RolePlay onLine RPoL Logo

, welcome to Adventures in Western Arret

16:11, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Out of the Darkness.

Posted by DMFor group 0
DM
GM, 820 posts
Wed 30 Nov 2011
at 17:09
  • msg #1

Out of the Darkness

New thread, all.  This will be our post-2011, pre-2012 adventure thread.

KOB
Aine Cliodhna
player, 28 posts
Wed 30 Nov 2011
at 17:14
  • msg #2

Re: Out of the Darkness

Jen's notes...enjoy--KOB

The adventure starts at the Solemn Sprite in the evening.  All the patrons had been … encouraged … to depart.  This left the fat Proxenetes, Merchant Mage representative; a hobgoblin representative of Lord Gunari; a kobold from Lady Tuulikki; the child, likely the Black Mage and his companion Tephrinos; Lothridias, the spokesperson of the mongrelmen; Glantar, Kez Kur, Melkeezadech.  The various member of the intrepid party: Totmacher, Garryn, Asher, Gilrak, Caylin, Aidrin wander in and the newly returned Aine with the pack leader Behrn finishes up the motley assemblage.

Proxenetes appoints himself spokesperson and wastes no time in starting the discussion.  He requires the newly reformed party to travel to the underdark and find out why trade has dried up.  Aine comes forward and speaks the information gleaned from the Elven Elders and Druids:  the drow intend to create permanent gateways into the sunlit lands.  The jumping off point for this invasion seems to be Rimsedge and local events support this.  The Elders have also scryed a name, Allevrah, as a person of interest in these proceedings.  It appears this person has/will destroy Azrinae and gather the drow and abyssals on an assault on the upper world.  She possesses the lost secrets of the surface elves and has formed a cult of zealots that plan a jihad against the elves.

The Council finds this interesting but require proof.  As such, Proxenetes again suggest that the party undertake a mission to the underdark to find out what has happened and what can be done to return the status quo.  To this direction, the Council is prepared to do the following: pay the party 3k gp/person and cast a disguise, based on necromancy, that will cause the party to appear as drow.  If detection spells are used we will appear as undead, but still have life signs.  Much argumentation ensues.  Perrato, Gilrak and Garryn begin negotiations with Proxenetes for better recompense and Aine balks completely at the suicide mission. The Mages can open the gate once.  Once the party is on the other side, they must find their own way back.

Splitting the difference, the party gets some intel from Lothridias fleshing out the known information including the fact that The Lady Matron of Azrinae, Simovae, has been missing for the past six months and the gate to the underdark has been dormant for the past four,  most main drow houses have demon patrons, and that the party is likely to find trouble before they even reach the drow lands.  Vampire lordlings are conducting a turf war.  The undercity trade routes and most specifically the areas near the underdark gates are being used as the battlegrounds for this war.

Eventually the negotiators have come to a compromise and Aine agrees to go.  The Merchant Mages will provide a 40% discount on goods and the Council will pay 5K gp/person to go.  The disguise will be done by the Black Mage.  It is centered on an amulet that will, with the use of specially prepared drow corpses, to take on the appearance, alignment, language and skills of a drow.  The enchantments supposedly cannot be broken unless the amulet is broken or removed.  This is also the means for negating it early and it will last only 13 weeks so a means of return and proof must be found before then.  As part of the disguise, the party gets a +20 circumstance bonus against detection; dark vision to 120’; proficiencies with hand crossbow, rapier and short sword; automatic medium stature; spell resist +21; alignment chaotic evil; the spells fairy fire, dancing lights and darkness; and speak undercommon.  Our cover story is that of returning vets from the surface eastern wars.

After a short period of provisioning, the party is led to the preparation room.  There are seven drow corpses laid out and even a dire wolf for the pack leader.  They are assured that the disguises are not of recognizable house members and encouraged to come up with a coherent back story to explain themselves.  The process is not painful but is definitely an uncomfortable feeling and is completed in a couple of hours.  Everyone is escorted to the tunnel leading to the gate and left to their own.  They barely reach the chamber with the gate when they are ambushed.

The intel was good.  The vampires are fighting and attacking anyone that come within the disputed territory.  There were only four vampires but they were very tough. After a harsh battle that included Totmacher and Aine being dominated (damn you forgotten +21 SR bonus!!!) and critical friendly fire to Perrato, the party managed to discorporate the vampires.  The gear that dropped was very well made and the insignia bore the seals of House Zunaida, ruled by Lady Evegenya, advisor to the Lady Council member.  [lootz: 4 longswords +2 (one to Caylin), 4 darkwood bucklers, 4 mw leather armor, 4 mw light crossbows, 40 silver bolts, 40 regular bolts, 8 bolts (screaming) batched in pairs), 2 potions of inflict minor wounds,  and 4 cloaks of resistance +1 (aine, caylin, and tot)]

Once the party was refreshed, they went through the gate and emerged into a pitched battle.  The chamber was large and contained 4 dimension gates.  A dozen surface elves were battling an equal amount of drow plus several dryder.  What appeared to be a few caravan carts pulled by lizards provided cover for one lone, cowering drow.  Aine could tell that the elves were from the Wyvern Buttes, just south of the Leaflock Forest.  While Totmacher strode up to the drow, the elves made a strategic and deliberate withdrawal to one of the gates and, to a man, disappeared.  (How very convenient.  I wonder if the elves scryed this and planned this diversion.)  One of the drow began screaming to find the meaning and means of the incursion.  Most of them were running around with little or no discipline or direction.  None of them were female and Aine, knowing the drow were a matriarchal society, began shouting to find out what was going on.  The cowering drow, introducing himself as Gah’dack, approached her and offered a ride to the group to town.  One might think he wanted the protection of the most able fighters he could find.

Having prepared themselves as well as normal, the party had to quickly kibitz and come up with a cover story.  Caylin came up with the name of Menzoberranan as their home town.  Aine renamed herself Cha’lell T’suloth and had the cover story of being from an assassinated house.  She threw down her name an created a new one, T’suloth, gathered up the remaining people she could find and set out to join a merc band to build up funds to form her own house.  The others were named as follows:  Gilrack – Ch’krith, Perrato – Ka’aleth, Totmacher – Amach, Garryn-Kel’noz, Aidrin – Ah’drin, Caylinn – Kha’ego and Asher – Kha’laggen.

The nearest drow town was Zirnakaynin.  Gah’dack, of house Vonnarc, offered a ride in exchange for protection and promised an exchange of information: his on the disposition of the town and theirs as information of the upper wars.  Gah’dack is an alchemist and runs the gate outpost for House Vonnarc.  He imparted the knowledge that the gates to the surface had been shut down and returned to other parts of the underdark.  He had no idea how the elves gained access to stage the attack.

Gah’dack also confirmed that Simovae was dead, betrayed at the hands of Allevrah.  The usurper had worked her way up to trusted minion of Simovae (Kev, flesh out if you want, I didn’t take good notes here) and then assassinated her and took her place.  She then took away all of the soldiers of Azrinae plus as many magic users as she could convince and marched east to wage war on the sunlit lands (OOC: geographically this is the wrong direction to head if you wanted to get to Rimsedge.  Interesting.) He also instructed the party in the current major and minor houses of Zirnakaynin. Major: Vonnarc, Azrinae, Dolour, Rasivrein, Tracinoa, Vexidyre; minor: Caldrana, Misraria, Moivas, Parastric, Sardavic, Udrinor.

If the party was between jobs, Gah’dack suggested that he might get them guard positions at Vonnarc but they would have to go through a stringent and potentially dangerous inquisition with the Reverent Slave Matron Undamesta of Vonnarc.  Also in passing, he mentioned that Provora was the Lady Matron but was absent from home and Lady Alicavniss, her first daughter, was running the household.

After a very long and dicey interrogation, the party became servants of House Vonnarc.  As such, they were given black steel rings inscribed with the house name which will gain them access to all doors they need entrance too.  They were instructed never to take them off, lend them to someone else or be caught without the ring on.  Any of that would be grounds for execution.  Lots of things seemed to be grounds for execution actually.

House Vonnarc consist of: the absent Provora, cleric; Alicavniss, mage and acting matron, Faidaeva, 2nd daughter and crazy (demonic initiate, roams with whip to hurt people with and is the spiritual leader); Erdinneir, 1st son and wizard, chaffs at subservience to Alacavniss; Tiryin, 2nd son and fighter/rogue/dualist, very young but deadly.

The following six weeks were hell.  The party went through grueling training and actions that tested body and mind.  Any consecutive failures resulted in floggings.  After three floggings in a row, execution was mandated.  This was not fun, but the team needed to build up trust before they could begin to search out the information the Council required.  At week 3, Aine found Gah’dack in their quarters searching for her underwear.  She could not intimidate him and so had to let him go but she let the others know to be wary of him.  The 4th week involved tracking and trying to capture three lost dryders.  Then we were sent on an errand to take Saphan of House Dolour home after Undamesta was informed that Tiryin and Saphan had brutally killed three love-slaves during their tryst.  We were ambushed and barely managed to get her home.  Ambush was planned by Tiryin even though they were “dating”.  (again, flesh out, I had too much wine and it was very late at this point).  Sometime after this we found a finely crafted dagger with a carved gecko hilt and 10 hits of a drug called vayav (worth 200g on surface, but only like 10 under). It is assumed this was a gift from Saphna for protecting her life.

Tiryin continued to be openly hostile towards us. There were more guard duties and running around on House errands before a troglodyte came to take us to Undamesta.  She was angry with us as First Daughter Alacavniss requested our presence in tower Solicus.  Undamesta had never had an audience with Alacavniss.  Oops.   Tower Solicus was the central tower in Vonnarc and was the meeting of a stalagtite and stalagmite, growing towards each other and hollowed out.  It was the center for mage training for Zirnakaynin, run by First Daughter.

The party was escorted to the doors and lead through the bottom tower by First Son Erdinier.  We wind through a library, office and an alchemical lab.  There is a platform that leads through the ceiling to the upper chambers.  He whispers it, but we catch the phrase “katav whin” as the activator of this “antigrav elevator”.  The entire upper tower appears to be Alacavniss’ private offices and living quarters.  She ignores us then directs us to sit and take refreshments.  It is not coincidence that all of the repast was of upperland foods and drinks.  Uh-oh, spotted.  But she’s not completely convince of what we are.  She blows a few detect and other powerful magics but cannot break our enchantments.  While clearly unhappy, Alacavniss is willing to quid pro quo with us.  We take out someone she wishes gone and she gives us information about the Azrinae plots.

There is vices den named Venom Kiss run by someone named Orvignato.  Alacavniss wish him to “cease and desist” in his businesses.  She doesn’t specify whether this is to just leave or to kill him; that’s up to the party.  The bar is on the second tier in the “Pale Market”  (haha, get it?  Upper world is black market?  Get it? Get it?) and is guarded by a mercenary band named Razorcrown.  The party bumbled their way in with no real plan (SOP).  Talked with the bartender and and came up with the flimsy plan of having Perrato, Tot(!) and Garryn drop Kez Kur’s name and try to get some face time with Orvig.  In a vain attempt not to split the party, Aine takes one for the team by hiring a male whore.  The guards will not let everyone one upstairs so she only brings Gilrack.  This leaves Aidrin, Asher and Calyn downstairs.  Supposedly Asher was also going to take one for the team but that never seem to get played out.  Perrato tries his best to sweet talk Orvignato into believing we were sent by Kez to reestablish trade with him but in the end, the pimp will only speak with the Kur.  Joy.

Our subterfuge abilities tested to the max, we buy a potion of disguise and change Tot to look like Kez Kur. ( I don’t know if we actually got around to attempting to disguise Aidrin as Melkeezadech as well, but we talked about it.)  We failed the bluff miserably and a massive combat ensued.  Orvignato went invisible and left combat after a few hits (stupid people for forgetting fairy fire).  We used a confusion spell and screaming arrow to occupy a few but still wound up getting nicked pretty well before the mercenaries gave up as not being paid enough for that shit.  Orv was heard slamming up the stairs so the keystone cops all attemped to jump to the balcony to get up there.  A fire elemental was inconveniently blocking the stairs.  Somehow most of us finally get into the room to find an exit window open and Orv invisibly trying to get out.  Hilarity ensues; most of us jump out the window after him.  We surround him, he surrenders and we go back inside for a not so nice discussion.
Information obtained from Orvignato:
• -Tiryin was a *very* bad customer of the Kiss.  He drank, drugged and destroyed whores for fun. Most likely why Alacavniss wanted the club closed.
• Allevrah is one of many demon worshipers who want to plow over the upper earth.
• The Azrinae, led by her, were moving towards the *east* and leaving bread crumb gates behind them.  East would not be the direction to go if you wanted to get to Rimsedge much less the elven holdings.
• Despite this obvious misdirection, the rumors still said Allevrah was marching to attack the elven lands.
• The manor house of that family was left with a skeleton crew.  Two thousand of the household decamped to follow Allevrah.  Could be some fun pickings.
• Some folks were not happy with weeks and weeks of drudge work and no pay.  Orv bore the brunt of this.  In addition to the ledges confiscated to prove he was out of business, the party took off with deeds/drugs/gems in the amount of 38 plat, 1700 gp, an emerald with a soul bound inside, a ring of protection, 8 rubies, and a house Moivis ring.
Upon returning to House Vonnarc, the party was escorted back to Alacavniss. In exchange for the ledgers and word that Orv was leaving, we learned the following:
• Allevrah was headed to a cavern called the Land of Black Blood
• The target is not Rimsedge but Grang.  Grang was the original lands the elves rose to before moving westward to their current locales
• She plans on triggering some kind of extra planar gate to the elder gods/surrani, party knowledge pulls out the names Kra Canian and Anzacon.
• Alacavniss knows of a gate not used “due to cowardice” that is a 2 day hard ride through a secret gap out of Cavern Zirnacaynin.
As a party gift, the bitch uses a wish to break our enchantments.  There will be no looting of house Azrinae, we need to hightail it the hell out of Dodge.  To encourage us to leave and not talk to her anymore she summons a couple of devourers out of the walls.

The password we overheard is used to get us out of her chambers and down to the bottom section of the tower.  We’re running for our lives but manage to grab a few books and scrolls that could be of some use.  At the second level down, a laboratory, we run into Erdinneir and a few lower mages.  Fighting ensues and he dimension doors out like the coward he is.  We have to kill the little mages and a half finished golem they activated but we manage it.  Minor looting also occurs.  The final room to the outside is empty.  Aine charms a few of the gecko as several party members no longer have dark vision.  All mount up and head for the gap.  We find rest to heal up and spell up as it’s likely the portal will not be unguarded.

It’s not.  There are 15-ish ranger/swordsman, a mage and Tiryin.  The portal is in it’s own cavern but it is cantilevered over a chasm and only approachable over a 300’ bridge.  An epic (2.5 real hours long) battle ensues. We do win but at the cost of the mage leaving with all his nifty loots and almost completely losing Asher and Gilrak.  We are not happy campers.

The intention of the party is to get to Rimsedge and make the council pay dearly for every single bit of information we found and probably auction off the location of this gate to the highest bidder, caveat emptor, dunno how long it’s going to last.  Also, if we are feeling generous, we should probably inform Kez Kur that a) Orvignato believes he is owed a bunch of money and b) we used his name in vain so things might be a bit tense with him and possibly the Razorcrown mercenaries.  Cheers!
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:30, Wed 30 Nov 2011.
Aine Cliodhna
player, 29 posts
Wed 30 Nov 2011
at 19:52
  • msg #3

Re: Out of the Darkness

In reply to Aine Cliodhna (msg #2):

OOC: did you read this or just post Kev?  Lol, this was half narrative and half jackass comments. If y'all have anything to add/change, I can update.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:52, Wed 30 Nov 2011.
DM
GM, 820 posts
Mon 19 Dec 2011
at 19:16
  • msg #4

Re: Out of the Darkness

"I find matters to be cold...very cold, mortal elfling.  Yet I see you've brought heat to drive the chill from these ancient bones."  A shadow rustles in the preternatural darkness, and a misshapen form, clad in decayed finery, steps forth.

"I bring gifts, my lord.  Gifts that I assume you can appreciate, and make use of accordingly."  The dark elf yanks twin chains, and a small boy and girl--their necks collared in iron bands welded to the chains--stumble forward into the dark mausoleum.  "I seek the upworlders...those who passed through Zirnacaynin.  The chattel are yours," the white-haired and ebony-skinned man gestures to the terrified children, "should you possess the information I require."

A gathering of shadows, two piteous and quickly choked-off screams, and a moment later two small, unmoving bodies lie still upon the rough flagstones of the mausoleum.  The ancient, mishappen being wipes a twisted forearm across the hideous gash that comprises its mouth.

"The mortal flesh-bags you seek slew some of my own soldiers, on their way to the Gate depths.  My kin will convey you to where those you seek reside."

Two ghostly-countenanced and finely dressed dandies step forward, feral grins stitching their pale faces.  The dark elf male, two other Drow, and the two dandies depart the mausoleum...leaving the ancient thing lovingly arranging and re-arranging the tiny limbs of the broken children.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:25, Tue 20 Dec 2011.
Sign In