3.5 Karvosa Campaign Home Brew followed by The Curse of the Crimson Throne

[dellanx]

Session 61:

It is Calistril the 28th, and the group is in Kaer Maga. As you exited the cave you are dumped into a city like no other. As First-time visitors to Kaer Maga, you find the city both disorienting and disconcerting. It is very different from Korvosa, the buildings go up and one cant's see the sky. The Duskwardens lead you up and down up and down staircases and ladders to their headquarters. They thank the group, and reward them, the Duskwardens also find a guide for them to take them where they wish to go in the city.

Egric asked the guide to take them to Phaeton Skota's place. The guide urchin said, follow me. They traveled through the district of Bis. The guide said that Kaer Maga is roughly organized into 11 districts, eight in the Ring and three in the Core. Many of the
districts are controlled primarily by one faction or the other, the borders between them are not political but rather geographical - simply names for neighborhoods that may date back thousands of years.

As you were traveling through Bis you looked up and saw a gargoyle perched on a rooftop, calling down its less-than-positive opinions of passersby by and occasionally pelting them with roof tiles. The group moved on.

Further into Bis, the group saw Three prostitutes leaning out a window to display their wares—one beautiful, one scaly, and one clearly undead. Egric wanted to know what race was the scaly one? Ivar did not thing the undead-one was beautiful.

As they were leaving Bis they saw some smiths, the guide said ah those are Ardoc family members. They are golem makers those, and they tend to be the Rulers of Bis.

They walked into Cavalcade district, up and down they went. What is that Egric said? Oh that? the guide said is the Rubdown, it is a very best bath house in Kaer Maga. You can get the best massage there as well.

They moved into the district of Bottoms. The guide says this is where the Freed Man live and rule. The guide explained about the supply and demand of slavery here in Kaer Maga, and that the Freed Man buy them from the slavers in Down Market, to keep the piece. The group saw some Weird Things as they were passing, and the guide told them about Uri the builder of Gliders that can be used to fly from the city. They went into the Common Room ran by a priest of Cayden Cailean, a tap room and the center of government for the district. They asked about the mission of the Freeman, Slavery and other related matters. One of the questions discussed was if Kaer Maga is defensable? The freedman told them about an 45 year old attempt by Korvosa's King Chadris Porphyria III to annex Kaer Maga failed, he soon died and Queen Domina Arabasti, made sure to eradicate his noble house from Korvosa. Crow bought several rounds of drinks, and then they left on their journey.

When they crossed into Tarheel Promenade, they saw Priesteses dancing under a executed corpse of a thief and murderer getting him ready to become useful again as a zombie. The group found the practicality of things in Kaer Maga very different from Korvosa. They entered Phaeton Skota's shop. No one in, a bell rings as they enter. A short while later, Phaeton Skota comes through the door in the shop. He says: Hello my friends! Egric and the group are delighted, in seeing him. Some how the conversation turns to burdensome money, and weight, etc. Phaeton Skota asked, what happened to the Portable Hole I sold you? Lets not talk about that said Egric. I am delighted to see you too, especially since you still owe me that mission you promised me. Egric said if my friends are willing that is. Of course said Phaeton Skota, my friends are at the Temple of Abadar we can discuss business later, after business. Oh we have to go there too said Egric.

They sold their loot and bought Handy Haversacks, all accept Riris who carries the Portable Hole for the group(Egric already has a Handy Haversack). Egric asked if he had a Corset of Dire Witchcraft, Phaeton said no. Crow asked about magical Snag nets, but he did not have any either. He sent the guide to get one for Crow. After the guide returned they went to the Bank of Abadar.

In the Bank of Abadar they were introduced to Wen Histani. She dismissed Phaeton Skota, and asked the group to follow her into a meeting room. Wen says: While the Church of Abadar is strong, there are times when brute force is less useful than guile; when the needle works better than the hammer. And more, there are times when to further your ideals you must look not to true believers, but to those who can make whatever compromise is necessary to get the job done.

The group says, are you able to be more specific? She explained the mission:

Long ago, the region known today as Varisia was part of a single great empire called Thassilon. Seven wizards wielding almost godlike power ruled this empire, and indeed many of their vassals worshiped them as deities. Each of the wizard-kings styled himself after one of the seven different Virtues of Rule: wealth, fertility, honest pride, abundance, eager striving, righteous anger, and well-deserved rest. Yet disputes between the seven rulers, dubbed Runelords for the powerful sigils used in their spellcasting, were common. Rather than wage war on each other, conflicts were settled via champions wielding magic blades, each tied to one of the seven virtues.

Over time, the power and decadence of Thassilon's expansion corrupted its rulers, and the seven virtues became twisted mockeries of themselves-fertility became lust, abundance turned to gluttony, and so on. When a mysterious, cataclysmic event finally brought the empire to ruin, the swords and their creators disappeared. At present, most of those living in Varisia have forgotten all about the empire of Thassilon, looking on the immense monuments peppering their landscape with ignorant awe. The lessons of the past live on, though, in parents who instruct their children about the dangers of the seven deadly sins.

Recently, however, a power-hungry enchantress named Tirana has begun unearthing and gathering together the lost swords of the Runelords, blatantly stealing them from vaults where wiser minds concealed them. If allowed to proceed unchecked, this usurper could soon wield a power second only to the ancient Thassilonians themselves.

How do you know Phaeton Skota? Egric asked. I explained this before - said Wen.

The terms reached are: 10000 GP, one sword if six are recovered and two if all seven are recovered. The group has concerns about bank security. Wen says that the previous head of the bank is scrubbing privies in an undisclosed location. Egri asks if there will be repercussions for killing the Tirana. Wen gets some parchment an writes the Warrant Tirana Dead or Alive, the sighs very quietly "Korvosan's so orderly". She does say that keeping all the swords after the mission will not be tolerated. Egric says, I believe that was a threat, lets be nice, but Wen says nothing more on that subject.

They ask if the bank has sketches on the blades, and she produces them: Asheia (Lust), Baraket (Pride), Chellan (Greed), Garvok (Wraith), Shin-Tari (Sloth), Tannaris (Envy), and Ungarato (Gluttony). The legend behind Asheia is that Runelord Sorshen went into her harem with Asheia, ran it through her favorite concubine, and said who ever brings this blade to me will be my champion!

They agreed to the terms, and requested banking services [To Be Continued....].

[dellanx]

Session 62:

The last thing that Wen says is "We aren't certain what she plans, but it's easy enough to see that it bodes ill for Varisia. If she were to succeed in actually taking control of all the swords, the power she would wield would be immense. Cities could burn. Rivers could boil. Churches," she finishes with a grim smile, "could crumble. "That's where you come in." Do you know where she is, or anything else about her they asked? Wen said, the church has discovered that Tirana lurks somewhere within Kaer Maga, but the trail ends there. As the outlaw city is famous for its ability to make people disappear, the church knows that any sort of direct response on its part would tip off Tirana and send her to ground, burying herself in the tunnels beneath the city and out of the church's grasp. I suggest you make an you make an inquiry on your own, perhaps The Lyceum. What is the Lyceum asked Katlin and Ivar, it is a library of sorts in Oriat.

The group left the Bank of Abadar and proceeded toward the hospice. They asked their guide if the child knows of a good inn in Kaer Maga? Yes, how about the Sorry Excuse, it is a descent enough brothel. "Hmm" said Sivath maybe some place else. Then they saw a goblin working on a clockwork to earn money.

They saw a magic weapon shop called The Flame that Binds, a really fat human ran this place. As soon as the group entered the place he fawned over Katlin, Ivar, Crow and Egric. He asked them about their fighting styles and was fascinated with their weapons. He offered them a 10% discount and was a jovial fellow. They asked him about Tirana, but he did not know anything. He did promise to let them know if he heard anything.

They moved on and the guide, made more suggestions, after hearing about a brothel serving ladies only called the Strapping Lad they settled on a Brothel/Inn called the Canary House. The place seemed to be an epitome of class, this five-story inn and bistro containing the most expensive and exclusive accommodations in town—an irresistible experience for those with means, and a simultaneously opulent and discreet place for the covert assignations of the wealthy. The waitresses, entertainers and courtesans in the establishment are called Songbirds. Inside Canary House, pheasant is a specialty of the kitchen’s famed culinary artistes and the walls are elegantly decorated in avian themes representing the birds of A’kaan’s native Garund, yet these are not what give the inn its name. Rather, the moniker comes from his famed Songbirds—slave girls chosen for their talent and trained from the time they could speak to sing in unbelievable harmonies, each word a chord with a dozen voices spanning several octaves. These girls, while carefully cared for as the investment they are, swing from trapeze perches in gilded cages, and lest the audience be fooled by their elegance, thin chains around their ankles provide a constant reminder that the golden bars are still very real.

On the way to the Canary House the party ran into a streetwalker with a zombie in toe, we are a team she said. At the Canary House the group got rooms, had a meal, and drinks. They discussed Riris situation, and how to find Tirana. One thing came after another the many courses, the beautiful girls, the singing. Riris went to the bar tender and possibly ordered a drink, then everyone saw her wink at the Bartender Alaeh A’kaan. Alaeh provided the songbirds for a private one on one massage session for each person, all accepted accept Ivar. Then later they heard moaning and bed creaking from Crow's room. Then they heard snickering from Egric and Riris room. Eliera got a such a nice message, that she had the girl stay with her all night, and her a tip. Calistril 29th, in the morning a Songbirds left Crows and Eliera's rooms. They met at a corner table and had breakfast.

Riris reveaed to group that she was able to get a hold of her mom, and her mom revealed that: The creature must travels in the ethereal plane, and cast psychic magic that is somewhat different from ours. The hag tracks it's victims through tendrils of their signature power. While in the ethereal plane they have a hard time locating its victim. If the hag has found you, it must be something you do regularly, that the hag is honing in on, perhaps a combination of power use and action. To kill one you will need to either be in the ethereal plane or see invisible and have weapons that may hurt it. Force spells may also do the trick. Beware it may try to trap your soul, or the souls of your allies. This speeded up the need to discuss a permanent solution.

On the way, they walked into a establishment thinking it was a tavern, instead you realize it is a brothel. Then as they entered Oriat they witnessed Two screaming men knife-fighting in the center of a bustling market, with bystanders simply walking around them. Then they got to the Lyceum, and met Thaddeus Giovée and several clerics of Shelyn, this was a house of Elieras' religion. They talked to Thaddeous about Tirana, and he told them to seek Gadka’s Magical Oddities in the Tarheel Promenade, he heard about Gadka knowing something.

Gadka listened to Riris problem, and said he ma be abke to help. After discussion, finally it was decided to have the cleric Eliera use the Rod of Metamagic, Ectoplasmic, Lesser to cast a Glyph, that is tripped and casts a Magic Circle against evil. Also Riris would need to be able to cast see invisible, and a spell called force sword. They went to the Lyceum.

They saw a two horses and a centaur waiting to be shod. Egric asked her about centaurs, but she did not share much. Near the Gadka's shop they saw: Two gnomes sprinting at full speed with rope leads, the ends of which are tied to a third gnome strapped to an enormous kite.

They headed to Gadka's and were greeted by a him. He told them where to find the Split Street gang connected to Tirana. The went to a nearby market and quickly took care of the Split Street Gang. Then they returned to Godkas, and were well rewarded. They bought Rod of Metamagic, Ectoplasm, Lesser, Scroll of See Invisibility and Scroll of Force Sword [ To Be Continued.....].

[dellanx]

Session 63:

Gadka told the party that Tirana makes her home in a handful of abandoned tunnels and laboratories that once belonged to a scientific conclave calling itself the Council of Truth, which dissolved years ago. Located between Cavalcade and the Bottoms near the outer wall that overlooks the cliff, the entrance is marked by the ruins of an old water mill in a nearby stream. Its wide double doors, cast from bronze, bear the engraved image of a large-eyed owl-the Council of Truth's symbol. In addition, Gadka recalled that on his one venture into the complex, he noticed a large shaft used for ventilation opening into the cliff face high above.

The party journeyed to the mill, and crossed a broken bridge. It was a dangerous crossing, and they used ropes to cross so they would not be washed over the side, down to the bottom lands of Varisia below Kaer Maga. They eventually got across, walked to the wall, and started climbing down the wet rock wall to the cliff side. Egric went first, followed by Katlin. The split street gang attacked. Ruhi and Riris came in next. Sivath learned the location of the cave, climbed up and dimensioned door the party down. They eventually killed the four thugs, whose heart were not in the fight. They found a peep hole, and the room the gang were hiding in.

To the south and east, they found an air mephit, that was blasting them with electrical energy from a circuit of somehow. The little guy wanted their armor, and they decided to leave it for now. They went North, at least Egric and Crow did while the party lagged behind. Egric, then Crow spotted a wall with a pile of gold near the wall. This small stone room is dominated at the north end by a massive pile of treasure. Gold coins spill from open coffers draped with fine silks and furs, and glowing swords stand propped against barrels and crates holding gem-encrusted armor. They by passed it, but Riris got too close and was blasted. A gray creature came at her, and hurt her bad. Crow and Ivar gave it a target rich environment, and eventually the group killed it, after Crow cut off it's leg.

Egric proceeded down the hallway and saw this: twisting passage is full of debris. Broken scythes protrude from the walls, shattered arrows and darts line the floor, and in several places it appears the stone itself has been pitted and scarred by some sort of acid. Where the passage widens at its southern end, the mangled corpses of three goblins hang impaled on a cluster of metal spikes protruding from the floor.

Then they ventured into a grand room, the acrid chemical smell of sulfur and burnt earth fills this chamber, the smooth stone walls covered with an oily black film. Near the center of the room stand a fire-scarred black cauldron and three ominous bone pillars. Atop each pile of bones rests an open skull from which emanates a steady bubbling sound and a soft, colored glow. This strange radiance illuminates three oil paintings hung at intervals across the north wall: a skeleton with a red apple, a blue jaybird, and a golden ring in its chest, a dark castle being shattered by a tidal wave, its highest tower marked with the shape of a rose; and a demon drinking from a golden goblet while holding a heart. A shelved alcove to the south lies in shadows. Then Egric found blue, red and yellow powders. They focused on the task at hand. They tried blue and red liquid, and with the red powder and the room exploded around them. Then they tried the blue liquid and blue powder. Nothing at all, how strange. They decided to take the powders with them.

They went south and came to a room, as Egric backed out of the room, Crow thought he came in and was ambushed by some raptors and their goblin riders. Then he realized that going in alone would be a really a bad idea [To Be Continued...].

[dellanx]

Session 64:
Crow thought he came in and was ambushed by some raptors and their goblin riders. Then he realized that going in alone would be a really a bad idea, he told the others about his premonition. They looked closely through the door and saw some goblins in the room. Crow and Katlin charged in, while Egric moved in invisible. Ivar noticed that he was slowed again, by his armor, because it glowed? The goblin chivalry unlashed its fury on the group, while Sivith cast her magic missiles. Ruhiel cast sanctuary on lead melee types and Riris while the battle raged on. Slowly the tide turned, as slumbered goblins and raptors succumbed and eventually died.

Egric got closer to the green portal and heard sounds of wild life and fungus like smells, and felt that he should get away. Ivar got close to the southern black portal and took damage, and moved away from it. Egric decided to check out the west door. He heard a whirring sound. After checking it for traps, he opened the door. Egric went down the hallway and found a duct with fans to the south moving slowly. To the west they saw a door. The group decided to open the door, after Egric did all the necessaries.

The walls of this enormous chamber stretch twenty feet upward before arching five more feet to a peak, buttressed at ten-foot intervals by narrow pillars of the same white stone. In the center, the smooth floor has been cut away to make room for a massive pool of cloudy water that eddies and glows with bursts of faint green phosphorescence. On a stone bridge bisecting the pool at the waterline squats a massive conglomeration of gauges, tubes, and drive belts, all whirring together with a mechanical hum that fills the room. Static around it causes tiny blue sparks to leap from its frame, particularly around the pipes that lead into the pool. On the north side of the chamber, a platform raised five feet off the ground contains a metallic console overlooking the pool.

Egric went invisible to the machine then the council on the north side of the room. Crow went to the west side of the room. Sivath was on the east side. The others came in behind them, and then the squid attacked Crow. They fought it with mostly ranged weapons accept Katlin, Sivath fire balled it twice, and then Riris slumbered it. Crow gave a rope to Ivar and Katlin and went after the squid. As soon as he did he took a nasty shock, he thrashed in the water’s electricity with his teeth chattering, and Katlin and Ivar pulled him out. Ouch said Crow, and Eliera healed him. Eliera had taxed her healing abilities and decided to use her wand instead. Everyone needed some healing. Crow gave safety ropes to Eliera and Ivar. Crow cast his snag-net at the squid creature, and managed to snag the giant beast with his net. He pulled up and found himself going down below the waterline. He took more damage from the electricity, and Katlin was able to pull him out.

After studying the machines panel, Eigric started flipping the switches. Then the beast came up again from the depts., this time they were ready for it, and Katlin damaged it, in a spout of blue ink it went below.

Egric played a while with the buttons, finally after taking a few blasts, Egric turned off the sparks but after several round the sparks came back. They did that several times, and timed the onn/off timing, and Crow went below, stabbed the creature in the eye, and grabbed its tentacle. Katlin, Crow and Ivar pulled it up, and Katlin killed the Squid. Calamari Crow exclaimed!

They played with the circuit bored to tears, as Egric dodged electrical bolts. Then he managed to turn it off, and they opened the door, and Egric proceeded down the hallway. He peered at the air mephit, and rushed through the circuit. He dodged the energy arc, as he came he found himself behind the little defenseless creature. He mechanically and without emotion slew the defenseless creature without even a by your leave. He hit the red button, and found he had to dodge another bolt, and then he clicked the green button and the buzzing stopped. They found a mithral breastplate +1, frost kama +1 and a heavy steel shield +1, and a few other items.

Then Egric suggested that they try their luck at the alchemy area. They mixed Yellow Liquid and Red Powder, the brew rippled, then suddenly changed to show a brief glimpse of a darkened landscape covered with sharp-edged mountains that bite at a starless sky before distending and congealing into the gaunt shape of an ooze-covered babau demon, called against its will from its home plane. The demon immediately attacked Egric. Eliera yelled die demon spawn, as a light ray merges from her hands. It screamed and tried to get away, but its spell fizzled, and Egric killed it.

Then they mix Red Liquid and Yellow Powder, and Egric submerges his sword into it, nothing happens. Then he submerges his mask, and it turns to gold. Then they put copper pieces and nails into the liquid that they re-mixed and the items turn to gold. The final mixture they mix Yellow Liquid and Blue Powder, Egric licks the new liquid and feels better. After Crow drank a dose and felt much better, Egric put the rest into his empty water flask.

Meanwhile Crow sneaked a peak down the north hall. [To Be Continued….].

[dellanx]

Session 65:

The party moved into the hallway and went east. Egric opened a door and they saw: a rectangular room is bare save for a ten foot- wide chasm at the southern end, which drops down twenty feet into a roaring fire, beyond it, a large cauldron filled with glowing molten stone bubbles softly. The air in the room is stiflingly hot.

Egric, Katlin, Ivar and Crow went into the room. Egric took a running jump, and landed near the cauldron. He started taking damage from the heat. As the big lava balls near the cauldron started hitting around him, the door slammed down. Katling, Ivar and Crow tried to open the door, while Egric got hit by a lava ball. On the other side of the door Sivath, Riris and Eliera tried to open the door also.

Egric jumped back, exhausted from the heat, but went to work on opening the door. Meanwhile Riris was knocking on the door yelling “Open Up! Opwn Up!”, and it opened. Reris said “I did it!”. Ivar looked at Egric, and said “Thanks!” in a subdued tone. They went north and Egric found a dead end with a bunch of rubble, with no end in sight. Egric opened the double door to the east, after checking it for traps.

What he saw in the room confused him. This large, open room is fifteen feet tall and covered in square stone tiles five feet to a side. Set into these tiles on the floor and ceiling is a forest of standing metallic spikes and nails, some nearly a foot long. Opposite the two sets of double doors leading into this room is an alcove. Within are ornate stone lintels set into the floor, framing the mouth of a steep shaft filled with stairs. He walked in and stepped on a pleasure plate, he flew up and down, sometimes hitting spikes and sometimes not. A electrical creature attacked him, so Egric decided to leave the room.

They went west, and found a door to the north. Egric opened the door and they found: an oddly shaped room is packed with bookshelves, arranged both along the wall and in a freestanding island in the room's center. Each is crammed to bursting with tomes, scrolls, and loose papers. On the floor, several books and charts lie open, their leaves in disarray and covered in handwritten notes. They studied the books, and Riris said, hey look, I think I understand. She told the group the following:
Long ago, the region known today as Varisia was part of a single great empire called Thassilon. Seven wizards wielding almost godlike power ruled this empire, and indeed many of their vassals worshiped them as deities. Each of the wizard-kings styled himself after one of the seven different Virtues of Rule: wealth, fertility, honest pride, abundance, eager striving, righteous anger, and well-deserved rest. Yet disputes between the seven rulers, dubbed Runelords for the powerful sigils used in their spellcasting, were common. Rather than wage war on each other, conflicts were settled via champions wielding magic blades, each tied to one of the seven virtues.
Over time, the power and decadence of Thassilon's expansion corrupted its rulers, and the seven virtues became twisted mockeries of themselves-fertility became lust, abundance turned to gluttony, and so on. When a mysterious, cataclysmic event finally brought the empire to ruin, the swords and their creators disappeared. At present, most of those living in Varisia have forgotten all about the empire of Thassilon, looking on the immense monuments peppering their landscape with ignorant awe. The lessons of the past live on, though, in parents who instruct their children about the dangers of the seven deadly sins.
Recently, however, a power-hungry enchantress named Tirana has begun unearthing and gathering together the lost swords of the Runelords, blatantly stealing them from vaults where wiser minds concealed them. If allowed to proceed unchecked, this usurper could soon wield a power second only to the ancient Thassilonians them elves.
They found some books, which they put into the portable hole. They rested and rememorized spells, they decided to get ready for their visitor, but Riris and Eliera needed to rest. The attack happened swiftly. When it was over, Egric, Katlin and Crow were exhausted.

Katlin cast lesser restoration, and Egric, Katlin and Crow felt rested. They went back to the room with the spikes, and Egric entered it, and tried to disable traps. Ever so slowly, and while under the attack of the invisible electrical creature, they were slowly overcame it, once Sivath cast glitterdust. Egric cleared the preasure plate traps, that drove him bunkers, and they entered the next level.

The stairs here lead down through a steep, straight shaft eight feet high and barely wide enough to contain the stairway. The sides and ceiling of the tunnel are bricked with white masonry that matches the steps, giving the overall impression of walking through the inside of an enormous bone. At the bottom, the passage opens up and freestanding stairs descend the final ten feet from the ceiling to the floor. To the south and west run straight passages of the same gleaming stone.

They found double doors to the south, and Egric cleared it for traps and entered. A large, gleaming steel apparatus takes up the southern half of this room. All over its surface, tubes and cords emerge from sections of the machine's chassis, only to plunge back into valves elsewhere, and a pair of levers and numberless gauges festoon its metallic bulk. To the west, a spigot protrudes over a rack of empty glass beakers and flasks. In the center of the machine is a large recessed door several feet off the ground, above which glows a small amber light.
They tried to figure out what the machine did, but were not successful. They left the room, and traveled southe to the next set of doors. Egric listened at the door, and thought he heard snoring. He told the group and opened the door very stealthily. He saw an odd seen in this room.

This immaculately clean room is set up like an operating theater. Near the west wall, a freestanding steel table with an inch-high lip around the rim contains the splayed and mutilated body of a dog-headed man, his skin flayed in long flaps and held open by metal hooks and clamps to reveal the organs within. Along the other walls, tables hold trays of gleaming knives and strange, barbed utensils. The room stinks of chemicals and blood. Egric snuck into the room and attacked the men looking in his direction.

A fight started, the man while hurt, cast a spell, that panicked Egric, Katlin and Riris. While the three effected heroes dropped their items and ran, Ivar and Crow joined the fight. Sivath and Eliera also attacked it. Ivar felt fine, after his armor glowed. Then the mad doctor touched Ivar and used some dark necromancy on Ivar. But the good doctor could not stand up to their combined force of the heroes facing him; they slew him and his little familiar too. They found a stone and a spell book on the good doctor’s corpse. Riris got both, she put the Scarlet and Blue Sphere Ioun Stone on and was very happy with the result.

Riris said “I know engineering!” She went into the room with the machine next door, played with it and said it is some kind of a juicer, lets put the good doctor’s body inside. Look at this, she put a glass bottle under heath the spigot and they weighted. An hour later a clear liquid poured in to the potion bottle. Riris looked at the vial and said this is a Potion of Cure Serous Wounds [To Be Continued….].

[dellanx]

Session 66:

Calistral 29, the group leave the familiar of the good doctor in the juicer, and open the door to the south in the doctor’s laboratory. The stench in this hallway is horrendous. Two rows of steel cages line the center aisle, their bars thick steel lattices that glow softly in the half-light. Inside each cell languishes a different monstrosity, slumped carelessly in piles of straw or its own filth.

In Cell 1 they find a Huldra, at first Egric thought she was human, but she had a foxes tail, red hair and blue eyes. In Cell 2 there was a Cerynitis, a maiden with golden antlers like a stag and hooves of bronze. Cell had an Encantado, a fey with leathery wings, long fingers and pointed shoes. Cell 4 had a Tulpa, a naked blue creature with white hair, as if made of fluid. Cell 6 had a Witchcrow, a part crow and part man beast. Finally, Cell 8 had an Uraeus, a snake like creature of golden scales, red torso, black head and eyes, and green jade neck hood. The creatures stayed put, even after freed from their cells. Before they were healed they just wanted to die, now they curled up on the straw of their cells.

At the east end of this room, Egric checked out the door. It was not trapped, he opened the door and stepped in on the green carpet of plants, OUCH, that hurt. Hundreds of planters and flowerpots in stacks and rows dominate this room, obviously once carefully organized but long since overgrown and neglected. Thick mats of thorny green vines climb the walls and ceiling, and a carpet of moss and roots covers the floor. A fountain on the east wall is carved to resemble an owl's head belching a stream of glowing blue water into a basin, and a squared ring of trenching filled with the same water dominates the center of the floor. Both are choked with lilies and other, less identifiable plant matter.

Egric came out of the room, and Sivath attempted to burn the “sharp grass” with burning hands,.flaming sphere, and fireball. After the first two spells the grass blades grew back. Meanwhile a shambling mound attacked the party. He eventually grabbed Crow, and tried to pull him into the acid below. They killed the mound and Sivath saw a box in the water. Sivath levitated it out of the pool of estr, and they pushed it into the next room. Egric opened the box, inside they found a pair of gauntlets of Ogre Power.

The outer walls of this room-within-a-room are smooth and featureless. In the center sits a second, smaller structure: a massive block of stone that rises nearly to the ceiling. Across its sides flow horizontal bands containing thousands of miniscule engravings, reproduced larger on the two sets of bronze double doors that lead into the stone block from the east and west. Egric opened the doors to the next room. Inside the smaller room is darkness, interrupted only by a faintly glowing sarcophagus apparently constructed entirely out of gold. Runes like those on the outer doors cover its surface, but these appear to skitter and dance across it.

Egric spotted runes on the sarcophagus, and called Sivath to assist him. Sivath and Egric studied the runes and Egric popped the lid on the sarcophagus. And Ivar in the next room ran the other way after dropping his sword and moving away from the mummy he saw. After a short but brutal fight they killed him. Buried among the flood of beetles are a deep blue sapphire worth 1,000 gp, a gem-encrusted crook worth 750 gp, and a golembane scarab. The sarcophagus itself is worth 10,000 gp for its gold alone, but removing a half-ton box from the complex is no easy task. Fortunately they had a portable-hole.

They moved back to the Good Doctor’s Laboratory, and made camp. Crow, Ivar and Riris took the first watch. The doors parted and they were under attack from three. Sivath, Katlin, Eliera, and egric found themselves on a cool winter nigh attacked by a Hag. She kept cackling and wanting to meet Riris. Hopefully for dinner, she cackled. After more fighting they defeated the hag, as the hag said “This is ONLY a Dream!

[dellanx]

Session 67:
The group questioned their prisoner, while they juiced the first dead mercenary in the instamatic juicer machine, as Crow called it. Ivar got all intimidating and trough his height around, and the man decided to cooperate. He told them that he was hired by Terana’s familiar who was invisible, to come here and kill them. That is all he knows, so Crow not feeling any remorse from the mercenary ran him through with his blade in the name of Sarenrae, The Dawnflower.

The took a rest, while the watch continued juicing the remains of their enemies. They got three more potions of Cure Serious Wounds for their trouble. They woke, ate of their trail rations and proceeded north and then west. Egric found a door that lead to a room, which he entered. He saw the portals on either side of this room are filled with a roaring wind that seems to come from the stones themselves, blowing from north to south through small antechambers. Inside the room itself, two large cylindrical glass tanks stand with conduits running into the ceiling, one filled with swirling orange liquid, the other empty and shattered partway up its face. Several tables and bookshelves stand along the walls.

Egric then craw came into the room. Egric was invisible, and crow not so much. Crow was attacked by a swirling swarm and bitten, then the swarm disappeared. Shortly after that a man with a sick pallor attacks Crow. Others come into the room, and the fight starts in earnest. The man that looks like a Splitstreet thug, seems to be invornable to their weapon attacks. Between Sivath’s spells and Riris force swords, they manage to kill it, but not before the creature hurts Egric quite a bit. Crow runs to Eliera and hieratically begs to be cured of his granular infection. Elier cures Crow, and they search the room They find a +3 mithral agile breastplate, Boots of Elvenkind, Potion (Cat's Grace), Potion (Cure Moderate Wounds), and Silver Rapier +1. They divided the loot, Ivar has the cleric cast Remove Curse, and gladly removes his Plate Mail and puts on the new breastplate.

They move into the next room to the east. This chamber is dominated by a large pool of crystal-clear water in an ornate stone cistern. Egric checks the room for traps, and then finds a keyhole. He manages to pick the lock, and a watery pseudopod rises from the pool of water. Egric sticks his head in and thinks of the Queen Ileosa Arabasti, and gets thrown across the room from the pool. Then Crow thinks of Lady Arkona, and he sees her lying with Aranea Devina in bed naked. Crow wishes he was home. Eiris gets a glimpse at her mother, before mom says, don’t do that. Then Egric looks in on Terana, and finds her in a ritual over a pentagram of candles.

With a new sense of urgency they headed south west to a body of water. The steady sound of gently flowing water fills this massive underground chamber. In the center of the cavern, a large pool of dark water separates dry shelves of rock to the east and west, with a rotting wooden bridge leading from the eastern shore to a small rocky outcropping jutting from the pool's surface. To the north, a wooden rowboat bobs slowly within arm's reach of the eastern shelf Egric sent his Owl to scout in the darkness, and it disappeared into the gloom.

Egric shrugged, and proceeded south west into a room. This large cavern is hewn directly from the natural brown rock, its stone floor rough. Above, its ceiling climbs in steps like a ziggurat, angling up to a twenty-foot-high apex. Throughout the chamber, dozens of slender, age-blackened longswords fall from narrow slits in the ceiling, only to be reclaimed by a similar slot in the floor, immediately appearing again at the top. The sound of steel hissing against stone fills the room. A Creature was at the far end of the room. It was not willing to negotiate or retreat. Their weapons could not harm it. Sivath’s spells and Riris magic seemed to do the trick, as the vampire fell; it swirled into the gas and journeyed out of the room. In their excitement they did not realize where he went. They found one magical looking sword. They all needed healing, Eliera observed [To be .Continued....].

[dellanx]

Session 68:
The party realized that the vampire went gaseous and warmed away into some hole below the ground. They found a magic bastard sword, and proceeded toward the boat where Egric’s Owl was eaten by something in the water. The steady sound of gently flowing water fills this massive underground chamber. In the center of the cavern, a large pool of dark water separates dry shelves of rock to the east and west, with a rotting wooden bridge leading from the eastern shore to a small rocky outcropping jutting from the pool's surface. To the north, a wooden rowboat bobs slowly within arm's reach of the eastern shelf
Egric moved to the bridge and the rock beyond it. He found some flat rocks, and just shook his head. Crow saw the same rocks and decided to skip them on the water. Then the party got into the boat, all except Riris and Ruhiel. They stroked across the water smoothly, and then the boat was pushed by a Large Water Elemental, and Crow, Egric, Eliera, Sivath and Ivar wound up in the water. Crow and Ivar had a very bad feeling and they began to flee from a dreadful Black Dragon. Crow began to swim easily, while others attempted to swim and succeeded, Eliera started to sink. If not for Crow, she would have drowned. The dragon used its acid breath, while the water elemental began to spin and churn the water.
The group made it to shore and began fighting the water elemental, while Sivath cast the stinking cloud spell. The drogon started coughing and puking, and it flew west out of sight. The group focused its fire power on the water elemental. Riris used her enervation spells effectively against the water creature, and haxed it, over and over, again. The water elemental tried to withdraw, but with the stinking cloud to the right of it had nowhere to go, so it died after Crow and “Jumping Ivar” got to it.
Sivath sent a silent image of the stinking cloud toward the dragon. It is then that Crow took off like a dolphin toward the black dragon. The rest of the group had no choice, they had to get into the boat once again and row for the opposite shore. How bad could one dragon be?
Crow got there first, he began to fight the dragon, one on one. The dragon roared at Crow “ليس التسليم هو ديجورنو”, and Sivath and Riris heard “Thanks for delivering a tasty treat to me o foolish elf.” Buffeted with its bite, claws, wings and tail Crow tried to penetrate the Dragon’s defenses. Even though Crow was very hurt by the black dragon, he was able to cut off the dragons Right claw with a deft stoke of his longsword. Meanwhile the party kept rowing across the underground lake in the boat. Ivar jumped across the water, and charged at the dragon, his attack missed however.
The dragon caught the group in its breath weapon, and almost slew Ruhiel. If not for Riris the loyal familiar would have died for sure. Not long after that Katlin joined the fight, and Sivath cast glitterdust. The spell worked and the dragon was blinded. Even though the dragon felt Egric was invisible, and the dragon was blinded by Sivath’s spell, the black dragon attacked Egric, but missed. Egric responded in kind, and the dragon flew toward the water and safety, while the group’s arrows mercilessly hounded it.
The dragon roared “سوف تموت بسبب هذه الإهانة”, and Sivath and Riris understood that it meant سوف تموت بسبب هذه الإهانة”; “You shall die for your insolence”. While Ruhiel tried to cats evil eye, and Sivath cast call lightning, which was mostly ineffective. The dragon flew toward Riris, and grabbed her, and plummeted into the water. It had Riris in a death grip, while Crow, Ivar and Egric attacked the dragon. Before Riris ran out of breath, the repeated blows of the allies killed the huge magical creature.
When it died, it reflexively let go of Riris, it mouthed “حرية” which Sivath understood to be “Freedom”. Crow and Ivar saw a longsword on the bottom. He got it, and went back searching for more loot. Crow found more gold and platinum [To Be Continued….].

[dellanx]

Session 69:

Crow swam toward the slave dragon, and tied a rope around him. They then pulled it into the shore and skinned it. Sivath cast prestidigitation, before they place the skin into the portable hole. The group decided not to rest in the dragon’s room with the big lake.

Egric checked out the next room. The rough stone floor of this room is bisected by a ten-foot-wide channel barely containing a torrent of dark, fetid water that ripples with oily colors and occasionally emits tiny sparks. At the western end of the channel, a waterfall plunges from a hole in the ceiling, filling the channel before rushing out through a dark opening in the western wall. The room is thick with mist, and a thin sheen of pale fungus coats every surface.

After checking the room out, he turned invisible and moved into the room. He saw a river running through it, a dark river. He had a rope tied to him, while he tried to jump. He failed to reach the other side and fell in the fast moving water. Two Chuuls attacked him. Egruc and the group tried to extricate him out of the water, but the Chuuls kept attacking him. One of the beasts goy its tentacles around Egric, while Riris slumbered the other and it sank. Riris slumbered the other one, and Egric would have sunk below with it if not for Ivar. Crow and Katlin jumped into the water and killed the Chuuls.
Eliera the cleric healed up the group and and cast restoration spells on the swimming enthusiasts, because they constitution. After casting the spells she had, Eliera decided that she needs to rest to do the restorations on Egric and Crow. After resting the group woke up fatigued and/or fatigued.

Eliera had to restore the group to full capacity, then they opened the door to the south, after Egric checked out the next room. The door here opens into empty space within an enormous cylinder twenty-five feet across. Narrow stone blocks float magically in the tube's center, unconnected and unsupported, creating a spiral staircase to the floor sixty feet below. He went all the way down and came back up under the effect of Invisibility. I did not see anything.

It started when they came half way down, Katlin and Ivar were attacked by some air force. They were eventually pushed down. Some of them were on the stairs, while the tanks were below, and something was attacking them from above. They moved down, Ivar tried to open the door below, a wall of fire sprung up, which Egric eventually disabled, and the door slammed shut again. Sivath was casting evocation spells at the Invisible stalker that Riris spotted, while Riris the witch was tanking it.

They were trying to open the double doors by any means, but finally Egric opened the door with his rogue skills.

They moved into the next room and Sivath cast glitter dust on it, and they saw a wall of flame. They started taking fire damage from the heat, and the fight migrated here. The invisible stalker entered the room, and after a while the invisible stalker was killed.

About same time Crow the first to cross a wall of fire and encountered a fire elemental. Ivar, Egric and Katlin joined him.

Sivath cast Haste. Riris researched the lever, and decided pulling them was a good thing. She informed Egric, and he informed the party. A second one was killed, Sivath pulled the 3rd lever, and the group focused their might on the last remaining fire elemental, and it died without a purpose, at least that is what Crow thought as he made flipper imitations. They found a ring of the ram, that they put in a portable hole [To be Continued….].

[dellanx]

Session 70:

Egric checked for traps, and moved into the next room. This plain stone room is unremarkable save for a dark rectangular pit that occupies the center of its tiled floor. A thick metal grating coated with a thin veneer of rust covers the top of the shaft, leaving only a few inches between each bar. Crow followed him, they looked carefully through the room, and then they heard a “swoosh”, and several blobs popped into the room. Crow must have stepped on an electrical plate, because the shock hurt. Riris cast a lightning bolt, and instead of dying the blobs split, into four. Egric figured out that these were Ochre Jellies. In fact splitting them made the easier ti fight, they soon killed the disgusting creature.

Egric tried to clear the room of electrical plates, but Sivath still stepped on a pleasure trap, which sprung an electrical trap. Ouch said Sivath, I thought “You said these is clear?” Yes, said Egric, I thought it was.

Egric checked out the door to the East, nothing, nothing at all. A dark, roiling mass of blood-red clouds and a barren landscape of bone-colored, sun-scorched earth can be seen through the flat portal dominating the center of this room. A maelstrom of wind and dirt spins rapidly around the edges and sends a choking cloud of dust continually spiraling upward about the chamber. In the four corners stand statues of strange, forearmed humanoids bearing bladed weapons and covered in bony spikes. Egric and Crow walked into the room, not much, and then a sonic blast hit them. While the casters stayed outside the room and tried to cast spells that were not working. Ivar and Katlin attacked the Xill. This fight lasted a while, when it was over both creatures were dead, but bit before they did more damage.

Egric checked for trapes at eastern, finding none he opened the door. They saw two Bralani which did not wish the PC to enter the room. Finally the party member decided to come back later.
Egric checked for traps at western doorway, finding nothing. They took a second look, and beyond the door's arch, a yawning crack in the stone floor slices a jagged scar across the chamber's stone floor. Acrid yellow smoke billows from the depths of that strange abyss, while tongues of black flame flicker from the edge of the crevasse. Across the chamber, against the west wall, two steep staircases extend to the edges of a large stone balcony. On the stairs and balcony, a half-dozen black-robed cultists stand with arms raised to the heavens, chanting a monotonous litany of profane pronouncements. Each casts furtive glances in the direction of the yellow smoke, where an unusual winged shadow begins to take form.

The smoke solidified, and a bird like creature attacked Egric. It seemed very tough, but Sivath observed it, and targeted the cultists on the stairway and balcony ahead. Sivath targeted them, and cast Stinking Cloud. It worked; the cultists stopped chanting, and tried to head down stairs. The demon was killed.
As the cultists, left the stairway, they still puked at the characters, but soon their misery was over. After a while the group finished then off. They found an amulet and a agile breastplate, which was nice, but neither Ivar nor Crow wanted to wear it [To Be Continued….].