"Game 4: Race to Kor" | C-LARP

Written by Commando Chipmunk

The Blue Martyrs

-Donindor's band of questers at last arrive in Kelindor, ready to continue pursuing the next lost relic by following the light of their glowstone.
-Before embarking on the last leg of their journey, Guiscard trains his comrades in swordplay. All is going well until Guiscard has to go back to his tent. Someone else is inside, waiting for him. The two struggle back into the open and the attacker flees.
-The party pursues only to find there is an entire army of knights waiting for them. These knights wear tabards very similar to the Order of the Martyrs, except they are blue and call themselves "The Sanctified." A vicious battle ensues, during which Guiscard is poisoned by a blade thrust.
-At last, the knights flee, but one is taken captive. He is questioned and Guiscard is healed from the poison. Guiscard knocks out the knight. Following the trail of the "Sanctified" knights, they uncover a box containing several documents. One is plans for what looks like a massive cannon. The second is a map of Ashnuw with several kingdoms circled - including Middlemarch, Western Ahkleffleebdloodle, Canabula Cwtch, etc. The Island of Kokka has a question mark scrawled over it.

The Noble Tree

-As the party begins to leave, a Kinsapling emerges from the forest. Maki is able to translate for it and tells the group that he has come down from Middlemarch and is looking for clean water. The water in Middlemarch is sick and the Kinsaplings that are drinking it are becoming twisted and angry. The party quickly gives the Kinsapling water, puzzled as to what could be hurting the waters in Middlemarch.

The Not-So-Festive Festival

-The party arrive in the city just as a festival is taking place. They take a moment to talk amongst the locals in hopes of uncovering information. Guiscard even recognizes a familiar halfling amongst the crowd-- Mr. Burrows, one of the questers Athruu took prisoner. But before any worthwhile conversation can get underway, something goes wrong. A band of festival goers accuse Donindor of stealing and demand for his arrest. Realizing this must be Athruu in disguise, Donindor tries to explain, but fighting breaks out. The company is split, and several are taken hostage. In order to free the hostages, Donindor gives himself up and gives Guiscard charge of the group.

Cavern Tourism Incorporated and a Lost Civilization

-The company follows the glowstone to Cavern Tourism Incorporated, a company that gives cave tours in the mines of Kelindor. The tour guide is very obliging and takes them down an elevator into the heart of the mountains. During the tour, the glowstone indicates that they need to take a side passage. Guiscard and Kashi distract the tour guide while the rest of the company sneaks deeper into the mines, towards the ancient underground city of Kor.
-Guiscard and Kashi hurry back to rejoin the party. They all follow the trail until they run into a collection of small, unusual creatures. The minute the creatures see the comrades and their swords, they rear back together in fright. The comrades try to convince them that they will not harm them, but this is no simple task! Finally, the creatures reveal that they are gnomes and Athruu has taken their princess hostage to force them to do his bidding. These are the very gnomes that the Fenwomple in Middlemarch spoke of-- the only creatures that can cross the Borax Uldek, and Athruu has been forcing them to do just that so that they can bring back massive rock-eating worms into Middlemarch. The party is confused as to why this would be important until the gnomes reveal that the rock these worms leave behind them are magnetically changed--meaning Athruu is using these worms to change the magnetism of Middlemarch and make it sick. The dying forest they passed through on the way to Three Corners and the desperate Kinsapling suddenly make sense.
-The party promises the gnomes that they will free the princess so that they will no longer be enslaved to Athruu. The gnomes are doubtful that they can truly do this, but the party assures them they will do all they can. They make their way onwards into the ancient city.

The Stone Sentinels

-As they make their way, Dr. Beakerson catches up with the group! How he managed to track them through all those tunnels, no one is quite certain, but everyone is grateful to have him back.
-Finally they reach a hall that overlooks the city. From here, they can see the long lost Kor laid out before them. But they can see someone has reached the city first--strange pale shapes walk down near the center of the city. An explosion at the center of the city goes off-- but before they can go down to investigate, the hall behind them and the overlook before them seals. The rows of stone statues lining the hall come to life and begin to attack. A grueling battle ensues and the party realizes that the hall is a giant puzzle. Every time all the stone statues fall, new ones emerge from the walls. Unless they can unlock the secrets written on the stone walls, they realize they will be overcome. After much trial and error and exhaustion and injury, they finally break free. The statues return to their places and the doors lift. The questers hurry down to the city, hoping they are not too late.

The Chasm

-The questers have to descend down into booby trap ridden corridors in order to reach the center of the city. One by one they begin to make their way, single file. They come to a chasm and try to determine how to cross. Thinking that there may be a portal at the bottom like the last chasm, Squire jumps in to test it. However, there is not a portal at the bottom. She falls to her death. Her comrades are uncertain as to whether she has a teleport heal. Sir Guiscard is brokenhearted.
-The party must proceed. Thankfully, they find a ladder to cross the chasm and begin to cross safely. However, as they are crossing, darts begin to fire out the walls at them. They hit Kashi, Jade, Vanus, and Tovian. They must have been infused with some strange poison, for, strangely, the four of them begin to lose control of themselves and start crying uncontrollably. Kashi and Jade comfort each other while Vanus refuses for anyone to touch her. Tovian becomes too frightened to proceed forward into the narrow chamber. With great effort, the members of the party who are still sane get across, guiding their stricken comrades.

Donindor and Athruu

-The party reaches the center of the city, ragged and afraid. The Pale Warriors are there to meet them. A battle ensues, but with several of their top fighters down, the group struggles to gain ground. They push on, seeing that the box holding the next missing relic is now in sight.
-Just as they are overcome and Athruu begins to take the box--the Pale Warriors suddenly turn on Athruu. But before Pale's people can take the box, Donindor returns. Using his guardian power, he strikes all the Pale warriors dead by putting shields over his questers and by bringing down the cave on the enemy. He takes back the relic and confronts Athruu, telling his former student that it is foolish to go to Pale for power. Athruu leaves.
-The group is worn and weary. Those still suffering from the effects of the darts receive healing. Tovian and Maki were both unconscious and out of the reach of the shield during the last confrontation. Tovian wore enough armor to protect him from death, but he was heavily injured. Maki was crushed by the rocks and teleport healed back to Middlemarch. Though the costs were high and the remaining comrades are beaten down, the party leaves in victory--the lost relic in their hands: An inter-dimensional shifter.