Mislaid Offspring
Return to Scribe notes
Summary
GAME-DETAILS: Wednesday night at Stephen Martin's (New Windsor/Avondale) starting on the 12th, finishing 22nd May. 6:30-10:30pm.
Opposed Rolling system; Level will be more than medium, but less than God-Bothering (if the world is actually ending, who wants them bothered).
PARTY:
- WordSmith (Errol Cavit), trusted hero of Westcapital, Dwarf (m) P.L.
- Kit (Andrew Withy), the chaotic inquisitor, Human (m) - usually
- Aryan (Stephen Martin), Legendary
Smith-Armourer-Warrior-Sailor-King-LoverHero!, Human (m) M.S. Scribe - Veor (Bernard Hoggins), The Ice (& Rune) Mage Cometh..., Human (f - currently) 6' PB 13
- Mebh (Julia), The Air-Bourne Warrior, Human (f) 5'4" PB 21
- Bleyze (Craig), The Fire Mage, Elf (m)
THE REAL MISSION: Alfred of Hy-Brasil, a Dwarf, has won the contract to save the world. Unfortunately, the only way he can afford to succeed is with foreign labour: i.e., you lot. Fortunately the World in Question* is only the Plane of Purple. Someone/thing plans to destroy the Global Ocean-Level Equalising Mechanism. The humongous Rock due to fall out of the sky in a few weeks is possibly a diversion.
* To Be or Not To Be, that is the Question.
THE COVER: Alfred has arranged a "cover mission", since the presence of Seagate guild-members on Purple is usually a source of interest, even alarm, to Purpurians. If you succeed on the cover mission, you may keep at least 75% of its loot. The Parliament of Houses, in the "West Capital" of the Dragonfolk-controlled territory, has posted a reward for a couple of Missing Offspring, presumed stolen for a hideous Fane ritual. Obviously Dwarves &/or "Hobbits" are preferred, but other people-like creatures (even humans & elves) are good too, especially if they're not afraid of heights or not driven insane by them.
No necromancers, demon-worshippers, lizard-men, Undead, Atrocities, or Destinians.
PAYMENT, HEALTH & SAFETY, etc:
- Upfront, for the attempt, a small cup of rubies.
- Upfront, a "Red-Button music box" ... useful should the party need to Blip to a mostly-safe alternate Plane of Existence for a few days if they need to recuperate, prepare, interrogate a witness, whatever. Should work at least twice, but it is Elvish magic, and will leave behind all items containing ANY nonorganic iron ... even non-cold-iron such as most magical weapons, silvered armour, etc). Currently will take us to Aquatica, land to land, sea to sea, air to air.
- Upfront, a variety of useful non-Iron items, including smithed weapons & armour ...some of which you may keep, the rest will purchasable at a dwarvenly generous discount.
- If you succeed, Master-level training in a skill** [provided you've previously done the requisite master-work], OR being taught a college of Magic, OR being taught a special spell, ritual, & talent.
- The Dragonfolk will provide you Royal Warrants, permitting you to seize any & all relevant criminals' possessions that you believe to be the profits or tools of The Stated Crime (including supporting, subsequent, or ancillary crimes). Should the crimes be judicially proven, you may keep all such possessions (less administrative costs); but you will be fined for improperly seized goods.
** While stocks last: substitution (of lesser or equal value) permissible.
Astrology & other pre-adventure advice
Several astrology readings, narrow & specific, have been attempted. However, perhaps because the End of the World affects the fate of too many, most have failed or given dubious gibbering. Alfred says a Priest of Hyperion has, unofficially, indicate this is the best of a bad bunch:
"The Joint is out of Time, Oh spiteful Curse,
That ever She was hatch'd to make it worse."
No.2 on the list is:
"Die di-die di-die di-die, di-die di-die di-die di-die,
di-die di-die di-die di-die do-Dooooooooooom."
[the lyrics weren't helpful, but the tune was fairly catchy]
Seagate Times
Purple under the Hammer!
Millennia ago in the time of The Titans, the Chronosite Warriors were the greatest of all mortal warriors, their artefacts of war crafted by the greatest of Titans, their enemies most foul. The greatest weapon in their arsenal was the Hammer of Chronos, powerful enough to level continents or shatter the moon. The key to the Hammer was lost with the last of the Chronosites as they stood side by side with The Fane in battle against foul creatures of darkness to save the plane of Purple.
Time passed, the Chronosites faded into legend, the Titans withdrew, the Fane fought each other and any others they could get their claws into, the land changed, the moon was shattered, the seas rose. A great human adventurer and archaeologist, Major Parus, met one day with a new partner, a Dwarf learned in ancient lore, named Jack. Together they searched the lonely isles and eventually found the site of an ancient battle. Weeks they spent retrieving the ancient artefacts and carefully loading them on their ship until the fateful day they loaded one of the last artefacts and the ship was seized by powerful magic and dragged to the north towards the Fane lands. Most of the crew abandoned ship, preferring almost certain death over falling into the hands of the Fane, Major Parus and Jack stayed strong.
Far to the north the great ship Beaver Stock beached in a swamp, it's hull broken, never to sail again. The lizard minions of the Fane swarmed the decks, removed the precious cargo and dragged Major Parus off for brutal interrogation.
The Fane and their Naga minions used the knowledge gleaned from Jack to trigger the key and summon the Hammer of Chronos to remind the Humans of their unpaid racial debt to the Great Fane. Major Parus was sent home with a geas-bound mission to steal two Dragon eggs and deliver them to the expected strike zone of the Hammer.
As the Hammer moved, the portents of doom were clear in the skies, the wise Dwarves of HyBrasil sent for heroes from Alusia.
Thrice around the world and back the heroes quested, searching for the Dragon eggs, the thieves that stole them and uncovering the clues of who was behind it all. Much did they discover, the Fane it seems are not all the same, in the south the Fane are chaotic and evil, fighting each other and seeking conquest, to the north are the Great Fane, ancient powerful and lawful, in the distant past they raised the Purple Humans to sentience and the Humans agreed to honour and serve them to repay the debt. But over the thousands of generations, the Humans forgot and the wrath of the Gr. Fane grew. The heroes sought to appease the Gr Fane and arranged for the humans to acknowledge and meet their racial debt.
The Hammer intended as punitive was misjudged, instead it would bring destruction and possibly an end to all life. The heroes led a desperate mission out to the aether to meet the star rock in the celestial arena and change it's path. The Lesser Fane misled to believe this was all a plot by the Great Fane to destroy them sent their own heroes, lords of whim numbering four with their minions foul.
On the Hammer of Chronos, beneath the stars, they met in battle and carnage ensued. Concerned for their mission, the Fane called for truce and the heroes found how the Fane had been misled, a truce established the great mission to save the world was completed but the shadowy manipulator who orchestrated so much destruction had succeeded in her mission. Under the cover of battle the master biolurgen, had stolen the great artefact she sought and made her escape. Aggrieved we were but we knew justice would find her in her future for it already had in our past.
Scribe Notes
Fifty Shades of Purple
It's a good start to a mission when the employer insists on meeting in a private garden attached to the pub and the ale is flowing freely.
Alfred talks us through the situation which all sounds very complicated but that's what we have mages for, and gives us a brief overview of local politics and history which is even more complicated. We go through introductions, complete the paperwork, finish another round then head our separate ways for essential preparations, enchantments and other ways of getting lucky. We lead Alfred's ship and fly down to Slippery Rock to cast spells and buy potions then he leads us through a portal to his Island of Warehouses on Purple.
A nice spot, industrious Dwarves, large buildings and docks, a few ships - some of them even floating in the water. As we need to approach the West Capital in an apparently normal sailing ship, Alfred moves his flag to an appropriately prepared ship and we fly north.
- W'ansday 2nd Fruit
About 20 miles out, Kit and I stop and wait with my ship while Alfred sails the others into the area affected by the lighthouse. We keep in touch using a bit of Talking Glass that Alfred loans us.
Wordsmith is welcomed as a hero (having helped free the Titan Tethys, and defended West Capital in Spring 811), and and leads the local investigation. Not much we can learn that the Dragons haven't already checked, essentially a perfect heist and we can only think of a couple of ways we might be able to do it with no clear indication of how or even who did do it. The locals suspect the neighbouring demi-devil-gods, they're the obvious culprits. We wonder about the merchants from the southern-continent-refugee-human-federation who were there in the week before the theft.
I exercise my natural gifts at prophecy and the crystal ball to scry where we'll find the eggs, it reveals an Elf in dark clothing against a white background before he becomes shrouded by mist. So obviously one of the local Elves has them in the Icy Wastes to the south, or the new icy wastes to the north that we're supposed to investigate anyway, or somewhere with no ice at all but just a lot of white, or maybe just some mist like Kit might make to cover our approach which could be anywhere, or the mists could represent their scry guards which I briefly pierced, or it might not be an Elf at all, that could be a trick.
The others finish their investigating and feasting and sail back out to join us after sunset so we can decide where to start. Discretely invading the evil neighbours could be a good start, it might not help but it's a good excuse. Veor wants to check out the ice. We could try to find who's responsible for the rock that's due next month, that could be related. or track down those merchants to see what they know. Wordsmith suggests visiting the local Titan they saved when he was last here which sounds good to me, apparently she's a watery babe.
Beauty, Wind and Ice
Once the others return from the island, we rest the night with the ships rafted up 20 miles off shore.
- Th'rsday 3rd Fruit
Flying in to Tethys Island we drop down to skim the waves for the final approach. Following instructions we toss snacks to the flying sharks and squid to keep them happy. Past the outer reef we float over a shallow coral garden that Wordsmith tells us is recent development, leaving him flying I dive in as a Dolphin to explore and appreciate the garden, Kit joins me a moment later as a Porpoise. All good fun until we get to the shore and I have to carry Kit for a while as he can't cast a counterspell with fins.
Hobbits escort us in and serve an early lunch (or 3rd breakfast) to Tethys and us as we talk. Tethys doesn't know who stole the eggs or who has them but she can expand on my vision and tell us we're likely to find them near the southern ice. The northern ice is news to her, she teleports off to check it out and tells us it is only small chunks so far but there shouldn't be any.
We chat for a while longer then decide to go checkout the ice where it is covering the southern continent. Tethys teleports us and the ship down to the south-east coast near the ice, arriving late afternoon local time. She recommends a good dining establishment in one of the local towns and then leaves us.
The winds down here are steady strong northerlies at lower altitudes and southerlies at high altitudes, Mebh uses her Tethys enhances mage wind to assist our flight into the prevailing wind as we cruise down to the edge of the ice then start flying west along the edge. I use some new goggles the Hobbits left for me which lets me see the wind currents.
Flying ships from the Refugee-Humans are harvesting large chunks of ice from lower altitudes of the wall.
While we're cruising Mebh does a ritual to chat with the winds, I see them pay attention to us and start tearing apart our mage wind which is muffling the conversation, I grab Mebh and leap out of the mage wind then she casts flight before talking to the wind.
It runs out there is one wind, a world wind. It is curious enough to answer our questions, it is not aware of anyone on the ice but it was barely aware of us until we started chatting. We ask about caves or anything else different or interesting on the ice, bored of talking it decides to show us, whisking over the ice at high speed to a couple of shallow depressions then blinding, bruising speed and we're suddenly on the ice in a snow covered calm area.
We work out that we're at the south pole, 4-5,000 miles from the others. While here we look around but see nothing of interest and no sign of activity. Flying out of the calm area Mebh tries to talk the wind into giving us a lift back but it seems to have lost interest in us. Mebh casts flying on me and calls another mage wind then taking a northerly bearing based on the line of sunset we go ballistic for about 10 hours heading back to the others.
- Frysday 4th Fruit
Shortly before dawn (local time) we come down where we left the ship and trigger a ward telling us they continued west. We go ballistic for an hour west and hone in on the ship as we free fall down.
They've cruised about a third of way to the west coast, the top of the ice isn't flat around here, it varies depending on the terrain underneath. There were ice harvesting ships back where the land was lower but haven't seen anyone atop the ice. They saw a river running off the ice, we check out the next one we see but it turns out to be natural according to Veor but they do create little valleys that someone could use to get further into the ice without going too high.
I nap while we cruise on, woken when we're about half way and there appears to be a settlement near the base of the ice. We cruise down, land outside of the village and walk in. We're above the mad-altitude so this is probably a shorty settlement, it turns out to be an empty old Dwarven Camp - seriously old, 250,000 years or so, about when the Titans left. Poking around we find a central building that contains a working portal, Hobbit signs indicate safety to the north. After a bit of divination and poking around we go through it, heading north and find a similar old 'camp'.
We quickly explore, find out the portal room has some sort of magic that strips our spells, except Wordsmith's, decide not to linger and continue north through a few similar camps, jumping a couple of hundred miles each time.
Hobbits, Thieves and Pirates
We emerge from a room that is different, outside is a city rather than a village, and our magic is falling off. It turns out this is the city of Prometheus. Hobbit refugees from the Refugee-Human civilisation, ancient giant Golem-Spider-Guardians, 500 mile magic suppression zone - except for magic cast by Dwarves and other Titans. The Hobbits sometimes trade with the Lizard-folk to the north and keep in touch with the Hobbit network in the R.H. cities. Apart from Wordsmith's party that visited here 9 months ago, the last non-Hobbit visitor they had was an Elven woman, Madame Satuma (an alias of ...)
Some talk about the tower only Dwarves are allowed in, ancient and powerful magical devices, treasure, oppression of Hobbits, and our spells continue to fall off.
Kit talks to the Hobbits for a few minutes and soon all of them are volunteering to come to the human cities with us, we manage to convince Kit and them that we should only take three: Brabant, Marcel, and Esclaramonde.
Back through the portals to the first one and out to the ship. Re-cast the various spells then fly toward the port of Gleve where the merchants are most likely from and are returning to as it's the only sea port on this side and they're in a water-borne ship. Gleve is home port of Duke Sabrina.
Land after dark near a copse of trees that Kit adds a few more trees to to conceal the ship then we fly into town.
Tavern, fight, local crime-lord - Hardyman.
- Reapsday 5th Fruit
Piracy - arrgh.
Master-Captain Rick Dauntless - Air Mage. Ship: Highstep
Mtg Hardyman
Portal north to Guildhalls looking for Major Paras.
- Sunday 6th Fruit
Mtg with El Gordo
El Gordo spy killed by Chitin Armour Guard.
Rumble in the Banana Plantation
Not wanting to have the body attract attention we quickly pick up the carpet and move out. I come up with a cunning plan so we stroll back towards El Gordo's base while I explain and Kit gets into his role.
We loiter inconspicuously while Kit, disguised as the dead spy makes his way up to the manor house, clutching his wounded side. He bluffs his way in, is interrogated by one of El Gordo's lieutenants but manages to relay our fake story without telling a lie - perhaps we should have sent in a spy who can lie - but is sprung when they get suspicious and check him for charm or possession - which naturally comes up yes.
Kit calls for rescue then evades the guards and hides as an urn in the courtyard. Bleyze teleports us in with a blaze of fire and we engage in the rescue of Kit. A minute of violence later, we've cleared the courtyard and charge into the corridor blocked by our own wall of fire, escaping the lightning they were calling down from their summoned storm. We make our way through, breaking down defences and walls until we reach the private banana plantation in a glasshouse - the threat to the banana crop is too much and El Gordo calls on us to negotiate.
We agree to leave him along if he gives us the location of Major Parus. El Gordo sends his half-gorilla bodyguard to ensure we leave and show us the way.
Meeting with Parus, we quickly find out he is under a major geas not to talk about who hired him nor what they hired him to acquire. But we are cunning and manage to work out that during his 'adventuring' in the islands he sailed too near the Fane who summoned him in, allowed him to freely choose between geas-enforced service and death, then released him to perform the service. The rest of it about him hiring Hardyman we already know but confirm anyway. Parus' subtle interrogation techniques obviously work on us as we tell him everything that happened to Hardyman's crew and invite him to join us in tracking them down.
We take the portal back to Gleve and make our way to the ship, debating the best way to keep Parus sane when we fly.
Cruising to the North Pole
Wordsmith curses Parus into a Hobbit then after darkness covers our departure, we fly north.
- Moonday 7th Fruit
Around dawn, cruising at 40,000 feet, we crash into something and stop. We tumble a bit, the back deck of the ship breaks into a few pieces and falls, we are falling too but unnaturally slowly. Heading outside, it appears we're caught in an enormous net of solid air. I regain enough control to stabilise us a bit, poke the net, look around and see a metal ship flying up towards us. The net is slowly releasing us as the dimple our impact made 'springs' back into shape, so Mebh and I jump off to check their intentions. As I guessed, they're Hy-Brasil Dwarves, we chat briefly and arrange to talk further once we're all on the ground. Max sends one of her mechanicians - Titus to help free my ship and bring it down.
Max has the contract to deal with the rock, they created a magical net over the NC Federated Duchies and surrounds to catch it, we were in the wrong place at the wrong speed and mass. We tell her what we learned from Parus and hand him over for them to try to lift his doom and learn more about his Fane employer. Then I get some sleep while Titus and his crew check out the damage to my ship and with Kit's help start some repairs.
- Duesday 8th Fruit
We set out again after dinner, detouring about 10 hours west around the web before flying north another 8 hours towards the pole.
- W'ansday 9th Fruit
It seems we neglected to take into account Tethys' sense of scale when she reported 'just a few chunks of ice'. The new ice cap is a circle about 100 miles across, one edge at the pole and extending towards NC.
We approach carefully, DA, poke, prod, fly to the middle, summon elementals, the fly to the pole where I can scry the cap is being extended. The cap seems to be made up of a lot of icebergs joined together, spiralling out with a leaf or web like structure of thicker ice holding it together. Some portion of the magic is extra-planar as there are dead animals and fish from ___ (a neighbouring plane).
We don't find much in the middle except we can estimate the age and their growth rate from the age of animal corpses, they've been building this for weeks at a fairly fast rate.
At the pole we see new icebergs spring into existence but we don't see the bad-guys responsible so we start tinkering. Veor creates his/her own ice bergs and sculpts some of their's, Kit blows one up spectacularly. We get their attention and they send some sort of flying golden eye at us which then releases several Flashes of Light. I catch the golden eye, Kit responds with a bigger Flash, Wordsmith suppresses the eye with Disjunction and takes it into custody after it has blinded Kit and me. We detect someone acting through a portal from under water but they close it before we can close on them.
A Song of Ice and Order
Kit tries playing his harp to see if it will restore the natural order - it does change the ice, it makes it about 10 miles bigger and perfectly round.
We then sit back under an Illusory Terrain to see how the ice builders respond to our meddling.
A while later a couple of Dwarves step out of a portal and nervously call out greetings, we send Wordsmith to meet with them. They're low on the command chain and not able to tell us much, they're mainly here because they're more expendable than the more senior Dwarves who want to know if we're safe to talk to. Veor and Kit emerge to join Wordsmith. They chat for a while and the new Dwarves summon in food and drink, eventually they are summoned back, debriefed and then the important Dwarves come through so the rest of us emerge to meet with them.
These Dwarves follow the Titan Oceanus, they've never left and still live in their city in the deeps of the ocean. They forsee a bombardment of rocks that could cause damage to their city, while they could move it somewhere safer that's not their style. They are building a shield of ice to absorb the impact of direct strikes and deflect tsunamis. We tell them we're working for the Hyperion Dwarves and offer to make introductions - they decline, they'd prefer not to deal with their Hyperion kin and would prefer we didn't tell them of the Oceanus Dwarves.
They're certain the Fane are responsible for the inbound rocks, some of them have recently (in the past decade or so) acquired some sort of artefact or knowledge that lets them through rocks a long way which they have been using to launch from their side of the channel (east of the NC) to the other. They believe the Fane have now graduated to bigger rocks capable of enough destruction to create a land bridge over the channel.
Eventually we establish enough trust that they invite us to their city to discuss matters and negotiate in a more comfortable setting.
The city is vast with huge towers connected by sealed tubes, they don't go out into the ocean much.
We agree that Kit will help them with the harp but in a more directed fashion, we work with Dwarven Mechanicians and Philosophers to come up with a design for Kit to work towards.
- Th'rsday 10th Fruit
Plotting and planning...
- Frysday 11th Fruit
Kit starts playing his Harp at dawn and continues until a few minutes before the next dawn. When he has finished the ice is a magnificent structure that resembles a crescent moon, and the prow of a ship, and a shield.
- Reapsday 12th Fruit
We fly south about 10 hours then east about 10 hours around the sky net to Max to see how they got on with Parus.
- Sunday 13th Fruit
He can now fill in the blanks, he and his Dwarven colleague found and dug up the site of an old battle between Fane and Elven-Human Federation. After they had loaded most of the loot the ship suddenly started moving towards the Fane lands.
They were captured and questioned on arrival, he hasn't seen his Dwarven colleague since then. And the rest we know - he was dispatched to get the eggs and deliver them to the NC.
We decide to track down Lady Variola and the eggs to try to work out how they're tied into the rocks - targets, sacrifices, or completely unrelated. Flying about 8 hours to the (Refugee) Federal Capitol, we land openly and take lodgings. Then we discretely make our way by portal to meet with some of Parus' contacts to get in touch with Variola.
- Moonday 14th Fruit
Messages and meetings all take time but we eventually find out she is away but expected at her home in Gleve where we may await her.
- Duesday 15th Fruit
We portal to Gleve and make our way to her house where we are welcomed by the seneschal. We pry and spy as much as we can but are unable to learn more than the official story that she is due soon - which is an Elven soon and could be after the equinox. I try talking to one of Variola's Aede guards in case they can communicate with her, passing on a message she should understand without giving anything too confidential away to anyone else who hears it.
We walk around and out of town, a storm has come up which makes the cliff top path fun. A ship was due today but is not in sight.
Delivering Dragon Eggs
A reading indicates that we won't see Lady Variola until after the sun rises in the south. We decide not to wait.
- W'ansday 16th Fruit
Leaving early we fly from the Federation Capital, about 7 hours to the Island Parus was looting before his ship was taken. We spend the afternoon digging around ourselves, find a magical shield and the body of a Dwarf (about 250k years dead and only recently dead), some warping of magic, time, and the world which was presumably part of a battle field defence and has kept the body preserved. Interesting tattoos and symbols on the Dwarf which we make note of.
We find other irregularities which we later piece together with infor from White Snake to indicate that the (Chronos Warrior) Dwarves and Fane Minions were working together to battle something else - Dark Powers. Demons? Necromancer minions? Horrors?
- W'ansday 16th - Frysday 18th Fruit
We fly low and slow below the sky net to Triere where the eggs were to be delivered to.
- Reapsday 19th - Duesday 22nd Fruit
We create fake Dragon eggs with Bleyze and Wordsmith inside them, assist Parus in delivering them to his contact then wait and watch. After a couple of days they are loaded in wagons and transported east about 28 miles to an arid, barren plane, placed precisely then left. We wait and watch the rest of the day, then break them out, DA and divine. Nothing too special we can see about the area apart from it being isolated.
- W'ansday 23rd - Th'rsday 24th Fruit
We load up and fly south to meet up with 'Max' to see if the location means much to them.
The last berth of the Beaver Stock
We decide to continue on Parus trail to find where his ship ended up, see what's left of it and where the artefacts and jack went.
- Frysday 25th - Duesday 29th Fruit
Cruising up the middle of the channel between the Fane and Elven lands at sea level, we take turns scouting closer to the Fane lands on Air Flight. On the 28th we see a very tall thin tower that Parus recalls passing, the following day we find the bay where we think his ship ended up and prepare to investigate.
- W'ansday 30th Fruit
We stash the air ship in shallows about 10 miles off shore then fly in cautiously. We find the remains of the ship in a swamp, it has been thoroughly looted and a tail leads inland. We follow the trail, landing to rest in a large pond, it seems the pond is not big enough to isolate us from the Fane influence, Mebh and Kit are most sensitive to it. Taking to the air again we fly on but spot some Lizards scouting the area, obviously looking for us. We manage to avoid any fatal misunderstandings and move on but are soon attacked by a huge Air Elemental, we fight and the Elemental is eventually slain - we're hoping it doesn't count as a Fane minion. It seems it was a test as we are being watched by a Naga Fane-minion, we decide to try talking and send in Kit. Negotiations go well enough and eventually we're all talking with Herself (Odile) and her Naga (captains/aides/ministers).
The Northern Fane are the Great Fane and quite different from those lesser Fane in the south. The Great Fane are more about Order and Law than the lesser, each has their own area and interests but they occasionally work together. Jack has been helping them with architecture and summoning the Hammer of Chronos, they wish to be more firm in notifying the humans that they are unhappy about their oath-breaking and the hammer was convenient. It seems that around 200k years ago a small group of Humans was raised to full sentience by the Great Fane, these Humans negotiated for the rest of their race to be raised up too. But either the Human side of the deal was not passed on or was lost in the following thousands of generations and the Great Fane have been gradually loosing patience. We ask if we can inform the humans of their dereliction and what they could do to make it right, we are given permission and referred to the Elves - "they know".
We then try pushing our luck with getting Jack and are given permission to visit him to the south where he is working with another Great Fane (Kaspar) but we may not take him unless he is willing. A land-less Gr Fane (White Snake) will take us there tomorrow.
Odile departs and the Naga show us to an 'Inn' in a nearby town that we may spend the night at. The Inn is a relatively flash building but the standard is low. Most buildings are either simple houses built by the lizards or larger buildings created by amateur whim.
Tower of Chronos
- Th'rsday 1st Harvest
White Snake is interested in and studies the mortal races, she is quite accomplished and can even identify genders and usually differentiate between Humans and Elves. We talk carefully as we walk with her while the land around us moves by quickly and stop to camp overnight before we enter Kaspar's territory. We learn a bit about the Fane and try not to give away anything that could lead to genocide.
- Frysday 2nd Harvest
We arrive at the town near the Tower we saw from the sea, Kaspar meets with us but soon gets bored and goes to hunt. We talk with jack and check out the tower.
The mottled (special) egg cannot be harmed from the outside, especially when it is in the company of the other egg. The plan is to use it near ground zero of the Hammer strike to ricochet the hammer sideways into the mountains to maximise the splash of land into the channel to create and land bridge from Fane lands. A one-use item was used to call the Hammer a few thousand miles east of the Tower to arrive in 65 days and if the Jack-led Naga calculations are correct then it should strike from the west about where the eggs were placed. It seems a bit of a gamble even to us but Jack says that even if they're out a bit, no great harm. A huge crater and some fall out in the middle of the NC or maybe at the original summoning site east of them.
The tower is about 500' x high 30' wide and structurally unsound, it has been standing for over 250k years. Inside is not Fane territory and the mana is limited, slowly seeping in through the door at the bottom. It wasn't Titan made but is devoted to one of them. Wordsmith guesses they used Cavorite in the construction somehow. We play with the tower, sing, commune with Chronos to no avail but we do find out that magic cast from within the tower has triple duration - we use up most of the mana finding this out.
We're suspicious about the Hammer plan, we can't detect Jack lying but... We discuss this within the tower then decide to leave while we're free to do so and before any of our suspicions are leaked to the Naga. We race to the nearest coast by Fireflight then Kit and I race ahead to retrieve the ship and meet the others en route.
- Reapsday 3rd Harvest
Fly north to the pole (possibly fulfilling the criteria for the sun to rise south of us) then south to the north-western end of the Elven Federation to discuss the human debt with the Elves.
- Sunday 4th Harvest
Dropping Alecto's name, we get in to see Lady Fel fairly quickly and explain the situation. She will arrange for the Humans to send a delegation to the Great Fane.
Calving out a Duchy
- Moonday 5th Harvest
We fly south to (SC) Federation Capital then portal to Gleve. There we hear stories of a great light from the south like a sunrise before dawn. Variola is not at her estate so we head out of town, cast flight and head for the ice.
A couple of hours flight brings us to the area the light came from, the land is flooded, heavy cloud and mist everywhere. We investigate and find that a vast amount of ice has been melted by top rank Weather Control and we soon find a chain of Weather Controls melting the ice in a SSW line, we follow this for a while then packing up half the party, go ballistic to try to get to the head of the melt. It takes us a couple of hops and most of the night before we get ahead of the melt line and land on the ice to meet them.
- Duesday 6th Harvest
A flying ship, white dragon with mounted Hobbits and flying monkeys approach. We wave peacefully while being prepared for a full on fight. They land and talk and we at last meet with Lady Variola.
We explain most of what's going on, specifically the bits about the hammer and needing the eggs to save the world. She agrees to help, provided the eggs are willing. She also wants to check we're legit with her contacts in HyBrasil, we give her a message to pass on for Alfred and 'Max' and settle in to rest and wait.
A few hours later a couple of ships arrive, Alfred and 'Max'. They have experts on celestial mechanics and philosophy who think that bouncing the hammer off the eggs will never work. We discuss alternatives and settle on the plan to fly up to meet the hammer with all the Cavorite we can. Max and Alfred leave to organise ships and Cavorite, we talk with the Okeanopolis Dwarves via conch shell then head there to borrow their huge portal which we can use to ship the Cavorite.
The Star Rock
- W'ansday 7th - Frysday 9th Harvest
Expedition preparation, fly north to borrow the portal and meet back at HyBrasil. A dozen or so Dwarven ships fly up, some of them almost pure Cavorite to be dismantled at the rock.
As we approach the Dwarves report it's a small rock, only a couple of miles across and round. Our ship swings in close enough for us to leap out wearing Dwarven aether survival suits and scout around.
There's a bit of air in close but we're weighed down like we're under the effect of Dwarf Star. The Dwarves come down, start releasing some of the bound air they bought until we don't need the suits any more then Kit starts tiling the rock with Cavorite while we scout, divine, and keep watch.
- Reapsday 10th - W'ansday 14th Harvest
We're about a day into it when the Dwarves raise the alert and siege missiles start landing near us and expanding into trees and shrubs. We destroy most with fire and ice but the plants are struggling as they can't set down roots in the rock. While they're not making any progress, neither are we so we decide to take the fight to whoever is launching these. The Dwarves estimate they're about 2 miles around the rock.
Most of the party approaches directly while I wind walk around to hit them from behind, I pass a group of Spectre-like things taking apart some Dwarves but can't stop Windwalking to be effective. Shortly I'm at the launchers and land near one of the four biggish lizards that seem to be in charge and lay into him - and miss. It seems that 4 Fane came themselves, not what I was expecting, I strategically retreat before their whims become more fatal.
Meeting up with the others we approach together dealing to minions easily, then we encounter a couple of the Spectre-like things, unfortunately they not Spectres, not even undead, they're out of phase in time, fast, hard to pin down and hard to hurt. We manage a bit of damage to them then a Fane calls them off and warns us to leave. We warn them to leave because we're busy saving their world, they're here to save it too and were informed that we'd try to stop them. They don't have a plan and we do so they agree to give us two days to be effective before they take over.
We head back to Kit and the Dwarves, some of the enemy came close but were held off but it turns out that one of Kit's Dwarven bodyguards wasn't a Dwarf. She was an old enemy, who we'd encounter before in her future when she was known as the Ranniterran Mistress. In the fracas, she slipped Kit a feel-good potion and made off with his harp - which he had taken from her in his past, her future which is all very confusing. Later investigation reveals she was behind a lot of the recent troubles, also teaching the Fane new knowledge of Necromancy and Bioalteration. And it seem her goal was recovery of the harp.
Two days later it's confirmed that we've saved the world. The rock will now miss Purple but is still going too fast to catch into orbit but the Dwarves think they can keep it accessible.
World Saved!
- Th'rsday 15th - 21st Harvest
The Dwarves will leave a crew to continue guiding the rock for a while then gradually remove the Cavorite.
We head back to tie up loose ends and collect favours and payment.
Reference Info
Great Wood
Home of the Elvish empire: two islands off the NW of the Northern continent. Some powerful magic, but very sylvan-rural compared with the Glory of Alfheim.
Federation-Humans
The human civilisation near the Elves on the Northern continent, the "Federated Duchies", part of the de facto Elvish empire under the Queen of (the) Great Wood. Separate states ruled by Human, Elvish, or Fey rulers that have their own laws, customs, wild-hunts, etc ... but are united against the Fane and all subject to the justice/revenge of the Elvish Queen for any disputes between Duchies. Large tracts of wastelands, especially on the islands nearest to the Fane.
The Dragonfolk
The Elves, Humans and Hobbits to the SE that live with Dragons in West Capital. Popn 70% Human. They have a 'Lighthouse' which strips all (including permanent) Illusions within 10-15 miles.
Victims of the theft of the two Dragon Eggs. One of which is probably a girl (the mottled egg) and has great potential, probably a prodigy in Fire & Solar magic.
The eggery/hatching ground has a lot of protections. Anything not a Dragon that comes near gets hit by a lot of death-magic. (Egg-napping was possibly achieved by telekinesis or other movement magic by persons not physically on the ground, nor flying/hovering immediately over it)
Fane
West and north of the Dragonfolk are the Fane, powerful demi-devil-god types with worshippers who are happily sacrificed for power.
Mostly they bicker and fight each other but the Fane-Federation is a group of about 20 Fane that are working together. Recently tried to invade West Capital but were stopped by Wordsmith.
Obvious suspects in the theft, possibly too obvious.
The big rock is due to fall in territory controlled by bickering Fane to the north.
Black Orcs
Descendants of the Eric-Human half-breeds. Minions of the Necromancer and of the Drow.
Green Orcs
Descendants of the Eric-Drow half-breeds. Ruled by the Black Dryads. Recently stopped from invading Hy-Brasil.
The Necromancer
Big bad! Titan killer. Maintains plane-wide exclusivity over necromancy and undead.
Drow
Hy-Brasil Dwarves
Our employers. On the Western continent, atop their hidden mountain, NE of the Green Orcs. Follow Hyperion. Traders. Planar travellers and inter-planar traders. Flying ships using metal-cavorite. Advanced metal-work, Smithing, Mechanician.
Amalfi Dwarves
In the mountains west of the Green Orcs on the Western Continent.
Western-Humans
North of the Green Orcs on the Western Continent — settled by human colonists from the Human federation.
North Pole
The Midnight Ocean. Should be warm (not frozen), large chunks of ice starting to form - indication of something changing/going-wrong.
South Pole
1,000'+ deep ice cap about 5,000 mile radius. An 'island' was at the pole before being completely iced-up due to the flooding from the moon chunk impacting. Centre of the pole is an area of calm with settled snow, the rest of it has perpetual northerlies at ground level and southerlies at high altitude.
Southern Continent
Lizards
Control the north east region of SC. Killed their Fane. Independent. Trade with Hobbits at Prometheus.
Refugee-Humans
From the "Imperial Union of Duchies" on an alternative Purple occupying the equivalent of the Elvish Empire Federation, that in later centuries expanded to colonise other continents and, in the past few centuries, other planes.
They left their multi-plane empire shortly before it was destroyed and bought the central square mile of a few of their cities (some originally on their Purple, some from other planes - Aquatica, ...) with them.
The most advanced of the various human civilisations, portals between their cities, planar travel capabilities, and a history of being top of the food chain. Have taken over the southern continent and are making the most of the untapped natural resources that they fought with the Fane over and made use of on their version of Purple.
Ship: High Steppe
Merchant ship. Sailed from Gleve to West Capital, left after the egg theft to return to Gleve on 5th Fruit. Normal crew of 5-10.
- Captain Rick Dauntless
- Air mage.
Hardyman arranged for the following crew to join the ship to steal the egg, they all left the ship with Lady Variola.
- Replacement mate Sidney Carter
- Water mage
- 'Flash' Toby
- 'Bolter' Noah
- Billy Psycho (nicknamed 'Bulls-eye')
City: Gleve
Only sea port on the east coast. Home port of Duke Sabrina.
- Hardyman
Crime lord responsible for the docks - and probably more. Working for Major Parus, placed Sidney and co on high Steppe to steal dragon eggs.
City: Guild Halls
City north of Gleve.
- El Gordo
- Criminal gang-leader and rumoured assassin-master. Hiding/Protecting Major Parus.
Major Parus
Retired famous explorer who has recently returned from navigating and 'archelogizing' (looting) in his ship, The Beaverstock, unspecified locations in the Wilderness islands, some of which are 'close' (within 1000 miles) of the Northern populated Fane lands.
Hired Hardyman and egg-theft crew. Presumably working for someone else.
Lady Variola
Variola, the sister of Duke Xeno of Alsine (in Ranniterre). Presumably a Dragon, maybe a white/albino. Humanoid form is pale, stark contrast Xeno.
With Richard Rufus (her confessor), and a couple of chitin-armoured Aedes, left Gleve on board the High Steppe left the ship at Menhaden Island, a few hours sail south-west of West-Capital taking Carter and the 3 new hands.
Variola is politically unimportant Raniterre as inheritance never goes through the female line. And eccentric (all that do-goodery and Lady Bountifulness), not much respected by Raniterran nobles, but well-regarded by the (Purple SC) refugee cities & their populace, even the wealthy ones not needing charity.
- Falvivira, or possibly it's Flavivirus
- Variola's Chief of Security-slash-Spymaster is very dangerous - a shadowy humanoid of unspecified race & gender.
- Flavivirus commands a small cadre of Aedes (maybe 6 to 8 total). A couple are always close to Variola at all times (not necessarily why she's never invited to visit other Raniterran nobles); it's suspected other members of the cadre are occasionally sent on separate missions by Flavivira.
Prometheus
Old Dwarven city of the Titan Prometheus.
Titan world rule suppresses spells by non-Dwarves, 500 mile range. Most spells will expire their duration quickly (60x normal rate), high rank or permanent rituals are suppressed while in the area. Many talents don't work.
Inhabited by Hobbits escaping from the humans. Giant spider-golem guardians. Tower of Prometheus even the Hobbits aren't allowed in.
Portals can be used to travel from the city south through the Dwarven 'Camps' along spine of SC (and back north to the city).
- Brabant
- Military Scout
- Marcel
- Cook
- Esclaramonde
- Witch
Other Planes
Aquatica
Another world/plane. The one we'll go to if we use the magic Elf-Box. One of the Refugee-Humans cities is from there.
Loot
- Rubies
- Non-Ferrous Weapons and Armour
- Favours from HyBrasil - Skill or Magical Training
- Favour from the 'Ok' Dwarves
- Favour from West Capital / Duchess Variola - Skill or Magical Training
- Star-roc in Cavorite - 2 pints (120 tons) each
- Herbs/plants from Gr Fane
Lantern Shards x 2
Gifts from the Dragonfolk
Each shard project out of 2 hex sides (i.e. 120 degrees), provided there is a lantern or a magical nonË—illusionary light spell immediately behind as light source. No light is projected — it is converted to a non-visible fanning beam of illusion destroying. The range is only 50 feet in 90% (ambient) lighting or higher; 250 feet in 10% (ambient) lighting or less; otherwise 150 feet.
To be affected an illusion spell must be within the area of effect for a pulse.
- All spell or talent illusions within 5 hexes are automatically DESTROYED, as are all illusions not in an entity's possession; otherwise, each spell or talent illusions are only destroyed if its possessor fails to make a "Better" (ie, 2, <40% of base MR) result in their magic resistance roll.
- An illusion made permanent counts as if it were a ritual (instead)
- Ritual Illusions (possessed or otherwise) are DESTROYED if exposed for a minute, or (if somehow fast-cast, including through the use of items or special powers, fane whim, etc) by exposure for a 60th of the time it took to cast that ritual
If an illusion is not exposed for the full duration it is not destroyed and partial exposures are NOT cumulative.
Wind Goggles
From Tethys' Hobbits
Allows wearer to see wind currents.
Flashy Balls
Animated flying golden ball that stores and releases flash of light.
Crystal Dwarven Shield
Carved up into 6 spy glasses.
Music Box
When activated the bearer and up to 7 other companions (willing or unconscious, sentient or otherwise) are transported
- for ONE DAY (approx. 24 hours)
- To an approximately synchronous planet [its local day is approx ±10% of current plane(t)]
- On a "near-by plane" of existence
- As always, entirely GM's call whether this is possible & other details.
Must be activated in open air. The group is transported safely for a day to similar terrain (standing on ground to standing on ground; water-to-water; flying/falling-to-flying/falling) on the other plane. The new location is expected to be safer — but no guarantees. All possessions are transported except anything with metallic iron [magical or mundane], including alloys, which is left behind. At the end of that time they are transported back within a mile or so of where they left.
Ancient Divination reveals the music box is comprised of two distinct (and potentially independent) components:
- The Music Box - Aryan
- When Activated, the Music Box confers Rank-8 Troubadour (but no additional skill choices) on possessor for one day, usable up to 3 times per Quarter.
- It also triggers the concealed ring - hidden as part of the 'bronze' clockwork housing.
- Great Titan Ring of Comfortable Interplanar Transportation - Mebh
- 3" diameter ring is an ancient Titan artefact (maybe as much as 400,000 years old).
- It may only be activated by a Rank 8+ Troubadour (no specific sub-skill required) &/or Rank 8+ Philosopher who has sub-skills in both Celestial Mechanics & Interplanar Transport.
- It may be triggered once for every 3 ranks (or part thereof) in the greater of the qualifying skills, transporting 1 per rank persons/companions (as above), one of which MUST be the triggerer.
- It determines the direction of a distinctive group of stars (even if not visible because of daylight or clouds) and returns the surviving group-members back to that point (±1 mile), when those stars are in the same position at that approximately same point.
Transmutation Grenados x 3
Permanently transform Plants to Animals and vice-versa. Sentients will be transformed into a combination of plant and animal.
- Value 700sp ea - Bleyze
Chaotic Weather Control
When activated adjusts all aspects of the weather towards moderate by D-3 gauges over a random area between a few feet and several miles. Overrides most magical weather control within its area of effect. Daily use.
- Value 8,160sp - Wordsmith
Chaotic Plant Growth
Causes amazing levels of plant growth within a random area. However chaos rules - weeds will grow more than desirable plants, ordered and tidy growth of nice plants is unlikely. Weekly use.
- Value 1,500sp - Veor
Communication Disruption
Disrupts all forms of magical communication over a random range (from feet to miles) for a random duration. Daily use.
- Value 2,000sp - Kit
Calendar
- 22nd Breeze - Dragon Eggs went missing from hatching grounds
| Autumn 814wk: Fruit (4) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
|
Lugnasad | 1 | Guild Meeting
=> Purple |
2 | West Capital | 3 | Tethys, SC, South Pole | 4 | SC | 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 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| Autumn 814wk: Harvest (5) | ||||||||||||||
|
|
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |||||||
|
|
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Equinox | 16 | 17 | 18 | ||||||
|
|
19 | Harvest Moon | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | ||||||
|
|
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| Autumn 814wk: Vintage (6) | ||||||||||||||
|
|
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
|
|
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |||||||
|
|
17 | Blood Moon | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ||||||
|
|
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | Beerfest | ||||||
Mil Sci
Formations
| Skirmish Formations | Watches | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Default
Mebh Aryan |
Double File
Mebh Aryan |
Single File
Aryan |
4 Hrs per Watch
Aryan Veor |
- * Official position of Kit's decoy, occasionally occupied by Kit.
- Magic Vision
Veor: Sees invisible, illusions, spirits, but does not see in the dark.
- Campsites
Warding with Runes available. 42% chance of blocking incoming spells, blocks unattended magic items, Adepts, Magic Creatures & Extra Planar must resist at -12/-12/-18 to enter. 1 Hour Ritual.
Elemental Warding also possible. Blocks Entry of creatures from named planes. As short as 10 Min ritual.
Buffs
| Magic | Rk | Effects | Dur | W | K | A | V | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Term | |||||||||
| Resist Cold (V) | 20 | +6 Gauge, 6 Cold DR | 21 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Greater Heart Rune (V) | 7 | Heals 7 EN on EN damage | 8 Days | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Fire Armour (B) | 20 | 100 Ablative vs Magical Fire | 21 hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Heat Shield (B) | 7 | 32 Ablative vs Magical Cold | 8 hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Fireproofing (B) | 6 | Prot Normal Fire | 7 hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Vapour Breathing (M) | 10 | 5 ½ hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Feather Fall (M) | 7 | 4 hours | Y | - | - | Y | Y | Y | |
| Flying (M) | 8 | 38 mph; D+2m/D+2p; 304mi | 4 ½ hours | - | |||||
| Air Bow (M) | 8 | Arrows: + % SC + dam | ? hours | Y | Y | ||||
| Disguise (K) | 21 | Unlocatable | 7 days | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Transmutation (K) | 20 | Anything & everything | 3½ hrs | Y | |||||
| Invisibility (K) | 21 | Witchsight Rk21 to see, or to target (even friendly) spells | 1¾ hrs | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Multiple Images (K) | 11 | 3 Extra Images | 12 mins / 7 days |
- | Y | Y | |||
| Ice Traversal (V) | 12 | +5 TMR on Ice | 4 ¼ hrs | - | |||||
| Short Term | |||||||||
| Branch Counterspells (WS) | 8 | +54MR on a college on area, +28MR entities. | 13 min | ||||||
| Weapon of Flames (WS) | 17 | +18%, +9 damage (+17 vs. undead/cold/water) | 22 mins | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Mana Sense (R:Touch) (WS) | 8 | Sense mana flows 90'. Extra info 60% | 45m | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Banishment (R:Touch) (WS) | 7 | Enables CS on Summ'd | 80s | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Dispel Magic (R:Touch) (WS) | 15 | Enables CS on spells 50-(3xRkDM diff)% | 20s | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Faith | 15 | MR minimum 70 after all adjustments | 50 feet | Y | - | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Rune Weapon | 8 | Magical Poison ((D-5)+3) for D10 Pulses | 13 Mins | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Selfies | |||||||||
| Mind Shield (Ar) | 2 | +14% vs Mental Attacks | 20 hrs | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| Tracking (Ar) | 2 | +14% Tracking | 12 days | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| Animal Mind(Ve) | 8 | +4 WP, 3 Hex, -3 PC, +2 Elem DR | 9 Hours | - | - | - | Y | - | - |
- Aryan Mil Sci
- Melee Only: +14 IV +14 SC +14 Def +1 Pass Action at End of Pulse
- Raise Morale +7 WP
- -17 dice mod on Fear Checks; -34 on Fright Table
- Aryan - Morning
CallisfDrill - +1 AG until dawn.
