Ashe C2 Episode 69 - Ulirre and a Raid on the ETC
Previously On Liters of Tomorrow...
On the road to Warshaw you had an unintended run in with an East Tellenheim Company merchant caravan. A couple of the guards rode over to your encampment and began to interrogate Mausim after the rest of the party hid from view. They were looking for leads and accomplices of the notorious terrorist known as Truffle. Mausim successfully deflected their entreaty and watched as they rode back to their overly laden carriages heading west towards Ulirre.
That night Demaia had a strange dream where she moved through Thra'Oneiros, The Druid dreaming. Inside she was attacked by a very real creature who drew blood. She was saved from this encounter by her new attendant, a cricket named Jeremy Arpeggio. Sent by the Verdant sigil he told demaia that he was to oversee her progress as a Druid and make sure that she would be accepted into the organization when the time came.
The following morning you resumed your journey and headed east down the road. The weather was unseasonably cold and damp and a strange thick fog lined the forest to the north. Impetuously investigating the fog demaia rode her horse to the edge of the forest and cast destroy water. A portion of the fog dissapated and several black bat winged creatures flew out of it. The rest of the team raced to join the fight. The creatures were capable of plenty of damage but weren't overly hardy as the team dispatched them in short order. Though being close to the fog sapped your strength and a strange lethargy came over you.
Further exploration into the fog was vetoed and the team continued to the gates of Warshaw. In the holding pen you were questioned by the city guard until some of their number coughed up a black substance that seemed to control their actions and thoughts. With more of them turning every moment you fought back trying to decide where to flee to. Incredibly, you were saved by Virgil Capsaicin who swung down from a rope and threw several radiant rune stones to give you space. He directed you to a safehouse in Mettletowne.
Inside you met with the Warshaw resistance including the Queen herself, Amalia Retranche. After exchanging stories of the last few months you explained to Virgil your reason for coming to the city, the Arcane Focus. Luckily for you he hauled it out from under a bed where he had hidden it away. Discussing better ways to free the city from the infuence of Lord Darkhorse you told Virgil of the Phylacteries that power the Fallen and grant them immortality. Virgil claimed that he might know where Darkhorse's may be and regaled you with a story of how he became a guinea pig and the item he was after. It turns out that it may be in the possession of the great dragon Vom Fass.
With the arcane focus and Virgil in tow you headed to Ulirre on your way back to Westinox. With the focus you can free Anak Kovara and get the work crews to raise the airship out of the river. With the airship you will be able to find Vom Fass and the phylactery much faster.
Staying at the Mephit's Arse you got information that the ETC merchant caravan had come to the city and hasn't left yet. With a little snooping around it may be possible to get your hands on whatever it was carrying in that over laden carriage...
On the road to Warshaw you had an unintended run in with an East Tellenheim Company merchant caravan. A couple of the guards rode over to your encampment and began to interrogate Mausim after the rest of the party hid from view. They were looking for leads and accomplices of the notorious terrorist known as Truffle. Mausim successfully deflected their entreaty and watched as they rode back to their overly laden carriages heading west towards Ulirre.
That night Demaia had a strange dream where she moved through Thra'Oneiros, The Druid dreaming. Inside she was attacked by a very real creature who drew blood. She was saved from this encounter by her new attendant, a cricket named Jeremy Arpeggio. Sent by the Verdant sigil he told demaia that he was to oversee her progress as a Druid and make sure that she would be accepted into the organization when the time came.
The following morning you resumed your journey and headed east down the road. The weather was unseasonably cold and damp and a strange thick fog lined the forest to the north. Impetuously investigating the fog demaia rode her horse to the edge of the forest and cast destroy water. A portion of the fog dissapated and several black bat winged creatures flew out of it. The rest of the team raced to join the fight. The creatures were capable of plenty of damage but weren't overly hardy as the team dispatched them in short order. Though being close to the fog sapped your strength and a strange lethargy came over you.
Further exploration into the fog was vetoed and the team continued to the gates of Warshaw. In the holding pen you were questioned by the city guard until some of their number coughed up a black substance that seemed to control their actions and thoughts. With more of them turning every moment you fought back trying to decide where to flee to. Incredibly, you were saved by Virgil Capsaicin who swung down from a rope and threw several radiant rune stones to give you space. He directed you to a safehouse in Mettletowne.
Inside you met with the Warshaw resistance including the Queen herself, Amalia Retranche. After exchanging stories of the last few months you explained to Virgil your reason for coming to the city, the Arcane Focus. Luckily for you he hauled it out from under a bed where he had hidden it away. Discussing better ways to free the city from the infuence of Lord Darkhorse you told Virgil of the Phylacteries that power the Fallen and grant them immortality. Virgil claimed that he might know where Darkhorse's may be and regaled you with a story of how he became a guinea pig and the item he was after. It turns out that it may be in the possession of the great dragon Vom Fass.
With the arcane focus and Virgil in tow you headed to Ulirre on your way back to Westinox. With the focus you can free Anak Kovara and get the work crews to raise the airship out of the river. With the airship you will be able to find Vom Fass and the phylactery much faster.
Staying at the Mephit's Arse you got information that the ETC merchant caravan had come to the city and hasn't left yet. With a little snooping around it may be possible to get your hands on whatever it was carrying in that over laden carriage...
Plot points/Scenes
The Merchant Caravan in Ulirre
East Tellenheim Company Caravan
A well guarded ETC merchant caravan is heading west to Ulirre. The caravan consists of three large wagons made of heavy oak with iron banding. Two of the carriages are outfitted for passengers and each can comfortably sit six people. The third carriage that moves in the middle of the procession has no windows and is clearly used for goods and coins that are heading to various ETC outposts in the western cities.
- The current load is:
- 40 lbs of Alcala Silk
- Assorted Spell Components worth 4000 gp
- 150 lbs of iron and steel
- Mining Tools
- Masons tools
- Chest of Explosive Rune stones for Mining (50)
- (Hidden/unlisted cargo: Three barrels of the strange black necrosubstance created by Darkhorse)
- 1st Lieutenant - Beremiah Jenkins - Human man with sandy colored hair in his 30's
- Commander - Vanli Rust - Half Elven man, Dark complexion black goatee.
- Captain - Rober Cancelmo - Human man in his 50's from Volen.
- Guard 01 - Nalge Grounder - Half orc man, scar on his jaw.
- Guard 02 - Gregg fettleman - Human man 3rd level fighter.
- Guard 03 - Trig Walska - Tiefling man with one horn, red skin, yellow eyes.
The second Dragonborn has red scales and uses fire, his name is Yabushige.
They cannot be bribed or paid off in anyway, they are honor bound once the contract is signed.
Themes
Heading back Kovara Manor
Hiring a boat the team can head back to the city of Westinox. When they head back to Kovara Manor they will find Anak quite alone in the building. [DM Note: Kovara has hidden a dozen of his elite guard with a Greater invisibility spell on the grounds in case the adventurers renege on the deal.] Despite the stillness of his surroundings he bids the group to set up the arcane focus on a large alter he has created in the center of his foyer. It has clamps to hold the focus in place and several rune stones to help maintain a flow of power. He addresses all of them with a hearty greeting and then begins to lay out his plan.
"Though I have some magical ability at my disposal the only way for this to work is with your help. Nuth Welker! I need you to stand over to the right of the device and cast a third level spell into this rod. Mausim, the canny sorceror I need your innate magical power to be cast into the rod on the left. I will handle the center position. Finn, the great artificer, I would ask that you monitor the device in the center of the altar and to make sure that the power level stays within green range. If it peaks and you see the needle drift into the red use the dampening controls to bring us back down. If the focus overcharges we will be in for one hell of a wild magic explosion!"
If the Druids offer help he gives them a minor task of shepherding any cats or small animals away from the property, for their own safety. Make the team roll some checks as the ritual begins. Once the three spellcasters funnel their spells into the arcane focus the gem at the front fires out a thin beam of bright white.
"Whatever happens do not touch that beam of light! the power contained within will not just burn through your flesh but will unravel your very existence on this plane. You will be destroyed atomically and beyond the help of even the gods!." As the beam strikes the through the front door frame you see it hit the magical barrier that holds Kovara within. A cascade of colors begins to stream off of the sphere beginning at the striking point.
"It's working! Nuth! Mausim! Another spell if you would!" Kovara continues to cast his spells into the arcane focus as well. As he begins to sweat you see flashes of his true form. A not entirely unattractive horned man with slighlty darker skin and longer hair. Finn you watch as the needle flicks past the green portion and hits the red. The beam briefly becomes unstable and begins to undulate. Roll an arcana check DC 14. If Finn fails make him roll on the wild magic table to see what the result is. See Magical Mishaps! Demaia or Kavax would be vulnerable to these as well as the rest of the team.
Repeat this a couple of times, give Finn at least five checks to make sure nothing goes wrong. Have Mausim and Nuth give constitution checks as well with every fail becoming a magical Mishap. When the ritual is complete the barrier shatters and explodes outward like a massive soap bubble!
You watch as the beam shatters the barrier! Now completely filled with hazy colors like oil on pavement, the colors intensify and the barrier explodes outward! Instead of fire and brick it explodes like a massive soap bubble. The millions of complex weaves of magic untangle at the same time and a rainbow of colors sails off into the atmosphere and the rest of the city. Despite the size it seems to be harmless. Mausim and Nuth you both go down on one knee and suffer two points of exhaustion. The ritual was a success and you watch as the arcane focus begins to crumble as the stone of the horse head breaks down and devolves into sand. The gems around it fall with it into a fine pile of white.
[DM Note: This is a final illusion cast by Anak Kovara! the arcane focus is still whole he is desperately trying to trick the players. Allow Finn an arcana check DC 21 to notice anything amiss]
History of Anak Kovara:
"The answer is I was summoned to this plane of existence by a powerful wizard. See pretty boring story now that I say it outloud. Yes, you would term my provenance as a demon or a djinn but that doesn't make me evil or out to rule the world. Doesn't make me the same as the Dark One. After I was summoned I was trapped in the ritual circle. It's still right upstairs in the room above me. The wizard who called himself Melvikothe, trapped me and decided to use my divination abilties to help him defeat another mage. Not too long after he fought his rival and died just outside, whatever wild magic explosions were created resulted in me being trapped here for even longer. In the last few centuries I have managed to expand my limits to the edges of the manor house, I can now roam it's halls and rooms but no more."
The arcane focus that you carried and protected for so long would allow me to destroy the barrier and live like anyone else. You get me the arcane focus and I give you a workforce to help lift your airship out of the river. Before you tell me that you already have a deal with Herod I would remind you that Herod only has his company and wealth because of me. Over the years I helped him and the rest of the Eyes of the Basilisk achieve their money and power. I can make that deal evaporate with a snap of my fingers."
Anak Kovara is indeed what we be called a demon, he comes a plane of existence adjacent to the Ethereal plane, called Tel'Aran'Rhiod. It is a traveling dimension and a dimension that allows access to dreaming. He claims that if he severs his connection to the his home plane he would never return and would find a manner of mortality here on Tanaheim. His lifespan is very long and he grew very bored moving through the worlds of others never being able to touch or interact with them. Once he was summoned to the material plane he experienced a rush of sensations. He immediately became addicted to the sounds and feelings all around him. His secret is that he set up the battle of the two wizards by contacting Melvikothe's rival Oriander Orindrase. He came to him in a dream and told him of the treachery of Melvikothe. He expected to be set free immediately but the binding did not come apart, and despite it's elastic nature it has only strengthened over the years.
After the Ritual Anak who also claims to be exhausted offers them a feast in exchange for their incredible service. He tells them that he has made arrangements for them to dine at the Dryad's Globes.
"An establishment of some ill repute that I have been dying to try! What fun it will be to walk amongst the citizens of this great city, especially those that actually live and work. I am so tired of the wealthy stuffed shirts I have been entertaining for the last several decades." He slumps in exhaustion and fails to maintain his illusory form but even in his true form he is an attractive charismatic sort of Tiefling. "Come let us discuss the details of getting you that air ship!"
Completion Date
5/9/24
5/9/24
Plot type
Main Story
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