Session 14 Report

General Summary

The Ghost Steppes, Daetus, October 17th, 1896 P.M.E

    The party continued their exploration of the subterranean fortress. After resting in the kitchen they heard a cry for help from outside the room. Upon entering the east corridor they found a trail of blood leading into an alchemist's lab. They walked past the lab and entered the next room which was some sort of library. In the room was a group of 5 Ministers of Ao in a vault which was hidden behind a bookshelf, one was referred to by the name Minister Stamos. After some hostile banter, the two parties went their separate ways. Minister Stamos walked out with a massive book. Snasil noticed the book was a Tome of Divine Metamagic. The party then followed the blood trail and moved into the alchemist's lab. Inside there was a lone uninjured Cultist of Shar. The party tied him up and cast hypnotism on him to make him spill the beans. He revealed that they use a portal built into the work table to transport slaves deemed to be unworthy of sacrifice to be sold to dark elves. He also revealed this fortress to be owned by "Willy", who died "very long ago". Yera and Ari got sucked into the table.   Snasil and Ratboy discovered a secret door in the wall and explored it with the cultist's reanimated body. It lead to a cavern with a large crevasse. The crevasse had a broken bridge as well as two stone statues facing the other side akimbo to the bridge's head. On the other side there was burn marks, two dead skeletons, a lit torch, a grappling hook, and a backpack. The animated cultist was commanded to cross and fell into the crevasse. The corpse appeared beside Ari and Yera. Ratboy and Snasil returned to the Alchemist's lab and entered the table portal as well.   The party regrouped in a strange arcane circle with four doors. Ratboy opened the east door got a peak at the Upperdark. Yera went into the north door and ventured through the ancient halls of Nar Doral, seeing Xanben's petrified body and eventually entering a set of doors which lead to a long black river with a line of people in despair waiting to board a row boat at the end of the river's mouth. Flying creatures harassed those in line, but no one acknowledged Yera's presence until she tried to board the rowboat. Upon stepping aboard the Helmsmen shouted "Your time has not come yet!" and Yera reappeared in the arcane circle room. Snasil opened the south door which revealed a vast sea of stars and a dark floating city. Ari opened the west door and entered into Willy's Quarters. Willy's skeleton was sitting above a bedpan with it's face buried in a bag of devouring. Ari found Willy's journal, letters to Archimedes Stalt, Rossellius Goldcrown, and Gustav Loktar, a staff, and a ring. The party left the circle by jumping in the center.   The party then explores the cavern through the secret door found earlier. Yera starts throwing party members across the way one by one starting with Ari. Upon landing on the other side Ari triggered a pressure plate which resulted in the statue that was still intact to fire off a lightning bolt out of it's gemstone eyes. Ari was already beaten and battered by the Cultists of Shar and as such perished upon being struck by the bolt. Yera pushed the statue into the cavern and threw the remaining members across who then setup the grappling hook for Yera to cross with. Yera proceeded to use Ari's body to check for traps on the way out. Some Kobolds at the end of the cave said Ari was their new king and they took his body deep into the caverns.   After leaving the fortress and pushing toward Bandit's Breach the party came across some more Khanate Horsemen. This time they needed help. One of the archers had his leg crushed under a boulder. The party moved the rock off the man's leg and Snasil cast healing magic on it. They thanked the party and offered them to stay the night with them. The conversation quickly went sour after one of the horsemen noted Mork resemblance to a wanted fugitive by the name of Mork Ratskin. Weapons were drawn and a fight broke out. A mounted warrior named Osric rode in to help the party. 5 Horsemen were slain and 1 rode away with a bullet embedded in his abdomen.   Bandit's Breach is on the horizon and the session ends here.

Rewards Granted

Experience:
1986 base
Mork: + 50xp
Yera: +225
Snasil: +200
Rolin: to new character +575 (No base cause dead)
Loot
Unidentified staff
Unidentified ring
Willy's Spell book
Elixir of Health
Bag of Devouring
Lore Items
Ari's sketch of the arcane floor symbols
Willy's letters to Archimedes Stalt, Rossellius Goldcrown, and Gustav Loktar
An Explorer's Guide to the Underdark