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Post by Paul on Feb 7, 2008 22:48:35 GMT -5
Cast
Horatio Greyhelm - A noble who practices mixing arcane spells and martial prowess. The youngest of three sons, his family has a keep which guards the Palantyne Aktenor border.
Tyr-Shane - A paladin of Pelor from Palantyne. She loves her morning star and can often be seen cuddling it when she sleeps.
Leo - A halfling rogue who works for the church of Heironeous. He has a large and long dachshund companion.
Spero - A human druid archer from Methelein. He was raised by centaurs and spends much time with his mustang companion.
Seiryu Shu - An eastern water shugenja samurai. He has left home to prove himself and has been surprised to find his father this far east. His father has helped further his samurai training.
Rit'shard Gree'wheer Esq., with a Doctorate in the Arcane Sciences - A traveling wizard from the east who is looking for ways to make money through his impressive spellcasting talents.
Bixby - A bard from the west searching to earn a name for himself.
Session 15: Apr 1-8, 1 "The Triumphant Return... and leaving again"
Apr 1-8: When last we left our heroes they had finally returned to Palantyne and had scheduled a meeting with the Lord Mage Derrek Ranel. All seemed well but on their way through the market place they were hailed by a merchant offering them the best quality of weapons. Upon their lack of interest and Shu's recognizing his form to be that of a bearded devil through his disguise, he attacked them along with several allies, a chain devil from one sides and many lemures covered by illusions closing in on all sides. But even outnumbered the group was easily able to dispatch their foes. Moments later they were approached by the city watch, summoned by the ruckus and although their claim that the merchant had been a devil was found to have evidence in its favor, they were taken into custody. After explaining the situation a messenger was sent to Derrek Ranel to explain their tardiness and upon the messenger's return with news from the lord mage, the group was released to go to their meeting. Derek was happy to hear their report and take the mirror/phylactery from them saying that he would contact them soon about more work.
Horatio then left to search out January, who had been left in the city months before. When he finally did track down her residence he found she had gone missing and it seemed a great crime had taken place in her residence. He then spent the remainder of the week searching for her but could only find she had been recently contacted by a strange man before her disappearance. Speaking with Derrek, the spell-sword agreed to do what he could to help with his investigation and in return Horatio and the rest of The Messengers agreed to go on another mission for him to attempt to destroy the phylactery they had returned with a week prior at a temple far to the south.
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Post by Paul on Feb 7, 2008 23:20:50 GMT -5
Session 16: Apr 9-10, 1 "Unfun Fey"
On their second day traveling away from Palantyne the group began to travel into a forest. as the day neared an end they saw several signs indicating an inn further down the trail and made haste to reach it by nightfall. Soon however, they ran into trouble as at a river, the horse pulling their wagon fell through the bridge. Upon closer examination they found the bridge had been smashed and an illusion had been put in its place. Spero helped get the horse out of the river while Leo searched the surrounding area and found a set of boulders at the top of a slow set to fall on travelers. After moving the boulders he went ahead while the rest of the party forged the river. Minutes later they found him asleep with a dart in his neck but found that they had arrived at the roadside inn.
Inside most of the patrons were in a sour mood but the group was still treated hospitably. They paid for rooms for the night and heard rumors about children who had recently been found with all their memories gone. Soon however, the moods of many patrons were changed as a satyr came in through the front door accompanied by two beautiful women. One took one of the other patrons upstairs while the other flirted with Shu and Spero and the Satyr played his pipes. Soon Spero was taken away by the other few woman only to be followed by a suspicious Horatio and Leo.
When they returned to the inn they Spero quickly followed claiming the woman had attacked him and the entire group went back to investigate. In the grove, in stead of a woman they found a large dragon accompanied by 3 whirlwinds. Horatio spoke with it for a few minutes before becoming suspicious when it couldn't speak draconic, at which point he recognized the whirlwinds to be illusions. Stepping forward and confronting it the dragon disappeared into thin air but the satyr returned approaching the group from behind inquiring what they were doing. Horatio spoke to him as Shu examined the grove finding a magical doorway but was immediately attacked by the Satyr upon approaching it. Leo and Horatio quickly came to his aid and in a flash he cut it in half with an iajitsu draw. Moments later the two women (Joystealers) who had accompanied him before attacked along with an invisible pixie. The group found their weapons had a hard time harming the women but were still able to kill them moments before the pixie fled through the magical doorway.
Following they found another grove with a 12 foot tall glowing fey man who demanded to know what they had done to his cohorts. Upon Horatio telling him they had been killed for attacking them he attacked along with a puma and the pixie. The puma was quickly dispatched but Leo was forced to dance by the pixie as Shane attacked the giant fey. Shu dispelled the compulsion but was unable to heal Shane in time to save her as the fey warrior was able to kill her as he was killed. Fortunately the group was still able to raise her using the scroll they had acquired from the dragon's hoard. They then returned to the inn to find that they fey spell on the men inside seemed to have been broken as the Joystealers' spell had been broken with their death.
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Post by Paul on Feb 14, 2008 2:38:52 GMT -5
Session 17: Apr 11-20, 1 "Drow Problems"
Leaving the inn the next morning the group continued on their journey southward. After a few more days they passed though "Blackbrook" for the second time where they were given a very warm welcome as well as free room and board for the night in thanks for their help the last time they had been there. Continuing southward they arrived again at Palerias but chose not to stay long. The next day they left the city to travel through the cursed plains to it's south. Fortunately they were left unmolested by undead as they passed though the cursed plains. After a few more days they neared the hamlet where they had found a drow living in a nearby cave months before (Session 2 from Fall 07). Horatio led the way wanting to make sure that she had not caused any trouble in their absence.
Upon arriving at the tiny thorp, they found it was abandoned. There were none of the usual signs of people which they usually found in even such a small village. They began by investigating the inn only to find it overrun by tomb-spiders and a web-mummy. Leo tumbled around the room throwing his exploding dagger to kill some of the smaller spiders while Shane fought the web-mummy and a large tomb spider, soon aided by Horatio. Spero summoned a rolling ball of fire to destroy the swarms while attacking the larger opponents at ranger with his bow. Shu drew his katana and came to Shane and Horatio's aid before healing them. Soon the room was empty of spiders and Spero rested his flaming orb on the mummy as the rest of the group finished it off only to find it was filled with more spiders. Fortunately his flaming sphere was there to burn them as they burst from its chest. In the general store they found two more of the web-mummys but were able to finish them off easily as Spero prepared more fire to kill the spiders contained within.
Horatio then told Spero of the previous encounter with the drow priestess named Kiethine at the town before going to her cave to confront her about the villager's disappearance. At the cave entrance they were attacked by three spiders that were so large they dwarfed the party's horses. Leo used a wand to fire a couple bolts of fire at them while Shane fighting from horseback tangled in a web. Horatio cut himself free before aiding Shane while Spero called down a bolt of lightning and Shu cut one of the spiders to ribbons. After finishing off the spiders the group entered the cave led by Leo searching for traps and Shu cutting through th webs that blacked their path. While clearing a path Shu noticed a drider (a half-spider person) lurking around a corner just in time to alert the party. After being charged by Leo and Shu it managed to fire off a lightning bolt before Shane killed it.
Further down the passage the group came to a door which Horatio remembered had been barred from the other side. To gain surprise he offered to use his magic cape to teleport part of the group to the other side where they could unbar it for the remaining member. He took Shane, Spero, and Leo, planning to immediately unbar the door for She while the rest of the group attacked. Upon arriving on the other side however they found an unexpected sight. Instead of the drow priestess ready to fight them they saw her in a corner being crucified and having her blood drained into a cauldron. There were also many bodies inside web sacks which seemed to still be alive. What was worse were the things that seemed to have created the grizzly scene. A massive insectoid demon sat in a corner with many smaller demon swarms throughout the room and some zombie-like creatures in one corner. Horatio unbarred the door for Shu while Shane charged and Spero summoned another flaming sphere. Having become invisible, Leo moved further into the room. Shu stepped into the room drawing his sword only to be swarmed along with Spero. Momentarily nauseated the two wretched for a moment before attacking their opponents. Meanwhile Shane was approached by the huge insect demon in the corner. She immediately began attacking calling out to Pelor for assistance and smashing into its carapace. Leo crippled some of the mid sized insect demons while Horatio circled around to help Shane. When he finally got to the other side of the monster she was fighting they were able to kill the creature together, and with its death the rest of the enemies soon also fell.
After finishing off the last of the demons the group began to debate what to do with the drow. Leo claimed she must have summoned the demons and lost control of them as the spiders had served he in the past but Horatio insisted they speak with her first to try to find what had happened. Meanwhile Shu freed the villagers who had been trapped in the web-cocoons and awakened Robert, the bartender, who was quite disconcerted to find himself in the drow's lair. Leo then searched the drow's quarters only to be paralyzed when he attempted to open a trapped box. Shu then revived Kiethine to be interrogated. She claimed the spiders and demons who had attacked the town were enemies of hers before requesting being allowed to drink one of her healing potions. She then gingerly retrieved the items Leo had taken from her room before removing his paralysis. She continued to claim that she did not serve Lolth as she was attacked by the demons and drider who had followed her from the under-dark but Leo continued to insist she could not be trusted and that she should accompany them to a city where he story could be confirmed. Meanwhile Shu and Spero brought the rest of the villagers back to their homes. Eventually after Shu and Spero returned, Shu and Horatio were able to convince Kiethine to accompany them as she would not be safe in the cave as the villagers had learned where she lived.
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Post by Paul on Feb 27, 2008 23:23:09 GMT -5
Session 18: Apr 20-May 2, 1 "Just call me The Doctor"
After speaking to the drow, Kiethine, the group returned to the inn at the town with the understanding that they would return to have her travel with them the next day. At the inn Robert offered them free room and board for the night in thanks for everything they had done. Meanwhile another traveler arrived. He spoke to Robert for a short while attempting to barter for a place to stay for the night and possibly payment for work while he was there. Moments later he had his unseen servant, "Valerie", set about cleaning the inn as it was still full of refuse from the spiders which had been occupying it. After watching the party for a short time he approached them and introduced himself as Rit'shard Gree'wheer Esq., with a Doctorate in the Arcane Sciences. Each party member introduced themselves in turn and they then told him of their exploits from the day and how they had freed the town. Rit'shard, while skeptical at first was impressed. Soon after he took a place by the fire in the common room while the rest of the group took their own rooms for the night.
The next morning he met them again for breakfast and upon leaving the inn requested that he travel with them as they were going in the same direction and upon agreeing they went to pick up Kiethine. Upon seeing her emerge from her cave, Rit'shard immediately drew his sword but sheathed it, apologizing,when Horatio told him that he did not have to worry about the drow woman. The group then continued to travel to the south for several days until they arrived at the tower at which most of them had met. There they made camp for the night inside the main entrance.
During the third watch, Shane and Rit'shard were interrupted by a huge bone-white creature with a scorpion-like stinger, stepping through the doorway and addressing Shane. The Osyluth (Bone Devil) offered to let the group live and even to reward them if they have up the mirror they were carrying. Shane declined while Rit'shard questioned her about why they weren't attacking the devil. Meanwhile Leo awoke and shook Horatio awake moments later. A moment afterwards the bone-devil attacked, accompanied by a large number of skeletons and lemures. It traded blows with Shane while Horatio skewered its entourage and Shu blessed the group. Leo tried to use his angels helm to banish it before tumbling behind it. Meanwhile Spero fired arrows and Rit'shard created blasts of fire and bolts of lightning to destroy the skeletons. Kiethine followed this up by taking control of the skeletons. Moments later Shane and Leo each landed a powerful blow on the devil causing it to teleport away to safety while leaving a message in their mind: there would be a price on their heads and it would hound them until it had the mirror.
Rit'shard then asked about the mirror and if he could see it but was told that the group feared to take it from the place they were keeping it. While dejected, he accepted their decision. The next day they continued southward agreeing to head to Kaazka for supplies before heading into the deep desert. After a few more days of travel they were attacked again by a pair of wasteland trolls. The pair was however unable to sneak up on the group and was greeted with several blasts of fire. Horatio and Shane then charged them and moments later the pair lay defeated on the ground. After burning the corpses to keep them from regenerating Rit'shard used the party's horses to drag the bodies away from the camp.
Awaking the next day the group traveled the rest of the way to Kaazka where they were briefly interrogated before entering The guards were going to charge each of them a weapons tax but ended up only charging Leo as he had more than twice the weapons of everyone else in the group combined. Although the party did not notice, the guard did not interrogate or even seem to notice Kiethine as she sat in the wagon. Entering the group made their way through the bazaar to "The Misty Dragon" which had been suggested to them as a place to stay. While traveling through the bazaar Leo made a purchase of a scroll and sold the magic items they had been carrying.
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Post by Paul on Mar 7, 2008 0:48:00 GMT -5
Session 19: May 2-5, 1 "Mirror Mirror" (a short update)
After arriving at "The Misty Dragon" the group split up, with Horatio and Shu looking into what they could find about devil hunters, Spero and Rit'shard drinking, and Shane and Leo going into the market place to acquire a mirror similar to the one the group planned to destroy. Kiethine was careful to stay out of the groups way as they went about their business. Leo was able to have a mirror commissioned before returning to the inn with Shane where the entire group ate dinner.
The next day Shane and Spero left together to the temple of Pelor to pay their respects and to a track where Spero could exercise his horse. Meanwhile Leo gave Rit'shard a scroll requesting he use it to cast explosive runes for the halfling. Over the next 2 days the group stayed together choosing not to explore the city until the commissioned mirror was finished at which point they left to retrieve it only to have Shane have her pocket picked on their way through the market place. After a short chase they cornered the thief in a well lit courtyard only to have him throw Shane back her purse moments before being attacked by what seemed to be huge invisible lions which Rit'shard later explained were "hellcats". After a short battle a slightly more paranoid group continued to the mirror-maker where they retrieved the mirror that had been commissioned before hastily leaving the city. Shu and Horatio split away from the group searching for a demon and devil slayer named Himli at his oasis to the south while Kiethine remained in the city.
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Post by Paul on Mar 16, 2008 19:26:53 GMT -5
Session 20: May 5-13, 1 "This is my desert. No, this is my desert." (another short update)
After leaving the city of Kaazka in the hopes of leaving behind their devilish perusers, the group continued their journey southwest into the desert. After traveling for a several days their journey changed from sands to badlands. There they came upon a bard named Bixby who claimed a cyclops blocked the road up ahead. Instead of fighting the group split up and attempted to barter their way past eventually giving up an over sized magical suit of armor and shield, and a blanket with continual flame cast upon it.
Continuing through the badlands with their new bardic companion they learned of his talents as their camp was attacked by two small but angry behirs. Soon after that encounter the group came to a valley in the badlands which housed a massive basalt fortress which they assumed to be the temple they were searching for. As they approached they found a huge hydra guarding its main courtyard but before they could attempt to find another way inside they witnessed 2 fiery mephits release a woman into the courtyard to be devoured by the creature. Immediately the group charged into the courtyard, in the nick of time to save the woman.
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Post by Paul on Apr 18, 2008 14:32:18 GMT -5
Session 21-23: May 13-21, 1 "Through the Temple"
After talking to the woman they had rescued for a short while the group learned sh was an elf named Elsabeth and that she had been kidnapped while traveling away from her homeland. She begged them to take her away from the wretched place but they insisted they needed to finish the business they were taking care of. They spent the rest of the day traveling away from the temple before resting for the night so they would be able to go inside fresh. During the night however they were attacked by a massive hell hound and some goblins who were searching out those who had killed their hydra the day before.
The next day they returned to the temple leaving Elsabeth and their horses with Spero for protection. At the main gates they found several ogres and goblins had replaced the hydra as guards. After dealing with the group they continued into the temple where they found elementals and hellcats guarding the main hall. Soon their exploration led them to a gate which led to the city of brass. There they were questioned by an azer before he went to get his master, a massive fire giant. Bixby was almost able to convince the giant they were pilgrims who were supposed to be there but the ruse was detected when he claimed to have come in through the main gate past the hydra which they had killed the day before. Immediately the giant attacked quickly knocking out Leo after he ham-stringed it. Bixby then sung while Tyr-Shane attacked and between her and 2 lightning bolts from Richard, they were able to kill it.
Continuing through the temple they eventually found an ifreet which Bixby convinced to tell them where the alters were. It sent a female devil to escort them but halfway to their destination it recognized Shane as a Paladin and attacked. It however proved to be no match for the group and they quickly killed it. Continuing on they eventually found a druid who was annoyed at their presence but was willing to let them pass after speaking to Bixby for a short while. They also found the cell block which contained an elf by the name of Pyrusthansel who had been captured when investigating the temple. They also found a small beholder which for some reason did not seem intent on attacking them. Soon they learned it was a guard summoned from Mechanus to prevent a captured pheonix from escaping. As its master (the fire giant) was dead it agreed to help them if they could beat it in chess. Bixby stepped forward and once again proved his competence defeating the creature. In return, the beholder freed the Pheonix and told them where the shrine they were looking for was located. It agreed to help them further in combat when Leo offered it payment.
Arriving at the shrine the group found a fire priest, several very large salamanders and a massive fire elemental guarding/working at it. Pyrus said he would take care of the elemental while they fought the salamanders. Shane was able to finish off the largest salamander and its companions soon followed to their demise. The fire priest however did not go as easily. Eventually with each team severely injured Leo asked for tis surrender and it paused for a moment until the halfling made threats to his life. Shane was however able to knock him out with no further casualties. After tending to Richard and having Shane smash the mirror on the alter which it had been made on, Leo wanted to take the priests things. However, Shane and Richard were against it as they were technically the trespasser and he was not a priest of an evil god. Bixby agreed, saying: "You can take his things if you want, but I don't want to have anything to do with it." Leo, ignoring the rest of the group took the rest of the priest's things before they all fled and with Spero, Elsabeth and Pyrus, began their trek back to Kaazka. The return trip took slightly less time than it had taken to get there, but upon arriving, the exhausted group rested for the first time in days.
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