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North to V26. North – V27. They run into a flock of griffons, but they are sent away after a couple of Mist Balls. North to V28 – quiet. Land on this island. E12. No monsters on the shore. They go inland to E27. They harvest 4 rations per explorer because of the village they find.
+16 rations North to V29Quiet, North to T16. Quiet. They are south of a medium sized city and can dock there U4, or sail the trade routes east or west. I can also do the trade routes to some fishing villages at nearby islands. They enter the city. They repair the hull for 1000 gold and hire a new sailor for 6. They buy 70 rations, just to make sure they have enough, for 140 gold. They launch after two days in harbor. They sail south. Quiet. East to V39. Quiet. East to V49. Quiet. South to V48. Quiet. There is an island to the south South to V47. Quiet. This is Deadwood Atoll. They land at E1. No monsters on the beach. They explore – E16. Nothing to be found. They return and leave. South to V46. They come across a Flying Hydra with 7 heads. Alzar wants to keep the battle away from the ship so he tosses a flying broom to Carum and the two of them fly up, weapons in hand, Alzar in front. Alzar attacks and cuts a head off for 8 damage. Carum crits it for a head for 8 damage (damage is capped at 8, since that’s what’s require to lop off a head). 4 of its heads snap after Alzar and the 5th misses Carum. They next turn, the Hydra goes first and the same heads after the same people. Alzar takes 15 from three heads. He hits one and then another, taking off two. Carum misses. They win init and Alzar takes the flying hydra to 2 heads and Carum hits for just 4. Carum takes 10 and Alzar takes 7.The Hydra wins init and misses Carum and misses Alzar. Alzar takes off a head and Carum kills the one he already damaged. XP – 1500 each for Alzar and Carum |
They move south. All quiet. South to V45. Quiet. South to V44. Quiet South to V43. Quiet. There is a tropical island to the west – Spider Isle. South to V43. Quiet. South to V42, and still quiet. We are nearing home for a bit. South – quiet South quiet and back to Tangaroa. It has been 41 days since we set sail from Tangaroa on this journey. We found a dungeon, and we lost a crewmember, and it’s been interesting.
Alzar has gotten another spellbook ready. The Dispels have worked, and this time, the book is another of Castanamir’s extra books. … Life of Nature: Its Secrets This spellbook, penned by Caligarde, includes: Fly, Web, Mount, Levitate, Slider Climb, Bind, Feather Fall and Caligarde’s Claw. Most of those spells are chumps, but the rare Caligarde’s Claw is interesting. Level 4, Conjuration, Saving to negate. It summons a claw for 1 rnd/level and it can attack. It will attack that round, and ever round thereafter until the spell ends unless the save is failed. It does 1d4 damage per round, every round, but it can be blocked by magical barriers. It’s an example of Evocation Bleed, to Alzar’s mind. It has a combat spell that has no use but to deal damage. It’s a crutch. He doesn’t want any of the other spells either. They head back out to V40 and go east to V50. There is an island here, part of the chain that’s been here for a while, and they land at E10. No monsters, so they go inland. It’s all quiet. They return and head east again to V60. They land and run into a wyvern flying around and being a bother. It swoops down, Ray of Ondovir, fails its save and crashes, and killed. The tail, poison sacs and blood are taken. XP 350 each They arrive back at the village that they once visited so long ago. They haven’t been here for months and trade some goods for 50% more than their cost. They will purchase 4500 goods. Sold 3000 goods for 4500. Wyvern - stinger, poison sacs and blood are taken They return to the vessel after a day in the village. They head north to V61, 62. There is an island to the east. V72. This is Pirate Rock. They land. E9. Quiet landing, so they head inland. E24. While digging up roots they find 27 gold in the ground, buried here. They return and head back to V62. A flock of stirges attack and a Wall of Fog forces them back to the sky and away. North to V63, 64. This is an unnamed small tropical island, and not on any maps or charts. They land. E5. A quiet landing. As they explore, the flyers observe a small outpost on the west side of the island, and inside of some large hills and an extinct volcano. They wait and observe. After a bit, they realize that this is a small town built around the center of the slave trade. This hidden isle is the final stop on the slave train. |
A3. Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords
 Okay, here is the 3rd of four modules where we kick slaver butt. Ready for fun? The spells Alzar has – Charm., Sleep, Hypnotism, Detect Magic, Animate Dead Animals, Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Ondovir, Empathic Control, Blastbones, Vampiric Touch, Searing Serpent, Skulltrap, Dispel Magic, Mordenkainen’sx2, Minor Globe of Invul –expecting magical combat like he has before. |
The outpost appears to have walls around the town, and a small slum area outside of the walls. Megala finds four caves in a hill on the other side of the town. Since the town has no ground route to it, just water, perhaps an entrance can be found in the hills?
There are two ships here right now, so Alzar orders the Sea Ghost back about 8 hours via his teleport jar. The four caves that open up are briefly explored by Megala and Dryshik. One just ends about 50’ in, but the other three all meet up and continue on. Looks like regular traffic here as well. Could just be a monster lair, or it could be something more. The entry caves are all winding and natural twisting deeper and deeper into a cliff side of a tall hill or low mountain. The corridor they merge into quickly enters a large square room, 50’ on a side and there is the smell of spoiled meet. This is a carved passage, and no longer a natural tunnel. There are two 10x2 long strips of hide with undersides scored and salt-like crystals on the grooves. There is a tunnel out. It curves a bit and then ends in a dimly seen door. They move towards the door and suddenly the ground falls out and Alzar lands on a great pile of salt and begins to slide rapidly down into the darkness. In one round, he lands and his staff is luckily nearby. The magic fungus in the walls of the slide has a magic aura that has slowed Alzar for a while. There are ten gnolls in the room, with crossbows aimed at Alzar, and they fire. Alzar grabs a potion of speed and quaffs it. Instead of hasting him, it counteracts the slow spell. Their bolts miss. He shouts out to those above to slide down, but to sheath their weapons and sling their shield. Alzar and the gnolls move towards each other. Alzar win init and casts Sleep. Two fall down. They circle him. He is hit twice for 12 damage. They win init and three hit for 13. Alzar Vamp Touches one for 13 and kills it. 7 left. 42/54 Estaish arrives. He is slowed. They win init and Alzar takes three hits and a crit hit for 19. His axe kils one for 18 damage. 23/54 Carum arrives. Alzar wins init. His axe does 15 and kills the leader. 5 down, 5 left. The only one to hit him crits, and he takes 10. His second axe kills another for 17 damage and Est manages a swing for 6 damage. 4 left. 13/54 Alzar wins init and attacks a non-injured one for 15 damage and death. 3 left. They fail a morale check and start running. Carum spears the injured one for 4 damage. Est is too slow to hit. Megala claws one for three damage and sleep. Dryshik Mist Balls another for 2 damage and blind for 3 rounds. Alzar runs after the last one and manages to hew her down. Aleigha falls down the salt chute. They kill the sleepers and blind ones. The fighters are slowed for a half hour, so they pause, search, and try to find items of value. The gnolls had: 60 gp Silver Amulet – 50 gp XP- 100 each After a half hour, Alzar is up to 17/54. They move out. |
There are six exits, and while down, Megala and Dryhsik found the only one that goes anywhere (it was also the one the fleeing gnolls were going towards). The corridor bends three times but eventually makes its way to a rough hewn natural cavern of roughly octagonal shape. The area is lit by a luminous fungus. There are a large number of stalactites and stalagmites in the room. Directly opposite the entry is a door. Alzar and group move in. In a few seconds, a Piercer falls from the ceiling but misses Alzar.
 He orders everyone back and stays out there for a while, as Piercers miss him. About 20 have dropped over a ten minute span. He checked the door and its false, and there is a tunnel to the south concealed by a boulder. Once the piercers stop falling, they head down the corridor to the next room. In the next room are three large dog-like creatures and five gnolls with buckets of bloody meat. They see Alzar enter and throw the meat at him. The hyenadons charge, wanting their food. The gnolls draw bows. Alzar uses the round to conjure his shield-maidens and grab his axe. Battle begins. Alzar wins init and hacks at a hyenadon for 19 damage and it took a big hit. They charge him and all miss, and 5 arrows clank in. The fighters emerge on the wounded hyenadon. Est and Aleigha both hit for 13 damage total. It’s still rocking, but definitely wounded. Megala flies to the back and tries to scratch a gnoll archer. It misses. The next round, Alzar wins init and he thinks an uninjured hyenadon for 14 damage. Est hits the badly injured one for 5 and it dies. Carum spears the one Alzar hit for 7 damage. Megala misses. Shield-Maidens Hits once for 3 on the injured hyenadon. Alzar begins to back up a bit. The hyenadons miss. The gnolls are quite accurate. One spears Megala for 6 and Alzar orders it to withdraw. They continue to aim at Alzar, and another hits him for 2. As he leaves, he hews the wounded hyenadon for 16 and it dies. Two of the gnolls grab swords and enter melee. One gnoll hits Aleigha for 6. Carum hits the last hyenadon for 7, Est adds 10 and Alzar’s axe cuts it from the second rank for 13. Alzar kills a gnoll for 13, Est kills the hyenadon for 7 and Carum hits the other gnoll for 9 and kills it. The other three fire arrows and miss, drop them draw swords, and move in. They win init. A gnoll hits Carum for 7. Another’s sword ricochet’s off Estaish’s armor. Only Aleigha manages to hit a gnoll, for 6. The gnolls win init again. They miss. Aleigha kills hers. Est adds 8 to another. Carum kills it, and Alzar moves forward and hacks the other to death. 17/54 51/58 – Carum 45/45 - Estaish 35/41 – Aleigha XP – 300 each They search and find a Ring. Alzar is back to 19/54. |
They open a door and head down a super long passage that twists and turns in many areas. In three places Alzar ordered people to stop and search, but nothing. They arrive in a 30’ wide, roughly 70’ long, room. Stone steps descend into a pool of white bubbling goo, and emerge from the mock at the other end A 1’ wide stone bridge arches above the pool and crosses all the way to the other side. Bisecting the room exactly halfway across is a 5’ thick wall of transparent crackling blue fire and leaps from wall to wall and from ceiling to goo. The air smells of static and electricity.
Alzar’s staff enters the goo, and nothing. He picks up some on the end of his staff and it has no smell. The goo is about 10 feet deep. He cannot detect any toxins in it. He walks down into it, and it does not damage him in any way. He can easily move through it, and moves to the other side. As he does so, he bumps into something roughly halfway, and reaches down. He grabs an object but can’t see it in the goo, and he walks the rest of the way across. The object is invisible. It feels like a weapon. He finds the hilt and draws it out of the sheath, the sheath can be seen. The sword is still invisible. He sheathes it, and everything goes invisible, including himself and his items. He draws it out again and he can be seen. He puts it on, sheathes it, and turns invisible. Now that’s a handy weapon. He’s never heard of it before, but he loves it. He draws the sword to reveal himself and then shouts over directions to move through the goo. They find they can breathe it easily, but it is tough going, and they have to stop a few times or overexert themselves. Looks like Alzar’s Ring of Free Action helped him get across quickly. They arrive and the goo on Alzar is starting to harden and it’s making him slower. They wait until the goo has dried enough to take off. It takes 70 minutes for them to cross, and then their goo to dry and peel off. Alzar is at 26/54 They move down another long and twisted corridor and search twice more along the way. They open a door and arrive in a room with no visible exit, and a rope hanging from the ceiling. A search finds nothing, so Alzar orders another. Nothing. Hmm. One more? Nothing. Hmm. This is very suspicious, and Alzar does not want to pull the rope, he doesn’t trust it. He ties another rope to it and orders everyone out of what is obviously a trap. He grabs the lengthened rope and backs out into the hallway, and pulls it. The floor pulls back and reveals a pool of clear liquid below. A secret door cleverly concealed in the far wall opens. A copper piece tossed into the liquid ten feet below starts to bubble and that’s a clear sign of acid. Alzar pulls out the broom of flying. He hands one to Estaish and the two of them cross, he takes Est and flies back, hands one to Aleigha and flies over, etc, until Carum is over and they put away the Brooms 31/54 They arrive in a 40’ square room with no visible door. There is a man-sized statue of a cigar shaped beast with 6 tentacles and a huge maw in its body. Alzar orders everybody to stop for a second.  He racks his brain, but cannot recall a stone version of the classic cave monster, the Roper. He steps in, and sure enough, it animates and attacks. It wings all six tentacles at Alzar very fast, and they miss. He charges in with axe, and the fighters are behind him. Alzar wins init and his axe carves the storoper for 13 damage. It fires three tentacles at Alzar and one each at the other three. Alzar takes 2 damage and is immune to its charm ability. He loses a strength temporarily, but the Gauntlets cover for it. One hits Aleigha and she is charmed. Carum and Est both miss 29/54 Alzar wins init and hacks away for a miss (rolled a 2). Carum hits for 4. Aleigha attacks and misses. It hits Alzar twice for 8 damage. His back axe attack hits for 19. It dies. 21/54 XP – 500 each Aleigha just starts ambling about. They have to wait it out. Forty minutes in, after two searches of the room, and sitting around for 20 minutes, Alzar is bored and carves up the storoper for fun, and finds: 15 pp 5 garnets worth 100 each It takes 2 hours for the effect to wear off. Alzar is at 33/54. |
They head up into more convoluted passages into which Alzar three times more orders searches. 37/54
They arrive at a door. It is an old door. Alzar uses his Ear Ring and hears nothing beyond it. They open it, and there is a small empty room beyond. There are wooden walls with knotty pines – old, heavy and full of knots. There is a wooden door on the other side. As always, Alzar is quite suspicious when someone tries to change the walls and floor into something completely different. Alzar’s Ear Ring on the door reveals nothing, and no one else is in the room, and per usual. He raps on the door with his and nothing. He tries to open it, but it will need a big push, and will not just open on its own. Alzar is done with this. He walks out, grabs an oil flask, spreads it all over the wooden walls and door, and sets it on fire, and then they back up about 60 feet from the room and let it burn for 30 minutes. After the room is torched, they move forward and see spikes in the walls. Behind the now destroyed wooded door was a metal one, and if the wooden door was pushed back, it would pass a trigger that likely sent out many spikes in the room and behind the door Now that the switch is revealed, it is a simple matter to skip it and open the real door and leave. 40/57 After a bit ,the corridor ends at another door. Alzar’s Ear Ring detects the sound of weapons scraping, and whispers. They know someone is coming towards them, and they are readying an ambush. The door is locked. Alzar grabs his gauntlets and tries to pick it. He fails. He trades back and grabs a flask of acid and destroys the lock. He tells everybody to get ready. Est and Carum have their missile weapons ready to attack someone long range, Alzar will move it and cast spells as needed, and Aleigha will move in to support him if needed. Megala and Dryshik fly up, out of range of anything major that may come their way, and then launch Mist Balls or fly in for attacks if needed. Before moving in, Alzar casts his other Shield-Maidens spell. They open the door and jump in. This is a huge throne room more than 100’ long and wide, and very tall ,with four rows of pillars flanking a center area that s open. There is an ankylosaurus in front of them, and at the far end a large throne with a huge, emaciated gnoll-like figure whose eyes glow amber and a 7’ long flail in one hand. To the right of the throne are 6 gnolls, and to the left are 6 ghouls. To the side behind pillars are gnoll archers. Alzar orders the archers to fire at the gnoll archers. He tries to control the ghouls, but they aren’t there at all. The ankylosaurus is charging. The giant figure is casting a spell. Alzar releases Dispel Magic, because those ghouls are not-there, and hopes to reveal their real form. Arrows fly out and miss Alzar from the gnoll archers. A fear spell is cast by the giant gnoll-ish creature on the throne. Aleigha is scared and runs. Everybody else made their saves. The Ankylosaurus misses Alzar. Carum’s magic sling wings a stone into a gnoll to the left pillar for 4 damage. Est nails one to the right for 6. Alzar’s Dispel Magic flings forth at the ghouls. Result: The ghouls disappear, they were an illusion The six gnolls on the other side of the throne disappear, they were also an illusion. The giant gnoll is actually just a frumpy looking human mage. Dryshik Mist Balls the human and it hits a glass wall in front of him and disperses. The next round arrives. Alzar orders Carum and Estaish to melee the dinosaur while he spends a round running to the illusionist. Est and Carum both hit for 14 damage between them. Dryshik and Megala flies around for one on each side. Alzar’s axe is out and he spends the round running towards the mage. The illusionist casts Hold Person on just Alzar, and it fails (Ring of Free Action). Est takes 5 from an arrow and Carum 1. The dinosaur misses. 40/45 – Estaish 50/58 – Carum They win init. Arrows fly at the fighters and all miss the high ACs. They roll 7, 10, 14, 14, and 16, and with a THAC0 of 19, they all miss an AC of -2. The dino misses too. The illusionist, now next to Alzar, casts Blindness on him. Alzar just makes his save. An axe bites into the mage for 17 damage. The maidens add 2, with one barely hitting his AC of 0. A Mist Ball flies in and he fails his save, takes 4 damage and is himself blinded for 1 round. The fighters miss the dinosaur. Alzar wins init and axes for 14 damage and the mage dies. Est hits the dinosaur for 7 damage. Carum adds 8 and kills it. The five gnoll archers Hit Carum for 12 damage (rolled 2d6 on two hits). Then they drop bows and draw long swords. 38/58 – Carum Alzar’s Hypnotism puts 3 of them down and the other two run back towards the door, but Aleigha is there and blocks it and cuts one down for 10 damage. The other drops his weapons, Alzar casts Charm, he makes his save, and they tie him up and gag him by wrapping his mouth closed and tying it off. They search and find: A secret door in the far corner, locked A key in the throne secret panel Bracers on the Mage – Alzar cannot identify them A Dagger The dinosaur was actually a rust monster in illusion. XP – 424 each |
The key clicks into the secret door, and they enter a tunnel that goes for a long time before it emerges and leaves these caves behind. They have arrived from the back side of a hill near the slums by the gate to enter this outpost – Suderham.
In the slums, they see a group of wealthy people in silken robes making their way from the docks to the gate. After a quick ambush, they have been killed and they find papers and some gold on them. They are killed and the bodies concealed in the tunnels. 500 gold. Slaver papers Rich robes, worn over armor. They walk up the gate and are challenged by the guards. Alzar presents his papers and they are let in. It’s mid morning. They find a beggar who gives them directions. The city is divided into four quarters – wealthy, military, thieves, and official. There is a money changer here and all money spent must be changed there into the local coin. Alzar moves to this changer. The fee is 15% flat. He’s already used his Charm Person spell today, so they swap the 500 gold from the slavers into 425 of local gold pieces. They start wandering. They pass taverns, a flophouse, few whorehouses, an armory, a gambling hall, an inn, another tavern, blacksmith, alchemist, scribe, Cartwright, tavern that caters to magic users, lumber and tools and nails, a maps and charts store, granary and mill, a deserted fighters’ guild, a temple to Mahte, food store, warehouses of various types, stables, a large number of open air slave cells with more than 200 slaves, several barracks and officers quarters, an armory, a wizards’ guild, houses, jeweler’s shop, another blacksmith, slave auction arena, slave lords’ stronghold, cobblers, tailors, another whorehouse, another tavern, houses, and that’s it, a cull circuit of the outpost in a bit. Alzar heads to a inn, and chooses the Inn of the White Knight. There are a lot of taverns and whorehouses, but few inns to choose from. They arrive and buy an expensive room for the night, and the bartender takes their money and gives them a key. Alzar leaves the fighters and heads to the wizard’s guild. There are communal research facilities, dorm and library, plus communal dining and lounging. In order to enter, you get scanned four different ways to prove you have no intent to steal, kill or otherwise to harm a mage inside. Alzar is forced to take off his Amulet that prevents such things, and must keep it off while he is in the guild. |
There are five other magi in residence and some aren’t here right now. Alzar meets those that are, and gets down to brass tacks. Spell trading – one of the most common things mages engage in. These mages are all evil, so they spells they want and have reflect that. Only two are interested, the rest of busy. Alzar looks at the two spells available.
One is a third level mage with few spells. There is nothing he has that Alzar wants. He thanks him for his time, and moves to the female sorceress, an Earth Elementalist. Alzar looks over her spells, and their descriptions. He casts Read Magic from his Ring. And she from her memory and they review each other’s spells available. Spells Traded to Her: Caligarde’s Claw, Fools’ Gold, Transmute Bone to Steel, Curse Tablet, Conjure Spell Component Those Acquired from Her: Conjure Earth Elemental, Transmute Rock to Mud, Stone to Flesh He tries to see if anyone here has any items that might be for trade or sale. (Remember he has a high Charisma normally and a 18 with those LE ones in here). Yes, but just a few. +1 dagger Potion of Sweet Water Jar of Preserving Anything placed in the jar enters a state of suspended animation, and like a Bag of Holding, it’s bigger on the inside, but only by about 5 times, so it can hold about 10 cubic feet of material. It doesn’t have too much value, but Alzar would like it certainly. After some negotiation, it’s his for 3000 gold. -3000 gold +Jar of Preserving |
The day is almost done, and Alzar returns to the inn. It’s been a tiring day for everybody. They sleep well and quietly. The next day, they need to find out where the Slave Lords are hiding. Alzar stores spells in his Ring – Sleep, Read Magic plus Ray of Ondovir which it has had for a while. He and the fighters spend the day looking for something to get them to the next place, if there is one. Then he remembers the map store, and they head there. There are maps of the area, and Alzar asks to see them. He casts ESP, memorized especially for today’s search.
Are there other places not on the map? Maybe in the hills there are caves or tunnels? What about sewers? Underwater? How about a map for the whole island? The sewers comment strikes, there are sewers underneath, and something of significance, but Alzar also notes the person is suspicious, but not too suspicious yet, so he thanks the man for his time, and they leave. They are looking for an entrance to sewers. Now, if I wanted to hide the entrance to the underground section, where would I put it? There was an abandoned residence and an abandoned fighters’ guild they passed. It seems like an abandoned building would get you want you want. They scout out the two places, and then head back to the inn and wait the night out, regather the spells and healing the following day, and move out very early, before dawn. They start with the one easiest to do. The house is in a back area, and the guild is on the main street, so the house it is. The door is unlocked and despite its abandoned statue, there is still a bunch of furniture here. They start searching and find a trap door under a rug in the study. They open it up and there is a ladder down to a tunnel that goes down and looks like part of the sewage system. Nicely done. After a while, they arrive in a hexagonal room with another tunnel leading out the other side. In the middles is a giant humanoid figure, and Alzar can tell it is a flesh golem with metal plates attached to its flesh. That’s new. He hasn’t seen that before. They move in and it moves towards them. Alzar carves 14 damage into it. Est crits it for 7, and Ale adds 7. It swings at Alzar and misses. It wins init and Alzar takes 7. Alzar kills it. 47/54 XP – 500 each |
They search and find a concealed door. They take it and suddenly a pit trap opens up, and Alzar falls, but there is a lot of sand down there. Meanwhile, the corridor opens uup and fires with fire. The Fire Resistant trio take 2 damage each.
56/58 – Carum 43/45 - Estaish 39/41 – Aleigha Alzar climbs out and they keep moving. They arrive at a door and Alzar hears nothing behind it, so they enter. There are two doors across the room on the south and another to the east. There is a bulging wooden chest against the wall. Megala flies over to investigate and when it touches the chest, the floor ripples and Megala flies back up. That’s not a chest at all. Alzar tosses a flaming oil flask onto the chest and it explodes and deal 2d6 to the mimic.  It took 6. The floor, chest and door contract and start moving to attack. Alzar moves in front. Alzar’s axe slashes 15. A bolt and stone fly in for 9. It attacks Alzar. It wins and hits Alzar for 9. Alzar does 13 back, Aleigha’s ruby blade adds 10 and it dies. 41/54 XP – 500 each They find 300 gold, 4 topaz gems 750 gp each, and a Ring under it. |
A search of the room finds nothing and they leave through the other door. They walk down a corridor and it starts getting really hot, but the three are not affected, yet Alzar is at -1 to hit and defense so he adds his Ring of Fire Resistance for the Ring of Sustenance. Now he’s fine too. They keep walking and suddenly two doors open and out come two hell hounds, who attack Alzar.
One tries to bite Alzar, and then other breathes on him – both miss. His axe does not, and 15 damage is dealt to the first one. A stone lances into it for 5 damage from Carum and Aleigha hits for 5. It dies. The hound wins init and breathes on Alzar and he takes no damage. They move and between two hits from Alzar ,kill the hound. XP – 325 each They find nothing on a search. The hell hounds are wearing collars with spikes and fire opals on them. As Alzar grabs one, he is pricked a bit by a sharp spike and makes asave vs poison. He looks and sees they put a plant based venom on here that does 20 extra damage when it works. Clever. He gets the six fire opals out. Fire Opal – 750gpx6 They walk down the corridor all nice, when suddenly a huge crossbow bolt three feet long flies down and misses Alzar. They hear footsteps and a door slam, and that’s not a trap. Megala flies ahead and the corridor bends and hits a door. They follow and an Ear Ring tells nothing. They enter a room with two doors, search, and find nothing. They take the one of the right, and as they do, they arrive at another door. It opens and they move down the corridor and another bolt is launched from up ahead. Alzar take 7. 36/54 They follow this tunnel until it ends at a room with pots of glowing coals and carvings in the walls. In a lacquered scalemail, a Taurian hefting a large axe moves in. Alzar wins init and axes him for 18. Everybody else misses. The minotaur drops his axe. Alzar uses the fumble next turn to Vamp Touch the bullman. It takes 10. Est and Ale miss again but Carum hits for 89 damage. It swings and misses Alzar. Alzar wins init and puts the Taurian out of its mercy. 46/54 50 pp XP – 350 each They move on after a search and find three doors, forward, left and right. A random roll says right. They see a door on the right and go to open it, but a crossbow bolt trap is triggered by a pressure sensitive plate, and it misses Alzar by just a little bit. They investigate the plate and can avoid all of the crossbow traps in her the rest of the way by simply stepping over the trigger method. They find a small treasure room with: 400 ep Aquamarine gems – 250 gpx3 Pouch of Dust of Disappearance Several skulls (taken for Skulltrap) |
They arrive at another chamber with foul and sticky air, and a thick, translucent slime that covers the floor and far side of the passage. Megala and Dryshik fly ahead, and they see nothing in the small room or anything on the other side. Alzar uses his staff to check the slime, but nothing. He steps forward and the floor slips into a ramp and he falls towards a Gelatinous Cube but he activates his Belt and flies above. He drops oil and ignites it for 12 damage to the Cube. It creates a pseudopod and tries to hit him and misses. He swoops down and carves it for 15 damage and it dies. Another Cube rounds the bend and moves into the room. A throwing dagger deals deals 12. It falls into the pit the other was in. Another +2 dagger follows and it takes 11. It swings with a pseudopod at Alzar and final +1 dagger for 11 kills it. Alzar tosses the Rope of Climbing to the fighters and they move it across while he flies down and searches and picks up:
Longsword +3 A Dusty Rose-Colored Crystal Prism +2 Chainmail 70 gp Alzar swaps the +2 longsword Estaish has for the +3 one he just found. XP – 325 each They move on and arrive at a huge natural cavern, with a great black scummy looking pond that fills up most of the cavern. There are stalactites of significant size, spongy turf, iridescent fungi, and more. There is another shore on the other side with a tunnel in it. There is a path to the right, and they move towards it. As they do, a huge hear of vegetation moves up and moves towards them. This Shambling Mound is alive.  Alzar moves forward and tries to axe it. They win init and Alzar does 9 damage to it (weapons deal half damage). It misses Alzar twice, and then the fighters move in. They all miss it’s great AC of 0. Alzar wins init and deals 8. Carum and Ale add 5 total between them It hits Alzar twice for 13.Alzar slashes at it for 9 more damage. They win init and Alzar misses. Est crits it with his new sword and deals 5. Carum and Ale both hit for 7 total. The mound dies. 39/54 XP – 1500 each They find a potion, gauntlets and a bastard sword. |
They move out. There is a long corridor that ends after about 100 yards. Alzar’s Ear Ring reveals that there is the sound of a few people talking about how to ambush the group when they enter the room. Then one of them says that they are listening to them right now, and silence is heard. Knowing battle will be next, Alzar casts Shield-Maidens, and tells everyone they plan. Alzar will lead in, and the others will be right behind him with sling, crossbow and sword. Megala and Dryshik are available for use. They open the door and move in.
This is a great room with large torches in wall sconces and nine large stone throne like chairs in a semi-circle. There are people on each of the odd numbered ones. They have many glittering and valuable looking items. There is a staircase to the left going up. Suddenly, a Wall of Stone appears behind the group and cuts off access that way. The middle one is a fighter looking pirate, the others look like a cleric, wizard, thief and another fighter. There is already a Protection from Good 10’ radius in play, cast before they arrived, but it will do nothing against Alzar and his party. Here is what everyone wants to do. Round One: Dryshik wants to Mist Ball the mage Megala wants to fly in and follow Dryshik on the mage Estaish wants to fire at the mage Carum wants to sling at the mage Aleigha wants to move off to the right and then charge forward and close to the fighter on the left. Alzar wants to throw a Skulltrap at the thief in the third chair, because it should get the mage, theif and fighter/pirate guy The thief wants to drink a pot of invis and disappear Pirate – throw in a throwing axe at Alzar Mage – cast Slow on the party Cleric – cast Flamestrike at Alzar Fighter on end – Throw daggers at Alzar We roll init. Alzar’s party rolls a 2, and them a 8. The mage is en-Mistballed. He takes 2 damage and is blinded for 1 round. Megala swings in and crits for 4 damage and then swings back out. The mage made his save. Est misses and grabs his sword. Carum misses and grabs his spear. Aleigha has moved up to near them on their right. Skulltrap goes off for 27 damage or a save vs half. The pirate takes 13, the thief takes a face of 27. The mage made his save and takes 13. The mage instead runs behind his chair. The pirate and fighter miss. The thief is gone. The cleric casts Flamestrike. Due to his ring still on Alzar will take 15, or save to 8. He makes the save and takes 8. 32/54 – Alzar Alzar wants to Ray of Enfeeblement the burly looking fighter in the middle. Megala wants to claw a blinded mage Estaish wants to charge and attack the fighter on the end Aleigha wants to swing and hit he fighter on the end Carum wants to charge and hit the mage hiding. Dryshik will hover. The fighter wants to fire a crossbow at Alzar The fighter on the end wants to engage Aleigha with a dagger in each hand. The mage wants to hide out being blind The cleric wants to use Word of Recall from his Ring of Spell Storing The thief wants to sneak around and backstab Carum They win 1 to 7. Alzar is critically hit by a bolt for 8 damage. Aleigha is hit once for 4 damage. The cleric is gone. Megala flies down and hits for 2 damage and the wizard rolled an 8 and…makes its save (he needs an 8). Carum spears the mage and kills him, 7 damage. The fighter makes his save. Aleigha hits for 5 damage. Est misses by one. 24/54 35/41 – Aleigha Alzar wants to grab his axe and charge the embattled fighter. Carum wants to move over and entangle with the fighter/pirate Estaish wants to attack the embattled fighter Aleigha wants to do so as well Dryshik wants to Mist Ball the pirate dude Megala wants to hover The thief wants to backstab Carum after positioning himself. The fighter wants to grab his magic cutlass and attack Alzar or Carum. The embattled fighter wants to attack Aleigha Alzar wins init 6 to 8. He slashes at the fighter and misses. Carum misses too. The embattled fighter is hit by Estaish and Aleigha for 15 damage. The Mist Ball fails. The backstab fails with a mighty attack roll of 3. The fighter/pirate attacks Alzar and rolled an 8. _2 for weapon is a 10, +1 for AC is an 11, THAC0 of 11. +2 for strength – hits. Alzar takes 10.The embattled fighter hits Aleigha once for 3. 14/54 - Alzar 32/41 – Aleigha Alzar wants to back off and let the fighters fight, and cast a spell as needed Megala wants t fly down and hit the thief, Dryshik wants to gate in more mephits. Carum wants to spear the fighter/pirate Aleigha and Estaish want to engage their target The thief wants to use another drag of invis pot The two fighters want to attack 8 to 9, our group wins. Megala misses. Ale misses, Est crits for 10. Carum misses. Dryshik fails. Alzar backs up and summons a Searing Serpent to attack the big fighter. Aleigha is hit twice for 8 damage. The pirate rolls an 11 vs Carum’s -2. +4 is a hit. He takes 12. 24/41 - Aleigha 44/58 – Carum They win init. Mist Ball at the pirate fails. Carum hits him for 7. He taken 20. Est nails the embattled fighter for 5. Ale misses. Alzar’s serpent rolls a 13, attacks with his THAC0 which is a 14, the fighter has a -1 AC so nope. Alzar orders his maidens forward to attack him and loses the protection. Megala nips in and hits the embattled fighter for 3 damage and kills him. Alzar backs up towards the embattled fighter putting space between him and the thief, and grabs the short sword, and sheathes and unsheathes it and disappears. The thief moves behind Carum. The fighter misses Carum They win init. Carum is backstabbed for 14 damage. He fails a save and takes an additional 20. 34 damage total. The fighter misses him. Carum backs up and away from that fight. Est and Aleigha move in. Alzar swings at the now visible thief and gets +4 for ambush. 17 damage dealt. The fighter misses again. 10/58 Carum Alzar wins init and axes the thief for 16. Carums sling misses. Aleigha his the fighter for 7 and Est missed. The fighter misses. The thief disappears. Alzar concentrates and senses where the fight is and takes his second swing of the round at -4 to hit him. He fails and drops his axe. The fighter pokes Estaish for 13 damage, Alzar is backstabbed for 11 damage and he makes his save vs poison. Aleigha hits the fighter for 7 more damage Alzar nails the thief for 18 damage. Megala misses. The fighter attacks a second time and misses. 30/45 - Estaish 13/54 – Alzar Alzar wins init and hews into the thief for 13 damage. Carum wings in a sling stone for 5. Megala misses . The fighters miss The thief attacks Alzar and hits for 5.The pirate dude misses. Alzar rolls a 5+3 for STR, +2 for his AC, +3 for mastery+1 for axe is 14, my THAC0 exactly. He dies. 8/54 - Alzar Carum misses and drops his sling. Everybody misses. A Ray of Ondovir lances at the enemy pirate/fighter and he fails his save and next round will do exactly what he does this one. He misses. He hits Aleigha for 5 19/41 Next round, he misses. Carum wings in a stone for 5 damage. Alzar cats Ray of Ondovir from his ring. Another failure. Aleigha hits for 9, Est misses. Carum wings in a stone for 4 damage. Ale hits for 7. Est misses Alzar throws a dagger in for 12. The fighter swings and hits Est for 7 damage. Est hits for 9. Alzar nails him with another dagger for 9. 23/45 The fighters miss, Another dagger hits for 9 more damage. He misses. He swings and eviscerates Estaish for 9. The maidens hit one for 4. Neither they nor the serpent has hit in a while. 14/45 Alzar is out of daggers, and draws and sheathes the short sword and then moves behind the fighter. Ale hits for 9. The maidens miss the serpent misses Est misses. Carum manages to crack him for 6 damage and kills him ,finally. Whew. |
XP 2355 each
They search the bodies and find: Cutlass +2 chainmail +2 shield Longsword Dagger +1 leather armor Dagger Cloak of Protection +2 Staff Crystal Ball with Clairaudience Ring of Spell Storing with these spells – Wall of Force, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Slow, Shocking Grasp They are recuperating from the battle, bandaging wounds and then they hear noises from above. The trap door is flung open and men-at-arms start coming down, they ready weapons and attack, and the Wall of Stone is cancelled and behind them are about 100 men at arms with two mages and a cleric. 50 more have poured down the stairs and are coming down. They are surrounded and have no where to go. Alzar has a lot of things, but he has no Deus Ex Machina. They are captured and stripped naked and given dirty loincloths to wear, and then knocked unconscious. Used potion of Speed, charge on Belt of Flying Magic Pile: Ring of Free Action, Gem of Seeing, Braces of Defense AC4, +2 dagger. Ring of Warmth. +2 battle axe, can only be used by those str 16 or higher. +1 AC and Save Ioun Stone. +2 Bastard Sword, Potion of Extra-Healing, Gauntlets of Proficiency. +2 Cutlass, +1 longsword, +1 daggerx2, Staff of Power (3 charges) Sword of Lyons - +1 short sword. |
A4. In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords
 Ah, the final chapter, with it’s heavy handed – you-must-get-captured-at-the-end-of-A3-no-matter-what-ness. Anyway, here we go, let’s end this with a bang. |
While we have some downtime, in my own world, Thorasia, these are the humanoid creatures you might encounter. There are no elves, dwarfs, goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, gnomes, drow, ogres, trolls, minotaurs, lizard men, hobbits/halflings, gnolls, mermen, bugbears, flinds, ogrillions, or any other of the thousands of intelligent humanoids added to the game over the years. Just these. They do not include magical humanoids like fairies, vampires, and such, just races of basic intelligent humanoids. Many of these are modified races from mythology, but not all.
Taurians – These tall bullmen are 6-7 feet tall, weigh around 300 lbs, and have the head, horns, and feet of bulls. They were raiders to the extreme, and around 150 years ago their society was at its apex with successful raids as far as Chance. On their island nation of Hithtris, Taurians attacked any sea vessel, village, city or fortress they wanted and they were almost always successful. Their wealth came, not by hunting or fishing or growing, but by plunder. Pushed to the point of breaking, many cities, nations and merchants combined to fund a navy to arrive at, and break the Taurian might. It was successful, but many of the Taurians fled to an unnamed island in the south and tried to reestablish their power. Within 50 years, they became a nuisance, and the governments, determined to stamp out the Taurian might once and for all, sent in an even large fleet to eradicate the Taurian presence. If there was one thing a Taurian would not stand, it was slavery, so despite their raving of the coasts and seas, they also stamped out slavery. In the 100 years since, slavery has become problem again with the southern isles outside the jurisdiction of the nations being used as trading posts. Today, the remaining Taurians are either sympathizers to the old ways, and allied with bandits, pirates, or even slaver; or they are people who have moved on and joined the rest of society on the east coast There was always a contingent of Taurians that was not aligned with the raiding and pillaging, and they have now become the dominant numbers. They average 70-80 years of life if not in a violent occupation. Guzaks – About 4 feet tall, slender and lithe, with catlike look, and a calico coloration. The guzaks typically have a subsistence lifestyle, with camps, hunters, and fishers. In some places they have become more civilized and can be found farming and shepherding with cheese and wine of particularly delightful tastes. The more subsistence ones can be both welcoming of others or suspicious of others, it just depends on the tribe. Rarely will humanoids get attacked by guzaks, unless they have turned feral. Due to their catlike nature, guzaks have an affinity for all feline creatures, and often train and use various cats as steeds and pets and hunters. It is not unusual for guzaks to have panthers, tigers, lions or even a sabretooth as their main hunters and guards. They average 30-50 years of life if not in a violent occupation, and depending on whether they are settled or not. Sis’sharr – These lizard-like humanoids inhabit the more hospitable desert on Thorasia. With a matriarchal society, males are looked down upon. Because of these, they are used as traders and diplomats to nearby areas, and thus most encounter males, not females. They have born or tan colorations and stand about the same height as humans, but are lithe, and compact with muscle. The sis’sharr are able to go without food or water or sleep for some time as a part of their desert life. They have transparent membranes that cover their lizard-like eyes, and protect them from the light, sandstorms, from dying out, and from gaze attacks of medusa and basilisks that roam around their home. They wear clothes of fiber, woven together, and are semi-nomadic, with regular trips to oases and temples at various times of the year, and a three month stay at a cliff side laden with caves that they use as a hatchery for three months. They can claw and bite in combat, but prefer to use scimitars or other weapons, and shields, with their thick hide giving them a good protection against weapons. They can expect to live 30-50 years in the desert. Qwith – This creatures are only a few inches shorter than humans, but are significantly lighter. Their lithe and slender bodies betray a sylvan quality that can be seen in their faces. Their eyes are decidedly faerie and their skin has a bit of a green tinge to in, and looks a bit like human skin that is sickly. Their fingers are much longer and more flexible than humans and their middle three fingers each have an extra joint. They keep to themselves in only certain forests and woods. Not every forest has qwith. While they will associate occasionally with other races, they generally prefer not to. They look down on other races as not advanced or sophisticated. There is one exception to these – the Svartálfar. The Svartálfar, in those places where they live close to qwith, are very friendly with each other. They average 200 years of life if not in a violent occupation. Dvergr – The Dvergr are a race of creatures that largely live underground, but they can live in hills, mountains, or even plains, just with caves and such leading down. There are not many dvergr around. They are long lived, aging very little and can expect to see 400 years before dying. However, they bear young infrequently. Dvergr are about human height, with a hairless body and tough, grey, wrinkled skin and red eyes with a black pupil in the middle and no irises at all. They do not have a nose, just nostrils that end at their face with a small membrane covering them. They are gifted crafters of magic items, and their goods are known far and wide. They regularly send trade caravans to trade mushrooms, magic items, and cave lizard meat and skins for other goods that cannot be acquired in their underground homes. While it is certainly uncommon to see a dvergr, they are not so rare to be completely unseen. There are dvergr working in stores and with various goods and services. Svartálfar – These are another underground race, and very rare. Some sages speculate there are less than 1000 left. They live in tribes of around 30-50, in out of the way places in small hill and mountain dwellings. They carve very beautiful and unique homes for themselves. They are roughly four feet tall, and of human dimensions, with a magical blue luster to their skin in certain lights, with a bit of shimmering in darkness. Their heads are typically bigger than a human’s, and that being the only part of them that is outside human dimensions except for height. They will happily associate with those around them, but if people start to get too curious, they will leave and create a new home somewhere else. Svartálfar are arguably among the most liked of the humanoid races, and most people will happily visit with and associate with them. They tend to expect to see 100-120 years on average. Dřkkálfar – Another underground race, these dark grey skinned humanoids tend to live in deep underground passages. Where the previous two races live underground and prefer contact with the above world, the Dřkkálfar prefer to delve deep underground. They are usually thought of as an evil race, and are involved in many things such as slave trade. They are a powerful race, magically and in arms, and their society is ruled by a might makes right set of rules. They have innate magical abilities to certain spells, and those they have increase in power and experience. They can see 500 years easily outside of violence, but that violence can cut their life to 10% of that unless they are really good or really lucky. They typically associate with the darker elements above ground, and cannot function in full light, until they grow accustomed to it, which takes a hour usually. Trow – The trow are a large number of sub-races grouped together for purposes of cataloging. There are many trow, from roving bands of raiders and bandits to individual wild berserker trow to city and high trow with good and evil in equal proportions and living in cities and villages. Ranging from between 5 feet to 8 and a half feet based on subrace, the trow are definitely many. They have a thick skin that varies between leather-like and a sturdy, hard yet flexible skin that is as tough as mail armor. Trow can form raiding parties and be bandits, or can just live as hunters and gatherers, or can farm and watch goats, and so forth. They can be found anywhere from sailors to mages, savages to scribes. There are many subraces of trow, and it would take too long to list them here. Based on subrace, they have a life expectancy of 40-90 years, assuming they are not killed early due to violence. Tritons – This underwater humanoid race has white-blue skin, is a bit larger than humans in size, have webbed hands and feet. Underwater, they wear just the basic clothing required for modesty, but out of water, they typically wear gloves, shoes, and the normal range of clothing needed above. They live to 90-110 years. Tritons are usually found in schools of 20-100 and are semi-nomadic, moving throughout the seas, but with a few central homes built under the sea out of coral. They are traders of undersea goods for things like weapons and magic items. They will defend their homes mercilessly if endangered, but otherwise are peaceful outside of the hunt, when they will fight and kill undersea animals for food. They are often flighty. They can breathe in water and out, and will send people outside of water to talk with, trade with, and share stories with Those Above. It is rare to see Tritons too far away from water. They find freshwater uncomfortable. Tritons have a connection to the water, and once every hour or so they can part water, lower water, purify water and shape water. They only place underwater they do not claim as their home is the Sea of Hills. Jengu – The other underwater humanoid, these people live in freshwater lakes and rivers. They are quiet and often keep to themselves. They have a dark brown skin and amber eyes, with long matted hair and a texture similar to sheep’s wool. Unlike the tritons, they are more friendly, and when they come out, they usually try to help other humanoids if possible. Their language is not very detailed, and they only have a basic idea of concepts. They can Cure Disease, Neutralize Poison, and Cure Serious Wounds with a touch to another. They often associate with snakes and alligators, and will have them as friends and pets. Normally hostile river reptiles will be peaceful in their presence. They live around 40-60 years. They prefer flight to fight, have no weapons, and attack with dazzling lights that deals 1d6 damage to creatures with eyes, if forced to fight. They eat a strictly vegetarian diet. They do not have any special physical adaptations for living underwater, beyond gills, and are about 4 and a half feet tall, with women and men of equal height. They do not care for brackish water at all, and cannot live long in sea water. Abatwa – The tiny Abatwa are no taller than a blade of grass, and have life expectancies for just 10-14 years. They have a tribal society, and are known to use insects as steeds, such as beetles. The Abatwa have a ruddy, almost russet look to their skin and have angular bones and skin line. They are very sensitive about their size, and any comment that can be construed as mentioned their height or size will result in a hostile encounter. They fight with small poisoned javelins that cam kill a human adult due to their lethality. They have a hunter-gather society and often use holes in tree roots as houses. Basajaun – These builders and farmers and hunters live in balmy forests and are quite strong, but not as bright as humans. The Basajuan is a hairy humanoid that stands around 7 feet tall. They were the allies and teachers of men in the old days, and now hide in forests away from humans, who have passed them by. They wield bows and staffs and other natural weapons with deadly force and hunt and farm as needed. They are known to stand by water and grab a fish like a bear. The Basajuan have their own language, and can live to be around 100 years. They have a fondness for humans and other friendly humanoids. They can get very angry and lose their temper and go berserk. |
For a long unknown amount of time, Alzar has been imprisoned, with Dryshik and Megala here. They did not seek to let them run free, nor did they want to them either of them. It’s been a while in the darkness. Long enough for everyone to heal. Alzar’s spells have been drained by some sort of magic item that took away memorized spells. Suddenly, an event opens the monotony. There is an earthquake, minor, but very real. A few minutes later, a priest from the Temple of Elemental Evil arrives. He tells Alzar that the quake signifies huger from Elemental Earth, and Alzar and his friends are going to be the sacrifices. He is knocked unconscious again.
Alzar awakens in darkness. He hears others around him, and voices tell him that Aleigha, Estaish and Carum are with him. Except for a loincloth, no one is wearing anything. Everybody is at full health. There appear to be four exit tunnels, and one has a dim light down it. Alzar bumps against something in the darkness. It’s a scroll tube with scrolls in it. He tucks it into his loincloth and they agree to move toward the light after a hand check of the floor. They find 12 smooth stones good for slinging, but nothing else. Carum will take the stones in his hands. They move down a dark tunnel and arrive at an ancient and feeble will-o-wisp. It starts to move away down the corridor, and Alzar orders them to follow. Carum feels something in the sand touch his feet. The will-o-wisp is hovering overhead. Suddenly, part of the sand moves together, and they are fighting a sandling. With no weapons at their command, the quartet have to fight it with fists. It wins init and attacks Carum for 6. The quartet hit twice for 3 damage. It wins init and hits Carum for 7. Only Alzar hits back for 4 damage. They win init and hit three times for 9. It misses. It wins init and hits Aleigha for 5. The quartet kill it after dealing 6 more to it. XP – 105 each 45/58 – Carum 36/41 – Aleigha The wisp floats on down the hallway and they continue. They find the end of the tunnel and a search finds a human skull and a rusty dagger. Looks like it could break if they pushed too hard. The skull could be useful as a component for a Skulltrap later. Alzar hands it to Carum and he puts the stones in it. There is another tremor, stronger than the one before. |
They head back to the beginning of the room and have to choose one of the three dark directions to stumble into. Random die says left. They find a place with some items – a human thigh bone and about two pounds of pine wood smashed. Nothing can be done with the wood, but the thigh is an effective enough club. Alzar will wield the club, Carum the dagger. They take the wood and add it to the skull backpack. They walk down more and a tunnel joins theirs. They continue on and near a place with clean sand and smooth stone. There is a vague glow ahead. They arrive at an opening with a greenish glow from it. It’s only about 4’ around, and thus will take some squeezing.
They enter and see a bunch of kobolds and a shrieker mushroom that glows and is now shrieking out a warning. Alzar convinces Aleigha to change, and she does after moving in. The kobolds ran when they saw Aleigha change. She tears through the mushroom and ends the screaming. There are two corridors out and they take the left one. 8 kobolds are here and attack Aleigha but she barrels into them and starts killing with ease. Kobolds are flying and she easily kills most of them. Alzar and the fighters stand by the entrance to make sure none escape while she goes through the small lair and kills about 15 kobolds, but not a mother and some kids. They search and find: 6 kobold size spears that are javelins for humans, with flint speartips Fresh water to drop, and a few waterskins 2 bone knives A flint knife A skin of fish oil Several slings About 20 sling stones A shield of bone and hide A short sword Alzar looks at the three scrolls in the scroll case, and here they are: Audible Glamer, Dancing Lights, Wall of Fog, Invisibility, Spider Climb, Dig, Feign Death, Affect Normal Fires, Light, Jump and Read Magic but the Read Magic is like a spell book page, not a scroll, so it can be memorized and used. He does, and a few minute later he casts Read Magic and can read the scrolls and now use them at any time. They aren’t a powerful selection of spells, so who knows if any of them will even get used or not. |
Alzar dips some torn clothes and hides from the kobolds around two of the spears and adds some fish oil. He then uses flint from the knife and steel on the rusty dagger, and makes torches (Note he has the Fire-Building proficiency). One is lit now, and the other will be lit when the first starts to die down.
They head back to that side tunnel, with light, and move on. Alzar has the javelins. Carum has a sling and bone knife. Estaish is rocking the short sword and shield. Aleigha is still with the thigh bone. They ripped various hide and such to make some straps like belts and sashes to hold things. The tunnel forks. Left or right? Left. They find a small pit of tar, and use it to add to the current torch and beef up the other one. They keep walking and eventually arrive at an area with a bitter smell, scuttling and clicking. There s a chasm going far down. Over the chasm are a group of ants linked together. There are ants working at the wall and chewing it down. There are many other ants on the other side. Suddenly, there is another tremor, more powerful than before. Alzar has no desire to mess with this. They head back and take the other fork. There are long taproots from a few plants piercing the ceiling on the tunnel. They continue on and the tunnel ends at a deep pool where several fair-sized fish are, normal fish too, not blind cave fish. As they near it, a giant crab runs out and attacks. It crits Alzar for 10. 44/54 The crab wins init. It snaps Alzar once for 4. Alzar back up and flings a javelin at it. It takes four. Carum’s sling stone hits for 4. Est drops his sword. Aleigha misses. 40/54 - Alzar They win init. Another jav is thrown and deals 3. Carum crits it for 7. It dies. XP – 100 each |
There are two pieces of washed up wood and Alzar straps them to his back in case they need more wood for torches, or use as clubs. Carum, with Deep Diving, heads underwater . He can stay under water for a really long time with a high constitution and Deep Diving proficiency. There is an iridescent fungi down here that illuminates the area.
Carum emerges in a small lair and there is another crab here. He slings it and hits for 4 damage and it moves toward him. He grabs the dagger and swings. He misses. It misses him twice. It wins init and misses again. He crits it for 8 damage and kills it. There is nothing here, so he dives again. As Carum is underwater, there is a tremendous tremor that tears the rock and he is spurred on. After a search, he finds a place with breathable air above the water, gulps in some, and then keeps searching. Carum senses a current and ascends and finds the beach of the island. He has made it out. He dives back in and shows up. The dive can be completed by them in three steps – dive to the crab chamber, dive to the place where there is breathable air, and then dive again and emerge on the beach. They follow and make it out. The labyrinth was damaged severely. The cave behind the party has collapsed a few moment after they emerge. The sea is frothing in several areas. On the island behind the party is a 30’ tall bluff, and parts of it are crumbling. A huge dark cloud has risen on the other side of the island, where the supposed “extinct” volcano lies. They move towards the outpost of Suderham quickly. As they do, they pass through a section of beach covered with wrack and wreckage from the waves heaving. They run into a green slime and Alzar manages to pull them back just in time, and they run around it. There is a giant snapper turtle and they move inland to avoid it, off the beach. They barely avoid being trampled by a herd of goats coming through. |
They come across a party of 9 slavers trying to save themselves 2 guards, 2 hobgoblins, 2 orcs, a gnoll, and two human archers. Alzar orders an attack, they could use their armor and weapons.
A javelin flies in from Alzar for 5 damage on an archer. It dies Carum sling in a hit for two damage on the one in chainmail. Alzar tells Aleigha to change, and although she hates too, she agrees, and barrels in at the last moment and slashes and bites a guard for 7 damage. The enemy all try to stab at the werebear in their midst, and fail to do so. A javelin lances in and pierces an orc for 5 damage and kills her. Aleigha hits their leader for another 8 and kills him. Carum changes targets to a guard and hits for 2 damage. Est arrives and misses. Without the ability to harm the werebear, they retreat, and Alzar lets them go. Carum puts on a suit of chainmail and a shield for an AC of 4. He can his sling and dagger, with which he is proficient. Since he has no spells, Alzar dons leather armor and adds a short sword. Estaish grabs a long sword and leather armor, with which he is proficient. Aleigha switches to a short sword from a bone club. XP – 100 each |
They head in. They arrive at the town but the towers have collapsed, the wall has been breached in several places, and the town looks to have allowed a lot of gases and fires in it. Not the place to go. They skirt the walls and head for the docks which are through and past the slums.
They find about 40 slaves attacking a group of slavers, and killing them. Several move to attack Alzar and company, but he tells them they are ex-slaves too, and just killed some slaves. With his high charisma, ……it turns out they buy it and let them pass. They arrive at the docks area and find a dying mage, one of the slaver lords. They find two scrolls and a Monocle on him. Alzar identifies the Monocle as a Monocle of Read Magic, and he looks through it, and at the scrolls. One is a mage scroll with Sleep, Invisibility, Strength, Dispel Magic and Hold Person on it. Tied up on the northwest side of the far end of one of the piers is the Water Dragon, a private galley of the slave lords. It is currently being immediately readied for leaving. At the end of the pier are an ogre and two guards. There are 14 men loading the boat, and many appear to men at arms and the others are likely the remaining slave lords. Alzar feels a familiar feel to the left and orders the fighters to stay here. He moves back into the slums and then to the other side of the docks. Here there are a bunch of hobgoblins attacks and being attacked by 8 lacedons. Lacedons are marine ghouls. They have three attacks and paralyzation like normal. Alzar controls them, and they all fall under his control. He moves them back in the water The hobgoblins are at first relieved, but they a large group of humans moves to attack the hobgoblins and steal their boat. The Lacedons move underwater, and then are ordered to shore, and Alzar moves them in front of him. They have 9 hp each. |
Alzar moves in with a group of 8 lacedons in front and the fighters and himself behind. There are six slave lords left.
 Battle begins. They are moving down the pier, led by the Lacedons. Alzar wants to cast Sleep from a scroll on the guards. The two guards on the pier, and three men-at-arms drop. The lords and men at arms and ogre move towards each other. One of the slave lords tries to Silence Alzar. He makes the save. One of the lords leaps overboard. Carum lances a sling stone at the illusionist. It misses (cloak of displacement). A Mist Ball flies in at the illusionist. He fails his save and takes 4 damage and is blinded 2 turns. The lacedons arrive at the ogre. They win init. The ogre hits a lacedon for 5 damage and its still alive. The men-at-arms have arrived and swing at the water ghouls. Three hit for 12 damage to one and 6 to the wounded one, and kill two lacedons. The Another silence spell flies at Alzar, this time from the cleric instead of the fighter/cleric looking one. Alzar easily makes his save. The illusionist drops to the ground behind the boat and cannot be seen. Two of the slave lords are moving to the pier to engage in battle. The fighter cleric tries to levitate Estaish. He fails his save and he is levitated 20 feet above the pier. Alzar spends the turn handing him four javelins. Carum hits the cleric for 2 damage. Aleigha moves forward. The lacedons attack. One hits the ogre three times for 9 damage and a paralyzed ogre. The rest are moved to the men-at-arms. The second one misses the third hits just one for 1 damage and a made save. The next crits the same one for 6 damage and kills him. 4 left. #5 misses, and #6 hits once for 1 damage and…a failed save, and that one is paralyzed. 3 men at arms left. They go first. The fighter wades in and misses. Another fighter-ish guy moves in and attacks twice and hits once dealing 4 to a lacedon. Three of the men at arms manage to hit the AC2 of the lacedons and kill two more, the wounded one and a fresh one. 4 ghouls left. Aleigha is the subject of a command spell by the cleric, which works automatically, and she is told to jump, and does, leaping off the pier. The fighter/cleric chick moves in and can melee next round. The thief emerges from the water and tries to sneak behind Alzar. She has a 68% chance but rolled an 87, and is seen. She just attacks him normally for 5 damage. Estaish moves and javelins the thief and misses badly, fumbled, and hits Alzar for 4 damage. Aleigha is swimming this round. Carum misses. Alzar’s sword is out and he tries to slice the thief. He misses. The lacedons attack. The first hits a man at arms three times for 7 damage and a dead guy. 2 left. The next hits just once and the lacedon deals 3 and he fails the save. 1 left. #3 critted on the bite and does 8 damage and kills him. All men-at-arms have been paralyzed, enslept, or killed. The final lacedon moves to the fighter with the armor and the sword. Hit once for 3 damage. No failed save. Megala swing down and misses the fallen illusionist. Dryshik tries to summon more mephitis. Failure. 31/54 – Alzar Alzar’s team wins. He slashes the thief for 4 damage. Est misses with a jav. Carum slings the cleric and misses. Aleigha is swimming back. The fighter takes 3 from a lacedon and fails his save and is paralyzed. The others are forced by Alzar to move on to the other fighter. He is hit 5 times for 12 but not paralyzed any of them – likely immune somehow. Megala misses. The immune fighter misses a lacedon once, and then misses on the second attack. The fighter/cleric kills the wounded lacedon. 3 left. The thief hits Alzar for 3 damage. The illusionist stands back up and casts Hypnotic pattern, but no one is affected. Alzar yells to Aleigha to change, and she arrives back and changes to a werebear at the end of the round. 28/54 They win init. One lacedon takes 6. The fighter swings and kills it. 2 lacedons left. The thief misses Alzar. The illusionist moves to the front of the boat with a nice view of everything. Their priest commands Carum to Dive. Est misses the thief. Aleigha charges her and this twice for 9 damage. Alzar backs away and moves targets. He casts Light on the priest’s eyes. He fails and is now blinded. Megala misses the cleric. A Mist Ball flies in on the illusionist. It fails again and takes 3 and is blinded for 2 rounds. The lacedon’s crit and hit once on the wounded fighter for 7 damage. 19 to him so far. Alzar’s squad wins init. The lacedons attack again. They hit twice for 4 damage. 23 so far. Carum arrives from the swimming. Aleigha tears into the thief twice for 4 damage. Est switches targets to the wounded fighter and misses – his final weapon gone. Alzar moves in with sword in hand to engage the fighters. The blinded priest moves into the melee. The illusionist again falls. The thief tries to stab Aleigha and fails (not a magical weapon). The fighter misses twice with a 1 and 2. The fighter/cleric backs up and drops a Darkness spell at the end of the pier. The lacedons are fine, and Alzar has Blind-Fighting. They win init. The fighter misses. The cleric manages to hit in darkness and blindness for 4 damage on a lacedon. The fighter/cleric steps into the darkness, and can see in it (it’s her own spell after all). She misses Alzar. The thief jumps into the water. Carum jumps in after her. Aleigha marches down the pier. The lacedons hit twice for 3 damage. 26 on the fighter. Alzar swings at the fighter and…misses. Megala manages to claw the illusionist for 3 damage and he makes his save vs sleep. Dryshik Mist balls him again for a made save. Unfortunate. Carum sees the thief, but she is going way too fast for him, so he alights on the pier. They win init. The wounded lacedon is cleared away. The priest misses due to blindness. The fighter/cleric hits Alzar for 5 damage. The illusionist rises and sees only Carum outside of the darkness and Est floating. He casts fear. Carum makes the save. Est fails, but it doesn’t matter, he’s not going anywhere. The last lacedon hit for 4 damage and the fighter falls. Four left. Alzar misses. Aleigha hits the cleric once for 3 damage. Carum lances a sling stone at the wizard and…hits for 3 damage. Megala flies down and hits for 2 damage and…he made the save. The illusionist has taken 12. 23/54 They win init. The thief emerges behind Carum but Est is looking that way and shouts out, and Carum sees her. Her attack is a normal one. 4 damage to Carum. The cleric misses, the fighter/cleric fumbles her weapon. The illusionist casts a Wall of Fog in front of Carum. Carum turns and attacks the thief. He fumbles the dagger. Alzar smashes the fighter/cleric for 5 damage. Aleigha attacks the cleric. She misses. He lacedon hits twice on the cleric for 6 damage and the cleric makes his paralyzation roll just barely. Megala hits the illusionist for 3 damage and He makes the save again. 15 taken so far by the illusionist. 41/58 – Carum They win init yet again. The lacedon is hit by the cleric for 4 damage and the fighter cleric for 6 more and dies. The thief crits Carum for 16 damage. The illusionist throws a dagger at Megala and misses. Alzar misses. Carum misses and drops his dagger. Alzar attacks a second time and crits the fighter/cleric for 11 damage. She dies. Megala swings down and slashes the illusionist for 1 damage and…he finally failed his save and is sleeping. 25/58 – Carum They win init again. Carum takes 4 more. Aleigha takes 7 from the priest. Aleigha hits one time for 2 damage. Alzar slides over and misses. Megala flies over to help Carum. Carum stabs the thief for 2 damage. 21/58 - Carum 29/41 – Aleigha Once again, they win initiative. The cleric fumbles his weapon. Carum takes 1 damage. Aleigha hits once for 1 damage. Alzar nails the cleric for 4 damage and swings again for a miss. Megala attacks the thief for 3 damage and a made save. Carum nails her for 4 more and she falls. 20/58 The priest wins still again. He smashes Aleigha for 5 damage. She hits once for 2 damage. Alzar misses. Carum will arrive next turn. 24/41 They finally win init. Aleigha misses. Alzar hits for 3. Carum crits for 6 damage. The priest misses. Alzar’s second attack hits for 4 damage and the priest dies. Everybody dead. |
XP – 2500 each
Items found on the corpses: Bracers of Defense AC6 Footman’s Mace +2 50 pp 1000 gp diamond Jeweled Idol of the Earth Elemental of Evil. 4000 gp Ring of ??? Cloak of Displacement +1 dagger Deed to Mining Rights outside of Chonae worth roughly 1200 Brooches, 500 gp, x5 Spellbook +2 Leather Armor Gauntlets of Swimming and Climbing Jeweled dagger – 900 gp Earrings – 700 gp Gold Brooch – 3000 gp Platinum Ring with Fire Opal – 5000 gp Gem-Studded Ceremonial Silver Dagger of the Earth Elemental of Evil. 1100 gp Scroll of Drawings by a famous artist – 900 gp Box of gems – moonstones, 50 gp, x21; jade, 100gpx10; pearl, 100x5; black pearl 500; tourmaline, 100; amethyst, 100 ; topaz, 500; emerald, 1000 A search of the ship finds all of their items. They were apparently to be sent and identified and sold off. Alzar has a problem that they wouldn’t even look at or take one of his spellbooks. He grabs the Bags of Holding, pulls out a Broom of Flying and Necklace of Adaptation and flies back to the town. Ugly yellow vapors from the volcano have embroiled it, and Alzar swings down, with his necklace and broom helping him. There are magmen in the streets, playing havoc and enjoying themselves. Alzar dives to the mage’s guild, interested in seeing if anything there survived. If anyone or anything survived the gases and magmen, it would be there, and he could see if there is anything to pilfer. This is obviously outside the script. The modules says there is gas, and that’s it. It doesn’t foresee that a character immune to the gases makes it in. What is still there? Let’s roll it. 25% chance that any part of the guild is still rocking. 62 rolled, so nope, it’s collapsed and melting from magmen. He flies around, sees nothing of interest, and swoops back to the Water Dragon, already setting sail away from the island. Alzar lands, and pulls out a teleport jar and sends a message to the captain of the Sea Ghost. It takes a while to get back to him. About 6 hours. The captain is ecstatic to hear that Alzar is still alive. It’s been three months since they disappeared, and they sailed back to Tangaroa for a few days awaiting word, and eventually decided to start trading, and they’ve been sailing a trade route to and from the Isle of Dread and the main coast. They are five days away from the island, and immediately change direction to arrive. Alzar tells them they will be in the Water Dragon, a galley, off the northern coast, and they drop anchor and wait, while the island burns. Alzar makes a few trips over and the magmen set the whole island on fire. It burns itself out, and the island is dead. About ten or 15 boats and ships made it off, mostly fishermen. They sailed on, and only the Water Dragon is still here. |
Alzar spends the time checking everything thoroughly to verify that nothing is messed with.
Scroll - Audible Glamer, Dancing Lights, Wall of Fog, Invisibility, Spider Climb, Dig, Feign Death, Affect Normal Fires, Jump, Invisibility, Strength, Dispel Magic and Hold Person Cleric Scroll of Cure serious Wounds, Cure Light Woundsx3 Lamonsten’s Spell Book: 1st Change Self, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Detect Illusion, Phantasmal Force, Chromatic Orb, Wall of Fog 2nd: Detect Invisibility, Invisibility, Hypnotic Pattern 3rd: Dispel Illusion, Fear, 4th: Improved Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer Let’s tally the items and XP from part of Lathan’s Gold, and both Slaver modules XP: 10334 for Aleigha 11368 for Estaish 11834 for Carum 14118 for Alzar Alzar – 122,394 (Level 9 at 135k) Estaish – 55,089 (Level 7 at 64k) – Now with 45 HP Aleigha – 51,419 (Level 6) – Now has 41 HP. Carum – 44,699 (Level 6) – Now has 58 HP. They find 300 gold, 4 topaz gems 750 gp each -1140 gold Sold 3000 goods for 4500. Wyvern - stinger, poison sacs and blood are taken 60 gp Silver Amulet – 50 gp 15 pp 5 garnets worth 100 each 425 gp -3000 gold +Jar of Preserving Fire Opal – 750gpx6 50 pp 400 ep Aquamarine gems – 250 gpx3 Pouch of Dust of Disappearance Longsword +3 A Dusty Rose-Colored Crystal Prism +2 Chainmail 70 gp +2 chainmail +2 shield Longsword +1 leather armor Cloak of Protection +2 Crystal Ball with Clairaudience Ring of Spell Storing with these spells – Wall of Force, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Slow, Shocking Grasp Bracers of Defense AC6 Footman’s Mace +2 50 pp 1000 gp diamond Jeweled Idol of the Earth Elemental of Evil. 4000 gp Ring of Command – 9 charges (Command 1 charge, Charm Person and Suggestion 2) Cloak of Displacement +1 dagger Deed to Mining Rights outside of Chonae worth roughly 1200 Brooches, 500 gp, x5 Spellbook +2 Leather Armor Monocle of Read Magic Gauntlets of Swimming and Climbing Jeweled dagger – 900 gp Earrings – 700 gp Gold Brooch – 3000 gp Platinum Ring with Fire Opal – 5000 gp Gem-Studded Ceremonial Silver Dagger of the Earth Elemental of Evil. 1100 gp Scroll of Drawings by a famous artist – 900 gp Box of gems – moonstones, 50 gp, x21; jade, 100gpx10; pearl, 100x5; black pearl 500; tourmaline, 100; amethyst, 100 ; topaz, 500; emerald, 1000 Alzar swaps the +2 longsword Estaish has for the +3 one he just found. Used potion of Speed, charge on Belt of Flying Magic Pile: Ring of Free Action, Gem of Seeing, Bracers of Defense AC4, +2 dagger. Ring of Warmth. +2 battle axe, can only be used by those str 16 or higher. +1 AC and Save Ioun Stone. +2 Bastard Sword, Potion of Extra-Healing, Gauntlets of Proficiency. +2 Cutlass, +1 longsword, +1 daggerx2, Staff of Power (3 charges) Sword of Lyons - +1 short sword. Invisible and gives invisibility. Scrolls of :Audible Glamer, Dancing Lights, Wall of Fog, Invisibility, Spider Climb, Dig, Feign Death, Affect Normal Fires, Jump, Invisibility, Strength, Dispel Magic and Hold Person Cleric Scroll of Cure serious Wounds, Cure Light Woundsx3 Lamonsten’s Spell Book: 1st Change Self, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Detect Illusion, Phantasmal Force, Chromatic Orb, Wall of Fog 2nd: Detect Invisibility, Invisibility, Hypnotic Pattern 3rd: Dispel Illusion, Fear, 4th: Improved Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer He gives the 1630 gold that he made to the crew of the Sea Ghost. They were also making money off the trade route, and he lets them keep all profit. The Gauntlets of Proficiency can be worn by anyone and give them complete proficiency in any weapon they could use. So Alzar, as a warrior, could use every weapon in the world by wearing these, with no penalty. A cleric could use any blunt weapon, a thief any thief weapon etc. The Monocle allows him to Read Magic through it whenever he wants, so he never needs to have the spell memorized or in a Ring. He can automatically read magical writings. The Gem of Seeing is quite powerful. When he looks through it, he can: Detect Invisible Detect Illusion See all Ethereal and Astral things It does not Detect Metal, Gems, Traps, Secret Doors, or Magic, or know alignment, read languages, etc. It takes a round or two to scour a room. It can be used in combat if Alzar gives up a round to use it. Alzar is putting Detect Magic in the Ring of Spell Storing and pulling out Read Magic. He will stop memorizing Detect Magic and instead get another memorization of Sleep. For now, he will keep the spells in the new Ring of Spell Storing as is, but he intends to clear them out eventually and add good stuff back in. Alzar now has a +2 battle axe, and will be wearing Bracers of Defense AC4, which gives him a base AC of 2 with the cloak. -2 when he holds his Axe and -2 if he has Shield-Maidens by him. The staff of power is very powerful, but it has just three charges. Here is what it can do: 1 charge – Continual Light, Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt, Darkness 5’ Radius, Levitation, Ray of Enfeeblement, Cone of Cold, Fireball 2 charges – Shield 5’ Radius, Globe of Invulnerability, Paralyzation in a cone like the Wand. When wielded, acts as a Ring of Protection +2 and +2 staff in combat. After being picked up, Alzar wants to finish exploring the Sea of Dread, in case there are any other bases hidden they don’t know about. He doubts it, but wants to be sure, just in case. |
XSOLO. Lathan’s Gold
They start in V64 and move north. V65, Quiet, V66. Quiet, V67, Quiet. V68. Quiet. V69, Quiet. Land E13. Nothing attacks us. Explore E28. This is a settled island with farmer and fishers and shepherds. All quiet. Back to the boats. East to V79. Quiet. East to V89. Quiet. South V88. Quiet. South V87 – quiet. We sail south to V81. One encounter. 5 sea snakes came close them left after getting Blastbones in their face. North to 82, then East to V102 There’s a whirlpool to the east in V91 so we skipped it. There is a massive grey cloud to the north. We sail north to V103. This is a dense cloud of gases and dust coming from a mountain to the east. Alzar makes a save for poison. Two crew died. We head east to V113. -2 crew. We are just off the shore of Burning Mountain, and Alzar orders them to land. E7. There is a greeting party of 3 flame salamanders. Alzar throws in a Skulltrap and kills one and badly injures the other two and they run off. XP – 750 for Alzar E22 to explore the mountain. North, East South or West? North E34. A dark grey cloud boils forth from the mountain and the ground begins to shake. Alzar chooses to keep going. Alzar took no damage from the rocks falling. Alzar keeps climbing. They reach the peak and Alzar finds a hardened lump of gold splattered on a rock and now dried, worth 600 gold. Alzar checks the east side. He finds another lump worth 900 gold. He circles to the south. Between a Ring of Fire Resistance and Necklace of Adaptation, the only thing he fears is falling and rocks from above. There is a river of lava that explodes out here and Alzar moves to the west side. Here is a thick blanket of smoke and poisonous gas. They leave Hardened Lump of Gold, 600 gold, 900 gold -1 day for Burning Mountain expeditions. |
V114 – quiet. V115 – not quiet. A group of tritons arrive and they are looking to trade for some metal spearheads to replace some they lost recently. Alzar finds a few and trades them to the tritons for a:
pearl – 100 g V116, Quiet, ,Island to the east. V126. Quiet. This is East Key. They land at E2. Quiet landing. Explore to E17. It’s all quiet here and they harvest 10 rations. Back to V116, quiet, V117quiet, 118, quiet, north to 119 and quiet. Dock at a village U1. All quiet. We recruit 12 crew for the Sea Ghost and Water Queen, and can now use both vessels. We purchase 50 rations for each vessel. -200 gold Back to 119 and then east to 129 south to 128, There is an island to the south. South to 127. This is the last island on the map – Fire Island, in the sea. They land and face no opposition, but hear the sounds of…drumming… |
X8. Drums on Fire Mountain
 The captain tells Alzar that in the last few months, while he’s been out, there have been an increasing number of raids from Fire Island. Is it the slavers? Or something else? The spells Alzar has – Charm, Sleepx2, Hypnotism, Animate Dead Animals, ESP, Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Ondovir, Empathic Control, Blastbones, Vampiric Touch, Searing Serpent, Skulltrap, Dire Charm, Mordenkainen’sx2, Greater Malison |
Sounds like Alzar is going to be able to get try out all of his offensive toys pretty soon. Here's hoping you have time to do some today, it's a nice break at work to read your stuff ;)
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Glad I can give ya something to do!
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They are at the anchorage of the ship; in a bay on the south side of the island. Sailing around saw a volcano, mountains and swamps and jungles in equal measure. They have berthed on the sand without issue. They enter the jungle and in about thirty minutes of walking, come across a circular clearing where the ground has been flattened. In the center is the stump of a huge tree. Alzar sends in Megala and it doesn’t see anything, nor does the Gem of Seeing reveals anything. He steps in and slowly but methodically moves towards the stump, and as he nears it, out pops a giant spider with peculiar markings on it and it tries to bite Alzar. It misses, and he hacks into it 16 damage. A crossbow bolt adds 6 more and Carum adds another 3 and it dies.
XP – 112 each They search the stump and find a: Necklace of Black Pearls – 2670 As they continue, Alzar makes out a large trail and causeway that connects one lower hill to a much large one. They charge their path to head to the smaller hill. As they move, a group of 3 white apes moves out. White apes are particularly aggressive, and they move it to attack. Alzar wins init and deals 19 to one. Est misses with his crossbow, Carum nails the wounded one with a sling for 4 damage. Dryshik Mist Balls another for 3 damage and 4 rounds of blindness Aleigha moves in to support Alzar. Alzar is missed three times. The Apes win init and none hit Alzar. He slays the wounded one. Aleigha nails another for 3 damage. Est moves up as does Carum. Alzar’s second slash deals out 15 to the one Aleigha hit. Alzar wins init and kills the wounded one. Aleigha hits for 3, Est nails it for 12 and Carum adds 4. It’s dead. XP – 100 each |
After another hour, they are on the small hill. The jungle gives way to the bare rock floor of the narrow trail and valley running between these two mountains. A little way up the valley, in a strange bone enclosure, are a half dozen of these strange humanoids and two are on giant lizards. They are pig faced humanoids, with a savage look to them. Stunted and stocky, and they do not look happy, they are charging Alzar, and chanting in time to the drums from the volcano. A throwing dagger flies out and crits one for 16 damage. It dies. Est hits one for 6 and it dies. Carum nails another for 4 and it does not die. They have arrived and the giant lizard riding ones charge Alzar and Estaish. Estaish is hit for double damage for 10 damage. Alzar is missed by the charger and the others.
35/45 - Estaish They win init. The one mounted by Alzar attacks, as does her mount. The mount hits Alzar and he wrapped by the tongue and brought in and takes 8 damage, 1d4 for the hit and 1d8 from a bite. He cannot attack this turn. The other one Spears Estaish for 3 but the mount misses. Aleigha takes 5 from another moving through the place Alzar was. Est Nails the kara-kara on top of the lizard for 9 damage and kills him. Aleigha misses, Carum moved in and spears a native for 7 and kills her. Just the mount and rider on Alzar and the mount on Estaish. 46/54 - Alzar 32/45 - Estaish 36/41 - Aleigha Alzar manages to break free this turn. Est hits his lizard for 8 damage. Aleigha moves to the one threatening Alzar and nails he rider for 9 and kills her with a ruby blade. Carum spears the lizard on Alzar’s side for 6 damage. Est is missed, and Alzar is too. The lizards attack first. Est is hit and takes 5 from the tongue and bite. He cannot attack this turn. Alzar is missed. His axe does not and 17 damage is dealt and it shudders but remains fighting. Aleigha misses. Carum does as well. 27/45 They win init. Alzar is missed. Est is missed. Est climbs out. Alzar finishes off the one on him. Aleigha moves and this the other one for 4. Carum misses. Alzar moves over and makes his second attack. 20 damage, and it falls. XP – 250 each They search and find just normal stuff – wooden shields. Spears, and such. They follow the valley/trail in the sky. There is a clear trail here and it was obviously guarded, so something is back here. Eventually they come across some very large statues flanking the trail. When Alzar passes through, one fires a lightning bolt at him for 15 or 8 is save is made. Failure. They do not fire at anyone else. Hmpf. 33/54 – Alzar |
They pass a large rock python lounging in the sun. It is feasting on a Kara-Kara and trying to fit it into its mouth, so they pass it easily. There is a side valley-path left that ends at a gate. Take it, or continue? Take it (chosen randomly by a die)
The gate easily swings open and reveals a tunnel in the hillside. They take it. They head up it for some time before arriving at two thick iron gates that block the way. They are lashed together with a rope. Suspicious. Alzar has everyone back up. He ties a dagger into it with a rope and backs up 50’. One jerk, should cut it. He pulls and it cuts, and indeed, the roof fell down on that spot, and in front of it 20 feet. That way is blocked. Alzar orders a search and they find nothing. Odd, Another one finds a door, they push it open and continue. They are now under Fire Mountain. As they climb up steps after another few hundred feet. Before them is a short, steep sided chasm. There are three stone structures against the other side, and a narrow bridge over. They cross with the aid of a Rope of Climbing, but it wasn’t needed – it was quite sturdy. Each of the three structures has a rectangular platform extending out from the wall of the cavern. There are no tunnels here, just these three structures. The platforms are about 6 feet off the group, and the structures about 40 or 50 feet high above that. Alzar climbs onto the one on the left, the closest one. There are columns that line the platform and there are no doors or any other openings or entrances. There are strange writings on top, and a golden disc on the wall, and three pictographs of a figure on either side of the slab of rock that has the disc on it. Each of the pictographs has a dance pose on it. They search for secret doors and find nothing. Alzar has Carum dance the dance on the pictographs and the slab disappears and they move into a new chamber. This is the Crypt of Su-hana-ko, Alzar is informed telepathically. The passage opened into a musty chamber with a casket flanked by jars and statues maintain a vigil. Alzar moves to one of the jars, and they are both identical and sealed. He gently cracks the seal, and backs up quickly. An Ochre jelly has been released! He orders everyone back and uses a flask of oil to deal 9 damage to it, but it’s not enough, so he uses another for 13 and kills it. XP – 125 for Alzar He investigates the other jar and it appears identical. He takes the ochre jelly trap? And stores it. He pulls open the casket and two crossbow bolts fire from the walls into the places the jars were. Now that would have been clever. Jade Axe-Head – 170 Matching Gold Bracelets – 560 each Ochre Jelly Trap? |
The statues never animated, and look like a more piggish kara-kara than normal. They return and move to the next portal. This one has a large elongated face on the slab, and pictures of animals like a spider, bird and fish in various places and patterns. They can be pushed and slide back out. There is a pattern above, spider-bird-fish. Alzar begins by pushing that pattern in every one of the four sections in that order. It works, and they enter the Crypt of Kono-ti.
The passage has the still dead air of a crypt and rough hewn walls and floors are all bare. In the darkness of the far end is a quartet of shadowy alcoves. The first two are empty, but the glint of gold comes from those farther down. Alzar has Megala fly down and a Gem of Seeing. Megala trips up two gelatinous cubes from the first two alcoves and start moving in. A throwing dagger misses. Carum crits one for 11. Est misses. They back up and since the cubes go slower then they do, try more weapons. A dagger knifes into it for 12 and it dissipates. Carum misses. Est misses. They keep backing. Alzar misses. Carum misses. Est hits for 7. They are backed into a corner an Aleigha jumps forward and the Sword of Spartusia hits for 9 damage. The cube dissolves. XP – 325 each They recover their items and keep searching. They find a secret door at the back of the crypt. Alzar heads back and opens it and gas goes off but since standing order is for no one to be around when he does it, and it only sprays out to 10 feet, the poisonous gas misses everybody. There is a skeleton in here with a small, sealed jar. He is wearing: Exquisite mother-of-pearl necklace – 750 Two gold ankle bracelets – 575 each Two gold bracelets – 575 each too Inside the jar are 12 ivory figures worth 105 each |
They also found a secret door in the other wall across from the one in here. They open it, and it leads to the Crypt of Kota-ef-nitek. There is another musty chamber here, a tomb for a haggard corpse laying on a central slab and its long dead attendants slumped against the walls. Suddenly, their lifeless eyes turn on Alzar. They spring forward and he tries to control them. He controls the ghouls automatically but there are two other things here. At first he suspects ghasts, which are often found with ghouls, but he can usually tell them from ghouls, since he is an expert in such things. He makes a Necrology roll and knows that he has never heard of these. One of them screams loudly and Alzar manages to control them, barely. There are 5 ghouls and 2 of these other creatures. Everybody lost a level when the Agarat screamed. (They will be restored in 1 turn). That’s a nasty undead.
5 ghouls with 9 hp. 2 agarats with 25 and 22 hp, AC4, no paralysis, screams are cumulative with other agarats, can only scream once every ten minutes or so. Turned and controlled as Spectre Alzar will have the ghouls lead and keep the agarats in the back, out of harm’s way. He wants to leave with at least one intact for studying. They search the chamber. The body on the central slab has: Sandals inlaid with Turquoise – 620 gp as a pair Necklace of Coral and Jade Beads – 760 gp They find a secret door in the chamber and there are two doors here. One heads back to the structures and Alzar confirms that it was the third slab. The secret door is opened. They open another door a short walk behind the secret door and it opens into a T shaped room. There is a life sized crystal skull glaring at the door fro a stone plinth and there are two other plinths with large crystal vials. Alzar views the Gem of Seeing. Nothing is seen. An inspecting shows that the two vial likely have potions in them. The skull is worth maybe 2500 gp. Alzar orders everyone out and a ghoul picks up a vial, and there is a loud whistling sound. The ghoul replaces it and the sound stops. It picks it up again, and the sound starts again. The ghoul moves away and the whistle increases in pitch significantly. It is returns and the pitch lowers until dropped back and it stops again. Alzar orders everyone into the crypt and the ghoul grabs the skull and runs into the corridor as fast as possible. At 20 feet from the plinth, there is an explosion in pitch and both potions exploded, but the skull survived. Crystal Skull – 2500 gp A search finds nothing further. They open the other door and enter a long corridor with the continuing rhythm of drum beats. After ten minutes, they near the end of the passage. It arrives at a door, which opens easily. They must be deep in the volcano and mountain now. The drums got louder as they moved closer, and now are quite loud. |
The room they are in is unoccupied and a pentagon with a flat wall on the other side and two parallel walls with doors on them, and two diagonal walls tapering just to the left of the door they enter by. There are four wooden boar-headed statues in there and face inward from the corners. There are a lot of statues and golems that come alive, so Alzar orders everyone back. He grabs his axe, and hacks into one for 15 damage. He hews the wood golem dead and three more animate, and he smiles at his cleverness. Magic is needed to hit there and Carum wings one from his Sling of Seeking, which makes the bolts magical. It hits one for 6 damage. They golems win init and all miss Alzar, who is in front because he just hewed one down. He swings and takes another. He swings again and takes a third down. Aleigha crits the fourth for 10 damage and with Carum’s damage, that kills it. All dead.
XP – 150 each The tusks and eyes from the golems are worth 980 from all four golems. No one came in from the noise. Alzar goes left (rolled randomly). Glaring at the party from the centre of the room is a kara-kara resplendent in head dress and a long robe of garishly colored feathers. There are 8 other kara-kara in loincloths and dancing around hi in body paint and short tooth edged sword-clubs. (Macuahuitl). Alzar casts sleep and 6 of the kara-kara drop before they get to him. The other two miss him. The one in the center casts Cause Fear, and Alzar fails his save and runs back into the room with the statues and then into the tunnel. Estaish bisects one for 11 damage. Aleigha misses. Carum misses. The ghouls tear into the other. The pries wins init and moves towards the other door in the room. Carum drops his sling. Est bolts him for 6 damage. Aleigha runs in after him. He opens the door and Aleigha orders Carum and Est to follow. He begins running down a corridor and there are prison pits on either side with 6 kara-kara in them, 3 in each. The priest arrives at a door and flings it open. Here 5 kara-kara warriors are chanting in time to the very loud drumbeats. The priest points to Aleigha as she turns the corridor and spears fly at her. She takes 6 damage, 30/41 - Aleigha She runs in and attacks the priest. She goes first and hits or 4 damage. The priest casts Hold Person on her and she makes it, rolling an 18 against the -4 penalty of that spell. Carum and Estaish round the corner and enter, and the warriors have weapons in their hands. Init – they win. Aleigha is hit once for 8 damage off a crit. The priest casts Cure Light Wounds on himself. She misses the priest. Carum misses. Estaish misses. 22/41 They win init. They all miss again. The priest nails Aleigha for 6 damage. She take another 5 from weapons. She turns into a werebear 11/41 They win init. Aleigha hits the cleric twice for 5 damage. Est hits for 6 and Carum for 7. Aleigha takes 7 in her form from the priest, who must have a magical weapon. The warriors attack her and all miss. 4/41 Carum takes 8 from the warriors. The priest missed. Aleigha runs away back to behind the ghouls and agarats just standing there. Est misses, Carum adds 9 to the cleric and kills him. 50/58 - Carum Carum hits a warrior for 8 and Est misses. One warrior down 4 to go. Carum takes 2 more. They win and they miss. Est hits for 7 and another dies. Carum missed. They make their morale roll and keep going. Est hits for 6 and kills another. The last one misses. Carum spears her for 9 and she dies. 48/58 XP – 450 each 10 minutes later, Alzar and Aleigha arrive. They search the original room, and this one. Robe and headdress – 350 gp Jade Amulet inlaid with Mother of Pearl – 750 Jade Earrings – 150 set They find bag with a few skulls and an ivory box inlaid with mother-of-pearl – 250 gp and a large pearl inside – 500 gp. 20 small pearls, 25 gp each |
There are two doors from their current room. They open one into a corridor with another door at the end. The other opens to a storeroom with an untidy heap of primitive weapons like wooden picks, stone headed maces, spears and the Macuahuitl. All added to the magic pile, as always.
They checked the original door from the statues room and its just a corridor to this point. As they walk towards the door the drums are becoming a physical presence, palpable in their presence and absence. They open the door and confronted by a blast of hot air and the deafening roar of the drums. This huge natural chamber is dominated by a gaping pit, filled with a fiery red glow and spanned by a slender rope bridge. The top is open to the sky and that is why is could be heard everywhere. There are giant drums being pounded on by sweating kara-kara in rhythm and time. On the far side of the volcano in a crowd of spear-waving kara-kara. There is a pair of brightly robed kara-kara flanking a throne and on the throne is a pig-like creature. Aleigha, still in werebear form, shudders. The creatures also senses it, and turns to face them. It squeals in anger and fear, and then disappears. The drums stop beating. Alzar runs forward as fast as he can and slashes the rope bridges before they can cross. The only ones on this side are the guards, and three drummers. Alzar is right by the guards and the drummers are attacking the fighters. The ghouls and agarats are moving in. They lose init. One of the drummers attacks each fighter. Est takes 6. Alzar is missed twice. His axes slashes a bodyguard for 20 damage. Dead bodyguard. Est hits a drummer for 9 damage and she dies. Carum hits for 8 and kills his. Aleigha hits twice for 4 damage. Still alive. The next turn, Alzar wins. He doles out 13 damage and the guard is still alive. It casts Cause Light Wounds and Alzar takes 8. Alzar hits again and kills him. Aleigha kills her guard. All dead. 26/45 – Estaish 34/54 – Alzar There are about a hundred kara-kara on the other side now, more are pouring in. Some have thrown spears, but they are too far away. They search the bodies and find: 400 worth of jewelry on the guards. |
There is a corridor down to the side. It opens into a stairwell down and a door. This room has a mass of hanging and glittering crystals, suspended on strings from the ceiling. The crystals are magical and confuse sight of the pcs, but not the undead. Using them, Alzar goes to the next door to the left from the first one, and notices there are 6 total doors including the one they entered by.
This is a general storeroom containing: 33 bottles of wine in a race, 3 large casks of wine, 40 jars of preserved fruit, meat and fish, etc. Alzar scans it with a Gem and of course leads with ghouls. It was taken from ships obviously. There is a door on the other side and it opens into a hall of shadows. Every corner of this grand hall is brightly lit by glowing gems dotted across the ceiling and walls. There are four crystal pillars, each with a writhing shadowy shape within. Suddenly, they move towards Alzar. Alzar tries to control them, and the four shadows are added to his force. Shadow: 13 hp, AC7, drain 1 point of strength and deal 1d4+1, need magical weapon to hit Alzar uses the Gem and sees three people in the center invisible – a cleric, fighter, and fighter/mage. Using his shared vision, he orders, silently, Dryshik to Mist Ball the mageish one. It makes it save, and they realize the gig is up and move to attack. Alzar orders Aleigha to stand back out of harm’s way. A throwing dagger nails the mage for 12 damage. They can see the dagger floating, and attack it. A trio of magic missiles fly in and Alzar eats 9 damage for being clever. The fighter has arrived. The cleric casts Silence at Alzar. Alzar fails his save and is silenced. Now the cleric and mage/fighter are revealed. A bolt flies out at the mage for 4 and Carum misses. 26/54 They win init The shadows move out and attack the cleric. The ghouls flank in front of the fighter and only Alzar is exposed. The fighter attacks him, exposes himself, and misses. The mage casts Sleep but not one is affected. Their cleric casts Hold Person at Estaish, and he fails his save and is held. Alzar’s axe is introduced to the flesh of the fighter. 14 damage. Carum’s sling at the mage works for 4 damage. He dies. The shadows hit the cleric twice for 7 damage. The ghouls only hit twice on the fighter and e makes both saves – just 2 damage dealt. They win init. The cleric tries to turn undead on the shadows. He needs a 7 or higher and makes it, and the four shadows are turned and forces into a corner. The fighter nails Alzar for 8. Alzar’s axe deeply wounds the fighter for 18 damage and then crits the fighter for…24 damage. Dead fighter. Carum tries to sling the cleric and misses. 18/54 Alzar throws a dagger for 10 damage. Carum misses. The ghouls move forward but are turned as well and forced to a corner. Alzar wings in another dagger for a miss. Carum hits for 5 damage. The cleric casts Cure Serious Wounds. The next round Alzar moves in. Carum misses, The cleric misses Alzar. Alzar’s axe cleaves for 13 damage. The cleric misses, Alzar hits for 19 and kills him. A check finds: BroadSword Dagger Shield Short Sword Chainmail Other weapons and armor 95pp Gold Holy Symbol Encrusted with Gems – 780 Golden Belt with Silver Buckle – 520 Sapphire-Studded Scabbard with Silver Inlay – 1730 Sapphire Pendant – 370 Silver, Emerald Studded Snuff Box – 1100 Three Gold Rings with Emeralds – 290 each |
There are three doors on the right wall and another in front of them. The first left door is a bedroom with a dead crow, Looks like it was the familiar, and just died. There is a spell book with a gold-plated lock. Alzar takes it for later.
Coverlet of rare furs, 1500gp The next room is a small chamber with nothing but Spartan furnishings as a silver box on the table with a dozen quills. Silver Box – 535 gp Staff Robe with hundreds of tiny gems – 2000 gp The third room is obviously the fighters room. There are a lot of weapons a grindstone in here. They weapons are magic piled for later. A search of this room finds a secret door in the back. They take it and find another secret door when it dead ends. They go into another door and it’s locked. Alzar fails, so acid eats it up. There is a young woman tied to the floor. The look of fear on her face disappears when Alzar and company enter the room. She asks for Alzar to untie her. He asks who she is, and she says she is the daughter of a merchant in the coast cities. She was captured by the kara-kara several weeks ago and brought here and is not allowed to leave. There is an evil wizard named Kalnaka who wears a pig costume to impress the tribesmen who have a pig god. Just a few minutes ago, Kalnaka came here and tied her up and left through the other door. Alzar uses his ESP ability. She fails her save. Alzar asks her to repeat her story.  She is named Marie, her father is not the merchant but in fact Kalnaka himself. She makes her save. Alzar asks her to pause her story for a moment. She fails. She was tied up here to trick Alzar, and the ropes can be gotten out of if she needs to. She is supposed to ambush the party later. She fails. Her father is not in a pig mask, but actually a Devil Swine, or pig lycanthrope. She makes her save She fails. She is asked if she has weapons and says no, lie – her ring is a dagger. She fails. Alzar asks if she believes that the raiding of the ships and such is wrong by Kalnaka. She says of course it is. Not a lie. She fails. Alzar pulls out the stunner. Are you loyal to your father, Kalnaka? She says that’s not her father, is staggered a bit, and she is completely loyal to him. Alzar casts Charm Person on her. If it takes, and she is already charmed, it will show. If not, then she will be charmed. She fails. Maerie will now escort her friend Alzar and show him around, but she cannot allow him to hurt her father, whom she loves very dearly and raised her after her mother died. She explains the trick and such easily. |
They head to Kalnaka’s bedroom and there is mothering in here but a pig costume. Everything is ransacked They find his treasure room behind a secret door she shows them:
5000 gp in exotic silks A small casket containing gems: 1000x5; 500x15; 100x100; 50x200 Chest containing 5000 gp and 15000 in generic jewelry Three sacks containing 2000 gp each – 6000 total. One puts the money in Alzar’s hands upon his thinking about it, a sign of a Bag of Holding. It’s a 10000 coin Bag of Holding, like his first one. Eight kegs of rare spices – 8000gp total, put in the new Bag of Holding. They enter the laboratory and it is very damaged, and they exit. There is a long tunnel that leaves to another section of the island. More than a mile later, they arrive at stairs up. They take the stairs and the corridor bends and ends at a door. Alzar has 4 shadows, 2 agarats and 5 ghouls with the ghouls and shadows in the lead. The ghouls are manipulating things. Amid the bones of past victims, four large cat-like beasts crouch with taut muscles and flailing tentacles.  These are the displacer beats that the cloak is based off of. One of these is full grown and the other three are children. Alzar moves in front of the undead to handle the mother himself. He wants to aim his strikes carefully and points the fighters at the kids. Alzar easily wins init and his axe hits for 17 damage on her head. Aleigha slices into a child for 8 damage and Carum stabs the same one for 6 more. Est missed. The Mist Ball flies in on the mom and she fails the save and takes 3 damage and is blinded for 3 rounds. One cub nails Est with a tentacle for 7 damage. The mother misses. Alzar nails her head again for 17 damage. Est misses, Carum misses, and Aleigha hits and kills the wounded one. Carum takes 1 crit hit for 16 damage from a kid’s tentacle. Momma misses. Alzar’s second attack hits and kills the mother by severing her battered head. Alzar moves over and kills a kid for 20 damage. Est and Carum hit the last one for 15 and it dies. 19/45 – Estaish 32/58 – Carum 11/41 – Aleigha 24/54 - Alzar XP – 488 each Each of the beasts has a collar with 10 gems, and they are taken off. The gems are worth 100 each: 40 gems 100 gp Displacer hide, eyes, teeth, blood, tentacles A search of the room later turns up a large number of cloaks that were being used by the beats and three still look new, which is often a sign of magic, so they are taken. |
There are doors up, left and right. Roll of a die says…up! A ghoul investigates this chamber, and when a doorknob at the end is tried a bunch of rocks falls on top of it and it dies.
4 ghouls left. Left. This is a silent hall stretching away before Alzar and his crew. The walls are plain save for a vivid red disc painted in the center of the far wall, flanked by a pair of statues in the same bright hue. There is a strip of carpet running along the ground to the statues. They search the room and find nothing. They head back to the right room. The door opens and there is a scene of carnage laid out. Shelves, benches and large areas of the floor are covered with shrunken and withered corpses of men and half men and beasts. Some of the bestial forms raise themselves up and move towards Alzar. He tries to control them, and 9 switch, but two are still coming towards him, so he tries again and gets the last two. He examines the, There are only about 2 feet tall and were once a lot taller. This shrinking process has made their skin thicker and their body denser. They appear to be like zombies, and yet, their speed was not diminished at all. They have large, elongated claws. They do not smell, unlike zombies, because the withering process preserves their flesh. Topis (11) – AC 6, HD 3+1, HP 13, # of Attacks: 2, 1d6/1d6 + save vs poison or slowed for each hit, half damage from blunt weapons, turned as wight, can jump 6 feet in air Once again, Alzar makes his Necrology roll and fails to place them at all, and wants a few of them to survive for later study. There is nothing on value here. There are two doors here and each opens into a long corridor. They head right. Maerie has never been to these ruins and is of no help. It’s about a 5 minute walk sloping downward. There is no door and the slavering sound of chomping and the reflected glint to two pairs of jewel like eyes in the darkness. He sends in the shadows, which like the darkness. They attack a pair of Rhagodessae, large spider-ish creatures with ten legs, and such. The shadows kill the spiders without taking any damage, because they are immune, and Alzar enters. A search of this room turns up some stuff in the litter on the floor. Gold Necklace – 620 gp Silver Circlet with Emerald – 1500 gp They open a door and the other door is already open. They head down the corridor and arrive at a rock barricade and turn around. They take the other path, which leads to a large chambers with 5 white apes, who call for help and more hooting can be heard. Alzar leads with the shadows and the apes retreat after trying to deal damage and failing. They search the room and find: Rock-Sized Lump of Gold – 2500 They keeps searching the ape area and each time they arrive in a room with apes, they move out the shadows, and then they retreat. They find nothing but: Four large diamond studded earrings – 2500 gp each |
No rooms or anything, so they head back and take the other branch. It also continues for a while and as they approach they hear the sound of a loud grinding. They open the door and inside is a large room but can still barely contain its occupant – a terrible creature whose slime-covered purple hide scrapes against the roof and walls.
 At one end is a giant mouth and at the other a giant stinger. Alzar sends in the shadows while getting the group ready, and a stinger lances into a shadow and kills it. Apparently it can hit magic creatures, so Alzar orders them back. He hefts his axe, prepares a spell and moves in, flanked by the fighters. Alzar wins init and casts Vampiric Touch. He deals 12. Bolt misses, sling crits it for 6 damage. It tries to bite and swallow Alzar and misses. (he would have done it if it hadn’t have been for a cloak). The Worm wins init and swallows Alzar for 16 damage. He will take 2d10 damage every round automatically until dead. Est grabbed his sword and hits for 5 damage. Carum misses with spear. Aleigha moves it with her ruby blade and misses. Alzar is able to attack the interior and hits for 18 damage and it dies. It cuts his way out. 24/54 XP -1500 each 3 shadows left There is a tunnel here the worm was digging and they take it after searching and finding a pouch with a scroll, with Hold Person and Fireball on it. It enters a room with a huge diamond and 25 earth fundamentals. A fundamental is a flying small elemental from another plane of existence. Alzar controls 6 opf them and orders them in front to block the other 19. Several get through and attack him. The next round, he gets 7 more and they join the screen. He gets all 25 over the next three rounds. They have very little hit points are nothing more than flying cannon fodder, but he’ll take it. Diamond - 20000 |
Back to the chamber, there are doors left and forward. Left. There is a stairway stretching before with statues flanking short flights of stairs. They are crystal living statues and come alive when a ghoul steps between the first two. Alzar sends in the Earth Fundamentals. They kill all six statues and he is left with just two fundamentals. A search on the steps shows nothing.
They arrive at a stone bridge over a round vertical shaft with a hot warmth from below. On the other side is another stone door. Another swarm of fundamentals, this time 15 fire ones, fly in. Alzar Controls 4 out of the gate and orders them and his two earth fundies to screen. He ends up controlling them all after two more turns. He now has 15 fire fundies. They arrive in a room with a flashing light from a magical flashing back and forth from continual light to continual darkness and back again. It’s worth 500 gp as a novelty. They arrive at another door with a passage and a door to the right. They open the door to the right and it is a large spiral stairway down and a huge shaft and there are dozens and dozens of stirges in here, so they close the door and continue. They dead end at a room with thousands of round colored beads rolling about on the glassy black floor. There is a glass floor in here. Alzar sees occasional movement below. This may be the way to go down. He orders everybody back and axes the floor ones, and then again, and a part of it breaks. Up fly 17 stirges from below and Alar orders the fundamentals and ghouls and shadows to engage. Four rounds later, Alzar has lost 10 fundamentals and casts Animate Dead Animals to give him 8 stirge skeletons. 8 stirge skeletons, 1 earth fundamentals, 6 fire fundamentals, 4 ghouls, 2 agarats, 11 tapi, 3 shadows |
Alzar has Megala fly down to check out the room. There are two doors, a corridor, and free of creatures, but it’s a bit too much of a drop, ah well. Alzar widens the hole and then uses the Rope of Climbing and Brooms to drop. The fundies, dead animals, tapi, shadows, and people make it easily, and the ghouls and Agarats are great climbers and climb down on their own.
Forward, left or both to a tunnel. A search first, and they find a mosaic with 30 50gp gems they pry out. Left. Neatly lined up around the walls are dozens of beats, all motionless, as if held by magic. They appear to be stuffed. A giant ant, giant bat, giant beetles, boar, carrion crawler, giant lizards, giant locust, owlbear, rock baboon, snakes, and giant spiders. There is nothing in here but a necklace with a pig’s head. 30 50gp gems Boar’s Head Amulet on Gold Chain – 2675 gp They return and go forward into…a long gallery with nightmarish pictures in lurid colours and details. Writing below them are at least twenty snakes of various types and such. They are not advancing, just swaying dangerously. Alzar shuts the door. They can come back this way if they have too. The tunnel leads to the large stairway room and there are more stairways down. They get across the bridges without too much trouble. They follow a tunnel and arrive at an alcove along the wall with a small man-like statue. It has brightly glowing gems with are beautiful and bathe around for light, and it seems to mock the watchers. Alzar has a ghoul remove the two eyes and the ivory teeth. Then a trap triggers and the ghoul dies, but the gems and teeth are fine and another ghoul picks them up. 2 glowing red gems – 5000 gp each Ivory teeth – 1000 total 3 ghouls left They continue on down the hallway and arrive at a chamber with doors hot to the touch. A ghoul opens one and there is a blast of hot air from inside. There are more fire fundamentals and a flame salamander in here. The 5 fundamentals switch sides and the flame salamander moves towards him. The intense heat is coming from exposed lava and Alzar orders the fire fundamentals to fight the salamander, since they are immune to its fire aura. While fighting, he helps out with a dagger for 10 damage, then retrieved by Megala after the salamander dies. 4 flame fundamentals left XP – 200 for Alzar |
They leave this super hot room and head to the last door on this level. Strewn about the chamber are hundreds of skulls and bones. Suddenly, a movement can be seen and 10 skeletons and a four armed skeleton which is likely a bone golem animate. Alzar controls 8 skeletons and the shadows are sent to puzzle the bone golem. Both are immune to magic weapons, and neither has a magic weapon, so they can sit there for a bit,, while Alzar grabs the final two skeletons and adds them to his growing horde.
His throwing dagger just hits for 9 damage and Carum hits for 4 damage. The Bone golem moves around the shadows and moves towards them. Another dagger flies out, but misses. Another sling hits for 4 damage. The golem arrives. It wins init and Alzar is missed four times. Alzar’s axe crits it for 26 damage and it staggers, but stands. Carum misses, and Est misses and Aleigha misses. Alzar wins init and misses (rolled a 3 +2, +3str, +3mastery, +2AC, is 13 which just misses). Est crits for 19. Dead. XP – 750 each They search and find 9 inch tall four armed skeleton made from ivory, held together by platinum wire – 3500 Magical, glowing helm that looks really powerful As they watch, the bone golem is regenerating. Alzar burns it with an oil flask, but it continues to regenerate. Nice! That’s a clever trick. They move on, and the only place to go is down from the Stirge staircase. They go and the Stirge are too high and ignore them They arrive on at the bottom with a fungus forest, and a few ponds. Alzar orders his undead to scour the area. They kills some leeches and a few giant toads are a problem in the pool and Alzar looses four skeletons before he recalls everybody and Blastbones out the problem. They find: Potion 6 skeletons left There is a tunnel here and they take it. Alzar reminds everyone that they want to capture Kalnaka, not kill him, for Maerie. |
It’s a mile walk and they arrive at another door. When opened they see a room that has a door to the left and two gates halfway down the room and a door to the right after them. A skeleton moves up and tries to open the gates, but they start moving forward and crush the skeleton.
5 skeletons left Everybody is still in the hallway, so he lets the gates pass, and then moves back into the room and to the right door. They open it and there is another door right there, and open it too. Beyond the doorway is a swirling fog which restricts vision to just a few feet. Ahead, and to the left, is a muted sound, there a door closing sounds. A skeleton is sent in. Nothing happens. Alzar sends it around the room and gets the measurements. It’s about 35 skeleton steps across, and 50 long. Alzar can tell the fog is acting on his subconscious. He orders the skeleton back and moves in, trusting he can make saves and immune to any affects by the fog. He saves vs spells and is unaffected, but can tell the fog was doing something to him. Suddenly, he is attacked by more than a dozen creatures that are either in the mist or are the mist or something. They miss. He drops a Skulltrap and deals 23 damage, clearing them out, and he fails his save and takes it too. XP – 1600 for just Alzar 10/54 – Alzar Estaish enters and the magic is gone. They feel the room and find a door in front, and another to the left and four pillars. The left door opens and they enter a tunnel and then arrive at a door that is wizard locked. Looks promising. Alzar quaffs a healing potion. 20/54 |
They get in the right order. Ghouls and shadows and skeletons and animal skeletons and fundamentals in front. Alzar tells Marie that they will try to capture her father, and asks for her Dagger of Concealment until the battle is over, and she agrees to hand it over.
Alzar’s wand defeats the Wizard Lock. A skeleton opens the door and Alzar sees 6 topis inside The door is open and there is a long hall beyond. The first things of note beyond the topis are 7 grossly fat men dressed identically and looking identical. Aleigha sees him, and he her and they snarl at each other and she turns into a werebear. Alzar controls the 6 topis and they join his side. Fundamentals, skeletons, topis, ghouls, and shadows arrive and Alzar orders them to attack a times. He has his imps fly up and moves in himself with the fighters. Carum’s sling kills a image. The mage, suddenly unsure of himself, casts Web over the room, which slows the undead except the shadows, and not Alzar. Alzar casts Empathic Control. He fails the save, and Alzar orders everybody back. The mage walks over and sits down. Suddenly, two boars arrive at the back of the room, summoned by the Devil Swine, and the topis to the rear are fighting them. 2 topis will die and the boars will be slashed and killed. Alzar drops the mage, and orders him to be tied up. They tie him up, and take his things and clothes, leaving him in a loincloth. Alzar releases him. Alzar has him gagged. Maerie is protesting loudly, but Alzar hands back her Dagger. “I keep my promises. He is alive, and your weapon is returned to you. I also have a gift for you, if you will take it.” Alzar pulls out the Potion of ESP he has. “This is not just a potion, but something more. It is knowledge, even enlightenment. Take it.” He hands her the potion. “This potion will allow you to read your father’s mind. You can ask him any question, and see the answer. Maerie, haven’t you been loyal to your father your whole life? Despite what he does and who he is? I give you this potion. I want you to ask him just one question for your own benefit. You love your father, and you are loyal to him to the end.” Alzar moves in front, “But Maerie, does he love you? What are you to him? A daughter? The joy of his life? Or just a minion to be tossed around?” Alzar takes off his Medallion of Protection vs ESP and Crystal Balls. Take the potion, and ask if he loves you. Ask what you mean to him. For all of your life there had to be a doubt that your father was truly as horrible as he appeared. It’s time to put him to the test.” She takes the potion, (Alzar is her very good friend, remember the charm) and drinks it. Kalnaka fails his save. Maerie is crying, so Alzar looks at him, and says, “Do you love your daughter? What is she to you?” As she sees the truth, she cries more. Then Alzar asks her another question. “Now, ask me what you would mean to me if you joined us.” She reads his open mind (no save) that she would be a valuable member of the group, valued and trusted. She is crying for a bit, and Alzar asks her to inspect her father’s mind again, “Oh, one more thing, is your spellbook trapped? Anything on it at all keeping me from opening it and using it?” Maerie shakes her head, and Alzar smiles. Alzar tells Aleigha to help her. Alzar tells Maerie that Aleigha understand what it is like to look up to someone but only to find out they were lying to you. The potion’s duration ends. Alzar has Aleigha and the others leave the room, with just Alzar and Kalnaka, gagged and bound, in the room. “Kalnaka, would you like to know why I really don’t like those who claim to be evil and then make bad decision after bad decision like yourself? Can I tell you a secret? I cast ESP on you just then too. Oh, I know, I’m just a funny guy. You are so selfish, that you destroyed yourself. No matter how smart you chaotic people think you are, you always bring about your own downfall. “The slavers were killed, by me, incidentally and you saw a power vacuum, so you stepped in and started raiding vessels. What did you get from it? I’ve seen some food, there’s probably some money – which you can’t even spend on this island, maybe a magic item. What was the purpose? Why do it? “You had a great thing going here. You had hundreds of people who were fanatically loyal to you, you had three people who were charmed? Yes, apparently charmed that were very loyal. You had a loyal daughter, you had servants like the fundamentals, the displacer beasts, golems, and statues. These little undead zombies that you shrunk down are brilliant, you know that? It’s going to take me a while to duplicate that process. “And yet, despite this cozy set up – out of the way, can do what you want, servants to do the small stuff, working on interesting things – oh no, you have to risk it all on a few raids, putting your island and yourself right on the radar. If you actually cared about your daughter, and about those people you charmed, and about the others you met from your life – just imagine how secure you would be. Imagine how safe you would be. Imagine how much longer you would get to live. “But no, you have to act so selfishly, that you end up hurting yourself. You and your kind just don’t get it. In order to get what you want, you have to give a little. You have to think things through. You have to take actions that get you ahead always, but never just for kicks. “So here is what is going to happen. In less than 3 days, your daughter will be joining me and my group, I’ve already seen it in her mind. I saw it when I first read her mind when I met her, about her feras for you, and I read it in her mind again just now. She’ll be just as loyal to me as she was to you. In just three days. Because I gave her a little. I gave her a potion, and I gave her knowledge. And because of that, I am going to be getting someone more loyal than any charm spell. That’s what you don’t get, and you never have. “Do you know what would be an irony?” (Alzar orders a topi to come to him). “What if your own creation were to kill you? Wouldn’t that be a way to end your life? Your secrets exposed, your daughter gone, your servants killed, you defeated by a simple second rank spell, and you, here, on the sharp claws of your own creation. I think that quite suitable.” The topi squeezes and keeps squeezing and the throats is slashed, and then crushed. XP – 2000 each |
They search the treasury too and find:
Quiver with 15 +3 arrows +2 leather armor, and plate armor Three potions of healing Potion of clairvoyance 365 gp scroll cases with: Locate Object, Polymorph Other Cleric Scrolls – Neutralize Poison, Dispel Evil, Commune, Striking Silver casket worth 1535 Diamond Pendant – 5000 gpx3 Diamond Bracelet – 5080 Diamond Earrings – 1245 each 4320 gp 845 pp Statuette of Black Falcon, gold painted with Black lacquer. – 15000 gp 56 gems – 100 gp each Carved mahogany box – 260 Exquisite Gold Hourglass with crushed diamonds instead of sand – 2650 Engraved gold and platinum dish – 7500 Suit of platinum engraved, black plate armor – 15480 with matching shield – 2650 Ivory staff island with gold and silver – 2225 gp Black Sapphires – 1500 x2 Staff of Striking, 22 charges Amulet of Protection - +3 – also protects the wearer from wolfsbane Kalnaka’s Black Cloak – Opens all of the portals around the island. 40 gems 100 gp Displacer hide, eyes, teeth, blood, tentacles Gold Necklace – 620 gp 9 inch tall four armed skeleton made from ivory, held together by platinum wire – 3500 Silver Circlet with Emerald – 1500 gp Rock-Sized Lump of Gold – 2500 Four large diamond studded earrings – 2500 gp each Coverlet of rare furs, 1500gp Diamond - 20000 30 50gp gems Boar’s Head Amulet on Gold Chain – 2675 gp 2 glowing red gems – 5000 gp each Ivory teeth – 1000 total Silver Box – 535 gp Robe with hundreds of tiny gems – 2000 gp The tusks and eyes from the golems are worth 980 from all four golems. Necklace of Black Pearls – 2670 Jade Axe-Head – 170 Matching Gold Bracelets – 560 each Ochre Jelly Trap Exquisite mother-of-pearl necklace – 750 Two gold ankle bracelets – 575 each Two gold bracelets – 575 each too Inside the jar are 12 ivory figures worth 105 each Sandals inlaid with Turquoise – 620 gp as a pair Necklace of Coral and Jade Beads – 760 gp Crystal Skull – 2500 gp Robe and headdress – 350 gp Jade Amulet inlaid with Mother of Pearl – 750 Jade Earrings – 150 set Ivory Box inlaid with mother-of-pearl – 250 gp and a large pearl inside – 500 gp. 20 small pearls, 25 gp each 400 worth of jewelry on the guards. Gold Holy Symbol Encrusted with Gems – 780 Golden Belt with Silver Buckle – 520 Sapphire-Studded Scabbard with Silver Inlay – 1730 Sapphire Pendant – 370 Silver, Emerald Studded Snuff Box – 1100 Three Gold Rings with Emeralds – 290 each 5000 gp in exotic silks A small casket containing gems: 1000x5; 500x15; 100x100; 50x200 Chest containing 5000 gp and 15000 in generic jewelry Three sacks containing 2000 gp each – 6000 total. Eight kegs of rare spices – 8000gp total Bag of Holding Hardened Lump of Gold, 600 gold, 900 gold pearl – 100 g That list was so big, I just decided to add everything else to it too from this adventure. They decide to head back to Tangaroa, and arrive two weeks later, with all quiet. Alzar cancelled the Charm on Maerie and she is joining them of her own free will, but how long, Alzar is uncertain. He gives 500 platinum to each of Estaish, Carum, and Aleigha. |
Magic Pile: +2 spear given to Carum for his +1 one. +1 Broadsword, +3 vs regenerators, Dagger +2. +1 shield, +1 chain mail, +2 short sword. Staff of Healing – 15 charges. 3 cloak of magical portal access. Helm of Alignment Changing. Potion of speed
Geldered’s Spell Book – Locked, Trapped 1st - Hold Portal, Sleep, Magic Missile, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Read Languages, 2nd – Continual Light, Detect Invisible, ESP Magic Mouth. 3rd – Dispel Magic, Invisibility 10’ radius, Moonglow Symbol Used Potion of Healing Aleigha, Alzar: Used charge on Wand of Opening. Used Pot of ESP. Kalnaka’s spellbook: 1st Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Magic Missile, Sleep, Locate Remains 2nd – Locate Object, Mirror Image, Web, Wizard Lock, 3rd – Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt, Haste, Protection from Normal Missiles. 4th – Charm Monster, Massmorph, Polymorph Self. 5th Animate Dead, Magic Jar Xp – 4325 for Carum and Aleigha, an extra 433 for Estaish; 7700 for Alzar Alzar – 130,094 (Level 9 at 135k) Estaish – 59,847 (Level 7 at 64k) – Now with 45 HP Aleigha – 55,744 (Level 6) – Now has 41 HP. Carum – 49,024 (Level 6) – Now has 58 HP. Maerie – 42,000 (Level 7 – level 8 at 70k) - 22 hp Alzar learns Charm Monster and Locate Remains. |
Alzar cannot take the shadows with him, so he commands them to jump in the volcano. Similarly, he cannot take the ghouls with them – they are too messy. Ordered into the volcano. The agarats are similarly problematic, but he has to have them. He is also taking 15 of the topi, they are small. The Fundamentals are released and fly away. The skeletons and animal skeletons are stored in a room and locked up.
After a week in Tangaroa, Alzar has finished the final one of the random spellbooks for Castanamir. The Dispels worked. Here is the final of those tomes, one of Mordenkainen’s books itself, but there are multiple copies out there. It has just four conjuration spells, and they are levels 5, 6, 7 and 8. Epic Saga of the Great Conjurers: Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound, Conjure Animals, Cacofiend, Monster Summoning VI. Cacofiend is rare, the Hound is uncommon and the other two quite common. Alzar now has time to actually explore the ruins here on the Isle of Dread. There are no major pending quests. They move out to the ruins on the north east of the Plateau and the village and ruins on it. They are let down on the land and quickly make their way to the ruins without much of a problems – since it’s only a few miles in. |
C1. The Hidden Shrine of Tomoachan
 This is another classic. It was rated number 18 in the top 30 selections by Dungeon. We have played #28, 27, 20, 19, 18, 16, 15 on that list. After this is #13 and the end of the mega Isle of Dread epic storyline. Then I may hit up #4, the Temple of Elemental Evil and head back to Hommlet, or grab #30, the Ghost Tower of Inverness. Others in the queue for soon are Desert of Desolation which is I3-I5 and #6, #2 White Plume Mountain, #22 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and I have #23 The Forgotten Temple of Tharzidun as well. Others may include members of the X series of modules, since I have most of them, and more Is. Eventually, although I may be done with the dynasty by then, but eventually, I’d like to do the G 1-3, D1-3 and Q1 mega series. |
The ruins are all dilapidated here, with crumbling blocks that once told of the realm of a civilization long ago. There is a crumbling central pyramid and as they walk, they find sign of a recent stone fall. Sometime in the past year, probably, one of the stones fell over and it revealed a path down into the earth. Not steps, not anything nice and steady, but a path down.
They explore it, and then move down. The architecture here seems to go past what Alzar has seen before. The destroyed keep, the ruined temple on Taboo Island, the keep on the island and the other ruins all seem to be from the same civilization, but this one is not. In fact, Alzar can’t place any of the symbols, architecture and accoutrements of the ruins as belonging to any civilization he has ever read about. As such, his ancient languages proficiency will not help him here. (For fun, I am going to tell you the name of each room , even though Alzar won’t know it). The path meanders down into the black and yet it shows signs of claws and such, so perhaps a few others have been this way before Alzar and his company. They enter the Vault of Chicomoztoc. This is a long narrow chamber with an east-west run. In the center is a domed shape on the floor. In the east wall a black faced stone door and the west end is where the path comes from. The two side walls have several niches cut into them. Alzar sniffs the air and can tell that it is poisonous down here. Every ten minutes, everybody down here will take 1 poison damage. Alzar and Aleigha are immune because of the Necklace of Adaptation. Alzar hands the necklace to Maerie since she has a low number of HP and a Periapt of Proof vs Poison to Estaish, which will give him a save and a +2 to the roll. Alzar will save, and possibly regenerate that damage. They look at the shape in the center and it is a small alcove, protected by a half dome with the open end facing the east. It holds some sort of a display, with a diorama of a hunting party of stocky humanoids Alzar does not recognize, in feathers and war or hunting outfits. There is a stag, dog, deer, puma, and various people like a scout and such. The scout is holding a shepherd’s crook, which is the only part of the diorama that stands out – it is a different color, texture, and such. Alzar takes it from the scout. It appears to have some notches in it and Alzar pockets it. Key to Tamoachan taken The niches on the walls also have dioramas of village life here in the Isle of Dread a long time ago. Alzar leaves the dioramas for later and moves to the door. It is carved with a sun symbol and appears to open into the room with no hinges, locks or handle. There is a small keystone with a narrow hole and Alzar inserts the shepherd’s crook into it and the door opens after turning it. It starts to close so Alzar gets everyone in quickly and grabs the key before it closes. |
This is the Hall of Thrashing Canes. The side of the corridor are carved to resemble walls of bamboo-like logs, and the passage slopes down. As they head down, Alzar triggers a and several of the bamboo logs swing out and hit him for 8 damage. Maerie disarms the trap in case they have to come back.
46/54 They arrive at double doors that open and reveal the Roost of the Conch. This is a room made of large stone blocks, with a generally square shape but diagonal cuts in the corners to give it a lopsided octagonal look. There are doors to the right and left, and a stair down in front. The walls are wet and slimy and mud covers most of the floor in a thin coating. In the center of the chamber sits a large polish boulder amid a pile of smaller rounded rocks. The boulder is 5’ tall and colored brown with dark streaks and spots. Leaning against it is a bamboo staff. In the mud around the base of the boulder is a moving crayfish. The floor is very slippery. Alzar moves forward and approaches the boulders. The crayfish begins waving its claws in warning and speak in a foreign tongue. Alzar can’t make out its language, so he backs away and it settles down. He sees the bamboo staff move a little, and a closer look shows it to be a leg of something else not a staff at all. They leave and head off right through the doors there. As they walk down a new tunnel, the walls of the corridor are wet and slimy. The stucco covering has become saturated with water and is decomposing and sloughing off in spots on the southern wall, exposing the seams of a large stone block. Alzar pushes on the block and after a bit, due to his strength, it gives way. Inside in a set of double doors just a bit in. They open them, and enter the Sepulcher of Tloques-Popolocas. Once the entrance block has been pushed out, and the stairs are opened, there is a crash and a glass sphere that was a trap falls and a gas cloud emerges. Alzar orders everybody back save the two immune to it and himself. He makes the save. Aleigha heads in, and Maerie follows. Behind the doors is a chamber cut out of the rock with a veil of calcite and stalactites covering the corners. Buttress rise from the corners, brown shot through with black and great stone transoms support the high vaulting. There are six urns made of beeswax to the left past the door. There is a colossal monument resembling a giant’s table, covered on all sides with intricate carvings and glyphs. Engraved on the floor in a seal bearing more glyphs. There is a battle axe embedded in the wall. The monument is constructed from several parts, with a great stone slab resting on a tick monolith and this, in turn, is supported on 6 huge blocks od dolomite. Every component is covered with intricate carvings and glyphs. The top of the slab depicts a struggle between a man and a serpent. The battle axe has a blade of bronze and the haft is wound with snake skin wrapping. We take a look at illustration #1:  See that creepy way the axe makes the shadow of an arm? That’s not a good sign. The block beneath the slab sounds hollow when thumped with a sword. None of the carvings or glyphs are magical, or else Alzar could read them with his monocle. Nothing they can do can pry the axe from the wall, or open the sarcophagus, and Maerie and they all search. The urns have common oil in there. |
They return and head back to the room with the crayfish and take the left door. There is a short tunnel with stairs down, and another door. They open it and enter the Courses of the Gods. The room is wet and the walls are covered in a slimy white buildup. There is about an inch and half of water and mud blanketing the floor and within the room are many overturned pedestals and broken statues. Only one pedestal in the northwest corner is okay. On it sits a small, metallic three sided pyramid There is a door on the other side. Alzar takes the:
Small Pyramid of Silver – 3 gp And they search, find nothing, and leave. They enter a hallway coated with the same slime as that found elsewhere and the floor is covered with a layer of mud, and thorough it a stream trickles north. Along the east wall of the passage stands a 12’ tall statue of a man outfitted in native finery and holding a narrow stone tray in his arms. His eyes appears ot be black gemstones and one droops one of the socket. Behind the left shoulder can be seen the hilt of a weapon, and several places are scratched and chipped. See illustration #2, linked to above. Alzar uses the Rope of Climbing to attach to the sword and pulls it out without touching the statue. He can’t tell if it’s magical or not and tosses it in the magic pile. Maerie searches and finds nothing. They continue on to double door and arrive at the Court of Cemanahuac. The doors are bronze and tinted blue due to age. There are two wells, one to either side, just before the doors. The small trickle of water ends there and forms a small pool. The doors open easily and there are narrow aisles in this room flanked by statues and and two corroded bronze braziers in the water. In the middle of the room are two broken urns and some sort of greenish trail in the vicinity. The water is roughly 2’ deep in most places, but the side are much deeper forming a bit of a moat. The green trail leads to a giant slug, which tries to talk to the party but is unsuccessful. They move through the water and up some stairs, into another hallway which 180s into another door – the Tomb of Hurakan. There is a sound of dripping and slashing from the room, and the door is stuck. Alzar pushes with his might and it finally is forced open, but a flood of water behind it floods the party, and several wash back all the way to the other chamber, where the giant slug is laughing. They head back and discover nothing else in the chamber, not even after a search. |
They follow a hallway out and arrive at double doors, and they have arrived at the Child of Zotzilaha. They hear a faint melodious voice singing, female and strong. They open the doors and see Illustration #3. (It’s just a chick languishing in water).
The room is lit by a strange soft light which illumines a section of sandy beach and a pool of water framed by a crystal cavern and double doors beyond her. It stretches for a bit to the right and it’s obvious this goes back to the crayfish room, and this is what was forward. The light comes from everywhere. On the beach is a nude woman singing, with long golden hair, pale white skin, and a glow to her skin. After finishing her song, she slips into the water. They enter and move slowly towards the doors, and the pool with the woman. Alzar knows she is not a native due to her hair and skin color – they are all wrong for those who made this place. Alzar uses the Gem of Seeing, and can make out her in the water, as a golden mantling of angel seaweed. Carum and Estaish are taken with her and keep going. Alzar orders Aleigha and Maerie to hold them back while he moves forward (he is immune to charm as you may recall, even Man Charm). Alzar has a hunch and tries to control her. She is invisible under water, which might imply coming from the Elemental Plane of Water. Or it could just be a natural defense. Alzar succeeds and controls the Nereid. He orders her to stop her charm of Carum and Estaish but she cannot, it is natural, but it will end after they are taken a few hundred feet away. He orders her to give them any treasure she has, and she goes into the water and comes out with: 6 golden statuettes worth 85 gp each Gold Mask – 175 Two crystal scroll cases - 20 gp each , water has damaged scrolls within. Bronze Bracers Potion Alzar orders her to open the double doors on the room and there is a half flooded door beyond. He tells her to stay away, or he will control her again, and this time, he’ll force her to leave the water and never return. He then releases her, and they move on, Carum and Estaish dragged until they recover. They open some double doors in the hallway and enter The Great Hall. This hallway is 20’ wide, and has piles of rubble and debris all along it. It is at least 125 feet long, and probably longer. He walls are covered with frescoes, and the north wall has a nation questing for land and the south sailing over storm-tossed seas. They head down see Illustration #4. It shows the hall and the frescoes and the wall and such. They search and find a secret door, 8’ off the ground in the middle of the great hall. |
They climb up rope and arrive in at the Hall of Great Spirits. This corridor is high and decorated with sculptures mounted on the walls. There are two corridors branching off of this one. The statuary that adorns the walls consists of four sculpted each of animals – sea turtle, elk, hawk, and tiger. Why is that interesting? Carum mentions that those are the same four names of the clans among his people.
There is something shining in the hawk’s beak. See Illustration #5. Maerie searches for traps. She finds nothing. Alzar can tell it’s magical and has earth magic in it, but nothing more. He grabs his staff, and slashes at the ring with all of his might and the ring pops out, and the beak closes. Magic Ring – value 1250 gp They go right and the corridor is smooth, and at the end is a small alcove holding a 3’ tall stone pedestal on which sits a small stone coffer. See illustration #7. There are two steps up. Maerie finds a trap on the floor of the nook. When more than 100 pounds of weight is put on it, the floor will sink and trap the person in the alcove, and close behind them. Megala flies in and is able to open the cover and inside is a small stone statuette that Alzar telekinesis’s back to him. It starts to glow and float, and Alzar watches it for a bit, and then after it does nothing else takes it. Glowing, Floating statuette They return and take the long path forward and arrive at the Hallway of the Ancestors. Deep in the shadows, human figures appear to be hovering in the air. See illustration 6. It shows that there hallway is in the dip, and there are steps up to those hovering figures. They appear to be corpses and Alzar’s investigates one They are not undead, just dead. None have any items but old, ratted and faded robes. They arrive at a massive bronze door that forms the entrance to the Spirit Guard of Ayocuan, a grand chamber with rubble, broken statuary, and an army of clay statues. There are doors to the right and forward. The room is shaped like a rough hexagon. In the east wing appear to be large carved stone stelae and the remains of a sedan or litter with statues of attendance standing in harness. They move in and in the littler is the remains of a human shackled to the arm of the sedan, and a bronze door barred shut with an old copper bar that Alzar breaks to open it. Inside are several things including an amulet made of turquoise and silver. They search the center of the room, and as they move a giant urn, it falls and breaks, and out springs a wight wearing another amulet identical to the one they found. Alzar tries to control it, which should be automatic but…does not work? The amulet grows a vile green instead. It gets a swing at him and he orders everyone back and to attack with magical ranged weapons. Carum misses. Alzar runs and grabs a dagger and throws it and barely hits for 11 damage. Aleigha and Maerie and Estiash have retreated from the room. A sling stone flies in and adds 4 damage. Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to fly in front of it before it reaches him. It attacks Megala but it manages to fly out of the way. Another dagger flies in for 11 damage. Carum hits and kills it for 5 damage. XP – 700 for Alzar and Carum He grabs the amulet and investigates this one, which is identical to the first one. Yeah, he can tell it’s definitely magical. It’s something he’s never seen before, but he thinks he can guess what it does, and if so, these two amulets may be the biggest treasure in here. |
They leave and enter a hallway that ends at a dead end. Two searches find nothing and they turn around. They go right and a short hallway ends at the Chamber of the Nacehual. Both of the doors to this lozenge shaped room are made of heavy bronze.
In the middle are two stone divans, each with a human figure stretched out upon it. Between the divans is a low stone table with two goblets and a flask. There are glyphs and search around. One is female and the other male. They find nothing of value, and nothing is in the flask. The humans are either dead or sleeping, and have nothing of value on them but robes. They leave by another door and move into a corridor with a Will-o’-Wisp in it. It hovers quietly overhead but makes an eerie sight. Maerie found a pit trap right under it. She disarms it. They arrive at The Nest of the Warriors. This bronze door is opened and a bitter reek can be smelled. There is a mass of offal and rubbish and many glowing beetles moving around. They are ignoring the group. There is the glint of something shiny from a big pile of trash. Megala and Dryshik go get the glints and bring them back: Dagger Turquoise – 50gpx3 They head over to the other doors and leave and this corridor has a ton of stairs up and the climb up for about 15 minutes. Then the tunnel bends and they arrive at the Arc of Nanahuatcin. |
This is a spacious vaulted hallway with much weathering and cracking from the wages of times. The walls are charred and scored and there are several stone statues of baboons scattered around and chipped in several places. Fungus covers part of the room. There is an opening at the other end of the room. As they move in, ahead something spherical floats in the air at about chest height. As the range diminishes, the sphere appears to have one eye and a dozen various tentacles growing out of the top. Alzar immediately orders everyone to stop and ready range weapons. It is probably a beholder: a very dangerous and powerful creature. It appears to not see them yet, despite being in range, and Alzar orders a preemptive strike with bolt, dagger, and stone. They attack and two hit. The “beholder” blows up and explodes but they are out of range of the explosion. It was a gas spore.
 They find a bag with 7 silver sling bullets and Alzar hands them to Carum to use if needed. |
They led and end around a corner. As the corridor, it bends and there is the Tomb of Pelota. There is is a bend in the passage and a faint line in the walls depicting men playing with a ball and stone goals. There is a capstone on the floor. Alzar orders everyone past, and then opens the capstone. Inside are several skeletal remains of various people. There is a glistening blue ball on top, about a foot in diameter. The ball is cool to the touch and made of resilient material wrapped around and around, and then dyed or painted.
Alzar is challenged to play pelota, and he disappears into another place and time.  Alzar has several rounds to try to score three times in this area. The information is conveyed to him telepathically. He rolls a 15 and easily hits the hole in the first round, and recovers the ball and rolls a 17 and easily hits again. (It’s AC3). He rolls an 18 and nails it and the challenge ends like that. There are some items in the area, and he takes them before he is teleported back: 13 pink pearls 200 gp each Whistle of Flight – Can be blown three times a day. Gives flight for as long as it is blown until the person runs out of air. They arrive at a door to the Guardian Beast. This giant room has multiple doors off it, and is decorated in a cat motif. See illustration 8. There is a snarling face of a tiger on the entire southeast wall, the statue of a cat man in the middle of the room, a stuffed tiger in the center of the room, and several stuffed domestic cats, Alzar orders a search, and as they enter, Aleigha turns into a werebear and pushes Alzar forward. She smells the room and moves toward the statue. Suddenly it animates and the werejaguar attacks Aleigha. The werejaguar wins init and hits Aleigha once for 5 damage. She hits twice for 7 damage back. Alzar flings in a dagger and nails the guy for 12. Carum misses. Aleigha wins init and bites him once for 4 damage and kills him. They search and find: Jade Statue of Cat – 200 gp Dagger Scroll of Protection vs Felines A secret door to the southwest. They can go behind this, to the right, left, and forward left. Alzar takes the secret door. 36/41 - Aleigha |
This is The Portal to Death.
There are a massive number of symbols and glyphs in here, and double doors on the other side. There is a seal on the doors keeping them closed. They find nothing in here after a search. They break the seal and open the doors to Ancient Tomoachan: The Tomb of Tlacaelel Beyond the door is a chamber containing a model of a city or nation fenced off from the entrance by a pillared porch. On the porch are clay statues of 20 guards holding bronze headed spears. The face of each statue is different. The walls are brightly decorated with frescoes showing royal court scenes. The central chamber holds a tarnished copper raft, crafted to resemble a dragon, bearing a copper coffin. The raft is afloat in a sea of silver white molten metal fed my several rivers which lace the floor of the room and its walls. Open that sea, small copper barges and carracks embark on journeys up the rivers, to port, and then sail back to sea. Stepped pyramid temples rise skyward. A royal complex spread across verdant field and modest countryside. There are ringed marketplaces, and yet a mar on this spectacle because several of the models have been smashed and melted as if by monstrous feet. See illustration #9  Alzar has Megala fly in, and then follows himself. As soon as he does, a Wall of Fire erupts from the pillars and separates him from the party. The copper coffin rises and out comes a doppelganger, in Alzar’s appearance, and Alzar’s axe is out. Alzar wins init and deals 14. The doppelganger misses Alzar wins init and deals 17. Dead doppelganger. XP – 650 for Alzar The wall of fire dies out. The room is cool. Alzar drops a copper coin in the molten metal, and it melts, so it is lance hot. Maerie enters, and the wall of fire returns, and starts a search She finds a few hidden chest inside the temples. The wall of fire dies down after a few minutes. Inside these chests they find: Jade earplugs, 6 pairs, 15 gp each pair Alabaster statuette – 50 gp 15 Bracelets of Obsidian – 200 gp each Alabaster statuette of Coatlicue – the serpent skirted, worth 270 Scroll case with scrolls Mask of Disguise The chests have heaps of these silver coin necklaces, which have 360 silver coins pierced and on a threat of gut. There are 30 necklaces total. Nothing else is in the room and they return. |
They head to the next door clockwise.
This passage leads west towards a set of double bronze doors bearing the engraved face of the jaguar god. Both walls are carved to represent two lines of warriors in profile, holding hatchet-headed polearms and facing the doors. Illustration #10, which I have above for you. A search finds a trap that turns the polearms deadly and Maerie successfully disarms it, and they move to the door to Xipe’s Audience Chamber. When the door is opened, a rush of fetid air greets the group. The room is lit with a sanguine glow. On the wall opposite are tacked several obviously human skins. A cat-o-nine-tails hangs beside them. To the west the room widens to accommodate a high statue with an ogrish look to it, outfitted in flayed skins and many skulls, and with a gaping mouth big enough to swallow a horse. To the east is a well, and above it, a 25’ high ceiling and a hole in it. Beside it is a stuffed panther. As they enter, a booming voice tells them to toss a offering into the Well of Wisdom, and they will be given advice. Alzar tosses a platinum coin in, a light from the well flashes, and the voice tells him to rerun to the room they just left, and take the north west door to find their destination. All is then quiet. They search the room, find nothing, and leave. They take the door recommended and arrive at double doors after a 180’. The floor of this room is covered in a thick grey ash inches deep. There are double doors on the other end of this room. There are two alcoves on either side of the room. Megala flies in and sees nothing. Alzar walks in and the dust swirls and forms images. Alzar tries to control them, they are not undead. He uses the Gem and they are merely harmless illusions. He moves through the room, and searches, and finds a Rod. They open the doors into the Chamber of the Second Sun. There are no more poison gases in here, and as they continue to rise, there will be none as well. 22 turns they have been in the dungeon, and that means Carum has taken 22, and Est rolls 22 saves and we’ll say he makes half and took 11. Alzar takes back the magic items. This is a huge chamber with a mighty buttressing and vaulted ceiling. Parts of the ceiling and walls have collapsed and through a gaping hole in the north wall, raw earth can be seen. Crushed beneath a fallen block near the middle of the room are the remains of what was likely humanish. Elsewhere are the chewed and decayed corpses of some baboon like creatures, and through a hole in the ceiling can be seen a crack of daylight and fresh air. A group of 4 baboons way up in the gap scream at the party and as they do, dirt slides down a bit in the room. As they enter, they run into a giant, two headed snake that was hidden in the rubble. It moves to attack and between Alzar’s axe and missile weapons, it is killed on the first round. XP – 95 each The mandrills leave after seeing the party kill the snake easily. They move the block and search the room, including the corpses, and find nothing but double doors leading on. |
They open the doors and it bends 270’ degrees and as they move up the stairs, a trap Maerie failed to find hits everybody for 8 damage from a jet of acid.
Carum has taken 30 Est has taken 19 Everybody else has taken 8 Illustration 12 shows the trap. Now that she knows it’s there, Maerie disarms it. They reach the top of the stairs, and follow the corridor until it Ts. They go left. At the western end of this corridor is a pile of yellow coins heaped on the floor. On top of the gold coins rests a jawless skull, and in the right eye socket, a black spider has made this her home. There are bones piled on the coins, with the hilts of a broken sword in the mass. Alzar uses the Gem of Seeing. It’s just yellow mold. They search around the gold and find two secret doors in the hallway. Alzar opens on and they move on. This is The Chapel of Kukulkan Beyond the secret door the passage turns to the left. At the end of this narrow hall hangs an ornate mirror and in the eastern wall is a door. The door seems to be very heavy and there are many glyphs upon it, including ones with an eagle killing a serpent. Two warriors dressed in loin clothes form the doorposts. Illustration 13.  Alzar makes his save when he looks in the mirror and no one else will need to. Beyond the door is a wide foyer leading into a circular room. On the south wall of the room is a jade death mask fixed at chest height. In the center is a cross shaped dais with a set of stairs leading up to it at each of its four ends. Between the arms are shelves on which stand various small trinkets with little value. The steps to the north are bloodstained. There is a statue at the top of the north stairs, and the ones on the other side change colors. The Gem of Seeing shows an ethereal Couatl coiled about one of the stele in the room, chained to it with ethereal chains.  Alzar waves everyone back and moves in and addresses the Couatl. He apologizes for the interruption, but asks why the Couatl is there in this quiet place? The Couatl hisses and addresses Alzar. It is pleased Alzar can see it and the chains. It wants to be freed. If Alzar and his party can reach the top of the altar, and grab the potion from it, and the prison is broken. Alzar consents. Megala tries to fly in, but there is a wall of force above. Alzar moves to climb the stairs and he chooses - blood, normal, statue or color changing….normal ones. Each time Alzar tries to climb them, he slips and falls, so he moves to the one with a statue at the top. The heads of gods in the stairs chant at him and he cannot concentrate. He move sot the one with blood. He makes it up the stairs, but the statue animates and ambles over. Alzar’s axe is out. The statue wins init and misses. Alzar hacks for critical damage for 16. Alzar wins init and adds 14 and kills the statue-warrior, who dissipates. He makes it up, and then feels the wall of force. The Gem of Seeing shows it to be of an unholy nature, so he grabs one of the flasks of holy water from the Taurian Dungeons and smashes it on the Wall of Force, and it dissipates. He grabs the potion and the Couatl asks for it. He gives it to the creature and it is freed and materializes. It does not know the ruins or the area, but it will give Alzar some special reward. A scroll appears in his hands, and the Couatl disappears. The scroll is opened and Alzar feels a chill, and then a warmth. He does not know the benefit. He will be stalked by a Death Servant, who merges with his shadow. If he ever is about to take a fatal blow, the Death Servant will jump out, take the blow instead, and Alzar will be fully healed. |
Alzar takes the other secret door. The Mirrors of Tezcatlipocas. An amber haze fills the room. The chamber is unoccupied, but there are strangely shaped and colored mirrors hanging in the walls and a large basin stands in the middle of the floor. One is red and firery, another is black, and other white and other blue. There is a golden pool in the center of the room.
Each of the mirrors is magical. Alzar’s shadow in one shows him dying in the shrine. In another, it shows what he would look like as one of those who made this place, in a third is shows a mist and so forth. The floor appears to be normal. A search turns up a secret room. In the center of this diamond shaped room is a dais on which a weirdly formed altar rests. It is made to form a many armed and beaked octopoidal creature with large purple-red stone set in the forehead. The walls are decorated with paintings of the sun and moon. Alzar moves to the throne, and suddenly the arms start spinning and he is caught inside. Using his strength, he is able to bust out but tool 6 damage. Nothing else is found here, and they return to the T and take the other doors to Mictlan. This room is decorated with a bizarre diorama depicting the land of the dead. Small brightly colored clay statues have been placed to represent inhabitants of the realm and the unfortunate souls bound to it. In the center of the room, the floor rises to form a small hill with earthen palisades and a group of small men figures are rolling a boulder up a hill with a demon driving them on. There is a pebble path through the diorama to the foot of the hill, and doors can be seen to the right. Alzar moves to the doors and opens it. As he moves across the wild plains section of the diorama, he has to make a save and does. Knowing the room is enchanted, he gets everybody past and into the next room. |
This small room has a small shelf on which rests a glazed flask. The floor of the room is covered with a lumpy pile of earthy material. There is also a small urn and stone cylinder. A door is on the other side.
As Alzar enters, the pile on the floor opens an eye. Then it opens many more. Then it opens a mouth, and more and more and more. It begins to make a babbling cacophony and Est and Carum are Confused. Carum stands still and Est runs in fear. Alzar orders an attack on the gibbering mouther.  Alzar loses init and it attacks 6 times with bites and misses this round. Alzar’s axe rolls a 5 and he misses against the AC1. Maerie and Aleigha grab weapons and dash in. Aleigha hits for 10 damage. The next round, Alzar drops his axe. Maerie hits for 5 damage. Aleigha hits for 4. It attacks Alzar 6 times in order to concentrate on him. Alzar takes 9 damage. At the end, Alzar recovers his axe and can attack normally next. The next round, Maerie misses, Aleigha misses. Alzar doles out 18 and kills it. XP – 200 each The flask in the room hold: Powder of Strength Potion, which Alzar can restore with Alchemy skill Dried Heart of a Mighty Sis’sharr warrior The cylinder is a +2 baton, dealing 1d6+2 damage. They open the door and it is stairs up. They take them and arrive at a room that is small and plainly decorated. To the west, stairs lead out of this room and to either side are narrow dust covered ledges. In the north and south ends of the room are fountains made of bronze inlaid marble. The southern one is cracked and only dry limey deposits remain. The northern fountain contains about two feet of brackish water. A quick check by Megala shows a platinum key in the water, and Alzar dips in his staff and flips it out and into his gauntleted hand. They search and find nothing, and move on, up the stairs and out to Sacred Chitza-Atlan. |
In the middle of this chamber is what appears to be the withered preserved form of a centaur mounted on a slab of marble. Tinted green and decks out in lacquered leather, feathers and copper wire jewelry. There is another door at the end of this room. About the room at many jewelry and knickknacks. Made of copper and bronze, and of little value.
A search finds nothing but this junk jewelry, and they move to leave. As they open the door to the next room, the centaur animates and gets up. It appears to guard the door. Alzar tries to control it, and fails. Alzar thinks it’s a mummy. Alzar moves up and dodges a pair of hooves from the offspring of Chitza-Atlan. His axe deals 15 damage. Carum and Estaish miss. It goes first and Alzar takes 5. He would get leprosy, but he is immune to disease. (Periapt of Health)Alzar hits for 15. Est’s crossbow adds 5. Carum’s stone misses Aleigha misses. Maerie hits for 5 and it dies. XP – 1000 each They find and disarm a wind trap in the hallway. While searching for traps, they find a secret door too, and it goes into The Hidden Room of the Nahual. The walls of this room are painted a flat black, while the floor is inlaid with a colorful mosaic of strange gods cavorting and leaping around a sun. The chamber is otherwise empty, except for a curtain, behind which is the form of a statue seated upon a throne carved to depict feathers. The statue is wearing a feathered headdress, made to look like leaping fish. Laying across its lap in open palms is a gold and silver scepter with an eagle’s head in one end and the talons of a bird hold a sun in the other. See illustration #14 from before. The statue has Alzar’s face. He reaches down and picks up the scepter and he becomes stone. Simultaneously, the statue with his face animates and becomes flesh and blood. It explains to the party that it is Alzar merged with a previous incarnation from a previous life. A die roll shows that Carum does not buy it and leads an attack! Carum hits for 8 damage. The statue misses with the scepter, now back in its hands. It gazes at Estaish and he drops his weapon. It wins init and hits Carum for 7 damage. Carum misses. It forces Aleigha to drop her weapon. Maerie misses. Est picks it back up. Carum has 31/58 Carum misses. Est Misses. Maerie hits for 6 damage, Ale picks up her weapon. Carum is missed and is forced to drop his spear. Est misses. Aleigha misses. Maerie hits for 3 damage. Carum take s4 more and Maerie drops her dagger. Carum speras it for 8 and kills it. 27/58 XP – 750 for everyone but Alzar Alzar is still stone. They try a few things, and eventually touching him with the specter changes him back. Scepter of Nahual – 507 gp, residual magical energies, but all used up A search here finds nothing so they return to the corridor and continue. |
They find stairs leading up, and Maerie finds and disarms a crank of some sort of trap.
The stairs open up into what was once a large temple of sorts. All that remains are a back wall and enough of the roof to shelter the altar. All else seems closed off by fallen debris. Several pillars have fallen and litter the floor. There are a few holes in the ceiling that allow the poking through of sunlight. There is a giant bas-relief of a bat-creature on the back wall and in front of it is the altar stone, carved to look like a mass of rats, weasels, and worms. Close inspection of the altar shows handholds at the base. Alzar cannot lift it by himself and Estaish helps. As they do, a trap launches and hits them both for 10 and 7 respectively. They move the altar top and reveal a pit with one major item of value: 19160 silver pieces |
They have completed the dungeon, except for the tomb and axe below. Alzar sets up shop and spends ten weeks casting Read languages, Detect magic, identify and such, and writes a book about the temple itself, its traps and treasures, the glyphs, and such. He deciphers the languages with the Read language spell, shows rubbings of various parts, and more.
After knowing the language he figures out the tomb. The date of the person;s birth is given on the wall and there are stones around marked 1-10 in the language. By pressing them in the birth order, the crypt lid pulled back. Beneath the slab is hollow and inside are the remains of a crumbling skeleton decked in finery. It appears to have been a man taller than human size. Fitted on the skull is a mask of jade, with cowrie shell eyes and obsidian pupils. The bones and inside of the hollow are stained bright green. Beneath the mask are fragments of bones as though the skull were crushed. Within the fragments are a white bead. Laying about the mask is a diadem of dark stones and green discs. There are several other items in here as well. Alzar reaches in and starts pulling off items, and as he does so, the boys starts to reconfigure. While it is doing so, Alzar tries to control it. It fails, but he knows it is undead. It must be powerful. Alzar grabs a +2 dagger and stabs the creature while it is reforming. It looks up at him and bares fangs, and he stabs it again, and it dies. This is a vampire. Mud Ring Ring of Protection +1 Bracers of Protection vs Normal Missiles Jade Mask – 250 Diadem of Opals and Jade – 300 Hair Ornaments of Obsidian – 200 Earplugs of Jade- 75 Polished Onyx – 175 gp Breastplate of Jade and Bone – 640 gp (AC6) Alzar tells the fighters to keep hacking the corpse in order to prevent it’s regeneration until he gets back. He goes out and finds the material in the caverns to move the body and then returns. They take the body to the room that was decayed where the poison ends, with a clothes ,and staffs to carry it and others keep stabbing it. They arrive and expose it to the sunlight, and the vampire is destroyed for good. XP – 500 each When they return, Alzar is able to grab the Battle Axe from the wall now. Here is what it does: Battle Axe - +2, -2 vs Chaotic Evil (so it’s neutral against CE). It is cursed, and must always be used in combat by Alzar until the curse is removed. It has permanent scrolls in the haft, and the command words are in the ancient language, which he can now read. Three times a day he can activate each of these – Push, Passwall, Burning Hands. |
All of the stuff from this adventure:
Powder of Strength Potion, which Alzar can restore with Alchemy skill Dried Heart of a Mighty Sis’sharr warrior The cylinder is a +2 baton, dealing 1d6+2 damage. 6 golden statuettes worth 85 gp each Gold Mask – 175 Two crystal scroll cases - 20 gp each , water has damaged scrolls within. Glowing, Floating statuette Turquoise – 50gpx3 13 pink pearls 200 gp each Whistle of Flight – Can be blown three times a day. Gives flight for as long as it is blown until the person runs out of air. Jade Statue of Cat – 200 gp Scroll of Protection vs Felines Jade earplugs, 6 pairs, 15 gp each pair Alabaster statuette – 50 gp 15 Bracelets of Obsidian – 200 gp each Alabaster statuette of Coatlicue – the serpent skirted, worth 270 Mask of Disguise Scepter of Nahual – 507 gp, residual magical energies, but all used up 19160 silver pieces The chests have heaps of these silver coin necklaces, which have 360 silver coins pierced and on a threat of gut. There are 30 necklaces total Plus the stuff from the crypt. Magic Pile: Two Handed Sword, +1, +4 vs Gas Spore. Bracers of Cleaning. Potion of Treasure Finding. Amulet of Protection vs Turning x2. +1 Dagger, +1 Dagger vs Lycanthropes, Cleric Scroll – Stone Tell. Rod of Electrification – 17 charges. Ring – 1250 gold. Can cast Flesh to Stone three times. Each time the value of the ring drops 200gp. Then can cast Stone Shape, and each time that is used, value drops another 50 gp until the value is gone – charges are used up. Mud Ring – The wearer may cast these spells: meld into stone, water breathing 3x day, stone shape 2x day, earthquake – 1x month, transmute rock to mud or reverse, 2x week, transmute water to dust or reverse 1x week, conjure 8 HD earth or water elemental 1x week, and airy water 1x day . But, it cannot be used more than 5 times a day. All saves involving water or earth are made at +1, and air and fire at -1. Alzar is immediately made aware of the ring’s powers upon donning it. However, there is a small chance each time it is used that Alzar will be wisked off to the plane whose powers he used when the conduit is open, because the enchantment is not perfect. He needs to keep his Amulet of the Planes with him at all times, as a result. Bracers of Cleaning – When worn, prevents hands from getting wet or dirty from any substance. This includes poisons, acids, and such – so they might be handy in the lab. Rod of Electrification deals 1d4+1 electrical damage when it hits someone in combat, can be recharged with a lightning bolt. |
XP:
Alzar – 133,554 (Level 9 at 135k) Estaish – 62,647 (Level 7 at 64k) – Now with 45 HP Aleigha – 58,289 (Level 6) – Now has 41 HP. Carum – 52,269 (Level 6) – Now has 58 HP. Maerie – 44790 (Level 7 – level 8 at 70k) - 22 hp Research shows that the heart is enchanted and meant to be eaten, so Alzar eats the old heart, and now he can fully understand and speak Sis’sharr permanently. Alzar has finished Dispel Magicing another book for 2 months worth - the level 6 Evil Spellbook Level 6 “Evil” Spells: Death Fog Ensnarement Geas Mislead Programmed Illusion Flesh to Stone Curse of Lycanthropy Gauntlet of Teeth Otiluke’s Excruciating Screen Seizure Spell Mirror The Screen, Teeth, Mislead and Programmed Illusion are all illusion and evocation, and Death Fog is an example of Evocation Bleed into alteration, so not. Alzar learns Ensnarement, Geas, Curse of Lycanthropy, Seizure and Spell Mirror. Spell Mirror allows the caster to put a spell into a mirror, and then the first person to cast a reflection that meets the qualifications gets the spell cast at them. |
Since Alzar and company are near the dangerous monsters on the north side of the Isle of Dread, he grabs a Broom of Flying and starts searching for a dinosaur to fight, solo. He finds a Triceratops and flits down. The dinosaur is 100’feet away, and Alzar’s Blastbones forces it to turn and charge. It has 81 hp.
Alzar casts skulltrap and sets it on the ground and retreats, keeping it between him and the dinosaur. As it gets near, he casts Ray of Enfeeblement. It makes its save, and then bowls into the trap. 24 damage or save for half. It makes its save and takes 12. 69. It arrives and misses (cloak). The new axe is out and The dinosaur is hewn for 18 damage. 51 damage left. Alzar wins init and hits for 17. He is hit twice for 11. Alzar hits again for 18 more. 26 hp left for it. It wins init and hits three times for 11. He hits back for 20. It wins init for 22. Alzar hits for 19 and it dies. Alzar – 10/54 Alzar gains 8800 XP. Alzar – 142,354 |
Alzar gains 2 hp and is at 56. He can now cast 2 5th level spells.
5/4/4/3/2 This is a significant upgrade. The ability to do things such as summon elementals and animate dead will greatly increase his mystical force. Also, when he casts Dispel Magic at a work of Castanamir’s, he now has a 10% chance per spell of it working, which is a major upgrade. He spends an extra week back at Tangaroa, and then with all of the more powerful Dispel Magics cast, Reveals these two tomes: Markessa’s high level spellbook – Lightning Bolt Markessa’s low level spellbook – Magic Missile, Protection from Good, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Shocking Grasp, Scare, Wizard Lock and Darkness, 15’ radius They were both easily dispelled of any protections, if they had them. Alzar doesn’t want any of these except Wizard Lock. One of the things that Alzar has been doing is getting skeletons ready for animation by casting bone knit on them, and memorizing two Bone Knits and one Dispel Magic daily. The Bone Knits will give a skeleton max hp and only take a shard of bone to cast. He is preparing many of them for eventual animate dead. They gather up their things and move to the ruins on the other side of the Isle in the jungle that they found earlier. |
I1. Dwellers of the Forbidden City
 As mentioned before, this one got 13th on the all time best chart, and I think it did so, in part beause of its additions to the game. Here are the creatures it introduces – yuan-ti, tasloi, bullywugs, aboleth, yellow musk creeper, and mongrelmen. That’s a lot of creatures that are major parts of AD&D. All of them were important enough to make the cut in 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual, because that’s how good they are. The yuan-ti, in particular, is one of the most classic of AD&D monsters. After this, it will be Alzar’s desire to leave the Isle of Dread and head home, but I suspect one or two more adventures are going to rise up and challenge him before he does so. |
They arrive at the ruins, and closer examination finds that the ruins are part of a lost outpost, from long ago. The architectures matches that in other places around the island. They investigate it, and it is just old crumbling ruins, but there is a cave nearby that has a stream emerging from it. This certainly seems interesting, so Alzar and company move towards the cave.
The tunnel narrows and becomes a five foot wide path beside the stream that hugs the wall of the cavern, and soon the sound of a waterfall can be heard up ahead. After another fifth of a mile, the path opens up into a giant cavern, with a tall waterfall that’s roughly 200’ off the ground and a few hundred feet away. Bats squeak and flutter overhead. Thirty feet along the path the rock wall juts outward and the path turns out of sight around the bend. Alzar fails his save and believe the rock wall and path are there and moves to go around and falls into the river. Everybody else backs up away from the now discovered bank.  Four warty tentacles lance out as the aboleth focuses on the people still on the path, ignoring Alzar for now. Mistake. Alzar’s cursed axe is out and he slashes into the mucousy cloud of tentacles. He misses. It hits twice, critting Carum and hitting Maerie for 4 and 5. Maerie fails her save and her skin starts to turn into a clear, slimy membrane. Aleigha jumps into the water (Necklace of Adaptation, does not wear metal armor) and swims to Alzar (slow and -4 underwater though to damage and to hit and +4 to AC) 54/58 – Carum 18/23 – Maerie The aboleth wins init and hits twice, getting a crit of Carum for 10 and a hit on Maerie for 2. Alzar hits for 15 damage. Aleigha rolls an 11, -4 for underwater, +2 for sword, +4 for Ac – miss. Alzar’s second attack hits for 18 more. Carum jumps in the water after stripping off his metal armor. 44/58 – Carum 16/23 – Maerie The Aboleth wins init and turns its attention on Alzar and tries to Enslave him. Success, Alzar is now enslaved and cannot attack the Aboleth, and will serve it. Aleigha hits the Aboleth for 5 damage. Carum spears it and adds 1 damage. Maerie is starting to be hurt by being out of water due to her altered condition, and she jumps out, leaving just metal bound Estaish on the shore. Aleigha and Carum win init. Aleigha rolls a 13. -4, +4, +2 – hit barely. 4 damage dealt. Carum misses. Maerie tries to stab it and misses. Carum fails a save in the mucous and now can only breathe water for a few rounds. It swims away, ordering Alzar to guard it. It is moving towards the waterfall. Aleigha and Carum set up a perimeter in the water so it can’t escape. Carum realizes he can breathe water after he surfaces, gulps in air, and starts to choke. Alzar is not coming too. Estaish believes they need to kill the creature, and is scanning the water with crossbow ready in case of ripples. Maerie is underwater so her skin won’t hurt. Estaish sees a small cloud of mucous and points it out to Aleigha and Carum who advance. Est lances a bolt into the water on the other side of the cloud in order to scare it toward Aleigha and Carum but instead it lances out at Est with four tentacles. One hits for 6 and Est makes his save. Aleigha and Carum near it. Est lances out a bolt at the area the tentacles are coming from. He just misses it. 39/45 – Estaish Aleigha misses with a 12, and Carum misses with a 9. Est bolts in another for a 14. -4 for a blind shot, +4 for AC is a miss. The Aboleth rolls 7, 16, 6, and 2. The 16 is -2 for AC, and has a THAC0 of 14 and hits. Est rolls a 15 save and takes 3. 36/45 Aleigha rolls a 3. Carum a 16, which is a hit for 9 damage and the Aboleth dies. Alzar is back to normal. Aleigha casts Cure Disease on Maerie and her skin turns back to normal. Carum can breathe air again in a few minutes. XP – 1000 each |
Wow, nasty beast there.
|
They move inward and get closer to the waterfall. The path continues up the cliff in a very meandering way, and at several points it passes behind the waterfall. Megala and Dryshik fly up and see nothing but a continuing tunnel and a few barrels with lit torches on the walls. There is a stream and a pool in front of the waterfall.
As they move up the path, it goes underneath the waterfall, then comes out and heads to the other side of the cliff before cutting back on itself and heading under the waterfall a second time. Suddenly, a barrel of oil is broken above, and set on fire and the waterfall is fiery. Everybody takes 6 damage, except Carum, Estaish and Aleigha who are immune to normal fire. 10/23 - Maerie 48/54 - Alzar Megala flies back up and sees several of these squat froglike humanoids at the top with rocks readied. A few have short bows, and two fire at Megala, and one crits it for 8 damage. It flies back down immediately.  4/12 for Megala There is no question they are setting up to drop rocks and fire bows down on the group as they wind their way up the cliff. The best way to break that up is to change their view. Alzar hands out Brooms of flying to Estaish and Carum and grabs the whistle. They will fly up the cliff, land among the bullywugs, and attack with melee weapons instead of own their terms. The 9 bullywugs are quite surprised when three people start flying up. The three with bows fire at the one in front – Alzar. He is missed due to his cloak. They land and start attacking. Alzar’s axe is +0 to hit and damage against them. He still manages to hit a bullywug for 13 damage and kills it. Est drops his sword. Carum spears one for 6 damage and it dies. The other 7 have moved to melee weapons. They are jumping into the people they attack, so they get +2 to hit and deal double damage. Several miss Alzar He is hit by one who fired a bow at him earlier and knows to compensate – He takes 6. Est is hit for 10. The next round, they win init and hop around some more. Carum took 12, Est 10 and Alzar 14. Alzar casts Sleep and puts down all of them. Should have done that to begin with. Now he knows better with the hoppies. 30/54 - Alzar 19/45 - Estaish 32/58 – Carum XP - 200 for Alzar, Estaish and Carum They search the bullywugs and the clear pool here with glittering things at the bottom. They find: Silver Brooch – 1000 Three Disks of Jade – 500 gp each Gold Enchased Incense Burner – 900 gp |
Quote:
Yeah. Imagine if I had to fight more than one! One of the things I've always liked about the Aboleth is that their powers make sense. They mentally enslave people, and then their mucous makes them able to breath underwater and their tentacles make their skin more comfortable underwater. So their abilities make sense together, and I like a creature that's well thought out like that |
They’ve been wounded badly by less than 10 Bullywugs and an Aboleth. This is not going to be easy, Alzar thinks to himself. They continue along. As the path, which is obviously carved, continues, a natural path splits off to the left. They decide to take the off cave to see if the place gets a little easier than hoppers with spears and bows and rocks and flaming oil, and weird fishy things with tentacles and magic.
Near the end of the natural tunnel is a cave with a small cave mouth. The area is open to the sun and therefore there are ferns, orchids, all of the place, plus these pretty bright yellow flowers handing down from the entrance. As they move towards the entrance, three humanoid creatures scramble out from behind the rocks behind them. Maerie dodges the attack of one and the party’s ranks reform. They wear banded mail, carry shields and sword, and they are pushing the group forward. Maerie is backed up, and suddenly, one of the flowers fires a puff of pollen at her. She is hit, fails her save, and starts waling to the entrance, listless. Alzar orders everybody to attack the three yellow musk zombies while he goes after the plant. Alzar gets to the plant and is immune to the pollen, since it must be breathed in to work. Some tendrils are starting to work their way to Maerie’s head, and Alzar hacks them and forces her to the ground. Carum hits a zombie for 7 damage. One this back on Aleigha for 3 damage. 38/41 – Aleigha The zombies miss three times and one drops a sword. Alzar hacks at the creeper for 18 damage. Aleigha and Carum hit the damaged zombie for 16 damage and he dies. 2 left. They win init and Carum takes 8 damage. Est and Aleigha hit for 14 on another. Alzar kills the flower. Then moves back to the group to help them out. They win init and Est takes 6. Alzar kills the damaged one for 20 damage. All three hit the other one for 23 damage. Alzar hits and kills the last one. He looks at the sword of one and immediately identifies it 24/58 – Carum 13/45 – Estaish He look through the other things and finds nothing else obviously magical, but they add it to the magic pile for later examination. A search of the room turns up some small clay balls. Alzar is able to id them as well +1 Longsword, +4 vs Reptiles Incense of Mediation x4 XP – 202 each |
They leave by another entrance to this chamber. As they walk on, they enter a larger chamber, with stalactites and stalagmites. They move in, and suddenly a Piercer falls on Alzar, and three more follow. They all miss. Then Alzar hears a clicking above and spies a carrion crawler moving on the roof. It is not attacking them – probably because the Piercers missed. They keep an eye on the carrion crawler and search the room and find:
200 gp Wand The tunnel continues and bends and winds its way out of the cliff altogether and they have emerged outside. Obviously there are two entrances to the area they are investigating, this one, and the one that was guarded. They head back. Estaish is now told to use his Crossbow more and Maerie is handed some daggers to throw from the rear. Carum is behind Alzar, and Aleigha is at the rear, in case of rear attacks. They arrive back at the sculpted area and soon they hit a place where the passage widens and is dimly lit with fungi of a phosphorescent nature. There is a large open grillwork gate that blocks the wall, and it is flanked by two square pillars. There are shuttered windows in the pillars – towers? Rooms? Well, this is obviously an interesting find. Why is there a cave version of a guardhouse here? Alzar tells the group what the plan is. He is going to use Passwall on his axe on the pillar to the left, and then they will charge in and attack whatever is there on his terms, not theirs. They approach it, and Alzar casts the spell, reveals the room behind it with about 10 tasloi in it, and then they charge in. As they do ,two Tasloi in the windows across form them open windows and start throwing javelins.  Due to surprise at the way of entering, Alzar gets in a free hit and bisects a tasloi. They win init and Alzar kills another. Estaish and Carum kill two more with bolt and spear. They reciprocate. Those in the other room throw spears at Aleigha. One hits for 2. Several try and hit Alzar and miss. Carum is hit with a net and loses 3 turns while trying to get out. Alzar hews another down – 4 dead. Alzar’s group wins init. He kills another. Est misses. Maerie misses. Aleigha runs in. Alzar is critically hit with a short sword for 8. They win init again. Alzar kills another. 6 dead. Aleigha deals 4 and just injures one. Maerie’s dagger flies in and deals 5 to one and kills it. 7 dead. Est bolts the one Aleigha hit and kills it. 8 dead. They run away and Alzar hacks down another as they do. 9 dead. They others join them from the other room, and there are way too many to put to sleep so Alzar has Dryshik cast Wall of Fog in front of them and they move in. A throwing dagger kills one. A crit on a sling kills another. They try to push into the Wall of Fog to escape the deadly missiles and Alzar casts sleep and drops 7 more and two are left. Megala claws one for 3 and it falls asleep. They follow the other and drop it in the fog. 36/41 – Aleigha 28/54 - Alzar XP – 85 each They search and find a bunch of weapons but nothing else except for: 2 10gp gems and 50 gp |
They move on and after a bit, they arrive at a place where they hear people ahead. A quick scout by Dryshik shows that there are about 16 tasloi and a pureblood yuan ti.
 Purebloods look like the chick. Alzar decides to use up on the spells in his second Ring of Spell Storing in order to clean it out for better spells. He launches a Fireball at them. It will explode in front of them, and he is really far away still, so hopefully he will catch them in its explosion, without having to get so far that they can see him. It does 39 damage and a save vs half for the Yuan-Ti. It makes its save and takes 20. The tasloi are cooked. The yuan-ti casts Darkness 15’ radius down the corridor and where the fireball exploded, and Alzar can no longer see it. He runs into the darkness, hoping the yuan-ti did so as well, but doesn’t sense it. He pulls out the normal crystal ball and looks ahead at what he just saw . The yuan-ti has backed off, and is readying more spells once Alzar pops out. He prepares by hoisting daggers and will run out, throwing daggers at his foes, while the rest of the party has caught up to the darkness. Then they will pop out and use missile weapons while Alzar engages. Alzar wins init and hits the Yuan-Ti for 10 damage. It casts Polymorph Other on Alzar. Alzar makes the save. Alzar wins init and knifes for 9 damage. The Yuan-Ti casts Suggestion (Alzar is immune). The other missilers exit the darkness and Est manages to hit with a bolt for 5 and drops it. XP – 1560 for just Alzar, 1000 for Estaish. They search and find: Potion 2 gems worth 1000 each |
They continue on. The opens and light filters in a bit from somewhere above. The passage opens. There are two half-breed yuan-ti guarding this room. One appears man-like except for his scaled skin and snake like head. He carries a halberd. The other has snakes instead of arms. They see Dryshik scouting and move in. Alzar and group move up. They move to attack and one casts Suggestion on Alzar – immune. He lances a knife at the spellcaster for 11 damage. Then he reaches the one with the halberd. The halberd misses, the spellcaster casts Cause Fear and Carum and Maerie flee. The cursed axe hits for 13 on the halberd wielder. Est misses and Aleigha moves up to position. A Mist Ball flies in at the spellslinger for 2 damage and 4 rounds of blindness.
Alzar doles out 19 to the halberd wielder and Aleigha adds 8. He dies. Est misses the spellcaster. Alzar moves in and hits for 15. Aleigha misses, and Est hits for 2. It tries to bite with its snakes and misses Alzar. It wins init and hits Alzar for 5 damage. His axe bites into him twice for 36 damage and the yuan-ti dies. XP 400 each They search the bodies and find a ring on the halberdier’s hand. They continue and exit the cavern and enter a new world. This is an old, underground city. It was once above ground, but volcanic activity and earthquakes combined to bury it. However, it has not remained fully buried. There are streams of sunlight that illuminate the place, as the jungle above and rocks cover it, but still allow in a lot of light The city has a ton of buildings and as they move in, they notice that many are crumbling and antiquated. A large lake dominates the area in front of them, and a large swamp surrounds it.  (They are at C11 in the right corner) |
Since this place is so large, and since they have those with them badly wounded, Alzar sends out Megala and Dryshik to scout. They find a cave to the right about 300 feet down along the cliff face. The area around the cave mouth is clear of vegetation. They move to the cave, and open entering find a large number of bullywugs. Alzar casts Hypnotize and 4 drop their weapons. There are three more but they call for aid and more can be heard deeper in the cave. Several try to hop stab Alzar but they miss. He throws in a Skulltrap deeper as a bunch more Bullywugs emerge from side caves and wipes out the cave but took 10 himself.
They search the caves and find: There are three entrances from this main central cave, and they each extend back 20-30 feet or so. The floor is very muddy and strewn with debris, and at the back are two poisonous frogs in a cage. They clean out the cave and convert it to a place for them to stay for a while. They turn this cave into a campsite, with campfire, and more. It is very easily defended, and the people here will probably not attack thinking the bullywugs are in here. There could be more out on patrol or something, but there is little movement in the city, and Alzar suspects it awakens at night. They find plenty of fruit on nearby trees. After a few hours, Alzar decides to head out scouting the swamp around them. He checks out the lake, and sees it teeming with life. He’ll come back later for a better look. He returns, and they set up camp. He gives Estaish his Belt of Flying with the gems for a few hours to regenerate him, and thence to Maerie. The evening is warm and they listen to outside. There are two on guard at all times. They hear nothing approach their cave all night, and in the morning, everyone is fresh and rested. Alzar stores a Searing Serpent in the Ring replacing Fireball and then rememorizes it. |
Alzar memorizes his normal complement of spells – Sleepx2, Hypnotism, Charm Person, Animate Dead Animals, Blastbones, Ray of Ondovir, Ray of Enfeeblement, Empathic Control, Skulltrap, Dispel Magic, Searing Serpent, Vampiric Touch, Mordenkainen…Maidens, Charm Monster, Greater Malison, Domination, Conjure Earth Elemental
They head out and instead of hitting the city, they decide to investigate what is around them. Everybody is healed. They move down the swamp and arrive at the lake. The water is black and scummy, clogged with reeds, duck weed, and lily pads. There are swarms of stinging insects and frogs, and probably more. The lake hits the cliff side, so they cannot skirt it to the right without going over it,. There is a path that skirts it to the left, so they take it. After a bit, it continues on into the city, or veers off north, and they take it north. It makes things rather quite easy to walk. As they do so, a giant centipede comes out of the swamp and moves to attack them. It probably thinks they are food. A dagger from Alzar kills it, and then 4 move emerge. They grab weapons. Est kills one with a bolt and Carum another with a stone. Alzar runs up in front and the last two attack him and miss He axe kills one. They win init and Alzar smashes it. XP – 20 each They move on Another 20 minutes pass by and all is quiet. The path leads to a stockade a few hundred feet in front of them, and it continues off to the left and skirts past the city. They move slowly towards the stockade. A flying scout shows several huts and such in the also, lots of swamp water, and bullywugs. Alzar has no idea why the bullywugs they killed were in that cave. Have these not noticed they are missing yet? Maybe there is more than one group in the area? Alzar has already seen how they can tear through a party if given a chance, and has no intention of allowing them to do the same to him. There is a watchtower, and more. What Alzar wants to do is get all of the bullywugs together in one place, and then Skulltrap them. He grabs a skull to get it ready, and then mounts a Broom of Flying and flies over the compound. Several of them emerge and a few spears are thrown his way. He lowers himself on top of the watchtower and flings a non-magical dagger down and hits dealing 10 damage and killing one. He then leaps back into the air. A few more spears fly past, and after a few minutes, there are about 30 bullywugs around, and one is giving them orders and wearing chain mail. Alzar swoops down to the chief and grabs his skull, poised right above it. Spears fly out as bullywugs converge, and most miss but he is hit twice for 8 damage. He then casts Skulltrap and drops it. It hits most of the bullywugs. The chief, his guards, and 20 others have died, but a few are outside the range. Alzar has Megala fly up and down like crazy in front of Estaish, and that’s the signal for them for come towards the stockade. Alzar grabs a bone and flies toward the remaining bullywugs. They are running and hopping away from him. He puts the bone back, they won’t stay still. He casts sleep instead and five drop. The last few flee even more, and another sleep puts the rest to sleep. When the fighters arrive, Alzar has made the stockade safe for them. They find a pond with hundreds of bullywug tadpoles. Alzar agrees to let them stay by themselves XP – 1800 for just Alzar They search and find a few trained frogs still leashed up. 8 gems – 500 gp each, 1 gem 700 gp 1500 sp 5000 gp |
They leave the place and search the woods above but find nothing but a few giant wasps flitting above overhead. They return and take the northern path to the city. The city is roughly 2000-2500 feet wide at its widest, so although there are a lot of buildings, it should take too long to explore. They walk along the path on the north and enter a few buildings and they are devoid of anything of interest. They reach the northwest corner of the city and pass by some stakes, bloodied, and chains in the street. They hear the cry of a bird. Dryshik says its not a bird but a creature. Megala claws it and hits for 1 damage and…it falls asleep.
Alzar has it captured and they head back a few hundred feet to an abandoned building. They tie up this ugly, malformed creature. It looks to have the blood of several types of humanoids running through it, like some sort of…mongrel.  Alzar slaps the mongrelman awake and tries to talk to him. He is panicked, and it takes a while to calm his down. It speaks a fragmented common broken with animal calls. Alzar reaches down and unties him. He rubs his one wrist of skin – the other is an insect-like chitin. Alzar casts Charm Person and it works, and the mongrelman tells him about the home of his people just ahead. They are invited to come with him, and they mongrelman, who’s name sounds like the caw of a bird, move forward. He leads in the front, and the guards let them through, but a group of his kind arrive and they talk for abit. This is a wide open compound with walls all around and several buildings still intact in the center. They are introduced to the leader, who will allow them to stay in their village and come and go as they please if Alzar will wrestle him. He agrees. They take off armor and weapons, and that leave Alzar with his cloak and bracers and such, but not gauntlets – they actually are armor. They move to a fight, and Alzar easily wins after five rounds, and he took just 2 damage from a throw. The group is welcomed and there is a feast tonight to celebrate, and as the food – a dead boar, is roasted, the people get clam and solemn, and the leader tells Alzar the history of their people and their heroes. They have been here in this city for a long time. They have fought many enemies. They ask for news, and Alzar tells them of the bullywugs they killed and they celebrate. The bullywugs will eat them. The stakes outside are where they chain enemies they capture in combat, and leave them for the local monsters to eat. They are welcome to stay the night tonight, and use the mongrelmen camp as abase. |
There is a building in the compound that no mongrelman will enter. When asked why, they mention that is it the home of the mystic mistress. Alzar goes up to the door and knocks, and a female voice inside curses at the mongrelmen for disturbing her, and suddenly goes quiet when she peaked out of a crack in the building and sees Alzar.
Her name is Aratheas, a female Invoker who has been here for a year now, when her adventuring party came to the Isle of Dread, and found these ruins, and then was all killed but her. She is very haughty and indolent. Alzar and her talk about the art, and then enter into the trade. He looks over her spells, but finds none that interest him. He is nice and trades for the first level spell Enlarge and she trades for Chromatic Orb in one of his spellbooks. She asks to come with them on their way out, because she has been down here or too long. Alzar tells her they will come back for her when they are ready to leave, and she agrees ,although it’s obvious she does not want to stay. Morning comes and another night passes. Once again, Alzar goes into a place by himself leaving all of his items behind and casts Dispel Magic on a spellbook and then returns. Then he memorizes it again. They set out early, with few preparations to make and Alzar only needed to learn two Sleeps a Skulltrap and Dispel. The mongrelmen told them where they could expect trouble, and they are to one spot right now. There are supposedly some bugbears holed up in a complex to the south east and with directions in hand, they head out. |
Nothing attacks them on the way. They enter a section of ruins quite dense and Megala confirms that this is the section with the bugbears. There appear to be several spaces set aside for the bugbears. The axe will be at +0 for fighting them. This encounter will be about weapons, not magic. They are too powerful for a simple sleep spell – since maybe one or two would fall asleep from each casting. Alzar wants to save Skulltrap for later and they aren’t bunched together anyway. There are 7 separate entrances and exits to their compound, so they can’t be bunched and then killed. They are too smart to fall into the trap the bullywugs did. Nope, there is no easy solution to this problem, just grab weapons, and head in.
Alzar leads the way and they enter by the south east and run into 3 bugbears. He casts his maidens and orders everyone else to support him. Maerie has been given a quartet of +1 daggers to toss in. Aleigha watches his flank and the others fire in. The bugbears win init and miss. Alzar carves one for 14 damage. It is still alive until Est kills it. Carum misses and drops his sling. A dagger deals 2 to another. The other two shout for help. The maidens miss. Aleigha moves to Alzar’s right flank and watches it, ready to nip in and hit if needed. Alzar wins init and deals 13 damage to the unharmed one. It falls. Another dagger flies in and hits the same one for 4. It misses Alzar. His maidens deal 2 to it, Carum recovers for 6 and Alzar‘s second swing kills it. Alzar has Megala and Dryshik watching to make sure none run away. Four more round the corner and two throws weapons at Alzar. They win init and two miss due ot the cloak and the other two miss because of his -3 AC. At this point, unless they roll a 20, they are all missing due to the -2 AC with an axe and -2 from the maidens. The maidens miss. Alzar nails one for 10. Est and Carum add 7 and she dies. Alzar wins init and carves one for 12. The maidens hits once for 4 and kill him. Est and Carum miss. The two left attack Alzar and miss. Three more bugbears arrive as Alzar’s second attack kills one for 18 damage. He moves forward to engage them away from the others. Megala sees 8 more coming. They go first. They all miss. Alzar drops his axe, Alzar thinks about wielding the other axe and the cursed one pops back into his hand – a useful side effect of the curse. Carum hits one for 3 damage. The maidens hit once for 6 damage. A Mist Ball flies into one but it makes its save. Alzar wins init and hits for 10 damage on the injured one and it dies. One maiden hits for 2, Est adds 4, Carum misses. Aleigha moves in and hits for 10 and kills him. Alzar takes a magic missile from a bugbear shaman for 8 damage. One crits him for 16. His second swing carves another for 16 damage and kills it. 30/54 - Alzar The bugbears go first. They miss Alzar and he takes 5 damage from Melf’s Acid Arrow. He casts Vampiric Touch on a bugbear. He only deals 6 to her. Aleigha adds 8. One maiden hits for 3 and she dies. Est drops his crossbow and Carum misses. Maerie sneaks in and backstabs a Bugbear who turned his back too much. She hits for 14 damage and he dies. The shaman is Mist Balled but makes the save. 31/54 Alzar takes 4. Alzar wins init and deals 12 damage. Two beefier bugbears, with similar features arrive. The maidens hit the injured one once fro 2 damage, Aleigha and Carum miss. Maerie tries to stab him while she’s here and hits for 6 damage and kills him. They all miss, and the shaman casts Cause Fear. Carum runs. 27/54 They go first and Alzar is attempted to be Charmed but failed. He hits the beefiest one twice for 24 damage. He is reeling. Aleigha hits another near her for 8. Everybody else misses. The shaman is blinded and takes 2 from the third and final Mist Ball. Alzar wins init and cuts down the chief for a hit that deals 13 damage. The maidens both hit and kill Aleigha’s target for 9. Est hits a new one for 3 damage. There are just four left, besides the blinded shaman. One beefier, and three others. The beefier one calls a retreat, and Alzar slashes the beefier one for 11 damage before they do. Megala is ordered to clip one and hits for 1 damage and…fell asleep. Three left. Alzar casts sleep as they round the corner and the two non—beefy ones fall. They run after the wounded beefier one. Megala and Dryshik shows its position in this labyrinth. Maerie stops to kill the blinded shaman. Megala flies down to claw and hits for 1 damage and it rolls a 3 and falls asleep too. The sleepers are killed and they have cleaned out the bugbear lair. XP – 598 each They search the bodies and area, and add a lot of stuff to the magic pile. Scroll – Non-Detection, Emotion 1625 gp Ring 55 pp Ring Sword of Wounding I 13, E 4 AL CN – Empathy, Detect Invisible, heal once/week 2000 ep 4 pieces of jewelry worth 500 gp each Jeweled Headband – 3000 gp As they leave the ruins, they come across a pure blood yuan-ti sent to investigate the commotion. A dagger in its stomach from Maerie deals 2 to it. Alzar drops his dagger. Carum misses Est hits for 2. The pure-blood casts Sticks to Snakes and turns four nearby sticks into snakes. Alzar orders the group to take care of them while he runs to the pure blood. It casts Polymorph Other on Alzar and he just makes it. His axe misses. (-2 for attacking CE align just caused the miss). One snake takes 14 and dies. One hits Aleigha for 4 damage and begins to constrict her. Another hits Maerie for 1 and does the same. They win init. Alzar is tried to be Suggestioned but that fails. Maerie and Aleigha automatically take 2 and 4 respectively. Carum drops the spear and grabs a dagger to try and cut a snake loose. It takes 3 on Maerie. Estaish’s sword is out as he attacks the snake not coiling around someone. It takes 6. Alzar hits for 12. His second attack adds 15 more and the pureblood just dies. The snakes turn back to sticks. They add his weapons and armor to the magic pile for later. XP – 400 each |
There is supposedly an old marketplace with nasty creatures a bit more down this way, so they head out more. They arrive at a 50’by50’ area that used to be a small marketplace and there are rotting remains of stalls still in orderly rows. Vines hang from the walls and canopies. As Alzar enters, two of the mounds of earth rise up and shamble towards them.
2 shambling mounds, which take 50% damage from weapons. Skulltrap is launched. 25 damage dealt to each if they fail their save. One makes, one fails. He grabs his axe and moves forward. Some weapons miss and Carum hits one for 1 damage. Alzar hacks the more wounded one for 6 damage. They win the next round and miss Alzar twice. Aleigha has moved up and nicks the wounded one for 5. Alzar adds 9 and kills it. Marie crits it for 4 with a thrown dagger and Est adds 1. Alzar’s back swing hits for 6. It wins init and moves to Aleigha and She is hit twice for 18 damage and is pulled in to suffocate (Which she is immune to). Alzar hacks for 8. The other all miss. It tries to suffocate Aleigha and fails. Alzar misses. Maerie’s final dagger hits for 2. Alzar’s back wing hits for 6 more and it dies. 23/41 Aleigha. XP – 2400 each They search the area, their corpses and find: Potion of Extra Healing Scroll of Cleric spells They head back to the mongrelman camp. They welcome them back and Alzar asks where the tasloi live, and they tell him about an old park that has become an overgrown forest. He heads back out with the Sword of Lyons by himself and Megala and Dryshik, and making himself invisible. The others can stay back and get healed. Its south of the bugbears and he comes across nothing invisible. |
There are six tall trees that supposedly hold all of the Tasloi in tree houses. There are a few giant wasps flying by. He uses his scouts to check the area. There is a pair of giant spiders, four guard posts with 2 tasloi in each, a huge platform is about 25 tasloi, one living alone by herself with no weapons and a staff – probably the shaman. Ten tasloi sleeping.
That’s a lot of Tasloi, but many are on the central platform. Alzar has only used Skulltrap and Maidens and one sleep so far – he has plenty of spells for today. There’s one he has been meaning to cast in combat though, and now is his time. He lands on the ground nearby and Conjures an Earth Elemental: 34 hp, AC 2, THAC0 13, 4d8 He draws and sheathes the Sword of Lyons, and commands the Earth Elemental invisibly. It moves in and Alzar orders it to attack the tree of a guard post. The Tasloi see it and retreat. The tree is down in two rounds. Alzar orders it to move to the next guard tree, but not where many of the tasloi are. He grabs the broom and flies up. The two tasloi guards here retreat and the houses are a buzz with what to do. Several Tasloi are banging a drum and wasps with saddles can be seen. Alzar casts sleep from way up in to the top of a tree at those on the platform and 7 fall asleep. He draws and sheathes his sword. The giant crashing of the Earth Elemental covers his spells. The elemental is ordered to the drum tree to bring it down. Some Tasloi are arranging an attack while others are trying to flee. Alzar casts Hypnotism and 6 of those who are arguing to flee suddenly stop, and move slowly towards the Earth Elemental, and then sit down. Arrows and javelins deal little damage to the elemental. It takes 7. The elemental is crashing the tree with eh drum and it is about to go. The tasloi decide to run and Alzar casts Sleep from his Ring and 6 more fall asleep. He has Dryshik drop a Wall of Fog over the entire area, and the tasloi are completely befuzzled and confused. The drum tree is brought down and Alzar orders the elemental to the main tree. When it punches the tree, the remaining Tasloi move to the platform the sleepers were on. Some are climbing down to the ground, so Alzar flies down and attacks one with a dagger for dead. He grabs his axe and begins to hew any who believe the ground is their solace. Several fall down and are running away, so Alzar casts Wall of Force in front of them from the Ring. The Earth Elemental brings down the giant tree with the main platform and Alzar orders it to the next tree. The shaman casts Dispel Magic on the Wall of Force and…it works. Clever shaman. However, it allowed time for Alzar to fly in and he lands and forces them back. They are just running now. A dagger flies out and kills another. The shaman drops a Darkness on Alzar but he just runs out of it. The Earth Elemental brings down the 5th tree and moves to the last one. Alzar casts Slow from the Ring and the rest of the Tasloi now move half their movement. Alzar runs after them and they cannot escape, so they turn to fight and a few miss him. His axe bites into one for death. The shaman pulls out a wand and fires 2 magic missiles at him for 7 damage. The next turn, they miss him, and he takes 6 more from the wand, and then he eats two more with his cursed axe. The final tree is down, and their entire camp is destroyed. Alzar kills the last two including the shaman. XP – 850 for just Alzar. A long search finds: Potion of Wand of Magic Missiles (32 charges) 1000 pp 3 gems – 350, 500, 700 500 sp 50 gp Alzar heads back, having completely devastated the tasloi camp. They rest of the night, and in the morning, Alzar stores a second Dispel Magic and Domination, just so there is something in the empty slots of the other Ring. |
The mongrelmen have rumors of an estate somewhere in the noble section of the city, in the south west section, where the yuan-ti are based. The group sets out. After an hour of going south and looking through any ruins that look close, they come across a web in one building, and behind it is a giant spider waiting for a trap. Alzar’s dagger cuts into it for 9 damage and he moves into the room and moves through the webbing. It charges at him, misses, and then dies on his axe.
They search and find nothing of interest in here. They continue their move and searches. They pass by five towers still standing in a group, and spend a half hour checking them and finding nothing and almost falling into some collapsed masonry. They find a section with a fully functional compound, walls, towers, buildings, and a central estate up a porch with gates. This has got to be where they are. The outer wall is 15 feet high and built of blocks of unmortared stone. They are partially covered with vines. They have twice the normal number of guards due to the destruction of the bullywugs and tasloi and bugbears. There is a house to the north just on the other side of the wall. On the walls there are large buildings in the northeast and northwest corners, and the house is just on the other side. Alzar’s plan is to enter this house, wait and watch until the back wall is free for a few second, Passwall out the back of the house and Passwall into the back building on the northwest side. They wait, and it happens a few minutes, Alzar’s Axe does the first and they move into the section between the house and the wall, and then his axe does it again. Resting in this barracks are 4 bullywugs and two bugbears, totally surprised. A sleep spell puts all but a Bugbear asleep and it is surprised and cannot raise the alarm before being attacked for death by Est and Carum’s and Maerie’s missiles. XP – 90 each They kill the sleepers and search. There find nothing of value here. There is a door to the courtyard and they have gained the wall. The Passwalls are ended, and there is no evidence of how they got in, or that anyone is in the compound. With Boots of Elvenkind that leave no tracks, and the Sword of Lyons, Alzar slips out and does a little recon. Alzar slips to the other guardhouse, enters, and sees another group of bugbears and bullywugs. He hides behind a bed and casts sleep and four bullywugs and a bugbear fall asleep again. He draws and sheathes the sword. As the final bugbear looks around quizzically, Alzar’s slips his axe out and ambushed it for 17 damage and it dies. A search here shows nothing else here either. XP – 450 for just Alzar. There is nothing else in here. Alzar makes himself invisible again and moves out into the compound. He moves to the door to the compound. No one is on the porch. There is a garden to the south, walled off with leopards and rust monsters in the area. The central area is free of bad guys. Just the walls have enemies. The towers have no one in them. |
There are two groups of monsters on the walls. Two halfblood yuan-ti in one group and 3 bugbears in another. Alzar picks up his axe and heads in to the shack where the others are. He tells them his plan. He is going to move them out just as a group of yuan-ti approach, and then push the Yuan-Ti down on them for them to kill. This will raise the alarm, but with most of the creatures here kill, it may not matter much. Alzar heads back to the door to the place and spends a few rounds building a powerful Blastbones, casts Blastbones on it when neither group can see him and immediately goes invisible again.
He moves to the area, and the group is ready. A few minutes later the Yuan-ti are about ready to walk right where Alzar want s them, and he draws his axe, then he realizes he can come up with a better plan and returns, telling them about his new plan. The axe in hand gave him another idea. He can cast one more Passwall, so why not use it to break into the house? He slips up and uses Ear Ring to investigate sounds inside the house. Alzar can make out some breathing and reading, but it is on the other side of the house from the group. The plan is that they try to make it around the house, Alzar casts Passwall and they run in despite the guards seeing them. Plan made. They move out and make it part of the way before a clever Bugbear sees someone and calls out, immediately, despite being early, Alzar Passwalls the room. Inside is a reception hall with a man sitting at a table who looks up quite curiously. Alzar casts Domination. He tries to cast Invisibility. The group runs over. He makes his save. Now he is gone. The bugbears are running towards the tower so they can climb down. The yuan-ti will be here in a short bit. Alzar uses the Gem of Seeing to see the man as he moves to a corridor to the left and Alzar follows. The party are moving in. Alzar throws a dagger at the mage before he runs away. It hits for 10 damage. He spins and casts Forget at Alzar. Alzar fails his save and forgets what happened the last 4 rounds. Then the man, now visible, slips away. The party arrives, the bugbears arrive. Alzar sees battle and moves to attack. They win init and one hits Carum for 6 damage. It is hit three times for 18 damage and dies. Alzar is in and carves the other for 17 damage. It dies. 1 left. It wins init and misses. Alzar hits for 11. The others add 8 and kill it. They move into the house through the pass wall. Alzar admits he cannot remember what happened, and suddenly the house is full of mist, and the doors slam close and strange sounds and lights can be seen. Alzar orders every one including himself and casts Dispel Magic at the room. It works and the Guards and Wards spell is dispelled. The yuan-ti arrive and one casts Polymorph Other on Carum and the other on Maerie. Carum is now a pigeon. Alzar orders Carum to fly to the top of the building while the group moves in. Alzar casts shield-maidens. Alzar arrives and pushes everybody aside, and they miss attacking this turn as a result. The yuan ti miss Alzar. One tries to cast suggestion and the other charm person on Alzar, both fail. He axe drops, and he recalls it. Aleigha, Estaish and a maiden hit for 18. They win init and they cast suggestion on Estaish and Charm an Aleigha. Aleigha is now their friend. Alzar hits the wounded one for 17 and it dies. He slashes again at the unwounded one and it take 15. Alzar’s axe swing again when he wins init and it takes 16 and dies. 900 XP for everyone so far. Alzar moves into the villa via the passwall and the others follow. No one has left the building yet. He uses his Ear Ring and hears casting coming from nearby. They move around and find a large hearth room. There is a summoned, mystical hound, two mages. Alzar orders everybody to stay back for a bit, and Conjures an Earth Elemental. The first mage casts Web and the second casts Ice Storm. The Elemental arrives. The Ice Storm hits for 22 on everyone – save vs half. Everyone makes it. Maerie – 12/23 Alzar – 43/54 Aleigha - 30/41 Estaish - 34/45 The Elemental took 11 as well. One shield maiden failed and died, the other is still around. Alzar moves in the shield maiden and Elemental. The hound attacks the elemental for a big ol miss. Elemental misses as well. The mages case Magic Missile and Hold Person. Alzar takes 8. Maerie and Aleigha are Held. Estaish is fine, but in the Web. Alzar moves forward in order to keep the others out of the range of his enemy’s spells. He uses the Mud Ring to summon another Earth Elemental. The Elemental pounds the hound for 14 damage. The hound misses. An invisible blade nails the maiden for 2 damage from somewhere. The maiden missed the hound. 35/54 Alzar wants to cast Vampiric Touch on the invisible thing. Earth Elementals are to kill the hound and invisible thing, and the maiden the invisible thing. They want to cast Stinking Cloud and Cone of Cold. Alzar wins init. He hits the Invisible Stalker for 14. The Earth Elemental on the hound crits for 32 damage and it is very dead. The other elemental misses the stalker. The Maiden misses as well. The Stinking Cloud doesn’t damage any of the creatures or Alzar, and the Cone of Cold deals 24 damage or save vs half to Alzar and the summoned creatures. The Shield maiden die.s Alzar fails his save One Elemental makes the save, the other misses. The Stalker took it all too. 25/54 10/34 11/34 ???/??? for stalker Alzar wants to cast Searing Serpent by the mages. They want to cast Slow and throw a dagger. The Elementals and Stalker are to exchange blows. Alzar wins and a searing serpent is in front of the male mage who seems to be casting the powerful stuff. One elemental misses and the other hits for 18 damage and the stalker dies. Alzar is slowed and the dagger misses him. Estaish is free and with his sword runs in to support a slowed Alzar. Alzar wants to cast Empathic Control on the male. The serpent wants to attack him. The elementals want to move in. Estaish wants to run in. The chick wants to draw her final dagger and move to protect the male. The male wants to cast Mirror Image. They go first and the male now has 7 images. The serpent misses. The spell fails. Everybody else is by the mages and can attack next turn. They win init. Magic missiles kill an elemental and the other one stabs at Estaish and misses. The serpent kills an image but the elemental and Estaish miss. Alzar casts Ray of Ondovir at the mage. It works. The mage casts Magic Missile at a dead target and wastes the spell. The female mage attacks Est and misses. Est and the serpent and elemental each pull off an image. 3 images left. Alzar casts Ray of Ondovir from his Ring. It works. The mage casts Magic Missile again at a dead person and again wastes it. The final thee images are stripped and Alzar’s dagger flies in for 12 damage on the mage. They manage to win init and Est hits for 5, and the serpent misses and the elemental…hits for…17 and he dies. The chick misses. Alzar hits her with a dagger for 10 damage. She misses and is killed the next round. XP – 1800 each |
They find on the bodies:
Bracers Dagger Potion Ring of Free Action Wand of Negation – 5 charges They search the room and find nothing, and move to the bedrooms. In the female decorated one, they find: 1000pp Spellbook They move to the other bedroom: Two scroll paintings - each worth 4000 gp Large-gold bound spellbook There is a key with a tassel beside the book Small replica of a chest Alzar uses the replica to summon the chest, and tries to find a keyhole, but can’t The chest just opens, and inside is: Potion Scroll of Clerical Spells 4000 pp Gold Tablets 500gpx3 Alzar has been cursed! He will grow 3 inches of beard hair every minute. They do another search while Alzar grooms himself, they emerge, and he Dispel Magics on Carum and brings him back to human. They head back and Alzar goes to sleep early. In the morning, he has feet and feet of hair. He cuts it off, and then memorizes Remove Curse (the reverse form of Bestow Curse). He casts it on himself and the curse is gone. Also, he can use other melee weapons again, and the axe no longer has control over him. They spend a day searching the city, but the major bad guys have all been killed, and it appears that just a few monsters remain – like giant centipedes, giant wasps, and giant crocodiles in the swamp. The mongrelmen are offered trade by the natives and Carum, but they would prefer to just be left alone, so Alzar gathers the mage, and they head out. |
Two scroll paintings - each worth 4000 gp
4000 pp Gold Tablets 500gpx3 1000pp Potion of Extra Healing 8 gems – 500 gp each, 1 gem 700 gp 1500 sp 5000 gp Silver Brooch – 1000 Three Disks of Jade – 500 gp each Gold Enchased Incense Burner – 900 gp +1 Longsword, +4 vs Reptiles Incense of Mediation x4 200 gp 2 10gp gems and 50 gp 2 gems worth 1000 each Scroll – Non-Detection, Emotion 1625 gp 55 pp Sword of Wounding I 13, E 4 AL CN – Empathy, Detect Invisible, heal once/week 2000 ep 4 pieces of jewelry worth 500 gp each Jeweled Headband – 3000 gp Wand of Magic Missiles (32 charges) 1000 pp 3 gems – 350, 500, 700 500 sp 50 gp Ring of Free Action Wand of Negation – 5 charges Magic Pile: Wand of Fog (8 charges). Potion of Healing. Ring of Protection +1x2. +2 spear. Ring of Spell Turning. Cleric Scroll – Remove Curse, Cure Serious wounds ,neutralize Poison, Cure Disease, Heal. Potion of Human Control, Extra healingx3. Bracers of Defense AC4. Dagger of Venom. The Wand of Fog places a Wall of Fog for a charge. The Ring of Spell Turning is very powerful. When a spell is cast at the wearer roll a d10 and that much percent of the spell is reflected. So, for example, if someone cast a spell that dealt 10 damage, or save vs half, Alzar would roll. If he rolls a 4, 40% or 4 damage is reflected aback and he takes 6, and each would roll for half. If a Charm person was reflected 40%, then Alzar would save with a +4 bonus and the caster with a +6 bonus. This can result in a spell with no save getting a save. The percent affects damage, saves, and duration. This works whenever the ring wielder is targeted, even by friendly magic users. Touch spells, spells that affects areas, and spells from magic items are unaffected. So, for example, Alzar could take magic missiles from a Wand, and can target himself with his own touch spells like normal, and could take someone else’s Vampiric Touch and totally takes all damage from a Fireball. This is a highly valuable item, and I’m surprised they doled it out this soon. Kwarino’s Spellbook: 1st Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic Read magic, Friends, Magic Missile, Hold Portal, Shield 2nd - Continual Light, Knock, Leomund’s Trap, Stinking Cloud, Web Horan’s Spellbook( Fire Trap) 1st – Affect Normal Fires, Charm person, Comprehend Languages, Detect magic, Erase, magic Missile, Frost Shroud, Push, Read Magic, Unseen Servant 2nd – Preserve, ESP, Forget ,Invisibility, Leomund’s Trap, Locate Object, Magic Mouth, Ray of Enfeeblement, Scare 3rd – Clairvoyance, Feign Death, Fly, Haste, Hold Person, Monster Summoning I, Slow 4th – Fire Trap, Ice Storm, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Rary;’s Mnemonic Enhancer, Wizard Eye 5th – Bigby’s Interposing Hand, Cone of Cold, Contact Other Plane, Cloudkill, Leomund’s Secret Chest 6th – Guards and Wards, Invisible Stalker, Part Water Spell Storing Rings: Time to figure this stuff out. The first Ring is still set. Detect Magic, Ray of Ondovir and Sleep. The second Ring gets: Conjure Earth Elemental, Searing Serpent, Skulltrap, Dispel Magic, Sleep |
Estaish – 72,650 (Level 7) – Now with 50 HP
Aleigha – 66,182 (Level 7) – Now has 48 HP. Carum – 60,362 (Level 6) – Now has 58 HP. Maerie – 53,473 (Level 7 – level 8 at 70k) - 22 hp Alzar – 156,382 (Level 10 at 250k) Aleigha and Estaish each hit level 7. They now get 3 attacks every two rounds like Alzar, and get more hp as noted above. They head back to Tangaroa for a week, and as they do, they see a white plume on the south of the island. A volcano is acting up. After a week of Dispels, the woman’s spellbook should be easily dispelled if it has anything, and he opens it up. He learns Knock from it. Alzar has the ability to store some spells as per his class, one per spell level, and it costs some money, about 100 gold per level to do it each time. He is loading up the following spells: Level 1 - Spoil Holy Water Level 2 – Knock Level 3 – Vampiric Touch Level 4 - Minor Globe of Invulnerability Level 5 – Teleport He spends the 1500 gold to save these spells as emergencies. The volcano is still exploding, and there are rumors of creatures that have nipped out, raided a few nearby creatures like the Neanderthals, guzaks and phanatons, and then nipped back to the volcano mountain. Alzar decides to check it out. The party heads over to the volcano in the southern mountains on the Isle of Dread, and in fact, it appears that a new cave system has opened up. They move to investigate. |
S2. White Plume Mountain
 This one is #9 on the Top 30 Modules of All Time list. It’s not, in my opinion, but many think of it as the greatest. That’s because, at the time, volcano dungeons were not heard of and the uber-powerful weapons in the game were top notch and super desirable. I wouldn’t even have it in my top 20, but it doesn’t suck or anything. It’s a measly 16 pages and 3 is setup and 2 is denouement – not uncommon for an early dungeon, to be fair. The only introduce one new monster. The first dungeons were often very sparse in the description department. After the description heavy Shrine of Tomoachan, and the action heavy Forbidden City, I’m ready for something a bit lighter. |
Here is one of the pictures of the area that came with the module, which, by the way, I really like:
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They have arrived at the volcano with the white plumes over it. This cave on the south slope appears to be the only entry to the mountain. The cave seems to breathe, occasionally spitting out steam. Alzar goes ahead and swap the Ring of Sustenance for the Ring of Fire Resistance now, expecting to use it several times inside. The cave is about 8 feet in diameter and forty feet long, and then there is a horizontal crevice. Following that arrives at another cave that ends at a decent size cavern. And in that cavern, all natural mind you, is the first sign of other life – a set of spiraling stairs going down.
The spiral staircase descends about 100 feet before ending at a corridor heading eastish. The stairs vibrated a bit from the constant volcanic activity deep in the mountain. The air is warm, humid and rather foul. The torches burn fitfully. There are patches of subterranean fungus and there are small pools of tepid water with scummy algae covering them. They turn the corner and see a mangy, bedraggled gynosphinx in the middle of a intersection that looks like an upside down peace sign. The sphinx tells its riddle: Round she is, yet flat as a board Altar of the Lupine Lords Jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea Unchanged but e’er changing eternally It’s the second line that gives this away. Moon. Alzar speaks it and is right, and a Wall of Force that was keeping them back disappears and they are free to continue. They head right. |
The water here is deep and covers the floor by about a half foot. The Wall of Force was keeping back some of the water from the first area, but the rest is this deepish water over the ankles but before the knees. Alzar steps into a patch of Green Slime and takes 3 damage from it splashing and hitting his leg. He backs up. The normal flask of oil won’t work since it’s underwater. Alzar gets on a Broom and flies over along with another on the other broom and they pass them back and forth. They continue on down the corridor. At a junction, Alzar continues along the main path which bends to the south and hits a door. When Alzar enters to look around, the door shuts tight on him. In the room suspended from the ceiling are nine glass globes about 2 feet in diameter. They are silvered so they cannot be seen in. A knock on one shows there is something in there.
Alzar cracks open one with a staff and out come three shadows. Alzar controls them and they join his team. Shadow – 19, 17, and 14 are hp, AC 7 The next one has a potion. Alzar can’t id it. The third one has a piece of jewelry and a small Air Elemental which is quite angry. Alzar moves to attack it with the shadows. One is killed and his axe slashes behind them for 17 damage. It turns to him and punches and misses. He axes for 16 and it dies. XP – 2000 for Alzar The next one has a Ring of Flying with 4 charges. The next one has worthless glass beads. The next one that’s broken reveals a gray ooze. Alzar remembers this is the one that you can’t fire kill, so he draws his axe and hits for 16 damage. It dies. XP – 500 for Alzar The next one has a Wand of Paralyzation. The 8th one has a key and a ring. The ring is added to the magic pile. The last one has a few gems totaling 600 gold. The key opens the door. Items: Jewelry - 12000 Ring of Flying with 4 charges Wand of Paralyzation – 1 charge Gems totaling 600 gp They move on and take the side passage they skipped before. It ends at a door. In this room are five flesh golems and each has a number on its chest – 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13. One asks which of these does not belong. It’s obvious that 9 is not prime. There are others of course – only 5 is divisible by 5, Only 13’s digits add up to 4, etc. Prime seems to be the best chance. #9 steps forward and will serve Alzar. #9 Flesh Golem – AC 9, HP 30, 2d8x2, can only be hit by magic weapons. Unlike typical flesh golems, he takes full damage from fire or cold attacks. So #9 is a weaker flesh golem than normal, but still a servant. At least for now. |
They leave by the other door and the corridor here passes by a turnstile that allows passage only one way – forward. The golem is told to break it, and he does, and they move forward to the door at the end of the corridor, and it opens onto a very unusual room.
The door opens onto a stone platform in a large natural cave. The ceiling is over 50’ above the level of the platform. The floor of the cave, 50 feet below, is a deep pool of boiling mud. Opposite the entrance platform is another stone platform, and between them are a series of wooden disks suspended from the ceiling by massive steel chains. The disks are about four feet in diameter and three feet apart. Each disk is attack to its chain by a giant staple in the center. The disks and chains and wall are covered in a slippery algal scum that lives in the area. A geyser lets off while they are looking at the room. Alzar and company fly over in shifts and open the door, ealving the golem and shadows up on the platform. There is a long corridor and they walk down it. Alzar shines a light on the door and there are small holes in it. Alzar’s basic rule is “If something is unusual about the dungeon’s construction, then something is coming up.” He suspects a gas attack that can hit the hallway, so he orders everybody but Aleigha back really far. His Ear Ring detects nothing at all. He opens the door and the torches don’t penetrate the darkness in the room. Knowing his ability to sense things in the darkness, he walks in a little with Axe out. There is something in here, and it feels different. Alzar tries to control it and a battle of wits ensues. In the end, Alzar fails, but he knows something is powerful enough here that he backs out into the hallway. He orders Aleigha back a bit and grabs a Wand of Illumination. Suddenly, the presence is behind him and solidifying. Estaish and Carum shout out warnings to Alzar and Aleigha. Alzar spins and drops the wand for his axe and they trade attacks. Alzar is missed. The vampire takes 19 damage. Alzar orders Aleigha back but she swings and misses, the Ruby Blade sending sparks along the wall. The vampire wins init and turns its eyes on Aleigha. It just misses. Alzar drops his axe. Aleigha hits for 6 damage. Carum hits for 6 and Estaish and Maerie have arrived with weapons drawn. Alzar picks up his axe with the second attack. It wins init and turns into a gaseous form. It starts to move back into the darkness. Alzar picks up the Wand and uses a charge to light up the room and the magical darkness is dispelled for a while. They move forward and it has nowhere to go here. Alzar uses a Wand of Magic Missiles to pepper the vampire for 8 damage on two charges. He tells everyone to keep attacking since it has been regenerating. In fact it has regenerated 12 damage. Alzar scrambles and finds the other flasks of holy water he has and hands them to Maerie. Then he spits two more charges at the vampire. It takes 7 more. And has now regenerated 15 hp. It is forced to resolidify before it dies to missiles. Est hacks at it for 6 damage, and Carum’s sling deals 4. The vampire attacks Estaish and misses. A flask of holy water deals 6 to it and it “dies.” Alzar goes over the ways to kill a vampire – immersion in running water, exposure to sunlight, and failure to return to one of its coffins for one full day. Other ways are temporary, such as stake in the heart, cutting off the head, etc. He beheads it just to give it some time and readies a spell. They cut off all of the limbs to slow down it’s regeneration process. Alzar stabs it in the heart with his staff and that will slow it down for a while. They begin to search the room. They find: A magical Warhammer 10000 sp 9000 gp Potions x2, one is ESP Scroll of…Magic Mouth, Dispel Magic, Monster Summoning III They are done and Alzar has everyone grab a body part and he grabs the torso since he is the strongest, and they fly back over and reunite with #9 and the shadows. They head back out and near the entrance and find the sphinx. They move back up the stairs and outside and the vampire is killed in the light. XP – 1800 each |
They head back down and go forward. They see a ten foot deep pool of water off to the side. Carum dives down using Deep Diving and there is a drain there. Alzar swims down and Aleigha joins them and they turn it and a tube opens and the water starts to drain. They wait and an hour later, the water has all drained away except if there are pools or something at a lower elevation. They move on and arrive in a square room.
This appears to be another normal, water covered room with steps rising out of the muck from a pool deeper, and a now drained ledge along the wall showing where it gets deeper. They party is rounding the room when two kelpies pop out of the surface and try to charm Estaish and Alzar. Estaish fails. Alzar’s axe is out and he moves towards the charmers. Est is moving towards them, entranced. Alzar wins init and hacks a kelpie for 17 damage. Carum adds a sling stone for 6. The kelpies try to charm Carum and Alzar. Carum fails. Estaish is almost at the water and Alzar orders the golem to hold him. Alzar wins init and kills the wounded kelpie. Aleigha slashes the other one for 8 and Maerie misses. Carum enters the water and Estaish can’t move. The last Kelpie tries to charm Alzar again. He has a back swing for 19 damage that kills it. XP – 275 each They go along the room and Alzar spies an opening under the water. He swims down and enters an underwater room and then find a door to another. He finds: 600 gp 2000 gp jewelry Chain Mail |
They swing back up and takes some steps up and into a corridor with a door to the right. The door opens to a hallway. Alzar enters a spinning cylinder and orders everyone else back. It is made of some light metal and spins enough to make Alzar dizzy. It is covered with oil that makes it slippery-er. He closes his eyes and tries to concentrate, but falls. He slides across it and decides to make this a fly through when suddenly out of a hole in the wall someone fires a flaming arrow and the tunnel and Alzar light up. He is wearing his Fire Resist ring and this is normal fire. The fighters slide in despite the fire and Maerie sits back with the shadows and golem. While still on fire, Alzar opens the door and then they enter the next room. There is an armed man and a woman nearby. Aleigha snarls and turns into a werebear and charges the woman. She turns into a werewolf and charges back.
Alzar orders Carum and Estaish at the fighter while he goes to join Aleigha. The fighter hacks at Est for 6 damage. The werewolf misses. Aleigha deals 3 and Alzar hits for 13 damage. Est drops his sword. Alzar hits the lycanthrope for 12 damage. She dies. The fighter swings and misses. He is hit twice for 14 damage. Alzar and Aleigha move over. Alzar’s axe adds 19 and the fighter dies. They search and find, Maerie picks the lock to a chest after joining them once the fire burnt down. Est -6 damage Spellbook 400 ep 300 gp 7 gems worth 1300 gp total They return and go up more stairs to a door. They pass three doors and then arrive at a huge cavern. There is a boiling lake hundreds of feet deep below them. There is an underground stream that feeds it and can be seen coming in, with another section leaving. There is a rubbery magical forcefield that is keeping the water back on this ledge. That’s where they are. The skins is soft, resilient and warm. After thirty feet the corridor widens into a low, dome shaped area. There is a huge giant crab here. There are many bones scatted about.  They two sides get together. Alzar orders melee weapons only, since there is the chance that a physical strike against the soft forcefield will pop the waterskin. Alzar nails the crab for 18 damage. The crab strikes back on Alzar and attacks twice and misses both time. Est swings and adds 10. It wins init and hits Alzar twice for 19 damage. Alzar does the same and deals 25 to it. Est misses, Carum spears it for 4 and Maerie adds 4. 37/56 – Alzar Alzar wins init and switches to Vamp Touch and deals 11. It dies. 48/56 XP – 750 each There is a chest at the end of the ledge and they move to it. It is unlocked, and Maerie doesn’t find any traps. Inside is: A trident 1000 gp Gems worth 1000x2, 5000, and 17 worth 3935 total Ring of Infravision Stone Wand of Frost – 17 charges |
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