Category: Netherdeep

Tricks, Traps, and Talks

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

Huntsmaster Cyndrial,

They did well against the sorrowsworn, though Pristess Janan tells me they left an illusory dragon down in the crypt, and dead bodies on the road outside. Bodes of the sorrowsworn, I mean, of course. Six of them! Instead of the three we were contracted for. Quite efficient, these Noble Fragments, not afraid to do extra work. They were talking about selling the extra spikes to a local blacksmith.

They were gone a long time for that job, and I got worried, but it turned out that they went for the medusa without coming back to check in first! Huntsmaster, they Talked to it! The convinced it to leave town, and some of the guards saw them escorting it into the desert! I don’t know how they did it, and I’m not sure I want to. I’m afraid we’ll be getting another job to go kill it in the future. Meantime, I gave Master Keencutter his money back. The little blue-haired one says she can fix his men, and he said that would be enough.

They’ve run off now, to go do things for the friends that brought them to town. I’ll have to be more careful about what jobs I tell them about.

~ Hunstmaster Dayai

The others are shopping around the bazaar today, but I caught sight of them and slipped away. Folge saw me, I think, but she won’t say anything. She’s on my side. Ayo doesn’t have the stomach for leadership, might have to see her removed. Irvan and Galsariad would leave her. Dermot and Maggie might be a problem. Later though, they are all useful for now. We have to learn more about this new power source.

They went into the Bone Garden and just a few minutes later, a giant red marble elephant came charging out! They destroyed it pretty quickly, and it changed back into a tiny figurine. Amateurs, must have not been careful when they picked it up. The Consortium might be interested in that little figure. Followed them back to the Chateau, I’ll report back on that professor, maybe we can get it from her later.

Oh here comes that coward from the Library. She wants them to meet with her superior. Filthy spies, the lot of them. I’ll keep following for now, best to know what they’re up to. I’ll never get him alone if I don’t stick on their tail.

~Chal’Nas

The Jewel of Hope

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, Netherdeep1 Comment

The Noble Fragments, having awakened the Jewel of Three Prayers and escorted me into and out of the Betrayer’s Rise, are now ready to return home with me to Ank’Harel. Bringing the Jewel of Three Prayers to The Jewel of Hope. Headmaster Alakritos will be so proud! Headmaster Cryon might even smile, maybe, if put in the proper light. I have filled Question in on all the goings on, and let the Dynasty mages know what we found, as far as the rift, anyway, and some of the horrible rooms and monsters. They were grateful, though perhaps more grateful that I was leaving. I’m afraid I wasn’t terribly helpful to them, and they knew my presence was more of a ruse.

Oh, to be home again, and away from this awful cold, dreary weather. The marble of the Chateau was a welcome sight. Straight to the Schoolhouse to let Headmaster Alakritos know, and he welcomed us all into his home. Tea, coffee, and baklava. Oh, how I’ve missed the coffee here. Xhorhas, for all it’s darkness, has the weakest roasts! The Fragments, usually verbose, were quite light on the details when they told the story. Left out Aloysia trying to kill them and everything. It got brought up later, fortunately, and the Headmaster is quite interested in finding out why. I think the whole meeting went well. He invited them to join us in our search for the truth about Cael Marrow. Perhaps we’ll be able to stop the CoVD, after all.

I took them around the city a bit then. Question gave them a map when they first arrived, but it’s not labeled very well, and this city is a bit maze-like. Down to the Suncut Bazaar, of course, they had shopping they wished to do. New city, full of wonders, what else do young folk like this want, but to taste the local wares. I told them to meet me later at The Frog and Kabab if they needed a place to stay, but I had to go file my official report. They seemed safe enough, and they can take care of themselves. I’m sure they’ll be fine.

~Prolix Yusaf, AoA

Huntsmaster Cyndrial –

The Noble Fragments, Slayers from Xhorhas, arrived today. I sent word to Rajot to let him know, but I felt I should give you a full report. My slayers, as you know, are all out of the city right now, fighting fantastic creatures. This group of colorful characters are all very polite and hardworking to boot! They took their rest, but were quite eager to head out first thing in the morning to face two Rot Trolls that got loose in a local fighting arena. They came right back, as fast as you wish, dragging the trolls’ heads behind them! Rajot should be commended for such skillful members. I’m sure you know that, I didn’t mean to tell you what to do. It just seemed like the thing to say, he always does such a good job.

I do have a concern, though. One of the other city contracts is for a medusa that has turned several miners to stone. Kai’Osh, the drow – though he looks a bit big for a drow, seems to want to talk with it, negotiate. But the contract is already paid, and the client wants it dead! It’s in a mausoleum right in the middle of his strip mining operation. I think I should just not offer them that contract again. I can’t have them taking a contract and then not completing it! Please advise, right now they’re out on a Sorrowsworn contract, but I’m sure they’ll be back by the afternoon.

~Huntsmaster Lyra Dayai

A Maze and A Vision

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

Jump?!?

They sent off the quiet young lady to fly around and investigate, and when she returns, they all decide the best course of action was to jump off a cliff! Yes, they have featherfall, but in a temple like this, anything could happen! There’s still a Vrock flying around! And it did come in for a swoop, but fortunately, they put it down before it could fly away with the adorable little one.

So many bodies down there. The Cobalt Soul contingent, and a number of Aurora Watch. We walk quickly away, the young lady has already taken from them what might be needed to identify them. There is an unstable gate down here, one the mages had suspected, but left alone. They were more focused inside the temple, what was keeping it filled with demons time and again. I warn them against getting too close, and we head for the path that was found back inside.

Chains covering the floor, and three different paths ahead. Purple, Green, and Darkness. The books from the Cobalt monks mentioned this, but not a solution. The crossing is perilous, but we all eventually enter the purple tunnel. The pressure of the temple is awful in here, I feel sick to my stomach. It takes far too long to reach the next branching. The tunnels have changed order, but the chains remain.

The strange small one goes in, dodging the chains and having a good look around. He notices a nearly worn away symbol of the Chained Oblivion above the dark pathway. We all bolster up and make our way across, some with more difficulty than others, into the darkness. It feels better in here, calmer, though it is difficult to see ahead, and the tunnel changes quite frequently. We do reach the third branching, and spot the symbol above the darkness again. Across we go, pulling a few out of chains, and do an very… well, one would call it hilly outside. Much traveling up and down, until we find ourselves back at the beginning.

It’s much easier now, to spot the symbol above the darkness, now that we know what to look for. We have to take all three dark paths to get through. So, we soldier on, through the chains, and the pain. It’s a good thing Morty has that little heal-bot running, but it still hurts. We finally reach the other side and find a winding staircase further into the mountain depths.

It’s a long, twisty way down, but nothing haunts us, or trips us, or sends us sliding. The chamber at the end is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It is as though the gods themselves struck through this mountain of betrayal and crystalized their love and beauty in the depth of this cavern. Also, their sheer might, as these crystals are razor sharp, and it takes a bit of doing to get everyone down mostly safely.

The altar at the center calls to young Shak’Nul, and his amulet. The Jewel senses the power here, and the moment it touches down, an apparition appears. It is the boy from Question’s visions! Then it is a battle for this very temple, and the boy fights alone, and the very gods fight over him. He is alone again, in a sunken city. Could this be Cael Morrow? Is it all true? Is he trapped for the ages, beneath Ank’Harel?! We have to go home!

Oh. Oh no. Aloysia found us, and demanded the jewel. Fortunately, her crew aren’t too keen on attacking my friends. Kai’Osh begins to beat his drum, and they calm even further. Except for a couple of them, but they are kept at bay. Aloysia was so upset, she tried to bring the entire mountain down upon us before she ran! By the time we got back up the stairs, she and the others were gone. A flash of light, a teleport circle, perhaps, took them all away.

They left behind, a shattered stained glass portal, and six very angry flames, however. One of whom got our little metal cleric on their side for a moment or two of healing, That would have served us far better. They want us to dance with them. I wonder, had we before, if they could have truly shown us the way. Too late for all that now, as we extinguish their flames, one by one.

Now, how do we get out? Jonas opens a door to the right and discovers giant demon flies. Closes the door quickly, but they do not try to follow. Protecting their hive, one might guess. The door to the south opens upon a long hall of flickering torches. This makes Kai’Osh more nervous than the demons, and he may very well be right. Jonas heads back in to deal with the flies, and a droning noise fills the room. Urzu falls unconscious as soon as she enters their room. Little SHAGWIC pulls her out, but the Chasmes just follow. Mimi falls next, and again, but the others cut down the flies before they are able to drain too much life from their fellows. Morty digs through the body of one, but just gets covered in goo. They do find some interesting bits in the next room – some motes of possibility contained within glass orbs, and a ruby vial. Concerned with what might lie ahead, we take some time to rest. Those bugs didn’t hit often, but they hit Hard.

The far door is opened and we reach another intersection, the door to the left begins to glow with the Jewel. We have found our way out! We quickly head that way, and across the stone bridge. Gathering up all our strength, we push the gates open just enough to startle the guards into brandishing their weapons at us. They quickly realize who we are and let us through. No one else has come out since we went in, but they are glad someone has made it out safely.

I explain to the Noble Fragments, for they truly are, having kept me mostly safe through our entire endeavor, what I know of the Vermillion Consortium and the Sunken City beneath Ank’Harel. The power they are trying to usurp for themselves, and the danger, should they get their hands on the Jewel. I invite them to return with me, to find this Alyxian in the depths, and solve the mystery of this power. I also invite them to breakfast after they agree. I am starving!

Cursed by a God

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

I’ve never been cursed by a god before and I do not ever want to be again. I almost killed that pleasant young fellow, Kai’Osh. Fortunately, he was able to calm everyone down enough to pull through and shake it off. Oh why did I ever agree to come in here?

Three arms and all those chains. Is this Torog or Tharzidun? Or both? Doors without hinges or handles in the middle of a tortured giant’s stomach. Magic, obviously. Oh look, black pustules of evil, and now they’re shooting them. So disgusting and splashy, but at least the sword brothers didn’t climb up there to stab at them. Well, at least it worked and the doors are open now. Fascinating black swirling nothingness. Wait, what? You want to go inside? But there’s two other ways out! Oh dear.

More darkness, low ceiling and crowded with stalactites and stalagmites. Quietly, it says, boiling trouble, and not what it seems. So, we go quiet, until we hit a stream of acid. The little metal one decides to jump it, and makes such a ruckus, that he wakes four ropers! No, no, no, no, no! I do not like this one bit. They kept grabbing us up and trying to bite our heads off!

At least I found competent help, and we all make it through alive. What’s this? Now they want to go get loot out of the acid river?! Adventurers! Poor Jonas keeps tossing images of himself at the acid, and they keep burning up. Finally, the little metal man goes in himself, and comes out steaming with some gold and a sword hilt. And we go onward.

To a room dedicated to Gruumsh! Five massive, fiend-corrupted, orcs with equally massive axes and spears. Oh, and did I mention the boiling blood?? Nope, no way, not going in there. Oh, it’s really bad, they’re falling. That little blue-haired girl pulls them back up though, thank the Primes. The blood finally recedes when the last orc falls.

Everyone is exhausted, so we gather up the loot and head into the next hallway to rest. Urzutha pulls up a rope trick and we have a nice safe rest, identifying all the strange weapons they’ve picked up. Most of them are cursed, of course. This place tends to do that. After the rope trick wears off and nothing has changed, the group decides to take a proper long rest. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea in a place like this, but they are all clearly beat to all the hells below.

By the time everyone is rested, the door back to the blood chamber has resealed itself. The strange little green one says there’s something invisible in there now. So, we leave it be and head down the hallway, and out of Gruumsh’s mouth into a wide and deep chasm. It seems like where we came in might be above us? No way to tell really. Jonas tosses a coin, but no one hears it land below. Then there’s a flash of light and demonic screeches as two Vrocks fly up to attack. They take one down, and the other flies away, but there doesn’t seem to be any way off this ledge other than climbing or flying ourselves.

~Prolix Yusaf

The Danger of Rushing

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Oh My! Why did I agree to do this? I don’t want to do this! I just came here to watch her and report back. I’m not an adventurer! Oh dear!

I wonder what’s down in this chasm, no one else seems to be worried. What if something flies up and carries me off? Oh, the door is glowing and we are going in. Good! The faster we get through this the better. I do wonder what we’ll find.

Oh! Oh no! Ochre Jellies! No! NO! Stay away from my books. Leave me alone! Protect Me! The big guy kept cutting them in half, but at least the smaller ones seemed to go down quickly. Oh dear, Those were nasty things. Good thing no one expected me to fight them. Gross, but at least they left behind some money. Must be the only thing they can keep hold of back and forth through those tiny holes.

Oh this is nicer. A wide open vestibule with no one trying to kill us. I wonder what was in these little alcoves. Long ago looted, I suspect. I wonder if we have any of the artifacts back home. Oh, read something for them. Okay, in Abyssal? Oh, well, I guess. Better move quickly though, it only lasts an hour. Accept death, relinquish hope? Oh dear, no that sounds terrible. They think so too. Table with a creepy vase now, read the table? Okay, cast something of value into Oblivion? Well, that’s better than death, I suppose.

The big guy, Jonas, I think he said, tries a handful of silver, but this must be a greedy god because it doesn’t work. The weird little gnome carves a pebble, but whatever horror is behind this doesn’t like that either. The autognome takes out some tools, and the pretty one is a bit aghast. This seems to be of enough value, and the skull’s eyes glow red, and the stone behind it opens up.

Now this looks like more of a sanctuary, maybe even a basilica would be more apt a term. Pillars all down the length and beautiful stained glass at the end. Oh! The braziers are alive! Well, the flames are anyway! They seem to be dancing to the soft music in the room. They’re so pretty, why is everyone afraid of them. The bard is beating his drum in a very unsettling manner. It’s so pretty in here, oh… oh those aren’t nice symbols on the stained glass. Not that I expected them to be in a place like this, but Every Betrayer? Even that old lich Vecna?? Maybe they’re right, and we should leave it alone.

Spiders! Why did it have to be Spiders! Oh, and Driders, too. But these look even more twisted than I’d heard. Must be this place does something to you if you stay too long. We have to hurry! Oh! Webs! Nonono! Fire, yes, fire will do it. Careful, not too much! Oh look, that’s why the Taskhand won’t send more soldiers. Several dead in here already. Oh, we’re gathering their things? A magic sword? Oh, to give back to their families. Well, I suppose that’s proper, if they even have families.

What’s this? A secret room full of books. Lots of Abyssal – demon pacts with betrayer gods. All falling apart. Oh, no! They would be so interesting to read! What’s this? Looks like that stained glass. Oh, and it talks about the gods. I wonder if this is how we get through. Kai’Osh thinks we have to go through the trials of these gods to get through. I hope not, I don’t know how many more trials I can survive!

So, we avoid the window again, and head back to the death wall. I do not like this. I don’t want to die! The others study it for a while. Shak’nul gives it a try, but he comes away just looking tired. There’s some more discussion, and then Kai’Osh disappears right into the wall!! No! Nope! Not interested! The little autognome, Shagwic, he said, comments that Kai’Osh got through alive and on the other side. The others start going through one by one, until only Shagwic, Shak’nul, and I are left. I think they’ve forgotten about me. They’re discussing the wall, and they decide to try holding hands to get through. Shagwic suddenly remembers me, and I grab hold, too. Thank whatever gods are listening, we made it through.

It’s utterly quiet here. Someone at the corner is firing at enemies ahead, so I stick close to the wall. No way back and no way forward. Fire lights up the corridor ahead! Oh no! I press harder back on the wall. I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die. Then things calm down and they retrieve me. Small skulls are lying shattered on the ground. There’s talk of taking a proper short rest in here, and there’s talk of pushing on through a hallway full of blades! Rest wins out, fortunately.

Oh, but not for long. The clues here are in Undercommon, fortunately, I can’t read Abyssal anymore. They through around words like sadism and masochism. The burly one goes on about how he likes fighting, and heads on into the hallway. Which immediately begins tilting back and forth. He slams into the blades, but makes it to the end. The little crystal container above the far door starts filling with blood. One by one, they head on in, until the canister is full and the far door opens, stopping the tilting floor. Oh, thank Ord! I did Not want to do that!

Stairs. Just stairs. Though there’s a wailing from below. Louder, louder, louder. Oh my gods! What is that!?!

~Prolix Yusaf
Allegiance of Allsight