The group discovered the corrupted well in a secluded alcove. Finduilas was able to enter the water and banish the evil film over top it through prayer and inner light, but not before Victoria took samples in crystal vials. With the evil dispelled, the pool shined as brightly as a star and bathed the area in a kaleidescope of blue light.
However restoring the well was like igniting a powerful Turning and Victoria was forced to flee back down the open tunnel, her undead Beholder in tow. Fin and Matthias caught up with her in the disc cave, kneeling before the most unlikely of strangers: Laz. He explained many secrets of the universe, including the death of all gods, that Shalraza harbors Delilah's divine spark, and most importantly that the group themselves harbored divine sparks. After the death god departed, Victoria was left with a confused and nervous expression...
In the wake of the self-shaking news, the group decided to continue on with their task. They took the passage Izaki had gone down earlier, hoping to meet up with the impulsive ronin, but they stumbled on some very different kinds of cats: fiendish displacer beasts led by a whip-toting lamia trainer. It was a hard battle, as the trainer seemed particularly resistant to magic, but with the might of the Beholder at Victoria's command, the pack was soon finished. The trainer shadow stepped before she could be slain, which only prompted more caution for what surely would be expectant enemies ahead. A little further down the ways they discovered a long, terrible corridor of natural traps, complete with raining icicles, collapsing floors, clapping walls, and time-released freezing mists. Again the Beholder proved most useful, though the last trap launched an icicle thick as a man and twice as long which skewered the abomination and sent it to eternal rest.
The following chamber revealed the defiler of the next well, a sphinx priestess of Delilah, with the lamia trainer and a fresh pack of displacers to supplement her already awesome power. The battle nearly saw the destruction of Victoria, as the enemies seemed well-informed as to who killed the Beholder. However, Finduilas won out in a dueling battle of faiths with the Delilahn and good prevailed. Fin purified the well and the group retraced their steps back to the sub-basement where Tonsi and a healer were waiting. A few hours later, they went back down. Victoria raised a new sphinx pet and the group explored the next wing of the Crystal Caves.
It led to a one of the toughest battles the group had faced since the Phoenix Forge, twin demon brothers, one the master of ice and the other of snow. Together they proved fearsome in their icy chamber, dropping the temperature to lethal lows and using the terrain to launch devastating combination attacks. They made quick work of the sphinx, then followed by nearly killing Finduilas, apparently recognizing her ability to purify the wells. Victoria of all people landed a spell that saved the cleric from certain death, only adding to their strange relationship. Matthias went head to head with Snow in a battle that appealed to the demon's sense of pride. In an epic duel, the skald's divine heritage shone through, allowing him to overcome the abyssal swordmage. With Snow dead, Ice went into a frenzy, collapsing the chamber on himself and the well. The group managed to escape, but would have to return to purify the well once the tons and tons of rubble were cleared...
With no where else to go, the group descended the darkest and deepest passage, heading for what Tonsi mentioned led to the largest well. They group discovered a vast system of cave-ins, newly-dug caverns and other obstacles set by the enemy which took them nearly a week of hard fighting and exploration to clear. During their struggles, they fought such horrors as aboleths and aboleth mages, nagas, swarms of scarab-like demons, corrupted yeti packs and ice golems.
In the blackest depths, the group was ambushed by a unique Beholder with a massive eye patch over its central eye and wielding levitating scimitars with each of its ten stalks. For not using beams, it was a worthy foe, though a death spell from Victoria earned her another victory and a new pet. Several hundred yards down, the temperature fell well below zero and all light was robbed from them, to the point only the most powerful light magic worked to dispel it. The group came to a door carved with holy runes of Vaness, except the lock had been broken and the reliefs defaced with blood, guts and fecal matter. In a strange language only Victoria could decipher, she read the warning and the taunt: “Lair of Falstasha”. The name seemed evident of the darkest truth yet, that Tasha was not only evil and a betrayer, but that she'd somehow joined with the remnants of Falst. Finduilas vaguely remembered having seen Tasha keep one of the demon lord's quills as a trophy at the eeryie top of House Huma and rued the foolish girl's decision.
They slipped inside with all the stealth they could muster, though it became apparent from the occasional nightmare visions and the echoing laughter that they were expected. Their way suddenly dipped into icy sea water, what the group reasoned must have been some sort of subterranean extension of the Yssidral Gulf stretched out even under Ivristel (though they were over a mile below the city). Finduilas was able to pray for a special boon after some difficulty, allowing her and Matthias to breathe underwater. In the meantime, Victoria sent the scurvy Beholder to scout ahead. It returned with information on two iron golems moving rocks and positioning rune-scrolled metal tubing in what looks like a massive ring.
The group investigated, discovering exactly what the Beholder had described. Knowing this couldn't be anything good, they attacked, though the battle nearly spelled the end of the entire party. The golems were resistant to most magic, immune to death effects and near-impervious to physical harm. It was a struggle that rocked the foundations of the Crystal Caves, in the process toppling their construction. When the golems finally stayed down, the group weakly retreated back to Vaness's Door, finding it now locked and barricaded. They rested there, not able to muster the strength to break the seals, and unable to really think of another safe place beyond where they'd already been.
During their rest, Matthias snoring, the Beholder keeping watch, Finduilas and Victoria were able to have a meaningful and revealing conversation which left them both less inclined to hate the other. At a particularly poignant moment of their talk, they were chided by a cold, mocking voice off the cave walls. Falstasha revealed herself.
Poor, ruined Tasha. The once radiant dwarf with the blood of queens had been stretched to a giant's proportions, skin ripped apart, muscles and bones bloated and bulged, her form emaciated and bowed. A frightening crown of horns weighed down her head and in key joints and pits grew forests of black quills. Her face was a mess not even Victoria could bare to look at for more than a few moments. And in her claws was a greataxe swallowed over with quills, once the Crownmaker, now corrupted into a weapon radiating pure evil.
The Beholder was slain in Falstasha's first furious axe-fueled onslaught. Even as she came near the group, lethal amounts of radiation washed over the living, causing them to wretch. Victoria, unperturbed, launched a deadly assault of spells, half of which bounced off the demon lord's spell barrier. Falstasha managed to grapple the sorceress, about to tear in half when Matthias glaived her from behind and used the weight of her spasm to flip her over. Dropping her axe, much of the quills immediately died and a glimmer of gold shown underneath. The skald took up the axe and it burst into golden glory. Finduilas appealed to the souls of the dead queens dormant within it and each, in turn, emerged as spectral warriors, twenty in all joining the battle against their twisted descendant. Victoria was able to bolster the queens' abilities and, united, the group and their ghost allies overcame the demon lord. Though much of the demon lord tore off the dwarf as she reverted back, Matthias destroyed whatever small remnants were left with the fury of the Crownmaker.
Tasha died in the separation, but Finduilas was able to harness the power of the Phoenix Fire to return her to life. Thankful and moved by the images of her ancestors, which then returned to the blade, she lifted Crownmaker in service of the group, swearing to serve them in whatever way she could. They took the long paths back to Ivristel, where they were met with a hero's welcome, the restored wells (still only 3) having done much to repel Shalraza's remaining undead and demon forces. The evil army now stood nearly a mile from the wall, unable to approach closer.
Victoria was also feeling the effects of three wells, weak, constantly queasy and prone to fainting. She decided to wait for the group outside the city, knowing with the purification of the fourth well she'd be in serious trouble. This inspired Victoria to launch a series of guerrilla attacks with a small but powerful contingent of converted and created undead, harrowing the flanks of the army and earning herself a name to be feared amongst the Ice Queen's forces.
Finduilas and Matthias spent a week of relative comfort and ease, despite the encamped army, the machinations of demons and gods, and the divinity realized within them. They were waited upon endlessly by the grateful ice elves, more so because Finduilas was showing signs of her pregnancy. The Firelord Indrid's child developed at a magically accelerated rate and now kickedand shifted within Fin's bulged belly.
When the third well was cleared, Fin purified it, then dutifully made her way for Victoria's camp, Matthias as her support and protector, and the indebted Tasha following in toe. Rejoined, the group continued to harry the enemy for two weeks, complemented by Ivristelians and those many races who'd come to their aid. By the end, it seemed the war would be won after all. Leaving their allies to finished off those undead and demons entrenched in the Pass of Ilon, the group made for Veluvia to meet with the rest of their allies and recover the Hoping...
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Maps!
I had plenty of time during my vacations to fool around with maps. The first one is an overhauled Westland, the second is the Overland and finally a joining of the Westland, One Kingdom and Eastland to illustrate the scope of the middle of the continent.
So we have 6/7ths of Othyr mapped. I'll have the Underland eventually, too.
And I think next campaign I'm actually going to name these lands something more original lol.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Archdruid Session 50 & Epilogue
Archdruid Session 50
Shuldash's children wasted no time attacking and a battle of epic powers ensued, the vast cave quaking from the clash between Serren's hydra and Sirocco's missiles against the king of the trolls and his half-troll children. Sev removed himself from combat, resolved to protect the children and heal when necessary, though they were STILL scared to death of him, especially when he made a passing jest about eating them.
In a most unexpected turn, a flash of magic revealed a dumbfounded Izaki, transported through a Beholder's eye beam he'd managed to splice with Seven Caged Tigers. With a quick hello, he entered the fray, making mince meat out of the troll giant bounding for Serren. Meanwhile, Sirocco played a game of cat and mouse, one that eventually turned the giant into the scared rodent. Serren had the hardest fight of all, as Shuldash just refused to go down, even with immortal magic and the hydra's many attacks launched against him. However, through what seemed more a shear battle of wills than anything else, the troll king was about to succumb when...
The third entity that kept itself cloaked in the background ordered a chilling halt. The trolls immediately obeyed, coming to the side of their master. The shadows spread and formed a staircase which the skeletal lich lord, adorned in what was obviously some very powerful magic items, casually descended. That might have seemed bad news enough, until he revealed his name as Laz, God of Death.
While Serren was unconvinced at first, the rest froze in their boots. Laz then shared with them certain secrets of the universe, malice and distaste heavy in his voice:
He explained Lordanna, Delilah and Thorm were not the only gods to perish during the Winters War, that in fact the entire pantheon died. The races, more than being just troops or pets, were also divine insurance plans. If any god died, their essence could return in one of their races, with the potential of unlocking their true heritage and ascending to godhood once more.
And just guess who Shalraza really is. It seems the Ice Queen actually harbors the essence of Delilah, goddess of murder, madness, destruction and the night. Laz explained he should be thrilled by this news, as she's so close to victory, but for the fact the goddess of madness has indeed gone mad.
When Chrysaor split a part of itself to form Laz, it was meant to be a limited engagement, lasting as long as it took to destroy Raya's creation. However, Delilah has gotten a taste for existence, a perverse pleasure in corrupting and torturing it, and now seeks to return to godhood so she can tear down Raya's and Lordanna's legacy and rebuild an abominable shadow creation too horrible for even Laz to imagine. In a universe of perpetual agony, she would rule as dark queen over an existence filled with demons and aberrations.
Such a creation would pain Chrysaor even more than Raya's and be almost impossible for Laz to destroy, thus why the god was before the group now in the husk of one of his races. He wasn't sure exactly how to reascend to godhood (or else he'd be doing it), but he's almost certain Delilah knows and is taking the proper steps as they speak.
He bade the group enter the bowls of the Lost Cavern's Greater Caves and find the tomb of Tsojcanth, a fallen demon general whose festering, fungal blood was so potent it could even poison a god. Her followers bottled it below in hopes of using it to resurrect her someday. Then they were to go to Veluvia's ruins, where they'd find old allies to slip into the demon-infested city and retrieve the Hoping (the key to On-High, which can be used by a true believer of good to call on an army of angels for one battle). Maybe, just maybe, with those two advantages the group could hope to fight, bargain and sneak their way into the presence of a fully-realized demon lord harboring a goddess and win...
It was quite a lot to swallow, yet there was one more piece of the puzzle. Didn't it seem odd that two goblins, one a druid no less, an immortal, and a ronin loner somehow came together, to say nothing of the group members not present? It wasn't all happenstance. Something drew the group together, what Laz revealed to be divine sparks. Each group member was actually harboring a god or goddess's essence within them, which he revealed privately to each. Then Laz vanished, saying something about having to tell the other group.
The four left the caverns with the rescued children, who, once freed from the pouch, ran the hour home, despite their starvation, sicknesses and injuries, just grateful to be alive. A joyful reunion was had between the Lordani and their next generation. Seeing some of them injured or maimed, the Lordani began to mobilize for an invasion of the caverns, while the group took care of business with Dr. Phooka's wagon, rested, then went back in.
Epilogue
Within the course of another week, Sev, Serren, Sirocco and Izaki fought their way through the remainder of the Lesser Caverns, supplemented by Lordani warriors. They defeated such enemies as wild clay golem herds, umber hulks, hook horrors, planar spiders, dread wraiths, half-demon gardeners and other initiate members of the Cult of Tsojcanth rooted in the complex. Almost every child and fey was found, but for the son of the Lordani chief and the princess of the Heartwood fey.
The group found the gem fangs that opened the portal into the Greater Caverns, descending into some of the darkest, foulest territory they'd ever seen. Many Lordani died against the full blooded demons, mind-bending aberrations and unhallow magic beasts, prompting Sev, Serren, Sirocco and Izaki to go on alone. The Lurker of the Fields, their Couatl ally, joined them through the twisting tunnels and natural caverns. As Serren feared, Shuldash's mate was revealed to be a mountain landwyrm which ravaged the group out of revenge, in the process the Lurker (and nearly everyone else!).
They continued on, fighting the bulk of the Cult of Tsojcanth in five well-organized attacks consisting of demons, defilers and plant monsters. Each was headed by one of the remaining Sons of Tsojcanth numbering down from 6 (the 7th killed in the Lesser Caverns). In the final chambers, before the massive, root-entangled sarcophagus of Tsojcanth herself, the group fought the First Son of Tsojcanth, a plant demon of awesome power who used the terrain and the many who died within it to launch crushing barrages and sweeping attacks.
When the dust settled, Sev was the only one standing, and barely at that. Harnessing the most powerful of his druid magics, he resurrected the entire party, nearly killing himself in the process. They collected the blood needed and left the Lost Caverns once and for all, the druid using the last of his strength to seal the dread complex and cause it to sink into the muck.
After several days of rest and medical treatment, and the last sales with Dr. Phooka, the group began their trek west for the ruined city of Veluvia...
((Other group's epilogue coming soon!))
Shuldash's children wasted no time attacking and a battle of epic powers ensued, the vast cave quaking from the clash between Serren's hydra and Sirocco's missiles against the king of the trolls and his half-troll children. Sev removed himself from combat, resolved to protect the children and heal when necessary, though they were STILL scared to death of him, especially when he made a passing jest about eating them.
In a most unexpected turn, a flash of magic revealed a dumbfounded Izaki, transported through a Beholder's eye beam he'd managed to splice with Seven Caged Tigers. With a quick hello, he entered the fray, making mince meat out of the troll giant bounding for Serren. Meanwhile, Sirocco played a game of cat and mouse, one that eventually turned the giant into the scared rodent. Serren had the hardest fight of all, as Shuldash just refused to go down, even with immortal magic and the hydra's many attacks launched against him. However, through what seemed more a shear battle of wills than anything else, the troll king was about to succumb when...
The third entity that kept itself cloaked in the background ordered a chilling halt. The trolls immediately obeyed, coming to the side of their master. The shadows spread and formed a staircase which the skeletal lich lord, adorned in what was obviously some very powerful magic items, casually descended. That might have seemed bad news enough, until he revealed his name as Laz, God of Death.
While Serren was unconvinced at first, the rest froze in their boots. Laz then shared with them certain secrets of the universe, malice and distaste heavy in his voice:
He explained Lordanna, Delilah and Thorm were not the only gods to perish during the Winters War, that in fact the entire pantheon died. The races, more than being just troops or pets, were also divine insurance plans. If any god died, their essence could return in one of their races, with the potential of unlocking their true heritage and ascending to godhood once more.
And just guess who Shalraza really is. It seems the Ice Queen actually harbors the essence of Delilah, goddess of murder, madness, destruction and the night. Laz explained he should be thrilled by this news, as she's so close to victory, but for the fact the goddess of madness has indeed gone mad.
When Chrysaor split a part of itself to form Laz, it was meant to be a limited engagement, lasting as long as it took to destroy Raya's creation. However, Delilah has gotten a taste for existence, a perverse pleasure in corrupting and torturing it, and now seeks to return to godhood so she can tear down Raya's and Lordanna's legacy and rebuild an abominable shadow creation too horrible for even Laz to imagine. In a universe of perpetual agony, she would rule as dark queen over an existence filled with demons and aberrations.
Such a creation would pain Chrysaor even more than Raya's and be almost impossible for Laz to destroy, thus why the god was before the group now in the husk of one of his races. He wasn't sure exactly how to reascend to godhood (or else he'd be doing it), but he's almost certain Delilah knows and is taking the proper steps as they speak.
He bade the group enter the bowls of the Lost Cavern's Greater Caves and find the tomb of Tsojcanth, a fallen demon general whose festering, fungal blood was so potent it could even poison a god. Her followers bottled it below in hopes of using it to resurrect her someday. Then they were to go to Veluvia's ruins, where they'd find old allies to slip into the demon-infested city and retrieve the Hoping (the key to On-High, which can be used by a true believer of good to call on an army of angels for one battle). Maybe, just maybe, with those two advantages the group could hope to fight, bargain and sneak their way into the presence of a fully-realized demon lord harboring a goddess and win...
It was quite a lot to swallow, yet there was one more piece of the puzzle. Didn't it seem odd that two goblins, one a druid no less, an immortal, and a ronin loner somehow came together, to say nothing of the group members not present? It wasn't all happenstance. Something drew the group together, what Laz revealed to be divine sparks. Each group member was actually harboring a god or goddess's essence within them, which he revealed privately to each. Then Laz vanished, saying something about having to tell the other group.
The four left the caverns with the rescued children, who, once freed from the pouch, ran the hour home, despite their starvation, sicknesses and injuries, just grateful to be alive. A joyful reunion was had between the Lordani and their next generation. Seeing some of them injured or maimed, the Lordani began to mobilize for an invasion of the caverns, while the group took care of business with Dr. Phooka's wagon, rested, then went back in.
Epilogue
Within the course of another week, Sev, Serren, Sirocco and Izaki fought their way through the remainder of the Lesser Caverns, supplemented by Lordani warriors. They defeated such enemies as wild clay golem herds, umber hulks, hook horrors, planar spiders, dread wraiths, half-demon gardeners and other initiate members of the Cult of Tsojcanth rooted in the complex. Almost every child and fey was found, but for the son of the Lordani chief and the princess of the Heartwood fey.
The group found the gem fangs that opened the portal into the Greater Caverns, descending into some of the darkest, foulest territory they'd ever seen. Many Lordani died against the full blooded demons, mind-bending aberrations and unhallow magic beasts, prompting Sev, Serren, Sirocco and Izaki to go on alone. The Lurker of the Fields, their Couatl ally, joined them through the twisting tunnels and natural caverns. As Serren feared, Shuldash's mate was revealed to be a mountain landwyrm which ravaged the group out of revenge, in the process the Lurker (and nearly everyone else!).
They continued on, fighting the bulk of the Cult of Tsojcanth in five well-organized attacks consisting of demons, defilers and plant monsters. Each was headed by one of the remaining Sons of Tsojcanth numbering down from 6 (the 7th killed in the Lesser Caverns). In the final chambers, before the massive, root-entangled sarcophagus of Tsojcanth herself, the group fought the First Son of Tsojcanth, a plant demon of awesome power who used the terrain and the many who died within it to launch crushing barrages and sweeping attacks.
When the dust settled, Sev was the only one standing, and barely at that. Harnessing the most powerful of his druid magics, he resurrected the entire party, nearly killing himself in the process. They collected the blood needed and left the Lost Caverns once and for all, the druid using the last of his strength to seal the dread complex and cause it to sink into the muck.
After several days of rest and medical treatment, and the last sales with Dr. Phooka, the group began their trek west for the ruined city of Veluvia...
((Other group's epilogue coming soon!))
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Groups Combine & Slight Time Jump
For a number of reasons, including decreased group sizes and my wanting to consolidate things, we're going to be combining the groups. This won't be total shell shock. There will be some easing into things, but I'm time jumping to the ends of both the Lost Caverns and Crystal Caves romps. I'll post what happened during those adventures soon, along with where, when and what state the world is in at the point we resume.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Campaign Resumes!
Hope everyone feels rested. The campaign is back and looking to push through summer to finish.
Sessions are now Mondays at 7pm EST. Starting June 30th.
Pretty sure we're converting to OpenRPG. It seems likely since I think you're all familiar with it. Plus the visual aids are invaluable.
I'm excited to close this chapter and I hope you are too. IM me if you have any questions.
Sessions are now Mondays at 7pm EST. Starting June 30th.
Pretty sure we're converting to OpenRPG. It seems likely since I think you're all familiar with it. Plus the visual aids are invaluable.
I'm excited to close this chapter and I hope you are too. IM me if you have any questions.
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