And Darkness Was on the Face of the Deep

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This adventure will start on Alusia but will involve travel to the Seventh Plane, The Lands of Chaos, Tanuel and perhaps some others. The Risk Factor is 4.5.
Treaure will be distributed using the Loot Auction convention.
Some of the information here may be of use.
Here are some examples of Ranger's Paths.
Players should submit a .pdf file of their character sheet and item list to me at jim.arona - at - gmail.com. You can be as thorough as you like, although I prefer brief and to the point. It is important that the information is readable and organised logically. Trying to use itemry and special abilities which haven't been sent to me is an exercise in futility.

Summary

Adventure: And Darkness Was on the Face of the Deep
GM: Jim Arona
Session: Summer 811
Night: Tuesdays
Location New Windsor
Level: High
Party:

  • Grendel - Human male Warrior, Mil Sci, Mind, Water
  • Dalran - Human male Sorcerer (E&E, ...), Mil Sci, Warrior
  • Sabrina - Elven/Valkyrie female Dancer, Warrior, Mil Sci, Namer
  • Braegon - Human male Healer (12+), Ranger 9, Earth, Fire, Water
  • Serendipity - Elven female, Dark Mage
  • Eric - Dwarven male Warrior, Namer
  • Pent - Halfling male Warrior, Ice Mage
  • Mr Morden - Mortal male Swordmaster, Shadow Weaver

Employer:
Division U act as an intermediary for Foras, the President of Seekers
The party will travel to Hell and investigate a means by which the Lord of Similarities and his legions may be defeated or relieve the siege of Foras' demesne.

Scribe Notes

Go To Hell

Duesday 1st Meadow

We meet, introduce those that don't know each other, and get briefed by the Div. U guy from guild security. Demons are not the same as the Demons we're used to, different powers, different alliances, different unfathomable motives. Group contracts should be avoided to avoid gaining the attention of Berith. Many powers are aware when their names are spoken, outside of the protection of houses it is wisest to use Titles instead of names. The rituals for our departure must be performed on the 2nd of the month so we depart tomorrow.

Some shopping, rituals, long-term buffs, and other preparations.

W'ansday 2nd Meadow

In a discreet, secured warehouse a ritual is performed and we go to see Foras at his place. He and Eric have a chat, he disguises us as denizens of hell so as not to alarm the natives and then sends us to the other Hell.

Tea and Cakes with The President of Seekers.

Our host points out the new neighbours and talks at length about local sights and interesting people that a group of travellers might visit. Not that there is any kind of agreement or implied contract to do so.

The new neighbours are seven legions (about 4,000 in each) of some form of devil that are all remarkably similar. Sabrina is tempted to dance with them but we point out it may take a while. Better to distract their boss and let others deal with the legions.

While the Lord of things that are like other things is out with his army, his home might be open to sightseers. The address is Lvl 22 and below of Bunker 1 on the plane of Malkuth. Travellers who happened to be departing from here would be best to:

  1. Fly to the City of Seven Walls some distance away. It is controlled by Dantalion, Palmon, and Raum, there find then follow the road from the City of Seven Walls to the City of Brass. This can be found by attending the Silken Bazaar (inside the Third Wall). This will provide the means to travel
  2. From the Silken Bazaar to the City of Brass
  3. Pass through a Nexus to the Apocalypse Cafe in Bunker 1
  4. Proceeding downstairs to Lvl 22 we will need to find a way around the Geometry Trap.

Our host has an image of the trap, someone could memorise the way through it but the knowledge would drive them mad. Dalran (I'm not a loony) volunteers to study the image, we can use Hypnotism to suppress the memory and stave off the madness until we get there, Dalran can guide us through, then we cure him.

NB Healer Brandy Empathy on Dalran between studying the map and wiping his memory of it gave me a lesser creeping madness which I was only just able to cure. Grendel mentions his experience that some afflictions can be picked up via Telepathy.

Leaving Bunker 1, most tourists would exit to the Astral. From there we might visit a couple of interesting people (Jade Rain & Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake) who might have strong feelings about the legions (who are perverted creatures of The Abyss). We are given Trumps for them both and some Cure Poison potions to help against Mr Hiss.

The City of Seven Walls

Morden of the Shadows joins us.

Dalran: 17
Pent: 87
Sabrina: 13
Braegon: 54, 95

We talk some more with Foras while Seren divines our lucky numbers and I braid hair. 8 Wrens are traded for 2 lives for Eric and Grendel. 2 Wrens are traded for the testicles of a foolish friend of Morden. Foras mentions that visiting Nightwing on Nualis and asking for the Justice Blade might be beneficial, but I am dubious whether this is to hinder Similarities or just help and save Foras.

Looking like any other group of hell spawn we go Unseen and walk the road to the City of Seven Walls. After about 6 hours walking we spot an unusual arrangement of white rocks about 1 mile from the road, Grendel identifies it as a Middlemarch. The ground beside the road is scorching hot so we move quickly across to investigate the Middlemarch. It is a Nexus that leads to Caina (a realm of Ice) on the 7th Plane, it allows transit in both directions by simply walking into it.

Deciding we are now far enough from Foras' keep, we start flying.

Th'rsday 3rd - Reapsday 5th Meadow

Following the road, flying, camping, flying...

We eventually see the city, landing we lose the wings and walk the last few miles.

Morden has been here before and talks us past the blue devils at the outer gate. Traders here to get some souls, and no they're not getting any bribes.

As we come out of the gatehouse, Grendel spots a tower about 150' feet away (250' from the front gate) that nobody else can see, it has been shifted to another plane, similar to a Maze effect. A Great Ruby (a lifework of a master Alchemist) could do something like that. As we casually wander by and look without appearing to look at the invisible tower, Dalran spots a small devil spying, it's not a devil, it's concealed by some sort of riddle. Dalran tags the not-devil with a locate and we continue exploring the city.

We make our way through to the Silk Bazaar, check out various vendors but nothing appeals, at least not for a price we're willing to pay. Dalran pauses to check on the not-Devil only to find him immediately behind and stabbing with a blade, Dalran turns to avoid the fatal blow losing the use of his arm and a lot blood in the process. The Devil bolts but stops when I call out we are allies of his master, after probing questions we apologise for getting off on the wrong foot and are invited into the tower to talk.

The not-Devil is a Rag & String Golem, it and it's colleagues have been stationed here for 700 years. He is not aware of any agents of Similarities in the city, but he warns us of Dantalion, if D. becomes aware of us he will be able to use his book to see what we are up to. We tell him of Similarities presence in Foras' domain, the more the enemies of our enemy know of him the better. He tells us that Dantalion holds The Gun That Accepts No Copies (the weapon that is Similarities Nemesis) but he is unlikely to sell or trade it.

With permission we rest a 'night' in the tower, I keep watch all night while I pickle Dalran's arm.

Sunday 6th Meadow

We walk out on the road to the City of Brass, we're not sure whether flying over the road will transition us out of hell so we walk, after 16 hours some of us are nearing our limit and it seems a good time to stop and camp as the terrain ahead changes from barren yellow loam to the Swamp of Desolation.

Danger Sense wakes me during third watch, Charnel spots hot figures approaching and cold patches on the ground. We prepare ourselves for a fight, the Hellhounds, and Hellriders charge us, their mages start casting. We protect ourselves with walls of stone, spell barriers, and fog; Seren opens the hostilities with Blackfire, Sabrina slaps a hound within an inch of its life then it gets healed, Morden and Dalran pop-up behind the devilcasters ready to end their casting options. Then the Balrog/pit-fiend looms up behind them, they shrug off its lethal flurry of blows and strike back crippling its primary arm, Sabrina teleports to join them and takes off its off-hand making it drop its flail, the head breaking open which releases some bound fire. Meanwhile the Hellriders phase through the Wall of Stone and damage Grendel a little as they ride through; Eric steps into melee; Pent polishes off the Hellhounds with his Icy Darts and we have a moment to look to the titanic battle 100 feet away.

Balrog Bearing Gifts

Powerful blows and magics fly, Dalran goes down, Grendel and Braegon offer brandy, the Pit-Fiend is starting to look a little worn so sniffs out the nearest Elf (Seren) and flies over for a refreshing snack, Seren declines stepping out of time and out of his way, Grendel and I hold the line by bravely evading. In between moments, Seren sees two people in a room observing us, she notes details but does not pause. She also sees through the Pit-Fiends disguise to see that it is actually a Balrog, a powerful creature of fire and darkness from Middle-Earth.

The front line charges the Balrog, further flurries of blows and it eventually goes down. The Hellriders having wheeled and charged back in just as the Balrog goes down are quickly overwhelmed.

Seren has another look at the people scrying us, there is an empty chess set on a table looking like it is waiting for the pieces to be assembled, they are discussing something, reading lips Seren infers that they sent the Balrog as a way of delivering something we would need. Describing them to Morden, he is able to identify them as two immortals (The Lord of Intrigues & The Lord of Patterns) who are probably aiding us though it is always hard to tell when the Master of Intrigues is involved.

Moonday 7th - W'ansday 9th Meadow

We heal, Eric extracts Alchemical essence from the heart of the Balrog, I skin the Balrog, and Sabrina takes a trophy. Corpses are looted and items divined. Night falls.

Th'rsday 10th - W'ansday 16th Meadow

Walking through hell.

On the 16th we walk back into daylight and a desert. The desert is a place of elemental power, the other Elemental mages see parts of the terrain, but I see several types of elemental terrain, a much richer environment.

In the distance is a Brass City, we walk on towards it.

The gateway into the city is some sort of oracular artifact, the Dwarf guarding the gates watches it as we enter. Most of us only cause raised eyebrows or a cautious back-step but when I enter the Dwarf suddenly starts bowing and my-lording and races off.

In remarkably short time the Dwarf is back and I am welcomed to the city with dancing girls and thrown flowers, we are escorted to a fine town house that has been cleared for my use. While I'm getting bathed and oiled, the others find out I'm revered because I am an Elemental Lord.

Soon the emissary of another local lord turns up asking for a meeting, we organise to meet tomorrow morning.

Brass and Horror

Th'rsday 17th Meadow

We spend the morning checking out the local merchants and craftsmen. We make some purchases (Plover Stones, Blank Phylacteries, Pentecost Potions). Dalran trades his anti-scrying knowledge for a variation on Walk Unseen.

We hear about trouble on some of the paths that go near the outer planes. Some sort of undead worm creatures are assaulting travellers.

Meeting ___ for lunch we find out a bit more about the City of Brass. There isn't much in the way of hierarchy, the Elemental Lords are in charge of as much as they are interested in and collectively they rule the city. Travel to many other planes is available via the nexus, trade with those planes is the core business of the city. The pathways are controlled from this end, if the people on the other end turn nasty then we simply close the portal. The population is stable, long life spans, low birth rates. Visitors are welcome but people may only settle here by invitation, and then they start at the bottom of society. Except for me, I'd join the top of society and people would be evicted to make room for me which I'm not comfortable with.

Frysday 18th - Sunday 20th Meadow

We enter the nexus and walk the under-path for 3 days. The path/tunnel we walk through is about 20' wide, 16' high, and completely featureless.

Eric has a premonition of danger, Grendel can see horrors lurking ahead of us around the tunnel, we prepare for combat. The horrors look like worm riddled skeletons but so distorted and unnatural that to look on them is to risk our sanity. They also cause us ill-luck (read % dice the worst way around then add 10) which makes things tougher. Grendel takes a tincture to make them bearable to look at then starts sharing it out to Sabrina and Eric. Sabrina steps forward to hold them off while we attempt to lash them with blindly targeted Area of Effect magic. Sabrina discovers the hard way that they can transfer their wounds to us in melee, things are looking dicey until damage enhanced Blackfire and Dragonflames thin their numbers.

But about then is when we spot something bigger (and more insanely horrific) incoming, it is a humanoid flayed over some sort of wire frame about the size of a bed. I try to keep it out with walls but only delay it, fortunately long enough for Sabrina to polish off the last skeleton.

The horror breaks in, but pauses on seeing Sabrina standing ready with the Sword of Solomon (which Seren had passed to her earlier). The horror moves faster than we can react to, instead of attacking it marks Sabrina then flees back into the abyss.

With temporary breathing space, Eric harvests the ashes of the Skeleton he incinerated and we check out the Horror Mark on Sabrina. The mark means that Sabrina can be targeted by the Horror at any range (on the same plane).

Plunge into the Abyss

I alter Sabrina's horror mark so that it will only work at close range, Seren and Pent use the last of the Tincture, Seren puts wings on us all then we charge through the closing hole chasing after the horror into the Abyss.

The first thing we notice as we enter is that our wings become like great webs interlacing with the darkness of the Abyss. Second that we've just come out of the side of a cliff face that extends up beyond sight, also above us the only light comes from what looks like a rift in the dark sky.

The horror is only a few hundred feet from us, floating along the ground, we charge.

Sabrina engages first, Seren and her Elemental join in, the rest of us prepare magic and ranged attacks. The horror has control over metal making it almost impossible to hurt with metal weapons, it disarms Seren of the Sword of Solomon and eats one of Pent's throwing discs. Aware that our presence in the Abyss will soon attract hordes of Abyss Demons, I try using the trumps to contact Jade Rain or Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake but I seem to lack the knack for trumps. A few other weapons and types of attacks are tried, we find out if reflects individually targeted spells, Seren's Elemental is seemingly immune to horror and it applies it Abyss enhanced strength to great effect on the horror. The horror hurts us badly with Hellfire and Whirlwind Vortex, Pent throws a lightning bolt which does a lot of damage. Ringing Sabrina and the Horror with stone we plan to bounce a lot of lightning around, but it turns out we have less lightning to throw than we thought and it doesn't work as well as Pent's one-shot. Sabrina starts singing an Angelic Hymn to bolster our spirits and defence and it turns out to be highly effective against the horror too, reducing its power and options. Seren's Dark Elemental continues to be effective and takes a lot of damage in return before it is eventually finished off by Dalran's Dragonflames. Seren steps back from combat to heal and summon another Elemental. The Horror now seeks to withdraw, it casts a web-road into the sky and starts to ascend, Pent, Dalran and I keep it within the stone ring with bands of Ice, Bone, and Earth. Eric tries a few alchemical attacks, Sabrina changes back to her more effective metal weapons, Seren's new Elemental joins the fray then she takes over from me with the trumps. Seren gets through to Jade Rain who cannot help us but does warn us we only have about ten seconds until the horde of Demons arrives. The Horror finally falls to the combined attacks, we seeks to return through the cliff to the path but the portal has closed and we cannot see the point to re-open, Seren gets through to Moonlight who agrees to help us. Moonlight emerges from the trump, we gather together with the Elemental carrying the Horror with the corpse of Chantril still attached. Moonlight raises a cube of force around us just as the Demons arrive and start hammering on the outside, then he starts negotiating his price for a portal out of here.

His interest is in a powerful partner to start his house with, Sabrina is tainted by her alignment to Odin, Seren carries a powerful virtue which Moonlight does not wish to be touched by, Pent is cute but too short, Eric is tainted, Grendel and I are not pretty enough, that leaves Dalran who is pretty, powerful, and just needs a slight gender realignment... Dalran resists, and resists again but we manage to convince Moonlight to take us to Damien, the Lord of the Abyss.

Damien welcomes us into his house and thanks us for bringing him two Great Rings... oops!

A Year of Gardening

Moonday 21st - W'nsday 23rd Meadow

Damien considers himself reasonable and fair and offers us gifts in exchange for the Great Rings we are leaving with him, we also negotiate for some of his services which includes compressing time relative to Malcouth and Tanuel so that there is time to complete the commissions and learn our new incantations.

We are introduced to Morphia, The Weaver of Dreams and Vanity, Lady of Reflections.

During discussions we find out that the Damien we are talking to is a Pattern-Copy of Damien as the original Damien is currently returning from death in the outer darkness where the Lord of Patterns sent him and other Seal Angels to set seals against a great horror that was approaching.

Then when Damien goes to compress time he finds he is unable to because of a Tintagelite on Alusia whose presence there anchors our relative time lines. To honour his part of the agreement Damien reluctantly gives us access to the century tree in his garden where we spend a year training.

Th'sday 24th Meadow

Damien casts spells on us to allow us to travel the Abyss faster and without attracting as much attention, he gives us some scrolls of the same for later travel. Flying with Shadow Wings in their strange web-like manifestation, we spend the day flying with Vanity to the Malkuth Astral.

Frysday 25th Meadow

Through the Astral for an hour we come to some steps that lead into the house of Mark, Cenotaph, Malkuth. Dalran changes form into an Asp and hides in my backpack. Eric sweats a lot and quietly prays that Clementine has not used up Mark's finger bone.

We tell Mark some of what is going on, who's house we are going to and why, and about the Lord of Similarities army in Hell. Mark delays to tell us a bit about Similarity's house and how it works before heading off to Hell to see if he can catch Grimes before he flees.

The residents of Bunker 1 know it is only a few levels deep, the yeast vats occupy the lowest level. Unknown to most there is an Elevator that leads down to level 22 but this is well watched and guarded, the stairs would be the best way to descend, through the illusion that hides the steps continuing down from the yeast vats level. Level 22 is much further down than it should be possible for the bunker to extend, most likely Similarities house is within a Middle-March. The Geometry trap will be within the middle-march but outside Sim's actual house. It is not possible for magic to transition the border of a house, we can portal up to the border on either side but then we need to physically pass through it.

The Plan
Getting in - we walk down the stairs, Dalran guides us through the Geometry Trap, we enter the house and rumble it.
Getting out - when we enter the house we set a Souldark wall next to the door, when it comes time to leave if we can't get back to the front door by other means then Seren Dark Portals us to the door (optionally hitting Grendel before he enters the portal). We step out the front door, Grendel heals some damage then opens a gateway to the top of Bunker 1.
From there either Eric gates us to the Astral, from there an hour to the Abyss, through the Abyss to Tanuel (<1 week on Wings), through the lands of Chaos to ___ (43 hours), from there we fly to the ruins.
Or we walk nine times counter-clockwise around the Apocalypse Cafe to get on the underpath to Gotham, then I try to get us to the path to the City of Brass (1 week), then through the Paths of Sheol to the ruins at the other end.

Vanity creates a mirror portal from Cenotaph to the Bazaar in Bunker 1, we apply our disguises and unremarkable appearance then step through. As we traverse the portal for an hour we see floating sentient clouds and a sky full of colour and beauty, this is a reflection of what the world was like before Legion.

We apparently step out of a shop in the bazaar, there are lots of people, mostly human though we see a few pale Dwarves in odd white coats (Dark Dwarves). Technology is quite different from Alusia, some of us are familiar with some of it from encounters on other planes - guns, elevators, but no cars or other vehicles, everyone seems to walk everywhere. The structural walls and floors of the bunker are Bound Earth, it would have taken thousands of souls to permanently bind that much.

We quickly check out the Apocalypse Cafe in case we need to leave that way then head downwards.

A Similar House

First we scout the top of the great stairs to find a spot that Grendel can Gateway us to. Merging with the crowds we use the Elevating Rooms to descend most of the way to the yeast vat levels then we walk down the stairs for the last couple of levels. At the bottom we find what looks like a large bulkhead door, it turns out to be a fairly ordinary door covered by an illusion.

We've been in Bunker 1 about half a day, we're completely out of synch with the Bunker 'Day' which according to Sabrina is out of synch with the real days on the surface, but we re-cast some spells and eat before heading down and call it lunch.

Pent disables the alarms on the door and we go through, knocking out one of the panels of the door so it can't be closed to deny Grendel's gateway.

A bit further down and we come to the Geometric Trap, Grendel counters the hypnosis so that Dalran can remember the insane path through. Joining hands we follow Dalran and emerge through a door into a luxurious waiting room. Waiting in the room are two Medeanite Dancers, two hags (Black Anisses), and two witches. They recognise Eric and Grendel, putting an end to any thoughts of trying to bluff our way through. We throw Blackfire, freezing blood, slowness, and our front-line at them, they respond with multi-target Death Curses from the witches (unresistible to those who are Death Aspected), the Anisses open a gateway, one Dancer goes through the gateway. Then we manage to kill one of the Anisses which closes the portal. The last hag and witch are killed and the fight is over. Seren undoes the Death Curse on herself, Dalran reduces the remaining time on Eric and Grendel's curses to 55 minutes, we loot the bodies and search the area.

Trollskin - Cannibalise Incantation; Damnum Magnatum - Large Area of Effect; Wand of Angry Bees; lots of coinage from different realms.

A side door leads to a few bedrooms - guest quarters or guard quarters? In one of them we find a sheet of paper covered with a variant of Dwarvish - it is some sort of certificate of Authority from the Lord of Dark Earth, maybe a travel pass.

Once we are all ready we cautiously open the door ahead, stairs lead down to a slightly broader area and glass doors that lead into a carpeted corridor. Plasma Cannons (Wand and lens covered Dragon-flames Projectors) are high up either side of the door, we don't have range on anything beyond the doors which makes it fairly clear that this is the border of Similarities House. Through the doors about 50 feet down the hall there is a side passage and a large desk with a woman is sitting behind it.

Pent ices up the cannons so they can't be turned to fire on us, Dalran makes us invisible then we sneak down to the door. We work out that the lovely receptionist is a See Hag, as soon as we step through the door she'll be killing us with her gaze.

Pent then comes up with the Bag The Hag plan... Pent prepares a tarp, Sabrina opens the door, Pent steps out of time and runs around to behind the hag, back in normal time the hag starts to look up at the opened door and gets the tarp wrapped around her head so she can't see, Sabrina runs up and grabs her hands to stop her pressing any alarms, Eric races up to take her out and drops and damages his weapons, before the hag can consider screaming, Sabrina lets her go long enough to kill her.

Remove an Agate Necklace from the Hag's corpse

The rest of us enter, Seren puts a Wall of Darkness in an empty office and we hide the hag's body.

Venturing further in we round a corner and see a lovely flowering pot plant, the Psionic Orchid starts preparing its mental attacks but I manage to control it first, then we start questioning the Orchid about this place and learn it's a lot bigger than we thought.

About 9 levels, walls are plaster or reinforced concrete, occasional Iron Bulkheads (air lock style).
There are lots of Dwarves here, they move in patrols of 12, up to 1,500 of them here. They have 50' x 75' boxes that move (armoured troop transport?).
The Well of Trumps might be in a large room to the north, behind bulkhead doors, 250' x 300' open area 75' high. On the floor are Trump Elements.
There are two Iron Dragons here, 25' long body, 25' long tail, they swing with their wings, they may shape-change into a train engine (self-powered cart travels on tracks) or a jet (fast flying machine). They work for the Lord of Iron, presumably on load to Similarities.

Loot and Pillage

Seren and I check to see if we can Summon Elementals inside the house, we can. I get a short yellowish Elemental that is very compact and dense, it was most recently tasked with holding two wooden or maybe charcoal rods at arms length, it has an ability called fission. Seren gets a slowly spinning helix of darkness that is not there 10 seconds out of every 20. It is a Strange Elemental from a plane called Higgsville that is not entirely of our reality, it has an ability called annihilation. We later learn the annihilation will destroy anything it comes in contact with, removing it from our plane of existence, if enough of something is annihilated then all instances of that thing will fade from existence.

We pick a direction and set off, we pass various side rooms with nothing of interest, we soon find ourselves at sliding doors that lead to a room with lots of small illuminated panels or buttons, on the other side is a large room. The large room contains gantries, mechanical cranes and lifts, huge crates, and cylinders that are identified as Nuclear Reactors, Grendel has encountered something of the same name on another plane, people were deathly afraid of something going wrong with them. The crates (about 25' square) are carefully positioned at least 25' apart, some are red, some are green. Through huge doors is a bigger room (the Garage) that looks like a storage area for large armoured transport vehicles, only 1 is here but there are marks of about 16 having been stored here, a ramp big enough for these vehicles leads out on the far side.

We discuss messing with the reactors or crates but decide to leave them alone for now.

We leave through a more normal sized side door that leads to an 8' square room with another door out the other side, only one of these doors can be open at once.

The next interesting thing we come to is a lifting platform in an open shaft, we can see openings to two other floors above us. A Dwarf sized box on wheels is heading our way, we take the lifting platform up one level to get out of sight, the moving box goes into the reactor room using mechanical arms to open the doors.

Quickly checking our health I find that all but Seren are afflicted by a strange wasting disease probably caused by something in the environment, it is no immediate danger to us but needs to be fixed within a day or so.

Looking out into the floor we have arrived at we quickly realise it is a barracks, the elemental can sense over 600 Dwarves on this level, there could be 2 or 3 times that number. We quickly and quietly step back to the platform.

Dalran scries the level above us with his Wizards Face, he can see lots of humans in white coats doing some sort of administrative work. Dalran identifies one of them as a Witch and suspects she saw his face. We decide to head down, leave them alone and hope they didn't spot him. Then he spots six of the white-coated people heading towards the lift shaft. Sabrina and Dalran Teleport to the top to intercept the 6. Pent and I seal the entrance to the barracks with ice and stone, a nightmare appears among us, attacks the elementals then gets destroyed by them, Sabrina cuts down the Witch two others who were first to reach the shaft, the platform is still going down, Seren starts drifting up with her elemental, I grab Pent and start walking up the wall with my Elemental, Dalran and Sabrina finish off the other 3 at the top before they can raise any alarm, we arrive just in time to help with the clean-up. One of the white-coated humans was killed, it turns out to be a Doppelgänger. We quickly loot them and start disposing of the bodies via Seren's Elemental, then stop when we discover exactly what Annihilation means.

Wands of Angry Bees, Wand of Mana Sense, Potion of Diminution, Incantations of Tracking-Tremor Sense & MageWind-Instant Arrival, Copper Scroll, White Coats function as 5pt cloth armour, lots of coinage.

Finishing our clean-up, we remove the walls from the barracks level and move away up the corridor on the entrance level.

The elemental can sense a patrol of Dwarves ahead of us, we'd prefer to avoid them so I try Tunnelling to a parallel corridor, the first one accidentally intercepts some sort of room warping that will function as a Geometry Trap if we approach from this side, we leave it and try again further up.

This one safely brings us to an adjoining corridor and we move through to it. We check around and there are two sets of bulkhead doors, the patrol of Dwarves is somewhere beyond one of them. We remove the alarms on the other one and enter, the room is cold (about -70 deg C), a metal walk way surrounds a large block of ice containing a black egg, a small ice cube beneath it generates the cold. We cautiously examine it and then Precog what will happen if we remove enough Ice to DA it, Grendel blanches and then reports that the horror will escape and kill us all.

We decide to leave it alone and check out what's behind the other serious doors. We find another cold room (about -60 deg C) with 16 smaller versions of the same, black eggs encased in ice.

We debate options for a while then decide to Annihilate them, we think the world could cope with all creatures of this type fading from existence. We don't want to risk Annihilating Ice from the world so set up for Pent to shave the ice away just before the Elemental steps in to destroy the creature. Our timing is off on the first one and Pent almost gets eaten by the incredibly fast insectoid-horror, after that they go smoothly and we destroy them all then gather the cold generating ice cubes.

Now for the big one, we decide that it shouldn't harm Ice in the world too much to destroy this one while still encased and it sounds much safer. We're just about to start when Dalran staggers and blood pours from his eyes, ears and nose, spitting blood he tells us to stop. Apparently we did try our plan and discovered that the creature was a horror from beyond and was not affected by the annihilation, we just destroyed the ice and freed it to kill us. So Dalran rolled back time to stop us from doing it.

We compare notes between what Grendel saw in his Precog and what Dalran saw in the time that didn't happen. The creature is big, fast, and strong, it has very tough armour and acid for blood. We want to destroy it but we're not keen on engaging it in combat. Eric then notices that the metal of the walkway is strange, a metal that would burn furiously (hot enough to burn stone or glass) when exposed to acid or great heat and behind a glass lining the walls are made from the same. We presume this is the destructive fail-safe in case the creature escapes but are concerned that if it started it might burn the complex beyond this room and we don't want that to happen while we're in here. We ring the walkway and ice-cube in a wall of stone, Eric sets an alchemical fire that will get hot enough to ignite the walkway in 10 to 15 minutes. I then close over the top of the ring with more stone. Our hope is that the fire will destroy the horror before it gets a chance to do anything about it and the stone will contain the conflagration long enough that it won't burn the walls and potentially beyond. Our furnace set, we leave.

Following a new corridor south we come to another huge room that we soon find out is the far side of the garage. There is a strong smell of Iron, off to one side we see a Dragon sized cave entrance, and immediately in front of us and about 250' square is The Well of Trumps. Each step we take into this room will see us potentially affected by a random trump, there are no safe or consistent paths as the trumps constantly shuffle. We try to find a way of moving the Well and eventually come to trying Seren's Drift Crystal of Vision hoping that the oracular aspects of both will draw the well to the crystal. We expect that soon after we start messing with the Well the Dragons will react, Sabrina is keen to charge in and take them out first but we convince her to wait. We'll try containing them while we deal with the Well then deal with them afterwards.

As Seren starts the crystal moving forward, I step out behind it so I can target the cavern entrance, the trumps are still active and I am affected by 5 Wands (Strife) which has no immediate apparent effect, I need to cast 4 walls to block the cavern, I get the first two off then we hear the dragons responding, I quickly cast the last two just before the dragons emerge, they start using breath weapons to destroy the stone. The others step out, Sabrina to provide cover and the others to be able to target the dragon or cavern. They are also affected by Trumps.

NB It is now 35 minutes since we encountered the hags at the entrance and the dancer went through the gate.

Trumped By

Braegon - 5 Wands (Strife), Emperor (House & Paragon)
Sabrina - 5 Swords (Defeat), Princess of Swords (Possession), Queen of Wands (Talons - resulting in loss of items from her pack), Lovers, 9 Pentacles (Gain).
Dalran - Emperor - (gains a house and becomes a Paragon of Manly Beauty), Magician, Moon, Satiety, Strength of 10 Men.
Seren - 6 Swords (Science/Alchemy - is able to create a potion in a pulse), 7 Disks (Failure), 4 Cups (Luxury), Void.
Grendel - 7 Disks (Failure), ? (Defeat Dragon to gain magical knowledge), Prince of Pentacles (Lose all wealth and lands)
Pent - Sorrow, Talons, Tower, Fortitude
Eric - Justice, Sun, Prince of Cups (Gems - including 2 Great Sapphires)

Iron Tooth and Claw

I continue trying to block the Dragons in using walls, Pent starts icing up around us to cover some of the iron, I start rainstorms to help offset the breathe weapons, I set my elemental to stripping Iron from the walls and Seren sets hers to weakening the overhead supports.

One of the doors to the garage rolls up and a huge iron vehicle slowly backs in, a hatch opens and an obscene mechanical contraption starts rotating hibernated pregnant Green Hags into stirrups where their foetus is birthed and then killed to throw curses at us. Seren is briefly a frog and Sabrina resists a long sleep before Pent used the Tower Trump and his darts to destroy the mechanism. But we are left with some penalties for the death aspected and bonuses for Pent and me.

Meanwhile the Dragons break through the walls and swing across the ceiling towards us, Sabrina stinging them with arrows and others bouncing spells off them as they come. The Dragon swings down to breathe on us, it's bad. Sabrina is saved by one of her defensive artefacts which explodes damaging Dalran and giving the Dragon several bleeding wounds. The rest of us are hurt badly and my elemental is melted down to slag - which then starts to glow and get increasingly hotter. Seren leaps on to the first Dragon's back and starts killing it from there, Sabrina continues her storm of arrows, Eric gets a few strikes in, Dalran gets pummelled a couple of times but always seems to land in beneficial trumps.

The second Dragon arrives and pauses in his charge to berate his mate when he sees the glowing slag pile, concerned at their concern we confer and work out the remains of the Uranium Elemental may be 'going nuclear' which could mean a fireball strong enough to destroy the entire complex and everyone in it. While the others stay focussed on killing the dragons I do well with extinguish fire and manage to stabilise the slag pile.

Dalran narrowly avoids being ripped in half, Pent drops the second dragon to the ground by destroying the Iron gantry it was hanging from which hurts the dragons and nearly kills me when they land on me. Seren and Sabrina slay the first dragon, Dalran is grabbed again by the second and ripped apart, much to the Dragon's annoyance he shrugs it off, the Dragon goes for him again but this time Dalran is standing in a trump which makes him stronger than the Dragon, holding his ground he pries the jaws apart, punches through the Dragon's chest and rips out his heart.

One minute after entering the room, the Dragons are dead, the hag contraption is destroyed, the trump harvesting continues, the slag pile is temporarily stable, Grendel has lost all wealth and land, Dalran and I are 'Paragons of manly beauty', Eric has acquired a cup full of gems including great sapphires, Seren had a close encounter with The Void, Dalran's Life Staff transformed to a Charm Rod, and we have a Dragon Horde to plunder.

Time to Go

Sabrina, Eric and I are chronically poisoned by the after effects of the Dragon's breath, Eric transforms himself and Sabrina to buy some time while I heal myself and wait for trumps to be cleared. Then while I heal Sabrina, and Eric, Grendel lifts the curse on the dragon's hoard and the others gather it up. The metal I extract from Sabrina and myself is Truesilver, the metal I extract from Eric is new to me, it is orange coloured with properties of change and stability. Dalran rips the wing-tips from one of the dragons and breaks off some claws and scales, potentially these could be used in crafting weapons. Then Eric burns the bodies into Alchemical dust.

Using Earth Construction and Heat Metal with a couple of walls to protect it, we set a 30 minute timer before this place starts going 'nuclear' and then we leave.

Hurrying out through the garage and then the reactor room, we pause for Dalran to scout ahead. He spots a Dwarven squad with a weapons box waiting for us at entryway, Dalran's disembodied face warns them of the slag and orders them to evacuate, they do.

We follow not far behind them, out the door to the guest area where we open the last door so that Gendel can open his gate to the top of the stairs. Grabbing a set of Dancer Armour and 2 Hag corpses, we step through the gateway on to the stairs where we are surprised by shop fronts lining the stairway with mannequins clad in leather and draped in feathers fling themselves from windows at the Dwarven patrol who are leaping up the stairs. Surprised and confused, we move through the doors into the mezzanine level of the bunker while I use a wall to seal the Dwarves away from us. The street stops attacking, Mark rides in and dismounts, thanks 'Terry' patting the wall as he does so, kills Dalran, wants to kill Eric, then invites us to join him for tea.

Mark introduces Terry the Transvestite Street, The Lord of Paths. He had asked Terry to keep an eye on things and help out. On reflection we recall seeing him on the mezzanine floor before we went in.

Mark had mixed success in Hell, Similarities fled, his army was disrupted, minions of the President of Seekers and other denizens of hell crossed his path and were destroyed, then he withdrew. He believes Similarities fled to the home of The Lord of Dark Earth in Bunker 12 and at least one of him is now heading home, comparing timing he will probably arrive after the Horror Chamber goes up but before the Yellow-Cake slag pile goes up. Mark is planning to head down there to see if he can get in and kill Sims while he's distracted. I remember to tell Mark that Dantalion has the Gun Which Accepts No Copies, he would have appreciated that news but chastises me for telling him outside of his house as it is now likely that Sims will hear the news and try to acquire the weapon.

We start walking around the cafe to get on the paths away from here, I spot Terry watching us and ask if he could take us directly to Sura, he agrees to in return for one of the dead Hags and the Medeanite Dancer's Armour.

Reapsday 26th Meadow

We walk down Terry's main drag and enter a Troubadour's Inn, we are welcomed to the Cabaret by a man dressed as a women with no morals or sense of fashion. A short while later when we exit the Cabaret a day has passed and we are in Sura. Sabrina gives Terry a parting gift, and Terry tells us he'll be in Sura for a couple of days.

Sunday 27th Meadow - Reapsday 3rd Heat

We spend a week healing, recovering, divining items, opening the copper scroll, and Alchemically processing the dust.

We look around some of Sura and meet with a local mage/priest (Thuwan Ippar) and try to teach him some cantrips.

On the night of the third we fly to Karthri. As we fly over the mountains we see a trapezoidal building, we speculate that this could be the home of the Lord of Rings or something more interesting, we narrowly avoid getting distracted. Beyond the mountains is a forest, something in it knocks over several large trees, we scry the area and see nothing, it may be a large (30' tall) undetectable cat (The Panther) that is rumoured to be in the area, we manage to continue.

We land on the road to Karthri before dawn, have breakfast and walk in once it is light.

Sunday 4th Heat

We visit Anathel to pay our respects.

Anathel tells us that Eris is active beyond the midnight sea. Eris (Discord) and Eros (Desire) are children of Nyx (the Darkness on the Face of the Deep). They exist beyond chaos. Eris is an eternal force of change/destruction that was active at the dawn of time as part of creation. Eris is not supposed to be active again, something or someone has caused her to stir and this is unlikely to lead to anything good.

NB also refer to notes on Strange vs Charm

Sorceress and Phoenix

Someone has the bright idea of asking Anathel if she has or can make us some Tincture of Aconite and Passionflower, she has and can, provided we gather the materials for her.

She also suggests we talk to Turf as he had a huge stockpile, but we inform her what we had heard, that Turf had used it all in bars and brothels.

We spend the next few days gathering Aconite & Passionflower and getting to know our way around Karthri and surrounds.

While we are there we meet Seranaspes the Rain Weaver when he visits Anathel.

Reapsday 10th Heat

Inviting Anathel to join us, we fly to the ruins, check that the Phoenix nest is as expected, scout around a bit, find a portable alchemical oven, then settle in to camping in one of the old buildings. Dalran protects the area from scrying; Sabrina seals it against Hell and a couple of other planes; I repair the stonework of our building and create a few amenities (a decent cook stove, raised bed platforms, a spring of fresh water, a bathing pool). Setting watches, we settle in to rough it for a few days with our preserved meat, fresh fruit, and cold beers.

Moonday 12th Heat

Grendel and I are startled by a feeling on impending danger, Eric on watch, has the same feeling and can see an invisible giant spider (about the size of a pony) creeping into the old town. Checking carefully, we see dozens of giants spiders in military formation about half a mile from town. Behind the formation are 3 spiders each about 200 yards apart in a line heading back towards some scrubby bush in the distance. Using crystals we check the bush and eventually find the commanders in a tunnel a short way beyond the last spider. Our friend or foe question is answered as we recognise the Medeanite Sorceress from her description.

I tunnel us below out building and away from the underground rivers then summon Deepstreet to take us the rest of the way. On-route we prepare ourselves for combat, casting Quickness, Counterspells and Trollskin while on final approach.

The Sorceress seems to be aware of trouble approaching from below, the Earth Elemental that was wrapped around her forming the tunnel stands and she raises her bone throne off the ground. Her toad starts casting defensive rank 20 smoking magma; they start turning invisible (also rk 20); her Psy-Orchid settles on one side of her throne, presumably checking for us with ESP; her void chalice settles on the other side of her throne; her hawk circles above. I open a tunnel to one side as a feint, they are not tricked by it but I can use it to ensure our real exit is not into a pool of magma, the rest of the party charges out as the Namer Hawk dispels my tunnel.

Sabrina banishes the Earth Elemental, Anathel lashes them with Hellfire, Seren follows with Black Lightning which destroys the throne, Eric and Sabrina charge, I throw in a rainstorm, Grendel is assaulted by entropy locusts he escapes in a flash of lightning and Pent steps up to deal to the locusts with Ice. Dalran's slow is pre-emptively countered by the Hawk, Sabrina and Eric engage, Dalran's damage enhance works and the next volleys of Hellfire and Blackfire are devastating. The Sorceress is dead, the chalice destroyed, the toad captured, the orchid killed, the Hawk flees, the spiders retreat, we start picking through the rubble of the throne and looting the corpses.

I resurrect revive the orchid with some plant liqueurs.

Moving back to the ruins we divine the loot and resume our arduous camping.

Looking around at the local plants and herbs we find and harvest some golden century blooms.

Th'rsday 15th Heat

Just before dawn I resurrect awaken Chantrel and offer her spirits to revive her to full (diminished) health and inform her of the cover story (Phoenix wish) for her miraculous recovery.

We (party plus Ajax, Anathel, Chantrel, Koch, and Deepstreet) go to the palm. The Phoenix, a beautiful form of a great bird made of swirling purple, gold and scarlet butterflies, grants our wishes before flying away.

Synopsis

Preamble
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And, yet there was movement upon the face of the waters.
And a voice called out: "Let there be light!": and there was light.
And the light was good. And the light was divided from the darkness.
And the light was Day, the darkness, Night.

Buffs

Magic Rk Effects Dur Br Se Da Sa Er Gr Pe
Enhancing Enchantment 20 Up to +20 Ranks 110 secs
Armour of Earth 21 +44 Def -2 Damage 11 hrs Y Y Y Y+
Enchant Armour 29 +60 Def +1 AP 15 hrs Y Y
Shadow Form 20 42 Def (21 Def in close) 10½ hrs A
Strength of Stone 20 +20 EN 21 hrs A Y Y Y Y+ Y Y
Strength of Darkness 19 +11 PS 3½ hrs A Y Y Y Y Y
Fire Armour 20 100 Ablative Mag. Fire 21 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y
Heat Shield 8 36 ablative Mag. Cold 9 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Fireproofing 6 Prot. Normal Fire 7 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y
Cold Resistance 12 Increases Gauge +5, max 7, -4 Dam 13 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Waterproofing 7 Dry, protection from Rainstorm 8 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Witchsight 14 See < Rk 15 Invis & Blending, see in darkness 7½ hrs Y Y Y Y Y
Ice Traversal 12 +5 TMR on ice 4¼ hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Enchant Weapon 24 +25 SC +9 Damage 25 mins
Weapon of Ice 20 +21 SC +7 Damage 10½ hrs
Shadow Wings 10 40 MPH 5½ hrs
Water Breathing 6 Breathe and see in Water 7 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Buoyancy 6 Up/down 17'/pulse, withstand pressure 3½ hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Mind Shield 10 +30 MR vs Mental Attack, can't be mind read 21 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Sense Danger 61% 66% 52%
Ring of Command 12 +12 DEF, IV &SC, free Pass Action - Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Elemental Transformation 15 Become Earth Elemental-ish 8 hrs Y Y
Only if/when needed
Special Knowledge spells
Rk 20 Enhance Enchant usually applied to duration of buffs.
Hair Braiding (Rk 7 Skill)
Sometimes (30 mins per person per day): +50% resistance vs Charm (Demonic, Spells, Bardic Voice). -25% melee damage from attacks from behind. Enhance Duration of one 2+ hour spell until next dawn.
Rarely (1 hour per person per day) +3 AG (or +2 over racial max).
Anti-scrying (Rk 21 Spell)
Braegon + 3 hex radius while on the ground. Undetectable to scrying (including Wizards Eye); Blocks Rk 20 (or lower) Locate, Telepathy, ESP.
Greater Enchantment - available for those who need one. Yes for Sabrina and Ajax as well as Grendel

Roles

  1. Front Line Fighters, Sabrina, Pent
  2. 2nd Line fighters and support, Seren, Dalran, Eric
  3. Support Mages and 'liquor merchants', Braegon, Grendel


Places

A rutter of some nexes.

Hell

The road from Foras' domain towards the City of Seven Walls is raised above the surrounding terrain and paved with the souls of the damned. The land around is barren burning hot rock.

Middlemarch to Caina
About 6 miles walk from Foras' fortress and 1 mile from the road is an odd formation of white rock, this marks a Middlemarch Nexus that leads to Caina a realm of Ice on the 7th Plane.

City of Seven Walls

A city in Hell, controlled by Dantalion, Palmon, and Raum.

Four walls surrounding three hills, each hill is surrounded by another wall with a tower at the top. The outer wall looks like Sandstone with bronze flecks.

First Ring
Within the first wall is accommodation focussed, Inns, Taverns, Ostlers, Stables, etc.
Second Ring
Within the second wall are the artisans, permanent buildings selling a huge range of crafted goods.
Third Ring
Within the third wall is the Silken Bazaar, there are no permanent buildings. Silk tents, walls, even walkways (but only for those comfortably under 400lbs weight and reasonably agile). Almost anything else can be bought or sold here.
Riddle Tower

Concealed and defended by a plane-shifting Maze, 150 feet from the gatehouse in the first wall is a tower within a Middlemarch. This is a bolt hole and safe house established and owned by the Master of Riddles and some of his friends. Passage through the maze is granted on answering a riddle.
Manned for the past 700 years by a spy ring of three Rag & String Golems, two of which move through the city disguised as devils, the third is a chair.
They have a Well of Black.
The tower is a House raised in concert by the Master of Riddles, the Spinner of Tales and the Keeper of Castles.

Silken Bazaar

Within the third wall of the City of Seven Walls, Hell.

The road to the City of Brass is not visible until you have entered the Silken Bazaar, then on returning through the third wall you will see the road heading off to the right. After that you will always be able to see the road.

Road to Brass

Outside the city the road passes through an endless seeming plain of barren yellow loam.

16 hours walking (approx. 50 miles) from the city is the Swamp of Desolation.

City of Brass

A major nexus - access to many paths and planes are controlled by the City.
Elemental Place of Power, Elemental Lords rule the city

Connections
Paths of Sheol - Leave the city on the road to hell and the turn-off to the paths can be taken.
Apocalypse Cafe, Bunker 1, Malcouth - 7 days on an underpath which is proximate to the Abyss and passes near the Outer Planes

Malkuth

A world covered by a sentient disease called Legion. There are 12 safe Bunkers set in a circle, several miles apart, travel between them is usually fatal because of Legion. The Marauders (??) create their own individualised suits that allow them to travel the surface safely.

Bunker 1

A miles deep hole in the ground where millions of people live cheek-by-jowl. Trees feature in fairy tales.

Hell-demons find it hard to get a foothold in the place, their pacted agents stationed there are usually keen to leave.

Apocalypse Cafe

On Level 3 or what we normally call the 'mezzanine level'. It is a gallery that sits above the most prestigious marketplace.

Walking around it 9 times counter-clockwise will put you on the underpath to Gotham on New Terra.

Level 22

Level 22 and below is the home of the Lord of Similarities. It is protected by a Geometric Trap - every step taken (unless following the safe path through) will take you half as far as the one before. Well of Trumps, formerly The Lord of Trumps, is there. Gate to the Astral.

Mr Hiss
A minion of the Lord of Serpents believed to be in residence presumably working for the Lord of Similarities. Known to be a master of manipulating family trees - we presume this is linked to the origins of the legions currently besieging the President of Seekers.

Bunker 7(Cenotaph)

Home of Mark, to be avoided as he may take our visit the wrong way and kill Eric to make the point.

Bunker 12

Home of the Lord of the Dark Earth. A dwarf. Tough, anti-social, violent and short.

Nualis

Theocracy. Where Nightwing is believed to be.

Tanuel

The plane of Tanuel.

Sura

Sura

Arrived from Malcouth via Lord of Paths, met with Thuwan Ippar.

Karthri

Karthri

Anathel the witch.

Abyss

Rest is not usually required in the Abyss, we don't experience thirst, hunger or tiredness. Most mortals travelling in the Abyss sit around and rest for 8 hours each day, for a sense of normalcy and sanity if nothing else.

Travel across the Abyss is not usually subject to effort. It would take a fortnight to get across (unless special means are used) whether or not you force march it or if you casually saunter.

Prince of Demons
Damien has a house within the Abyss.
Mistress of the Abyss
To be avoided as she is currently in a Mad Decade.

Astral

Paths

People and Creatures

Angels

Creatures of Law and Order, uncompromising.

Thrones
Like great wheels
Seraphs
Around man-sized, they have three sets of wings and carry swords. The shoulder of their weapon arm is protected by blue metal scale. Often invisible.

Ssu

Vaguely insectoid, centauroid creatures. They come from another realm called Tekumel. Naturally invisible, they may sometimes be detected by the scent of mouldy cinnamon and the sound of bells.

Demons

All evil. Some are Fallen Angels (e.g. Foras, Seir, Andromalius, Naberius) and have set amounts/areas of power. Others are Pseudothei (e.g. Berith, Asmodeus, Aim, Baal) whose power is based on worshippers/followers.

Berith

Dantalion

Foras

Not our employer. Just a guy guarding an artefact with troublesome neighbours. Who will rid him of this troublesome Immortal.

Palmon

Raum

Seir

Mount Seir. Goats that want to be killed/eaten to inflict sin, can be purged by sacrificing the (scape) goats.

Gods

Localised powers, projections into the Astral of the beliefs of a community.

Hags

Witch Hunters create Witch Salt which forms a barrier against Hag Magic and causes them harm on contact. And Copper Nails which can be used to harm hags.

Night Hags

Bring on the fall of night in Hell. Day breaks comes with the heart cry of a wren.

Black Anisses

A pair of them may open a gate between planes. They impregnate others with their offspring. They have blue, steel hard skin. Makes 8 pt leather (1 pt of DR).

Sea Hags

Gaze of Death

Witches

Those that follow the ways of Witchcraft, frequently Wiccan Mages. Can Curse, their Greater Curses are unresistable to those who are Death Aspected. Can sometimes be identified by those who have Witchsight.

Immortals

Abyss

Miss Faversham, The Lady of the Abyss, only mad every other decade. To be avoided as she just started a bad decade.

Demon Prince

Damien, The Prince of Demons. Resident within the Abyss, one of the more powerful immortals and usually one of the good guys. Currently returning from death in the outer realms.

Dream Weaver

Morphia, The Weaver of Dreams. Introduced by Damien, will make us Robes of Woven Dreams if we can pay for them.

Hands

Skeme, The Master of Hands - bad!

Intrigue

Wu Hsin, The Lord of Intrigues. Nothing is every simple when he is involved. Observed to be working with Patterns, sent the Balrog.

Mark

Mark, Death's Champion. Will usually kill Demon Worshippers on sight. His mount travels twice as far with every step. Met in his home, last seen heading to Hell to hunt Grimes.

Mirrors

Vanity, The Lady of Mirrors. Introduced by Damien, provided us transport from Bunker 7 to 1 on Malcouth.

Pathways

Terry the Transvestite Street, The Lord of Paths. usually manifests as a street, his shop fronts feature men in leather toting weapons and feather boas. Terry can travel to anywhere there is path in one day.

Patterns

Serifan, The Lord of Patterns. Cares about the fate of mortals as a whole, not so much for individuals. Observed to be working with Intrigue, sent the Balrog.

Riddles

Domino, The Master of Riddles. Has a hidden tower in the city of seven walls.

Serpents

Set, The Lord of Serpents, a really nasty piece of work. May be allied in seeking the artefact, has been hanging around but hasn't yet showed his hand.

Similarities

Grimes, The Lord of Similarities, the troublesome new neighbour.

Other

Jade Rain

Jade Rain is a Seer, she resides in The Abyss.

Homeless

Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake A Demon of the Abyss - became powerful when he absorbed several magical artefacts after a fight between immortals and some Calamar.

Psionic Orchid

Sentient plant. Is able to Mental Attack and Bind Will. Knocks out, binds, then feeds on walking fertiliser. Weighs about 55 lbs in its pot.

Elemental Lords

Chantril

Was captured by a Horror from the Outer Planes, bound and used until rescued by us.

Dragons

Nightwing

A Great Dragon

Iron Dragon

Iron Dragons are 25' long in the body with a 25' long tail. Rather than fly, they swing with their wings. They may shape-change into a train engine (self-powered cart travels on tracks) or a jet (fast flying machine). They work for the Lord of Iron, 2 of them presumably on loan to Similarities. Breath Weapon destroys solid matter, especially metal, the back wash of this destruction is extremely harmful to the living.

Horrors

Worm-Skeletons
Skeletons crawling with worms, a sight to cause insanity. Minions of The Bed.
The Bed
Insanely horrific, wire-frame bed-sized thing of precious metals, causes pain, exploits relationships, some control of metal, captured and used Chantril.
Brood Mother
Giant Alien Insectoid, imprisoned and used by Similarities to breed with Abyss Demons to create horrific hybrids. Heavily armoured exoskeleton, fast, acid for blood...
Demon-Horror Hybrids
Offspring of the brood mother created by Similarities and held frozen in his house. Annihilated by the Strange Elemental, may result in the Annihilation of all of this type (if there are others elsewhere).

Other Info

Alchemy

Great Gems

Great Ruby

May be made once at no Experience cost by rank 10 Alchemists. After that, each one costs 17,000 Experience to create.

  • As an Amulet it provides a Maze-like defence to fortifications.
  • As a pommel stone on a sword, grants the sword wielder an extra melee attack.
  • If fed to a mount it will increase its sentience or magical ability.

Great Emerald

Great Sapphire

Prime Metal

A metal of crimson hue. Known to release prodigious amounts of energy when exposed to acids.

Mills

Anything placed within a Mill will turn into whatever it is a mill of. E.g. Anything placed in the Mill of White will turn White. Anything placed in the Mill of Chaos will turn into chaos.

A Mill of Chaos in the form of a windmill is outside Damien's House in the Abyss.

Springs

Springs are immovable, a natural occurrence, they are a source of something.

Trumps

Cards that represent people or places so well they have a connection to them. Can be used for locating.

Wells

Each is attuned to something specific, if you put your life blood (EN) into a Well it will produce for you.

They are movable and considered valuable, most will be kept well guarded within a house.

Well of Black
Well of Trumps

Strange vs Charm

Charm opposes Strange, neither entirely fits with 'normal' reality, they appear to come from somewhere else.

They have 'spin' relative to our reality, Strange having spin that is multiples of 1, Charm having spin that is fractions of 1.

A Strange Elemental had an annihilation ability, things it annihilated were completely removed from existence. If it annihilated enough of something (e.g. Iron) then all of that something would fade from existence.

Report from the Void

Based on Serendipity's experience in the void and philosophical discussion afterwards.

The Void is a place where 'substance without form' abounds. This stuff is, not to put too fine a point on it, the material from which Dark Spheres are made, although unless it is contained in 'form without substance', it will simply pour out over creation and destroy an equal volume of material before fading away.

The Void sits in a cup. Well, it doesn't, really, but it sometimes helps to think about it that way. On the surface of the Void, like the meniscus of a fluid, lies darkness. There are 'things' below this meniscus (i.e. in the Void). Things is, perhaps, too strong a word, since they have no certain existence. Instead, they have a kind of probabilistic existence. This means that sometimes they exist and sometimes they don't.

In 'the real world', saying something exists at some degree of probability is equal to saying that there is a chance that the thing never exists. However, in the Void, that mathematical rule is suspended. These things still exists probabilistically, but there is no chance of them *never* existing.

This probability is called 'spin'. Strange has a spin of 2, Charm has a spin of 1/2. Charm binds things that are close together, Strange 'estranges' things that are close together. In other words, it will create an insubstantial barrier between near things so that they cannot touch.

Strange and Charm are the second generation of opposite 'things'. There is a third generation, as well.

Charm and Strange occasionally instantiate themselves above the void and the darkness, but there is no chance that they will ever exist for very long, even though mathematically there is a chance that their existence will continue at length, however small that chance is.

Now, if Charm and Strange combine, or twine, in the right way, and it is above the void, light is generated. The light can be divided from the darkness, and called Day, and the darkness can be called Night. Because, in the Void, Charm and Strange always have a chance of spawning, Day always has a chance of coming into existence. Because, in the real world, Charm and Strange cannot exist eternally, Day has a finite period. Since Night only exists when it is darkness divided from light, it, too, has a finite period.

Nyx is a primordial entity, often associated with the night, although usually some night that precedes the real world. By some unknown process, Nyx brings forth Eros, which is desire or want or will or attraction, on the one hand, and Eris, which is discord or denial or rejection.

Seren's experience in the Void leads us to believe that there is a relationship between (Eros and Charm) and (Eris and Strange).

Treasure & Valuation

Treasure Distribution

Item # Weight Br Da Er Gr Pe Sa Se Mo
Contagious Anti-Venom Potion 8 ¼ lb 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Healing Potion 25 ¼ lb 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3
Force of Will Charm 1 ¼ lb 1
Last Stand Charm 1 ¼ lb 1
Black Iron Grenado 4 2 lbs 1 1 1 1
Cobalt Chaos Grenado 19 2 lbs 3 3 3 4 3 3
Red Iron Grenado 6 2 lbs 1 1 1 1 1 1
Restoration Potion 12 ½ lb 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1
Ring of Jackals 1 ¼ lb 1
The Narcissus Locket 1 2 oz 1
The Eye of Azure Flames 1 ¼ lb 1
Phylactery of Stagger 1 ¼ lb 1
Phylactery of Shatterwill 1 ¼ lb 1
Phylactery of Speed 1 ¼ lb 1
Phylactery of Luck 1 ¼ lb 1
Thurible of the Flames 1 4 lbs 1
The Souldark Staff 1 10 lbs 1
Bladed Lance 2 7 lbs 1 1
Rood Awakening 1 5 lbs 1
Ring of Spell Deflection 1 2 oz 1
Improved Ring of Protection 2 2 oz 1 1
Ring of Regeneration 1 2 oz 1
Ring of Sustenance 1 2 oz 1
Ring of Liberation 1 2 oz 1
Ring of Ice 1 2 oz 1
Ring of Keeping 1 2 oz 1
Brooch of Shielding 1 2 oz 1
Potion of Diminuition 1 ½ lb 1
Wand of Angry Bees 4 1 lb 1 1 1
Wand of Mana Sense 1 ½ lb 1
Ice Cube 16 ¼ lb 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Suspension of Fire onto Water 12 ¼ lb 1 1 6 1 1 1 1
Waters of Vision Potion 1 ¼ lb 1
Firearmour Potion 1 ¼ lb 1
Treeform Potion 1 ¼ lb 1
Blade Venom 1 ¼ lb 1
Water Breathing Potion 1 ¼ lb 1
Rod of Absorption 1 4 lbs 1
David's Sling 1 1 lb 1
Shield Boss of Bronze 1 1 lb 1
Sword of Sharpness 1 2 lbs 1
Frost Spear 1 7 lbs 1
Pattern of a Namer's Bracer 1 1 ½ lb 1
Faerie Chain Mail 1 1 lb
Agate Amulet 1 ¼ lb 1
Formula of Creating a Great Emerald 1 - 1
Black Knight 1 1
Whitefire Scroll & Blackfire Ink 1
Philtre of Persuasiveness 1 1
Wall Walking Unguent 1 1
Rod of Charm 1 1
Annis Skin Armour 1 1
White Doppelgänger Coats (5AP Cloth) 5 1
Robe of Woven Dreams 1 1
Lesser Ring of Serpents 1 1
The Ouroboros Bracelet 1 1
Spell Anchor: Darkness 1
Belt of the Calamari 1
Serpent's Tooth 1 10 oz 1
Skull Flail 1
Blade Venom of the Spider 1
Tincture of Aconite and Passionflower 36 4 4 4 12 4 4 4
Elixir of Youth
Portable Athanor 1
 
 
 
Alchemical Essence
Fire 25 (-6)
Darkness 55 (-9)
Bone 31
Worm 30 (-7)
Metal 50
Ice 80 (each ice cube contains 5 Ice)
Iron 64
Undivined items
Salvage
50,000sp, 30,000sp in various currencies, 450,560sp in various bullion.
Available for purchase in the City of Brass
Stones of Actorios - Bind an Abyss Demon to it by its name
Resist Temperature Potion - reduce fire/cold damage by 15 for 8 hours
Pentecost Potion - Speak and learn unknown languages by immersion for a season - 10,000sp
Plover Stone - May invest Invisibility into it for free - 5,000sp
Blank Phylactory - Invest a spell into it at 5 times normal investment cost, may be triggered daily - 10,000sp


Damien, and of course Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake, are happy to trade with you, if you make it worth their while. So, it may be that you have some stuff you'd be happy to trade for their services.

Some stuff Damien can do
Bind an Abysmal demon to a weapon - for those that are keen on weaponry with an opinion.
Bind an Abysmal demon to armour - for those that are keen on armour with an opinion.
Bind an Abysmal demon to another's service.

Experience Awards

Braegon Dalran Eric Grendel Pent Sabrina Serendipity
65,700 62,775 60,075 56,610 61,267.5 68,040 62,707.5
After racial tax:
65,700 62,775 54,613.64 56,610 56,697.73 52,256.25 47,006.25
After the Loot Auction:
76,175 60,150 59,688.64 56,010 50,122.5 46,431.25 52,081.25
Income (less expenditures):
55,795 50,797 56,175 52,079 54,015 53,675 53,775

The party returns from adventure on or about the 17th of Heat, 811. Everyone can advance Talents 4 Ranks and 1 Rank in Flying without requiring any training time. Pent, Dalran and Sabrina can advance their Rank in Stealth by 1 Rank without requiring any training time. Serendipity can advance her Rank in Climbing by 1 Rank without requiring any training time.
Braegon earns 5,000 Experience for his Scribe notes.
They have had sufficient time to train for 1 year and 8 days.
After forensic divination by the Guild Namers, it seems that Medeanite sorceresses may be able to see through Dalran's golden eye, particularly when he has cast Wizard's Face.

Treasure Awards

Braegon's Treasure

Dalran's Treasure

Eric's Treasure

Grendel's Treasure

Pent's Treasure

Sabrina's Treasure

Serendipity's Treasure

Calendar

Summer 811wk: Meadow
Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
Beltane

Full Moon

1 Guild Meeting 2 Hell - Foras 3 Flying to 7 Walls 4 Flying ... 5 7 Walls, Silken Bazaar, Riddle Tower 6 Walking to Brass, Balrog from Intrigues & Patterns
7 Healing, Divining, skinning Balrog, night falls 10 Walking through Hell...
14 still walking... 16 Daylight, desert, Brass 17 City of Brass 18 Walking the Underpath from Brass to Apocalypse Cafe... 20 Worm-Skeleton Horrors, Abyss, Jade Rain, Moonlight.., Damien
21 The Last Year again under the Century Tree and 3 days in the Abyss.

Damien, Morphia, Vanity

24 Crossing Abyss, Astral, Cenotaph, Mark, Bunker 1,

Sims' House: Witches, Hags,
Exploring: Doppelgänger, Horrors, Trumps, Dragons.
Exit, stairs, cafe, Paths.

26 Arrive in Sura. Resurrect Dalran. 27 Divination, Healing, Alchemy, Opening Brass Scroll..
28 Full Moon

..Sura..

29 Paths departs Sura 30 ..Sura..

Depart evening of 3rd for night flight to Karthri

4 Karthri
Summer 811wk: Heat
Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
5 Karthri, getting Tinctures 10 Fly to Ruins, fortify 11
12 Medeanite Sorceress 13 14 Midsummer Eve (Faerie Day). 15 Solstice. Phoenix 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 Full Moon 27 28 29 30
Summer 811wk: Breeze
Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
1   2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30