Ananka and the Dead Gods: Tarsakh 1st-2nd[]
Alejandra, Erevis, and Gorgoroth met in the Boar & Thistle to discuss a trip outside the wall, eventually deciding to go to the Hyrcanian Desert in order to explore the Pyramid of Ananka and the Black Mirror. As they exited the tavern, they encountered Jura returning from finishing the creation of a Leaf Leshy, and invited her to join them. Ballantino accompanied them; Zuni was left with Noemia.
On the 1st of Tarsakh, the group travelled to the Pyramid of Ananka by portal. Careful examination of the outside revealed no entrance, though Erevis suspected that since the pharaoh was associated with the sun, an entrance would probably be placed on the eastern or western side. Use of Stone Tell revealed a section of stone only one layer thick on the western side; apparently the entrance had been sealed off on completion of the pyramid, leaving only a thinner portion of wall. The stone was sundered, revealing a corridor. When the corridor was bathed in light, however, a curse fell upon Erevis, Gorgoroth, and Ballantino. Rhekmire stated that this appeared to be a wasting curse that would eventually transform those afflicted into wraiths, and suggested that the time of onset might be as short as hours. Ballantino was able to remove the curse from Gorgoroth. It was determined that the best hope for the others was to locate a shrine to Anubis. The group pressed forwards in the hope of finding such a shrine within the pyramid. After bursting another sealed door, the group encountered a room with four sarcophagi. Erevis was able to determine that the door on the opposite wall bore a magical symbol of sealing, and guessed that approaching or opening the door would release the harem guard within the sarcophagi. The group decided to attempt to destroy the creatures while they were imprisoned. Alejandra, Ballantino, and Jura channelled divine energy, damaging the undead through their stone sarcophagi. As they were injured, the creatures began to burst free, several to a single sarcophagi; Gorgoroth hacked at these while Erevis used a wall of force to contain the others. The burst coffins contained poisonous Ungol Dust, but the party had luckily been protected beforehand by a Life Bubble. The undead harem guards were each wearing a wedding ring, and given the bolts in the sarcophagi and the ungol dust appeared to have been buried alive. With the last undead destroyed, the group quickly examined the grave goods, but moved on without removing any. The second room contained a pit trap as well as two sarcophagi, which Rhekmire predicted contained Ananka and his favorite wife. However, before the Pathfinders opened the sarcophagi, a mechanism was triggered, opening a staircase leading downwards. The group followed the staircase to find a model of the desert surrounding the pyramid, including landmarks such as an oasis, possibly the Wandering Oasis, and a shrine, apparently to Anubis. The Pahtfinders decided that as there appeared to be no shrine within the Pyramid, this nearby shrine was their best chance to remove the curse. Before leaving the pyramid, they opened the sarcophagi of Ananka and his favourite wife, finding an assortment of amulets and tokens as well as a few magic items. The two were re-wrapped and their sarcophagi closed, though Erevis collected the harem for a more respectful burial. The other grave goods and the model were left; it was decided that Rinzler might like to see the items in their original state before carefully removing the artifacts to be studied.
At this the Pathfinders set off through the desert for the shrine. With Alejandra and Ballantino riding Ourado and Jura carrying Erevis, the group made good time, even managing to navigate through a sandstorm with Find the Path. As they travelled, Erevis and Ballantino felt the curse begin to drain their health. As the sandstorm built up strength and the Pathfinders began to worry about being buried alive, they came across a black statue of Anubis, about 30 feet long. Erevis' amulet to Anubis reacted to the statue and opened a door within it; the group entered. At the bottom of a staircase they found a number of statues to unfamiliar deities, and were greeted by a spectral guardian who identified the place as the Shrine to the Dead Gods. When Erevis explained the curse and asked if Anubis was present, the guardian explained that Anubis had left the shrine to guide the dead gods as he had once guided the souls of the living. However, the guardian suggested that one of the shrine's other occupants might be able to lift the curse. After some exploration and discussion, a ruined statue next to Erevis suddenly repaired itself, taking the form of the scales of The Great Leveller. The Leveller removed the curse from Erevis and Ballantino, and granted Erevis a vision of the importance of funerary rites in the original development of civilization. When Erevis questioned the Leveller regarding the nature of the Liches, and regarding his and Alejandra's seeming separation from the normal course of death, the Leveller showed him in the former case a set of hands grasping at and upsetting the scales, and in the latter case, a benevolent hand stilling the scales for a time before allowing them eventually to find their balance. The Leveller also presented the Necromancer as a sin against the Universe. Erevis made an offering of salt and sand, poured on either side of the Leveller's scales.
The Pathfinders spent the night within the shrine. In the morning, they stopped to make offerings and to speak to the statues further. Alejandra made an offering to and spoke to Happiness, who asked her and the rest of the Pathfinders to rescue his sister-brother the Bird Man from Oberon, in exchange for information regarding the Necromancer. Other statues could only be reached using Speak with Dead. Grogoroth received a favour from the Queen of Fungus. He and Jura made an offering to One-Eyed Odin. Jura also made an offering of flint and tinder to the Goblyn spirit. An attempt was made to speak with both the Bird-Man and a demilich god, but neither responded. The Living Sun confirmed that it was the other half of the Blackened Sun, but did not indicate any interest in reviving its own worship to counter the cult. The God-Emperor confirmed that the Arch-Psion is a later incarnation of his divine power, though not the same entity. He suggested that the Axehand would be found on a road outside the wall, and claimed that the Axehand's previous incarnation had led to the destruction of the God-Emperor and his Empire. He also revealed that the divine power of the Necomancer originated from the "leavings" of a god who the original Arch-Psion and Axehand had destroyed in order to attain divinity.
Though Alejandra was still interested in continuing to the Black Mirror, the group decided to return to Willowdale.
Rainforest Scouting: Tarsakh 4th-5th[]
On the 3rd of Tarsakh, Rinzler, Kat, Ruthea, and Jura met to discuss a trip to the Western Rainforest. They decided to begin their exploration at the Great Tree Shrine and then move further into the forest in search of the entrance to the Underdark and the Fungal Forest. In order to maximize the amount of daylight available, as they had been warned to avoid the forest at night, they decided to leave very early the next morning; the current terrible weather also helped make that decision.
On the 4th at 4 in the morning, the party teleported to the Shrine to Nethys, travelled southwest along Roswell's River until they sighted the Tree Shrine, and then flew over the rainforest. At the shrine, they observed a number of offerings that had been left, including prayers written in druidic on pieces of bark. A small assortment of animal prints were found around the tree, and at least one set of humanoid tracks, a few days old. Jura attempted to magically detect the presence of other druids, and sensed an aura coming from higher in the tree. The aura proved to come from a plump raccoon, a decidedly non-native species to the rainforest. As the party gathered around, Ruthea and Jura woke the creature. Though he was briefly startled by the group hovering around him, the animal soon calmed down and accepted some food. Through magical communication, it claimed to not have a name, and to not want any other name besides Raccoon. As Jura attempted to communicate, she quickly determined that Raccoon was not a druid or even a druid's bonded animal, but was an awakened animal who had been raised by druids. Raccoon claimed that some people had recently taken care of him at the shrine, but that his caretaker was gone now; Raccoon could not say whether he would return. With this information, Ruthea and Jura made offerings at the shrine, while Rinzler decided to climb to the very top, noting the varied animal population. From the top of the tree, Rinzler spotted smoke, and jumped off to report back to the others. Since the smoke was nearby, the group decided to head in that direction before seeking out the Fungal Forest.
The smoke proved to originate from an open-pit mine in the Whaleback. As the group landed, they observed a number of drow, apparently slaves. The drow called out upon seeing the Pathfinders, and a quartet of heavily-armoured undead guards approached and began to fire guns at the party. The Pathfinders retreated in a hurry, but not before noting that these appeared to be gem mines. As it was getting late, the group moved south into the Primeval Jungle in order to put some distance between themselves and the fell rainforest. Though they found a decent campsite and hid it well from passing creatures, the night was a relatively restless one, disturbed by biting insects and a cacophony of assorted animal calls, notably including a bull Tyrannosaurus.
On the 5th, the Pathfinders noted that the dagger shown to Ruthea by the Axehand had fallen into the Primeval Jungle. When the Geomancer's Wand indicated that the dagger was quite close, the group decided to seek it out before attempting to find the Fungal Forest. They followed the wand to a cluster of ziggurats in the jungle. On landing, they observed still more drow, again with the appearance of slaves. However, this time they were met by yuan-ti soldiers rather than by undead. The group quickly climbed the main ziggurat, detecting the magic blade within. However, they were met by a large and well-muscled broodguard. As the Pathfinders attempted to fight their way past the guard, a nearby group of yuan-ti began to group-cast a powerful spell. Jura was able to temporarily disrupt the casting, but could not ultimately prevent them from calling down a Fire Storm. The broodguard - now in the form of a harmless garden snake thanks to Kat's Baleful Polymorph - was burned to a crisp, and the Pathfinders were badly singed. Despite defeating the broodguard, the group opted to retreat rather than attempt to push further into the serpents' nest. At this point, they returned to Willowdale.
Upon reaching Willowdale, Jura discovered Raccoon had stowed away in her bag. While examining Raccoon for any damage from the extradimensional space, Jura became suspicious that he was not a simple raccoon. She consulted Dr. Haiduc, expert in weird magic, and was informed that Raccoon was in fact a creature under the influence of Baleful Polymorph. However, the awakening that was later applied to the animal appeared to have given him a new personality. Curious as to Raccoon's true form, Ruthea purchased ointment for True Seeing, determining that Raccoon had originally been an Ogre Mage, or Oni. Luckily, he seems quite content with his new life as Raccoon.
Castle Callistan: Tarsakh 6th- 7th[]
On the 6th of Tarsakh, Kat, Ru, Alejandra, Enrique and Erevis set out to the Hyrcanian Desert, with the intent of exploring Castle Callistan and the Black Mirror. They teleported to Korred's Hut with the intention of walking the rest of the way. Erevis, meeting Korred for the first time, was eager to train with him, but was discouraged by the other Pathfinders. En route, a cyclops was spotted in the distance making camp in the late afternoon. Unsure of how to approach the giant, Enrique loaded his guns while Ru hailed from afar. The cyclops proved to be friendly, telling the Pathfinders about how his people were migrating into the Southern Badlands to escape the arid Hyrcanian. The Pathfinders told him the location of the abandoned Hobgoblin Camp which he could settle in, and warned him about the Cinder Man. After going their separate ways, the Pathfinders located Castle Callistan, only to find it a small, mostly-ruined square outpost with a wall surrounding it. The building was almost entirely empty, abandoned centuries ago, with walls and supports crumbling. They found a spirit, who explained that the purpose of the fort and the men stationed within was to be a distraction, keeping the orcish armies of a terrible necromancer at bay while their leader, Prince Bytor, snuck into the necromancer's territory with a small band of stalwart adventurers in order to slay him. The prince never returned, and the spirits of the castle could never find peace unless they could finally defeat their eternal foes, the orcish army.
By blowing on a large enchanted horn, the Pathfinders summoned the ghosts of the orc army and defeated them in combat, allowing the defenders of the castle to finally lay to rest. As the sun set on the day, the last of the ghostly orc army were repelled. With the castle at peace, its central flag pole snapped off landing with a crack in the sand. The pole uncovered a burried chest containing the gems, coins, and Prince's standard which had been hidden by the castle's defenders. The Pathfinders spent the night in the castle and returned to WIllowdale the next morning.
The Wolden Beast: Tarsakh 9th-11th[]
On the 9th of Tarsakh, Rinzler, Jura, Alejandra and Gorgoroth set out to the Lone Mountain to cull the Wolden Beast, the deranged pack leader of a flock of wyverns who had been over-predating the Ravenswood since the disappearance of the local druids. Using the druid circle, they teleported to the Ravenswood and walked north to the slopes of the Lone Mountain, timing their travel to arrive at the top of the mountain at night, when the wyverns would hopefully be asleep. At the base of the mountain, they found the corpse of a unicorn. The creature appeared to have been slain and eaten by wyverns; Gorgoroth claimed the beast's alicorn. Walking up the mountain as stealthily as possible, the group passed by a chasm which appeared to lead to the Underdark, but passed by it without entering. As they neared the peak, they were spotted and attacked by a small patrol of three male wyverns. The group dispatched them with relative ease, but as they had cast limited-duration spells they had wished to use against the leader, they had to quickly abandon the three corpses without properly harvesting their useable hides in order to make it to the top in time.
They reached the nesting grounds of the wyverns by nightfall, and quickly found the largest cave wherein the Wolden Beast made his lair. Infiltrating the cavern with as much stealth as they could muster, the group caught the terrible reptile sleeping. Preparing to perform a coup de grace, Alejandra partook of a potion, which caused the beast to stir and awaken. Reacting swiftly, Hit Monkey drove his wakizashi into the creature's neck, killing it with the deadly strike of an assassin. The wyvern's tail lashed forward in its death throes, direly poisoning the monkey, but the creature of lore collapsed without further fight. The Pathfinders quickly healed Hit Monkey, though it took five attempts before the powerful poison was neutralized. They then stripped the creature of its poison, hide and head, and removed all that was of value both in and around him, including a large bezoar that appeared to have formed around a potent magical ring. It occured to the Pathfinders that the magical energy of the ring may have caused the unusual growth of the Wolden Beast as well as its apparent sensitivity to nearby magic. Fleeing before the other wyverns could notice the smell of the skinned creature, they left as stealthily as they had come.
Making their way down the mountain, they travelled to the nearby elven watchtower to make camp for the night. Outside, they noticed that a light shone from the upper-story window. A peak into the window revealed a man dressed in the garb of a druidic initiate. Deciding to make their presence known to the man sooner rather then later, the group entered the tower; some went upstairs, Gorgoroth stayed downstairs in order to improve upon the man's leftover dinner, and Hit Monkey remained hidden. The man was startled upon awakening, but he introduced himself as a druid of the Ravenswood circle, who had been staying in this tower as he had nowhere else to go and had been unable to locate any others. Alejandra detected evil within him, and quietly cautioned Jura and Rinzler. He answered their questions, albeit in a somewhat confused and dodgy manner. When Jura asked where he thought others might be, he answered the Western Rainforest, and it was declared that the group would take him to the Great Tree Shrine in the morning after they had gotten some rest. Alejandra took the first watch, and tried to speak to the man softly, asking him of his old home and family. Gorgoroth took the second, whereupon the sounds of angered wyverns could be heard on the air. When the man asked what could have stirred them so, the barbarian claimed that it was because he had single-handedly slain their leader and his three brothers with a single stroke. This news seemed to drive the already-leery man over the edge, and as the watch changed to Jura, the man slowly slipped downstairs, gathered some of his things and made for the door. Hit Monkey, who had been watching him, gave a signal, alerting the others. Jura, Gorgoroth and Alejandra hastened after him, but Alejandra was quickly left behind, blind in the night. As Gorgoroth and Jura, now in the shape of a wolf, chased after him, he threw some flash powder in an attempt to throw them off. When the two pursuers were not hindered, he turned himself invisible and threw a tanglefoot bag, and when all of that failed as well, he used a wand to summon a fiendish bull to charge down Jura. Gorgoroth kept up the chase and managed to tackle the man to the ground. When the barbarian looked again however, it appeared that he had tackled Rinzler. The alchemist said something, but in Gorgoroth's rage, he could not understand the words and punched the man anyhow. The image of Rinzler shifted and became a doppleganger. Meanwhile, Jura summoned a Wall of Thorns around the two men, preventing the doppleganger from escaping Gorgoroth while she fought off the bull. As the battles continued, Rinzler and Alejandra waited in the watchtower, waxing philosophical about the situation. After a lightning strike and a particularly angry barbaric roar, they decided it was probably for the best if they joined the others. By the time they had arrived, Gorgoroth had punched the doppleganger unconscious and tied him up using his pants, and Jura had defeated the bull. Though Alejandra swapped the pants for a pair of proper manacles, Gorgoroth still opted to walk back in the buff, and the group returned to the tower to finish the night. The group noticed when examining the doppleganger that he had a magical brand on his back, an image of the Blackened Sun, which appeared to bear some sort of magical geas.
By the morning of the 10th, the doppleganger had not regained consciousness, but he was in stable condition, so Alejandra teleported back to Willowdale to place him in the custody of Sheriff Colquhoun. When she returned, the group set out to survey the rest of the Ravenswood. Northeast of the tower they discovered an idyllic grove which would make a perfect resting spot. Based on what the doppleganger initiate had told them the previous day, they knew that this was where the shadow druids had lived before moving to the Sawtooth Vale; the pristine surroundings and abundant food prompted travellers to stay until nightfall, whereupon the druids would prey upon them in the dark. Taking some food with them, they carried on until they found a giant statue at the edge of the Open Steppe. It was worn from age, and contained only the faintest traces of magic; whatever the statue's purpose was, it had long since outlived its usefulness. With that, the group walked back to Willowdale, adding one more day to their trip. On their way through the Red Forest, Jura noted new growth, though the red trees were decidedly dead. Rinzler took a clipping from a red tree in the hope that he and Valconey would be able to learn something from it.
Hotchi of the Black Mirror: Tarsakh 12th-15th[]
Alejandra, Enrique, Gorgoroth, Erevis, and Ruthea visited the Black Mirror, after a vigil was held over the wand of St. Christopher and the doppleganger prisoner from the previous expedition was interrogated.
On Tarsakh 12th, Alejandra, Jura, and Enrique joined in turn to hold vigil over the wand. The three vigils were peaceful. Not a hint of divine influence was observed until the end, as Enrique, fighting off sleep, felt for a moment as if someone was standing behind him. Enrique then examined the wand and observed that it hummed with life, restored to the Shining Wand of St. Christopher.
On the 13th, those three along with Halstein went to interrogate the doppleganger captured in Ravenswood. Observing the mark of the Blackened Sun on the doppleganger, Enrique leaned forwards and burned the sigil with a little gunpowder. The doppleganger suddenly took on the appearance and vestments of a cleric of the Blackened Sun, who introduced himself as the Chanticleer, a servant of the Fourth. He invited the Pathfinders to visit his cathedral and urged them to consider the benefits of having a personal, physically present god. When the Pathfinders pressed him on whether the Necromancer actually responded to his followers' adoration, he admitted that most mortals were beneath the Necromancer, but insisted that those tools that proved useful would be rewarded. He then bid the Pathfinders goodbye; as the possessing spirit of the Chanticleer left the doppleganger, the latter's body was quickly immolated. Investigation into the marks on the changeling assassins revealed that these also contained magic, at minimum some form of compulsion and an arcane mark that could be scried upon. On hearing this, Ruthea revealed under strict confidence that Rinzler also bore such a mark.
The group then met Gorgoroth and Erevis in the Boar & Thistle. They spoke briefly with Colonel Boyd regarding several recent absences: Calmex Igulan, left for New Luxberg; Wutog, not seen around town since the last Scroll of Fahz Murb was translated; and Martha, absent that night from her bar. Jura insisted that she had seen Martha recently, but that the latter was feeling unwell. At this, Valconey visibly winked at Jura. The conversation then turned to a letter Erevis had received from the wizard academy in New Luxberg indicating that a number of Headmasters would shortly be sent to review Nahisian Insights for accreditation. A few strategies for impressing the visitors were discussed. In the end, the matter was put aside and Enrique, Alejandra, Gorgoroth, Erevis, and Ruthea decided to visit the Black Mirror; Jura remained in Willowdale.
On the 14th, the group teleported to Castle Callistan and moved south to the Black Mirror. When the Pathfinders attempted to take a sample of the liquid, the viscous stuff burned cleanly through all containers. An old scroll and burned-out wand were thrown into the lake, and were quickly grabbed by black hands and pulled in; copies appeared in the middle of the lake. Enrique flew over the lake and attempted to retrieve these items, and observed a duplicate of himself under the liquid that reached out for him. When Erevis threw a note into the lake in an attempt to communicate with whatever was within, a crude image of a skull appeared but did not speak. The mirror began to respond to the Pathfinders' thoughts, forming a sword and an armoured figure, which mimicked Alejandra as she walked along the edge of the lake. The Pathfinders moved to leave, intending to seek out a sphinx for advice. However, liquid came up from the lake and formed a wall, trapping but not engulfing them.
The Pathfinders returned to experimenting, noting that the lake appeared excited by magic, and that it even duplicated a Colour Spray of Erevis'. Shown various items, the lake produced copies of Albedezad's Wondrous Reagent, Erevis' magic ring, and Ruthea's Elixer of Love, and allowed them to take these items. On prompting, the lake created an image of Ruthea, which stepped off the surface of the lake and spoke in a fragmented manner, repeating parts of what the Pathfinders said to it. When the Pathfinders were unable to communicate with it, the figure returned to the lake. A duplicate of Enrique emerged. Enrique grabbed its hand and felt bones underneath. He walked onto the lake holding the hand of his duplicate, but quickly began to sink. The remaining Pathfinders acted quickly to pull him out, succeeding only when Erevis used Dimension Door to take the group to safety. Enrique, Gorgoroth, and Ruthea found that their feet were cracked and white, drained of colour and heat. Alejandra identified the injuries as flash freeze; her healing magic was unable to repair the damage.
Figures of Gorgoroth and Alejandra appeared in turn. The Pathfinders realized that the figures were attempting to learn their language and that the figures' native language must be completely alien. Nevertheless, they managed to glean that the figures wanted Ruthea and Gorgoroth to "discorporate then reincorporate" by entering the Mirror. This concept was linked to exit. The group hesitated, worried that this process would be fatal. However, Gorgoroth jumped in the lake and was quickly torn apart. As the group and particularly Ruthea hurriedly attempted to determine the meaning of this, the figure identified itself as "Hotchida, of Hotchi," and the Pathfinders recalled that the Hotchi were an ancient people native to Vaalbara. Hotchi insisted that Hotchi was real and repeated that discorporation and recorporation somehow went through the Hotchi. It seemed confused by any reference to time. As conversation continued, Ruthea stripped her items and told Erevis to give Rinzler her lucky crystal if she didn't make it. Alejandra at first prevented her from jumping into the lake, but when an attempt to teleport out of the enclosue failed Alejandra agreed to trust Ruthea's instinct and released her. Ruthea entered the lake and was "discorporated." Erevis asked why Hotchi wanted Gorgoroth and Ruthea, and Hotchi insisted that they had chosen to discorporate.
As the Pathfinders considered what to do next, Hotchi announced that Gorgoroth and Ruthea were reincorporating. Skeletons grew on the surface of the lake, and fibres from the lake began to form muscles around these figures. Hotchi announced that with scrolls or wands, it could make Gorgoroth and Ruthea better. Thinking that any spell energy might be useful, Erevis cast Bull's Strength into Hatchi and asked Hotchi to make Gorgoroth stronger. Alejandra suggested that it make Ruthea faster and more agile. Ruthea and Gorgoroth awoke with a shock, feeling whole and with all scars and nonmagical tattoos removed. Hotchi now clothed itself in a pressure suit, as the Pathfinders had seen depicted in the Doors to the North. Hotchi announced that he was a diplomat to Hotchi-not, and then expanded that he was all Hotchi, and that all Hotchi discorporate into the Black Mirror and were in Hotchi. Hotchi dropped a few drops of oil into a bottle and handed it to Enrique before flying away, headed southeast. The Black Mirror disappeared. When the bottle was poured onto the ground, a number of Hotchi dancers appeared, danced, and then returned to it.
The group visited Alsea in order to ask the elders about Hotchi. The group found the Elders asleep, but asked one of their attendants about the Hotchi, saying that they appeared to have been released from the Black Mirror. The attendant indicated that the Hotchi became extinct during the war between Laurasia and Rodinia. Ruthea mentioned seeing what she believed to be the inside of a Hotchi machine: small figures building potions. The attendant directed the group to the head astronomer. This elf indicated that the Hotchi were natural magic-users who neither started nor ended wars; he guessed that they had been targeted for destruction due to their skill with magic. He said that he would turn his telescope to watch the Hotchi for any developments, and lent a book on the Hotchi to the Pathfinders.
Erevis noted that the book had been recently printed in New Luxberg, and the astronomer revealed that some Bladesingers had previously been sent to probe Laurasian society. The conversation turned to Arcade, and the astronomer revealed to Ruthea that the changeling would await several others, including herself, on the beach. Erevis invited the astronomer, as a mage of note, to visit Nahisian Insights on the occasion of the New Luxberg headmasters' arrival; the invitation was accepted. Finally, the astronomer mentioned that the Necromancer had 300 years previously known the location of Alsea, but that powerful magic removed the memory from his mind at the time that Prince Bytor had challenged him. The astronomer suggested that to weaken the Necromancer, the Pathfinders might disrupt the Gem Mines, which provided gems of a magical nature. He related a vision of a pyramid in the jungle, with a human village on top, and a ruined castle. He said that some Bladesingers might aid the Pathfinders against the Necromancer, and that they might also seek aid from the Rodinian Templars, though the latter might also decide that the Pathfinders were a threat and seek to destroy them.
On the 15th, the group returned to Willowdale.
Shadow Lodge: Tarsakh 16th-17th[]
On the morning of the 16th, Kat, Rinzler, Alejandra, and Jura met in the Boar & Thistle. Kat commented on the illusion present on Martha, saying out nowhere that she must be pregnant. Jura at this made an odd face. When pressed, she attempted to evade the issue, saying that it the illusion was Martha's own business, but eventually let slip that she might appreciate Alejandra's advice "as a mother." Realizing what she had admitted to the others, Jura apologized to Martha for revealing her secret; Martha then gave her permission to share the news with those Pathfinders who had not been privy to the accidental announcement.
The group then used the Tome of the Necromancer to travel to the Portal Room in the Bone Ziggurat. There they met the First, who welcomed Kat and her friends and brought them to an extremely elegant and well-stocked library and offered them cookies and milk. While Rinzler hurriedly attempted to list the titles of every book in the room, Alejandra and Jura questioned the First regarding his friendship with Kat. Both expressed curiosity as to how he could truly care for mortal creatures given the length of his own lifespan. In response, the First produced a drab bird that near-perfectly mimicked speech, and explained that he had bred these creatures as pets for centuries, watching how they evolved as a species, eventually losing the bright plumage they once had. Pressed further, he implied that he did indeed relate to the birds as individuals rather than simply as a species. When Kat asked to see Prince Bytor, the First said that Bytor would not be in the mood for visitors. When Jura asked to see the Arch-Druid of Ravenswood, who was always happy to see visitors, the First responded that this would not be possible as the Arch-Druid was staying with them "on a more permanent basis." Asked about the other Disciples, the First claimed to have some differences in opinion with them but also said that a rapport was bound to develop among colleagues. Rinzler then asked whether it was possible, given a remark that the Fourth had made, that the Fourth knew Rinzler's father. The First said that it was indeed possible and gave Rinzler a totem that might assist him in approaching the Cathedral of the Blackened Sun without being attacked.
The Pathfinders then returned to Willowdale in order to meet Gorgoroth. The expanded group travelled to the Drunken Frith via the Deepen Dale Circle in order to seek out the Shadow Lodge. A vision from Gorgoroth revealed that the group would only find the Lodge at night after being chased by a pack of otherworldly hounds, so the Pathfinders spent a leisurely evening in the Frith. Rinzler was mugged for his rations by a barbarian of the Thunderbird tribe, and Gorgoroth felled a moose single-handedly. At nightfall, the Pathfinders were indeed attacked by a large pack of Yeth hounds. Though they at first attempted to fight off the hounds, when the hounds' masters approached the group opted to flee. Seeing a light in the distance, they ran for it, and found themselves in front of a stately mansion. Running inside without hesitation, the hounds nipping at their heels, they found themselves in a rather fancy-looking foyer and reception area. When they rang the bell for service, they were met by a strange, somewhat-off man; they were told that they already had a reservation and that the cost of the stay had already been paid. Suspicious, the Pathfinders nevertheless accepted a room key, then cleaned themselved up to join the ball downstairs. It was almost immediately apparent that the Lodge existed on the Shadow Plane and that its hallways defied conventional geometry. At the ball, the Pathfinders were presented with a variety of costly foods and drinks, bill paid; Rinzler, Kat, and Gorgoroth partook with various levels of hesitation. Jura caught the eye of a fey gentleman who identified himself as the Rajah Lothario. On learning that Jura was unmarried, he flirted extensively and invited her to join him in the games room later.
The group then received an invitation to meet "the master" in a private cards room. They left the ball expecting to meet the Lodge's master Oberon. Instead, they found a fey man seated at a cards table with four chairs. It appeared that the other three players had left upon the recent conclusion of the game, and that the man sitting at the table had won a large pile of chips. The fey invited the Pathfinders to join him, and announced that he was footing their bill in thanks for their assistance to his people, which had allowed him to take the advantage in his game against the other three players. Using cards as a focus, he informed the Pathfinders that they would not easily exit this place, and that aside from trusting luck or brute force, they could seek the key out from the Rajah, from the Bird-Man imprisoned in the basement, or from the mad Lord Oberon himself, though he emphasized that the Lord was driven quite mad from the Bird-Man's influence. He also conferred a special blessing upon Rinzler and Jura for their particular role in uplifting the Firewalkers, asking Rinzler to further teach them to craft "fire in the bottle" and Jura to keep them free from the influence of monarchs.
The Pathfinders agreed that they would first try to extract an exit key from the Rajah, using his attraction to Jura, before seeking out Oberon to ask him to free the Bird-Man, and that they would only attempt to break out the Bird-Man without Oberon's approval as a last resort. They travelled to the game room to meet the Rajah, who proposed that Jura marry him and bear his children. Jura suggested that they play a game of cards, and that if she lost she would marry him, but if she won he would give her the key out. The Rajah agreed and suggested a game of Blackjack, which Jura won with some help from the Luckstone. Having secured exit, the Pathfinders sought out Oberon. However, as they travelled down the hallway they believed led to his quarters they were met by a strange and frightening spirit that sapped the mental and physical strength of those who should have been best able to resist it. Recognizing this paradox, Jura was able to avoid the latter effect by voluntarily ceasing to resist. Driven off, the group hurried to the basement. They found the spirit of the Bird-Man stuck in the bottom of a well in a supernaturally dark room. The Bird-Man announced that he intended to kill Oberon for imprisoning him, and that he only needed someone to extend a hand. Gorgoroth thrust his hand over the well without hesitation, and the spirit departed. The Pathfinders found themselves in the cellar of an ordinary and decaying hunting lodge, the fate of Oberon, his lodge, and its patrons unclear. However, a fine set of armour modelled after the Bird-Man's was waiting for them just outside the front door.
Finding it now the morning of the 17th, the group teleported to the Shrine to the Dead Gods to inform Happiness of their success in freeing its sister-brother. However, when they arrived, Happiness was mute, and all statues of the Dodecatemoria aside from the Bird-Man were in advanced decay. A gem was sitting on the hand of the Bird-Man; when it was touched, the statues crumbled entirely, and the Pathfinders were sent into a fit in which they saw the history of the Necromancer and his Disciples. Before leaving for Willowdale, Gorgoroth received a boon from one of the Dark Gods, and Jura spoke to Goblyn. Though Goblyn reminded all present of the Firewalker patron, the god seemed to have no knowledge of that being or their meeting in the Shadow Lodge, and in fact grew angry when the subject was raised.
Trap at the Necromancer's Fane: Tarsakh 22nd-28th[]
On the morning of the 22nd, Kat, Rinzler, Gorgoroth, Ru and Halstein decided to set out to the Fane of the Necromancer, as Rinzler wanted to unlock further passages in the Tome of the Necromancer; the prior few days were spent taking care of individual businesses. Teleporting there, they found themselves outside of a set of stairs leading down into a cleft in the mountainside. Entering, they found themselves in a stone hallway, decorated with carvings of the undead. Selecting a hallway, they began to explore the looping structure. As they systematically walked through each hallway, they found a room dedicated to each of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Disciples. Each contained a statue, which had hidden within it a powerful magical item. Halstein wished to deface the statues, and both him and Ru wanted to claim the items, but Rinzler and Kat implored them to stop, on the grounds that they all knew who the owners were and they were probably very likely to seek retribution for theft. This merely stopped them from commiting their acts of larceny while in view. In addition to the disciples' rooms, each was adjacent to another room: one dedicated to the fight against Prince Bytor, one to a certain unknown vampire, one to a pharaoh of the Empire of Decadence (though according to Rhekmire, one of the last), and a final room containing an incomplete statue labelled only "The Betrayer". In addition, there were several hidden rooms and alcoves, though they mostly contained nothing aside from deadly traps. One in particular, however, contained a sarcophagus whose lid could not be easily removed; unable to lift it, the Pathfinders left it alone.
In one of the rooms, they found a golden skull, covered in sketchings and writings of utter nonsense; in a far corner room, they found a mock helmet in the style of the Necromancer's, covered in almost microscopic etchings of a similar style. When the skull was placed inside the helmet, its eyesockets glowed with prismatic light, and a large set of iron doors, previously bound by force magic, were unlocked and opened. Behind them was what looked to be some sort of altar room, containing statues of the Fifth and Sixth, as well as another door which led further back. When they entered, however, a large arcane circle triggered, creating an image of the Fourth, who told them that they were trapped, and that people were coming for them. While the Pathfinders attempted to press him for information, the image vanished, and a horned devil was summoned to attack them. It became quickly obvious that they were all outmatched, but they were able to successfully use Rhekmire's ability to Dismiss the creature before it could finish any of them off. Almost immediately though, the two statues disappeared, revealing the Fourth and Fifth themselves, who attacked without warning; the Fourth's Dictum disabled everyone present, and the Fifth's poison incapacitated them further. Kat, the first to shrug off the effects and turn to escape, was told by the Fourth to surrender: should she leave now, he and the Fifth would kill all of her friends, and send the pieces back to her bit by bit. When she asked where the First was, he replied that he was elsewhere; he would not say what was beyond the doors behind him. Kat agreed to surrender on the Fourth's promise that they would not be killed, rather rendered unconscious and taken elsewhere to be questioned. They were placed to sleep by a drifting powder; Rinzler, due to his natural immunity to sleep magic and derived immunity to poisons, was knocked unconsious in a slightly more painful method.
When the group awoke, they found themselves chained to racks: Gorgoroth and Halstein bound with the strongest of adamantine chains, and the others with Anti-Magic cuffs. The Third walked in and said very little, only that he again was disappointed with whom was captured; he would have rather liked to have the short fighter or the dead creature. He added that they should all count themselves as lucky, as he would have killed them all if it was up to him. Ru, Gorgoroth and Halstein all goaded him, and were rewarded with some Magic Missiles for their jabs. With that, the Third left, and the Fifth took his place. In a calm, collected manner, he explained that he was going to extract information from them; if they complied, they would be allowed to live, and would be sold into slavery, but if they did not, they would face the most terrible of deaths. Beginning with Kat, he demanded to know the location of the hidden elven city. The threat of torture looming, Kat began to yell out what little information she could remember, which was not particularly much, despite Gorgoroth and Halstein's yells for her to stop. Moving to Rinzler, the Fifth pressed for more information, which he recieved in the form of Kat's scraps of nearly-useless knowledge, Gorgoroth's bluffs, Ru's terrified babbles and Rinzler's infrequent statements; despite having his questions answered almost immediately, he still left a deep gash in Rinzler's forehead with a scalpel. He then asked for information regarding the Secret Society of Willowdale and Ru, out of her head at this point, yelled out basically everything she could think of regarding the various Pathfinders and townsfolk. While Ru babbled, the Fifth went to move Gorgoroth, who managed to literally bite off the Fifth's hand. After listening for a little bit, and asking a few more questions, he knocked each of the Pathfinders out again with a paralytic. Due to the alchemist's resistance to toxins, Rinzler was again subjected to unique treatment, and was locked in a small box with a Ring of Sustenance. As he was shoved in, he commented to the Fifth that this was rather inconvienient, and that maybe he should ask more politely; the Fifth replied, showing abject disgust as the first true emotion that any had seen from him, that he would not deign to ask the vermin about his feet. Though the Fifth appeared satistied by the interrogation, it is unclear how much useful information he actually extracted through the lies and loud babbling directed at him.
When the other Pathfinders came to, they found themselves bound and locked in a small wagon, pulled by a giant tarantula and driven by drow. Immediately upon awakening, Halstein and Gorgoroth realized that they were trapped and began causing a ruckus on the wagon, until they both had to be knocked out again. According to Rinzler, who seemed to have come a bit unhinged in the interm, six days had passed, and they had been sold into slavery to a powerful leader of the drow city of the Underdark in order for the Necromancer's forces to seal a deal with them. The wagon was driven to a stop, where a burly drow woman came to look them over. She assigned Gorgoroth and Halstein to the gladitorial arena, Ru and Kat as house servants, and Rinzler to the poison pits. When Ru threatened the woman with violence, she changed her assignment to "offering". With their fates given to them, the group was separated.
Escape! Jailbreak in Char Nassed: Tarsakh 28th-Mirtul 5th[]
Three days had passed since the group of Pathfinders left for the Fane of the Necromancer; since Halstein had given Jura prior warning of the trip, she took it upon herself to Scry on the absent group, just to make sure everything was alright. She observed them being transported by the drow through the Underdark, and quickly informed Alejandra and Erevis that a rescue was in order. The three spent several days preparing. They quickly informed the First that Kat had been taken captive and that the other Disciples may be responsible; the lich gave a polite but noncommital response. The group gathered information from divination, including Commune and Erevis' Vizier, though they found that Scrying into the Underdark was unreliable and that Sending to the captured Pathfinders was impossible. Valconey provided a longer-lasting formulation of Changeling Putty, language charms allowing the bearer to speak Drow, and a partly-charged Wand of Remove Curse; other materials were purchased. The Reverend Mother assisted the group in calling Sparkle Pony using a Planar Ally spell in order to recruit the eidolon's help in rescuing Kat. Jura called Alyenna in from Alsea to assist the Golden Fields Druids in case the rescue took a long time or went poorly.
On the 30th of Tarsakh, the rescue crew consisting of Erevis, Alejandra, Jura, and Sparkle Pony entered the Underdark at the Undermountain Inn. Yeslick offered to accompany them, but the group declined, requesting only a guide to the gates of Char Nassed. The trip through the Underdark took several days, but was uneventful.
The captured Pathfinders, upon their transferral to the drow woman, were processed, where they were each given a Mark of Justice; Halstein's and Gorgoroth's were in the form of brands seared into the flesh of their backs in the form of a simple, block-shaped spider, while Rinzler's and Ru's were red, hourglass-shaped Arcane Marks placed on their necks, beneath and behind their right ears. Kat's, while appearing the same as Rinzler's and Ru's, was placed on the back of her left hand. After this, they were taken to the slave district to be shown to potential buyers. Halstein and Gorgoroth were quickly bought as warriors for the gladitorial pits, and Rinzler, despite his disposition, was bought quickly as well, by the guard captain of House Yugol in order to be a crafter. Several buyers looked over the distraught and tearful Kat, before she was purchased by a young girl who wished her as a pet. The girl turned out to be Malavika Yugol, third daughter of the matron of the house, who found Kat's wretched state rather adorable for a pet. Ru was purchased last, and was sent to be nothing more then a house slave.
Halstein and Gorgoroth spent their days in small, 5' by 5' cells, with nothing more then a food bowl, a pail for waste and a small drainage grate. Since their cells were adjacent, they could still talk to one another, along with another gladiator by the name of Venrin, a drow who seemed to have been there for a relatively long time. When they were under orders to be starved, in order to weaken them before their initial fight, Halstein responded by grabbing the drow slave tasked with delivering his watery gruel and cruelly eating his leg. The guards, appalled but amused at this, slit the slave's throat to end his suffering, and retrieved the rest of the corpse, leaving Halstein with the leg. He used the bones and tendons to fashion a variety of prison tools, including a small axe. After a few days had passed, the two were sent to the gladiatior ring for the first time, where they, along with a dwarf, a deep goblin and a drow, were each given a rusty but servicable weapon from a druegar quartermaster and led out into the arena. Gorgoroth and Halstein were the only two survivors, managing to defeat three Hook Horrors, two of which had been rigged to detonate upon their deaths. The crowd was impressed with their savagery, and they were taken back to their cells. They spent the rest of their incarceration alternating between arena fights and whiling their time away in their small cells; Halstein in particular attempted to fish through the small grate.
Rinzler was sent to a slightly larger cell in a different corridor, though it was no better equipped. For no less then 10 hours a day, he was sent to a small, minimally-stocked lab where he was tasked with crafting various substances, potions and poisons. Despite being watched by disinterested, disdainful guards, he managed to pilfer a wide variety of supplies. During one night, he was snuck a small note, which turned out to be an offer to meet with a group calling themselves the Skroll Kase Kobolds. However, when he attempted to snitch some tools in order to create a make-shift lockpick to escape his cell, he was caught and viciously whipped for his transgression. At this failure, he recruited Ru, who managed to bring him the key to his cell, which he never got a chance to use: regardless of his punishment, the prodigious speed and skill he showed at crafting had quickly made him a valuable asset to his master, who ordered a barbarian woman to be placed in his cell to act as his mate. The woman was angry, confrontational and refused to speak to the alchemist, and since he could barely muster any interest in her to begin with, he quickly ceased attempting to speak with her and ignored her entirely. However, her presence did make Rinzler unwilling to sneak out to speak to the kobolds.
Kat was placed in a small iron cage, filled with gaudy, bright dresses and the accouterments of a pet box; the cage itself was located in Mala's own posh room, which was oddly enough still located on the prision floor. Kat spent the first few days as a distraught mess, whimpering and crying almost constantly, attempting to summon Sparkle Pony despite the pain the Mark of Justice caused her, and eventually just gnawing at her hand to get the mark off. Mala found this amusing at first, but quickly became tired of it, telling her to be funny again; Kat implored her to remove the mark, so that she could be with her friend again, but Mala was just confused, saying that she was her friend now. It seemed that Mala's patience would run out, but she eventually got Kat talking about Sparkle Pony, her other friends and all of the adventures she had been on, which amused Mala to no end and also cheered up Kat. Over the next while, Mala brought Kat everywhere, dressed up in spangly outfits and tied to a leash; at least once the other prisoners saw Kat forced to pull the drow princess in a little wagon. Despite this, Kat quickly began to see Mala as a friend, and anxiously waited for the day she could take her to see her other friends, suggesting it almost incessantly to the little drow girl.
Ru, locked in her own cell, was tasked with house chores, spending an exhausting amount of time cleaning and delivering food. Her position, however, gave her invaluble insight into the layout of the prision floor, as well as the ability to pass notes and other things amongst the other enslaved Pathfinders.
On Mirtul the 4th, Jura, Alejandra, Erevis and Sparkle Pony reached the gates of Char Nassed. They disguised themselves as a drow mistress (Erevis), her bodyguard (Alejandra), her personal assistant (Jura), and a half-orc porter (Sparkle Pony). Erevis explained to the gate guards that she had come from the south to see Char Nassed's slave market, and the party was allowed to pass. Using magic and mundane skills, the group shook off two separate groups of pursuers. On the first day, they passed through a wealthy district containing embassies to several other drow nations, the duergar, an orcish group, mind flayers, and the Necromancer. The latter was a building made entirely of ice, decorated with the symbol of a horned helm with prismatic eyes; the Geomancer's Wand indicated that the missing Ring of Shared Sound was inside. The rescuers spent the night of the 4th in an inn in this district, and gathered information regarding new gladiatorial slaves.
On Mirtul the 5th, the rescuers reached the slave market. With intimidation and a bit of magical force, Erevis extracted the location of a new group of valuable slaves from the surface, and the group proceeded to House Yugol. When they demanded to speak to the mistress of the house for purposes of purchasing slaves, they were told that the mistress was on a pilgrimage to the city's shrine to Lolth, and were directed to speak to the high priestess. The latter identified herself as the 7th high priestess of the month, and declined to make any bargains regarding her mistress' prized slaves, though she offered to send word to the mistress. The high priestess did allow the disguised Pathfinders to see the captives, and Erevis was able to covertly identify himself to them by eating a small amount of salt. The group talked to the captain of the guard regarding Rinzler; the captain offered to sell him for the right price and to put in a good word with the mistress. The group retired to offered guest quarters in order to plan their next move.
The group was interrupted by Ruthea, sent to deliver food to the "guests". Erevis ordered her into the room under pretext of punishment, but once she was inside, the Pathfinders greeted her, asked for further details regarding their imprisonment, and gave her several scrolls to conceal on her person. Shortly after Ru left, Rinzler entered the room along with one of the Skroll Kase Kobolds, who had come to his cell once again asking why he had never shown up for the meeting. The kobold had brought him to the guest room thinking it was empty, and a speedy use of Charm Person was required by Erevis to prevent the small creature from fleeing. As several further kobolds arrived, and were subsequently Charmed, the Pathfinders discussed possible lines of escape. Options included having the drow assemble all five captive Pathfinders for inspection and releasing them all at the same time, intercepting Halstein and Gorgoroth during a morning torture session and disguising them as guards using Changeling Putty, and buying Rinzler back first so that he could prepare an escape portal or help rescue the others. Finally, Rinzler commented that the guards were at their fewest at the present moment, and that since the Pathfinders' plan would doubtless eventually end in running and screaming they might as well cut to the chase. At this, the Pathfinders agreed to split into two groups, with Erevis, Rinzler, and Sparkle Pony to rescue Halstein, Gorgoroth, Kat, and Ruthea, and Alejandra and Jura to break into the armoury and recover the Pathfinders' gear; the Skroll Kase Kobolds were invited to join in the escape, and were asked to spring as many slaves as possible. Rinzler's brand and Prisoner's Ring were removed with the Wand of Remove Curse and he was given the remaining Changeling Putty.
Erevis, Rinzler, and Sparkle Pony quickly found Gorgoroth and Halstein; Rinzler opened their cells while Erevis dispelled their magical restraints. The group released Venrin, though Erevis declined to use his most powerful magic to remove his brand until the Pathfinders were in the clear; Venrin later slipped off in the chaos with his restraints still in place. The large group split in two again; Erevis and Halstein travelled under cover of invisibility to find and activate an arcane portal known to be nearby, while Rinzler, Gorgoroth and Sparkle Pony went to release Ruthea and Kat. Erevis quickly found that the portal was in a hidden room connected to that of the high priestess'; he knocked on her door and Feebleminded her when she answered. The portal was found to be in a sort of hidden panic room nearby. Meanwhile, Rinzler and Gorgoroth found Mala's room and, though they didn't notice at first, Ru in a nearby cell. Rinzler sprung Ru while Gorgoroth broke down the sturdy door of Mala's bedroom with a mighty headbutt. Gorgoroth and Rinzler ran in and seized the princess while Ru unlocked Kat's cage and Sparkle Pony, still in the guise of a half-orc, comforted her. When this group left, they met up with Halstein and Erevis and prepared to leave, when Ru exclaimed that they couldn't leave yet: the Elfstone was nearby, and they shouldn't leave without it. Erevis cast Seeming upon the group so as to appear as drow, and Rinzler and Kat stayed in the priestess' room to prepare the portal, while the others ran down the halls to find the ring.
Meanwhile, Alejandra and Jura burst into the armoury and made short work of the three guards posted there. They found much of the Pathfinders' gear in the first room, but had to break through magical and mundane locks on a second door to find the more powerful items, which they collected along with a variety of other useful items not originally in the Pathfinder's possesion. They left the armoury in time to join Erevis, Ruthea, and Halstein as they burst into the shrine where Ru had spotted the Elfstone. The statue within the shrine shrieked horribly at the intrusion, but Erevis shattered its hand and claimed the ring from the shards. Upon leaving the shrine, the Pathfinders were accosted by guards, but as Erevis had disguised himself as the high priestess, he managed to send them off in search of the kobolds who had "set off the alarm". As they ran back, the Pathfinders found one of the Skroll Kase Kobolds unlocking a cage, and told him to get the others and run to the portal, which he did. They also stopped by Rinzler's cell to release the barbarian woman; there was a short clash of wills between her and Halstein before she agreed to go with them. It was here that they heard Gorgoroth yelling loudly in Common that the dwarves had kidnapped Malavika. As the guards mobilized, the Pathfinders escaped through the high priestess' portal, taking with them the feebleminded high priestess, Malavika, all six kobolds, and the barbarian woman.
The Pathfinders found themselves safe in Castle Kat some time after midnight. There was a truncated arguement regarding what to do with the two drow which was postponed due to high emotion and fatigue; all but two of the Skroll Kase Kobolds left for the Golden Fields, and the barbarian woman agreed to take the portal again to reunite with her people, the Thunderbird Tribe, but not before mentioning to Halstein to watch out for the "small, thin man" who had been imprisioned with her. Alejandra and Jura, furious at Gorgoroth's wanton implication of the dwarves, which could very easily lead to a war, reamed out the barbarian, who revealed that it was Rinzler's plan as well. All of the Pathfinders, tired and jittery from the escapade, eventually went their own ways to sleep, get drunk, or otherwise amuse themselves.