Cattle Driving Necromancers-Bizarre Campaign Journal

[Honest Tiefling]

Cant wait to see how they botch THIS Alliance ^^

i'm more worried about the twins going all groupie on the demilich...Or going all psycho-fan when they realize that the Illithid doesn't care about their god.

Or worse, IS their god...

[Lord of Shadows]

A lot of events really explode from this juncture. I'm trying to kick into overdrive and post faster at this point, I also intend to put up a big chunk of my back story in regards to Ko.

So this begs the question.... if the party had been "more goodly" aligned, would the "King" be making a similar offer?

No need to answer, as I realize answering may reveal a big chunk of plotline. Just wondering out loud.
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[Traab]

God dammit guys ACCEPT THIS ALLIANCE AND PLAY IT STRAIGHT! There is every chance in the world you will get double crossed at the end. Seriously, I consider it a 50/50 shot. But there is NO WAY IN HELL they will win a confrontation with, or otherwise ticking off, an ancient demilich and his massive army. Who also know literally everything about this ship and how to make it work. So say yes sir, no sir, may we have another sir, from now on and pray you get the rewards it promises you. You could have defeated the mindflayer and even the dragon with a little luck and ingenuity, you might have been able to seize control of the ship in time if it came down to it. I would even think its possible to cripple and confound the holy king and his army if absolutely needed. You will fail going against this new twist.

Im just reading its special abilities and those alone are scary. It can tear the souls out of the entire party's bodies and devour them right here and now. Permanently destroying the bodies. (I have no idea how that effects liches or vampires or even shadow lords, but doc wont be happy) but even if they could it would still weaken them terribly. That ignores whatever potentially epic levels of magic it has, and whatever gear it might be getting benefits from since it appears anything next to its phylactery transfers its bonuses to the demilich. I bet an ancient being responsible for recording pretty much every magic item creation ability in the world would have a damn nice selection.

[Reboot]

Actually, the Pathfinder demilich (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/demilich) appears to be MUCH weaker than the 3.5 demilich (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/demilich.htm). It doesn't even *HAVE* a phylactery, let alone multiples!

[Kaveman26]

An Offer They Can’t Refuse:

At this point the understanding that telepathic mind readers of remarkable ability pervade the entire landscape renders private discussions with those who can be hijacked dangerous so for the sake of clarity and not having to repeat a hundred times from this point assume any “private” business is being filtered or kept from Doc and Azzie who have subtly been alerted to the fact that they are being used as triple agents to feed false intelligence to any “eavesdroppers”.

Seraphim: I am not seeing a downside to this arrangement nor a need to double cross. This Ko has first hand intelligence of the entire ship, is not fettered by weird ass AI constraints and he has the clout and ability to personally deliver on the commitments he is proposing. He just put on the table what we came for. Autonomy in ruling the world and a place at the top reserved just for us. Anything we do to assist in preserving a world that we can keep when all is said and done I am game for.

Twins: From a faith and devotion standpoint a functioning and ancient Demi-Lich is basically a revelatory experience. We are willing to seed whole scale destruction on virtue of what he is. Benefits to us for doing so are strictly a bonus.

Ares: My only concern is the eccentricity already displayed. Mentally the amount of power and knowledge that skull contains is too much even for an undead to control. He seems a bit loopy and definitely not all there. I am concerned by that, but not enough to back off. Just that we need to be leery if he goes from staring into the oblivion and decides to jump in and bring us with him.

Seraphim: So let’s reconvene and discuss strategy with the understanding that we are in.

They all set up a return meeting and reconvene with Ko and his entourage.

Ares: We are prepared to work with you. We just to know what that entails and how you expect to stop this Volcanus, knowing exactly what we are up against would be nice too. Li-Ban and Elliana have been very vague.

Ko: Elliana is sadly restricted to a very limited array of interactions. The Enclave ensured this. I do feel that while my colleagues placed a high degree of confidentiality around Volcanus and it’s nature the time for secrecy is over. Understanding what we are up against is needed to prevent release. Are you aware of a how a bee hive works?

Hades: Vaguely. Enough to grasp metaphors I suppose.

Ko: A beehive is a collective with thousands of drones fueling the procreation and survivability of the colony. They all work in service to one another but first and foremost to the Queen. As a species we Illithid were not wholly unlike bees. We worked for the good of each other, but ultimately we worked for the well being of our queen an entity called The Elder Brain. Each of my kin would devote their lives to the preservation of the Elder Brain and when their time came they would voluntarily sacrifice their brain matter to merge with the Elder, their personality knowledge and very essence preserved within the ever expanding and constantly evolving Brain. As a brother would die the colony would grow stronger for his memories and essence feeding the Elder Brain. A strong colony Elder Brain rivaled demi-gods in power. To serve the eventual good of the Elder was our purpose, it was through this that the individual became one with the collected history of our clan. It was why undeath is such a heresy to us. To usurp the collective and serve one’s self was a betrayal of the hive.

Seraphim: So the Elder Brain was deemed more important than the individual, and as opposed to the immortality of undeath the “soul” was preserved by the Elder Brain.

Ko: Yes, exactly. We sought a means to unite all Elder Brains together. Our people had reached the zenith of their evolution we rightly felt that we were amongst the most powerful entities in creation. That is not arrogance, that is truth. If we could create a symbiotic relationship linking all the Elder’s of our various clans and ships we could reach a new peak of brilliance. We scattered to the stars in search of further knowledge to find a means to make it happen. Unfortunately our colony’s Elder perished. A presence in this planet killed it. This was a trauma of unspeakable depths, and one The Enclave kept hidden from the rest of the colony. The Enclave, myself, and four others were the only ones made aware of this event. The Enclave asked of me to make the ultimate sacrifice and choose the destiny you witness before you. Li-Ban and three others were to ensure The Enclave was kept safe as the entire Ark was placed in suspended animation. I was to remain outside a sentry to delve deeper into the mysteries of what was uncovered.

Hades: You uncovered Volcanus?

Ko: No we discovered the Underdark…a realm of remarkable evolution, compared to the rest of the world, and possessed of a superb and unequaled power. A radiation source of unknown origin fueled this eco system. It was unique. We had never encountered anything like it. Prolonged exposure and testing of this anomaly opened up new discoveries, new chains of thinking, we began research and experiments that dwarfed our historic achievements. We were at the forefront of a revolution that would take our species to the next level of advancement. In our hubris we attempted to revive our fallen Elder. We hoped to bring it a new life. Our experiment had a result…but not what we wanted. We created something new, something corrupt and without reason. This abomination was contained and in our fear we created a weapon to destroy our offspring. We needed something strong enough to destroy all trace of our error. This mistake was fueled with the radiation of the underdark and we built a weapon using that same power. It was our greatest achievement to undo our greatest failure. Volcanus was glorious to behold. The base creature we formed him from was a dragon. We crossed two of the most potent species both red and gold to create a hybrid that was greater than the sum of it’s parts. The glue we used to hold this hybrid together was a concentrated evolutionary admixture of the radiation itself. It amplified the power and virility of our dragon to undreamed levels. The breath of Volcanus eradicated every trace of the corruption…were it not for our recordings and crystal resonances of the abominations creations we would have no knowledge of what it had done. That is why we made things worse. Do you understand yet?

Pluto: You flooded a dragon with forces beyond mortal control and made a beast whose breath weapon was unstoppable? We already know that it’s flame burn everything.

Ko: Not just a metaphor…it burns EVERYTHING. Even the memory of what we created was erased, burned away. It was as if the memory was burned from our minds, as if the physical flame entered our consciousness. . At first we controlled the intellect and action of Volcanus, but it’s breath weapon functioned even in it’s own imagination. It could think of burning our control and it would do so. No metal, no force we could conceive would contain it. The Enclave as a collective created an alternate reality formed of infinite nothingness which they trapped it within. It began to burn away even the voidless emptiness through which it floated. They created layer after layer of failsafe, but the very presence of the Enclave and our minds seemed to formulate a beacon for it to home in on. Our existence ensured it’s continued existence. In desperation we shut down everything and sealed the ship hoping that entropy would winnow it away, and that without a beacon it would be lost and burn itself out. Our Crones were meant to maintain the lockdown until the rest of our fleet arrived at which point the Illithid as a whole would either eliminate the problem or the Fleet would be a rescue force should we prove the victors. But now the candle burns faster and the nothingness holding it is shrinking, bringing it closer and closer to re-entering our reality everyday.

Ares: Well that is terrifying. I mean downright chilling. How do you intend to stop it? How can you stop something like that?

Ko: Well, we need to jettison certain non essential ship functions and sections so that we can restore our operational abilities ahead of time. In maritime terms we need to shove off the excess ballast and trim the sails. Secondarily we need to eliminate the brighter beacons lighting it’s path. Our minds are small enough to be barest flickers, but there are minds on this ship that are acting as lighthouses in the fog. Those entities must be eliminated. Those actions buy us time and give us resources for the daunting task. We must drown the dragon using it’s mothers milk. We must overwhelm it with the same radiation used to form it.

Ares: You think that will work?

Ko: Yes. If we fill that void with enough underdark energy it will overwhelm the creature and drown it. I would stake all of creation on that fact, and indeed I am.

Seraphim: Alright, so we need to jettison parts of the ship and then we need to assassinate a group of individuals onboard, that part is a matter of who and where. How do we flood the dragon with a radiation that is gone?

Ko: We diverted the flow of radiation to a chamber used to create Volcanus, after which we secured it from further access by creating a prison that even we could not enter. No individual that was onboard this ship at the time of that prison’s creation can enter. That means Li-Ban and myself are useless for that mission. It must be a group with the power, cunning, and willingness to emerge victorious no matter the cost. I am banking on you being that group. For months all manner of would be king, vainglorious fool and stalwart buffoon has thrown themselves into this ship and been ground into mincemeat. I have watched hundreds march cheerfully to their deaths, or flee with their own urine chasing them through the doors. You have bucked that trend and prospered. I am placing my faith in a species my kin would deem inferior because you have shown yourselves capable. Prove me right.

Sirra removes from the sleeve of his robe a parchment listing seven names. Azzie can’t help but notice a small detail…

Azzie: Uhm, that is the hitlist for eliminating lighthouses right?

Sirra: Yes it is a summary of those individuals who hasten Volcanus’s release.

Azzie: You have more than one copy? Do we each get one?

Ko: I almost forgot. I have made the same offer to a very grumpy dragon and his giant companions, and to a dark elf priestess of exceptional depth. I have faith in you as fellow undead, but my experiments in research place a greater deal of faith in redundancy. Always have more than one option…

Seraphim: I don’t understand, you have made the same offer?

Ko: Yes. Three groups, one list. Should through some miracle all three of your entourages survive the weeks to come you will have to sort out a lone victor in whatever manner you see fit. I will begin disabling the security protocols in place, but for at least a few more days expect heavy resistance as you reach the more interesting parts of our home.

Seven names populate the List:

Lau-Rain (the vampire barbarian who killed Dis Pater)
Hazrdugal
Vlad Jejai
Zardus
Harang
Infrit
The Sleeper

Seraphim: Most of those names are from the prison block. Not sure about Infrit, might just be a name we overlooked as part of the prison registry or assigned to different prison. I am more alarmed by the last name. They want us to take out The Sleeper.

Very exposition heavy...lot of the stuff I have sat on and kept hush is coming out now.

[Traab]

Actually, the Pathfinder demilich (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/demilich) appears to be MUCH weaker than the 3.5 demilich (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/demilich.htm). It doesn't even *HAVE* a phylactery, let alone multiples!

Yeah wow, the nerf bat beat the demilich massively in pathfinder. *EDIT* And now having read this update, ouch. He is basically setting it up as a contest, may the best (and last) man win.

[Lord of Shadows]

I've got it...

They pit the King against the Dragon/Giants and the Drow, while the U.C. complete the "mission, quest, thing..."
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[Traab]

I've got it...

They pit the King against the Dragon/Giants and the Drow, while the U.C. complete the "mission, quest, thing..."
.

That seems unlikely to work. The drow/giants/dragon all know and loathe our crew, and good king whatshisface is not going to be willing to work with them either. I think what the undead cowboys have to worry about most is, all other sides joining up to deal with them first. The drow worry me the most. there is no way to be sure what sort of insanity they have been up to all this time. Im sure they are up on the next level of the ship already, after having laughed as they mooched off our parties psionic points to unlock everything for them. The dragon is just a gigantic blunt object really. Yeah he is super dangerous, but his kind of danger is easier to prepare for imo.

[Lord of Shadows]

That seems unlikely to work. The drow/giants/dragon all know and loathe our crew, and good king whatshisface is not going to be willing to work with them either.

Oh, I didn't mean to infer that the other factions would be WILLING participants... LOL


I think what the undead cowboys have to worry about most is, all other sides joining up to deal with them first. The drow worry me the most. there is no way to be sure what sort of insanity they have been up to all this time. Im sure they are up on the next level of the ship already, after having laughed as they mooched off our parties psionic points to unlock everything for them. The dragon is just a gigantic blunt object really. Yeah he is super dangerous, but his kind of danger is easier to prepare for imo.

Yes, this is also entirely possible, especially since these factions are (somewhat) familiar with each other. It's something the U.C. will have to be wary of, and may be where the King could be used to (unwittingly) gum up the other's plans.

On the other tentacle, if the King also somehow knows some details, he may be willingly talked into helping the U.C. and "set a pick" for them against the others, likely with some scheming of his own. Whatever is coming up, it should be interesting.
.

[Demon 997]

Do we know what The Sleeper is?

[Mith]

The mindreader, I think.

[Lord of Shadows]

Do we know what The Sleeper is?


The mindreader, I think.

Mindreader? Why... yess.. In the Undead Domain they found this:


Deep beneath the earth they find a burial chamber and at the heart of the chamber is a creature of titanic proportions. Black metallic chains bind four slimy tentacles in mid air, additional chains wrap around the whale-sized fish-like body with three eyes. Mucus falls from the bloated and suspended form, turning to dust as it drips off the body. The creature is easily ninety feet long and the chains holding it are as thick as a man’s body, each link just as long. Where the eyes should be are only swirling pools of shadow and lightning.

The footnote gave more details:


The Sleeper: A massive, oversized Aboleth with the Nightmare Lord template. I envisioned this as a corruption of using its mucus and other abilities as a way to corral and control undead within the ecosystem.

Good stuff... well, you know what I mean.
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[ATHATH]

I think that the UC should tell the Sleeper about its position on the list. If it knows that it will die to Volcanus anyway if it isn't killed, it might be able to be persuaded to commit suicide or something, especially if it can be revived later (turn it into a Lich, perhaps?).

Maybe Ko knows of a way to (temporarily) dumb the Sleeper down enough for it to be less of a beacon.

[Mith]

Mindreader? Why... yess.. In the Undead Domain they found this:


I had forgotten that that had a name.

[Michael7123]

So I have finally finished reading this campaing journal up to this point. The amount of evil contained within this thread is both sickening and entertaining at the same time.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this campaign ends. Kaveman, props to you for managing to DM this madness. After moments such as "we asphyxiate two dragons in a vault" and "we charge extra for people we've already backstabbed", I think I would have just quit out of exasperation.

[halfeye]

Mindreader? Why... yess.. In the Undead Domain they found this:



The footnote gave more details:



Good stuff... well, you know what I mean.
.
So, H.G. Wells then?

[Traab]

I think that the UC should tell the Sleeper about its position on the list. If it knows that it will die to Volcanus anyway if it isn't killed, it might be able to be persuaded to commit suicide or something, especially if it can be revived later (turn it into a Lich, perhaps?).

Maybe Ko knows of a way to (temporarily) dumb the Sleeper down enough for it to be less of a beacon.

I dont think there is a way to bring back the dead in this game. So they would have to lich the aboleth while its alive, which im pretty sure defeats the entire purpose of destroying the beacon. Also, you have to keep in mind that there really isnt much choice here. Either the sleeper dies or the world/universe/multiverse dies instead. If they werent working with a mega mind reading demi lich and the whole "kill it" thing was a bluff they could have tried liching it then "killing" it so it registers as destroyed then can reform later, but that would leave the beacon in place which means DOOOOOOOM!

[NRSASD]

I'm not sure the UC are getting the full story, cause I'm willing to bet that Ko is on that list but isn't telling them.

[Traab]

I'm not sure the UC are getting the full story, cause I'm willing to bet that Ko is on that list but isn't telling them.

That wouldnt surprise me at all. Suddenly the now low ranking mindflayer is like, "No seriously guys! He also needs to die to stop volcanus! Yeah thats incredibly convenient for me but totally dudes, it needs to be done!"

[Inevitability]

I'm not sure the UC are getting the full story, cause I'm willing to bet that Ko is on that list but isn't telling them.

Well obviously. After all, he's a very powerful mind that has just been brought within very close proximity of the prison. It's obvious Volcanos can home in on that: Ko said as much.

That, or his seemingly random fits of catatonia are a highly advanced way of making his mind undetectable. That seems unlikely, though.

[Lord of Shadows]

So, H.G. Wells then?

Hmmm... No, Aboleths are more like H.P. Lovecraft (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft)

[Lord of Shadows]

How about this little conspiracy theory...

Ko is actually Volcanus, or maybe just an Avatar of same. The names on the list are the only ones who - together - would be able to defeat him/her/it.

The U.C. are having their own game played against them..

Just a thought. Carry on.
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[Alent]

How about this little conspiracy theory...

Ko is actually Volcanus, or maybe just an Avatar of same. The names on the list are the only ones who - together - would be able to defeat him/her/it.

The U.C. are having their own game played against them..

Just a thought. Carry on.
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I did think it was awfully strange that the Illithid in the conference room was creating a volcano to smash Ares' armor in.

[Mith]

Perhaps the volcano was an outlet to a bleed off of Volcanus' power? So Volcanus' passive might is enough to burn away the armour.

[halfeye]

Hmmm... No, Aboleths are more like H.P. Lovecraft (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft)
I was thinking book titles:

The Sleeper Awakes

in particular. :smallbiggrin:

[SpoonR]

... good king whatshisface is not going to be willing to work with them either.

Thinking as an evil PC, good-aligned folks make the best tools temporary alliances. Less likely to backstab you, and you can usually predict WHEN they might do it (not before their 'reason to work with evil' is handled, fr ex). All you have to do is give them a target more evil than working with you.

Cthulhu for President: Why vote for the lesser evil!

The UCs have practice getting close enough to parley before being blasted, and if they can focus on "volcanus first, evil later" then they just need to convincingly present 'If Volcan escapes, we die too. We value our skin more highly than we value anything. Don't attack us while we go after Volc and we can argue philosophy after it's dead." I forget, does 'detect lie' magic exist here? If not, maybe point them at the ship AIs, see if Good King Pally accepts info straight from the tentacles mouth.

[Quertus]

My conspiracy theories: what if Ko wants reality destroyed?

What if the elder brain merged with Volcanis instead of being destroyed?

[Gilphon]

Hmm. I would've expected Veritas, Ackshale and the Drow Mistress to be on that list, along with possibly the party. Possibly they do need to die, and Ko's just leaving that part out because the plan already involves sending them into danger and then making them fighting each other.

Jaze is also still a bit of x factor here. Probably doesn't have enough personal power to be a beacon to Volcanus, but he could easily throw a wrench in wherever he wants.

[CrispyCriminal]

Hmm. I would've expected Veritas, Ackshale and the Drow Mistress to be on that list, along with possibly the party. Possibly they do need to die, and Ko's just leaving that part out because the plan already involves sending them into danger and then making them fighting each other.

Jaze is also still a bit of x factor here. Probably doesn't have enough personal power to be a beacon to Volcanus, but he could easily throw a wrench in wherever he wants.


I doubt Jaze will get in the way of the destruction of Volcanus, but I do see him hindering any side objectives if they trespass upon his own turf. I mean really, the only reason they'd have to actually kill Jaze is if Ko or maybe even Li-ban ordered them to, and for that to happen it'd be him abusing a subsystem or other resource needed to quell the threat.

[DireSickFish]

That's actually a rather long hitlist. I imagine that having 2 other groups that are after the same targets could make it easier. Get them to do the work for you.

The good group must have more information than the UC think. Why else would they come in force with there king and all if they didn't know something of the threat looming?

[Kaveman26]

Sitting Ducks:

Seraphim: Not eager to kill The Sleeper as his communications alone have saved our bacon half a dozen times if not more. Maybe we hold off on that until last.

Ares: Well we have plenty to kill before him. Thinking Vlad has the lowest threat level so we target him first. Follow him up with the Demon and hold off on Lau-Rain and Sleeper until the end. So…Vlad…Hazrdugal…Harang….Zardus…Infrit…Lau-Rain…Sleeper (if needs be). Maybe circumstances change by the time we reach him.

They reconvene with Ko only to be balked by Sirra.

Sirra: The master has resumed his trance state and is not to be disturbed barring catastrophic developments. In all further relevant matters I shall comply as his proxy.

Ares: So he gives us the warning on the world ending and then stops for a nap?

Sirra *visibly perturbed*: His condition is the direct result of the mind wandering and abandoning it’s physical form. Millenia of simply existing grows weary and to stave off apathy he embarks on extended periods of astral projection and sojourns of spirit. He wages wars in realities undreamed against forces beyond comprehension it is NOT simply a nap.

Seraphim: No insult intended I am sure. Perhaps you can provide us the required information. You have provided a kill list, can you provide any further detail on what we can expect from the targets? Always be prepared and all.

Sirra: Which target are you asking about?

Seraphim: Vlad Jejai first.

The Red Hand emissary walks to the adamantine golem and enters a sequence on a back compartment that opens to reveal a small but thick leather bound ledger.

Sirra: Vlad Jejai…a human derived from a nomadic plainsfolk. Only core interest in life was not dying. Tirelessly paranoid and resourceful for his species, showed remarkable aptitude for sensing danger and was catalogued and held for potential breeding or cross breeding to bolster other species. His habitat is time locked, meaning that he has not aged though he was experienced the passing of time. No further detail as to whether his habitation is isolated or home to other life.

Azzie: What else do you have in that book friend?

Sirra: Provide proof of Vlad’s death and I will be happy to provide further information, but until that point further documentation is privileged.

The U.C. begin mounting up and dispersing the remaining undead, and reanimate some more from their corpse stockpile. They also grab a handful of “fodder”…low HD mindless skeletons and zombies from the undead eco system.

Seraphim: Sounds like we are dealing with a clever and wary individual. I am going out on a short limb in thinking that we can expect a lot of traps and subterfuge. Before we enter the prison cell I want to pilot a mook in via soul hopping and get a first hand look at the terrain.

Ares: Sounds like a plan. Before I forget…do we have any oil?

Hades: Yes…plenty.

Ares: Ration out ten or fifteen one ounce doses of oil in the same vials or dishes. Burn one and count the time before we enter.

Pluto: You have an experiment in mind?

Ares: well the demilich talked about the candle burning at least three of four times, figure if we are snuffing out waypoints that are acting as beacons for Volcanus’s return, then as we snuff out a light the timer should extend. If we burn an ounce of oil and it lasts 30 seconds, then murder Vlad and the next ounce burns 32 seconds I feel comfortable that things are working. If the second ounce burns in 29 or 28 then the suspicion that we are getting suckered grows. Figure a little scientific method can’t hurt too much.

Doc: Good thinking.

The first ounce of oil burns for 45 seconds. As it winks out Seraphim steps through the gateway in the body of a 1 HD skeleton…and immediately plummets five hundred feet into a massive pit trap.

Seraphim: Well that is just plain rude. The welcome mat is a pit trap at least forty feet wide and by the time it took to fall at least four or five hundred feet deep. Not sure how we can get across that with all the giants in tow. I could turn into a bat and carry a light rope, then we could swing or pull people across.

Doc: I could glide across* Could carry one of us at a time. But that means no undead.

Hades: Well first round goes to the paranoid prisoner. No minions is a net win for him.

Doc ferries the crew across the pit and then make solid landfall on the other side. The terrain is a rolling plains land with high grass a scattering of sparse shrubs and more massive ant mounds than the eye can hold at once.

Ares: Not sure if this means Formians, or Ankhegs or is just Vlad…not eager to find out and trek through a bunch of tunnels. What you guys think?

Doc: Think it is a bunch of tunnels rigged with booby traps. Let’s peak down one and see how big the tunnels are.

They are hollowed out with obvious tool marks and large enough for a medium sized creature, which means Doc would have to squeeze.

Azzie: Well we can start searching I guess.

Ares and Seraphim share a glance and then both shrug their shoulders. A bit of table and game non verbal communication goes down and in unison they turn to the rest of the group.

Seraphim: We are thinking about just burning the whole place down. Not like we need survivors or anything. We can search for a body after, or maybe it makes the gopher pop out of a hole.

No one objects and Seraphim starts a series of flaming spheres and fireballs lighting up the landscape as Ares does similar with his graveknight abilities. They get a strong blaze going in many directions and then just sit back and wait. In a short enough span the entire prison area is engulfed in flames and burning brightly. They wait for hours as everything eventually burns itself out. During that course nothing makes itself seen. Seraphim begins a half hearted search and destroy as they send fodder through the tunnels triggering traps and in short order they are expended of their mooks. With her fast healing Seraphim becomes their guinea pig scurrying through the tunnels setting off the various pit traps, deadfalls, arrows, and rolling boulders. After what feels like an eternity they locate the lone corpse of a human male. It has been dead long enough to naturally mummify. There is a message written upon a nearby boulder in dried blood.

I taught him too well


*Doc now has wings, but to this point is not allowed to do more than glide with them


Loving the discussion that is springing up as the endgame starts to take shape. Loads I would love to share about the speculation but I am going to try and post as much as possible in order to reveal answers.

[Traab]

Hmm, mystery time. So the first target is already long dead. Which kinda confuses me. Wouldnt the demilich be aware that one of the major "beacons" is gone already? Eh. Now to wonder who "him" is. All things being connected, our good buddy mister psychic fella is a solid candidate. He seems to be very skilled at escaping and planning and whatnot.

[Honest Tiefling]

Hmm, mystery time. So the first target is already long dead. Which kinda confuses me. Wouldnt the demilich be aware that one of the major "beacons" is gone already? Eh. Now to wonder who "him" is. All things being connected, our good buddy mister psychic fella is a solid candidate. He seems to be very skilled at escaping and planning and whatnot.

The guy is paranoid. Why not make it look like he died when he really didn't?

[Alent]

The guy is paranoid. Why not make it look like he died when he really didn't?

His mouth's still in one piece from the description of the body, so... If he faked his death, he's not nearly paranoid enough.

(I mean this is D&D. If you want dead men telling no tales, you literally have to remove their vocal chords and tongue, and even that isn't enough.)

I expect to learn that Jaze was this guy's student.

[Inevitability]

WMG 1: I'm somewhat inclined to think 'he' is Jaze. Think about it: a human with the same penchant for trickery and traps whose exact origins are shrouded in mystery. It would make sense for him to have learned a thing or two from Vlad.

WMG 2: 'Vlad' is a vampire, and his corpse will either get up and attack the PC's the moment they turn their backs, or remain still and watch them leave.


The guy is paranoid. Why not make it look like he died when he really didn't?

You raise an excellent point. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/3rd-party-feats/rogue-genius-games/general-feats/feign-death)

Not sure if Kaveman plays with 3rd-party material, though. If he doesn't, then there's also a 3rd-edition spell that allows one to fake their death.

EDIT: Ninja'ed by Norren on the he=Jaze theory.

[DireSickFish]

This is a great way to get Jaze on the list either way. He either is Vlad so is on the list already, or he was trained by him giving him the knowledge that makes him a beacon. I wonder what knowledge you need to have to become a beacon. You'd think the demi lich would know enough that he should be targeted.

[Kaveman26]

Unintended Side Effects:

They throw the dead body over Doc’s shoulder and make their way out of the trap kingdom.

Seraphim: Strange that a being whose entire life was devoted to self survival would suicide.

Azzie: He could have been murdered and it staged to look like a suicide, but either way he has been gone for a long time.

Ares: Pretty sure there won’t be a change but do an oil test.

Azzie: Exact same…ok good to know…I guess we *poof*

Mid sentence Ares vanishes.

Azzie: Alright…I may be having an acid relapse…did you all notice

*Poof*
*poof*

*poof*

In rapid sucession Hades, Pluto and Seraphim all vanish.

Doc: Uh…all the giants are gone too.

Azzie looks at Doc and then pauses to recorporate himself delicately touching the Orc.

Azzie: Right…just making sure you are real. Things just got weird and it ain’t my recreational past flaring up.

They attempt to raise their wayward party members via the Skull Network and as they discover service seems to be down.

Doc: So, what do we do?

Azzie: I guess we deliver the body back to Sirra and see if he has any clue what is going on.

Meanwhile:

The undead quartet find themselves without warning transported into the Undead Ecosystem where King Galud and a host of his knights are laying waste to the undead present within the habitat. Clerics send bursts of positive energy out in pulses behind the stampeding silver hoofs of armored knights and Galud himself drives a wedge of holy warriors against the more stalwart undead. Just as fast as they mow down the undead more are being pulled into the lair to maintain the balance of it’s residents, our PC’s being the next closest. A few things occur immediately…

1st: For some reason they feel a genuine empathy for the undead trapped and are incredibly pissed off at the incursion from this force.

2nd: They are trying to fathom just how the heck the faction located and moved on the habitat this quickly. It took them weeks to find and breach this wing and these schlubs did it in one day

3rd: They are stuck. If they can’t radically alter the status quo and raise a host to replace themselves they are trapped within.

4th: The Sleeper’s communications have been knocked offline.

5th: Their giants were press ganged into the same location as they were *evil grin*

Ares: We need to stop this massacre ASAP or we are going to find ourselves in a real tight spot. Go for the King? Decapitation strike?

Hades: He has a lot of holy damage riding on his flanks and I’m willing to bet top dollar disruption is part of their toolbox. Not sure how or if our fail safes will work while stuck in here either.

Seraphim: Let’s target the horses. Take out their mounts, reanimate mounts force them to fight their own steeds. Or just steer them into a stampede. If we can break them up enough I would love to sink my teeth into the monarch. Like the idea of a sovereign lord as my thrall. Proxy Queen is just as good as actual Queen.

Pluto: They are striking out a course directly for the Sleeper from the looks of it.

Ares: Well let’s beat them to it. We rally at the stairs descending to the Sleeper. For now at least we defend it.

The quartet rallies their mindless minions to form a protective cordon around the twins and they begin utilizing their Command Undead to not exactly control, but to guide the more capable undead with one over arching goal…Get Out of The Way.

Ares and Seraphim stand side by side with their giants and launch their remaining fire spells into the tightest clusters of armored warriors. As they begin to spread out the twins lash out with Flamestrikes. The giants begin targeting horses and Ares wades in alongside them. Everything shifts as the stiffer resistance provides a hard stop to the crusaders advance and in short order the King rallies a battalion of lancers to his side and presses them into a charge.

Ares: That’s our sign…

The twins both throw their arms up to reanimate the slain horses and mass them up in between the charging King and themselves. The undead horses create wholesale chaos amidst the clash of living and unloving mounts with riders being pitched from the saddles to find hungry undead gnawing at the gaps in their protective armor. The command spreads out…drag away the isolated and living…fill your stomachs.

Back to the First Meanwhile:

Azzie: What in the flying f**K do you mean it ain’t Vlad? There was only a single sodding mummified human in the place. Not like he had a portrait with his signature on it.

Sirra: We withheld specific details as a means to confirm the kill, and this is not Vlad. Vlad had a trio of tattoos and this human corpse lacks all identifying body graffiti. This is not him.

Doc: That was the only human in there.

Sirra: The only human you found. We did warn you that he was exceptionally paranoid. Speaking of paranoia, where is the rest of your party?

Doc: We hoped you knew…they just vanished.

Sirra: Not of our doing. Best of luck finding them.

Azzie: Cmon guvnor, let’s take another peek at the carnival of traps and see if our boy is hiding someplace else.

Azzie: Right, if I was a paranoid delusional trap mongering as***le where would I hide?

Doc: Close to the door.

Azzie: Close to the door…you flipping moron…wait. That actually makes sense. Cept the door is a giant sodding hole.

Doc: Holes have bottoms. Who want to fall in a hole to check?

Azzie: You beauty. Let’s take a little parasail trip to the bottom and see what we find.

They find the shattered bones of Seraphim’s piloted skeleton, along with a very well concealed escape tunnel and a remarkably well camouflaged set of handhold and footholds to climb out of the pit. About ten feet from the surface they find an alcove disguised to look exactly like the pit walls and there is the faintest trace of scuff marks on the pit leading back to the door.

Azzie: Well that beats all. He done pulled a runner as soon as we popped the door open.

Doc: I’ll buy that…but who was the dead body then?

[Gallowglass]

Hey, it took them a while but they are back to corralling horses.

Cowboys ride again.

[Traab]

Never realized there are dms who glory in splitting the party. :smalltongue:

[Kaveman26]

(Don”t!) Let the Bodies Hit the Floor…(Don’t!) Let the Bodies the Floor

The crusaders rally to their king and mass up as he orders a retreat. The Cowboys frantically pour the kitchen sink in energy drain effects against the King and then aggressively push forward going full on nova with their negative energy. With the dogooders fleeing they are trying to mass as much body count as possible. They extract a heavy toll against the less robust steeds and as the Monarch escapes they do a hoof count to determine if they have enough HD to animate and spring themselves…

Doc and Azzie emerge from the Vlad trap minefield and decide to put their considerable lack of talent at tracking to work. Translation: They begin wandering around the detention block looking for an errant human. As if on cue a warrior emerges from the Undead System…followed by another….and another….and another…all at full speed and in a panic.

Doc: That’s the king right?

Azzie: Yep. With a whole lot of pissed off blokes.

Doc: I think they are going to see us. How you want to play this?

Azzie grins and whispers in the witch doctor’s ear…

Doc *grinning like mad*: K got it.

Galud is trying to calm his forces and get them into a semblance of order when the massive winged Orc comes streaking down the hall in a flurry straight up slashing a trailing warrior to shreds with two massive floor vibrating swings of his axe. He chuckles as the viscera of the knight trickles off the edge of his blade…and then breaks into a sprint to flee. Unbidden and unordered warriors take off after him in hot pursuit. The Orc turns a corner and as the knights catch up they see a door closing to a different cell….they manage to catch the door and debate following. A few of the more gallant duck inside before the King can shout a plaintive command to stop.

Doc…who ran past the swinging door and straight into the embrace of an invisibility from Azzie silently chuckles as the King ponders just what exactly a Lau-Rain is from the placard above the door where his men vanished.

Under cloak of stealth they overhear the following.

Galud: Pierre, Leznir secure the door but do not enter. Get Mear up here.

Two of the more regally adorned knights take up a stance on either side of the door while a cleric named Mear approaches the King.

Galud: Is this name on the list?

Mear: Yes your grace, it is amongst the names associated with the necromancers. He is identified as a possible associate of theirs.

Galud: Do we know anything about the occupant?

Mear: No your grace, our sources were unable to provide that level of detail.

Galud: Damn. We can’t abandon our men but I am loathe to wander in blindly.

As the Paladin ruler debates his actions the quartet has juggled undead horses in an amount that allows them to exit the habitat and as they emerge the King is audible. In short order they are able to piece together the details that some of his men have entered Lau-Rain’s cell and he is debating entering to follow.

Seraphim: Is him getting torn to shreds a good thing or a bad thing?

Ares: Im fine with torn to shreds.

Seraphim: And if he emerges as a graveknight himself but in servitude to Lau-Rain? Or what is Lau-Rain turns him Celestial just for laughs? Or escapes.

Hades: keeping him contained is more advantageous then seeing the good king march to a certain death.

Seraphim: Getting real sick of being minion light. I’m popping a transformation spell and I think we go for the King. Wish I knew where Doc and Azzie were.

The vampire and graveknight come barreling around the corner and head hellbent for Galud, whose knights gamely react to screen their lord. The cleric actually manages to hold Seraphim at bay with his holy symbol and Ares finds the kings guards to be quite capable in a stand up fight. A full out scrum emerges as the cleric and witch find themselves in a battle of wills. The twins are trying to out channel the assembled remaining holy men amongst the paladins and knights and the King seems to be rallying his men with some manner of ability they are unfamiliar with.

With everything in balance the King is blindsided by the Half Dragon Doc who drops a completely unexpected and power attack driven sledgehammer of an axe swing directly into the Lord’s collarbone. Against most foes the attack would have been a death sentence but the King stays his feet and seems shaken but hardly ruined. Azzie enervates the king as the axe falls and from his best impression it lands. Being attacked from both sides and with Doc in handy striking distance they once again decide that discretion is the better part of valor and bravely flee the prison block.

Reunited and Still reeling themselves they elect not to chase. They calmly organize and check the dead for any wounded. Seraphim is elated to find a still breathing fallen knight. In short order the gang meets up at their vault lair and try to get their heads around recent events.

Seraphim: so Vlad escaped? Or this just a double ruse…fake his own death, fake his own escape and he is neat and tidy somewhere we didn’t look?

Ares: Well I doubt he would fake his own escape. Seems like actual escape would be valued. But as far as we know there is a tattooed human somewhere now within the Ark who has been couped up for a very long time.

Seraphim: Well at the least once Fighter Boy here rises as a blood thrall we should be able to figure out a bit of the Good King’s agenda.

Azzie: From wut we overheard he has some dossiers on us, but not a kill list like we were given, so I doubt he is working for the skull.

Doc: They are tougher than I expected too. That swing would have dropped a hearty giant and he shrugged it off.

Hades: His men are much wider in terms of their skill, some proved to be ghoul chow while others took our best shots.

Pluto: All I know is this place is getting crowded. What are the chances that Veritas or the Drow were in that same vicinity at the same time. Every time we enter or exit a prison cell we are risking exposure. Who knows if any of the others are already dead.

As they debate Elliana begins to take form but her materialization seems stunted and interrupted…

Elliana: Override keys still

*fades out*

Elliana:…missing one more crucial….

*crackles*

Elliana:….what it seems…

*blip*

She vanishes entirely her message garbled and neigh incomprehensible.

Ares: Override Keys. Got so caught up in Ko’s storytime we stopped even trying to look for them.

Seraphim: I won’t say it’s a matter of who do we trust more. Ko is the stronger party and has greater reach and ability. I trust that he has a better knowledge of positive outcomes than the security construct. Now that I say that loud…not so sure of my own thoughts.

Ares: Yeah I got doubts, but that could just be general mistrust. We need to get a confirmed kill on a target. I think we also need a “status” update on our hit list members. We didn’t reach the Sleeper so he could already be dead and that is why communications went down. Lau-Rain got company but I’m pretty sure he could handle those guys…unless Veritas and company killed him already.

Seraphim: Well let’s wring out my new vampire for what he knows come nightfall and when we are through we shuffle him into the undead habitat for some horses and then I get to play pretty ponies and march the undead equine scouts into the prison cells for an update.

Hades: Hijacking minions with one’s immortal soul, a solution for most of life and deaths problem. Like the duct tape of undeath.

That night their new vampire lackey arises and identifies himself as Penn. Their initial responses for information are predictable…

Penn: The king has known for some time that the dungeon was lucrative and lethal. He urged his finest soldiers to avoid entering. He wanted to wait and marshall an appropriate response once more was known. The stories or your party grew quickly when you were amongst the few to make it out intact. A few weeks ago a Halfling, half crazed and feral came to Galud with wild tales of necromancy, cannibalism and diabolic alliances. He had enough details and a band of dwarfs backed his story, along with a gnoll they took captive.

Hades *under his not breath*: That answers the who…

Penn: Our oracles and diviners encouraged the King to act saying that portents of a grim event were growing clearer by the day. Our armies reported the mountains virtually abandoned of all giants, vanished almost with warning. We witnessed the scouring of countless acres by the red dragon as he roamed the countryside with flames and fury. A silver dragon who escaped the immediate servitude and destruction of his kin came to the King and offered his services as companion and partner. We had less to work with than he wished, but we were assured by our clerics that should be manage to disrupt your activities and eliminate those you called ally the pending disaster could be staved off.

A round of high fives and fist bumps circulated at this…

Penn: I don’t understand…

Ares: Clerics communing with their deities now recognize us a threat. We just made the Divine Wanted List…kind of a big deal for us.

[ImperatorV]

Making the Divine most wanted list as an achievement to be celebrated tells you everything you need to know about this party.

In other news, plot's really kicking into high gear now. We have more players then ever, our villain protagonists are nearing the height of their power and the real story of the dungeon is in the open and rapidly reaching a conclusion. I have a feeling things are just going to get more hectic from here though.

[Michael7123]

Man, I chose the right time to start this story. Three updates in one day. I feel spoiled.

Quick question: I'm making a necromancer of my own for a campaign I'm starting. What's the name of the ability/spell that seraphim uses to possess her mindless undead? I think something like that could prove to be fairly useful for my character.

[Fable Wright]

Man, I chose the right time to start this story. Three updates in one day. I feel spoiled.

Quick question: I'm making a necromancer of my own for a campaign I'm starting. What's the name of the ability/spell that seraphim uses to possess her mindless undead? I think something like that could prove to be fairly useful for my character.

It's the Possess Undead ability of the Gravewalker archetype of the Witch class in Pathfinder.

[Vizzerdrix]

It took me 4 days of not sleeping more that a few hours a day, but I finally got through the topic. My performance at work has suffered (almot fell asleep at the top of a ladder) but I feel it was worth it. :smallsmile:

[Honest Tiefling]

It took me 4 days of not sleeping more that a few hours a day, but I finally got through the topic. My performance at work has suffered (almot fell asleep at the top of a ladder) but I feel it was worth it. :smallsmile:

Better update soon, Kaveman26, before another person nearly kills themselves for you.

[Traab]

I have to admit im a bit surprised at how effectively they have routed the good king and his army. Yeah they are far from beaten, but they just took a massive hammering and got greatly weakened i think. Plus they have taken the measure of the king and he is WELL within killable range. I guess thats the difference between being the ambusher or the ambushee. When our crew gets the opening shot, they take care of business with ruthless efficiency and appalling effectiveness. When they get jumped, they tend to get a harsh spanking. Though, rereading the last couple entries, it seems like its more the army's mounts that took a drubbing.

[Mith]

And when you lose your horse, if you start the ambush mounted, you end up with a lot of difficulties to responding.

[Fizban]

I guess thats the difference between being the ambusher or the ambushee. When our crew gets the opening shot, they take care of business with ruthless efficiency and appalling effectiveness. When they get jumped, they tend to get a harsh spanking.
That's DnD. Other games are deliberately designed with a build up: MtG would be my main example, though I'm sure plenty of other board and card games do the same. In those games turn 1 is always at minimum strength, you build up over multiple turns and both players have plenty of time to act before the haymakers start swinging. 3.x DnD (and real life) let you swing at full power on turn 1 (or even earlier) so going first is the most important advantage to have. Striking from hiding or when your enemy is already engaged against another foe guarantee you get to go first. Players will naturally seek to do so as often as possible, and campaigns where they can do so are often much higher powered out of simple necessity. Foes that are balanced to avoid killing the PCs if they win initiative are rarely strong enough to challenge a group of ruthless alpha-strikers.

[Norin]

For a while this journal lost some momentum in my opinion (all the parts revolving around the gate and the prismatic metal, trial and error with the scurity systems, etc).

Now though, it's back on track and the last 2 parts had me grinning!
Good job Kaveman! Keep it up! ;)

[IntelectPaladin]

Congratualtions, Mr. Kave.

You're the first person to run a campaign that is extremely detailed, intricate,
and well-crafted.
I sincerely hope that there have been good-guy campaigns on
what should be called the Kave level of campaigns.
It's obviously been run to the highest standard.
And it's brought me to actual tears. And not of joy, either.
I'm horrified.
I just wonder the the campaign ends, and what exactly will occur.
Thank you for reading this, and I hope you have a better day!
I don't want to know how it ends, but I've been reading this thread
for what feels like years. It's just never gotten this bad before. I don't think I can take it.

[Gilphon]

... the party's getting played here. They have to be.

The coming disaster the Gods are warning about has to Volcanus' release. Stopping him is far more important than anything the party is capable of. So if the Gods are saying 'stop these guys to avert the disaster', that has to mean the party is unwittingly working towards releasing Volcanus.

[Traab]

... the party's getting played here. They have to be.

The coming disaster the Gods are warning about has to Volcanus' release. Stopping him is far more important than anything the party is capable of. So if the Gods are saying 'stop these guys to avert the disaster', that has to mean the party is unwittingly working towards releasing Volcanus.

I agree, they are getting played hard, but the real problem is, what do they do about it? Half the sides here REALLY want them dead. The options available to them are limited and there is no way to be sure what the right choice is. I get the feeling that security ai malfunctioning thing is important somehow. I just cant be sure whats going on there.

[Jonagel]

Elliana: Override keys still

*fades out*

Elliana:…missing one more crucial….

*crackles*

Elliana:….what it seems…

^^^^

So we know Elliana wants them to get override keys. That's a given.

Missing one more crucial though...that implies only one is missing. We know the UC have one -- does that mean someone else has another? Or does that means Elliana got 2 of them, and is only waiting on the UC's? Or is she talking about something else already? Maybe one more crucial beacon to kill? (Ko?)

As for "...what it seems..." I'd wager that's a "Everything is not what it seems", whether that's Ko, Volcanus, the whole situation etc. Ko tried to discredit her in a way, but it seems clear that she would be the only one bound to do/say the 'right' thing. She's not independent, and is linked to the ship, something our other mid flayer friends do not need to worry about -- they can have their own agendas. I think it's safe to say she is doing her best to warn the party about one or both of the mind flayers.

In addition, who's to say the Paladin they thralled knows exactly what is up from the Good King's side of things? There could be another priest trying to bring about the end of times in that group, just like last time the UC met a "Lawful Good" Cleric. If there is a cult with dedicated followers, and yet no invasion party, I would think that is because they have agents involved on multiple fronts...or they're weaker then expected.

So much speculation and fun! Woo!

[Inevitability]

Man, I chose the right time to start this story. Three updates in one day. I feel spoiled.

Quick question: I'm making a necromancer of my own for a campaign I'm starting. What's the name of the ability/spell that seraphim uses to possess her mindless undead? I think something like that could prove to be fairly useful for my character.

Possess Undead has already been mentioned, but a 3.5 spell that does something similar is Eyes of the Zombie. The fluff is somewhat squicky, but the mechanics are very similar. It's a 2nd-level cleric spell and a 3rd-level wizard/sorcerer/spellthief spell.

[Talar]

Possess Undead has already been mentioned, but a 3.5 spell that does something similar is Eyes of the Zombie. The fluff is somewhat squicky, but the mechanics are very similar. It's a 2nd-level cleric spell and a 3rd-level wizard/sorcerer/spellthief spell.

Out of curiosity what is the source on the spell?

[BilltheCynic]

Out of curiosity what is the source on the spell?

BoVD page 94.

[Talar]

BoVD page 94.

Ah thank you, I checked the spell compendium and complete adventurer since he mentioned the spell thief.

[Gilphon]

Hmm. After thinking it over, I'm pretty sure Ko's not the one who's playing the Party- The King knew to target them before they met Ko, and he doesn't seem interested in Veritas or the Drow- plus he wasn't warned away from killing Lau-rain or the Sleeper, which indirectly supports Ko's story.

So what they're doing that's going to free Volcanus has to be something that none of the other factions are involved in. I think it's gotta be Elliana- maybe Volcanus somehow corrupted her or something.

[Karion]

Hmm. After thinking it over, I'm pretty sure Ko's not the one who's playing the Party- The King knew to target them before they met Ko, and he doesn't seem interested in Veritas or the Drow- plus he wasn't warned away from killing Lau-rain or the Sleeper, which indirectly supports Ko's story.
It's not that far-fetched to assume that Ko, being in charge of one big overland empire also found a way to manipulate indirectly another and has been controlling the King all along. Him deceiving everyone seems to mesh better with Elliana's reaction, and might be explained by him needing strong sensations to awake, with Volcanus destroying everything providing the strongest possible sensations.

[Gilphon]

If Ko was controlling the king, why would he send him in to kill the guys he just finished giving an important mission to? And not supply them with information on people like Lau-rain?

[Aldurin]

If Ko was controlling the king, why would he send him in to kill the guys he just finished giving an important mission to? And not supply them with information on people like Lau-rain?

I don't think the king would be controlled, either. This is probably more of a thing where it's best for Ko to give no faction an edge, so that whoever survives to the end of this ordeal is barely threatening.

I do like the "Ko is Volcanus" theory, as it would feel more in line for the hit list to be "everyone that is actually a threat to Ko (or just have enough pieces to see through his deception if they ever make contact)" instead of "everyone who was arbitrarily designated as being able to be a beacon to Volcanus. Particularly, given that the reasoning for the targets being chosen is supposedly that their minds are the biggest presences on the ship. Ko's presence should be the biggest beacon if he can't even sustain proper consciousness through the amount of knowledge he holds, and many other factors might push others into that category. Veritas may become a beacon through the sheer hatred and determination he has to kill the party, and the party themselves may have moved into this category by adding psionic abilities on top of their rapidly-growing builds.

[Grim Portent]

I wonder if the party ever gets their hands on any Ilithid recordings detailing their research on the Underdark radiation in greater detail. If it's what makes Volcanus so powerful imagine what could happen if they found a way to siphon it for themselves.

[Inevitability]

Ah thank you, I checked the spell compendium and complete adventurer since he mentioned the spell thief.

Spellthieves can learn any spell of certain schools (including divination) on the wizard/sorcerer list.

[Kaveman26]

Better Of Worse

Hades: Ko wants us to kill the beacons to prevent Volcanus’s escape. The King Wants to kill us to prevent us from letting the world end but he is also actively trying to kill those we are in association with, some of whom happen to be “beacons”. This make sense to anyone else? Is this a Saw II? Are we better off doing nothing.

Ares: I genuinely don’t know. So many different factors in play. For better or worse I would like to get a confirmed kill on at least one target and then reassess based on that. Also, I think that the information gained from Penn doesn’t alter previous plan to check on the rest of the list. Let’s have Seraphim walk a skeleton into each enclosure and see if we can verify the remaining targets.

Surprisingly they are beginning to run out of disposable undead. Tombstone has more inside including the recently created horses, but the trade off of putting things in is getting hard. The stockpile is exhausted and they are nearly out of fresh corpses. They shuffle in the 5HD vampire thrall to spring five 1 HD skeletons. They figure on using those to check on everything but the Sleeper.

For the Sleeper they elect to go in mass as a full group. The graveyard is particulary unsettled. A safe zone around the stairwell that descends is in place, as is the surrounding terrain is poisoned. The moment they step foot inside they feel a strong hallowed presence.

Hades: The ground here has been consecrated, by a cleric or divine force far stronger than us. I didn’t think Galud had anything or anyone capable of such a feat.

Penn: He doesn’t. None of our priests have this level of strength. Hurts even to be close to this.

Seraphim: It is uncomfortable, but bearable.

The group takes the winding path down to the Sleeper’s lair and discovers the aboleth in a bizarre state. The bloated and enormous body is heaving in seizures, massive globs of mucus are falling from a gaping wound along the entire expansive length of it’s abdomen. Spasms wrack the tortured form as it still hangs suspended from it’s chains.

Hades attempts to reach out to it mind to mind and in doing so a force seizes control of the undead lord, throwing his body into the air at least twenty feet and an eruption of light and divinity bursts out of his every orifice…

Hades: The Child has arrived! Beware all Interlopers and Scions of Corruption your demise beckons!

A sudden heave and violently wretching sees a spew of bile and stone vomiting out from the aboleths mouth and Hades crashes to the ground.

Hades: It is still alive but being tormented from within. Something attacked it, blessed it, consecrated and hallowed the ground holding it in place. It was seeking something. I got the impression that whatever was sought was not found a single final thought hit me as I fell and it is not a good one.

Pluto: What is it brother?

Hades: It said to search the puke…

Seraphim: So…you can wash later, now like you have to worry about diseases.

Hades: Yeah…but this is some sort of dramatically altered aboleth puke. It can control undead. Who know what happens when you touch it after it’s been tainted with divinity.

Ares: Maybe we should let Doc do it, he has the best fort save and is not undead.

Doc: But I do require a Fort Save and my will save is not the greatest.

Azzie: I’ll do it, I have touched worse.

The bard rummages through the piles of vomit and eventually comes out with a single rough shard of quartz. He goes incorporeal to leave all the filth behind and then hands them the shard.

Azzie: It has the same mental feel as the crystals we found in the research rooms. Think it activates the same way.

It indeed does, only the information stored is far more crude. The voice that plays is that of The Sleeper but very coarse like a radio channel that is barely holding the frequency.

No mind is safe. Not Mine. Not Yours. If you are hearing this then I have allowed my own mind to become a place of torment. To reach me now is to embrace mental anguish and terror. This will drive him away, but only briefly. I can’t shelter you from this storm. It must run it’s course. Find the ship’s heart. Elliana will know. There alone can your thoughts be your own. They are all telling the truth they know. They are all wrong.

The last two sentences are accompanied by a quick flash of Galud, Ko, Li-Ban, and Elliana.

A final whisper so faint it is barely audible accompanies the crude crystal shattering.

Speak Not His Name

Pluto: I hate vague assistance. Freaking Pronoun Game and all. Why can’t the dire missive just be direct?

Ares: Because even with extreme precautions this message was delivered as unsecure. He trusted the information but no one is safe to retain it. Something is able to read all our minds. Anyone want to guess who?

Seraphim: Yeah only person that we have run into with that ability is…

Azzie: Speak Not His Name…

Seraphim:…hmmm. I think we are getting somewhere, where it is I’m not sure.

Ares: They are all telling the truth they know, they are all wrong. Feels an awful lot like we are bound in the world’s largest Catch-22. According to Ko if we destroy the beacons that will impede or hold Volcanus within his prison long enough for the Illithid Calvary to arrive. He believes that to be true but is wrong. Elliana thinks that the override keys and jettisoning certain non essentials will accomplish same result, but she is wrong. Galud thinks that stopping us will save the world but he is wrong. Does anyone have a chain of thought or even a random haphazard wild ass guess as to what is actually the best course of action?

Seraphim: Well let’s say that Ko is not serving some secret agenda and is not playing us. Then in some manner of speaking his intelligence or hypothesis is flawed. We know that Volcanus did something that even erased part of their memory and only the written record tipped them off. If that record was not complete he is working from incomplete data. From a straight power standpoint I am reasonably confident in saying he is the most powerful NPC we have yet encountered. Elliana is bound by protocols and to our knowledge is incapable of flat out deception. However she has ceded that her protocols can be tampered with. Speak Not has basically confirmed an ability to do just that. So we can reasonably deduce that any information she is providing has been parsed and passed through Speak Not’s say so. If said party was also responsible for hitting the erase button on the Illithid and not say Volcanus that means he has tampered with both of those departments. Galud is drawing his information from sources beyond the ship’s interior. If the gods are convinced that stopping us is required, but are in some case wrong then whatever actions we are currently undertaking should be right.

Pluto: Fuzzy and winding but yes.

Seraphim: Then if the uncorrupted source of information is wrong and is proving our course of action right, shouldn’t that go against the directives we are getting from the tampered parties and not coincide? I mean if Speak Not is doing something shady as part of a grand conspiracy why does that match up with what the gods want?

Azzie: We are only assuming that the gods are incorrect in stopping us because of the Sleeper’s kidney stone S.O.S, he could just have easily been tampered with as well.

Ares: We need more information but I’m leaning towards a conspiracy where we end up the suckers unless we find a way to alter the status quo. Let’s finish checking for survivors…

[NRSASD]

Hats off to Kaveman, for making such an elaborate conspiracy make sense! It's no easy feat

[Kaveman26]

I am both pleased and sad to say that we are still just scratching the surface in terms of conspiracy and complexity.

[Lord of Shadows]

Better Of Worse


Is that supposed to be "Better Or Worse," or "Better Off Worse," or is it correct the way it is?


Hats off to Kaveman, for making such an elaborate conspiracy make sense! It's no easy feat

Ditto... this has more twists and turns that a roller coaster designed by Cthulhu himself.
.

[Kaveman26]

Is that supposed to be "Better Or Worse," or "Better Off Worse," or is it correct the way it is?



Ditto... this has more twists and turns that a roller coaster designed by Cthulhu himself.
.


Better of Worse was what I intended as kind of a twist on phrase

[Lord of Shadows]

Better of Worse was what I intended as kind of a twist on phrase

Ok, thanks. That makes sense, too, with the current situation.

[DireSickFish]

Got them jumping at shadows now. Granted the shadows might actually be trying to kill them, but still good work. If this was a new DM and a worse group of players I'd be berating them about instilling a deep paranoia for all games to come. With this crew of clever schemers it's really the only option.

[Kaveman26]

Prisoner Welfare Checks:

Seraphim pilots their pilfered skeletons to touch base with their remaining prisoners. Their first search is to reach the demon prison for Hazrdugal or Haz. A blasted landscape or volcanic glass and shattered stone the prison is the smallest they have yet encountered and it’s prisoner ( a Nalfeshnee) is out in the open and alive. Their second trip takes them to the prison of Zardus, the inhabitant of which may or may not be still alive. The whole prison resembles a medium sized city with numerous inhabitants. The last prison belongs to a Horned Devil named Harang, and from their foray he seems to still be present.

They follow up on their initial plan and attack in force Hazrdugal coming in with with reckless abandon and a wave of spells. The demon fights ferociously and with no signs of retreat or surrender. It claws and snaps at them with it’s dying breath and if they had hats they would be tipped in respect. With almost fanatical attention they light a new dose of oil and wait to see how long it burns. Should it burn slower it confirms their mission, should it burn faster than before then it leads to suspicions of being used as lackies.

Ares: Two seconds faster…

All: Damn…

Ares: I really hoped that wasn’t the case. We are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Even if we stop any attempts to kill the remaining prisoners we can’t talk the drow or dragon into doing likewise. If we attempt to extort or intimidate the demi-lich into revealing any hidden intentions we have to tip our hand about leaving the Sleeper alive. Not sure we can win a fight against Ko even if we get all the lucky breaks.

Seraphim: If we could dispose of the demi-lich, we may be able to eliminate the dragon. The drow would at least entertain the information we provided and then decide for themselves. They won’t trust us, but they may attempt to verify or disprove what we say.

Hades: Ko is thousands of years old and is likely an epic or near epic caster in addition to having a host of immunities and special abilities that outstrip our own. We can’t take in a straight up fight let alone overcome a host of casters, mounted warriors and trained gladiators. Hell the GOLEM he uses as a palanquin could probably tie us in knots by itself.

Azzie: So we don’t fight. We indispose of him. Take him out of the game and we should be fine to move against his wishes. We can out think the Golem and while Sirra may be the big man with the Red Hand I feel like we can take him in a fight.

Seraphim: How do you plan on “indisposing” a nearly all powerful demi-lich?

Azzie: By dropping his a** in the Undead Retirement Home…Cart off gramps to Shady Acres.

Doc: Specifics man! Didn’t we just about vagueness?

Azzie: Fine…I got an idea that involves zero direct confrontation and almost zero risk. Should work a treat too. I just need some living creatures, 44 HD worth.

Seraphim: Where do you propose on finding that?

Azzie: I’m going to ask Sirra for them.

Brazen as a whore wearing her work clothes to church Azzie saunters up to Sirra and asks for a division of worg riders to accompany them.

Sirra: For what purpose do you need them?

Azzie: Vlad Jejai pulled a runner and fled his prison, need the wolves to pick up the scent and help track. He is a tricky one.

Sirra: How many do you need?

Some awkward conversation in and out of character lets Azzie know the worgs are six HD magical beasts and their riders are 5 HD goblin rangers.

Azzie: Seven mounts with riders would do just fine.

Without a good reason to object and a clear need Sirra agrees to allow leading the pack of riders. Azzie gives him a wink and a nod and assures he will take good care of them.

The whole group along with their entourage “track” Vlad back to the prison area, which is legitimately where he escaped from. Upon which Azzie makes the following proclamation.

Azzie: He may have gone in here, we need to go take a look.

The Worg Riders wait for the U.C. to go in first then follow after…directly into the Undead Ecosystem.

As they come through Azzie yells loudly for the undead within…

Azzie: All you Can Eat Buffet my lovelies…enjoy.

Seraphim: Why are you sacrificing the loaned troops to the undead?

Azzie: Cause it goes something like this love. Some jac***s King gets his codpiece in a twist and starts raising hell wit me boys here. Next thing I know my Band is straight up f***ing gone from beneath my feet and I find them stuck backstage here. Ko is all kinds of powerful but he is mostly comatose and unless we get HIS codpiece in a twist or send 20,000 volts into his temples he tends to stay that way. So we start wiping out the mindless blokes and eventually the place restocks itself with undead. When his high and mighty skullness finally gets snatched up we animate the dead wolves and their riders to get you guys out of the knick and off we go. Ko gets left with the check and stuck inside.

Seraphim: I could kiss your weird face…

Azzie: I can think of all kinds…

Ares: Stop! Let’s just see if this works and you can celebrate if everything pans out.

It takes longer than they thought as other undead are pulled in before him, but after a series of random pop in undead eventually the skull appears…still dormant in its torpor state.

Azzie: Quiet as leaving a clingy broad in the morning let’s get out of here mates.

Seraphim: What if he wakes up and kills the Sleeper?

Azzie: Then we will find out and work through that. But this at least puts him someplace unreachable by ordinary means and should keep him out of commission. Let Sirra and company stew for a while, and let’s try to get the override keys in the meanwhile. We need to start focusing on a Plan B. I would guess that if we start hitting a nerve we will get a reaction. So once things go bad we will know we are doing good.

They tuck in for the evening to recuperate spells and abilities and set out the next day fresh and loaded, electing to return through the Conference Center in an attempt to reach the other ship layers and retrieve the override keys that match Doc’s. Expectations of running into Veritas at that level are high, so they all load up on fire resist before circling through. They make a frantic run for the next circle that will take them to the second vault area and immediately set out to see if the second key was hidden akin to the first.

As they enter the vault room they find one of Sirra’s peers leading a force of half-giants and several servant wizards as they sweep through the vault room searching for something. The wizards all seem to have an ability to unlock the doors but they have at that juncture held off on opening the largest vault.

Doc: We talking or reaping?

Seraphim: We could convince them that Sirra sent us, but that could backfire. Wouldn’t mind fresh minions and they look awfully juicy.

Ares: Let’s wipe them out, we already shanghaied the big boss no sense in pussyfooting with the help.
Doc and Ares make a direct line for the Red Hand Mage while Sera and the twins launch themselves at the lesser casters. At the first contact the half giants all calmly pivot…and a tangible forcefield springs up around them, followed by them doubling in size.

Seraphim: That wasn’t arcane, it was definitely psionics.

A much tougher battle than they expected drags out as the half giants prove to be very resilient. The casters work together very well to lay down concealment and support each other. The combination of Doc and Ares manages to subdue the Red Hand, and while they emerge victorious several casters manage to escape.

Several half giants were captured alive as is Rawleens, the now captive Red Hand Wizard. Fearful of a counter strike they hastily enter the vault and uncover a trove of magical items and relics which are hastily snatched up while they seek to uncover the deeper vault potentially hidden within. Within minutes they manage to uncover the second key which is translucent and shimmery, knowing it will tie itself to someone they end up tying it to Azzie thinking that its somewhat unstable appearance may interact with either his planar thinning or incorporeal nature.

As it binds to Azzie, Elliana reappears. Her presence seems strained and her form less than solid.

Elliana: Forced to remove myself from the ship’s power. Operating on emergency reserves. A hostile force is actively trying to disrupt my directives, and is doing so in an unauthorized fashion. It is distinctly working to sabotage my attempts to secure hostile prisoner Volcanus.The third key has been moved. I was able to confirm it’s location once I was disconnected and something or someone already has it.

Ares: Can you speculate on the outcome of killing these seven individuals: Lau-Rainn, Infrit, Harang, Hazrdugal, Zardus, and The Sleeper.

Elliana: There is no foreseeable impact from the slaying of these individuals. I have no information on these prisoners, nor records of their incarceration.

Seraphim: Do you have records of ANY prisoners?

Elliana: I have no knowledge of Prisoners confined to this vessel, excluding Volcanus

Seraphim: Something is absolutely messing with her hard drive (so to speak) we can’t reliably use her as a source of information. Everything has been fudged.

Azzie: Let’s see if we can skin this cat a different way. If you are a master schemer and there is a chance that someone is gunning for you, what do you do? Aside from attack them first. Let’s say offense is not your strongest suit.

Ares: Sabotage the resources that can locate or expose you. Hide. Make others do the heavy lifting for you. Use proxies.

Azzie: Give the man a cigar. If someone was looking to cover their tracks and stay discrete than eliminating those who have come into contact with you and can provide potential weaknesses or flaws would help you stay hidden. Like a mob boss killing informants.

Hades: Yeah, but that is not too unusual. Us killing these prisoners as informants is something we would quickly deduce, we have had suspicions of this being a set up for a while. What I can’t reconcile is the oil. Killing or Not Killing the names on this hit list IS affecting the burn time on the oil. There is a correlation.

Pluto: Just for laughs hear me out. What if Volcanus is a fluffy bunnies pissing rainbows and laughing sunshine. What if it is a being of virtue and decency who can save the world just by taking a massive dump of goodness all over it? Wouldn’t the dominating tyrannical super power species want to keep it locked up? What is letting this thing out is a “Good Thing”? Does that alter the game?

Seraphim: Well not really. Because we are still up against everyone thinking it’s bad and the portents from those in touch with the gods say that stopping us is needed.

Pluto: That is not quite what we have been led to believe. We were told by the Sleeper that disrupting us would save the world, but that the information presented to the King was wrong. What if disrupting us saves the world not because we are hastening Volcanus’s release, but because we are delaying his escape?

Seraphim: Then no action against us would have the same effect, we would still be killing the impediments to his release and lack of their intervention would be fine.

Ares: We are talking ourselves in circles. We are so full of questions that answers are starting to fall out, but I don’t think we have enough yet. It is blatantly obvious that a force is working behind the scenes to throw us off a trail. Whether the ultimate intent is malicious or benevolent is futile. I am pretty confident that a fleet of Illithid ships is approaching. I am certain that Speak Not His Name is juking the system for some ends and that Elliana is no longer a trustworthy source. Maybe Speak Not is just trying to avoid his jailors and everything else is on the level and we are losing needed information as collateral damage, but it is definitely making things trickier by his very action. If he were dead…perhaps those problems go away. Elliana can you tell us where the heart of the ship is located?

Elliana: All details relating to the location of the ship’s heart have been removed.

Ares: Can you highlight on the map any location where you have no information.

Three locations are marked. One from their previous access they speculate is the Master Control Panel. The second judging by the size is Volcanus’s prison.

Doc: The third is the heart. Don’t see it being anything else.

Seraphim: So are we going to set out as Heart Surgeons or Brain Surgeons?

[wobner]

First. Awesome.

Second. I'd like to call peoples attention to the insane veiw count this tale has gained. Wow.

For anyone else posting a campaign journal, i'd also like to point out the huge disparity between the veiw count and the post count, especially since the largest number of posts have started happening recently.

Third. Awesome, cause it needs to be said twice, atleast.

Fourth. Did you plan on them dealing with Ko in that fashion or was it a surprise?

[GrayDeath]

Damn I would really love to play in that group.
For once I would not have to play the Group Brain (also, wow, its getting more and more interesting. However, as someone in a good Fanfic name MoR once pointed out: Appearances usually ARE a pretty good hint, and a being named Vulcanus does not sound ...good. ^^).

[Kaveman26]

Fourth. Did you plan on them dealing with Ko in that fashion or was it a surprise?


I didn't quite plan on it, but suspected they would find a way to utilize the restocking mechanic. I put that specific "fail safe" in place as a means to prevent them from using it as a gunrack where they could reload minions at will. Once I used it to whisk them away I realized they would be looking at that particular aspect closer, but Azzie's leveraging the torpor state that was both part of that demi-lich chasis, AND a featured characterization of that NPC was pretty damn cool. It is one thing to realize they can lead a horse to water, and quite another for the horse to spit out the bit and replace it with a straw.

It was by no means a foolproof solution, but it was creative.

[Traab]

I didn't quite plan on it, but suspected they would find a way to utilize the restocking mechanic. I put that specific "fail safe" in place as a means to prevent them from using it as a gunrack where they could reload minions at will. Once I used it to whisk them away I realized they would be looking at that particular aspect closer, but Azzie's leveraging the torpor state that was both part of that demi-lich chasis, AND a featured characterization of that NPC was pretty damn cool. It is one thing to realize they can lead a horse to water, and quite another for the horse to spit out the bit and replace it with a straw.

It was by no means a foolproof solution, but it was creative.

I wonder if he could plane shift his way out then dimensional anchor himself back in the "real world"? Then the vacuum effect would likely grab our undead party instead right? There is also the way he was able to basically summon that other illithid to his side. Heck, he helped BUILD these prisons, I doubt they could hold him long even without using a normal spell list. Its an interesting idea, but I think at this point their best hope is the skull not "waking up" any time soon.

[Demon 997]

Speak not his name is Jace yes?

[Inevitability]

Speak not his name is Jace yes?

It is definitely Jeze, which is kind of ironic given that Jazi was listed as the least powerful prisoner or something. Or am I misremembering something about Iaze?

[Tenmujiin]

It is definitely Jeze, which is kind of ironic given that Jazi was listed as the least powerful prisoner or something. Or am I misremembering something about Iaze?

Given his impressive control of the vessel's systems he probably tricked the prison into thinking he was weak

[Kaveman26]

Got to Have Brains:

The vote leans towards reaching the brain first. Their reasoning: If we can control the ship we can cut off what is presumably Jaze from screwing more stuff up. With a few days that were travel light they have managed to stockpile and charge up their cog crystals so they have a wider range of movements, and are confident it can be a two way trip. They fully drain and vamp out Rawleens picking up a level 9 wizard as a thrall for Seraphim*. The half giants they drain and leave behind for future use. They are still uneasy at being minion light, but are also keen on figuring out the right path for them to be on before further assassination or whole scale slaughter.

As they traverse the circle paths to reach the MCP they find the door already in process of being breached. Veritas, Ackshale, Li-Ban, and The Fire Giant Chieftain (Breig) are attempting to open the entry way.

Both sides spot each other and there is a sudden tension as they await reactions from each other. Neither side does so much as twitch for a moment that seems to stretch on forever. Finally the Flayer, Li-Ban, steps between the two groups.

Li-Ban: We all hostilities that remain unsettled. This is neither the time nor the place.

Ares: Agreed. We will absolutely choose a different time and place to hash out those differences. But I must ask a question of dire importance. We have spent months within the ship and fought tooth and nail to hold every last square foot. It took a heavy toll to find where this room was, so just how exactly did you find it?

Li-Ban: This ship is my home. I am quite familiar with it’s workings and locations.

Ares: So you brought them here?

Li-Ban: Yes.

Ares: If you are familiar with its workings and locations why can’t you get the door open?

The giants seem more interested in the answer than the dragon who is staring bullets at the witch. Li-Ban seems to be sweating and is highly uneasy.

Li-Ban: This is a very delicate situation. Someone has locked the door from the inside. I was amongst the last of our kin to enter hibernation so it appears that someone else from within the ship gained access and locked us out.

Doc: Can the Crones unlock it?

Li-Ban: I tried that. Something has interrupted their productivity. They are presently damaged and not capable of providing assistance.

Doc: Can it be broken down?

Li-Ban: It is made from a kinetic alloy, as is much of the ship. The door itself extends beyond the Material Plane and locks access across a multitude of dimensions. All force applied against the door will prove useless, as that force will simply be dispersed through the multi-plane.

Azzie: I can try my little trick….

Li-Ban: I am familiar with your shadow manipulation. It will not work.

Ares: Would I be mistaken in saying there are three imprints to the right of the door?

Li-Ban: They are emergency override access panels. Placing all three would trigger an emergency open command, but all three keys are gone. I have searched everywhere I can.

Ares: Cards on the table…we have two keys. The third has been taken by somebody and is currently missing. Want to bet it is with whoever is in that room?

Li-Ban: That shouldn’t be possible. They can’t actually enter the Master Control Panel.

Seraphim: Very curious. Sounds like we have the fox cornered in the chicken coop but we can’t get to him.

Ares: So we are locked out barring acquiring key number three. I suppose we don’t have anything further to discuss then.

As the groups inch away from each other Seraphim blows a kiss at the dragon and smirks. The sound of his claws trying to bury themselves through the floor comes off as a hissing high pitched keen that drowns out his own snarl. She demurely giggles at his rage and Ackshale steps forward slinging a hammer far wide of any meaningful target.

Ackshale: Leave!

As discreetly as possible Ares picks up the errant hammer when it does not return to the giants hand.

Seraphim: What was that about?

Ares *fierce whisper*: Just keep walking and try not to bait Veritas anymore.

They manage to clear some distance and Ares starts examining the hammer.

Ares: The one he threw at us the other day returned back to him, this one didn’t and I know that was intentionally wide this time. I can’t see anything obviously different on this one…

After some tinkering he unscrews the butt of the hammer to reveal a hollow handle…a scroll falls out.

I will not get myself killed, but I will help you finish off the dragon if the time is right, in exchange for at cost crafting for a period of five years and access to two crafting skills. We have a small base of operations in the Dragon Display Showroom.

Seraphim: Oh my. How clever.

Hades: Do we take him at his word?

Ares: I think so. The motive is clear and consistent. Not sure if we can get a return message to him, but if we get into a pitched battle the truth will reveal itself.

Azzie: We need to find that third key. If Speak Not is locked in that room we need someway to get at the tricky bas**rd. Whoever trained him in deception did a bang up job.

Hades: A little too good.

Doc: “I Taught Him Too Well” wasn’t that the message in Vlad’s gopher hole?

*blink* *blink*

Seraphim: It certainly was.

Ares: Are we thinking Vlad was his mentor?

Azzie: Why just Vlad? Lau-Rain knows more about combat and warfare than perhaps anyone else in history. The Sleeper is a massively powerful mind controller that breaks the mold in abilities. Who else was on our list?

Doc: Hazrdugal-a demon.

Seraphim: Embodiment of chaos and destruction.

Doc: Zardus-terranthrope whose goal is Assimilation.

Azzie: Taking control behind the scenes and the ability to change shape.

Doc: Harang-Devil.

Ares: Highly disciplined and capable of Faustian deals.

Doc: Infrit: Unkown.

Seraphim: Our hit list is also an Ivy League line up of training someone to be a sadistic and manipulative power hungry tyrant.

Hades: So our hit list coincides with Speak Not’s potential teachers. Let’s say we corroborate this and get added confirmation, would killing off his mentors be worth letting Volcanus free?

Ares: That’s the crucial question. Why would he enable the freedom of the world’s destruction?


*Vampirism as a PC template is game changing. Their ingenuity in stretching and really digging for unforeseen manipulations is a source for my thinning hair. Specifically jettisoning the thralls as an impediment for later use.

[Kaveman26]

I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff:

As they meander back towards the vault area, an entourage led by Sirra and a considerable host of followers awaits them. He does seem too pleased.

Ares: Greetings friend. How may we be of assistance?

Sirra: Ko has vanished. My riders are not yet returned. Would you care to explain these events?

Ares: Uhm…

Sirra: Better yet can you explain why one of my brethren stands besides your witch with his newly acquired fangs still visible?

Seraphim: He was dying, it was the only way to save him?

Sirra: The survivors who escaped your cold blooded ambush didn’t see things that way.

Sometimes its funny watching them react when they ignore the big details.

Azzie: Well that is because we were mind controlled.

Everyone turns to stare at the bard, including his own party.

Seraphim: We were mind controlled?

Azzie: Yeah, nasty piece of work, tends to leave one amnesiac. Luckily we managed to escape.

Me: Are you seriously going to attempt to pull this bluff off?

Azzie: Well see it went down like this. We took the riders to assist us in tracking down Vlad. It looked like he escaped into a different prison cell filled with undead and another target on our list, The Sleeper. Turns out this Sleeper bloke can control the minds of undead and living alike. Well the undead ripped the riders to pieces and suddenly your Master Ko appeared. We didn’t know the correct way to wake him up, so he is still there. We managed to break free of the Sleeper by soaking ourselves in his vomit and we ran away, but by the time we ran into your mates the vomit had dried off and we fell back under his control. So we may have inadvertently whacked some of your mates. But we are all better now. If you want proof we can show you the bodies of the riders you lent us along with your boss. You will see they were ripped to pieces by the ghoulies and not by us.

Sirra: Do you honestly expect us to believe this mess of a explanation?

Azzie: I expect that the evidence will back up my accounting.

Under his breath as he is talking Azzie mutters something quietly enough that only Seraphim can hear.

Azzie: As a sign of good faith Seraphim will remain here as a hostage and we will accompany you and an honor guard to where Ko is.

Sirra is visibly torn, and the doubt on his face leads them to think he may at least be questioning if there over the top tale may have some elements of truth to it. He gestures to three of his Red Hand Associates and they draw a sizeable force of half giants, and worgs with riders along with the Adamantine Golem. He also leaves behind a mass of half giants, and some of the lesser casters to act as babysitters for Seraphim. She even surrenders the vampiric Rawleen to be chained and bound.

Azzie: Right…follow us.

As they depart there is some frantic head shaking and had gestures as they try to figure out what the heck Azzie has in mind.

Pluto: What did you whisper to Sera?

Azzie grins: Open the Jack in The Box.

Hades: She can’t control them solo.

Azzie: Control? Unleash is more like. Sides I need you all to help kill this lot.

Ares: Don’t you think we need them?

Azzie: Nope. We can’t rely on them for being accurate, they were vulnerable to getting their memories monkeyed with. We had to kill some to get the key, and we let witnesses go. Time to pony up and fix the mess.

Ares: How are we going to take out an army?

Azzie: We aren’t going to, the undead are.

Ares: That will trap us.

Azzie: Might. But I think I got that covered.

Seraphim does her best to appear demure and contrite. Day by day as they have kept her well sated she is slowly regaining her previous appearance. No longer is she the rancid putrified hag, but now by outward appearances a youthful grandmother who is past her prime but shows traces of once great elegance and charm. After a few minutes pass and the force marching Azzie and company is well out of sight, she sends the mental command to her thrall to turn gaseous and escape his bonds.

The goblin riders and their caster commanders react quickly, the Captain enacting a Wall of Force to contain the vampire. Seraphim shrugs when they turn to her with a “Don’t look at me I’m just sitting here” apathy. With a psionic flick of the wrist the vaults holding the starved and feral thrall vampires are opened and a dozen vampire trolls/drow spring forth in a fury lunging at anything with a pulse. The Captain takes a single step forward and is greeted with a Cloudkill.

Captain: Kill the witch!

Seraphim laughs and takes a step back into the closest empty vault…sealing the door behind her.

The second party arrives at the Undead Eco-System and Azzie urges Doc to enter first.

Sirra: Why do you want him to go first?

Azzie: Cause he is the biggest?

Sirra: The Orc stays behind with the Golem. If he makes a single aggressive move it will rend him limb from limb.

Azzie: Is that really necessary, we already left you one hostage, now you need to threaten a second? What if Ares stays behind?

Sirra: The Orc stays. I KNOW he can stay dead.

Azzie: Your breaking my bollocks here mate. But f**k it, whatever. You are going to feel sorry in a minute for all this trouble. Doc stay here. Be nice.

Ares, Azzie and the twins enter at intervals as the Red Hand envoy also enters with them. They enter and in short order locate the now animated and obviously gnawed upon worg and goblin zombies. It also takes about two minutes for Sirra to locate Ko’s still comatose skull floating in the air.

Azzie: Satisfied yet?

The mage smiles and emits a sigh of relief. He turns to his entourage and makes a single hand gesture, at which they all maneuver to surround the quartet.

Sirra: My master is returned to me. For that I am grateful, but clearly we backed the wrong agents in this matter. Your usefulness is outstripped by your treachery. In gratitude for you returning Ko to us I will grant you swift deaths.

Azzie: HAHAHHAHAHHAHA. He thinks he has us surrounded. Do you know why you managed to take one step in here without being swarmed? Because we willed it. Do your worst chicken**it.

As if following an unspoken command every eye in the undead habitat turns as one to face the mage. In a sudden panic Sirra backtracks out of the habitat and makes a break for it. All hell breaks loose.

Like a bombardier the twins put twin flamestrikes in a large mass of undead…completely missing the living targets. Sirra in midstride exits the prison…but Ko slams against the door stuck inside.

Azzie strikes up the band and starts his inspire courage undead edition as the swarms fall upon the Red Hand. Every ghoul, ghast and wight that falls is replaced in an instant…by the zombies of those who were left to guard Seraphim. The corpses still a macabre representation of their recently expired lives.

There is whole scale slaughter on both sides as the wizards create a strong defensive force, bolstering the half giants and creating cordons of protection with Walls of Fire and Stone.

For her part Seraphim is a one woman wrecking crew. She idly sits in her vault for a few rounds and then reopens the door to drop a fresh cloudkill and animate the already slain, she gives them orders to drag off the dead to the far side of the room, and she herself moves to the other far end. As her feral vampires kill a target she sweeps the room and reanimates them and sends them closer to the undead habitat to be snatched and taken. It eventually reaches the point where the feral vampires are being snatched as replacements…it also means that any help or reinforcements she creates are being pulled away, and while she extracts a heavy toll, the combined living Red Hand wizards are holding their own. As fast as she seized momentum she finds herself getting bombarded and on the run, right up until the moment she vanishes.

Forced to return back to the habitat Sirra himself lends the largest support for his crew. He is considerably stronger than the remaining casters and fighting for his life and that of his master. The feral vampires start to swarm Sirra and he lays waste to them with a swarm of remarkably bright fireballs. When Seraphim pops in she is badly wounded and out of her best spells. She gets a boost from Azzie’s inspire effect and pops her last high level spell to transform herself and she throws herself bodily at the leader.

They rout the remaining forces and then have to fight off the remaining vampires, most of which they destroy and reduce to gas form. They take several wizards hostage on the brink of death and hold them. Azzie ducks his head outside to find Doc still waiting and the golem just standing there.

Azzie: Let’s just leave the lug here and walk out all natural like.

They animate the less exciting dead to get over the cap and then regroup as they head back to the lair. The remaining forces of the Red Hand are scattered and broken. Sirra is captive and likely doomed to become a vampire. Ko is left behind within the Undead Habitat and I shrug my shoulders at another doomed NPC stable while telling them to process level 12.

[Aldurin]

Didn't take long for them to utilize the ecosystem as a way to automatically consolidate the party in a split fight.

[Traab]

Damn, that was a good fight. Of course at this point I fully expect a grand final battle to be the remnants of the dozen or so factions they have ticked off and mostly destroyed, all working for the drow, who STILL havent shown themselves. Which is making me more and more nervous with every update. But still, they have broken yet another faction and it sounds like they have restocked on dead bodies. This is some crazy stuff. I cant wait to see how this all goes down. So mister he who can not be named seems to have managed to trick, coerce, and maybe even force, all these different powerful being into training him, which makes him about a dozen times more dangerous than I earlier thought. He is locked inside the control center and until they get the third key, they cant do squat about him. Thats.... thats really bad.

[Jonagel]

So many updates, and all of them are amazing!

I cannot wait for the layers to be peeled back on this. After reading back over the first encounter with Jaze...god damn. Lowest level guy, can animate furniture to attack, and says he knows the prison block better than the architects? Basically saying "I can out telepath/out think the mind flayers that made this place" ... Who knows what he actually is. A Cult Leader though? Would love to know if that is at all accurate, and in what way =P

Also, how have they not looked at any of the other ecosystems!? I know they have a million other things to worry about, but I would love to get an idea of what is inside, especially if they never end up visiting.

[CrispyCriminal]

And so they bagged the leader of the red hand out of that? Excellent, but my oh my the repercussions if the story of the illithid ship was truthful. Plus Azzie and Doc are liable to Li-ban's mind reading...if he knew what was going on, well he'd probably know a way to get Ko out.

Heh, jack in the box. Anyone else getting VTMB vibes from that reference?

[DireSickFish]

And so they bagged the leader of the red hand out of that? Excellent, but my oh my the repercussions if the story of the illithid ship was truthful. Plus Azzie and Doc are liable to Li-ban's mind reading...if he knew what was going on, well he'd probably know a way to get Ko out.

Heh, jack in the box. Anyone else getting VTMB vibes from that reference?

I think the implication from The Sleeper is that even the undead party members are not immune to whatever Speak Not is using to read there minds, plant information, and/or manipulate them.

I'm also betting that he's a bog standard human. Because that's just the sort of simple nonsense Kaverman26 would do for his big bad.

[Kaveman26]

I think the implication from The Sleeper is that even the undead party members are not immune to whatever Speak Not is using to read there minds, plant information, and/or manipulate them.

I'm also betting that he's a bog standard human. Because that's just the sort of simple nonsense Kaverman26 would do for his big bad.

His prison registry tag of Human: Cult Leader was partially misleading.



He is not human but is the head of a cult

[turbo164]

I think the implication from The Sleeper is that even the undead party members are not immune to whatever Speak Not is using to read there minds, plant information, and/or manipulate them.

I'm also betting that he's a bog standard human. Because that's just the sort of simple nonsense Kaverman26 would do for his big bad.


IT'S SNICKLE! :smallwink:

[Honest Tiefling]

He is not human but is the head of a cult

I must be getting older, I keep forgetting when the Undead Cowboys have murdered people. Did they ever kill Micko and/or determine what exactly he worshiped?

[Kaveman26]

IT'S SNICKLE! :smallwink:


No.


Seriously No.


I had thought about doing an unofficial cameo type appearance where they would find a prison cell or a statue of Snickle, but decided against it because I am confident it would have ended the campaign in a spasm of over reacting destruction.

[CrispyCriminal]

I must be getting older, I keep forgetting when the Undead Cowboys have murdered people. Did they ever kill Micko and/or determine what exactly he worshiped?

Veritaras ripped Micko in half after he tried to pull a runner, ice wall and everything.

[Kaveman26]

I must be getting older, I keep forgetting when the Undead Cowboys have murdered people. Did they ever kill Micko and/or determine what exactly he worshiped?

Veritas ate him. They never uncovered more substantial details

[Kaveman26]

Key Three:

Ares: Alright folks we are basically moving into uncharted waters at this point. Everyone and Everything including the gods themselves is telling us to either murder or not murder the inhabitants of these prison cells. Our half assed science experiments lends weight to the theory that we are being played and everything about our unseen antagonist screams that he is manipulating all parties involved. He disrupted our attempts to attain the third key and from that I assuming we need the third key. If he is indeed killing off his teachers and hastening Volcanus’s release then we need to operate on the basis that A. He doesn’t care, or B. He has a means to control or destroy it. That worries me. He is making us do the wet work to take out his mentors so that he can get control of the world destroying terror. So…who has an idea on where to look for the third key.

Seraphim: I think we would best be served by seeing the vault for ourselves to look for clues. It could be sitting in the third vault nice and secure and Elliana was just confused or made to look confused. I don’t think we have any reliable NPC information we need to confirm everything first hand.

Hades: Are we raising an army? Pretty much all these half giants are psionic and may come back with skills and abilities intact.

They decide to stockpile and hold off on reanimating a new army, they do stand up several of the worgs as screens or hurdles. With their meager supply of undead leading the way they trek to the third vault for first hand observation. The vault is sealed when they arrive and the area deserted. When they pop the seal a towering giant with skin like cast iron and eyes that look like furnaces emerges with a mammoth longsword in one hand, and a spear like a sharpened telephone pole in the other. It dwarfs even Doc in size, and from the moment it becomes visible, the Orc Witch Doctor staggers, dropping his axe and clutching his head.

Ares: Not this again.

The graveknight charges the giant and gets a spear to the chest for his trouble. The twins start channeling as Ares completes his charge with a channel smite. Seraphim tries to hit it with an Ice Tomb…which reveals a cold immunity. Azzie tries to hit it with an enervation that from physical appearances seems to land with effect. The following round sees the giant make a full attack against Ares that batters him like a ragdoll, and Doc picks his axe back up and starts to rush the twins. Azzie manages to put a Wall Of Sound between the twins and the orc which halts the attack. Ares gets a full attack of his own and Seraphim attempts to place a flamestrike at the giant’s rear where it avoids Ares….the divine damage works, but the fire reveals a second immunity. That prompts a string of curses and the witch triggering her transformation which shifts her into melee mode. By round three Doc has shaken off the mental control of the Rune Giant and joins Ares and Seraphim who are trying to dance around the giant to force it into moving. Harm spells comes online to keep Ares and Seraphim from being dismembered and after a heavy back and forth scrum the giant falls. An assessment of the body reveals a 20HD animate eligibility minion, basically the max for a zombie or skeleton.

Seraphim: Think we can drag it back to the vault?

Me: It weight almost 25,000 pounds.

Ares: I think we would have to animate it here. 8K to make it a bloody+burning. Definitely a keeper though. Who do we tie it to?

Azzie: I’ll take it, with Agent of the Grave I now have the deepest undead bucket. My spell slots are less so not as good on the fly. I can hold it long term, but I think we make it walk itself back to the vault and hang on for a special occasion.

Seraphim: We need to find more.

Azzie: We need to search the vault.

Ares: Oh yeah, that too.

The vault itself is nearly empty. There is a cedar chest that opens to reveal a pair of bracers forged from bone and laced with adamantine, and also a burial shroud that seems to be woven from some unidentified thread. As they move to the rear of the vault in an effort to expose the vault within the vault they uncover the third key. The shock of locating it puts them into a near state of panic.

Ares: Anyone else thinking trap? Was this too easy? What are the chances this stuff is cursed?

Doc: How did the giant breathe?

Azzie: Huh?

Doc: It was locked within the vault. It was alive, should have suffocated.

A deeper search of the dead giant reveals a whirring Ioun Stone beneath it’s helm. It is readily identified as a unique Ioun Stone that grants the ability to survive without food or water or air. Doc proudly claims it for his own and breaths a deep sigh of relief.

Seraphim: One question easily enough answered, but this does feel too easy.

Ares: I think we just revealed something important about Speak Not…he can’t touch the keys. No other explanation for why he would throw us off the scent without actually getting the key. Unless he is literally stuck inside the Control Room and physically can’t leave.

Hades: Let’s go ask him.

Pluto: Right now? We burned through a lot of spells for one encounter.

Hades: We garage the rune giant and then give the shroud and bracers a strong examination. Then we go tomorrow.

The bracers are called Midnight Cathedral Vambraces and bestow upon the wearer DR 15/Adamantine and a temp hp pool equal to the number of HD worth of undead sacrificed within them. They can hold up to 30 temp HP. Ares takes ownership of them.

The Burial Shroud is called what it is. This garment when worn grants the wearer complete concealment as per major displacement from all undead and gives the wearer the ability to ignore all concealment effects from undead. Azzie takes it.

I added updated stat blocks from level 12 and some updated magical gear.

Seraphim
Half Elf Gravewalker-Vampire (Patron-Elements)12:Str16 Dex18 Con- Int24 Wis14 Cha 20
Feats: Skill Focus Diplomacy, Brew Potion,Extra Hex (Cackle),Ability Focus (Hex),Extra Hex (Cauldron), Wild Talent, Expanded Knowledge, Greater Spell Focus Necromancy, Spell Focus Necromancy, Alertness,Combat Reflexes, Dodge, II, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, Craft Wands, Split Hex
Hexes: Evil Eye, Cackle, Cauldron,Misfortune, Retribution, Ice Tomb
Psionic Powers Known: Share Pain
PP Reserve: 11

Alchemical Golem (Igor)
Headband Mental Prowess+4 (Int Cha)
Cloak of Resistance+4
Ring of Protection+3
Cauldron of the Dead
Cog Crystal (5PP)
Cog Crystal (10PP)


1st: Beguiling Gift, ILW,CLW,Burning Hands,Ray of Enfeeblement,Enlarge Person,Mask Dweomer,Ear Piercing Scream,Mage Armor,Frostbite,Obscuring Mists
2nd: Command Undead, Flaming Sphere,Glitterdust,CMW,IMW,Blood Transcription
3rd:Bestow Curse,Animate Dead,Lightning Bolt,Dispel Magic,Stinking Cloud,Fireball
4th: Enervation, Wandering Star Motes, Wall of Ice , Ice Storm Crushing Despair
5th: Cloudkill, Feeblemind, Flamestrike
6th: Transformation, Greater Dispel Magic, Freezing Sphere, Slay Living

Pluto:
Dhampir Undead Lord 11 (lich): Str 14 Dex 14 Con - Int 13 Wis 25 Cha 24
Feats:BF:Command Undead, Spell Focus:Necromancy,Selective Channeling,Undead Master, Extra Channeling, Wild Talent, Expanded Knowledge, Greater Spell Focus Necromancy, Craft Armor, Improved Channel , Spell Penetration
Psionic Power Known: Force Screen
PP Reserve 9
Negative Channeling Phyla
Breastplate+3
Cloak Resistance+4
Large Steel Shield+3
Headband Mental Prowess+4 (Wis and Cha)
Morningstar+1 dragonbane
Cog Crystal (10PP)

Hades:
Dhampir Undead Lord (lich) 11:Str 14 Dex 14 Con - Int 13 Wis 25 Cha 24
Feats:Spell Focus Necromancy,Selective Channeling,Undead Master, Extra Channeling, Wild Talent, Expanded Knowledge, Greater Spell Focus Necromancy, Craft Wonderous Item, Improved Channel
Psionic Power Known: Force Screen, Spell Penetration
PP Reserve 9

Negative Channeling Phyla
Breastplate+3
Cloak Resistance+4
Large Steel Shield+3
Headband Mental Prowess+4 (Wis and Cha)
Morningstar+1 dragonbane
Cog Crystal (10PP)

Ares:
Nagaji Grave-Knight of the Sepulcher12:Str 26 Dex 14 Con - Int 12 Wis 17 Cha 22
Feats:Channel Smite,Extra Lay of Hands,Extra Lay of Hands, Power Attack, Wild Talent, Expanded Knowledge, Mounted Combat, II, Ride By Attack, Toughness, Lightning Reflexes
Psionic Powers Known: Animal Affinity
PP Reserve 7

Full Plate+1 special
Headband Cha+6
Phyla Negative Channeling
Large Steel shield+3
+3 keen scimitar
Ring of Protection+3
Amulet of Natural Armor+3
Midnight Cathedral Vambraces


Doctor Lovebones (Orc) Giant Half Dragon Barbarian1/Scarred Witch Dr5/Eldritch Knight6 Str 36 Dex 12Con 28 Int 7 Wis 12 Cha 7
Feats: Ability Focus (Hex), Extra Hex, Extra Hex, Power Attack, Improved Initiative, Wild Talent, Expanded Knowledge, Vital Strike, Craft Arms , Cleave
Hexes: Fortune, Misfortune, Ward, Cackle

Psionic Powers Known: Psionic Lion’s Charge
PP Reserve 11

1st:Bless,Burning Hands,Ray of Enfeeblement,Mage Armor,CLW,ILW,Obscuring Mist,Enlarge Person, Hypnotism
2nd:Aid, Hold Person, Alter Self, Levitate, IMW
3rd:Prayer,Remove Curse,Remove Blind/Deaf, Blessing of Fervor, Bestow Curse, Lightning Bolt
4th Enervation, Crushing Despair
5th: Baleful Polymorph,Cloudkill

+4 flaming greataxe
Cog Crystal (10PP)
Belt Mighty Con+6
Boots Striding Springing
Pale Green Prism
Dusty Rose Prism
Bracers of Armor (+7)
Amulet of Natural Armor+3
Unique Air/Food Ioun Stone


Azzie Azborne Shadow Lord DirgeBard10/Agent of the Grave2 Str10 Dex18 Con12 Int17 Wis15 Cha 27 Feats: Skill Focus Disable Device, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Spell Focus Necromancy,Expanded Knowledge, Wild Talent, Leadership, Greater Spell Focus Necromancy
1st: Grease,Lesser Confusion,Silent Image,Ray of Enfeeblement
2nd:Invisibility,Pyrotechnics,Silence,Mirror Image, Command Undead
3rd:Displacement, Haste, Crushing Despair, Animate Dead
4th: Shout, Hold Monster, Wall Of Sound
PP Reserve:9
Known Powers:Concussion Blast

Headband Cha+6
Cloak of Resistance+4
Bracers of Archery Greater
+5 longbow of dragonbane
Burial Shroud

96,000 in group resources:

[blacklight101]

Wow, nearly the end since you said it was at 13, but i don't want this thread to stop! This has been one hell of a ride.

[Ionsniper]

I'm throwing out a wild guess here but it really is starting to sound like Jaze is the mistake the Illithids were referencing. He knows the tech and the commands, can read minds like one, actively trying to release volcanus, was able to mess with the mind of the sleeper and manipulate those around him, even the illithid. Definately sounds like a big time player.

I know Ko referenced that Volcanus was created to destroy their mistake, but what if it only destroyed their memory of exactly what it was. Now it has come back in a different form?

Kaveman I have to say that every campaign log I have read about involving you has been an epic tale to read. I even called out of work to finish "The Big One" cause I stayed up too late reading it! Awesome work as always and I would absolutely love to be a player in your game!

[Traab]

Ok wow, this is kinda nuts. They just got themselves a big pile of badass in the form of their new minion. That will make taking down veritas easy as heck. Well not "easy" persay, but still a lot better than last time. I cant wait to see what the confrontation works itself out to be. I mean, I like the idea of jaze being the mistake they created vulcanis to erase, but if thats the case, then I dont see them doing a good job themselves. Also, the good pally king is still out there and likely REALLY upset. I get this bad feeling that they will try to start the confrontation with jaze only to learn that the sleeper is being killed and is the last one left. AND WE STILL DONT KNOW WHAT THE DROW ARE DOING!!!!!

[GrayDeath]

So jaze is not Human: Cult Leader

but

Human Cult Leader


Nice.

What starts off as a Cult leader and transcends its boundaries like that?

A God.

[Dromuthra]

Yeah, gotta say that I'm of the growing opinion that Jaze might be "Speak Not." (Also, I've been LOVING the pace of the updates for the last few weeks. This story is fantastic, and it's always been a real pleasure to find new updates ready for reading)

Trying (and succeeding!) to implant psionic powers into other races could definitely qualify as an original mistake.

[Kaveman26]

The Failure in Triumph:

With added equipment and a new level’s worth of abilities they embark on the return trip to the ship’s control panel. The trek is uneventful, but once again there is a second group awaiting their arrival. Veritas along with Ackshale, Breig and Li-Ban.

Seraphim: Greetings again. Looks like you still haven’t managed to pop that door huh?

Veritas: Your powers of observation are astounding.

Seraphim: Well what if I told you we managed to recover all three overrides and can unlock it? Would you promise to play nice?

Veritas: No.

Seraphim: Good, Because we want you nice and angry and ready to tear things to shreds…but just not us. We don’t really know what is waiting behind there, and if it is what we think it is we could be in for a fight. So we will unlock the door if you commit to fighting whatever is inside and not us for the time being.

Li-Ban: We can meet that accommodation. Gladly.

Ares: Alright then.

There is a coordinated series of buff spells dispersed with blessings, prayers, stat enhancements and Haste distributed. The three keys are placed and after a few moments of lights and noises the door opens. Ares and Breig (the fireproof ones) are the first ones through with Veritas on their heels, breath ready.

The control room is large and intricately complex. It is also uninhabited. There are a series of hubs with crystalline spheres as consoles and wall mounts of crystal “memory” shards. There are also eleven incorporeal Illithids hovering in mid air with a floating ball of lights and wires. Nine of them are grey and seem inert. Two are still illuminated but the floating masses of lights and wires seem to be angry and fighting themselves. Li-Ban moves to the two lit ones first.

Li-Ban: This is the base station for Our Crones. Only two of them seem to be functional, but the geas, commands, and compulsions to operate them are badly damaged.

The Mind Flayer reachs out and opens the floating mass and begins to rearrange or “uncross” the various lit wires.

Li-Ban: This was deliberate and difficult to accomplish. They were cross wired to drop entire caches of their memory and operation. It is beyond my ability to undo.

Hades: What of the Nine greyed ones?

Li-Ban: Disabled. Removed completely from the ship’s interface. In simplified terms they are dead. Each Crone was a volunteer whose physical form was phased out to a quasi portion of The Astral Plane, while elements of their mind remained in place subservient to the ships needs and issues. These masses were their protocols and directives a means to prevent “free thinking”. The nine who have gone grey have been completely severed from their minds and their physical forms have likely wasted away to nothingness, the echoes of their self remain as an image now, nothing more.

Pluto: Looks like none of the crystals have been tampered with. They are all uniformly lit and where symmetry seems wanted it remains.

Li-Ban: Yes, I don’t see anything out of place there.

Azzie: Where was your Elder Brain?

Li-Ban twitches as if physically assaulted.

Li-Ban: Elder Brain? What are you talking about?

Azzie: Ko told us that your Elder Brain died in the journey to our world. Where was it stationed? I would think here would make sense.

Li-Ban: We didn’t have an Elder Brain.

Azzie: But such a thing exists?

Li-Ban: Yes most colonies and clans of our people maintain one.

Azzie: Why didn’t yours?

Li-Ban: I…don’t know.

Azzie: If you did have one, where would it have been located.

Li-Ban: I’m not sure.

Doc: What do they look like?

Li-Ban: A massive brain fully exposed with several tentacles to reach and access, they are typically suspended in a liquid for comfort and held in a clear receptacle.

Azzie walks to a large crystal fish bowl that is empty and taps the side with his bow.

Azzie: Kind of like this?

Li-Ban: Yes.

Azzie: I think you once had an Elder Brain guvnor, but that memory has been erased.

Li-Ban: I don’t see how that is possible.

Azzie: You aren’t supposed to.

Doc who had been examining the remaining Crone stations finally speaks up.

Doc: Which one is Elliana?

Li-Ban: I wouldn’t know we don’t label them.

Doc: Elliana we need your services

The one furthest from Doc seems to pulse and then she appears before them, only to immediately fade out.

Doc: Ok, so that one is Elliana. Which one is this?

Li-Ban attempts to summon the remaining Crone mentally and while it pulses nothing happens.

Doc: I think maybe this is the rat in the walls.

Seraphim: You think he is hitching a ride through the Crones as a way of bypassing the doors.

Doc: Don’t know. But I do know that the Crones are no longer reliable and if they are an escape route or backdoor we need to close that door. We need to flush him out somehow. Li-Ban how do we finish off the two damaged ones?

The Mind Flayer still apparently shaken at the possibility of his mind being tampered with hesitates and with a deep sigh visible in his shoulders he pulls the tangled mass of light closer to himself and then forcefully crushes it, the hovering apparition of Elliana’s physical form, jerks and then goes inert. As the second Crone jerks the whole ship seems to shudder and everything goes dark. When light returns hubs across the whole control room start throwing visual information in the form of holographs into the air, like a computer gone mad with pop up screens systems throw up information all over the room.

Li-Ban becomes very distressed as he rushes to hub after hub.

Li-Ban: No no no. The whole ship is trying to restart itself, but it is too damaged, too many systems are still stuck in stasis or are trying to reassert themselves out of sequence. It is pulling every scrap of resource towards bringing the whole ship active. If it strains much more the whole thing will collapse.

A voice not heard in some time, and now with a deeper tone of hostility makes itself known.

Jaze: Final Chance. The doors are open. Leave.

Seraphim: Why ask? Why not just make us forget a reason for being here?

Jaze: You require incentive? I can provide incentive.

The holographs displaying various informational warning change color and begin flashing with a greater intensity.

Li-Ban: All the prison controls were just released at once. If it was captive five seconds ago…the doors are wide open now. A whole lot of pissed off everything is about to be loose.

Ares: That seems dramatic.

Jaze: Leave now and I will stop the restart. The ship will resume lockdown and everything will be contained within. Otherwise I will flood this world with abberations and terrors not seen in ages and far beyond your civilizations ability to repel.

Azzie: He’s bluffing.

Li-Ban: The cells are all open. We have minutes before the whole ship goes dead and becomes inoperable.

Azzie: Piss off you weepy squid, He is going to lock the doors and stop the breakdown.

Seraphim: How sure of that are you? This feels an awful lot like cut and run time to me.

Azzie: It’s a bluff luv. He needs the ship or he would have popped the cork and let the champagne pour down the drain ages ago. He wants us out because we are asking questions that he don’t want to see get answered. So I am going to sit my happy self down right here and just wait.

Jaze: I can just as easily redirect every released prisoner and force their path directly to the control room.

Azzie: And run them straight into this meat grinder? Name me one thing. Just one mind you that will survive the hell we can unleash in a single round. We can put more healing into this dragon than any one creature on this ship can overcome. The more you send the more reinforcements we get. So bring it on, see if they overwhelm us before your ship is ruined.

After an uncomfortably long pause screen after screen begins to turn off, and Li-Ban seems to be calming down.

Li-Ban: He didn’t reseal the prisons, but the ship is no longer in danger of burning itself out.

Azzie: Well what do you know. You just taught me something invaluable Jaze old pal. There is something you are up to that means you can’t let this ship implode, at least not yet.

Jaze: Savor it. You have been useful to a point, but you are more trouble than you are worth now. I can finish without you.

[CrispyCriminal]

So, looks like there would of been less of a threat inbound if they killed more of the prisoners. Ah well, The Undead Cowboys never balked in the face of adversity, it's their calling card after all!

[Traab]

He was completely correct. The level of power they had in this confined space means there is very very little they couldnt obliterate, animate, and turn right back onto the incoming attackers. Of course, the cells are still open, which means its going to be a hot time in the old town tonight. On the other hand, I assume that means the undead area is now wide open? Will our crew get some undead backup from the zone they have actually worked with and NOT backstabbed? Is the Sleeper still able to do anything? Or is he crippled from he-who-must-not-be-named-but-is-totally-jaze?

Hmm, what else? Ok, so drow are STILL MIA, The good king has his army, the red hand is headless, all prison doors are open, so there is likely going to be a blood bath shortly. There is also no telling what might have come into the ship when jaze opened the doors trying to make them leave. So there is a wild card factor there. Oh, and we still cant be sure wtf is really going on. Does Jaze want volcanus released? Is there actually a way to stop it? Is there a way to stop HIM?!

[Gilphon]

So Azzie spoke a certain character's name in that last line. That may not have been wise.

I'm also feeling fairly confident now that the Elder Brain isn't as destroyed as Ko believed it to be.

[Traab]

So Azzie spoke a certain character's name in that last line. That may not have been wise.

I'm also feeling fairly confident now that the Elder Brain isn't as destroyed as Ko believed it to be.

Wasnt not speaking his name more a method of not letting him realize they are on to him? If so its kinda late for that. They know, he knows, and he knows they know he knows what they know, you know?

[Gilphon]

I've been assuming that saying his name lets him into your mind or something along those lines.

[Grim Portent]

Pretty sure he's always able to get into their minds anyway, he just has a lot of stuff to pay attention to and can't dig too deeply into people's minds from a distance.

[Lord of Shadows]

I've been assuming that saying his name lets him into your mind or something along those lines.


Pretty sure he's always able to get into their minds anyway, he just has a lot of stuff to pay attention to and can't dig too deeply into people's minds from a distance.

It could be like the good old days, where saying a deity's name (or any being with Divine Ranks, like a Demon Lord) had a chance of attracting its attention. If that's the case, then yea, doesn't matter much at the moment.
.

[Reboot]

Poor Elliana (& co). I suppose in a less-ruthless-evil campaign, they may have tried to save her (& co).

[Kane0]

She was an asset that became a liability. She was manipulated into getting people to help restart the ship (apparently what Jaze wants, since it was he who rewired her) and now that particular game is up she serves no purpose to either side.

[SpoonR]

One thing I'm wondering. Are the names spelled right or is that just how they sound?

Squidly #1 = Li-Ban
Squid #2 = Ko-something
Squid #3 = Elliana? Does not sound like it comes from the same name-source-language
And then, Jaze, who seems to know entirely too much.

Let's assume those last two are written as they sound, not as they would be written in their native tongue. So,
Elliana becomes L.I.N.A, or El-ana
Jaze becomes JZ-something

I think between Jaze & Volcanus we have at least one elder brain. Maybe Jaze = mind in one prison wing, Volcanus = body trapped in the other.But where do beholders come in? Franken-dragon-holder, iron beholder golems. clue or a very ugly herring?

Iiiinteresting. *rubs tentacles eagerly*

[Nicrosil]

Have we ruled out Jaze being Volcanus? If Volcanus is a red and a gold dragon stitched together, he could have a polymorph ability.

Also, I'm really loving this campaign Kaveman! I simultaneously wish and dread my players started thinking like yours.

[Kane0]

Personal Theory #1: Jaze is a 3rd party to the Illithid/Volcanus thing, and reckons he can make good use of the situation by commandeering the Ship, leashing Volcanus for his own use or both.
Personal Theory #2: Jaze is a disembodied portion of Volcanus, working to link itself back up to him, possibly unwittingly.
Personal Theory #3: Volcanus has wiped enough things\people\memories to affect Jaze, and he just won't be having any of that. Everybody else is either a plaything or collateral.
Personal Theory #4: Knowledge is power obviously, so the more others have is less Jaze has. What its about is largely irrelevant, but the more they know the more vulnerable he is.

[Kaveman26]

It could be like the good old days, where saying a deity's name (or any being with Divine Ranks, like a Demon Lord) had a chance of attracting its attention. If that's the case, then yea, doesn't matter much at the moment.
.


Give the man a cigar. Not saying he is a deity but his name draws attention

[Lord of Shadows]

Give the man a cigar. Not saying he is a deity but his name draws attention

Heh... thanks! I remember a campaign once... long, long ago... where someone popped off a name, and at the time we were playing that there was about a 1 percent chance of the being actually showing up. Guess what... a mad scramble began that was not unlike the Benny Hill segment of the current saga. Ahh, what memories. LOL
.

[Demon 997]

So who is ? I've read your other campaign logs, but I can't remember who it is or which one. It's been too long. Oh god, am I about to reread them all? HELP! Help.....

[Lord of Shadows]

So who is ? I've read your other campaign logs, but I can't remember who it is or which one. It's been too long. Oh god, am I about to reread them all? HELP! Help.....

I believe that the general consensus has concluded that Speak Not His Name is Jaze. Still a bit of doubt about who or what Volcanus actually is.
.

[Lord of Shadows]

Hmmm.. going back over the adventure so far, there was this little nugget from "One Door Shuts…Another Opens…" (emphasis added)


In the recesses of the vault is a narrow corridor that leads to a single pedestal with a strange talisman. It is too small for the Dragons to reach, and they elect to send in a Dwarf skeleton just to be safe. It takes the talisman off the pedestal and retreats back to the central vault. It appears to be a necklace… but meant for either an enormous human or a small Giant. It is forged from an unidentifiable metal, and seems to emanate both gold and crimson colors. The design is that of a dragon eating its own tail. Half the necklace appears to be red and the other half gold. Attempts to divine its purpose or power are futile.

That is interesting... it was in the big vault of those where the Dragons were found.
.

[Traab]

It matches vocanus who is a mix of red and gold dragon iirc.

[GrayDeath]

Obviously its one of the keys after all.

Now if the keys are actually physical parts of something.....well ^^

[Kaveman26]

Clogged Veins:

Ares: We race to the heart now! No questions no arguments you can bring those up after we arrive. Let’s haul ass before he has a chance to start running interference. Any of you coming?

Li-Ban: Coming where?

Azzie: There is supposedly an impenetrable room in the ship’s center that he can’t enter mentally or physically. We are about to go there, you want in?

Ackshale: You are inviting us?

Veritas: You WANT us to go with you?

Seraphim: Listen here you big lug. I know you already want to grind us to dust and watch as writhe in agony. I trust that. I can rely on that. I can empathize with that. Much rather know I have a scorpion behind me then worry about one in front of me. You will have plenty of time to slaughter us eventually.

Veritas: I can’t believe the gall of your….

Ackshale: Veritas…they are horrid and deceitful but they are also very clever. I won’t stand with you, but I will stand against those who come for us.
Breig: My people are shattered, the last of us lingered on the edges of extinction and you Veritas brought us together to raid this temple and prosper from it’s wealth and secrets. If we have any chance of a future I see it with the dragon.

Li-Ban: I certainly can’t trust you, I’ve seen your will and witnessed my death in your mind’s eye. I also see the certainty of your paths as set before you. You will betray us when we have outlived our usefulness but the threat of this creature is the greater. I can’t even trust my own mind anymore. Saying those words cuts deeper than any blade mortals can wield. I will see this thing done.

All eyes turn to the dragon, Veritas claws are clenched on the floor, muscles like spring steel cables bunching up beneath the scales.

Veritas: You took from me my honor. You snatched away my hoard. You deceived me and caused the loss of my limb. You have taunted me and goaded me, you have done your level best to kill me. I will not follow you, nor will I ignore the slights done to me. You are dead to me, and until I make that statement a fact and not simply a desire I can’t live with myself.

Seraphim: To be fair, yes we have goaded you and taunted you. We tricked and deceived you. The Illithid took your hoard. They took the world you knew and castrated it’s future. All you held dominion over and all those who may have paid you homage were swept away by their influence. We didn’t put you in display like a trophy. We didn’t make a mockery of your life by belittling your very existence. To us you are a worthy foe, and no warrior leaves a danger to come back and end him or her. We did the things you described because we respect your power and your ferocity. We mock you to put you off balance. I know what power and might you wield. They shamed you in ways we can’t. I don’t expect you to leave us as an enemy to fret over for the years to come. Right now. Right here. You have a chance to lash out against those have done you greater insult than us. Fight with us because you respect our ability. Kill those who would put you back in that display case. When that enemy is slain I am sure we will find each other and settle the rest of differences. What say you?

The dragon snarls…smoke whistling from it’s nostrils, he pulls his wings in tight to his body and stares off into the distance. No sound or response issues forth. After a long moment he turns his massive body and squares himself off to the door. Without looking back he leans his entire body weight back on his haunches like a cat ready to pounce.

Veritas: I will not fight beside you, nor will I join you. You have shown me the path to the heart and to the heart I will go. Do not get in my way and do not lag behind. I don’t intend to slow my path for anyone or anything. So keep up.

With a ferocious roar the dragon bounds off down the hallway leading a charge to the ship’s heart.

Ares: You heard him…keep up!

A mad dash sprint through the complex heading in the direction of the ship’s heart commences. During the sprint Veritas leads with his breath weapon sweeping the halls in front of them at any sign of movement or resistance. In the event something stands it’s ground or survives Ackshale does his best Thor impression hurling his massive hammer through the air to peg the target. What does pop up is sporadic and mostly incidental. They are deep enough in the more secured levels to avoid most of the prison traffic.

The longer they go the more “security” traps seem to arise. Iron Eyes aplenty begin lighting into them and with the rotating spell immunity and elemental immunity more often than not they find themselves fighting in close quarters against high damage dealers. True to Azzie’s earlier word they flip Veritas positive healing to negative healing from the cleric’s domain ability and they keep him running at peak efficiency as the lead runner. Breig and Azzie carry the rear and alert the lead group to a massing presence of Mind Flayers.

Ares: Pretty sure he woke up the entire Cocoon Room.

Li-Ban: Those are not my kin. I can feel their minds if not probe them entirely and it is not them.

Hades: Don’t stop we can’t risk being caught up with them. Too many abilities that can incapacitate us.

Blasts of physic energy begin careening off the walls behind them as the mass of Illithid throw psionic blasts at their prey. They turn a corner and arrive at the heart and in doing so Veritas is picked up by something invisible and THROWN the length of the room. A lone mind flayer seems to melt away from one of the walls, hands still tucked in the folds of it’s robes.

Li-Ban: That is Ra-Gan he is a member of the Enclave. We are doomed.

A wall of force springs into existence between them and the seemingly black diamond bunker that they are approaching as the heart.

Ra-Gan: You shall go no further.

Seraphim: Going to try a greater dispel magic, no one even stop we are going for the bunker.

The witch skids to a halt and tries to trigger her spell, a burst of psionic energy sends her flying through the air where an invisible hand seems to grab her and fling her back to the ground, well away from the wall of force.

Li-Ban goes to a knee and prostrates himself before the Enclave member.

Li-Ban: Master we are all in grave danger. I feel it imperative…*mmmfff*

A force binds the Illithid’s words and he began tearing at an unseen force gripping his throat. Doc attempts to charge the wall and gets his axe nearly embedded into his own face. Hades actually does manage to dispel the wall of force and within moments Veritas has righted himself behind Ra-Gan.

Ra-Gan: Enough. Cease these actions and stand down in submission or I will crush you.

Seraphim: Attempting to Dominate him.

Ra-Gan barely turns to acknowledge the witch and with a twitch of a tentacle she falls to the ground as if kicked in the stomach.

The twins both launch enervations and Pluto’s lands with authority as the Mind Flayer shudders. A breath weapon forces him to move with an alacrity that betrays his calm and suddenly the mind flayer is diving with robes flailing all around him.

As one everyone screams their intention to break for the heart. One after another they manage entry as they watch Ackshale, Veritas and Breig escape. Li-Ban is pulling himself along the ground still gasping for air as Doc enters the room last the orc reaches out a hand to grab the mind flayer and then suddenly and without warning brings his axe down to sever the arm.

Doc: Close the door.

[Honest Tiefling]

It matches vocanus who is a mix of red and gold dragon iirc.

And is oddly enough, sized for Doc. What kind of Half-Dragon is he again? I need to know if the bling will color coordinate with him or not.

[DireSickFish]

That was some clever work playing with his pride. Even after all they've been through. Veritas I expect you to not go out like a chump.

[Lord of Shadows]

And is oddly enough, sized for Doc. What kind of Half-Dragon is he again? I need to know if the bling will color coordinate with him or not.

Uhm, I think Doc is either Black or Green. Pretty sure not Red or Gold, though. Part of his Template recipe was to be swallowed by a dragon. I think it was Green.
.

[Ionsniper]

Ok Doc choosing to cut off his arm is making me wonder why he did that. I don't see any logical reason. Which obviously makes it a great stopping point if not frustrating. =p

[Fable Wright]

Ok Doc choosing to cut off his arm is making me wonder why he did that. I don't see any logical reason. Which obviously makes it a great stopping point if not frustrating. =p

Oh, that's easy. The Illithid or Jaze was trying to trick Doc into bringing the Enclave member into the room. Doc had a single standard action to keep that from happening, so chop off the protruding limb and shout for the door to close.

On the upside, this means that he can now get a new arm. Fantasy prosthetics are always awesome.

[Sky]

I think Doc cut off the mind flayer's arm, not his own.

[Kane0]

Yeah, I had to re-read that last bit a couple times and I'm still not sure I understood it sorry.

Hasn't happened, so a very good ratio as far as writing is concerned.

[Traab]

You know, even now im still surprised noone tried to add on the half fiend/devil templates or whatever. I mean dang, doc made a great half giant half dragon stack, and iirc, the fiend template has a lot of decent bonuses and saves on it. Just looked it up and yep,

Armor Class: Natural armor bonus improves by +1.

Defenses/Qualities: Gains darkvision 60 feet; immunity to poison; acid, cold, electricity, and fire resistance 10; DR 5/magic (if HD 11 or less) or 10/magic (if HD 12 or more); and SR equal to creature's CR + 11 (maximum 35).

Speed: Unless the base creature flies better, the half-fiend flies at twice the base creature's land speed (good).

Melee: A half-fiend gains two claw attacks and a bite attack. Damage depends on its size.

Some of those saves would likely be really handy for what they are dealing with. A nice smite good spell could also be useful if and when the good king shows back up. Plus they would have a nice mix of random spell like effects depending on hit dice at the time. (They have 12 now, right?)

Hit Dice Resist Cold, Acid, and Electricity
1–2 Darkness 3/day
3–4 Desecrate
5-6 Unholy blight
7-8 Poison 3/day
9-10 Contagion
11-12 Blasphemy
13-14 Unholy aura 3/day, unhallow
15-16 Horrid wilting
17-18 Summon monster IX
19-20 Destruction

Ah well, its too close to the end now to worry about that, it just surprised me is all. A half fiend vampire might have been incredibly dangerous.

[Lord of Shadows]

And is oddly enough, sized for Doc. What kind of Half-Dragon is he again? I need to know if the bling will color coordinate with him or not.

Just re-read that part. Doc's Half-dragon template was based on a Black Dragon.
.

[Demon 997]

I believe that the general consensus has concluded that Speak Not His Name is Jaze. Still a bit of doubt about who or what Volcanus actually is.
.

Sorry, apparently having a spoiler with a ? right behind it removes the spoiler. I was asking about Snickle, who someone mention from a previous campaign log?

[Demidos]

Sorry, apparently having a spoiler with a ? right behind it removes the spoiler. I was asking about Snickle, who someone mention from a previous campaign log?

Snickle was an NPC during the Big One (IIRC)that...

....functioned at times as an NPC cohort and at times as the party's worst nightmare. To list some of his exploits, he stole their ship, stole all their items and converted them to diamonds, and a list of other noteworthy deeds that he still somehow managed to spin as working in their best interest when they caught up to him.

[Kaveman26]

I think Doc cut off the mind flayer's arm, not his own.



Yeah, It was not entirely clear. Doc cut off Li-Ban's arm at the last moment to prevent the mind flayer from entering the room. Explanation coming in next update.

[Kaveman26]

The Dembella:


Seraphim: What did you do that for?

Doc: Uh? Hello? Jaze was controlling Mind Flayers and taking their memories. Why would I trust one in here?

Seraphim raises a hand in objection then stops.

Seraphim: Ok, good enough point.

As they catch their bearing it becomes immediately obvious that nothing is following them in. The bunker is encased in a black diamond material, that blocks out any external sound. The interior is lined with bookcases holding crystals quite similar to the ones discovered in the research labs, but these are pristinely and obsessively organized in perfect rows with perfect spacing and are sorted by color. A pair of corpses are the only signs of what once was life inside. The pair are of the same race, but a race never witnessed by the group. Outwardly they seem like duergar, or dark dwarves, but are hairless and have a waxy complexion and oversized heads. There are no signs of trauma and from the condition of the bodies old age may have been a factor. A single pedestal sits between the bodies and a single crystal sits atop it.

Ares: Well that seems like a good enough place to start.

They activate the crystal and bear witness to the deceased while still alive. They identify themselves as Vinz and Shan.

Vinz: If you are activating this resosonace crystal then we have expired as a result of reaching our maximum lifespan. We are the Dembella stewards and wardens of Illithid Knowledge. This enclosure is secured to survive all natural and supernatural disasters. In the event of a mutiny or catastrophic event it is to be the capsule of our vessel’s accomplishments. Circumstances have changed that require this place of knowledge to become a place of warning. This enclosure is protected from all forms of mental and physical communication. It is warded as a failsafe to prevent all beings related to the Illithid from entering. Nothing can penetrate these walls.

Azzie: You cut his arm off for nothing mate. *chuckle*

Doc: Unless he still got in…

Shan: We have collated as much relevant data as possible. All pertinent information relating to the calamities endured are present and prepared for dissemination. We have organized the required resonance crystals in a chronological fashion to ensure maximum comprehension. Our final act in life was to prepare this warning. For your sakes hope we succeeded.

The message ends with a mental display of the date stamped in which the crystal was “printed” it reads out 475,000 PD

A series of crystals illuminates and are designated in numerical order. They are as follows

Index Date: 1 PD

A Mind Flayer consortium takes shape in hologram form, with thousands in a senate style theatre. A pair of Dembella creatures sit at the center of the theatre. A Mind Flayer describes his finds to the assembly.

“These creatures are remarkable. For ages our bias and own agendas have clouded the preservation of our research and knowledge. We have always doubted the authenticity of testing and data. No longer my friends. These beings are possessed of perfect recall. We have exhausted all means possible to find fault in their observational skills and abilities. There are none. They are subservient and easily maintained. With relative ease we have incorporated the needed bio-mechanical modifications to enable self sustenance. All information processed will be unbiased and completely accurate”

“What of tampering? Mental manipulation? Subversion?”

The presenter grins and opens his arms wide to the side.

“ I invite each and every member of this assembly to attempt as our colleague has just inquired”

A pause is recorded followed a sudden retching and fainting epidemic throughout the assembly.

“I apologize for the severity of this demonstration, but I needed you to feel it firsthand. There is a cognitive discord that amplifies when attempting to touch the mind of these creatures. It is a strange quirk of their eidetic memory. Tampering is impossible. I have confirmed this with extensive testing and an attempt to overpower even the simplest of these creatures with the assistance of our Most Revered Elder Aus-Tam. If the strongest Revered Elder is unable to breach their memory I deem it secure”

End.

750 PD

The scene unfolds to display an intricate machine assembled of crystal, mithral and silver. The clockwork components and seemingly spell fueled pieces are advanced beyond lay ability, as parts seem to shift from one dimension to the next. A series of Flayers all float themselves to a protective screening and they send a burst of energy that seems to kickstart the apparatus. A general congratulatory cheer arises as they witness their prototype engine come to life.

“The stars will come to us my brethren!”

4,500 PD

A prototype vessel that is recognizeable as the ancestor of the current Ark rises from the ground and in an instant vanishes. Moments later the Ark returns a many tentacled abomination clings to the form, wrenching off whole sections of the ship. Mass hysteria follows and in a wild panic Flayers rush to disable the creature.

4502 PD

A new senate setting, this time the tone is far more somber and grave. A trio of Mind Flayers are bound in translucent chains, a cage of force seems to hover around their craniums inhibiting or suppressing their mental abilities. A crystalline bowl levitates into the assembly and settles before the trio. The Elder Brain speaks and sentences the three radicals before him to death for tampering with the destination settings of their dimensional craft.

“ To journey or commune with the space between spaces is a blasphemy that will not be tolerated. All those who usurp the will of the Elder will be cast out from the race. Their memories will be scattered to the oblivion of space, their bloodlines expunged for the good of the group. No trace of your existence will be allowed to merge with the Elder. You are sentenced to obscurity”

5300 PD

A trove of crystals becomes visible. A Dembella reverentially places a ruby cylinder into it’s exact place on the glass shelving unit in front of it. A gout of acid melts the creature into a pile of primordial goop, as the flesh and bone dissolve the creature makes not a single motion or sound, using the last inertia of it’s body to ensure the cylinder is equal distant from those on either side. The very ground shakes as what appears to be a civil war unfolds in the storage room shown. Elder Brains are seen levitating and propelling themselves through the air in combat with one another and then all goes dark.

5300 PD

Too far away for audible recordings a line of silver clad Illithid are marched in front of an Elder and are vaporized one after another. A group clad in gold appears to have emerged victorious. Rallying cries of Victory carry to the observer with shouts of “The Collective Reigns!”

5350 PD

A new trial setting. A Mind Flayer that is clearly undead is paraded through the trial room grounds to hisses and utterances of pure profanity. An Elder Brain emerges and announces the crimes charged:

“Brother Ma-Lin you are charged with the profanity of undeath. You have cast aside the greater good of merging with your Revered Elder in favor of self preservation. Greater is the shame for your mind was worth saving and would have made the whole greater than the sum of it’s current parts. What say you?”

“We must adapt and change. I know the reason I must die. You can’t purge the notion of Free Will forever. The Collective will Not Reign! We will rise as One!”

The blast of mental energy takes the Alhoon’s head off completely and a tendril of psionics reaches into the Astral Plane to retrieve the Flayer Lich’s phylactery, utterly crushing it with the weight of a Revered Elder’s psionic telekinetics.

350,000 PD

Gone is the auspice of spectacle and public execution, instead a view of a very secured and private location. Two dozen Revered Elder Brains sit in concert as a heavily tattooed and bejeweled Mind Flayer enters dragging the body of a slain githyanki.

“What is the toll my son?” queries one of the brains

“Thousands dead, dozens taken captive, many centuries of accomplishment stolen”

“How is this possible?” a second brain seems to shout, “No raiding party has ever shown the suicidal bravery to attack us in our own sanctuary? Such an incursion should have been easily detected long before it was staged”

The tattooed Mind Flayer projects a strange configuration of light and sound “ They used an arcane mechanism…a spell so to speak which blanked their minds. Like a chameleon uses camouflage they suppressed their mental presence to the point where it was gone. All attempts to detect such a presence would have been futile. Once they bypassed our mental preparations I am afraid they found us too susceptible to physical attacks. Bluntly speaking we were not prepared for close quarter combat.”

“Thank you for your cooperation and your confidentiality.”

The Illithid bows and sweeps his hand wide “ I serve The Collective”

“This confirms our fears.” The original Elder continues, “To stamp out the cult of One-ness we have been ruthlessly effective and systematic, but it was made our pool grow shallow. We have grown stagnant to the point of decay. If we don’t assert ourselves and push the limits of our potential beyond that which we already control we will falter. These githyanki exploited a weakness and dealt us a cruel blow. It will not be allowed to happen a second time.”

“What is your proposal Zal-Fen?” came the question from a separate voice.

“Simple” Zal Fenn replied “We once again reach to the stars in exploration. We search out all which could oppose us and kill it before it has a chance to blossom. We reverse the decay with expansion.”

“Such actions have been deemed a risk too great” intoned Jib-Han the single most pragmatic Revered Elder. “To allow our scions leave of their Elders for extended periods with unknown elements will breed radical thinking. They will feel the urge to think for themselves.”
“Jib-Han is right” replied Zal-Fenn “We can’t allow our sons to leave the shelter of their Elders. We must journey with them. Should any of our scions ever learn the truth of their absorption into the Elder it could be catastrophic. Our race endures because they are convinced joining their Elder and sacrificing themselves will preserve their essence for all time. If they find out all personality and self is erased with only the knowledge and strength added to the Collective it will destroy our way of life. We will journey back to the stars and lead them to triumph”

350,005 PD

The Expansion Coronation:

A vast parade and celebration is held amidst the night sky. A fleet of thirty vessels stands proud and enormous as the crews of the ships march to their future. A crew of twenty vetted and highly specialized Illithid’s accompany a Revered Elder to each ship. Trailing each envoy of the crews are a pair of Dembella. The ships hover above the ground and disappear as the engines engage.

350,030 PD

Twenty Seven of the initial 30 ships have returned. Two have lost all contact with their home civilization. The last is awaited by a tense receiving party. A battered hulk appears barely operational enough to affect the landing. Of the original twenty only three flayers emerge, the slain Revered Elder levitates above them as silence descends. Behind them captured in a crystalline globe is a Beholder, eye stalks still firing in rage at the cage binding it.

The image cuts out and immediately resumes as an assembly of Revered Elders examines the Beholder, and interviews the remaining crew.

“Your allegation is that this creature killed our Revered Elder Thi-Shi?” Zal-Fenn asked the last three illithid, “That this so called “Eye Tyrant” managed to disable and overwhelm your crew and a well respected leader?”

“It is with great personal regret that I do so make this allegation” the first mate replies “Our captain sought to preserve the Elder and sacrificed himself in that attempt. It was Thi-Shi’s will to engage the creature directly in an attempt to save the ship. It was his last act to disable the Beholder before expiring”

“Your subordinate wishes to add something to your report” Jib-Han interrupted, “Speak.”

“Yes Revered Elder” the second mate replied from his kneeling position, “This creature was not alone. It is one of many that share it’s species. We believe it alerted it’s kin to our presence. More will come.”

Zal-Fenn maneuvered his chalice holding tank closer to the still caged Beholder, and measures it directly for himself. After several long moments he turns to his brethren.

“This Beholder, or Eye Tyrant caused the death of Elder Thi-Shi, as this is amongst our most severe crimes the punishment is death. We shall belay that excecution until such a time as the specimen’s usefulness has run it’s course. I recommend a full counsel of investigation to probe all we may glean from it’s mind. We must proceed with caution I have searched the depths of it’s psyche with my own, and the well of it’s strength is deep and flows strong. I respect you as an adversary and pay tribute to your strength Beholder. I look forward to becoming better acquainted.”

412,000 PD

“Our Revered Elders are scattered to the corners of the universe. The network which allows for the free flow of ideas and discoveries is operational but slow. The Elder’s have decreed that as our journeys delve deeper into the multi-plane and further each passing year, that all vessels will elect an Enclave. A consortium of the finest minds to act as a decision making body that runs the daily facets of each exploring ship. The Elder stationed on each vessel will be placed in suspended animation and awoken only in the most extreme of circumstance. The recent malfunctions that have led to the tragic loss of our Revered Elders must be eliminated. Each ship has been updated for containment and distribution of planetary terra forming or cultural forced evolution. Every ship is to carry at minimum five sustainable ecosystems for seeding of suitable worlds, or elimination of nuisance planets. I will now allow questions.”

“Lord Gan-Ta? I request further insight in the form of a question.” Chimed in a younger flayer “My name is Ban-Ew and I have a strong background into our cultural history. Not once in the recorded sixty thousand years has an Ark functioned without the guidance of a Revered Brother. Is this not a danger against the Collective?”

“Brother Ban-Ew speaks truly” said Gan-Ta, “The Elder have sheltered us and guided us for tens of thousands of years. In that time we have discovered fantastic wonders and marvelous advances. Our race is stronger now than ever before. The stigma of One-ness has been eradicated. We are ready for this new journey. The Elder are confident in our ability to withstand the travails that await. Together The Collective Will Reign!”

468,655 PD

A cluster of activity in the control room surrounds the shrieking and thrashing form of an Elder Brain in it’s tank. A group of six Illithids recognized as the Enclave from the earlier recordings are desperately trying to sooth their Revered Elder. It’s shrieks are awful to withstand it wails the same thing over and over again.

“I have seen the space between! It has poured it’s poison into me. Heresy! Blasphemy!”

“Lean-Cohn what happened?” Ra-Gan shouts, as he tries to massage the brain tissue.

“Something jerked us from our flight. It was like coming from full velocity to a dead stop in a matter of micro seconds. It must have shattered the suspended state and it has affect The Elder!”

“We have landed, full stop Brother Ra-Gan” a third Enclave member Jax-Uh shouts from his control hub “Unidentified planet. Inhabited. Ship is secure and blending in to the countryside in the form of a mountain. I can’t speak to what caused us to fall from our path but we survived the plummet.”

The Elder stops writhing after a few minutes and begins talking to itself.

“They are all gone. No trace of a single individual. It is your most sacred duty brother. Better the ship disintegrate than a single scion learn the truth. We take their knowledge, we take their strength, we discard their memory, we abandon their Self. Preserve this fact and you can’t fail”

All six Enclave members freeze. Ra-Gan withdraws his hand and stares at it as if for the first time.

“It must be confused, a side effect of the trauma of instantly being pulled from the suspension.” A nearly hysterical Roos-Vail shouts “It has to be confused.”

Ra-Gan drops his hand to his side and turns to Lean-Cohn “Brother Lean, we agreed that the captaincy was to be mine yes?”

No dissents.

“As captain I am about to undertake an action. Should I find my beliefs incorrect you are to exterminate me and expunge my position and rank. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

Ra-Gan firmly and without hesitation places both hands directly onto the Revered Elder and pushes.

Gasps rise up from the remaining Enclave members who are too paralyzed with fear to move.

“He is probing the Elder…” a shocked Ken-De whispers. “He is commiting sacrilege.”

Ra-Gan trembling withdraws his hands and gestures to his skull, sweeping his hands to his sides and bowing in a form of submission.

“The Revered Elder is not confused my brothers. It is speaking a truth no living Illithid is meant to hear. A truth we are meant to discover only when we commit ourselves to joining the Elder. We are discarded and abandoned. It seeks only the strength of our lives and not who we are. The Collective is a lie. The truth is naked in my mind. I submit myself to any actions you deem fit to confirm this truth for yourselves”

“It can’t be”

“Yet it is” Lean-Cohn responds. “What do we do?”

“It must die” Ra-Gan intones. “The Elder must perish. We will tell the crew it died amidst the journey. We speak not of this knowledge until we know how to proceed. Brother Ken-De please disable the communication network. Send a final message that our ship suffered extreme damage in a crash, but is sustainable and repairs underway. Then cut off all further communications. We must continue our mission as if nothing is amiss brothers. We will figure out what to do.”

469,660 PD

Ra-Gan: Are we sure this is the source?

Lean-Cohn: Yes. We have exhausted all possible alternatives and this is definitely the source of the anomaly. The radiation emanating from this spot is the cause of this region’s accelerated evolution and superior capability.

Ken-De: I have poured over the archives with the Dembella, it is unique. None have ever discovered something of it’s like.

Ra-Gan: Excellent. I think this is what we have been searching for all these years. Brothers this is the key to our liberation. We will Rise as One!

469,665 PD

The six Enclave members are united by means of a hovering diamond suspended above the preserved corpse of the Elder Brain, their mental faculties combined in harmony as one. The ship has been repositioned directly above the epicenter of the Underdark anomaly. The Dembella have lined the entire control room with a sequence of crystals resonating with the memories of Illithid through their recorded history. Their combined psychic maneuver begins to crescendo and a force lances from the bottom of the diamond directly into the dead brain. A seventh member of the crew is present, a scholar and trusted conspirator in this grand heresy, Ko.

Ko: Brothers the radiation is spiking. You have created a vacuum that is pulling more and more energy, it is accelerating far faster than the conduit can control.

We will not stop

The command is not of an individual but of their collective.

The brain pulses violently and rapidly begins altering it’s shape. A billion years of forced evolution transpires in the blink of an eye, and a billion more before the eye can open. Flashes of various life stages vanish before they can be comprehended. After what feel like a lifetime the connection is severed as the Enclave members collapse in exhaustion.

Sitting in the center of a now empty bowl is an Illithid child. By human perceptions at approximately five years of age. Ko tenderly approaches the child who recoils in fear.

Ko: Calm yourself. I will do you no harm. Do you know what you are?

The child nods but still seems frightened.

Ko: Who are you?

The child shrugs.

Ra-Gan is the first to regain his feet and he regards the child with wild optimism.

Ra-Gan: It worked Ko. We have rebirthed our Elder in our own image. This is our pathway to true freedom. He is Risen as The One!

Ko: It is a child Ra-Gan. I doubt he will be toppling any empires or overthrowing all powerful regimes.

Ra-Gan:All in time my friend.

469,666:

Ko: Jaze is proving a capable student, he has the memories and knowledge of our people, but is struggling to contextualize it. We have given him a power and memory but no understanding of what any of it means.

Jax-Uh: Then we must push him. He must learn survival and battle. He will be hunted as an abomination and we will give him the tools to weather the storm.

Lean-Cohn: I have assembled a directory of specimens we have recovered that could prove useful in this regard. We can place him in each containment unit, much like a bird pushing it’s chick from the nest his instincts will drive him to learn and adapt.

469,669:

Ko: I once again raise my objection to this final test. The child has proven his ability to take care of himself. He need not be exposed to THEIR kind.

Ra-Gan: I understand old friend. But this is the true test. Of all our struggles and triumphs as a species not just those on this ship the greatest test he will face is the small details our race take as granted. If he can’t out think or out maneuver this teacher he is doomed by those with centuries of training and experience. Bring him in.

It is not Jaze that enters the room, but the Horned Devil Hazrdugal.

Ra-Gan: Have you reconsidered? This is your final chance?

Hazrdugal: I stand fast in my decision. I did in fact volunteer for this assignment and I understand the limitations it presents. You need your protégé stretched to his brink and taught deception, intrigue, betrayal, and manipulation. I can deliver on those fronts.

Ra-Gan: We also need him intact.

Hazrdugal: Of course.

469,670:

The Enclave along with their assembled crew all kneel before Jaze who now resembles a teenager approaching maturity. There is a predator’s grace to his movements and a presence of confidence far outstripping his youth.

Jaze: For too long have we placed the Honorific of brother upon our leaders. You have given me the strength to lead our people into their next phase of evolution and prosperity. I am your son and you are my Father’s. We will overthrow the deceivers and we will Rise as One together united. I have seen a future in my trainings. A future glorious and fruitful. Together we will make this vision a reality. From this forth we will combine our efforts to usher in the harbinger of the Corrupted Elder’s demise. Today we create the instrument of their reckoning. Behold Volcanus!

An image of a massive dragon, both red and gold with two heads bursts into the air before the assembled crew.

Jaze: The power of the Underdark was the ambrosia I suckled in our ship’s womb. This ship is like our mother and now it will aid us in birthing a second son. Volcanus will burn the corruption from our bloodlines and eliminate the flaws that hold us back. Our immortality will spawn from his incineration of those who would halter our victory.

469,710:

The images no longer play out in the control panel, but within the very bunker the group now inhabits.

Ra-Gan: Brothers we are being tampered with. Small pieces of my days are vanishing without a trace. I have had the Dembella assemble a full range of details and they paint a picture where we are all being edited.

Ken-De: I don’t understand. We would detect such alterations or intrusions. We are equals.

Ko: I am afraid they are the work of Jaze. With each passing year his strength grows and his influence expands. His capabilities exceed our own by a wide margin.

Ra-Gan: That is where I stumble for understanding brother. He is leading us to glory, our every last effort is to see his vision realized. Why sabotage his own goal?

Ko: He is sabotaging our attempts to control his weapon. Whole swathes of our work to contain the creature upon it’s creation and limit it’s effects are being removed from our minds. He is not preventing us from success, he is preventing us from control.

Jax-Uh: What steps can we take? Eventually he will kill the Dambella and erase their recordings.

Ko: I don’t think he will. Have you ever seen him interact with them? Even once? Why wouldn’t he have erased the evidence of his interference? I don’t think he recognizes they exist.

Ra-Gan: He has all physical senses. If he can’t read them he should be able to see them.

Ko: I speculate that he can’t. Or he would have already acted.


469,711:

Ko: We are gathering more and more attention gathering together like this. From this point, no more than two of us can meet at once. Do any of you have a comment on last week’s test joining of the two species of dragon?

Ra-Gan: Last week’s test? We are three months away from testing.

Ko displays a crystal showing two species of dragon being forced into one body and then exploding.

Ko: That was our seventh attempt.

Ra-Gan: You deceive us Ko.

Ko holds up a hand in protest and shows a second crystal with Ra-Gan affirming that Ko is speaking the truth.

Ko: Jaze’s subtlety is fading. His interventions are growing bolder.

Jax-Uh: We have to come up with a plan to stop him before we are all eliminated. It will take every scrap of our cunning and patience. We need to ensure that when the Volcanus project is complete the first target is Jaze.

469,725:

In a mirror of his own creation, The Enclave with Jaze leading them focuses all their energies into empowering the dragon hybrid with the same power source that created Jaze. The two headed dragon morphs before their eyes and ascends to a whole new level of power. The newly formed Volcanus raises itself to an upright position and regards the Mind Flayers before it.

Only in the last moments as he observes his triumph does Jaze turn to the Enclave who sit silently behind him.

Jaze: I understand why you deceived me Fathers. You were not ready to take this next step. I have failed you.

Ra-Gan: What are you talking about?

Jaze: Goodbye Fathers.

Volcanus draws back and unleashes a focused torrent of liquid fire made light, there is no sign of Jaze when the light fades.

469,995:

Ko: I assure you that we are STILL being tampered with.

Ra-Gan: It has been almost three centuries since Volcanus eliminated that mistake. We watched it happen. The Dembella confirmed his complete destruction.

Jax-Uh: I think he is right Ra-Gan. Have you listened to Volcanus lately? Everyday his murmurs about the whispers in the darkness get more insistent. Our restraints and containments simply can’t hold him.

Ra-Gan: What are you suggesting that Jaze is somehow found the ability to cheat death? That he is possessing the hybrid? We have found no sign of such an action.

Ko: We wouldn’t find signs. But the proof is where we aren’t looking. The ship’s protective wardens say that something is approaching us. Only I can’t find any trace of an object reaching us. I thought it was the radiation interfering, but we have bottled that source off so tightly that even we can’t reach it anymore. There is something else that does not exist in any sense of what we understand coming for us. The impossible is coming for us.

Lean-Cohn: I have spent nearly a decade digging through every possible outcome for what Ko is describing. I have come to only one conclusion. There is a space between spaces, a rupture in the fabric of space and time that can be reached using our ships. From the infancy of our exploration this space has been avoided with the strictest of enforcements. Our ancestors discovered horrible things in this bleakness. If the Underdark is an anomaly then it’s origin is this other verse. The radiation is a point where the two verses cross and some of that OTHER realm bleeds into ours. I think that is what the Elder was ranting about when we landed.

Ra-Gan: And if we birthed Jaze from such a source of power then we would be linked to it.

Lean-Cohn: Linked to it, and drawn to it. When he was born he was lost and confused. We placed him through a crucible that forged what he became. Each of his seven teachers imprinted a particular facet of who he is. They created landmarks on his soul. In essence they stoked the fire that is his signal to the void. He is the lighthouse guiding them through the storm.

Ra-Gan: These beacons must be extinguished then.

Jax-Uh: We are afraid that won’t work either. It is a symbiotic relationship. We are struggling to grasp the HOW of it, but we are approaching them as well.

Ra-Gan: Elaborate.

Jax-Uh: The distance being crossed is meaningless in any way we measure distance. The gap is wide. This unknown force is crossing it at remarkable speed, but we are racing to meet it in the center. Despite being stationary we are in motion this through this void. Just as these beacons are Lighthouses, they are also anchors holding us to this location. If we kill the beacons we will slow the Other force, but accelerate ourselves.

Ra-Gan: is there any chance of stopping this convergence?

Ko: None. We have put every ounce of our knowledge to the test and if not for Volcanus we would be doomed.

Ra-Gan: How is Volcanus a saving force?

Ko: We subverted his purpose at the last moment as agreed upon to snuff out Jaze. To burn that error from existence. We were foolhardy to attempt such an action but it worked. Mostly. Volcanus is drawn to extinguish this other force as well. He can’t stop until all traces of that essence are gone. He will burn Jaze, he will burn this other. But he may burn everything that exists to do so. Such a loss is inconsequential to him.

Ra-Gan: what do you propose?

Lean-Cohn: Well we wish to enact the proposal you already made?

Ra-Gan: What proposal did I make?

Ko: It will be easier if you watch this…


469,999:

Ra-Gan: Ko…you have been a dear friend and valued colleague. I know that we ask a heavy price of you. This is a blasphemy to our race. We know the truth. Sadly we will have to remove your knowledge of that truth. You will never know the justification and the bravery that this required.

Ko: We agreed old friend. This is the only way. I will stand watch and wait. If the vessel stirs I will be ready. A witness will await the return of our fleet. Our sins will be laid bare, and we will be shunned for all time to come for what we have wrought, but we might just correct our sin.

Ra-Gan: The final shutdowns are commencing. If we are right this will cleanse any echoes of his presence. Volcanus has been inserted to the void, a knight awaiting his challenger to arrive. Hopefully they destroy each other. I have designated Li-Ban as the first to awaken. He is obedient and serviceable, but not prominent enough to warrant too much curiousity. As the last under I will be the first of the Enclave to awaken. I only hope our calculations are correct. If we misjudged the timing at all…

Ko: It is beyond our control now. Fair well and if the fates are kind we will meet again.

Ra-Gan: Dembella. I am locking you inside the bunker with the following instructions. Catalog all our research, organize it for whomever comes after. The parameters for this safehaven are to prevent any species with any connection to the Illithid from entry. You will be locked inside to live out your lifespans. Warn those who come. Alert them to all we have uncovered.

The Enclave leader leaves the bunker and the moment he emerges an apparition of Jaze appears.

Jaze: So long have you toiled Father of Mine.

Ra-Gan: Jaze…I am sorry. We meddled too far beyond our means from anger. You were not meant to be.

Jaze: Oh I was meant to be. Just not what you intended. I have seen the glory that exists in the void. I have seen my true brothers and called to them. They are coming.

Ra-Gan: Volcanus will stop them. It is his purpose.

Jaze: The purpose you changed at the last second? I allowed that to happen because I needed it to happen. My physical form was insufficient. You think him a weapon. He is a key. His breath will open the gap and allow for entry to our Verse. He is the doorman who will invite in my family. I have learned well from my teachers, you can’t stop what is to come. If you kill him, they will come for me and be unimpeded. If you let him live he will open the door wider and ease their passage. Kill my teachers and they speed up. Let them live and we speed up. I have covered every eventuality. I have won. I only pity that you won’t remember any of this. Go to sleep now father. Rest well. Before you know it we will meet again.

Before you read this...it is a bit different. Hope you enjoy this. Kind of like the rug in Big Lebowski...it really ties things together.

[DireSickFish]

Well. That's a twist and a half. Not sure how our party can compete with Jaze's plan now.

[Traab]

Well.... damn. I dont even know where to go from here. I THINK, if I am understanding this correctly, our undead crew needs a way to destroy volcanus AND jaze. Who apparently doesnt need a body to do stuff? I dont suppose we have any soul devouring spells or abilities availa....... oh ^&%$&^%$ Demiliches can eat souls. They need to get Ko back, and get him to devour jaze. We can then HOPE that works and he doesnt have a way to escape from that. Hang back and try to lower its save as much as possible, then go for the devour. Remain intact for a day, then the soul is destroyed.

[Mith]

So the only thing not covered is to kill Jaze? If he dies then the enitre plan falls apart. Or am I missing something from what has already been said?

[Kaveman26]

If Jaze, Volcanus, and the seven teachers die the destination goes dark. As far as they can tell.

[Mith]

So the only way to win against Jaze is to kill all the elements of his plan, plus him.

[DireSickFish]

Couldn't they find a way to have Volcanus fight off what is coming? They'd still need to kill Jaze obviously, but can't he still act as the bodyguard without Jaze's influence?

[Traab]

Couldn't they find a way to have Volcanus fight off what is coming? They'd still need to kill Jaze obviously, but can't he still act as the bodyguard without Jaze's influence?

The thing is, dragon guy has flame that will burn a hole to the lovecraft realm of very bad tentacle things.

[Honest Tiefling]

Just re-read that part. Doc's Half-dragon template was based on a Black Dragon.
.

Ah, yes, the stylish combo of red, gold and black. I approved, unless...Wait. Aren't orcs green? Eeeeewww.


The thing is, dragon guy has flame that will burn a hole to the lovecraft realm of very bad tentacle things.

I'm still not convinced the UC won't be trying to raise Volcanus as an undead even with this ability.

[Mith]

Turn Volcanus into a zombie, then place their phlanxtries and coffin within the corpse. That's a foolproof fortress.

[Traab]

Until cthulus big brother appears fromt he void and devours the whole dragon. You spend an eternity being slowly digested.

[Mith]

Fair enough.

I was picturing having the corpse be located in this reality, without the Far Realm attraction.

[Kane0]

Well damn son, thats a whole mess o trpuble you just found yourself in.
Also props on tying it together so nicely, cant wait to see how the finale turns out.

[Lord of Shadows]

If Jaze, Volcanus, and the seven teachers die the destination goes dark. As far as they can tell.

So they do need to kill the Seven, Jaze and Volcanus (don't know it what order, if it even matters), except that as they kill each one, the time of destruction gets nearer. Talk about a fine mess...it's like disarming a bomb where every wire you cut shaves a block of time off the countdown.
.

[Reboot]

So, where do they go from here? Literally. They're in the only safe place in the whole ship, but they can't actually DO anything except confer without going outside, where a horde of prisoners driven nuts are. Seraphim's coffin & the liches' phylacteries (not to mention stored bodies, esp. the 20HD one) are only semi-safe since the zoidbergs can open the vaults and they would have to run the gauntlet to get to them. And the not-exactly-friends they ran for the bunker with probably won't appreciate being stuck outside (even aside from the one who got his arm lopped off).

(And this is before you consider that Sera's going to start seeing a roast chicken every time she looks at Doc soon enough. Maybe he should just let her vamp him and be done?)

[Alent]

Given that this is the Necroranchers we're talking about, am I the only person thinking that the answer is to make Volcanus a dracolich and recruit him into the party?

[Traab]

They would have to be able to defeat him first, and he has fire so powerful it erases memory and burns holes in reality. I dont think they have enough fire resistance gear for that. Speaking of gear. Did they ever get to use any of that prismatic ore?

[Lord of Shadows]

Speaking of gear. Did they ever get to use any of that prismatic ore?

No, they haven't yet. They have that small amount that they found, but that's it. It's interesting stuff.
.

[Alent]

They would have to be able to defeat him first, and he has fire so powerful it erases memory and burns holes in reality. I dont think they have enough fire resistance gear for that. Speaking of gear. Did they ever get to use any of that prismatic ore?

Pretty sure the NPC that told the party what the flame does was an unreliable narrator. Don't recent revelations yield a strong hint that the memories were tampered with by Jaze in order to protect himself and his plans?

[DireSickFish]

Pretty sure the NPC that told the party what the flame does was an unreliable narrator. Don't recent revelations yield a strong hint that the memories were tampered with by Jaze in order to protect himself and his plans?

I'd say the memory wiping is Jaze and not Volcanis at all.

[Traab]

Pretty sure the NPC that told the party what the flame does was an unreliable narrator. Don't recent revelations yield a strong hint that the memories were tampered with by Jaze in order to protect himself and his plans?

Thats possible, but he is still powerful enough to be able to escape any prison made for him, even being hurled into the featureless void wasnt enough. Im just saying he is going to be harder to beat than veritas, and even he is a borderline fight all by himself for out party. A 2 headed dragon is going to HURT, even without any super special snowflake powers and abilities.

[Ionsniper]

Hah! I was right about Jaze being the mistake the Illithid created. I knew he was focused on for a reason and why he was able to be such a big time player despite just being "human".

[Kaveman26]

There are two main reasons Doc has resisted the just vamp me idea.

First he is a pre errata con based caster, a zero con means zero spells, even if we switched to int I think his int is like 5.

Second....would you willingingly let seraphim have control of your character as a thrall? Even with best of intentions not a leap he wants to risk

[Reboot]

The second one occurred to me, but they haven't generally been backstabbing each other.

The first, I didn't realise. Interesting...

[Talakeal]

One question; what is a damballa?

[Traab]

This mystery race that apparently no longer exists they used to record their meetings because of how incorruptible their minds are. The party spotted a couple dead bodies of the last two of them and couldnt identify them until they watched the crystal vids which named the species.

[Gilphon]

The question I see is 'why can't Jaze detect the damballa?' Seems to me that's a pretty big hint to a possible weakness.

[Talakeal]

This mystery race that apparently no longer exists they used to record their meetings because of how incorruptible their minds are. The party spotted a couple dead bodies of the last two of them and couldnt identify them until they watched the crystal vids which named the species.

Intriguing. Out of curiosity, I assume this a homebrew race? Or is it actually in one of the books?

[FocusWolf413]

The question I see is 'why can't Jaze detect the damballa?' Seems to me that's a pretty big hint to a possible weakness.

Sounds like someone's getting a new leather jacket.

[Jonagel]

Sounds like someone's getting a new leather jacket.

And bone armor, and a skull helmet, and potions brewed with leftover brain matter...

They are cannibals after all!

[Amburst]

The question I see is 'why can't Jaze detect the damballa?' Seems to me that's a pretty big hint to a possible weakness.

I assume that Jaze cannot detect them because he only detects creaturrs by "seeing" their minds. And because they cannot have their minds messed with, he cannot see them.

[Reboot]

Second. I'd like to call peoples attention to the insane veiw count this tale has gained. Wow.

For anyone else posting a campaign journal, i'd also like to point out the huge disparity between the veiw count and the post count, especially since the largest number of posts have started happening recently.

We all know the view count is because everyone is desperately F5'ing the thread at every opportunity in the hope there'll be a new journal entry ;)

[Traab]

We all know the view count is because everyone is desperately F5'ing the thread at every opportunity in the hope there'll be a new journal entry ;)

Nah, thats not me, I just click the rp forum and see if it got updated. But the instant it IS updated I click on it just to make sure I didnt miss a campaign update in addition to whoever made the latest post. (like now)

[Kaveman26]

One question; what is a damballa?

A homemade unique race that has perfect recall, an over the top OCD nature with regards to cataloging and collating information and a natural ability to repulse all attempts to touch their minds. Because of their mental acuity and incorruptible nature they were utilized as on ship storage curators. More will come about their quirks in the updates to follow.

[DireSickFish]

Only option clearly is to reincarnate or permanently change into into that race and punch Jaze to death.

[Lord of Shadows]

More will come about their quirks in the updates to follow.


Only option clearly is to reincarnate or permanently change into into that race and punch Jaze to death.

Or... what happens when you animate dead a Damballa?
.

[NRSASD]

We're about to find out!

Seriously though, I liked that this whole conversation/exposition took place in the literal "black box" of the ship. An indestructible chamber of black stone holding the unbiased memories of events.

[Talakeal]

One question; what is a damballa?

A homemade unique race that has perfect recall, an over the top OCD nature with regards to cataloging and collating information and a natural ability to repulse all attempts to touch their minds. Because of their mental acuity and incorruptible nature they were utilized as on ship storage curators. More will come about their quirks in the updates to follow.

Awesome, thanks.

[Inevitability]

Or... what happens when you animate dead a Damballa?
.

Well, given that the Damballa's ability to avoid mental detection is probably a special quality, and given that it doesn't improve the Damballa's attacks, I'd say all you get is a weird-looking zombie.

Seeing the animated corpse of a creature he doesn't recall as ever having existed may surprise Jaze a bit, though.

[Grim Portent]

If they're at all psionic though there is a chance of them coming back with their personality and memories intact though, which could be very handy.

[Lord of Shadows]

If they're at all psionic though there is a chance of them coming back with their personality and memories intact though, which could be very handy.

That's what I was wondering... Since the other psionic critters sometimes animate with "special" abilities, it makes for an interesting idea.
.

[Kaveman26]

Beating the House:

Seraphim: Well that is certainly one way to rig the deck.

Hades: Wow. Does this mean we are having our own memories hijacked?

Pluto: I don’t believe so. If so we would have never reached this room. I think he could only impact the other Illithid.

Ares: So killing all the mentors won’t help. Nor does keeping them alive.

Seraphim: Volcanus is not only a two headed dragon, he is a double edged sword. If we leave him trapped he opens the door from the inside, if we set him loose the door is open with no bouncer.

Azzie: Maybe we need to destroy the ship. Take away the door altogether. We have a good sense of his end game now and it seems like keeping the ship is part of it.

Ares: Can we destroy the ship? The interior is quite sturdy, and if we can create a self destruct sequence and stop it as we already witnessed it will be hard to affect a similar self destruct ourselves.

Seraphim: We do know that a Fleet is coming, but if Ko and company calculated everything correctly then they are going to be about a month too late.

Ares: What about concocting a plan and wiping our own memories akin to what the Enclave danced around with?

Seraphim: Didn’t work out too well for them. But that is the problem. Anything we scheme he will know it’s coming. The second we step out he reads our minds like a menu at a cheap diner and sees what we are ordering.

Azzie: Actually THAT might be the answer.

Seraphim: A Greasy Spoon Diner is the solution?

Azzie: No him knowing what we are going to order. We concoct a dozen different plans and we all memorize the little details slightly differently. Be like him taking the orders from 90 people all at once but every person wants different toppings on their burger. He will know everything we are thinking about doing but he won’t know which one we are actually following through on so either he prepares for all of them or he screws up the order.

Hades: Well huh. That seems devious enough.

Pluto: Well let’s break this down. If we eliminate the Mentors, Destroy Volcanus and Kill Jaze then we snuff out the destination for the creepy things approaching from the void. OR if we delay Volcanus from releasing/melting the door open we can stall and wait for the Mother Fleet to clean up their cousin’s mess. Or, and I am just brainstorming here…we throw in with Jaze.

Doc: Come again?

Pluto: There is a highly evolved phenomenally powered being who managed to hoodwink the most powerful psionic race in history and usurp half a million years of precedent. He is the most powerful mind reader ever and by all accounts a freaking Jedi Master of Manipulation and Deceit. Why aren’t we filling out job applications to be in his service already?

Hades: Do you not remember when he pitted us against each other and nearly assassinated us with the damned furniture?

Pluto: We kill people all the time, I don’t hold that against them. He was good enough to get the drop on us. I wouldn’t consider serving the guy who failed and ending up shambling in front of us to eat a dragon’s breath weapon in our place. You work for the guy that is worthy of being the boss. Like I said just brainstorming.

Seraphim: If we legitimately intended to follow him he would know.

Ares: Too many wild cards. Volcanus won’t stop until Jaze is gone as a result of his compulsion to eliminate the sources of the Underdark evolution. By proxy our exposure to the crystals may link us in the same fashion. Our development of psionics may add us to his list in a manner of speaking. Also…the “things” from this space between spaces…if they are what we think they are can’t be reasoned with or tricked. Jaze is someone I wouldn’t mind putting on the throne, but I think he is more interested in watching the world burn. If his goals were closer to our own I would be out recruiting minions for him as we speak.

Azzie: Well earlier we all agreed that we needed more information on what we are contending against. We are swimming in the jackpot of information why don’t we dig a bit a deeper and see what else is in the water.

After some more debate (what ends up amounting to like two or three hours real time) they comply a list of key searches they want to explore amidst the crystal trove of the heart.

1. More information on the Dembella, incuding any research from the Illithid on why they were completely invisible to Jaze.
2. A dossier or details on Volcanus’s strength and weaknesses
3. A dossier or details exploring the limits of Jaze’s abilities.
4. Anything on the Space Between Spaces
5. Any research on how to protect their minds from Jaze
6. Any “super classified” locations or deeply hidden items of importance not privy to the Crones
7. Manuals on Ship Operation or Repair
8. How to breach Volcanus Prison

As for Number 1:Dembella

A crystal from the earliest days of the Dembella elaborates that attempting to touch their mind causes an intense and painful disorienting feedback that staggers even the strongest of telepaths/psions. When some of the more ancient Revered Elder Brains pushed past the feedback to explore they were unable to find anything…just silence and extreme crippling pain. They eventually concluded that their minds were too alien for a full level of comprehension. Like a supernatural autism spectrum that made them prodigies with memory and recall but blockaded virtually all else.

They also uncover some “pulled” memories from Ra-Gan and Ko who as a matter of caution consistently sliced out sections of their own memories to protect them from Jaze, and they would later reformat and extrapolate their ideas and once again pull them out for storage. Only the OCD of the Dambella allowed for these snippets to be assembled in meaningful fashion. The Enclave Head and Ko theorized that as a being so evolved mentally all of Jaze’s physical interactions extended to his telepathy as well. Sight was not simply a physical sense but intrinsically linked to his mind reading. As a result any attempt to see a Dembella would cause an overwhelming amount of pain and discomfort, Ko further speculated that because the Dembella were present at the time of his creation as a defense mechanism during his rapid progression he built in a block to tune out the Dembella completely, a means to protect himself from going into a seizure everytime he looked at, heard about, smelled or touched a Dembella. This evolutionary defensive measure rendered him unable to comprehend their existence.

Number 2:Volcanus Strengths and Weaknesses:

The most meaningful resonance crystal they locate relates directly to Volcanus’s testing upon his creation. His physical form is very tough, his scales are remarkably strong and tensile bolstering a dragon’s already impressive natural armor. They integrated metallic compounds directly into his organic form to augment this aspect. His breath weapon is fearsome and far beyond the capacities of an ordinary dragon, it is also slower to recover, with the ability to breath only once a minute. The unaltered memories uncover that his breath weapon will not erase memory, but will overcome even a creature’s immunity. He does not require food or water but does require air to breathe. They had to work extensively and prolonged their experiments to allow the highly divergent minds to coexist. The Red and Gold personalities were markedly separate and clashed when attempts to meld them were begun. Their tests uncovered a mental slowing effect based on the split personality, his reflexes were slowed as a result of the mental forcing.

Ares: So he is a big slow target hard to penetrate and absolutely lethal to be around once a minute. Even fire immune becomes fire resistant.

Number 3: Jaze’s Limitations:

This was trickier. Very little directly related to his abilities was stored. Jax-Uh managed to splice out several observations but they were partial and guess work at best. They speculated that while his mental intrusions were unavoidable they were not omnipotent. He was still capable of mistakes, and overlooking information. As near as they could tell he required focus to fully dissect a stronger mind, and mention of his name correlated to a higher degree of mental manipulation. He ate, he drank, he breathed and grew tired, so while impressive he was not invulnerable. The mental erasing continued after they killed his physical form. Ko made one brief recording where he felt that Jaze only limited his memory wiping as a means of obfuscating it’s frequency and existence.
“It was important by his standards that doubt linger and confirmation of what he was capable of remaining hidden”

Number 4: Space Between Spaces:

See Lovecraft, and Cthulu. They get confirmation that the Space Between Spaces is all of the most horrific tentacley badness you could imagine in your worst nightmares.

Number 5: Protection

Mind Blank as a spell discovered from the Githyanki was a defense mechanism the Illithid were disgusted by, but also aware of it’s importance. It had very limited effect against Jaze, perhaps at the very best pulling a bit more of his focus. Ko discovered that the resonance crystals handled by the Dambella seemed to make him uneasy and he disliked being near the crystals.

Seraphim: Might tie to why he didn’t attempt to erase or destroy the crystals, he was unwilling or unable to.

Number Six: Super Classified Top Secret Stuff

This one I didn’t entirely expect. Caught me slightly off guard. I had anticipated the strange scythe held by Li-Ban when he was about to sunder Ares armor to be a hook they would bite on, but the frantic activity and sudden run for the circle made them overlook it. I did present a single crystal that was left by Ra-Gan that indicated The Enclave had cached several unqiue and unequaled artifacts and relics from the world as trophies and keepsakes worthy of their attention. To keep them safe he was stripping the memory from the ship and from himself.

Number 7: Ship Repair

It was relayed to the group that any repairs or modifications for the ship could be performed by expending the appropriate amount of psionic energy in the right location and the repair golems and automated elements of the vessel would fill in the blanks. Such actions might draw attention from hostile elements but would not require a ton of legwork to initiate.

Number 8: Breaching the Prison

The resonance crystals regarding the prison were much deeper and ranging as each member of The Enclave was tasked with elements of it’s creation. At it’s core the prison was derived from the ship’s engines which existed across multiple dimensions and operated at a technical level that far outstripped the team’s capacity. The same power that allowed the ship to travel through time and space also created a vacuum of sorts that the engines could bring closer to reality. They placed Volcanus into this vacuum unaware that it was signaling the denizens of Cthulu. The more the engines are “revved” the more the prison comes closer to their reality and re-entering the world at large. Even idle they are still running which keeps him in a limbo state, but it also means that he is slowly re-emerging to join the world proper. If they were to bring the engines fully online and run them at full speed he would be free. If they destroy the engines and the ship in it’s entirety the pocket vacuum would collapse and either kill Volcanus in the process or free him, that element is unknown. What is known is that the full ship shutdown delayed his release but didn’t stop it.

There is also a chance that if they were to jury rig one of the engines but not all, they too would be able to enter the prison before he was released and take the fight to him. Such an endeavor is rated as 99% suicidal.

Ares: ok. New 60,000 dollar question. Why did Jaze need us? From the crystals it appears he needs the ship running in order for Volcanus to be freed.

Seraphim: Why not just rev them up right now and free him? Why wait?

Hades: He is waiting because Volcanus wants him dead. He needs Volcanus to open the door but like we thought that sword cuts both way. He needs the one thing whose sole purpose is his destruction to also destroy the Fleet and open the door for what he deems his long lost family. He stacked the deck but he is playing some seriously high stakes. Seems like he is trying to time this so Volcanus emerges right before the Fleet arrives so that the dragon and Horrors from Beyond take out the posse coming for him. Then he joins up with the Horrors to kill Volcanus…that is his win condition.

Ares: But he didn’t need us for any of that. All we have done is run around causing wholescale destruction.

Pluto: We have also destroyed every semblance of a faction that could stand against him. Hypothetically if we were nice guys an alliance between Drow, Dragon, Giant and Holy King would be a damned tough nut to crack. Instead the only dragon worth a lick is frothing at the mouth angry, the giants are shattered, the drow are even more paranoid and secret than before and the Holy King wants us dead. I would say we have done a smash up job of sowing discord and keeping anyone from looking at the big picture. He didn’t kill us because we grabbed the can of gasoline and ran to pour it on the fire.


Doc: We are going to need an army to create enough confusion and enough problems that he can’t split himself to handle them all.

Seraphim: Gentleman I think the sad day has arrived. We have to play nice and make friends.

[GnomishPride]

*gasp* They have to make friends with other people for real? Unheard of! :smalltongue:

Though seriously, this is awesome. Great work Kaveman!

[FocusWolf413]

Play nice? Make friends? Stop backstabbing? All of this desperation and character growth is really making me uneasy.

[Kane0]

Haha seems like the initial plan for the campaign has finally come round, they have to be heroes. And even better it was their choice!

[Lord of Shadows]

Funny how The Fates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fates) have a way of weaving things just so.... Isn't it.
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[Honest Tiefling]

My money would be on them being unable to become friends with anyone, not due to them hating them, but because the concept is so alien to them. What do you mean I can't use the skull of your minion as a drinking vessel!?

[Lord of Shadows]

Or getting them to go along with the concept of Animating fallen comrades as a strategic plus...
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[Traab]

Hmm, fighting Volcanus. They have a way to trigger his appearance, which means technically they can prep the battlefield. Now of course this assumes no treachery or ambushes ruining things, but I call it like this. Mega dragon is big slow and has one horrible attack per minute beyond his normal stuff, so im thinking bringing plenty of cover to hide behind is important here. Create lots of outcroppings, stones, metals, anything solid enough to tank a shot of super fire. When he is preparing to fire, everyone scurries behind cover and waits it out. Then jump back out and make lots of hit and run attacks. Whittle his butt down with attacks from multiple angles to confuse and disorient him. Dont stand toe to toe and slug it out, lead him on a merry dance like a matador and a bull. Possibly look for ways to pin him in place for some free shots. Create deadfalls and other traps that will work for maybe a round or two at least and unload on him while he struggles to break out, then move on to the next. Try to let the minions take the hits. Im thinking they likely wont be worth much damage in general, but every blast bite claw and slam attack they take is one less the party has to heal from.

[GnomishPride]

We're approaching the 50 page mark... Incredible, isn't it. Over 1100 posts. This thread is awesome.

[Kaveman26]

Diplomacy:

Azzie: Make friends? By now he probably has half the bloody place hanging outside waiting to obliterate us. Not like we can wave a flag and ask for a sit down.

Seraphim: Not right away, we will need to fight our way out and reach some folks we have established a history with.

Doc: Do we have anyone that we have established a good history with?

Hades: The Sleeper is what I consider an ally. The undead are by proxy with us.

Doc: The undead wanted freedom from their prison. That goal has come to fruition. That may limit further alliance.

Pluto: Well if it has we can compel further assistance

Ares: Ackshale will work with us provided it is in his best interest. Veritas can be likely delayed in seeking us dead. I think all the Illithid are too vulnerable to control for any meaningful parlay. That leaves the Good King Galud and the Drow. Domina is pragmatic and cautious I think she will see the truth of our circumstances and make the best choice to see things through. What concessions are we prepared to make?

Seraphim: Concessions? Like giving things up?

Ares: Yes. We are going to have to cement actual lasting treaties or agreements.

Azzie: Well Item Crafting, and the ability to turn the key on Armageddon seem like good bargaining chips.

Ares: I think at this good point we have to concede sole access to crafting and to the ship’s knowledge. Templates and Psionics need to be made available worldwide. I think the only element we stand firm on is ownership of the ship and it’s physical assets. This is our sovereign territory.

Seraphim: What is the party line we are going to be selling?

Ares: I think we keep it simple. This is our world and those who would take or destroy it need to be eliminated. Any alliance forged is predicated on the removal of all mind flayers and their creations along with destruction of Volcanus and Jaze. When the gap that lets the abberants from beyond is closed and those forces eliminated we can peacefully go our own ways.

Seraphim: How are we setting out to do this?

Ares: What we do best. Wholescale slaughter and destruction. If it has tentacles we kill it. We secure the nexus point of the engines where the prison proper is secured. We eliminate the beacons and figure out a way to drive Jaze into the open. The last part is the tricky part. From everything we can gather he is at this point a disembodied intelligence ala Skynet. Not sure how we kill that.

Doc: Is there anything from the Dembella about the ship itself?

Azzie: How so?

Doc OOC: We are in a fantasy world where we have encountered The Starship Enterprise. If Jaze is Skynet, then he is part of the ship’s system. Like it’s holodeck gone wonky or a computer malfunctioning. If this was Star Trek what would we do?

Hades: Fry out the computer?

Doc: So let’s fry the ship.

Pluto: We can’t. It’s a ship. Not like it’s alive…

You could hear a pin drop as the chatter dies.

Seraphim: And if it is?

Ares: Then he in all likelihood merged with the ship. That actually ties up a lot of the loose ends. He can’t destroy the ship without destroying his host, and he can’t fully reboot the ship because that releases Volcanus who CAN destroy the ship. He is not just playing a rigged game his existence is the stakes he is playing for. He needs the Lovecraftian nightmares to make it through so he can move into a suitable physical host, but he can’t let the dragon tear up his intestines before he has a new form to move into.

Azzie: Then we need to force his hand and make his timetable a pile of rubble. How can we attack the ship itself?

Seraphim: If a powerful intellect can inhabit the ship then a powerful intellect should be able to tap into it. But we are talking about inter-dimensional existence and a whole of stuff way beyond our abilities to comprehend. The Star Trek analogy is fitting. We are the primitives trying to pilot the warp drive.

Azzie: well then it’a good thing we have a red shirt who survived and is suited for inter-dimensional mind hopping. Or did you all forget about Ko?

Hades: Ko is corruptible.

Azzie: Pre-Undeath certainly. Post Undeath questionable. Even if Jaze can edit his memory, it’s his abilities I am interested in. I want to turn the twins into a computer virus, and use him as the Trojan Exe.

Hades: I don’t even know where to begin.

Azzie: Hear me out. We saw how Sirra used the chains hanging all Frankenstein style from it’s neck to jolt it out of it’s torpor. You two burn an entire’s day casting and channeling to make those chains your phylacteries. You try to dominate and or control it. If ol boy gets cross and wipes you out you will reform inside the chains and be directly inside him. You wanted to play in the big leagues of lichdom? Here’s your shot. Invade the ship like you would a minion and raise hell. You’ll be like a lich Voltron.

Seraphim: So in summary we need to form a super alliance with everyone we have pissed off, bypass a legion of angry heavily compelled super mind affecting Illithids while their omnipresent and virtually hyper evolved transcendent mind overlord reports our every move all so that we can try to hijack a demi-lich to invade a semi sentient maybe even living highly advanced insterstellar vessel?

Ares: Yes, all of that before we press a massive offensive against the World Ending hybrid dragon that will try to rip apart the foundation of reality to end the transcendent overlord thereby opening our world to an even greater threat. We also need to stop off and murder the devil, demon, Zardus, Infrit (who we actually need information on) and Lau-Rain not to mention the titanic aboleth who is now likely insane. Everyone got it? Hades? Pluto?

Twins: Sorry we kind of zoned out after the Lich Voltron thing. Yeah we got it.

[Traab]

I still say it would be far simpler to try and force Jaze into a position to be attacked, then use the devour soul option that the demilich has. Have his floating skullness hang way back, while everyone else does everything they can think of to weaken Jaze's saves, then bring in the attempt to devour his soul. Keep doing it if it fails, iirc if it does fail, his saves take a nasty knock which would make the next try easier, I dont recall a limit on how many times a day he can try to devour a soul. Eventually Jaze is gonna roll a one. Or at least close enough to it to be beaten.

On a different note, This has to be the biggest mix of IC and OOC conversations ever. :smallbiggrin:

[Efrate]

"Lich Voltron" just combined two of my favorite things ever. Awesome. I need to find a way to make one for my PCs now. Eagerly awaiting update.

[Alent]

After their Star Trek analogy, Jaze now looks like Dwight Schultz in my imagination. :smallbiggrin:

This is getting interesting. Wonder how Ko is going to take all this.

[Lord of Shadows]

After their Star Trek analogy, Jaze now looks like Dwight Schultz in my imagination.

I was thinking more along the lines of an insane Q...
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[Traab]

I was thinking more along the lines of an insane Q...
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I was thinking more the guy they got to play hologram Moriarty in tng. Has no real physical form, super smart, has a far deeper game going on, needs the ship to live.... yep, its holo-moriarty.

[Lord of Shadows]

I was thinking more the guy they got to play hologram Moriarty in tng. Has no real physical form, super smart, has a far deeper game going on, needs the ship to live.... yep, its holo-moriarty.

Oh, yes... from the Sherlock Holmes holodeck stories (http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/James_Moriarty_(hologram)), "an adversary capable of outwitting Data." That's Jaze, without a doubt.
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[Honest Tiefling]

I really wish this game hadn't ended already so Jaze can now kidnap a character to feed them scones.

[J-H]

This got more awesome with the last update.

[Demidos]

Seraphim: Concessions? Like giving things up?


This made me chuckle. Such a perfect example of typical PC mentality.

"Giving things up? Concessions? I don't understand what those words mean..."

[Kaveman26]

Oh, yes... from the Sherlock Holmes holodeck stories (http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/James_Moriarty_(hologram)), "an adversary capable of outwitting Data." That's Jaze, without a doubt.
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Holodeck moriarity

Skynet

Q

2001

The Mule (foundation trilogy Asimov )

These are some of the things I based Jaze around

[Steckie]

The Mule lost because of his crush on a woman, without the crush he would have won. Let's see if Jaze has a weakness like that.

Glad to see somebody take inspiration from the Foundation series, they're great books.

[Kaveman26]

One Soul Enters…Two Souls Leave:

In short they have about half a dozen objectives lined up with varying ideas on how to accomplish those goals. Based on the research implying the resonance crystals created by the Dembella cause discomfort to Jaze they jury rig crowns formed from the crystals in the hopes of dissuading his interference with their memories. They are anticipating heavy resistance from their attempts to break out of the bunker, and plan on animating up troops to clog up the halls as they go. Their first check point is the vault to procure their vampire thralls+rune giant. If Sirra can provide more intel on Ko and his chains they are anticipating a full go on attempting Lich-Tron.

They try to pinpoint down any information on Infrit and eventually find a back of the bunker collection of prisoner profiles that includes their mysterious prisoner. Infrit was one of their last research projects before attempting to jumpstart the deceased Elder Brain. They crossed phoenix and efreet biology in an attempt to create a creature capable of rebirth and wish granting hoping that it would enable a new hybrid that could grant wishes for resurrection to something other than itself. It failed to reach that objective and instead resulted in a very angry and shifty bird. There is no record of where it is being held.

For the hell of it, they attempt to animate the Dembella. Attempts to zombiefy or skeletonize them fail. They attempt to bonethrall/corpse companion them as well to no avail. Finally for giggles Seraphim attempts to posses one of them, she is able to enter the seemingly vacant mind but instead of holding the body and being able to move, she finds herself in a never ending twilight as if walking inside the creature’s mind. Staring back at her from a thousand directions and across a sea of dusk are an ocean of Dembella all silently standing, unblinkingly staring at her. Her efforts to communicate with them are fruitless and after several moments they as one turn to stare at one common fixed point on the horizon. There is a hole in the sky, a solitary pinpoint of light, and as she fixates on that light it grows closer, slowly and steadily expanding. Marching towards the light in perpetual slow motion are legions of gigantic humanoids with tentacled faces, like King Kong sized Mind Flayers, but infinitely more bizarre and terrifying, and at their rear is a planet coming ever closer. The witch turns to look in the opposite direction and sees her first glimpse of Volcanus. A dragon heavy with size and with two elongated necks holding crimson and gold heads, the heads dart and weave lancing out bars of liquid fire in all directions, flames shooting out amidst the void chasing tiny specks of dancing star light, star light that goads and mocks it. The dragon seems unaware of the forces approaching.

With limited control or understanding of her capacities in this reality she attempts to grasp one of the weaving motes of star light. The starlights swarm as one to evade her grasp and as they cluster the two dragon heads touch sending out a pulse of fire much stronger and wider directly at the heart of the swarm…it shatters and dissipates fractions of a moment before being consumed. Satisfied that she is able to interact with this other reality she retreats back to her own body…only to find herself unable to escape. A tiny mote of light, separate from those taunting Volcanus is stuck to her sleeve and she is unable to shake it off. With a force of will and determination she pushes her soul back to her vampiric body and with a snap returns to her corporeal form. As she bolts upright the small mote is still stuck to her sleeve. With a grunt she tries to shake it off and it falls away…coalescing into a massive mound of twisting mouths, disembodied teeth and unidentifiable parts. The creature a disgusting and incredibly fast ooze dripping acid lashes out all around itself, slamming back anything within it’s reach.

Ares: Where the hell did that come from?

Doc throws himself at it swinging with full force as Seraphim tries to scramble back. The twins hit it with a wave of negative energy that dissipates on contact. Despite any apparent sensory organs or eyes the creature seems to assess the situation and lurchs forward far faster than the blob of protoplasm has any rights to and tries to settle itself over the closest grouping of resonance crystals.

Hades gets grappled by one of the pseudo arms slamming him and the thing pulls him into it’s center where they watch through the half translucent form as it dissolves what little flesh is left over his bones. Doc growls and takes a step back to get a running charge as he bull rushes himself THROUGH the ooze tackling Hades out the other end. The crushing from the Shoggoth’s digestive tissues takes it’s toll on Doc, but the acid immunity is rendering a big chunk of the swallowed alive damage inert. He forces himself to get a two handed grip on his axe and tries to burn/slash it to pieces from the inside. The twins are trying to overcome the spell resistance with their channeling and help Doc concurrently with their heals, but its resistance is quite high. Ares abandons his shield and takes his scimitar two handed, hacking with smite boosted power attacks.

With aggravation the wounds being inflicted and visibly healing themselves before their eyes and with the sudden shriek of a thousand lunatic voices a sonic concussion assaults everything in the room. A few of the smallest crystals shatter from the sound. Seraphim triggers her transformation and begins her own attacks against the ooze. The twins abandon channeling and each tries to land a Harm spell, looking for bigger focused damage. Pluto’s harm gets through and the creature recoils from the touch. It basically regurgitates Doc and instead tries to trample Pluto. The Shoggoth rolls over and through him in one motion and then begins to crush him from the inside. Two further rounds of all out attacks and a second harm that gets through finally vanquishes the Shoggoth and Pluto falls to the ground still smoking and dripping bits of his bone and flesh.

Azzie: What the heck was that?

Seraphim: I accidentally touched a light…it’s complicated.

[Aldurin]

That was not the outcome I expected from their inevitable attempts to animate the Dembella.

[Kaveman26]

It was definately not the outcome they expected either

[Inevitability]

The plot thickens...

[Traab]

Mental note. Dont interact with the sparks.

[Geeky Monkey]

It failed to reach that objective and instead resulted in a very angry and shifty bird. There is no record of where it is being held.

Is this a reference to the parrot from The Big One campaign?

[CrispyCriminal]

Is this a reference to the parrot from The Big One campaign?

I doubt it's the parrot. Now the parrot's son on the other hand...

[Geeky Monkey]

I doubt it's the parrot. Now the parrot's son on the other hand...

Ah yes - been a while since I read it and had forgotten the specifics.

[arcane_asp]

Like so many others, been thoroughly enjoying this campaign journal! There is a definite sense of things building to a climax in terms of events :smalleek:

I've still been trying to get my mind around the layout of the ship - my mental map for what has happened so far is confused. I am right in saying that the whole dungeon/ship is basically disc shaped, with the centre of the 'wheel' being a key junction and the 'spokes' radiating out to the various areas? The upper levels protrude into the mountains with the doors opening to the three different camps around the entrances, whilst the lower levels narrow to the high security areas.

[Lord of Shadows]

Like so many others, been thoroughly enjoying this campaign journal! There is a definite sense of things building to a climax in terms of events :smalleek:

Ditto!


I've still been trying to get my mind around the layout of the ship - my mental map for what has happened so far is confused.

Kaveman has promised us a map. Until then, just play this little track (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg) over and over while they are rampaging thru the "dungeon."
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[Kaveman26]

Think of a steppe pyramid with the wider base at the top. Lots of extra dimensional compartments and some dissonant designs for organization. I will post my map at some point.

[Kaveman26]

Psionic Blasts Buy One Get One Free:

The witch does her best to explain the sudden and highly terrifying turn of events that led her to bringing a shoggoth back to the Material Plane. It also puts a hard stop to further attempts at reanimating a Dembella. It does not dissuade them from packing up one of the corpses and shoving it into Doc’s backpack. Staggered and bloody they get themselves together and reconfigure their plans for trying to break out.

Seraphim: Cravings are building again. Not sure I can go another full 24 hours without chewing on the Orc.

Hades: Don’t think we can sit another full day to recover spells and chance it. Hopefully they won’t realize we are about to make a run for it. Still need to make a beeline for the vault.

Ares: I’m thinking we pop the door and immediately send an acid breath from Doc and a fire blast from me. Not like we have a high chance of hitting friendlies. Then we go for it.

The whole party forms up with Ares at the front side by side with the half-dragon, the twins in the middle and Azzie and Seraphim at the rear. A round of buff spells and then they open the bunker doors sending a line of acid and fire through the still opening portal…and directly into the faces of three Mind Flayers. Doc manages to chase his own acid breath and charge the far right Flayer while Ares charges the far left. The two immediately engaged are tied up and begin trying to extricate themselves while the middle one reacts a bit faster…levelling a mind blast at Hades that knocks him through Azzie. Seraphim charges the middle one and hits him with a negative energy slam. Pluto swings a rarely used Morningstar and Azzie laces a trio of arrows into the center Flayer. As they tangle with their targets, two more Mind Flayers Enter from the nearest hallway and join in with psionic blasts…concussing the twins with psionic force. The Flayers tied up with Doc and Ares turn incorporeal and try to flee, Ares misses on his 50/50 but Doc connects and outright kills one of the three. The two reinforcements turn their attentions to Doc and attempt to mind control or compel him. The efforts seem to dissolve on contact though. The vampire overpowers the illithid she is engaged with and sinks her fangs into his throat….the blood is thick and nearly makes her gag. It is akin to trying to drink overcooked coffee when you are used to nectar. It feels good once it goes down and gulps greedily while they half pull her off to come after the two ranged attackers.

With two of the five dead, the remaining three fall back…only to be replaced by a new duo who were waiting in the hallway. They launch psionic blasts of a different nature, more of a burst effect and then the retreating comrades put up a wall of force. As they batter at the wall and await the twins to dispel it, psionic constructs spring to existence and engage from within. A pair of Mind Flayers seem to melt out from the wall and take form…levelling psionic blasts again.

Ares: They are trying to square dance us into chasing our tails. And Im afraid its working. Need some ideas fast.

Seraphim: One target. One Kill. We grapple or disable one at a time and we put everything into eliminating that one target. Get four bodies and we animate.

As they get hammered from all sides they maneuver themselves into reaching attack distance all at once against a single target within the room and they overwhelm it. This process is repeated and they kill a fourth as number’s 8 and 9 arrive. They reanimate the four dead ones and all four come back with psionic abilities. Seeing their fallen brethren turned undead seems to enrage the still living attackers, ESPECIALLY when they realize that the mind is still present.

Seraphim: Oh that’s right. You think undeath an abomination. Too bad your commanders never told you what REALLY happens when you oh so nobly donate your brains to the Elder. They consume your psychic energy and take your knowledge, but your personality, your soul is discarded like rancid dung.

As she taunts the attackers, Lean-Cohn one of the Enclave members appears and almost instantly begins to refute her statement.

Lean-Cohn: She lies. They have invaded our holiest of sanctuaries. These are marauders to be eradicated.

Seraphim: I have you there. You recognize the crystals upon my head as those created by the Dembella, your very own infallible sources.

As the fight continues Seraphim triggers the crystal recounting the Enclave discovering the fate of those who sacrifice themselves for the preservation and expansion of the Revered Elders. Lean-Cohn is astonished to witness himself experiencing a truth cut from his own mind. He seems badly shaken and right on the cusp of reacting to their benefit when a blankness grips his mind and he repeats his same retort.


Lean-Cohn: She lies. They have invaded our holiest of sanctuaries. These are marauders to be eradicated.

Ares: For those of you who are paying attention you can see with your eyes and your minds the tampering taking place.

All of the remaining mind flayers take on the same blankness and then resume their attacks.

Hades: Well if that isn’t confirmation that he is playing active puppet master I don’t know what is. He is trimming the weeds we plant just as fast as we plant them.

Azzie: Let him. The round where he took the brain eraser to them they couldn’t act. We burn a single power point each round and they stand there drooling. He can’t leave that memory to them or they will raise hell. Well they are already raising hell, but it will be hell that he can’t funnel. Bottom line, put that crystal on replay.

A dramatically different chase takes place where Stop-Go-Stop-Go sees the group freezing in place their pursuers round after round as they attempt escape and Jaze keep sweeping clean the slate. After five or six rounds as they are about to truly find a good straightaway his voice comes to them through the ship’s walls.

Jaze: Well done. I knew you had potential from our first meeting. Like what you have done to your minds. I actually had to STRAIN to dig through the surface. You learned so much in a short time. And Seraphim…my dear sweet girl. You found a backdoor to the prison. Even I didn’t know such a thing existed. Marvelous. I do hope you enjoyed the Shoggoth. There are plenty more where that one came from. As for our little game of cat and mouse right now, well let’s just say that I can do this all day. You will expend your meager reserves long before you can escape pursuit. Delaying the inevietable is hardly a victory, am I right? Better to surrender now and we can reach a compromise. You see the end game, you know the deck is stacked against you, let me cut you in on the game and we share the jackpot. With your commitments to assist and my knowledge of their sincerity we can all come out ahead. You want this world? Keep it. As long as the Fleet is destroyed so that I don’t need to be on guard for all eternity you are entitled to the planet as compensation. You help me in freeing Volcanus and steer him to eliminating the cavalry and I will go into the void to meet my brothers half way. I will close the door behind us and we all come out happy.

Ares: I believe you. And you know that I am genuine. I believe that you would leave us the planet and go about your own business. You also are making this offer because we would legitimately ponder going along with it. I think you already know the sticking point in this proposal though. We can’t trust what is coming. Even if you shut the door behind you, they now are aware that a door is there. The only way to shut the door for good is to remove the key entirely. Convince us that such a disposal is possible that doesn’t require your destruction and can parley further.

Jaze: I want you to understand something. I have a high level of respect for you. I took out at least a dozen adventuring parties with my animated furniture hijinks. A few actually managed to escape. None turned the tables as ruthlessly as you did. You kept the whole place off balance for months and let me get down to the serious work. I admire your unintentional helpfulness. But sadly all good things come to an end. It’s been a pleasure.

As the voice fades a figure turns the corner and stands alone at the end of the straightaway. It is Lau-Rain. Slung over his shoulder is a greatsword of fearsome size…the strength of it’s enchantments strong enough to be felt from a great distance. Gore and blood drip from it’s edge and the vampire warrior is drenched in the fluids and entrails of all that has stood in his way. His serpentine face is caked in still wet blood from where he has gorged himself. A gruesome mockery of a smile is visible through the viscera.

Lau-Rain: Ahhh yesssssss. Right where I was told to find you.

[GrayDeath]

Ah yes....the refuge of the self-overestimating: Adding a new threat and saying goodbye ;)

[FocusWolf413]

Lau-Rain? Oh son of a {This string of expletives, while impressive, has been scrubbed for decency's sake.}

[Reboot]

Can't help but think the smart thing to do would have been to get back in the bunker as soon as Seraphim was fed and wait to regain spells rather than trying to fight their way through half-drained from the Shoggoth fight.

[Lord of Shadows]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/SunGod247/KHAN.jpg
J A A A Z Z Z Z E!!!
.

[Randomguy]

Can't help but think the smart thing to do would have been to get back in the bunker as soon as Seraphim was fed and wait to regain spells rather than trying to fight their way through half-drained from the Shoggoth fight.

I think the smart thing to do here would be to try diplomacy: Lau-Rain likes fighting. Give him the chance to fight Volcanus.

[Traab]

I think the smart thing to do here would be to try diplomacy: Lau-Rain likes fighting. Give him the chance to fight Volcanus.

The problem there is the fact that Jaze is a mind controlling, memory erasing puppet master of incalculable power in that realm. Its entirely likely they couldnt talk hima round even if he normally would be willing. On the other hand, keep in mind everyone is like 3 levels higher than they were the last time they met this guy, AND they have template stacking up the wazoo and better gear as well granting them boosts. Vamp boy probably needs that sword just to give him an advantage again. This is probably not the "lol nope" style fight the last meeting was. Of course, the real issue is defeating him once wont stop him. Vampire you know. He has a casket im sure he can return to. But at least it will give them the chance to move on. Though where they will go after a boss battle like this is hard to figure out.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

What ever happened to Icy's children after they hooked up with the drow? The last I recall was Seraphim asking after them and them not being there.

[Traab]

What ever happened to Icy's children after they hooked up with the drow? The last I recall was Seraphim asking after them and them not being there.

Those were the spider creatures used against them during the library siege where they were denying our party resources I think. I imagine however many are left are probably even bigger. I seriously dont like this. We havent heard from the drow faction in entirely too long. Im wondering if they got manipulated into working for jaze. That literally all this alternating attempts to get our party on his side and attempts to kill them are a smokescreen while the drow work diligently towards his actual goals.

[Reboot]

Anyone curious as to how long before they start summoning Shoggoths, chucking them at their enemies and running?

[Honest Tiefling]

Anyone curious as to how long before they start summoning Shoggoths, chucking them at their enemies and running?

I think it is not a matter of 'if', but 'when' and 'what's the body count'. I wonder if they are going to screw so much with this other dimension to make even Jaze try to pound his head against a non-existent wall. Annoying the crap out of their foes is one of their MO, after all.

[Inevitability]

Anyone curious as to how long before they start summoning Shoggoths, chucking them at their enemies and running?

Remember, the only time they actually summoned a Shoggoth was in a heavily fortified room where even Jaze couldn't influence anyone. I'm fairly sure he'd be able to take over his 'brother' if one was summoned now.

[Ice]

i finally caught up! Shoot i even made a account to reply to this thread.

That being said this adventure is amazing! Cant wait to see the map! I wonder if Kaveman will just keep teasing us with it like bait on a lure for a while. I cant even imagine how he made it. Especially to be able to have large scale battle using it. That is a talent i wish i had.

[Kahlendrrari]

No posts in a few days, I'm dying here...

[Reboot]

Let's remember...


So in addition to "Because I enjoy it" I can add the following reasons for why I continue to update...

1. Prevent Virgin Sacrifice
2. Prevent Non Virgin Sacrifice
3. Prevent anxiety over the thread being bumped as the result of something other than an update
4. Maintain sanity
5. Allow for even debate and discourse that does not devolve into something best designed for the darker corner of the net. I.E. centaur jokes and discussions of pyrophillia.

:p

[Rabidmuskrat]

Welp, guess it's time to bring out the Pyrophilia...

So... who remembered the matches?

[FocusWolf413]

Who's enough of a slut to sacrifice?

[GnomishPride]

*sigh*
Hello Dr. Psychologist? I think I'll have to schedule a few* more appointments.

*few: a lot

[Kane0]

I do believe the withdrawal symptoms derived from lack of Kaveman are anxiety, delusions, sleeplessness, RSI from F5ing and a tendency to stare into the middle distance

[Recherché]

I do believe the withdrawal symptoms derived from lack of Kaveman are anxiety, delusions, sleeplessness, RSI from F5ing and a tendency to stare into the middle distance

Can't forget pyrophilia as a symptom!

[Tenmujiin]

Damn you all, I got so excited...

[Kaveman26]

Back to the Shadows:

Ares: Alright. For giggles everyone that can command undead please attempt to do so.

No commands make it through.

Doc: Hold at Bay?

No effect.

Azzie: Alright, my turn.

The dirgebard swaggers to the front of the group and whips out his guitar, he begins strumming it while talking to himself and then looks up at the vampire.

Azzie: Alright you trumped up spoiled rancid piece of s**t, come here and let’s get this over with you tosser! I got me something wooden that I can stick you with!

The vampire lets out a wordless growl and charges…clearing the distance fair faster than they expected….and as Azzie hits a last power chord on his guitar and thrusts his hips…A Gate to the Shadow Plane opens up in front of him…Lau-Rain runs directly into it, and with a flourish the gate is dismissed.

All eyes turn to the bard…

Azzie: Wut? I wasn going to fight him. Now about that running away we was doing?

Laughs abound as they resume their egress from the flayer’s assault and I am left shaking my head.

They manage to reach one of the travelling circles and find it under heavy defense in the form of a quartet of earth elementals, only each of the lumbering mounds seems to be glittering with an array of psionic crystals. They launch a barrage of missiles and spells in the hallway ahead only to watch the elementals dissolve into the ground and vanish. Not entirely sure how to proceed they have Ares the chamber first and as he does an elemental emerges from the ground forming itself into a wall and then a pair of arms erupt to batter the graveknight. Doc begins to charge in after him when a second elemental forms itself into a row of spikes like a instantly appearing line of pikemen forged from razor sharp stones and crystals.

Ares takes scimitar in hand for a two handed power stroke and slashes with all his strength, only to find his sword sinking into a rapidly oozing pile of mud.

Seraphim: Shape Changing Psionic Earth Elementals…seriously?!?

They furtively try to combat the ever shifting elementals who cycle between forms and maneuver themselves through the floors and walls. Eventually they form a tight formation and inch their way to the circle itself and send themselves through. As they take a quick assessment on the other side and find it defenseless they start a mad dash for the vault. In the process of their flight the familiar roars and howls of Veritas grab their attention as they watch a series of highly modified lions race down a hallway where the telltale heat and light of dragon breath originate.

Azzie: We stopping to help the dragon?

Seraphim: He can take care of himself.

Ares: I think we need to assist. We need him as an asset.

Seraphim: Are you insane? We leveraged his pride as means of soliciting help once, he isn’t going to fetch that same bone twice.

Ares: Let me worry about that.

Seraphim: You can worry about it. I am not about to divert from known controllable assets that are virtually in reach to run off after a dragon that wants my head on it’s wall.

Ares: Please.

Seraphim: Uggggghhhhhhh. Five minutes.

The whole group pulls a ninety degree turn and wheels after Ares who is hellbent on locating Veritas. In short order they find him fending off a swarm of psionically mutated animals while Ackshale and Breig are holding their own against a mind blasting hydra.

Seraphim: If we throw in now against Veritas we can bring him down, Ackshale will see this as the opening.

Ares: No. We need them. They are amongst the few people we have history with. The clock is ticking and we need allies. These are the strongest ones we are likely to find. I will convince Veritas and once he agrees the giants will fall in. Start lacing the hall with AoE, Doc and Twins you help the giants. Azzie…strike up the band once we have bodies hitting the floor.
Seraphim and Ares chase their own fire spells as they launch into the swarm of beasts and the twins each pick a damaged giant to aid in healing while Doc gleefully rushes in to smash multiple hydra heads. Azzie laces arrows into any wounded targets and as the animals fall in number he uses dance of the dead to bring them back up and turn on their former allies. Sheer numbers force them to give ground but they turn the territory into a growing charnel heap of corpses. The dragon is extremely leery of their arrival and “assistance”, he constantly shifts to prevent them from getting to his flanks or rear and is specifically watching the giants for any erratic behavior. When they force a retreat he is still guarded and cautious.

They do their best in summing up their recently uncovered knowledge and fill in the NPC’s on the dire situation they face.

Seraphim: As we are telling you all this, he is listening and aware. That is unavoidable.

Veritas: A fantastic and incredulous tale. Why should we believe a word of it?

Ares: Because we have proof. A proof that I NEED you to see. We are no longer dealing in treachery. We are dealing in doomsdays. You are powerful and you know us. For what we intend it will take strength in numbers and a ferocity of purpose.

Veritas: What possible proof could you have?

Ares: This.

The graveknight holds in his hand a resonance crystal.

Ares: This is the journal of their draconic experiments to cross red with gold species. Watch and understand the weight of our words.

Veritas watches as the crystal replays a dozen different dragons being experimented upon and ultimately destroyed while they search for a solution to their cross breeding. As the Illithid catalog the names of each doomed dragon Veritas winces with familiarity. The rage that has boiled so close to the surface for so long vanishes and a stillness sets in.

Ares: They took fourteen dragons in total. 12 were destroyed, 1 became Volcanus, and 1 was stashed on the floor as a trophy. Choose to follow your own path and you could very well end up back in stasis as an amusement for millennia to come, or you could end up the building block in a twisted experiment. Or join us. Truly and fully and we will avenge the one injustice that outstrips any we have inflicted upon you. They shattered your race and made a mockery of your kind’s heritage. Help us visit the same calamity upon them.

The dragon sits looking at the last images as they fade. With a calm that leaves everyone ready to dive for cover he dips his head to the graveknight and kneels on his good forelimb, all to look Ares in the eye.

Veritas: I will join you. Together we will end these invaders. Partners we are now and until the hour of our destruction.

Seraphim: Good to hear.

Veritas: Not you witch child. To him I vow brotherhood and vengeance. I will suffer the rest of you for the time being. Deal?
Ares: Deal.

[Lord of Shadows]

Back to the Shadows:

"Ares: Deal."



Wow, now things are really getting serious. The Undead Cowboys are rounding up a Wrecking Crew.
.

[GnomishPride]

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude... cool. :smallsmile:

[ImperatorV]

...If they both survive those two are going to turn into an absolutely terrifying dragon-and-rider duo aren't they.

[Reboot]

I'm curious as to why Veritas went so far with his oath to Ares. I can see why he bought it - either it was true, or some mega-suggestion spell that involved the whole story being devised by the red dragon's own subconscious - but "Partners we are now and until the hour of our destruction." rather than just promising to work with until the situation's resolved or they're dead?

(Especially since Graveknights are not only especially hard to kill, but have a tendency to go obsessively, monomaniacally insane with the passage of time!)

Also, I presume "fourteen dragons" was fourteen red dragons, given the survival of the blue, silver, icy, Onyx, etc?

[Mith]

I'm curious as to why Veritas went so far with his oath to Ares. I can see why he bought it - either it was true, or some mega-suggestion spell that involved the whole story being devised by the red dragon's own subconscious - but "Partners we are now and until the hour of our destruction." rather than just promising to work with until the situation's resolved or they're dead?

(Especially since Graveknights are not only especially hard to kill, but have a tendency to go obsessively, monomaniacally insane with the passage of time!)

Possibly because Ares is the most straightforward and honourable of the UC, and is closer to a "respected enemy" than Sera, Doc, or the twins.

OOC reasoning I can see is that Ares comes across as the most trustworthy of the party, one whose word can be trusted, and who can hold vows given. The others (aside from Doc), not so much.

[Inevitability]

Possibly because Ares is the most straightforward and honourable of the UC, and is closer to a "respected enemy" than Sera, Doc, or the twins.

OOC reasoning I can see is that Ares comes across as the most trustworthy of the party, one whose word can be trusted, and who can hold vows given. The others (aside from Doc), not so much.

Probably this. Also, they both like fire.

[CrispyCriminal]

Creative way of dealing with Lau-Rahn. Not sure whether shaking your head is indicative of being denied an edge on your seat battle, or if it's the 'you'll regret that later' variety. Probably the latter, I don't think they can keep the world as their own so long as the embodiment of World Domination is out of his cage.

[Honest Tiefling]

I imagine that it is partially due to the wording. What is the definition of 'partners' to a creature often tied to greed, selfish desires, pride, malice and being of the chaotic evil alignment? To such an arrogant creature, 'partners' might not mean people who work together and trust each other, but rivals who work together until a victor can emerge triumphant. And if the two-legged thing doesn't understand it? Well, that's it's own fault.

[DireSickFish]

Creative way of dealing with Lau-Rahn. Not sure whether shaking your head is indicative of being denied an edge on your seat battle, or if it's the 'you'll regret that later' variety. Probably the latter, I don't think they can keep the world as their own so long as the embodiment of World Domination is out of his cage.

It's the headshake of a DM that sees his well thought plans and imposing enemy dashed against the players in an instant.

I don't think he's out of the picture completely, but in the moment it was basically a one hit KO. When they need to shadow travel again I can see the Vamp being there. Which would be a real pain because shadow travel is there most obvious "oh ****" button when they're losing.

[Honest Tiefling]

It's the headshake of a DM that sees his well thought plans and imposing enemy dashed against the players in an instant.

No, no, it's the headshake of a DM that sees his well thought plans and imposing enemy dashed by a groin thrust.

[Kaveman26]

Sometimes Simple Is Best:


Veritas: So how do you intend to ambush an all seeing, all knowing opponent?

Azzie: Ambush? We are aiming for more of a blunt force trauma approach. Assemble a very big hammer and a very big anvil and then smash the two together. We are going to attack him mentally and remove all the physical elements in play. No sneaky tactics or underhanded dealing from here. Blunt. Force. Trauma.

Ares: Right now we are trying to recover some stashed minions who may hold intelligence letting us know whether or not we can assault him from within the prison by hijacking an ancient demi-lich and using him as a sort of undead submersible. We are going to raise an army of undead soldiers and then try to eliminate each of his beacons. Speaking of which can we get a burn test? Just need a plus or minus from our last reading.

Pluto: Uhm…took longer. The wax burned slower this time.

Hades: Hmmm…did we break something?

Ares: We pulled a Shoggoth from the space beyond, think that affected it?

Seraphim: Could be something we had nothing to do with it. Like a beacon dying.

Ares: A beacon dying would speed it up or have no effect, wouldn’t slow it. We have confirmed that for ourselves.

Doc: We moved a beacon though. Sent Lau-Rain to the shadow plane.

Seraphim: That doesn’t kill him though.

Doc: So imagine you are sailing through the ocean with seven points of light guiding you, and then one of those lights moves five hundred miles east and into a different plane of existence. Would throw off the navigation wouldn’t it? Force a course correction. I don’t think that stops the progress, but makes sense that it would slow it or make them take a detour.

Azzie: That also would mean that we can move the target. If we move the ship even a small amount then they sail past us. Let’s say we manage to force the devil back to Hell. We send the shapeshifter to Astral Plane, and come up with similar destinations for the remaining beacons, then we move the ship. They lose sight of the target. We still have to kill Jaze, but it means we can delay the onslaught and we can accomplish the same goals without killing everyone.

Hades: That would explain why he needs the ship functional but not fully online too. He wants to keep the beacons clustered, but he can’t let the main systems get back online because if we move the bullseye then his family misses the target. Hitting a moving target across incalculable distances is impossible.

Pluto: Us figuring this out means he knows that we figured it out.

Ares: That is functionally meaningless at this point. He has so many balls in the air that he can’t exactly control what he is juggling. Us knowing he is juggling doesn’t negate the fact that he is juggling, he can’t just stop and come up with a new plan, the die is already cast and now it’s a matter of hitting it before it stops. We can hit him from a lot of angles and still throw a monkey wrench into the gears of his plan. Whether we kill them all or just remove them from the sequence the end result is the same. Gathering our thralls and restocking our corpses is priority one. High HD sturdy undead preferably with psionics stacked with templates for permanent support and stacks of mid HD animate on the fly corpses are required. We just took a bunch of mid HD bodies and I would love a chance to find more Rune Giants. Is that a problem with either of you?

He directs the final question to Ackshale and Breig.

Ackshale: Rune Giants are slave masters for all who bear giant blood. Kill as many as you want. Any fire or frost giants we encounter we want a chance to recruit while still breathing.

Ares: If we encounter anything willing to listen alive is our first priority. Double that for kindred giants. You want us to extend that same courtesy to other dragons Veritas?

Veritas: Only females of red.


Azzie: Right on mate!

With giants and dragon in tow they resume their pursuit of the vault and seek rendezvous with their thralls. The remaining trip is without incident and upon arriving back to the vault they find Sirra and Rawleens in good condition (albeit now quite hungry). Their first order of business is to press Sirra for information on Ko’s chains and how they fully function.

Sirra: He is immune to electricity and cold. He also has several permanent resistances via his items and spells that reduce fire and acid to negligible levels. In order to fully pull his consciousness back to his skull requires a substantial amount of pain. Otherwise it’s like an automated defensive response. The chains convert all elemental energy into pure pain, causes no lasting or consequential damage but they certainly get his attention. He has tried to describe the process through which he goes Torpor…it’s hard to comprehend.

Hades: What happens when you place negative energy into the chains?

Sirra: Nothing. It only converts elemental energies.

Pluto: So I think that means we can convert the chains to new phylacteries without pissing off the skull. Not entirely sure if we can hitch a ride through him or not. Any other surprises we need to know?

Sirra: If you are contemplating something as drastic as what you imply then you should know about the Soul Gems. He possesses Ten Gems which bind the very souls of those he wishes to capture. In rare cases something of consequence attempts to engage him in combat and those who pose a threat cause him to expel the souls he captures for a fuel of sorts. It is a potent ability and one that may interfere with your attempts to hijack his chains.

Hades: Are they simply consumed in the process or do they serve a separate purpose.

Sirra: I can’t give you a reliable answer. I know that when all ten gems are lit it implies he is intending to do something dangerous by even his standards, and that he rarely allows himself to drift without at least three lit gems.

Pluto: They may have a passive boost or purpose in addition to being disposable power ups. Interesting.

Azzie: Hey zombie squidies!

The dirgebard barks out a sudden shout to the animated mind flayers that have accompanied them.

Zombie Flayer: Yes?

Azzie: You remember your lives?

Zombie: Yes. Our memories are intact.

Azzie: What happens to you when you merge with the Elder Brains?

Zombie: We lose ourselves in the process. Something hidden from us throughout history.

Azzie: Well chaps, that right there is the golden ticket. He can only edit the memories of the living. The living had that memory purged, these blokes kept it.

Hades: Won’t that mean he will just have to wipe all the Illithids?

Azzie: And empty the quiver from his best arrows? They are mental warriors if he scrambles too much of their eggs he is screwing himself. But it does mean once we kill one they can’t be erased.

The Twins proceed to direct traffic in pushing all of their newly acquired corpses into the vaults and then they sit down to determine a rest strategy.

Seraphim: We are running on empty for big finishers, but with the giants and Veritas any attack is going to have to be organized and overwhelming in order to be effective. I don’t know that he is able to coordinate something like that but we won’t know for sure until it happens. Seems like he shook up the whole ship like a hornet’s nest and then tried to steer the more steerable pieces in our direction. Doesn’t seem too thought out or cohesive.

Ares: Well let’s get the twins and Seraphim situated with some guards to rest. The rest of us and Veritas are going to scout the nearby area and see if we can find some sacrifices for the blood fever. Ackshale and Breig will stay here with you. From this point on the vaults are ground zero. When in doubt return to ground zero.

[Traab]

Holy crap things are actually coming together here! They have temporarily removed big bad vamp from this plane and learned that means they can delay volcanus by moving everything else back to its home plane as well. They have (hopefully) entered a true alliance with veritas, and they have achshale on their side as well, though he is more secret and might change his mind if they screw him over too much. Now they have a way to amass an army of both living and dead, both small time mooks and heavy hitters, and are almost ready to rumble! Im still waiting on those damn drow though. I wonder. If they banished all the beacons to hell, would volcanus pop up in the abyss and lay waste to the lower realms?

[IntelectPaladin]

At this point I'm interested in seeing how they manage a truce the the Paladin-King.
It's going to be either the highlight or the worst bit of this story so far.

Not to mention seeing the looks on their faces when they realize what they have to do for peace.
Honestly, I just can't get over that title. "Paladin-King" now THAT is a title!
Thank you for reading this, and I hope you have a better day!

[Kaveman26]

Holy crap things are actually coming together here! They have temporarily removed big bad vamp from this plane and learned that means they can delay volcanus by moving everything else back to its home plane as well. They have (hopefully) entered a true alliance with veritas, and they have achshale on their side as well, though he is more secret and might change his mind if they screw him over too much. Now they have a way to amass an army of both living and dead, both small time mooks and heavy hitters, and are almost ready to rumble! Im still waiting on those damn drow though. I wonder. If they banished all the beacons to hell, would volcanus pop up in the abyss and lay waste to the lower realms?


I feel like the drow's lack of presence is driving you slowly insane each time I put a chunk up and they are not there. I assure you they were not forgotten about (not by me anyway). They have kept themselves busy in a manner that will become apparent shortly.

[Traab]

I feel like the drow's lack of presence is driving you slowly insane each time I put a chunk up and they are not there. I assure you they were not forgotten about (not by me anyway). They have kept themselves busy in a manner that will become apparent shortly.

What I cant believe is the lack of paranoia of your group of players. The drow are the faction that have bar none given them the most trouble. If not in outright attacks, than by screwing up everything else they do. I realize they have things that are very important right now to focus on, but those evil elvish buggers keep turning up like a bad smell at the worst time possible. I would have expected at least a throw away mention of wondering where they are and what they are up to. After all, the last time we dealt with them we know they had infiltrated the second layer where all the labs and security locked doors were. Im just wondering if by now they are mind controlled thralls of jaze or willing allies ready to fight to the death.

[Ice]

Hmm, out of curiosity how many more sessions are their?

You run a great group of players its a shame their isn't a pod cast of these that i can listen to at work or something, it would be greatly entertaining!

a technical question harking way back in the beginning of the dungeon. When the players were fighting/persuading the Gnolls, what was keeping the Minotaur's back? what was stopping them from controlling the dungeon before that point, they were clearly stronger than the Gnolls. Guess that goes hand and hand with my other question, what was stopping the players from running into the Mino's before they dealt with the Gnolls?

[CrispyCriminal]

Hmm, out of curiosity how many more sessions are their?

You run a great group of players its a shame their isn't a pod cast of these that i can listen to at work or something, it would be greatly entertaining!

a technical question harking way back in the beginning of the dungeon. When the players were fighting/persuading the Gnolls, what was keeping the Minotaur's back? what was stopping them from controlling the dungeon before that point, they were clearly stronger than the Gnolls. Guess that goes hand and hand with my other question, what was stopping the players from running into the Mino's before they dealt with the Gnolls?

I can't reply to the first two questions, but I know the third: Themselves. Keep in mind that in the beginning mortality rates were far higher thanks to the great unknown as well as that half dragon beholder abomination stalking the halls for things to 'clean up'.

[Bad Wolf]

Hey, what about the guy who had all those traps in his cell? I'm assuming they're still looking for him.

[Lord of Shadows]

Hey, what about the guy who had all those traps in his cell? I'm assuming they're still looking for him.

That would be this guy:


Vlad Jejai…a human derived from a nomadic plainsfolk. Only core interest in life was not dying. Tirelessly paranoid, and resourceful for his species. Showed remarkable aptitude for sensing danger and was catalogued and held for potential breeding or cross breeding to bolster other species. His habitat is time locked, meaning that he has not aged though he has experienced the passing of time. No further detail as to whether his habitation is isolated or is also home to other life.

With the message written in blood in his prison:


“I Taught Him Too Well…”

They have not established what happened to Vlad. According to Sirra, the Demi-lich's surrogate, the body they found in Vlad's prison was not him. They have been a bit busy since then...

[IntelectPaladin]

I'm not exactly partial to this party whatsoever.
They eat people, they kill on a whim, and the players ENJOY IT. I mean, WHAT.
But I have to admit, even I'm waiting for the next update.
My earlier tactic of reading this to know how to counter it still applies.
I've even figured out quite a few tactics, like always using golems. Starve em out.
I seriously hope Kaveman Isn't injured, or otherwise occupied.
I say "better day" all the time because "have a nice day" is so overdone.
Thank you for reading this, and I hope you have a better day!

[Fable Wright]

I've even figured out quite a few tactics, like always using golems. Starve em out.

Poor choice. Golems are expensive per unit and mindless, making them easy to avoid or trick. Mimicking the Drow would be the better choice, using summons to whittle down resources without giving them a chance to restock. If not for Kaveman's house rules, using Scrying with summons like Hound or Lantern Archons with at-will Greater Teleport to provide reconnaissance and harry them with DR-bearing troops to mess up their minion tactics. One nearby summoner with an Eidolon, a Lillend, and 1d4+1 Lantern Archons each relaying battle coordinates to distant friends who in turn keep having batches of Hound Archons teleport in would only use daily resources and no gold cost. Just ensure the summoner on the front lines has an exit strategy or is just using a scroll of Astral Projection (sharing the effect with the rest of the summoner band, presumably, meaning that the whole group is operating with the same kind of pseudo-immortality that the UC is abusing) and you've got a method to keep them at bay indefinitely while going after their phylacteries.



I seriously hope Kaveman Isn't injured, or otherwise occupied.

Worse. He's a father, IIRC. His free time won't recover for around 17 more years.

[IntelectPaladin]

Golems are expensive per unit and mindless, making them easy to avoid or trick. Mimicking the Drow would be the better choice, using summons to whittle down resources without giving them a chance to restock. If not for Kaveman's house rules, using Scrying with summons like Hound or Lantern Archons with at-will Greater Teleport to provide reconnaissance and harry them with DR-bearing troops to mess up their minion tactics. One nearby summoner with an Eidolon, a Lillend, and 1d4+1 Lantern Archons each relaying battle coordinates to distant friends who in turn keep having batches of Hound Archons teleport in would only use daily resources and no gold cost. Just ensure the summoner on the front lines has an exit strategy or is just using a scroll of Astral Projection (sharing the effect with the rest of the summoner band, presumably, meaning that the whole group is operating with the same kind of pseudo-immortality that the UC is abusing) and you've got a method to keep them at bay indefinitely while going after their phylacteries.
Wouldn't every kill, however unlikely, provide them further resource?
Well, I cede to you on this matter, then.
But I wonder how a party of clerics and paladins would go after those?
Clerics and paladins working in cohesion, making use of available resources, I might add.
Yes, I'm filing all of this away. I'm only asking because I respect your opinion.
Not to mention your affinity with tactics. But what would work against you, I wonder?


Worse. He's a father, IIRC. His free time won't recover for around 17 more years.
Tch. As an avid reader of LunarBaboon, I can take a guess at what he has.
I wish him all the best, then.
Even just a decent night's sleep.
Thank you for reading this, and I hope you have a better day!

[Recherché]

Wouldn't every kill, however unlikely, provide them further resource?

That's the beauty of using summoned creatures, when the celestials hit 0hp they just dissappear and then reform in their native heaven. No bodies left behind to reanimated. And the summoned celestials will die. A lot. Even with buffs summons aren't that powerful but over time they'll wear the UC down. Make them waste spells, channels and undead. It's death from a thousand cuts.

If you have a team of clerics who specialize in summoning you can be even meaner. Some of the UC no longer need to sleep but they still need rest to prepare spells. If you stagger the summons and keep them coming you could stop them from replenishing spells which is pretty much doom for a caster.

[Fable Wright]

Wouldn't every kill, however unlikely, provide them further resource?

As mentioned, summons vanish when defeated, leaving no traces. Likewise Astral Projections. If the summoners themselves are killed without a projected shield, they'd be able to work with a 1HD corpse, unless the summoner was psionic in Kaveman's setting. I think that's a reasonable set of resources to leave the UC. That said, avoid using Planar Ally; that does leave corpses.


If you have a team of clerics who specialize in summoning you can be even meaner. Some of the UC no longer need to sleep but they still need rest to prepare spells. If you stagger the summons and keep them coming you could stop them from replenishing spells which is pretty much doom for a caster.

This is why I suggest going with a party of Summoners or Celestial Commanders; max level summons 7-10+ times a day from class features alone, with plenty of additional spell slots with which to disrupt them with afterwards.


Well, I cede to you on this matter, then.
But I wonder how a party of clerics and paladins would go after those?
Clerics and paladins working in cohesion, making use of available resources, I might add.
Yes, I'm filing all of this away. I'm only asking because I respect your opinion.

1. Hiring Celestial Commanders (Summoner variant in Pathfinder) or regular Summoners. Gold is gold. Powerful stuff.
2. Summon Monster is on the Cleric list; they can replicate this tactic acceptably themselves, with Paladins acting as replacements for Eidolons. I just choose Summoners because they have a bit of specialty in these tactics and can sustain them far longer, but Clerics can stand in if the specialists are unavailable. They might have a bit of an edge in that they've got an entire temple network they can tap for teleporting archons, but they'll likely have less upper-end summons and a longer delay in arriving to combat.
3. Why limit yourselves to Clerics and Paladins? There are plenty of people who are willing to put down big threats, and like Doc, they can be a huge asset even if they go off-theme.


Not to mention your affinity with tactics. But what would work against you, I wonder?

A surprise attack that I couldn't divine information about that effectively deals with my defenses, escape routes, and countermagic attempts. See also: The many threads about taking down paranoid wizards.

[Toxic Shaman]

Just finished reading everything you have written in this journal so far. Your players are devious, and you roll with their unexpected strategies really well.

More please :)