Far Isles Session # 77 - How to Kill A Wizard

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Chaff (Vivimancer 6), with familiar Pretty Bird 

Torak (Cleric 6) 
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 6), with familiar Hermes and henchman Jaz (Elf 3)

Awg Wahmn (Calmonari 5)

The "Little Dolphin Inn" jutted out over the Pool, so the party had been taking turns keeping watch from the upper floor for a vessel that matched the description of Calcidius' "Blind Fury". On their sixth day in Xin, such a vessel appeared in the inner harbor. Chaff sent Pretty Bird aloft to spy on the small sailing ship as it docked about four hundred yards down the waterfront. As the ship maneuvered to pull into a mooring, Pretty Bird spied the wizard on deck talking to three men. Identity confirmed, the party rolled into action. The first step was to draw the wizard to them. Awg had the charmed merman Gurps swim over to taunt the wizard, calling him names and saying the party was waiting for him at the "Little Dolphin". The wizard  got more and more enraged, then quickly raised his hand and shot a fistful of magic missile at the unfortunate Gurps, who rolled over dead and sank to the bottom. Calcidius then turned to the three standing on deck with him. One suddenly disappeared, while the other two accompanied Calcidius below as the crew brought the "Blind Fury" into the dock.

The Little Dolphin Inn

Back at the inn, Chaff relayed the outcome of the taunting as seen through Pretty Bird's eyes. Expecting trouble, everyone started to get ready.  First of all, they cleared the inn by telling the patrons the fireball flinging wizard was coming., That got rid of most of them pretty fast, although it took more convincing to get Josiah the owner and his wife to leave.  The musketeers were placed in the windows on the upper floor with orders to shoot anyone matching Calcidius' description.  Chaff stripped down and cast transparency on himself, and smeared a dose of oil of true seeing on his eyelids. They assumed Calcidius' henchman had turned invisible, and this way Chaff (who went to hide outside) could see him. Jaz used some of the oil as well, then grabbed some wine and settled down with a half dozen winos out front to act drunk and keep an eye out for trouble. Inside, Awg charmed one of the inn's dolphins (just in case); Kwinsea used her scroll of control weather to summon a rainstorm in the hopes it would dampen any fireballs that got tossed around; and Torak cast a glyph of warding on the doorway. 

And then they waited, occasionally having to turn away tavern customers so they didn't trigger the glyph. It seemed to take forever,  but after about a half hour, Jaz noted someone approaching the inn. He was dressed in leather armor, and no one else walking the streets seemed to notice him as he slunk along the walls and worked his way around the "Little Dolphin". Best guess that this was Calcidius' spy, so when he got close to Jaz, she cast a web and glued him to the building on the opposite side of the alley. That startled the drunks, but liberal application of a few more bottles of wine settled them down. Chaff and Jaz approached the still invisible spy, and started to question him. The fellow, Dak by name, was entirely uncooperative even when threatened with violence and death. Dak was more scared of what Calcidius might do if he ratted the wizard out, that he was of a few scruffy adventurers. Torak came out and tried to command Dak to cooperate, but that didn't work either. The fear of Calcidius was too deeply ingrained. So they slit his throat, and left the invisible body webbed to the wall. 

At about this point, Pretty Bird relayed a view to Chaff of the other two of Calcidius' henchman leaving the ship and headed their way. They were generally acting normally, but obviously on alert and watching each others backs. They got to a point where they could see the "Little Dolphin", and then retreated a few blocks to casually take up station and wait. They stayed for almost an hour, looking around, up and down, before heading back to the "Blind Fury". Pretty Bird saw them board ship and go below. She kept watching but saw nothing else except sailors at work on the deck. 

This left the party in a dilemma; do they stay at the inn where they are prepared for Calcidius, or take the fight to him? After a short discussion, they decided to take the fight to him. Kwinsea, Awg, and the his/her charmed dolphin dropped into the water and swam towards the "Blind Fury". The calmonari had the instant fortress tucked in his belt, the ring of invisibility on one finger and a stone with silence 15' radius (courtesy of Torak) in one hand. Jaz meanwhile stumbled along acting drunk to keep an eye out from the landward side, while Chaff (still transparent) led the musketeers along some distance behind her. When the swimming duo reached the ship, Kwinsea and the dolphin held back to watch while Awg climbed up the stern and onto the deck. There was no one on the stern castle, but a half dozen sailors performed various task on the main deck below. The calmonari, invisible and silent, crept over to the edge of the stern castle. Once there, he tossed the silenced rock towards the dock, quickly shouted the command word for the instant fortress, and then dove into the water. The fortress instantly appeared on deck. It seemed to hover for a moment, and then crashed down through the decks, before toppling over into the water.  However, by that time, the stern of the "Blind Fury was completely wrecked, and the rest of the ship started to flood and settle into the water as the sailors all dove overboard or jumped down on the dock and ran. 

On shore, chaos ensued as the crowds reacted to the destruction. Awg and Kwinsea waited to see if Calcidius appeared, but there was no sign of the wizard. At about this point Torak, having used the shark spear to turn into a shark, appeared alongside his companions (scaring away the dolphin in the process). By now, a thin sheen of blood and bits of crushed flesh started to drift out from the wrecked ship.  Some of the body parts were draped in Calcidius' robes, so the party sighed in relief that he seemed to have been in the stern cabin and not the bow. Torak had cast detect magic before transforming, and he honed in on on mashed hand with a still intact ring on it, which he scooped up in his mouth. Awg meanwhile said the command word for the instant fortress again and returned to normal size, which caused yet a greater stir on the docks.  By this time the Chaff-led musketeers had arrived, and were immediately accosted by one of the squads of the Purple who'd likewise arrived on the scene. Sergeant Wilhelm talked the musketeers out of trouble, saying they'd heard the commotion and came to help. But there were way too many guardsmen and hysterical people around for comfort, so Chaff, Jaz and the musketeers retreated to the "No Man's Sea", as did the three in the water. They decided to avoid the "Little Dolphin Inn" for now, except to go back, pay off the innkeeper with  700gp of hush-money, and gather their things, plus the invisible body of Dak (which they later found was also wearing a magic ring)    

"Do What?!?"

Deciding this would be an excellent time to lay low, the party decided to get out of town for a few days and follow up on Kwinsea's quest to collect a sample of the stomach contents from the Tentacled beast of the Vasak Depths. They sailed out to the appropriate location, and Team Aquatic (Awg, Kwinsea and Torak-shark) jumped into the water. Kwinsea first cast a summon aquatic monster spell, which gained her a half dozen hooded seals to help. These she sent into the depths to draw up the Beast. About 10 minutes later, the seals swam by at high speed to hide behind Kwnisea. And then out of the inky darkness came the Beast itself. Kwinsea, having taken the time to cast speak with aquatic animals, greeted to beast and asked it to parley. She was looking for it's help, and offered whatever the Beast would desire in return. The Beast was hesitant at first, but agreed to listen. Kwinsea laid out her need for stomach contents, and the Beast insisted it would need a full meal to replace what it disgorged. Making sure they couldn't hear here, Kwinsea offered the seals as a meal. The beast agreed, and proceeded to spew forth a massive cloud of vomitous discharge, which the aquamancer scooped up in a specially prepared sack. She then directed the seals to their doom, and the Beast charged into their midst and started snapping them up. At this point, the party got out of the way, returned to the surface and thence back to Xin. Kwinsea then went off to meet with Xerious to give him his squid vomit, and then sat down with the naked aquamancer to learn her new spell. Chaff likewise took the opportunity to seek out Lady Volana with a bag full of collected fingers to do the same. 

TOTAL XP

7160

GAINS
Ring of Protection +1

Ring of Protection +1

KILLS

Calcidius the Insane Wizard
Philidona and Cymar [Swashbucklers]
Dak [Thief]

LOSSES
Gurps the Merman
6 Hooded Seals

Far Isles Session #76 - Back to Xin

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Chaff (Vivimancer 6), with familiar Pretty Bird and Riding Dog Puppy Whuppy

Torak (Cleric 6) 
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 6), with familiar Hermes and henchman Jaz (Elf 3)
Rodrigo (Swashbuckler 6) 

Awg Wahmn (Calmonari 5)

Before taking leave of Bellephrone, the party plunked down some of their hard earned gold to have her identify a few of their new magic items. The gem recovered from the dragons' haord was found to be a gem of brightness. The shield Jaz had been carrying since the stone ships was known as a bull's eye shield; it would repeal all non-magical thrown weapons as long a the wielder had never fled combat while carrying the shield. They also took the opportunity to have Bellephrone take care of Jaz's swollen tongue, restoring the elf's spell casting (and talking) abilities. 

Their business at the Anchorage complete, the party returned to the "Purple Haze" and made their way back to Xin. Three days later, they found themselves approaching the city as night was falling. There had been extensive discussion along the way about how best to get them and their treasure into Xin; did they want to try sneaking it in to avoid taxes or just take the hit and stay on the laws' good side? In the end, they decided to just pay their share, hiding only some of the more valuable and portable items in the hollow figurehead. The bulk of the coin and precious metals were left free in the hold. Met at the river chain by a customs inspector and a boatload of the Purple, the party let them aboard for inspection. The guards accompanying the inspector into the hold filched a few silver coins, but the customs man himself seemed straight as an arrow and assessed them an 8% tax with no expectation of a  'donation'. Chaff did offer a small gratuity (600gp) for the customs guild to ensure any record of their treasure was buried in paperwork for a few days, until it could be properly hidden away. He was also pressed for information on Calcidius, and the inspector recalled the wizard had shipped out of the city about two weeks ago aboard a scuzzy vessel named the "Bind Fury". 

With customs compete, the ship took on a pilot to bring them into the Fogbound Quays. The next day they paid off the crew and let them disappear into the taverns, but paid the musketeers a bonus to hang around and stand guard over the ship while the party went about their business. This business included:

• Getting their treasure into safe keeping. Chaff dressed up in his best robes, and accompanied by their musketeer Sergeant Wilhelm, headed for the Hill of Gold. Making inquires, he was directed to the premises of a goldsmith by the name of Mesophan. He operated a series of vaults in which many of the nouveau-rich of the city kept their gold. He cut a deal with Chaff to store their gold for a fee of 1% per quarter on the first 250000gp deposited (and lessor fees thereafter), first and last quarters fee paid up front. Suddenly feeling that their hoard was grossly inadequate, Chaff agreed to the terms and deposited 50000gp. But he was rebuffed when he requested an inspection of the vaults. Mesophan did not want anyone to see how he protected his clients' treasure.  So Chaff instead walked away with a contract and series of promissory notes to use around town for their large purchases. 

• The first large purchase was a new ship; the party was feeling cramped in the confines of the "Purple Haze". Taking Lynessa (who signed on for another voyage), they combed the docks looking for vessels for sale. In particular, they wanted a larger ship, but one that was somewhat faster. In the end they settled on the "No Man's Sea", a smaller than usual 3-masted caravel with a narrow hull built for speed. They hired a temporary crew and took her out into the Pool for a test run, finding that it was indeed a fine vessel for their purposes. They sold the "Purple Haze" for 6500gp, and then paid 25000gp for the "No Man's Sky".

• Next step was to go looking for potions. Healing potions as usual, but also some potions of fire resistance as they expected to deal with the fireball flinging Calcidius before too long. Torak and Kwinsea headed for the temple of Brall, and were troubled to find the front of it burned and shattered, crawing with workmen making repairs. Torak went inside to ask after the Munificent Submercer Oha, but was told the high cleric had been killed by a madly raging wizard who came to the temple looking for someone. Torak was introduced to the new Munificent Submercer Naphates, but that meeting ended quickly when Torak let it slip that he and his companions were the ones for whom the wizard had been looking. He was forthright dragged from the premises and informed he should find another temple at which to worship. Torak and Kwinsea when to check with Brother Keera at the Temple of the Three Virtues, but found that it too has been destroyed and the good Brother along with it. Hum, this Calcidius was making it difficult to do business. In the end, they purchased a supply of 5 potions of fire resistance from Gorbo the Alchemist; he had a number on hand given there was a sudden upswing in demand. They commissioned 3 more for later pickup. They also managed to track down 6 healing potions at the lotus-smoke temple of Garu Dar.

• Chaff and Kwnisea both went looking for someone to teach them new spells. Chaff learned that one of his previous contacts, Domai, has run into Calcidius and was no more. Lady Volana was still around however, and she was willing to teach him some new incantations.In addition to the usual monetary fee, she was looking for additional 'parts' for her studies. In particular, she needed six fingers, taken from six different living people. Kwinsea meanwhile tracked down an aquamancer by the name of Xerious the Free. Free in the naked sense, as the wizard liked to 'feel the water on his skin'; he was found wandering around the docks wearing nothing but a large tattoo of a kraken on his back. Kwinsea was looking for some enchantments to help speed up their ship; when she found that a permanent enchantment on the hull would be prohibitively expensive, she settled instead for instruction in one of the wind or ship repair spells. In return, Xerious demanded she bring him a sample of the stomach contents of the Tentacled Beast of the Vasak Depths, a giant squid that lived in a deep underwater canyon just off Xin. Both Chaff and Kwinsea walked away from their respective patrons trying to figure out a way to fulfill their quests. 

• Rodrigo likewise went looking for someone to enchant his dragon parts, but was appalled at how much it would cost. In the end he sold off the skin (1100gp), keeping only the skull (to be mounted on their new ship) and the teeth.

• Awg went to visit the calmonari craftsmen to pick up the work of jeweled art they'd commissioned the last time they were in Xin. It was ready, and consisted of a large abstract latticework structure studded with gems, and which resembled different oceanic scenes depending on the angle from which it was viewed. This large object (now worth 18000gp) was enshrined in a place of honor on the "No Man's Sea". 

The Sculpture

• Speaking of their new vessel, the party tasked asked Lynessa with preparing the "No Man's Sea" for sea. They had the hollow figurehead removed from the "Purple Haze" for installation on their new vessel. Likewise, the catapult was transferred to the new ship, and a second was purchased so they had one at the bow and one at the stern. They also had a few other modifications made; a series of cages below the stern in which to collect fancy fish for H'sslik ,and a false hold to hide more coin next time. Lynessa also ordered four months of provisions and trolled the docks for crew, the new vessel requiring 70 sailors before putting to sea.  

All this activity took time, and the "No Man's Sea" was going to take a few weeks to modify and outfit. The party decided to stay in to an inn for the interim, settling into a rustic little place called the "Little Dolphin", which had a common room open to the harbour below where the patrons could pay to swim with the dolphins (Kwinsea chose the location). But they didn't forget about the danger from Calcidius, and took turns keeping an eye on the vessels coming into port to see if the "Blind Fury" returned. And lucky they did, for just a few days later the hard looking ship sailed back into Xin ... 

TOTAL XP

1100 (from sale of dragon parts)

GAINS

None

KILLS

None

LOSSES

None

Far Isles Session #75 - Secrets Revealed

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Chaff (Vivimancer 6), with familiar Pretty Bird and Riding Dog Puppy Whuppy

Torak (Cleric 6) 
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 6), with familiar Hermes and henchman Jaz (Elf 3)
Rodrigo (Swashbuckler 6) 

Awg Wahmn (Calmonari 5)

Before leaving, the party hid their cache of 5000gp gems in one of the volcanic caves. Over the course of several days, Torak cast animate dead to turn the charred and drowned cannibals into zombie guards, whom the party dressed in the cast off bronze armor and weapons from the stone ships. They also provided a platoon of similar guards for the surviving villagers, promising to return when they next visited the the Jungle Isles.  

Zombie Skaarl

Setting sail, the "Purple Haze" was in the familiar situation of fighting ahead a head wind while trying to get back to Xin. The slow going slowed down even more around sunrise of the second day. They had barely left the isles behind when Chaff, who was on watch, spied a vessel approaching from the stern. It was difficult to see any detail in the dim morning twilight. He had the crew call Lynessa on deck, who on arrival pulled out her spyglass ofr a closer look. She reported a galley or longship riding were low in the water, but the rowers were still bent over their oars, driving inexorably forward. Expecting trouble, Chaff went off to rouse the rest of the party and the musketeers. As the sky began to lighten and their pursuer closed the gap between the two vessels, they could now see potential trouble. The ship was a Skaarl longship with Skaarl warriors at the oars. They were no longer men, however, but undead. Up to eighty of them to be exact, led by a worm ridden and salt encrusted captain.  Lynessa was ordered to set all sail in an effort to outrun her, but the headwind slowed the "Purple Haze"  considerably. The crew started to bring the "Purple Haze" around so she'd run before the wind, but that was a slow process and the undead ship continued to gain. So the party prepared to meet them with force. The musketeers were arrayed at the catapult, ready to fire when the longship came in range. Chaff and Kwinsea both cast some protective spells, and Torak started his holy chant. Chaff also cast a spell on Rodrigo, which resulted in the swashbuckler sprouting as set of bat wings and a tentacle. Only temporary, assured the vivimancer. Meanwhile, the crew had been packing musket balls into a keg of powder. This was handed to Rodrigo, along with the ring of invisibility, who then rose into the air to get ready to bomb the longship when it came closer. Kwinsea then cast summon aquatic monster, and in a few minutes a group of 6 bearded mermen broke the surface nearby and offered their services. She sent them off to attack the zombie ship and to check out its hull, to find out why she was riding so low in the water. 

Preparation complete, combat began when the longship drew closer. It opened with a solid hit of flaming pitch from the catapult, burning 8 zombie rowers at the oars. They were quickly replaced, however, by others standing by. Kwinsea's mermen swam up to one side of the longship and stabbed a few with their tridents before turning away. Torak turned the rowers, affected only a few. Those, having no where to run, cowered in the bottom of the boat. And still the long ship came on, getting closer to the "Purple Haze". At this point, Rodrigo sprang (or rather flapped) into action. He dropped, still invisible, into the stern next to the helms-zombie. He dropped the keg and lit it, now becoming visible. After a quick stab at the helms-zombie, the swashbuckler flew back into the air and as far away as possible. Half a minute later the powder keg exploded, sending a blast of wooden shards and musket balls sweeping across the deck. That not only destroyed about 20 zombie Skaarls, but it obliterated both the helmsman and the rudder. Unable the steer, the longship passed beneath the stern of the "Purple Haze", which had been turning towards the east this whole time. The musketeers raked the ship with fire, but did little damage ('powder's wet', they muttered), and the two vessels moved rapidly apart until the zombie longship finally disappeared over the northern horizon.

The Mermen

The mermen reported the longship had been in good condition; no sign of holes or other problems below deck. It looked to them the longship had just shipped water driving into the waves. They then tuned to dive away, but not before Awg used his charm aquatic creature to get one to stay behind and join the party.  With the merman clinging to a rope trailing behind the ship, the "Purple Haze" turned back to the north-west and continued on it's way. Apart from contrary winds, the only other encounter was with a great sea serpent which Chaff magically converted to vegetarianism; after grazing for a minutes on the seaweed clinging to the hull, the monster slipped away into the depths once more. The next day, the wind shifted to the beam and the "Purple Haze" made better time. After a total of seven days sail from the Jungle Isles, the ship came within view of the Anchorage. 

Fearful that Calcidius might be waiting for them in the harbor itself, the party had Lynessa drop anchor on the opposite side of the island, so they could row ashore and head over to talk to Bellephrone (assuming she was still alive). They moved through the open pine forest easily, at least until they were getting clos to Bellephrone's hut. There they were met by three of her wild boar guards, and they were not happy. Hoping to be recognized, Kwnisea allowed one to sniff her from top to bottom. But the boars' fur rose on their backs and the started to snuffle and shuffle, getting ready to charge.  Kwinsea cast a tidal force to keep them away, and Chaff caught a couple in his web. The party then called out for Bellephrone, and in a a few minutes the witch appeared outside her hut, calling off the boars and gesturing for the party to approach.

She greeted the party, and then laughed cruelly and wagged her finger at them. "You have made some powerful enemies, my friends" and told them of Calcidius' attack on the anchorage. He sank both the "Serpents Revenge" and the "Magnificent Marios" in a flurry of fireballs, slaughtering all the crew and leaving the burned hulks in the anchorage. The other ships fled, allowed to go as the wizard had no quarrel with anyone who'd not interacted with the party. Chaff asked how Bellephone had escaped. She simply laughed and winked, and told the vivmancer it would take more than one wizard to do her any harm. That made everyone's eyebrows rise, as obviously the witch was more than she appeared. So they asked her to tell them her story. And this time she opened up a little more about both her origin and the origin of the Far Isles. She didn't say exactly who she was, but hinted she was both thousands of years old and possessed great powers. The mist itself was some sort of cosmic intelligence that, from time to time, would drop out of the space between the stars and onto an unknowing world. There it would stay for awhile, then usually lift for a short time, before returning and then carrying off some or all of the lands it had covered. By this means, the motley collection of lands the people of Langushur called the Far Isles had been formed. Every time to mist lifted on a different world, people would arrive to explore and make contact with the isles. Sometimes they were also trapped when the mist returned, and these newcomers would  join the Isles permanently. Bellephone also dropped the bombshell that she had been the first to be trapped by the mist.  She, and a few other powerful beings, were permanent inhabitants of the mist. Whereas others could leave if the wished when the mist lifted, she and her beings could not. The party learned that H'sslik the Lizard Wizard was another of these powerful prisoners. 

The Mist

All this gave the party food for thought, and so they asked Bellephone what her wish would be. She wanted simply to stop the cycle, the get out of the grasp of the mist. And so the party offered to help by tracking down the secret of the mist. They asked for information on the other powerful beings of the Isles, and she gave directions to the far east to meet with another of her fellow prisoners in the mist. His name was Empyrius, and was a member of a god-like inter-dimensional race. Bellephone hinted that he would know more about the behavior of the mist, but did note that she had not been in contact with him during this mist 'cycle'. Good information, but first the party had unfinished business in Xin and with a certain crazed Calcidius ...

TOTAL XP
830

GAINS

1 Merman 

KILLS

20 Skaarl Zombies

LOSSES

None

Far Isles Session #74 - Treasure Loaded and Loaded with Treasure!

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Chaff (Vivimancer 6), with familiar Pretty Bird and Riding Dog Puppy Whuppy

Torak (Cleric 6) and his zombie servitor
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 6), with familiar Hermes and henchman Jaz (Elf 3)
Rodrigo (Swashbuckler 6) 

Awg Wahmn (Calmonari 5)

Having defeated the treasures guardian, the party now had to decide how to deal with their new windfall. The first order of business was to get word back to the ship and start moving as much of the ships company as possible up the mountain to start hauling treasure. And butchering and flensing a dragon, as the party had visions of dragon armor and dragon’s teeth trophies. Meanwhile, the party helped the captive maidens out of their prison. The six women continued to wail and cower and chatter. Kwinsea, relying on her flair for languages, was able to grasp a basic understanding of their words, as the language was related to those already encountered in the Jungle Isles. The six were understandably in shock, but the aquamancer was able to calm them and promise them they would not be harmed. She then asked probing questions about the situation. Is there more than one dragon (no)? How many people used to live here (Many hundreds)? Any other survivors (not that they know of)? Places survivors could be hiding (many caves around the volcanic peak)? Had they seen any other ships in the days before the dragon came (no).   Kwinsea and Awg also went for a swim around the island to confirm there were no other dangers and find a fishy friend to question. From a passing flounder, they learned that large aquatic dinosaurs sometimes lurked in the area, but ships were rarely seen. 

Instant Fortress

Back on land, a half dozen sailors and a pair of musketeers arrived to help with the gold and dragon; the rest were left aboard the “Purple Haze” to guard their only way off the island. The sailors were lowered into the cistern to bag and haul up treasure, while the musketeers sat down to guard and grumble. The ships cook was walked over to the dragon carcass with his biggest cleaver and told to start butchering.  Rodrigo sat himself down to watch the proceedings and make sure the crew didn’t walk off with too much loose treasure.  Chaff meanwhile examined the magic items, in particular the scroll and cube. The scroll was written in a strange tongue, so he had to wait for Kwinsea to return and translate. It proved to be a scroll of protection from undead, which was turned over to Jaz as her reward for crawling in the lizard wizards vats some days ago. The cube likewise had a word inscribed on it in the same weird language; Kwinsea whispered the word to Chaff. He, accompanied by Torak, then walked off to a safe location and spoke the word aloud. The cube instantly grew into a 30’ tall tower, and Chaff found himself standing in front of the open front door. Torak, unfortunately, found himself standing too close for comfort and was pinned beneath one corner. Chaff quickly shrank the instant fortress to tend to his comrade, who though on death’s door managed to avoid another visit to the Drowned God.  

With enough excitement for one day, the party settled down for the night, one eye locked on the treasure. Next day, work resumed in dragon carving and treasure hauling. Having talked over the risks of bringing all this gold back to Xin for the customs officers to tax, they decided to take 5000gp in gems and hide it away in a convenient cave as a sort of offshore tax haven. So off went the bulk of the party to find an appropriate cave. Following the directions of the still skittish ex-captives, they found some hiding places without too much trouble. They also found more survivors; a cave full of old, men, women and children. With Kwinsea once more translating, they learned they had fled into the jungle when the dragon first attacked. Many others had died in the dragon’s flames, including all of the islands warriors. They were overjoyed to learn the dragon was dead, but then started to wail and worry about their fate now that most of their people and all of their town was gone. And what about their treasures? The party murmured something non-committal about the treasure, but promised to put the crew to work building shelters for the survivors. And what about other help? The people would need fresh blood or they would die out? Once more, the party made some quasi-promises to look into that.  

Witch Doctor

Work continued over the next few days, and the treasure hauling was slowed down by diversion of resources to town building. But all proceeded without incident until the 5th day. Around mid-afternoon, Pretty Bird (who had been flying air patrol over the “Purple Haze” for the last few days) returned to Chaff to report four war canoes approaching from the south-west. They appeared to be coming from an island just barely visible in that direction, and based on their paddling speed would arrive here around dusk. Questioning the island survivors, the party learned of a tribe of cannibals who lived to the southwest, and who would sometime raid this island to capture ‘long pig’ for their feasts. Oh, who will protect us now!! We are lost!!! Well, this time at least, the party was going to protect their treasure hoard (and the islanders of course).  First of all, word was sent to the “Purple Haze” to raise sail and head around to the other side of the island. As the day drew to a close, the party suspended work on the ruined town site and hustled everyone down to water. There, just out of sight of the cove, Chaff summoned his instant fortress and sent all the islanders, crew and the invalid Torak inside. He also posted the two musketeers at the top to stand guard. Jaz took up position in a nearby tree, and Chaff summoned the ebony fly and buzzed nearby. Kwinsea and Awg headed into the water with plans to intercept the canoes. They were joined by Rodrigo, who borrowed Torak’s shark spear and transformed into a mako shark. And then they waited about 200 yards off shore. Before long, the sound of muffled paddling could be heard as the canoes approached. After they passed by the party in the water, the aquatic team sprang into action. Kwinsea got behind one boat and loosed a lightning bolt, crisping everyone in that canoe.  Rodrigo the shark leapt out of the water and belly flopped on the stern of a second canoe, tipping it over and sending most of the crew splashing into the water. Awg turned on those in the water, in particular one obvious leader dressed in old plate armor. That unfortunate was stabbed and then sank to the bottom thanks to the weight of metal he was wearing. 

Things started to fall apart a bit for the party. In one of the still untouched canoes was a witchdoctor-looking figure, dressed in mask and a robe of skulls. He muttered a spell and Kwinsea found herself paralyzed and sinking to the bottom. Spears flew from both canoes, hitting Awg and Rodrigo in the water. Chaff then arrived on the fly to leech blast a canoe, but the witchdoctor screamed another incantation and the leeches disappeared. More spears struck at the two in the water, who then decided to dive out of danger. They grabbed Kwinsea and headed for the safety of shore. Chaff likewise turned the fly towards land. They all scrambled up the path to the instant fortress and crowded inside. Those still able to fight made it to the arrow slits and the top, and watched as the surviving cannibals beached their canoes and prepared to move inland. Those tribesmen were not prepared for the fortress, and came to a halt when it came in view. A flurry of spells and missile fire from the tower discouraged any further advance, and the witchdoctor led to tribe back to the canoes and off into the night. They did not return and the next day the party resumed work on the treasure hoard. After another uneventful week, the treasure and dragon parts were all loaded aboard the “Purple Haze”, 

TOTAL XP

670

GAINS
None

KILLS

Loka the War Chief
12 Cannibal Warriors

LOSSES

Torak (Temporarily)

Traveller - Welcome to the Symera Subsector

Background

The "Edge of Night" sector includes over 400 star systems and marks the furthest spinward expansion of humanity from Terra-Ur. The name refers to "The Night"; a vast of rift of dust and gas, devoid of star systems, and much too wide to cross with existing jump technology. No one really knows what lies beyond "The Night"; likewise, many of the sectors' inhabited systems are largely unknown to those in more civilized space.

The Symera subsector sits near the centre of the sector. Its 32 systems exhibit a technological and population pattern typical of those regions of space devastated by the Nanite Epidemic. The high tech planets are depopulated and struggle to maintain existing technology levels, while lower technology worlds have higher populations, as they were either unaffected by the epidemic and/or absorbed a great number of refugees fleeing it's devastation. Even 200 years later, this pattern is evident. Although, as always, some individual systems are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Politically, the subsector is roughly divided between a mix of independent systems and the allied worlds of the Triple Concordance (which lies completely within the subsector).  In addition, polities from outside the subsector intrude to trailing (Hegemony of Aeo) and coreward (Iagonn Suzeranity), while to spinward in the Xiaochen subsector are the worlds of the Technocratic Union.  

Politics

Hegemony of Aeo

"The Hemegeny has no need for fanaticism; cold practicality and logic will guide us to our destiny."

Special Inquisitor Sivara Tizen

In the aftermath of the Fourth Interstellar war, several new and radical polities arose among the shattered remnants of the old republics.  Spinward of the old core of civilized space, the theocratic and militaristic  Hegemony of Aeo became the dominant state. In the century since the rule of "The One" began, the Hegemony has gradually but relentlessly expanded outward, swallowing independent systems and pocket empires alike. The Hegmony first appeared in the Symera subsector 30 years ago, absorbing several independent planets on the trailing border of the subsector. Though not actively expansionist in the subsector at the moment, it continues to push its influence and policies when prudent.

               

The Triple Concordance

"From many comes one; though the one must never forget who comes first."

Chief Executive Administrator Galvin of Antigone

Faced with the threat of the Hegemony of Aeo to the trailing and pressures from the Technocratic Union systems to the spinward, several of the previously independent worlds at the core of the Symera subsector grudgingly accepted cooperation over capitulation. The three most advanced systems  (Rastafar [1827], Tortuga [2126] and Antigone [2226]) initially joined in an alliance, and then dragged in the adjacent  lower tech and less powerful systems to provide resources and buffer zones against the threats surrounding them.  The three founding worlds rule as the Tri-Council, while the other ten systems sit on a General Council which can provide advice and feedback, but has little say in decision making. The Concordance has held up well when there is a clear and immediate threat, but in less hazardous times, relations are shaky and worlds act more in their independent self interest.

Technocratic Union

"Those who rule their technology need not fear it, but may rule by it."

Councillor Gaius Ralu

A very loosely confederated group of high technology worlds, the Technocratic Union uses its technological advantages to gain influence over less advanced systems. It is surrounded by a loose network of client systems which gain advantages in high technology and trade from the Union. In the Symera subsector, both Vordenhaven [1724] and Symera [1825] have close ties with the Union.

Iagonn Suzerainty

"Raise the sword and charge the lasers! Forward for glory!"

Sky-Duke Alpher von Holzendredch

When the Sky-Dukes of Heilithium [2720] defeated the last attempt by the Empire of Trebazar to re-establish Imperial rule over their system, the once fractious nobles unexpectedly found themselves in possession of a captured Imperial naval squadron.  Sensing an opportunity to extend their wealth and power, the Sky-Dukes used the starships to embark over the next dozen years on an expansionist drive to spinward. Limited resources meant a limited conquest, but the Suzerainty now holds sway over a half dozen system. And at least some of the Sky-Dukes field ambitions of further  expansion to absorb the independent worlds to rimward in the Symera subsector. 

Organizations

Navy

The Concordance Navy consists of ships and officers provided  by the Tri-Council worlds. The enlisted men are drawn from the ships' home world, or from one of the worlds of the General Council. The quality of both ships and men vary widely, ranging from modern starships from services of proud tradition, to little more than reformed pirates and privateers.

The navy of the Hegemony of Aeo are the scions of orthodoxy and expansionism. The high command has great influence with "The One", and as such officers in the navy are held in high regard in society.

The Iagonn Suzerainty navy consists of starships still manned to a large extent by their original officers and crew, supplemented by new recruits from the Suzerainty worlds. Each ship is under the command of a Sky-Duke, but the day to day operations are in the hands of ex-Trebazar Imperial Navy men. The mix of professional military and plundering space-viking is interesting to say the least.

The independent systems of Jagir (1729) and Vordenhaven (1724) have small navies, but neither has  progressed much beyond the level of a glorified system defense force towards a truly jump capable interstellar navy.

Marines

Marines of the Concordance Navy serve as shipboard security, defending against both munity and boarding actions. On capital ships, they also provide at least some of the Gunners for turret mounted weapons. Very rarely, they provide advance landing forces to deal with minor insurrections or to gain a toehold ahead of  the army.  The Marines recruit officers and men from all systems in the Concordance. They are the most cosmopolitan of the Concordance forces, and tend to be strong supporters of the  alliance over individual worlds. As such, they are not trusted in higher circles.

The Hegemonic Assault Corps, while not quite as prestigious as the navy, is probably held in higher regard by the average person. It plays little or no role aboard ship, but is instead dedicated to ground assault. To be a member of the Corps is to drop unto a hostile planet with no protection but your assault pod, personal weapon, and [hopefully] a massive suppressive barrage from the fleet in orbit.

Army

With the exception of some low population, airless hellholes, nearly every system in the subsector boasts an army of some sort. They range from the spear armed levies of Outer Hastur; to the generally well equip and modern forces of the Triple Concordance and the Hegemony; and all points in between. Roles also range from intra-planetary conflicts, to planetary defense against out of system forces, to providing expeditionary forces to other systems in time of war.

Individual systems of the Triple Concordance maintain their own armies for local defense and other local uses. Each system also contributes a number of units, higher formations, and commanders to a standing Concordance Army for expeditionary and other tasks of common interest. As a general rule, this common army is held in high regard by the citizens of the Concordance worlds.

The armies of the Hegemony are much more focused on local defense, as well as providing occupation forces after the Assault Corps has captured a new planet. It's ranks are heavily filled by conscripts, and army service is typically not highly regarded.

The Iagonn Suzerainty has no single army, but each Sky-Duke has his or her own personal warband which both defend the home planet of Heilithium and provide the ship board and ground based military muscle when the fleet goes raiding and conquering.   

Scouts    

The "Honorable Company of Explorers and Cartographers", colloquially known as the Scouts, have a history that dates back almost to Terra-Ur. Or at least that's how they tell the tale. In any case, they are a vaguely paramilitary organization that have bases scattered through much of civilized space and operate outside the bounds of local political control. The Scouts are dedicated to collecting, maintaining and disseminating up-to-date information and star maps for the use of merchants, militaries and travellers alike. Scouts have a well deserved reputation for being tough, self-reliant and short-lived.

One place where the Scouts are not welcome is in the Hegemony. There, a organization known as the "Special Inquisitors" plays a similar role. They are also known to perform services as spies and special agents for the Hegemony. That said, the two organizations do maintain somewhat loose and informal ties, trading information when it suits them.

Merchants

Trade, like religion and war, is a basic human instinct and expansion among the stars hasn't changed that fact. Merchants range from local market hucksters selling their wares, to free traders trying to make a living on the margins of established trade routes, to powerful mega-corporations with interests across sectors and influence over governments (or sometimes forming the government themselves). There is little to differentiate merchants from one polity to the other; all are focused too much on making a profit to worry about politics; unless of course it can be influenced to their benefit.  

Travellers Aid Society

Even more than the scouts, the true origins of the Travellers Aid Society are lost in the depths of history. It's rumored to have once been a secret society of powerful individuals, who conspired to control galactic affairs by masterminding events in order to gain political power and influence. Whether they had any success is anyone's guess. At this point in time the organization has evolved into a fraternal society dedicated to providing its members with assistance, connections and accommodations when travelling the far reaches or civilized space. It is still a very exclusive organization, its membership heavy with military officers, politicians and rich merchants.

Aliens

In the years preceding the diaspora from Terra-Ur, popular pre-holo vids and books envisioned a galaxy teaming with intelligent, humanoid life. Once mankind reached the stars, the reality was that  sophants (tool and technology using lifeforms) were very rare. And humanoids were nearly non-existent. From the gas-giant dwelling Guri-Gura-Gi, though  the multi-ton somnolescent Dagokari, and onto the sentient crystals of the Mata-Madir system, intelligent alien life proved to be ... well, alien. Regular plant and animal life generally followed Terran norms, but intelligence had gone off on another tangent. Most alien societies are also incompatible with humanity's ethos, so there is little contact. As always, there are exceptions, and there are a few alien races that do interact and mingle with humanity, but such examples are rarely encountered in the Symera sub-sector. There are also persistent tales of a teaming empire of genocidal bug-eyed aliens beyond the Edge of Night rift, but most believe they are just bogyman stories to tell misbehaving children. 

Far Isles Session #73 - Dragon Rising

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Chaff (Vivimancer 5), with familiar Pretty Bird and Riding Dog Puppy Whuppy

Torak (Cleric 5) and his zombie servitors
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 5), with familiar Hermes and henchman Jaz (Elf 2)
Rodrigo (Swashbuckler 5) 

The party split up their prisoners and led the two musketeers away, one by one, for interrogation. They mostly wanted to learn if there was any sort of bounty on Atli's head, given his apparent long history of smuggling and nautical skulduggery. The first, Ulthos, stood by his employer, convinced the party would just kill him anyway. Which they did when the musketeer proved unwilling to cooperate. Hathos was more pliable, but really could tell them nothing beyond "I'm sure he's wanted somewhere on the shores of the seventeen seas"; so he too was dispatched. Followed shortly by Alti himself, whom Torak drowned in the red pool which had claimed Pahu Mahu. The cleric, having offered up his sacrifice to Brall, removed the dead smugglers golden teeth. And then animated both Alti and Uthos as zombie servants. It now being dark, the party set camp for the night, then trekked back to the "Purple Haze" without further incident. 

Once there, they had Lynessa raise sail and bring them back to the Smoking Island, where this tawdry affair had begun. Reaching it  after a couple of short days of sailing, they found the island much as they left it. Smoke still rose from the slopes of the island peak, and on the shore the docks and scattered boats still lay, undisturbed. The party rowed ashore in the ships boat, and there found a path leading up the jungled slope. They climbed for about an hour, until the switch-backing trail started to level off and run more or less straight to the north. The trees started to thin a little, and ahead they could see the source of the mysterious smoke. A low saddle between the main mountain peak and secondary spur was covered in what appeared to be a field of ash. There was definitely the smell of an old fire present, but occasionally a more sulfurous odor emerged as well. Maybe the volcanic peak was more active that it seemed? 

   

Field of Ash

Moving closer and into the open,  the party could see a ravine between them and the ash covered slope. A pair of stone pillars stood on each side of the ravine. It looked very much like a bridge once spanned the chasm, but there was now nothing left. The party  contemplated trying to go around the ravine, but realized the combination of almost impassible jungle and steep slopes would make that both difficult and time consuming. Rodrigo then got the idea to summon some monkey's with his simian sword, and then Torak could use his scroll of speak with animals  to question the creatures about what happened here. The swashbuckler was soon surrounded by a hooting hoard, whom he directed to his good friend Torak for questioning. It took a few minutes to get useful information out of them, but Torak learned that until a few months ago, a town of humans occupied what was now the field of ash. The monkeys weren't immediately clear on what burned the town, some 'big fire' or 'scary fire'. Probed more deeply about the source of the flames, the monkeys answered that it was a 'flying fire beast'. And at almost the same moment, from the far side of the ash covered slope, there came the snapping sound of leathery wings . Turning, the party observed a terrifying sight; rising from the far side of the saddle was a red dragon. And as it rose into the air, it was obviously headed their way. 

The Dragon

Though the dragons appeared to be on the smaller side, the first instinct was to run. But right away , they were afraid if they did so, the dragon would simply torch the "Purple Haze" and strand them on this island. Instead, the party scattered for cover among the rocks and trees along the edge of the ravine, all the time the dragon flying closer. The spell-casters cast their protective spells, and Rodrigo figured this was as good a time as any to quaff that potion of heroism he'd been lugging around. He also directed his monkey cohort to the edge of the ravine ,in the hope they would distract the dragon. As the dragon drew close, it opened it's maw to release a cone of liquid fire, catching Rodrigo and a band of monkeys in the flames, The monkeys were incinerated, and Rodrigo burned badly and barely hanging on to life. The party then retaliated, Kwinsea striking the flying beast with a lightning bolt and Chaff vomiting an insect swarm which engulfed and enraged the beast. Pistol shots from Rodrigo and Jaz missed, but the shock of the lighting and insects turned it away, and it flew back over the rise from whence it came. 

The party first breathed a sigh of relief, thanking their luck and their gods for their survival. Torak healed Rodrigo, and then animated a couple of crisped monkeys to join his other two zombies. Weighing options, the party decided to strike out across the burned town and deal with the dragon now, when it was obviously wounded, rather than retreat and face it later. Chaff sent Pretty Bird into the sky to look for the dragon, but the bird could see nothing but ruins. Checking the mountains edge revealed  no cave opening or similar dragon-ish lairs, but there were a number of large wells or cisterns scattered throughout the burned town that might be it's home. There was a also a crack on the slope of the main peak from which  a trickle of smoke arose. The party, however, opted to focus on the wells. Chaff summoned the ebony fly to transport everyone over the ravine. Rodrigo borrowed the ring of invisibility from Torak and walked point ahead of the party. The rest of the party marched behind,  following a skirmish line of zombies. Which was good, as the ruins were not safe. Hidden among the chocking ash and charred bits of wood were a number of deep pits, some of which released a gout of blistering fire when breached. A couple of zombies were lost this way, and Jaz was badly burned by one fire trap. But everyone else escaped unscathed. 

When they reached the first well, Rodrigo, grasping Torak's light dagger in his teeth, was lowered down on a rope. He found it was a large cistern, empty but for a foot or two of murky water on the bottom. The party then moved on, heading for the largest cistern opening. This stood in the centre of a large plaza. While the rest of the party waited at the edge, the invisible swashbuckler crept forward to look. He, however, didn't realize dragons had an exceptional sense of smell. Just as he was about to look over the edge, there was a roar, and the dragon emerged from the well with a vengeance. As it snapped it's wings to climb into the air, the dragon also snapped it's mouth and claws at Rodrigo, nearly crushing and slashing him to death. This didn't deter the swashbuckler though. As the rest of the party opened up with spell and missile, Rodrigo swung the grappling hook he'd been carrying, caught it on one of the dragon's horns, and then scrambled up to the top of it's head. The beast reached back to try clawing the swashbuckler off his back, but Rodrigo dodged, and stabbed down with his swords. Only one penetrated the reptilian scales, but it drove deep into it's brain. The dragon shuddered, then it's eye's rolled back and it collapsed dead on top of Torak's zombies.

The Hoard

After taking a breather, the battered Rodrigo insisted on being the first down in the dragons lair. He leapt atop the ebony fly,  and buzzed down into the cistern. Below he saw a much larger chamber than in the previous cistern. And in place of stagnate water, this one held the dragon' hoard. A layer of gold and silver covered most of the floor; a mix of coins, gems, jewelry and decorative gewgaws obviously recovered from the ruined town. And barred behind a rough portcullis of jungle logs were 6 young women, crying out and screaming at Rodrigo in some unknown language. For now, the swashbuckler had other things to do. Grabbing a single goblet, he rose fly once more up the well to tell the party they' hit pay dirt ...

TOTAL XP

58010

GAINS
Atli the Golden's Gold Teeth (150gp)
A Mixed Dragon's Hoard; gold & silver coin, gems & jewelry, golden gewgaws, etc (55800gp)
Magical gem
Instant Fortress
Scroll - Protection Against Undead 

KILLS

Atli the Golden [Captain of the 'Waverunner']
Uthos & Halthos [Rigging-Rat Musketeers]
1 Young Adult Red Dragon

LOSSES

Amazingly, None

Far Isles Session #72 - The Destruction of the "Waverunner"

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Chaff (Vivimancer 5), with familiar Pretty Bird and Riding Dog Puppy Whuppy

Awg Wahmn (Calmonari 5)
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 5), with familiar Hermes 
Torak (Cleric 5) 

Gauging the wind and distance, Chaff figured they had 15-20 minutes before the mystery ship was alongside. The party ordered Lynessa to have the anchor raised and called their musketeers onto the deck for possible action; it would be a tight race to see if the crew got the anchor up before the new ship arrived. The crew started to scramble, and Lynessa then turned her spyglass on the approaching ship. It was a small sailing vessel with a lateen sail, painted in a grey camouflage pattern. That description got some brain cells in the party working; had they encountered a similar vessel at the Anchorage many months and adventures before?

The Burning Anchorage

Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, Awg and Kwinsea slipped over the side to lurk hidden below water. The crew of the "Purple Haze" had just gotten the anchor aboard when the mystery vessel reached hailing range of about a 100 yards. On the fore-deck stood a figure in flowing silks and a turban, accompanied by a pair of dour dwarves and a human musketeer. Perched in the rigging above were three more musketeers, their weapons braced and aimed at the deck of the "Purple Haze". But the turbaned figure called across the water a friendly greeting, introducing himself as Atli the Golden (from the mouth full of gold teeth he flashed no doubt), and his ship as the "Waverunner". They too were explorers of these Far Isles, and wanted to talk. Had the party any luck in their travels? Any great treasures recovered? What going on right now? Going ashore an that island? Mind if they drop anchor and come over to talk and trade sea stories?etc etc. Altogether a bit  too nosy it seemed, so the party lied and said they'd had little luck and were heading back to Xin for rest and refit. Good idea, replied Atli, since the Anchorage is a smoking ruin. That caused the party to perk up their ears. Alti explained a crazy wizard had appeared at the island some weeks ago, looking for some folks who had wronged him. He didn't find those people  (by the way, did the party know anyone named Abdul, or Kwinsea, or Chaff, or Torak, or Beuford?), but the wizard proceeded to utterly destroy anyone who had done business with the malcontents he was tracking. And everyone else had fled the Anchorage, leaving only smoldering ships and bodies behind. 

In a hushed discussion, the party mentally ticked of a list of all the wizards they'd ticked off. They finally settled on the wizard Calcidius (whom they'd left stranded inside a summoning circle) as the primary suspect.  Humm, looks like someone had let him out. THAT might be a problem they should deal with ASAP. However, the more immediate problem was the "Waverunner". The party decided to head back in the direction of Xin, and then see what their visitors course of action might be. Awg and Kwinsea would linger behind in the water for awhile to eavesdrop on Atli and crew. First off, the aquatic duo learned that Alti was looking for some easy pickings i.e. let someone else do all the fighting and exploring, and his gang could scoop up the treasure after the fact. And the man with the golden smile didn't believe for a minute the "Purple Haze" was going back to Xin. He ordered the "Waverunner" to follow her at a distance to find out where the "Purple Haze" was really going. Awg and Kwinsea quickly swam back to their lingering vessel to relay the news, and the party came up with a plan. They would sail back to the Island of the Stone Ships and draw their pursuer onto the reef.

`Waverunner`on the Reef

Fighting contrary winds, it took a few days to get back to the island, but Lynessa was able to time arrival to coincide with dusk. The "Purple Haze" cut close to the island and turned to approach the reef-encircled lagoon;. In the failing light they could just see the "Waverunner" following them in. At this point Awg and Kwinsea slipped into the water, and before the "Waverunner" dropped sail, commanded  a rope to tie her rudder such that the ship could not divert course from the reef. Atli soon realized he'd lost steerage, and his crew scrambled to lower sail and drop anchors over the stern. But it was too late, and the "Waverunner" crashed onto the exposed reef. After a few catapult shots to de-mast the trapped ship, the "Purple Haze" hove off and let the rising storm batter the "Waverunner" on the rocks. By sun-up, the tide had risen and it looked likely what remained of the wrecked ship would float free and sink. So Kwinsea and Awg swam, Chaff rode the fly and Torak water walked over to the "Waverunner" to pick over the remains. They found a few bodies floating in the water, several sailors on the verge of death, and the ship's boat missing. Interrogating a dying sailor, the party learned that Atli and his chief men had gotten the captains gig overboard into the sheltered lagoon and rowed for shore, leaving the rest of the crew behind. Looking towards the island, the party could see the gig pulled up on the beach, quite close to the location of the Stone Ships. While Torak sent the sailors to the Drowned God, everyone else quickly searched the ship. They recovered a sea chest from the captains cabin (which when smashed open revealed a small trove of mixed gold and silver coin), as well as the ships' log and a vast collection of charts for most of the known seas around Esrae and Wesrae. From the log they learned Atli and the "Waverunner" were primarily smugglers from the Inner Sea, who'd heard of these new Far Isles and decided to try their luck. But luck had been elusive. The ship had touched in a number of places the party had also been; the only new place mentioned were the "Islands of the Silver Lotus", located somewhere to the east of the Isle of Dread. The log book spoke of  reef encircled isles ruled by a cruel pygmy king, grown fat and rich on newly opened trade of silver lotus with the city of Visryi. There were also off handed references to a Temple of Slugs and the River of Life and Death and rumors of treasure therein

The party abandoned ship as the tide lifted the "Waverunner" off the reef, and she quickly filled with water and sank. But now the question was what to do next? They decided to go after Alti and his men, not wishing to leave potential enemies behind them, having learned their lesson from the escaped Calcidius. They returned once more to the small beach on the north end of the island, and made the trek back towards the Stone Ships. As they got close to the clearing, Torak cast locate object on Atli's golden teeth; it looked like the captain was right in the centre of the clearing in front of the second ship. The party crept down the path, but were seen by one of the dwarves standing picket in the undergrowth. He ran back to the clearing, and the party figured the jig was up and charged forward. Kwinsea cast a fog cloud for cover, but they were met by a blast of musketry from the left, and a pair of axe-wielding dwarves from the right. Awg started to fire his/her laser pistol about wildly, until the battery pack was drained, while Torak holy chanted invisibly (thanks to his ring) to give comfort to the party and unease to their enemies.   Chaff fired off spell after spell, catching the dwarves in a web, instincting two musketeers to beat each other to death with their muskets, and leech blasting Atli and the last musketeer until the smuggler had had enough and called for the survivors to surrender. As Atli`s men threw down their weapons, the party proceed to tie them up and start to discuss what to do with their new prisoners ...

TOTAL XP
974

GAINS
600gp
400sp

KILLS

5 Sailers
Ethos, Rigging-Rat Musketeer
Brunhilla & Durnd, the Dwarf Duo
Rolo the Musketeer

CAPTURED
Atli the Golden [Captain of the 'Waverunner']
Uthos & Halthos [Rigging-Rat Musketeers]

LOSSES

None

Far Isles Session #71 - H'sslik the Lizard Wizard from Beyond Time

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Chaff (Vivimancer 5), with familiar Pretty Bird and Riding Dog Puppy Whuppy

Awg Wahmn (Calmonari 5)
Kwinsea (Aquamancer 5), with familiar Hermes 
Rodrigo (Swashbuckler 5) 


As the party stood staring at the sphincter in the floor, Torak suddenly disappeared and was replaced by Rodrigo, thanks to some kind of weird space-time continuum hiccup. Nonplussed, the rest of the party turned back to the floor. Still nervous about jumping in the hole, they questioned their captive once more. The lizard man confirmed his master lay below, that there was an uncertain number of other lizard men around, and the lizard men had captured a number of sailors from the wreck of the "Star Runner" (two of which were still alive). When asked what happened to the other humans, the lizard man replied with a grin that they were 'used', whatever that was supposed to mean. Regardless, the party decided to checkout the other two membrane doors before trying to go below.

Beyond the first was a generally empty, fleshy space, but with four pools in the floor. One of which was surrounded by a dozen silver poles, 6' tall. Against the far wall was another of the egg-structures. The party cautiously checked the pools. They were filled with a thick yellow, microbiological smelling liquid. Lowering poles, ropes and sacks into the liquid caused no harm to the objects. Questioning their captive did not result in any useful information about the pools, but further prodding about the egg revealed he and his companions had 'slept in them until the world changed'. Humm, some sort of statis field or time machine it would seem.  Chaff went over to the  silver poles, and cautiously tried pulling one out of the floor. It came easily, the hole in the floor closing moments later. Not sure of it's purpose, the little vivmancer carried it away none the less. Moving next to the last membrane door, the party found that this opened into yet another similar looking room. This one was characterized by a line of six statis-eggs along the far wall, and another elevator platform like the one they used to enter the central dome. In addition, lashed to the walls and floor and ceiling by tendrils growing out of the dome was a large collection of objects. Close inspection showed these were mundane things such as ropes and tools and barrels, but of wholly alien manufacture.

Taking leave of this last room, the party returned to the odd passage in the floor. Many plans of how to get down the hole and into the area where 'the master' lurked hatched, but in the end Chaff volunteered to peak through. But only after tying a rope around his waist which Awg would hold just in case.  Chaff squeezed his head into the sphincter; Awg could feel the vivimancer being sucked away, but the calmonari was able to hold tight and pull him out. Once he popped out, Chaff reported that a long tube formed on the other side, leading down into the room below. He couldn't see much of the room itself, however, just that it was of similar structure as those above but larger in size. Well, just as well to go down, so with Chaff taking lead, the party slipped one by one through the sphincter.

H'sslik the Lizard Wizard

Chaff landed first, finding himself in a round chamber. There were four membrane doors leading out, three of which were on the other side of a large pool of water. In the centre was a series of tables or benches of organic origin, seemingly formed out of the fleshy floor of the room. Standing there was an old lizard man in robes, puttering away at something on the benches, while facing Chaff were two more of the Neanderthal-ish lizard men, clubs and nets raised. Chaff raised his hands to show he meant no harm, keeping his distance from the guards. As the others started to arrive, the two guards continued to hold back, while the old wizard turned to see what was going on with only mild interest. When the captive lizard man appeared out of the tube, the two guards hissed and growled in anger, and that was enough for Chaff. He dropped a web, catching two guards (including their first captive) and the lizard wizard in the sticky strands. The sole remaining guard stood it's ground warily, and the lizard wizard looked on the party with full interest now, mostly looking annoyed. Unable to move thanks to the web, he did make a few weird croaking sounds and then cocked his head to one side as if listening. Awg pulled out the Mother of Pearl Egg and addressed the lizard wizard. The calmonari assured him, as one aquatic creature to another, that the party meant no harm.  They were merely being cautious, and were curious about this place. Awg then passed the egg to the lizard wizard and told him it would allow him to speak with them, but they would have to pass it back and forth to have a conversation. Holing the egg in his clawed hand, the lizard wizard (H'sslik by name) hissed that he could understand the party and could converse without the egg if they would free him from the web. That wasn't about to happen right now, so the two sides talked through the egg and through the protection of the web.

The conversation was long and winding and difficult to follow at times, but the party learned quite a

Basil the Talking Fish

bit. First of all, H'sslik and his guards hailed from a time long past when the master races ruled these isles and men were no more than 'ape-slaves'. Just how long ago that was the party couldn't tell for sure as H'sslik kept referring to an untranslatable period of time called a 'saros'; but it was certainly in the range of thousands of years. When the ape-slaves rose in revolt, H'sslik chose to escape by hiding his dome in the jungle  and going into statis (i.e the eggs); unfortunately, he miscalculated the statis field and they ended up staying under much longer than planned. The party also gradually came to learn the H'sslik was not quite right in the head; it seems that when he finally came out of statis, the long duration had fried more than a few neurons. The first thing he observed when he emerged was the tropical fish swimming in the lagoon, and he has been obsessed with 'his pretties' ever since. He was the one creating the weird hybrids the party encountered in the bay, and they could see more mutant fish swimming about in the pool of water. Some of the fish were raw material, and some hybrids. Including a talking fish by the name of Basil, who now had the brain and voice box of a sailor from the "Star Runner". They learned many of the crew survived the wreck, but were captured on shore by the lizard men. They were then put in tanks full of water or fluid, given sustenance and air by tubes. The crew were removed one by one and disappeared, and when it was Basil's turn, he ended by on a dissecting table in the middle of the room. Next thing he knew his consciousness was in the body of a fish; where he was now quite happy.  Basil also pointed out a few of the other mutant fish, including one covered in pearls.

While the conversation was going on, Chaff checked out the membrane doors. Each led into a narrow curved room with tanks formed into the walls. Each room held a different type of creature; the first held two humans from the "Star Runner", floating in fluid and sustained by tubes growing from the walls. The other three contained tropical fish, amphibians (frogs, salamanders, turtles, etc), and mollusks (clams, scallops, oysters, etc) respectively. When he returned and asked H'sslik about them, the lizard wizard confirmed they were raw materials for his experiments. Chaff questioned him about that, all the while poking around at the work benches. The vivmancer learned that H'sslik seemed to be practicing some combination of ur-vivimancy combined with surgery and some kind of innate mental abilities to make his creatures. He also learned that the dome was somehow an extension of H'sslik, and provided sustenance, power and life force to him. It also acted as a recorder or memory, and H'sslik could see what had happened throughout his long statis, as least what happened in the general vicinity of the dome and island. He told the party about the mists, how they would come and go, and each time they lifted different creatures would appear to explore. It seemed the mists somehow moved the Far Isles from place to place or from time to time, and would lift to allow those on the periphery to enter the isles. When queried about the time frame, H'sslik was a bit vague, but each lifting of the mist was relatively short, just a few years at most before they closed in again for a very long time, isolating the isles mostly from each other and whatever was in the outside world for 'many saros'.

By this time the party had decided H'sslik was basically harmless, and decided to cut he and his henchmen loose. They talked to him about the pools in the room above, and he told them they were for healing and rejuvenation. When asked if the party could use them, he seemed OK with the idea, but warned they were not tuned to 'ape-slave' physiology. Still worth trying, so Kwinsea headed back to the "Purple Haze" to bribe Jaz into taking a dip.  The elf was strong-armed into resting in the pool overnight, and when pulled out the next morning was fulling healed and functional. Unfortunately, her tongue had grown to enormous size and strength. knocking her front teeth out when she tried to talk. And of course, she was now unable to cast spells until that little problem could be solved. While Kwinsea gathered Jaz's teeth, the rest of the party negotiated with  H'sslik. They agreed to bring him back example of new pretty fish found in their exploration; in return, they could make use of the pools for healing. The lizard wizard agreed; he also provided some info about the surrounding islands. In particular, that the other island labeled on Ondry's map has a 'ape-slave' city on it; or at least did about 20-30 years ago, which was the time limit of the dome's monitoring ability. With that information, Kwinsea finally deciphered the writing on the map; it was 'smoking ruin'. Well, didn't look like there was a city there now.

Isle of the Smoking Ruins

With that, the party took their leave of H'sslik and returned to the "Purple Haze". They directed Lynessa to set sail to the east, and after a half day fair sailing arrived off the smoking island. It consisted of a volcanic peak, long dormant based on the amount of jungle grown right to the top. They anchored off a shallow bay where there were signs of civilization; a few wooden docks with boats tied up. They were in poor repair, and several boasts had slipped their lines and either run aground or sunk. If didn't look like anyone had been here for weeks or months. There was also sign of a road or path leading up the mountain to a plateau or hanging valley, where a thin wisp of smoke rose into the air. The party opted to not go ashore right away, but had Lynessa sail around the island first. They found nothing else of interest, and anchored once more off the shallow bay for the night. The night passed without incident, at least until Chaff came on watch just as dawn was breaking. He spied a sail, glowing warmly in the light of the rising sun, bearing down on them from then northwest. He raised the alarm, and the party and crew rushed on deck to prepare for what may come ...

TOTAL XP
4080

GAINS
1 six foot silver pole

KILLS

2 Neanderthal-ish Lizardman (Captured)
H'sslik the Lizard Wizard from Beyond Time (Captured)

LOSSES

None