Find Liessa's Tutor

Scribe Notes

Summary

Adventure: Find Liessa's Tutor
GM: Mandos, (played by Mandos), god, world-shaper, story-teller, tamer of kittens, "he's just this guy, you know."
Season: Spring 796 WK

Party

• Phillipe "PJ" de Bourgenac, Human/M, Fighter, greater noble, party leader. (Ben)
• Berik Grundenstein, Human/M, Witch, lesser noble, party scribe. (Craig)
• Liessa Varden, Human/F, Mind Mage, party military scientist. (William)
• Kharga, Human/M, Earth Mage. (Jon)
• Aaron Rumard, Human/M, Namer, lesser noble. (David)

Ed. Spelling? Same as Aaron Roumand from Quest for Virtue?

Time on adventure

31 Dec 1996 AP to 13 Feb 1996 AP

Employer

Seagate Adventurer's Guild

Mission

To investigate the disappearance of Marcus Carradine, the teacher of Liessa

Original Scribe Notes

Media:Snsp9604.zip

Scribe Notes

The Summary The mission took place from January to March 1996 AP (September to November 96 AD). Marcus Carradine is a mind mage. He is the tutor of Liessa. Our mission was to rescue him, which we did. He is a rude, arrogant bastard, with little gratitude. He is also a powerful mage. Two planes, Telnar and Shwintar have some horrible fate prophesied. A small girl, Princess Elizabeth, has a part to play in stopping the calamity. Her minder, Michael, has been travelling with her around the planes, helped by Marcus Carradine. Elizabeth and Michael are from Telnar, and were sent back there by Marcus Carradine on 17th Feb, 1996 AP. On Shwintar are pygmies, trolls, skeletons and centaurs, however these are unlike Alusian ones! In terms of Alusian roles, the pygmies are humans, the trolls are dwarves, the centaurs are elves, and the skeletons are orcs (but more polite). Under Shwintar is an underground ruined city. A necromancer called Count Numbers used to war with his brother, a binder called Count Fingers. When we left, Numbers had captured Fingers. Numbers and Fingers are from Telnar. Diary 31 Dec 1996 AP We met in room 12C, after finding it (it moves around a lot). The guild rep there detailed the mission. "A matter of interest to the guild, paying standard rates." We were to investigate the disappearance of Marcus Carradine, the teacher of Liessa. The last party to encounter Marcus was attacked by Calamar troops. In the battle, Marcus' tower was destroyed but Marcus' fate was unknown. We planned to boat north to Arabel via Ausdorf. The Seagate harbour-master recommended Captain Gannis of The Shadowhawk, a tidy, well-run ship. 1 Jan 1997 AP We left on the afternoon tide. The Shadowhawk proved to be a good ship, though riddled with cliches (including fake sailor accents). 2 Jan Arrived at Ausdorf, a well-defended harbour where casting magic is illegal. Captain Gannis obtained a cargo, and asked us to carry it inland for him when we reached Arabel. We agreed. We left on the evening tide. 3 Jan - 10 Jan We were waylaid by a storm, which made those of us who did not have sea legs pretty bloody miserable. 11 Jan The storm finally cleared. The first thing we saw was a wrecked ship. The sailors wanted to look for survivors and/or loot, so we went with them. The ship had settled on some rocks, and was twisted and bent, making movement inside tricky and dangerous. From the wreckage we rescued an old man and a young girl (around 6 years old), a small chest, some silver coins which the sailors took, a chart, and the ships log which Captain Gannis took. We treated the survivors and took them back to The Shadowhawk. The girl did not show up on Empathy or ESP. Her aura was of a short-lived sentient, GTN human. It also showed that she was immune to magic, including quasi-magical skills like Healing. Two years ago the dancer took the same two passengers from Arabel to somewhere down on the south-eastern end of the continent. The man's aura was of a short-lived sentient, GTN human. He was under no enchantments or spells save the ones we had cast (Empathy, Healing, etc). Both were wearing well-cut travelling clothing that was made to look average. From the log book, the ship was called The Spritely Dancer. She was a cargo cutter, an arms runner by the look of the log book. She was taking two passenger, a child and her guardian, to Arabel. The girl woke first. We wished she had stayed unconscious for she was loud, rude, arrogant and spiteful. She said that her name was Elizabeth, that her daddy's name was King Roderick, and that he was going to invade this country and chop everyone's heads off to rescue her. She described his flag, a gryphon rampant, but not in enough detail for any of us to place the heraldry. 18 Jan Arrived at Arabel. The man awoke. He introduced himself as Michael Tremello. He said he had to get himself and Elizabeth to the Great Sorcerer Carradine. "On her head rests the fate and destiny of two worlds." On his plane, called Telnar, there was a prophecy that the world would end horribly sometime on the Year of Our lady 1796. They found another world whose fate was the same, a twin world, philosophers believe. The prophecy stated that the daughter of kings from both worlds would be the saviour of both those worlds. The prophecy had a great list of things the princess had to do. People to meet, places to see, etc. This was why Michael and Elizabeth were here. The prophecy also said she had to be raised to be obnoxious. Bummer. The prophecy does not mention us, though. Now, Michael and Elizabeth need to see Marcus, as he is the only one who can send them home. Captain Gannis gave us his cargo, and a letter of introduction to several contacts of his inland. We bought lots of toffee apples after discovering that they shut Elizabeth up. Stayed the night at the Inn of the Twittering Bird, an average hostel, where everyone genuflected and fawned over Prince PJ. 19 Jan I opened the chest, and found ~550 sp worth of silver and gold coins. Travelled to Denton, arrived there very late. We delivered Captain Gannis' cargo of spices to Bob Thistlewaite, the keeper of an inn near the Dancing Weasel tavern (a sister to the destroyed Flamboyant Ferret inn). Baron Giles, his daughter Melinda, and his son John, insisted that they take care of our accommodation. Melinda spent the evening sitting next to PJ blushing, fluttering her eyelashes, and generally flirting. Other people genuflected and fawned over Prince PJ. I am glad no-one this far north knows I am a noble. Their treatment of nobles would suffocate me. 20 Jan Baron Giles gave us horses, a carriage, and an escort, despite our protestations. He would not hear of Prince PJ travelling in anything other than high style. Even the bandits came out of the trees and genuflected to us. Arrived at the remains of the Flamboyant Ferret late afternoon. Our guards left us here, saying they didn't go into the forest. The inn had been hit pretty hard (spells, troops, a giant, calamar?) so there wasnÆt much left. We found a small girl in the ruins, she tried to run but PJ caught her, prompting Liessa to ask "are we collecting small children?" The girl was about 8 years old. She said she used to live in the inn, but her mummy and daddy were killed by men in flying ships that looked like animals (definitely calamar), then the inn sank, so she lived in the woods. She said she was happy and she was a "forest girl". The local peasants ostracised her because she lived in the forest. Her name was Tessa. She was a reasonably skilled healer and herbalist. Spent the night camped near the ruins. 21 Jan We left Elizabeth and Michael in the care of Tessa (after Tessa negotiated a, to her, good price out of us for looking after them). Michael was in a very bad way, needing a high rank healer. We carefully moved Michael to Tessa's cave. Tessa became fearful at the mention of Marcus. She said that "the Great Evil Nasty Sorcerer turned people into lizards and bugs and then stepped on them." Around midday we left for Marcus' tower. The forest was a typical beech forest, with little undergrowth. Camped in forest. That night Karga heard some crying over a rise. He investigated and found a skeleton sitting on a log, crying. He said "hello" and the skeleton jumped up and hid behind a tree. Karga continued to be friendly, and the skeleton calmed down. The skeleton said its name was Jeremy and it "wasn't crying" and "wasn't lost" and "I'm a person too". Karga brought Jeremy back to the rest of us. "Look, I've found a skeleton and he seems to be quite friendly." PJ went berserk and attacked, and it took the rest of us to restrain him. Jeremy said he worked for Count Numbers, the Good Count, for about 30 seasons. He was working with his war-band, raiding a village, when he disappeared and appeared in a ruined tower. HeÆs been wandering since. We asked more about the "raiding a village" and he said the Good Count took people and kept them safe from Count Fingers, the Evil Count, whom the Good Count fought. We divined him and found he was a Permanently Animated Skeleton, very old, and also under the effect of a rank 20 Witchcraft Evil Eye which ran out in four hours. He remembered being a new zombie, and that everyone teased him until all his flesh fell off and he became a full fledged member of the Legion of Count Numbers. Jeremy asked for food, and ate it. The food sort-of disappeared or melded with him or something. 22 Jan Jeremy cooked breakfast, something he was very good at. Travelled through the forest, reached Marcus' tower near dusk, which Jeremy recognised as the one he appeared in. The tower was pretty sound, structurally, but the top storey was gone. Berik, PJ and Liessa entered it. Inside, everything was trashed. Floors were unstable, furniture was broken, internal walls were holes. We found a circle, which divined as a portal circle with runes of permanency carved in it. The magic was last activated one week ago. Jeremy said he fell about a foot after appearing over the circle. When coming close to the circle, PJ suddenly grew a tail, and his aura changed. Liessa and I questioned him, and he told us the story. Two and a half years ago, he did a mission for Marcus. When the party returned, Marcus gave them a "reward or a lesson". They could live for a thousand years or receive a gift. PJ had lost several horses, and asked for "a horse he couldn't lose". So, Marcus gave PJ the ability to turn into a horse when he wanted. Karga and Aaron entered the tower, and detected the aura of everything inside. Upon viewing the aura of the circle, Aaron fell unconscious. Karga managed with difficulty to stay conscious, and saw an extremely bright aura, primary magical effect portal, duration permanent, time since creation 1 week or 3 months, activation method touch. The aura centred about 5 feet above the centre of the circle. We spent some more time examining the portal, and determined that its destination changed each lunar cycle (full to waning to new to waxing to full), i.e. it changed around every eight days. The planes it went to were, in order: Telnar (Michael's plane), Ferenth, Jamnil, Hell, Shinteth, and Shwintar (the twin plane that Michael said also faced a horrible fate). At the moment it was going to Shinteth. We counted back lunar phases, and determined that Marcus, given the time he disappeared, could have gone to Telnar or Shwintar. We decided to try Shwintar. Liessa found a ring, I divined it as an invested Windwalk with 1 charge remaining. Camped near the tower's garden. 23 Jan Returned to Tessa's cave, leaving Jeremy at the ruined inn. It was pleasant to see that Tessa had started knocking some manners into Elizabeth. Michael said this was ok, and that it was part of the prophecy. Michael did not know any of the other plane names. We waited a few days for the lunar cycle to change. 4 Feb Travelled to Marcus' tower, again leaving Michael and Elizabeth with Tessa. The portal was still active, and now went to Shwintar. 5 Feb Bright and early, we all purified, checked our gear, and went through the portal. We appeared in the middle of a village, near a large fire. A short man ran over, with a staff with bells on it, saying "welcome strange travellers." He introduced himself as Broken Mouse. He took us to meet the village leader. In a small hut we met three small men, one in an ornate chair. Broken Mouse introduced the one on the chair as He Who Spits Lightening, and the two standing as Sinks Like Brick and Two Dogs Fighting. He Who Spits Lightening talked very, very fast and had an attention span of around two minutes. The aura of all was short-lived sentient, GTN pygmy. PJ introduced all of us. Broken Mouse remembered another traveller a few months ago, who looked like us but dressed in black. Bingo, we had found where Marcus went. This stranger in black had not stayed, but rushed off to "the tunnels". We wanted to leave, but Broken Mouse and He Who Spits Lightening insisted that we stay for a feast. They said that our visit was ordained. Yay. Jeremy recognised this plane as his home. The feast started at dusk. It was noisy and hectic and wild. It involved a ceremony where a man with a spear yelled a lot at our leader (PJ), then PJ had to walk forward, accept the spear, then walk backwards. Afterwards we all lined up and rubbed noses with each other. The cynic in me wants to say "quaint native customs". We observed that there were about 200 people in this tribe, around 50 of whom were combatants. They had little metal. The real surprise were the other guests at the feast. There were two good-looking trolls (PB 7), Oaksmasher and his wife, who were from the troll clan in the hills where the pygmies got their metal. There were two skeletons from a tribe to the west, neither of who knew Jeremy. There were four centaurs, King Whitetail and his retinue. All guests lined up and participated in the nose rubbing ritual. When PJ rubbed noses with one of the centaurs, she decked him. When we sorted out all the fuss and violence that this caused, the King explained that it is a centaur custom to hit someone you are attracted to. Apparently the centaur, Clarabelle, the King's daughter, didn't count on PJ being so "fragile". PJ, when he came to, said he couldn't stay here with her, so she matter-of-factly asked for just sex. PJ tried to point out that he was human not equine, but she said that he smelt like a centaur so he must be able to change form. PJ acquiesced. He changed into a horse and accompanied Clarabelle off for some privacy. Liessa commented "now there's something you don't see every day." King Whitetail explained that when female centaurs reach puberty they have a phase where they must mate, and if they don't mate, they are barren for life. In this state they are assured of conception. Looks like PJ is going to have an heir here. After that one child, the female centaurs have normal chances of conceiving. Centaurs are fertile with centaurs, humans and horses (though no self-respecting centaur is going to be seen dead with a horse). As the feast progressed, we learnt more about this plane. The pygmies are the plains dwellers, the trolls are the miners and metal workers (sort-of like dwarves on Alusia), the centaurs are the woods creatures (sort-of like Alusian Elves, complete with arrogance and self-important attitudes), the skeletons live in the rough and broken places (just like orcs, though there were some semi-civilised things in the hills that seemed like orcs). There were no taboos or dislikes against dead people rising as skeletons and zombies, it seemed to be an accepted thing. All the zombies and skeletons were sentient. The prophecy that predicted our arrival was "five will come after one, then rivers will flow and plains will become prosperous." Nice to see a short prophecy. They had lots of very good food, and two alcoholic drinks; a passable ale, and a very potent grain alcohol.