Merosh
"I imagine my story needs a chapter about saving a princess." - MeroshMerosh is no simple bard. The musclebound bard sings and plays A charming and very buff Bard who is harbouring a wounded heart.
The Final Inspiration
His name is Cramus
His key might've saved us
Set Khalitherius loose on the world - hope they don't blame us
Timesworn Sentinels? Yeah - he made em famous
His first hire was Thallan
and they became best pals when
A bushel of fruit met the mal-in
tent of his double-bladed gal then-
-Came Fy. AKA Tryfix
an inexorable mix of wooden sticks and beast tricks
but most of all - watch out when she cast waterfall
and if that don't stick - here comes a fruit bomb with no wick
Then Belus - with his faith he tried to save us
from mistakes that might betray us
don't mind his breath
it tingles when he breathes thus
and yeah he's Grim - for a half-orc paladin
fool's tender places feeling stim-
ulating traces of his glaive
it's no sin - a simple life
serving Asuran sev'ring limbs
And where's Floki?
That halfling rogue you don't see
No joke he also a bard - dealing death for free
with songs and psychic blades ye won't need
inspiration more from me
It's clear as day
I've still got something more to say
But don't delay
'cause that Efreeti don't play
So set sail, be on your way
Merosh will must stay
and live yet another day
11. Bad to the Badr
"All take heed and flee, or join the ruler of the desert Khalitherius, and his right-hand priest Badr-Al Mosak!" cried the sunburned elf. As our prisoner he would later tell us this Badr is who has the princess. Thankfully, the Sheik lives - as does his son Hasahn and Alecia Saltdaughter with 2 Dupari Lancers. But they will not stay. They see an insurmountable threat and prepare to head south, leaving the invasion, princess, and stars to us. Kind enough to repair our vessel we bid them farewell, though the truth of Grim's justice executed upon Korus means he is no longer welcome here.
A few days sailing into the desert we spy a moving oasis on the back of a tortoise, and learn to our delight from its dwarven captain and escaped-slave passengers that Jamis may be alive. And yet dreams plague our journey. Each of us in isolation at first, but we come to find all of us have seen her - the large, impossibly beautiful, winged elf. She speaks to us, comforts us, gives us hope. Uluru is the true goddess of the desert, and we are nourished by her power.
From an amphitheater filled with dead and a spotless blue statue of a pharaoh two of the largest birds I've ever seen take flight toward us. Through clever use of illusions and a thunderstorm we drive them off and land. The only way in is down. Avoiding a clever device that severs descending ropes we find four passages with trapped statues. Cramus faced down the flames but with no obvious way in we nearly lost hope until Fy discovered one of the statues is not trapped, but a secret door. Behind we find a statue of our patron goddess, and the remains of Happy Hogan's partner trapped here for years. There are ghosts in this place, and yet they do not harm us. They seem torn between commands to exterminate us, and directives from Uluru to withhold and even assist us. A few potions will help us on our journey. "Go down to come up" they say.
Through a series of remarkably similar rooms with portentous obelisks and glass cases of small, gargoyle-like statues we nearly lose our way until at last we discover her altar - Uluru pervades this place. The inscriptions speak of sacrifice - something we hold dear. The magic we carry pulses, but who will part with the hard-won tools of their trade? Grim presents his glaive, ready to do the unthinkable when Thallan cries "NOOO!" and thrusts his magic dagger onto the altar...
10. As Below, So Above
My ears are still ringing. So much destruction. Cramus and Belus blew the wall out of the SV compound building, incinerating Thumas and his goons. We were not prepared for what awaited outside...
Beneath the monolith a chest full of spider eggs caused far more trouble than the drow or her spider minions. Despite conjured webs and Belus discovering which end of Cramus's wand was dangerous, she was dead before my vicious mockery reached her pointed ears. Mango was grateful to be rescued, but no good deed goes unpunished.
Flicker flicker little fire
Save us from the webs of spiders
Hairy legs and beady eyes
Smoking, curling to the skies
Flicker flicker little fire
Save us from the webs of spiders
While we razed the depths of the monolith with sword and fire. Above and unknown to us, undead and fire elementals tore the Dervish to shreds. The comparatively untouched compound was littered human and pegasi heads on pikes, bearing witness to the hell the Sand Voyagers wrought upon even the fearsome Dupari Lancers. Thankfully, we did not see Alecia Saltdaughter among them.
Half a hundred murderous soldiers surrounded and peered into the smoking wreckage. Thumas was gone. We had Tolnus. An desperate idea took hold.
I worked an illusory Thumas pleading the soldiers join him in surrender. "Tolnas has defeated us from within," he told them. "I made a mistake throwing in with Khalitharius and his armies. He will doom us all. The only hope is to beg mercy of, and band together with the remaining Lancers and Dervish - to hope the heroes of the pyramid can quench the efreeti fire." Understanding my play, Tolnus executed the customary justice - sending "Thumas" into the desert tied to a camel.
As we surveyed the barren dunes an icy fear gripped my chest. Where was our boat? Rent upon the sand, cradling a lifeless kobold and a severed hand. I saw my own anger and sorrow in Grimogall's eyes. Rarer than unicorns are the tears of orc-kind - an omen of the flood that will be our vengeance.
9. Greased Poultry
To my surprise over a cup of wine on watch Belus convinced me. Trust the Gods to bless doing the right thing. There is more I want to ask him of his Gods. I've never understood the faith placed in fickle, incomprehensible beings that surely regard us as we regard ants. Yet his faith is inspiring. And after all, can I pass up the opportunity to rescue a princess? What a chapter in my own tale! We toast to glory...
Deciding to plunge deeper beneath what we believe to be the Sandvoyagers Guildhouse we encoutered goblins forced to mine tunnels by a drow. We sent "Mango" to fetch the the leader, bringing word of a delivery...
The itsy bitsy drow boy sent out his spider friends
Down came the poultry to bash the spiders in
Next came Fye's lightning that made the drow boy flinch
And the itsy bitsy drow boy fled like a little b- felt Dark Avenger's twitch
Thallan got his hands on a crystal orb - we'll have to keep an eye on that but Cramus doesn't seem terribly concerned. Further on however we found the "Recreation Room" (read: torture chamber) and a bugbear guarding a single occupied prison cell.
Ring around the bugbear
His javelin went no-where
Grimogall, Trifyx
Acid arrow
The lone prisoner turned out to be the former SV leader, Tolnas. From him we confirm the SVs were not slavers before he was ousted. As we search the area and find a trap door leading up, Floki and Belus find a mutant drow with a captive Mango...
5. Summit and Sailing: Tales of a Pyramid Ascent and the Star of Mo-Pelar
A column of water and a switch that changes its direction. In crocodile form Fy goes up first. In awe we examine a boat, a painting of the same boat in flight, and a sarcophagus beneath yet another statue of the Pharoah. This is it.
A lich priest and 3 formless humanoids set upon us. Connecting the dots Fy mentally commands the golem to crush the glowing heart, destroying Amun Re's animated High Priest called Musafisk. The rewards are rich: a jade sword, a wand of fire, a cloak, a scroll, a ring, a staff, and another Star that all sing of magic.
Thallan dons the cloak. Cramus collects the staff and assumes the pose of the statue - causing him to disappear! In terror we mount the Star of Mo-Pelar upon the boat as seen in the painting and opening a wall in the peak of the pyramid we set sail into the sky in desperate search of our benefactor. It's a miracle. The water from the pyramid flows again. A lake is beginning to form. The people begin a celebration that lasts for days and we find Cramus unharmed in the revelry.
The story starts to spread of the heroes that brought water back to the desert, of the ones prophesied to confront the Efreet. From our sky ship we wave our goodbyes and sail north to the Oasis of the White Palm.
4. Magic Spoon: Tales of a Pyramid Ascent
Dreana tells us of her mother - a faithful priestess of Uluru - and her quest to redeem her. She accompanies us to a healing river fed by a waterfall near some strangely fruited trees. Thallan resists temptation. More Dervish here seem overly familiar, even letting slip our names. I hate doppelgangers. Good riddance thanks to Fy's water cannon and the happy discovery that the fruit is explosive.
As I watch over the resting camp a scratching sound draws my attention. Investigation reveals a gnome who calls himself Prit happily digging with a spoon he claims is magic. His tunnel leads us to a golem guarding a beating heart glowing blue in a glass container. Again, Fy has an idea. With some smooth talking she climbs the golem, wipes "Musafisk" from his brow and inscribes her own, taking control of the construct. Bloody brilliant. "Guard this heart" she tells him.
3. Statues, Secrets, and Sacrifice: Tales of a Pyramid Ascent
Amun Re was a pretentious twat. His name is inscribed on every inch of this pyramid. There are rooms with half a dozen statues depicting him. But behind some of those statues are secrets. Ramps and rubble lead us to a conspicuously labelled "Treasure Room" and subsequent crypt void of anything interesting. We conclude despite being hidden, this is a false tomb turned over many times by grave robbers.
Dervish are scattered throughout this place, as is their chanting and the scent of cooking meat. In one particular chamber, yet another statue of the Pharaoh holds a massive bowl of fire. The devout give their sacrifices to the flames and an awful, crazy, curious idea strikes us. One by one we work up the courage and enter the flames.
After an interesting encounter with levers and a magnet, we carefully work our way through a foggy maze, leaving chalk arrows behind to aid our navigation. We dispatch some minotaurs and a winged horror that ambushed us from above. A ledge to another level leads us to a holy warrior of Uluru named Dreana who we help out of a tight spot with some ghouls. There's a sadness in her eyes, and a story of her deceased mother's unrest.
She seeks what we seek and joins our quest.
2. Visions in the Desert
Having escaped the collapsing sands of the resting place of the Star of Agar Pelar, the first of the 5 gems said to activate Martek's sphere of power, we return West toward a stone dragon and glimmering pyramid. After defeating a desert witch and her jackalweres we stopped to camp. Early in the morning my watch was interrupted by a strange man wandering the sand dunes who named himself Amun-Re, the pharaoh buried in the pyramid. He told a tale of a curses, one laid by him upon this land's water should he be slain by his rebellious people, the other by Osiris upon the pharaoh to never rest in spirit until water again flows between Pazar and Turbacar. He asked me and my companions to brave the dangers of his pyramid and recover his staff and a gem - the Star of Mo Palar - to break this curse. I agreed as the gem was another of the 5 we sought, but made clear I do not do this task for the spirit of a tyrant. We do this to return the life-bringing waters to this desert and her people.
We found the outer walls of the pyramid inhabited by Dervish - deeply religious folk that were reluctant to admit us. At the request of a man named Barak, we entered the pyramid under the auspices of seeking his lost brother, a man named Kasil who would know who sent us by the phrase "we know what happened to Allandria".
1. The Star of Agar Pelar
From Bralasar we set out with a caravan - the Sandvoyagers Guild which we learned too late are slavers. Over the Dustwall, through the North Knife Pass, and into the Desert of Desolation we follow silver banners marking the way every half mile. Through the Gates of Suly that curse those who enter unbidden we reach an obelisk and a cross roads. To the West: the road of Turbacar and the Keeper of the Pyramid where a glistening light glimmers. To the North we are told is 5 days travel to the White Palm Oasis. To the East: our destination. We recruit Jamis and travel another day down the road of the King to Pazar.
We find a stone statue holding a tablet. He is called Meniozimus and he is filled with regret. They held back the water and died for it.
Following Jamis's fall down a crevasse we drive back large arachnids and speaking the words of an ancient parchment the doors to the altar open. There is our prize: the Star of Agar Palar, a black sapphire veined with white. We claim it and the world shudders. The voice of a fell Efreeti fills the air. He curses Martek and claims we have set him loose upon this desert. It can only be him - Kalatherius.
6. Oasis and Allies
Through the air we sail to the Oasis of the White Palm and find a compound of Sand Voyagers, Dervish ruled by a Sheik, and ruins scattered in the desert around a lagoon. Refreshment and rooms are secured with Happy Hogan and Fi befriends rodents for intelligence on the Sand Voyagers, revealing a connection with goblins. We visit the Sheik and learn both the SV leader and Princess Shadala, betrothed of the Sheik's son, are missing. Thallan and I enjoy the dancing and stories of a servant girl while Cramus and Fi peruse the scrolls of their Archive before we offer assistance. In the afternoon we dive in the lagoon finding a statue of Vogon and some small treasures.
Having left Jamis in charge of the airship under the moniker Riss Crangel we return to find him speaking with a paladin, fighter, and rogue who seek us at the direction of the Timeworn Sentinels. Grim, a half-orc sworn to Assuran's vengeance, and Belus, a blue dragonborn of the Shone Baret, seem capable and trustworthy. Floki remains a mystery - a halfling of surprising talents of both a roguish and musical bent but if they trust him, we will also in some measure. They agree to assist in our quest and after nightfall we explore a hidden entrance to a monolith.
7. Many Gods, One Cult
In the moonlight we crept to the monolith. Speaking into the stone rolled open a door and at the bottom we were met by undead, including two ogres and a beholder. Thank the Gods for Cramus's talent with fire.
We smelled, tasted, and dipped undead limbs into mysteriously shallow pools of colored water and endured the flashing blindness of a trap guarding the next doorway. Inside we confronted by an illuminated jackal statue and a cult led by two masked leaders. Confusing us for Sandvoyagers, they demanded our supposed delivery: the Princess Shadala. We played into their mistake and nearly had them convinced before the violence began. Again Cramus was indispensable, hypnotizing the majority while we dispatched blades and faerie fire. I relieved the one called Korga of his mask and the other, adept as an assassin with his blades was revealed to be Khorus - the Sheik's own son and brother to the missing Princess's fiancé! Grim's furious axe left no time for Khorus to explain and it was only after defeating most of the cultists, including a demon ape in the guise of a prisoner, that we learned more from Korga as he was helplessly levitated above my own rapier.
He alleged that this cult was sworn to preserve the worship of many gods and the diverse religious practices under threat by the zealously devout Sheik and his Dervish people. He was unclear on how the Sandvoyagers and the Princess fit in, but in my foolishness I tried on his mask and had a vision - Kalatherius, the dread efreet himself saw and spoke to me. He knew my name. He asked my greatest desire. He asked if I would kill.
I could do it. I am certain he possesses the power to ensure my name and deeds complete the journey from hero to legend to myth. Merosh the Actor, the Storyteller, the Acrobat and Juggler. Merosh the Muscle Bard... Would I kill?
Merosh the Immortal... Merosh the Tragic...
Returning to the present I shared who I saw. Firmly convinced Korga was an agent of evil, Grim executed his justice despite some of our misgivings. How will the Sheik take this news? Do we admit responsibility for his son's death? Should we have delivered the leader responsible for Khorus's misdeeds?
8. The Keys to Greed and the Star of Khal-Pelar
Pursuing the last living cultist we found more bowls of colored and scented liquid of unknown purpose before Korga's quarters. Replacing on its stand the jackal mask that gave me the vision of Kalatherius, low drum beats sounded throughout the chamber. Most curiously, Cramus discovered a block of wax with the imprint of a key. It matched exaclty the strange key Cramus carries, the one somehow linked with his draconic affinity for magic. Perhaps fate is with us.
Then again perhaps not. Unwilling to let the glittering eyes of the stone jackal lie unclaimed, we woke the damn thing up and it nearly killed Grim. Thinking quickly, Fi cast a spell of darkness around the statue and lured it with her voice into the deep hole before its seat, the source of the imposing red light cast upon it. I like to think I inspired her.
Beyond chambers of torture and a poisoned prisoner (oops?) we found small shrines with small idols. The first was a hawk. The second, a familiar monkey covering one eye. When I touched this idol, a dusty corridor was revealed behind the wall - a secret passage!
More evidence of goblins. Does this complex connect to the lower chambers of the Sandvoyager's compound? After a lair of spiders and a jackal-carved door we may have found a passage to hell.
"Beware ye the wrath of Vogon and his minions, for before you lies the gate to this Kingdom of Evil, and those who make the journey never return. There you find Order, Chaos, and Renewal. Yet death in all."
The jackal door slammed closed behind us, cutting off Grim and Floki briefly. Another jackal statue sat before a red-illuminated hole and a series of terrifying creatures - zombies, quadrupedal eyeless humanoids, and 2-headed dogs with cobras for tails. It was a trial that nearly exhausted our resources and again Grim tasted unconsciousness. But to what end?
Glad to put it behind us we found the most promising discovery of this nocturnal adventure-turned-ordeal: at the end of the secret passage was a carved depiction of the Sheik holding a star, and a hole for a key. Cramus's key worked, but he shook his head in surprise mumbling how this is not the key's intended purpose.
The stairs upward raised the hair on my neck and Floki's trap-sense as well. Carefully with rope we avoided the weak stairs but noted some wandering humanoid figures far below. In the chamber at the top of our climb we found the corpse and a book. The great "wizurd" Groomramunk and his Book of the Great Stars. It chronicled his journey and research into the last known locations of the Great Stars we seek to power the Sphere of Martek, though the Star of Khal-Pelar lie there in his own dead hand. I would've liked to hear the stories of this poor doomed traveller from his own lips, but his child-like scribblings will have to do.
With 3 of 5 stars in hand we now have clues to the final 2: Shar-Pelar, a large ruby thought to be stolen by "the evil Badr Al-Mosak" and Melos-Pelar, a spherical amethyst in the "cursed city of stone". But what of the Princess? We told the Sheik we would help. Belus is insistent. Yet he didn't see what I saw. He didn't see the evil we will face. Can we afford to give Kalatherius more time?