January 10th, 2009
Game time: 12/27/1308
We gather up magical and cash booty and some non-magical special items, and run out of there as fast as we can. On the way, we heal up Moonface. Without incident, we make it back to the prison. Using gloves of knocking, we make it to the hallway. We gather up bones from two identifiable members of the Wild Youth Expedition party members. Half of the party rests and sleeps and we are attacked by giant rats! One bites Shardenzar, misses, Ethan hits one. Rabbo yells to wake up the party and hits one rat. More rats come in and Moonface is bitten. Rabbo kills one, Shardenzar misses, the dog blinks, Topaz hits with a critical and kills one. Ivy hits and kills one. Rabbo kills another rat. Moonface kills one. Ivy hits another. Eyar kills the last one. We rest the other half of the party. We travel through the rat holes and get to the kitchen. We see a maid, but then the illusion fades. In the laundry room, another maid is seen and then fades in disbelief. In the hallway, the illusory guard fades. We go into a parlor and Rabbo sees a robe on a chair. Ivy and Ethan detect magic, and detect strong magic in the creation sphere in the school of alteration. Ethan tries it on, and we see it is a patchwork robe, with 24 patches. In the next room, there is a faint glow of magic from the nightstand. Ethan casts the spell again, and this time, he loses the spell, and all shut doors and drawers open. We find a piece of chalk radiating moderate magic.
Enough time has passed for Rabbo to regain his 5 God questions. Here they are: 1. Exactly where are the remains of the wild youth expedition that we have not yet found? In the stable. 2. How many charges are left in the gloves of knocking? 4 more this week. 3. Does the party currently carry any cursed items? Yes. 4. Which items in whose possession? Rainbow swirly potion. 5. Is our magical mail being received by the school? Yes.
Shardenzar asks if we could try to locate the remains of the Wild Youth Expedition. We know two last remains are in the prison and in the stable. We decide to get a piece of each of their remains. First we go to the prison and recover Motoon. In his cell are several animated skeletons. Ethan uses knock gloves to open a secret door. “Knock” open the prison door. Shardenzar kills 1, Ivy turns 6, Eyar kills 1, Topaz kills 3, Ethan fires 4 magic missile spells in the melee and kills 5, Rabbo kills 4, and Ivy kills 4. We gather up the bones of Motoon. Then, we make it over to the stables and begin to search. Ethan uses detect magic. Topaz flies and looks around and sees several other stalls. In one stall, we find a Pegasus, on a hunger strike, nearly dead. We try to talk to it, to calm it, but it won’t believe us. It does believe the lawful good Ethan. Ethan gets it food and water. Now, we use the robe of Useful Items and one of its empty patches to get the Pegasus and its food. It is translated into the robe. We find a skeleton in the back of a stall. Most of the equipment is rusty and falling apart, but there is a shiny ring. Ivy puts it on. Ivy is now wearing two of the rings we found. We exit the courtyard and use a knock spell to open the main gates. We leave through the gates, and as we do, there is a huge rumble, and the castle starts to collapse. Rabbo yells, “Run!” and we all start running back to our exit/entry point. Rabbo uses psionics to avoid a negative probability of falling through the clouds on several party members. We make it back approximately to our exit/entry point, and Ethan gets out the magic ink and paper, and we quickly write a note----we need the gate open NOW!!!---and address it to the Flamehand at the Invisible School. Rabbo has just enough points left to influence one more probability and helps Eyar and Ethan, but can not influence his own luck and Rabbo begins to fall through the clouds. As Rabbo falls, the Well of Many Worlds opens up at his feet, and as he falls past, he shouts, “I found the gate!” Eyar dives for the gate and is able to grab Rabbo. Everyone makes it through. After which, among the players, there were general hoots and hell yeahs all around!
Here is a run down of party treasure:
First of all, 40,000 in gold, gems and treasures means that our short term and probable long term financial issues are settled.
28 doses of vial #8 (longevity and speed 5 years younger, 30 rounds of speed), 55 doses of vial #7, 40 doses of vial #4 (polymorph self/vampire control---no idea of length), 26 doses of #2 (xtra healing and diminution 50% height for 3 turns, and 25 hit points back), 28 doses of #1 (xtra healing (3d8 +3)), 9 doses of gaseous form/invisibility (invisible for 20 rounds, gaseous form 8 turns), and 42 doses of the oil of permanency.
Ring of Wild Magic/Spell Memory---Ethan (not much info about its peculiar traits)
Ring of the Vampire Paladin---Ivy (ring of vampiric regeneration, ½ damage pooled for healing spells/regeneration)
Mystery Ring, made of brass---left with school---could not identify
Small shield, +3---Ivy
Rod of Passage---Rabbo (allows wielder: 1.astral travel for up to 5 people; 2. Dimension door; 3. Passwall; 4. Phase door; 5. Teleport without error; 1 charge to activate all 5 functions; 43 charges)
Chalice of Holy Water---Ivy (turns regular water into Holy Water)
Rod of Smiting---Ivy (+3 weapon, 1 d8 +3, 47 charges; against golems x2; 20 or better destroys and drains 1 charge; against outer planes creatures: 1 charge x3 damage)
Staff of Curing---Ivy (clerics only---Cure disease, blindness, cure wounds (3d8) 1/day/person, 22 charges)
Brazier of Controlling Fire Elementals—left at school
Scarab---left with school---unknown powers
14 arrows---left at school----+2
Platter, pitcher, and mug of nourishment---Rabbo (pitcher: water, herbal tea, wine, 3/day, but must clean after use; platter: complete meal of beef, lamb, turkey, or pheasant with trimmings for 4 1/day, must clean after use; Mug: mead, beer, all 6/day, clean after use to function)
Blue Dragon Staff---Ethan (couldn’t divine anything about it)
Helmet of “Good” Seeing---Ivy, (for cleric/paladin of good alignment)
Magical Quill and Ink (Ethan’s Fabulous Pen and Ink)
Special Ring of Regeneration
Cursed Potion---left at school
Robe of Useful Items (patchwork robe w/ 24 “special” patches)---Ethan
15 scroll tubes*
Gloves of knocking---Ethan (6/week)
Spell Memory Ring (wild magic)
Bracers of AC 3---Ethan
Scroll (3 speak with dead spells)
Passwall Chalk---Ethan (passwall---400 cubic feet material 3” of chalk)
Pink Potion
Potion of superheroism---gave to Peter (temporary increase in level for 5d6 rounds)
Bastard Sword, +1---left at the school
Plans for the “Dragonfly”
*in the scrolltubes:
1. Sleep, Web, Rope Trick, Fly, Mordenkainen’s Celerity, Wall of Force
2. Flaming sphere
3. Alamier’s fundamental Breakdown, Slow
4. Haste, Locate Creature, Airy Water, Lorloveim’s shadowy Transformation
5. charm Monster, Minor Spell turning, Seeming, Demi Shadow Magic, Shape Change, Temporal Stasis, reverse, Gate
6. Confusion, Wish (used 1/13/1309)
7. Evard’s Black Tentacles
8. Phantasmal Killer, Contact Other Plane, Contact Other Plane, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere, Guards and Wards, Vanish, Meteor Swarm
9. Priest’s Spell: Invisibility to animals, Barkskin, water Breathing, Could of Putrification, Blessed Abundance
10. Priest Spell: Modify Memory, Tongues, True Seeing, reversed, Transmute Mud to Rock, Windwalk, Confusion, symbol
11. Priest’s Spell: Thought broadcast, Raise Dead, Antimagic Shell, Stonetell, Gravity Variation, word of Recall, Sunray
12-15. All spell relating to the creation and development of a Spelljammer helm.
At the end of this installment, we met or achieved several objectives: We got the oil of permanence, we retrieved the remains of the wild youth expedition, we freed and saved the Pegasus, and we freed Gorson from hell. We settled up experience, and many in the party went up their maximum amount, while Rabbo and Eyar both went up a level!!!!(first time in 20 years. I was kind of excited!).
1/13/1309
Ethan completes his penance to Ivy which corresponds to the New Year’s Holiday. Here is an update on our other projects:
Road Project: The Huts are happy to work on roads, willing to allow a tax to help build roads
Alexander to Immer: On foot, approximately 25 days, not back yet
Peter to Muetar: On foot, with guns, diplomatic mission, not back yet.
Adam Kelly: Horses and guns to Shuccasm, not back yet.
The school is working on road spells; potions is working on xtra xtra healing potions; they are working on rings of regeneration; and are also working on lore and history.
Ethan is working carefully to tend to and heal up Gus the Pegasus. The Dean of the school and the party is ready to try the potion mixing and red cube fixing.
We begin the preparation. The DM gave us this story to describe what happens next:
-----------------------------
The cube fell to the bottom of the beaker with a splashy thunk… and sat there.
“Now what?” asked Rabbo.
“Now we wait,” said the dean of potions. He placed a large cork in the top of the beaker, draped the whole thing in a blue silk cloth and placed it on a high shelf.
“What do you mean ‘We wait’?”
The other members of the party looked around puzzled.
“I mean we wait.” The dean went to his desk and began putting personal items into a small chest. “We have to wait for the reaction to finish reacting with the magic of the cube before anything else will happen.”
“How long will that take?” asked Ethan Arch.
“Oh,” said the dean looking up. “Eternity.”
“What!” shouted Rabbo.
“Look,” The dean closed his chest, locked it and placed it under his arm. “We have to wait for the cube to go to eternity before the permanent oil of time travel brings the contents back. Until then there really isn’t anything we can do.”
“But you said it would open the cube NOW!”
“Now doesn’t really exist right now.” The dean went over to a coat rack and removed a robe and pointy hat. “We are living in a false reality. When the cube reaches eternity and comes back… all of this,” The dean waved his hand. “...will be redone in a new time line. Until then, we wait.”
“Are you going somewhere?” asked Ivy.
“Well,” said the dean putting on his hat. “Most of the school is already gone. Some went into permanent stasis, some killed them selves, and most are just leaving. Me, I want to spend a few decades on a beach somewhere living as a hermit. When else am I going to get the chance? To hell with this world; dedication to the craft be damned!” A huge smile crossed the dean’s face as he shook his fist mockingly.
“Now wait just a god damned min…” Rabbo fumed. With a wave of his hand and a few uttered syllables, the dean vanished in a puff of smoke.
Ivy Boargo emerged from the smoke. Sweat, condensation and blood held her hair flat against her head. She hurried down the tunnel and dropped her pack against cave wall next to the cell door. Grabbing the bars in the little window she pulled herself up to look in.
“Is she there?” yelled a voice from the smoky tunnel. The sound of battle rang loudly. The look on Ivy’s face grew sad and depressed. She lowered herself down.
“Is she IN THERE?” screamed another voice. Ivy took a deep breath and rested her head against the wooden door.
“Is she in there?” said Eyar sternly as she now came running down the smoky tunnel. Ivy shook her head slowly.
“We’re too late,” she said to the Amazon. “She’s dead.”
“What?” Eyar looked though the little window at the cell inside. She too was moved by what she saw. Shoving the halfling aside the woman grabbed the bars on the door, braced her foot against the cave wall and heaved. Wood creaked loudly and the entire door exploded from its hinges. Eyar rushed in and Ivy stood in the doorway as the Amazon crouched beside the dried husk body dressed in the lightest of silks, stained with mud, blood and bile and chained to the wall in an unforgiving way. The wand was still clutched in her dead, desiccated hand. Eyar reached out to take it. As her fingers touched the wand, it turned to dust.
As the dust fell, Ethan Arch cheered. Then the branches fell, then the leaves.
“Don’t give away our position,” snapped Rabbo. The fighter hurried to inspect the bodies and see that they were all dead.
“I can’t help it,” said the young wizard. “I love these scrolls.”
“Yeah, well you wouldn’t love them so much if I wasn’t here to help you luck out when reading them.” Rabbo was satisfied and motioned for the girls and MU to continue moving. “Buy the way, until I get a chance to rest I’m low on mind power and won’t be able to help you out all that much so don’t use any more scrolls, all right?” Suddenly several Drow archers leap out and begin firing at the party. Ethan cheered again and began casting his magic missile spell over and over again. With each casting the ring on his finger flashed a bright red. The Drow began running and the young wizard cast his spell one more time. Suddenly a large cloudy vortex opened just in front of the young man. A huge set of claws reached out and grabbed Ethan by the face. Rabbo ran to attack the claws. A pit fiend devil emerges and with one swipe ripped Rabbo’s arm from it socket.
“Not again!” the warrior screamed. The pit fiend retreated to the vortex taking Ethan with him. The vortex disappeared as the girls reached Rabbo and began to bind his wounds. “They’re gone,” he said. “They’re gone.”
“What do you mean they’re all gone?” asked Rabbo. He walked back and forth across the meeting room rubbing his bandaged stump.
“That’s just it,” said Eyar. “The entire school is gone! The buildings are there but they are totally empty. The only thing we could find was this.” Ivy brought out a large beaker wrapped in a blue silk cloth.
“Great. How the hell is THAT supposed to help us? How am I going to get my arm back without the schools help?”
“I’ll do what I can Rabbo, but you have to sit still.” Ivy looked over the contraption and undid the buckles. Rabbo half flung the prosthetic into the sand.
“Remind me to punch both the engineer and the blacksmith when we get home,”
“I have one more healing left if you need it.”
“Save it for now, unless you need it Eyar.” The Amazon sat down hard on the sand dune across from the others.
“I don’t think you should touch me,” she said panting. As with all of them, her body ran wet with sweat and her skin was beginning to turn pink. “I found some goo on the back of my arm. I think one of those bastards infected me.”
“The ointment we found at the Hippogriff ruin should take care of that. I have a jar in my pack.” As the halfling cleric rose to retrieve her things, a column of fire descended from the heavens above. Before her friends could react, three more descended.
“Three! Three? Are you sure?” asked Adam Kelly.
“Yes. The Drow, the kobolds and the leapers all have their gods working on this plane and we’ve gotten our butts kicked by all of them so far.”
“Well I hate to add bad new when you both are trying to heal up and all, but we just got a message in from Immer.”
“Both? Only one of us is healing now major.”
“That bad?”
“The healers are doing what they can, but without a cleric or some magic healing…”
“There is the tree of life, sir.”
“We tried it. It slows the rot, but won’t stop it. Not as long as that god is in this plane. What’s the word from Immer?”
“Undead, sir. Attacking out of the pass from Zorn.”
“Undead? What kind?”
Skeletons fell by the dozens. Rabbo swung his weapon in long arcs and bones went flying. Soon the skeleton worriers worked their way to the front, but when they did hit, or he fumbled his weapon, Rabbo uses his mind powers to lessen the severity of the situation. Still, he kept just enough in reserve to dimension walk his way out when he needed. And now was just about the time he needed. He turned to walk and was confronted by a spider of gigantic proportions. It was a hideous beast of such ugliness and evil that no words can do it justice. With a gleam in its eyes, combat was initiated and concluded in less than a second. Rabbo fell to his knees, bleeding from his eyes and ears, a look of utter stupefaction on his face. The spider ignored the undead attacking her and raised the warrior to her face. For is instant her head assumed a human form and smiled. Then the fangs plunged into Rabbo’s chest and neck and the blood began to flow.
This time the bandages could not stop the blood. Eyar ignored it. She stood, looking out the mirror as the barrier was breached and the Invisible school was charged. She saw it begin to burn. Then with her arm that looked more like a bleeding, puss filled mummy, she reached out and touched the crystal the disconnected the mirrors. Now she knew it was over. Now she knew it was done. Now she knew Rabbo would not be coming back. Now she knew she could fight no longer. She lowered her arm and fell.
She fell onto a patch of lava rock and balanced on the brink. The sounds of the efreetii screaming were only barely drowned out by the sound of bone digging through the stone and crystal. The ground shook again from another blast, but Eyar’s stone ears could not hear it. She tottered on the brink one last time before sliding off the edge and falling into the molten rock. The stony image of Eyar floated on the surface for a few seconds, and then began to sink.
Everything began to sink. Into the darkness it went. Smaller and smaller it became. When the aperture was small enough, the Black Hand reached out and placed the golden cap over the celestial gate. With his black index finger he pushed the gold chain that hung there, causing it to wobble. He smiled.
Smiled as they fell before him. The last vestige of resistance. Zealots of a diseased god. A god now stripped of power. A shell. A nothing. Despite all they had they fell. You cannot infect the dead. They fell and when they fell they rose. They rose for him.
They rose and stood around the altar, each holding their elemental gift. The day had come and everything was falling into place. One by one, the liches placed their gifts upon the altar. As each gift arrived, the greystaff grew in power. When all four had placed their gifts, they backed away, leaving only him at the altar. Then he produced his gift. He placed the baby on the altar and greystaff’s power grew to levels unheard of in this place. He recited the arcane words. He made the grandiose gestures. He produced the hoof of Orcus. With it he ended his offering’s life. As the blood spilled upon the altar, a pillar of pure energy so strong as to take on life itself erupted from the altar. It split through the plane and into all known realities. It transcended the ethereal, inner and astral and made straight for the heart of the outer planes. There, due to its placement in the grand scheme of things, it began to create. He extended his black hand and reached into the pillar of energy.
“I WILL HAVE WHAT IS MINE!”
With a power immeasurable, he ripped a cord of energy from the pillar and threw is to the ground. It moved like a dying snake with its head cut off and slowly came to a halt. The repercussions were felt all along the pillar. That which was being created bent to the will of the designer.
“IT WILL BE AS I SAY!”
He reached in and again ripped out another cord of pure energy. It too writhed on the ground as the first began to putrefy. Again the vibrations were felt in all planes along the pillar to the point of creation.
“ALL SHALL BOW UNTO ME!”
Again he reached into the great pillar, but this time he pulled the cord out of the flow and snapped its end. Held fast as the death spasms heaved through the pillar. The violent movement slowed and at last a shimmer could be seen in the broken cord. He pulled slack from the pillar and sat the end of the cord on the ground. Through the cord all could see the new plane being created to his will. A new plane of power; a new plane of death; it would be a new plane that would oversee and dominate all others. Not an inner plane, nor an outer plane, but an over plane. He removed a ring from his finger and placed it in the hoof of Orcas. He tossed the hoof into the fetid mass of dead energy cords. He began laughing and stepped through the end of the cord. The undead followed. When all was gone, the pillar vanished. The other plane was created. This one was now set adrift. Free.
Free to watch this place rot. Life could no longer thrive here. Death no longer had any meaning here. Magic barely even worked here. This was a null place and Orcas sat atop the mountains, flexing his wings, and watching everything go. In time he too would go. But that would be a very long time.
A very long time it is. A very long time it was. Very little is left but time; time and this useless space. Space that is tied to nothing, bound to nothing, meaning nothing, and containing almost nothing. A fleck of gemstone here, a mote of metal there, are all floating through the void. Alone, except for a small red cube. In time, it will be the only thing here. But the will be a very long time.
A very long time it is. A very long time it was. But the cube continued to float.
POOF!
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Then the red field around the cube fades, and there is a recognizable pop, and briefly we see the undead Felix top hat, red eyes, finger poised next to the cube, and then, there was the familiar “pop” out, and a hole in space where Felix stood, with the cube on the ground.
We try to access the hole to pop out, but can’t. Finally, Rabbo remembers to command pop out to give him the portable hole and a black cloth appears and the hole in space collapses. We take the portable hole and cube to the courtyard. Rabbo makes a sacrifice to Bes. We meet Flamehand.
We open the portable hole and find: 229 gp; 500 platinum; 20 clips for the M-22; 2 daggers; a shortsword; 3 gold discs; a wooden stake with a burned hole in the end, with the word Pandora written on it; 53 pieces of gems and jewelry; 3 healing draughts; a sling and 20 bullets; 1 throwing star; 5 applications of Keoughtom’s ointment; a letter from the King of Immer.
Rabbo asks the school to work on an endless clip for the M-22. Eyar takes the Keoughtom’s ointment; Rabbo takes the portable hole, vampire stake, and 3 healing draughts. We open the fortress side of the cube, and a big, run down, falling apart tower is in front of us.
Rabbo asks his next god questions. 1. Where is my other throwing star? In pop out. 2. In what place exactly, in the mires are the crystals, cube and green box? The neo-Otyugh muckpile, the guardpost, and the dark queen’s work shop. 3. Which is in which place? Same order. 4. What is the physical distance between the cube, green box, and crystals? 350 feet and 350 feet. 5. Is the Fairie Queen still alive? Yes, barely.
We had a sobering moment. It looked like we wouldn’t be able to access anything more out of pop out, because Felix’s old cube did not have a fortress with access to pop out in it. We were pissed off, but in the end, decided to make do with what we had. We set up some pre-planning that we really needed to do all along. For example, we need to plan on having the M-U’s have these spells ready for us---Locate Object, Protection From Evil, Continual Light, Invisibility, Improved Invisibility, on a scroll, several times, Stoneskin, Alternate Reality, Teleport and/or teleport without error, Far Reaching. Our cleric(s) should have: Bless, Command, Protection From Evil, Random Causality, Probability Control, Sanctuary, Chant, Charm Person, Hold Person, Silence, Dispel magic, Locate Object, Summon Insects, Imbue with Spell Ability, and Word of Recall. Just so we can get multiple plusses and saves in battle. How many times had 1 single roll or 1 number made the difference?
We discuss several options for moving forward, including a small way magicked up party to infiltrate the Mires and get back the things we want: the Fairie Queen, the cube, the crystals, and the green box, and then Flamehand suggests that we use a wish on the scroll we found to redo a very small event---how we accessed pop-out. Flamehand is generally against wishes, but this is such a specific event, that he thinks using one might work. And, we happen to have one that can be used at no cost to the school.
We discussed what we might say to access pop-out better, and came up with this: “I wish Rabbo had accessed pop-out to retrieve all items in pop-out instead of just the portable hole.” Before the Dean of Scrolls said it, we cleaned out the Dean’s office, and left Rabbo and the Dean of Scrolls there. The wish was made. Now as it occurs, we don’t actually remember that we didn’t ask for the items from pop-out poorly. We remember asking for all items from pop-out, in a way like a computer code back door, meaning, that through the wish, Rabbo was given the proper access code to get everything out of pop-out, but doesn’t really remember what he said. In fact, nobody exactly remembers any of the reality in which we accessed pop-out poorly. We just remember that as we were getting ready to access pop-out, Rabbo blurted out this unusual string of words/symbols, and everything in pop out spewed out on the floor of the Dean’s office. Everything else we learned from questions, etc. all still happened exactly the way it had before.
This is the stuff that appears from the Felix-sized hole:
Portable Hole #1: 229 gp; 500 platinum; 20 clips for the M-22; 2 daggers; a shortsword; 3 gold discs; a wooden stake with a burned hole in the end, with the word Pandora written on it; 53 pieces of gems and jewelry; 3 healing draughts; a sling and 20 bullets; 1 throwing star; 5 applications of Keoughtom’s ointment; a letter from the King of Immer.
Portable Hole #2: Armor of Etherealness, +4, 45% MR; plate, +1; Plate +2; Bracers, AC 0; Bracers, AC 4; Gauntlets of Dexterity; Gauntlets of Ogre Power; (18/00); Helm of Comprehending Languages and Reading Magic; Helm of Telepathy; Scarab of Protection, +1, x2: Shield, +1; Shield, +5; 2 handed sword, +3 +6 undead slayer; blowgun, +1, 40 bolts, +1; colt .45 w/holster, 196 rounds; dagger, +1; 3 hand grenades; Light crossbow, +3 +4, or blue crystal; longsword, +1 +2; Longsword, +2; Longsword, +2 +3 luckblade, +8 on _________; Longsword, +3 Defender; Longsword, “Jerik;” M-22 50 rounds, X2; Mace of Disruption; Blue crystal Mace of Disruption, +5; .22 pistol X2, 50 rounds; Scythe, +1; Spear, +2; Star of Hurling, +4; Fork of Wonder; Ring of 10% magic resistance; ring of Protection +6 with 3 ethereal charges; ring of Protection, +6; ring of regeneration, 2 HP/turn, X2; Ring of Regeneration, 4 HP/Turn, X3; ring of Regeneration, X3; Rod of Absorption-32 potential, 25 stored; Rod of Resurrection, blue crystal; Rod Sanctuary; Staff of the Magi; Staff of the Void; Wand of Fire; Amulet Vs. Undead; Arrow of Direction; Boots of Speed; Boots of Striding and Springing; Broom of Flying; Decanter of Endless Water; Dust of Illusion, 1 pinch; Elixir of health; Elixir of Life; Figurine of Wondrous Power, 1 lion; Girdle of Frost Giant Strength; Girdle of Hill Giant Strength; ioun Stones, burnt, X4; Ioun Stone, spells 20 lvls; Ioun Stone Spells 30 X2; 1 Ioun Stone (sustain without air); Keoughtom’s ointment 5 jars, 5 applications each; Lens of Detection; Luckstone +25% on luck rolls, +1 on all saves; Necklace of Adaption; Pearl of Power; Pearl of wisdom; Potion of Superheroism; Quall’s Feather token (basket); Slipper of Spider Climbing; wings of Flying; Zardon’s Pouch of Wonders.
We did not pull out: the Anything Ring, the Anything Wand, the cloak of displacement, and the rope of entanglement. Portable hole #2 also included 35,080 gold; and a total outfit of mundane effects for a magic user. Lost in a cube somewhere are 3 hydrogen and 3 atomic energy cells; crystal papers; and a medic robot.
At this time, we had had enough, and called it a day.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Gleaming the Cube....(Or, the big payback)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
In the Halls of the Giants....
October 3, 2008.
Game Time: 12/26/1308
We are in a dry cellar. At the back of the cellar, we find a tunnel, 6 feet wide and approximately 3 feet tall. As we set a walking order, and start down the tunnel, we are attacked by giant ants again!!! In the fight, Ivy and Ethan get their chance to swing and kill some ants. As the party engages the ants, Ethan casts a sleep spell, and several of the ants sleep. When he casts sleep a second time, his spell misfires and puts the whole party to sleep. He has lost the spell in his mind as well (that is, the ring did not replenish the spell automatically). Ethan decides to fight the sleeping ants himself, while the rest of us slept! After killing a couple, an ant scores a critical hit against him, and in desperation, Ethan finally wakes Rabbo up. After Rabbo wakes up, he smashes approximately 10 ants. Through the fight, Ethan killed 4, Ivy killed 4, Eyar killed 1, the blink dogs fight, and Topaz killed 1 too.
After the fight, Ethan uses his healing potion to heal up, and to heal the others. Then, we take a moment to test his ring. Ethan relearns the sleep spell, casts it, and the ring replenished it in his mind with no ill effects. As we suspected, the ring replenishes spells, with a small chance for a negative or random effect.
We travel through a long tunnel into a large cavern. At the east end, there is a glow emanating from a statue of an angelic looking woman, wielding a two-handed sword, held high above her head. On her head was a brass helmet, with a large ruby in the center of the front.
Ethan casts and loses Detect Magic. So the ring seems to be failing more often. Ivy detects magic, and detects strong magic from the statue. Rabbo used some of his luck alteration skill to help Ivy determine the magic type. The object emanated greater divination/alteration/guardian magic. Ethan took the time to relearn the spell, and this time Rabbo had to alter luck again, and Ethan reads very strongdivination/guardian magic. However, as he casts the spell, some other unusual effect happens. He lost the spell from memory, but his quill and ink now radiate magic, glow, and the magic is from the enchantment/charm schools of magic. We try to test the quill and ink. Ethan writes some nonsense and some direct questions on a parchment, like “Chocolate lemons like pink elephants,” but also “Where is the oil of permanency?” “show me where it is,” and “I like gold.”
When he puts the quill down, the paper folds itself into an envelope, and inside it is the message he wrote. He opens it up, but when he is done, it closes itself back up. He addresses the letter to Ivy. Poof, in a split second, it is gone, and Ivy finds it in her backpack. We realize that this allows us to send remote messages, so we decide to send a message to the school. “We’re okay, close to discovering oil of permanency. Gorson’s dead, Ivy says hi!” We address it to Flame Hand at the Invisible School of Thuamaturgy. Off it goes.
In about a half hour to an hour, we search the whole cavern. As Rabbo and Ivy approach the statue, we hear a whistle of wind and Rabbo sends the dogs and Topaz to investigate. One of the dogs is attacked by this mist-like creature. We run in that direction. Ethan decides to move toward the statue. The mist-thing critically strikes the dog. Rabbo swings his two handed sword, hits, and hits again as the thing dissipates. Ivy casts flame blade, then heals the dogs. Ivy gives some healing potion to the dogs.
While we are engaged at the other end of the cavern, Ethan approached the statue. The statue swings and hits Ethan as he climbs it. It is obvious that he is hurt badly. We rush down to the statue, and then warily approach the statue for the fight. Eyar tries to push the statue over, and gets hit, from an almost impossibly fast swing of the sword. Rabbo tries to push it and is also hit hard. Rabbo tries to yank off the helmet, but missed with a 22! Rabbo tries again, misses, and is hit again by the statue. In the fight, one of the blink dogs is cut in half. Eventually, we back off, and notice the gem in the helmet shines when the cleric approaches. Ivy reaches up and is able to remove the helmet. She tries to put it on, and sees for a moment that when it is on, things seem more vivid. She takes it off and puts it back on. The effect returns. We experiment to see if the helmet does things---apparently it does---such as see alignment, and also see clearly. After the fight, we try to heal the dog, but to no avail. It is dead and gone. We decide to try to send the dog back with the quill and ink. We realize through the helmet that the statue was an illusion. We disbelieve it and it is no longer. the message system seems to work, and has a weight limit of about 120 pounds (Ursa’s weight).
Rabbo drinks one jug of healing. Back up. We rest, recuperate, heal and study spells for about 45 minutes. We decide to go back down to the other end of the cavern, where we were first attacked, and we follow the small passageway. While we are in the tunnel, we are attacked by a gelatinous cube, squashed in the long, low hallway. Eyar and Ivy were close to the front, and when the final blow was landed, it collapsed in a splash of goo and they were covered (and paralyzed). Rabbo and Shardenzar remember the pitcher, plate, and platter. with the pitcher and the mug, we produce enough beer and wine to clean the hallway, and get up to the girls. The pitcher produces 2 jugs of water, 1 of wine, and the mug produces 6 beers. The platter produces a full meal for 4 people. Inside the goo, Ethan finds 7 copper, 1 silver, 2 platinum, and 3 gold, while mopping up the grey goo on the floor with a ripped part of his bedroll.
We continue to investigate a small side passage. Inside there appears to be a well made staff on the far wall of a room which opens up at the end of this side passage. Ivy goes in first, because her size makes it easy for her. As soon as she enters, she is attacked by a white ooze. We hear the commotion, and Rabbo pulls her back (with a rope). Rabbo kills the ooze, but not before it ruins Ivy’s elfin chain armor and shield. She’s unconscious.
We go back into the room, check to make sure it’s safe, and Ivy recovers. She detects magic on the staff. The wood is blue and polished, straight, very magical, with a finely crafted blue dragon head at its top. Rabbo spends 30 + psionic points to influence luck and we determine through Ivy and Ethan the type of magic: Alteration/Evocation, Alteration and Weather.
After we rest, we further explore a cavern, and see that it slowly becomes worked stone. We follow it to a point at which a huge door is locked, and there is no way for us to open it, nor is there a way around or through. So we go back, and go down another passage, from which earlier, we saw a dim light. There is the remains of a temple, with a large wing male figure on an alter. Rabbo again influences chance and the spell casters are able to see that the statue is very strong magic, of the Divination and Alteration types. The altar and statue emanate Good. With the helmet, Ivy can tell it is real and not an illusion. Ivy prays to get a spell back, and Ethan, Moonface, and Shardenzar approach. Ethan crosses the altar and is fine. Ivy decides to approach and the statue comes to life and says, “DO YOU SEEK REDEMPTION?” She says, “No,” at which point she is smacked hard by the statue. She says, “Yes!” and a golden light bathes her and her alignment changes (to a good alignment).
Ivy and Ethan see a chalice, golden, which is engraved with figures in prostrate. Ivy takes it, and we go on down the hallway and open what is clear to us the back of a secret door, into a group of prison cells. Topaz flys into the corridor and checks out the cells.
#6 has what appears to be the remains of a human magic user. When inspecting her skeletal remains, her hat a clothes fall apart, but her gloves look brand-new. Rabbo decides to put them in his back pack, but Ethan wants to try them on. He does, and can take them off. Rabbo says to Ethan, “It is pointless at present to attempt to identify the gloves. They could be anything, but unless they are gloves of super giant strength, they aren’t going to be much good opening the locked door we found while we explored that other hallway.” Ethan said, “They might be gloves of knocking, or something like that.” Rabbo responded, “Highly unlikely.” (This detail is written down now to enhance the irony of our situation in a few moments). In another cell, there are animated skeletons, and in another cell, another dead magic user, with a scroll tube. When we attempt to open it, magic mouth appears and says, “Fellow student, I have spell trapped the tube. Speak the name of our institution to remove the spell before opening.” So, we say, “The Invisible School of Thuamaturgy,” and the scroll tube opens. Inside is a note which reads as follows:
"Please see that this note (The last testament of the Wild Youth expedition) is taken to the board of the ISOT as an explanation of our attempt and final fate. We, the third year students Ishmar, Galdring and Motoon, along with freshmen Thadric and 'The Pulse' joined Brother Bloodmar on his quest to fine Gorson Longtree.
We sought to asses his progress and possibly begin bartering for potion recipes that could be developed along non-evil lines. We have found no sign of him and believe him to be dead, killed for his potion knowledge by a would be 'super' giant living on this cloudscape. It is unclear if this giant is naturally his size or if having access to Gorson's supposed permanency potion that he has somehow made himself this size, but he is undoubtedly the largest recorded being outside of the gods or demigods. The giant seems to have an advanced skill in creation, but it is unknown if this is true or just something augmented by the permanency potion we believe he keeps in a vial tied around his neck. Only too late did we discover that his giant servants are nothing more than illusions. I now believe that he is the only intelligent living thing on this vermin filled chunk of solid fluff.
We lost track of the freshmen in the open courtyard of this place. I can only hope they made it back by themselves. Brother Bloodmar was eaten by a giant cat right in front of us and the rest of us have been imprisoned. Having now disbelieved his servants, they can no longer bring me food or water and I believe I will soon die of thirst. Galdring did her best to free us using her Gloves of knocking, but when she was recaptured they must have killed her or removed the gloves for it has been over a week and she has not returned. I believe Motoon may have gone mad. I can sometimes hear him in the cell near mine, praying and chanting almost constantly. I believe he will last the longest being able to create his own food and water. I do not envy his fate.
With Gorson gone I believe that the well of many worlds should now be destroyed so as not to allow the giant access into our world. Please forgive us our ignorance.
Ishmar,
The Wild Youth Group."
Added at the end of the note in a much shaker hand:
"many times heard giant going past to end ---- into cell for hours. not know what interests him there."
So, the gloves are gloves of knocking, in a highly unlikely chain of events. We walk back down the hallway, and make our way back to the iron door that barred our path before. Ethan raps his gloved knuckles against the door, and like magic, it opens. As it opens, we are confronted with a 72 foot tall, flesh-colored giant! We attack, sending the blink dog and Topaz up to look ofr or get the vial around his neck. Rabbo and Eyar attack, stabbing his feet, and we yell to the halfing to hide. Eyar is hit and is killed in one blow. After some fierce fighting, Ivy steps around the corner of the iron door, tells us that the creature is an illusion, and afte a few more swings, we all realize that this huge creature is an illusion. We heal up, use Ethan’s ring to restore Eyar, and walk down the hall. We find the “treasure” room. It is too quick, too easy, and we quickly determine that this is a false treasure room. However, as we enter this room, some of us are charmed by a magical noise. Over the span of a few minutes, we all are able to resist the effects. Not only does Ivy see, but we discover that there is an illusory wall, behind which is the real treasury, and also, behind which is a haggard-looking 72 foot tall flesh colored giant. Rabbo instructs everyone to hide and rest up, relearn spells, etc. The plan is to either wait him out, and see if he leaves the treasury, or to surprise him, and try to bring him down. Eventually, we will get the oil or permanency, if it still exists, while he is sleeping or dead.
After some time of waiting, we look back in on him, and he hasn’t moved an inch. In fact, he appears transfixed by something on his desk, an odd contraption. We decide to come in. We had to leave the blink dog in our hiding spot, because he was still charmed by the noise. As we begin to explore the real treasury, which appears to be loaded to the hilt with coin and magic, we get a better look at the device on the desk: it is a calliope. As it turns, mesmerizing gold and silver light emanates from it, and haunting, charming music also comes from it. The giant is transfixed. Shardenzar casts levitate on Rabbo, so that Rabbo can investigate the desk, and hopefully get the oil vial. As Rabbo investigates, he sees that the oil vial is no longer around the giant’s neck, but is empty and on the desk, in front of the calliope. It seems that the giant filled the calliope’s oil reservoir with the oil of permanency, and lit the wick at coming out of one side of the reservoir. On the other side of the reservoir, there is a cap and the place to add the oil. Before Rabbo tries to fill up one of his empty jugs, he looks around the desk. He finds 21 nice gems in cubby holes in the desk.
Down below, Eyar finds a bag with 16,000 giant sized silver pieces, a scarab, a staff, a pink potion, and a red, white, and blue potion, Shardenzar finds a rod, 14 arrows, a brazier, candlebra, and a sword, Topaz finds a comb, Ivy finds a rod, potion, a small shield, and a ring, Ethan finds bracers, and as a group, they find 15 scroll tubes, approximately poster sized. They also found several non magical items, including an ivory statue, and a beautiful cane. Also, found 1000 gold and 700 platinum.
We attempt to mail off 6 giant sized gold pieces, and discover the limitations of the quill and ink. It can transport 1 gold piece.
The cap on the calliope oil reservoir requires strength to open. Rabbo gets it open without disrupting the calliope. However, in the process of dipping his jug into the oil, he thumps the side of the reservoir, and disrupts the calliope for a moment, and the giant stirs.
The giant says, “Uhhhhhhhh…” and brings a hand up to point at Rabbo. the party down below notice this, and Ivy casts a command word. “Die,” she says, which will cause the target to sleep. The giant slumped over, asleep. Rabbo takes the opportunity to get more potion out, and once again, in the process, only gets a small amount out and disrupts the calliope again. The giant is still asleep, but while Rabbo waits for the calliope to start again, he falls under its spell.
About this time, Ethan, with his Blue dragon staff, (which we assumed was a staff of Blue Dragons, which might have powers like lightning bolt, create or destroy water, etc.) fired a lightning bolt out at the giant, and hit it squarely. When the lightning bolt hits, the giant wakes up. Despite protests of the party, and insults like, “what the hell were you thinking? He was asleep!!!” ther was no time to stop him from firing the bolt. As soon as Shardenzar saw this, he fired his lightning bolt, too. Several more times lightning bolts were fired, Ivy put the electrified bastard to sleep once again, only for the giant to be fried by lightning bolts, and after several rounds of fierce electrical exchanges, and the giant, disoriented, and being hit by two lightning bolts every few seconds, missed his attempts to step on Eyar, who was stabbing him in the foot. Ivy wonders where Rabbo is (like, why haven’t we seen Rabbo jumping through the air and gnawing this guy’s giant ear off), and Shardenzar takes a moment to cast levitate on Ethan, who says he will go up to check it out. Topaz uses his breath weapon, and also tries to hit, but just can’t do any damage. While lightning bolts still fly, Ethan makes it to the desk top, and sees Rabbo transfixed by the calliope. As Ethan gets closer, he sees that Rabbo did not get very much of the oil. He gets a full jug, and then knocks over the calliope. When it tumbles over, the oil inside the reservoir spills out, and catches fire. Rabbo awakens, takes stock, dips his sword in flaming oil, and takes a flying leap at the giant’s chest, and hits him hard. There are several more lightning bolt exhanges, several more bloody hits from Rabbo and Eyar, and after over 500 hit points of damage, the giant keels over and dies!
After that, even though the desk was on fire, and we had yet to assess how much stuff we could strap on and carry out of here, we decided to take a break.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Into the Castle and Through The Kitchen...
To the caverns of the cloud giants we go...
July 2008
Game Day: 12/24/1308
Here is a rough sketch of the tower we are in:
There was nothing else we could find in the southern room. The blink dogs tell us that the smell a chemical smell coming from the room behind the large door. All of us attempt to open the door, individually, and even Rabbo and Eyar fail. However, we all attempt together, and end up breaking a rivet along the bottom of the door, which allowed a small crack in the wood to be exploited. We could see through, and could squeeze through the opening.
Looking through the crack, we see a big table. There are shelves along the walls. On the shelves there are at least 40 bottles and flasks. Ethan and Ivy both cast Detect Magic, and they begin to scan around the room, trying to identify any magical items. Topaz flies up to the table to look around. Topaz sees beakers, flasks, and general lab equipment. Ivy and Ethan detect 8 magically emanating flasks.
Potion #1: moderate, Ivy detects it’s within the sphere of healing
#2: strong, Ivy detects sphere of healing/chaos
#3: normal, Ethan and Ivy detect sphere of summoning, school of conjuration
#4: overwhelming, Rabbo spends 113 psionic points to influence Ethan and Ivy’s “luck,” and detects the sphere of summoning/chaos, school of conjuration, summoning, and alteration
#5: normal, couldn’t detect school or sphere
#6: normal, couldn’t detect school or sphere
#7: overwhelming, Ivy detects sphere of elemental/chaos
#8: strong, Ivy detects sphere of necromancy/chaos
Rabbo climbs up and uncorks #4 and lowers his continual light vial in the potion bottle (remember, everything is 12 times normal size) and gets a sample. He lowers down #4, #2, #1, almost drops #7, and #8 slips and falls a few feet at the very end of its descent. The stopper pops off of #8, and the potion spills everywhere. In particular, it spills on Ethan, Ivy, Eyar, and Shardenzar. Even though only a tiny amount spills in Eyar’s open mouth, it was enough to have a strong effect. As they are doused, the bottle starts to tip over, but Ethan and Ivy together are able to keep it from dumping completely out. After one taste, Eyar feels a strong urge to drink more, and even though we counsel against it, she decides to drink more. After she drinks, she acts as if she is under the effects of a haste spell, and also a potion of youth (longevity), because she speeds up in her speech and action, and also reverts to approximately a girl of 14 years of age. Fortunately for Eyar, she was an early bloomer, so she nearly has her adult stature, figure, and strength. As the change occurs, Rabbo commands Shardenzar to cast dispel magic; however, he can’t do it right away. He first has to read it out of Ethan’s spell book, and then has to memorize it. Then, he casts it. Although the haste effect was removed, Eyar remains approximately 14 years old. We gather the following samples:
1 vial of #8, 2 vials of #7, 2 vials of #4, 1 vial of #2, and 1 vial of #1. Then we also filled up our continual light vials: Rabbo: #4; Ethan: #7; Ivy: #1, Eyar: #8, and Shardenzar: #2.
While this is happening, Rabbo drinks his potion of flying and carefully puts the bottles back up on the shelves, and tried to make it look like nothing was disturbed. The potion that was spilled (and was almost empty) was clear, so with luck, no one will notice that is was spilled.
We climb up steps, and about halfway up, we hear the door downstairs open (on the first floor) and can hear someone walking around down there. Ethan studies for his Friend spell and we wait quietly. The door closes, and we move forward. We make it to the top of the next landing. There is a ladder going 120 feet straight up to a trap door in the ceiling above us.
Rabbo drinks about half a potion of levitation and floats up to the trap door, using the ladder as a guide. He opens the trap door and takes a quick look around the tower room. Next to the door is a large crank with a loop of chain which runs to and through the ceiling. Rabbo sees a crude telescope and a table with a large strange looking ship, and a stack of building supplies. Along the walls of this room are many strange carvings that glow. This room is large and open, and there are papers on the table.
The papers on the desk are charts, marking monthly events. They are for navigation in three dimensions.
Everybody else makes it up by levitation, flying, blinking, or potions of gaseous form. Ivy floats over to the table with the odd-looking ship. The strange looking ship looks like this:
The little tools on the table seem odd----the hammers have normal sized heads, but really long handles that get big (giant-sized) at the end.
Ethan and Shardenzar go to the table with the papers on it. Ethan casts comprehend languages and can recognize that these papers are for navigation through the plane of air, and are specific for this ship. In fact, the papers include blueprints for this ship. The ship is called a dragonfly, and is referred to as a spelljammer ship. Reference is made to a spelljammer helmsman and a helm. After inspecting the room, we decide to enter the ship.
12/25/1308
Once onboard, Rabbo does an object reading, and gets the impression that the boat is a model, very accurate, painstakingly detailed, but from the giant who built it’s perspective, a model only. This doesn’t mean that it also can’t be a functional airship, just that the giant built it as a model. The magic users try to concentrate and see if they can “feel” anything magically to power the ship, but they don’t. While we rest, Ethan and Shardenzar are casting the spells to read and copy the plans for the spelljammer. Rabbo influences their luck at reading and copying when necessary. While this is happening, Rabbo also slowly turns the wheel attached to the chains in the ceiling. Slowly, the roof begins to open. It is obvious we are in an observatory, and the glowing markings on the walls noted earlier mark constellations. After the spelljammer Dragonfly plans are copied, they rest.
12/26/1308
At 1 am, Ivy hears a trumpet sound. The party looks out the weird ship’s bridge window, but do not see anything. We decide after everyone is rested, we will wait until dark, and then attempt to leave the tower and get back on the castle grounds. Sometime later in the night, we see rats climbing down the tower chains, but they don’t disturb us. We wait, get rested, healed, and around midnight of 12/26, Ethan had been dying to use featherfall to fall down the tower, and in the course of being a little silly, hits upon a great idea to get us all down. Ethan casts featherfall on each of us. Recall that Ethan is wearing a ring which allows him to immediately recall and recast a memorized spell. This greatly quickens our pace out of the tower.
When the party makes it back out of the rat hole by the front door of the tower, it is bright out. Clearly, light and darkness work in a different cycle here. The party thought they had planned out the best time to move, but in the end, it didn’t matter much (at least in regards to traveling under the cover of night).
We are back out in the big courtyard/garden. As we make our way northwest, Topaz scouts out our surroundings. However, we are still ambushed and surprised by a huge kitty cat (approximately 12 times normal size). It seems a little surprised too, and tries to attack. Ivy casts speak with animals, and tries to get it not to attack us, but in the course of her scolding the kitty, it changes its mind, and isn’t as cowed by us as much as she begins to think we might be tasty like the rats we were trying to persuade her with. The cat decides to attack, but fumbles, and is stunned for a couple of rounds. Ivy grabs it by the ear, and harshly scolds it, saying, “Bad kitty!” The cat seems perturbed and a little frightened, and as it is coming out of being stunned, looks like it is going to attack. Rabbo takes a hold of the cat’s ear, and in an attempt to pull its head to the ground and subdue the cat, rips its ear off, and is covered with blood (scored a critical hit). The cat freaks out, but before it realized the mortality of its wound, Rabbo delivers two blows to the center of its forehead and sadly, kills the poor bastard. This was a hell of a feat, considering the cat was a 10 hit die monster!
We try to leave the cat in a lifelike pose, in case the guard in the tower happens to see it. The party continues to head northwest, and comes to a huge fountain, 120 feet across. We decide not to investigate. At the northwest corner of the yard, we spy a rat hole which leads into a building.
(picture of the castle, from Topaz’ recon and the party’s mapping)
We enter the building through the rat hole. It is a huge hall, like a ballroom for gala events, but it is currently empty, except for three dust mops dusting the floor. As soon as we step on the floor, the dust mops make their way menacingly towards us. It is clear they mean to attack. Besides being dust mops, there are invisible servants ready to choke the life out of us! One starts to choke Eyar, and Ethan hits it. One gets its hands on Rabbo’s neck. Ivy is also attacked and takes small damage. Eyar goes from bad to worse, and is stunned (took a critical hit). Ethan hits again. Rabbo hits the one on him for massive damage. Eyar is still losing hit points, and is being strangled. Rabbo fumbles, and the creature gets out of his grasp. Topaz tries to strike and also fumbles. Rabbo kills one. Ivy hits the one on her. Rabbo hits that one and kills it. Eyar has now been strangled for five rounds. Rabbo makes it over to her and kills that one, too. We take a few moments and heal everybody up. We look around, and see another rat hole towards the northwest corner.
We go in, and are in a room with a long, large table with many chairs. There is art on the walls which depicts hunting scenes from across the planes. There is a door on the far end. We find another rat hole and enter into the kitchen. The kitchen is a large room with two great tables, pots and pans, ovens, etc. Ivy finds rat holes leading to other rooms. We investigate a pantry, in which goods are stored in holes made from cloud stuff. We investigate a privy, and a laundry room also. Earlier, when we said that nightfall didn’t give us the cover of darkness, it did give us the advantage of sneaking around when almost all of the denizens of the castle were sleeping.
We find another rat hole, and peek through into a corridor. At one end, we see a guard posted by the southernmost door. At that point, Shardenzar says, “You know, I forgot, but I can turn invisible at will,” (due to his part faerie heritage) and Rabbo cocks his head and whispers, “I’m going to poke your eyes out. Turning invisible at will is one of those, oh I don’t know, extremely important and useful things I really ought to know about before we go adventuring about.” But, instead of trying to sneak up on the giant (which is about impossible) we go back through the rat hole, and find another rat hole to follow.
We decide to go back through to the kitchen, bypassing a sleeping room with three female giants. We tried to get out through the kitchen door, but couldn’t. We decide to go back to the pantry, and as we search, Ivy finds another rat hole which we follow. It opens up into the large root cellar. In the back of the root cellar, we find another rat hole which leads to the caverns.
Then, we took a break.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Current Game: 12/15/1308
At the Invisible School, we are told that the school has embraced a variety of magical skills and teachings that in years past, they would not have. For example, they are taking advantage of practitioners of “wild magic,” who have learned some ways to speed up spell recovery for magic users and clerics. So, over this week, while we are planning strategy and setting some political, infrastructure, and diplomatic missions in motion, Ethan and Ivy are taught how to study for spells at the rate of 10 minutes per level.
The school is set to work for us on several projects.
History and Lore: The locations and powers of known crystals.
Spells: An improved or specific spell to create roads.
The school also answered some questions we had about the Eaters of Wisdom. The Eaters of Wisdom were the fighting unit of the Invisible School, and would travel around the countryside in their War Wagon in the old day, after the Cataclysm. They were teachers and fighters, and generally gathered as much magical knowledge as they could. However, over time, likely caused by BH, the EOW were soon branded as “witches,” and along with all things magical, were banned or ran out of most places they attempted to reach. Over time, the mission changed, and the EOW faded away. Malfor, from the previous party, resurrected the EOW after long research into their history. He fixed the War Wagon, and this time around, silently, quietly, found surviving magic and surviving magic-users who practiced underground. Malfor did more in the last 20 years to re-establish the EOW than anyone had in hundreds of years. In a bold move, Malfor took the War Wagon and his EOW into Zorn. That was a few months ago.
While we had some time, Rabbo asked some God questions to pass information on to the School about the EOW.
12/18/1308
1. Are the EOW in trouble? Not currently.
2. Is Malfor alive or dead? Not quite either.
3. Where are they? In the Nightmare Mountains, NE of the Mouth Pass.
4. Do the Faeries from Elfland still have a stronghold? No.
5. How much oil of permanency does Garson Longtree have? Enough to cover his bones.
We set our party: Rabbo, Eyar, Ivy, Ethan, Shardinzar (a magic user from the School), Topaz, the dragon (still small) and two blink dogs (progeny of Polaris) Ursa and Moonface.
The School gives each of us a variety of things:
Mundane items: Everyone is pretty much outfitted with non-magical weapons, armor, supplies, etc.
Ethan: Several scrolls (knock, 2 locate objects spells), 2 jugs of healing draughts (25 hp value each), potion of levitation, access to his full complement of first level spells.
Ivy: allowed to borrow a +5 warhammer by a cleric at the school, 2 jugs of healing draughts (25 hp value each), 3 scrolls (raise dead).
Eyar: sword (magical?), 2 jugs of healing draughts (25 hp value each), potion of Invulnerability, potion of gaseous form, scroll (protection from air elementals)
Rabbo: + 1 Whip (coated the tip in a potent sleeping poison), 2 jugs of healing draughts (25 hp value each), and arquebus and some poof oil, potion of flying, scroll (protection from cold), some oil of fumbling.
Other stuff: Shardinzar also was given some magical items, most notably some scrolls. We were all given phials with Continual Light placed on the contents.
After setting Alexander, Adam Kelly, and Peter on diplomatic/military missions to Immer, Shucassam, and Muetar, respectively, we decide to try to find Gorson and get some oil of permanency.
We begin the current adventure on 12/23/1308. In case we need to call on him, we remember the name of Shababadoo, the Ki-Rin, whom the old party rescued many years ago.
First we open the Well of Many Worlds. Hundreds of years ago, Gorson had permanently set it to open to this particular cloudscape world. We determine that time moves at the same rate in the cloudscape world as it does in ours. As the talk of our younger party members stayed in the gutter, we have our quote of the game early on: “Assume the fecal position!” which we do as we cross over into the cloudscape world. There are lots of clouds all over the place, making terrain and other features. Light shines across a beautiful blue sky, but not light from a sun that we can see.
As we pass through the Well, we see a mountainous region, made of clouds, to the West. There is a smaller hill to the East, to the North, a valley, and to the South, the end of a valley which we are currently in. Walking is easy, but the cloud we are on is kind of squishy. We decide to climb the hill to the East, to get a better vantage point, We see there is an edge to the cloud we are on. We walk towards it, but as we get closer, we begin to sink in the cloud we are walking on. We walk back to the top of the hill, and from there, we see a shadow cast by something out of sight (from behind the foot of the mountain at the bottom of the valley). As we approach the bend, we notice a white stone tower in the distance, but because all the terrain looks similar, it is difficult to ascertain the scale, other than it is big and looks fairly far away.
We walk towards it. As we walk, we see it is a massive building, with a tall tower, a long wall, and a shorter tower. Part of the castle is built directly into the mountainside. After walking for approximately four or five hours, we can get a sense of scale: The wall is 2000 feet across, the tower is about 1000 feet wide at the base. The wall is approximately 350 feet tall, and the tower is about 700 feet tall. The doors, which we can now make out in the wall, are about 100 feet tall. They are closed. We are about a mile and a half away. The scale, we learn later, is 12 times our size. Everything we will encounter is 12 times our size.
As we walk closer, Rabbo notices a faint path, then loses it, Ethan notices it, then Eyar, and eventually, we follow it around the huge tower, and see the path lead to a hole in the cloud which appears to go under the wall behind the tower. It looks to Rabbo like it is probably a rat tunnel. We walk in the tunnel, and notice the smell of rats. No surprise here, we have a GIANT RAT FIGHT!
In the course of the fight, Ethan and Ivy jostle each other to get to the front so they can get in on the action. Ivy gets knocked down by Ethan, and Ethan also bumps one of the blink dogs as he was getting ready to blink (which throws off his concentration, and allows him to be attacked as he materializes by a rat). Ivy takes her turn to hit Ethan, and actually hurts him in the process. Eyar fights and kills rats, so does Ethan, and others. Rabbo is bringing up the rear and keeps his eyes open for rats from behind, which come, and he skewers them. Rabbo kills two, Ethan kills one, injures several, Eyar kills two, Ivy wounds one. The blink dogs, Eyar, and Ethan are hurt. All but Ethan are healed via healing draughts.
After the fight, Rabbo and Eyar lay down the law. No bullshit in-fighting among the party while we fight. It jeopardizes everyone. So, Rabbo requires that Ivy spend a spell to heal Ethan from her damage, and requires that Ethan fulfill Ivy’s god’s holy ritual when we get back to the School (he must throw a party and revel in her god’s honor). If either of them jeopardizes the rest of us again, Rabbo will knock em out and leave them.
While searching the lair of the rats, Rabbo finds a beautifully embroidered pillow and a finely carved ivory snuffbox (human sized, and giant-sized, respectively). Rabbo tries an object reading on the objects, but doesn’t get useful information from them. Party notices that the cloudscape of the tunnel they are in gives way to dirt, and then the tunnel opens up into a steep deep ditch, covered in grass several feet deep. We ask Topaz to fly up to the top of the ditch and look around. He comes back, happy, and reports that he sees a huge field of huge flowers. While we are getting organized, Ivy looks around and finds a brass ring, with an embossed hand on it. The ring is very magical, and the magic from it emanates from the sphere of thought. Rabbo does an object reading, and discovers that this ring was once worn by a student of the Invisible School.
Ivy tries to put the ring on and can’t. Ethan puts it on and it blinks red. Suddenly, his spells seem clearer to him. It is possible that this is a magic-user specific item.
Rabbo carries Ethan’s rope. We climb, (Rabbo pulls) everyone out of the ditch. We are in a huge field of flowers, inside the castle walls. The huge tower is still our destination. We can see it, even though most of our view is blocked by flowers and grass. Along the way, we come up to a dirt path approximately 20 feet across. We decide to stay in the grass and still move toward the tower. Eventually, we come across a black effervescent pool, which stinks of refuse, garbage, so kind of rotting and sickly sweet, too. It is somewhat magical. We decide to skirt its edge, as it is between the tower and us. On the way, we are attacked by 23 GIANT ANTS!
Shardinzar roles out a fireball and toasts most of them. Ethan kills one in an attempted spell, but hit it with his hands while gesturing, and killed it!
As we approach the door to the tower, it opens, and a 25-foot tall woman comes out, in an apron with cloth. Her skin has a slightly bluish tinge to it. We all hide, except for Ethan and Shardinzar, who were kind of taken aback at the sight. The giant looks at them, but luckily, they ducked before she really took note of the two. We run to the door after she passes. As we get close, we notice a small hole worn in the wood and stone next to the edge of the door. Another rat hole. We take it, and are in the room.
The room itself is huge, more than a few hundred yards across, and is over 120 feet tall. It appears to be a storage area for gardening supplies. While we investigate, we find a large crate, that we can squeeze in which provides cover. It is now approximately 6 pm, and we notice that it is still bright sunlight out. We decide to camp for the night. During that evening, Rabbo asks his next set of God questions:
1. Where in this castle is the oil of permanency? In the Treasury.
2. In which part of the castle is the Treasury located? In the caverns.
3. From where do we gain access to the caverns? Through the root cellar or prison cell.
4. Where is Gorson or his remains? In the study.
5. Where is the study? In the second level of the tower.
The next morning, we decide to climb, have Rabbo and Eyar pull everyone to the top of the stairs. When we reach the platform on the second level, we are attacked by GIANT ANTS!
Ethan hits ants with magic missile, and discovers that even though he cast the spell, it stayed memorized in his head, and he could cast it right away. Rabbo notices that there is an element of probability at work, and also sees that every time Ethan casts a spell, the right flashes red. Ethan and Ivy both kill ants. Once the fight is over, we talk about the ring, and then Ethan reads the knock spell. The 100-foot tall door opens. The room is not occupied. It is a study, with a bed, desk, and books in a large bookcase. We each explore different areas, with the dragon and the blink dogs flying or blinking around the room to look higher than we can. Moonface blinks to the desktop and barks. Topaz tells us that Moonface hears something from inside the roll top desk. Topaz ties off the rope on the desktop, and we all climb or are hauled up the desk. While there, both Ivy and Ethan cast detect magic. Magic is detected in a drawer and inside the roll top desk. The magic in the roll top desk is of the necromantic variety. First, in the drawer, Rabbo muscles the drawer open, and finds a large silver plate, pitcher, and mug. When he touches them, they shrink down to regular human size. He stows them in his backpack.
Back up on the desk, Eyar and Rabbo open the roll top. Inside, we see inkpots, a scroll tube, and a chained skeleton in a cage with eyes and a tongue, pulling at its chain. We take a moment to look at the scroll---it contains three speak with dead spells.
We figure that this sad skeleton is Gorson, but Ivy reads the scroll and asks:
Who are you? To which it replies: Gorson.
Why are you here? Betrayed.
How do you get to the Treasury? Release.
Are we in danger from your betrayer? Please.
If we release you, will you betray us? Mercy.
Where is your captor? Death.
Rabbo snaps off the hand of Gorson, but then figures it out---the only thing that this fragment of Gorson can possibly want is to be released from this horrible fate. Rabbo asks Ivy to try and turn Gorson. Ivy tries, but cannot. Rabbo asks if we have a dispel magic between us, and Shardinzar says that he has a scroll. We decide to let Ethan read it. Ethan reads it, and the magic holding this pathetic creature together dissipates, and Gorson is released from 800 years of hell.
Then, something special happens. In what appears to be outside of time, a shining beam of light appears around Ethan, and we hear a voice: “To release this poor creature which has been suffering for so long, the God of Mercy will grant you a wish, a wish for you.” Ethan tries to use the wish to solve the money problems at the keep, and the voice says, “True to your nature, you tired to give your wish to another’s use, but this wish is for you. Make it personal.” So, Ethan decides to wish for a special ring of regeneration. It works as a regular ring of regeneration, which will regenerate a whole person even from a fragment of bone, but this ring will also regenerate damaged non-magical items in his possession.
At this point, we took a break.
Monday, May 5, 2008
In the Interim
(Spring 2008)
Regarding Todo Lists
I appreciate the list of STUFF to do and SHIT to do. As far as the stuff to do: since time is of the essence in the matter of Immer, we should send a diplomatic delegation led by Alexander (with and appropriate retinue of soldiers and staff) through the mirror, to the school, from the school as quickly as possible to the kingdom of Immer. Call in Immer's debt to us, if possible, and explain the situation. "Now is the time for beings of conscience to come together and help others against the rising tide of evil," or some shit like that. Also, helping the Elves helps themselves. Do they really want to be a kingdom sandwiched between a land of goblins on one side and drow and kobolds on the other? It would just be a matter of time before they were fighting two wars on two very long borders. By giving the elves safe haven, they give themselves a rear guard. So, the trick on the part of Immer will be to make the elves feel like its the Immerites asking for the help, (but all the while knowing it was the other way around...) In the course of making this happen, we also need to suggest that we begin a diplomatic mission to Immer to normalize trade relations, and would invite them to do the same in our kingdom. So, before we begin this crazy plan, I need to know a good estimate of time to get our diplomatic mission up to Immer's King.
Also, we can send another diplomatic mission to Muetar, led by Adam Kelly to pitch the idea of a road for trade and for our mutual safety. Muetar is facing possible threats up North from three areas, as far as I can see--drow and kobold to the Northwest, goblins to the North, and a certain evil bastard in a tower to the Northeast. It is just a matter of time before those powers move. Before that happens, a road will enable us to both become stronger economically, and to trade goods which we will both benefit from. And once it happens, a road will enable us to move aid and help our neighbor to the north. Also, if the lepers overcome Shucassam, we will be facing the same threat to the south as they do from the north. It is in both of our interests to build a road. We also would like to establish a diplomatic mission in their country and invite them to do the same with us.
We should send a diplomatic mission to Shucassam, seeking an audience with the ruling family to establish a diplomatic presence, and to offer help to our neighbor to the south. Perhaps Peter can lead this mission.
Also, we need to develop a coat of arms or a seal or symbol that is immediately recognizable as coming from our kingdom. I think a simple graphic which features the sword of law, the united crystals, and the tree emblazoned with light would do it. We need to get a jeweler working on the that, and create signets that all of our "royal" and diplomatic staff can wear. Also, banners, flags, etc., pronto.
Now, the SHIT to do:
Given the right amount of time, we can plan how to get a small party or an individual to the location we need in Elfland. I don't want to make the mission too complex, but I have some ideas about that, but it will depend on some god questions. Such as: Is Centaur Island overrun and the faries scattered? Is there a stronghold left of elven/fairy power: where is it? Are the green box, cube and crystals together? Meaning, are they in close proximity to each other? If the answer is yes, then I will use a variety of questions to find out how they are guarded or protected. I will attempt to ascertain the location, the way I used to with god questions and dimension walking. We will need some help from the school, like some potions of invisibility, for example, and also some healing potions. Maybe even a mid-level M-U who feels like dying. Also, I want to find out more information about the Queen, like is she close to our stuff, how is she bound, is she bound, would she leave if we came to get her? If we can ascertain this kind of information, then it might be that we could stage a rescue mission (for our stuff and for the queen) and at the same time, have part of the party attempt to contact the Faeries on Centaur Island or wherever the fairy stronghold might be (if one exists). Then, we could coordinate getting the queen and her subjects to safety. Besides me blowing these questions, we might also want to encourage the school to perform some scrying for us to help answer some of these questions, too, and also see if there are any clerics who might be able to find out this information. I am convinced if we have to fight either on the way in or out of the mires, we will die. We absolutely have to sneak in, grab our shit, and go. Ideally, we grab all three things. Ideally, we also grab the queen. Not ideally, we grab the cube. Then the green box. Then the crystals. Then the queen.
After that is done, I want to use god questions to locate little Alex, and murder him in his sleep:D
If we can get our old cube back, we won't need to go through any of the plans to untimestop the other cube. However, we should still commit to finding Gorson, and securing some potions and other shit he might be "willing" to part with.
Also, there is a closet of forbidden things? A closet of forbidden things? I need to know, what else is in that closet? Perhaps there are some things like this well of many worlds that were once forbidden, but now may be a fucking okay. Is there a pantry of evil dry goods? I am earnestly asking the Deans of the school to let us know what they've got, good or bad. Now is not the time for secrets.
Also, as the "stars" fell out of the sky, did any of them survive impact? We might be able to salvage shit from them still. Also, another time, I want to talk to you about the map itself---all of the lakes look like craters. If they are, then eventually we should investigate what is at the bottom of them. The plane itself is created----artificial. This we know. We need to find out who created it. Perhaps Alexander knows some of these answers.
**********************
Stuff todo:
Note: There are currently only 30 horses available at the keep.
Now the Shit todo list:
1. Planning for Elfland is good. As you seem to need many questions answered (the school is willing to help if it can, just ask), this will take some time since you only get 5 a week. In the meanwhile, the school will urge you to go for the potion of permanency first. If it can be obtained, the cube has a GOOD possibility of being opened and you get your crap back. It would be MOST wise to enter the depths of Drowland when you are loaded for bear. Remember, 1 in 4 Drow are spellcasters. A merger of the two plans seems to be needed. Ask what questions you can for this limited time, go through the well for a short time, come back and ask more questions. Although we cant do it in this forum, do make up a list of questions and have it ready next time we play. We will deal with it first and calculate time based on other activities until you get more question.
2. Little Alex's murder. No problem there, except you will be advised that there are more pressing problems at the current time. Like the lepers.
3. Call me silly, but finding a MU that is maybe crazy and probably evil and trying to get some potions off him seems a little easier than trying to sneak behind enemy lines of a Drow/Kobol army. True, if you get the old cube back you wont need to untimestop the other, but if you untimestop this one it will make it a HELL of a lot easier to get the other old stuff back! Naked in the trenches so you can go shopping loaded for bear.... OR... Barter naked so you can suit up and take on the underdark. Really. One does seem better than the other doesn't it?
4. The closet of forbidden things is mainly filled with stuff better left out of the hands of men. Most of the stuff is cursed and unusable, but some may not be. All inventory records have been lost, as well as all past caretakers. The school is currently doing some research into the contents. There is a new vision at the school and NOTHING is being viewed in the same light. But then again, its just not wise to hand out a ring of contrariness or Gauntlets of fumbling. As things are discovered you will be informed as needed. Note: Jerik we housed here for several hundred years. As a MU slayer, you can understand why.
5. Very few of the "stars" survived impact in a state of crystallization Most disintegrated Those that held together were not usable for anything other than pretty crystals. The lakes look that way because they were formed during the cataclysm when the land virtually flipped over and mountains became seas and seas became oceans... bla, bla, bla. And unfortunately Ambassador Alexander is but a physical shell used by the god of the same name. Now that the god is virtually no more, the shell knows little more than you do on what went on before his creation.
