The Lady Vanishes

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Scribe Notes [1]

Summary

Adventure: The Lady Vanishes
GM: Jim Arona
Session: Autumn 812wk
Night: Wednesday - starting 21st March 2012.
Location Stephen's home in New Windsor
Level: Low (okay, probably more like Medium)
Party:

  • Dellith - a human Namer, played by Clare who hath feet of a normal number.
  • Roderigo the Unbecoming - an E&E hobbit, as yet unhung, played by Mike McFadden. Of feet, he hath two, but hairy.
  • Tsayoi - a giant Fire Mage/Warrior, played by Chris. Of feet, he hath nine.
  • Ronon - a dwarven Sorceror of the Mind and Healer, played by George, and whose feet are spare.
  • Thaeuss - a nice elven Binder type. Of feet he hath six-ish.
  • Serra Angelus - a Pacifistic elven Earth Mage, played by Michael Scott. Of feet, she hath sufficient, yet mired.

Employer: Ingarethon, The Lord of Tinkers via his messenger: Querulous Quin

Mission: Journey to the Land of Reich, spy on a meeting between The Biologian and The Führer at Berchtesgaden.

Synopsis

Quick Version

Session 1

We met our elderly employer (Querulous Quin) in the Guild meeting room and he discussed what we needed to do: "Travel to the plane of Reich and find out information about or attend and discover what is happening at a top level meeting being held at the Autumnal Equinox and then return with the information. We will be paid for our information according to its releavance, importance and veracity". We departed the guild via a brand new portal created by the old man and passed through to The Abyss. We travelled the abyss for 2 weeks and got to Feralie where we came to the attention of the 'Lord of Rings'. The LOR and Serra concluded a transaction and transferred an old (slightly used sword) for a shiny new ring that does many funky things. We then passed through the land and when we awoke next we were in Reich in a tall building (6th floor) on the shores of The Black Sea.

Session 2

Session 3

Scribe Notes

Part the First

This be a true and correct account of events of the matter known as "The Lady Vanishes" from the diaries of Goodman Roderigo, honest Apprentice Butcher (retd) in his party appointed position as Scribe.

Our party will be small but hardy. Aside from my worthy self there be: Dellith - a human Namer of great power... Tsayoi - a young and very polite giant Fire Mage/Warrior from foreign parts by the sound of him ... Ronon - a Dwarven Sorceror of the Mind and Healer.. Thaeuss - a clever eleven Binder... Serra Angelus - a Pacifistic elven Earth Mage. A strapping lass with a strong sword arm & a squarish jaw-line. No doubt the captain of some sporting team in her youth...

Our mission be to venture forth to Bickenbach in the modern world Reich to observe (discretely) a meeting of powerful folk and discover the truth of what be going on....

Some may need beware for in Reich all spies, (hardly a dangerous lot & generally unemployed poets, musicians & playwrights), be hung on sight!! Fair enough too, the artistic disposition renders such folk unreliable in the main and liable to blabber and engage in unsavoury acts for pleasure, rather than payment as is normal.

Our Patron be the Lord of Tinkers via his messenger Querulous Quin who in appearance looks hunched, frail and older than death itself... He seemeth at first meeting to be a mean spirited villein possessed of short arms and long pockets, who offers by way of reward for our future endeavours - a single magical groat that allegedly groweth... praise the gods in high and low places??!! - maybe it will get to be twice as big!!.... and then we would have two groats...as you well see I be not impressed with the reward (without other specificities)... we will of course keep loot and he will pay for information we get if he decide it be useful !!!~! (Again I smell that rat-like odour of trickery) he doth not define what information he searcheth for....& what information be of no use... so how do we know if he be only pretending it be not useful.... I stand up for the party and attempt unsuccessfully to renegotiate terms...

The plans is ... we will be inserted to Reich by a "conveyance" and placed in a magical moving caravan on a track to get to our destination... he offers to travel us there by the astral plane.... we will get out by a "House" no not the normal variety but the other sort...

The place will be guarded by "Stormbanfuhrers" magical flying super soldiers who be masters of lightening...

At the meeting will be the "Biologian" a dangerous fiend who works for "the Fuehrer" (their 'Godfather' or Chieftan I presume) .... To recognise him we will notice "manifestations of life without seed" (very mysterious to all but gardeners one supposes) .. we be told he travels around Reich on the magical caravans on rails (called trains) and cast summoning spells (presumably for foul and evil entities.) The trains will be powered by the fire of Balrogs who be trapped by powerful spellwork ... but elves beware!! the Balrog hath the power to perceive the feminine reek of elven folk from afar (about one mile is a safe distance) & that cloying odour doth send the said Balrogs to an elf eating frenzy!!! (Hmm I know who I shall not stand to close to - our party hath several elves) .....there be little other information on he.. The Fuhrer may be at the meeting too...

Our disguise will be as circus performers. Tsayoi will turn into a performing bear via a special suit, Ronon and I will be clowns, Dellith and Serra Angelus a bearded lady and Thaeuss a puppeteer.

The meeting shall be at the Autumn equinox - about 5 weeks away.

We will be given a Pentecost potion to allow us to speaketh with the denizens of Reich....

We will travel via the plain of Abyss... we be warned to beware of the following demons who we may run into... Razimel. He gets bigger & more powerful the faster he goes Carnage is bright red , 40' wide with a head like a fast spinning windmill of blades Rampage. He be 18' in height and hath four legs that move him in any direction as fast is if it were forward. Chaos Winds..., which will be, preceded by stampeding hordes of small demons The lady of the Abyss who is in a mad decade... she traveleth by a coach pulled by a yellow Demon with three eyes... he can move back time for a brief period...

We make various preparations by way of spells and the such like... I attempt again fairly unsuccessfully to extract a party commission for casting Greater Enchantment..

The aged Quinn builds a gate with the assistance of small animated soldiers who carry small sticks called guns... these shoot small stones from one end I am told....

We will travel by a place called Tower Court on the advice of Ronon the Dwarf...

We enter the portal enter a misty place called the Astral Plane.. to progress we are required to travel down a great cliff to get to the Abyss through clever use of spells Thaeuss enables this by flying down carrying a number of us whom he hath made smaller by spell work.. luckily we land safely

On the Abyss the sky is black, save for a crack whence crimson light emanates, the ground volcanic covered in basalt like rock. It is flat and travelling is easy by foot.. . There is a large crack in the surface which we avoid and travel perpendicular to it..

After two weeks walking we come across a great pit that aint entirely natural.... it seems someone is mining down there and from what we see at its base seemeth to be of value - a fluid slithery rocklike substance that to my thinking and from the good account of an alchemist I once did drink with, could only be that most valuable of substances known as mercury or quicksilver... we debate going down to obtain it..... but we have more pressing matters... anyway I have a map for a small fee should anyone be interested

.... After further travel we arrive at the edge of the plain called Feralie with a similar cliff which we traverse by a similar method as before...

We travel on by flying with our destination - a gate becoming obvious from the height.... We arrive at the gate which is in fact a big ring with a rotating ring inside it ....

A small blue man appeareth before our party - covered with rings everywhere - on his fingers, toes, everywhere .. on a belt about his waist...others tell me that he is the Lord of Rings .....an immortal...

We tell him that we be just passing through on the way to Reich....during discourse he states his concerns for elves - an elf plague that turneth them into orcs rages forth - which in my opinion is probably a blessing at least for the male ones... he telleth us that the ones that have survived have holed up somewhere in hiding....

He agrees to talk with Ingarethion? which he does by placing a small tin soldier on the ground who groweth into a man with a protective suit of some sort.. It is confirmed by this manner that we be the correct folk. We are given some papers which will vouch for our story that we be carny folk - circus performers - if we claim to be circus performers but not otherwise.. there are papers to confirm the bear be in disease free state...

Ingarethion will contact someone on Reich for us ...; to which we will travel by teleport .. which in this instance requires we place bags over our heads...most queer

Before we leave, The Lord of Rings discovereth by simple questioning (rather than cunning trickery) ... that Serra Angelus has a sword previously belonging to an angel called Uriel...too late!!! Our Ring-swaithed friend grabs it & aint going to give it back....the sword hath many powers including the reporting of crimes.... (Something that is not always useful as might be thought as crime is mostly a relative and flexible notion... by way of considered example I do present the common truisms: possession is nine tenths & history is written by the victors (survivors) - which for our purposes be mostly the guild and its members....) Anyway... our blue companion elects to keep the sword in exchange for a special ring he will give Serra Angelus - a very fair bargain all agree ( as one tends to do with immortals)... other attempts to negotiate fail......

Lesson for Serra Angelus: Keep thy mouth shut, deny everything, say nothing....

Anyway. Sacks are placed on our heads. We wake up with bruise to the back of our heads.... In Reich we be - the seaside town of Varna... We are greeted by a man wearing very finely woven clothing - but cheap jewellery on wrist & finger.... we are on the sixth floor above the ground looking out over a beach front where there are smaller structures... the water is dark & calm, the sand white.. many folk move on the beach front scantly dressed in impractical garments ... my immediate belief is that they be houris and the like of both sexes...

Part the Second

Our friend is medium height of upright posture . He weareth dainty boots. His name be Henderson & his job be to brief our party with sage advice on how to achieve our mission for the Tinker Lord ....

His first suggestion is that whilst in Reich the Bear not utter other than growls..... and that a talking bear be likely to raise the odd quizzical eyebrow .... Followed by cruel torture by Siuper Soldiers... his papers verifying his disease free state be of great import - other wise he be seized by those that hath power... It seemed that papers be of greater import in this world than in our own... Delith our Namer shall take charge of these

Henderson hath arranged passage by train conveyance to Berchtesgaden (which we discover not be an actual 'garden' but just the name of a place... we will travel 1300 of the measure of kilometres at the rate of 25 kilometers in one hour on a train conveyance although this train conveyance shall have no Balrogs aboard to the relief of all elves present... it will go to places called Bucharest, Budapest and Vienna and will be transferring to different conveyance engines at Bucharest & Vienna.

Henderson hath a disrespectful cast to him, referring to myself as "boy" when it be obvious to all that for my folk the Halflings I am of maturity... I bear side whiskers & a moustache... methinks by his term 'boy' he think I be a servant or perhaps a catamite... doubtless the latter given his fine clothes, brisk manner and straight posture ( a common vice among the soldierly officer type I be told by certain orcs of my aquaintance - too much lonely time out on campaigns) - I can well imagine his crafty words and cheeky grin should he and I be alone " cometh up & sit upon my knee young fellow.... would you like a to taste a sweet sugared apple tart on a stick  ?") ... To cut to the chase, I ask him if he be in the manner of "coming on" to myself... which seemeth to cause office as intended....

We have the option of also travelling by the giant flying puffer fish shaped floating machines called Zeppelins but decided travelling by train conveyance would attract less scrutiny from the guards. We will also receive many stamps on our papers when we cross in to new countries... this we believe will assist in the reality of our story... in the Zeppelin our papers will be looked at more carefully... our cunning guise as Carny Folk with a bear may not pass scrutiny...

The meeting place will be at a manor house up a sheer cliff accessible by one cliff -side road... there by light shining devices called searchlights & guns made to shoot at flying machines everywhere... there be three guard details on the road .. the middle one hath no guns... there be a relic in the manor house " a magic spear which be called a mobile hard-point

We buy clothes and the like to blend in... It appear Henderson might not favor catamites after all... I must pretend to be a boy in these parts - as Halfling folk be not known in Reich...

We elect to spend a week staying at our current location. We learn it be at the Black Sea. I mostly lie low & study spells as do others ... Delith seeks everywhere for a sable coat - which cost 12,000 of the of the 20,000 in expenses provided by Henderson... it aint a popular choice & is vetoed.. So to make money she & Tsayoi the dancing bear busk for coin.... Initially our furry companion foolishly juggles balls which draws the attention of the town guard being alerted to the strangeness of this no doubt by passers by.... Fortunately Tsayoi now be of agile mind and deliberately drops the balls clumsily in front of the guards

The train be 12 hexes long for each part known as a carriage. There be 50 carriages: 6 first class, 8 second class, the rest freight and baggage... We will travel first class occupying one single carriage with Tsayoi the dancing bear in freight and baggage. Deltih will feed the bear...Several of our party obtain guns from Henderson. You don't need papers for these....

Our trip be long and boring in the main... mostly we keep a low profile travelling to the food carriage when it not be so busy.... studying spells & the like in our carriage

However....traveling through the carriage after dinner one evening we notice a strange appearing fellow (for Reich at least) clad in a close-fitting brown three-price garment called a suit. His hair be parted in the middle. He be just over 4' tall & appeareth to be a dwarf. A DA spell from Deltih shows he simply be a human of short stature - & hath magical ability - Greater Heart Rune be the main spell of his repertoire. He and Thaeus exchange querellous glances - each being unusually shaped folk for Reich... suspicion overcomes us.. I prepare to ritually caste a Locate spell by ritual to keep an eye on our short brown travelling companion..... but it don't work... anyway before I can try again we arrive at a train conveyance stopping place called a Station at a place called Bratag... the air be chill as high in mountains we be... Many shops and restaurants abound with pubs too....

.... We note our short brown clad "friend" now sitting at an outdoor table in the company of a very tall slender women - just under twice my (Halfling) height... both be taking drinks from tall delicate glasses with stems.....she weareth a cloak of elegance over a finely cut set of garments that best enhance her wares... & her wares are certainly on display in a stirring fashion liable to cause all manner of foolishness including without limit: religious ecstasy, jealous rage, craven compliance in red-blooded folk of the male persuasion ....she smokes slowly and with heavy drama from a long cigarette holder casting a lazy glamorous and sultry eye over all...referring to we all as "darrrrllllling" (even to my humble self who hath little by way of charm and beauty ) ......she looks expensive and trouble...! A DA spell revealeth her to be an an elf and a magic user specialising in a type of machine use...

Thaeus approaches her directly and engages in conversation... discovering that she be a spy mistress - yep trouble as guessed !!! Her name be called Widow Click. Her purpose here on Reich be to track a ritual train (for as yet unknown reasons) but she knoweth not the schedule... apparently Station Masters are so well recompensed ( or so scared ) that they cannot be bribed. She be travelling to ... with her short companion to meet someone who also has a bear... She be with someone married to Karen Blixen... The dwarfish man be of a very fidgeting and of a nervy disposition ( probably pondering his marriage vows which appeareth of little import in the presence of the comely Widow Click )... She say she be not of this realm but from "Sprrallink" and more recently a place called "Waterer" famous for vampires ... she does admire our bear but also sees through the cunning bear suit disguise and knows him to be a giant - there is no fooling elves to be sure... Her tale be a little confused or maybe it be my mind addled by her comely charms.. anyway I be sure she sayeth that she be going to meet with an unpleasant young American woman and a Japanese and someone else and another American and a Norwegian.... She hath a special device for the young American who be a serial killer but with special abilities to take on the supersoldiers... They have a plan to awaken someone of note called Barbarossa from his resting place in a castle at a place called Rhine - to liberate Reich..

... The dwarfish sized man be a rune mage & a man of principle and a zealot ....(a lawyers best friend - I know a few that of necessity I have had to aquaint with, & they would no doubt very much like to meet he).... he be of great importance and hath been sent from Reich many times but be a persistent zealot and somehow how showeth up again and again like a bad penny...

The tobacco smoke seeping from Widow Click's Holder becomes noticeably less pungent as we converse in a fiendly manner... Delith's DA reveal the smoke to be tobacco albeit with a charm inserted...

Back on board the train conveyance we all get...... following further travel we arrive at a place called Bucharest on the 28th of Fruit ..

During the journey we plan how to make a station master talk to us .... My charm spell needeth a little ranking before hand........Thaeus creates a uniform of the Waffen SS - a type of solder - which he will wear ....we go off to try to charm the stationmaster into telling him all we want to know ...

Before meeting the stationmaster we are introduced to Mr Tanaka - an oriental man apparently a spy too...... who standeth close by to Widow Click & is noted by certain party members to be conversing in the silent tongue ...he telleth us that the stationmaster will be back on his shift at midnight ... until that at home asleep no doubt he be....

....so we traveleth in that direction by foot with the bear / giant Tsayoi walking unseen in the middle of the road to avoid bumping into other folk . Miraculously not being run over by horseless carriages... arriving at the stationmasters house in a semi deserted locale .....I cast an invisibility spell and "poof" we all disappear.....and prepare to skulk to his home creeping as carefully as we can ...... (having noted ) the most expensive locks on the front door we enter via the rear & soon hear his snores ......he in his bed asleep...

I cast a charm spell ( of miserable rank) on he, which miraculously worketh... and we awaken him ....I ask for the train schedule impressing the great import and patriotic act that this would be for the good of all Reich.... But asking one tricky question too many means that the spell faileth no doubt due to his quite sensible fear of the consequences... he asks us (in particular Thaeus) who we are!!! And to see our papers.... Uh oh!! Thaeus shows his mettle & looks him square in the eye and with narry a quiver in his expression or a quick panicked glance to the door to find they best way of legging it (as I do out of pure instinct ) .... reveals that he holds the ancient and mighty position of power in Reich as ....a puppeteer!!... sternly he continue to stare at the station-master and sayeth in a voice that hath the gravity of a schoolmaster having caught his star pupil sneaking a mead and pipe behind the pony shed..."I (dramatic pause) am the Puppet Master!!!! Faced with this stern faced international man of mystery in his splendid uniform, the quivering Stationmaster spills the beans and that the next train will be at 4.00 a.m. and that he receiveth special instruction about the special trains by something called registered mail

We depart and relay all this to the grateful Widow Click........whose brain be spinning with plans to deal with the train... We part ways with Widow Click and travel overnight.....14 hours to Budapest

1st Harvest .... The news be everywhere about and American Super-soldier called the "Puppet Master" also of a train conveyance derailment - Widow Click and her friends ...its seemeth our information was of use !!!

In Budapest we show our papers.... the locals are agog with news of a foreign scoundrel who hath been interfering with young girls and killing them.... We will changeth train conveyance here....

To the surprise of most Tsayoi disguised as a dancing (no longer juggling) bear hath generated greater interest than one might suspect at his furry stumblings... he hath 12,000 Deutschmarks (as their coinage be called) he spend this on a fur coat for Delith ...we depart... on consideration this do seem odd the fur clad We will travel toward Austria via the Transylvanian Alps...

We arrive in Budapest...those with Witch sight note invisible folk all about ... the infamous vampires we think. ...we note random passers by disappearing sudden- like into the shadows by alleyways as if dragged by some entity of immense power and speed.... We get back on the train promptly y...

Thaeus also purchase an effigy of Reich's Emperor - "The Fuehrer.. its be enchanted to provide a squidgen of power to the Fuehrer from all that possess it

3rd Harvest. We arrive in Vienna and spend a full day there... of cultural note we see there be a curious custom of caterwauling by fat men and women with make-up on their faces, agonised expressions and wearing tights like low to medium quality trollops back home - all this in front of large audiences in grand buildings called... opera houses....

4th Harvest - We arrive at last by train conveyance in Berchtesgaden... here we be...

Of note: A large manor house on a sheer cliff approachable only by cliff side road,,,

We be on the northern shore of a very large lake before the town,

A reasonably large station - larger than it should be...

The back end of the town be covered in forest...

an observatory not as high as the manor house

A clinic

A Zeppelin above the Manor house.

The town is seasonal There seem to be about 20,000 people now - but maybe 4 times as many in high season....

Part the Third

We see more news reporting the antics of Widow Click and her gang of merry thugs.. the helpful stationmaster responsible for telling is the timetable hath been crucified after no doubt copious degrees of torture..... & he be thoroughly dead:

Lesson 2 from this adventure: Never, ever help guild members - unless ye be one too...

Further observations of this town:

There are many soldiers .. At any given time anywhere in the two there appear to be 3 - 5 present. .. They possess the confident and competent manner of veterans and are known as Waffen SS.

We note one mean faced fellow wearing a fancy uniform & surrounded by non-unformed men with hard faces who look like they are actually wearing uniforms... (to the un initiated they be his minders in plain clothes - you can always tell as the cloth be cut different to hide their weapons) . From gossip he be known as "Red Dog" and be of the Bulgarian race....

Lodgings are hard to come by for a party with a bear & we are only able to obtain these out of town in a cheap building for a couple of months...this be ideal as it is a little more discrete... We be 30 minutes walk from the city..

Unsuccessful we be at obtaining work - to nobody's great displeasure...

... Without even noticing it a week passes and it is 11 Harvest - four days before 15 Harvest or Autumn Solstice when this meeting of great portent shall occur

We plot how to scout the Manor House on the cliff in order to learn of a mode of entry... To achieve this Thaeus the Mighty Binder makes a small (6") golem of rags.. He makes it transparent & to make doubly sure I make it invisible. He can make it fly too!! Thaeus then vanishes in a cloud vapour and possesses the golem... A map is made by the Golem possessed by Thaeus (which be attached hereto ) whilst flying in the air above the Manor House.

We are later told by the clever Thaeus that by his opinion the cliff is too exposed & too hard to climb , there are magical protections as well as conventional fortifications. The back way seems to be safer and easier but probably would be guarded more carefully...

We discuss various options of approaching the manor house including swimming through the lake to get to the which, being fearful of water and unskilled, I be only prepared to do for an extra portion of treasure.. The howls of dissent are anguished and from all other party members - particularly from Delith who suggest I be greedy - as if that ever were an insult.... times passes quickly as we plot...

13 Harvest: Tanaka the Oriental arriveth in this town looking less than inscrutable - in fact exceeding distressed... he tells us the Widow Click hath disappeared following the derailing of the train conveyance... he describe how the engine of the train conveyance unravelled and inside were something black and foul (but otherwise un-described) - which chased them..... The good widow apparently abandoned her pose of languor and fled to the nearby forest in haste... explosive devices placed by her crew of patriot saboteurs did not explode as expected...She hath not been seen since & they hath looked everywhere...

We elect to aid the good widow in the interim pre: spying on the meeting in the Manor House.... And so rashly buoyed on by memories of her elegant manner of dress, the hypnotic sway of her cigarette holder, the come hither bedroomness of her saucy eye etc (& that she appeareth to be well heeled & doubtless of a generous nature) ...... I volunteer once more to attempt a locate spell (of most lowly and undistinguished rank)... . After several backfires (which hurt!!) I prevail and I get a reading on her locale... Thaeus and I fly invisibly by a magic flying tarpaulin device he doth possess and we follow the locate spell arrow in accordance with my guidance ..... It doth point downward to the lake - a part that seemeth to have a metallic sheen to it - about 4 miles off shore... we think not that we were followed...

We return and advise Tanaka of what we saw... Our hope be that the merry Widow be in some form of tunnel under the lake... perhaps being tortured cruelly by the Reich?

Delith doth visit the Library of the Town that we hath noticed during our ramblings.. Strangely for a library this be unguarded and open to all....By means of research of books she discovereth the following: there be a legend that where the lake was, once were a shrine where snake headed women called gorgons were worshipped. One of these be immortal and called a Medusa, the other two be "eternals" Immortals can be killed but otherwise will live for ever... eternals will always return.... The Medusa be not a personal deity but a role... the eternals can project her image and channel powers through their mortal priestesses... the book refers also to the presence of minotaur's, harpies and other nasties...

So explore the bottom of the lake we will by nightfall. Our method be the following: Thaeus will create a giant stone golem. Create bubbles of force surrounding party members he will, which hath air trapped inside them. I will then cast the spell of invisibility on all persons. By nets the golem, walking underwater along the floor of the lake, will drag the spheres of power to the location where the widow hopefully resides unharmed...

The spells are all cast well & we proceed... although protected by the spheres of force we be - still it be dark, gloomy & chill beneath the night time waters of the lake ....if it were not for the sturdy presence of Ronon the dwarf in the same bubble with me, fear might overcome my unworthy self ...

We be 500 meters down below the surface having travelled for about 20 minutes when we note pillars in the doric style (according to more expert party members) ... we note the presence of an enchantment 20 meters ahead...still walking we enter an air pocket ....

Suddenly a figure appears before us. He be an 8 feet tall man with the head of a bull ... he hath a sword naked in his grasp... we avert our collective eyes being aware of what there may also be lurking around - restricting our gazes to his feet. we see the minotaur stop.... I use my small mirror on a stick to peek around at what there is, (relying on the wisdom of the legends re: mirrors and medusae to protect me) - I see now a beautiful Halfling woman of large stature looking back at me from my mirror ... I note with horror that atop her alluring curves she hath a head of snakes... Medusa!!

She does not attack us but engages us in conversation ....she says that the Widow Click be occupied. She asks us to help her. Something is coming that she doth not want to eventuate. She speaks of a powerful magic spear that be a "hard-point" and that she wants this spear and would appreciate any help she can have... (Well we know where to get that from our employer) She tells us there be two eternals/ priestesses. They see a time when: "certainty will take note and certainty will change the seals of the universe and write time in both directions." The two eternals could be removed were this to occur. They hope to use the magical spear to influence the situation..

... this sounds rather confusing and of course the most fearful type of cosmic cobblers one hears from bedraggled mad-men with large staring eyes (and slavering tongues for attractive women folk) fortelling doom & holding signs on street corners exclaiming "the end is nigh! - repent!" Naturally one doth not advise a medusa of this.. ... At this point as my mind did wander with the above thoughts, I note my small mirror on a stick cracking apparently from the gaze of the medusa.... I drop it... but from then on seem powerless to resist the snake woman's power & turn my head toward her... I stiffen slowly becoming corpse like stiff (and here my memory becomes a blank)

The rest of the party tells me I became frozen like a statue but she continued to ramble on talking of the vector of certainty. She says the spear be carefully guarded (surprise!). It seemeth that Madam Click may be here because she chose to be. She is likely to be released if he spear be provided. The party agrees to help her.

The medusa hath a number of ways to assist the party - a number of venoms and anti venoms..& agrees to remedy my malaise of permanent stiffness...

Ronnon places a sack on my head. As he removed it I returned to consciousness. The Medusa hath returned me to normal & I no longer be a stone - praise be to soft-hearted large snake-headed halfling women everywhere.

To help us she will give us the following: We have 6 x bubbles of force. 12 x instant golems 7 x weapons of flames 4 x mind blasts 1 x divination Amulets that allow time to go back 5 seconds.

We depart and arrive back at shore... we return to our lodging and tell Tanaka of what happened..

Part the Fourth

We prepare to infiltrate the mansion ... listen to the meeting and get the lance for Lady Medusa...

We set up a rendezvous place if it all goes wrong.

We rest by day and evening making our way to the end of town ..We take a couple of hours to get into the forest, it be getting more and more slippery as we go.

Spells are cast on us by our cunning mages including: Strength of Stone Armour of earth Fire Armour.

In the forest we change into our adventuring gear and hide our circus costumes & not so essential items ..... The forest be quite open... we skulk silently and carefully

At the base of the hill, Thaeuss by binding magic converts us all to marionettes made of wood with pin joints - one foot tall we will be - hard to see whilst sneaking - but in a much weakened & vulnerable state like this...

However if killed as Marionettes we will not necessary be dead as people... we have the medusa's anti venom which will allow us to return to normal

Thaeuss flies us in...

As we approach the manor house Thaeuss notes a shift in mana levels.. its seems this occurs one per minute... We note the Zeppelin tower with people underneath and people working on it. The Zeppelin at close range be made of metal and aligns with the way the wind blows - it be very light we surmise.

Otherwise there be few doorways visible. There be a few windows on the North South Side. Windows - mostly open - if open they be brightly lit & not suitable for entry

People be all around still though it be dark - some be working on the horseless carriages.

We note what appeareth to be a herb garden. Logic say this be close to the kitchen - which some alleged burglars who I have met purely in passing & have no other relationship with than we queued to buy oranges whilst attending a cockfight & struck up a conversation with by chance - claim may not be the most secure place in any building & a good place to plan an entry. We land & hide amongst the parsley etc

From here we note a door & an entrance for the horseless carriages. There is one place where there resides a large number of containers - about five feet tall. The containers be made of glass...

Tracks of creatures be noted by Serrra Angelus who DA spells some rat pee she hath found - it belongs to giant Rat Creatures known as pack rats - the size of a small dog.. we see the tracks travel up and down a wall - super soldier rats we think & who can climb most well ...

There be traffic of horseless carriages moving up and down slowly along the roads and regularly like - on patrol...these carriages be different of a squarish shape..

Thaeuss casts a transparency spell on a wall to see through it... He then casts a spell to mould elements so as to be able to enter through to the internal wall of he building & he close it afterwards...we seem to be near a kitchen as anticipated - from the sounds. We then climb up through the internal wall with car. We come across a large cavity between floor and ceiling - space with lost of cables & a metal duct on one side - on the other side there be a stone wall.

Ronon the clever dwarf detects a great deal of precious metal - platinum on one side of the wall. He does a an ESP spell which reveals the presence of a group of 7 individuals on one side and 10 to 11 on another side. He also picks up 20 to 30 non-sentients as he calleth them that's seem abnormal of mind and sluggish. He notes one mind that seemeth peculiarly cold & unemotional - he describes it as feeling as if it hath been folded - the term "folded" causeth the name of Colonel Ishi to spring to mind...

Thaeuss uses a major creation ritual to create a platform for us inside the ceiling cavity to use as a base for operations. There will be a number of cross beams and support structures which will support the large sized platform for us all.

While he is doing this Ronon, Delth & I explore & map....We enter the ducting - still in the bodies of marionettes. Careful we be to avoid any unnecessary noise. We arrive at a grating at the base of the ducting which allows air to enter / leave this room from the duct - peeking through the bars of the grate we observe a workshop-like area. There be animal cages and containers. Men in white coats with gloves and medical instruments be present working at something we know not what .... We be about 4 to 5 meters above the floor ...

Moving on we find another room containing crates . One be open with the remainder sealed... we continue on but our path be blocked by a spinning fan. This would be sufficient in strength to shred us in our present marionette form.... Despite my suggestions no one volunteers to take one for the party and jam themselves in to block the fan to allow the others to advance forth...

We return back through the ducting exploring the other end - this way travels out to open air ...It seemeth all persons hath now left save those in the zeppelin tower now in very fancy uniforms ( at least for this fairly plainly dressed society) ...we can see a lit window above a roadway where someone is walking around this room in a fur coat and a hat .. we wonder if this room be the meeting place... we then return to where Thaeuss be with his building endeavours. The platform be completed & Thaeuss satisfied at their structural soundness.

Thaeuss then casts a transparency spell on the end of the "room" sealed with a stone wall. He discovereth an internal wall made of some sort of unusual material ... the mysterious substance has support from the buildings structure like a curtain. Effectively it be a room within a room with a curtain made of crystal material that can be moved a side with care ... a DA spell reveals it to possess a magical aura that be "folding " in nature - perhaps the mysterious Colonel Ishi again...

When Theaus pokes the curtain with a twig & it tinkles a little. The crystal curtain seems to have powers to absorb mana .. Thaeuss parts the crystal curtain sufficiently and uses a transparency spell on the wall behind it... in the room there be a table - too broad and wide to be a desk ...

There be a chair that some one will sit in and an angled desk like preachers use.We note there be a with dials on it looked a little like a spy glass. The door be well constructed of metal. The room looks to be very important.

Just as Thaeuss cast a DA spell .....we all get a horrific shock as we be attacked by a gang of pack rats (while all but Thaeus) still be feeble one foot high wooden marionettes. Why rats would attack wooden puppets be beyond the comprehension - perhaps it is a curious aspect of their species that wood be delicious to they. A vicious fight errupts. The rats seem to gang up on the weak which be Ronnon & I who be rendered unconscious in a highly weakened state before the rats be killed or chased off.

One rat, still alive is controlled by Serra Angellus the Earth Mage . It be discovered the rats hath pouches built on to their bellys in which they horde shiny items - including several magic ones amongst a lot of junk . Serra Angellus sends the rat back to its hideout to retrieve all shiny items and return them...

Part the Fifth

We remain on the platform above the kitchen / scullery. We be well knackered,

Various ideas are discussed including riding rats as marionettes....

We note that the duct is adequate crawlspace for all of the party but Tsayoi, who be turned back to a marionette to accommodate his size.

The ducting be solid enough to bear our weight and made of some sort of stone.... It be newer in manufacture then the rest of the Manor house We traverse through to the fan. It hath a magic aura (reception). It is simple enough o jam with a rag wound dagger. , Fromm then the frame is removed. It resumes spinning one the jamming knife and drag have been taken out of it. Thaeuss uses a transparency spell to see what there be above and underneath. We use this practice by transparency spell Thaeuss see that 15 ' wide

We reach an intersection after about 30' tunnel. By transparency Thaeuss sees below us is a tunnel / corridor that has a number of box like carts about 6 feet wide moving slowly patrolling this area. There be also very strong looking dogs that are armoured and bear guns mounted on their shoulders.

We keep heading south. A grate does not open below. Transparency reveals a large ballroom running 90 ' long. There be furniture pieces and sideboards & French doors opening on to a balcony. At one end be a giant red figure wearing read armour and 10' tall- very tall. It be magical in nature but hath no aura .The room also contain mirrors large like and of great value it would seem.

There be doors on the North side of the room that open to smaller rooms presumably for servants & the ilk.

There be an outside wall. On the other side of this we can see a garden growing to the edge of the cliff then dropping away.

Thaeuss by his transparency spell discovers a secret antechamber connecting to the ballroom... it hath chaise lounge, aspidistra in a marble stand & large paintings in gilt frames - accessorised for a sly encounter or a tryst. Access be by some sort of secret concealed door. The room seem to be dusty as if not used for decades..

We go back to the junction where the ducting goes East... we travel until we find another junction

Here the ducting goes right up to the second floor of the building.

At this point I discover a strange occurrence... I travel straight up the ducting vertically as if I was moving at half my normal walking speed intead of my normal slow climb. After 20' of climbing there be another branch laid out in the same pattern as below (further exploration confirm that indeed it be laid out in the same pattern)

We note: The bedrooms on the North side be soldiers rooms by the look. ON the south side we see salons of better quality. The only occupied room is a salon above the ballroom. There be a small library/ sitting room and living room than open onto a balcony.... it be prepared for someone important like a noble or diplomat by the look according to those of our party trained in the arts of the Courtier.

We note servant quarters on the south side of the next level up with small rooms - about 12 servants appear to be asleep. There be two rooms occupied with persons equipped with military uniforms.

We go back to the bottom level and explore the ducts more... I continue to be able to climb straight down at an unnatural speed... ahh at this moment what would I like better than a large slab of cheese I imagine with my nose twitching at the thought  ???!!! My thinking seems to have taken on a rat like quality ... thinking of the terrible wounds I shave suffered at the hands of the pack rat ...I wonder if they in fact be Were creatures and I be infected... I reach inside my trousers - no tail... no whiskers sprouting form my nose.... Maybe a full moon will tell...

Later after some worry it be revealed via DA spell that I have been bitten by a pack rat infected by a disease called radiation and it hath passed on special twisted powers to me.... to climb up walls like a rat... Beware the pack rats through - they be deadly to puppets.

We note some rooms be closed with a sign like a lightening flash outside - maybe the home of their air mages we suspect...

We see a room where the carts enter. The carts at closer range a have a turret on top and something that could be an enormous gun sticking out.

We keep exploring the ducts.

We come across a south pointing room that seems a sort of important workshop. We see a chair made of bronze wire, high-backed & fan shaped.. Throughout the room a re a series of giant parasitic or at least parabolic mirrors on wheels that seem to focus into the room. All seems to be very valuable. The chairs be magic in nature. The power seems to be to focus power to animate objects. FOR FUTURE REFERENCE IT ALL SEEMS VERY VALUABLE.

Northern facing rooms in this area seem o be workrooms.

We come across a locked room that contains many bottles that a DA spell is reveal to contain a magical potion called jazz. It gives you an extra action.

One type is called slap - it unstuns stunned persons if opened under their noses.

One is called blue. If one is unconscious it will stop bleeding and stabilise a person...

There are some synthetic toxins - I take some of these.

We take 21 Jazz, 7 slap, 7 glue plus various others

Thaeuss by use of transparency note dogs in another. Enhanced they have been. They have glass implants in their spines with lights, small guns mounted on their shoulders, body armour & helmets

We enter a crawl space between the ceiling (wood & plaster) and a wide service corridor running North. Transparency reveals that it be reinforced by steel. It not be occupied by people.

Faintly can be seen lights running east/ west in the distance.

The carts are miniature half-tracks heavily armoured.

We not a giant red suit of armour walking down this service corridor. It heads out of view. A face or visor cannot be detected. .

We come to a brick stonewall - to date everything has been brick or concrete. It be very dense restricting Thaeus' transparency spell so that 1 foot of vision becomes 1 inch. IT seems to be imbedded with the crystalline substance similar to the special curtained room. The stone be called diorite. Delith declares that it hath a type of anti aura. Thaeuss attempts to dig through the rock by using a spell. Due to the nature of the rock it is extremely difficult to get through so he simply cuts a thin outline or a block. This is then pulled out laboriously with the process repeated ad infinitum until a hole is created all of the way through.

Tsayoi - still a marionette crawls through the space and looks through the hole and look down. It is a step shaft going straight down - as far as a 5 story building. Thaeuss covers our entry point by use of mending and creating a thin veneer of rock. The hole is expanded by Thaeuss so we can crawl through...

We discuss getting down the shaft - apparently this will be no problem for Tsayoi the giant who is trained as a tightrope walker!! How this be possible & who hath a tightrope of sufficient strength to hold his immense bulk we have no idea, Delith & I just about fall down the shaft considering the absurdity of it. The shaft be about 9 metres by 3 meters... most of us climb down Apart from Ronnon the dwarf who must be lowered ....sadly he drops ... but fortunately possesses the power to bounce like a ball.

Ronon's ESP spell doth reveal a sleeping mind and a group of pack rat animal minds.. to the rear of where we are he detects a cold folded mind...Colonel Isshii!!!

Delith doth possess a magic crystal that gloweth detects a mind spell of the 15th rank. Someone may know we are here!!!

Thaeuss by transparency spell discovers a disturbing creature in the next room. It he doth describe in the following manner: 2 x sets of 4 legs, 3 x hind legs, a torso like a dodecahedron, it be transparent, it hath a head like a pentangle cylinder, it hath 6 x spider arms. Thaeuss declare it likely to be a creature of the Uranic World from the descriptions of others. We remain hidden from it.

After 10 minutes it doth approach the "lift" as some call it and head upstairs, we cower in the mind counterspell until it is out of range.

Part the Sixth

15 Harvest - the Day of the Meeting

We climb down the shaft a further level. By transparency spell Thaseus doth detect a free floating sparkling shape in the air on the other side of locked doors. My opening spell deals with such problem.

The sparkling thing from a DA spell is determined to simply be a shape or "geometry" as the more alchemic of our party doth call it. nothing actually be there - it be just a shape with apparently no substance....here the rooms are tall - at least 9' maybe more. There be wall to wall fitted carpet. There be a chair - magic in nature & made out of sindjin wood - its power be to cleanse the mental faculties.... Lights are recessed in the ceiling. There be a flash painting of a hunting scene - though queer be the dress of the hunters - tight white breeches, small black caps & red half coats mounted on horses that are jumping over a hedge.. They seems to be chasing either a large squirrel or a fox (surprising as both are inedible according to a ranger I know) and the hunters themselves are possibly themselves being chased by pack of motley looking hounds.... A DA reveal that the painting hath a magic aura - with the nature being to track...Hmmm we suspect that to steal would mean we might be tracked - on the other hand it be large & its absence would be noticed....Serra Angelus with surprising insight suggest leaving a note; "Removed for cleaning"!! There are bronze urns with pot plants. There be two doors -on the left and right sides of the room.

The urns be filled with some kind of ash... A DA spell reveals it to be an undead construct - "ash zombie" with 6 each of these creatures in each urn... Ash zombies can not be turned by normal means & are made by a kind of binder animation.. Apparently the time of death of these creatures was 38 years before.

We move in a westward direction (left door). There be no ducts in these areas. We see only vents.

Tsayoi be transformed back to a giant. By transparency spell we determine what lieth on the other side of the corridor.... There be marks on the carpet - from sandbags it do seem - sand has been spread.. There be indentation marks from some sort of tripod behind the place where sandbags were. We see the corridor doth turn a corner to the right. The door opens towards us. I detect no traps.

Delith then reveals special power that doth transform she to a swan - with giant swan wings sticking out o her back...

Peeking around the corner we do spy a large creature about 10 feet tall - wearing one of the giant red sets of armour... standing about 60 feet away it be standing in front of a set of double doors seemingly as a guard.. It has a sword in a shoulder sheath and over its shoulder a sort of mechanical sling device. Ronnon ESP's it. The creature be a sentient and is asleep. There be magic emanating from within it but the armour itself be normal.

Thaeuss turn invisible by use of his enchanted cloak and steps into the corridor. Hue sees there be two side doors on the right side. He sneaketh forward invisibly without the creature detecting he. He cast a transparency spell on the doorway behind the creature to reveal a well lit room with a lot of cabinets, display cases and large carpets...the creature seems to note the light difference and reacts by coming alive & looking behind itself... however it sees not Thaeuss who is hidden by invisibility (low rank).

It then walks clanking up the corridor and goes straight past on patrol up & down the corridor. Thaeuss returns to the entrance room unseen.

I turn everyone invisible & pair up we do. One witch/ wizard sighted with one non.

Thaeuss & I sneak ahead going through the other door on the right hand (east side) side... There be no red armoured creature on this side. The lay ut be a mirror image of the other with a long corridor and two side doors with double doors at the end. There however be no creases etc to suggest sand bags have been here.

Check the side doors we do. It contain glassware of an alchemical nature. The other contains 5' high round metal cylinders. One end hath a spigot on it, the other be rounded. Some hath the symbol of skull & cross bones which suggesteth was once the property of pirates or bandits. It be too neat to have been the property of orcs who also use this symbol orcs....of necromancers I can speculate only...

The walls be very thick - about 5-8'.

Thaeuss casts transparency on the double doors at the end of the corridor. He can see the following - there be a large space 60' by 90' with three areas separated by partitions connecting into a central area. The floors be sloping downwards to a drainage area in the middle.

Things are being distilled by alchemical devices. There be many canisters and a big furnace... no guards or occupants be detected so the door is opened and we enter.. There be two doors coming of this room. One is behind a rack of glassware.

There be something glowing luminous & blue - folding in a furnace. This unusual type of fire be of particular interest to Tsayoi the party Fire Mage . He says it be flame in two dimensions only. A type of cladding seems to be built to keep the flame in place. The flame rotates - some times ye see it sometimes ye don't. As it do change so quickly it be impossible to DA spell. Tasyoi's Flame- sight talent reveal that it be non magical but hath "a spin of charm in it" ( this mean it attracts things) The heat varies much as it spins he telleth us - by about 200 degrees or whatever they are. Various plans are made re taking the flame although in the end we elect not to for now but Tsayoi will bind some later.

We do discover a large amount of the alchemical compound known as mercurium or quicksilver stored in glass beakers. With Tsayoi's strength & Thaeuss' Itemisation spell we remove about 150 lbs of it... ha hah - loot!!.

We examine the two doors one by one. One door (straight ahead.. smaller and sturdy) reveals by a transparency s a corridor with several of these special wars dogs at the end.... Not going down there are we!!

The other door when transparency revealeth a gantry that move to an open area with a large cylindrical shape - a giant steel firework rocket facing South we eventually determine it be. We estimate it be 210 feet long. The top be at our level. The bottom be down a deep pit... with the roof cover by hinged trapdoors - it be possible to get out this way we speculate. There be a lot of machinery with dials, switches and the like about. There be no entry to the rocket from below. He markings be of a cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles in a clockwise direction. In the room are a number of booklets that appear to be part of a complete manual for this giant firework rocket. We later take various documents.

We exit to the lift shaft. Our plan will be by Thaeuss' spell to dig access to the trophy room which we believe must be the planned meeting room. This will be via the two side rooms & into the ceiling cavity above the trophy room. The Emperor Fuhrer no doubt will wish to show off his baubles to the other fiends...we believe the meeting could be in no other place....

The first of the side rooms stores wooden door paneling. The second hath linen. Thaeus' spell use gets us into the trophy room. We note the following: there be a large magical carpet in the centre of the floor (flying). No one is here. In the centre of the room is a large meeting table. The chairs set around it are enchanted to give clarity of mind. There be a magical footstool and many magical weapons in cabinets. Of pride of place be the Spear of Destiny - or at least a magical spear it be - hopefully the correct one. The chairs be majicked to make the sitter shed charms and gives a moderate level of mind shield. There be the following specific items: Magic flail - it each subsequent hit with it is better than the last. A bronze hand and a half sword. A number of cursed rings including one very special blue one of particular poisonous potency. A dagger Wands: a counterspell wand & telekinesis. A footstool. A model boat made of bronze - dawn can be called and arrive in 5 minutes.

We hole up in the vent space above the trophy room, repairing the entry point to await the meeting.

Eventually the meeting party turn up - the Emperor Fuhrer - be a demented looking fellow with a short moustache like a small black paint brush and crazy staring eyes. He be flanked by a 7 foot tall tough looking man in uniform - Stormbanfuhrer. There be a woman with green hair wearing a small bronze garment covering her upper woman parts - perhaps also a bodyguard. There be a peculiar translucent shape which shifts and changes. We note an Oriental fellow - perhaps the very folded Col Ishii accompanied by another uniformed Oriental who hath a very nautical aspect to he - Commander Toshimoto be his name. Col Ishii hath only one word to describe he - FREAK!! He be immortal but very weak. He hath done experiments like dripping acid into peoples eyes and removing their livers to see how long they live - (I could have recommended expert advice on the latter from the dwarvish patrons of several taverns I know! ). He can change around geometry ?. The Biologian doth wear long dark robes, a broad black brimmed hat hiding his face with a white plain collar at his throat. The Stormbanfuhrer seemeth unsubtle and uncouth but tough.

It be clear from their demeanor they do all hate one another but be plotting and scheming nasty ideas that depend each on the other. We discover the following from their conversation, lasting about 2 hours of which this be a reasonably accurate account allowing for the strange and unfamiliar names:

The rocket be a device called a missile. It will be launched and exploded into space where an "atomic" will be detonated. It will be used to power an x-ray laser that will be aimed at Washington.

The Fuhrer wants his life extended and to become undying. The Biologian holds out on this.

A giant red amour suit comes in and it is opened. Inside be a human child of about 5 years. We hear that the suit protects from magic. The Biologian wants more children. He seems to have a cunning plan to replace the breeding instinct in humans with sex, so people will have sex to acknowledge and worship the Biologian, which will give he greater power each time the sex occurs.

The strange shape be called Steelwind and is looking for a Mr Wolf...

The women be called Lauralie. She hath green hair & be concerned with the water of the river Rhine. We hear that she hath the power to charm with a glance.

They talk of the Puppet Master. The Fuhrer believes that the puppet master be the same person as the Nightcaller and be working on behalf of the Americans. The Nightcaller be explained as an American Supersoldier who an unnatural taste for the killing of young girls. He can shape change. He likes to attack form behind - (but then who don't).

They talk of the Savage Duke and mention that he hath in the past created a game which when played would give a doorway out of hell. This was in Nualis. They knew he hath made the game work and hath created a doorway to a place called Bayroot.. There be a cache of of souls there at Trophet a place where sacrifices were made - especially of children. Souls are used as currency by the denizens of hell. There be different colours of souls. The Biologian believes the Savage Duke be interested in gathering more souls.

The rocket be some time from completion. It will not go off for another six months.

The Biologian he hath traded a host to the Savage Duke & while in this form he (The Duke) cannot be banished. The host be the body of a 10 year old girl. There is talk of someone trying to release Blackrod. Commander Toshimoto doth command a device called a Submarine. He appear to be one of those stern humourless up-tight warrior types who prefer to take they selves seriously by meditating, being solemn and miserable rather than drinking and carousing as warriors should. He plans to remove his submarine from the lake which it can do by walking across land. That he be capable I have no doubt.

The Fuhrer talks of his subordinates. Goebbels who has had his brain extracted and turned to soup. Himmler hath ate himself to death. Sheer is in Egypt in charge of excavation. Mengele is the driving force behind the Super Soldiers.

The Biologian is not immortal but human. He be not from this multiverse or whatever that be. He come from a place where the positives be negative. If he be immortal he be another sort of thing altogether. He gets benefit from acknowledgment or awareness by others. He cannot give life to things that are alive and things that have never been alive. He be trying to give life to the nuclear detonation.

Orde Windgate is a "hardman" and is living with 2nd generation Chindits. Those loyal to he have manifest some minor Super soldier characteristics.

We note how to open the red amour suit.

Eventually the meeting ends. We wait up. Our plan be to rest, loot & escape.

After a sufficient period we enter the room and loot - my favorite part. We take everything we can. Chairs are itemized. We take an instruction manual for the rocket.

Our plan be to escape via the rocket chute - but not until Thaeuss leaves behind a small rag puppet - to embellish the legend of the Puppet Master!!!

The chute door be sprung open by an open spell. We fly out to discover we be 20 metres above the lake facing the cliff face....we be spotted!!!

The Zeppelin is moving in our direction. Search lights are on looking for we so - as low as we can to the water level we fly... we see the female Sormbanfuhrers who throws something (probably the Rhine Maiden) into the lake making green froth spread across the lake.

The Stormbanfuhrer comes storming across the sky, flying faster than us with lightening & sparks shooting everywhere, throwing it in lines - both seem to be following us - we are being tracked - they know where we are...maybe the hunting painting we surmise

Tsayoi donates a potion to save us. It will remove the distance element of spells - so we can get him while he is still far off by this. We debate what spell to try on the mighty Storm & settle on petrifaction ....which works - he turns to stone & then shatters... we change direction but still be pursued by the Zeppelin. Thaeuss - still under the potion drinks a strength potion and hurls things ( rocks & sticks) at the zeppelin hoping to do it harm. It does not work - eventually he cast animation on the controls and twiddles (having made the bottom transparent)... This makes the Zeppelin drop it ballast & head for the sky suddenly - out of control ..

We head toward town but continue on around the lake toward the other side. We avoid the forest of uniform green trees.

It's getting near dawn.. (when night closes its tired eyes)....

Part the Seventh

Our current position be at the base of mountains about 40 miles away from the manor.. we think we be concealed...   

We decide to wait for dawn after we (or at least Thaeus) doth sense a large pulse of anti magic. Thaeus attempts (ambitiously perhaps - although he be still be charged up with Tsayoi's potion & will be for 24 hours ) to petrify the entire content of the lake in the hope of destroying she of the bronze undergarments...he back- fires once but tries again. ...there be no way of knowing whether our foe be a rock lining the lake bottom or hath escaped unharmed.

One hour passes and daylight peeks its snout above the horizon... by dawns early light we can see Zeppelin devices floating across the sky... They might be a few miles away but it be hard to determine to an exact distance..

Thaeus in an attempt to distract they, flies off about 5 miles away & launches an attack ... he notes about 1200 soldiers present!!! (Thaeus be a quick counter) many wearing all white uniforms & a number of items referred to as gyroscopes... So he creates a stone golem of 12' in height from the stone masonry of the manor house & it lumbers towards the building with instructions to "Exterminate ! Exterminate!...but it be quickly cut to pieces of rock splinters by the rapid firing of guns.. Twice more he tries with the same result ... the bullets turn rock to splinters ... until just as he be about to cast one more spell, he notes with alarm the creepy visage of BIologian peering direct-like at Thaeus from under the brim of his broad hat... discretion being the better part & all that as do all of the sneaking professions consider, thus Thaeus legs it back to our camp (by flight) at great haste & we prepare to leave el prontissimo. He petrifies we and itemises every one so we may be carried... Instilling flight in the flying carpet he flies north at great haste - still using the powers of the potion provided by Tsayoi which enables him to move to the horizon ....

Heading North there be great difficulties flying over a mountain range, with wind and lightening everywhere & the weather most vicious... the storm seems to be created by unnatural - i.e. magical means.. crystals can be seen forming in the sky - Thaeus believes the Biologian to be behind this as the storm seem to be sentient & thinking and seemeth to bring attack upon we....

At a certain time in our flight there be problems experienced with the transformation spells: Tsayoi doth spontaneously turn into a life sized stone fire giant, Delith turns to a woman, Serra Angelis into a rock elf... Deith by magic means transforms into a giant swan but injures her shoulder/ wing by trying to pull out of the plummet... Thaeus manages to save the rest of we by various clever & quick spell castings ( as well no doubt by use of his vast array of magicked items)

We believe our foes must know of our whereabouts. By use of logic reasoning and paranoid thought, the blame be placed square at the feet of the The Spear of Destiny as the cause. It also seemeth to to be the cause of the unintended transformations. A DE spell doth detect a spell similar to that known as "Locate" & also a spell that prevents the Spear from changing planes, its state or teleporting... thus it be hard to steal & move rapidly...From now I will take the spear in my possession having the least magic resistance which doth work in our favour.....

Just then we note a very large Zeppelin device... obviously on our trail. Soldiers in white garments be flinging themselves into the air from a hole at its base. Immediately white half balloons sprout above they and their plummet be slowed to a gentle fall to earth. They carry guns of course ... we have been pursued successfully and as suspected must have been tracked...

We move north flying quickly at great rate eventually getting ahead of the storm and end up above a large and beautiful city. From time to time from now on my resistance to magic will re-assert itself and I will transform back to either a stone statue of myself or to a flesh and blood halfling. Thaeus must then repeat the transformation spell...

16 Harvest We travelled Northwest until we came to a storm tossed land of sparse population. It be deserted. We land and are transformed to our normal forms. Serra Angellus tends to Delith. Remove the tracking device from the Spear we must. Thaeus must rest. Delith manages to not remove the spell... 5 hours later??!!!... it seemeth that her skills advertised on the Guild Notice Board as a Namer Mage in reality be restricted to naming the sword-fights she hath attended and bars of most fond memory at which she was served. Next time I shall restrict my association with Namers to those that actually know how to spell...

We do see a lumbering flying conveyance 20 miles south of we, moving toward the western direction. Ronnon & also a magic crystal in the possession of Delith detect some form of scrying...we are being ESP'd..

We then move, travelling by the same method as before We do find an isolated locale.. by catching & questioning yokels we do determine it be the land of Roz . We be situated to the west of the 'Fatherland" region. The next town down be called Gascony.

We fly east flying over a small settlement through which be laid the parallel steel lines for a Train conveyance to travel upon. We land & explore - Delith the only human (& I in invisible form sneaking behind) shall go into the town. Delith, whose looks be of the come hither sort that launched a 1000 bar-fights, after discouraging the amorous attention of a local boy, doubtless by now bored witless of the sultry big eyed charm of his herd of milking cows, doth obtain a document named Train Time table - but written in a strange tongue. Deltih again be unsuccessful at the removal of the spell on the spear

We travel once more by similar method. At a certain point in time Tsayoi changes from his itemised state to a large stone.. before being transformed back by Thaeus... The problem with the Spear still remains...

A hundred miles later, we be at a Cathedral City. We land discretely outside the city bounds while Delith doth enter the city, seeking directions & information. She hath provided the following recount of what did occur...... She questions various folk of the city about where we be and also asks for knowledge of where to get a map.... as she do this for a while, from the corner of her eye she doth note a dark horseless cart slowly traversing toward she.... two grim faced beady eyed men wrapped in black leather long coats, belted tightly, with low-set hats come over to "feel her collar" before she can make discrete like & hide... cruelty be writ clear across they faces - well dressed bully boys of Reich they be... They ask she to show her special papers which she does... it all goes smoothly until they ask her where she be from. Delith pause too long trying to recollect our cover story... she see the slow light of suspicion dawning in their eyes & as they make to grab her... she acts cat like quick- smashing one across the face. A fight breaks out... the fell cowards pull guns shooting repeatedly at her as she ducks, dives and attempts to cast spells...several of the small stones shoot from the gun piercing into her body. Blood, smoke & noise doth fill the street as Delith gamely fights on - eventually triggering her bodily transformation into an enormously tall giant fighting swan in the middle of the street... she smacks both of the leather clad bully boys hard with the bony edges of her wings, honking loudly with swan battles cries & flies off before the startled & fleeing locals can say "rotisserie"...

After Delith hath been well patched up by Serra Angelis we leave... as luck would have it having received some directions from some of they that were questioned...We have 120 miles South & 200 miles East to go to our destination - which will be the house at West Baden which be our way out of here.....We get to within 60 miles of West Baden....when in the sky a translucent zeppelin doth appear out of nothing...it be miles away but disturbingly close... There be a magic attack against Thaeus which he do resist. The attack doth seem to be by some means of folding...we be slowed somehow as if extra dimensions and burdens must be crossed to get to our destination. This House be hidden underground inside a large tunnel made for the train conveyances to pass through.

The Zeppelin clearly be aware of our position as it hath turned to face our direction...; we believe they cannot see us ( we be invisible)... Thaeus doth look through his magic spyglass... we all hear with trepidation as he doth utter in low voice the following names of some of he foulest and craziest fiends I have had the ill fortune to share air with; "Steelwind, the Geometry, the Biologian, Colonel Ishii ..." that the reason they chase we- no doubt the Spear be of great import cannot be argued...

Thaeus tries unsuccessfully to petrify the engine of the Zeppelin ...as his spell do travel forth from he, it do leave a trail of light visible to all. This mean our foes know exactly where we be...Steel wind is walking toward us...Thaeus tries unsuccessfully to teleport us to our destination but he be stunned - though quickly recovers. ..

Steelwind doth cast five Pantasms... Col Ishii is busy folding and preparing to cast....

We see the tunnel mouth 9 meters high be open before us and we fly toward it, skimming the ground at low level on the stolen carpet... Steelwind teleports into the mouth if the tunnel behind we!!

We now be in most dire trouble. As we all prepare to make a last stand against this foul creature (& before some un-named of us not being myself might have even considered offering to change sides), Thaeus cries out in a firm voice that he will reveal the locale of Mr Wolf if Steelwind will let us go. The creature Steelwind replies that he will if we give up the Spear of Destiny ...It be agreed...Thaeus then gives a detailed description of Mr Wolf's presence - apparently they both be of the same race.... Steelwind doth take the spear and leave, moving straight through walls its seems..... but before doing so hath the courtesy to create an illusion of we being disintegrated following a fight with Steelwind. This be to throw the others off our trail... no doubt as much for Steelwinds benefit as our own.... I reflect on why he did not simply slay we all after receiving the Spear - as many of my aquaintances, although of course not my noble self, might have done - the dead( mostly) do not speak. I be told that betrayals leaves a physical mark on these creatures heads so others might know they be untrustwourthy -and as such betrayals be infrequent ...

The "house" be located after 10 or 15 minutes. We enter & rest up for two days later -
19 Harvest.. This house be raised by the Master of Riddles & Mister Morton & the Paralell Man. It be a concealed house - not a fortified one. We learn that we can travel to meet the Lord of Tinkers by visiting Henry the Toymaker at House Kerberoth.

Delith divinates a number of items as follows: The Footstool will allow one to travel to the astral plain but you cant take it with you. The Toy Boat - allows you to call dawn in five minutes. The two Flints Spears - have bound fire trapped in stone:. One hath a diamond weapon cast on it & will act like a weapon of flames. The other can be used with a diamond javelin spell to send many javelins flying. Shubtis - 4 x astral golems activated by sacrifice of endurance. Some mechs - A spider that can poison someone, a wasp - can sting someone, a butterfly that will blend, ladybug that will act as a danger signal...

We get to House Kerberoth. It takes two weeks. We meet Henry the Toymaker who tell us about the bottom of the pit. During conversation he tells us there be a face at the bottom of the pit that will draw us in and eat our souls. Entropy locusts come form there. He will travel with us to meet Ingarethon. He be a half elf who hath with he always a satchel and carries a small cross bow and a shortsword with a number of mechanical gears on it such as in a mechanical clock.

We tell Ingarethon our tale & even offer notes of the relevant bits. He be exceeding glad the Spear did not end up with the Medusa. He doth not want the gorgons to get this. We give he the manual for the steel skyrocket. The information about the Savage Duke and his new body is most important. He says the Biologian be from another multiverse...

We say that he wants to retain the Widow Click's service & asks if we want to track her down for he... he suggest we talk to persons known as the Keeper of the Gates - or the Lady of the Lake whom we can talk to now about this as she be nearby...

Part the Eighth

We be at the House Kerberoth talking to Ingarethon who is in the body of Henry the Toymaker.He wants the Widow Click to enter his service. He be also interested in she because she be an elf. We need to present her to him.

He be concerned with the Gorgons who be eternals but not immortals. He talks of complex matters about the difference between eternals & immortals with one not having a fates but instead possessing destinies and such things as anti-miracle pools. None of the immortals want the gorgons to get their hands on the spear of destiny as this would give them a great amount of control.

He will pay to us 100,000 SP for Spying on the Meeting in Reich mission. After much discussion he will pay us by spells and supplied through various of his contacts for this next mission :

The Keeper of the Gates has a ritual called Egg in the Hollow, this be offered to I. Florian Lord of the Living Flame who seems to make the women folk squirm in their smalls at the mere glimpse of he and his long flowing hair, doth appear... We determine that he indeed do be all "teeth and hair" for in the intellect stakes, he be rolling each die on a separate table (Serra of course falls to the ground as if struck by apoplexy with a foolish grin befixed on face as she drools at the sight of his manly countenance) Delith doth fare slightly better in the foolishness stakes. Despite his inadequacies he be working on a flying spell based on heat... In the event that we complete this mission for Ingarethon, he will supply Tsayoi a broach, a spell for Serra, Light armour for Delyith & similar items / spells for each of our party.

We need to find how to get to the Middlemarch realm of the Medusa to find the good Widow The suggestion be that we talk to the Lady of the Lake to obtain this information. Thaeus who knows this Lady advises we be able to ask only one question each & she be inclined to trickery in her answers. He tells that she also hath powers over swords. Delith takes time to explore the great Library at Kerberoth which holds records of many names. Ingarethon allows Serra to change her personal strengths & abilities.

We need to find an ideal lake to access the Lady of the Lake. The local one be the Lake of Suppurating Uncertainty - which doth not bode well from its name. Ingarethon suggest going to the land of Juroth - to which we travel.

Juroth be a primitive culture city with a low mana zone. We learn: there be several religious centres where by praying to the local god mana is improved. The most popular god be Caristherra, god of Youth, Trade & beauty. There be a young King in the palace who hath succeeded his slain parents. This be the home of the famous alchemist Paracelsus. Residential buildings be about 1 meter above the ground - flooding there be it seems. We leave the town to find a lake

After 1 days travel we find a lake & summon the Lady of the Lake who in this realm be known as Angheriad. Slowly she arise from the waters with her upraised hand showing first. She be pretty wearing a white samite dress and be of a cool and still demeanour. As she do exit the water smoothly with scarcely a ripple, those of us with swords note they vibrate loudly in their sheaths. It seems she & the swords be talking in the tongue of swords. Thaeus explains the purpose of our quest to she and requests that we may ask some questions. This be agreed to:

Q: How do we get to the Medusa without going through Reich? A: There are many different ways (a) She can take us (b) Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake could take us.

Q: Why does the Medusa have Widow Click under her power? A: Because she be inhabiting the Widow Click.

Q: What would it be reasonably possible us to obtain to trade for the Widow Click aside from the Spear of Destiny: A: The Blue Jade Dagger - which not be safe.

Q: Why doth the Medusa occupy Widow Click? A: The gorgons wanted to trap the Balrog. The only way they could do this was to have the Medusa occupy Widow Click and lead it to a micro plain where it be. Afterwards they saw no reason to return she the Widow Click as they did not have to. It was a cold Balrog not a normal one.

What be the best way of recovering the Widow Click that we hath not considered. A: Swap places.

Serra Angelis, asks about how to talk to our swords.... then most mysterious like she begins babbling crazily about coating our swords with the seed of Halflings which she claimeth to be toxic (I note her front teeth although in the main dazzling white, do bear in places a a slight tarnish - unrelated perhaps...) Well bound in the clutches of liquor she be I have no doubt.. I have heard tale that she hold great rank in the arts of the Courtesan but it doth appear her money hath been ill spent as she speaks in the manner of the most vulgar of orcs on a pre-nuptual bachelors ravage and pillage weekend.... for once I be not the most uncouth member of our party

The Lady shows us the ritual of how to summon Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake but we chose to use her (LOTL's) assistance. Those of us who use noble blades she shows how to communicate with them which will no doubt lead to interesting information in the future. She offers us water breathing and walks us down underwater into the lake. We follow for about 20 mins (or so it seems) she then says we are here...

... we note marble pillars, which she tells us to pass between.

Before we go, blessings be granted to the swords of Tsayoi. Serra Angelis (vulgarity apparently forgotten) and myself from her touch. The result be special powers be invested in our swords as follows: Tsayoi - weapon of flames, Serra Angelis Diamond Weapon, mine - enchanted weapon. If prepared ritually the weapons will trigger these spells as we require without recourse to preperation and can then be re-prepared by once more purifying.

Thaeus be given a leather flask which contains a useful oil. this protects against external effects of time while applied. We then pass through the pillars to a dry unoccupied area which hath a flat stone a floor which examination by Ronnon, a stone mason by previous trade, say hath been created by pouring rather than cutting... Delith by DA determines it were originally just normal stone but since about 40 years before is now made of a special crystal and be three time stronger than normal stone. The shape looks like a giant tube... some would say the barrel of a gun - but much too big...

On the ground we do note a strange alchemical substance that do look like dried gruel... small grains stuck together in a pentagon like shape... spells to reveal it to be a medium for holding together an explosive material - probably from a different realm it be.

Travel we do for several miles, rising upwards on an incline.. Ahead we do see a Minotaur...I ready a blindfold - being prepared this time to slip over my eyes - I know the Medusa with her perilous gaze nearby must be. . Others prepare various methods to protect against the gaze of our snake haired host... . He asks where we have come from & be surprised to see we. He escorts us through a labyrinth, which be of brain numbing difficulty... our very minds seem to be tricked and changed by this. Without his guidance we would be lost with no doubt. ...As we exit, we notice that we be marching like high stepping geese in perfect unison - some magical effect of the labyrinth no doubt...

We be offered wine by the Minotaur as he leave to get she the Medusa. I pull the blindfold on.

I hear her enter.. this be accompanied by the hissing of a gaggle of snakes She asks about the facts of our mission & if successful were we. We do explain about the Spear of Destiny and how Steelwind hath acquired it under duress at the last instant. She says he be of "Trans Uranic" descent... and seemeth unsurprised at our failure. We relate all that we heard at the meeting between the Emporer Fuhrer and his gang of thugs. She tells to us that the sealed room in the manor be magically sealed to allow secret communications. She speaketh of Devils and how there be two sorts - 1. Fallen Angels & Pseudo Fae. Pseudo Fae be false gods. She sayeth that Bireet was the god of the city of Bayroot & much of his worship did occur at a Garden of Tophet involving human sacrifice of children - (that leave most of our party safe!) She be impressed by the knowledge we impart to she, despite our failure to produce the said Spear of Destiny..Then we raise the issue of the Widow Click and how she be sought by we.

She says in exchange for releasing the widow she would not mind the Blue Jade Dagger... if someone were killed by it doth render that someone dead forever... and that be a mighty long time.... Or A gun found in hell, Or A map of the known realms (in House Tintagel) being a powerful artifact that would attract much unwanted attention from various immortals, Or A dragon called Mountainshadow that hath a well of tears hidden it his treasure, Or....

...(At this point It do look like the Merry Widow shall remain put, as such tasks be beyond the power of we...) but then she the Medusa sayeth "Or the body of a beautiful demoness"....Before our Medusa can change her mind, Thaeus interjects with, "agreed." He reveals that he hath at Seagate a chest which can obtain the said creature... but travel to Seagate & back will he need to do..

We be entertained for 2-3 days while the Medusa communes with her sisters about this suggestion. Some of the party drink wine. Others such as I do train. Delith doth divinate the labyrinth. It seems it be a large weapon aiming at an astronomical feature.. She divinates the oil of the Lady of the Lake. It absorbs the first 50 ranks of time affecting spells... Delith determines that there were a cold Balrong in the Labyrinth. It be only 6 feet tall and hath a normal elf's body but with cloven hooves and be garbed in a suit o white.

14 Vintage. Time is fleeting and slipping into the future...

Thaeus is sent back to Seagate to retrieve his chest and return. He doth. A succubus be summoned and swapped by the Medusa for the Widow Click who doth appear before we.... She be frail and weak in body. We tell her of the opportunity that there be of gainful employ in the service of Ingarethon...

We learn that the Cold Balrog be wanted as he be a source of power.. He be different form normal Balrogs (the name "Cold Balrog" of course be a clue as to this) ... he be most easily harmed by the fires of Anul...instead of being connected to corruption (smoke & fire) this Balrog be connected to Entropy...they want to know how the trains work..

The Medusa doth tell we that return the way we came we should...

Part the Ninth

The Medusa can exit we from here to outside amid a Mountain range. The Widow can assist our travel and forge for we new papers & create disguises... I shall be in the guise a small boy in leather short pants with bracers she calls lederhosen. MY side whiskers and moustache be removed. Tsayoi will be back as a marionette. The medusa flanked by two gorgons leads us through a rainbow light, which we pass through and exit by a pine forest. A bright sunny day it be. We be on the side of a steep mountain blasted by chill winds. Ahead we note a castle in the distance much be-swathed in elaborate spires, towers... . Parallel steel rods, for the train conveyance passes along the ridges and through the small town at the base of the castle.

The comely Widow drawing on her smoking stick, swishing back her locks and exhaling in a low breathy manner, tells us, "But dahhhrrllings, you know it is called Ployeste and simply swarming with vampires.." To us she regales then a tale of history where the castle had belonged to a Prince Randu who had come to a sticky end at the hands of his Brother Estevan. Another Brother, Michael, was chased tail between legs from the place.... Only to rediscover his courage he then went on a Crusade with an army of peasant folk against Estevan. Estevan, apparently revealed in a puff of sulphur and amid thunderous organ chorales to be of the pale skinned fanged persuasion, was destroyed in the end by a great Knight armed with a Relic set in the hilt of his sword.... But not before he had spread his foul curse amongst the local folk...She tells us that a special clay can be obtained from here, which assists in the manufacture of golems -to which Thaeuss's eyes light up....

Thaeus the clever then by a greater creation spell doth create a cart which can travel along the parallel steel tracks. It be powered by the natural downward force of hills and assisted wind for going upwards. Upon this we call do climb.

We travel through the town quick like and note a surprising number of local types given it be a hamlet be-poxed with the vampire plague. Rich do it look, but stop do we not.

For two more hours we do travel easy-like along the steel rails.... Until we do note a train conveyance heading straight for we. Tsayoi, Fire Mage tell us he feels a cold chill up his spine .....gulping he states - "it be a Balrog train."

Thaeus removes the device form the rails... the elves of our party, Serra Angelis, Widow Click and Thaeus, knowing the be like nectar to Balrogs, to make haste travelling down a hill hidden in spheres of force created by Thaeus... . The remainder of we do hide. The train doth pass without event and we wait for a half hour before regrouping. Thaeus hath discovered some mushrooms types... luckily one type ("Lady of the Forest") be revealed as most poisonous in nature before it can be devoured..... Secrete it into my pack I do.

We then do note a Zeppelin Air device on the skty's horizon - one of the very big varieties - A Battle Zeppelin like a battle ship of the air it be we ponder.. burt before we can consider this more we hear coming behind us the Balrog train now returning the other way on the same track...

We travel on but it be clear that the train be faster than out cart...

Thaeus thinks quick and creates a stone golem which immediately sets about buckling the parallel steel tracks... his plan be to make the Balrog Train slip off the tracks and tumble down the steep slopes on one side... As the train approaches we do note two large guns and steel armour at the front part known as the engine. We see two of the giant red suits of armour (Eisenkinder - they be known as) mounted on top....

The train crumples and flips off the steel tracks as it reaches the buckled part of the steel rail caused by Thaeus' golem ...with a terrible screeching and groaning and puffs of smoke, it rolls in mangled mass down the slope.....But not before the Eisenkinder both leap from the front of the train device and charge toward we with surprising speed...

Gaining on us they are as we flee on the cart.... Escape them by speed we cannot & decide to stop & make a stand against they. In the fight that ensues we discover that they be the most powerful foes, made of some sort of super-strong glass armour and armed with scythe weapons. They be most resistent to magic they be, with 4 "Opening" spells of mine failing to have any effect. Only with all our powers in conjunction with several golems created by Theus, be we able to prevail... with a bright blue liquid eventually spilling bloodlike from beneath the red armour.

Through out this melee do I note the Widow Click seated on a comfortable stone coolly smoking, setting her hat at the right angle and exhorting us to prevail with the same care she might apply to her to exercising her miniature poodle... "Ouiii, mon Dahhrrrling that ees eet, fetch zee ball!"

After our combat , the defeated red suits of armour be opened to reveal two befuddled small children, one inside of each. I be all for delivering they to our Patron Ingarethon for whatever questioning he be able to employ.... but Serra Angelis and Tsayoi in misguided righteousness do cruelly and swiftly dispatch these innocents.... Their hardness of heart be most surprising to I who had thought he saw it all...

We do pull bits of armour off the Eisenkinder devices...they do have built in slings and steel scythes. Maybe these could be adapted to fit one of we, perhaps Tsayoi the giant...

... back on the cart, we resume our journey....

BUT there be worse still awaiting... soon we do feel the temperature in the air suddenly rise and a smouldering odour doth abound.. rising slowly up the slope from the wreckage of the train conveyance be the Cold Balrog. Most enormous in size it be with a span 45 foot across... a roaring mass of angry heat, fire and smoke flying by smoky bat wings... Golems created by Thaeus create a brief diversion for this foul creature as we disembark the cart to sit upon the magic carpet and attempt to flee by the air... but fooled it be not and follow us it does

Engage we do in an aerial game of cat and mouse ducking and dodging behind hills and valleys, hugging cliff-lines and skulking as best we can... but shake him we cannot. Most persistent does this Balrog seem

Just as upon us the Balrog seems ready to pounce and devour we all, the foul beast suddenly be hauled back from its task like a dog on a chain ... roaring and hissing sparks it be dragged back through the air to its even fouler masters in the west...

We travel 120 miles west. Eventually we get to Varna (where we arrived first) and make contact with Henderson

Awake the next day (15 Vintage) we do in a safe house. Henderson has papers for we. By train conveyance shall we travel to our destination....

Part the Tenth

We need to get to Wiesbaden to depart. Arrangements be to go by train for which we book out an entire carriage. Most splendid this be, including including a sitting room of sort where I plan to savour a pipe & quaff the Reich Ale for the entire journey. Two days be spent waiting for this journey. We all be in disguise - but foolishly do not split our party to disguise our numbers.

The first part of the journey doth progress without issue, but problems do arise as we stop to transfer to a different train conveyance.

As we queue to re-board the train conveyance our papers be perused most careful like by the stony-faced flint-eyed men in black leather coats with low brimmed hats. No problem there appeareth to be as we board unnoticed....& we set off...

But as we do depart Tsayoi being unusually astute, surprisingly for one mostly noble and trusting in nature, doth observe that there be only one carriage behind we... all others have been, we think, detached at the station...exceeding odd & a rat we do smell...Ronon ESPs the front carriage - normal minds he doth detect there thinking of ordinary things.. .. & then the rear carriage...in where he senses much anticipation & tension in unison....uh oh! Some one be coming to get we!!

By various means we do quickly surmise that soldiers and men in leather coats are preparing to burst into our carriage from the rear. A battle ensues with attacks first at the rear and then by one man in a leather coat with a low brimmed hat being at the front of our carriage ( he attempts to detach it from the train conveyance...). Serra Angelis, fearless & also noble in battle, be grievously wounded in this scuffle confronting the first of these fiends as they do. Tsayoi acts most bravely flinging himself on top of a grenado to save we taking fearsome damage to his mortal flesh.. (I too of course do play a vital role - mainly by closing a door so a grenado may not be thrown amongst we).

We get to the carriage in front of us overpowering the man in leather coat. ( Jump off he does - petrified of we maybe?) .... Then overhead we do hear the thunder like roar of flying machines ... these look like the dastardly variety that dive down with a screaming siren noise to deliver giant exploding death grenados from the sky...We are trapped & doomed!! - these zealot fiends in thrall to the pop-eyed brush-moustashed Emperor Hitler no doubt be prepared to destroy the train to get at we ( that passengers now be leaping from the train may be a clue)...as this realisation doth dawn we start stepping onto the magic stool ( loot) which doth provides a portal to the astral plain...( first, into this perilous domain be I) but some of us (being either the slower of mind & or even more brave as you would have it) are too late... & as they step forth everything explodes.....they make it but with terrible wounds....

Underestimated the ruthlessness of the Reich have we... killing their own citizens & destroying an entire train conveyance to kill us be they prepared to do....

The Barber / Surgeons list be as follows: Delith: wounds to viscera, groin 2nd shoulder, chest.. Thaeus: hand chopped off, crushed head. Tsayoi secondary arm crippled Ronnon sliced off secondary arm Serra Angelis: stomach punctured, slash to secondary arm, invisoration, damage to primary arm, 3 x chest wounds. Roderigo: 0 ( Luck & skill shine through for the valiant!! )

Arrive separately on the astral plane we do. By mind trickery & foul magic ( as opposed to the fact that we forgot how to get to the Abyss & how you travel as you will it, Serra & I be separated from the others & make for Wiesbaden)... but we eventually be tracked down by the rest of the party & head to the Abyss together - moving down the cliff faces by flying carpet & Dellith in swan form....

..... but on the way down we be attacked by a flying Calamar wearing a multicoloured robe, flinging spells at we.... This thrice cursed beast hath purple iridescent skin, soulless eyes & a face like an angry squid writhing with tentacles... we do detect a ledge on the cliff face which we disembark upon to make battle. Illusionary magic be detected. This creature be most resistant to spell usage resisting three sleep spells I fling at he... & attacking me with phantasms. Tsayoi & Thaeus attack by the flying carpet... After a fierce battle we do destroy it. It hath loot: a carpet with beautiful designs, magic robes a magic belt, which reduces weight & triples telekinesis spell & potions. We chop up the beast & remove its skin....

The illusion on the cliff shelf be from an old college & were cast 3000 years ago. Eventually see through the illusion we do & travel through to a Middle march coming out by a rock face, where there be tropical plants, a waterfall in a garden etc

Part the Eleventh

The area hath high mana for fire mages and wiccans. Time doth seem to move differently in this region

Down through a cleft in the rock face we do look into a garden that be well stuffed with hot & steamy plant life. Fruit & bird life both do flourish in abundance. The fruit be safe to eat & hath most fruitly qualities seeming deliberately pleasing and of great nutrition to the eater. We do note no predators in this region nor insects of the annoying kind such as mosquitoes.

There be order to the garden although it seems to be wild. Serra & Thaeus searching for regenerating herbs (to grow back some body parts) find a thick hedge 10 feet high bedecked with yellow & red berries. A DA doth reveal "immolation" as the purpose. From height it doth appear to Thaeus to be surround a 5 meter wall & 20 meter towers & a garden of most intricate complexity. There be a central fountain & many flowing streams... ingestion of the berries doth cause Serra (for all her expensive Courtier manners) to burp explosive fire (& damage to her inner body parts).

The party returns together to find a way through the hedge. Serra talks to the hedge by earth mage spells. The hedge reveal that it be created by 'Kherubim' (which I be told be strangely shaped immortal creatures that can have 4 faces, 4 wings 4 arms and no feet). For Serra, the hedge doth agree to open a passage - & the branches part 25 metres deep which ends at a wall - 25 metres high - distances and heights be most difficult to calculate truly in this place - they do seem of different measurements depending upon from where they be viewed. The towers we see be round as do the wall. Both be more ornamental in nature than defensive according to the soldierly types in our party.

Scale the wall we do to see as reported a garden of most ornate and complicated but regular patterns. Streams do run through it which seem to have rainbows trapped inside the water. Patterns be everywhere. At the centre (2km away) be a fountain of squarish build ... strange it be shaped like the reverse of the sign seen every where in Reich - a broken armed cross but with the arms going in the reverse way to that in Reich . High in the air from the fountain spurts water ... we proceed cautiously as a few party members to recall difficult dealings with the Lord of Patterns whose stamp doth appear here....

....as we get within 300 metres or so of the fountain, a loud booming voice cryeth out "My strength be the strength of 10 because my hear is pure..." - which be recognised by some of we as a charm that must be repeated 3 times in order to give 10 times the strength.... it be a creature that be fitting (almost) perfectly the description of a Kherub.... it be floating 10 feet in the air bearing a sword ... it attacks we trampling with four powerful hooves (that part be wrong - feet it doth have) over several of we at a time and attacking with its powerful arms - attempting to pull the head off Delith at one time...Eventually we do prevail - our numbers overpowering it &.... more importantly the 3rd chant was not triggered & its strength remained at only exception rather than 10 times exceptional... upon defeat it folds up to be a triangular creature of two dimensions... nonetheless it were a most powerful foe.....

We determine that the creature be bound here by an unusual form of magic as bait for one particular type of person....the rainbow filled streams do seem to be linked into this binding. Treasure here: a scroll of pure heart (not useful for Thaeus or I suspect I do), a sword - a powerfully ranked Tulwar with weapon of flames... We take some of its skin to use for parchment. I sneak a few shavings & noting their pleasant aroma place them into my pipe and try a few puffs ... nothing happens....

Take water from the streams we do and place it in various potion containers. It seems to have healing properties.... I take 3 potion bottles, Ronnon 8, Tsayoi 5, Delith 4, Serra 4, Thaeus 3.

Serra takes cuttings of the incendiary berries & some rare herbs she finds.

Times seems to have changed so that it does take two whole days to depart form this place. We leave on 27 Vintage for the abyss.....

Walk down the cliff we do and commence travelling. After 2 days (29 Vintage) we come across 3 demons - a giant steel tumbleweed, a humanoid which be half 8 foot tall club-like arm and one rake thin one wrapped in bandages...Cast spells on we does one of this mangy pack of fiends causing armour and clothes to shed from the target... this Tsayoi ends naked at the end of this melee as does more notably for those who like to look on the naked flesh of humans, the most comely Delith...

The tumbleweed be attacking by rolling as a giant crushing ball and the giant armed creature uses his giant club arm to smash... a battles ensues where we emerge victorious. Deliver the telling blow do I by careful placement of dagger to the nether regions of club hand & the fiend falls... The other two be captured & by threat we do extract from them - a treasure map which tells you where the loot be if bleed on it you do ( which only I want) & scrolls. We do get more skin off the defeated demon -several party members do get enough skin for shoes & I for gloves.....we also do get some of the wire from the tumble weed (who squealed pitifully with horrible and feral cries for mercy but succumbed after we threatened to feed he to a larger demon)...

After 12 days travel of little interest we do get to house Kerberoth - 11 Frost




.

Part 2

Local reports of note

The night of the 18th

The following is a rumor as no-one has come forward to corroborate the story and remained alive (or out of Gestapo custody) long enough to attest to it.

One cold and dark Autumn night when the sun was firmly below the horizon a group of Gestapo were patrolling looking for the weak and innocent to prey upon, with the weaker and fairer sex more arduously looked for as they might be more eager to escape custody, deserved or not.

Two Gestapo men, Heinrich and Jürgen in their long leather trench coats were being driven by a lowly army driver Wilhelm in their jeep around Wiesbaden looking for someone to arrest and perhaps more as they had been receiving a lot of alerts recently regarding infiltration by das American Super-Soldiers and rumors were rife about trouble on the trains and saboteurs.

The Gestapo stopped by the station and there they espied a beautiful young woman (they saw her rear first) who had a strange accent. They approached her and noticed she was beautiful albeit not so young and decided she warranted their personal attention. They asked for her papers which she produced but when asked where she was from she hesitated and couldn't provide a response and so they walked her towards the waiting car and its driver.

At the door of the vehicle the 'lady' decided she was not to accompany the men and gave Heinrich a solid slap which he attempted to return with his fist but he failed to connect with the young woman's head in response. Immediately he knew who he had and he shouted Achtung - Amerikanischer UberSoldat.

Once Jürgen heard this his fears were realised, this could be one of the enemies of the Reich they had been looking and she could be the one to bring him to the attention of the Fuhrer as he so richly deserved and so he drew his weapon and fired 3 times at the woman with little effect as the woman started chanting strange words.

Heinrich also stepped back and they spent another period firing yet more bullets into the woman who looked mildly upset but continued chanting even after having been shot 9 times now. The men noticed a frown cross her brow and thought they had greatly hurt her but she resumed another round of chanting.

Nearby civilians were leaping for cover with all these bullets flying around and Wilhelm had dived out the door of the car into the protection afforded by the other side of the car but still Heinrich and Jürgen kept their composure and continued firing on the defenceless woman.

Another round of firing saw Heinrich run out of bullets while Jurgen still had some in his weapon but still the woman chanted on while moving around the car to get herself away from the fusillade of bullets aimed her way.

Heinrich changed his magazine and Jürgen continued to fire and empty his weapon but the verdammte Amerikanischer Helfrau seemed to shrug off such bullets and found cover behind the car door on the far side while still chanting away.

Heinrich and Jürgen moved around the car and were about to firmly finish her off when she suddenly turned into a huge (16ft wingspan) blue killer swan.

Surely it was 'Morder Cygnus' the Amerikan's secret soldier that no-one had heard about to date but these brave Gestapo men had discovered and were about to capture or kill.

Heinrich and Jürgen valiantly approached but the swan flapped her wings and buffeted them down as she made her escape into the night honking with pain and anger.


The Official report submitted by Gestapo agents Heinrich and Jurgen after the incident on the 18th

We were patrolling Wiesbaden looking for traitors and enemies of the Reich when we saw a suspicious acting woman. We thought only of the security of the Reich and approached her after instructing our driver to get reinforcements. We asked for her papers and she produced some obviously fake papers and when asked where she was form she couldn't answer so we arrested her.

We marched her back to our car and there she gained super strength and assaulted us as well as activating some sort of secret force field which caused our many well aimed bullets to miss her. We think she had invisible accomplices who helped her get away from us and assaulted us to throw our aim off and so she managed to get to the other-side of the car.

Once there she engaged her super powers and turned into a huge killer swan, 'Morder Cygnus' the Amerikanischer's latest secret Ubersoldat and then she and her accomplices threw us to the ground momentarily concussing us both and managing to make their escape - but we are sure she was injured by at least a few of our well -aimed bullets possibly even her left arm and more.

We immediately upon recovering berated Wilhelm for not following our orders and raised the alarm ourselves.

SGT Snippets & Gossip

Buffs

Magic Rk Effects Dur En. Dur Del Rod Ron Ser Tha Tsa  
Strength of Stone (Ser) 14 +14 EN / PS 15 hrs 29 hr E E E E E E
Armour of Earth (Ser) 14 +30 Def, 1 DR 7.5 hrs 14.5 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y
Durability (Th) 10 +3 AP, Unbreakable, 22lb limit 110 mins 210 mins Y
Fire Armour (Ts) 6 48 ablative fire protection 7 hrs 13 hrs Y
Modify Aura (Th) 6 +/- 2 Levels 7 hrs 13 hrs
hrs hrs
hrs hrs
hrs hrs
hrs hrs
Instil Flight (Th) 10 40mph 650 lbs limit 5.5 hrs p Y w
Linking Lifeforce (Th) 12 Reflect health within 1300 miles Perm Y Y Y Y Y Y
Lesser Enchantment (Ser) 11 -1 on Dice Season Y Y Y Y Y Y
Greater Enchantment (Rod) 15 +16% Season Y Y Y Y Y

Sense Danger:25%

Places

The Abyss
A flat featureless plain covered by eternal night.
We pass a pit a mile wide, road spiralling down, mine shafts leading off, something moving at the bottom, liquid-like, glinting.
Feralie


Reich
Reich is a modern world, where, in fact, the Nazis (Axis) won the war. This world operates under different laws of the universe.
Phlogiston - Burning generates phlogiston, heat & light. Air absorbs phlogiston, phlogisticated air smothers fire. Phlogiston is lighter than anything else, including a vaccuum.
Great advanced biology/medicine/genetics - 'Super Soldiers'. Axis SS more powerful, Allied SS more stable, longer-lived.
Magic is the province of secret groups and orders, usually ritualistic. Spell-Magic unknown by the general public.
Ultima Thule - secret British (Allied) base, troops. Scotland is independent.
Germany wealthy, organised, trains.
Grand Ritual Trains - Ritual Magic to protect state from magical interference. Balrogs, Greater Summoning, Ritual Magicians, Gestapo guards.

Things

Fastur's Travelling Puppet Show

  • Dolly - a pretty doll who flits across the stage breaking hearts and bopping heads with her monster stick to check for disguised monsters.
  • Bopper - a small kleptomaniac with a predilection for bopping people on the head and running away. In love with Dolly.
  • Belcher - a short, fat, ill-mannered drunkard. Carries a stein, drinks when it's full, hits others with it when empty. In love with Dolly.
  • Gruls - a huge farmer who wants to be a soldier. Marches with his shovel, guards the brewery. Frequently tricked, usually leading to leaning over to be bopped on the head. In love with Dolly.
  • Alice - the heavily-rouged bar maid, has a truncheon to bop those who misbehave in her pub, just wants to be loved by everyone. Hates Dolly.
  • The Captain - Retired soldier, limps from old war wounds, owns the brewery, pub, and everything else. Restores order when he strides the stage. Frequently distracted into reminiscing of the glory days. In denial of being in love with Dolly.

People and Creatures

Judecca - The Lord of Rings

Judecca is known as the Lord of Rings and he has a house on the plane of Feralie. Judecca is the son of Nightshade. Nightshade is known to ride in a black raven and he is so dark that he has no features - they can only be seen in profile. On Feralie killing innocents has an impact on your soul and if you kill a faerie then the Lord of Rings (Judecca) will know.

Regarding Judecca and travel to Nualis. Judecca won't enter the following realms - One is under the influence of the named Devil Decorabia, and another under the influence of the named Devil Cimejes (but note:).

The information below was either learned from impeccable sources within the Reich or from actual visual observation supplemented by dangerous encounters

  • The Widow Click - a spy mistress
  • Tanaka - A mysterious Oriental gent equipped with a device he calls "ka-me-rah".
  • 'Morder Cygnus' - a suspected American super soldier
  • The 'Puppet Master' - a suspected super soldier believed by the Fuhrer to be the same person as the Night-caller and be working on behalf of the Americans.
  • The 'Night-caller' - a suspected American super soldier who an unnatural taste for the killing of young girls. He can shape change and he likes to attack from the rear.
  • The Fuhrer - A male German of middle age who wants his life extended and to become undying but the Biologian holds out on this. He is a charismatic leader of the Reich but has been described as a demented looking fellow with a short moustache like a small black paintbrush and crazy staring eyes.
  • The Stormbanfuhrer - a male 7 foot tall tough looking German super soldier (in uniform) who could fly and cast lightning/energy bolts at will. He is assumed to have died on the 17th when he forcibly came into contact with an immovable object at high velocities. The Stormbanfuhrer was described as "seemingly unsubtle and uncouth but tough"
  • Loralie (aka the Rhine maiden) - a female German super soldier with a aquatic affinity whom we hear that she has the power to charm with a glance. She has green hair and wears a small bronze garment covering her upper woman parts.
  • Steelwind - a strangely shaped (a peculiar translucent shape which shifts and changes) German super soldier who can travel as per a phantasm, cast realistic mass hallucinations and disintegration magic. Steel-wind and is looking for Mr Wolf.
  • Orde Windgate - is a "hardman" and is living with 2nd generation Chindits. Those loyal to him have manifested some minor Super soldier characteristics.
  • The Biologian - he is not an immortal but human. He is not from this multiverse but he comes from a place where the positives be negative. He gets benefit from acknowledgment or awareness by others. He cannot give life to things that are alive and things that have never been alive but he can give life or sentience to other pseudo sentient creatures/entities/formations such as storms etc. The Biologian doth wear long dark robes, a broad black brimmed hat hiding his face with a white plain collar at his throat.
  • Goebbels - an ex supporter of the Fuhrer who was suspected of much and so he has had his brain extracted and turned to soup on the Fuhrer's orders.
  • Heinrich Himmler - an ex supporter of the Fuhrer who was suspected of much and so he has ate himself to death.
  • Admiral Albert Speer - a staunch supporter of the Fuhrer. He is in Egypt in charge of excavations there.
  • Dr Joseph Mengele - a staunch supporter of the Fuhrer and he is the driving force behind the Super Soldier program.
  • Berith aka the Savage Duke - known to have interactions with the Biologan from whom he sourced a host body of a 10 year old girl that will enable him to infect/infest the astral plane with his devils spreading his evil far and wide. The Savage Duke had in the past created a game which when played would give a doorway out of hell. This was in Nualis. They knew he hath made the game work and hath created a doorway to a place called Beirut. There be a cache of souls there at Trophet a place where sacrifices were made - especially of children. Souls are used as currency by the denizens of hell. There be different colors of souls. The Biologian believes the Savage Duke be interested in gathering more souls.
  • Col Ishii - A Japanese immortal/super soldier and there is only one word to describe he - FREAK!! He is an immortal but very weak. He hath done experiments like dripping acid into people's eyes and removing their livers to see how long they live but he can change around geometry by folding it thus changing dimensions of distance, depth, permeability and other such aspects.
  • Commander Toshimoto - A Japanese Super soldier who commands a submarine. The submarine can walk between locations if necessary.
Particular entities to avoid in the Abyss include the Lady of the Abyss, who is insane by chaos daemon standards; The Chaos Wind; Carnage; and Rampage.
  • On Feralie : Lord of Rings; Elf=>Orc Disease; follow link for full details.
  • On Feralie : Lord of Metals is mining/smithing part way up the Abyss-Astral cliff.
  • On Reich : Colonel Ishii. Draws power from Maruta (rolled up human flesh, origami on cut off bits). He casts disturbingly unpleasant spells.
  • On Reich : Biologian - responsible for Axis bio-engineering. Secretive.
  • On Reich : Orde Wingate - base in the depths of the Burmese jungle, enemy of the Axis. Undying, remarkably lucky, hard man. Fanatical Chindits.
  • On Reich : The powers of an immortal are seriously curtailed in Reich - about 1/4 of normal.

Treasure Distribution

Treasure

Item # Weight

Salvage

Experience Awards

Dellith Roderigo Ronon Serra Thaeuss Tsayoi
36168.75 36180 28012.5 33075 39318.75 37586.25
After racial tax:
36168.75 32890.91 25465.91 27562.5 32765.63 25057.5
After bonuses:
36768.75 33090.91 28865.91 27965.63 32965.63 25307.5
After Loot Auction:
35392.91 33915.08 29690.08 27286.67 32544.79 26131.67

Award Disposition

Dellith's Award
Roderigo's Award
Ronon's Award
Serra's Award
Thaeuss' Award
Tsayoi's Award

Calendar

Autumn 812wk: Fruit (4)
Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
Lugnasad 1 Guild Meeting 2 Meet QQ 3 Prep. 4 prep. 5 Alusian Astral 6 Abyss
7 Abyss 8 Abyss 9 Abyss 10 Abyss 11 Abyss 12 Abyss 13 Abyss - Pit
14 Abyss 15 Abyss 16 Abyss 17 Abyss 18 Abyss 19 Abyss 20 Feralie Astral
21 Reich - Black Sea 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30  
Autumn 812wk: Harvest (5)
  1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 Equinox M-Day! 16 17 18
19 Harvest Moon 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30  
Autumn 812wk: Vintage (6)
  1 2
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
Winter 812wk: Frost (7)
Moonday Duesday W'ansday Th'rsday Frysday Reapsday Sunday
Samhain 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