Tails you Lose

Scribe Notes: Session - Summer 803

GM: Mandos
Night: Wednesday night
Level: Medium/High.
Title: Tails you Lose.

Mission:

Amond wishes to inherit his father's estate in the DeBourgnac lands. In order to do so he (and his two older brothers) have been set a task to do. They have to kill a Wyvern and eat it's heart for strength and courage. The accountants of his kingdom have come to the guild to hire a group to assist and protect him.

Actually he is a mind mage that had deceived us . His daughter was kidnapped and killed by an evil Binder and her body was incorporated into one of his golems (the Wyvern). He wants us to destroy the golem and give it a proper burial. Oh yes and doing away with the Binder.

Another party should be distracting the Binder for a month or so, so we can prepare.

The pay is 20,000 silver pieces between the party.

The Party

• Anathea
• Boulder
• Drum
• Isil Eth
• Liessa Varden
• TDP
• Vychan

Daily Notes

1st Meadow 802 WK

After leaving the guild and going down to the pub to meet Amond (our employer) we decided that the best way to get to Newcourt was to fly thus we booked in Amond for some flying lessons for all day. He seems to be a naive person who has read too many fairy tales about adventuring and seems convinced that he would be able to kill a wyvern with his rapier. We spent the day in preparation and investigations. Vychan did some divinatory magic's and answered the following questions:

1. Is the Guild involved ? No
2. Is there a wyvern in Newcourt ? Kinda
3. Is the kinda wyvern in Newcourt a shape shifter? No
4. Is the kinda wyvern in Newcourt a pet of someone else ? No
5. Is the kinda wyvern in Newcourt a familiar ? No
6. Is there more than one wyvern in Newcourt ? No
7. Is there more than 5 wyverns within 30 miles of Newcourt ? Yes
8. Has either of Amond's brothers found a wyvern yet ? No
9. Are either of Amond's brothers heading towards Newcourt ? No
10. Are there any dragons within 30 miles of Newcourt ? No

We acquired 24 skin changes (to transport horses) and organised bat wings for that night timed so we could land in Newcourt at dawn. Isil Eth is bringing her 5 bodyguards and she will cover their expenses. That night we caught the slow (3 hours of walking) portal to Elvenburg then flew all night to Newcourt.

2nd Meadow 802 WK

In the wee hours of the morning we landed in a secluded valley that was 9 miles south west of D’arbres and about 10 miles north of another village. We didn't want to go any closer as the locals are rather uneasy about magic (and non-humans).

As we had been up all night we decided to camp all morning on the edge of a wood (so we had some cover). We found a small fairy just inside the forest with its throat slit - obviously a warning to other Faye to KEEP OUT. We recalled that the five major Faye courts of this area were at war with each other. We moved camp along the forest edge a bit.

When everyone was rested we discovered that Drum was missing, apparently he had gone off hunting (in the Faye's forest!) after his watch was over, and hadn't returned. We gathered up everybody and set off to search the forest. We found him a couple of hours later asleep with a fairy arrow in him - very lucky I would say. We left that forest and headed north for the remainder of the day then camped.

3rd Meadow 802 WK

This morning we decided to check in on the village of D’arbres to see how they are going as the previous party had a successful mission there. We are told they can't stand non-humans so only Anathea and I can go into the village - everyone else hid just out of sight in the apple grove. In town we found that everyone here speaks a language called Lalange (which we don't understand except Isil Eth - but she is an elf) but the Tavern owner, the Reeve (mayor) and the Woodsman all speak a bit of common as well.

We found the Reeve, named Cohat, and after telling him that we weren't the new priests for the church (apparently the old one was nasty and the guild party handed him over to the western church and restored the anti demon ward - helping the Faye courts out in the process) we asked about dangerous beasts in the region - specifically Wyverns and he said we should ask the Woodsman. He lived just outside of town, is named Robert, and is from Brastor (where he worked in the forest of Grilion). Anyway neither the Reeve or the Woodsman had noted nothing unusual in the area and had seen no wyverns or other dangerous beasts. So Anathea and myself headed back out of town.

Meanwhile the party had decided that the next thing we should do is contact some of the Faye and negotiate "Hunting Rights" for the wyvern so as to smooth over the fact we were going to kill a beast in an area they might claim. Conveniently the three brownies that live in town found them, their names were Grey, Ginger, and Tortoise shell (all were shape changed to look like cats). After a quick discussion they found out the following:

• Seely Faye court was to the east.
• Unseely Faye court was to the southeast.
• Madeiras elevadas Faye court was to the northwest and was on very good terms with the guild.

There was a strange head in the Unseely lands that bent the ley lines, was some sort of Earth place of power - possibly trapping some sort of fire creature?

Once Anathea and myself had returned we asked Grey to send word to the Madeiras elevadas Faye court asking to see them (as we were wanting to travel north to the mountains).

After a little while a Brownie arrived, his name was Bunt, and he was the Grand Vizier (his real title is Bisbolhetice that translates something like Advisor, Minister for Foreign relations, Ambassador, or maybe Gossip) to prince Timp who lived in Madeiras elevadas, or the high wood to the north. He invited us to come and see prince Timp and knew quite a lot about the area and told us of several wyverns to the north (a breeding pair and a strange one that smells of ale?). Also there was a strange human, who lived in a tower in the hills, they thought he was some sort of hunter.

We meet prince Timp and he said it was fine to hunt wyverns and even volunteered us a guide from the area. This guide was a spriggan (earth Faye) called Ferroc and he was heading back up to his home in the north tomorrow anyway. We stayed and celebrated our new friends deep into the knight (Vychan had bought a large amount of ale and shared it with all the Faye who were quite keen on it).

4th Meadow 802 WK

We slowly recovered from the party till about mid-day when we got up and headed north. One other interesting thing we learnt about these Faye is that when one of them dies if they are buried a tree will spring up overnight on that spot. This explained the earlier Faye bodies we found hanging in trees on a Faye courts border. If a Faye body is off the ground for a few days they will not grow a tree when buried. Isil Eth calls these "Retribution markers". Once we got Ferroc to slow down (he can move quite fast) we traveled north all day to the edge of the hills.

5th Meadow 802 WK

We traveled through the morning.

Just before lunch we saw the tower (owned by the human hunter) a few miles away and decided to pop over for a visit. The tower was a bit of a mess the roof had been on fire and was mostly missing. We had a look around and saw that under the tower was a strange basement with a laboratory, a library, and a number of animal cages (some with strange mutated beasts within). One of the cages had been melted out of and it was that, now escaped, beast that had done the damage. We went in and had a good look around the library, discovering 30 books and 29 scrolls none with titles and few with tables of contents. A quick read convinced us that the beasts were human / animal hybrid flesh golems made by some mad Binder.

After a little while we recognised the smell as a little like stale ale and Ferroc confirmed that this was the smell of the strange wyvern (so it came from here - probably the escapee).

We looked around and Amond was gone. a quick search revealed his sword was in the bushes and we could not track him (nor magically locate him). Eventually we tracked him down with an earth elemental and caught him - he was undetectable (apparently he is a mind mage - something he neglected to tell us and neither of the DA's picked it up). After a bit of shaking he decided to come clean and tell us the truth (or at least the next version of it.

Apparently his daughter is one of the victims of this mad Binder, in fact she was made into the Wyvern, and he wants us to kill the Binder and destroy the golem that is made from his daughter. He didn't tell us this up front because the guild doesn't do assassinations. We corrected him by pointed out that the guild sanctions bounty hunting and the local law of the land defiantly does not allow what the Binder is doing hence after a new agreement (including a no shaking the employer clause) we, although a bit miffed, set out to do what he wanted.

He said that the Binder is away on some business, that apparently another party is involved in, and will be gone a couple of months or so, so we have plenty of time to prepare.

Anathea - quote "He kills children let's do for him" (isn't she a pacifist?).

We decided to start by getting rid of the rest of his caged abominations. These were more dangerous than we thought and Anathea got whirlwind vortexed (torn into many bits. opps.)

Vychan - quote "What are you doing? (said to approaching earth elemental holding a sack up high in the air) - earth elemental replies - you said I could crush anything under the sack". Earth elemental quickly banished for being too smart.

We sent Ferroc off to see if the wise women (mostly Dryads apparently) could help Anathea. Also to ask if the prince Timp wants the nasty evil Binder done away with.

The last creature in a cage is a sentient caterpillar (long lived sentient, GTN - Rock, College - Dimensional trapper, Plane of Origin - Swimtar) he is very hard to communicate with but seems to be a prisoner from off plane. Not sure what to do with it? After we watched it for a while we saw it catch some strange food from off plane. Over several hours it ate a few things (one thing looked a little like a primitive hobbit).

6th Meadow 802 WK

Ferroc returned and said the Faye could resurrect people but only under extreme circumstances.

I flew back to Elvenburg and portaled back to the guild with Anathea's body to get her resurrected then we both have to get batwings back. This took me all day.

The others try to read some of the Binders books.

When I returned we prepared to send back the caterpillar to it's home (we think it wants to go but talking to it - via speak to enchanted creatures) is difficult, many problems understanding it as it thinks very differently to us. Isil Eth cast a spell to send it home and a hole opened up to the void. However the caterpillar took control of the spell and after checking it went home held it open to cross. It then laced what looked like spider web over the hole and pulled it closed (A very small hole still remains - still in the closed cage but we are quite concerned).

7th Meadow 802 WK

A pixie came to us and said the Faye had found the wyvern and it was causing trouble with the Faye courts. There seems to be serious trouble with the Córrego da dor Faye court (the nixies). So we traveled all day back to the court.

8th Meadow 802 WK

We arrived mid morning and got to see prince Timp almost immediately. He said that they had seen the Wyvern. It had flown in from the north and then went down to the village. Somehow it has caused a fight between the Córrego da dor Faye court (the nixies) and the Reposo do livre Faye court of the D'arbres forest. Although the Reposo do livre Faye court is honorable the Madeiras elevadas Faye court isn't really talking to them much these days.

One of the giants put forward a particularly bad plan (not even a memorable one)

Liessa Varden - quote about plan "It would go down like an Orc in fancy dress." The prince sent a message off to the Reposo do livre Bisbolhetice (these are the Faye who deal with others outside their court) called Quggley.

We decided to go back to the village and see it anyone had seen the Wyvern. Recall that only the Reeve, Tavern owner, Woodsman and the Smith can speak common. We went and had a chat to the Reeve. He said that nothing strange has happen recently although they haven't heard from the miner (who lives in a cave near the mine to the north of the village) for a few months. A small girl heard the flapping of large wings to the East of the village (near the D'arbres forest) so we went there and found a huge claw mark. Drum said it was from a large (say 16' to 20' long wyvern).

We saw a pixie watching us and said hello (he was named Greywing). He was from the D'arbres forest and it was on patrol, with several others, when they saw the wyvern. He said "It turned up and ate Silverberry", and it talked to us. I asked what did it want? "Apparently to eat Silverberry". It had three heads on necks, one with a dogs face, one with a bird and one with a little girl and five in it's chest and two more on it's wings (10 heads in all!). It flew up to them, landed and said it wanted to renegotiate the contract. "Which contract?" the Faye had said, "This contract" the Wyvern said and ate Silverberry. Then the rest of the patrol ran into the forest. Isil Eth speculated that maybe the Wyvern gains a persons powers when it eats them (as a golem shouldn't need to eat being a magical construct), a nasty thought.

Vychan decided to summon an earth elemental.

Drum asked "Why do you need an earth elemental?" to which Anathea replied "Because there is a 10 headed, 20 foot long Wyvern around."

We were asked to continue to the ruins of the hunting lodge (which was set up by some humans in the D'arbres forest then promptly ripped down by the local Faye court) where we could meet Quggley the local Bisbolhetice.

After we traveled down to the hunting lodge Quggley (a brownie) turned up and we had some discussions with him. Apparently this is the first time they have encountered the Wyvern and the would quite like it done away with for eating Silverberry. He had no knowledge of trouble with the Nixies (don't know where the Madeiras elevadas Fey court got that from?). Quggley also appointed Greywing as our liaison to the Reposo do livre Faye court. At our suggestion he summoned a brownie called Cherry Blossom, who was also on the patrol with Greywing and Silverberry, and she made an illusion of the Wyvern for us to inspect.

It is 22' long huge and horrible. We recognised that it has similarities to the flesh golems from back at the Binders tower. It is definitely the right one.

We decided not to camp at the hunting lodge and instead moved back to about half a mile from the village along the road to the north of the D'arbres forest.

9th Meadow 802 WK

We went over the books and scrolls found in the Binders library again and classified them as follows:

• 22 books in Elven.
• 6 books in Common.
• 2 books in Drow.
• 20 scrolls in Dwarvish.

Most of the books are bestiaries on mythological creatures. One of the drow texts is a dissertation on the implanting of metal into animal forms (eg steel claws and armor under the skin etc). Most of the scrolls are on the smelting and alloying (mixing) of metals. One of the books in common is a litany on experimentation describing how the Binder created his golems and did his other experiments. It had the following sections.

1. A chapter on the Rock (caterpillar), but doesn't say how he acquired it, and it was used to capture spell casters to be placed into golems.
2. A section on the Elephant (the one that whirlwind vortexed Anathea) and it was mainly an experiment about sub-skin armor.
3. There was a large section on the Wyvern, it seems to be the Binders life's work, we read about the following main points:
   1. The wyvern combines the best of all the Binders experiments.
   2. The heads can cast mainly his own spells.
   3. The heads are individuals so can act independently.
   4. Three of the heads in the chest can cast the Greater Curse spell.
   5. Two of the other heads have different spell casting abilities in them (does say which colleges).
   6. It's tails has throwing spikes like a manticores.
   7. And there is a reference to how hard it is to distill troll so it must be able to regenerate.

As if we weren't depressed enough already Seer (yes the demon) turned up to return Vychan his sword. He offered to help at a price. We were all too leery to accept. He did leave a note on the ground saying that a demon is involved with the Wyvern.

As we are obviously outside the anti-summoning area around the village of D’arbres Vychan summoned up a Earth Elemental and asked it to search for the Wyvern on the ground. He could sense it on the earth far to the north in the mountains (ie 10 to 200 miles away). After much questioning we established it was closer to us than the other side of the mountains.

Based on Seers note (although we speculate he might be the Demon involved?) we listed the Demons known to have been in the area or interested in the village previously.

• Thoris (Because Motley was in the area).
• Seer (Guild Party).
• Epos (Who is at war with Seer).
• Raphael (Previous party had to deal with the Church).
• Michael (Previous party had to deal with the Church).
• Zepher, or the Red Duke (Caused the last lot of trouble that the prior party fixed including the hellhound).

None of these spring to mind as the obvious people to be to blame.

We decided we needed to contact the Campo dos sonhos Faye court and travel through their area to get to where the Wyvern is so we headed through the foothills north being careful not to step in any fairy circles.

Unfortunately Boulder stepped in one anyway (to his credit the mushrooms were very small and difficult to see for a human - let alone a 12' tall giant).Isil Eth accidentally went in after him. Both just disappeared into nothing.

Shortly after that a small unkempt brownie ambled over to the fairy ring (completely ignoring us) went in then came back out a few minutes later. We managed to attract it's attention (it is drugged out of it's mind) and it said it was planning on eating Boulder and Isil Eth when they died in the ring. We convinced it that we could pay it some food now (about enough for three human sized meals) to go and guide both of them out. This it did. It is too dangerous here in the Campo dos sonhos Faye court so we headed back the way we came in. This was quite difficult, there was some sort of mental compulsion to stay here. Eventually we got to the wall to the village of D’arbres's fields. Unfortunately some of the villagers saw the giants and ran screaming.

There is a wall here and we talked to the wall troll who said he would send a message to the Campo dos sonhos Bisbolhetice Cribble. Cribble turned up shortly there after drugged out of his brain. We cured him of the poisons in his system (he didn't like that at all). He wasn't very helpful, didn't know about the Wyvern, Nixies or if anyone recently had gone missing and just wanted to get back to eating his magic mushrooms.

We left him to it and headed north on the other side of the river in the Madeiras elevadas Faye courts territory. A short way up there Bunt was waiting for us. He said that their scouts had spotted the Wyvern, and followed it back to a cave on the Nixies lake, we used the Earth Elemental and some crystal balls to pinpoint it. While we were doing this we discussed the Demon connection with Bunt and he said that the Faye here can't see or interact with Demon's in fact people with relations with Demons appear to be "blurred" and are difficult to see. As the Wyvern was not blurred to the Reposo do livre patrol in the D’arbres forest it is not a demon or directly demon related. Interesting.

The Wyvern was in a cave in a cliff on the lakeside, the entrance to the cave is a crack in the cliff some 8 foot wide and 15 feet high that leads into a tunnel 15 foot long. This leads into a cavern about 120 feet long and 50 to 60 feet wide. Inside of this we saw the Wyvern talking to two nixies. Later the Wyvern took off and flew a little into the mountains and meet an imp for a little while then it came back to it's cave by the lake.

10th Meadow 802 WK

We decided to find out what was happening with the miner (who the elemental had said was deep underground, trapped and standing beside a body) and see if that was related to the Wyvern, so we asked Bunt to find us a Faye that could cast a spell upon us to make us fly (as it was a little far to walk). He said he thought he knew of a Sylph that might be able to do it for us.

A short time later Bunt and the Sylph (who was very shy) turned up and she cast flying on us all then left without us finding out her name.

We flew up the road beside the Campo dos sonhos land (apparently the road is covered by the "contract" between the Faye and the villagers). After a little while we found the miners hut and a small smelter - for testing ore we think - as well as signs of mining (carts, tailings, etc) but no miner. An Elemental told us that he was deep in the Mine. After half an hour of digging we got him out and he was most thankful. He didn't know anything about the Wyvern and the strangest thing around here was 20 years ago when an old man, who seemed to be very knowledgeable about the area, passed through. We speculate that it might be a demon - but which one? might be Zepher?

Seer turned up again, mainly to bug us and try to bribe Vychan into packing to him, Vychan is tempted.

In the afternoon we watched he Wyvern visit the imp again. The imp was very excited and spent some time talking to (or maybe casting spells upon) the Wyvern. At one point a Devil turned up (we couldn't tell who it was aligned to) and seemed to cast some spells as well.

We decided to assume it was going to do the same thing tomorrow and thus timed our attack for the middle of the afternoon.

11th Meadow 802 WK

W-day, planned day of our Wyvern attack.

First we hiked around the other side of the mountain from the Wyverns cave. Then we started an elemental digging a tunnel towards the back of the cave. Near the end of the tunnel we put a side tunnel to give us a little more space (and so our attack didn't resemble a shooting gallery so much. The basic plan was:

1. I would quicken everybody and put down an enhance enchant on damage.
2. Boulder would put down some Air special counterspells on the floor.
3. Then Vychan would send in his earth elemental and cast a wall of iron over the exit to stop the wyvern escaping.
4. Isil Eth and Liessa Varden would send in Phantasms.
5. Next Vychan would tunnel out the wall and everyone else would attack (Anathea would blind heads, Drum shoot on with his cross bow etc).
6. I would Slow, Rainstorm, and Dis-enhance enchant to try and slow down it's casting.
7. It would die.

What actually happened: Well basically the plan worked except for

1. The phantasm were destroyed soon after reaching the wyvern.
2. The Earth Elemental switched sides and came back to attack Boulder.
3. It whirlwind vortexed, dragon flamed and blackfired us (no one died though but one of Isil Eth's guards ran for it).
4. Vychan switched sides and tried to trample Boulder, Drum, Isil Eth and Isil Eth's guards. Then had a go at Liessa Varden.
5. Boulder was shot and poisoned by the Wyverns tail spikes (they hurt him a lot too).
6. Eventually Drum banished the earth Elemental, Liessa Varden knocked out Vychan.
7. Finally Isil Eth molecular rearranged the Wyvern in to a ship (with 10 heads still), then we set fire to it and closed up the tunneling to let it burn without us being magically compelled to attack our own party.

I saw some nixies peaking over the wall of iron into the cavern to see what was going on. After a while they left. We found out later that Isil Eth's guard had been killed at the end of the tunnel by a combination of water magic's. We assume there are some nixies out there.

The nixies had all left and we moved 5 miles from their lake. We needed some time to removed the 3 Major curses accumulated in the attack so I opened my ship and started removing the curses. Alas this was a little to close to the nixies and they attacked us trying to burn my ship. I fire the ship's weapon at them and Isil Eth and Liessa Varden saw them off with Phantasm's. So I packed up the ship and we moved further away to safety.

12th Meadow 802 WK

Removed major curse from Boulder and Isil Eth removed Vychan's.

13th Meadow 802 WK

We went back in to the area of the Madeiras elevadas Faye court and meet Bunt again and reported to him. He was very happy.

We asked if he had seen Amond and he said "Who?". It turns out he had never seen Amond at all, this indicates he was a demon or pacted to one. (Sigh doing the powers of darkness's dirty work again). We didn't let it worry us as the Wyvern needed to be destroyed anyway.

That night there was a huge celebration in our honor.

14th Meadow 802 WK

Next day (round about lunchtime) we headed to the Binders tower to wait for him there. We found he had already returned and was tiding up. Liessa Varden ordered Isil Eth to "Knock him out" and Isil Eth misinterpreted this and used a phantasm which killed him. We went in and got the body (and preserved it in case we needed it for questioning). Back with Bunt again he said if we waited for the Fairy King's court, which only happened on a full moon, we could see him for a reward. So we settled in to wait for the 27th.

15th - 25th Meadow 802 WK

Waiting and training at the Madeiras elevadas Faye court.

26th Meadow 802 WK

The day before the Kings court Seer turned up again, and we had a little chat. He revealed to us that the Wyvern was working for Zepher and Amond was an agent of Epos.

He also tried to get Vychan to sell his soul to him and had a theological discussion about the differences between the Powers of Light and the Demons with Anathea.

Trained the rest of the day.

27th Meadow 802 WK

Trained some of the day. In the evening the center of the Madeiras elevadas Faye court open into a portal into a great hall filled with all sorts of Faye. Our deeds were well known and we where the heroes of the hour and eventually we were presented to the fairy King who gave us gifts in recognition of out services to the Faye courts.

28th Meadow 802 WK

We partied hard well into the 28th and then Dramus (who was there) gave us a lift back to the guild.

THE END.

Items and Loot

Item/Money (sp.) Description New Owner

• 20,000 Original pay.
• -1,000 Flying lessons for Amond.
• -9,000 24 skin changes to transport horses.
• -4,200 Bat wings to get to Newcourt.
• 12,400 30 books from Binder's library.
• 6,000 20 scrolls from Binder's library.
• -1,200 Bat wings to return to Newcourt post Anathea's resurrection.
• 190 Small Emerald.
• 480 Ruby.
• 80,640 2 lb Truesilver found by Elemental.
• -2,500 5 barrels of ale for the Kings court.

• Total 101810sp