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There are countless bolts, metal bars, and more as the super structure of the flying city. Then layers of wood, soil, water, and more were overlayed on top of it. Apparently the wood and buildings were protected against the weather, and there are various rods enchanted with Lightning Rod around the city.
Alzar can see two great water tanks, stories and stories tall. They have magical webbing that reaches into the sky, and Questrix tells him that water beads around them and then flows down into the great tanks, and those tanks have enough water for the needs of the city. Food though is rough. There are some fungal gardens in the UnderCity, some fish is a large pond, and then a few small gardens, but that’s not nearly enough, so they import most of their food. Clerics are required to cast one Create Food spell a day for the city as well. The transport airplanes, the Cloud Clippers, are used to bring food up., Each Cloud Clipper can carry up to three occupants and 1200 pound of freight. They pass by a building called the Inquiries Office. This is where questions that visitors have about markets, places for rent, hotels and hostels, taxes and immigration can come. There are even tour guides. The best part though is a skychair system disembarks here. Questrix has Alzar get on one. There is a huge iron rail that goes throughout the city, and skychairs move about it quickly powered by magic. There is a gnome driver of each skychair, and Alzar and Quetex pay a few silvers for transport. There is an observation tower next door that has gnomes on constant watch with crystal balls, and a bunch of permanent wizard eyes on top as well. They are observing and scrying the airs, lands, and more around the city to make sure nothing is happening, and they have communication amulets to make sure that planes are take off and land safely. There is a tavern called the Skypilot that caters to the members of the various Top Ballista squadrons, and wannabees and “Airheads” young gnomes who want to sleep with or marry pilots. |
A few hangars, storage paces and such follow. The skychair whips around a fast turn and the gnome driving it howls in glee. There are various sectors here in Serraine. One is for the upper class elite, and then one for the working class. There are a few markets in each. Then some races prefer to stay together. For example, the pegataurs are in a few aeries off the far left. (Directions like east/west/north/south have no meaning here) The most beautiful homes are the sky towers that are made and inhabited by the faenare. They have been sculpted in such a way that the traveling wind creates beautiful songs.
On the right of the city, coming up, are the places where the sphinx live and hang out. There are two roaring out over the bow of the city. There is a magical forcefield 12 feet up on all sides of the City, and there is an emergency Vertical Levitation Clipper, that is flying at all times and can head out and grab someone who falls off the City and needs aid. It happens about once or twice a day. Alzar asks Questrix about the UnderCity, which he mentioned earlier. Much like their cousins, the skygnomes originally preferred to live underground. So they created a sprawling underground complex for them to live in while the other races were above ground. They had everything they needed down there, but as they got over their fear of heights, they moved above ground. And now they live above ground permanently, and are fully skygnomes Down there are mostly things for Serraine’s maintenance, and scavengers. And a bit of an UnderCity vibe, maybe some people that want to hide and such. They are coming up on a large tower This is the Onyx Tower. Six floors tall, this houses the local wizards guild. The leader is a human mage named Erik Helsing, and he is on the city council as well. The human mages join the various protections, and help with casting spells of protection, offense, recharging wands and more. Some gnomes and other races are apprentices to them, and they live in nearby quarters. There is a nearby tavern called the Singing Winds, and it is the only one of the five major taverns and inns here to have a human proprietor. The others are the plush and center of night life Imperial Hostelry, 10 floors, 15 gp a night to stay there, run by Leni Narayan, one of the most popular gnomes in the city. The Glorious Second is near Gemeye Market, the area of the city that is the most cosmopolitan, with outdoor markets that are top notch, the Skypilot, and the Brilliant Leisure, run by Aarakocra in their district. |
They pass by the council building and office,s and then the major exhibits open up. There are a few major sights coming up:
1) The Tumbling Fields - A large section of the city is given to this sprawling chamber. It’s the biggest room in the city, more than 200 feet tall, and hundreds of feet long. It’s enchanted with permanent zero gravity spells. People come in here to play and tumble around. It’s a big favorite with kid and tabi 2) The Glittersteps - They ascend 80 feet in the air, and walkers on them don’t have to fly up or anything. Gentle sparks of nimbuses of colored light surround someone walking ,and little jets of air help them rise, if they want to not walk at all 3) The Museum of Culture - A museum of the 1400 year history of the city from its founding as an idea to modern day fruition. Tapestries, paintings sculptures, and exhibits of history and art are here on display 4) The Museum of Gnomish Crafts - This is a museum for all of the gemcutting and jewelry and artistic exhibits of a practical nature. But it’s nothing compared to…. 5) Science Park - This is a huge outdoor exhibit of all of the best machines and constructions of gnomish history, and is the most popular attraction other than perhaps the big one coming in a bit. From gnomish clockwork mechanoids to early planes, there are numerous flashy and fun designs on display here. 6) Plaza of Triumph - This great military parade ground is used to train and practice for the local troops. This is where a sphinx, a harpy, a few skygomes, and more figure out how to work together. There are also numerous statues, monuments, and exhibits to military leaders and great battles and victories 7) The Temple of Thought - While there are lesser temples to Matter and Energy here, the most popular temple, by far, is that of thought, and multiple immortals are worshipped here all sharing a temple together. The temple is more than 1200 years old, and has been decorated and expanded and flourished over the centuries into a real piece of art 8) Lake Glitterlode - There is a small lake (or large pond) in the left of the city, past the Tumbling Fields. This lake has boating, and an artificial waterfall made from the water towers, and a few feet from the lake, the water turns to drops of water that cools people down. There is fishing here as well. 9) Picnic Fields - A large open green space is off the Lake. There are some flowers, meadow, and gentle elevation hills, and a place for people to relax and such. It’s more popular with tourists than locals. A few locals have decided to bring some food carts here. 10) The Hanging Gardens - A huge gardens are here, growing every natural, non-dangerous plant that can grow at altitude. Many plants are literally in the air, suspended off the grounds. The tabi love this area so much that some live here. But all of that pales in comparison to the greatest achievement in the city. The heart of it all. |
The Great Library -
Sprawling 14 floors above the city., and 14 floor below, there are 29 total floors for this. The ground floor is just the index for the rest. Modified skychairs enable gnomes who have been working in the library for decades to find a book in ten minutes or less, and return with it. The library has been in operation since before the city was launched, and has gathered books from all over the plane. It’s a sprawling repository for books, scrolls, papyruses, magical talking cylinders, and more. The head librarian, Matazumi is a skull druj, an undead who is pledged to act at the great library for 200 years ,and he’s in year 172 right now. They pass by disused gnomish launch pads where they test out new equipment away from everyone else, and Alzar has gotten an aerial tour of the city with Questrix in tow. They arrive back down and Alzar heads to the Gemeye Market to check it out and Questrix heads back home to check in with his family. Gemeye Market is next to a small artisan’s quarter, where silk cocoons are spun and turned into silk and various jewelry, gemcutting, and other crafts are offered. There’s a locksmith right across the road and a clockwork store that makes clocks next to it. |
Begin Heart of Darkness
Alzar noticed that a few undead porters are being used by the Nagpa in the city. It’s a bit odd. But no one seems to mind that much. Alzar could likely get away with animating some undead here - skeletons and zombies aren’t getting in anyone’s way or tweaking their radar. Alzar checks out the stalls, and then heads into the Imperial Hostelry With the best suites in the city, Alzar drops some serious change on a few nights stay. It’s service level is superb, and Alzar will want for nothing. 12 gp a night for a a single room, with breakfast included. After setting up, Alzar heads to the Council Offices. He asks a local bureaucratic gnome if the Mayor is available, presents his papers, shows his sash, and introduces himself. After hypnotized the gnome to speed things up, Alzar heads in. The mayor of the city is Santarian Keltander. He is a pegataur, and began a three year term just a few months ago after gnomes were in charge for 6 three year terms earlier. He introduces himself to Alzar and tells him that Rolane arrived earlier, and informed him about Alzar’s arrival. They talk shop for a while, as fellow leaders. Alzar would like to discuss opening up trade with Serraine, and they are for it of course. After business is over, Santarian tells Alzar that they’ve been having some problems recently. Roughly once/day a tourist has been dying for the last 9 days . 2 died one day, so 10 in 9 days. They’ve been keeping it all hush hush, and the constabulary are out of their league, there appears to be some degree of resistance somewhere within the city. As an outsider, perhaps Alzar could go where others couldn’t, and loosen tongues in ways that might not be strictly legal for citizens. He agrees to, and gets the information on the recent tourist deaths. Last night a patrol of gnomes found a dead tourist in a certain up-scale district of the city, away from the tourist areas. Alzar agrees to head over and check it out. |
Alzar and Ak’Kabar head over to that area. Alzar uses a Hat of disguise ot make himself look like a nagpa. A nagpa with a tabi won’t seem out of place to anyone. Alzar’s tabi checks the nearby area where the dead corpse was found last night. There is one mansion on the street of note - Heydrech, a powerful nagpa. Ak’Kabar talks with some local tabi that are free in their own language, and all they know is some dark stuff is going on in there. They don’t know anything else.
Alzar puts the mansion on the top of his watch list. He heads out. Alzar makes a proficiency check with his Investigation skill and tosses a 3 - passes. Alzar finds a nice lead nearby as a small bit of earth is on this nice and clean stone path. He bends down to check it and there’s the residue of undeath on it. A grave? Alzar begins to spy on the house. After a few hours, a 5’9” tall human male slips out o the house from the back entrance, and begins to sneak away like a thief. He hides in shadows as Alzar has come to expect of thieves. Alzar grabs the Star of Mo’Pilar and watches and this is a Nagpa polymorphed into the form of a human. The man heads off. Ak’Kabar flies overhead and is lost in a sea of tabi out here and keeps track. He enters another Nagpa house and then leaves after an hour and returns. Nothing too suspicious obviously. As Alzar begins to head back he notices something else. Someone else is watching the mansion. A short man, with a sight hunch in his back. Nothing too out of the ordinary as well, but again, worth watching. Alzar leaves, and then turns the figurine into Balo and leaves him to keep watch as well, and to follow anyone who emerges from the mansion. Alzar heads out and has Ak’kabar fly over a few blocks and keep watch as well, but moving to another location to ease someone who might be overly paranoid. Alzar heads back and gets some dinner at the Hostelry after taking off the Hat of Disguise in a privy of a store. A few hours later, Alk’Kabar comes back with Balo in tow, and Balo communicates with Alzar. A female elf left the mansion and went to the library, and the stunted man followed as well. Alzar heads back out and uses his trailing proficiency to follow and not be noticed. |
He nears the library. The short bent over (slightly) man is talking with another man. The female elf has apparently left the library about 30 minutes ago. The older distinguished gentleman moves in and enters the library. About 10 minutes later he leaves, looking furious. Alzar heads out and drops the hat and enters the library himself a few minutes later. He can easily cover up entering the library as himself, a well known lover of books from all over.
Alzar finds an assistant librarian here. Alzar asks her about the various collections they have and such, and then slips her a few gold pieces, “Mr. Vasiliev didn’t have any luck getting a card. Such a pity when he wanted something so unusual..” The librarian reaches her hand out for more coins and the pauses...she then waves Alzar away. At the door is Boris Vasiliev, the man Alzar saw some in recently, and who was talking to the hunched over one. Boris is looking over at the two of them very pointedly. He walks up to the counter and asks if he left his walking stick. The assistant librarian says that there has been no stick turned into lost and found. Ah well, and Boris begins to leave, but Alzar tells him to hold up. “Hello. I’m Alzar, Marquis of the Mighty, a March in service to the King of Norwold.” “Pleased to meet you. I am Boris Vasiliev, a famed clavier player. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? No? Disappointing I suppose. I’m here at the flying city on holiday, getting a break from my nerves. Anyway I must be getting on.” “Hold on good sir. First of all, let me welcome you. See, I noticed something odd when you came in and started talking with our good library here. See her eyes? She now regards you with a great deal more friendship and warm regard than before. Are you familiar with a charm person spell or effect perhaps? Hmmm…let’s see. As a cleric, I know a good Detect Charm spell. Here’s my prayerbook, let’s try it out, shall we? See that? Looks like someone just charmed her. And before you waste time protesting meaninglessly, let’s go ahead and cast my own Charm on her. Here we go. Ah yes, the charms have broken, and she’s back to normal. (Alzar passes a Necrology check) Now let’s see here. You cast a charm spell with your gaze, and you are clearly humanoid. Vampire? No, I can sense your necrotic nature, but not Vampire. Something similar though. Can cast reflections, drinks blood I can see, and charms. A nosferatu? Ah yes, that’s it. Got it in one. Well look here Mister Nosferatu. I just figured you out in one conversation with you. You do not want to mess with me, and you certainly don’t want to cross paths with me. I will go public, and that’s not a road you want to go down. This woman is under my protection. If she winds up dead, missing, or even a bit anemic I will take you down, publicly, loudly, and whoever sent you here with you. Understand? I won’t interfere with you, so long as you aren’t the cause of whatever I’m tracking down, but you are not going to cause any problems.” After an angry stare that lasts minutes, Boris retreats. Alzar turns back to the library. She tells him about the books that Boris was interested in - the Shroudwell Collection, a powerful group of tomes on Necromancy. Alzar gives her some items to protect from a potential Nosteratu attack, and will have Ak’Kabar stalk her back to her home and ensure that she is okay. Night passes, and Boris misses a performance at the Imperial Hostelry this evening. Some of the guests are suitably upset. They wanted to hear him perform live! |
Morning arrives and Alzar heads back out and the librarian is safe. He heads back to the mansion of Heydrech and the Star detects some magical traps that weren’t there before on the grounds. . Someone noticed someone was spying, either Alzar or the man. Alzar has folks check on the house that the “human” went to yesterday, and there are no additional or obvious defense.s So Alzar begins to prepare ways to penetrate the house.
A quick note: A class that dual-classes to a new level cannot use the weapons or abilities of that class. But they can use any non-weapon proficiencies. For example, as a fighter, Alzar learned reading and writing. When he turned to a mage, he didn’t forget how to write. The same is true of things like fire-building or riding a horse. So Alzar can use any non-weapon proficiency and be okay. He can use Necrology, Investigation, Trailing, Blind-Fighting, Genie Lore, and such. So Alzar can use Fine Balance and Camouflage, which give him some abilities. Alzar dons: Set – 1 Black Cloak, Black Boots -75% to move silently And swaps off the Boots and Cloak for those. He gets to use Camouflage and Fine Balance to for things like climb walls. He also grabs: Potion of Invisibility, Rope of Climbing, Chime of Opening, 5 vials of acid, Ring of Spell Turning along with Free Action, Medallion of Proof Against Detection, Girdle of Many Pouches, Helm of Telepathy, Warp Marble, Iron Bands, Dust of Appearance, Dust of Disappearance, Stone of Diminution. Gem of Magic Missile Protection, 50 charges, Gem of Delusion, Scroll of Portals And those things are readied for him to break into the house. Alzar uses his Ring of Invisibility and stores it. He heads in. |
He waits for a while, and two people leave the house. Alzar scouts with the Ear Ring. He doesn’t notice any noise at one wall. He opens the Scroll of Portals and put sit up against a wall of the house and it creates a Passwall effect and a hole is in the wall. It opens into a pantry off the kitchen, and no one is in either. He grabs the Scroll on the far side and the hole disappears (he can Passwall with it 2x/day). He rolls and he is now moving quietly. He slips into the kitchen.
And from there he spies a living room and the opening room Ear rings show people in both. He waits for a chance, and slips behind the doors of both. Eventually one clears out and he head through it and into a dining space. Beyond this is a study, currently empty. No doors are closed. Alzar slips into the study and waits, gently closing the door a bit, but not all of the way, The desk drawers are locked, and he has to use the Chime - acid leaves behind too much proof. But the chime makes a little noise. Alzar uses the Chime after making sure no one is in the Dining Room and it makes a noise…..no one hears. He uses it twice more while he can to Knock open all three locks. Alzar uses the Star of Mo’Pilar to search for any traps, or anything worth noting. He finds some gold, some magic items of non-value (Stuff like minor potions). But he also finds a journal and begins to read it quickly. There is a secret organization Nagpa called the Grey Front, with 9 Nagpa in it, and the guy who runs this house (Baraith) is one. Another is Heydrech. They want to take Serraine for themselves and overturn the government, in a coup. Heydrech is researching and experimenting on making more powerful undead that can turn the tide and bring down the city. Alzar wants to take the book with him, or at least make a Bookcopy, but he doesn’t have the materials. (He’s need a wizard with the scroll and a blank book - he has neither). But he doesn’t want to implicate folks. At first he wants to return everything to the way it was. Ak’Kabar says that it’s clear outside, so he uses he Scroll of Portals here, and then exits. But what if the nagpa Baraith knows someone has been here? They will destroy the evidence? Can Alzar risk losing this evidence? Nope. He takes the journal. To make it look like a theft, he grabs some books, magical items, gems, gold, and everything of value in the study that he can… The Study - Check it out later This is probably what’s been happening to the tourists, being killed for bodies or experiments of some kind. |
Alzar heads back out . With this information, he knows a lot more than before. The next place he wants to check is the library. He puts the sash on and heads back to the library. The librarian from last night is still okay. She looks very healthy
If Alzar can find out what the books that Heydrech accessed have in them, then he’s in a good place. He takes a meeting with Matazumi, the skull druj librarian. Matazumi is odd looking, and is always happy to frighten someone, but Alzar is immune. Alzar’s application will only be accepted if he can provide references from three people in the city of note. Alzar points out that as a visiting ruler of welcome, that this is something he could be granted, and that he’ll pay the fees as well, thus making money for the city. But Matazumi is unmoved. What about the Mayor then? Could he count as all three? No. Alright, Alzar has the mayor, and Dunbar, the captain of the 2nd Squadrom of the Top Ballista is also good enough for 1 reference. Alzar only needs one more, He heads back out and spends some time considering his options. He decides to make for the Onyx Tower and meet up with some of the human mages there. An hour later, Alzar is in the narthex of the tower, and someone mentions that Erik Helsing, the leader of the ,mages here, would love to meet with him. Erik brings Alzar into his study and introduces himself. Erik looks haggard and paranoid. Something has been going on. After introductions, Alzar tells Erik, flat out why he’s here. He wants access to the city’s library, and he needs a 3rd reference. Erik will be happy to provide it. But Erik also can use some help and aid as well. He has an apprentice write up an official letter of support for Alzar’s application. Erik is very suspicious of someone who recently arrived at the flying city, name of Boris Vailiev and came with a man named Yagotr. Both have been suspicious every since they arrived, and have acted very oddly. Alzar tells Erik that he met Boris yesterday, and that he can give Erik some information about him. Boris is a Nosferatu undead. Erik doesn’t look as surprised as Alzar hoped he would. “You already knew!” “Well, I did say he was suspicious after all.” “He’s been doing some serious investigations on the Grey Front member Heydrach.” Alzar informs the council member Erik of what he has uncovered. Eric makes a copy of the book with a magical quill he has, in case Alzar dies or loses it. He agrees to bring it to the council and supper Alzar if needed. And then Alzar heads out to the library and has the third reference from Erik Alzar now has access to the library. |
Alzar looks into restricted sections won’t be allowed for a new applicant, no matter who he is. So Alzar can’t get to the Shroudwell Collection. But he is now able to access books as needed which can have value later on if he needs to do some research.
After Alzar assessed all of the potential things, and knowing how quickly the break-in will move things along, he needs to assault the mansion. He noticed: Time to assault the house. What does Alzar have? Creature wise: Figurines Can summon Animal Spirits to attack Can summon Zephyrs from 2nd Level Dust Devil spell As a priest, he can blow the Horn of Valhalla to summon 2d4 level 2 berserkers for him Can use items like Rope of Entanglement, Warp Marble, Bands to capture someone He grabs a few one shot items and moves to penetrate the mansion. Before midnight, he heads to the UnderCity for a few moments. He uses Hold Person to find….5 kobolds, kills them, and then Animates Them: Then he mediates post-midnight… Alzar’s forces 5 skeletons - 6 hp each 5 figurines Alzar grabs the Amulet of Proof vs Undead for potential turning. |
There are two hell Hounds patrolling the grounds at night invisibly. Alzar can make them both out. His first desire is to take them out. He swaps a Spell Turning ring for the Fire Resistance one. With his immunity to fir,e this should be pretty easy he hopes.
Alzar;’s mace, shield and self moves onto the grounds. The hounds coalesce, and breathe fire… Alzar takes…6 and 4. 10 damage 70/80 They move to bite. Alzar moves to punch They have 31 and 33 hp. Alzar keeps his people back, he doesn’t want to cause a ruckus. He slowly moves away from the grounds. Bringing them with him. Here’s what happens. They have a THACo of 13, Alzar’s AC is -2 for Cloak, AC3 base, -6 shield, -1 boots -1 stone. They need an 20. Only a 20 on a d20 hits. They get one bite. Let’s fast sim this Both are dead, Alzar was hit precisely once for 4 damage 66/80 Alzar’s regen heals the first, and he casts Cure Light Wounds to heal the fire damage 80/80 Alzar has 4/5/3 spells left Alzar swaps the Fire Resist ring back off 2500 XP for Hell Hounds |
Alzar heads in, with skeletons in tow, and figurined creatures behind.
The Star shows a few minor traps he skips. A door opens into a study, and there is an Amber Golem here. It’s not moving. Alzar heads to OtherSpace and returns with the Whistle of Golem Control and blows it. Amber Golem rolls a 4 and fails, and Alzar controls it for an hour. Nothing else is here on this floor, or the upper one. Alzar will search up later. Alzar has the Amber Golem leading. There is a secret door down from the upstairs only, and skips the main level - no entrance. It’s opened by a skeleton. Alzar reaches out and can sense undead down there of some sort. Alzar casts Summon Animal Spirit, and then blows the Horn, and 6 berserkers arrive. Someone shouts and they begin to assemble a defense, and Alzar and his team head down the stairs. They arrive in a room with 2 skeletons and 2 wights. Alzar tires ot turn them but it’s harder here. All creatures that would be turned get a save. The skeletons save and one makes it, the other fails and flees. The wights move in. Alzar has creatures that won’t be effected by energy drain in eh front, - skeletons and the Animal Sprit. In one round of battle, the wight skill a skeleton, and many weapons kill a wight. Alzar’s mace is out and he pushes into the dead skeleton’s space on the front line 4 vs 6 Alzar’s mace smashes on the Wight’s body and hits it for 8 damage. The Wight switches to Alzar and misses (cloak). It takes 19 damage from the figurines and dies. The skeleton falls as well. The star reveals one secret door in the right wall, and there’s a door to the left. The secret door opens to a medium size chamber that serves as the council chamber here for meetings of the Grey Front. Alzar orders people to open the next door and they head in |
This is an experimental chamber. Both Heydrech and his assistant an evil skygnome are here, with defensive spells cast. They have a Bone Golem, 4 Wights, 3 Wraiths, 8 zombies, and a homunculus.
Knowing that’s spell will expire in a few rounds, the Animal Spirit is the first into the room, and the Amber Golem beside it, the cats hitting. Alzar orders the Spirit to attack the zombies to tie them up -they won’t be able to hit it (immune to non-magical attacks). The Amber Golem heads to hit the Bone Golem and to take it off the table for now. The berserkers are sent to the two wizards, the skeletons to guard Alzar, and the figurines to hit it some stuff. Too many energy draining foes here and creatures that need magic to hit. Battle begins 6 vs 5 The gnome, Tarras, casts Magic Missile at Alzar and three missiles fly out. Alzar redirects them at the Bone Golem. It takes 11 damage. The golem attacks the Amber golem 4 times ad hits 3 for 1d8 each time - 13 damage. Heydrach casts Cause Moderate Wound on Alzar and hits his Ring. 90% is redirected back (roll d0x10) and Alzar takes 2 and Heydrach 18. Two of Alzar’s skeletons are slain. 3 left The Amber Golem attacks back and…hits twice for 2d6 and 2d10. 9 and 12. 19 damage dealt. Dead golem. Alzar orders the Amber to hit wights and wraiths next. The berserkers near the wizards. They hit 2 Mirror Images of the gnome. The spirit bites and slays a zombie. Alzar uses his Bottle on a nearby Wraith and….it’s captured in the Iron Flask. Wraith in Iron Flask 3 skeletons lefts Amber Golem 31/44 Heydrach - 68/86 Alzar 78/80 7 zombies left 6 vs9 The Amber bites at a wight and needs a 12 to hit with three attacks for 2d6, 2d6, and 2d10. They have low hp though, with 13, 7, 18, and 10. The Amber slays the first with all of its attacks. The Animal Spirit kills another zombie. Alzar summons another Spirit by the first one over at the zombies. Seeing Alzar’s protections, they stop casting spells at him. The rest of the Mirror Images are down. The gnome casts Magic Missile again, this time at the Golem, and hits for 12 damage. The wights take out Kithog and the Wraith a skeleton. Heydrach casts Burning Hands and four Berserkers drop. 4/5/1 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask 2 skeletons lefts 3 Berserkers left Amber Golem 19/44 Heydrach - 68/86 Alzar 78/80 Kithog Dead 6 zombies left 3 wights left 4 vs 2 The gnome uses a Wand to fire more magic missiles (2) and the golem for 6 damage. Heydrach adds a Flame Arrow and the golem dies. The wights hit and kill Zadaxx, and then the wraith kills another skeleton. Two berserkers hit the gnome and their weapons bounce off, and he laugh.s. Uh oh. He’s immune to something. 2 zombies die, and the first animal spirit dissipates. Alzar summons a Dust Devil on top of the wights to keep them bothered this turn. 4/4/1 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask 1 skeletons lefts 3 Berserkers left Heydrach - 68/86 Alzar 78/80 Amber Golem, Kithog, Zadaxx Dead 4 zombies left 3 wights left 2 vs 6 Alzar casts Dispel Magic at the gnome. A berserker hits for 5 damage. The spirit misses. A wight is wounded by the Dust Devil, and Zadran hits for 4 damage and finishes it. The Wraith finishes the final skeleton on it and moves to Alzar. Heydrach uses Acid Arrow on the Dust Devil to take it down. Tarras, the gnome quaffs a healing potion. 4/4/0 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask 3 Berserkers left Heydrach - 68/86 Alzar 78/80 Tarras - 42/42 Amber Golem, Kithog, Zadaxx Dead 4 zombies left 2 wights left 1 Wraith left 7 vs 8 Two berserkers hit for 7. A zombie dies to the Animal Spirit. Alzar tries to hit the Wraith and this with a 12 for 7 damage - 6 left. The Zadran hits a Wight for 2. One of the berserks add another damage. Tarras grabs the wand and fires it at a berserk and hits for 7 damage, Heydrach casts Cause Light Wounds and drops a berserker. The wraith attacks Alzar and missies (cloak). The obsidian steed dies. 4/4/0 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask 2 Berserkers left; 1 2/9 left Heydrach - 68/86 Alzar 78/80 Tarras - 31/42 Amber Golem, Steed, Kithog, Zadaxx Dead 3 zombies left 2 wights left Wraith 6/13 6 vs 1 More missiles fly in and slay the wounded berserker. One of the last spells Heydrach has is Cause Light, and he uses it to finish off the final berserker. The wraith misses Alzar badly. The wights miss. Alzar’s 11 hits and kills the Wraith. Zadran misses. 4/4/0 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask Heydrach - 68/86 Alzar 78/80 Tarras - 31/42 Berserkers, Amber Golem, Steed, Kithog, Zadaxx Dead 3 zombies left 2 wights left 1 vs 4 Alzar grabs the Gem of Delusion and intones it. Heydrach rolls a 17 and makes his save, Tarras a 7 and fails. Tarras is stunned for 4 rounds, and Heydrach is just feebled for 3. Zadarna hits a Wight for 4 damage. The anima spirit slays a zombie, Then Zadaran falls and the Wights move to Alzar. Alzar mentally orders the Spirit to head to attack Heydrach. Heydrach quaffs a pot of extra healing. Heals 25 HP. The zombies move to Alzar 4/4/0 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask Heydrach - 86/86 Alzar 78/80 Tarras - 31/42 Berserkers, Amber Golem, Steed, Kithog, Zadran, Zadaxx Dead 2 zombies left 2 wights left 6 vs 7 The spirit doles out 6 damage. It’ll leave this turn. Alzar tosses the Warp Marble at Tarras, who fails the save since he’s stunned. The undead miss Alzar this turn With just four undead left and Alzar mainly unwounded and basically untouchable, Heydrach chooses to flee, and uses the Ring of Spell Storing’s Dimension Door to flee. 4/4/0 spells left Wraith in Iron Flask Heydrach - 80/86 Alzar 78/80 Tarras - 31/42 - in Warp Marble Berserkers, Amber Golem, Steed, Kithog, Zadran, Zadaxx Dead 2 zombies left 2 wights left The spirit dissipates Does Alzar get drained? I use random.org and…nope. Wights never hit him (they need a 20). He regens the other damage. Alzar gains Zombie - 250 XP Hell Hounds - 2500 XP Wights - 2600 XP Wraith - 3000 XP (Alzar pops the other out and slays it) Bone Golem - 3250 XP Amber Golem - 5000 XP Alzar will do a full inventory of this place later. But for now he’s pursuing Heydrach. |
And he’s level 6!
16,600 XP gained He gains an extra 3rd level spell Alzar heads back outside to begin tracking the fleeing Nagpa. He comes across an odd scene. Boris Vailiev is fighting in the streets in a magic duel against Erik Helsing. Erik already hit the servant with a Power Word Stun spell, so he’s down. Erik asks for help against the vampiric murderer. Alzar moves in. He has an extra 3rd level spell, and he casts Dispel Magic at Boris while Erik slings his next spell, and the defenses drop. Seeing Alzar as a potentially easier kill, Boris switches targets as Erik has some spell-shields in place. Boris casts Lightning Bolt at Alzar which hits the Ring of Spell Turning and….40% is redirected. Alzar takes 60% - 10d6 (34damage total - Alzar is assigned 20 and Boris 14. Save for half). Boris makes his save. Erik casts Melfs Acid arrow and hits for 7 damage now. Alzar casts Cure Moderate Wounds for 20 damage. (Undead take normal damage from Cure spells, and none from Cause spells) Boris is reeling. 7 vs 6 Boris casts a special spell from his Ring of Spell Strong - Anti-Magic Shell. Erik is out of anti-magic stuff and closes, Alzar slides on a Spellcache Ring for the Free Action one and casts Dispel Magic. The Shell drops. Alzar 60/80 1 vs 5 Alzar casts another Cure spell for 20 damage. Acid for 6. Erik;s wand is up and he knows this could be the final blow, so he holds no punches and churns serious charges into the Wand of Fire for a Flame Strike spell, which this for 39 damage, and Boris dies. They split the XP (5500 for Alzar alone) (Note Alzar does get 10% EXP bonuses for having a high WIS) Alzar and Erik meet at the body. They split his stuff 50/50 Alzar gets: Ring of Spell Storing (Used Anti-Magic Shell, Breach) +2 Scimitar Erik gets a Wand of Paralyzation, Ring of Pro, and +1 dagger |
Alzar gives Erik a quick rundown of what’ happening, and Erik suggests getting a gnome vessel to chase him down, he’s likely fled the city,
Alzar grabs his Carpet and flies to the landing strip, and there are no gnomes on duty that he knows. But over at the tavern that the pilots use, is Dunbar. He grabs his crew and they are ready to fly 6 minutes later and the plane lifts off! Alzar is readying the big giant crossbow and getting ready to fire it at folks. A red dragon, surprised by the plane and curious, moves over, but flies away after a lazy moment. Kind of bored really. Alzar and the skygnomes make out Heydrech’s plane heading low. They are above a different place on the world - Blackheart, an infamous place in Alphatia. The Heydrech plane has virtually crash landed. Dunbar lands and lets Alzar out. They can stay until something attacks, and then he leaves and returns in four increments for another 24 hours after that. There is a clear trail heading north. The sun is out, and it’s early morning. The major issue is that Alzar is bereft of his tricks - no more berserks for a week, all of his figurines but Balo are dead and out for a similar amount of time. Alzar does some prep on his way in, and swaps his stuff like Jelly Beans and Beads and grabs the Necklace of Missiles for some splash damage. He readies many Wands and well. Alzar has 4/2 spells left There is a foul creature - a crocodile with four heads that snaps at him as he nears. But the magical deformity is so severe that it can’t move quickly, an Alzar is easily able to fly over with the Carpet. It snaps at him with evil hatred as he passes over head. There is a great black tower that opens here in the Dark Heart of the Woods. Made of a obsidian-like substance (but not that, precisely) there is an electrified fence of iron that crosses it, and two pools of deadly fish. Alzar flies over. There is no gate or way through the fence. The door is broken open and Alzar heads in. In a moment, he hears the sound of a mage shouting out in anger “You led someone here? You no longer deserve to live!!!” Cracks of eldritch energy cascade into the creature. Alzar needs to be in his anti-Magic best. Ring of Spell Turning, Free Action Spellcache Ring of Anti-Magic Shell on his waist Gem of Magic Missile Deflection He has these Ioun Stones: Pale Lavender Ellipsoid (Absorbs spells up to 4th level, 20 charges left); Deep Black Sphere (See in Non & Magic Dark) Handy are Rings of Warmth and Pro Fire if needed Typhus - INT 11, EGO 16, CN, can only be handled by clerics without bad stuff happening, +3 mace, immune to disease, every hit causes disease per the spell unless a save is made. Can cast cloudkill and wither once/day, and gives +1 to level for turning or commanding undead. -1 STR and CON to any non cleric who tries to wield it. Each time uses a spell, moves more towards CN. When removed, turns to normal Align, or regains lost STR/CON after one week. |
Let’s go. Alzar hears the sound of spell casting down stairs and moves quickly but efficiently with the the Star clearings a path. Alzar heads down. Two spells are cast by the time Alzar arrives…
His foe has summoned, and he has cast Protection from Good, 10’ Radius 6 Crab-Ogres - The mage here, Kavel, has twisted and warped these ogres by splicing onto them chitin, crab claws, and such. The result is a creature that is angry at life, gets -2 AC to hit, deals more damage in combat, get’s +1 to hit with it’s sharp claws, but which has 50% the hit points of an ogre after going through such vile and nasty changes Kavel Alzar’s Warp Marble drops a wounded and puzzled Tarras on the ground near the mage and he shouts to Tarras to “Kill our foe, and you’ll get his spellbook as we agreed!” Kavel shouts back, “So you’ve betrayed both your master and me have you? I think we have all seen that coming!” Kavel orders the crab-ogres to base Tarras, and casts Power Word Stun on Alzar, but the Ring of Free Action makes him immune Round 2: 3 vs 6 Tarras has no idea what’s happening, but he gets people attacking him, so he shoots an C-O for 8 damage. Alzar’s mace is up and he attacks the wounded Crab- Ogre and needs a 11 to hit and hits for 7 damage himself. The Crab-Ogre is diseased and gets minuses to attack and damage. Kavel casts Disintegrate on Alzar. So here’s how the Spell Turn Ring works. Alzar rolls to see how much is deflected - 50% is deflected. So both have ot make a save or be Disintegrated, and it’s a weak spell, so they get a +5 bonus on the spell. Alzar gets a 8, normally a fail, but he makes it. His foe an 11 and makes it. One crabby hits for 8 damage. 4 vs 9 His wand finishes the wounded Crab-Ogre off. Alzar grabs a Wand from his Waist and fires - the damaging Wand of Salt, from Hamedh. 2d4 damage this turn. And then 2d4 damage every turn until he spends a full turn doing nothing but drinking. 6 damage 45/51 Alzar wants to save his splash spells for when Tarras dies. Seeing Alzar’s protection and not wanting to waste any more good spells on him. The mage casts Polymorph Other on Tarras, and turns him into a chicken. The ogres beats and slay him. 3 vs 2 The ogres of all things crab move to Alzar and attack and miss (cloak) The mage is quic, heads to the cistern in the room and drinks. Alzar grabs the Gem of Delusion and orders it. Results Crab-Ogres drop 12, 6, 10 and are all stunned. 13 by the mage, who si just feebleminded for 1d6 turns - 3. He can’t cast magic, so he quaffs a Potion o Freedom that gives him Free Action for the rest of the combat. Round 1 of the feeble - 2 vs 4 Alzar hits a mage with a 19 and deals 5 damage and diseases him. He uses a potion and heals 10. 50/51 Round 2 - Alzar swigs and hits again for 9 damage. Final healing potion quaffed - none left. Round 3 - Alzar swings and tosses a 11 and hits for 10. He moves around to a new place- feeble mind is over 41/51 Round 4- 6 vs 4 He casts Dispel Magic at the Crabs to free them and it works. They can move next turn. Alzar tosses a Missile from his necklace into the middle of the room, hitting everyone (himself included) for 6d6 damage He tosses 3, 3,4, 1, 4, 6 -21 damage Save available for half damage: Crabby Ogres - 3 made for 11, 2 failed for 21 Mage - tosses a 2 and fails Alzar takes half always (11) 20/51 Alzar 69/80 5 vs 9 Alzar got lucky. If he had a Ring of Quick Action he would have used it there. But nope. He senses the Mage is reeling. But a mace isn’t going to end this. Wand of Salt? Nah. Alzar lobs in another missile. 6, 4, 4, 3, 1, 4 - 22 damage The ogres die. Alzar takes 11 Now, can the mage make his save? If he can, then he survives, and he’ll dimension door out. He tosses a 9. I think that makes it, but I need to double check. Hold on… Yeah, he needed an 8. Made it by 2. He takes 11 and is at 10/51, and then casts Dimension door. 58/80 |
That won’t take him too far. Alzar grabs the Wand of Salt again and the Gem and begins to scour for him/ He’s not on the ground or basement levels. He hears some noise upstairs, and down comes his foe:
Quaffed a pot of EHeal: 35/51 And cast a scroll of Monster Summoning II and has 2 carrion crawlers Alzar uses the Wand on Him. He casts Shield on himself. He takes 4. \ 2 vs 1 He quaffs water this round. Alzar is missed by the Carrion Crawlers, who can’t harm him anyway (Free Action ring). Alzar uses a Wand of Lightning to fire a Lightning bolt for 1, 1, 5, 3, 4, 3 damage - 17 saved for half - 8 damage 24/51 3 vs 1 He wanders into melee battle with Alzar apparently cast haste on himself upsaitrs as well. +2 quarterstaff, with 2 attacks. Misses first (cloak) tosses 12 on second attack Alzar doesn’t have shield so….misses. Needs 13. Alzar swings his mace and tosses 14 and hits for 4+3+2 - 9 damage 15/51 5vs 4 He tosses a 20 and this Alzar for 7 and then a 16 and hits for 7 more - 14 on Alzar - 44/80 Alzar Alzar misses with a 5 2 vs 4 Alzar grabs the Wand Lighting and discharges again for…2, 4, 4, 2, 3, 4 19 damage and….tosses and3 and fails and dies., Alzar finishes the crawlers. Alzar’s XP: 2400 Crab-Ogres and Crawlers 10000 for Mage 3500 for Gnome He just made it to level 7 - needs 55000 and has 55,200 THACo drops two |
Alzar does some searching here in the Tower and comes up with:
Tarras had: Wand of Magic Missiles - 7 charges +2 Dagger +3 Leather Armor Potion of Invisibility, Flying Ring of Invisibility Detection Tarras’s spellbook (Not Decoded): It’ll at least have Magic Missile, Charm Person, Read/Detect Magic, Pro Evil, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Fly, Polymorph Object, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Cone of Cold Heydrech had: Amulet of Spell Storing - 2x Dimension Door, Fly Girdle of Fire Resistance Ring of Protection +2 Staff of Harming, 19 charges Scroll of Trapping Heydrech’s Traveling Spellbook (Not Decoded): It’ll at least have Magic Missile, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Read/Detect Magic, Pro Evil, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Fly, Polymorph Object, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Pro Evil 10’ Radius, Animate Dead, Polymorph Other At home, Heydrech is going to have two major items. Get ready for later On Kevel: +2 Quarterstaff Cloak of Displacement Wand of Magic Missiles - 16 charges Scroll of Dispel Magic Three are pieces of a dead golem by the feet of Heydahl, and it looks like he took it down as he died. Kevel’s Main Spellbook: It’ll at least have Magic Missile, Charm Person, Read/Detect Magic, Pro Evil, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Fly, Polymorph Object, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Pro Evil 10’ Radius, Animate Dead, Polymorph Other, Disintegrate, Detect Invisibility, ESP, Haste, Protection from Normal Missiles, Shield, Power Word: Stun, Feeblemind, Hold Person, Kevel’s Necromantic Tome: Kevel’s Book of Life Shifting: 6000 gp in assorted art and furniture Scroll of Spells - Dispel Illusion, Remove Curse, Stone to Flesh 12000 gp of Alchemical Equipment 12000 gp Necromantic and Anatomy Library 1200 gp 250 pp 7900 gp gems Emerald and Ruby Neck Pendant, 9000 gp +2 Longsword, casts Fly 1/day Crystal Ball +1 Warhammer Featherchime Lance of Piercing Alzar either puts everything in OtherSpace or Bags of Holding. He grabs the body of Heydrach, and binds it with Bands of Bilarro. He casts Cure Light Wounds (it was at HP0) and he regains conscious, stripped of everything and fully bound. He returns to the plane, and then flies up to the flying ship., and begins to inspect the mansion |
In Heydrach’s Mansion:
Meistercloak - Gives the wearer the powers of a 10th level thief for one hour/day. +5% to every skill for people already thieves. Lamp of the Shroud - Powers are by user’s level 5th level - Once/day, animate dead 1 hd/level of user, of 12+4d6 hours, uses normal oil, makes skeletons/zombies 7th level - Same as above, no bodies needed for animation, requires half pint of human corpse fat 9th level - Once/day, animates 2d4 shadows or 1d3 wraiths, from human corpse fat until next sunrise 11th level - Twice/week can animate 1d4+1 spectres, remain until following sunrise, requires pint of human corpse fat oil and special fetid incense cursed by evil cleric 13th level - Once/week can animate 1d2 vampires, remain until following sunrise, requires rendered human fat, special incense, and blood from a living human baby The Lamp is very evil to use, and using it by a non-evil person shifts their alignment. All undead are turned at the level of their animator instead of their own. Rest of the House: 14000 gp furniture, art, etc Other Planar Works, 2000 gp Info on How to Make Obsidian Golem Corporeal Animation & Secrets of Ye Necromancie Alzar slays some undead in the basement. One is an undead Pegataur casting spells. The other a beast that was an amalgam of other parts from a sphinx and a chimera. 16 Rare tomes on Necromancy 42 Rare tomes on Hybrid and Mutant Monsters Notes on how to Animate Dead a monster and keep it’s spells 10000 gp Library of Arcanology and other Magics There are also several books that indict Heydrech as well. They name many of his friends. Only two people of the Grey Front are named though. 4000 gp 815 pp 8250 sp 8000 gp of gems +2 shield +4 Lance +3 Studded Leather And get ready: +4 Mace, can only be used by Lawful, Casts Cure Light, Cure Moderate, Cure Serious, and Cure Critical Wounds once/each/day if wielded by lawful Cleric. Which Alzar is. In case you were keep the math. Alzar will switch to this new Mace from Typhus. He names the Mace “Woundhammer.” Took from the other House: 152 Books on History of Serraine, Nagpa, Pandius 1652 gp of coins 1 Diamond, 5000 gp Potion of Levitation, Cold Breath, Sustenance And that’s everything Alzar got - which is a lot. The mayor, and Erik bring him in for a quick meeting. For saving Erik in the battle against Boris, Alzar gets a special Commendation from the City. For helping them deal with both the missing tourists and some undead issues as well as punching the Grey Front. One was captured, another fled, and Heydrach is sitting in prison, and doing his time. Alzar is given a waiver for the library, and can now access the Library any time he wishes, even the sections normally sealed off. End of Top Ballista |
And that ends that adventure. Whew!
This adventure would really have jump started Alzar as a mage. But he’s not that anymore, and the only major power increase is his mace, Woundhammer, and the subsequent healing that could come from it. Alzar can now use these 4th level spells: 4th Level - Tongues, Focus, Uplift, Join with Astral Traveler, Cloak of Bravery, Free Action, Heroism, Imbue with Spell Ability, Gloomcloud, Recitation, Smiting, Detect Lie, Divination, Lair Divination, Omniscient Eye, Windborne, Protection from Elementals, 10’ Radius, Adamantite Mace, Earthmaw, Magnetism, Warp Stone or Metal, Produce Fire, Lower Water, Reflecting Pool, Abjure, Dimensional Anchor, Animate Statue, Lesser Guardian Seal, Psionic Barrier, Neutralize Poison, Cure Serious Wounds, Fortify Healing, Compulsive Order, Defensive Harmony, Exorcize, Suspended Animation, Unfailing Endurance, Spell Immunity, Protections from Electricity, Undead, Traps, Gas, and Lycanthropes; Elemental Control, Fire Purge, Weather Stasis, Surelock, Entrench, Leadership, Tanglefoot Alzar has only been a cleric for a short bit, around 3 weeks or so since he came back from the first round of the Hut of Baba Yaga. There’s more to go. But starting now, Alzar can begin to do some exploring and such. Alzar now has a high enough level to get him through the level lock… |
Begin The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga again.
Thanatos is still missing. The last time Alzar was here, he didn’t even need his party. He fought two battles against a Minor Death and a minor devil. That was it. So he can head back all day long. One of Dunbar’s friends flies Alzar down to the March and collects the first stuff in trade of Serraine. Due to his diplomacy skill, Alzar got an additional 5% in tariff reduction. They head over. The skygnome Questrix is back as well, and the two of them will head into the Hut. Alzar’s levels can open the seals on the higher levels. They arrive, and get some info about the Hut. There have been a few sightings of a giant rolling kettle or cauldron that repairs the trees afterwards. A few disappearances have occurred, and some children were taken by Baba Yaga. Alzar spends a half hour scouting the place, and it seems little has changed. As before, the front door is open and ready for him to enter… Alzar spends some time getting ready again, and he has brought some technical items that can be useful in helping, and the Android Bodyguard is with him, plus it carries some blasters, grenades, and such. Alzar spends a bit of time demonstrating to Questrix how to use them as well, since technology works inside the Hut of Baba Yaga, it only stands to reason that these weapons and items will work fine inside. Alzar hides them mostly, in backpacks and such as an emergency preparedness. The good news is that Alzar and Questrix enter the hut. Questrix shows Alzar how to get to the room with the Cyclops in it on the first floor. They meet the Cyclops and it’s been captured here, and kept prisoner in a room with exits too small for it. Alzar offers to take it out in his Iron Flash. It heads in, and then if Alzar and Questrix need assistance they’ll pop him back out for help and otherwise, they will release him. He’s been here for months, so he agrees readily, and Alzar puts him in the Flask: Cyclops - AC2, HD13, 64 hp, THACo 7, 6d6 damage from punch, ahs a magical Club of Smashing like a sword of dancing. Can only be used by 18 str or more. Chaotic evil. The goal here is to create a magical shock troop for Alzar and Questrix to use since they can’t conjure or summon while in the Hut., Questrix leads the way, using the knocks he knows to get the, to the room, the Observatory, which is next to level 2. There are some secret stairs behind a panel, and now Alzar can get through and hit level 2 |
They walk up the stairs to a square shaped chamber with a octagon in the middle. There are a few holes in the wall, and doors flank the left and right sides. A secret door is revealed in the far wall by the Star of Mo Pilar. As they pass into the octagon, there are four gargoyle statues here with faerie fire on them that scintillates with different colors. There are the four glass beads in their eyes, which Questrix knows are the scrying network for Baba Yaga. There are 10 paintings displayed here and they are of different humanoids - hag, kobold, and more. One of them looks like Questrix and would pass for a portrait. There is a Mirror of Life Trapping here as well, and Alzar has had one before and knows about it, so they turn around and back away from it (Thanks Mo’Pilar!)
The open the left door and it arrives at a large city set in the future, with futuristic rockets, and airplanes buzzing around and more. They are attacking a gigantic monster that is invading their city. And the city is shrunk down to a small diorama. Alzar decides not to head in and get between one and the other, The right door opens into a area filled with splashing water. Alzar and Questrix have to shout to be heard. There are 7 fountains lit up, each one has a colored water of one color of the rainbow flowing out towards the center where a giant pool rests and the water swirl in a rainbow pattern. It’s a bit of an odd looking pattern. There’s nothing else in the room though, so Alzar opens a door and they teleport out of the fountain room. Alzar arrives into a room that doesn’t even look like it’s in the Hut. It’s massively hot in here, searingly so, and there jets and gouts of flame from the floor. In front of Alzar is a lair with a few smaller caverns of it, two doors to other places in the Hut, and something really bad. Alzar does a quick check with the Star, but there’s no illusions in the room, and nothing has been polymorphed, these are four, authentic, pit fiends:  Each of these four has an oddly shaped collar on their necks. Pit Fiends are among the most powerful devils, only dukes, and then Archfiends themselves are higher. One Fit Fiend would prove a problem, but would be kill-able for Alzar at level 25 wizard. Two would be rough. Four? That’d do some damage. Alzar talks to the Pit Fiend in front of him. He knows the lower plane common languages (Sage Knowledge and Netherworld Knowledge nonweapon profs). These collars aren’t normal. Alzar speaks to him and they have a rough communication. The Pit Fiends here are Baba Yaga’s heavy force for battles. Alzar asks about the collar. It has a permanent Disintegrate effect, so they won’t leave or disobey her. Only a Wish can free it they’ve tried. The other three Pit Fiends fly or walk over, and Alzar is now talking to all four. |
One of them looks at him - “We haven’t been commanded to attack you, but I’d still kill you right now, except you have been marked, and out of respect for that, I’m letting you live.”
Alzar looks pointedly at him “Why are you taking orders? Is it that collar too? If you die here, it’s fine, you return to your plane. But a disintegration is permanent. How long have you been here slave?” There are some roars and Alzar has pushed some buttons. A 3rd answers, 254 years. “That’s 254 years that the Blood War has missed your power. That’s 254 years you’ve been bored. 254 years you haven’t had you freedom. So here’s what I’m willing to offer you.” Alzar reaches down to his belt and grabs a special ring and puts it on. “I can cast two Wishes. That’ll remove the collar for two of you right now. You can leave here and go home. Then those two that are freed attack the two with collars on. Eventually 3 of you will die and go home. If the last one left has their collar gone, then they can leave. If not, I’ll finish them off myself, so they die too.” “Now, spending a Wish is very expensive, and very rare. You could easily be here another 254 years, so I want to trade. I get the true names of two of you, the two I free. Then I can summon you later and then the Wishes will be used, and you can go.” They negotiate for a while. Alzar will use both Wishes, free two, they will fight, and the 4th one dies if necessary, Alzar uses one Wish, and then gets one true name of a Pit Fiend. Then after using his 2nd Wish, they will give him the truenames of 4 major devils, but weaker than Pit Fiends. Agreed. Wishes resolve, and Alzar gets the information. The Ring of Three Wishes is now fully used up and disappears. Alzar sits back and watches as an unusual battle resolves. 23 minutes later, the last Pit Fiend is one who was freed, and it heads off. A Pit Fiend gives 33000 XP, and for using his best deus ex machina for freeing them and overcoming this extremely difficult encounter., he deserves some serious XP reward. Normally, if a good character uses a wish for roleplaying purposes to heal someone, free someone, or such, you’d give a huge XP bonus and full XP for the encounter as well. Alzar can’t get RP bonuses (since I’m solo’ing this), but what he can do is get XP bonuses for the Pit Fiends. If Alzar dominates a creature and uses it to kill another creature, and this it dies in battle, he gets XP for both. By the same logic, a wish should give the same result but….man, giving him 66k (and Questrix 66k for just being here) is huge. We’ll do it - 66k for Alzar |
They head left. The door teleports them…
They arrive in an area that is an orchard. There are numerous apple trees, a deep stream of silky cream, with banks of pudding. There are scattered bushes, a large hedgehog, and a giant tree in the middle which is really a Treant…  There are a few portals leading out of this room/place/orchard The Treant looks at Alzar suspiciously, and Alzar addresses I ,but it refuses to answer. The hedgehog moves to him and begins to speak. She says that the Treant usually just talks to her. He hates Baba Yaga and suspects anyone that comes through here of being in league with her, and there aren’t many visitors on this level, so most are allies of her. Alzar and Questrix aren’t though. She was once one of the servants or slaves of Baba Yaga and she refused an order, and was polymorphed into a hedgehog until her two years were over That was around 11 months ago. She has a little more than a year left. She knows the 1st floor well, but not any of the 2nd floor knocks. But she does know about a 3rd floor above this one, and she thinks it’s the last one though. She knows there is a library, stables, and bedchambers on this floor. The portals from here head to a fire pit and stables and stairs. They head to the stairs… |
This area is designed to clearly defy 3-dimensional thinking. There are crossed stairs, and multiple doors, and all in a winding twisting set that come back to each over in loops that make no sense. Alzar decides to unfurl the Carpet of Flying from his Backpack and they fly instead of getting caught in the stairs, and they open a door - and it leads to the bottom of the stairs. A door on the side leads to the other side, and so forth. 8 doors in all, each wraps around. The Star finds nothing either, other than the whole thing is magical. All of the doors open. Alzar tries a few things, and then eventually tries Dispel Magic, which works….
This room is filled with a dozen glass-fronted display cases of varying sizes. Each holds a motionless (and possibly stuffed) animal in a diorama of its natural setting. A hallway bisects the room with doors on the sides. The Star reveals a trap they avoid. Alzar inspects them carefully and there is something peculiar about their mouths. Alzar skips the room and heads right and…. When Alzar heads in, there is a 50x50 room with stone walls and floor and a door in the center of each wall. Alzar and Questrix disappear from each other, and there is nothing in the room, and then in Alzar’s room there is a group of traps on the floor. The Star reveals that they are in a room with a large watery trap on the base, and no doors out. It’s odd switches. Can the Star be misled? Alzar puts it back on his belt, and then the water is gone and the two traps are here. Alzar grabs his mace and begins to cautiously poke and move his way across the room. the great watery trap doesn’t trigger, and he moves around the traps he sees, and gets to the side of the wall, and feels and finds a door. He opens it, and…. Questrix and Alzar appear in an odd place. There are three glass eyes that are invisible and floating, Alzar can see them with his INT. These are more scrying devices for Baba Yaga. There are three doors here, and cabinets, with wizard locked doors. There are tables and chairs, and rooms with various effects, damages, jagged gashes and more, and they have a variety of ages There’s even a bloom of mushrooms in the back. Alzar guesses that this may have been the place where they tested various spells or magical items or trained apprentices. There is a damaged magical staff on a pedestal, There is a secret door out of here in addition to the normal doors. They try it but it won’t work - it’s a door to level 3. They aren’t able to crack it. They head to a normal door: They arrive at an oddly shaped room with suits of armor from a variety of worlds arrayed all around. Different suits of armor abound. One is a plastic suit of power armor, much like the one that Alzar had. There are mannequins inside each of these suits of armor, and a couple of doors arrayed around. Suddenly a ghostly spirit (A ghost, proper) animates one of the suits of armor and begins to move towards Alzar and Questrix menacingly. Knowing that spiritual undead are often tied to one location, Alzar pushes the gnome elsewhere and then leave out of a nearby door and teleport to…. Back to the room with the creature cabinets. Alzar takes the other exit from here…. |
To the stables. There is a dimly lit room here with a huge pile of silver shavings (probably worth thousands of gp), and an ugly twisted figure with the features of a dwarf, rat, bird and snakelike skin is shoveling this treasure through the open door of one of the horse stalls in the rear of the room - three stalls are here in total. The Star also detects a secret door here as well as the normal two.
Alzar talks to the creature, who introduces himself as Jolnag. He was once a duergar bodyguard d of Baba Yaga’s, and was experimented on and turned into his form as punishment for stealing. There are three mounts in here kept for the three servants that serve Baba Yaga recently - Night, Day, and Twilight. He lets them know about one knock that will send someone to the clockworks, but that’s all he knows Alzar doesn’t want to death with the death steeds or nightmares or whatever problematic steeds these personifications are using, so they head out and… This room has floor to ceiling bookshelves, accessed by three ladders that roll around the perimeter of the room. There are two floors here, and 2 secret doors in the back and to the left. Thousands of books are in the room from many different planes and worlds. A table in the middle has a few recently used books. Alzar sits down and begins to review them. One is titled The One Thousand Names of Death; while another is a book on the various forces of nature, and more. The forces of nature are 4 good, 4 evil, and 3 neutral and are listed, and day, night, and twilight are three of the forces given. Alzar hands that book to Questrix for review and he looks through the Death tome. It’s a book on the different aspects of Death on various planes, and begins with the Reaver name, and then the last page is…. Thanatos And it gives information on Thanatos here on Pandius in quite a compelling amount of detail. It mentions that Death, in any incarnation, should be able to prevent death by default of that definition. Is that what Baba Yaga is seeking? Not to die? Immortality? |
Alzar goes into the two secret rooms.
The first is a room with blank bookshelves and the Star reveals an illusion, and behind it are countless spellbooks. Questrix finds his three spellbooks in here and takes them. He now is fully loaded again. Alzar skips the rest. There are scrying devices allover, and he suspects that one of the reasons Baba Yaga may have been so lenient with him is that he hasn’t taken anything of hers yet. Another might be she is studying him to find out more about the path to immortality. The next secret door opens into a map room. With maps of numerous planes, planets and more. There are extremely detailed maps of Pandius on the top of a table, and Norwold is zoomed in to. A crystalline device focuses on one part of the map and zooms it - but whether magical or technological he can’t say. There is a book on the table as well that entices him: How to Make, Use, and Enjoy Your Own Warp Marble He grabs it and flips through it and there are recipes and chatters here on making a Warp Marble. The whole process is laid out. As someone who really likes his Marble, this is something he really likes. He sits down and pulls out the Lens of Speed Reading from his backpack. He looks over at a scrying device. “I want to take this with me, make a copy, and then bring it back. I haven’t stolen anything of yours here. I promise that I will bring this book and only this book back. Is that okay?” After a moment, an Aerial Servant floats into the room from somewhere else. It points at Alzar and then points to follow it. They head out. The Servant leads them out of the Hut, with the book intact…. That day, Alzar gets the Magist to use Bookcopy on the book, and then heads back and returns the original about an hour later. The Aerial Servant is in the first room past the door in the Hut, and Alzar hands it the book and it heads back up. Alzar heads back out. End of The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga. Again |
Alzar has gained another level and is now level 8. He gains one more 4th and 3rd level spell.
He now has three weapon proficiencies that he has not used he is holding onto. Questrix also gains a level and is now level 11. Morena appears again. With what Alzar has learned, he has confirmed that Thanatos was likely taken by Baba Yaga and is on the 3rd level of the Hut. Again, he needs to be of a certain level to get there. So they have accepted the 2nd leg of the first rung of getting the Sphere of Matter’s Path These are the 6 requirements: 1). 10 non-weapon profs - Alzar has gotten 14 since then. DONE 2). Must find the same artifact twice after resetting as thief and as cleric. DONE 3). Must get Fighter, Thief, and Cleric all to level 12. He gets all of the classes back. About to begin. 4). Must be accompanied by one member of each class - Ongoing. 5). Monument erected in his name. Not done So what is about to happen is really, really odd. Alzar gets all of his classes that he needs to level to 12. He is a 8th level fighter, 8th level cleric, 9th level thief. He even get sMage back There are no rules for how this works precisely. So I’ll make it up and be fair. He can gain a level in any class by gaining that XP. But XP has to be assigned on an adventure basis. In other words, Alzar can’t assign one encounter’s XP to thief, and then another’s to fighter and so forth. He can only assign it all to one class at the time. |
Get ready for a big and overly complicated character sheet for Alzar!
As a Polymath, Alzar can now mix and match stuff. Alzar takes the Specialization in Missile Fire. This lets him move half movement and get full fire rate or full movement and half, as well as -1 AC vs missile fire when firing. . Then he double specializes in it as a Fighter, and gets full movement and fire rate and -2 AC. He also combines skillset with items. For example, he can use Bright Barrier with the weapon/shield style he learned as a rogue with the specialization of the Axe. He saves his final weapon prof for now. Here’s another. His AC. He doesn’t wear armor. He can wera the fighter-only Helm of Selinor again, He’s now wearing the thief-only Cloak of Shadows again, Bright Barrier, AC bonuses from thief, etc… Without the Barrier normally, Alzar has a typical AC of…Bracers - 2, -3 Cloak, -1 Helm, -3 Rogue: -5 AC and that’s without using a Ioun Stone or Boots of Striding and Springing. With Barrier he gets -5 AC to -10 AC. Higher level campaigns do embrace ACs less than -10, so with the Stone, with Bone Block spell, with Boots, etc. And then dn’t forget that the Evade thief ability hits for the first attack each round that would normally miss. Now he’s no longer getting the free round of misses with the Cloak of Displacement, but that’s still Alzar in a good place. |
I’m just giving you the character sheet. No spells, spellbooks, items, etc:
Alzar the Polymath; Alzar the Mighty, Lord of Wood and Fire, Marquis of March of the Mighty Alzar, Level 8 Cleric, Scholar Priest, (Level 9 Thief, (Investigator); 8th level Fighter (Myrmidon), 26th level Path Mage (Fivefold Mage)) Lawful Evil Human Str: 18/23 Dex: 13 Con: 11 Wis: 17 Int: 21 Cha: 17 Hit Points: 80 THACO: 16 AC: -5 (Cloak of Shadows; Bracers AC2, Helm. If using Barrier, -10. Ioun Stone, Boots, could drop -2) Age 63, Body - 29 Cleric XP - 145000, 225k to level 9; Thief XP - 126,200 (160k to 10th); Fighter XP - 180k, 250k to level 9; Mage XP - 6156490 (Level 27 at 6,250,000); Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Myrmidon: Tactical History 15 Fire-Building 18 Riding 14 Swimming 12 Reading/Writing 16 Survival 16 Blind Fighting Etiquette 17 Endurance Heraldry 13 Hunting 12 Fishing 15 Weather Knowledge 12 Orienteering 18 As a Necromancer/Fivefold Mage Necrology 16 Netherworld Knowledge 16 Herbalism 17 Alchemy 15 Poison Use 13 Ancient Languages 11 Spellcraft 13 Ancient History – 17 Bookbinding – 16 Papermaking - 16 Sage Knowledge: Outer Planes, Inner Planes – 13 Divining: 15 Genie Lore: 17 Riding, Specialization: 10 Research: 13 First Lore – Aleph I: 8 Riding, Air: 13 As a Thief: Information Gathering: 15 Trailing: 16 Set Snares: 13 Tracking: 13 Locksmithing: 11 Fine Balance - 11 Camouflage - 12 As a Cleric: Scribe - 12 Religion - 10 Investigation - 11 Healing - 14 Hypnotism - 9 Administration - 16 Diplomacy - 14 Court Intrigue - 13 Languages – Thorasian - Typic, Sis’sharr, UnderTypic, Kuo-Toa; Hamedhi – Arjuni, Sand Mire Common – Pandius - Pandius Prime, Traits: Empathy Fast Healer Precise Memory Obscure Knowledge Weapon Proficiencies: Bonus Kit Specialization: Battle Axe Battle Axe One Handed Weapon Style x2 (-2 AC when using one weapon in combat) Crossbow Battle Axe Weapon Mastery Spear Dagger Total with normal battle axe - +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -2 to AC. An additional +1 with the axe and +1 damage for strength Mage - Staff Thief Weapons: Short Bow, Short Sword Short Bow Expertise - Fires at rate of Specialization Specialization in One Handed With Shield - -1 AC and can Shield Bash Cleric: Mace Polymath: Double Specialization in Missile Fire --2 AC at range vs ranged weapons, can move 100% movement and fire everything Class Abilities Fighter Class Abilities: Specialization Leadership (Alzar can command the tactics, strategy, logistics and more that a large force requires) 3 attacks every 2 rounds Mage Class Ability: 1). Alzar can control undead as an evil Priest of the same level, and this ability extends to extra planar beings which are considered undead with the same hit dice for this purpose. 2). One Extra Spell/Level is Gained, must be Path. 3). Fivefold Mages reduce the spell level by one when researching spells in The Path. 4). Chance to Learn spell in The Path increased by +15% 5). Saving Throw of Targets when targeted by spells from The Path at -1. 6). No more than one spell per level can be from the group: Abjuration, Alteration, Alchemy and Geometry barring a highly unusual and temporary circumstance. 7). Fivefold Mage must invest a focus item as the method through which magic is cast. (Signet Ring from Hamedh, kept on necklace.) 8). Must have a lab and library and workbench with 1,000 gp value per level, and an upkeep of 50 gp/level/month 9). They can store spells like an Artificer, but cannot begin to do so until level 6 10). Fivefold Mages have a chance to identify a magical item by spending a turn peering at it closely and examining it - chance is their level times 5. 11). Fivefold Mages never suffer from a negative reaction penalty due to controlling or animating undead. Thief Class Ability: Cannot use Armor Without a Trace Defensive Bonus- -3 AC when unarmored Backstab - x4 damage from level 9-12: +4 to attack Open Locks: 45 Find/Remove Traps: 95 Move Silently: 80 Hide in Shadows: 80 Climb Walls: 70 Read Languages: 5 Evasion: 55 Cleric Class Ability: Cannot use Armor Fire Immunity - Alzar is immune to fire. Any non-magical fire, flame, lava, or heat won’t affect him. He always makes his saves against fire spells and effects. And if a fire spell doesn’t have a save, he gets one. Protection from Energy Drain - +2 on saves vs energy drain effects, and grants a save when there is none Cold Resistance - +2 on all saves vs ice-based and cold attacks. Effects without a saving throw are not given one Major Access to these Spheres: All, Healing, Astral, Law, War, Combat, Charm, Divination, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Wards, Elemental Immune to starvation Can cast ESP once/week A Wish Resulted in - An interdimensional Pocket which only he can access by reaching out his hand, or concentrating to send himself there. It’s sort of like a giant Bag of Holding. It can hold up to 500,000 coins of items, and it’s the size of a large room. Due to the size and volume, it cannot be accessed as readily as his items in a Bag of Holding can be, and therefore, he cannot find items during combat from it. He also can’t step into it during combat, it takes a minute of meditation to translocate his form there. Alzar may move and survive in the following planes at will: Tarterus, Acheron, The Abyss, Elysium, Arcadia, and the Astral Plane and Positive Energy. +2 to all saves against fear/awe effects Cleric Spells - 5/5/4/2 Wizard Spells - 7/7/7/7/6/6/6/6/5 Special Books Already Used – Tome of Clear Thought; Tome of Leadership and Influence; Libram of Ineffable Damnation; Tome of Understanding; Tome of Quickness of Action; Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms; Manual of Bodily Health; Manual of Gainful Exercise; Longevity Potions Drank – 2; Wishes used for stats - INT, WIS Younger - 1 |
Its Month 8, of Year 6. Alzar is back to being a magic-user. He spends 65,000 of his own gold to begin construction on a hugely pimp monument, statue, with columns, some permanent magic effects, and more
Back to Dancing Hut.. Alzar spends the next 6 days doing research, and bringing in allies. An off-hand remark by a Pit Fiend has clued him in strongly - he can summon them on Pandius even though they died, because the Hut is actually a sub-plane. It was a pocket place made by Baba Yaga, so Alzar can do pretty much anything outside. Alzar has summoned various allies from the area, to head one major assault on the Hut, and by Hut he means plane, of Baba Yaga. With his levels restored, he can get to the final level and unlock it. The rest can come with him. He clues them in on various ways to hit her. For example, in the various legends, she is immune to metal completely. So if someone uses a metal magical weapon against her, and it doesn’t work, then they’ll need a non-metal weapon to continue. Alzar reminds everyone that they are here for one reason only - to attack. Not to steal or loot or drive her away. But merely to free Thanatos. Maybe they can do that peacefully. Maybe not. But do not antagonize her needlessly. You can’t summon aid or anything, so Alzar will be heading back in with: Forx the bard, now level 9. Questrix the gnome Illusionist, level 11 Rachlann, level 7 fighter Rogren, level 8 fighter Racala, level 9 cleric Adentium, level 8 wizard Aleph, Bronze Golem Android Bodyguard Azzil, Imp Familiar It’s time. They head back in. Alzar learns a few different spells, like Wish and Greater Malison. The doors are not open, and the hut is dancing. Not a good sign. Alzar has given everyone the best he has - magical weapons and armor and more. Missiles fly into the two legs and drop the hut from past the fence, and the door flings open. They move in and head in. |
After moving around the first level melts, and the 2nd arrives. They head to the right room and then use the secret door here, which works…
They arrive at the bottom of three rooms. The room is cascading with energy from the Negative Plane, and there are four huge mirrors that are arrayed around the legs of a giant figure. There are two more rooms above this one, and the legs are probably those of Thanatos himself Alzar recognizes the mirrors as the same substance as that of his Warp Marble. There is still a ceiling above this room, and stairs heading up on the far side. The next floor is the middle trap, and there is a temporal shift here. The group is captured by it, but Alzar’s Time Stop spell cancels it for a turn or so. The midsection of the Immortal is here, and the Temporal Energies are coming from four great pedestals. The room is laid out like a giant four-point star. They head up the final staircase to the final room of this prison. Here positive energies are cascading from the Positive Energy Plane. Again, there are four Warp Marble-esque giant mirrors. This room has the great head and shoulders of the Immortal, and he is imprisoned here. There is one door that leaves here. The Star of Mo-Pilar has is trapped and locked. Alzar’s Chime of Opening cancels the Wizard Lock spell on it, but it’s still held. Alzar rolls and disarms two mechanical traps. There is a magical one here too. He casts Dispel Magic (as cleric, not the more powerful Wizard version) and drops the trap. The Door can now be opened…. |
The Control Room is dominated by a large, high-backed chair carved from ivory and inlaid with jade and silver. The chair is inscribed with a variety of runes that are inlaid on a variety of shelves. Books and magical items are there. On the far wall is a large number of mirrors, more than 30, and they are revealing the various glass eyes around the Hut in its various rooms.
On the floor is a large broom, a cauldron, and a hound from Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound spell, who alerts the occupant in the seat. Baba Yaga is seated in the chair, which she spins to face Alzar and his group. Alzar officially introduces himself and Baba Yaga merely nods. She is a bent over wizened old crone who’s probably more than 2000 years old. Alzar tells her that that are not thieves not looters, and not bandits, come to steal and wreak havoc. They just want something returned - Thanatos. He thanks her for letting him loan the book, and offers her a pouch of 3000 gp as payment, about 3x what a book like that would cost. He grabs a pouch from his shoulder, and places it on the ground. This is yours for the book. (He doesn’t want her to hold having loaned him the book against him) We just ask that you release Thanatos.” “As I have told him. His freedom is on his own head. As soon as he grants me a minor boon.” “Immortality.” She just smiles at Alzar’s statement. “That’s more than a minor boon.” “Not for one of his power, it isn’t” “I stand corrected. But still, I request that you return Thanatos.” “No. I grow bored of this conversation. You were dedicated enough to return to my Hut multiple times, you brought a lot of friends with you with nice sharp weapons, you managed to take care of my Pit Fiends, you managed to pierce my defenses, and, like you stated, you haven’t really been a bother to me. But now let’s test you resolve even more.” And with that she begins to rise and her hound heads out to nip at Alzar. |
 Baba Yaga - 150 HP, THAC0 3, 3 attacks for 4d4+9, 4d4+9, and 2d10+9. AC -4. She is immune to non-magic weapons, poisons, metal weapons, spells, cold, fire, with a 75% Magic Resistance. She regenerates 3 hp/round. She gets +4 to spells against the mind, she is immune to a metric to of spells, and illusions, she is a Godlike intelligence of 25, and no one can outwit or out plan her, not even Alzar’s normal 21 INT and experience and skill set. +2 to saves vs anything that would deal more than damage (disease, contagion, etc). She cab cause fear for a turn ,and force everyone to save, poisons someone with the first two physical attacks (with her nails) She can use a variety of thief abilities, knows a ton of priest and wizard spells (she’s a level 25 mage, a level 12 priest, and a level 11 thief). She also has a variety of magic items as well to assist. She casts Time Stop…. Time Stop gives you 1d3 rounds, and you don’t know how many. She casts Monster Summoning V and IV and then it ends. The spells resolve and now she has 1d3 level 4 and 1d3 level 5 monsters, randomly determined, arrive. 2 and 2 of each. These arrive: 2 Hook Horrors (AC3, HD5, HP 28, THACO 15, 3 attacks for 1d8/1d8/2d6, 175 XP) 2 Giant Spiders (AC4, HD 4+1, HP 26, THACO16, 1 attack for 1d8, 650 - uses Web once/battle) Alzar points some folks at the Horrors, and others at the Spiders. He suspected Hold Person spells or styles perhaps, so many have Rings of Free Action - those work on Webs too, and he always wears his. Spell Turning on the other. Racala uses the Iron Flask to grow and expel the Cyclops right beside Baba Yaga and Alzar tells him to get revenge. (Iron Flask works by shrinking and physically moving to the flask and then putting a stasis spell, not a summons or an extra-dimensional space, which cannot be accessed here) |
Alzar leads with Greater Malison, this does not have a save so its guaranteed. It forces the target to get -2 to all saves for 1 rnd/level - so 27 rounds -basically all battle long. (Alzar gets +1 to spell level for Azzil, his imp - he also has 75% magic resistance from the Amulet and Azzil). Alzar has the Bronze Golem and Rogren hit some Hook Horrors, the Android and others on the Giant Spiders. Forx casts Color Spray and….4, 16 - one Horror is dazed, Baba is immune, spiders aren’t intelligent enough. Questrix leads with Melf’s Acid Arrow and she shrugs it off and a magic metal crossbow bolt from Rachlann proves that she is metal immune and it passes through her.
Battle truly begins 8 vs 6 Baba Yaga casts and summons an Invisible Stalker. Attacks from her minions (Hound, Horrors?) hit twice on Rogren fpr 11 damage. The Giant Spiders ;launch Webs. Racala, with a Free Action Ring casts the Free Action spell on everyone and the Webs are ignored. The Cyclops swings and…..hits for 11 damage on Baba Yaga (his big, giant magical club is certainly not metal). Adentium casts Magic Missile at her and they hit her Gem of MM Protection, much like Alzar has, and are redirected to Alzar for 6 damage. Forx casts Glitterdust and that reveals the Invisible Stalker to everyone to attack later. The Android Bodyguard fires a blaster at Baba Yaga and misses. Damage dealt to a Horror. Alzar decides to speed this up. He casts Wish at Baba Yaga and Wishes that her immunity to metal be removed for a day. Alzar ages 5 years. Rogren 52/63 Alzar -75/80 139/150 - The Big One 3 vs 4 Alzar casts Strip Resistance. Will it break her Resistance? Nope. It will keep working until it Strips her resistance down 27% . The Cyclops tosses a 5 and misses. Forx grabs the Drums and starts playing. Next turn, everyone gets +2 to hit and damage. The Golem tears the head off a Horror and it dies. Blasters hit the big bad for 8. Adentium uses Burning Hands and slays the spiders. Seeing the need for more allies now, she reaches into her own Hut and opens a phase door to another room and out pour for Clay Golems. The Stalker hits Rogren. Rogren 44/63 Alzar -75/80 131/150 - The Big One 9 vs 4 Baba Yaga casts Stone to Flesh and petrifies the Cyclops. The Clay Golems flank, two around her and two to head to Alzar and swing. One gets a 19 and hits for 13 damage and no evasion by him . Alzar nods at Forx and he drops the drums and grabs a ring on his belt and uses a charge from the Ring of Depetrification to bring the Cyclops back. No bonuses for ,the drums though, The Strip hits this round and her MR is now 48%. Questrix casts Acid Arrow on the Stalker for some damage, and Aleph punches it too. The final Hook Horror bites it from Rogren’s blade. Rachlann’s crossbow led with the Hasp hits Baba Yaga once for 5 damage. We need a tank, and after dropping Baba Yaga’s immunities and opening her up, Alzar can now be that tank, he grabs his Axe, and Shield and wades in and swings at a Clay Golem. 17, 8 and 14 - he hits twice for 36 damage it dies (35 hp for it). 3 golems left Rogren 44/63 Alzar -63/80 126/150 - The Big One |
6 vs 3
Baba Yaga is done with this She’s tired of trying to keep her summoned creatures alive and decides to switch tactics. She can tell that she’s losing, and there’s no sense to stick with a losing strategy of summoning creatures. She casts the 5th level spell Cloukill for the entire room: This is a nasty spell that: Lasts 25 rounds Kills everything level 5 or lower Saves for level 6 to die Everyone else takes 1d10 poison damage a round No saves This will begin to erode at Alzar’s team. This turn, everyone takes 7 damage - she is immune to poison (as is the Android Bodyguard and Imp) and golems too. Clays attack the Cyclops and hits for 9 damage. It’s take 16. The Stalker misses. Alzar swings and slays a second Clay Golem - 2 left. Racala casts Cure Moderate Wounds and Rogren heals 20, and Questrix Dispel Magic on the Cloudkill specifically, in order to kill it and it’s gone. The Cyclops swings and 17 and hits Baba Yaga for 8. 5 more from a bolt. Rogren 57/63 Alzar -56/80 113/150 - The Big One Forx - -7 Questrix -- 7 Rachlann, level 7 fighter - 7 Racala, level 9 cleric -7 Adentium, level 8 wizard -7 Aleph, Bronze Golem - 7 Android Bodyguard Azzil, Imp Familiar 2 vs 6 Alzar moves and carves and finishes off the Invisible Stalker. Forx is playing the Drums again. The Cyclops tosses an 11 and hits for 7. No one else targets her. Questrix and Racala hit the Clay golem and it’s almost dead. Her clays miss. The Cloudkill didn’t really work. She activates a Contingency spell and three magical shields hit her: Protection from Magical Weapons Spell Turning Baba Yaga’s Mantle The Mantle is a spell she created, and if any spell comes in to drop her protections, that caster takes 20 damage and only the Mantle falls. Rogren 57/63 Alzar -57/80 113/150 - The Big One Forx - -7 Questrix -- 7 Rachlann, level 7 fighter - 7 Racala, level 9 cleric -7 Adentium, level 8 wizard -7 Aleph, Bronze Golem - 7 Android Bodyguard Azzil, Imp Familiar 3 vs 7 The damaged clay golem dies and Alzar kills the healthy one - and now Baba Yaga is alone, and Alzar is next to her. The Cyclops would have hit her but rebounds off the protection. A Dispel Magic flies in from Racala, and she takes 20 damage and just the Mantle falls. No one else hurts her this round. She casts Wish herself and orders that her Metal Immunity be restored. And it will be. |
1 vs 4
Alzar shouts to hold off and casts a powerful level 27 Dispel Magic and drops her protections. Racala heals herself of 20 damage with CModWnds. Questrix casts Protection from Evil, 10’ Radius. Others adjust or such. After her final spell defense falls, she casts a spell - 4th level Baba Yaga’s Poison Ball, a spell that is identical to Fire Ball, only it’s level 4, poison, and has a poison save. Everyone takes 10d6 damage, save for half (she’s immune). 32 damage Rogren 41/63 Alzar -41/80 113/150 - The Big One Forx - -23 Questrix -- 39 Rachlann, level 7 fighter - 39 Racala, level 9 cleric -23 Adentium, level 8 wizard -23 Aleph, Bronze Golem - 39 Android Bodyguard Azzil, Imp Familiar 5 vs 7 Alzar casts Maze at her. Can she make her Magic Resist? 51%, nope, 3 above the 48%. There’s no save. But her massively high INT keeps her out for just one round. Alzar orders everyone to heal and switch items as appropriate. Racala casts Cure Medium wounds and heals 30 from Questrix, who is almost dead. Healing Potions are quaffed by 4 people. This was a successful hit, so she’s likely to use ranged magic again. Alzar orders Aleph to retreat. With the metal immunity back, and no ways to hit any summoned creatures, it’s just sucking up space and taking hits. Aleph heads into the first room. Questrix readies the Scroll of Catching. Rogren 51/63 Alzar -41/80 113/150 - The Big One Forx - -13 Questrix -- 9 Rachlann, level 7 fighter - 29 Racala, level 9 cleric -23 Adentium, level 8 wizard -13 Aleph, Bronze Golem - 39 Android Bodyguard Azzil, Imp Familiar 5 vs 4 She returns and wins initiative. She casts Cone of Cold at the room. Only the Cyclops beside her won’t be caught in it, but Questrix has moved in from of her and positioned himself and catches the spell in the Scroll. The spell, Cone of Cold, is now written on the Scroll. Alzar reaches out and casts Vampiric Touch and….evades her MR and he sucks 25 hp from her. A sling stone hits her for 3. The Cyclops tosses an 11 and adds 8. Rogren 51/63 Alzar -66/80 77/150 - The Big One Forx - -13 Questrix -- 9 Rachlann, level 7 fighter - 29 Racala, level 9 cleric -23 Adentium, level 8 wizard -13 Aleph, Bronze Golem - 39 Android Bodyguard Azzil, Imp Familiar 5 vs 2 She’s done. She casts teleport and flees… |
Alzar has Racala, and then him, use the Rod of Health to heal everyone. Over the next few rounds, in case she decides to return, but she doesn’t. Alzar looks around the control room. Thanatos is still here. He heads to the Control Seat, as it’s the only thing other than the mirrors here. He sits down and the Hut tries to dominate him, and it has a personally score of 55. That’s hugely powerful. Alzar has a lot more though and dominates the Hut instead.
From here he can force the Hut to move (physically, teleport, or Plane Shift). Alzar can control the Hut, and there’s not a lot controllable. However, the Death Trap is one, and Alzar releases Thanatos. After a moment, the Immortal disappears. Now Alzar could earn the eternal enmity of Baba Yaga by looting her stuff. But he’s been fine. No reason to do so now. Alzar and company head back out. End of Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga |
Alzar really needs to find the Anchor of Space-time or the spell Tracker for all these pesky enemies with dimension door / teleport (I know those are probably only ToME 2 items / spells, I don't recall a D&D equivalent).
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Wouldn' t that be cool!
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They only get 38k for the combat. So I’m giving every participant one full level.
Forx the bard, now level 10. Questrix the gnome Illusionist, level 12 Rachlann, level 8 fighter Rogren, level 9 fighter Racala, level 10 cleric Adentium, level 98 wizard Alzar puts the level into Cleric Alzar gets 1 level 5 spell, and another 1st and 2nd. 5th Level - Atonement, Commune, Quest, True Seeing, Meld, Prepare Enchantment, Plane Shift, Flame Strike, Magic Font, Consequence, Air Walk, Cloud of Purification, Control Winds, Nature’s Charm, Shatter Stone and Metal, Sink into Earth, Spike stones, Strengthen Stone, Transmute Rock to Mud, Animate Flame, Wall of Fire, Cloud of Purification, Produce Ice, Calm Water, Geyser, Dispel Evil, Unceasing Vigilance of the Holy Sentinel, Golem, Page Guardian, Cure Critical Wounds, Champion’s Strength, Impeding Permission, Raise Dead, Cure Insanity, Anti-Plant Shell, Impregnable Mind, Protection from Fiends, Petrification; Adaptation, Dimensional Translocation, Barrier of Retention, Elemental Forbiddance, Grounding, Shrieking Walls, Undead Ward, Disguise, Illusory Artillery, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful 2 hours later, the Hut of Baba Yaga plane shifts when the owner returns. After having his life be seriously derailed by a well coordinate strike by the demon prince and princess over the Orb of Golden Death artifact, he understand the lengths some would go to in order to wreak vengeance. He could never really rest easily worried that Baba Yaga would return to hit him and get vengeance. And nothing in the hut that he found is worth that risk, not when he’s doing quite well. Alright, let’s head back to the March for a bit. |
Month 8, Year 7 -
Month 8 - Mid-Summer Convocation – 10% of income that month - is held this month The Silver from the Foundry is ready for enchanting and Alzar spends a month making another Silver Golem, Nothing else major happens this month Month 9, Year 7 - Alzar has finished casting Dispels and Remove curses on the five spellbooks that he sequestered: Tarras’s spellbook: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Read/Detect Magic, Pro Evil, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Fly, Polymorph Object, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Cone of Cold, Monster Summoning I, Detect Invisibility, Protection from Good, 10’ Radius, Chill Touch, Icelance Heydrech’s Traveling Spellbook: Magic Missile, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Read/Detect Magic, Pro Evil, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Fly, Polymorph Object, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Pro Evil 10’ Radius, Animate Dead, Polymorph Other, Polymorph Self, Teleport Object, Flaming Sphere, Glitterdust Kevel’s Main Spellbook: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Read/Detect Magic, Pro Evil, Mirror Image, Dispel Magic, Fly, Polymorph Object, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Pro Evil 10’ Radius, Animate Dead, Polymorph Other, Disintegrate, Detect Invisibility, ESP, Haste, Protection from Normal Missiles, Shield, Power Word: Stun, Feeblemind, Hold Person, Anti-Magic Shell, Pierce Magic, Demi-Shadow Monsters, Ghoul Touch There’s nothing in these three that entice him. Pretty standard stuff. But the next two? Kevel’s Necromantic Tome: Animate Dead Animals, Preserve Dead, Undead Servant, Undead Mount, Bone Knit, Animate Dead, Animate Dead Monster, Death Spell, Teleport Dead, Finger of Death, Kevel’s Book of Life Shifting: 2nd - Embalm, 5th - Graft Flesh, Magic Jar, Nulathoe’s Ninemen, 6th - Graft, 7th - Bloodstone’s Frightful Joining, 8th - Clone, Enhance, Life Force Transfer, 9th - Life Force Exchange, Lifeblend, Trap the Soul Those have some serious game. In fact, some of those spells are infamous. Lifeblend is one of the most evil spells available for wizards. It’s what made the crab-ogres at Kevel’s labortary. Lifeblend - 9th level - take two creatures and cast Lifeblend and then roll some dice and you blend the two creatures together based in part on the dice. You create a brand new race of creature or monster based on this spell. It’s nasty, and takes around 6500 in components (1500 of which is reusable) and the wizard can’t cast anything for a day afterwards. But this is just serious power, but Alzar’s not a super big fan. Graft Flesh and Graft enable a wizard to graft a limb to replace a lost one, and you could give someone an octopus tentacle for that arm, or something similar. Both are pretty nasty as well. You might recall that Alzar knew and used Embalm on Thorasia, it takes a freshly killed corpse and keeps it fresh until used later, requires 100 gp and any zombified creature animated fro that remains gets +2 hp per HD. But he has it again. The Nineman is a better version of that spell. Life Force Transfer moves a spirit from a body into a prepared item, like a weapon or a sword. Or vice versa. It’s permanent. The body remains spiritless, alive, and unable to do anything until killed, controlled, or it expire s(usually takes a week or so). You can seal the Transfer with a Permanency spell to finish off an item or something. It’s a way to make intelligent weapons. But… Life Force Exchange swaps, permanently, the spirits of two living creatures. Alzar could swap his body with a younger or more powerful one, and keep his skills, spells, abilities, and memories, and gain a brand new body. But that’s not the best spell here… Enhance - When a wizard cast enhance, they cannot cast any other magic for a week, and they lose 1d4 constitution points permanently. One statistic of the target, chosen by the caster, rises by one permanently. Capped at 22 per score. So Alzar could swap 1d4 CON for 1 INT point, right now. But who cares? Right? So what you could do is put it on Scrolls an then force people to read it and cast the scroll spell, and then Alzar gets stronger. Bloodstone’s Frightful Joining - 7th level spell, wizard transfers lifeforce to an undead, dominating it, and save if intelligent. Lasts 1 turn/lvel. Caster can use all of the attacks and such of the undead, as well as his own. So for example, Alzar could dominate a Skeleton ,and then move with the Skeleton like his own body, fight, cast magic, etc as if the skeleton was his own body, if It died, nothing happens to him he returns to his comatose body and takes 4d6 damage (save for half) damage. He grabs Enhance, Life Force Transfer and Exchange, Nulathoe’s Ninemen; Teleport Dead, Animate Dead Monsters, Preserve Dead, Frightful Joining. Clone too. |
The Assassination of Alzar
Normally I run everything out of the modules. I only do things between an official TSR or WOTC module, adventure, campaign, magazine, or something else. I try to link various modules and adventures into the ongoing campaign and I like to combine elements and have a character in one make it to others, or introduce something in one module that matters later on. Little changes like that make the world feel more breathable. But I am about to go off script a bit. I’m penning a quick little sidenote to what has been happening. I want to push Alzar off his comfort level, and this is one of the best ways that we can do that. On the 5th day of the 9th month of the year, an extremely attractive woman in her mid 30s arrives at the March of the Mighty. She is a great bard, namely Athala the Precise, known as one of the great chanters of the day. She is a vocalist who chants at length about major subjects. Having heard the stories of Alzar, she has come to proclaim the greatness of Alzar through chanting. For almost week, Athala the Precise has been heading through different towns and prefects in the March. After arriving in the capital and spending two days extolling the various virtues of Alzar, including some bawdy comments about his virility, the people are beginning to want Alzar to host her in an official capacity. Alzar comes back from a trip to Serraine, on the 11th. On the 12th, they set up a lunch, and she will perform and meet Alzar officially. During the lunch, she looks at him hungrily, and longingly. She has naked sexual desire on her face, and her chants grow increasingly salacious. After another round of music, and applause, she asks to meet with Alzar privately. He turns her down, but she can come to his court tomorrow, when he meets with everyone. She looks very disappointed. But she agrees. |
Alzar doesn’t trust her. That night he has one of his lycanthropes trail her. He is never heard from again.
The next day, she comes to court, wearing a massively revealing outfit. She walks to Alzar’s throne and sits down in front of him, wanting to make of herself as appetizing a delight as possible. After the entire crowd is quieted and dumbfounded, she asks Alzar to marry her. She will be the best he’s ever had, he needs to start having children soon to continue his line, and more. He can have her far longer than any other has. That’s an odd phrase and it triggers Alzar’s Sage Knowledge and Netherworld Knowledge. He tells her to keep talking in order to delay her, and then mentally commands Azzil to fly over, in the shape of a raven, invisible, and to use the Star of Mo’Pilar on her. Azzil confirms it. She is not a human. She is not from Pandius. She is a Succubus. Alzar then interrupts her, in the court, and in front of everyone. “I’ll make you a deal Athala. You show me your true form, and then I will let the people here vote on whether or not to allow us to marry.” She looks surprised and acts like she doesn’t know what Alzar is talking about, but he casts a Priest Spell and now everyone in the room sees her reveals as she is.  She looks over at Alzar and smiles seductively, “Are you sure?” Alzar nods, and the people are cowering in fright. With almost a hint of sadness, “Very well, but I wasn’t lying about marrying you and being with you. Well, remember that we did offer you the nice way first.” And she disappears and returns home to the Abyss. |
The next day later, Alzar gets another guest. This time, he comes naked - no keeping things hidden, just nasty and powerful. It’s another demon.
 This is a Glabrezu, a true tanar’ri or demon. One of the most powerful. “I am sorry about the mixup with that Succubus, Marquis. I should have realized that you were a person of power, not of sexual appetites. Unless they run another way? Would you prefer an Incubus? No? I thought not. Although if you do want her, I’ll give you her true name. You can summon her yourself and ensure her loyalty that way. She is a bit enamored with you. No? How about ten Succubus? No? I didn’t think so, but if you change your mind. I am here to give you the one thing you have been questing for all of your life. The one thing you need more of. Power. Naked, pure, power. You can bind me with any spells or magic items that you want, I will take them. I will be your advisor, for as long as you’ll have me. I’ll give you the true names of a 100 demons. You can raise an army in a month that will decimate this plane. You can conquer nearby lands and take the Kingdom of Norwold for yourself in months. You are on a quest for immortality. This would speed you up considerably. You know the history of this plane. People who get immortality do something amazing. They usually wage and win major wars and wrest crowns from the losers. They have power and they use it to conquer, to slay, and to carve a name for themselves in the battlefield. And you are a fighter, and you understand power. That power could invest you with immortality in mere months instead of years. And you get power. I offer you power and nothing in return. You need not give me, or demons, or anybody I associate with anything. I ask nothing of you, and I offer so much. In one breath, you can ascend to higher levels of power than you’ve ever known before. I can give you a Maralith for leading your troops or cadre of Vrocks as shock troops. All here to march at the command of Alzar the Mighty. At your command… So, what do you say? You say no? You refuse my gift, even given freely? I will take any test you wish to prove that I want nothing back. And yet you still wish to decline? I offer you power once more Alzar… Very well then. But we offered you a line and a wife and all of the delights and passions that come with that. And I offered you power, naked unadulterated power, to take what is rightfully yours. And you refuse both. You refuse to see reason. Very well then. I am disappointed, but this was not unanticipated…” A moment later, the demon leaves |
The 22nd night hits, and an unknown force begins to ripple through the lines. At night, a strike force of three Bar-lgura demons arrive at a place around 15 mile away from Alzar’s home in Evenarrow. They drop three eldritch devices to the ground, and a huge gate opens up between Pandius and the Abyss. After a few lesser demons come through to ensure that everything is working properly, larger demons begin to break through the Gate and within an hour, more than 30 demons have arrived, by morning, a strike for of 120 demons has crystallized and begins to mount up.
At roughly seven hours past midnight, the first cry of something wrong penetrates the area, and Alzar’s attention is brought to bear. Alzar casts Mount and then teleports himself and his griffin over, high above the gate. There is a sprawling amount of demons below, and they have come to hit him. Hard. He needs to stop the Gate. After spending around 5 minutes reviewing it, a Chasme demon sees him and suddenly a variety of teleporting and flying demons teleport up to him to attack. Alzar casts Teleport again and returns to the castle and begins to order defenses erected. They are going to be here in an hour at most, maybe a lot sooner. The demons are pushing hard against him for some reason. Alzar heads to the summoning circle he was preparing over the last few days. It’s not finished, but under the circumstances it doesn’t seem necessary. He uses one of the true names that were given to him, and summons a greater devil called a Cornugon, a lawful evil blood enemy of the demons  As this extremely power devil arrives, Alzar just tells him frankly that a demon invasion is coming before they do the normal power dance to establish dominance. They are an hour away tops. The Cornugon was told by the Pit Fiends that he would likely be summoned any time and was given a message for Alzar. The Blood War has a long history of having the lawful, organized, militaristic, but lesser-numbered devils, (aka the Baatezu) against the chaotic, disorganized, but huge numbers of demons (aka the Tanar’ri). The Blood War has been mostly a standstill, but ever since Alzar freed four Pit Fiends, that are the most powerful of the powerful devils, the power has shifted back their way in the almost 2 months since. The demons know what happened. They know all of the individual Pit Fiend and where they were, getting four back at once from service after more than 250 years away is a major blow to them, They are hear as a strike force. The Cornugon tells Alzar how to shut down their eldritch gate. They scry the area, and see that only 10 demons are there holding out. The Magist teleports Alzar and the devil over, and five minutes later, the gate is destroyed and they come back. |
But battle is about to begin…
Their foes: 1 Marilith leading them 15 Bar-lgura 10 Babau 5 Cambion 15 Chasme 40 Dretch 5 Hezrou 10 Nabassu 20 Rutterkin 5 Vrock 126 in total Alzar needs friends to fight them back now. He hands some summoning items to the Magist to use, and has a local ally, Gwifa, the Shadow Mage, assist as well. She grabs local mages and other clerics, and essentially summons all of his allies, the Magist summons some on, and Alzar begins to grab some other allies. Alzar has folks distributing magical weapons to every soldier and guard. Alzar needs to get his friends some time to summon, call, and get ready, the demons are at the walls in 15 minutes. So he takes the various allies he has summoned that can hit a demon (they can only be hit by magic) Alzar Cornugon Devil Invisible Stalker 1 Greater Earth Elemental 1 Normal earth Elemental 4 Elementals from Face of Xenous - 16 HD beaters Alzar also has two scrolls of Protection vs Demons, and he hands one out and puts the other on his belt. He keeps the face on during his skirmish in case he needs to use it’s abilities, in order to save his magic for later. His goal is to hit the edges of their force, and then slow them down as his allies get into place. He has a surprise though, and it ready for it, away from peeking eyes. They head out and the demons see him with six elementals, a devil, and they can see the Stalker as well, and they immediately move to hit him. He surrounds himself by the Elementals, and battle begins… And then it stops. It Time Stops. Alzar casts his first spell - Worldwalk, and opens a Gate to another place, but this time it’s here in Pandius, and a huge gate is opened to a special chamber that he has… created and secured in the mountains, and out from that chamber come 6 Death Tyrants, animated Beholders that serve Alzar completely. He also has time for another spell, and casts Wail of the Banshee. And then the Stop ends. And Alzar’s Wail occurs… The Marilith is not dumb . She knows that Alzar has a few spells to use against her troops, so she has the disposable cannon fodder of the Dretch and Rutterkin in the first row, hitting Alzar’s elementals from all sides and then Chasme’s flying above to hit him aerially. The Wail only hits nearby Dretches, very low level demons whose main value is in dying- when they do, some hard-to-breathe gases emerge that make holding the point hard. But Alzar’s strike force can ignore that they are undead, can’t breathe or immune. 17 of the 28 creatures Alzar targeted near him die, and all 17 are Dretches. But the Death Tyrants? Those are something new and unexpected… Death Tyrant - A C 0, 50 hp, THACO 9, 2d4 bite, 4 of them still have a central eye with anti-magic, each is missing 1d4+1 eyes total, Normal Rays: 1. Hold Person (used to be charm) 2. Hold Monster (used to be charm) 3. Sleep 4. Telekinesis 5. Flesh to Stone 6. Disintegrate 7. Fear 8. Slow 9. Cause Serious Wounds 10. Death Ray The one that is really feared is Disintegrate. A fiend slain by that spell is permanently dead. Alzar orders his Tyrants to unleash their rays. Let’s fast sim this 6 rounds later: 36 demons are dead Alzar’s elementals and Stalker are dead. The Devil, 4 Death Tyrants are left. They have pushed back and decided to march on the city of Evenarrow in order to force Alzar over there. The Death Tyrants head back into and through their gate |
He delayed them for another 20 minutes or so.
Heading back: They have: Amber Golem Bronze Golem 2x Silver Golems Android Bodyguard with a Blaster 1 Fire Elemental 2 Earth Elemental 2 Water Elemental Those Elementals are from Alzar’s summoning devices he loaned them plus: 2 Aerial Servants 1 Invisible Stalker 18 Shadows 5 Slow Shadows Alzar has Racala with the Rod of Health in the middle of a large group of fighters, armed with magical swords. Racala can heal each once/day for free with the Rod. It’ll keep them in the fight longer and help to reduce injuries and deaths Nearby is the Ghost Draconus, ready to help defend his area as well. As they are about five minutes away, Alzar flies up with the Flying Carpet and the Scroll in hand, and he reads and uses his scroll, and then drops into the middle of their formation with his Axe, Bright Barrier, +1 AC Ioun Stone, and Boots of Springing and Striding giving him a hugely hard-to-hit AC. -12. These are chaotic people, and they soon roll over Alzar in an attempt to defeat him A few rounds pass before they are called off. Alzar killed a Hezrou, Bar-lgura and Nabassu. The Maralith orders the rest off. Alzar needs to kill the Maralith. They are the generals, the attackers, and really the only thing resembling order in demon-kind. As they pull off, she orders the forces at the city, knowing Alzar can’t stop them all… The Carpet flies up, and he swings and hacks a Chasme and slays it as it comes in close. Then Alzar has a line of sight and casts Flesh to Stone at the Maralith. It needs to break her Magic Resistance and….fails. Ah well. Alzar’s troops are in formation, and since the battlements won’t have any use against an attacking foe that can teleport, fly, and is immune to the artillery and fortifications, they used the time Alzar bought them to make formations outside of the area, and about 30 yards from the walls and gates ,which are wide open The summoned creatures are in the center, and front, where the heaviest fighting is expected to be. Forx has begun to play the magical Drums. Racala has cast a spell Aid to give his side +1 and the enemy side -1 to their stuff. |
Battle opens.
The fodder that’s left slams into the Elementals and undead and Servants. The golems are being held in a reserve. The demons begin to edge their better troops around the edges of their formation, in order to flank if the opportunity presents itself. But their formation isn’t tight. The Maralith is certainly a good planner of strategy, but Alzar is really good (recall he has a variety of skills and proficiencies on warfare and tactics) and Alzar’s troops follow his instructions. As melee continues, and the demons look to break the edges, Alzar orders the archers to rise, and 40 troops on the battlements rise, all with magical arrows aided by spells like Flame Arrow, begin to fire. Many miss, but they are aiming at the flanks and force folks back. As they do, Alzar flies into the rear of their force like a one-man tank. With his protection, low AC, and multiple attacks, his axe is cutting a swath of destruction and two demons fall in two rounds to him. Most of the canon in the front of the locals have died, only a few undead, and one Aerial servant remains, but the fresh troops behind them have stepped in, and aided by healing magic, fewer are suffering mortal wounds, while the demons can’t stay the same. Their spells like Magic Missiles and such are missing, as magical protections and wards established in this place are keeping them down. But these are tenacious demons. And even on the wrong battlefield, with the wrong tactics, and the wrong side of spells, they are extremely strong and powerful. 15, and now 25 humans have fallen. A polymorph spell here turns a human into a sheep and is then slain. A hold spell there does something different. And soon, the demons know they have lost, know they have been rerouted, and it doesn’t matter. They keep coming. Soon enough Alzar has carved a path to the Maralith, in the front of the fighting. She turns and faces him, leading with magic first, but his Magic Resistance of 75%, high saves, and Ring of Spell Turning keep him safe from the minor magics she has left, and Alzar slays her. And after a few more minutes, the golems are freed to come in and assist, and the battle is won. 54 human troops died. Alzar reaches down and casts Raise Dead twice and brings them back to life. Just 5 will be resurrected - most high level magic was used this day for summoning allies. But they won. To a demon, the 126 were slain. I’m giving Alzar the one’s he soloed for XP. 57550 XP for him. He is now a level 10 Thief Open Locks: 50 Find/Remove Traps: 95 Move Silently: 90 Hide in Shadows: 90 Climb Walls: 70 Read Languages: 5 Evasion: 60 Current abilities. He maxed Evasion. |
He lost today. Some folks come over and celebrate his victory. They turned back an attack by demons. His realm confidence rises by 10. But he knows that this was a loss.
The demons didn’t lose anyone. All of their people just went back the Abyss, and they are banished from Pandius for a century. That’s it. They can go anywhere else, and they can still fight in the Blood War. Nothing will stop another demon offensive tomorrow or the next day, and each time they can hit with 126 more demands, or 252 demons or whatever. They have huge numbers on their side. Alzar lost men, used up magical items, lost some people like Death Tyrants, and they are down. Alzar can’t summon elementals with the Face or his items for a week. There’s nothing they can do next time. Now, if the demons were just playing with him, warning him, or whatnot, then that’d be one thing. But it’s not. This feels serious. The succubus? Glabrezu? Launching a full-out assault? This doesn’t have the feel of a weak little slap. This feels like a lot more. So he needs to do something different. He needs to punish back. Alzar is going to go back to The Abyss and slay some demons. Once he’s done that, he can hopefully keep the rest away. The one thing where the devils outnumber the demons is with Pit Fiends to Balors. Both are the rulers and planners of their kind, but the Pit Fiends are strong, powerful, and nasty. But the demons really don’t have the power to have too many leaders, since each is really for themselves, and if they splintered themselves, then their power of numbers would also go. If they had 10,000 Balors, then they’d each have considerably fewer troops and power to use against other demons and devils alike. So fewer numbers on top are key. In fact, there are slightly fewer than 1000 Pit Fiends known to exist, but around 100 Balors. So if Alzar can kill a Balor on the Abyss, that’s a not-insignificant power shift. It would also demonstrate that Alzar could and will penetrate your plane and kill your folks permanently. Alzar begins to review his spells, items, and such on preparing to head out to the Abyss 1st level Priest Spell - Astral Celerity - Lets him adjust to another plane’s environment and such for 1 hr/level 5th Level Priest Spell - Plane Shift, moves Alzar to another plane (or a target and up to 8 friends) Worldwalk - Alzar can open a gate that lasts for hours from one world to another, and anyone can cross Amulet of the Planes - Alzar can use this to move to, and survive on, various planes of existence. Alzar can innately move to and survive on Tarterus, Acheron, The Abyss, Elysium, Arcadia, and the Astral Plane and Positive Energy. One of those planes is the Abyss. He can return as well from there. Alzar’s Teleport without Error crosses planer borders as well. The Necklace of Adaptation allows him to breathe in hostile environments Some of his magic shifts in value and import. |
Alzar arrives at the top level of the Abyss, of 666 layers, Pazunia, one of multiple layers ruled by the demon prince Pazuzu. Alzar has no desire to head out and take on a Demon Prince, he just wants to hit some bad guys here and then head back home
“The uppermost layer of the Abyss, known alternately as the Plane of Infinite Portals, Pazunia, The Plain of Yawning Pits, The Palace of 1001 Closets, The Wasteland of Gates, etc., is a barren wasteland of unrelenting heat and blistering winds, cut through by the infamous River Styx. Even with the demon armies, inhospitable terrain and unrelenting heat, this layer attracts travelers from across the planes. They seek the pits that dot the landscape – pits that lead to nearly every other layer of the Abyss itself. Thus, the first level becomes the entrance to all that is below. The largest of these pits is known as The Grand Abyss (the interior of which is separately counted as Level 4). Some pits are two way, others via astral magic only delve down. Some lead directly to another layer, others change destinations on a daily basis, some lead nowhere and are merely deep pits that contain creatures worse than the layers themselves, and it is these pits that sparked the Blood War, remnants of which sit strikingly alongside the pits. Iron fortresses which once held vast armies (emptied and abandoned, as the Blood War continues deeper within the Abyss) now hold the physical bodies of Demon Lords during astral travel. These demonic princes, lords, and queens have holdings on deeper layers. Most of the rulers of these fortresses are balors, mariliths, nalfeshnees, succubi, nabassus. advanced fiends, archdemons, and every once in a while, a lesser demon lord (like Aldinach, Ahazu, Baltazo, and Laraie) These creatures often wage war amongst each other, laying unrelenting siege to impregnable fortresses of dark magic and demon armies. There are a few landmarks within this barren warzone – The Town of Broken Reach (ruled by a succubus called Red Shroud) and a region of Lakes of Molton Iron, known to be the birth of many a weapon in the Blood Wars, guarded by demon armies. Beside this lake lies the Fortress of Ferrug. Other sites and fortresses of note include: Battle Not With Monsters, the Iron Fortress of Mithrengo, The Edge of Sanity, Raazorforge, Styros, Sonu-Aar'ri, The Tower of Chiryn, The Dolorous Keep, Fortress of the Fallen Stair, and Gallowsgate (ruled by the marilith Jaranda). This layer is under undisputed rule by Pazuzu, The Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms. Demons pledged to him call the realm Pazunia.” Alzar has been here twice before when exploring after getting the powers, so he has a rough map in his head. The gravity where he arrives is around 25% more than normal, and his Flying Carpet still works, so he unfurls it. There are no major people in any places, just loads of rocky boredom. A few unintelligent large insect-ish creatures are here and borrowing into the ground. Alzar turns invisible with the Ring of Invisibility, and there are multiple new items he has out to use. He’s sticking with Ring of Spell Turning and Free Action. He has a few protections from charms and such. Many creatures here can see through invisible, but there’s no reason not to, just in case. He pulls up and up and looks over. There is a cloud of flying demons, lower level sorts to his left. There are lots of creatures down here that aren’t demons. For example, there is a herd of Stench Kows that can be seen to the far left. |
Alzar flies tangentially to the flying demons and far enough away that they don’t make him out. After almost an hour Alzar flies around to a large demonic fortification with about 200 demons of various sorts. About 140 are simple scouts or fodder, low level demons, and the other 60 are higher levels. Alzar casts Protection from Fiends, a 5th level cleric spell. It’s not as good or complete as the scroll, but it’s pretty good. (From the spell description, “Unlike most other protection spells, protected individuals may launch their own attacks and spells from inside.”)
And he drives down on top of the demons on the outpost aiming for the only one true demon here - Hezrou and slaying it. Without their leader, they attack Alzar mindlessly, and Alzar takes the intelligent ones first After they try spells, they try other stuff, but to no avail. It’s not until about 10 minutes later with almost 50 dead demons that they think to call in for help. Gates begin to open up. Out come dretches and a horde of manes. Manes are the weakest and one of the least powerful creatures here - like great orcs. Alzar tosses a pair of Fireballs from his Wand of Fire to clean them out. Soon enough a few more gates open up, and this time, greater demons begins to come out. A handful of babau arrive first. And they open up gates for more. Babassau follow. And suddenly Alzar is now facing more powerful demons, but still ones he can kill easily. A Wail of the Banshee spell drops 13. Magic Missiles fly at him and rays of enfeeblement. And then it happens… Out from the next gate steps one of the strongest true demons, a Glabrezu. And it knows some spells. It casts Dispel Magic and drops Alzar’s protection. Alzar is still at -12 AC, and he’s fully healed and has numerous spell protections on, so he doesn’t stop. He slices and slays a Babassau this round for 44 damage. The Glabrezu tries Power Word Stun, which fails on the Free Action he has Alzar’s axe slays another demon. And the Glabrezu gates in three more. And instead of casting Power Words themselves they gate in 7 more. And suddenly Alzar is facing too many Glabrezu to handle. These are harder to hit with a -7 AC, and Alzar starts taking some minor scratches as numerous attacks some his way, most demons of any power have 2 or 3 attacks, and he can’t fend them off forever. So he casts the Disintegrate spell from a scroll he grabbed, and targets a Glabrezu and… It brakes his MR and….he tosses a 7 and dies. One Glabrezu dead, one Hezrou dead, and Alzar has slain more than 200 demons today. He shouts out that if they come after him again, next time, he’ll take out a lot more, and after he takes 8 damage from a claw, he leaves, and rturns to Pandius, three hours later. Alzar has gained 185,000 XP. He is now a level 10 Cleric! He gains a 5th level spell and another 4th as well. |
Alzar wants to push his point home. In the book he obtained called the Demonomicon of Iggwilv, there are numerous true names of various demons, including three demon princes. One demon prince was summoned and trapped in the Prison that Alzar procured, along with this book.
The Prison of Zagig only works if the truename of an individual is known. You have them in your room, use the true name, and then if the creature’s magic resistance and save fail, they shrink and pop inside the cage, with no magical abilities able to be used, and no need for food or drink. They cannot free themselves with magic or abilities. Prison is immune to damage or magic from both sides (in and out) and only a wizard of at least 4 levels o more of the one who seals it (in this case Alzar is level 27 for spells, so 31) could break it. Or a Wish spell. That’s all that can crack it. This exact Prison was used to imprison a demon prince, Graz’zt, that was summoned from spells via the Demononicon and the Prison. Alzar could try to do the same. Alzar’s never really bothered with demons. They are unreliable, constantly struggling to fight you, and looking for a way to get out of any contract you make with them. Demons pretend to be a fast track to power, but never really reveal how much a caster loses by grabbing them. Alzar has no desire to summon them. But now he wants to follow up the message. He spends a few days creating a powerful summoning circle in a room that is not next to anyone. He carved it in a mountain hundreds of miles from his home, chosen randomly, with magical spells. He brought Gwifa over once to verify his circle was correct, and she did. He has checked it 10 times. The Circle should hold. Additionally, he has Protection from Evil, Chaos, and Demons ready to fall back on. Unfortunately there are no Balor in the Demonomicon. That’s sad. But there is something else. Alzar doesn’t want to try a demon prince. So he summons a Glabrezu A few minutes later, it arrives, and Alzar prepares a Disintegration spell. He looks at the Glabrezu and casts a Spiritwrack spell. It writhes in pain for some time, and then Alzar ends it. The demon’s eyes are angered. But Alzar shows the scroll. He will disintegrate the demon and it will die, permanently, right here. Or, it can head back and keep other demons from coming after him. If they do, he’ll summon this Glabrezu here again, and disintegrate it. And remember, since Alzar knows your truename, you better do it! Alzar sends the Glabrezu back. And then once/day for the next two weeks, Alzar will teleport there for a summoning, punish the demons, and send the message back. No more. Hopefully they get the message this time. Only a Demon Prince or a Balor would have the power to authorize the attack on him. So he may have to aim highly. End of the Assassination of Alzar. For now? |
Month 10, Year 7 -
Month 10 - Harvest Festival - 15% of income that month There’s a little more growth before Winter finally sets in. Back to Bestiary….. Viridis and Deforesting One of the local Pathfinders in the local forests near the town of Rostock comes to Alzar to inform him of a dangerous sighting. A green dragon has been destroying the forest completely flying about and using its breath weapon as well as spells. “That’s not really normal for a green dragon. They are very territorial normally. Maybe this isn’t its home? Have you seen this particular dragon before? You are sure? Then I need to track it down and find out what this stranger is doing in my realm.” After securing the area with his crystal ball to ensure nothing dangerous there, he casts Mount, and then teleports the Griffin and himself over the forest, and they fly around exploring. They head out scouting. Azzil and Ak’Kabar peel off as well, giving him more eyes in the skies. After a few hours, there was a green dragon sighted languishing in the forest, basking in the last rays of the sun before it peters out. Alzar spends some time scrying from afar. He has Zandran, the Serpentine Owl figurine head out and land on a nearby branch to put someone on location. While holding up, a flock of harpies can see Alzar and fly up from the forest from a different angle. As they scream at him, the dragon hears the noise and moves off. Flying up and away. Alzar turns to face the harpies while the flyers head off to scout and keep the dragon in sight. He flies down to cast Wail of the Banshee as they arrive in range ,and most die. The others flee, and Alzar casts Death Spell to drop the rest. 14 harpies die. Alzar begins to circle back to the dragon, and something else begins to fly up to the dragon. It’s another human, using Flying magic of some sort to rise. She reaches the dragon and orders it to grab her. She leaps on top and then whirls it around and swings back to Alzar, casting a spell and touching the dragon, it suddenly moves more quickly and seems to grow a bit. As she gets closer, she begins to cast spells: Parin, Level 32, AC-4, 56 HP, THACo 14, 1d6+2 damage. Wears Ring of Pro +4, Quarterstaff +2, Ring of Air Command, Wand of Domination - 32 charges; Green Dragon - Viridis - AC -5, 102 HP, ThAO7, deals 18d6+9 damage breathe, knows some magic too |
As they approach, an Air Elemental she summoned before is also coming towards Alzar and his Griffin. Alzar pauses and swaps the griffin for his flying carpet, and send sit off.
Alzar pauses to cast Protection from Electricity (Cleric Spell) and then they reach extreme range. 4 vs 2 She leads with a Power Word Kill, aimed straight at Alzar - but his HP is too high for it. Alzar casts Mordenkainen’s Disjunction, and any potions, spells, or anything else she had is down. The dragon Viridis breathes at him, a nasty poison gas, and he is immune, and takes no damage. 3 vs 8 Alzar casts Time Stop. As he concentrates, he casts…Strip Resistance and then Flesh to Stone on the dragon…and then….Banishment on the Air Elemental…Time Stop falls. Results - Banishment works - gone Air. Strip Resistance? It has 40% MR and it works, and drops the MR to 13%. Flesh to Stone needs to pass by and gets 71 to no MR, and then a save. Toss a 5 and its petrified and begins to fall to the ground very quickly Alzar was hoping her Fly spell or effect would be up post-Cleaving, she must have a different way of flying. (Her Ring) 6 vs 9 Alzar wants to keep his foe from casting a spell to help the dragon before it’s too late. He needs to distract her, and casts Maze at her. She disappears for 3 rounds, and in a few seconds, the dragon falls, cracks some trees, and breaks in multiple places. Dead dragon. He spends the next couple of rounds flying in to where she was and preparing to melee her on arrival. 7 vs 4 She pops out and gets the first spell off and casts Time Stop herself. She gets two rounds and she casts Power Word Blind and she grabs a gem and cracks it, summoning the demon that she used Trap the Soul on, and demands that it attack Alzar. End of Time Stop Power Word Blind - automatically works on someone with 100 or fewer hp, and for 1d4+1 rounds. Alzar’s Ring of Spell Turning gets….20% back forcing a save by both. She make sit, he does not. Alzar is blinded for 3+1 - four rounds. Alzar is now facing a Chasme demon as well. |
2 vs 5
Alzar can’t cast anything, but his blind fighting proficiency allows him to keep fighting. She has pulled back, so he focuses on the Chasme. 10, 19 and 3 tossed - hit with Axe twice for 9+30- 39 damage. (5 for enchantment, 3 for skill, 7 for STR). The chasme misses him, and she casts Finger of Death at him. He reflects 30%. She gets a save at +7 and him at +3. Both make it. 5 vs 1 She casts and summons a greater Air Elemental to attack . Alzar swings,....2, 14, 4 -hits once for 19 and slays the chasme. 3 vs 4 Alzar pulls over at the Air and swings and….hits with shield and axe once each. 28. The Air swirls around him for 14 damage. She switches tactics and casts Dispel Magic at the area around Alzar to drop his defenses. 66/80 5 vs 3 A Lightning Bolt is cast and Alzar reflects back 60% but she is immune. Alzar takes 40% damage of 10d6. 34 rolled, and Alzar takes 14 save for 7. The Air misses. Alzar hits the Air just once for 20.. 59/80 6 vs 1. She casts a 4th level Acid Blast spell at him, and again he redirects back…50%. She rolls 46 damage., each take 23, and no save is allowed. The Air hits Alzar for 11. Alzar uses his final round blind to attack and tosses a 7, 16, and 12 and hits twice for 21. 25/80 5 vs 6 Alzar can see again, and casts Cure Critical Wounds and heals 40. A pair of Wyverns are summoned by her with a Monster Summoning Spell. The Air hits for 11 again. 54/80 3 vs 5 Alzar casts the Priest spell Abjure on the Greater and…..it fails. Ah well. The wyverns can’t get close to hitting him, and the Air missies to.. She quaffs an extra healing pot this round to fully heal from the acid burst 1 vs 2 Alzar casts Polymorph Other on a Wyvern, to turn it into an elephant. It rolls a 4 and fails, and it’s probably going to die when it smashes into the ground in a round. Alzar is attacked and…3 by the wyvern, 16 by the Air - take 13 damage, and she casts another summoning spell and calls forth a trio of air grue - an Ildriss Ildriss - AC 2, HP 24, Thaco 17, 3d4 damage, always win initiative and attack first, need _2 weapon to hit. NE 41/80 5 vs 8 The grues attack first and they all need a natural 20 to touch him. None do. Alzar casts Hold Monster on the Wyvern and….it works. Paralyzed wyvern, also begins to fall from the sky. G Air gets…a 10 and that misses. (needs an 11). She flies over to Alzar and casts Shocking Grasp on him for 18 damage 23/80 1 vs 6 The grues miss. Alzar casts Cure again for 40. That’s his last 5th level cleric spell. She casts Wish to age five years, and strips Alzar of the magic protection of his rings for the rest of combat. The Air misses. 63/80 He heard the wish. What to do? Flee? Remain here without the Spell Turning of his Ring? She’s good. He’s fighting in her domain, with all of the aerial spells and allies she has, he suspects she’s an Air Elementalist. It’s time for him to flee. 5 vs 3 The grues misses. The Air hits for 13. She casts Disintegrate at him for…nothing - he makes his save. He casts Teleport without Error and flees 50/80 |
XP -
Chasme - 14000 Wyvern - 1400x2 Dragon - 18000 Air - 4500 39300 XP total Alzar is now a level 11 Thief Open Locks: 50 Find/Remove Traps: 95 Move Silently: 95 Hide in Shadows: 95 Climb Walls: 80 Read Languages: 15 Evasion: 60 He spends the day recovering after teleporting back home. The pathfinder sends a few others here and there to check for any signs of anything antagonistic towards the forest. After a few days, nothing has been reported. Perhaps, without her dragon, she has chosen to leave? Parin is new to the Norwold, coming from mainland Alphatia and was simply looking to eliminate locals from the area, nowhere near civilization, in order to level stuff, and clear it out, in order to build a tower and home there. Since Alzar showed up and indicated a high level of magical command, she decided to research him, found out who he was, and felt that there was nothing her for her and she is long since gone. Parin was NE, and therefore content with the moral victory of driving Alzar away, despite losing her dragon, and leaves. End of Viridis and the Deforestation |
After spending time with them, doing more research and such, Alzar is gaining the Dragon Lore proficiency.
Month 11, Year 7 - Growth has ended for the year. King Ericall announced the birth of his first child, Princess Luzanne. Alzar heads to the capital for eight days of feasting and celebrations. There’s a few tournaments held in her honor. Alzar is participating in three - archery, jousting, and melee. Archery - Because Alzar is now good with a bow, he may have a better shot than before. He is randomly assigned Allisa Patrician, a fighter, to bow against in the first round. He is using a short Bow and arrows provided. Allisa is using a long bow. After they each fire, thy check their scores. Alzar hits the target 1, 2, 3, 4 times, misses once, and hits the bullseye once. She makes all of the shots, and hits center twice. Alzar is out. Melee - Fighters are given non magical weapons of their choice - Alzar’s axe vs a cavalier in the service of Fergus the Justifier She is using a long sword. Magic detection is used to ensure nothing else is being used. After a few rounds, Alzar finishes the cavalier off., Alzar advances. Next he faces a Knight of King Ericall’s who is using a scimitar. After battle, again Alzar advances. In the third round - with 16 entrants left, Alzar is facing another sword user - this time Allisa, who also advanced. She narrowly loses, and Alzar advances to the quarter finals. These are the finest melee fighters in the land. The first is Sir Ernest Day. Alzar faces him, and Ernest is using sword as well. And…..Alzar loses. Pretty badly too. Ernest has like 120 hp and 18/77 STR naturally, a much better THACo, and has greater expertise in his weapon than Alzar has in his trusty axe Jousting - Alzar’s expertise in riding, and his specialization therein, enable him to win the first round, despite not being proficient in the lance, but he’s dropped in the next round. At the end of the tournament and celebrations, the King announces a few new baronies and dominions are being awarded. |
Month 12, Year 7 -
No major incidents in the domain other than a cold snap that brings a blizzard near the end of the month. With magically provided warmth in places that need it, it’s survivable. Alzar applies the XP he learned this year as a ruler to his Fighter class. He’s almost ready to level up. Alzar has a bunch of spare weapon prophecies he could learn. His Scholar Priest kit lets him spend weapons as non-weapons for free if he wants. He gains: Steady Hand - Penalties for firing at long range are now just -2. He’s also improving his Aleph Proficiency, to max. He can now use it, without fail, to modify the duration, range or give a target a -2 save to his spells (just one/spell) Alzar’s year of studying with the Shadow Mage Gwifa is at an end, and here are the spells that he gains from her: 4th - Gloom Ravens - Conjuration, 2 rnds/level, summons 1d4+1 huge ravens from Demiplane of Shadow, Sent up to 1 mile away after summoned, Alzar can se through their eyes, no need to concentrate, Guardian Shadow - Summoning, Necromancy, 1 day/level; - Binds an undead shadow to the caster’s actual shadow. A melee attack aimed at the caster’s back will prompt to the guardian shadow to attack, and take the hit meant for Alzar, fight to the death afterwards. 5th - Transport via Shadow. Alteration, caster and stuff can hop from one shadow on a plane to another. It works by pushing the caster into the Demiplane of Shadow, and then emerging from any other shadow on the plane unharmed. And, as Alzar arrives, he can choose not to come out of that shadow, due to too many people there and such, and instead head to another shadow the next round. Otherwise, works precisely like teleport. 6th - Shadowtheft - Charm, Alteration, 1 day/lvel. Target’s shadow is removed and placed I an container. Lose half of their CON value. No save, at twilight, caster can summon a shadowy duplicate of original with half level and skills, and no memories. Performs tasks as ordered for one full night, and then dies at dawn and the shadow returns. Duplicate looks like target. Summon Slow Shadow - Conjuration, Remains until slain. 1 slow shadow summoned. Casting time is 3 hours. Cast just once/month. Can attack too. 7th - Death Shade - Necromancy, every living human, humanoid, and such within 1 mile/level takes 1 damage. Cannot be healed save by magic. Slow Shadow - CE, AC8, HD4 ThACO 17, 1d4+Slowed (as per spell) and -1 DEX drain. Attach secretly to someone’s shadow, and then hit automatically each round. +2 or better to hit. Dead victims become slow shadows. Gloom Raven - N, AC 6, THACo 19, HP 5, (10 at dusk.dawn), never surprised, used 1d6 shadow images like mirror image. Alzar drops a Guardian Shadow and summons his first Slow Shadow this month. |
By the end of the month, here is the March’s finances:
648733 Income EXPENSES – 33,330 + Tithe, Taxes Military – 17,590 Navy – 2750 March Staff - 3,420 Specialist Staff – 8050 Stronghold Staff - 7160 Taxes to Ericall – 20% (13100) Tithe to Matter Temple – 10% (6500) End of Year 7 |
Army of Trolls
As Alzar begins one of the first days of Year 8, he hears about a large group of ice trolls that have moved into the nearby Ljallenvals. The peaks have always have a bit of an icy frost and ice creatures there. But there is a family moving in under the cover of the recent blizzard. Alzar decides to check it out, first with his crystal ball After verifying and scrying their location, Alzar waits until evening. Here’s the bas of what he sees: Ice Trolls are very small, extremely intelligent versions of a troll. Smarter than an average human, and just a weaker 2 hd creature, they learn to subjugate other creatures that aren’t; as smart. They are NE to a troll’s normal CE. There are 12 or so here. Additionally, there is a mated pair of Giant Two-Headed Trolls there as well, acting as muscle. There are some Winter Wolves that they’ve tamed - roughly 15 or 20, animals that are tamed, some scavengers that they use for cleaning - 2 Crystal oozes, and a few others. The Winter Wolves ar the major threat. Each can breathe a nasty cold-based attack that deals 6d4 damage per wolf. Alzar needs some Cold Protection. Alzar leads by casting the Priest Spell - Resist Cold. He also swaps the Ring of Spell Turning for one of Warmth. The spell gives him +3 on cold based saves, and he takes half damage if he fails and ¼ if he makes his save. The Warmth ring acts as +2 vs cold based stuff and -1 damage per die rolled. So the combination means that a Winter Wolf, as one example would do: +5 to save for ¼ damage, ½ otherwise Would deal 6d4-6 damage Alzar teleports over to do a quick inspection/ He flies around with the Flying Carpet. He notices something in the far distance., on the plane north of here about 25-30 miles, but he stays here for now. According to the various things he saw, the cave inhabited by the Ice Trolls is about 5 natural caverns and gentle slopes. He spies a pair of Ice Trolls on patrol, with two wolves each. The first room in the complex is big, and has the giant two headed foes both there. There are two corridors off it, and neither can fit down them. These are Alzar’s first foes. The Winter Wolves are a problem, but 6d4 damage would average 15 a toss. -6 is 9. Half that is 4/5 damage normally, and 2/3 if he makes his save. Alzar won’t be taking much here. Alzar flies down and casts Wail of the Banshee as he does, wanting to hit the guards and the giants. Everyone in the complex hears him, and they shout out and manage a defense. |
Meanwhile the giants are find, but two ice trolls and 3 wolves are dead. The last one breathes on him and he takes 6 damage from it.
74/80 Dead - 2 ice trolls; 3 w wolves; 6 vs 7 Alzar leads by casting Power Word Stun on a giant troll and….it is stunned for 3 rounds. The other one roars both heads at him and smashes, but misses. Ice trolls and wolves are pouring out of both exits and will be fighting next round. 9 vs 1 Alzar takes 6 breath attacks from 6 wolves that emerge and takes 2, 3, 3, 2, 5, and 4. The troll misses, and Alzar takes one stab from an ice troll for 4. More foes peel out. Many ice trolls are throwing icicles at Alzar and attacking him from afar, Alzar cast Death Spell and drops 7 ice trolls dead. Every one here died. 51/80 Dead - 9 ice trolls; 3 w wolves; 1 vs 6 Alzar grabs his axe and tears into the stunned troll and hits for 51 damage and….it has 31 left. Alzar is hit buy four more wolves that emerge for 3, 6, 5, and 2. One wolves from the first round snaps and hits him for 4. 34/80 2 vs 9 Alzar finishes the stunned giant troll. He is it twice for 8 total damage. 26/80 3 vs 7 Alzar casts Vampiric Touch, and kills a wolf to heal himself of 27 damage He takes a giant smashed for 12 and a bite for 3. Dead - 9 ice trolls; 4 w wolves; 1 giant 2 troll; 38/80 7 vs 8 Alzar casts Cure Critical and heals 40. No one hits him this turn 78/80 5 vs 3 Alzar takes 8 from two bites. The giant misses. He hoists the axe and carves into a giant for 34 damage. The other giant is almost regenerated back to health. The ice trolls need to be immersed in water to heal. They are pretty weak. 70/80 8 vs 6 Alzar is missed by wolve,s and takes a giant club with the giant for 15. Alzar finishes it off. 55/80 5 vs 9 In order to finish the trolls off this turn, Alzar casts Produce Flame and makes a small fire that lights up the two dead trolls. It deals no magical damage or anything, but it consumes them both - no regen. He is missed/ 7 vs 4 Alzar takes 3. Then he spins and grabs the skull of a ice troll and casts Skulltrap and drops in right where he is. Alzar and the various wolves here all take - 38 damage. Save for half. Alzar takes half. Any wolf that fails is dead. 6 die, 4 flee. Alzar casts Evard’s Black Tentacles on those fleeing to hold them, and they all die. After slaying these, he heads into the caves. Three ice trolls fled, and Alzar runs into the oozes, and slays them from afar with his bow. With his specialization, he is able to move faster than they do and fire half his normal rate. He has cleaned out the group: 13 winter wolf pelts (each is worth 2000-5000 gp for size and sheen after being cured and such) Ice Troll blood is good for things like Cold Resistance potions or other anti-cold stuff, he grabs some of that too. He finds: 1089 gp worth of various smaller coins. A few beat up weapons and armor of various sizes shred and scattered, cloth, and ore. Alzar casts Animate on the two skeletons and moves them to Ith-Khinax XP - 20, 300. With the 10% XP bonus, Alzar is now level 9 as a fighter! |
Alzar flies out to check on the thing he saw earlier, and it’s a giant Cryohydra, a cold-based Hydra that has a ton of heads and lives up here.
Cryohydra - 11 heads, 88 hp, each head can breathe 8 hp steam of frost, 11 attacks for 2d4 damage, THACo 9, AC 2. Nasty thing. Alzar resets the Resist Cold spell before getting in range, and then heads in Alzar will take 4 save to 2 with the Spell on. So at most 44 and at least 22. 1 vs 5 Alzar remains out of range, and then Teleports next to it. The fastest way to deal with a Hydra is to melee it. Any extra damage just slays one head. So a lightning Bolt hits one head, and kills it, no matter how much damage is dealt. The Hydra breaths and Alzar takes 33 (I decded to skip the dice and just average it) 47/80 5 vs 9 Alzar’s axe is out and he slashes one, and then bashes another, missing one - 2 heads are head, now just 9 attacks. They hit the 19 needed to hit three times for 5, 4, and 3 damage. 12 total 35/80 7 vs 4 Alzar takes 9 from two hits. He casts Cure Critical and uses his last level 5 spell and heals 40 66/80 5 vs 2 Alzar takes 18 from 3. Then he destroys two more heads 48/80 2 vs 8 Alzar kills three this time. 4 left They miss. 9 vs 3 Alzar takes 1 hit for 7. He kills two heds 8 vs 4 Alzar slays the monster after being missed He’ll heal via regen again. Yay for Ioun stones. 11k for the Hydra, again, it has to go to fighter. He skins it too and heads back. End of Army of Trolls |
Two days later Alzar teleports to Barkal the Red’s barbarian camp and checks in with them. The huge numbers of Frost Giants have once again crossed the ice covered bays to the north and are raiding, and like normal, ever since Alzar brought the barbarians together, hit them hard, and keep them from begin a major menace.
Alzar wants to launch a major raid, solo, using his new found powers. He has memorized a special anti-giant slate of spells, and wants to use them to bring down as many giants as he can. There is a raiding party of 240 frost giants in a nearby crevasse, and Alzar is going to head over and smash them. Alzar - Pulls Aleph out of a Warp Marble Pulls Android Bodyguard from Iron Flask The bodyguard will be firing a crossbow of speed, and Aleph moving in to punch and smash Alzar builds a fire and then summons: Earth and Greater Earth Elementals from his spells 4 16 hd elementals, one of each, from the Face of Xenous 1 8 hd Water, 1 8 HD fire, 1 12 HD air and 2 Earths from his items Invisible Stalker Searing Serpent Pack of 6 shadows 5 berserksers from Horn All figurines Some Animal Spirits Alzar moves his army with Mass Teleport over and on the Frost Giants and battle begins! Alzar casts Time Stop, flies to a side away from the creatures he dropped, and casts first Protection from Normal Missiles and then Wail of the Banshee and he gets a 3rd spell and its Mass Domination Alzar is immune to their thrown boulders, and the Wail kills many and he dominates more and orders them to attack their former colleagues. He simultaneously flanks them. On one side are dead and dominated giants, and on the other is his elemental horde and friends. Let’s toss some dice By the end of the day, the Frost Giants have fled, and Alzar kills 112. A pair of Frost Giant priests Abjured the elementals and prevented it from being a great catastrophe. I am halving the amount of XP Alzar would normally get (he would get 800,000) just to keep things sane. Welcome to level 10 as a fighter (Getting close to level 11) Frankly, Alzar could kill probably 50 frosts a day for the next week, and gain enough XP to finish his quests and get to 12 in everything. But nah. I feel, as a GM, that this is too similar to how he’s operated in the past. Alzar has killed so many giants ,and I always give him reduced XPs for these major battles as well. (I mean, if I gave Alzar 800k today, and then 450k a day for a week, he’d get 3 mill XP by the end of the week, and after all of that, Alzar would gain a ton of mage levels even, and be roughly level 36. (375k is one level for mage). He would max out. We can’t have that. I want Alzar to experience some amount of danger and to push him. So instead, he’s getting closer and closer to 12th in everything - 10th in fighter (almost 11th), 11 thief, and 10 cleric. |
Later this month, the College of Wizardry has agreed to promote a journeyman necromancer that Alzar was helped tutor to full blown wizard. Alzar sees this as a bit of a sign, and he Wolrdwalks over everything that he has or procured from that tower in Khaibar. In particular, he brings over the golem making equipment, backup gold and coins and potions, and moves them all into a secret location on Pandius. Then he turns over the tower back to the city. He spends a few hours flying of the Sand Mire. The river to the east that he brought back is running smoothly, and water, and life are springing back there. Plants have returned over there, and habitation at a few towns and cities are occurring. The Oasis of the White Palm’s troops have helped restore order and dervishes protect new trading routes.
The first of what will likely be more Shadow Magi that are seeking the illusive secret for turning somebody, including themselves into a Shade has arrived. Gwifa found out that Alzar knew, and told others he was willing to trade. Alzar has made a few bookcopies of the info, and is willing to trade for stuff. Most Prime Material planes have the secrets and rites to making a shade either not known at all (Pandius) or lost in the mists of time (Thorasia). On Hamedh, Alzar found it when a newly-turned-shade began to attack him. Alzar tells the seeker that he’ll either trade it for extremely rare lore that helps him, or alternatively, has a list of a few magical items he’d swap it for. Examples of rare lore include how to animate and all about unique undead, or unique constructs, that sort of thing/. The first one has precisely the sort of item he’s looking for. A Manual of Steady Pilfering. A thief or other rogue who reads it automatically gains one level. Alzar wants to keep it for now, until he’s finished his quest as a polymath, and then use it to gain a free level. He’s already used the ones for wizards and warriors, so only an evil cleric is left. (That one is called the Book of Vile Darkness) Alzar hires a pair of sages and wizards who are collectors and lovers of books. Their job is to head out and try to acquire valuable and rare books on behalf of Alzar. Alzar teaches them his Bookcopy spells, and then his Bookmend spell as well. Then they head out and purchase a book, they make a copy for themselves, and then Alzar gets the original. Their pay is the spells, and their copy of these books. Alzar only pays for the price of these books and that’s it. He is expanding the paper making and book binding industry in Evenarrow, his home town. This expansion comes from the treasury of the March. He is also expanding the Alchemist in Saffir, the town to the north that makes a bunch of potions. She made the Acid Breath potions for him. Her facilities are improving. Meanwhile, the next round of silver and mercury for a 3rd Silver Golem is almost ready. After this, Alzar will have the foundry move to making the body of a Stone Golem instead, using the stuff from Hamedh that he brought over. |
Month 1, Year 8 -
Year’s End Divine Liturgy – 5% of income that month Begin Adventure Pack I  The Weird Woods of Barony of Hvittland One of the new Baronies in Norwold is Hvittland, south of the capitals estate by about 15 hexes, just south of the Wyrmsteeth range, east by five-ish hexes of Oceansend, and south of places like the Barony of Twolakes Vale or other places Alzar has been. Hvittland has a lot of woods, and ever since he arrived about 6 weeks ago, Trent il Bianco has begun to have issues with extremely weird things happening in the nearby woods. As Alzar has developed a bit of a local reputation of a problem solver, Trent has sent for aid with one of his councilors. Alzar agrees and teleports both down to take a look. Alzar flies around the Barony a bit, and it’s defiantly raw. It’s trying to create a living from harsh wilderness in places. There is one main community, on the border of the woods, and the Barony is two hexes large. Alzar gets some info on the fledgling barony. Baron Trent il Bianco did not meet with folks prior to creating his Barony or checking it out. Instead he sort of just looked at a map. He had dreams of carving out his Barony from the wilderness, and looked forward to leading his men in battle against the wilderness Instead of an enemy that can be attacked and defeated, the woods themselves have been acting oddly and strangely. Plants have attacked and slain. Animals that are normally peaceful plant eaters are attacking. There’s no army, no evil enemy, nothing |
Alzar grabs his crystal ball and scrys the area out for a half hour. There are a few odd places - ruins, an old black tower, and more. The baron doesn’t have too much info on them, but they could be the keys to unlocking the issues.
Alzar wants to experience it for himself, so he gets a quick roughly-drawn map that includes the odd areas that are acting up. This will give him a perimeter to check on the ground. He turns the Obsidian Steed figurine into a war charger horse, and then heads out, looking like a scout or mage. About an hour after he leaves their settlement, he begins to notice a slight tinge of change on the colors of some of the plants that are flanking the path. He descends from the horse for a better look and moves around. They have a yellowish cast to them. But he’s not an expert in plants, botany, plant lore or anything else, and these aren’t Herbs. There’s a small path to the left, and Alzar checks it out. As he does, a nearby tree gently bends a limb towards him, almost like it’s moving in the breeze, but it loops a branch around Alzar’s neck like a noose and pulls him up off the ground!!!  This is a Hangman Tree. It looks like a thick oak, but tries to pull victims up and kill them. Alzar takes 4 hp damage in actual damage to his neck, but is mostly fine, and won’t suffocate easily. It releases a relaxing perfume in order to put its prey at ease, but Alzar is immune. It begins to pull him towards a stomach of acidic qualities. He can’t reach the axe on his back, so he reaches down to grab a spell component instead, a bit of flint. Alzar concentrates and casts Flame Strike (Priest spell). The tree takes 31 damage, and it has 20% magic resistance and….43 rolled, fails, fails its save and….it’s still alive. It sends another hangman noose to secure Alzar, and grabs his leg. Alzar grabs the dagger Unifex from his belt and begins to hack at the branch and vine on him. After a round, he has hacked himself free and then stabs his axe into the tree once to finish it. XP 1400 |
As Alzar moves out there’s a shaking in the plants, and a tri-flower frond fires a group of sharp, acidic, petals at him. He takes 11 acid damage. Alzar has fought these before and recalls how to finish them. As he’s securing stuff form a Bag of Holding, another hits him for 10. Alzar grabs a Thunderpot and drops it into the area and cleans out three tri-flower fronds, and a large 20’ diameter area
1260 XP Alzar casts Cure Moderate Wounds and heals 20 damage (Regen won’t help acid damage) 79/80 after his regen is over After a few moments, a trio of deer are moving over to the left. As they close, they break towards Alzar. They cast spells at him! Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt, and Flame Arrow fly out and he doesn’t have his Magic Missile Deflection gem out. He takes 21, 33, and 26 damage (Saves for half and makes it for the Bolt) He does have his Amulet on though, like normal, with a 50% MR and….all three hit (rolls11, 11 and 14 - 10 or less on a d20 would have worked). 15/80 As the magical energies cascade into him from three deer, Alzar heals 40 (no more 5th level cleric spells. 2 vs 3 Alzar casts Skulltrap and destroys the deer. He swings over to check them out. They have been dead for a few days. There are remnants of a plant, Oblivax, in them. This is a moss that kills and moves a dead creature around, and it has the memories of anything killed by the Oblivax, including spells. Alzar swaps over to the Spell Turning Ring. XP - 1500 |
Alzar spends some time checking things out more cautiously. He also has regened the non-fire damage, but healed that, so he’s back to 80/80
After an hour, only a few rabid rodents were slain. Nothing else of note. However, all of the sudden, 13 snakes burst forth from various points of the path. Some some from trees ,one from underground, and others from the left, right, front and behind. All of these snakes are quite large, and although some aren’t dangerous, they are moving to attack with bite or constrict. Quick dice. He is barely touched, everything regens, and he slays them 1300 XP The path is winding and twisting towards that black tower he saw before. About 30 minutes later, Alzar comes across something downright nasty. A Choke Creeper:  This is one of the largest plants Alzar has ever seen, and certainly the biggest dangerous one. It’s a huge tree, that can move, with a huge number of vines that has been sprawled among trees for around a mile, and they can lash down from any of those trees for about a mile diameter around the central tree. Here are it’s stats: Choke Creeper - AC 6 for vine, 5 for body; HD 25, HP150, Thaco - 2, # of attacks - 4/tree; 2d4 damage per attack; Immune to elemental damage (fire, cold, electric, etc) -24000 XP - Vine has 10 hp (I made it more powerful than normal, but most of it is as described) Alzar’s never encountered one of these before Four vines slash down from a nearby tree. With their great THACO, they only need a 7 to hit Alzar unaugmented. He’s hit three times for 5, 6, and 3 - 14 damage in an ambush 66/80 Roll for init 4 vs 2. Alzar takes 19. His Axe is out and he slashes and slays two vines. 1 vs 3 Alzar finishes the last two vines. But slaying them does not damage the main tree. There are countless trees here. Alzar sits down and scrys out ahead. He finds the head tree. The ones all of these vines are heading too. This is a nasty nasty tree. He returns the horse to Obsidian and swaps to his flying carpet. He gently floats out from this tree, at the edge of the territory of this choke creeper. 49/80 (After regen starts) Alzar floats up above the canopy. Then he heads up some more. He wants to get to the main tree and take it out. He flies over, and moves towards it. Some vines change direction to hit him in the air, and stab up from the trees, and he has to fly up higher after getting hit twice 41/80 From up here Alzar casts Cure Serious Wounds and heals 30, and then grabs Unifex and casts teleport from it and heads to the base of the tree. Time to fight. 72/80 (Regen) 3 vs 8 Alzar begins by trying to hack and slay it. It takes 45. Alzar takes 21 damage from vines. He dodges one with evasion too. 51/80 4 vs 3 Alzar fails the dodge and takes 14. Another 39 is doled out. 37/80 1 vs 9 Alzar casts Vampiric Touch and drains 26 and then takes 19 44/80 6 v 8 Alzar hacks for 40 even. Fails his dodge and takes 16. 28/80 7 vs 2 They hit him for 17 and he doesn’t know how many HP this thing has, so to play it safe, he quaffs a potion of super healing. Gains 50. 61/80 6 vs 4 Alzar dodges and then takes 14 from two hits. Alzar carves into it and ….its dead 47/80 25000 XP Vines fall down from trees all over. The Choke Creeper is dead. |
The Creeper blocked off a huge grove to the back and Alzar now sees it.
It’s the bodyguard…. There in the grove is a druid that is currently empowering some animals to become stronger… Druid Orchid - Level 19 Druid, N Ac -2, hp, 110, THACO 5, 1d8+3 from +3 Scimitar; Bodyguards: 2 Brown Bears: 1 Dark Treant: 3 Animated Trees: 12 hd Earth Elemental 10 giant beetles Orchid casts Call Lightning and a Lightning Bolt cracks down from the sky on Alzar for…..41 damage and….40% is redirected and….none hits his MR. Alzar takes 13 damage from his save. Orchid took 10. The various bodyguards close on Alzar. 2 vs 8 Alzar isn’t ready. He’s at 39/80 hp, and hasn’t readied. So he casts Time Stop Wail of the Banshee, Cure Moderate Wounds, and….he casts Banishment on the Elemental…. Resolve: He heals 20 Wail kills 7 beetles, and the bears make their save (plants and elemental are immune, druid not in range). Banish…..it tosses a 5 and it is banished. Gone 59/80 7 vs 4 Animated trees smash into Alzar once for 8 damage and the beetles miss, and one of the6 attacks from bears scratch him for 3. The druid casts Creeping Doom and assembles a huge swarm of insects more than 1000 strong. They begin to move out to Alzar. Since they are small and non-magical, Alzar casts Anti-Vermin Barrier to keep himself safe from them. 48/80 1 vs 6 Alzar casts Blastbones and does 11 necromantic damage in a pretty big area. He takes 11 too. It clears out the insects, and kills the beetles, and wounds the trees, and bears. The Treant casts Entangle at Alzar, but hits his Magic Resistance. Alzar dodges one tree blow and is clawed twice for 6. The druid thinks Alzar is kill-able and casts Cause Critical Wounds, which would normally do 40 damage. So, let’s check Magic Resist first - tosses a 9, stopped. 50% chance of hitting it. 33/80 4 vs 7 Alzar casts the stored spell Vampiric Touch from storage and drains and slays a bear. He gains 18 (all that it had left). A tree attacks and hits and…he dodges. The dark one casts Entangle again, and this time it cracks his MR, but he is immune with Free Action. The druid casts Dispel Magic on Alzar and drops his spells. 51/80 3 vs 4 Alzar’s spell Evard’s Black Tentacles at the Dark Treant and Druid do some damage and tie them down. He takes a tree-smash for 9. The druid casts Dispel Magic and dispels the tentacles. The Dark Treant moves closer to melee range with its big tree branch 42/80 9 vs 5 Alzar dodges a tree, hits a claw, and that’s for 5 damage. The druid casts Cure Serious wounds on himself. Alzar’s axe is up and he kills one of the animated trees and shield-pounches a wounded bear for 14. 37/80 6 vs 8 Alzar slashes and finishes the wounded bear and badly damages a tree. No one even hits him in melee, and the druid casts another Cause Critical Wounds and….Alzar tosses 16 and it hiuts through his MR. Ring of Spell turning? 50/50. Alzar takes 20, and the druid does as well 17/80 |
8 vs 7
The treant hits Alzar for 15 but…..he tosses a 29 and dodges. The 3rd tree can’t touch him. The Druid tries to finish off a badly wounded Alzar and casts….(no more 6th level magic, sad) Flame Strike. All he has left that’s reliable. Alzar tosses a 15 and it penetrates his MR. 60% reflected. He takes 16. Alzar should take 12 but….he has fire immunity and…..saves auto for half and can….yup saves and has just 6. With a badly wounded body, and no strong healing magic left, and both Vampiric Touches gone, and his Time Stop used up, Alzar needs some healing strongly. Alzar uses his stored Teleport spell. He teleports home to his castle in Evenarrow, and just outside of the temple, he orders some healing and in ten rounds Alzar has been fully healed, and his Magist is here. Alzar scrys and checks things out, and then is teleported back. The druid, tree, and dark Treat were fully healed as well while he was out. Alzar casts Major Globe of Invulnerability and moves in. 3 vs 1 The Dark Treant animates another tree, the animated one misses him, the druid calls him a coward and casts Dispel Magic at Alzar’s Globe. Alzar’s axe smashes and slays the tree. One left. 1 vs 2 Alzar’s axe carves into the summoned tree and finishes it. He steps close to the dark treant. It smashes him for 14 and….27 - he dodges. The druid shifts to a powerful form of a huge earth elemental and moves to melee Alzar, with different stats now. 9 vs 3 Alzar is misses by the Treant, and smashed hard by the Elemental/Druid and….tosses a 93 and misses his dodge - he takes 2. Alzar’s axe smashes the dark treant for 41 59/80 9 vs 5 Alzar is missed. And then the Elemental misses too. Alzar’s axe smashes and slays the Treant. 4 vs 3 The druid smashes and….hits for 17 and….Alzar tosses a 53 and dodges. Alzar hits for 40 even. 5 vs 1 Realizing that this is over for now, the Druid shifts, and intones a word and his ring glows, and he disappears. Word of Recall? So this grove is not his normal home? Alzar checks over things. Here’s nothing left from the battle. 22600 XP Alzar spies a small cave entrance at the back of the grove and uses the Star to check things out. There’s a magical trap in the front (Symbol), and a mechanical one after. Alzar avoids one and disarms the other and moves in. |
The cave has multiple traps in it. There is food, accoutrements of living, like furniture and such, and a few decorations in here. At the back is another trap - Fire Trap, and an altar, with the druid here, fully healed., and with a scroll in hand.
Alzar casts Dispel Magic (as a priest) at the traps and they disappear. The druid reads a scroll and casts Holy Ground. Any creatures fighting against him here lose any magic resistance. Alzar loses his MR. 4 vs 8 Alzar moves in and slashes with his axe and….hits the Druid once, and destroys his protection spell, and then again for 22 damage. The Druid casts Ironskins, basically a druid version of stone skin. 88/110 2 vs 8 Alzar casts priest Dispel again to drop it. Alzar’s not letting that through. The Druid looks over at Alzar and smiles. He casts a spell from the scroll, begins to shift to Earth Elemental form, and says, “Gotcha” He casts Earthquake…. And Alzar is missing his MR The druid is immune to the effects of the spell As they are underground, the ceiling collapses. Alzar takes 5d12 damage. 7+8+1+5+7 - 28 damage (nosaves or anything either) 52/80 Alzar is pinned, and this is something that free action won’t help with (much like it didn’t help with a noose around his neck earlier). Alzar can’t move his arms for somatic components, o material ones, for casting a spell. He can cast verbal-only magic. He casts the stored spell Vocalize. It’s normally used to cast spells user a Silence effect of some sort, it truns all spells into vocal-only 6 vs 4 The druid merges with the earth and moves next to Alzar and punches him - 22 damage - it’s a free auto hit. Alzar casts Conjure Greater Earth Elemental, and suddenly he has an ally more powerful than the form attacking him. And better suited for the environment. 30/80 2 vs 8 Alzar conjures an Earth Elemental while the greater one pushes back the druid and swing and misses. The druid can’t get to Alzar with his earth bodyguards and pulls back He can’t fight two elementals at once. Alzar’s elemental frees him and drag him out, while the greater chases down the druid, who can’t flee by heading into the earth from this foe. Alzar casts two Cure Light wounds in these rounds to heal 10 each. 50/80 Alzar sends the other Earth against the druid. The druid pops back to the corridor, shifts back, and then tries to outspell the elementals but he has no Abjure spells left (all level 4 spells were used) that would send one back. In a few rounds, Alzar and his elementals win. Alzar gains 27800 for the druid In the rest of the caves that survived he finds: Ring of Ironskins - casts the spell once/day About 25000 gp worth of exotic gems, rare ores, and such. 107 texts in druidic runes on nature, animals, plants, and earth And that’s it. Mostly various accoutrements of druid life, that have no value. Alzar flies back to the Baron and certifies that the area has been cleared out and the animals and plants will end. The druid probably just didn’t like that. After verifying everything is good to go, Alzar casts Mass Teleport for just himself and heads back to his dominion. End of The Weird Woods of Baron Orchid |
Alzar gained 79460 -= enough to level up as a Fighter, or to get close as the others. He takes the level
Level 11 Fighter Each time Alzar levels up as a fighter his THACo rises, by the by. It’s gone from 14 to 11. That druid was strong. Stronger than Alzar expected. He’s blown through combats with wizards much more easily than that stupid druid. (I increased his level from 11 ot19 and figured Alzar would still walk through him, and wow did he not. I tossed the dark treant and its trees in for the final confrontation as well as some animals, but it went well. ) Alzar replaces the three stored spells with the same (Teleport, Vocalize, Vamp Touch) End of Adventure Pack 1 for now |
Alzar moves back and two days later is ready for another adventure. He casts Worldwalk and returns to Thorasia, and the rock he took is from the Isle of Dread. That’s where he pops up. The island is still extreme with dinosaurs and such. Alzar wants to check on something.
He arrives and flies around, looking for a good target. He sees some dinosaurs below. He lands and fights an Allosaurus, and slays it with Finger of Death. An angry ground pounder moves in as well, and Alzar slays it too. A pack of raptors are nearby and Alzar kills most with Wail, and the rest with death spell, but those aren’t why he’s here. The raptors are too big, Then he sees it. A pterodactyl. Alzar flies up to it and grabs it’s attention. This one likely would have skipped him by, but Alzar pulls it down, and then tries to capture it with Power Word Stun, and that works. Alzar heads over and the neck is small enough, and he puts the Animal Control collar over it. And….. Dinosaurs count! They are animals too! He wasn’t sure if they would. After flying around and slaying a trio of firedrakes, he finds another pterodactyl of the opposite gender and this time uses Hold Monster and catches it and collar it. Pterodactyls (2) - AC7, HP 21, THACo 17, 2d4 damage/attack, 1 attack/round, get +4 when swoop down Alzar gains 29500 for slaying stuff He grabs a few more dead dinosaurs before heading back, in order to give himself some additional; XP/ 10k more He applies it to cleric Alzar begins to research another immortal. He is getting close to finishing this path, and he sees the Energy path at the easies to the four for him, so he looks to find a sponsor from it. There is one immortal who is becoming increasingly impressed with Alzar, from the Sphere of Time actually… Vanya |
Alzar heads out and arrives at Serraine. They let him come into the library sometimes and use his Bookcopy spell on some books and then leave. Today there is an issue in the UnderCity and he decides to head down and check it out.
(Fast sim, with some dice) Alzar finds a huge chamber in the UnderCity quite early in his exploration that is being used as a launching pad for an attack on the city proper There are a huge number of undead down there, being prepared by the Gray Front to attack and take over the city - most are mindless. Alzar controlled more than 350 zombies and skeletons and had them attack each other, or some nearby undead as well (shadows and such) and now more than 505 undead are fully dead. He heads back up and reports. This undead nest was cleared out. There are a lot more tunnels and nests down there obviously, but this is a huge setback Alzar also secretly sent 30 skeletons to his underground city. He gains 56k for his efforts and again, applies them to cleric He’s almost level 11 |
This is how powerful he is now. He literally teleport from one hot zone to another, blow out everything that’s here, and head somewhere else. With his flying carpet, ability to control undead, reusable items, hugely low AC, regeneration from his Ioun stone, massive amounts of spells, and so forth, Alzar can literally blow in and just level a problem, and then blow out again. And he can do it anywhere
Alzar may move and survive in the following planes at will: Tarterus, Acheron, The Abyss, Elysium, Arcadia, and the Astral Plane and Positive Energy. He can move to the evil plane of Tartarus (sometimes called Carceri) and then smash the locals and head back out. He could do the same with Acheron and has already done so with the Abyss He hasn’t seen any demons recently, so no need to stir up any more trouble there. His Amulet of the Planes would take him anywhere, and he can cast some spells to survive, from the Astral sphere of spells he has as a priest. Alzar arrives at Carceri to check it out again. He’s on the first layer, and there are some Abyss Ants near by and he clean them out (slew 152, 100 XP each) with some Wailing and Death Spelling. And then his axe finished the group. But there are just some humans and humanoids around for the most part, nothing major here. He slips to Acheron, but there’s nothing about there. He heads back home. Alzar spends the next two weeks teleporting to places to slay and handle local issues - giants, dinosaurs, drakes, undead of all sorts, an orc invasion, some yugoloths (daemons), and more. He goal is to head out, clean things up, and then return. He wants to get level 12 in all three classes. He spends 4-6 hours a day hunting, and the rest running his March and such. And on the 29th day of the 1st month of year 8, Alzar has gained level 12 in everything else After Alzar gets level 12 in everything, he spends a few days with his book, and gains a level as a thief to 13 Level 12 is supposed to be the end of his advance in those classes, and he is now a full polymath Alzar now can cast 2 level 6 spells from the priest list Level 6 - Speak with Monsters, Bestow/Remove Major Curse, Otherworld, Command Monster, Feeblemind, Metal Skin, Spiritual Wrath, Superheroism, Word of Recall, Word of Vengeance, Find the Path, Stone Tell, Alter Luck, Divine Event, Seal of Destiny, Seek, Whirlwind, Anti-Animal Shell, Conjure Fire Elemental, Call Phoenix, Fire Seeds, Part Water, Transmute Water to Dust, Conjure Water Elemental, Conjure Air Elemental, Blade Barrier, Forbiddance, Greater Guardian Seal, Heal, Legal Thoughts, Aerial Servant, Animate Object, Conjure Animals, Crushing Walls, Dragonbane, Land of Stability, Gravity Variation Note that Conjure Earth is a level 7 spell and can’t be cast. But this is the level when Alzar catches up to his wizard spells. He can Conjure 2 elementals, cast Heal, Word of Recall, and Aerial Servant. All of those are powerful spells - Aerial Servant is basically the cleric version of Invisible Stalker. Alzar cannot cast level 7 spells, but if he gets to level 13, he’ll be able to cast one, but without a WIS of 18, he can’t anyway So for now, this is the highest level of magic he can reach Alzar gains: Weapon - Non-Weapon Profs: Spy Intrigue - 14 Anatomy - 15 Glassblowing - 10 |
Here he is:
Alzar the Polymath; Alzar the Mighty, Lord of Wood and Fire, Marquis of March of the Mighty Alzar, Level 12 Cleric, Scholar Priest, (Level 13 Thief, (Investigator); 12th level Fighter (Myrmidon), 26th level Path Mage (Fivefold Mage)) Lawful Evil Human Str: 18/23 Dex: 13 Con: 11 Wis: 17 Int: 21 Cha: 17 Hit Points: 80 THACO: 10 AC: -5 (Cloak of Shadows; Bracers AC2, Helm. If using Barrier, -10. Ioun Stone, Boots, could drop -2) Age 63, Body - 34 Cleric XP - 900k, (1.15 mil to level 13); Thief XP - 685000 (880k to 14th); Fighter XP -1 mill XP (1.25 mill to level 13); Mage XP - 6156490 (Level 27 at 6,250,000); Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Myrmidon: Tactical History 15 Fire-Building 18 Riding 14 Swimming 12 Reading/Writing 16 Survival 16 Blind Fighting Etiquette 17 Endurance Heraldry 13 Hunting 12 Fishing 15 Weather Knowledge 12 Orienteering 18 As a Necromancer/Fivefold Mage Necrology 16 Netherworld Knowledge 16 Herbalism 17 Alchemy 15 Poison Use 13 Ancient Languages 11 Spellcraft 13 Ancient History – 17 Bookbinding – 16 Papermaking - 16 Sage Knowledge: Outer Planes, Inner Planes – 13 Divining: 15 Genie Lore: 17 Riding, Specialization: 10 Research: 13 First Lore – Aleph I: 20 Riding, Air: 13 As a Thief: Information Gathering: 15 Trailing: 16 Set Snares: 13 Tracking: 13 Locksmithing: 11 Fine Balance - 11 Camouflage - 12 Steady Hand - 13 As a Cleric: Scribe - 12 Religion - 10 Investigation - 11 Healing - 14 Hypnotism - 9 Administration - 16 Diplomacy - 14 Court Intrigue - 13 As a Polymath: Dragon Lore - 13 Spy Intrigue - 14 Anatomy - 15 Glassblowing - 11 Languages – Thorasian - Typic, Sis’sharr, UnderTypic, Kuo-Toa; Hamedhi – Arjuni, Sand Mire Common – Pandius - Pandius Prime, Traits: Empathy Fast Healer Precise Memory Obscure Knowledge Weapon Proficiencies: Bonus Kit Specialization: Battle Axe Battle Axe One Handed Weapon Style x2 (-2 AC when using one weapon in combat) Crossbow Battle Axe Weapon Mastery Spear Dagger Total with normal battle axe - +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -2 to AC. An additional +1 with the axe and +1 damage for strength Mage - Staff Thief Weapons: Short Bow, Short Sword Short Bow Expertise - Fires at rate of Specialization Specialization in One Handed With Shield - -1 AC and can Shield Bash Cleric: Mace Polymath: Double Specialization in Missile Fire --2 AC at range vs ranged weapons, can move 100% movement and fire everything Class Abilities Fighter Class Abilities: Specialization Leadership (Alzar can command the tactics, strategy, logistics and more that a large force requires) 3 attacks every 2 rounds Mage Class Ability: 1). Alzar can control undead as an evil Priest of the same level, and this ability extends to extra planar beings which are considered undead with the same hit dice for this purpose. 2). One Extra Spell/Level is Gained, must be Path. 3). Fivefold Mages reduce the spell level by one when researching spells in The Path. 4). Chance to Learn spell in The Path increased by +15% 5). Saving Throw of Targets when targeted by spells from The Path at -1. 6). No more than one spell per level can be from the group: Abjuration, Alteration, Alchemy and Geometry barring a highly unusual and temporary circumstance. 7). Fivefold Mage must invest a focus item as the method through which magic is cast. (Signet Ring from Hamedh, kept on necklace.) 8). Must have a lab and library and workbench with 1,000 gp value per level, and an upkeep of 50 gp/level/month 9). They can store spells like an Artificer, but cannot begin to do so until level 6 10). Fivefold Mages have a chance to identify a magical item by spending a turn peering at it closely and examining it - chance is their level times 5. 11). Fivefold Mages never suffer from a negative reaction penalty due to controlling or animating undead. Thief Class Ability: Cannot use Armor Without a Trace Defensive Bonus- -3 AC when unarmored Backstab - x4 damage from level 9-12: +4 to attack Open Locks: 70 Find/Remove Traps: 95 Move Silently: 95 Hide in Shadows: 95 Climb Walls: 95 Read Languages: 55 Evasion: 60 Cleric Class Ability: Cannot use Armor Fire Immunity - Alzar is immune to fire. Any non-magical fire, flame, lava, or heat won’t affect him. He always makes his saves against fire spells and effects. And if a fire spell doesn’t have a save, he gets one. Protection from Energy Drain - +2 on saves vs energy drain effects, and grants a save when there is none Cold Resistance - +2 on all saves vs ice-based and cold attacks. Effects without a saving throw are not given one Major Access to these Spheres: All, Healing, Astral, Law, War, Combat, Charm, Divination, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Wards, Elemental Immune to starvation Can cast ESP once/week A Wish Resulted in - An interdimensional Pocket which only he can access by reaching out his hand, or concentrating to send himself there. It’s sort of like a giant Bag of Holding. It can hold up to 500,000 coins of items, and it’s the size of a large room. Due to the size and volume, it cannot be accessed as readily as his items in a Bag of Holding can be, and therefore, he cannot find items during combat from it. He also can’t step into it during combat, it takes a minute of meditation to translocate his form there. Alzar may move and survive in the following planes at will: Tarterus, Acheron, The Abyss, Elysium, Arcadia, and the Astral Plane and Positive Energy. +2 to all saves against fear/awe effects Cleric Spells - 6/6/4/3/2 Wizard Spells - 7/7/7/7/6/6/6/6/5 Special Books Already Used – Tome of Clear Thought; Tome of Leadership and Influence; Libram of Ineffable Damnation; Tome of Understanding; Tome of Quickness of Action; Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms; Manual of Bodily Health; Manual of Gainful Exercise; Manual of Steady Pilfering; Longevity Potions Drank – 2; Wishes used for stats - INT, WIS Younger - 1 Spells: Alzar’s Prayer Book, 8/7/6/3/2/2 Major Access to these Spheres: All, Healing, Astral, Law, War, Combat, Charm, Divination, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Wards, Elemental Bonus Spells - 2 1sts, 2 2nds, 1 3rd |
On the 30th….
Morena appears and tells Alzar that except for the monument being up for 10 years (just 6 months or so thus far), he has completed his Matter Path. Alzar has an idea for where to go next… Alzar’s researches have found a powerful member of the Sphere of Energy that he believes would be a very intriguing patron. He grabs a book of his, and heads to the secret place. Month 2, Year 8 - Month 2 – Tax-Free Month Tax Free Baby! |
A week later, Alzar arrives at the lower level of a tall mountain, nowhere near Norwold or in fact, the Known World. Instead, he is ascending a peak in the Hollow World, near the ancient kingdom of Nithia, moved down here from above as it was about to fall.
Here is the person that Alzar identified:  Pflarr: (Jackal-Head) Patron of Hutaaka, Patron of Nithia, Patron of Magic, Guardian of the Living and the Dead Level, Alignment, Sphere: 25th (Eternal), True N, Energy Symbol: a jackal head with human eyes Portfolio: magic, knowledge, protection, hutaaka, magical experiments Worshipped in: Savage Coast (Renardie), Hulean City-states, Hollow World (Hutaaka, Nithians) Appearance: a 7' tall humanoid covered in fine brown fur and with a jackal head, wearing a simple Nithian linen tunic covering his thighs and hips. History: Pflarr wasn't born but rather created by a powerful Nithian wizard centuries before the Nithian empire climbed to its greatness. Pflarr was created with the purpose of being the ultimate bodyguard, but the experiment wasn't very successful since Pflarr's master was killed shortly after his creation. After avenging his master by slaying his killer (a rival wizard), Pflarr was left alone with two huge magical libraries at his disposal, so he did the only possible thing: he started to learn magic. With time he became an accomplished magic-user and eventually he discovered the Path of the Paragon, beginning his climb to greatness under the sponsorship of Rathanos. First he conquered the respect and trust of many different villages thanks to his magic prowess, introducing himself as the divine herald of Ra, come on this world to rule in Rathanos's name. With the help of all the constructs he had previously built, Pflarr created a powerful army and conquered a great part of the Alasiyan Basin. He then fortified his borders to keep away the warring neighbors and using his magical knowledge he built the first Monoliths (artifacts which absorb the power from the dead and the living to create specific magical effects), which allowed him to turn the swampy and arid lands of his duchy into fertile plains and grasslands. After a few decades Pflarr's duchy became prosperous and strong and its inhabitants worshipped both Ra and Pflarr as divine beings. Pflarr created then the Puissant Pyramid as part of his testimony, and after defeating all the spellcasting rivals in the Nithian valley (the last of whom was the sly Apophis, stepbrother of Chardastes), he finally became immortal in the sphere of Energy in BC 1540, the first "Nithian" to reach this status, followed by Maat shortly thereafter. Also, because he had helped Chardastes in reconquering his kingdom, Chardastes imposed Ra's and Pflarr's cult (as well as Maat's) as Nithia's official religion, which became the basis of the future Nithian pantheon. When Nithia turned from Kingdom to Empire, Pflarr was already established as one of the main deities of the region, patron of all magic and right-hand man of Rathanos. In BC 1500 Pflarr shaped a race after his own image and thus the hutaaka were born. He gifted them with a broad magical knowledge, but he completely failed to pay attention to the Nithian politics and ethics. His only interests were that his followers kept worshipping him and that magical research was brought forward. For this reason he too was caught unaware by the sudden turn that the Nithians took and when he noticed the threat that Nithia had become for Mystara, Thanatos's corruption was already too deeply rooted to be cleansed without major casualties. So he worked in team with Rathanos to save some of the Nithian communities still loyal to the old ways and helped by Ka and Ixion they placed them inside the Hollow World, before the Immortals unleased the punishment on the outer Nithian empire erasing it and its memory from the surface of Mystara. Pflarr obviously didn't forget his beloved hutaaka, and saved the wisest of them, abandoning those who had grown too decadent and stupid in their secluded valley on the surface world. With time however, he took a particular interest in lupins, a race of humanoids who later interbred with gnolls and hutaaka, and he helped them spreading all over the world trying to get their worship. Nowadays Pflarr's cult is almost absent on the outer world (he's worshipped only in Thothia, the only surviving Nithian colony, and among some lupin communities) and for this reason he pays much more attention to the affairs of the hutaaka and Nithians of the Hollow World. Personality: Pflarr doesn't think like other immortals, probably because of his origin. What he's mostly interested in are magical research and respect in the form of worship that he feels his followers must give him. When he notices some of his followers doesn't pay him the due tributes however, he doesn't intervene to punish them: he gives them a chance to make penance and take the right path, and if they refuse, he simply abandons them without hesitation, forgetting them in no time. He prefers to concentrate on the loyal worshippers or to create a new cult somewhere else than trying to win back lost followers. In his mind, he owes nothing to his worshippers, but rather it's the contrary: they must spend time to worship him and show him respect for all the blessings they receive. The only being that really drives Pflarr out of his mind is Ranivorus, a permanent sign of the Nithian attempt at creating another Pflarr (emulating the hutaaka race) and failing miserably. Pflarr hates Ranivorus with all his heart for the role he played in destroying Nithia and causing harm to his worshippers all over the world, and he doesn't refrain from hindering his plots whenever he can. Patron: Rathanos Allies: Rathanos Enemies: Ranivorus, Thanatos Classic D&D Stats: Followers' alignment: any; clerics must be Neutral Favoured weapons: khopesh (allowed all bludgeoning weapons) Clerics' skills & powers: +1 bonus to Intelligence, hear noise as thief of same level, +5% bonus to magical research of warding and protective spells So, he’s a god of magic, magical research, and still has an interest in old Nithia and Hutaaka. Alzar likes him for a lot of reasons. He likes magic and research, spells and items, and he cares more about that then he does anything else, like politics and such. He has two enemies that go back millennia, and few allies either. Outside of Nithia and Hutaaka, he doesn’t really care about world, and he doesn’t get a lot of people wanting to use him as their patron either . |
So let's pause for a moment to talk of Immortals, and my take on them.
Numerous questions have been asked about them, and key people in the course of creating Mystara (Aaron Allston, Frank M.) have said that the two different interpretations are really up the DM. So I'm running them as weaker, Olympian sort of characters. They don't die, and they have lots of power, but they have the foibles and strengths and weaknesses of real people. That's my take. And it's one of two that's encouraged (the other is to make them full-on god level characters) There is a book called Codex of the Immortals that lists a metric ton of immortals. This part of the world was fleshed out later, and some immortals were introduced in this book that I will be retconing into the campaign later. We have lots of odd immortals. We have an intelligent snake, tons of humanoids (many of which come from evil tribes and are, surprisingly, not usually in the Entropy Sphere), we have a troll that ate thousands, merfolk, and more. Pflarr is basically an intelligent golem that gained immortality. We even have a few that accidentally became immortal without walking the path and going through the normal process. The book goes into detail about the simple fact that there are tons more immortals. So I intentionally added Morena to my campaign to fill a few holes. There's just one listed dwarf immortal, and that felt wrong, so I added a second. Morena's quick bio: Lawful neutral, Morena was a dwarven crafter and priestess who was a major creator of items of value among the dwarven species. She was one of the first dwarves, and helped to carve a nation with the weapons and armor she forged, and the magic that protected others. Morena was the first dwarven immortal and one of the older immortals in the Sphere of Matter. (Basically, I created Morena to be a female replacement of Moradin, a common dwarven god from other planes, so in modules that involve Moradin, I just replaced it with Morena, and then I fleshed her out in a typical Pandius way) |
Alzar has arrived at the sacred mountain of Pflarr, and has wound his way up, the slow way. There are seven tests at each sacred site when heading for support on the path. Rarely are they combat, and Pflarr isn’t either.
The first test is a gate with ancient hieroglyphics on it. Alzar deciphers them with magic and moves on. The next few tests are like that as well, and Alzar’s 21 INT serves him well. He then heals, rather than fights, a wounded but prideful Hutaaka, and then faces a nasty magic golem, who Alzar forces down. These tests are designed to reveal Alzar’s character and potential. At the top, Alzar begins to mediate in the ancient ruins of an outpost that overlooked Nithia. Alzar is on the mountain for a few hours… And something arrives. Let’s find out how he did. Roll d10 and add these modifiers: -5 - Alzar’s alignment is not favored by Energy +7 - successfully passed each test -2 - Different alignment from patron and Alzar Alzar is a cleric of Matter, and that’s opposing to Energy, so no bonuses there Here we go - you just get the naked result…. (anything from 3 to 0 will work, only a 1 or 2 fails here) Alzar tosses a 4. Pflarr sends a magical signal that he agrees, and will arrive in…23 days. After 23 days of meditation later, Pflarr arrives to meet with Alzar Pflarr slowly appears. He’s not a braggart, but has some humility - so he slowly reveals himself like the coming of dawn. And soon, he is in front of Alzar… Alzar leans his head down in respect and then rises, and speaks to Pflarr. He asks to be supported for his quest, and he gives the spellbook, with one copy of every spell that he ever made in it Roll another d10 and add +3; +1 for class synergy, +1 for an appropriate gift +5 - Toss 7 +5 12 Pflarr takes the gift and gives Alzar a token of favor (magical token). Pflarr outlines the path he must do in great detail, and then will appear to him once again when he has completed them all. He’ll then send Alzar home magically. |
Alzar’s ability to craft spells is good, but these spells were made prior. So Alzar must do the following:
The Path of the Paragon 1. Alzar must create a brand new spell of all 9 levels that serve the cause of Pflarr 2. Alzar must create a brand new, never before created, magical item that serves the cause of Pflarr. 3. Alzar must transform the land in his March, giving the area a unique feel and appearance 4. Alzar must find and defeat at least 8 Mages or Clerics of 25th or higher level, in solo combat. 5. Alzar must create a brand new species of animal, monster, or humanoid 6. Alzar must attract 10 new apprentices I changed the path a bit to suit Pflarr. For example, energy does not require the species or spells, but instead requires you to quest for and find a lost artifact of energy’s sphere. But I didn’t see that as fitting Pflarr. Instead, I gave him two that fit - he created the Hutaaka, and furthermore, one of his lesser areas of influence is “Created species.” I also made this path harder than normal. Like before, Alzar can do them in any order. And, even with the harder path, this could be done very quickly. Let me walk you through how: It takes 2 weeks/spell level to research a new spell. That’s 90 weeks for research the various spells he needs to do. Seems like a lot, right? But don’t forget that Alzar has the Research proficiency. That halves time. 45 weeks - a little less than a year. He also has the Lamp of Creation, and the Greater Ring of Sustenance, so he has a full 24 hours a day and can work on two things at once with the Lamp. So Alzar spends 45 weeks making those spells. He’s done roughly around the end of year 8 Then, he can also: Research and create a magical item. I already have an idea of an item that would be really cool. It would cost around 6 months to research, and about 6 to make. Half the research, and the item and research would be done in about 9 months. So by the end of the year, Alzar has done both the item and the spells. Easy enough to do. Then he can create the species too. Now the species has to be just that. A species, not one individual thing. That could be done in a month with the right spells (which he can make…) He can teleport out and face guys in solo combat and defeat them anytime. Alzar has had some folks come in to be apprentices of his, but he turned them down due to his regular travels. He just needs to bring them in. The only one in there he’s not sure about is the transformation of his area |
Well, might as well get started…
Here are all nine spells tonight: Alzar’s Ingenious Understanding (Divination, Enchantment/Charm) Level 4 Duration: 1 turn/level Casting Time: 4 Components: VSM Range: 1 target Save: Neg The target of this spell gains an Intellect of 21. This can help them see through illusions or learning spells. The target usually will voluntarily save a throw, but they not want it the spell. The physical component of this spell is a quill from any species of an albino bird. It’ll take a month to study and learn, and it takes 4000 gp in additional library space. Alzar’s Speciation (Necromancy; Alteration) Level 9 Duration: Permanent Casting Time: 1 hour Components: VSM Range: 1 target Save: Neg The caster creates a model of a physical creature which does not exist. It must resemble an existing creature in some way, and have a known and workable anatomy. The caster must find a living creature that resembles the size, weight, and rough dimensions of the desired creation. After casting the spell, the target creature must make a save - failure to do so turns it into the species selected. No matter the result, the model is destroyed. The model costs 15000 gp to make with rare incense, items, and such, and takes 1 week to prepare. Based on the model, the target’s save changes. Rough? +5 to the save. Not realistic? +5. Target too big or too small? +3 If the model is made with a detailed understand of anatomy, -3 to the save; -5 if it's already worked once. That takes 9000 gp and will require 9 weeks of research Those are his first two. Alzar’s Grand Effects (Alteration), Artifice 8th Level Duration: Permanent Casting Time: 1 turn Components: VSM Range: 1 target Save: N/A This is an upgraded version of the 6th level Special Effects spell. Alzar chooses one object. For 100’x100x100’ feet of that target (wall, building, etc) that target can have any chance made to its Smell, sight, touch, and so forth. So Alzar could make a house smell like chocolate or a wooden wall feel life leather. It does not change the physical aspects of the target - a stone wall that feels like a pillow won’t suddenly fail saves like a pillow. This is a permanent change, and not an illusion. The material component is a picture of the target with it’s changed effect. As this is an upgrade of an existing spell Alzar has (Special Effects is a level 6 spell). It takes ½ the research time normally, and then research applies, so Alzar knows it in 4 weeks, 8k gp sent And as a bonus, Alzar can use it to help make his area a bit different. He’ll first use it to make his monument more monumental, and then he wants to create some attractions like Serraine had for Evenarrow. And he can use it to give his area a unique feel. He starts with this one to research, and then he’ll slide into the Speciation spell Alzar lets some criers know that he’s looking for apprentices for the first time since he arrived here. Alzar’s Bookread (Enchantment/Charm) 2nd Level Duration: 1 turn/level Casting Time: 2 Components: VSM Range: 1 target Save: N/A The enchanted creature reads at an accelerated rate based on the caster’s level. 1-5 - 2x; 6-10 - 3x; 11-15; 4x; 16-20 - 5x; 21+ 6x. Comprehension is not affected by this spell, just the speed at which something is read. The material component of this spell is a monocle. This is a great spell to give apprentices and researchers for a quick bout. So, as an example, a 6th level mage casting this gets 3x speed level for 1 hour - or two extra hours of research in a day. Alzar casting this on himself would get 6x reading speed for 28 turns, 4 hours and 4 minutes. So he would read the equivalent in that time of about 28 hours of reading in that time. That’s pretty saucy. Again, 2 weeks, 2000 gp Alzar’s Attract Apprentice (Enchantment/Charm) 3rd Level Duration: 1 day Casting Time: 3 Components: VSM Range: 1 mile/caster level Save: N/A After casting this spell, the likelihood of attracting an appreciate for the range of this spell increases considerably. If there are any suitable candidates in range, they arrive to seek apprentice ship within a day. 3 weeks, 3000 GP Alzar’s Shadowshift (Alteration), Shadow 1st Level Duration: 1 turn/caster level Casting Time: 1 Components: VSM Range: 100’ Save: N/A The darkness in one room is shifted from light or dark to shadowy. It lasts for up to one/turn caster level. The shadowy level of light cannot be illuminated or darkened by non-magical means. Any form of magical light or darkness will cast out the shadows permanently. This spell requires a blindfold as its material component Alzar’s Relearn (Divination) 5th Level Duration: NA Casting Time: 5 Components: VS Range: NA Save: N/A After failing to learn a spell, the caster may cast this spell and try again. If they fail this roll as well, then they cannot try again until they learn a level. That’ll probably be the last one Alzar creates. It good to give folks. Alzar’s Item Delve (Divination) 6th Level Duration: NA Casting Time: 1 turn Components: VSM Range: NA Save: N/A The caster chooses a magical item to research. Then choose and sacrifice a magical item of at least an equivalent level of gp. After that item is destroyed, the method for uncovering how to create the chosen item is found. For smaller level items (like potions or scrolls) the item’s recipe is known entirely. Otherwise, the correct tomes and locations to search are instead. Alzar’s Divinatory Summons (Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment/Charm) 7th Level Duration: 1 rnd//level or until 3 questions are answered Casting Time: 7 Components: VSM Range: 1 plane of existence Save: See Below The caster chooses an intelligent creature to summon. If it is on the same place as the caster, That creature makes a saving throw, and then if it fails, it is summoned to the caster’s location where is must answer any three yes/no questions asked of it. If the caster knows the creature’s truename, then no save is allowed. The magic of this spell prevents either the caster or the one summoned from being harmed or attacking. If the caster tries to violate that by attacking, casting a spell, having someone else attack, summoning the creature over lava, and such, the magic dissipates, and magical feedback hits the caster for 10d10 damage. Once the final question is asked and answered, the creature is safely returned. The material component for this spell is a gem of at last 1000 gp value which is crushed as the spell begins. And there we are, a full slate of 9 spells. I go ahead and pull the 45k from Alzar’s bank. After doing Speciation and Grand Effects, I’ll probably have Alzar grab Apprentice Attraction, and then Item Delve to help with that. |
Alzar has also begun to sketch a potential species. He wants to use his mated pterodactyls as a base level of understanding, and using anatomy proficiency he is working on a model to have a flying, pterodactyl-ish humanoid.
Alzar heads out and begins grabbing some folks and such. None of these require any major adventuring save for the slaying of the magic-users Here’s the magical item he wants to make: The Hourglass of Impossibility This Hourglass has 25 hours of sand in it. When this Hourglass is turned, the user of that Hourglass gains an extra hour that day, by increasing their speed just a bit across the entire day. It doesn’t affect anything like damage dealing, weapon speed, or anything else, it just gives the user enough found time for one extra hour. At the end of the day, the sand is used up and must be replaced. The sand is a specially prepared mixture that costs 1000 gp to grind from rare rocks and a magical process. It takes one week of work to prepare a dose of sand, although 5000 gp must be spent on the special equipment to do so. It doesn’t require active work to make it go, however. There’s the item. I put two brakes on it - the sand is gone after a day and costs money to replace, and the grinding of the sand, with an initial investment of 5k ,and 1k per use. And if you want to get a bunch of extra hours, then you need 7 sets of equipment making seven sets of sand - 35k +7k per week - that’s a lot of money. Over the course of a year that’s 400k in gp. I’m not sure that one extra found hour is worth that investment. This item has never been made, ever. I’m giving it a GP value of 5000, and an XP of 35000. I am ruling that this item requires: Sand from the Elemental Plane of Earth Washed in a solution of tears from a quickling Forged into glass in the fires of sadness Cleaned by a cloth made from the hair of a night hag, freely given Bound by Wood, carved and shaped from Yggdragsil the World Tree Shorn by Brass Decorations made from brass ingots personally excavated from one’s own future On the final product, cast Enchant an Item, Haste, Permanency And I think that’s good enough - that’s a large number of really hard to get items and Researching this method will take 3 months, and then Alzar can begin making it and the equipment and sand to put in it. That’ll take 6000 gp for equipment and first batch of sand, and then 15k for research. 21k total, but everything has been paid, now, and he begins |
Month 3, Year 8 -
In the middle of this month, Alzar’s Grand Effects is finished. He begins using it. He also has his first apprentice: Sorvana Fasterfetters, level 1, LN, Fivefold Path Mage At the end of this month, the Silver Golem body is ready for enchantment, so they begin to work on a Stone Golem. Alzar teleports out and is looking for a foe o the right level to face. \He has to solo them, so he can’t go in with allies, but he could summon elementals or such, that’s fine. He is looking for another member of the Gray Front to take out, maybe the leader this time, over at Serraine… But it’s just too hard to knock down that train. There are a few other possibilities that intrigue, Does a dragon count? What about a lich? Alzar’s best guess is that a creature with 25 or more HD that is primary a spell caster works, but which does not cast spells primarily does not. So yes to a high level lich, but no to something like a dragon turtle. In fact Alzar should be able to find tons of qualified mages over in Alphatia. They have a ruling council of 1000 36 level mages. Their entire infrastructure is built on magic users. Alphatia, in their major cities, have special forms of magic dueling as well, but Alzar’s not sure that counts, But the rules are to defeat, not to kill. So Alzar decides to start things locally Alzar teleports to the capital of Norwold, Alpha, to check and see if Madeira is available. Madeira is the advisor to King Ericall, and she is level 29 now. She is a politically minded mage, neutral, and sees this as a way to get to the council. Alzar challenges her to a magic duel, with no other people. His apprentice is watching, and she can have spectators. He goes over the rules - no killing, each person must casts spells to maim only. And then magic battle begins. She agrees after Alzar agrees to give her 10000 gp if h loses. They each spend a day prepping new spells and begin the following day |
Alzar vs Madeira
Neither are allowed to have any active spells at the beginning of the match, but can be wearing any items they desire. Magic spells only, no melee. Alzar can’t axe or bow his way to a victory. Here we go: 4 vs 2 Madeira starts things off by casting Lightning Bolt. Alzar has 50% Magic Resistance, and then Ring of Spell Turning on. 79 - cracks the MR, and then 30% is sent back. 40 damage is dealt, and Alzar takes 28 of it, and she takes 12. Both makes saves Alzar casts Major Globe of Invulnerability/ Alzar - 66/80 Madeira - 54/60 5 vs 2 Madeira casts Dispel Magic and drops his Globe. Alzar casts True Seeing to see what magical items she has. She has a Ring of Spell Storing (doesn’t know the spells), one of Spell Turning, and a Cloak of Freedom, which gives Free Action and immunity to any senses being nmullified (Blind, Deaf, Mute, etc) 8 vs 5 Madeira casts Time Stop. She casts Conjure Greater Earth Elemental, and gets another turn and casts Monster Summoning VII and gets 3 Nightmares, and then casts Monster Summoning VI and gets 2 trolls. And suddenly Alzar is surrounded by 6 strong foes. And no melee. 2 vs5 Alzar casts Time Stop and casts Banishment on the Elemental, and Abjure on a Nightmare and then….it ends. Both work. One hits Alzar for 9 damage. She casts Major Globe. 59/80 8 vs 7 Madeira casts Conjure Earth Elemental. Wail of the Banshee drops….Nightmare and elementals are immune….trolls die. They’ll take turns to come back. 4 vs 7 Alzar casts Abjure on the Earth, and it bounces back. A Nightmare bites and he dodges. She casts Acid Burst at him and….64 cracks MR and then60% is redirected, Alzar takes 15, and her 24. No save on it. 45/80 20/60 3 vs 1 She cracks a potion and quaffs it. She heals 25. Alzar casts Vampire Touch on the Elemental for 26. No one can crack his AC 72/80 55/60 3 vs 7 Alzar casts Power Word Kill and slays the Nightmares. The Elemental punches and….29 he dodges. She casts Invisible Stalker rand sends it over. 6 vs 2 Her side missies in mêlée, and then she starts using her sensory deprivation spells, since she’ll be unaffected if they bounce back. Power Word Blind leaves. 10 - Alzar’s MR stops it. Alzar casts his final Abjure at her Earth and it makes its save and remains. 5 vs 3 She casts the Blindness spell at him and….56 - It gets past his MR and then 60% redirects ,so he saves with +6 bonus/. Only a 1 or 2 will fail. 15. An Elemental punches him and….26 - dodge. Stalker misses. Alzar casts Conjure Air Elemental with his 6th level priest spell and sends it over 4 vs 7 Alzar casts Conjure Greater Elemental and has it begin to battle the normal one. The Stalker finally connects for 8 damage, 88 rolls no dodge. She casts Banishment on his Greater Earth, not his Air and…..drops it. Her earth is moving back to him 1 vs 9. Alzar’s Air Elemental misses. He casts Dispel Magic (as priest) to drop her Globe.. Alzar dodges an elemental punch. She casts a 6th level spell - Power Word Silence on Alzar. He tosses a 62 and misses his MR. he normally would have no save, and just be silenced but his Ring forces it. 30% redirects, so he gets a +3 save. He tosses a 3 and that’s…a fail. Ah well. Alzar is now Silenced. She make the save (or doesn’t who cares) 64/80 1 vs 4 Alzar uses his stored Vocalize. His Air connects for 9 damage. She casts Finger of Death on the air and…it dies. Alzar dodges a Stalker blow. 46/60 1 vs 5 Alzar conjures an Earth Elemental and sends it against the one on him. She casts Magic Missile at him. You check MR for each missile - 4 hits, and he sends 80% of them back to her - he takes 4, and her 12. Alzar casts Vampiric Touch and absorbs 22 and slays the Earth. He earth moves to her., 34/60 80/80 3 vs 7 Alzar casts and summons an Invisible Stalker to head out and face her. His Air misses. She has one spell left - Dominate, and tries it on Alzar naked. 26 - nope, doesn’t even cut through his MR. She concedes. She has his Earth Elemental and Invisible Stalker, and has no tricks left. For slaying summons and winning against her, Alzar gets 44500 All XP goes to his Wizard stuff again 1 Wizard/cleric down, 7 to go |
Unfortunately, two leaders that Alzar gets on with, Claranasa the Seer and Sandralane the Cleric aren’t at level 25 yet. Sandralane is 22 and Claranasa 19.
Is there anywhere that Alzar should head next? Anywhere that he needs to check in to see what’s going on? Not really. Things are pretty peaceful here. Alzar does want to expand his navy again, so he teleports to face pirates off the coast about 350 miles away and hits 4 more vessels with spells like Virus Charm, Mass Domination, and such. They bring them in and begin to build them up. Alzar also hires a bunch more soldiers too. We’re adding 100 heavy foot, 100 crossbow, 100 more light and heavy cavalry, and some more support staff. Alzar teleports to King Ericall. He wants to expand his March into the entire Ljallenvals Mountain Chain at once. He has flirted with it, and has two hexes of the chain. Saffir and the dwarves in Stormhaven. This is 8 full hexes of mountains, and a bunch of smaller coastal areas too. No one else is close, and Alzar, who has been teleporting around for a few years and taking out sites of monsters and such in the peaks could now have an opportunity on scaling things back there. That’s the goal. This is not an area that King Ericall desires, or that anyone else wants, but it’s a large land grant request. Alzar has supported Ericall at times, but there’s some tension from them going back to Ericall’s military annexation of the local Kingdom of Oceansend. Ericall is not a great leader. And he’s not really that interested in helping Alzar unless he needs to. He’d rather keep Alzar down by having him want to expand than vice versa. Alzar doesn’t get one meter of new land. Alzar also sends out criers challenging any magic-users or clerics to a non-lethal duel. They get 10,000 gp if they beat him fairly. You know what? Let’s host a tournament! Alzar will host a tournament next month, with Jousting, Melee, Archery and….Magic Dueling, non lethal, and the winners of each round get 5000 gp for the Magic Duel, and the winner overall gets a spellbook of spells that Alzar penned/ Joust? +1 shield, Archery, +4 short bow, and melee: +1 long sword, Alzar reveals that one of the spells in the spellbook is his Golem Heal Spell. That should help to get folks here! |
Month 4, Year 8 -
Alzar’s week long tournament and celebrations begin! A ton of people are here How bow is much better than normal for a prize, having all magical items for prizes is strong, and many are here for the magic user prize as well! Alzar got the word out through some allies and friends, like people on Serraine and such, to get folks here. The joust opens. Alzar hosts the event, and there are tons of people here. He has lawful clerics scan the crowds and capture any would-be thieves. Numerous bards are playing, and Forx is heading a concert. Alzar’s new spell is showing off, having been cast at many places around the city, the monument he made of himself and more. For today’s joust, Alzar has the stadium and watching grounds in a variety of colors. He has wooden benches that are literally as comfortable as down pillows. It’s a very interesting place as a result! The joust’s opening round is held, and then the melee has its first round, followed by the numerous archers, rangers, soldiers ,and more competing. More than 100 people are competing in the archery completion, the largest they’ve had in Norwold. And then they conclude with mage battles. Ahead of time, Alzar scans contestants, and they have to agree to geases or quests to force them to obey certain rules. And they do. Things look perfectly good. At the end of the day, Alzar’s treasury gives out 35000 gold to the 7 winners. Tomorrow, Alzar is going to duel one of the losers, and she has 26 levels. He’ll give her 10k if she beats him. |
Day 2 - More jousts, magic duels from the 7 left - 1 gets a bye, and 3 win - 15k more
The melee round is heating up, and rounds 2 and 3 of the archery completion are held And then Alzar faces the best loser from yesterday at the end of the day Tharlest Level 26 Abjurer, specializes in protection magic, 1 vs 8 Alzar leads by casting Major Globe, and she Dispels it. Casting True Seeing and other divinatory magic was disallowed. Also, you can’t use any magic that you aren’t wearing, in order ro speed things up - no potions, wands, etc. 1 vs 7 Alzar casts Time Stop to get this thing started, and drops two spells - Power Word Stun and Power Word Blind. She has a Ring of Free Action, and the first is avoided, and she is blinded by the second. 8 vs 2 She casts Power Word Blind on Alzar and 47 - it’s absorbed by his Amulet’s MR. How did she cast that? Alzar casts Dominate. She tosses a 14 and is fine. 2 vs 7 Alzar casts Mass Domination and…16 - she’s fine. She casts Time Stop back and casts Greater Globe and Mantle. 5 vs 3 She casts Flesh to Stone on Alzar 45 - hits his MR. He casts Flesh to Stone back. She tosses a 3 and is petrified. Alzar is declared the winner, and de-petrifies her. Alzar gains 26000 XP |
Day 3 - The jousts are getting closer. There are just 4 people left The Archers are down to the last 10. The melee’s finals are today. In the mage’s completion, 2 win (payment of 10k). Alzar faces the strongest loser from Day 2 (2 qualify, one is a level 30 Evoker)
Stoth Hawkbeak Level 30 Evoker, 4 vs 6 Alzar starts with e Greater Globe, and it’s Pierced. 5 vs 7 Alzar casts Protection from Electricity. It’s dispelled 9 vs 4 Time Stop by his foe. Now that he has Alzar with no protections, he casts Lightning Bolt, Magic Missile, and Flame Arrow at him. 54 and 15. The Flame arrow doesn’t make his MR. Alzar takes 6 of the missiles. Now, of them, let’s roll Spell Turning…20% is directed back from the Bolt, and 30% from Missiles. His foe has a Ring that makes him immune to elements. He takes the Missiles. Alzar takes 20 from the Bolt (he saves); his foe nothing Alzar takes 16 and his foe 6 from the Missiles 46/80 44/50 3 vs 7 Alzar grabs Time Stop as well. He fires Power Word Blind and Stone to Flesh. The first one fails, due to immunity to blindness form an item. He makes his save with a 11. 5 vs7 Alzar casts Domination and….Tosses a 1 and fails. Alzar forces him to concede. Alzar wins. |
Alzar gains 30k
Day 4 - The joust semi finals are today. The archery finals will be tomorrow. They get today off. The melee is over leaving just the mage fights. Today is the finals of the mages battle The winner gets the spellbook of knows as he promised. Alzar battles another loser at level 25+ Jessinda Copperhand, Level 27 Force Mage 4 vs 8 Alzar leads with Time Stop this time. Casts Power Word Silence instead of blind (chases it up in case foes are planning against him) and then Hold Person, a simple 3rd level spell. The first resolves and his foe is silenced. The second and it melts off ( Free Action magic) 9 vs 4 She casts Vocalize, and Alzar drops Maze on her. She disappears for two rounds. Alzar casts Globe and then prepares. She arrives back from maze 3 vs 9 Alzar casts Polymorph Other and…11 she makes her save. She casts Forcecage around Alzar. 3 vs 7 Alzar drops the Forcecage with a priestly Dispel. She casts Wall of Force around him. 3 vs 5 Alzar casts Dispel and drops the Wall. She casts Bigby’s Crushing Hand and a hand of force tightens around Alzar, hitting him for 1d10 damage - 4 76/80 7 vs 3 She casts Time Stop. The Major Globe doesn’t work against the highest level spells, so she drops a Mordenkainen’s Sword, and then Spell Turning. The Stop ends. The sword attacks Alzar for…7 damage and strips one defense from him. Then Alzar takes 2d10 for round 2 of the Hand.12 damage 19 total 58/80 1 vs 7 Alzar casts Dispel Magic on the Sword and it dissipates. He takes 2d10 - 9 from the Hand. She casts Power Word Stun while Alzar is engaged. 62 - it breaks his MR and….30% is redirected. She makes her save (immune to stunning) and….Alzar tosses a 2 and fails. Alzar is stunned, And he is ruled out. Jessinda the Force Mage won, and gets 10,000 gp. She won in part by studying Alzar’s defenses, and using her specialty to come up with ways to hurt him and fight him without triggering his MR or Ring. She had every Bigby Spell available, and ready for him. Congrats! |
While waiitng to return from a week long conference, let me sort of verbally go over my plan for the rest fo Alzar.
I want to hit up UK7 soon, it fits where he is and such. Then maybe do one or two quick adventures that finish his magical item I have two magi in mind for him to face to finish the 8 folks - one if the Ice Queen, and the other iss......? The big bad of Nightmare Keep module After that we'll be mostly done with the Path 2 - it;s teh easiest' Then we begin what will likely be the final leg of our mega-campaign, as we move into M1, Into the Maelstrom. It moves the Norwold story forward considerably and is mpart of a trilogy is modules, including M2 nd M5 that all finish the stories, and then one left to fnish things up. Meanwhile, I expect we'll do The Milenian Scepter as part of the quest for Immortal #3, and head back to Hollow World to do so. We'll have The Rod and the Stone somewhere, and there's an immortal path adventure on Bestiary of D and G as we go as well. There are always a few others - I still want to run Labyrinth of Madness, and i just picked up A Paladin in Hell, which is pretty rough. And while I know and have mapped out paths 1-3 and 5 really well, I'm still uncertain about Path #4. And we could totally do Tales from the Infinite Staircase and maybe even Vecna Lives. Anyways, those are just some quick quick thoughts for y'all. Maybe i'll do a move to the planes for y'all with Well of worlds, planes fo Chaos, or some other quick adventure-ettes. |
Will be interested to see Into the Maelstrom as that's one I remember having (and Vecna Lives if you end up using it, enjoy Vecna lore, had that module but don't really remember it).
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Back to our joust thing, already in progress.
Day 5 - The archery final is today, with a huge 10 person contests with moving targets and such. The winner is actually Baron Allisa Patrician, one of the folks Alzar regularly runs into. She gets the +4 short bow. Alzar faces off against the 3rd place mage today. Most people think this will be a walk in the park Meet: Oskarion Bronze, level 25 diviner. No one knows how a diviner got this far, but he did. So congrats Oskarion, but they think Alzar has this one. 9 vs 4 The diviner leads with Time Stop as well, and target Alzar with Dream Globe, followed by Oskarion’s Single Mindedness. The first, Dream Globe, captures someone and place them into a Dream Globe for a day. It;’s a divination spell. It’s 13 can crack his MR. What about his other spell? It forces the target to answer a yes/no question asked, and that person is forced to do what they answered the following turn. 51, just makes it past the MR. No save on it. Alzar is asked this question: Are you going to dodge next turn? Alzar answers yes. That means Oskarion gets a free round, since Alzar can’t do anything else. 1 vs 4 Alzar dodges. Oskarion casts Time Stop from his Ring of Spell Storing. And then he casts his Single Mindedness from it, as well as Flesh to Stone. 69 on the Single M, an the82 onteh Flesh, and Alzar….gets an 18 and makes his save. The Question is the same. Again, Alzar answers yes. 5 vs 3 He casts Domination on Alzar. 12 - misses - mr. Alzar does nothing this turn - dodging. 2 vs 7 Alzar casts Time Stop, and then casts Power Word Stun and…. Nope. Immune somehow 3 vs 2 He casts Polymorph Other. 38 - nope. Alzar casts Flesh to Stone and…. Petrified. Alzar de-petrifies him and is declared the winner 25000 for him |
Day 6 - The joust final is today, and Alzar magic duels the 2nd place mage
Jaspern, Level 31 Mage 1 vs 8 Alzar casts Time Stop and drops Hold Person and Power Word Blind. Jaspern is blinded. 6 vs 3 Jaspern casts a Senses Restored spell and is healed. Alzar casts Flesh to Stone and….18 tosses - makses it 9 vs 1 Jaspern casts Flesh 2 Stone back at Alzar and breaks the Mr and Alzar tosses a 1 2and makes his save. Alzar casts Major Globe… 9 vs 7 Jaspern drops his globe, and Alzar casts Domination - no go. Something prevents any sort of charm or domination or suggestion effect from working. 8 vs 2 Jaspern casts Bigbys Crushing hand, since it worked before. Alzar takes 6 damage. He cast Dispel and drops it. He was expecting that trick 74/80 5 vs 2 Jaspern casts Maze on Alzar. It hits his MR. Alzar casts Polymorph Other and…it works (tossed a 2) and turns into a sheep. Alzar turns him back after being declared the winner Alzar gains 30000 xp |
Day 7 -
Today is he battle between Alzar and the winner of the Mage contest. Alzar saw this guy battle, and plans differently. Blasnorn, level 30 Mage 7 vs 4 Blasnorn leads things off by casting Time Stop, and then…Bigby;s Crushing Hand, Magic Missile and that’s it just two Alzar takes 3 from the Hand. And then he takes 5 missiles precisely, and then 60% bounce, but, the mage has a Gem of Magic Missile protection, and he absorbs them and restores a spell he used - Time Stop. Alzar takes 9 from the missils and 3 68/80 4 vs 8 Alzar casts Greater Malison, and that gives him foe -2 to save.s His foe casts Time Stop again, and…. Magic Missile from a Ring of Spell Storing Spell Immunity - Alteration And that’s it. Again, 6 missiles hit, 30% redirected, Alzar takes 14 and he restores his Time Stop spell. Alzr takes 10 from Hand 44/80 4 vs 2 He drops Time Stop again. Move to Alzar Uses another Magic Missile from Ring Casts Shocking Grasp. Shocking Grasp? 25 hits MR. Ring? 4 missiles hit for….50/50 redirect, and….fuels Time Stop again Alzar takes 8 damage from missiles and 4 from hand 32/80 2 vs 5 Alzar gets init Whew! He casts Cure Critical Wounds and heals 40This guy just has a good combo. Alzar takes 3d10 now from the hand - 16 damage and his foe casts Time Stop… He casts Greater Magic Missile - 8 missiles hit, and 7 are absorbed. (3rd level variant of MM that goes up to 15 missiles) 60% redirected. Alzar takes 13 more 43/80 5 vs 6 Alzar casts Dispel and drops the Hand. He is targeted by a Stone to Flesh spell - 85 - cracks MR and….70 is redirected, but he is immune to alteration - Alzar makes his save. Only a 1 would fail. 6 vs 2 He casts Polymorph Other at Alzar and….14 - absorbed by MR> But you can see his plan - use alteration magic’s to win, with no chance of hitting back from the spell turning - smart. Alzar casts Dispel Magic at him, it drops the immunity, and Alzar’s malison effect to. 6 vs 9 Alzar casts his own Stone to Flesh and….20 makes the save. Alzar blocks a blindness spell with MR. 6 vs 7 Alzar casts Vampiric Touch on him and drains 27 from him and heals it. He casts Major Globe. 8 vs 9 Alzar drops the globe with Dispel. He casts Feeblemind. Hits Alzar’s MR. 3 vs 5 Alzar casts Polymorph Other and….He tosses a 3 and turns into a sheep. Alzar wins Alzar gains 30000 and has now defeated 6 25+ magi Alzar is now level 27 for a mage He gains another spell at 5/6/7 levels. |
They spent almost 175k gold from the treasury, and 5 confidence
The last day of the tournament sees two people come and join as Alzar’s apprentices as well - Borth the Ready, LE, Level 1 Path Mage Jectorn Asgood, LN, Level 1 Path Mage Alzar has his builders and people work on a large tower beside his castle (30k for three levels of large towers and support) to start now and to finish in 3 months, They’ll finish around Month 7/8 Week 3, of this month sees Alzar finish his 9th level spell. The next the Attract Apprentice one. Meanwhile, Alzar has been working on a model, and he grabs a pterodactyl and tries it…. It tosses a 12 and with the penalty it gets from Alzar’s anatomy… It fails: Dactyl Magnon Lawful Neutral AC 7, HD 3+3 THACo - 17 # of Attacks - 1 Damage: 2d4 with beak or by weapon The Dactyl Magnon is a humanoid take on a pterodactyl His has the head and beak, wings, and basic body outline of a Dactyl, but with elongated arms, hands, and articulated legs and feet. It tends to have yellow eyes. Dactyls can fly, and are intelligent. They tend to be lawful neutral, live around 45-50 years. A Dactyl Magnon gets +2 DEX, -2 CON, +1 WIS, -1 INT if created as a character.  It worked, so Alzar is make another to make a mated pair, and then make a few more over the next bit. |
A closer look at the next few modules:
Uk7 Dark Clouds Gather - Fits in perfectly with where and when- I've also done a bit of a set up for it already FA2 Nightmare Keep -= I didn't realize that there was a generic high level dungeon in the Forgotten Realms line until a few weeks ago. I picked it up and will run it to push the story, and to hit another of the steps for the 2nd path. The Ice Cave - Hitting a local place that is having issues with a long-believed dead Ice Queen and her area coming back. Another connection to all things Immortal. Those are my next targets |
Nice stuff, Abe. Looking forward to the new modules, as I've never played D&D since some dabbling back in the college days, many long years ago.
Tell |
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