André Pelnar
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Dashing young half elf involved too deeply in necromancy. Likes hats.
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Founded Settlements
Ruled Locations
For (Hadrian's) Good of the Realm
25th Letrel, 429 PE
The Oracle shows us a past conversation with Hadrian and the Master, where he is tasked to assassinate a religious figure "for the good of the realm". The second meeting he pledges himself to the Master, also for the good of the realm. On the third meeting, he asks if they can get away with murder. A different voice insists that it is what's right - for the good of the realm.
We decide to head to Nikea because Aghi and Faolan feel there's a decent chance the people who were disposed of - Anwyn is more distant. We arrive on the Nikean outskirts, and look towards the city. Every minute, purple lightning streaks across the sky, making contact with the ground. I cast sending to Anwyn, to let her know our location and to inquire about any recent religious assassinations. Everyone is hunkered inside, and corpses and wagons litter the road on the approach to the city. I ritual cast teleport to the Vatinius' urban homestead.
Nicky's Souls Coins
We bring him the amount of soul coins neccesary to pay our debts and get more information.
Unfortunately, he doesn't know but suggests we talk to either "the Oracle", Garios (the Master) and Yorgos (the Master's rival)
We make our way to the Oracle. it is a long journey. During which, we fight a hell cow.
Once we get to the region to search for the Oracle, we start with calling out for it. Unfortunately, a pit fiend happened to be flying by and saw us. Faolan and I intimidate it into conversation, and after I give him the soul catcher w/ the soul of the yuan-ti , it brings us to the cave where the Oracle currently is.
The Oracle tells us that she can work with the past. But we will tell us our fortunes first, the future.
My future: I appear in a space of stars. The stone has turned into glass. The oracle appears younget than she did on the hell plane. I pick the middle card. It's the key. The others will make a choice that will provide me with everyting I need to overcome the challenges - but only if my friends also make the right choice - particularly the one who fights.
Aghi picked the Empress, she'll be a great leader.
Looking for Souls for Nicky
19th Letrel, 429 PE
Trying Again
18th Letrel, 429 PE
-We decide having a map of the Aeillan afterlife would help us. We set off for the Grand Library of Cyrene in hopes they will have information.
-We teleport to Cyrenica using one of our coins from the Kingdom. After a couple days, we reach Cyrene and gain accesss to the Grand Library.
-In a dusty section of the arcane portion of the library, we find a map labelled with comments about "backwards Aeillan superstition".
-We teleport (ritual casting) back to our previous spot in Hell. Faolan hatches the idea that we attack a soul plantation. Lemures oversee the plantation as the goo from the previous session's stream is cultivated and harvested.
-We gather information, and I recall some religious information about their hierarchy, from books near the map in the library. I try to entrap all three bone devils in a magic circle, but in the time it takes for me to cast it 2 of them move outside the radius. We begin to attack. I disintegrate one of the two outside of my magic circle and damage the other with Finger of Death.
-Towards the end of the fight, we hear a noise. Aghi begins collecting the Soul Coins, and after I down the 2nd bone devil, join her. We have 25 soul coins (50 souls).
-We teleport back just as a Pit Devil arrives, angry at the noise distubring his work.
I Always Feel Like, Somebody's Watching Me (and I have no privacy)
57th Jestanì, 429 PE
Previously
Anwyn fights Agapios, got her wings all fucked up and while she's in human form, her back and shoulders are bleeding badly
Hesior takes the sword, a shield and 20lbs of coin
Presently - 27th Jestanì
I use my healing light to stabilise her wounds, preventing any infection
Over the night, Faolan feels like we're being watched
While I make breakfast, I ask the barkeep/innkeep if they noticed anything last night. Apparently, someone at one of the booths whispered somethingin a harsh tongue
I bring breakfast back up, and go investigate the booth. Unfortunately, I just find a weird candle (the others see the weirdness is in fact just it having been burned)
We find Olympios, who's quite impressed at our ability to procure "outside help" in this part of the world
We teleport to Riven's mom's place. They're rather perturbed that we didn't call ahead.
Mrs Vatinius notes that while we've been gone she and her guards and servants and even some townsfolk have felt like they're being watched. It started a few days ago.
Olympios thinks for a second and realises he feels the sense during our "catching up" meeting.
A knock at the door interrupts our meeting. Victoria send some of her guard to the door. He returns a short time later. It's Hadrian. He is warm to the touch (not dead?)
She wants to hear him out somewhat.
He want's to fight us for the sword, if we win he will give us one of the items.
Herakles and Hesior fight one on one, and eventually Herakles downs Hesior.
He kills Faolan. I kill the Mummy King, and Hadrian downs me.
30 Days Later
A few hours after we fought Hadrian, he sat upon the throne and brought the Master into reality.
She managed to get most of the people out of Mysteria, and she finds Hesior on his death bed practically. He sacrifices himself to bring back Faolan.
Riven brings me out of the coma. But Mysteria is now in enemy hands. Jim probably joined them.
Hesior dies before I can get to him to thank him for carrying my comatose body out of there. Through chronomancer wildness, Hesior's sword melds into his dead body, its hilt pulling itself over his head and warping his body. An effect like a hall of mirrors. After the effect dissipates, a white dragonborn looking similar to hesior.
We've got a Mountain to Climb
25th of Jestaní
Arrival in Salmis
17th of Jestaní
Does she mind if I call her Victoria?
16th of Jestaní, 429 PE
Return to Apepsos
14th of Jestaní
14th
Someone has stolen the diadem, the scepter, and the sword from the Imperial Mausoleum in Apepso
Note to self: get the Peptid Teleportation Circle Sigil Sequence
We teleport to Apepso, I get lucky and we end up in the circle anyway. The wizard there is peeved and wants us to pay the toll.
We offer our assistance in the matter to the paladins, who are trying to look strong after having just been robbed.
The witnesses to whomever broke into the Mausoleum are all dust. The two guards of the late emperor being the two known dusty corpses. I investigate and determine they were magically disintegrated.
Before leaving, I notice a circle the same size as the stone rings on the throne room in mysteria, I suspect it's a small teleportation circle, due to it's sigils. I copy these sigils into the back of my spellbook.
I try to teleport using the sigils I wrote. A bulbous eye appears over us, and we hear the words "ever watching" in our brain, sending a chill down our spine. We find ourselves in a field of gray.
I forget what pomegranates are. I begin to trance to so that I can get us back to the Mortal Plane. However, I lose my ability to spellcast and speak before I can begin to trance. (Feeble Mind)
While infeebled, Faolan calls out for our favourite Aeillan immortal annoyance, Nikophorous and makes a deal to get him 43 souls in exchange for him bringing us out of the this place. The three of us appear in a hellish flash of light in the Apepsos library. Faolan tries to remember the word for restoration spell, but just starts yelling "spell" while I continue to lay in the fetal position, foaming slightly.
Foalan begins to head off after Hesior as he looks for the Mausoleum.
One of Anwyns compatriot's heals us. Faolan chews out me for not thinking ahead before teleporting us.
Tymnaros' eyes are upon us. (the bulbous eye)
The Investigation
Foalan remembers Hadrian was an oathbreaker paladin and there was a spellcaster with him when we first encountered him
Olympios Platon Stefanidis is a common thread of Riven and Hadrian. He is in Nikea.
Because André was incapable of signing the contract to Nicky, Foalan is now low-key the healthcare proxy for me when dealing with Demons?
Stormborn Defeated
9th of Jestaní
So I died. Like actually died. Decapitation and everything. We went to the Great Wall of Aeilla and fought the Stormborn, and though I fought valiantly for a wizard, my last fireball was not powerful.
I thought I was dreaming at first, but after I realised I was feeling the passing of the days. I do not know how long I felt like I was there, wherever there was, but I know that at first, it seemed wrong to leave, like I was instead already awake and coming back would mean going under once more.
You know the feeling of when you feel like someone is looking at you, but you turn around and see nothing? That's what I felt for a time before I felt the presence wasn't false, and was in fact riven.
Faolan carried my dead body all the way back to Mysteria.
Defending the Great Wall
8th of Jestaní, 429 PE
Into the Depths of Gorachenya
3rd of Jestaní, 429 PE
Hesior informs us that we haven't been paying him for his services for this WHOLE TIME, which is insane because he's been traveling with us for MONTHS. Anyways, I buy Hesior a lantern for the journey into the caves below Terezkha, and sort out with Gash his explorer's pack. We make our way back to the slanted marketplace after realising just how badly we communicate about party finances. About 20 minutes later, the watch has burned podluzhniks, smoking up the caves in the process.
We make our way to the intersection between the natural ravine and the carved tunnels from earlier. We follow the carved path to where we heard the child and the ravine (to the left). We hit a natural area, take a right, and are at the chasm from before. Riven flies and ties the rope across, and the three of us make our way across the rope safely. I use the Gem of Maretha, which allows me to read the cursed item, with great difficulty, migraine and all (2 hours, -2 to intel checks). It states:
"Working with these have been a pain in the ass, I told them, I get every other child, they get every other child. I'm getting sick of this, they are eating more than half, - N"
There are two caves that diverge from this larger room, and Riven determines the claw marks from before go to the left. However, I'm dead-set that it's to the right, despite the pounding migraine. We make (I shuffle) down the left passage, going down further and further at an almost 45º angle, we have to take great care to avoid slipping and dying. Once we level out, we suspect that we must be deep below Gorachenya, up to a mile. We follow the magic trail from the wide cone area that the slope opened into, and given my condition Gash kindly offers to carry me on his back. Gash & I are able to figure out the fiendy magic. We go about 100ft, till there's a slope to the right and a sheer 50ft cliff to the left. The magic is clearly coming from the slope. After 500ft of continuing down, we hear a roar. I wince at the noise as it reverberates off the cavernous walls. Riven pinpoints the direction as having come from our right. Hesior sends an echo with Riven's cantrip for light on his sword down to the bottom of the cliff. We send the echo ahead as far as possible, finding clear clawmarks of a podluznik on the opposite end of the cavern (the left), and it's clear that is recent. It becomes clear that the fiendish magic and the podluznik path are in opposite directions. The three of us decide this while Hesior retreives his echo.
We head back down the slope, going for thousands of feet without running into anything of note. At some point, the fiendish magic almost pervades the very rock walls around us. Stones from a cave-in block our path forward, and once we scale it we can hear muted growls and rumbles similar to the roars of before. In a fit of panic, I launch a fireball, lighting up the cavern with many figures and setting a Podluznik on fire. One of the podluzniks has two pincers on it's carapace, setting it apart from the others, we shall call him Steve. After a great battle, where Hesior went down and Gash almost followed, my deadly poke kills the last, and to my amazement (and horror) the podluznik turns into a zombie under my command. So that's a thing that's possible.
Riven picks up the trail, and I pick up the magic, now following the same trail. After a little while, we get a sense that we're close to the lair. Not long after, we hear yelling in Abyssal, which thanks to the Maretha Light, I understand.
"I don't CARE that you've been hungry because you've been banished for several millenia, we a deal. Every other child, you get one I get one. I got you out on a favor, if you don't like, I can just as easily get you back. He wants you back, he's only letting you out there for me."
We inch closer. The voice in question becomes visible, illuminated by evil looking magicky things. He has a portal open emitting a lot of purple light, with a reddish glow about him. Detect Magic discovers that the portal leads to devillish plane, and Dispel Magic destroys it. Riven walks out and begins a conversation with Nicky. With greasy black hair and a beer belly. Basically, he's after more Gorachenyan singing because of the souls Bea sent him, and set up shop down there. Then a Gorach boy died and rounded his choir of screaming souls and he needs more. We manage to work out a deal wherein for 30 days he'll stop kidnapping the children of Gorachenya and we have those days to get a unich. I send to syvanta "Hey, do you have any former unichs lying round?"
"What"
"You know, castrated singers of the court?"
"I know what they are, why do you need them?"
"We made a deal with- you know uh, we'll explain. Toodles!"
"..."
We rest for the rest of the day.
3rd of Jestani
We stop over in Tereszkha. The guard whom I had mentioned BBQ'ed podluznik to is very concerned that I have eaten. We meet with the Guard "Captain", and he is dissatisfied with my vague answer, but allows us to depart. We teleport to Zolot-Uzik with the Portal House's, and meet with Syvanta. He is quite angry about the request, but softens when he learns that we have solved (for now) the problem of the missing children. A prison guard leads us to the cell with a unich, Yurivich's former right hand advisor.
Riven explains to me the easiest way is to write a contract. It reads:
"I, the undersigned, hereby acknowledge the following:
I am to be turned over from the custody of the Gorachenyan people to the Aeillan annoyance known as Nikophoros where I shall remain in his custody at his leisure.
______, 3rd of Jestaní"
Gash then hands the contract to him, telling him to sign. He is unconvinced. Riven then explains that he will be allowed to leave this place if he signs. He does, with a flick of his wrist. After a moment, he steps forward and before he can get far, a portal similar to what sucked the podluzniks away.
We waltz ourselves back to the Iron Palace and Syvanta, informing him that we took care of the unich. I provide a translation of the contract for Gorachenyan records. May it be added to the Annals of the Dwarven Truth.
There is in Fact, a Teleportation Circle in Zolot-Uzik
2nd of Jestani, 429 PE
After handing over control of the scene to the Tereshka guard, we teleport back to Zolot-Uzik. Gash checks his history notes on the Principality and determines there is indeed a TP circle. The guard in the "Teleportation House" stands at attention. Gash gets some tea from a nearby café. The city is just as bustling as before, but there's a lot of unease due to the regime change, threat of invasion, and the children going missing. We make our way to the Iron Palace after a few minutes of walking.
We notice before getting to Syvanta, that there is a lot of yelling. Riven and I inquire with the guard about the "blazing row" taking place, who steadfastly refers to it as a "passionate discussion". We hear a bit more talking in Gorachenya, though more calm, if uneasy. Gash startles Syvanta by busting through the door, who swings and misses Gash. While Riven and I fix the door, Syvanta catches up on the encounter from Hesior.
Syvanta then catches us up on the story of the "fairy tale creatures". Their forefathers dug too deep and found these part bear, part insect creatures. They would seek out the young, elderly, weak, and vulnerable. Legend has it that after ages of being hunted, they were finally banished by a Gorachenyan wizard (the same one who made the TP circle) millennia ago. Since then, they've been nothing more than a fairytale for parents to keep their kids behaved, a creature that would steal them away in the night. Syvanta suspects a demon is moving them back into the material plane.
The guards are burning the two Podluzhniks when we return about an hour later. The captain of the guard points out two markets (one is by the entrance to the caverns and caves systems, and the other is right, up straight, around the bend, down, right). We go to the "outdoor" market, where Gash buys a set of nght vision goggles (darkvisions 60ft+) for 1500gp.
Fiendish Abominations in a Gorechenyan Cave
2nd of Jestani, 429 PE
2 Jestani
The creatures unfortunately are from this plane, as they return to the chamber about a minute later. Since Riven made Hesior's sword emit light, we are able to see the abominations. The creature has the arms and claws of a bear, a carapace and is covered in fur. It's body is long and gangly, like a ferret-ear, with pincers like an insect, and instead of a mouth it's bear-like teeth surround an orifice. It attacks Hesior, but I hurl a lightning bolt from my wand from behind Riven, scaring it's back as it fails to get out of the way. We defeat the two, and take the chance to investigate their corpses to learn more about them.
Hesior looks into the creatures, though he has worked more with "people folk", but relying on the story's of his father, it seems to be a fiend native to this plane. Presumably, they hunt in packs as we found them two at once. They are both of the same sex(?), perhaps indicating pack more than mates, but it remains inconclusive. I let Syvanta know through sending "Killed two abominations, none of us recognise them. We're through a cave from the far end of the big slanted market. Bodies are there. Toodles."
From the small chamber, there is a way deeper into the subterranean ravine, and there is the rope back up the cliff. We make our way downwards further into the cave system, with a gentle slope. Hesior continues with his lit sword with Riven and I lurking beyond the light's edge. Riven finds more claw marks, some leading up to where we came from, and some that leads deeper into the cave system. Some marks appear to even go up the side of the cave. We follow these deeper into the ravine, as it grows deeper and wider as time goes on. After 10 minutes of walking, we reach what appears to be an explicitly carved tunnel intersecting the natural ravine, it's straight trajectory bellying it's constructed nature. The claw marks that we've been following go to the right, although there are also tracks crisscrossing the intersection.
We find a piece of paper, after mending it, I can read on the parchment (with comprehend languages), I realise that this is Abyssal and it's a curse. I stop reading it. Upon closer inspection, and after checking with Riven, I note that it's written in Aeillan letters. I had stopped reading it as I noticed a headache setting in. I try to investigate it magically, but the headache swells into a full migraine (-1 on intelligence checks for 1 hour). We press on, and roughly 20 minutes further down the shaft (about an hour after the fight) we hear a child's scream and a roar akin to the abominations from earlier. Hesior goes up ahead to scout out, Riven and I following about 3 minutes behind. After we catch up with Hesior, he tells us that a more person-looking thing portalled in, communicated with them and kidnapped presumably the Gorachenyan child we heard earlier. A 30ft foot down, 10 foot wide chasm seperates us from where they were meeting, where the fiends have since scattered.
Hesior swaps a duplicate over to the other side. Riven brings me across by flying, as I'm just light enough. My arcana check tells me that the teleportation led to another plane. We now know that the creatures kidnapping children, fiends from this plane, and that they are working with someone from beyond this plane, and that that person is taking the kids away. There is also the parchment of the curse in Abyssal Aeillan. We retrace our steps, passing the two dead fiends and climbing up our rope. Back in the market, we use our map of the town to navigate back to Vadim to inform him of the two bodies that should be retrieved. He collects some of his men, and we can see that as he gives the orders they are all universally spooked.
We lead them back to the landing, Riven and I descending first. Riven illuminates the area, and I call for Vadim. He lands and with a ghostly-white face confirms their worst fears - these are the mythical Podluzhnik that were used to keep children behaved, having not been seen for over a thousand years - he suggests that we keep this quiet. We depart to go meet with Syvanta.
Return to Gorachenya:
2nd of Jestani, 429 PE
2 Jestani
Gash goes to settle us in to the accommodation the guard set up for us. We decide to investigate the market area that Boris was sent to. On our way to the market, Hesior scopes out access into the city's sewer system, and Riven sees a door off one of the landings of the stairway, identifying it as access to the sewer. It's just after midday, and the markets are busy with the selling of bread and vodka. The entire market is on a gentle slope, with five different entrances in five different direction. Further down the slope, where it is more open, it looks less carved. We decide to wait for things to clear out, and we stake out a spot at another of the many open cafés/bar countertops that dot Gorachenyan cities. A helpful baker informs me that she and the others did not
We notice a path (or really a natural cave), an I set an alarm (audible only to me) at the less finished end of the slope, however we find nothing of note on the ground. Before leaving, I cast detect magic and notice faint footprints going around the edge of the market, and heading to the natural cave. Investigating the footprints further, I have a sense that these are the footprints of fiends. We follow them into the natural cave, riven making Hesior's sword light. Riven and I are careful to stay outside of the light radius, ahead of Hesior. We reach three paths, one that a Dwarf could handle but not us, and then two paths of equal size, one going straight ahead and the other going down. While I use sending to inform Syvanta of our whereabouts and status, Hesior uses one of his echoes to investigate the narrow hole.
Hesior's echo discovers that the narrow hole opens up considerably, up to three times the size of the current cavern. While my second ritual casting of detect magic didn't produce footprints, it does indicate that they didn't go down the one that leads downward. Hesior & Riven get stuck in the narrow hole, but I made it through, and I'm able to help them. We make our way into the open cave, which gradually goes downward, before we reach a drop and a massive cavern with five entrances.
Using my 50ft of silk rope, I tie the rope to a nearby sturdy rock. Riven flies down, Hesior loses his grip and falls, but switches into another echo. Almost immediately as our feet land on the ground and we get up, two shadowy figures are banished by Riven. Upon investigating the are, I find dig and claw marks. Riven warns us that they might be back if they are native to this plane, so I begin to cast magic circle.
Return to Gorachenya
2nd of Jestani, 429 PE
65 Flirel 429
Svyanta sends us a letter, detailing that they are having problems with missing persons in the city of Terezhka that they can't handle, as they are in charge of a new societal order. He requests that we go to the Iron Palace in Zolot-Uzik. We teleport to Niznal (after I enthusiastically talked about practicing saxophone on the way there, no one wants to hear hot cross buns but sharp), to the temple we first met Syvanta. A man, Alexei enthusiatically greets us, and after a casting of comprehend languages offers me and the others a round of vodka, only at 10am. He leads us up four flights of stairs to a cafe during it's lull between the breakfast and lunch hours.
Unfortunately, as Alexei proclaims us to be the heroes of Zolot-Uzik at the cafe, Riven notices a glare from a few of the passers-by. Despite a passionate speech about the princes, the cafe hostess doesn't have much information. I leave a silver piece for her troubles. I rent us a mule and cart for the journey, it costs 2 silver for the week. The tunnels are still closed as there's been loyalists to the old regime and increased brigands.
68 Flirel
We arrive in Zolot-Uzik, it's natural light pouring from above. We see about 30% of the passers-by regard us with the same glare from before. The missing persons in Terezhka are mostly young people and children, dissappearing at night. Common rumour is that a mythical creature, a Podluzhnik, is the culprit, and Syvanta knows we can approach this with an open mind. We leave for Terezhka, and I begin teaching Gash how to drive the wagon.
2 Jestani
We're lead to the head of the guard of Terezhka, a morass of tunnels and ill-defined levels carved as needed when needed with no rhyme or reason (no wonder children have been getting lost). We're lead to a nondescript building with city guard, where we meet Captain Vadim, who speaks to us in functional common. Vadim shows us a "map" that is somewhat hard to look at, to fill us in beyond Syvanta's basics. He shows us the district where most of the dissapearances are, and the most they ever find articles of clothing or posessions, and sometimes there's a report of a scream - but never a reported struggle.
I explain that with enough information, I might be able to contact the missing children - but I'd like to meet with the family of the most recent victim so that I can choose my 25 words well. We're directed to a tavern near to the site of the location (about halfway between them and the guard barracks). Vadim gives us a copy of the map - which when unfolded shows us a different "level" of the city, a disaster in city planning, and a letter in gorachenyan explaining our role.
20 minutes later (when it would take a local 5), we arrive at the family homestead, modestly carved into the wall of the caverns and coming out. Boris' father explains that he sent him to get bread from the market two weeks ago. He's quite fond of playing ball, and his favourite food is borscht. He has two siblings, of which he is the youngest, at 25. One of his friends went missing three weeks prior to Boris - Fedore. As we finish our tea, Boris' mother brings us a hat that belonged to Boris.
Assault on the Chronomancer's Stronghold (part 3)
22nd Flirel, 429 PE
10th of Flirel, 429 NE
I'm unable to block the chronomancer & some of his ilk escaping with counterspell, as their magic is too powerful. Instead we fight 5 of his test subjects, their echos, and some auxiliaries. Using my lightning bolt wand, I take out the echos while also hitting the test subjects. They are able to deal quite a lot of damage nonetheless, and I have to use a scroll of Mass Cure Wounds.
After defeating them, Gash tried to examine a time device (the auxiliary bonding device) of the Chronomancer, figuring out how to use it and regressed to around the equivalent of an 8-year old Dragonborn (equivalent to a 12-year old human). Shortly after, we hear an explosion, wrecking the machine that was in the area subject 4 dissappeared into.
I take the Chronomancer's journal, his science journal, his spellbook, and some personal poems and arcane experiment notes. I can't read his script but I do plan on spending time back on Mysteria to research these. Faolan grabbed a barrel of various ingredients, and promptly left the room. Hesior gathers materials to create 4 weapons known as "Chronoxiphos", and grabs a scythe. Gash piles the remaining barrels and sets a trail to set them on fire. On our way out, we reset the traps that aged myself and Gash in an attempt to re-age Gash to a more mature age, bringing him to 38, a little ahead of where he was when we started. He is now a couple years should of "peak thiccness".
I help Hesior lead the prisoners from the compound to freedom. While doing this, Gash blows up the remaining barrels. A few minutes later, he emerges from the rubble. Gash gets thrown a fair distance as the debris goes everywhere, and then the remaining rubble implodes itself – and ages Gash to about 58.
11 – 22 Flirel
With our haul in hand, we head back to Mysteria by way of Edressa, taking with us most of the former prisoners of the Chronomancer's experiments. It takes us 3 days in Edressa to wait for the crew to return. And the journey to Mysteria a week. Hesior volunteers to help the other former slaves adapt to life on the island. I hope to rely on Hesior in the future as I start to focus more on shaping this island into something special. Riven and Hesior are introduced. I retire to my study in the recently completed fortress.
Assault on the Chronomancer's Stronghold (part 2)
10th of Flirel, 429NE
10th of Flirel, 429 NE
In our first order of business, we stash the bodies in one of the holding cells for the subjects. Hesior takes us to his quarters in order to give him time to plan our best way of attack against the Chronomancer and for us to rest up a bit. His room is fairly spartan, a bed and a footlocker, and a few of Hesior's personal items – a well worn journal, old gladiator trophies (heavily tarnished) and a necklace.
With the keep being too heavily guarded, we devise a plan to lure the Chronomancer out, widdling it down to two options. Option 1: lure him to his quarters (drawback: small room and Hesior needs an excuse to come up here). Option 2: lure him to the holding cell (drawback: all the other subjects are there, and might be used against us). Picking option 2, I suggest that Hesior leave to go get the 'mancer, letting us know if the coast is clear for us to move back to the holding cells. Bea would then scope out the path back to the processing area under an invisibilty spell. At the last minute, at Faolan's suggestion, we all are made invisible. Before Hesior leaves, he hands me his journal.
After about 15 minutes, Hesior enters with the Chronomancer. Accompanying them were a large hulking white dragonborn (subject one) and two auxilaries. After getting half of the jump on them, the two leave behind their auxiliaries to face us (Gash later establishes that it was a time stop spell), which we defeat. We leave the holding cells, and make our way to the Keep. Bea gets the door opened, the last act of their earth elemental. We enter the keep.
Assault on the Chronomancer's Stronghold
9th of Flirel, 429NE
4 Flirel
After setting Jim to work on the cleanup, Faolan and I talk with Hesior. I make note of the lack of fear in our assailants, and that they fought to the last, which leads me to infer that there's some strong enchantment over their minds, perhaps some sort of monthslong conditioning. Hesior warns us not to us the swords, and upon examination I can tell the swords are magically enchanted to only attune to something the dragonborn that attacked us have.
We spend the rest of the day picking up the battle and talking about the multitude of political literature I've requested from enlightened societies in Aeilla and Felora. Hesior makes sure Jim gathers the swords to keep in the new fortress. I inform the crew of our galley to prepare for departure the following morning. I pack 50 platinum for the journey.
5-8 Flirel
We sail up the coast to the island of Poryphoros. Though Faolan is uneasy the entire time, due to our two-fold run-ins with krakens, and vigilantly guards the port side facing the open ocean. Pointing out that krakens don't usually come into waters this shallow near the coast did little to assuage him, but in the end I guess it doesn't hurt to remain vigilant.
9 Flirel
We arrive in Adressa, the largest port on Poryphoros. Not flying any flag, we are regarded as any other independent merchant. Keeping a low profile, we make our way to the Angry Octopus, an inn with cuisine favored by the locals (the Salty Kraken, the popular tourist Inn, had a name that made Faolan uncomfortable). If the air in this establishment was any thicker, we'd be drinking water, and the pungeant seafood smell assaults our nostrils.
After ordering beer and the calamari special, the innkeep directs my attention to one of the regulars, a suspicious looking chimera (they appear as our respective races to each of us). Not a personable fellow, they rebuff me as I'm unprepared to discuss business so suddenly and publically. After eating, Faolan then goes to discuss gaining information from this mysterious figure, only for him to dissappear. Concerningly, Faolan reports that time stopped, and when he brought up the chronomancer during the time stoppage, the individual dissappeared after remarking that it was interesting and telling Faolan to forget that they ever talked.
Not wanting our crew in danger, we tell the ship to return in 4 days, with further orders to return to Mysteria with or without us. Hesior brings us to the stronghold where he escaped from, as it's likely the chronomancer returned here. We arrive a few hours before midnight, and strangely find farmers working outside of what appears to be a farmhouse (it all appears to be nothing more than a farmstead with a backyard by the coast) – Hesior assures us that these are in fact guards and that this is all in fact a ruse.
With Bea following from a distance, Hesior takes Gash as a prisoner. Hoping to get inside, we make Gash look like he's been beaten in battle through Bea's minor illusions. One knocks (three short, three long, three short) with their scythe and the door opens. Once they're inside, Bea dimension doors back out to me and Faolan, but encounters a weird barrier and knows she can't return. Switching to plan b which was totally already made before hand, I lure the guards away from their post and capture them with hold person, Faolan & I subdue the two of them, and with the knocking pattern, the door opens and we see Gash and Hesior about 20ft inside.
Inside, the passage of time feels...off. I can tell that the barracks are made to pass faster, while time in the training ground was made to pass slower. Hesior leads us to processing, and a human and goliath greet us, addressing Hesior as subject 0. Unfortunately, they aren't buying the story of us all as prisoners, and on Faolan's suggestion, I cast hold person on the two of them, subduing the human but not the goliath – who promptly lays into me. We are able to subdue the two completely, and we begin to plan our next moves as we work further into the stronghold. We are found out promptly, but we are able to get some hits in before the Chronomancer and Subject No. 1 leave the auxilaries to fight us.
An Arrival and a Warning
4th of Flirel, 429 NE
Day 1 - 67th of Heïa
After arriving the previous day and settling in to the newly completed fortress, Jim came to me in my morning studying to inform me of an individual's arrival on the island. One of the things I do is place 250 Platinum pieces from my personal wealth into the party's chest, which I have moved into the fortress, into a room that will be my study.
The individual is a silver dragonborn by the name of Hesior, who was to be the first of a line of warriors trained by the Exarchate of Spathos to attack us – he bears the following note:
"To the most Esteemed Chronomancer Tanistris,
We have been following your work for some time; and are interested in your work with Bucellarii Temporalae. But first, a test of their abilities. We need the vagrant town south of Antiokos exterminated; do this and we shall reward you most handsomely, and will have further use for your experiments.
-AD"
Faolan uses 400 gold from myself and 435 from Gash to purchase weapons for his 90-strong militia of former Spathoi slaves, who are more than happy to be called into battle against their former masters.
70th of Heïa
It takes the blacksmith in Antiokus 3 days to make the neccesary chain armor, during which I take a skiff up the coast to Artenos to inform their senate, meeting with one of their Senators who aided us last time. They appreciate the warning and I depart. After arming them, he orders the militia to take positions in the fortress and to man the cannons, and to take control of any other, munitions or firearms avaiable on the island.
3rd of Flirel
I get back to Mysteria. We buy some potions of superior healing for the coming battle, as Riven is nowhere to be found. We also find 4 basic healing potions in the small temple that Riven spends most of her time in on Mysteria.
4th of Flirel
We awaken to alarm bells, and find about 400 people attacking the island. About half of them of them seem...off, in a way similar to our new friend Hesior. I can make out that some throw their swords, and they glitch (or time travel) back into their hands, and that some of them are phasing to avoid getting hit, and some seem to be moving as if under the effect of haste. We can see that they've somehow surrounded the island despite having no ships, and the island's civilians are fleeing into the fortress.
Securing the outer wall, myself, Gash, Faolan, and Hesior direct our ranged attacks at the charging force. Evard's Black Tentacles protect the entrance to the fortress & further off, channel the chargers into a narrower file. Unfortunately, a caster at the back of the surviving chargers counterspells my tentacles and blows the gate wide open. By now, Gash and the others have made their way to the entrance to fight them up front, and I remain in position to go after their caster.
-TBA-
Kraken Attack! (oh and also some treasure on Leandris)
63rd of of Heïa
Day 7 - 54th of Heïa
We take the galley and set off for Leandris. On the first day of our journey, the crew informs me that we're moving slower than we should, there's drag on the hull. Gash jumps into the water to investigate, but doesn't find anything amiss. Bea detects no magic, so we decide to investigate the matter further later.
Day 8 - 55th of Heïa
Our drag problem continues. We continue to sail.
Day 9 - 56th of Heïa
Gash fishes. We still have the drag.
Day 10 - 57th of Heïa
We notice sails on the horizon, approaching us from the bow. I polymorph into a gull, to scope out the ship. I discover that there are three ships, rather nondescript, flying a merchant flag. All three have an odd amount of guns for merchant vessels. As they draw close, the ships begin flying the jolly roger's of "Admiral" D'Souza. A notorious pirate with a mind for riches more than pillaging, we make a hard to port (our drag is getting really bad). At first, we caught them by surprise putting some distance between us and them, but they managed to keep pace with us. Faolan + Gash helps out the rowers. After about 30 minutes, they start firing at us, but we manage to put serious distance between us, losing them for the moment.
The drag has become a serious problem, and we decide we have to figure out the cause.
I manage to steer the ship to the remote island I was marooned on 15 years ago when I first began learning the arts of wizardry. After beaching the ship, we discover an egg of sorts attached to the hull. Gash rips the egg off the hull, and as it breaks we discover it's a baby kraken. Faolan panics, having been attacked by a kraken in the past, and in the chaos, attacks the baby before it can get to water and it suffocates – but not before it screamed for help.
Day 11 - 58th of Heïa
Despite our trepidation with the evidence that a larger kraken is in the area, we put the galley back in the water. As soon as we do, a kraken reveals itself, having been waiting for us to depart. Our puny ship stands no chance against this thing, so I desperately steer for the shore of the island. Unfortunately, this kraken proves a lot to handle, and I have to hurl some fireball at the thing, distracting me from steering the ship. It eats Gash, and crushes Faolan. In a stroke of luck, the kraken retreated as it was getting near to being halfway beaten – after having already knocked out Faolan and Gash. With my healing light and a scroll of mass cure wounds, I revive them and with an inspiring speech from Bea, we hit the water before the kraken comes back.
Days 12-13 - 59-60th of Heïa
We limp south, and arrive and the northern tip of Leandris. A 3 days march from Mount Hatesh.
Days 14-17 - 61st-62nd of Heïa
We trek to Mount Hatesh, and discover a heavily guarded Yuan-ti building. It looks ancient.
Day 18 - 63rd of of Heïa
After a standoff with D'Souza's men, we meet the Admiral himself. I negotiate our entrance into the ancient ruins, as we had succeeded where his people had failed, proving our worth and ability to enter the ruins, which he has been unable to. Placing the girdle between the two hands of the lovers – "in the arms of my lover, if you pass the test" as the poem said. A pop, a click, and a mechanical wir. Then the graves poppoed out and slide, allowing us to access the contents within.
In one tomb are four glass jars with a blue liquid, and a note in a Yuan-ti script. It describes the Mana Potion, which replenishes the lesser spells of arcanists. Gash copies the note ver batem. Faolan takes the diadem. Luckily, he was after the mana potions and the note, and we parted amicably. A few days later, we arrived back at Mysteria, ready to take care of business and protect the diadem.
False Artifacts, a Forgotten Mountain, and a Lost Soul (& Lots of Mortal Danger)
54th of Heïa, 429 New Era
Day 5 - 53rd of Heïa, 429 New Era
The onslaught was tough. Faolan, getting too heated, ended up cut off from all of us and bearing the brunt of the Merregon horde. Already weakened from the fighting before, he made a valiant effort with his sword and remaining stamina. Luckily, Bea joined us after hearing the cries and blows from within. It was still not enough however, to prevent Faolan from being knocked down. I was useless for too long while grappled by a chain devil. I break free, and I disintegrate one of the remaining bone devils. After combat, I use the rest of my healing potions while Bea tends to Faolan. During the battle, each of them had been dropping coins when we defeated them, amounting to 20 soul-trapping coins. Gash determines they are from a fiendish plane (there are multiple), and we decide to hold onto them despite their currency being worthless on the material plane, as their only uses aren't particularly altruistic in nature. We're keeping them out of circulation.
We make our way to the room for the Warrior's Sword and Scholar's Pen, and find it has been busted open. In a room further in, we find two bone devils and a skeletal armoured figure fighting 6 mummies. Investigating the first room, Bea & I discover a clue on a seemingly pointless staircase with the following inscribed at the bottom: "ascend from places past to find the treasures vast". I can tell that something detected me with a form of divination, but aside from all of us feeling a tingling sensation, nothing happens. Faolan then goes to the other side of the room, and the tingling sensation is stronger. We're able to follow our tingles into the room where the devils and mummies were fighting – now there are two mummies left. The mummies acknowledge us but make no hostile action to us at first – however the skeletal figure directly challenges Faolan.
When the figure is defeated, he drops the shield of one Hadrian Vatinius, whom we had killed about three years prior in Qua'adar. The tingling sensation becomes stronger than ever near one of tombs. Written on the outside in ancient Yulan-tai is
"Journey south did I to the land of high green, hidden from the from the Quv, to the land of my love I journeyed unseen,
There you will find my rest, under mountain’s cover, in the arms of my lover, if you pass the test,
For I find peace at last, but you can bring me back, if you bring my tack, across an ocean vast."
We open it, and we find an effigy of a kingly figure. The diadem and a girdle (or tack) are being worn by it, and I can tell they are magical, so we think they are the real deal. Before figuring out our next moves, we sort through the loot. Bea & I focus on the mystery staircase - and upon taking an artifact from the tomb, a spectral woman appears – unusual for a high priestess of the late Yulan-tai period. She's the one who detected my presence on the staircase. We talk, and she tells us that the real tomb is on "Mount Hatesh", or at least it is where the Lost King went. She – Alesha – also reveals that in fact, the Lost King and his followers were betrayed by those who followed "the Deciever" – casting doubt on the spotty historical records of that time. We also learn that our home of Mysteria was once called Kalak'Nal – or Sstatassal by the betrayors.
We arrange to transport Alesha – she can posses and inhabit beings – in my body to Mysteria to be placed in Eirill until we can seek out the services of someone with the ability to magically duplicate her old body. We repair the gruff man's boat, and release him and Miguel from our services. We return underground and rest for the night.
Day 6 - 54th of Heïa, 429 New Era
After our successful long rest, I teleport us back to Mysteria with Alesha's soul in my mind. It feels more tiresome than normal, which makes sense. Upon arriving in Mysteria, we transfer her into Eirill. We sail to Antiokus across the bay, to find a permanent body for Alesha and to unload our archeological finds. We find a purveyor of antiquities, and off-load all but the jade (20), diamonds (10), and a fancy diamond. He tells us to check in in a couple months (in the Aeillan calendar).
After most of the reputable casters refuse to help with a necromantic spell, I manage to track down the smell of cinnamon and find someone in a back alley with the goods. We give them 700 gp upfront, and we will return in a month. After concluding our business, I return to Mysteria to introduce Alesha to Jim.
In the Tomb of the Lost King
53rd of Heïa, 429 NE
Day 4
After our short rest, we continue to explore the tomb, while Bea continues to guard the entrance and our two companions. Investigating the two statues with keyholes, I make out the phrase in an uncommon Yulan-tai dialect: "the warriors sword" and "the scholar's pen". We decide to return to the room that D'Souza's men had holed themselves up in, to investigate the sarcophagi. Due to the passage of time and the numerous previous looters and expeditions, none of them are identifiable.
Faolan cracks open one of them at random, and immediately five spirits appear. Protecting myself with a magic circle, Carol and Darryl, my two thralls, provide support for Gash and Faolan. After a respectable fight, we defeat the spirits. I lost Darryl though. We discover a diadem in the first sarcophagus, and four more in the others. In the third sarcophagus, we find what we suspect is the scholar's key: a stone worked to look like a feather with a square notch.
The other rooms each have a set of armor, sword, and helmet with little practical use. Faolan managed to find what we think is the warrior's key - a sapphire sword. When he grabbed it however, three mummies arose and began attacking us. They were far more dangerous than the previous undead. Faolan was grappled in the first round. Carol held her own against the 2nd, and I was able to disintegrate the one grappling Faolan, but not before the 3rd other downed Gash and giving him a case of mummy rot. Faolan then downed the 3rd mummy, but shortly after I lost Carol to the 2nd. I down the final mummy with a blast of firebolt, sending it up in flames.
I stabilise Gash while Faolan rigs a crutch for him. We take the sapphire sword - the warrior's key, and make our way above ground. We need to stablise and recover, so we decide to teleport to safety. A moment of weightlessness later and we are at the top of the former Jade Temple. We take a boat to Antiokus in order to heal Gash, as Riven is nowhere to be found. It is dusk by the time we arrive at the local temple, but for 250 gold, one of the Pandroi Priests removes the curse from Gash, and we rest on the boat.
Day 5
We awaken in our boat. Not wanting to waste time, using the sapphire sword for the associated object, we return to the Tomb of the Lost King. The gruff man's boat was destroyed, and there was a camp set up (and by camp, I mean transdimensional gateway leading to a not-pleasant dimension). Bea turns herself into a mouse in order to scope the tomb – and quickly finds that it is teaming with harsh, infernal voices. When she returns after about 20 minutes, she tells us of a bone devil feasting on the bones in one of the chambers, and of another devilish creature.
Faolan goes in on his own next, this time to learn about the bone devil's health and defensive capabilties (OOC: HP and AC relative to him). About a minute later, he returns, and tells us it's about as strong as Faolan. We decide to go in and face it, trying stealth but not expecting much. We still had our expectations dashed, and stealth failed immediately.
We manage to do some damage to the bone devil, but then a (horned) devil appears and three minions after. More concerning yet are the bearded devils that rushed up to me, missing with their beards but getting me with their halberds. After downing one of the minions, we notice that it drops a peculiar coin. Faolan downs the Bone Devil, and the Horned Devil raises the alarm for the rest of their forces in the tombs. After defeating the last couple of bearded devils, we steeled ourselves for the coming onslaught, Faolan getting in position for a sneak attack.
A Gallacan Expedition
52nd of Heïa, 429 NE
Despite the previous night's magical darkness encounter, we decided to stick to the plan. We brought our map to Miguel, a local merchant who knows the Tiera Lanternas (Lantern Land) swamps better. With Gash along, Miguel & I charter an aero-propulsion boat from a gruff man, who ominously mentioned "dark things" in the "Sierras". Faolan and Bea buy the supplies for the 6-day round trip, and the four of us, along with Miguel & the aeroprope's skipper.
As soon as we leave the city, we go into the dark swamps, their canopy blocking out more of the sun until it is as dark as night. The swamp is lit by these glowing polips and spores, suspended in the warm, dank air of the swamps. After uneventful 3 hours, we were attacked by a Froghemoth, a giant frog-like monster with tentacles. Proceeding much slower while Gash & I mend the boat splinter by splinter concurrently with Miguel, Faolan, and Bea bailing the water. This took the afternoon. We picked up to a steady pace as evening set in, and I took my trance in order to take over the boat through the night. We push deeper into the swamps, with the noise of our boat becoming the only noise aside from the environment.
Day 2
During Gash's watch, we were attacked in a similar fashion to the break-in at the inn. Incredibly determined to use magical darkness, Gash and I used counterspell and dispel magic to keep the playing field level. We defend ourselves, but not before my fireball and the attacker's scorching ray set the surroundings on fire. Bea summons a water elemental to put out the fire, and we pick up our pace to make time. We proceed another 8 hours, and enter the heart of the swamp. It becomes hard to breath, as the marsh gas begins to become the majority of the air. We see pale shapes, moving silently through the water, and as I make contact with detect thoughts, their ancient tongue unintelligible to me. Miguel informs us that these are aboleths, and that they predate "the gods".
As the day winds down, I take the boat so the skipper can rest, but before long I noticed a maelstrom of aboleths. Together, the boatman, myself ,and Faolan attempt to keep it steady, but our strength is not enough and we begin to get sucked in. In a final push, our collective strength and Faolan's tenacity get us just outside the lip of the vortex, and the skipper throttles the engines to full before getting us to safety and handing control back to me.
Day 3
We reach a new part of the swamp, with stone spurs poking up and the minuscule amount of water clearer. Smooth sailing gives us all the rest we need from exhausting ourselves in the maelstrom. We are also relieved to see no aboleths below. The spurs increase, and the water gets ever shallower and cleaner. We even glimpse a few rays of sun before nightfall. We pick up our pace after dark, and reach the archeological site, a small plateau of rock still partially submerged in the shallower parts of the swamp. We pull up, and wade our way through the muck, reaching solid ground for the first time in three days. While inspecting the site, I stumble through some muck and find a decent hole in the ground.
I cast alarm, and we rest peaceable.
Day 4
We awaken under a bit of sky, not a lot, but a bit. I peer down and can see it descends about 30ft feet to a stone floor, and I infer that dynamite was used to blast into it. We begin traversing the cave, and discover some diamonds and intense cinnamon smell. Deciding it's likely a trap, we push further. We find two barred doors (concerningly barred against the direction we *came* from). Unbarring the north door and making into the northern room, we find the journal from an expedition by the renowned Tealastrian pirate D'Souza. The expedition, already on low provisions and down several men, makes their way into the tomb of the last Yulan-Tai king. They manage to hold out, but opening the sarcophagus awakened undead, and they wasted away, trapped in their own safe room.
Making our way to the east door, we find a hall and some undead capable of controlling dead bodies and skeletons. A fight ensues. I take two big hits out in the open, and quickly have to fall back and let Gash and Faolan. After defeating the gaoden and their undead servants. Exploring the level, we found the entrance. We then went down two levels, and found the room with tools that we'll take on our way out. We then went down another level, after sending one of my newly created thralls, Carol, down as the proverbial canary. We discovered a spider den with dead spiders, with a tunnel to the surface that we're incapable of climbing.
Further in, we discover a shrine used by the desperate, with expeditions ranging back a thousand years. We discover a break where the swamp is reclaiming the King's tomb. Onwards, we find a room with archeaology tools, two statues - a scholar and a warrior. Looking closely, there are two holes at the bases of the statues. Another passage and the natural cave with the swamp's thick, thick slimy water. We return to a room found earlier adjacent to the shrine and take a short rest, to plan before returning to the surface to inform Bea.
Gallacan Caper
48th of Heïa, 429 PE
Somehow, we ended up in Gallaca. I woke up feeling rather exhuberant, before realising I'd been given an artifact that seems to have improved my mental arithmetic and spellcasting.
In a crowded marketplace, we faced 3 humans. Ducking behind a pillar, I still took a heavy lightning blast to the body. I picked off ?, but Faolan picked off one of them, which turned into this demonic white dragonborn, which also happened when Gash killed another. We return to El Rocinante, the bar & inn in the southwestern tip of Gallaca, the town Salamaga. While the others were resting and I was trancing, when operatives of the Master broke in through the window and copied our map of the dig site.
Days 8-10
6th of Heïa, 429 NE
Syvanta, (people), and the party have a briefing about the plan. We agree to take care of the two remaining Princes, travelling to Terezhka to handle Prince Kazim, who Riven seems bent on just choppy chopping.
Riven plane shifts ourselves to Terezhka, Capital of the Princedom of Repka. Less impressive than Nizhnal and Zolot-Uzik, Terezhka simply is an arrangement of tunnels, with no grand open area. The tunnels require us to duck as they've been dug to the height of Dwarves. Casting Comprehend Languages, Riven & I establish where we are in the labrynthine city. We follow signs to a small shrine, where someone who happened to understand Abyssal gives us convoluted directions to the Palace.
We arrive at the palace and find a corridor to a guardpost, in fact it was unremarkable from the exterior. Bea & Gash dimension door into the Palace and discover the interior to be far more grandiose, much more like the Nizhnal Palace, with open chambers and intricate carvings/engravings on the wall. Gash cleaves someone in half, drawing away the two guards and causing the distraction we needed.
Riven liberates Kazim's head from his body and upon contacting Syvanta for some help, we aquire a cart + mule and make our way to the remaining holdout.
Day 9
We travel to the remaining holdout, the capital of Ichka in the Princedom of Vorichan.
Golir demands our weapons at the door, but we are able to begin a negotiation. Riven and I are able to convince him of Syvanta's (vague) terms, but we have him sign a treaty detailing that he is to cease hostilities against the People of the Dwarven Truth and aid them in whatever way is necessary to defend the Gorachenyan homeland from the looming Terruk invasion.
Riven plane shifts us back to Zolot-Uzik. We get directions to a Brass Dragon, whom they have made peace with but it generally keeps to itself. We are to head to Mount Igrash, it's home, taking a windy narrow path to a large cave.
We allow Gash to subtly wake up the Dragon, brushing his tale outside the cave on the ground. We make the case, Gash and myself in in Draconic and translating for Riven, arguing that the peace he enjoys with the Gorachenyans probably will end if their independence does. After 30 minutes of convincing, he hands us a horn and tells us to blow it when we require his aid.
Gorachenya: Day 7 (Part 2)
3rd of Heïa, 429 NE
We summon Svyanta. During the interim, Bea signs the last of the souls she needs while Riven searches the Palace Library for a tome of understanding, but is unable to locate it. Svyanta takes the sword and negotiates for an hour with Gorachenya's "Old Spirits" – about the Terruks, about Yurivich, and about what comes next.
We agree to stick around and provide aid to their wounded and to attend a briefing the next day.
Gorachenya: Day 7 (Part 1)
3rd of Heïa, 429 NE
We fight our way into the Iron Palace. A genius plan by Riven that I'd totally have helped with but I had a headache. Gash opens the battle with a fireball. We make quick work of the first wave, and the lone survivor binds their soul to Bea in a contact (this happens at least two more times.) We encounter little resistance in the halls to the throne room, but fight Yurivich and his loyal advisors and officers. Riven beheads Yurivich, and speaks with an unidentified Gorachenyan forefather. Svyanta's men are given a strong endorsement from Riven, it remains to be seen if the Gorachenyan state will be turned over to the clergy.
Gorachenya Day 5-6
Day 5
We awaken early morning, and head outside the inn and see guards are out and about and there is a commotion coming from below 3 levels at the bottom of the city, where Prince Olgovich is being attacked by some shadowy archers near the Nizhnal-Zolot tunnel. We persuade our way into the tunnel – we were contracted by the Prince afterall – and I can hear in the distance a voice that sounds like Olgovichs. I follow, moving along the side of the tunnel's carved stone wall with Riven & Gash behind. Suddenly, Svyanta's booming voice enters my head and informs me that the Nobles are moving on each other and we're needed in Zolot-Uzik.
"Tailing Olgovich now, I believe we're headed to Zolot-Uzik already"
Day 6
We arrive in Zolot-Uzik by morning. We find Olgovich and a large assortment of bodyguards already charging into the city, and I reach out to Svyanta to ask where to meet. We meet him in a nearby temple, with the help of a friendly local laborer who seemed rather curious about our circumstances. Compared to the temple in Nizhnal, this one is more run down with different scenes depicted on it's carvings. After 15 minutes, Syvanta joins us from a back door, flanked with three more well armed and armored Gorachenyan Dwarves.
We establish a plan for Syvanta's people to beseige Yurivich in the Iron Palace while Riven makes a move on Prince Olgovich during his planned speech. Riven attempts to scale a building of a little bit taller than 20ft in order to avoid flying, but falls as soon as she starts climbing. Luckily, the temple is still open, however the backroom and balcony access has been cordoned off – Olgovich has used the story of Yurivich threatening Riven to consolidate power from Gorachenyan institions faster than expected. Riven, then posing as the/an angel of death, scares a Gorachenyan Guard shitless and walks past him like she owns the temple. A tense confrontation with Olgovich results in his quick death. As I and Gash show up in the room, we intimidate some guards to standing at attention while Riven finishes cowing the remaining nobles. Addressing the crowd in the now-dead Prince's stead, the "Angel of Death" invokes the (as I later learned) ancient Gorachenyan faith in the common folk. Gash & "the Angel of Death" loot Prince Olgovich, and I demand the guards be given a choice, unfortunately two make the wrong one.
As the crowd dispursed, the seige on the Iron Palace heated up, and those in the crowd who were particularly roused set off to join Syvanta's revolution. We joined not long after, just as the Palace Guards were establishing a foothold in the courtyard and establishing barracades to push into the secondary buildings. While the Zolot-Uzik city watch struggled to keep bystanders safe while the fate of their city was decided, we jumped into the fray. I go into a two story build and get onto the roof, and by the time I was there Gash and Riven were already turning the tide. Inbetween casting long-ranged spells, I make smalltalk with the bravest of the building's occupants and offer my services as a novice healer. After blasting a few fireballs into a musket formation, I have to jump buildings and switch to my lightning wand.
Once the battle is over, we regroup with Syvanta's organisation, and Riven quickly assumes a leadership role as the most experienced commander. I set out into the city at large to calm nerves and organise any relief efforts, before resting in the encampment outside the Iron Palace.
Gorachenya Day 1-4
Day 1 (cont)
We've learned about Gorachenya. It is divided into five different Principalities, Zolichar, Kominov, Vorichan, Repka, and Belodshi. Zolichar and Kominov are ruled by the Grand Prince Yurivich of the Kuzivon dynasty. Vorichan is ruled by Prince Golir of the Karovsya dynasty, while Repka and Belodshi are ruled by brothers Kazim and Olgovich of the Chernovitz dynasty. We have around two weeks to save it or negotiate a vassalisation from or with the Terruks.
After departing the Olgovich residence, we followed a note's suggestion and met Svyanta, one of the "religious zealots" Prince Olgovich warned us about. He made a convincing case on behalf of the Gorachenyan people, and while none of us remain convinced of the prospects of a vassalised Gorachenya. After getting impatient after watching André wait for her at top of the flight of stairs for the 35th time, Riven took off and flew up, noticing a hooded figure. She persued, discovering a note warning (or threatening) "you are being watched. Remember that". We rested uneventfully.
Day 2
André witnessed the Morning Chorale of the people of Nizhnal, before the group decided to head to Zolot-Uzik to seek an audience with the Grand Prince Yurivich, who we've been warned is crazy (but we don't know how much we trust Olgovich).
Day 3-4
We travel on the Nizhnal-Zolot tunnel, seeing the occasional cave-in that makes myself nervous. After arrival in Zolot-Uzik, we sought out a fancy inn. After settling in, I asked the innkeep about how easily one can get an audience with the Grand Prince. Upon revealing I have information about the Terruks, I was encouraged to seek an audience with the Vernaya Vantska, the Grand Prince's "chief military advisor". Gash informs me that this is a low ranking noble title often in service to the Princes.
We set off for the Iron Palace, residence of the Grand Prince. After turning over out weapons we are allowed in upon stating we have information about the Terruks. They don't allow us to meet him, but we are brought to the Vernaya anyways. We hand him the note about the imminent invasion, implicating Prince Olgovich.
Day 5
We found a spy from a family with a long service to the Grand Prince, who was rather uncooperative. We were able to glean that the Principality is on borrowed time, with no heirs and inevitable war with the Terruks. However, his devotion to the crown means he will defend them as long as possible even if doing so seals the country's doom. After killing him in the interrogation, I brought his body and dropped it down the cavern, where it landed with a thud. As I left, I was shot at by an unknown attacker.
Gorachenya: Day 1
After a monthlong journey, we arrived in the Gorachenya Principality of Belodshi and met with Olgovich Chernovitz, it's prince. He elaborated on his proposal – avoid the worst case scenario with the Terruk-Mal and their emminent invasion. He all but said outright he wanted to pay us to kill the rightful and current leader of Gorachenya. We don't trust him, so we've decided to "get involved". We learn one of the other Gorachenyan political blocs – peasants pushing for a religious/political reformation towards stronger powers for the Borchan.
Upon departing the dinner at the Prince's, a servant passed us a parchment dropped by Riven. "Rumors have circulated of your exploits across Galisea and Felora, and perhaps more importantly to us you are said to be friends of the common folk. If this is true I would recommend you visit the Temple of Elders in the lower residential district. Around midnight would be an excellent time to visit, seeing as no one would be there to disturb you."
The common dwarf's note piqued our interest. We journeyed down into the lower levels of Nizhnal to the Temple, and found it empty. A heavily bearded dwarvish man with grey hair, Svyanta introduced himself after checking to see if we were followed.
