Month: May 2015

Session 58 – May 27, 2015

The body of the ancient dwarf we found turned out to be some undead creature, whose icy touch was like that of the beast that affected Finklemur. Poor Axel felt its touch and is now much weaker than before, but we killed it. I asked it “Who are you?” and it said “Something deserving of death.”

We found another key on this dwarf, which Axel now has, plus a silver disk and a square card or some strange substance with the Silver Throne constellation on it.

We figured out how to open the doors with green lights on the areas next to the walls. Spiking doors open prevented heating us. We believe that if one delays between the two door sections and does not punch in the right code, they will be damaged by heat, as our armor got quit warm in the short time it took to go from one room to another.

We looked through the windows in the doors off the room we were originally in and noted as much as we could see. In typing in numbers on the pad to the outer door to the “East” it beeped and we attracted nearly a dozen skeletons, so we stopped trying to go that way. All of the skeletons seems to be yelling for death for the end of the punishment for their sins.

Next we tried to go to the room to the North and figured out the number pattern that works is 3827. One must move rapidly to punch in that number to avoid the heat. We found four doors, three with windows and on without. There was one window taking up nearly all the north wall. It opened into a room below with lots of dead that were human sized with passages off to the North, East, and West.

The two doors on the NE and NW rooms showed 6 stone slabs, each with two bodies. They had obviously been experimented on.

The other door with a window showed an L shaped room with a door that is ajar. 

We decided to see what was on the other side of the door without a window and found an ice cold room with bodies that had been hanging on hooks and rotted and fell to the floor and some on a metal cart. These bodies rose up and attacked. In all we “killed” and ogre, elf, orc, 3 kobolds, and 3 humans. Both Thorfus and Brice were knocked unconscious. Uthruk bound Brice, bringing her to consciousness. Brice healed Thorfus, returning him to consciousness. 

We decided to return to the temple and check on our men, and found BETRAYAL!

We found Talon in tears and Pelgax dead! Aris, Recusin, Laurent, and Barmir were unconscious.

Brice told the old cleric of Xen Teler about the Phoenix Egg, which is why they let her come to the temple.They used their magic to freeze two of the men and make off with the chest containing it, an hour and a half before our return. Then an hour ago, our hirelings found our injured comrades being looted by another party of adventurers. They would not return their gear, but left them in their armor. Zelina said she did not know these other adventurers, but would know them if she saw them again. About a half hour before our return, there was an earthquake, which I can only guess was the result of the egg.

I am none too happy with Brice. My thirst for vengeance upon the party who stripped our men, and perhaps attacked them, is only slowed by my own injuries. I commanded my companions and our hirelings to go back to the ancient dwarven rooms we found where we know that we cannot be assaulted by unknown forces. We agreed that we should be safe there until we are all rested and can find out from our unconscious men what happened.

I swear that I will take the heads of all who stripped our men. If the dwarves of Xenilum Khel slew Pelgax, I only hope my uncle was not involved. I know I could never raise my hand against him. I know not if we can even return the way we came. I fear those foolish dwarves attempted to take out the nagas. What have we done?

Finally having found their way into the empty of halls of the lower city of Xen’Khel, the party stops, finding thier path to the temple blocked by a party of dwarves. Knowing that the archaeologists have been lobbying to prevent adventurers entering, especially non-dwarves, we stop to weigh our options. Socrates did a quick fly-by, confirming that it is a research group with armed guards, currently examining a runic inscription on the wall.

One idea is to use Brice, citing we are her escorts down the temple where she can pay her respects, unfortunately, the group includes clerics from Xenilum’Khel, so she decides to hide within the party. A second fly-by reveals them to be talking about recording more inscriptions, following down into the temple, provided they meet with ‘no interlopers’.

We decide to just wing it and walk past, trusting on the dwarves in the party to be able to get us through. Naturally, they stop us, asking if we are there to loot. Axel starts to try and weave a tale of us merely coming to worship and see the temple as dwarves ourselves. The humans are merely our travelling companions, and we have no need of plunder due to our travels elsewhere.

A pair of older looking clerics step forward, and Thorfus recognises his uncle, Elder Brother Dolman. They hug and greet each other, Dolman asking after Thorfus’ mother, and what brings him to Xen’Khel. Thorfus continues the story, to some skepticism, and asks what his uncle is doing, which seems to be inventorying the remaining contents of Xen’Khel. It turns out that they are there as official representatives of the dwarven people, to which Axel and Chuq almost get themselves in trouble refuting.

The other dwarf, Thorri Carrow, Chief Ambassador to Xen’Khel, offers to accompany us down to the temple, and we begrudgingly accept. They ask for our leader, and we point towards Thorfus, much to Dolman’s pride. It’s at this point however, they notice Brice within our ranks, and they instantly take offence at they presence of someone they deem to be a heretic.

This instantly starts a large debate on Brice’s devoutness, potential heresy and religion in general. We don’t seem to make any headway however, the high-ranking clerics in our presence very sure of themselves. They cannot accept that the first person to ever directly speak to Xen’Tellar was a young acolyte, favoured by a rich man, over other dwarves who had devoted thier entire lives to the god’s service. It doesn’t go well, and the two elders stomp off, leaving Dolman to ‘talk sense into his nephew’ and telling us that they will not permit ‘that’, meaning Brice, to enter the temple.

Dolman tries to convince Thorfus of their views a little more, explaining Brice’s history with her order and their reasons for expelling her. Of how a rich merchant was looking to make some grandiose gesture to a temple, talking only to the younger acolytes in his tour of the temples, eventually favouring Brice and gifting her a holy symbol. His name was Silvas, a Silver Throne merchant from Curasor, and it was after this that Brice started hearing Xen’Tellar’s voice. The conversation ends in another stalemate however.

Brice approaches and requests a private audience with Father Thovo, which we allow with some warnings, even making sure Starchy accompanies her. Apparently she has seen some way for them to work through this spat, granted through a vision, whom she needs to relay a message to. After a brief conversation, they return, and Thovo has somehow been convinced to allow Brice through.

In the meantime, Dolman takes the time to hint heavily that Thorfus should write his mother more, using Axel as an unwitting example. He also discusses a bit of ours and Talon’s legends, and the state of Xen’Khel as a livable city.

Eventually, Brice and Thovo return to the group, and we move on towards the temple. The archeaological group take the lead, and we keep our distance some few dozen feet behind them. They stop at the end of the tunnel to examine another inscription, and we pass them by, entering the temple itself. Reading the inscription, we see that the room beyond is referred to as ‘The Hall of The Seat and the Path’.

The temple is a large open room, that is nonetheless oddly plain. Balconies flank the entrance, and a number of doors a set into the walls on either side, leading up to a dias in the centre. Two more doors are behind this, flanking a large arch. Upon the dias is a large, metallic throne, evidently the Silver Throne of this temple. The floor of the dias has a design set into it, made from the same metal, designed to represent The Path. We spend a long time trying to match this design to known astronomical signs, which it does indeed match the constellation, though we lack anything but astrological information on it. We also try to match it to locations, specifically those seen with the mask, but it takes some doing, without reference, though might work with the missing Crystal Tower. We notice the metal, which some enterprising adventurers have at some point tried to dig up, is made of the same material that comprises some of the automata cubes.

In the meantime, Brice prays for answers, but gets nothing but grandiose visions of the god. The dwarven group behind us continue thier exploration, disappearing into one of the side doors, eventually appearing on one of the balconies.

We also try fitting the key into the design, looking around for any other location it might fit, getting a vibrating reaction the closer we get to the throne, but not finding anything else. Thorfus also tries the mask, but outside it looks stormy, and zooming in shows only grey. Belroar gets the idea that Thorfus should sit on the throne, utilising the key like a ship’s wheel. After some more tests, he tries it, and gets a reaction!

The Path lights up, with glowing blue balls lifting out of the depressions to float in mid-air and linking. They link to the throne, and it spins around 180 degrees, one of the arm rests folding open and out, a flat section levelling out above his lap. In the centre of this is a square peg, marked with the letter ‘A’ and an arrow pointing down. Thorfus mounts the key on this, aligning the ‘A’s, and a humming noise permeates the area as the wall between the arch becomes a dark grey colour, crackling with electricity. It seems somewhat mirrored, with dark reflections of the room and our party in it.

Belroar touches it, and gets shocked naturally. Thorfus then twists the key in place, so the ‘D’ is now at the top, and the wall changes. The static leaves, and now we can see a room beyond the arch, smaller and octagonal with several doors and windows, though still blurry. When Belroar touches it with a gorilla hand, it passes through the wall and returns unharmed. Whilst he repeats the trick with a cloak-wrapped hand, Axel tosses a spike through, which lands on the other side. Belroar then walks through entirely, entering the octagonal room as the dwarven party returns and comes up behind us.

The room has four doors, and four windows on the walls between. The arch he passed through is in the centre, and to the side is a pedestal. There is a skeleton at it’s base. Ancient text adorns panels above the doors, and there are lights beside them, three green, one red.

Thorri asks what we are doing, to which Axel replies ‘exploring’ as the clerics push to the front, very curious as to how we acheived this. Unfortunately, we have no answers, and they are confused as the octagonal room is not the catacombs that should be behind the wall.

Axel also passes through at that point, collects his spike, and returns, asking after Finklemur and Brice to translate the text. The dwarves seem to want to stop us going any further, even when we offer for them to accompany us. We take Brice through regardless, as Belroar pops his head back through to call her. All we can tell them that it was pure luck that we found this place, being adventurers after all, it’s our job.

Slowly, one by one, the entire main party of the Starchy Boyz passes through, taking Sturloc and Kottar, but leaving Talon in charge of the cart and other hirelings, tasking him with keeping the portal clear for us.

Thorfus removes the key and gets off of the throne, and after several moments, the edges of the portal begin to grey out, evidently closing. To be sure it’s safe, we check the pedestal, and discover another square spoke, this one marked ‘D’, and think we can get back through just fine.

Finally on the other side, the portal finishes closing, and we explore the new area. Each door has a small, meshed window in it, and a panel to the left with blinking lights, north, east and west are green, and south is red. The signs read in a clockwork fashion; Humanoid Research, Housing and Recreation, Reptilian Research, Analysis and Administration.

We decide to look through arrow slits, starting at the northeast. Each window shows a trapezoid shaped room, with four lockers set into the opposite wall. There is a square section of material of floor in the middle, made of some unidentifiable material. The south-eastern room has rubble all over the floor emanating from the south, and the square section is instead a hole leading into blackness. There are bones in the rubble.

Thorfus then decides to check the pedestal, lining up the key before turning it to A. After the static filled grey, the wall becomes the image of the temple, a number of people setting up camp beyond. We confirm with Talon that everything is still ok, then switch to G. There is a different room beyond, this one a short hallway with a door at the end.

F shows a triangular room, with the portal at the point, with a door on the opposite wall. Finally, C shows a larger room with vine-covered pillars and another door.

We also check the skeleton by the pedestal. It looks to have been a plain robed dwarf, the robes being once white. Axel rolls it over, and we see that there was a gold threaded design on the front, representing helixes. He has several pouches and a necklace, holding a stone disc.

Before we can inspect further, it opens it’s eyes and reaches out to grab Axel.

Session 56 – May 13, 2015 (partially uncomplete, you’ll know when…)

21st of Anureldin, after midnight.

Droart the merchant and Thorfus spend some time getting to know each other. Hoping to work out a deal for the curious mask of sky vision, Thorfus invites Droart to spend the night in our camp. Droart is eager for a hot meal and some company. The conversation first moves into a possible supply for security limited partnership. Droart is eager to move on from Xen’Khel. Thorfus’ entreaties are politely refused. Unfortunately Droart’s counter offers are not in line with the Boys immediate plans. 

The talk then shifts to Droart’s time at Xen’Khel. Good thing Dwarves like talking about themselves like people do. He shared a lot about the last 7 years he spent here. 

We learned of several reputable business owners on the mountain, the veritable pillars of the community if you will: Flipa Grell is the local weapons smith. Ancelm Wardale handles alchemical supplies. Gian is an armorer. The local inn, the Sleeping Colossus is kept by Cvenild Piereson. The Sleeping Colossus is known as the largest in on the mountain. Droart describes what could only be a dormant autonotom in the common room of the Sleeping Colossus. 

With little prompting, Droart then tells of some local gossip. Old Stimmens, a local brewer, recently witness a winged dragon in the sky just the other week. In addition to the elders, Grell Wardale, Gian and Cvelnid, the Sisters help keep things orderly here abouts. The sisters are three mind reading Nagas that occupy the temple on the highest slope of the mountain. The temple is the only know entrance to the caverns of Xen’Khel. Entrance into the caverns is only granted to those that are successfully judged by the Sisters.  

Weary of being judged, Thorfus asks if there is another way into the caverns. Droart explains the Rafters are known to have an alternative route. It is also known that those that use the Rafters’s way don’t necessarily fair better than those that pass judgment. Droart suspects the Rafters roll their customers after leading them into an ambush in nearby caves. The Rafter’s are lead by Tamás Ebor, a man that Droart doesn’t trust or approve of.

Next, Droart mentions the tale of Lady Em, fair damsel enthralled by the Dark King and her liberator Talon, head of the MidMark Militia. Thorfus quickly switches to old Dwarvish (Tolkien or Dwarven??) and warns Droart should stop right there. Talon is notoriously self-aggrandizing. Thorfus valiantly saves Droart from a late night of grandiose gestures and peacock strutting about the camp fire.  

To set the record somewhat straight, Thorfus stresses that Talon is Starchie Boy sell sword, not the commander of the Midmark Militia. He also explains Em is as common as they come and lucky for her, she never was enthralled to the Dark King, whoever that might be… Droart questions Thorfus version of things. Perhaps Thorfus would not be so confused about the details after reading a copy of the story circulating. There should be a copy in the Sleeping Colossus inn.

When asked about the surrounding environs, we learned there are apes that desire men for their own pleasure. These scourges can be found somewhere to the northeast of Xen’Khel. Droart refuses to beleive the Starchie Boys found Balric’s Gem.

It seems the 3 Nagas have held the Temple since the fall of the ancient Dwarven empire. It’s been there habit to open the temple doors every morning to allow supplicants to be judged. The Dwarven archeologists feel indignant their heritage is coopted by the Nagas. They prefer the Nagas be expelled and Xen’Khel a Dwarven demesne only. 

As the conversation fizzles, we organize a watch for the night. Not to waste an opportunity, Belroar spends his watch getting to 

After breakfast the next morning, we leave talon and the mercs guarding our camp, he wants to come with don’t need him to talk to much.

Owen, his group and Droart escort PCs and Fink to Ghermin Guards in front of gate (Metteck) surprised we finally arrived, ushered in, three more guards dicing/gaming. Asks about delay, find anything in fort? about to leave, glad to have us hear. looking for treasure? thorfus has a clue, Desric loans 800 for 1200 back so we can buy the mask. Droart loiters for protection.

No idea how to charge thorfus battery

We are invited to move in the mansion. 

Small group of men approach as we are moving camp to the mansion. “Hey you there, looking for treasure”

Try to sell a map, not impressed with axel’s. Belroar offers to hire owen’s group for 1 gp/week.

Thorfus tries the mask – fly about words – “WEAK LINK” in the sky. “Next available Xen Telar Continue ?” Yes in ancient dwarven. everything goes black, focus above an island not large with dormant volcanoe, settlement near the coast with a fortress to the west. about 200 miles to the south east. fortress is in good shape with a silver thorn flag above. looking for slaves by the excavations – none. Now looking for Alain Grell. within the fortress yards are stockpiles of supplies and dwarves everywhere. Dusty Gnome is scried in the harbor. Trying to move NW from the island – see Next Available Xen Kel Continue, yes in ancient dwarven back to where we are. Looking about Xen Kel for another entrance, scanning advance camp wall and adjoining slopes of the mountain – nothing. Little activity, nothing on the first plateu, across a dangerous bridge, few buildings before the next wall. Open doors beyond the gate, nothing about the naga temple – larger mansion than ours there are dwarves, the archeologist. Looks like an adventuring party rallying about the mansion, then march towards the naga temple.

Checking for more nodes above Xen Kel, only Xen Telar to the E & S

Checking for more nodes above Xen Kel to the S – Zurnost’Khel

Zurnost’Khel to the south Zurilum’Khel

Zurnost’Khel to the west – Weak Link, Xen Telar

Fulbert Charmouth hired by Belroar as a mercenary.

Brice doesn’t want to expose the key to the Nagas

Chuq doesn’t want the Naga’s reading our minds and wants to find a private route.

Thorfus doesn’t trust thieves or any ambush and wants to take the straightest route to keep our combat effectiveness.

Its 8 am, we collect everyone and organize the cart with our gear. Leave the wagon at the mansion and begin the march to the naga temple.

Pass the first wall, we see the first bridge Its’ made of two almost flat stone spans that meet midway across. 2 wagons wide comfortably or three abreast. Pass through the 2nd wall, buildings beyond are less dense and avenues are wider

third wall, men are lingering about the gate of the 3rd wall. six armed men in leather mostly armed with swords. One greets us asking if we want to talk to the nagas.

Tomas is willing to help out if we can’t get through the gates (nagas). Now across the longer 2nd bridge. 

The Temple – pillared and tiered into the mountain peak. Open large double doors. 70 x 40 room raised dais in the center column large chair or throne on the dais ne & se corners 30′ foot statues of dwarven warriors, the far end is definitely in the rock of the mountain.

we are tested, judging our intentions. they can not judge thorfus, brice and chuq. since we did not fail they let us pass with a warning about ancient evils of thorus’ ancestors. beyond them is a 20′ wide slope leading down. 

passage widens to 40′ across as we descend and slightly turns to the right. 200′ and no branches and spiraling down, the radius of the spiral seems to increase as we descend another 500′ spiraling down, 200′ straight then we find the column hall. The hall is 300′ below the temple axel. There is a point of light at the other end of the hall.

Socrates reconnoiters and spies a group of 12 dwarves at the opposite end of the chamber reading ruins on the wall. They are near an exit from the hall that leads to the NE. We entered from the NW.