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, welcome to Stormhaven: City of Mysteries (ON HOLD)

17:33, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Memory, hither come.

Posted by GM BardFor group 0
GM Bard
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The Readiness is All
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Fri 2 Dec 2016
at 00:12
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Memory, hither come



GAME RE-START PRIMER

After the defeat of the Naga, and the safe return of the three Golden Disks to the
Order of the Invincible Sun, the heroes of Stormhaven find themselves facing a new
enemy.  One seldom faced in their lives.  Boredom. And prosperity. Their new wealth
and rising fame affords them a lift in society and respect, even in places above their
previous stations.  A time of healing and resting passes, but even as their bodies and
minds heal, as full health and vigor returns and they begin to get restless and
think of new adventures, the weather shifts. And for the worse.  Day after day, heavy storms
lash down upon the coastline.  Lightning shakes the very stones of the city, deep clouds
blot out the sun, and sheets of rain turn the streets into streams at a moment’s notice.
The heart of the city commerce, the Great Markets, the Bazaar, once open nearly all day and night, is
open rarely and then only for short periods of times. The ports themselves rarely receive
supply ships, so it is just as well the markets are seldom open, there is less to trade
and sell. The city becomes its name, a haven against the Storms. Farmers, livestock
tenders, craftsmen, and country folk from far around flock into the city to find protection within
its walls.

The poor and slums which suffer in the best of times, suffer doubly in the wet and cold
of the constant dark and rain.  Places long unclean become damp and thick with mildew and
sickness rises with each new weak sunrise.  For the most part, the streets are nearly empty
most of the day in the better areas of the city.  Only in the poorest parts where people have
no where else to go, do they still huddle outside.  The taverns and bars, at least, still thrive.
As it continues through weeks on end, old-timers tell tales of days of yore, some claiming
that bad as it is, they'd seen worse.  Others though seem a bit worried, and say things
like, it’s never been this bad, for this long.

Indoors, things are sullen and boring, in the better parts of town.  Safe within thick
ancient stone walls, but in far edges of the city, lightning strikes burn several
wooden buildings nearly to the ground.  The clerics, druids, and magicians are constantly
called to try to remedy this new reality.

Although, Lord Harven Talas has retained his place in the city, several other members of the Talas
family have fled the city after evidence recovered, from unknown sources, implicated them in crimes
against the City.  Though no formal arrests were made, the Talas family has nearly vanished
from Society life in the City.  Despite his lack of
family support, Lord Harven has become a great thorn in the side of the other families.
Taking up the role of the people’s man, he has starting a campaign of petitions against
the ruling council members.  Petitions bearing a coiled snake can be found on the wall of nearly
any tavern, playhouse, alehouse, or inn.  They are often signed by many citizens, and
naturally so. They are simple, but aimed at the easiest of targets, sign here if you...
want more wealth, feel the ruling council isn't handling the bad weather well enough, taxes
you too much, lives too wealthy while you don't...  They offer no solutions, promise
nothing, only serve to foment unrest and tension in the City.

In times of stagnation, with little to be done, events of any sort become the talk of the
town, even a large town or City.  The Maritime Guild, under excellent leadership of the
Ehridol family, have two notable events during the month of storms.  One day, a great
Many-tentacled deep sea monster is swept up onto the docks.  Its huge arms smash one ship
into pieces and toss several of the brave dock workers into the deep waters.  The men of
these docks are tough, and weathered sailors and they swarm up and fight the creature.  At
one point it sends a column of fire from its beak, killing one man and injuring several
others.  Marrisa Ehridol, a sea captain herself and known by her crews as the Sea Dragon,
drives a spear into its heart and kills the beast.  For days after, it is discovered the
monster is tasty, and bars, restaurants, and street carts serve a variety of new and
interesting "monster" dishes.  A ship arrives one day, during a most dreadful storm, and
yet it sails on calm waters.  A huge bubble of calm follows the ship sailing in from
Dread Isles.  It is a welcome bit of trading, though the grim captain, and black ship
with several robed figures chained to the deck, are disturbing.

Despite it all though, the weather, the politics, the comings and goings, it is all but threads
in the great tapestry of life that makes up Stormhaven, a City of Mysteries.

CONVERSATIONS IN THE TUNNELS OF THE GHAST WITH A SERVANT

"Sorry, I am but a slave, I cannot give out any information without permission of the mistress or when she is away, clickityclack gives the orders, I wish I could..." The voice sounds sincere.
"AHA!  I am sorry wizard, but your magic failed to work on me, I am not from your plane of existence and have a natural resistance to spells.  But your words worked more magic than you thought, and may have achieved the same purpose.  Clickityclack never leaves, so I knew that to be a lie and so have checked, you have slain it, bless you.  With the mistress away, that frees me from my servitude.  I saw the trolls and ghast are dead as well, that leaves only me and you alive within these walls, other than bugs, and the occasional rat.  I thank you and grant you a two favors.  First, I shall not kill you, though I must say I am in the mood to kill someone for this outrage.  Second, since your friend has asked for information, I will answer each of you one question.  My knowledge is not infinite so I can't guarantee I'll know the answers you seek, but I am honor bound to give you my best answer.  Be quick, I must be gone back home, far too long have I been in this dark place".
 "Your mistress, what is she?"
"My ex-mistress.  But a worthy question wizard.  She presents herself as a beautiful young woman, what would be beautiful to another human at the very least.  But that is but a form she presents.  Though under her sway, I can tell you only a few things.  She sometimes presented herself as a man, though I has the sense she is a female.   She is far older than even I am, and knows dark secrets, things lost to your time, things that should have remained lost.  She is a powerful mage and has many homes such as this, she spoke once about that.  She is the coldest, most ruthless creature I have ever met, but...I think what motivates her is love."
"As you didn't really answer my question, could I perhaps ask another? If so, what was being attempted by pumping the troll blood and whatever was in that second tube into the body of the ghast?"
The creature laughs and it sounds like wind blowing over through the limbs of trees.

"I never promised to be able to answer a question, just that I'd try, but I'll give you a second one, for your hat".
Ben takes off his hat and gives it a look.

"It's a very nice hat. But it seems a pretty important question. Okay..."

He hands his hat to the invisible conundrum.

"My youngest son will treasure this, oh yes, the ghasts.  They are making them less dead, and less angry, so they can be controlled.  The flower has a, dreamlike quality to its pollen. It does not affect my race.  They need their ability to paralyze without killing to bring in the children.  They've had two young girls come through here in the last month.  They did no harm to them that I witnessed and then just let them go, I think they are just practicing for something in the future".
The creature laughs again, this one more like the gust from a storm, staring at Rath

"OK, cleric, I have two older sons, your extra pair of boots there, give them to me, and I'll let the wizard speak your question..."

The creature sighs, "No, I want to hear your question, Ranger.  Of all the mortals from this world, you and I have the most in common.   The most skilled of your kind are nearly as good at your craft as our children, and though that may seem an insult, it is not, my kind are born trackers, it takes us little effort to be great at it, you gain this skill through years of hard work, and without half our natural senses..."
Saliq had been looking thoughtful, then spoke up. "Sorry to interrupt but for my second question: are any of your ex-mistress's other servants and slaves also serving because they're forced?"
In answer to Saliq, the creature says, "Yes, but not all"
Inas ponders, as if weighing options.  Then he asks:

"You said she is motivated by love.  Love of whom . . . or what?"
The creature laughs, and again it sounds like wind fluttering through chimes, "Love of power and ruling, love for a time far gone, and love for the one who made that time possible, her master and lover, I don't know who that is, but she is trying to bring him back and with him, the best days of her former life". With that, there is a powerful gushing of wind, and the room is quiet again.
BEN GATHERS CLUES FROM THE GUILD
--
The Dower eyes to the vial for a moment, then opens the top, takes a sniff, then quickly puts the lid back on.

The Dower looks very serious.

"Heaven's Fire, or Dream-petal's, they are the same just different names.  You must rid yourself of this and any trace of it.  While it has some powerful effects on the mind, and can give one visions, a dreamlike happy state of mind for mortals, it is forbidden.  The flower grows on Elysium, and no where else.  They guard it dearly.  If you think those that rule in heaven are merciful, you haven't stolen anything from them.  They will wipe you and anyone you know out for mere possession, and they will find out.  It is clever though, stupid dangerous, but clever to use this to counter the dark pure hatred of a ghast, I can't imagine anything else even having a chance at working.  I will put out the feelers you ask for, do you wish me to make this vanish for you?".

SALIQ GATHERS CLUES FROM THE GUILD

He paused, glancing anxiously at the others before continuing. "Old Azuth told me that the creature we liberated is sometimes known on this mortal plane as an 'invisible stalker'. It was a good act to liberate a slave, but he was concerned we had given it clothing - something that may come back to haunt us if we face it as an enemy... ahem, in so much as one can face a bodiless creature."
INAS’ MESSAGE
Inas' face is hidden by the hood on his cloak (per usual), but his voice betrays a combination of disbelief and concern.

"Lord Nightgees warns of the return of an old enemy; one so old that I would think it a joke if it weren't from him."

The ranger takes in a breath as he continues studying the vellum, as if the words will change upon further reading.

"It is the Army of the Scale and Fang.  A troll army commanded by a race of sea-faring giants.  Wars between the rangers and the Army raged for centuries, until the last remnants were driven away over 200 years ago."

He pauses, thinking.

"I'm to keep a watch out, and send word of any information I learn.  I think the combination of the unusual storms and the discovery of trolls in the sewers qualifies.  With a message like this, Lord Nightgees can't rightly accuse me of being an alarmist, can he?  But, it isn't much information, and I daresay it can wait until we honor the Mayor's summons."

THE LORD MAYOR TELLS A BIT OF HISTORY

Eradan Thyrandas leads you through several halls, and a few great rooms, one in particular is enormous and full of paintings, both of nobles, likely ancestors, but also of places, lakes, and skies, it is dizzying room.

At last, you reach the library, it has a cozy room, plush chairs and tables, and beyond a wall of bars, the does not seem to be a way past those bars from this room but beyond them, there are rows and rows of shelves, books, tubes, and a middle aged man, in brown robes.  The Lord Mayor speaks to him and in little time, he brings a armful of parchments, rolled in tubes for you look at, they must be passed through the bars.  Missives from the Astronomer.

As you settle in to study these, he sits.

"You have encountered a bit of ancient history, something little known or spoken of these days, but there is no reason you would know the real story, it was a millennium or more ago.  In those days, the entire coast for hundreds of miles here and the land inward where ruled by a dark empire.  Storms ravaged the lands, the coast was frozen and lands covered in snow most of the year.  The center of the empire was Greystorm Castle.  Its ruler was powerful and ruthless, but what it was isn't known. It was called Syrix.  Snakelike, magical, possibly a demon or undead, there are many stories as there usually are.  But its army which raided up and down the coast was led by a large and powerful warrior.  A huge man, named Captain Tethi.  Not the big dumb giants we see in our time, but a thinking man, strong, and cunning and ruthless, and an army of trolls, ogres, orcs.  The civilized peoples joined together and threw down this leader, smashed Greystorm Castle, and destroyed Syrix, and Tethi, and built Stormhaven Keep over the ruins of the ancient castle.  It took hundreds of years to finish wiping out the many allies of this evil empire, but civilization won out over time, as it will.  If you have found some ancient artifact with Tethi's name, it is probably quite valuable, few exist.  Return those scrolls to the librarian when you are done looking at them, and good luck in your journey, I must return to attend my court".

BENIZ TALKS ABOUT HIS TIME TRAPPED IN THE TOWER

  A beautiful lady, eh, well, I mostly talked to a scary looking sea hag.  I met the pretty lady the day I was, uhm transported down here myself.  She assured me I was to come no harm and she even thanked me.  She had me explain the logic behind my calculations to her, in person.  I never understood what any of them really wanted except for the date and time of when the three brothers would next align.  Something I've worked on my whole career.  To be honest, I could not have done it without their help, they brought me information I'd never seen and once I decoded it, it was quite clear.  But a threat to Stormhaven, I wouldn't the foggiest know how, other than the storms, it is responsible for those."
 I admit, working with a Sea Hag may have lacked good judgement, they are rumored to be evil, but then again, so many things we do not understand are labeled so until we take time to learn about them.  Living out here on my own for many years, I've come to know a few odd sea creatures and been friends with them.  She was very interested in my work, and brought me some amazing information that advanced it. I slowly figured out that neither the hag, nor the pretty lady, were real, they were the same person, but both illusions, and far too dangerous for me to cross.  I saw little harm in the information they wished to gather, so I worked on it."

WHAT BENIZ HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE MISTRESS

As party members glance at the board what they see are three columns of writing.

Each column is written so that the words start and end at the same spot (right and left), but they are quite different.

Some lines of words are written tall and thin, squished together to make it so that many words (up to ten) are possible in a thick line.  Other lines are written very tiny print so again, many words are possible but making a thin line.  One some lines, the letters are very dark and fat, perhaps only obtaining one or two words.  There are dozens of languages, some or many, you do not know how to read.  Those you can read, the words are simple and seem like basic generic scriptures.


WHAT RATH SEES, OR DOESN”T

When Rath looks at the board, he expects it not to mean anything, and at first glance, it looks like a bunch of garbled words, but on the middle of the second column, he sees words he can read:


Rath, you have  been
betrayed by   one of
your own party, into
danger for you   and
your families,   you
are heroes to me, so
I willtry to protect
you as long as I can,
but this wrath  that
comes,  is   greater
than I if only Syrix
were here,  he could
defeat this foe, you
need rid yourself of
the scourge  in your


He has to blink and its back to gibberish.

WHAT INAS SEES

Inas doesn't know what much of this writing means, but he's seen it before, he just didn't know what it was.  It was much smaller than the writing on the chalkboard but the image clicks in his mind.  When the party was rolling the three Disks of the Golden Order out from their victory over the Naga, the edges of the disks had writing on them and made patterns in the mudfloor of the lowest cavern, lines, fat, thin, some that almost looked like writing.

A UNIQUE SWORD

Ilyra,  Broad Sword.
   Intelligent.
     Contains the soul of a winged celestial spirit, Ilyra, who once dwelled atop
   the shrouded peeks of the Eronia Mountains, a mountainous region within the
   Outer Plane of Elysium. Ilyra was companion to a half-elven warrior named
   Eara, who fought bravely during The Blood Wars on The Gray Wastes of Hades.
   There, along the River Styx, Ilyra was slain by a yugoloth and his soul
   bonded to Eara's magic broad sword


“Ben Scistos, I apologize as I must now leave your service, I hope you will forgive me, it has been an honor to join in your achievements, this may be my only chance ever to return to my home, where my spirit has earned its eternal rest”.

“Saliq, Beniz, Inas, and Rath, I am Ilyra,  once a great warrior who died in combat by the River Styx and whose soul was bonded to this weapon,  I come from the Eronia Mountains on the outskirts of Elysian. “

“We stand now on a gateway to Elysian, it has called me from my bonds, and through it, I can return home.  That will also close the gate. “

“Ben, I need to take the Heaven’s Fire with me, already it has done much damage to this world, and if you are found with it, the Elysian Guard will kill all of you, even if I pleaded your case.  I will bury it in the Elysian Fields where it will not be found or do any more harm.   You all are slightly touched by it, but it shall wear off in time”.

“You should know these two spirit trolls were juveniles, in the process of being created.  It requires the mating of true trolls with aerial servants, a dark art we thought long ago lost to your darker wizards.  It also requires much magic and to bathe the newly formed abominations in the light of Elysian to bind the two counter species into one foul beast.   By closing this gate, it will stop them from making any more of them at this location. “

“I must warn you, there are two more fully grown such spirit trolls still in the tower above us, likely left here to stop you from escaping.  They are visible in the light from Elysian, Ben, your sword will glow with this light for the next hour after I leave, it shall reveal them.”

“Ben, the mirror we entered, it spent much time in the presence of this gate, and though it was an evil artifact, some of the goodness and power of my home plane warped it from it purpose, the items you found there would have been cursed in some way, but they are instead tied in some way to the planes of positive energy.  Your use of a sandwich to help defeat your doppleganger will be told in my homelands, truly inspired sir.  Bless you all.”


This message was last edited by the GM at 00:54, Tue 13 Dec 2016.
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