Author: Follow Me, And Die!

SESSION 188 – JANUARY 31, 2018 (The same day as the Super/Blue/Blood Moon.)

Rallion steps up to give his speech to the delegations.

Rallion sets the liar box at his feet.

Greeting honored guests. We are thankful for the hospitality of Aldith, Chief

of Hizzou, who has allowed us to request your presence to share our news from the East.

Greetings to Shem and its honored council, guided by Elder Emeric.

Greetings to Montoa and its representative Druetta.

I beg your indulgence to let me share all of the news that we bear. It is

important that you hear it at the same time so that none can say they were

told a different message.

Should you doubt the truth of my words, this box before me will rattle when

it hears a lie. You will have noticed that it was silent while I spoke. I

shall tell an obvious lie to show you that it works. “I am short with green

hair.” We can use this box to find the truth of the matter about poisoning.

All who select, prepare, and serve the food can be questioned.

Rallion then invited the delegations to test it.

I am Rallion of the Wode. I am sent by the Verdant Fellowship in the East to

find the truth about the Dark King. The Druids of the Fellowship did not know

if this Dark King was an agent of the Dragon Empire or the far more ancient

Dwarven Empire. The Dark King has caused much calamity and destruction.

Entire villages have been destroyed or brought under his sway. Some are

forced into service by their families being held captive. Far more are forced

to be mindless servants controlled by those of the Dark King’s commanders and lietenants who wear various circlets that allow them to command those poor souls who have had their heads opened and cubes of command inserted. These creatures are now mindless and totally under the sway of the Dark King.

We have learned the truth of the Dark King, he is a servant of the Ancient

Dwarven Empire, and he prepares the way for the arrival of an even bigger

army from beyond the sky.

A couple weeks ago, you will have noticed these ancient Dwarven numbers

counting down each day. This count down tells us that we have 2 months and 9 days until this dwarven army with all of its magic will arrive and destroy

the world as we know it.

A fringe group of ancient dwarves controls the Silverthrone Company and they work to be the first to aid the arrival of these dwarves from beyond. They

have the same goal, but each wants the glory for himself. The head of the

Silverthrone Company has unleashed an ancient dwarven sickness that turns

those who succumb to it into mindless zombies, who are very difficult to

kill. Destroying the bodies by fire causes the ash to rise up, and the ash

too causes those it touches to be afflicted. We have not yet found a good way

to defeat this sickness.

This sickness has afflicted Vargen before the disaster struck it. This

sickness got out of control and has afflicted the dwarves of Xenilum Khel,

most do not know that their ancestors come from beyond the sky, or what evils those who seek to restore the Dwarven Empire are doing.

The Dragon Emperor’s forces have moved into Midmark, and have a foothold

there. The disaster that leveled Vargen has destroyed much of the navy of

Midmark. The terrible sickness has caused most surviving ships from Midmark to anchor off the coast, like the Bronze Wizard at Shemm.

We have fought the servants and allies of the Dark King. We found his secret

hiding place for what they call the Council of Twelve, far beneath Glavnone.

We fought there are barely escaped with the loss of many great ones.

That being said, not all dwarves follow the ways of the Dwarven Empire. Lord

Thorfus Ironhand was an honorable dwarf, Chief of Clan Ironhand, and he died fighting the Dark King’s forces. He was sickened when he learned the truth of his ancestors, a truth hidden to most dwarves today. Not all dwarves will join the Dark King’s forces or the new dwarves from beyond the sky.

The false god of the dwarves, Xenotel, is an evil creature who twists the

ways of the dwarves. We seek to defeat him in his Crystal Palace.

Our quest to prevent the arrival of a dwarven army had been hampered many

times by the lies and subterfuge of different factions. Not all who have lied

and hindered us, know the truth about the Dark King, but all the same have

their own desires for power, position, and wealth, that prevent our progress.

We must set aside the quest for these things, as we cannot enjoy them if the

islands are destroyed. If the islands are destroyed, where do we go, the

Dragon Empire?

Lastly, (pulling out the golden feather), we are the chosen of the

Matriarchs.

Druetta of the Montoa delegation was intrigued and asked how we came to have the feather and was very willing to believe Rallion’s tale. She asked after the former leader of the mountaintop sanctuary and was saddened to learn that only two of the monastic order remain.

Emeric of the Shemm delegation was very dismissive and Rallion’s tale fit his desire to twist the words of Rallion to his purpose.

Nash had Serithaz scan everyone and let him know that Emeric poisoned the ship captain, Nigel. Nash could only relay that to Laris, Oskar, and Lambertus, as the rest of us have mind shielded magic.

Emeric taunted the liar box and all our dwarven magic, and our representation of Midmark and the “EAST.” He even said that he poisoned the liar box, and it did not rattle. He said, it is some trick. Druetta was ready to attack. Laris tried to run in front of her, but she missed. Nash commanded Emeric to surrender, and he knelt and bowed his head. Bavmorda and Nash then rushed in to grapple and bind him. One of the Shemm delegation tried to grapple Bavmorda, and ended up knocked senseless. Laris ended the struggle by casting sleep.

Chief Aldith called for order, and was frustrated that fighting had broken our in his peace talks. He ordered the captain be brought in and through magic and a cure poison, we brought the captain around. He told his tale of volunteering to be part of the delegation. His story was punctuated by the liar box’s rattles. Rallion and Nash brought this to everyone’s attention, and all cast glances at Emeric.

It seems all believed Emeric capable of the deed.

The chief orders us out first, and says that the delegations of Shemm and Montoa would be free to leave. We get to our hut and question the captain to get the straight story. He and his first mate were imprisoned, and he was taken with his first mate held hostage. While Laris kept watch to make sure we were not overheard.

Druetta approaches and offers to go with us. We accept her offer.

She leads us north out of Hizzou, as if we were headed to Montoa, and then we circle around and travel through the night to get to Shemm. We rest in the morning, so our spell casters can re-learn their spells. We continue about 1:00 PM and get to the outskirts of Shemm about 8:00 PM.

Laris and Bavmorda are sent in to scout and they find their way to the central hut and find two guards dicing while the first mate slept in a corner. They report back to us. They go and get the prisoner, taking Rallion’s cloak to make the escape easier. The rest of us go down the path to the boats.

There is a hut at the bottom of the trail to the beach. Rallion keeps watch over it while waiting for Laris, Bavmorda, and the mate. The others go get the Bronze Wizard’s boat and get it in the water for a faster getaway.

While waiting for Laris and Bavmoda (Julie), Rallion carves into a stick, “Rallion was here,” and sticks it into the cliff beside the path near the hut.

Laris and Bavmorda easily return to the central hut. LAris casts sleep. They relieve a guard of the key to the manacles. Bavmorda throws the first mate over her shoulder while Laris drapes Rallion’s dark elf cloak over him, and they head for the trail. They almost surpsised Rallion, and join him in going to the boat, and they push off towards the ship.

The crew is relieved to have their captain.

Nash learns that the boat that dropped him off, the Gilded Gusset, is the one wrecked on the shore north of Shemm. Captain Nigel explains that it is infested with lacedons (sea ghouls). We decide to make our way south and leave Curmidden behind us, perhaps never to return.

We decide to seek port, perhaps at Feldmark, sell our gems, resupply, and perhaps take a week to train.

SESSION 187 – JANUARY 24,2018

After Jardin smashes the mirror, Auriel, the green dragon tells us to pile up Serithaz, Kalgun, and tell him where Prix is.

Bavmorda rushes into the mist in an attempt to get around the dragon, and is overcome with burning eyes, nose, and lungs.

Nash tries to talk with Auriel. The dragon tells us that the admiral in charge of the airship, Sarhedan(?), suspected that Jardin was not truly loyal to the Dragon Emperor, and this just proves it. We will deal with him. There is no need for you to risk your life.

During the talking the Roc attacks the dragon, the flap of its wings disperses the mist, but drives it towards us. Lambertus, and Oskar are both overcome.

The dragon breathes a stinking green vapourous cloud at the Roc, who is overcome as its face melts and it caughs up internal organs and dies.

Rallion sees one chance, and drops his magic weapons, items, and pack. He rushes to the chest with the shard, next to the incapacitated Oskar, and drags it away from the party while cutting the rope that binds it shut. Rallion manages to get it open and rush the dragon before it can do anything, and misses. The dragon tries to breath on Rallion and nothing happens. While Rallion rushed the dragon, Kauri saw the daemons bound to the armor get ripped to pieces.

Nash casts bless, and Kauri takes the magic items and armor off Bavmorda so when she recovers, she can aid Rallion.

Oskar recovers first and rushes in with his spear to aid Rallion.

The dragon tries its claws and massive jaws against Rallion, and only manages to scratch him with its claws. Rallion manages to touch its wing with the shard, and it causes great pain and he pulls the wing in close to his body. Oskar gets in a hit.

Nash uses speak with animals to ask the hawk to round up some help from among the local animals. The hawk leaves.

Kauri removes the magic items and magic armor from Lambertus, so he too can join in the fight when recovered.

Rallion is again only hit by the claws of the dragon.

Rallion misses, Bavmorda gets in a backstab with massive damage, and Oskar delivers the killing blow to the surprised dragon.

The dragon then melts and implodes into a pool of acidic residue. Any items or wealth Auriel carried are gone.

Soon after recovering from the battle, Oskar makes tea and we gather around the fire.

We are approached by a wide-eyed half elf, Laris, a sneaky type magic user, who witnessed our battle with the dragon.

We allow him into camp. We used the liar box to verify he isn’t working for our enemies. Laris is from Vargen and left when the tidal wave hit. He is hoping to make it to the coast and catch a ship to better prospects.

We move camp about an hour West, near the edge of the foothills and jungle to be away from the stench of the decaying dragon and dead roc. As well as, away from anything that might investigate the site of the fight.

Laris joins Rallion in the first watch. Rallion tells him of the clock and uses the liar box to prove that what he tells Laris is true. Laris is amazed at these tales of space dwarves from beyond the sky who will arrive when the countdown in your eye reaches zero.

Laris remains with us as we are awaked by cries from Oskar. A giant bee is approaching us. Rallion fires two arrows into it, Bavmorda one, and Kauri finishes it with 3 bolts of pure energy.

Laris attempts to recover the poison sack from the bee, but botches the attempt. He hears the sound of more bee wings in the distance to the NW. The party debates investigating, but decides it is a distraction that will only waste resources, and perhaps get us killed.

Rallion leads the party along a stream. We hear drums for a bit, but they stop. We continue along the stream towards the village. It must be the village we saw between the mountain and the coastal village. We come upon a man at the edge of the village at the stream fishing with a net.

He asks us if we are workshipers of the Matriarchs like those of the village of Montoa. Bavmorda says we just came from the sanctuary, as Rallion clarifies that his friend is a fool, only trying to mimic what Reyne the fisheman/guard just said.

Laris steps in and charms Reyne, making a new friend. Reyne fills us in on the situation.

This is the village of Hizzou, with Chief Aldith, who are hosting two other villages, Montoa, and Shemm. Shemm is the village by the coast with the ship. Montoa calls its inhabitants Daughters of the Matriarchs and are seeking an alliance to fight the Dark King. The people of Shem brought with them the captain of the ship, who is deathly ill, both Shemm and Mantou allege by poison. He tells us not to trust the shaman.

Laris has Reyne return to fishing as he insists we will see ourself to the chief.

Rallion leads the way begging the rest to follow his lead. Rallion sees a way to fulfill his charge from the druids of the Verdant Fellowship, who sent him for answers about the Dark King.

The guards of the chief announce our presence to the chief and we are invited in. We meet the chief, and get the particulars of what each village is about, each dlegation, etc. Rallion insists that all meet at once to hear the message at the same time. The chief is concerned that we not cause offense or make things worse, regarding the poisoning, or tip the balance that might lead to war.

The chief, Aldith, relents and sends for the representatives of the two villages. While we wait for their arrival he fills us in on the scenario.

Ansure the village shaman of Hizzou introduces himself, adn offers us food, as the hungry Laris stares at the food on the sidelines.

Chief Aldith tells us that Shemm is ruled by a council of elders, and has no chieftan. The council selected the members of their delegation, including an Elder, Emeric. Captain Nigel of The Bronze Wizard was head of the delegation until he fell ill. Emeric thinks this whole thing is a ploy to get Shemm under the sway of Mantoa.

Montoa is represented by Druette the lieutenant to the Chief Warrior, Imagentia, who has the unsavory reputation of being very bloodthirsty. Her mother, the prior chief, tried to unite the tribes ten or twenty years ago. Druetta is followed by three who position themselves around Druetta.

Rallion prepares to speak….

SESSION 186 January 17, 2018

We find the roc nest wrecked and the egg smashed. The roc is seen in the distance and will not return.

Nash uses speak with animals to get his hawk friend to talk tot he roc. The roc will not return as it is too dangerous. It has food in a peak to the south where it lives now.

We wait for the roc to come, but it only sends the hawk who tells us it will not come back. We make arrangements to have it meet us in a safe place.

We wait for Bavmorda to finish training, part of it includes climbing while we wait around at the roc nest.

Once trainins is finished, we head down the mountin. The first night we camped where we first saw the golden eagle. We are attacked by some strange bird that looks like a cross between a chicken and a lizard. We Kill it.

The next morning, Rallion follows the tracks to where Bavmorda first saw it, and finds that there are tracks from more of them, but no more are seen.

We go until about mid day and two more of these odd bird lizards attack, and go for Bavmorda. We manage to kill them both before they can even damage any of us.

Rallion follows the tracks which are along a game trail in the general direction of our planned travel to the village with a ship. We find the nest of these creatures surrounded by tiny exquisite statues of little animals, many of them missing parts. We discern that these animals have the ability to petrify those it bites.

We find much gold and jewelry, and a magic broach, and an extra healing potion. We swap out our electrum for gold and load up the bag of holding to capacity with gold.

We hide what we can’t take with us, including the statues. Rallion keeps out an exquitie field mouse statue. We collapse the earthen roof to their hole, and disguise it and Bavmorda traps it.

We move on. That night during his watch, Rallion notices an unusual mist, and wakes Bavmorda and then the others. A voice calls out, and we learn that it is the green dragon we met on the walkway. He tosses us a mirror and we talk to “Lord Thornton” who we know is really Jardin, but “we don’t know that.”

Jardin and some of his allies seek Prix, who if alive, will change the balance of power in the Draon Empire.

AFter much back and forth, we let on that Thorfus is dead. Possibly that other members of the “Keepers of The Council” are dead, and that we are trying to save the world. WE ask if they did the thing with the explosion in the harbor, and Jardin says that wasn’t him.

We learn that Jardin replaced one of Thorfus’ hirelings with a Dervish with an inquisitor mask. When we drove off the dervish, she reported that Prix is alive and the word got to the dragon emperor instead of to Jardin. He was not involved with sendint dragons to go after her.

We didn’t answer most of his questions to Jardin’s satisfaction. We left him with the impression that she is still alive.

jardin gives us a new writ for the keepers of the council.

He also tells us that if he officially knows we are alive, we are to be killed. So he can’t get us on the airship.

They are focused on getting past the orbital defenses.

Rallion tells Jardin that the dark king is connected to the dwarven council of 12 and that they are beneath Glavnone.

Jardin smashes his mirror when he is done talking to us, and we are free to go about our business.

The first night we made camp, a woman in blue visited Nash and identified herself as Lysander. She has tasked him with finding the “Mother of Heaven” AKA Prixithalma. Prix created the gods to keep the evil fals god Xentellar under control. Xen Tellar got loose and is making war on the gods. Lysander said that she is so thankful that we opened up the lines of communication, they have tried since the beginning to talk to their followers. [This is probably the Dragon Emperor corrupting her code.] Nash does not tell us of this vision.

SESSION 185 January 10, 2018

We take another week for Bavmorda to train as an assassin.

Rallion uses scrying mask and Xen Khel is swarming with infected undead. They are cut off from leaving the high area near the former 3 Sister’s Temple, because the bridge is missing. The colossus is gone.

A lot more options for the mask are available than they were since Sittung altered the orbitals.

Vargen is flooded and severely damaged. Streets are flooded and swarming with infected undead. Boats in the flooded streets are overturned and their occupants dragged under. The colossus from Xen Khel is now sprawled out over the castle and market area of Vargen. Ships are washed up into the town. The Verdant Fellowship grove is destroyed along with the other temples,

Midmark – The lower city is flooded, the floating shipyard is razed and majorly damaged. Newtown is flooded. There are people who have been hung that have signs of a different illness. The upper city is in good shape and the town guard and grey cloaks are keeping people out. There is a huge airship over the city from the Dragon Empire. One day some important Midmark officials (Jardin) and a city delegation is having some sort of discussion with an Imperial commander.

Most of the ships we see are from Feldmark, and there are a lot of them.

Verdant Fellowship had some flooding but is mostly spared.

Xenilum Khel’s main gate is caved in and under guard. A big change from when Rallion went there looking for Thorfus and company.

Kauri questions the DVL on the probability sword and it looks insubstantial and fades in and out until it notices Kauri can see him, and focuses and becomes the most brilliant DVL there. Kauri asks if the charges from one battery could be brought into our reality. Yes, but it would destroy that reality. It would require a deal – a promise to do a favor by the one making the deal. That price is too steep.

The questioning moves to the clock who tells us that Xeno Tel created the DVLs and has a marvelous device where the DVLs are brought into the batteries. When a charge is used from a battery another DVL consumes it. A DVL is in an ancient Dwarven made item. Daemons were corrupted by Prixithalma to not longer serve the Dwarves and are only in magic items created since the fall of the ancient Dwarven Empire.

Xeno Tel delivered the original dwarves who were the initial force that landed on Medeia to prepare for the arrival of the colonists. It took Xeno Tel a few hundred years to arrive. the clock was created 4,999 years and a few months ago, at the time of the First Dragon War. So it takes 5,000 years for the colony ships to arrive. Medeia is not the first nor the last stop on “The Great Road” which is the constellation on the floor in the throne room in Xen Khel. The colonists come and strip the resources and then move on to the next place.

The DVL in the sword is a great one and is not concerned about the shard. It can’t kill it, only drive it away from this reality.

If we block the portal the colonists will go to the next place, or take the long way here.

There are hundreds more like Xeno Tel. Supposedly more colonists.

The water outside the cave has no DVLs. Dark Elf boots, cloaks, and armor also have no DVLs or daemons. The shard destroying DVLs and daemons violates the law of conservation of energy.

Rallion keeps watching over the sites with the scrying mask.

Nash rides the roc and discovers that more training is needed. Serithaz does better programming so that the roc responds to bridle to turn and taps to descend and ascend.

First day Nash sees that the ship is a Midmark merchant ship, The Bronze Wizard. The watch sees Nash on the Roc

Rallion prepares to rides with Nash & Lambertus in a net.

Dark Green robbed human is squinting on the carving on the door. Wizardly robes. He has aerial transportation. His name is Auriol. Came from Midmark. Tallest peak. things not good in Midmark. Looks back at opening and decides not to go there. Explosion in bay and giant tidal wave. Looking for friends of his, a woman, very beautiful with red hair. (Very good speaking habits.) He was staying at the castle with Lord Jardin giving hospitality to visitors. On a relief mission to helpout. From Feldmark. His friend is a powerful sorceress. Last scene near hear to the north. In company of adventurers. A dwarf, Thorfus Ironhand, and this group is problematic, and monk with order of Celestial Dragon some clerics of Baldric Evenkeel. Hoping to gring them back to Midmark. They are needed, Lord Jardin specifically asked for him. Visiting Lord Thornton still there, rep of city, chief liason with various relief groups. Thornton smoothed over agreements for relief. (Lord Jardin said he’s from River Mark. a small city state south of Curmiden. A persuasive fellow. These people were the Protectors of the Council.)

Serithaz can’t read this guy.

Auriol can read it. Calendar, light comes through the door, nothing important.

He wants to stroll around. Mentions that if we have aerial transporation. Will be great reward is we bring news to Midmark. Very essential to the rebuilding process. Go straight to the Council of Elders.

All the Midmark Navy ships were destroyed near Vargen enforcing the embargo.

Red Haired lady, Prix, these heroes saved her. Rallion asked about the story of Lady Em, Auriol told us based on a real story.

Definitely a green dragon. Flies to NE towards Jager’s tower.

We debate if Jardin and Auriol are a faction supporting Prix.

SESSION 184 – January 3, 2018

We scout the roc nest and it is sleeping and Nash asks Serithaz to re-program the Roc to be our friend.

It works and we find thousands of copper that we ignore. An insectoid automaton that is inactive and full of electrum and a magic sword of lizard slaying.

We find many gems and 2,000 electrum.

We go down with Oscar carrying the shard 30′ behind us.

We check out one set of doors and find a key in a giant sphere of water. We came through the door on the other side.

We decide to try to use the chest. We hide behind doors and Bavmorda opens it, and spiders come pouring out. Bavmorda manages to close the lid, so that there are only 30 of them.

Bavmorda is bitten and falls unconscious. We rush in to help, and Lambertus and Kauri are also bitten and fall unconscious.

Nash uses his reroll to stay conscious, we use the party declared roll to save Kauri, and Larry used his reroll for the monster’s initiative, sinc we were tied with 5’s.

We ran, grabbed the unconscious Lambertus and Bavmorda and get behind doors. We drink the healing water from our flasks and all who were poisoned and injured are healed. We use oil to make a puddle and a rope dot open doors, Rallion shoots a fire arrow at the oil and it kills all the spider, and they become a puff of smoke that goes back toward the chest.

We have Oscar come back and we leave.

Tamon and Azra have a metal chest that they let us have. They lost the key, so we tie it shut and have Oscar carry it.

We go back for the chest of infinite spiders, and tie it shut and have Oscar carry it.

We sleep and plan to ascend to the Roc and have it carry us to the village by the sea, where we saw a ship from the covered walkway around the mountain peak.