The Subliminal Court
Summary
Adventure: Subliminal Cuurt
GM: Jim Arona
Season:
Night: various weekends
Level: Medium
- Party
- Time on adventure
- 24th Fruit 825 WK to 1st Vintage 825 WK
- Employer
- Callas
- Mission
- following on from The Liminal Court, locate people to staff the Cathedral; a Choir, Sexton, Concert master (pre New Edison) and a Glazier.
- Pay
- 10,000sp each. Any loot we find. Anything we sell must be offered to Callus first.
Scribe Notes
Chapter 1: Recruiters R Us
In Service of Lady Callas: A Commission Most Peculiar
Lady Callas presented us with an unusual contract today. The task: locate and recruit personnel for her Abbey on Cataclysm Earth. Specifically, we require a choir of twenty-four members affiliated with the House of Fire, a sexton for groundskeeping and crypt maintenance, and ideally a concert master—though a choirmaster would suffice if the former proves unobtainable. The compensation stands at ten thousand silver per adventurer, plus full rights to any loot we acquire. Additionally, Lady Callas retains first refusal on items we choose not to keep. A generous arrangement, particularly given she also provided substantial upfront funding for preparation.
The party composition settled quickly. I shall be accompanied by Slaydar—an orc who adopts a peculiarly obsequious demeanor toward me despite being a fellow party member rather than actual servant—and the Dark Celestial Ishamael. The latter's shadow wings spell proves invaluable for traversing the considerable distances involved, and his various buffs significantly enhance our survivability—a necessity given my rather unimpressive physical constitution.
Preparations and the Bounty of Seagate
With half our payment advanced (five thousand silver each), we turned to preparations. I provided powerful enchantments to all three of us to bolster our magical defenses and overall resilience. From the Guild stores, I acquired a healing potion—five hundred silver well spent—and the necessary myrrh for spellcasting.
Slaydar, ever mindful of my deficiencies, suggested acquiring trollskin scrolls. I accepted his gift of a scroll with appropriate gratitude. The orc purchased two such scrolls at seven hundred fifty silver each—quite reasonable for multiple charges apiece. With our enchantments and the trollskin's substantial armor, I calculated our group defense at acceptable levels, though hardly reassuring for someone of my limited endurance.
Lady Callas also bestowed waybread upon us—three portions each, well-imbued for duration. The food alone eliminates one significant logistical concern.
The weather at Seagate proved abysmal. A fierce gale forced us to delay departure by a day. When conditions improved to a mere fresh breeze, Ishamael deemed it safe enough for flight.
The Journey to Novodom
The flight to Novodom proved uneventful, if somewhat tedious. Four hours aloft with Ishamael's shadow wings carrying us across one hundred eighty miles. I managed my landing adequately—my natural agility serving me well. Slaydar, however, provided the assembled peasantry with considerable entertainment. The orc came streaking in at excessive speed, distracted by some heat source his infravision detected, and found himself skimming above the ground at tremendous velocity. His eventual landing on the riverbank qualified as controlled only in the most generous interpretation.
The peasants, having been denied the spectacle of our messy demise, tucked away their tomatoes with evident disappointment.
The Ravine and the Crack in Reality
Northwest of Novodom City lies a peculiar geological feature—a ravine formed by some ancient cataclysm that split a range of steep hills. We traveled along this inverted peak until we reached the crack itself. Lightning played along the walls, though my lack of metal armor rendered me relatively safe from its attentions.
During our approach, both Callas and Slaydar identified peculiar stones scattered near the entrance. Callas, with her lapidary expertise, recognized them as fulminite—sand or soil fused into glass by lightning strikes. Each piece measured roughly twenty centimeters across, circular in shape, and distinctly charged. Though not transparent enough for lens-grinding in their current state, they possessed a certain translucence when washed. We each collected a specimen.
The crack itself defies conventional description. It appears initially as another branch of the ravine system, but passage through reveals its true nature—a portal directly into the Astral Plane, or perhaps more accurately, into the Abyss itself.
Traversing the Abyss
Ishamael's shadow wings proved their worth immediately. While flight does not function conventionally in the Abyss, it reduces encounter probability substantially. Flying demons exist here, but they tend toward the feeble end of the spectrum. One does not encounter entities like Rampage or Carnage soaring about—apparently the former's devastating abilities require ground contact to function properly. A useful limitation to remember.
I cast walking unseen upon all three of us, successfully cloaking our presence. Combined with our shadow wings and the natural darkness of the Abyss, we remained effectively undetectable to all but the most accomplished observers. The week of travel passed without incident.
We crossed the sole water barrier I know of in this region without difficulty, though Slaydar nearly provided us with another demonstration of his landing prowess. His infravision again betrayed him, pulling his attention toward heat sources at an inopportune moment. This time he managed a recovery, though he admitted to experiencing what he termed a "brown alert." He then offered, as is apparently his custom, to be beaten for his failure. I declined, citing the impracticality of approaching him in his current state.
Tanuel and the Ascent to House Kerberoth
We arrived at Tanuel through the great arched gates at the base of the butte. The Kerberites stationed here represent the largest and most formidable of their kind—shapeshifters averaging eight feet in height, many manifesting armor directly from their bodies and wielding wicked polearms called horbids. A half-dozen of these warriors patrolled the gates alongside smaller administrative Kerberites, humans, and the occasional hill giant. Orcs, Slaydar noted with some interest, appear uncommon in this region.
The entire settlement at the base qualifies more as a military encampment than a proper town. Behind it, carved into the butte itself, a steep road switches back and forth for approximately one mile vertical to reach House Kerberoth proper. The engineering required to bring wheeled vehicles up such a grade must involve extensive use of bastions and securing points.
The Pool of the Hounds
On the fourth switchback, we encountered a most remarkable feature—a pool of the deepest green I have ever witnessed. A fire giant attended here, bringing the fearsome Hounds of Kerberoth down to drink. These creatures stand as tall as horses and possess three heads each, manifestations of House Kerberoth's power.
Slaydar, observing the hounds drink from the pool, began speculating about its properties. He surmised that the creatures derived their powers from the water itself—a not unreasonable hypothesis given the unusual coloration and the hounds' evident supernatural nature. With characteristic impulsivity, he decided to test his theory by drinking from the pool.
The consequences proved immediate and dire. Slaydar cried out in pain as a wound opened along his primary arm, from elbow to mid-forearm, along the inside. The injury does not bleed. It simply remains open, exposing muscle, vein, and artery in grotesque detail—a sight that would turn most stomachs.
The wound has diminished Slaydar's vitality noticeably. More concerningly, Lady Callas examined it and pronounced it beyond conventional healing. Curse removal might not suffice either, she suggested, though this would be the logical place to attempt such a remedy. She mentioned the Mal'ebonirans as a possible solution, though extracting him from their care might prove the greater challenge.
Slaydar resolved to manage with the injury for the present. The arm remains functional, merely unpleasant to observe. I refrained from commenting on the wisdom of drinking from mysterious supernatural pools.
Henry the Toymaker and Acquisitions
House Kerberoth proper boasts a marketplace of considerable interest. We sought out Henry the Toymaker, a merchant of unusual wares whose reputation precedes him. He stocks spell racks of exotic design.
The first item he displayed was a bracelet—essentially a charm bracelet with empty plates designed to hold engraved semi-precious stones. This rack enhances one's spellcasting reliability through subtle magical augmentation. Potentially useful, though of limited value to someone like Ishamael who rarely fails to cast.
The second item captured my attention immediately: a dreamcatcher-style spell rack, constructed from dried and plaited rawhide, approximately fifteen centimeters in length. It pins to one's breast, either on cloak or chest. The enchantment enhances the first healing spell received each day substantially. A healing spell that would restore modest vitality instead provides considerably more restoration.
I negotiated for the dreamcatcher. Henry's asking price proved unconventional—he requested payment in blood. I agreed, trading a measure of my own vitality. He extracted the payment with professional efficiency. The temporary reduction in endurance seemed trivial given our eighteen-day wait for the next caravan to the Heights of Chaos.
Ishamael examined a cloak with air aspect that moderates wind effects, allowing tactical movement control while airborne rather than being forced to travel at maximum speed. The asking price proved... unusual. Henry wanted something specific from Ishamael, though the details of their negotiation remained private. Ultimately, no exchange occurred.
Strategic Planning and Logistics
Lady Callas suggested we present ourselves to Lord Tirwh and Lady Suneth, the rulers of House Kerberoth. We agreed that paying respects would be appropriate, if only to make our presence known rather than request specific boons.
The caravan schedule allows us eighteen days before departure. Time enough for training and preparation, though the logistics of our actual mission present considerable challenges.
The fundamental problem: we seek to recruit twenty-four choir members, a sexton, and a concert master. Moving such a large group through the Abyss invites disaster. Groups exceeding half a dozen living souls attract attention at rates that render protection nearly impossible. Even moving them in smaller groups, a few at a time, presents significant risks.
We discussed several potential solutions:
Ley Lines: Lady Callas can access ley line travel, but this still requires moving our recruits through the Astral Plane and up to the butte at Tanuel—hardly ideal for a choir unaccustomed to such environs.
Nexus Points: If we could identify nexus connections between our recruitment location and Cataclysm Earth, we might bypass the Abyss entirely. The Himalayan Complex in the Land of Nod connects to New Alusia through a portal, but this merely relocates the problem rather than solving it.
The Underworld: Nekros theoretically provides passages, though entering the realm of the dead with two dozen living choir members strikes me as profoundly unwise. Additionally, I lack the necessary bone circle knowledge for such transport, and I strongly doubt Nekros would share such information even if he possessed it.
Ship Transport: Moving a ship across the Abyss proves beyond our current capabilities. Lady Callas might negotiate such transport, but the dangers inherent in the attempt seem excessive.
We concluded that solving the transportation problem could wait until we actually located suitable recruits. First, we must find them.
Astrological Consultation and the Land of Nod
Ishamael, with his modest astrological abilities, offered to conduct a specific reading. His natural perceptive talents, enhanced by our enchantments, gave him excellent chances of divining useful information.
He posed the question: "Where is the best place to find a choir of the House of Fire?"
The stars indicated the Land of Nod, specifically the eastern region before the Court of Jade. This aligns with our initial assumptions—the Land of Nod hosts numerous religious orders and choirs. The House of Fire, being a religious organization that particularly offended Rome during its time, would likely maintain a presence there.
Training and Preparation
With eighteen days at our disposal, we turned to self-improvement. I contemplated my priorities. Magic stands paramount—I have the opportunity to advance my skills considerably with dedicated training, leaving several days for other pursuits. My walking unseen spell, while functional, could use refinement. The wound to my arm serves as ample reminder that defense remains my greatest vulnerability.
Slaydar, having survived his dramatic landings, expressed interest in improving his flying skill. A sensible choice given the technique he learned through practical application—what he terms "not hitting the ground fast." He also explored necromantic options, though his limited magical aptitude constrains his utility with most spells. His considerable strength, however, makes him an adequate pack carrier, which—alongside his inexplicable sycophancy—largely defines our rather unusual party dynamic.
OOC DetailsItems AcquiredArtephius:
Slaydar:
Ishamael:
Session SummaryThe party accepted a recruitment contract from Lady Callas to find staff for her Abbey on Cataclysm Earth: a 24-member choir (House of Fire preferred), a sexton, and a concert master. Payment: 10,000 silver per adventurer plus first dibs on loot. After preparations at Seagate, the party traveled via Ishamael's Shadow Wings to Novodom, then through a crack in reality into the Abyss. Journey continued to Tanuel and House Kerberoth, where Slaydar was cursed while drinking from the Hounds' pool. The party acquired magical items from Henry the Toymaker and learned through astrology that their targets are in the eastern Land of Nod. Currently waiting 18 days at House Kerberoth for the next caravan to Heights of Chaos, with plans to train and prepare before continuing the mission. Chronological Timeline
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Chapter 2: Safe as houses!
The Journey to Tintagel and a New Companion
The caravan departed House Kerberoth on schedule, bound for Tintagel through the Centre Jungle. Our party gained a fourth member during the journey—an orc necromancer named Sin, affiliated with the College of Necromancy. She possesses competent skills in bone construction and spectral weaponry, though her temperament suggests the aggressive impulsivity characteristic of adolescent orcs. Nevertheless, her abilities proved invaluable in the trials that followed.
The Centre Jungle and Dire Omens
As the caravan established camp at the edge of the Centre Jungle on our first evening of travel, an ominous roaring sound echoed from deeper within the forest. The sound possessed a depth and resonance that suggested a creature of considerable size. The canopy above us filtered much of the remaining daylight, creating an environment conducive to Ishamael's shadow magic but less than ideal for visual reconnaissance.
The party immediately began defensive preparations. Sin and Slaydar erected bone constructions through the trees—interlocking skeletal barriers designed to entangle and slow any approaching threat. Sin's initial casting unfortunately backfired, triggering a deep sleep effect that she successfully resisted through considerable effort. She managed to complete a second construction successfully, creating a bronze-reinforced bone chain stretched between sturdy trees.
Ishamael cast Shadow Forms upon the entire party—powerful manifestations that granted us substantial defense in melee combat, though somewhat less in close quarters. A considerable enhancement to our survivability, particularly for someone of my limited endurance.
Crystal Vision and the Approaching Menace
Ishamael provided me with his crystal of vision, recognizing that my familiarity with Earth and Environmental magic, however modest, made me the logical choice for reconnaissance while he prepared his combat spells. I sent the crystal approximately two hundred feet into the jungle, positioning it perhaps sixty feet above the ground to maintain visibility beneath the canopy.
My perception, enhanced by both my magical aptitude and Ishamael's enchantments, revealed a terrifying sight: a massive bipedal creature approximately twenty-five feet in length, with enormous hind legs, diminutive forelimbs, and devastating jaws. The beast battered down seventy-foot trees as it advanced directly toward our position. A Tyrannosaurus Rex—moving with terrifying speed that made escape impossible, even mounted on camels.
The creature possessed an uncanny interest in our party specifically, ignoring the caravan's camels to focus its attention upon us. Perhaps it detected the scent of orcs, or perhaps our magical emanations attracted its predatory instincts. Regardless, we found ourselves the primary target of a creature capable of devastating our entire group.
Preparation for Combat
The party adopted a defensive posture behind the camels and available cover. I prepared Walking Unseen, though I recognized the spell's limited utility against a creature hunting primarily by scent. The bone constructions provided our best hope of slowing the beast's charge.
Slaydar activated his Trollskin scrolls—potent protections that granted considerable effectiveness when combined with our various enchantments. Both he and I successfully triggered the protective magic, encasing ourselves in regenerative armor that might allow us to survive a glancing blow from those terrible jaws.
Sin prepared her spectral weapon enchantment, imbuing her battle axe with supernatural striking power. The caravan guards readied their crossbows, though I held little hope that ordinary bolts would penetrate the creature's hide. Ishamael prepared his most devastating magic—dark fire and lightning bolts from his invested items.
The beast closed with terrifying speed, covering ground at a rate that made evasion impossible.
The Battle Commences
Ishamael struck first with dark fire—a bolt of shadow flame that scorched the creature's scales. The attack penetrated its natural armor, inflicting modest damage but failing to slow its advance. The T-Rex charged directly into Sin's bone construction, the bronze-reinforced chain catching its massive legs. The creature failed to avoid the trap and fell prone, its tremendous bulk crashing to the jungle floor in a thunderous impact.
Slaydar immediately seized the opportunity, employing his Hand of Death spell—a necromantic curse that allows the caster to crush a victim's heart through sympathetic magic. He made a crushing gesture with both hands, and I witnessed the creature's chest spasm as the spell took hold. The damage proved insufficient to fell the beast, but it clearly experienced considerable distress.
The caravan's crossbowmen demonstrated admirable courage and surprising accuracy. Seven bolts found their marks, inflicting both endurance and fatigue damage despite the creature's formidable natural armor. The accumulation of wounds began to tell—the beast bled from multiple punctures, though none individually proved decisive.
Ishamael continued his magical assault with additional fire bolts and lightning. I attempted Enchanted Sleep—my sole offensive spell of any potency—but the creature's massive endurance rendered the magic ineffective. The spell requires physical contact, and I possessed neither the courage nor the stupidity to approach within fifteen feet of those jaws.
A Moment of Tactical Desperation
The Tyrannosaurus recovered from its prone position and, surprisingly, resisted the fear effect of Ishamael's magic. It turned toward us with renewed fury, having shaken off the psychological assault. The beast charged again, this time employing a trampling attack that threatened to overrun our entire position.
In a moment of what I can only describe as calculated recklessness, I advanced toward the creature, drawing my main gauche and shouting to attract its attention. The theory possessed a certain logic: my mobility and evasive capabilities exceeded those of my companions, and drawing the creature's aggro might prevent it from devastating the less mobile members of our party. Additionally, as the physically weakest member of the group, my death would represent the smallest tactical loss.
I moved perpendicular to the creature's line of attack, gaining the defensive benefit of lateral movement. The beast, possessed of limited intelligence but considerable predatory instinct, fixed its attention upon me. I maintained my evasive posture, prepared to dodge whatever assault it might launch.
The Killing Blow
Slaydar's Hand of Death continued to squeeze the creature's heart while the caravan's crossbowmen maintained their barrage. Sin repositioned behind cover, preparing her own defenses should the creature break through our line. Ishamael continued his assault with invested magic, each bolt chipping away at the beast's formidable vitality.
The accumulated damage proved decisive. The creature's heart, subjected to Slaydar's necromantic compression, finally surrendered. The Tyrannosaurus collapsed mid-charge, its tremendous bulk shaking the jungle floor one final time. Ishamael's Kiss of Death ability ensured the creature would not recover—within moments, it expired completely.
The caravan erupted in relieved celebration. Eight of the guards had frozen in terror at the sight of the charging predator, but the remainder maintained their composure admirably. Without our magical intervention, the creature would undoubtedly have slaughtered the entire caravan, devouring the guards and leaving the camels scattered across the jungle.
Salvage and Spoils
The dead Tyrannosaurus represented a treasure trove of valuable materials. The creature's scales provided natural armor—substantial protection on the dorsal surface and somewhat less on the softer underbelly. The caravan's leather worker calculated that the hide would yield approximately thirty sizes of leather: eighteen of hard leather and twelve of soft.
We negotiated the distribution of materials. The leather worker required six sizes for his own armor—a reasonable request given his services to the caravan. I claimed soft leather for myself, as my casting requirements preclude heavier armor. Slaydar opted for hard leather, befitting his more robust constitution and willingness to engage in direct combat. Sin and Ishamael made their own arrangements.
The creature's teeth, each the size of a dagger, consisted of extraordinarily hard ivory suitable for weapon crafting. The bones, while hollow, possessed remarkable strength—approximately as resilient as teak but significantly lighter. The meat proved edible, resembling chicken in both texture and flavor.
Slaydar's Peculiar Acquisition
During the skinning process, Slaydar performed his Ask the Dead ritual upon the creature's corpse, seeking to establish some form of supernatural connection. The ritual succeeded in ways I suspect he did not anticipate.
The creature's spirit, or perhaps merely an echo of its consciousness, manifested within the severed forelimb. Slaydar engaged in a lengthy conversation with the entity, which revealed itself to possess a distinctly female personality with the aggressive mannerisms of an adolescent orc. The spirit identified herself as "Tina" and claimed to have died previously, only to find herself bound to the Tyrannosaurus's forelimb through supernatural means she could not fully explain.
Slaydar, with characteristic grandiosity, claimed credit for "crushing the beast's heart and rescuing her." The spirit expressed reluctant awe at this assertion, accepting Slaydar as a powerful figure worthy of respect—or at least wariness. The two established what Slaydar describes as "clan mates" status, though the specifics of this arrangement remain opaque to me.
The orc now possesses a sentient T-Rex claw that runs about independently and converses with him late into the night. The other caravan members find this development deeply unsettling, though I suspect they will adapt. Adventurers accumulate peculiarities as inevitably as they accumulate scars.
The Animated Horror
Not content with a mere talking claw, Slaydar decided to animate the entire Tyrannosaurus skeleton. He employed his necromantic abilities to raise the creature as an undead servant—a process that required multiple castings to maintain but yielded a mobile mount of terrifying aspect.
The animated skeleton possesses considerable physical capabilities though it lacks the natural armor of the living creature while retaining the structural strength of its massive bones. Most significantly, it radiates an aura of fear that causes automatic fright in those who behold it.
When Slaydar first animated the skeleton, eight members of the caravan guard immediately froze in terror. The remainder experienced profound unease, and all would suffer ongoing penalties to their morale for the duration of our journey. Sin suggested we keep the creature at the rear of the caravan to minimize psychological damage to our traveling companions.
Slaydar, predictably, insisted on leading from the front with his skeletal mount. The caravan master reluctantly agreed, reasoning that the creature would at least frighten away other predators. I suspect this decision will create complications when we attempt to enter populated areas, but such concerns remain problems for our future selves.
Reflections on Magical Cooperation
The battle demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated magical assault. Ishamael's dark fire and lightning provided consistent damage output. Slaydar's Hand of Death, while requiring sustained concentration, proved devastating against a single large target. Sin's bone constructions created tactical opportunities that prevented the creature from leveraging its superior mobility.
My own contribution remained modest—reconnaissance through crystal vision and a desperate attempt to draw aggro that thankfully did not result in my being trampled into paste. I recognize that my offensive capabilities remain limited. Enchanted Sleep, while theoretically powerful, requires both physical proximity and successful casting against targets with lower endurance than a massive predatory dinosaur.
The experience reinforces my conviction that survival depends upon proper preparation, tactical positioning, and the willingness of one's companions to employ genuinely terrifying magic. Slaydar's necromancy grows increasingly disturbing with each application, but I cannot deny its effectiveness.
Session's End
With the Tyrannosaurus defeated and its materials claimed, we prepared to rest for the remainder of the night. Slaydar's animated skeletal mount stood watch over the camp, its terrifying presence thoroughly unnerving the caravan guards even as it provided a certain grim reassurance. The orc conversed quietly with his severed claw companion, establishing the peculiar relationship that would characterize our continued journey.
Our mission to recruit choir members, a sexton, and a concert master for Lady Callas's Abbey continues. Tintagel and the Land of Nod still await us, along with whatever challenges the eastern territories present. I have acquired materials for moderately improved armor and considerable experience in coordinated combat against overwhelming threats.
I have also gained an orc companion who rides a skeletal Tyrannosaurus while conversing with a severed claw inhabited by a dead girl's spirit. Adventuring, I have learned, never becomes more conventional with experience—it merely reveals new depths of peculiarity to which one must adapt.
OOC DetailsItems AcquiredArtephius:
Slaydar:
Sin:
Ishamael:
Party (shared resources):
Session SummaryThe party traveled with the caravan from House Kerberoth toward Tintagel, gaining a new companion—Sin, an orc necromancer. On the evening of the first travel day at the Centre Jungle campsite, a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex (5-hex creature, TMR 12) attacked the caravan, targeting the party specifically. Through coordinated magical assault, tactical positioning, and considerable courage, the party defeated the creature. Ishamael's dark fire and lightning, Slaydar's Hand of Death, Sin's bone constructions, and support from caravan crossbowmen combined to bring down the beast. The party salvaged extensive materials including armor-quality leather, ivory teeth, and lightweight bones. Slaydar animated the T-Rex skeleton as a mount and acquired a sentient forelimb companion inhabited by a spirit named "Tina." The session ended with the party resting at the Centre Jungle camp, having gained the caravan's respect and preparing to continue their journey to Tintagel. Chronological Timeline
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Chapter 3: The Lands of Chaos
The Ford of Sands and Trackless Perils
Our journey through the Heights of Chaos continued with remarkable incidents. At the Ford of Sands, Slaydar and Sin demonstrated the impulsive curiosity characteristic of their race by sending spectral hands into the river to investigate potential aquatic life. Instead of fish, they discovered pockets of trackless waste—planar voids that trapped their magical constructs for the duration. The scouts collected sand in glass vials, and the caravan wisely chose to camp at the ford rather than risk travel with active trackless wastes potentially seeking attachment.
The following day brought us to a ruined wall complex containing several mortuary temples arranged in an avenue. Slaydar identified the central building as a death site—a place where bodies were prepared for burial according to ancient funerary rites. The practice involved removing the brain through the nostrils while preserving the heart, as the culture believed reason resided in cardiac rather than cerebral tissue. Slaydar performed his life-prolongation ritual upon Sin here, taking advantage of the necromantically resonant location. The ceremony succeeded on the second attempt, halting her aging process indefinitely. The caravan guards remained at considerable distance during these proceedings, their discomfort palpable.
The Crumbling Paths and Fossil Discoveries
We arrived at a landscape dominated by decaying aqueducts—massive earthen structures with stone facing, rising to remarkable heights and stretching in sweeping curves across the terrain. Ishamael climbed to investigate, discovering the structure's true nature through planar interrogation. The Crumbling Paths, as they are known, constitute a multi-planar phenomenon where sections always orient east-west regardless of the traveler's position. The structure appears to exist simultaneously across multiple planes of reality.
During his descent, Ishamael's footing failed when stone crumbled in his hands, though his Shadow Wings prevented any serious injury. The fallen stone revealed a remarkable fossil—a laminate creature that appeared to be a sea organism but in fact traveled on the wind in an atmosphere of unusual composition. A fascinating specimen for philosophical contemplation, though its practical value remained unclear.
The Cloud Trees of Cindereth and Unusual Provisioning
After a full day's travel that felt curiously brief, we entered an orchard of massive trees bearing watermelon-sized fruit. The Cloud Trees of Cindereth reach extraordinary heights and produce fruit of remarkable properties. The flesh proves extremely filling—a few slices satisfy completely—yet provides no actual caloric content. The fruit remains edible for approximately one year if unopened, but rapidly deliquesces once cut. The juice quenches thirst admirably, and a skilled vintner might ferment the high sugar content into valuable wines.
I immediately recognized the commercial potential. These fruits could revolutionize dietary practices for those seeking to reduce consumption while maintaining satiation. We harvested a considerable quantity, storing them within the T-Rex skeleton's ribcage through clever application of warping magic. The caravan guards found our enthusiasm peculiar but offered no objection.
Syrioth's Azure Grasslands and the Crimson Spires
The next plane, Syrioth, presented grasslands of such rich green that in certain light they appeared almost blue. A mercifully brief day of travel provided welcome respite and opportunity for training. The subsequent journey through Coldstream tested our endurance more severely. Temperatures plunged to near freezing, the bitter cold sapping our strength with every hour of travel. The caravan maintained extensive fires and collected substantial water stores to avoid nighttime excursions into the cold. The guards' woolen blankets, though harsh against unprotected skin, provided admirable insulation. Their wives weave them with extraordinary skill, creating common materials of exceptional quality.
The following day brought us to a peculiar landscape of crimson metallic structures resembling tents with central spires rising to impressive heights. Each "tent" consisted of an alchemical transition metal—hard as bronze but with unusual oxidation properties. The structures leaned at steep angles from vertical, their metallic "skirts" giving the appearance of wind-caught fabric frozen in place.
In an ill-advised experiment, I allowed blood to drip upon one of the fallen spires. The structure immediately began draining my vitality at an alarming rate while manifesting translucent human figures moving through the area as if the metallic structures did not exist. Slaydar identified these as insubstantial dead, though they proved unresponsive to necromantic communication. Ishamael's healing intervention halted the blood drain and dispersed the manifestations. The structures possess an aura of Remembrance—not a graveyard, but definitely a site where death has occurred in significant quantity.
That evening I experienced vivid dreams of conversations with unfamiliar people, discussions where I perpetually lacked some essential context that would render them comprehensible. The bleeding had evidently created an unwelcome connection to whatever memories these spires preserve.
The Thorn Fields of Havoth
Travel through Havoth proved utterly exhausting. I found myself far more drained than my hardier companions, struggling to keep pace as we crossed the landscape. The terrain consisted of cultivated fields of thorns arranged in precise rows like a plantation. The plants themselves demonstrated remarkable properties: dark green with bright yellow bulbs, they possessed elasticity like rubber, resisting attempts at crushing. The sap proved highly corrosive to metals and organic materials alike, blackening and destroying a cloth rag in moments.
The T-Rex managed to tear free a section of plant, which we preserved for potential alchemical trade. The caravan guards used bill hooks to protect the camels from the thorns while traveling single-file through the furrows. The plants, known as Thorn of Havoth, serve as source material for creating green vitriol—a dangerous but valuable alchemical component. Extraction requires considerable alchemical expertise to perform with any degree of safety.
Arrival at Tintagel
After a brief final journey, we arrived at Tintagel—a castle city situated at the elbow of U-shaped hills rising to impressive heights. Terraced farms covered the hillsides, irrigated by channels fed from a water source at the summit. The castle itself stands where a moat once existed, now a dry depression crossed by drawbridges.
The population of Tintagel consists largely of spellcasters, identifiable by the chaos marks that distinguish them from ordinary humans: red sclera, black irises, and various physical peculiarities such as backwards-bending legs. Despite these unsettling characteristics, the Tintagelites demonstrate little malicious intent—they pose danger primarily through distraction, unreliability, and the occasional catastrophic accident rather than deliberate malice.
Our entry with the animated T-Rex skeleton drew considerable interest from the local wizards, many of whom examined it with quizzing glasses and lorgnettes. One figure—tall, slender, wearing silver chainmail and a conical helm—descended from the sky, examined both the T-Rex and Slaydar within it, and simply said "No" before departing. The sixth such skeleton today, apparently.
The local wizards expressed interest in purchasing the skeleton, though not for unreasonable sums. They offered exchange in magical services or goods rather than currency. A Staff of Power would require multiple such specimens—well beyond our current resources. More modest exchanges included spell racks, incantations, and various invested items. Of particular interest was an Enchiridion of Incantations based on Bolt of Energy, containing several variations including Levin Bolt (stunning lightning), a columnar lightning bolt, burst of energy (which restores vitality), and various elemental projectiles.
The Tintagelites proved fascinating if frustrating trading partners. They possess exceptional skill with incantations but demonstrate profound organizational difficulties. A guardsman specifically warned us that deals must close quickly—the wizards frequently lose interest in agreements made even days prior, their attention captured by new fascinations. Yet they prove valuable trading partners precisely because their unreliability stems from distraction rather than duplicity.
We also learned that the thorn material from Havoth holds value here, as the wizards extract its alchemical properties for creating green vitriol. However, any attempt to return through the Heights of Chaos to harvest more would prove futile—the trackless wastes do not permit simple backtracking. One must follow established routes or possess exceptional tracking skills enhanced by magic. Earth mages apparently navigate such regions most effectively.
Observations on the Journey and Local Customs
This journey through the Heights of Chaos has impressed upon me the fundamental truth that reality itself varies considerably between planes. Each realm operates according to its own principles—from the Crumbling Paths that maintain consistent orientation regardless of position, to the Cloud Trees that provide satiation without nutrition, to the metallic spires that harvest blood to manifest memories of the dead.
The trackless wastes present particular danger. Unlike conventional geography where one might retrace steps, these planar voids do not respect spatial consistency. The caravan's rangers possess knowledge of safe routes accumulated over years of travel, but deviation risks becoming permanently lost in placeless nowhere. Slaydar and Sin's spectral hands remain trapped somewhere west of us, calling forlornly for their masters until the magic sustaining them finally expires.
The Tintagelites themselves embody a peculiar paradox—simultaneously brilliant and unreliable, capable of extraordinary magical achievement yet unable to organize even simple cooperative endeavors. Their chaos marks serve as constant reminder that proximity to the Abyss shapes both form and function. Yet their essential lack of malice makes them preferable trading partners to many more conventional merchants I have encountered.
Practical Considerations
My physical endurance continues to prove the limiting factor on these journeys. While my companions suffer manageable exhaustion, I accumulate weariness far more quickly during difficult travel. The Strength of Stone and Waybred enhancements from Lady Callas provide essential support, but I remain keenly aware of my physical limitations. Should I fall unconscious from exhaustion during some crisis, the party's capabilities would be only modestly reduced—a cold comfort, but realistic assessment nonetheless.
The T-Rex skeleton, while impressive, proves less valuable than Slaydar hoped. The bones themselves—hollow, light, strong as dense wood but remarkably lighter—possess considerable practical application for construction of boats, gliders, or lightweight implements. However, multiple such skeletons would be required to obtain truly exceptional magical items. We may trade portions for more modest but immediately useful enhancements.
The Cloud Fruit represents a more promising long-term investment. If we can establish reliable transport through the trackless wastes, these fruits could find ready market among the wealthy seeking to reduce food consumption while maintaining comfort. A master vintner could potentially create valuable wines from the high sugar content. The Abbey itself might benefit from such provisions, reducing the burden of feeding a large staff while maintaining morale.
OOC DetailsItems Acquired
Sin:
Ishamael:
Training time3 days of downtime - After the T-Rex battle 2 half-days at Cindereth and Serioth 1 half-day after the Crimson Spires 4.5 days total. Session SummaryThe party completed their journey through the Heights of Chaos trackless wastes with the caravan, traveling from the Centre Jungle camp to Tintagel over approximately nine days. The journey included encounters with numerous planar phenomena: trackless wastes at the Ford of Sands that trapped Slaydar and Sin's spectral hands, ancient mortuary temples where Slaydar performed life prolongation on Sin, the multi-planar Crumbling Paths where Ishamael discovered unusual fossils, the Cloud Trees of Cindereth producing non-caloric but filling fruit, crimson metallic remembrance spires that drained Artephius's vitality when blood-activated, the freezing passage through Coldstream, the dangerous thorn fields of Havoth, and finally crossing a lava river via Sin's bronze bone construction bridge. The party arrived at Tintagel, a castle city populated primarily by chaos-marked wizards known for exceptional magical skill but profound unreliability. Initial negotiations regarding the T-Rex skeleton revealed local interest in magical trades rather than currency, with various spell books, incantations, and invested items available for exchange. The session ended with the party beginning to explore trading opportunities in Tintagel while considering their recruitment mission objectives. Chronological Timeline
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Chapter 4: Tintangel traders
The Trading of Curiosities and Acquisition of Practical Necessities
Our arrival in Tintagel presented immediate commercial opportunities, as the wizardly inhabitants demonstrated considerable interest in Slaydar's animated T-Rex skeleton. The local paleontological animators—three in number—viewed the specimen with professional appreciation, though not unprecedented enthusiasm. One silver-armored figure descended from the sky, examined both skeleton and occupant, pronounced a terse "No," and departed. Apparently we had presented the sixth such specimen encountered that day. A humbling reminder that even remarkable discoveries prove commonplace in certain locales.
Ishamael, exercising his merchant training, arranged an auction among the interested parties. The wizards, forming a collaborative purchasing arrangement, offered 104 true silver guineas—equivalent to approximately 26,208 silver pennies. However, given the Tintagelites' well-established unreliability regarding currency transactions, we negotiated instead for magical goods and services. A practical decision, as these chaos-marked wizards prove far more reliable when their interests align with immediate gratification rather than delayed financial settlements.
The trade yielded considerable value: quilted canvas armor for our party, various incantations from the necromantic animators and spiritualists, and opportunities for additional exchanges. The quilted canvas armor, while brightly colored in greens, yellows, and reds arranged in lozenge patterns, provides superior magical compatibility. With a base protection of three points, it gains additional protection at ranks 10, 15, and 20 of armor spells, plus ablative magical protection equal to non-prime ranks. Far superior to the soft leather we had contemplated keeping.
Ishamael traded his Walking Unseen potions for a set of the quilted canvas armor and accompanying robes. The soft T-Rex leather we had harvested went toward additional armor sets for the party. A fair exchange, particularly given that Tintagelites value immediate goods over future promises. Their distracted nature makes them unreliable contract partners beyond the span of a few days, but their essential lack of malice renders them preferable to many more conventional merchants.
The Enchiridion and Incantational Studies
Among the offered incantations, I acquired the Enchiridion of Bolt of Energy—a small booklet of cream vellum bound with brass rings. This tome serves dual purpose: it teaches the Bolt of Energy spell and functions as a spell rack for various incantations of that spell, including Levin Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Bolt of Fire, Ray of Cold, Razor Orb, Burst of Energy, and Orb of Flight.
The book itself weighs eleven ounces and will serve as the foundation for expanding my offensive magical capabilities. I shall require three weeks to learn both the base spell and begin advancing the spell rack. Time well spent, given our extended stay in Tintagel.
The God Sin and Lunar Associations
During our negotiations, the spiritualists revealed information regarding a moon god called Sin. This deity proves ancient beyond most pantheons, having survived multiple incarnations of religious orthodoxy. He associates with the city of Ur in the Land of Nod, manifests with a beard formed from lapis lazuli in the Mesopotamian style, connects to bulls symbolically, and bears particular affinity with the number thirty.
For our companion whose name literally references sin, this discovery holds obvious significance. The spiritualists possessed incantations specific to Sin's worship, including variations of Wraith Cloak. The lunar aspect association suggests potential value for those seeking divine patronage, though I remain content with my scholarly pursuits unencumbered by theological obligations.
The information proves relevant to our mission, as Ur lies within the Land of Nod—precisely where we seek the Choir of the House of Fire. Whether this constitutes fortunate coincidence or deeper pattern remains unclear, though in my experience, such alignments rarely prove entirely accidental.
Encounters with Dwarven Smiths and Peculiar Armaments
Among Tintagel's diverse population, we encountered dwarves whose hair and beards burn with actual fire—not illusory flames, but genuine combustion that causes them no discomfort. They possess skill in weapon-smithing and speak Thari with rank six competence, though Slaydar's rank zero knowledge created communication challenges best solved through emphatic gesturing and simplified vocabulary.
They offered for sale an item called Dark Harvest—a glaive-like weapon with rotating scythe blade, forged from black bronze quenched in the River Styx. This weapon proves particularly effective against undead while bouncing harmlessly off immortals and eternals, reducing their damage to negligible amounts. The price—thirty thousand silver pennies—exceeded our available resources even accounting for the T-Rex sale. Slaydar's offer of "a night of passion" met with justified skepticism regarding anatomical logistics given his missing fingers. We declined the purchase, though the craftsmanship impressed.
The dwarves maintain forges at considerable personal risk, working with Styx water that has claimed numerous smiths over the years. One imagines a remarkable collection of weapons and unfortunate craftspeople accumulated at the riverbed. I refrained from inquiring about their recovery methods, as some knowledge serves no practical purpose beyond generating nightmares.
The Flesh Beetles and Minor Discoveries
Sin's collection of four red flesh beetles, acquired at the Ford of Sands, proved topic of discussion among the wizards. These creatures efficiently strip flesh from bone, then enter torpor when denied light and sustenance. They can convert zombies to skeletal form, reducing the characteristic odor of animated dead. When gorged, they breed, though Sin wisely chose not to encourage multiplication during our city sojourn.
At full activity, the beetles demonstrate remarkable efficiency—they completely consumed the T-Rex's flesh in hours. In torpor, they become small enough to fit individual beetles in matchbox-sized containers. The wizards displayed interest primarily in academic terms, noting the creatures' utility for necromantic preparations but offering no particular trade value.
We retained the aminote fossil I discovered at the Crumbling Paths—a wind-traveling creature from some atmosphere of non-oxygen composition. The fossil holds more interest for me than the purchasers, representing a fascinating biological adaptation to entirely foreign environmental conditions. I shall retain it for further study.
The Valley of Death and Ominous Prophecies
Our exploration of Tintagel's environs revealed a notable absence: no catacombs, crypts, or graveyards exist within the city limits, and precious few outside. This unusual arrangement stems from the Tintagelites' poor ranger skills—they cannot safely navigate the trackless wastes that surround their home, effectively trapping them within their chaotic city unless joining established caravans.
However, outside the city we discovered a place of power—definitely not a graveyard, the locals emphasized with suspicious insistence. Hooded figures lurked about this site, their movements unsettling and inhuman. When Slaydar approached one, it turned to face him not as a person would, but as though its shoulders remained fixed while the robe billowed and repositioned. The face visible within the hood showed only grim, darkened features with glittering, faceted eyes like onyx.
These figures spoke of one who was great but died nearby—not quite at this location, but somewhere close. They serve not through worship but through awaiting one suitable to take up the burden of greatness. Their assessment of Slaydar's endurance of twenty proved dismissive: "Feeble." Their standards for greatness clearly exceed conventional measures.
The entity performed some manner of fate-reading upon our party, revealing information both useful and concerning:
For me: I possess no resistance against transformation into a frog. This stems from my princely nature—apparently nobility provides no protection against batrachian metamorphosis, and indeed may make one particularly susceptible to such enchantments. The hooded figure mentioned the Gusso Woods as a place to avoid, where practitioners of such magic dwell. Small comfort that I might, theoretically, find reversal through matrimony, though I prefer to avoid the necessity entirely.
For Slaydar: His fate involves serving "behind the throne." The hooded figure gestured back and forth ambiguously, suggesting multiple interpretations. Whether this indicates political power, sanitary duties, or some metaphorical meaning remains unclear. Slaydar chose to interpret it optimistically as indication of future influence. I refrained from suggesting alternative readings.
For Ishamael: "The gates of death swing both ways for you." Given his necromantic inclinations and ability to traverse the boundaries between life and death, this hardly surprises. Whether prophecy or simple observation of existing capability, the statement acknowledges Ishamael's unique position among practitioners of death magic.
For Sin: "Silver is a boon to you." The speaker immediately followed this with "The love of money is the root of all evil," which rather undercuts the apparent blessing. Whether this references literal silver metal, currency, or some symbolic meaning remains ambiguous. Sin's philosophical interests led her to inquire about distinctions between types of greatness—a line of questioning that prompted the hooded figure to complain about encountering a bloody philosopher. I have been attempting to teach her philosophical reasoning. Apparently my efforts bear fruit, though perhaps not always welcome fruit.
The Embassy Mission and Journey Planning
The hooded figure proposed a task: transporting a group seeking asylum from the Chthonic regions of the Land of Nod to the Underworld itself. These asylum-seekers associate with the Mazakim and Lilin—entities we have encountered peripherally in previous travels. The proposition involves danger, bloodshed, and potential treasure. Standard adventuring fare, in summary.
Ishamael initially hesitated, prompting Slaydar to enthusiastically volunteer on his behalf. I provided gentle physical encouragement—a pool cue to the back of Ishamael's head to simulate nodding agreement. The hooded figure found this "not meat"—meaning, I presume, that coercion does not constitute genuine acceptance. After Ishamael verbally confirmed his willingness, the bargain was struck.
However, before undertaking this task, we must first locate Simyaza, who occupies a unique position requiring access to an embassy. To find Simyaza, we must reach the elemental center of Tanuel—a location that Earth Mages apparently navigate most effectively. We lack an Earth Mage. This presents challenges.
The hooded figure provided crucial intelligence: we should travel to Morca, a large city serving the silk road trade. There we can join eastward-bound caravans, ideally working as guards or servants to avoid drawing attention. The Duke of Five Faces—ruler of the Land of Nod—maintains surveillance over those entering his domain. Anonymity among a caravan provides superior concealment compared to independent travel.
The Germangeous Canyon and Mountain Crossing
The route to Morca requires crossing the Jemaliah mountain range—formidable peaks with lowest passes at approximately 6,000 feet elevation. The truly dangerous path crosses the "dragon's teeth"—jagged peaks where winds of seventy miles per hour can batter travelers to death against stone unless maintaining altitude above 7,500 feet. At that elevation, the cold proves severe, and altitude sickness affects those unaccustomed to such heights. Travel would require limiting flight to two hours maximum during the warmest, calmest parts of each day.
The preferable alternative: the Germangeous Canyon, also called Jamandal's Canyon. If we can locate the entrance, we can follow the river through the canyon, maintaining relative concealment from aerial observation. The canyon route still climbs to approximately 6,000 feet at its highest point—sufficient to risk altitude sickness—but far safer than the exposed mountain crossing.
The canyon terminates at the Beckel Waterfall, a 2,000-foot drop descending from 6,000 feet to 4,000 feet elevation. We would need to navigate this descent, preferably under cover of darkness using Dark Vision to avoid detection. The hooded figure emphasized the value of acquiring a map, as the canyon entrance proves difficult to locate without proper guidance.
Our party includes rangers of modest capability—sufficient to locate home after inebriation, as the saying goes, but perhaps requiring luck for wilderness navigation. We shall seek maps in Tintagel's libraries and among the merchants before departing.
Equipment Acquisitions and Magical Preparations
Beyond the armor and Enchiridion, our party acquired various magical implements:
Ishamael obtained a lantern that sheds dark light, altering spell aspects to affect undead and halving undead magic resistance.
The necromantic animators offered numerous incantations including those for Wraith Cloak (which I shall study for three weeks), bone construction paths, spectral warrior summoning as scimitar cats, and various other death-aspected magics. The entropy locusts incantation proved particularly expensive—equivalent to 5,000 silver pennies—but Blackfire incantations to write seals and potentially dangerous variations tempted even my cautious nature.
Sin acquired the Spirit Net of the Necromanteion—a small net-like decoration made from desiccated priestess sinews that provides healing enhancement. Similar in function to my healing boost dreamcatcher from Henry the Toymaker, though of different cultural origin.
We also learned of the Cave of Shadows—a shadow-realm facsimile of the real world where travelers can move between distant locations. Hemlock provides one method of accessing this realm, though it requires dying first. Some practitioners view death as mere inconvenience when pursuing their goals. I prefer continued respiration to such experimental transportation.
Training and Extended Residence
I shall require five weeks and one day to learn Bolt of Energy to rank five and advance the associated spell rack. The base casting chance of fifty percent plus rank bonuses yields ninety percent success rate at rank five—acceptable for combat application. Ishamael will rank Shadow Wings to twenty during this period, requiring thirty-nine days. We shall remain in Tintagel for this extended training period.
During these weeks, Slaydar's spectral hands—lost at the Ford of Sands to trackless waste—will finally return to him after wandering for multiple weeks calling forlornly for their master. The wizards offered incantations for spectral hands including variations such as Cubed Force or Ramma Force.
Slaydar will also recover his second point of endurance lost to drinking the green water at House Kerberoth—the liquid uncertainty that curses those foolish enough to consume it despite warning signs including dogs refusing to drink. His endurance will return to twenty-one, making him slightly less feeble by the hooded figure's exacting standards.
We purchased warm clothing for the mountain crossing, as temperatures at 6,000 to 7,500 feet prove severe enough to risk frostbite and hypothermia. The caravan blankets we had acquired during our journey through the Heights of Chaos—bright wool blankets of exceptional quality woven by guardsmen's wives—will serve admirably for this purpose.
Observations on the Chaos-Marked and Their Commerce
The Tintagelites demonstrate fascinating contradictions. Their chaos marks—red sclera, black irises, backwards-bending legs, and various other physical peculiarities—indicate proximity to Abyssal influence. Yet they lack malicious intent almost entirely. Their danger stems from distraction, unreliability, and occasional catastrophic accidents rather than deliberate harm.
They possess exceptional magical skill, particularly with incantations, but demonstrate profound organizational deficiencies. Agreements must close within days or their attention wanders to new fascinations, rendering previous negotiations void. They prove valuable trading partners precisely because their unreliability stems from chaos rather than duplicity—they forget obligations rather than deliberately violating them.
The guardsmen who maintain order prove more competent than one might expect. They cannot prevent the wizards from creating havoc, but they can direct said havoc away from critical infrastructure. Watching them attempt to manage chaos-touched wizards resembles herding cats while the cats possess the ability to teleport, fly, and accidentally transmute things into other things. That Tintagel functions at all represents a minor miracle.
Their inability to develop ranger skills keeps them largely contained within their city and associated caravan routes. This may be the only factor preventing Tintagelites from spreading across the planes wreaking well-intentioned chaos wherever they travel. One imagines the multiverse breathes easier for their geographic limitations.
The Weight of Fates and Future Burdens
This session revealed our fates—or at least, aspects of possible futures. I find myself resistant to frog transformation, Slaydar serves behind some throne, Ishamael walks between death's gates, and Sin finds silver a boon while simultaneously being warned against money's corrupting influence. These prophecies may be immutable destiny or merely probable outcomes based on current trajectories. I prefer to believe the latter, as it preserves agency.
We have accepted a mission to transport asylum seekers from the Land of Nod to the Underworld—a task involving undetermined danger and possible treasure. Before that, we must locate Simyaza at Tanuel's elemental center, which requires capabilities we currently lack. And before that, we must recruit the Choir of the House of Fire, a sexton, and a concert master for Callas's Abbey. Our task list grows faster than our completion rate.
The journey requires crossing mountains by canyon passage, joining caravans in Morca, entering the Land of Nod without drawing the Duke of Five Faces' attention, locating our recruitment targets in the eastern regions before the Court of Jade, somehow accessing Tanuel's elemental center, finding Simyaza, arranging embassy functions, collecting asylum seekers from Chthonic regions, accessing the Underworld, depositing said seekers, and returning to report success to Callas.
When enumerated thus, the mission appears somewhat ambitious. Possibly excessively ambitious. Yet we accepted payment, we gave our word, and the hooded figure has marked us with fate. Forward remains the only practical direction.
Practical Considerations and Resource Management
My physical limitations continue to constrain party capabilities, though magical enhancements mitigate the most severe deficiencies. The quilted canvas armor provides superior protection when combined with armor spells—I shall cast Wraith Cloak upon it once learned, gaining both physical protection and magical damage reduction. The Strength of Stone and Waybred from Callas maintain my viability during extended travel.
Our financial situation improved dramatically from the T-Rex sale, though we converted most value into goods and training rather than retaining currency. This proves wise given the Tintagelites' unreliable relationship with delayed payment and our need for immediate capability enhancement. We depart Tintagel better equipped, better trained, and better informed than we arrived.
The five weeks of training will delay our mission timeline, but arriving at the Land of Nod unprepared serves no purpose. Callas understands the necessity of thorough preparation—she would prefer capable servants who arrive slightly late to hasty ones who die stupidly. At least, I hope she holds that preference.
I have refrained from bleeding on any mysterious artifacts this session. A marked improvement in my decision-making compared to the Crimson Spires incident. Small victories accumulate toward larger successes, or so I tell myself while contemplating our increasingly complex mission parameters.
Session's End and Path Forward
We concluded our initial trading and began our extended training period. Tintagel offers adequate libraries for research, sufficient wizards for magical instruction, and enough chaos to keep things interesting without becoming lethal. An ideal location for advancing our skills before undertaking the dangerous journey ahead.
The mission expands in scope with each discovery: recruitment becomes tied to finding a god's servants, which requires accessing elemental centers, which connects to embassy functions, which involves asylum transport, which necessitates Underworld access. Each task reveals three more beneath it, like some mythological hydra of complications. Yet this is the nature of adventuring in the outer planes—nothing proves simple, everything connects to everything else, and success requires navigating webs of obligation and opportunity simultaneously.
I shall spend my five weeks mastering Bolt of Energy, advancing the spell rack, and researching maps of the Germangeous Canyon. Slaydar will search for his tribal kin, recover his spectral hands, and heal from his curse. Ishamael will perfect Shadow Wings and study the dark lantern's capabilities. Sin will likely pursue philosophical studies, experiment with her beetles, and contemplate silver's role in her fate.
When we depart Tintagel, we shall be better prepared to face the dragon's teeth—whether by canyon passage or mountain crossing—and better equipped to infiltrate the Land of Nod without detection. The Duke of Five Faces will not find us so easily among caravan workers, and the Choir of the House of Fire will eventually yield to our search.
Or so I hope, while trying not to think about the hooded figure's assessment that we are all, in our various ways, feeble. By the exacting standards of those who were great, perhaps we are. But we accepted the task nonetheless, which may indicate either courage or stupidity. Time will reveal which.
OOC DetailsItems AcquiredArtephius:
Slaydar:
Sin:
Ishamael:
Party (shared resources):
Fate Prophecies Received:
Spell and Incantation DetailsBolt of Energy Incantations (from Enchiridion):
Sin-related Incantations:
Ishamael's Lantern Incantations:
Spectral Hand Incantations (Slaydar):
Session SummaryThe party spent five weeks and one day in Tintagel after completing their journey through the Heights of Chaos trackless wastes. They auctioned the animated T-Rex skeleton to a coalition of three paleontological animators for 104 true silver guineas (26,208 sp equivalent), trading the value for quilted canvas armor, magical incantations, and various invested items rather than currency. Artephius acquired the Enchiridion of Bolt of Energy and began three weeks of study to learn the spell and advance the spell rack. The party learned about Sin, an ancient moon god associated with Ur in the Land of Nod. Outside the city, they encountered hooded figures at a place of death-power who read their fates and conscripted Ishamael for a mission to transport asylum seekers from the Chthonic regions of the Land of Nod to the Underworld. This requires first locating Simyaza at the elemental center of Tanuel. The hooded figure advised traveling to Morca to join eastward caravans into the Land of Nod, crossing either the dangerous dragon's teeth mountains (7,500+ ft elevation, 70 mph winds) or preferably finding the entrance to Germangeous Canyon (max 6,000 ft elevation, concealed route ending at Beckel Waterfall with 2,000 ft drop). The party will remain in Tintagel for training: Artephius learning Bolt of Energy to rank 5 (5 weeks 1 day), Ishamael ranking Shadow Wings to 20 (39 days), Slaydar recovering endurance and reclaiming lost spectral hands. They acquired warm clothing for the mountain crossing and began researching maps of the canyon route. Chronological Timeline
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Chapter 5: Infectious flights
The Geography of Necessity and Maps Most Peculiar
We found ourselves outside Tintagel, lingering near the Valley of Death but prudently declining to enter that particular establishment. I have learned through experience that places bearing such names rarely offer pleasant surprises. The locals maintain a thriving trade community here, merchants and travelers passing through en route to the Keeper of Five Faces and points beyond.
Our immediate concern focused on the journey ahead. The destination: Maktou, a substantial city lying several hundred miles north-north-east of Tintagel. Between us and that objective stretched the Jemaliah mountain range, a formidable barrier featuring jagged peaks where ferocious winds can dash travelers to death against stone unless one maintains altitude above the danger zone.
At such heights, the combination of cold and altitude sickness presents lethal risk. The temperature plummets well below freezing, though wind chill makes accurate assessment academic once one's frozen corpse tumbles into a crevasse. Medical knowledge suggests that ascending these peaks in a single day carries substantial risk of altitude sickness, a condition requiring months to resolve if one cannot descend to lower elevation.
The preferable alternative: the Germangeous Canyon, also called Jamandal's Canyon. If we could locate its entrance, we might follow the river through at lower elevation, maintaining relative concealment while avoiding the worst of the mountain's fury. The canyon terminates at Beckel Waterfall, a massive cascade we would need to navigate under darkness using Dark Vision to avoid aerial detection.
First, however, we required intelligence. The maps we sought proved elusive in Tintagel's markets.
The Acquisition of Information Through Diplomatic Libation
Ishamael exercised his considerable skill at spying and assessment, identifying a particularly garrulous fellow in one of Tintagel's drinking establishments. The man claimed to have descended from Maktou via river, surviving a spectacular journey through rapids in his coracle. His tale involved a ninety-foot waterfall, the strength of his arms pulling the vessel to shore despite the current, and the subsequent destruction of his craft, explaining his presence so far south.
The story was, naturally, complete fabrication. However, beneath the lies lay useful truth. Ishamael, displaying unexpected expertise in alcoholic beverages—apparently scholars acquire diverse knowledge—cultivated friendship with the boatman through provision of his finest spirits. The investment yielded returns.
The fellow had indeed traveled the canyon, though his journey proved considerably less heroic than advertised. He described the river's exit into a lake, the series of cascades ascending into the mountains, and the peculiar stone of the uplands. He sketched what he remembered, providing Ishamael with sufficient detail to create a functional map showing the lake's location, the river's entry point, and the basic geography of the route.
The boatman mentioned curious features: the canyon walls, formed of unusually white stone without volcanic characteristics, and the uplands beyond, where the rock appeared dark as obsidian despite the region's non-volcanic geology. The terrain hosted sparse vegetation despite the altitude and cold, suggesting geothermal warmth from below.
The Peculiarities of Local Commerce and Slaydar's Acquisitions
While Ishamael gathered cartographic intelligence, Slaydar explored Tintagel's servant markets. He discovered a merchant dealing in small figurines—magical items called Ushabti, approximately five centimeters tall, crafted from semi-precious stones.
The merchant possessed two such items: one fashioned from pale blue stone, the other from green malachite. These Ushabti, when properly animated through necromantic ritual, summon spiritual servants. The blue figurine produces a gardener skilled in tending herbal gardens. The green malachite Ushabti, carved from soapstone, manifests a scullery maid equipped with soap, capable of washing and cleaning almost anything.
Given Slaydar's manual dexterity challenges and the resulting chronic filth of his armor and person, the acquisition seemed practically ordained. The merchant wanted two true silver guineas for each figurine, equivalent to approximately five hundred silver pennies. Slaydar, in a display of negotiating creativity that approached genius or madness, offered to cast Hold Aging on the merchant, granting sixteen years without aging in exchange for two figurines.
The merchant accepted. Slaydar attempted the ritual casting. The spell failed spectacularly, though thankfully without backfire. After profuse apologies and assurances regarding the difficulty of such powerful magic, Slaydar tried again. This time the spell took hold, and the merchant—now preserved from aging's ravages—handed over both Ushabti with satisfaction.
I refrained from commenting on the exchange rate. Sixteen years of prevented aging for items worth approximately one thousand silver pennies total seems generous to the merchant, though perhaps the market value of such magic exceeds my estimation. Slaydar appeared pleased with the transaction, and obtaining cleaning services for his perpetually filthy garments seemed worth considerable expense.
Preparations for High-Altitude Travel
We acquired warm clothing suitable for mountain crossing, spending approximately one thousand silver pennies from party funds. The garments provided substantial protection against cold—though insufficient against the worst of the dragon's teeth. The locals also offered doves for sacrifice and traveling provisions.
The priests sell ritually cleansed doves for one silver penny each, standard traveling sacrifice for those journeying through dangerous territory. We declined to purchase a large quantity, reasoning that carrying caged birds while flying presented encumbrance challenges exceeding their spiritual utility.
More intriguing were the alchemical warming stones. These devices, fashioned from dark red clay surrounding reactive metal, produce heat when broken, allowing water to contact the metal core. The cheaper versions, costing ten silver pennies, heat nicely but carry unspecified risk of catastrophic failure. The expensive versions, priced at one true silver guinea, guarantee safety but exceed our budget.
I identified the reactive metal as caesium through alchemical analysis—a discovery suggesting we might employ these devices for fishing by explosive means, though consumption of the resulting catch seemed inadvisable given the chemical contamination.
We also examined experimental traveling rations offered at two copper farthings per meal. The vendors admitted these provisions lacked field testing, noting that subjects experienced "enhancements" after consuming them for a week. The failure to specify whether these enhancements proved beneficial or deleterious raised appropriate concerns. Slaydar, demonstrating either admirable courage or questionable judgment, purchased several weeks' worth for personal consumption and scientific experimentation.
The Journey North to the Lake
We departed Tintagel approximately one hour before dawn, walking outside the city limits before ascending via Ishamael's Shadow Wings. The spell, now quite potent, provides substantial flight duration at impressive speed. With four passengers, the exertion increases as altitude rises, but remains manageable for those of adequate strength.
I possess limited physical strength. While my natural capabilities prove adequate for managing my own equipment and scholarly apparatus, I contribute little to the expedition's heavier burdens. The physical labor of carrying party supplies, establishing camps, and managing substantial equipment falls to my more robust companions. My contribution remains purely intellectual and magical—a division of labor I accept with pragmatic resignation.
The flight north covered the distance to the lake in approximately three hours, reaching the lake the boatman had described by nine o'clock in the morning. The lake stretched two to three miles north-south, perhaps half a mile wide—large enough to challenge a swimmer but navigable for the competent. We identified the cascade on the lake's northern shore where the canyon river descended from the mountains.
Rather than risk landing and re-launching, Ishamael wisely chose to continue flying directly up the river into the canyon. The Shadow Wings spell still had considerable duration remaining, and limiting our ground exposure reduced opportunity for mishap.
The Canyon Ascent and Slaydar's Aquatic Misadventure
The canyon walls rose nearly vertical, perhaps seventy-five degrees, formed of peculiar white stone difficult to describe. The material lacked distinguishing features, making altitude assessment challenging except when occasional bushes provided reference. The eastern wall displayed curious moss coverage and caverns, visible only on one side of the ravine.
The river climbed at steep grade—punishing for walking, though we flew above the water following the cascades upward. At higher elevation, the work intensified as altitude effects began manifesting. Those carrying heavy loads—Slaydar with his substantial equipment—felt the growing strain more acutely.
Then disaster struck with the predictability of dropped crockery.
Slaydar, facing the canyon's turbulence and headwind, lost control and began tumbling through the air. He struggled to recover his flight path but could not regain stability.
Faced with collision against the canyon wall, the river bank, or the water itself, Slaydar chose the softest option available. He struck the water at considerable speed, scraping across a concealed rock. The impact crippled his primary hand, inflicting grievous injury and severing the appendage.
The river's current, flowing rapidly back downstream, began carrying Slaydar away from the party. Weighted down by his substantial equipment, he sank beneath the surface and began to drown. Ishamael reacted with admirable speed, casting Wind Walk to extract Slaydar from the water.
The spell launched Slaydar vertically like a comet for brief duration. He ascended rapidly, then engaged his Shadow Wings as the Wind Walk expired. The combination allowed him to travel upstream and identify a landing site: a hill-island where the river split into two tributaries.
He landed while still Wind Walked, avoiding further flight complications, and waited for the party to join him. I executed my landing without incident, as did Sin. My enhanced agility provided sufficient margin even with the speed penalties.
We examined Slaydar's condition. His hand lay severed, requiring immediate medical attention. Sin attempted to stop the bleeding while Slaydar's invisible scullery maid—recently animated from the soapstone Ushabti—discreetly cleaned the inevitable consequences of his traumatic injury. The servant proved useful beyond mere laundering.
Divergent Rivers and Crystalline Reconnaissance
The island presented a choice: two rivers of roughly equal size, both ascending into the mountains. Without clear indication which path led to Maktou, we required additional intelligence. Ishamael employed Crystal Vision, projecting his sight far north to survey the terrain.
The scrying revealed the eastern tributary continuing northward toward our destination. The western branch wandered into the mountains' heart—doubtless leading to adventure, possibly treasure, certainly delay. We chose the prudent path, following the eastern river.
The canyon walls here displayed new peculiarity: orange streaks ran through the white stone as though someone had dragged a knife through wet oil paint, leaving vivid traces. I lacked sufficient ranger skill to identify the mineral responsible. Sin suggested using spectral hand to collect samples, but the distance exceeded the spell's range. The gardener Ushabti possessed no relevant capabilities. We noted the phenomenon and continued.
High-Altitude Plains and the Experimental Diet
After two hours additional flight, covering substantial distance of river canyon, we emerged onto an alpine plain at considerable elevation. The work intensified to strenuous exercise, taxing most party members significantly. Ishamael, possessing significant Aerial Affinity, reduced his exertion considerably—an advantage I deeply envied.
The plain presented remarkable features. Despite the elevation and cold, grass covered the ground extensively. Brambles grew in patches, and wildflowers bloomed with unexpected vigor. The incongruity struck even my limited ranger knowledge: these plants required warmth beyond the altitude's capacity to provide.
Investigation revealed the explanation: the ground radiated heat. Placing one's hand against the earth detected definite warmth, comfortable even through clothing. The geothermal activity explained both the vegetation and the boatman's observations regarding the dark upland stone. We flew close to the ground, benefiting from the rising warm air to reduce our exertion.
We continued northward for approximately two hours at reduced speed due to persistent headwind. The northern horizon revealed darker terrain ahead—a range of hills covered in shadows, approximately three to four hours distant at our current speed. Given our growing exhaustion and Slaydar's injuries, we prudently landed on the warm plain to rest overnight.
The landing attempts went well initially. Slaydar managed his approach successfully, as did Sin. I, however, faced complications.
Personal Landing Difficulties and Medical Complications
I misjudged the approach and began an uncontrolled descent toward terrain featuring bushes, rocks, and various other hard objects unsuitable for collision at speed. I pulled desperately at the magical wings but could not arrest my fall.
I struck a bush. Specifically, I landed groin-first upon a particularly substantial and unfortunately rigid bush. The impact inflicted severe injury and impaled me upon the vegetation in a manner simultaneously agonizing and humiliating. The specific injury—a vicious puncture to the groin—carries substantial infection risk and will reduce my movement rate significantly for the next two months.
Ishamael's attempt to extract me by cutting away the bush succeeded without further injury, though not without considerable embarrassment. I shall not detail the exact mechanics of the extraction, save to note that thorough hand-washing proved advisable for all involved.
Sin cast Wraith Cloak on herself during landing, demonstrating significantly superior planning than I had managed. She touched down without incident, making my own performance appear even more incompetent by comparison.
Evening Camp and the Perils of Experimental Cuisine
We established camp on the warm plain, finding the ground comfortable enough that fire became optional rather than necessary. The geothermal heat provided adequate warmth with our bedding, though we lit a small fire for cooking and morale.
Slaydar animated both his Ushabti: Tina the scullery maid and the gardener. The servants manifested as invisible spirits, visible only to Slaydar himself. Tina immediately addressed the condition of Slaydar's trousers following his various injuries and traumatic incidents. The gardener stood ready for herbal work, though we lacked appropriate plants on this alpine plain.
Then came dinner.
Sin, having limited funds, opted for the experimental rations rather than standard traveling food. She consumed her meal with appropriate trepidation. The subsequent effects yielded peculiar sensations but not immediately harmful consequences.
Sin reported feeling strange but not immediately harmful effects. Whether this presages enhancement or detriment remains to be determined. I silently congratulated myself for avoiding the experimental provisions, instead consuming standard rations at significantly higher expense.
Slaydar, demonstrating either admirable scientific curiosity or complete disregard for personal safety, also consumed the experimental meal. His reaction proved far more dramatic, suggesting significant consequences. He reported feeling dizzy and experiencing sensations of power radiating through him.
Then the locusts emerged.
The Locust Incident and Medical Attention
The infection in Slaydar's severed hand manifested in spectacular fashion: insects crawled from the wound. Specifically, what appeared to be plague locusts, creatures associated with divine wrath and agricultural devastation in various theological traditions.
Slaydar, upon identifying the insects, decided the appropriate response involved consuming them. With Tina's assistance, he ate one of the locusts. The subsequent reaction proved dramatic but immediate consequences remained unclear beyond Slaydar's sensation of power and increasing dizziness.
I began to suspect that our orc companion's approach to risk management differed substantially from conventional wisdom. Eating plague locusts that emerged from one's infected wound strikes me as inadvisable under most circumstances. Slaydar seemed to view it as an opportunity for enhancement.
Sin attempted to cure the infection in both Slaydar and myself the following morning. For Slaydar, her ministrations succeeded admirably—the corruption fled his flesh, and the plague locusts ceased their emergence. He remained weakened from the ordeal but no longer faced the risk of spreading infection.
For myself, the outcome proved less favorable. Sin could not dispel the corruption in my groin wound. The infection persists, a constant reminder of my aerial incompetence and the perils of landing groin-first upon rigid vegetation. I experienced the disturbing sensation of insects attempting to manifest from the wound—though mercifully they did not fully emerge as Slaydar's had.
The site of my ongoing infection—specifically the groin region—adds considerable humiliation to the medical ordeal. Sin displayed professional discretion during the examination and treatment attempt, though I detected suppressed amusement from my companions regarding the precise anatomical location of my persisting affliction. I shall be traveling the remainder of this journey with an infected groin wound, a circumstance I had not anticipated when accepting this commission.
Reflections on Travel Hardships
We spent the night on the warm plain with watches established: first myself alone during the evening settling period, then Ishamael and Sin paired for the deep night watch, then Slaydar and Sin for the morning. The warm ground made the vigil considerably more comfortable than expected at this elevation.
By morning, Slaydar showed improvement after his successful infection cure, though he remained weakened from the ordeal and the mysterious effects of consuming plague locusts. I remained afflicted with my groin infection, a condition likely to plague me—quite literally—for the foreseeable future. Sin had grown weary but avoided infection herself, though the experimental rations' effects remained incompletely manifested.
We faced substantial distance remaining to Maktou at our reduced speed. The dark hills ahead suggested potential encounters or obstacles requiring careful navigation. My infected condition and Slaydar's weakened state limited our combat effectiveness should conflict arise.
I reflected on the pattern of our journeys. Each leg presents new opportunities for injury, infection, or impalement upon inconvenient vegetation. My physical inadequacy proves a persistent liability. Without magical enhancement from Callas and my companions, I would have perished multiple times over during this expedition.
Yet we advance. Despite Slaydar's severed hand, my infected and punctured groin, Sin's experimental diet effects, and the various indignities of travel, we continue northward toward Maktou. From there we must reach the Land of Nod, locate the Choir of the House of Fire, recruit them for Callas's Abbey, and return with sufficient numbers to satisfy our contract.
The mission expands in complexity with each revelation. Now we must also locate Simyaza at the elemental center of Tanuel, arrange embassy functions, and transport asylum seekers from Chthonic regions to the Underworld. Each task connects to three others in elaborate webs of obligation.
But first: we must reach Maktou without additional catastrophe. Given our track record, this represents substantial challenge. I shall endeavor to land without impaling myself on additional vegetation. My groin—still infected from the previous encounter—would appreciate the courtesy.
Journey Continuation and Persistent Misfortune
We departed camp the following morning after medical treatment and breakfast. Ishamael cast Shadow Wings again, providing fresh duration for the final leg to Maktou. The launch proceeded smoothly for most of the party.
Slaydar, however, experienced further complications. He lost control immediately upon launch and tumbled through the air. Despite his best efforts, he could not regain stability. His remaining hand separated from his body during the violent tumbling, flying off into the terrain below. Sin stopped the bleeding before the loss became critical, but Slaydar now possessed zero functional hands.
I maintained careful silence regarding the statistical improbability of Slaydar his hands and arm during a single day's travel. The universe appeared determined to test his resolve through systematic dismemberment. To his credit, Slaydar maintained surprising composure, immediately plotting to animate his severed hand as a separate entity—reasoning that an animated hand might prove more useful than one merely attached to his body.
His second launch went smoothly, and we proceeded northward over the plain toward the dark hills. The temperature rose to remarkably pleasant warmth during midday—surprisingly comfortable at this elevation. More vegetation appeared as we traveled: grass covering the canyon walls, moss on eastern faces, occasional trees clinging to available purchase.
We flew over increasingly pleasant terrain until emerging fully onto the alpine plain. The warm ground's effects became more pronounced. Wildflowers bloomed improbably across the grassland. Brambles grew in dense patches. The entire plain hosted vegetation wildly inappropriate for the altitude and latitude.
After substantial additional flight, we spotted dark hills in the distance. The shadowed terrain ahead suggested either storm systems or geological features creating permanent gloom. Given our mission's tendency toward ominous destinations, I suspected the latter.
We retained enough stamina to continue, but Slaydar's condition—severely weakened, both hands severed, recently cured of infection, mysterious locust-consumption effects—argued for caution. We would reach the dark hills with perhaps three to four hours additional travel, arriving in late afternoon with diminished reserves.
The Strange Plain and Unexplained Phenomena
As we flew low over the warm plain, leveraging the rising thermals to reduce our exertion, Slaydar noted peculiar features in the terrain. The grass grew in patterns suggesting organized cultivation, though we observed no structures or inhabitants. The wildflowers clustered in arrangements too regular for natural distribution.
The bramble patches formed rough geometric shapes when viewed from altitude. Whether this indicated current habitation, ancient ruins beneath the soil, or simply geological formations influencing plant growth remained unclear. My ranger skill proved insufficient for detailed analysis. Sin suggested landing to investigate, but our injuries and exhaustion argued for reaching Maktou before engaging in exploratory side expeditions.
We continued northward. The dark hills grew closer, resolving into a cliff face or escarpment rather than gradual elevation increase. The darkness proved neither storm nor forest but rather the stone itself—some material absorbing light rather than reflecting it. The geological peculiarity matched the boatman's descriptions of obsidian-like terrain, though the volcanic characteristics remained absent.
I speculated regarding connections between the warm plain, the light-absorbing stone, and the overall geography. The entire region displayed signs of powerful geothermal activity. Whether this stemmed from volcanic processes, magical effects, or other phenomena exceeded my knowledge. I resolved to research the matter if we survived to reach Maktou's libraries—assuming my infected groin wound did not worsen to the point of incapacitation during the journey.
OOC Details
Items Acquired
Artephius:
- Warm mountain clothing (3 ranks cold protection) - purchased from party funds (share of 1,000 sp total)
- Doves for sacrifice (quantity unspecified, 1 sp each) - purchased
- Standard traveling rations (3 sp per meal) - purchased for journey
Slaydar:
- Pale blue Ushabti figurine (summons gardener servant with herbal garden skill) - traded Hold Aging spell (16 years duration)
- Green malachite/soapstone Ushabti figurine named "Tina" (summons scullery maid with soap, cleans almost anything) - traded Hold Aging spell (16 years duration)
- Experimental traveling rations (2 copper farthings per meal, rank 5 herbalist equivalent, multiple weeks supply, unspecified "enhancement" side effects after one week consumption) - purchased
- Warm mountain clothing (3 ranks cold protection) - purchased from party funds
Sin:
- Experimental traveling rations (2 copper farthings per meal) - purchased
- Warm mountain clothing (3 ranks cold protection) - purchased from party funds
Ishamael:
- Warm mountain clothing (3 ranks cold protection) - purchased from party funds
- Alcohol samples (finest quality) - used for befriending boatman information source
Party (shared resources):
- Map information: route from Tintagel to Maktou via lake and Germangeous Canyon
- Intelligence: canyon characteristics, white stone walls with orange streaks, warm alpine plain at 5,500 feet
- Knowledge: Beckel Waterfall 2,000-foot drop at canyon terminus
- Warm clothing expenditure: 1,000 silver pennies total for party
Injuries Sustained
Slaydar:
- Primary hand severed (2 endurance damage, crippled, taken by river current) - session start
- Both hands now severed (secondary hand lost during launch attempt)
- Infection from hand wound (3 additional endurance damage, successfully cured by Sin on Day 77)
- Consumed plague locust from wound (rolled 100+, unspecified effects pending)
- Current endurance: 11 (severely depleted)
Artephius:
- Groin puncture from landing on bush (3 endurance damage, 32% infection risk, -2 TMR for 2 months)
- Infection failed to cure - STILL INFECTED in groin wound
- Current endurance: 11 (reduced from 14 after failed treatment)
Sin:
- Consumed experimental rations (rolled 28, unspecified effects pending)
- Lost substantial fatigue (12+ points) during travel
- No physical injuries sustained
Ishamael:
- No injuries sustained
- Aerial Affinity rank 5 reduced fatigue costs significantly
Session Summary
The party departed Tintagel traveling north toward Maktou, approximately 500 miles distant across the Jemaliah mountain range. They gathered map information from a boatman in Tintagel who had traveled down from Maktou through the Germangeous Canyon. Slaydar acquired two magical Ushabti figurines (gardener and scullery maid servants) by trading Hold Aging spells, and purchased experimental traveling rations with unspecified enhancement effects. The party flew north via Shadow Wings, reaching the lake at the canyon base in three hours. Continuing up the canyon river, Slaydar tumbled into rapids at 5,000 feet elevation, severing his primary hand and requiring rescue via Wind Walk. The party landed at a river fork to rest and receive medical attention. Ishamael used Crystal Vision to identify the correct tributary continuing north. After another two hours flight, they emerged onto a warm alpine plain at 5,500 feet featuring improbable vegetation growth from geothermal heat. During landing, Artephius impaled his groin on a bush, taking severe injury. The party made camp, consuming experimental rations that produced mysterious effects in Sin and Slaydar (who also ate plague locusts from his infected wound). Morning medical checks successfully cured Slaydar's infection but failed to cure Artephius's groin wound infection. During launch, Slaydar lost his remaining hand. The party continued north toward dark hills approximately 80-150 kilometers from Maktou, flying over increasingly warm and vegetated terrain despite high altitude.
Chronological Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Day 76 | Departed Tintagel outside city limits before dawn (approximately 6am) |
| Day 76 | Ishamael befriended boatman in Tintagel tavern, obtained map information via alcohol expertise |
| Day 76 | Slaydar acquired two Ushabti figurines (gardener and scullery maid) by trading Hold Aging spells to merchant |
| Day 76 | Party purchased warm mountain clothing (1,000 sp total), doves for sacrifice, and traveling rations |
| Day 76 | Launched via Shadow Wings heading north-north-east toward lake (3-hour flight, 319 km) |
| Day 76 | Arrived at lake at 9am, identified cascade on northern shore |
| Day 76 | Continued flying up Germangeous Canyon following river |
| Day 76 | Slaydar tumbled at 5,000 feet elevation, struck water, severed primary hand, rescued by Ishamael's Wind Walk |
| Day 76 | Landed at river fork (tributary junction), rested and received medical attention |
| Day 76 | Ishamael used Crystal Vision to identify eastern tributary continuing to Maktou |
| Day 76 | Flew additional 2 hours up eastern tributary (130 km through canyon) |
| Day 76 | Emerged onto alpine plain at 5,500 feet with geothermal warming and improbable vegetation |
| Day 76 | Flew 2 hours north over warm plain (approximately 60 miles at reduced speed due to headwind) |
| Day 76 | Artephius failed landing, impaled groin on bush (3 endurance damage, infection risk) |
| Day 76 | Made camp on warm plain, established watches |
| Day 76 | Sin consumed experimental rations (rolled 28, unspecified effects) |
| Day 76 | Slaydar consumed experimental rations (rolled 100+, unspecified effects) |
| Day 76 | Plague locusts emerged from Slaydar's infected hand wound |
| Day 76 | Slaydar consumed plague locust (rolled 100+, additional unspecified effects) |
| Day 77 | Morning: medical checks performed |
| Day 77 | Sin successfully cured Slaydar's hand infection |
| Day 77 | Sin failed to cure Artephius's groin infection (infection persists) |
| Day 77 | Slaydar lost remaining hand during launch tumble |
| Day 77 | Continued north toward dark hills (approximately 80-150 km from Maktou) |
| Day 77 | Temperature reached 23-24°C at midday despite 5,500-foot elevation |
| Day 77 | Session concluded with party in flight toward dark hills/escarpment |
Chapter 6: Deathly encounters
Morning Recovery and Natural Resilience
Dawn arrived upon the warm alpine plain where we had camped. The geothermal heat radiating through the earth provided comfortable warmth despite our elevation, rendering a fire nearly unnecessary. I woke to find my companions assessing our various injuries from the previous day's mishaps.
Slaydar, having lost his primary hand to the river rapids, had received successful treatment from Sin during the night. The infection that threatened his wound had been driven out through her healing arts. He remained weakened from the ordeal but no longer faced spreading corruption. His animated hand wandered about the camp independently, creating a peculiar spectacle as it scuttled across the ground performing small tasks.
My own condition proved more embarrassing. The groin puncture from my catastrophic landing upon rigid vegetation had become infected, carrying substantial risk of ongoing complications. Sin attempted to cure the affliction, employing her considerable healing skill to drive out the corruption.
The treatment required direct examination of the wound site. I shall not detail the specifics of this process, save to note that Sin maintained professional discretion throughout, though I detected hints of suppressed amusement from my companions regarding the anatomical location of my persistent ailment.
To my considerable relief, the infection resolved naturally. My body expelled the corruption through its own resilience, though the process felt decidedly unpleasant. I experienced disturbing sensations suggesting insects attempting to manifest from the wound—similar to the plague locusts that had emerged from Slaydar's hand—but mercifully they did not fully materialize before the infection cleared.
By morning I had recovered fully from what might have become a debilitating condition. The entire ordeal reinforced my conviction that aerial incompetence carries consequences far beyond mere embarrassment. Landing groin-first upon vegetation represents a mistake I shall endeavor not to repeat.
Continuation North Toward the Dark Lands
We broke camp after breakfast, which included contributions from Slaydar's herbalist Ushabti providing beneficial supplements to our morning meal. The invisible servant proved useful beyond its primary gardening function, adding herbal enhancements that restored some of our vigor.
Ishamael cast Shadow Wings once more, providing fresh duration for the day's travel. The launch proceeded smoothly for the entire party, and we proceeded northward over the alpine plain. The temperature rose to remarkably pleasant warmth during midday—surprisingly comfortable given our elevation of approximately fifty-five hundred feet. The geothermal activity beneath the plain created microclimates wildly inappropriate for the altitude and latitude.
More vegetation appeared as we traveled. Grass covered surfaces in organized patterns suggesting ancient cultivation or geological formations influencing plant growth. Wildflowers bloomed in clusters displaying suspicious regularity. Bramble patches formed rough geometric shapes when viewed from altitude.
Whether this indicated current habitation, ancient ruins beneath the soil, or simply mineral deposits affecting plant distribution remained unclear. My ranger skill proved insufficient for detailed analysis. Sin suggested landing to investigate, but our injuries and exhaustion argued for reaching Maktou before engaging in exploratory diversions.
After approximately two hours of flight, we spotted dark terrain ahead. What initially appeared as storm systems or shadows resolved into the terrain itself—stone absorbing light rather than reflecting it. The material matched the boatman's descriptions of obsidian-like rock, though volcanic characteristics remained conspicuously absent.
The darkness grew more pronounced as we traveled north. The stone transitioned from normal grayish coloration through progressively darker shades until, after approximately an hour's travel, it became completely black. The effect proved unsettling—not mere shadow but the substance of the rock itself seeming to drink illumination.
Arrival at Maktou and the Escarpment
Around one o'clock in the afternoon, we sighted Maktou. The city sprawled across the landscape approximately twenty-five miles distant, featuring two prominent multi-story structures. One appeared as a ziggurat—a stepped pyramid rising higher than typical ancient architecture. The other structure presented as a palace with four step-towers surrounding an interior garden, all enclosed within defensive walls.
We prudently landed approximately fifteen miles south of the city to avoid aerial detection. The local population likely maintains unfavorable attitudes toward magical displays. Flying into town on massive black bat wings typically provokes responses involving torches and haystacks, as Ishamael diplomatically phrased it. We opted for discretion over convenience.
The landing site presented its own challenges. A precipitous escarpment descended three hundred meters total, with the steepest section dropping one hundred meters at angles approaching vertical. We lacked sufficient rope and pitons to establish safe belaying positions for the entire descent. The party surveyed the terrain, discussing options for safe passage down the cliff face.
The Ghûl Ambush
As dusk approached while we assessed our descent options, an enormous clatter erupted behind us. Three humanoid figures descended from above with aggressive intent. They stood man-sized, covered in dark gray skin entirely devoid of clothing or hair. Their faces presented unnatural features—enormous prognathous jaws, eyes completely black without visible pupils, and virtually no nose recognizable as such. The creatures displayed obvious gender characteristics impossible to ignore at close range.
They wore only belts, carried no visible weapons, and moved with predatory speed. The ambush caught us at the cliff's edge, vulnerable and separated by sufficient distance to prevent immediate mutual support.
We attempted to prepare for combat. Ishamael and Sin readied weapons and moved to establish defensive positions. I began preparing magical strikes, initially considering lightning bolt before recognizing that my companions' proximity to the attackers made area effects inadvisable. I switched to preparing bolt of energy instead.
The creatures won initiative decisively. They moved forward in a sprint, covering ground with alarming speed to engage Sin and Slaydar in close combat. Their physical capabilities proved formidable—strength approximating thirty, with prehensile feet adding to their combat versatility.
The first exchanges went poorly. One creature struck Slaydar with both stony claws and a devastating bite attack. The bite inflicted grievous damage, stunning him immediately. Another attacked Sin, who employed her fan of the orient's reflex action to increase her defense substantially. Only the bite attack connected, inflicting moderate damage rather than the catastrophic wounds it might have dealt.
The third creature engaged Ishamael. Despite his considerable defensive capability, the creature's attacks proved challenging. He suffered stunning blows that temporarily incapacitated him, though he recovered quickly through sheer willpower.
All three combatants recovered from their initial stunning during the first exchange. I managed to cast bolt of energy successfully, targeting the creature engaging Slaydar. The spell struck cleanly, inflicting nine points of damage. The magical attack proved effective—these creatures possessed intrinsic weakness to magic despite their physical resilience. They take only half damage from physical weapons, and non-magical weapons inflict merely one point regardless of the blow's force.
The creature I struck with magical energy immediately charged toward me, apparently prioritizing the elimination of spellcasters. It moved adjacent but lacked sufficient action to attack during that pulse. Slaydar attempted to evade but found himself unable to change tactics mid-action.
Sin triggered an invested lightning bolt. The spell caught one creature squarely, inflicting substantial damage and stunning it despite its resistance check. The magical assault proved far more effective than physical attacks would have been.
Ishamael engaged with his considerable combat skill, striking decisively with enhanced weapons. His attacks proved effective due to magical enhancement, though even he dealt only half normal damage. He inflicted serious wounds, driving one creature into negative endurance.
The combat devolved into desperate exchanges. I cast additional spells, targeting threats as they emerged. Sin deployed her remaining invested lightning bolt, stunning another creature. Ishamael systematically reduced the ghûls' fighting capability through precise strikes.
Then disaster occurred.
During one exchange, a ghûl struck me with devastating force. The bite attack tore through my defenses, inflicting catastrophic damage. I felt my consciousness fading as the creature's massive jaws closed upon me. The world dimmed, sounds became distant, and I experienced the peculiar sensation of my life force departing my body.
I died upon that escarpment, approximately fifteen miles south of Maktou, killed by a creature I later learned was called a ghûl—an elemental entity related to Jin or Djinn rather than undead.
Death and the Pomegranate
I possess no clear recollection of death itself. The experience remains mercifully blank—consciousness ceased abruptly with the ghûl's fatal bite. What followed exists only through secondhand account from my companions.
The party managed to conclude the combat successfully. Ishamael employed his kiss of death ability to finish the unconscious ghûl, ensuring it would not recover to threaten the group. One creature fled into the darkness, escaping despite their best efforts. Two ghûl bodies remained for examination.
My companions faced a significant dilemma: my corpse, no resurrection resources immediately available, and approximately three days before permanent death made resurrection impossible. They considered various options including returning to Tintagel for a revivification syringe, seeking assistance in Maktou, or attempting to animate my body to transport it.
Someone—I believe Slaydar based on subsequent comments—suggested pomegranates. He had noted during earlier research that pomegranates hold symbolic connection to resurrection in various religious traditions. The fruit appears in Christian symbolism representing rebirth, and features prominently in Greek mythology through the story of Persephone eating pomegranate seeds in the underworld.
With their course decided, the party still needed to descend the escarpment. Sin solved this problem through her bone construction magic, sculpting staircases directly into the cliff face. As a sculptor of considerable skill, she shaped the stone into functional architecture with multiple castings of the spell. Her artistic sensibilities influenced the work—she created handrails and aesthetic embellishments while maintaining structural integrity. The result proved both functional and visually striking, though the steep grade made the descent tiring rather than dangerous.
During the construction process, Slaydar engaged in what he termed his "fifty questions" routine. He knelt beside my corpse asking increasingly inane inquiries, ostensibly communing with my departed spirit but more likely satisfying his inexhaustible curiosity about matters I would have preferred to keep private. The questions ranged from reasonable to absurd, including subjects I shall not detail in this report. Sin later claimed to have overheard portions of this one-sided conversation, promising to share embarrassing revelations at opportune moments.
The party descended the escarpment using Sin's newly constructed bone staircases, carrying my body. They entered Maktou seeking resources for resurrection. The city proved welcoming enough, maintaining caravanserai for travelers and hosting temples to multiple deities including Shin, Shechem, and Marduk.
Inquiries about resurrection led to suggestions they visit "the Dark Place"—an area of darkness east of Maktou associated with strange occurrences and dangerous entities. The locals confirmed that resurrection might be possible there but warned against casual visits. People travel to the darkness only when necessity compels them or when pursuing specific objectives.
However, pomegranates proved available in Maktou itself. The fruit grows at high altitude in the cold climate, though not currently in season. The vendors offered chilled pomegranates at premium prices—five gold shillings for a single fruit, reflecting both scarcity and preservation costs.
The party purchased a pomegranate. Ishamael, possessing knowledge of such matters through his necromantic studies, recognized that feeding the fruit to my corpse would likely achieve resurrection but would also bind me to Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. The connection parallels Persephone's binding after eating pomegranate seeds in Hades's realm.
My companions consulted me despite my current state of being deceased. Apparently Slaydar's "fifty questions" routine extended even to interrogating my corpse. When asked whether I would object to being bound to Hades, I evidently—through whatever spiritual medium Slaydar employed—indicated that if binding to Hades meant not remaining dead, I found the arrangement acceptable.
The party fed me the pomegranate. Slaydar apparently began with conventional oral administration, though he speculated about alternative orifices if the mouth proved ineffective. Sin insisted firmly on proper feeding procedures, sparing me posthumous indignities.
I made the resurrection check successfully, returning from death with one endurance point and zero fatigue. The transition from death back to life felt abrupt and disorienting. One moment nonexistence, the next moment gasping upon cold stone with the taste of pomegranate seeds in my mouth and my companions' concerned faces hovering above me.
Binding to Hades and Recovery in Maktou
I returned from death bound to Hades through the consumption of pomegranate while deceased. The binding carries specific obligations and benefits. Hades proves a non-jealous deity—he permits worship of other gods and attendance at other temples provided I observe his feast days and offer appropriate sacrifices. The arrangement strikes me as pragmatic. Many gods demand exclusive devotion; Hades merely requires acknowledgment and periodic observance.
My extremely weakened state required extended recovery. Resurrection restored me to bare consciousness but left me unable to recover endurance or fatigue through normal means. Only natural healing would restore my strength—a process requiring days rather than hours. Magical healing effects would not function until my body had recovered sufficiently through rest.
We remained in Maktou for a week, resting and recovering from the ghûl encounter. The city proved hospitable enough. We secured lodging at the caravanserai, paying modest fees for accommodation. The local temples provided opportunities for worship, which proved necessary given my new binding to Hades.
Attending temple services once per week removes penalties associated with divine binding—though precisely what penalties might apply remained unclear. I chose pragmatism over rebellion, visiting the temple to acknowledge Hades properly. The ziggurat hosting multiple deities operated on henotheistic principles—Marduk serving as primary god-like entity for the city, with others fulfilling specific functions.
My companions pursued their own temple attendance. Slaydar visited the Temple of Marduk, finding the focus on royalty and kingship aligned with his obsequious service to nobility. Sin attended the Temple of Shin, learning useful information about the region including confirmation that the "area of darkness" we had heard mentioned was the Keep of Five Faces—our original destination before I experienced fatal interruption.
During our week of recovery, several noteworthy developments occurred. The party examined the ghûl bodies, discovering they possessed unusual anatomy. The creatures proved to be elementals rather than undead—specifically ghûl (spelled with circumflex over the u), entities related to Jin rather than graveyard undead. They contain elemental death essence and dark earth, potentially useful for alchemical purposes.
Sin, being the highest-ranked alchemist in our party, could theoretically harvest components from the bodies. The hearts displayed peculiar structure with three lobes descending into conical tubes. The blood might be processed into tempering agents or potions providing damage resistance. We collected what we could for later analysis and potential sale.
More peculiarly, Slaydar developed a third eye. During the week's recovery, the bump on his forehead from previous injuries healed, leaving a thin crescent-shaped mark. Eyelashes sprouted from the mark, and over several days a functional third eye developed. He could blink with it but reported strange sensations when attempting to use it for vision.
The third eye's development apparently resulted from his consumption of plague locusts from his infected wound, combined with the mysterious effects of the experimental traveling rations he had purchased in Tintagel. The enhancement carries both benefits and drawbacks—increased vulnerability to ocular injuries but reduced chance of immediately fatal results from such wounds.
By week's end I had recovered sufficiently to travel. My endurance returned gradually through natural healing, though I remained far from full strength. The party prepared to continue our mission: locating the Choir of the House of Fire, recruiting them for Callas's Abbey, and completing the other objectives in our commission.
We now found ourselves in Maktou, located in the Land of Nod, having survived death and resurrection. The Keep of Five Faces lay eastward through the area of darkness. Our mission continued, complicated by my new binding to Hades and the lingering effects of our injuries, but still achievable if we proceeded carefully.
The week in Maktou provided necessary rest but also delay. We had consumed a substantial portion of our available time through injury recovery and resurrection complications. The mission parameters allowed for extended duration, but we remained conscious that Callas expected results rather than excuses.
I reflected on the experience of death and resurrection. The process proved less traumatic than anticipated—perhaps because I retained no clear memory of death itself. The binding to Hades seemed a reasonable price for continued existence. Few deities offer such pragmatic arrangements, permitting worship of others while merely requesting acknowledgment on feast days.
My physical weakness had nearly proven fatal. Without my companions' intervention and the fortunate availability of pomegranates in Maktou, I would have remained permanently deceased upon that escarpment. The incident reinforced my awareness of mortality and my dependence upon the party for survival in physical combat.
Yet we persevered. Despite Slaydar's loss of both hands, my death and resurrection, Sin's various injuries, and Ishamael's stunning blows, the party maintained cohesion and completed necessary tasks. We adapted to circumstances, found creative solutions, and continued toward our objectives.
As we prepared to depart Maktou after our week of recovery, I contemplated the journey ahead. We still needed to reach the Keep of Five Faces, locate the House of Fire choir, recruit sufficient members, arrange transport for them back to Callas's Abbey, and complete various subsidiary objectives including embassy functions and asylum arrangements.
Each task connected to others in elaborate webs of obligation. But we advanced incrementally, solving problems as they emerged, adapting to circumstances, and maintaining progress toward ultimate objectives.
I had died and returned. Slaydar had lost both hands and gained a third eye. We had fought elemental creatures of considerable power and survived through magical rather than physical means. We had discovered the value of pomegranates for resurrection and the complications of divine binding.
The mission continued. We would proceed eastward from Maktou, enter the area of darkness surrounding the Keep of Five Faces, and pursue our recruitment objectives. I traveled now as a servant of Hades—an unexpected development but one I accepted pragmatically.
The alternatives to divine binding involved remaining deceased, which struck me as decidedly less appealing. I chose life, accepted the consequences, and continued forward.
OOC DetailsItems AcquiredArtephius:
Slaydar:
Sin:
Ishamael:
Party (shared resources):
Session SummaryThe party completed their recovery from Session 05 injuries with Sin successfully curing Slaydar's hand infection but Artephius recovering naturally from his groin infection. The party flew north over increasingly dark terrain, reaching the escarpment fifteen miles south of Maktou. At dusk while assessing descent options at the cliff's edge, three ghûls ambushed the party. The combat proved extremely dangerous—the ghûls possessed tremendous strength (approximately 30), took half damage from physical weapons (only 1 point from non-magical weapons), but proved intrinsically weak to magic (Willpower +20). Artephius died from a ghûl bite attack. The party killed two ghûls and one escaped. After the combat, Sin created bone staircases to descend the three-hundred-meter cliff face. They descended to Maktou carrying Artephius's body, purchased a pomegranate for five gold shillings, and fed it to Artephius while dead. He successfully resurrected but became bound to Hades as a consequence. The party spent a week recovering in Maktou, attending various temples (Marduk, Shin, Shechem), harvesting alchemical components from ghûl bodies, and resting. During the week, Slaydar developed a third eye from his forehead injury. The party learned the "area of darkness" east of Maktou is the Keep of Five Faces, their original destination. Session ended with the party preparing to depart Maktou toward the Keep of Five Faces. Chronological Timeline
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Chapter 7: Phantom Plains
Extended Recovery and Preparations at Maktou
My resurrection bound me to Hades, and my body required substantial time to recover from the trauma of death. The pomegranate had restored me to consciousness but left me with minimal endurance. Natural healing proved the only effective restorative method during the initial period. Magical healing would provide no benefit until my body had rebuilt sufficient vitality through rest.
We remained in Maktou for sixty days, awaiting the next caravan eastward toward the Empire of the East. The city proved hospitable enough despite our recent misadventures on the escarpment. We secured lodging at the caravanserai, which provided adequate accommodation for our extended stay.
During my convalescence, I examined the semi-precious stones we had recovered from the ghûl bodies. Given sufficient time and my knowledge of finished gemwork, I identified their properties. The gems possessed enchantable qualities, though activating them would require specific rituals involving white sandalwood incense.
Slaydar claimed a lozenge that enhanced manual dexterity. The stone required mounting on a ring and increased his effectiveness when wielded on his remaining hand. Sin accepted the Eye of the Snow Tiger, a lenticular white stone with an amber stripe that enhanced initiative against undead opponents. A jade disc also emerged from our inventory, though it similarly required enchantment before providing its benefits.
The recovery period allowed opportunities for training. My physical weakness prevented weapon practice or strenuous activity, but I focused on magical development. I ranked my invisibility spell, finding the investment worthwhile despite the substantial time and effort required. The spell's utility for avoiding detection justified the expenditure.
Slaydar's Carnelian Hand
During our extended stay, Slaydar pursued a remarkable alchemical solution to his missing hand. His connection to the Temple of Marduk provided social access to Maktou's alchemical community. The temple priests, recognizing his claims of royal lineage despite his unfortunate appearance, facilitated introductions to several wealthy rank six alchemists.
One alchemist specialized in carnelian work. He had been researching methods to create condensed flesh in stone-like form. Slaydar volunteered as an experimental subject, offering his stump for the alchemist's research.
The alchemist succeeded in creating a carnelian prosthetic. The material resembled natural carnelian in coloration, displaying translucent reddish-orange hues. The substance possessed unique properties: it extended Slaydar's phantom limb sensation into the stone itself, allowing him to feel through the material despite its mineral composition.
The carnelian hand merged directly with Slaydar's wrist bones, integrating into his skeletal structure. The process apparently involved considerable discomfort, though Slaydar accepted this as necessary. The prosthetic functioned as a natural mace or war club, adding substantial force to unarmed strikes. Its weight approximated half that of a natural hand, making it an effective bludgeoning implement.
The first attempt at shaping the hand produced clumsy results. The alchemist acknowledged the imperfection and agreed to create a second version after we departed. Slaydar would retrieve the improved prosthetic upon our return to Maktou. The alchemist's fees remained modest, reflecting his interest in the experimental nature of the work rather than pure mercenary concern.
Planning the Route Past the Keep of Five Faces
The caravan route eastward required passage near the Keep of Five Faces. This fortress occupied a strategic choke point approximately two to three kilometers west of Maktou. The Keep served as a banishment site for infernal creatures. Blue devils patrolled the ground approaches, while fire imps monitored the airspace. More concerning, air incubi commanded groups of succubae, forming hunting parties capable of pursuing detected intruders.
The Keep's most distinctive feature manifested as an area of darkness. The effect did not reduce actual light levels but rather twisted the observer's gaze, creating visual darkness through perceptual manipulation. The closer one approached the Keep, the more pronounced the effect became, reaching ninety-five percent darkness at proximity. One could not look directly at the Keep itself; the gaze-turning compulsion prevented sustained observation.
We discussed three potential routes past the obstacle. The first involved traveling through ravines south of the Keep. These geological formations resulted from planetary crust sheets thrusting upward, creating deep east-west running channels. The ravine depths reached three to four hundred feet, maintaining near-total darkness even at midday. The route offered concealment but required careful navigation and brought us dangerously close to Keep patrols.
The second option led north through Valkenia, an alpine forest inhabited by wolves and reportedly a yeti. This route avoided the Keep's immediate environs but presented its own hazards. The third possibility extended even further north to a sea crossing, adding eighty miles to our journey but providing maximum separation from infernal patrols.
The caravan itself would pass directly through the Keep's checkpoint. Travelers faced interrogation by the Keep's occupants. Those engaged in innocent trade typically passed without issue. However, anyone carrying items of interest to the Keep's master might find themselves subjected to his interrogation techniques. The warnings suggested these methods involved significant unpleasantness.
We considered simply joining the caravan and submitting to inspection. However, our mission parameters and the various unusual items in our possession argued against voluntary scrutiny. Sneaking past the Keep, while dangerous, offered better prospects than explaining our purposes to infernal interrogators.
The Rune Portal Solution
Ishamael proposed an alternative approach using his rune portal ritual. The spell could transport small groups across distances without physical travel, bypassing the Keep entirely. However, the ritual's mechanics required establishing portals at both endpoints before transport could occur.
Someone would need to scout ahead, identify a suitable location beyond the Keep, and establish the far-side portal. Ishamael possessed the highest stealth capability among us, making him the logical choice for this reconnaissance mission. His invisibility spell, substantial stealth bonuses, and aerial mobility through shadow wings provided the best combination of infiltration capabilities.
The plan involved Ishamael traveling light, establishing a temporary portal near Maktou, then infiltrating past the Keep to set up the corresponding portal on the eastern side. Once both portals existed, the ritual would allow the entire party to transfer directly, avoiding ground travel through the danger zone.
Ishamael's stealth bonuses approached one hundred fifty percent when operating in cloth armor with maximum agility. He could cast invisibility to supplement his natural stealth, and his shadow wings provided rapid aerial mobility. The combination offered reasonable prospects for success, though the mission carried substantial risk.
We agreed to the plan. Ishamael would scout the southern ravine route, using his stealth and mobility to evade patrols. He carried minimal equipment to maximize his infiltration capability. The rest of us remained in Maktou, waiting for his return and preparing for portal transport once he established both endpoints.
Ishamael's Infiltration and Pursuit
Ishamael departed Maktou, flying south toward the ravine system. He established the first portal near the city, then proceeded through the dark ravines toward the Keep. The infiltration initially progressed well. He navigated the deep channels, maintaining stealth while covering the necessary distance.
However, his invisibility spell expired while crossing an open section of terrain. Seven fire imps spotted him immediately. The aerial observers detected his presence and began pursuit. Ishamael attempted to evade by casting wind walk, a spell that transformed him into wind-like substance capable of moving at tremendous speed.
The wind walk succeeded in breaking immediate contact, but the imps tracked his general direction. Ishamael streaked eastward at approximately fifty-five miles per hour, far exceeding the imps' twenty-mile-per-hour flight speed. However, the imps sent signals back to the Keep, alerting the garrison to the intrusion.
As Ishamael flew eastward, he spotted seven larger flying forms approaching from the north. These proved to be air incubi and succubae mounted on phantasmal steeds. The supernatural mounts traveled at approximately forty miles per hour, slower than Ishamael's wind walk but faster than normal flight.
The pursuit extended for hours. Ishamael maintained his lead through superior speed, flying eastward across increasingly rough mountainous terrain. When his shadow wings duration neared expiration, he landed in a heavily wooded pass that provided cover for recasting the spell. He successfully renewed his wings and continued fleeing.
The succubae attempted to maintain pursuit through repeated castings of phantasmal steed. Some attempts failed, with one backfiring catastrophically and causing permanent endurance damage to the caster. Three phantasms successfully manifested and continued the chase, though they gradually fell behind due to Ishamael's superior speed.
Aerial Combat at Dusk
After approximately eight hours of flight covering four hundred miles eastward, darkness fell. The winter sunset occurred around five o'clock, providing the cover of night. The quarter moon offered limited illumination, creating conditions favorable for ambush.
Ishamael possessed the advantage of choosing his engagement range and position. He selected terrain offering casting bonuses, then positioned himself to intercept the pursuing phantasms. His black fire spell provided area effect damage capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously.
The first wave of three phantasms approached. Ishamael cast black fire, striking all three with magical flames. The phantasms lacked magical resistance and suffered full damage from the attack. However, the initial casting inflicted insufficient damage to destroy them outright.
Ishamael employed hit-and-run tactics, flying away after each casting, then preparing and casting again as the phantasms approached. This pattern repeated three times before the first wave of phantasms sustained enough accumulated damage to dissipate. He then engaged the second pair using identical methods, methodically destroying each phantasm through repeated black fire castings.
The succubae themselves followed far behind their phantasmal scouts. By the time Ishamael eliminated the last phantasm, the succubae no longer possessed tracking capability. Their phantasmal steeds had expired, forcing them to rely on their own wings for pursuit. Their natural flight speed of ten tactical movement rate translated to approximately five hundred yards per minute, far too slow to maintain contact with Ishamael's superior mobility.
Return and Portal Establishment
With the pursuit evaded, Ishamael reversed course and flew back toward the Keep of Five Faces. He traveled only during nighttime hours, landing and concealing himself during daylight to minimize detection risk. The return journey required several nights but proceeded without further incident.
He located a suitable position on the eastern side of the Keep and established the second rune portal. This completed the connection between Maktou and the far side of the Keep, creating a magical transport system that bypassed the entire danger zone.
Ishamael returned to Maktou and rejoined our party. His account of the pursuit proved harrowing. He had flown four hundred miles eastward while evading infernal pursuit, engaged and destroyed five phantasmal steeds through aerial combat, then returned to complete his mission. The entire operation demonstrated both the necessity of the portal approach and the extreme dangers we had avoided through careful planning.
We celebrated his success with considerable drinking at the caravanserai. The wine selection proved interesting. Maktou specialized in two grape varieties: a dry, nutty yellow wine and an extremely sweet dessert wine. The dry variety particularly impressed me. The wine displayed unusual characteristics resulting from the local terroir—very dry, sunny conditions with heavy clay-rich soil. This particular grape variety apparently went extinct in some timelines due to religious prohibitions against alcohol, though recent efforts had attempted to recreate it.
Portal Transfer and Caravan Departure
With both portals established, we prepared for transport. Ishamael performed the ritual at the Maktou endpoint. The first attempt succeeded, though the casting check proved marginal. The portal activated, allowing our entire party to transfer directly to the far side of the Keep.
The transfer stripped each of us to near-zero fatigue, an inherent cost of the magical transportation. We arrived exhausted but safely beyond the Keep of Five Faces. The following morning, we recovered our strength and prepared to join the eastbound caravan.
The caravan gathered at a caravanserai on the eastern side. These merchant trains traveled from Maktou eastward toward the Empire of the East, a region characterized by numerous small kingdoms and principalities. Traders capitalized on price differentials between adjacent territories, purchasing goods cheap in one location and selling them at profit in the next. The practice required detailed market knowledge but could prove lucrative for those who understood the regional economics.
The caravan route climbed back to approximately five thousand feet elevation, similar to the altitude we had experienced during our canyon travel before reaching Maktou. The high plains environment created several challenges. The twenty percent burden increase from altitude would affect our carrying capacity. The cold, dry conditions required appropriate clothing—woolen garments or furs for warmth, and careful water supply management to prevent dehydration.
We purchased cold-weather gear and secured water supplies for the journey ahead. The caravan would travel east for several weeks, eventually reaching Hoffordt and other cities along the trade route. Our destination lay somewhere in the eastern reaches, where Callas's astrological reading suggested we would locate the House of Fire choir.
Reflections on the Extended Interlude
The sixty-day wait in Maktou provided necessary time for recovery and preparation. My death and resurrection created obligations to Hades that would require ongoing observance. The binding imposed few restrictions—Hades proved a pragmatic deity who permitted worship of other gods provided I acknowledged his feast days and offered appropriate sacrifices. This arrangement struck me as far more reasonable than the jealous exclusivity demanded by many divine patrons.
Slaydar's carnelian hand represented a remarkable alchemical achievement. The integration of mineral prosthetics with living tissue suggested possibilities we had not previously considered. The alchemist's research might prove valuable for future injuries, assuming we could maintain contact with Maktou's alchemical community.
Ishamael's successful scouting mission demonstrated the value of specialized capabilities. His combination of stealth, mobility, and aerial combat prowess allowed him to accomplish a task that would have proven impossible for the rest of us. The four-hundred-mile pursuit and subsequent aerial engagements highlighted both the Keep's vigilance and the extreme measures necessary to evade its defenders.
The rune portal solution eliminated a significant obstacle from our journey. Rather than risking interrogation at the Keep's checkpoint or attempting a party-wide infiltration through the ravines, we simply bypassed the entire problem through magical transportation. This approach embodied the principle I preferred: identify the challenge, determine the optimal solution, and execute efficiently rather than accepting unnecessary risk.
We now stood ready to continue eastward with the caravan. The mission objectives remained unchanged: locate the House of Fire choir, recruit twenty-four members, find a qualified sexton for the cemetery, and identify a concert master from the pre-Cataclysm era. The sixty-day delay had pushed our timeline substantially, but we had used the time productively for training, recovery, and problem-solving.
The journey ahead would take us deeper into the Empire of the East, through territories we had not previously visited. The recruitment challenges awaited us somewhere in that vast region. We traveled now as a recovered party, better trained, adequately equipped, and having successfully navigated past the Keep of Five Faces that had threatened to complicate our mission significantly.
The caravan departed the caravanserai three days after our portal arrival. We joined the merchant train, traveling eastward across the high cold plains toward whatever awaited us in the distant kingdoms and principalities of the eastern territories. Our mission continued, delayed but intact, progressing toward objectives that remained achievable if we maintained our pragmatic approach to obstacles and opportunities.
OOC DetailsItems AcquiredArtephius:
Slaydar:
Sin:
Ishamael:
Party (shared resources):
Session SummaryThe party remained in Maktou for sixty days waiting for the next eastbound caravan while Artephius recovered from death and resurrection. During this extended downtime, party members trained various skills. Slaydar developed a connection with Maktou's alchemical community through the Temple of Marduk and volunteered as an experimental subject for a rank 6 alchemist researching carnelian prosthetics. The alchemist successfully created a carnelian hand that merged with Slaydar's wrist bones and functions as both prosthetic and weapon. The party identified several gems requiring enchantment rituals. Ishamael proposed using rune portal to bypass the Keep of Five Faces rather than risking ground infiltration or checkpoint interrogation. He successfully scouted past the Keep using stealth and shadow wings, but seven fire imps spotted him when his invisibility expired. The imps alerted the Keep, which dispatched seven succubae and air incubi mounted on phantasmal steeds. Ishamael fled eastward for approximately eight hours covering four hundred miles, maintaining speed advantage through wind walk and superior flying capability. Three phantasmal steeds successfully maintained pursuit. After nightfall, Ishamael ambushed and destroyed all five phantasms using repeated black fire castings, then returned to establish the far-side rune portal. The party successfully transferred through the portal (stripping fatigue but avoiding ground travel past the Keep) and joined the eastbound caravan heading toward the Empire of the East. Chronological Timeline
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Chapter 8: Shadow Wolves
The Caravanserai and the Business of Spices
We had arrived safely on the eastern side of the Keep of Five Faces, thanks to Ishamael's rune portal. The fatigue cost of the transit was significant—all of us stripped to near nothing by the magical effort—but we had three or four days before the eastbound caravan would arrive. Adequate time to recover, at least.
The caravanserai was a functional enough establishment. Situated well east of that blighted fortress, it served as the natural gathering point for merchant trains heading into the Empire of the East. The route ahead stretched toward a town called Hoffordt, approximately one and a half weeks of travel by wagon. Beyond Hoffordt, we would turn north, following leads toward the House of Fire choir that remains our central objective.
During our wait, I turned my mind to the practical matter of finances. The party's collective wealth had reached a state I would charitably describe as modest. The spice trade presented itself as an obvious opportunity. This end of the route served as the selling end for eastern goods—spices arrived here before the markup that accumulated further west. Mace, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon: all available at reasonable prices before the premium that western merchants added at every subsequent market.
We pooled what resources we had. Myself, Ishamael, Slaydar, and Sin each contributed what silver we could, giving us three hundred total. Ishamael handled the actual purchasing, his merchant background making him the obvious choice. A ten percent discount on uncommon goods came through his connections, and we ended up with several packets of ground mace—lightweight, relatively odour-neutral, resistant to spoilage if kept dry. The caravan route would provide the opportunity to sell in markets where these goods commanded a premium. Whether this modest investment would produce meaningful returns remained to be seen, but doing nothing with the funds seemed worse.
I also became aware that this region operated under sumptuary laws that governed what clothing and adornment one could legitimately wear based on social rank. Silk, velvet, and yellow-dyed clothing were restricted to those of appropriate standing. Given that our entire party was wearing canvas armour and had barely enough silver to buy spice packets, this information was more academic than practically concerning. I mentioned it to the others. Slaydar immediately announced that his coronet would be made of skull bones and the teeth of his victims, which he seemed to consider an entirely reasonable alternative to pearl-set jewellery.
Joining the Caravan
When the merchant train arrived, we presented ourselves as guards rather than paying passengers. The passenger rate of fifty silver pennies per person per week of travel would have been ruinous. Guard duty, by contrast, offered a hundred silver pennies per engagement if we provided military support during an attack. This struck me as a considerably more attractive arrangement, particularly given our collective financial situation.
The caravan was a substantial undertaking. Twenty-two wagons and eighteen Bactrian camels formed the column, the camels being the two-humped variety—smaller than dromedaries but capable with loads, and considerably taller than the wagons. Hamarack led the enterprise. He was a competent man, ranking well as a ranger in rough and alpine terrain, and he ran a disciplined column. His axemen—eight of them, wearing leather armour with reinforced sections—formed the military backbone of the operation.
The caravan had only one archer. I had assumed, given the nature of wilderness travel in this region, that archery would feature prominently among the guards' capabilities. Apparently it was not particularly fashionable here. What they lacked in ranged capability they compensated for in axework.
I claimed a place on one of the wagons. The altitude—approximately five thousand feet—created a twenty percent increase in effective weight for anything one carried, which made the question of personal mobility rather academic for someone of my physical constitution. Walking alongside the column was not a realistic option for me regardless of altitude, but the additional burden confirmed that sitting on a wagon and letting the horses do the work was the correct approach. Sin considered riding one of the Bactrian camels and getting some experience on the unfamiliar animals. Ishamael, who carried wings and mobility as standard equipment, positioned himself toward the rear of the column where he could respond rapidly to threats from any direction.
Slaydar announced he would sit in the wagon with me. I had several matters to consider that had nothing to do with animating the dead, and I told him so. He accepted this with his customary blend of reverence and mystification.
We prepared buffs before setting out. Ishamael maintained Witch Sight on himself and cast Shadow Wings. Sin activated her Wraith Cloak—the spell had reached a useful rank and provided both spell damage absorption and a meaningful defense bonus against mundane attacks. For myself, I considered Enchanted Armor, but the trade-off between protection and defense was unfavourable given my already modest defensive capabilities. The armor bonus was real enough, but losing considerable defense to gain a modest protection bonus seemed a poor bargain for someone whose primary strategy was not getting hit in the first place.
Shadows in the Vakania Forest
The first day of travel passed through high cold plains with the Vakania Forest some miles to our north. The forest was enormous—days of depth, Hamarack said—and extended along our route for another five days before we would climb onto the higher open plain. Around midday, four hours into the day's march, I noticed movement in the treeline. Distant, perhaps five or six miles away, and indistinct in daylight. Sin, positioned at the front of the column, spotted the same thing.
We informed Hamarack. He was unsurprised. "Wolves," he said, with the equanimity of a man who had made this journey before. He sent a screen of scouts—mounted on the small, spry mountain ponies that seemed well-adapted to this terrain—to investigate the northern wood line. We broke for lunch while they worked.
The scouts returned during the meal break. Their assessment was worse than casual wolves. A pack was following us. Perhaps eighteen or nineteen animals. They were tracking the caravan deliberately and, the scouts reported, seemed to be waiting for nightfall. This was, I thought, the behaviour of something considerably more organised than ordinary wolves.
As night approached, Ishamael confirmed the darker suspicion. These were shadow wolves—creatures with an ability to manipulate and gather shadows around themselves. When several came down to take haunches of meat that the caravan's cook had set out, I spotted them. Ishamael spotted them. Slaydar and Sin, relying on infravision, could not pick them out. The shadow manipulation defeated heat detection. These wolves actively dimmed their heat signatures by drawing darkness around themselves. Four of them came down, snatched the large haunches, and vanished back toward the forest without most of the caravan guards registering they had ever been present.
Ishamael had a more direct response planned. He contributed a dose of hemlock poison—a potent one, capable of serious harm over hours—diluted and spread across the bait meat. The wolves took it. We settled in for the night, and the mathematics of poison worked through the pack while they slept in the trees.
The following morning confirmed the results. Six wolves were dead. Another six were visibly unwell, moving poorly compared to the remainder. The pack that had numbered nearly twenty now counted perhaps twelve, and a quarter of those were compromised. The direct threat had diminished without us risking a night engagement against shadow-manipulating predators in the dark.
I noted, with some satisfaction, that poisoning one's problems from a safe distance was a fundamentally sound approach.
The Mountain Town and Its Notable Cheese
We made half a day further progress and stopped for the night at a small walled town built against a mountainside. The wolves, whatever their shadow-cunning, were apparently sensible enough not to attack walled settlements. We slept in proper beds and ate a hot meal that contributed meaningfully to fatigue recovery.
The town's local economy centred on a small breed of buffalo that produced extraordinarily rich milk. The resulting cheese was unusual—pink-coloured, high in fat, stringy rather than firm. One could pull it apart and watch it form connecting threads. The taste was mild, perhaps even bland to a sophisticated palate, but the properties were remarkable. Eating it once a day for three consecutive days enhanced one's capacity for healing and recovery in a notable way. At five silver pennies per ball—each sufficient for one day's dose—it was reasonably priced for what it offered.
Ishamael spent a hundred silver on twenty balls of the cheese. I thought briefly about the question of carrying capacity before remembering that Slaydar existed for precisely this purpose. The cheese kept in winesacks filled with water. We acquired enough to sustain the effect for most of our journey ahead.
I also found myself examining the economics of the town's other trade more carefully. The sumptuary laws that applied here were worth understanding properly. The restrictions were not arbitrary—they reflected a genuine social architecture where visible markers of rank carried legal weight. As a Greater Noble of Alusia, I occupied a position that translated reasonably well to this system, but I had no intention of wearing anything that invited awkward questions about credentials. Canvas armour and practical travel clothing suited a caravan guard, whatever my actual station.
The Wolf Hunt at Midday
The next morning brought patchy snow on the hillsides and the treeline, making the remaining wolves more visible against white backgrounds. The scouts confirmed the pack was still following. Four of the animals looked distinctly unwell. At lunchtime, when Hamarack called the midday halt, the pack closed the distance dramatically—to within half a mile—taking advantage of the stationary caravan.
Ishamael proposed using a summoning ritual to call individual wolves to us, fighting them one at a time in controlled daylight conditions rather than facing a night assault. The daylight argument was sound. The wolves' shadow manipulation was potent in darkness but far less useful when one could simply see. The strategy offered the prospect of eliminating the pack piecemeal, where we could bring our full capabilities to bear against two animals rather than scrambling to survive an assault by a dozen.
The ritual proceeded. Ishamael's casting was imperfect on one attempt but succeeded overall. Two wolves appeared immediately however, summoned from the pack—and we went straight into combat.
Ishamael killed the first wolf cleanly on the initial exchange. The second and third, however, closed on him. One of them bit and latched on, the enormous jaws clamping and then shaking continuously in the brutal sustained attack that wolves use. The damage was substantial—these animals were extraordinarily strong, with the raw power of a small horse. The force of that bite, sustained and relentlessly shaken, threatened to overwhelm Ishamael's defenses even with his considerable protections.
Slaydar threw himself into close combat to help, dragging Tina—his stone-handed companion—into the engagement alongside him. By restraining the wolf and adding his own weight to the grapple, he managed to reduce the creature's effective force against Ishamael while Tina attempted her own assault. Sin waded in from melee range and landed a solid blow. The wolf had extraordinary endurance; it absorbed the strike without going down.
My own contribution was a prepared Bolt of Energy. I cast it into the struggling mass of wolf and party members, targeting the creature that was savaging Ishamael. The bolt struck and drove deep, carrying substantial force through the animal's hide. That, combined with Sin's continued attacks and Ishamael's own blows, eventually brought the animal to the point where it could barely sustain its assault. A final strike from Ishamael killed it outright. The second wolf died through the same accumulation of pressure—Sin's blade, Tina's stone-handed strikes, and eventual collapse under accumulated wounds.
The engagement was harder than I would have preferred. Two wolves of this type—large beyond their species, shadow-aspected, extraordinarily strong—had pushed the party to significant effort. Ten remained outside. Four were sickly. Six were at full strength. I stated the obvious to no one in particular: we were not in a position to take on the full pack in a single engagement.
The Aftermath and What We Found
The wolves' bodies yielded more than just pelts. Embedded in the skull of one was a small triangular stone—jet, flat, approximately a centimetre long and half a centimetre wide at the base, shaped almost like a tiny horn set into the bone. Jet was associated with witchcraft and amulets in my knowledge of materials, and this particular specimen carried a faint magical resonance. Its function remained unclear, but its connection to the wolves' shadow abilities seemed probable.
The other bodies produced two additional stones: a turquoise and a bloodstone, each about a centimetre across. Both were enchantable. The gems from these shadow wolves might prove useful for spell racks or similar enchanted items, assuming we could identify the appropriate rituals. We added all three to the party's growing collection of semi-precious stones awaiting proper enchantment.
The hides themselves were valuable in a different way. Ishamael examined them with the eye of someone who understood what could be made from unusual materials. The pelts, properly worked by a skilled leather worker, could produce armour with substantial damage reduction rather than ordinary leather protection—a meaningful improvement, and one that complemented spell-based defenses rather than competing with them. A cloak incorporating the skull would even function as a helm equivalent, apparently disturbing to look upon but legally unproblematic under the sumptuary laws. I confirmed this from what I knew of the relevant regulations.
Ishamael handled the skinning. His manual dexterity was considerably better than most of us could manage, and he succeeded at both pelts. Slaydar supervised with the enthusiasm of someone who would certainly have done it himself if not for considerations of quality.
Slaydar's third eye also developed further during the engagement. He had headbutted one of the wolf corpses—I chose not to enquire too deeply into his reasoning—and the result appeared to be progress. The eye, which had been slowly opening since the ghoul combat back near Maktou, could now sense the quantity of life in a creature. A form of aura sight, restricted to assessing vitality. It would not penetrate illusions, but it could distinguish living, dead, and undead. Given how frequently we encountered things that fell into ambiguous categories, this seemed useful.
The remaining pack—ten wolves, four in poor condition—held to the tree line, maintaining their observation. We had reduced their numbers and their strength. Whether they would press an attack, seek other prey, or simply shadow us to Hoffordt and wait for opportunity was unclear. With five more days before we reached the open high plains, the situation would require ongoing attention.
The summoning approach had worked. The question of how many times we could repeat it before exhausting the party's resources, or before the remaining wolves declined to respond, remained open. We would find out.
OOC DetailsItems Acquired Artephius:
Slaydar:
Ishamael:
Party (shared resources):
Session Summary The party, recovered from the portal transfer past the Keep of Five Faces, used the waiting period at the caravanserai to invest 300 silver in mace spices for later resale, then joined a 22-wagon merchant caravan as guards, travelling northeast toward Hoffordt under caravan master Hamarack. On the first day of travel, shadow wolves from the Vakania Forest began following the column; the party lured them with hemlock-poisoned meat, killing six and sickening six more overnight. The following day, after resting in a walled mountain town and purchasing restorative mountain cheese, the party fought two summoned shadow wolves at midday in controlled daylight conditions, defeating both through combined magical and melee attacks. Post-combat, they looted three enchantable gems and two valuable wolf pelts from the bodies. The session ends with ten shadow wolves still following the caravan. Chronological Timeline
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References
Mil Sci
Watch Order
(Proposed) An elf with witch-vision on each watch, attempt at partnering more and less experienced party members, with cooks on first and last watch (and Fizz and Ron not on the same watch).
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Calendar
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21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Meet Callas and commence adventure. | 25 | Rained in! | 26 | Flight to Novodom | 27 | Into the astral and across the abyss | |||
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28 | Flying in the Abyss | 29 | Flying in the Abyss | 30 | Flying in the Abyss | ||||||||
| Harvest (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Flying in the Abyss | 2 | Flying in the Abyss | 3 | Flying in the Abyss | 4 | Flying in the Abyss | |||||||
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5 | Flying in the Abyss | 6 | Flying in the Abyss | 7 | Flying in the Abyss | 8 | Flying in the Abyss | 9 | Flying in the Abyss | 10 | Flying in the Abyss | 11 | House Kerberoth |
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12 | Training etc | 13 | Training etc | 14 | Training etc | 15 | Equinox Training etc |
16 | Training etc | 17 | Seagate Autumn Fair Training etc |
18 | Seagate Autumn Fair Training etc |
|
|
19 | Harvest Moon Training etc |
20 | Training etc | 21 | Training etc | 22 | Training etc | 23 | Training etc | 24 | Training etc | 25 | Training etc |
|
|
26 | Training etc | 27 | Training etc | 28 | Training etc | 29 | Michaelmas Training etc |
30 | Training etc | ||||
| Vintage(6) | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Left with caravan | 2 | Scented Jungle, T-Rex | |||||||||||
|
|
3 | Ford of Sands, lost hands | 4 | Mortuary temple ruins | 5 | Crumbling Paths | 6 | Cloud Trees of Cindereth | 7 | Syrioth grasslands | 8 | Coldstream | 9 | Crimson Spires |
|
|
10 | Thorn fiels of Havoth | 11 | Tintangel, training | 12 | training | 13 | training | 14 | training | 15 | training | 16 | training |
|
|
17 | Blood Moon | 18 | training | 19 | training | 20 | training | 21 | training | 22 | training | 23 | training |
|
|
24 | training | 25 | training | 26 | training | 27 | training | 28 | training | 29 | training | 30 | Beerfest training |
Winter | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
|
|
Samhain | |||||||||||||
| Frost (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Guild Meeting training | 2 | training | 3 | training | 4 | training | 5 | training | 6 | training | |||
|
|
7 | training | 8 | training | 9 | training | 10 | training | 11 | training | 12 | training | 13 | training |
|
|
14 | training | 15 | training | 16 | training | 17 | training | 18 | training | 19 | training | 20 | Heading to Germangeous Canyon, accidents! |
|
|
21 | Recovery, travel, death by ghûl | 22 | Maktou, recovery, training | 23 | training | 24 | training | 25 | training | 26 | training | 27 | training |
|
|
28 | training | 29 | training | 30 | training | ||||||||
| Snow (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | training | 2 | training | 3 | training | 4 | training | |||||||
|
|
5 | training | 6 | training | 7 | training | 8 | training | 9 | training | 10 | training | 11 | training |
|
|
12 | training | 13 | training | 14 | training | 15 | Solstice training | 16 | training | 17 | The Duke of Carzala's Winter Ball training | 18 | Yuletide training |
|
|
19 | Days of Chaos training | 20 | DoC 2 training | 21 | DoC 3 training | 22 | DoC 4 training | 23 | DoC 5 training | 24 | DoC 6 training | 25 | DoC 7 training |
|
|
26 | DoC 8 training | 27 | DoC 9 training | 28 | DoC 10 training | 29 | DoC 11 training | 30 | Twelfth Night training | ||||
| Ice (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||
|
|
3 | training | 4 | training | 5 | training | 6 | First Plough training | 7 | training | 8 | training | 9 | training |
|
|
10 | training | 11 | training | 12 | training | 13 | training | 14 | training | 15 | training | 16 | training |
|
|
17 | training | 18 | training | 19 | training | 20 | training | 21 | training | 22 | training | 23 | Ishamael sneaking past Keep of Faces |
|
|
24 | Caravan left | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||
