Mislaid Offspring
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Summary
GAME-DETAILS: Wednesday night at Stephen Martin's (New Windsor/Avondale) starting on the 12th, finshing 22nd May. 6:30-10:30pm.
Opposed Rolling system; Level will be more than medium, but less than God-Bothering (if the world is actually ending, who wants them bothered).
PARTY: (strongly preferred size is 6 characters)
- WordSmith (Errol Cavit), trusted hero of Westcapital P.L.
- Kit (Andrew Withy), the chaotic inquisitor
- Aryan (Stephen Martin), Legendary
Smith-Armourer-Warrior-Sailor-King-LoverHero! M.S. Scribe - Veor (Bernard Hoggins), The Ice Mage Cometh...
- Mebh (Julia), The Air-Bourne Warrior
- Bleyze (Craig), The Fire Mage
THE REAL MISSION: Alfred of Hy-Brasil, a Dwarf, has won the contract to save the world. Unfortunately, the only way he can afford to succeed is with foreign labour: i.e., you lot. Fortunately the World in Question* is only the Plane of Purple. Someone/thing plans to destroy the Global Ocean-Level Equalising Mechanism. The humungous Rock due to fall out of the sky in a few weeks is possibly a diversion.
* To Be or Not To Be, that is the Question.
THE COVER: Alfred has arranged a “cover missionâ€, since the presence of Seagate guild-members on Purple is usually a source of interest, even alarm, to Purpurians. If you succeed on the cover mission, you may keep at least 75% of its loot. The Parliament of Houses, in the “West Capital†of the Dragonfolk-controlled territory, has posted a reward for a couple of Missing Offspring, presumed stolen for a hideous Fane ritual. Obviously Dwarves &/or “hobbits†are preferred, but other people-like creatures (even humans & elves) are good too, especially if they're not afraid of heights or not driven insane by them.
No necromancers, demon-worshippers, lizard-men, Undead, Atrocities, or Destinians.
PAYMENT, HEALTH & SAFETY, etc:
- Upfront, for the attempt, a small cup of rubies.
- Upfront, a “Red-Button music box†... useful should the party need to Blip to a mostly-safe alternate Plane of Existence for a few days if they need to recuperate, prepare, interrogate a witness, whatever. Should work atleast twice, but it is Elvish magic, and will leave behind all items containing ANY nonorganic iron ... even non-cold-iron such as most magical weapons, silvered armour, etc). Currently will take us to Aquatica, land to land, sea to sea, air to air.
- Upfront, a variety of useful non-Iron items, including smithed weapons & armour ...some of which you may keep, the rest will purchasable at a dwarvenly generous discount.
- If you succeed, Master-level training in a skill** [provided you've previously done the requisite master-work], OR being taught a college of Magic, OR being taught a special spell, ritual, & talent.
- The Dragonfolk will provide you Royal Warrants, permitting you to seize any & all relevant criminals’ possessions that you believe to be the profits or tools of The Stated Crime (including supporting, subsequent, or ancillary crimes). Should the crimes be judicially proven, you may keep all such possessions (less administrative costs); but you will be fined for improperly seized goods.
** While stocks last: substitution (of lesser or equal value) permissible.
Astrology & other pre-adventure advice
Several astrology readings, narrow & specific, have been attempted. However, perhaps because the End of the World affects the fate of too many, most have failed or given dubious gibbering. Alfred says a Priest of Hyperion has, unofficially, indicate this is the best of a bad bunch:
"The Joint is out of Time, Oh spiteful Curse,
That ever She was hatch'd to make it worse."
No.2 on the list is:
"Die di-die di-die di-die, di-die di-die di-die di-die,
di-die di-die di-die di-die do-Dooooooooooom."
[the lyrics weren't helpful, but the tune was fairly catchy]
Scribe Notes
Fifty Shades of Purple
It's a good start to a mission when the employer insists on meeting in a private garden attached to the pub and the ale is flowing freely.
Alfred talks us through the situation which all sounds very complicated but that's what we have mages for, and gives us a brief overview of local politics and history which is even more complicated. We go through introductions, complete the paperwork, finish another round then head our separate ways for essential preparations, enchantments and other ways of getting lucky. We lead Alfred's ship and fly down to Slippery Rock to cast spells and buy potions then he leads us through a portal to his Island of Warehouses on Purple.
A nice spot, industrious Dwarves, large buildings and docks, a few ships - some of them even floating in the water. As we need to approach the West Capital in an apparently normal sailing ship, Alfred moves his flag to an appropriately prepared ship and we fly north.
- W'ansday 2nd Fruit
About 20 miles out, Kit and I stop and wait with my ship while Alfred sails the others into the area affected by the lighthouse. We keep in touch using a bit of Talking Glass that Alfred loans us.
Wordsmith is welcomed as a hero (having helped free the Titan Tethys, and defended West Capital in Spring 811), and and leads the local investigation. Not much we can learn that the Dragons haven't already checked, essentially a perfect heist and we can only think of a couple of ways we might be able to do it with no clear indication of how or even who did do it. The locals suspect the neighbouring demi-devil-gods, they're the obvious culprits. We wonder about the merchants from the southern-continent-refugee-human-federation who were there in the week before the theft.
I exercise my natural gifts at prophecy and the crystal ball to scry where we'll find the eggs, it reveals an Elf in dark clothing against a white background before he becomes shrouded by mist. So obviously one of the local Elves has them in the Icy Wastes to the south, or the new icy wastes to the north that we're supposed to investigate anyway, or somewhere with no ice at all but just a lot of white, or maybe just some mist like Kit might make to cover our approach which could be anywhere, or the mists could represent their scry guards which I briefly pierced, or it might not be an Elf at all, that could be a trick.
The others finish their investigating and feasting and sail back out to join us after sunset so we can decide where to start. Discretely invading the evil neighbours could be a good start, it might not help but it's a good excuse. Veor wants to check out the ice. We could try to find who's responsible for the rock that's due next month, that could be related. or track down those merchants to see what they know. Wordsmith suggests visiting the local Titan they saved when he was last here which sounds good to me, apparently she's a watery babe.
Beauty, Wind and Ice
Once the others return from the island, we rest the night with the ships rafted up 20 miles off shore.
- Th'rsday 3rd Fruit
Flying in to Tethys Island we drop down to skim the waves for the final approach. Following instructions we toss snacks to the flying sharks and squid to keep them happy. Past the outer reef we float over a shallow coral garden that Wordsmith tells us is recent development, leaving him flying I dive in as a Dolphin to explore and appreciate the garden, Kit joins me a moment later as a Porpoise. All good fun until we get to the shore and I have to carry Kit for a while as he can't cast a counterspell with fins.
Hobbits escort us in and serve an early lunch (or 3rd breakfast) to Tethys and us as we talk. Tethys doesn't know who stole the eggs or who has them but she can expand on my vision and tell us we're likely to find them near the southern ice. The northern ice is news to her, she teleports off to check it out and tells us it is only small chunks so far but there shouldn't be any.
We chat for a while longer then decide to go checkout the ice where it is covering the southern continent. Tethys teleports us and the ship down to the south-east coast near the ice, arriving late afternoon local time. She recommends a good dining establishment in one of the local towns and then leaves us.
The winds down here are steady strong northerlies at lower altitudes and southerlies at high altitudes, Mebh uses her Tethys enhances mage wind to assist our flight into the prevailing wind as we cruise down to the edge of the ice then start flying west along the edge. I use some new goggles the Hobbits left for me which lets me see the wind currents.
Flying ships from the Refugee-Humans are harvesting large chunks of ice from lower altitudes of the wall.
While we're cruising Mebh does a ritual to chat with the winds, I see them pay attention to us and start tearing apart our mage wind which is muffling the conversation, I grab Mebh and leap out of the mage wind then she casts flight before talking to the wind.
It runs out there is one wind, a world wind. It is curious enough to answer our questions, it is not aware of anyone on the ice but it was barely aware of us until we started chatting. We ask about caves or anything else different or interesting on the ice, bored of talking it decides to show us, whisking over the ice at high speed to a couple of shallow depressions then blinding, bruising speed and we're suddenly on the ice in a snow covered calm area.
We work out that we're at the south pole, 4-5,000 miles from the others. While here we look around but see nothing of interest and no sign of activity. Flying out of the calm area Mebh tries to talk the wind into giving us a lift back but it seems to have lost interest in us. Mebh casts flying on me and calls another mage wind then taking a northerly bearing based on the line of sunset we go ballistic for about 10 hours heading back to the others.
- Frysday 4th Fruit
Shortly before dawn (local time) we come down where we left the ship and trigger a ward telling us they continued west. We go ballistic for an hour west and hone in on the ship as we free fall down.
They've cruised about a third of way to the west coast, the top of the ice isn't flat around here, it varies depending on the terrain underneath. There were ice harvesting ships back where the land was lower but haven't seen anyone atop the ice. They saw a river running off the ice, we check out the next one we see but it turns out to be natural according to Veor but they do create little valleys that someone could use to get further into the ice without going too high.
I nap while we cruise on, woken when we're about half way and there appears to be a settlement near the base of the ice. We cruise down, land outside of the village and walk in. We're above the mad-altitude so this is probably a shorty settlement, it turns out to be an empty old Dwarven Camp - seriously old, 250,000 years or so, about when the Titans left. Poking around we find a central building that contains a working portal, Hobbit signs indicate safety to the north. After a bit of divination and poking around we go through it, heading north and find a similar old 'camp'.
We quickly explore, find out the portal room has some sort of magic that strips our spells, except Wordsmith's, decide not to linger and continue north through a few similar camps, jumping a couple of hundred miles each time.
Chapter 3
- Reapsday 5th Fruit
Reference Info
Great Wood
Home of the Elvish empire: two islands off the NW of the Northern continent. Some powerful magic, but very sylvan-rural compared with the Glory of Alfheim.
Federation-Humans
The human civilisation near the Elves on the Northern continent, the "Federated Duchies", part of the de facto Elvish empire under the Queen of (the) Great Wood. Separate states ruled by Human, Elvish, or Fey rulers that have their own laws, customs, wild-hunts, etc ... but are united against the Fane and all subject to the justice/revenge of the Elvish Queen for any disputes between Duchies. Large tracts of wastelands, especially on the islands nearest to the Fane.
Dragon-Elves ["The Dragonfolk"]
The Elves to the SE that live with Dragons in West Capital. They have a 'Lighthouse' which strips all (including permanent) Illusions within 10-15 miles.
Victims of the theft of the two Dragon Eggs. One of which is probably a girl and has great potential.
The eggery/hatching ground has a lot of protections. Anything not a Dragon that comes near gets hit by a lot of death-magic. (Egg-napping was possibly achieved by telekinesis or other movement magic by persons not physically on the ground, nor flying/hovering immediately over it)
Fane-Federation
West and north of the Dragon-Elves are the Fane, powerful demi-devil-god types with worshippers who are happily sacrificed for power. Mostly they bicker and fight each other but the Federation is a group of about 20 Fane that are working together. Recently tried to invade West Capital but were stopped by Wordsmith.
Obvious suspects in the theft, possibly too obvious.
The big rock is due to fall in territory controlled by bickering Fane to the north.
Refugee-Humans
From the "Imperial Union of Duchies" on an alternative Purple occupying the equivalent of the Elvish Empire Federation, that in later centuries expanded to colonise other continents and, in the past few centuries, other planes.
They left their multi-plane empire shortly before it was destroyed and bought the central square mile of a few of their cities (some originally on their Purple, some from other planes - Aquatica, ...) with them.
The most advanced of the various human civilisations, portals between their cities, planar travel capabilities, and a history of being top of the food chain. Have taken over the southern continent and are making the most of the untapped natural resources that they fought with the Fane over and made use of on their version of Purple.
Black Orcs
Descendants of the Eric-Human half-breeds. Minions of the Necromancer.
Green Orcs
Descendants of the Eric-Drow half-breeds. Ruled by the Black Dryads. Recently stopped from invading Hy-Brasil.
The Necromancer
Big bad! Titan killer. Maintains plane-wide exclusivity over necromancy and undead.
Hy-Brasil Dwarves
Our employers. On the Western continent, atop their hidden mountain, NE of the Green Orcs.
Amalfi Dwarves
In the mountains west of the Green Orcs on the Western Continent.
Western-Humans
North of the Green Orcs on the Western Continent — settled by human colonists from the Human federation.
Aquatica
Another world/plane. The one we'll go to if we use the magic Elf-Box. One of the #Refugee-Humans cities is from there.
Calendar
- 22nd Breeze - Dragon Eggs went missing from hatching grounds
| Autumn 814wk: Fruit (4) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
|
Lugnasad | 1 | Guild Meeting
=> Purple |
2 | West Capitol | 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 814wk: 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 814wk: 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 | ||||||
Mil Sci
Formations
| Skirmish Formations | Watches | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Default
Mebh Aryan |
Double File
Mebh Aryan |
Single File
Aryan |
4 Hrs per Watch
Aryan Veor |
- * Official position of Kit's decoy, occasionally occupied by Kit.
- Magic Vision
Veor: Sees invisible, illusions, spirits, but does not see in the dark.
- Campsites
Warding with Runes available. 42% chance of blocking incoming spells, blocks unattended magic items, Adepts, Magic Creatures & Extra Planar must resist at -12/-12/-18 to enter. 1 Hour Ritual.
Elemental Warding also possible. Blocks Entry of creatures from named planes. As short as 10 Min ritual.
Buffs
| Magic | Rk | Effects | Dur | W | K | A | V | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Term | |||||||||
| Resist Cold (V) | 20 | +6 Gauge, 6 Cold DR | 21 Hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Greater Heart Rune (V) | 7 | Heals 7 EN on EN damage | 8 Days | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Fire Armour (B) | 20 | 100 Ablative vs Magical Fire | 21 hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Heat Shield (B) | 7 | 32 Ablative vs Magical Cold | 8 hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Fireproofing (B) | 6 | Prot Normal Fire | 7 hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Vapour Breathing (M) | 10 | 5 ½ hours | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Feather Fall (M) | 7 | 4 hours | Y | - | - | Y | Y | Y | |
| Flying (M) | 8 | 38 mph; D+2m/D+2p; 304mi | 4 ½ hours | - | |||||
| Air Bow (M) | 8 | Arrows: + % SC + dam | ? hours | Y | Y | ||||
| Disguise (K) | 21 | Unlocatable | 7 days | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Transmutation (K) | 20 | Anything & everything | 3½ hrs | Y | |||||
| Invisibility (K) | 21 | Witchsight Rk21 to see, or to target (even friendly) spells | 1¾ hrs | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Multiple Images (K) | 11 | 3 Extra Images | 12 mins / 7 days |
- | Y | Y | |||
| Ice Traversal (V) | 12 | +5 TMR on Ice | 4 ¼ hrs | - | |||||
| Short Term | |||||||||
| Branch Counterspells (WS) | 8 | +54MR on a college on area, +28MR entities. | 13 min | ||||||
| Weapon of Flames (WS) | 17 | +18%, +9 damage (+17 vs. undead/cold/water) | 22 mins | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Mana Sense (R:Touch) (WS) | 8 | Sense mana flows 90'. Extra info 60% | 45m | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Banishment (R:Touch) (WS) | 7 | Enables CS on Summ'd | 80s | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Dispel Magic (R:Touch) (WS) | 15 | Enables CS on spells 50-(3xRkDM diff)% | 20s | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Faith | 15 | MR minimum 70 after all adjustments | 50 feet | Y | - | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Rune Weapon | 8 | Magical Poison ((D-5)+3) for D10 Pulses | 13 Mins | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Selfies | |||||||||
| Mind Shield (Ar) | 2 | +14% vs Mental Attacks | 20 hrs | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| Tracking (Ar) | 2 | +14% Tracking | 12 days | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| Animal Mind(Ve) | 8 | +4 WP, 3 Hex, -3 PC, +2 Elem DR | 9 Hours | - | - | - | Y | - | - |
- Aryan Mil Sci
- Melee Only: +14 IV +14 SC +14 Def +1 Pass Action at End of Pulse
- Raise Morale +7 WP
- -17 dice mod on Fear Checks; -34 on Fright Table
- Aryan - Morning
CallisfDrill - +1 AG until dawn.
