Session 16: The Philosopher's Scone
General Summary
After disposing of the sea hag's body at the world famous Nine Hells Pantry the group have retired to their separate activities. Following a wonderful night with his contact Perlis in Madam Bovedere's Emporium of Fine Delicacies, Treats and the Exotic Rourke awakes to the visage of the former sea hag who tells him that he has made a mistake in killing her and that a great evil is coming.
Showing him visions of a great army of fire marching, followed by a city on fire while an old man stands next to a Goliath, a kraken thrusts up out of the ocean destroying the docks of Eidover. While this is going on Rourke notices Hanurak and Faen standing next to him along with an older man who introduces himself as Cuivie and is delighted that he has managed to intercept a vision to share amongst the others. As they watch they see a coded piece of paper, that seems to become legible when placed close to the soul dagger but the vision is blurry and they can't make out what the paper says.
Rourke wakes again in the Emporium and makes his way to the Dragon and the Wolf. Meeting the others there, he learns that Andre, Astraea and Valanthe have gone to help Andre meet with someone who might have information about his brother's location. After discussing their shared experience the trio decide that they need to get into Leodar's tomb as soon as possible. Needing the final key the trio of Faen, Hanurak and Rourke head to the Dragon's Hoard a gambling den owned by The Master the head of the Society of the Dawn
Outside the building is narrow and plain as if its been slotted into an alley between two buildings hoping that no one would notice it. Inside it is huge, Faen immediately gets a strong sense of conjuration magic as he looks around the shelves and aisles filled with magical items he can't even describe a use for. Seeing Faen's kid in a candy shop look Rourke and Hanurak head to the counter where they are greeted by a gorgeous brunette woman handing her the list she begins fetching the items using her rolling ladder to glide along the shelves, making small talk she discovers from the group that they are making a philosopher's stone, she makes a small joke about them needing a fire extinguisher before handing over the items along with a necklace of fireballs that Faen purchases on a whim.
Drawing Hanurak's attention to this the Barbarian pokes it with his sword only to find that the blade passes straight through the wall. Acting on a hunch Faen opens his third eye and views into the ethereal plane there he sees a small mottled brown and grey stone in the centre of the circle which he picks up and hands to Rourke.
Looking again at the discoloured patch he sees that it is hole to the gardens outside noticing that the hole is beginning to close quickly he sends his owl familiar Triss through it.
Looking through the bird's eyes he sees pools of multicoloured light disappearing into the distance and hears screams and breaking objects on the wind in the distance.
Telling the others that the creature is getting away, Hanurak lifts Faen over his shoulder and sprints out of the university and into the gardens following Faen's direction from his eye in the sky.
The creature quickly phases through the roof into the burning building below, in desperation to follow it Faen, Hanurak and Rourke puruse entering the building reading J. Wilson and Sons Merchants. With smoke filling the room the group notice large boxes stacked on one other catching alight and on the far wall the familiar multicoloured stain of a Nothic portal. Dashing through the hole the group are ambushed by the creature in the alley, each of them feel it enter their minds stealing a single secret from them. For Rourke its that he is secretly married, for Faen its that he fears he will never live up to the expectations of those around him and for Hanurak its that he was tempted to join Orryn so he could see Lyanna again.
Escaping through a nearby wall the Nothic continues to lead the trio around the houses, firstly taking them through the living room of a family sitting down to dinner, the city's sewers, where Rourke almost loses an arm passing through a closing portal, and an abandoned facility with metal walls and rusted doors. Finally cornering the Nothic it phases through the ceiling on to the street above, quickly following the group discover that they are on the street in front of Orryn's house as puddles of multi-coloured light enter the nearby home.
Frustrated and seeing a wizard flying past lighting the cities' streetlamps Faen snuffs them all out throwing the street into the gloom of sunset.. Bravely charging after the creature Hanurak sets off one of Orryn's traps and is polymorphed into a rabbit. In an effort to reverse the effect the trio visit Professor Mendes in the Unseen Univeristy and find him in hospital recovering from his wounds, he tells them he cannot reverse Hanurak's polymorph shape but he does advise that it fades after sometime. Learning of Orryn's betrayal he agrees to speak with the council regarding how they will deal with Orryn's betrayal.
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The Dragon's Hoard
Managing to threaten their way into the casino via Rourke's cunning use of a live hand grenade the trio are introduced to Samedi one of the Master's lieutenants a very slender man in a strange blue uniform with gold braid, he listens intently as the group tell him about their need for the final key to access Leodar's tomb.
Not wanting to simply give it away he tells them that the master wants 50,000GP for the key or alternatively they can get him access to the vaults under the Unseen University and a specific artifact inside, namely a Philosopher's stone. Rourke attempts to appeal to Samedi's baser instincts as well as his better nature, telling him of the disruption and inconvenience that will be caused if the army they are trying to stop makes it to Eidover. Samedi merely brushes this off saying that he and his master have contingencies. As a final gambit Rourke offers to get him the fastest ship ever made. Seeing that this has failed from the unimpressed expression on Samedi's face Rourke and the group agree to get a philosopher's stone.
Outside the casino, in a secluded part of the street and after quizzing Faen for several minutes on transmutation magic and the Unseen University the group agree that breaking into the university would be impossible, even with Faen's scholarly access. Instead they concoct a foolproof (hair brained - ed) scheme to create a stone of their own.
The Golden Quarter
Heading to the Unseen University the group decide to pass by Orryn's House remembering that he had a house in the Golden Quarter near to the Dragon Tower and the University itself. They find no one seems to be in and fearing the traps Orryn might have in place they move on. Managing to get a meeting with Saneen Mendes the Head of Transmutation Magic at the University he agrees to build them a stone, in exchange for them getting him an audience with King Silas. Quickly agreeing to this the trio are given a laundry list of ingredients to get from two vials of oil of slipperiness, a crystal ball and a manticore horn all the way to lettuce.
Along the markets in the docks the group manages to find a few of the items including a cracked crystal ball asking some of the locals for help finding other items they are told of the Eldar Wand that is known to have a wide selection of items including those of a more esoteric nature. Winding through the small close streets of the merchants district, listening to the conversations of the people on their balcony's above, the group finally reach the Eldar Wand, which is not what they expect.Outside the building is narrow and plain as if its been slotted into an alley between two buildings hoping that no one would notice it. Inside it is huge, Faen immediately gets a strong sense of conjuration magic as he looks around the shelves and aisles filled with magical items he can't even describe a use for. Seeing Faen's kid in a candy shop look Rourke and Hanurak head to the counter where they are greeted by a gorgeous brunette woman handing her the list she begins fetching the items using her rolling ladder to glide along the shelves, making small talk she discovers from the group that they are making a philosopher's stone, she makes a small joke about them needing a fire extinguisher before handing over the items along with a necklace of fireballs that Faen purchases on a whim.
Rourke's Gatling Gun
While waiting for Professor Mendes to finish his ritual Rourke begins discusses his plans for a Gatling gun with the university's School of Invention while Faen investigates further into transmutation magic and Hanurak sits sharpening his swords. After some time passes the group hear shouting coming from the labs nearby, rushing to the source of the sound they find the professor with great claw marks across his chest and the broken circle of the ritual to create a transmutation stone.
Managing to recover some strength following Rourke's first the professor tells them of a creature that attacked him, he doesn't know if it came from the ritual or from elsewhere, but he asks them to stop it and points to the wall next to him. As two other wizards arrive and start taking care of the wounded man Faen notices a discoloured patch of wall in the direction he pointed. Drawing Hanurak's attention to this the Barbarian pokes it with his sword only to find that the blade passes straight through the wall. Acting on a hunch Faen opens his third eye and views into the ethereal plane there he sees a small mottled brown and grey stone in the centre of the circle which he picks up and hands to Rourke.
Looking again at the discoloured patch he sees that it is hole to the gardens outside noticing that the hole is beginning to close quickly he sends his owl familiar Triss through it.
Looking through the bird's eyes he sees pools of multicoloured light disappearing into the distance and hears screams and breaking objects on the wind in the distance.
Telling the others that the creature is getting away, Hanurak lifts Faen over his shoulder and sprints out of the university and into the gardens following Faen's direction from his eye in the sky.
Triss takes flight
Some time passes as the trio dash through side streets and crowds tracking the creature. Eventually managing to catch up to it in the Merchant's Quarter. The group find it phasing in and out of the material plane crashing into market stalls and scattering the crowds in the market everywhere. Hanurak and Rourke immediately give chase and Faen directs Triss to distract the creature by dive bombing it.
In an effort to slow down the creature Rourke pulls out his rifle and finding a clearing in the crowd he takes his shot, while it hits he notices that the creature seems to reform around the bullet as it passes through it. Hanurak taking advantage of the same clearing hurls his javelin which again passes through the creature watching it reform around the area where the javelin hit.
Noticing that the creature is slowing down, Faen presses the advantage, throwing a firebolt at the creature which screams as the flames erupt across its body. Becoming solid for just a moment Cuivie identifies it as a Nothic, a magic user corrupted by its pursuit of magic
Seeing the creature begin to slow Hanurak and Rourke both take pot shots at it, managing to hit but the damage seems minimal. Seeing his last shot before the Nothic disappears Faen unleashes a fireball that engulfs it in flames but also sets fire to the warehouse it is standing on.
Seeing the creature begin to slow Hanurak and Rourke both take pot shots at it, managing to hit but the damage seems minimal. Seeing his last shot before the Nothic disappears Faen unleashes a fireball that engulfs it in flames but also sets fire to the warehouse it is standing on.
An Ethereal Nothic
Frustrated and seeing a wizard flying past lighting the cities' streetlamps Faen snuffs them all out throwing the street into the gloom of sunset.. Bravely charging after the creature Hanurak sets off one of Orryn's traps and is polymorphed into a rabbit. In an effort to reverse the effect the trio visit Professor Mendes in the Unseen Univeristy and find him in hospital recovering from his wounds, he tells them he cannot reverse Hanurak's polymorph shape but he does advise that it fades after sometime. Learning of Orryn's betrayal he agrees to speak with the council regarding how they will deal with Orryn's betrayal.
What Hanurak thinks he looks like
The reality.
Session Audio
Report Date
24 Nov 2018
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