:: Yes, at last, a game report! You will see it's quite a lot more condensed than the old one, and it starts a few sessions later (the players decided they really wanted to get back to pirate hunting, and a little bit of Deus Ex Machina was employed to see that happen). However, this covers about six sessions of gaming and outlines a full "chapter" of their story. Enjoy!::
(12/8/1472) 18:40 – 19:10 arrive in Draxian tower trapped within magic circle. Mages bring it down. Secret doors located and opened. iron golems attack. Jaeger sneaks through the battle and to one of the doors leading from outer area. Hears low chanting from beyond. Other rooms searched. Scrolls recovered and Remove Affliction Elixirs. Group move to door and opening it (after removing a bit designed to exhaust its targets) , see only utter darkness.
19:10 – 19:30: The darkness is
lowered by Thatari, and a flight of stairs is seen. A trap glyph is
located in the ceiling, and the group can see that darkness still
shrouds the lower steps. This too is lowered, and another glyph
removed. More darkness..and again, it is removed. However, as this
falls, so a room is seen beyond, within which stand two draxian
apprenta, arms raised as they call on their power, a translucent
mephit of steam and shadow darting around them.
A battle immediately ensues. Caught up
in the fight, the group forget that there may be a final trap, and an
Infernal Transposition Glyph is triggered, turning a stretch of the
stairs and chamber into a zone of hellish terrain. This wounds the
apprenta as well as the group, although the warlock manages to force
reality back to where it belongs with the brute manipulation of the
local dimensional fabric (He also marvels at the dimensional locks
that must be in place on the tower to prevent such a transposition
ripping reality open in this area of wounded reality).
19:30 – 19:35: The battle is tough
but the group are victorious. There are three portals leading from
the area, and the apprentices each bear a sigil that seems to be the
key to opening them. However, concerned that they may be forced into
a battle they should avoid, and worried by their increasingly weary
state, the group decide to leave these chambers be, and head through
the secret door.
19:35 – 19:45: Another flight of
bloodmarble steps, which widens as it enters a huge ornate circular
chamber of polished bloodmarble. In the middle of the room stand four
floor to ceiling columns carved from onyx. These have been crafted to
depict humans and daemons involved in sickening sexual acts, and a
bloody light oozes from them painting the room in shadowy radiance.
Either side of the room, two rune scribed portals lead elsewhere,
whilst dead ahead a huge pair of gold and obsidian doors, bound in
cold iron and worked with warding glyphs, leads...outside perhaps?
However, the group's attention is taken up by the massive thing - a
flesh golem, though made from the unnatural parts of daemons rather
than mortals - that snarls and roars between the pillars, flexing its
malformed, clawed hands, and whipping, sting-tipped tail. It stands
just over 12' tall, and has a mass of hideous heads stitched directly
to its chest.
The daemonflesh golem leaps to attack,
unleashing a blast of raw chaotic power amongst the group. Hitting
hard, the Chaos Hammer stuns Varracuda and Shnecke, dazes Jaeger and
Thatari, and misses Grigori. An epic battle unfolds, in which
the group's resources are all but depleted. The golem however is
eventually destroyed through cunning as much as strength of arms, for
whilst the battle rages,the assassin examines the ornate doors.
Almost at once he recognises the layers of deadly spells woven into
it, and with this in mind - and being reluctant to try and disable
the complex, interwoven glyphs, he hatches a plan. The golem is lured
close to the doors, and then hurled against them by the swordmage. As
it hits the doors, so its massive bulk forces them apart, triggering
a maelstrom of destruction as the wards trigger. Shredding, clawing
power evaporates the golem, its destruction sending echoes of wild
magic through the hall, and the doors vanish in the apocalypse of
released might, revealing the storm blasted streets beyond. From
somewhere nearby, a thickly accented voice howls with rage, and the
group decide to head out of the tower whilst they can.
19:45 – 20:05: The island is in the
midst of an unnatural storm - both a physical and metaphysical storm.
Buildings lie destroyed, and bodies are strewn everywhere. The group
make their way to a nameless inn, and find it almost deserted, the
only inhabitants being a gibbering sailor driven mad by the sights he
has seen (he is quietly drained of his blood by Grigori and Shnecke),
and a sobbing, but sane, red-haired barmaid named Beth.
20:05 – 06:00 (13/8/1472): The group
settled into the Inn, availing themselves of the profits and the best
alcohol in the house, and then spend some times settling in. The
assassin finds an antique shield brooch, which he recognises as an
ancient Silver Guard symbol - enchanted to absorb force damage.
Outside the storm rages, the only living soul they witness being a
man - naked and bleeding - running howling through the slashing rain,
vanishing in the stinging fogs. At about 03:00 the storm stops as if
turned off, and eerie silence envelops the island, punctuated now and
then by distant screams or the crackle of unleashed magic.
06:00 – 10:40: Beth is offered a
place on board the SC, which she accepts. The group set about trying
to find some additional supplies in the city, whilst the assassin
heads down to the docks to see if the SC is still moored there. (The
group realise that the Geas has ended on them, as technically, they
have fulfilled their part of the bargain - the portal is now closed
by their hand).
The harbour is choked with wreckage,
the ships that were moored there smashed in the unleashed power of
the planar collapse. Several ships are fused with the cliff sides
over looking the harbour. None appear to be the SC.
The assassin also spots a Draxian -
almost certainly the one who's tower they trashed - stalking along
the harbour front, his fury shimmering around him in a nimbus of
bloody shadows. He senses that something unseen and impossibly foul
follows the diabolist, and knowing that he would be killed were he to
be spotted, he slinks back to the inn.
Grigori enacts a ritual and makes
contact with Caleph. He is heartened to learn that the SC has
survived, though it is damaged and listing hard to port. Caleph
agrees to bring the ship back to what is left of the Carrion Port, in
order to collect the group.
Out at the edge of his vision, the
assassin notices a small, armoured ship cutting through the waters
towards the port. Straining his eyes, he sees it's name - "The
Soliloquy".
10:40 – 11:10: Returning to the
group, it is decided to head down to the northern side of the island,
and to try and locate a boat, to sail out to meet the SC. it is also
decided that the group will stop by the Swaervar'Tritul temple to see
if Rodag is there. They move through the streets, disgusted by the
swarming flies and screaming seagulls that feed on the bloating
bodies of those slain in the upheavals, and soon locate several small
rowing boats that have weathered a devastation, ideal for sailing out
to meet the SC.
11:10 – 11:55: The group heads to the
temple of Swaervar'Tritul, and find it empty; the icon of the Sea God
warped by whatever power briefly lay here - its once noble features
corrupted by horn-like eruptions of weeping coral, that ooze and
fester in the still heat. A cleric lies dead and bloated; pecked by
seagulls and swarming with maggots, in the entrance, though it is not
Rodag.
A search of the temple shows it to be
empty. However, as they wait there, a group of sailors arrives - one
of them wounded, their foot bloated and discoloured. The group
approach them, and Grigori mends the wounded man's foot. They agree
to join the crew of the SC. Three are Vaedanci sailors, the last, a
Dohr'Khustan.
11:55 – 22:30: The group await
nightfall. From the bell tower (where a single bell tolls morosely in
the unpleasantly warm, death-scented air), Jaeger scans the island
from signs of life. Where the shift mines were, a brilliantly glowing
chasm now yawns, beams of radiance reaching into the skies like
burning spears.
As night falls, only a few lights shine
in the black ruin of the Carrion Port, one of them being the bloody,
smoky energies that rise over the blade and thorn studded tower of
the Draxian. The group wait for the moon (only a few days from being
full) to rise before they head out into the streets, glad that the
night has at least brought some relief from the gulls and flies -
though rats now gnaw on the dead and chase foully through the
shattered streets.
22:30 – 23:15 The group make their
way to the shore without incident, and with their new allies rowing,
soon meet with the SC - though she is far more wounded then the group
imagined she would be; listing hard to port, the cannons there almost
facing down into the waves.
23:15 – 00:30 (14/8/1472): They
immediately meet with a weary Caleph, who has managed to keep the
crew loyal to the group, and tells the party of several individuals
that have tried to usurp their authority (although he warns many are
commenting on the ill favour that seems to follow this vessel).
Principle amongst these is a so-called
missionary of the Goddess Rithuen'Ardana named Vensk.
Vensk it seems is a manipulative
snake-oil salesman of a man - always talking of his great power, but
exhibiting only charlatanism, fake healing, and suggestion. This has
not stopped him gaining a small following amongst the displaced of
the crew, and he has, of late, voiced some rather less than friendly
opinions of the group.
It is decided that he will be watched
and then disposed of, the assassin assuring the group that he can
make him vanish with disturbing silence.
The group's attention then turns to the
matter of what to do next. It is decided that the first task will be
to get the ship patched up, so it can make the dangerous journey to
the next nearest port - the "black port" (pirate / lawless
port) of Scarathane. Scarathane is a violent, anarchic port located
within the corpse of a rumbling, dormant volcano, known by local
pirates as Isola degli dei ruggente (Island of the Roaring God).
Controlled by a syndicate of three powerful organisations (the Cult
of Zargor, the pirates of the Feccia Del Mare (scum of the sea) and
the surface dwelling, psionically potent Dwaer'Syth of lost
Athrandia).
However, to get there, the ship must
pass through a deadly region of islets inhabited by pirates, who's
water teem with daemonically infused Sahuagin. In order to stand a
chance, the SC must be patched up – at least enough that she can
bring her port armaments to bear. It is therefore agreed that the
ship will seek out an island somewhere nearby, so that temporary
repairs can be made.
The ten most trusted crew members are
also singled out and given the task of keeping an eye on the mood and
morale of the crew and the refugees. They agree to do so, becoming
the ships chosen men.
14/8/1472 – 18/8/1472) A course is
set, and the SC heads out. Jaeger shadows Vensk, but after a few days
is unable to find him. During his search for him, he discovers that
several other refugees are missing, and he tells the rest of the
group.
11:00 – 14:00: A thorough search of the ship is made, and no sign of the con man found. All that remains is his copy of “Common Prayers for the Adventurer”, his holy symbol and his boots. Realising that he can solve the mystery quite easily, Grigori enacts a ritual to read the psychic vibrations of Vensk's holy book – and makes a chilling discovery. The last person to speak to him was none other than Beth.
14:40 – 15:15: Grigori and Shnecke arrange to meet with Beth in the captain's quarters, the assassin lurking in the room, masked by his shadow magic. Although not in the chamber, both Thatari and Varracuda lurk nearby, ears pricked for even the slightest hint of trouble.
Beth arrives, and when asked about the fake holy man seems to grow angry and frustrated. Grigori, realising something is wrong, but unsure of what, tries to calm her, but her rage grows with each second. Then, before the horrified adventurers, she leaps at the priest, her beauty shredding as her true form – that of a sag titted, twisted old woman with huge claws, a hooked nose, and glowing yellow eyes – rips free.
”HAG!” screams the priest, summoning his magic. “Fools!” Screams the hag, “You had to meddle didn't you?”
Within moments, the luxurious splendour of the captain's quarters is reduced to ruin as the group battle the Brine Hag. She is a truly deadly foe, and it takes almost everything they have to even draw blood. By this time, the room is awash with corrosive slush, poison tipped urchin spines and other manifestations of fey magic, and each adventurer is almost at their limit. Luckily, as soon as her warty, sagging flesh is actually cut, the hag seems to lose any stomach for the battle, and with a shriek of rage, she transforms into briny water, and flows through the floor, escaping the group, and fleeing to who knows where...
Word spreads quickly through the ship, and morale takes another hit. People mutter about the SC being cursed, and dark tales spread like a sickness through the crew as they tell ever more wild tales about the party and past events.
(18/8/1472 – 21/8/1472): Grigori and the chosen men work hard to calm the raw emotions, and manage to reassure many. However, there remains an undercurrent of fear and foreboding, which hangs over the crew like a cloak.
22:15 – 22:35: However, as night draws up her hood, so the source of the glow becomes apparent – a flotilla of impossible, huge chunks of burning, frozen fire, floating in the sea; huge glassy things, who's upper reaches blaze with an almost colourless flame, the waters of the ocean seething and boiling where they touch them. Worse, creatures of elemental fire can be seen dancing and fighting within the infernos atop the “firebergs”, and it is feared that they may try and attack the SC should it draw too close to them. The heat coming from them is horrific, and an emergency meeting is called to decide how to proceed.
The meeting is tense, with arguments for going around the elemental hazard and for going through. Eventually however, it is decided that it would be safer to try and wend through the strange phenomena, rather then risk skirting too close to uncharted, possibly deadly waters.
23:00 – 05:20: All non-crew are confined to their quarters (where once again, the muttering begins about the SC being “cursed”), and the crew grimly prepare to act on the orders of their bizarre captains. It takes them roughly six hours, but incredibly, the ship manages to move through the “fireberg” flotilla with barely a scorch, despite falling chunks of frozen fire, errantly lobbed fireballs, and surging bursts of superheated water.
(26/8/1472): 10:05: Four more days pass, and land is spotted!
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