Author: Follow Me, And Die!

Session 52 – April 15, 2015

Noon the 7th of Aurilden we concluded our review of the items from our last foray into the depths. We learned all we could about the books and other papers, and the tapestries.

We got a script for 150 GP for each book we sell to the brotherhood. We can cash it in at any temple of Baldric. The tenth book, “The Art of Shadow Stepping”, we will sell to the order once Chuq has learned what he can of stepping between the seams of reality, or so Master Dane says.

The morning of the 8th of Anurilden we made our last foray into the pit of death.

I write this grim reminder of our final success in clearing the sub-basement of the fortress at Kaligan. The newest member of our party, the young and brave, Bard, was slain while so very near our goal of ending the evil plague of the undead continuing to rise.

I myself nearly drowned following that in my quest to fulfill our word of clearing the fortress for Midmark.

I dislike making yet another deal with a devilfish, or “ancestor” of the devilfish. It had the power to generate an illusion, keep the slayer of the merman king’s son alive for torment these past 50 years, and to continually raise those slain in its zone of influence.

Axel convinced this thing that he would return it to its family. I hope he is lying. Something with this much power for evil must be destroyed. I feel that we should let the representatives from Midmark know this.

In our last foray into this place of death, we found some strange mold that Bard burned. Then we found five skeletons that we easily dispatched.

Finally, we encountered the flooded docks in the cave that had one end collapsed.

In this cave we found two sunken sailboats, a giant crocodile that we did not slay fast enough to prevent its tail from breaking Bard’s back and slaying him instantly. We then had the harried job of tying up the crocodile and hauling out Bard’s body. We got Bard’s body past the zone of influence, stripped it of his gear and built a funeral pyre, over which Brice said a few words.

Thankfully, we had the ox and the capstan to haul out the crocodile and drag it away so we could burn it.

We returned to the flooded boat docks and the merman just kept telling us:

Welcome, surface dwellers. Look upon the vengeance of Mascalus, heir to King Nemistus of the Merfolk. Interlopers from across the wide sea murdered my beloved brother and now they suffer here for their crime. Take heed of this lesson and flee this place before you share in the eternal misery of these malefactors.

On the rock was an idol like that foul idol we found in the dwarven tombs/bath houses under Midmark that held Baldric’s gem. Also there was the man who killed the merman king’s son, kept alive to be tormented by this giant white crocodile tearing off his legs. He begged us to kill him.

This idol spoke in our minds and did not trust me, and rightfully so. Axel convinced it that he means to return it to its people. I hope it is not true. I feel that we should not do this. this idol waved off the merman illusion, let the assassin die, and things quit coming back to life. 

Axel put the idol in a sack and carried it with him.

We used the light of the magic lighted Starchy Boyz pin to find the glint of a few gold pieces in the boat room.

We then went to the storeroom for the kitchen and encountered some seaweed. It grabbed my ten foot pole, but I wrenched it away. I used all my oil to try and burn it. Axel used some of his oil. Axel slew a bunch of it, but one of the other patches grabbed me and pulled me in the water, nearly drowning me. Thankfully, Axel and Finklemur took care of it. Axel and Finklemur then took care of the last patch of this strangle weed. Brice and Uthruk patched me up. We found copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins in this room, and a large black pearl.

A small bit a loot to complete our promised task. Hopefully the favor this earns us, plus the right to stay here when we need to makes up for our losses.

Is my dream that seems to match Brice’s just my mind playing tricks on me? Dare I share this with the others? I mentioned it to Brice, and she seems to know about it. However, I am concerned about Brice, with what we received in the letter to Axel.

We finally seem ready to head to Xen Khel. How many more of our number will fall? Will I die or lose my mind first? Will I ever have peaceful dreams again?

Session 49 – March 25, 2015 

We explore the passageway behind the secret door and encountered another bile spitting creature. We hauled it out and burnt it.

Thorfus & Chuq take advantage of free trainin, starting the 24th of Denrilden and will finish 1st of Anrilden.

Clement and his crew were ready and Finklemur shrinks the stone floor, they wench up the statue onto the wagon with the ox and capstan. They built a trap door and put it in place and then use the ox to pull the wagon down to the docks.

We use the ship Bitterhorse, captained by Hemmonet de Hayton to load the statue onto the Bawdy Bachelor, and have success without anyone being hurt or losing the statue.

The 26th of Denrilden is a double high tide and we look to see that its greatest depth is only the second step of the iron spiral staircase.

Axel, Finklemur, Uthruk, Brice, Sturloc & Kottar escort the statue to Midmark to sell it.

Finklemur pays to get at least one of the Starchie Boyz emblems magicked with continual light.

Fink also buys Find Familliar from Aldus and conjures up a screech owl, he named Sokrates.

Aldus confirms that the dragon is he center of the dragon cult of the dervishes, and that there were a few dervishes for each inquisitor, plus support troops.

Aldus asked if the room we found it in was very plain, which it was.

Aldus also told us that the bile spitting undead are sea zombies and that they are stronger than regular zombies, clerics have problems turning them or can’t turn them. They have some measure of intelligence, and some of them can cast spells. They carry disease and anyone injured by them are likely to die of disease. This prompts the party to seek healing for Uthruk. It takes about two weeks to be fatal.

Aldus suggest bilge pumps or that newfangled air pump contraption in Kalligan to move a large amount of water.

We get an appraisal of the historical value of the statue from Aldus of about 3,000 g.p..

We go across the street and speak to Alexander Rudenchuck the assistant to Almeer the guild master of the jeweler’s guild. He appraises the materials of the status at 3,000 g.p.

Finklemur trades the scroll of Protection from Magic to the Ark Cathedral in exchange for cure disease for Uthruk and restoration of a level for Finkelmur.

We sell the statue to the university for 7,000 gp.

Finkelmur takes up Desric’s desire to test for a ghost (or inquisitor). Desric is especially excited about Finklemur’s half of an inquisitor’s mask. Finklemur is shocked to badly he thought he might die, but it did clear the mask. After one last use of it, finklemur sell it to Desric for 2,000 gp.

There was some mention by Aldus about an issue with illusionists and Faldspar seems to have disappeared.

Perrette tells the party, who left the statue at Lord Thontron’s over night that he is likely to be the next commander of the gray cloaks. He says to thank Thorfus for inviting him into the tomb. Without that he says there was a good chance we would have been in Thornton’s basement answering questions.

Perrette also tells us that Lord Tevric Endril is likely to be the new mayor and that Lord Thornton will be the new chief magistrate.

The party stayed the night in the townhouse. Elspeth took a liking to Uthruk, and Haldan was protective of Elspeth. Finklemur charmed Haldan and didn’t do much with him.

Axel got permission from the Brothers of the World Forge to go to the lightning room. Axel, Brice, Uthruk, and Sturloc and Kottar met four acolytes and entered the tomb and placed the battery on the marked spot and it exploded injuring Axel and nearly killing all the acolytes. This information was relayed to Desric and he tore up his plans to recharge one. He did buy our broken one for 200 gp.

Sugyve is the head acolyte.

Low Market – Meirennit Blienrodt – one name mentioned of a magic user that might buy the scroll.

Abraham Guildenbillicks – magic user in area where Talisin used to live.

Session 47 – March 11, 2015 (Temporary Summary)

The druid, Hart joined us, arriving on ship from Midmark, following the death of Ashton. Hart is a friend of Orion and joined us after hearing of our adventures from him.

A new ship greeted us from Midmark and a messenger with a satchel for Baldric’s Boys from Captain Salisdar (i.e. Perrette).

The letter tells of of the most likely death of Em and that natives supposedly slaughtered the camp with the slaves.

Perrette was called back to Midmark and Newton was overrun by undead. Many clerics killed, including Kilmar. Galron lead the survivors to Kalligan.

We hired the fisherman Clement to gather the men to haul the statue up out of the fort.

We take the Bawdy Bachelor around the point to see that the fort is greatly undercut and had the egg detonated, it might have broght down the whole fort. Chuq spoke to a fish and there is a big bad fish, alligator/crocodile, and a mean mereman. there are ships and other riches in there.

We learn that the monster in the icy water is a wight and that it had half of an Inquisitor’s mask.

Thorfus hauls the wight away from the fort and keeps sticking it to keep it dead. Down by the warehouses, it stops moving, confirming that some powerful magic/evil is re-animating the undead. We resolve to haul out all the undead and burn them.

Session 45 – February 25, 2015

Thorfus and Axel head over to Midmark to sell some loot and get more information, while the other begin trading. We encounter a devil fish but it is not a problem.

After selling gear and gathering information we head back to the Bawdy Bachelor when we encounter a shipping accident involving cranes, and meet Uthruk, whom we haven’t seen for several weeks. Uthruk elects to join us and returns with us to Kalligan.

Back in Kalligan we find the others in their training. The next day Perette stops by on the Leering Sheriff and we meet Admiral Diconsin a tough looking lady.

Perette shares that he is going to the mining camp up the Vargwater to investigate claims of slaves and we encourage him to look for Em.

Perette shares a letter from Thornton that perette is authorized to pay us to clear out the fort and we can keep the loot we find.

The day after that, a barge arrives from Kalligan with Emory Longstirap who tells us that the Kobolds are attacking the ford and the Baewin has been hurt. He wants to take Adelard and the mercenaries. Adelard and 7 of the mercenaries leave, but the party hires 8 of them to join us for 6sp a day plus food.

We equip them with backpacks and other gear.

We are advised to stay at the inn with the mercenaries and the trainers, which we do.

We go to the fort and Finklemur shinks the stones and they fall away, revealing a large room with a spiral iron staircase that had been sheared off at the level of the floor. 

We go down and find a passageway off each of the four walls. To the west it is only ten feet to an open door with lots of huge spiderwebs. We elect to light them afire. Two spiders come out that we kill. Thorfus pushes the door closed and we wait.

While we wait we look and see long pasages to the North and South. To the East appears to be a flooded room.

We go to the west and find a room with pillars and a stone statue that is platinum plated.

Axel rushes in to investigate and three centipedes drop on him. The party rushes to his aid and they are killed before anyone is hurt.

The statue is very heavy, so we elect to leave it until we leave.

We open the door and find a burnt humanoid about 5 feet tall that makes a mewling noise. Ashton attempts to heal it.

It then rises and tries to attack and we kill it.

While couning the coin in this room the body grabs Ashton and we kill the “zombie” again and set it on fire. It is still moving even though it has been decapitated and a hand cut off.

We explore 8 cells, 3 of which Chuq unlocks in a row,the 4th Ashtonn unlocks, then we find the key to open the four remaining cells. 

One of the cells has a large crack in the wall, so we put a bench in front of the opening and close and lock the door.

The body starts moving again and before we can move the remains to a cell and lock it in, our hirelings keeping watch are attacked by two giant scorpions from the north passage.

We arrive to see Hengist foaming at the mouth and another hireling unconscious.

We rush to fight. Another hireling is knocked down and Axel is pinched mightily by the pincers, but no one else is stung.

We manage to defeat them, but alas, poor Hengist is dead.

We lock up the remains of the “zombie” and light them afire. Axel pokes it through the heart with his magic sword.

We then let the wounded go up and the party moved the statues near the spiral stairs, with discussions of using the eye hook in the ceiling that held the phoenix egg.

Session 42 (The Perfect Session)

01/28/2015

The party grabs breakfast to go as the coachman from the prior night arrives to take us to the ship.

We had a slight detour to visit the mage Parnell Fellette to get the adamantium cube identified. It is of ancient dwarven make and matches the description of the dwarf Daern. It is some soft of magical fortress that one can cause to come into being, if we only learn the activation word. The mage offers to be a broker to sell it for us. We decline. Thorfus, Axel, and Brice all agree that we should keep it. Thorfus REALLY likes the idea of having a fortress should be go tromping in the jungle again.

While the rest of the party is getting the cube identified, Chuq stops off at the temple to give a donation and inquire as to other monks and let them know he will be gone an unknown amount of time. Chuq meets us in time to load up in the coach to go to the harbor.

We go to the harbor and go to the prison and learn that word had just made it to the prison to stop them cremating the body of Rotho Waterman. Thorfus asks if there are any prisoners named Em or who match her description. None in the past couple of months.

We arrive and meet the man in charge and stop at the crematorium. We see a badly bruised and beaten body with evidence of a rope mark on the neck mixed in with other bruises. He appears to have broken ribs. He has no tattoos or signs of broken arms and no dislocated shoulders. Chuq does a search of his mouth and nose and then a DRE, all with no results.

We then see the body put in the furnace.

We ask to see the cell and the cell window is not high enough for Rotho to have hung himself and broken his neck, he would have strangled. We suspect murder, but nothing points to any single person.

Chuq searches the mattress and finds a purse inside with 47 gold pieces.

We don’t find any lose stones or secret doors, etc.

We go back to the harbor and get on the Bawdy Bachelor captained by Amis Junkyn. 

We ask about New Town and it is very bad and word is it won’t be a town in a couple months. Some of the clerics sent to deal with it are now fighting  for the other team as undead. It sounds like a sickness rather than magic, or is it ancient dwarven technology?

A few hours later we get to Kaligan and the small harbor has only fishing boats. We dock and learn that a man rode into town hired a boat to go out to the Dusty Gnome and it left, with no positive direction.

The two fishermen we question then let slip that the cargo of people were kept in the old imperial fortress. The walls and towers look rough, but when we go to investigate, the keep looks sturdy. We found the barracks and stable empty. The barracks has obvious coins on the floor. We decide to finish checking the rest of the fort before looting the foot lockers.

We passed two warehouses on the way to the fort, and decided to check them after we checked the fort.

We enter the outer door of the keep and are inside the entryway. The arrow slits and murder holes do not have people on the other side.

This is where we left off. Will our intrepid adventurers continue their streak of no injuries, no knock outs, and no deaths? Is there even a fight brewing inside the keep. 

Will we find any of Grell’s Lambs? Will we stumble upon Em?

Do we have a chance to catch the Dusty Gnome?

Session 39

January 7, 2015

Joe, Anthony, and Larry were the only player present, so Ashton, Axel, and Thorfus made a lot of decisions to the benefit of the group.

We left about 3:00 PM on the 8th of Denrildon in pursuit of the bargemen. We rowed for about three hours until dusk and pulled off to the southern bank and slept near the river. We were surprised at how uneventful our travel was.

At dusk the discussion was whether to pull off and rest overnight, or keep going. The prevailing opinion was to rest. So we took three four hour watches. I slept well when not on watch and my watch was uneventful, a welcome change. Pelgax swore up and down there was something terrible in the woods near us when he and Ashton were on watch. Ashton assured us it was only some beetles. [Two rhinoceros beetles tearing up a bunch of trees about 40 yards away.]

At sun up we ate a quick meal and then began rowing north. IN about a half hour, Finklemur, Axel, and myself all had the evil, slimy feeling when a devil fish is doing it foul mind reading. In truth, it was a new devil fish who introduced himself as Gronsk, and new of our working with Drayze and made sure to note that he would tell him what we did because Lord Thornton tricked us.

Gronsk tried to enlist us to help him retrieve the dragon orb. This orb is of the make of my ancient ancestors in their war with the dragons. It enables the bearer to control a dragon. It seems that Barnier holds. The bargemen got here just about another half hour ahead of us yesterday and captured the young river dragon and were indeed extorting the dragons of their treasure. A four man team was using the breathing apparatus to go to the bottom of the river and enter the dragons’ cave that has air, to haul out the treasure.

The devil fish said that it need us to distract the adult dragon, in human form, so that he could get close enough to “freeze” Barnier in place so that he can’t use the orb. We were needed because river dragons can compel water creatures to stay away or do their bidding. The young dragon and the other adult were also in human form. 

The devil fish said that we were needed because the bargemen left five days ahead of schedule and the mermen who were coming to help the devil fish did not know of the change in time table.

We debated and considered it and perhaps how to do an ambush as they returned to Vargen, but we decided that we were outmatched, and returned to Vargen.

When we headed north and passed on the far side of the river from the bargemen’s compound, they were packing up boats like they were looting the place. When we came back, the compound seemed deserted. We landed our boats outside the area of bargemen control and Adelard took us to where Mercer spies were watching and learned that they left and they weren’t sure where. All was calm and we were told it was safe to walk along the main roads instead of winding our way through the back alleys.

As we headed up to High Street to return to the Lonely Barrel, a scragly thin man with wavy blond hair ran past. Ashton attempted to clothesline him, but he was too agile and got past us. Three guards from Fen’s Edge chased him, but they gave up when they reached the boundary with their territory. We could not track the man, so we went to the Lonely Barrel. 

When we got to the Lonely Barrel we met Phyllis & Odard who told us that when Peter Thorell, the leader of the bargemen guild learned of the slavery and other antics of Rotho, that Peter was appalled and said this was a rogue element and that he was on the side of the Mercers all along, and pledged to work with the Mercers. There is a new arrangement where the bargemen will work with Odard on the council. We relay what we learned of the orb and the dragons and treasure, and it is not a concern to them, the problems with the politics is solved. It was made clear to us that our services were no longer needed and that we would be more “comfortable” in the “much nicer” Twelfth Night” We have assurances that there are no hard feelings and that the bargemen will not harass us

We went to the Twelfth Night without incident anywhere along the way. Joharis, the proprietor exclaims, “You’re Alive!” when he sees us, as he knew of the rough characters who had been looking for us.

We secure two rooms and board the horses and wagon and go to look for Elisondro, since it was only mid-afternoon,  and see if there is anything else going on with the quicklings. At the gate, we meet the guardsman, Tyce, who is worried about Elisondro, who has become obsessed with the quicklings. Tyce tells us that Elisondro is out there now looking for them, and hopes that we can talk some sense into him.

We find Elisondro and he tells us of his failed efforst to find the quicklings and he is convinced that they live underground. He shows us to the statues and we discover that it is a dwarven automaton nearly 20 feet high but only about 8 feet are visible above ground. It is covered with moss and the accumulation of detritus from centuries in the open air. Thorfus tries to clear a patch on its nex=ck and Axel tries to clear a seam near its elbow in a search for writing. While doing this, Thorfus detects a low rumble/humming and it is decided we don’t want to wake up a huge automaton, if we are not sure we can control it.

Elisondro doesn’t think it is a good idea to mess with the statue as the Brothers of the World Forge will not like it, so he goes off to look for quicklings. Thorfus tells him to look for hollow trees, and he realizes he hasn’t tried that. As we end our efforts of fiddling with the automaton, Elisondro yells for us. We find him off the path to the statue and he has found a hollow tree stump with a dug out shaft about two feet in diameter and aobut 20 feet deept. We lower a lantern and the last 5 feet the light goes off to the side, but we can’t see any more.

Elisondro wants us to go down there an fight, but it is so narrow, we would barely fit, so we will the shaft with dead trees and have Elisondro take us to Guard Captain Adelaird Beamsly. thorfus tells him what was found and what we did and made clear that we did not see or hear or find any signs of the quicklings, we just plugged up the shaft as a precaution. Thorfus also told the captain that it was Elisondro who found the shaft. The captain changes his outlook to Elisondro and appoints him in charge of some en to do further investigation now there there is a solid lead. The captain says that there is not longer a reward, but used the petty cash to give each of us 10 gp. 

We then go back to the Twelfth Night and eat our complimentary supper and listen in aon the conversation and the road from Midmark is now much better, with only a little trouble from Harpies or other things from the jungle. the ability to use the ford for free is very good. The merchants talked like it was all the work of the men from Midmark. We did not mention that we had a hand in any of it.

We waited a few hours and retired to our rooms.

I wonder how long until the bargemen with Rotho and Barnier come back and what will happen. Will we be able to go to Xen Kel, or would we be better off dealing with the harpies in the castle. I would like to rescue Em, but is she really up the Vargwater at the mines? These are my thoughts as I drift off to sleep. This the 9th of Denrildon.