Alisaadi, Izaki and Dante took the blood-streaked stairs into a mine shaft. It opened up into a large cavern containing a massive furnace and hundreds of infernal bee workers. With the door into the next chamber clearly in sight, Dante became invisible and threw a few levers and switches along the furnace, throwing the place into chaos as the furnace went out and steam billowed. Ali, Izaki and eventually Dante made it into the adjacent passage. The next room was a mold library, with massive iron molds in the likenesses of monolithic limbs, mighty gears, pillars, statues and huge metal friezes. An iron golem activated and chased them out of the room, actually pounding down the walls once they slipped through a passage too small for it to follow.
The boom, boom, boom of iron fists tearing down the foundry behind them, the trio entered the pouring room. There they found Aeryn, bound to a mold, half-covered in molten gold so that her upper body was perfectly preserved, while the rest of her had melted away into a soupy, flesh-blood mess. Firnod, bound to another mold and about to be similarly done away with, screamed for help. The three took care of the fire devil overseer and freed the elf lord. Ali gave him her sword Smirk to use as they continued on. They passed a through a cooling and degating room unnoticed, then fought two sand devils in the blasting room, finally coming to the end of the devil's foundry: the finishing room.
A long, high-ceilinged great hall, the finishing room had two long wooden tables running the length of either side wall, occupied by sixty imps working on finishing details and the smaller machinery for the die cuts. But the dominant feature and the one that provoked Alisaadi out of stealth and into a dragon's rage was the sight of the gargantuan gold dragon smothered in hardened gold casing, who Ali immediately recognized as Rees's mother Yesenya. She burst into the room, despite Dante's desire for some secrecy, and demanded to know who killed the elder dragon. That's when Ali noticed what Izaki and Dante had seen all along, the devil lounging along the dragon's neck. She looked like a statue of a human made entirely of gold with great bat wings and a scorpion tail. This was Tazjaree whom the old priest had spoken of. She seemed most pleased with how upset the dragon shaman had gotten and before long another battle began...
Sev and Sirocco met with the Minister in all his gross glory, the arch druid even offering him one of the Hound's teeth as a gift of good will. He accepted gleefully and gave Sev a ring in turn, one that if turned at exactly the right moment would summon infernal aid. He insisted the goblin put it on and seemed most pleased when he did so. While the two hammered out the simple deal of agreeing to help each other destroy Falst and Kasper, Sirocco was chased up a pillar by the hungry, hungry whores who moaned for his little green bod. Business complete, they left, all too happy to be out of the sinister abode...
Nailo and Taras made their way toward Lastlight, where Daithrak's chosen quarry lived, reaching it by nightfall. On the ground, they encountered Sev and Sirocco. After some quick catch up and introductions, Nailo, Sev and Sirocco, with Taras and Fox behind them, made for the Church looking to reunite the group. Finding three dead priests and a broken altar was a good indication they'd been that way and the shadow lord, arch druid and desert sniper descended into the foundry.
They passed to the brink of a passage where hundreds of devilish giant bees toiled in rekindling a massive furnace. So preoccupied, the group stealthily bypassed them, making it to another passage. Despite it being blocked off by tons of fallen rock, the arch druid summoned a fiery worm which bore through the obstruction in under a minute. They entered room after ruined room, each having a huge hole broken through the wall. They also heard faint booming, eventually meeting the boomer. The iron golem turned and attacked the new intruders. Nailo webbed it next to slothy Sev and fled into the finishing room, while Sirocco and Sev fought on...
The battle was at a stand still, Tazjaree and Dante trading blow for devastating blow in mid air, while Ali and Izaki killed slews of imps that entered their range. Suddenly the room filled with magic darkness and shook with a dragon roar. Nailo demanded everyone cease the pointless fighting, as they were all allies against the demon lord Falst. If they didn't stop, he'd kill them, and his voice sounded venomously sincere.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Poll #5 Results
These polls are pretty fun to see the results of, especially with questions like this week's:
Who is the biggest perv in the group? Seriously.
And in first place comes Alisaadi! Not sure if you should be proud or not, but what the heck *hands over the perv medal*
In close second was Nailo. Go figure.
Who is the biggest perv in the group? Seriously.
And in first place comes Alisaadi! Not sure if you should be proud or not, but what the heck *hands over the perv medal*
In close second was Nailo. Go figure.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Poll #4 Results!
And the results are in!
The question: Who is the hottest chick in Winters?
And tied for first place are Alisaadi and Ilari, the copper-headed vixen with the acid breath and that pale piece of perfection with claims to the ice elf throne.
Second was also a tie between Linai, our favorite one-eared dervish bombshell, and Northstar... because some like 'em big!
The question: Who is the hottest chick in Winters?
And tied for first place are Alisaadi and Ilari, the copper-headed vixen with the acid breath and that pale piece of perfection with claims to the ice elf throne.
Second was also a tie between Linai, our favorite one-eared dervish bombshell, and Northstar... because some like 'em big!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Session 32 Report
Dante informed Izaki and Aeryn that Lastlight had no formal inn and the town completely shut down as soon as the sun set. He offered one place to rest that would be safer than staying in the open, though the other two might not like it...
Izaki's eyes narrowed as he followed Dante off the road and to a lone shack where no things grew and not even the mist dared curl. "Why wouldn't I like this place?"
"Because of the owner," Dante answered, knocking once then opening the door.
"... Whose the owner?"
"The Minister," Dante answered, disappearing into swallowing shadows.
Aeryn, by her pious nature, felt a great repulsion to the place and headed for the Church to see if they would offer a fellow priest sanctuary. Izaki, against his better judgment, followed after Dante, whom after so many battles he'd learned to trust.
His mistake. Once inside, the shadows passed like a curtain and Izaki was met by a grotesque sight. The Ministry's largest room resembled a chapel, with starved servants constantly coming in and out of the kitchen with golden platters laden with food. Their destination, the foot of an altar where a morbidly obese man with white skin and blood-red robes feasted. But it wasn't a man. Six stain glass windows stretched behind him, each depicting one of the six dark gods, with Gula's (Gluttony's) window being the largest. The Minister finished a lamb leg with uncanny quickness and wiped his black lips with the back of his small, clawed hand.
It was revealed Dante had been hired by the Minister to hunt down and kill Kasper and the he was most displeased by the apparent lack of progress. However, Dante's description of his new-found allies was enough to assuage the Minister's appetite for assassination. In fact, the Minister was inspired to pledge some of his devil soldiers when the time came to do battle with Kasper's many allies.
The pair were offered food and a place to rest for the night. In their search for a room, they stumbled upon a pillow-choked harem of obese harlets that took a special liking to Izaki. Even after Dante found a safe resting place and let a desperate Izaki inside after him, the unholy whores threw themselves against the door, desperate for a taste of the ronin.
Alisaadi awoke the next morning to the frowning face of Rees's father, a dashing red-haired elf. He was MOST alarmed upon finding an armed stranger sleeping across from his child. After some words and complete compliance by Copper, including the forfeit of her sword, the elf lord calmed down enough for introductions. His name was Firnod Powers, a majority land holder in Lastlight and the surrounding fields. His family had been in the hills since before even the vampires and from the embittered way he spoke sounded as if he would never leave, come hell or high water.
He and Ali discussed the Minister's grip over Lastlight as they made their way down for some breakfast. After eating, and despite Firnod saying it would do no good, Ali visited the Church of Raya to appeal to the priests. When she arrived, she was ignored by the ancient clerics during their morning prayers. However, just as Ali was really getting angry, the oldest priest greeted her, giving his blessing for her intentions of ridding Lastlight of their devil. However he could offer no help himself, one for being so old, and, as he put it, "If I had some secret weapon against that evil, don't you think I would have used it by now?"
He also shed some light onto the Powers family, specifically Firnod's late wife, who had been a paladin of Raya. Disgusted by the evil in her town, she led a group against the Minister over sixty years ago... never to return.
Dante and Izaki woke to an annoyed Minister, shocked at their lack of initiative with Kasper still on the loose. He lifted Dante and Izaki up by their collars and literally kicked them out the door.
On their way to regroup, the guys stumbled into Alisaadi as she exited the church. When she found out they'd stayed the night in the devil's house, she was furious, even more so at the suggestion they work together with the Minister in order to find Kasper. However, despite her first intentions of walking up to the Ministry and attacking the devil, she realized her sword was still with Firnod. She made her way back to the Powers mansion, the ronin and half-vampire following after.
They met Rees who was surprised they hadn't seen her father, since he'd been on his way to the church in order to return Ali's sword. Immediately the group assumed the worst and Rees was wracked with worry. Alisaadi stayed with the girl while Dante and Izaki went to the church for some clues to Firnod's whereabouts. In the church, Izaki poked around the empty chapel while Dante became invisible and searched the priest's quarters. However, after opening a noisy door, he found the way blocked by three old priests eating their meals. One even seemed to look up at him and smile. Not wanting to risk being found out, he slowly backed away. He found Izaki frowning before the golden idol overlooking the altar. Dante glanced down and matched his companions grimace. A puddle of warm blood pooled at the statue's feet.
Meanwhile, Alisaadi tried getting Rees's mind off the fact her father had disappeared. The discussion led to some uncertainty as to whether or not the little girl was indeed Rees or some sort of imposter. Alisaadi grew suspicious and questioned Rees thoroughly, to the point the little girl grew upset, even angry. She ran off crying into the fields behind the manor, the idea of her father being hurt or dead added with the sudden mistrust from her new friend being too much. Ali guiltily chased after.
Sev continued his discussions with Calalas and the two agreed the best course of action was to rally the Houses against Kasper. Calalas, also lord of House Calalas, abandoned his neutrality and agreed to back those against Kasper in order to tip the scales. He promised that while Sev and his friends worked to thwart the would-be vampire king, he would work every political connection he had to see their goals achieved, against Kasper and his biggest supporter: the Ice Queen. He also mentioned that the best way in which to align the Houses was through their common religion, that of the Dark Gods. Sev would have to make treaty with the head of the faith, a devil emissary from Torment itself named the Minister.
The meeting was abruptly interrupted by unnatural shrieking and the sounds of battle. An astonished Calalas rushed to the scene, Sev close behind. However the arch druid quickly became aware of someone he did not expect... another goblin hiding behind the trees. Curiosity overtaking his concern, Sev investigated and met a southern-accented goblin who later revealed his name was Sirocco. Sirocco urged they help in the battle across the green, but they arrived at the tail end, Calalas having easily gotten the upper hand with his extraordinary magic. However the battle wasn't over, as the smoke from the flayed demon became an elemental of pure hatred. It trapped them in cages of pure electricity and struck Sev with a mighty blow. Sirocco then proved himself to be a master archer, firing purple missiles that left holes in the living storm cloud. Sev transformed into a massive sloth and escaped the cage and ultimately Calalas ended the creature.
Sirocco then pledged himself to the arch druid, claiming to work for an old friend of the Northland. Sev agreed, but before the eager duo could be off to meet with the Minister, Calalas gave the goblin druid a mighty boon, the legacy of all the Northland arch druids: The Belt of the Northland, once worn by Lordanna herself in the fight against Delilah-in-Shadow.
The pair traveled into the night, where the welcoming hills turned dark and evil. They came upon the smell of good food and the sound of pleasant merrymaking, then found a crossroads. However the signs did not bode well, labeled Death, Life, Love and Happiness. Sev gave it a good, long thought and decided not to risk traveling on any of the roads, moving in between two instead. A disembodied and fairly annoyed voice whined they weren't playing fair, that usually people picked a road and died. Sev found a safe place to camp not long after and wisely began swapping turns at a night watch.
Nailo and Taras made their way across the Saspien hills toward the southern mountains and the marshlands along their base. Nearly upon the swamps, they were met by a silent black dragon gliding above them. He led the pair into the heart of the swamps, where Nailo met with the elder black dragon, whose age must have been beyond measure for the size of her (her head alone compared to the size of an orca whale and exposed claw the span of a large cart).
Taras's words about Nailo being marked by the dragon god were true and Daithrak recognized the shadow lord as one of the chosen. She was able to replenish Nailo's old gear down to every item, beckoning a tribe of enslaved troglodytes to take what he listed from her vast, sunken horde. In the course of their conversations, Daithrak revealed that Tisiphone not only survived the explosion, but since then murdered her other two sisters and taken over House Huma. While the ancient dragon and Nailo scryed from the marsh pool, they also saw Kasper speaking with her. Nailo made some other arrangements and was given a room, a hut on stilts with the bare minimum, but a resting place none the less (and the safest one he'd slept in in quite some time). Before bed he managed to cast a scry spell, checking up on Tonsi, Northstar and Izaki.
He awoke the next day to a troglodyte servant delivering a gourmet meal of steak and greens, most likely conjured through magic, but delicious all the same. He ate and made his way back to the marsh pool to speak again with the elder black.
Izaki's eyes narrowed as he followed Dante off the road and to a lone shack where no things grew and not even the mist dared curl. "Why wouldn't I like this place?"
"Because of the owner," Dante answered, knocking once then opening the door.
"... Whose the owner?"
"The Minister," Dante answered, disappearing into swallowing shadows.
Aeryn, by her pious nature, felt a great repulsion to the place and headed for the Church to see if they would offer a fellow priest sanctuary. Izaki, against his better judgment, followed after Dante, whom after so many battles he'd learned to trust.
His mistake. Once inside, the shadows passed like a curtain and Izaki was met by a grotesque sight. The Ministry's largest room resembled a chapel, with starved servants constantly coming in and out of the kitchen with golden platters laden with food. Their destination, the foot of an altar where a morbidly obese man with white skin and blood-red robes feasted. But it wasn't a man. Six stain glass windows stretched behind him, each depicting one of the six dark gods, with Gula's (Gluttony's) window being the largest. The Minister finished a lamb leg with uncanny quickness and wiped his black lips with the back of his small, clawed hand.
It was revealed Dante had been hired by the Minister to hunt down and kill Kasper and the he was most displeased by the apparent lack of progress. However, Dante's description of his new-found allies was enough to assuage the Minister's appetite for assassination. In fact, the Minister was inspired to pledge some of his devil soldiers when the time came to do battle with Kasper's many allies.
The pair were offered food and a place to rest for the night. In their search for a room, they stumbled upon a pillow-choked harem of obese harlets that took a special liking to Izaki. Even after Dante found a safe resting place and let a desperate Izaki inside after him, the unholy whores threw themselves against the door, desperate for a taste of the ronin.
Alisaadi awoke the next morning to the frowning face of Rees's father, a dashing red-haired elf. He was MOST alarmed upon finding an armed stranger sleeping across from his child. After some words and complete compliance by Copper, including the forfeit of her sword, the elf lord calmed down enough for introductions. His name was Firnod Powers, a majority land holder in Lastlight and the surrounding fields. His family had been in the hills since before even the vampires and from the embittered way he spoke sounded as if he would never leave, come hell or high water.
He and Ali discussed the Minister's grip over Lastlight as they made their way down for some breakfast. After eating, and despite Firnod saying it would do no good, Ali visited the Church of Raya to appeal to the priests. When she arrived, she was ignored by the ancient clerics during their morning prayers. However, just as Ali was really getting angry, the oldest priest greeted her, giving his blessing for her intentions of ridding Lastlight of their devil. However he could offer no help himself, one for being so old, and, as he put it, "If I had some secret weapon against that evil, don't you think I would have used it by now?"
He also shed some light onto the Powers family, specifically Firnod's late wife, who had been a paladin of Raya. Disgusted by the evil in her town, she led a group against the Minister over sixty years ago... never to return.
Dante and Izaki woke to an annoyed Minister, shocked at their lack of initiative with Kasper still on the loose. He lifted Dante and Izaki up by their collars and literally kicked them out the door.
On their way to regroup, the guys stumbled into Alisaadi as she exited the church. When she found out they'd stayed the night in the devil's house, she was furious, even more so at the suggestion they work together with the Minister in order to find Kasper. However, despite her first intentions of walking up to the Ministry and attacking the devil, she realized her sword was still with Firnod. She made her way back to the Powers mansion, the ronin and half-vampire following after.
They met Rees who was surprised they hadn't seen her father, since he'd been on his way to the church in order to return Ali's sword. Immediately the group assumed the worst and Rees was wracked with worry. Alisaadi stayed with the girl while Dante and Izaki went to the church for some clues to Firnod's whereabouts. In the church, Izaki poked around the empty chapel while Dante became invisible and searched the priest's quarters. However, after opening a noisy door, he found the way blocked by three old priests eating their meals. One even seemed to look up at him and smile. Not wanting to risk being found out, he slowly backed away. He found Izaki frowning before the golden idol overlooking the altar. Dante glanced down and matched his companions grimace. A puddle of warm blood pooled at the statue's feet.
Meanwhile, Alisaadi tried getting Rees's mind off the fact her father had disappeared. The discussion led to some uncertainty as to whether or not the little girl was indeed Rees or some sort of imposter. Alisaadi grew suspicious and questioned Rees thoroughly, to the point the little girl grew upset, even angry. She ran off crying into the fields behind the manor, the idea of her father being hurt or dead added with the sudden mistrust from her new friend being too much. Ali guiltily chased after.
Sev continued his discussions with Calalas and the two agreed the best course of action was to rally the Houses against Kasper. Calalas, also lord of House Calalas, abandoned his neutrality and agreed to back those against Kasper in order to tip the scales. He promised that while Sev and his friends worked to thwart the would-be vampire king, he would work every political connection he had to see their goals achieved, against Kasper and his biggest supporter: the Ice Queen. He also mentioned that the best way in which to align the Houses was through their common religion, that of the Dark Gods. Sev would have to make treaty with the head of the faith, a devil emissary from Torment itself named the Minister.
The meeting was abruptly interrupted by unnatural shrieking and the sounds of battle. An astonished Calalas rushed to the scene, Sev close behind. However the arch druid quickly became aware of someone he did not expect... another goblin hiding behind the trees. Curiosity overtaking his concern, Sev investigated and met a southern-accented goblin who later revealed his name was Sirocco. Sirocco urged they help in the battle across the green, but they arrived at the tail end, Calalas having easily gotten the upper hand with his extraordinary magic. However the battle wasn't over, as the smoke from the flayed demon became an elemental of pure hatred. It trapped them in cages of pure electricity and struck Sev with a mighty blow. Sirocco then proved himself to be a master archer, firing purple missiles that left holes in the living storm cloud. Sev transformed into a massive sloth and escaped the cage and ultimately Calalas ended the creature.
Sirocco then pledged himself to the arch druid, claiming to work for an old friend of the Northland. Sev agreed, but before the eager duo could be off to meet with the Minister, Calalas gave the goblin druid a mighty boon, the legacy of all the Northland arch druids: The Belt of the Northland, once worn by Lordanna herself in the fight against Delilah-in-Shadow.
The pair traveled into the night, where the welcoming hills turned dark and evil. They came upon the smell of good food and the sound of pleasant merrymaking, then found a crossroads. However the signs did not bode well, labeled Death, Life, Love and Happiness. Sev gave it a good, long thought and decided not to risk traveling on any of the roads, moving in between two instead. A disembodied and fairly annoyed voice whined they weren't playing fair, that usually people picked a road and died. Sev found a safe place to camp not long after and wisely began swapping turns at a night watch.
Nailo and Taras made their way across the Saspien hills toward the southern mountains and the marshlands along their base. Nearly upon the swamps, they were met by a silent black dragon gliding above them. He led the pair into the heart of the swamps, where Nailo met with the elder black dragon, whose age must have been beyond measure for the size of her (her head alone compared to the size of an orca whale and exposed claw the span of a large cart).
Taras's words about Nailo being marked by the dragon god were true and Daithrak recognized the shadow lord as one of the chosen. She was able to replenish Nailo's old gear down to every item, beckoning a tribe of enslaved troglodytes to take what he listed from her vast, sunken horde. In the course of their conversations, Daithrak revealed that Tisiphone not only survived the explosion, but since then murdered her other two sisters and taken over House Huma. While the ancient dragon and Nailo scryed from the marsh pool, they also saw Kasper speaking with her. Nailo made some other arrangements and was given a room, a hut on stilts with the bare minimum, but a resting place none the less (and the safest one he'd slept in in quite some time). Before bed he managed to cast a scry spell, checking up on Tonsi, Northstar and Izaki.
He awoke the next day to a troglodyte servant delivering a gourmet meal of steak and greens, most likely conjured through magic, but delicious all the same. He ate and made his way back to the marsh pool to speak again with the elder black.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
New Session Start Time
Session start time has been moved from 7:00 PM Eastern Time to 7:30 PM due to job/time constraints. You'll hardly miss it, seeing as we usually don't get started till then anyway.
But on that note, lateness will not be tolerated. Because of the cut of a half hour, we need to utilize every minute we can. The late window will now only be 10 minutes and those entering session or coming out of afk later than 7:40 PM will be disciplined, either finding their characters have acted completely out of character (like having donated some of their gear to a local charity) or with new character quirks (perhaps a phobia which will leave characters having to make will saves if they happen to see a spider).
I hate to be a stickler, but...
And I fall into this too. If I'm late I'll award those on time appropriately.
But on that note, lateness will not be tolerated. Because of the cut of a half hour, we need to utilize every minute we can. The late window will now only be 10 minutes and those entering session or coming out of afk later than 7:40 PM will be disciplined, either finding their characters have acted completely out of character (like having donated some of their gear to a local charity) or with new character quirks (perhaps a phobia which will leave characters having to make will saves if they happen to see a spider).
I hate to be a stickler, but...
And I fall into this too. If I'm late I'll award those on time appropriately.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Poll #3 Results
And the results, for the most part, are in.
The question of the week: Who do you think is/was the most valuable member of the group?
And with fifty percent of the votes is Sev! Among this goblin's many features are flight, slothy melee, lightning bolts, healing, animal speaking, bombs and other hair-brain schemes, a small stature and breath slightly tinged with undead.
Tied for second was Izaki and Dante.
The question of the week: Who do you think is/was the most valuable member of the group?
And with fifty percent of the votes is Sev! Among this goblin's many features are flight, slothy melee, lightning bolts, healing, animal speaking, bombs and other hair-brain schemes, a small stature and breath slightly tinged with undead.
Tied for second was Izaki and Dante.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Session 31 Report
Near as I can figure from counting logs, we've just completed session 31. Woot! That's quite a bit of play time and Winters has grown into quite an interesting story. Glad you guys have stuck around to write it. As long as you keep entering #winterscamp, we'll keep telling this story.
In regards to the summaries, these are for players convenience and interest, and not for characters. While the summary here describes everything that happened this session, by no means do your characters know anything besides what they were present for.
Session 31:
It was on! Tisiphone the Avenger, one of the three Fury leaders of House Huma, came with a vengeance against Nailo, Dante, Alisaadi, Izaki and Aeryn. She claimed the murder of one of her sisters would bring three deaths upon the group. And she didn't come alone, bringing with her six giant condors, a gnarled harpy archer named Fulkerion, and a devilishly stunning fiend named Elsibeth.
Tisiphone wasted no time in attacking Nailo, releasing a blur of claws and scourge swipes that, if not for some spell-sacrificing by Nailo, would have critically wounded him. Even so, he was hurt, and withdrew to the ground, conjuring shadow orbs in which to conceal himself. For a long time after the condors dove into the shadows, hoping to catch a piece of Nailo in their beaks, but none ever did. Fulkerion continuously shot her arrows into the shadows, as well, though still to no avail. Frustrated, the harpy archer used her captivating song in attempts to lure him out and render the other group members useless, but all managed to resist. Then Tisiphone opened her mouth and released a supernatural dirge that captivated Dante, Nailo and Alisaadi. Dante and Nailo were able to break free, though Alisaadi remained trapped in a perpetual rerun of all her past sins until the Fury chose to stop singing.
While Nailo distracted Tisiphone, Fulkerion and half the condors, the devil Elsibeth and her three condors tackled the rest of the group. At first Elsibeth was quite confident and indeed the initial attacks of the group proved ineffective. However, they quickly caught on, and several melee and magical encounters with Dante, Alisaadi and Aeryn left the devil fleeing upward. Not before she summoned three of her infernal brothers, bearded devils straight from Torment. The first botched its attack, the second was struck by one of Nailo's chaotic orbs, and the third met a quick demise at Izaki's hands, Seven Caged Tigers destroying the fiend in one slash! Alisaadi shouted for Dante to go on after Elsibeth, while she, Aeryn and "Big Brother" finished off the wounded bearded devils and bothersome condors. However, he didn't get the chance, as Elsibeth flew off and Nailo did something explosive...
Tired of the shadow orbs hiding her prey, Tisiphone removed a wand and attempted to dispel the situation. However it proved ineffective, which only infuriated her more. She cast a Devil's Eyes spell to see through the darkness and entered to attack Nailo once more, a brutal barrage that left the Shadow Lord nearly robbed of his mortal coil. The two traded words within the shadows, which ended with Nailo screaming something about Tisiphone being aligned with the demons and planning to kill the entire group. He drew all his chaos orbs to him. They disappeared into the darkness and suddenly the shadow bubble popped, resulting in a pillar of flame and mushroom cloud. A wave of heat washed over everything, followed by a billowing, choking black smoke. Nailo was gone, Tisiphone most likely with him, and the battlefield effectively blanketed. The condors scattered, Elsibeth continued retreating, and Fulkerion desperately entered the smoke to seek her mistress.
Dante took Alisaadi and Izaki by the hand and led them through the black, Aeryn following behind and covering their trail with several holy spells meant to blind and distract. He led them to Lastlight, entering the town limits just after sunset.
Meanwhile, Sev was off hunting the Hound of Saspien, determined to rid the land of such evil. Following Owl, with Fox on his back, he made his way over the hills and to the marshy regions just south of Lastlight, the Murder Mounds as they were known. Both animals wished Sev luck as he slipped into the murky water and wound his way through the labyrinthine swamp, riddled with sinkholes, moss isles, mud, muck and fumes. He came to a gigantic dam in the center of the swamp and found enough tracks and traces to establish it as the lair of the Hound.
However, mid spells, the Hound caught on to Sev's presence and traded cold words, promises of his death, scolding for his foolishness to follow the monster. The two fought, both proving capable of tremendous might, though the wounded Hound was quickly bested and ultimately defeated. Sev collected the monster's fangs and claws and ventured further into the lair, discovering a hoard of treasure from past victims and something quite disturbing... bodies, hundreds of them, sunken into the mud and making up the infrastructure of the great dam. Sev began the laborious work of a mass grave, asking forgiveness for the hasty burial and offering hope that they would find peace. Indeed, after the burial was complete, the air in the marsh seemed to lighten and the water lose its bloody tint. The land seemed eased, as if a wound had been healed.
Exiting the Murder Mounds, Sev found Fox waiting. During the battle, the Hound had goaded Sev by informing him that it sensed the goblin's friends in mortal danger, danger in which he couldn't possibly save them from. The battle over, the sins of the Hound undone, the Archdruid of the North began making his way toward the unnatural storm raging miles away, figuring that was probably where his friends were. However, out of respect to Fox and sadly realizing he couldn't reach his friends in time, he walked in a giant fox form. After several hours, they began to converse, Sev revealing himself to be Archdruid. Fox was skeptical at first, but then mentioned something about an Archdruid of the West not being too far away.
Sev shifted into bird form and took flight, Fox on his back, heading for the western Archdruid, who Fox said lived in a castle where the mountains met the wood. In several hours, they arrived at a large castle with perfectly tended gardens in some places and more romantic, wild gardens in others. Dozens tended the grounds, among them moving trees and plants! Sev landed and was met by two beautiful, pale druids, who, like Fox, hardly believed he was the Archdruid. After being informed that Scrin was dead and that he was his successor, Sev was confirmed by the Archdruid of the West, come down in a giant bat form and transformed into a similarly handsome and pale human. It wasn't hard to see that he was a vampire, who introduced himself as Dabian Calalas.
Calalas assured Sev that he had made peace with his conflicting natures and befriended plants and fey, the embodiments of natural and unnatural that somehow coincided in perfect harmony. He welcomed his fellow archdruid into his home as honored guest and the two began to plan for the uniting of the Houses and the defeat of the demon lords.
On the outskirts of Lastlight, the group was met with some questions from two curious guards, but Aeryn magically forced them both to sleep, everyone much too tired to answer questions or dilly-dally. Aeryn led the way to look for an inn, Izaki smirking at the magic display and Dante rolling his eyes, placing the men back in their toll booths, then following behind the pair.
However, Alisaadi made her own way through Lastlight, finding it cold, dark, foggy, and barren of any activity. All the the streets empty, the shops boarded up, every door barred and window shut, and not even a light on in any house but one at the end of a row of larger-than-normal village houses. Alisaadi melted the lock on the gate and entered the yards of the largest manor in town, where a 3rd floor window was lit, and knocked on the door. The light immediately went out.
Rebuffed, Alisaadi walked back into town, muttering it was the worst she'd been to. As wolves howled in the distant hills, another voice was heard along with the tiny pattering of feet. A little elven girl, with red hair, freckles like starry constellations, and brilliant blue eyes called Ali back to her manor in a frantic series of tugs. She warned it wasn't safe to be out at night, especially with HIM being about. She ushered Ali back to her house and up her creaky stairs, when the girl's father awoke. The girl pushed Ali into a closet and had a quick conversation with her dad, revealing there-in that her name was Rees and that her father, while stern, loved her dearly and feared for all their safety after dark. When he was back in his room, Rees snuck Ali up an even creakier flight of stairs, at first quite noisily, then completed with the deftness of a wizened adventurer (a Dex roll of 9, then a roll of 20).
Rees welcomed Ali into her cozy room with many books and explained the one the town was most afraid of, as if vampires weren't enough, was the Minister. Not a real minister, as the name would have had Ali believe, this was a devil of great power, acting as an emissary for the Dark Gods to the vampire Houses. However, the Minister had found it amusing to take residence in Lastlight, if not just to terrify the townsfolk every night. Rees mentioned that once, when her father was young, there were celebrations at night and people went walking and drinking even after the sun set. No more. The Minister had robbed them of their cheer and their feelings of safety and contentment.
Ali tucked Rees in and gave her some motherly advise. Rees told her she was just resting her eyes and that spare linens were in a closet outside. When Ali returned, the girl was asleep, and she watched over Rees like a dragon mother would her child until she herself dozed off.
And in a place far from dreamland, Nailo awoke to blackness. Soon after his familiar Taras joined him and the two were subject to all manner of horrible torture, as their bodies, minds and very souls fell victim to burning fire, poisonous gas, freezing cold, acid and electricity. They were brought before one of the mightiest of gods, most displeased with Nailo's lack of progress for the dragon agenda. More pain. More suffering. And then Nailo was given one last chance. He was returned to the world but, as Taras weakly warned before Nailo passingly insulted the dragon god, changed. They were now OWNED by Kultuss and to prove the point Nailo lost a good bit of his constitution for his sharp tongue. Taras, fully cowed, informed Nailo of someone who might be able to help them retrieve Onyxia and his gear from House Huma... Daithrak the Black. He said that Nailo was now marked and all dragons would recognize he was on a mission from God. The two set off with new purpose.
(Wow a lot happened last session. Hope you all had fun! Haha snd the Sev/Ali commentary during the battle between Nailo and the Fury was classic.)
In regards to the summaries, these are for players convenience and interest, and not for characters. While the summary here describes everything that happened this session, by no means do your characters know anything besides what they were present for.
Session 31:
It was on! Tisiphone the Avenger, one of the three Fury leaders of House Huma, came with a vengeance against Nailo, Dante, Alisaadi, Izaki and Aeryn. She claimed the murder of one of her sisters would bring three deaths upon the group. And she didn't come alone, bringing with her six giant condors, a gnarled harpy archer named Fulkerion, and a devilishly stunning fiend named Elsibeth.
Tisiphone wasted no time in attacking Nailo, releasing a blur of claws and scourge swipes that, if not for some spell-sacrificing by Nailo, would have critically wounded him. Even so, he was hurt, and withdrew to the ground, conjuring shadow orbs in which to conceal himself. For a long time after the condors dove into the shadows, hoping to catch a piece of Nailo in their beaks, but none ever did. Fulkerion continuously shot her arrows into the shadows, as well, though still to no avail. Frustrated, the harpy archer used her captivating song in attempts to lure him out and render the other group members useless, but all managed to resist. Then Tisiphone opened her mouth and released a supernatural dirge that captivated Dante, Nailo and Alisaadi. Dante and Nailo were able to break free, though Alisaadi remained trapped in a perpetual rerun of all her past sins until the Fury chose to stop singing.
While Nailo distracted Tisiphone, Fulkerion and half the condors, the devil Elsibeth and her three condors tackled the rest of the group. At first Elsibeth was quite confident and indeed the initial attacks of the group proved ineffective. However, they quickly caught on, and several melee and magical encounters with Dante, Alisaadi and Aeryn left the devil fleeing upward. Not before she summoned three of her infernal brothers, bearded devils straight from Torment. The first botched its attack, the second was struck by one of Nailo's chaotic orbs, and the third met a quick demise at Izaki's hands, Seven Caged Tigers destroying the fiend in one slash! Alisaadi shouted for Dante to go on after Elsibeth, while she, Aeryn and "Big Brother" finished off the wounded bearded devils and bothersome condors. However, he didn't get the chance, as Elsibeth flew off and Nailo did something explosive...
Tired of the shadow orbs hiding her prey, Tisiphone removed a wand and attempted to dispel the situation. However it proved ineffective, which only infuriated her more. She cast a Devil's Eyes spell to see through the darkness and entered to attack Nailo once more, a brutal barrage that left the Shadow Lord nearly robbed of his mortal coil. The two traded words within the shadows, which ended with Nailo screaming something about Tisiphone being aligned with the demons and planning to kill the entire group. He drew all his chaos orbs to him. They disappeared into the darkness and suddenly the shadow bubble popped, resulting in a pillar of flame and mushroom cloud. A wave of heat washed over everything, followed by a billowing, choking black smoke. Nailo was gone, Tisiphone most likely with him, and the battlefield effectively blanketed. The condors scattered, Elsibeth continued retreating, and Fulkerion desperately entered the smoke to seek her mistress.
Dante took Alisaadi and Izaki by the hand and led them through the black, Aeryn following behind and covering their trail with several holy spells meant to blind and distract. He led them to Lastlight, entering the town limits just after sunset.
Meanwhile, Sev was off hunting the Hound of Saspien, determined to rid the land of such evil. Following Owl, with Fox on his back, he made his way over the hills and to the marshy regions just south of Lastlight, the Murder Mounds as they were known. Both animals wished Sev luck as he slipped into the murky water and wound his way through the labyrinthine swamp, riddled with sinkholes, moss isles, mud, muck and fumes. He came to a gigantic dam in the center of the swamp and found enough tracks and traces to establish it as the lair of the Hound.
However, mid spells, the Hound caught on to Sev's presence and traded cold words, promises of his death, scolding for his foolishness to follow the monster. The two fought, both proving capable of tremendous might, though the wounded Hound was quickly bested and ultimately defeated. Sev collected the monster's fangs and claws and ventured further into the lair, discovering a hoard of treasure from past victims and something quite disturbing... bodies, hundreds of them, sunken into the mud and making up the infrastructure of the great dam. Sev began the laborious work of a mass grave, asking forgiveness for the hasty burial and offering hope that they would find peace. Indeed, after the burial was complete, the air in the marsh seemed to lighten and the water lose its bloody tint. The land seemed eased, as if a wound had been healed.
Exiting the Murder Mounds, Sev found Fox waiting. During the battle, the Hound had goaded Sev by informing him that it sensed the goblin's friends in mortal danger, danger in which he couldn't possibly save them from. The battle over, the sins of the Hound undone, the Archdruid of the North began making his way toward the unnatural storm raging miles away, figuring that was probably where his friends were. However, out of respect to Fox and sadly realizing he couldn't reach his friends in time, he walked in a giant fox form. After several hours, they began to converse, Sev revealing himself to be Archdruid. Fox was skeptical at first, but then mentioned something about an Archdruid of the West not being too far away.
Sev shifted into bird form and took flight, Fox on his back, heading for the western Archdruid, who Fox said lived in a castle where the mountains met the wood. In several hours, they arrived at a large castle with perfectly tended gardens in some places and more romantic, wild gardens in others. Dozens tended the grounds, among them moving trees and plants! Sev landed and was met by two beautiful, pale druids, who, like Fox, hardly believed he was the Archdruid. After being informed that Scrin was dead and that he was his successor, Sev was confirmed by the Archdruid of the West, come down in a giant bat form and transformed into a similarly handsome and pale human. It wasn't hard to see that he was a vampire, who introduced himself as Dabian Calalas.
Calalas assured Sev that he had made peace with his conflicting natures and befriended plants and fey, the embodiments of natural and unnatural that somehow coincided in perfect harmony. He welcomed his fellow archdruid into his home as honored guest and the two began to plan for the uniting of the Houses and the defeat of the demon lords.
On the outskirts of Lastlight, the group was met with some questions from two curious guards, but Aeryn magically forced them both to sleep, everyone much too tired to answer questions or dilly-dally. Aeryn led the way to look for an inn, Izaki smirking at the magic display and Dante rolling his eyes, placing the men back in their toll booths, then following behind the pair.
However, Alisaadi made her own way through Lastlight, finding it cold, dark, foggy, and barren of any activity. All the the streets empty, the shops boarded up, every door barred and window shut, and not even a light on in any house but one at the end of a row of larger-than-normal village houses. Alisaadi melted the lock on the gate and entered the yards of the largest manor in town, where a 3rd floor window was lit, and knocked on the door. The light immediately went out.
Rebuffed, Alisaadi walked back into town, muttering it was the worst she'd been to. As wolves howled in the distant hills, another voice was heard along with the tiny pattering of feet. A little elven girl, with red hair, freckles like starry constellations, and brilliant blue eyes called Ali back to her manor in a frantic series of tugs. She warned it wasn't safe to be out at night, especially with HIM being about. She ushered Ali back to her house and up her creaky stairs, when the girl's father awoke. The girl pushed Ali into a closet and had a quick conversation with her dad, revealing there-in that her name was Rees and that her father, while stern, loved her dearly and feared for all their safety after dark. When he was back in his room, Rees snuck Ali up an even creakier flight of stairs, at first quite noisily, then completed with the deftness of a wizened adventurer (a Dex roll of 9, then a roll of 20).
Rees welcomed Ali into her cozy room with many books and explained the one the town was most afraid of, as if vampires weren't enough, was the Minister. Not a real minister, as the name would have had Ali believe, this was a devil of great power, acting as an emissary for the Dark Gods to the vampire Houses. However, the Minister had found it amusing to take residence in Lastlight, if not just to terrify the townsfolk every night. Rees mentioned that once, when her father was young, there were celebrations at night and people went walking and drinking even after the sun set. No more. The Minister had robbed them of their cheer and their feelings of safety and contentment.
Ali tucked Rees in and gave her some motherly advise. Rees told her she was just resting her eyes and that spare linens were in a closet outside. When Ali returned, the girl was asleep, and she watched over Rees like a dragon mother would her child until she herself dozed off.
And in a place far from dreamland, Nailo awoke to blackness. Soon after his familiar Taras joined him and the two were subject to all manner of horrible torture, as their bodies, minds and very souls fell victim to burning fire, poisonous gas, freezing cold, acid and electricity. They were brought before one of the mightiest of gods, most displeased with Nailo's lack of progress for the dragon agenda. More pain. More suffering. And then Nailo was given one last chance. He was returned to the world but, as Taras weakly warned before Nailo passingly insulted the dragon god, changed. They were now OWNED by Kultuss and to prove the point Nailo lost a good bit of his constitution for his sharp tongue. Taras, fully cowed, informed Nailo of someone who might be able to help them retrieve Onyxia and his gear from House Huma... Daithrak the Black. He said that Nailo was now marked and all dragons would recognize he was on a mission from God. The two set off with new purpose.
(Wow a lot happened last session. Hope you all had fun! Haha snd the Sev/Ali commentary during the battle between Nailo and the Fury was classic.)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Second Poll Complete!
Well, 6 votes on the poll so I'm thinking it's done... though it's possible some random person decided to vote and we didn't get entirely player feedback. Or someone voted twice. In any case, the question was:
Where do you most want to adventure? (Choose all that apply)
And the results speak loud and clear, with the majority opting for the Northland. Regretting rushing through that Totem, are we?
Tied for second was elsewhere in the Eastland, the Southland and the One Kingdom. All in good time, my friends.
Where do you most want to adventure? (Choose all that apply)
And the results speak loud and clear, with the majority opting for the Northland. Regretting rushing through that Totem, are we?
Tied for second was elsewhere in the Eastland, the Southland and the One Kingdom. All in good time, my friends.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
East? West? Whatever
So as I work on the world map, linking all the lands and adding the missing realms, I am reminded of the glaring map error that I've kept hidden so long. Turns out I designed the Westland and Eastland on the opposite shores. The Westland has an eastern coastline and the Eastland a western coastline. Check out the maps and you'll see what I'm talking about.
In any case, I'm switching the names. So Saspien and all rest is now in the Westland. And the old Westland is now the Eastland.
In any case, I'm switching the names. So Saspien and all rest is now in the Westland. And the old Westland is now the Eastland.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
A Word on Alts
Alternate characters can be fun and refreshing, for you and for me. I just wanted to go over some rules for them for future reference.
1. A player is limited to 1 alt for every 4 levels of their main, meaning a lvl 12 can have 3 alts, a lvl 16 4 alts, a lvl 20 5 alts.
2. A player may have their first alt start at the same level as their main. Their second alt starts 2 levels below their main. Third 3 below, fourth 4 below, and so on.
3. As always, keep me in the know with alt ideas. Maybe I can help steer you into directions the campaign is going or otherwise help integrate these new characters.
4. Just throwing this out there that those who stick with their mains for prolonged periods of time will receive extra goodies. Alt starting packages will be rather limited compared to what long-time group members will have earned.
And now you know! If I forgot to cover something, post a comment and I'll get back to you.
1. A player is limited to 1 alt for every 4 levels of their main, meaning a lvl 12 can have 3 alts, a lvl 16 4 alts, a lvl 20 5 alts.
2. A player may have their first alt start at the same level as their main. Their second alt starts 2 levels below their main. Third 3 below, fourth 4 below, and so on.
3. As always, keep me in the know with alt ideas. Maybe I can help steer you into directions the campaign is going or otherwise help integrate these new characters.
4. Just throwing this out there that those who stick with their mains for prolonged periods of time will receive extra goodies. Alt starting packages will be rather limited compared to what long-time group members will have earned.
And now you know! If I forgot to cover something, post a comment and I'll get back to you.
NPC List
Former Party Members
Dagobert Martel, Human Favored Soul of Thorm; noble from the Westland; disappeared after the group entered Veluvia from the Ice Queen's lair; impersonated by a red-skinned demon on the tundra; current whereabouts unknown
Ivraenor Tien, Ice Elf Paladin of Lordanna Manythings; sent by the Church of Manythings to assess the claims of the Ice Queen's return; accompanied the group throughout many adventures; after fleeing the White Wurm, he felt shamed and walked off across the tundra...; current whereabouts unknown
Ryouko "Iceblade" Kusanagi, Ice Elf Samurai of Ivristel; among the original group that survived the caravan; fought alongside the group in the Ice Queen's lair; Taela and Keia confirmed she was torn to shreds by the White Wurm whilst the group was escaping; impersonated by a red-skinned demon on the tundra; presumed dead
Keia Houkthei, Human Dread Necromancer; rescued by the group from the depths of the Ice Queen's lair; proved a capable necromancer throughout the subsequent lair battles; used zombies and skeletons to help carry wounded barbarians to the temples in Veluvia; dragged back into the Ice Queen's lair as the group was escaping by the White Wurm; Taela reports she saw Keia die in the lair, never the less Keia entered the refugee camp the day after Veluvia's fall; has since been sullen and bitchy; impersonated by the Conqueror Ooze; missing after the ooze attack; current whereabouts unknown
Taela of the White Cloud, Raptorian Air Sorceress; joined the group for a short time after resurfacing with Ivraenor during the Fall of Veluvia; a bitch that didn't much get along with the group; hated Keia; disappeared during the road to the Fist; current whereabouts unknown
Tasha Thornleaf, Dwarf Fighter; met the group during the refugee flight from Veluvia; offered her services in the destruction of the Ice Queen; adventured with the group and fought in the Battle of the Fist; harbored a very interesting secret, which she shared with one group member; fell through a crack in the Jarl's throne room and hasn't been seen since; current whereabouts unknown
Linai Degratin, Human Swashbuckler; adventuring noble that joined the group at the Fall of Veluvia; aided the group in many adventures and proved her worth in flashing steel; kidnapped by Kasper El Saspien for her sword and made a thrall of his will; the group found a body perfectly fitting her description swinging from a tree; presumed dead
Opal, Human Concubine of House Alzareef; caught spying on Death, she aided the group in defeating him; revealed to be the daughter of Onyxia, Nailo's scryer in a bag; accidentally burned half of Buckhorn's crop; nearly brought to suicide by a Misery Elemental, but saved by Dante's intervention; accompanied the group on their way to House Huma; butted heads with Izaki and ended up leaving the group after provoking the ronin into attacking her; current whereabouts unknown
Dante, Half-Vampire of Saspien;
Nailo, the Shadow Lord;
Pets and Familiars
Fiendish Penguin, Figurine of Wondrous Power; found in the treasure vaults of the Ice Queen's lair; incredibly ill-tempered; likes to flip people off; he bites...
Snot, Green Ooze; appeared with Sev after the Conqueror Ooze attack; only Sev knows the exact origins of this living booger; friendly; puppy-like; makes 'meep' sounds; can alter its form
Taras, Wyrmling Shadow Dragon; appeared with Nailo after he returned from the dead; only Nailo knows the exact origins of this little would-be tyrant; can smell magic and identify some magic items; *note to group: shadow dragons have been extinct for centuries
Fox, Red Fox; agreed to join Sev for a trial period of adventure after Sev asked him to vacate his local hunting grounds; in return, an owl agreed to show Sev the lair of the Hound of Saspien; a sly and intelligent animal
Allies
The 'Epics' (coined by Linai)
Scrin, Dwarf Archdruid of the North; one the nine heroes of Winter's Maw; the most powerful druid in the Northland; kind and humourous; something of an inventor; fought the Ice Queen at Veluvia, but was forced to flee; helps lead and protect the remnants of Veluvia; part of the summit of nations; died in the Battle of the Fist and passed the title of Arch Druid to Sev; dead
Princess Ilari Serenor, Ice Elf Heir to the Crystal Seat; First born of Emperor Issima Serenor; one of the nine heroes of Winter's Maw; a capable fighter with an array of powerful magic weapons; currently in poor standing with her father; mother to the half-ice-elf Jaisan; incredibly beautiful and the object of many's desires (Izaki included); was seriously injured at the Battle of the Fist and saved by Sev's goblin surgery; spirited away by her sister; current whereabouts unknown
Lord Marshal Gravant Marr, Human Leader of the Snowblades; first govenor of Veluvia and remains so today (in spirit, of course, seeing the city has fallen); assembled many of the nine heroes of Winter's Maw; sensible, pepper haired veteran; part of the summit of nations; fought in the Battle of the Fist; presumed dead
The Love Interests
Cheta, Human Barbarian; a young mother with a newborn named Efflam; saved by Tonsi from being impaled with the rest of her tribe in the bowels of the Ice Queen's lair; shares a special bond with Sev, who has saved and provided for her many times since; traveled with the refugees to the Fist; was with the refugees moving to Port Athas
Tonsi Daraka, Ice Elf Paladin of St. Vaness Coldhome; dark-skinned ice elf; once feebleminded; broke out of her stupor while in the Ice Queen's lair at the sight of her husband Buman being dragged away by a demon; still mourning the death of her husband; determined to help destroy the Ice Queen; has formed a special bond with Nailo, who has saved her on numerous occasions; traveled with the refugees to the Fist; increasingly depressed about her husband's death; was with the refugees moving to Port Athas
Friends
Prince Sigfein, Frost Giant Royalty; young (comparitively 15 in giant years); firstborn son of the Jarl; future Jarl; acting as the groups guide and escort around the Fist; still young and impressionable, but with an open mind; not a fan of Izaki or Tasha; growing fond of Linai; has a pet bear named Brutus; entered a strange trace-like state and opened a passage in the temple to the Underfreeze, thereby allowing elementals and constructs to invade; current whereabouts unknown
Oracle-at-Annis, Unknown Race Oracle; nine foot tall and covered in polar bear hides; befriended Tasha outside the Fist and shared her camp; proven to be very knowledgeable about the present, though her powers of reading the future are as of yet untested; fought in the Battle of the Fist; presumed dead
Princess Northstar, Frost Giant Royalty; recruited Linai and Izaki to join the group and help fight the Ice Queen; can polymorph into a stunningly beautiful human; loves battle and holds a frigid sense of honor; daughter of the frost giant jarl; fought in the Battle of the Fist and led the survivors to the safety of Port Athas; made some sort of deal with Nailo
Sarn, Human Barbarian Necromancer; Cheta's sister; kidnapped by the Ice Queen and transformed into one of her Aspects; saved her cold fate by the group and returned to her sister; has since become a friend to Sev and a second mother to her sister's child Efflam; with the refugees heading for Port Athas
Onyxia, Human Diviner; At Princess Northstar's behest, joined Nailo in search of the group, specifically Linai; accompanied Nailo on the long journey to the totem; somewhat of a slut, as Nailo can attest; revealed to magically disguise her real age; the mother of Opal, who she doesn't much get along with; spends most her in Nailo's bag of holding, out of danger; stolen with the rest of Nailo's belongings by the harpies of House Huma; current whereabouts unknown
The Buckhorn Fire Brigade, Human Firefighters; After helping in the night-long fight against the field fires, the firefighters of Buckhorn were most grateful, even awarding Aeryn a medal and honorary membership into the previously fraternal order. They think very highly of the group with exception to Opal.
Dabian Calalas, Vampire Archdruid of the West; Met with Sev at his castle; agreed to help Sev unite the houses and foil the demon lords; aligned with plants and fey; gave Sev his Belt of the Northland
Rees Powers, Half-Gold Dragon Elf; a willful little girl who loves to read and feels the fear and darkness of her town of Lastlight isn't right; helped Alisaadi before she found trouble; red haired, blue eyed, with freckles like constellations; currently harboring Ali for the night; revealed she was a half-gold dragon and showed Ali her mother's old lair; asked the dragon shaman to find her father
Firnod Powers, Elf; a stern but loving father; majority land holder in Lastlight and the surrounding area; refuses to leave his ancestral lands; wife was killed by the Minister 60 years ago; captured by Superbians on his way to the Church of Raya to deliver Ali's sword to her; saved by the group in the depths of the devils' foundry; carried out unconscious by his wife Yesenya, alive and in actuality the elder gold.
Yesenya the Gold, Elder Gold Dragon; mother of Rees; wife of Firnod; thought dead for the last sixty years, instead kept in a coma by the Minister to fuel an endless gold mine; stomped the Minister out of existence; gave Sev an iron golem shrunken in a box; killed Nailo after several warnings
Lectus, Vampire Guide;
Mirkis, Wererat Rogue and Informant;
The Deceased
Heilar, Awakened Sabertooth Tiger; guardian of the Tomb of the Ice Queen; wounded by the Ice Queen; last in the line of guardians; killed by a demon
Zumanta, Southern Human Merchant; heavy southern merchant; greasy face; laughs and smiles lots; brother and sister slaves in south; drove summer wine wagon (actually black powder kegs); dead (worn as armor by undead lover)
Kenda, Southern Human Merchant; heavy southern woman; intimate with Zumanta; killed by a sabertooth tiger; became spell-stitched ghast
Prince Raul Musa'fera, Southern Merchant Prince; coward; his caravan destroyed; saved by Dagobert; thirteen older brothers he despises; eyes gouged out by ice mephits; head exploded from cursed crown
Buman Daraka, Ice Elf Pilgrim; traveling to attend the Coldhome christening and cure his feebleminded wife; died in the Ice Queen's lair (intestines wrapped around a magic handle and body used like a flail by a demon)
Acquaintances
Captain Red-eye Ruiz, Pirate of the One Kingdom; shared a room with the group at the Fist; emissary of the One Kingdom; ruby eye; fought in the Battle of the Fist; current whereabouts unknown
Riganzi, Priest of Thorm; thin, slimy frost giant seen conversing with Nailo; currently moving with the refugees for Port Athas
Princess Alia Serenor, Voice of the Emperor and Captain of the Royal Guard; one of the Nine Heroes; youngest daughter of Issima and sister to Ilari; reticent, but stunningly beautiful; fought in the Battle of the Fist; escaped and shared a secret with Izaki; drugged the group and took her sister; current whereabouts unknown
Jarl of the Fist, Frost Giant King; a one-eyed giant of tremendous proportions (20 ft. tall); sits upon a throne of frozen-together blades; proves to neither like or dislike the group, though did show some fondness to Nailo for dumping four severed heads in his court;fought in the Battle of the Fist and openly defied the Ice Queen; killed by the demoness; dead
Raj Seethram, Gnoll Chieftain of Fort Dirge; a tawny gnoll with a mean streak and cruel sense of humor; laughs like a hyena; dislikes group; seems to have some sort of standing history with the Jarl; fought and died in the Battle of the Fist; dead
Suut Mobin, Master of the Glacier Dwarves; bluish skinned, white-haired master monk and ninja; good friend to the ice elf emperor; even-tempered; enforced the group's gear being searched; fought and died in the Battle of the Fist; dead
The Wolfson, Human Ranger; one of the 'epics'; captain of the Snowblades special forces division; a legendary figure in Veluvian history, known for his superb fighting abilities; possesses many magic items, one a horn that calls winter wolves; so named for his gruff nature and wolf's head helm; younger brother of Gravant Marr; butted heads with Nailo and dislikes the group in general; helped lead the Fist survivors to Port Athas
Marge, Dwarf Merchant; among the many merchants in the refugee camp; retired adventurer; sold Linai her sword Nightwing; has special ties with Tasha; heading to her home in N'Catr
Ron Jeremy, Human Armorer; fat, greasy pervert; sells to women at much cheaper prices in return for questionable payments; sold the bondage outfit to Linai; created Tasha's dragonhide; current whereabouts unknown
Enemies
The Ice Queen: Shalraza, one of the Seven Demon Lords; spawned during the Winters War; freed through the breaking of the seal and the death of the sabertooth guardians; terraforming region into ice wastes; mastermind behind Veluvia’s and the Fist's downfalls; seeking to cause the next ice age and release her demon kin; responsible for untold death and destruction
Kyodai Ken, First Generation Ice Elf Kensai Ronin; betrayed and became a stalwart enemy of the Emperor; holds the blade of destiny Ghoster; best swordsman in the Northland; stole black powder from the southern caravan (first time he’d been seen in centuries); revealed during the invasion of the Fist to having been posing as the emperor!; fought in the Battle of the Fist; escaped, rescuing the princesses in the process, though disappeared during a demon attack; gave Izaki the blade of destiny Seven Caged Tigers; current whereabouts unknown
The White Wurm, Tundra Landwyrm; ally of Kyodai; gorges on the dead; destroyed southern caravan; survived explosion caused by Sev; killed Ryouko in the Ice Queen’s lair; killed Nailo on the crevasse stairs; Slain in the depths of the eye-shaped crevasse; dead
The White Lotus, Legendary Clan of Ice Elf Ninjas; personal hands of the Emperor's will; looking to kill Izaki, presumably for his forbidden knowledge of bushido and samurai ways (something that is reserved for ice elves only); has sent several contingents to kill Izaki, each time with more ninjas; Alia Serenor is their leader, though claims the ninjas sent for Izaki are not hers
Kasper, the Would-Be Vampire King; bastard of the last vampire king; his father killed by Marge and her old adventuring group; stole Nightwing and kidnapped Linai; possesses a sister sword Nightwish with identical abilities; when the two swords combine he became full vampire; ally of the Ice Queen; presumably killed Linai and seeks to reclaim the fanged throne; currently making deals and gathering an army to take Saspien by force; harbored in House Huma, an ally to Tisiphone and Falst
Zan the Relentless, Ice Elf Ninja Ghost; in life he was a member of the White Lotus killed by Nailo in an explosion inside the crevasse; returned through the Ice Queen's power to seek vengeance against Nailo; disappeared early in the battle; possessed Linai and traveled with the group; jumped bodies and possessed Prince Sigfein, using him to break the holy seals that kept the Fist separated from the Underfreeze; current whereabouts unknown
Charethon, Frostergrim Fighter; Keia's flamboyant former jailor; defeated by the group in the Ice Queen's lair; impaled and scarred beyond recognition by the Ice Queen for his failure; unwittingly saved by the group and brought to Veluvia for healing; potentially the one who enabled the Ice Queen’s invasion and the fall of the city; current whereabouts unknown
Death, Illithid; witnessed aiding Kasper and then slowing the groups progress; killed in the Tirian Woods; dead
Conqueror Ooze, Conqueror Ooze; an intelligent ooze that grew with the amount of people it absorbed; swallowed the entire refugee camp from Veluvia on their way to the Fist; killed by the epics; the ooze in which Sev managed to draw Snot out of
Hound of Saspien, Legendary Charnel Hound; the undisputed terror of the hills of Saspien; a huge dog made of corpses; fought the group and proved to possess a powerful attack; defeated and sent running by Nailo and Sev who gave chase; managed to escape, promising a reckoning; hunted down and killed by Sev in his lair; dead
The Rilb Sisters, Harpies; Three prowling sisters that encountered Nailo, thinking him an easy meal; Tibia Rilb was killed, and her remaining sisters enacted a vendetta curse; took Nailo's gear, including the bag with Onyxia, and his legs; among a contingent out to kill Nailo
Tisiphone the Avenger, Fury leader of House Huma; hot-headed and vindictive, the youngest of the three sisters is often about avenging those wronged in her house; fought Nailo and the group proclaiming it was due to murder of Tibia Rilb, though in reality because she was aligned with the demons; exploded with Nailo; presumed dead; revealed alive to Nailo by the dragon Daithrak; killed her sisters and assumed leadership of House Huma; ally of Kasper and Falst
Elsibeth, Erinyes; beautiful as she is depraved, this winged devil fought the group alongside her mistress Tisiphone; formed quite a hatred of Alisaadi; managed to escape during the battle; whereabouts unknown
Fulkerion, Harpy Archer; fought Nailo alongside her mistress Tisiphone; in the commotion of the battle, the group lost track of her; whereabouts unknown
Daithrak the Black, elder black dragon; undisputed mistress of the swamps along the southern mountains; commands black dragons and a tribe of pallid troglodytes; has an extensive, sunken hoard; acquiesced to Nailo's and Taras's requests; replenished Nailo's equipment and sent him out to kidnap Rees, who she thought was the last surviving gold; devote of Kultuss
Superbian Priests, old human clerics of Superbia (Pride); ran the church in Lastlight pretending to be priests of Raya; guarded the entrance to the devils' foundry; the eldest of the priests once talked to Alisaadi and gave his blessing in the killing of the Minister (falsely); fought Izaki, Ali and Dante; two died quickly and Ali interoggated the third, afterward he went scrambling out of the church for his life; surviving priest's whereabouts unknown
Tazjaree, pride devil taskmaster of the devils' foundry; sister to the Minister; aided in the enprisonment of Yesenya with enchanted gold casing; herself looks like a perfect female covered in gold with bat wings and a scorpion's tail; fought Dante mid-air in the finishing room of the foundry; teleported away after Nailo's threat, promising to see everyone again with a wink; whereabouts unknown
The Minister, gluttony devil emissary of Torment; leader of the Dark Gods faith in Saspien and diplomat between the vampire Houses and Torment; hired Dante to kill Kasper; terrorizes Lastlight seemingly for fun; as powerful as he is fat and greasy; created by Gula (Gluttony); resided in the Ministry; tortured and fought the group after they backstabbed him and took out his foundry and gold mine; killed Dante; slain by Yesenya and banished for 101 years back to Torment (devils cannot be killed on Othyr, only banished back to hell and unable to return to the material plane for 101 years)
The Ancient Blight: Falst, one of the Seven Demon Lords, presumably as old as the Ice Queen; could potentially become as powerful as the Ice Queen; currently aligned with House Huma and Kasper; taking refuge in the eeyries of House Huma while his powers return
Dagobert Martel, Human Favored Soul of Thorm; noble from the Westland; disappeared after the group entered Veluvia from the Ice Queen's lair; impersonated by a red-skinned demon on the tundra; current whereabouts unknown
Ivraenor Tien, Ice Elf Paladin of Lordanna Manythings; sent by the Church of Manythings to assess the claims of the Ice Queen's return; accompanied the group throughout many adventures; after fleeing the White Wurm, he felt shamed and walked off across the tundra...; current whereabouts unknown
Ryouko "Iceblade" Kusanagi, Ice Elf Samurai of Ivristel; among the original group that survived the caravan; fought alongside the group in the Ice Queen's lair; Taela and Keia confirmed she was torn to shreds by the White Wurm whilst the group was escaping; impersonated by a red-skinned demon on the tundra; presumed dead
Keia Houkthei, Human Dread Necromancer; rescued by the group from the depths of the Ice Queen's lair; proved a capable necromancer throughout the subsequent lair battles; used zombies and skeletons to help carry wounded barbarians to the temples in Veluvia; dragged back into the Ice Queen's lair as the group was escaping by the White Wurm; Taela reports she saw Keia die in the lair, never the less Keia entered the refugee camp the day after Veluvia's fall; has since been sullen and bitchy; impersonated by the Conqueror Ooze; missing after the ooze attack; current whereabouts unknown
Taela of the White Cloud, Raptorian Air Sorceress; joined the group for a short time after resurfacing with Ivraenor during the Fall of Veluvia; a bitch that didn't much get along with the group; hated Keia; disappeared during the road to the Fist; current whereabouts unknown
Tasha Thornleaf, Dwarf Fighter; met the group during the refugee flight from Veluvia; offered her services in the destruction of the Ice Queen; adventured with the group and fought in the Battle of the Fist; harbored a very interesting secret, which she shared with one group member; fell through a crack in the Jarl's throne room and hasn't been seen since; current whereabouts unknown
Linai Degratin, Human Swashbuckler; adventuring noble that joined the group at the Fall of Veluvia; aided the group in many adventures and proved her worth in flashing steel; kidnapped by Kasper El Saspien for her sword and made a thrall of his will; the group found a body perfectly fitting her description swinging from a tree; presumed dead
Opal, Human Concubine of House Alzareef; caught spying on Death, she aided the group in defeating him; revealed to be the daughter of Onyxia, Nailo's scryer in a bag; accidentally burned half of Buckhorn's crop; nearly brought to suicide by a Misery Elemental, but saved by Dante's intervention; accompanied the group on their way to House Huma; butted heads with Izaki and ended up leaving the group after provoking the ronin into attacking her; current whereabouts unknown
Dante, Half-Vampire of Saspien;
Nailo, the Shadow Lord;
Pets and Familiars
Fiendish Penguin, Figurine of Wondrous Power; found in the treasure vaults of the Ice Queen's lair; incredibly ill-tempered; likes to flip people off; he bites...
Snot, Green Ooze; appeared with Sev after the Conqueror Ooze attack; only Sev knows the exact origins of this living booger; friendly; puppy-like; makes 'meep' sounds; can alter its form
Taras, Wyrmling Shadow Dragon; appeared with Nailo after he returned from the dead; only Nailo knows the exact origins of this little would-be tyrant; can smell magic and identify some magic items; *note to group: shadow dragons have been extinct for centuries
Fox, Red Fox; agreed to join Sev for a trial period of adventure after Sev asked him to vacate his local hunting grounds; in return, an owl agreed to show Sev the lair of the Hound of Saspien; a sly and intelligent animal
Allies
The 'Epics' (coined by Linai)
Scrin, Dwarf Archdruid of the North; one the nine heroes of Winter's Maw; the most powerful druid in the Northland; kind and humourous; something of an inventor; fought the Ice Queen at Veluvia, but was forced to flee; helps lead and protect the remnants of Veluvia; part of the summit of nations; died in the Battle of the Fist and passed the title of Arch Druid to Sev; dead
Princess Ilari Serenor, Ice Elf Heir to the Crystal Seat; First born of Emperor Issima Serenor; one of the nine heroes of Winter's Maw; a capable fighter with an array of powerful magic weapons; currently in poor standing with her father; mother to the half-ice-elf Jaisan; incredibly beautiful and the object of many's desires (Izaki included); was seriously injured at the Battle of the Fist and saved by Sev's goblin surgery; spirited away by her sister; current whereabouts unknown
Lord Marshal Gravant Marr, Human Leader of the Snowblades; first govenor of Veluvia and remains so today (in spirit, of course, seeing the city has fallen); assembled many of the nine heroes of Winter's Maw; sensible, pepper haired veteran; part of the summit of nations; fought in the Battle of the Fist; presumed dead
The Love Interests
Cheta, Human Barbarian; a young mother with a newborn named Efflam; saved by Tonsi from being impaled with the rest of her tribe in the bowels of the Ice Queen's lair; shares a special bond with Sev, who has saved and provided for her many times since; traveled with the refugees to the Fist; was with the refugees moving to Port Athas
Tonsi Daraka, Ice Elf Paladin of St. Vaness Coldhome; dark-skinned ice elf; once feebleminded; broke out of her stupor while in the Ice Queen's lair at the sight of her husband Buman being dragged away by a demon; still mourning the death of her husband; determined to help destroy the Ice Queen; has formed a special bond with Nailo, who has saved her on numerous occasions; traveled with the refugees to the Fist; increasingly depressed about her husband's death; was with the refugees moving to Port Athas
Friends
Prince Sigfein, Frost Giant Royalty; young (comparitively 15 in giant years); firstborn son of the Jarl; future Jarl; acting as the groups guide and escort around the Fist; still young and impressionable, but with an open mind; not a fan of Izaki or Tasha; growing fond of Linai; has a pet bear named Brutus; entered a strange trace-like state and opened a passage in the temple to the Underfreeze, thereby allowing elementals and constructs to invade; current whereabouts unknown
Oracle-at-Annis, Unknown Race Oracle; nine foot tall and covered in polar bear hides; befriended Tasha outside the Fist and shared her camp; proven to be very knowledgeable about the present, though her powers of reading the future are as of yet untested; fought in the Battle of the Fist; presumed dead
Princess Northstar, Frost Giant Royalty; recruited Linai and Izaki to join the group and help fight the Ice Queen; can polymorph into a stunningly beautiful human; loves battle and holds a frigid sense of honor; daughter of the frost giant jarl; fought in the Battle of the Fist and led the survivors to the safety of Port Athas; made some sort of deal with Nailo
Sarn, Human Barbarian Necromancer; Cheta's sister; kidnapped by the Ice Queen and transformed into one of her Aspects; saved her cold fate by the group and returned to her sister; has since become a friend to Sev and a second mother to her sister's child Efflam; with the refugees heading for Port Athas
Onyxia, Human Diviner; At Princess Northstar's behest, joined Nailo in search of the group, specifically Linai; accompanied Nailo on the long journey to the totem; somewhat of a slut, as Nailo can attest; revealed to magically disguise her real age; the mother of Opal, who she doesn't much get along with; spends most her in Nailo's bag of holding, out of danger; stolen with the rest of Nailo's belongings by the harpies of House Huma; current whereabouts unknown
The Buckhorn Fire Brigade, Human Firefighters; After helping in the night-long fight against the field fires, the firefighters of Buckhorn were most grateful, even awarding Aeryn a medal and honorary membership into the previously fraternal order. They think very highly of the group with exception to Opal.
Dabian Calalas, Vampire Archdruid of the West; Met with Sev at his castle; agreed to help Sev unite the houses and foil the demon lords; aligned with plants and fey; gave Sev his Belt of the Northland
Rees Powers, Half-Gold Dragon Elf; a willful little girl who loves to read and feels the fear and darkness of her town of Lastlight isn't right; helped Alisaadi before she found trouble; red haired, blue eyed, with freckles like constellations; currently harboring Ali for the night; revealed she was a half-gold dragon and showed Ali her mother's old lair; asked the dragon shaman to find her father
Firnod Powers, Elf; a stern but loving father; majority land holder in Lastlight and the surrounding area; refuses to leave his ancestral lands; wife was killed by the Minister 60 years ago; captured by Superbians on his way to the Church of Raya to deliver Ali's sword to her; saved by the group in the depths of the devils' foundry; carried out unconscious by his wife Yesenya, alive and in actuality the elder gold.
Yesenya the Gold, Elder Gold Dragon; mother of Rees; wife of Firnod; thought dead for the last sixty years, instead kept in a coma by the Minister to fuel an endless gold mine; stomped the Minister out of existence; gave Sev an iron golem shrunken in a box; killed Nailo after several warnings
Lectus, Vampire Guide;
Mirkis, Wererat Rogue and Informant;
The Deceased
Heilar, Awakened Sabertooth Tiger; guardian of the Tomb of the Ice Queen; wounded by the Ice Queen; last in the line of guardians; killed by a demon
Zumanta, Southern Human Merchant; heavy southern merchant; greasy face; laughs and smiles lots; brother and sister slaves in south; drove summer wine wagon (actually black powder kegs); dead (worn as armor by undead lover)
Kenda, Southern Human Merchant; heavy southern woman; intimate with Zumanta; killed by a sabertooth tiger; became spell-stitched ghast
Prince Raul Musa'fera, Southern Merchant Prince; coward; his caravan destroyed; saved by Dagobert; thirteen older brothers he despises; eyes gouged out by ice mephits; head exploded from cursed crown
Buman Daraka, Ice Elf Pilgrim; traveling to attend the Coldhome christening and cure his feebleminded wife; died in the Ice Queen's lair (intestines wrapped around a magic handle and body used like a flail by a demon)
Acquaintances
Captain Red-eye Ruiz, Pirate of the One Kingdom; shared a room with the group at the Fist; emissary of the One Kingdom; ruby eye; fought in the Battle of the Fist; current whereabouts unknown
Riganzi, Priest of Thorm; thin, slimy frost giant seen conversing with Nailo; currently moving with the refugees for Port Athas
Princess Alia Serenor, Voice of the Emperor and Captain of the Royal Guard; one of the Nine Heroes; youngest daughter of Issima and sister to Ilari; reticent, but stunningly beautiful; fought in the Battle of the Fist; escaped and shared a secret with Izaki; drugged the group and took her sister; current whereabouts unknown
Jarl of the Fist, Frost Giant King; a one-eyed giant of tremendous proportions (20 ft. tall); sits upon a throne of frozen-together blades; proves to neither like or dislike the group, though did show some fondness to Nailo for dumping four severed heads in his court;fought in the Battle of the Fist and openly defied the Ice Queen; killed by the demoness; dead
Raj Seethram, Gnoll Chieftain of Fort Dirge; a tawny gnoll with a mean streak and cruel sense of humor; laughs like a hyena; dislikes group; seems to have some sort of standing history with the Jarl; fought and died in the Battle of the Fist; dead
Suut Mobin, Master of the Glacier Dwarves; bluish skinned, white-haired master monk and ninja; good friend to the ice elf emperor; even-tempered; enforced the group's gear being searched; fought and died in the Battle of the Fist; dead
The Wolfson, Human Ranger; one of the 'epics'; captain of the Snowblades special forces division; a legendary figure in Veluvian history, known for his superb fighting abilities; possesses many magic items, one a horn that calls winter wolves; so named for his gruff nature and wolf's head helm; younger brother of Gravant Marr; butted heads with Nailo and dislikes the group in general; helped lead the Fist survivors to Port Athas
Marge, Dwarf Merchant; among the many merchants in the refugee camp; retired adventurer; sold Linai her sword Nightwing; has special ties with Tasha; heading to her home in N'Catr
Ron Jeremy, Human Armorer; fat, greasy pervert; sells to women at much cheaper prices in return for questionable payments; sold the bondage outfit to Linai; created Tasha's dragonhide; current whereabouts unknown
Enemies
The Ice Queen: Shalraza, one of the Seven Demon Lords; spawned during the Winters War; freed through the breaking of the seal and the death of the sabertooth guardians; terraforming region into ice wastes; mastermind behind Veluvia’s and the Fist's downfalls; seeking to cause the next ice age and release her demon kin; responsible for untold death and destruction
Kyodai Ken, First Generation Ice Elf Kensai Ronin; betrayed and became a stalwart enemy of the Emperor; holds the blade of destiny Ghoster; best swordsman in the Northland; stole black powder from the southern caravan (first time he’d been seen in centuries); revealed during the invasion of the Fist to having been posing as the emperor!; fought in the Battle of the Fist; escaped, rescuing the princesses in the process, though disappeared during a demon attack; gave Izaki the blade of destiny Seven Caged Tigers; current whereabouts unknown
The White Wurm, Tundra Landwyrm; ally of Kyodai; gorges on the dead; destroyed southern caravan; survived explosion caused by Sev; killed Ryouko in the Ice Queen’s lair; killed Nailo on the crevasse stairs; Slain in the depths of the eye-shaped crevasse; dead
The White Lotus, Legendary Clan of Ice Elf Ninjas; personal hands of the Emperor's will; looking to kill Izaki, presumably for his forbidden knowledge of bushido and samurai ways (something that is reserved for ice elves only); has sent several contingents to kill Izaki, each time with more ninjas; Alia Serenor is their leader, though claims the ninjas sent for Izaki are not hers
Kasper, the Would-Be Vampire King; bastard of the last vampire king; his father killed by Marge and her old adventuring group; stole Nightwing and kidnapped Linai; possesses a sister sword Nightwish with identical abilities; when the two swords combine he became full vampire; ally of the Ice Queen; presumably killed Linai and seeks to reclaim the fanged throne; currently making deals and gathering an army to take Saspien by force; harbored in House Huma, an ally to Tisiphone and Falst
Zan the Relentless, Ice Elf Ninja Ghost; in life he was a member of the White Lotus killed by Nailo in an explosion inside the crevasse; returned through the Ice Queen's power to seek vengeance against Nailo; disappeared early in the battle; possessed Linai and traveled with the group; jumped bodies and possessed Prince Sigfein, using him to break the holy seals that kept the Fist separated from the Underfreeze; current whereabouts unknown
Charethon, Frostergrim Fighter; Keia's flamboyant former jailor; defeated by the group in the Ice Queen's lair; impaled and scarred beyond recognition by the Ice Queen for his failure; unwittingly saved by the group and brought to Veluvia for healing; potentially the one who enabled the Ice Queen’s invasion and the fall of the city; current whereabouts unknown
Death, Illithid; witnessed aiding Kasper and then slowing the groups progress; killed in the Tirian Woods; dead
Conqueror Ooze, Conqueror Ooze; an intelligent ooze that grew with the amount of people it absorbed; swallowed the entire refugee camp from Veluvia on their way to the Fist; killed by the epics; the ooze in which Sev managed to draw Snot out of
Hound of Saspien, Legendary Charnel Hound; the undisputed terror of the hills of Saspien; a huge dog made of corpses; fought the group and proved to possess a powerful attack; defeated and sent running by Nailo and Sev who gave chase; managed to escape, promising a reckoning; hunted down and killed by Sev in his lair; dead
The Rilb Sisters, Harpies; Three prowling sisters that encountered Nailo, thinking him an easy meal; Tibia Rilb was killed, and her remaining sisters enacted a vendetta curse; took Nailo's gear, including the bag with Onyxia, and his legs; among a contingent out to kill Nailo
Tisiphone the Avenger, Fury leader of House Huma; hot-headed and vindictive, the youngest of the three sisters is often about avenging those wronged in her house; fought Nailo and the group proclaiming it was due to murder of Tibia Rilb, though in reality because she was aligned with the demons; exploded with Nailo; presumed dead; revealed alive to Nailo by the dragon Daithrak; killed her sisters and assumed leadership of House Huma; ally of Kasper and Falst
Elsibeth, Erinyes; beautiful as she is depraved, this winged devil fought the group alongside her mistress Tisiphone; formed quite a hatred of Alisaadi; managed to escape during the battle; whereabouts unknown
Fulkerion, Harpy Archer; fought Nailo alongside her mistress Tisiphone; in the commotion of the battle, the group lost track of her; whereabouts unknown
Daithrak the Black, elder black dragon; undisputed mistress of the swamps along the southern mountains; commands black dragons and a tribe of pallid troglodytes; has an extensive, sunken hoard; acquiesced to Nailo's and Taras's requests; replenished Nailo's equipment and sent him out to kidnap Rees, who she thought was the last surviving gold; devote of Kultuss
Superbian Priests, old human clerics of Superbia (Pride); ran the church in Lastlight pretending to be priests of Raya; guarded the entrance to the devils' foundry; the eldest of the priests once talked to Alisaadi and gave his blessing in the killing of the Minister (falsely); fought Izaki, Ali and Dante; two died quickly and Ali interoggated the third, afterward he went scrambling out of the church for his life; surviving priest's whereabouts unknown
Tazjaree, pride devil taskmaster of the devils' foundry; sister to the Minister; aided in the enprisonment of Yesenya with enchanted gold casing; herself looks like a perfect female covered in gold with bat wings and a scorpion's tail; fought Dante mid-air in the finishing room of the foundry; teleported away after Nailo's threat, promising to see everyone again with a wink; whereabouts unknown
The Minister, gluttony devil emissary of Torment; leader of the Dark Gods faith in Saspien and diplomat between the vampire Houses and Torment; hired Dante to kill Kasper; terrorizes Lastlight seemingly for fun; as powerful as he is fat and greasy; created by Gula (Gluttony); resided in the Ministry; tortured and fought the group after they backstabbed him and took out his foundry and gold mine; killed Dante; slain by Yesenya and banished for 101 years back to Torment (devils cannot be killed on Othyr, only banished back to hell and unable to return to the material plane for 101 years)
The Ancient Blight: Falst, one of the Seven Demon Lords, presumably as old as the Ice Queen; could potentially become as powerful as the Ice Queen; currently aligned with House Huma and Kasper; taking refuge in the eeyries of House Huma while his powers return
Friendly Reminder: Level-Up to 11
As of 11/1, all characters have been promoted to level 11. Make the appropriate changes and PLEASE post updated character sheets. In addition, send a copy of the updated sheet to me through email. Thanks.
Campaign History: Book 1: Old Evils Rising
Session 1:
Ryouko "Iceblade" Kusanagi left Ivristel with a religious convoy heading for Veluvia to help dedicate a new Coldhome of Vaness. She traveled with priests, paladins, and fellow passengers. At one rest stop, Ryouko met a fat ice elf named Buman, collecting for the new Coldhome, and his wife Tonsi, whose dementia her husband hoped priests could cure during the Coldhome's christening.
Meanwhile, the goblin Sev Torban hitched a ride on back a merchant wagon driven by the cheery southerner Zumanta. His wagon was one of a long chain coming from the desert kingdom of Maynabad for their annual trade with the far northern settlement of Veluvia. Their caravan halted to rest the horses and both Zumanta and Sev sought to sample the cargo, barrels of summer wine. Instead, they found all the barrels contained black powder, a rare explosive substance illegal in the south.
Ryouko's dog sled train halted as the leader called out he'd spotted a barbarian raiding party. However, the savages weren't heading for them, but a faint speck in the distance. As Ryouko suspected, it was another caravan. The ice elves quickly moved to help.
Also riding in the merchant caravan, on the Kush family wagon, was Dagobert Martel. He sought some strong ale and an ETA for Veluvia during the rest stop. He found a decadent merchant named Raul was in charge, but could scant get an audience due to eight hulking bodyguards and a rude vizier.
Suddenly, the merchant caravan was attacked by an influx of human and half-orc barbarian ragers. A chaotic fight ensued, one that claimed many lives. The ice elves were able to offer aid, and Ryouko, Dagobert, and Sev rose as better-than-the-rest warriors. Sev even managed to blow up Zumanta's wagon, when the merchant and his girlfriend Kenda were safely away.
Then something truly unexpected happened. The ice elves and barbarians in the north section of the wagon circle stopped fighting each other and turned to face a new, unseen enemy, obscured by the wagons. Soon after bloody geysers shot thirty feet or more into the air, marked by screams of the agonized.
Dagobert was able to defend a cowardly Raul from barbarians long enough to receive aid from Sev and Ryouko, while the rest of the caravan either fled or died from the mysterious monster behind the northern wagons.
When the fight was over, Sev devised a trap for the monster by rigging the wagon circle to become a giant bomb. Dagobert aided, while Ryouko got a better look at just what they were blowing up. Her discovery was heart-withering. Her dog sled train leader was not who he seemed, but a traitorous Kensai named Kyodai Ken, powerful enough to face the All-Mighty Emperor and live. With the evil ronin was a ferocious looking serpent of huge proportions, bone white, gorging on the dead.
Now certain they could not solve their woes with steel, Ryouko, Dagobert, and Raul fled while Sev ensured the bomb went off. When the dragon entered the circle, drawn by the scent of a corpse trail, Sev lit the fuse. The bomb worked, exploding into a huge pillar of fire and subsequent mushroom cloud. Things were silent for a time, just the roaring flame and billowing smoke... then something else roared in the rubble. Sev fled back to the others, fled for his life.
Session 2:
The group traveled further into the tundra, even into nightfall. The cold was severe.
Miraculously, others from the caravan survived, among them Buman, Tonsi, Zumanta, Kenda, and the dark figure Nailo. Nailo became unofficial leader and managed to unite his group with Sev, Ryouko, Dagobert and Raul. At the sight of Zumanta, Raul snapped out of his shock and scolded the merchant for not helping save their prince. The only one Raul seemed to hold any tolerance for was Dagobert, especially hating Ryouko who drew steel on him. Tensions high, everyone continued into the darkness, desperately seeking shelter.
Dagobert spotted a worg on the horizon, motioning for everyone to follow it, but before Sev could investigate the group was ambushed by two sabertooth tigers. One was a juvenile, picking Ryouko as its target. Its mother was a hulking adult that shredded Kenda to pieces. The group fought a long and arduous battle to defeat the pair. Sev came millimeters from death, only the accidental spilling of healing potions fending off oblivion. Victory was owed, in part, to Nailo, Dagobert, Ryouko, and Sev, but perhaps most of all to the nameless worg who sacrificed itself for the group's well-being.
Zumanta, Ryouko and the others demanded the sabertooths be put down, since Sev had only knocked them unconscious and bound them. With a heavy heart the goblin druid obliged, performing a careful ritual. Zumanta stayed with the goblin, partially wanting to make sure the cats died, partially to come to grips with his love's death.
Ryouko led the others into the sabertooth's cave to find shelter, bringing Kenda's corpse with them. Zumanta and Sev returned two hours later and everyone settled down to rest.
Everyone but Nailo, who discovered a small hole in the back of the cave. Dagobert was able to shatter the boulder blocking the hole just as Sev woke screaming from a horrible nightmare. The goblin left the cave to clear his head while Nailo considered entering the mysterious tunnel. Half-way inside, an unearthly howl shot up the hole and extinguished the fire, that, besides providing warmth and cooked food, also fended off the possible return of the sabertooth male.
Session 3:
Leaving Raul, Zumanta, Buman and Tonsi with flint and steel to restart the campfire, the group headed into the hole. It happened to be very icy and Dagobert and Sev slipped, subsequently causing the entire party to sail down the tunnel. Nailo managed to catch himself while the rest rolled into a cavern perhaps a hundred feet or more beneath the surface. Though dark, a strange green light pulsated up ahead. They followed it to an archway with a glowing keystone.
On it was an inscription:
There the group encountered Heilar, an awakened sabertooth male with a clear spindle ioun stone made to sustain him long years guarding the tomb of the Ice Queen Shalraza. Heilar was charged by the dwarven druid Scrin, one of the Nine Heroes of Winter's Maw, to prevent the escape of the cruel demoness of cold. However, with the breaking of the holy seal (thanks to Dagobert and Nailo) and the death of the next generation's guardian sabertooth (performed by Sev at the demands of the group), the Ice Queen awoke.
Heilar battled swarms of foes before succumbing to a blow by a powerful servant of the demoness. He warned the ice queen would begin reshaping the terrain and rebuilding her stronghold of old unless stopped. Despite attempts by Sev, Heilar could not be healed, but offered to use his remaining magic to empower the keystone and form a safe haven. He also said to call his name should the group ever become hopelessly lost. Before the group set out, Heilar mentioned there was another in the dungeon, a girl, being held prisoner for the Ice Queen's foul machinations.
It didn't take long to find her, bound by hand and wrist into a frozen waterfall and guarded by a flamboyant, supernaturally-beautiful man, calling himself Charethon. After suffering enough fancy skating and otherwise dillydallying, the imprisoned girl, Keia, magically cursed her jailor blind. From there Charethon was on the attack, launching a longspear into Sev's polar bear side with impressive skill. The goblin worked on freeing Keia while the rest finished off Charethon. The victory was due in part to Ryouko's steel, Nailo's magic, Keia's spells and undead servant, and the face-shattering maul of Dagobert Martel.
As Keia introduced herself and admitted to being a necromancer with a bone to pick with the Ice Queen who tricked her, Nailo spotted something golden in the falls and began chipping away.
A massive blue ice door opened onto another tunnel. Ryouko led her companions inside, their numbers now including Keia. The group encountered twenty-one skeleton skaters, most of which Keia was able to rebuke. Those not under her influence formed a larger skeleton, one quickly dispatched by the samurai, favored soul, and necromancer.
Meanwhile, Nailo uncovered not only a golden flow of coin, but a part of a statue and another tunnel. After calling the group, Ryouko sent Sev to see if the roguish sorcerer was alright. With Sev's help, he and Nailo uncovered the statue to be that of a kingly man, though neither could identify who it might be. Adventurously, they decided to enter the tunnel, whose floor was grassy and temperature oddly warm. Nailo turned back after several hundred feet, but Sev traveled on for twenty-four hours. The eventual exit left him smack dab in the Marx Woll, the forest just outside Veluvia. He could even see the small city from where he stood, so headed back to get the others.
With the large skeleton dispatched, Nailo led everyone into the tunnel. They traveled on, some on the suspicion this would lead them to the Ice Queen, and after fifteen hours travel ran into Sev. A heated argument arose, since none in the group had bothered to retrieve Zumanta, Buman, Raul or Tonsi. Some also found Sev's exploration reckless instead of helpful. Despite their differences, each member turned back with haste in hopes of taking the caravan survivors to Veluvia unharmed and defeating the demoness.
But what had transpired in those thirty hours elapsed? What new atrocity had the Ice Queen committed? Was Heilar still alive and sustaining the safe zone? Were the caravan survivors able to start the fire? Were they even alive?
Session 4:
The group reentered the lair of the Ice Queen after thirty hours and found the place a nightmare. An entire barbarian tribe had been mutilated and staked on icicles, an obscene forest of dead centered around one particular man impaled on a particularly large icicle. His face had been cut and re-sewn in painful angles that made speaking impossible. Sev and Dagobert attempted to aid him, but all he seemed to ask for was death. When the goblin gave the man the choice between life and death, he couldn’t answer, thus Dagobert knocked him out and Sev carried him down the secret passage toward Veluvia in wolf form.
Meanwhile Ryouko, Keia, and Nailo moved on ahead to retrieve the caravan survivors. On their way up to the sabertooth cave, they discovered the ruined corpse of Heilar. After some trouble climbing the icy tunnel back to the cave, they found it empty save Zumanta sobbing in the corner. In fact, it wasn’t Zumanta, but Kenda, now a powerful undead wearing her former love as a grotesque armor of fat and flesh. After a grim battle, which Dagobert returned in time to help fight, the group headed back down to find the others.
Heilar’s corpse was now missing, almost as unexpected as the sight a few caverns away: Tonsi defending a barbarian woman and her infant from the maw of a fiendish polar bear. During the fight, the group deduced Tonsi was a paladin of Vaness. The group fought long and hard with this monster, a normally formidable animal corrupted by the powers of the Ice Queen into something much worse. Despite many clean slashes from Ryouko, a swarm of rats via Keia, and numerous other attacks, the beast endured, nearly killing Nailo and Keia if not for the healing aid of Dag.
When the monster was finally dispatched, Tonsi explained the remainder of the caravan group was herded down into the ice caves and dragged away by a grinning demon. She was to be saved for last, or so the demon taunted, and the sight of Buman in true peril had broken her curse. She refused to talk about much else, like who or what caused her madness in the first place. Seemingly single-minded, Tonsi reluctantly agreed to rest before continuing on.
Also, the barbarian woman Cheta, whom Tonsi had been defending, shared that her sister Sarn was also prisoner somewhere in the tunnel. Cheta explained Sarn was a necromancer, but inherently good at heart, and for reasons unknown was of particular interest to the Ice Queen and spared the fate of the rest of her tribe. Cheta would have suffered an icy death, if not for Tonsi, who had been looking for Buman and managed to spirit the barbarian and her baby into hiding.
Session 5:
Heading further into the deathtrap dungeon, passing such snares as a hail of icicles, the group heard a familiar wailing. They discovered an overstocked treasury, gleaming with gold, gems, and emanating many powerful magic auras. They also discovered Raul, robbed of his eyes and crumpled on the floor, being taunted by ice mephits. After dispatching the cruel little imps, someone accidentally tripped a failsafe, and with a sudden crash a feet-thick slab of ice trapped the group inside. Raul also met his end, when, trying on a crown, his head exploded from a curse. Thus the group realized, not everything magical within the treasury was a good thing.
Meanwhile in Veluvia, Sev implored the help of the Snowblades. Their leader, Gravant Marr, sent the goblin back with two dedicated soldiers, Tomas and Feyd, and promised more if they did not return within a day. The trio eventually discovered the group trapped in the treasury and, through hours of effort on both sides, the icy obstacle was cleared.
Not long after the full party’s reunion, they were confronted with the Ice Queen herself! The demoness was over eight feet tall, sheathed in ice, with wicked claws and a slew of magic at her disposal. It was a brutal fight that nearly saw the end of several in the group, but, through teamwork and perseverance, Frost was defeated. As she melted away, the cold but living body of Sarn was revealed underneath. Dag and Sev were able to heal Sarn enough for her to explain that what the group had fought was not the Ice Queen at all, but merely an aspect of her. The demoness had been collecting female necromancers with which to create aspects, both to increase her influence and speed the ruin of the civilized North.
Session 6:
The group reunited Sarn with her sister Cheta and her baby nephew, then sent them back with the snowblades. Before they parted, though, Cheta gave Keia a blue key she had found that opened all the blue-ice doors previously locked in the dungeon.
Opening one such locked door revealed a bloody passage leading into pitch black. Everyone decided to raid the treasury for better equipment before moving on, though a determined Tonsi, worried for her husband, turned a cold shoulder and entered the darkness. Dagobert, feeling guilty she was going alone, followed.
In the treasury everyone found safe, non-exploding items of magical worth, among then a figurine of wondrous power in the likeness of a fiendish penguin. By rubbing its tummy, the penguin grew and came to life, making obscene gestures and otherwise being a little devil. Restocked and ready to go, the group followed in Tonsi’s cold footsteps.
On the way, the party encountered an ice elven paladin named Ivraenor, who, though clashing with some of the more tenebrous members of the group, was intent on helping. He was sent by the Church of Raya after Tomas and Feyd reported the fight with the Aspect of the Ice Queen Shalraza, to assess the danger of the demoness. He would soon find some gruesome proof.
Among the first things that led them to the Chapel of Woe were the screams. They entered to find a twelve-foot demon wielding a gruesome flail, a thick wooden beam with Buman’s intestines as the chain and the still-living Buman as the flail head, magically kept alive and in agony. To make the scene even more horrific, this renovated chapel contained a mural of living people, each stripped nude and nailed by their hands and feet to the ceiling. They were somehow magically sustained so as to prolong their suffering. Tonsi and Dagobert were among the poor souls.
The group began a difficult battle. Nailo was able to scale the scaffolding and release Tonsi and Dagobert, then assault the demon from on high, while the rest of the group fought head on. The demon, calling himself Boss Pain, proved supernaturally strong and amazingly resilient, his powers matched only by his sadist and masochist revelry. However, the group eventually triumphed, though Buman wasn’t so fortunate. With the demon’s defeat Buman's life was forfeit, though even Tonsi welcomed his chance to finally rest.
In a humane gesture, the group began a long process of removing all the living victims from the chapel and transporting them to Veluvia. Members had mixed feelings on how to go about it, or if to go about it at all, but through piggy-backing zombies, sleds, hard work, and the eventual help of snowblades, every person was returned to town and taken to one of the many healing temples.
As the group did one last sweep and was about to head out for good, a massive white claw jutted into the tunnel and dragged Ivraenor, Keia, and Ryouko back into the dungeon. Ryouko was impaled on the foreclaw, and from the amount of blood erupting from her chest and mouth, it seems unlikely she survived. The fate of the others remains a mystery…
Ryouko "Iceblade" Kusanagi left Ivristel with a religious convoy heading for Veluvia to help dedicate a new Coldhome of Vaness. She traveled with priests, paladins, and fellow passengers. At one rest stop, Ryouko met a fat ice elf named Buman, collecting for the new Coldhome, and his wife Tonsi, whose dementia her husband hoped priests could cure during the Coldhome's christening.
Meanwhile, the goblin Sev Torban hitched a ride on back a merchant wagon driven by the cheery southerner Zumanta. His wagon was one of a long chain coming from the desert kingdom of Maynabad for their annual trade with the far northern settlement of Veluvia. Their caravan halted to rest the horses and both Zumanta and Sev sought to sample the cargo, barrels of summer wine. Instead, they found all the barrels contained black powder, a rare explosive substance illegal in the south.
Ryouko's dog sled train halted as the leader called out he'd spotted a barbarian raiding party. However, the savages weren't heading for them, but a faint speck in the distance. As Ryouko suspected, it was another caravan. The ice elves quickly moved to help.
Also riding in the merchant caravan, on the Kush family wagon, was Dagobert Martel. He sought some strong ale and an ETA for Veluvia during the rest stop. He found a decadent merchant named Raul was in charge, but could scant get an audience due to eight hulking bodyguards and a rude vizier.
Suddenly, the merchant caravan was attacked by an influx of human and half-orc barbarian ragers. A chaotic fight ensued, one that claimed many lives. The ice elves were able to offer aid, and Ryouko, Dagobert, and Sev rose as better-than-the-rest warriors. Sev even managed to blow up Zumanta's wagon, when the merchant and his girlfriend Kenda were safely away.
Then something truly unexpected happened. The ice elves and barbarians in the north section of the wagon circle stopped fighting each other and turned to face a new, unseen enemy, obscured by the wagons. Soon after bloody geysers shot thirty feet or more into the air, marked by screams of the agonized.
Dagobert was able to defend a cowardly Raul from barbarians long enough to receive aid from Sev and Ryouko, while the rest of the caravan either fled or died from the mysterious monster behind the northern wagons.
When the fight was over, Sev devised a trap for the monster by rigging the wagon circle to become a giant bomb. Dagobert aided, while Ryouko got a better look at just what they were blowing up. Her discovery was heart-withering. Her dog sled train leader was not who he seemed, but a traitorous Kensai named Kyodai Ken, powerful enough to face the All-Mighty Emperor and live. With the evil ronin was a ferocious looking serpent of huge proportions, bone white, gorging on the dead.
Now certain they could not solve their woes with steel, Ryouko, Dagobert, and Raul fled while Sev ensured the bomb went off. When the dragon entered the circle, drawn by the scent of a corpse trail, Sev lit the fuse. The bomb worked, exploding into a huge pillar of fire and subsequent mushroom cloud. Things were silent for a time, just the roaring flame and billowing smoke... then something else roared in the rubble. Sev fled back to the others, fled for his life.
Session 2:
The group traveled further into the tundra, even into nightfall. The cold was severe.
Miraculously, others from the caravan survived, among them Buman, Tonsi, Zumanta, Kenda, and the dark figure Nailo. Nailo became unofficial leader and managed to unite his group with Sev, Ryouko, Dagobert and Raul. At the sight of Zumanta, Raul snapped out of his shock and scolded the merchant for not helping save their prince. The only one Raul seemed to hold any tolerance for was Dagobert, especially hating Ryouko who drew steel on him. Tensions high, everyone continued into the darkness, desperately seeking shelter.
Dagobert spotted a worg on the horizon, motioning for everyone to follow it, but before Sev could investigate the group was ambushed by two sabertooth tigers. One was a juvenile, picking Ryouko as its target. Its mother was a hulking adult that shredded Kenda to pieces. The group fought a long and arduous battle to defeat the pair. Sev came millimeters from death, only the accidental spilling of healing potions fending off oblivion. Victory was owed, in part, to Nailo, Dagobert, Ryouko, and Sev, but perhaps most of all to the nameless worg who sacrificed itself for the group's well-being.
Zumanta, Ryouko and the others demanded the sabertooths be put down, since Sev had only knocked them unconscious and bound them. With a heavy heart the goblin druid obliged, performing a careful ritual. Zumanta stayed with the goblin, partially wanting to make sure the cats died, partially to come to grips with his love's death.
Ryouko led the others into the sabertooth's cave to find shelter, bringing Kenda's corpse with them. Zumanta and Sev returned two hours later and everyone settled down to rest.
Everyone but Nailo, who discovered a small hole in the back of the cave. Dagobert was able to shatter the boulder blocking the hole just as Sev woke screaming from a horrible nightmare. The goblin left the cave to clear his head while Nailo considered entering the mysterious tunnel. Half-way inside, an unearthly howl shot up the hole and extinguished the fire, that, besides providing warmth and cooked food, also fended off the possible return of the sabertooth male.
Session 3:
Leaving Raul, Zumanta, Buman and Tonsi with flint and steel to restart the campfire, the group headed into the hole. It happened to be very icy and Dagobert and Sev slipped, subsequently causing the entire party to sail down the tunnel. Nailo managed to catch himself while the rest rolled into a cavern perhaps a hundred feet or more beneath the surface. Though dark, a strange green light pulsated up ahead. They followed it to an archway with a glowing keystone.
On it was an inscription:
“A realm once green now ruled by Frost, Where flesh and field both pay her cost, Those dearly loved, forever lost...”
There the group encountered Heilar, an awakened sabertooth male with a clear spindle ioun stone made to sustain him long years guarding the tomb of the Ice Queen Shalraza. Heilar was charged by the dwarven druid Scrin, one of the Nine Heroes of Winter's Maw, to prevent the escape of the cruel demoness of cold. However, with the breaking of the holy seal (thanks to Dagobert and Nailo) and the death of the next generation's guardian sabertooth (performed by Sev at the demands of the group), the Ice Queen awoke.
Heilar battled swarms of foes before succumbing to a blow by a powerful servant of the demoness. He warned the ice queen would begin reshaping the terrain and rebuilding her stronghold of old unless stopped. Despite attempts by Sev, Heilar could not be healed, but offered to use his remaining magic to empower the keystone and form a safe haven. He also said to call his name should the group ever become hopelessly lost. Before the group set out, Heilar mentioned there was another in the dungeon, a girl, being held prisoner for the Ice Queen's foul machinations.
It didn't take long to find her, bound by hand and wrist into a frozen waterfall and guarded by a flamboyant, supernaturally-beautiful man, calling himself Charethon. After suffering enough fancy skating and otherwise dillydallying, the imprisoned girl, Keia, magically cursed her jailor blind. From there Charethon was on the attack, launching a longspear into Sev's polar bear side with impressive skill. The goblin worked on freeing Keia while the rest finished off Charethon. The victory was due in part to Ryouko's steel, Nailo's magic, Keia's spells and undead servant, and the face-shattering maul of Dagobert Martel.
As Keia introduced herself and admitted to being a necromancer with a bone to pick with the Ice Queen who tricked her, Nailo spotted something golden in the falls and began chipping away.
A massive blue ice door opened onto another tunnel. Ryouko led her companions inside, their numbers now including Keia. The group encountered twenty-one skeleton skaters, most of which Keia was able to rebuke. Those not under her influence formed a larger skeleton, one quickly dispatched by the samurai, favored soul, and necromancer.
Meanwhile, Nailo uncovered not only a golden flow of coin, but a part of a statue and another tunnel. After calling the group, Ryouko sent Sev to see if the roguish sorcerer was alright. With Sev's help, he and Nailo uncovered the statue to be that of a kingly man, though neither could identify who it might be. Adventurously, they decided to enter the tunnel, whose floor was grassy and temperature oddly warm. Nailo turned back after several hundred feet, but Sev traveled on for twenty-four hours. The eventual exit left him smack dab in the Marx Woll, the forest just outside Veluvia. He could even see the small city from where he stood, so headed back to get the others.
With the large skeleton dispatched, Nailo led everyone into the tunnel. They traveled on, some on the suspicion this would lead them to the Ice Queen, and after fifteen hours travel ran into Sev. A heated argument arose, since none in the group had bothered to retrieve Zumanta, Buman, Raul or Tonsi. Some also found Sev's exploration reckless instead of helpful. Despite their differences, each member turned back with haste in hopes of taking the caravan survivors to Veluvia unharmed and defeating the demoness.
But what had transpired in those thirty hours elapsed? What new atrocity had the Ice Queen committed? Was Heilar still alive and sustaining the safe zone? Were the caravan survivors able to start the fire? Were they even alive?
Session 4:
The group reentered the lair of the Ice Queen after thirty hours and found the place a nightmare. An entire barbarian tribe had been mutilated and staked on icicles, an obscene forest of dead centered around one particular man impaled on a particularly large icicle. His face had been cut and re-sewn in painful angles that made speaking impossible. Sev and Dagobert attempted to aid him, but all he seemed to ask for was death. When the goblin gave the man the choice between life and death, he couldn’t answer, thus Dagobert knocked him out and Sev carried him down the secret passage toward Veluvia in wolf form.
Meanwhile Ryouko, Keia, and Nailo moved on ahead to retrieve the caravan survivors. On their way up to the sabertooth cave, they discovered the ruined corpse of Heilar. After some trouble climbing the icy tunnel back to the cave, they found it empty save Zumanta sobbing in the corner. In fact, it wasn’t Zumanta, but Kenda, now a powerful undead wearing her former love as a grotesque armor of fat and flesh. After a grim battle, which Dagobert returned in time to help fight, the group headed back down to find the others.
Heilar’s corpse was now missing, almost as unexpected as the sight a few caverns away: Tonsi defending a barbarian woman and her infant from the maw of a fiendish polar bear. During the fight, the group deduced Tonsi was a paladin of Vaness. The group fought long and hard with this monster, a normally formidable animal corrupted by the powers of the Ice Queen into something much worse. Despite many clean slashes from Ryouko, a swarm of rats via Keia, and numerous other attacks, the beast endured, nearly killing Nailo and Keia if not for the healing aid of Dag.
When the monster was finally dispatched, Tonsi explained the remainder of the caravan group was herded down into the ice caves and dragged away by a grinning demon. She was to be saved for last, or so the demon taunted, and the sight of Buman in true peril had broken her curse. She refused to talk about much else, like who or what caused her madness in the first place. Seemingly single-minded, Tonsi reluctantly agreed to rest before continuing on.
Also, the barbarian woman Cheta, whom Tonsi had been defending, shared that her sister Sarn was also prisoner somewhere in the tunnel. Cheta explained Sarn was a necromancer, but inherently good at heart, and for reasons unknown was of particular interest to the Ice Queen and spared the fate of the rest of her tribe. Cheta would have suffered an icy death, if not for Tonsi, who had been looking for Buman and managed to spirit the barbarian and her baby into hiding.
Session 5:
Heading further into the deathtrap dungeon, passing such snares as a hail of icicles, the group heard a familiar wailing. They discovered an overstocked treasury, gleaming with gold, gems, and emanating many powerful magic auras. They also discovered Raul, robbed of his eyes and crumpled on the floor, being taunted by ice mephits. After dispatching the cruel little imps, someone accidentally tripped a failsafe, and with a sudden crash a feet-thick slab of ice trapped the group inside. Raul also met his end, when, trying on a crown, his head exploded from a curse. Thus the group realized, not everything magical within the treasury was a good thing.
Meanwhile in Veluvia, Sev implored the help of the Snowblades. Their leader, Gravant Marr, sent the goblin back with two dedicated soldiers, Tomas and Feyd, and promised more if they did not return within a day. The trio eventually discovered the group trapped in the treasury and, through hours of effort on both sides, the icy obstacle was cleared.
Not long after the full party’s reunion, they were confronted with the Ice Queen herself! The demoness was over eight feet tall, sheathed in ice, with wicked claws and a slew of magic at her disposal. It was a brutal fight that nearly saw the end of several in the group, but, through teamwork and perseverance, Frost was defeated. As she melted away, the cold but living body of Sarn was revealed underneath. Dag and Sev were able to heal Sarn enough for her to explain that what the group had fought was not the Ice Queen at all, but merely an aspect of her. The demoness had been collecting female necromancers with which to create aspects, both to increase her influence and speed the ruin of the civilized North.
Session 6:
The group reunited Sarn with her sister Cheta and her baby nephew, then sent them back with the snowblades. Before they parted, though, Cheta gave Keia a blue key she had found that opened all the blue-ice doors previously locked in the dungeon.
Opening one such locked door revealed a bloody passage leading into pitch black. Everyone decided to raid the treasury for better equipment before moving on, though a determined Tonsi, worried for her husband, turned a cold shoulder and entered the darkness. Dagobert, feeling guilty she was going alone, followed.
In the treasury everyone found safe, non-exploding items of magical worth, among then a figurine of wondrous power in the likeness of a fiendish penguin. By rubbing its tummy, the penguin grew and came to life, making obscene gestures and otherwise being a little devil. Restocked and ready to go, the group followed in Tonsi’s cold footsteps.
On the way, the party encountered an ice elven paladin named Ivraenor, who, though clashing with some of the more tenebrous members of the group, was intent on helping. He was sent by the Church of Raya after Tomas and Feyd reported the fight with the Aspect of the Ice Queen Shalraza, to assess the danger of the demoness. He would soon find some gruesome proof.
Among the first things that led them to the Chapel of Woe were the screams. They entered to find a twelve-foot demon wielding a gruesome flail, a thick wooden beam with Buman’s intestines as the chain and the still-living Buman as the flail head, magically kept alive and in agony. To make the scene even more horrific, this renovated chapel contained a mural of living people, each stripped nude and nailed by their hands and feet to the ceiling. They were somehow magically sustained so as to prolong their suffering. Tonsi and Dagobert were among the poor souls.
The group began a difficult battle. Nailo was able to scale the scaffolding and release Tonsi and Dagobert, then assault the demon from on high, while the rest of the group fought head on. The demon, calling himself Boss Pain, proved supernaturally strong and amazingly resilient, his powers matched only by his sadist and masochist revelry. However, the group eventually triumphed, though Buman wasn’t so fortunate. With the demon’s defeat Buman's life was forfeit, though even Tonsi welcomed his chance to finally rest.
In a humane gesture, the group began a long process of removing all the living victims from the chapel and transporting them to Veluvia. Members had mixed feelings on how to go about it, or if to go about it at all, but through piggy-backing zombies, sleds, hard work, and the eventual help of snowblades, every person was returned to town and taken to one of the many healing temples.
As the group did one last sweep and was about to head out for good, a massive white claw jutted into the tunnel and dragged Ivraenor, Keia, and Ryouko back into the dungeon. Ryouko was impaled on the foreclaw, and from the amount of blood erupting from her chest and mouth, it seems unlikely she survived. The fate of the others remains a mystery…
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