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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Wednesday 1 March
After surviving an attempt to kill them in Crocker's Bricks and Mortars, the party with Lucius makes their way back to the Indecipherable Scroll. They talk with Mina. Besides maintaining the reptile skin book reading machines, Lucius also does some translations, but he cannot remember what he has been working on. He keeps all his notes in a book back in his apartment. They have no trouble gathering up the book. Sansa notes that it is chaotic evil and they discover that they cannot access all the pages. Mina takes the book and Sansa down to her lab, removes the magic on it, and they note that has notes on fixing and maintaining the machines and translations. He is working on a book called "Operations Manual for the International Data Integration and Control Necromantic Flux Controller and Fabricator, Model 43.b, Modification Series C". This upsets Mina, who describes this book as something that should not be here, originating from something like an alternate universe. Sansa found Mina's lab very strange.
Mina also notes that the masonry factory that they were in is owned by Verlaine who is the brother of Tarmon. This convinces Odhran to take this to the Town Guard.
There is a note from Xort thanking Gerag for his gift and reporting on his progress. He thinks he will locate the the Green Thing in the next day or two. Sansa and Odhran spend the night at the Old Dorm visiting with Avanzo and his girls respectively.
Thursday 2 March
Sansa and Gerag take Lucius to the Temple of Poseidon to try to figure out what might be wrong with him. They tell them that he has been loosing time and been influenced by an evil magic book. Gerag arranges for two of Sister Regina's acolytes to guard Lucius and trains more on the sword.
Odhran and Ekkie go to the Drac's End Town Guard House and get them to look into their attempted murder. They fill out a squad to investigate, Odhran gives them passes to the Old Dorm's opening, and at the factory they speak with the foreman Chaper. He is upset that someone ran the grinder last night and he has a crew cleaning it to make it ready for work today. Also its operator, Lon, has not turned up for work today. Odhran gives Chaper a pass to the Old Dorm opening and he gives the address of the Eastern District flophouse where Lon lives. Chaper is excited to go to a "union meeting" at the Old Dorm. He goes to lots of union meetings. Ekkie notices that there is pile of red bricks like those used to build the lighthouse, the Redblade barracks, and the Alchemy Factory. Odhran has a sample of them confiscated and delivered to the Old Dorm.
They go to Lon's apartment and discover that Lon is a "quiet man", has not paid his rent for March, and disappeared last night. Odhran tries to get the others denizens to find Lon, by offering passes to the Old Dorm.
Gerag talks to Mina about the machine in the book that Lucius is translating. It must require some big necromantic power source. Odhran meets with Avanzo, and the preparations for opening of the Old Dorm tomorrow night are going well.
Sansa buys a nice new dress and and she and Avanzo go to the Salon du Masque. All must wear masks on entering, and they are told that any pleasure they would like can be indulged here. They encounter a woman stoned on Black Lotus, an old man with a glass eye who crudely propositions Sansa, a drunk young man who claims that his faith in a green rock has been shattered when its devotees, who live in a pyramid in the swamp, asked him to kill someone, he propositions Avanzo, and there is a room with a live reading and performance of the sex scenes of the Erotic Love Life of Linden The Bard. Sansa has had enough and they return to the Old Dorm. Avanzo did his best to promote the Old Dorm, and they did not see The Countess.
Friday 3 March
They meet in the morning at the Indecipherable Scroll. Sansa tells them about the Green Thing in a pyramid in the swamp. The others note that this is not terribly helpful as it is a big swamp, but Sansa thinks her Fairey friends can help, and she heads to visit them at the Idol That Walks. Odhran runs about the city drumming up business for the Old Dorm. He invites Candy and the other girls at the Shy Mermaid, Trixie the transvestite bouncer, the Sea Lords, the Achronus, and via Julian the Wizards Guild. Julian notes that whatever went on with the Wizard's Guild seems to have passed, and he wants to be able to leave. Odhran says that is fine. Dottie Danger will play a set with him, but she demands that he act more professionally.
Gerag and Ekkie go to City Hall and comb through the building permits trying to figure out if someone is building a large power source, but they find nothing.
Out at the Idol That Walks Sansa asks the Faireys to look for a sunken pyramid with a magic green rock with humans inside in the swamp. They will do their best. She invites the Fire Faireys to the Old Dorm, most are not interested due to their Water Fairey girlfriends, but some are intrigued. She learns Mirror Image.
Gerag finds that Xort has turned up at the Indecipherable Scroll. He has located the Green Thing and it is in the swamp about a half days boat ride away. Odhran turns up and invites him to the Old Dorm, but he demurs saying that he has much to do.
Gerag trains with Sister Regina.
The grand opening party of the Old Dorm begins. Ekkie is at the door collecting entrance fees and honoring passes. Sansa is there with Avanzo. Gerag the Wise shows up, but soon leaves noting that there is no path to enlightenment here. Odhran is a whirlwind of activity. Ningel the alchemist is there, and participates enthusiastically. Tabios Kenso and some friends from the Temple of Poseidon seem to be having a good time. The shipyard Dwarves show up, but seem turned off by the decadence and leave. The girls from the Shy Mermaid turn up and do well for themselves. Trixie is there and causes some commotion. Two of the Achronus siblings show up. No Sea Lords show up. Bobbin Brandydale of the Last Resort is there and notes that he will steer patrons looking for this sort of entertainment to this establishment.
The band Outshine Thy Own fronted by an impossibly thin dark skinned woman, from the southern continent south of the great desert does an ode to loneliness and alienation "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Dottie Danger and Odhran perform, and it goes well. Then Odhran performs solo. At this point everyone's memories grow hazy, but those who are not Odhran are embarrassed by what little they recall.
Saturday 4 March
Gerag is up early and is surprised to be joined by Odhran at the Scroll. They decide to explore the location revealed by Xort and likely to be Sansa's pyramid. Ekkie is rather hung over, someone brought goblin ale, and she will check with her goblin friends, but turns up nothing. Gerag arranges for a boat. Sansa shows up later after untangling herself from the Old Dorm. The boat will transport them to the location and wait 24 hours for them to return for 200 GP.
The journey through the swamp is uneventful. On the boat Ekkie notices that one of the crew seems out of place. He is a red bearded bald dwarf, wearing heavy armor, and sporting a fine axe. After a conversation with Plaarg she takes the dwarf to meet Gerag. "Gerag, this is Wulfgar, and he is interested in joining our exploration. Plaarg foresees that we may need help." Gerag asks Wulfgar what his experience is, and Wulfgar tells him that he has been on many expeditions into the swamp, and explored many a ruin. Usually they have nothing except beasts, but occasionally there are more frightening things. Gerag challenges him to spar, beats him rather easily, but Wulfgar notes that he is far better with an axe. Sansa looks him over and pronounces no hint of chaos or evil. Odhran sings an old Dwarven battle hymn, and Wulfgar joins in enthusiastically. They decide to have Wulfgar join them for their exploration of the pyramid.
They arrive at the pyramid at the end of the day. They see a patch of White Thistle, which Sansa tells them to avoid. They anchor here for the night setting watches over night.
Sunday 5 March
At dawn they move a bit up river and find a boulder strewn beach. They disembark there and make their way to the pyramid. They head up the steps of the pyramid noting the overgrown gardens along the sides. They get to the top and see what looks like an altar with a brass relief. While inspecting it Gerag leans on it and discovers that it hinges open into a tunnel that leads straight down into the depths of the pyramid.
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Sun Apr 19, 2015 2:43 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Sunday 5 March
Wulfgar drops a rock down the tunnel, hears it hit stone, and figures it is 30-40 feet deep. Gerag climbs down on a rope, but looses his grip, but using his training manages to suffer only light damage from the fall. A sort of big green slug with tentacles and a toothed maw begins stirring, and Gerag quickly climbs back up. He noted two doors leading out of the room at the bottom of the tunnel.
They begin searching the external walls of the pyramid for another way in. On the next level down they find a collapsed section of the wall, and after some effort by the Dwarves and Gerag they clear it. A room beyond has a stone chest and an exit. Gerag goes in, but as he nears the exit he hears a click followed by a grinding sound. He sees a large stone block fall to seal the other exit. They realize that without tools they will not get through the block. Ekkie notes that the lid of the chest is only stuck shut, she opens it, and there is clay tablet that Sansa is able to identify as a magic scroll of Conceal Alignment.
Continuing to explore the exterior they get down to the ground and Wulfgar notes that there is some sort of underground construction going from the pyramid to the river. On the way he has also found five small ivory snake headed statues scattered around the steps of the pyramid. They follow the construction to the river and see a sewer grate draining into the river. Gerag is unable to bend the bars, but the Dwarves succeed. They are in tunnel that is half filled with water and rubble. At the other end is another grate that is bent open and it leads to a room that is half submerged with cobwebs above. They struggle with some giant spiders, one of which bites Sansa leaving her weakened, which they defeat.
They continue down a corridor to room with a collapsed wall and a pool of water. Gerag finds a gold ring in the pool, at the door leading out Odhran notes that Murga's Hammer is vibrating. Gerag opens the door into a fighting arena and they find something that looks like a zombie but with coiled wires for fingers and some metal rods sticking out its back. They do manage to dispatch the horror, which paralyzes Gerag during the fight.
They head up to the gallery above the arena and into some sort of work room. Sansa gathers up jars that are made of semiprecious stones. Continuing to the next room which is divided by a beaded curtain, they find three Students of the Green Thing gathered about the Green Thing. They move to attack quickly dispatching one, but another leaps atop the Green Thing, slicing open his thigh leading to blood dripping on to the Thing. The dead Student is surrounded by a cloud of sparks and rises as an Electrozombie. Sansa uses her Ray of Fire on the Student atop the Thing, he falls and also rises transformed into an Electrozombie. The remaining Student is attacked by Odhran who demands that he swear allegiance to the Golden Succubus, and the Student begs for mercy. Odhran extracts the pledge and tells the badly hurt Student to flee realizing that he could also be killed by the electricity damage being done by the Electrozombies. They manage to dispatch the two Electrozombies, but Wulfgar is briefly paralyzed during the struggle.
Sansa Consecrates the Green Thing, and they realize that it is much lighter than it seems. While it was working to make Electrozombies they could see it glowing from within and some kind of moving mechanism within. They decide to take it back with them.
They are very battered and Sansa casts four heals on herself, Ekkie, Odhran, and Gerag. They try to follow the trail of the fleeing Student, but realizes that it leads to the room with the tentacled horror. They decide not to continue the pursuit and retrace their way back to the boat. On the way Odhran gathers some weapons and shields with snake motifs and Wulfgar gathers up a sack of broken clay table pieces.
They have an uneventful trip back to Marnor on the boat which arrives Sunday just after sunset.
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Sun May 03, 2015 3:09 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Sunday 5 March
Sansa is very tired and she and Gerag return the Indecipherable Scroll. Odhran wants to go out on the town, but no one joins him. Wulfgar heads home via the Dented Helm. Sansa tells Mina that she was bitten by a large spider, Mina gives Sansa something to drink, she feels much better, but still has to sleep. Mina and Gerag talk about Odhran. She wants to find and examine him. Gerag shows her the Green Thing. She notes that it has International Data And Control written on it and she notes that like the book that Lucius was translating, the Green Thing does not belong here. She takes it down to her lab, where she will place it "beyond".
Monday 6 March
Sansa talks with Mina and hears her unhappiness with Odhran. Her pearl jewelry is ready at Pearls by Lugo. She picks it up paying 500 GP for small bracelets and one of her own. The clerk tells her that Roderigo Lugo has returned to the family island.
Gerag notes that he is wearing the gold ring he found and despite his plan to take it to the magic shop to get it IDed he never does. He goes to the Hospital at the Temple of Poseidon and pays for a Cure Serious. He visits Sister Regina, beats her easily in a sparring match, but during sword training she notes that he seems to be regressing. After hearing about his adventure over the weekend she checks him and notes that he has two minor curses on him. She suggests a regimen of meditation and excercise and she will perform and excorcism on Wednesday.
Gerag, Sansa, and Wulfgar talk at the Scroll. Gerag tells Wulfgar the Mina has the Green Thing, who tells them that she would like to destroy it, that might be difficult, and she has put it "beyond". All note that something is breaking down the barriers between the worlds.
Odhran visits Otto and shows him the weapons that he got from the swamp pyramid. Otto tells him that they are valuable as art objects and directs him to Orvis and The Wishful Moon which are two Merchant District art shops.
Sansa and Wulfgar go out to the Idol That Walks. Otto and the Fire Fairies have the gas line up and working at the Idol That Walks. They are very happy, they are still seeing the Water Fairies, no children yet, and some of them enjoyed their trip to the Old Dorm. They are too busy for Sansa to learn a spell, and Otto tells Wulfgar that he can visit the shop in the city later for weapons.
Sansa got to the Old Dorm to talk with Avanzo. He is cool to her, but she threatens him with Mina. He is busy with the Old Dorm, but promises to take her to dinner later this week. Odhran was here earlier, and has a business meeting at Maurice's, the city's finest restaurant in the Merchant District, this evening.
Sansa and Mina have a heart-to-heart about the fickleness of men.
Mina talks with Gerga, Sansa, Wulfgar, and Ekkie. She heard from Dardianna Chroster (aka Mad Donna, aka Dottie Danger) and Outshine Thy Own and suspects that Odhran may be under the influence of something bad. She also tells them that Gerag is likely on to something about a giant necromantic engine as the Green Thing is linked to one.
Sal arrives and talks with Mina. She is clearly not evil and they share their concerns about Odhran. She is worried for the rest of the party as they have been battling things man was not meant to know for the past few months.
Tuesday 7 March
All, not including Odhran, are having breakfast at the Scroll. They agree that they need to find Odhran and get him to Mina. Ekkie will keep an eye on his usual haunts, bars and brothels, Gerag will try to find Dardianna Chroster, Sal will see what is up with Lucius at the Temple of Poseidon, and Sansa will inquire at the Curio Shops, she has books to return, and the Cafe Ilkhan. Wulfgar will go with her.
Gerag tracks down Dardianna at The Black Rose, a fine restaurant in the Merchant District, where she works a day job as a waitress. She last saw Odhran on Friday at the Old Dorm grand opening. She was disturbed at the effect Odhran's new songs had on Ningel the Alchemist and at the Old Dorm. She shared her concerns with Mina and is not going to work with Odhran until he can behave more professionally. She mentions a number of music venues that Odhran may have visited (Cafe Ilkhan (Eastern District), The Bilge Rat (Docks), The Old Whore (Scurveytown), The Old Stage (Eastern District)). She also opines that he lost focus on his music recently. Gerag goes to Maurice's and meets the female halfling maitre d' Portia Gallowgrange. Yes, Odhran was here last night. He met someone in a private room. Gerag tries to bribe her, she is hesitant, and he flashes his badge, which leads her to ask him to leave.
Sansa and Wulfgar go to Argyle McGill's Curio Shop to return her books on demons and school girl pictures. She asks after Odhran, but McGill last saw him last week when he left some flyers for the Old Dorm. McGill did not attent, he has other vices. She asks after something to help run a brothel, and he produces a brown paper package. She rents it for 2 weeks for 10 GP.
There is no sign of Odhran at the Cafe Ilkhan. Wulgar buys a flamboyant outfit. They visit the Idol That Walks and Otto tells them that he did see Odhran yesterday and directed him to shops in the Merchant District. The Fire Fairies are intrigued by the package. Sansa leans Delay Poison.
Sal goes the Great Hospital and finds Lucius out of in the psych ward. The doctor will not let them talk, Sal detects some evil, and demands that Lucius be released to him as his brother. They buy this and the cleric talks with Sal. Lucius is very dangerous and they will only release him if he is taken out of town suggesting that he go to Sal's elven family. Sal seems to agree. Lucius is in no shape to travel today. They will make him ready tomorrow.
Back at the Scroll at the end of the day, Ekkie tells them that there has been no sign of Odhran, but Ningel the Alchemist just went to the Old Dorm. They troop over there to find Ningel. Avanzo tells them that Ningel is working here in the evenings, Sal gets rough, Avanzo says that he never forces his employees, and Gerag pushes in back to find Ningel. Sansa gives Avanzo the brown paper package. They find Ningel in back dressed as a school girl. Gerag grabs her, tells her she is is great danger, and drags her to the Scroll. Here Ningel tries to escape, but Gerag easily holds her. Mina gives her a potion which makes her compliant, and brings her down to the lab. She is corrupted.
Sal thinks Ningel should be killed. Mina thinks that is rather harsh; she is just whoring herself, and perhaps she can be healed. She will have to investigate more thoroughly in the morning.
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Sat May 23, 2015 2:28 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Tuesday 7 March
They discuss what to do with Ningel. They decide to put her to sleep, Mina will look at her in the morning, and they will meet again at lunch time tomorrow.
Wednesday 8 March
Sansa observes the Town Guard raiding the Old Dorm. She and Ekkie rush there and are told there were accusations of illegal magic use, the business is closed, and all within are being brought to the local Guard House for questioning. Ekkie notes businesses can be shut for three days and suspects held for up to a week without charge. From what the Guard is saying they will probably be released later today, but they will close the building for three days. Ekkie will go and see to Avanzo and the girls, and Sansa will go gather Xort and see if he can figure out what is going
on.
Gerag goes to the Sister Regina's Dojo for an excorcism ceremony, which involves lots of ritualistic fighting. It seems to be partially successful with Gerag's Ring of Protection turning to ash, but the new gold ring is still there. Regina suggests taking the problem to Mina, and pens a note so that Gerag will not forget.
Sal picks up Lucius at the Great Hospital. Cleric of Posiedon Tabos Kenos is there and says that Lucius is some sort of key that opens the ways between the worlds and thus is very dangerous, and likely the object of desire by evil cultists. Thus Sal needs to get his "brother" Lucius out of town asap. They also leave Sal with a bottle of pills that will keep Lucius out of it for the next week or so. Sal takes Lucius to the Indecipherable Scroll where he and Mina hit on the idea of sending him to Sansa's people.
Sansa and Xort arrive back at the Old Dorm to investigate. Gerag is watching them covertly. Xort can get nothing out on the street, Sansa leads him around back, and they break in. Xort examines the place thoroughly and finds only a lingering and decaying presence of evil magic, as if something unhappy happened here a few days ago, and has gone. It is likely safe now.
Gerag swings by the Dented Helm and asks after Odhran. They have not seen him since last week. They do mention that he hired some Dwarves to work for him, and they will be in when their shift is over after 4:00. Gerag meets Wulfgar who tells him that he has some useful information to pass on to Mina.
They all meet at the Scroll at lunch time. Ekkie tells them that some of the wait staff at the Old Dorm's Grand Opening party claimed that "bad magic" had forced them to do things they would not have otherwise done. This led to the raid. Mina notes that Ningel seems to be the source of chaos corruption, and a quick look by Xort concurs. Ningel is very dangerous and they should investigate her shop. Again they stress the need to find Odhran. Wulfgar gives some information he got from his friends about The Green Thing. Mina will study it later when she has some spare time.
Mina removes the remaining curse on Gerag. She is not clear on the effect, preventing Gerag from doing something he would want to do in a crucial or stressful situation, but the gold ring from the swamp pyramid is no more.
Sal and Sansa talk about how to get Lucius to the Lotus Forest. Sansa knows that the Cafe Ilkhan imports some ingredients from there and they can talk to them about arranging for Lucius to journey there.
All plus Xort head to Ningel's Concotions in the Old City. They find the shop looking ill cared for and a goblin alchemist, from the Goblin Guild that Gerag, Sansa, and Ekkie encountered when they first came to the city, running the place. He and Ekkie get into a heated discussion in the goblin tongue, which Gerag can understand. They basically accuse each other of selling out to the "humans", but both defend themselves that with the tribe destroyed they were only doing what they had to do to survive. They search the shop and find something unusual in Ningel's office. The goblin alchemist tells them it is a drug called Merge which enhances the sexual experience. It is addictive, and very illegal. The goblin says that about a week ago Ningel ordered him to stop producing smoke bombs, sneezing powder, and super glue and make nothing but Merge. She was often visited by a dwarf and they would spend time alone in her office. It was after he showed up that Merge production started. The goblin also mentions that with the addition of magic the Merge can become even more powerful. They see Ningel's notebook, Xort can tell it is mostly full of ordinary stuff, but at the end there is the recipe for Merge and the hand writing looks altered.
They decide that Xort and the Bloodsalt goblin mage Glitch should look after the goblin alchemist and Ningel's shop. They close the place and Xort takes the goblin alchemist with him.
Further discussion leads to the idea that Odhran disappearance had something to do with the Golden Succubus that he was always going on about. Sansa and Gerag note that the Salon du Masque, very high end pleasure palace in the Merchant District, was the former location of the Golden Succubus brothel that about 50 years ago was the scene of a horrific mass disappearance/murder. Sansa opines that Odhran is being held there. An overt attack on a Merchant District business is a very bad idea, but they ask Ekkie to use her goblin friends to "case the joint". This will take some days. Sansa notes that the place is open for business Thursday-Saturday and while there she observed some patrons stoned on Black Lotus, a drug that supposedly allows the users to see into other planes.
Avanzo shows up after being released by the Guard. He admits that he, Ningel and Odhran were dealing Merge at the Old Dorm. It really enhanced the business. He had suspicions that Odhran was using evil magic on the girls and patrons to get them to do things they otherwise would not, but he was "only following orders". He takes Sansa to dinner, and she communicates her displeasure with him and that he should pay more attention to what she thinks should be goiing on at the Old Dorm. They have Ekkie arrange for a temporary place for Avanzo and the girls to stay while the Old Dorm is closed.
Gerag visits Argyle McGill's Curio shop and asks after Odhran's purchases. Odhran did buy The Text of the Golden Succubus when he asked after a book on the Elder Gods. This was a dangerous magical book. He also rented a book on Vulthoom, this was an ordinary book.
Gerag talks with Mina about the Golden Succubus. She knows that it is a minor Elder God who gathers sexual energy until it can manifest, then it feeds. Odhran apparently got subverted by the god because of the book.
Sal returns and tells all the Odhran was seen at the Salon du Masque on the night that he went missing, Monday.
Thursday 9 March
Bartholomew Hodden shows up at Sal's office to hire him to find his wife's lover, Thomas Rhymer. He caught the two together, but Rhymer, a noted opera singer, has gone missing. It is not likely that he left town, and Hodden suggests that Sal should look for someone with a big voice performing in town. Hodden offers a big pay day if Rhymer can be found.
Mina tells them that she has received a note from Sea Lord Tarmon asking to meet this afternoon. She, of course, expects this is some sort of trap. She is concerned for the stuff that is here: The Green Thing; Lucius; Ningel. She is not going to look at Ningel this morning, her look yesterday was probably confused by the presence of Merge, saving her magic for whatever Tarmon might be up to.
Gerag tells Ekkie to get as many of her goblin friends as possible to get to the Scroll. He also sends a note to Sister Regina asking her to send as many of the bretheren as possible to help defend the Scroll.
All but Ekkie head off to the Cafe Ilkhan to see about getting Lucius to the Lotus Forest. Their guy usually from there comes on Monday, and they will send him to see Sansa at the Scroll.
Back at the Scroll, Mina is preparing to leave to meet Sea Lord Tarmon, who is also head of the Mage's Guild...
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Fri May 29, 2015 10:58 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Tuesday 7 March
They discuss what to do with Ningel. They decide to put her to sleep, Mina will look at her in the morning, and they will meet again at lunch time tomorrow.
Wednesday 8 March
Sansa observes the Town Guard raiding the Old Dorm. She and Ekkie rush there and are told that there were accusations of illegal magic use, the business is closed, and all within are being brought to the local Guard House for questioning. Ekkie notes that businesses can be shut for three days and suspects held for up to a week without charge. From what the Guard is saying they will probably be released later today, but they will close the building for three days. Ekkie will go and see to Avanzo and the girls, and Sansa will go gather Xort and see if he can figure out what is going
on.
Gerag goes to the Sister Regina's Dojo for an excorcism ceremony, which involves lots of ritualistic fighting. It seems to be partially successful with Gerag's Ring of Protection turning to ash, but the new gold ring is still there. Regina suggests taking the problem to Mina, and pens a note so that Gerag will not forget.
Sal picks up Lucius at the Great Hospital. Cleric of Posiedon Tabios Kenos is there and says that Lucius is some sort of key that opens the ways between the worlds and thus is very dangerous, and likely the object of desire by evil cultists. Thus Sal needs to get his "brother" Lucius out of town asap. They also leave Sal with a bottle of pills that will keep Lucius out of it for the next week or so. Sal takes Lucius to the Indecipherable Scroll where he and Mina hit on the idea of sending to Sansa's people.
Sansa and Xort arrive back at the Old Dorm to investigate. Gerag is watching them covertly. Xort can get nothing out on the street, Sansa leads him around back, and they break in. Xort examines the place thoroughly and finds only a lingering and decaying presence of evil magic, as if something unhappy happened here a few days ago, and has gone. It is likely safe now.
Gerag swings by the Dented Helm and asks after Odhran. They have not seen him since last week. They do mention that he hired some Dwarves to work for him, and they will be in when their shift is over after 4:00. Gerag meets Wulfgar who tells him that he has some useful information to pass on to Mina.
They all meet at the Scroll at lunch time. Ekkie tells them that some of the wait staff at the Old Dorm's Grand Opening party claimed that "bad magic" had forced them to do things they would not have otherwise done. This led to the raid. Mina notes that Ningel seems to be the source of chaos corruption, and a quick look by Xort concurs. Ningel is very dangerous and they should investigate her shop. Again they stress the need to find Odhran.
Mina removes the remaining curse on Gerag. She is not clear on the effect, preventing Gerag from doing something he would want to do in a crucial or stressful situation, but the gold ring from the swamp pyramid is no more.
Sal and Sansa talk about how to get Lucius to the Lotus Woods. Sansa knows that the Cafe Ilkhan imports some ingredients from there and they can talk to them about arranging for Lucius to journey there.
All plus Xort head to Ningel's Concotions in the Old City. They find the shop looking ill cared for and a goblin alchemist, from the Goblin Guild that Gerag, Sansa, and Ekkie encountered when they first came to the city, running the place. He and Ekkie get into a heated discussion in the goblin tongue, which Gerag can understand. They basically accuse each other of selling out to the "humans", but both defend themselves that with the tribe destroyed they were only doing what they had to do to survive. They search the shop and find something unusual in Ningel's office. The goblin alchemist tells them it is a drug called Merge which enhances the sexual experience. It is addictive, and very illegal. The goblin says that about a week ago Ningel ordered him to stop producing smoke bombs, sneezing powder, and super glue and make nothing but Merge. She was often visited by a dwarf and they would spend time alone in her office. It was after he showed up that Merge production started. The goblin also mentions that with the addition of magic the Merge can become even more powerful. They see Ningel's notebook, Xort can tell it is mostly full of ordinary stuff, but at the end there is the recipe for Merge and the hand writing looks altered.
They decide that Xort and the Bloodsalt goblin mage Glitch should look after the goblin alchemist and Ningel's shop. They close the place and Xort takes the goblin alchemist with him.
Further discussion leads to the idea that Odhran disappearance had something to do with the Golden Succubus that he was always going on about. Sansa and Gerag note that the Salon du Masque, very high end pleasure palace in the Merchant District, was the former location of the Golden Succubus brothel that about 50 years ago was the scene of horrific mass disappearance/murder. Sansa opines that Odhran is being held there. An overt attack on a Merchant District business is a very bad idea, but they ask Ekkie to use her goblin friends to "case the joint". This will take some days. Sansa notes that the place is open for business Thursday-Saturday and while there she observed some patrons stoned on Black Lotus, a drug that supposedly allows the users to see into other planes.
Avanzo shows up after being released by the Guard. He admits that he, Ningel and Odhran were dealing Merge at the Old Dorm. It really enhanced the business. He had suspicions that Odhran was using evil magic the girls and patrons do things they otherwise would not, but he was "only following orders". He takes Sansa to dinner, and she communicates her displeasure with him and that he should pay more attention to what she thinks should be goiing on at the Old Dorm. They have Ekkie arrange for a temporary place for Avanzo and the girls to stay while the Old Dorm is closed.
Gerag visits Argyle McGill's Curio shop and asks after Odhran's purchases. Odhran did buy The Text of the Golden Succubus when he asked after a book on the Elder Gods. This was a dangerous magical book. He also rented a book on Vulthoom, this was an ordinary book.
Gerag talks with Mina about the Golden Succubus. She knows that it is a minor Elder God who gathers sexual energy until it can manifest, then it feeds. Odhran apparently got subverted by the god because of the book.
Sal returns and tells all the Odhran was seen at the Salon du Masque on the night that he went missing, Monday.
Thursday 9 March
Bartholomew Hodden shows up at Sal's office to hire him to find his wife's lover, Thomas Rhymer. He caught the two together, but Rhymer, a noted opera singer has gone missing. It is not likely that he left town, and Hodden suggests that Sal should look for someone with a big voice performing in town. Hodden offers a big pay day if Rhymer can be found.
Mina tells them that she has received a note from Sea Lord Tarmon asking to meet this afternoon. She, of course, expects this is some sort of trap. She is concerned for the stuff that is here: The Green Thing; Lucius; Ningel. She is not going to look at Ningel this morning, her look yesterday was probably confused by the presence of Merge, saving her magic for whatever Tarmon might be up to.
Gerag tells Ekkie to get as many of her goblin friends as possible to get to the Scroll. He also sends a note to Sister Regina asking her to send as many of the bretheren as possible to help defend the Scroll.
All but Ekkie head off to the Cafe Ilkhan to see about getting Lucius to the Lotus Forest. Their guy usually comes from their comes on Monday, and they will send him to see Sansa at the Scroll.
Back at the Scroll, Mina is preparing to leave to meet Sea Lord Tarmon, who is also head of the Mage's Guild...
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Sun Jun 28, 2015 12:00 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 9 March
There is an article in The Shipping News about the Town Guard's raid on the Old Dorm. They are searching for Odhran.
As Mina prepares to go to visit Tarmon, they decide that Lucius and Ningel should be stashed in Mina's lab along with The Green Thing. Mina closes the Indecipherable Scroll and sends the staff home. The party prepares some simple defenses, blocking up windows and dragging tables and chairs in front of the front and back doors. They are joined by three of Ekkie's goblin friends and one of Sister Regina's followers. Ekkie and Sal take up positions outside, the others are mainly in a central position with a goblin at the top of the stairs.
Sal notes some cloaked folks congregating near the front door and when one of them appears to be casting a spell, he hits him with a cross-bow prompting one of the others to smash through the front door. Ekkie throws a bag of sneezing powder at the spell caster which incapacitates him, now clearly seen as a snakeman, and three others enter the front door. Gerag tries to taunt them into attacking, but one heads up stairs struggling with the goblin and eventually the remaining two attack Gerag and Wulfgar while Sansa peppers them with arrows. Outside Ekkie and Sal kill one snake, while the spell thrower tries to move off down the street. Inside the two are killed and all begin heading for the street. At this point Mina returns cutting off the recovering spell caster, who screams that he is sacrificing himself for the Nameless One. As he is being finished off, another group smashes through the back door overwhelming the acolyte of Ares who was guarding it. As all rush to meet the new threat one makes his way straight for the hatch leading to Mina's lab, and disappears below. As the fight rages above, the snakeman who went below reappears carrying The Green Thing and followed by Lucius and Ningel. Amid the carnage the snakeman places The Green Thing in a pool of blood, and it starts powering up as sparks begin to build around the bodies of the fallen. Mina hits it with a barrage of Magic Missles which damages it heavily and the sparks fade. None of the fallen arise as electro-zombies.
The remaining snakemen and a human cultist are surrounded and dispatched with Sansa using her Ray of Cold twice. Gerag badly injures his hand when one of his punches goes awry. The goblin upstairs managed to defeat the snake who went that way.
Sal checks on the remains of The Green Thing. They are evil and faintly magical. Mina is distressed that the snakes were able to find it as she thought the had placed it "beyond". She thinks advice from someone else, such as Xort, as to how to deal with the remains of The Green Thing would be a wise idea. She takes them downstairs and spends a long time being sure they are safe. Questioning of Lucius and Ningel reveal that they recall being led downstairs, and then being woken by the snakeman and compelled to follow him upstairs. They are sent upstairs under goblin guard.
Gerag searches the bodies, finding very little, noting that their weapons all have snake decorations and he gathers a sword for further study. Sansa heals him, but his hand is beyond her ability to fix.
At last the Town Guard turns up. Sal tells them this was a battle between rival drug gangs. The Guard notes that the human among the dead is a known cultist called Thuron. The party flashes their badges asking that this be kept quiet. Gerag takes the dead acolyte of Ares to Sister Regina's Dojo. He was known as Big Red, died honorably in battle, and a funeral will be held for him tomorrow.
Mina returns from her lab. She tells them that Tarmon asked her to marry him. She was stunned at such a ridiculous suggestion, spurned him, and rushed back as soon as she could. She is exhausted and suggest that all rest.
Sansa collects Xort and he examines the remains of The Green Thing. He does not really know what to make of it, he has never seen anything like it, and suggests that perhaps it could be broken into pieces and scattered. This is thought a good idea and the thought is brought up to use the Fairey Fire now out at the Idol That Walks to cut up The Green Thing.
Wulfgar escorts Gerag to the Great Hospital. His hand is seriously damaged and they put it into a cast, tell him to take it easy, and to come back again on Monday.
Sal goes out and searches for a new performer with a big voice. He hears of a new band called King led by a flamboyant singer with an operatic voice. They have a rising hit called Another One Bites The Dust. They are performing tomorrow.
Sansa gathers up Avanzo for a visit to the Salon du Masque. He does not know what to make of this as she did not seem to enjoy her last visit, but she wants to search for Odhran who she is convinced is being held there in the basement. They go there, and it is much as before with various debaucherous activities. Sansa asks to visit the basement, not their torture chamber themed play room, but the actual basement. They accommodate her request providing blankets and pillows. It is just a basement used for storage and she and Avanzo have a good time especially after they are joined by two girls.
Friday 10 March
The Town Guard turns up at the Indecipherable Scroll looking for Sansa as they have reports that she was seen going into the Old Dorm after they had closed it off. Sansa flashes her badge, and admits that she and Xort were in the building as they were trying to investigate the reports of evil magic. She mentions Ningel being at the Old Dorm, which they find very interesting, but not where Ningel can now be found. She also says that Odhran was always going on about the Golden Succubus and her thoughts on its connection with the Salon du Masque. She tells them that Odhran got books on the Golden Succubus from the Great Library, which also interests them greatly. They tell her that they will also talk to Xort to verify her story, that she has been a great help to them, and to not leave town.
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Sun Jul 12, 2015 2:03 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Friday 10 March
Front Page story in the Shipping News ---------------------------------------------- Drug Gang Violence Erupts in Dracs End
The normally quiet area of the western Dracs End near The Marnor Institute and the Temple District was disturbed yesterday afternoon by the sound of the clashing swords. The Town Guard found a horrific scene at a favorite student hang out the Indecipherable Scroll. There two gangs of drug dealing snake men had come to blows and were slaughtering each other on the streets of the city while bystanders fled the carnage. By the time the Guard stepped in to stop the chaos, a dozen bodies lay bleeding on the stone streets.
This appalling incident highlights the growing mayhem that is over taking our fair city. Just last month a Scurvey Town fortune teller was revealed to be a cultist serial killer. A party at the home of one of the city's finest families ended in fire and death. There was a recent night of violence and death at the city's finest hotel. At the Temple of Poseidon a medicinal animal got loose and killed staff and patients. There is strife between two pillars of the community, the Wizard's Guild and the Town Guard, that has still not been adequately explained.
Perhaps the cause of this discord have been revealed by events earlier this week in Drac's End where a newly opened pleasure palace was closed down after accusations that the patrons were being influenced by evil magic. Are we entering a new time of uncertainty and confusion due to an out break of foul magic? Is this the reason for the strife between the Town Guard and the Wizard's Guild?
Sea Lord Tarmon, head of the Wizard's Guild, declined to comment for this story. Sea Lord Holliver, commander of Marnor's military and indirectly the head of the Town Guard, noted that the city's security forces had begun taking action against "threats to our peace and prosperity" and that he would not let anyone stand in the way of his duty to protect the city. ----------------------------------------------
Ningel and Lucius are missing. They apparently climbed out of a window evading the goblins guarding them.
Mina tells them that they have to see Captain Roberts to inform on Tarmon's apparent treachery. She will take them to visit his ship this afternoon.
Sansa goes to Lucius' apartment. It seems to have been undisturbed for many days. She then goes to Ningel's shop and finds it being run by the goblin alchemist. Ningel has not been here and he sells he two smoke bombs and a super glue.
Mina takes them to Captain Robert's ship, the Black Dragon. She tells him with corroboration from the party that Tarmon is in league with evil snake people. Roberts tells them that Tarmon is a member of the Merchant faction on the Captain's Council. They have been blocking Marnor from taking active preparations against a Moran invasion. The Moran's under Emperor Devit are clearly planning some sort of military action. Their army has moved to the northern part of Tasprian Peninsula, which puts it about a weeks marck from Marnor. Their navy has been expanded, and they instituted a clever scheme that would allow them to suddenly seize a large number of transport ships. Captured spies reveal that the Morans are gathering information on Marnor's defenses, but no details on if or when they are going to attack.
All of the city states around the Middle Sea are clearly in danger, but no one wants to cross the Morans due to their central location and them being the largest contributers to commerce. The other faction on the Council is led by Captain Holliver who commands Marnor's military. He has suggested calling back the privateer fleet, calling out the militia, and sweeping the city of Moran sympathizers. The Merchant faction has stalled this calls for action by Tarmon claiming that he has magical means of defending the city. Perhaps that is why he is consorting with snakemen?
The Morans stirring up an evil chaos cult does not fit their MO. They obviously do not want to take over a city being ravaged by an outbreak of chaos cultists of something even worse. Roberts would like Mina and the party to meet with Sea Lord Maeorgan and Captain Nathan Grymes, who are members of the Merchant faction, along with Captains Roberts and Holliver to try to convince them that Tarmon cannot be trusted. He mentions that the Sea Lord Maeorgan is especially sensitive to cultists as her two brothers were victims of Sea Lord Drac's mad schemes, and Grymes is a smuggler who is not likely to prosper under Moran rule.
To meet discreetly Roberts will get them invitations to the Sea Lord's Hileria Ball, celebration of the return of spring, on Wednesday. They ask for some sort of token to show that they are working for the good of the city, and Roberts gives them 1 SP coins that have been subtly defaced.
Back at the Scroll an art dealer called Quelch shows up. He has a buyer who is interested in the tropical artifacts that Odhran bought at the Last Resort. He can hook them up for a small finder's fee. Ekkie knows that the box of artifacts is at the Old Dorm and she will try to get them out and tells Quelch to come back again next week.
Sal and Wulfgar ask around after Lucius and Ningel. They were seen heading towards the docks early this morning. They can find no evidence that they took passage on a ship out of town.
Gerag goes to the funeral for Big Red, the acolyte of Ares who was killed in the attack on the Scroll. Gerag tells the small flock that Big Red died defending his flank, fell when he was overwhelmed by enemies, and died a hero in battle. He is interred with honor. Gerag tells Sister Regina all that he has learned. She tells him that she will prepare her flock to help defend the city, and her biggest concern is the large Temple of Ares which is not proper. Gerag picks up a cleaver to wield with his damaged hand.
Sansa heads out to the Idol That Walks. There Therion can teach her Cure/Cause Serious Wounds. He is also willing to come to the Scroll to investigate the Green Thing. She also suggests that they should get the Idol back working, but they point out that they have dismantled it, recycled its parts, etc. It would take a great deal of time and effort to rebuild it. Perhaps, Sansa, suggests they could build "flying kill-bots" to help defend the city?
They remind her that they owe her a birthday present. She asks for a set of arrows that explode and start fires, and a quiver to hold them. They will get started on that. They also owe presents to Gerag, Ekkie, and Odhran.
She also asks after the Water Faireys. Some of the Fire Faireys are still seeing some of the Water Faireys, but a good fraction seem to have returned to consorting with whores, and they crudely proposition Sansa, as Friday is there night for fun.
There is a long conversation with Mina about the open questions such as the Green Thing, a Moran invasion, and the missing Odhran. No firm conclusions are drawn.
Gerag and Wulfgar go down to the Dented Helm to ask after Odhran. The dwarves he hired to work on the Old Dorm are there, but they have not seen him since the Old Dorm Grand Opening party a week ago. Another Dwarf says that he works at Maurice's maintaining the cooking equipment and saw Odhran enter there on Monday evening, but never saw him leave. Gerag concludes that Odrhan must have left by a secret way.
Sal goes to the Old Stage to see the band King perform. The lead singer is indeed Thomas Rhymer. Gerag and Wulfgar shows up. Just as Rhymer is singing, a bounty hunter called Calybdous Snide stands up and calls for Rhymer to give himself up. Sal, Wulfgar, and Gerag struggle with Snide, trying to subdue him, while he stabs Sal in the shoulder. Snide gives up, saying that Sal deserves the collar and leaves. As Sal gathers up the cowering Rhymer, the very beautiful Imelda Hodden appears begging that Rhymer not be turned over to her husband due to their undying love. Sal is not impressed, Rhymer has been romantically linked with other women, and refuses her offer of money that she can pay later. She runs off in tears.
Sal takes Rhymer to Bartholomew Hodden who is very pleased. Sal complains that other folks were hired to track down Rhymer. Hodden dismisses Sal's complaints with a 2500 GP payment.
Gerag passes by Maurice's and works out that the private room that Odhran visited on Monday does have an exterior wall.
Saturday 11 March
Sansa notes that some Water Faireys have spent the night at the Idol That Walks with some Fire Faireys. She and Therion goes with Sansa to the Scroll.
Sal shows up and pays Gerag and Wulfgar 125 GP each for their help in catching Rhymer. He then goes to the Wizard's Pouch, bigger on the inside, and buys some scrolls.
Wulgar goes to his brother's shop. As usual they berate him for not working, but take in his warning about an impending Moran invasion.
Mina talks with Therion about the Green Thing. She tells him it comes from a place that stands at the far side of the regular world as from where Fairey is. Thus Therion is likely to find it completely alien. They talk more about how the Faireys could help defend the city.
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Sun Jul 26, 2015 3:32 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Saturday 11 March Continued
Shipping News in the Entertainment Section ---------------------------------------------------------- Noted Opera Singer Thomas Rhymer in Hospital
Thomas Rhymer who has impressed all with his big voice in the recent production of The Great Kranu From the Deep at the Marnor Opera House was admitted to the Temple of Poseidon last night. He was taken there by employees of Hodden Shipping who found him along the Street of Dreams in the Merchant District. He was incoherent and had apparently suffered a severe beating. Doctors at the hospital said that Rhymer faced a long period of recovery, and it was too early to tell if his voice was OK, but that he would have severe scars on his face. His career on stage is likely over.
Rhymer and Bartholomew Hodden had been linked when Rhymer was caught in the company of Hodden's wife, a former show girl, Imelda at the Last Resort. There the three were involved in a very public shouting match with Hodden threatening bodily harm to Rhymer while being restrained by the embarrassed wife. Rhymer subsequently dropped out of sight.
Hodden had no comment on this unfortunate event, and we have been unable to confirm that his wife is resting at the Hodden mansion. The Town Guard said that they were investigating the apparent assault on Rhymer, they had no leads, and appealing to the public for information. ----------------------------------------------------------
Therion is willing to investigate the Green Thing despite Mina's misgivings. He spends a great deal of time below, and comes out saying that Mina was correct. He can tell that it is some sort of powerful magic device, but he cannot figure out what it is meant to do or how it works. He also thinks it is unlikely that the Fairey Fire will have any effect on it. He suggests dropping it into the deepest ocean, a bottomless pit, or something similar.
Sal casts Summon Familiar and gets a magical weasel that he calls Wilhelm.
Gerag visits Sister Regina's Dojo to practice and prey. He is still not able to practice the sword due to his damaged hand.
Sunday 12 March
Sansa again visits the Idol That Walks and learns Color Spray. The Fire Faireys note that Otto took careful notes on the parts of the Idol that they dismantled and they still have most of the raw materials. If they did nothing else for a month they could get it walking again. Flying Kill Bots are at the advanced prototype stage. They mostly work, but they still need to put more time and effort before they could have something usable. Sansa seems to ignore all this and asks how soon they will have her quiver of exploding fire arrows ready.
Gerag visits Otto in his shop. The sword from the snakemen attackers is pretty ordinary. It is a generic, cheap sword with snake decorations added after completion. It could have come from anywhere and is not worth very much.
Monday 13 March
Invitations to the Sea Lords Hileria Ball on Wednesday arrive for Mina, Gerag, Sansa, Sal, Wulfgar, and Ekkie. All the invitations include a guest.
Gerag goes to the Great Hospital. The cast on his hand is removed, they tell him to continue to take it easy, and to come back again Thursday.
Ekkie meets with Quelch. She has gathered up the tropical artifacts from the Old Dorm and shows him some samples. He thinks the buyer would be pleased and asks for a 10% commission to set up a meeting at his Merchant District gallery after the Holiday. He also suggests that Captain Horngold, who will also ask for a commission, should be there to tell the story of gathering the artifacts from the cannibalistic tropical natives. That should raise the price.
Gerag invites Sister Regina to go with him to the Ball. She is happy to accept. Gerag goes to the Bloodsalt and helps Glitch.
Sal invites Dixie, a waitress at his local diner, to the Ball. She is happy to accept and he gives her some money for a nice dress and a make over. He also picks up a piercing axe to go with his dueling sword.
Sansa visits Avanzo and invites him to the Ball. He is happy to accept.
Tuesday 14 March
A package arrives at the Old Dorm and is directed to Ekkie. It is for Odhran and from Roderigo Lugo. There is a note:
Odhran
Please accept this small token of my thanks for the service you rendered at the Last Resort on my last visit to Marnor. If you are ever in need please do not hesitate to get in touch with me, my family, or any of our shops and I assure you that we will do our best to render whatever service you may require.
Roderigo Lugo The House of Lugo The Islands of Abarat
In the package is a large pearl. Sansa freaks out and eventually establishes that the pearl is not evil, but is magical. Gerag gets a hold of it to prevent Sansa from smashing it.
Ekkie's goblin friends report back on the Salon du Masque. It is far more secure than one would expect for a pleasure palace. There is security at the front and back door, and all the other possible entrances, windows, chimneys, etc., are barred. Unless there is something very valuable within, they suggest moving on. Perhaps someone on the inside could learn more. Sal and his weasel should investigate after the Holiday.
Gerag takes the pearl from Roderigo Lugo to Xort. A quick look does not reveal what the pearl does, but he will look into it further. They talk about Odhran; Xort has not seen him, and misses that crazy dwarf. They talk about Ningel. Her shop seems to have been well run until recently. He will think on what he can do help find those two.
Ekkie procures dresses for her and Sansa for the Ball. They look good.
Gerag procures a light mace that he gets painted white, to go with his red robes of Ares for the Ball.
Wednesday 15 March
It is the end of winter, welcome to spring festival called Hileria. There is a big parade, a carnival in the Eastern District, and many wear either costumes or very bright clothing. Almost everything is closed. The harbor is dyed green. Gerag visits the Bloodsalt where they too are enjoying a rare day off, and he tries to find a good location for his own Temple of Ares.
In the evening there is an elegant ball at the Sea Lord's palace. It is the most prominent building in the Old City. They are met by Thomas Fleetfoot, the Sea Lord's halfling chamberlain, who bids them to enjoy the food and drink, tells them that the Sea Lord will give a brief toast, and afterwards there will be music and dancing. They can see a raised dais in the center of the large room where there is one large chair and twelve smaller. These are for the Captains Council:
Sea Lord Marilese Maeorgan - a tall woman with long black hair. She bears a large sword as a symbol of office. Her family is among the richest merchants in the city. She had two brothers who had been on the Captain's Council and were killed during Sea Lord Drac's attempted coup, and she became Sea Lord via the strength of her family's influence. She is not in a dress, as most ladies at this affair, but no one would mistake her for a man. Captain Dirwin Arnig - Dwarf Head of the Gem Cutter's Guild, who looks as if he has just left his workshop. Captian Liam Blackhammer - old man; tribune of the people. Captain Xavier Gordon - Pirate whose ship is the Bloody Sea. Captain Nathan Grimes - Rich merchant who seems to think the city equals the Merchant District. He is rumored to be a smuggler of illicit drugs and dangerous relics. Captain High Priestess Lorilee of Poseidon - She is soft on opposition to Mora, where there is a major Temple of Poseidon, but opposed to Cultists. Captain Enoch Holliver - Military man who is strongly opposed to Mora. He is also well known to have designs on becoming the Sea Lord. Big, burly guy. Captain Jacob Lydon - Debauched pirate; ship is The Gambit. He is accompanied by two half naked girls and clearly drunk. Captain Marcus Roberts - Pirate/diplomat. Ship is the Black Dragon. Mina is his date for the evening. She looks smashing in gold with red trim. He was key in bringing down Sea Lord Drac by supporting a band of adventurers who were investigating Cultist activity. He has gathered lots of evidence that the Morans are going to make some sort of military move very soon. Captain Hector Torian - Old pirate whose ship is The Sea Ghost. Captain Tarmon - Notable by his absence. He is represented by Rodsul Dartus, deputy head of the Wizard's Guild, and his brother Verlaine who owns the masonry factory where the party was almost killed, Crocker's. Captain Garth Verellion - Pirate whose ship is The Christina. Captain Tench Prescott - Active pirate whose ship is Poseidon Saber.
They see some other folks that they know at the Ball: Glitch, the goblin mage; Chancellor Whitmire, ancient elf of the Marnor Institute; Captain Horngold seller of curiosities from the tropics; Otto weapons dealer and protector of the Fire Faireys; Achronus siblings Kythra and Rymor; Bartholomew, cuckolded husband, and Imelda, beautiful, young, adulteress wife, Hodden; The Countess, always masked proprietor of the Salon du Masque; and Portia Gallowgrange, the halfling maitre'd of Maurice's, the fine restaurant in the Merchant District.
A young man called Bedwyr approaches Sansa and says that his aunt, High Priestess Lorilee said that Sansa was an adventurer. He does not want to study for the priesthood but wants to adventure. Sansa tells him to try to take the mask off The Countess. He approaches her from behind, makes his move, The Countess is far ahead of him, and delivers a blow that lays Bedwyr out. She stands over him in a ready crouch on the balls of her feet, before realizing it is some sort of joke. She then makes light of incident and offers to dance with the dazed boy.
They also meet Melikor Maeorgan, the Sea Lords father, and clearly a very rich man, and Torston Roth, the very snobby head of the Merchant's Guild.
Dixie has had too much to drink, and Sal, who has brought Wilhelm on a leash, releases the weasel to gather information. Sal is looking very good in all black with splash of color provided by a red rose. Sister Regina looks exceptionally good in simple red robes of Ares. Wulfgar looks very good in his fancy dress.
The Sea Lord makes a short speech welcoming spring which ends in a toast. The band, A Rad Dun Run, plays their hit Hungry Like The Wolf as dancing begins.
Captain Roberts comes and invites the party to meet the Sea Lord. Also there are Captain Grimes and Captain Holliver. Mina tells them about Tarmon's invitation to her and his strange proposal of marriage. Gerag then recounts the attack by the snakemen and a known cultist on the Indecipherable Scroll. Mina also points out that the party under the guise of "Gerag the Wise" with the help of Xort fixed the broken Eldritch Gun despite interference and failure by Tarmon and members of the Wizards Guild.
Maeorgan says that it seems to have been a mistake to depend on Tarmon's promise to defend the city from a Moran attack that Roberts has made clear is a real possibility. She asks Grimes' opinion, and he agrees. She apologizes to Holliver for not taking his advice earlier but she thought it was part of his efforts to dispose her. Holliver says that he may have had such designs, but now is the time for them all to work for the good of Marnor. The Sea Lord directs her aides to draft a decree to recall the privateers, call out the militia, and sweep the city for known agents of Mora. It will be promulgated first thing in the morning. Also an emergency meeting of the Captains Council will be called for first thing tomorrow. If Tarmon does not show up for that, then it is quite likely he really is working against the interests of the city.
As the meeting breaks up the Sea Lord asks Gerag to remain behind, and Sister Regina is being ushered in.
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Wed Jul 29, 2015 2:21 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
As the Hileria Ball turns into a wild dance party, the band suddenly falls into a confused silence. A man in a long brown robe tied with a dirty rope is standing in front of the band. He is unshaven with long hair. All is in stunned silence, and in a raspy voice he speaks, "Heed me well! The words of the old should not be ignored. In the ancient scriptures of Yig it is written:
The Yellowed Sign once again shall appear. Then the time for Yig's revenge will be near. Beneath the finger of evil that points to heaven. One must pay heed to the calling of the brethren. Search below the waves for that which was unmade, And return with the serpent carved of jade. When the music is unleashed upon the land. The icon of jade alone shall stand. The end of that which comes from outside. Contained within the serpent deep inside.
Remember these verses well citizens of Marnor. The prophecies of Yig do not lie."
Guards finally appear and as they reach to grab him, he transforms into a snake, which slithers across the floor, and dissolves into a curl of smoke.
Sansa is excited to see another Snake Person! [It is not a snake person, but an actual snake, but it is Sansa's world and the rest of us are just visitors.] After she calms down [oh yeah, right], Sansa wants to do some research. First she will ask Mina about Yig and the jade serpent carving.
Mina says, "Yig is another diety of the snake people. I think he was supposed to be the nice one. I have never heard of the jade serpant."
Next Sansa would like to go to the university and talk to Professor Cloimser, the expert on cults and such. Then to McGill's Curio shop to see if he has any books on that subject.
Gerag rushes into the ballroom to check on the disturbance. Gerag cannot believe his eyes, but does not see anything that illuminates what is going on. After he sees the "snake" dissolves into a curl of smoke he rushes back to check on Sister Regina and The Sea Lord.
Sister Regina also saw nothing unusal and is ignorant of Yig. She is on careful watch. The Sea Lord is angry and is busy yelling at the guards and telling folks that is best that they clear out of here.
Sal scans the room trying to see the reaction of other people, and then examines the area where the man spoke and disappeared for clues, magical or otherwise.
He does not notice anything special in the crowd, but when he inspects the area in front of the band he notes that all the instruments of the band members have snake logos on them.
Wilhelm uses the distraction to steal some food from the buffet. He is spotted rooting about the buffet and when someone tries to grab him, he says in his highly refined voice, "Do you mind? I am just trying to get some food while it is still hot." This causes a scream and another surge of panic which Wilhelm takes advantage of to slip away.
Wulfgar elbows the guest next to him and laughs..."Great entertainment, huh?" At the same time he scans the edges of the room for anyone leaving or entering. He notes that just after the man turns into a snake, Torstan Roth, the snobbish head of the Merchant's Guild, makes a hasty exit from the Ball.
The Ball breaks up in some confusion.
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Sun Aug 23, 2015 11:23 am |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Wednesday 15 March (Hileria) Continued
Bedwyr approaches Sansa. He tells her how wonderful The Countess is, that she has given him a pass to visit the Salon du Masque this weekend, and he really wants to join with the party on whatever their next adventure is. Sansa lets him tag along.
Wulfgar gathers up those two to follow Torstan Roth. He heads out of the Sea Lord's palace and is met by a fine coach. It moves slowly into the Merchant's District. Sansa tries to attract his attention by shouting, but he ignores her. The coach takes him to the Merchant's Guild House along the water. Guards prevent their entry. Wulfgar knows that Roth has a shop that sells fine wine and exotic food stuffs. There is a rumor that he is into mining too. Sansa asks to see Roth, the guards tell her to come back during business hours to make an appointment or to go to his shop to buy wine. She tips him a GP.
Sal tries to talk with Sea Lord Roberts, trying to convince the Sea Lord to pay them to investigate. He tells Sal to come see him tomorrow afternoon at his ship. Sal talks to the band and they reveal that their instruments were a gift of Sea Lord Tarmon and that Tarmon introduced them to N'Tal who helped them write their hit song. N'Tal also helped other Ate Eez Pop bands write songs. They are fixated on women. Wilhelm shows up with an crystal ash tray with the Sea Lords crest on it. Sal takes it.
Gerag takes Sister Regina home. They talk about his idea to open a Dojo in the Bloodsalt. She thinks that is a good idea. They also agree that they should investigate the Temple of Ares. She is not good at that sort of stealthy thing, but will help however she can.
Upon returning to the Scroll, Mina notes that someone has been here. They penetrated through her magical perimeter barrier, broke into her lab (these she notices) and took the Green Thing. She tells them that the papers she got from Wulfgar told her how to deactivate the Green Thing. She pulled it out of its hiding place, thought she deactivated it, and put it back into hiding. The thing is wily and probably tricked her again.
Mina spends a long while doing a ritual to track down the Green Thing. It is at the Wizard's Guild House and guesses that Tarmon and company have taken it. She needs to rest and suggest that the others do like wise.
On the way home Wulfgar notes that the Town Guard is out patrolling much more heavily than normal. A squad actually stops him and tells him that tomorrow a dusk to dawn curfew will be imposed.
Sansa, who made Bedwyr guard the outside of the Scroll where he fell asleep, sends him home. She takes his pass to the Salon du Masque and tells him to come back in a day.
Thursday 16 March
Party via a note from the Harbor Patrol learns that Ningel and Lucius were captured at the Lighthouse. They are being held there. There is a long discussion on what to do next with Sal noting that many things demand their attention.
Xort shows up at the Scroll. He has identified the pearl from the Lugo's as a Pearl Of Power. The bearer gets an extra first level spell slot. It is a valuable magic item.
The party heads down to the docks. Ekkie remains behind to start scouting out the Wizard's Guild and meet with Captain Roberts in the afternoon. There is confusion in Marnor. Rumors are flying that an invasion is imminent, the town guard is sweeping the streets and gathering up random people, and the harbor is in confusion with ships not being allowed to leave.
No ships or boats are moving. Wulfgar takes them to the Lobstermen's Guild telling his friends there they have help get them to the lighthouse. It takes some time and between the Lobestermen and the party's badges they are able to secure a boat out the lighthouse. It is late afternoon by the time they get there.
They are met by Roscoe Thornbrae and his son Roscoe Jr. They are members of the halfling family that runs the lighthouse. They tell the party that they have been ordered to not light the beacon and to keep watch for incoming ships. They can relay messages to the shore via a semaphore and light system. They found Lucius and Ningel wandering about the island yesterday. They had apparently made their way here via a row boat. They are being held by the family in the lighthouse. They are very reluctant to let the party into the lighthouse, offering to bring Lucius and Ningel to them, but Gerag is insistent. They see the very ornate lighthouse up close, and inside a pile of liquor crates. Gerag tells them he is not interested in their illicit activities he just wants to find Lucius and Ningel.
They find Lucius and Ningel having tea with the family in their living quarters on the second floor. They are confused about how they got here, have been having dreams about a green rock, feel it calling to them, wants their blood, and then to feed. Gerag knocks them out, ties them up, and forces some liquor down their throats. They also separate the two amid talk of the Keymaster and Gatekeeper.
They have a look from the top of the lighthouse and can see far out to sea. They also note a black stone building on the south edge of the island. The Thornbrae's say that this is the outpost of the Wizard's Guild and it sits on some high cliffs over looking a rocky beach. The wizards would go there regularly to do water based spells, etc.
They decide to take Lucius and Ningel back to town. They have no trouble getting there. As they sail back they notice the yacht, the Thunder Child, of Torston Roth making its way out of the harbor. Besides harbor patrol ships and their own it is the only one moving in the harbor.
They split up and take Lucius to Sister Regina's dojo. She will have some of the brothers guard him 24/7. Ningel is taken to the Idol That Walks where the Fire Faireys are happy to take her and keep her out of trouble.
Back at the Scroll they have news that a dwarf body wearing armor like Odhran's was found in the harbor yesterday. It is badly decomposed and has been in the water for more than a couple of days. Gerag goes to the morgue to investigate. The body looks like Odhran, and Gerag asks that it be burned. They will do so and send the ashes to him.
Mina and Ekkie tell them news that the military raided the Wizard's Guild, and Captain Roberts says that Tarmon died in the struggle there. Also the town has been flooded with ads for a concert in the Field of Honor, the big square at the center of the Eastern District, tomorrow by Gel King Sonny.
They worry about what to do. Sansa rests. Gerag goes to see Xort, and Xort tells him that he has been asked by the city to investigate what the heck was going on the Wizard's Guild. He also thinks that Tarmon's house needs to be investigated as soon as possible as it is unlikely that the Tarmon's "death" is final. Gerag rushes back to gather up the party to do this.
Sal tries to engage the military and Town Guard who are patrolling the city, but gets no where. He attempts to find Gel King Sonny, but has no luck. He is an Ate Eez Pop artist.
They head off to Tarmon's house which is just outside of town to the west. As they make their way they see some figures, one very large and a number of smaller ones, emerge from the sewer and head towards the house. They get a glimpse of long noses and beady eyes and are reminded of the intelligent underground dwelling rat race called the Skaven.
As they hurry towards the house they hear a sound the likes of which they have never heard before coming form the sky above them. They see round metallic object land next to them, a hatch open, and out steps two large figures encased in articulated metal armor with black glass face plates. They are followed by a man in vaguely oriental robes who speaks to them in a strange voice. The metal object disappears. "Greetings fellow surface dwellers. I wish you a pleasant dark cycle. Is that the house of the 'untranslatable expletive' Tarmon? I have business dealings with him. He owes me something."
The party responds that they too are owed something by Tarmon, and perhaps they should go together to try to retrieve what they are owed. He agrees and they all head off towards the house. They knock on the door and it is opened by a classic butler in a morning suit. "Good evening. How may I be of assistance at this late hour?" They tell him they are looking for Tarmon. He tells them that the master has not returned this evening, but they are welcome to wait inside. "Unfortunately the living room is rather full..." they note the sounds of a struggle from a room on the left, "...perhaps you would like to wait in the dining room with some other gentleman who are also seeking to meet the master?" They note that the butler has a very unusual appearance, with skin that is very smooth and uniform color.
As they shuffle ahead to the dining room, they glimpse the struggle in the living room where a creature that looks like a man with an octopus for a head is leading a squad of lizard men versus a man whose skin is jet black flanked by two creatures that look like man sized black dragons with hands and standing upright.
In the dining room they encounter a squad of Skaven bearing unusual fire arms, including a very large and burly rat, and led by what is obviously some sort of wizard. "Greetings friends. Are you owed something by the wizard Tarmon? It seems he owes many." After some discussion, interrupted by the butler asking if they would like some tea, they all decide to work together to try to recover what Tarmon might owe them.
They head into the hall and the struggle in the living room seems to have come to an end, with the octopus head and company emerging triumphant amid the dead mini-dragons and black man, and it immediately orders an attack on the Party/Skaven/Spacemen. The two in powered armor make short work of the lizard men, sending the octopus head fleeing. The lead space alien pulls out a small hand held device which whirs, and he says that what he seeks is upstairs. They find stairs up, as they hear another knock at the door.
Upstairs they find a corridor and four doors. They open the one on the near right. There is an un-naturally beautiful woman clad in lingerie in a bedroom. "You're not my Tarmy. Perhaps I can do something for you?" she says with a hint of seduction in her voice. No one falls for her act, and they shut the door and move on.
On the far right is the empty master bedroom. On the night stand is a large red gem. The Skaven Wizard rushes in, and grabs the gem. "Perhaps I will just take this and call it even. If you do not mind gentlemen, I will be on my way." The Skaven make their way out down a set of back stairs.
The Party/Space Aliens move on to the door on the far left. It seems to be a magic lab, and they see Radsul Dartus, second in command at the Wizard's Guild, rummaging frantically about the lab. Cupboards and drawers are open and much is strewn about the floor. Gerag rushes in and lays out Dartus with a strike. The Head Space Alien uses his device to locate a ceramic disk amid the mess, and picks it up with a big smile.
Gerag is carrying Dartus out, while Sansa and Sal open the remaining door. It is a bio lab, and there is very large "man" within who asks what they want. At this same moment a man with red skin, horns on his head, and cloven hooves for feet walks up the stairs. He is accompanied by a troupe of imps. "It is terribly distressing that one cannot trust someone to honor even the most straight forward of contracts. I suppose if one is willing to sell what Mr. Tarmon was selling, honesty is not to be expected. It is a sad commentary on the state of the world. I believe that," indicating the disk that the head Space Alien has, "belongs to me."
This activity seems to disturb "Igor" who rushes the door. Sal shoots him with his heavy cross bow. "Don't shoot him. That will just make him mad," opines the beautiful women who has dressed and is leaving her bedroom. Indeed the cross bow bolt bounces off of "Igor" and Sal thinks better of this fight, slamming the door closed, hearing a loud thud, and joining the others in fleeing the house. A struggle has broken out between the Devils and the Space Aliens which starts the upper floor of the house on fire.
At the door way out Sansa fires a Ray of Fire to get the entire house burning. The party flees the burning building, with Sal remaining behind to dissuade any one from trying to put out the fire. He notes the metal disk arrive and crash into the second story of the house, remain for a short time, and then fly off. He also sees Tarmon's mistress, the butler, and a dog like creature come out of the rear entrance of the house and move off. He directs Wilhelm to follow them. "Sure thing, but hold this," Wilhelm says as he hands Sal a large orange garnet, and disappears into the darkness.
The fire brigade shows up, and Sal is able to convince them to simply let the building burn.
Gerag realizes that he has missed his appointment at the Great Hospital to check his hand.
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Sun Sep 13, 2015 6:08 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 16 March Continued
Gerag searches Dartus and the only unusual thing he finds is a packet of sneezing powder which he takes. Wilhelm catches up and says that the pretty lady, funny smelling butler, and scary cat-thing went to an apartment building in the Old City.
Upon arrival at the Scroll, Mina joins them in questioning Dartus. He tells them that he was at Tarmon's trying to find a small non-descript item that had to be joined with a previously prepared vessel to bring Tarmon back to life. He got interrupted by folks knocking on the door, he panicked, and then the big orc, indicating Gerag, rushed in and hit him. After some discussion they realize that the small ceramic disk that the head space alien picked up was likely what Tarmon had prepared. The item had to be mated with a vessel that was in the bio lab. He also admits that he helped Tarmon steal the Green Thing from the Scroll.
After some threatening he tells them that Tarmon was working with snake people to revive some sort of device that is on the light house island plus performing some sort of ritual with the Ate Eez Pop acts to "defend" the city. He claims that while he was disturbed by this, "he was only following orders." They work up the story that Dartus was not involved but was growing suspiscious of Tarmon's activities. He realized that Tarmon was up to something bad when unsavory people began showing up at Tarmon's place. The concert by Gel King Sonny should be stopped, the Green Thing should be returned to Mina, and the party should investigate the island.
They will turn him to Captain Roberts in the morning.
Friday 17 March
Front page article in the Shipping News ---------------------------------------------------------- Sea Lord Maeorgan Calls For Calm
Sea Lord Marilise Maeorgan suggested that all citizens remain calm in the face of rumors of war. In a statement released by the Sea Lord's palace she explained that the city had received credible intelligence of a foreign power preparing for war, and reasonable preperations are being taken to deter any attack on the city. The military has been placed on alert. The harbor has been closed to commercial traffic. The militia is being called out. All privateers have been asked to report to the Admiralty to coordinate with the Navy for defense. The Town Guard has declared a dusk to dawn curfew.
No comment has been forthcoming on a rumored attack by the military on the Wizard's Guild Hall or the death of Sea Lord Tarmon, Head of the Wizard's Guild. Just two and a half weeks ago there was a raid by the Town Guard on the Wizard's Guild Hall that was quickly resolved, but never explained. Members of the military are guarding the Hall. ----------------------------------------------------------
Back page article in the Shipping News ---------------------------------------------------------- Yesterday the body of a dwarf was found in the harbor. The harbor patrol reports that the dwarf was wearing white armor with a red circular pattern. The town guard suspects that this is the noted musician Odhran Aiodos who they have been seeking in conjuction with the accusation of the use of illegal magic and dealing the addictive drug Merge at the Drac's End pleasure house, the Old Dorm. Any one with any knowledge on this matter is urged to contact the Town Guard. ----------------------------------------------------------
Denizens of the Scurvey Town flop house where Lon, operator of the rock grinder that almost killed the party, lived, arrive at the Scroll looking for Odhran. Gerag meets them, they claim they know the location of Lon, he pays them a small sum, and they indicate an even more down scale flop house in Scurvey Town.
Dordalus Sellic, factor for the Pearl Merchant Lugos, shows up at the Scroll looking for friends of Odhran offering to help with his burial, any help that the Lugos can give to Odhran's friends, and help to find out what happened to Odhran. Sal talks with him, and tries to dissuade him from investigating Odhran's death hinting that he would find out things about Odhran that no one would like to know.
There is a note for Ekkie from the merchant Quelch that he has arranged a meeting for the sale of the tropical artifacts for Monday at his Merchant District gallery Tropico de Nopal.
A jar of ashes that were supposedly once Odhran arrive at the Scroll.
Ekkie, Gerag, and Sal take Dartus to see Captain Roberts. He buys their story and will see that the Gel King Sonny Concert is cancelled, the Green Thing goes back to Mina, and that the party can get out to the island. He has no news.
Sansa goes to see Professor Cloimser at the University. Yig is the God of Knowledge for the snakepeople. The Jade Serpant is some sort of artifact of Yig that is effective agains the Eldar Gods, and the Yellow Sign is obscure but thought to be a good thing. There is a rumor that the pirate Black Dog stumbled upon a submerged ruin that sounds like a temple of Yig. There is an old crew man of Black Dog called Gareth who lives in Scurvey Town and has been telling people for many years that he knows the location of Black Dog's treasure which sounds as if it was hidden in the Temple of Yig.
Gerag, Sal, and Ekkie go to the Wizard's Guild Hall to try to collect the Green Thing. Xort is there. He is going through the stores and trying to figure out what the heck was going on here. They warn him about Dartus, not to be trusted, and when he hears that they are planning to head to the light house island he remembers that there is a recent report on an expedition there. It describes the rocky beach noting a ruin that has become the lair of some predatory animals, a treacherous set of tidal pools, a river, and a large cave. Within the cave is an outer chamber with a waterfall, and a gateway guarded by a metal guardian leading to the inner chamber. Within the inner chamber are cenotes, deep shafts filled with water, a ruin, and a big machine. The report mentions plans for a return expedition.
Xort lets them take the Green Thing away. They are careful to wrap it up and not touch it. It looks as if some repairs were attempted on it. They have no trouble getting it back to the Scroll and Mina works to put it "beyond".
They decide to move on the island asap. Gerag goes to see Sister Regina and trains on the sword. Maybe two more sessions to completion. He notes that she and her acolytes are carefully guarding Lucius, and Gerag warns her to be careful with him. He also warns her that things are likely to be highly stirred up in the next day or two.
Bedwyr shows up and wants to join their expedition. He has a short sword, but no armor. Sansa spars with him and concludes that he is not hopeless. She takes him to buy a suit of studded leather armor. Gerag goes to the Wizard's Pouch, bigger on the inside, and buys two potions of water breathing for 800 GP. Sal gathers some stuff for the expedition.
They are easily able to get a ship out to the island. On the way Odhran's ashes are scattered in the harbor. They are met by the halflings who escort them to the Black House at the southern end of the island, but they decline to accompany them further. It is getting dark as they arrive there.
They note the ruin that is the Black House. They see the burned out upper floor and a rusted metal pointing mechanism with a melted crystal beneath it. They head down the ramp with Bedwyr carrying a torch. They can see the ruins of the cliff dwellings, see the treacherous tidal pools, and the stream. They work their way along the wall and find the entrance to the cavern. Within they see the large waterfall and the stream that blocks their way. Ekkie is tossed over by Gerag and she secures a rope to aid in crossing the swift stream. All get across fine, except Wulfgar who stumbles and is dragged along the rocks suffering some minor damage. They see the twin entrance to the inner cavern. The one on the left has a lethal looking, rusted metal statue. After some hesitation they go through the right entrance. They see the cenotes, machine, and ruins at the back of the cavern. The cavern is lit by purple glowing fungus.
They approach the machine and see a blade trap guarding an entrance. Gerag walks around the back and sees a ladder leading up to a platform which has a stairway leading further up which leads to a door. Sansa goes to the rear of the cavern and looks at the ruins, seeing a collapsed colannaded building. Ekkie disables the blade trap but there is still fear to enter the metal corridor beyond. Gerag climbs up the ladder to the platform. From this vantage point he sees gold glittering in the cenotes that are visible to him.
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Sat Sep 26, 2015 12:27 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Friday 17 March
Finally they enter the machine. Gerag finds a pit trap, which they avoid by jumping around. Sal finds a secret door to a horrible, skull filled Shrine. Sal takes the head from a strange rusted idol there. Ekkie notes the spear trap and they rig a rope to climb over. They break into a room full of bubbling vats of foul smelling fluids, and decide to not mess with the obvious controls. They see an ominous blue vortex that try not to get too close. They get to the Iron Guardian at the bottom of stairs up, and decide not to mess with it, and head up the stairs. There they fight the Steel Guardian, note that it seems to get hotter as the fight goes on, and manage to defeat it. As it collapses and explodes, the imp that apparently powered it appears and bows to Ekkie who struck the killing blow. They gather some pieces of the guardian. Sansa hit it with Cold Rays and had to heal Gerag and Sal. She realizes that her Cure Serious Wound is super powered.
The get to the infernal machine and are confronted by the Guardians. They tell them that they are here to prevent the machine from being used and that they have been trapped for so long that they cannot even remember. They hint that someone has come recently to try to use the machine, and that the machine is waking up. They also suggest that something from Yig, which the party assumes is the Jade Serpant, is needed to destroy the machine. They decide to retreat and go for the Jade Serpant.
On the way out they encounter three copper disks with spider-like legs which they manage to defeat. Sal gathers some of the ancient coins from the detritus that was near the Steel Guardian. Once out they explore the ruins. They scrape off some of the fungus and Bedwyr is mesmerized by the strange geometric paterns. As they explore an Electro-zombie comes and attacks them. They manage to kill it.
They make their way back to the boat and get back to the city and head to the Scroll and their homes. It is very late, in fact early the next day. Bedwyr found his first adventure frightening but exciting. He wants to go again.
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Sat Oct 10, 2015 6:26 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
(After a long delay due to real life we get back to the Campaign)
Saturday 18 March
This morning The Shipping News has a story about the death of Countess Matilda. Sal thinks this may be suspicious and Sansa is certain that Odhran was involved.
Wilhelm hands Sal a brass gear. Sal recalls the orange garnet from Tarmon's house. He detects magic on it, finds nothing and tosses it on the shelf of things Wilhelm has gathered which includes an ash tray with the Sea Lord's crest.
They gather at the Scroll and head to Masthead Lane in Scurvey Town to find the pirate Gareth. He is there and they take him to a dive called The Black Crow. After paying him 300 GP he tells them the location of Black Dog's treasure, the likeliehood of traps, and the evidence of the Temple of Yig. Sal buys a potion of Control Water. Gerag trains on the sword, and Sister Regina notes that he has one more session to go. Sansa trains Bedwyr some more and reluctantly agrees to Gerag's suggestion to try to recruit some Water Faireys to help out. Sal and Wulfgar visit the Lobsterman's Guild and procure a magical folding boat that will be available tomorrow.
Sansa finds that the Fire Faireys will not let her into the Idol That Walks. She leaves them with a sample of glowing fungus from the underground ruin, and they tell her where to find the Water Faireys. There they tell her that they cannot help as Black Dog's cave sounds as if it is in salt water. They suggest talking to Mom, aka the River Nor, or perhaps the Sea Elves. They will check up on the odd behavior of the Fire Faireys and suggest that ocean spirits can be made friendly by offers of valuable blue things. When Sansa gets back to talk with the others, she recalls that Ningel, the alchemist turned whore apparently by Odhran, was left at the Idol That Walks.
Sunday 19 March
There is a note from Xort at the Great Hospital to Gerag at the Scroll:
Dear Gerag
I have found in the records of the Wizard's Guild evidence that they were working with cultists from fallen Valdosa on some insane scheme to defend the city from attack. They often met at 14 Graymalkin Lane. Please investigate as soon as possible. I was planning to do so myself when some netherworld dwellers showed up at the Wizard's Guild Hall demanding payment from Tarmon for some bargain he had made with them. We fought them off as best we could, but I fear that they made off with most valuable of the magical teasures the Guild had accumulated. I was badly burned in the struggle and am confined at the Great Hospital.
Your friend, Xort
Wulfgar shows up with the magic collapsible boat. They head off overland through the swamp making their way west on the coast. They get to the big stones and have to wait about an hour waiting for low tide. They take the boat out, and get into the caves.
The water is treacherous and as they enter into the main cavern Sal, Ekkie, and Wulfgar are thrown into the water with the others in the boat. A giant crab attacks, and they manage to destroy it and not drown. Bedwyr is very deft at keeping his feet on the boat while fighting the crab. They get to the main beach and see a sword stuck in the sand. Sal detects magic on it and finds that it is magical but cursed. They decide to leave it alone.
They follow a path to large doors with snake decorations, apparently the Temple of Yig. Bedwyr is strangely able to read the inscription which talks about the will to endure pain. He claims to not know how he knows this. Sal and Gerag try to stick their hands in the snake mouth, but the pain is too much for them. Bedwyr is successful, and the doors open.
They enter the temple of Yig. Bedwyr is able to read the graffiti, about Yig's unhappiness. Gerag shares water breathing potions and they descend to the flooded lower level. They see a golden amulet hanging on a snake altar. Sansa detects that it is protection magic. She takes and wears it and a shadowy snake attacks.
They defeat it and descend antoher level in the Temple seeing that the water for some reason does not fall into the third level down.
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Sun Nov 15, 2015 4:41 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Sunday 19 March Continued Exploration of the Temple of Yig
They continue down to the third level which is strangely water free. Bedwyr sees the ghostly form of the high priest, and they speak with him. He tells them he needs the Fangs, Venom, Scales and Amulet of the Serpant. Sansa is wearing the Amulet and the others lie else where in the Temple. With those he can complete a ritual and give the servants of Yig their rest. If they help him he will give them the Jade Serpant.
Upon reflection, Gerag tells Ekkie to keep an eye on Bedwyr. He clearly knows far more than he should.
They continue to explore and encounter the training master in the gym. Gerag manages to Stun him and they kill him while he is stunned. Gerag takes his spear and Bedwyr dons his armor.
In the infirmary they see and talk with the two patients. They tell them that the avatar of Yig is a giant snake on the ground floor and are dispatched from their suffering.
They encounter the acolytes who attack. Sansa aways them and they melt away.
In the prayer room they see glowing eye on the wall and a book. Sansa casts Protection From Evil on both. Bedwyr notes that the book is the Way of Yig and would probably be valuable. They let Bedwyr study the book and he tells them that the armor he is wearing are the Scales of the Serpant, the Venom is a black poisonous liquid, and the Fangs are some sort of magical weapon.
They find the ramp down and manage to defeat a Wraith.
They proceed down to the next level. They find the mad snake man who has covered his room with "Beware bretheren, for Yig will abandon us" and is muttering repititively. They manage to answer his riddle. He tells them that the Venom of the Serpant is hidden in a statue of Yig on the other side of the Temple. On the way they enter the dinning hall and struggle with four shadow serpants. They defeat them. Sal gathers some crockery with Yig decorations.
They find the statue of Yig and Ekkie locates the secret compartment with the creepy looking bottles filled with black fluid.
They descend down to next level.
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Sun Jan 03, 2016 5:25 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Sunday 19 March
Down on the next level they see yet another snake statue with glowing yellow eyes illuminating a set of wooden double doors that as far as they can see cannot be opened. Exploring about Sal finds an egg hatchery and gathers an unbroken egg and after a bit of a burn a Hot Rock. They find a room with rotted pillows and a Jade Statue of Yig. Sansa checks it for magic and find nothing. It is apparently not the item they are seeking. Bedwyr messes with the snake statue in the hall and finds that the eye lids are hinged. He closes them and a giant zombie snake moves to attack. Sansa manages to away it while the party swarms over it. They dispatch it, it crumbles to dust leaving behind gleaming white fangs which they gather up as the Fangs of the Serpant.
They note doors leading out of the sunken tower that obviously lead to ocean and a foul smelling room that contains a horde of zombies that they slam closed and spike shut. Wulfgar also gathers a Hot Rock. They head back up and see the high priest. He tells them the jade statue they have is just a rock, but with the Fangs, Scales, Amulet, and Venom he can put the servants of Yig to rest. They turn over the items and need to help him complete the ritual. They try to coerce Bedwyr into doing it, but he is frightened. Finally Sansa volunteers and she and Bedwyr are cut by the Fangs, their blood is mixed with the Venom and poured on to the Scales with the Amulet. The High Priest thanks them, begins to fade, the Jade Serpant appears, and water begins pouring in from above.
They quaff some potions of water breathing and make their way up as the tower begins collapsing around them. Bedwyr is struck and knocked out, Gerag carries him further, and they get back to the caves as the top of the tower falls into a pool of water that bubbles up from below. Bedwyr is badly hurt and Sansa heals him. He is need of rest, but they decide to get back to Marnor as quickly as possible.
They leave the caves, not exploring futher and return to the beach. It is dusk which seems later than it should be. They decide to camp out on the beach rather than going through the swamp at night. They set watches but are not disturbed.
Monday 20 March 981
They make their way back to Marnor. On the way they see an old, water mill, that is strangely tilted, yet the wheel continues to turn. They decide not to investigate and press on.
They return to Marnor and go to the Indecipherable Scroll. They tell Mina of their adventure and she notes that the Jade Serpant is very powerful. Bedwyr is put to rest here, and they worry about telling his Aunt, the High Priestess of Poseidon, what has happened to him.
Gerag goes to the Temple of Poseidon/Hospital and is healed up. Sal sells the Crockery of Yig for 500 GP. Old stuff with snake decoration is valuable. Wulfgar gets healed up by Sansa and returns home with his Hot Rock. He finds that it is very useful, like a permanent portable fire. With his metal working skills he fashions a cage for it that allows it to be moved around safely. Even his brothers are impressed and it is clearly quite valuable.
Sal visits Xort, who is still recovering in the Hospital. Xort tells him that he was badly burned by those that attacked the Wizards Guild; Sal does not notice anything. Xort asks if the party has investigated 14 Graymalkin Lane stressing that this place is the source of cultist activity in the city. Sal gives Xort the egg he took from the Temple of Yig, noting he is not sure what it is, and asks Xort to investigate his Hot Rock. Xort is intially quite impressed with the Hot Rock.
Ekkied manages to make a meeting with Quelch and seel off the Tropical Art that Odhran had purchased. She turns a hansome profit.
Tuesday 21 March
Gerag notes a strange article in back pages of the Shipping News: ---------------------------------------------------------- Bizarre Attack in Scurvey Town
While this reporter has seen many strange things in Marnor over the years, the reports from Scurvey Town yesterday rank among the most strange I have ever heard. Dorotia Penetia, a "hostess" at The Windy Castle a Dreaming Street establishment, reported that she was accosted by a small wooden human who hit her from behind knocking her down. The thing jumped on her back and stung her with some sort of stinger that emerged from its torso. At this point Taxios Bitsios, a longshoreman, intervened after hearing the screams of Ms. Penetia, and knocked the wooden thing to the ground. Then he claimed that the creature sprouted wings and flew off.
Both Ms. Penetia and Mr. Bitsios were held over night by the Town Guard to sleep off whatever it was they had ingested, but even in the morning they stuck to their strange story. Ms. Penetia did have a puncture wound on her back that the Town Guard was unable to explain. ---------------------------------------------------------- They immediately think of the Fire Faireys. Sansa vows to investigate.
Ekkie has a letter from the Town Guard. The Old Dorm is no longer under investigation and can be reopened. She will try to gather up the girls and Avanzo. She also notes that she has yet to hear about the deposition of Odhran's estate, but that should come soon.
They decide to meet down at the docks at 12:00 to bring
the Jade Serpant to hopefully shut down the Dread Machine.
Gerag goes to visit Sister Regina and gives her the Spear of Yig, which can shoot lightning, and trains on the sword. She tells him that he has completed his training on the sword. He stops at an armorer and purchases a suit of chain mail for Bedwyr.
Sal goes to purchase some scroll, etc.
Sansa and Wulfgar head out to the Idol That Walks to find out what is going on with the Fire Faireys...
Gerag, Sal, Bedwyr will advance a level to fifth, fifth and second respectively.
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Sun Jan 31, 2016 8:05 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Tuesday 21 March
Mina tells them that the Jade Serpant is a powerful healing device and thus can heal the damage that allows the creation of the electro-zombies by the Dread Machine, but that the use of it will cause a terrible curse, in that one would turn into a snake man and become devoted to Yig. She knows of something that would counteract that curse, the Dove's Harp. That was lost when when the Serpant Empire fell, thus it is likely in the ruins of the snake man city that used to be here. Most think that is beneath the ocean, but she suspects it is underground and the source of the snakemen that constantly plague the city. Perhaps Captain Sondek, head of the Sewer Patrol, can be some help with that?
Sansa and Wulfgar arrive at the Idol That Walks where they hear the sound of work and see some Fire Fairey's repairing the entrance. They say that a woman in a mask showed up and demanded to see Ningel. She would not take no for an answer and broke in. There she confronted Ningel, and then knocked her out. She then did something that brought down some crawling electricity that destroyed some of their "special" projects, including the flying, blood sucker. Also the woman gave them some passes to the Salon du Masque to make up for taking away Ningel. Sansa wants to take those as it will keep the Fire Faireys away from the Water Faireys, but they note that some of them are with the Water Faireys, but others prefer working
girls.
Sansa decides to spend some time communing with the Fey Lands via the Fairey Fire. She sees a green patch that is being taken over by a black-tentacled thing. She then sees a faceted geometric thing which arrives and engulfs the black thing, drags it off, leaving the battered bit of green to heal.
Wulfgar talks Sansa out of heading straight off to confront The Countess and they meet with the others down at the docks. There Wulfgar arranges for a boat out to the Light House. Just as they are preparing to leave someone notices that the Light House light has gone out. This leads to unsettlement, panic, and delay in heading out to the Light House. They do not get there until dusk. No one is there to meet them, and they begin to worry. They make their way to the Light House up the path.
They encounter an Electro-Zombie on the way to the Light House and manage to dispatch it. They note that the EZ is amorphous rather than a risen dead person. As they get to the Light House they see two more EZs attacking the door. They see the Thornbraes on the second floor harrying the EZs with sling bullets. They attack and manage to defeat the two EZs. Sansa has to heal Gerag.
The Thornbraes tell them that earlier today the EZs showed up and they have been busy defending the Light House. They saw more EZs than this and are certain that more EZs are around. The party asks them to re-light the Light House, it will take an hour, and send a message for help to Marnor. Two of the clan, Plus and Minus, join the party to help finish off the EZs.
The party heads to the cliffs and makes their way down to the beach. As they make their way across the beach, they encounter five EZs who have surrounded them. It looks like a tough struggle with a key event being Sal awaying two of them. They kill the three remaining, Sansa has to heal the battered Wulfgar and Sal, and they try to find the two that were awayed, but fail.
They head into the cave and avoid any further exploration heading straight into the Dread Machine. They avoid all the traps, do not mess with anything. They note that the Steel Guardian seems to be "growing" back and is about half complete. They get to the Converter and as the Guardians come out to confront them, Gerag releases the Jade Serpant. They see the serpant grow and be insubstantial, push through the Guardians, and coil around the Converter. The ghostly snake bites at the Converter, and they can see the Converter ripped apart. The Guardians attack the Snake and tear it to pieces. At Gerag's feet are the crumbled remains of the Jade Serpant. The Guardians then raise their arms and begin glowing with inner fire and gradually turn into glowing balls of light. All except Sansa begin fleeing, while she tries to embrace the light. Sansa collapses.
The Dread Machine is coming apart and all are fleeing. Gerag grabs Sansa, but gets seriously hurt as he carries her out. Plus Thornbrae falls, and despite Wulfgar's effort to rescue him, Plus is crushed by the collapsing Machine. As they retreat back to the Light House, they encounter one of the EZs and kill it. They get to the Light House and find that a squad of Marnor Marines have arrived. There are no healers or magic users, but some soldiers. Sal who is relatively unhurt, gathers them up to hunt down the remaining EZ. The others, all pretty battered, head to the dock to take the boat back to Marnor.
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Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:56 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Tuesday 21 March Continued
Sal tells the Marines that brigands, not zombies or Morans, were responsible for the light house going out. He takes one squad to hunt down the remaining EZ. The other secures the landing. It takes them all night to hunt down and kill the remaining EZ and one marine is killed. That marine does not rise as an EZ.
When the rest of the party gets to the dock they see the harbor full of small ships apparently fleeing the city. There are some fires burning in Marnor. They decide to wait it out at the light house and spend the night there resting.
Wednesday 22 March
In the morning Sansa is awake, but a bit confused. She no longer knows the spell Detect Evil/Chaos/Good/Lawful and her eyes change color with her mood.
Minus Thornbrae decides to join up with the party. He wants to see more of the world than just this little island.
The party decides to head back to town. The Marines will garrison the island against invasion, and send a courier back with the party to report.
They head back to the Indecipherable Scroll. They see some mess from the disturbances over night. The Scroll is locked up, but when they knock, Mina answers and lets them in. She notes that when things went a bit nuts last night, she closed up and set wards. With things quieting down now, she reopens. She will look into Sansa to see if she has any serious damage.
Bedwyr is up and feeling better. He wants to revisit his family, but does want some of the party to go with him to explain his new career choice as a adventurer to his aunt.
Ekkie receives a letter about the disposition of Odhran's property. Sansa is now the owner of the Swampland, Gerag owns the Old Dorm, and Mina and Avanzo gets a large amount of money.
Gerag, Sal, Minus and Bedwyr head off to the Temple of Poseidon, Hospital, to see Bedwyr's family and look after Xort. There they see the mess caused by the riot. They meet with High Priestess Lorelei. She tells them that she blames the Cult of the Pirate God, who has always been a strong rival to Poseidon here, for taking advantage of the situation and getting the crowd to attack the Temple of Poseidon. She is saddened that paladins of Poseidon in armor and with swords had to fight with citizens armed with clubs and torches. After hearing Bedwyr explain himself and Gerag tell her how important he has been to their effort, she says that perhaps adventurer is a better calling than priest of Poseidon. In the future he can be a Paladin for the God.
The Hospital is overwhelmed at the moment and can only spare some Cure Light's for the party.
Sansa talks with Mina. She tells Mina that the explosion was caused by the Jade Serpant. Mina notes that Sansa can still do magic, they do a test, and that she has picked up a magical flaw which causes her eyes to change color. It would be hard to get rid of. There might be other effects yet to be revealed. While in her underground lab, Mina notes that the Green Thing here is not the actual Green Thing, but a copy. In a rage she destroys the copy, noting that the real Green Thing is now much less dangerous with the Dread Machine gone. She reiterates how much she hates that thing. She advises Sansa to take it easy the rest of the day. Mina will send a note to the Fire Faireys and have them come and visit.
Gerag and Bedwyr visit the Town Guard and ask about what else happened last night. They learn of the below:
Back page article in the Shipping News ---------------------------------------------------------- Publicity Stunt at Marnor Opera House?
Even amid the chaos that gripped the city in the wake of the interruption of service by the Lighthouse, some members of Marnor's entertainment community could not resist the temptation to take advantage of the situation to stage an elaborate publicity stunt. Members of the hard pressed city guard were called to the Opera House yesterday evening. There they found that venerable theatre decorated for the upcoming production of The Southern Ocean, the classic musical tale of a romance set in a tropical island outpost of the old Moran Empire during war time. Authentic artifacts from the tropics have been placed in the lobby of the old theatre making it into an extension of the action on stage.
Apparently to draw attention to the impending production Rickard Burbage, the artistic director of the Opera House Company, called for aid from the Town Guard claiming that a "revenant" from the tropics was attempting to break into the Opera House. Burbage claimed that the "revenant" was attracted by the relics being used in the play and as decorations.
Officers found what they characterized as an "old, bum from Scurvey Town" smashing his way through the front entrance of the Opera House. They then described an arduous struggle with the man who apparently was wrapped in bandages to conceal his identity. He was also wearing a brightly colored flowered hat to bolster his "tropical" bona fides. Despite their best attempts to persuade the man to desist in this publicity stunt gone too far, the Guard had to resort to harsher measures. The unfortunate man was set a light when an attack by torch went awry and his costume bandages caught fire. He was last seen screaming in pain and fleeing towards the water front. Witnesses on the docks, much distracted by other things going on yesterday evening, reported a burning man jumping into the harbor just down the street from the Opera House.
Burbage disavowed all knowledge of the attacking man, and claimed that while he and his company were dress rehearsing the famous native summoning dance scene from The Southern Ocean he heard a pounding on the front doors of the Opera House. Investigation revealed an "ancestral spirit" just as described in the play coming to seek "vengeance" on those who have disturbed the tranquility of the tropical paradise. The production has been beset by problems, most recently the hospitalization of Thomas Rhymer, the noted singer. Rhymer had been slated to take the lead in The Southern Ocean, but was found severely beaten soon after his affair with Imelda Hodden, wife of the noted magnate Barthelomew Hodden, became embarrassingly public.
The Town Guard has no leads in either case, and their spokesman said, "With the riot and all those in holding after the attack on the Temple of Poseidon, we have far better things to do than investigate the salacious behavior of the rich and the over dramatic." ----------------------------------------------------------
They also leave a note for Captain Sondek with the intent of trying to learn about the Snakemen under the city.
Gerag and Bedwyr make their way to visit Sister Regina. There Gerag warns her about The Countess and asks after Lucius. They are still guarding him carefully. He seems to be happy when they give him some books to read, and has been no trouble. Regina will look into The Countess.
Bedwyr needs better weaponry and after a talk, he starts training on the Trident. He does very well with the weapon, picking up an affinity for it. Sister Regina lends him one for future use.
Sal and Minus find Xort at his home/shop. Xort returns Sal's Hot Rock. Xort has fashioned a box for it that allows it to be carried around safely. Xort tells them that the egg is a snake person and because of the long time it was stuck in the Temple of Yig that it is likely to hatch and mature quickly. He also saw what happened at the Temple of Poseidon and agrees that the Cult of the Pirate God led the attack on the Temple of Poseidon whipping up popular fury that the Temple of Poseidon is soft on Mora. It was an uneven fight and the Temple/Hospital was never really in great danger. Xort asks after the party's investigation into 14 Graymalkin Lane. He notes that the snakes should have taken advantage of the troubles last night, but they apparently did not. Perhaps they are lying low in the wake of the fall of their partner, Tarmon? Sal tells him that they will get to the investigation of 14 Greymalkin Lane as soon as possible.
All head back to the Scroll. The Fire Faireys are there visiting with Sansa. They tell them that Ningel clearly had a bad effect on them, and their memories are kind of hazy of the time she spent with them. They apologize that they have not been working on the birthday presents that they owe Sansa, Gerag, and that crazy Dwarf. Gerag asks for a Fire Javelin and they say they will get to work on that.
They have a discussions about Odhran and the Mummy. Ekkie notes that the tropical items were simply sitting in a box when they had them, but that those that bought them pulled them out, and maybe that was happened to attract the Mummy.
They decide to explore 14 Graymalkin Lane first thing tomorrow.
Sansa throws some heals. Sal takes Ekkie, Bedwyr, and Minus out on the town, but they note that things are a bit subdued in the wake of the troubles from yesterday.
Thursday 23 March
They head out early to 14 Graymalkin Lane. They find a neglected looking mansion on the edge of the Merchant District. Looking closely they notice that the windows appear to be fake and they cannot really see into the interior. Ekkie checks the door, is certain there is a trap, but when Gerag smashes it in there is nothing. Inside they find one big room filling the mansion, there is a second door leading out the back and some steps leading down. Sansa puts a light on Bedwyr's trident and they descend. At the entrance they find a circular thing in the sandy soil that looks like the same thing that many have seen in Mina's lab. They spend some time looking into it, but it seems inert.
They descend in and follow Sal's rule of always turning left. Bedwyr is hurt by a rock fall trap. They find a store of coins in secret room. They go into a room with metal box with glass window. As they enter a giant worm smashes through the wall, crushing the box, and attacking them. Sal gives Gerag a Strength boost which lasts two hours. It hits Bedwyr, but does not manage to lay eggs in any one. Sansa heals Bedwyr. In a small room next to this one they find a box filled with small jars containing a clear, thick liquid. Sal grabs a few jars. Out into a big room they see stairs leading down.
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Sun Feb 28, 2016 4:03 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 23 March Continued
The party heads down to the second level. They explore a room with big mishapen pillows and cabinets. Sansa takes three bottles of brown liquid found within the cabinets.
Into a room with three strangely dressed humans inside glass cabinets filled with a slightly green liquid. The humans all have black pants and boots. One has a yellow shirt, one blue, and one orange. There are six metal cabinets too. Sal detects magic, finding some on both the glass and metal cabinets. Ekkie checks a featureless metal cabinet for a way in and becomes obsessed. There is a panel made from a strong, light, clear material on each of the glass cabinets. There are some buttons. Wulfgar tells them that the material is rare and hard to manufacture. The panel also reminds them of things they have seen in Mina's lab. Bedwyr presses a button on the tube with the orange shirt. The fluid begins draining out of the cabinet, two of the metal cabinets open and two beings made of metal and moving on wheels roll out of the metal cabinets and up to the glass cabinet. When the fluid is empty the glass cabinet opens. The human within does not look well, all wrinkled, and slumps to the floor. The two metal beings move up to the human, some arms come out and touch the human. Finally the metal beings roll back and a red light begins flashing.
Eventually the other button is pushed. The metal beings push the human back into the cabinet, it closes, it begins to refill with the greenish liquid, and the metal beings roll back into their cabinets which close behind them.
They repeat this process with the other two cabinets for same result. The blue shirted human had a sort of back pack and within they find seven scrolls. They take these, and move on.
They go into a room that has three glass tubes. Within the tubes are similar panels to the other room. Sal enters one of the tubes, and presses a green button, fluid starts to fill the tube, but Sansa grows distressed and presses another of the buttons, yellow, and the fluid drains out.
They break into a locker room and kill worms with big teeth menacing six naked men and women who were apparently showering when the worms burrowed through the wall. They talk and establish that these are the Lumnites who are fighting with the Mutants. They do not seem to understand sexual reproduction, and the party tells them that they have come from above. They meet the Lumnite leader and he tells them that they did see some snake people pass through some cycles ago. They went through the "place of battle" and passed into the territory of the Mutants. They outfit a expedition of five Lumnites armed with "laser rifles", "laser pistols", and swords to escort the party into the territory of the Mutants where there is way below. The Lumnite squad is led by Jouliz, who has a yellow shirt, while the others have red shirts.
They are led up to the upper level, pass through some corridors and rooms. They note one room where they are careful to not fully open the doors. There is a room with a lizard thing that they feed to get by. They see a room with a glass window where strange moving images and music is playing. "Come and knock on our door..." They are told that it is a message from the Immortals. They think it tells them that there should be more women in their group and they working to make that happen. They pass through a room where heads of four Mutants are on spears. Three look normal but one has a sort of lion's mane around his face.
Beyond is a large domed room with wooden barriers and rocks. The Lumnites call this the Place of Battle and they are distressed that their barriers have been wrecked, presumably by the Mutants. Beyond lies the territory of the Mutants and they begin moving more slowly and urge the party to be quiet. They pass into a room with a crude wooden barrier covering one entrance on which is scrawled "Sittern Dbul Byaa!". The Lumnites warn them that going that way is dangerous as it is the lair of frightening things that bring death.
They pass into the limestone caves and bear left, which makes Sal happy. They pass through a cave partially flooded with water, an empty cave, and a cave with a large crevasse and a rickety wooden bridge over it. The Lumnites are unsure if this is the way down as there records say the way down is a hole in the floor off this direction. Gerag creeps to the edge and he sees large, man sized, insects with nasty looking mandibles at the bottom of the crevasse. They decide this is not the way down, and cross the bridge one by one.
In the next cave there is a sink hole in the floor and they begin to descend down to the lower level.
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Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:04 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 23 March Continued
Gerag goes down the sinkhole first, he falls at the end, but since he has no armor he does not make much noise. The others make their way down. Just before the last two Lumnites make their way down, a struggle breaks out with the Mutants in their living quarters in the next room. They note that some of the Mutants have extra arms or legs. One armed with a primitive bow has over sized eyes. The Mutants are clothed with primitive skins and bits of cloth, and seem to have blue skin. The Mutants are either striking with clawed hands or primitive weapons. The party forms a defensive line in the narrow corridor between the two rooms and try to draw the Mutants in. They note that Mutants have women and children in the living quarters. They also seem to be calling for help. Some more Mutant men arrive, and launch an attack on the defensive line sacrificing themselves trying to break through. Bedwyr goes down and has to have his wounds staunched by Sansa. The women and children flee out and the Mutant men begin to withdraw. During the fight the Lumnite women used their laser rifles to good effect. The party does not pursue the withdrawing Mutants.
The Lumnites are thrilled by their victory. Eight mutants lie dead. They want to press on saying that the Mutants will sacrifice themselves to defend the "little ones". This disgusts Sansa who tries to explain that the little ones are children who will grow into adults. They debate what to do about Bedwyr who is too hurt to continue. The Lumnites seem content to take him back up to their territory. They also describe the way down as following the only path forward, leading to a place with many choices. They should go left where there is a lake. On the other side of the lake is passage below. Some sort of dangerous lizard thing lives in the lake. Below is a wild place, natural like the Mutant caves, that leads to a built place like the Lumnites quarters. They think a way further down is there. It leads to the Great Cavern where the Snake People likely went. They ask that if the party finds any gifts from the Immortals, by which the party understands things of strange technology, that they be shared with the Lumnites.
The Lumnites depart with Bedwyr. Sansa heals Gerag who was battered holding the line, and killed many of the mutants. At one point he felt his sword grabbed by an invisible hand and pulled. He flung it away and continued with his deadly hands.
The living quarters are unusual looking very primitive. They note the presence of green, tropical leaves. It is not at all clear how they got here, underground, and even if there was a way outside these sorts of tropical plants do not grow around here. Also they notice that the dead Mutants do not actually have blue skin, but are coated in some sort of blue ointment. There is a big vat of the blue ointment in the living quarters.
They press on passing through a couple of other chambers that look like more living quarters and meeting rooms. They get to a passage on the left and enter. It is a large room filled with low banana trees, clearly the source of the tropical leaves. A waterfall comes from the cieling, feeding a swift river running out of the chamber. Gerag goes forth to investigate where the river leaves the chamber. When he gets there Mutants appear out of the trees to attack. There are many, around 20, with one of them dressed in robes and armed with a knife. The party withdraws to the entrance and tries to indicate that they only want to pass through. The mutants do not press the attack, and the party continues down the corridor. They enter a place with four corridors coming together. They go left and see a cavern with a large lake.
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Sun Apr 03, 2016 3:35 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 23 March Continued
They enter the cavern with the lake. Sal tries to jump across the narrowest part of the lake and gets most of the way across. He is attacked by a white, giant ape creature who comes from below. The others shoot from the shore and it is driven off. Sal had a rope which they then rig as a bridge across the lake. All make their way. Wulfgar is last, he is not wearing his armor, and he falls and is attacked by the thing. They attack it again, and see its bloodied body sink to the bottom..
They proceed down the steep tunnel and enter a room with frogs with big sharp teeth. They dispatch the frogs and note the hole around which the frogs were gathered. Sal was badly hurt by one of the frogs, and has to rest and be healed by Sansa. As they rest with Sal a pink wading bird with large, toothy jaws, a Flamingodile, moves into the room and is dispatched when Ekkies chops off its head. They go that direction and smell jungle and hear flowing water. They enter a cavern with a swiftly flowing stream surrounded by thick vegetation. They note the cavern is illuminated by light stones in the cieling. They can hear a water fall to their right. Exploring along the stream bank, they find a skeletal corpse, and Sansa takes a ring with a blue stone from its finger. They explore and see a flock of about 10 Flamingodiles. They set up fire positions and pick off 7 of the birds before the remaining three fly in to attack. Minus goes down and is badly injured while the remaining birds are killed. Sansa has to heal him, but Minus is too hurt to
They decide to hole up at the far end of the river where the water fall enters, and they can climb up next to the falls and see a long way down the river. While exploring Sal finds a chest behind the falls. It is filled with silver pieces and a big red gem that Sal pockets.
Their plan is to rest here to regain their spells and see if Minus can continue.
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Sun Apr 24, 2016 3:18 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 24 March Continued
Sansa throws her final spell of the day to cure Gerag. For dinner they cook some dead flamingodile on Sal and Wulfgar's hot rocks. Sansa tries one of the bananas and notes its healing properties. All eventually eat one and have good effect. Gerag gathers a bunch of them for later use. Gerag is also able to catch a fish which seem abundant in the stream. Sansa hopes that Minus will be able to function in the morning, but she is not sure.
Sal takes the first watch and sends Wilhelm to explore. Wilhelm reports back that further down the stream is another exit besides the one they came in. It leads to room filled with webs. Beyond that the stream feeds into a pool with a vigorous drain at the bottom. During the first watch a flock of four flamingodiles attacks and the depleted party struggles to dispatch them.
Friday 24 March
Gerag takes the second watch. During his watch a flight of out size bees attacks. While they manage to fight them off, Gerag is stung and poisoned by one of the bees. He is not only badly depleted, but poisoned and in serious need of rest. Sal gathers up the remains of the bees in hopes of manufacturing some sort of poison.
Wulfgar takes the third watch. He sees a large spider with two of its arms human-like making its way towards the party. It is chortling about the fun it will have with the captured party members. As Wulfgar arouses the others from sleep, the spider disappears from view. Sal casts Detect Evil and locates the very obviously evil spider and directs effective missle fire on the spider. It retreats.
When morning comes the party decides that this place is too dangerous to rest up and that they have to make their way back up to rest either among the Mutants or the Lumnites. Minus and Gerag are unable to fight and clearly need at least another day of rest.
They make their way back up, and encounter a patrol of Mutants on the next higher level. Sal is finally able to make sense of the Mutants primitive talk, indicates that the party means no harm, and offers the Mutants a roasted flamingodile. The Mutants are very pleased by this, and return with what the party presumes is the Mutant leader, who is the only one they have seen wearing actual clothes. After some discussion the party is led to one of the smaller caverns serving as living quarters. The Mutants give them more bananas and noting Gerag's swelling some of the blue paste that they indicate he should smear on his wound. The bananas continue to provide healing, the paste seems to cure Gerag's poison, and Sansa throws a bunch of cures to get every one back up to strength. Sal makes a mash of rum and banana which he gives to the Mutants. They like it.
The Mutants have posted guards at both exits of the cavern and besides an attack through the wall by a few cave worms that the party and the Mutants easily defeat, they spend the day resting and deciding what they will do next.
Saturday 25 March
They head back down and to the lair of the spider. They find a web filled room with the giant spider in the middle. Again the spider seems to relish taking the party captive. As the party rushes to attack, the spider webs out half of them, summons a swarm of spiders, and shakes off an attempt by Sal to turn it. Sansa thinks better of using a Ray of Fire, but puts up a Spiritual Weapon that hits the spider. The spider then offers a bargain, trading its "dinner" in return for letting the party retreat. They take the bargain and are given two humans wrapped in spider silk.
They free the two humans who tell them that they were captured by the spider, who then tortured them mercilessly, and fed off their blood. One is Tol'Ak, a Mutant, a young man who offended the Mutant leader and was tossed into the stream, fell to the lower level and was taken by the spider. The other is Tellerin, a woman with pale skin and unusual kit. Wulfgar recognizes that her kit is derived from various sorts of fungus that grows underground. She tells them that she is a member of the Tribe of the Mushroom Forest which is in the Great Cavern which is below. She was part of an expedition exploring above which was set upon by "small demons", she fled, and was captured by the spider. The two refuse to be separated and Tellerin suggests that she can lead them to the Great Cavern where, indeed, there is the City of the Snakemen, among other wonders.
She leads them back to the hole that they found surrounded by vampire frogs. It is a tight squeeze, one at a time, through it, but it leads to a short section of worked corridor that ends in a door. The door is stuck closed; Gerag has no trouble getting through it. Just beyond the door is a large diamond shaped room lit by torches. As they make their way across the room, Gerag is suddenly attacked by an acid soaked psuedopod, and they realize that it is a Gelatenous Cube. They surround the horror, grabbing torches to attack and dispatch it. Within they find a key ring with 10 keys on it.
Tellerin leads them through a large square room with big double doors on one side. She warns that the "little demons" lair beyond those doors. Following a corridor out of that room, making a turn, they come to stair way leading down. They can smell damp earth down the stairs.
Tellerin leads them down the stairs which twist and winds for a long way. Eventually it comes out into the Great Cavern. They are stunned by its size. It looks to be 15-20 miles across and 10 or so miles wide. It is 150 feet tall, they are about half way up the wall, and the cieling glitters with light and crystals. The floor is covered in dense jungle. At the center is a lake fed by a water fall from the ceiling evidently from the drain in the stream on the next level up. To the right against the wall is the Mushroom Forest, three or four miles away. To the right of the lake, in front of them half way across the cavern, they can see a swampy region. Beyond, against the far wall, they see what appears to be a glacier. To the far left they see a stepped pyramid structure, The Ziggurat, rising above the surrounding jungle. Behind them and to their left, in a part of the Cavern they cannot see, Tellerin tells them is the Forbidden City of the Snakemen.
They plan to make their way to the Mushroom Forest to meet Tellerin's tribe.
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Sun May 15, 2016 7:48 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Saturday 25 March Continued Tellerin tells them it will take most of the rest of the day to get the five or six miles to the Mushroom Forest. The jungle is very dense, paths get overgrown very quickly, and they have to hack their way through the jungle. She warns them of patrols of "red furred ones, slaves of the snakes", "giant bugs with swords", "wrinkled ones", "immortals from beyond", "living stones", and "jungle giants". They get to the Mushroom Forest. Gerag gathers a small brown mushroom. Eating it now would induce sickness, but drying it, and brewing tea produces a healing drink. Tellerin tells Sansa of the various kinds of mushrooms that are beneficial as food, healing, or magical benefits. They get to the Mushroom Forest with its towering funguses. The tribe of the Mushroom Forest appears, they are very stealthy moving among the stalks and caps. They recognize Tellerin, and she tells them that these folks have saved her and her new man Tol'Ak from the evil spider that lives above. They escort them through the forest to their village which is in the heart of the Mushroom Forest and hard to spot if one does not know it is there. Lludr, their leader, thanks the party and says that the tribe owes them a debt for the return of their lost sister. First there will be a celebration. The whole tribe turns out, there seem to be about 100, and the food is various mushrooms plus fish and game. Gerag is treated as the leader, Ekkie is clearly his woman, Minus is treated like an honored guest and one of the tribal women serves him personally. Sansa, Sal, and Wulfgar are seated behind the others and guarded carefully. The tribal elder, Raulgok, steps forward and recites the story of the Tribe of the Mushroom Forest: The ancestors of the Tribe were slaves of the snakes in their great city by the sea, Vallosia. They were oppressed and abused. It was a time of suffering. The Tribe endures.
Then came the Great Convulsion. The Star That Fell came and carried Vallosia and its environs beneath the earth to form the Great Cavern. The snakes took to fighting amongst themselves some continuing to support their ancient scaly gods while others took up with the Immortals from Beyond. Amid the chaos the Tribe was able to escape climbing out of the pit into which Vallosia has fallen. Other slaves of the snakes remained in Vallosia thrall to the snakes or the Immortals from Beyond. Others joined the Tribe in their exodus from fallen Vallosia and also made their way into the Great Cavern. Some are friends of the Tribe, others enemies. The Tribe endures. The Tribe made its way across the Great Cavern to the Mushroom Forest where they found succor among the gifts of the gods and that which keep the snakes at bay. Others came to the Great Cavern, which proved to be center of the Universe, seeking the Star That Fell. The Small Ones (he points at Wulfgar) from their World of Ice and Fire. The Wrinkled Ones from their world without water. The beautiful ones (he points at Sansa and Sal) from their green world beneath the clouds. And countless others. The Tribe endures. Some have come and stayed, and some have come and gone. The Tribe endures. Some have gone beyond on the wings of the gift of the gods. The Tribe endures. Others went above where they found the Bearers of the Light that Burns. The Tribe endures. Others went below where they found the World Within. The Tribe endures. Now we drink the gift of the gods. The Tribe endures. In front of each is a small glass with dark, foul smelling liquid. All drink, Sansa, has to be prodded, but eventually she does. The party members feel as if their insides are being torn out, and then the rest of their body slowly catches up. They open their eyes and find themselves in a dimly lit chamber with close, foul smelling air. There are stairs up and across the room stairs down. Both are blocked by a wall with eight strange symbols on them. Sal pokes at the door leading up, it opens revealing an alien landscape. They are on a balcony on a pyramid that rises above a dusty plain. The sky is purple, and the sun is dim. To the west is a craggy mountain range, the south is dark lake, and to the east what looks to be a large mushroom forest. Strangely the horizon is much closer than they have grown accustomed. The pyramid seems to be made of metal, but it is clearly old with many pits and stains. On the plain to the north of the pyramid is cairn of stones with a tattered banner stuck in it. To their horror they see two groups of what appears to be a cross between human and ape, weilding primitive weapons, and covered with strange tattoos converging on the cairn. Each has 30-40 warriors. The two groups begin a fearsome struggle with the one that came from the northeast getting the better of the one that came from the northwest. The loosers flee leaving half their number behind. The winners tear into the flesh of the fallen loosers, tearing out and eating their blood dripping hearts, and strips of flesh torn from their bodies. Their own dead they carefully put on the cairn. They take the banner and head back to the northeast. Meanwhile below Sal detected magic, and finds it on the "door", something much stronger but flickering on and off beyond the lower door. The magic is strange, like nothing Sal has seen before. Pushing the same symbol the "door" below opens and Gerag and Wulfgar enter the chamber below. There a skeletal figure with dried flesh hanging off its bones sitting on a golden throne. Its head is thrown back and its mouth is open in a scream. Rays of light in a rainbow of colors flow from the figure to the cieling of the great domed room. Besides the throne there is a short, round pillar floating above the floor, on which sits a shard of dark glass with green edges. The rays flicker on and off intermittently. Gerag, thinking of the Green Thing, takes the green stone and the rays go dark. The green stone detects as magic. They explore the domed chamber and find nothing of note. Sal, who seems to know some astronomy tells them what he knows. In the center sits a strange cylinder shaped object that burns perpetually at one end and is a frozen in ice at the other. The world they know is on the outer surface of this cylinder. It is thought that the cylinder is hollow with a world within, but no one really knows. Wulfgar mentions that the Dwarves have a legend that as one delves deep there are many more caverns like the Great Cavern, and eventually if one goes deep enough a new world can be found below. In orbit around the cylinder is the moon and 12 "Dragonstars". Further out is the burning world, the sun, with its small satellite known as Mercury. Further out are the two sister worlds. One shrouded in clouds, Venus, and one red, Mars. Beyond is the "Smoke Ring", a torus of gas and countless small worlds. Beyond are the giant worlds with their many satellites. And finally in the outer part of the system are the balls of rock and ice. Occasionally one of these moves into the inner part, inside the Smoke Ring, becoming comets, bringing danger and strife. Beyond at distances inconceivably vast lie the stars each of which apparently harbors a system of worlds like, yet not like, this one. Sal guesses that they have some how been transported to one of the worlds of the Smoke Ring (the small sun and the purple sky). None of the party has ever heard of such a thing. Apparently they are trapped here, with no obvious way back. They decide to leave the pyramid, it is not difficult to climb down, there are many pocks and pits, with the aid of rope. They make their way to the mushroom forest to the east. To their relief it is clearly much like the Mushroom Forest of the Great Cavern. They set up a camp and gather edible mushrooms as night falls. Sunday 26 March They make their way south along the edge of the mushroom forest, away from the cannibalistic sub-humans, and towards the lake. Around midday they are attacked by two flying lizard like creatures with maws full of sharp teeth. They defeat them, and butcher them for their meat. Near the end of the day, they detect a group of subhumans hiding among the stalks trying to ambush them. They spot them and turn the tables. There are about a dozen of them armed with clubs. Two have strange weapons in their hands. One emits a ray of fire that hits Gerag, and they note that attached to it is a green stone similar the one they took from the metal pyramid. When about half of the subhumans have gone down, the others flee to the east into the depths of the forest. They loot the bodies, finding some valuable mushrooms, and other stuff. They find a good place to camp. They estimate that in one more day they will reach the lake.
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Sun Jun 12, 2016 12:32 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Monday 27 March
They make their way to the shores of the lake. It smells bad and is irritating to their eyes and noses. They see a skiff, it looks like cart without wheels, just off shore submerged in the water. They manage to get it out with a grappling hook on the end of a rope and Sal lowering the water with his Control Water scroll. They detect magic and note a control panel like the one on the doors in the metal pyramid. Sal hits the rune that opened the doors and the skiff powers up and rises up a few feet. Further messing with the runes they find the one that makes it go forward and another that makes it stop. There is a sort of joy stick that controls its direction.
With night falling they decide to head back to the forest and camp. During the first watch subhuman raiders attack, and they decide to get away on the skiff. They fell four of those who attacked out of the darkness and head back to the metal pyramid. Cautiously they make their way in the darkness. The skiff gives out and stops. A quick look reveals a dead green stone under the control panel. They swap in the one they took from the metal pyramid and continue to the Metal Pyramid.
They are at a loss as what to do next. They realize they need to understand the technology they have found here if they are to have some hope of getting back.
Tuesday 28 March
An airship, The Serene Verity, is seen in the sky of the Purple Planet. Sal uses his flashlight to attract its attention. It comes to them, and they are hailed by the captain, Toren Fosus (human male). He clearly notes that they are not from around here. The air ship comes here, which they call Naat, to trade for green stones with the overlords, who rule over the sub-humans. The overlords are the apparently intelligent survivors of Eris, the planet that used be here, before a war with the Martians. The Martians launched a weapon that destroyed Eris, and left the smoke ring in its place. Bits of old Eris, like Naat and the Overlords, remain. Their old technology, such as the skiff, green stones, and energy weapons, is very valuable as no one knows how to reproduce it any more. They trade the overlords things like green vegetables and other items that they clearly remember from long ago for green stones, which are valuable power sources.
Sansa talks with the navigator, Omekal Enroth (female elf) who tells Sansa that she is from the Elven home world, Venus, which is completely forest covered. She is clearly not telling Sansa something important. Sansa frightens her by telling her that the party lives by taking what it wants.
Captain Fosus suggests that the party should raid an overload stronghold to gather a store of green stones and tech. He knows of a number. There is a giant pyramid carried around by a horde of sub-humans that is constantly belching smoke which occasionally forms up an image of a city. Also there is a great pit where the giant desert worms congregate. One of them has an enormous green stone. He suggests that these two places are not worth the trouble. The third is large wooden pallisade with 100's of sub-humans, a wooden tower where the overlords, floating heads on robot bodies, live, and a stone stronghold. They will split the take and the party will be transported to Zothique, the capitol of the Confederation of Asteroid States. There they should be able to find passage to the inner part of the system on either a Dragon Empire Wyvern Coach, a Dwarf Steam Rocket, or an Elven Sun Sail Ship. An airship can only operate in the Smoke Ring where there is air.
The airship has a gas volume below which is a wooden hull. Two projectile weapons are on either end of the hull and there are two engines to either side of the hull. There are cloth sails and rudders too. On top of the gas volume are two other weapons in some sort of crystal domes. It is not clear what these do. There seems to be about 20 crew. About 10 are cargo handlers/marines. There are some dwarven mechanics who run the engines, some riggers who man the sails, and some officers.
They decide to raid in the darkness with the party moving in the skiff to the strong house, while the air ship will lay off the main gate and attack if the party needs a distraction. Wilhelm will remain on the air ship while the party attacks the strong house to communicate via his connection with Sal.
The plan devised by Gerag and Sal is to stealithy bring the Skiff to the roof of the Strong House. Sal will enter via his scroll of Gaseous Form. If there are guards inside he will take them out with a scroll of Sleep, while the others will rush the entrance when Sal opens it. If the large horde of sub-humans who live in conical huts within the pallisade are aroused, the air ship will attack.
They attack just after dark. They are able to get the skiff over the wall without arousing the sub-humans watching the wall. It lands quietly on the stone strong house. Sal goes gaseous, but because of the thick stone walls of the strong house, he has to go through the thick wooden doors. The mist arouses the attention of the five sub-humans who are guarding inside the strong house. Sal materializes, hits them with Sleep, three go down, but the other two attack. Above the party hears the commotion and rushes the door. They find it barred closed. Wulfgar using his axe and Gerag battering begin to destroy the door, while Sal holds off the two attacking sub-humans. The party breaks in, Gerag helps Sal finish off the guards, and he and Sal begin gathering wooden boxes, big and small. The rest of party begins holding off a growing horde of sub-humans who were awakened by the commotion and are rushing to the strong house. Sansa holds them off by launching some Rays of Fire, much to her dellight. Minus pilots the skiff, and comes down to get all aboard. A messy struggle breaks out with some sub-humans on the skiff, the party trying to jump on, as Minus pulls away. Gerag is dangling off the side, helped by Wulfgar, while the others finish off the isolated sub-humans on the skiff.
They fly off and meet the air ship which had remained out of sight. They have gathered 18 little boxes, 16 of which have green stones, and 2 have short range plasma torches. They have gathered 9 big boxes which contiain 4 mines, grenade like weapons, 3 ray guns, and 2 laser rifles. All of these, except the mines, need to be powered by green stones. Captain Fosus is delighted. Normally he comes here and is lucky to leave with some green stones. He tells them that the green stones can be recharged by being exposed to sun light.
He suggests to them that there is another famous location of ancient technology worth exploring, the nearby asteroid of Cincor. He calls it The Eggs. The party demurs and The Serene Verity sets course for Zothique. They Purple Planet of Naat is left behind and the sails are unfurled as they make best speed. They should be to the capitol of the Confederation of Asteroid States in about a day.
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Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:50 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Tuesday 28 March
Journey from Naat/Purple Planet to Zoothique/Rock of Bral. They hear lots from the captain and crew of the Serene Verity: From Captain Fosus: "Don't go the embassy of the Dragon Space Empire. It is forbidden to travel from Kylindo into outer space and if they know you did this they will take you and make you tell them how you did it. They are not shy about the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. They also have a monopoly on magic items, and will be distressed that you might have found a way to get around their monopoly."
From the Cargo Handlers/Marines: "Mars is for the ambitious or desperate. The Martians are a decaying, decadent people, and everyone else, Dragons, Dwarves, Elves, Europans, etc., are trying to grab their own piece. Folks go there to search for ancient Martian-tech or the more ambitious try to become war lords and rule a Martian city state. Or one can become a Radium miner." From the Cargo Handlers/Marines: "The Elves do not allow any non-Elven ships to visit Venus. They are constantly recruiting for people to work on Venus, sun silk harvesters, lift wood cutters, servants, etc. No one knows any non-Elf who has ever returned from Venus."
From Captain Fosus: "Zoothique is also called the Rock of Bral. Bral was a space pirate who founded a settlement on the asteroid many hundreds of years ago. Cozar was a pirate/trader who foresaw that the Kylindo system needed a neutral trading hub in the wake of a anti-pirate sweep by the Imperial Elven Navy, and about 50 years ago he took over the Rock of Bral that was well located and resourced (water, wood, farm land) and located in an middle orbit that took it close to all the other interesting points in the system. His daughter, Fruna, was an excellent diplomat and formed the CAS (Confederation of Asteroid States) to unite against the predations of the Dragons, Dwarves, Elves, Europons, etc. Her son, Prince Andru, rules now."
From Captain Fosus: "You cannot foul the air on the Rock. No burning things etc. It is the quickest ticket to become a picker on the Prince's underside plantation." From Captain Fosus: "Zoothique has a Noble Council, land owners on the Rock, Council of Captains, wealthy merchants, commercial enterprises (Houses (family owned) and Companies (publically owned)), and free traders, like ourselves." From the Marines: "Best advice is that they should work their way back towards Kylindo in steps. To an inner asteroid (Zoothique is a middle asteroid), Mars or Venus, Mercury, a Dragonstar, the finally the Moon. They are likely to arouse attention, they are clearly unusual, if they try to book passage to a Dragonstar or the Moon." From the Marines: "There are stories of ways to travel across space via ancient Martian or Erisan tech. Some also say that the Europans can do this too. Don't go to the Europans; no one knows any non- Europan who has ever returned from Europa or working for the Europans." From Captain Fosus: "Why don't you go to the offices of the Trading Company? They are always hiring mercenaries to go on their expeditions and guard their ships. They are the largest commercial enterprise in the Kylindo System and are staunchly neutral in all matters political." From Captain Fosus: "If that does not appeal to you, then I know a guy. Captain Ocaba of the Flowghost, a small space merchant. He regularly heads to the inner system, likes money, and would likely be willing to give you passage." The party has 10 Green Stones, a Plasma Torch (1d8, 10/20/30), 2xMines (grenade), a Ray Gun (1d8, 30/60/90), a Laser Rifle (1d8, 50/100/150), and the Skiff. Wulfgar learns from the Dwarf engineers that Dwarven-tech, which drives the engines and powers the lower guns, is based on steam. On Mercury they mine Sun Stone and Ever Ice. The former is from the side of Mercury that always faces the sun, and latter from the side that is always in darkness. The two are brought together to make steam. Work is available in the mines on Mercury. It is hard, but the Dwarves treat their employees well. Wednesday 29 March
They approach the Rock of Bral. They see the gossamer sailed Elven Sun Sail Ships, the Dwarven Steam Rockets made of spheres, a few Martian Ether Flyers, some Europan Saucers, a few Star Ships, and many Air Ships similar to the Serene Verity. Captain Fosus tells them that the Elves fire explosive shells and at close range some sort of burning liquid. Dwarves use explosive steam rockets and at close range steam casters. Martians fire radium rays, and use explosive radium shells at close range. Europans fire disintegrator rays. He warns them to stay away from Mind Flyer tentacle ships or Beholder, organic usually with gaping maw and eye stalk, ships. They see The Rock of Bral. The underside is a forest and farmland. The city side is in three tiers. The crowded low city around the docks, the middle city, and the upper city dominated by Prince Andru's castle and a lake. They note that most of cargo is food stuffs, materials for ship construction, there is ship construction yard next to the port, and luxury goods.
The Serene Verity is met by a Bralian Navy skiff, and enter in the harbor. Captain Fosus suggests that they stay at the Laughing Beholder, a tavern/inn run by a friendly Beholder known as Large Luigi. He warns them not to flaunt their new tech, its value will attract attention. They cover the skiff in tarps.
They go to the Laughing Beholder, successfully keeping the skiff hidden, and are suprised to see the large Beholder cheerfully serving breakfast and chatting with the people in the tavern. Large Luigi speaks to them, they book three rooms and storage for their skiff for a week. He notes that they look like a classic mercenary company (2 fighters (Gerag and Wulfgar, 2 shooters (Sansa and Minus), a sneaker (Ekkie), and a smart guy (Sal)), and need to make a name for themselves. He recommends the Trading Company as the best bet. He gives them other tips. Sansa makes her way to the townhouse of The Fireball Alliance. They tell her that they provide magical help for expeditions. She tells them that she can do a Ray of Fire, which she demos for them, and that she can do healing and use a sword and bow. They seem impressed and she tells them that she can be reached at the Laughing Beholder. Sal, tipped by someone on the Serene Verity when asking on where to acquire magic not from Dragon Empire monopoly, goes to the Royal Theatre and asks after The Juggler. He is told to visit a location in the Middle City at 6:00. He rents a room and storage area in the Low City for a week. He returns the Jugglers Den and finds what looks like the home of a troop of poor actors. He tells them of his interest in some magical scrolls. He is ushered into a back room where he meets a pretty woman. Besides his interest in scrolls, he also tells him that he and his friends are skilled investigators. She tells him that perhaps she can find him some work. She seems to imply that it is difficult to collect magic items. He tells her that he can be found under the name of Wilhelm at the Lauging Beholder. Gerag meditates on Ares and sees a vision of the House of Tempus. It reminds him of Sister Regina's Temple back in Marnor. Wulfgar visits the Dwarven quarter. They also warn him off of Mercury, hard work and a long time to train. They also tell him to avoid the Elves. They do know folks who have been to Venus, but the Elves treat their staff like slaves. They also say that as of right now there is no way to get to the inner part of the system. The Dragon Empire has stopped all traffic to the Moon, claiming that there was some sort of fire. That makes no sense as the Wyvern's really only need an open field to land. The Dwarves sell Steam Grenades and Steam Rifles. If one was interested in bigger things, Steam Cannons, Steam Throwers, or Steam Propellers they would be happy to arrange a meeting. They will not sell Steam Rockets to non-Dwarves. Ekkie sat in on the court proceedings in the Low City. There is a Low Magistrate and she noted that most of the cases seemed to be decided on who had the most money.
Thursday 30 March They meet at breakfast to talk and exchange stories. Sansa heads to the Great Market in the Middle City. It is very crowded and close. She finds a book seller and buys a rare book on the Erisan-Mars War. It is from Mars and is printed on a strange material that they have not seen before. She also finds a beautiful Elven dress, made on Venus and including some Sun Silk to make it move in the sunlight. The seller tells her of the Elven quarter where there is a fine Elven restaurant. Sansa is unable to find find Clerical Books and is directed to the Curio Shop in the Middle City. Sansa finds that her arrows, including some special fire starting ones, have gone missing. Briefly the war was roughly a thousand years ago. It came to an end when the Martians launched some sort of weapon that broke the planet Eris apart and left in its place the Smoke Ring/Asteroid Belt. Apparently the Erisans did something to Mars and it began to turn into a desert at the end of the war. Currently the Martians are decadent and feeble and Mars is being carved up by all the others.
Gerag goes to the House of Tempus. It is like a frat house with a sparring ring. Gerag is treated well, allowed to train, spars, and looses. They tell them that they are a new, within the last decade, cult worshipping the Warior Tempus, and they are eager to go on expeditions and "clean up the system". Sal donates 5 GP. Sal and Ekkie head to the Trading Company. It is located in Low City warehouse where there is some attached offices. They meet with Rayim. He asks after the nature of their company and on what ship they came in on. Sal describes the group and says that they came in on Serene Verity. Rayim is aware that Captain Fosus is selling some Erisan Tech and seems to know that Sal's men helped to procure that. He tells them that jobs like that, high risk but high reward, are available, but that he is unsure of their capabilities. Maybe they could look into why the supply of lobsters, that used to come from Port Greely on the asteroid called Tinarath, has dried up? They fetched high prices as they are so hard to come by. They need salt water and most of the water in the CAS is fresh, Mars has no water, the Elves export little from Venus, and the Dragons charge ruinious tarrifs to get things form the Inner System. Tinarath has a salt lake that for many years supplied Zoothique. A few months ago, they stopped selling. A few weeks ago a couple of Bralian merchants went to see what was going on. They have not returned. Rayim promises 5000 GP if they return the merchants and start the lobster flowing again, and 2500 GP otherwise. He will book them passage first thing in the morning. Meet him on the Trading Company dock at first light tomorrow. Minus visited the halfling quarter which is a bunch of warrens between the Low and Middle city. They are fairly insular, but they know everything as they are employed as cooks for just about everyone. They tell him, that something has definitely gone wrong in the Dragon Empire. Besides the travel ban, the guards of the Dragon Embassy here has been reduced after they were called back to the capitol. The Elves are "rat bastards" who treat all non-Elves with disdain. There are a whole bunch of them here on the Rock. Can they help him get anything. Anything at all? They have ways. They meet at lunch, and Sal tells them of their impending job. Sansa is dubious. They extend their rent for another week. Sal goes out to gather adventuring supplies. Sansa and Ekkie go to the Curio Shop, and Sansa gets a book on the History of the House of Cozar, the family which founded modern Bral. Sansa and Ekkie visit the Elven Grove and the Elven Restaurant The Haughty Epicure. They assume that Ekkie is Sansa's servant and she is made to serve Sansa. Sansa visits the Elven Grove, a stand of large trees in a park-like setting, and is able to commune with Fairey. She picks up a spell. She tells the Elves that she is a healer. She tells them she is staying at the Laughing Beholder. Sansa pays the outrageous bill and leaves a big tip "for the staff". Ekkie is not pleased with how she was treated.
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Sat Jul 30, 2016 2:05 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Friday 31 March
Zootheque/Rock of Bral: They talk to Large Luigi about the location mentioned in Sansa's book. He can only identify a few of them and suggests a Martian would likely know the location refered to by those archiac names since the book was written on Mars. There are some Martians here on the Rock.
Captain Zayn of the Calm Candor tells them it will be day long journey to Tanarath/Port of Greely. The Calm Candor is much like the Serene Verity but not as well armed, and lacking a large contingent of marines. It is a ship of the Trading Company.
The captain tells them that he finds Port Greely vaguely creepy and the people there are insular. They used to have no trouble buying the lobsters and other food products, fish and agriculture, but a few months ago they stopped selling the lobsters. They continue to trade the other stuff, but it is barely worth the effort.
Gerag notes that he does not like space travel.
Saturday 1 April 981
Port of Greely/Tanarath: They arrive early morning at the Port of Greely. They see the asteroid with a salt lake, and small port town surrounded by farms and forest. There are few islands in the lake just south of the town.
They land and they see some crates of food and fish on the dock which they gather up and replace with some trade goods. There are two townies, who look unusual, on the dock carrying crates of lobsters and entering the Yawning Gourd. The whole place looks decripit and neglected.
The Calm Candor quickly exchanges the cargo, and Captain Zayn tells them he will return in a week.
They enter the Yawning Gourd, are ignored by the two lobster men, but are served by the bar tender, Marsh. He gives them a lunch of beer, shrimp paste, poor bread, and fish head soup. Sansa praises the bread even though she finds it foul.
Marsh tells them that the people of Port Greely have become disgusted by the decadence of the rest of the Ring of Smoke and are keeping the lobsters, which are sacred, for themselves. All decisions are made by their high priest, Merlokk, who may be found at the Fane, which is large stone building at the center of the town. They rent rooms for too high a price. They do not even bother checking the rooms and head to the Fane.
n the way they note the unusual emptiness of the streets. They are immediately disturbed by the Fane. The tentacled creature motif of the knocker, the crude letters proclaiming "Esoteric Order of Mother Hydra", and the clear sign that new symbols and decorations are painted/carved over old ones on the outside of the Fane. There are a number of empty pillories surrounding the Fane. They pound on the door and ring the bell calling for Merlokk. There is no response and they enter.
The interior is perhaps even more disturbing, with the green stone altar carved in a horrific pattern surrounded by wooden pews. They note again that the Fane has been been remade and Sansa notes the signs of the Moon Goddess are occasionally visible beneath the new symbols of tentacles, etc. The moon goddess, Selene, is a member of the standard pantheon but her worship is discoraged on Kylindo as she is thought to encourage barbaric behavior. They explore the ground floor noting an armoire with a moth eaten vestment for a priest of the moon goddess. There is back door that is barred on the inside and stairs leading up. Gerag, Ekkie, Minus, and Sal head up the stairs which Sansa and Wulfgar remain below watching out the front door.
On the second floor they see what looks like a class room, with a desk and a sofa surrounded by a few chairs. There are a bunch of religious items with the tentacle motif on the desk. There s a step ladder that leads to a trap door in the cieling. They hear heavy foot falls from above. Sal looks through the desk and finds a listing of the town's residents noting their alterations (hairlessness, webbed digits, round eyes, neck folds, functioning gills, etc.) One sheet catalogs recent births and those with few traits are marked for "Blessing by Mother Hydra". Gerag ascends the step ladder to examine the trap door. As he looks at it, runes turn a blnding white and a blast of cold and ice fills the room. All are badly hurt and Minus is seriously hurt and unconscious. They call for Sansa who asks them what is going on, and berates them for not checking for traps. She heals Minus, but he will need some days of rest before he can do anything useful.
Gerag and Sal ascend to the third floor and see a 10 foot tall, cloven hoofed creature confined in a Septagram. It tells them that he was summoned here by a sorceror who has since died and is now tormented by the priest Merlokk. He asks them to break his prison by extinguishing the candles and making a gap in the Septagram. He will grant them whatever they want once he has killed the priest. Sal, who calls himself Sansa, and Gerag, who calls himself Ekkie, are not falling for this. They ask him why he was summoned and what happened to the sorceror, but the creature tells them he does not know as the ways of the mortals do not interest him. All he wants is his release. Sansa ascends and begins a dialog with the demon. She tells him that she desires to return to her home. He tells her that he can do that by traveling through his realm. All she has to do is free him. He seems to offer her a position as his consort, but she starts comparing him to the fire faireys.
This is all interrupted by Wulfgar who tells them that a bunch of Townies have gathered in front of the Fane and are calling for the party to stop their desecration of their Fane and come out. They are armed with knives, gaffes, and fishing nets. Gerag grabs some pews and wedges them to block the front door. Sal looks out the back door and sees a bunch of Townies gathering in the narrow alley there. He throws one of the Mines into the crowd felling five of the Townies and injuring a few others, and bars the door. They hear determined pounding on the front door, clearly the Townies have improvised some sort of battering ram.
The party does their best to improvise a defensive position around the front door, and the Townies burst in. While they take down a bunch of them, they are overwhelmed, knocked unconscious and captured.
Sunday 2 April
Port of Greely/Thanarath: The party comes to in stocks outside the Fane. They are all badly battered. Dawn is just beginning to break. A decripit old man, Zephaestus, is releasing them. Their gear is piled near-by and they gather it up. Zephastus leads them to his hovel, drinking constantly from a bottle of rotgut. He tells them that Merlokk came a few years ago and took over as high priest changing the old ways of moon worship to the worship of the Mother Hydra. Most of the town has succombed and is being transformed into fish creatures. They think he is insane and are afraid of him.
Three merchants came a few weeks ago. He told them that they had to see Merlokk. Merlokk has a shrine to the Mother Hydra out on the islands and spends most of his time there. He sent them there, and they have not returned. He will give them his skiff and they can go out to the islands.
They have to hide in Zaphaestus' root celler when some Townies come searching for the Party. Minus will need to remain here to recover. The others go to Zaphaestus' skiff. He tells them the islands are about 10 miles south of the town. There are a few islands and Zaphaestus does not know on which one Merlokk can be found.
They head out to the islands and land on the eastern- most one. They explore and note the presence of abandoned cabins. On the northern island they find the wreck of another skiff, clear signs of a struggle, and evidence that bodies were dragged off. They sail on to the southern-most island. There they are attacked by Stirgies which they manage to beat off. They see the Lighthouse at the southern side of the island, and decide that they really need to rest up another day, as Sansa is out of spells. There is a great deal of argument over who should be healed first and when.
The wind seems to be against them and it takes a long while to get back to the first island, but they do and find an abandoned cabin in which they hope to spend a restful night.
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Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:14 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Monday 3 April
Port of Greely/Thanarath: After a night bothered only by some wild boars, they sail over to the tower. As they are disembarking they are buzzed by Stirgies, but they hide under water and under their boat to avoid the horrors. Sansa throws a bunch healing to prepare for the tower. Sal detects Evil and seems something big and unpleasent in the middle of the ground floor. They enter and see the rusted cooking pot over the dark cooking pit. They surround it and move in fighting with the Gibbering Mouther. Sal tries to Turn Black Magic, but is not successful. The thing latches on to Gerag, but its cacophonous song has no effect. They kill it.
They cautiously head up the stairs and gather up a back pack full of stuff. They head up to the light room. They are unable to decipher the inscriptions, but note that the stone is still warm. Sal finds an Ice Wand and is able to figure out its mechanism. They head out, test out the wand, and head to the remaining island.
They land at the southern edge of the forest on the east side of the island. They make their way north along the coast, sticking to the forest. They get to the hills, and climb towards the crest of the nearest hill. They are attacked by a flock of Stirgies which they manage to dispatch. At the crest they can see the ruins of a temple complex. They make their way there.
They see and explore one of the empty out buildings, and see broken statues of the moon goddess. They head into the Temple and Sansa illuminates it with a Light Spell. As they head towards the stairs down, the Fishmen guards launch a volley of tridents, and a struggle breaks out with Sansa welding the Ice Wand. They gather a key from the guard captain and head through the horrid entrance dedicated to Mother Hydra.
In the main room they find the barrels of live lobsters, a wine cellar (Sansa takes a bottle), an armory, and a barred door. Gerag enters that and sees an alter to a tentacled god, piles of bones, and avoids an attack by a slime monster. He quickly closes the door. They decide to avoid the door that is boarded shut, and the doors that are warm to the touch. They head down a corrider and trigger a tear gas trap. Wulfgar is badly affected and is near death. He will stay behind to guard their rear while they head down the stairs to what they guess is the lower level.
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Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:40 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Monday 4 April
Continuing in the Temple of Mother Hydra. They descend into the room with the pool. Sal approaches the bridge when Ekkie senses that something is not quite right. Tentacles rise out of the water and attack Sal. Gerag rushes up to help while the others fire missle weapons at the horror. Sal is controlled by the thing and begins attacking Gerag. Wulfgar hears the commotion and joins in with his heavy cross bow. Ekkie uses a laser rifle, but exhausts its charge. Eventually they defeat the beast and it sinks into the pool.
Gerag was hit a couple of times by the creature and his skin starts to need constant moisture, and begins to turn transparent. Clearly he has been infected by the creature and is transforming into a fish man.
They are very battered and decide to hole up in the armory for long enough to let Sansa recover her spells so she can heal up the depleted party. They take precautions of setting up noise making traps at the bottom of the stairs and the one remaining door that they have not explored.
They basically rest through the night shift. They hear the trap at the bottom of the stairs go off during the night, but apparently it frightened away whatever approached.
Tuesday 5 April
Sansa casts some heals on Gerag and Wulfgar. She can do nothing for Gerag's condition and councils that they need to get him back to civilization as soon as possible for help more powerful than she is capable of rendering.
Heading down the remaining corridor Gerag falls into a pit trap and is mildly hurt. They break into a room with six fishmen who are enjoying a lobster repast and chewing on some purple leaves. They seem to attack fanatically at the intruding party and after a tough fight are dispatched. They party gathers some gold medallions bearing the likeness of the tentacled goddess, and move on.
They see the extravagent throne room of Merlokk who welcomes them. There are four horrid clay statues, a basin bearing an octopus, and bunch of lobsters that Merlokk is clearly snacking on. Sal cautiously approaches trying to bargain to re-establish the lobster trade but gives up on the discussion and launches a very effective strike with his heavy cross bow. Merlokk casts a mirror image and they are suddenly confronted with six of the horrors. Sansa fires a ray of fire which reveals four of the images as false, Garag rushes up to attack one, Sal hits another image with his cross bow, and they can focus on the real Merlokk. He does some manipulation of his sceptre and one of the clay statues animates and swats Wulfgar aside with one mighty blow. Sansa can see that Wulfgar is at death's door and she must heal him now. Gerag strikes a final blow on Merlokk, the statue grows inert, and Sansa heals Wulfgar. He is badly hurt, will be unavailable for more than a week, and must be carried.
A quick exploration reveals Merlokk's office and they find a journal recounting Merlokk's meeting with Mother Hydra, their gradual take over the town over many years, and the revelation that more than 1/2 of the towns folk have begun to be transformed into fish men. There were 20 full fish men and they have accounted for 10 of them, 4 guards in the ruins of the temple and 6 outside of Merlokk's throne room. They also gather up some treasure, coins, jewel encrusted goblets, a big gold tentacled medallion, and a scroll of heal serious.
With further exploration they find six prisoners inside in a cell. Three look to be towns folk and three more are the three officials sent from the Rock of Bral to investigate the stopped lobster trade. All are clearly turning into fishmen and are far more advanced than Gerag. All are incoherent and uncooperative. They leave them some lobsters.
They decide to return the armory, hope that Gerag begins to recover, and continue to rest up.
Wednesday 6 April
Gerag is clearly getting worse. They explore the rest of the complex finding nothing but ruins and the water filled well. They make their way back to the town on the skiff. They find Zephestus and tell him what transpired at the temple. Minus is recovered and able to help out. Zephestus tells them that he knows some of the town folk who have not been turned, and many of the out lying farmers have not fallen to Mother Hydra. He will arrange a meeting first thing in the morning.
Thursday 7 April
There is a gathering of those who have not been turned. Sansa preaches to them on the worship of the Fey which goes over well. They launch an attempt to retake the town, and it goes well with the more ardent supporters of Mother Hydra rounded up and confined. Without leadership they are lost, confused, and easily cowed. Sansa cleanses the Fane and consecrates it to the Worship of the Fey. They are not sure what to do about the demon in the attic, but simply lock the trap door.
Gerag continues to grow worse. The Calm Candor is due back in two days, Saturday.
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Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:42 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Thursday 7 April
Port of Greely/Thanarath: Sal and Wilhelm using Merlokk's diary and whatever local knowledge they can try to find a cure for Gerag. They are not successful but do note that Merlokk's diary reveals a plan for an assault on the inner part of the system by the Tentacled Horrors who inhabit the ice balls of the outer system.
An early section of Merlokk's diary speaks of a visit by Qlatyrq who encountered Merlokk within the ruins of the Temple complex on the islands within the salt sea which the young, impressionable boy had stumbled upon after being the only survivor of a ship wreck during lobster gathering. To the reader it is clear that Qlatyrq some how glamored the boy, but Merlokk speaks of the majesty of the alien he encountered who was some manner of Tentacled Horror.
Qlatyrq spoke of the wonders of the outer parts of the Kylindo system; pure icy worlds inhabited by noble creatures who feed on the brains of the lesser races. It convinced Merlokk to supply him with some victims, which the horror used to power some sort of ritual call home. Qlatyrq also spoke of the comming Splendid Synchrony which would open the ways between the outer and inner system. This would allow for the Absolute Purification of the Ring of Smoke, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Kylindo. Merlokk was gifted with the infant Mother Hydra which he had to host in his own body, feed a steady diet of blood, and would grow to be a "purifier". If Merlokk worked hard, by the time of the Splendid Synchrony his community would be pure and rather than being obliterated by the Absolute Purification it would be a forward base for the effort. Merlokk would be rewarded with an even greater role in the new mileu that would arise after the Splendid Synchrony and the Absolute Purification.
Merlokk had an only redimentary understanding of what the Splendid Synchrony is, but the diary does mention that Qlatyrq told him that hidden within the Codex of Celestial Signifiers is a guide to how to recognize the coming of the Splendid Synchrony. The diary does not mention that Merlokk ever consulted that tome.
Qlatyrq departed from Port Greely/Thanarath in a manner that is described absurdly in the diary. It dematerialized into a cloud of rainbow colored lights, formed into some sort of beam, and streaked away into the sky. This was accomplished after performing a very complex ritual which included blood sacrifices and powering by some green power crystals that Merlokk had obtained at great cost from selling items taken from the defiled Fane of Selene in the town. It had spent many years guiding Merlokk and over seeing the transformation of the people of the town into the servants of Mother Hydra.
Gerag tries praying, but Ares is indifferent to his plight.
Thinking on it they realize that they probably have enough time to save Gerag. He was infected a few days ago, while the others were infected two or three weeks ago and remain mostly human. They do tell the villagers about the folks turning into fishmen, in hopes that they can do something about it.
Sansa gathers the villagers. She asks that they help cleaning the Temple, but they are indifferent to this. She summons Fey Kin, and some small Water Sprites turn up. They are non-verbal and communicated that they have been living in fear, but that the fear has been lifted. They will help the folk of the town, especially by helping to keep their boats safe in return for regular "presents". This seems accetable to all. Sansa asks if they can help Gerag. Sadly they cannot.
Sansa informs the others that she plans to stay here and found her Church of the Fey here in Port Greely. She directs that the party take a barrel of lobsters back to The Rock of Bral/Zothique and that they send some men from the Trading Company back to negotiate the terms of resuming the trade.
Saturday 9 April
Port of Greely/Thanarath: The Calm Candor and Captain Zayn return to pick up the party. He is delighted that things have worked out well. Sansa also wants to make the Port of Greely/Thanarath a vacation destination and tells Captain Zayn to invite visitors. The party says good-bye to Sansa and begins the journey back.
Sunday 10 April 981
Zoothique/Rock of Bral: Front page story in the Rolling Stone --------------------------------------------------- Black Dragon Emperor Missing
Disturbing news from Selene is that the Black Dragon Emperor did not attend the regular meeting of the Dragon Empire Council scheduled for the lunar-solar conjunction, aka Thursday. The Gold King demanded an explanation, and was told that Emperor Mirsoth was "indisposed". The Reds and Whites called for calm, but expressed dismay that The Council meeting was quickly adjourned in a chaotic scene. There are reports of disturbances on Selene involving fighting among partisans of the Golds, Blacks, and Reds.
In possibly related news, the Dragon Empire has announced that all travel to the Moon, the Dragon Stars, and Kylindo is forbidden. Any ship entering the inner system will be destroyed on sight.
In more disturbing news there are reports that fighting has broken out on Mars between the city states of Haviling, closely allied to the Golds, and Herrschaft, formerly Baltarith, the center of Black power on Mars. Conflicts on Mars have an unfortunate way of escalating as intersecting webs of alliances draw more and more participants into struggles.
The next scheduled meeting of the Dragan Empire Council is on 6 May, and we all hope that the current uncertainty is resolved without conflict. Conflict is not conducive to the conduct of commerce. ---------------------------------------------------
Monday 11 April
Zoothique/Rock of Bral: Party returns and Rayim is delighted that the Lobster Trade will be restarted. Sal and he begin negotiating about how to heal Gerag. Rayim says that the Trading Company has some folks on retainer who can do the major healing required. He will arrange it for tomorrow. At that point they can decide on payment.
The party returns to the Laughing Beholder and learn of the events on the Moon. They meet the Halfling, Linrin, who has been waiting here for nearly a week. He has a note for Sansa. Sal tells the halfling that Sansa is on a spiritual quest, and that Ekkie is her lawyer who is empowered to look after Sansa's affairs until she returns. Linrin gives the note to Ekkie:
I saw you in the Haughty Epicure after I finished my sandwich and you gave me your beautiful smile. You were wearing a green dress with beautiful sun silk highlights. Unfortunately you entered the Grove before I could speak with you. Please favor me with your company at the Man O'War at a time of your choosing.
Audian Aurliana
The Man O'War is one of the finest restaurants on the Rock, in the upper city, and Linrin tells them that Audian is a captain in the Imperial Elven Navy.
Sal tells Linrin that to entice Sansa's return, she will need some "presents". Linrin quickly figures out the scam, and makes a deal getting 30% of the proceeds. He takes a note back.
They meet Yumemi, from the Fireball Alliance. She tells them that they have a job for Sansa and her friends. A star farer ship has come into the system, entered into orbit in the Ring of Smoke, but has since gone silent. No one knows if it needs rescuing or if it is salvage. If so it is likely to have lots of valuable star farer tech. They propose a 50-50 split between the party and the Fireball Alliance. The Fireball Alliance will provide transport, provision for a week, and one of their members, Yumi for short, will accompany them.
They agree and plan to meet Wednesday morning, at which point Wulfgar should be up and mobile again.
Tuesday 12 April 981
Zoothique/Rock of Bral: Rayim takes Gerag to the Polyglot Temple, like the Fools Market back in Marnor. He takes him to a Martian whose religion is based on ancestor worship. He puts Gerag on a platform and bathes him in Radium rays. He tells them that the infection has been killed, Gerag will need to rest for a day, and he should be OK tomorrow.
Sal and Rayim negotiate and decide to call it even covering Gerag's Radium treatment as payment for their work in restarting the lobster trade.
Sal spends much of the day selling off treasure retaining only the Purple Lotus leaves, as no one knew what to make of them, and Merlokk's Diary. Money is split among the party members.
Wednesday 13 April
Zoothique/Rock of Bral: One of The Juggler's men is at the Laughing Beholder asking after Wilhelm. Can Sal and friends explore Wharf #5 and a possible secret connection to the Warehouse known as The Scrabble? There may be ligitimate reasons for a secret connection, but many of the other possibilities are decidedly nefarious. Sal says they will investigate after their work for the Fireball Alliance.
Gerag is looking much better, but is still feeling bad. They take him back to the Martian, who inspects him with some sort of silver metal wand. He says that Gerag just needs more time to recover. He can give him a stimulant that will make him active for the next 8 hours or so, but after that he will have to rest for a good long time. He does this, noting that it is all part of the service to the Trading Company. Gerag is up and moving after drinking the potion.
They meet Yumi at the docks and begin the long journey to the star farer ship on a small skiff piloted by Yumi.
Wednesday 18 April
They approach the star farer ship. It is a hemisphere with to top half being crystal and seeming to contain a city. The bottom is bunch of technological stuff. They can see the damage to the dome, some black thing has pierced it and some sort of strange ship docked underneath. They are directed to land in a docking bay by a mechanical voice. They are led by the voice and light patterns on the floor to Alpha Sector, warehouses, where they encounter and fight a box monster. They kill it, but as they continue to explore it reconstitutes and attacks again. This time they notice that the wheel assembly is the same and target their attacks on the wheels. They defeat the monster destroying the wheels. They notice that the boxes are covered with a black powder.
They approach the small building amid the warehouses. It is guarded by two floating, egg shaped security robots. The robots tell them that they have no access to the command and security center, and look as if they know their business. Sal tells them there is clearly some sort of emergency, but the robots deny this. The party asks about commercial activity, are directed to the Zeta, manufacturing, sector, and escorted there by one of the security robots.
There they see the varied automated factories. They randomly choose one, are let in, and begin hearing a long, boring spiel about the manufacture and use of water evaporators. They are also told that the factory is fully automated and the crew only comes to fix problems. As they look around they note that one of the factories is clearly damaged, with a bunch of ball shaped items spilling through a broken door. They thus realize that the problem here has been going on for some time, and the crew is likely in trouble. They ask for directions to the living quarters.
They are directed to the Gamma Sector, note that it is deserted. They ask after apartments that are unavailable and are directed to one which has "an unexplained power drain". At that building they see a black tube coming from Alpha Sector, passing through an apartment window, which is totally black. They force open the door of the apartment and see that it is filled with some sort of black mist. Sal begins carefully exploring in the darkness and finds himself attacked by some tentacles. Gerag, who has smashed the windows, and the others enter to try to fight the horrors. Eventually they trace the tentacles to two mounds of tentacles within the main room of the apartment. While they are dispatching those horrors, Ekkie hacks at the black tube. She is not certain she did any damage, but her efforts did throw up a large cloud of black "smoke". Sal lit the tube on fire within the apartments as it branched into smaller and smaller sections. The black cloud does seem to be disappating only to be replaced by smoke from the buring black tube. The smell is so bad that they are driven from the room. A klaxon goes off and the mechanical voice says, "Please evacuate the building for your own safety. A fire has been detected and the automated fire suppression system is not responding. Help is on the way....Please evacuate the building..."
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Sun Nov 20, 2016 7:33 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
> Wednesday 18 April > > Star Farer Vessel: > The party quickly abandons the burning apartment building following > the instructions of the voice and lights on the floor. They see boxy > robots on treads with a sweeper and a sprayer arm arrive to fight > the fire. They follow the black tube and it leads back towards the > Alpha Sector. On the way Gerag notes that the air is stale in this > place. Also the lighting here is like twilight provided by lights that > are on the lattice of metal beams holding up the crystal cieling. > They note that Ekkie made a dent in the tube, but cannot see that > she did any real damage. > > The tube leads to one of the large warehouses in the alpha sector. > Near it, it is dark, and the large door is open, unlike the other > warehouses. They cannot see anything within > as it seems to be pitch dark. The lights above are out. They begin > exploring in the darkness and are attacked by tentacles which appear > out of the darkness. Some of them get lost in the darkness, Minus > waits outside and keeps watch. They eventually get to the center > of the tentacles and fight with the large mass of tentacles at > the center. As this happens, two security robots turn up, and accuse > them of being in an unauthorized area. Minus and Sal manage to delay > them, but eventually begin fighting with the bots. They eventually > manage to kill the mass of tentacles. This causes the bots to stop > and go inert. After brief moment the bots wake back up and seem > to have forgotten that the party are intruders. Wulfgar, Gerag, > and Ekkie are badly battered by the fight. During the fight Yumi > gets stunned into unconsciousness by a hit by one of the arms of > one of the security bots. > > They ask about medical care and are directed to the hospital in > Theta sector. There Gerag is identified as being most in need > of help, is led into an operating room attended by two medical > robots. The others are led to an operating theatre and they can > see Gerag and the robots below them behind some glass windows. > Gerag disrobes and is strapped onto an operating table. The bots > then tell him that he is scheduled for a quadrupole amputation > as a cart pulls up with four robotic limbs. At first Gerag is > for this, but then realizes that the bots intend to cut his limbs > off without any anesthetic. The party above smashes the window > and begin firing at the bots, who seem confused and ask why they > are interfering with a standard medical procedure. Eventually > Gerag frees himself, and punches one of the bots into wreckage, > while the others have shot the other one up. Gerag notes that > the bot he wrecked is full of black powder. The voice tells > him to remain while a new bot is dispatched to replace the ones > that have malfunctioned. > > A new medical robot turns up, and diagnoses that Gerag is > badly injured and needs healing. It jabs him with a needle > that cures some of Gerag's damage, and councils that he should > rest for the rest of day, and come back again tomorrow for > further healing. Gerag asks that he gets healed more, and the > bot says that it can do that, but that Gerag would be > sleeping the rest of the day. Gerag declines. The bot > also heals Ekkie and Wulfgar. > > After a discussion the party decides that the star farer ship > is infected with this wierd black powder which has caused > things to go very wrong. They decide that they should return > and report. They ask for directions back to their ship, and > are led there by the voice and lights in the floor. > > They get to their ship and are very distressed to find that it > is covered in black dust. While their ship does not have electrical > equipment like malfunctioning things on the star farer ship, the > infection would likely spread if they brought it back to The > Rock of Bral/Zothique. They ask the voice to clean and > disinfect their ship. They recall seeing another ship docked > beneath the star farer ship and ask to be led there. The lights > and voice take them back up to alpha sector and then down a different > elevator to a different docking bay. They note that when the > elevator gets to the bottom, it takes an uncomfortably long time > for the door to go green and open. In the bay they see a cigar > shaped metal ship. There is a door in its side near the middle. > > They go up to the door and there is a big palm button. Ekkie > inspects it and notes that it is not trapped, and should open > with a push. Gerag and Wulfgar take the lead and do this. They > see that the entrance is full of green ropey tendrils. Using > Gerag's Plasma Torch, they clear the entrance way. This has > exhausted the green power stone used to power the Plasma > Torch. > > They go into the sleeping quarters and see six empty bunks. They > continue on to the galley and note that one of the machines there > is infected with yellow fungus. The room is filled with a bunch > of small snake like tentacle things and it is a desperate > struggle to dispatch them. Yumi shows them that she has the > ability to do healing, using it on Gerag. > > There is a final door to the > command area. There they see four men in strange suits seated > at controls. They realize that they seem to be readying the ship > for take off. One of the suits turns to them, and lifts > its visor revealing a mass of green tentacles. The four fungus > zombies attack using some sort of pistol at long range, and > a long tentacle up close. They dispatch the horrors realizing > that they were immune to Ekkie's Laser Rifle.
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Sun Nov 20, 2016 7:34 pm |
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greenbadge
Hlobane Orc
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:00 am Posts: 103 Location: Novi, Michigan
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 Re: The Marnor Campaign
Monday 18 April Continued On the Star Farer Vessel: They pick up the four Rail Gun Pistols that the Fungal Zombies were welding. They give one to Yumi, and Sal keeps the others. They talk to the voice telling it that this ship is badly in need of disinfection. It tells them that a cleaning crew is on the way. They ask after their own ship and are told that cleaning is in progress, and that since they are associated with an infected ship they should report to isolation. Being tired and battered they decide to do this and the lights on the floor lead them to the elevator. They go back up, but not has high and are led to small living chamber. They are scanned when they enter, pronounced infection free, but are advised to remain here for at least four hours to be sure. Yumi notes that there is a great deal of valuable tech here. For example the Rail Gun Pistols are quite valuable. Also for example is the food stuffs, packaged, nutritious food that lasts forever, water evaporators are very valuable on Mars, the desert planet, and any of the medical equipment. Most of them take advantage of the time to rest. Sal goes out and messes with a cleaning robot that is diligently scrubbing away at the corridor leading to the isolation unit. He leads it around and prefers talking to it rather than the big voice. He convinces it that they are colonists and need food, a water condensor, a set of communicators (6), a computer, and some souveniers. They are told that all this will be loaded on to their ship and are wished good luck on founding their colony. They head up, Yumi has convinced them that they should attack the Command Center and fly the ship to Zothique/Rock of Bral and then loot it there. At the Command Center there are two of the egg shaped security robots who continue to deny them entry as civilians. She continues to try to convince the voice that there is some malfunction and the only way to fix is to let them in the Command Center. The round and round argument ends when two fungal zombies, the last two crewman, show up and begin firing at them with their Rail Gun Pistols. After a painfully tough fight, they defeat the two horrors, but Yumi has clearly been infected by fungus. She and Minus go to the Hospital while the others gather the two Rail Gun Pistols, and go to their ship. The ship is cleaned, and there is a feint smell of a nasty dis-infectant. Three big crates of food have been loaded and they man handle the water evaporator into the crew room. Also there is a box of souveniers (pens, t-shirts, and plastic bags emblazoned with a star farer logo). There is some other random things: a set of six linked short range communicators, six sets of cold weather coats, two night vision goggles, and a mystery box. They give Yumi and Minus the night vision goggles so now all of them can see well in the dark. Sal tries to coax and manhandle a cleaning robot on to the ship, but is not successful. The bot will not follow him on to the ship, and is too heavy to be picked up or pushed around. Sal also tries to convince the voice to report the infection. At the hospital Yumi is treated for her infection. They advise her to take it easy for the next day. They are able to make their way back to the ship which is preparing for launch. The voice wishes them success on their new colony and launches them out into space. They make their way back to Zothique/Rock of Bral and Yumi tells them it will take 2 days. Tuesday 19 April On the Wandering Nancy in the Ring of Smoke: Yumi has them undergo weapons training. Minus is excellent on the Ligtening Gun and Gerag is excellent on the Radium Bombard. Both are Skilled gunners on these weapons. The others are OK with Wulfgar acting as the engineer, Ekkie manning the other Radium Bombard, and Sal as the fill in. Yumi is an expert pilot. They open the mystery box, and find that it goes off on the amunition for the Radium Bombards, and the mechanism of Lightning Gun. They decide that it is a Martian Tech detector. Wednesday 20 April On the Wandering Nancy in the Ring of Smoke: As they approach Zothique/Rock of Bral Yumi spies a medium sized dirigible moving across the space lane. She is certain it is a pirate and begins to manuever to get around it. Since it is larger it probably has a contingent of marines, so she does not want to get too close and risk being grappled and boarded. She turns with the sun on her rear quarter, the Wandering Nancy has elf made sun sails, to gain speed. As they close the dirigible fire with its heavy bombard and Yumi is able to avoid the shell. Yumi fires the Wandering Nancy's dwarf steam rockets and begins to run by the dirigible. It gets off one more shot, which strikes the hull of the Wandering Nancy, doing some damage. The Wandering Nancy opens the distance with the speed of the Steam Rockets and the dirigible drops out of site to They put in at Zothique/Rock of Bral, telling the Bralian Navy of their encounter with the pirate. The Bralian Navy says they will investigate. They also get some advice on where to sell the stuff they have gathered. Gaspar's Reclaimations, Gamelon's Curios, The Trading Company, and House Zudrick. Yumi goes to the Fireball Alliance and tells them what they encountered. They will organize a punitive expedition as they have heard of the black fungus before and know how dangerous it is. Also they will arrange for an auction of the very valuable food and water evaporator that they have found. They advance the party 3000 GP and talk of 10's of thousands ofGP after the auction. Sal meets with Linrin, the halfling helping to scam the elf war ship captain who is pining for Sansa. Sal gives Linrin the orange tree and Linrin will find the party some place to live. They decide to send another message expressing delight at the present and stringing him along for more. Gerag, who is still quite battered, gets healed by Yumi, who also heals herself. Gerag visits the House of Tempus for some training and learns of the interesting ruin on the asteroid called Lethe. Thursday 21 April Zothique/Rock of Bral: The Juggler herself shows up at Large Luigi's asking after Wilhelm. She talks with Sal showing him an invitation for a auction at the warehouse known as The Scrabble for some alien tech, a demonstration is promised, that is scheduled for that evening. She gives him the invitation, which is a ticket to the auction, on the promise that he and his friends will investigate. The invitation: Auction of Star Farer Tech Trove Location A large star farer ship has been abandoned in the Ring of Smoke. The ship is very large, and a demonstration of an example of an actual piece of tech taken from it will be given before the auction. The location of the ship is known by the CAS authorities, and we urge those serious about bidding in this auction be prepared to quickly take advantage of winning. Please meet at The Scrabble at 10:00 PM on 21 April. Only those bearing an invitation will be allowed to enter accompanied by a reasonable sized entourage. All weapons will be checked at the door, and returned at the close of the auction. Payment in full is due at the close of the auction.
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Sun Jan 22, 2017 6:01 pm |
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