Seeking the Spire
Setup
After dealing with havoc of chasing down The Redhead and The Bard back to our home, we find that Ivan has appeared and wants us to follow him back home to boss, aka Nikolai.
After dealing with Nasar's first Full Moon after the werewolf bite, the gang heads up to the mine. The next day we go in and find that Nikolai has gone down in the cage and asked for something. After he comes to, we find out that there is a Quest he has undertaken for his Lady. Millain goes back to get approval from Lady Naomi for us to join the quest, and soon we're on our way.
XP: 200 each
I'm going to shorten this up for a bit, but it needs fleshing out.
Session 2
Nasar gets hurt the next moon due to a silver shackle. We meet up with Faran. We go to the capitol? of Grendalli and meet up with Jane who cures Nasar of the curse of Lycanthropy. She gives us a teleportation beacon for us to place on the site of the quest after we are done.
XP: 300 each
Session 3
We head on, joining a food caravan, and head to the last big city before The Keep, staying there to pickup some winter clothes and supplies before heading on. Dera makes some items cold-resistant.
XP: 250 each
Session 4 - Wed October 11, 2006
AFK 356, Winter's onslaught
Galen, TJ, Keith (&Cara N Taryn), Ian
Laran caught up her timeline by digging up some pillow-talk about the local town and the Orclands, very successfully. This resulted in full knowledge of the info listed under the Orclands, a copy of the Asgrim map with the towns (past and present) listed, and suggested lodgings in each existing city.
The party travelled to Dallford where they stayed 3 nights to acclimatize to the very high altitude. The PCs then tried to locate "Endure Elements" items for their horses, now that the weather had turned bad (not blizzards, but still serious winter storms). Der(a) located a 'comfort blanket' through the local Kord worshippers for 2000gp or so. Laran located 6 'comfort bridles' from a caravan that had just arrived from the Orclands and didn't expect to need them again for almost 2 years. She exchanged comforts with the leader of the caravan and the party had fully outfitted horses the next day (don't ask).
The party then travelled to The Keep, caught up with old friends, got a better idea of what lay ahead, and travelled back to Dallford to get the wagon(s?) converted into sleds.
Session ended.
XP: 250 each
Session 5 - Wed October 18, 2006
AFK 356, Winter's onslaught
Galen, TJ, Keith (&Cara N Taryn), Ian, Derek, Jethelo
- Sort out new PCs.
- Venture into the Orclands.
Groups rough plan is to head out to the first fork in the road (about 1 week), that leads to the lesser used road that passes through the lost city (about 1 week), then, depending on conditions, head overland(2-4 weeks?), possibly partway along the road to Murt's Haven until we find the valley that leads to the location we are after... Nasar is assuming that we will use Murt's Haven as an emergency stop if we get too badly hurt etc. While the Wagon is being converted to runners, we'll probably spend some time gathering more information about that section of the Orclands that we will be travelling through, in particular from Belfic and Agatha, plus anyone else that might know. We should likely get more information about the lost city, in particular what kind of problems they ran into while there. Nasar will lay in a large supply of paper and pens in order to map out, and take notes about the area while there.
We should also do some strategizing as to how best to defend ourselves given the current makeup of our party... and stock up on what we need to survive, both in provisions and arms, as we're looking at a long time till we get back to civilization!
Travel Plan(rough):
1 wk - To the Fork in the Road
1 wk - To the Lost city (what is the name of this one?)
1.5 wk - To get to the valley leading up to the site.
1 wk - To go up the valley to the site
1-2+ wk - On site searching for the sword
Possible side trip to the Spire itself:
1 wk - To get to the Spire from the site
1-2+ wk - Searching and exploring the Spire
1 wk - Returning to site.
Travel back to the Keep:
1 wk - To go down the valley from the site
1.5 wk - To go from the valley mouth to the lost city.
1 wk - From the Lost city (what is the name of this one?) to the fork in the road
1 wk - From the Fork in the road to the Keep.
Minimum return trip time (assuming only 2 weeks on site and directly returning):
11 weeks ie. three months.
Max return trip time(including the trip to the Spire and 3 weeks searching at each location):
9+2+6 = 17 weeks ie. 4+ months.
So get what you/we need.. now!
And don't forget to pray at the altar of Fharlangh!!
Nasar is beginning to speculate that the white dragons may have been the descendants of the Ancient_White_Dragon, and wonders how many of them might still be around?
What actually Happened...
Gee, Lots...
Dera has decided to stay at the Keep, and we've met Flicker and Zurahnia.
Nasar tried a deep meditation to see what he could get about White Dragons, and got plenty. He also knows that he has a Red Dragon ancestor, although he's a little confused about that... Nasar got some crampons to walk on the ice.
We managed to find the folks who were out where we wanted to go and got some good map updates, apparently there are lots of sinkholes due to the changing water flows... And that Fakrihj is the name of the destroyed city that we will be passing through. As well that there are lots of Orcs still active in the area.
Nasar then decided that it would likely be better to try to acquire the Polymorph spell on this side of the pass... and things got interesting...
XP: 300 each
Session 6 - Wed October 25, 2006
Nikolai commanded the Red Dragon to "bring Nasar back", and then as the Red Dragon form melted/dissolved into Nasars now nude form a glowing cloud peeled off from his body and moved through the wall into the next room and apparently out the window. Nasar slumped to the floor and then got up shaking his head.. Others headed next door to track the cloud... Nikolai proceeded to question Nasar in order to verify his identity, and was eventually satisfied and lowered the wand.
Nasar found some clothes and then everyone headed eventually down to the common room. Nikolai commanded Ivan to keep an eye on Nasar. Others? noted that Nasar passed a note to one of the barmaids. Flicker and Zurihana proceeded to show off their talents with blades. Nasar headed out of the common room, trailed by Nikolai. A ways out through the snow tunnel, Nasar slowed and stopped, looked around and then asked Nikolai how they got here...
Nikolai and Nasar headed to the healers to deal with the blast, and chatted lots about what had happened. Nasar thought Nikolai had lost his mind when he kept asking about the Red Dragon. In particular Nasar found it really wierd as Deton and Lady Tedighlidaer had called him family, but they were of Silver Dragon ancestry.. But through the discussion Nasar remembered some strange dreams, and part of the meditation that got him such good information about the White Dragons in which he breathed fire at them, and some where he breathed ice...
Nasar did get the Polymorph spell from the adventure at least, but is going to be cautious about the kinds of questions he asks in meditation... He has written up letters describing what has gone on and is sending them via different paths to Lady Tedighlidaer and Deton with details as to where he is going...
The next day Nasar thanked Nikolai for everything and glad that things did not turn out as bad as they could have. He has informed Gwear what happened and given Nikolai her instructions to subdue, restrain or potentially use lethal force should the Red Dragon come through again. Nikolai has come up with some passwords that will *not* be written down, in the hope that they can be used to verify Nasar is actually Nasar... Nasar did some research up at The Keep, and found out that he is not the first one to have experienced what he is going through, and that it is sometimes called the Echo of the Ancestors.
Otherwise while waiting for the wagons to be retrofitted with runners, we got some good information about the Orc tribes in the Orclands and what to watch out for in terms of some of their strategies and signals.
Once the wagons were retrofitted, we headed through the pass, although you could say that we were blown through the pass, in much less time than we had expected, due to the storm. We found a fairly defendable spot to bed down for the night, and posted watches of 3 people at a time in overlapping shifts. The first part of the night went by uneventfully, but then someone spotted something moving our way... and for what happened we'll have to wait till the next time...
XP: 450 each
Session 7 - Wed November 1, 2006
We get to find out what wanders along in the storm. Hopefully it's just Millain coming to join us... but if not...
Unfornately it wasn't Millain... but a pair of Winter Wolves. They blasted us with cold, and then Flicker threw a flare/flash at them, unfortunately blinding Nasar in the process so he was of little help. However his yelling did waken Falan who came out and helped defeat the Winter Wolves, so we eventually killed one and drove away the other.
We headed out the next day, and Millain caught up with us. As we travelled further into the Orclands, we came across a wagon on runners being towed by a bunch of Orcs.
After some investigating, it seems to be that of a Sybandite Noble, with Orcish slaves.
I believe that is where we left off...
XP: 600 each
Session 8 - Wed December 6, 2006
Turns out the wagon was controlled/owned by a Sybandite, and the Orcs were his slaves. We traded info about road conditions. Further on we came across what we first thought were tree's, but were actually the ruins of a set of wagons. We searched those and got a few things.
Travelling further on we spotted a plume of smoke and headed towards it, with Millain flying ahead, then we saw lightning bolts, her signature effect and Gwear pushed the horses hard to get there, while Nasar changed to half-dragon form and flew ahead. Meanwhile Millain found a bunch of Orcs stabbing the possible survivors of another wagon train, so she called lightning down on them, then spotted one running far away. She managed to finally kill him near the rise of a ridge, behind which she spotted a large Orc encampment with about 80-120 or so Orcs.
Unfortunately the sentries heard her victims cries and shot arrows at her. She headed back towards the smoking wagon train, where Nasar,staying in half-dragon form, has landed and is trying to find any living amongst the piles of bodies. Millain is about 5 minutes flight from the wagon train, and the rest of the party is about 20 minutes away on horse and wagon headed this way...
Nasar knows nothing at the moment about the potential Orc horde on its way,(estimated 10-15 minutes behind Millain), neither does the rest of the party...
Guess we'll find out next game...
XP: 450 each
Session 9 - A Crapload of Orcs! - Wed Feb 7th, 2007
(Courtesy of Alex)
Just a fight scene, this time:
The party meets Trona, servant of Ehlonna. Full plate armor, horse, etc. She was told by a Treant(Celfsoo) to join with Millain and her friends and help them on their path, as some significant event was in their future. (Dum dum DUM!). The party seems to accept her story as valid.
The party sees a sea of Orcs going after a bird (Millain). The party prepares. Preparations include moving wagons around to build a defensive position (and hopefully a funnel for the orcs), Nasar turning people into Ogre Mages, and Millain getting a Thoqqua to dig a trench around the encampment.
There are a LOT of orcs. The archers/slingers/ranged spellcasters start picking some off. The bard sings. Nikolai intimidates them and then lays into them. Millain casts a flaming sphere. Otherwise people just get ready, including some spell prep..
The trench trap seems to work partially. 1/3 of the Orcs are in it, 1/3 behind, and 1/3 ahead.
There seem to be some Significant Orcs. A Battle Axe dude that rages and eats shrunken heads (presumably heads of healing, but who knows?). A Flail dude, don't know what he does. A Drummer dude that can do bardlike things (scare people (failed), inspire followers, increase follower movement, etc.?). No word on whether any of the Significant Orcs are in the trench. I think the Battle Axe dude isn't, but could be wrong.
XP: each
Session 10 - Wed Feb 21st, 2007
Continuation of the Battle against a Crapload of Orcs.
This game will likely be decisive in the lives of many of the characters involved, so please make certain you can attend this session!
XP: each
Session 11 - Wed Oct 3rd, 2007
Continuation of the Battle against a Crapload of Orcs.
We're Alive! Or at least most of us are... Sadly 2 of our party have fallen, and 2 more almost did..
Trona got the big fighter(previously) with a spectactular leap and cleave.
Millain got the Shaman/Bard, turned the water wall into a frothy pink shark feast, summoned a hippogriff to intimidate the Orcs.
Ivan sliced the Bards Drum and lured the zombies into the shark feast. And the drum began to wail.
Nasar smoked the Cleric, quite literally with 3 searing lights, and then unpacked the repeating crossbow, which needless to say was also scaled to his new size as an Ogre Mage..
Gwear was almost killed, just a last breath away from death, when Laran healed her back to consciousness, to continue fighting invisibly.
Flicker had been cornered and was starting to be sliced to bits, when Trona did the rearing horse and glowing sword routine that finally helped break their morale.
As they ran we picked off what we could.
Wrapup:
We packed our fallen and the previous fallen onto our wagons.
We piled up the remnants of the wagons into a pile around the big Shaman's drum, which was still wailing in Hobgoblin from the skin, and we determined that the wood part was from a Treant. The skin barely burned away, after forming a humanoid shape in the fire, leaving magical symbols that slowly dissipated.
We will need to get away from the carnage, and go to the Orc's camp and hopefully free the prisoners, and check out their camp for clues as to the wagon party's origins.
XP: ??? each
Session 12 - Wed Oct 27, 2007
We went after the horde's camp and came across a bunch of Half-Orcs and Humans fighting, turns out they were the slaves of the Orchorde, which had basically abandoned camp setting fire to what they could. After some explaining, we managed to pick up some previous slaves, 8 humans and 3 halforcs.
Of note: "Lork" Lorkag - a big halforc that we gave the great axe to. William - a big human whom we gave the dire mace to. Jek - a female human
After piling up the bodies at the edge of the camp and stocking up (with about 2 months provisions) and healing up for the night, we headed out early, thankfully because shortly after we left, something big came under the snow and ate up all the bodies in 3 quick gulps.... Yikes!
After trekking a ways we made camp for the night and Masoud made an interesting discovery while on aerial scouting. A woman on one of the ridges further on was fastened by a length of chain to the ground/ice, and was huddled against her horse next to a nice roaring fire...
XP: 10th lvl = 800; 11th lvl = 720; 12th lvl = 650
Session 13 - Wed Jan 21st, 2008
We decided to head over and check out what was up with the woman, with Millain in Elk form. We made contact and she "Sue" was apparently chained there by giants. We took her back to camp and rested what we could, then headed out the next morning. At some point in the day we realized that a cloud was following us. After some discussion and debate, we wondered if there might be storm giants and so we decided to duck into the tree's in a ravine and setup camp for the night...
This turned out to be an almost fatal decision..
While we were setting up camp, Masoud stayed in the air and noticed that the cloud settled in a valley one or two over and then dissipated. Then later there was a bit of a thump up the ravine in which we were staying. Eventually Millain noticed that the water had stopped flowing under the ice, and then Masoud went up to scout... he found an ice dam filling with water, and then noticed something more as he drew closer. It was big and white and then slammed into the ice dam, breaking it and causing a flood, which started tearing down towards the party's camp. There was a mad rush to get up the hill, while Masoud tried to divert the flood using his sonic blasts, and then found himself being body slammed by a Large White Dragon!
Gwear drove one wagon and Nasar the other while others with sleds scrambled for higher ground. Then the dragon came along and straffed the group with it's icy blast and frightened almost everyone with it's frightfull presence. Eventually it landed, intentionally kicking up a blizzard so we couldn't see, and bellowed "Surrender or Die!". Nasar heard voices within saying" I know how to deal with this, let me!" When we didn't answer it grabbed Gwear and there was an aweful sound and we knew Gwear was dead... This only made Nasar more angry... He polymorphed into a white dragon, now hoping that he could see into the blizzard in order to blast the beast, but found he could see nothing more than his usual self.
Meanwhile Millain and Masoud pulled out the damaged scroll, figuring this might be the time to use it.
Nasar, in smaller white dragon form, flew out of the blizzard, found Millain and Masoud grabbed the scroll and yelled within, "Nice old one, Help Us!" and tried to make way for the nicer ancestor. We find out what happens next month....
XP: 10th lvl = 900; 11th lvl = 810; 12th lvl = 730
Session 14 - Sun Feb 24th, 2008
Gaming at Jethelos. We killed the White Dragon, Nasar was taken over by his nicer ancestor... We went to the dragons lair, showed the giants the dragons head, they rejoiced, we got some loot. The we headed overland to Murt's to recover, along the way there was a massive flood, caused by the absence of the White Dragon. We met up with a caravan along the road and travelled with them.
XP: 10th lvl = 1350; 11th lvl = 1215; 12th lvl = 1095
Session 15 - Wed April 13th, 2008
Started out at Murts Haven, got lots of stuff (including the infamous Augury coin). Met with Murt and bargained our notariety for killing the white dragon into a teleportation to and from the Starfall site as long as we brought along an 'expert scribe' aka a bound imp. Filled in a lot of background on what was going on in the the Orclands.
Watched the Red Dragon. Our flying semi-dragon(Masoud) was skimming the area, invisible, while carrying the (visible) halfling bard...trolling for Remoraz anyone? Bard is reincarnated...again.
Found the bodies we were searching for including several others. They had a large number of magic arms & armour, including the focus of the quest: a holy avenger. Decided to retrieve more than originally requested by digging out multiple bodies for relocation and reburial.
XP: 10th lvl = 800; 11th lvl = 720; 12th lvl = 650
Session 16 - Sat May 10th, 2008
Lava pool started to overflow due to rocking... so we grabbed the bodies from the cemetary and ran. There were members of some cult causing the lava pool overflow while the dragon seemed to be causing it to refill.
Teleported back to Murts Haven, reported to Murt, made a trading contact there. Made our way back by caravan to Grendalli, taking the bodies with us. Back at Caltha'na'b. Lady Naomi and Janar KeepStalwart's wedding in two days, and we're invited. We take 4 weeks to get to Byskezhda to see Lady Nadezhda. Get there and are celebrated, and involved in a political play. We are asked to escort 3 teenagers of noble blood back to Grendalli, and we agree to. We then take a safer but longer route through Nasar's home town, and his family tries to set him up.
XP: 10th lvl = 700; 11th lvl = 630; 12th lvl = 570
Session 17 - Jun 29th, 2008
We head back to Grendalli via Arnora, and get stopped by some troops, We head to Arnora, the City!, with them as they want to have better relationships with Grendalli and Fershaw, ie. more magical weapons. So we agree to at least put them into contact with people in Caltha'na'b. Two guys come with us. We get home fairly safely.
Then we find out that there are more Vampires in town... Thus begins Sneaky Sneaky Vampires
XP: See Sneaky Sneaky Vampires
Back to The Journey.