Council of spiders-Caverns of Thracia-Rappan Athuk IC

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 2/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari holds out one of his scrolls for everyone to see.

"I have a feather fall scroll. This seems like a good place to use it. We could all be down there safely in just a few seconds. Likely safer than climbing down a rope."

If everyone agrees, he casts the spell as we jump off the ledge.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

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Spoiler: Notes

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Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

Show

Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

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You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

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There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

[Zhentarim]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 2/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari holds out one of his scrolls for everyone to see.

"I have a feather fall scroll. This seems like a good place to use it. We could all be down there safely in just a few seconds. Likely safer than climbing down a rope."

If everyone agrees, he casts the spell as we jump off the ledge.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

Show

Spoiler: Notes

Show

Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

Show

Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

Show

You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

Show

There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

"That plan sounds good to me!"

Hades waits to jump.

[Smilex]

The group lowers down with the spell without incident. As you do, you get a better view on the large creature that peeks at you from under the bridge.
At that point Nodgate cries
That'sh a gnome! But how ish it sho large?

She talks to the creature in a language unknown to you and the large fellow answers in the same language.
They talk for a while and then Nodgate explains to you
Hish name is Grashtic and he shaysh he eshcaped from shome faeriesh that are shtill in this complex. He shtole some magical sheedsh from the faeriesh and they kept growing him until he figured that he shouldn't eat them. He's been living here for many yearsh eating crayfish and shome... bloodbirdsh?

You wonder if Grastic could really be a gnome. He doesn't look like Nodgate at all. He has a humanlike nose and his complexion is coarse, rock-coloured. He almost looks like an earth genasi, some of which Polari has met in his time in Mechanus.

At the same time you see that the river flows east. It's got a relatively strong flow. It would not be easy to swim in. The air in the room is quite moist. The large cavern spreads far to the west but here at it's eastern end there's a carved path north and another to the south. This one has steps upwards.

Spoiler: Repeat the map

Show

[Zhentarim]

"We should let him be our guide."

[Smilex]

Nodgate talks with Grastic for a while. She says the language is sylvan.
Grashtic would be willing to come with ush if we give him shome proper food. He'sh grown sho tired of eating just raw meat. I don't think my magic food ish good enough either. Can you shpare shome rationsh? He'sh really shcared though. I don't think hish time here hash done good for him.

While you're waiting for her to discuss you observe that the north shore of the river is narrow and slippery. It would take some acrobatics to continue west along the north shore.

The north corridor on the other hand seems to be very nicely built. It's floor is made of marble tiles that are covered with some coating that keeps them in good condition.

[Ninja Dragon]

Yes, we will be happy to spare you some of our food. - Rik replies.

So, does this stair take us back to the temple?

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 2/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari looks at the fast-moving water and the slippery slopes and is not excited about the possibility of falling in.

"I'd rather not fall into this water. We don't know where it goes to the east. Let's ask our new friend where this tunnel to the north would take us."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

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Spoiler: Notes

Show

Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

Show

Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

Show

You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

Show

There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

[Smilex]

After Grastic has a proper meal he calms down, though he still seems twitchy. Polari notes that he carries a spellbook and a component pouch.

Nodgate translates Grastic's words
There'sh partsh of the temple down below, partsh up above. Up above are the newer partsh, built by ghoulsh, down below are thoshe more ancient, built by the birdmen. The birdmen have a camp in the wesht. North liesh the den of a greedy shphinx. Shouthwardsh goesh to another part of the ghoulsh' death-temple.

[sandmote]

"Could you ask him if he's seen an older dwarven man around? I've seen my mentor's writing in some of the passages. Otherwise, I suspect he'll be somewhere near the ghouls." Theria hands over a package of her rations, slightly worried it won't be enough for someone that large.

[Smilex]

Nodgate translates
There wash a creature not ghoul, not man, not aven, not gnoll, about your shize. He came down the shtairsh and went to meet the shphinx. He never came back.

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 2/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari points to Grastic's spellbook

"So what kind of magic do you know? If we get attacked, stay in the back with me. So everyone, should we go visit this sphinx?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

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Spoiler: Notes

Show

Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

Show

Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

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You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

Show

There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

[Smilex]

Nodgate translates
He shaysh he can ward bladesh and dishguishe himshelf. Beshidesh that he shaysh he can enchant people.

After this she adds to Oren.
More oraclesh? Why'd it have to be a shphinx?

Oren says
It'll probably be nasty and we have to kill it too.

[Ninja Dragon]

We came here to rescue Theria's master, and we shall do that. But be careful, everyone.

[Smilex]

The northern hallway has its walls covered by 15' tall and 5' wide stone panels. In the center of each panel laterally and 5' off the ground is a human skull that' set in the stone. Green light emanates from the sockets of the skulls.

Under the first skull on the left and the right somebody has scrawled in dwarvish
Joker

Under one skull on the left, further in the hallway, somebody has written
Biter

The hallway eventually ends an while standing in the hallway, you can see a room where the walls have been painted with frescoes depicting humanoid figures ruling multitudes and engaged in things royalty might do.

At the other end of the room there's 7' high pedestal, 10' wide and 15' long. There appear to be no exits, no sphinx and nothing else here.

The ceiling in the room is 40' high and vaulted.

[Ninja Dragon]

Rik looks to Grastic.

"Uh, isn't there supposed to be a sphynx here?"

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 2/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Having met a sphinx once back on Mechanus, Polari thinks he knows how to make it show itself if it is watching us. This will piss it off. But hopefully not so much that we can't recover.

"Here, kitty, kitty. Come on out here, kitty."

As he speaks, he explores the room.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

Show

Spoiler: Notes

Show

Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

Show

Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

Show

You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

Show

There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

[Smilex]

The moment Polari has finished his sentence a blinding light envelops the pedestal. After about five seconds the light decreases to levels it no longer hurts the eyes. Now you can see the light envelop the shape of a large lion-bodied creature with the face of a woman.

She sounds irritated
You had to drag the Old man of the Bridge here, did you. Grastic, Nodgate, Hades, Oren, Polari, Rik, Theria. That's a seventy gold piece fee for bothering me and a hundred more per question. I accept jewelry but I don't give change.

[Zhentarim]

Deciding to take a friendlier approach, Hades calls out, ”Great Sphinx, we seek your wisdom!”

When the Sphinx appears, Hades begins to talk to the Sphinx, hoping his magically infused diplomacy could soften her up.

Spoiler: Diplomat Feat

Show

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/feat:diplomat

[Smilex]

The sphinx seems somewhat taken by Hades' polite words.
Hello, Hades. It's a very fitting name for this place. Gehenna would be even better I think but Hades is the balanced man's choice.

She has a few words of pleasantries with Hades but it's difficult to say whether she's charmed.

You need to pay my fee but I'll give you one good hint without more payment.

Grastic leans on the wall with the skulls and the skull reacts by saying
Amazing Chest Ahead.

Oren says
That's about right.

Nodgate looks at Oren suspiciously.

[Zhentarim]

Rummaging in his pack, Hades finds enough gold for three questions.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I THINK I have 300 gp, but I’m just guessing. I lost track some time ago. If I have less, I’ll remove the 3rd and/or 2nd Questions.

”Great Sphinx, I have two questions for you: What is the true purpose of this temple, what would be the wisest course of action for our party going forward, and would you be willing to accompany us for the remainder of our time at the temple? I apologize for my companion’s rude remarks.”

[Smilex]

The sphinx takes the 300 gp.
You can call me Ontussa, for that's my name. The purpose or telos of the temple is to serve the needs of those that control it. Currently that domination is questionable but the minotaur chief has the strongest position in the short term, ghoul-king Tereus in the long term.

She pauses to consider...
If you want to go forward, the secret door is behind me and I'll happily open it for you. The wisest course in that direction is to go prepared and avoid edged weapons.

The northern wall's middle section opens up, leading to another hallway.

She then smiles and says
The third one I'll consider your entrance fee while still giving you the answer... this is my room and I will not venture forth except while visiting my home plane. You're so sweet and kind though that I'll give you a suggestion. Find the thing that looks like the wand of Orcus.

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 2/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari walks forward toward the secret passage, leaving 3 of the 25gp pendants as payment.

"Sorry about the kitty joke. It was funnier back home. It is nice to meet you Ontussa."

Following the others, he continues on through the passage.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

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Spoiler: Notes

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Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

Show

Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

Show

You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

Show

There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

[Smilex]

Ontussa grabs the pendants and smiles on one side of her face.
That's a dangerous tattoo you've got. Do watch out. He's quite the opposite of me.

Behind the sphinx there's another long hall, this one is lit by greenish light as well. At the back of the hall there's a statue of a lion-headed man with glowing orange eyes. The statue is depicted leaning onto a stone pillar. In the chest of the statue there's a large gem. Behind the statue are red curtains. The statue is about a hundred feet away from Polari when it starts moving. It lifts the stone pillar up and wields it like a two-handed mace.

Oren fires an arrow that hits straight into the statue's glowing eye. Yet it seems to do quite limited damage.

Spoiler: Initiative queue

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17 Polari
15 Hades
15 Theria
12 Statue
8 Rik
7 Nodgate
4 Grastic

Round 2
20 Oren

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 3 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 27/27 | HD: 1/3d6 1/1d8
PP: 12 PInv: 12 PIns: 12 Spell Slots, 1st: 3/5 2nd: 1/2
Sorcery Points: 5/5 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari causes a burst of fire to erupt at the lion man's feet. He then makes sure he's behind the martial characters, turning to Grastic,

"Stay in the back with me Grastic. Everyone, be careful with your sharp weapons."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Create bonfire (1d8)[7] DC13 Dex save.

Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

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Spoiler: Notes

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Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

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Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

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You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Luracidon

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There's a sea under the world, the Subhadal, also called the Shining Sea. The sea is not a normal sea of water, it is full of small mycoid intelligent organisms called endzymes. These creatures claim to be everywhere in the world, among other creatures and to suffuse them with the ability of psionics.
On this sea of psionic beings sail the mraow pirates. They protect their boats with soul crystals and build cities on islands that stand out of the sea. . The greatest of these cities is Luracidon.
The mraow also protect themselves through the path of Rose Madder Eye. Rose madder is the name they give the divine force that allowed the creation of other gods to balance out the lawful good gods of the catfolk. To balance Eboncrystal, the god of law and loyalty was formed the Choice. The Choice, also called Starlight-spear is a god of nobility and leadership. Howlingstorm, the good god of artifice and toil was balanced by The Plot. The Plot is also called Twilightspider, the god of artifice and traps. To balance the Crimson Eagle, the god of strength and resolve was formed The Act. The Act is also called the Vengeful-Hand the god of war and tactics. To balance Crying Hawk, the god of Healing and Medicine was formed The Loser. The Loser, also called Soulreaper is a god of death and murder. Finally Burning-Hunter, the god of good and redemption, was balanced by The Eternal. The Eternal, also called Shadowscorpion, is the god of Glory and Legend.

The mraow gods are gods of nihilism. They enhance the real, the materialistic, the present. They help their followers focus on what the faith's adherents know is important, survival in particular.

The mraow of Luracidon are primarily followers of the Twilightspider. Their city is in the middle of things because they have planned to build a city into a place where they could achieve this. The primary force the mraow of Luracidon use is intimidation. This they do to impose their plans on each other. They play power games.

There's no particular sex discrimination among the mraow. Those who are intimidating, those with the best plots, they rule. The mraow would accept a ruler of another race. Submitting to force is just natural. Other races don't really arise to power within Luracidon because the mraow find racism useful.

The mraow dislike the show of magic. They know that magic, once spent, is lost. Therefore the mraow support implied capability of magic but consider actual use of it vulgar and stupid. The wizardly school in Luracidon is powerful and focuses on spells of divination. The schools of enchantment and abjuration are also considered acceptable while other schools of magic are scorned.

The most blessed individuals within the mraow are considered the Destined sorcerers, closely followed by the psionic soul sorcerers. Many of the best plotters in the city, those who rule cabals of one kind or another, are destined.

Sorcerer: Destined
1st level You can cast your spells without visible spell effects. If the spell's description has no visible effects, you can cast the spell without verbal or somatic (but not without material) components.
6th level You gain the lucky feat.
14th level You gain advantage to initiative rolls and you are never surprised.
18th level You gain advantage to any saving throw to avoid being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, restrained or stunned. If the spell or outher cause that would cause this condition is tied to other effects such as damage, this advantage does not help you avoid the other effects.

Plotting is the driving force in Luracidon. Plots put things and people to their place. For individuals that do not plot there are four main paths. The first and the one that surprisingly is the weakest is that of the skilled individual. Many think that great skill increases their worth. Yet for the one who plots the skilled individual is a circumstantial tool of little worth. The skilled individual is given the difficult tasks and the minor rewards. The loyal servant gets the easy path. For the plotter, the enthousiastic loyal servant is the one who has the most value. Bards are common in the loyalists. The College of eloquence is supreme and gives basic teaching to the children of the powerful.

The third path is the one of the survivor. Some learn to avoid the plots, make themselves look unattractive as a target. Plotters don't see such people as threats, for few of them think of the survivors at all. The main paths of power for this group are to become clerics or druids of spores.

The fourth path is the one most hated by plotters. It is the path of the trader and mercenary. Plotters actively aim to rid the city of them yet there is always natural demand for traders. The few traders that do survive, tend to have their efforts helped by the lack of competition. The traders employ most of the rogues in Luracidon for rogues are also hated by the people in power.

For the ones who wield power and plot, the most respectable paths to might are those of paladin of conquest, wizard, battle master or PSI knight.

For the commoner, the adventurer's path that is most supported by those in power is that of the samurai fighter. Warlocks are also plentiful, though the more powerful plotters see them as individuals of divided loyalties and hence expendable.

The powerful in Luracidon hold no slaves. The concept of ownership is in general annoying to those who plot. The idea that ownership is a higher law than the will of the plotter is repugnant. Those in power take what they choose to require. Hence, no one is slave, but everybody is expected to serve the ones more powerful than they. This service, if sufficiently good, may also be rewarded out of generosity. Slaves do exist in name as well, for the few traders that have power enough to thrive, use slaves.

The city is home to 60 000 individuals. Half of them mraow and others of subservient races. The island which holds the city would not support many more. Already the city is built in many layers over each other.

The waves of the Shining sea give a rhytm and a pulse to sea. The psionic pressure all around them is felt by perceptive and intelligent individuals. The day is divided into six sessions based on the surrounding atmosphere. The sessions are in order: Surprise, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness. Most prefer to be awake during surprise and happiness.

Most of the food of the realm is either brought in from other territories or fished in the Shining sea. The druids of spore circle also grow fungus in their gardens and teach the commoners to do similar in smaller scale.
The city is built on grounds of reason and necessity. Things of beauty are reserved for those in power. The construction is powerful and everything is built to intimidate. High walls, tough forms. There are few windows in buildings. The buildings of the powerful and in the middle of the city, built on those of lesser importance. Any signs of magic have been hid when possible.

The Mentaujit is the main place for studies of younger individuals. Mentats teach the young and between the lessons the young measure each other. The stronger pupils draw the weaker ones into gangs as is proper. Of course, to get in, one already has to have parents with a certain amount of power. The young with no parental support end up in workshops or as houseservants.

The Substratum is the lowest part of the town. It's the place of the powerless and the outsiders. The houses are small, catacomblike. The houses have low ceilings and their very existence is more for support of the upper layers than for the ones living inside. Fires are forbidden in these narrow tunnels and magical lights are frowned upon. Everything is done with the visibility given by darkvision. The substratum continues underground and some of the deeper tunnels fill with water. The only powerful organization that prefers the substratum are the druids of the circle of spores. They have barricaded a large section of the tunnelnetwork for their fungus farms.

The Web makes up the central layers of Luracidon. These layers have the attention of those in power while they don't reside there themselves. Continual light spell have been cast in many areas in this section of the city. To cover up that magic was used the lights are covered by metal grills, as if a flame was inside.

Most buildings have insignia of them. These markers imply who the building owns allegiance to - whose plot are they in on. Lines and crowds are typical sights in this layer. Instead of trading, the individuals in power just give out what they want. Their troops show their support by gathering into groups and behaving like the crowd. The powers that be don't want these crowds of their to fight for that would create loss of resource. Rather they want constant visual signs of their power on the streets.

War is the major trade of the mraow. Luracidon seeks to develop generals and strategists in particular, but they don't want war on the streets. Rather the atmosphere is that of constant preparation for war. Releasing tension is equally important to avoid conflagrations of hostilities. It's common to see groups that have opposing loyalties engaging in ritualized half-hearted sports events, dances and similar events. The most important festival is that of Repeating Drummings or just Redrum. Half the citizens may engage in simultaneous beating of drums making the whole city sway with the sound waves.
One thing of interest in the Web is the roads. The large roads go straight from ports to the towers owned by the most powerful. These roads have a network of supporting paths in the area local to the tower. Only small narrow paths unite the network of roads around one tower to that of another.

The plotters live in towers above the Web. Collectively these towers are sometimes called the Twilight zone. The name implies something that's between things. The reference is to place that's between dreams and reality, between the divine Twilight spider and servants. Even the most powerful plotters in the city see themselves as weak in comparison to how powerful their dreams can be. Even more so, they live in fear of loss, which is why they abhor change.
In the towers of the Twilight zone very little ever happens. What does, is ritualized to a level it lacks all efficiency. Even small things are accompanied by as much spectacle as possible.

Each tower defines a territory and a plot. The nature of the plots is usually best understood as a protection scheme though others might argue for the legality and justification of taxation. The nature of the person on top is rarely an issue for they are separated from all below and cloaked in idolatry and extravagance.

Some of the more powerful plotters in town are

Rincip 'Cottonpads'
The territory of Rincip has the Circle of spores, food and herbal market, the largest port as well as the Mentaujit.

Marisuale 'Saltytips'
The territory of Marisuale has a warlock pairing academy where they subordinate youngsters to various patrons [usually these are celestial, fiend, lurker in the deep, raven queen, undead or undying]. There's also a military academy for most fighter types. There's armourers, bowyers, smiths and other artisans related to military professions. The cartographer's academy is also here.

Carnacio 'Cleverone'
This territory has temples for the god of War and Tactics. Carnacio is considered by many a falling plotter. His extreme longevity and the rising violence in his territory, including the presence of the undead are all suggesting to others that Carnacio is losing the Plot. Forces outside the city keep propping him up though. This region has an active street life fuelled by the dispensation of alcohol. There's also a bardic college of valor and swords in the territory.

Erarqa 'Highpyre'
This territory has the temples for the god of Plotting. Most clerics, paladins and monks of the city live here at one point or another. This area also has colleges for city-planning, engineering, agriculture, fishing and history.

Rupacio 'Sugarskin'
This territory functions as a sanctuary for traders, at least up to a point. The temple of the God of murder resides here as well. The area is considered trashy by other plotters but so dangerous that it can't be removed.

Affios 'Pinnails'
A victorious general who returned with glorious spoils created this territory. This area is more luxurious than most, a guarded territory where many pleasures are easily available. There's a shrine for the god of Legends in this area. Affios has allowed monk orders to set up in his territory, raising general interest in becoming a monk in the city.

Enyor 'Happypaws'
A territory where wizard colleges reside. Enyor's territory also has many storehouses. The territory is at the very center of the city and has many structural supports for the city's towers. There's also a bardic college of glamour and satire.

Bernadora 'Whiskers'
Her territory is the most open to outsiders. Least courtesy is demanded and creatures of other races are accepted somewhat easily. There's a port of significant size. Many industries that are considered uncomfortable, such as dyeing are practiced here. Waste disposal is also a feature of this territory as is animal-keeping.

The power in the city is divided between plotters who generally maintain the status quo of power, the gangs which seek power through cleverness or forceful action and the traders who openly challenge the status quo.

Gangs are lower in the ranks of power than the true plotters. Yet their actions are more visible for they aim to act. In the city of plots the people with real power aim to threaten but never act. So one is much more likely to run into gangs engaged in interesting activity.

Many major gangs of the city recruit from and fight for influence in the Substratum.

The first mentionworthy gang is that of the Iron chain, a gang of heavy armor fighters and warlocks.

The second of the larger gangs is The Plagues. They seek druidic and bardic members, seemingly making them less dangerous to the city while still gaining power.

The gang called Darkweb is a religious cult, seeking purity of plotting on clerical grounds. Clerics and paladins form the main adherents.

These three are called high gangs. They exist as extensions of the ruling power block, but are viewed as corrupt in one way or another by the true powers. They are usually opposed by the low gangs that seek to challenge or even supplant the ones in power.

The fourth gang is the Hypothalassians. They are a gang of wanderers, rangers and barbarians. They aim to seize independence and to hold power in the regions surrounding Luracidon.

The gang called Impossible rise is largely made of bloodhunters and rogues. They aim to be seen as the most dangerous gang in the city with no other concerns.

The gang called Longwands is primarily a solace for wizards and sorcerers who use the more unacceptable colleges of magic.

Law is enforced variably. Each territory has their own laws. If a law is broken, the lawbreaker is expected to make good their actions of their own volition. The powers that be don't want to have to bother to actually uphold the laws. But if a lawbreaker is so obvious about how they flaunt the law, the plotters have no choice to utterly and completely destroy the lawbreaker. Such acts are plotted with the care of a dangerous military campaign. But when victory is certain, these events are turned into triumphal celebrations on the broken corpses of the guilty.

The merchant princes
There are few who dare to openly stand against the plot. Philosophically the merchant princes may see themselves as either opponents or misunderstood patrons of the city and society.

The merchant princes who see themselves as opposing the plotters are usually adherents to the cult of the Loser, the god of death and murder. With their trading they seek to create chaos and destruction in the realm. They are usually purged from the city even though they are accepted by society. Hence, the successful merchant princes of this type act beyond city walls. They're pirates and trade ship runners. They create purposeful shortages and gouge prices. They import cursed, faulty or subversive items to the city and they leave orders unfilled, anything to destroy the powers of plotting.

The other merchant princes pay homage to either the god of Nobility and leadership or the god of Legends or both. They frame themselves above and beyond plotting. They engage in trade while doing their business in ways that seem like they fit the city's standards. They call themselves the Cornecopia.

The borders of the town are the shores. Beyond the shores is the navy. The navy is large and is primarily martial in nature.

[Smilex]

The statue is surprisingly agile and dodges the spot of fire.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

In its own turn, the statue dashes through the hundred foot distance all the way to Oren's side.
So if Theria readies a blow she gets her chance to do some damage.

[Ninja Dragon]

Rik Silverfang Ratfolk Monk 4 AC: 17 | HP: 31/31 | HD: 3/4d8 Javelins: 5/5 | Darts: 10/10 Ki: 4/4 PP: 15 PInv: 10 PIns: 13 Conditions: none

Before entering the last room, Rik gives 3 of his own pendants to Hades, to pay his share for the Sphynx's answers. He feels relieved they didn't have to fight a sphynx. But his relief doesn't last long.

After he enters the next room, he sees the moving statue, and prepares for what it looks like an attrition battle. But then he is astonished as he sees how fast the statue can move. He will try to attack the red stone on its chest, hoping it can be damaged by the electricity of his spear.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Spear: (1d20+6)[10]
Damage: (1d8+4)[8]

Flurry of Blows:

Unarmed Strike 1: (1d20+6)[24]
Damage: (1d4+4)[7]
Knock Prone (DEX Save, DC 13)

Unarmed Strike 2: (1d20+6)[13]
Damage: (1d4+4)[5]
If the enemy didn't get knocked prone, try again. If they did, block reactions.

[Ninja Dragon]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Advantage for US2 if US1 managed to knock prone:

(1d20+6)[16]

[Zhentarim]

Drawing his violin, Geronimo starts to play.

"I'll play a song to weaken the stone:

Crumbling stones,
Broken bones,
You'll surely be blue,
When you've shattered in two!"

Only the stone figure can hear these lyrics, however, though since it was a dissonant whisper spell, raised to 3rd level.

Spoiler: Dissonant Whispers, raised to 3rd level

Show

(5d6)[17]

You whisper a discordant melody that only one creature of your choice within range can hear, wracking it with terrible pain. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 psychic damage and must immediately use its reaction , if available, to move as far as its speed allows away from you. The creature doesn’t move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a fire or a pit. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and doesn’t have to move away. A deafened creature automatically succeeds on the save.

At Higher Levels
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st

Page: 234 Players Handbook

[sandmote]

Theria takes the front, magical warhammer in hand.

Spoiler: OOC

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Action: If she's close enough to attack, (1d20+6)[13] for (1d8+4)[5]. Otherwise she'll dash closer to keep it off the rest of the party.
Bonus Action: unused (out of Giant's Might)
Reaction: One target makes the cloud rune useless, but she'll intercept if it comes up: (1d10+2)[5] reduction.

[Smilex]

Spoiler: OOC

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Zhent: You're fourth level so you don't yet have 3rd level spell slots. The damage is 4d6. The creature seems to take the damage in full.

The statue takes a single step back after Hades' spell before rushing forward. Apparently there was no place a creature it's size could retreat..

Theria's strike doesn't quite hit the statue. It keeps being surprisingly dodgy.

Rik's spear-strike misses as well but his legsweep works and the statue falls down with a mighty clatter. After this the second punch hits as well.

Nodgate tries to sacred flame the statue but the spell doesn't work.

Grastic bring in a large club and smashes it into the statue's head. The head cracks and the statue stops moving.
Thanks. It's much easier to hit when it's lying down.

The sphinx looks at the crushed statue and says
Oh finally. I'd like to say it's been a pleasant millenium but I'm happy to get rid of this place. You've been nice though. Last chance for questions before I leave...