Author: Follow Me, And Die!

SESSION 183 – December 27, 2017

After two weeks of training, for those of two classes, we go into the now revealed doors to try our chances vs. the tests of the Four Matriarchs.

We puzzle our way through a maze, and other than Bavmorda slipping on a descent and being badly hurt, we found success! Spiral stairs on the other size of the puzzle like maze lead us upward to a covered walkway below the nest of the roc.

The shard is a stone with a hilt. Not much in the way of an actual weapon, but it dispels all DVLs and daemons within 30′.

Bavmorda picked up this weapon.

Kauri prayed to the mother of wisdom and had no answer. His prayers to the mother of logic split the lid of her sarcophagus, and her skeleton touched his head, revealing the image of a metal box to hold this weapon.

The only magic not affected by it, are Kauri’s mask and the golden feather from the golden eagle messenger bird.

Kauri tells us the the DVLs fear it, and they appeared to be pushed back from the magic items to which they are bound. Kalgun and Seithaz fear it, it is death and nothingness to them.

We elect to leave the shard in the room on a pedestal while we wait for nightfall, to assault the roc in its nest above us. Perhaps we will find a metal box, other items to help us.

Our biggest puzzle is how to get to orbit to take out Xenotel, then return.

With this weapon, we can destroy all magic brought from elsewhere, whether by the dragons or the ancient dwarves.

We also learned from Nash’s questioning of a hawk that those dying of the sickness, if their corpses are burnt, those who breath in their ashes will become that type of undying. How do we purge that disease. Thorfus advised them to burn the bodies, thus causing a faster spread. Has the bomb destroyed them or spread the disease further? Is the island lost?

SESSION 179 – November 29, 2017

Rallion is missed by Finkleworm.

Serithaz can tell someone is in there, but is blocked by “something” very powerful.

Rallion ran to the door to the West towards the orbital control room. Prixithalma, Edan, and most others followed.

Nash tried to pull Sturloc away, but being in power armor, he is unmoved.

Sturloc is killed and Nash sacrifices his shield to survive.

Bavmorda drinks a potion of flying and diminution adn they are both effective, but at half power. Bavmorda flies up to Edan and takes his blocking circlet and the adamantine Khel cube and flies into the maw of the giant automaton.

Nash drinks a healing potion.

All others head West and find blast doors. Edan picks the lock of one, and we move forward.

Bavmorda gets a circlet on Finklemur’s head, but the worm keeps moving. Bavmorda gets the cube to open as the worm follows the bulk of the party, and opens it to destroy the worm and the Khel.

Nash does not think he can get through, so goes East towards the Lord Marshall’s quarters.

Bavmorda goes to check on Nash. The two of them get to the door of the Lord Marshall’s quarters and detect no traps, but hear a buzzing noise. Out of caution,they pull back and Nash fires an arror to open the door, and fire lashes out. Standing in the doorway is a beserker with more automata behind. Bac and Nash fire arrows to close the door and try to get to us by going around, but there is no path, other than to return to the lounge and crawl up the exit of the rock crusher of the worm.

While they are busy doing this, the rest of us are in a fight for our lives. We surprised the orbital control room, they were not expecting us. Rallion charges one overseer, and Lambertus the other. Sittung is there, and still whole, and cowers in a corner. We do serious damage, but do not overcome them. We win intitiative and the next round we fell the overseers, and move into the room to get out of the way of Prixithalma. Prisithalma is knocked down by two undead giants who both hit, and the undying swarm her body making sure that she is dead. Edan plans to cast ice storm, but is felled by an undead fire giant. Kottar/Araquel is also felled. Rallion and Lambertus all expect to fight to the death.

Bavmorda and Nash arrive and help turn the tide of battle. Rallion had nearly felled the fire giant he face, as had Lambertus. Nash fells the fire giant facing Rallion, and Bavmorda helps Lambertus fell another fire giant.

Just as the third fire giant approaches Rallion, Sittung decides to join in our fight. Sittung distracts the fresh undead fire giant, and we manage to clean up many of the undying.

Sittung is hit hard, but he drops the undead fire giant, and helps us clean up the undying.

We look around, amazed to still live. Sittung agrees to help us. He has been trying to crack the orbital defenses for first Marchmain, and now the Silverthrone.

Lambertus tries to reach Kalgun in his cube, but fails. Sittung notices there is something in it.

Rallion closes the door and quickly quaffs a healing potion. He was mostly unscathed until this last fight. (Three 20’s from undying. He sacrificed his shield to a blow from a giant.

Nash is talking to Serithaz to get all the copies he has made put into automata to make an army to fight the evil dwarves.

Rallion suggests pusing the bodies of Edan and Kottar through the portal, and any valuables we can scrounge.

Shocked and hurt, we wonder if we can live long enough to exit this hellish place.

SESSION 178 – November 22, 2017

Rallion charges the SW stairs avoiding the blows of undying and slays one of the undying at the top. Several undying swarmed him. Rallion shouted, “Save the woman!” as he charged, and then in ancient dwarven, “Death to the false king!”

Nash held Chuq.

Prix changed to dragon form and attacked.

Sturloc shoots Chuq.

Edan casts Summon Earth Elemental from the scroll.

Bellisente is ripped to shreds and tossed over the rail.

Axel charges one of the undying Fire Giants, damaging it severely.

Kottar and Sturloc fire their lightning axes burning through charges quickly.

Rallion has unprecedented success in clearing the undying that approach him, they cannot touch him.

The Earth Elemental keeps one berserker and one undying busy until it is destroyed.

Prix breathes fire, clearing half the room of human undying and one beserker.

Axel has two fire giants on him. He sacrifices his shield, but goes down and before we can reach him, a human undying kills him.

Kalgun’s nanocarbon golem body is slain and he jumps into the body of the firegiant he slew, the one that felled Axel. Struloc grabs the circlet from the fallen Kalgun, but cannot climb the giant. Edan steps in and manages to place it on the new firegiant Kalgun. The healthier fire giant slays the new Kalgun, but Edan rips the cube from it’s skull, so we have Kalgun once again in a portable form.

Slowly, the press of undying is ended, Edan uses his memorized lightning bolt to drop many more undead and wound an undying firegiant. Prix ends the firegiant that dropped both Kalguns. Rallion holds the top of a set of stairs.

Finally, the last fire giant and last of the undying fall on the lower level.

Rallion ignores the last undying at the top of the stairs, and runs around and slays the held Chuq, by removing his head.

Via archery and lightning from Rallion, the three opponents nearest Rallion are slayed, Prix consumes one to the west, and the one by the stairs where Rallion fought alone, runs down to face Bavmorda and is soon slain.

As the party debates and discusses putting Axel and Bellisente and gear we can’t currently use through the portable portal, there is a rumbling.

An earthquake? The rumbling gets louder. Suddenly there is a loud crash from the north wall of the upper level behind Rallion. It is the long lost Finkelworm…..

SESSION 177 – November 15. 2017

After closing the doors on the shadow elves, we discern that there are 200 levels to the top. We elect to go straight to the top and avoid all the other levels.

We are soon halted and poison gas rises at our feet, we have perhaps 5 minutes before it is high enough to impact Axel. Prix and Edan set to work climbing up 30 feet to a door and hacking the controls. Edan realizes there is some sort of barrier/force field protecting the lift. The rest of us use large sacks to fill the cracks and empty our bladders to slow the gas even more.

Nash asked Serithaz to questions Wednesday about the poison gas. Wednesday is certain that is it deadly, but not the deadliest he had encountered. It is also flammable.

Edan and Prix manage to stop the gas. Suddenly a beserker plummets from above and hits Prix, who manages to dodge the worst of it. Yet she is severely hurt. Nash, Rallion, and Axel each give her two of their healing potions to help her feel less ragged.

Edan manages to lock off all the other doors, and prevent them from knowing that we are coming. We rise and rocket swiftly upwards, the lights of the controls at the doors of each level rushing by.

Suddenly we are in a giant glass tube surrounded by balconies full of information reliquaries. Two undead fire giants with rocket launchers spot us, but they do not fire until the elevator is past the section of glass tubing. (The glass tubing is familiar to all who ventured under water in the pirate cove.)

The ceiling is rapidly approaching, but as we feel we are about to hit, the ceiling opens and we slow to a stop. The ceiling is actually the floor of the Command Lounge. It is a two level lounge. The level we are on has couches and tables, and there is a balcony for the top level. The ceiling is a hologram showing Xenotel with slogans in ancient dwarven proclaiming the greatness of XenoTel and how he will bring them back to life. There are images of information reliquaries with spirits of the dead rising towards XenoTel. There are also many pristine banners like those rotted ones some more seasoned members of the group have seen in Xen Khel.

On the balcony to the west is a sign – Network Command and Conclave Hall and to the east Lord Marshall’s Residence and Conclave Hall.

Before us to the North is a now undying Chug Nourris, missing his eyes, in addition to the top of his skull. Chuq holds a spear to the throat of a living, though worn Bellisente, threatening us to hold. Nash will have none of it and casts Hold Person. Prix is changing to dragon form, preparing to breathe fire.

The balcony has a dozen undying and automata. Our level has 4 undying fire giants, and 2 beserkers, and perhaps 40 undying and man sized automata.

We have lived to reach the summit, can we live to rescue Bellisente, and defeat the Silverthrones, disable the orbital defenses, and save the world?

SESSION 176 – November 8, 2017

We have an incoming message, the Dark King’s forces on the other side of the west door are asking to be let in to re-supply. We do not respond, but go over and have the others open the door a small amount of it’s 50 foot capacity and as the Dark King’s forces enter, they have prisoners, among them Owyn and Laurente. Rallion uses one of the fire guns to burn most of the men and some of the automata. Kalgun smashes a man, and Bavmora also attacks. The men fail morale and join us in fighting the last two automata which are soon smashed.

We then meet the scarred “Righteous Halberd” AKA Aubry Grodecop. Axel tells him that Em is alive in Midmark. He thought she was dead, we explained that she thought he was dead and that the lat Talon rescued her.

Kilmar is with him and we send him off with him to try to keep him alive. Aubry and his men will not join us in our assault, they think it is certain death. We also find Jori, and he, Owyn, and Laurents don power armor from some other cases and each have 2 lightning axes.

Aubry tells us that a city of dark elves, lots of automaton of all sizes, and the wizard worm (Finkleworm) are between us and the Dark King. We ask him to get word to The Silence that we are pressing the attack and will leave the door open, and urge them to take all the equipment they can carry. The surviving islanders of the Dark King who surrendered opt to go with Aubry.

We return to to command center and Owyn, Laurente, and Jori will stay to watch our backs, as there is not enough room for them to go with us on the elevator.

We ascend and stop at a “room” with four doors, one in each direction, each with a green light. Nash asks Serithaz to scan, and we learn there are 19 dark elves and 8 other things he can sense. They really don’t want us to go to the north, as that is the way to continue upward.

We elect to open the north door and make a run for it, Kalgun runs out and engages one of the 4 berserkers we see, and the still enlarged Bavmorda does the same. Rallion runs across and opens the elevator so that others may enter.

Kalgun is actually hurt a bit as is Bavmorda by berserkers.

Nash tosses a bouncing Betty to the right and kills 2 and wounds 2. Axel tosses the other to the left and wounds 4. All the others run across to the elevator.

Darkness is cast and only a few of us are injured. Two dark elves open the door to the north of this new elevator. Sturloc closes it as those still outside run in and we ascend. Suddenly, the elevator stops and gas begins to hiss and poor in at our feet and begin to rise…..

SESSION 175 – November 1, 2017

We finally cleared all enemies from the level and got control of their system to find healing, and we found better power armor, magic armor, and more axes.

We learned that they think it might be Marchmain’s lackey’s attacking.

They want to prevent us from using the lift.

We brought up a pristine skiff in case we need to exit this way.

We figured out how to arrange on the elevator to go up.

We learned from the messaging center:

_Initiate Lockdown protocol – earthquakes might presage an attack on the

Necropolis; standby for further information after the orbital surveillance network has been accessed.

Lord, Coded Message via Portal from Glavnone indicating that it has fallen

to enemy forces. How should we proceed?

Ah! I thought it may have been the Silence moving against us.

The news from Glavnone means this is the work of Marchmain’s lackeys.

Prepare your forces and then open the portal to lure these fools to their death

– do not underestimate them, though! Remove the guards from the main hall

floor, splitting them between guarding the command deck and mines (where the

slaves should be relocated). Shut the portal after the enemy arrives and use

the Nanocarbon Golem and Orbs to destroy them safely!

Lord, the intruders have taken control of the Nanocarbon Golem and destroyed

the first wave of Orbs. They have also done something to the portal –

indications are that it has been destroyed! Instructions?

I told you not to underestimate them … my descendant has inherited some of my

martial skill, if not my loyalty to our people. Lockdown the command deck,

using the warriors as a first line of defense. They must not reach the lifts!

Any updates? What is the status of the intruders?_

SESSION 173 – October 18, 2017

Prix changes into dragon form and tears up the web. Except for Callou. All those in the web are in a state of fear from seeing the dragon.

Prix goes after the loose ones, and Lucy and Edan get the two she didn’t get to.

Putting the piece of the portal in place opens the portal, but it is somehow sealed. Callou, in the other room (to get away from the fear effect of Prix) tells us the code to signal the all clear. The portal opens and we make our way through.

Once on the other side, we go to the elevator, and the portal closes. Prix returns to human form.

We find an enormous room empty of anyone. It is filled with tanks, skiffs, and crates.

The walking stone (T-1000/Kalgunn) is sent looking for us. Kalgun is able to mention it wishes it had a blocking circlet. Edan and then Bavmoorda/Lucy, both fall and fail to get the circlet in place. Rallion, steps forth, stepping on the squirming Edan and Bavmoorda and just reaches up and places Edan’s blocking circlet. Edan is then able to ask us about the weapon that has the dwarves scared of us. (Meaning the volcano in the bay).

We learn from Kalgunn that Callou lied to us and we sent the signal that Glavnone has fallen. Bavmorda rewards him with what amounts to “To the Pain.”

Kalgun shows us two crates each with two sets of new style dwarven power armor in human size. Prix, Lambertus, Nash, and Rallion each claim a set.

Next Kalgun shows us two crates each with 5 lightining aces with new style batteries (3 lightning bolts each.)

We quickly formulate a plan to attack the command center after denying them the use of the portal. Prix and Kottar go down the elevator and Prix resumes dragon form and melts the portal and elevator control with a blast of fire.

6 lightning orbs show up. Bavmoorda drops two and Rallion drops one. Edan webs two of the remaining three. The one that is free shoots Kalgun, but he remains in the walking stone. Bavmoorda shoots the one that is free, and Kalgun smashes the two caught in the web.

Edan gets a skiff in top shape ready for our assault on the command center.

We find another nearby skiff and take it’s 8 triangle batteries (3 charges each).

Our skiff was captured and all but the most unique gear is still there. We grab the bag of breathing coral, a grappling hook, the bouncing betty, flamethrower, 2 holy water and 1 healing potion. We leave the rest, since it won’t help us in the fight.

We left off ready to press out attack.

SESSION 172 – October 11, 2017

We explore and find a message burnt inside the cube that reads “Moved to walking stone. K the E.” It is difficult to puzzle what this means. {Larry suggests the T-1000 automaton.}

We find the place mostly abandoned. Edan wants to check the quarters of the giant, in case there are any helpful things left behind.

Before Edan can do it, there is a tremendous earthquake. The solid constructionof Glavnon hold and we are not buried in rubble. The shaking lasts for what seems like an eternity, about ten minutes. Once it stops, there is a huge aftershock. The undying we found are battered to “death”.

We hear voices coming of some of the human guards from outside, one is sure that he has to go down and tell the Dark King what is going on. When they enter the cube room, Amodeus charms the leader and the rest go along with it. They take us to the teleport ring. A piece of missing “stone” must be put in place for it to become functional.

Before it is put in place, Edan Webs them. Helen and Rallion slay the two that were not held. The rest surrender. We get lots of intel, and that there is a huge cloud filled with fire an lightning off the coast to the south. We also learn of some fellow named Aubry is the “Righteous Halberd.” (Aubry as in Grodecop, Em’s boyfriend.) We also learn that the Dark King has been working for a very long time, and acts like any warlord. The Countil of 12 have to “consume” live people to survive so long. Some obey so that their families aren’t “food” for the ancients. Others are “true believers.”

We also learn that on the other side of the portal is a staging area with various automata, and the “T-1000” is there and isn’t acting right. This seems to tell Edan and the others that this “Liar” is in this “walking device.” It opens to the elevator at the base of the spire for in the tombs/necropolis. It is the War Machine & Nanocarbon storage.

Edan heads off to the office, and makes a vast find of schematics, especiall the new triangle batteries! We learn that a lot of things were ordered by Marchmain.

Prix and others stay to watch the webbed guards, and several of us go to look out and Edan tells us about some “sonic device” that must have set off an undersea volcano, as there is now a mountain to the south that wasn’t there. We fear for what has become of Vargen. Is it still there? What of Midmark?

While wondering what has happened, etc. There is a muffled “knock” at the gate. It is the undead bodies of the captain of the ship we hired to go check out the wereshark, Garmuth. Also the crew and the hirelings of Thorfus. Notably absent is the one we later learned was a spy with an inquisitor mask. (Was the hireling ever a “real” hireling or always a spy?)

Amodeus had decided to leave us, and since the undead only want the statue, and since it is in Midmark, which Edan told them, they seek revenge and the death of the Starchy Boyz, in the current case, Edan and Axel. Are there any others? Perhaps Sturloc, Belisent, and Lambertus…. Amodeus decides to wait until they break open the door.

We find a place to hide one of the mini portals, so we can use them as a quick escape from the other side of the big portal.

So we know that the mermen – both factions are wiped out and that Vargen and Midmark – and it’s navy are crippled or destroyed. Do we know anyone friendly to us in those towns who is still alive?

The Dark King’s forces were moving to invade Vargen. Was the timing such that they don’t need to invade or did we luck out and that force get destroyed/reduced? With Midmark evern more weakened, the Dragon Empire can more easily move in.

We also learned that the gnome illusionist betrayed us to the dark king and it was a trap that Ilska captured the skiff and two of our party, one of whom died? Chuq or Belisenete??

Ilska has made the gnome keep the gateway open and the Dark King hopes to use it as a bargaining chip for the invasion fleet to not destroy this world, since there is an untouched world awaiting conquest….

SESSION 171 – OCTOBER 4, 2017

While in Kehl resting, two groups of lizard looking creatures fight it out, and the “winners” take goods and meat from losers. They don’t see us, and we ignore them.

Prixithalma is frustrated with her progress in re-creating the virus. Edan does his best to help.

We find a neatly folded letter behind the berserker letting us know that Villems betrayed us and that some of the dark elves are on our side:

Blessings of Lloth on you Outsiders,

The grotesque Czizak-Ygna who hosted you recently has betrayed you to those among our people still loyal to the Deceivers from the Great Outside (known to many as the Hidden Ones). The Brood of Hyvaneq intends you harm, so be wary between the trading post and that warren of stunted liars known as Vilsnarg. However, be aware that you have allies among the Matriarchs of Shadow and within that crooked city’s elven embassy who can help you – remember, if you find yourself before a corrupt judge, requests for Ghirzak-Korman cannot be denied!

The Sisterhood of Arachne, Handmaidens to the Queen Who Spins Destiny’s Inescapable Threads

We speed up and Axel has the Berserker carry him so we can move faster.

We reach an opening that has graffitti in multiple langages that warn to be silent up ahead.

We sneak up and find a rotating track in a four way and to the north is a mine cart storage area. There are signs that we face a big fight so we avoid. Silence is cast on the berserker and the monkeys movewith it. Once all past, Nash fires an arrow and a bunch of huge tentacles feel around for throuble, only finding Nash’s arrow. (Rallion recognized this intersection as something he had seen before, but was quiet so had no trouble.)

Two more hours find a short side passage, and set up Khel to rest. A group of lizards types with nearly albino human prisoners heads back the way we came, but we avoid them.

Later a wounded mushroom man goes past. Nash convinces Axel to let him out. Nash heals him. We crudely communicate with him, Nash uses the skull cap with Serithaz, and we learn that the creature is loyal to death to Nash. Nash names him Wednesday. The creature is also poisonous so we should not touch or eat him.

The next day, Rallion shares that the side passage where he followed, is too small for the Berserker. We leave the berserker in a side cavern sitting and hidden, and have the monkeys remove the head, which Rallion carries.

We quickly reach a huge cavern with a well made dwarven bridge over it. We find an opening to the cavern with the elevator. Rallion had climbed down it, not knowing how to operate it.

We move in small groups and take the elevator. Rallion takes the lead and hears voices. He goes back and informs the group. Nash uses his ability to listen and hears two humans, and several shambling creatures. They walk off.

Edan and Bavmorda sneak around looking for a way out.

About 30 feet up is a big room with a giant cube.

Patrol with 10 undying and two humans, one with a silver control circlet.

Bavmorda sneaks up to backstab the one with the silver circlet. Killing instantly, then manages to surprise and kill the other human. Edan takes control of the 10 undying, and Bavmorda grabs the silver circlet.

The rest of us move up to join the others.

Session 168: September 13, 2017

Some of our group chase after the blinded and wounded mother hulk with eggs on its back.

Momentarily aftwerwards, Thorfus comes out of his confusion and chases after them.

They find a third hulk and it attacks Nash. Thorfus rushes up at incredible speed and hammers the creature to great effect, but the creature wounds Thorfus. Thorfus wounds it again, and this time, the creature fells Thorfus, his lifeless body thrown across the tunnel.

Axel and Lambertus rush up, and evade Bavmorda, who was confused by the creature’s gaze. Axel, Nash, and Lambertus manage to fell the creature.

The monkeys cease working on the beserker and come to sing for Thorfus.

After looting thd body of Thorfus, Axel uses the Crystal Circlet and commands the monkeys to sing more quietly. Axel sends one to get Edan, and reaches out to Edan. Edan comes and sees Thorfus’s body. They go after the mother hulk and Edan hits it with the rest of his magic missiles, and finally fells it. It did charge, but did not hurt anyone else. It fell on its back and only two of the remaining eggs survived. Shell fragments and some egg liquid in cloaks and handles.

Amadeus found the body of a gnome who had a lenticular device and a crude map of the ancient dwarven area.

Nash opened up the stomachs of two of the hulks and found some gems.

They send the berserker in and the lenticular device does not work.

Nash drags Thorfus’ body in and puts his hand on the button and it opens.

They are not incinerated.

Next room has a room with light and gnomes and goblins building a tall tower (Crystal Tower) from materials gnomes & goblins were mining.

Find secret 5x 5 room with stuff. Chest of gold and bag of holding and potion.

We elect to rest and re-learn spells in the ancient dwarven area, and the monkeys work to repair the berserker.

RIP Lord Thorfus Ironhand, aged 52 years 362 days.