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Next Floor Up –
52 rooms Alzar has the minotaurs clear off the stairs to get up to the next level. The 3rd floor has a lot of bed chambers, living areas, and more. These are all nicer, such as mages and apprentices might have, like three room apartments and such. There are also some entertainment things here as well. Alzar heads left and then right, and finds a long hallway that goes straight, much of the length of the floor of the tower. There are numerous rooms off to one side, and then the other, each 10 feet by 10 feet, and each showcasing a major item or scene, much like the art gallery below, but to a considerably greater degree. Alzar heads down and inspects them: Display Room #1 – Enormous Ceremonial War Canoe here, with a number of native warriors and a priest in war mask leading them, frozen, and in a frieze. Alzar detects the war mask as magical. Powerfully so. The whole thing smells of one big giant trap. He grabs his Ring of TK, 50 pounds, and puts it on. He grabs the War Mask to pull it off, and it works, but of course, the party animates. 8 warriors and one priest are here, and move out. They are all low level. Alzar orders his minotaurs to clank these folks, and they break out. A few moments later, they are all died, after Alzar pumps in some arrows too. War Mask – Acts as both Ring of Regeneration and Protection +4. Display Room #2 – Enormous Oyster, bigger than Alzar, in display in a tank. Alzar inspects it, the shell is anti-magic. Alzar has a minotaur reach in and grab the oyster, and open it. Inside is a pearl the size of Alzar’s head. It’s worth 50,000 gp easily. It’s too heavy for the TK Ring to pull out. Anti magic, Alzar uses a simple grappling hook and rope, secures it, and yanks it out. Display Room #3 – Two ornate jeweled thrones, with two desiccated corpses on them, one has a twinkling orb in the hand and the other a twinkling silver circlet. They register as magical, and the orb is the same size as his crystal balls, so it could be the same. Alzar detects the corpses as undead. He reaches out, and turns them successfully. As they flee, arrows pepper and slay them, and Aleph finishes them . Alzar finds Crystal Ball with Clairaudience and A Circlet of Telepathy identical to the Helm. Display Room #4 – Five glass cases are here, each with a set of magical armor. The star detects numerous mechanical traps, like poisonous gas and such. He disarms them, and then cracks the cases open. Inside are +4 suits of armor for dwarven chain; full plate, studded leather, centaur barding, and scale mail. Display Room #5 – Fountain, identical to those on the lower two floors, but smaller. Nothing else here Display Room #6 – Black pyramid on the floor of the room, rising up. Light from above illuminating it. The Star reveals the pyramid is actually a gate to another plane – The Abyss. It’s one-way, anything here would appear in an unknown place of the Abyss, Alzar can’t even make out which layer of the plane it leads to. Display Room #7 – Sand on the floor, and a blue sky like color on the ceiling. There is a frozen shaman at a campfire in the room. Nothing detects as magical, nothing of value is here, and Alzar sees nothing hidden. He skips it. Display Room #8 – Chamber with a flaming obsidian casket of size, and a fire giant of size. The lid is solid gold, and worth roughly 55,000 gp and weighs 1,100 pounds. He can tell the Fire Giant is a mummy. He shrinks the lid with a spell, and the mummy begins to move and protest. It pushes open the reduced lid Battle: Alzar begins with his Axe of Extinguishing, aka Selinyr 6 vs 1 Alzar takes 11 from a hit, and dodges. Then he slashes , and with the extra damage just blasts the Fire Giant for a ton of damage. 5 vs 7 Alzar finishes the Giant In here is nothing else Display Room #9 – Empty, but has ledges and stuff. Appears to have been raided, but there are numerous traps here instead to trick folks. Display Room #10 – Marble pool, filled with columns and water – no traps, and nothing else. Waters are magical, and will fully rest someone who spends 1 turn in them. Water has no value when taken out. All done. |
As Alzar moves from this area, a thief pops out of hiding from behind a non-magical shelf and reveals himself and Alzar orders him to drop weapons. Detect Lie reveals truth - he penetrated up here over a few weeks, is by himself and he’s totally untrustworthy. Alzar has him leave.
A small theater and stage open up, and Alzar is coming up on the stage. There are some minor things out there, including a Megaphone that acts as both a Horn of Fog and a Horn of Collapsing. On the far side of the theater are a small group of around 24 wights that are living here in the area. Alzar turns them one after another after another. They are all fleeing from him. He heads into a 11 room area of the floor where the wights call home and explores, with them constantly fleeing from him. It’s all empty back here. Alzar heads back and around and finds more apartments, rooms, and more, and in a few are a family of Ogres that he casts Mass Charm on and befriends. They show him the rest of the level as, he’s almost done anyways. There’s food from a gymnasium that they grow plants in, and they have some giant rats, giant beetles, and such they eat as well. Alzar has finishing exploring the level, and used the Gem of Seeing he has and has found no ways up. The ogres, minotaurs, and more don’t know of any either. Alzar does find the floor of the 4th floor above him in a few places, and tries magic like Passwall, but it’s to no avail. It’s locked up. The floor has some markings on it that have various runes and carvings. It seems like the upper floor is self-contained, at least from here. Alzar grabs a crystal ball and scryes. Maybe there’s a way onto the upper floors from outside? Or perhaps a clue? Alzar spends some time, but it’s all gummed up. Nothing is here to distract and pull away. |
It appears that the upper three floors are:
1). Immune to Scrying magic of all sorts. 2). Immune to teleportation magic 3). Was created for the binding of very powerful creature or creatures, and is specifically an unbroken container, that could still have that inside. 4). Magic Resistance does not work. 5). Marked heavily by Zagthrane and his central area of control Alzar wants to try a planar gate. He’ll move to another plane of existence, then step out inside the upper floors. Before he does that, he loads up the various books, items, and more. He’s going to try Transport via Shadow first, which sends him to the shadow plane. He casts it, heads over, and it works and he pops out on the 4th floor in a dark shadow: 28 rooms, larger, smaller areas: In front of Alzar is a sight he thought he’d never live to see. In front of him is a fabled golem, a golem spoken of in fables, but usually thought of as a myth. It’s moving to face him. He pulls out Aleph, the Bronze Golem from the Warp Marble to face it. He wants to lose the Bronze, so he can use the Talisman of the Golem to control it. Meanwhile he slips into OtherSpace to grab more anti-construct items This is a diamond golem Alzar ordered the Bronze Golem to simply stand in its way. In a few rounds, the Diamond Golem has pounded and destroyed the Bronze one. Alzar is back, and uses the Talisman of the Golem to try and control the Diamond Golem. First, it’ll try to save. I grab a d20 and it tumbles and lands on….7. I don’t know. Let me look it up. Yup, it fails on a 8 or lower. Alzar has the golem! “Mythos”, Diamond Golem, AC -6, HP 100, THAC0 -1; 1 attack for 5d10 damage, MR 70%, +3 magical weapon to hit, Alzar orders it to fail it’s save, and he Warp Marbles it. There is nothing else in this guard room that oversees and connects a lot. |
Beyond the golem is a room with two enormous treasure chests. Clearly convinced in the safeness of the Diamond Golem, they both have a ton of stuff in them:
200000 gp 40 rubies – 200k gp in value; 80 fire opals, 80k in value These magical items: Ring of Fire Resistance; Sustenance; Wand of Wonder – 100 charges Staff of Withering – 25 charges Rod of Security – 50 charges Elven Chain Mail +4 Shield, +4 Sword of Sharpness Hammer, +3 Dwarven Thrower Gauntlets of Ogre Power Girdle of Giant Strength These tomes – Libram of Gainful Conjuration Book of Infinite Spells Libram of Silver Magic Manual of Golems Manual of Gainful Exercise Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms |
Alzar comes across the major feature of the area:
There are 9 giant spheres on this floor in a circle around the area. Each of these giant spheres has the markings of protection and such from an Immortal. Each appears to be a sphere designed for holdings and containing an Immortal of a different alignment. Each of these spheres is intact. It appears that the builder here once summoned and captured 9 separate immortals, and then let them go again later. As Alzar inspects the place, wondering if Baga-Yaga had some ideas from it , the guardian of this floor arrives, a lich, a former apprentice to Zagthrane, the one who made it and used in so long ago. Alzar reaches out to turn the lich and…rolls just enough and turns her for a few minutes. Alzar swaps his items. Since his magic resistance is not working here, he switches to anti0magic and anti-mage stuff like the Gem of Magic Missile Deflection, and the Ring of Spell Turning. Four rounds later the Lich Dimension Doors in front of Alzar. 5 vs 3 The Lich casts Time Stop. As she does, she casts Power Word, Kill on Alzar, and then….Power Word, Stun. Then the Time Stop ends: Alzar is 87/87 hp right now. Power words are simple. They work based on the current hp of the victim, and there is no save. If your HP are low enough, the spell always works, barring some complication. Ill works up to 120 current hp and the Stun up to 90. Both would normally work, but for Alzar’s Ring Spell Turning applies. Roll a d10 for each – 6 and 4. 60% and 40% of the spells are reflected back. Alzar gets a +6 to the save for PWK, and +4 for PWS. The lich is immune to both The Ring gives saves for effects that normally wouldn’t’. Alzar tosses a 19 and is fine. Then the PWS arrives and Alzar’s 8 is good enough to make the cut as well. Time Stop ends 5 vs 3 The lich sees his defenses of the Ring of Spell Turning, and uses an area effect instead to hit him – out flies a fireball, aimed well behind Alzar so the lich isn’t bothered. The lich gives the full 10d6 damage (that’s it’s capped). Alzar makes the save and takes 16. Alzar casts Time Stop himself 72/87 Alzar casts Hold Undead, Protection from Undead, Time Stop ends for him The lich….tosses a 13 and is still up. Alzar’s protection is here. 8 vs 6 The lich animates 10 skeletons from a nearby room to bring them out and attack Alzar. Alzar grabs his axe and closes. 1 vs 7 Alzar’s axe hews into the lich once, and then bounces off some magical protection he has already in place that was not able to be seen. The lich cannot smile due to a lack of lips, but Alzar still suspects she is smiling in spirit. She casts Dispel Magic and drops Alzar’s protection and the minions can’t touch him 8 vs 5 Alzar takes 22 from a Skulltrap cast by the lich - undead are immune to the necrotic damage. Save for half worked. Alzar casts Dispel Magic and drops the lich’s guards. 53/87 2 vs 6 Alzar smashes the lich with his axe twice, and misses with the shield. The Lich took 33. It casts Teleport and leaves for now. Teleport won’t take it outside of the area, so it’s still in the Magist’s Tower somewhere. He destroys the animated undead Alzar heads out to continue exploring the area after healing himself with lower level Cure Light Wounds in mass. Alzar finds some empty-ish storage areas, and then a workroom with some old benches and such, still in working condition, and various tools strewn about. There are some more undead here, including specters. Alzar turns them. |
He heads out after verifying there is nothing else here. Then he enters the lich area – workshop, library, apartment, undead creating chamber. As she does he senses a mass of undead coming from a few areas, and suddenly, the lich phases, and out from every door pour reinforcements – mostly fodder –
Invisible Stalker Air Elemental Elephant Earth Elemental 25 skeletons 25 zombies 4 wraiths 2 specters 15 shadows And there you have it - a pretty toxic bunch of folks. Alzar’s Magic is often unready for it – they are (mostly) immune to Wail of the Banshee, for example. Alzar grabs the Wand of Fire and spits out a small 5d6 fireball for 16 damage, save for half. Alzar takes 4. Battle is enjoined 1 vs 8 Alzar casts another fireball and hits for 18 and he takes 8. The Lich casts Major Globe of Invulnerability. Alzar is pecked from a few sides, and takes 8 damage 68/87 1 vs 4 Alzar casts another fireball for 15, and takes 4, and clears out most of the undead. He takes a smash from a Stalker for 11. The lich tries to break Alzar’s stun prevention. He casts Hold Person at Alzar and….20% reflects, Alzar gets +2 bonus – he tosses a 5, which is a7 and makes it. 54/87 6 vs 4 The lich grabs a Wand and fires a paralyze charge at Alzar and 60% reflected and his 6 makes it . Alzar’s axe stabs and kills the air elemental. 5 vs 1 Alzar is missed, and takes 80% reflection, and tosses a 19 and makes the save. He finishes the Earth, and shields the Stalekr and kills it 4 vs 5 Alzar casts Mordenkainen’s Disjunction and removes the protection from the lich. Another Wand charge fires and 40% reflected and Alzar tosses a 10 (only a 1 would fail). He drops the axe and swaps to his bow 9 vs 5 Alzar had 40% and tosses a 7. He casts Power Word Silence at the lich and silences it. 7 vs 8 Alzar’s bow is out and he fires a ton of arrows with the Hasp of Reloading, and closes while doing so. Alzar hits 3 times for 15 damage. The lich casts Vocalize. 1 vs 5 Alzar’s bow fires and spits again and 22 damage is doled out and his foe falls. Now the lich clearly has a phylactery somewhere, it’s not perma-dead until that’s taken care of. In fact the lich is beginning to regenerate right now, Alzar uses Holy Water to slow it down by a few hours |
With the defender of this level defeated, Alzar spends some time fully grabbing everything here:
Boots of Levitation Pipes of the Sewers Wand of Paralyzation – 8 charges 23000 gp 170000 sp 50 gems worth 17000 gp total -1 leather +3 bow +1 shield Marble Elephant Figurine of Wondrous Power Lich Apprentice’s Basic Spellbook Elven plate mail of etherealness Scarab of Enraging Enemies There’s a funky room back here were a large open area of grass, uts ,and more is home to more than 80 lizard kings, of the lizard man race . They are all shrunk down to smaller sizes. There’s a temple of a giant frog, that si a dead on ringer for the Temple of the Frog Alzar went to back in Blackmoor times with part of the abandoned crashed spaceship on board, and the lizard kings worship it There is a sinkhole in the ceiling of the next floor up, and Alzar secures the stuff he acquired here in OtherSpace or Bags of Holdings, and then heads up with a smaller Broom of Flying to fit into the space. He still can’t scry inside. He is trying, but can’t see in front of him. |
Level 5 –
25 rooms, much of which us a maze, under the control of one major defender, or traps As Alzar rises, he sees a large, giant, ancient red dragon asleep in a large central room – the oldest and most powerful of all red dragons. He flies over and casts Temporary Youth, it opens its eyes and breathes fire – it was faking sleep. The good news is that Alzar’s foes Magic Resist is meaningless here, but Alzar’s is too. The foe drops in age to a more reasonable opponent, but Alzar takes 22 fire damage from the fiery inferno 65/87 9 vs 2 The great red dragon fires Magic Missiles at Alzar and they hit his Gem and are absorbed – he fires them back and the dragon takes 25 damage. Alzar casts Power Word Kill and drops the dragon. It dies. Alzar finds: +3 axe, luckblade Javelin of Piercing +5 Shield, +3 plate +4 Dagger 55750 gp 23000 pp 570000 cp 124500 sp 73 gems worth 120,000 gp Cube of Frost Resistance Stone of Good Luck Bracers of Archery After spending some time moving the weaker loot it, with things like constructs helping, and TK Ring, they secure it for later perusement Alzar searches the area. The nearby stuff is all typical open rooms TO the right is a hallway that emerges to a small chamber, and there are great stone images to the left and right of a lion and a lioness. They are magical, and the area is as well, and it’s trapped. The images are actually large figurines of wondrous power. Alzar disarms the magical trap with a priest Dispel Magic spell. That allows him to grab: Figurines - Stone Lion, Lioness – 52 hp, THAC0 11, deal 2d6 damage with a bite, AC 2 These critters are much more powerful than the normal figurines |
Alzar finds a study with a bunch of infra ink on a shelf – 4 bottles of it, to be specific. Most of the stuff in the study is decayed with time, like the furniture.
After exploring a bit, Alzar arrives at a mazelike area of the tower. Alzar passes through a one-way portal to room with a Chimera on the other side. Axe slays it one turn – after skootching around, Alzar finds the way out, having disarmed only a pair of traps. A room beyond has great ivory pillars each one connecting to a different plane, and bringing outer planar power to the area and helping to secure the 9 spheres below on level 4. There are stairs up here, but Alzar continues and explores beyond them on this level. Alzar passes a small shrine to Pflarr, a immortal of Magic, that he used the Chime of Opening to open from the Wizard lock. Alzar heads to the next room, and finds a room with a table, and some work tools and such. There is an amulet, magical, on a table, and it is trapped. Alzar can’t disarm it, so a TK ring is used, and a pair of Earths are summoned to fight Alzar slays them both with axes after taking……23 damage Amulet of the Planes Beyond this room is a permanent Prismatic Wall effect. Alzar casts another priest Dispel Magic to try and drop it but he fails (Priest level not high enough0 Alzar heads into his OtherSpace and grabs a scroll with Dispel Magic on it, reads it, and drops the Wall Beyond it is a small lair of Mind Flayers! Alzar sees them and pulls back. They try to stun him, and they get 50% reflection and success and 7% and another. They are immune to their own mind blast reflections 4 vs 6 Alzar casts Flesh to Stone and slays one. The other moves to bite him, and attacks with tentacles – one hits, Alzar fails to evade, and he takes 7 81/87 6 vs 3 Alzar takes 11 from the auto hit, and another – no evade when tentacle – Alzar’s axe smashes and slasys the other one. Alzar finds: 2700 gp 13500 sp 15000 cp Mirror of Mental Prowess And that concludes this level. He heads back to the central winding stairs up… As he does, the lich apprentice arrives. Since Alzar is no longer in forbidden areas, and he has proven himself stronger twice, she meets with him for a few moments. She tells him that her master, Zagthrane, wouldn’t mind someone coming in, of worth, and taking her stuff after beating her a few times. She let’s Alzar know that Zagthrane was working on a simple solution, he then managed to wrest control of 9 different immortals here on Pandius, and then bind them together, all to force them to reveal one of simplest, but most devastating secrets. As you know, no character can rise above level 36 here, that’s the level cap. But there are tons of folks with it. More than a thousand mages in Alphatia alone are level 36. There are countless mages, fighters, thieves, clerics, and more, all at level 36, caped. So these 9 immortals, from the five spheres, every alignment, were bound, held in place by the powers of nine separate Outer Planes that were channeled by those columns, and then forced to give up the secret of how to break that level limit. Zagthrane is the only mortal known to have ever risen above the level limit placed by the immortals themselves. That’s the secret. Breaking the level limit. That’s what he did, and he is still alive today, spiritually exploring, learning, and growing, far beyond the most powerful immortals, even though he lays dead above, honored. Alzar is allowed to head up |
Level 6 –
40 rooms Runes on the stairs up tell people that this is the resting chamber of one of the greatest wizards of all time, and the “most powerful wizard on Pandius” and “One of the Most Powerful of All Time,” a wizard named Zagthrane. Anyways Zagthrane is the one who made the Magist’s Tower and lived here for centuries. The Keep was also under the control of Zagthrane and his people. As Alzar reaches the top of the stairs, there is a lich at a lectern. The lich greets Alzar, and bids him to come and sign in, there is a nonmagical book and ink and quill. All guests here are required to sign in. Alzar opens the book and sees 17 names here total, in the millennia since this place was made. Some names he recognizes. Bigby Mordenkainen Elminster A few famous mages from Pandius’s past Pflarr, before he became an immortal Lyzandred A few he doesn’t recognize Wait….Lyzandred? Lyzandred the Mad? The one from Hamedh? If you’ll recall, Lyzandred was the most powerful of the people in the Sand Mire to create a nation in the fall of the great Empire, that led to the Sand Mire’s creation. Some of the history there: Long ago, before the fall of Amun-Re led to the opening stanza of the Sand Mire, to the west of Khaibar stood a citadel and home to mages and elders from all over Hamedh. This citadel, named Mathgamhna, was the home to an ancient order of warlocks and wizards. During the time of Amun-Re’s reign, an evil demipower Dargeshaad, cast down from the heavens, arrived in the area. After seducing many with promises of power and prestige, Dargeshaad began to grow in strength in the area. He was banished to Hamedh because he would not be able to leave easily. He gathered forces, knights, and mages and began to grow in power and influence. He was checked by the people in Mathgamhna. His followers crafted a shield called the Bright Barrier and stole the Halberd of Mathgamhna and renamed it Betrayer. Then Amun-Re fell. Wielding these items of power, Dargeshaad saw the beginning of the collapse of the nation Amun-Re forged, and he begun to carve a swath of death across the area, creating his own little fiefdom. No one, save for Lyzandred the Mad, who would fall to lichdom, carved a more powerful or devastating nation as Dargeshaad. Various elders rallied at Mathgamhna to try and put down Dargeshaad’s advances, but all they could do is build a stalemate. Eventually, via sedition and treason, Dargeshaad won the day, and began to destroy the citadel. As a result, the surviving elders invoked the most powerful of their Language Primeval, a lingua that described magic power in mere words instead of incantations , gestures, and ingredients. They let loose Speech of Twilight, and the world opened up and the Dragon of Shades entered. Arriving at Dargeshaad’s citadel of Ascavalon, the Dragon began an enormous battle with Dargeshaad. But none from Hamedh could stand against the creature of shadow, power, and malice. And the battle was lost, and Dargeshaad and his side fell. But the Dragon of Shades was not sated. It vented a massive amount of rage and destruction against an already war-torn and damaged land, and pushed the Sand Mire even further into forming. It would take years before it had its fill and left Hamedh. And Mathgamhna would lay, silently, a testament to the old days, towering above the growing sands. How would Lyzandred have found this here? How would he have known of Pandius at all? Are there connections between Hamedh and Pandius he was unaware of? Anyways, Lazandred once visited here, and signed in. There is a Detect Lie version of magic in the lectern that prevents people from lying on the page. Alzar the Mighty’s rune joins the list. |
There are numerous runes and details about various planes that Zagthrane visited
Alzar arrives at Zagthrane’s storage depot. There is a large warehouse here with numerous rooms and sections, each of which has large clay pots that are about 5 feet tall. Alzar moves around from one room to the other: 250 Invisible Stalkers are on this level protecting it, and a bunch see Alzar as he arrives at the storage depot, call out a signal, and move in, but they are stopped about 20 feet away and cannot get closer. The Rod of Seven Parts is keeping them out – they are from Air after all. First Storage Room – 13 jars. One is broken, and it’s black powder is spreading out. Alzar’s Alchemy skill id’s it immediately. Smoke powder, useful for blowing things up, firing guns and cannons, and more. Each jar has so many smoke powder charges that it would likely fuel an entire army’s worth of powder needs. Alzar spends some time moving them to OtherSpace, and then he spends some time moving things around to secure them. Second Storage Room - 12 intact clay jars, two broken. They have a bunch of pungent spices and fragrances, each worth 50,000 gp on the market as they are not here on Pandius. Third Storage Room – 7 intact clay jars are here. A few are broken with a sticky, tarlike substance. It’s a dark red so dark it’s almost black. Alzar recognizes the substance – Beholder Blood. An epic amount of beholder blood. It’s around 100 gp a pint on the market. Alzar leaves this behind for now. Fourth Storage Room – In here are 14 intact jars, and one broken one, with a ton of silver rings strewn about. Alzar heads down and inspects a ring. It’s large, too large for a humanoid about the size of an ogre, or a bigger creature. There is in inscription inside that’s not I any language known on Pandius. Alzar’s axe deciphers it – “In the service of your lord you will know no fear.” After spending some time analyzing the magical structure and creation, it’s a: Ring of Ogre Loyalty – Give it to an ogre, and then they put it on, they become fiercely loyal to the one who gave it to them, and get a morale of 20, fearless, and will never break There are 2000 of these rings in here from the broken cask, and another 14 jars, each with another 2000 for a total of 30000 magical rings that would create one of the most powerful armies, if that many ogres could be assembled. Alzar takes them all. He has some of his folks scoop up the loose ones in here. |
Fifth Storage Room – 12 jars in here. Two broken, and old desiccated body parts – eye stalks. These jars each contain an epic amount of beholder eyes of various sorts. Each eye stalk is worth around 150 gp on the market for mages and such. Alzar never carves up dead Beholders, he turns them into Death Tyrant undead, the most powerful ones in his arsenal. There are roughly 1000 eyes per jar – 12000 eyes all told
Sixth Storage Room There are 12 jars in here, each has a strong, powerful buzzing sound coming from it, like a huge swarm of insects. What is in here? It’ll take research later for Alzar to learn it, and he secures them now. Each one contains a huge swarm of active, live, and hungry crop-destroying insects. They can be used in warfare as a sort of scorched earth weapon to take out an army’s ability to eat, feed itself, or more. Seventh Storage Room – In here are 9 intact jars, and 3 brokens ones, cascading beads all over the room. Alzar recognizes these beads immediately – they are the breads that go on a magical Necklace of Missiles, that are pulled off, tossed, and then blow up in a small fireball. There are tons here ,from small 2d6 ones to big 10d6 ones. 300 beads per jar. Alzar also collects, carefully, hundreds in here as well Eighth Storage Room – In a small room, there are a bunch of beads of force, instead of the fireball ones. 500 Beads of Force in all Ninth Storage Room – In this room are 13 clay jars, and Alzar checks them and makes his Genie Lore roll. They have markings on the side that designate a Genie Container, and there is one in each of these. 5 Djinni, 2 each of Dao, Efreet, Jann, and Marid Alzar breaks a Djinni one and it arrives. It’s pissed after containment for thousands of years, but Alzar speaks to it. It cannot damage him either – the Rod is keeping him safe. The djinni recognizes the Rod, and it’s almost complete state. Instead of granting Alzar a wish for freedom, the djinni instead offers to gather information. Alzar agrees, and the djinni heads out, returns about 15 mintues later to give Alzar a full scoop. The djinni doesn’t know, and can’t tell where the 6th section of the Rod is. But the 7th? He found it. It’s on Pandemonium, in a Cocoon of Law that protects the wounded Miska, the Wolf-Spider, consort, general, demon lord, and all around bad guy He’s been wounded ever since his blood pored onto the Rod’s after he was wounded by it. The Chaotic magic of the rod is from Miska, and as long as the Rod is alive, Miska will be too, but he’s not that powerful, he’s weakened. The Dukes of Aaqa imprisoned him inside of a great cocoon of law that chaotic creatures should be unable to find. But the Queen of Chaos found him anyway, tore a hole in the cocoon, and then captured the 7th piece of the Rod from a Prime, and then sent it into the cocoon along with some defenses for helping Miska. The djinni wins his freedom, and is sent away. Alzar keeps the other jars Tenth Storage Room – A few of these were open, broken, and have various decayed foodstuffs. Three are unbroken. They are basically Decanters of Endless Food. Pop the lid, eat the food that shows up, and then close it again, and repeat ad naseum. Eleventh Storage Room – Alzar finds a few broken jars, all broken, with a few magical items strewn about, but raided and looted long ago, unlike the other rooms. These jars apparently had different themes – one was figurines of wondrous power, and another ioun stones, and a third magical dusts. Alzar finds: Obsidian Steed Figurine 10 Dust of Dryness 15 Dust of Disappearance Glass Griffon Figurine |
Leading from this area is a archway with crossed spears over it, and both are magical. One is a +5 and the other a cursed backbiter spear
The archway enters an area with a magical pipe organ. It’s not being played, but it is seriously magical on Alzar’s Star/Gem (and Azzil, the imp as well agrees). It’s not an artifact, but it’s powerful . It’s too big to move right now (when played, you can duplicate any known magical instrument effect – like Horn of Fog, Harp of Charming, etc). Numerous Stalkers are milling around to, but can’t touch Alzar To the right from the room is a large archway with a giant book carved into the wall, and te signs of books beyond. That’s a clarion call for Alzar. He heads out there now This is a four room library, with a few tables and such, but a ton of shelves in the varius rooms. Alzar heads in and then suddenly from the next room, a skull rises from the ground – A demilich is here guarding the area. But nope. It’s more powerful that a normal one – this is an Elder Demilich Demilichs are evolved from normal lichs, who are so old, powerful, and strong they have begun to scout the planar areas as their local person hood begins to wither and crumble, and just the powerful parts of their physical presence remains including a skull. Alzar has taken out two demilichs before – Acererak in the Tomb of Horrors and the ruler down in the Nightmare Keep. He’s familiar with them Unlike the normal demilich, this one is generating 5 wraith like objects from the dust of its body. These are targets that appear scary – attacking them or casting magic at them will actually power up the demilich. Also, the skull is rising on its own, and getting ready to fire a beam at Alzar from behind the “wraiths” Initiative 8 vs 5 The Elder Demilich fires a Trap the Soul attack on Alzar, trying to drag him into one of many gems in its teeth. This will kill him permanently. Much like a Power Word Spell, there is normally no save, but Alzar’s Ring grants him one. 40% is sent back (it’s immune) and he gets save at +4 only a 1 or 2 fail. 9. He’s fine. Alzar grabs his Ring of Efreet Control, swaps it with the Ring of Wizardry. 3 v 5 Alzar uses the Ring and forces the Efreet to give him his monthly wish. Alzar knows that only a +4 weapon or more will wound it, and it only takes the + in damage. Selinyr is a +4 axe, so it hits for 4 damage, and this Elder Demilich has 100 hp. So Alzar wishes that the Elder Demilich is fully vulnerable too, and takes full damage from his, weapons. It works. The Demilich tries again, gets a 30% redirection, only a 1-3 fails, tosses an 18 and I fine 2 vs 9 Alzar slashes the skulls with his Axe once, misses, and then misses with the shield as well – 22 damage taken. It uses Trap the Soul and….60% redirection, only a 1 fails – 17 tossed. 78/100 – Elder Demilich 9 vs 5 20% redirected – 1-4 fails and…..20 is tossed. Alzar hits for….35 damage 48/100 5 vs 3 The Elder Demilich casts Shadow Door and heads to another section of the library. With it’s high hp regeneration, it won’t need long to stay away from Alzar to heal and return. Alzar swaps to the short bow and runs around 53/100 1 vs 6 Alzar moves, finds the skull, fires, and hits for 16 damage total. It tries to trap him again. 90% redirected and….tosses a 4 and makes it. 42/100 4 vs 7 Alzar fires and hits for 20. It casts Vampiric Touch and drains him of 23 damage 50/100 9 s 7 Trap? 60% and 14 Nope. Alzar grabs the axe again, now that the skull closed for the V Touch, and uses for one hit for 15 damage, and a skull bash smash with his shield for 8 32/100 2 vs 5 Alzar hts and slays it for 44 damage Dead Elder Demilich |
The library is secure
There are four libraries here: This is one of the most valuable, ancient, and valuable library Alzar has ever been at, other than, perhaps, the one run by Baba Yaga or the Great Library in Serraine. Here’s what’s here: 4500 tomes on making magical Items 3500 tomes on other planes An entire library of 3250 books on theory, practice, and possibilities for making every single construct known. Zagthrane’s Guide to Removing Level Caps A full shelf of 600 books on the truenames of various demons, devils, demodands, daemons, hordlings, and more. 2500 Bestiaries of countless animals, monsters, and creatures, including many from other planes Critter Bits and Magic Recipes – A 5 volume set of books on how to use, harness, and value the bits and pieces of slain monsters, from dragon scales to ankheg shells to cave fisher filament. 2 Manuals of Transportation Arches Book of Exalted Deeds, Libram of Gainful Conjuration, Book of the Planes, Manual of Bodily Health, Manual of Quickness in Actionx2, Tome of Understanding, Book of Infinite Spells, Boccob’s Blessed Booksx3, Libram of Silver Magic, Book of Vile Darkness, Libram of Ineffable Damnation, Vacuous Grimoire, 26 spellbooks Manual of Juggernaut Golem After securing this, Alzar will know: 1). Multiple ways to make every basic magic item in the game (basics are those in the DMG) 2) At least one recipe for every uncommon magic item in the game 3). 50% chance of At least one recipe for every rare item in the game 4). 25% chance of very rare 5). 5% chance of recipe for unique 6). How to make every single golem, living statue, and other construct, as well as different ways to enhance them, like the onyx used in his stone golems, the steel plates in the fleshes he made, how to give a golem the power of detection, and such. 7). Intimate knowledge on every monster ever known on Pandius up through 3250 years ago, when the last book on that topic was written 8). Enough true names to essentially summon as many lower level guys as he wants and needs 9). Knowledge on how to run, capture immortals in the Tower, if needed 10). The path necessary to remove the level limit. Alzar spends some time absorbing and controlling the library. Then at the back side of the library, there is a grey stone wall at the back, and although the Gem/Star didn’t detect anything, something…odd…is happening here. Alzar looks, and there is a portal here to another plane, one of many that open up into the Magist’s Tower. He can’t tell where though, unlike most others. As he turns to the library again, Alzar’s familiar, Azzil is suddenly pulled through the portal! He is beginning to feel a mystical tug as well, and then he flies through – it’s pulling out all creatures from other planes besides Pandius, as some sort of protection in the rear of the library End of Greyhawk Ruins for now Alzar gained a level while in here, early on actually – he can cast one more 7, 8 and 9th level of magic |
WG6. Isle of the Ape  Hello folks, and welcome to Gary Gygax’s final adventure for D&D. We know that Gygax often used the central conceit of this module, of a pocket plane that his main group would find in a dungeon, is a major part of the world building he did. Gygax felt that the game was moving away from action telling and more to story telling and says as much in Dragon 102. This is supposed to be n example of a quick push back, where there’s hardly any plot at all, but more about story telling. Now take my own campaigns here. I really enjoy story crafting, and one of the ways I like to do that is to take a variety of store bought modules, and then splicing them together to make one whole. The best two examples of that are the Isle of Dread campaign I did in Thorasia, and the Sand Mire campaign in Hamedh. The Sand Mire one in particular has a ton of story telling. Frankly, good pulp stuff isn’t just a bunch of action scenes, but tells an interesting story building. The world building of John Carter of Mars, or the story telling of Fu Manchu are both interesting examples of that. Sure, a quick Conan short story might be heavy on the action, light on the story, but not all, and not the best. I read all of Robert Howard’s Conan stories and my fav is Beyond the Black River, which is rife with story telling. Many credit, or blame, Tracy Hickman for moving to more story telling devices with modules like Ravenloft, and the introduction of Strahd von Zarovich, but story telling is good. There is value in that You’ll see it in the extreme world building that will follow, and novels are written in these world, and some worlds, like Dragonlance are going to be all about story and world crafting. Anyways, according to Gygax in the forward to this module, this is based on a portion of his Greyhawk Castle campaign in 1972. I am adding this as a trap to the later version of that campaign in the Greyhawk Ruins, a true testament of a few things – 1). Even though I may disagree at times, let’s get some action in here 2). It’s the best place to slide it in – although perhaps in retrospect I could have pulled it out of the demiplane and placed in in the Sea of Dread near the Isle. 3). It’s suitably pulp, and fits the Pulp Themes of Pandius quite nicely |
For those who care to read it, this is Gygax in issue #102 of Dragon:
Let’s start pushing the pendulum the other way by Gary Gygax ©1985 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved. There was a long period of time when action, rather than role playing, was the major focus of gaming, and this was espe- cially true with respect to tournament sce- narios at conventions. Thus, an AD&DĆ game scenario would typically stress combat with monsters to achieve the goal set before the characters. Now, the pendulum has swung the other way ó much emphasis is being placed on how well the player takes on the role of his or her character. Personifi- cation and acting are replacing action of the more direct and forceful type ó be it sword swinging, spell casting, or anything else. Before this trend goes too far, it is time to consider what the typical role-playing game is all about. First, it is important to remember that (role-playing îis a modifier of the noun ěgame.î We are dealing with a game which is based on role playing, but it is first and foremost a game. Games are not plays, although role-playing games should have some of the theatre included in their play. To put undue stress upon mere role-playing places the cart before the horse. Role play- ing is a necessary part of the game, but it is by no means the whole of the matter. Role playing is similar to, but not the same as, role assumption. The latter term is generally used to identify the individualís acceptance of a part which he or she could actually perform. While a child might play the role of a parent, an adult would assume that role when dealing with his or her chil- dren. This distinction is important in the context of gaming because of the stress now being placed upon role playing. Too much emphasis in this direction tends to make playing out an adventure more of a chil- drenís ěletís pretendî activity than an action-packed game which involves all sorts of fun, including the playing of a role but other fun aspects as well. A role-playing game should be such that players begin the personification portion as role play, and then as they progress the activity should evolve into something akin to role assumption. This does away with stilted attempts to act the part of some character. In place of this, players should try to become that person they are imagin- ing during the course of the game, and conduct the actions of their characters ac- cordingly. A spy, for example, speaks in one way to his superiors, in another way when he converses with his equals, and in yet an entirely different way when he is attempting to penetrate an enemy installation and is impersonating a plumber, perhaps. Imple- mented in this fashion, the concept becomes one of roles within roles. This applies to all role-playing games, of course. Straining to play a role is certainly contrary to the purpose of the game. The actual reason for gaming is fun, not instruc- tion in theatrics or training in the thespian art. Role playing is certainly a necessary and desirable part of the whole game, but it is a part. Challenge, excitement, suspense, and questing are other portions equally necessary to a game of this nature. Problem solving is the typical challenge in a role-playing game. Whether it is dis- covering a murderer, finding a magic sword, or seeking to expose a gang of crimi- nals, this element is an integral part of such interactive gaming. And ënote that problem solving, in this context, has to do with a problem to be solved by the character, not a problem (such as ěHow do I role-play this situation?î) to be solved by the player. Combat, survival amidst threatening conditions, or stalking an opponent are typical means of adding excitement and suspense into the whole. These are action- oriented portions of the game activity which call for little role playing but a fair amount of role assumption. The magic-user charac- ter (and thus, the player of that character) must know his or her spells and how to utilize them efficiently. The explorer must know outdoor craft. Whatever the situation, setting, or character being played, skill ó not theatrics ó is what is called for here. Having a goal, understanding it, and the hands of the game master and the play- ers. If a particular group desires to stress acting, or combat, or problem solving, or any other singular feature of the whole, that is strictly up to the individuals concerned. How they enjoy gaming, and what consti- tutes fun, is theirs alone to decide. This last point extends not only to players but to products as well. A particular game might be designed to stress one aspect over others. Role playing can be the major thrust, or action and combat, or any of the other elements. Similarly, the underlying game might offer one or another while its accessories and scenarios develop some different aspects. Most games and support material are general and offer a reasonably well-balanced mix. But is this true for competition situations as well? In contrast to a long period when such tournaments tended to feature hack- and-slash, shoot-ëem-up, and blast-ëem-out situations, there is now a trend toward downplaying everything except the theatri-cal side of gaming. This tendency has evi-denced itself to a lesser extent in some support materials, it must be noted. The reaction is not altogether unwarranted, for many particpants seem to have been ignor- ing role playing completely, or nearly so, their games. Instead, it is usual for such in games to stress direct, usually violent, remaining steadfast in its completion are likewise necessary to role-playing games. This questing, if you will, again has little or nothing to do with role playing in the acting sense. It is closer to role assumption and is a measure of gaming ability and skill. Role-playing games are different from other games in that they allow participants to create a game persona, develop this character, and enhance his or her skills and abilities. While some considerable amount of acting is most beneficial to play, this is by no means the sole objective or purpose. The fun of such gaming includes all the other elements mentioned, plus the interactive relationships which develop between the various characters of the players participat- ing. In the well-balanced game, role playing should quickly become role assumption, which then again leads to character role playing ó roles within roles! Not every game of this sort must be action. This is a true detriment to fully appreciating the scope of role-playing games; as with most things, one extreme is just as undesirable as the other. The current vogue of placing seemingly undue importance on the role-playing por- tion of the game is simply meant to inform and educate participants about a very im- portant segment of what differentiates these games from other types of games. It is to be hoped that the needed training thus af- forded will enable game participants to go beyond role playing of their characters and enter into role assumption instead. Once it is understood that role playing is a vital ingredient of the game, and players under- stand how to actually accomplish it, the undue attention can be discarded. Balanced games are certainly the most enjoyable sort for the great majority of players. A meal does not consist of but one thing ó if it is to be an enjoyable one. By the same token, a role-playing game must have all the ingredients which allow it to be varied and enjoyable. Playing and assump- tion of roles, interpersonal dealings, action, completely balanced with regard to all of these aspects. Such a decision is entirely in problem solving, excitement, suspense, and questing are all important to make the whole. The portions can be mixed in differ- ent amounts, but each should have a degree of existence within the scope of the whole. It is common for scenarios to identify the level of experience and skill recommended for those utilizing the material they provide. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to also identify any particular stress the scenario places upon a certain aspect of the game activity ó role-playing, action, problem solving, or any other. Tournament scenarios and competitions might also benefit by such identification. Prospective entrants would then be able to determine which aspect they favor, or possi- bly need to learn more of, before they en- tered the event. Participants who find their enjoyment lies in one area or another would thus be able to select events optimal for their tastes and avoid those which they might find less fun ó making the competi- tion experience more enjoyable for everyone who does take part. Is the player who has difficulty personifying a well-understood character any different from an excellent thespian who misplays the game otherwise? By being able to identify the focus of a scenario, not only would players be in- formed, but they would also be given the opportunity to round out their abilities in weak areas if they chose to do so. Play of the game is the thing. Play in- cludes development of the character and personification thereof, role assumption and role playing, and the rest. After all, fantasy in whatever form is integral. Whether fight- ing a dragon, piloting a starship, or shoot- ing it out with evil enemy agents, the action imagined during the game is what really makes it fun. The pendulum did need to move a bit to balance things, but it must not go too far, or the realms of role playing will become small and constricted instead of being ó as they should be ó as broad and varied as the imagination. |
Alzar arrives in an artificial demiplane, a construction. As Gygax states, “There are not many tricks, traps, or clever devices here. This is an adventure of attrition, and the place is literally infested with horrible monsters, and sheer number of huge, man-eating creatures will soon take toll of the PCs.”
So let’s see what we can see To begin, All of the following types of magic don’t work here: 1). Illusion of any sort, including invisibility is a non-starter 2). Spells of apportation, like Teleport or Word or Recall or Dimension Door are non-starters 3). Any form of conjuration or summoning won’t work either, from Monster Summoning to Conjuring an Elemental. None of it works, unless a special version for this demiplane has been researched. 4). This plane was made by Zagthrane as a trap and a prison. Spells like Plane Shift, or items like Amulet of the Planes won’t work to get out. You can’t Gate or Worldwalk your way out. Alzar will need to find another way out. 5). Higher level divination magic above level 3 won’t work – just the basic tools like Detect Magic and Identify. 6). As immortals aren’t generally aware of this place, they cannot help mortals here 7). Magic Resistance here doesn’t work for anything, just like the top three levels of the Magist’s Tower. 8). Alter Reality, Limited Wish, and Wish are not available 9). Artifacts and Relics don’t work on this plane at all, and the Rod, Barrier, and Face are thus inert. 10). Scrying magic, like Crystal Balls and Wizard Eye also won’t work. Just lower level detection stuff 11). Potions are inert here (smoke powder as well) and don’t work 12). Extradimensional spaces, and those spells and items that duplicate them, don’t work here. 13). Like the other planes, Alzar cannot cast more than one spell/day of each type as a mage – so he can’t cast Power Word, Kill 4 times in a combat or day. I made some of those rules to make it harder for Alzar. The point is to have a place that that will be rough on Alzar, and hit him in places of comfortability. I am hitting things that aren’t in the module (like MR) I also pulled MR in the works above in the Magists Tower, in my version, no one broke into those areas, in the real version, Umber Hulks did, as it was underground, but I like keeping it Umber Hulk Free and secure, and I added in layers of “You Can’t Scry, MR, etc here). I added in the no-extradimensional space rule, as I think it fits the point of this module quite nicely. |
Alzar is on a tropical island, very hot, steamy, and muggy. This demiplane has the features of a medium sized island, with a central band of mountains, volcanoes, and more, and then fog and clouds enshrouding the island. The whole land mass is well above the water, and it resembles islands formed by a volcano that rose above the water. There’s very little beach, mostly just all rock. There are some plateaus, and the island is covered in many areas with a dark set of tees and jungle, as well as plateaus reaching above the trees.
Alzar reaches out and tries to leave, tries to head to OtherSpace, and all of the normal tricks aren’t working. He takes a quick assessment of the items he currently has with him that seem to be working: Magical Items – Axe – Selinyr, +5 axe, extinguishing, interpreting powers still work Short Bow with Hasp if Reloading, quiver, arrows Bracers of Defense, AC2 Cloak of Shadows Boots of Striding and Springing Ring of Wizardry Ring of Spell Turning 2 Warp Marbles, Bands of Billaro, Scarab of Death, 3 Cubes of Force Girdle of Frost Giant Strength Necklace of Adaptation Periapt of Proof Against Poison +2 Amulet of Power Helm of Selnor Rock Jellaba A variety of potions in hard metal flasks, magically hardened Ioun Stone of +1 AC, and Regeneration Ear Ring, Finger Nail, Chime of Opening Star of Mo-Pilar/Gem of Seeing Wand of Fire, 41 charges Wand of Force, 90 charges Wand of Frost, 12 charges The inert Bright Barrier, Rod of Seven Parts Scroll of Passing Gem of Delusion in a small lead box Belt Pouch with a lot of basic spell components. Many are in extradimensional spaces, like skulls and such. Small rare stuff, like the lock of hair needed for Wail of the Banshee, is here, as well as stuff for Evard’s Black Tentacles, Death Spell, and such. He’ll grab spell components he comes across as he sees them, like sand for the Sleep spell. Ring of Free Action, G. Sustenance on the belt, ready to be pulled off and used Alzar doesn’t have his spellbooks, but with the spell he has, he doesn’t need them either. Any spell he knows, he can use. However, he does need the traveling library and workshop in OtherSpace or a replacement. Without them, shortly here, his class benefits as a Fivefold Path Mage will cease – such as extra spells and stuff. Some of Alzar’s spells, like Hypnotism, Charm Person, Dispel Magic, Continual Light, Knock, Vampiric Touch, Charm Monster, Remove Curse, Geas, Finger of Death, Power Words, Prismatic Spray, Maze, Sink, Time Stop, don’t require any spell components at all. Most good priest spells are the same, like the healing spells. Others like Summon Swarm, Fly (needs just a feather from anything), Suggestion or Mass Suggestion (snake tongue), Confusion (three nut shells), Polymorph Other (cocoon of any type), Animate Dead (drop of blood and bone shard), Feeblemind (pinch of clay) Transmute Rock to Mud (ditto), Stone to Flesh (lime and earth and water mixed together), Disintegrate (pinch of dust) and Sleep have easily replaced items. So there you are. Everything else is in the Bags or OtherSpace. The only one of Alzar’s allies or pets here is his familiar, Azzil, the Imp. It can’t be invisible here, it has to be seen, but again, it takes the form of a raven, like normal. |
Alzar has Azzil fly up to scout, above the treeline. There are many flying creatures, some dinosaurs, and such here and there flying above the trees. It’s open, and very dangerous. Azzil returns, and they Head on.
They are moving down a path, slowly, as Alzar’s bow is ready at hand as he moves, scouting the area and moving down a game trail. Azzil is slightly ahead, scouting. As they move up and in, about 30 minutes on this plane, they hear a sound and from the other side of the trees a few roars of apes can be heard. Out come a small number of carnivorous apes, ready to smash Alzar good. Behind them move a number of natives, controlling the apes. There is a shaman, and a score of fighters coming in behind. The shaman flings some scales at Alzar, and a variant of the Magic Missile spell, Serpent Missile, occurs, and a few snakes fly out to hit him. He takes 15 damage, and deflects 30% back, and the shaman took 6.  2 vs 6 Alzar grabs a pinch of sand from the ground and casts Sleep. 6 fighters fall and begin to snore. The apes arrive and begins to smash, and he takes one hit for 8 damage, and then evades. His AC is worse without the Bright Barrier available nor any other magical shield. Fighters pepper him with missile weapons for 9. The Shaman casts Charm Person, but that’s not going to work on him. 66/88 2 vs 1 They hit Alzar for 14 total damage, and Shaman begin to waken sleeping folks. He can waken one a round. One is up. Alzar grabs the piece of tentacle from an octopus, and casts Evard’s Black Tentacles and cleans out the entire area, killing everything, but using up the only component he has for that spell Alzar takes some blood and a shard of bone, casts Animate Dead, and now has a group of 17 skeletons. 2 sleeping natives survive. Alzar ties them up, and wakens them. He casts Detect Lie, and interrogates them. They know very little. TR There are three tribes on the island, they are the tribe fo the ape, and call themselves the Kawibusa. Their god is a great ape that dominates the island named Oonga. They send captives, carnivorous apes, or fatten pigs for sacrifice to Oonga. They have many hands more than the other tribes, and this was a raiding party. Their leader is the Big Witch Doctor, and Alzar gest a basic sense of where they were from. While he’d like to kill them, killing bound creatures, or even torturing them, is against his principles as a Lawful Neutral character, so he takes their stuff, and sets them free after they pledge to not attack, and Detect Lie verifies it Alzar moves to their primary home. It’s along this game trail. |
An hour later, Alzar was detected by leading forces of the Kawibusa. Someone has conjured and sent an insect swarm at him, as per the priest spell. He takes it out easily enough, taking 18 damage from it, but that’ll regenerate.
After doing that, they have located him via their ability to communicate with animals. They arrive at a river, and there are a few sticks, logs, and such, but nothing else. Alzar orders the skeletons forward, and they hit the river, and begin to cross. Then from the river, out attacks a great giant leech, about 10 feet long. It moves to Alzar, sensing blood, and moves from the river. Meanwhile, a shaman user from somewhere turns the sticks into snakes and the logs into crocodiles, and they attack the skeletons. In a moment, Alzar is facing around 10 crocodiles, 20 snakes, and the giant leech. This is annoying. A lock of elven hair is gathered, and Alzar Wails and slays them all. His remaining 12 skeletons are fine. They cross over and head deeper into the island. After a bit, the sun is beginning to set, and Alzar is going to camp. He has swapped to the Greater Ring of Sustenance from the Spell Turning one, in order to keep himself from needing water, food, or sleep. But some rest, and scouting would be nice. He creates a fire (fire-building proficiency) and identifies local things for later eating, if its needed with Survival. He sets some nonmagical snares around as a alarm system, and then camouflages the area as well as he can. He scouts around for basic spell components, and finds clay, nut shells, and took snake tongues from some vipers today, and such. He spends time rejiggering his stuff so the main spell components for spells he’d need immediately are available in a snap. After he gets everything he needs, he mediates for a bit, with Azzil keeping watch. Then he’s fully rested, and can cast all of his spells again A few hours past midnight, as it is still dark but soon dawn will strike, Alzar, his skeletons and Azzil head out. |
They are closing on the village, and in a few hours, a giant group of natives push and ambush the group around 9 am or so. 40 natives are here, and two shaman, and a group fo 10 apes as well, and they are attacking from two sides
Alzar let’s them close, takes 13 damage “panicking”, swaps rings, and then casts Mass Suggestion and a bunch of villagers start poking the apes for him. The Apes are cleaving through the skeletons, but as the villagers turn on them, they spin madly and just start eviscerating the villagers instead, and they can’t tell, or they don’t care, who was and was not attacking them, they are attacking all of the villagers.. Two more Serpent Missile spells come from the Shaman, and takes 27 damage and reflects back a lot more. Alzar’s axe hacks into a nearby ape and slasy it 3 vs 5 Alzar kills another ape. His skeletons are mostly dead, but the apes and villagers are attacking each other so much, that only one ape, and two shaman, are focused on him. The ape misses, and the Shaman cast Cure spells to heal themselves 49/88 7 vs 2 The ape hits, Alzar evades, and then Alzar is hit with Melf’s Acid Arrow from one, and the Spell Turning Ring…redirects 30% of the damage back, so he takes 5 this round. The other fires off a Flame Arrow spell at him, but with his natural immunity and Ring he only takes….4 damage. Alzar kills the ape on him with his ferocious axe of happiness and he sheathes the axe for his bow (With the other attack , he only needed one for finishing the ape) 41/88 5 vs 7 Alzar moves, peppering a wounded shaman that cast Flame Arrow at him for 12 damage. Alzar takes 4 from the Acid Arrow, and then another Cure is delivered to the one Alzar is closing on ,and that one casts Strength on a nearby warrior and then orders him to intercept 38/88 7 vs 1 Alzar takes 5 from the Arrow. He also takes a hit from the en strengthened warrior on him. But his evades holds. Shamans hit him for 7 with a Burning Hands, spell. He casts Vampiric Touch, and drains 24 from the warrior and drops him. As he does, a group of trees are pushed aside, and a group of 20 soldiers here throw spears at Alzar all at once, as a second ambush past the first. That must have been why they didn’t run. Alzar is hit by three for 11 damage 40/88 9 vs 6 Alzar takes 15 from more missile weapons, and then the last ape arrives, wounded, but victorious No more undead are left, and a handful of soldiers escaped, and are flinging in javelins at Alzar. Alzar reaches into the spell components, grabs a piece of turtle shell, and casts Protection from Normal Missiles. 26/88 3 vs 7 Alzar casts Cure Critical Wounds. Then the foes are ordered to close to hit him. The ape missed him. 67/88 5 vs 2 Alzar is hit for 14 from melee, and that’s after he evades one hit. Then he smashes and slays the ape, and then carves down a soldier as well. The shaman, out of spells,a re reatreating. 53/88 1 vs 9 Alzar animates 30 skeletons from the dead soldiers, and the other 21 that are fighting him virtually solo begin to back off, aware of the number difference. Alzar slays a few after killing some with spears and other missiles. They can’t hit Alzar at range, so they flee Alzar spends some time gathering up stuff, and secures some arrows back, and then he finds some spell components too, from more bone/shards in case he wants to cast the priest iteration of Animate Dead to the skulls for Skulltrap and bones for Blastbones. He heads out. |
An hour later, he arrives at the village. There are a bunch of huts, mud buildings, clay chimenea, and more. (A chimenea is a front loading firestove, that is good vs rain and winds).
Alzar finds an array of defenses arrayed against him – palisade, hostility dug trenches, shaman, a bunch of sticks and logs to turn into snakes and crocodiles, and more. A group of 4 soldiers walk out to greet him, and they agree to safe passage, in exchange for information from him on a variety of element. The Big Witch Doctor agrees to meet with him, but not inside, instead he arrives with a large party here, safe on the far side of the palisade. Alzar and the BWD discuss various things. He discusses the various things his folks are up to, from local sacrifices to Oonga, and to their great god. Alzar’s undead army of 30 skeletons gives them some serious respect. They are the Tribe of the Ape, they won’t be silenced too much. But the Witch Docter points out to Alzar where Oonga rests, a great giant ape, as big as five huts, stacked on top of each other, Alzar heads back out. There is a great palisade on the far side of their village, heading deeper into the jungle. Back here is a pair of large stone columns, ancient, with archaic carvings on them, and two sets of manacles made of some unknown purplish metal . Alzar’s axe deciphers the carvings: Abandon Hope all ye who are here, but fight like the blazes anyways! – Zagthrane This is where the sacrifices for Oonga are brought:  To the left is a great magic portal, currently closed. The Big Watch Doctor indicated this is where Oonga comes from to eat their sacrifices on the far side of the palisade and away from their village. Alzar heads out. |
A few hours later, he runs into a large group of 8 stegosaurs. They are herbivores, and won’t attack Alzar unless he bothers them. Or presents a threat. They move off
There are more nasty folks here as well. Alzar pushes deeper, and as they do, a large Wyvern flies out at him, and he axes it as it flies down to grab him, and in one round, kills it. Other scavengers hear the dead cry and move out, and a pair of giant wolves are one such enemy, but they are a bit shy of his undead, and he’s moving off anyway. They wait until he has left, and then pounce on the free food Brought by sounds, another dinosaur is coming, and this one is more of a threat, a tyrannosaur, moving in. It’s big and nasty. Alzar moves in front of the skeletons, and shouts out and brings its attention. He’ll melee it. It charges him, and his axe is out. It hits and Alzar tosses..41 and makes the evade. No damage. Then he smashes and hits. 4 vs 6 Alzar hits and takes out the dinosaur after dealing 34 to it. He carves it up. They head on. Hours pass by the trail moves up to some nearby foothills of the central mountains. And then there is a path here that opens into the area of the second group of locals. Alzar heads up, leaves behind the undead, and nears them. This is a group of rock dwellers here in the hills that are often targeted for attacks by the Tribe of te Ape, the Kawibusa. Alzar arrives, casts Friends, and then greets them. With his high charisma, enhanced by the spell, and him not attacking them, he is welcomed into their area. Alzar is welcomed He heads in, this tribe has around 60 or 70 members, and these barbarians here regularly fight against the “large, hairy apes” from others that are hard, but tasty after slain, but they run from the “larger hairy apes” when they emerge. Alzar meets the Great Shaman of this tribe, an old, cantankerous person. He suffers from memory issues and more, and stress exacerbates it. Alzar casts Charm and brings him in as a friend, and then casts Alzar’s Ingenious Understanding on him, which raises his INT heavily for a short period of time. With the heightened INT and the charm effect, they talk at length, Generations ago, there was one tribe, and the shaman passed the secret for summoning Oonga from one generation to the next. Then a shaman has three very antagonistic sons that were vying with each other for rulership of the tribe. In order to prevent favoritism, he gave each son one third of the code. Instead of forcing them to keep together like he had hoped, they split up, and each founded a new tribe. The Great Shaman will speak the code of the ceremony at the great portal to Oonga with the other two when Alzar needs. A third tribe lives in some caves up in the mountains, and then there are birdlike folks, Aarackocra, in a plateau to the south east from here. Alzar finishes and heads up, without taking his skeletons with him, and he’s a lot faster here as a result. A few hours ebb by, and day begins to turn. He sets up camp again. By now, he’s been away from the lab/workshop and library that he loses all abilities of his Fivefold Mage and is just a mage. |
Nothing bothers him in the day and in the morning, and he heads out, with the cover of dawn still a hope.
A few harpies are here, almost a score of them, and they begin to fly down. Alzar swaps rings, casts Fly and heads up. They fly in and around him, and he casts Death Spell. Many die. They are using charm magic at him, but he’s immune. A bow pepperage of the few remaining forces the rest away. Alzar flies around, and he’s a lot faster flying, although a target more. In fact, a group of pterodactyl head over, and he casts Protection from Animals, a priest spell. They can’t get to him. They eventually finds a new target, and he quickly gest to the plateau. Aarakockra are here, and Alar meets some and talks with them. They points out the third tribe, and he heads over. A few hours later he arrives at the mouth of a small cave system, in the base of an old dormant volcano. There are a few primitives here, with a lighter skin than the others. Alzar meets and greets them, and again uses a charm spell to help out. The elder here will help Alzar, but only if Alzar proves himself first. He needs to head out and slay one of the great, giant apes, a female, who comes out here and feeds on their stuff. Alzar agrees and heads out. There is a valley about 10 miles away. On the way there is a tunnel, and Alzar spends night three here on the demiplane, and then rests, mediates, and prepares. He slips down in the evening and then takes it out. He arrives at the head of a valley used by the female.  Great Ape - HD 18+3, 3 AC, THACO 3, 1d10+1 damage, x2, 4d4x2 from claws and punches. And 4d10 if grabbed and bitten later Alzar heads over to her, and she begins to move over to being the smashery. Trees fall under her. Alzar heads over, and they et ready to dance. 7 vs 9 Alzar’s axe snaps at her. He hits for 15 and then 19. She smashes with hands, feet, and is a stomp machine. She only needs a 8 to hit him. She hits him three times, and he fails the evade, and takes 22 damage. 67/88 Alzar casts Power Word Kill and finishes her. He then heads back after taking back of her with him. He heads back and drops off the big tooth. He drops it off, and the leader here agrees to head back to the first village, under Alzar’s protection. He casts the reverse of Enlarge and shrinks him, and then he casts Fly and carries the elder. A few hours latter he’s at the second village, and he casts Mass charm and en-friends the whole village for some way or another. They load up and head out, with an honor guard, the elders, and the 30 skeletons. 16 hours pass, they wait overnight, Alzar slips away at night and heads to the palisade, over it, casts Virus Charm, and Charm Person, in order to begin to bring down everything. In the morning, the Virus Charm has begin to spread, Alzar casts Mass Charm at the wall and brings a bunch of friends over. With everyone his friend, Alzar brings the Big Witch Doctor under his sway and the three elders steps out to the portal, give their three separate incantations, and then the combined strength opens up the portal, which had been one way for a long time. Alzar, Azzil, and the skeletons step through |
The portal opens to the front of a huge cavern, with a sinkhole overhead. The portal is made for the passage of Oonga. Azzil scouts ahead, and Alzar moves up. As they approach, they find a few large chambers, all open. The great ape sees Alzar and the skeletons he has,and breaks out, and flings a boulder and slays some skeletons beneath it.
Alzar moves towards the great magnificent beast, casting Disintegration on the creature as he does, and it bounces off. That’s a very Magic Resistance response. Meh. Oonga – 288 hp, 2 AC, he does a bunch of damage with his attacks, two grabs, and then flings people for a crap ton of damage. THACO - -3. It has a Magic Resist of 100, the only creature on the plane immune to magic. Alright ape, let’s party Oonga and Alzar arrive to melee range. So let’s break down the math: Alzar has an AC of -6 without his shield. Oonga needs a 3 to hit him. Alzar needs a 4 to hit Oonga with his Axe. He gets two attacks, Oonga gets a lot more. 3 vs 6 Alzar carves it for 15 and 18, and then it hits him for 11, 14, and bites for 21. 46 total damage. Dang. Alzar 43/88 Oonga - 255 Alzar needs a way to even the odds, or this will be a long battle of lots of healing spells 2 vs 8 Alzar casts Time Stop. Cure Critical Wounds, and then there’s no protection spell he can cast that’ll shield him. He casts Bone Block to drop his AC by a bit, and make the ape require a 5 to hit him, not a 3. And then Aid to give him a +2 to hit ,and that helps the math on eh long term Spell ends 9 vs 4 Alzar is hit, and…evades, and then takes 30. He drops 33 himself. The skeletons scratch him for 3 55 219 4 vs 6 Alzar casts Cure, Oonga hits for 28. Skeletons for another 4 61/88 215 5 vs 1 Alzar takes another 29, after making an evade. Alzar carves for 35. Oonga is ignoring the skeletons around him. 33/88 178 7 vs 3 Oonga swings and toss a 20 and hits for….11 and….Alzar…tosses 55 evades. Oonga swings for 11 and hits for 10 Then a 13 for 15 Alzar takes 25 He casts fly and flies out behind his skeltons, ad the flank him Oonga takes 5 9/88 173 1 vs 5 Alzar casts Heal. Oonga takes out some skeletons. There are 18 left. The hit him twice for 1 and 4. 168 88 9 vs 5 More skeletons drop. Alzar uses his short bow, but it’s a lot harder to hit with it. He deas just 7, and that’s it for his side 161 88 8 vs 9 Oonga grabs a boulder, and tosses it at Alzar for 34 damage. No evade on in (it deal 4d10 +10 damage). Alzar hits for 10, and then a skelton for 3 148 55/88 4 vs 1 Alzar takes another boulder of 30. Oonga takes 9 from everything 25/88 149 2 vs 4 Alzar casts Heal again. Oonga’s boulder hits for 28. 61/88 149 7 vs 8 Alzar hits for 13, and a skeleton for 5 and another for 3. Oonga misses for the first time 62 128 6 vs 3 Alzar takes 36. Alzar casts Cure Critial and heals 40. Oonga is missed 67/88 128 3 vs 4 Alzar hits with his short bow for 7 damage but he’s almost out of arrows. Oonga takes 5 from skeletons . Oonga movse back and takes out a bunch of skeletons. 68 116 4 vs 6 Alzar flies back to melee hits for 8 and he’s out. Oonga takes out all but two skeletons 69 108 7 vs 4 Alzar takes an attack for 18, 4, and 6 – that;s on evade with a 44, and then a miss, and one hit for 15. That;s the opening. Right there. Alzar hits for 33 with his axes. 55 75 6 v 1 Oonga tosses a 6, 13, and 14. Alzar a04 and evades. He take 27. He casts Cure Critical, and heals 40. 79/88 75 1 Vs 2 Alzar’s axe snaps out and….20 and 5 are tossed, both hits, for 19 and 18 – 37 damage. Oonga attacks and tosses a 16, 12, and 9 Alzar a 20 on the evade and takes 30. 50/88 38 8 vs 9 Alzar cures himself of 20 with Cure Serious. It rolls a 14, 11, and 9 and Alzar’s 39 dodges and he takes 22. 49/88 38 2 vs 1 Alzar takes 5, and 3 and 19 and then a 47 evades, so just 13. He carves for 6 and 11 hits, and then tosses 4 and 6 for 10+10+12 STR And +4 for skills for 36. Not enough 36 2 2 vs 5 Alzar hits and slays the beast Dead Oonga |
He heads on.
There is an epic amount of magical items back here. Oonga cleaned the house a lot. Probably some adventurers or others who entered here and were slain. But over it all is a plain shepherd’s crook, base in the ground. It’s thicker than the normal with no decorations other than runes all up and down. Alzar recognizes it at once. One of the things Alzar did after arriving on Pandius was to study the lore on major items, artifacts, legends, and more. This Crook meets the description of a lost artifact known as the Crook of Infaust. (In reality this is the major artifact the Crook of Rao for the Gryhawk Campaign, which will play a major role in the timeline to be after you return it to Tenser) Infaust is a LN Immortal of Matter who specializes in mind, perfection, completeness, and universal harmony and will. He is a major patron of martial artists, monks, and mystics. No major allies or enemies. Infaust was once the most popular immortal among the thinkers, the reasoners, and the focus and meditative ones. No one was more worshipped among those that cared about such things. This was in part due to his creation of the Crook of Infaust. The Crook is the center of Infaust’s power on the plane, and he invested it. In fact, it’s unlike most other Pandius artifacts, due to its age and nature. As it has been gone from the plane for millennia, Infaust’s power, reputation, and acknowledgement have faded and ebbed to very little. Alzar grabs the various magical items here, and then takes Infaust’s Crook. As he claims it, it pulls him towards home and Pandius. It’s powerful enough to work even here on this demiplace. Alzar secures what he grabbed, and then they head out These magical items – Merlynd’s Spoon +5 Longsword, Defender +4 Dagger of Throwing Staff of the Magi – 30 charges Wand of Conjuration – 70 charges Rings of Djinni Summoning, Feather Falling, Protection +3, Periapt of Wound Closure Heward’s Handy Haversack Girdle of Many Pouches Shoes of Flaranghn +3 Shield, which he’ll use until the Bright Barrier is back 2 Boccob Blessed Books – full of spells Small pouch of 76 gems worth 125k Because he doesn’t have a magical storage bin, he grabs this stuff and tosses it into some local bags and such. +3 Plate Mail, +3 Cloak of Protection, Bracers of Defense AC2, Boots of Levitation, +3 Battle Axe, +2 Sling (I trimmed a ton of stuff from the list) |
Alzar reappears in a oddly tapered area, a cave-ish of an oddly shaped nature. The walls are of a multiversial material, and this is a pocket plane, distinct from the demiplane they were on, and more a dimensional space.
There are 21 hallways that maze off, each one lined with a different color from sepia to peacock to bronze to pearl to lavender to lilac to red. Alzar tries different patterns, and after an hour, the pattern of Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Indigo-Violet is the best path out, the order of the rainbow, as well as the major colors here. He heads out, and teleports to the …. Crystal Prism in the central of this area. Alzar has an oddly faceted chamber, and lights is reflecting. There are various gems floating above – ruby, jacinth, sapphire, emerald, diamond, topaz and corundum. There are six streams of light from the tops of the chamber hitting the area – colors of green, pale blue, dark blue, red, yellow, and orange. A loud voice tells Alzar to choose one jewel. It is his fate. The others are his prizes. Each gem is worth 50000 gp. One color of beam is not reflected in the gems, purple. So he grabs the Amethyst. The other 6 gems are his. A gate opens in front of Alzar. He steps through and returns to the place he left behind, the library at the back of the top level of Zagthrane’s Magist Tower End of Isle of the Ape |
Begin Greyhawk Ruins Again
 Alzar finds a few rooms like a bed chamber and such. Alzar heads to an Aviary, a group of about 6 or 7 rooms, and tending the is an odd sight – a great troll with eyes of wisdom and a face of peace. Alzar doesn’t attack, and he welcomes Alzar to the area. He is a druid who tends the area, and was moved to the trolls body by Zagthrane long ago, just before he would have died. Trolls are very long lived, if they don’t engage in violence and die that way Alzar sees a variety of rare birds, monsters birds, and more all back here The final area on this floor is the crypt and resting place of Zagthrane himself. There are two large pillars that enter this area, and the entire area back here is anti-magic – no magic, not even artifacts, work back here. There is an altar to Korotiku across the corridor here, and you have to place something on the altar is order for it to open up and pass. Alzar tries a few things, and gives up a Potion of Levitation and it opens up. A large number of Stone Golems, and various constructs are here protecting the area. There is a casket, transparent, with a purple crystal over it, and standing up leading on the wall, and can be seen. In this is the remains of Zagthrane. Alzar reaches out, nope, not undead of any sort, just dead. There are a variety of portals here, and a great communication ring as well, with a variety of runes. Alzar grabs the communication ring, and then after a pause, Zagthrane himself greets him, and welcomes him. It’s been long since the last visitor was here. Congrats. Zagthrane is currently exploring beyond the planar ring, and Alzar is rewarded with a free level of experience. He finishes, gathers his things and heads out. He uses the same Shadow Teleport that brought him here to take him home. Alzar is now level 33 He can cast another slate of 4/5/6 level spells End of Greyhawk Ruins for now |
Beginning of the Rod of Seven Parts
He teleports back to Evanarrow, and arrives at the warm, balmy sandy desert of his Grand Duchy. Evenarrow is by the beach, and has a lot of sand, shores, and palms. It’s very glorious and warm. Meanwhile the upper areas are harsher deserts, hundreds of miles across, with little in the way of water of plants. Only the foothills of the Ljallenvals nearby have major food networks, and grapes and other food are grown and harvested What has happened…? Alzar inquires, cautiously, but to everyone’s memory, Norwold has always been a great desert. Alzar grabs a map of the world, and there are numerous areas that are very different from other places he remembers. He talks with his folks, and they give him a full slate of news on the Grand Duchy while he was out for a week, and they include the huge demon army that controls much of the area. |
Spyder Fiends are in full control of that region.
Apparently some stuff happened while Alzar was away. What did they do to Pandius? How did they take over this region? The first thought he had was that they went back in time. Perhaps they hit something back then, and then made changes? But that’s not sure. Alzar’s area is still the same, and he unloads stuff for a bit, and then will pop on over. He spies the central demon camp. There are almost a thousand Spyder Fiends here. He leaves Pandius for Hamedh, to arrive at the College of Wizardry He consults with the sages and mages here, and Japtheth Arcane in particular. They suggest that the Queen of Chaos probably opened up a gate and sent in fiends to take control of everything recently. They suggest a Wave of Chaos could be responsible for changing the landmass’s natures. Just like they do on The Abyss. Makes sense. Alzar crosses back over on the Worldwalk and then decides to work on a way to oust the demonic threat first. The Rod has probably protected him and kept him in the loop as to what was happening. |
Alzar studies some ways to breaking the demon outpost. The most important detail is to prevent them from bringing in aid, otherwise they could gate in thousands of fiends. Alzar is racking his brain, but he doesn’t know of any ways to prevent gates. The best way to deal with this might be in smaller doses.
That night, he teleports to an outpost with about 35 Fiends in all, casts Wail of the Banshee, and then Axes the remnants, and then teleports to another spot and kills 10 more with Power Word Kill, Skulltraps, and Blastbones. Then he teleports away. The next day, the camp opens up a gate and brings in some reinforcements. So the slow route won’t work. Alzar needs a new plan. He teleports around to get some ideas. Even if he goes in hot with 30 elementals, they can gate in defenders en masses. He has to shut that down. But no spell, magic item, or effect has that power he knows of. He could make the spell. That’s certainly an option. But what about a Wish? Would a Wish cancel all gates fiends open in the area for an hour? Alzar breaks a jar, summons, the Djinni and it casts Wish for him and it does, in fact, work. He calls in his big troops like Vix on her chariot tethered to her Masticore, allies from the Grand Duchy, and more. Alzar brings out a few Elementals, and then a Mass Teleport later, lands in the center of their camp, with a Protection from Fiends priest spell on. Wail of the Banshee begins. Some demons die. Elementals begin to smash. Alzar is immune to their attacks, and spells with a 95% MR, and they can’t bring in more allies, nor escape. Shortly, Elementals are dead, Alzar’s Death Spells, Wails, Skulltraps, and more are all blowing stuff up. About 100 are fleeing in various directions after failing to Gate. Alzar flies up and drops Spyders, while Vix hits one flank hard leading the way and inspiring those behind her to fight for their Grand Duchess. Alzar then casts Worldwalk to his central storage area from Ith K’hinax ,and out pore 10 Death Tyrants, and a bunch of heavy hitting undead like vampire and such that he prepped. They fly out and chase down the demons and hit them hard. Alzar cleans them out, flying around himself, and using long range spells or weapons. |
In a half hour about half of the the entire base is cleaned. The rest flee and many teleport away, others to regroup into smaller numbers that breaks the problem over the rest of his Grand Duchy. Vix and Alzar separate and fly out into two different parties to clean out the demon occupation of his territory.
Alzar spends the next few days doing mop up missions. There were small groups of 20 or 50 Spyder Fiends here and there he cleans it, and there might be a few here and there. One of the last ones is pretty non-bothered. They’ll just hit again, far into the future, after Alzar has since died or left. He can’t protect his holdings forever. But the land’s change is not linked to the Fiends, so it’s still desert here. The Fiends seemed like they were making a future threat, and one very feasible. His holdings were attacked by demons before, and there’s no reason to think this is the end, even if he finishes the Rod and does some strong stuff. Alzar spends the night studying, and then grabs the Incense he has, burns it, travels to the future. 56 years in the future, Alzar arrives. The child of him and Vix is on the throne, and he arrives as a wide number of gates are opening up and a huge army of Spyder Fiends in opening up. Again, Alzar immediately teleports into the fray, and hits the front line, leading with Time Stop, then Wail and Protection from Fiends. A few Dispels and such come his way, but he has more spells where that came from. Hours pass, and Alzar’s presence at the front of this invasion by the Fiends 56 years into the future is a major reason why it fails. As the battle winds down, Alzar’s incense is finished, and he is brought back to the present Alzar has defeated the future invasion as well, but he has one more battle to face….. Alzar wants to end the attacks. Here’s an update on where Alzar is today: The Path of the Dynast Alzar must create a realm with a human population of at least 50000 or demi-human of 15000. DONE Alzar’s March must gain independence from Alphatia and Norwold, and stand on its own Alzar must quest for, find, and destroy an artifact from the Milenian Empire. DONE Alzar must create a dynasty that will endure from his realm, and his successors must rule for at least 20 years. DONE Alzar must travel into the future to three separate times, and secure his realm and dynasty’s future. DONE Alzar must face and defeat 4 major challenges to his rule. TWO COMPLETED And now Alzar has an idea to stop the attacks, at least for a while. Something he planned for long ago, when he had that elemental grab some earth from the Abyss where the Chaos Portal opened up. Once he does this, he will finish another major challenge to his realm, leaving one step and one challenge left reamaining on the Path of the Dynast – full independence. |
Alzar spends a day readying himself.
He summons some aid, he grabs the Earth, and he casts Worldwalk, and opens up a Portal to the area the earth was taken from in the Abyss. Alzar and his group step through the portal, and move to assault the Queen of Chaos herself. I actually have the description of that area. Of course the author has the potential for people to be drug back through the Chaos Gate, and outlays the throne room on the other side, but in this case, Alzar heads through his own gate. Before he does, here is who is is bringing with him: Vix - with some additional magical items, such as the powerful War Mask, 2 Rings Alzar often leans on, the Zoster of Zeal, and a lot more, including potions, and some non-magical grenades. Greater Earth Elemental Greater Ice 4x Earth Elementals 2x Fire 2x Water 2x Air 33 Sandlings 1 Invisible Stalker 5 Ice Mephits Azzil This includes the various Elementals from his items and the Face of Xenous Alzar arrives on the other side with a a different set of anti-fiend stuff. |
This is the steaming fen, one layer of The Abyss. It is entirely controlled by the Queen of Chaos, one of the demon lords that rule The Abyss. Other demon lords Alzar has interacted with include Lolth, Zuggtmoy, and Jubilex.
It’s a lot of work to control and run a Layer of the Abyss. Take Alzar. He controls a Grand Duchy a few hundred miles across, and then a little more wide. And that takes time. Then layer in how much time it would take to run a huge nation, like, say, Alphatia. And what about the whole world? Imagine if somehow Alzar brought all of the Known World under his thumb. The sheer amount of time it would require to invest would be considerable right? But that’s just one planet. The Queen of Chaos runs an entire plane of existence, as the layers of the Abyss are each a plane big – in size. The time and investment and other plans running is pretty heavy.  The Queen’s throne room has a few things of import in it. Firstly, there is a warm, fiery pool in the middle, with a hot choking smoke that gives anyone who can breathe here a -2 to attacks, +2 ot AC, and -2 to saves. But both Alzar and Vix are immune Alzar due to Necklace her to the immortal blood she has). The others don’t breathe. The Queen herself is on the far side, on top of a great pedestal - she has 10 tentacles, very long, and is a fat creature on top with two hands that grab a giant trident, that has a rope attached to it.  |
The Queen of Chaos has a few folks in here. She has 20 Spyder Fiends of various types here as escorts and guards
“When she is not using her chaos gates to send out her Spyder Fiends to the Prime, a continuous stream of demons, daemons, and other planar creatures shuffles and slithers around the chamber as she manages her affairs.” I am going to rule that the following folks re here too – 20 Spyder Fiends The Queen of Chaos 2 Vrock Demons 4 Nabassu Demons 4 Hezrou Demons 4 Babau Demons As guards, advisers, and merchants. And then additionally there are petitioning her: 1 Ultrodaemon 6 Mezzosdaemon guards That seems fair. I pumped up the number of folks here bunches |
Alzar and his crew step through the Worldwalking gate he opened. She sees him and cries out –
“Thank you for doing my work for me and bringing me the Rod! I see you have five parts together thus far. It’s rare that someone brings me a piece of the Rod willingly, let alone such a large part of it. Oh, surely you don’t think that little group of nobody and randoms actually has a chance of hurting me here? In my own home? Ah you bring great pleasure and joy to me, I haven’t seen this much exercise in quite some time. Aright, let’s do this….” The Queen of Chaos – AC -5, 140 hp, THACO – 1, she can throw the +5 trident at range, or use all ten tentacles for 2d6 each in melee. If she hits with a tentacle, then she auto hits every subsequent turn. She can bring a captured victim to her and bite them with her beak for 2d6+16 as well as the tentacle. Can only be hit by +3 weapons or better, 70% MR, 2 tentacles are 60’ long and can engage in range attacks with the trident. They take one turn to drag in a victim though. She can use these powers once/round in lieu of attacking – Suggestion, Shape Change into a merman, Slow, Chaos, Mirror Image, Tongues, Clairvoyance, Ventriloquism, Death Fog, Polymorph Other, Eyebite, Charm Monster, Mass Charm, Domination, Telekinesis, Polymorph any object, Shocking Grasp, Stinking Cloud, Darkness 15’, Taunt, Magic Missile, Symbol, or Solid Fog. She regenerates 5 hp a round. Because this is her place, the only MR that works for Alzar is his +20 from the Rod, the rest don’t work. (I dialed up her power level in a few places, particularly with the tentacles – normally she can only attack with 2 at a time – I also gave her 5 hp regeneration instead of 1). |
Initiative
6 vs 9 Alzar casts Time Stop. He drops Haste on the Elementals, Stalker, Vix, and then casts Protection from Fiends, and Chant, to pump up their attack 4 vs 7 Alzar casts Wail of the Banshee and a few Spyder Fiends are slain, the weakest of the lot – 9 are left. Vix’s spear smashes into a Spyder-Fiend, and then she follows up with another hit, and she slays a Phisarazu version (there are five if you recall). Elementals and Sandlings move into positon, and with haste, smash once this round instead of twice. All of them can hit. They slay 5 more Fiends. The Queen opens a chaos gate and 2 of the most powerful Spyder Fiends, the Raklupiss, step through. The various demons move in. they teleport without error and get into smashing position behind the line, and initiate a strong amount of chaos. The Ultroloth Dispels Alzar’s magical protection, and another demon uses Slow to reduce and essentially eliminate the haste. Meanwhile, multiple elementals and sandlings fall before the demons, 3 Ice Mephits die, and Vix is hit once for 18 damage End of Round 2 – 4 Fiends, and 2 more Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos 2 Vrock Demons 4 Nabassu Demons 4 Hezrou Demons 4 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 6 Mezzodaemon Vix – 125/144 3 vs 2 The Ultroloth opens a gate and out step another 4 Mezzodaemons. Alzar is peppered by Vrock, and Hezrous, and takes 19 damage total. The Raklupises spin webs and try to stop the attack from moving forward and keep the folks on this side of the fiery water. Two elementals die, and a few Sandlings join them. The rest of the Mephits are slain. The Queen casts her trident at Alzar and then launches attacks from her tentacles as well. In order to hit him, she needs 10 with the Trident and tentacles. 13, 1 and 15 are tossed. Now the first tentacle to hit is evaded, unlike any other attack that happened this turn – the rest were all range, to alzar tosses 09 and its it. He takes another 2d6 plus 5 for the Trident, and the rope pulls it back immediately for another throw, Alzar takes 14. Alzar casts Prismatic Spray at the demons and daemons behind the webbing, although most demons are mixing it up in melee or short range with his people. He takes out 3 Mezzos and and a Raklupis. Vix slays a Vrock, and his minions finish all Spyder Fiends this turn. Alzar - 57/89 Vix – 126/144 1 more Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos 1 Vrock Demons 4 Nabassu Demons 4 Hezrou Demons 4 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 7 Mezzodaemon 4 vs 6 Alzar casts Skulltrap and chucks it past the webbing so it’ll hit the Daemons and the Queen only. It pops for 41 damage, and she saves, and then some damage is doled out. Vix takes out a Hezrou, a bit damaged. And then Sandlings and Elementals left take out a Nabassu and 2 Babau. Then the Queen hits Alzar for 10, 16 and 10 – three hits, so no evade either, tosses a 77. Alzar takes 32 damage. He is hit for another 7 by a Nabassu and 10 by the Vrock. Then VIx takes a hit for 9, and then they focus on the sandlings, and 9 die to various attacks. He nods to Vix. 1 Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos – 124/140 1 Vrock Demons 3 Nabassu Demons 3 Hezrou Demons 2 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 7 Mezzodaemon Alzar - 9/89 Vix – 119/144 QA Ring Used Vix uses Alzar’s pet Quick Action ring to guarantee an initiative win this round, Alzar casts Heal and heals himself. Vix spears twice (she gets +3 to hit with Zoster, and + with the Chant spell) and then smashes a Nabazzu for 14 and then again for 15 with attacks of 5 and 19. Dead demon. Alzar only has two Greaters, undamaged, undamaged stalker, and 9 sandlings left, but they manage to kill a wounded Hezrou. Alzar takes 2d6 twice from the tentacles and then the Trident is tossed and……misses, despite only needing a 5 now, she tosses a 3. Alzar is drug towards her. The wounded Daemons pounce on him as he is pulled out of the scrum from the demons/.summoned creatures and Vix/Azzil. Alzar takes two hits for 9 and 6 – 15 total. They take out the Stalker and more sandlings follow. 1 Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos – 129/140 1 Vrock Demons 2 Nabassu Demons 2 Hezrou Demons 2 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 7 Mezzodaemon Alzar - 61/89 Vix – 121/144 |
5 vs 8
Alzar was drug to to melee range looking up at a barely wounded Queen of Chaos waving a bunch of tentacles, and too many daemons yet, but there are just too many foes. He casts Dimension Door, disappears from the clutches of the Queen, and pops back behind Vix, and his elementals, and next to just three demons. Vix kills a Hezzy and a Vrock and Babau fall. The Mezzo’s break down the webbing, smash in and kill a wounded greater ice elemental. Vix shields Alzar, takes 19 from two demons, and Alzar is missed by the locals here. Alzar is hit by the Queen for 17, 8, and 11 his evade is 28 – he takes 2d6+5 for 12. The Ultrodaemon opens a gate and summons 4 more Mezzos. 1 Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos – 134/140 2 Nabassu Demons 1 Hezrou Demons 1 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 11 Mezzodaemon Alzar - 50/89 Vix – 103/144 Most of the demons left are badly wounded, but it’s just a greater elemental, slightly damaged, and 3 sandlings left for him. The last major threat standing is the Ultro, barely wounded. It’s a nasty force, one of the most powerful of its kind. 8 vs 3 Alzar takes hits from the queen for 2, 14, and 11, and he…fails the evade (88) and takes 6 +5 for 11. He also is hit for 10 by a Hezrou, and Mezzos are around him, attacking, and one hits for 11, and they badly wound, but leave alive, the greater. One demon summons two more Babaus. They ignore Vix this turn. Alzar casts Heal, and Vix stabs and stays the wounded Hezzy, and then badly woundeds the Nabassu. 1 Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos – 139/140 2 Nabassu Demons 3 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 11 Mezzodaemon Alzar - 89/89 Vix – 104/144 9 vs 3 The greater and sandlings are finished by Mezzos. Two more Nabassu demons are piped in. The Queen tosses the Trident and this Alzar for 10, and then he takes another 13 from tentacles. He takes 13 from other demons. Alzar is pulled in this round. Again, no attacks on Vix, they are trying to finish Alzar. A wounded Nabassu falls, and he hurts an already wounded Mezzo. Then Alzar casts Protection from Fiends, and the tentacles fall away. And he’s now in melee range of the Queen of Chaos, next to her, no other people nearby, and with his shell in place. 1 Raklupis here The Queen of Chaos – 140/140 3 Nabassu Demons 3 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 11 Mezzodaemon Alzar - 53/89 Vix – 105/144 1 vs 5 Alzar’s Axe carves into her once, and then again (He needs a THACO of 11, +5 for her AC – 16 -5 for the Axe, -2 for skill, -3 for STR, -2 for Chant - 4 to hit) Alzar tosses an 2 and a 8 for damage - 36 dealt. Bright Barrier gets -3 to hit for plus, and -2 for skill – he needs a 9 to hit and….tosses a 16 and hits for 9 more – 45 total damage in one round, giving Vixz a sign. Vix uses her next trick. She casts a 10d6 explosive bead to the ground near her feet. She deals 36 damage to everyone in range, and that’s most. She slays 3 Mezzoes , 2 Babaus, 1 Nabassu and damages most of the remaining guys here – she takes 9 from the blast. (She’s mostly immune to magical fire). The Queen orders everyone to swap strategies for a round. The Ultro drops Alzar’s protection with Dispel Magic, she opens a Gate for 3 more Raklupis, and a Nabby summons 8 dretch, and and the Raklupis 5 lower level Spyder Fiends. Vix is very hard to hit with the added protection magic she was given, like the War Mask, and she has a low -10 AC, but the Mezzos crack her armor twice for 21. 4 Raklupis here 5 Spyder Fiends The Queen of Chaos – 109/140 2 Nabassu Demons 1 Babau Demons 1 Ultrodaemon 8 Mezzodaemon 8 Dretch Alzar - 54/89 Vix – 76/144 4 vs 5 Alzar smiles with an axe in his hand and the Bright Barrier. The Queen can smash him with tentacles, but he can’t keep swapping one round of casting Pro vs their Dispels. But if he heals, there’s nothing left, right? Right? Nope, he has a trick. He casts Time Stop again. In most places, the Abyss as well, you can’t cast a spell more than once. But he has Time Stop stored as an emergency spell in case he needs it. Time Stop… He gets…2 rounds One, casts Protection Again and then 2? He casts Wish, and ages himself 5 years, but he refreshes his magic. End of round |
4 vs 3
Their foes go first. Vix takes 28, and Alzar has the shell dropped by the queen as the Ultro, out of gates and dispels, instead throws ranged weapons at Alzar and hits once for 8. Alzar’s -10 AC is holding up well too. The Queen dispels his magic. Alzar casts Time Stop again. He tosses a 5 and will get three more spells for free: Protection from Fiends Wail of the Banshee Skulltrap Resolve Wail slays – 6 Dretch, 2 Mezzos, 1 Nabassu, and 2 Spyders Then the Trap resolve,s hits the wounded creatures, and takes out most of the demaged demons, leaving very little left. VIx was in the blast zone and took 16. 2 Raklupis here 3 Spyder FIends The Queen of Chaos – 114/140 1 Ultrodaemon 4 Mezzodaemon 2 Dretch Alzar - 55/89 Vix – 61/144 3 vs 9 Alzar carves the Queen again and hits for d20 rolls of 13,7, 19 for….44 damage. Vix stabs a wounded Mezzo twice and takes it out. The various fiends Hit her for 15. The Ultro is backing off. It’s one of the most powerful Daemons, and it realizes this may be a losing battle. While it does, it stills fires at Alzar buts misses twice. The Queen is forced to use her final Dispel on Alzars protection. 2 Raklupis summon another 7 Spyder Fiends 2 Raklupis here 10 Spyder FIends The Queen of Chaos – 75/140 1 Ultrodaemon 3 Mezzodaemon 2 Dretch Alzar - 56/89 Vix – 47/144 1 vs 3 Alzar casts protection from fiends. Now that all of the dispels are gone, Alzar orders Vix to use the next trick. She grabs one of Alzar’s Scrolls of Protection from Demons, and reads it. She is protected from them. Still, a Mezzodaemon still manages to hit her for 11. The Ultro’s thrown weapons miss, and it’s on the edge of the front now. Without a major way of handling with the issues here, the Queen of Chaos teleports away from this area. After she leaves, the Ultro calls out in a language Alzar knows. He offers to withdraw himself and his Mezzos, and Alzar agrees, in his language (Axe of Selinyr) VIx will wail on the Spyder Fiends, Raplupis, and Dretches easily enough. Alzar casts Cure Critical Wounds, and then grabs an item from his OtherSpace |
Alzar cracks the clay jar, summons the Djinni, and releases it for a wish, and he wishes to follow the Queen and to prevent her from gating or fleeing.
4 rounds after she left, he arrives beside her – The Queen of Chaos – 95/144 Alzar – 88/88 Alzar has Pro still up The Queen fled to another room in this giant mega castle, and she has 10 Spyder Fiends here of various sorts she is barking orders at. As Alzar arrives, she orders them to take him out and uses Teleport without Error, but it fails. 5 vs 4 Alzar takes no damage, and she’s out of dispels, so she switches tactics and casts Mirror Image to help protect her. But Alzar is too smart and immune to lower level ilusions and can make out which one she is. He axe is out and he hits her once, and then misses with the other, but a shield hits too for 28. The Spyder Fiends gate in more Spyder Fiends The Queen of Chaos – 72/144 Alzar – 88/88 16 S-Fiends 7 vs 6 Alzar takes no damage from the Fiends. She casts Magic Missile on him, but with the 20% MR, and the Ring, he sends back 50% of the damage, and ignores 20% and she has more MR. She takes 9 and he 11. His axe tears into her twice for 35. She orders fiends to flank in front of her, and begins to flee on foot, asking for peace, alliance, surrendering, and more. She’ll show Alzar the power that only a Demon Lord can. 21/144 Alzar – 80/88 4 vs 9 Alzar’s bow is up, for his Axe, and he has magical arrows nocked, all prepped for this battle. He fires from melee (-2 to hit). He needs a 14 to hit, but he gets SIX attacks. He tosses 10, 17, 3, 11, 5, and 17. Two hits for 1d6 and 1d6 + bonuses 18 damage dealt. Almost dead. She moves out again, Alzar takes no damage from others. 2 vs 3 Alzar’s bow rings out again for 15 (rolls 6 damage) 10, 2, 16 (kills her) She dies. Alzar has slain another demon lord. His axe finishes this battle, and then he recovers his arrows The Queen of Chaos is a demon lord, and was slain here. By taking her out on her own home plane, she is permanently dead. To ensure her death, he uses holy water, and cracks open a cask. As the first drop of holy water is about to fall on her corpse, a contingency spell triggers, and the body disappears. |
Alzar’s spellcraft proficiency is good enough to know that someone is trying to protect her and keep her safe, maybe even a resurrection later on. For now, he has defeated a demon lord in her home, on her turf.
And that’s big. In the past, Alzar has had trouble with demons. Assassination attempts, war, invasions, and more. He’s tried to fend them off by teleporting to the Abyss and killing a bunch, sending out messages by summoning and torturing them, and more. But this is a major shift in the Alzar/Demon conflict for a few reasons. The Queen of the Abyss is the 3rd of the demon lords that Alzar has slain. He took out Lolth in her own plane, and then Zuggtmoy in his own plane of Thorasia, and banished her. He has been banished, cursed, and more, all by demons. But now? Now he has proven that he can retaliate by teleporting in and killing a demon lord in their own home. The demons respect strength more than anything. While there are always demons and demon lords, who will think more highly of themselves than others, there is a major trend here. He heads back to the throne room, gathers Vix, and they head back to Pandius. As they arrive, the land is still transformed. Northern Norwold is still a desert, although no demons, or Spyder Fiends, can be seen anywhere. It appears that the chaotic effect was not tied to the Queen of Chaos specifically. The ghost Draconus flies up to meet him as he arrives. “I told you that you had a major role to play for Law soon.” “I know, and I took down the Queen of Chaos today.” “And that’s more than any other Rod holder has done. But you are only partly done. Her consort of general is still breaking free of his prison, and is about to be freed. Miska the Wolf-Spider is just as much of a threat as the Queen, specifically you, the one who just slew his Queen and the Rod holder.” Warned, Alzar heads back to recoup. Two days later, Alzar has a visit. Someone is raiding his western holdings! End of the Rod of Seven Parts |
Year 9, Month 10
The Grand Duchy of the Mighty is still transformed by the Wave of Chaos that hit. A few minor Spyder-Fiends can still be found here and there, but Alzar is heading out to rout out the rest. While Alzar is dealing with the changed land and the demons, there have been other issues that he has missed in his realm he needs to catch up on…. Begin M2. The Vengeance of Alphaks  This story takes directly off from M1. Into the Maelstrom. In that, the relatively young immortal Alphaks, directly from the Sphere of Entropy, had manipulated a war that was to bring multiple nations together. Alzar was at the head of a Norwold naval invasion of the nearby island of Qoedhar when immortals intervened and sent the entire navy into the stars and orbited various planets, landing on various places, learning much. Alzar descended into the underworld, conquered one of the star realms and ruled it, bringing over more then 20 of their phase ships to his own navy, and then launched a combined Star Kingdoms/Norwold invasion of the area, only to be stopped hard by the undead fleet of Alphaks, and lose, but Alphak’s avatar lost to Alzar’s in battle, and Vanya saw Alzar as a suitable hero to champion for immortality, and Alzar is now following her Third Path of the Dynast to finish the third of five paths. Meanwhile, Alphaks was punished by the other immortals and sent away for violating the rule to not directly interfere with things, and time was rewound by a year to just before things began, and only Alzar, and others sensitive to immortals and quests remembered and knew the previous storyline, and the battle was stopped. But it’s only so long that you can keep a powerful immortal from the Sphere of Entropy down…. |
As we learned in our last adventure, Alphaks was a despised despotic ruler of the extra-planar star-civilization of Atlantis, who then left the star kingdoms to flee him and arrived on Pandius and started the empire known today as Alphatia. After fleeing him, he followed to Pandius and gained immortality here after being supported by the first Entropic Immortal Thanatos, and one of the strongest immortals today. It was a decision others came to regret, as Alphaks had no respect for rule, law, or others of his own kind, before or after immortality.
So how long will he abide by an edict to not return to Pandius? The four major players in today’s political drama are: Alphatia – One of the two most powerful nations in the Known World, and one of only two true empires. Ruled by a magic user Empress and advised by a council of 1000 36th level mages. Thyatis – A recently created empire around 200 years old that is the big rival for Alphatia, led by fighters and people that respect actually getting their hands dirty. Norwold – Colony created by Alphatia across the sea, it has been a region of contention for a long time in the Alphatia/Thyatis struggle. Recently, Alphatia set up a new kingdom there around 10 years ago with the idea of putting it under their control. 8 years ago, Thyatis protested with war, and Alzar and others in Norwold secured their freedom from Thyatis. King Ericall is a bit weak, and desires freedom from Alphatia, after his mother, the empress essentially abandoned him due to his lack of magical talent. Barony of Qoedhar – Under the aegis of Alphatia, was one of the ones that began the naval war with Norwold that was reversed by the immortals. Very loyal to Alphatia, island off the northeast coast of Norwold, and yet the Baron recently asked for the Empress’s daughter in marriage, and she refused, and which Alzar found out in the last adventure, and has created some distance here between the farflung island and Alphatia Alphaks does not like Alzar’s growth of power since their previous encounter, nor his avatar’s loss at the hands of Alzar. He is looking to take Alzar down, and the changes and invasions to his nation from The Abyss and his attention being elsewhere is a perfect time for Alphaks… The word in Alzar’s court two days later arrives. A raiding party of Fire Giants is hitting north from the Jotunheimr Hills into the soft underbelly of his holdings, and about hit a village called Dawn’s Rising. Maybe they are emboldened by the new weather? Or perhaps they are transformed from Frost Giants or something. Whatever the reason, Alzar hears that the raiding party is pretty big. He grabs his Crystal Ball and checks out the area remotely. There are 100 ish Fire Giants, 50ish Hell Hounds, 2 large red dragons and some bugbears working the camp but not armed. (I upped the numbers). They are readying for a march and look to be about 10 miles from Dawn’s Rising. Alzar does not have enough time to prepare a spell-list or items set that reflects facing a lot of fire-laden stuff. He summons Vix, and then they leave the throne room and he casts Mount, Fly, Protection from Fire, Call Nightmare, teleports to a mile away, and flies down with his Nightmare, Griffin heading elsewhere to get away from the upcoming battle, with Vix and her flying chariot ready to support if needed, and then two move on them as they begin their march. They spend a few minutes planning tactics and items. |
The two red dragons see him fly down and fly up to meet him.
Aerial Battle: 2 vs 1 One breathes fire on Alzar (Immune, as is his Nightmare,) The other casts Magic Missile on Alzar. Only 10% is reflected and he takes 22, it got past his 75% Magic Resistance and she takes 5. Alzar casts Time Stop. He then follows with Vampiric Touch on the one dragon, and then…another round for Strip Resistance on the ancient one that breathed on him, and it works and removes much of its MR, and then….yes, one more spell, and it’s Transmute Flesh to Stone on the one open, and it makes it’s save. The other makes it’s Magic Resistance roll, and nothing else happens. Alzar – 67/89 3 vs 1 Another Magic Missile flies out, Alzar takes 10 more, most of the rest is stopped, and 40% is reflected, and it takes 6 more. The other swoops and engages Alzar in melee, and flying around him will smash hi, for 22 damage after seeing through his Cloak of Displacement (there will be no -2 AC for that this battle either for that reason). Alzar’s axe bites once for 17, his shield misses, and the Nightmare bites for 9. 41/89 One Dragon – 26 Two Dragon – 15 4 vs 7 Alzar carves again for 39 total damage, takes 25 in melee from the second dragon moving in, and his MR stops more spells from hitting him. 16/89 One Dragon – 26 Two Dragon – 54 Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action to force one combat round today to be won by him. He casts Heal and heals himself, and his steed deals 6. He takes 21. 68/89 One Dragon – 26 Two Dragon – 60 6 vs 5 They smash him for 18 more damage on two hits and then a Disintegrate spell at his steed works and the Nightmare is disintegrated. They were baited. Alzar had cast fly already, he is fine. His own axe carves and hits the wounded dragon twice for 32 and then Bright Barrier misses yet again. So sad. 50/89 One Dragon – 26 Two Dragon – 92 4 vs 6 Alzar’s axe bites twice more, and the wounded dragon dies as it was moving off. It falls lifeless to the ground. With it’s spells not fully working, its magic resistance gone, and it’s junior partner dead, the older one flies away. Alzar gets one attack of opportunity at range, and casts Finger of Death. Will it work? Nope, the dragon tossed a 15 and lived. Alzar mentally has his Griffin return and he rides it. After battle, Alzar will carve up the dead red dragon. Alzar wanted to animate the corpse, but he cannot (he’s lawful neutral now, if you’ll recall, not lawful evil, due to the Rod of Seven Parts) |
Alzar heads down, and the Fire Giants have lost their air support.
While in air, Alzar summons four Dire Bats with his Eyes of the King spell. They will fly around and harass the camp while Vix and Alzar hit the war party. They toss some boulders at Alzar as he leads the charge, but they miss with his Cloak of Displacement on. Vix uses a Protection from Giants scroll and is going to drop into the thick of their army. Alzar is working on the Hellhounds that patrol the edge of their march, as he is immune to magical fire right now. Alzar’s Axe of Selnyr is Extinguishing, so it does ,more damage vs fiery dorks like the Hell hounds. He grabs their attention, and they torch his Griffin as he closes to the ground, and then surround him. Alzar melees the hell hounds, Vix the giants. Some cross over. Alzar gets two nearby giants he had to deal with a few hell hounds approach Vix. But they have not realized that Alzar’s protection would not work on the giants, nor hers on the hounds, and the ground runs deep in the blood of fire giants and hell hounds…. (Random.org) They drop 21 hounds and 29 giants before the rest flee. Alzar and Vix are wounded, and he had to cast multiple healing spells, but they took out around 1/3 of the attacking giants, 40 of the attacking hellhounds, and both dragons. Alzar and Vix return as virtual conquering heroes at Dawn’s Rising. They are the rulers of this land, and are welcomed and greeted. Extra food is brought out. Today, Alzar and Vix showed just how powerful they are together, both as a fighting force, and for their Grand Duchy. As has been noted before, Fire Giants are the only lawful giant kind, there are no lawful good giants, no lawful neutral giants, and only they are lawful evil. Thus, they are battling Alzar right now with a strong organization. They were not routed, they just retreated and moved back to camp. They have called for magical reinforcements, and even the fleeing dragon has just been seen returning. It appears that some magicking is going on right now, and Alzar scries some additional aid teleporting in. They spend the night in a local tavern, Alzar takes some meetings remotely from the Grand Duchy, and answers questions remotely. That night, after dinner, Vix tells Alzar that she is pregnant with their first child, and thinks she is 6 weeks along. He uses some his clerical skills to verify it, and they will celebrate the news with more dead fire giants tonight. Alzar spies the camp and there are magical wards have been put in place that will detect magic use. He penetrates their defenses normally as a thief, and slips behind a giant tarp. He drops a Bead of Exploding for 5d6 while Vix attacks in the front at the same time. Alzar damages some equipment, kills a couple of bugbear servants, but very little is damaged until his axe protest the presence of a few foes. Between the two of them, four more giants died. They are forced back when two magic users emerge from a central tent, one of which is a Fire Giant shaman and the other a wizard, and their magic pushes back the Grand Duke and Duchess. Alzar retreats and casts a few surprises on the road to Dawn’s Rising, such as a Skulltrap, Blastbones, Glyph of Waring, Symbol and Watery Double. He even put Explosive Runes on a road sign pointing the way to Dawn’s Rising. In the morning, another march begins shortly after the day began and they move out. They find and dispel the various traps Alzar laid after the first Skulltrap goes off and kills a Hell Hound in front scouting. In fact, it slows them down by hours. They don’t get near the village until about two hours past noon, with the hot desert sun baking on the village and supporting their fire-based attack. In the morning, Alzar had cast spells that ward objects against fire, and summoned allies. This time, they will meet about ˝ a mile in front of the village, with people on the flanks in case they come over. Alzar has, meeting them, 2 Greater Earth Elemental (one from level 7 cleric magic, the other from wizard magic) 1 Earth, Fire, Air, Water Elementals 1 Earth, Fire, Water Elementals 2 more Earth Elementals 33 Sandlings 1 Invisible Stalker Diamond Golem summoned from Warp Marble Alzar on Nightmare Vix on Chariot with Manticore steed That’s not a small force. |
The Red Dragon sweeps in front of the army and breathes fire on the assembled defenses and then pulls back. It’s more cagey after the other dragon lost. Alzar casts haste as they arrive on the Elementals and some Sandlings. Alzar casts Strip Resistance at dragon after taking 6 damage. Vix took 22. 5 Sandlings died, the rest were spread out in order to protect from aerial fire breathes or magic such as fireballs or similar explosive or ranged spells from their foes. The dragon pulls out of range, but Alzar flies after it on his Nightmare.
2 Greater Earth Elemental (one from level 7 cleric magic, the other from wizard magic) 1 Earth, Fire, Air, Water Elementals 1 Earth, Fire, Water Elementals 2 more Earth Elementals 28 Sandlings 1 Invisible Stalker Alzar – 83/89 Vix – 122/144 4 vs 5 Battle begins. Alzar casts Finger of Death on the dragon. And…the dragon still has 17% MR, (it normally has 50%, and SR pulls off your spell level, so 33 for Alzar.) It hits the remnant and doesn’t penetrate further. Vix’s spear toss misses and returns to her hand. Alzar is hits with Magic Missile for 15 and no reverses back (they hit MR too after rebounding off his ring). One of the Fire Giants casts Abjure at his Nightmare and hits it and it heads back to his home plane. The other, the cleric, casts Remove on a Greater Elemental and……..it works too, also sent home. That’s not good. Make your saves folks! The rest of Alzar’s forces have engaged, and melee range is underway now. 8 vs 6 I am fastsimming everything with ranomdom.org but the major battle with Alzar, Vix, the dragon and the two spellcasters. A few of Alzar’s forces fall. Alzar is hit with the cleric spell Remove Magic and his Ring of Spell Turning is going inert for 10 rounds, as are every other item-based protection (like the Cloak, but not things like weapons, armor, etc, just magical protections provided by items for 10 rounds. This includes the 50% MR provided by his Amulet of Power, but not the 25% from Azzil.). The other casts Fireball and takes out some sandlings and a couple of Hell Hounds are not bothered by being caught in the blast. Alzar’s done the same trick with his undead and Skull Trap (which is necrotic damage undead are immune to) in the past. The dragon casts Magic Missile again and Alzar takes 21 damage (the rest caught in his 25% MR which remains). Alzar is still at range, but the Fly spell he again cast is slower than a dragon. He casts Maze on the dragon and gets through the dragon’s MR and the reis no save. It disappears for three rounds. Vix spears a shaman for 10 damage and they fly down to hit the gropos. Alzar – 62/89 Vix – 122/144 7 vs 6 Alzar and crew takes another 13 damage from various effects, and another mass damage spell (another Fireball, this time from a Wand) clears out more of their allies. Vix and Alzar arrive and smash the wounded Shaman for 52 total damage between them, and it reels. Alzar – 49/89 Vix – 122/144 Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action. Vix finishes off the Shaman and Alzar casts Power Word Kill at the mage and….it works. The Mage falls. They head up to where eth dragon will appear in a round. 3 vs 4 Alzar and Vix slash at the dragon as soon as it appears. It takes 21 damage total. Then it wing buffets Alzar and Vix away, they each take 15 damage Alzar – 34/89 Vix – 108/144 4 vs 6 Alzar casts Heal. Vix spear connects for 9. The dragon breathes again and Alzar takes 8 and Vix 37 after missing her save. Alzar – 80/89 Vix – 71/144 8 vs 2 The dragon uses its third and final breath. Alzar takes 7, Vix makes the save for 14. They spend the turn flying in to melee range again. Alzar – 73/89 Vix – 57/144 4 vs 1 The dragon melees Vix, seeing her wounded. She takes 21 from the dragon from a bite and claw. Alzar casts Heal on her and is out of Heals, she misses Alzar – 73/89 Vix – 144/144 7 vs 6 The dragon again buffets them away for 16 each. Spear hits for 10, Alzar’s Flesh to Stone spell…..gest past the MR and….the dragon makes the save Alzar – 57/89 Vix – 128/144 4 vs 6 Vix hits for 12. Alzar casts Time Stop, flies to the Dragon, and prepares for melee. 3 vs 4 Alzar’s axe carves twice for 35 damage, and his shield hits for 10. Vix misses, the dragon is badly wounded, and flies away. One attack of opportunity, at range, for both. Vix’s spear misses. Alzar casts Power Word Stun. Has it’s HP dropped low enough for it to work? Yes, no save, get’s past the MR, the dragon is stunned and falls to the ground. The fall finishes the dragon off. |
Alzar and Vix head back to the battle.
It looks like Alzar’s forces have been mostly destroyed, but about half of the army of Fire Giants and Hell Hounds was as well. Alzar casts Wail of Banshee, and finishes off some folks, Vix slays more, and in about ten rounds, another 8 giants and most of the remaining hell hounds are dead. Only 21 giants and 2 hounds are left from battle, and they flee. Alzar and Vix harass them, flying and hitting them from the edge as they do. Alzar’s Dire bats did little last night, but today they got behind their lines and destroyed their camp during the battle before the duration on them expired. Before Alzar and Vix are finished, most of the giants fall, and only 8 make it to the foothills and are left on the their own. They spend the next two days in Dawn’s Rising helping to rebuild the areas, scouting out survivors, taking care of the camp and some traps left behind, and more. No magical items or any other items of value, beyond things like normal giant-sized swords or food was found. Alzar suspects that all valuable objects were teleported away or secured. Alzar also carves up the second dragon as well. Defeating an attack on one of his village helps his domain’s confidence, and it rises by 10. |
A travelling cleric named Lambert Bohn arrived at the village of Dawn’s Rising about a week ago, and he is high enough level that he has been helping to create food for the village, heal people, and such. He is new to the region, and he grabs Alzar and Vix for a private meeting away from everything else.
He can’t tell them much. But he knows who sent the giants on their raid, further up in the mountains. He was pursued to the camp by the people that work for this rival of his, and they stole something from him that should have been secure. Alzar cast’s Detect Lie with Bright Barrier and confirms the story. Lambert Bohn should prove able to show them where the leader of this raid resides. As they get underway a few hours later, they arrive in the foothills. Alzar convinces him to agree to telling him and Vix much of his story, and he does. He is a powerful lawful neutral cleric who serves the Sphere of Time, and is on the Path of the Dynast as well. He has been chased by a rival cleric who serve the Sphere of Entropy, named Coiger de Mory who’s base is in the mountain and who had fire servants like the Fire Giants. Typically, pursuants of the Path must find and return an artifact of Time, and he has done so. He secured it into a bag of holding he has. But three days ago it disappeared, which should not normally be happy. He suspects some interference from Entropy. As both Alzar and Vix are also on paths for immortality, and Alzar is a fellow on the Dynast Path, Lambert Bohn believes that they were put there in that town by ally immortals to stop Coiger de Mory. Alzar and Vix agree to help Lambert to find Coiger de Mory, get the artifact back, and end the raids on their Grand Duchy as well. Before sleep, Alzar asks if Lambert knows which immortal Coiger might serve. He is not surprised at the answer. “Alphaks.” “Is he also on the path?” “Probably, one of the Path goals of Entropy is often finding an destroying an artifact from my sphere. And this guy is not nice.” “I suspect any servant of Alphaks wouldn’t be.” “But Coiger is especially vile. He destroys knowledge. He has a photographic memory, seeking out rare knowledge, and then destroys it after reading it so only he will know it.” “…he will not survive our battle.” |
3 days later they arrive at the large cave complex where Coiger resides. Alzar’s scrying is unable to penetrate the rock, there must be some magic anti-scrying defenses here. The cave system appears to be large, with giant bronze doors unlocked at the entrance, and they have seen at least 5 giants in and around the area.
They prepare some anti-giant and anti-cleric items and such and head in. Now as a reminder, Alzar is neutral for this due to the Rod, and cannot use any items or spells I deem evil. He cannot control undead or use poison or kill sleeping foes or anything else in that “Evil” genre. There is a guardpost with murder holes and giants behind them. Alzar has used Dust of Disappearance to remove himself. His thief skills should help him get in and scout around. The Dust is ideal as attacking and such won’t reveal you. There are four mountain giants, two fire giants, and two hellhounds here, and they are actively looking around the hillside leading up to it. Alzar sees great magical pikes from here than all six have available and could use them behind the murder holes. This was the only entrance, and Alzar can’t scry around to find others, nor can he relay on Passwall or similar spells working here. They have to go in hot. Is there a spell Alzar knows that could help? Alzar steps back until just one Mountain Giant’s murder hole can be seen. He can make out the giant behind it. He casts Domination and… it works. He dominates the Mountain Giant. The giant turns around and Alzar can see some others looking at it as it abandons its viewing of the area. The Mountain Giant is ordered to open the portcullis. He bends down and hoists the portcullis open. Other giants shout at him, and one moves to stop him. Alzar lets them, not wanting to start a fight that would be loud. Alzar has slipped inside unseen while this chaos happens. The mountain giant moves to a weapons rack where there are almost 15 more magical pikes, and steps in front, not menacingly, just active. Vix and the cleric are right behind, but not here yet. Alzar positions himself perfectly to block the exit from the gatehouse. He casts Silence on the gatehouse and entrance, then they hear him for about 5 seconds before it goes silent. His giant tears into the backside of an unsuspecting one, and they move out to attack it. Alzar moves in and his Axe of Extinguishing makes quick work of anyone who comes near, trying to escape the room. They can make him out now enough to attack him, and he is not moving away to dodge, thus opening it up, so he takes 24 damage. But he finishes the giants here, and waives the two in, and then they close the portcullis quickly and have secured entrance. Alzar 65/89 20 +2 pikes |
As they penetrate the area, a giant wyvern in a sinkhole flies down and attacks Lambert from behind, covered by the silence effect Alzar dropped. It hits for17 damage and…Lambert is poisoned. He cures himself next round, and Alzar and Vix make short work of it in two turns.
They slip in and Alzar scouts ahead, finds and disarms an alarm trap, and then removes a ballista trap that fires giant spears. Two more giants head into the hall randomly from a side passage, and make out movement by the guard house. They miss Alzar (still endusted) and on their way his Axe backstabs one and fells the other quickly. They penetrate in further. Alzar misses a magical trap and an alarm goes off as they are just a little bit from the living quarters of the giants. In a moment, about 20 giants pore out, and Alzar ha retreated behind the 2 Greater Earth Elementals he just summoned, and Vix moves in front. They know, silently, when to switch roles perfectly. Alzar is sliding to mage role from thief and fighter and her into warrior to block the corridor. Alzar’s short bow is out and he gets 6 shots a round with Vix’s spear and the Elementals punches in front. 5 vs 2 They attack first, and hit Vix twice. Lambert’s glowing sling smashes a ice pellet on a giant hell hound and hits for a ton of damage. Alzar follows his lead and slays it. Vix spears the foot of a fire giant and it backs up. Elementals smash and badly damage another giant. 7 vs 6 They attack again, and one elemental is wounded and taken around 35 damage total (magic weapons are needed to hit it, but they have all magic weapons). They hit Vix for 11 and a pair of Hell Hounds breathe on the back row. Alzar takes 9 total damage, and Lambert 18 total. Lambert Heals Alzar. Vix spears and slays a wounded elemental. Alzar slides to spells and casts Mass Suggestion. Three giants fails their saves, and Alzar suggests that they don’t want to fight any more. They drop their weapons, and head back to their living chamber. Another pair of hell hounds arrive, as do more giants. 4 vs 7 Lambert casts Creeping Doom and four huge insect swarms erupt from him to attack the foes. They deal 4d6 damage/swarm and attack five foes each, it’s one of the most powerful attack spells in a cleric’s arsenal, and should shorten this battle considerably. Alzar’s Earths smash and slay two giants Lambert wounded. Vix a third. Alzar casts Mass Domination, one of his best spells too and….5 giants turn against their allies and attack them from a flank and rear. It’s nasty. They kill a wounded elemental. Hit vix for 10, but are distracted and hitting each other. 3 vs 2 They win init. They get a crit twice and kill a barely damaged greater elemental. They kill a dominated giant. More giants pore out. Creeping doom slays some hounds, Alzar’s dominated quintet damage them heavily, Lambert Cure Critical Wounds Vix and she finishes a wounded hellhound. 4 vs 8 Alzar’s force regain inits. Two more giants slain by their group this turn. A human cleric has arrived, and casts Dispel Magic. Alzar moves to melee range this round. The Suggestions and Creeping Doom are dispelled. Alzar asks quickly if that is Coigner, but Lambert shakes his head no. 3 vs 6 They keep init. Another Creeping Doom spews forth from Lambert. Vix closes on the cleric, wanting force him to melee range, but it opens her to more damage from the remaining forces. Alzar casts Wail of the Banshee and 6 more drop dead. A female half-elf rounds the bend and casts Dispel on the next Doom and four mountain giants arrive, three of which were the ones Alzar’s suggested. That suggestion was dispelled too. Their male cleric Flame Strikes Vix for 29. Alzar’s group takes a lot of damage. Vix 22 this round from weapons, Lambert 11, and Alzar 15. Alzar: 74/89 Vix: 74/144 6 vs 4 They get init again. They hit Vix for 33, and a third cleric rounds the hallway. Lambert shouts out “Coiger!” and he nods gently before casting Remove Magic on Alzar to again strip his defenses for 10 rounds. The female cleric casts Cause Critical Wounds on Vix for 25 and the male she engages hits her for 14, and she takes 10. Alzar casts Heal on Vix. Vix misses twice. Lambert casts Flame Strike for 30 on the male cleric in front. Alzar: 74/89 Vix: 144/144 5 vs 9 They wrest control back from their enemies. Alzar slays a wounded mountain giant. Lambert casts Silence on the male cleric in front. Vix stabs him twice for 22. He falls. Two clerics left. They smash Vix for 22 and Alzar for 11. Alzar is targeted by Coiger with Harm spell and it…gets through his defenses and he is dropped to 6 hp. Alzar 6/89 Vix – 122/144 Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action and casts his 2nd Heal for the day on himself. Vix stabs and slays the last hell hound. Lambert heals himself. A Cause Critical on Vix for 25 and 42 more damage from a giant and a Flame Strike drop her badly. Vix - 65/144 5 vs 2 The clerics win init. Their four remaining giants miss, but one cleric quaffs a potion of invulnerability and moves to the front as the other casts Hold Person at Alzar. It cracks his MR and….yes, he fails his save. Needs his Rings! He is stunned and paralyzed. Lambert casts Freedom on Alzar and he is fine, but misses the turn. Vix spears and wounds a giant. 6 vs 5 Alzar takes 13 from a giant. The cleric with the invulnerability pot is in front and hits Vix for 11. The other casts another r Hold at Alzar. It cracks his lowered MR and he tosses an 12 and is fine. Lambert, Alzar, and Vix combine to kill the last Fire Giant that was unwounded. Just two mountains left. 7 vs 9 Alzar casts Dispel and drops the invulnerability. Vix and Lambert hit the female cleric hard for 33. Coiger casts Word of Recall and is gone. The giants miss. 5 vs 4 Alzar and party kill the cleric, and the giants two turns later. |
That leaves just Coiger in the area. Now a Word of Recall takes you to your sanctum, and that;s this place. He can’t have moved far.
They found keys on a cleric’s body, nothing else obvious, and will look more detailed later. Without any resistance they scour, until they find a hidden room in the back is Coigar’s They arrive. He has conjured four demons, and has 2 mek golems and two bronze golems for guard. Alzar and party are ready. He has conjured two normal Earth Elementals, and one Air with his magic ad items. Joining them are an Invisible Stalker and Aerial Servant of Lambert. (random.org) Alzar and party only care about Coiger, but he has 8 dorks in front. But Coiger is out of most of his spells. He has grabbed some scrolls and pots though! He has three charges left in a Wand of the heavens that casts Flame strike. But he can’t outduel these folks. The demons fall first, with Coiger forcing most of Lambert’s curative magic to be cast. Alzar abjured one of his demons home. They summoned and gated in some dretches and manes, but they were quickly ended. Vix was devastating in ending the lives of demons with assurance. And Alzar’s neverended magic just assaulted Coiger and broke him. Coiger was left after his golems fell. He barters, gambles, offers Alzar an army of giants to serve. Alzar’s axe is his answer. His final words are, “Slay me, and I bring dark and deep death upon your land!” Alzar’s axe finishes him. They win the battle after 11 rounds. Alzar wants to cast the evil spell that traps the soul of a dead person to keep them and ask them questions, but he can’t. He uses the Death Mask of Ptah instead and Coiger’s soul heads to bliss and cannot be interacted with. He cannot be raised, animated, or communited with. Alzar also finds two Death Tyrants guarding the creature room, and casts Control Death Tyrants, and adds them to his horde, and teleports them to Ilth K’hinax. (I wanted to end that one pretty quickly after I slowed and did the first battle for a while, you’ll see why soon) |
They find a jail with 5 prisoners – One a wererat that Alzar brings into his lycanthrope secret police. The others are an acrobat, warrior, and two children. They were expected to be sacrifices for various dark accoutrements. They will be Mass Teleported back to Dawn’s Rising.
They find: 2500 gold bars worth 350 gp each 25 1000 gp gems 200000 worth of assorted jewelry Wand of Fire, 2 charges left Potions – Rainbow Hues, Luck, Fire Giant Control, Flying Ring of Protection +4 2x +3 Morning Star, Shield, Plate Mail +4 Plate Mail, +4 Warhammer 40 +2 polearms (Pikes, Halberds, etc) These books 10 books on where to find artifacts (these was falsified by Coiger to throw people off his trail) 996 volumes on linguistic history, writing, calligraphy, runes, and language. These tomes are detailed enough to give the reader a Sage Knowledge: Linguistics specialty if they were all known. 3 volumes of Coiger’s journals They are all secured in extra-dimensional space. On the belt of Coiger was The Girdle of De’Rah, the artifact Alar/Vix/Lambert came here for. Lambert takes it. (I have the stats, it’s specializes in healing and scrying. It’s pretty good.) Lambert takes the Girdle, and the rest falls to Alzar and Vix. Lambert asks….”What do think he meant with his final threat?” “I’m not sure, it could have been nothing, just death talk” “Just in case, I’d like to join you for a bit, to make sure that was all it was.” “Of course…” |
Two days later, as Alzar finishes collecting the stuff from Coiger’s dungeon and returning everyone and making sure defenses begin to start for the village, they find out about a huge earthquake that just hit the Ljallenvals near the center of Alzar’s Grand Duchy that morning.
“He said dark and deep vengeance would be his. That can’t be a coincidence.” “I agree, we’ll teleport over there momentarily to check it out Lambert.” (Now can you see why I’d want to get past a fight that the PCs are supposed to win anyways with random.org finishing it?:) ) After scrying the mountain chain Alzar sees a huge newly created sinkhole. They teleport over to investigate. This is a huge sinkhole, it appears to drop more than 300 feet to a large chamber beneath. They head down to scout around. In the giant chamber is a small Earth Elemental creature that meets them. It calls out to Alzar “Hello fellow Master of Earth! Morena sends her bidding. She knew that you, as a fellow Earth Friend and servant of Matter would arrive here and would need a guide into this dark interweb of earthquake-created chambers. It is clearly the work of Entropy. I am here to save as your guide. Morena apologizes for not making it herself, but you know how immortals are. Too high and mighty for us. I am Gorm.” Gorm heads out and reveals the giant chamber they are in. Gorm says the center of the earthquakes is down here and they need to head left and leads. He arrives four rooms later at a large machine. Alzar passes a check, and this is likely the source, as it’s vibrating and seems to be connected to earth magic. Gorm mentions that this is a large, great earthquake machine, and five keys need to be found and attached to turn off the machine. Gorm points out th e five places where the keyholes are. Gorm will stay here and watch the machine while the party heads out. “I can’t join you actively, without violating immortal rules and such. All I can do is guide you to end this heavy bending of immortal law.” Alzar and party head out. Two chambers later they arrive at a huge room with five monolith sculptures. They move into the room, and out from the ground emerges a giant beetle that Alzar has never seen before.  |
As it arrives, a small earthquake shakes the room and soil falls. Alzar doesn’t know this giant beetle-like thing, and neither does Lambert, who just shrugs and grabs his magical sling. Vix does. She shouts out they are Earthquake Beetles are dreaded in the Hollow World she is from as they can make the very ground your enemy.
Weapons are up. This thing is as big as dragon, and Alzar wants to kill it as quickly as possible. You don’t want to fight an earthquake causing enemy underground for too long. Alzar leads with Finger of Death. No Magic Resistance, great! It only needs a 4 to make it save and it does. (8 tossed). It takes 20 from range attacks from Vix and Lambert before reaching melee. For this battle, the team will lose init every round due to uncertain ground, and be at -2 to hit and +2 to be hit. (random.org) Alzar took 22, Vix 21, and Lambert 25 but won. They take more damage then they thought they would. But they won. Alzar approaches the first monolith, and as he does, he can see the air in front of the monoliths is creating another earthquake beetle. These must be part of the earth quaking. Maybe the machine is making the monoliths make these beetles? (Random.org) Alzar takes 37 total, Vix 44 total, Lambert still at 25. He heals Alzar for 25, so Alzar has 12 damage left. Alzar is at the left most monolith. There is a puzzle written on the stone of the monolith. It’s a math puzzle. Alzar answers the puzzle, and presses the answer on some runes. The monolith turns off and a small crack opens in the monolith, revealing a key. Another beetle spawns. (random.org) and is killed. Alzar finishes another puzzle, and each time another earthquake beetle spawns. Four monoliths turn off. Then the last one. Five keys secured. ( I random.org, and Lambert used Heal twice, and has taken 15 left, Vix fully healed, Alzar currently at 77/89). They return to the box with the keys, and Gorm is happy to see them, he says he was getting a little scared down here by himself. Alzar places the five keys into the magical earthquake making box, and turns them. The box clicks, opens, revealing a portal to the Elemental Plane of Earth. It must have been where the Earthquake Box was getting it’s energy to fuel earthquakes and Earthquake Beetle making. The box is shut down. As just as that threat is ended, Gorm silently opens a previously hidden giant portal to Earth in the floor, and as Alzar, Lambert and Vix begin to slip into the Plane, Gorm looks over and states, “I never stated that I served Morena. Just in case you were wondering.” (I added this last part, just in case you were wondering, and shifted the Earthquake Beetle area, just to make it a little more anti-Alzar. Something even Alzar would fall for.) |
Alzar casts some of the planar survival spells he has from the Astral school in his cleric track. Lambert doesn’t have access to them. Alzar enables them to move around and breathe earth, both very hard. But he has no magic available just yet to get them back.
They begin to move through the earth. Alzar leads, and soon they make some contact with some local earth creatures. Eventually they find they are in a region controlled by a small Dao family, evil earth genies. Alzar heads to their home, introduces himself (Genie Lore) and seeks a boon. They agree to send him and the two with him home, but not before they head to a local foundry that stopped working, find out the issue, and fix it. He agrees with a Genie Pact spell. The Dao are the reason that transit out is not as easy as it is in. It takes three days to get to the foundry, clean it of the local earth crabs and insects here that infested it, and then another two to return. After being in the Earth Elemental Plane for 6 days, they are teleported back to Pandius, and to Alzar’s home in Evenarrow… As they arrive near the palace, Alzar sees banners flying above the parapets of his keep that indicate danger. As Alzar is seen, a cry goes up and within minutes the soldiers of his keep are blabbering. Alzar points to one to talk. “Thank the gods you are back! Without either of you here, the Grand Duchy has been paralyzed as war came ten days to Norwold!” Alzar investigates, and within ten minutes, he finds out what has happened |
Ten days Ago: The city of Oceansend was attacked at night by stealth, the gates were open, many of the soldiers poisoned, and the city was taken quickly by treachery. It now flies the banner of Baron Norlan of Qoedhar. Oceansend is still the most valuable city in the region, and it fell in a night.
Four Days Ago: A combined arms regiment led Baron Norlan and supported by a flying castle began a siege of Landfall. That won’t be a major loss to Alzar’s eyes as it is the den of thieves and pirates and corruption, but it is the 3rd most valuable city in the area and taking it removes a major thorn and potential flanking force is off the map. Alzar reaches out, and today, it appears that Norlans forces won. The skycastle and troops were too much, and the city fell. Alzar reaches out to Vix and Lambert. “It seems Alphaks is cleverer than we thought. He was willing to sacrifice one of his own Immortality Pawns to check us hard. This was never about your quest Lambert. Everything, the village raid, the earthquake machine, and the earth elemental plane side-trip were designed to keep us off the board as long as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had already worked with the Dao to keep us from getting back quickly and adding the adventuring we had to do.” |
Alzar gathers his court, soldiers and everyone else outside of his keep. Within 90 minutes all of Evenarrow is assembled.
“As you know, for the last ten days, our nation has been invaded, and we are now at war. It appears we are battling against Baron Norlan and some friendly forces from Alphatia who are “punishing” Norwold for it’s independent desires. It’s clearly a front. These aren’t punitive raids. They are battles for occupation. They are taking our lands. So far, Oceansend and Landfall have fallen. I am damned tired of these people who think they can manipulate us. As you may have heard, I and your Grand Duchess stopped a raid on the western flank of our mighty nation of more than 100 giants and 50 hellhounds and 2 dragons. That’s who we are! Do you see other rulers out here doing that? Making that sort of change? And we sent away from this plane to be lost, manipulated, sent astray when you needed us most. But did it work? Are we still gone? Yes, two major cities have fallen, that’s true. One by deceptions, and the other by magic. They haven’t even won a single battle on the high seas or a battlefield. They cheated in Oceasnend. But are we going to fall to deception? To magic? Do you think they’ll out-magic us? No, of course not! And we all know they are coming here to Evenarrow. You won’t be able to win this war without taking Alpha, our capital. The only way there is through Evenarrow. Almost ten years ago I was given an option to choose where in Norwold I wanted to settle and build. I did not choose a valuable or wealthy area in the south. No! I knew this was important militarily. Taking this area is a sacred trust, because of it’s strategic value. And I built a fortress here at Evenarrow that would be one of the largest out there, and again on Bergholm Island and another in Raider’s Point. We knew that someday, this would happen. At some point in time, our enemies would come to Evenarrow. They would through themselves at our walls. They would throw themselves at our troops. At you and at me. At some of best soldiers in all of Norwold! Our time has arrived! Your Duchess and I have returned in time to rally the defenses. Together, all of us will take on this great challenge, and we will win. Have we fallen to demons? Giants? Is the baron of some tiny island worth less than one-tenth of Evenarrow going to end us? NO! And starting today, we will remind the world that our name is not just a trick. Not just a bit of subterfuge. Our name is not a misnomer. WE ARE MIGHTY. WE ARE MIGHTY! And we will answer the call of war with arrows and axes. We will show the world the power of our name. We. Are. Mighty. Go win this war!” |
Lambert offers to stay to help with the war effort, and his magic and healing and artifact will all be very useful in the upcoming battle.
(I have a book of the entire timetable for the war effort, and I have, and this is not a joke, more than fifty armies with various battle values ready to go, as well as tons of ships. Now in the game timeline, they assault Landfall in week 4, giving the PCs time to react after Oceansend falls. I don’t like that. These are two separate armies and navies, and striking that far delayed is silly. Six days later is pretty good, very little rallying could happen in that time, but four weeks? Nah.) (In the book, Alpha, the capital, is attacked in week 10. We are in week 2, so I am adding an attack on Evenarrow in Week 6, with the flying castle as well, to win quickly and secure transportation to the capital. If we hold here, and prevent them from entering the Great Bay, then they can’t win this war, and we’ll have essentially won the war as a proxy for the entire region. See why Alphaks really wanted Alzar to have a slow response?) The flying castle is nasty. When involved in a siege, it removes the huge siege bonus to a defender. When used to raid behind lines each week it’ll drop the battle rating of one enemy army by -10. Nasty stuff. Alzar spends a long time getting ready. He knows the massive value of defending Evenarrow will be removed if the sky castle attacks, and it clearly will. Evenarrow has to fall, so Baron Norland and his allies will pore everything into this assault and that includes the flying castle. Alzar has an ally he can call on to help though. A flying cloud castle Alzar helped to clear of flying demons. And he was given a cloud gem to summon aid if he ever needed it. He needs it. |
Week 3 –
Alzar uses his Cloud Gem. Four days later, Lachlan’s cloud castle arrives. It’s on a thundercloud and made of a cloudy material that turns solid as people near it. Alzar heads up to talk with the cloud giant about helping, Lachlan agrees. Damage to the Cloud castle can be repaired by mental control of Lachlan bringing in more cloudy material. They aren’t risking much. Lachlan will help Alzar out twice more and then his debt is paid for freedom and his family and castle making it through unscathed. The goal is to have the Cloud castle hidden away above the sky castle. Then as battle is entered, they can be hit from higher up. Alzar also brings up the Skyfish and preps the flying vessel. Alzar teleports to the local Aarakocra in the Ljallenvals, greets them including Tcho’eh and they agree to help out as a surprise raiding force on the skycastle. After helping them survive the demon attacks, they are willing to help out the Lord of Wood and Fire. Alzar calls on his 2000 dwarven army in Hammerhelm to rouse and ready, and move into Evenarrow. They have historically been a reserve force only to be next door in case the worst happens. He does not call on Barkal the Red, the barbarians, or others. |
Week 4 –
Alzar Worldwalks to Gammar in the Star Kingdoms and buys four more Phase Ships and brings them over for his navy. His full army is assembled. He hands out the sixty +2 polearms, and uses the time to make sure his magists and himself are working overtime to get Spellcache Rings on soldiers. A simple Sleep spell or Hold Person unleashed at the right time can win a battle when it comes from enough hands. Alzar brings some special aerial shock troops from Saffir. As you may recall, Saffir has 50 mounted griffins and aerial cavalry. Alzar brings them over to Even arrow to help out with the local defenses, and has them work out with the local forces too. The Army at Evenarrow: Light Foot Soldiers – 1000 troops, 20 leaders – 2000 gp – AC6, longsword + dagger Heavy Foot Soldiers – 600 troops, 15 leaders – 1900 gp, AC4, longsword, spear, dagger Light Horse Soldiers – 400 troops, 10 leader – 2600 gp, AC6, longsword, lance Heavy Horse Soldiers – 350 troops, 8 leader – 5600 gp, AC 2, longsword lance Crossbow Troops – 750 troops , 20 leaders – 3000 gp, AC 5, heavy crossbow, shortsword 67 Officers – 670 gp, AC 2 better than troop they lead The Mighty Navy 1 war galley 3 large galleys 15 small galleys 19 Phase Ships BR 94 Phase Ships are nasty harassers that phase in and out like the blink spell, but the rest are weak. It’s more a light engagement force and great at fighting pirates and such but not strong in a ship for ship battle. For example, here is Baron Norlan’s Warfleet: 5 war galleys 8 large galleys 25 smalls BR of 123 with 5300 marines in the fleet ready to launch and attack That’s so much better than ours They also have a pirate mercenary force with 80 longships with a 109 BR and 4000 troops, and then a transport Guild Fleet with 50 troop transports. Big stuff. As you can see, it’s around 3100 total troops. BR is 112, +20 with the Baton of Victory We would normally get +50 for defending a siege. Hard to deal with! But…. That’s not going to last too long. Alzar has his engineers make and mount more artillery, mainly ballistas that can be turned up at flyers or castles that fly overhead. This week, unbeknownst to Norwold, Thyatis secretly swaps forces into Oceansend and Landfall, and all of Baron Norlan’s forces are freed to descend on Evenarrow. |
Week 5 –
It appears that Baron Norlan has mercenaries, his own forces, and Alphatian loyalists on his side. The skycastle is the only one in the Alphatian military, and was brought by a loyalist. There are more than 12 young Alphatian scions that see this as a worthy war for Alphatia against the independent minded Norwold, and Baron Norlan is clearly the ringleader in bringing them to “victory”. Coming towards Evenarrow are three separate fleets, as well as the Skycastle, and troops. They are about to hit, hard, in a few days. Alzar spends the last few days preparing everything. Traps. Defenses everywhere. Teleporitng all around, making sure that Bergholm Island and Raider’s Point are also defensed in case this is an elaborate feint. He doesn’t think so. This has the feel of an invading occupancy, and Evenarrow is the 4th largest and most valuable economy of any city in the nation, and in a strategically important place and on a key trade route. With the Sky Castle, taking it feels like something normal. |
Week 6
Battle arrives! These forces are here: Baron Norlan’s Warfleet: 5 war galleys 8 large galleys 21 smalls BR of 123 with 2200 marines in the fleet ready to launch and attack Pirate and mercenary force with 65 longships with a 109 BR and 3500 troops Army of Qoedhar – 4500 troops - 145 BR 2000 cavalry 1000 archery cavalry 1500 spellcasting pegataurs with bow/sword Transport fleet, being being involved in battle. Sky castle, fully stocked with troops. We have. Mighty Militia – 112 BV Light Foot Soldiers – 1000 troops, 20 leaders – 2000 gp – AC6, longsword + dagger Heavy Foot Soldiers – 600 troops, 15 leaders – 1900 gp, AC4, longsword, spear, dagger Light Horse Soldiers – 400 troops, 10 leader – 2600 gp, AC6, longsword, lance Heavy Horse Soldiers – 350 troops, 8 leader – 5600 gp, AC 2, longsword lance Crossbow Troops – 750 troops , 20 leaders – 3000 gp, AC 5, heavy crossbow, shortsword 67 Officers – 670 gp, AC 2 better than troop they lead, 67 polearms +2 2. Dwarven Fighters, 2000, 101 We have two Batons of Victory, Alzar has given one to the fighters: |
The big issue is their key force and it’s pegataurs. That’s nasty. The sky castle leads, and is trying to create a landing spot for their force first. Alzar orders the attack on the sky caste, and within a minute, a cloud castle descends on it, and Alzar teleports over.
The following forces are ready to force the sky castle out. Vix on Flying Chariot Alzar on Skyfish 150 Aarakocra 2 Air Elementals 4 Dire Bats 1 Aerial Servant 50 Griffin Riders And this is behind the normal Cloud Castle. The Cloud Castle is hitting from surprise above and taking the artillery and such, and responding, and then swooping behind from four flanks are the flying folks above. As Alzar approaches he feels a vague necrotic pull from the sky castle. Undead? Why and how are there undead on that sky castle? Flying out from the skycastle are four wings of 12 pegataurs each to defend it. Vix is leading the south flank with Alzar’s bats and a Servant, Alzar has the north with just his Skyfish and the elementals are secret powerful troops on the other flanks have the riders and Aarakocra wings. Alzar takes a few magic missiles and then drops the flank with Wail of the Banshee. Alzar – 66/89 Vix takes a few rounds and works more normally. She takes more damage, but the pegataurs are slain. Vix 88/144 2 Dire Bats remain The other two flanks are out smashed by the large number of troops. Griffin Riders lose 5 and the Aarakocra 13. Flanks are down. Alzar can see 100 Pegataurs launching from the fleet up to help with the Skycastle. They are a few minutes away. They were escorting ships to keep the Mighty Navy inside the defense. Alzar orders Vix and the various forces under her control to attack the flying pegataurs and to head back to the Cloud castle to defend along with the cloud giants. If they, long distance, see everyone fly back, then Alzar should be able to board. Alzar, two Elementals, and Aerial Servant arrive Alzar arrives on the battlements and there are six Manscorpions here manning the battlements and artillery, one each. This is an odd choice for a sky castle. Chaotic evil manscorpions? Weird. They are very powerful here on Pandius. Alzar can’t get into a prolonged battle here on the battlements if he wants to hide his presence from the oncoming Pegataur force. He casts Time Stop, Wail of the Banshee and Skull Trap. Just one is still alive. He could only get 5 Mans in the range of the Trap, so it’s unwounded. |
Battle,
It wins. It stabs out at Alzar for 14 damage, and Alzar makes the poison save (Alicorn, Periapt) easily. Alzar’s axe carves it twice for 33, he misses with his shield, an Air punches it for 16. Alzar wins init and slays it with melee, and he orders the elementals and servant to hide the corpses in a side room, and then hide the Skyfish while Alzar penetrates the sky castle. Inside the gatehouse he hits another 5 Manscorpions who come out charging. One is a cleric who casts Remove Magic. Alzar casts one spell too before the 4 charging for melee are in. His Death Spell drops two more Manscorpions. 6 vs 5 Alzar is hit twice for 11 damage and then Cause Critical for 25, He casts Heal and cures his damage. 89/89 5 vs 8 Alzars hits three times and kills a Man. He takes another 25 and they miss him. 64/89 7 vs 4 They hit once with a claw for 11, and the cleric hits with Cause Medium for 15. He clashes and kills another scorpion. Just the cleric left 38/89 4 vs 3 The cleric hits for another Cause Med for 15. Alzar casts his other Heal spell. 8 vs 9 Alzar carves and finishes the cleric. All dead. He moves on. 89/89 |
He finds some storage with more than 2000 +2 ballista bolts and such. Then a kitchen with a few humanoid slaves Alzar tells them to hide in the guardhouse and runs around.
By now the Pegataurs are not arriving, so Alzar bought some time, but his airs didn’t come back either, which he expected. He finds a servants quarters with 7 more slaves and sends them scurrying. He then arrives into a room with almost 100 soldiers and they are a conventional artillerists barracks. They were readying weapons and such when Alzar arrived, and move to attack him. Round 1 - Alzar casts Mass Charm. 10 are now his friends and they move away from battle. 92 left. Alzar is missed this round by everyone (Cloak) Round 2 – Alzar uses Ring of Quick Action. He casts Mass Domination. 11 begin attacking their friends. 81 left. He takes 19 damage from a few missiles and melee attacks that manage to hit. 70/89. 5 vs 6 Alzar casts Mass Suggestion, and 13 more drop their weapons and move off. Three die from Alzar;s suggested force. 65 left. Alzar takes another 15 55/89 5 vs 4 Alzar takes 22 and casts heal on himself. 4 more die. 61 left. 89/89 5 vs 8 Alzar casts Hold Person and six freeze. 3 more fall. 52 left Alzar takes one hit for 3. 86/89 8 vs 7 They hit Alzar for 18 and then kill most of the remaining suggested people, just one dies back. Alzar casts Hold Person and another 6 fall. 45 left 68/89 3 vs 6 Alzar casts Chaos and most fail their save. 5 fall in the Chaos. Alzar is attacked half as much and hit just twice for 8. 60/89 /3 vs 1 They hit him for 11. Alzar grabs hits weapons and kills three. 6 more fall to Chaos. 31 left 49/89 5 vs 6 (random.org, Alzar kills the room, drops the 24/89 hp before he does. Chaos was the big winner.) Alzar kills three more Alzar cast Cure Crit for 25 and Cure med for 15 64/89 |
He feels a necrotic tug in the next floor down. This is the castle’s commander. Alzar slows down, switches his Quick Action ring and swaps it for Free Action, scrys, sees a Lich here, who is fully ready for battle, with magical shields up. Alzar grabs some anti-lich and anti-magic stuff and goes in hot.
Alzar sees 6 specters and a lich here – the lich has up a few magical defenses. Alzar casts Laudryn’s Defenses to drop them. One remains (Total Immunity, 9th level spell). The specters fly to attack him and close, and the lich casts Time Stop. It casts Strip Resistance, Power Word Kill, Power Word Stun, TS drops. Alzar is immune to the 2nd, and the 1st hits the Ring and….70% reflects, so Alzar gets +7 to his roll, only a 1 fails. He makes it (11). 6 vs 7 Alzar wins init and needs to take out the Lich, but it ha a total immunity. Just a five round spell. He focuses on the Specters instead and his axe kills one dead, and they miss a bunch, and one hits but he is immune to energy drain from his items, and he just takes 5. The lich casts Power Word Blind, again, he makes the save 59/89 3 vs 1 They hit twice for 6 damage. The Lich casts Finger of Death 40% rebounds and…..Alzar only fails on a 1 or 2 and….tosses a 2. ALZAR DIES. Well, except for that Protective Amulet. If you’ll call, Alzar sets Protective Amulet for each spell, and when it resolves and would work, it instead is stopped and the protective amulet has to be recast for that level. So the next FoD that works will kill him in this adventure, before he reloads that spell tonight. Alzar’s axe a weapons drop another specter, just 4 left 53/89 1 vs 6 Alzar kills a third specter, is hit for 5, and then a Magic Missile flies in, but they are redirected and/or Magic Resistance (it’s down to 20%) and only 9 more hits. The Lich took 4. 39/89 7 vs 5 The magic shell on the Lich drops. It casts Anti-Magic shell and moves to melee range. The Specters miss. Alzar casts Mordenkainen’s Disjunction, which drops the AMS 8 vs 7 Alzar takes two scrapes for 8 damage. Then the Lich casts Disintegrate and…..it gets through MR and….20% redirected, and Alzar….just needs a 3 to save. It makes it (16) and then carves with his axe and its the Lich twice and misses with the shield for 29. 31/89 6 vs 9 Alzar’s axe snicks out and hits twice again (he just needs a 2) and then he smashes for 36 and the Bright Barrier (needs an 8) hits for another 9 for 45 damage. The lich is badly wounded but remains. It’s phylactery must not be near if it’s confident it won’t; permanently pass. Another Disintegrate? Fails in the MR. They hit him for 5 more 26/89 4 vs 3 They miss, and Alzar takes a Polymorph Other spell and….gets past MR, 50% reflect, _5 to his save, he makes it, but the lich tosses a 2 and is polymorphed to a snail. Alzar kills it and finishes the two specters 22/89 He casts some Cure Lights and one Meds and such and is now 77/89. |
He still feels another necrotic tug coming from the main navigational chamber…
On the other side of the main chamber are another barracks, as 200 troops are here. But are fleeing right now, and the Pegataurs are landing after killing the airs and in about 5 minutes or so Alzar penetration deeply into the air castle will be reported and acted on by authorities In the control room, are covered by a copper-life metal, and sitting on a massive crystal=lined throne is a small human male child who barely seems alive. Alzar walks in. The child opens its eyes and claims to be a captured subject and doesn’t know, but Alzar senses a necrotic…presence. He grabs the Star of Mo-Pilar from his belt, and it shows the true form of the child is an undead creature. Seeing Alzar use the Star, the creature rises from the throne, and the castle lurches a bit as if unpiloted, and then it transforms into it’s normal giant undead form. This is a powerful Nightwalker. When It resumes its form, all potions and food is spoiled. Thus Alzar is potion less for this battle. Nightwalker – 149 HP, -6 AC, 2 attacks for 3d10 damage each. Alzar needs a 5 to hit with his Axe and he cannot be hit with the Barrier (too weak of a +). Alzar could just try to melee it, but without his Heals or healing of potions, that would not be easy. He guesses it would take four 4-5 rounds to finish it off, but not enough time in here to rebuild himself. Alzar casts his 4th level Priest spell Protection from Undead as it closes. This will act like a scroll for just five round. Alzar’s Amulet vs Undead gives him he entire initiative round. Round 1 – Alzar hits twice for 37. It misses, and sees the protection. It breaks a gem and the protection dissipates. Round 2- Alzar slashes twice for 32. He is hit once for 3+5+5 – 13. 64/89 Round 3 – Alzar hits once for 14. He is hits twice for 31 33/89 Round 4 – Alzar casts the Pro Spell again, another gem is used Round 5 – Alzar casts the Pro spell again, the gem is used Can Alzar out-gem him? Round 6 – Alzar casts Time Stop from storage. His final Pro is cast, and he casts Hold Undead… End… Hold fails. Round 7 – Alzar swings and hits twice for 41. It uses a gem. That was Alzar’s last pro, but combining it with TS gained full turn,. Round 8 – The Nightwalker is at 124/149. Can Alzar kill it this round? He rolls…8 so he hits for when he hits, he does +5 for Selnyr, +3 for Weapon mastery, and +7 for STR, so +15 to hits 1d8. He tosses a 3 and hits for 18. Alright, just 6 left. Can he hit again? He tosses a 13 and hits. Dead nightwalker. In those 8 rounds, the castle has been veering uncaptained. |
Alzar steps into the throne to control it. You need a combined WS + CHA of at least 32, and he does easily. He is able to glide it over the battlements and gently to the ground in about a minute. The folks outside are panicking and Alzar’s forces take out the small Pegataurs and such in and around the castles. Guiding the castle gives off a nasty necrotic energy, and Alzar can’t keep it up for long. He teleports in Draconus, the LG ghost who will control it for the battles today
The cloud castle remain overhead and their beachhead under the castle is threatened. The other 1400 pegataurs left are enough to force the ships to land and drop off forces without any major harassing force to contest their presence. Battle begins, but now we have the +50 seige bonus. |
Battle #1
They lead with their best: Army of Qoedhar – 4400 troops - 145 BR 2000 cavalry 1000 archery cavalry 1400 spellcasting pegataurs with bow/sword They also have a Baton of Victory. Alzar leads his force Mighty Militia – 112 BV Light Foot Soldiers – 1000 troops, 20 leaders – 2000 gp – AC6, longsword + dagger Heavy Foot Soldiers – 600 troops, 15 leaders – 1900 gp, AC4, longsword, spear, dagger Light Horse Soldiers – 400 troops, 10 leader – 2600 gp, AC6, longsword, lance Heavy Horse Soldiers – 350 troops, 8 leader – 5600 gp, AC 2, longsword lance Crossbow Troops – 750 troops , 20 leaders – 3000 gp, AC 5, heavy crossbow, shortsword 67 Officers – 670 gp, AC 2 better than troop they lead, 67 polearms +2 We get +50 for siege, , and we both have Batons so they cancel each other out. Any other issues or benefits? They get +15 for ratio +10 Home field +50 siege Result: We have 162 to their 160, or a +12 differential in our favor That’s so close t’s pretty dead even. We each roll d100 and… We get a 22, they a 65. They win with 20% losses to our 30%. They are not fatigued, we are moderately fatigued. Battle 1 over Battle 2 Dwarves of Hammerhelm, 101 Vs Baron Norlan’s Warfleet: BR of 123 with 2200 marines in Alright, they get another +10 for a unit of theirs winning vs our +60. The dwarves toss a 55. They a 66. Result? Dwarves win with 20% and they lost 50%. Dwarves are not fatigued, they are heavily fatigued. Day one ends. Result? The walls by the main force have fallen enough that tomorrow, only ongoing battle with the dwarves will get the siege bonus |
Day 2
They will try to crack and break the dwarves again with their best unit: Army of Qoedhar – 3600 troops - 145 BR 1300 cavalry 1000 archery cavalry 1300 spellcasting pegataurs with bow/sword Vs Dwarves of Hammerhelm, 101, 1600 dwarves +10 for each side winning, +50 for dwarves, +10 home field, +15 for ratio for Qoedhar Dwarves toss a solid 68. Barony a 49. Result? Dwarves win 0% damages to 20% to their foes. No fatigue to either side Battle #2 Mighty Militia Army – 2100 troops remain, 112 BV Vs Mercenary force with 65 with a 109 BR and 3500 troops Bonuses +35 for them ( we’re moderately fatigued, ratio, friends won) +20 for us (home, friends won) So this is slightly in their favor, although as you saw yesterday, they won a battle that was in our favor. They toss a 61, which puts them at 73 after you add their BR. That’s rough. We toss a 7…..9. Win barely. We win with 0% to 10% for them. No figure. Results? We win both battles, but they were small tactical skirmishes that did little |
Day 3
Battle #1 Again they are going to try and crack our dwarven nut with their best unit. Value are same as yesterday. Dwarves need to hold, with the siege bonus. They just get a 51. Not big, that puts them at 65. Opportunity for them to push back. They toss a 33. That’s 10% losses for dwarves, 30% for them, and there are moderately tired. That’s a nicer win. Battle #2 Same forces as last time. This time they toss a 44 to 61 with the BV, and we get a 24. So this time they hit our mains forces hard. 20% to 40% but we are both moderately tired, so that makes my main until seriously tired. End of day 3. The dwarves won a great victory, they won a great victory… Day 4 Battle #1 Who do they send against our dwarves? All of there units are tired. The dwarves are going to get +70 against two of these units (another +10 for beating that specific unit before). But the other is seriously tired and gives us +30, the other just +15. So as an example, should they want to fight against the dwarves today with their main: Dwarves of Hammerhelm, 1450 dwarves, 101BR Vs Army of Qoedhar – 2050 troops - 145 BR Qoedhar - +15 ratio, Army gets +10 for others winning Dwarves get +50 siege, +10 defender, +10 winning against that force, +10 allies winning, +15 foe is Mod tired. That a 101+95 to get to 195 vs their 170. That;s a BV of 25. Hard to win against those odds. Possible. But hard. None of us have rolled super high in the 80s or higher, or super low. I think our 20s once was it. So they come, but it’ll be hard to crack that dwarves nut, a force that beat you twice in a row. They toss a solid 60. Nothing too bad, but we’ll win with a 36, and with a decent number win decisively not just a tactical victor. I toss a 64. That’s huge. That’s another 10%/30% they are moderately tired result. That makes them seriously tired. Battle #2 Here is where they take my force to the woodshed. Same forces as before, they get +10 for beating us before. They get a +8 margin after we toss dice and drop another 10% of our forces to none of theirs. No tired. Day 4 Close – Again, very tough to crack the dwarves, but…there’s not a whole lot of value in my Mighty Militia left |
Day #5.
Battle #1 Their main vs our dwarves. They lost the +15 bonus for ratio, so now it’s a +40 difference in BV. But anyone else is worse. Its possible we could toss a 10 to their 55 or 88 or something. It doesn’t happen. We toss a 42 to their 40 and get +40 and we lose 20% to their 50%, and they are routed and flee the battlefield. That is the first rout result by either side. That force flees. It’s down to 1025 troops. Battle #2 Now, they choose to continue on. Our force has lost a lot and could be routed anytime soon as well. We lose by 23 after tossing dice and lose 10% to or 30% End of Day 5, our army is getting smashed hard. Their dwarves are at 1225. Day #6. Battle #1 Who do you send against the dwarves and their remaining siege bonus? They remaining armies are tired, they have lost to the dwarves, and they get a -10 for having a co-unit rout. So you have +80 or +75 vs the dwarves. You have to get through the dwarves to save us. Is it worth a likely rout? Nope. They pull back their two armies and begin a siege instead. We win the Battle of Evenarrow! |
Week 8 – We have fully explored the flying castle, and it’s now under our control. I’ll get you magic items later.
The cloud castle and sky castle are flying over their sieges, and their Pegataur force that could deal with it was routed and is gone from the battle. After three days of aerial bombardment, they decide to flee, and they head out into their boats. Our fleet and forces keep them from penetrating the Great Bay. Week 11 - They land a wounded and damaged army at an overland pass and will try to make for Alpha overland, but that includes the Wyrmsteeth Range. Good luck on that. Week 12 – Baron Norlan captures the Alphatian nobles and Thyatis threatens their death unless Alphatia stays out of the war. Week 14 – They return from the Range damaged and head back to the boat. Week 16 -Baron Norlan captures the Barony of Moonhold, to the south of Raider’s Point Week 17 – The County of Sommerplass falls Week 18 – The Barony of Solvhane is theirs Week 20 – After totally failing to capture Alpha, or even assaulting it, the war is growing long and expensive. The lacked the forces to crack the fortress at Evenarrow, and thus were unable to get to Alpha. Alphatia assassinated Baron Norlan, and Thyatis is tired and has long lines for a few holdings, minor counties, Landfall, and Oceansend. King Ericall declares that since Alphatia and Thyatis attacked him, that Norwold will now be fully independent. Alzar has a big decision to make. |
Here is what was on the flying castle.
12 +2 Poleaxes 50 potions of healing 2000 +2 ballista bolts Potion: Climbing, growth Cloak of Shadows 15 Eggs of wonder 137500 gp worth of gems and assorted jewelry 20000 gp of coins Skycastle: This floating castle is a large flying castle with barracks for 200 soldiers, 50 pegataurs, and training and storage facilities. It has 6 large ballistae on the battlements, a larger entrance that can be opened when on the ground, and can be used to harass, defend or to attack as needed. It can only be controlled by a crystal throne in the control room and it requires at least 32 combined WIS + INT. The result is mobile castle that can relocate and move as needed. It’s powerful. Alzar leaves the 12 +2 poleaxes, 50 pots of healing, and 2000 magical ballista bolts on the sky castle. After healing, Lambert will be involved with helping out around Evenarrow until everyone is healed, and then he’ll head out and finish his Path. End of M2. The Vengeance of Alphaks |
Vix levels up. She gains Spear Grand Mastery. Watch out.
Year 10, Month 3 “Thank you for meeting with me King Ericall. You know what I want to talk with you about.” “I suspect I do, although I hope that I am wrong.” “You are not wrong. I have here the letter for you, and another I am sending back home to Empress Eriadne.” “I appreciate that you came here to give me letter in person, Alzar.” “Of course. It’s the least I could do. But King Ericall, I also wanted to remind you that you owe your independence to me. Did you free Oceansend or Landfall? Did you free the various coastal lands that were taken? Did you defeat them in battle on the seas or on land? No, you didn’t. The only place that was able to defeat the combined mercenary, Qoedhar, and Alphatian forces was us, and we had all four armies and navies turned against us, with the Sky Castle, not half of each that took Landfall and such.” “I know, but you are from Norwold. You do not deserve thanks for helping your lord win a war. That is your role as as servant.” “And that’s one of the reasons you’ll never be a good leader, King. You weren’t trained for it, and you haven’t learned it after a decade on the job. But remember, we are the only reason you are free today. My people won the war for you single-handedly. Now we have the very sky castle that threatened Alpha itself on our side. I’m sure your scouts told you about the cloud castle as well? It’s true. Don’t overestimate your forces or underestimate ours. I have no desire for war against my new neighbor. And if we were at war, you know I could choke Alpha off at the entrance to the Great Bay and you could not get out without failing to crack the same nut they just need. You need to help rebuild Landfall and your infrastructure. You can’t sustain another war, nor can you succeed against us like you want to. You will always prefer us as friendly neighbors, to, well, less friendly. So what I would like to do is to get your assurance, neighbor, that you are going to us go our mutual way, and not attack me, and I’ll try to be neighborly as well.” “I agree. I don’t know if you chose the area you did at the beginning in order to give yourself the strategic advantage that you are flexing now or not. But the facts are the facts. I will not wage war against you unless provoked.” “That’s fair enough.” They shake. “Now for the other piece of business. You have a part of Norwold to your west that has always been uppity, and they don’t respect your rule. Right now, it’s hard to deal with them and the many other crises you have going on. I’d like to offer to buy, or otherwise give you something, for the halfling holds of Leeha and the surrounding area and the shires of the halflings out there.” “I have lost enough today, I am losing no more.” “That’s fair. But the offer will remain moving forward. I’ll happily lend you my aid in rebuilding Norwold or giving you a lot of money or magical items and such. Leeha will be happier with me than you. As you know, the various demihuman populations of Norwold respect me very highly for a human. The dwarves and myself get along very well, elves, halflings, Aarakocra, and many more similarly see me as available ruler and ally. So, if at some point in time, I hope you reconsider, it’s the best for your people in Leeha.” Alzar rises, and Ericall’s wife, previously watching the conversation to ensure no lies were told, rises and they shake hands as well, and Alzar teleports back home. Alzar has declared his independence from Norwold. |
That night:
The Path of the Dynast Alzar must create a realm with a human population of at least 50000 or demi-human of 15000. DONE Alzar’s March must gain independence from Alphatia and Norwold, and stand on its own. DONE TODAY! Alzar must quest for, find, and destroy an artifact from the Milenian Empire. DONE – Destroyed the Milenian Scepter! Alzar must create a dynasty that will endure from his realm, and his successors must rule for at least 20 years. DONE Alzar must travel into the future to three separate times, and secure his realm and dynasty’s future. DONE Alzar must face and defeat 4 major challenges to his rule. FOUR COMPLETED – the last two were war against the Queen of Chaos who sent around 1000 demons to hit his nation and the most recent war from Alphaks that tried to conquer him. Therefore, Alzar has completed the Path of the Dynast Vanya teleports to him. She is not normally the sort of immortal that does too much manipulating or pointing people in the right direction all of the time like others. No. She rewards success. Vanya is the immortal of winners. Conquerors. This is the third time Alzar has won a major campaign. So she visits him and talks of her approval of Vix, and such. Alzar’s path is concluded and now he just has to do two more, and he will have secured immortality. |
Two Paths remain
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Fun read as always Abe, thanks.
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Quote:
Thanks JAG!!! |
This was a lot of fun to read!
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Congrats on completing the Path of the Dynast. Excited to see the final two paths unfold.
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Thanks thanks!
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Alzar was able to decode and work out the details of the Crook during one of the quieter moments during the siege.
Crook of Infaust  When wielded by a monk, it counts as a +5 Holy, Mace of Banishment that banishes any creature from one of the outer lower planes when hit in combat. By any other user in combat, it’s just a +5 Mace without the additional abilities When unlocked, can cast Heal once/day. When unlocked, will create an Anti-Demon barrier for five miles around the user. No demons can teleport it or out. When unlocked, it can “Banish Permanently” targeted at any lower planar creature once/day. This works, without a save, (although Magic Resistance still applies) and they are banished for 100 years from the plane. It won’t work on a Demon Prince or similarly powered creature. When unlocked, it will turn lower planar creatures as undead of the same level, as a 25th level user. It cannot be wielded by a chaotic or evil person. Any attempt to do so will result in 20 damage to the wielder. Alzar has learned that he’ll need to unlock the Crook, but it seems pretty powerful. He’s not sure how he came across such as powerful weapon against the forces arrayed against him and the Rod of Seven Parts, but it was probably manipulation behind the scenes to get the Crook of Infaust out from the demi-plane it was trapped in for thousands and thousands of years. Infaust Patron of Perfection, Master of Mind and Matter Level, Alignment, Sphere: 12th (Temporal), LN, Matter Symbol: the Vitruvian man Portfolio: perfection, completeness, unity of mind and body, universal harmony (inner and outer) Worshiped in: Small communities of mystics and monks in Brun (especially Sind and Thyatis), in Hollow World (Shahjapur), on Patera and in some outer planes Appearance: a human of perfect size and physique, with pearl grey skin, grey eyes and white hair, completely nude and with a serious and focused expression. Suspected History (See below for why this is suspected): Jojannes Silberstein, known as “Dottor Infaustus” (for his custom of intervening in discussions and in erudite dissertations in order to destroy the thesis’ of others – something he is always successful at), he was during his mortal life a student, alchemist, erudite and Hattian mage, who lived in the metropolitan territory of the Thyatian Empire about the II century AC. Driven by his thirst for knowledge, he devoured the most ancient books of human wisdom, learning all that he could on mundane and arcane science, on the history of the world, the planes and the divine. Soon, armed with this knowledge, he embarked on journeys that took him to the majority of the known lands, and in wild lands until now never visited by civilized eyes. His powers, always increasing, allowed him to visit many planes, meet the inhabitants, learning their secrets. However, Jojannes was always a dissatisfied human: in his continued quest for absolute knowledge, he established as the final perfection were elusive and unreachable, as the human mind is unable to take in one gulp the greatest secrets of the cosmos. Jojannes was also always extremely uncertain and undecided as the great knowledge he sought brought him to long reflection on whatever choice he must take on, to slowly ponder every consequence of such choices – a shortage that in most occasions caused not a few problems, especially when he found himself up against choose to quickly make or to more crazy or determined adversaries. Johannes, ascertained this indomitable of the thought to sudden action, after having meditated at length, arrived to consider the dualism of the mortal world: from one side the mind, ethereal, elusive, infinite and potentially powerful in the imagination (but unable of being realized); from the other the body, crude, anchored to inexpressible needs, short-lived, finite and incapable of break off from land (but also always the only means by which his can be translated into real action). Jojannes, deemed that in the solution to this dualism stays the key of perfection, he embarked on further research, that led him to always investigate more before in person the reality of the natural world, animals and of the creatures without great intellect – for understanding the true nature of the body. During this quest he encountered Djaea, who, intrigued by this unusual and complicated quest of inner and outer balance (the microcosm in the macrocosm), direct him to the search of an ancient artefact, the Root of the World, which could finally be at the end of his quest. After many adventures, Jojannes found the mysterious artefact, but barely had it in his hand, when he completely lost his memory and found himself reincarnated as a dog. Despite his bewilderment and sudden amnesia, the mind of Jojannes has though the knowledge of found in a crude body, unable to host it. The only thing that he remembered was the mysterious artefact, which, he thought had taken his memory, therefore he had to go and retrieve it. Therefore he was put again in search of it, being forced to use every sort of mental stratagems for overcoming the difficulties enforced on him by his new undesired body. Nevertheless, he succeeded in the task and retrieved the Root of the World, only to once more lose the memory and was reincarnated as a minotaur! Once again he went in search of the artefact and found it, and once again lost his memory and was reincarnated as a djinn. When also finally in this form he retrieved the Root of the World, returned to his original form, rejuvenated, and Djaea appeared to him in all her splendor: he had barely completed his Quest on the Path of the Polymath towards Immortality, experiencing the various levels of complementary of body and mind: the animalistic (the dog), the half–animalistic (the minotaur), the dualism (the human) and the volatility of the body (the djinn). Today having finally understood that a mind and a body are intimately bound, their growth is contemporaneous and the perfection must contemplate the growth of one as much as the other. Strengthened by this new knowledge, Jojannes is dedicated to moreover perfecting the proper union between mind and body, founding an order of mystics dedicated to the philosophy of which he himself was made spokesman, that always invokes the greater correspondence between mind and body as the key for understanding the secret of existence and perfecting himself, in order to be at one with the cosmos. When finally Djaea saw fit to return at that moment, called him to herself in the ranks of the Immortals, but Jojannes (now that he felt he had attained the total harmony of his mind and body) asked her to first grant his final wish: removing his previous memory, in order that no residue of his mind could no longer undermine his complete unity of thought and action. Djaea, surprised and pleased by this thus profound dedication to the cause of Matter, consented, and Jojannes became one of the few Immortals to not remember the conditions of his ascension and his mortal life (even having had one). The only thing he remembered was his academic nickname, "Infaustus", from which he derived his new Immortal name, Infaust – to also signify his pain, ominous loss of that which his belief of having learnt that it is in the face of whom pursues the way of perfection. Personality: For many Infaust is determined and hasty; in realty few understand how mind and body act as one in him. In fact, Infaust doesn’t think: he just acts, since the action that he accomplishes is nothing other than his will made material. Infaust has few allies, and he doesn’t even have many needs, given that he also doesn’t have any enemies and is generally disinterested in having followers; the only ones that honor his memory are his priests and the mystic followers of his philosophy. Patron: Djaea Allies: none Enemies: none Alignment of followers: Lawful Favoured weapon: natural weapons (allowed all mystic weapons) Clerics’ skills and powers: clerics of Infaust pursue a philosophy of perfection that makes them similar to Mystics. For this they gain the special abilities of the Mystics (and only those) at the same level. Domains: Matter, Law, Knowledge, Will Preferred weapon: unarmed blow Source: IM3 |
Infaust is a LN Immortal of Matter who specializes in mind, perfection, completeness, and universal harmony and will. He is a major patron of martial artists, monks, and mystics. No major allies or enemies.
Infaust was once most popular immortal among the thinkers, the reasoners, and the focus and meditative ones. No one was more worshipped among those that cared about such things. This was in part due to his creation of the Crook of Infaust. The Crook was the center of Infaust’s power on the plane, and he invested it. In fact, it’s unlike most other Pandius artifacts, due to its age and nature. As it has been gone from the plane for millennia, Infaust’s power, reputation, and acknowledgement have faded and ebbed to very little. In order to unlock the Crook, Alzar met with a Monk of Infaust about week 18 of the siege for a few hours. He showed Alzar the holiest and rarest tomes of Infaust that show that to unlock the Crook, he would need to go to the ruined great temple of Infaust, on a high mountaintop, and intone a plea for his aid. He will likely come quickly, given just how much of himself he put into the item and how important such a task would be. The monk asks for the Crook to be returned after Alzar’s battle again the demons concludes, and Alzar agrees to consider it, based on whether or not there is an ongoing struggle with demons after the quest against them with the Rod of Seven Parts finishes. Alzar scouts and teleports to the mountaintop. He intones the prayer in the book, and Infaust appears shortly after. In order to give his aid and turn on the Crook, he wants Alzar to agree to build a large temple in his capital of Evenarrow, and then to give the Crook over to them after his Demonwar concludes and he agrees. Alzar will build a large temple to Infaust, and help to recreate his worship here on Mystara, as there are around 25 monks left that serve him and a handful of other erudites here and there. Alzar asks to let Infaust to slightly modify the magic to allow any cleric of the Sphere of Matter so Alzar can fully use the weapon in combat as well, and he makes the change. Infaust also gives Alzar the location of the 6th piece of the Rod. It’s in a demiplane which is why it was impossible for him to locate. Infaust points him in the right direction. The Crook of Infaust now fully works. Alzar, as a cleric, can use a mace and will slide to this as needed in battle. It’s likely Alzar will fight with the Crook solely until the quest against the demons concludes. He teleports back home and orders the construction of a temple immediately, engineers draw up plans, and within a week they are ready and he has a dedication ceremony where all 26 monks of Infaust arrive and dedicate the ground to him. The 2nd strongest of them, Monrave, will help oversee the construction of the temple, and she’ll take it over and run it once it’s built and will be the monk in control of the Crook of Infaust: |
Alzar has spent some time locating the fourth patron he will seek:
Ssu-Ma (GANETRA, PANGLOSS) Patron of Memory, Father of Written Knowledge, Keeper of History and Order Level, Alignment, Sphere: 23rd (Empyreal), LN, Thought Symbol: an open book Portfolio: memory, history, books, wisdom, education, order, sages, scribes Worshipped in: Alphatia, Bellissaria, Hollow World (Shahjapur), Known World (Sind), Patera Appearance: Ssu-Ma has two manifestation forms, a human and a pachydermion. * Human (Ssu-Ma, Pangloss) : a venerable, bald and barefoot oriental sage, with a short white chin beard, wearing a simple linen tunic, a parchment at his waist and often under his arm a well thumbed tome. * Pachydermion (Ganetra) : an enormous humanoid with the head and feet of an elephant full of wrinkles of venerable age, with a profound and wise look, a red dot marked in the centre of the forehead, a white tunic fastened at the shoulder and a book always underarm. History: PROBABLE THEORY: the origins of Ssu-Ma are uncertain and even the Immortal hasn’t so far been able to dispel all the doubts on his past. Ssu-Ma believes that this fact, and his obsession for history and memory, are derived from a manipulation that his patron (from which Ssu-Ma has also lost all memory) must have made to his Immortal mind, removing all the memories. For this now Ssu-Ma desperately tries to archive every single piece of information that he encounters, with the hope of also successfully finding the roots of his own origins. Ssu-Ma is considered of having probably been the first creature of the Multiverse who was able to codify his thoughts in words and his words in writing, and that for this achieved Immortality. Given that the cult of Ssu-Ma is linked in first place to the Ochaleans and to the Alphatians, he assumed that maybe during his mortal life he belonged to one of these peoples, even if he hasn’t established which. That which is sure is that in the first centuries after the arrival of the Alphatians on Mystara, his cult appeared both in Alphatia (where he was however called Pangloss) and in Ochalea, and possessing many similar characteristics. Shortly after, Ssu-Ma was of interest of the pachydermion culture of Patera (the invisible moon), and here was worshipped as patron of memory, history, wisdom and writing, gave to the pachydermions a new system of codification of the language and a series of sacred books (the Rig Veda) that have heavily influenced their spiritual and social growth. For this, with the pachydermions, the Alphatians and the Ochaleans he is considered the creator of the codified system of ideograms that has allowed the gathering and cataloguing the acquired knowledge. Among the most ancient texts and works considered sacred of his hands are numbered the legendary Rig Veda (transcription of the philosophical teachings of a pachydermion cleric of Ganetra with the court of the Sindhi Great Moghul during the VI century AC), the Tablet of Celestial Balance (also known as the Tome of Ssu-Ma, that with the Ochaleans constitutes the basis on which stands the philosophy of the Celestial Court and the art of good writing), and the Tome of Gambia (that according to the Alphatian legends was written by the First Mage, who discovered the arcane arts, and in which all the knowledge of the world can be found). Personality: Ssu-Ma is an extremely calm and compassionate individual, faithful to the precision and order almost ending in an obsession. He doesn’t support chaos or disjointed thinking and for this is often in conflict with Korotiku, who loves to provoke him with disjointed and paradoxical arguments and to drag in his incapacity to remember his own past for making him more humble. He is often so absorbed in his own thoughts that it results in him being distracted, but when speaking he is always aware of the cause. For this many young Immortals turn to him for advice, as the mortals consult his followers, who are shining lights among the sages and learned of all the world. Ssu-Ma is the patron of meaningful knowledge like memory, history and education, and has taken particularly to heart the transmission of knowledge through writing, the only defense that he can interpose between the knowledge and the forgetfulness brought by time. Ssu-Ma has little predisposition to adventure and prefers avoiding the fight for power. For this despite his long time in the Immortal ranks, having never reached the apex of his Sphere. He doesn’t have any allies or enemies because of his detached character, but nurtured esteem for Noumena, who he considers an important interlocutor and a stimulating rival in games of logic and wit. Patron: unknown [presumed: Korotiku] Allies: none (respect for Noumena) Enemies: none (antipathy for Korotiku) Alignment of followers: Lawful Favoured weapon: mace (allowed all bludgeoning weapons) Clerics’ skills and powers: +1 bonus to Intelligence, permanent power of read languages, +2 bonus to librarianship and concentration (not free) Domains: Thought, Law, Knowledge Preferred weapon: light mace Source: Master and Immortal set, WotI, HWA3, IM3 |
Ssu-Ma is not your normal immortal, mostly dialing out of the struggle and rat race and such for the quest for knowledge, something that resonates deeply with Alzar. Alzar also doesn’t want to have issues with Immortals. Take Halav for example, who is a Lawful Neutral Thought immortal that has a lot of synergy with Alzar. Well, Halav and Vanya are big enemies, so Halav is highly unlikely to accept an offer of supplication from him.
Alzar teleports to a giant mountain where Ssu-Ma’s worship used to be the greatest. He has with him copies of some of the best historical books in his extensive collection from Thorasia and Hamedh (he’d likely have anything Alzar also had). Alzar climbs the Mountain over five days, and takes on the seven challenges. Unlike others, all seven here are intellectual in nature. It’s clear that Ssu-Ma cares more for intellectual acuity than anything else. You will note that Ssu-Ma is one of the oldest immortals and yet Alzar couldn’t find any immortals of Thought that were believed to have been sponsored by Ssu-Ma. Although he only has around 55 Thought immortals on the list that have such a detailed history in Alzar’s library of the hundreds of immortals in the sphere that are known. (Although there is at least one on the path of Immortality right now for Ssu-Ma.) Alzar meditates for 6 days. I roll a d10 for Ssu-Ma and add these modifiers: I am not sure about one. Right now their alignments are identical, normally a +3. When different, -2. Is that a +3 or -2? I am going to ignore the modifier. Total result is +2, which means only a 0 won’t get Ssu-Ma to respond physically. Alzar sees a servant of Ssu-Ma appear before him, and his master will visit in 10 days. 10 days later, Alzar is visited by Ssu-Ma A giant book the size of the mountain top reveals itself before Alzar and opens to the first page. This is a list of Ssu-Ma’s history as an immortal, believes, requirements and such. The pages turn automatically as Alzar reads. 3 hours later the book has been read. Alzar feels a presence and looks up from the book. The entire time, Alzar was reading, Ssu-Ma’s hands were turning the page, without him seeing it. Revealed in his glory, Ssu-Ma is larger than the mountain. Alzar supplicates him. He gives to Ssu-Ma the great historical works from Hamedh and Thorasia he compiled, more than 30 books on lost civilizations and cultures. It includes the book Alzar wrote after encountering the lost civilization in the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan on the Isle of Dread. They are accepted as an appropriate gift. Alzar gets +5 to the supplication and presentation roll, +2 for the gift, +3 for passing the tests. The d10 is rolled. Alzar gets a 4. Suu-Ma is happily accepted. He gives Alzar a Codex of Understanding, and reading this magical tome will allow Alzar to quadruple his reading speed forever. |
He has pre-written a document for Alzar he made ahead of time, outlying the Path.
Ssu-Ma explains that the normal path for Thought is that of the Epic Hero. But if Alzar had been assigned this path earlier, he would have easily have accomplished it multiple times in his 10 years in Pandius. Defeating Baba-Yaga? Killing a demon prince in her own home? Stopping three demon invasions on his territory? Winning two wars? Founding a dynasty? Building monuments? Dueling wizards? Taking out the Ice Queen and Icelia? Finding the Throne artifact in the Endless Stair subplane? Recovering the Crook of Infaust? Destroying the Milenian Scepter? Conquering Gammar? Alzar has clearly done much that is in the genre of the Epic Hero. The goal of a Path to Immortality is to challenge the entrant. The normal path is: Destroy an artifact of entropy Find and recover an artifact of Thought Name and train a successor Create a legendary weapon Do one nearly impossible task (drive away all giants in the area, etc). Ssu-Ma points out that the recent victory was likely #5, as was killing the Queen of Chaos. He is already working with his heavily pregnant wife and will train their daughter to take over after they have completed their paths. He has just brought back an artifact of matter, doing so for thought won’t be hard. He has already destroyed an artifact, and shown an understanding of how to continue. So, after Ssu-Ma accepted Alzar’s mediation, he met with the leader of the Thought Sphere, Odin. They agreed that Alzar would have an altered path, that reflects new challenges for him as well as Ssu-Ma’s personality and sphere. Ssu-Ma’s Path of the Epic Hero Win the Demonwars for Law without using the Crook of Infaust Create a legendary weapon Have the best library in Pandius. (Ssu-Ma currently ranks it 6th best). Also… Open up his library to more knowledge seekers Turn over some of the control of his library to Ssu-Ma Increase the literacy rate of his nation by at least 50% (Currently 40%) And those are the steps Alzar will need to complete for Ssu-Ma Alzar agrees to them, and smiles sadly at the first. He had just acquired that tool to help win the Demonwars he was previously dealing with. |
Alzar heads back home and will read the Codex tonight.
Tomorrow, he spends getting caught up on the 16 days he was away, and Vix was ruling, in he 8th month. Year 10, Month 4 A few days into the next month, Alzar has budgeted a few hours for creating the plans for his legendary weapon. He can use an Axe. But Selnyr is a powerful and great Axe, one of the best ever forged by the dwarves. Instead he’ll make a legendary spear for Vix. She just has a +4 spear, with no other abilities other than returning. Alzar is going to make: Nykthos, Spear of Vix: +5 Spear, sized for Vix (She is bigger and taller than most people due to her heritage) And give it these abilities: Teleporting – A hit character is teleported adjacent to the person who threw the spear Returning – It will return to the hand of the person who tossed it. -2 AC when used in combat User is immune to level drain That’s pretty good. Alzar has researched a path for making it: Ivory Horn from an extra-planar elephant to be carved into the point by a knife made from flint gathered from the oldest mountain on Pandius. Wool from a tiger from the future must be secured, and used to rub down the spear after it’s ready Verite to make the end of the spear forged by an evil ghost, mined from another plane, and forged in the fires of a dragon’s belly. Then the metal must be cooled on the Elemental Plane of Ice and dried in the Positive Material Plane. The shaft of the spear must be cut from Yggdrasil, and carved by a shearing knife blessed by two enemy immortals. Then the spells must be enstarred into the spear itself: Negative Plane Protection Boneblade Aid Chant Blink And that will be it and Alzar will have given his wife the powerful and soon-to-be legendary “Nykthos” |
Alzar spends the next week acquiring some components, like the wood, and creating Focal Stones for the five spells that are going into the item he is making. He is using this month quietly to work on this object and they expect that Vix will give birth in a week or two.
Alzar has also launched a literacy program, working to create a temple for Ssu-Ma here in Evenarrow as well as Infaust, and he is working on building up his library. Alzar also has his apprentices meet and gives copies of Alzar’s Bookread, a 2nd level spell that speeds up reading, away to as many mages and wizards as possible. This is his gift to knowledge. |
Begin Greyhawk Ruins
In order to push his library quickly, Alzar teleports back to the dungeon, this time focusing on the third and final remnant of the keep locked away. The first was the military part of this castle that he incursed, and then the second was the old magist’s tower that had a unparalleled amount of treasure from 30000 ogre control rings to tons of books including information on how to break the level barrier and still level up and tons of stuff. The final of the three surviving areas of this ancient complex is a ten level dungeon of magic and power that were the under levels behind a giant keep that was destroyed long ago, but this was locked off and down. (I find this this dungeon to be logically inconsistent. Alzar is about to find out that it has a very active economy, stores, people living here, and so forth. But despite the presence mages, genies, and such, there are still places on each level where you have a humanoid clan of trolls or something raiding and feeding on the others, or a group of weaker shadows doing the same and such. It makes no sense. If you live here, and you are very powerful, why would not fully take out each level and then fully embrace the level and remove any threats at the same time? Why let a group of trolls snack on your customers or your staff when you can send your genie to clear them out, or a quick foray by a mage and a few apprentices will end it? So I am going to be removing the various aspects from this dungeon that are different. Instead I will be amplifying the living feel of the place, and thus, I will be changing about 30% to 50% of the dungeon to make it logically consistent.) |
Alzar arrives at the final dungeon. As a reminder, this is near his border with Alak Dool’s Barony, and Alak Dool was a chaotic evil problem he dealt with who allied with Thyatis in the first War of the Crown about 8 years ago now against Leeha and others. Alak Dool was left in charge after a geas spell secured his loyalty, and he didn’t join Baron Norlan or Thyatis in this recent war, so at least that was okay. He fields an army of more than 1500 evil humanoids of various sorts, like gnolls and hobgoblins. Alzar prefers his own dwarves, much more reliable.
Because this place is a former central castle and keep for the entire region, there are still a number of smaller villages and such in the region, despite the fact that, it’s pretty remote from anything anymore. They are a little less than 150 miles to the dwarf hold, a little more than 50 miles from Alak Dool’s and the border with Norwold. About 10 villages are within a half day ride from here and still in operation, even after all of this time. Alzar arrives at the doors down, and he notices that they appear newer than the previous two places he explored here last year. There is a new lock here as well. Seeing newer people here, Alzar uses some Dust of Disappearance, and his Griffin flies off. He moves carefully to the door and puts his Ear Ring up to it. He can hear a number of voices talking about seeing someone approach, no one is scheduled to arrive today. His scrying won’t work too far. Someone is blocking it – it was the same in the other two places here as well. If you’ll recall, the bottom of the first dungeon had an unusual source of magical power that interfered with things, gave additions to making magical items, and more. It screwed with scrying attempts to the area as well. That’s why they built here. So that seems to linger over this third dungeon beneath the old castle. The door opens and out come a quartet of half elves, looking around. They see Alzar’s Griffin flying away. One of them cries out and points. They talk to each other about the flying creature and are actually sad that it’s not someone come to buy anything. Alzar moves into the open door and they close and bar it about a minute later. As Alzar steps further, he passes an Invisibility Purge field he didn’t notice. He is made visible! They cry out for him to stop, and one of them shouts out that Alzar is the Duke (yes they used the wrong title) and that they have been found and draws steel and moves to attack. Two others follow her, the fourth shouts her down, but battle has already been joined. |
Round 1
6 vs 4 They miss him three times. (Cloak). Alzar hits the first and kills it for 19, and then second for 18 and kills it, and the third is bashed and slain for 10. The fourth just shakes his head. “I told them.” He apologizes to Alzar for the welcome. But what would you expect when the lord of the land sneaks, not knocks, on your door? He asks Alzar what he is here for, and he replies that, honestly, he was looking to explore and get some more books for a project he was working on. The guard’s Know Alignment is working and sees Alzar as LN, and welcomes him, knowing he is unlikely to be lying. They enter, and the guard commander shows Alzar the first floor entrance and a few places to visit, and then will report to the guard captain and replace the dead guards and report the arrival of Alzar. Alzar turns the corner, emerges from a magical chamber that scans to ensure nothing bad is happening and all illusions are dropped, and the another entry room behind it, and then and sees a long hallway that stretches about half the way down the dungeon at least, with a number of smaller rooms of each side of the wide corridor. There are about 5 or 6 stalls down each side with vendors hawking goods, and as Alzar walks down he can hear the sounds of light armor making and crude weapon making coming from some of the rooms off the corridor. The goods offered here are pretty minor things. About 5 minutes after he arrives, the leader of the first floor arrives to greet Alzar. “I always come out to meet first time visitors, but when I heard it was you? I wasn’t sure if we were being raided or if I was being lied to.” |
Alzar and the leader agree to voluntarily fail some detect lie and ESP magic so they can be sure of what they are each saying. The leader here rungs the first floor of a 10 floor operation. It appears that this area is mostly off the books for a number of reasons. Their clients are often illegal, often of either an evil or chaotic element to them. Many of the things provided here aren’t legal, but more are legal than illegal.
There are a few ways into this place. One is through a few tunnels. Each level 2 – 9 has at least one tunnel to it from deeper that you can come up. Only the top and bottom floors don’t, for security. There are also the top entrance Alzar just entered through, as well as many places for people to teleport or use other transit magic, which is apparently also really common as a way to enter the dungeon. They keep the top looking like a normal dungeon door to prevent prying eyes. This area caters to various economic desires for this region of the nation. Nothing else works. This is where local villagers can buy and sell weapons, you can hire mercenaries, and so forth. There are a few things that are not allowed. On the 8th floor is a huge arena. The only people allowed to duel there are summoned creatures like Fire Elementals and anyone who wants to volunteer, although they haven’t had any non-conjured folks fight in a few years. It’s more fun watching a demon and devil smash each other‘s face, and gets more bidding. Secondly, slavery is not allowed. No slaves are bought or sold here, and no slaves are owned here. It’s party for purely selfish reasons. It keeps the place off the map. It helps to keep things safe. But it’s also a hassle too. And a lot of folks here really like freedom, and they don’t take with the idea of people owning each other. Alzar asks about thieving elements, and sees that there is an active thieves guild here, and that it’s only connected to one in Alak Dool’s barony. There’s no central authority to the dungeon either, although each floor has a captain to keep things in line and respond to any issues. But the place polices itself. Some of the things available here include a teleport maze in level 4, a gambling den in level 5, and in level 9, the home of five powerful mages who’s apprentices make magical items for sale. That’s the big place. Alzar had mentioned being interested in books. There is a library here guarded by a pair of peaceful Beholders. He gives Alzar a Ring of Levitation to levitate up and see the entire library of books. Alzar mentions that was what originally brought him here, but he was coming to explore and clean out a dungeon, not what he found instead. He’d like to explore the entire dungeon, and the leader will join him for the entirety of it. |
Level 1 –
The shops here on the entry level are minor – crude weapon and armor making, food, and such. There’s a mushroom-based beer here that’s pretty popular and the brewery for it takes up about 10 percent of the area. They pass around 50 different human, half elf, and orcs that are on guard duty or in the grand hallway eating. Alzar enquires but there is no name they have for the place. It’s easier to keep it off the radar is one is overheard talking about going to a dungeon as opposed to going to Hotbar or whatever else you might call it. Less curiosity is raised. A great table of purple marble is at the end of this corridor, and there are some soldiers that are guarding a large stair down, but Alzar moves off to explore this level first. We have a few minor golems, like Necrophidus, as well as tavern called the Green Leaf. There is an altar and old temple converted to a modern temple off to the left. It was originally a shrine to a long forgotten immortal, but now is a modern person. Alzar doesn’t recognize the dedication, and is told it’s a new immortal named Loup who is worshipped heavy by lycanthropes and Lupin. He’s an evil Thought immortal. Off to the left are some recent magical constructs. There are two black pyramids here, made of a dark, unknown stone. Alzar inquires and is told that they were built about 50 years ago after the supporting structure collapsed with time. It’s the home of clerics of Loup. Alzar knocks and enters and they greet him and welcome him. There is an entire set of books on the faith, worship, and history of Loup here, a and Alzar wants to add them to his growing library. He mentions to them that he is seeking to create the largest library in Pandius in Evenarrow, and they have two extra copies. He buys a set for 100 gp from them Set of 7 books on the History and Worship of Loup They also have 142 books on various faiths here worth 25,000 gp that Alzar is allowed to come and copy later, and he’ll do so with some apprentices, and he will donate 1% of their value to the temple (250 gp) They finish about the level and head down |
Level 2 –
This level has most of the public areas, as the first level with tunnels as well as more secure locations. This is where there are a few inns, restaurants, and such. This also includes the first barracks for soldiers, and sleeping quarters for people who live and work here. There are people who are born here and have lived in the dungeon complex their entire lives. He enters to another guard room, and then passes into another large corridor. Here are stools and mats and such lining the area. The upper floor was much more sparse than this one, which feels more densely populated. About 100 soldiers line the area and protect things, or are off duty. There is a large gong by the entrance for emergencies, and a magic mouth effect announces discounts at two local inns as they pass down the main corridor. There is a permanent illusion to the left that points to a local tavern called “The Mad House” and a clown carved into the wood and a clown motif sign in front of it. Near the end of this central passage are more decorations and such. There is apparently a pretend haunted dungeon effect behind the Mad House where programmed illusions and hit and the continually light lanterns are snuffed out. Alzar sees a giant table carved like a pearl in a restaurant to his right, and the living quarters continue. On the back side the Mad House Alzar sees a small fountain carved into a clown. The restaurant to his right is serving a meal of cooked giant cockroach right now, which apparently to his guide, tastes delicious, but he is not going to head in. A tattoo parlor to the right is past the inns, and Alzar sees a well in front of the parlor. They head down. |
Level 3 –
This level includes a number of infrastructural needs. His guides mentions that the 2nd level is the most populated. So the third level has a lot of the trash and garbage and cleaning devices and locations needed to care for the dungeon. There are some wererats to the left over a large chamber of trash and refuse that the upper level dumps through the rock. Apparently, there are chutes here up to level 1 as well. There are some bats and flying birds here, and even a few Stirges, but they east quietly. Up here, the guide mentions that trash is normal. But down below near the mages they use and control magical dungeon cleaning like feeding their refuse to a contained gelatinous cube. There are about 20 wererats here guarding and working in the refuse. Back here is also a crypt and tomb, where people are buried. Alzar and his guide walk by it, but he doesn’t feel any necrotic tugs so he doubts there are any undead here. The tombs and markers go back centuries. The rest of the 3rd level are some crafts shops, that make clay or pottery, carpentry, and an embalmer for the graveyard. Level 4 – The next level is really interesting. There is a an old teleport maze here that is the whole left of the dungeon. Each room has four teleport spots and you have to go in the right order to get out. There are riddles in each room that, if solved, will clue a person on which pad to step on. Otherwise you go in a random direction. It’s used as entertainment, although it was clearly designed with different purpose. On the right side of the level is a large courtyard and garden. Down here are a red dragon relief that breathes fire when you pull it’s metal tail and a runes marking the area and pointing out various parts of the floor. There are some people here talking or walking around. It’s all underground foliage, mosses, and such that lives here. That makes this an open and spartan level. They head down. |
Level 5 –
Level 5 has a number of guards here as well. It’s one of the more durable and lived in levels with a number of living chambers, as well as another restaurant, and two wells , as well as a natural chimney outside that lets heat and smoke out. There are also more shops here, and there are weapons and such. But the biggest feature here on level 5 is are a few recruiters and hirelings for mercenaries. You can hire some mercenaries here, with tables and rooms converted to meeting rooms and negotiation chambers. Alzar’s ongoing ESP can see the problem. How can you tell the difference between a mercenary who is worth the money, won’t leave you, and is just looking for an opportunity to do something interesting as opposed to mercenaries that are going to stab you in the back? The mercenary profession here on Pandius can have a bit of a bad reputation. Alzar just fought against some mercenaries in war. Is there a chance to change that? There are some iron and flesh golems here that protect the peace and keep control. Probably just in case to keep the mercenaries in check, as well as at least 50 more troops on guard Alzar notices. This appears to be a pretty tight ship. Alzar asks about funding, and then 5% tax on all transactions occurs here. Alzar’s guard captain points him to a certain shop with eight golem guards and they head in. In here is a golem making store. There are more than 100,000 gp of value of books and tomes on making golems, ivory tubes with scrolls of spells needed to make golems, and every some equipment here. The proprietor has apparently been here for a long time and they swap shop for an hour. He makes the golems for the area, and then sells the extra supplies he doesn’t need Alzar bends down and grabs some loose rocks from in front of the Golem Shop. Now, if he ever wants to Worldwalk here, he can. |
Level 6 –
Level 6 is the gambling dens, and this floor, in addition to guards both living and golem, there are tons of gambling tables, sleeping quarters, another pair of inns, and there is also a perfectly legal set of prostitution here, with 5% of the funds here also being taxed. There are also some drugs being sold here as well in a pair of stores with some stools and tables out front. Alzar sees a group of four soldiers smoking something in a tobacco pipe that doesn’t smell like tobacco, but he can’t identify it. They head down. Level 7 – This is the final level with things for sale in it. This is the place with some additional food stuffs, and water, some clothing and such all sold here. Also about a third of it is storage, on the left hand side there are some warehouses. The right has more living quarters. There is also more large foundations and another trash chute room that goes up to level 4 and collects trash and refuse here, but it’s behind some closed doors they check out. Level 8 – This floor is dominated by one huge central room. This must have been where people once sparred for training. Now they spar for life. Creatures are summoned to this space, and here they fight. There are runes and circles of protection around the sparring circle in the ground that were added more recently than the stone, and carved there so they would remain. Many seats and tables circle the sparring table, and bets are placed, taken, and creatures are summoned. Another battle is schedule in a few minutes time. It’s between a Hydrodaemon and a Alu Fiend. As they explore the level, the battle begins, and the Hydrodaemon wins in a about a minute. Most of the rest of this level appears to be living quarters and supplies for the fights, but not all. As they move over to the left wall, Alzar senses something beyond the dungeon. His Star is out and reveals a passage in the earth that was hidden by a high level illusion and there are some Dao-esque accoutrements here. The guard captain didn’t know these were here, and they explore. Soon they run into a Dao mining facility. They are under the summoning and control of the mages, and they are exploring and looking for gems and high quality metals in the earth. After mining, they use their earth-control powers to rebuild the place immediately, so it’s state is identical to the one left and doesn’t weaken support structures. Alzar uses Genie Lore to talk with them and find out why they are here. They head back and go down. |
Level 9 –
Level 9 is noteworthy as the shops of the five mages that live here, and their apprentices. Each of them has a specialty, one an alchemist, another a conjurer, and so forth. Their apprentices set up a selling station here with goods, and a number of magical wards on in place to ensure proper sales. Everything from trash to water is provided or handled magically. Because this area gives boons to things made here, the golems are more powerful, the potions more potent, and the magical items have an additional +1 to them. However, level 10 is their homes, workshops and such down there. There are powerful magical channels in the earth here that protect it, and there are no side tunnels to it, so it’s safer Alzar reviews the goods, and notes a few things he might want to pick up later. But the final feature here is the library and he heads to the library. He heads in, and is greeted by two Beholders who are smaller than normal, they were shrunk with various spells to make them more agile and powerful in the confines of the library. They can use their Telekinesis eyestalk to move something down. Alzar bends down to fill out a visitor slip and there are thousands of visitors, including Alak Dool and Claranesa the Seer. As he fills it out, he is hit with a geas to force him to not reveal the library or the dungeon, and a Forget spell so he’ll forget being geased. Neither crack his 75% Magic Resistance. He can tell the geas and reads it’s trap in the sign pad, but doesn’t protest the basic idea of secrecy anyway. The captain has shown Alzar around and then leaves. There are five rings of Levitation used here to help folks browse, instead of stepladders. There is a platinum candelabra on an onyx table that lights up when Alzar moves in with a continual light effect. Alzar browses the library and these are many of a sagely type, with titles like Social Graces Among Gnomes and Structural Mathematics. There appear to be more than 1500 books here. There is also a back collection protected by Beholders not allowed to be accessed by Alzar. Alzar’s Star of Mo’Pilar reveals that every book back there is trapped with at least one spell. That’s the good stuff. Alzar quickly counts 75 black-bound volumes. Spellbooks? Grimoires of a dark and personal nature? (They are, in actually, atlases of every known dungeon, places, city, castles, and more.) |
Alzar will return.
He wants to set up a meeting with the mages, and the apprentice for the diviner reaches out and she arrives first. She knew Alzar was here. She invites him downstairs. Down here the five mages and their apprentices live a sort of collective with everyone sharing everything. They need to, in part, due to the space. You can’t have five separate work rooms or summoning chambers, for example. She introduces Alzar to the other wizards here, one of the five is out right now. She tells Alzar that she knew he was coming today, and that she prepared a gift for him. Alzar looks over and spies a stack of 25 books, wrapped in ribbon. Those are rare books you’ll want for the Great Library. The group of five mages want two things, and she wants a third, and Alzar can have that stack of books, and make a copy of all of the books in their library above. All five mages will get full access to the Great Library, starting now with the stuff Alzar already has. He negotiates making them pledge to geases not to destroy or attack anything, nor to use the info against him or his people, and they agree. Alzar will give them the various spells he has made on books, copying, and such that are rumored to have made She wants full knowledge of Rhabdomancy. She scouted Hamedh and saw it had a new and unusual sub-school of divination she had not encountered before, then scried Alzar using a divining rod for his divination magic. In exchange, she’ll let him copy every one of her 121 books on divination from her personal collection. They agree after Alzar reviews the 25 books. Alzar gained: 75 black-bound volumes of atlases of every known dungeon, places, city, castles, and more. 25 rare books on summoning and conjuration used in the dungeon arena. 121 specialist books on divination 1500 Sage books from dungeon library 7 book set on the full History and Worship of Loup 142 books on various faiths worth 25,000 gp That’s not bad. He may come back here later for spell trading and such as well. Alzar teleports home and begins to send out apprentices to make Bookcopies. End of Greyhawk Ruins |
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