Mislaid Offspring

From DQWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Return to Scribe notes

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)

  1. WordSmith (Errol Cavit), trusted hero of Westcapital P.L.
  2. Kit (Andrew Withy), the chaotic inquisitor
  3. Aryan (Stephen Martin), Legendary Smith-Armourer-Warrior-Sailor-King-Lover Hero! M.S. Scribe
  4. Veor (Bernard Hoggins), The Ice Mage Cometh...
  5. Mebh (Julia), The Air-Bourne Warrior
  6. 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 mission”, 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:

  1. Upfront, for the attempt, a small cup of rubies.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 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.

Chapter 2

Th'rsday 3rd Fruit


Reference Info

Human-Elves

Not really, but they're the Elves in the NW of the Northern continent that interact with the local humans.

Federation-Humans

The human civilisation near the Elves on the Northern continent.

Dragon-Elves

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.

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

They left their multi-plane empire on an alternative Purple 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.

Green Orcs

Black 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 Black Orcs.

Amalfi Dwarves

In the mountains west of the Black Orcs on the Western Continent.

Western-Humans

North of the Black Orcs on the Western Continent.

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
Wordsmith Bleyze
Veor Kit*

Double File

Mebh Aryan
Wordsmith Bleyze
Veor Kit*

Single File

Aryan
Mebh
Wordsmith
Bleyze
Kit*
Veor

4 Hrs per Watch

Aryan Veor
Kit Wordsmith
Mebh Bleyze

* 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) ? ? hours Y Y Y Y Y Y
Feather Fall (M) ? ? hours Y - - Y Y Y
Flying ? (M) ? ? hours
Disguise (K) 20? Unlocatable 21 hrs Y Y Y Y Y Y
Transmutation (K) 20? Anything & everything 5 hrs
Invisibility (K) 21 2 2/3 hrs Y Y Y
Multiple Images (K) 10? 3 Extra Images 21 mins / 7 days Y Y
Ice Traversal (V) 12 +5 TMR on Ice 4 & 1/3 H
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 minutes 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 - - - - -
- - - - - -
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 Callisf Drill
+1 AG until dawn.