Jooj.... great posts. I enjoyed reading them and I have some responses for you.
But... on to the real guts... a relatively short and important update on our last two sessions. This will be brief, but at least everyone will know whats up.
After the riots in Cauldron there was a meeting with many of the nobles and the current leadership of Cauldron including the Lord Mayor, Vhalantru and Skellerang (as well as others). They agreement was to let all of the prisoners go free. Have a public day of morning for the 25 or so deaths (many of whom where city guards) not to mentions the hundreds of injuries. The 1/2 Orcs will move to an encampment outside the city walls and there will be a three month reprieve in the city taxes.
However Maavu is still responsible for his actions and is seen as the head raconteur and thus is still wanted. Due to the speech Maavu made which using the original law laid down Alek Tercival (one of the original founding families) is challenging Skellerang for his position (under charges that Skellerang is corrupt) but now Alex is missing. So the party starts looking for Alek
They find out that Alek has been living in poverty because he has been using all of his adventuring money to pay off ancient family debts and has been selling many of his goods to a Merchant named Tygot. He is the Antique and Archaeologist of the city. Many people who want info about old non-magical objects and/or buy old artifacts peruse his shop.
The party visits Tygot and find a lot of bizarre things on his ledger that Alek has sold to Tygot... but one catches the parties eye. An ancient silver tablet with a crude map carved on the back.
After much research and talking with a variety of people over time... the party discovers a lot of info about this Hegemonic tablet. I am incorporating many days research and chatting in one place even though the info was found out over time:- The large figures are called Spell Weavers. Ancient being who used to dwell in the area.
- The figures that are being used as slave laborers are Ogres
- The figure held over the head of the Spell Weaver on the right is called a "Starry Mirror"
- the string of cyphers under mirror are numbers listed in the following order: 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3.
- On the left side are images that are read from bottom to top.
- The spell weavers are using ogre slaves to build the planar travel installation that malfunctioned and eventually created the "SCAR"
- The next scene are the same Ogres being given some magic elixir called "Amaranth" and shows the great improvement in how the Ogres work.
- The top scene shows the planar travel installation in its complete glory.
- On the back is some crude map carved with a knife or dagger.
Eventually the party makes their way to the town of Redgorge. After a brief encounter in the local tavern they are brought to a hidden underground shrine and headcorders for The Chisel. A group dedicated to protecting the region and support arts and craftsmen. Lately the largest threat to both is a group they have come to know as The Cagewrights. They are most anxious because many of their members have violated the Chisel's code and become selfish and neutral toward the governments actions.
What the party finds out with the Chisel is the following:
- the leader is named Oliron Masht
- Maavu is a senior member
- Mikimax is a Bard and senior member
- Alek was working with them and trying to help but he has gone missing.
- Fearful that the Chisel is becoming the scapegoat for the issues occurring in Calderon and more specifically Maavu.
- Information has it that Skellerang is going to march down to Redgorge in the next week or so with the 1/2 orcs and ransack the community
- the only thing to stop a second battle at Redgorge is to have Alek Tercival show back up thus bringing the issue back to law and to the noble families not on a battle field.
- Alek is the primary goal...
The party gets some Canoes and food and heads down stream where they have confirmed there is a headless statue about 4 or so hours from Redgorge.
As the party is approaching the statue they are ambushed by a bunch of Gnolls. It is a little dicey as first but after about 30 seconds of combat it is quite apparent who the victors will be. The two gnolls get away.
As the party searches the area the realize the statue is that of a daemon. They also find Alek's boat upside down and covered with branches and vines.
Later the party follows a game trial and eventually a small bluff forms to their north. After a bit longer they come across a cave. There is some kind of creature that has taken up residence in the cave and they quickly dispatch it. inside the cave they find a cot, hooks etc. But obviously for something quite large (8-10' in hight) but they also find a spent wand with the Church of St. Cuthbert stamped into the bottom of the wand.
The party continues to travel west, north west and as dusk approaches they make camp. Not long after dark a winged vulture/woman attacks and is vicious. She can make duplicates of her self at will and moves like the wind cutting and scratching. Eventually the party takes the beast down... but they are exhausted.
About 5 min after the beasts demise the jungle goes quite and then a pinpoint of pure white lite opens and out steps a beautiful winged Angle who introduces herself as Nidrama. (the same angle that helped Surabar Spellmason).
After casting a number of spells she begins to speak:
"Powerful forces of chaos and evil are afoot. I dare not remain here long lest my presence attract the attention of those forces. Yet I could not sit by and watch you march into danger without warning you. The Lord of the Demonskar knows of your approach, and even now his minions prepare for your arrival. They shall use deceit and treachery against you, just as they have done with Alek Tercival before you. You must remain resolute; Alek Tercival must be saved. I have no aid to offer you but knowledge and a few spells. In ages past, I provided to Surbar Spellmason a powerful weapon to assist him in his conflict with the Lord of the Demonskar. This was Alakast, a quarterstaff infused with an undying hatred of the fiends of the outer rifts. I know for my brother and I forged this weapon to aid Surbar. Alakast is not just a quarter staff, it is my brother... the staff contains the soul of the movanic deva Alakast an ardent warrior against demons and devils.
Unfortunately, Alakast was stolen centuries ago, ripped from Spellmason's tomb by a grave robber. Yet do not despair, for it is fated that Alakast would be wielded again against the lord of the Demonskar. It has found its way to your , and all that needs to be done is for you to claim it. Seek Alakast in the lair of my false sisters, behold the watchful eyes of the north. This is all I am at liberty to say... I wish you well in your travails, heroes, and never loose sight of your goals."
With this she closes her eyes and the ill effects of fighting the demon slough off of the party and wounds heal. At this Nidrama herself slips back into the glow of pure light and winks out of existence.
The adventurers sleep that night much better then expected. The next morning they continue down the hunting trial. It ends abruptly and the trees thin out considerably, granting a clear view of the sky. To the north, roiling yellow and brown clouds boil above the jagged baron horizon. The jagged line of the Demonskar's rim broods at the base of these clouds. The ground itself between here and the rim is strewn with razor-sharp ridges of volcanic glass and jagged stone. Ruined strips of what can only be the metal framework of ancient structures protrude from the ground. One particularly large structure juts from the ground only twenty feet from the end of the trail. The ruin appears like nothing more than a massive pipe protruding from the ground, its twenty foot wide, two foot thick frame sloping down into the tortured earth at a gentle slope.
At this point the vanguard enters the tube and follows the crude map on the back of the hegemonic plate. They ignore the mass of smaller tunnels and continue following the main tunnel. After what must be 5 or more miles of walking they begin to hear some strange inhuman screaming. It comes and goes at random times.
As the party moves forward the sound gets louder and louder. eventually the party exits the tube into the center of some craggy crevasse torn into the earth. Somewhere in the Demonskar.
Out of the dark passage sharp jagged rocks hang over a small ledge in the southeast part of a wide pit. The pit, roughly one hundred and fifty feet in diameter is set at the bottom of a large fisure among the arid, crystalline hills that boarder the Demonskar. Puffs of eye-watering smoke seep from a pool at the bottom of the chasm, about fifty feet below. On the other side of the chasm, a pair of gigantic metal tubes protrudes from the rock, extending nearly fifty feet and out of the fissure. The burning stink of sulfur and acid is everywhere and the ground and walls are wet with with foul smelling condensation. A ramp of roughly hewn stone steps winds down into the pit.
As the wind rises ans sweeps through the fissure, the two looming metal chimneys issue a thundering deep bellow that echoes across the landscape.
As they are moving down the ramp a few members spot a very small winged creature come out of the sulfur pool and move very quickly toward a hidden cave entrance. The few members that see the thing react. Donner dashes across the floor of the pit and a few spells are fired... namely a lightening bolt. It retaliates and disappears into the cave. Donner sees that it halts as it is opening a 2' tall door on the top of HUGE portcullis. He makes a swipe and misses. As the creature emerges on the other side of the portcullis Donner summons his internal energy and Ki strike brings down the winged beast.
To quickly sum up.. the party finds that there is a cave above the portcullis and there is a balcony overlooking the cavern floor. Inside is the larges Hill giant they have ever seen. Combat ensues and after a few rounds the giant runs. The party all enter the cave system from the balcony and note murder holes and a trail of blood. They are about to follow the trail of blood.
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