Darkness Falls: Difference between revisions
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===Port Charles=== | ===Port Charles=== | ||
It is afternoon before '''Task''' (the goblin dirigible captain) cuts the power and we glide to a silent stop – we can see that the Port island ahead is surrounded by about 40 boats of various sizes and types (typical mercenary fleet) - and we can see that it is a stand-off.<br> | [[Image:Port Charles.JPG|300px|right|Port Charles]] | ||
It is afternoon before '''Task''' (the goblin dirigible captain) cuts the power and we glide to a silent stop – we can see that the Port island ahead is surrounded by about 40 boats of various sizes and types (typical mercenary fleet) - and we can see that it is a stand-off.<br>< | |||
Many slowly sinking wrecks are seen in the attacking fleet and the city defences are unbroken: The two towers at the harbour entrance are still intact and a large blue sphere protects what seems to be the Water Mages’ Guild (ensorcelled with some pretty deadly enchantments).<br> | Many slowly sinking wrecks are seen in the attacking fleet and the city defences are unbroken: The two towers at the harbour entrance are still intact and a large blue sphere protects what seems to be the Water Mages’ Guild (ensorcelled with some pretty deadly enchantments).<br> | ||
We can spot the fleet command ship – which is a tempting target for us, but we decide to see if we can contact the water mages first. Ee’s attack will probably be based on opening a portal in the city (probably a rune portal) and flooding the city with undead. | We can spot the fleet command ship – which is a tempting target for us, but we decide to see if we can contact the water mages first. Ee’s attack will probably be based on opening a portal in the city (probably a rune portal) and flooding the city with undead. |
Revision as of 02:03, 15 October 2013
Return to Scribe notes
- GM: Miles Jackson
- Time: Spring 813 WK
- Day: Wednesdays
- Level: Medium/High
Return to Korinia - scene of Where Have All The Dragons Gone?, Six go mad on mescaline, Little Girl Lost in the Woods and Lessons in Enlightenment and Respect. A loose end to tidy up - a powerful drow lich necromancer named Eeallice.
Diary
Duesday: Voodoo Hoodoo at the Guild
- A Dude with a Deal
As happens at this time of the year, a motley collection of scarred and feathered adventurers meet up with a dude with a deal. This time it is a tall, dark skinned man called L'roy from the plane of Korina. He carries a cane and wears a cutlass - with a strong aura of Voodoo Magic (whatever that is). Justing by the skull mounted atop his ebony cane (a cane so powerful it stunned a DAer) it looks like he knows some necromantic type enchantments. Typical employer really.
As some of those present remember fondly, a couple of years ago, a powerful drow liche necromancer called Eeallice was finally driven off that plane - disrupting all sorts of carefully laid plans (the usual - taking over the whole plane etc etc). Well, she's back, quite a few thousand miles south of her last attempt. Pretty sure she's going for the 'take over the plane' plan again.
- The Party
Six Seagaters stay for further briefing
- Sooty – Elven healer & ash mage (leader)
- Dwork - Orc fire blast mage (scribe)
- Theodonna - A not quite human namer
- Dirk - Dwarf warrior with a remarkable constitution
- Hamish - Human wiccan with great restorative powers
- Zanak - Warror priest of Ahura Mazda, shining light of the party
- Briefing
Way down south, down beyond the Gaterville bayous and swamplands there is an ocean - where evil is stirring. Necromancers & bands of undead and pirates of all sorts. A group of secretive powerful beings have divined that it is Eealice again - and they want to counter that evil. They've sent L'roy to make that happen.
He can provide a significant advance (let's us buy greaters, potions, amulets and vials of holy water) and will share a drink with us before opening a portal and putting us on fast hot air balloon from Heliopost Depot to Gaterville Depot. Then we're on our own.
- Pay
20,000sp advance.
30,000sp on surviving to return.
Additional gifts for success.
W'ansday: Research and Preparation
Researchers scurry and get down dusky books - as we seek out powerful mages to cast protective magic over us, and Seagate alchemists chortle over their mass sales of potions (100 healing potions - and the rest). Easy come, easy go.
- Gaterville is surrounded by swamps and inhabited by shady characters (Hamish should fit right in)
- We discover that the port south of Gaterville is called Port Charles - and is run by the League of Freebooters (a bunch of pirates I imagine)
- The southern ocean has many islands, any one of which could be Eeallice's base of operations (on that plane a least)
- In case we have forgotten it, the plane of Korinia is only thinly separated from the spirit plane. Past work by the guild have stopped powerful beings from the spirit plane breaking through - and taking over.
Th'rsday: A Quiet Drink and Noisy Goblins
- L'roy Buys a Round
Would you drink a goblet of liquid with dark purple mist rising from it's murky surface? Well Theo and Zanak tried a DA first and got stunned for their trouble. The rest of us gulped it down - not bad. Tasted liked it looks really.
Was a bit of a test from the big man really - those that drank got a season's boon of:
- Two less points of draining damage (stacks with other draining resistance)
- Take two off die rolls when roll is to strike or cast vs undead (stacks with lesser enchantment)
- Korinia Depot
Voodoo guy opens a portal (some sort of rune based magic) and we step through (after the mandatory power-up - just in case). It is an airship depot - infested by half-drunken goblins - including Razzy, which turns out to be the boss of the airship we're going to be flying in for the next two days.
L'roy gives Sooty a dark sphere - clutched by a desiccated hand. He'll contact us through it once a day in the evening to a progress report - or we can trigger it and he'll get back to us as soon as he can. Makes me feel real safe. Razzy gets a bag of coins - and leaves us with a few final words of wisdom
L'roy: the spirit plane is dangerous. Try to stay out of it.
- Goblins in Control
Two years ago, one Captain Kree of Heliopolis and his Roc troops troops where good allies, so we pay to send a message to the good Captain - asking for whatever assistance he can give (20sp!). Basically: The Liche is back/We're back/There's gonna be a rumble/Get there if you can.
Sooty's Note: The message is in basic code. So hopefully he remembers a few things.
We get into a cabin slung under a long hot air balloon (heated by long term heat metal magic).
- Ballistae mounted forward and aft. That's good.
- Goblins carrying on cylinders of highly flamable alchemical liquids. Not so good - we make sure all our flame protection is in place - and wonder about the more serious fate of an explosion - falling! We buy some experimental parachute-things (@5sp!) and put our trust in the goblins (ha!)
Take-off is explosively fast (strapped into our seats), but settles down to a fast, high transport
Dusk comes below and the lands go dark. We maintain double watches.
Frysday: The Orc Saves the Party
- Fact or Fiction?
As sky lightens with the warmth of dawn, the morning watch spots another ramshackle balloon refuelling depot. Despite the early hour, it is full of half-drunk goblin ballooners – full of aviation fluids and wild tales of driving off attacks by big eagles and pirate balloons piloted by feral goblins further south. We listen for the truth in all this braggadocio (the eagles sound more like griffins to us) - and ponder the future
- Goblins out of Control
After a day of fast flight we sail swiftly into the night. Was it magic that made most lose consciousness? Well maybe, but it was the ever-vigilant orc that roused the sleepers and called them to battle the circling attackers (look like black shrouded goblins on griffins - could have some sort of construct fliers).
Air magics (knock-out gas, thunderclap, air blast?) and Arrow Flight enhanced crossbow bolts make us think about how seriously high we are – and how effective these experimental parachutes might be. Most of our goblins are unconscious or dead, but we rally – Theo counters the incoming spells and gives us the time to prepare a deadly counter attack. The black goblins fade away – obviously not expecting such resistance, but not without a final threat.
Dirk drives off the dark goblin atop the balloon - stopping a vigorous cutting away the ropes attaching us to the balloon. A newly roused Captain Razzy feverously reties – saving many of us from an impromptu parachute test.
Reapsday: Gaterville Inns - and Outs
- The dawn reveals the distant swamp town
We see more details as we close - not a comforting sight. The wood and steel balloon mooring tower sticks 300’ straight up – like the bent handle on a fry pan full of simmering filth – rank after rank of chaos built ramshackle tenements, filled with putrid slum scum. A bit like the Sanctuary Maze and Sewer districts combined really.
We decide our cover story – we’re pursing one red haired and bearded Black Mark to recover some items he borrowed. According to his Journal he came first here, did some croc-hunting, then down to Port Charles (200 miles south). Some of us have history here before, so we decide on cover names (Zanak: Zod, Dirk: Quazzi, Dwork: Dork, Hamish: Ish, Theodonna: Dona, Sooty: Divers)
We get some information from the goblin airmen and descend into the morass.
Inns For All
- The Goblin's Revenge - Greeta the Goblin fire mage
The goblin rents us a room for 20sp (it’s like a wooden strong box on stilts over the swamp, with iron bound door and shuttered windows - they take their security seriously here).
She’s pacted to the Baron Alagor (a fire effretti). This is good news, because we rescued the Baron from Eeallice a couple of years ago - and he may be one of secret backers of this mission. The whole inn in consecrated to the Baron (which kinda messes up Zanak - who is pacted elsewhere) and protected against fire. My sort of girl really. We talk.
- Port Charles has been run for the last year by one Vladimir the Impaler. Greeta can provide transport directly there (a fire portal) - to her other ‘establishment’
- The air attacks really only started in the last 6 weeks
- Krane the Croc Hunter is the best guide (stays bought @ 200sp/day + expenses) hangs out in the evenings at The Salty Croc (Gordy is the #2 guide)
- Abby – Urchin at the door
We check for eavesdroppers and find one – an almost supernaturally fast urchin, who is a local information merchant. We pay her to make contact for us with the Thieves Guild – and to keep information about us to herself.
- The Salty Croc - Akea ex-croc hunter
We head through the streets to see about a guide. We’re all jostled and fend off fingers probing for loose change. For a change, I’m treated to an intimate touch by a lady (normally of the night), Dirk gets propositioned and probed, but they can’t find anything to get a hold on.
Sitting in the sun outside the Salty is a half-orc with half his legs and half his arms (obviously got up real close to croc teeth) - seems to have more than half a brain. For a few pieces of silver the dark skinned guy tells us:
- All the hunters are out a huntin’ ‘til dusk. He’ll pass a message onto Krane.
- People have been disappearing in the swamps
- Voodoo shaman slavers come from the south in big 30 man canoes, often crewed by undead (small, scale mailed and wielding weapons)
- He is suspects a local voodoo priestess (Natalia) as being in league with the slavers – a huge black-marble coloured woman with a bone through her nose. Lives out in the bayou.
- The best place to get advice on protection vs voodoo magic is from Volt at the Will o’th’Wisp.
- Snaggletooth (the protective dragon of the swamps around here) hasn’t been seen for a while, rumoured to have been killed by a truly enormous crocodile
- Akea is certain the days are getting shorter (yeah, right)
- We can get more information from Dori, the barmaid at the Ice Dragon’s Demise
- Grilled at the Guild - thieves and a vampire
Abby turns up and leads us to a dank alley filled with large armoured orcs – and then inside to a darkened guild stronghold. We tell our cover story and pay (@500sp) to stop the street probings (we’re given a small charm – must see if we can be tracked through it). Sooty joins the guild for more silver (500) to get access to guild records – and a librarian who turns out to be a vampire. She confirms that a crocodile did eat the dragon – about a year ago. And also confirms the days are getting shorter
- Will o'th’Wisp - Volt Voodoo Shaman
The rest of us head over to see the cowled, hairless tattooed shaman. Yes, he’s got protection he can sell us, and just by looking at me and Dirk can tell we’re going to need it – ‘cos somewhere in the streets we were relieved of small body fragments, and even now someone was using them to construct a voodoo doll (a three day task) – he can tell these things just by looking at us. Funny how he doesn’t let anybody get close enough to touch him.
- 100 mins (??) Voodoo counter spell 30%: ???sp
- 1 day Voodoo counter potion 30%: 500 sp or 4,500sp for 10 (he’s got 7 available)
- Permanent Amulet vs Voodoo 30%: 2,500sp (he’s got 3)
Volt: the spirit plane is disturbed
Well, Dirk and me have a problem. We have to find our voodoo dolls, dispel magic on them, then dismantle and burn pieces separately. Luckily (kinda) there can only been one voodoo doll controlling a person at a time, so we could keep them which means nobody could start another one.
Abby appears again – other people are paying for information about travellers from off-plane. And, it looks like Natalia the voodoo priestess is behind the inquiries.
We buy all of Volt’s available stock (amulets for Dirk, Hamish and me - potions for the rest) and head back to the guild to pick up Sooty and get some Aura Alternation and Disguise Illusions cast on us (yep, we’re now definitely from this plane – Heliopolis)
- Dinner Party - with fireworks to follow
As dusk falls, we head back to the Gob’s Revenge and meet Palace – a specialist transport mage (5 mins notice @100 sp). Zanak vomits and finds the mage is also pacted to the Baron. Krane arrives and stays for dinner.
Greeta agrees that Natalia could be an agent of Eeallice. The voodoo priestess’ place is about two miles out in the swamp, strong enough to have resisted an attack by Snaggletooth, totally fireproofed and protected by water goblins and crocodiles. And it looks like we’re goona have to attack it. What fun!
After dinner, paranoid that we are, we send projected illusions of ourselves back to our strongbox room – which promptly explodes massively (the way goblin balloon propellant could). Only splinters are left floating in the water - around the swiftly diving water goblins that caused the big bang. Fireworks courtesy of Natalia we think.
Out to a Party in the Bayou
Krane takes us out to the Natalia’s swamp manse (1000 sp for delivery to her dock). Approaching carefully, Theo DAs and the rest of us peer through the rising evening swamp mist:
- Solid two story fire protected building (about 80’x100’) on 12' stilts. Verandas at each level.
- Jetty and veranda out the front patrolled by 4 water goblins (water magics, self-bows, scimitars). Jetty 3’ above water, steps left and right from lower veranda to upper veranda. Krane says there are back stairs - very narrow.
- Crocodile pens underneath (greater salt crocodiles)
- On the roof we spot 3 zombies (one a ‘fire’ zombie) and a gargoyle (with dehydration)
- The doors are warded (deafening scream) and windows enhanced (bound glass, enhanced vision).
And that’s just what we can see.
- We plan - how do you crack a big nut? With a big hammer.
Sooty has got three earth elementals packed away somewhere, so we get them to make an island firing platform close the house – and then pull it down around Natalia’s ears.
Well, the earth guys do a great job off cracking the nut (split in two, magic pouring out of the windows and cracks), but then they run into something far far meaner than them in the darkness under the house – and pieces of elemental start being thrown out, and signs of a massive (80ft!) crocodile are seen.
- The Best laid plans
Crocodile propelled canoes full of goblins with bows and harpoons charge our island – and an impenetrable mist descends on us, but flights of envenomed arrows tell is the green guys can see through it. Hamish desperately slashes at a rope as a harpoon penetrates him - pulls him forward. Zanak triggers Hamish’s healing rune – and then drops full of goblin venom. Theo puts up a warding against crocodiles - and then drops, too
Sooty puts down an ash clouds so nobody can see. Dirk battles with the incoming gargoyle. Sooty heals Zanak’s poison. I cut the harpoon rope on the now unconscious Hamish. Zanak flies up to attack the gargoyle and dies – dehydrated from its horn.
Dirk turns to deal the huge incoming croc (DA: demon lizard!) and is swallowed whole – desperately grabbing a gaseous form potion to avoid a crushing death. I’m sure this is the croc that killed Snaggletooth. Dodging inaccurate bow fire, I try to dehydrate the big croc and Hamish triggers similarly deadly magic – to no avail. Dirk escapes the jaws as the croc changes into a large humanoid female – and calls for the gargoyle to come and get her – Natalia is revealed. A dozen goblins make landfall.
- We decide to bug out.
The party scatters a bit as we bug out, and it seems like Natalia is initially making a break for town also so some quick scattered skirmishing occurs, Zanak returns to life during this period (amazingly), Dwork takes some deadly arrow fire before he blows most of the goblins into pieces, Dirk forces the Goblin Shaman/ Warrior to make a run for it, and Natalia and the Gargoyle pursue Sooty back towards the 'cracked nut' house, with a massive individually targeted fire effect from Natalia hitting the entire party despite the distance we are spread over.
- Smack the House - Sooty at his Best I
The Gargoyle (the size of a small elephant and made of living stone) is taunted into charging Sooty in a dive straight at the house, and a well placed spear with a follow up smite leaves the Gargoyle unable to avoid crashing directly through the roof. At that hammer blow, most of house disintegrates - a raft of broken wood floating in the black swamp water, leaving only a skeleton (!) structure of support beams.
Natalia breaks free before the Gargoyle impacts and reveals that she has her own flight abilities (if slower), and heads for the last signs of the house - where we can now see a Dark portal spewing forth undead, who are then crossing directly into a Bright portal to exit. The voodoo priestess heads for the Bright portal.
- Stopping Natalia's Escape - Sooty at his Best II
Scrambling to try and take her out before she can escape (and heal as we aren't sure we can fight her if she is prepared properly), we resort to a desperation tactic - and prepare to put one extradimensional space into another directly on top of her before she can make it to the bright portal. Sooty gets responsibility for the bombing run, while the rest of the maimed party scatters to put as much distance as possible between the house and themselves. The party wins the race, and detonates the device just before she is about to enter the portal.
Natalia is torn into tiny pieces, the bright portal obliterated, the house shredded and all the undead inside it evaporated. We also think any undead just inside the dark portal may have been wiped out. Sooty hangs onto life by the slimmest of threads, saved by Zanak's fast triggering of a Willow Healing - while the rest of the party takes heavy hits as well despite distance.
A mushroom cloud rises into the darkening evening sky
The expanding fireball has killed all life for a mile around. The dust settles into the lifeless silence ... as well as the mere fragments of the items that had been stored in the two pockets that were detonated. The party lands and joins up as best we are able - blacked and bruised, ears ringing from the concussion.
Yep, we definitely used a hammer to crack that nut.
An Employer to Die For
As we talk with some sort of skeletal lord that pokes it head through the remaining dark portal (not a good idea when a bunch of trigger happy adventures are around) it becomes clear that Death himself is our employer. Eeallice has been taking his dead, making undead (he really hates that) and using them for her plans.
Death is not happy, but cannot do a lot in this realm - of course if you die (like Zanak did) he can provide some assistance. This is really comforting (I think)
Two hours of fast healing ensues, as well as some divinations to see what is going on with Zanak, and on the two gifts we receive from Death.
- Divination on Zanak reveals that the plane is currently being corrupted, sliding towards an eternal night at the rate 15 minutes less daytime a day.
- The gifts from Death are Death's Touch (Reverse drains undead) & Death's Expertise (Allows Assassin/Warrior specials on undead).
- A scroll tube is found on a Goblin Captain, revealing some information about events as well as who isn't trusted by Eeallice.
- Speak to dead on the Goblin tells us she is attempting to capture 'The Hand' in Gatorville, and that she is basing on a high cliffed island down south.
We start back towards town, midnight having passed while we got back on our feet & combat capable (if not perfectly healed)
Sunday: Voodoo revenge
- Goblins Escape
While we recover from the detonation, fires are visible in town. Scrying shows an attack in the town by an undead army lead by Voodoo shamans, and the goblin quarter & landing platform under siege. The goblins put up walls of alchemical & magical fire and fight hard to cover their escape, igniting their tower to leave nothing of value behind as they break free of the invaders after a couple of hours hard fighting and make for the north in a flying flotilla just as the party begins to approach town again.
Ambush in the middle
Quick notes to be filled in later.
- We attack the shaman ...
...and his allies in the middle of the town, doing ok initially, then their ambush on us was sprung. One drow assassin takes Dirk out instantly, the other narrowly missing getting to his target in time before the party takes off back into the air. Agony occurs slowing a few of the party, murderous crossbow fire hurts us badly.
The Voodoo Shaman however, comes under heavy focus fire in return, attempting to make a break for cover while badly hurt. We run him down before he can escape too far into the narrow streets with some lucky flying and shooting, and get back into the skies. Zanak is dying a horrible death from Necromantic magic however cheats death with his healer skills.
- The town is starting to burn ...
...near the square from the fire magic flying from both sides, and we help it out a little to try and flush out the drow necromancer hiding in a building launching magic. Then the town begins to explode as the Voodoo shamans revenge comes into effect and all his controlled fire zombies begin to detonate with gigantic explosions. His body & loot are recovered amongst detonations, while the drow slip out of town with a prisoner tied up. They aren't in the mood to talk, so combusting the prisoners ropes allows him to escape, while the drow continue south to meet up with a Specteral flying ship.
- Talk to the Hand
I am the Hand of ‘God’.
I read the book.
I know when people are going to die.
Talking to the escaped prisoner 'The Hand' reveals the drow have captured a living 'book' that has information on how to portal to the plane of death safely. The goblins return ready for war, and we begin a long 32 hours of healing after stabilising Zanak between the efforts of most of the party.
- Death gifts us
- with 'Deaths Echo' (Shows time around a death) as a reward for killing the Shaman.
Moonday
Sooty and Zanak get some much needed R&R (and healing) as we fly south on the goblin war dirigible. In the pre-dawn darkness we investigate the dead voodoo shaman’s gear
- Staff: Has the ability to teach you a voodoo spell (by destroying it - if you want to ‘focus’ spell selection, then sacrifice someone), also useful when creating voodoo dolls, shattering life, voodoo magic bonus, creating voodoo bones (spell stores). Made by Eeallice and the dead shaman on the Plane of Death
- Head band: Undead ESP/mind reading (what do the dead think of?!)
Divinations of this Plane reveal it is becoming tainted – and the only way to remove the taint is to deal with the source. So, Zanak calls upon his god (Ahura something or other) and makes a connection (he’s pretty happy). Where is the source of the corruption? A white arrow springs into being – pointing south (a lot of use that is)
A Spy gets Shattered
The Hand: The Liche’s death is grey – it hangs in the balance. Have you found the thing spying on you?
At that, we spend some time trying to find some sort of spy. Dirk spots a feline flicker out of the corner of his eye, which Hamish picks up on the shaman’s headband – and tries to urn (and gets fire-balled in return).
It seems to be ‘under’ the boat, so the healthy party members jump out to have a flying search. Dirk’s flying disappears (oh dear) so he has no choice but to use his goblin parachute (yes, the experimental one). It works.
- Zanak’s true seeing lets Theo spot a undead feline gargoyle thing well concealed on the bottom of the cabin and flies straight into close combat, knocking it flying (well, not flying – more like dropping really).
- Dirk gets a stunning crossbow bolt into it (as they drop pass him) and Theo goes into a winged rat form and manages to slip from its grasp into a bush - as the cat hits very hard.
- Meanwhile, I do a power dive with a couple of large explosive goblin grenado intending to do my favourite low level bombing run, but when this cat thing dispels my wings I have just enough control to make sure it becomes a flat cat in many pieces.
The expanding fire ball kills all life (including Theo) within ½ mile, and a small mushroom cloud ascends into the darkened sky. With some arcane assistance I just survive (with critical wounds) – long enough for Dirk to rescue me from drowning. Theo has a brief visit with our employer - and all of her dispersed pieces come together. She’s a little annoyed at me – but what’s an orc to do?
Zanak and Sooty find a glowing red crystal of elemental fire amongst the cat’s fragments (trigger by breaking). they won't give it to me, and the goblins lock up all of their grenados. Can't think why.
A Gathering
- Well, that rising mushroom fireball attracts a bit of attention …
… and a flight of dark griffins and eagles come our way. Things are a teeny bit tense until a smooth talking Sooty reveals the contents of the dead goblin’s scroll to this pirate captain D’boise. Something about Eeallice writing Natalia to say he isn’t to be trusted and should be killed at some point changes his loyalties.
Meanwhile me and Zanak are checking out the captain’s gorgeous side kick Petra. Zanak is excited to find the morose elf is pacted to Ahura Mazda too – sounds like a match made in, well, heaven. She doesn’t seem to agree (but she does fully heal the priest, so he lives in hope).
- Communications and Investigations continue
- Highest rank spells: D’boise – Water Walking, Whirlwind Vortex; Petra – Rack of Truth
- Eeallice is trying to flood this plane with undead. The pirate knows the general direction of Eeallice’s high cliffed island. Found past a Skull Rock Island, it is a voodoo place of power: undead in daylight, funny fuzzy trees, low mana, weak barriers to other planes – it is not a natural island, it has been constructed
- His six dark griffins were made for him by Dori (a powerful binder minion of Eeallice’s). Sooty quickly suggest that Petra and Zanak investigate any taint in the constructs, and yes, there was a faint taint which they remove. Possibly some part (brain?) of Eeallice which would have let her control them.
- Other powerful minions of the big Ee: Gord – a necromancer; Max – a rune mage
- Confirms that Vlad (a necromancer) is currently in charge of Port Charles (he heard the name from the big Ee). The Port is on an island and has a population of about 10 -15,000 people. Water Mages are particularly strong.
D’boise agrees to work with us against the liche witch – and we agree the best way to get to her island is on the griffins (they don’t get tired and don’t get hammered by summer storms). I don’t trust him.
It is about six hours to the Port, so we agree approach separately (spies are everywhere) – and we spend the time getting ourselves back into shape (and Hamish ritually breaks the shaman staff – and receives the spell of Bind Lesser Undead)
Port Charles
It is afternoon before Task (the goblin dirigible captain) cuts the power and we glide to a silent stop – we can see that the Port island ahead is surrounded by about 40 boats of various sizes and types (typical mercenary fleet) - and we can see that it is a stand-off.
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Many slowly sinking wrecks are seen in the attacking fleet and the city defences are unbroken: The two towers at the harbour entrance are still intact and a large blue sphere protects what seems to be the Water Mages’ Guild (ensorcelled with some pretty deadly enchantments).
We can spot the fleet command ship – which is a tempting target for us, but we decide to see if we can contact the water mages first. Ee’s attack will probably be based on opening a portal in the city (probably a rune portal) and flooding the city with undead.
...
Summary
SGT Summary
People met & of note
- L'roy: Bound Spirit. Voodoo shaman of power who owed service to DEATH. Acting as his agent interacting with us.
- Eeallice: Lich. Powerful Necromancer/Planes Walker who has designs on the plane of Korinia. Has previously crossed paths with the guild & was defeated but not destroyed.
- Natalia/Blue Belly: Demon Lizard. Shapechanger Human/Elf/80' Croc. A Demon Lizard is what the Tribes people of the fire valley were meant to be pacted to. Extremely powerful entity. May have been permanently killed if was in true form, otherwise out of the picture for a substantial time as was a more powerful than normal avatar if not true form.
- The Hand: Philosopher of Gatorville thieves guild. Rescued by party from Drow.
- Volt: Human. Voodoo shaman in Gatorville. Died trying to betray the party.
- Task: Goblin War Dirgible Captain
- Greeta: Goblin inn owner. Pacted to Baron Alagor, a Greater Efreeti fire power. Ally
- D'Boise: Pirate Captain of six griffins and eagles
- Petra: Cute priest of Ahura Mazda, travelling with D'Boise
Places of Note
- Gatorville; A den of thieves & worse in a Drake infested swamp to the south of the continent. Destroyed 813 by a Voodoo shamans dying revenge. Will probably get rebuilt.
Organisation
Loot and Expenditure
Cash Advance
20,000 sp
Guild Purchases
Each
- Rank 20 Greater: Lucius @8,000 sp
- 20 x 10 pt Guild Healing potions @ 650 sp
- 5 x Water of Healing @ 1,200 sp
- 3 x Vials of Holy Water (free from Zanak's Church)
Treasure
- Death's Gifts
- One per person only. Can not be traded to outside the party. Does not need to be taken immediately.
- Deaths Touch: Ability to drain undead. (Taken by Sooty)
- Deaths Expertise: Assassin & Warrior abilities can be used on undead, Spec Grevs can be inflicted (Certain may still not apply)
- Deaths Echo: Shows a period of time before & after a death, Can only be used once per death.
- Natalia
- Scroll Tube/Letter to Lt.
- Volt
- Anti-Voodoo amulets (+? vs Voodoo magics) *3
- Anti-Voodoo potions (30% MR vs Voodoo, counts as General & Special counter, 24h Duration. *7 (6 drunk, 1 left)
- Gaterville Shaman
- High DP 'leather' armour. (9 DP?)
- Bone Staff (Bonuses for Voodoo, sacrifice to gain Voodoo spell by Entity mage)
- Feather Headdress (Read undead thoughts)
- Assorted other items (Anti Voodoo amulet?)
- Cat Gargoyle
- Red crystal of elemental fire: trigger by breaking
- Names/Counterspells
- Plane Name; Sooty, Dirk, Theodonna.
- Voodoo Counterspell; Dirk, Theodonna.
Pay if return to guild
30,000 sp
Deaths Hard Bargin
Buffs
Magic | Rk | Effects | Dur | So | Dw | Th | Di | Ha | Za | P7 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daily buffs | (dawnish) | |||||||||
Corruscade (1Ft ea., Za) | 20 | +42/21 Defence/Close | 31 hours (Enh.Enc.) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Ash Armour (1 Ft ea., So) | 15 | 80pts ablative vs Elemental damage | 26 Hours (Enh.Enc.) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Twice Daily buffs | (Dawnish & duskish). Ritual with Orb | |||||||||
Rune of Willow Healing (2 Ft, Za) | 6 | 3 End a pulse for 8 | 12 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Mind Shield? (1 Ft, Ha) | 4? | Immunity to Telepathy | 9+ Hours? | Y/Pos. | Y/Pos. | Y/Pos. | Y/Pos. | Y | Pos. | |
Feather Falling (1 Ft, So) | 17 | Float to ground | 9 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Quarterly refresh | as needed with restoratives/Enh.Enc. | |||||||||
Ash Shroud (2 Ft ea., So) | 6 | 4 End Armour (No stacking) | 6.5 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Smite (1 Ft ea., Z) | ? | D+? Damage, Stun | ?(Enhanced) Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Fire Proofing? (1 Ft ea, Dw) | 6 | Protection from normal fires | 13 hrs | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Wings of the Phoenix (2 Ft ea., So) | 7 | 37mph flight, Dark ash trailing wings. | 7.5 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Quietness (1 Ft ea. Za) | 6 | +11% Stealth | 6.5 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Combat Buffs. | ||||||||||
Weapon of Flames (2 Ft ea. Dw) | 13 | +14% S.C. +7DM(+13 vs Undead) | 18/28 minutes (Enh.Enc) | 2? | 6? | 5? | 1? | 3? | 4? | |
Breathing (1 Ft ea., So) | 11 | Can breath | 3 Hours | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
Holy Light (So/Za) | 10 | Drain protection + AoE Drain protection | 21/33 Pulses | Y | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Y | |
Spell name | rk | effects... | 99 minutes | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
- Other Buff Notes
Enchanted Area: When down, recipient pays Ft cost rather than caster. Morning buffs cost 2 Ft each. Ritual buffs only cost caster, Quarterly buffs cost 5 Ft per round. Pets/Primary allies will be included in buffs.
Restoratives needed dawn & dusk to keep party at high Ft levels as a result.
Restoratives: Hamish
Healing: Sooty/Zanack (Via Healer)
- Times to buff.
- Dawn/Dusk Rituals 1 hour + 10 mins for other spells + restoratives/healing. But full/almost full fatigue.
- Midday/Night < 1 min to buff but everyone down 5 Ft.
- Amulets of Jasper.
Purchased (12,000sp): Dwork, Theo, Zanak, Hamish, xxxx.
Loaned (8,000sp on loss): xxxx, xxxx.
Party Skills
- Mil Sci: Dirk (6), Sooty(5, Skirmish, Naval), Zanak (2)
- Ranger: Dirk, Hamish, Sooty (5, Damned Terrains)
- Healer: Sooty (8, No Resurrect), Zanak (6)
- Silent Tongue: Sooty (6), Zanak (6), Dwork (4), Theo (5)
Watch Orders
- Normal
- Hamish, Zanak
- Sooty, Dwork
- Theodonna, Dirk
- High Alert
- Hamish, Zanak, Dwork
- Sooty, Theodonna, Dirk
Marching Orders
- Standard
- Dirk.
- Dwork, Hamish.
- Theodonna, Sooty
- Zanak.
- Single file.
- Dirk, Dwork, Hamish, Theodonna, Sooty, Zanak
Calendar
Spring: Thaw (10) 813wk | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
Candlemansa | 1 | Guild Meeting | 2 | Study & Prep | 3 | A Drink, Noisy Goblins | 4 | Travel Trouble | 5 | Gaterville & Natalia | 6 | Gaterville Gone | ||
7 | Flying Fun | 8 | Port Charles | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | ||||||||
Spring: Seedtime (11) | ||||||||||||||
28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rites of Thunor | 9 | 10 | 11 | |||||||
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Equinox | 16 | 17 | Eostre | 18 | Seagate Spring Ball | |||||
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | ||||||||
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
Spring: Blossom (12) | ||||||||||||||
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Floralia | 22 | 23 | |||||||
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | Walpurgisnacht
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