Review 03/21/2015 (Queen Ilnora and The Tomb of Minotaur Prince Koraz Velesson)

We begin the session on the deck of the Speedwell in the company of Simez Rothgazzi, seemingly as a blessing from Thor to answer his prayers. He is inroute to a ship moot whereby he hoped to recruit heroes but as fate would decree, we have arrived as said heroes. Simez and most of his crew are all dragonkin.

He needs our help in requesting permission from the Bloodless Queen to open the Tomb of the Minotaur Prince Koraz Velesson on Karn’Lothra to retrieve the Ancient Book of Vael Turog, a book containing secrets to traveling the void. We also learn that Simez has insulted the Queen in the past and Captain Gullnipper would take there and to Barsella, but he has come with a tribute that he hopes will appease the Lich Queen- whose name is actually Ilnora and the Key of Veles. The Book of Vael Turog, Simez warns, is full of dangerous forgotten lore.

A few days later we arrived at the ship moot, marked by a lonely rock, were we were able sell our equipment surplus and learn a few things about Karn’Lothra and the Lich Queen Ilnora. It is a volcanic island of tombs, mausoleums, and crypts numerous beyond counting. It contains jungle, a harbor and a walled city of the dead, the City Unforgotten, slaves, as well as a race of living dead called the Darakhul. We were furthermore encouraged to conduct our business in the day-light hours.

A few days later we arrive early in the day at the bleak isle of the dead, Karn’Lothra. Obvious is the smoke wafting lazily out of the volcano but what was most alarming was the corpse of a dead titan washed ashore. Standing around the body were several clerics gyrating and gesticulating whilst chanting in unison. We were to expect the ghost-prince Deland to come for us after our arrival.

Taking in the docks we see eerily silent, unforgiving ships with black sails in port as well as slave workers who do not make eye contact, respond to conversation, but panic at any direct questioning causing them to run toward the Castle. Religious symbols, past and new decorate what is the most common theme of the island- the tombs.

As the sun –sets a figure floats toward the ship, a tattooed ghost that speaks maddeningly with arrogance, skepticism, and his dying love for Ilnora. He introduces himself as Prince Deland and hears our quest. After taking inventory of our tribute (sans the hunting dogs) Deland congratulates us and will beg for permission for our boon. (Ps. She likes mammalian blood and anything related to the culture of Ankeshel.

Queen Ilnora

The citadel Luminoth was undergoing a remodeling and comes across as strangely modern and guarded by inept barnacle-armored zombies. In the castle everything appears tall and grandiose, filled with treasures and urns of fallen cities. The throne room however was filled with gold statuary but dwarfs the company of Queen Ilnora’s court. Ilnora stood seven feet tall with a head of silver hair and cold blue skin. She opens the dialogue with a greeting and the reception of the tribute asking Elisa about each creature.

Delighted with the tribute she admits the minotaur prince is of no consequence to her and is in a relatively new tomb- 800 years gold and that the mad price will be more than happy to perform any task for his Queen.

A few hours later we see the vastness of the Queens power. It is here we learn that often times tombs and mausoleums appear with our warning to this island; and that the cleric seen earlier are in fact trying to raise the titan for Queen Ilnora to expand into the seal.

Finally we come to the Minotaur Prince Koraz Velesson’s tomb and a red door marked with black curved horns. Upon touching the Key of Veles to the door opening it immediately as we were being followed by what seemed to be a wight stalking us. We close the door behind us, noting how much time was left before daybreak, whereby everyone save for Orathian fell into a 30’ deep pit. We were then set upon by two vampiric mists.

After dispatching them and after climbing out of the pit we come to a circular chamber at the end of a long hall. The chamber is dusty and filled with thousands of insect shells as well as a tripod with a black sphere, that floated up when we arrived; and a 3’ chest filled with the Book of Vael Turog and unknown riches. However we were set on by shadows causing us to use our protection form undead scroll.

We begin next session in the chamber of the tomb of Minotaur Prince Koraz Velesson surrounded by shadows with definitely one wight and the island of undead waiting outside.

Nargenstaal ; Epilogue

Hildigunn stood next to Skallagrim at the end of the villages simple dock, the both watching the sun settle and with it, the settling of many strange events of the past tenday. They talked quietly as they threw scraps from last evenings feast to Exeklactus, the pet giant crab that lived around the docks.

"Doesn't it bother that neither of us could feel that portal to the shadow realm?"

Skallagrim thought a bit before he answered. "Well, I don't need to tell you that it would just be the next one in a list of things we can't do anymore." The bitterness in his voice was outwieghed only by the sadness.

"The blessing of Freyr and Freja still protect this village, that was in full evidence. Your wisdom and devotion have served us all over these many years and they still do." Hildigunn reached out for the hand of her old friend, and the warmth of her touch seemed to comfort the old man.

" It is true the maiden of Sif brought us a wealth of new fresh blood into the village. It is easy to see several weddings this summer. Still, if we couldn't sense the door before they showed it to us, how do we know it isn't still there". Skallagrim was struggling to accept that strange events were just going to stop happening.

"Listen to the wind. Hear the lowing of the goats and sheep that we got back. Look into the eyes of the widows and hopeful brides of this village. All is right. The shadow door was for those strangers, and it showed here to draw them to us to avenge the Mossback Reavers. The shadow door is gone with them, perhaps even following them, forever a loop in their tapestries. Trust an old woman's intuition" She smiled warmly and looked into his eyes as she reassured him.

"The new band of warriors is most welcome. Heinrich's leadership certainly blossomed with the instruction of the great warrior Draco Morn. It is clear that his men, and all those of this village respect his strength and recognize him as a leader they will follow and respect." His voice warmed with admiration, as he also personally saw the same qualities in the ferocious northman.

The next words were spoken cautiously by Hildigunn. "Still, Loki's influence in whatever these events boil down to is troubling, don't you think? "

A long pause filled the air before he answered, but his voice and his conviction were strong. " A Lokisson founded our village, it is well that one should help defend it. May the blessings of Freyr and Freja greet every step of the journey of The Javelins Of Thor, even unto the edge of the world"

Review 02/07/2014 (The Phantom Menace and To The Edge of The World)

Our session began a three days after our battle with the drake and with the return of Elisa and the six maidens with their new barbarian husbands. Opposite them, approaching from the nearby hills were a wave of six giants. It was eventually learned that these ‘giants’ were actually spriggan under the command of the troll-kin witch and our fey-like voice visitor in the night.
 

The battle was heroic; each of the barbarian husbands survived to a feast after the troll-kin’s attack. Recovered were items and weapons off the spriggan for the village: small chain shirts, halberds and short swords, but the items from the witch who was killed were ours: a magical spear, leather armor and some coin (already split up).

 

We decide to rest and address the shadow road on the morrow; though it's pull by this time was palatable. Our rest was interrupted however, by Arnum’s fitful laughter. Vorware rested below, but it was Elisa who flooded Arnum’s chamber with light, lessening the shadows allowing Arnum, and the rest of us, a full night’s rest.

The next morning under a stormy sky we were seen off by the village elders and stepped through the shadow door both Arnum and Vorware ceremoniously opened. The shadow road featured vague landscapes and structures too distant to discern; behind us our entry to the road disappeared into the void in our wake all while the silky voice of the elven-woman suggesting we step into the shadows. Man-sized spiders occupied the shadows off the path sometimes threatening to veer a traveler off course.

After twenty minutes a voice congratulates us as fools as we arrive before an alter surging with power and the stunning appearance of Loki and Thor themselves. On the alter are six spears in the shape of thunderbolts, symbolic weapons in the crusades to come.

Thor extends his gratitude as an irritated Loki looks on and offers his own word of compliment. Thor goes on to explain that a team of mortals must be assembled to perform certain key holy events. Loki: Events to venerate Loki and Thor in the south lands versus ‘false-name’ gods wearing masks. Thor: The threads of fate are being woven and a rising threat is coming but is still in the shadows. He further indicates our crusades will expose this phantom menace.

Each of us take up one of the Javelins of Thor and are engulfed in a quickening marking us with the sign of Thor - our moment of ascension. 

Produce Lightning (Su): Once per day as a ranged touch attack the touched individual can produce lightning causing 1d6 points of damage +1/CL. There is no save or spell resistance against this attack. 

After the quickening spiders emerge from the shadows and hoist us on their backs and transport us to our first task: answering the prayers of Simez Rothgazzi of the Tower of the High Order of Geomancers, a handsome and well decorated man of Thor. He needs our help in requesting permission to open the Tomb of Koraz in/on Karn’Lothra to retrieve the Ancient Book of Vael Turog. We were also awarded 2,400 xp and

Review 01/20/2015 (The Donkey, a Giant Crab, the Forest Drake and an Illusionary Bucket)

With most of the men of Nargenstal deceased save for three, it was the elders that the villagers looked to, and the elders to us for guidance and purpose. Among the male survivors were Leiknr and Hlodvir, both stone and woodcrafters, and Skallagrim a proud adept who venerate both Freyja and Feyr. The elderly mothers, Hildagunn and Fastvi gathered us together to discuss several things.

Over or palaver we put together was that the shaman likely recruited the ogres for Viking style raids looking for the Javalins of Thor, and that old Nargenstal is positioned for ship forays across the sea to the south. What was left of the Moss-back reavers after our attack had likely fled back into the wilderness.

We revealed the Shadow Door to the elders who were surprised, both Hildagunn and Skallagrim recognized it as a Shadow Door but did not know of this phenomena.  Orathian was successfully able to open it himself whereby it opened into a druidic seeing pool including a path, just like the other times it opened although the setting was different.

Meanwhile Sven Seithr investigates other areas under the Inn observing what poor supply the food was in. He also came across three old headstones of the founders of Nargenstal that read:

Captain Hengir Lokison- Beloved of the Fishing god.

Mottia Almasdottir- Daughter of Sif and beloved of Freyja.

Thornar Von Runkelstad- Mage and Smith. Eye of Volund.

That night the five elders call for everyone to stay at the Inn, as there is safety in numbers. Evening watch is established and the next morning arrives uneventful to a sorrowful day as the dead are identified and counted. Elisa Berit gathers the most comely and skillful of the women, gathers the horses, and rides off to deliver the horses and hopefully lure men to Nargenstal to rebuild the community.

Voreware Undhin gathers and utilizes the children to begin barricading the Inn and setting up simple alarms. Orathian takes stock of food reserves and speaks of slaughtering the only remaining beast- the donkey, Draco works with Leiknr and Hlodvir to modify some of the large weapons down to size, and Arnum sits down with Skallagrim.

Unconvinced the adept and Hildagunn were completely forthcoming, Skallagrim admitted to Arnum he withheld a valued Nargenstal resource: a diadem that was linked to the village ‘pet’ a giant crab. Skallagrim was apologetic and embarrassed.

Around noon we were told that ten people were still missing and unaccounted for: a fisherman on his boat has not been seen since the raid, as well as a missing family of six, and three neighborhood adolescents; and the oxen and various livestock.

Thinking the family is more of a priority, we pack up the donkey and visit their home to find that they left to harvest honeycombs in the forest four to five days ago. Orathian has Ghost pick up the wife’s scent which leads us unerringly to the woods whereby Ghost picks up on another scent- a predator.

After much skillful reconnaissance we track how the Robinsons were ambushed and killed by a large forest drake that now slept peacefully sated. With the advantage of surprise we converged on the drake. It was able to utilize his breath weapon, but after Sven's brilliant use of a silent image spell, creating an illusion of a bucket over the drake's head, the creature was outlasted and killed at the end of Draco’s large braced spear.

The rest of the day, Draco and Orathian harvested the large forest drake’s meat (400 lbs) and hide enough for a medium sized suit of hide armor and shield. We also were found in a nearby lair a masterwork great axe, which Draco took; and one other undefined masterwork martial weapon. After fixing a skiff to Old Number-Seven we transported the meat and hide back to Nargenstal.

That night was celebrated with relaxed food rations and general good feelings. At around 3 am, during Draco’s watch, Orathian suddenly awoke to bouts of laughter for the briefest of moments. Down the hall, Voreware is also awakened by his own manacle laughter. Nothing else happened that night, however Ghost indicated a female scent, isolated and in each of our sleeping areas.

The next morning we ask and discover villagers were not affected by the strange laughter effect overnight. We split up today, Arnum plans on a day of prayer and fasting while the rest of us- Orathian, Voreware, Drago, and Sven Seithr venture out with Ghost looking for the rest of the missing people.

At the end of the day we pieced together that the adolescents must be with the missing boater, possibly held up on one of the small islands nearby. We did however find and bring back a dozen oxen and livestock of Nargenstal, which made the donkey very happy.

 

Arnum, during his fast and prayers, receives an image of a tapestry on a loom that is no moving, possibly indicating our fates are not yet woven. In his meditations Arnum learns the Shadow Door is new and was why the shaman and the Dampier converged on Nargenstal. He also learns that this new Shadow Door was a result of Loki and Thor working together.

That evening Voreware accommodates the entirety of the evening’s watch hoping for a repeat of last night’s phenomena. As it turns out during the night Arnum suddenly awakes in a fit of idiotic laughter, as does Voreware and Orathian who also laugh fitfully; however, they also hear a female elven voice say, “They are coming, I am bringing them.”

This phenomena repeats for the next two nights during which Orathian and Draco work 32 hours on the forest drake hide armor and after which Elisa is due back with her Estrogen Riders. 

Loki's Laughter

Loki's balls! This band i find myself teamed with are a frustrating lot! Vikings who fear the sea and hide in the shadows during a fight so as not to be injured! We shall not live forever, better to die as a viking than as a cowardly southlander. I for one will spend my next two days working in a forge and my nights feasting, drinking and fucking. All Hail Wotan!

Nargenstal wrap up

This is to serve as a game note to record numbers killed and treasure gathered. If these numbers are different from what I said saturday night, this post is meant to be the record. Let me know of discrepancies, though.

Killed: 14 kobolds, 2 trollkin warriors,  1 ogre, and 1 dhampir hunter.
Escaped: 14 kobolds, 1 trollkin warrior, 1 trollkin shaman although these escaped, full XP will be awarded
Treasure awarded
Hunter
     light warhorse
     compound longbow +3 strength bonus
     20 arrows
     hide armor
Trollkin warriors
     2 leather armor
     2 longspears
     6 javelins
Ogre
     +1 large longspear
     3 large throwing axes
     large size hide armor
Kobolds
     14 slings, with 50 lead bullets, and a bunch of rocks
     14 medium sized daggers
     14 small sized spears
     14 small sized leather armor
all the above had a few coins in a pouch, after all it is a reaving party.
after some random rolls a total of 162 cp, 66 sp, and 12 gp were found amongst the reavers.
The villagers reward the party with 200 sp.
this list does not include the orog encounter at the outpost, that is detailed in an earlier review.

Machinations of Loki

The quiet whirring of gears and minuscule piston-drives busily rotating and churning out what looks like life from automatons and clock-works constructs is the back ground noise of most of Asgard, emanating from the palaces, homes, bridges and constructions. Huge machines rotated nonstop, providing constant power to the physical and magical gridirons of the realms. Mechanical messengers buzzed back and forth in the open starlit areas between holds and castles. All the clicking and clacking blended to make a soothing drone that Loki took great pleasure in. Seated across the chess board was a personal construct, a gift given him not long ago. The clockwork was quite advanced, with a speciality in strategy games and logic.  It was created with an intelligence to learn patterns of opponents and evolve plans, mainly in chess.  It was a mastercraft construct, built on equations and principles that were stringently rigid, a paragon of true harmonious law. Loki had spent weeks locked in strategic combat with the automaton, an ebb and flow of wins and losses flowing like tides. But the last few hours, the feel was different. People had begun to gather to watch a game of growing legend, and Loki called for a pause. He implored the construct to consider that they had played to a stalemate, and they had only one choice to declare one a better master of strategy- change one rule in the game, play one game. The best player will make the adjustment to win. The spirit within the clock-man was intrigued, and agreed. Loki would make one rule change, and the clockwork would have first turn.after three hours, the clock-man was starting to overheat, but neither man had achieved an advantage.  In six hours, loud squeals and squeaks had turned to a cacophony as the clock-work was under extreme stress trying to win a game that had been sabotaged by Loki.  The rule change put it so that it was practically impossible to not end in a tie. Loki laughed as it was torn apart by it own rules and laws.

It was a clever Sif who saw the reality of what Loki had done. He changed one rule, halfway through an arranged plan, and the entire construct, the whole exercise completely fell apart. She watched Loki laugh maniacally, just as happy to destroy the construct as he was to own it.

This was the lesson Sif was thinking of when Thor first told her of Loki's plan to build a team of Nortlander Raiders to spread and strengthen their masks in the southlands. That was a reasonable and believable reason to commit to mortal heroes, to be sure. But what was the second part of the plan? Why did he need this team of mythic heroes?