Wine and Cheese

Vin jaune de Bragelonne, fromage de Remy, and Walnuts

Summary

Adventure: Wine and Cheese
GM: Martin
Season: Autumn 823 wk
Night: Monday in New Windsor
Level: Medium

Party

• Gnash - Orc(m) Necromancer played by Chris Caulfield
• Celeste - Elven(f) Barbarian played by Dean
• Haedric - Dwarven(m) Ice Mage played by Stephen Scribe Backup MilSci
• Cassandra - Human(f) Celestial (Dark) played by Michelle
• Mavric - Dwarven(f) Playwright played by Lisa MilSci PL
• Solas - Elven(m) Celestial (Solar) played by Nick

Employer

Jean-Armand de Tréville, Comte de Rémy; Raoul d'Autevielle, Vicomte de Bragelonne

Mission

The Comte de Rémy wants vital, strategic, tax producing assets protected and their future productivity secured, the Vicomte de Bragelonne wants his ancestral home back, the vintners of Remy want to work in peace, and everyone wants to enjoy their vin jaune, gruyere, and walnuts. Fewer plague zombies would also be appreciated.

Pay

5,000 minimum for a suitably professional job (successful or not), tripled for successful resolution of specific matters. License to relieve miscreants responsible of belongings. Transport arranged from Guild to Deville in Remy.

Scribe Notes

A River Ride

Anton de Mure-Blanc

Duesday 1st Fruit

Anton de Mure-Blanc (distant cousin to Cassie), the young man at the meeting room is a courier on behalf of the employers, his letters have been verified. We're to meet by midday at an estate out of town for transport to Bowcourt.

The list of extra codicils on the party contract make the guild rep a little pale and weak at the knees. He was fine with the fornication is consensual only, a little concerned at not post-coital murder of party members, the no necromantic animation rule may have been too much.

There is some discussion of Haedric's recent wedding, which his cousin, Mavric didn't get an invite to.

Offical portrait from Haedric's wedding

W'ansday 2nd Fruit

Mid-morning we make our way to the riverside townhouse with pretty gardens, a young servant directs around to the back to a summer house on a rise.

The house apparently belongs to a Lady Catherine, an ally of his lord.

At midday he reads a scroll and we find ourselves somewhere warmer, Mulberry in Bowcourt.

Olivier, Baron Henry of Mulberry's butler recognises Cassandra, Lady Mure.

A ship is waiting for us at the river, lunch is waiting for us, Cassie insists we should get lunch to go so she doesn't have to see her father.

It sets sail, without a sail, water pours out the back and the boat moves forward down the Suene. The lunch is all soft fresh food. Mavric feeds the river fish.

There's a lock on the river at the border to Borderlay, no doors in sight but a 10' drop in the water level.

We join a bigger river, Montrachet and turn north.

After dark, I pop out an iceberg to tow us a bit faster until we get to the next left in about 4 hours, through another custom station with a chain across the river.

Th'rsday 3rd Fruit

Raoul d'Autevielle, Vicomte de Bragelonne

We get to a larger town around dawn, Treville, home of Comte de Remy.

Arms of Bragelonne: Gules, a fess argent between three mullets of six pierced Or.

A couple of hours further up the river is reduced a canal, two boats wide.

A couple of hours up the canal, we come to a pool, the head of the river, the fairly new docks of DeVille where I park the boat.

A 3-wagon wide road runs north and south from the big flat featureless square in the middle of town. Apparently a MMHS road building machine rumbled over the old village, the rebuild became the more sizeable current town.

We get 5 horses as the ostlers, Celeste and I stay afoot. We head out of town at a trot to the noble estate where we are met by William of Mulberry (twin brother of Henry), Raoul, Vicomte Bragelonne, and Master Durand, possibly a tall gnome or short, thin Dwarf in an all encompassing outfit.

We're shown our rooms and invited to lunch.

A Rotten Tale

Wine and Cheese Map (and Key)

Over (and using) lunch & Golden Wine, William brings out a map and starts talking (between distractions until prompted back on track by the gnome).

10 years ago, Drow invasion, magical ice road up the Baratary River caused lots of damage. Went through Bragelonne (started in the better/noble side of town) and destroyed several river forts. Drow army remnants occupied and looted the ruins of Bragelonne until driven out.

818wk was a great harvest, first since before the war. The Gold Wine takes 6 years to mature.

Some illness amongst people, fungal infections, all fairly normal just at a slightly higher rate than normal.

821wk midsummer's day - plague swept the city (Bragelonne). Fevers, skin mould, died and then got up again (Plague Zombies), spewing spores, infecting people, panic. Lord Arnaud, father of the Vicomte died in the controlled evacuation. The city is quarantined, seems quiet, hasn't spread much beyond the city except into the neighbouring vines which appear to have all of the rots.

One vineyard whose vines are infected had all of their barrelled Golden Wine go sour. This would be very bad if it spread and soured the vintage which they (economically) need.

The Golden Wine evaporates in the barrels which are not topped up, a 'veil' of yeast forms over the top. The barrels are only 60% full when they are mature.

They're also concerned about their cheese production and aging.

Ice crystals in the ground, in winter the areas around them freeze and ice trees grow above which inflicted icy transformation on anyone or anything that touched them. The ice is a mix of Elemental, Unseelie and 'Infernal-adjacent' - something evil, otherworldly and powerful. Master Durand's group are here to remove the ever-ice crystals then extract the magic from them.

Once Raoul leaves (to maintain deniability) Durand Skyratchet removes his hood (confirms he is a gnome) so we can understand him. D's people were involved in an incident in Vole, fire bombs may have been involved, they are wanted criminals in Bowcourt but their presence is maintained as deniable as they are needed to remove the ever-ice.

The infection doesn't seem to have crossed the bigger rivers.

Infected people:

1. Translucent skin in patches, warm, moist to touch
2. Fungal breakout, musty smell
3. Tired, wanting to rest
4. Death
5. Rising again as plague zombies which keep moving until burnt. Dismembering slows them down.

Mostly a disease to be cured, the fungus also oozes toxins.

William gives us an Astrology reading they'd had done.

Astrology

General reading on the pestilence affecting this area:

Heed these words, prepare thy might,
Fungal fruit brings endless blight,
Touch that turns to withered mould,
Fevered hearts soon grow cold.

Yellow marks its writhing path,
Tendrils rotting home and hearth,
Rot that grows on vine and rind,
The sign of horrors yet to find.

Mavric uses her cards to work out what's going on:

• Misty Mountains - divides/boundary, transition into danger
• Grey Havens - An exodus, evacuation, endings and beginnings
• Shelob's Lair - Ancient Darkness, conflict, bravery, darkness against the light, unity against evil.

Gnash pulls a doll out of his pocket and animates it. He introduces him as Ankle Biter, we all refer to him as EM (proving that all Necro's have evil minions). It starts studying the ice crystal. Confirms things we've already found, elemental ice, infernal-ish, it is part of and controlled by its larger source (or the thing controlling the source), the source is probably on another world. A manifestation / projection onto our plane of the source. Doesn't like dry and heat.

Some cows have become infected - nightshade rot, a hoof fungus. Golden Cheese place (21).

We send a letter to Valindra and Lyria informing them of the local infection and asking their advice or help.

A Plague of Pestilences

We ride, walk and skate WSW down the road from Deville towards Oubilie. Staying in the best rooms in the village Inn, The Red Cow.

Frysday 4th Fruit

Continuing down the road, head off west across the fields before we get to Lavans-sur-Valouse. Crossing the Seine by ferry we pass through the village to the Chateau-Chalon where we catch up with the local commander, Phillipe.

The Chateau is full of soldiers so we make camp outside the walls in our disguised igloo.

Reapsday 5th Fruit

We head north looking for a patrol that is overdue.

After a couple of hours we come to the hamlet of the damned (midpoint between Plumont, Le Domaine des Reves Perdus, Chateau-Chalon, & La Vigne des Fantommes), going through the motions of common tasks rather poorly. Still human but have lost their ITNs, drained away elsewhere. They're unresponsive and seem soulless.

Plants and animals also affected, lessened. Appears to have been an area affect, about half a mile radius from off-centre of the village.

Mavrik does a Divination

The Great Sea - sudden evolution.

The Eagles - Unexpected altruistic help

Seven rings of the Dwarves - Gifts to be wary of

Hobbits - Re-forging links with family, serving the common people

Helms Deep - Besieged

Outside the bounds, a quick lunch then off to the next hamlet north.

As we approach, a dog comes out when Sol hollers at them, its mouth opens in an unnatural way as it lunges at Sol who promptly dismounts to a prone position. Celeste attacks the dog, Sol starts glowing as he draws his flaming sword. Gnash shoots a chicken with his crossbow, slowing it down. Mavric smashes a chook with her hammer, breaking its neck, exposing a tentacle. I block the shambling villagers with an Ice Wall. Celeste talks to the dog in Plant, it replies "Become Us". Sol slays the dog with his flaming sword, the chooks all react angrily.

We fall back, they follow for about 500 yards then stop. Cassie kills some with a meteorite shower, the others return to the village.

They seem to be a blended animal-plant, hive-creature that seem to have come from another world, somewhere 'beyond'.

Skirting around, we follow the trail of the carriage towards the village Perrigny, arriving in late afternoon.

No people or animals, carriage parked outside the tavern. Houses are empty, on opening the door of the carriage, it opens its maw extending an unreasonably large tongue.

An Ambush of Objects

The carriage tries to chew me up, Celeste charges to help and is mobbed by a basket, earthen pot, and cooking pot. 3 barrels charge out of the brewery and attack us too. Mavric raises a wall to control the front line, we all engage and reduce them to slime.

Inside the pub, we see active slime gradually flowing over and becoming furniture. The Slime is Mimetic Slime, plane of origin is mostly Alusian (its body), the magical animus is from elsewhere, it is less than a day old.

Barricaded in a back room, we find Guillaume de Montmorency (one of the investigators) and Duval (a valet). The other investigator, François is missing presumed eaten.

Not long after they arrived at the Inn, things started moving and attacking people and so they retreated.

Celeste controls some of the slime, it is all part of the same blob of slime. She gets it to absorb the other slime, then sets it to absorbing a hay cart.

Smartest - Haedric

Using controlled slime as a tracking dog to lead us to the rest of itself

Sunday 6th Fruit

Guillaume and Duval head back south to report in, riding two of our spare mounts.

We follow the hay-cart-tracker-slime north towards the other parts of itself - a house. We work out it was the house of a charcoal maker, ground-zero of the infection, they took their load of charcoal to the village to sell to the blacksmith and have a drink at the pub, the slime then started absorbing and things went downhill from there.

An Elven woman steps from the trees to reveal herself, she gives her name as Lailassi (Green Leaves), she is a courier from Valindra with a message and some Autumn Draught.

Valindra, Lyria, and Ruath came to investigate (at 30), sensed the otherworldly incursion, Lyria made contact with it and was harmed by it. They've withdrawn to the Ruby Waters to recover.

A demonic temple to Savnok was destroyed in Bragelonne 700 years ago, there's no other known places that might be relevant in this area.

We destroy the slime-rick and all other converted items in the house.

Then start heading south to the vineyard.

A Very Large Grape

We ride south-east about 5 miles to La Vigne des Fantômes (the Vineyard of Ghosts). Maryanne, the woman in charge comes over to talk to us.

The North and East sections of the vineyard and a corner of the cellar have been affected, it looks like the centre of the effect was NE of the vineyard and radius 800 yards. The affected vines and roses have over-ripe engorged fruit and flowers, with a nasty after taste.

Celeste's cat informant tells her there was an inside-out light in the night about the time the plants were affected.

Sol stares into the sun for an hour and then draws us a disturbing symbol he saw. Like a curvy flower with 3 tentacles.

The local lady says the barrel closest to the effect has that symbol on it in yellow mould and that barrel has not soured in the same way. It is a bitter unnaturally fortified wine, Gnashdar has a drink, he reports a vision of being by a dark lake on a strange dark world with two suns and black stars and something vast, inimical and unearthly lurking in the lake. There is a city on the edge of the lake, its name is inherently known as Carcosa. Sol and I also drink some and see the same vision. Independent of the gifted clairvoyance, the wine is toxic, causing WP loss.

Leaving the horses here, on Carpet and Light, we fly at low altitude east about 30 miles to Deville. We talk with Raoul & Isabelle, William, and Dunbar. We brief them on all we have learned.

• Bragelonne & the North Rd have been there a long time. Historical reports about 120wk of a demonic cult to Savnok, was expunged by fire & sword as usual, a PoL church was built on the ruins which eventually became the Bragelonne Cathedral. The zombie plague started in the Old Quarter, where the Cathedral is.
• Near the town, the river is 150-200 yards wide, 12 fathoms deep. Long thin island in the middle, 60 yards from the town side of the river, with a small garrison still based there.

Dunbar is sending a message to some of his contacts who might know something about the symbol and name.

We ask William & Raoul to send a message to Elfheim asking the same, highlighting the risk to the Elven Ways and CCing in Celeste's Step-Dad to helpfully prompt a faster reply.

Gnashdar hits Dunbar up for a bandolier of explosive methane-greekfire grenadoes.

Our planned approach to the Cathedral is to fly to the river south of Bragelonne, Iceberg up river, then sneak/run the last couple of hundred yards up to the cathedral.

We spend the night at Raoul's as Dunbar thinks his contacts may be able to get word back by breakfast.

A Slime in the Cathedral

We have dinner with the Comte, his pregnant wife, the Dowager, Sir William, Antoine ...

Moonday 7th Fruit (New Moon)

In the morning it turns out we all had disturbing dreams:

Haedric - Uncomfortable social situation, large crowd, dancing, nothing being right.

Cassandra - New 'perfect' suitor arranged by Dad, fancy dress gala, grotesque masked ball, chased through hedge maze by demonic.

Celeste - Hunting in dark forest, fell presence hunting her. Human Shaman by fire in clearing "It fears the fire and will not approach the light".

Mavric - Back stage at the play where everything is going wrong, changing script, wrong costumes, wrong sets, sheep & shepherd, "where's the Llama".

Gnashdar - Struggling in a dark lake, something in it, emerges into buildings, chased through city by something dark & fell, then in Felicemouth, then Castle Black now in the city next to the dark lake.

Solas - Guest of honour at an extravagent feast, masked ball, it was lovely.

Master Dunbar demonstrates a messaging device for us to take to the garrison. A polished wooden box with a brass tube in it and 6 tubular cylinders, putting a note into a small cylinder into the tube will get it sent to their 'base', we should address the note to Dunbar. We torment Dunbar with questions about possible uses, several of which he objects to.

We fly south-west then west to the river south of Bragelonne, from there we iceberg up river to the garrison on the mid-river island.

The wasteland west of the river is dry, dead, desert-like. East it is a noxious swampy jungle. Wooden buildings in the city seem to have recently sprouted.

Berthing at the island, we disembark and the cautious soldiers take us to meet the Captain, Chevalière Élise.

A message arrives from Dunbar's people about Karkosa - the city by the lake, associated with The King in Yellow. Seen on may worlds, contains buildings from different worlds.

We summon a storm, have lunch then board the iceberg and cross over to the city. I create a snow storm (50' radius, 15' visibility), under its cover, we advance.

Part way a plant-man stumbles out of the storm into Celeste's path, Living Plant, Fungal Zombie. She and Sol destroy it.

As we come to the courtyard, 3 slimy figures with weapons emerge, Common Slime, we promptly slay them then advance and find part of the cathedral. Making our way along the wall we come to one of the main doors, though the wooden doors are gone. The cathedral is damaged, broken support pillars, some holes in the roof.

Scouting inside we find some more slimes and an enormous (7-hex) boss Royal Slime that attack. Some damage is done, the Royal Slime jumps on and engulfs me, smothering the snow storm. From inside, I feed it a Polymorph Frog potion. The Frog-Slime-King offers to negotiate, we agree, it will withdraw and let us investigate below the cathedral.

Smartest - Haedric

Feeding polymorph potion to a slime while engulfed/consumed, then implied it could only be reversed by a kiss.

Delving below the cathedral

We head to the back of the church, through a door heading downstairs. Various rooms, storage, meeting, dining, rest, etc. Concealed door in the storage room leads to a tunnel heading down quite a long way under the church grounds. Another concealed door opens into a larger complex. Barracks, dining, kitchen, cells, old destroyed temple?, master's study & bedroom...

Furniture generally looks looted from various local sources.

2 bodies in one of the cells, look like they were fungus-zombies before death, both humans and fungi are dead now. One in unusual armour, they were living here, working for 'The Master' from Draj who was here to gather power and found what he was looking for.

• Ring - Storage magic. Stores FT for Warrior abilities.
• Bracelet - Protection, 6 discs with protection runes, rechargeable Rune Shields, 3 are full of rk 12.
• Scabbard - foreign materials, Storage magic. Stores a Weapon Spell by casting on it.
• Sword - H&1/2, glossy black, Sharpness magic. Bleeders on EN blows. Can take a weapon spell.
• Armour - Half-plate & helm made from shell/chiton. Very light.

Tortured body in cage, local human, has gold & malachite pendant inside its body, crozier symbol.

Secret access from master's room to an old spiral stair heading down.

A long way down, cavern, auditorium like, stage with portal.

Smartest - Gnashdar

Animating a corpse and getting it to loot itself.

The Horror in the Basement

Near where we enter the remains of a sacrificed human hang from a pillar, On the 'stage' is a portal (pillars around it contains/constrains something, portal in the middle is still open but only a little, size of a pea.)

While we're investigating, something slithers out of the darkened crevice and attacks. Clawed Tentacles, semi-substantial, area of effect damage, teleporting, 3 whispering voices emanate from it (screaming sacrifice, evil scheming priest/mage, something from beyond the veil). Several quality blows wear it down until Solas splits it in half with his radiant blade, the remains fade away leaving the shrivelled heart of the sacrifice. GTN: Lesser Shadow Horror

Casting light in the room to hopefully give us light and maybe advantage against the next horror, we divine the portal and containment.

Portal was activate yesterday, and several times previously, increasing frequency. There is something else nearby that is keeping it open, something from when it opened.

Containment: 12-15,000 years old, Elven, should prevent anything happening with the portal and should hold it shut. Has writing in Elven warning against interference, references Elven defence ministry, doom level artefact.

Examining the pendant we found earlier in the light we can see writing hammered into the rim: (In Eldaran which we poorly translate) Gift(?) Xavier Laurent Auber elevating/ascending(?) Archdeacon

Out the tunnel from the other side of the cavern we emerge from a partially caved-in area into more natural caverns that eventually exit in the riverbank. Exit cave covered with vines (Fungal Creeper).

A mushroom wanders out of one of the caves. Sentient Plant, Myceloid: College: None, Magical Ability: Networking, Not Pacted, from Alusia, about 1 year old. It casts spores which allow us to communicate. We chat, this is their home, a family/tribe, they feed on local funghi, nobody else has ever been through their caves.

Iceberg back upriver, write and post reports via Dunbar's Device. We mention Xavier Auber, the Captain tells us that's the Archdeacon who now runs the Bishop's See in exile, is based at the Priory of Saint Lucien.

we think the Bad Drow tortured and the replaced the Archdeacon a year before the plague, ran his dig, found and opened the portal, triggered the plague. The Viscomte and Bishop died in the evacuation, we suspect with assistance from the Bad Drow.

We tell her about the friendly mushroom people downriver.

We spend the night with the troops.

Duesday 8th Fruit

Solas dreamed last knight of being an honoured paladin, presented to the King in Yellow, invited to be his champion, herald and flagbearer.

We get a message back via Dunbar's Device

Be careful, discrete and sure about the Archdeacon, before acting. Check in with Prior John. Don't harm the Priory.

We iceberg down river to Maquet then up the Meule to the Priory (about 3 hours).

Not the real Archdeacon

We're greeted at the door of the Priory by a small human woman, Sister Madeline, the Hosteller.

Prior John is busy giving his arms (or alms) to the locals. He'll be free to meet with us soon. We use the time to be nosy without being too obvious.

We all (us, farmers, priests) gather in a common dining hall for lunch. We chat with (and DA) the locals and the Prior, all seem ok and and appropriately aligned to Gabriel.

3 late arrivals:

1. Sister Aurilie, short human woman, probably fighter, magical talent of accuracy, affected by Rune magic.
2. Archdeacon Xavier, older slender human man, Raphaelite, no magical ability, not affected by any magic, not connected to the King in Yellow. We don't believe any of it.
3. Brother Adrian, tall, solid human man, warrior, not aligned/pacted, magical protection ability, affected by defensive magic, not connected to the King in Yellow.

We talk for a while with Xavier, asking questions, trying to trip him up or catch him out, he plays a good game.

Nundah is outside being fed by Brother Benedict, an evacuee from Bragelonne. When the fight breaks out we find she has been fed sleeping drugs.

Aurilie whispers something to Xavier and leaves. We prepare to attack, someone triggers something and an other worldly pulse rings out, we attack.

Xavier goes down easily, something talks to Mavric, she tells us he is a fake and the real bad guy is elsewhere. Adrian, the warrior engages, he's fairly tough and fully armed under an illusion. He gives us some trouble until Cassie entangles him from behind.

Celeste and Mavric chase down Aurilie who escapes through a Portal to Sanctuary.

Under the illusion of Xavier is Brother Jacque, the Sacrist.

Prisoners are stripped and secured.

2 others who arrived from Bragelonne with Xavier are working in the cheese aging caves, 2 miles up the road. We fly there, break into the caves, through the extremely secure metal door in the back, where we find Brother Gerrard The Mute guarding the corridor.

Later investigations reveal they have been stealing significant funds from the church and locals under cover of their work.

Running Duel with Brother Gerrard

Brother Gerrard falls back, we advance slowly through wards of Sinking Doom (we bypass the trigger condition), DTJs (mostly bounce off Celeste), a sliding wall door (we jam open just before it closes), then into a cavern where the supporting pillars are warded with Earth Transformation. We're crossing carefully when Gerrard stops skulking and attacks, Sol triggers a ward to try to drop the roof on him. Brief violent melee with Gerrard, he falls back, we continue out of the cavern into the 'temple', Mavric walling behind us with thorns.

Temple has two large Cthuloid statues and one medium sized, two reasonably recent sacrificed cheese making monks. Two Lesser Shadow Horrors slither out of the big statues until Sol melts them back into the statues with a Flash of Light then seals them in with Light.

We powerfully force the Portcullis on the other side up (helped a little by Cassandra releasing the lock), move through then seal behind us with ice and light.

In the next cavern, a narrow bridge crosses over 20' depth, (having portalled or taken a secret short-cut) Gerrard is waiting for us on the platform on the other side. We hit him with ranged attacks, he stomps his foot collapsing the bridge and igniting the smoking magma floor of the cavern.

Celeste carries Sol, running on air to the other side, dodging an earth hand and a wall of stone. Mavric throws her Axe, holding on to fly over. Gnash puts a Bone Construction ladder on the other side, I cast (slowly melting) Walls of Ice to bridge the magma, Cassie, Gnash and I run/skate over. Gerrard engages Celeste and Sol, dealing a lot of damage while they recover from crossing. Mavric flies into the fight, hitting him hard then getting knocked down in return. Sol promptly heals Mavric back from the brink of death. Celeste steps back in, sparring, exchanging damage and concerning him a little; Mavric leaps up and wounds him; Cassandra emerges behind Mavric entangling Gerrard with her whip. Celeste goes down to a couple of massive wounds, Sol heals her; we damage him some more, Cassie's whip chokes him out and he drops.

Brother Gerrard - GTN: Mull (similar to GTNs of both Human and Dwarf), lesser pact to something from beyond, low chance of something turning up when he dies.

Showdown with the Yellow King's Minions

We strip Brother Gerrard of his enchanted items, Skin Change him into a mouse which goes into a bone construction cage on Gnashdar's belt.

• Ring - Earth Hand
• Pick
• Cestus
• Belt - Defence

Another evil world altering pulse. The corridor he was defending leads to a hall lined with smaller cthuloid statues. At the end of a hall a sloping ramp spirals down another 100' or so to another long corridor, we go another 15 minutes pulse, 15 mins pulse. The light level goes up a bit (and a bit yellow), the walls become a bit transparent. PULSE, we seem to be both in the tunnel and on a path leading through a rocky wasteland into misty lowlands with two yellow suns in the sky. Scrub off the path is from Karkosa. We continue a bit faster, trying to stay on the path, pulse, we see glimpses of a lake and a road leading to a city.

We notice Solas is now wearing a gold tabard, marked with the symbol of The Yellow King - not an actual item of clothing, more a semi-magical indication of allegiance. He takes it off, stomping on it as a form of rejecting it.

The path/tunnel opens out into a clearing/cavern where a priest and monk-sacrifices are chanting on a large altar, statues lining the approach and two large statues with a portal to an idyllic forest between them. Strange looking giant bugs are tearing at a pile of old body parts.

We approach to about 100' and then start casting and firing - arrows, Kneecapper Axe, Soulfire, Spectral Warrior, and dramatically successful Earth Tremor. The crystal shatters, green energy flows into the ritualists as they're thrown off the plinth/altar. The bugs charge us.

We step to meet the bugs, the monk/sacrifice-ritualists glow green, writhe and stand up with more tentacles and teeth than they had before.

Sol's Flash of Light is a more yellow and less effective. Bugs engage, Tentacles advance, one casts green bolts. We fire back at Tentacles and squish bugs, Tentacles engage. Chief priest finishes off the Spectral Warrior then emerges from behind the altar as a multi-limbed horror, we hit it with ranged damage, it spits acid blobs, emanates noxious vapours, and turns the ground under us into a maw of teeth. An enormous watery horror emerges from the bubbling lake (where an eldritch bolt from the exploding ritual hit) and slowly advances.

We take a lot of damage, Tentacle one is casting at us, several of them are grappling with the tentacles and biting with flip-top jaws. We slowly take them down while Celeste and I keep hitting the big priest.

Mavric sends her Varda gifted-hammer through the portal with a prayer, it returns half a minute later glowing with golden power, Mavric promptly throws it at the big priest, reducing him to slime.

We kill the last of the tentacled ones, the cavern becomes more real, the green glow is nearly gone except for the bit coming from Solas. Mavric commands and instructs him in rejecting the Yellow King, calling on Vardas' aid again. The lake monster advances on the portal into the ways, Celeste and I step in front of the portal as a last line of defence.

Solas incinerates the tabard, concluding his rejection and the monster fades. The portal to the ways also fades away, we're left in the dark in the cavern.

Cleanup and Debriefing

The crystal is 1-2 feet long, dully glowing red, from another world/reality (beyond the veil/outer darkness). It is the thing whose existence is holding the portal open. It has recently been used as the focus/key in a ritual to create a conjunction between two worlds.

The head priest, or its charred remains, was indeed a Drow and nearly 1,000 years old. Old for the Terra Novan Drow.

Heading back out, we find the secret tunnels between the fire pit room, the temple, and the warded pillar room.

Carefully exploring and then back out through the caves, search the monk's house, find a cursed journal in one of the chests.

Back to the Priory.

The Sacrist was abducted and (Scriptomancy) Bound Will, used to steal everything valuable, then disguised as the Deacon.

Brother Adrian has asked for and been granted sanctuary with the monks as a penitent. We're allowed to talk with him. He is from a city on Terra Nova, Raum. A Kank farmer. Drafted into army of the Sorceress Queen, the city was flooded and overgrown with life. They invaded the neighbouring (dry) city, Draj, it went poorly, he was captured and enslaved.

Purchased by Ko (Master) Zoth (Earth Mage, evil head priest), gladiator, bondsman, eventually a freeman, 10 years later they joined the invasion. The master sensed something interesting in Bragelonne, so they stayed there, living below the temple. Until plague, evacuation, etc.

The master's Drow apprentice is the one who impersonated the Deacon, Ka (Lesser Master) Zor (the Scriptomancer). We're fairly sure he escaped to Sanctuary with Sister Auralie (Niva).

Brother Bernard (Gill) - the one that drugged Nundah and then ran away, is an Alchemist/Assassin. He had been hinting at running away for a while.

Brother Gerrard (Dancer) has been with Zoth for longer and seems loyal. Mull's are always slaves.

Mia was the warrior dead of the plague in the cage.

We fly back to the Roche to report in and rest.

We report to: Vicomte, William, Durand, 'Grey' from Elfheim (Ministry of Defence).

'Grey' apologises for the oversight in losing track of the potentially world-ending phenomenon.

The crystal absorbs energy directed at it (magical or physical) which makes it hard to safely destroy. The Elves offer to take it for storage and study. The Gnomes offer to take it for storage and study, or transport off-plane.

'Grey' uses mind speech to allow us to talk to Gerrard/Dancer. He says the master was often in the temple on his own, if he has a secret place, it would be there. His name is actually Valto (lucky). We recruit him into a term of service with Seagate Guild Security to serve his time until (if) he is safe to parole on his own recognizance.

Solas' mind is scarred with the Symbol of The Yellow King. 'Grey' says he has the means to take care of that. The next morning, after some nasty nightmares of being hunted, he takes Sol away for an hour or so to do so.

W'ansday 9th Fruit

Debrief, rest, cures.

Th'rsday 10th Fruit

We travel back to Seagate by Gazebo.

Buffs & Mil Sci

Buffs and Abilities

Long Term (assumed always on)

Magic (caster)	Rk	Effects	Duration	Ca	Ce	Gn	Ha	Ma	So
Shadow Form (Ca)	10	+22% Def	5½ hrs				-
Coruscade (So)	12	+26% Def	6½ hrs				-
Resist Cold (Ha)	12	+4 Temp Gauge, -4 Cold Dmg.	7 hrs	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y
Weapon of Cold (Ha)	15	+16 BC%, +6 Dam	20 min **				3
Witchsight (So)	6	See Invis	3½ hrs				-	-	Y

Short Term/Situational

Magic (caster)	Rk	Effects	Dur	Ca	Ce	Gn	Ha	Ma	So
Shadow Wings (Ca)	14	44 mph	7½ hrs
Wings of Light (So)	8	38 mph	4½ hrs
Weapon of Light (So)	10	+11 BC%, +5 Dam vs Dark Aspected	15 min
Ice Traversal (Ha)	12	4 targets, +5 tmr over level ice/snow.	4h 20m	a	a	b	a	a	b

Self Only Buffs

Magic	Rk	Effects	Dur	Ca	Ce	Gn	Ha	Ma	So
Mind Cloak (rank)			1+2*rk hrs					8
Ice Armour (Ha)	15	26% 4 AP 1 SG 15 Fire	9 hrs				Y

Senses and other stuff

Capability	Rk	Effects	Dur	Ca	Ce	Gn	Ha	Ma	So
Sense Danger (%)		Mind Talent (or equivalent)		-	-	-	-	-	-
Detect Ambush (%)		Ranger (-5/rank of opposition)			? %		81%	63%	-
See Invis (Rk)		Effective rank for seeing invisible					11	7	6
Stealth (%)		Std / Ranger Outdoors					59 / 77 %	62 / 63 %	60 %

** Weapon of Cold Peace-Bound until needed.

Mil Sci Raise Morale

+1 WP

Brewing

Golden Ale nightcap - +1 FT per hour of sleep

Stoneybrew, Dur 1 Hr - +7 WP

Fighting Ale, Dur 1 Hr - +7 EN, +5 PS, +4 FT, No Stun.

Porter Ale, Dur 1 Hr - +7 PC, Death Aspect, +15% MR vs Charm/Hypnosis, +10% MR vs Illusion, -15% MR vs Necro/Wicca, Fearless.

Watch Order

Hour:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Night 1	Mavric				Cassandra				Celeste
	Haedric		Gnash				Solas				Haedric
Night 2	Celeste				Mavric				Cassandra
	Solas		Haedric				Gnash				Solas
Night 3	Cassandra				Celeste				Mavric
	Gnash		Solas				Haedric				Gnash

Marching Order

Skirmish Formations (Front)
Default Celeste Solas Cassandra Gnash Mavric Haedric	Double File Celeste Solas Cassandra Gnash Mavric Haedric	Single File Celeste Solas Cassandra Gnash Mavric Haedric

Loot and Expenses

SP & other cash value loot

• 15,000 sp each (5,000 tripled for successful resolution)

Significant Items

Dead "Prisoner"

• Chitin Half-Plate Armour
• Blood Obsidian Longsword
• Spell Storage Scabbard
• Bracelet of Shielding
• Martial Ring

"Brother Adrien"

• Chitin Full-Plate Armour
• Armour Storage Amulet
• Heavy Mace
• Weapon Storage Bracelet
• Stone Drake Kite Shield
• Shield Storage Bracelet

"Brother Gerard the Mute"

• Heavy War Pick
• Mekillot Blade
• Stone Hand Ring
• Dancing Belt

Minor Items

• Selection of mundane items (hair comb, flute, buttons, broken sandals, etc) that carry unusual Terranovan GTNs. (3,000 sp total if sold to Namer College.)
• Small "holy symbol" gift for each from Prior of St. Lucien from return of Archdeacon's gold & malachite pendant. (Cash value 250sp, but can be retained as a symbol of the friendship of the Prior and will add 10% reaction bonus if used appropriately in interactions with representatives of the Western Church.)
• Advanced Grenadoes x 4? (Being held by Gnash in exchange for a siege grenado. Worth 1,000 each.)

Calendar

Autumn 823 WK: Fruit (4)
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	Lugnasad		1	Guild Meeting	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		1		2		3		4
Autumn 823 WK: Harvest (5)
	5		6		7		8		9		10		11
	12		13		14		15	Equinox	16		17		18
	19	Harvest Moon ..	20		21		22		23		24		25
	26		27		28		29		30		1		2
Autumn 823 WK: Vintage (6)
	3		4		5		6		7		8		9
	10		11		12		13		14		15		16
	17	Blood Moon	18		19		20		21		22		23
	24		25		26		27		28		29		30	Beerfest